ten things tuesday

Ten holiday songs on this year's playlist:

1) Michael Bublé's "Cold December Night"
 

2) Kelly Clarkson's "Underneath The Tree"

3)  Lindsey Sterling & David Archuleta's "Magic"

4) The Tenors' "White Christmas"

5) Francesca Battistelli's "Christmas Is"

6) Ariana Grande's "Santa Tell Me"

7) Brian McKnight & Josh Graban's "Angels We Have Heard On High"

8) Cody Fry's "Alone on Christmas With You"

9)  Jessie James Decker "This Christmas" 

10) Backstreet Boys' "Last Christmas"

can't stop singing

 

challenge day 14

 

Click here for the prompts!

 

April 14th:   What's the most embarrassing song on your playlist? (We won't judge...much!)

As a 58 year old woman, my love of Harry Styles is embarrassing. A single song? All of them!

sunday stealing

 

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From Pinterest

Name a song that...

1. You enjoy, in another language. I'm a fan of Shakira and she frequently has Spanish in her songs

2. Recently introduced you to a new singer.  I didn't know Dua Lipa until recently "Dance The Night"

3. You listen to to energize. "Love Shack" by the B52s

4. Is your favorite song from a musical. I recently heard a great rendition of "You'll Never Walk Alone" from Carousel

5. Reminds you of an old love. "Tell Her This" by Del Amitri

6. Make you think of one of your children.  "School's Out For Summer"  by Alice Cooper

7. Makes you smile when you hear it. "Good Day Sunshine" by The Beatles

8. You love but is quite unknown.  "Drowning Man" by U2

9. That annoys you. "Billy Jean" by Michael Jackson

10. That your parents used to listen to. "Up, Up, and Away" by the 5th Dimension

11. From your early years of childhood "Heartbeat it's a Lovebeat" by the DeFranco Family

12. That has a color in the title. "Famous Blue Raincoat" by Leonard Cohen

13. That needs to be played loud. "Born To Be Wild" by Steppenwolf

14. That is perfect for a road trip. "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" by the Proclaimers

15. That reminds you of yourself. "Imagine" by John Lennon

wordless wednesday

 

ten things tuesday

 Ten rock bands:

1.  The Beatles.  They were the first rock band I remember hearing.  I don't think a day goes by when one of their songs doesn't float through my head.

2.  U2.  My favorite band since I heard the WAR album in 1983.  There was no turning back.

3.  The Police.  U2 knocked The Police out of my favorite status.  I was obsessed with "Reggatta de Blanc."  Obsessed the way a tween girl becomes obsessed.

4.  INXS.  Oh, how I loved the innuendos, the metaphors, the similies.  Michael Hutchence was quite a performer.  I always thought he was reminiscent of Jim Morrison.

5.  The Rolling Stones.  I didn't get into them until my college radio days.  But there's something about their sound that makes me groove.

6.  Queen.  They did, indeed, rock me.

7.  Fleetwood Mac.  The stories and incidents that influence the songs are amazing. It's a wonder they could make such influential music with all the drama.

8.  Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers.  I miss Tom Petty.  His music means a lot to me.  His sound is what I think of when I have to describe America.

9.  Maroon 5.  It's my list so I can add them even though they're quite poppy.

10.  I've recently rediscovered Journey.  I didn't appreciate them in their heyday, I have tremendous respect for Steve Perry's vocals.

this is wonderful

finished reading

The frontman of my very favorite band has shared forty stories, named after songs, in this memoir.  The stories are fascinating--everything from teenage shenanigans to meeting heads of state.  What a legacy this man and this band have.

From the publisher:

Bono--artist, activist, and the lead singer of Irish rock band U2--has written a memoir: honest and irreverent, intimate and profound, Surrender is the story of the remarkable life he's lived, the challenges he's faced, and the friends and family who have shaped and sustained him.

"When I started to write this book, I was hoping to draw in detail what I'd previously only sketched in songs. The people, places, and possibilities in my life. Surrender is a word freighted with meaning for me. Growing up in Ireland in the seventies with my fists up (musically speaking), it was not a natural concept. A word I only circled until I gathered my thoughts for the book. I am still grappling with this most humbling of commands. In the band, in my marriage, in my faith, in my life as an activist. Surrender is the story of one pilgrim's lack of progress ... With a fair amount of fun along the way." --Bono

As one of the music world's most iconic artists and the cofounder of the organizations ONE and (RED), Bono's career has been written about extensively. But in Surrender, it's Bono who picks up the pen, writing for the first time about his remarkable life and those he has shared it with. In his unique voice, Bono takes us from his early days growing up in Dublin, including the sudden loss of his mother when he was fourteen, to U2's unlikely journey to become one of the world's most influential rock bands, to his more than twenty years of activism dedicated to the fight against AIDS and extreme poverty. Writing with candor, self-reflection, and humor, Bono opens the aperture on his life--and the family, friends, and faith that have sustained, challenged, and shaped him.

Surrender's subtitle, 40 Songs, One Story, is a nod to the book's forty chapters, which are each named after a U2 song. Bono has also created forty original drawings for Surrender, which appear throughout the book.

kicking it off

 I got to see the community choral society perform after three years.  It's so wonderful to hear these voices and get into the holiday spirit.  Plus my dad is cute in his long tail tux.

The holidays have begun!!!

today's the day!

 

just finished

This series of conversations between Malcolm Gladwell and Paul Simon is riveting.  The artistic process is broken into parts.  The musical accompaniment alone is worth the listen.

From the publisher:

What happens when Paul Simon, widely considered one of the greatest songwriters in music history, and Malcolm Gladwell, the best-selling author, sit down together, with a tape recorder and a guitar?

Miracle and Wonder: Conversations with Paul Simon is part memoir, part investigation, and unlike any creative portrait you’ve ever heard before. Recorded over a series of 30 hours of conversation between Simon, Gladwell, and Gladwell’s oldest friend and co-writer, journalist and Broken Record podcast co-host Bruce Headlam, the conversation flows from Simon’s music, to his childhood in Queens, NY, to his frequent collaborators including Art Garfunkel and the nature of creativity itself. Gladwell and Headlam traveled from the mountains of Hawaii to Simon’s own backyard studio to record an artist they’ve idolized since childhood.

Woven throughout the audiobook is distinctive commentary about Simon’s songwriting alongside archival audio footage and never-before-heard live studio versions and original recordings of beloved hits including “The Boxer", “The Sound of Silence", and “Graceland”. Between conversations, Gladwell deploys his signature blend of historical research and social science in an attempt to understand how a boy from 1940s Queens conjured near-perfect songs over an incredible 65-year career. Along the way, he gathers reflections on Simon’s particular genius from the likes of Sting, Herbie Hancock, Renee Fleming, Jeff Tweedy, Aaron Lindsey, and Roseanne Cash.

The result is an intimate audio biography of one of America’s most popular songwriters. Brimming with music and conversation, Miracle and Wonder is a window into Simon’s legendary career, what it means to be alive as an artist, and how to create work that endures.

ten things tuesday

1. A song that makes you feel cool.  Daydream by The Lovin' Spoonful
2. A song that you can relate to.  End of The Line by The Traveling Wilburys
3. The last song that was stuck in your head. Quit Playing Games by Backstreet Boys

4.  Your favorite song from a musical. Edelweiss from The Sound Of Music

5. Your favorite song from the 70s.  Movin' Out by Billy Joel

6. Your least favorite song from a band you like. I'm not terribly fond of Get On Your Boots by U2

7. A song you think is underrated. Because by The Beatles

8. An album you think is underrated.  Echo by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers

9.  A song you never want to hear again. Sweet Child O Mine by Guns 'n Roses

10. A song you love but used to hate.  Pocket Full of Sunshine by Natasha Bedingfield

 

finished reading

 I've always been a Dolly Parton fan.  It was fun to hear her telling the stories behind the songs and different events and relationships that formed her life and career.  She's so interesting!

From the publisher:

Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics is a landmark celebration of the remarkable life and career of a country music and pop culture legend.

As told by Dolly Parton in her own inimitable words, explore the songs that have defined her journey. Illustrated throughout with previously unpublished images from Dolly Parton's personal and business archives.

Mining over 60 years of songwriting, Dolly Parton highlights 175 of her songs and brings readers behind the lyrics.

• Packed with never-before-seen photographs and classic memorabilia
• Explores personal stories, candid insights, and myriad memories behind the songs

Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics reveals the stories and memories that have made Dolly a beloved icon across generations, genders, and social and international boundaries.

Containing rare photos and memorabilia from Parton's archives, this book is a show-stopping must-have for every Dolly Parton fan.

three on thursday

  

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Thing one: 

Thing two:  

Thing three:  

the heights

 

My bestie and I went to The Heights tonight. Well, from her living room.  Enjoyable.  We both see definite specific stylings of Lin-Manuel Miranda's writing.  I didn't know Jimmy Smits was a singer!

ten things tuesday

Ten songs that pop up when I randomize Spotify:

1) Everywhere by Kemal

2) You Are Gold by The National Parks

3) Happy Lil' Hippie by Cody Simpson

4) Send Me On My Way by Guy Meets Girl

5) To Fall In Love With You by Old Daisy

6) Lust For Life (with The Weeknd) by Lana Del Rey

7)  No Peace by Sam Smith and Yebba

8) Supermarket Flowers by Ed Sheeran

9) Walk With Me by Joss Stone

10) Higher by Bishop Briggs

ten things tuesday

1. A song that makes you feel cool.  Uptown Funk by Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson
2. A song that you can relate to.  Changes by David Bowie
3. The last song that was stuck in your head. Blue by Eiffel 65

4.  Your favorite song from a musical. This is Me from The Greatest Showman

5. Your favorite song from the 70s. The Chain by Fleetwood Mac (well, everything from Rumours)

6. Your least favorite song from a band you like. No More Lockdown by Van Morrison

7. A song you think is underrated. Fool's Gold by One Direction

8. An album you think is underrated.  U2's Pop

9.  A song you never want to hear again. Happy Birthday To You

10. A song you love but used to hate. Respect Yourself by Madonna

#choosetochallenge

 

blog every day 4

4. If you had a theme song, what would it be? "I'll Be There For You" by the Rembrandts

So no one told you life was gonna be this way
Your job's a joke, you're broke
Your love life's DOA
It's like you're always stuck in second gear
When it hasn't been your day, your week, your month
Or even your year, but

I'll be there for you
(When the rain starts to pour)
I'll be there for you
(Like I've been there before)
I'll be there for you
('Cause you're there for me too)

 

Click here for the daily prompts

history in the making

 

There were moments that were wonderful!  Amanda Gorman is one to watch! 

And I really, really love Lady Gaga.