With Turkey Day nearly upon us, it's easy to get swept up in the travel and preparations and lose sight of what's really important: good food, and good times. Here are 5 tunes to help you relax and survive the holidaze.
1. The Clientele, “Harvest Time”
The Clientele have always been known for their blustery, pastoral tunes, and this song, from the record Bonfires on the Heath, helps us remember that no matter how crazy things might get, the world keeps on turning. Or, to quote the band: Everything here has a place and a time; We’re only passing by. Nice.
2. Dom, “Family of Love”
Because Thanksgiving is all about spending time with your family, no matter how crazy or embarrassing they might be.
3. Elliott Smith covering Neil Young's “Harvest Moon”
We could have picked the original, but Neil Young is Canadian, and they don't celebrate the big T up there in quite the same way (Canadian Thanksgiving is the second Monday in October; same as American Columbus Day.) That and the way Smith's voice quivers is just heart-breaking.
4. Yo La Tengo, “Autumn Sweater”
It's probably the best fall song ever made (i.o.h.o.), and perfect for easing you into a state of relaxation/ food coma.
5. Arlo Guthrie, “Alice's Restaurant”
The ultimate Thanksgiving tune. At the Bracaglia family household, we queue up this band boy every Turkey Day at exactly noon, and laugh wholeheartedly at the narrator's tribulations. No matter how crazy your family, at least you weren't arrested for dumping garbage off a cliff, right?
