It’s that time of year again: class attendance is starting to feel optional, the sun is out and it’s warm in the evenings. The gorges are no longer frozen over, College Ave. is bustling and the reflective glass of Collegetown Dispensary’s windowfront sparkles in the sunlight, a glint of hope. CTD is truly our shining city on the (down)hill. While typically the flick of a lighter and the roar of the falls along the Cascadilla Gorge Trail are a melodious enough soundtrack for journeys to and fro Collegetown Dispensary, I can understand the anxiety of being trapped in your own thoughts (especially on the way back!) when going solo. As on-demand smokers are wont to agree, the playlist on your way to CTD is a little different from the one on the way back. Hence, are your to and fro Collegetown Dispensary bangers.
To
1. Fiona Apple: “Valentine”
The way to CTD is a sonically evolutionary wonder. Immediately upon the decision to undergo the journey, you’re embodying your Lena-Dunham-and-Adam-Driver-in-that-one-episode-of-Girls, hairbrained, destructive fantasy that heretofore only existed in legend. Your determination is relentless, and you’re dedicating the bridge to the friendly, familiar faces behind the counter the whole trip.
2. Spoon: “I Turn My Camera On”
Grit quickly turns to swagger; by the time this one comes on, you’re likely out of whatever building from whence you came and on the warpath crossing the Arts Quad. The majesty of the warm, bright day captures you, and you pull out your phone to snap a photo of the peaceful clouds on the horizon over West Campus from the top of the Slope. Not exactly an original impulse, but the aura this song bathes you in makes up for it.
3. Fcukers: “I Don’t Wanna”
For a brief moment, that swagger fades to self-consciousness; you briefly ask yourself, “Am I a degenerate?” You think for a moment about the fact that no one around you knows what treasure lies at the end of your Odyssey. And then, 25 seconds in, you embrace it. “With the way I wanna be / can’t talk about you” — the lyrics are enabling you, encouraging you, almost. What the passerby doesn’t know won’t hurt them (or their evaluation of you).
4. Fiona Apple: “Relay”
“Evil is a relay sport / when the one who’s burned, / turns to pass the torch.” The repetitive opening mantra alerts you to a potential problem: You may have to splurge an extra $3 on a new lighter for today’s affair. “How can I be so stupid?” you ask yourself. You violently fiddle around in your pockets looking for a lighter: no luck. You check your butt pockets: no luck. You wheel your bookbag around and voila: salvation! Your cassette tape Bic lighter never does you wrong.
5. Scissor Sisters: “Take Your Mama”
This one brings “Faith” by George Michael vibes, but matches the crunchy Ithaca vibe more astutely. This is the one that blares over the sound of the bell ringing as you enter the dispensary; you bounce your way in, jubilant upon your safe arrival.
Fro
6. Lorde: “Hammer”
The opening track to Virgin perfectly encapsulates the power you feel in selecting and purchasing your preroll of choice; “When you’re holding a hammer / everything looks like a nail,” she swoons in perfect harmony with the instinct to immediately light up that pulses through you upon delivery.
7. The Chainsmokers: “Side Effects”
This one will be especially poignant for those of you who understand the struggle of finding a smoke spot in broad daylight. “It’s 4 A.M., I don’t know where to go” feels uber relevant when you’re scanning Dryden Road for a quiet alley or a secluded lookout. Sometimes, the parking lot roof just doesn’t cut it.
8. Passion Pit: “Sleepyhead”
You’ve found your spot — I’ll leave that part to your imagination. Once you’ve settled yourself in your little oasis for now, that unmistakable flick of the lighter ignites the passion you’ve been pursuing since you began your journey with Fiona Apple 20 minutes ago. “Burning solid, burning thin the burning rim” the track squeaks as that first inhale balances out the embers staring you down from the other end.
9. Solange: “Losing You”
With the flaming hot edge of the joint inching ever closer to the filter with each inhale, you’re already beginning to yearn for the feeling of a fresh joint gracing your fingertips. Solange is here to console you: “Tell me the truth, boy, am I losing you for good? / I don’t know why I fight it, clearly we are through,” she laments as your grip on the filter pinches ever closer to where your lips touch.
10. Blood Orange: “Uncle ACE”
Any song off of Cupid Deluxe is perfect, period, but “Uncle ACE” is especially fitting for beginning your journey home from CTD. The bombastic synth outro will have you hitting flow state, and the vibes are purely immaculate. What’s better to preoccupy your wandering mind on a long walk back than reminders of the hotel room scene in Challengers? I’d argue nothing.
You can listen to the playlist here.
‘Solar Flare’ is a weekly playlist column where Sun contributors spotlight a slice of musical taste with the campus community. It runs every Monday.
Alexander Walters is a member of the Class of 2028 in the College of Arts and Sciences. He is a contributor for the Arts & Culture department and can be reached at apw65@cornell.edu.
