The Official Cul-de-sac Playlist
by Christopher Null / January 30, 2025
My editors at Tule thought it would be fun for writers to create a playlist of music inspired by and evocative of their books — and guess what, they’re right! Creating this Spotify collection was lots of fun — and it was tough to cut this down to just 12 songs.
So, whether you’ve finished the book or not — no real spoilers here — check out the official playlist on Spotify. You can find some of my inspo and rationale for the picks below.
- “Psycho Killer,” Talking Heads – It’s not giving anything away that The Cul-de-sac prominently features a serial killer. That’s on page one. David Byrne sets the stage for the ride to come with this essential banger.
- “Peg,” Steely Dan – “This is your big debut / It’s like a dream come true / So won’t you smile for the camera / I know they’re gonna love it, Peg”
- “Bad Guy,” Billie Eilish – I imagine Eliza had this tune on endless repeat when it came out in 2019, when The Cul-de-sac is set.
- “Subdivisions,” Rush – Much of my work treads heavily in the quiet horrors of suburbia. No song has brought this more into focus than Rush’s 1982 classic.
- “Monkey Gone to Heaven,” Pixies – “If man is five / Then the devil is six / … / And if the devil is six / Then God is seven”
- “#8,” Aphex Twin – My buddy Rob said that this atmospheric creeper was what he heard in his head the most while reading The Cul-de-sac, so I had to include it here.
- “’Round Midnight,” Julie London – Keeping the vibe going. “I do pretty well ‘til after sundown”
- “The End of the World,” Skeeter Davis – Skeeter wasn’t singing about the ‘burbs, but sometimes it sure feels that way. Definitely something you’d hear on the PA at Sunset Market.
- “Possum Kingdom,” Toadies – “Behind the boathouse / I’ll show you my dark secret”
- “How You Like Me Now?,” The Heavy – I bet you’re hearing the chorus of this 2009 touchstone in your head right now. It’ll all make sense soon enough.
- “Last Night on Earth,” Green Day – This is technically a love ballad, but the crackling of the fire at the end always gives me chills.
- “Dangerous Type,” Letters to Cleo (The Cars cover) – Vocalist Kay Hanley elevates this Cars classic about a woman who, well, as it goes, “She’s a lot like you.”