Music Swap

When Whitney and Jen were here for Sundance, we talked about music a lot on our drives up and down Provo Canyon. We decided that we needed to do a CD swap, and I have since been pouring over my music of the moment to decide what to send to them. I want to basically highlight what I'm listening to right now, but not give them stuff they are sure to already have. They have slightly different tastes, and I'm not sure they'll like anything I've put together, but I'm going to give this a shot. The following is the playlist of the innagural Winter 2007 CD swap disc. Enjoy, or ignore, if it's just too much babbling for your taste.

You Know I'm No Good
This song was a free download from itunes last week. I don't usually love the songs you can download for free, but this one just grabbed me.








Absolutely Cuckoo
I got this song from a guy I sort of dated a couple of years ago. At the time I wasn't all that ammused. But since then I've come to have a sincere fondness for this song. It cracks me up.







Love, Love, Love
This was a song from My Super Ex-girlfriend that seriously hooked me from the first time I heard it. I was putting together wedding music at the time, so this was a perfect addition to that mix. Upbeat and energizing.







Vincent Obrien
I had never heard M. Ward before Jen sent us a flyer about a concert that was coming to Sundance. Whitney mentioned how much she liked him, so I did some reasearch. Low & Behold, I really liked him too. This is different while still being my style. His voice is all gravelly and sexy. . . Can't quite get over it.





Show Me
A Grey's Anatomy song that I recently found and adore. A sexy voice in a totally different way, this guy is the definition of smooth. Beautiful.








Love Will Come Through
Another harvest from the Grey's Anatomy song list. I have always loved Travis, but I haven't been following them very well in recent years. I particularly like this song.








9 Crimes
I was a little bit taken aback when I found out that this album had explicit lyrics. I don't love it the way I did O, but I have grown attached to a couple of the songs. They're the kind that stick in your head for days. Damien Rice is generally the definition of "haunting and beatiful", and this song proves that point.





Closer
Oh, how I love this man's music. I'm not even sure why it sucks me in the way it does. It's pretty run of the mill accoustic stuff, but he switches up the instruments enough to make it interesting, and his voice is to die for.







Melt Your Heart
This is the first Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins song I ever heard, when Dainon played it on the radio, and I immediately had to email him and find out what it was. The lyrics are fantastic and the sound is equally quirky. I've had this CD forever and I can't help but keep listening to it.





Counting to 100
Got this one from Jeremy on a CD he made for my birthday. I find myself singing it long after it was on. Beautiful guy & guitar combo.








Stronger Than Dirt
Another of the artists playing at Sundance, I just looked him up in itunes and really liked his sound. This is one of my favorites I downloaded.








Faust, Midas, and Myself
I have always liked Switchfoot a lot, but I haven't been following them very closely. Everything they released sounded the same for a while. And so does a lot of this album. This song, though, I love for the focus on lyrics, if nothing else. I'm a sucker for someone who pays attention to what the song is saying as well as the music behind it.




Put Your Records On
I know, this isn't a new album. It's especially not a new song. And while I had heard it before, I just barely managed to download it and soak it in. I love it. It helps me out of the inevitable winter blues that come along with January.






Boston
The piano in this song just sticks in my head. It's so simple, and yet so beautiful. Without it, I don't know if I'd like the rest of the song, but with it, it's a gorgeous song. Makes me think of Cheers!







Something Real
This song is featured in the trailer to the movie The Dead Girl. The first time I heard it, I liked it a lot, but forgot about it. Then Nick pointed it out to me again, and I had to find it and download it. Luckily, itunes had it. It reminds me of Aimee Mann ala Magnolia, all airy and sad. So pretty.





Every Time It Rains
I know I've mentioned this song here before. I've had it a long time and it will never go away. It's just a great song. I'm still listening to it 2 years later.








Listen
A list of what I'm listening to right now wouldn't be complete without a song from Dreamgirls. I am an unabashed lover of the musical, so I don't feel too badly about including it. I think Beyonce got a bad wrap when it comes to this movie, and although Jennifer Hudson has some brilliant moments on this soundtrack, this is the one that sticks with me.




True Colors
It's a serious tragedy that this woman died so young. Her voice is nothing less than ethereal. Chris introduced me to her a couple of years ago and since then I have scooped up everything I can find of hers. I am mesmorized by her covers of songs I already loved. No offense to Cyndi Lauper intended, but this is a GREAT version of this song.