With Frankenstorm making it’s way to Penn State, there seems to be a general feeling of uneasiness and impending doom in the air. A word of advice: DON’T PANIC.

Instead, curl up in a pair of your favorite holey sweatpants, make sure you have a flashlight handy, and tune out Sandy’s inclement conditions with some storm inspired tunes. This week’s rainy day jams are brought to you by Ali Fogarty, Nate “Ni” Lyon , Meghin Moore, Mara Kern, Evan Ponter, and Catie Simpson.

Coldplay — “Rainy Day”

Rainy Day was on Coldplay’s often-overlooked Prospekt’s March EP, and it should be pretty obvious why it’s listed here. I actually bought City Lights’ last copy of this record on my first visit to campus. This was ironic for me, as it was the only time I’ve purchased a physical CD since the soundtrack for Holes back in 2003. Rainy Day is atypical for Coldplay; it’s fast and melodic, and loaded with catchy grooves and happy lyrics. It’s the perfect song to listen to while you’re praying in your pitch-black room for the power to come back on. Coldplay is a goldmine for songs to listen to that suggest water and cold temperatures; their name, obviously, is COLDplay. Also suggested are Don’t Panic and Spies (Parachutes), Amsterdam (Rush of Blood), Swallowed in the Sea (X&Y), and Violet Hill (Viva La Vida).

Operation Ivy — “Freeze Up“

Maximum ska/grunge/punk mode here; Freeze Up was written in 1989 and revolves around all kinds of fun hippie political stuff sans iPhones and people being wrong on the internet. But if it’s 40 degrees and there’s an impending snowstorm, you might as well give this a listen.

Adele — “Rolling in the Deep“

We’re going to end up swimming to class at this rate; fluid dynamics is difficult on paper, let alone when you’re fighting hordes of people and foot-deep puddles on Pollock Road.

Sting — “After the Rain has Fallen”

Seriously I’m just going through my library and realized I last listened to Brand New Day when I was like 12 and Sting was actually winning Grammy awards.

Soundgarden — “Black Hole Sun”

“Black Hole Sun, won’t you come, and wash away the raiiiiinnnnn…” Peter Frampton actually did a great talkbox cover of this on his latest album

Florence and the Machine Hurricane — “Hurricane Drunk”

“No walls can keep me protected/no sleep/nothing in between me and the rain…I’m in the grip of a hurricane/I’m gonna blow myself away.” Florence Welsh’s voice combined with the lyrics make for one eerily fabulous song for Sandy. As students, we won’t be sleeping, and we’ll be worried about blowing away in the gusty winds that are projected to hit. Instead of going to classes, why not get drunk instead? It’s a very rare occurrence for a hurricane to hit State College, and an even rarer occurrence for classes to be cancelled. In honor of that, take a day or two off and daylong with this song on a fancy storm-themed playlist. But whatever you do, please don’t “drink yourself to death.” Despite that, this song (and album) doubles as a great soundtrack to watching the storm pass through State College out your window.

Baby Bash — “Cyclone (featuring T-Pain)”

Cyclone is the 2007 hit from Baby Bash. If this wasn’t played at every party/school dance you were at I really don’t know what you were doing with your life. The song reminds everyone “you better button up” for the impending weather. If you are trying to get your grind on while good ole’ Sandy roles into town, I highly suggest this storm themed favorite.

Scorpions — “Rock You Like A Hurricane”

Whoever says they don’t like a bit of 80’s hair band rock is lying. With it’s spectacular guitar riffs, and obvious hurricane tie-in, this classic song by the Scorpions is the perfect pump up jam for when you’re preparing to face the elements during the day. When you’re running at full speed while simultaneously dodging falling tree branches, you need a song that’s going to give you the courage to soldier on. And, let’s face it, by the time you get to class your hair will be so windswept you’ll look like an 80’s band member yourself.

Dave Matthews Band —  “When the World Ends”

Silence the dooms day prophesiers and crank up the mellow, acoustic vibes of  Dave Mathews Band. This song offers an optimistic view of the world coming top an end — one that doesn’t include stocking up on milk and bread. For DMB, “when the world ends, we’ll be burning one” not clearing out Walmart’s inventory of bottled water. So take a breather and let your apocalyptic stresses dissipate into the 60 mph wind gusts.

• Something Corporate — “Hurricane”
  
• CCR — “Have You Ever Seen the Rain”
• Bruce Springsteen — “4th Of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)”
• Nine Inch Nails — “A Warm Place”
• Swedish House Mafia — “Don’t You Worry Child”
• Luke Bryan — “Rain Is A Good Thing”
• Rihanna — “Umbrella”
• Mumford & Sons — “After the Storm”
• Fall Out Boy — “Calm Before the Storm”

Did we miss any must-have tracks on our surviving Sandy playlist? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter or with smoke signals in the event the power is out across the state.