good bye 2010

You're gonna get two blogs from me today, but let's start with the easiest one, the rest of the music I loved in 2010...

Heard this the first morning I was in Chico as a resident. I was watching MTV every morning while I got ready for work and man, sucker punch.



One of the songs I heard ALOT of when I visited SLO back in September. Such a great trip and I got to see everyone I wanted to.



I loved playing this on Wild because hey, I knew some stuff about Travie McCoy, for once I wasn't a total moron!



This song was the soundtrack to moving. Seriously La Roux get straight up out of my head.



I don't get the video at all but Gaga, I love you. And this song.



OMG epic. Like painfully epic cool. "Once you kill a cow, you gotta make a burger!"

Gaga you're a freakin' space alien but let's be BFF's, you like Betsey Johnson right?



The Texas Hippie Coalition feels like my personal rock radio discovery this year. I gotta give mad love to Matty Martino over at Landshark Promotions for always turning me on the good stuff. This band is channeling Pantera in a huge way. My listeners have been going NUTS for this one for a long time. And Big Rich gives great interviews. So epic.



Red Line Chemistry is another Matt Martino special, along with my friend Ken Pittman, both of them worked this record to me. As someone who grew up in the 90's my ears do perk up a little at anything that sounds sort of Seattle. RLC came by my station and did a little in studio with us and it was hella fun. Nice guys, I hope they make it!



This Janus song we were already playing when I got here but I'm not gonna lie, I liked it. I think it's mostly the song structure, since it reminds me of a lot of stuff I'd listen to on my own. I know next to nothing about this band but this was one of the songs that stuck out a little more in the waves of active rock I had thrown my way this year.



Yes I realize Shakira makes some of you want to put your fingers in your ears in search of your ear drums to puncture them, but if that's the case, mute it and just watch the video. :)



I tried really hard not to like this song. It goes against all of my beliefs (she says after posting a Ke$ha song like a week ago) but damn if it didn't get me...

Speaking of Ke$ha....



Jojo gave me a copy of the Ke$ha CD while I worked at Wild. Show prep and all that. On FIRST listen I said "Animal" is a single. The next one even. I wasn't wrong... This may not have been as big as "Your Love is My Drug" or "Tik Tok," (please skeezy, learn to spell you're so maddening!) but I think this is actually a better song. That's because I love me some bass. And I'm pretty sure I saw Ke$ha downtown last night in Chico. Who else would make out with four dudes in a row on the street and fall on her head on the concrete in front of Duffy's at 2am? Oh right, half of Chico State.



Pretty sure this one was unavoidable this year too. I go back and forth with Eminem and if I like him or not. I liked a few things off this latest record but I still kind of want to punch him in the face sometimes. I'm sure he's used to that tho, so Marshall let's call it a draw and move on.

But Riri, man I LOVE Rhianna. LOVE HER. Can't understand a word she says in interviews sometimes but who cares? She's freakin' amazing. LOVE HER.



I just put that one in there for my friend Nicole. We used to listen to this at the Black Sheep. Super good times.

I'm sure I forgot some, but whatever... What did you love in 2010?

oh M.I.A you so weird

I got this album sent to me right after I met Ben.



We were still just friends then. We were just friends for awhile after I moved up here. I had no intention of having a relationship with anyone really. But Ben is really endearing and adorable. He gives these fully body hugs that just feel like someone is putting a little protective bubble around you. And he gives them (at least to me) with reckless abandon. He's never been shy about being affectionate towards me, even when we were just friends who ate dinner together or went to the Old Man Bars together because I really didn't know anyone here but him and Sarah.

Anyway I think the first time I ever had an inkling that I really liked Ben for more than his dinner conversations was driving around one day this summer listening to this song. It may have been while he was on the East Coast with his family and I realized that I missed him. I think we talked on the phone more in those couple of weeks than we ever have now. (He lives five minutes away from me, the phone is just to tell me to unlock the door of the apartment.) He listened to all my gripes about being lonely here and assured me that I wouldn't die up here and the cat wouldn't eat my face or any of that. He made me laugh.

So not only does this song remind me of the latter half of 2010, it reminds me of Ben and hearing him laugh over the phone from 3000 miles away when I was still sleeping on the floor and spending every night sitting next to my pool listening to music wondering what the hell I'd done by moving here.

that boy was a monster

Everyone knows that the very epic "The Fame Monster" came out in 2009. The story of how I got a copy of the record is one of my favorites from my old job... just having my boss walk in and start rummaging through my purse after we bickered on Facebook about the record. And there it was, in my purse all of a sudden. Viola, surprise here's the CD you've been nagging me for, for like ever.

The whole album is a banger. It's amazing. This song though, popped out at me when we started playing it as a single early in the year.



I've definitely danced to this one a few times in 2010.

feminist notebook

I was a tiny bit too young for Riot Grrrl. Okay that's not true, it was happening while I was happening, turning into my teen years, realizing I could think, realizing that boys didn't get to have all the fun... yeah Riot Grrrl was HAPPENING. But I was twelve and living in Bakersfield and finding out about all of it from Sassy magazine.

I have no idea how I got a subscription to this magazine as a pre-teen. Probably told my mom it was just like Seventeen or Teen or anything else. She really wanted me to stop reading rock music magazines so I cheated a little. Sue me, like crack on the street I would've found the WORD out there somewhere.

My cousin Michelle was a fantastic bad influence, just dropping the names Exene Cervenka and Anais Nin and god knows what else around me. I devoured these little clues that there was something out there for girls like me.

I just read an article on some celeb gossip piece of crap where someone was interviewing one of my first idols (but not my first idol, that's easily Cyndi Lauper) Kathleen Hanna and she said these Riot Grrrl bands were on the verge of being forgotten. of being lost. Kathleen Hanna donated all her papers, the zines, the everything to NYU to keep this from happening. It just makes me crazy that there are girls younger than my sisters out there walking around without a clue that these women, these ball busting amazing women made it okay for Taylor Momsen to be out there with her boobs out or even that these women were around before Britney or X-Tina or even Gaga (and you know I love me some Gaga)

I had my Riot Grrrl moment in the sun in the early 2000's before riotgrrl.com disbanded. They chose me to be a columnist and asked me to write about something that made me a better feminist and I wrote about moving in with my dad who recognized that I was a person and needed to be independent and needed to learn to make some money and get myself from here to there and even knew that if I worked overnights I wouldn't automatically die or get mugged. They approved my article and then the website folded. But for awhile I was bummed. And if I still had it I would repost the story about how my dad made me the bad ass independent (for the most part) take no prisoners woman I am.

When I was 23 I got to see Le Tigre perform. Kathleen Hanna is a genius. I mean come on, she punched out Courtney Love once and married one of the Beastie Boys (the original reformed boy sexist pigs turned feminists). She made me cry. She was so earnest. She believed whatever she was saying in that tiny club.

I guess what I'm saying is that none of this music should be forgotten. I absolutely wouldn't be who I am without ANY OF IT. I think I even mentioned it on the air the first week I was here when I played L7. I wouldn't have had a clue that I could be the biggest bad ass on the block in rock and be a girl.

I won't let any of this music be forgotten. It means everything.

Last Christmas

I'll admit it, the Christmas season last year was really hard for me. For one it was hard for me to get presents for anyone and I wouldn't have been able to if it hadn't been for Santa Dad dropping a shopping fund into my bank account. Things at home were strained. Things elsewhere were... odd*.

Last Christmas seems like it was a thousand years ago. On another planet even. It's hard to even imagine myself in the situation and I was right there in it, you know? Anyway enough vague musings.. let's get down to the point.

I was watching "Glee" last week (really I'm ashamed, I have a campy side and I can't deny it. It's how my friend Megan and I have stayed friends for YEARS.) and the Glee kids did one of my favorite Christmas songs, (well one of a few of them... shoot me) and I giggled a little. "Last Christmas," by Wham! is one of my favorites ever.

Oh George, that hair!

Why do I love this song? I'm actually a big George Michael fan... Don't even start me... and because it's perfect. Duh. So perfect it's been covered a million times. And I love most of the covers too! Let's investigate shall we...

Before you watch this one, know that this isn't the real band in the video and the audio quality is so much more "HISSY" than I wanted, but I'm at home so I can't clean it and re-upload. Please survive.



I love Jimmy Eat World. I blame Jennifer for it to be honest. She was always playing Jimmy Eat World at our old house. But I love love love this version of this song and when I make CD Christmas cards, it's ALWAYS on it.

Look there's even a trance remix of it. Let's get a glow stick and freak out on E by the tree! Where's my pacifier?

Speaking of dance music, I just found this version today and I'm not gonna lie, I like it. Cascada (Little Miss Natalie Horler sings "Evacuate the Dancefloor") was one of my favorites when I was over at Wild and I enjoy her take on this song:

Nothing sadder than a beautiful girl in a beanie singing about her ex boyfriend effing her over at Christmas right? Even to a dance beat. Actually she looks like my friend Lauren over at KLUC. I imagine if Lauren went to Germany she might get mobbed.

Finally here is the Glee cast version of it.

So yeah.. that's one of my favorite Christmas songs... I'll share a couple of my other favorites before the holiday for sure.

I don't really know what this Christmas is going to be like. What I do know is I'm getting on a train on December 23rd to go home. That drive is straight up murder. The weather here makes it seems like Christmas but other than putting up my tree, I haven't "gotten the spirit" yet. I have "Love Actually," sitting on my hard drive so I may have to hit that up tonight.. :)

(*Definition of odd: knowing something is going on but choosing to ignore it, HARDCORE because you feel like you're hallucinating? I mean one of those "Did I just imagine that ish?" kind of feelings. And being bound and determined to ignore anything going on in your own head because, yeah.)

this is what I think of last night's Danzig show

In other words Glenn Danzig, you can bite me.

hazy shade of winter

Last night I judged a high school battle of the bands at Cafe Coda here in Chico and it was pretty crazy how much NOTHING has changed about these scenes/kids since I was a little live music rat at fifteen. The fashion isn't honestly that different, and the little cliques of kids, very similar.

And the bands... man the bands, so heart stoppingly earnest and not technically good, but their little hearts are just splattered all over everything. And yeah, there are still the dorky joke bands ala the Dead Milkmen and the jocky rich kid bands ala Pennywise. It's alarmingly similar to my life 15 years ago.

For some reason though instead of seeming comical to me, it was just sweet. It made me smile. I'm glad to see that this home for "outsiders" exists in the world still and even still in a really small place like Chico where they only have two high schools and being "normal" is just the only way to be.

Emily kept apologizing for keeping me so long yesterday, but I didn't mind. I liked watching the kids have their night out and talking to a few of them that know me from the radio. They seemed pretty blown away that I was there (which honestly is a far nicer reception than any radio person would've gotten in our scene back in Bakersfield at that time. "Effin sellouts! Raaarr") and the band that won, Color Me Plaid were this cute little acoustic duo, think half of early Paramore, this probably 14-16 year old girl with braces and pink hair singing her heart out. And I was glad for her band to have won, because it is incredibly brave to get up there on stage in front of other mean little teenagers and sing your heart out. So good for her. I wanted to talk to her afterwards but didn't. I mean who cares what some creepy old lady thinks?

All in all though, it was an enjoyable evening and I need to go back and check out Cafe Coda again for food and breakfast.

mmmm

I have never seen this show the Vampire Diaries, although I did read the books it was based on when they first came out. (I was in junior high.)

The soundtrack landed on my desk the other day and I have to say it's pretty sexy. This song is gorgeous. I'm in a pretty mushy mood today outside of the office and this song fits perfectly...

I'm getting well by the way. No more fever, just kinda run down still. I'm trying to take it easy the next couple of days but the gym is kinda calling my name too...

Day 28 - A song that makes you feel guilty

I have two actually... So there.



Lady Gaga - Monster



The Veronicas- Untouched


No explanation today kids... if you think you know why, maybe you're right, maybe you're not.

Guilt is weird... You can feel guilty for doing something. You can feel guilty for NOT doing something. Maybe I feel guilty for a combination of both...

Either way both of these songs are bomb. Enjoy.

Muse!

Tonight, my afternoon guy and annoying brother I never knew I had, Jeremy, the lovely Adele and that one guy Ben ;-) and I are all heading down to Sacramento to see Muse at the Arco Arena with some other people from Chico, who I haven't met yet, but all of Jeremy's friends are cool so I'm not worried.

Road Trip! Concerts! Tailgating! Del Taco! Yes please!

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

This is a dumb question little meme, because I'm never going to get married. And that's not a woe as me statement, I just don't see it in the cards/stars for me. Let's be real, I've been asked twice. And almost a year later exactly, I was out the door. I'm just not the marrying type I guess. Too stubborn.

That being said, when I was younger and thought that it may happen and maybe I did have a big moon eyed crush on some guy I thought was just *perfect* (he is mind you, just not for me) I'm sure the idea crossed my mind. Sometime before I was even 21. And in this silly immature happily ever after senario, this was the song:

Back here in reality, when my ex and I were really talking about getting married (and yeah, we had all the fun parts planned out) this was going to be our first dance, because think about where we lived and who our friends were:

But hey, that never happened either.

Only a few days left of this meme, then I might actually have to make blog posts again!

Day 22 - A song that you listen to when you’re sad

This is another odd/hard one, so I'm going to post a couple:



Dashboard Prophets - "Ballad For A Dead Friend"

Oddly enough I heard this song for the first time during an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I know next to nothing about this band and wasn't surprised that every video I found on youtube of it had something to do with some television show that had extremely dedicated fans that make fan videos. Don't ask me why, I just wasn't. Anyway this song always makes it into my sad bastard playlist. It's really the perfect song to feel sorry for yourself to.



Incubus - "Love Hurts"

It's very Junior High of me, but in the recent past I was often sad or at least bummed out because of this one guy I knew. We both really like Incubus. So when I was sitting around moping about this one guy I knew, this would be a song I'd listen to. Quelle immature. And no it's not who you think it is. Or maybe it is who you think it is. I'll never tell.



Bush - "Out of This World"

Another song I heard for the first time during an episode of Buffy. Seems odd, given what I do for a living, but Bush isn't really a band I listen to much, and this wasn't a radio single. Anyway this is pretty good sad bastard music. I listened to this a lot when I first got up here to Chico, on my iPod at night next to the pool.

Day 20 - A song that you listen to when you’re angry

Against Me! -Turn those Clapping hands into Angry Balled Fists

This was on a mix cd Jennifer made me back in the Grover Beach days. We were both having a crappy winter and she made some CD for us both that reflected this. I listened to this song every single morning driving up the 101 for the entire month of November in 2005. Because I think we both felt like this that year. If something didn't do SOMETHING we were going to lose our minds and we were so bored we were actually angry about it.

"Turn those Clapping Hands Into Angry Balled Fists" - Against Me!

Sleep on pillows made in Singapore
Wrapped in comforters
Sweating through sheets
Drinking coffee in the morning
Floating on Airplanes across the vast seas

And your house is made of wood
Central air, central heat
You got your furniture of particle board
Your doors are locked for, for safety

And you walk in leather shoes
Pants of denim, a black cotton sweatshirt
And you do what you do
because doing can start to form a habit

And you drink all night long
And you sleep through the morning
And if something doesn't break
I'm just gonna go, go fucking insane

And you sweep up the floor when it's dirty
You do the dishes, when the sink's full
And when the refrigerator's empty
well it's time, it's time, it's time, it's time to go the store

You put your books on a shelf
Clothes arranged in the closet
You hang the things on the wall that you don't wanna be so easily forgotten

I hate these songs
I hate the words
That the singer is singing to me
I hate this melody
I hate this stupid fucking drum beat

But I'm not gonna tell anyone
What I'm really thinking about
Keep them conversations on the surface
Just keep on smiling
Just keep on saying
Everything's gonna be alright
It's gonna be alright [x2]
Alright [x11]

Day 19 - A song from your favorite album

Deadsy - Mansion World

Commencement is one of my favorite albums and to be honest, this band brought a lot of people into my life and I wouldn't be the same for not knowing them (the band themselves and the people) so they deserve a place in this meme.

Day 07 - A song that reminds you of a certain event

Catch up!

P.O.D - Alive

This isn't one of my favorite songs by any stretch but since I didn't write anything about September 11th... anyway this song always reminds me of September 11th and not just because the album came out that day.

I just remember how worried I was that day. My boyfriend at the time lived in Los Angeles, and his area of town was evacuated and I couldn't get him on the phone. While nothing happened down there, I just remember being scared out of my mind for him and so relieved when he finally did call.

Day 06 - A song that reminds of you of somewhere

Lady Antebellum - "Need You Now"

This song reminds me of San Luis Obispo. More specifically my last three months in San Luis Obispo. We were playing it constantly around mid-March and never really stopped. I reminds me a lot of driving the 101 to work or to the Black Sheep for lunch with Nicole. Or driving home from the Grad late at night and hearing it on the station. Sitting after hours chatting with a friend until my phone would ring to snap me out of it...

This is the last song I heard while actually in San Luis Obispo. I was at that 76 station on S. Higuera and had just filled my car up and stepped into my car and there it was. I remember reaching for my phone to text someone and then thinking that no, I had to get on this freeway all by myself and go. And I did.

Day 05 - A song that reminds you of someone

This one is hard because I have song that reminds me of everyone... Seriously if you know me, you have a song. So eff it meme, I'm going to do a couple here:

Oh yes, you see Poison here. "Look What the Cat Dragged in" reminds me of the most fun I ever had, ever because of the beautiful and insane (in the best way) Jen Wa the Destroyer. I think we listened to this song a million times when we were going out to wreck shop on SLO or some crap dive bar in Grover Beach. Or some club in Hollywood where we were trying to get out of work actors to buy us Thai Food at 4am. (Don't ask.)

The Urge - "Jump Right In" reminds me of the summer after high school when my BFF Megan and I were doing absolutely nothing. We rode the bus around, went to movies, laid out by my pool and stole cars basically for a couple of months. Oh and went to dance clubs in the "bad part of town," and the mall. Typical. But I hear this song and I'm 17/18 years old all over again. Ahh yes, my 18th birthday party where the fire department showed up. Ha ha.

Bob Marley & the Wailers - "Simmer Down" reminds me of my old boyfriend Chris who I've written about so many times, I don't need to explain him. But this is one of those many random songs he introduced me to and loved.

Train - "Hey Soul Sister." If you know me, you don't need the explanation. I could do an ENTIRE post about this person/songs. Hazard of what I do for a living I suppose. If you don't know, guess, you're probably right. Stupid idiotic song. God it's cute though.

And finally....




Katy Perry - "Teenage Dream," look I'm just as mad at myself for liking this song/album but it's really good. And I'm pretty warped from my year at the pop station. One thing, watch this video and if you've ever driven from the SLO area to Santa Barbara / Ventura... you'll recognize some of this. It's totes the 101. By the way when did Katy Perry get hot? Where was I when this happened? Oh right, who does this song remind me of? Oddly enough they know that they do. And it's not who you think. So ha?

Good god, I'm 12 years old!

Anyway enjoy those.

Day 04 - A song that makes you sad

Band of Horses - "The Funeral"



This is just the saddest song in the world... Seriously.

MUSIC MEME- Day 02 - Your least favorite song

God seriously I have so many, but top of the list has to be this:




Kid Rock - American Badass

Seriously, let's BLEND TOGETHER two artists that make my teeth hurt with how much I don't like them. Kid Rock "Rapping" over Metallica? No thank you. I'll pass.

More music I like that no one else does