in the groove

The other day I was listening to Ryan Adams as I updated my playlists. Right as “Two” started, it hit me – I wished I had “Easy Tiger” on vinyl. I just thought about how comforting that would be – positioning my comfy recliner right in front of the player, cuddling up in my sinfully soft purple blanket and letting the record spin.

That album would sound better on vinyl. There are plenty of albums that would sound better on vinyl, actually. There’s something comforting about that warm, crackling sound that just goes with some music better.

So, here’s a quick, in-no-way-finished list of just a few of the more recent albums I wished I had on vinyl (and yes, I’m well aware some of these are available. These are just albums I think would sound amazing on vinyl..)….

Turned Up, 1

So earlier I posted about my top 10 albums (Captain Obvious says you’re welcome). Not long after I posted that, one of my favorite songs came on my iPod: “The Pretender” by Jackson Browne.

And then I felt The Guilt – my fellow music fans, you know The Guilt. It’s like when you make your top 5 (10, 20) list and you leave off that one life-changing album or song, the one that helped shape who you are. You try to tell yourself that that may not have a place on This List, no, not This List, that goes on That List…anyways. You get what I’m saying.

So I decided I’d start a new series here – a series about my favorite songs. Of course, there’s really absolutely no way I can actually list all of my favorite songs. For one, it would take forever; for another, I love songs for different reasons, and I can’t put one reason above another. I can narrow my very favorite songs down to three, but then I listen to, I don’t know, “The Pretender” or some such, and my list gets all mangled again.

The closest thing I have to a list of my favorite songs is a playlist I have called “Sparkling Diamond” (a nod to one of my favorite films, “Moulin Rouge”). I wanted to make a playlist with just my absolute favorite songs ever, thinking it would contain maybe less than 50 songs. Yeah. I’ve got about 277 on it now and it would easily grow even more if I watered it every day.

So. When I feel like waxing poetically about a song (or songs) I really love, then you’ll see a “Turned Up” post (more on that title after the jump). Maybe I’ll write about why I love it so much, or what memory it brings up, or whatever. Feel free to share your own thoughts about the songs.

Here are a few of my favorite songs…

Summer ’09: Take a mental pic

I spent much of today writing an e-mail to one of my bestest friends. He wrote me about all of the music he’s been listening to this summer (lots of British chicks. Lots and lots of British chicks.) and he asked me to send him back a list of the music I’ve been listening to this summer.

I hate for such a good list to go to just one person, so I thought I’d post it here, too.

A few notes: first, this isn’t *everything* I’ve listened to this summer. This is just the stuff I’ve liked. This list is mostly artists I discovered this summer, but there are a few on here who I’ve been listening to for a while now.

Here goes. Please list your own favorites from this summer because I can always need a new obsession. 🙂

Elvis Perkins in Dearland – My record of the summer, hands down. Kinda officially obsessed. Suggested if you like: Folk. Actual instruments used in the making of music.
Sebastien Grainger – His new album is great but I’m especially in love with “By Cover of Night” and “American Names.” I’ve also gone back and discovered his first band, Death From Above 1979, and guess what? I love that band, too. Obsession level=that orange level Bush liked so well. Suggested if you like: Songs you can scream along with.
Phoenix – My songs of the summer have been “1901” and “Lisztomania.” Obsession? Yes pls. Suggested if you like: Cotton candy, songs in Caddy ads.
Fanfarlo – Such a sturdy, strong, gorgeous record. Suggested if you like: Folky alt-pop, carbonation that’s somehow good for you.
We Were Promised Jetpacks – Think  Frightened Rabbit‘s little brother. Suggested if you like: Frightened Rabbit, little brothers (not really)
The Broken West – OK, I don’t have the new record, just the last one. Either way, I can dig it. Suggested if you like: Sunshine in the form of pop-rock.
Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele – Ah, the sweet sweet sounds of Dent May – you just have to experience it. And he’s from Oxford!
The Gossip – I need to be in a Gossip cover band. This is one of the best bands in existence…trust. Suggested if you love: Sequins.
Ladyhawke – Ladyhawke is my GaGa. Suggested if you love: Wearing sunglasses at night.
Lorien – I’ve seen this band twice, and it took two times to get into them…but now that I’m in, I’m slightly obsessed. Suggested if you: are in your 20s and wear square glasses and Chucks,  your unofficial motto is, “I’m NOT emo!”
Amanda Blank – Yet another song for the summer is “Lemme Get Some.” Brillz. A song every woman needs on her iPod. Suggested if you like: Poor man’s Santigold + a “potty” mouth.
Metric – Thank sweet Neil Patrick Harris for Better Than Ezra, who played this band before its Southaven set. Suggested if you like: 1999’s good side. Its really good side.
Dananananaykroyd – Nominated for Love&Unicorns Award in the category of Best Band Name Ever. Suggested if you like: Physical movement.
La Roux – Dance music that’s also intensely satisfying? Come to mama. Suggested if you like: Synthy dance/pop, Rainbow Brite.
St. Vincent – Whether she’s old-school ambient or loud and alt-indie, she’s intense. Suggested if you like: NYC
Florence + the Machine – I’m in love with her voice. It’s all shades of melodramatic and lovely. Suggested if you ever wondered what Tim Burton would sound like if he were a chick singer.
BLK JKS – I like the pieces – the tribal sounds, the prog rock, the punk – so the whole is pretty amazing to hear. Suggested if you like: any of the pieces I just mentioned, because there’s not much the whole sounds like.
Shout Out Louds – If The Cure was from Sweden, they’d sound like this. Suggested if you like: The Cure, Sweden.
Ty Segall – I will always, always love dirty, messy punk. Suggested if you like: the same; the sounds of a guy whose profile pic is a unicorn.
Let’s Wrestle – Their song “I Won’t Lie to  You” opens with this line: “No matter how many records I buy/I can’t fill this void.” Amen. Suggested if you like: Snotty UK teenagers.
Kid Cudi – Another summer obsession: “Day ‘N’ Nite.” Suggested if you hope hip-hop continues in this tradition.
Mayer Hawthorne – I don’t care much if this guy is “for real” (whatever that is), I’m just digging the tunes. Suggested if you like: Making whoopee to the sounds of men like Barry White and Al Green, sunny days with a side of guilt.
Major Lazer – Some brilliant moments, some not-so-brilliant moments, but very summer-y, all around. Suggested if you wish M.I.A. was Jamaican dude.

You don’t have to read this blog to know the new Avett Brothers album is amazing, but it is, so go by it. I’m also digging the new AFI record. And it seems I can’t live without Jason Isbell (either his solo CD or the one with the 400 Unit). Check ’em out.

I showed you mine, show me yours.

I can post my own, thankyouverymuch

Last Friday was a good day.

I spent the morning running errands – you know, paying rent, dropping off clothes at the Salvation Army – and that afternoon I went shopping with my mom (something that doesn’t happen often enough).

That night, “Smallville” was on her TV, and even though we’d already seen “Metallo,” we watched it again. And yet again, we both wished for a Daily Planet keychain and laughed at the same jokes. Then I got a crazy idea…and then I acted on said crazy idea…anyways. So Friday was a busy, and good, day.

So good and busy in fact that I totally forgot to e-mail in my Top 10 albums of all time list into a pop culture blog I read. That blogger was asking for readers to send in their top 10 albums of all time, and like any good music fan, I spent hours making sure my list was just right (OK, maybe not “hours” – there were a few, but not that many, as I know my basics and just had to iron out details and then write explainers….yeah).

Anyway, her deadline was Friday, and I was so busy doing…all that stuff…that I forgot to e-mail in my list. I didn’t want it to go to waste, so here it is. Share your own, wontcha?