JW told me about his friend's "Bio Playlist" idea a few weeks ago and it has turned out to be quite the task. I took the idea as making a mix tape that walks a listener through your life - the important moments, fond memories, and a little insight into how you've developed your musical tastes. I've got to say, it's been a lot of fun creating this and as I read through my own playlist again, I feel that it almost serves as a little window into my life - take a look for yourself:
Disc One: Childhood to High School 1. Down in the Boondocks - Billy Joe Royal: I can remember listening to the "oldies" station a lot in the car growing up. This particular song reminds me of when I was just a little girl, riding around in the gray 1980 Ford truck, just me and my dad cruising through town.
2. Macho Duck - From the album Micky Mouse Disco: I wouldn't be surprised if this record was worn out - I constantly listened to this record as a little girl, just singing and dancing along with the Disney characters. I was stoked to find this on i-Tunes and it instantly brought a smile to my face as I listened to the 30 second preview of each song. "Disco Mickey Mouse" comes in a close second.
3. Bell Bottom Trousers - I couldn't find the exact version that we had on vinyl, but it gets the point across. One of my sister and I's favorite things to do when we were kids was get out my parents records and light up the stereo (and our "dance floor" i.e. the living room) and sing, dance, and of course cartwheel. This song, for whatever reason, was one of our favorites.
4. We Didn't Start the Fire - Billy Joel: - One distinct memory of this song - my sister and I holding hands, spinning around in a circle in the living room of our old house, while singing this song.
5. The Little Drummer Boy - Anne Murray: Anne Murray's, "My Christmas Favorites" cassette tape was often played at our house during the holiday season. Anne often serenaded us while we decorated the house and put the ornaments on the tree. Why this particular tune? It's my mom's favorite Christmas song.
6. The Sign - Ace of Base: I was big into dancing when I was kid and my best friend and I would often play "dance" and make up routines to different songs. I can distinctly remember being in my backyard with this cassette tape blaring out of my little boombox as Sarah and I danced and tumbled our way through this song. *side note, maraca snap was not born yet*
7. Insane in the Brain - Cypress Hill: My sister had a huge influence on my musical tastes growing up, even when they were completely age inappropriate for me. My sister was my hero and I wanted to be just like her. So what was supposed to come across as pure devotion to Katie, quickly turned into me being a nuisance. From playing dress up with her clothes, to crying and whining my way into her slumber parties, I was always following her closely. But sitting in her room with her while listening to music was one thing that didn't annoy her. She was big into alternative/rock, listening to Green Day, Sublime, Alice in Chains, Nirvana, and the likes, but she also had a little hip hop in her. This was one of my favorites, although probably more than a little "insane" for me to be listening to at the time.
8. Buddy Holly - Weezer: This kind of ties into what I just mentioned above, but it's because of the video that makes this song stick out in my mind. This was one of Katie and I's favorites to watch, when we were able to sneak in a little MTV when our parents were still at work.
9. Basketball Jones - Chris Rock: For Christmas my 7th grade year, I got my first CD player, along with my first two CD's, Jock Jams Volume 1 and the Space Jam Sountrack. My friends and I were obsessed with the Space Jam soundtrack and my favorite track was "Basketball Jones". My hot junior high boyfriend would always sing it and it would always make me laugh.
10. Just a Girl - No Doubt: Tragic Kingdom still is high up on my list of all time favorite albums. I had this cassette tape, as it was before I got my CD player, but it held strong for the endless times I played it. Even in my nerdy junior high days, I still picked up on just how kick ass Gwen Stefani was and she instantly became one of my idols.
11. Everyday Is a Winding Road - Sheryl Crow: This makes the list for one reason - it's the first concert I ever went to.
12. Like a Prayer - Madonna: 90% of my fondest high school memories revolve around my involvement with athletics. Any time I hear this song, I immediately think of basketball my freshman year. As the tournament time drew near, we would hear this song every time we were in the locker room before our games. We considered it our good luck song, as we became the District Champs, which was the most successful we ever were during my four years there.
13. Fat Lip - Sum 41: While most of the girls in my school were oohing and ahhing over NSync, Backstreet Boys, and the other boy bands out there, I was doing my "rebel without a cause" act and found my groove in alternative/punk/ska bands, like SR-71, Less Than Jake, Reel Big Fish, Blink 182, and these guys. Nick Carter who? One of my big crushes was Deryck Whibley back in the day. This particular tune makes me think of my "back to school" dance senior year, where me and my ginger boyfriend were jumping all over the dance floor, having the time of our lives.
14. All the Small Things - Blink 182: As I just mentioned, I was much more comfortable with the alternative/rock/punk scene than the "Quit Playing Games With My Heart-bubble-gum-boy-band-pop" stuff. Blink was probably in my top 3 favorite bands in high school and Tom DeLong had my heart. Enema of the State and the Mark, Tom, and Travis Show albums got some major playtime on my stereo. Lots of high school memories are associated with them, from the first Blink show I attended, to watching my ginger boyfriend hop around the dance floor as the rest of us circled around him at our school dances, to listening to this same ginger play their songs on his guitar at parties and bonfires.
15. Criminal- Fiona Apple: Along with my "punk" side, I also got in touch with my inner angry girl side in high school and was drawn to the unique and sometimes whiny voices of Ani, Tori, K's Choice, and Fiona. I had a hard time picking which one to put on the playlist, as "Hey Jupiter" and "32 Flavors" also got a lot of playtime.
16. Lean on Me - Club Nouveau: My class established this as our "song" way back in 6th grade. An upbeat, positive message that got us through the years. It, of course, got played at our high school graduation.
Disc Two: The College Years and Beyond17. Taylor - Jack Johnson: I hopped on the J-Train in the middle of my college years and have never looked back. The first time I heard Jack Johnson was in this little pizza place in Cedar Rapids, while visiting my sister. I had to ask who was playing over their speakers because I was in love with the sounds I was hearing. There are very few Jack Johnson songs I don't like..."Taylor" ranks as one of my favs.
18. Lala - Ashlee Simpson: Questionable performer, yes, but Autobiography was a huge hit with KC and I. This was played countless times the summer going into our junior year of college. I can remember riding around Cedar Falls in KC's "new" black Alero, windows down, sunroof open, and jamming out to this tune while enjoying and exploring our new founded freedom - breaking free from the dorms and moving into our own little party cove, Jack's Manor.
19.La Tortura - Shakira: Shakira grabbed my attention, like most of us, with her "hips don't lie" shaking moves back in her "Whenever, Wherever" days. I remember the first time I heard "La Tortura", I was pumped because I could understand the lyrics, which brought a little more confidence into my choice of minoring in Spanish. Plus, Alejandro Sanz partnered with her in this song, and his vocals send me into a bit of tizzy.
20. Call on Me - Eric Prydz: We hit up Coconuts quite a bit for their 4-for-1 Wednesdays in college. Going there always meant one thing - this
video would be played on their big screen. As if alcohol wasn't enough to get you hopped up to make bad decisions...
21. Come On Eileen - Dexy's Midnight Runners: It's because of one particular memory why this song makes the list. When my sister got married, I told my dad that he had to save a dance for me. He said, "yeah, I'll slow dance with you, but I'm not doing any of that fast dancing stuff." Not quite an hour later, I see him out there in a dance circle, kicking his legs up in the air to this song with some of my family. Katie and I just looked at each other and immediately joined him on the dance floor. It was priceless and one of my all time favorite memories of my dad.
22. Can I Get A - Jay-Z: I realize this song came out in 90's but it still ranks as one of my most played, according to i-Tunes. Jay-Z is pretty fantastic and this song never fails to put me in a more energetic and playful mood. Whenever I'm running with my i-Pod, I anxiously await for this song to come on, purposefully not making it one of the first to play, because it gives me that extra boost I need to keep pushing through my run. "Bounce, bitch."
23. A Favor House Atlantic - Coheed and Cambria: To be honest, I wouldn't have foreseen myself as a Co&Ca fan, but after being introduced to them by my college bf with, "A Favor House Atlantic", I was hooked. It also helped that I was intrigued by Claudio's big fro.
24. All These Things That I've Done - The Killers: Hot Fuss was played repetitively my junior year of college. Whenever I hear "Mr Brightside"
, "Change Your Mind", or this particular song, I think of warm spring days, windows open in our apartment, music blaring, throwing back a few beers with friends, and just enjoying the life of a college kid. The breakdown of "I've got soul but I'm not a soldier" - favorite part of this song.
25. Chop Me Up - Justin Timberlake: Four words - Future Sex Love Sounds. I had eased my way into a little JT once he broke from the boy band image and came into his own with "Rock Your Body" and "Senorita". But once FSLS dropped, I was "lovestoned." Naomi hooked us up with some amazing seats for this concert and we definitely brought "sexyback" that night. And contrary to popular belief (L), Timbaland WAS there!
26. I'm Ready - Jack's Mannequin: My ears were opened (followed by my eyes) to Andy McMahon after college. How I missed his Something Corporate days is beyond me, but thankfully after hearing JM, I was also exposed to that. His voice has the capability of sending chills down my spine and I seem to pick out an exact spot in almost every one of his songs when this happens. (Resolution: "And you hold me down and you got me living in the past; come on and pick me up, somebody clear the wreckage from the blast", What Gets You Of
f: "...looks better underneath our feet your knees in the dirt", Holiday From Real: "...some cheap red wine (some cheap ride wine) oh the trouble we can get in so let's screw this one up right") In "I'm Ready", my favorite part is actually when he is speaking, "When did society decide that we had to change and wash a T-shirt after every individual use? If it's not dirty, I'm gonna wear it."
27. Cavanaugh Park - Something Corporate: As I just mentioned, it wasn't until I got into JM that I discovered SC. This tune is one of my favs so needless to say I was way excited to hear JM kick it old school and play this at their show at the Sokol Underground. "...man that kid made f-ing up look cool" I'm convinced this hot, piano-playing, sweet-sounding man can do no wrong.
28. Mesa Sou - Stavento: June 2008 I left American soil for the first time and vacationed in Greece with my friend Reenie. It was one of the best experiences of my life. I am fond of this song because it brings back all the memories from that trip, and I remember how excited I was to hear it, being it was the only song I could distinctly recognize while out at the clubs at night.
29. What You Know - T.I.: This pick is pretty simple, reminds me of L and all the great times we've had. One of the best decisions I've made in the past 2 years was to live with this girl, L, whom I'd only met a couple of times before, having no idea she would quickly become not just a roommate but a lifelong friend.
30. Lost - Coldplay: Not that I wasn't a big fan before, but when Viva La Vida came out, my love for Coldplay was renewed and in full force. This album got a lot of PT when I first got it and "Lost", to me, is a hopeful song. "Just because I'm losing, doesn't mean I'm lost....You might be a big fish in a little pond, doesn't mean you've won 'cause along may come a bigger one."
31. Kids - Sleigh Bells: I'm including this as a representation of my ever-expanding musical tastes. From Sleigh Bells to Santigold, to Amanda Blank - the electro/rock/alternative genre (or however you want to classify these artists as) I've grown fondly of in the past year or so.
