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Music That’ll Move Ya

Apr 26th, 12 / 2 Comments

I walked to my car last night in the clear night air. Not a cloud to be seen, the temperature a perfect 67 degrees. I hopped in the car, turned on the ignition, rolled all the windows down, and popped in a CD.

Remember back in high school when you had those one or two CDs that you would listen to over and over while locked in your bedroom, all the lights off, and your headphones turned all the way up? My CDs were Machina/The Machines of God by Smashing Pumpkins and There Is Nothing Left to Lose by the Foo Fighters.

I could get completely lost in those albums. I memorized guitar riffs, piano solos, drum beats. I listened to them over and over and over again trying to find meaning in my crazy high school life. Even today, when I hear a certain song from Machina (“Raindrops + Sunshowers”) I’m transported back to German class junior year. We had a sub that day who thought the best way to teach us was to show us a morbidly long slideshow about her trip to Germany. I slipped my headphones on and tuned out. The opening snare beats in “Stacked Actors” on There is Nothing Left to Lose brings me back to the weekends I would take one of my parents’ cars, roll the windows down, turn the tunes up, and just drive.

Since then I have been hard pressed to find an album like those. One that can reach deep inside me and move me in a way no other collection of songs can.

Until now.

After buying a laptop and TV from Best Buy in the last few months, we’d amassed $40 in Best Buy rewards. Knowing I wanted to increase my CD collection, I took my moneys and bought two Black Keys albums (Thickfreakness and El Camino), Making Mirrors by Gotye, and Foster the People’s Torches. The two non-Black Keys albums are good, yes. They are perfect for long car trips and you just need something to zone out to.

But the Black Keys? Oh my. Oh my, my, my.

I loved hearing their songs on the radio, but never actually got around to buying any of their albums. Then one day, listening to Black Keys Radio on Pandora, I heard the title track from Thickfreakness. It was amazing. I heard bits of Led Zepplin, Ted Nugent, Lynard Skynard, and some classic blues. I had to have that album.

So last night, on that perfect evening, I put Thickfreakness into the CD player. I maxed out the volume. I let the music surround me and reach deep into my soul. The soulful, blue-sy sound those boys make is simply amazing. It is pure, unadulterated rock and roll. There’s no fancy mixing, auto-tune, or anything. Just a couple guys, their instruments, their voices, and their souls.

I could listen to that album over and over and over again. El Camino is just as good, don’t get me wrong, but there’s just something about Thickfreakness that I just can’t get enough of. There isn’t a single song (on either album, really) that I don’t like.

I’m just sorry it took me this long to own a single album of theirs. And I will be purchasing their other five albums.

What albums have the same affect on you that you could listen to over and over and over and never get sick of?

(And if you say Adele I will punch you square in the mouth. I don’t know why, but there’s just something about her that I cannot stand. At. All.)

PS – I used affiliate links, but I’ve never EVER had anyone buy anything from them. I haven’t made a CENT off of them. So there.

music

Eating the Dinosaur

Feb 13th, 12 / 4 Comments

Before I get into this post, I want you to remember one thing: I am not yet 30. I’m still in my twenties. Sure I’m closer to 30 than I am to 21, but still, I’m not even 30.

Ok, now that that’s been said, here we go…

I’m old.

I’m out of touch with the kids. I’m only 6 years older than my younger sister and yet I feel like we are an entire generation apart. Take for example dating. I was chatting last night with my sister about a guy she’s been dating and I referred to him as her boyfriend. She was very quick to point out that she does not have a boyfriend, just a guy she’s been seeing.

Huh?

I told her that when Tim and I started dating, there was no “guy I’m dating.” We were boyfriend/girlfriend right away. We didn’t even have “The Talk” that apparently couples have before deciding to be exclusive.

She said, Nicci, dating isn’t what it used to be. Social media has changed dating. You’re not boyfriend/girlfriend until you change your Facebook status to “in a relationship.”

HUH??

But I’m one of the first members of Facebook! I’m one of the reasons it is what it is today! I had an account moments after it was opened to my school, a mere two months after the site was launched! I’m an original!!

“Yeah. You’re a dinosaur.”

Ouch.

Moments later, the Foo Fighters were on TV performing at the Grammys. And I spent the time drooling over Dave Grohl and contemplating the difficult decision that would be placed before me if I should ever have to choose between him and Chris Cornell.

Product of the 90s, much?

And then, this came on my TV:

We watch a lot of Mickey Mouse in our house, thanks to my ~~stupid~~ decision to call Aric into the room when I saw Mickey Mouse Clubhouse was on. Needless to say, I was a bit shocked to see Mickey as a DJ.

And then this happened:

And then my eardrums started bleeding and I thought someone had slipped acid into my diet coke without warning me. Tim actually had to mute the TV.

I was scared.

And my sister was all, “Oh! That’s Deadmau5.”

HUH?!?!?!?!?!

What the-?

I don’t even-?

WHAT?!

AND THEN THE FOO PLAYED ALONG WITH THEM. (After giving an awesome acceptance speech about how music should come from the heart and the brain instead of a computer …. IRONY!!)

People, all I wanted was to watch Paul McCartney play again and maybe prop the Beach Boys up once more for an encore performance.

At 10pm, they announced that Nicky Minaj was about to perform and I clicked off the TV and called it a night. And I hear I missed an AWESOME performance with Dave Grohl, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, and Joe Walsh. They need to put that shit at the BEGINNING of the Grammys and stick Chris Brown’s woman beating ass at the end when all the old folks have gone to bed.

Now THAT’S what I’m talkin about! I’m actually kind of beating myself up over having missed that!

But seriously, the generational gap between my sister and I is almost astronomical! Kids her age don’t know the joy of heading to a used CD store and flipping through stacks and stacks of CDs, the rhythmic sound of the jewel cases smacking into each other and you search through the crap to find the couple awesome CDs hidden in there (and folks even older than me will say the same about used record stores). They don’t know the sheer joy of ripping the plastic off a new CD and popping in the fresh one for the first time in your car before you even leave the store parking lot. No, they have their iTunes and their Spotify and their Pandora for their instant musical gratification (not to say I don’t love me some Pandora, but just go with me here).

It just blows my mind how different things are just 6 years later. How when I was in college people were still saving their papers on 3×5 in floppy disks to take down to the computer rooms on campus to print papers that were turned in on paper and not electronically. How the only social media outlets were MySpace and AOL Instant Messenger (my away messages were the BOMB!).

I’m a dinosaur.

But can I just say one thing? I might be old. And I might listen to “old people” music. But the opening performance last night from Bruce Springsteen and the finale from all the old pros brought down the HOUSE! So maybe being a dinosaur isn’t all that bad

GET OFF MY LAWN!, Getting Old, music

Baby It’s Cold Outside: A Cautionary Tale?

Dec 20th, 11 / 5 Comments

My number two favorite Christmas song (after Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas is You, obviously) is Baby It’s Cold Outside, specifically the version from Elf (the greatest Christmas movie ever made). But the other day I was singing along, and I realized something.

There’s something sinister about the lyrics.

Let’s walk through them, shall we?

I really can’t stay -
(Baby it’s cold outside)
I’ve got to go away
(Baby it’s cold outside)
This evening has been
(Been hoping that you’d drop in)
So very nice
(I’ll hold your hands, they’re just like ice)
My mother will start to worry
(Beautiful, what’s your hurry)
My father will be pacing the floor
(Listen to the fireplace roar)
So really I’d better scurry
(Beautiful, please don’t hurry)
Well maybe just a half a drink more
(Put some music on while I pour)

My take:
Girl – Oh look at the time, I have to go!
Guy – I’M PRESSURING YOU TO STAY!!
Girl- But my parents think you are a creep, and let’s face it, you’re way older than me.
Guy – I’ll give you booze!
Girl – Fine.

The neighbors might think
(Baby, it’s bad out there)
Say, what’s in this drink
(No cabs to be had out there)
I wish I knew how
(Your eyes are like starlight)
To break the spell
(I’ll take your hat, your hair looks swell)
I ought to say no, no, no, sir
(Mind if I move closer)
At least I’m gonna say that I tried
(What’s the sense in hurting my pride?)
I really can’t stay
(Baby don’t hold out)
Ahh, but it’s cold outside

Girl – Seriously, even the neighbors know you’re a creep. Also, did you just roofie me?
Guy – HAHA!! Good luck finding a cab in the blizzard! Now you’re stuck with me!
Girl – Um, no.
Guy – You say no, I hear YES!!

C’mon baby

I simply must go
(Baby, it’s cold outside)
The answer is no
(Ooh darling, it’s cold outside)
This welcome has been
(I’m lucky that you dropped in)
So nice and warm
(Look out the window at that storm)
My sister will be suspicious
(Man, your lips look delicious)
My brother will be there at the door
(Waves upon a tropical shore)
My maiden aunt’s mind is vicious
(Gosh your lips are delicious)
Well maybe just a cigarette more
(Never such a blizzard before)

Girl – Seriously. I have to leave. Do you even know what “no” means?
Guy – Baby, your body is so fine!
Girl – My entire family knows what a skeeze you are.
Guy – Awe, baby! C’mon!

I’ve got to go home
(Oh, baby, you’ll freeze out there)
Say, lend me your coat
(It’s up to your knees out there)
You’ve really been grand
(I thrill when you touch my hand)
But don’t you see
(How can you do this thing to me?)
There’s bound to be talk tomorrow
(Think of my life long sorrow)
At least there will be plenty implied
(If you caught pneumonia and died)
I really can’t stay
(Get over that hold out)

Girl – Give me my damn coat, jerk. No means NO!
Guy – But when you touch me I get happy! You know ….
Girl – I do NOT need people thinking I’ve been with someone like you.
Guy – If you leave, you’ll die.