First 10 songs. . .

I stole this idea from someone else's blog, thinking it sounded like a fun little exercise for me. I'm not sure it will be much fun to read, but I had fun writing it. I thought it might be interesting to do once a month to see how my listening patterns change. The idea is to write a little something about the first 10 songs that come up in your itunes shuffle. These are the first 10 from mine:

1. Everytime It Rains, Charlotte Martin -- This song will always remind me of the spring Ben came back to Utah, because he brought this song with him. I think it came from a Barnes & Noble CD of new songs and new artists. I fell in love with it, and subsequently made a CD called "Weather" containing only songs about rain, sun, snow, etc. . .

2. Paperweight, Joshua Radin & Schuyler Fisk -- This is from the Last Kiss soundtrack, which is one of my new favorites. Joshua Radin is popping up on all sorts of soundtracks lately, and I LOVE his stuff. I'm a sucker for the "guy with guitar" folky kind of music in the first place, but this guy gets to me on a whole other level. Also, the lyrics are fantastic. I think most of us can relate to the feeling.

3. I Need Some Fine Wine And You, You Need To Be Nicer, The Cardigans -- I have always been fascinated by the super long song titles. I have no idea why they can't be more concise. But I think that's pretty pot/kettle of me. I went on a Cardigans kick a year or so ago, and found this. It's a great angry break up song. The kind you want to sing at the top of your lungs when you're mad at someone.

4. It Only Hurts When I'm Breathing, Shania Twain -- This song is ultimately depressing to me. It's also a break up song, but the kind that you cry through while you sing along. I am not much of a country fan, but a little crossover like Shania occasionally is nice. . .



5. Back To You, John Mayer -- I have a huge thing for John Mayer. I know that there are lots of people who disagree, but this album in particular was the soundtrack of my life a few years ago. His lyrics just connected to me in a huge way. And this song is the best of those. I am the kind of person that doesn't give up on relationships very easily, hangs on long after I know it's really over. What better way is there to express that neurotic tendency musically?

6. I Will Love You, Fisher -- I can never figure out what's happening in this song. She is expressing something so sweet and intense, but she sounds sad. It's like she's singing it to someone she's already lost. I've always loved it, but it's not happy.




7. Allemande, Keane -- While I am a sucker for "guy & guitar", I may be almost as much of a sucker for "guy & piano". I love how clean and simple Keane's music is. I know it's gotten less so in some of their newer stuff, but this is a gorgeously uncomplicated song. I love it.




8. I Will Follow You Into the Dark, Death Cab for Cutie -- This song has always reminded me of a pact that Whitney & Kevin made in high school. It was one of those "If we're both single when we're 35. . ." kinds of things, signed in ketchup on a napkin at Wendy's. I can't decide if it's that, or more of a stalker ex-boyfriend thing. Regardless, it sticks in my head every time I hear it, and I love it.


9. Happy, Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins -- I was introduced to this group one random day when I was listening to Dainon host a radio show and he played You Are What You Love and it really stuck with me. Jenny Lewis is the lead singer of Rilo Kiley, and I've always found her voice particularly haunting. This whole album makes me feel that even more. It's a little off kilter. A little weird. But all good.


10. Sooner or Later, Michael Tochler -- I don't know how old Michael is, but I think he's singing this to teenagers. It's got a cool message that a lot of us could take to heart, really, about not letting other people's opinions of us influence who we are. Some days I really need this message. Ben brought this back from FL with him too, I think, and I've had it in my itunes ever since.