In the grand tradition...

of my favorite blog posts. It's time for another "Random Shuffle of Music that is soundtracking my semester"

1) Don't Lie- The Blackeyed Peas

Well worth the illegal download (suck it, University wireless services) this song wins "Catchiest Hook of My Fall Term". (no no no no baby, no no no no, don't liiieee). Try walking down the street to this song and NOT doing a little 'rocking out/looking hot/dance/walk thing. You can't do it. No one can. This also wins song I listen to when I wish I was not on campus (not often) because I have yet to hear anyone here listening to it, and thus, it has no personal connotations... yet. This is going to change, It's a damn catchy song.

2) Gavin's Song- Marc Broussard

Oy. A song that punched me in the stomach the first time I heard it. And the second. A friend of mine from school played it for me very late at night in the middle of a study session, but it would have been intense in the middle of a weekday. This guy (the one with the tone quality that makes you melt a little) sings a song he wrote for his son (Gavin) in case anything ever happens to him. If you don't get a catch in your throat at the lines "Be good for your mama, she'll need a hand to hold. Boy, she loves you, more than you'll ever know.", then you have no heart. Download immediately.

3) Destiny- Zero Seven

The band that brought you "Waiting Line" from the Garden State soundtrack (also worthy of a nod, though that on reminds me of high school). This song is beautiful, and makes you feel as if you are the star of your own personal edgy art film. It also happened to play on repeat for the entirety of my trip to and from Harvard-Yale weekend. Harvard-Yale weekend was the type of insta-memory that I might write some sort of book/magazine article/shitty coming-of-age film one day. And this will be the trailer song. :)

4) Sweet Baby James- James Taylor

My favorite song ever written. Because somedays, you wake up and miss the Berkshires, and being little at Tanglewood. And your sisters, and your parents. And this song is the only one that makes it okay. The second verse is a shoutout to my one true love. :) "Now, the first of December was covered in snow, Yes and so was the Turnpike from Stockbridge to Boston..."

5) Hung Up- Madonna

Because, since I entered the Harvard bubble, I have managed to miss -The World Series, -The Grammys, -every movie ever, -the bombing of major countries etcetera. But I did not miss the release of this kick-ass album. Also the inspiration for my favorite Shaun comment of the year. "Oh man! The new Madonna single is so good!....*embarrassed pause*... how did I get this gay?". But seriously, go dance to this song. You need to.

6) Meaning- Gavin Degraw

The one song I am happy the Opportunes got stuck in my head. The boy can write lyrics, and the stripped version of this song (as Barry said 'THAT'S the only version I listen to...heh) is worth a dl and several listens. Includes a particularly amazing line that always catches my breath a little, "Mounting the trail, but you've got it in sight. Sometimes the only way is jumping, I hope you're not afraid of heights."

7) What Would I do If I Could Feel- The Wiz

Because I didn't see the Wiz 'til I got to college. Because it was the first song I heard my friend Barry sing. Because it is a terrible recording, and not worth the downlaod, but I still cannot get it out of my head. Because, when played as an oveerlay over a slideshow, it looks like we all died :) Also, because I WILL get Barry to record this song before next semester.

*This update stalled due to an awesome lunch at the Signet*

8) Rather Go Blind- Etta James

Etta James is the reason I sing. Well, I mean. I do it for the chicks, but also for Etta. This song is one of a few that play with alarming frequency on my iTunes. I had a car named Etta. Did I tell you about her? Black and spunky. My first car. Pink fuzzy dice on the dash. Hula dancer in the back. Rear-ended while at a stoplight by an over-sexed 16 year old. Seriously.
But, still an amazing song that I particularly like to sing with heart-wrenching feeling and riffs...into my mirror, when no one can here me :)

9)Ballad Of A Well Known Gun- Elton John

Thanks to my Dad, I was introduced early to the best Elton John album of all time (Tumbleweed Connection). This was back when he was just some bad-ass Brit playing skanky piano bars across the country, and freaking people out with his creepy amount of soul. My personal favorite song of the album (Although I wouldn't say no to a little "Burn Down The Mission"). The song has tiemly significance because Shaun has recently discovered its awesomeness. Our first Mass Pike trip together included not a little belting of this song. As Phylicia Rashad might say "mmmmm... Oh, yessss". quite awesome.

10) Time Warp- The Rocky Horror Show (Harvard Cast)

Or, How I spent my fall semester. My favorite musical experience to date. This song is a distillation of the entire show for me. I danced to it with some of my best friends here, while wearing a black corset, vinyl capris and enough makeup and aquanet to make swimming in natural bodies of water an environmental risk. Honestly, this song, and musical will probably always remind me of freshman year. And thanks to Shaun and his illegal recording of our show, I can listen to my friends do it, rather than the Revival Cast or some other clearly un-hot group of actors/singers.


Sure, I've missed a few (there ain't no "The Last Five Years" on here, or any crazy dance hits (more common in my day-to-day life than I would have previously anticipated), but there you go. Fall semester is a blog-shaped nutshell. A blogshell. Whatev. Off to launder things and do schoolwork. Hah.

~rachy