There's always so much more to say...

I'm feeling a little bit sassy at the moment. Here are a bunch of good songs. I don't have to tell anyone what they all have in common. I said in the beginning that this blog was a way for me to organize my music, right? Well, this is how I want to organize it.

Blacking Out The Friction - Death Cab for Cutie
Rebel, Rebel - David Bowie
My Lovely - Eisley
Piano Man - Billy Joel
Happy Kid - Nada Surf
Gunships - Bedouin Soundclash
Rainy Days & Mondays - The Carpenters
Coffee & TV - Blur
House of Jealous Lovers - Rapture
How Does it Make You Feel - Air
Precious - Depeche Mode
Carry That Weight - The Beatles
Responsibility - MXPX
Hold Your Head Up - Argent
Friday, I'm in Love - The Cure
Don't Stop Me Now - Queen
Where Is My Mind? - The Pixies
Get Out of My Dreams - Billy Ocean
Oh Sheila - Ready for the World
I Hate Your Lips - Veal

So there it is. It's a little longer than most of my other playlists... but the songs are good and finding them & making the playlist was therapeutic for me. I do what I want.

Winter 2009

I know I just posted one within the hour, but it was kind of a cheap cop out. I'll leave it up because, man, those songs are good. However, I'm rescinding it as this week's playlist. Instead, how about this beautiful, mellow playlist that I have creatively decided to title "Winter, 2009." I tend to make a couple of different playlists that reflect the music that I like to listen to in the various seasons.

So, these songs reflect the type of music that I have been into this winter. I typically mellow out for the Fall & Winter.Then, when the sun starts to shine & the temperature starts to warm, I get a littler peppier and more upbeat.

The Day I Lost My Voice - Copeland
Heavy Hearts - The Morning Benders
Panic & The Should Attacks - Nico Stai
Marigolds - Ryan Auffenberg
I Saw - Matt Nathanson
I'd Rather Be With You - Joshua Radin
When You Come Back Down - Nickel Creek
12:59 Lullaby - Bedouin Soundclash
The Animals Were Gone - Damien Rice
Near to You - A Fine Frenzy
Serpent-in-claw - Gary Jules
Keep Breathing - Ingrid Michaelson
I Am Still Running - Jon Foreman
Falling Slowly - Glen Hansard & Market Iglova (from the movie, Once - awesome)

OCD

Ahhh, the playoffs. As I sit here I am watching the Cardinals/Eagles game for the NFC title. I'm rooting for the Cardinals. I actually don't have too much of a preference for either of the teams but Kurt Warner is HOT. So, the Cardinals it is. I'm rooting for the Steelers for the AFC title this afternoon... but that's because I actually like them. I'd easily put them in my top 10 teams in the NFL.

Anyhow, I need to make a playlist. I've been having some difficulty thinking about a good topic. So, I decided to cheat - a little. This next playlist is less of an editorial statement than it is just a list of some of the songs that have inspired the most obsessive listening. I know it is HIGHLY unlike me to obsess over something. I am usually so even keeled and moderate. I don't obsess, over analyze, over think, or anxiously reflect on anything, ever. Ah, sarcasm is one of my favorite forms of humor.

I'll call it the OCD Playlist. It's full of songs that I will listen to, and then somehow find myself repeatedly hitting the "back" button on my iPod untl I've listened to the song at least 4-5 times and in some extreme cases, 10+ times. A lot of these are more from several years ago. That's because I've done a lot better job as of late in diversifying the music I listen to.

OCD
Out of My League - Stephen Speaks
Calling You - Blue October
So Close - Jon McLaughlin
What Sara Said - Death Cab for Cutie
Jesus - Brand New
Dustland Fairytale - The Killers (This is a fairly recent obsession, but it was severe and therefore qualifies)
Hanging By a Moment - Lifehouse
Hurricane - Something Corporate
Some Will Seek Forgiveness, Others Escape - Underoath
Giving it Away - Mae
You Have My Attention - Copeland
Oh My God - Jars of Clay
Paperthin Hymn - Anberlin
Endlessly - Muse
Fidelity - Regina Spektor

Who didn't love the 90's?

First of all, I didn't have internet at home for the first 9 days of the year so my lack of a playlist is really quite acceptable.

I've been feeling rather nostalgic lately. I've been watching episodes on top of episodes of Friends. I just bought the series set - I now own EVERY episode. Yesss!

The 90's were great. I mean, who doesn't love stone washed jeans, scrunchies, and side ponytails? I wish I could wear high waist jeans and short cropped shirts every day.

Anyhow, here we go... Who didn't love the 90's?

1. I'll Be There For You (Friends Theme) - The Rembrandts
2. Don't Give Up - New Radicals
3. C'est La Vie - Bewitched
4. It Must Have Been Love - Roxette
5. One of Us - Joan Osborne
6. Inside Out - Eve 6
7. The Way - Fastball
8. Pretty Fly (For a White Guy) - The Offspring
9. Ice Ice Baby - Vanilla Ice (I mean, come on... how could this not be included)
10. Summer Girls - LFO
11. Waterfalls - TLC
12. Peaches - The Presidents of the United States of America
13. Semi-Charmed Life - Third Eye Blind
14. Buddy Holly - Weezer
15. I'll Be - Edwin McCain

Well that was fun. Very, very eclectic.

Resolutions

With the New Year fast approaching, it only makes sense that I would have a playlist for it. So, Happy New Year! Yes, this is preliminary. For once, I am ahead of the game. I have a few resolutions. Train for another half marathon, stay on top of my school work, and keep my house at least passable for company. That last one is especially important now that I have such entertaining capabilities - what with my new couch, TV, and Wii. Anyone want to come over and bowl? Inviting people over on a blog that no one reads probably isn't that effective. Another good resolution would be to keep up with my weekly playlist-ing. We'll see how that goes.

Before I share the playlist, I think I would like to share this conversation that I had with my mom and my little sister last week.

Mom: So Rissy, how did your end of the year evaluation go?
Me: I didn't get to have it yet. Mike pushed it back until next week. It's a little frustrating.
Madi: Well, at least now you'll have some more time to study.
At this point, there was an extended silence in which I shared a "look" with my mom and then we looked back at Madi. She is unphased... and responds as follows:
Madi: You haven't been studying... have you?
Me (incredulous): No Madi. No I haven't.

Ok, without further ado... Here is "Resolutions"

Auld Lang Syne - Straight No Chaser (an a capella group. They're really quite entertaining)
My Dear Acquaintance (Happy New Year) - Regina Spektor
The New Year - Death Cab for Cutie (Fine. So this is on everybody's New Year's Playlist. Sue me. It's a good song.)
Together We'll Ring in the New Year - Motion City Soundtrack
Same Old Auld Lang Syne - Dan Fogelberg (I do not regret this slightly embarrassing inclusion. You could do a lot worse than Dan Fogelberg.)
At Full Speed- Jack's Mannequin
This Year's Love - David Gray
Dust In The Wind - Kansas (What's a New Year Playlist without a little bit of melancholy? This is seriously one of my favorite songs of all time)
Running Out of Time - Hot Hot Heat (While markedly stylistically different than the previous song, isn't the recurring theme that we're all short on time?)
Sleeping In - The Postal Service (certainly what I'll be doing on New Year's Day, that's for sure.)

So there it is. You know, if you read this, you can actually tell me what kind of playlist you would like to see me take a crack at. Or, you could offer songs of your own for the playlist featured. Blogging. It's interactive. Go figure.

Rose Colored Glasses

I'm an optimist. I like seeing problems as opportunities. I think that good can be found in nearly everything. I have no problem being considered somewhat of a Pollyanna. I prefer to believe the best about people until they've given me reason not to do so. This doesn't make me any less intelligent or mature than others; it just makes me hopeful. So, in the spirit of optimism, I've created this playlist. Of course, it's entitled "Rose Colored Glasses" due to the sunny side up nature of the songs!

Beautiful World - Tim Myers
Be Gentle With Me - The Boy Least Likely To
Brand New Day - Joshua Radin
Hope for the Hopeless - A Fine Frenzy
Dream - Priscilla Ahn
Buildings and Mountains - The Republic Tigers
Charmed Life - Leigh Nash
All in All - Lifehouse
Soundtrack for Our Movie - Mae
In The Middle - Jimmy Eat World
Brighter than Sunshine - Aqualung
Hold Me Now - The Polyphonic Spree

Something about Christmastime

So, it's more like playlist of the whenever I feel like it. I apologize. I'll try to keep up better, I promise.

Since, 'tis the the season and all, this week's playlist will be comprised of some excellent Christmas music. Think of it as a way to enjoy Christmas music without losing your music street cred.

Here it is! Kudos to www.indierockcafe.com for pointing out some of these classics.

Carol of the Bells - Mae
In Like a Lion - Relient K
O Come, O Come Emmanuel - Sufjan Stevens
O Little Town of Bethlehem - Bright Eyes
Bethlehem Town - Jars of Clay
O Holy Night - Brand New
Do You Hear What I Hear? - Copeland
Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) - Death Cab for Cutie
The First Noel - My American Heart
So This is Christmas - Acceptance
It Came Upon a Midnight Clear - Sixpence None The Richer
Last Christmas - Jimmy Eat World
Happy XMas (War is Over) - The Polyphonic Spree (The Fray has a good version of this too)

Merry Christmas all!!!