Unoriginal Soundtracks: Worms Reloaded Edition

Every other Wednesday I share a playlist of songs tangentially related to a single game. Songs about alien sex for Mass Effect, songs about world leaders for Civilization, and so on. Searching for random terms on Spotify is a great way to discover new music and rediscover old classics.

Worms fills a hole in my childhood the same size as the Power Rangers or Star Wars. When online multiplayer still involved dialing your opponent's modem, Worms was as easy to set up as Monopoly. We gathered around a hot seat and took our turns with silly voices and sillier weapons. Worms Reloaded brought the franchise into the second decade of this century with Steam matchmaking and friends lists. That hot seat mode is still in there, though, and is the still the best way to enjoy one of the most successful indie franchises ever.

Or listen in Spotify.

#1 - Cake - Sheep Go to Heaven

Cake, fortuitously, have the same spirit of fun as Team 17 -- pop-culture allusions and no arty pretensions, a hodge-podge of different sounds that come together to form a catchy unit. Both predate Portal and, to my knowledge, have yet to make a reference to non-existent baked goods.

#2 - Brian Eno - The Paw Paw Negro Blowtorch

I have no idea what this weirdo is singing about on this track from his first solo album. Apart from creating beautiful ambient music, the guy has drank his own urine, composed the Windows 95 startup sound, and became the UK Liberal Democrats' youth advisor at 59. That's older than the Deputy Prime Minister he advises.

#3 - Aesop Rock - Bazooka Tooth

Ian Bavitz is someone who really needed an MC name. With the name Aesop Rock, he produced and emceed a contribution to Nike's Original Run project -- a 45-minute-long song designed to soundtrack a runner's workout, intensifying and dropping off at appropriate points. His lyrics are generally obtuse but amusing feats of rhymesmanship.

#4 - Wu-Tang Clan - Uzi (Pinky Ring)

The Wu-Tang Clan, rivaled in size and influence only by the Frag Dolls, are a clan from Shaolin, New York. Or Staten Island. They play mostly SOCOM and 1999 fighter Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style.

#5 - PJ Harvey - Kamikaze

Polly parrots nobody. There are echoes of Patti Smith in her music, but only because of her harsh, expressive voice and bluesy punk sound. Fun Fact: she ate nothing but potatoes (sometimes with sauce) while recording her Rid of Me album.

#6 - The Flaming Lips - Worm Mountain

The Flaming Lips have appeared in this playlist before and will again, if I get the chance. I only wish there were a better-recorded live version of this song on YouTube. It exemplifies their latest album, Embryonic, and comes alive when blared out of a megaphone with confetti and over-sized balloons falling around you like volcanic ash.