January Music

Good month for music - lots of these songs I love.

Title.....by Artist
Stare Into the Sun by Graffiti Six
99 Problems by Hugo
Sail by Awolnation *
Crystal Vases by Last Royals*
Price Tag by Jessie J
She Comes Alive by Baby Monster
Bigger Than Us by White Lies
Listen to Your Live by Mona
Horchata by Vampire Weekend
Driven by a Beating Heart by A Silent Film
All Time Low by The Wanted
Good Girl by Alexis Jordan
Big Bang by Rock Mafia
All the Girls by Calvin Harris

PEP- The Best Music of 2010

I have been keeping track of my favorite songs of each month so I thought it would be easy to compile my list of top songs of 2010. I was wrong; it was harder. I had so many to choose from that I ended up doing a list of songs to play at PEP and also made a CD for everyone. Shirley did my "Album Cover" - isn't it awesome?


PEP Playlist
Zorbing by Stornoway

Grenade by Bruno Mars (very poppy, but I love the lyrics...tell the devil I said hey when you get back to where you're from..." just great.)

White Blank Page by Mumford and Sons (I was really hard pressed to choose just one song of theirs. Turns out I absolutely love the entire CD)

Evening Kitchen by Band of Horses (Not a band I usually like, but this song is wonderful)

We Used to Wait by Arcade Fire (I like the song and am generally an Arcade Fire fan. But this video really cemented the song as a favorite. Use Chrome and check out the video.)

Models and Dancers by Harper Blynn (Just a catchy little tune and the lyrics make me smile)

Dream City by Free Energy (I originally found this band because of their song Bang Pop, but realized I liked this song more. It is a tad early Springsteeny, which I love.)

What You Know by Two Door Cinema Club (My favorite band of 2010)

Boy by Ra Ra Riot (Second favorite band of 2010)

Finale by Funeral Party

Amy's Audibles Best of 2010 CD

Breakeven by The Script- I am not usually a lyrics person but this along with Grenade, really grabbed me. This song makes me sing it out loud and get a little weepy along the way. A good, solid heartbreak song.

Girls With Accents by The Fences - Another great lyric song, and totally appeals to those days where I feel like everything I touch turns horribly wrong.

My Body by Young The Giant - An up and coming new band, Young the Giant is poppy with a British influence. This first song of theirs has a nice back beat and is all around a scream at the top of your lungs refrain.

Constellations by Darwin Deez- A great quirky American band that has found fame in England. Gotta love a song that starts off with Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

We Speak No Americano by Yolanda Be Cool & Dcup- I dare you to listen to this song and not tap your feet and feel like you should be overseas. This song was also featured in The American with George Clooney.

Wavin' Flag by K'naan, will.i.am & David Guetta - I listen to a lot of BBC Radio One and this song was very popular around World Cup time. It's a great anthem for a country based sport competition.

The Bike Song by Mark Ronson and The Business International - "My mother tells me I should stop go and get a real job That can’t be the way that I roll Everybody’s growing up, having kids and paying rent And I’m getting count of it all. I’m gonna ride my bike until I get home." The whole song is fantastic!

I Was Drunk by Riva Starr- Another song that needs to be in a soundtrack, pronto!

Upside by Kano featuring Michelle Breeze - I really like songs that juxtapose rap with slow, beautiful parts. I LOVE Michelle Breeze's voice...it is achingly sweet.

Only Man by Audio Bullys- I first heard Audio Bullys when they did a song that sampled a Nancy Sinatra song. I love that they are so fully British you cannot hide the accents. This song has a great beat and gets stuck in my head.

Bang Bang by K'naan & Adam Levine- Second appearance by the Somalian K'naan pairs him with Adam Levine (you might recognize his voice from Maroon 5).

Bang Bang Bang by Mark Ronson & The Business International - Mark Ronson is England's Timberland...but he also sings. The Business International is his band but he contracts in other singers. This one features an American pop duo MNDR.

I Can Talk by Two Door Cinema Club - Yep, favorite band of 2010.

Heartbeat Song by The Futureheads - For some reason this song reminds me of an early 80s pop song.

Miami by The Foals - This song reminds me of Robert Smith in the Cure. The Foals is another great British band that has had some hits show up in various TV shows including Entourage. they also received several nominations at the Brit Awards, the English Grammies.

You Will Leave A Mark by A Silent Film- 2010 was a strong year for music and A Silent Film in top 3 band for sure. This song is pretty and I'm a sucker for piano in any form....more so in a piano rock format. The band is from Oxford (understand the British flag on the cover now?) and has a pretty successful following there. I am glad to see them hit the US now.

Sleepyhead by Passion Pit - This is one song that straddles the line between annoying and fantastic. Listen and decide for yourself.

Solitude is Bliss by Tame Impala - They are from Australia and one of the guys is named Gumby. Plus the song is a trippy delight.

Ivy & Gold by Bombay Bicycle Club- In 2010 I learned that I like folk music. This is one of a set of songs that fit into that Folk classification.

Rollerblades by Eliza Doolittle - I know nothing about this woman, but her songs (this and another called Skinny Genes) makes me happy.

Rolling in the Deep by Adele - I fell in love with Adele's voice after I heard her cover "Make You Feel My Love". I had heard and liked her other big hit "Chasing Pavements" but I really like "Rolling in the Deep" best for it's overall sound. She is coming out with a new album in March. I am looking forward to it!

Hannah by Freelance Whales - Technically this song was released in 2009, but it was December 28 of 2009 and it was a self release. It was then released by a label two days before my birthday and since I love everything about this song, I included it. I heard somewhere that a lot of the lyrics come from dream journaling and that makes so much sense when you hear Hannah. It sounds like a dream feels. By far, my favorite song of 2010.

Movie Review: The Mechanic

Last night Joe and I went to see The Mechanic, a shoot 'em up action flick starring Jason Statham and Ben Foster. Jason Statham has been involved in several quality movies like Snatch and Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, but mostly what you need to know about him, in case you don't know, is that he is very attractive with an amazing body, is very handy with a gun and plays stoic better than anyone. I first became aware of Foster during his brilliant run in Six Feet Under as Claire's boyfriend Russell. He followed that up with Alpha Dog where he played a fantastically evil hot head. He is one of those actors that seems like he might actually be as ruthless as the characters he plays, yet is still completely likable.

The Mechanic is a story about an elite hit man, Statham, who takes an angry young man, Foster, under his wing, teaching him the ways of creatively killing so that it looks like an accident. Statham is as stoic and manly as ever and predictably, Foster plays angry with a side of rage better than anyone in recent years. It would seem that this would be just an average movie, but I actually really enjoyed it. Foster is so likeable, balancing crazy with funny and tender that I actually shed a tear in one of his scenes. Nobody plays Statham like Statham but he is starting to show a soft side in his characters that give them a little more roundness. The fight shots are amazingly graphic so be prepared for that. I don't know if my expectations were low or I just was in the mood for a good killing story, but I absolutely enjoyed this movie. Oscar nomination it will probably never see, but if you have two hours and want to fill it with an action movie with lots of blood and a bit of heart, The Mechanic is the choice for you.

The Kissing Season

I was a late adopter to Twitter(though not as late as some), but now I love it and am very thankful for the positive things it has brought into my life. In 2010 I gave up soda thanks to @nofizzclt. Recently I took on another very simple challenge from @kiss10clt.

While not going into many details, Joe and I are pretty affectionate as a couple. We hug and touch and still sleep in "spoon" position all night long. BUT, with the exception of a quick peck, we don't kiss that often. So I jumped at the challenge to commit to kiss each other for 10 seconds a day, every day for a year.

Not going to lie; the first couple of days we needed to remind each other. Now we are in the habit and more than that, I look forward to it. We've been together 18 years and like all long term couples have fallen in a routine of life. But now, every night we have a nice little 10 second reminder of those kids we used to be; the ones that skipped class and ignored life just so we could wrap up in each other's company for just an hour or two longer. And that makes me very happy.

So if you are in a relationship, think about committing to kiss every night for 10 seconds. I think you will really enjoy the positive effects it has.

2010 - A Year In Review...and a Look Forward to 2011

I am a goal setter/planner by nature so the New Year appeals to me. Even so, last year was one of the first years that I took a hard look at what I wanted and set up some goals. So before I give my 2011 resolutions, I thought I’d follow up on 2010.

• Do three triathlons Well, I REGISTERED for three...didn't do any and am completely OK with that. Money got in the way of one, I ended up working another as volunteer coordinator and the third was the same weekend as Joe's first endurance foray...the MS Ride. I wouldn't have missed Joe crossing the finish line for anything.
• Do the Space Coast Half Marathon in Florida YEP. And it was easy!
• Lose 20 pounds The bad thing about long runs is that I justify overeating. I just ran 8 miles; bring on the ice cream! So nope, didn't lose 20 pounds.
• Improve my running time. First time I ran I managed a 16 minute mile. I am now down to a comfortable 11 minute mile.
• Pay off some debt. If by pay off I meant get tons more, then I succeeded. Pretty sure that's not what I meant, so I suck.
• Be a good friend to my friends and let them be good to me. I'm going to say yes on this one.
• Try to not drink so much soda. With the help of Twitter and http://www.nofizzclt.org/, as of August 1, I am soda free. All I drink now is water with the occasional diet lemonade.
• Go back to low carb living. I am still trying to figure out the nutrition aspect of being an endurance athlete. Bodies need carbs to perform, I just need to get better about choosing wise carbs.
• Continue working for the three non profits in my life right now: Tri It For Life, St. Jude and For Your Cure. I am now on the board of Tri It For Life and have continued to fund raise for St. Jude. For Your Cure has taken a break due to some personal issues with founder Stephen Fogg (Despite chemo and the doc saying it wasn't possible, Foggy and Julie are expecting their first child! Take that you stupid cancer!)

So now for 2011. I really can’t explain it, but athletic goals lead the way. I have a full slate planned so far:

• 6 mile run in Charleston (http://www.bridgerun.com/)
• Half marathon in April (http://www.racefest.com/)
• I am doing the swim portion of a relay at the Jetton Tri in May
• 24 Hours of Booty with a goal of 100 miles this year (http://www.24hoursofbooty.com/)
• The Nations Tri, International Distance Tri in DC (http://www.nationstri.com/)
• MS Ride to Sunset Beach with Joe
• Lose 30 pounds
• Train for a marathon next May of 2012 (flyingpigmarathon.com)
• Continue to push myself to do the uncomfortable things at work and persevere no matter the changes or challenges
• Stop incurring debt and maybe pay some debt down
• See my parents at least twice a month
• Read at least 1 book a month
  

End of Year Music

Seems like I haven't been paying much attention to music these days, or else I have been so busy building my running playlist that I seems to only hear songs by beats per minute. Whatever the reason, my 4th Quarter Music listing is a bit slim. I promise to be better next year.

October
Heart Vacancy by The Wanted
VCR by The XX
Love You More by The Pierces
Waiting for the End by Linkin Park (I KNOW....horrible. I doubt you will ever see their name again on my listing, but I really do like this song.)

November
Girls with Accents by Fences
My Body by Young The Giant
Terrible Love by The National
Solitude is Bliss by Tame Impala

December
Rolling In Deep by Adele
Post Break Up Sex by The Vaccines
Bonus Christmas Song you should listen to: The Christmas Can Can by Straight No Chaser

Marathon Music

I really don't think I need music to run, but it sure helps when you are doing a long run alone. Music helps me pace and keeps me going, even when I don't want to. So after a few days of honing and crafting, here is the playlist that I listened to during my half marathon. These songs all hover around the 160 BPM mark which translates roughly to a 10:30 mile pace. If you are a runner, feel free to steal and enjoy.

Stretching, ready to begin but not running time:
Beautiful Day - U2
Ready to Start- Arcade Fire

START!
Dakota- Sterophonics
This Modern Love - Bloc Party (this song is perfect for my pace. If I thought I could have listened to this song straight for 3 hours, I would have. I did sprinkle this in throughout the run...any transition in styles of music or just after a while to put me back on pace. I love it.)
A-Punk - Vampire Weekend
Blue Light - Block Party
Halfway Home - TV on the Radio
Gamma Ray - Beck
Black and White Town - Doves
I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked- Ida Marie
Keep Your Head - The Ting Tings
Lasso - Phoenix
Australia- The Shins
No Sunlight - Death Cab for Cutie
Molly's Chambers - Kings of Leon
Ooh La - The Kooks
This Modern Love (Dave P and Adam Sparkles Making Time remix) - Bloc Party
Sex on Fire- Kings of Leon
Walkie Talkie Man- Steriogram
Such Great Heights- The Postal Service
Na Na Na Na Naa - Kaiser Chiefs
She Moves in Her Own Way - The Kooks
Jigsaw Falling Into Place - Radiohead
I Melt With You- Modern English
Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division
Age of Consent- New Order
Take on Me - a ha
Just Like Heaven- The Cure
Runnin Down a Dream - Tom Petty
End of the Line - The Traveling Wilburys
Young Turks - Rod Stewart
Steppin Out - Joe Jackson
One Way or Another - Blondie
What I Like About You - The Romantics
A Forest - The Cure
This Modern Love - Bloc Party
If Looks Could Kill - Camera Obscura
Hey Man (Now You're Really Living) - Eels
Pump It - Black Eyed Peas
Sweet Disposition- The Temper Trap
Feel the Pain - Dinosaur Jr.
Young Folks - Peter Bjorn and John
What Difference Does It Make - The Smiths
Marathon Not a Sprint - Camera Obscura
A Well Respected Man - The Kinks
Glass of Water - Cold Play
hopelist - What Made Milwaukee Famous
Ask- The Smiths
Alex Chilton- The Replacements
The Seed 2.0-The Roots and Cody Chestnutt
Get On Your Boots - U2
We used to Wait - Arcade Fire
Fire It Up - Modest Mouse
Ali in the Jungle- The Hours