Child of the ’80s that she is, when local writer and independent public-radio producer Heather McElhatton decided to write a book, she chose to resurrect the literary model made famous by Bantom Books’ classic Choose Your Own Adventure series. The result, Pretty Little Mistakes, is a novel with 150 endings to choose from, where adults can refuse marriage proposals, experiment with substances, and indulge their bi-curiosity. This got us thinking: If this provocative book had a soundtrack, what might that sound like? We asked McElhatton to describe her top ten favorite albums and songs.
1. “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots” by the Flaming Lips, off the album Live at KEXP
When I listen to this song I feel like I’m eating a fluffy poof of pink cotton candy, while simultaneously getting a pedicure from a sexy robot. I love the Flaming Lips in general, and this album is going to be made into a Broadway musical. I hate Broadway musicals on principle, but I might make an exception in this case. I want to see robots fighting on stage.
2. “Give a Little Bit” by Supertramp
This is one of the songs I blast in the house while vacuuming, which I think has caused my pug, Walter, to hate it. When he hears it, even on the radio or whatever, he’ll start to bark, because he thinks it means the vacuum (his mortal enemy) is about to make an appearance.
3. “Peach, Plum, Pear” by Joanna Newsom
You either love Joanna Newsom or you hate her. She’s got this weird whiskey-soaked little-girl voice like Shirley Temple belting her heart out at the docks. Very hypnotic. Plus, there’s a harpsichord in this song, which is always a bonus.
4. “Goody Two Shoes” by Adam Ant
This song just seemed to change everything when I first heard it. I had formerly been my own brand of Edina Punk (plaid skirts, torn black tights, clompy black shoes) and after this song debuted I realized I wanted to be a New Waver and bought one of those huge economy tubs of Dippity-do. The result was … well, let’s just say that when a gangly, pale, teenaged, redheaded girl tries to look like Adam Ant, the result is tragic. Nevertheless, I loved the song then—and I love it now.
5. “Love Is Like a Bottle of Gin”
by Magnetic Fields
I like the lyrics to this song. “It makes you blind, it does you in/ You just get out what they put in/ Love is like a bottle of gin/ But a bottle of gin is not like love. …” Of course I can’t listen to songs with good lyrics when I’m writing or I just start to absent-mindedly plagiarize.
6. “A Smile and a Ribbon” by Prudence
In the ’50s, the eight-year-old who sang this was part of a little-girl group called “Patience and Prudence.” Patience was Prudence’s sister, and considered the pretty one. Patience usually got more attention and more stage time. This album was Prudence’s moment in the sun, but it didn’t do very well and now it’s out of print. I like the song because it sounds like an eight-year-old on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
7. Hi, My Name Is Jonny by Johnny Polansky
I suspect this could be the theme for many wayward souls past or present: “I am unable to resist your evil scurvy love!”
8. “Granny Do Your Dog Bite?” by Othar Turner
This is a “drum and fife” blues song, a medium they say originated from African Americans serving in the Civil War. It’s blues, but there’s a heavy snare drum beat in it and a definite marching theme. At first I thought the name of this song was “Granny—do your dog bite.” Like, “Granny, go ahead and bite me like a dog!” But now I realize it’s a question, not a command, which makes it a little less interesting lyrically, but a great tune nonetheless.
9. “Sugar Town” by Nancy Sinatra
She’s sassy, she’s sexy, she’s Frank Sinatra’s daughter. Though she’s known for “These Boots are Made for Walkin’,” I actually like this song a little bit better because of its vague cocaine-party reference.
10. “Glósóli” by Sigur Rós
When I write I usually listen to music without lyrics, but the lovely and haunting Icelandic band Sigur Rós lets me listen to vocals without having any idea of what they’re saying.
McElhatton reads from Pretty Little Mistakes at the May 15 Talk of the Stacks event at the Minneapolis Central Library, 300 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis.
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