Playlist: California, Here We Come

click for more on a-camp

A-Camp starts tomorrow! WE’RE GOING TO CALIFORNIA, KITTENS. I’ve never been to California, but I’m assuming the entire state is exactly as it was depicted on the Showtime original series The L Word.

In honor of the pilgrimage that many of you are about to make, some of the team members and I typed “California” into our iTunes search bars and put together this playlist so we all have something we can put in our ears in anticipation of CAMP. This playlist makes me feel like I’m in a travel montage in a hip Sundance movie.

Katy Perry is not on this playlist.

California, Here We Come [on 8tracks]

California – Phantom Planet
California Sun – The Ramones
California Stars – Billy Bragg & Wilco
California – The Kooks
California Girls – Beach Boys
California Sky – Unwritten Law
California Love – Tupac
California – Rogue Wave
California – Joni Mitchell
Going To California – Led Zepplin
Southern California Wants To Be Western New York – Dar Williams
California Rain – Madeleine Peyroux
California Promises – The Lincoln Park Pirates
Goodnight, California – Kathleen Edwards
California English – Vampire Weekend
Miss California – Jack’s Mannequin
California Dreamin’ – The Mamas & The Papas
California Uber Alles – Dead Kennedys
California – Chris Pureka
California – Rufus Wainwright
California Brown And Blue – Denison Witmer
Shores of California – The Dresden Dolls
Walking in Los Angeles – Kate Micucci
Los Angeles, I’m Yours – The Decemberists
California – Josh Ritter
Hotel California – The Eagles

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Want to suggest a playlist theme? Hit Crystal up on Formspring and someone on the team will make it for you.

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Intern Grace

Grace Ellis has been writing and making hack-job graphics for Autostraddle since 2011 and is a co-creator and co-writer of the comic book series Lumberjanes. She is mostly an intern in name only. (Mostly.) She lives in Columbus, Ohio because why anything. Also, she wants to write the Black Widow movie and feels like if she just keeps telling people, eventually she will be allowed to do it. She has a Twitter and a Tumblr, both of which are pretty above average.

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33 Comments

    • OMG YES this is always #1, on any mix about CA or home (even though i’m not from LA, this song makes me feel like I could be. Jenny Lewis is a queen.)

  2. This playlist is missing the Romi Klinger insta-classic “Gay in LA”
    All together now “It’s good to be gay in LA, in LA…”

  5. So, in honor of this post and A-Camp I will present the song that I came up with for A-Camp. I already shared it with my cabin mates but figured I would present it to rest of AS. It is in the tune of the song they sing in the locker room in “A League of Their Own”
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zsk8qiNyC7c

    I call it “A-Camp-ifornia”:

    Autostraddle,
    Fun will amp.
    The time has come
    For all us champs
    To go-o-o camp.

    Oh we’re the members of
    The Autostraddle site.
    We come from cities
    Near and far.
    We’re Australians, Americans, and Riese.
    We’re one for all.
    We’re all for one.
    We’re all unicorns.

    Each gay stands,
    Their head so proudly high,
    Their motto, “We defy!”
    The Alpine Meadows Center we will occupy.

    Our counselors are super hot,
    Their super smart.
    Our whiskey
    Will always flow.
    We’ve got Golden Girls, Cherry Bombs, & Sharks.
    We’re one for all.
    We’re all for one.
    We’re all unicorns.

    GO A-CAMP!

  6. Growing up in CA I’d like to add a few more songs to the list. They may not have “California” in the title, but are about places in California.

    Do You Know the Way to San Jose, Dionne Warwick
    The Little Old Lady (from Pasadena), Jan & Dean
    All I Wanna Do, Sheryl Crow
    Ventura Highway, America
    ANY Beach Boys tunes! Surfer Girl, Surfin’ USA, Fun, Fun, Fun, Surfin’ Safari

  7. West Coast- Coconut Records
    California-Lenny Kravitz
    Sounds of San Francisco- Global Deejays

  8. For those of us unable to attend this A-Camp: Not Califormia – Hem

    Hope all you lucky campers have a great time!

  10. May I also suggest ‘californication’ by red hot chilli peppers, ‘california babylon’ by the transplants and ‘california’ by hollywood undead

  12. This was exactly what I needed to get motivated to pack- ugh I hate packing. Mostly because I hate decisions about what I’m going to wear ahead of time- so I have to bring so many options.

  15. Go West, young man, haven’t you been told? California’s full of women, whiskey, and gold.

  16. Too much SoCal on this list.

    “If you’re going to San Francisco, be sure to wear some flowers in your hair…” (even though a-camp’s near LA. everyone loves this song.)

    Other than that, yay! I love my state!

  17. My 2 best friends moved to California last year and I made a very similar mix cd for their 3 day road trip….pretty sure this is the only way to get to California :)

  19. OMG!!! Guys, where is California Sunrise by Dirty Gold.

    This song should be on there :D it always makes me think of Cali.

  24. I’m so happy to be a Californian right now. :D Also “California” by Joni Mitchell is such a good love song for our state. I LOVE JONI MITCHELL SO MUCH.

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