My Music: Rise from the Bottom

I haven't done "My Music" posts in a while, because how could any other song compete with a song I had listened to 25 times?  So I did something uncharacteristic (and a little morally hinky):  I reset the plays for any song I had listened to over 10 times.  That was maybe a month or two ago, so here is my current "Top 25 Most Played" list:

1. "I Want To Be Your One Night Stand" - Jeremy Messersmith (referred to hereafter as J. Mess, because he's on here a Lot)
2. "Scientists" - J. Mess
3. "Bridges" - J. Mess
4. "Ghost" - J. Mess
5. "Someday, Someone" - J. Mess
6. "Skeleton Song" - Kate Nash
7. "the zombie song" - Stephanie Mabey
8. "Across the Universe" - Fiona Apple
9. "21 Guns" - Original Broadway Cast of American Idiot
10. "You'll Only Break His Heart" - J. Mess
11. "A Girl, a Boy, and a Graveyard" - J. Mess
12. "We Get On" - Kate Nash
13. "Merry Happy" - Kate Nash
14. "For The First Time In Forever" - Frozen Soundtrack
15. "Little Talks" - Of Monsters And Men
16. "Wuthering Heights" - The Puppini Sisters
17. "Bring On the Wonder" - Sarah McLachlan
18. "Burn" - Ellie Goulding
19. "Falling Slowly" - Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova
20. "My Love" - Irie Love
21. "Death Bed Salesman" - J. Mess
22. "Tomorrow" - J. Mess
23. "Tourniquet" - J. Mess
24. "Sigh No More" - Maurissa Tancharoen and Jed Whedon (from Joss Whedon's Much Ado soundtrack)
25. "Cathedrals" - Jump Little Children

In some ways, this is like a jump into the past, as a lot of these songs are ones I haven't listened to in some time, which is fun, but also kind of bittersweet.  Also, if Jeremy Messersmith collected royalties based on my iTunes, he'd be so rich right now.

Jeremy Messersmith: The Sequel

Last time I went to the Jeremy Messersmith concert, I blogged about it and Peter Sieve, the guitarist in Jeremy's band retweeted it and it made my whole life that day.

Seriously, my whole life.

So, now that I'm reviewing my second Jeremy Messersmith Concert barely four months later, I feel like the pressure is on to write something equally amazing, if not more so.  This reflects how I felt before tonight's show at The Red Room at Cafe 939:  my first Jeremy Messersmith experience was so amazing and wonderful and schoolgirl-esque-giddiness-inducing; what if this one didn't measure up?

Thankfully, that was not the case.

First of all, the venue was amazing.  It was small and intimate, and most importantly, it had couches.  For old souls such as mine, the option of sitting down makes listening to rock music on a school night much less stressful.  The coolest part was that something about the ambiance made me feel just like I was hangin' out at The Bronze.

What accentuated this feeling in my brain (besides my being just a huge Buffy nerd to begin with) was the opening act, Big Scary.  A duo from Australia, they were so great!  They had this amazing ethereal quality to their music, partially because the male and female voices blended so well together.  The woman, by the way, was the drummer, which was just so fantastic.  I watched her through a lot of the pieces and I could tell how much she loved what she was obviously born to do.  I got to chat with her a bit after the show, and she was super nice.

On to Jeremy (I've just decided we're on the first name basis).  Sadly, my phone updated itself and part of the updates include the camera being kind of sucky, so I have no good pictures, but we all know what he looks like.  There were some differences since the last time I saw them.  I believe the drummer got a haircut, for one, and oh yes!  There was a girl on stage!  The keyboardist/backup vocalist had been ill at the last concert but she was there this time.  It was odd at first; I was like "who are you and why are you here?" but I quickly adjusted when keyboard parts would show up and I would think, "now that's what it's supposed to sound like (see below, re: "Knots")."*  All in all, it was great.  Everyone was having fun and the band really connected with the audience and with each other.  Of course, the intimacy of the venue helped, but one still cannot fake being that comfortable and amiable before a crowd of strangers.

Here is the set list with some minor commentary (in probably not the real order because I wasn't a huge nerd who took notes this time):

• "I Don't Trust That Boy to Break Your Heart" (not sure if this is the real title) - This needs to be available for me to download like, now.  So simultaneously cute and clever and sad and beautiful.
• "Tourniquet" - This was their opener last time, so it was kind of strange to have it second, but it was still well done.
• "Lazy Bones" - This song will never stop making me dance like a bobblehead doll.
• "It's Only Dancing" - I can't believe that I forgot about this one!  It's in my top five!  But they played it and it was wonderful.
• "Knots" - It was way cool having keyboards on this song.
• "You'll Only Break His Heart" - I was so convinced that this was going to transition into "Bubbling," like it does on the album, and I got really excited, and then it didn't, and I was disappointed, but only because I love "Bubbling" so much.  
• "I Want to Be Your One Night Stand" - This was probably one of the more fun performances to watch.  Jeremy played with Peter, the guitarist, this time, and they just have such fun chemistry together.  You can tell that they're totally besties in real life.
• "Tatooine" - The first time I heard this live, I didn't remember it.  Now I shall.
• "Scientists" - This song first came into my life after I left a boy I loved to go be a scientist, so needless to say there were some emotions that almost happened.  But hearing it live was wonderful, so it was worth it.
• "A Girl, a Boy, and a Graveyard" - I am cured of this song's ability to make me cry (although it was touch and go coming right after "Scientists"), but I still love it.
• "Call Your Girlfriend" (the Robyn Cover) - I actually had never heard the Robyn version of this song, but I will have to go listen to it now.  I have a feeling I will like the cover version better.
• "Novocaine" - This was actually the first time I had heard this song all the way through.
• "Dillinger's Eyes" - Again, I love how much fun everyone has during this song.  I kind of feel bad for the keyboardist, as she is kind of committed to her location and therefore cannot jam as freely as the guitar holders.
• "Organ Donor" - I will never stop loving this song.  Not until I die and they drain my blood in the mortuary, but even then, my bones will rattle the percussion part.**  My only wish is that they would borrow some random music college string students to accompany them next time they come to Boston (which will be soon, yes?).
• "Heidi" - This may be in my top five favorite Jeremy Messersmith songs.  I want it to change keys and sing it myself (hey, if a man can sing "Steve", I can sing "Heidi").
• "Hitman" - Went nearly deaf again.  Still didn't mind.  
• "Ghost" - I like this song, but it will forevermore be "that song from that Verizon commercial that they always play on Hulu now."
• "Violet" - There was no audience participation this time, probably because nobody was drunk, but it was still great.  This is one of those songs that kind of sneaks up on you with how much you like it.
• "Beautiful Children" - The nearest I came to crying was during this song.  Why do you do this to me, Jeremy?
• "Someday, Someone" - I wish I were as okay about saying the F-word out loud as I am about saying it in my head, because I would proclaim the message of this song to all of my friends when they are sad.
• There was one other song that I hadn't heard before, but I liked it just the same.

The after-the-concert part was fun as well.  I am not the brave sort of person that would ever approach famous people on my own, so I was thankful to have brought my good friend Wayne with me, who is quite good at talking to everyone.  I introduced him to the music (which he loved, bringing to pass giant sighs of relief--it's stressful sharing things you love with your friends!), and he introduced me to the people.  Quid-pro-quo.  Again, they're such nice people!  May they get more famous but never lose their niceness.  Also during the after-bit I grew even more tempted to buy "Reluctant Graveyard" on vinyl...maybe if they come to Boston a third time...?***

I have said it before, and I will say it again:  a year in which Jeremy Messersmith comes to my town twice in six months is a good year.  It was a fabulous concert and an excellent way to start the week. 

*Secret confession time:  as soon as I saw that the keyboardist had a wedding ring, I had this daydream that she would have a baby and have to stop touring and Jeremy would be like, "oh no! where are we going to find another girl who sings and plays piano and knows all my songs?" and then somehow I would be right around the corner and show up to solve all of their problems and also show them some cool harmonies I came up with for a few songs.  I would probably have to develop some stage presence, though, including coming up with some alternative to my bobblehead dance.

**Is that super creepy imagery?  I've been a spooky anatomist for so long that I don't even know what's acceptable anymore.

***I totally would, except it would just make me seem like a huge hipster, and a poser since I don't even have a record player in my possession.  I guess I could play it when I go to my parents' house?

My Music: April 2014

In which I admit that I was one of those people that played "Let It Go" from Frozen over and over and over again.  In my defense, I spent a good deal of December and January studying during snowstorms, and I needed appropriate music for that.

My Top 25 Most Played on iTunes:

1. Organ Donor (Jeremy Messersmith)
2. Anything Could Happen (Ellie Goulding)
3. Let It Go (Idina Menzel)
4. Vuelie (Frozen soundtrack)
5. C'est la Mort (The Civil Wars)
6. Poison & Wine (The Civil Wars)
7. It's Only Dancing (Jeremy Messersmith)*
8. Lazy Bones (Jeremy Messersmith)
9. Hold On (Mary Beth Maziarz)
10. I Don't Feel Like Dancin' (Scissor Sisters)
11. Frozen Heart (Frozen soundtrack)
12. Toussaint Grey, First in Life and Death (Jeremy Messersmith)
13. Look At Me Now (Karmin)
14. How (Regina Spektor)
15. Thursday (Asobi Seksu)
16. Shake It Out (Florence + the Machine)
17. Snow Day (Jeremy Messersmith)
18. Heidi (Jeremy Messersmith)
19. Dillinger Eyes (Jeremy Messersmith)
20. Knots (Jeremy Messersmith)
21. Timshel (Mumford and Sons)
22. Slow and Steady (Of Monsters and Men)
23. Elsewhere (Sarah McLachlan)
24. Explosions (Ellie Goulding)
25. Your Song (Ellie Goulding)

Good heavens, I listened to a lot of Jeremy Messersmith over the past few months.

Songs for a Rainy Day

It's been raining a lot lately.  It makes me want to make a playlist.  My rain songs are not necessarily about rain; they just sound like rain, but different varieties of rain.  For instance,

• Warm summer rain at sunset:  Slow and Steady by Of Monsters and Men
• Heavy drops that create steamy city streets:  Navy Taxi by Kate Nash
• Drizzle outside your bedroom window after a long day:  Wise Up by Aimee Mann
• A light shower that escalates into a torrential downpour for a beautiful moment:  Keep Breathing by Ingrid Michaelson
• Thunderstorm with intermittent hail:  Apres Moi by Regina Spektor
• Furiously sharp drops racing to the ground as if on horseback:  John the Determinist by Jeremy Messersmith*

Clearly I underscore my life entirely too much.  Or clearly it rains too much.  Or both.

But one more--when it's all over finally:  "Somewhere over the Rainbow" (tie between Harry Nilsson and Ray Charles/Johnny Mathis)



*Also the only track that doesn't use piano.

Jeremy Messersmith!

I used to pride myself on not being one of those women at concerts who, when the cute, guitar-wielding lead singer comes on stage, gets all awkward and swoony.  It turned out, however, that I just haven't been to very many concerts, because, last night, I did exactly that thing.*

Jeremy Messersmith's Heart Murmurs release show at the Brighton Music Hall was "legit" concert number two for me (Kate Nash was my first).  Don't feel bad if you haven't heard of Jeremy Messersmith...not many people have.  I don't mean that in a "I'm such a hipster" way, but rather in a "it's really sad that not more people have heard this guy's music" kind of way.  The perk to him not being super well-known is that the venue was extremely not crowded.  So much so that I go to be SO FREAKING CLOSE to the stage!  I could touch it (I didn't, because germs, but I could have).  But since I was so close, I had an excellent view of Jeremy (can I just call him Jeremy? is that okay?) and his band.

This is the best picture my phone has ever taken.

--I guess, if I'm being a real "reviewer" here, I should mention that there was an opening act.  Her name was Tristen.  She was folk-rock-ish.  She had a great voice, and I liked a lot of her songs, though a few felt a little derivative, but they were derivative of things I liked, so it was okay.  There was one called "Into the Sun" that I really liked, but it also made me very sad because it was about old married people dying, and that's generally very sad.  But back to Jeremy Messersmith--

The band was really great.  They all looked like they were auditioning to be Jeremy Messersmith stunt doubles, except for the bassist, who was Mr. Clean bald and about a hand taller than everyone else.  Also, it seemed like they really liked each other and were having a great time making music together.  Musically, the concert was fantastic.  Everything was really tight and spot on and in tune, both vocally and instrumentally.  I was especially impressed by the drummer.  Normally my opinion of percussion is "it's there...it keeps the beat," but this was some amazing and creative drumming.

Here is the set-list (with notes, because I'm a dork who takes notes during shows):

• "Tourniquet" - Such a strong opening.  It was like,"we're here and we will stop your profuse bleeding!" (because the song is called Tourniquet)
• "Lazy Bones" - I was really happy that they played a lot of songs from The Reluctant Graveyard as that was the album that I know the best.
• "It's Only Dancing" - I would purchase Heart Murmurs for this song alone.
• "Knots" - Another one of my favorites from The Reluctant Graveyard
• "Dillinger's Eyes" - This one was the most fun to watch.  The four guys onstage just looked like they were enjoying themselves so much and it was great.
• "Bridges" - I don't remember this one very well.  It's probably because I made eye contact with Jeremy for a millisecond and my brain stopped functioning.  I was so close to the stage, guys.
• "One Night Stand" - This one was hilarious, and it had a twist at the end that made it even better.
• "Steve" - I couldn't tell if this song was supposed to be from the point of view of a man or a woman...but I think that was part of the beauty of it.
• "Tatooine" - This is apparently one of his more popular songs, but I fell asleep during Star Wars and therefore didn't get the reference.
• I don't know the name of this one--I'm going to say it was called "I don't trust that boy to break your heart" or possibly "et cetera."  But I may have almost cried during it because it was also kind of about old married people dying.
• "A Girl, a Boy, and a Graveyard" - So before this concert, this song had some Associations (note the capital A).  But now my association is this:  "I heard this live and it was awesome."  Music therapy accomplished!
• "Organ Donor" - Oh my gosh.  This was the first Jeremy Messersmith song I ever heard, and it is also my favorite Jeremy Messersmith song, because any song that can be that musically interesting and also about embalming deserves to be one's favorite.  I geeked out.  So much.  I will say it was weird without the strings (they whistled instead, which was impressive because I can't whistle well), but the percussion was great.
• "Hitman" - The climax of this song may have cost me some of my cochlear hair cells, but it was worth it.  Also another stellar drum performance.
• "Violet" - Audience participation!  We were divided into three groups to sing the bridge of this one.  The group I was in had a fun part, but sadly, it was not in a lady-friendly key (actually, very few of his songs are), so I couldn't belt it out as much as I wanted.
• "Ghost" - This was a song that I liked in the moment but couldn't for the life of me tell you how it goes right now.  Must listen to it more.
• "Someday, Someone" - This one was cute, unexpected F-word notwithstanding.

Such a wonderful concert.  I loved it so much.  But here's the best part:  I got to meet Jeremy Messermith afterwards!!  I would not have had the courage to do it had I not run into a friend and his friends who also decided to go meet him, but it was so cool.  I mean, I'm sure that artists are instructed to not be jerks to people in order to maintain good PR, but I think that Jeremy Messersmith was a legitimately nice human being.  He didn't just go through the motions of taking pictures and signing stuff, but he made real conversation with everyone who came to talk to him, even though, statistically, there were probably at least two sociopaths in attendance.  I got to stand next to him and take a picture (which I will not post because the person who took it didn't turn the flash off so it's terribly over-exposed, but it's on Facebook, if we're friends), and I told him about how my roommate and I learned "A Girl, a Boy, and a Graveyard" on the ukulele and he humored me by responding positively to that.**

Even though I've only been to two concerts, this one was probably my favorite, in respect to both the music and the experience.***  So, Jeremy Messersmith, should you be reading this for some crazy reason, thank you so much for coming to my city.  Come in the fall next time.

You can find information about Jeremy Messersmith (music, upcoming tour dates, &c.) at his website: jeremymessersmith.com. 

*But in an appropriate "I recognize that you're married; I just really love your music" kind of way.
**And last night, I lay awake for a good number of minutes thinking about how dumb that probably sounded.  At least I didn't say something really lame like "your [songs] will stand the test of time."
***I still love you, Kate Nash.

My Music, December 2013 Edition

I haven't done a "My Music" post in a while, I realized.  Also, this will be my 297th blog post, and I think it would be cool to get to 300 by the end of 2013.  So here are my current "Top 25 Most Played" on iTunes:

1. "C'est la Mort" - The Civil Wars
2. "Poison & Wine" - The Civil Wars
3. "Hold On" - Mary Beth Maziarz
4. "How" - Regina Spektor
5. "Thursday" - Asobi Seksu
6. "Organ Donor" - Jeremy Messersmith
7. "Snow Day" - Jeremy Messersmith
8. "Look At Me Now" - Karmin
9. "Elsewhere" - Sarah McLachlan
10. "Falling" - The Civil Wars
11. "I Want You Back" - The Civil Wars
12. "Anything Could Happen" - Ellie Goulding
13. "My Eyes" - Neil Patrick Harris and Felicia Day (from "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog")
14. "Shake It Out" - Florence + the Machine
15. "21 Guns" - Original Broadway Cast of American Idiot
16. "The Call" - Regina Spektor
17. "Gravity" - Sarah Bareilles
18. "the zombie song" - Stephanie Mabey
19. "Skeleton Song" - Kate Nash
20. "Safer" - Krysta Rodriguez (from First Date:  The Musical)
21. "Timshel" - Mumford & Sons
22. "Promise Me This" - Pancho's Lament
23. "Homeward Bound" - BYU Singers and Concert Choir
24. "Explosions" - Ellie Goulding
25. "Falling Slowly" - Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova (from Once)

Confession:  sometimes I wish I felt more morally okay about resetting some of the more listened-to pieces on here, especially since they're not things that I've wanted to listen to recently at all.

Also I like that I have a skeleton song and a zombie song right next to each other.  

My sister is the only reason I own any 'relevant' music.

Fact:  my sister Gabi's CD collection will kick your CD collection's pasty non-comprehensive bum.  And not just because nobody buys CD's anymore.  She has hundreds of them.  Even the ones that are technically mine are hers; I'm just "leasing" them from her and she has the right to take any of them back at any time.

I, too, have awesome taste in music, but most of it is music that nobody's really heard of, or music that people associate with very specific things.  For instance, I told a guy that Sarah McLachlan is my favorite artist, and while I'll give him props for knowing that Sarah is the founder of Lilith Fair, I'm pretty sure he thinks I'm a lesbian now (I do wear Tevas, but that's irrelevant).  I don't really listen to the Top 40 radio stations very often, because very often, what they're playing is really the top eight or nine.  Gabi, however, is an expert in all radio stations, including the ones that play the new, hip music.

Because I have an iTunes account, Gabi regularly requests that I make mix CD's and gift them to her on special occasions.  For her coming birthday, she has requested one with a high concentration of modern pop music, and for this reason, I am now the owner of lots of songs that people can actually hear on the radio today!

Here's what's on her 31st Birthday Playlist:

1. Feel So Close - Calvin Harris
2. Look At Me Now - Karmin
3. No One - Alicia Keys (This one is actually for my Mom.  She decided that she likes Alicia Keys.) 
4. When I Was Your Man - Bruno Mars (Also a "for Mom" one:  she really likes his voice even though she didn't realize that he was a he until recently.  Same thing happened with me and Michael Jackson in the early 90s)
5. Girl On Fire - Alicia Keys
6. Wild Horses (Unplugged) - Alicia Keys featuring Adam Levine
7. Give Your Heart a Break - Demi Lovato 
8. Brokenhearted - Karmin
9. I Need Your Love - Calvin Harris featuring Ellie Goulding
10. Your Song - Ellie Goulding (This is one that I actually bought for myself.)
11. Why Am I the One - Fun. (Also this one I bought for myself.)
12. You've Got It (The Right Stuff) - New Kids On The Block (This song was 100% requested by Gabi.)
13. Ice Ice Baby - Vanilla Ice (Ditto.)
14. Little Talks - Of Monsters and Men (My sister discovered this one, but I also like it.)
15. Ho Hey - The Lumineers
16. I Will Wait - Mumford and Sons (This one is one that I bough for myself.)
17. Some Nights - Fun. (They have an edited version for sale now!!!  But it's cheaper on Amazon than on iTunes, so keep that in mind when you buy it for yourself.)
18. Somewhere Over the Rainbow/Wonderful World - Israel Kamakawio'ole (Because I live in Hawaii.  Also because it starts out saying "this one's for [Gabi]")

The Memory in the Music

"Every song has a memory; every song has the ability to make or break your heart, shut down the heart, and open the eyes."

-Andy Warhol

There are certain songs that, much like smells, can trigger memories for me like no other.  They start playing and I'm all of a sudden transported back to the time when that song meant the most to me.  Here are just a few examples:

• "Breathe (2 AM)" (Anna Nalick); I'm a freshman at BYU sitting in the dining hall of the Cannon Center (the old one).  This song played every morning on the radio in early 2005.  For the first time in my life, I'm part of a close-knit circle of friends, and my life is blessedly complicated because of that.
• "Mariella" (Kate Nash); It's the Fall of 2009 and I'm in Cambridge, Massachusetts.  More specifically, I'm in Laura's enormous boat-car getting a ride home from church on a Sunday.  She warns me that her music isn't "Sabbath-appropriate," but I don't care because that was the day that Kate Nash became one of my favorite artists.
• "The Trapeze Swinger" (Iron and Wine); I'm in a Volkswagen Jetta somewhere in the middle of Western Massachusetts and the windows are open even though it's freezing but again, I don't care because Western Mass is beautiful and life is good.  (Alternatively, it's two months later and my life is about to turn upside down completely and oh my gosh why is this song so dang evocative and also nine minutes long and I start sobbing on my bed as the melody floats up from Lindsay's room.)

There are certainly others, some that I won't think of until I hear the song, and some that don't even need mentioning (e.g., the entire BYU Concert Choir repertoire from 2005-2008).  But this is one of those times I invite comments:  what is a time-machine song for you and where (or when) does it take you?

My Music: Valentine's Day Edition

A while ago I found this playlist online.  I can't say that I'm an expert in "Baby Making" music, but I found many of the tunes the author suggested to be quite respectable (I even own a few of them!).  Then I thought, what if I should need to make babies?  Do I have a playlist?  No, that's not what I thought, but nonetheless, I thought I would see what I could come up with from my iTunes library.  So here you are, for your Valentine's Day enjoyment, the Top Five Sexy Songs I own.

5.  "Lucky" (Bif Naked) - For goth romance.  This song was featured in Season 4 of "Buffy, the Vampire Slayer" when Buffy had her ill-advised liaison with Parker Abrams.*

4.  "Breathless" (Corinne Bailey Rae) - This is the "let's kick this friendship up a notch" sexy song.  Also, Corinne is just generally good for the romance.  Runner up:  "Trouble Sleeping."

3.  "How" (Regina Spektor) - Regina is the queen of the indisputably effective subtle nuance.  Take that "how" at the end of the first verse:  that is the sound of silky things falling to the floor.

2.  "Elsewhere" (Sarah McLachlan) - According to Xander Harris,** Sarah McLachlan has her own category of love.  Runner up:  "Possession (Piano Version)"...or let's face it, basically her entire "Fumbling Towards Ecstasy" album.

1.  "Loving You" (Paolo Nutini) - Oh my gosh, this song (and also Paolo Nutini in general) is the epitome of sexy.  It's also quite well-versed for a song containing the lyric "Let's get down and freaky, baby."

So there you have it.  As with all of my ordered playlists, the order is disputable, of course.  Happy Valentine's Day, everyone.  And remember, when you listen to sexy music with someone, you're listening to sexy music with everyone they've listened to sexy music with.


*It's also one of the only non-orchestral single tracks used to underscore a sex scene in BtVS.  The only other time this happens is in Season 6.  I'm embarrassed to admit that I didn't realize that the Great Sapphic Power Ballad, "Under Your Spell" was part of a sex scene until I was in my mid-twenties.
**Is it bad that I have two Buffy references to justify my sexy playlist?

My Music: Halloween Edition

Of course I have to make a playlist for my second favorite holiday!*  Here is my Halloween Playlist, in the order that the songs are in after I hit "shuffle" just now:

1. "Witchcraft" (Frank Sinatra)
2. "Witchy Woman" (Eagles)
3. "I Put a Spell on You" (Nina Simone)
4. "Jack's Lament" from the "Nightmare Revisited" album (The All-American Rejects)
5. "Werewolves of London" (Warren Zevon)
6. Danse Macabre, Op. 40 (Saint-Saëns, composer)
7. "Organ Donor" (Jeremy Messersmith)
8. Theme from "Beetlejuice" (Danny Elfman, composer)
9. "Ghostbusters" (Ray Parker Jr.)
10. "Time Warp" (Cast of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show")
11. "This is Halloween" from "The Nightmare Before Christmas" (Danny Elfman, composer)
12. "Skeleton Song" (Kate Nash)
13. "Witch Doctor" (Sha Na Na)
14. "Monster Mash" (Bobby "Boris" Pickett and the Cryptkeeper Five)
15. Theme from "The Addams Family"
16. "That Old Black Magic" (Louis Prima and Keely Smith)
17. "The Purple People Eater" (Sheb Wooley)
18. "Thriller" (Michael Jackson)
19. "Spooky" (The Classics Iv)
20. "Love Potion No. 9" (Clovers)

Happy Halloween, everyone.

Update:  here are some new songs that I'll have to acquire for next year!

1. "Knock Three Times" (Black Tape For A Blue Girl)
2. "Dead Man's Party" (Oingo Boingo)
3. "The Zombie Song" (Stephanie Mabey)
4. "Nightmare on My Street" (The Fresh Prince and DJ Jazzy Jeff)

*I bet you all thought that Halloween would be my favorite holiday since I'm so inherently spooky, didn't you?

Sad Songs, They Say So Much

I haven't kept it a secret that Hawaii isn't my happiest place.  For various reasons that don't take years of psychological study to deconstruct, I spend a great deal of time being very sad.  I've gone through the stages of grief--replacing "acceptance" with the more pessimistic "resignation," of course--but grief is still there.  While any normal person would try to force themselves out of such a situation, look to the bright side, spank her Inner Moppet...whatever, I choose a different path:  I make a soundtrack.

A lot goes into putting together this kind of playlist, you know.  What actually constitutes a "sad song?"  Is it a song with a sad plot?  A threnody?  Is it a song that just reminds you of a really sad time in your life?  My operational definition is ineffable, it seems--Gestalt it is, then.  So here, for your listening pleasure, and in no particular order, I give you the eleven* saddest songs I can think of without spending an unreasonable amount of time on this.  (I chose to not include any tracks from operas or musicals, as that wouldn't be fair to any of the other genres.)

1. "Say Goodnight, Not Goodbye" (Beth Nielson Chapman) - I'll admit that the only place I've ever heard this song played is on "Dawson's Creek," but just try to listen to it without getting wistful.
2. "Last Request" (Paolo Nutini) - This song is probably technically about breakup sex; but breakups are sad, and this sadness is reflected in Paolo's voice.  Also, the version in the link is the only time where I was like, "okay, I can buy the fact that this guy is from Scotland."
3. "The Weakness in Me" (Joan Armatrading) - Ignore the thought of Heath Ledger stalking Julia Stiles as she pretends to play the guitar and listen to this sadness.  Also, this song is about infidelity, but she's clearly sad about it, so it's okay.
4. "Full of Grace" (Sarah McLachlan) - If I were actually ranking these, this might be the number one sad song.  It also took a lot of willpower not to make this a list of only Sarah McLachlan songs.  She pretty much is the master of songs to play on repeat whilst looking out the window and crying.  As such, here are her runners-up:  "Do What You Have To Do," "Good Enough," and "Wintersong."
5. "The Nicest Thing" (Kate Nash) - I love so many things about this:  the simplicity of the lyrics, the plaintive tone in Kate's voice, the strings.  Probably my favorite sad unrequited love song.
6. "Scientists" (Jeremy Messersmith) - This is one of those songs that's both inherently sad and sad because I relate to it so very much.  (Jeremy Messersmith runner-up:  "A Girl, a Boy, and a Graveyard")
7. "Falling" (The Civil Wars) - You all know how in love I've recently fallen with The Civil Wars.  Even if this song weren't about what it's about, it would still make you cry because it's that darn beautiful.  (Runner-up:  "Poison and Wine")
8. "You Don't Know Me" (Various Artists) - I had to include at least one of the standards on here!
9. "Delicate" (Damien Rice) - As extra-diegetic music goes, this one is a little over-used, but I feel that it's a good sad song.
10. "Lady" (Regina Spektor) - This song isn't particularly sad in the sense that it makes me want to cry, but I like everything that it does musically.  It's maybe the most threnodious song on my iTunes
11. "I Shall Believe" (Sheryl Crow) - Remember when Sheryl Crow was awesome?  You know, before she dated Lance Armstrong and before she turned into a pop star?  I like this ballad quite a bit.  

Don't get all worked up if your favorite "sad song" wasn't on this list or if your operational definition of "sad song" isn't the same as mine.  Again, there's too much complexity that you either have to exclude many things or include every thing, but if you have a suggestion, leave it in the comments.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go cry in a dark room while listening to all of these songs.


*Because I originally published it with ten and then thought of the eleventh one and felt too bad to bump any of the original ten.

My Music (Redux)

Remember when I used to post my "Top 25 Most Played" list from iTunes for everyone?  Remember how I stopped because it never changed much?  Then remember how I got a new laptop with new iTunes and could start from scratch with everything?  So without further ado, I give you my new list of the stuff I've listened to the most lately (or since I bought my laptop in April):

1. "Hold On" (Mary Beth Maziarz)
2. "Thursday" (Asobi Seksu)
3. "C'est la Mort" (The Civil Wars)
4. "Poison and Wine" (The Civil Wars)
5. "Shake It Out" (Florence and the Machine)
6. "21 Guns" (Original Broadway Cast of American Idiot)
7. "Scientists" (Jeremy Messersmith)
8. "Cathedrals" (Jump, Little Children)
9. "Homeward Bound" (BYU Singers and BYU Concert Choir)
10. "I Want You Back" (The Civil Wars)
11. "My Love" (Irie Love)*
12. "Organ Donor" (Jeremy Messersmith)
13. "The Call" (Regina Spektor)
14. "Gravity" (Sarah Bareilles)
15. "Falling" (The Civil Wars)
16. "Across the Universe" (Fiona Apple)**
17. "Falling Slowly" (Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova)
18. "Toussaint Grey, First In Life and Death" (Jeremy Messersmith)
19. "Knots" (Jeremy Messersmith)
20. "A Girl, A Boy, and a Graveyard" (Jeremy Messersmith)
21. "We Get On" (Kate Nash)
22. "Skeleton Song" (Kate Nash)
23. "Fade Into You" (Mazzy Star)
24. "Timshel" (Mumford & Sons)
25. "Come Home" (One Republic)

Again, I'm not ashamed of any of these songs!  As you may be able to tell, I discovered The Civil Wars recently.  I'm in love.  Also, I've definitely been in a very Jeremy Messersmith mood lately, but I defy you to find anyone with better death songs.

*Yeah, we listen to reggae in Hawaii.

**Yes, Laura, another Beatles cover that you'll probably hate.

Christmas in July

It's hot here.  I thought listening to Christmas music would help, but I chose the wrong album:  "Wintersong" by Sarah McLachlan*.  It's still hot here, and now I'm just feeling melancholy.

"Wintersong"

"Song for a Winter's Night"

At least this is happening now.  I don't think I could handle it at actual Christmas.  Oh well, back to wishing I had a river that I could skate away on...

*This is the only time that I will use the words "wrong" and "Sarah McLachlan" in the same sentence.

In Lieu of Emo Song Lyric Facebook Statuses

I share with you the following two music videos:

"Goodbye to You" (Michelle Branch)

"Brave" (Idina Menzel)

I think that's the extent of what I'm going to force upon the internet.

The Prize

Now that I've announced a winner to my blog giveaway, I should announce the prize. I made this before I knew who was going to win, so don't worry, this isn't one of those "I'm secretly in love with Patrick and I'm going to make him a mix tape that subtly and poetically reveals my true feelings" kinds of things (if it were, there would be different songs on it).

The "But You Are Made of Bones" Starter Mix

(Track Listing with Explanations!)

1. "Skeleton Song" (Kate Nash) - This song inspired the title of my blog, so obviously it's the first track!
2. "Organ Donor" (Jeremy Messersmith) - The music video for this song has dancing skeletons, and there's reference to embalming, and it's just a really cool song.
3. "Sway" (Bic Runga) - One of my "Top 25 Most Played." I really like the lyrics. If I were going to make an "I'm secretly in love with you" mix, this song would probably be on it.
4. "Fade Into You" (Mazzy Star) - This song is on my list of "Slow Songs that Don't Suck." It's also very relaxing to listen to, it's like the musical equivalent of being in a hammock (maybe, I've never been in a hammock).
5. "The Story" (Sara Ramirez) - Sara Ramirez is a powerhouse of vocal awesomeness. I actually like this version much more than the Brandi Carlisle original because of the faster tempo.
6. "Crazier Than You" (Krysta Rodriguez and Wesley Taylor - "The Addams Family" OBC Recording) - This one might be a little Patrick-centric as I want us to sing this duet one day if by some miracle we're both not sick.
7. "Blackout" ("In the Heights" OBC Recording) - I like the musical theatre, and I like those songs where the entire cast is singing different things all at the same time.
8. "Burning Love" (Elvis Presley) - There were days when I'd be in my kitchen baking and listening to this song and dancing around. It was fun.
9. "Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy" (Queen) - I couldn't figure out which Queen song I wanted to put on here, and I decided on this one because probably not very well-known and it's also quite quirky.
10. "Promise Me This" (Pancho's Lament) - Not enough people know this song. It's beautiful and it reminds me of my "Late-Nineties Serial Drama" phase.
11. "Grace Kelly" (Mika) - Try not to lip synch this one in your bedroom mirror.
12. "Wuthering Heights" (Puppini Sisters) - A fun cover of the song with perhaps the most terrifying music video that ever happened.
13. "Lady" (Regina Spektor) - I also couldn't figure out which Regina Spektor song to put on this mix. I picked "Lady" because it has such a haunting, somber tone to it, but it also has a little bittersweetness at the end.
14. "A Snowflake Fell (And It Fell Like a Kiss)" (Glasvegas) - It's wintertime, and this is a wintertime song, and it's so pretty!
15. "Song for a Winter's Night" (Sarah McLachlan) - Sarah is my idol, and this song just has so much beauty and emotion in it.
16. "Tomorrow" (Jeremy Messersmith) - I might have broken a rule by repeating an artist on here, but I don't think a lot of people are aware of Jeremy Messersmith. Also, this is just a really good "last track on the mix" song.

I figured that sixteen tracks is a decent amount of music (it's just under an hour), even though there were a bunch of other great songs* that I wanted to put on here. At any rate, this is the mix that the winner of my blog contest (and anyone else who entered who tells me that they want one) will receive. It is my fervent hope that I can get the message of non-awful music out there and one day we will overpower the "Top 40**" culture.

*Like most things by Kate Nash--check out "Pumpkin Soup," "We Get On," "Merry Happy" or "Kiss That Grrrl" for more upbeat songs, or "The Nicest Thing" for something a little more "I secretly love you and am real sad about it."

**times 10^-1. Because these stations only play four songs.

My Music: Holiday Edition

Because I am very strict about only listening to Christmas music during the Christmas Season, and because I went through a phase where I listened to Sarah Bareilles' "Gravity" a million times in a row this past summer, there is no Christmas music on my "Top 25 Most Played" list on iTunes.

However, because I care about you all so much, I went through all of the Christmas music in my iTunes library and found my favorites. Here are the top ten:

1) "Song for a Winter's Night" - Sarah McLachlan. If I could have one moment of extra-diegetic music in my life, it would be with this song. I already have a storyboard for it (in my head).

2) "Snow Angel" - Tori Amos. Tori's voice is just so haunting. It's gorgeous.

3) "A Snowflake Fell (and it fell like a kiss)" - Glasvegas. How could a song start out with the lyric "the breeze from the graveyard keeps murmuring death" and end up to be so beautiful and hope-inspiring?

[NOTE: I realize that these first three songs are about winter and not necessarily Christmas. They're still beautiful. Get over it.]

4) "Wintersong" - Sarah McLachlan. This is also the title of the album. It is my favorite Christmas album.

5) "The Wexford Carol" (arr. Richard Lakey) - BYU Concert Choir. Even though the accompanist comes back in in the wrong key after the a capella verse, it's still beautiful. It sounds like snow. I'm making my ward choir sing it this Christmas.

6) "The First Noel/Mary, Mary" - Sarah McLachlan. If it isn't already clear, "Wintersong" is the best Christmas Album ever, even if I don't already worship everything Sarah McLachlan does. She really shows off her vocal range in this piece. She hits low notes that I even have trouble hitting.

7) "River" - Sarah McLachlan (or Rachel Yamagata, I have both). I should probably look into procuring the Joni Mitchell version at some point in my life if I profess to like this song so much.

8) "All I Want For Christmas Is You" - Mariah Carey. There are two reasons why the original will outlive the Justin Bieber version: 1) Mariah's vocals now aren't what they used to be, and 2) nobody likes Justin Bieber. Nevertheless, it brings out my dancing self.

9) "Santa Baby" - Madonna. This was my very first favorite Christmas song when I was little. I think I liked the way she said "Santa cutie."

10) "Last Christmas" - Wham! I think I really love the line, "I keep my distance, but you still catch my eye," which is a sentiment that I have toward the Christmas season in general, as well as toward other things, probably. More on that later.

Obviously this top ten list seems incomplete as I only based my ratings on songs I currently own. Maybe later I'll make a list about Christmas songs I don't own. I feel an onslaught of many other Christmas-related posts in the future, though. So stay tuned.

My Music: Part III

Because it's been a little over three months since my last post like this (and because I want to cover up the fact that my last blog post was about the contents of my sinuses), I present the latest version of my "Top 25 Most Played" songs on iTunes:

1. "Gravity" - Sara Bareilles
2. "Sway" - Bic Runga
3. "It Won't Be Long Now" - Original Broadway Cast of "In The Heights"
4. "Grace Kelly" - Mika
5. "Come Home" - OneRepublic
6. "Prayer of St. Francis" - Sarah McLachlan
7. "This Year's Love" - David Gray
8. "Fields of Gold" - Eva Cassidy
9. "Crazier Than You" - Original Broadway Cast of "The Addams Family"
10. "Breathe" - Original Broadway Cast of "In The Heights"
11. "Bring On the Wonder" - Sarah McLachlan
12. "21 Guns" - Original Broadway Cast of "American Idiot"
13. "The Story" (Grey's Anatomy Cast Version) - Sara Ramirez
14. "You Give Me Something" - James Morrison
15. "Tomorrow" - Jeremy Messersmith
16. "Skeleton Song" - Kate Nash
17. "Thinking of You" - Katy Perry
18. "Happy Ending" - Mika
19. "Running Up That Hill" - Placebo
20. "Breathless" - Corinne Bailey Rae
21. "Maybe I'm Amazed" - Jem
22. "Organ Donor" - Jeremy Messersmith
23. "You Don't Know Me" - Michael Buble
24. "Blackout" - Original Broadway Cast of "In The Heights"
25. "Promise Me This" - Pancho's Lament

I'd say this is a pretty respectable list, despite the fact that three of these songs are featured in the first two episodes of "The Vampire Diaries" (points to anybody who knows which three!). I expect that some of my favorite winter (not necessarily Christmas) songs will be moving up in the running pretty soon.

My Music: Part II

About three months ago I posted the "Top 25 Most Played" on my iTunes. It hasn't changed a ton, but here is the updated version:

1. "Breathe"-Original Broadway Cast of In The Heights
2. "It Won't Be Long Now"-Original Broadway Cast of In The Heights
3. "Grace Kelly"-Mika
4. "Gravity"-Sara Bareilles
5. "Crazier Than You"-Original Broadway Cast of The Addams Family
6. "Prayer of St. Francis"-Sarah McLachlan
7. "Sway"-Bic Runga
8. "Fields of Gold"-Eva Cassidy
9. "Blackout"-Original Broadway Cast of In The Heights
10. "One Day More"-Les Miserables Cast
11. "This Year's Love"-David Gray
12. "The Story" ("Grey's Anatomy" cast version)-Sara Ramirez
13. "Bring On The Wonder"-Sarah McLachlan
14. "Time After Time"-Sarah McLachlan and Cyndi Lauper
15. "Lovefool"-The Cardigans
16. "Trouble Sleeping"-Corinne Bailey Rae
17. "Breathless"-Corinne Bailey Rae
18. "Don't Rain On My Parade" ("Glee" cast version)-Lea Michele
19. "Maybe I'm Amazed"-Jem
20. "Burning Love"-Elvis Presley
21. "Organ Donor"-Jeremy Messersmith
22. "Skeleton Song"-Kate Nash
23. "Happy Ending"-Mika
24. "Glitter In the Air"-P!nk
25. "Promise Me This"-Pancho's Lament

If I think about it, I'll keep up with updating this list every three or so months to let you all know what the cool kids aren't listening to these days.

My Music

In case anyone is wondering, this is my current "Top 25 Most Played" list on iTunes:

1. "Breathe" - "In the Heights" Original Broadway Cast
2. "Grace Kelly" - Mika
3. "Blackout" - "In the Heights" Original Broadway Cast
4. "Don't Rain on My Parade" (Glee Cast Version) - Lea Michele
5. "Happy Ending" - Mika
6. "Lovefool" - The Cardigans
7. "Kissing You" (Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet) - Des'ree
8. "Please" - "Miss Saigon" Original London Cast
9. "Passeggiata" - "The Light in the Piazza" Original Broadway Cast
10. "Burning Love" - Elvis Presley
11. "Skeleton Song" - Kate Nash
12. "Crazier Than You" - "The Addams Family" Original Broadway Cast
13. "It Won't Be Long Now" - "In the Heights" Original Broadway Cast
14. "Snow Angel" - Tori Amos
15. "Fields of Gold" - Eva Cassidy
16. "The Story" (Grey's Anatomy Cast Version) - Sara Ramirez
17. "You Don't Know Me" - Michael Buble
18. "Here We Go Again" - Ray Charles and Norah Jones
19. "Glitter in the Air" - P!nk
20. "Fat Bottomed Girls" - Queen
21. "U Want Me 2" - Sarah McLachlan
22. "Bring On the Wonder" - Sarah McLachlan
23. "Elaborate Lives" - "Aida" Original Broadway Cast
24. "Sway" - Bic Runga
25. "Rakut" from Eric Whitacre's "Five Hebrew Love Songs" - BYU Concert Choir

I defy you to mock more than 10% of those. This list doesn't necessarily reflect my current most favorite songs, which I have recently downloaded and therefore not played fifteen times yet.