March 13, 2011

Stupid Facebook 30 Day Music Challenge (in one post!)

There's this stupid thing on Facebook (shocking, right?) called the 30 Day Music Challenge. Music is a big part of my life (really, it should be a big part of everyone's life) and I couldn't help but join in.


Day 1: Your Favorite Song
I love this song for its overwhelming southern rock vibe and the fact that it makes me want to convert my civic into the General Lee. If you told me that Queens of the Stone Age covered this song after finding it on a rare Lynard Skynard B-side, I wouldn't be surprised.

Day 2: Your Least Favorite Song
I thought long and hard about this, but the song that I've hated forever from a band that is truly "one-hit wonder" is "Bittersweet Symphony." I'd rather listen to Creed's third album. Many Bothans died listening to this trash.

Day 3: A Song that Makes you Happy
Not necessarily a song per se, but it's hilarious and it makes me happy. I love how songs can both amuse and educate. In this case, our Swedish hero is taught that turtles are packin' heat.

Also, one time a co-worker secretly set my Microsoft Office suite to auto-replace my name with "Bork Bork Bork." It was easily one of the most hilarious weeks of my life.

Day 4: A Song that Makes you Sad
This song was sung beautifully at both my grandparent's funerals. It's a beautiful song that always makes me sad. I can't say I've been the most devout or regularly attending Christian, but I do have faith and I have always been partial to the older, more traditional hymns.

Day 5: A Song that Reminds you of Someone
Someone? Or some thing? My corgi, Peaches, is always on my mind. What can I say, I'm a helicopter parent? But, when this song entered my Pandora stream unexpectedly the other day it made me smile.

Day 6: A Song that Reminds you of Somewhere
I don't love all country music, but I really enjoy some. Perhaps it depends on my mood and mindset, but that can be said for so many things. I think country music is powerful. It's often sad and evokes memories. You think about a girl, a place, an alcoholic beverage, drinking too much of said beverage...

Me and my home, Texas, don't always see eye to eye. But it is where I from, so that makes it home.

I want to stress that I picked this video ONLY because it had a quality version of the song. DO NOT WATCH THE VIDEO. It's made by some hick, Texas Aggie piece of shit human being.

Day 7: A Song that Reminds you of a Certain Event
The last time I hiked to the top of Half Dome at Yosemite I separated from the group early and hiked the majority of the 18 miles alone. It was just me, my thoughts, and my iPod. Foo Fighters comprise a large component of my playlist.

Everlong is a song of which I never tire. Perfect for an 18 mile hike.

Day 8: A Song that you Know All the Words to
Beth bought me Ke$ha's album for Christmas. I want to note that this wasn't on my wish list. One Saturday we spent 4 hours in the car running errands and whatnot. About 3 and a half of those hours were spent hitting repeat to this song so that we could memorize it. Mission accomplished.

Day 9: A Song that you can Dance to
The Irish know how to drive a tempo! I love how songs by Flogging Molly and other Irish bands just make you want to stand up, finish your beer, kiss the lass to your right AND left, punch the dude to your right AND left, then start dancing.

Day 10: A Song that Makes you Fall Asleep
I don't typically sleep to music. However, if I'm on a long flight and want to try to sleep (I have a hard time sleeping on planes), I put my man Coltrane on. It's soothing and the notes are irregular so my mind wanders and I doze.

Day 11: A Song from your Favorite Band
This was an incredibly difficult one to answer. I love Foo Fighters, Silversun Pickups, Them Crooked Vultures, Interpol, Bloc Party, Cage the Elephant...but the band I keep coming back to for so many moods is Queens of the Stone Age.

I could have linked "No One Knows," "Little Sister," "Go with the Flow," but you've heard those. "You Say I Ain't Worth a Dollar but I Feel Like a Millionaire" is an explosion of awesome. You may not care for the screaming and I understand that. But when it just opens up I air guitar like my life depends on it.

Day 12: A Song from a Band you Hate
Creed was insanely popular for a while. A lot of people loved them, swore by them, and they were on the radio constantly. I never really got into Creed. Yes, a song or two was okay, but I never owned an album and more often than not I would change the radio station.

In the years since their prime they've become this joke. The lead singer is just a waste of humanity and the other members of the band have a new band that nobody has heard of.

Day 13: A Song that is a Guilty Pleasure
I began scrolling through my iTunes library to see what I was most ashamed of. It didn't take long to get to the letter "B." I own this album, mostly because I like "Piece of Me" quite a bit. It's classic pop; catchy, easy to sing. Honestly, when I hear NSync or Britney Spears on the radio or in a club I have a lot of fun because their songs are fun. They just are.

Day 14: A Song that No One Would Expect you to Love
I'm not a very sophisticated person, so I imagine the mere fact that I know who Philip Glass is would astound people. I really love his music.

Day 15: A Song that Describes You
Lyrically, this may not answer the question. However, the sound and the vibe of this song (which is quintessential Interpol) I think captures me pretty well. Ultimately, I like quiet days at home or walks with my dog. I like thinking about games, or music, or nothing in particular.

Day 16: A Song that you Used to Love but Now Hate
If we're being honest, I really loved this song when it first came out. I was in high school, spare me. I loathe these guys now. They are Canada's worst atrocity in a long list of no nos.

Day 17: A Song that you Hear Often on the Radio
I love the Foo Fighters, but dear god is this song overplayed on rock radio.

Day 18: A Song that you Wish you Heard on the Radio
Only by the Night is pretty boring if you ask me. It's polished and sounds like something you'd hear on a "soft rock, less talk" type radio station. Aha Shake Heartbreak is dirty and fun. I wish we could hear songs like this instead of "Sex On Fire."

Day 19: A Song from your Favorite Album
The Colour and the Shape takes top honors for favorite album I believe. Start to finish a fantastic entry in my library.

Day 20: A Song that you Listen to When you are Angry
I remember Metallica fixing things for me last time I was super pissed. I was driving very fast down the road. Very fast.

Day 21: A Song that you Listen to When you are Happy
Nada Surf's "This Weight is a Gift" album is really good. Blankest Year is a super bubbly, catchy tune. It's happiness with the f-word right in the chorus.

Day 22: A Song that You Listen to When You're Sad
Some of the saddest moments in my life were spent listening to this song on repeat.

Day 23: A Song that you Want to Play at your Wedding
Right after the "I now declare you man and wife" or whatever, I want this to queue and we head out into the world.

Day 24: A Song that you Want to Play at your Funeral
Wilco is really great. I love how calming this song is. It just reminds me of sunny days on the porch. I guess that goes well with my dead body.

Day 25: A Song that Makes you Laugh
Swedish Chef, can I call you once more?

(Note: Holy crap these prompts get repetitive. Seems like it could easily be a 10 day challenge...)

Day 26: A Song that you can Play on an Instrument


If I got off my ass and learned to play trumpet again I could link something really cool. As it stands, the only song I can still play from my year or so of messing around with the guitar is this one. I do love Nirvana, so it's not entirely lame. But not impressive from a talent standpoint.

Day 27: A Song that you Wish you Could Play
This is easily my favorite song to play on Rock Band. So, real life would be most excellent.

Day 28: A Song that Makes you Feel Guilty
I don't even know what this means. Is this if you shot someone while listening to Johnny Cash? Hmmm, that gives me an idea...


"Sooner or later God'll cut you down." Perhaps I should live better?

Day 29: A Song from your Childhood
I watched Top Gun on a weekly basis as a child. Even today I wish I became a fighter pilot. You cannot watch Top Gun without Kenny Logins' rock anthem.

Day 30: Your Favorite Song this Time Last Year
Them Crooked Vultures were a gift from the heavens for me. Guitars by Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age? Dave Grohl on the drums? John Paul Jones on bass? Dear god!

Seeing them live at the Fox Theatre was truly special.

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