Baker's Dozen Beats: 13 Playlists I Listen to all the Time

I've been waiting to do something like this for a while. I certainly have the number of playlists for it...

Playlists are a huge part of my daily routine. They also play a major part in helping me develop characters and stories and bring extra enjoyment to my other hobbies! Whether I'm pacing the office, cleaning the kitchen, tearing it up in World of Warcraft, or just relaxing in the bathtub, I've got a playlist for it - or I'll make one! Think I've got close to 300 on Spotify, and I'm afraid to look at the other lists on my iPod...

I make playlists for everything from housework, to my own book characters in the works, to playlists I made for fandoms like the MCU. I've been doing this for years. While not all directly "me", it could be argued that, in combination, some of my largest and most-played playlists might reflect on me. A great example would be that of the Winter Soldier, Bucky Barnes; his playlist (well, the one I made) was heavily inspired by my own as this is one character I relate to quite a bit.

Now, the thing is, I don't have just a standard playlist of songs that describes me. At least, not one that I could feature in 5,000 words all that well. And while examining my own playlist more might help, I am also in an identity crisis, so... How can I tell you who I am if I don't really know who I am or what exactly I'm about?

My own playlist has over 580 songs alone as well... I couldn't possibly pick just a few tracks...

Instead, I'm going to feature 13 of my most-played playlists to date and pick one song from each that I feel is a good representation of that playlist! From my own, titled "Within", to the one for my World of Warcraft main, Shadowsithe Ghoststrike, I've got some seriously massive playlists to introduce to you! Even my smaller ones for minor characters come in at about 50-100+ tracks, and as I mentioned, my own now contains over 580! So grab your headset, and let me show you what I got!

Playlists are in no particular order. Enjoy!

1) "Housework/Cooking" - Home, Sweet Home Theme

Representative Song: "My House" - Flo Rida

First up, we have my playlist for housework/cooking! This playlist is a true mix of things, from sweet country loving to, "I don't think I'd play this in public...".

"My House" by Flo Rida is a good track to cover the overall theme; make yourself comfortable! It's upbeat and welcoming, and fits right in with plenty of other tracks about partying it up or telling a crazy tale.

Cause, you know... It helps with the many tasks of house-cleaning...

I consider it more my partner's house - it technically is. But, it is the place I can be most myself right now. I think. At least, I don't have to be the person my parents tried to make me be. And my partner of nearly 9 years always corrects me that it's "our" place...

This is the perfect playlist (for me) to enjoy cooking and cleaning to the fullest - oftentimes even singing with it. The critters also know when I'm in the kitchen and playing this playlist - or sometimes a podcast - that they can probably harass me into giving them extra treats. Anything that brings the critters to me is a good thing - they are all so sweet.

2) "On Repeat" - Worth Another Listen Theme

Representative song: "Together Right" - Finger Eleven

I love the repeat rewind playlists on Spotify! It's really nice to go back and see what I was listening to a lot in a certain year! But I also just enjoy the regular "On Repeat" playlist that updates more frequently. It doesn't help me keep track of my listening on my iTunes playlists, but if I'm listening to the same songs, at least it's counting some of the tracks on repeat.

A more recent track, "Together Right" by Finger Eleven, has quickly racked up repeats! Especially as a featured track on a playlist I don't list here otherwise: Steve Rogers and James "Bucky" Barnes Friendship. It's a fairly new MCU fandom playlist in the scheme of things, but the track really captures a lot of their friendship's energy - especially when thinking on the airport battle in Captain America: Civil War. Bucky even tells Steve he doesn't think he's worth all the trouble in a scene shortly after that, which really resonates with the line, "Just wanna make it clear who you're defending".

It also applies to my own life in the last few years, as I too have few people to rely on. Often, it feels like my partner is the only one in my corner; I can think of no one else who has invested in me quite the way he has. I know I'm lucky to have him. I can't imagine doing any of this without him at this point.

And that bears repeating.

3) "Shadowsithe Ghoststrike" - Undead Vengeance Theme

Representative song: "Beneath the Skin" - Collide

I mean, my World of Warcraft main is basically a zombie... So she pretty much is just "skin and bones". And as a Champion of Azeroth, there's a lot of pressure on those bones.

Moreover, for what amounts to a reanimated corpse, this is the kind of allure I picture this character having; the music is dark, but sexy, yeah? Shadowsithe is a walking bag of bones - but she dresses up nice if I do say so myself. In that creepy, "touch me and you die" kinda way. I don't know how to describe it correctly to do it justice; my main's just a badass.

Choosing one song for her was a challenge; she's quite the character with a playlist nearly equal to my own in size! Her playlist is often filled with songs aimed at competitors in both farming and selling, but also more cheery sorts for relaxed farming - and the infrequent drink. But this is 100% a track I associate with Shadowsithe.

I dunno. I could have chosen a more combative song; Ghoststrike does engage in competition between other farmers and sellers. Despite whatever other quirks I give her, though, this song is one of a few that really gets to the heart of this character's, well, character. The beat is sexy, but haunting; confident, but dangerous.

Just as a Forsaken Rogue should be! It's so strange how different she is from me, given I play her...

My previous post on Vocal was about her - and 13 other tracks I think represent her best. The link to that is here, if anyone is interested.

4) "Farming" - Motivated, Fun Theme

"Daylight Outro (Remix)" - Matt and Kim

This is a great song to farm to in World of Warcraft! Especially those rare nights I have a few drinks while doing so. It's got a nice, steady beat for more involved farms! And that is largely what my "Farming" playlist is about; fun and competition.

It's not for everyone of course - it's very odd to many that I opt to solo farm in a MMORPG. Actually there's the surprise that I play solo and then additional surprise that I farm in the game rather than focus on current expansion content. I just don't play the game like most...

I get it; farming the same item in circles for hours on end isn't most people's idea of fun. But a playlist sure helps....

The track and playlist capture the farming experience for me well; I feel most comfortable in the midst of one of my familiar farms that I can "tune out" during if I want. Usually there's one of my favorite mounts involved. And, of course, a playlist. It's nice, and simple.

Can't beat it.

5) "Fishing" - Drinking Theme

Representative song: "Knee Deep" - Zac Brown Band, Jimmy Buffett

If there's one thing that is the same in real-life and in World of Warcraft, it's that fishing and drinking go great together - with, of course, a playlist!

This coming from someone who doesn't fish in real life - I just know it's a thing. Listen to a country song or ten; they'll tell you!

Fishing in the game can be a relaxing time, given I'm in the right mood for it. But some of my favorite nights in the game were spent drinking (in real-life and in-game), singing along to upbeat songs like "Knee Deep", fishing and drinking in the game's sunshine, and just watching the dynamics the designers put into the game. Seriously, we always bitch about bugs in World of Warcraft (often rightfully so), but those small details we take for granted are so lovely. Like random seabirds and fish rushing by in the distance; just little things that help immerse players. And when I stop and sit in one spot to fish, it's easy to enjoy those little things.

It's a real jolly playlist.

6) "(Working at) Jurassic World: the Exhibition" - Bittersweet Goodbye Theme

Representative song: "Exitlude" - The Killers

I loved this job and miss it terribly; I've mentioned so before and will likely continue to do so in the future. Never before had I been in contact with so many fans of one of my favorite franchises! And the animatronics...

Oh, they were glorious.

I loved it so much, I was willing to try to follow it to San Diego when it left Denver. It didn't shake out that way, and I haven't been able to enjoy Jurassic Park/World the same since.

The staff overall was lovely - I've kept in contact with many of my former coworkers from the Exhibition. There's a metal version of, "Everything is Awesome" from The Lego Movie on the full playlist that I almost crowned the representative track. But as soon as this track popped up on shuffle, I knew it was the true ruler. "Exitlude" was not just heavily played on my playlist for the Exhibition; it was often playing off my boyfriend's playlists as he drove me to and from the job as well.

Obviously, to be on the playlist, it meant that I thought it described the experience of working the Exhibition, and truly it does. Especially in the last few weeks of the job, watching the days tick down to the last show. I wasn't a perfect employee (though I was still a damn good one) and I did have a few hiccups with unruly guests, but overall, this song encapsulates best how I felt about the job; I was so excited to share in seeing these epic animatronics with a bunch of excited kids and dedicated fans of the franchises of all ages!

It's extremely bittersweet to listen to this playlist for me; I really did love that job. So many good times.

7) "Resting; Relaxing; Background" - Chill Out Theme

Representative song: "Thundertribe" - Paleowolf

This track has been playing heavy on repeat in 2023! Paleowolf has quickly become a favorite artist of mine this year. With rhythmic sounds that bring the prehistoric world into the modern, I think it's easy to hear why.

Personally, I love the sounds of rain and thunderstorms. Our fur-baby, Aleu, however, is not a fan of loud sounds, so I do have to be mindful of how and where I listen to the track.

Often, this means I only play it through earbuds in my office upstairs while the critters hang out on the lower levels. But, I also enjoy throwing the playlist up for a nice, hot bath. Add in a projector casting swirling lights on the ceiling, and it makes for a nice atmosphere to try and relax when my PTSD starts to act up.

If you're like Aleu and thunder - or things like it - isn't your thing, the runner-up would be, "Earth Tribe Trance" by Infinity Realm.

8) "The Vocal Folders" - Random Theme

To represent the chaos of the themes for these playlists: "Axel F" - Crazy Frog

Yep, I even have playlists for a number of my posts on Vocal - challenge-inspired and non-. Because they are folders, I can't share links to the full things, but I will include an example playlist from each! It seems fitting to include them here, after all. When else would I ever talk about having playlists for Vocal?

Sadly, many - particularly from the non-challenge-inspired folder - were works in progress that won't be completed, so I imagine I'll go through sometime soon and remove the ones that won't be used further.

I chose "Axel F" to represent the combined folders - it's really all over the place. Sheer and utter chaos. So I gave it one of the wackiest and most random songs I could think of.

"What's going on?"

Challenge-inspired playlist: "Mischief at the Barn"

Non-challenge-inspired playlist: "Night Walker"

9) "James "Bucky" Barnes/Winter Soldier" - Remorse Theme

Representative song: "Back to the Fire" - JT Music

I haven't written a dedicated piece on it yet, but I really identify with the MCU version of the Winter Soldier, Bucky Barnes, quite a bit. To the point, in fact, that I dressed up as a version of him for Halloween 2022. Reactions from friends about this range from, "understandable" to "...because of the metal arm?"

To clarify, no, I don't have a metal arm. But I do have emotional neglect and "training" and supression from my dysfunctional family that is often described as a type of brainwashing. I've been someone I didn't want to be - didn't know why I was that way at the time - and am now trying to be someone better after that. It goes on - one day I'll finally write out that piece.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this piece, a lot of the tracks for Bucky's playlist I made come from my own. I've focused a lot on his character for a few years, and it comes in at a healthy 200+ tracks - not bad for a fictional character I'm not creating. Other characters' will slowly start showing up and getting filled out; fandom playlists are newer creations, and there are a lot of MCU movies to study.

So I had a lot of options to choose from for representing his playlist. There was the official theme from the movies/series, a slew of ones I identified with, and then...

There was "Back to the Fire". It's been in my "On Repeat" list for basically a year and a half now - that's how often I put it on! It really captures the experience, hm? The good, the bad, and all the shit in-between. It couldn't have been any other track.

Fun fact - every other day, I try to use one of those "ab roller" things I've got; when this track pops up on shuffle from the 30-song "On Repeat" list, I try to use the roller for the duration of the song!

10) "Acoustics" - Somber Theme

Representative song: "Point of No Return (Acoustic)" - STARSET

Now, my Acoustics playlist ebbs and flows - I get into a time where I'm actively adding to it, and then I go a while without adding to it at all.

There were a lot of great options here, but I chose "Point of No Return" by STARSET because 1) it's an acoustic version performed by the actual same band that created the "original" version and 2) that version is awesome.

For comparison, here is the more-known version.

I had listened to the non-acoustic version for some time before I wound up hearing the acoustic version. And once I did, it really changed how I interpreted the song; it hit me much more deeply.

11) "Indominus Rex" - Predatory Theme

Representative song: "Predator X" - King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard

Not only did I make a playlist about the overall experience working at Jurassic World: the Exhibition, but I even made playlists for individual rooms/animatronics!

Now, some need a lot more fleshing out; four months rotating between many rooms makes it harder to "learn" about the "characters" I'm making playlists for, and now I can't do that since I'm no longer working there - I have to go off my memory now. But one room was easy to make a playlist for: the Indominus Rex paddock.

This room was a favorite among most of the staff; it's intense. The lights turn off so we don't draw the Indominus' attention, the floor shakes as the hybrid approaches, and she roars in spectacular fashion above the crowd! And the animatronic; simply gorgeous!

So when, as I'm working the job, a friend of mine heavy into metal and other types of music suggests "King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard", and I stumble upon the track, "Predator X"... It quickly became the song I identified most with the Indominus.

I'd wake up hours before work to drink coffee and pace - to wake up and be functional around guests as an introvert - and I'd figure out what room I felt like trying to get to work that day (first come, first served and I often had a good chance at any and all available picks). If it was "Predator X" I perked up to, I knew I had to try to be the handler in charge of that beautifully menacing hybrid that shift.

12) "Within" - Turmoil Theme

Representative song: "Halfway Right" - Linkin Park

Linkin Park songs in general really hit home with me growing up. I was an unpopular kid, in a dysfunctional family dynamic, and I had long suffered depression - and worse thoughts.

I really relate to the self-hatred and self-doubt. I took things too far in past relationships and friendships. And damn it, I know all too well about that "halfway right" feeling. There is no winning. Things always fall apart or aren't a shiny as most others think they'll be.

I dunno, I wish I knew a little bit more to say on this one; it's just a song I relate to and have had on repeat time and again over the years. Again, I'm in an identity crisis - I'm not really sure what is me at this stage. Maybe one of the other 580 tracks on this playlist would have been a better pick, but here we are.

I don't think it's a bad representation, at least.

13) "2023" - Hurt Theme

Representative song: "Little Death" - +44

Obviously, as I write this, 2023 is only halfway done. But I thought it was important to include this years' hand-created playlist in a list like this.

I'm still kinda struggling with the nearly 2-year estrangement from my family. Mostly I feel bad now for not feeling too bad about it. For once, I can try to be who I want to be - if I can just figure that out...

It's also been trying in that, in reading and trying to work through my PTSD and triggers, I've been struggling with anger at the lack of justice I got, worse and more frequent triggering events, and some pretty scary moments - even in consideration of the usual thoughts of not wanting to exist anymore.

And, a little over a month ago, my boyfriend's best friend was killed in a robbery...

All that considered, "Little Death" has kind lyrics, but a sad, bittersweet feel; I can think of no track that better sums up the first half of my 2023.

Playlist for this challenge entry.

Thank you for your time! If you enjoyed, please consider liking, sharing, subscribing, and/or tipping (these take a lot of time to put together, you know?)!

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"Baker's Dozen: My Favorite 13 Tapestries in 2023 (So Far)"

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