- Satisfied by Marina and the Diamonds- I chose this song because it reminds me of one of the lessons I learned in 2010 “Sometimes what we want the most scares us the most.” It also reminds me to never settle for average.
- Dance in the Dark by Lady Gaga- I remember first hearing the new Lady Gaga cd in January 2010 and thinking that the song that would go on here was “So Happy I Could Happy Die,” but by the end of the year it seemed the song that fit the most was Dance in the Dark. Mainly because of this line “Baby loves to dance in the dark. Cause when he’s looking she falls apart.” My anxiety is always worse at night and sometimes when I am lying awake in bed I have a momentary freak out and my husband is always there to bring me back.
- Organ Grinder’s Ball by Hot Cha Cha- Hot Cha Cha is a local band here in Cleveland and they are one of my favorites. This year we didn’t go to a ton of their shows, but their 2nd cd has a song called Organ Grinder’s Ball. I felt it appropriate to put this on my end of the year mix because last March I went with Lady Linzi to 15th annual Organ Grinder’s Ball and reviewed it on my blog.
- Your Love is My Drug by Ke$ha- I could have placed Ke$ha’s whole album on this mix because I listened to it a ridiculous amount of times. But none of the songs really remind me specifically of anything about 2010. Except this song which is called Your Love is My Drug and guess what it’s about. The best part of this song is at the end when she randomly says ” I love your beard.” For those who don’t know my husband has a full beard… so that part of the song makes me laugh.
- Gold Dust Woman by Fleetwood Mac- I have been slightly obsessed with Stevie Nicks this year. I have this image of a modern Stevie Nicks, an urban Gypsy if you will. You have probably seen it mentioned on my blog a bunch of times. In any case I had to do a Fleetwood Mac song because of it and it had to be Gold Dust Woman because I just have this awesome image of a goddess like woman with gold dust shimmering off her skin dressed like a modern Stevie Nicks and being a bad ass.
- Gypsy by Shakira- Here we go with the Gypsy thing again. This past summer I didn’t wear jeans all summer long. I wore skirts mostly. I liked the that wearing skirts made me feel like a free spirit gypsy. I often daydream about leaving my job and traveling the world. I really love the line “I can’t hide what I’ve done. Scars remind me of just how far that I’ve come”
- Secret by The Pierces- This summer the best most ridiculous teen drama came on tv. Pretty Little Liars, which is based on the teen novels by the same name. It was a favorite guilty pleasure of the summer and new episodes finally aired this month. This is the theme song to the show. I like the Pierces. They are a sister duo and were one of the bands we discovered in 2010.
- Lonesome Organist Rapes Page Turner by The Dresden Dolls- The most consistent blog search for my blog is Amanda Palmer. She was one of my inspirations for 2010 and I talked about her in endless blog posts. So of course I had to put her band Dresden Dolls on the cd. I could have picked a zillion songs and they would have fit perfectly, but I chose this song because for some reason (actually a lot of reasons) it reminds me of the Marx Brothers…more specifically Groucho. And at the end if you listen closely there is a honk of a horn as if Harpo is nearby :).
- Goonies are Good Enough For Me by Cyndi Lauper- I chose this song because well I like it, The Goonies is one of my favorite movies, I watched it a bunch of times this year and it just makes me happy to watch it, and furthermore, Goonies never say die. Also I got in a friendly debate with my friend Daniel as to the title of the song. I didn’t think the title was Goonies are Good Enough…he was right.
- Beach Girls by Sleigh Bells- Lady Linzi and I went to the Sleigh Bells concert at the Grog Shop this past year. I had heard a couple of songs and oddly enough it wasn’t until have the show that I actually grew an appreciation for them. I really dig the song Beach Girls because it reminds me of our weekly trips to the beach at Mentor Headlands every thursday last summer. Those trips were one of the best part of the summer and even the year.
- T.G.I.F by Katy Perry- Speaking of best parts of the year! This song was the official theme song to our trip to Key West. Surprisingly we did not participate in any drunken debauchery while there, but the rest of the year had a few instances of it. Besides the song is all about having a good time and we had a REALLY good time.
- Big Wave by Jenny & Johnny- In September Lady Linzi and I went to see Jenny & Johnny in concert at the Beachland Ballroom. I love the whole album, but this song like wraps up my entire 20’s ( which is sadly coming to an end this March) in a nut shell
- When I’m With You by Best Coast- This was yet another concert that Lady Linzi and I attended… I see a trend here 🙂 I had heard a couple of their songs, but I really like this one the best. I think it’s easy to relate to. Who hasn’t been simultaneously annoyed and in love with someone?
- Acid Tongue by Jenny Lewis- I love Jenny Lewis’s music. It’s a little bit country and a little bit rock n roll. This song is such a beautiful and sad song. I listened to this song on repeat over and over and over again in the car and there were a few times I sat in the car just to hear the end. There is one part that especially resonates with me. ” I went to a cobbler to fix the hole in my shoe. He took look at my face and said ‘I can fix that hole in you.’ I beg your pardon I’m not looking for a cure I’ve seen enough of my friends in the depths of the God sick blues.”
- Strip Me by Natasha Bedingfield- this song appeared before Acid Tongue on the October mix Lady Linzi made for me. I really like it because while Acid Tongue is kind of a melancholy song, almost a hopeless song, Strip Me is a hopeful song. It’s about being who you are and love and making your dreams come true. The line I love the most is “Everyday I fight for all my future somethings. A thousand little wars I have to choose between.”
- Please Don’t Leave Me by Pink- One might think the reason this song is on the list because Christian, a friend of Lady Linzi’s saw one of my friend’s, ex-boyfriends ( Christian’s neighbour) singing this song in his car after my friend broke up with him. That is not why it is on the list… though that is pretty funny. The real reason is because this song has a lot of lines that remind me of me. Sure there are plenty of times that I am a loving and adoring wife, but let’s face it I can be a total handful and there are times the person I take it out on is the hub… and as unlikely as it may be I am terrified of losing him because of it.
- Airplanes by B.O.B featuring Haley Williams of Paramore. Usually with these types of songs I connect with the female voice in the background, but in the case of this song I really connect to one of the stanzas in this song. ” I could use a dream or a genie or a wish to go back to a place much simpler than this. Cause after all the partyin’ and smashin’ and crashin’ and all the glitz, and the glam and the fashion. And all the pandemonium and all the madness there comes a time where you fade to the blackness and you’re staring at that phone in your lap and you’re hoping but those people never call back. But that’s just how the story unfolds you get another hand soon after you fold. And when your plans unravel what would you ask for if you had one chance?” So many part of that stanza reflect 2010 for me.
- Happy for You by The Ingenues- The Ingenues are a side project for Jessicka Addams and Samantha Maloney. They have only released one song and it’s Happy For You. It was my first iTunes mp3 purchase :). It is a great song. It deals with jealousy and how when you have successes in your life there are always people around to tear you down. I love Jessicka. She is also on my 2010 inspiration list 🙂
- Party Bag by I Blame Coco- I Blame Coco is Coco Sumner’s band. Who is Coco Sumner you ask? She’s Sting’s daughter. And she is awesome. A few of her songs take a few listens before you get into them, but I really like her stuff. It definitely has her father’s influence. I chose Party Bag. I could have easily chosen Self Machine which is an equally good song. I am pretty sure that this song is about cocaine, which I have never tried and have no desire to ever try, but there is a great line (no pun intend) in Party Bag which goes ” Well it’s a dark dark night for destruction, but we’ll be alright.” I also love the line “Who mixed up the blood with the red wine tonight? Who put the sugar in the salt shaker?”
- This is My City by Timothy Victor Orchestra- I really like this song it reminds me of Cleveland.
- Viva La Vita by Cold Play- I am not a huge Cold Play song. Lady Linzi has a theory that Cold Play is one of those bands no one admits to liking but there is one song that they secretly like. For me it’s Viva La Vita. This song played on my Pandora over and over again and I may never have heard it otherwise. I really like this song . I picture Napoleon in a pea coat walking some crowded city street reminiscing about the days when he was dictator. Even though the lyrics and the image seem like they would make a person sad, it doesn’t. The opposite is true. This song actually makes me happy. I’m not sure why but there is something about reflecting on the glory days that put a smile on my face.
- Pretty in Pink by The Dresden Dolls- Every year I choose a song for the final song. The song has to be a song that was heard several times that year. It has to relate to the year and usually I use a cove of the song. In 2008 the song was Mr. Blue Sky covered by Lily Allen. Last year was Don’t Stop Believing covered by the Glee cast. This year it is Pretty in Pink covered by the Dresden Dolls. First of all I was obsessed with The Dresden Dolls this year so it makes sense that I chose a song that they covered. But Pretty In Pink was one of the Cult films this year and I heard this song play randomly through the year.
And that completes the 2010: The Year of the Challenge Soundtrack. Click the mixed tape above for a link to download your own copy 🙂
The Girl I Mean To Be 