10 to Spin | Maps and Atlases

If you’re anything like us at Speakers in Code, the music tips you take most seriously are the ones that come from musicians themselves. That’s why we started this here new feature, 10 to Spin, which includes a carefully crafted mix of songs by our (and your) favorite artists. We’re giving bands free reign to design playlists based on a theme, featuring both cutting edge tunes and favorite, old standbys.

For our inaugural 10 to Spin, Shiraz Dada, bassist for the Chicago quartet, Maps and Atlases, put together a playlist meant to quell the inevitable homesickness from life out on the road. Says Dada, “Many of these songs were first heard when I was at home or [on] the very beginning of a tour, comfortable and excited and getting that feeling you get when you first fall in love with a song. Being away sometimes can be uncomfortable. But, I know that when I hear these songs, I can count on that feeling of comfort and excitement, and that brings me closer to home.”

The band’s first full-length, Perch Patchwork, is out now on Barsuk Records. Maps and Atlases is currently on tour with The Globes, soon to be joined by The Cults. They opened for Frightened Rabbit last spring (and rocked).