I’m not a fan of big, epic romantic songs. At all. I much prefer gritty, realistic love songs with just a touch of desperation thrown into to the mix. (After all, Blue Rodeo’s Lost Together was my wedding song.)
One of my favorite love songs is I Will Give You Everything by The Skydiggers. The singer is basically saying, “Hey, if you come back I’ll give ya whatever you want but take off again and I’m out.”
It’s romantic, but in a realistic way. And I think it’s one of the prettiest songs I’ve ever heard. I’ve been known to play it over and over and over and over again.
Okay, I LOVE songs that make me think. You know, you listen to the lyrics, think you know what the song is about, but really aren’t sure. There’s enough ambiguity that you maybe end up interpreting the song according to your own life and your own experiences or you pick up on a certain word or phrase the fifteenth time you’ve listened to it and it changes your opinion completely.
Halifax band Wintersleep’s song Weighty Ghost is one of my favorite tunes, despite the fact I’m not really sure what the song is about. The hubs and I can spend HOURS discussing this song. I think maybe it’s about someone who was so ambivalent about life, maybe even a bit depress, that it’s no big deal when they die, because they had been living life like they were dead anyway. The hubs thinks it has something to do with the Mexican Day of the Dead.
Regardless of what the song is about, it’s a beautiful tune and a wonderfully creepy video.
Oops! Apparently you folks in the States can see the video. Here’s a live version of the song.
So, I totally forgot that yesterday was Monday. Or rather I forgot to post for Music Monday. Either way, I didn’t want to miss out on sharing some of my favorite Christmas songs with you.
I have a confession to make: I am so not in the Christmas mood. This has been a year full of ups and downs, and I think it’s just finally gotten to me. So much that I toyed with the idea of not getting a tree or decorating at all. We’re struggling a bit financially right now and it’s going to be a slim Christmas, present wise. I know as a 37 year old woman that it shouldn’t bother me, but it does, just a bit.
I also know I have to snap out of it and not get sucked into the unbelievable commercialism of Christmas. It’s hard though, isn’t it? And I think it’s the commercialism that stresses a lot of us out this time of year.
So today I’m sharing three of my favorite Christmas songs that always make me think and help me gain a bit of perspective.
I’ve always loved this song, but this is the first year that I think I really listened to the words and identified with them. It’s a sad little song about being disillusioned with Christmas, but there’s also a hint of hope in it, too.
I’m sorry, I don’t care how many times they redo this, the original is the best and kicked off the music industry’s involvement with world hunger.
The first Christmas gift I ever received from a boy was in grade 7 and came with a card that said “Happy Christmas”. This is another song that’s been redone by everyone, but the original will always be the best.
Three of my favorite Christmas songs are, well, a bit unconventional. But the thing is, I know that at least two of them are beloved by a lot of people so I’m not totally crazy for thinking they’re the bee’s knees when it comes to Christmas tunes.
Snoopy vs The Red Baron has been a fave of mine since as long as I can remember. One of my first Christmas memories is being at my Uncle Sandy and Aunt Kay’s and dancing to this song with my cousins Carol, Gussie and Karen. I’d have to ask my Mom how old I was, but I’d have to say around 5.
I am convinced that Fairytale of New York is one of the most beautiful, heartbreaking and hopeful songs out there. You can play me all the songs about Holly Jolly Chirstmases, Bells and Snowmen you want, but this is the song that makes me happiest at this time of the year. And yes, I am well aware I have issues. It’s just that I think there are more people who can identify with Fairytale of New York than Frosty the Snowman.
And come on, a Christmas song with the words old slut AND cheap lousy faggot? Cool in my books.
OMG who hasn’t known this couple? Or, Hell, been this couple? It just wouldn’t be Christmas without some Ramones.
So for the next four Music Monday’s I’m going to feature my favorite Christmas songs. First up Meaghan Smith!
I just found out that Meaghan has a new Christmas EP out (squee!!!) that features her original song, It Snowed. But this wonderful little ditty has been one of my faves for a few years now, when it was on a Christmas album Meaghan did with Rose Cousins and Jill Barber. Every time it snows, this song flows through my brain.
There isn’t an official video out for this one, but here’s Meaghan and her band singing it live (check out the Snoopy T). There is no way humanly possible to listen to this and not smile.
13 years ago today the world of music lost one of the sexiest and talented men EVER. The hair, the lips, the hips, the voice. I think Michael Hutchence was my very first musical crush.
I was devastated when he died. INXS was and still is one of my favorite bands. Their music is a huge part of the sound track of my junior high years.
I was going to try to pick my favorite INXS songs, but dammit I can’t choose. So here’s two of my favorite videos. Watch. Sing along. Sigh every time Michael flips his hair. And remember one of music’s greats.
I know that this song is most likely about Russia, the cold war and the threat of nuclear world war (it was written in the 80s after all) but when I heard Mike and the Mechanics Silent Running yesterday for the first time in years, the song screamed “dystopia” to me.
Kings of Leon are one of my favorite groups. The voice, the lyrics, the music, I love it all – before their last album. Now, I enjoyed the poo-rockness of Sex on Fire and Use Somebody, but for me, the soul and uniqueness had kinda been sucked out of their music. That’s why, when I saw their new video, Radioactive, I was pretty much in tears from happiness. Because it looks like the boys are taking it back to their roots. It reminded me of their older stuff. I was jazzed.
And, for your listening pleasure, here’s my #1 favorite Kings of Leon song, Milk. This is one of the most beautiful, creepy songs I’ve ever heard.
And here’s my #2 favorite song by the band. I have no idea what the Hell he’s saying most of this song, but I can go around the house spontaneously breaking into this chorus for days.
OMG, Word on the Street kicked so much ass yesterday. I will be doing a few rambling, giddy post over the next few days, but I thought this week’s Music Monday would be dedicated to all thing WotS.
I’m a huge music lover and for special events or days I will often have a bit of a musical background running in my head. I don’t pull a Glee and breakout in song or anything, but I will think of tunes that fit how I’m feeling.
So, I pitched a book yesterday. It’s an YA dealing with being weird and trying to accept it. I’ve spent the last week not only polishing my pitch, but also trying to get to the root of why I wanted to write this book. I realized it’s because for most of the time I still feel like the weird, awkward teen that I was. Once that realization hit, this Kim Stockwood song instantly popped in my head.
Four of us gals headed over to WotS and as often happens when you get girls together, there was talk of boys. And of course the talked veered into the Land of Exes. Whenever I think of exes (and one in particular) this songs always plays in my head.
Yeah, yesterday was pretty much the perfect day for me. Books, friends, and cheesecake. I mean what else could I ask for? It was one of those days that makes me truly happy with where I am in my life. I could get all gooshy and cliche, but I’ll let Shaye take it from here.
This past week has been a bit of an emotional roller coaster for a lot of folks. It seems like hate and religion were headline stories both in the news and in the blogosphere. 9/11 and Koran burning, atheists being equated with Nazis by the Pope, religious fundamentalist trying to get Laurie Halse Anderson’s novel SPEAK banned. All three of these things hurt and enraged me.
I’ve been wanting to write posts discussing these topics, but I tend to get rambly and snarky when I feel strongly about something and I’m pissed about it. Last night I wrote a poem in support of SPEAK. Today I’m going to let my video choices speak for me. One song is about losing faith, the other finding it again.
