The Soundtrack to My Life.

I asked a friend what I should blog about and he suggested the soundtrack of my life, so here is an attempt. Perhaps it will enlighten you all on why I am the way I am.

While in my mom's womb I listened to quite a bit of Bob Seger:



And then throughout my childhood, he never really went away.

In elementary school I went through a "country phase" that lasted just one year BUT it was quite the impactful year.

My cousin was obsessed with Mariah Carey. Which meant I was too.

My cousin even wrote her a letter and got back a "signed" 8x10. I was jealous. But not jealous enough to write my own letter.

I spent a lot of time at my grandparents house. I made up dances to Salt N Pepa; one of their favorite albums (no, they're not black).

I remember the moment at my bff's house when we switched over from the "pop" radio station to the alternative one. I didn't get why it was no longer cool to listen to Back Street Boys and it was suddenly cool to listen to this guy whining about being a loser. I didn't like it at first; I think this was a huge turning point for me. I had to adjust my taste to fit in. I think deep down I'll always secretly be a pop princess (which, probably makes me a loser, baby).

(I saw Beck live in Chicago many many years later. He was wearing a lot of really pale foundation and a big floppy hat. This couple right next to us kept making out during his show. I thought it was a travesty they were so "in love" that they were missing one of the greatest musicians of our generation, but whatever).

And then, I went through a heavy metal phase in high school, duh.

It was a pretty intense phase as things in high school tend to be.

Because I was obviously so freakish.

The only all-girl heavy metal band... they got seriously overplayed in my car stereo. (Actually they still get overplayed when I'm aaanngggrrryyyy...which is often enough.)

Yeah. Why did I listen to this again?

I have this list in my journal from high school about what I was looking for in a boyfriend... one criteria was that he had to know all the words to the entire Slipknot/Slipknot album... yeah, he would have been a keeper...if only I had found him. (Maybe I'll post the list tomorrow????)

(My roommate Emily had to leave the room while I was putting the high school section together...that's how amazing this time of my life was... haha)

Missy Elliott made a big impact in high school too. I dedicated this song to one of my many suiters after a strange encounter at a party. (And when I say many, I mean the one guy who kind of liked me off and on from like 8th grade to senior year--and also liked my best friend, and her friend and her friend--yeah, that guy.)

Mostly though, my best friend and I would just play Missy out of her car stereo and dance around outside (or inside depending on if we were "Cruising"). (Also developed amazing car dancing skills by driving around listening to her over and over again).

I had a high school boyfriend. Let me tell you all what happened with that. I was a senior. He was a freshman. I was a leopard, he was a kitten. I went off to college. I went off to college.

Yeah so that didn't work out. He later became a preacher. This still freaks me out to this day.

Here's a song that sort of explains that relationship. . .

Then there was undergrad.

The Blue Album happened a lot. As well as Sublime.

I had another boyfriend during this time. We did theater together. He was an asshole. Like, I've never dated or even hung out with a bigger asshole then this guy. I also drank ALOT during this time. Probably because my boyfriend was making fun of my Korn collection (while he was jamming out to My Chemical Romance...not kidding).

Then I moved out of the dorms into a real-life apartment, in a basement that had two showers and two stalls in the bathroom. Asshole boyfriend and I broke up. Then I started dating artsy-fartsy-musician neighbor boy. That worked out pretty well. I mean. It worked out for like 5.5 years. But during that still undergrad post-dorm time I was dancing A LOT... often to one of my favorite bands of all time, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

Fuck I'm old. This is still going. . .

Grad School.

Riot grrrl and womyn love.

Patti Smith is my favorite artist of all time.

Riot grrrl paved the way for my creative thesis project (Pervertable Tongues...so there's that).

Then I moved to Boulder. It was a rocky year. I mean, both literally from like hiking and stuff and then figuratively dealing with transitions and being out of school and not really having a job and the dissolving of what I thought was going to be a life-time sort of relationship.

After that there was "The Break-up" and during that time I pretty much listened to Robyn and EMA excessively.

And now there is now.

Today.

What's my song for today?

Minus the heels. I'd like to find me someone who wants to pay my rent and my student loan debt. I think I can do this!

But it will probably be more like this:

Theme Song for the Year:

All-time Favorite Album that Will Always Be Important to Me Every Year for the Rest of My Life: Fiona Apple/Tidal.

And there you have it. The Soundtrack to My Life. Wow.

Awh Shheeeeet. What's Happen' To Me? Giddy Up.

I remember this moment in sixth grade, walking through the halls with my friends after this study came out stating that like 60% of our school picked country music as their favorite kind of music and I turned to my friend and said, "I hope I never turn into a lame-ass and like country."

Well. This is hard to admit. But today, I succumb. I am now a lame-ass old woman who enjoys the twang. But, it's only one very specific album--okay, and Faith Hill's This Kiss (BFF will call me out if I don't say it now) so I'm questioning whether or not I should break-down and accept country in my life or just think of it as a fluke?

Perhaps, you can take a listen and tell me what you think?

Why Won't These Songs Go Away, Naturally?

There is a mashup of 4 relatively bad songs stuck in my head. Mmmbop (Hanson), My Lovin (En Vogue), Tale as Old as Time (Beauty and the Beast soundtrack) and some country love song that I don't know the name or artist to. They keep like smashing into each other in my brain--which could be a sign that it is near explosion.

I believe scientists should invent a remedy to cure song-stuck. I'm surprised pharmaceutical companies are not all over it.

If this movie isn't about gender roles I want to know what is, gross. I don't even understand how this song--out of all the songs in the world--ended up in my brain. The other ones make sense, as there is a karaoke connection, but this one? WTF.

Music Mondays: How to Get Your Freak On.

Me and my BFF in high school used to cruise around listening to Missy Elliott over and over. When we weren't cruising around, we'd stop the car in a parking lot, open the doors, crank up the music and dance. It was quite the Missy Adventure.

(I apologize that this version is edited)

Enjoy

Music Mondays: Blonde Redhead

Because I'm sort of a blonde redhead right now.

Music Mondays: GO!

Go!

Santigold featuring Karen O. Cannot get any better than this combo.

No real video yet... but I thought you'd want it sooner than later.

Before you hit play get out your dancing socks!

Music Mondays: They're Babes in Toyland.

Let's start the week off with some anger-filled energy. I mean, why not. Sometimes it just feels good to scream it all out. Or sing, if that's your preference.



I have a dress that's pretty similar to that, though I wore it as Courtney Love, thinking next year I can recycle it and be Kat instead.

Now, Now, Don't Give Up. We're Not Here Just to Entertain.

In honor of International Women's Day, here are three much loved songs by some of my favorite women musicians:

Angry Music for Angry People.

Sometimes it's good to let all that anger out. And why not do it while jamming out to some angry music!

Here are my Top Picks.

For a Bitter Angry:

Try Fiona Apple

For: A F U to the World:

Try Slipknot

For an Angry Feminist Rant at the Patriarchy:

Try Bikini Kill

For an Angry Dance Rage:

Try Static X

For Cynical and Constant Anger:

Try Sleater-Kinney

To Overcome Anger:

Try singing Salt 'N Pepa

Music Throwback Nostalgia? No Thank You.

I woke up with Wonderwall stuck in my head. I even started singing it in the bathroom. And I was like wtf?

I remember hearing it like two weeks ago at a bar, which really got me thinking.

I suppose it's obvious that bars are now playing the music that matches our age demographic, that which we listened to in our "nostalgic" years.

But could we just not?

These songs are depressing. Most of the songs that were popular (and close to decent), when we were say freshman in high school, are total downers. I mean, Hello Alanis! It was a real downy time and I really don't want to go back there. Especially when I'm drinking (it being a depressant and everything).

Yes, I know, you're thinking, what about the Spice Girls? What about the Backstreet Boys? Britney? N'Sync? Christina? Hansen?!?

Can we just sort of keep them all locked in that bubble in time? Can they only play back in our memories and not actually while we're making new ones?

Just saying.

Five Lessons Learned from Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott

Because she know's what's up.

1) Remember Your Umbrella

2) Do Not Date Minute Men

3) Be Careful of Your Mouth

4) It's Okay to Get a Little Freaky

5) But Don't Get Too Freaky

Five Songs Missing From Karaoke List.

Why oh Why can't I sing the songs I love?

Add these songs to the Karaoke machine.

1) Patti Smith—Free Money (or Gloria)

2) Bikini Kill—Suck My Left One

3) Pat Benatar—I Need a Lover

4) Fiona Apple—Criminal

5) Yeah Yeah Yeah’s—Man

Plus #1 Song No One Should attempt to Sing:

Shoop

Salt-N-Pepa

Sleater-Kinney Random Shuffle

Today, while jogging, my i-pod kept shuffling Sleater-Kinney songs. I thought perhaps I had it specified to only play Sleater-Kinney so I tried to fix it, but it didn’t matter, my i-pod really wanted me to listen to them, probably because they’re kick ass amazing. So I considered it a sign to do some reflecting and write about how often their songs help me through the day as I generally do not make it through a day without

listening to at least one of their tunes.

Whenever I want to feel connected to the world and laugh at all the bullshit I listen to “Modern Girl” from The Woods and I go buy me a doughnut cuz the hole is the size of the entire world.

“My baby loves me

I’m so happy

happy makes me a modern girl

I took my money and bought a tv

tv brings me closer to the world”

Along the same lines—when I am mad at the patriarchy (which is quite often) I really LOVE to jam out to #1 Must Haves (amongst others) on All Hands on the Bad One

“All and i think that i sometimes might have wished

for something more than to be a size six

but now my inspiration rests

inbetween my beauty magazines

and my credit card bills

I've been crawling up so long

on your stairway to heaven

and now i no longer believe

that i want to get in

and will there always be concerts

where women are raped?

watch me make up my mind instead of my face

the number one must have is that we are safe”

When I am in the need to run long and far One Beat—the entire album… keeps me in rhythm and rocking

for as far as I want to go.

“If you think like Thomas Edison could you invent a word for me

now all that’s on the surface are bloody arms and oil fields

could I turn this place upside down

and shake you and your fossils out? oh, oh.”

When I have had a bad day at work... okay when I used to have bad days at work, now I do nothing of the sort, I would listen to this upon leaving the building and it always made me feel better. Now I listen to it whenever I am in large crowds of people.

“Jumpers” The Woods

“I spend the afternoon in cars

I sit in traffic jams for hours

don’t push me I am not okay

The sky is blue most every day

the lemons grow like tumors, they are tiny suns infused with sour”

Before any performance or speech I do I like to have “Entertain” pulse through my ears and stimulate my brain so I can go into it with an attitude and rock people's socks off.

“So you want to entertain,

please look away (don’t look away)

we’re not here cause we want to entertain

go away (don’t go away)

Reality is the new fiction they say

truth is truer these days, truth is man-made

If you’re here cause you want to be entertained

Go away, please go away” The Woods

Those are just of the few reasons I listen, lust and love Sleater-Kinney. I wish they would reunite and run this world… but I guess if they don’t want to play anymore I’ll do my best to create my own music and hope it inspires others as much as S-K has inspired me.

“All our little wishes have gone dry

Made it to the water, waded in the lies

When we felt the heat

Couldn't turn it into fire

Too caught up in our own desires

Said "I Do" in the month of May

said "I Don't" the very next day

Will they try again?

Or is it doom for them?

Moved to a city

Where hippies run wild

Everything's white

Now so are the smiles

They tried, to fight the good fight” “Wilderness”, The Woods