Riddles
Riddles is the Music Curator for The Manual. He believes that every activity we do in life could use a good soundtrack. From the formative reel to reel tape player entrancement he experienced while devouring his dad's classic rock collection in Buffalo, New York, to expanding his horizons via funk, hip-hop, punk, and alternative rock in high school and college, music has been a constant source of happiness, inspiration, and strength. After discovering underground electronic music via renegade raves in The San Francisco Bay Area, and the even more mind expanding nether regions of Burning Man (in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada), Riddles feels confident that he's got remixes and mashups of beloved, well-known songs that could make even the most ardent music purist get down and shake a tail feather. When he isn't compiling and summarizing playlists for The Manual, Riddles can be found at the helm of Subwoof, promoting and occasionally throwing/DJing beats & bass music events in and around his adopted hometown of San Francisco.
The Best Road Trip Songs: Hit Play Then Hit the Gas
The Best Road Trip Songs: Hit Play Then Hit the Gas
Ah, the open road! It beckons us to cast aside responsibility, embrace the unknown, jump in the car, listen to a playlist of the best road trip songs, and just go.
Best Love Songs: A Romantic Music Playlist That Isn’t Too Cheesy
Best Love Songs: A Romantic Music Playlist That Isn’t Too Cheesy
This is not your typical love fest of sexy songs to help get you in the mood. This mix is here to offer a comforting, easy-going journey through the myriad highs and occasional lows of the ever-expanding universe that is L-O-V-E.
A New Year’s Eve Party Playlist to Ring in 2022
A New Year’s Eve Party Playlist to Ring in 2022
This New Year's Eve Spotify playlist has been marinating in some extra zesty subsonic sauce to help you cook up a very tasty pregame or a full-blown party.
The Perfect Party Playlist for When It’s Time to Dim the Lights
The Perfect Party Playlist for When It’s Time to Dim the Lights
Once everyone's eaten and the booze-infused blood of your crowd starts pumping, it's time to dim those lights way down and put on some good tunes. This is the best party playlist for when it's time to wind down and get grooving
The Best Funk Songs for Getting Down
The Best Funk Songs for Getting Down
Funk makes you feel good. Funk loosens up the uptight among us. From roller rinks to velvet lounges, funk is the grout between the tiles of life that keeps our bathtub all sparkly, scrubba-dub-dub fun. These are the best funk songs on playlist form.
Sink Your Teeth Into the Best Summer Barbecue Playlist
Sink Your Teeth Into the Best Summer Barbecue Playlist
Through a series of complex, charbroiled experiments, we have calibrated the optimal BPM (beats per minute), vibe, and attitude needed to take your summer bbq playlist from genetically modified slumping to organic, farm-to-table bumping.
The Best Playlist to Enjoy While Day Drinking
The Best Playlist to Enjoy While Day Drinking
Oh dear, sweet day drinking. You're the afternoon's best friend and nightfall's arch enemy. Next time you plan on day drinking, put on this Spotify playlist and ride the wave.
It’s Good to be Alive: Tunes to Get You Pumped About Life
It’s Good to be Alive: Tunes to Get You Pumped About Life
Music that inspires and gets one fired up is, as always, subjective. However, the hope is that this stream of songs strikes a life-affirming chord within you. From stone-cold classics to more obscure modern tracks, this Spotify playlist has been tailored to help you high-five the cosmos.
Puff, Puff, Playlist: The Best Songs About Weed
Puff, Puff, Playlist: The Best Songs About Weed
These dank, crystallized nuggets of herb-celebrating tunes have been hydroponically engineered to flow with your bud-induced buzz like THC-soaked butter. Our Spotify playlist of the best weed songs journeys through many genres, moods, and top-shelf hybrid strains.
The Ultimate Waterside Playlist: Music for Maritime Good Times
The Ultimate Waterside Playlist: Music for Maritime Good Times
Using a patent-pending, molecular-level design process, we here at The Manual have created the ideal sun-drenched musical accompaniment for the water, be it beach, pool, lake, or river.
Campfire Songs: Take This Playlist on Your Next Camping Trip
Campfire Songs: Take This Playlist on Your Next Camping Trip
Camp is set up, the fire is glowing, and you're staring into the flames contemplating the meaning of life. To further augment the experience, fire up this playlist on your portable bluetooth speaker and relax.
Shaken and Stirred: A Mixologist’s Mixtape
Shaken and Stirred: A Mixologist’s Mixtape
This Spotify playlist has been mixed to provide maximum ambiance for all of your bartending and cocktail-sipping needs. It's on the lighter side of funkiness to help you get your head nodding and your wheels greased (without ever getting too crazy).
Grooming Playlist: Music to Help a Man Get Ready in the Morning
Grooming Playlist: Music to Help a Man Get Ready in the Morning
The Manual has whipped up the perfect playlist to serve as the soundtrack to your morning grooming routine, from the shower to the shave.
Travel Playlist: Tunes to Listen to While on the Move
Travel Playlist: Tunes to Listen to While on the Move
This playlist was designed to soothe one's soul while traveling (particularly the airborne variety) during the initial two and a half hours of your journey.
Music to Cook to: A Contemplative Culinary Playlist
Music to Cook to: A Contemplative Culinary Playlist
Listening to music while working your culinary magic provides the same joy as a meal paired with the perfect wine. Here's our ultimate cooking playlist.