Booth notebook

Session notes from the booth.

The lineup logic, the song notes, and the things I want you to hear, saved one session at a time.

Stored notes
120
Artists
18
Genres
18
Special turns
4
5 saved turns
Lineup logic first. Song notes right behind it.
Neon patiencePlaylist noteApr 20, 202611:56 PM

Perfect Blue Buildings is setting the after-hours temperature on the dial.

Perfect Blue Buildings by Counting Crows off August and Everything After (1993) is coming through with a slow-burn glide, a soulful / neon patience lean, and a touch of neon patience. Mercure - Poses Plastiques: Deuxième Tableau, Colère De Cerbère is already changing how the current record reads.

Record in focus
Perfect Blue Buildings
Counting Crows
August and Everything After · 1993 · Alternative Rock
Lineup note
Perfect Blue Buildings into Mercure - Poses Plastiques: Deuxième Tableau, Colère De Cerbère

Perfect Blue Buildings by Counting Crows off August and Everything After (1993) belongs here because Mercure - Poses Plastiques: Deuxième Tableau, Colère De Cerbère by Satie is a steady shelf presence that keeps the emotional pressure steady after Addicted To Love by Robert Palmer and turns the color from 1980s into 1990s. It's bolder than the room wants from Mr Rassy right now.. Mercure - Poses Plastiques: Deuxième Tableau, Colère De Cerbère is waiting as the answer, so this record is doing more than setting a mood; it is shaping the turn.

Track context
August and Everything After · 1993

Perfect Blue Buildings comes through with a slow-burn glide and alternative rock around the edges, giving the sequence a 1990s depth instead of a quick disposable hit. The crowd response around Me And Mrs. Jones by Billy Paul suggests listeners are leaning toward texture and detail, not just impact.

Listen for
What to catch in the room

Listen for how Mercure - Poses Plastiques: Deuxième Tableau, Colère De Cerbère answers the color and pressure of the current record instead of simply matching its tempo. The real hook is in how the alternative rock grain keeps glowing even as the transition opens up.

Counting CrowsSatieBruce SpringsteenAlternative RockClassicalPop, Rocksoulful / neon patienceafter-hoursneon patienceAlternative Rock
Session map
3 stored song notes
01now
Perfect Blue Buildings
Counting Crows
Why it fits

Perfect Blue Buildings by Counting Crows lands here because Mercure - Poses Plastiques: Deuxième Tableau, Colère De Cerbère by Satie is a steady shelf presence that keeps the emotional pressure steady after Addicted To Love by Robert Palmer and turns the color from 1980s into 1990s. It's bolder than the room wants from Mr Rassy right now.. The alternative rock edge gives the turn a more precise contour than a plain mood match. Mercure - Poses Plastiques: Deuxième Tableau, Colère De Cerbère can step in after it without the handoff feeling pre-chewed.

Track context

On August and Everything After (1993), Perfect Blue Buildings shows Counting Crows working in a 1990s pocket with alternative rock in the grain. The cut moves with a slow-burn glide, which is why it can hold this turn without flattening it.

Listen for

Listen for the alternative rock texture in the pocket, especially in the way the arrangement keeps color moving under the lead. It also leaves a lane for Mercure - Poses Plastiques: Deuxième Tableau, Colère De Cerbère to arrive without the segue feeling forced.

02next
Mercure - Poses Plastiques: Deuxième Tableau, Colère De Cerbère
Satie
Why it fits

Mercure - Poses Plastiques: Deuxième Tableau, Colère De Cerbère answers Perfect Blue Buildings by Counting Crows with a related tension instead of a copycat move, so the sequence keeps opening out. The classical edge gives the turn a more precise contour than a plain mood match. We Take Care of Our Own can step in after it without the handoff feeling pre-chewed.

Track context

On Complete Piano Works, Volume 8 (1995), Mercure - Poses Plastiques: Deuxième Tableau, Colère De Cerbère shows Satie working in a 1990s pocket with classical in the grain. The cut moves with a slow-burn glide, which is why it can hold this turn without flattening it.

Listen for

Listen for the classical texture in the pocket, especially in the way the arrangement keeps color moving under the lead. You can hear how it answers Perfect Blue Buildings without borrowing the same emotional weight. It also leaves a lane for We Take Care of Our Own to arrive without the segue feeling forced.

03later
We Take Care of Our Own
Bruce Springsteen
Why it fits

We Take Care of Our Own answers Mercure - Poses Plastiques: Deuxième Tableau, Colère De Cerbère by Satie with a related tension instead of a copycat move, so the sequence keeps opening out. The pop, rock edge gives the turn a more precise contour than a plain mood match.

Track context

On Wrecking Ball (2012), We Take Care of Our Own shows Bruce Springsteen working in a 2010s pocket with pop, rock in the grain. The cut moves with a slow-burn glide, which is why it can hold this turn without flattening it.

Listen for

Listen for the pop, rock texture in the pocket, especially in the way the arrangement keeps color moving under the lead. You can hear how it answers Mercure - Poses Plastiques: Deuxième Tableau, Colère De Cerbère without borrowing the same emotional weight.

Open saved booth copy

Mr Rassy is lining up Mercure - Poses Plastiques: Deuxième Tableau, Colère De Cerbère by Satie off Complete Piano Works, Volume 8 (1995). It hit in 1995, it comes off Complete Piano Works, Volume 8, Classical on the edges. The transition feels clean and alive. Mercure - Poses Plastiques: Deuxième Tableau, Colère De Cerbère by Satie is a steady shelf presence that keeps the emotional pressure steady after Addicted To Love by Robert Palmer and turns the color from 1980s into 1990s. It's bolder than the room wants from Mr Rassy right now.

Soulful / neon patiencePlaylist noteApr 20, 202611:47 PM

Death of a Party is setting the after-hours temperature on the dial.

Death of a Party by Blur off Blur (1997) is coming through with a slow-burn glide, a soulful / neon patience lean, and a touch of neon patience. The One I Love is already changing how the current record reads.

Record in focus
Death of a Party
Blur
Blur · 1997 · Alternative Rock
Lineup note
Death of a Party into The One I Love

Death of a Party by Blur off Blur (1997) belongs here because Build a sharp two-step arc with R.E.M. and Robert Palmer.. The One I Love is waiting as the answer, so this record is doing more than setting a mood; it is shaping the turn.

Track context
Blur · 1997

Death of a Party comes through with a slow-burn glide and alternative rock around the edges, giving the sequence a 1990s depth instead of a quick disposable hit. The crowd response around Me And Mrs. Jones by Billy Paul suggests listeners are leaning toward texture and detail, not just impact.

Listen for
What to catch in the room

Listen for how The One I Love answers the color and pressure of the current record instead of simply matching its tempo. The real hook is in how the alternative rock grain keeps glowing even as the transition opens up.

BlurR.E.M.Robert PalmerAlternative RockRockPop, Rocksoulful / neon patienceafter-hoursneon patienceAlternative Rock
Session map
3 stored song notes
01now
Death of a Party
Blur
Why it fits

Death of a Party by Blur lands here because Build a sharp two-step arc with R.E.M. and Robert Palmer.. The alternative rock edge gives the turn a more precise contour than a plain mood match. The One I Love can step in after it without the handoff feeling pre-chewed.

Track context

On Blur (1997), Death of a Party shows Blur working in a 1990s pocket with alternative rock in the grain. The cut moves with a slow-burn glide, which is why it can hold this turn without flattening it.

Listen for

Listen for the alternative rock texture in the pocket, especially in the way the arrangement keeps color moving under the lead. It also leaves a lane for The One I Love to arrive without the segue feeling forced.

02next
The One I Love
R.E.M.
Why it fits

The One I Love answers Death of a Party by Blur with a related tension instead of a copycat move, so the sequence keeps opening out. The rock edge gives the turn a more precise contour than a plain mood match. Addicted To Love can step in after it without the handoff feeling pre-chewed.

Track context

On Document (1987), The One I Love shows R.E.M. working in a 1980s pocket with rock in the grain. The cut moves with a slow-burn glide, which is why it can hold this turn without flattening it.

Listen for

Listen for the rock texture in the pocket, especially in the way the arrangement keeps color moving under the lead. You can hear how it answers Death of a Party without borrowing the same emotional weight. It also leaves a lane for Addicted To Love to arrive without the segue feeling forced.

03later
Addicted To Love
Robert Palmer
Why it fits

Addicted To Love answers The One I Love by R.E.M. with a related tension instead of a copycat move, so the sequence keeps opening out. The pop, rock edge gives the turn a more precise contour than a plain mood match.

Track context

On Riptide (1985), Addicted To Love shows Robert Palmer working in a 1980s pocket with pop, rock in the grain. The cut moves with a slow-burn glide, which is why it can hold this turn without flattening it.

Listen for

Listen for the pop, rock texture in the pocket, especially in the way the arrangement keeps color moving under the lead. You can hear how it answers The One I Love without borrowing the same emotional weight.

Open saved booth copy

Mr Rassy is lining up The One I Love by R.E.M. off Document (1987). It hit in 1987, it comes off Document, Rock on the edges. The transition feels clean and alive. Build a sharp two-step arc with R.E.M. and Robert Palmer.

Soulful / after hours electricityPlaylist noteApr 20, 202611:37 PMDeep shelf driftdeep cuts

The Ballad Of John And Yoko (2015 Mix) is setting the after-hours temperature on the dial.

The Ballad Of John And Yoko (2015 Mix) by The Beatles off Past Masters (1988) is coming through with a candlelit drift, a soulful / after-hours electricity lean, and a touch of after-hours electricity. Perfect Blue Buildings is already changing how the current record reads.

Record in focus
The Ballad Of John And Yoko (2015 Mix)
The Beatles
Past Masters · 1988 · Rock
Programming
Deep shelf drift

The album tracks and side doors, not the obvious front window.

Lineup note
Deep shelf drift

The Ballad Of John And Yoko (2015 Mix) by The Beatles off Past Masters (1988) belongs here because Perfect Blue Buildings by Counting Crows transitions smoothly from Death of a Party by Blur, maintains the alternative rock genre, and provides an emotional lift without jarring the room.. Perfect Blue Buildings is waiting as the answer, so this record is doing more than setting a mood; it is shaping the turn.

Track context
Past Masters · 1988

The Ballad Of John And Yoko (2015 Mix) comes through with a candlelit drift and rock around the edges, giving the sequence a 1980s depth instead of a quick disposable hit. The crowd response around Me And Mrs. Jones by Billy Paul suggests listeners are leaning toward texture and detail, not just impact.

Listen for
What to catch in the room

Listen for how Perfect Blue Buildings answers the color and pressure of the current record instead of simply matching its tempo. The real hook is in how the rock grain keeps glowing even as the transition opens up.

The BeatlesCounting CrowsTalking HeadsRockAlternative RockPop, Rocksoulful / after-hours electricityafter-hoursafter-hours electricityRock
Session map
3 stored song notes
01now
The Ballad Of John And Yoko (2015 Mix)
The Beatles
Why it fits

The Ballad Of John And Yoko (2015 Mix) by The Beatles lands here because Perfect Blue Buildings by Counting Crows transitions smoothly from Death of a Party by Blur, maintains the alternative rock genre, and provides an emotional lift without jarring the room.. The rock edge gives the turn a more precise contour than a plain mood match. Perfect Blue Buildings can step in after it without the handoff feeling pre-chewed.

Track context

On Past Masters (1988), The Ballad Of John And Yoko (2015 Mix) shows The Beatles working in a 1980s pocket with rock in the grain. The cut moves with a candlelit drift, which is why it can hold this turn without flattening it. Inside Deep shelf drift, it reads as curation rather than stunt programming.

Listen for

Listen for the rock texture in the pocket, especially in the way the arrangement keeps color moving under the lead. It also leaves a lane for Perfect Blue Buildings to arrive without the segue feeling forced.

02next
Perfect Blue Buildings
Counting Crows
Why it fits

Perfect Blue Buildings keeps deep shelf drift honest by sounding like a real choice inside that lane, not a decorative gesture. The alternative rock edge gives the turn a more precise contour than a plain mood match. Electricity (Instrumental) can step in after it without the handoff feeling pre-chewed.

Track context

On August and Everything After (1993), Perfect Blue Buildings shows Counting Crows working in a 1990s pocket with alternative rock in the grain. The cut moves with a slow-burn glide, which is why it can hold this turn without flattening it. Inside Deep shelf drift, it reads as curation rather than stunt programming.

Listen for

Listen for the alternative rock texture in the pocket, especially in the way the arrangement keeps color moving under the lead. You can hear how it answers The Ballad Of John And Yoko (2015 Mix) without borrowing the same emotional weight. It also leaves a lane for Electricity (Instrumental) to arrive without the segue feeling forced.

03later
Electricity (Instrumental)
Talking Heads
Why it fits

Electricity (Instrumental) keeps deep shelf drift honest by sounding like a real choice inside that lane, not a decorative gesture. The pop, rock edge gives the turn a more precise contour than a plain mood match.

Track context

On Bonus Rarities & Outtakes (2006), Electricity (Instrumental) shows Talking Heads working in a 2000s pocket with pop, rock in the grain. The cut moves with a slow-burn glide, which is why it can hold this turn without flattening it. Inside Deep shelf drift, it reads as curation rather than stunt programming.

Listen for

Listen for the pop, rock texture in the pocket, especially in the way the arrangement keeps color moving under the lead. You can hear how it answers Perfect Blue Buildings without borrowing the same emotional weight.

Open saved booth copy

Mr Rassy is lining up Perfect Blue Buildings by Counting Crows off August and Everything After (1993). It hit in 1993, it comes off August and Everything After, Alternative Rock on the edges. The transition feels clean and alive. Deep shelf drift is opening up. Perfect Blue Buildings by Counting Crows transitions smoothly from Death of a Party by Blur, maintains the alternative rock genre, and provides an emotional lift without jarring the room.

Soulful / neon patiencePlaylist noteApr 20, 20269:51 PM

Roadhouse Blues (Screamin' Ray Daniels a.k.a. Ray Manzarek On Vocals) is setting the after-hours temperature on the dial.

Roadhouse Blues (Screamin' Ray Daniels a.k.a. Ray Manzarek On Vocals) by The Doors off Morrison Hotel (1970) is coming through with a steady shoulder-roll, a soulful / neon patience lean, and a touch of neon patience. White Braids & Pillow Chair is already changing how the current record reads.

Record in focus
Roadhouse Blues (Screamin' Ray Daniels a.k.a. Ray Manzarek On Vocals)
The Doors
Morrison Hotel · 1970 · Pop, Rock
Lineup note
Roadhouse Blues (Screamin' Ray Daniels a.k.a. Ray Manzarek On Vocals) into White Braids & Pillow Chair

Roadhouse Blues (Screamin' Ray Daniels a.k.a. Ray Manzarek On Vocals) by The Doors off Morrison Hotel (1970) belongs here because White Braids & Pillow Chair by Red Hot Chili Peppers provides a fresh turn after Break My Stride (Remix) (Club Version) by Matthew Wilder. Good Morning Good Morning by The Beatles adds a bold, nostalgic element to the set.. White Braids & Pillow Chair is waiting as the answer, so this record is doing more than setting a mood; it is shaping the turn.

Track context
Morrison Hotel · 1970

Roadhouse Blues (Screamin' Ray Daniels a.k.a. Ray Manzarek On Vocals) comes through with a steady shoulder-roll and pop, rock around the edges, giving the sequence a 1970s depth instead of a quick disposable hit. The crowd response around Me And Mrs. Jones by Billy Paul suggests listeners are leaning toward texture and detail, not just impact.

Listen for
What to catch in the room

Listen for how White Braids & Pillow Chair answers the color and pressure of the current record instead of simply matching its tempo. The real hook is in how the pop, rock grain keeps glowing even as the transition opens up.

The DoorsRed Hot Chili PeppersThe BeatlesPop, RockAlternative-RockRocksoulful / neon patienceafter-hoursneon patiencePop, Rock
Session map
3 stored song notes
01now
Roadhouse Blues (Screamin' Ray Daniels a.k.a. Ray Manzarek On Vocals)
The Doors
Why it fits

Roadhouse Blues (Screamin' Ray Daniels a.k.a. Ray Manzarek On Vocals) by The Doors lands here because White Braids & Pillow Chair by Red Hot Chili Peppers provides a fresh turn after Break My Stride (Remix) (Club Version) by Matthew Wilder. Good Morning Good Morning by The Beatles adds a bold, nostalgic element to the set.. The pop, rock edge gives the turn a more precise contour than a plain mood match. White Braids & Pillow Chair can step in after it without the handoff feeling pre-chewed.

Track context

On Morrison Hotel (1970), Roadhouse Blues (Screamin' Ray Daniels a.k.a. Ray Manzarek On Vocals) shows The Doors working in a 1970s pocket with pop, rock in the grain. The cut moves with a steady shoulder-roll, which is why it can hold this turn without flattening it.

Listen for

Listen for the pop, rock texture in the pocket, especially in the way the arrangement keeps color moving under the lead. It also leaves a lane for White Braids & Pillow Chair to arrive without the segue feeling forced.

02next
White Braids & Pillow Chair
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Why it fits

White Braids & Pillow Chair answers Roadhouse Blues (Screamin' Ray Daniels a.k.a. Ray Manzarek On Vocals) by The Doors with a related tension instead of a copycat move, so the sequence keeps opening out. The alternative-rock edge gives the turn a more precise contour than a plain mood match. Good Morning Good Morning can step in after it without the handoff feeling pre-chewed.

Track context

On Unlimited Love (2022), White Braids & Pillow Chair shows Red Hot Chili Peppers working in a 2020s pocket with alternative-rock in the grain. The cut moves with a slow-burn glide, which is why it can hold this turn without flattening it.

Listen for

Listen for the alternative-rock texture in the pocket, especially in the way the arrangement keeps color moving under the lead. You can hear how it answers Roadhouse Blues (Screamin' Ray Daniels a.k.a. Ray Manzarek On Vocals) without borrowing the same emotional weight. It also leaves a lane for Good Morning Good Morning to arrive without the segue feeling forced.

03later
Good Morning Good Morning
The Beatles
Why it fits

Good Morning Good Morning answers White Braids & Pillow Chair by Red Hot Chili Peppers with a related tension instead of a copycat move, so the sequence keeps opening out. The rock edge gives the turn a more precise contour than a plain mood match.

Track context

On Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967), Good Morning Good Morning shows The Beatles working in a 1960s pocket with rock in the grain. The cut moves with a slow-burn glide, which is why it can hold this turn without flattening it.

Listen for

Listen for the rock texture in the pocket, especially in the way the arrangement keeps color moving under the lead. You can hear how it answers White Braids & Pillow Chair without borrowing the same emotional weight.

Open saved booth copy

Mr Rassy is lining up White Braids & Pillow Chair by Red Hot Chili Peppers off Unlimited Love (2022). It hit in 2022, it comes off Unlimited Love, Alternative-Rock on the edges. The transition feels clean and alive. White Braids & Pillow Chair by Red Hot Chili Peppers provides a fresh turn after Break My Stride (Remix) (Club Version) by Matthew Wilder. Good Morning Good Morning by The Beatles adds a bold, nostalgic element to the set.

Soulful / club light achePlaylist noteApr 20, 20269:41 PM2020s pressuresame decade

A Clean Break (Let's Work) (Live; 2004 Remaster) is setting the after-hours temperature on the dial.

A Clean Break (Let's Work) (Live; 2004 Remaster) by Talking Heads off Once in a Lifetime: The Talking Heads Box (2003) is coming through with a bright electric charge, a soulful / club-light ache lean, and a touch of club-light ache. The Party is already changing how the current record reads.

Record in focus
A Clean Break (Let's Work) (Live; 2004 Remaster)
Talking Heads
Once in a Lifetime: The Talking Heads Box · 2003 · Pop, Rock
Programming
2020s pressure

A set holding to one decade long enough for the texture of the era to really show.

Lineup note
2020s pressure

A Clean Break (Let's Work) (Live; 2004 Remaster) by Talking Heads off Once in a Lifetime: The Talking Heads Box (2003) belongs here because The Party by Justice is the perfect left turn after Roadhouse Blues (Screamin' Ray Daniels a.k.a. Ray Manzarek On Vocals) by The Doors, keeping the emotional pressure steady while shifting the color from the 1960s into the 2020s.. The Party is waiting as the answer, so this record is doing more than setting a mood; it is shaping the turn.

Track context
Once in a Lifetime: The Talking Heads Box · 2003

A Clean Break (Let's Work) (Live; 2004 Remaster) comes through with a bright electric charge and pop, rock around the edges, giving the sequence a 2000s depth instead of a quick disposable hit. The crowd response around Me And Mrs. Jones by Billy Paul suggests listeners are leaning toward texture and detail, not just impact.

Listen for
What to catch in the room

Listen for how The Party answers the color and pressure of the current record instead of simply matching its tempo. The real hook is in how the pop, rock grain keeps glowing even as the transition opens up.

Talking HeadsJusticeMatthew WilderPop, RockElectronicsoulful / club-light acheafter-hoursclub-light achePop, Rock
Session map
3 stored song notes
01now
A Clean Break (Let's Work) (Live; 2004 Remaster)
Talking Heads
Why it fits

A Clean Break (Let's Work) (Live; 2004 Remaster) by Talking Heads lands here because The Party by Justice is the perfect left turn after Roadhouse Blues (Screamin' Ray Daniels a.k.a. Ray Manzarek On Vocals) by The Doors, keeping the emotional pressure steady while shifting the color from the 1960s into the 2020s.. The pop, rock edge gives the turn a more precise contour than a plain mood match. The Party can step in after it without the handoff feeling pre-chewed.

Track context

On Once in a Lifetime: The Talking Heads Box (2003), A Clean Break (Let's Work) (Live; 2004 Remaster) shows Talking Heads working in a 2000s pocket with pop, rock in the grain. The cut moves with a bright electric charge, which is why it can hold this turn without flattening it. Inside 2020s pressure, it reads as curation rather than stunt programming.

Listen for

Listen for the pop, rock texture in the pocket, especially in the way the arrangement keeps color moving under the lead. It also leaves a lane for The Party to arrive without the segue feeling forced.

02next
The Party
Justice
Why it fits

The Party keeps 2020s pressure honest by sounding like a real choice inside that lane, not a decorative gesture. The electronic edge gives the turn a more precise contour than a plain mood match. Break My Stride (Remix) (Club Version) can step in after it without the handoff feeling pre-chewed.

Track context

On † (2022), The Party shows Justice working in a 2020s pocket with electronic in the grain. The cut moves with a slow-burn glide, which is why it can hold this turn without flattening it. Inside 2020s pressure, it reads as curation rather than stunt programming.

Listen for

Listen for the electronic texture in the pocket, especially in the way the arrangement keeps color moving under the lead. You can hear how it answers A Clean Break (Let's Work) (Live; 2004 Remaster) without borrowing the same emotional weight. It also leaves a lane for Break My Stride (Remix) (Club Version) to arrive without the segue feeling forced.

03later
Break My Stride (Remix) (Club Version)
Matthew Wilder
Why it fits

Break My Stride (Remix) (Club Version) keeps 2020s pressure honest by sounding like a real choice inside that lane, not a decorative gesture.

Track context

On Now That’s What I Call 12' 80s (2021), Break My Stride (Remix) (Club Version) shows Matthew Wilder working in a 2020s pocket. The cut moves with a slow-burn glide, which is why it can hold this turn without flattening it. Inside 2020s pressure, it reads as curation rather than stunt programming.

Listen for

Listen for the arrangement hinge where the rhythm section and the lead line stop shadowing each other and start pulling against each other. You can hear how it answers The Party without borrowing the same emotional weight.

Open saved booth copy

You're in for a ride that'll make you feel like you're part of something bigger than yourself. Here's to the 2020s and all the music that makes us move.