Birthday from p 17 charming and appealing for how it makes residents “engage” with their place here. The song has a similar mantra, when it tells listeners who’ve “lost faith in what you believe” that addressing the problem means starting simple (“It gets up from the ground).” Which is a mostly long- winded way of saying that the world doesn’t need you to always escape your problematic hometown. In fact, it can be better because we all recommit to it from time to time and find new ways to love the things that matter. Cypress Hill, “Armada Latina” Living in Phoenix especially can mean having folks from other “big” cities ask what it’s like to call it home. Answering that question, though, is easier said than done, especially given the sheer diversity of cultures and lifestyles that permeate the city and state at large. Next time you get with our increasingly purple-to-blue sta- tus, it’s clear we’re in a period of societal transformation. Even the fact that we have lush forests and arid desert feels like a slice of poignant uncertainty. But as with other forms of dichotomy, Arizona celebrates this “in between” status by finding ways to flourish. You could latch onto the song’s most poignant lyrics, “Somewhere between dust and the stars” as a mantra. But a gem like, “So open, then snap shut, yeah, but here we are” builds on that senti- ment expertly, and captures the kind of joy and mania that comes with a permanent in-between status. Still, it’s not about being woefully undecided, or avoiding decisions, but seeing that life often happens in those spaces between it all. Real McCoy, “Another Night” Alright, amid a slightly questionable list of song choices, this is another tune that may elicit a head scratch or two. But as with “Armada Latina,” this 1993 Eurodance Concord Music Publishing the query, just play “Armada Latina” by Cypress Hill, Pitbull, and Marc Anthony. Sure, the single’s likely about some beach town like Miami, but the vibes just feel so equally perfect for Arizona. Maybe it’s the Latin swing and references, or the fact that it samples a Crosby, Stills, & Nash tune and that mix of sonic ideals just within our multifaceted little home. Or perhaps it’s the genuinely resonant lyrics, like, “Came out the gutter man/Southern land/Didn’t have an upper hand/Never had another plan.” And given the perception elsewhere — it’s still the wacky Wild West out here — lines like that feel decidedly empowering and almost encouraging. Either way, it beats playing someone the Eagles’ “Take It Easy” for the 627th time. 18 Modest Mouse, “We Are Between” The standout of 2021’s The Golden Casket, “We Are Between” sees Modest Mouse grappling with heavy questions of mortal- ity and our place in the universe. So what’s such grand thinking got to do with Arizona? Well, in some ways we’re also grappling with such uncertainty. We have one of the nation’s biggest cities, but Phoenix is, for better and worse, very much a small town. And as we grapple Cypress Hill. classic is all about the endless vibes of its full four-minute runtime. Try this: wait till mid-spring, right when the temps hit the mid-80s, drive down Central at about 8 p.m., and blare this with the windows rolled down. Good luck not feeling like this song somehow fits the uneven nature and downhome-meets-urban vibes of Central Phoenix. It’s equally sensual and cheesy, and the whole thing just feels like a perfect kind of dance song for what happens in places like Phoenix or Glendale. Even if the lyrics themselves are mostly meh — did you even know it actually had lyrics be- yond “In the night, in your dream, of love so true” — it’s a rare example of a song cap- turing something magic and ethereal in just the mix of synth and drums. It’s music made not for us but that feels absolutely resonant. Plus, if nothing else, listening to it will also provide a huge rush of ‘90s nostalgia. Van Halen, “Panama” There’s a rumor (that’s mostly unverified) that this Van Halen classic is about a strip- per David Lee Roth met in Arizona. Even if that’s not the case, that story alone feels like it could permeate conversa- >> p 21 FEB 10TH– FEB 16TH, 2022 PHOENIX NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | FEATURE | NEWS | OPINION | FEEDBACK | CONTENTS | phoenixnewtimes.com
