El Planteo is a youthful Spanish-language media outlet focused on culture, finance and cannabis. They have joined us for a Weedsday playlist this week. What you will discover next is a mélange of recommendations, which are climatic, body-shakin’, shoegaze, South American and a little something else — a list packed with great songs to play while you enjoy some cannabis:
Their staff is eclectic and this selection, even more so. Following up on the "Weedsday Playlist" by Javier Hasse, El Planteo’s co-founder and CEO, here’s a selection by the rest of the crew at the Argentina-based newspaper.
In little over a year of life, and in the midst of its articles on cryptocurrency, cannabis activism, regulation and politics, El Planteo has also been recording the highlights of the musical scene, traveling smoothly between rap, indie, electronic music and the rock and roll.
Here’s a playlist curated by the El Planteo team with songs from Yo La Tengo, Lana Del Rey, Aphex Twin and more!
1. Yo La Tengo – Green Arrow
Yo La Tengo’s “Green Arrow” is one of the most special tracks I’ve ever listened to. It was special when I first played it, over ten years ago, and has been every single time up to date. It’s calm, warm, reflective and has that “all is well” feeling, like you can finally breathe. With its magical crickets, this song transports anyone who listens to it to a special night somewhere on Earth. You can read the YouTube comments if you don’t believe me: it doesn’t matter who you are or where you’re from, this track will take you places. And it’s ideal to enjoy while high; just let the sound fill you. (Note: please try to listen at night, if possible in a natural setting with decent headphones.) – Natalia Kesselman, Cofounder and executive editor.
2. Lana Del Rey – Music To Watch Boys To
First, a caveat: there are few songs that aren't improved by lighting up. That being said, I'm going with this song, “Music To Watch Boys To,” although the whole album Honeymoon is amongst my favorites to listen to while high. It perfectly embodies that light, breezy, cool and euphoric feeling you get when you’re stoned, even at its most melancholic parts. It makes you want to dance slowly and freely, like you don't have a care in the world. Lana Del Rey's stoner persona undoubtedly seeps into her music, and even despite her sometimes problematic lyrics, I feel her songs enhance the experience of being high. – Marian Venini, Content editor.
3. Illya Kuryaki & The Valderramas – Jaguar House
I began smoking pot in my teenage years. Illya Kuryaki & The Valderramas, the Argentine duo composed by Emmanuel Horvilleur and Dante Spinetta, accompanied this cannabis awakening with their psychedelic music. My friend and I would spend long hours in his room playing the album Chaco, smoking, laughing and listening to its delicious sounds. “Jaguar House” invited us to do funky dances while pretending to be rockstars and inspired us to create parallel realities that we only understood. IKV’s post-2001 art and marijuana were key elements in the making of my creative self. – Pablo Redes Vidart, Social media manager
4. Mi Amigo Invencible – Edmundo Año Cero
I have no predilection for a particular genre when it comes to lighting up a joint. So, I could suggest doing it with “Sambal” by Aeroplane & Purple Disco Machine or “Cartoon Network” by Saramalacara. However, thinking of a trip that lasts more than a few puffs, I'll go with “Edmundo Año Cero” by the Mendoza-based band Mi Amigo Invencible. It's a song that makes itself well respected: it begins suddenly, without getting hysterical, and manages a kind of cheerful sadness that always -always- puts me in a good mood. If I had a TV show with street vibes, I think “Edmundo Año Cero” would be the opening theme. I'd like you to listen to it with your headphones on loud while you light up a joint on the street and make your own mental video clip. – Hernán Panessi, Journalist/editor.
5. Aphex Twin – 4
Choosing a single track is almost impossible, since practically all music (or at least the music I listen to) improves radically while high. Generally, what I most enjoy listening to when I'm high is electronic, often instrumental, atmospheric music; and above all, music with a lot of textures. That's why I choose “4” by Aphex Twin: besides being an electronic music anthem (without lyrics) for all possible times and genres, it's the first track of an iconic album, Richard D. James Album, and it has everything a track needs to be enjoyed as if it was the first time: it's weird but melodic, it's full of breakbeats and irregular percussions but also of dreamy pads and a nostalgic atmosphere. It doesn't fail to move me deeply every time. Even if not a word is uttered, it's a track that sounds like being in love. – Lola Sasturain, Writer.
