People of my page, gather around.  This the season for Christmas music.  Now, I am very picky about my Christmas music (much like I am about any music).   An artist can not just slap the word "Santa", "Christmas", or "Jesus" on a song and expect me to be humming the tune for all eternity.  The music needs to be heartfelt, fun, and well- performed.  Some of my favorite songs come from Barenaked Ladies (yeah yeah, I know) -- "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" as well as "Auld Lang Syne".  I also really appreciate (well-performed) redone classics.  If an artist can take a classic and jazz it up a bit, put their own spin on it, and make it listenable all while sticking to the original spirit of the tune, then that's an instant favorite for me.  

There is a song, however, that makes me fear the rush of Christmas tunage.  "Christmas Shoes".  Now for those of you who are fortunate enough to have avoided this song for this long, let me tell you about it.  This guy is singing about going into the store and getting frustrated at last-minute Christmas shopping.  He goes up to the cash register and is behind a young boy, buying shoes.  The boy informs him that the shoes are for his dying mother, but he is short money.  Bada Bing, the guy finally sees the spirit of Christmas or some such thing, and hands the boy the money.  I think this song guilts people into feeling bad about having a lack of spirit at some times during the holiday.  I feel like Wiki says it best:

"Though the song gets consistent holiday coverage on US radio, listeners have questioned the message and the plot of the lyrics themselves. A.J. Salmo of the "Weakly Revue" writes, "...if someone were facing their last hours, one would think the last thing they need is a new pair of shoes. And the line stated after protagonist Nathan buys said shoes, "...[so that]if Mama meets Jesus tonight," only seems to compound the problem, as what would Jesus Christ care what his subjects looked like at all, let alone how nice their footwear is? Christianity doesn't seem to teach the strange values presented here. Finally, if one is even the littlest bit aware of the scene presented in the song, it appears Nathan has gone to the store by himself without any adult supervision whatsoever, and has actually left his mother on her deathbed in order to get these shoes, instead of staying by her side. One must then question what good mannered message is prevalent here at all other than the gift-giving itself."

So there you are kiddos.  Happy Holidays and Great Music!

While some might consider the "slipper" title to be an insult, I am a person who thrives on comfort and familiarity.  My ideal relationship is one where you can sit down at the end of a long day and just feel at home, no matter where you are or what happened that day.  This is the ear's equivalent of "comfort food."  My audio comfort food is Ben Folds. 

At first, I chalked it up to the fact that he plays piano.  However, when I sat down one evening and thought about it (it was more like laid down -- these are the type of thoughts that keep me up at night), I really don't think it's just the piano aspect.  I mean, its nice and all.  I can't play piano, even after 8 years of lessons.  I appreciate anyone who can.  However, its more than that. 

I've decided, after much deliberation (and sleepless nights), that its a mixture of things.  Upon first listen, what stands out is Ben's voice.  If you have heard more that just the song "Brick" when it came out (what seems like) billions of years ago, then you will be able to recognize Ben's voice no matter what.  Like a child hearing it's mother's voice in the middle of a crowd, you should be able to pick out Ben's voice in the middle of a talkative coffee shop. 

The other thing that has really drawn me to Benny boy (from the songs that I have heard) is the amazingly empathetic lyrics.  Since I have only fully heard "Rockin' The Suburbs", I shall use that to cite my theories and thoughts.  In "Suburbs", no matter what he is singing about it, you can tell he relates about it and draws you as the listener into empathetic feelings as well.  In the song "The Ascent of Stan", Ben Folds states (about Stan the ex-hippie), "You have become all of the things you've always run away from...How's it feel to be the man? It's no fun to be the man..."  Even when he is singing humorously, you chuckle along knowingly at the slightly tongue-in-cheek nature of his material.  In the title track of "Rockin' The Suburbs," Ben starts off singing, " Let me tell y'all what it's like, Being male, middle-class and white. It's a bitch, if you don't believe, listen up to my new CD."  Now, while we may blanch at the lyrics for this suburbian anthem, we all know someone who thinks this way.  In fact, we ourselves may have thought about the amazingly destitute lives of middle class suburbianites. 

Overall, I just think that Ben is amazing.  If you haven't heard any more than the song "Brick" (and I know some people that haven't), then go out right now and buy "Rockin' The Suburbs".  While it's not his first or most recent album, its a great 'beginner's tutorial'.  Have fun and have cocoa.

Sometimes when you buy an album it's love at first listen. Immediately it has a monopoly on your cd player. Driving, working, sleeping, drinking, chilling... it's always on. You learn every word by heart within the first three days and you insist everyone buy it and love it as much as you do.

Then there are those albums that require a bit more effort... like you when you fall in love with your best friend.

I purchases "Little Voice" about two weeks ago along with a few other albums. I had downloaded one of the tracks when it was free on iTunes. It turned out to be an excellent song and motivated me to purchase the whole thing. I had a brief listen to the album, but quickly changed it to put in something else. The "something else" was love at first sight. Now, a few weeks later I'm getting around to "Little Voice" and I'm beginning to fall.

The first track, "Love Song" was the perfect piece to kick off this album. With a driving piano line it delivers an energy that sucks you in. The classic annoyed break-up anthem, "Love Song" unloads witty lyrics and displays Bareilles' vocal talent.

From there "Little Voice" delves deeper into Bareilles' gritty independence with "Vegas" and "Bottle It Up." Both prove to be the perfect driving songs. Let loose on these tunes for the audience in your Kia.

There are a few ballads on the album, but "One Sweet Love" takes the cake. The melody is hopeful and introspective, but doesn't leave you feeling drained. The lyrics explore that ideal lover we've all sculpted in our minds, and asks the quesion "Have I already tasted my piece of one sweet love?"

My only complaint about the alum is how it ends. Albums should be bookended. The kick-off and the close need perfection. Track 10, "Many The Miles," is perfection. Revisiting the soulful sound of Etta James or Sam Cooke, it adds the perfect amount of anachronism and gives us a taste of Bareilles' musical breadth. However.... the album (in my opinion) should end there. It's a perfect match to the beginning "Love Song." Now, that's not to say that tracks 11 and 12 should be eliminated. Track 11, "Fairytale," definitely has it's place. Track 12, "Gravity," leaves more to be desired, but I'm sure it fills a niche. However... they just feel out of order.

Sara Bareilles is a refreshing taste of what is on the horizen for female artists. "Little Voice" is quixotic, charming, and gritty. Buy it, listen to it, put it aside, then come back to it and spend a few hours with it. You may be surprised.

You may enjoy Sara Bareilles if you enjoy:
Fiona Apple
Ben Folds
Norah Jones
Missy Higgins
Marc Broussard
Gavin Degraw

~Amy

With the inventions of the burnable CD and the CD burner (you really can't have one without the other -- trust me), there is a certain ease that fell upon those who enjoyed a good mix of songs.  Gone were the days of mix tapes -- of hours laboring to make sure the songs were on there correctly.  There were hours spent sitting by the tape recorder, switching out tapes, pressing "Play" and "Record" at the same time, and writing out every song on college-ruled notebook paper.  Now, all a person needs to do is choose the songs, click a button, and insert a CD.  With the new- found effortlessness, people have become complacent.  They just slap songs on a CD willy- nilly and pat themselves on the back, thinking they created a masterpiece.  My friends, the time has come for a revolution!  Now, I'm not telling you all to drag out your old duo-sided boom boxes, but I am telling you that we need to focus on song placement. 

The creation of a good mix CD is akin to a good dinner party.  Both require more preparation than you would have thought, but, in the end you have a stunning product and good memories.  First, think about what the Mix CD will be used for.  For example, if it's a driving mix, you will probably want more upbeat and "singable" songs.  If it is to be background noise at a function, then heavy metal might not be the best choice.  For this illustration, I am going to assume that it's a general mix CD that will be used, for example, to introduce someone you know and love to your styles of music.  This is also assuming that you (and hopefully your friend and loved one) are interested in more than just one style of music. 

Now that you have the intentions in mind, you can start picking out songs.  The easiest method is usually alphabetical, but sometimes that does not always work.  If you want to keep the audience from skipping over multiple songs, then you have to make sure that the songs generally flow.  You are trying to ease the other person into your music tastes, not make them think that you are a crazy person and that they should cancel their friend membership asap.  Since I assume you want to keep your friends, you must now be wondering how to make the songs flow.  Good question!  You do this by easing the listener into your CD.  Try using an upbeat, happy song.  Preferably one that most people know, but that they wouldn't usually think of putting on a mix CD.  This not only lets them feel like they may like the CD as a whole, but it also lets them admire your musical prowess in procuring that song.  One of my personal favorites to start of my mix CDs is the Muppet Show Theme.  From there, you want to gradually move (song by song) into whatever direction you feel you want the CD to go.  If it is, hypothetically, 23 tracks long, you want the peak song to be around track 15 or 16.  At the end, you want to end strong.  You want your listener to feel that the CD as an entity is complete, but you also want them begging you to make more CDs. 

In addition, try to use songs from many different artists.  You don't want a third of the CD to be entirely one artist. Trust me, Celine Dion is amazing, but if most of your CD is her greatest hits, then you can bet the CD will end up under the car seat keeping the straw wrappers company. 

Also, if you are using your mix CD to get someone to date you, feel free to break the boundaries of "Love-focused Mix CDs."  Try to include songs that don't have "love" in the title.  While it seems like a romantic gesture at the time, the mix gets really cheesy and trite by about the third or fourth song.  A CD like that would get you one, maybe two dates, but probably only out of pity.  My personal favorite "alternative love song" is Joy Electric's "Drum Machine Joy."

If you follow these instructions, then it doesn't matter what your musical tastes are; people will flock to you for all their mix CD needs.  So stock up on multi-colored CDRs, Sharpies, and Itunes gift cards because you are going to be one popular mixer.

Do you remember when you fell in love with music?

Sixth grade was a turning point in my life. My best friend was Aimee Tetreault. We both drenched ourselves in the neo-hippie counter-culture of the mid-nineties. So, of course, we loved everthing to do with the sixties... clothing, culture, music... we wanted it all. One Saturday afternoon we happened to be snooping around her basement and came across the remains of her parents stint with the teenage years packed away in cardboard boxes and milk crates. Hoping to dig up something worthwhile we made what was quite possibly the most important find of our short junior high lives.

It was her dad's vinyl collection.

Just imagine the 12-year-old musical elation! Before we knew it we were upstairs, ankle-deep in vinyl. Her dad almost every Beatles album on vinyl. That, my friends, was my introduction to music. Not the junk radio music. But real music. True music. Music the way music is suppose to be... drug-induced vinyl ecstasy.

That day I started my love affair with the Beatles. For the next few years I collected everything Beatles. When other girls had Jonathan Taylor Thomas on their walls and in their lockers, I had John, Paul, George & Ringo. I learned everything I could and listened to it all. The listening started with "Strawberry Fields Forever" and "Lucy In The Sky with Diamonds." From there I delved deeper into Beatledom with a new appreciate for ballads like "Hey Jude" and "Let It Be." My love grew. From there I purchased Abbey Road and The White Album. It was all coming together quite nicely.

Then, as things do in the junior high love, my relationship with the Beatles took a back seat. I started seeing other artists like Creedence Clearwater Revival, Dave Matthews Band, Fiona Apple, Ella Fitzgerald, and Neil Young.

Now, twelve years later, I look back on my Beatle infatuation with fondness. They were my gateway and first love affair with music. Without them I would be nothing (melodically speaking, of course). So, allow yourself to drift back to those awkward days of hormone-laden musical experimentation. Remember your first love... and just let it be.... let it be.

~Amy

Welcome.  This is the brainchild of Amy and Adrienne, who were tired of all the boys finding out the good music and talking about it like they knew everything.  We are going to do a music review of bands that people know, bands that people don't know, bands that we like, etc.  Here is my first music -related post.

As most people realize, whether they want to admit to it or not, there is a difference between love and lust.   I personally classify lust as a feeling of strong desire.  The desire to be around the other at all times, the thought that all you do is for the other person.  While all of those things are good, and can be a part of love, lust brings about strong emotions quickly and keeps the emotions strong for a while.  As I have realized, a person can not keep a strong emotion steady for a long time. There is a point in which the emotion ceases to be strong and you see the other for what they really are -- trite and kind of cheesy.  The words which brought you to such heights of passion now begin to grate on your nerves.  Maroon 5, for me, is Lust.  We all come across these bands that appear to be the greatest bands ever.  Their words bring us to tears or turn us on, but after a while, we realize that when their songs come on the radio, we don't know which song it is because all of their songs pretty much sound the same.  But we keep listening out of a seemingly prior obligation.  After a while, we begin to realize that the relationship was on its way out to begin with; the emotions were too strong to sustain for a long period of time.  We begin to change the radio station whenever we hear the old familiar beginning notes, just like you stop answering your phone for a few days after a one-night stand. 
Love, on the other hand, is different.  Love begins differently, the emotions creep up on you.  My relationship with Barenaked Ladies is love.   At first, I didn't much like them.  I mean, I noticed them in the hall, but we didn't really stop to talk all that often.  Mostly, we just did the head nod to each other and hung out with our own groups.  One night, however, I was on my way to 7-11 with a friend, and she formally introduced me to BNL.  At that moment in time, the words they had to say to me spoke to my heart.  We started a tentative courtship after that.  I was still hurt after rushing into things with Maroon 5.  Slowly, I got more acquainted with BNL.  I noticed they showed up when I least expected them -- like that one trip to Canada to see As You Like It.  One day, while talking on the phone with the friend that introduced us, I stated that BNL was my favorite band.  Now this was a huge leap for me, who loves music.  I have never had a "favorite band" before.  I didn't quite know what to do.  Do i go to all their concerts now?  Do I buy all their CDs?  Do I have to love all their CDs?  The answer to those is "no."  Just like a good relationship, there is a good solid base for love, but always more room to grow.  Stalking BNL down and proverbially staring in their window while they slept would freak them out.  So I'm taking it slow.  Realizing there are things about BNL that will still get on my nerves.  Like that dumb song about the postcards and the monkeys... But overall, I let them have their irritating moments, and they let me have mine (like that time I thought I missed Maroon 5 so I listened to their newer CD... bad mistake).  Overall, though, I have to say that this looks like the beginning of a beautiful relationship. 

**please note, I use BNL and Maroon 5 as my own illustrations.  You may have your own bands to put in place of my choices.  You may LOVE Maroon 5 and hate BNL.  If so, stop reading this blog, as we are no longer friends.**

~ Adrienne