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Chilling out…

Cool sounds…

As of last week, summer is officially upon us… That means it’s time to find good songs for chilling out!

I’ve lived in the South for most of my life which means I’m really familiar with hot weather. For some reason, this year has been somewhat mild, at least in North Carolina. We will be moving to Texas at the bitter end of next month, which will put us in the dead of summer heat in Texas. I don’t know how the weather has been in Texas lately, but here in North Carolina, it hasn’t been bad at all. But even without triple digit temperatures, sometimes you just want to create a cool vibe. Today’s post is about just that… finding music that inspires you to cool it.

Stevie Wonder’s Journey Through The Secret Life of Plants

Yesterday, I listened to Stevie Wonder’s 1979 album Journey Though The Secret Life of Plants. This is a two disc set Stevie Wonder composed for a documentary by the same name, which was also based on a book of the same name. The documentary wasn’t a hit; frankly, by Stevie Wonder’s standards, neither was the soundtrack. For years, I had been curious about it and I finally picked it up when a friend and music faculty member at my alma mater, Longwood University, recommended it to me. I bought it, listened to it, and loved it. I count it as a great album for chilling out.

The title song from Journey Through The Secret Life of Plants…

You could listen to this entire album and just zone out. Just the imagery of the plants makes me feel cool all over.

Zero 7’s “In The Waiting Line” from Simple Things

The first time I heard the song “In The Waiting Line”, I was watching an episode of Army Wives. It’s been used on a number television shows to set a certain mood. I liked the song so much that I downloaded the album it came from, Simple 7. I remember reading a review of the album that referred to it as the writer’s “favorite chill out” music.

The video for “In The Waiting Line”…

I can’t say I love the rest of the album quite as much as I love this song. But if you need to chill out, Simple Things definitely a good album to own.

Peter Gabriel’s Passion

Peter Gabriel composed the music for the film The Last Temptation of Christ and it’s on his album, Passion. This soundtrack is mostly instrumental, with musicians from all over the world coming together to make exotic sounds that excite the senses. I love this soundtrack when I hope to relax or do some thinking, even though it’s hard not to be swept up in Peter Gabriel’s brilliance.

Passion, the whole album because the whole album is so cool!

This music is timeless and intricate and it never fails to chill me out.

Dead Can Dance’s Into The Labyrinth

The first time I ever heard Dead Can Dance, it was 1993 and I was working as the cook at a church camp. I had a week off in mid summer and I spent it visiting my sister, who lives in the Washington, DC area. We took a trip to Ellicott City, Maryland, where I watched her try on clothes. At some point, we ended up in a music store and she purchased Into The Labyrinth by Dead Can Dance. She played it and I was pretty mesmerized by the sounds of this very intense album.

“The Ubiquitous Mr. Lovegrove” by Dead Can Dance.

“The Carnival Is Over” by Dead Can Dance.

It was until fifteen years later that I got around to purchasing this album myself. Even though it’s now twenty years old, this music never gets old… It’s easy to get lost in its coolness. The song, “The Carnival Is Over” is especially chilling to me. I remember listening to it when we lived in Germany in a house that had no air conditioning. It was a hot summer night, but this music was like a refreshing breeze wafting though the house.

The Alan Parson’s Project “Sirius/Eye In The Sky” and “Time”

“Sirius” and “Eye In The Sky” are actually two songs that run into each other. “Sirius” is an instrumental, which actually makes me think of heat when it first starts. It’s very dramatic, with heavy thudding percussion, and a crashing guitar. But then the rhythmic bass line kicks in and it flows into the very cool hit song, “Eye In The Sky”.

“Sirius/Eye In The Sky” by The Alan Parson’s Project…

This song was popular in the early 1980s, but it never gets old to me. And it’s wicked cool. The Alan Parson’s Project actually has a lot of really timeless songs that never fail to chill me out. I also love to cool down with “Time”, another hit from the same time period.

“Time” is just plain majestic. When I hear this, I think of rushing rivers and waterfalls… and I miss the early 80s.

Kate Bush Never For Ever and Hounds of Love

It’s no secret that I love Kate Bush’s music. In the 1980s, she came out with two albums that I think are really cool, especially for summer listening. The first one, Never For Ever was released in 1980 and has a wonderful mix of cool songs, including one called “Delius (Song of Summer)”.

When I hear “Delius”, I immediately have visions of summer weather complete with refreshing breezes. This almost makes me want to eat a salad.

In 1985, Kate Bush released Hounds of Love, which includes the fabulous song “Cloudbusting”, which was based on a book Kate read about a man and his son building a rainmaker.

The video for “Cloudbusting”… It’s kind of a sad song, but it’s also very cool.

I could probably come up with more cool songs… but I must go out and mow the lawn while the temperature is still tolerable. That’s one thing about summer I never miss. Until next time, stay cool everyone!

June 25, 2013
Birthday songs…

Happy birthday to me!

I’m writing about birthday songs today because yesterday was my birthday…

Maybe I shouldn’t be talking about the fact that I just had a birthday. I turned 41 yesterday, which seems impossible. For over half my life, I couldn’t wait to be older. Once I turned 21, those years started to fly by. Suddenly, I’m 41… Should I be admitting to this? Actually, I have never been particularly ashamed of getting older. I think I look relatively decent for my age. Maybe I’d feel differently if I was working in the entertainment industry or trying to find a date. But by and large, I think being in my 40s kind of suits me. It also gives me a reason to look at the songs about birthdays done by pop artists.

Joan Jett “Too Bad On Your Birthday”

My friend Meryl posted this on my Facebook yesterday. I have to admit I hadn’t heard it until yesterday, but Meryl is very much a Joan Jett fan. This is a pretty rockin’ song, though the lyrics don’t apply to me. My husband treated me to dinner out on the town. This song is all about being dissed and ignored on your birthday. I most definitely wasn’t.

The Beatles “Birthday”

No list of birthday songs would be complete without “Birthday” by The Beatles. This song was immortalized to people of my generation when Anthony Michael Hall sang it to Molly Ringwald in Sixteen Candles. I would be totally stoked if someone sang this to me instead of the Happy Birthday song. Actually, no one sang anything to me yesterday. I did have some cake and ice cream, though.

Stevie Wonder “Happy Birthday”

This isn’t a song you’d necessarily play for someone on their birthday because it’s directed at someone specific. Stevie Wonder wrote this upbeat number for the Reverend Martin Luther King. Back in the 80s, Stevie Wonder was among a group of activists lobbying for a national holiday in honor of Martin Luther King’s birthday. The lyrics are directed to those who would lament celebrating Dr. King’s birthday, given the work he did toward promoting peace and civil rights. Ultimately, the activists won. In 1983, Ronald Reagan approved the measure to make Martin Luther King’s birthday a day of official celebration and as of 1986, we now have another bank holiday in January.

The Tune Weavers “Happy, Happy Birthday Baby”

The Tune Weavers sang this song dedicated to a former lover in 1957. This song about a woman wishing her former lover a “happy birthday” was their only major hit. Though it definitely sounds like it came from the 50s, it also has sort of a timeless quality to it. It’s been covered by a number of other artists including Dolly Parton, Sandy Posey, Ronnie Milsap, and Wanda Jackson.

The Bloodhound Gang “No Hard Feelings”

This song’s title doesn’t mention the word “birthday”. It’s definitely not a “happy” song, either. Basically it’s about a guy who rudely tells his lover that it’s no longer his job to f*ck her on her birthday. My husband introduced me to this song, not because he feels this way about me… but because he feels this way about someone else. It’s sort of the anti happy birthday song. I think the melody is kind of exhilarating.

Rihanna (featuring Chris Brown) “Birthday Cake”

I will admit I don’t know the first thing about Rihanna, Chris Brown, or their “Birthday Cake” song. I listen to this and it sounds kind of sexy… like I’d like to stuff some into someone’s mouth. It’s got kind of a Middle East meets NASCAR vibe. Listeners beware, the lyrics are racy and profane. Hmm… in that case, maybe I should listen to this song more often.

Jeremih “Birthday Sex”

What can I say about “Birthday Sex”? I didn’t have any. Next.

Ardzagank “Tsnudd Shnorhavor”

This song won’t mean anything to anyone who has never been to Armenia. I lived there for two years in the 1990s and this song, translating to “Happy Birthday”, was a hit back then. This is just an excerpt of the song, since I don’t know that readers really care that much about Armenian pop music. For me, it’s a nostalgia thing.

I’m sure there are other birthday songs I’ve missed, but I’m ready to let this subject die. After all, I’m 41 years old now… and officially middle-aged. It’s time for my Geritol.

June 21, 2013
Power outage…

I no longer have patience when there’s a power outage…

Sorry I didn’t write my usual Friday Pop Rock Nation post last week. I was in the midst of a 38 hour power outage here in North Carolina. It started Thursday night at about 5:30pm. I was on the phone with my husband, Bill, who was in Indianapolis on business. He asked me how the weather was and I said it was very hot, but otherwise not bad. Within a couple of minutes after we hung up, the power went out. There were high winds and we had some rain, but otherwise it wasn’t a particularly impressive storm. Something major must have happened, though, because we didn’t have power again until about 8:30am Saturday morning. Little did I know, I would be spending the next 38 hours realizing how hard it is to entertain myself without access to my gadgets.

The particular power outage was especially sucky for me because I was at home alone. I mean, I’ve spent plenty of nights alone and I wasn’t scared or anything; I think it just reminded me of how much I hate power outages. As a kid, I thought they were fun, but then I joined the Peace Corps and lived in Armenia for two years. In the mid 1990s, power outages were an every day occurrence for Armenians and Armenia Peace Corps Volunteers alike. I got used to reading by kerosene lamplight every night, but I can’t say I really enjoyed it. If there was one thing positive that came out of the lights being out this time, it’s that I had a Bose Sound Dock keeping me company.

My Bose SoundDock

Bill presented me with this awesome gadget for Christmas 2012. He bought it for me because I like to sit out on the deck and drink beer while I listen to music. It’s cordless and has a rechargeable battery, which makes it handy for outdoor use. I had never used it during a power outage before, but boy did it come in handy this time.

On Thursday night, I brought it into my office and popped in my iPod, which kept me entertained for a couple of hours while I hung out on Facebook on my phone. Some of the songs on my iPod are pretty funny. Despite the copious amount of white wine I drank last Thursday night while sitting alone in the dark, I distinctly recall getting excited when James Brown’s “I Got You (I Feel Good)” came on.

Hearing that song takes me back to the days when I was a disc jockey at WLCX, the radio station on my college campus. I used to play this song a lot… but it was also a time when I discovered a lot of great music from obscure bands.

I went to bed and woke up Friday morning. The weather was beautiful. The temperature had dropped. The power came on… and then three minutes later, it went out again. I spent most of the day trying to entertain myself without electricity, suddenly realizing how much I now depend on electronics to keep me happy. I actually cracked open a real book and read it in one sitting, not something I downloaded to my Kindle.

At around 4:00pm, I started getting distinctly crabby. My phone was dead and my iPad was dying. The electricity was still out and I watched helplessly as the refrigerator got warmer and warmer and food started to spoil. I couldn’t even get the garage door open so I could go somewhere else for awhile. But then, I had yet another brain storm. I remembered the Bose Sound Dock, whose power was not exhausted during my little Thursday night jam session. I unplugged it and put my completely dead phone on it. A few minutes later, I was delighted to see that my phone had come back to life and my husband had posted on Facebook and called me to see if I was alright. He correctly surmised my phone was dead. I managed to squeeze a little more time out of my phone before the sound dock’s battery was also exhausted.

By 9:00pm, Bill was home and we’d been powerless for well over 24 hours. Bill had come armed with pizza, but didn’t have his bag because it got left behind in transit from Charlotte, North Carolina. He was almost as cranky as I was, since he has a pretty low tolerance for being in the heat and the house had warmed up a bit. He started opening windows, which didn’t seem to help much. Then he pulled out a spare phone battery for me, telling me that it was an early birthday present (my birthday is Thursday). In a moment of sheer brilliance, he’d picked it up at a phone store at the Indianapolis airport. I can’t describe how delighted I was with this purchase, especially since I knew it would come in handy the next time we take a big trip somewhere. We went to bed early, still grumbling.

Saturday morning, Bill was boiling water on his gas grill so we could at least have some coffee. Suddenly, I looked up and noticed one of my lamps was working. The power was finally back!

It occurs to me after this experience that I’ve become really spoiled in my middle age. But with any luck, when we move to Texas at the end of next month, we’ll have better luck with electricity during storms. Either that, or we’ll finally invest in a generator.

June 18, 2013