When I wrote Permanent Record, I wanted to create a put-upon, abused teenager who struggles against his darker urges, someone who desperately tries to be a good guy despite having, as Bud puts it, “a brain that misfires.” Bud has the appeal of a struggling hero: a good person who does bad things, a bad person who does good things. He grew up disadvantaged by that one-two punch of being weird and shy. He likes Dungeons & Dragons, botany, croquet, and minor explosives. This is the music he listened to, and the music I listened to when I wrote him. I could post the Spotify link, but Bud pawed through his vinyl collection to amass his music. I thought you might like to do the same.
The Cure – “Disintegration”
The English Beat – “Mirror in the Bathroom”
Suicidal Tendencies – “Institutionalized”
Chet Baker – “Let’s Get Lost”
Sun Ra – “Lullaby for Realville”
Radiohead – “Optimistic”
Violent Femmes – “Kiss Off”
Brad Sucks – “Making Me Nervous”
Hybrid – “Marrakech”
Hybrid – “Saladin”
Orbital – “Tunnel Vision”
Flobots – “Handlebars”
Gorillaz – “Kids with Guns” (Hot Chip Remix)
The Smiths – “How Soon Is Now?”
White Town – “Your Woman”
