morning grind

"almond blossoms" -vincent van gogh

i have at last vanquished the remnants of wallpaper in my kitchen. my kitchen is a pristine (ok, except for the little tiny slivers that i couldn't pry off the corner between the wall and the ceiling), wallpaper free zone. thank you, Jesus. now, all that's left to do is paint the countertop, and i'm done with the kitchen. that little chore will have to wait til i get back from mexico on the 26th. but, i think the last of the all-nighters was pulled last night. i know, i know, it's bad to do that. however, i just could not stop. and i didn't feel sleepy until about 15 minutes ago. it's going to be a long day, kids. wowza.

1. hands--the raconteurs
i am reasonably sure that if a man ever wrote a song like this, and wrote it about me, i would marry that man. plus, the bass line is amazing. i think i am one of the last 50 people in the free world to have bought their first album. thank goodness i finally did.

2. yellow--cold play
you have no idea how much i hate that i actually LIKE cold play. this song, although chronically over-played on every radio station in the free world, is pretty great. the acoustic version is equally good, if more mellow.

3. what's the story, morning glory--oasis
nothing reminds me of the summer before my senior year in high school as much as this song, and this album. good memories...sad memories...lots of growing up. and to think, i owned the TAPE of this! i can see the interior of my white ford contour, and feel every bump driving down bonnie's street to pick her up. and i vividly remember that summer as the one in which i learned to pee outside.

4. ophelia--the band (from the last waltz)
the band, like so many other bands that i inheirited from my parents, is one of my all-time favorite groups. and yes, i love "the last waltz". i think it might even be martin scorses's finest work. yeah, i said it. and one day, before i hang up my traveling shoes, i will go to woodstock, and attend a midnight ramble at levon helm's house.

5. anchorage, alaska--michelle shocked
another song from a mix that ryan made me a couple of years ago, a mix he entitled "autumn will kill us all", from an onion news bulletin. that kid makes a good mix. such a good song, such great lyrics. a nice way to start the day. alaska is kind of magical, in my mind. it's on the list of places to see before i bite the big one. the northern lights are such a mystery to me, and (nightowl that i am) i want to see them in real life, real bad.

6. the distance--cake
1995-1996, i had a tv in my bedroom for the first time,ever. in between watching sports center, and trying to find something to wear, and fighting with my brother over the bathroom, i listened to this song almost every morning. even when we couldn't talk about anything in a civil tone, we could both agree that this was a great song.

7. somewhere beyond the sea--bobby darin
my nephew is crazy about "finding nemo". we can almost sing this one together. and when he's fussy, i can slow this down, and sing him back into a rational state. it's kind of awesome.

8. use me--bill withers
i know, the morning seems like an odd time to listen to bill withers, and this song isn't one you'd normally associate with, uh, daytime activities. however, if you are looking to put a little funk into your day, and maybe dance a little in the car, this is the money horse.

9. in me--casting crownsthis is a great song. period. it's a good song to put your head on right for the day. love it. love it. love it.

10. three little birds--bob marley and the wailers
for me, bob marley will always conjure up good memories. and summertime. there is nothing better than putting the top down, finding a back road, sliding in a copy of "legend", and getting lost on your way to nowhere.

11. what's up--four non-blondes
another trip down memory lane...all the way back to 1992. it conjours up memories of band trips, actually finding out that real people DID drink scope and jack daniels, at the same time, and major crushes on boys way the hell out of my league. holy crap. if i knew then what i know now, i would have been seriously dangerous.

12. mysterious ways--u2
while "zooropa" is a nice album, it still is pale in comparison to "joshua tree", in my book. i remember hanging out in my bedroom, in my old house, and talking about boys with my friend cindy. some things never change. i think celeste actually bought the cd, and i remember dancing around my bedroom for hours like wild banshees. and i remember going to the kitchen in the middle of the night to get celeste real cheese. seriously.

13. here comes the sun--(beatles cover) richie havens
such a good way to start the day...and such a great cover. the drums are amazing, and the vocal track is delivered with wild abandon. so nice for a traffic jam. i listened to this non-stop my freshman year in college. i will always associate it with feeling a) a little homesick, b) that surging sense of freedom you only have when you are 19 and away from home for the first time, and c) knowing that a whole new part of my life was beginning, and that it was good.

14. anyone else but you--the moldy peaches
juno is one of my favorite semi-new movies, and this is, by far, my favorite song on the soundtrack. simple and sweet.

15. maggie mae--rod stewart
the mandolin solo on this song makes me want to run around in circles. rod stewart's voice is so melancholy and upbeat, at the same time. and that raspy scotsman can still wail with the best of them. it's so good. SO good. and i am a sucker for a story song.

16. 30,000 pounds of bananas--harry chapin
speaking of story songs, this song is one of the best and brightest in that genre, if you ask me. harry chapin, like james taylor, plays heavy on the soundtrack of my childhood, as does the entire libretto to "jesus christ, superstar." thank God my parents loved good music!

and that's it, for today, my darlings. enjoy the day!

mil besos,
rmg

you'll never guess...

**still life with mandolin**--pablo picasso



"when the going gets weird,

the weird go pro."
--dr. hunter s. thompson




and that is for damn skippy, friends and neighbors. and the going has definately gotten weird, lately. i kind of feel like my insides, like the part where "you" really live, has been invaded by some outside force. said outside force seems to have wrapped me up in a bedsheet and beat the living sh*t out of me with a baseball bat, kind of like willie nelson's ex-wife did to him one night when he came home really really drunk. i haven't been really really drunk in AGES, so i'm not sure exactly what i've done to merit such a beating. nevertheless, a beating has occured/is still occuring. the upshot is this...i am in no way, shape, or form bored, at all. in fact, i could be a study in over-stimulation, at this point. and if let myself look at things from the outside, it's damn near funny.

take today, for instance. i spent like 900 hours last night talking to some friends last night about their summer job, which was once my summer job, so i get the frustrations, etc. i was a little tired this morning when i got to work...a little later than normal...but still in good fighting form. until one of my nosy (and when i say "nosy" what i secretly mean is mrs. kravitz from bewitched) little old ladies tried to come into my office with one of my other little old ladies (the thursday morning "receptionist", who can't hear anyone on the phone, and always sends all the calls to me, and who is moving to the coast to live with her son...) so that mrs. kravitz could measure mrs. talks a lot for "some new panties, since she's moving, and all."

yeah. that's right. "some new panties, since she's moving, and all."

WAIT. WHAT? EXCUSE ME...WHAT? i'm sorry...i thought you said you were going to measure someone for NEW PANTIES...IN MY OFFICE. i must have had an acid flashback, because who would say something like that in A CHURCH OFFICE? not to mention, i hate Hate HATE the word panties with the white hot intensity of ten thousand suns.

for real and for serious and for super-duper true, mrs. kravitz was all set to measure mrs. talks a lot IN MY OFFICE. can you imagine what would have happened if i hadn't been here??? if i hadn't been sitting at my desk, minding my own business, i could have avoided even knowing about the discussion of fittings for...underpants..., much less have had any idea that my My MY office was being targeted for such a...delicate...undertaking. and i feel bad that my office might have been subjected to that. i know nothing about measuring for...underpants...bras, sure. but...underpants? REALLY? wouldn't you just match up sizes with whatever you wear in a pant or skirt? do you really have to measure...and do you have to do it IN PUBLIC...AT CHURCH...WHERE PEOPLE TALK TO JESUS?? is nothing sacred?

this happened at 11:30 this morning. i haven't really been able to concentrate on anything since then. i think i may have some post-traumatic stress disorder over this. i definately wish i had gone psychosomatically deaf at the first indication that my office might be used for something like this--you know, like how if a person sees something really traumatic, their brain just shuts off their optic nerve for a little bit... i can hear the reverberating echo of mrs. kravitz in the back of my brain, like the hateful mother on "carrie", only instead of "their all going to laugh at you!", all i can hear is "paaaaanties...aaaaaanties....aaaaanties...neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeew paaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaanties...aaaaaanties...aaaaaaanties...for the moooooooooooove..."

a lady need a stiff drink, ya'll.

i think, after today, i may have officially heard everything, and may potentially be unshockable. however, i still have the capacity to be extremly grossed out. yay!

mil besos--rmg

3.7 hours...a car-trip play list...

i know i promised you guilty pleasures this week. i will do my best to make good on that one, and give you two (yes, that's right...two) installments this week, if the Good Lord is willing. and now, for a story before the tunes...

i spent a huge chunk of the weekend in the car...with my mom, my grandmother, and my great aunt sue, on the way to a family reunion in greater metropolitan texarkana.

let me state for the record that while i bear arkansas no ill will, inbreeding and the rise of hillary clinton notwithstanding, it is not my favorite state in the union. and texarkana seems to be the worst of two possible worlds, all smushed into one slightly urban reality: the absolute pit of east texas redneckery and intolerance mixed with the overwhelming idiocy and assbackwarness of arkansas. i had a hunch that the weekend was going to get a little weird. and it did. if you want the unabriged version, i'll be happy to fill you in on the down-low.

for now, let's just get to the part that made me happiest...three cds full of some of my favorite driving music. even mom and grammy and aunt sue liked the selection...or at least most of it!

appalacian spring--aaron copeland
this is the quintessential american road trip starter, at least in my book. i love the swelling french horns in the middle section of this arrangement. the last half of this tune is so majestic, so lovely and soaring. i still tear up when i listen to it, sometimes. cheesy? yes. timeless? you bet your sweet bippy.

tatoo--aimee mann
i love kevin smith movies. always have, always will. from "clerks" to "clerks ii", i just think the man is a genius. he used this song on the soundtrack to "jersey girl", which was panned during the whole bennifer craze. that's a shame, because the movie was really good. at least, i thought so. and this song is fantastic. agonizing, but fantastic.

pavement cracks--annie lennox
annie lennox is one of the greatest soul singers alive today. period. "bare" is one of the best albums i've ever listened to. this song says so much that i wish i had words to say. it's spare, and beautiful.

lewis boogie--jerry lee lewis
the killer, oh the killer. this is rock and roll at the very beginning. listening to jerry lee lewis, elvis presley, and johnny cash at this stage of their development, and the development of a genere is equivalent to catching the big bang on film, and watching evolution from the very begining of everything.

vincent--don mclean
this song makes me want to throw myself under a bus. and i love it. vincent van gogh is one of my favorite artists, ever. and i know everyone says that, because his work is so recognizable, and so timeless. this song is so sweet...and sad.

lucy in the sky with diamonds--the beatles
i don't care what the underlying message is behind this song...i just like it. and the ben harper cover of it isn't bad, either. but for my money, the old original makes excellent music by which to drive.

tiny dancer--(elton john cover) ben folds
one of the top five covers of all time, hands down. i love this song..."almost famous" and cameron crowe have changed my life in multiple ways. no kidding. for real. and ben fold's voice is so nice and smooth.

vienna waits for you--billy joel
i have this friend-in-law who claims that billy joel and elton john are secretly the same person. while i refuse to buy that theory, right along with lee harvey oswald acting alone, i agree that both men have added something irreplaceable in the mix of music, especially my own personal library. this is one of those songs that i continually find myself putting on repeat. one: the song is a good song...nice melody, nice structure, excellent lyrics, and two: i keep finding myself inside of it. i like that.

don't think twice, it's alright--bob dylan
this is my mom's favorite dylan tune. we saw him together two years ago, and he sang this song. that was a good night.

cannonball--brandi carlisle
again, i can't say enough about brandi carlise. i just think she's a genius, and this song is a shining example of that. backing vocals by amy ray don't hurt a bit, either.

you're so vain--carly simon
irony is a real s.o.b, you know? i love that mick jagger sings uncredited background vocals on this song.

mrs. potter's lullaby--counting crows
laura jane and k.sluder and i went on a wild adventure to the davis mountains three summers ago. we got lost. we got found. we had some nasty rat-tail man try to sell us contraband. we peed by mailboxes on the way to big bend. we saw the marfa lights. it was awesome. i want to go back.

heart of gold--neil young
i would be hard pressed to overstate the depth of my affection for neil young, and particularly this song. all my favorites...harmonica solo, slide guitar, intense feeling. love it. love it. love it. seriously love it. this song makes me feel like my hair is on fire, and i just don't care.

babylon II--david gray
good friday 2001. ryan came to dc to see me, and we proceeded to work our way through the zoo, right over to adams morgan, and the loriol plaza, which claims to serve mexican food. the mexican food was somewhat lacking, but the margaritas were excellent. at least i think they were. things started to get hazy after the second pitcher. we almost got kicked off the subway. we sobered up on my backporch by singing church and camp songs and smoking turkish cigarettes for four hours. and then we listened to this cd and the rain for hours. HOURS. and then next day,we took our hungover selves to mass, and i recieved my very first plenary indulgence. YEAH!

levon--elton john
jon bon jovi says that this is one of those songs you hear and wish you had written. i would have to agree.

waiting in vain--(bob marley cover) annie lennox
again, with the annie lennox...and such a great song to cover. bob marley IS summertime.

ruby with the eyes that sparkle--dirk powell and stuart duncan
from the "cold mountain" soundtrack. i am somewhat obsessed with the book and the movie, and i think this is such a great bluegrass tune. it immediately conjures up the blueridge, and watching the sun come up in the spring time.

babylon--don mclean
don mclean is getting a lot of airplay from me. this is a round, with a live audience. i remember singing this round at camp, my very first time as a camper, on the slab. the concrete was still hot from the heat of the day, even though it was full dark when we were having chapel. i remember laying on the slab, and looking up at the stars, and realizing how much God really did love me. that was a big day...

killing me softly--(roberta flack cover) the fugees
picture it: b-tex, 1996. i am 18. i am head over heels for a complete tool who is not worth my time. i can't stop listening to this song on my way to marching band practice. yes, i was THAT girl. and i still have anxiety dreams about not being able to remember the routine or find my uniform. wow.

sugaree--the grateful dead
my nephew loves this song, and will actually "shake it". don't act like that's not cool...

danceband on the titanic--harry chapin
i love harry chapin. psychotically love him. this probably stems from the fact that between the ages of birth to 17, harry chapin was played in our house at least once a day, and usually at length. i can name every song on the "greatest stories" live album. this is on one of the anthologies that i have...reminds me of a bad day at some places i have worked...

mona lisas and mad hatters--(elton john cover) the indigo girls
ugh. love it.

say hallelujah--tracy chapman
tracy chapman is one of my heros. she's so great, and totally uncompromising. i have been in the t-stop in boston where she was discovered. that was a major moment.

mad mission--patty griffin
this song says how i feel, right now, at this very moment. seriously.

goodnight, irene--jerry lee lewis
my aunt sue's former husband, uncle leo, loved this song. he loved this song so much he had it played at his funeral. we love it.

time is on my side--irma thomas
this is a great song, no matter who sings it. for my money, i prefer this version. just enough funk to make you wiggle around in your chair...

solsbury hill--peter gabrielone of those songs to which many memories are attached.

wagon wheel--old crow medicine show
i could seriously listen to this song on repeat for about a year. in college, i had this group of friends who introduced me to bluegrass. and i never quite got over how much i loved the music, or them. still do.

one less set of footsteps--jim croce
this is the ultimate "oh no, it's not me...it's definately you" kind of song. empowering in a very kick-ass kind of way, i think. "if that's the way you want it, that's the way i want it more..." nice. very nice.

my sweet lady--john denver
an excellent apology, "let's make up, and let me buy you a new pair of shoes for making you cry all day long, and then i'll empty the dishwasher and do all the laundry and let you have the remote" kind of song.

church in the wildwood--june carter cash
we all sang along to this song: me, momma, grammy, and aunt sue. at the top of our lungs. that's one of those memories i will hold in my heart for a long time.

cinnamon girl--neil young
neil young...again. this one rocks a little harder than the other neil young selection. i'd be hard pressed to say which i like better, neil young with crosby, stills, and nash, or neil young and crazy horse. give the option, i would probably always pick neil young and pearl jam.

thrice all american--neko case
i want to be neko case when i grow up. i feel like she's my generation's version of patsy cline. and that girl can freaking sing a torch song.

feeling good--nina simone
totally wierds me out that i like this song, because it's kind of creepy. for lots of reasons, not the least of which is that it sounds like one of those new orleans jazz funeral songs.

and i love you so--don mclean
this song is the aural equivalent of a can of squeeze cheese. so melodramatic. so overblown. so co-dependent and in need of some therapy. and it's awesome.

you belong to me--patsy cline
you belong to me is one of those standards that pretty much everyone has covered, including that jason what's his butt from lifehouse. this is my favorite version, ever. i will dance to this song at my theoretical wedding.

new shoes--paolo nutini
this song makes me want to dance. and go shoe shopping. paolo really gets what it's like to have a new pair of shoes...it's like a new haircut...you feel all-powerful and ready to throw a party.

take me home, country roads--john denver
i learned how to pick out harmonies listening to this song when i was in junior high.

chief--patty griffin
i would give patty griffin both my kidneys. at the same time. i am reasonably sure that she helped me maintain my sanity my senior year in college... you know the one when i took 21 hours one semester because i was in such a hurry to move to dc and take over the world?

red rain--peter gabrieldid you catch the redsox game last night? it was a doozy. man, i love baseball.

angel of the morning--(cover) the pretenders
this is a timeless classic. my mom likes the original, but i like this one. which is weird, because chrissy's voice isn't one of my favorites. this is another dc song that caro and melissa got sick of hearing in the mornings. at least i didn't play it non-stop for six weeks like i did with "hook".

like a songbird that has fallen--reel time travelers
another track from the "cold mountain" soundtrack. if i close my eyes, i can see the train trestle across the shenendoah, as it's bleeding into the potomac. and smell old woodsmoke from fires that haven't burned in a hundred years. this song stings like moonshine.

myriad harbour--the new pornographers
such a good driving song. thank God for cruise control. reminds me of new york, right after a good rain, and before the city starts to reek again.

your long journey--robert plant and allison krause
my grandmother loves this song. the older i get, the more music she and i have in common. i can remember listening to hank williams and old willie nelson on her record player, while we would be in the kitchen making cookies.

i'm going home--sacred harp singers
you have to hear this song to understand the depth of musicianship it brings to bear. it's one of the most unusual and beautiful songs i think i have ever heard.

good is good--sheryl crow
i did promise you a guilty pleasure...this is such a track. really, really guilty. i feel like i hemorage cool points every time i sing along with this one.

the promise--tracy chapman
great song. just really great. reminds me to keep the close ones close, and not to worry about the rest.

all that i want--the weepies
i can't say that this is my absolute favorite song ever...but it's up there. and yes, i know it's a christmas song and this is the middle of summer. sometimes, you just need a little christmas.

nobody knows you when you're down and out--eric clapton i will always remember p. hall playing this OVER AND OVER on the junior high retreat from hell. i had a cover of this by janis joplin, but can't find it for the life of me. my mother has an unhealthy obsession with all things eric, so this one is for momma.

happy listening!

mil besos--rmg

all these songs kind of have reverb...sort of...

i'm trying to spend more time listening to music. it's good medicine. and on facebook, i've been putting up themed lists. but, i realize not all of you are on facebook, so i'm blogging it here, as well. forgive the repetion, if it applies to you.



also...check out the new look!! do you like it? i'm still trying to decide. thankfully, changing the template is lots easier that painting a room. and by room, i mean kitchen. and by kitchen, i mean that i have been painting mine. i think i should take a look at my coffee intake...wow.



at any rate, this is kind of a long list...and not nearly exhaustive. pretty much none of these songs have anything to with each other, except that i find a consistant sound that runs through each of them--at least they sound that way to me. they aren't ranked in any specific order. and they fit on two cds...if you want one, let me know...



1. everyone gets a star--albert hammond, jr.
the drummer from the strokes makes a pretty good front man, himself. this song caught me the first time i listened to the album, and i think i had this song on repeat for a week.


2. dreams--the cranberries
the summer i learned to drive, my grandfather bought a p.o.s. vw rabbitt convertible, that took a quart of oil a week. i learned to drive on the lot next to our house, and i played this cd, bob marley and the wailers, and neil young over and over. it was the greatest summer of my life.


3. just like heaven--the cure
the cure was emo before emo was real. i love this song. LOVE IT.

4. we're not right--david gray
i discovered david gray the year i lived/worked in dc. his first american album always reminds me of the smell of snow, and being on my own for the first time, ever.


5. ordinary world--duran duran
this song is in a class by itself.


6. in my room--(beach boys cover) grant lee buffalo
great song, great treatment. i like the super distortion on the guitar track.


7. goodnight and go--imogene heap
summer 2006, i worked at my old summer camp. all summer long...it was hot, and hard, and i cried a lot in my room at night. this song made me want to dance. still kind of does...


8. choctaw bingo--james mcmurtry and the heartless bastards
james mcmurtry is unapologetically monotone. and that drives some people crazy. i just love the story he tells.


9. you are trying to break my heart--jonatha brooke
ryan and i discovered her at almost the exact same time. this is a great song, because it's simple. and her voice is great. and i know just how she feels on this one. just.


10. van lear rose--loretta lynn
this song woke up an entire generation to the genius of the coal miner's daughter. she's always been a favorite of mine. and the fact that jack white is on this one makes it extra super good. LOVE jack white...


11. no need to cry--neko case
one of the best voices out there, i think, neko case reminds me of patsy cline, and her lyrics are outstanding. furnace room lullabye is one of the best albums i've ever purchased...not a bad track on it.


12. go places--the new pornographers
favorite. song. ever.


13. failsafe--the new pornographers
i cannot listen to this car on the way to work, because i should never drive that fast on 410.


14. sunshine (cover) paul westerberg
GREAT song, and paul westerberg has such a distinctive voice, and does a great job on this cover. and yes, i know it was on the "friends" soundtrack. how do you think i heard it...i hate that i own that cd...


15. prince caspian--phish
senior year in college...there are a lot of stories. this song is featured in two or three of them. it's definately on the soundtrack of the movie of my life.


16. here comes the flood--peter gabriel
this song...wow. peter gabriel is one of my favorite artists, because he's musically literate, and he writes some incredible lyrics. this song reminds me of a line from thomas merton, about the voilence that's inherent in the lives of activists. it's really amazing.


17. what's the frequency, kenneth?--rem
this song and "go places" would definately make my desert island album, hands down. it's old vintage rem at their college radio finest. and i can't understand 80% of what's being said.


18. killing the blues--robert plant/allison krause
i kind of hate that this song is now a clothing store jingle, but am stoked that more people are being exposed to this great single. such a sweet harmony...makes me want to snuggle up in my down comforter and take a nap.


19. dear chicago--ryan adams
another song that kind of makes you hurt so good. like someone is pulling your guts out of your nose, but in that good way. i know...bizarre.


20. always on your side--sheryl crow
i always feel like i need to apologize for liking sheryl crow...but i really do like her, and i really do love this song. it's kind of like how i felt about my ten year high school reunion.


21. day too soon--sia
hopeful, happy, and one of those songs that i needed to hear 7 or 8 times before i really liked it. i really like it.


22. last day of our aquaintance--sinead o'connor
i can't overstate my emotional attachment to o'connor's music. seriously. it's not something i'm terribly proud of, because she's kind of a freak. but man...wow. and the last quarter of this song blows my mind.


23. smoke and ashes--tracy chapman
this song makes me want to cry everytime i hear it. it's so good. and i get it.


24. running to stand still--u2
the joshua tree is one of those albums that i can listen to and never skip a single track. and every song reminds me of something. this song reminds me of driving through mississippi and hatching out a plan to restart my life.


25. you are my face--wilco
i heard this song for the first time at austin city limits festival last summer. i thought it was one of the greatest songs i'd ever heard performed live. the studio track is a shade less good, but still wonderful. i secretly want to have jeff tweedie's hippy granola babies.


26. shotgun willie--willie nelson
this, oddly enough, is my favorite willie nelson song. no, really. it is. i remember hearing this song at floore's country store with my mom the night before my nephew was born. it was a good show made better because the tickets were free.


27. new slang--the shins
yeah, yeah, i know, freaking garden state changed my life, too...whatever. i hate that i like this song. but i do like it. a lot.


28. jane says--jane's addiction
another college track with stories of it's own...and a marimba!




next week...a whole list of songs that are firmly in the "guilty pleasures" column. get ready to lose what respect you have for me...there are some doozies...




mil besos, amigos--
rmg