Lilac Colored Glasses

Okay, so after my last few music posts I thought I’d give you a better idea of the scope of my musical preferences. Cause really, while I do love Shakira and yes, even Lady GaGa, there are plenty of other artists on my playlist that aren’t so…hrm…questionably vapid? Anyway, here are some of the other things that hold cherished spots in my iPod.

The Decemberists – They’ve been a favorite of mine for several years now. I don’t even really know how to describe they’re style. Wikipedia says indie/folk/progressive rock and also baroque pop. I like the last one, although I’d say maybe it’s baroque rock. Either way I have all of their albums in my iTunes. It’s kind of hard to find my favorites on Youtube, but here’s one that I like quite a bit:

The Legionnaire’s Lament

Amy McDonald- What I like about Amy McDonald is that she’s a young singer who isn’t using sex to sell herself. She writes her own songs, she has a pretty voice (reminds me of Dolores O’Riordan from the Cranberries, another favorite group of mine) and her lyrics are thoughtful as well.

Mumford & Sons – My newest favorite. I’m a big fan of complicated/poetic/introspective lyrics and unique use of instruments and this group has both.

Winter Winds

And as always, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Alanis Morisette and Johnny Cash are firmly and eternally embedded at the top of my list.

Okay, I can’t believe I’m about to type this, and so many of you will probably lose some respect for me…but I actually like Lady Gaga.

Are you done jeering yet? I can wait.

There.
And I’m not sure how I feel about this development because I have always, always been a loather of half naked, over sexed pop music. I have never believed that having a body that makes guys want to bang you is synonymous with having musical talent. I have never believed that society should deify girls/women whose image preaches all of the exact opposite perceptions that young girls (or boys) should have about themselves or themselves in relation to others.

And the first time I heard a Gaga song (Pokerface) I thought, “ooh, catchy, and she’s not afraid to do interesting things with her voice.” But then I saw the video for Love Game and immediately jumped from “maybe she’s okay” to “slut!raging slut who demeans women simply by existing!ack! Damn those whippersnappers and their new fangled, trashy music!” (see also:

)

Y’know, pretty much the same reaction my parents had to what I liked when I was young and had to sneak my friend’s copy of Dookie* up to my bedroom to secretly listen because anything with a parental advisory on it was contraband until I was 15 or so.

So I’ve been clinging to my intense distaste of Gaga, all the while hearing songs on the radio and occasionally thinking about a few particular songs: “hey, I really like these, whoever this girl is, she’s good!”

This morning I was on a forum I frequent and some conversation led me to dare to look up some videos on youtube by Lady Gaga that weren’t Love Game and lo and behold… every song I’ve liked off the radio was hers. And although there is the mostly naked element in her videos, the times she is dressed are incredibly interesting and out there. And I love the really interesting burlesque style imagery she uses as well as the fact that a lot of her videos actually depict a narrative, which I prefer in music videos (one of my favorites is Don’t Come Around Here by Tom Petty).

Anyway, this morning, about 5 minutes before I began writing this post, I was forced to admit that I am not too old to enjoy the music kids are listening to nowadays. I actually sincerely like some of it.

I pity my future pre-teens when I start singing Bad Romance in the carpool on the way to volleyball practice/ballet lessons/etc.

Music.

Music has always been one of the strongest memory triggers for me. The Little Nash Rambler makes me think of my late aunt Ronnie, sitting in her car while she sang to me in an Elmer Fudd voice to make a pint sized me giggle.

How You Remind Me by Nickelback takes me back to a gravel parking lot after dark my junior year of college where my roommate Peep and I sat, belting the song in my green Pontiac, both of us trying to plug up the void of a broken heart.

Lemon Parade by Tonic puts me in my car at the age of sixteen, driving home from a night working at Long John Silvers, after my second “real” kiss with a guy.

So music seemed the obvious path to choose this weekend when a surprise visit to my blog by an ex inspired me to do a short series discussing my exes and what I learned from those relationships.
But after I made that decision, something strange happened. Or perhaps it is always happening, I just rarely notice it anymore.
Every time I started formulating a post in my head, I would look at CB, or he would say something to me and I was overcome by how very much I am in love with him. I was actually choked up a few times, the feeling of utter completeness was so strong. I don’t think I’ve ever looked into the eyes of a man so confident in his love for mz, so happy when I’m happy…until now. I rarely, if ever, think much about my exes since I met CB and while I do maintain that I learned something from every relationship I’ve had, it all seems to pale in comparison with the feeling of “right” I have with CB.

However, that doesn’t diminish the men from my past or what they’ve taught me. I even occasionally exchange an e-mail with a couple of them. But rather than go into a detailed analysis of each (I lose the desire to do that pretty much any time I’m with CB), I’m going to put up the song that reminds me the most of each one, along with a thank you. Because without lessons learned from the past, we as people wouldn’t be able to build better futures.

Pie Jesu

Bub – Thank you for teaching me that there are people out there who can love me unconditionally.

Miss America

Asshat – Thank you for teaching me not to lie to myself about my emotions just to make asshats people happy.

It Ain’t Me Babe

M. – Thank you for teaching me how to be more independent in a relationship.

My Immortal

Chinchilla – Thanks for teaching me that chemistry, while important, is not the basis for a good relationship.

Long December

Cabana Boy – Thank you for all the lessons you’ve taught me and for all the lessons yet to come in our life together. Thank you for making me believe in the impossible. Thank you for loving me.

Maybe it’ll surprise some of you, I’m not sure, but I’m a big Shakira fan. My roommate in my freshman year of college (not the smelly one) majored in Spanish and English and was really into Spanish and Latin music (and other cool stuff…she really expanded some of my horizons and not in the dirty ways). She had Shakira’s 1998 album ¿Dónde Están Los Ladrones? and after the first few times of listening to it idly in the background while writing a term paper or reading a textbook I really began to enjoy it.

Once she hit America I found I liked a lot of her English songs as well. I liked her original lyrics and her unique perspectives on relationships (i.e. You can laugh/Only if you laugh with me/You can cry/Only if you cry for me/Don’t forget that you’re condemned to me) as well as the fact that she continues to write and record songs in Spanish. Also, for some reason, at least in my opinion, she can do the whole dancing in latex, sultry eyed, crazy hair thing without coming across as pandering to mens’ penises (penii?). She rarely sounds like she’s gone all Sandra Dee on the guy she’s singing about or to, which is the issue I have with most female singers. They always sound so helpless and addicted and dependent on the man* but Shakira pretty much sounds like she’s kicking ass and taking names in most of her songs and I dig that.

So anyway, here’s her latest single “She Wolf.” Enjoy!!

*I finally caved and am reading the Twilight series and most of the characters disgust me, but none so much as Bella and it has me extra super sensitive to anything I see as anti-feminist

This has been stuck in my brain since I heard it on he radio while I was cleaning the bathroom today.

Nothin’ but love for ya George!!