Per all the discussions of novel-writing soundtracks lately, this is the soundtrack I’ve come up with for my 2005 NaNo. The story takes place in the fall of 1995, probably going into early 1996, so I wanted songs that a) evoked that era and b) reflected the mood of the characters. There’s some method to the order, but I’ve been playing it on shuffle and I think I like the randomness.

Jann Arden – “Good Mother”
Sarah McLachlan – “Hold On”
Natalie Merchant – “San Andreas Fault”
Garbage – “Only Happy When It Rains”
Wild Strawberries – “On My Own”
Hole – “Doll Parts”
Indigo Girls – “Touch Me Fall”
REM – “Bittersweet Me”
Belly – “Silverfish”
Nirvana – “Come As You Are”
Joan Osborne – “Crazy Baby”
Green Day – “Basket Case”
Jewel – “Foolish Games”
Jann Arden – “Gasoline”
Counting Crows – “A Long December”
Garbage – “#1 Crush”
The Cranberries – “Liar”
Weezer – “The World Has Turned and Left Me Here”
Toad the Wet Sprocket – “Good Intentions”
No Doubt – “Don’t Speak”
Oasis – “Don’t Look Back in Anger”
Alanis Morrissette – “You Learn”
Bruce Cockburn – “Someone I Used to Love”
Tori Amos – “Pretty Good Year”