Posts Tagged ‘playlist’

Lover’s Music

Thursday, February 14th, 2008

Yes, it’s that time of the year were we need to be all gooey and romantic. Now last year, I made a post called “Music to Swoon To“, that was dedicated to a new relationship, and was focused mainly on avoiding that dreaded L-Word. Now, here we are a year later, and I have decided that I am going to move forward this year and not avoid dropping the L-bomb, if you are at the point where you are using some these songs to get romantic with your special somebody, then sub out a few of the songs (i.e. all of the ones with “Love” in the title), and take a few from last year’s list, namely “Ambulance”, “Baby This Night”, “Crosses”, and “Safe and Sound”.

While last year’s post included some classics like “Wild Horses” and “Wonderwall”, this year I am instead going to focus on being Indie-ish as possible. The main reason being that if you have been with someone for a long time, it’s good to try and expand their horizons a bit and music as an easy and great way to do that.

Now that the preamble is over, here we go…

1. New Radicals — “Mother, We Just Can’t Get Enough”. This may just be my favourite opening song off of any album, any time. It’s simply an amazing burst of energy to kick off a romantic album. It really captures the emotion that it’s title suggests, as you can really feel the passion in Greg Alexander’s voice as he tells his mother how great his new girlfriend is.

Most Romantic Line: “There’s something about you that makes me fly/You’re a heart attack, just the kind I like”

2. Wolf Parade — “This Heart’s On Fire”. Another great, energetic song that really captures the feeling of being madly in love and having your heart feel like it’s on fire.

Most Romantic Line: “And you’re my favourite thing/ tell it everywhere I go/ I don’t know what to do/ This heart’s on fire”

3. The National — “Slow Show”. And here we start to slow things down, with this beautiful song by this fantastic band. This song is all about getting tired of playing for a crowd, and just wanting to put on a “slow show” for that special person. Like all of The National’s songs it sounds so very intimate and personal, and the bit at the end about dreaming someone up, is so eloquent and gorgeous, a must for lover’s everywhere!

Most Romantic Line: “I wanna hurry home to you/put on a slow, dumb show for you and crack you up”

4. Peter Bjorn & John – “Paris, 2004″. From the opening notes right down the beautifully simplistic lyrics, this song is not afraid to take a refreshingly juvenile approach to love. The chorus line of “I’m all about you, you’re all about me, we’re all about each other”, describes the butterflies in one of the sweetest ways imaginable.

Most Romantic Line: ” We need this precious time just to comprehend”

5. Amy Milan — “Skinny Boy”. It’s no secret to followers of this blog that I LOVE Amy Milan, she’s amazing, beautiful, and incredibly talented. This song is so very personable, and maybe as a skinny boy, I think that maybe she’s singing it to me…a boy can dream, can’t he?

Most Romantic Line: “You’ve got lips that I could spend a day with”

6. Michael Franti & Spearhead — “Firefly” (Sorry, that was the only stream I could find). This song has some powerful imagery, as it describes a couple as firefly’s, who are busy glowing. Plus Franti does have a sexy man voice (I’m not ashamed to admit that) so it helps to throw this out there on a Lover CD.

Most Romantic Line: ” I’ll be your firefly, so you can see/Your way to me at midnight”

7. Bloc Party — “Tulips”. Now the pace starts to pick up again with this track from the oft-forgotten Little Thoughts EP. This is a great song for recognizing that special someone and realizing that you two are meant to be together. This is also the part of the CD where the L-bombs start falling all over the place.

Most Romantic Line: “ It’s as pure as fire/It’s as pure as snow/I knew that I’d found you”

8. Ryan Adams — “Gonna Make You Love Me”. Now that we’ve established that you love them, you need to get them on board. This is a great song about doing all sorts of romantic gestures to prove your love.

Most Romantic Line: ” They say love is hell, /But I’ve only been laughin’ ever since I fell/It’s only gonna make me love you more”

9. Cake — “Love You Madly”. I simply love this song. It’s lyrics are both adorable and profound, and the upbeat tone really adds to the excitement of being in love. Simply a must for this CD.

Most Romantic Line: THE ENTIRE SONG!!!!!!! But if I had to choose, I’d take… “I don’t want to hold back/I don’t want to slip down/I don’t want to think back to the one thing that I know I
Should have done”

10. Guillemots — “Made Up Lovesong #43″. If this song doesn’t melt your heart, I really don’t know what will. It is so cute and sweet, and just makes me feel very warm and gooey. The repeated chorus line of “I love you through sparks and shinning dragons, I do” is proof that sometimes less really is more.

Most Romantic Line: “The best things come from nowhere, I can’t believe you care”

11. Feist — “New Torch”(Stream unavailable…sorry). Sure, everyone loves Feist, but few people have heard her songs from before The Reminder, and even fewer have heard them from before Let it Die. However, this song from Monarch is well worth looking into. This song is so enchanting and beautiful, the lyrics make is sound so very personal and intimate, but the orchestral accompaniment makes it sound epic and grand, a very rare feat to say the least.

Most Romantic Line: “Be mine through time /This way leads into the garden green”

12. Iron & Wine — “Waiting’ For a Superman” (It’s no stream, but hopefully the free download will do…). The one cover to make this list, as Iron & Wine reinvents the Flaming Lips classic. I can really take either version, but the Iron & Wine version just sounds so very wispy and surreal, which fits into the concept of being “saved” by “Superman” (i.e. you). This song is great at describing how overwhelming (but exciting) this kind of thing can be.

Most Romantic Line: “It’s getting heavy/Well I thought it was already as heavy as can be”

13. Yeah Yeah Yeahs — “Porcelain” (Man this is a bad stream, trust me the studio version of this song is amazing). This song picks up where “Waitin’ For A Superman” leaves off, as it describes overcoming your fears of a commitment and relationships and being able to move forward.

Most Romantic Line: “Baby I’m afraid of a lot of things but I ain’t scared of loving you”

14. Sufjan Stevens — “To Be Alone with You”. I was half tempted to just put the entire album of Seven Swans up here and call it a day, but I figure that would be cheating. Sufjan’s amazing voice describes all that he would do to be alone with someone special. What follows is like The Notebook…only for your ears (and not depressing).

Most Romantic Line: “To be alone with me you went up on the tree”

15. Stars –”My Favourite Book”. Surely you must have known that at least one song by Stars would make this list. They are wonderful, I love them so much. This is an Amy Milan song, as Torq doesn’t sing in this one, but it’s still fantastic. It’s a great song about the comfort of a relationship, or really, it’s just a great song period.

Most Romantic Line: “Because I never knew a home, until I found your hands”

16. The John Butler Trio — “Seeing Angels”. Another sweet song by the JBT, this one talking about someone who is so amazing that they don’t seem real. Hopefully that describes your other half.

Most Romantic Line: “For I’m transparent in the light of you. /And look inside, see that fire burning bright”

17. Wilco — “I’m the Man Who Loves You”. This is another of those ones that you may want to avoid if you haven’t dropped the L-Bomb, and I’m sorry that this song really only fits if you are a guy giving it to a woman, if not perhaps add “Inside and Out” by Feist, it should do the trick. Anyway, the purpose of this song really is self-explanatory, a song about showing someone how much you love them.

Most Romantic Line: “But if I could you know I would, just hold your hand and you’d understand/I’m the man who loves you”

18. Travis — “Flowers in the Window”. This song is a great at describing that indescribable feeling of having someone make a profound change on your life, perfect for a lovey mix, everyone likes to feel special after all.

Most Romantic Line: “But there are many seasons to feel glad, sad, mad/It’s just a bunch of feelings that we have to hold /But I am here to help you with the load”

19. Joseph Arthur — “Echo Park”. I know, I used this song on another playlist, but it really is an inspiring bit of a poetry. This song captures so much of the special bits of a relationship that make it worthwhile.

Most Romantic Line: “The fire never understands the spark/The way it is for you and me”

20. Broken Social Scene — “Lover’s Spit”. This is one of the all-time great BSS songs, and it is a great one to end this list with (If you would rather, there is a great Feist version from Beehives, since I already included Feist, I figured that I would give Drew a chance to shine here). It’s a fantastic song about growing up both personally and within the confines of a relationship. It’s a great one to end it off with because it gives a great sense of moving forward

Most Romantic Line: “ You know its time that we grow old and do some shit”

And on that note, I’m off…I hope that all of you out in blog land are having a happy V-Day, I’m stuck on library duty tonight…how romantic…

Until next time,

G

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Music to Swoon to

Monday, February 12th, 2007

I’m sorry to surprise some of you out there but Valentine’s Day is in one more sleep.

Yes gentlemen, take a moment to catch your breath and panic.

But never fear, I have something that can help you out a little wee bit here. I decided that I would do some “Music to Swoon to” to help anyone out looking for some more songs for that Mixed CD (or pre-loaded mp3 player) that you are getting for that special someone.

Before I go into my songs, I want to say first of all that these are only suggestions, you need to of course use some of “your” songs in there. Also, this is aimed more at people in the throws of a new relationship, as such I avoided songs that evoked the dreaded L-Word.

Lastly making a CD/playlist for someone else is a really delicate art form and you need to follow a few rules.

A) Order Matters. Lord does it ever matter!! I know that it is so tempting with computers to just let it sort alphabetically, but don’t you dare. The songs need to flow into one another well. I highly recommend that once you pick out a list you listen to it from start to finish. If you don’t have the time then at least listen to the first and last 20 seconds or so of each song to tell how they transition to one another. They really need to build upon one another, and when I make a romantic CD I really try to imagine whoever I am making it for listening to it as they drift to sleep. So it starts out with the more fast paced ones and slowly mellows itself out.

B) Be Unique. Here’s the thing, unless you are really lucky/sheltered everyone you have been with has been with other people before you. You need to make sure that when you make this CD that you DO NOT include any songs that may remind them of someone who came before you. Regardless of your musical taste, you need to stay away from artists like Jack Johnson and Dave Matthews. Why? Because they are cliche and so many people have some memories with someone else, and you don’t want that!!!!

C) Include Some of the Familiar. Yeah I know this contradicts what I said above, but there is some logic to it. You need songs that they other person will know sprinkled in with some new ones to introduce them to. Everyone likes to listen to songs that they know and love. It’s just a very tough call to try and strike a balance.

I guess that’s enough of a long winded introduction. Here is the list of songs to use…

1. Oasis — “Wonderwall“. Yeah I know, I say be unique and then here I am putting out one of the most played songs of the past 20 years. But here me out, this pays attention to Rules A + C. It takes a very familiar song and puts it into a new context, and you need to start the CD out with a song that they will know. You don’t want to turn them off the CD from the start now do you? See why the order is important??? And the best part is that this song came out in 1995. So if you are around my age, which I know most of you are, chances are any one’s memories of someone else would be of a Grade 8 dance and they have probably gotten over it by now.

2. The Pixies — “Here Comes Your Man”. If you have not seen or read High Fidelity then go and do it right now…I’ll wait…Well there is a wonderful scene were the main character, Rob, talks about the rules to making a good mixed tape. He says that you need to start big with the first song (check) and then take it up a notch for the second song. Well here we are taking it up a notch. This song is definitely taking it up a notch. The Pixies are one of the most underrated bands of the 90’s and this is an excellent example as to why. If the song doesn’t fit your own pronoun then a good alternate could be “Mushaboom” by Feist.

3. Sloan – “I Can Feel It”. In the above mentioned scene in High Fidelity, Rob says that you need to start to take it down a notch in the third song to not overdo it. Well here we are taking it down a little bit. I really like this song, it’s chorus of “You’ve got a thing for me, I can feel it, I can feel it. I’ve got a thing for you too, you can have it, you can have it”, is so high school cute.

4. Joel Plaskett — “Nowhere With You”. Another song that is almost adolescent with its lyrics. A great thing for a new relationship/love interest/”It’s Complicated”, especially this early in the CD, remember we are building to things here.

5. U2 –”Stay (Faraway, So Close)”. This is where things get taken up a bit more after the last two light natured songs. The line of “If I could stay…and the night would be enough” ties into the next song a wee bit.

6. Howie Day — “Morning After”. Yeah I know, I’m taking a bit of a chance here with respect to Rule B due to the popularity of “Collide” a few years ago. But I tried to cram it in between some other songs that could ease the burden if that is an issue. The whole morning after theme of this song ties into the previous song’s notion of staying the night. See order is important!!!

7. Elliot Smith — “Between The Bars”. Kind of a strange song that goes with the “to hell with anyone before me” theme that has been creeping into this album. I like the guitar riff in this song, and I think that Elliot Smith has an eerie sounding voice, so here it goes.

8. TV On the Radio — “Ambulance”. I talked about this song once before and my opinion of this song definitely has not changed. I will once again re-post the chorus here because I think that the lyrics are that amazing.

“oh i will be your ambulance if you will be my accident
i will be your screech and crash if you will be my crutch and cast
and i will be your one more time if you will be my one last chance
so sweet dream fall with me
fall fast fall free fall with me”

If you haven’t heard this song by now, go and do it…

9. Eric Clapton — “Wonderful Tonight”. A classic romance song. If this doesn’t help you out then I don’t know what to say.

10. Semisonic — “Secret Smile”. Sure “Closing Time” was their big hit, but this is a much better song. conveys a strong “You are the only one for me right now” message that you should be going for right here.

11. Jason Mraz — “I’m Yours”. I’ll quote my previous blog entry about this song, “This just seems like such a perfect song to dance romantically in the kitchen with that special someone to”, therefore it’s a must on this mix.

12. Jose Gonzalez — “Crosses”. Jose Gonzalez is proof that sometimes less is more, he keeps the guitar simple and it works. I love the opening line of “Don’t you know that I’ll be around to guide you through your weakest moments to leave them behind you? ” it’s very caring and supportive which should up your cred.

13. Jeff Healey Band — “Angel Eyes”. Another one of those gimme songs. Next.

14. Sufjan Stevens — “The Dress Look Nice on You”. I’ve mentioned my love for Sufjan on here more times than I dare search. This song wavers between poetry and prose and I love it. Should your significant other not be the dress wearing type perhaps take “To Be Alone With You” also by Mr. Stevens.

15. Rolling Stones — “Wild Horses”. Yeah another gimme song, I really love the line “You know I can’t let you slide through my hands “, says a lot without saying too much.

16. Hawksley Workman — “Safe and Sound”. What would a playlist of mine be without Mr. Workman? This is among my favourite songs of his, very caring and nurturing and who doesn’t love that? I love the line “We fit together like the ignition and the key”, so typically Hawksley.

17. Foo Fighters — “Everlong (Acoustic)”. Another dangerous choice due to Rule B, but give it a try. I think that this song may have the most beautiful lyrics ever. But it is possibly my favourite song ever (along with “Rebellion (Lies)” by The Arcade Fire and “Jolene” by Cake) so perhaps I have a wee bit of bias.

18. Feist — “La Sirena“. What playlist of mine wouldn’t have a Feist song? You all know my love for her. This song is really mellow and fits in with the falling asleep plan I said way back at the beginning.

19. Eva Cassidy — “Time After Time”. I know, Cindi Lauper’s original is amazing, and Match Box 20’s live cover is surprisingly good, but this is the best of the bunch. This is me combining Rules A & B, something unique but also familiar. Eva Cassidy is great for that, she has a wide range of excellent covers out there (mental note: her cover of “Ain’t no Sunshine” should have been on my wallow list…)

20. Live — “Dance With You (Acoustic)”. Very romantic lyrics without going over the top. A non-single from a familiar band done to facilitate falling asleep or at least achieving a level of comfort. That’s right this follows all three of my rules, booyeah!!! If there is only one song that you take from here, make it the one by TV on the Radio but if there are two, make it this one.

21. Hawksley Workman — “Baby This Night”. Yeah I know I already used Hawksley but it’s my playlist so I can do what I want!!! This song is so great for any degree of swooning playlist. The chorus of “Baby this night can be ours, so just close your eyes” is a great way to end this playlist.

Wow this belongs among my most epic of blog posts. I guess I need to end it. I suppose that makes up for my lack of posting of late. I will very likely chime in with my thoughts on Valentine’s Day (or Singles Awareness Day as I sometimes like to called it) as a whole tomorrow, my thoughts on the subject may just surprise you…

Until next time,

G

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Music to Wallow To

Wednesday, February 7th, 2007

So way back in December I wrote a blog entry called “Music to Break Up To” which featured a number of “moving on ” type songs. Now in that entry I promised a follow up soundtrack for the other side of break-ups, the wallowing in self-pity. Now to be honest, I haven’t really been in much of a deep brooding mood in the past several months, so I haven’t really had the desire to compile this list. But, hey a promise is a promise.

So if anyone out there is having a hard time with that special someone here are some songs that will help you ride that tough patch. But once you’re done feeling bad with those ones, please check out the first list, it is far more uplifting!!!

Now I know that there are a lot of cliche songs out there to listen to by Air Supply or the Backstreet Boys, but please, just because doesn’t mean that you need to listen to bad music. So here is a sample for you to listen to…

1. Violent Femmes — “Gone Daddy Gone”. Sure Gnarlz Barkley has a decent cover out of this song, but the original is still the better one here. This is textbook Femmes energy with a touch of raw emotion.

2. Foo Fighters — “Disenchanted Lullabye“. Speaking of raw emotion, I bring you this song. It is one of my favourite songs by the Foo Fighters and captures depressed rage. The chorus lines of “I may be scattered/a little shattered/what does it matter?/no one has a fit like I do/I’m the only one that fits you” sends chills down my spine.

3. System of a Down — “Lonely Day”. I know it’s cliche. I wanted to put this one out here for my own personal experiences. Last spring, I was sitting at my home in Scotland having just broken up and clearly in a wallowing mood. I turn the radio on and it starts playing some good upbeat songs and then they announce that they are going to play the UK premiere of the new System of a Down. I get excited to hear some good angry metal, and I get this song. So here I was on the loneliest day of my life hearing a song about it. Let’s just say that it helped the wallowing process along.

4. See Spot Run — “Girl Like You”. Do you remember these guys? They made it big back in the late 90’s with their song “Weightless”, but this was their lesser known follow-up single. I think that it is far better. It really has a feeling of hopelessness as it asks the glaring question “Where am I gonna find another girl like you?”. Sorry to anyone who just broke up with a guy out there, I don’t suppose that this song applies to you as much.

5. Modest Mouse — “Make Everyone Happy”. Awesome band, awesome song. This song has stellar lyrics full of doubt like “I’m not sure who I am, but I know who I’ve been”, that probably capture exactly what you are thinking in this state.

6. Cake — “Mexico”. These guys will probably make every soundtrack I make for this site. That is not only a testament to my rabid fanboy love, but also to their underrated versatility. You really need to check this song out, hell go and listen to all of Prolonging the Magic, it will blow your mind.

7. New Radicals — “Someday We’ll Know”. As I said in one of my very first posts, “The New Radicals are the most unjust 1 Hit Wonders of all time”, and this song is a major reason as to why. You can just feel the questions and confusion ooze out in Greg Alexander’s voice as he sings this amazing ballad.

8. The Arcade Fire — “Crown of Love”. Surely you knew that they would make an appearance on this chart. Well this is the perfect song to wallow to. Even if I am in my cheeriest of moods this song makes me choke up, it’s that good. You owe yourself a listen because I could not possibly do it any justice.

9. Feist — “Lonely, Lonely”. I let my true feelings for Feist come out once before on this blog. She has an amazing voice and sounds so very genuine. This song is a great bring-me-down if there ever was one.

10. Bloc Party — “This Modern Love”. Another amazing song that I’m not sure I could do justice with my description. It deals with the frustration and angst that goes with so many relationships now a days. Here is an awesome video of Final Fantasy (the band not the game stupid) doing a live cover of this song, it will rock your world.

11. Yeah Yeah Yeahs — “Maps”. If the words “wait, they don’t love you like I love you” sung with pleading desperation doesn’t get you, then you must be the Tin Man because you haven’t got a heart.

12. Magnetic Fields — “The Saddest Story Ever Told”. A great song about someone struggling to come to terms, while their counterpart moves on to a new and happy life. It really is a song whose title measures up well to its lyrics.

13. Franz Ferdinand — “Fade Together”. What’s this? An upbeat rock band making an appearance on this playlist? This is one of the two songs on You Could Have it So Much Better where they take a break from their high energy power cords and mellow things down. I didn’t think that it would work, but I’ll be damned if it doesn’t get me. A great song about growing apart from that someone special. On a side note, I saw them play this one live in Belfast back in ‘05 and it was simply amazing how they were able to take 20,000 drunken Irish and bring them all down with this song.

14. Matchbox 20 — “You Won’t Be Mine”. I’m really not sure how I came across this song many years ago in one of my random downloading sprees, but it has been on my music list for a very long time. While it may be slightly outside my normal musical sphere, I can’t recommend this one highly enough. In this song, Rob Thomas tells his ex that she will be ok and move on but always adds “but no, you won’t be mine” and conveys a strong sense of regret.

15. Hawksley Workman –”No More Named Johnny”. While I can’t say that I have ever dated anyone named Johnny, I still find this song really sad. In typical Workman fashion, the lyrics are whimsical, poetic and to the point all at the same time. I’m still not 100% sure what relevance driving an ice cream truck has to anything, but it still somehow fits into a really great song. Trust me, that last sentence will make sense once you give this song a listen.

16. The Shins — “Gone for Good”. One of the very best songs on Chutes too Narrow. It has explores ending a relationship you’ve been in for too long with great detail. Probably something we can all relate to…

17. The Weakerthans — “Left and Leaving”. I simply love this band, their indie-acoustic-folksy sound has a special place with me. Plus they’re Canadian and therefore awesome. My favourite line in this song is definitely “I’m trying not to wonder where you are”, it really speaks to the challenge that comes with moving on.

18. Lily Allen — “Littlest Things”. Now this is were I start to kick the sadness up a notch and a half. If you read this blog yesterday, you would know how much I adore this woman and this song is a big reason why. While a lot of her other songs (including the three videos I posted) are very upbeat, this one is really quite sad. She talks about being reminded of her ex and wonders if he is going through the same thing. Don’t worry Lily, if you are sad, my shoulder is right here for the crying on…

19. Yeah Yeah Yeahs — “Modern Romance”. Second time this band makes an appearance, second time the word Modern is featured in a song title. Weird eh? This song argues that romance simply doesn’t exist in this day and age. Even the most hopeless of romantics (i.e. me) find it hard to argue against Karen O here. If you like this song, there is also an excellent cover of it by TV on the Radio that you may want to check out.

20. New Radicals — “Crying Like a Church on Monday”. If you thought “Someday We’ll Know” is a sad one, then you haven’t heard anything yet. This song takes sadness and despair to a whole new level. There is such powerful imagery in this song that it rips your heart out a little bit each time you listen to it. Proceed with caution.

21. Prozzak –”Anna-Lisa”. Don’t laugh, seriously this song belongs here. Yeah Prozzak is probably the cheesiest band ever made, and I try to deny the fact that I own a copy of their first album, but this song is actually really good. It goes on about having your heart broken by the one that you thought was “the one” and doesn’t involve the bands usual cartoonish disco antics. Seriously, you need to check this one out.

22. Beck — “Lost Cause”. In an earlier post, I mention that this may just be the saddest song that I have ever heard. Well my opinion on that one is still very much intact. The words “I’m tired of fighting/fighting for a lost cause” really sum up breaking up to a tee. If you are in the right (or wrong) mood, this one will make you burst into tears.

Well that just about does it for this one. I’ve been listening to these songs while I write about them and I’m feeling kind of down now, I think that I need to listen to my moving on list once more to cheer myself up.

Anyway, I’m sure that I forgot more than a couple of good ones, so please let me know some good ones to include, I may do a bonus list of break-up tracks (From both lists) at a later time. Or maybe I’ll just move on to a cheerier soundtrack later on, we shall see.

Until next time,

G

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Music to Break-Up To

Thursday, December 7th, 2006

Alright, so I was going to write about politics but the combination of my sinus headache and severe Facebook addiction have inhibited any ability for higher order thinking. So as a result, I am going to post what I hope to be the first of many installments here on Getting Glenergized, Music to _________, where I post a list of some of my favourite songs for a particular situation. Since I have noticed that there seems to be a lot of break-ups in my social circle, and as someone who has some fairly recent experience in such a thing, I figure I could be a solid voice to help in such a thing.

When it comes to break-ups and music there are really two routes to take, the “I’m wallowing in self-pity” songs, and the “I am better off without you” songs. For the purposes of this blog we are going to take a gander at the second type right now. Perhaps we will look at self-pity at a later date. So without further ado, here goes…

1. Cake/Gloria Gaynor – “I Will Survive”. Cliche, I know, but what better way to start this list out? Most people I know are divided as to which version they prefer. This is one of the few instances where I prefer a cover to an original, as I think Cake so eloquently captures the anger of being heartbroken and has a certain determination to move on. Plus I think that it will fit better with other songs on the list.

2. Kaiser Chiefs – “Everyday I Love You Less and Less”. Not sure how big the Chiefs were on this side of the pond, but they were quite big over in Britain last year. This song is simply awesome for these purposes. It has really sharp, bitter lines but a very upbeat nature to it. Perfect for saying what you are thinking without bringing you down along the way.

3. New Order – “Blue Monday”. Another cliche, but at least it’s the original cliche!!! This is much better than the later cover by Orgy. It so perfectly captures the sense of confused anger that goes along with breaking up.

4. The All-American Rejects – “Swing, Swing”. I much prefer this song to their later “Move Along” (which could fit as well). Sure it’s poppy, sure it’s simplistic, but I really like how upbeat this song is and the line “My heart is crushed be a former love, can you help me find a way, to carry on again?” is something we can all relate to.

5. The Clash – “Should I Stay or Should I Go?”. Alright so this fit my own personal experiences last spring more than they probably fit any of yours, but it helped me a lot at the time.

6. Ben Harper – “When It’s Good”. If you are only going to check out one song on this list, make it this one. This is a fantastic song to listen to in such a situation!!!! When going through a break-up it is really easy to hate the other person, which can sometimes be hard since you obviously cared for them (and probably still do in some perverse way). The chorus of “When it’s good, it’s so, so good, when it’s gone, it’s gone”, says what a part of you is probably feeling. It is acknowledging that what you had was great, but being ready to move on.

7. Fleetwood Mac – “Go Your Own Way”. Perhaps the greatest “screw you, I’m moving on” song ever made. Period.

8. Oasis – “Don’t Look Back in Anger”. Good advice for just about anyone I say.

9. Cake – “Is This Love?”. One of my most favouritest of bands makes another appearance on my list. This song is so brutally to the point, I love it. “Is this love, or should I close the door?” is a question we all must ask ourselves at many points in our lives.

10. The Philosopher Kings – “You Stepped on My Life”. Good and angry, just the way you probably feel!!! It sums up an entire relationship in four minutes and twenty seconds. Sure some members of The Philosopher Kings may have gone on to found Prozzak, but we can forgive them by now, can’t we?

11. The White Stripes – “I Can’t Wait”. One of my favourite songs from one of my favourite albums. This song continues with the angry trend nicely and ups it a notch. If you are starting to think that you should get back together, give this song whirl.

12. TV on the Radio – “I Don’t Love You”. This screams moving on very loudly and very proudly. On a slight tangent: I love this band a lot, I don’t know why it took so long for me to discover them. If you haven’t heard their stuff then get on Limewire or Kazaa right now and make it happen.

13. Fiona Apple – “Criminal”. Only applicable if you cheated on someone. Otherwise, move along.

14. Johnny Cash – “Cry, Cry, Cry”. I think just about everyone of his other songs could make the self-pity list, but this one is awesome for the moving on one. The line “You’re gonna cry, cry, cry and you’ll want me there,It’ll hurt when you think of the fool you’ve been.” is very empowering.

15. Bob Marley – “No Woman, No Cry”. Surely you saw this one coming somewhere now didn’t you?

16. Carly Simon – “Clouds in My Coffee”. Such a great song to give someone the metaphorical finger to. I always found this song ironic, given that the chorus is “You’re so vain, I bet you think this song is about you”. She is clearly addressing this person in this chorus, making the song about him. Any way, it’s a great song!!!!!

17. Sufjan Stevens – “What Goes On?” Alright another cover. Sorry, I just had to include Sufjan Stevens on here somewhere, the man is amazing, and I really like this song. Yes I know, the original was by The Beatles, who thought they were bigger than Jesus. Turns out, Sufjan is the one that actually is.

18. Neil Young – “Heart of Gold”. If Neil can move on, then why can’t you? Alright, I know that I ‘m reaching here, but I just really like Neil Young, you can’t fault me for that one.

19. Hawksley Workam – “Don’t Be Crushed”. Hawksley is amazing, and I needed to add this song here. I love the poetic lyrics such as “Thank God you’re timeless, because my watch is broken”.

20. Matthew Good Band – “Suburbia”. Yeah I know, it’s really slow and sad, but it has a nice little “fuck you” thrown in there.

Alright that’s probably enough out of me for the evening, I hope you enjoy this list. I am sure that I am missing a lot, so please comment and I will be sure to add some to the list!!!!

Have any suggestions for the next bit of Music to _____ to? The hit me with a comment and I’ll think about err!!!!

Until next time,

G

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The Soundtrack to My Life

Sunday, December 3rd, 2006

I was trying to catch up on everyone else’s blogs lately, and I found this little ditty over at McNutt’s Blog. So in keeping with my tradition of stealing from other people, I present you with the Soundtrack to My Life.

Now in creating this soundtrack there are some very specific rules:

1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every scene, type the song that’s playing

So I switch my iTunes to random and let fate decide my life and here is what I get….

Opening Credits: Blessed Union of Souls – “I Believe”. Well I guess the story of my life is going to be a sappy tear jerker. Can’t say I’m surprised. Not sure how the struggle against racism theme of the song fits into the story of my life. But what do I know? I’ve just lived it…

Waking Up: US3 – “Cantaloop”. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, PERFECT!!!!!!! This is exactly how I feel in the morning, over the top and obnoxiously cheery. This song would be perfect for a Waking Up Montage, with my dancing in the shower and as I get dressed. I like my movie already.

First Day At School: Matthew Good Band – “Euphony”. One of my absolute favourite bands here with one of their least known songs. I really love this song, and it seems like it would oddly fit, not sure about the Chorus line of “I would love a room with a view”, although the lines of “burning this place to the ground”, are pretty hilarious in this context. [Editor's Note: Originally a Jerky Boys call came in here, but I vetoed it, as it is not really a song]

Falling In Love: Metric – “Torture Me”. Wow this is so incredibly perfect. The title alone is a prefect reflection of many of my romantic experiences. Sounds like my movie features some unrequited love. I like it even more!!!!

Fight Song: Hot, Hot Heat – “No, Not Now”. Hmmmm, sounds like it would be a pretty cool fight. The upbeat nature of this song tells me that my fight would resemble a 1960’s Batman Episode. Just the way all of my fights have been in real life (especially with Travis).

Breaking Up: De La Soul featuring Redman – “Ohh“. Alright this one doesn’t make much sense to me. This song is a little too hip-hop to fit in with a break-up, although it does sound kind of erotic, maybe there was some cheating involved in this break-up. Hmmmm….doesn’t really fit with real life, but again, what do I know?

Prom: The Shins – “Young Pilgrims”. Well, I love The Shins, so I’m glad they made the cut. This is one of my favourite songs of theirs, and it oddly fits. It is a great song to listen to while you are deep in thought, something I definitely was on my Prom (but that is a whole other story…).

Life: Broken Social Scene – “Superconnected“. I love it, especially the line about “I really don’t wanna think about those things anymore”. Fits in with my life and some of the choices that I have made.

Mental breakdown: Nickleback – “Favourite Disease”. Man, I was hoping nothing embarrassing would come up here, and sure enough, something does. I can’t say I’m a huge fan of Theory of a Nicklefault, so it makes sense that they would be playing during my mental breakdown. But I am judging by the nature of this song, that it is no doubt a dirty woman that drives me crazy. Also the fact that he starts out the song singing “I Love…” and ends it with “I Hate…” about the same things signifies that I am going Bi-Polar.

Flashback: Benni Benassi – “Satisfaction”. Apparently I am having a dirty, dirty flashback. I guess it goes along with the above song.

Getting back together: Brand New – “The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows”. Hmmm, cant’ say that I saw that one coming, but it works so well. The line of “Today’s the day we drop down. Give up my body in bed. All for an empty hotel.” seems like that would fit very well into getting back together. Although from the sounds of it, getting back together may not be a good idea in this movie. Hmmmm….

Birth of Child: New Order – “Blue Monday”. Apparently I hate my child….

Death Scene: Matthew Good Band – “Omissions of the Omen”. Well iTunes figured it out. I really want this song playing when I die!!!!! Especially for the line “You and me, we died a long, long time ago”

Funeral Song: Hoobastank – “Crawling in the Dark (acoustic)”. Well I actually like this Hoobastank song, this was before they became Hoobasuck. I guess this song fits, apparently I have been crawling in the dark, looking for the answer. I was hoping for something really upbeat for my funeral, since I want to have clowns at my funeral. The line “Will I ever get to see the ending to my story?” fits eerily well.

End Credits: Notorious BIG – “Hypnotize”. PERFECT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love this song a lot, and the end credits would clearly be me lip-synching to this song. I know all the words, really I do.

Well that is perfect, I have a great movie soundtrack!!!! A few years ago I made up a soundtrack to my life for real, and I liked it, but this one is way cooler and more importantly, it is better than McNutt’s.

The rest of you give this a try, it’s fun!!!!!!

Until next time,

G

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