17 posts tagged “high fidelity”
Forbidden to remember, terrified to forget; it was a hard line to walk.
New Moon, Stephenie Meyer
1. Somewhat Damaged - Nine Inch Nails
"How could I ever think?
It's funny how everything that swore it wouldn't change is different now
Just like you would always say 'we'll make it through'
Then my head fell apart, and where were you?"
2. Astronaut (A Short History of Nearly Nothing) - Amanda Palmer
"Is it getting easy to pretend
That life goes on without you in the wake
And can you see the means without the end
In the random frantic action that we take?"
3. Dying - Hole
"And now I understand
You leave with everything
You leave with everything I am
Withering
And now I know that love is dead
You've come to bury me..."
4. Never Is A Promise - Fiona Apple
"You say you'll understand - you'll never understand
I say I'll never wake up knowing how or why
I don't know what to believe in
You don't know who I am
You say I'll need appeasing when I start to cry
But never is a promise
And I'll never need a lie."
5. The Day After - Sunshine State
"Love will get you through anything
But a day like today
They tell me there's always more fish in the sea
This one got away...
On the day after, the future looks lonely
But at least now I'm too tired to cry..."
6. Early Winter - Gwen Stefani
"It's sad
The map of the world is on you
The moon gravitates around you...
The sun's getting cold; it's snowing
Looks like an early winter for us..."
7. Tallymarks - Thao Nguyen
"That same winter my old man made tracks
And I did too - but I came back
So don't don't don't explain love to me
Love love love is not why we leave...
I drop drop tears like tallymarks
And I'm keeping score, so I keep us apart
But I think I might miss you enough to say so..."
8. Brighter - Paramore
"Without you, I will feel so small
And if it ends today
I'll still say that you shone brighter than anyone
Now I think we're taking this too far
Don't you know that it's not this hard?"
9. The Grace - Neverending White Lights w/ Dallas Green
"Angels say they can make you suffer
Give and take like a vicious lover...
You're not coming back to me; these things, they will never be
I'm so used to being wrong - so put me where I belong
I'll get back to you - God knows I'll try
But I still lose..."
10. Done Wrong - Ani Difranco
"How could you beg me to stay
Reach out your hands and plead
Then pack up your eyes and run away
As soon as I agreed?"
11. Try Not To Breathe - R.E.M.
"I will try not to burden you
I can hold these inside
I will hold my breath until all these shivers subside
Just look in my eyes
I will try not to bother you
I have seen things that you will never see
Just leave it to memory, me
I shudder to breathe..."
12. All Dressed Up - Veruca Salt
"You don't even notice me
Moving you like a ton of glaciers
You don't even notice me
Soothing you like a long lost sister
No you don't even care...
I'm all dressed up, and you're just a song..."
13. Hey Jupiter (Dakota version) - Tori Amos
"No one's picking up the phone
Guess it's clear he's gone
And this little masochist is lifting up her dress..."
14. To Be Free - Emiliana Torrini
"Once in a house on a hill
A boy got angry
He broke into my heart...
It shouldn't hurt me to be free
It's what I really need to hold myself together
But if it's so good being free, would you mind telling me
Why I don't know what to do with myself?"
15. Wasted Time (live) - The Eagles
"And the hours go by like minutes,
And the shadows come to stay
So you take a little something to make them go away...
Sometimes to keep it together, you got to leave it alone."
16. White Flag - Dido
"I know I left too much mess and destruction to come back again
I cause nothing but trouble
I understand if you can't talk to me again
And if you live by the rules of 'it's over' then I'm sure that that makes sense
But I will go down with this ship
I won't hold my hands up and surrender..."
17. Maybe - Kelly Clarkson
"Someday, when we're at the same place
When we're on the same road
When it's okay to hold my hand
Without feeling lost
Without all the excuses
When it's just because you love me, you let me, you need me
Then maybe...
Should know better than to touch the fire twice..."
18. I Hope Your Heart Runs Empty - Neverending White Lights w/ Scott Anderson
"Stole a look away from your eyes
Stole a look and finally paid your price
Tethered fresh, trampled thoughts, look for me
Look at this face
Everywhere there's new mistakes..."
19. Try, Try, Try - The Smashing Pumpkins
"And we have survived
Try to hold on
And no one should deny
We tried to hold on to the pulse of the feedback current
Into the flow of encrypted movement..."
20. It's All Over But The Crying - Garbage
"Certain things turn ugly when you think too hard
And nagging little thought change into things you can't turn off
Everything you think you know baby
Is wrong...
Now I can't walk back
I can't leave behind..."
21. The Scientist - Coldplay
"Nobody said it was easy
Oh it's such a shame for us to part
Nobody said this was easy
But no one ever said it would be this hard
Oh take me back to the start..."
22. Konstantine (live) - Something Corporate
"My Konstantine
I watch her spin around me like a dream
We played out on this movie screen
And I said
Did you know I miss you...
I'll always miss you."
Another ling delayed request mix, one of a sadder nature, but one that was difficult only because of the sheer number of songs I can think of to listen to at such a time.
When things feel so shaky that the jagged edge of a cliff seems more secure... When the fetal position isn't a tight enough ball to disappear into... When you at once want someone to pick you up off the floor and carry you home and scream when anyone tries to move you from the safest place you could find to land... When it's time to break down, utterly and completely... Here are a few of the songs that play when I need to find the strength to cry it out, dust myself off, and pick myself up once again.
With love for L.
1. Strange Days - Matthew Good Band
"Good morning - don't cop out
You crawled from the cancer to land on your feet
Are you crazy to want this, even for a while?"
2. Little Suicides - Golden Palominos
"It happens in the smallest ways
It happens all the time
And if you've never had your sight,
What's it mean to be blind?"
3. Wise Up - Aimee Mann
"Prepare a list of what you need
Before you sign away the deed
'Cause it's not going to stop
'Til you wise up..."
4. The Living - Natalie Merchant
"I'll go off and make myself scarce
Come tomorrow you won't find me there
'Cause I don't care to stay among the living..."
5. Broken Glass - The Gathering
"Drop yourself in the grass
Breathe the air...
Hold on tight, don't fall down
Breathe the air through the water..."
6. Mad World - The Red Paintings
"I find it hard to tell you
I find it hard to take
When people run in circles
It's a very very mad world..."
7. Imaginary Friend - Chantal Kreviazuk
"Smelling dead flowers and listening to the walls again
I'm drinking from a leaky faucet
And writing with this dried up pen
Wish I still had my imaginary friend..."
8. Forestfire - David Usher
"I'm falling, faster than the waterfall
Opened up and after all
Can't you see I'm drowning
Right here in the open air?"
9. Bleed - Cold
"You can stop the world, but you won't change me
I need music
To set me free
To let me bleed..."
10. Recoil - Ani Difranco
"Little flashing zero on my answering machine
Rats scratching at my brain...
I'm going outside to watch the house burn down across the street..."
11. This Woman's Work - Kate Bush
"I know you have a little life in you yet
I know you have a lot of strength left
I should be crying, but I just can't let it show..."
12. A Long December - Counting Crows
"I guess the winter makes you laugh a little slower
Makes you talk a little lower
About the things you could not show her...
Maybe this year will be better than the last..."
13. Crayon and Ink - Allison Crowe
"In crayon and ink, what I understood least
Were these words not spoken out of fear of the law or self-sacrifice
And I never thought that confirmation would come into play..."
14. Barcelona - Jewel
"But if you could hear the voice in my heart, it would tell you
I'm tired of being this way
Won't you please hold me, release me,
Show me the meaning of mercy..."
15. LA Song - Beth Hart
"It's all I love, it's all I hate
It's all too much for me to take...
I'm out of my pain, so I'm going back to LA..."
16. Upside Down - Tori Amos
"I found the secret to life
I'm okay when everything is not okay..."
17. Counting The Stars - Andrea Florian
"These things do stick to me like glue
When the words won't come I'm no longer confused...
The unheard sirens that fall not from my mouth
They fall from my heart..."
18. God of Wine - Third Eye Blind
"She takes a drink and then she waits
The alcohol, it permeates...
I can't keep it all together..."
19. Out Here At Sea - Karen Kosowski
"Close the door, let no one in
You're empty but you're home
There's nobody here
I wish you were near..."
Delayed far too long, another mix request from a friend who, like me, struggles with staying motivated on projects. This one posed a challenge in a vein similar to the Universe Music compilation, as I simply could not locate songs with lyrics I felt worked for the vibe I wanted. What we have here, then, are songs that speak of slacking, songs that give reasons not to slack, songs about not giving up and songs that are just so upbeat, it's hard not to get up and MOVE.
With love, here it is J. <3
Songs To Stir Up Slackers: A Motivational Mix
"Don't stop me now, 'cause I'm having a good time..."
2. Perfect Time Of Day - Howie Day
"Let your colours collide/Oh the time is so fleeting/I'll quit running behind..."
"Can't you give a damn on a better day/I can't come out and play/I'm in such a bad, bad way..."
"Everybody sing like it's the last song you will ever sing/Tell me tell me can you feel the pressure now?/Everybody live like it's the last day you will ever live..."
5. Sinners of Saint Avenue - Slave to the SQUAREwave
"We are the Friday night working class heroes..."
6. Have You Got It In You? - Imogen Heap
"It takes a lot to be always on form...It's been one of those days/Safety first, don't push/What's the hurry?"
7. The Impression That I Get - Mighty Mighty Bosstones
"I'm not a coward - I've just never been tested/I'd like to think that if was I would pass... Might be a coward, I'm afraid of what I might find out..."
"1,2,3,4,5 more hours/Crush my soul and send me flowers/Take me home where I can be myself again..."
9. All Or Nothing - Athena Cage
"Live your dreams/It's not as hard as it may seem..."
10. Fire Burn Me - Karen Kosowski
"There's more than one way to light this fire/More than one way to light this flame/More than one way to tame that tiger/So if it's all the same, I'll find my own way..."
11. Ready, Steady, Go - The Meices
"Ready, steady, go was goin' to my head..."
12. Whip It - Devo
"When a problem comes along, you must whip it..."
13. Pump It Up - Elvis Costello
"Pump it up, until you can feel it/Pump it up, 'when you don't really need it..."
14. Discipline - Nine Inch Nails
"I need your discipline/I need your help..."
15. Fuel (live) - Avril Lavigne
"Give me fuel, give me fire, give me that which I desire..."
16. Doing The Unstuck - The Cure
"It's a perfect day for doing the unstuck... It's never too late to get up and go!"
"Share with me your moments of glory..."
"I don't know what to do/but then that's nothing new/Stuck between hell and high water/Need a cure to make it through..."
19. One Down (live) - Ben Folds
"People tell me Ben, just make up junk and turn it in/But I never was alright with turning in a bunch of shit... But now I've found a reason to sit right down and shit some out..."
20. Load Me Up - Matthew Good Band
"I'm frantic, so load me up/This seems so practiced/Me fucking this up/Whatever puts me all the way out..."
"Well you didn't wake up this morning 'cause you didn't go to bed/You were watching the whites of your eyes turn red/The calendar on your wall is ticking the days off...This is the day when things fall into place..."
Another request courtesy of the mix meme, for a friend departing on a long drive to a new school out west. This mix was thrown together fairly rapidly to accommodate his travel schedule, but I think it's a solid blend of relevant lyrics and songs that feel, in a sonic sense, like music for a long drive.
As always, comment and enjoy! Safe travels and good luck, RJ!
1. Cruz - Christina Aguilera
"Turn up the radio and I'm feeling like I never felt before
Turn down the memories of yesteryears and broken dreams
I'm free..."
2. Who Am I? - Lily Frost
"Today, in the air
On the water, ships pass you by
Clouds fantasize, dragging shapes across the sky..."
3. Today - Poe
"The future is a mistress that is so hard to please
And the past is a pebble in my shoe
But today is the day that we break free..."
4. Parkdale - Metric
"I should be living
Giving my mind a chance to rewind and playback
Beautiful music..."
5. 1979 - Smashing Pumpkins
"June Bug, skipping like a stone
Headlights pointed at the dawn
We were sure we'd never see an end to it all..."
6. Drive - Incubus
"It's driven me before and it seems to have
A vague, haunting mass appeal
But lately I'm beginning to find that
I should be the one behind the wheel..."
7. Free - The Martinis
"So free for the moment
Lost somewhere between the earth and the sky..."
8. Go West - Pet Shop Boys
"Go west - life is peaceful there
Go west - in the open air..."
9. Face The Music - Conjure One
"If you can face the future
It sets you free from the past
Turn around, turn around
You can move on..."
10. Road Trippin' - Red Hot Chili Peppers
"It's time to leave this town
It's time to steal away
It's time to get lost
Anywhere in the USA..."
11. Souvenirs - The Gathering
"You peel all the layers of forever
You start the beginning of the end
Breathing is bridging the gap..."
12. Across The Universe - Fiona Apple
"Pools of sorrow, waves of joy, are passing through my opened mind
Possessing and caressing me...
Nothing's gonna change my world..."
13. Breakaway - Kelly Clarkson
"I'll spread my wings and I'll learn how to fly
I'll do what it takes til I touch the sky..
I won't forget all the ones that I love..."
14. Used To Be Alright - I Mother Earth
"Then you long for the days
Trippin' down the long road
Just reading the signs that show you the way..."
15. Beautiful Day - U2
"You're on a road
But you've got now destination...
It's a beautiful day..."
16. Far From Home - Tiga
"As far as I go
As far as I know
I've always got a place called home..."
17. Nocturn - Kate Bush
"We tire of the city
We tire of it all...
A veil of diamond dust
Just reach up and touch it..."
18. Gold Dust - Tori Amos
"Sights and sounds pull me back down another year
I was here..."
Another mix request, for "songs for a dance piece about the universe". This was an incredibly challenging mix, namely because I do not have a lot of music that is instrumental, let alone fitting for this theme! However, I have managed to compile a mix that I think is incredibly solid and a great compilation of tracks worth listening to.
A lot of these move me on a core level I cannot adequately explain, or are meditation songs for me. Hopefully you'll enjoy them (especially you, S.)!
Comment and enjoy!
1. On The Nature of Daylight - Max Richter
2. Willow - Emilie Autumn
3. Lilly - Moby
4. Beyond Being - Conjure One
5. Blackgrounds (original mix) - Atra Aeterna
6. Smokebelch II - The Sabres of Paradise
7. Halcyon (Beautiful Days) - Mono
8. The Flood - Charlotte Martin
9. Out Of Egypt - Sufjan Stevens
10. Highway of Endless Dreams - M83
11. Running With Scissors - Splashdown
12. Winter Ceremony (Howie B Left Foot mix) - Sacred Spirits
13. Saeglopur - Sigur Ros
14. Your Hand In Mine (Goodbye) - Explosions In The Sky
15. Claire De Lune - Claude Debussy
Another request: a mix for breaking up, picking the pieces up and moving forward stronger for the lessons learned, tailored for the time of year.
Those who know me well will see certain artists seem to be missing; I challenged myself to, as much as possible, step outside the requester's usual listening choices. Tori Amos, however, was obligatory.
Love for you, A.
1. Cup of Coffee - Garbage
"You tell me you don't love me
Over a cup of coffee...
So no, of course we can't be friends
Not while I'm still this obsessed..."
2. Red Paper Bag - Sarah Fimm
"I suppose it is worse to indulge in a curse
But I'm just about dead from this tragedy...
I find out what it's worth from just how much it hurts..."
3. Summer Skin - Death Cab For Cutie
"The season's change was a conduit
And we left our love in our summer skin..."
4. Latter Days - Over The Rhine
"What a beautiful piece of heartache
This has all turned out to be..."
5. East Coast - Karen Kosowski
"Tell me quick, before it sticks
Before I can't imagine any life but this..."
6. Goodbye To You (acoustic) - Michelle Branch
"It hurts to want everything and nothing at the same time
I want what's yours and I want what's mine
I want you, but I'm not giving in this time..."
7. Wasted Time (live) - The Eagles
"The autumn leaves have got you thinking
About the first time you fell
You didn't love the boy too much, no no
You just loved the boy too well..."
8. Broken Heart - Andrea Florian
"This broken heart of mine, it will recover..."
9. Do You Sleep? - Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories
"You kick my foot under the table
I kick you back
I can't say I'm able to stand for you, or fall for you, ever again..."
10. Fuck Was I - Jenny Owen Youngs
"I'm developing my sense of humour
Until I can laugh at my heart between your teeth
'Til I can laugh at my face beneath your feet..."
11. Strange - Tori Amos
"Guess I was in deeper than I thought I was
If I have enough love for the both of us..."
12. Perfect Girl - Sarah McLachlan
"I can't compete, I can't deny
There's nothing that I didn't try
How did I go so wrong in loving you?"
13. Star - Pepper McGowan
"Star, did you think you would ascend?
Did you only mean to be friends?
Do you recognize my voice from two miles high?"
14. Settling - Tara Maclean
"So many times I needed you to be strong for me
But you bent beneath the slightest breeze
You have no leaves..."
15. I Quit - Hepburn
"You can't roll me 'round your tongue no more, baby
It's time to clean up your emotional debris
And if I'm falling overboard, please don't save me..."
16. Disconnected - Veruca Salt
"You have trained me to watch my back and watch my standards...
And you can't make me love your band or buy your records
'Cause you have tainted my respect for your adventures..."
17. Not About Love - Fiona Apple
"Conversation once coloured by esteem
Became dialogue as a diagram of a play for blood
Took a vacation, my palate got clean
Now I can taste your agenda..."
18. Thank You (For Leaving) - Sunshine State
"So glad I'm free, hot, single again
Thank you for leaving for good
Don't call - I've got enough friends..."
By request, a mix for the times when you feel as if you ought to come with a warning label stating, "Caution! Not worth the trouble! Excess baggage and emotional damage! Run, don't walk." Although frankly, I'd hardly label the requesting individual as such, I relate to the feeling all too well. Spanning covers and the full gamut of emotion from confusion over being someone's love to regretting being so difficult to love, this mix hits a little of this and that.
Comment if taking and please enjoy (and buy some CDs). *wink*
1. Opheliac - Emilie Autumn
"You know how hard it can be to keep believing in me
When everything and everyone becomes my enemy and friend
There's nothing more you can do
I'm going to blame it on you..."
2. Miss World - Neverending White Lights
"I made my bed, I'll lie in it
I made my bed, I'll die in it..."
3. That's Me - Tara Maclean
"Caught on the floor now, with this bottle in my mind
In the confusion, it seemed the safest place to land...
Tied to the tracks, expecting the train
So much to lose and no one to blame but me..."
4. Quietly - Guano Apes
"Quietly explodes your love
Your insecurity is so soft to me...
I see you dying in my eyes..."
5. So Well - Damhnait Doyle
"I've got to lie about you as I scrawl on this stall
Why you treat me so well?
Why you treat me so goddamn well?"
6. I Got Trouble - Christina Aguilera
"I got a wicked taste for trouble
And I'm never, never satisfied
Yeah I'm a whole lot of trouble,
And my evil ways I can't hide..."
7. Fast As You Can - Fiona Apple
"Fast as you can baby
Run, free yourself from me
Fast as you can..."
8. Paint's Peeling - Rilo Kiley
"And last night, when my hands were choking you...
You said, "Hey, how can you love me this way?"
9. Even Deeper - Nine Inch Nails
"In a dream I'm a different me
With a perfect you
We fit perfectly
And for once in my life I feel complete
And I still want to ruin it..."
10. Release - The Tea Party
"If I desert you now, it's just to make you see
I want you to be free
I want you to be free from me..."
11. Ampersand - Amanda Palmer
"And I may be romantic, and I may risk my life for it
But I ain't gonna die for you
You know I ain't no Juliet..."
12. We're Both So Sorry - Mirah
"My subjects all adore me, but for this I had them banned
Now could I trade my guilt for a good flogging by your hand?"
13. Twinstar - Veruca Salt
"You want to lift me up, but you don't know and you don't see
I'm stuck in my ways..."
14. Wicked Ways - Garbage
"Lord knows that I tried to be good
I'd keep my promises if only I could..."
15. The Fine Art of Falling Apart - Matthew Good
"There ain't enough room in this world
For perfections like you and horrors like me..."
16. Bother - Stone Sour
"My flaws are open season
For this I gave up trying
One good turn deserves my dying..."
17. Full of Grace - Sarah McLachlan
"If all of the strength and all of the courage
Come and lift me from this place
I know I could love you much better than this..."
18. Maybe - Kelly Clarkson
"I'm confusing as hell
I'm north and south
And I'll probably never have it all figured out..."
"A very dangerous one," he murmured.
Twilight - Stephenie Meyer
While whipping through the Twilight saga in four days of overnight shifts with nothing else to do save flip through the offerings on Scribd.com, certain songs began beckoning to me, insisting they 'belonged' to Edward and Bella, the hero and heroine of the series (and very soon, the Twilight film). In creating this mix, I attempted to focus on Twilight's story, ignoring songs that spoke of moments in New Moon, Eclipse or Breaking Dawn, and also challenged myself not to use songs contained in a friend's Edward and Bella mix (although several were painful to cut due to their sheer perfection of fit, like Death Cab For Cutie's I Will Follow You Into The Dark). I also tried to capture both parties' thoughts and feelings along the way. In my mind, Anywhere by Evanescence is the most perfect general love song for this duo, so sample it, if nothing else.
Enjoy and please comment if taking.
SONGS OF TWILIGHT: AN EDWARD AND BELLA MIX
1. No Rain - Blind Melon
"And I start to complain when there's no rain
And all I can do is read a book to stay awake
It rips my life away, but it's a great escape..."
2. The Walk - Imogen Heap
"You're as close as it gets without touching me
Oh now don't make it harder than it already is
I feel a weakness coming on
It's not meant to be like this, not what I planned at all..."
3. A Girl Like You - Edwyn Collins
"You give me just a taste, now I want more
And my hands are bleeding and my knees are raw...
I've never met a girl like you before."
4. Could I Be Your Girl? - Jann Arden
"Love is a demon and you're the one he's coming for - oh my lord
He's bringing sweet salvation - let temptation take you in...
I am worthless sounds compared to all your perfect words."
5. A Stranger - A Perfect Circle
"And I listen for the whisper of your sweet insanity
While formulating denials of your effect on me
You're a stranger, so what do I care?
You vanish today - not the first time I hear..."
6. Temptation - The Tea Party
"Driven by restrained desire
I want what I need
Shaken as her sex takes hold
I've lost all control..."
7. Do What You Have To Do - Sarah McLachlan
"I know I can't be with you
I do what I have to do
But I have the sense to recognize that
I don't know how to let you go..."
8. Dragon - Tori Amos
"Your wild card boy needs playing
Don't believe the lie - your dragon needs slaying
Won't you stay here with me and I will bring
Kisses for the beast..."
9. #1 Crush - Garbage
"I will burn for you, feel pain for you
I will twist the knife and bleed my aching heart
And tear it apart....
I will never be ignored..."
10. Anywhere - Evanescence
"I can't keep pretending that I don't even know you
When at sweet night, you are my own
Take my hand, we're leaving here tonight
There's no need to tell anyone; they'd only hold us down..."
11. A Place Called Home - PJ Harvey
"With you, I wait to be born again
With love comes the day
Just hold onto me...
One day there'll be a place for us..."
12. This Year's Love - David Gray
"This year's love had better last
Heaven knows it's high time
I've been waiting on my own too long...
Who's to worry if our hearts get torn?"
13. Stand Inside Your Love - Smashing Pumpkins
"You and me - meant to be
Immutable, impossible
It's destiny, pure lunacy
Incalculable, insufferable
But for the last time, I'm telling you
You're everything that I want and I dreamed..."
14. Time Is Running Out - Muse
"I tried to give you up, but I'm addicted
Now that you know I'm trapped
Sense of eleation
You'd never dream of breaking this fixation
But you will squeeze the life out of me..."
15. Sleeping With Ghosts - Placebo
"It seems it's written but we can't read between the lines
Hush, it's okay, dry your eye...
Soulmates never die..."
16. Dancing - Elisa
"I'm scared that even my own breath could burst it, if it were a bubble
And I'd better dream if I have to struggle
So I put my arms around you
And I hope that I will do no wrong..."
17. We're In This Together - Nine Inch Nails
"The two of us, all used and beaten up
Watching fate as it flows down the path we have chose
You and me, we're in this together now...
You're the queen and I'm the king
Nothing else means anything."
It's been too long. I need to commit myself to this on a weekly basis again.
It always seems that relationships, both positive and negative, often inspire these mixes. My entire life has been spent with music as my inspiration, my soul, my healing salve; it's no wonder that I go straight to iTunes with my broken heart. In this case, I've encountered someone who handles conflict through avoidance, who gives up without trying to fix even small problems, who solves crisis with cowering in silence.
I don't work that way. It's such a passive-aggressive approach to life. It doesn't work.
In any case, a collection of songs devoted to that sort of person and the experience of knowing and caring for such a creature... There's definitely a strong female lean in this playlist, but it's angrier females mostly. Okay, there's the obligatory Sarah McLachlan, but she's balanced with Emilie Autumn!
Enjoy, my pretties, and comment away.
1. Want - Recoil ft Nicole Blackman
"I want to know how it will end
I want to be sure of what it will cost
I want to strangle the stars for all that you promised me...
I want to keep you alive, so that there is always the possibility of murder later..."
"You want to look at the edge of madness
Just to see, to see
You want to find what you're missing out on
Come on over here child, talk it all to me...
Now you're bent on the edge of blackness
What you trying to see?
You wanna walk with a soul of darkness
Stepping on those coals, get those blisters on your feet..."
3. My Favourite Game - The Cardigans
"I only know what I've been working for
Another you so I could love you more
I really thought that I could take you there
But my experiment is not getting us anywhere
I had a vision I could turn you right
A stupid mission and a lethal fight
I should have seen it when my hope was new
My heart is black and my body is blue..."
4. Fuck Was I - Jenny Owen Youngs
"Love grows in me like a tumour
Parasite bent on devouring its host
I'm developing my sense of humour
Til I can laugh at my heart between your teeth
Til I can laugh at my face beneath your feet
Skillet on the stove, it's such a temptation
Maybe I'll be the lucky one who doesn't get burned -
What the fuck was I thinking?"
5. I Want My Innocence Back - Emilie Autumn
"I want my innocence back
And if you can't give it to me
I will cut you down and I will run you through
With the damage sharpened on my body and soul...
You think I'm bluffing? Just try me
I will never forget the words you used to ensnare me
Til my dying day, you'll suffer for this I swear..."
6. Get Gone - Fiona Apple
"I've done what I could for you
But you're not benefitting
And yet I'm sitting, singing again
How can I deal with this
If he won't get with this
How'm I gonna heal from this
If he won't admit to it...
It's time the truth comes out -
That he don't give a shit about me..."
7. The Life and Death of Mr. Badmouth - PJ Harvey
"Baby you got a bad, bad mouth
Oozing poison, coming out, coming out
Cheating, lying since the day you were born
Someone ought to rinse it out with soap...
Bad mouth, sad mouth
You were an unhappy child
That doesn't make your lying tongue alright..."
"I've seen love die way too many times
When it deserved to be alive
I've seen you cry way too many times
When you deserved to be alive...
You guve up every chance you get
Just to feel new again
(I think we have an emergency)
And you do your best to show me love
But you don't know what love is"
"Wake up and face me
Don't play dead, 'cause maybe
Someday I will walk away and say
You fucking disappoint me
Maybe you're better off this -
Go ahead and play dead
I know that you can hear this
Go ahead and play dead
Why won't you turn and face me?
Why can't you turn and face me?
You fucking disappoint me
Passive-aggressive bullshit"
"Don't bother saying you're sorry
Why don't you come in?
Smoke all my cigarettes again
Every time, I get no further
How long has it been?
Come on in now, wipe your feet on my dreams
You take all my time
Like some cheap magazine
When I could have been learning something
Well you know what I mean
I've done this before
And I will do it again
Come on and kill me baby
While you smile like a friend
I'll come running
Just to do it again"
"
And I hope things work out well for you
And I'm not coming back
You knew
All along you stole my best line
And you're right
You know I'd go to fucking Hell for you
There I go, believing you again
There I go, believing you again"
12. Perfect Girl - Sarah Mclachlan
"The riot in my heart decides
To keep me open and alive
I have to take myself away from you
Because I can't compete, I can't deny
There's nothing that I didn't try
How did I go so wrong in loving you?"
13. Walk Away - Kelly Clarkson
"I've waited here for you like a kid waiting after school
So tell me how come you never show?
I gave you everything and never asked for anything
And look at me, I'm all alone
So before you start defending baby
Stop all your pretending...
I want a man by my side,
Not a boy who runs and hides"
14. Are You Happy Now? - Michelle Branch
"No, no it's just no use
When all your lies become your truths and
I don't care
Would you look me in the eye
And tell me that you're happy now?
Would you tell it to my face
Or have I been replaced?
Are you happy now?
You took all there was to take
And left me with an empty plate
And you don't care about it
I'm giving up this game
And leaving you with all the blame.."
15. Star - Pepper McGowan
"And I'm sewing these fabrics together
Hoping to make us warm
Folding my wings, stowing my love away
Holiday, one point for avarice
Viscocity
What you are heading for is obviously lost in me
Holiday, mute phone to a royal blue guitar
Black-eyed girl who calls you star...
I gave my heart
I gave my purest blood
I gave my stars
And you just turned around"
16. Too Much To Ask - Avril Lavigne
"I thought you were cool til the point
Up until the point you didn't call me when you said you would
Finally figured out you're all the same
Always coming up with some kind of story...
Can't you see that you lie to yourself?
You can't see the world through a mirror,
It won't be too late when the smoke clears
’Cause I, I am still here
Every time I try to make you smile,
You're always feeling sorry for yourself
Every time I try to make you laugh,
You can't your too tough
You think you're loveless
It was too much that I asked him for"
17. Heartbreak To Hate - Angelfish
"
How long before I make sense of this?
How long before I forget your kiss?
How long did we take from heartbreak to hate?
From heartbreak to hate
Operator, the lines are dead
Ringmaster, the lions are fed
Your Honor, you know I was framed
Surounded in this stupid game
But you wanted love..."
18. That Day - Poe
"I dreamt tomorrow had a prettier face
I dreamt tomorrow would have better things to say
Than, "You look like shit, what's your problem, bitch?
You're legs feel like sandpaper, you can't do anything right."
'Cause that day never should have taken place
'Cause this day in my life still cannot explain
Why I listened in the first place to you
Oh yeah, something else...
I hope one day you call up your father
And you have the guts to tell him how he hurt you
And he made you hurt another
'Cause it makes me sad.
"
19. Call Me When You're Sober - Evanescence
"You'll never call me when you're sober
You only want it 'cause it's over
It's over
How could I have burned paradise?
How could I?
You were never mine!
So don't cry to me
If you loved me, you would be here with me
Don't lie to me
Just get your things
I've made up your mind"
20. Strange - Tori Amos
"Just stay
You said, We'll build a nest
So I left my life
Tried on your friend, tried on your opinions
So when the bridge is frozen
You did not come home
I put our snowflake under a microscope...
Strange, what I will leave behind
You call me one more time
But now, I must be leaving"
It's back: a ninth edition of the High Fidelity mixes. And this one is a rather special one. This one is inspired by my favourite classy bitch, and the rest of the posse in the land of Tori tourage.
The song selections are based on meeting one or more of the following criteria:
- They speak of travelling/getting out on the open road.
- They make specific reference to my adventures with the awesome Ashley during our tour stalkings of Tori Amos and The Dresden Dolls.
- They remind me of time with good friends in general and sounds nice to drive to.
For those who've never set out on the open road to follow a concert tour, I couldn't even begin to properly explain the experience. Beyond the concerts, which are always a blast for any music junkie, there is the experience of the road itself: the crazy road signs, the strange billboards, the even stranger sights (groups of men pissing together on the side of the road, anyone? a badminton game at 1am in a gas station parkling lot?), the local foods and touristy moments... and the friendship. If there is anything that both builds a friendship and tests its durability, it is cramming into a car for a week and hauling ass from state to state (and sometimes, country to country).
I feel like a bad beer commercial, but for all you do, all we have done and shared, this one would be for you Ashley, most of all. Special thanks to the other lovelies who have La-La'ed the Jetta, screamed at the Big Fuck Me Trucks, witnessed the Homeland Security, beheld the Technicolour Dreamcoat Tori, and laughed with us at Titler. You all know who you are.
Sassy Music For Classy Bitches: The Nostalgic Roadtrip Edition of High Fidelity
1. Cruz - Christina Aguilera: In addition to getting Ashley hooked on the Stripped album during the 2003 roadtrip, it's also a fantastic song about picking up and leaving...
"Slowly drifting into a peaceful breeze
Tongue-tied and twisted are all my memories...
I'm leaving today
Living it, leaving it to change..."
2. Breakaway - Kelly Clarkson: Ashley and I like Kelly. Oh yes we do. And this song fits the theme!
"I'll spread my wings and I'll learn how to fly
I'll do what it takes 'til I touch the sky
And I make a wish, take a chance, make a change
and break away
Out of the darkness and into the sun
But I won't forget all the ones that I love..."
3. June Gloom - The Like: The Like opened for Tori in 2005, and I can't speak for Ashley, but I fell in love with this song immediately.
"Sunsets lost in
Skies of hazy greys
June gloom sets in
Puts me in a daze...
Winter's coming
Still we're soaked in sun..."
4. My My Metrocard - Le Tigre: Part of the invasion of Brad's iPod during the 2005 trip. It was a tough call... I mean La-La and Ultimate were classic moments in roadtrip history!
"
Off the pillow and into the air
I'm ready cause it's my day
Situation: it's all possible
Everything is going my way
My My Metrocard
My My Metrocard
My My Metrocard
Think I'll go a little but then I go far...."
5. Song For The Dumped - Ben Folds Five: Ashley and I sang this about Megan. A lot. We were even going to get Ben to play it on purpose at Orlando '03... But then, Ashley got her money back.
"Give my money back
Give me money back, you bitch
I want my money back
And don't forget to give me back my black t-shirt..."
6. Who Am I? - Lily Frost: One of my favourite films is Crazy/Beautiful, and towards the beginning, Kirsten Dunst hops into the car with her BFF and they cruise down the highway to this song...
"Today like any day
Rolled out of bed, talked on the telephone
Went to the doctor, she said 'you're okay'
Still I wonder, who am I?
Today, in the air, on the water
Ships pass you by..."
7. With Arms Outstretched - Rilo Kiley: Ashley got me into RK and Jenny Lewis, and this song was one of the first I loved, playing it as we drove down the highway.
"It's 16 miles to the promised land
And I'll promise you, I'm doing the best I can
Now don't fool yourself in thinking you're more than a man
'cause you'll probably end up dead
I visit these mountains with frequency
And I stand here with my arms up
Now some days, they last longer than others
But this day by the lake went too fast...."
8. 1979 - Smashing Pumpkins: This one is sort of a classic 'driving' song, lyrically and sonically, but there's also the fact that in Grand Rapids '03, Ashley let me borrow her blanket/quilt made of old band t-shirts, one of them being a SP tee. And thus began the bond that makes us the Classy Bitches.
"Junebug skipping like a stone
Headlights pointed at the dawn
We were sure we'd never see an end to it all
And I don't even care
To shake these zipper blues
And we don't know just where our bones will rest - to dust, I guess...."
9. Santa Fe - Rent cast: Another fantastic thing Ashley got me into... Rent!
"Let's open up a restaurant in Santa Fe
Sunny Santa Fe would be nice
We'll open up a restaurant in Sante Fe
And leave this to the roaches and mice..."
10. Get Out The Map (live) - Indigo Girls: If ever there was a roadtrip song... This one's a favourite of mine by the Indigo Girls. It's just fun and light...
" And me I'm still trying to live half a live on the road
Seems I'm heavier by the year and heavier by the load
Why do we hurtle
ourselves through every inch of time and space
I must say around some
corner I can sense a resting place
With every lesson learned a line
upon your beautiful face
We'll amuse ourselves one day with these
memories we'll trace
Get out the map get out the map and lay your
finger anywhere down
We'll leave the figuring to those we pass on our
way out of town
Don't drink the water there seems to be something
ailing everyone
I'm gonna clear my head
I'm gonna drink the sun..."
11. Another Girl's Paradise - Tori Amos: One of Ashley's favourites, and mine too. On the SW map, it cuts through Jacksonville, which makes it all the more perfect. Dear Tori: please play this on this tour, with us present. Thanks.
"When all said, said and done
Who can love you and still be standing?
There's Mary calling up a storm
How can I take from you and not keep taking?"
12. Florida - Patty Griffin: I think, of all the songs on this mix, that this one reminds me most of my roadtripping... Oh, and Ashley got me into Patty. I really ought to thank her for her musical influence. She and Mary have seriously made my collection wonderful.
"Couple of young girls went sailing down A1A
To the arms of Florida
Sailing down a highway
Singing their heads off
Protected by the holy ghost
Flying in from the ocean
Driving with their eyes closed..."
13. Summer Skin - Death Cab For Cutie: One of those 'summer was great and now it's ending' songs...
"I don't recall a single care
Just greenery and human hair
Then labour day came and went
And we shed what was left of our summer skin..."
14. Used To Be Alright - I Mother Earth: This song was actually written about the experience of a band on the road and touring. It's the perfect roadtrip song!
"It's pretty good - the wine
The way that we look at ten to eight in the morning
Yeah just talking, still awake at dawn...
Then you long for the days
Trippin' down a long road
Just reading the signs that show you the way
To a higher place
You meditate to feel the quiet of the earth..."
15. Ray of Light - Madonna: A mix for Ashley without Madonna? As if! Plus, the road is like a home, and whenever we first pile into the car, this happy little "Yay! I'm back!" feeling washes over me...
"Faster than the speed of light, she's flying
Trying to remember where it all began
She's got herself a little peace of heaven
Waiting for the time when earth shall be as one
And I feel like I just got home..."
16. Virus of the Mind - Heather Nova: This is a fun, playful song... but lyrically, it's all about 'screw what people think of your atypical lifestyle', which also suits us, because let's face it: some people think we're nucking futs for doing what we do.
"
It's in the deep of your soul, it's on the tip of your tongue
It's the feeling you get, when you feel young
It's in the sound of a beat, it's in the base of your spine
It's in your gut reaction, yeah every time
But they tell you what you should have, they tell you who you should be
It's in the pictures and ads and in the magazines
I'm kicking it off like a bug in the breeze..."
17. Waltz (Better Than Fine) - Fiona Apple: I was trying hard to find a happy Fiona song. Few options. But this one ties nicely to the theme of Virus of the Mind...
"
If you don't have a date
Celebrate
Go out and sit on the lawn
And do nothing
'Cause it's just what you must do
Nobody does it anymore
No I don't believe in the wasting of time
But I don't believe that I'm wasting mine..."
18. Nocturn - Kate Bush: Yes, another one Ashley got me into. This song makes me want to run away to the beach and ditch life and bills and responsibility.... Kinda like when I hit the road...
"
We tire of the city
We tire of it all
We long for just that something more
Could be in a dream
Our clothes are on the beach
These prints of our feet
Lead right up to the sea
No one, no one is here
No one, no one is here
We stand in the Atlantic
We become panoramic
The stars are caught in our hair
The stars are on our fingers
A veil of diamond dust
Just reach up and touch it..."
19. Sing - The Dresden Dolls: Really, these trips are all about the music in the end. It's what brought us together in the first place.
"Life is no cabaret
We're inviting you anyway..."
20. The Song of Purple Summer - Spring Awakening cast: Ashley and I are fangirls for SA. It's true! We're going to marry Gallagher and Groff! Even if they're gay!
"
And all shall fade
the flowers of spring
the world and all the sorrows
at the heart of everything
but still it stays
the butterfly sings
and opens purple summer
with a flutter of its wings...
And all shall know the wonder
of purple summer..."
Comment if you take, and enjoy! If you really, really, REALLY want me to up some of the files individually as opposed to the RAR, ask nicely and I'll do my best.
