KirstenL4W

One of the mix exchanges I participated in, the very first one, the one that started it all, was all about chick music. We titled it the V@g1N@ Catalogs, which is a play on the stage show the V@g1N@ Monologues. I chose the less spamable V-Cat 2.07 for the title of my disc (the 2.07 is for Feb 2007, the month in which I was due to send my mix out the the group). V-Cat and all the other mixes I received in this exchange are all really wonderful discs, and fit in with my favorite musical genre of angsty chick music. Since this mix holds a special place in my heart, I wanted to share with you all the songs I received over the course of this exchange.

• 88 Ways - Mia Doi Todd
• A Dog’s Life - Nina Nastasia
• A Matter Of Minutes - Shawn Colvin
• A Sorta Fairytale - Tori Amos
• A Tisket, A Tasket - Ella Fitzgerald
• After Hours - The Velvet Underground
• Air - The Owls
• Almost - Sarah Harmer
• Angel from Montgomery - Susan Tedeschi
• Anniversary Song - Cowboy Junkies
• Anything Anywhere - Melissa Ferrick
• Appalachia Waltz - Various Artists
• At Last - Neko Case
• Augusta - Pamela Means
• Bag Lady - Erykah Badu
• Barges - Ingrid Graudins
• Bitch With A Bad Attitude - Saffire
• Blue Light - Mazzy Star
• Blue Skies - Ella Fitzgerald
• Breathe Me - Sia
• Bridge Over Troubled Water - Aretha Franklin
• Burying Song - Hem
• Business As Usual - Juliet Turner
• Calling the Moon - Dar Williams
• Can I Walk With You - India.Arie
• Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You - Lauryn Hill
• Car Weels on a Gravel Road - Lucinda Williams
• Catnip Dream - Shonen Knife
• Central Reservation (The Then Again Version) - Beth Orton
• Chelsea Morning - Joni Mitchell
• Con Te Partiro - Sarah Brightman & Andrea Bocelli
• Conceived - Beth Orton
• Cornflake Girl - Tori Amos
• Cradle and All - Ani DiFranco
• Crow Waltz - The Be Good Tanyas
• Damaged - Plumb
• Dance Me to the End of Love - Madeline Peyroux
• Dancing In The Street - Martha Reeves & The Vandellas
• Danny’s All-Star Joint - Rickie Lee Jones
• Digging - Jonatha Brooke
• Dirty Man - Joss Stone
• Does He Love You? - Rilo Kiley
• Doing the Wrong Thing - Kaki King
• Don’t Let it Bring You Down - Annie Lennox
• Don’t Speak - Leela James
• Don’t Wait Too Long - Madeleine Peyroux
• Down By The Water - PJ Harvey
• Empire - Dar Williams
• Endsville - Coyote Project
• Everything Is Fine - Gillian Welch
• Extraordinary Machine - Fiona Apple
• Fast Car - Tracy Chapman
• Feet of Clay - Vashti Bunyan
• Fidelity - Regina Spektor
• Fighting For It All - Mindy Smith
• Fille De Quatorze Ans - Julien Hoffpauir
• Fingertips - Poe
• Galileo - Indigo Girls
• Get Me Through December - Alison Krauss
• Ghost Waltz - Jolie Holland
• Glory Box - Portishead
• Going Home - Sophie Zelmani
• Golden - Jill Scott
• Good Day - Jewel
• Good Life - Lily Wilson
• Goodbye Earl - Dixie Chicks
• Goodnight and Go - Imogen Heap
• Gotta Get Up From Here - Ellie Lawson
• Gracias a la Vida (live) - Mercedes Sosa
• Hallelujah - Brandi Carlile
• Hammer And A Nail - Indigo Girls
• Hand in My Pocket (Acoustic) - Alanis Morrisette
• Happy Phantom - Tori Amos
• He Said - Edie Brickell & New Bohemians
• Horsey - Hem
• Human Thing - The Be Good Tanyas
• I Am Changing - Jennifer Hudson
• I Hate/I Love - Toshi Reagon
• I Just Want To Make Love To You - Etta James
• I Love You - Sarah McLachlan
• I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers In My Hair) - Sandi Thom
• Ice Cream - Sarah McLachlan
• If She Knew What She Wants - The Bangles
• Ignatia Amara - Ida
• In My Own Eyes - Brandi Carlile
• In These Shoes - Kirsty MacColl
• It’s Not - Aimee Mann
• It’s Only Life - Danielia Cotton
• I’ve Committed Murder - Macy Gray
• I’ve Got to See You Again - Norah Jones
• Jah Kas Cool Boy - Django and Lojo
• Joyful Girl - Ani DiFranco
• Jumpers - Sleater-Kinney
• Just Like U Said It Would B - Sinead O’Connor
• Karen By Night - Jill Sobule
• La Tortuga - Jaramar
• Least Complicated - Indigo Girls
• Leaving on a Jet Plane - Chantal Kreviazuk
• Let Go - Frou Frou
• Little Plastic Castle - Ani DiFranco
• Lois Lane - Uncle Bonsai
• Lonely Lola Cherry Cola Girl - Bic Runga
• Love Will Keep Us Together - The Vassar College Night Owls
• Mama Will Provide - Kecia Lewis-Evans & Cast
• Marlene on the Wall - Suzanne Vega
• Melt Your Heart (live) - Jenny Lewis
• Mercedes Benz - Janis Joplin
• Mess You Up - Beth Boucher
• Mix Tape - Avenue Q Soundtrack
• Moment of Forgiveness - Indigo Girls
• More Than A Woman - Angie Stone
• Mr. Sellack - The Roches
• Mr. T - Gramophone
• My Number - Tegan & Sara
• Naked If I Want To - Cat Power
• Night Time Is The Right Time - Aretha Franklin
• No Names - Kate Rusby
• Nobody’s Diary - Yaz
• Nobody’s Listenin’ - Moe Z
• Non, je ne regrette rien - Edith Piaf
• Ol’ 55 - Sarah McLachlan
• Once I Was A Serene Teenaged Child - Frida Hyvonen
• Paper Bag - Fiona Apple
• Party’s Just Begun - Nelly Furtado
• Peace - Fruit
• Pies Descalzos, Suenos Blancos - Shakira
• Pink Emerson Radio - Kathleen Edwards
• Polyester Bride - Liz Phair
• Poor Girl - Po’ Girl
• Poor Man’s House - Patty Griffin
• Popsicle Toes - Diana Krall
• Possession - Sarah McLachlan
• Pour Some Sugar On Me - Emm Gryner
• Put Your Records On - Corinne Bailey Ray
• Que N’ai-je - Keren Ann
• Rain - Patty Griffin
• Respect - Aretha Franklin
• River Waltz - Cowboy Junkies
• Rubber Soul - Ane Brun featuring Teitur
• Sail Across The Water - Jane Siberry
• Serve the Ego - Jewel
• Ship Out On The Sea - The Be Good Tanyas
• Slow Down - Morcheeba
• So Far Away - Carole King
• So Much Mine - The Story
• So Quero Ver - Beth Carvalho
• So You Are To Me - Eastmountainsouth
• Somebody Loved - The Weepies
• Someone Else’s Prayer - Mary Chapin Carpenter
• Something In The Way - Jazzyfatnastees
• Something More - Outloud Dreamer
• Sonata in G:III. Scherzo & Trio - Yoshiko Iwai
• Stewart’s Coat - Rickie Lee Jones
• Summer Dress - Shawn Colvin
• Sweet Hands - Grace Potter & The Nocturnals
• Swing Malindy - T. Love
• Take Me Anywhere - Tegan & Sara
• Ted’s So Wasted - Oh Susanna
• Tennessee Waltz - Patsy Cline
• Thank You - Dido
• The Ballad of Lucy Jordan - Marianne Faithfull
• The First Time - Rose Polenzani
• The Great Valerio - Linda Thompson
• The Long Way Around - Dixie Chicks
• The Rainbow Connection - Sarah McLachlan
• These Boots Are Made For Walkin’ - Nancy Sinatra
• They - Jem
• This Girl is Taking Bets - Thea Gilmore
• This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody) - Shawn Colvin
• This Woman’s Work - Kate Bush
• Tokyo Nights - Puffy AmiYumi
• Tomorrow Wendy - Concrete Blonde
• Train in Vain - Annie Lennox
• Troubled Mind - Catie Curtis
• Twist in My Sobriety - Tanita Tikeram
• Uma Casa Portuguesa - Amalia Rodrigues
• Unstick - Bitch
• Us Amazonians - Kirsty MacColl
• Useless Desires - Patty Griffin
• Voodoo Child - Angélique Kidjo
• Waltz Across Texas Tonight - Emmylou Harris
• Water is Wide - Lilith Fair
• We Are More - Erin McKeown
• When I Was A Boy - Dar Williams
• Who Makes You Feel - Dido
• Widow’s Walk - Bet Williams
• Winter - Tori Amos
• Worn Me Down - Rachel Yamagata
• You Gotta Be - Des’ree
• You Said Something - PJ Harvey
• You Will Be My Ain True Love - Alison Krauss

aka Lilith Fair edition. Has anyone been to Lilith Fair? I have - twice, actually. Not bad considering that the tour only lasted 3 years. I didn’t go to the first concert, but I don’t recall why. I do remember the hype surrounding it, though, and a lot of singers I like were headlining. By the second year, I was listening to more and more music that was or could have been featured at Lilith Fair, so I looked into tickets. Not being an avid concert-goer, I had no idea how much tickets would cost, but I was surprised to find out that they were general admission tickets. For only $35, I could get tickets to see up to a dozen different singers. That sounded like a bargain to me, so I bought a ticket for me and my mom.

It was far, on the southern end of the state, and as anyone who’s ever been to a concert knows, parking was a mofo. But this concert exceeded my expectations as soon as I got through the gate. Free sampler CDs were being handed out to the first thousand people to walk in, so I snagged one of those, which quickly became, and still remains, one of my favorite compilation albums. I checked out the map and set up my plan. It wasn’t going to be possible to see everyone that was playing that day, since with three different stages there was bound to be some overlap. If I could do it over again, I’d have spent more time at the tiny village stage, where the least known artists were performing. Bic Runga was there, and I didn’t become a fan until I had an A-HA! moment listening to the free handout CD, which included her song Sway. Some of the artists I did see, however, were:

Chantal Kreviazuk - I’ve written about her before, as she’s one of my favorites. When I attended Lilith Fair, I had a CD of hers, but didn’t really pay much attention to it until I saw her perform. She puts on an amazing concert.

Abra Moore - I like her music, but her performance left a lot to be desired, especially since she followed Chantal. Stick to her albums, since she’s much better in the studio.

letters to cleo - I love their music - so much fun! I was already a fan since they’re a Boston Band. I saw Kay Hanley hanging out between sets and managed to get her autograph. (Note to self: catch up on Kay Hanley’s solo stuff!)

Aimee Mann - I’ve liked her since Til Tuesday, and I like her solo stuff even better. A great songwriter who perseveres despite Big Record Company pressures.

Kendall Payne - I haven’t kept up with her more recent stuff, but wow, what a strong voice this woman has. She’s better known in Christian music circles, but if you’re not into that, her stuff is still worth checking out since it’s not preachy at all.

Then of course there’s all the ones you are familiar with: Sarah McLachlan, Jewel, Natalie Merchant, Sheryl Crow, etc. Most of the music I heard at Lilith Fair, both the new stuff and the stuff that got me there in the first place, is music that I still listen to today. I wish Lilith Fair or something similar was still touring today, because it was such a great musical event. Oh, and I’m sure you’re wondering - What’s with the Angsty Chick Music label? Well, that’s what Boyfriend calls it. It’s fitting, don’t ya think?

One of my favorite kinds of music album to buy is the movie soundtrack. I mean, think about it. If you buy a CD that features just one artist, you have to like the artist quite a bit to justify buying the whole album, because even with your favorite singer in the whole wide world, you probably won’t love every song on the album.

Generic compilation albums tend to have the same songs over and over again, so again, these can be hit or miss, unless you know exactly what you are looking for. In that case, the 100-CD complete set of 80s songs is what you want. But for a decent mix of music you pretty much know you are going to like? That’s when I turn to the movie soundtrack.

Movies and music go hand in hand - it’s rare that there’s a movie out there that doesn’t contain at least a single note. The music featured in a movie, whether it’s by various artists, a single artist, or original score (that’s the no-singing background music composed just for the movie, in case you were wondering), music in the movies is carefully chosen to enhance a particular scene and/or the mood of the movie in general. When Harry Met Sally is a great example - not only did it capture NYC the way I like to think about it, the music chosen had the added benefit of making the movie timeless. Here it is, 20 years later, and it seems that the movie has hardly aged at all.

Garden State is an awesome album unto itself. Even if you’ve never seen the movie, it’s a great listen. I could go on about how it won a Grammy, or how Zach Braff picked the songs for the movie, but you’ve probably heard it all before. It’s just a great, mellow album without being sleep inducing.

Sometimes it seems there is a case of the music coming before the movie. Cameron Crowe sometimes seems that way, but the soundtracks to his movies are just as well known as the movies themselves. Say Anything is a perfect example. What person who grew up in the 80s doesn’t think that “In Your Eyes” is one of the most romantic songs ever? If that song had not been featured in that movie the way it was, it would have been just another Peter Gabriel Song. The movie catapulted the song into the stratosphere.

Next time you’re watching a movie, take note of the music. Most movies these days will issue a soundtrack to go along with it, so if you like the movie, think about picking up the soundtrack. For me, movie soundtracks are some of the best “mix tapes” I own.

I have to admit, I usually write these posts in bulk and in advance, but here it is Sunday night and I’m still not quite ready. But I promised you a new music related post every Monday, so I’ll try to whip out something for you.

I’m sitting here watching VH-1 Classic, and Bon Jovi Unplugged is on. Bon Jovi hit it big when I was in 7th grade, and Slippery When Wet was the album to get. Everyone had it, and in a rare showing of letting us be like the popular kids, my stepmother actually got us that record for Christmas. My sister and I played it incessantly, even though we were probably a bit too young to understand a lot of it. Even my cool bus driver was in on it. She had a tape player and played Bon Jovi (among other stuff) on the bus in the afternoons. That was probably the only time I could tolerate riding the bus. I still have a bit of a soft spot for their stuff - they’re still making good music.

Madonna hit the scene when I was in 5th grade. That was the year that everyone had lace gloves, fingerless and with fingers, and armfuls of the plastic bangles, preferably black but we had the fluorescent colors too. Being in grade school still, we didn’t have the rest of her look down, but we were able to get away with the accessories. Like a Virgin was in heavy rotation on our record player, and this one was even more inappropriate for a 10 year old than the above mentioned album was for a 12 year old. But we loved it, and sang it all the time. Same thing for when True Blue came out. After that her stuff was a bit of hit or miss, so I’ll evaluate each song on an individual basis.

Hearing the earlier stuff from both these artists brings me back to a time when I didn’t have as many worries, laughed in the face of danger, and had fun no matter what, so even though this music is older, it still brings a smile to my face.

I’m sure there are a lot of use who like cover music. Some of us find special joy in cover songs sung with an original twist.

Richard Cheese and Lounge Against the Machine is a band that sings songs - not necessarily cover songs - songs that were originally written and sung by other artists. I say they aren’t cover songs because there’s such a humourous twist in these lounge style renditions, that it’s quite obvious that these songs are not being sung for the sake of being sung. This also isn’t a group that takes the songs and puts a whole new meaning to them, with new lyrics to beat, a la Weird Al. I hope you can all follow me. Richard Cheese and Lounge Against the Machine sings these songs in the lounge music style.

You really have to have a sense of humor to appreciate Richard Cheese. Otherwise, you’re just not gonna get why Baby Got Back is so funny when it’s “swankified” (this is the term the band uses to describe what they do to the hits). Also, you really can’t be a prude. Part of the fun of a Richard Cheese concert is the way he “reaches out” to his audience - particularly the female members of the audience. It’s quite funny, actually. Here’s someone singing songs in the style of a washed up lounge lizard, who by definition is supposed to be a repulsive character but doesn’t quite get that. Richard Cheese takes the angle that he has a huge, female-centric fan club. At the concert that Boyfriend and I attended back in November, there was a CD sales table with two sign-sheets: Join Richard’s Mailing List, and one that said Women Who Want to Sleep With Dick.” What a kidder!

Now that I’ve inadequately described the genius that is Richard Cheese, check out this video:

Yet another CD mix exchange! It’s my last one for awhile, at least as far as swapping real CDs goes. I’ll probably do mix related posts on here, though so don’t worry about the Music on Mondays feature.

This mix is a traveling theme - music for the long ride home. I love road trip music, as this post will tell you. Here’s my contribution:

1. Drive - Bic Runga
2. 1000 Miles Away - Jewel
3. California - Semisonic
4. Car Wheels on a Gravel Road - Lucinda Williams
5. Watching the Wheels - John Lennon
6. Cars and Guitars - Tori Amos
7. Closer to You - Brandi Carlile
8. Crossroads - Cream
9. Diamond Road - Sheryl Crow
10. Don’t Leave Home - Dido
11. Driving With the Brakes On - Del Amitri
12. Driving Sideways - Aimee Mann
13. The Long Road - Eddie Vedder and Nusrat Fateh Ali Kahn
14. 200 More Miles - Cowboy Junkies
15. Runaway - Pink
16. Vegas - Sara Bareilles
17. Long Ride Home - Patty Griffin

This mix was thrown together a bit more hastily than my previous mixes since I needed to get it done ASAP, but overall I’m satisfied with it. These are all songs that sound good when you’re on the open road, which is one of my favorite places to be.

I’m moving up some of my mix exchanges. I wasn’t due until March for this one and May for next week’s, but I need to get them done right now or I won’t be able to honor the commitments I made to the groups. So you’ll be getting 2 mix exchanges in a row.

This week’s is another theme mix. This is the second theme I did, with the last one being the Road Trip USA mix. This time I opted for Rain. A few people have already done similar mixes, one with Water, one was Rain or Shine, and another was about Weather in general. I feared flooding some people out, but honestly, when the whole theme thing came up, Rain was the first thing I thought of because I pretty much already had this mix made, at least in my head. It came about not on a rainy day weatherwise, but a rainy day for me, emotionally. I’m feeling like that again as I continue through this growth period (I’ll write more about that later). Here’s the mix:

1. I Think It’s Going to Rain Today - Bette Midler
2. Feels Like Rain - John Hiatt
3. A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall - Edie Brickell & New Bohemians
4. Rain - Patty Griffin (the song that started this whole mix!)
5. Raindrops - Regina Spektor
6. Rain Come Down - Eastmountainsouth
7. Downpour - Brandi Carlile
8. Let Her Feel the Rain - Tara MacLean
9. London Rain (Nothing Heals Me Like You Do) - Heather Nova
10. Only Happy When It Rains - Garbage
11. Come Rain or Come Shine - Etta James
12. Purple Rain - Prince
13. November Rain - Guns N Roses
14. It Can’t Rain All the Time - Jane Siberry
15. Last Rain - Tanya Donnelly
16. Bursting Through - Bic Runga

For me, it’s a perfect rainy day mix, no matter if it’s rainy outside or I’ve just turned on the waterworks. Enjoy!

First, please don’t panic at the word “breakup.” Boyfriend and I are just fine. This is yet another one of those mix exchanges that I’m always talking about.

My name is Kirsten and I’m a CD mix exchange addict. This is my latest in a long line of exchanges this year, and I am signed up for 2 more at the moment that I still need to make contributions to, but those will be in February and May. But the breakup mix? Well, here’s your song listing:

1. Time - Sarah McLachlan
2. Waiting - Chantal Kreviazuk
3. Excuses - Alanis Morrisette
4. Come Around - Kim Richey
5. The Power of Goodbye - Madonna
6. Sand in My Shoes - Dido
7. I’ll Do Fine - Ebba Forsberg
8. Greeting Card Aisle - Sarah Harmer
9. Never Do That Again - Ivy
10. It’s Only Love - Heather Nova
11. If I Fall - Tara MacLean
12. Displaced - Azure Ray
13. To Be Free - Emiliana Torrini
14. I’ll Take It From Here - Jonatha Brooke

And of course there’s a backstory to this, which will explain why none of these songs are newer than 4 years old. This comes directly from the commentary included in my cover art.

In 2002, I met a man with whom I fell in love. I thought he loved me back, until he “needed his space.” But we stayed friends, and he was instrumental in where I ended up when I moved to Las Vegas in 2003. We continued our friendship with the understanding that it was not the right time for a deeper relationship. In the meantime, I made this mix - mostly on the idea that it was a bit of a completer mix to the Felicity soundtracks. As I listened to it, it became apparent that another theme was emerging and I realized that I needed to let him go. I did that in 2005, telling him flat out that I wanted him to fight for me. He didn’t, and I haven’t heard from or talked to him since. I burned all his letters and I haven’t listened to this CD since then either, but I had it kicking around in my collection. This mix exchange gives me the perfect opportunity to set this mix free. I have a boyfriend now - one who is better than I could ever have imagined. I’m thinking of another mix for him, but it won’t include any of these songs.

So there you have it - my latest mix. I hope you all enjoy it.

One of the first TV shows I really remember being influential in helping shape my musical taste was Felicity. It was a show that debuted in 1998, about 4 years after I had given up on college but still while in the midst of my wanderlust and general dissatisfaction with my place in life, at least, geographically speaking. Felicity was a young woman about to start college who threw away the sensible plans and followed her crush to a school all the way across the country. I could never relate to the following your crush thing, but the moving cross country thing struck a chord with me. I watched that show and lived vicariously through her. The show was on for four years, one for each year of college, and a year after the show ended I finally packed up and followed my dream.

There have been TV shows on in the past that featured popular music of the day. Felicity was, in my mind, a bit of a trendsetter because it not only featured the music, but did so prominently. At the end of each episode, there would be an announcement that showed the artists and albums where one could find the music. The show produced not one, but two soundtracks - Freshman Year and Senior Year. These two albums don’t even come close to the tip of the iceberg as far as music that was featured on the show.

Now I know, some of you will argue with me about which show really was the first to put music in the forefront like this. But Felicity was the first show that I can remember watching that made such a musical impression, and this is my blog, so my memories rule here.

Now, where was I? Oh yes, the music. The music set the theme for the show, or scenes within the show. I think like that a lot - depending on the situation, I might have a song in my head that goes along with that scene in my life. Often times, music in a scene, be it theater, tv, or a movie, helps cement the mood of the scene and make it that much more memorable. Unlike the days of yore, music is no longer just a means of entertainment or a way to show off some talent. It is so intertwined with our lives. Can you imagine life without music? Try watching some of the deleted scenes on one of your favorite DVDs. You’ll notice that many times, the special effects are missing but so is the music. It’s a bit odd watching the deleted scenes right after watching the movie, having the song or background music in your head, and not hearing it from the speakers. My life without music would be…flat.

I’ve found some sites online that claim to have complete listings of all the songs played during the course of the Felicity series. One is here and the other is here. There are some discrepancies between the two lists, and some of that may be owing to the fact that when the DVDs came out, some songs were replaced because of licensing issues. Just look at it this way: it’s that many more songs you can check out for your collection.

Welcome to my new feature, Music on Mondays! Many of you know that I love music, as evidenced by my participation in mix exchanges, and I like to share all that with you by listing what I’ve sent in for my mixes. I love that it’s a way to find new music. With that, I’m going to talk about where to find new music.

The mix exchanges are a fun, great way to find new stuff, but not everyone has the ability or desire to participate in them. They do require a CD burner, and a bit of cash to purchase blank CDs and postage to send them out (the mailings are about $1.31US, and there are usually 11 to send out, so it adds up). But what you can do is network. Ask your friends, co-workers, and others what kind of music they like and why. As you expand your likings, they will be better able to recommend stuff they think you might like.

Amazon.com is a great one because they have a fairly decent recommendation feature. If you have an account with them and have purchased stuff in the past, they will recommend stuff based on your purchases. Also, they give you the option of editing your recommendations so that items you already own are taken into account, or the weird CD you purchased for your great-uncle when you drew his name in the gift exchange doesn’t come into consideration. Amazon.com has 30-second clips of songs on nearly every CD that they sell, and recently they have started selling some albums in MP3 format and yes, you can buy individual tracks.

The iPod is pretty much the standard when it comes to digital music players. I know the Zune is doing a good job at getting themselves some of that market share, but I have an iPod and would marry it if I could, so all digital music players I talk about will be the iPod. With the iPod there is also iTunes, which is a free download and a great way of organizing your digital music collection. iTunes also will let you upload your CDs to their player (unless you have a copyright-protected CD, which I just avoid in general). iTunes also has a recommendation feature based on purchases and browsing history, there is the iMix feature where people make their own mixes and upload them to iTunes, and their Free Song of the Week. Many people think that if they have iTunes and and iPod that they must purchase music from iTunes, but that is simply not true. You can purchase from other sources and import the music into iTunes. Just go to File > Import > Import File to Library and it will bring the songs you have saved elsewhere on your computer to iTunes. And don’t forget the mixes! This is the program I use to make all my mixes, since it’s so easy to create a new playlist and burn it.

I don’t listen to much commercial radio, because frankly, it pretty much sucks. I listen to CDs in the car or nothing at all. But other sources can be great. I used to listen to Radio Paradise a lot at my old job. They play an eclectic mix of anything and everything. Listening to RP has the potential to do some serious damage to your music budget, because in addition to playing everything under the sun, they have a great database of where to find the music. Click on a song link and you come to the album it’s from along with other albums by that artist and offers a few suggestions.

CD Baby is another great source. They sell music by independent artists, bypassing the record companies and their huge portion of the profits. They have an amazing selection of great music you’re not listening to, and they sell their CDs by actual CD that they will mail you or MP3, which you can upload into iTunes.

Those are my favorite ways to find new music. How do you find new music to listen to?

My latest mix CD exchange is just that - music I loved in High School. I was in high school in the late 80s and early 90s, and quite frankly, a lot of the music from that time is forgettable (as in, when will everyone forget this stuff ever existed). I was a bit embarrassed by my mix, but it turns out that a lot of other people in my group liked it and the memories it brought back for them, so I’m quite happy about that. I related my mix to certain memories, good and bad, that they brought back. Here’s my mix:

1. Angel by Aerosmith
2. Pour Some Sugar on Me by Def Leppard
3. Addicted to Love by Robert Palmer
4. You Got It (The Right Stuff) by New Kids on the Block
5. Straight Up by Paula Abdul
6. Love Shack by The B-52’s
7. The Look by Roxette
8. What I Am by Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians
9. Fade to Black by Metallica
10. Thinking of You by Sa-Fire
11. Unbelievable by EMF
12. Twice as Hard by The Black Crowes
13. Dream On by Aerosmith
14. Fall At Your Feet by Crowded House
15. Wind of Change by Scorpions
16. Wonderful Tonight by Eric Clapton
17. Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon & Garfunkel

Boyfriend also made a mix, since he went to high school in the early 80s and he listened to cool alternative music (not to be confused with the heavily synthesized New Wave music that you hear on 80s flashback programs. Here’s his mix:

1. I Could Be Happy by Altered Images
2. Blue Shadows by The Blasters
3. Avalon by Roxy Music
4. Love Will Tear Us Apart by Joy Division
5. Belly of the Whale by Burning Sensations
6. Stand or Fall by The Fixx
7. Major Tom by Peter Schilling
8. Christian Boy by Robert Seidler
9. 88 Lines About 44 Women by Nails
10. Fade to Grey by Visage
11. I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass by Nick Lowe
12. Once in a Lifetime by Talking Heads
13. Warm Leatherette by The Normal
14. People Who Died by Jim Carroll Band
15. The Card Cheat by The Clash
16. A Rush and a Push & The Land Is Ours by The Smiths
17. California Kid by Beat Farmers
18. The Fanatic by Felony
19. My Wife and My Dead Wife by Robyn Hitchcock
20. The Unguarded Moment by The Church

I think I’m going to enjoy Boyfriend’s mix a lot more than my own, since I rarely listen to anything on there anymore (except Crowded House - they’re in my current playlist). What did you listen to in high school? Don’t worry about revealing your age, either!

On Sunday night, Boyfriend and I went to see Richard Cheese and Lounge Against the Machine in concert. For those who don’t know, Richard Cheese is a lounge singer, very much in the style of Bill Murray’s SNL character Nick the Lounge Singer, but this is different in that you actually want to watch it. The show was awesome! Schmaltzy, swanky, hip, and of course there was Dick! If you ever get the chance to see Richard Cheese perform such classics as Smack My Bitch Up, the Clorox 2 jingle, Another Brick in the Wall, and of course Christmas in Las Vegas, then you must get thee to a Dick Cheese concert asap, because they won’t be touring much longer.

And, the long awaited mix. Ok, for me at least. This is the first of two theme mixes that I’ve signed up for, and let me tell you, my fellow exchangers are very clever! I was originally going to do a theme of Rain, which is one I actually have wanted to make for a long time, and that mix came out really, really good, IMHO. But I received a mix on Water, and not sure if it’s the same group, but also a mix on Weather, so Rain got shelved for a bit. That being said, I decided to do my mix about traveling music.

Road Trip USA

• Road Trippin’ by Red Hot Chili Peppers BUY
• Please Come to Boston by Dave Loggins BUY
• Long Island Shores by Mindy Smith BUY
• Buffalo by Brown, Karaugh BUY
• Cleveland by Jewel BUY
• Allentown by Billy Joel BUY
• Raining in Baltimore by Counting Crows BUY
• Tennessee Waltz by Patsy Cline BUY
• Carolina in My Mind by James Taylor BUY
• Angel from Montgomery by Susan Tedeschi BUY
• Pensacola by Joan Osborne BUY
• Mississippi by Sheryl Crow BUY
• Stephenville, TX by Jewel BUY
• Wichita Skyline by Shawn Colvin BUY
• Omaha by Counting Crows BUY
• Don’t Make Me Come to Vegas by Tori Amos BUY
• Malibu by Hole BUY
• Anchorage by Michelle Shocked BUY
• Last Stop: This Town by Eels BUY

I broke a rule I have by including more than one song by the same artist (actually, I did this twice). But there were some pretty good songs, and it seems that some singers like road music, so what the heck. It all flows pretty darn good.

So there ya go, my latest musical adventures. Go enjoy yourself some music, will ya?

Here it is, the long-waited song list for my Cover Mix CD Exchange. Boyfriend also did a mix to include, so my imaginary internet friends are all getting a bonus! The format, for those who may be confused, is Song - Singer (Original Singer), followed by a quick note on why I chose or like that particular song. Here ya go:

Eye in the Sky – Jonatha Brooke (Alan Parsons Project)
Jonatha Brooke is one of my favorite singers, and one of her more recent CDs, Back in the Circus, included this cover of a song heard mostly on easy listening stations. This stripped-down version is much nicer to listen to. Buy the album Back In The Circus.

To Ramona – Sinead Lohan (Bob Dylan)
Sinead Lohan really needs to make some more music. I’ve voraciously listened to everything by her that I can get my hands on, and this Bob Dylan cover is one of my favorites by her. Buy the album A Woman’s Heart: A Decade On.

Hungry Heart – Minnie Driver (Bruce Springsteen)
Yes, that’s Minnie Driver the actress singing! If you like folksy chick music like I do, then definitely check out her albums. Buy the album Everything I’ve Got In My Pocket.

Here for the Party – The Southern Fire Band (Gretchen Wilson)
The Southern Fire Band is a cover band here in Las Vegas that I’ve seen perform quite a few times. Kelly, the lead guitarist (and an amazing guitarist at that), is a good friend of mine, and Lesly, the lead singer, is a co-worker with me in the finance department of some big anonymous company, so I get to see her every day. I’m just thrilled to bits that I could introduce you to my friends. They don’t have an album out, but they do play locally - you can get their schedule here at their website. (As of this writing I was unable to get on their website, not sure if it’s on my end or theirs. Do try again later.)

Leaving on a Jet Plane – Chantal Kreviazuk (John Denver)
Oh Chantal – there are just not enough good things I can say about one of my absolute favorite singers around. Boyfriend is generally not a fan of angsty chick music, as he puts it, but when he surprised me by attending Chantal’s concert with me, even he was impressed. I love how she adds so much of herself to this song. Buy the album Armageddon: The Album (Soundtrack).

I Walk the Line – Los Lonely Boys (Johnny Cash)
Johnny Cash is a favorite recently, with the recent movie of his life bringing The Man in Black to a whole new audience. Los Lonely Boys give this song a modern twist and make it a toe-tapping good time. Buy the album Los Lonely Boys.

The Rainbow Connection – Sarah McLachlan (Kermit the Frog)
I’ve been a fan of Kermit T. Frog since I was just a kid. My dad took my sister and I to see The Muppet Movie in the theater when I was just barely 5 – my very first movie at the movie theater. It left such an impression on me, leaving me with a distinct memory that would play very prominently in my quest for self-discovery. That movie started with this song, sung beautifully by another one of my favorite artists, one who would be instrumental (no pun intended) in defining my musical tastes. Buy the album For the Kids.

Stairway to Heaven – Me First and the Gimme Gimmes (Led Zeppelin)
Who from my generation doesn’t remember going to a school dance? This was always the last song, the “hurry up and find someone to dance with already” dance, because once this song was over, the lights came up and it was time to go home. I like this abbreviated version much better – it doesn’t bring to mind any of the long, drawn-out awkwardness of those middle and high school dances. Buy the album Run Jonny’s Bar Mitzvah.

Fade to Black – Apocalyptica (Metallica)
I had a bit of a grudge against these headbanging classics when I was in my mid-teens and lusting after a certain boy band. Eventually I warmed up to them, and also developed a taste for string quartets during a trip to England, being within earshot of Canon in D and some punk band at the same time at Covent Garden. This is off their album Inquisition Symphony, which came out in 1998, one year earlier than the Metallica/San Francisco Symphony Orchestra concert that was released as the album S & M. Buy the album Inquisition Symphony.

Everyday is Like Sunday – The Pretenders (Morrissey)
I liked 80s music ok, but since I’ve been with Boyfriend my taste for it has developed a bit more. And The Pretenders are such a wonderful part of the musical landscape over the past 25+ years that it only makes sense to include them on this mix. Buy the album Pirate Radio Box Set.

Hurt – Johnny Cash (Nine Inch Nails)
Such a cliché on any cover mix these days, but if you’ve seen the video for this song (available on YouTube), you’ll see who really owns this song. Hearing it by NIN now just isn’t the same. Buy the album American IV: The Man Comes Around.

Crazy Train – Emm Gryner (Ozzy Osbourne)
I love it when a singer can take a song and totally make it into something of their own creation. While visiting a friend in Toronto, I saw Emm Gryner perform Pour Some Sugar on Me on a late night talk show, and I spent the rest of my vacation searching high and low for her album, Girl Versions. I finally found this album of all covers on my last day there. Buy the album Girl Versions.

Fat Bottomed Girls – Antigone Rising (Queen)
I love Queen, and while Antigone Rising is technically part of that whole folksy chick genre that I like, I find them a bit too country for my taste. But you gotta love any girl group who can sing a song entitled “Fat Bottomed Girls.” Buy the album Killer Queen: A Tribute to Queen.

Love is All Around – Joan Jett (Theme song for The Mary Tyler Moore Show, by Sonny Curtis)
I loved, and still love, The Mary Tyler Moore show. So much so that I was this close to moving to Minneapolis when I decided to finally move away from home, except hat I made the decision on where to go in the middle of winter and ended up in Las Vegas instead. This version of the song was used in the closing credits of the movie Drop Dead Gorgeous, which took place in The Land of Snow 10,000 Lakes. Buy the album Fit to Be Tied: Greatest Hits.

Come Sail Away – Eric Cartman (Styx)
While not a religious viewer of South Park, I do appreciate the finer artistic merits of the show. I actually prefer this version of the song to the original.
Buy the album Chef Aid: The South Park Album.

Come Together – Aerosmith (The Beatles)
There have been a lot of Beatles covers over the course of this exchange, but I had to throw one more in there. When I was in high school, I listened to Aerosmith’s Greatest Hits tape until it wore out – then bought another one to wear out. Any song from that album brings back memories of those carefree days. Buy the album Aerosmith’s Greatest Hits.

How Soon Is Now – Neil Finn (The Smiths)
Another great 80s songs, one of my favorites actually. This version is sung by one of my favorite male singers, Neil Finn of Crowded House – a group whose music I’m always in the mood for. I couldn’t find which album this came off of, I only know that I got it on a previous mix exchange and loved it, but in the spirit of cover mixes check out She Will Have Her Way: The Songs of Tim & Neil Finn.

Walk on the Ocean – John Mayer (Toad the Wet Sprocket)
While I like what I’ve heard from John Mayer, I can’t say that I’m a huge fan of his. Toad the Wet Sprocket, on the other hand, is just phenomenal, and this live, acoustic cover sounds pretty damn good. Again, this is a song I acquired by the above method, so I can’t find an album that this is on. But since I love Toad the Wet Sprocket, I’m going to deviate from the formula and recommend P.S.: A Toad Restrospective for you.

Amazing Grace (House of the Rising Sun) – Blind Boys of Alabama (Traditional spiritual sung to the tune of House of the Rising Sun, a classic folk ballad, as made popular by The Animals)
I hesitated about including a spiritual song on the mix, because I know how it can make people uncomfortable if they aren’t particularly religious. But this version is like a 2 for 1 cover, so as far as I’m concerned, it’s a major coup as far as this mix goes. Besides, it is the most awesome version of Amazing Grace I’ve ever heard. Yes, even better than Ani DiFranco. Buy the album Spirit of the Century.

Boyfriend’s Mix

Boyfriend was nearly as excited as I was when I decided to do this mix. After many animated discussions about what I should include along with many late nights sharing our collections, it was apparent that everything we wanted to share with you would not fit onto a single disc, so Boyfriend went ahead and prepared a bonus disc for all my imaginary internet friends. Other than that he likes the songs he chose and the way they were covered, I have no further explanation regarding his selections. However, I was told that I have to gloat to all of you that we are going to see Richard Cheese and Lounge Against the Machine in concert in November. Anyway, here’s his list with links, if I could find them:

1. Lucille - Beat Farmers (Kenny Rogers) Buy Loud and Plowed and . . . LIVE!!

2. Don’t Fear the Reaper - Danny Elfman (Blue Oyster Cult) I can’t find any info on this one, but Danny Elfman does tons and tons of musical scores for movies. Beetlejuice is a favorite of both Boyfriend and myself.

3. Pretty in Pink - The Dresden Dolls (Psychedelic Furs) Buy High School Reunion

4. Flowers on the Wall - Eric Heatherly (Statler Brothers) Buy Swimming in Champagne

5. Enter Sandman - Richard Cheese and Lounge Against the Machine (Metallica) Buy Aperitif for Destruction

6. Whiter Shade of Pale - Sarah Brightman (Procol Harem) Buy Diva: The Singles Collection

7. The Air That I Breathe - Simply Red - (Everly Brothers) Buy The Very Best of Simply Red

9. Passenger - Souixsie and the Banshees (Iggy Pop) Buy Twice Upon a Time: The Singles

10. Barbie Girl - Rammstein (Aqua) I couldn’t find the album this came from, nor could I read German to be sure of what I was looking at, but I did find this during my research. You’re on your own here.

11. Chop Suey - Richard Cheese and Lounge Against the Machine (System of a Down) Buy Tuxicity

12. Summer Breeze - Type O Negative (Seals & Croft) Buy Bloody Kisses

13. Tainted Love - Marilyn Manson (Gloria Jones, but made popular by Soft Cell) Buy Not Another Teen Movie Soundtrack

14. Viva Las Vegas - Dead Kennedys (Elvis Presley) Buy Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables

15. Ring of Fire - Wall of Voodoo (Johnny Cash) Buy The Index Masters

Phew!

There was so much great stuff to choose from, and I’ve been getting so much awesome music, with more to come. And pulling all those links from Amazon was very time consuming, but I think it’s worth it. I put so much thought into my mixes, and I’d like to share them with as many people as possible, so this is the best way I can think of to do it. Besides, who doesn’t like discovering a bit of new music every now and then, even if it’s a cover? And for those looking to find these links when this post is buried, look in my categories for BUY and that will bring you to all posts in which I link to products you might want to buy.

I’m going to have a piece of Boyfriend’s homemade AppleRum Pie (apple pie with rum in the filling!) Yum!

We’re having the potential for some wild weather tonight in Vegas. Usually the weather is just bright and sunny. Right now it’s cloudy, windy, and rain is threatening. There are storms just over the mountains to the west of us that don’t seem to want to visit us, and about an hour ago a tornado warning was cancelled. I was giddy with excitement, since tornadoes are very rare in these here parts. The warning was for southwestern Clark County, northwest central San Bernadino County, and extreme southeast Inyo County, particularly around the area of Sandy Valley. But the wild weather remains and we should be seeing some excitement over the weekend. Now if only my damn WeatherBug would stop chirping. And the yellow balloon stop popping up. I hate those things - I click the X to close and it still pops up about a dozen times before it gets the hint that no means no.

I’ve been pretty active in the CD mix exchanges, may a little too active, but it’s been really fun. I’m just about ready to get my Cover Mix done, and Boyfriend is contributing to that one with his own mix. When I signed up for it and started getting stuff in, he was having as much fun with that one as I was (until an overwhelming amount of ‘angsty chick music’ started trickling in), but as we talked about it, there was just so much cool stuff that we felt should be included, so he’s making a mix for my imaginary internet friends too.

Another mix I’m working on is a theme mix - everyone in the group picks a theme and keeps it a secret until the CDs arrive in everyone’s mailbox. That one has also been a lot of fun. I had my theme picked up since I first signed up, and my CDs are due to go out in November. It’s not as clever as some of the themes I’ve been getting, but this past week I had a burst of inspiration, so I’m putting together some other themes and storing them away for future use. I’d send the newly thought up ones out, but I’m rather attached to my original mix, so I’ll start with that one. And for those who are wondering, I’m not going to reveal my theme here until I send the CDs out and people start receiving them, lest there be any ADLers reading my blog. So there.

Considering how much thought and effort I put into my mixes, and my music collection in general, I was kinda thinking of starting another blog dedicated to music, along with movies too. But as you can all see, time has been in very short supply these past months, and I really don’t see that letting up until, like, ever. In the meantime, I’ll try to do a much better job of linking to stuff I mention on Amazon, just in case any of you are interested in buying it. I might even get ambitious and go through my old posts and link stuff there too. If I end up doing that, I’ll announce a new category to make it all so easy for everyone to find the old stuff.

I’m not sure what we have planned for the weekend, but maybe, just maybe, you’ll be lucky enough to get another post before Monday. I know I certainly hope so!

First of all, I’d like to say thanks for all your suggestions on feed readers. I’ve decided to try out Google Reader, since it seems that I am