October 01 – Stereogum: Michael & Kat’s Finite Playlists

Given how much indie appropriating and Vampire Weekending Nick & Norah’s has indulged, taking a spin through the iPods of the film’s principals seems like a fine thing to do. So, nice work iTunes (and good luck on Thursday!). Are the real Nick and Norah really fans of Bishop Allen, or is that just ACTING? Neither Michael Cera nor Kat Dennings had a hand in crafting the OST (Salon tells us that was the work of director Peter Sollett and editor Myron Kerstein), but a pass through their playlists says they would’ve done pretty nicely as music supervisors. Kat even includes a Megapuss track, which probably means Devendra’s wasting no time getting over Amidala and put his time on the set to good use. Here’s Michael’s playlist, and here’s Kat’s, but in case you don’t want to launch your iTunes they’re transcribed below, along with some bonus MySpace Video interviews in which the kids list some of their top 5 music faves.

Kat Denings’s Playlist
“Straight Out The Jungle” – Jungle Brothers
“Incredibly, most people I talk to have never heard this. Out of the question! Buy it immediately. This song knows me better than I know myself.”

“I’m Straight” – The Modern Lovers
“Jonathan Richman is especially mournful here. I like to listen to this in airports. “

“Heartbeat” – Annie
“Although I don’t recommend it, if you were to walk in slow motion through a crowd of attractive peope towards a person you’re in love with, I’d listen to this while you did it.”

“Start Wearing Purple” – Gogol Bordello
“Eventually I hope to have a moustache as formidable as Eugene Hutz’s. One day at a time.”

“Love Is Only A Feeling” – The Darkness
My brother Geoff played this for me in his car on the way to the baseball card store years ago, and he said, ‘ when you’re older you’ll realize that love IS only a feeling.’ And i said, ‘shut up,’ and now I see that he may be right. The pain!”

“I’m Finding It Harder To Be A Gentleman” – The White Stripes
“I am.”

“Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours” – Stevie Wonder
“My mom and I both love this song. Possibly the happiest sounding song ever written, even though it’s about begging someone to take you back after you’ve done them wrong. But lets’ not worry about that right now.”

“Drive-In Saturday” – David Bowie
“Though it’s impossible to pick only one Bowie song, I thought I’d limit myself. I remember singing this very, very loudly at a key moment in my formative 18th year. Everything was perfect for a few minutes.”

“When You Were Mine” – Casiotone For the Painfully Alone
“I love songs about people doing each other wrong. That seems unhealthy.”

“Yard of Blonde Girls” – Jeff Buckley
“The song is like a movie. Close your eyes and watch it.”

“Total Eclipse Of The Heart” – Bonnie Tyler
“Especially effective when sung desperately to the person in the car next to you at a stoplight. Make sure you are wearing at least one type of facial hair.”

“Hamman” – Megapuss
“Especially effective when sung desperately to the person in the car next to you at a stoplight. Make sure you are wearing at least one type of facial hair.” (iTunes has this description listed again, interesting)

“No More Hot Dogs” – Hasil Adkins
“My brother just played this for me, and my stomach still hurts from laughing hysterically. Possibly the funniest, most insane song ever written, EVER.”

“I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’” – Scissor Sisters
“If I owned rollerskates and a rainbow leotard, I would use them to make my love of this song known to the world.”