good music and lessons learned

so it's been a few days, but i'm back.

the past few days proved to be pretty hectic what with 3 college papers to write, water polo practice, and endless bouts of procrastination (if it was possible to get a degree in procrastination, i would never graduate - wacka wacka). however, as it's friday, and as i have a 5 day weekend before finals start, i decided to present you with a couple of random lists.

lately i've been obsessively playing the sims 2 and reorganizing my itunes in an effort to avoid all college-y responsibilities. in doing so, i managed to find and delete a bunch of songs i don't listen to anymore and discover new music or re-fall in love with music that has gone un-listened to for way too long. the experience is kind of like the one you have when you're cleaning out your room and uncover a bunch of things you loved and still find you're unwilling to let go. i'm a pack rat and addict of the past. so i figured i'd share with you a list of some albums that trigger all sorts of memories, thoughts, and feelings. maybe you'll appreciate them, too.

they're not in order of preference or anything - at first i thought i'd do, like, a top 10 thing, but in the end it felt like picking favorite children so i decided to just alphabetized them:

Back to Black - Amy Winehouse
i haven't yet had the pleasure of falling in love and having my heart unceremoniously broken - in fact, any love i've experienced has been unnoticed and unrequited altogether. coincidentally, Winehouse's album is all about the throes of unrequited love and heartbreak. i don't know how to sing, but something tells me that if my "soul" (har har) had a voice, it would sound something like Amy Winehouse (at least, it would in my imagination). there's something about her voice that brings 50s soul into mind, but there's still something completely and inherently original, honest, and morose that just grabs you and never lets you go.

The Best Party Ever - The Boy Least Likely To
two words: misleadingly cute. so the tunes make your head bob, but when you're singing along to this music you'll probably catch yourself saying something unexpectedly mature - kind of like that "sky rocket in flight" thing. but all of the songs are totally catchy and you can't help but keep listening.

Blue - Joni Mitchell
honestly, who dislikes Joni Mitchell? something about the warmth and vulnerability in her voice and the lyrics she sings makes me feel warm and vulnerable, too. and sometimes there's no better feeling than just letting go. River.

Blue Horse - The Be Good Tanyas
this is going to sound strange, but sometimes i just like listening to people's voices. i love the lead singers' voices and i love the way the voices blend with the simplistic melodies carried by banjo, guitar, subtle percussion, and strings. there's nothing like a good ol' folk song to take things down a notch. i could definitely listen to this album over and over again.

The Clarence Greenwood Recordings - Citizen Cope
socially conscious, complex, expressive, beautiful. i usually can't listen to this album all the way through in one sitting because there's one point where it becomes overwhelming. but i do like to return to it from time to time.

The Con - Tegan and Sara
the moment i heard Where Does the Good Go (i was 15 and it was in a birthday mix my oldest sister made for me) i knew i was in for a long and devoted love affair. when The Con came out this summer and i saw them perform over Thanksgiving break in DC my love for them/their music was reaffirmed. there's something so captivating about how willing they are to be completely open and expressive. there's definitely something admirable in being able to unapologetically place yourself in the hands of the audience. from the interesting, unexpected arrangement of parts to the revealing yet personal lyrics and messages of their songs i just can't help but keep listening to this entire album over and over again. and their other albums, for that matter. WDTGG; Soil, Soil; Like O, Like H; Nineteen; Monday Monday Monday; Not Tonight; When I Get Up. (obviously some of these aren't from The Con...i couldn't help it. sue me.)

Dookie - Green Day
i heard this for the first time when i was 10. i didn't get it. but when i listened to it again at the age of 15, i listened to it again, and again, and again. it's such a fun, energetic album from a great band.
She, When I Come Around, Basketcase, and Longview are probably the highlights of this album. (Nimrod is also great)

Futuresex / Lovesounds - Justin Timberlake
unexpected, eh? i can't help it. i don't usually talk like this, but this album "turns me on." and also makes me wish i could dance like JT. he's probably the only man i'd ever be willing to "lovestone."

How to Save a Life - The Fray
each of the songs on this album has gotten stuck in my head at least once. and that's all i have to say. about that.

Is This It - The Strokes
just simple, catchy, toe-tapping rock. Room on Fire and First Impressions of Earth are also awesome.

Jagged Little Pill - Alanis Morissette
yeah, major throwback. my older sisters pretty much raised me on this stuff. most girls grew up listening to the Backstreet Boys - but me? thanks to my sisters, i grew up listening to Alanis, [old school, good] Jewel, Tracy Chapman, and Green Day. and occasionally the Spice Girls, just to stir things up. but what can i say? i love me some Alanis, and all of her songs, completely devoid of her questionable flute and/or harmonica playing, have really great, uplifting, empowering messages. that and listening to her reminds me of those times when my sisters and i reenacted the Ironic music video while in the car - which always makes me smile.

Joyful Rebellion - K-OS
makes me dance in my seat/nod my head to the beat. and the fact that it makes me dance at all is saying something. Crabbucket, The Love Song, and Rise Like the Sun stand out. Exit and Atlantis are also great.

The Mysterious Production of Eggs - Andrew Bird
i'll always have a soft spot for bands that excessively use violins. in fact, the arrangements for all of the songs really struck me. the first song of his that i heard is called Imitosis (which is actually on a different album - Armchair Apocrypha - which is equally amazing) and it was love at first listen. it's experimental and pretty strange in some parts, but i like the quirkiness. it's listening to music like this that makes me want to pursue a career in music composition. (A Nervous Tic Motion of the Head to the Left is my favorite song off of this album)

Riot On An Empty Street - Kings of Convenience
sometimes haunting, sometimes romantic, sometimes you just stop and let it fill you up. Cayman Islands and Homesick are definite highlights.

Say I Am You - The Weepies
they're called "the weepies," but every time i listen to them i smile. again, simple and beautiful melodies with way complex themes.

The Stranger - Billy Joel
my parents played this a lot when i was little, so, apart from it being a really great rock record that makes me wish i knew how to play the piano (and also sing), this is mainly here for sentimental reasons.

Takk... - Sigur Ros
weird/random fact: their name is icelandic for "Victory Rose." this is random/weird because my first and middle names are Victoria and Rose, respectively. what's also weird is that i don't understand a word of what the guy's singing, but i'm still hooked. experimental, and it utilizes a bunch of beautifully strange melodies and arrangements sometimes it's hard to believe it's just a band of 3 guys. the words are icelandic, but the actual music is universal. sometimes when i listen to this album it feels like drinking a hot cup of cocoa after being out in the snow for awhile. it just spreads all the way out to my fingertips.

Teaser and the Firecat - Cat Stevens
also here for sentimental reasons. i like to listen to this when i'm alone in my room and feeling particularly thoughtful. also, How Can I Tell You is possibly one of the most romantic songs i've ever heard.

Tracy Chapman - Tracy Chapman
i'm not one to be superficial, but this music makes me feel "deep."

We Were Here - Joshua Radin
i first fell in love with his music when i accidentally came across Star Mile online. my mom listened to Simon & Garfunkel when my sisters and i were younger because a.) they're her favorite band and b.) she needed a way to learn/practice her English. something about his soft voice, particularly in Star Mile, took me back to Simon & Garfunkel, so i was immediately hooked. when i heard the rest of the album i wasn't disappointed. Star Mile and Sundrenched World.

Words Are Dead - Horse Feathers
more great folk music. i love the kind of music that's not "catchy" enough to get stuck in your head but still manages to linger there for awhile. also, i'm partial to music that uses interesting/unconventional string arrangements. Finch On Saturday and Blood On the Snow are highlights.

You Forgot It In People - Broken Social Scene
i joined the bandwagon. i love that, even though the lyrics are spare and simple, i feel like i still understand what they're trying to "say." i also have a weakness for "experimental" kind of music. i could listen to Pitter Patter Goes My Heart pretty much all day long.

so there it is. my all-time favorite albums up to this point. 22 of them. enjoy. i hope.

also, as i promised you a second, random list, i was thinking back on my experiences of the past few months and decided to present to you a compilation of important lessons learned:

1. when completely disoriented after getting only 2 and a half hours of sleep (because of yet another paper you left until the last minute to do), do NOT attempt to get out of one of those tricky desk/chair combinations to hand in said paper. especially when you're sitting in the very front of the class. all that will happen is that you will lose your balance, tip the desk forward, nearly fall on your face, and turn a bright shade of magenta while simultaneously exposing part of your underwear because that morning, due to your complete disorientation, you forgot to wear a belt.

2. when meeting the two frontwomen of one of your favorite bands after a concert and in the middle of a cold, DC night, remember to wipe your nose before approaching them. otherwise, while you're nervously avoiding eye contact, cracking your voice, shaking, and asking for an autograph, all you will be able to recall afterwards is that suspiciously cold, wet feeling that seemed to stem from your right nostril until, as you were walking away from said frontwomen, you wiped it on the sleeve of your black pea-coat. and you'll wonder for the rest of your life if either of the frontwomen, who seemed nice enough to not mention it or your awkward behavior, noticed.

...

they probably did. dammit.

3. while being nerdy and listening to orchestral music on your ipod, do not make the mistake of forgetting you're in public and do that weird, fake-conducting thing you tend to do with one hand when you're alone. the passersby will give you funny looks and probably wonder if you're either a.) crazy or b.) making some kind of foreign, obscene gesture towards them.

4. when asked to stop by a Green Peace member on the way back to your dorm after class, say NO. do NOT make the mistake of choking on the word "No" so that, instead of the word coming out with as much conviction as you intended to give it, it sounds like an affirmative series of grunts that said Green Peace member takes to mean "yes." all that will happen is that you will have to stop and listen to these people ask for donations you do not have the authorization or money to make. more than once. in the same day.

5. when narrating random possible short stories in your head, do not make the mistake of forgetting you're in public. same consequences as expressed in #3.

6. while at water polo practice, do not make the mistake of letting other people know that you're too afraid to get violent/aggressive. they will take advantage of this and bruise, tease, and almost drown you. especially the short one, with the napoleonic complex.

7. do not share with your older sister the fact that you like cuddling and being the big spoon. she will make you blush by giving you an overlong, "awwwwwwwww" and teasing you for your unexpected "soft side."

and that's about it. really helpful tips, i hope.