Window Into the Soul

So Myra at We Make Three does this incredibly cool segment called Mixtape Mondays, where she picks a blogger and asks them to share some of the songs they’ve got on their iPod. And this Monday, she asked me to do it…

 

So in honor of Mixtape Monday, I’d like to share the titles of the songs I selected and tell you a little more about them. (Head over to We Make Three to listen to the full-length tracks, and to check out what other bloggers selected for their Mixtape Monday.)

 

Meanwhile, my first selection was “Maybe Tomorrow” by Stereophonic, a band which provides the soundtrack to my life. “Maybe Tomorrow” is more produced than many of their other tracks, with just a hint of the lead singer’s signature rasp, but I love it all the same. If you like “Maybe Tomorrow,” you might also check out the band’s “Dakota,” and “My Old Size Nines.”

 

Ryan Adam’s “Answering Bell” is from one of my favorite albums, Gold. This whole CD is good and is the perfect music for me to write by. Ryan is an independent soul who writes beautiful songs, and is also quite the difficult artist (at one concert, he got drunk and played a 30-minute instrumental riff for no other reason than “he wanted to.”), but I love him all the more for it. If you like “Answering Bell,” you’ll probably also like “Rescue Blues,” and “La Cienega Just Smiled.” And bonus tip: The Crossroads episode with Elton John and Ryan was the best I’d ever seen.

 

For my playlist, I absolutely had to select something from the Indigo Girls. There is nothing I dislike about this band. (Some say I’m obsessed.) A few years back after a concert, I waited with some friends outside their tour bus for what seemed hours just to get an autograph — an autograph that sits atop my dresser to this day. It must not be covered. (Except for that layer of protective dust.) “Heartache Central Time” wraps up all I love about the Girls: grit, harmony, yearning, strength, poetry, humanity, melody. If you like this song, you can experiment with any IG song, and I guarantee you won’t think it’s half bad.

 

Next song.

I typically don’t like to jump on the music bandwagon. If there’s a band everyone thinks is “hot,” I tend to wait it out and see if the cream rises to the top. Too often, I think people like to say they listen to the most indie, underground, subversive, alternative band names because it makes them seem somehow cooler. And I don’t want to seem somehow cooler. I tried that, and it doesn’t work for me. (“Dorky.” Now that fits nicely.)

 

But, back to Sia. (Did we ever begin with her?) I can’t help it. She’s cool and I like it. So “Day Too Soon,” made my list. You’ll see why.

 

My next song, Outkast’s “The Whole World,” was pre-“Hey Ya,” and is just as hooky and catchy. This is a good party song. Almost as good as “I’ve Got Hos in Every Area Code,” but less insulting to women and more rhymey.

 

Then there’s Wilco. I’m telling you, if I could sing folk, I’d happily wear flannel and sensible shoes. I’d sacrifice fashion for the folk. I know Wilco is not folk per se, but they’re “folky” and I’ve come to find I like that kind of music.

(I know none of this is really making sense. How I got from wearing sensible shoes to liking folk is a mystery to me as well, but I like to leave that sort of thing in for its ridicularity.)

So, Wilco. They’re great. “What’s the World Got in Store,” makes me think of Toots and Booger. (And I’m a lot better person when I think about Toots and Booger.)

Other great Wilco songs are “Misunderstood,” and “Jesus, Etc.”

 

Moving on…You may have noticed that I’ve talked some about Chris Trapper here. He’s a wonderful, wonderful songwriter. Then, he pairs his words with these melodies that either make you cry or laugh. There is no in between with him. “A Day Without You,” is one of those songs you wish you could write, then sing, for your loved one. My other favorite Chris Trapper song is “Birthday Song,” and just about anything else that ever sprang from his mouth.

 

And we’re at my last song selection. (I heard that!)

 

I waited a long time to listen to the Flaming Lips. They were one of those “cool” bands I always heard about and resisted on principle. Finally, The Rock bought me their “Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots” CD one Christmas because he was sick of me trying to not like them so much. “Fight Test” is off that album, and it’s goooodddddddd.

 

So that’s it. But remember! Myra’s site lets you listen to these songs. Because she’s cool like that.

 

But I like her anyway.

 

p.s. I wanted to say thanks to Myra for picking my mix for her Mixtape Monday, and while I’m at it, also say a thank you to both Green Girl in Wisconsin, and Tootsie Farklepants over at Vintage Thirty, for recently thinking of me with some really nice awards. I’m listed in a group of super fantastic bloggers, which are majorly worth checking out.

But you probably read them already. Either way, thanks girls!