Day 30: Your favorite song at this time last year

Last year, I was at Purdue and my favorite song was "Going Away" by Meg & Dia because it basically described how I felt at the time... I was in a new place and didn't know how I'd handle it or how things would be. It was a new experience in a place where I knew NO ONE.

But I'm not gonna lie... I'm mainly glad that this blog challenge is over. I'm sick of writing a blog every day. I need some time to recharge. Also, I'm still exhausted/mind fucked from Lady Gaga last night... Who, by the way, is GLORIOUS.

I think I'm going to start reviewing all the concerts I go to starting with my next one so look for that starting mid-September.  Otherwise, I'm taking a few days off.

Day 29: A song from your childhood

Today's song is "2 Become 1" by the Spice Girls. The Spice Girls will always hold a special place in my heart because Spice World was the first CD I ever got. I took a lot of shit for that because, ya know, guys aren't allowed to like female singers. I've expressed my resentment of this social attitude in other blogs, however, so I won't touch on that.

Does anyone remember the movie Spice World? Great fucking movie. Trashy as all fuck, but really great. The aliens? The bomb in the bus? Epic. Just epic!!!

The reason I chose this song as opposed to another Spice Girls song is because it's really, really freakin' dirty. I listened to this song as a child and not only that but I'd sing along. "Come a little closer baby, get it on, get it on..." Great song for a 7 year old to be singing, right? Of course, I didn't know what the words meant. It's funny how so many songs from my childhood are like this... You listen to them years later and are blown away by what they're actually saying now that you understand it. This also happened to me with the movie Clueless. So many sex jokes and yet I was oblivious...

Anyone else have this happen? What song did you not realize what it REALLY meant when you were younger?

Day 28: A song that makes you feel guilty

Today's song is "Rock Steady" by No Doubt.

I'm not going to go into details on this one... =\

Day 27: A song that you wish you could play

Can I just say ANY song for today's blog? I mean, I can't play any instruments... No? Fuck, I need to come up with a specific song then.

Okay, well... One of the things I value in a musician is talent. This seems to be a foreign concept these days but I think singing, being able to play an instrument or two well, writing your own songs, etc. are crucial duties of someone who is a musician in the same way that a doctor needs to be able to recognize symptoms of diseases, prescribe medicines, etc. (except obviously doctors need to know a *little* more than musicians haha). It seems that very few pop stars these actually hold up to that standard... which is sad because I don't think that's that high of a standard. The one shining, glimmering, leather studded hope happens to be the lovely Lady Gaga. I know, a lot of people think she's just some weirdo space alien singer with no talent (I myself used to be a hater until I woke up) but really, she isn't at all. Take for, example, her song "Speechless."

"Speechless" isn't at all like what people think of when they think of usual Lady Gaga music. The woman shows off her voice and trust me, SHE HAS A VOICE. It's so powerful and she definitely lives up to all the hype she's getting. I also recommend looking up some of her acoustic stuff too. It's... incredible.

Beyond her amazing voice, Gaga is also fucking smart, too. She realizes that even though she's an amazing singer, that's not what sells so she makes music that's more poppy but still has a chance to show off her real music on the occasional track or at live shows. And she knows how to sell herself too while still being true to herself. Gaga is a fucking genius. There's no other way to describe her. If you don't like her, or at least acknowledge that the woman is talented as all fuck, there's something wrong with you.

Day 26: A song that you can play on an instrument

Great, as if I needed another reminder that I have no musical talent... For those of you who have known me for a while, you may remember my stint attempting to learn guitar toward the beginning of high school and end of middle school which ended when I dropped my Fender and its neck snapped. Yeah, not fun. By the way, I have a Fender with a broken neck I'd like to sell if anyone wants it. I'm guessing I won't get many offers on this one.

Anyway, there were like two actual songs I learned to play before that unfortunate incident... One of them was "Bathwater" by No Doubt, which was already covered in a previous blog so go read that if you want to hear about the glory of No Doubt (which I hope you already know about) and I could only play part of it, and  the other one was "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" by Green Day. Seriously, this song is super easy. It's all freakin' power chords.

As much as I'm really not into Green Day much anymore (I still like them but there's MUCH better music out there, trust me) they'll always hold a special place in my heart because they were the first real concert I went to waaaaay back in freshman year of high school with my buddy Kathryn. It was a really good show, not gonna lie, and a really good first concert. And it started an addiction that I still have to this day...

Day 25: A song that makes you laugh

WARNING: If you are easily offended... then why the fuck are you reading my blog, anyway?

Today's song is "You Made Me Gay" by the pure and Jesus approved band Gravy Train!!!!. Have a listen:



If that didn't make you at least giggle... there's something wrong with you.
I think the dancing cartoon characters in that video only add to the bizarreness of the song.

There's nothing I can really say about this one that the song doesn't say. What do you guys think?

In addition to the main song, here's a few other songs that I find amusing. Enjoy!

Secret - The Veronicas


Baby Jesus - Regina Spektor


Shoes - Kelly


My Girlfriend's Dead - The Vandals

Day 24: A song that you want to play at your funeral

What... a depressing topic. I don't have one song that I have on reserves in case of death (although I guess it doesn't really matter because I wouldn't be able to tell anyone to play it because of the whole being dead thing) so I'm not sure if I actually want this song played at my funeral or not... But I do think it's a pretty appropriate funeral song.

"It Just Is" by Rilo Kiley is the last song on their More Adventurous album, one of my absolute favorite albums of all time. This album is fucking genius. Rilo Kiley is kind of weird in that they straddle the line between country and alternative and it actually works really well. It doesn't hurt, however, that they are fronted by the adorable Jenny Lewis whose voice is almost as amazing as she is.

"It Just Is" is a lot like yesterday's song, "Love is a Place," in that it's very simple ("Love is a Place" is a lot simpler, however, in that it's basically an acoustic song). The lyrics repeat themselves and there's nothing overly fancy about the music, although it is a really climactic way to end the album. The lyrics are very fitting for a funeral, too...

This loss isn't good enough for sorry or inspiration
It's such a loss for the good guys
Afraid of this life
That it just is
'Cause everybody dies

It gives me chills every time I hear it. It's weird to think that everyone in the world right now that we know or see or that is alive will someday die. You, me, celebrities, politicians, the janitor at your place of employment... Everyone. Kind of depressing, but it's something we need to accept. Existence is finite. Yeah, it sucks, but denying it won't do us any good.

Day 23: A song that you want to play at your wedding

I'd like to start this blog out with a political message: LEGALIZE GAY MARRIAGE. It's time for marriage equality for all and to end second class citizenship in our country.

Now that we have that out of the way, it's time for a less weighty topic: Looooooove. Okay, that's probably equally as weighty. NOT THE POINT. While as of now I have no plans of getting married (although I feel socially pressured to so I'd probably marry the first person who came along).

Anyway, the song that I've always felt is the perfect love song because it describes what I imagine love to be like so perfectly is "Love Is A Place" by Metric.

What a perfect song for a first dance at a wedding. If you haven't heard this song, you NEED to listen to it. It's one of my favorites of all time. Emily's voice is so beautiful too and there's nothing complicated about it. Pure, simple musical goodness.

Here's an acoustic performance I happen to love:

Day 22: A song that you listen to when you're sad

I'd like to officially christen today "Emo Day" in honor of today's blog. It's all about the negative emotions, man. So let's dress in all black, find the nearest dark corner, and wallow.

Today's song is "Reason Why" by Rachael Yamagata. I was originally introduced to this song on a mix CD my sister in law made for me. Rachael's voice is beautiful and sad and you can hear the heartbreak in her voice. The lyrics are what really blow my mind so I'm going to share some of my favorite parts...


And you can tell the world what you want them to hear
I've got nothing left to lose, my dear
So, I'm up for the little white lies
But you and I know the reason why

This section I particularly related to in high school. I'd rather not get into why exactly, but let's just say I was in a situation with someone who I could tell was in complete denial... and it sucked.

But as close as I get to you
It's not the same

Mmmmmm... Love that line... It gives me shivers.

So, I will head out alone and hope for the best
We can pat ourselves on the back
As say that we tried
And if one of us makes it big
We can spill our regrets
And talk about how the love never dies
But you and I know the reason why
I'm gone, and you're still there

So raw, so emotional, so beautiful. Fuck, I wish I could write like that. I guess that's why I'm not a musician or poet. Science FTW!

I wish you well and hope you find
Whatever you're looking for
The way I might've changed my mind,
But you only showed me the door

That situation I mentioned before... That's kind of how I feel about it now. Whatever, I'm over it.

Day 21: A song that you listen to when you're happy

I've never really thought about how much my mood affects the music I listen to until writing today and yesterday's blog (and looking ahead to tomorrow to see that it's going to be another mood themed post). I really do tend to listen to music that fits my mood rather than music that fits the mood I'm going for (in which case I guess I'd just listen to happy music all the time haha). Even within bands that I listen to a lot of I'll have certain songs I'll listen to more depending on my mood. For example, take Metric: If I'm in a bad/depressed mood, I'll tend to listen to, "Empty," "London Halflife," or "Calculation Theme." If I'm in a good mood, however, it usually is something more like "Combat Baby," "Grow Up and Blow Away" and "Gimme Sympathy." Of course, how can "Gimme Sympathy" NOT put you in a good mood? It's so happy and fun.

I remember the first time I heard "Gimme Sympathy" it was on spin.com. Emily and Jimmy did an acoustic performance a few months before Fantasies was released and I was just in awe of that song. It was kind of a shock when I first heard the studio version because, needless to say, when I heard it the first time there were not as many soaring synths in the first version. Regardless, the song instantly clicked with me. The lyrics are so simple yet extremely deep... You can sense Metric's anxiety about getting bigger and if it will be a positive change or not.

The song asks the question, "Who would you rather be; the Beatles or the Rolling Stones?" This brings up my own question: Does Emily get asked who she'd rather be a lot? And if so, does she regret writing that line? I totally would. After about the sixth person who asked me I'd just be like... "Shut the fuck up. For real, it's not original and it's not cute." Of course, I have a feeling Emily is a lot less of an ass than I am =)

Day 20: A song that you listen to when you're angry

RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!
I HAVE SO MUCH RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGE!!!!!

No, totally kidding. I'm only mildly pissed off that my dad murdered my morning glories. But anger is the theme of the day so angry I shall be... GRRRRRRR!!!!

Today's song is "Emergency" by Paramore. Paramore and I go way back. I'm proud to say that I've been a fan long before any of this Twilight non-sense. They came into my life when I needed a particularly strong, angry teenage girl to relate to because my inner angry teenage girl (we all have one, don't deny it) was becoming a bit too rampant.

"Emergency" is the perfect angry at your lover (or in my case, crush) song. Sometimes they just act like an idiot and do stupid things and treat you less than how you should be treated and you're just like... RAWWWWWWWWWWWWR!!!!!!!! It really does feel like an emergency, like your relationship is a dog who was hit by a car... Horrible metaphor, I know. Either way, it's really easy to relate to and it's real. Kudos, Hayley, kudos!

Day 19: A song from your favorite album

I'd like to start out by admitting something: I'm getting really sick of this challenge. I'm sure many of you have noticed due to my relatively short posts that are filled with meaningless dribble... Oh wait, that isn't anything new, is it? Regardless, I refuse to give up when I'm almost 2/3 done! So please, bare with me loyal readers and randos who occasionally stop by over these next 11 days. We'll get through this together.

I'm not really sure what album would qualify as my favorite but one of my favorites of all time is the No Doubt classic Tragic Kingdom. Without question this album is one of the greatest albums of all time and if you think otherwise... I'll shiv you in the kidney.

A favorite track of mine has always been "Just A Girl." Holy fuck, that song rules so hard. It's super catchy and features one of my favorite features a song can possibly have, angry female vocals. Gwen's expressing her frustrations about being stereotyped because she's a girl, something I can relate to... kind of. Not about being a girl, but about being a man. My whole life there have always been these expectations about how I should be simply because I possess a penis and I've never really lived up to them so I've gotten a lot of shit. People would tell me, "You can't listen to bands with girl singers! That's GAY!" or "You can't be friends with girls unless you want to FUCK 'EM!" or "You look up to a woman? You can't do that!" Well you know what? Fuck you all. I'm sick of being told I have to fit this mold because I'm a man.

Yes, I like a lot of bands that have female singers. Their voices sound better to me. SO WHAT?

Yes, I consider Gwen Stefani to be my idol. She can teach anyone a thing or two, man or woman. SO WHAT?

Yes, I actually respect women on a non-sexual level and see past gender when it comes to abilities and qualifications... SO WHAT?

We need to get over these culturally set up gender roles. They're so stupid. And it's not like anyone perfectly fits them, either. So get over yourselves and stop acting like you're hot shit just because you (think you) live up to what society tells you a man should be.

Day 18: A song that you wish you heard on the radio

I'll repeat something I said yesterday: It's very rare that I actually listen to the radio apart from CBC Radio 3. So today is another day that really doesn't apply to me because I don't listen to the radio enough. I guess more than anything I'd like to hear some VARIETY on the radio. Even the short snipits of radio I hear always seem to be the same song. Come on, mix it up!

For that reason, today's song is by an artist who DOES mix things up. "Play Your Part (Part 1)" is the first track off of Girl Talk's Feed the Animals album, although the whole album really flows like one big song. Girl Talk takes popular songs from today and yesterday and mashes them up and puts them over a new beat so it seems completely fresh and new. It'd be nice to hear something like this on the radio... Not necessarily the Girl Talk mash up style but just a real VARIETY being played.

Also, if any of you are looking for a fantastic live show go see Girl Talk. He mixes the songs up even more so it's not like he just puts on a CD. His shows are INSANE. I can't wait for him to come back.

Day 17: A song that you hear often on the radio

I'm not much of a radio person because very rarely does the radio play anything I actually want to listen to (the one exception being CBC Radio 3... best radio station ever!) so for this one, I'm counting all the times I'm riding in someone else's car, commercials, TV shows, etc. This is a song I'm sure you're all familiar with and it goes a little something like this...

CAN WE PRETEND THAT AIRPLANES IN THE NIGHT SKY ARE LIKE SHOOTING STARS...

Yes, that's right: Today's song is "Airplanes" by B.o.B. feat. Hayley Williams. I love this song, largely because of Hayley, but it's waaaaaaay overplayed. I swear every time I turn on the TV it's in a commercial or something and on the off chance that I catch a bit of the radio it's ALWAYS PLAYING. I think the worst part, however, is that EVERYONE has it as their Facebook status. I mean, Jesus Christ... Every few minutes someone updates with, "Can we pretend that..." NO. NO YOU FUCKING CAN'T. SHUT YOUR PIE HOLE.

One of my favorite internet personalities, GloZell, does a lovely translation of this song. If you haven't seen it yet, check it out here:

Day 16: A song you used to love but now hate

When I began this challenge, there were certain artists I didn't think I'd ever add to my playlist. One of the was J. Beaver which I did a few days ago. Another is today's less than talented artist, Nickelback. Both artists hail from a country I happen to love, Canada. Normally, Canada produces music that is far superior to music found anywhere else. However, it seems like America still manages to find the talentless, generic, boring musicians up there and make them famous instead of more deserving musicians.

As embarrassing as it is to admit... There was a time when I liked Nickelback. Of course, I was in middle school and was mainly just doing it to fit in. I did, however, genuinely enjoy the song "Far Away" the first couple times I heard it. Then, like almost everything on the radio, it got over played and it began to make me want to take an ice pick to my head.

It was about this time, too, that I began to discover music on my own for the first time in my life instead of just listening to what was on the radio... I started listening to Green Day which eventually lead me to New Found Glory and No Doubt (don't ask me how that happened, I'm still not sure haha). From there I started listening to Rufio, Motion City Soundtrack, Tsunami Bomb... Then I discovered Metric which lead me to Stars, Broken Social Scene, and all of the GOOD music Canada has to offer. I branched out and figured out what I liked to listen to and finally stopped giving a fuck what people told me to listen to and it forever changed my life.

Day 15: A song that describes you

If asked to describe myself in one word, the word "insecure" is one of the first that comes to mind. Thankfully, I've learned to deal with insecurities (and there are many of them!) much better than I did when I was a teenager largely thanks to one woman who happens to be just as insecure as I am: Gwen Stefani. Yes, you read that correctly; despite being one of the most attractive and talented women on the planet, Gwen went through her own insecure phase and it is documented on No Doubt's album "Return of Saturn." One song where Gwen's insecurities become particularly apparent is "Magic's in the Makeup." While I can't relate to the makeup aspect of the song, I can relate to her feeling unsure about your identity and feeling the need to hide part of yourself in order to attract a mate.

The second verse of this song is one of my favorite verses from any song ever. It goes like this:

If you bore me then I'm comfortable
If you interest me I'm scared
My attraction paralyzes me
No courage to show my true colors that exist

But I want to be the real thing
But if you catch my eye can't be authentic
The ones I loath are the one's
That know me the best

That's exactly how I feel whenever I find someone attractive; I get so afraid that I can't do anything about it and end up coming off as this awkward weirdo (not a far cry from reality, I guess haha). I know it's normal to be nervous but I think I take it to a new level in that I can't move or speak or anything. Kinda pathetic.

On a side note, this blog marks the halfway point through my 30 day blog challenge... Woo hoo! Not gonna lie, kinda ready for this to be over. As much as I've enjoyed picking a song for each day, sometime it's hard to find stuff to say about each song. I am, however, going to keep going. Only 15 days left!

Day 14: A song no one would expect you to like

Those of you who know me (and I'm assuming that's all of you unless my blog has somehow attracted creepers) know that there's one type of music I can't stand: country (the new stuff, anyway). Today's song, however, is from that awful genre and I happen to LOVE it. The song is "Whiskey Lullaby" by Brad Paisley and Allison Krauss. This song is so sad but so beautiful and Brad and Allison's voices harmonize so perfectly. If only all country music were like this. The story of the song is so sad and heartbreaking but it's also real. There are probably thousands of untold stories of people who become alcoholics after losing a lover.

This seems like it would be a good blog to share a sad, intimate story of me losing a lover... but I don't have any such stories. Sorry, guys. =)

Day 13: A song that is a guilty pleasure

I generally try not to feel bad about any of the music I like but there is some that I definitely feel loses me a lot of man points. One such song... is everything by Kelly Clarkson. I might as well bedazzle my vajazzle because you don't get more femme than miss Clarkson. Don't get me wrong, she's a fantastic singer but most men don't admit to listening to her.

One song that I happen to love by Kelly is the live version of Beautiful Disaster. Holy fuck does that woman have some pipes! And the lyrics are perfect. There are so many times in my life where this song has fit my life to a T.

This song is a perfect example of a song that is much better as an acoustic song than the original. The original version is... meh. Not such a fan of it. The music and the lyrics don't really match up. You can't really feel the emotion that you do in the live version. I feel the same way about every cover of "Umbrella" that's ever been done; they're MUCH better than the original.

Day 12: A song from a band you hate

Does it have to be by a band? No? Okay, sweet! "Baby" by Justin Bieber is my choice, then. This song is... awful. I actually haven't heard it the full way through nor do I have any plans to change that. The first time I heard it was on TV while I was in a different room and I was like... Who is this horrible woman singing? Then I entered the room and say the TV was like... Who is this horrible LESBIAN singing? Then I found out who it was and I was horrified that such an awful musician (if you can call him that... I hear he doesn't write his own music... -.-) was selling millions of records and making little girls' jinies tingle.

The worst part isn't his horrible music; it's his fans. They're insane. Like... legitimately insane. They sent death threats to one of the Kardashians when she was spotted with Justin and he was into. Come on, girls, let's be honest: Were you not expecting that? I think the Kardashians are a bunch of pseudo-celebrities but even I'll acknowledge that they're fine as hell. And most of you are either 12 and wear glasses/are over weight or give a whole new meaning to the term "cougar" (in that you're 50 and not still hot and lusting after a 12 year old boy). Add on your creepy and blatant mental illness/stalking of him and it's pretty goddamn obvious that he'd of after one of the Kardashians.

What's worse is how disrespectful you are in times of world crisis. When Haiti was happening you insisted on making fag boy a TT on Twitter? NOT COOL. Hundreds of thousands of people died and you're just like, "Tee hee! Let's ignore the world crisis and talk about some shitty pop star!" There are more important things than him, got it? You don't see me tweeting about No Doubt or Metric when there's a major world event going on, do you? No. So grow the fuck up. I realize you're mainly 10 year olds or old women with the mental capacity of a 10 year old but seriously, didn't your parents teach you better?

Overall, I'm really disappointed with these new pop stars lately and it's not because I'm one of those people who thinks all new music is shit and that the Beatles are the only good band to ever exist or anything like that... It's that they are genuinely awful. Ke$hit? Beaver? Taylor Swift, who can't carry a tune live? These are the best that music has to offer? Wow. Kinda sad. I guess that I have the attitude that musicians should be able to, you know, sing or play an instrument well but I guess I'm the only one. We'd rather have someone who looks good... or a Canadian lesbian with a sideswiped haircut.

Day 11: A song from your favorite band

I realize I've been kinda skimping on the blog post the last few days; while I have been doing them, they haven't been very long and were kind of rushed. I've been hella stressed from jury duty and haven't exactly had enough time to write long, extensive blogs.

As many of you know, I consider both No Doubt and Metric to be my favorite band and use them interchangeably seeing as I'm pretty goddamn obsessed with them. I have already written a heartfelt blog about Metric, however, so today's blog goes to No Doubt (although I'd probably write about them anyway).

The song I chose for today is "Simple Kind of Life" because this song was what originally sparked my obsession though I really didn't know it at the time. When I was younger, going to my grandma's house was a treat for many reasons one of which happened to be that she had cable when we didn't at home. I stuck mainly to Disney, Nickelodeon, and Cartoon Network as most 10 year olds would but I had been hearing about this station called MTV from some of my more badass peers. Wanting to be one of the cool kids, I felt the need to check it out. One day when my parents and grandparents were out of the room I flipped through channels until I found MTV. I was enthralled by all the weird ass people who were apparently among America's coolest.

The show that happened to be on was TRL. Remember that show? People would call in or go online or use carrier pigeons to vote for their favorite videos and then they'd countdown the top 10. They wouldn't play the whole video, however, just part of it with the occasional shot of an audience member making a shout out and screaming, "WOOOOOO!!!" After some babble and shots of some beautifully robotic people, they decided to play the first video. I was perplexed by the video they showed. I wondered who the strange, pink haired woman was running around smashing wedding cakes...



Little did I know that someday that bizarre pink haired woman would be tattooed on my leg. I watched the whole thing but decided that, no matter how much I liked the song, I couldn't listen to it yet because it was "adult music" and I was only 10 (I was a weird child, don't judge me) so I didn't look much into it but that video stuck with me. Shortly thereafter, I entered a phase where I literally didn't listen to music for a few years. Ironic considering how I am now, I know.

Eventually, I got over my no music phase but it took a few years. As soon as I did, one of the first bands I got into was No Doubt and it didn't take me long to become obsessed because they're just that great. I can't even begin to describe how much this band has meant to me. Their music has gotten me through so much and I've met so many wonderful people because of them. I can't imagine life without them. It would be... awful.

Day 10: A song that makes you fall asleep

I'm one of those people who needs complete and total silence to fall asleep so there really isn't a song that makes me fall asleep to. However, there are some songs that are better to fall asleep to than others. One of the better songs happens to be "Winning" by Emily Haines and the Soft Skeleton. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Emily has an AMAZING voice. Normally, with Metric, she sticks to harder, more rock style music. In her solo music, on the other hand, she had the chance to show off just how beautiful her voice is with a bunch of slower piano music. This song is incredible and features of of Emily's amazing lyrics.

On the topic of sleep, sleep is one of my favorite things ever. I wouldn't mind being in a coma... as long as I wasn't secretly conscious and just couldn't express myself. Cause that'd suck. And not being able to shower would suck to cause I'd staaaaank. Anyway, off the topic of comas and into regular sleep... It seems no matter how much I sleep, I'm always tired and I always want more. Perhaps I'm lazy. Or I just have really weird sleep needs. Or I'm dying... Hopefully not that last one o.O

Also: This song isn't on the site I make my playlists on so I put another song by Em on there. Here's a video of it live, though.

Day 9: A song that you can dance to

I use the term "dance" very liberally.

I can't dance to any music but "Hurt You" by the Sounds makes me want to try. The funky electronic beat is super catchy and the vocals are perfect... I love when there are both male and female vocals. My favorite line is, "Don't want to hurt you, try not to fuck with your feelings..."

Day 8: A song that you know all the words to

I could've chosen many songs for today's blog because I spend more time memorizing song lyrics than I do pretty much anything else, including studying. If only No Doubt would come out with an album about genetics... Anyway, the song I ultimate chose is "Bathwater" by No Doubt. I've been looking for a reason to write about this song and today seemed like a good day to do so.

"Bathwater" is one of my favorite songs ever. It's really quirky and not like any other song I can think of. I love the constant beat and the trumpets. Gwen sounds really old school and the song has a kind of... burlesque feel, for lack of a word to describe it. Interesting fact about this song: It was written the night before it was recorded in like 10 minutes. How awesome is that?

Probably my favorite thing about this is song is the video for it. Have a watch below. Can you spot Adrian dressed in drag? =)

Day 7: A song that reminds you of a certain event

FYI: I added the playlist that was on the first post to the right side of my blog. Have a listen to the songs I've been writing about!

I know this song has lot of special meaning to many people, but to me, "Angel" by Sarah McLachlan holds something different for me. Most people associate it with that sad puppy commercial, and let's be honest, I do too, but more than that it reminds me of something that happened when I was in 7th grade.

Every New Years since I was little, my family has had a tradition where we invite some family friends over and they spend a night or two here celebrating. The year I was in 7th grade was no exception. New Years day my friend, Tara, and I were up late watching TV when my brother came into the room and asked, "Joe, do you know Jessica Mayer at all?" I said that yes, I did just not very well. We had band and gym together, though, and her locker was right next to mine. I asked him why he wanted to know and he said he was just wondering so I brushed it off.

The next morning, I was playing Beyond Good and Evil on my Gamecube when my mom came into the room and told me to turn it off because she had something she needed to tell me. I asked if I could just pause it and she said that no, I needed to turn it off and come sit down at the kitchen table. I did as I was told and she began to tell me something that would change my life forever.

The night before, Jessica and her two sisters were driving to the bachelorette party for their brother's wedding when they were involved in a car accident. Jessica was killed instantly and her sisters did not survive much longer. This was my first real encounter with death. I had pets that had died in the past but this was the first time that a person I knew had died.

A few days later winter break ended and we returned to school, not knowing how everyone would be reacting. I came into school and everyone was tying white ribbon on the locks of their lockers and Jessica's locker had a picture of her up on it. People were sitting in the halls and classrooms talking to each other, crying, hugging... each one trying to make sense of what had happened. We talked about it in every class that day (except math... our math teacher still tried to teach us a lesson but we were honestly too upset to really comprehend it). Teachers cried. The one that has stuck with me most was my band teacher crying... Actually, pretty much everyone in that class cried. Some were just paralyzed and sat in silence. In gym, we just sat in groups and talked about what happened. None of us could believe that Jessica was really gone.

The moment that it really hit me the most was the end of the day when I went to my locker to get my things and head home. Normally, Jessica would be there smiling and ask me what homework we had but not today or ever again, for that matter. It was strange how something so little was what affected me the most. It really made me stop to think about the little things in life and how I shouldn't take anything, or anyone, for granted.

By now you're probably thinking, "Okay Joey, that's really sad but what does this have to do with the sad puppy song?" Well, I'm getting there. Don't get your panties in a bunch.

Fast forward a week or two. Jessica's funeral, my first funeral, had come and gone, with 90% of the 7th grade class along with most of the St. Anthony Middle School staff attending. It was now time for everyone's favorite awkward middle school event, the Friday night dance (or, the P.C. version that my middle school referred to it as, the "activity night"). You know that anything starting at 7 and ending at 11 is going to be a GOOD TIME especially when coupled with a bunch of hormonal pre-teens who were just discovering the magic of grinding.

During this dance, however, something different happened, something profound that's memory still lingers with me to this day. After the DJ got done playing "Get Low" or some other raunchy generic rap hit of 2003, he stopped the music and said, "Okay guys, we're going to slow it down for one song. We'd like to dedicate this song to Jessica Mayer. We'll never forget you, Jess." And he was right; we never have.

The song he played was "Angel" by Sarah McLachlan (bet you didn't see that one coming!!!). At first, everyone just kind of stared at each other. None of us knew what to do. Then, slowly, people began to sit down. Soon everyone was sitting down and many of them, including myself, were crying. I had never heard this song before but it seemed to so perfectly fit the situation we were in. It was encouraging to see everyone, even complete strangers who had never spoken to Jessica, being so respectful and mourning such a loss with us.

Now, every time I hear this song I am reminded of that cold January night and, more importantly, of what Jessica's death taught us all: Be grateful for the simple things because you never know when they'll be gone. Take the time to appreciate those around you, no matter how well you know them, because they may not be in your life much longer. And, most of all, live your life the way you want to, never wasting even a single day, because you never know when it'll all be over.

Day 6: A song that reminds you of somewhere

"No One Sleeps When I'm Awake" by the Sounds reminds me a lot of my time at Purdue largely because that's when I really got into the Sounds. Actually, I really got into a lot of music there, come to think of. I really wasn't enjoying myself as much as I could've been so I guess music was my escape like it always has been. The Sounds, Lights, Paramore, and, of course, No Doubt and Metric... They made things seem alright. I also started realizing something about myself there. Something that I never thought would happen to me but these feelings and urges just kept building inside of me and I couldn't deny it any longer.

I realized that I...

FUCKING LOVE LADY GAGA.
She is glorious. Fucking glorious.

Day 5: A song that reminds you of someone

Today's song takes us way back to the 90's... or the early 2000's, I don't remember. The early 2000's are basically an extension of the 90's. But that's beside the point. The song is "Juliet" by LMNT and it reminds me of one of my BBFs, the lovely Maxi Moroni. I remember when this song first came out I used to listen to it on Radio Disney all the freaking time and sing along. Now the only thing that has changed is the Radio Disney listening to part. I remember last summer we were riding in Maxi's car and she played this song and it brought back so many memories... I wish trashy pop music were as glorious today as it was in the 90's. The only trashy pop music I'd classify as glorious these days is Lady Gaga.

Day 4: A song that makes you sad

It's day 4 of the 30 day song challenge and today's theme is "a song that makes you sad." I chose the song "Pretend" by Lights. I happen to adore Lights; not only does she make really good music but she's REAL PURTY!!!! I mean, look at this picture I stole from her Facebook:



LOOK AT THAT FACE. It's soooo... symmetrical.

But this blog isn't about me being a creep, it's about this lovely song that happens to make Joey very nostalgic. I turned 20 just over a week ago and it's been really sinking in that I'm not a child anymore and you know what? I had a pretty damn good childhood. Nothing overly traumatic happened (well, until I was like 16, anyway) and I lived a pretty easy life. And best of all, I got to just play all of the time and didn't have to work hard in school (which really fucked me over for college haha). I got to do a lot of things Lights sings about; Drinking soda (or that sparkly grape shit) instead of wine, water gun fights, play fights in general... Don't get me wrong, I love me some wine but I'd give it all up to be a child again. Things were just better back then.

Some things I miss: Game Boys, Pokemon, playing cops and robbers, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, old episodes of the Simpsons, Nickleodeon, Beanie Babies, getting dressed up for Halloween, Christmas in general, playing Legos, going to my grandma's in Illinois and catching lightning bugs, the Fun Fest at my elementary school, chalk, sledding down my neighbor's hill, sleepovers, Skip Its, biking, bad 90's music, being able to get by on 7 hours of sleep, doing nothing all summer, getting special treatment because I was so young, ghosts in the graveyard, freeze tag, my friend's basement, N64 (I miss this one A LOT haha), the Spice Girls, movies like Clueless, being innocent and carefree, Joe and Tara's Bar (don't ask haha), awkward middle school dances, calling people do see if they wanted to play, looking forward to college and the future and having endless possibilities ahead of me...

I wish I could go back.

Day 3: A Song That Makes You Happy

Today's song is The Sweet Escape by God (a.k.a. Gwen Stefani) featuring Akon. How can this song NOT make you happy? It makes me just want to snap my fingers and sing along. I remember when the album of the same name came out this song was one I instantly clicked with despite that album... not being my favorite of Gwen's work.

On a related note, I'm really looking forward to No Doubt's new album. I've been waiting for this for YEARS. YEEEEEEEEARS. Apparently they have nine songs done already, too!!! Hopefully by this time next year we'll have some brand new ND and a tour to boot!

Day 2: Your Least Favorite Song

Much like my favorite song, I had a lot of trouble picking this one. Harder than picking my favorite, actually, because let's keep it real: There's a lot of shit music out there. I was going to do a Ke$ha song but I couldn't pick just one because they're all so horrible... Kate Nash almost made the cut with that "Mariella" song but then I remembered this piece of shit that I was forced to listen to back when I started working at PacSun... It's called "I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker" by Sandi Thom and it's just... really bad. We'd have customers stop and say to us, "What the fuck is this horrible song playing?" and none of the employees liked it either. In fact some of the people who've worked at PacSun for 3+ years still remember and complain about it. The lyrics are probably what makes it so bad. I mean, they're just really stupid. It's like... Shut yo trap, guuuuurl. No one cares. And punk rockers don't wear flowers in their hair, idiot. That's a fucking hippy. IDIOT.

Day 1: Your Favorite Song

It was really hard for me to decide on a song to do for this one. I listen to a lot of music and picking just one song as my favorite of all time? Shit. A couple came to mind. Among them: "Simple Kind of Life," "Sunday Morning," and "Rock Steady" by No Doubt, "A Man/Me/Then Jim" by Rilo Kiley, "Emergency" by Paramore, and a few others... but one song stood out and that song is "Hustle Rose" by Metric.

The first time I heard this song I wasn't blown away. It was like a few other songs where I've been like, "Whoa, this song rules!!" But for some reason I kept listening. From the beginning, from the very first line, this song rules; "Behold the fishnet slut tonight..." Behold indeed. After repeating "Now that your wallet is all lit up" over minimalist synths for around 30 seconds, the real beauty of the song starts: Emily's soft, haunting voice over piano turning... and then bursting into a musical experience like something you'll never know. I can't even come up with the words to describe it. Probably the most spectacular part, however, is the breakdown that closes out the song. Turn it up loud, close your eyes, and shut out the rest of the world and your mind will be blown in such a way that you'll never be able to recover... not that you'd want to.

This song also has a lot of personal meaning to me. Back in high school while I was going through all my depression and eating disorder shit, I'd listen to this song a lot. It honestly is one of the reasons I'm still alive today. I'd just sit there in awe and think... How can something this beautiful exist and the whole world be bad? There is good out there, you just need to search for it.

Also, for those who don't know, the tattoo on my back is from this song.

30 Day Song Challenge

K so in case you haven't noticed I've really neglected my blog for the last few months. It's kinda hard to keep up with school and what not but I really should try to get back into the habit. To kinda force myself to do so, I'm undertaking one of those "30 Day Challenges!" Not gonna do the letters one because most of them don't really apply to me (i.e. I don't have any ex's, don't have a crush unless you count my biology lust object, etc.) so I found this nifty little one... The 30 Day Song Challenge! Here's the list of each song for each day:

Day 01 – Your favorite song
Day 02 – Your least favorite song
Day 03 – A song that makes you happy
Day 04 – A song that makes you sad
Day 05 – A song that reminds you of someone
Day 06 – A song that reminds of you of somewhere
Day 07 – A song that reminds you of a certain event
Day 08 – A song that you know all the words to
Day 09 – A song that you can dance to
Day 10 – A song that makes you fall asleep
Day 11 – A song from your favorite band
Day 12 – A song from a band you hate
Day 13 – A song that is a guilty pleasure
Day 14 – A song that no one would expect you to love
Day 15 – A song that describes you
Day 16 – A song that you used to love but now hate
Day 17 – A song that you hear often on the radio
Day 18 – A song that you wish you heard on the radio
Day 19 – A song from your favorite album
Day 20 – A song that you listen to when you’re angry
Day 21 – A song that you listen to when you’re happy
Day 22 – A song that you listen to when you’re sad
Day 23 – A song that you want to play at your wedding
Day 24 – A song that you want to play at your funeral
Day 25 – A song that makes you laugh
Day 26 – A song that you can play on an instrument
Day 27 – A song that you wish you could play
Day 28 – A song that makes you feel guilty
Day 29 – A song from your childhood
Day 30 – Your favorite song at this time last year

And here's a player with all the songs from each day... Well, most of them. This website doesn't have a lot of songs on it so who knows what I'll be able to post and what I won't be able to.