Favorite Songs of 2009 Wednesday, Apr 14 2010 

music thisgaudygildedstage 2:55 pm

The next to last of my annual favorites lists is my favorite songs of 2009. It’s weird to be catching up on a list of favorite songs from last year, since I’ve already started accumulating favorites for this year! But it’s been really busy at work, so better late than never.

1. My favorite song of 2009 was Bishop Allen’s “Dimmer.”

Unfortunately, this is just about the only song I love off of Bishop Allen’s 2009 album, Grrr. But I do love this song’s quirkiness and lyrics. It’s all about feeling like you’re invisible, less worthy than others. It’s a great song, and I started singing along at the top of my lungs whenever it comes on my iPod in my car. I love it!

2. A very close second is Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance,” another song I sing along loudly whenever I hear it.

Not only is it very singable, but “Bad Romance” reminds me of the contradictory impulses that go along with being human. We want opposite things at the same time. We want things that we shouldn’t because we know they’re bad for us.

(more…)

 

“All I” by Jill Scott Saturday, Apr 10 2010 

music and song of the week thisgaudygildedstage 6:33 pm

Today I drove up to Akron (3 hours) for a meeting and then drove back. It was a very successful meeting, so I’m glad I went. A couple of days ago I started listening to my iPod with the intent of listening to all 1300+ songs that I have on it. Six hours in the car seems barely to have made a dent!

While I was driving back home, Jill Scott’s “I Am” came on and I am now officially obsessed with it. It’s typical of Scott’s love songs: sexy, soulful, and genuine. I also love that it’s a song for adults. Here’s a YouTube video of the track from her 2007 album The Real Thing: Words and Sounds Vol. 3:

Here’s a video of her singing it live:

I love that she weaves lyrics from her other songs into this live version. Someday I HAVE to see her in concert — she’s such an amazing live performer (I love her live album!).

(more…)

 

The Safest Place by Sade Friday, Apr 2 2010 

music and song of the week thisgaudygildedstage 2:21 pm

When it came out in early February, I immediately downloaded Sade’s new album, Soldier of Love from iTunes. Lover’s Rock from 2000 is a great album that I still listen to from time to time, so I eagerly looked forward to this new one.

I’ve found the album a little difficult to get into, mostly because I just haven’t had time to really sit with it and just listen. The past two months have been incredibly busy — every time I think my “new” job couldn’t get busier, I’m proven wrong!

While I was working on my laptop recently, however, I had iTunes on shuffle and a track from the album came on, “The Safest Place”:

I really love this beautiful love song. It’s so typical of Sade’s love songs, slow, quiet, and not really very sweet. Instead, she sees love from the perspective of someone who’s seen it all and lived through heartache. Her take on love is always much more interesting than most pop music. This track has made me want to find some time to listen to the whole album and get acquainted with it.

(more…)

 

Fairytale by Alexander Rybak Thursday, Mar 25 2010 

music and song of the week and television thisgaudygildedstage 5:55 pm

While I was in Europe earlier this month, I had limited access to English-language television. The one channel that I consistently had was BBC, so one evening I watched Your Country Needs You, a show hosted by Graham Norton in which 6 acts competed to represent the U.K. in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest.

The Eurovision Song Contest is totally fantastic. It’s a cheese fest like no other. Acts from each European country compete by performing an original song (not necessarily written by the act). Each country then votes on the winner. (The voting is slightly more complicated than that; here’s an explanation.)

Near the end of the show, while people in England were voting for the winner, Alexander Rybak, who won the Eurovision competition last year, performed his winning song, “Fairytale.” He’s totally adorable, and I loved the cheesy deliciousness of the song, so I’m making it my song of the week:

The 24-year-old Rybak completed for Norway, where he now lives, but he was born in Belarus. He wrote “Fairytale,” which won the highest number of votes ever recorded in the competition. After winning the competition he released an album featuring the single of “Fairytale.”

(more…)

 

Favorite Albums of 2009 Wednesday, Mar 24 2010 

music thisgaudygildedstage 7:35 pm

I thought I’d take a short break from writing about my recent trip to Europe to catch up another favorites of 2009 list: my favorite albums.

I think I purchased more albums — both CDs and online from iTunes — this year than in the past. Even so, it’s been difficult to list ten albums that I really think were worthy of being on my top ten list. After a few months of listening to them all again, however, I’ve identified ten that I think were the ones I liked the most from 2009.

Number 1: Hold Time by M. Ward

I originally purchased this album for PJ. I knew that he liked She & Him, so I thought he might like to have this album too. I think I ended up liking it more than he did. I love it. It’s definitely my favorite album of 2009. I guess what I like most about it is its folk-pop groove. It’s just a really cool album.

Here’ are my four favorite tracks from the album:

The last track on the album is an instrumental version of “I’m a Fool to Want You,” which is amazingly great.

(more…)

 

Everytime We Touch by Cascada Friday, Mar 19 2010 

music and song of the week thisgaudygildedstage 11:44 am

I spent the first week of my trip to Germany and the Netherlands without PJ, who met me in Amsterdam last Saturday morning. I had checked into our hotel on Friday evening. When he got on the train from the airport to Amsterdam’s central train station, he called me and then I met him at the station.

While walking to the station, which was only about three blocks from our hotel, I couldn’t get Cascada’s “Everytime We Touch” out of my head. So, I’ve decided to make it my song of the week:

While I enjoyed all of my trip, I have to say that the best part was meeting PJ at the station and spending a weekend together in Amsterdam. I missed him terribly while we were apart. I managed to work myself up to a major case of nerves before I left for the trip — I supposed because it was the first time I had traveled abroad on my own in 10 years and because I was meeting with lots of people, etc. — which ultimately affected me physically during the week I was away without him. Not surprisingly, all of that went away (almost) as soon as I was with him again.

Cascada is actually the name of a group rather than the lead singer’s name, which is Natalie Horler. The group originated in Germany, and when they started getting international attention Horler became synonymous with Cascada. I guess it’s not the first time that the lead singer of a group has taken over its identity!

Since I was just in Germany, it seems particularly appropriate to choose a song from a German group for my song of the week. While I was there, I also reconnected to my love for Euro-trash pop music, which I’ll blog about later. Until then, I’ll just keep singing, “Everytime we touch ….”

(more…)

 

Telephone by Lady Gaga f. Beyonce Wednesday, Mar 3 2010 

music and song of the week thisgaudygildedstage 3:36 pm

My song of the week this week is Lady Gaga’s “Telephone.” Like so many of her songs, this one is infectious. I realized recently that I hadn’t downloaded it onto my iPod. When I did, I couldn’t stop listening to it, and now whenever I’m not thinking about anything else I find the chorus playing over and over again in my head!

This is third or fourth Gaga song that I’ve selected as a song of the week. She’s clearly my favorite artist right now. I’m not sure that nearly 40-year-old gay men are her target audience, but that’s how it goes — artists can’t predict or control who loves their work.

I love the way the song begins relatively quietly and then builds to its dancing climax. She’s a great performance artist and musician, a rare combination, I think. I’m especially reminded how much I lover her music and performance art as I watch the new (and so far dreadful) season of American Idol get underway. Where’s the new Adam Lambert when you need him (or her)?! Say what you will about Lady Gaga, her drive and ambition are relentless. Fortunately, she’s also extremely talented.

(more…)

 

“Giving Up the Gun” by Vampire Weekend Tuesday, Feb 23 2010 

music and tennis thisgaudygildedstage 8:11 pm

I’ve been hearing about Vampire Weekend and their new album for some time now but hadn’t paid any attention. Until now, that is. A couple of the blogs I read have featured their new video, which features the likes of Joe Jonas and Jake Gyllenhaal playing tennis against a very competitive female player. The video is for their new single, “Giving Up the Gun,” which is now my song of the week:

I love the video’s playfulness. Jonas is looking less twinkish, which is good. (I love the hand wipe after shaking her hand!) And the montage of players losing to the red head is great! The song is also really good. I like it’s upbeat rhythm. And the lyrics have real substance. My favorite lines are these:

When I was 17
I had wrists like steel
And I felt complete
And now my body fades
Behind my brass charade
And I’m obsolete

After listening to the song a few times, I purchased the new album on iTunes. I’ve heard it through once so far and really like it. Maybe I’ll write a review once I’ve heard it a few more times.

(more…)

 

Happy Valentine’s Day! Sunday, Feb 14 2010 

holidays and music and queer culture thisgaudygildedstage 1:01 pm

While, like many people I know, I’m hesitant to indulge the commercial interests of Valentine’s Day, I do think it’s nice to have at least one day a year on which to reflect on the love in my life. I’m eternally grateful for the love I share with PJ and for how much he loves me every day we’re together. We’ve been incredibly lucky. We were able to get academic jobs at the same institution without having to spend too many years apart. We have two great cats who bring us joy. And we share so many interests and experiences that enrich our lives together.

So, in celebration of Valentine’s Day I thought that I would take a few minutes and share five of my favorite love songs, all of which I dedicate to my dear and loving husband.

My absolute favorite love song is John Denver’s “Annie’s Song,” which I would love to have sung at our wedding if we were to ever get married:

It totally sums up how I feel about PJ. I love everything about my life, but what I want most is to give that life to him, to share it with him for as long as possible, since he’s what makes it complete and joyous.

(more…)

 

“Kiss Me Again” by Jessica Lea Mayfield Wednesday, Feb 10 2010 

music and song of the week thisgaudygildedstage 3:57 pm

Over the weekend, our electricity was knocked out by the snow storm. The first night our power was out it was actually kind of fun. After going out to dinner and seeing a movie, Young Victoria, we lit some candles, cuddled up in blankets, and listened to “Mountain Stage” on the radio. My feeling Saturday night was that spending a night without electricity and listening to the radio by candlelight with PJ was a perfectly delightful way to spend the evening.

When we turned on “Mountain Stage” we couldn’t quite place the voice of the woman who was singing. She sounded a but like a mix between Lucinda Williams and Kasey Chambers. At the end of her set, we learned that it was Jessica Lea Mayfield. Listening to her music with PJ by candlelight felt kind of perfect, so I decided to make her song “Kiss Me Again” my song of the week. Here’s a clip of her singing it live:

Once our power came back on, I looked her up on the internet and downloaded her CD, With Blasphemy So Heartfelt, from iTunes. I really like her music and hope she puts out a new album soon! She’s from Kent, Ohio, who started out singing with her family in a bluegrass group. Now she’s out on her own (her brother’s in her band), and she released her album in 2008.

(more…)

 

« Previous Page — Next Page »