Archive | Saturday Soundtrack RSS feed for this section

Saturday Soundtrack – Brought to You by a Smokey Voiced Siren

14 Jan

I’ve loved Fiest ever since I heard her sultry back up vocals on Teaches of Peaches. (Yes, this good little Christian girl listened to Peaches. Back in my early SF days my gay best friend/roomate was obsessed with her and we’d dance around in our living room doing our best imitation of bad 80’s dance hall moves.) She’s got a new album out – Metals – and I’m the one who’s obsessed.

The whole album is everything I love for a Saturday. It’s got enough of a smooth jazz-like sound to fit a lazy morning lie-in or a Saturday brunch. It’s got enough of a soulful beat to motivate me while I ::shudder:: clean. But more than anything, it takes you on a journey. There’s more of an edge to Metals, less of an obvious cutesy-indie vibe (à la She and Him) than in her last release The Reminder. Feist has grown, and her music is all the better for it.

I love this track, How Come You Never Go There, and will probably have it on repeat on my iPod for the next week. It’s swingy, bluesy, and on the surface a light-hearted listen. But if you pay attention to the lyrics, there’s a jadedness, a sence of disenchantment that belies its smooth cadence. This dichotomy of the silky and the jagged reminds me why Feist has been and will continue to be one of my favorite artists.

“How Come You Never Go There” by Feist, on Metals

Tags: , , ,

Saturday Soundtrack – Brought to You by the Summer of my Sophmore Year

7 Jan

I don’t know why, but I’ve heard this song, like, six times in the last week. It’s haunting me. Even though it officially came out when I was in eighth grade, it didn’t sweep our high school until the summer of 1998. Even though I was into Bjork, No Doubt (NOT Gwen Stephani, No Doubt) and any local hardcore band I could find, I couldn’t get this song out of my head. I like this song – it’s catchy, it reminds me that living for the moment is sometimes better than worrying about what tomorrow will bring. I didn’t like a single other thing Eagle Eye Cherry put out, but I love his station on Pandora.

So here’s a throwback to 1997, Save Tonight by Eagle Eye Cherry.

Tags: ,

Christmas Soundtrack – A Wish and a Prayer

26 Dec

I’m not going to lie, this has been a hard year for A and I. It’s been tough to get into the Christmas spirit, but I’ve held on tightly to the thought that this day isn’t about me, it’s not about how I feel or if I can get into the ‘holiday spirit’. It’s not about presents or trees or perfectly cooked dinners even family, it’s about a Savior who put on flesh to come to Earth to save us all. I was listening to the Third Day Holiday station on Pandora – my go-to for Christmas song goodness – and a song by Reliant K came on that I’ve heard many times before. But this time I heard the lyrics. It so perfectly put into words my year, culminating in a love for my savior, born on Christmas day. So I give you “Merry Christmas, Here’s to Many More” by Reliant K, and my new Christmas anthem, the song that says what’s it’s really all about, “This is Christmas” by Kutless.

May God bless you and keep you this Christmas. Here’s to a better year next year and many, many more.

“Merry Christmas, Here’s to Many More” by Reliant K from the album Let it Snow Baby, Let it Reindeer

I made it through the year and I did not even collapse
Gotta say, “Thank God, for that”
I’m torn between what keeps me whole and what tears me in half
I’ll fall apart or stay intact

With tired eyes I stumble back to bed
I need to realize my sorry life’s not hanging by a thread
At least not yet

So look at me now
 Its finally Christmas and I’m home
Head indoors, to get out of this weather
And I don’t know how
But the closest friends I’ve ever known are all inside
Singing together
Singing merry Christmas, here’s to many more

It always hurt to be all by myself this time of year
A cold and lonely Christmas eve
And living out my days alone
Well that had been my deepest fear
But you promised you won’t leave

I look towards the east and see a star
Jesus Christ, has blessed my life to know just who you are
You are my hope

So look at me now
 Its finally Christmas and I’m home
Head indoors, to get out of this weather
And I don’t know how
But the closest friends I’ve ever known are all inside
Singing together
Singing merry Christmas, here’s to many more

Deck the halls with mistletoe
May all your heavy burdens go
Up the chimney in a cloud of smoke
The fire’s burning bright
Strike up the band and play the tune
Cause Christmas will be here and soon
You’ll hear our song in every room
This merry Christmas night

Singing merry Christmas, here’s to many more

fa la la la
fa la la la

“This is Christmas” by Kutless from the album O Come all Ye Faithful

Do you find it hard to sleep til’ night, resting by the Christmas lights,
Could there be something you forgot?
Beyond the bows, and mistletoes, the tree with presents wrapped below
There’s more to this than you had ever thought.
Have we lost the reason that we celebrate each year?

What is Christmas if there never was a Savior wrapped in a manger
What is Christmas without Christ

Remember how the story goes, God’s gift was wrapped in swaddling clothes,
Beneath the star, one great and holy night.
The shepherds heard the angels sing, the wise man brought an offering,
Peace on Earth began in Bethlehem.
Have we lost the reason that we celebrate each year?

What is Christmas if there never was a Savior wrapped in a manger
What is Christmas if the angels never sang ‘Glory to the new born King’
What is Christmas without Christ?

There’d be no Gloria, in excelsis deo
Gloria, in excelsis deo

This is Christmas, it’s all about the Savior wrapped in a manger
This is Christmas, because of Jesus Christ
This is Christmas, because of Christ, because of Christ.

Amen, and Merry Christmas.

Saturday Soundtack – Brought to You By The Greatest Story Ever Told, and Charlie Brown

17 Dec

Need I say more?

Yes, this is on my Christmas playlist, and yes, I still tear up every time I hear it. Enjoy!

“Linus Explains the Meaning of Christmas” from the timeless classic A Charlie Brown Christmas.

Do you have a movie soundtrack that makes your Christmas bright?

Saturday Soundtrack – Baby, We Were Born to Run!

10 Dec

This one goes out to my aunt Annette, who taught me to love The Boss from a tender age.

I love Bruce Springsteen. I mean, I love Bruce Springsteen. One of best things that happened in my adult life was that he came out with another album and Gaga had Clarence Clemons cameo on my favorite song of hers just before he died. If I had a life-bucket list, seeing Bruce (and U2) would be on it. I used to use my Grandma’s taper candles to beat out the drum solo at the end of Born in the USA. So, yeah, I love me some Bruce.

Since I’m getting back into running, I thought it fitting to feature one of my favorite songs of all time – my theme song – for running. I have a shirt that says it as part of my ‘fake it ’till you make it’ campaign for becoming a runner: baby we were born to run!

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →