I mentioned a week or so ago that I fell in love with the world of Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Woody Allen's latest movie with a very sensual Spanish setting.
Well, now I just *can not get enough* of the movie soundtrack. It's an amazing collection of Spanish music, gypsy guitars and flamenco. It's almost all instrumental, other than the bouncy and addictive first track "Barcelona" by Giulia y Los Tellarini and a few choruses sung here or there on the flamenco songs. The album also features Juan Serrano, Paco de Lucia, Jean-Felix Lalanne and Muriel Anderson, Emilio de Benito, Biel Ballester Trio with Graci Pedro and Leo Hipaucha, The Stephanie Wrembel Trio, and Juan Quesada. Thank you, Woody, for introducing me to them all!
I don't know enough about Spanish music to articulate just what's so great about this album, other than the fact that whenever the album finishes I just press play all over again. I've been listening to it over and over, and it just takes me away -- it makes me smile on the Metro and dance in my seat while working the computer. And it's now a "gateway drug" as I've gone ahead and downloaded a full album by Giulia y Los Tellarini and added a Juan Serrano CD to my Amazon shopping cart.
Okay, gotta go, time to press play again.... I hope you'll check it out, too!
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Monday, October 20, 2008
My Top Ten
At a fun little par-tay yesterday, the topic of all-time favorite songs kept coming up. So, I'm challenging myself to narrow down my own list to a very personal top ten.
Stef's Favorites - in no particular order:
1. Into the Mystic - Van Morrison
Perfection. I've heard other versions over the years, and while the duo from Once came close, nothing beats the Irish troubadour's original.
2. Thunder Road - Bruce Springsteen
No other song is as soulful, or as quotable, in my book. I once sang the entire thing out loud to a coworker, word for word. No small feat!
3. Brian Wilson - Barenaked Ladies
So many BNL songs to choose from -- both their emotional ballads and their fun quirky tunes. But this one perfectly captures an emotion *and* makes me want to jump up and sing whenever I hear it.
4. Express Yourself - Madonna
Ditto with the so many to choose from -- but I think the Like a Prayer era really was Her Madgesty's best, and this song remains an anthem for me and many, many people I know.
5. Solsbury Hill - Peter Gabriel
This song was the soundtrack to my life during a fairly troubled time, and the lyrics meant a lot to me as I needed to find my own way home. Peter Gabriel's voice is inextricably linked to some of my most powerful memories.
6. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For - U2
It's hard to say, but U2 *probably* is my favorite band of all time. So many of their songs are right for so many different occasions, but the gospel version of this one on Rattle and Hum just nails it every time.
7. Shambala - Three Dog Night
I wish I could say it was my childhood memories of my Mom listening to Three Dog Night that turned me on to this great tune - and maybe it was, subconsciously - but really, I became obsessed with it after it was prominently featured in several episodes of LOST. Combined with my undercurrent of interest in the Buddhist worldview, and this song's a winner!
8. Somebody - Depeche Mode
I am still looking for somebody who will listen to me when I want to speak about the world we live in and life in general.
9. Language or the Kiss - Indigo Girls
Amy and Emily may just be the most perfect lyricists ever. "Oh the fear I've known: That I might reap the praise of strangers, and end up on my own."
10. Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic - The Police
I have fond memories of singing along to this one at the top of my lungs back in high school, and it still gets me going. That "I resolve to call her up, a thousand times a day" part slays me!
This was tough! There are entire genres and decades (like the 2000's!) not represented in the top 10, but I think I made a pretty good call on all of the above. If I had to extend it, you would start to see Robbie Williams, Alanis Morissette, the Dixie Chicks, the Cure, Trisha Yearwood, Dido, Queen/David Bowie, the Killers, the Scissor Sisters, Christina Aguilera, and more. I swear I'm not totally stuck in the musical past!
Okay, your turn -- try and narrow it down to 10! :-)
Stef's Favorites - in no particular order:
1. Into the Mystic - Van Morrison
Perfection. I've heard other versions over the years, and while the duo from Once came close, nothing beats the Irish troubadour's original.
2. Thunder Road - Bruce Springsteen
No other song is as soulful, or as quotable, in my book. I once sang the entire thing out loud to a coworker, word for word. No small feat!
3. Brian Wilson - Barenaked Ladies
So many BNL songs to choose from -- both their emotional ballads and their fun quirky tunes. But this one perfectly captures an emotion *and* makes me want to jump up and sing whenever I hear it.
4. Express Yourself - Madonna
Ditto with the so many to choose from -- but I think the Like a Prayer era really was Her Madgesty's best, and this song remains an anthem for me and many, many people I know.
5. Solsbury Hill - Peter Gabriel
This song was the soundtrack to my life during a fairly troubled time, and the lyrics meant a lot to me as I needed to find my own way home. Peter Gabriel's voice is inextricably linked to some of my most powerful memories.
6. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For - U2
It's hard to say, but U2 *probably* is my favorite band of all time. So many of their songs are right for so many different occasions, but the gospel version of this one on Rattle and Hum just nails it every time.
7. Shambala - Three Dog Night
I wish I could say it was my childhood memories of my Mom listening to Three Dog Night that turned me on to this great tune - and maybe it was, subconsciously - but really, I became obsessed with it after it was prominently featured in several episodes of LOST. Combined with my undercurrent of interest in the Buddhist worldview, and this song's a winner!
8. Somebody - Depeche Mode
I am still looking for somebody who will listen to me when I want to speak about the world we live in and life in general.
9. Language or the Kiss - Indigo Girls
Amy and Emily may just be the most perfect lyricists ever. "Oh the fear I've known: That I might reap the praise of strangers, and end up on my own."
10. Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic - The Police
I have fond memories of singing along to this one at the top of my lungs back in high school, and it still gets me going. That "I resolve to call her up, a thousand times a day" part slays me!
This was tough! There are entire genres and decades (like the 2000's!) not represented in the top 10, but I think I made a pretty good call on all of the above. If I had to extend it, you would start to see Robbie Williams, Alanis Morissette, the Dixie Chicks, the Cure, Trisha Yearwood, Dido, Queen/David Bowie, the Killers, the Scissor Sisters, Christina Aguilera, and more. I swear I'm not totally stuck in the musical past!
Okay, your turn -- try and narrow it down to 10! :-)
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
The iPod Shuffle Challenge
Well, J-Lo, Scotte and Joyous did it, and since they're the cool kids I want to be like them. :-)
The iPod Challenge is simple:
If you are in shuffle mode, what are the first twenty songs that come up on your iPod? And no skipping past the embarrassing stuff.
I've always felt like my little Nano was a pretty good read of my mood... is there some algorithm that links together types of songs and keeps pulling them up in shuffle mode? Or is it totally random and just seems to have a pattern? We shall see... here goes:
1. Hello/Goodbye - The Beatles - I've got some of the biggies from both the blue and red double-albums, as well as the actual White Album. This is a pretty good choice, not a top fave but a solid Beatles effort.
2. The Way You Look Tonight - Frank Sinatra - I loaded up a bunch of Rat Pack songs earlier this spring when I was in the mood. Sinatra's voice just thrills me, and this is on a playlist that I love singing along to when I'm in the mood for belting it out.
3. Superman - Five for Fighting - A good little pop tune, I like singing along. I have 3 of his songs, and 100 Years is probably my favorite.
4. She's the One - Robbie Williams - Ah, love the Robbie. Sexy, snarky, soulful Robbie... I'd love to see him in concert someday. His "Live at Albert Hall" DVD is fantastic, as he covers the great old standards.
5. I'll Work For Your Love - Bruce Springsteen - This is off of his latest album, Magic, which I really enjoyed. The Boss is angry at the state of the nation, and while this song isn't as overtly political as many of the others, it's an enjoyable throwback to some of Bruce's earlier style.
6. Cover Me - Bruce Springsteen - Hmmm. That can't be coincidence, right? The Nano must be driven by some guiding force. This is off the uber-classic Born In the USA album, which did more for a white shirt and blue jeans than anything before or since. This song is darkly sexy.
7. Love Stinks - J. Geils Band - I think this is off the Mr. and Mrs. Smith soundtrack, which has a great variety of just good old tunes. There are definitely times when I sing along to this one!
8. New Soul - Yael Naim - I was on a kick earlier this year with trying to explore new female singer/songwriters. Y'all know this song, it was a huge commercial jingle I think for the Mac Air laptop or whatever it was called. Catchy tune.
9. Don't Tell Me - Madonna - There she is! This actually is one of my all-time favorite Madonna songs, a topic hotly debated a few months back over at J-Lo's blog.
10. Wrap Your Arms Around Me - Barenaked Ladies - Gordon is one of my favorite albums of all-time. I love how BNL can range from really serious, dark relationship ballads like this one to the wacky fun of "If I Had a Million Dollars" and back again. I've seen them in concert twice and would totally go again. I embrace nerd pop!
11. Vertigo - U2 - Ah, the Irish rock gods... they are probably the single most represented artists in my iTunes library, I've got songs from I think almost every album they've done. If I had to narrow it down, I admit to being one of those "U2 is my favorite band" people. Vertigo isn't my favorite song, by far, and I got a bit annoyed with those omnipresent iPod ads a few back. But it's still better than a lot of the crap that's out there.
12. Seasons of Love - RENT movie soundtrack - Yes, a showtune! I do have a few... I have actually never seen RENT live, and I thought the movie was really disappointing. But I do like this song a lot, and it's good for singing. Jesse L. Martin is so cute!
13. Discotheque - U2 - Nano's getting lazy. This is another one that's about as dancey as U2 gets... Pop wasn't my favorite album, but it had a few good offerings and I still occasionally get up and move when Discotheque comes on.
14. Lovesong - The Cure - Ah, my angsty youth. I enjoyed the Cure, but I was always a much bigger Depeche Mode fan. Hearing the songs now is equal parts enjoyment of the songs themselves and soft-focus nostalgia for those teen years.
15. I'm On Fire - Bruce Springsteen - Seriously, Nano, can't you pick something else? This is a great song, though, dark and disturbing. It is funny now to hear some of those songs from when we were very young and realize that there's a bit of lecherous jailbait action going on... Benny Mardones's "Into the Night" is a huge culprit, also on the Nano... but seriously, this is a haunting song. "Sometimes it's like someone took a knife baby edgy and dull and cut a 6-inch valley through the middle of my skull...at night I wake up with the sheets soaking wet and a freight train running through the middle of my head..." Those are some lyrics! The Boss does desperation really well.
16. Little Red Corvette - Prince - fun! I'm not ashamed to admit... well, maybe a little, that it was just a few years ago that I came into work one morning and said to my coworker "Wait a minute! Little Red Corvette isn't actually about a car, is it???" He laughed with me AND at me.
17. Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses? - U2 - Okay, we all get it by now, right? I love U2. Achtung Baby is still a fantastic album.
18. It Wasn't Me - Shaggy - Total guilty pleasure. This and Angel. I drove Brunette NUTS playing that CD over and over on a spring break trip to Portugal years ago. Wow, that CD is older than I thought!
19. It's Not Right But It's Okay - Whitney Houston - This one is fairly new to my Library, and I love Whitney's soulful anger. As a coworker said recently, while discussing having a greater appreciation for Whitney's later years, "I much prefer Crack Whitney." The music is just better.
20. Last to Die - Bruce Springsteen - This one, also off of Magic, is totally angry anti-Bush, anti-War. "Who'll be the last to die for a mistake?" Springsteen asks.
Okay - I totally feel like this shuffle got stuck in a rut and I'm going to attempt to prove that I really do have more variety in my library. 10 more:
21. Crumbs from your Table - U2 - Ack! More! This one is off of their most recent album, I believe, and I still need to listen to it more to decide which songs I like best. Then I can only keep those in the Nano and free up some room for other artists.
22. Backseat Nothing - The Del Fuegos - Also a relatively new addition to my catalogue, but I love it. I just heard it on a "Rescue Me" episode and it totally captures how I feel about needing to improve my relationships.
23. Ring of Fire - Johnny Cash - Just a great classic song. RIP, Man in Black.
24. Raspberry Beret - Prince - more fun! I have his "The Hits" box set, and it's just hours of catchy, dirty tunes.
25. Power of Two - Indigo Girls - A college classic. Sometimes I love it, sometimes I think it's a little too trite. I think I prefer "Language or the Kiss" but this one does always put me in an introspective mood.
26. Falling Slowly - Once Soundtrack - Just a beautiful song, from a beautiful movie, that featured a beautiful love story both on screen and off.
27. If Everybody Looked the Same - Groove Armada - Oh, a quirky fun song. Just a catchy dance tune off of "The Next Best Thing" soundtrack. Terrible movie, but I love the album and have most of it on the Nano.
28. Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy) - Big & Rich - I freakin' LOVE this song. It's not my usual genre, for sure, but this is just such a bold, obvious, raunchy, fun song that I've got to tap my toes and sing along. And Drew Lachey's freestyle dance to it was HOT.
29. One for My Baby (One More for the Road) - Frank Sinatra - The Chairman of the Board, again. This song is a great showcase of his vocals, but a total downer. I don't listen to it very often.
30. Run-Around - Blues Traveler - Oh, this is a good one to end on. Both Run-Around and Hook are some of my favorite songs that I've brought with me all the way from my college years. They always put me in a good mood.
Well, there you have it. I don't think this presents a very accurate representation of my tastes... sure, the major bases - U2, the Boss, BNL, Madge, Prince, the Beatles, Ol' Blue Eyes - are covered (the main ones missing are George Michael, Depeche Mode, Tina Turner, Cyndi Lauper and 80's hair bands), but I really do like a more diverse selection of stuff.
I also do have *some* music actually recorded in the 21st Century. According to this, I seem to be pretty darn stuck in the '80's or earlier... I've got JT! I've got pop tarts! I've got emo! I've got Kanye and Eminem! I've got Amy Winehouse and Alicia Keyes and Joss Stone and Feist! I swear...but perhaps part of the problem is that I only have a 2 GB Nano so I constantly have to change out what I sync up so it fits, so sometimes it really is based on my recent mood. I must be feeling fairly nostalgic... and old! ;-)
The iPod Challenge is simple:
If you are in shuffle mode, what are the first twenty songs that come up on your iPod? And no skipping past the embarrassing stuff.
I've always felt like my little Nano was a pretty good read of my mood... is there some algorithm that links together types of songs and keeps pulling them up in shuffle mode? Or is it totally random and just seems to have a pattern? We shall see... here goes:
1. Hello/Goodbye - The Beatles - I've got some of the biggies from both the blue and red double-albums, as well as the actual White Album. This is a pretty good choice, not a top fave but a solid Beatles effort.
2. The Way You Look Tonight - Frank Sinatra - I loaded up a bunch of Rat Pack songs earlier this spring when I was in the mood. Sinatra's voice just thrills me, and this is on a playlist that I love singing along to when I'm in the mood for belting it out.
3. Superman - Five for Fighting - A good little pop tune, I like singing along. I have 3 of his songs, and 100 Years is probably my favorite.
4. She's the One - Robbie Williams - Ah, love the Robbie. Sexy, snarky, soulful Robbie... I'd love to see him in concert someday. His "Live at Albert Hall" DVD is fantastic, as he covers the great old standards.
5. I'll Work For Your Love - Bruce Springsteen - This is off of his latest album, Magic, which I really enjoyed. The Boss is angry at the state of the nation, and while this song isn't as overtly political as many of the others, it's an enjoyable throwback to some of Bruce's earlier style.
6. Cover Me - Bruce Springsteen - Hmmm. That can't be coincidence, right? The Nano must be driven by some guiding force. This is off the uber-classic Born In the USA album, which did more for a white shirt and blue jeans than anything before or since. This song is darkly sexy.
7. Love Stinks - J. Geils Band - I think this is off the Mr. and Mrs. Smith soundtrack, which has a great variety of just good old tunes. There are definitely times when I sing along to this one!
8. New Soul - Yael Naim - I was on a kick earlier this year with trying to explore new female singer/songwriters. Y'all know this song, it was a huge commercial jingle I think for the Mac Air laptop or whatever it was called. Catchy tune.
9. Don't Tell Me - Madonna - There she is! This actually is one of my all-time favorite Madonna songs, a topic hotly debated a few months back over at J-Lo's blog.
10. Wrap Your Arms Around Me - Barenaked Ladies - Gordon is one of my favorite albums of all-time. I love how BNL can range from really serious, dark relationship ballads like this one to the wacky fun of "If I Had a Million Dollars" and back again. I've seen them in concert twice and would totally go again. I embrace nerd pop!
11. Vertigo - U2 - Ah, the Irish rock gods... they are probably the single most represented artists in my iTunes library, I've got songs from I think almost every album they've done. If I had to narrow it down, I admit to being one of those "U2 is my favorite band" people. Vertigo isn't my favorite song, by far, and I got a bit annoyed with those omnipresent iPod ads a few back. But it's still better than a lot of the crap that's out there.
12. Seasons of Love - RENT movie soundtrack - Yes, a showtune! I do have a few... I have actually never seen RENT live, and I thought the movie was really disappointing. But I do like this song a lot, and it's good for singing. Jesse L. Martin is so cute!
13. Discotheque - U2 - Nano's getting lazy. This is another one that's about as dancey as U2 gets... Pop wasn't my favorite album, but it had a few good offerings and I still occasionally get up and move when Discotheque comes on.
14. Lovesong - The Cure - Ah, my angsty youth. I enjoyed the Cure, but I was always a much bigger Depeche Mode fan. Hearing the songs now is equal parts enjoyment of the songs themselves and soft-focus nostalgia for those teen years.
15. I'm On Fire - Bruce Springsteen - Seriously, Nano, can't you pick something else? This is a great song, though, dark and disturbing. It is funny now to hear some of those songs from when we were very young and realize that there's a bit of lecherous jailbait action going on... Benny Mardones's "Into the Night" is a huge culprit, also on the Nano... but seriously, this is a haunting song. "Sometimes it's like someone took a knife baby edgy and dull and cut a 6-inch valley through the middle of my skull...at night I wake up with the sheets soaking wet and a freight train running through the middle of my head..." Those are some lyrics! The Boss does desperation really well.
16. Little Red Corvette - Prince - fun! I'm not ashamed to admit... well, maybe a little, that it was just a few years ago that I came into work one morning and said to my coworker "Wait a minute! Little Red Corvette isn't actually about a car, is it???" He laughed with me AND at me.
17. Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses? - U2 - Okay, we all get it by now, right? I love U2. Achtung Baby is still a fantastic album.
18. It Wasn't Me - Shaggy - Total guilty pleasure. This and Angel. I drove Brunette NUTS playing that CD over and over on a spring break trip to Portugal years ago. Wow, that CD is older than I thought!
19. It's Not Right But It's Okay - Whitney Houston - This one is fairly new to my Library, and I love Whitney's soulful anger. As a coworker said recently, while discussing having a greater appreciation for Whitney's later years, "I much prefer Crack Whitney." The music is just better.
20. Last to Die - Bruce Springsteen - This one, also off of Magic, is totally angry anti-Bush, anti-War. "Who'll be the last to die for a mistake?" Springsteen asks.
Okay - I totally feel like this shuffle got stuck in a rut and I'm going to attempt to prove that I really do have more variety in my library. 10 more:
21. Crumbs from your Table - U2 - Ack! More! This one is off of their most recent album, I believe, and I still need to listen to it more to decide which songs I like best. Then I can only keep those in the Nano and free up some room for other artists.
22. Backseat Nothing - The Del Fuegos - Also a relatively new addition to my catalogue, but I love it. I just heard it on a "Rescue Me" episode and it totally captures how I feel about needing to improve my relationships.
23. Ring of Fire - Johnny Cash - Just a great classic song. RIP, Man in Black.
24. Raspberry Beret - Prince - more fun! I have his "The Hits" box set, and it's just hours of catchy, dirty tunes.
25. Power of Two - Indigo Girls - A college classic. Sometimes I love it, sometimes I think it's a little too trite. I think I prefer "Language or the Kiss" but this one does always put me in an introspective mood.
26. Falling Slowly - Once Soundtrack - Just a beautiful song, from a beautiful movie, that featured a beautiful love story both on screen and off.
27. If Everybody Looked the Same - Groove Armada - Oh, a quirky fun song. Just a catchy dance tune off of "The Next Best Thing" soundtrack. Terrible movie, but I love the album and have most of it on the Nano.
28. Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy) - Big & Rich - I freakin' LOVE this song. It's not my usual genre, for sure, but this is just such a bold, obvious, raunchy, fun song that I've got to tap my toes and sing along. And Drew Lachey's freestyle dance to it was HOT.
29. One for My Baby (One More for the Road) - Frank Sinatra - The Chairman of the Board, again. This song is a great showcase of his vocals, but a total downer. I don't listen to it very often.
30. Run-Around - Blues Traveler - Oh, this is a good one to end on. Both Run-Around and Hook are some of my favorite songs that I've brought with me all the way from my college years. They always put me in a good mood.
Well, there you have it. I don't think this presents a very accurate representation of my tastes... sure, the major bases - U2, the Boss, BNL, Madge, Prince, the Beatles, Ol' Blue Eyes - are covered (the main ones missing are George Michael, Depeche Mode, Tina Turner, Cyndi Lauper and 80's hair bands), but I really do like a more diverse selection of stuff.
I also do have *some* music actually recorded in the 21st Century. According to this, I seem to be pretty darn stuck in the '80's or earlier... I've got JT! I've got pop tarts! I've got emo! I've got Kanye and Eminem! I've got Amy Winehouse and Alicia Keyes and Joss Stone and Feist! I swear...but perhaps part of the problem is that I only have a 2 GB Nano so I constantly have to change out what I sync up so it fits, so sometimes it really is based on my recent mood. I must be feeling fairly nostalgic... and old! ;-)
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Entertainment Roundup
A few tidbits from my recent pop culture consumerism...
I've been in a bit of a romcom mood lately, so I rented the Catherine Zeta-Jones / Aaron Eckhart flick No Reservations. She plays a fairly uptight executive chef at a fancy NY restaurant, whose beloved sister dies and entrusts her impressionable young daughter - played well by Abigail Breslin - in her aunt's anxious hands. As CZJ has to learn little things like kids don't like foie gras but they do like pillow fights, her professional life has also gone a little topsy-turvy cuz her boss (Patricia Clarkson, underused here) has brought in some new talent to the kitchen in the form of sexy, casual, authority-challenging sous chef Aaron Eckhart. Fighting, cooking, romance, misunderstandings, and eventual happy family of three ensues. Here's the problem with this movie.... CZJ just seems horribly miscast. She's not very warm at all, and while her character is supposed to be Type A she never really melts enough for you to feel anything for her at all. The kid is cute, natch, and Aaron is fun to watch... but there's just no chemistry. In the kitchen or in the romance. It doesn't even serve as gratuitous restaurant porn... there are no "wanna lick your screen" shots of delicious dishes. Sadly, this movie's a bit of a waste.
Speaking of Abigail Breslin, the adorable moppet du jour, I ended up with an Abigail romcom double feature as I rented Definitely, Maybe and watched it tonight. Guess what? I really liked it! It didn't seem to follow the usual saccharin formulas and was really believable. There weren't any "meet cute" moments, and in fact featured just about as much heartache as happiness. The story follows a newly-divorced dad, Ryan Reynolds, as he shares with his cute daughter the story of how he met her mother. (Alas, no Barney Stinson.) He shares the story of the 3 great loves of his life, taking all of us on a journey back through the highs and lows of the Clinton years. I give the film a lot of credit for making all three "girlfriend" characters very real and layered, and none of them are turned into the stereotypical b*tch or slut just to make the story easy. I laughed a few times and teared up once or twice, too. Good times.
I've been in a bit of a romcom mood lately, so I rented the Catherine Zeta-Jones / Aaron Eckhart flick No Reservations. She plays a fairly uptight executive chef at a fancy NY restaurant, whose beloved sister dies and entrusts her impressionable young daughter - played well by Abigail Breslin - in her aunt's anxious hands. As CZJ has to learn little things like kids don't like foie gras but they do like pillow fights, her professional life has also gone a little topsy-turvy cuz her boss (Patricia Clarkson, underused here) has brought in some new talent to the kitchen in the form of sexy, casual, authority-challenging sous chef Aaron Eckhart. Fighting, cooking, romance, misunderstandings, and eventual happy family of three ensues. Here's the problem with this movie.... CZJ just seems horribly miscast. She's not very warm at all, and while her character is supposed to be Type A she never really melts enough for you to feel anything for her at all. The kid is cute, natch, and Aaron is fun to watch... but there's just no chemistry. In the kitchen or in the romance. It doesn't even serve as gratuitous restaurant porn... there are no "wanna lick your screen" shots of delicious dishes. Sadly, this movie's a bit of a waste.Speaking of Abigail Breslin, the adorable moppet du jour, I ended up with an Abigail romcom double feature as I rented Definitely, Maybe and watched it tonight. Guess what? I really liked it! It didn't seem to follow the usual saccharin formulas and was really believable. There weren't any "meet cute" moments, and in fact featured just about as much heartache as happiness. The story follows a newly-divorced dad, Ryan Reynolds, as he shares with his cute daughter the story of how he met her mother. (Alas, no Barney Stinson.) He shares the story of the 3 great loves of his life, taking all of us on a journey back through the highs and lows of the Clinton years. I give the film a lot of credit for making all three "girlfriend" characters very real and layered, and none of them are turned into the stereotypical b*tch or slut just to make the story easy. I laughed a few times and teared up once or twice, too. Good times.
Speaking of Ryan Reynolds, I recently picked up Alanis Morissette's new album, Flavors of Entanglement. Alanis is still angry, angsty, and a bit dramatic, but I really like about 90% of the album. Several of the songs are catchy, and I do like her lyrics even when she gets a little grandiose. This is definitely a break-up album... and so many of the emotions she reveals are very relatable... but it's a bit incongruous to listen to these heartfelt heartache songs and think that they're about.... Mr. Ryan Reynolds! I am sorry that they didn't work out, cuz even though they always seemed like a pretty mis-matched couple I liked the idea that they could get along. Alas, being 2 Canadian stars must not have been enough in common, and while Alanis seems to have had her heart broken, we get an album of mostly reall good songs out of it. (The first track, "Citizen of the Planet," is just weird-sounding. My least favorite on the album, but skip ahead. It gets really good.)
Side note.... is Robin Scherbatsky supposed to be based on Alanis? Canadian teen pop star anyone?
Monday, January 07, 2008
Musical Moments in Time
I went on a download frenzy on iTunes the other night, upon realizing that I was seriously lacking in my good 80's music collection. Of course, I have a lot of the so-bad-it's-good 80's bubble gum pop, but I was really missing out on things like The Police and Peter Gabriel. Luckily, it only took a few clicks to remedy the problem, and thanks to the power of recorded music, I found myself transported....
... courtesy of "Don't Stand So Close to Me"
Young teacher, the subject of schoolgirl fantasies
The instant I heard Sting singing the tale of forbidden love -- I was right back in halls of my good old high school, remembering one of the craziest things one of my friends ever did. It must have been senior year, and a friend of mine (really, this isn't me) had a HUGE crush on our econ teacher. It was kinda funny, cuz he was no Freddy Shoop type... he was just a kinda geeky, okay-looking, nice guy who liked joking around with us teenagers in class. And he taught econ, which was a cool subject for those of us that felt like we were ready to start making our way in the world. Anyway.... this friend who had a crush? You won't believe what she did! She made a "mix tape" - but not truly a mix, it was just one song repeating over and over and over... Yep, an entire cassette, 2 sides, of nothing but "Don't Stand So Close to Me." And she put it in an unmarked envelope in the teacher's mailbox in the office. The poor guy! Can you imagine receiving that??? He was very sheepish and subdued the whole rest of the year, probably scared out of his mind! Ah, the folly of high school girls.
... courtesy of "Solsbury Hill"
You can keep my things, they've come to take me home
The end of my sophomore year in college was a pretty rough one. It had been a very dramatic semester, probably the worst few months I've ever experienced. I had my one and only bout with real depression, and the family stuff was not good way back at home in NY. But, all of this manifested itself in a really melodramatic social scene, as my friends and I were all so angst-ridden. The world was against us, or something like that. But this really tight group of us did just about anything we could to break ties with other people and really isolate ourselves, of course fueled by our own feelings of superiority. And, as you might guess, by the end of that semester we had no one left to direct our angst at but ourselves... not my proudest moment. So, by the end of that spring semester, I was just SO tired of it all. I couldn't wait to get out of there, for summer to start and get a clean break. I would be leaving for a study abroad trip a few weeks later, with several of those friends in fact, but I just knew that I needed a break in order to become myself, and to become happy, again. I played good old "Solsbury Hill" over and over again as I packed up my single room (perk of being an RA) and waited for Mom to come get me. That song just stayed in my head the whole trip home, and no other song has ever come close to being such an accurate soundtrack for a moment in my life.
Isn't it amazing how music can stir up so many memories and emotions? I love it. It's well worth revisiting the past just to see how far you've come.... especially if your trip down memory lane has a good beat and you can dance to it!
... courtesy of "Don't Stand So Close to Me"
Young teacher, the subject of schoolgirl fantasies
The instant I heard Sting singing the tale of forbidden love -- I was right back in halls of my good old high school, remembering one of the craziest things one of my friends ever did. It must have been senior year, and a friend of mine (really, this isn't me) had a HUGE crush on our econ teacher. It was kinda funny, cuz he was no Freddy Shoop type... he was just a kinda geeky, okay-looking, nice guy who liked joking around with us teenagers in class. And he taught econ, which was a cool subject for those of us that felt like we were ready to start making our way in the world. Anyway.... this friend who had a crush? You won't believe what she did! She made a "mix tape" - but not truly a mix, it was just one song repeating over and over and over... Yep, an entire cassette, 2 sides, of nothing but "Don't Stand So Close to Me." And she put it in an unmarked envelope in the teacher's mailbox in the office. The poor guy! Can you imagine receiving that??? He was very sheepish and subdued the whole rest of the year, probably scared out of his mind! Ah, the folly of high school girls.
... courtesy of "Solsbury Hill"
You can keep my things, they've come to take me home
The end of my sophomore year in college was a pretty rough one. It had been a very dramatic semester, probably the worst few months I've ever experienced. I had my one and only bout with real depression, and the family stuff was not good way back at home in NY. But, all of this manifested itself in a really melodramatic social scene, as my friends and I were all so angst-ridden. The world was against us, or something like that. But this really tight group of us did just about anything we could to break ties with other people and really isolate ourselves, of course fueled by our own feelings of superiority. And, as you might guess, by the end of that semester we had no one left to direct our angst at but ourselves... not my proudest moment. So, by the end of that spring semester, I was just SO tired of it all. I couldn't wait to get out of there, for summer to start and get a clean break. I would be leaving for a study abroad trip a few weeks later, with several of those friends in fact, but I just knew that I needed a break in order to become myself, and to become happy, again. I played good old "Solsbury Hill" over and over again as I packed up my single room (perk of being an RA) and waited for Mom to come get me. That song just stayed in my head the whole trip home, and no other song has ever come close to being such an accurate soundtrack for a moment in my life.
Isn't it amazing how music can stir up so many memories and emotions? I love it. It's well worth revisiting the past just to see how far you've come.... especially if your trip down memory lane has a good beat and you can dance to it!
Sunday, November 25, 2007
I've Had Enough of Cinderella
Brunette and I had a great conversation today over sushi (as most of our best convo's are) about romantic expectations, particularly the unrealistic kind. How much are our dreams and our choices shaped by the love stories we see on the screen?
I have my moments of being a hopeless romantic...and that probably has not served me well in real life. I've always been one to hang on or hold out for way too long, because I've developed these elaborate fantasies in my head about living some grand romance. I want a love story for the ages, as if it had been scripted by screenwriters... so it's quite fitting that they're currently on strike.
I have spent years of my life hoping for - and trying to force - one of those tried-and-true formulaic Hollywood stories. You know the one, in which two best friends finally realize after years of ups and downs that they're right for each other... the Harry and Sally moment...."the search is over, love was right before my eyes....." Ugh.
And I'm pretty tired of it. Sure, it's one thing to be a total 'shipper as a tv and movie fan... cuz how can you not root for the hero and heroine to realize that they're soul mates? Ross and Rachel trying to open that locked Central Perk door and have their earth-shattering kiss...Pam pouring out her soul to Jim after walking across hot coals...and Big following Carrie to the most romantic city on Earth.
Great moments in tv relationship history. But not so great for this little heart of mine, cuz it keeps selling me more and more on those unrealistic dreams.... Cinderella may have been swept off her feet, but she too was a fictional character.
So, in honor of our modern classic heroine, I sit here on my laptop and pose to you my faithful readers the following:
Would the world be better off if Carrie and Big had never ended up together? Was this just another Cinderella story setting us up for disappointment?
I'm not saying I should give up on the hope for romance... but that I need to redefine what romance is. With all the fantasies pushed aside, I want something real. And that means I need to open myself up to something real, and not keep clinging so tightly to these notions that I should accept nothing other than the fantasy or the melodrama. Someday my Prince will come, too... but he may just be a regular guy in a polo shirt and jeans. And I'm ready for that. You hear me, universe?!?
Somewhat related side note: Even though I've never seen a full episode of American Idol, I have to confess that the AI-style mainstream pop songs are one of my guiltiest pleasures. Currently, I'm addicted to that new Jordin Sparks song "Tattoo." I first heard it when she sang on the Pillsbury float in the Macy's Thanksgiving parade. Marketing works, even the shameless kind.... I'm such a product of pop culture.
I have my moments of being a hopeless romantic...and that probably has not served me well in real life. I've always been one to hang on or hold out for way too long, because I've developed these elaborate fantasies in my head about living some grand romance. I want a love story for the ages, as if it had been scripted by screenwriters... so it's quite fitting that they're currently on strike.
I have spent years of my life hoping for - and trying to force - one of those tried-and-true formulaic Hollywood stories. You know the one, in which two best friends finally realize after years of ups and downs that they're right for each other... the Harry and Sally moment...."the search is over, love was right before my eyes....." Ugh.
And I'm pretty tired of it. Sure, it's one thing to be a total 'shipper as a tv and movie fan... cuz how can you not root for the hero and heroine to realize that they're soul mates? Ross and Rachel trying to open that locked Central Perk door and have their earth-shattering kiss...Pam pouring out her soul to Jim after walking across hot coals...and Big following Carrie to the most romantic city on Earth.Great moments in tv relationship history. But not so great for this little heart of mine, cuz it keeps selling me more and more on those unrealistic dreams.... Cinderella may have been swept off her feet, but she too was a fictional character.
So, in honor of our modern classic heroine, I sit here on my laptop and pose to you my faithful readers the following:
Would the world be better off if Carrie and Big had never ended up together? Was this just another Cinderella story setting us up for disappointment?
I'm not saying I should give up on the hope for romance... but that I need to redefine what romance is. With all the fantasies pushed aside, I want something real. And that means I need to open myself up to something real, and not keep clinging so tightly to these notions that I should accept nothing other than the fantasy or the melodrama. Someday my Prince will come, too... but he may just be a regular guy in a polo shirt and jeans. And I'm ready for that. You hear me, universe?!?
Somewhat related side note: Even though I've never seen a full episode of American Idol, I have to confess that the AI-style mainstream pop songs are one of my guiltiest pleasures. Currently, I'm addicted to that new Jordin Sparks song "Tattoo." I first heard it when she sang on the Pillsbury float in the Macy's Thanksgiving parade. Marketing works, even the shameless kind.... I'm such a product of pop culture.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
The Music of My Youth
Want another sign that we're all getting old?
Two of the top nominees for the next class of inductees to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?
Madonna and the Beastie Boys.
Wow. I remember when they went on tour together! Every year, I'm amazed by the nominees because the list always serves to remind me of 2 things:
1 - I'm getting older and older every year.
2 - My musical tastes were strongly shaped by - and pretty much stopped in - the 1980's.
Ah well... I embrace it. In fact, I was just so excited by EW's amazing review of Bruce Springsteen's new album with the E Street Band, Magic, that I went and pre-ordered it online. I should have it by the end of the week!
Two of the top nominees for the next class of inductees to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?
Madonna and the Beastie Boys.
Wow. I remember when they went on tour together! Every year, I'm amazed by the nominees because the list always serves to remind me of 2 things:
1 - I'm getting older and older every year.
2 - My musical tastes were strongly shaped by - and pretty much stopped in - the 1980's.
Ah well... I embrace it. In fact, I was just so excited by EW's amazing review of Bruce Springsteen's new album with the E Street Band, Magic, that I went and pre-ordered it online. I should have it by the end of the week!
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Music to My Ears
Finally! Paul McCartney's solo career is now available on iTunes. Hooray!
I know this dates me -- as both old and young -- but some of my earliest memories are of dancing around my living room singing along with Wings. Something about those silly love songs, you know?
I'm currently reevaluating my iTunes library to make room for the cute Beatle in my nano. And you know what? Listening to "Maybe I'm Amazed" as an adult? Wow, Paul's raw vocals really get to me. I'd give just about anything to have a man sing like that to me.
So, it's not quite the entire Beatles catalogue. I don't know if they'll ever reach an agreement on that. But for now, it's pretty darn close!
I know this dates me -- as both old and young -- but some of my earliest memories are of dancing around my living room singing along with Wings. Something about those silly love songs, you know?
I'm currently reevaluating my iTunes library to make room for the cute Beatle in my nano. And you know what? Listening to "Maybe I'm Amazed" as an adult? Wow, Paul's raw vocals really get to me. I'd give just about anything to have a man sing like that to me.
So, it's not quite the entire Beatles catalogue. I don't know if they'll ever reach an agreement on that. But for now, it's pretty darn close!
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Shut Up & Sing
Now out on DVD, this documentary tells the roller coaster story of the Dixie Chicks from "The Incident" in London in March 2003, on the eve of the Iraq war, through the recording of their new album Taking the Long Way and its North American tour.I cannot recommend this movie strongly enough. I think *everyone* I know should see it!
Why?
- It's an exploration of how we really react to free speech in America.
- It's a fascinating "slice of history" lesson on how our politics and culture have boomeranged in the last 4 years. (Even I found it shocking to see some of that 2003 footage and remember how far we've come from those days when Iraq "had" WMDs and Bush was on top of the world.)
- It records the journey of successful artists faced with the questions of who they are, what they believe, and what they want to be.
- It documents the creation of a damn good album, that goes on to win all of the industry's highest awards.
- It showcases three very real, strong, opinionated, emotional, talented, independent women and their abilities to maintain a relatively normal life in the midst of chaos.
- Plus, babies, babies, everywhere!
Monday, January 08, 2007
Another Sign We're Getting Old....
Van Halen..... REM.... Grandmaster Flash? Wow, I remember when these guys were all huge. Number one hits on the radio, videos on MTV, frequent rotation at our middle school dances. And now they're getting inducted into the Rock 'N Roll Hall of Fame. Yikes.
I think I will officially hit my mid-life crisis point when they induct my college bands like Hootie & the Blowfish, the Indigo Girls or Dave Matthews. It's not that far away, folks!
In fact, I had a conversation recently after that episode of "The Office" when they all started singing "Closer to Fine" -- the woman I was talking to is 23, and she didn't recognize the song. I said "that was a huge song for me in college - I would stand on tables and sing along at the top of my lungs - it as an anthem!" She still didn't get it, so I said "Oh, whatever, you were probably 9 or something...." Then she did the math. And, yes, she was 9.
I'm going to go whimper in a corner now - where has our youth gone????
I think I will officially hit my mid-life crisis point when they induct my college bands like Hootie & the Blowfish, the Indigo Girls or Dave Matthews. It's not that far away, folks!
In fact, I had a conversation recently after that episode of "The Office" when they all started singing "Closer to Fine" -- the woman I was talking to is 23, and she didn't recognize the song. I said "that was a huge song for me in college - I would stand on tables and sing along at the top of my lungs - it as an anthem!" She still didn't get it, so I said "Oh, whatever, you were probably 9 or something...." Then she did the math. And, yes, she was 9.
I'm going to go whimper in a corner now - where has our youth gone????
Monday, October 30, 2006
Old Lady Music Reviews
As I think I've mentioned before, I'm frightfully out of touch when it comes to current music. My friends may assume I'm a pop culture queen, cuz of my tv / movies / books knowledge, but I would fail any test on contemporary music, I swear. (And that's not just me keeping expectations low for future pop culture trivia pursuit challenges!) Seriously, I had to ask my brother to "define emo" for me. And what did he say? "Guys who have Flock of Seagulls hair and sing about their feelings." Hmmm. Not so helpful.
Since iPod entered my life last Christmas, I've been working to improve my musical literacy. And now that I have high-speed, downloads happen lickety-split. So there's no reason not to spend 99 cents to check out a new tune!
I've sampled a bunch of new (or new to me) songs lately.... and here are my hits and misses:
John Legend, "Ordinary People" - ****
This is smooth and lyrically interesting. I like his voice, and I love any good use of a piano, since I took more than a decade of lessons myself. I'm not in much of a love song mood, though, so it's not striking me bone-deep just yet.
Kanye West, "Jesus Walks" - **
I remember hearing this in tv ads, I think for "Prison Break." I really like the chanting-style male background vocals and the overall beat. But the girl singers chirping out "Jee! Zus! Walks!" are kind of annoying, and while I appreciate the subject of Kanye's lyrics, I'm not so much into straight-on rap. If I could turn down the lead vocal and just listen to the background, it would be awesome.
Panic! At the Disco, "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" - *****
I love this song! My very first emo download, and I think I'm going to have to sample more. I have no idea what the title has to do with the lyrics of the song, but it doesn't matter. I found myself humming this little ditty to myself all weekend, cuz the damn thing is catchy. It's lush, with all kinds of instrumental layers and harmonies, and lyrics that tell a story but are still darn quirky. "I chime in with, Haven't you people ever heard of closing the goddamn door? No, it's much better to face these kinds of things with a sense of poison rationality!" Huh? Not sure. But it's great!
Five for Fighting, "The Riddle" - ***
I've loved "Superman" and "100 Years" since they each came out, so I was excited about a new FfF ballad. And this one is right up the same alley. In fact, I would totally love it, EXCEPT for the fact that it makes a huge grammatical error in the chorus of the song! "Here's a riddle for you. Find the answer. There's a reason for the world, you and I." You and I?!?! He repeats it over and over. But it should clearly be "you and me" !!! Right? Because "me" would be the object, not the subject. As in, "There's a reason. It is me." Not "It is I." Aaaargh! It drives me crazy! I'm just going to sing along with it as "me", so there.
Justin Timberlake, "SexyBack" - *****
Okay, so I admit, I hated this song the first time I heard it. I just didn't get it. What's with all the electronic nothingness? It doesn't even sound like JT. BUT.... then I listened a few more times. And started moving to the beat. And suddenly, I am under JT's spell. (Here, lyrics don't have to mean anything. "Go 'head, be gone with it..." Whatever, just wiggle your hips.) This is the kind of song that puts a secret smile on my face on the bus. I'm ready to declare "SexyBack" this year's "Dirrty." I have no shame in loving that song, too!
Stay tuned, I'm sure I'll be exploring new tunes soon.... if you have any suggestions, let me know. I'm always ready to point, click, download!
Since iPod entered my life last Christmas, I've been working to improve my musical literacy. And now that I have high-speed, downloads happen lickety-split. So there's no reason not to spend 99 cents to check out a new tune!
I've sampled a bunch of new (or new to me) songs lately.... and here are my hits and misses:
John Legend, "Ordinary People" - ****
This is smooth and lyrically interesting. I like his voice, and I love any good use of a piano, since I took more than a decade of lessons myself. I'm not in much of a love song mood, though, so it's not striking me bone-deep just yet.
Kanye West, "Jesus Walks" - **
I remember hearing this in tv ads, I think for "Prison Break." I really like the chanting-style male background vocals and the overall beat. But the girl singers chirping out "Jee! Zus! Walks!" are kind of annoying, and while I appreciate the subject of Kanye's lyrics, I'm not so much into straight-on rap. If I could turn down the lead vocal and just listen to the background, it would be awesome.
Panic! At the Disco, "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" - *****
I love this song! My very first emo download, and I think I'm going to have to sample more. I have no idea what the title has to do with the lyrics of the song, but it doesn't matter. I found myself humming this little ditty to myself all weekend, cuz the damn thing is catchy. It's lush, with all kinds of instrumental layers and harmonies, and lyrics that tell a story but are still darn quirky. "I chime in with, Haven't you people ever heard of closing the goddamn door? No, it's much better to face these kinds of things with a sense of poison rationality!" Huh? Not sure. But it's great!
Five for Fighting, "The Riddle" - ***
I've loved "Superman" and "100 Years" since they each came out, so I was excited about a new FfF ballad. And this one is right up the same alley. In fact, I would totally love it, EXCEPT for the fact that it makes a huge grammatical error in the chorus of the song! "Here's a riddle for you. Find the answer. There's a reason for the world, you and I." You and I?!?! He repeats it over and over. But it should clearly be "you and me" !!! Right? Because "me" would be the object, not the subject. As in, "There's a reason. It is me." Not "It is I." Aaaargh! It drives me crazy! I'm just going to sing along with it as "me", so there.
Justin Timberlake, "SexyBack" - *****
Okay, so I admit, I hated this song the first time I heard it. I just didn't get it. What's with all the electronic nothingness? It doesn't even sound like JT. BUT.... then I listened a few more times. And started moving to the beat. And suddenly, I am under JT's spell. (Here, lyrics don't have to mean anything. "Go 'head, be gone with it..." Whatever, just wiggle your hips.) This is the kind of song that puts a secret smile on my face on the bus. I'm ready to declare "SexyBack" this year's "Dirrty." I have no shame in loving that song, too!
Stay tuned, I'm sure I'll be exploring new tunes soon.... if you have any suggestions, let me know. I'm always ready to point, click, download!
Saturday, October 21, 2006
An Observation
Query:
Why is it that nearly every female out there has an almost biological impulse to love, nay ADORE, the song "Sweet Caroline" ???
Seriously, I've been bitten by the bug myself. There's something about that song, like a biological imperative. You simply must sing along, at the top of your lungs, both to the verses and the "bah-bah-bahhhhhh" and "so good! so good!" backup parts. You must do the required hand motions. And somehow, no matter what was happening before, it just puts you in a damn good mood.
But, my observations and informal surveys lead me to believe that this phenomenon is restricted to the females of our species. Why are males unaffected? How can men deny the seemingly undeniable power of Mr. Neil Diamond???
Hands, touching hands...
Why is it that nearly every female out there has an almost biological impulse to love, nay ADORE, the song "Sweet Caroline" ???
Seriously, I've been bitten by the bug myself. There's something about that song, like a biological imperative. You simply must sing along, at the top of your lungs, both to the verses and the "bah-bah-bahhhhhh" and "so good! so good!" backup parts. You must do the required hand motions. And somehow, no matter what was happening before, it just puts you in a damn good mood.
But, my observations and informal surveys lead me to believe that this phenomenon is restricted to the females of our species. Why are males unaffected? How can men deny the seemingly undeniable power of Mr. Neil Diamond???
Hands, touching hands...
Friday, October 06, 2006
Ice Cream & iTunes
Tonight, after a great dinner at Zaytinya, Brunette and I had a great time just hanging out at the local ice cream place. Gifford's, of course! In addition to sampling TWO of their new seasonal flavors - peanut butter cookies & cream and pumpkin pie, yum! - and reveling in our shared hatred of the movie "Cold Mountain," we did the time warp back to the 1980's courtesy of Gifford's XM Radio choice.
In the time that it took to eat our delicious dessert, we got to chair-dance and sing along to such oldies-but-goodies as:
- "Should've Known Better" by Richard Marx - the man with the 2nd biggest hair of the 80's, just behind Adam Curry.
- "Open Your Heart" by Madonna - they could so not make an underage peepshow video these days.
- Amy Grant's "Baby Baby" - remember her terrible shorts-with-suspenders fashion?
- a Peter Cetera solo "hit" that I can't remember at the moment.. but it was NOT the duet with the aforementioned Amy Grant
- "You Make My Dreams" by Hall & Oates - "I'm Oates!"
and the best...
- "Can't We Try" by Dan Hill & Vonda Shepard. Yep, who knew it was the Ally McBeal chick on that song???
Would you believe that we remembered almost ALL the words? Ah, those memory cells could be put to such better use. The Gifford's scoop-ista was singing along with us, too, as she explained that they listen to this XM station all the time. And I had so much fun that now I'm downloading these blasts from the past from iTunes!
PS - "I Marry You! I Marry You! I Marry You!" I'd rather see "Sack Lunch."
In the time that it took to eat our delicious dessert, we got to chair-dance and sing along to such oldies-but-goodies as:
- "Should've Known Better" by Richard Marx - the man with the 2nd biggest hair of the 80's, just behind Adam Curry.
- "Open Your Heart" by Madonna - they could so not make an underage peepshow video these days.
- Amy Grant's "Baby Baby" - remember her terrible shorts-with-suspenders fashion?
- a Peter Cetera solo "hit" that I can't remember at the moment.. but it was NOT the duet with the aforementioned Amy Grant
- "You Make My Dreams" by Hall & Oates - "I'm Oates!"
and the best...
- "Can't We Try" by Dan Hill & Vonda Shepard. Yep, who knew it was the Ally McBeal chick on that song???
Would you believe that we remembered almost ALL the words? Ah, those memory cells could be put to such better use. The Gifford's scoop-ista was singing along with us, too, as she explained that they listen to this XM station all the time. And I had so much fun that now I'm downloading these blasts from the past from iTunes!
PS - "I Marry You! I Marry You! I Marry You!" I'd rather see "Sack Lunch."
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
What I'm Listening To
I just picked up a fun new CD - Brake for Wilson's On We Burn. This is a Philadelphia-based band with two members, a guy and a girl. I went to college with the guy and have had fun following his career as an actor and musician, so it's great to now listen to a real CD that he's made! :-)This combo offers the kind of jaunty, singer-songwriter-y pop that's similar to John Mayer or Ben Folds, and they list everyone from Sting to Tori Amos to the Beatles as their musical influences. The lyrics are good, the sound is full and rich, and their voices - while very different - blend well together. Even though the songs cover relationships and their ups and downs, the music overall gives you a sunny feeling and I just find myself smiling when I'm listening to it on the iPod. (That would explain any weird dreamy smiles I may have been sporting on the bus lately!
The CD is available for purchase at CDBaby, or you can download tracks on iTunes - I'd recommend "Big World", "Western Hills" and "Can't You Hear" as downloads to get a taste of their sound. Check it out!
Saturday, August 05, 2006
Taking The Long Way Around
Last night, Brunette, MH and I were among the tens of thousands of young women (plus a handful of men) taking in the Dixie Chicks concert at the Verizon Center. I was *planning* on writing a review of the show here for your reading pleasure, but Brunette the law school grad just *had* to point out that the back of the Ticketmaster ticket includes some annoying fine print about how buying the ticket is an agreement that you won't write any description or share any photos, etc., of the event. So, no review here. Y'all can thank Brunette for the legal eagle eyes. ;-)
Instead, though, I'm happy to discuss two other related topics -- the crowd I saw at the show, and my own long-time-coming relationship with said Chicks.
As I mentioned, there were LOTS of women piling into the Verizon Center last night. Mostly they were between the ages of I'd say 22 and 35, so they'd probably become Chicks fans somewhere between middle school and college. I'm curious as to how the bars in Adams Morgan fared last night, cuz it seemed like all the young, preppy women from DC-MD-VA were at the Verizon Center instead. Seriously, I haven't seen so many females gathered en masse since I saw Ellen DeGeneres at the Benedum Center in Pittsburgh!
There were more cowboy hats than I thought existed in the greater DC area. Brunette theorized that they might've had to "order them special." There were also a whole lot of short denim skirt and cowboy boots combo. I swear to God, one girl who had seats a few rows back from us was wearing the shortest skirt I've ever seen. MH and I watched, awestruck, as she climbed to her seat and we caught the rear view. MH said "I saw thong!" but honestly, all I could see was cheek. Not family friendly!
The few men that were there seemed to be the "good boyfriend" type, and I saw a lot of pained "she better make up for this later!" expressions on their faces. But I did end up sitting next to a middle-aged couple where it was clearly the man who much more into the music, and the wife just seemed unhappy. Ah well. There was a group of guys there wearing matching kilts, though, and one of them stepped on my sandaled toe so hard when we were leaving that it still hurts. :-(
Now to my Chicks fan-dom. I fully admit that I am a johnny-come-lately in their fan base. For most of the late 90's/early '00's, they didn't really appear on my radar screen much. One of my coworkers in Pittsburgh worshiped them, but I never understood it cuz I was not into country as a genre and I really wasn't feeling Natalie Maines' voice. I did enjoy the episode of Trading Spaces that she was on, though, and my friends and I were always a little jealous that she'd married TV hottie Adrian Pasdar. I found myself warming to them a few years back when they did the remake of "Landslide" that was everywhere on the radio, so I started to think maybe there could be a place for the Chicks in my CD rack although I hadn't purchased any albums yet.
Then, they had the moment that put them into the history books as more than just a top-selling country act, but rather as a political lightning rod. I was shocked to see the way their former fans and supporters, including so much of country radio, turned against them and the way they became pariahs and targets in the cultural side of the war on terror. So much for freedom of speech, eh? I guess icons are supposed to stay packaged in plastic rather than have opinions of their own.
I felt bad for the Chicks and what they'd gone through just for sharing their views, which were so similar to mine. So, when this new album came out and it started getting really good reviews, and when I learned that producer extraordinaire Rick Rubin had been involved, I considered giving it a listen. And then, when one of my old Kerry-campaigning friends sent out an email seeing if folks wanted to see the concert and support them here in 91% Blue DC, I jumped on board.
And I'm glad I did, because this album is great. I like all of the songs, and there are a few ("Easy Silence" and "Taking the Long Way") that I really love. After really enjoying last night's show, I even spent most of this morning downloading some of their older hits. Yes, the songs that a few years ago I would've sneered at and said "I don't like country." Well, you know, tastes can change!
Instead, though, I'm happy to discuss two other related topics -- the crowd I saw at the show, and my own long-time-coming relationship with said Chicks.
As I mentioned, there were LOTS of women piling into the Verizon Center last night. Mostly they were between the ages of I'd say 22 and 35, so they'd probably become Chicks fans somewhere between middle school and college. I'm curious as to how the bars in Adams Morgan fared last night, cuz it seemed like all the young, preppy women from DC-MD-VA were at the Verizon Center instead. Seriously, I haven't seen so many females gathered en masse since I saw Ellen DeGeneres at the Benedum Center in Pittsburgh!
There were more cowboy hats than I thought existed in the greater DC area. Brunette theorized that they might've had to "order them special." There were also a whole lot of short denim skirt and cowboy boots combo. I swear to God, one girl who had seats a few rows back from us was wearing the shortest skirt I've ever seen. MH and I watched, awestruck, as she climbed to her seat and we caught the rear view. MH said "I saw thong!" but honestly, all I could see was cheek. Not family friendly!
The few men that were there seemed to be the "good boyfriend" type, and I saw a lot of pained "she better make up for this later!" expressions on their faces. But I did end up sitting next to a middle-aged couple where it was clearly the man who much more into the music, and the wife just seemed unhappy. Ah well. There was a group of guys there wearing matching kilts, though, and one of them stepped on my sandaled toe so hard when we were leaving that it still hurts. :-(
Now to my Chicks fan-dom. I fully admit that I am a johnny-come-lately in their fan base. For most of the late 90's/early '00's, they didn't really appear on my radar screen much. One of my coworkers in Pittsburgh worshiped them, but I never understood it cuz I was not into country as a genre and I really wasn't feeling Natalie Maines' voice. I did enjoy the episode of Trading Spaces that she was on, though, and my friends and I were always a little jealous that she'd married TV hottie Adrian Pasdar. I found myself warming to them a few years back when they did the remake of "Landslide" that was everywhere on the radio, so I started to think maybe there could be a place for the Chicks in my CD rack although I hadn't purchased any albums yet.
Then, they had the moment that put them into the history books as more than just a top-selling country act, but rather as a political lightning rod. I was shocked to see the way their former fans and supporters, including so much of country radio, turned against them and the way they became pariahs and targets in the cultural side of the war on terror. So much for freedom of speech, eh? I guess icons are supposed to stay packaged in plastic rather than have opinions of their own.
I felt bad for the Chicks and what they'd gone through just for sharing their views, which were so similar to mine. So, when this new album came out and it started getting really good reviews, and when I learned that producer extraordinaire Rick Rubin had been involved, I considered giving it a listen. And then, when one of my old Kerry-campaigning friends sent out an email seeing if folks wanted to see the concert and support them here in 91% Blue DC, I jumped on board.
And I'm glad I did, because this album is great. I like all of the songs, and there are a few ("Easy Silence" and "Taking the Long Way") that I really love. After really enjoying last night's show, I even spent most of this morning downloading some of their older hits. Yes, the songs that a few years ago I would've sneered at and said "I don't like country." Well, you know, tastes can change!
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