“I am here in my mind…”

sometimes i forget how much i like The Verve.

Well I never pray
But tonight I’m on my knees yeah
I need to hear some sounds that recognize the pain in me, yeah
I let the melody shine, let it cleanse my mind, I feel free now
But the airways are clean and there’s nobody singing to me now

Zola Jesus

this song is beautiful. it’s in my ipod playlist that i’ve cleverly titled, “Songs That Take My Breath Away.” it really does. it makes me short of breath and makes me chest feel tight and like my heart is swelling to almost unmanageable proportions. it’s the reason i listen to music, to be frank. because music is the only thing that has ever made me feel like that in my 28 years (well, sort of, but that’s neither here nor there).

anyhow, this girl reminds me of what Ian Curtis would sound like if he was a young, beautiful girl who was still alive and singing moody indie rock.

“I wish I was a little more delicate…”

besides this gal having a lovely name, she also has a lovely voice and a lovely song. this song resonates for the simple reason that i often find myself alternating between utter and complete indifference and a yearning desire to be a bit more delicate. as i get older though, the desire for delicacy seems to be peeking it’s head through more and more.

or maybe it doesn’t.

do i want to be delicate?

enh.

Music Monday: Let’s Get Canoodley!

the make-out songs inspired me. here are some songs that are ultra sexxxy.

new favorite, “Ageispolis,” originally an Aphex Twin song, but re-done by some really fantastic boys from Chicago who go by the name Future Rock. they’re so much fun live and get more and more fun everytime i see them. this is a video from a hippie festival they played a couple years ago wherein they played an entire set of music by Aphex Twin.

Junior Boys make, far and away, the sexiest music ever. seriously. put on any of their albums (especially So This Is Goodbye) and just try to keep your clothes on. maybe it’s the sighing and coital sounds in the background that make this particular track so libidinous. “In the Morning.”

my ladyfriend and i were discussing The XX one day and she said that the music they make is akin to listening to people have sex. (to clarify: the people in question are obviously really good looking and intelligent and altogether perfect. you know, people you’d want to watch do IT.) “Intro” on their self-titled album is soooooo perfect and sooooo sexy. if only it were longer than 2 minutes…

Music Monday: Holy Balls, I Love These Songs

i’m in the midst of the great PC transfer of 2010 wherein i’m reloading all my music and stuff onto my new fantastically awesome laptop, and consequentially, am re-discovering all sorts of awesome. like all of the punk albums i amassed during my stint as a the girlfriend of a hardcore musician in Baltimore in the late 90s. and die-hards won’t call these real punk because they’re a little shinier than say, the Stooges (be still my heart) or New York Dolls (seen ’em live, jus’ sayin’), but whatevs. i love this stuff. reminds me of some really great times and some really great people.

Bouncing Souls, “Hopeless Romantic.” 2 minutes of bliss.

Goldfinger, “Mabel.” this song reminds me of my childhood friend, Kyle, who passed away several years ago. we used to crank this on the way to high-school in the morning. such fond memories…

and just because, Goldfinger, “99 Red Balloons.” gosh i love this song.

Music Monday: Songs I Wish Were About Me

i’ve always thought it would be totally kickass to have a rock-star boyfriend who wrote songs about me. or maybe just a rock-star boy who considered me his muse. that would be cool. anyhow, enough of the wistful teenage wishes…

Polyphonic Spree, “Soldier Girl.”  i really love this song and i wish that it was about me. that i was the soldier girl. what a rad way to be described:

Green Day, “Sassafrass Roots.” i’ve loved this song since i was 13 years old. i’m not sure what it says about me that my 27 year old romantic desires are the same as my 13 year old desires, but whatever. i find this song terribly sweet. (forgive the wretchedly boring video):

Voxtrot, “Start of Something.” i love this band’s sunny, poppy sound. nothing complex here, but what a sweet song:

Music Monday: Wednesday’s Heart-Swelling Edition

so, i’ve never attempted to declare my music taste as anything but a little wonky. sometimes i like some pretty bitchin’ stuff, other times, my taste is entirely questionable and totally inappropriate. oh well.

anyhow, whilst watching television, i heard this Coldplay (shut up) song and remembered how several years ago, i listened to it almost religiously. for what reason, i cannot really say, except that there’s something about it that makes my heart swell. i think it’s the orchestral quality towards the end.

then i was reminded of the way that Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Boxer” makes me feel. same heart swelling. it’s that whole wall of sound thing, i think.

at the end of Derek and the Dominoes’ “Layla,” there is some serious instrumental stuff going on that makes me want to weep for joy.

oddly enough, Does It Offend You, Yeah? makes a song that makes my heart swell to proportions not unlike “The Boxer.”

and although i’ve posted it before, Crystal Castles’ makes exactly one song that i really like. and for some reason, it’s the same sort of heart swelling evocation.

don’t judge me. i’ve been trapped inside since Friday. i can’t be held responsible for anything i do anymore.

A (few) Day(s) Late, A Dollar Short: Music Thursday

it’s thursday. i was doing music mondays, but i keep forgetting and also, the only thing i care about doing when i’m not working is catching up on Dexter. so today, i’m posting music. all of this is completely unoriginal, as i have some delightful friends who have reminded me–in some form or another–of songs i like a lot. all cover songs, mind you. here we go…

Dr. Dog is nothing special, but they are totally listenable and delightful. This song makes me squeal like a school girl. (Also, this is what happens when hipsters take film classes as Freshmen…)

I was reminded of Nouvelle Vague by my bestie’s fiancee today. Delicious.

Whilst discussing our love of nouveau lounge tunes, Jamie Cullum came up. I could listen to this song every day and be happy.

While perusing Youtube’s catalog of Jamie Cullum videos, I came upon several cover songs that this glorious, delectable, British keys player has done. Rihanna, Gene Kelly, Kanye West, Jimi Hendrix, Justin Timberlake, White Stripes…is there anything this man can’t do? It would appear not.

…And just like that, my latest boy-crazy obsession is born…

Music Monday: Songs by Boys

i’m totally all about chicks that rock, but recently, my appetite for boys who make music has been revived. so, here are some boys that make music that i like:

i’ve been listening to this Marquee Moon on repeat today. holy fuck, the title track never ceases to be anything less than so goddamn awesome.

Jose Gonzalez is just so lovely and perfect.

i caught the Arcade Fire rerun of Austin City Limits this weekend and was reminded that i love this band so, so hard. and like, i know there’s chicks in the band, but whatever. this song is so incredibly powerful.

David Bowie once performed the song above with the Arcade Fire, and here he is performing with another boy who makes (really, really great) music:

in keeping with the David Bowie theme (i really should’ve just done an all David Bowie Music Monday…), here is Mott the Hoople, performing a song written by his Thin White Dukeness. i like this song for several reasons, but mainly because it appears in Clueless when Cher is doing a voiceover introducing her high-school, and the group of skater boys come walking in slow motion down the sidewalk. (yeah, i have the whole memorized, what?)

Music Monday: Christmas Edition

i’m going to let you in on a little secret: i LOVE christmas. it has very little to do with the actual meaning of the holiday. it has very little to do with gifts. it has everything to do with what my family made it into. it has everything to do with nostalgia. it has everything to do with my late grandmother, Jane B. Sothoron, who loved christmas more than almost anything in the world. christmas was all 4 of her children and their children at her house, with a gigantic christmas tree, stockings for everyone, cookies for everyone, whiskey sours for everyone, and lots of coral-lipsticked kisses. i miss her so much, but especially this time of year. so, anyhow. here is my christmas edition of music.

My favorite Christmas song ever, sung by the one, the only, Mr. Bob Seger:

And Janie’s favorite Christmas song. Literally, this was blaring nonstop from the moment we walked in the door to her house and went on repeat well into the evening. Handel’s “Messiah.” It ain’t Christmas without a little Hallelujah.

Here’s another one I remember loving as a kid, sung by Nat King Cole.

And even though she’s a little batty, Mariah Carey is the queen of the modern Christmas carol:

Merry Christmas. I miss and love you so much, Janie. Hope you and Barb and Buddy are whoopin’ it up wherever you are.