A song that you can dance to – Happy Feet. Well, I can’t dance. At least not while sober. And me, dancing when inebriated, is not so easy to watch, either. But this video? it’s Fred Astaire dancing. SO much better than anything I could ever dream up. I love old movies and used to watch them all the time. Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly were favorites for the musicals, and I love Katharine Hepburn and Maureen O’Hara, too (though not for their dancing. Certainly).
Sun
17
Apr
2011
30 Day Song Challenge – Day 08
A song that you know all the words to: Defying Gravity from Wicked. I actually learn lyrics pretty easily, so knowing all the words to one song isn’t hard. I love to sing this song in the car and when nobody else is home. I prefer Stephanie J Block’s version of the song (she remains the original Elphaba, IMO). I saw her do the show twice when it was in L.A. Her voice live is so much better than Idina Menzel’s. Still, the Broadway Cast Recording of this musical is one of my favorites. And don’t get me started on Kristin Chenoweth. AMAZING!
Sun
17
Apr
2011
30 Day Song Challenge – Day 07
A song that reminds you of a certain event – Nigra Sum, Pablo Casals. Performed by my choir, Vox Femina Los Angeles. This song is from our first cd, Taking Shape.
Everyone in Vox thought, at that first rehearsal in 1997, that I sight-read the shit out of the piece the first time we read through it, at our first rehearsal of that season. Truth was, I’d been singing this piece for years, in high school and jr college, and it didn’t occur to me not to sing out. As we finished the read through, my director said, “AAAAAAND that’s Allie!” much to my chagrin and the amusement of the rest of the choir. This was my introduction to a group of women who have become some of my best friends and family over the past 14 years…
Fri
15
Apr
2011
30 Day Song Challenge – Day 06
A song that reminds you of somewhere – El Matador by Los Fabulosos Cadillacs. They used this song in the movie Grosse Pointe Blank. It’s one of my favorite films with one of the greatest soundtracks ever. And the soundtrack is an excellent album for a road trip. Seriously, the whole thing except for the stupid Blister 2000 song at the end. Story: one of my best friends, T, and I were driving from Los Angeles to San Jose in July, 2000 for GALA Festival 2000. It was going to be a week of music, singing, workshops, and queerness in my parent’s adopted hometown. I grew up in the Bay Area and my parents had lived in San Jose since 1993. Anyway, it was really the first time I was showing my parents that I was queer, as a delegate and soloist in our choir’s part of the festival. I was still in my 20′s and very, very, insecure. But I digress. Before we even got to San Jose, we had to drive over Pacheco Pass, the highway that links Interstate 5 to Highway 101 and the bay area. We went over the pass and this song was playing and it was magical and memorable–the beginning to a life changing week.
Thu
14
Apr
2011
30 Day Song Challenge – Day 05
A song that reminds you of someone – Always by Erasure. The video is bizarre but the song reminds me of TGF. We used to listen to a lot of music when we first got together, and it was a mix of pop, r&b, classical, and the muppets. This song sort of became “ours” but it’s way too cheesy to admit that to other people. For a long time it was the ringtone I had for her and vice versa, until we both got phones for which I couldn’t automatically designate mp3 files as ringtones. Annoying. Now we just dance like idiots when we hear the song.
Here’s just the song and no annoying, artsy video:
Wed
13
Apr
2011
30 Day Song Challenge – Day 04
A song that makes you sad – I Don’t Have the Heart by James Ingram
James Ingram is one of my all time favorite artists. Smooth voice, heartbreaking delivery, every time. This song just kills me. I felt that way, once. Horrible time in my life and I’m glad it’s over. Now I’m happy and disgustingly in love with TGF, and I’m pretty sure the feelings are mutual. We celebrate 10 years this weekend. Holy crap. 10 years. Hope I never ever ever have to feel the lyrics in this song.
Tue
12
Apr
2011
30 Day Song Challenge – Day 03
Truly, I could pick any song from the Muppet Movie and it’d make me very happy. Most songs from the Muppet Show do it for me, too. But Movin’ Right Along, whether just listening to it or watching the scene in the movie, makes me laugh and reminds me of good friends, road trips, and just being goofy. I remember watching this movie with my cousins and little brother and singing along with most of it. I loved the Muppets growing up, actually never stopped loving them.
day 03 – a song that makes you happy – movin’ right along – From the Muppet Movie (Fozzie & Kermit)
Mon
11
Apr
2011
30 Day Song Challenge – Day 02
There are few songs I absolutely cannot stand. This was about the only one I could think of off the top of my head. I especially hate the Michael Bolton version. Can’t stand that man. Anyway, aside from how utterly stupid the lyrics are, I also hate how freaking straight it is. Alas, even if you change the lyric to “when a woman loves a woman” it’s still irritating as all hell. AND, I had to sing it ad nauseum a couple of weeks ago when my choir shot a pilot for a new NBC sitcom. Bleccchhh. I swear it gives me hives. Love shouldn’t make you blind to someone else’s faults, or make you choose between your friends and your lover. Or make you do stupid shit just because she tells you to. That’s just plain dumb. Be your own person! Grow a spine, fer chrissakes! Ugh. Maybe I should retitle this: Songs that irritate the shit out of you and royally piss you off.
day 02 – your least favorite song – when a man loves a woman – Michael Bolton
Sun
10
Apr
2011
30 Day Song Challenge, Day 01
So over on Facebook, there’s a meme called the 30 Day Song Challenge. You’re given this list of random things, like your favorite song, a song that reminds you of a certain event, etc. and you link to it on your FB page. The only thing is that I feel like there should be more information given along with the song you’re linking. So I’m reposting the songs on my blog in order to tell you the story behind each choice…
day 01 – your favorite song – hide and seek- imogen heap
I’m not sure if this is my favorite song OF ALL TIME but it’s definitely top 10. I even like the Jason DeRulo sample of it in Whatcha Say
Oh, and then there’s the choral version, which is pretty darn cool. Here’s a performance by The Choral Project in San Jose:
It’s just such an interesting song, and mellow and fun. What’s not to like? I guess there’s no real story behind this song; I’ve always enjoyed listening to it, I never get tired of it, and it always puts a smile on my face.
Sun
27
Mar
2011
Grow For Me
It’s spring. Everything’s blooming, although we’re having a rather rainy couple of weeks in sunny Los Angeles. In the midst of the rain and trying to get my apartment finished and the bookkeeping I have to do before Friday, I spent about an hour yesterday selecting plants and a couple of new pots at Home Depot. Spent a little too much money on the pots, but I really like them. I buy the smallest plants they have because they’re the cheapest, and I don’t feel so bad when I kill them, which I do with alarming frequency. Oh, I’d love to say I have a green thumb, but it’s more black than green, kind of a dark olive-gray. But I enjoy plants, and surprisingly, I like playing in the dirt. I think I’ve figured out that when there are no worms, slugs, or snails involved, I’m much happier with said dirt. And the only bugs I have to deal with in potting soil are the stupid plant mites. I’m not fond of dirty fingernails and cleaning up afterwards is not really fun, either, but the couple of hours I spent repotting older plants and potting the new ones was…soothing.
I need something to take care of, given that my girlfriend is out of town for 2 weeks and when she’s not around I don’t leave my house or talk to anyone. So…plants. I haven’t started talking to them, yet. I have had that song from Little Shop of Horrors going through my head all day, though.
Hopefully they’ll live for a while. They’re mostly palms and tropicals but I did get a hydrangea because I missed having them (they lined the exterior wall of our old apartment, you know, where we liked our neighbors and never had to call the cops and stuff). I do have one plant that’s managed to stay alive, despite my best efforts, for around 4 1/2 years. Even when I neglect him for weeks and he gets all wilted he seems to always come back like a champ. My father is jealous – he has the same type of plant but it never looks as healthy as Bob. I bought Bob some friends to put in his pot and fill in some bare spots so hopefully he’ll stay happy and healthy.
Incidentally, did you know drilling holes into ceramic causes an unholy screeching sound? I think I did, given that I sawed through some tiles in my aunt’s bathroom a few years ago, but I’d blissfully forgotten the experience. So when I drilled drainage holes into 2 of the pots yesterday, my ears rang for about 5 hours afterwards. Nice. I have to drill the holes, though. I tend to drown plants. I try to be disciplined and not overwater, but I forget or they start to look droopy or somesuch thing and I think, “Hey, I’ll just give it a little bit more water…” and before you know it, drowned, dead plant.
Here’s to keeping all the plants alive for a while, and oxygenating and cleaning the air in my house without having to turn on my air filters.
