The Playlist: I'm Getting Ready

Gov. Rick Perry is stepping up his game ahead of a potential presidential bid  by breaking bread with donors and engaging in long policy briefing sessions, so we open our weekly news-inspired playlist with "I'm Getting Ready" by Michael Kiwanuka.

The easiest way to enjoy the playlist is to download Spotify, a free program. But even without it, you can still follow along. Here are the other selections for the week:

We have Ty Segall's "Don't Do It" in light of the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals halting the execution of a Texas death row inmate with a history of schizophrenia. And then, because the Trib's Morgan Smith wrote about battles over banned books in Highland Park, we have "Books" by Joy Kills Sorrow.

A rule change that will allow the Texas Department of Transportation to lower speed limits on particularly dangerous roads in the state's drilling regions in West and South Texas inspired the addition of "Slow It Down" by The Lumineers. After that we have "Asbestos" by Yo La Tengo, since allegations of improper removal of the carcinogenic substance have sparked controversy at Kilgore College.

An abundance of whitetail deer is threatening new growth in Bastrop State Park, so we added "Dangerous Animals" by Arctic Monkeys. That's followed by Joe Purdy's "The City" because campaigns for seats on Austin's city council have taken a dramatic turn.

The Texas Governor's Mansion requires minor tweaks to accommodate the first wheelchair-bound governor, so we have "Fix This House," by Town Hall. And then, as a nod to the many recommendations issued this week from the Texas Task Force on Infectious Disease Preparedness and Response, we included Phyllis Hyman's "Gonna Make Some Changes."

Finally, in honor of the Trib's day-long symposium on the coming legislative session, we close with "Here It Comes" by Modest Mouse.

Enjoy!