So, as I was driving home in this AMAZING cool weather (64 degrees! Finally a break from the heat!), a country song came on that just made me smile and warmed my heart. Love the lyrics. LOVE Eli Young Band.
"Crazy Girl" by Eli Young Band
To make it better, the next song to come on the radio (not the same station of course) was "Head Over Feet" by Alanis Morisette. Good music to ride home to! Lots of smiles :) And I love how honest this music video is. I've always said that I don't understand how singers can sing such emotional, powerful songs without crying. Because I even THINK of some lyrics and tear up much less SING them. But, that's why they're the talented ones I suppose!
"Head Over Feet" by Alanis Morisette
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Addiction
"Gravity" by Sara Bareilles
This song holds a special place in my heart. While I believe the song is actually about an unhealthy relationship, So You Think You Can Dance choreographer Mia Michaels took a different spin on the lyrics. Still one of my favorite dances, and one that brings me instantly to tears. she choreographed "Addiction" to this song. So many people in my family suffer with addiction every day, including my biological mother, multiple cousins, and my sister. Whether it's alcohol, heroin, pills.... it's all terrible and it consumes their life. And I find it interesting that these lyrics can so easily represent addiction as well as a dysfunctional relationship. In a way they're one in the same. The way the dance portrays the disease is right on the money. Thankfully I don't suffer from an addictive personality myself, but I imagine it is as though you have a puppet master controlling your actions, holding you down against your will. So, instead of the full song, I chose to upload the dance instead. Maybe it will help give some perspective as to why addicts can't "just stop" and have such a hard time doing so.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Stoner Saturday
So, after talking to Heather last night, I realized it's been a WHILE since I posted! I asked Brian what came to mind first when I told him to think of a song and he replied instead with a band: Sublime. One of my favorite bands Senior year of high school. So this is the song that came to MY mind when I thought of sublime :)
"My Ruca" by Sublime
"Dirty Hot Sex" by Pepper
"Plastic Cup Politics" by Less than Jake
"Wiseman" by Slightly Stoopid
"My Ruca" by Sublime
"Dirty Hot Sex" by Pepper
"Plastic Cup Politics" by Less than Jake
"Wiseman" by Slightly Stoopid
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Songs of my childhood
So, everyone has those few songs that immediately transport you back to a certain time. For me, I have a LOT. I have always grown up around music and thank my parents and my Uncle Pat for really giving me an appreciation for a broad spectrum of genres. I grew to love artists that were huge before I was even born (and remain so until this day) like Elton John, The Beatles, Journey, The Eagles... I could go on and on.
The fact that there were so many people on American Idol this past season that claimed to have never heard of The Beatles really makes me question society. You don't have to like their music or even know their names, but it's HISTORY. How do you go through life not knowing who Beatles are?? Ridiculous. So let's start with them so anyone reading this blog won't have that excuse.
"I Want to Hold Your Hand" by The Beatles
This was the band's first #1 hit on the Billboard Charts. I vividly remember jumping on the bed in my Uncle Pat's basement with my brother Taylor and cousins Marisa and Elizabeth, in big baggy Disney shirts singing this song at the top of our lungs. And just some simple history, BASICS, there were 4 Beatles: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. Ringo and Paul are the only one's left presently, still making appearances and performing 50 years after they made it big. Pretty incredible.
"Hotel California" by The Eagles
One of my favorite things to do on a weeknight, or weekend for that matter, is go to a small bar with a live cover band. Because it's pretty much a guarantee that they'll know this song and I'll have a chance of hearing it. It's like Pavlov's dog- I hear the opening chords and my head immediately starts swaying back and forth. It makes me feel like I should have a stiff marg in my hand, dancing at Cafe on the Beach on Anna Maria Island in Bradenton, Florida where I grew up. Just about every night when I lived there, we'd go listen to the live music and watch the sunset. This was always guaranteed to be playing.
"Benny and the Jets" by Elton John
Once again, this song takes me back to when I was living with my Aunt Mary and Uncle Pat. I remember one night in particular-which in hindsight, I'm sure alcohol was probably involved (okay I'm positive)- all 8 of us (Aunt Mary and Uncle Pat, and the 6 of us kids) were driving home from some kind of party and Uncle Pat put this song on. We all started singing and putting our hands out the windows while he purposefully started swaying the car back and forth in our neighborhood. My Aunt Mary may not have been too happy about it, but it's still a great memory :)
"Our Lips Are Sealed" by The Go Go's
This one goes out to my cousin Marisa. I think I was in 3rd grade, she was in 1st, when we had the brilliant idea to host a dance party and invite the neighborhood boys to watch us dance to The Go Go's. We wrote out invitations and put little sparkly stickers on them. But it wasn't a traditional dance party: our parents were not aware it was happening, and the boys weren't invited to dance WITH us, just to stand outside our window and WATCH us dance... can we say early promiscuous behavior much?? The funny part was that one of the boys, no older than 9 years old mind you, thought it was a legit invitation. He showed it to his mom who then called my Aunt Mary and Uncle Pat.... you can piece the rest of what happened together. Needless to say, there weren't any more dance parties at that house that required anyone to stand outside the window and watch us dance around in bikinis.
"I Saw The Sign" by Ace of Base
This song was by far my favorite, alongside Alanis Morrisette's "Ironic" when I was in 2nd grade. I can even remember watching the music video on vh1 and making up my own dance to the song. I actually even got sent home from school one day, which NEVER happened to me, because I got caught passing around the album slip (always my favorite part of getting a new CD because it had all the lyrics!) which supposedly had "suggestive, sexual content." Teachers are too uptight.
"Ode to my Family" by The Cranberries
I owe my love of The Cranberries to my cousin Jess. When I was living in Pennsylvania, in between custody battles, we spent a lot of time at my Aunt Pam's house. The Cranberries were one of Jess's favorite bands and since I pretty much idolized her, they became one of mine too and still are. I remember asking my mom (Aunt Stevie at that time since it was before she adopted me and Tay) for the purple couch CD. They had a few albums out at the time but all I knew is that it had a purple couch on the CD itself and "Zombie" was track 4. This was also 2nd grade. Album names meant nothing to me at the time. So once I got the CD, which I somehow managed to keep up with until I was a freshman in high school, it lived in my disc man and I'd fall asleep to this song playing on repeat. I probably haven't listened to the whole album in over 10 years but I guarantee I still know every word to every song. LOVE.
The fact that there were so many people on American Idol this past season that claimed to have never heard of The Beatles really makes me question society. You don't have to like their music or even know their names, but it's HISTORY. How do you go through life not knowing who Beatles are?? Ridiculous. So let's start with them so anyone reading this blog won't have that excuse.
"I Want to Hold Your Hand" by The Beatles
This was the band's first #1 hit on the Billboard Charts. I vividly remember jumping on the bed in my Uncle Pat's basement with my brother Taylor and cousins Marisa and Elizabeth, in big baggy Disney shirts singing this song at the top of our lungs. And just some simple history, BASICS, there were 4 Beatles: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. Ringo and Paul are the only one's left presently, still making appearances and performing 50 years after they made it big. Pretty incredible.
"Hotel California" by The Eagles
One of my favorite things to do on a weeknight, or weekend for that matter, is go to a small bar with a live cover band. Because it's pretty much a guarantee that they'll know this song and I'll have a chance of hearing it. It's like Pavlov's dog- I hear the opening chords and my head immediately starts swaying back and forth. It makes me feel like I should have a stiff marg in my hand, dancing at Cafe on the Beach on Anna Maria Island in Bradenton, Florida where I grew up. Just about every night when I lived there, we'd go listen to the live music and watch the sunset. This was always guaranteed to be playing.
"Benny and the Jets" by Elton John
Once again, this song takes me back to when I was living with my Aunt Mary and Uncle Pat. I remember one night in particular-which in hindsight, I'm sure alcohol was probably involved (okay I'm positive)- all 8 of us (Aunt Mary and Uncle Pat, and the 6 of us kids) were driving home from some kind of party and Uncle Pat put this song on. We all started singing and putting our hands out the windows while he purposefully started swaying the car back and forth in our neighborhood. My Aunt Mary may not have been too happy about it, but it's still a great memory :)
"Our Lips Are Sealed" by The Go Go's
This one goes out to my cousin Marisa. I think I was in 3rd grade, she was in 1st, when we had the brilliant idea to host a dance party and invite the neighborhood boys to watch us dance to The Go Go's. We wrote out invitations and put little sparkly stickers on them. But it wasn't a traditional dance party: our parents were not aware it was happening, and the boys weren't invited to dance WITH us, just to stand outside our window and WATCH us dance... can we say early promiscuous behavior much?? The funny part was that one of the boys, no older than 9 years old mind you, thought it was a legit invitation. He showed it to his mom who then called my Aunt Mary and Uncle Pat.... you can piece the rest of what happened together. Needless to say, there weren't any more dance parties at that house that required anyone to stand outside the window and watch us dance around in bikinis.
"I Saw The Sign" by Ace of Base
This song was by far my favorite, alongside Alanis Morrisette's "Ironic" when I was in 2nd grade. I can even remember watching the music video on vh1 and making up my own dance to the song. I actually even got sent home from school one day, which NEVER happened to me, because I got caught passing around the album slip (always my favorite part of getting a new CD because it had all the lyrics!) which supposedly had "suggestive, sexual content." Teachers are too uptight.
"Ode to my Family" by The Cranberries
I owe my love of The Cranberries to my cousin Jess. When I was living in Pennsylvania, in between custody battles, we spent a lot of time at my Aunt Pam's house. The Cranberries were one of Jess's favorite bands and since I pretty much idolized her, they became one of mine too and still are. I remember asking my mom (Aunt Stevie at that time since it was before she adopted me and Tay) for the purple couch CD. They had a few albums out at the time but all I knew is that it had a purple couch on the CD itself and "Zombie" was track 4. This was also 2nd grade. Album names meant nothing to me at the time. So once I got the CD, which I somehow managed to keep up with until I was a freshman in high school, it lived in my disc man and I'd fall asleep to this song playing on repeat. I probably haven't listened to the whole album in over 10 years but I guarantee I still know every word to every song. LOVE.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Pumped Up
Ok, normally I'm not a fan of techno, especially the kind that's just a continuous droning bass beat. Annoying. BUT every now and then there are "tecnoesque" songs with WORDS and really good beats that get me super pumped up. Fist pumping and whipping my hair back and forth like Willow Smith :)
"Creator" by Santigold
I first heard this song on So You Think You Can Dance (best show everrrrrr) and immediately fell in love. It has a techno beat in parts, but it's almost like an Afro/Alien mix. Sort of creepy. But I like it.
"Barbara Streisand" by Duck Sauce
One word for this song: Fun. And this video in particular is awesome. I love the black girl with the hair wrap in the very beginning, because that's exactly how I look when I'm listening to this song. Minus the hair wrap.
"Raise Your Weapon" by deadmau5
"We Found Love" by Rihanna ft. Calvin Harris
"Take Over Control" by Afrojack
Even though this song reminds me of Smashboxx, one of the local Old Town clubs I am open about hating, I still like it. It's just that I feel like Shashboxx plays this song on repeat. Hearing it once: awesome. Hearing it for 2 hours: not ok. But that's probably me being judgmental and ultimately hating standing in line to get in a club that thinks it's this ultra hot spot when it's just a sweaty mash pit of creepy guidos. Ok, venting is over.
"Creator" by Santigold
I first heard this song on So You Think You Can Dance (best show everrrrrr) and immediately fell in love. It has a techno beat in parts, but it's almost like an Afro/Alien mix. Sort of creepy. But I like it.
"Barbara Streisand" by Duck Sauce
One word for this song: Fun. And this video in particular is awesome. I love the black girl with the hair wrap in the very beginning, because that's exactly how I look when I'm listening to this song. Minus the hair wrap.
"Raise Your Weapon" by deadmau5
"We Found Love" by Rihanna ft. Calvin Harris
"Take Over Control" by Afrojack
Even though this song reminds me of Smashboxx, one of the local Old Town clubs I am open about hating, I still like it. It's just that I feel like Shashboxx plays this song on repeat. Hearing it once: awesome. Hearing it for 2 hours: not ok. But that's probably me being judgmental and ultimately hating standing in line to get in a club that thinks it's this ultra hot spot when it's just a sweaty mash pit of creepy guidos. Ok, venting is over.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Can I get some RADIOHEAD??
Radiohead has always held a special place in my heart because of my sister. I can remember being in 10th grade, driving from Newark to Pittsburgh with my sister and having her ask me if I like Radiohead. Even though I had heard of them, I had no idea what songs they sang at all. But I'm pretty sure I was very blasé and said, "Yea, I love them" hoping Radiohead was a "them" and not a single person. But the statement ended up not being a lie. Because I do love Radiohead! Ever since my sister walked down the aisle to "There, There," it's been one of my favorite songs. The other songs I'll include in this post are also among my favorites.
"There, There" by Radiohead
When I first heard this was the song my sister chose to walk down the aisle to, I was a little confused. I only really knew the chorus: "Just cause you feel it, doesn't mean it's there" which seemed a little conflicting to me. But then I looked up the rest of the lyrics and realized part of the song says, "Heaven sent you to me" which I felt was more fitting. For all I know my sister just liked the song, but I know I loved the fact she wasn't traditional and had a song all her own for her special day.
"Black Star" by Radiohead
"15 Step" by Radiohead
"Bodysnatchers" by Radiohead
"Fake Plastic Trees" by Radiohead
"There, There" by Radiohead
When I first heard this was the song my sister chose to walk down the aisle to, I was a little confused. I only really knew the chorus: "Just cause you feel it, doesn't mean it's there" which seemed a little conflicting to me. But then I looked up the rest of the lyrics and realized part of the song says, "Heaven sent you to me" which I felt was more fitting. For all I know my sister just liked the song, but I know I loved the fact she wasn't traditional and had a song all her own for her special day.
"Black Star" by Radiohead
"15 Step" by Radiohead
"Bodysnatchers" by Radiohead
"Fake Plastic Trees" by Radiohead
All About Adele!
So, I've been in love with Adele since 2008 when Chasing Pavement hit the air waves. This past year has been HUGE for her and it makes me so excited that finally, people are catching on to the fact that she is such a talent. Her voice almost reminds me of the classic artists of the Jazz era like Billie Holiday and Etta James. Soulful, rich. And as much as I love "Someone Like You" and "Rolling in the Deep," I wanted to post some of her other, equally amazing songs. "To Make You Feel My Love" in particular is one of my favorites (even if it is a Bob Dylan cover!)
"Right As Rain" by Adele
"Hometown Glory" by Adele
"Right As Rain" by Adele
"Hometown Glory" by Adele
"To Make You Feel My Love" by Adele
"Turning Tables" by Adele
I especially love the lyrics of this song. I feel like it captures the vulnerability of someone in an unhealthy relationship. There comes a point in that relationship, no matter how much you love the person, when you know you need to get out. All of a sudden, you're over it. Over the fighting, over the feelings of belittlement. You know you have to get out to be stronger for yourself. "Next time I'll be braver/ I'll be my own savior/ When, the thunder calls for me"
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