Caliente

Listen up, all you iPod and MP3 users

Sarah Lewitinn has been busy. A former writer and editor at Spin magazine, the 25-year-old has recently launched her own record label, joined VH1 as a programming consultant, won multiple awards with her DJ duo known as the Tarts of Pleasure, and released a book. "The Pocket DJ" is a 397-page musical cookbook filled with recipes for how to concoct the perfect MP3 playlist for just about any occasion. The book's timing is impeccable, as iPods and MP3 players are quickly becoming ubiquitous. It's not unusual to see users walking, bicycling, hiking, working, sitting on a plane, or relaxing while listening to their machines. "Music is appropriate for almost any activity," Lewitinn said in a telephone interview from New York City. In "The Pocket DJ," Lewitinn has playlists for almost any conceivable scenario, including a first date, insomnia, graduation, hangovers and tuning out chatty co-workers. "I wanted to give people a springboard," said Lewitinn, who also goes by the alias Ultragrrrl. It's not just what you do, it's also what you're listening to. Included are compilations of "Essential Artists," naming off lists of top songs from a smattering of acts like the White Stripes, the Grateful Dead, Radiohead, Beastie Boys and even Neil Diamond. Artists also get their turn to be an MP3J, with members of bands like the Killers, Interpol, and the Smashing Pumpkins contributing lists, along with Spin writers like Chuck Klosterman and music bloggers like Stereogum.com. Asked how she managed to get the celebrity contributions, Lewitinn fell back on her background in journalism. "By bugging them," she said. Most of the music in the "very basic" book is modern and of her taste, Lewitinn admitted. It was compiled in a little over two months on a steady diet of "Red Bull and Ritalin," she said, though there was one band she was under the hardest influence of while writing the book: "The Arcade Fire." "Listening to them made me believe in music again," Lewitinn said. Hear ye, Hear ye!: What some of Tucson's music lovers are listening to on their iPods: KXCI DJ Don Jennings

(who happens to be a judge for the Battle of the Bands) • The Posies, "I Guess You're Right" • Lagoon, "Unemployed Astronaut" • The Frames, "Finally" • John Butler Trio, "Oldman" • Love Mound, "She Got That Shake" • The Cat Empire, "The Car Song" • Camp Courageous, "One Lane Bridge" • Bloc Party, "Like Eating Glass" • The Year of Acceleration, "Loverblood" • Brandi Carlile, "Fall Apart Again" Aimy Escoto of Old Man

• Suicidal Tendencies, "Fascist Pig" • Mudhoney, "If I Think" • System of a Down, "Lost in Hollywood" • Tori Amos and Tom Waits, "Time" • Johnny Cash, "Folsom Prison Blues" • Ween, "Shiny Happy Marbles" • Björk, "All Is Full of Love" • Etta James, "I'd Rather Go Blind" • Fantômas, "The Godfather" • Bauhaus, "Bela Lugosi's Dead" Leila Lopez

• Modest Mouse, "Lounge" • Faun Fables, "Lightning Rods" • Neutral Milk Hotel, "Two Headed Boy" • Ani Difranco, "Swan Dive" • Django Reinhardt, "Minor Swing" • Nina Nastasia, "Ugly Face" • Neil Young, "Old Man" • Pinback, "Loro" • Billie Holiday, "When You're Smiling" • Bob Dylan, "The Times They Are A'Changing" Vikas Pawa of Nowhere Man

• Jeff Buckley, "Dream Brother" • Los Lobos, "Dream in Blue" • The Shins, "So Says I" • Prince, "Ballad of Dorothy Parker" • Bob Marley, "Waiting In Vain" • Colin Hay, "I Just Don't Think I'll Ever Get Over You" • Nirvana, "Negative Creep" • Radiohead, "Airbag" • Soundgarden, "Like Suicide" • The Police, "Secret Journey" James and Jason of The Jons

• Frank Zappa, "Wowie Zowie" • Beach Boys, "God Only Knows" • Queen, "Killer Queen" • Weezer, "Across the Sea" • My Bloody Valentine, "Only Shallow" • The Beatles, "Dear Prudence" • Radiohead, "The Bends" • Rufus Wainwright, "Foolish Love" • Steely Dan, "Kid Charlemagne" • Bad Religion, "Stranger than Fiction" Bryan Matyjasik from The American Black Lung

• Inked in Blood, "These Sonnets of Our Lives" • Led Zeppelin, "Rock n' Roll" • The Clash, "Train in Vain" • The Who, "My Generation" • Sparta, "Collapse" • At The Drive-In, "Invalid Litter Dept." • Further Seems Forever, "Make It a Part" • The Bronx, "White Tar" • The Appleseed Cast, "Mare Vitalis" • Johnny Cash, "Folsom Prison Blues" James Roebuck from The Ten Percenters

• The Shadows, "Man of Mystery" • The Stone Roses, "Waterfall" • Beach Boys, "Wouldn't It Be Nice" • Brian Jonestown Massacre, "Open Heart Surgery" • Catherine Wheel, "The Nude" • Charlatans UK, "How Can You Leave Us" • Chris Isaak, "Courthouse" • Talking Heads, "Memories Can't Wait" • Frank Black, "Places Named after Numbers" • George Harrison, "Wah-Wah" The Provacative Whites

(if they could afford iPods) • Nirvana, "Milk It" • The Who, "Won't Get Fooled Again" • Jimi Hendrix, "Voodoo Chile" • Led Zeppelin, "Good Times Bad Times" • Smashing Pumpkins, "Rocket" • Soundgarden, "Blow Up The Outside World" • Foo Fighters, "D.O.A." • The Plugz, "Reel Ten" • Guns N' Roses, "Paradise City" • Fear, "More Beer" Mike from the Daring Few

• The Daring Few, "Rebecca" • Spoon, "Lines in the Suit" • The Beatles, "A Day in the Life" • Radiohead, "2+2=5" • Interpol, "Slow Hands" • Queens of the Stone Age, "Go with the Flow" • Nirvana, "I Hate Myself and I Want to Die" • Blur, "No Distance Left To Run" • The Beatles, "The Long and Winding Road" • Musica Obscura, "That's a Long Way to Drive With No One to Talk To" Daniel from Redlands

• Sigur Ros, "Glosoli" • Iron and Wine, "Trapeze Swinger" • Muckner, "Transamericana" • Matt Pond PA, "New Hampshire" • Jose Gonzalez, "Heartbeats" • The Mountain Goats, "The Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton" • The Streets, "Turn the Page" • Jets to Brazil, "Cat Heaven" • Air, "Venus" • Crooked Fingers, "You Can Never Leave" Noah Gabbard of Bombs for the Bored

• Elliot Smith, "Bled White" • Minor Threat, "Look Back and Laugh" • Suicidal Tendencies, "Suicide's an Alternative" • Modest Mouse, "Beachside Property" • Mastodon, "Blood and Thunder" • Black Flag, "Spraypaint the Walls" • Pedro the Lion, "Indian Summer" • Planes Mistaken for Stars, "Spring Divorce" • Dismemberment Plan, "You Are invited" • The Beatles, "Happiness is a Warm Gun"