'I Just Called To Say...wait, hold on'

I don't celebrate Valentine's Day.  I never really liked the day much.  People should celebrate their love every day, and I'm sure they do.  It's just ridiculous that we have yet another holiday that has Christian connotations yet is also completely stripped of its religious context.  It's yet another excuse for Americans to go out and spend their money on things that they do not really need, namely chocolates, plastic perfumed roses, and giant teddy bears.  I'm all for flowers.  Buy your sweetheart flowers every chance you get.  But don't go buying roses that are hiked up to twice the price just because you feel like you have to get your sweetie something on February 14th.  It's just another day.  You really don't need to get perfume or heart shaped silk boxers.  I swear, all of those annoying noise making cards and stuffed animals that sing 'Wild Thing' or 'Muskrat Love' should be put into a large bonfire and like a Viking funeral, be sent out to sea.  

I realize that I sound like a complete grouch.  Many of you are probably saying, oh well this guy needs to get some lovin'.  But I'm married.   So there goes that argument of yours.   I think the real issue is that I've never liked the gushy sappiness surrounding Valentine's Day.  In high school, I would wear all black and go around giving people un-Valentines (with black hearts and messages of doom).  In college, my friends and I had a Goth anti-Valentine's celebration by moshing to heavy metal and grunge and then drinking coffee/chain smoking at a local coffee shop where we saw some locals who had the same idea as we did.  Even though I'm not single and I have a family now, I still do not like Valentine's Day.  I think it's a crock of crap, really.  Like I said, it's another excuse to spend money on things on someone who will probably be an ex-something in less than a year.  It's fine if you buy a card for your dear old grandma or your angelic children.  Even cooking dinner for your husband/wife is a nice touch.  But people really go way too far.  

So in my spirit of anti-Valentine's, I have a mix for you.  I tried to make it 14 songs, but then there were too many good ones.  I tried to limit it to 28, but I extended it to 30.  So now you have a song for every day of February, including extra for leap years.  

With no further adieu, here is my Valentine's playlist.  

1) 'Love Gun' by Kiss (1977)

2) 'Love Hurts' by The Everly Brothers (1961)

                                              Nazareth's version (1975)

3) 'Bad Medicine' by Bon Jovi (1988)

 

4) 'I'm Gonna Follow You'- Pat Benetar (1980)

 

5) 'Heaven on the 7th Floor' by Paul Nicholas (1977)

6) 'Love' by The Smashing Pumpkins (1995)

7) 'Sour Times' by Portishead (1994)

8) 'My Lover's Box' by Garbage (1995)

9) 'Love Buzz' by Nirvana (1988)

the original Shocking Blue version (1969)

10) 'The Perfect Drug' by Nine Inch Nails (1997)

11) 'Hate Then Love' by The Dears (2008)

 

12) 'Song for the Dumped' by Ben Folds Five (1997)

13) 'Satellite of Love' by Lou Reed (1972)

 

14) 'Shady Love' by Scissor Sisters (2012)

15) 'Love Boy' by Dana International (2007)

16) 'Get Your Hands Off of My Woman' by The Darkness (2003)

 

17) 'Terrible Love' by The National (2010)

18) 'Only Love' by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals (2010)

19) 'Addicted to Love' by Florence + the Machines (2009)

Robert Palmer version (1986)

20) 'Love Will Tear Us Apart' by Joy Division (1980)

21) 'Sewing the Seeds of Love' by Tears for Fears (1989)

22) 'Always' by Erasure

23) 'Believe' by Elton John (1994)

24) 'Crying' by Aerosmith (1994) 

 

25) 'Nobody Lives Without Love' by Eddi Reader (1995)

26) 'Everything About You' by Ugly Kid Joe (1991)

27) 'Apologize' by One Republic (2007)

28) 'No One's Gonna Love You' by Cee Lo Green (2010)

original by Band of Horses (2008

29) 'Part Time Lover' by Stevie Wonder (1985)

30) 'Who Wants to Live Forever' by Queen (1986)

I hope you enjoyed that non-sappy, hopefully more original rendition of songs that celebrate February 14th without being too Celine Dion/Whitney Houston/Mariah Carey cliche.  So get out that box wine and turn up the volume on these.  Drown your sorrows in some songs that celebrate the real meaning of heartache and sorrow.  That is how Valentine's Day is truly meant to be celebrated, crooning and moaning along to songs for the broken hearted and commonly misunderstood.  

And by the way, it's ridiculous that while our society has a day for love that many Americans still cannot show their love openly (yes, I'm talking about the gays).  Everyone is all for love and affection as long as it exists between a man and a woman.  For the record, I don't like PDA of any kind but if we're going to have a day honoring it, then you might as well include everyone.  Right!?  So know that my personal boycott of February 14th also has to do with our bigoted views of homosexual relationships.  If we're gonna let the love light shine, then let everyone shine it brightly.  

See, I'm all for love, just not the commercialized, consumerist kind.  You can't box up and price my love.  Love is far too powerful of an emotion to be packaged as a categorical commodity.  Love is love.  Let yours shine. 

Love unconventionally, unconditionally,

~R~

2013, remixed

Every year (for the past 10 years) I have been making mixes of songs that reflect my state of mind and emotions from the past year.  Think of it like a montage of songs that explain what I've been through, what our times reflect without actually saying the words.  Think of this yearly mix as a letter to you telling you about how I feel about society and how I fit within it.  I take a lot of time and effort putting together the songs you hear.  At one point, I only wanted new songs on each year's mix and did not dare repeat an artist from year to year.  Those rules have since gone by the wayside.  Now, I try to feature some new, unheard of artists along with some old favorites, songs you're more likely to be familiar with.  I'm also a big sucker for alternates, or covers.  Since, I release this annual mix at wintertime, I also choose many songs which reflect the snow and grey sky outside.

One thing, however, is for certain; each song has a purpose.  They paint a rich tapestry.  I put together songs that artistically paint a picture of what the past year has meant for me.  I then give this mix to individuals as I see them throughout the coming year.  My hope is that people make connections to the songs and as they listen, they unintentionally connect to me and other individuals listening.  I don't expect everyone to have the same connection, but what I expect is a visceral connection.  Music is often all I have to hang onto, and my hope is that through it, we can connect as human beings.

Without further ado, here is my music mix for 2013 (this mix literally sits in my Itunes library, as I've legally downloaded/purchased every single song):

1) 'Prologue'- The Antlers

 

2)  'Loading Phase'- Bobby

3) 'Seven One Eight'- Fannypack

4) 'Snakes Crawl' (feat. Bush Tetras) (East Village Mix)- Phil Kieran

5)  'Waterflaws'- Wild International

6) 'Love Natural'- Crystal Fighters

7) 'Shout!'- Lindsay Katt        

(this is a live version from Joe's Pub in NYC)

8) 'Relax Your Mind'- New Look

9) 'Interlude'- Thievery Corporation

10) 'Floating in Space'- Apples in Stereo

 

11) 'Take the Kids Off Broadway'- Foxygen

 

12) 'Telephone'- The Black Angels

13) 'Attic Doctor'- Youth Lagoon

 

14) 'Hey There Fancypants'- Ween

 

15) 'I'll Fly Away'- Goosecreek Symphony

16) 'The Red Balloon'- Ginger and the Ghost

17) 'Eight Days Before the War'- Trappers Cabim

18) 'Oh Louise'-Korey Dane

 19) 'The First Freeze'- The Loom

20) 'You're Golden'- The Polyphonic Spree

21) 'White Winter Hymnal'- Birdy

 

22)  'New Light'- The Great Lake Swimmers

23) 'Fly Me to the Moon'- Radiation City

24) 'My Tears Are Becoming a Sea'- M83

25) 'The Ends'- The Naked and Famous

26) 'Sound of Silence'- Kina Grannis

27) 'Medicine'- Daughter

 

28) 'The Bells Play the Band'- Bell Orchestre

29) 'Mother to Son'- (recited by) Langston Hughes

 

(There is a stunningly beautiful choral version of this poem (which didn't fit on my mix); I performed it with my college chamber choir.  Itunes has that arrangement sung by The Fisk Jubilee Singers.  I recommend dowlonading it.)

I hope you enjoyed these 29 tracks.  Feel free to download them on Itunes or just upload this page and have a listen.  Or, if you really want, I can make a mix for you and give it to you when I next see you.  I felt that by putting my playlist here, that people can listen and have access to my annual mix more easily.  However, I can still make a few hard copies to give out. 

As reflected in the music, you can tell that 2013 was quite a roller coaster.  This past year has not been easy.  I have faced a lot of personal life challenges.  So my hope for 2014 is that things will be brighter and better not only for me, but for everyone reading this.  My blessings to you in the new year.

Love and light,

~R~

Terrifying Tunes

"A storm is coming...
A storm that will swallow the children
And I will deliver them from the kingdom of pain
I will deliver the children back the their doorsteps
And send the monsters back to the underground
I'll send them back to a place where no-one else can see them
Except for me
Because I... am Donnie Darko." 

My last post was all about the scary movies that we associate with Halloween.  Today, I will explore the sounds of Halloween and provide a playlist that will haunt your dreams for eternity.  Mwhahah!  Ot something like that.  

I did not say anything about the great movie, Donnie Darko (2001).  It was directed by Richard Kelly and features the music of composer Michael Andrews.  The hit rehash of Tears for Fears' 'Mad World' was done by singer Gary Jules.  The film, in large part to the music and plot now has a cult following.  For awhile, you could go online to donniedarko.com and figure out plot points not in the movie and make sense out of this strange but fascinating film.  The movie stars Drew Barrymore, Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal (who play siblings), Jena Malone, Patrick Swayze, Noah Wyle, If you have not seen it, the movie is about a boy, Donnie (played  by Jake Gyllenhaal) who sleepwalks and sees an imaginary rabbit (supposedly from the future) who tells him about the end of the world.  Is Donnie crazy or does his world make some sense?  What exactly is going on?  The movie centers around the bizarre and paranormal idea of time travel and alternate realities.  

I will not give away anything but just tell you that this movie is incredible. My friend Matt is frightened to death of the rabbit, Frank.  I, however, think it makes an ingenious Halloween costume.  There is a sequel to this movie S. Darko (2009) set around Donnie's sister (played by Daveigh Chase (Samara from The Ring).  Seth Rogan is also in the film; he plays a bully named Ricky.  Another interesting tidbit is that Katharine Ross plays Dr. Lillian Thurman, Donnie's psychiatrist.  Ross played Joanna Eberhart in the 1975 (original and better) version of The Stepford Wives, Ira Levin's 1972 book of the same name.  And Ira Levin also wrote Rosemary's Baby.  So there are a lot of intrinsic connections within Donnie Darko's cast.  I love this film and would show it for 24 hours on TBS, like they do with A Christmas Story (1983) from Christmas Eve through Christmas Day.   

The soundtrack for Donnie Darko is also haunting and perfect to listen to around this time of year.  Most of the music is eerie and somber.  It perfectly reflects the grey, cold weather.  The movie takes place during 1988 so it has songs of the period like: 'Under the Milky Way' by The Church, 'Love Will Tear Us Apart' by Joy Division, 'Notorious' by Duran Duran, 'The Killing Moon' by Echo and the Bunnymen, 'Head Over Heals' by Tears for Fears, and 'Never Tear Us Apart' by INXS (in the director's cut only) to replace the beginning sequence song 'The Killing Moon' (which is moved to another scene).  That's how much I love this movie; I can tell you the differences between the director's cut and regular version.  I LOVE this movie!  

With that aside, I will give you an unlikely soundtrack for Halloween.  Yes, there are songs like 'Monster Mash' (1962), 'Thriller' (1983), and 'Time Warp' (1975).  I will try to find off the beaten path songs which include alternate versions of hit Halloween tunes or possibly tunes you haven't heard before.  So beware, you're in for a scare. Mwhahahah!  

video for Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' from 1983

I had to get it out of the way.  Everyone expects this, right!?

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Halloween Terrifying Tunes ReMix

1) 'Joan Crawford' by Blue Öyster Cult (1981)

    

2) 'Bela Lugosi's Dead' by Bauhaus (1979)

  

3) 'Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)' by David Bowie (1980)

4) 'The Human Fly' by The Cramps (1978)

5) 'Teenagers from Mars' by The Misfits (1978)

PS: Static Age is my favorite Misfits' album!

6) 'Sleepwalk' by Ultravox (1980)

7) 'Institution Walls' by B-Movie (1981)

8) 'Radioactivity' by Kraftwerk (1976)

9) 'Over at the Frankenstein Place' (from RHPS) by Richard O'Brien (acoustic version)

10) 'Season of the Witch' by Vanilla Fudge (1968)

 

11) Lullaby from Rosemary's Baby by Mia Farrow (1968)

 

12) Vincent Price reciting Edgar Allan Poe's 'The Raven'

 

Deep Purple recently released a song titled, 'Vincent Price'.  I'm not crazy about this song but I love Deep Purple (their older stuff) and, though cheesy, this song is great for Halloween!  I'm not including it in my line-up though.  

13) 'No Quarter' by Led Zeppelin (1973)

 

14) 'This is Halloween' by Marilyn Manson (2008)

 
Marilyn Manson's songs 'I Put a Spell on You' and 'Sweet Dreams are also great for Halloween!

15) 'Children of the Grave' by White Zombie (1994, cover of Black Sabbath's song)

16) 'Am I Evil?' by Metallica (1988, cover of Diamond Head's song)

 

17) 'Heaven and Hell' by Black Sabbath (1980)

 

18) 'Sabra Cadabra' by Black Sabbath (1985)

19) 'The Killing Moon' by Echo and the Bunnymen (1984)

20) 'Under the Milky Way' by The Church

21) 'Cannibal Roses' by Siouxsie Sioux and the Banshees (1982)

22) 'Asleep' by The Smiths (1987)

23) 'October' by U2 (1981)

24) 'I Put a Spell on You' by Screamin' Jay Hawkins (1956)

 

25) 'At the House of Frankenstein' by Big Bee Kornegay (1958)

26) 'Frankie Frankenstein' by Buffalo Bop (1931)

27) 'The Monster Hop' by Bret Convy 

There's another song of the same name by Jimmy Dee worth checking out.

28) 'Zombified' bySouthern Culture on the Skids (1998)

They have another great song called 'Werewolf'.

29) 'Bad Moon Rising' by Creedence Clearwater Revival (1969)

30) 'Little Red Riding Hood' by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs (1966)

31) 'In Particular' by Blonde Redhead (2000)

 



Full Album Recs: 

*And I recommend listening to, buying, or downloading the following five albums:

a) Sonic Youth, Bad Moon Rising (1985)  

b) The Enid, Something Wicked This Way Comes (1982)

c) 'The Six Wives of Henry VIII' by Rick Wakeman

d) Halloween soundtrack (1978)- this is an excerpt

e) Rocky Horror Picture Show by Polyphonic Spree (you can get it as an import from the UK-Ebay it)

So there you have it ghouls and goblins.  A soundtrack that doesn't include the usual suspects.  Well, some of the tunes are familiar but I tried to mix it up a little bit.  Songs that are haunting, creepy, and/or eerie but do not pertain to Halloween directly.  I hope you enjoy it.  And as I mentioned, you can listen, download, or buy any of the songs/albums (they're all on Itunes).  Happy Haunting!

Bewitched and Bewildered,

~R~

I didn't include 'Monster Mash' from 1962 because I despise that song and it's on EVERY Halloween soundtrack available.  I'm sure Bobby Pickett was just as annoyed by this song which is probably heavily discussed in his book, Monster Mash: Half Dead in Hollywood (2005).  I feel bad that though he wrote other songs, this is what defined him.  Though I'm sure it made him buckets of money.  He could use all of his cash to pay for a good shrink.  Sadly, Pickett died in 2007 and I would bet his grave reads, 'He did the mash'.  Oy vey!

The Beach Boys covering 'Monster Mash' (1964)