Sunday, January 31, 2010

Somwhere along the way...

Over the weekend, I was seriously digging listening to my Strokes collection and wanted to share one of my favorite songs from Julian Casablancas’s new solo release Phrazes For The Young. JC (ha!) has such an awesome voice and he’s an incredible lyricist. (even if everything he writes about is insanely depressing).



"Somewhere along the way, my hopefulness turned to sadness..."

Friday, January 29, 2010

Baby, baby where did our love go?

Listening to one of my old 80's mixes on the way into work this morning, I realized that Soft Cell's Tainted Love is my long standing favorite 80's song. The Smiths, The Cure, and Depeche Mode are some of my favorite bands, but I don't think of them as 80's because they are more timeless to me. I’ve always loved the very trendy mainstream New Wave hits from the 80's and put them in an entirely different class.

 

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Going to Ecuador for Stephin Merritt

My pick for this week is The Magnetic Fields' You Must Be Out of Your Mind. The Magnetic Fields are one of Stephin Merritt's brain trusts (also see The Gothic Archies, The 6ths, Future Bible Heroes.) and just some kick ass music. His music is always intelligent and witty with fantastic lyrics.


"You can't go 'round just saying stuff
Because it's pretty  
And I no longer drink enough  
To think you're witty..."

For added interest, I also added my current favorite song from 69 Love Songs. I can never get enough of intelligent, snarky lyrics.


"I'm a hopeless romantic
You're a terrible flirt 
Cool and unfazed, 
you're always amazed 
when someone gets hurt..."

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Getting lost in a beautiful song...

The song that I really wanted to share this week is Nicole Atkin's cover of Inside of Love, but I can't find any videos of it. You can however check out the track on Last.fm. And here's the original version by Nada Surf:



"I wanna know what it's like on the inside of love
I can't find my way in, I try again and again"
I saw Nicole Atkins open for Chris Isaak a few years ago and I remember being completely amazed at the beauty of her voice. Actually, in my inebriated state, I think that I actually told her that when she was signing my CD. I know, I'm just all that kind of cool creepy. *sigh*

All of her tunes have a beautiful, fairy tale kind of sound, and it is stuff that I want to listen to over and over again. My favorites are the Bleeding Diamonds EP and Nicole Atkins Digs Other People's Songs, which includes Inside of Love and a great cover of Under the Milky Way. I'm such a sucker for an awesome cover.


"I cracked when I tried to press my luck, hoping you'd come pick me up, but my heart is war torn..."

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

I believe...

... if everyone else loved music as much as I do, that music really could save the world. People are really only ever emotionally honest these days when it's neatly put into a song. I'll forever worship at the emotional houses of The Beatles, The Killers, The Cure, The Smiths, Amos Lee, The Films, and Paul Simon.

... making anything purple instantly ups its Annie value and makes it about 400 times cooler. Currently, I love my retro 40's purple suede heels and the purple pens, that were gifted to me by a handsome stranger.

... people watching is the best past time in the world. It is even better when you can sit outside on a sunny day and watch the effect that good weather has on the natives.

... singing like a total, crazed maniac in the car saves me from road rage, life rage, and general unhappiness. Make that singing like a total, crazed maniac in the car, while playing Rock Band, or anywhere else where the power of the lyrics takes hold of me. So basically, don't judge my ostentatious car dancing.

... while I'm not materialistic, I believe that a cool outfit can change my entire outlook on a day. I love funky, crazy clothing and accessories that make people glance twice. Today is all about leopard tights and a long purple sweater.

... everyone deserves hoopla on their birthday. (Hint, hint. Mines only a few weeks away.)

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Another one of those days...

I guess that everyone has had one of those days, weeks... erm, lifetimes. Just kidding, kind of. Anyway, whenever I have these moments, I love listening to Michael Trent (solo or him with The Films). He's my snarky little partner in crime in hating the world. Everyone's gotta have some world hating music, so for this weekend, I choose Michael Trent's Clumsy Tune.


"Rolling over in my bed
what else can I do instead of getting up
and facing one more day like this.
Lock myself up in my room.
Write another clumsy tune
and I rip it up,
throw it out,
and start over
what's the use..."

Oh yeah, and this is me breaking the rules. Second song for this week and it would have been a third if I could have found a copy of Glen Phillip's Didn't Think You Cared. Super fantastic, beautiful song and apparently completely under YouTubed.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Brits and Bears on the Beach

Must thank Lego Rock Band for this week's selection - The Coral's Dreaming of You. I love his deep voice (even better seeing the faces he makes in the video) and the funky, 60's style music that goes along with it. How can you not love a video with a bunch of quirky teenage brits attacking a bear on the beach? I totally want to go get a pint at the local pub with these guys, discuss our heartaches, and then mess some shit up.


"Up in my lonely room
When I'm dreaming of you
Oh what can I do (wah oooo)
I still need you, but
I don't want you now..."

Beltin' One Out...

In case you were wondering when exactly my obsession with singing and having to be the center of attention began, this is a clue. I'm sure there was a lot of whining involved to even be able to listen to my sister's walkman for a few minutes. That tape is probably Violent Femmes or Depeche Mode.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Vampire? I'm totally in...

So basically, anything including the word vampire reels me. In this case, it served me well. Dig'em, if you will.

My pick this week is Vampire Weekend's Oxford Comma.


Friday, January 1, 2010

Happy New Year and a little Flowers!

For this new year and new decade, my resolution is to post my favorite song from each week. I figure that by the end of the year, I'll have a great playlist (2010 Playlist on Last.fm) that will remind me of 2010. It is fun to look back at my old mixes because my song selections always seem to go with how I'm feeling and what's going on at the time. The soundtrack of my life, 2010 edition.

In no way do I claim to be any sort of music expert and am just including songs that I love. Oh and because this is my game, don't be surprised if I change, bend, or completely break the rules. More than likely I'll have weeks where I can't pick just one song. I like options. I will also include a link for downloading the song from AmazonMP3 because it rocks that hard and I might end up with a quarter of a penny in 3 months if you buy it from my link.

My first pick is "Everything Will Be Alright" by The Killers. Mostly I picked this song because I think it is super sexy and it reminds me of an especially adorable guy that I am being a total smarmy, dreamy dream girlie about. The Killers are also one of my favorite bands and Brandon Flowers, well don't even get me started. Just enjoy the song.



But then you took me by surprise
I'm dreaming bout those dreamy eyes
I never knew, I never knew...