Everything seems to be up in the air (Eclectic Playlist Series, 2.03)

"She's So Tough" is an uncontaminated bullet of tender toughness, a Van-meets-Velvets amalgam topped by one of the three or four greatest guitar riffs of all time, and the Eclectic Playlist Series exists to bring a song like "She's So Tough" back to the world, placed in idiosyncratic context with artists known and less-known, from nearby years and from decades gone by. An underrated Tom Petty nugget (I like to think he's pulling a Randy Newman on us here, narrator-wise) segues smartly into an outtake from Liz Phair that woulda coulda shoulda shut down the haters in 2003. The hard-to-find title track from "Heroes Are Hard to Find" turns up just like that. An unexpected burst of spiritual wisdom from Syd Straw may just blow your mind and melt your heart if you listen carefully enough. And can Grant Lee Phillips write a melody or what?

Happy listening, and we'll do it again next month. For a complete playlist, visit http://fingertipsmusic.com/?p=17310