the swing of things - Feb. 2010 playlist

I spent February getting back into the swing of things. after going so long without a full-time job/normal daily routine, it took some work to get used to it all over again. I made this playlist to give me the energy to do so. I think it's one of my favorites of all time.

1. better. regina spektor
2. hideaway. the weepies
3. your ex-lover is dead. stars
4. merry happy. kate nash
5. the guy that says goodbye to you is out of his mind. griffin house
6. heart. stars
7. scars. allison iraheta
8. the way i am. didi benami
9. the truth. kris allen
10. you and i. ingrid michaelson
11. drifter. joanna
12. foundations. kate nash
13. the calculation. regina spektor
14. farewell. rosie thomas
15. ready to love again. lady antebellum
16. let it be. kris allen
17. far away. ingrid michaelson
18. come out of the shade. the perishers

enjoy!

looking up - Jan 2010 playlist

January was a great month. I got to spend new year's with Stacy, Wayne, Nynaeve, Trajan and Steve. We watched Beauty and the Beast and played Candy Land and Scrabble all night. It was perfect.

Then I got to fully cater a wedding in Provo, thanks to Riehl Events. It was my first big success as Crave Catering.

A week later I went to Hanksville with Steve to visit with family and see the sights. Pictures from that are in my last post.

I spent the next weekend in Wendover with Amber, Gregg and Brad. We got a sweet hotel room, ate some amazing buffets, listened to some live music, and gambled our pocket change away.

I watched all the seasons of Friday Night Lights. I'm obsessed! What an amazing show! I have fallen in love with Taylor Kirtsch and finally understand football.

A few days later I got a call from The MORE Project and was offered a position I had been dying to get! I couldn't be happier with it. It's an amazing organization and I work with great people. It is definitely worth the wait and all the hard work of these past several months.

While all of this was going down, I was listening to this playlist. It's perfect for everything this month meant to me.

looking up
1. july flame. laura veirs
2. walk over me. dirty blonde
3. i run to you. lady antebellum
4. devil town. bright eyes
5. begin again. colbie caillat
6. cigarrettes and rain. chris o'brien
7. don't you evah. spoon
8. fireflies. ron hope
9. i'm the only one. melissa etheridge
10. need you now. lady antebellum
11. i'm yours. ron pope
12. off i go. greg laswell
13. i want you back. colbie caillat
14. back to her. five way friday
15. chasing cars. natasha bedingfield
16. all we'd ever need. lady antebellum
17. hard times. dirty blonde
18. fearless. colbie caillat
19. sesame street. joshua radin

enjoy!

best songs of 09

with the new year comes my best songs of the year playlist. it's been a good one, and some of the most amazing people I have ever met brought some of these songs into my life. hopefully this list cd will bring me memories for years to come. I promise to write about some of those memories in my next post.

christa's best of '09 playlist:

1. Burises. Chairlift
2. Mushaboom. Feist
3. VCR. The xx
4. Son's Gonna Rise. Citizen Cope
5. Defying Gravity. Glee
6. Put Your Record On. Megan Joy
7. The Fear You Won't Fall. Joshua Radin
8. Us. Regina Spektor
9. The Chain. Ingrid Michaelson
10. If It Kills Me. Jason Mraz
11. Yellow Rose. Christopher Jak
12. Pablo Picasso. Citizen Cope
13. Another Kind of Green. John Mayer
14. In My Arms. Plumb
15. Beautiful World. Colin Hay
16. Soldier. Ingrid Michaleson
17. To Make You Feel My Love. Kris Allen
18. Bitter Heart. Zee Avi
19. Lovely Tonight. Joshua Radin
20. You Don't Know Me. Ben Folds
21. When You Love Somebody. Fruit Bats
22. She's Got You High. Mumm-Ra
23. I Gotta Feelin'. Black Eyed Peas

enjoy!!

all time top 5 power songs

When I work out, when I'm going through a break-up, when I'm having a down day, when I'm on the road and really tired, when I've had a fight, or when I'm headed to an interview or other life-altering situations, I need me some power music. And I need it loud. Really loud so I can sing at the top of my lungs. These are the top five power songs I listen to in those moments.

1. No Man's Woman. Sinead O'Connor
2. Talk To Me Now. Ani DiFranco
3. Soldier. Ingrid Michaelson
4. Leave. The Swell Season
5. Scream. Michael Jackson

Yes, those are the best. But, there are several others that just missed the list. They are all on my new power song playlist.

Right Through You. Alanis Morissette
Respect. P!nk
Not Ready To Make Nice. Dixie Chicks
Stronger. Kanye West
Mercy. Duffy
Lose Yourself. Eminem
Holla Back Girl. Gwen Stefanie
Closer To Fine. Indigo Girls
Give Me One Reason. Tracy Chapman
Don't Stop Believin'. Journey
Gel. Collective Soul
F***k You. Lily Alan
Since You've Been Gone. Kelly Clarkson
Stupid Girl. P!nk
Headstrong. Trapt

july playlist - rolling with the punches

July was an interesting month. lots of pondering about what to do with my life. this is the playlist that was playing in the background during all of that deep thought.

1. Today. Joshua Radin
2. Lovers Without Love. Joshua James
3. Beautiful World. Colin Hay
4. Duet. Rachel Yamagata
5. On Your Porch. The Format
6. The Fear You Won't Fall. Joshua Radin
7. Just To Be Me. Josh Kelley
8. Hey Love. Chris O'Brien
9. Break Down Here. Julie Roberts
10. Colby's Song. Joshua James
11. Overkill. Colin Hay
12. Think of You. A Fine Frenzy
13. There Is No Arizona. Jamie O'Neal
14. If It Kills Me. Jason Mraz
15. This Is For. Ingrid Michaelson
16. Blackbird. Evan Rachel Wood
17. Rock Your Soul. Elisa
18. Mad. Ne-Yo

june playlist - no goodbyes

have I declared my love for music lately? I LOVE MUSIC. couldn't live without it. number one on my list for being wrecked on a deserted island? my iPod. hands down. these past few months have been lonely, with all the goodbyes and everything. so, this playlist has fast become my BFF. it got me through. I'm out of the woods and looking toward a once again bright future. maybe it can be there for you too.

no goodbyes
1. Dreamer. Kari Kimmel
2. Half Acre. Hem
3. Lovely Tonight. Joshua Radin
4. Rise Up. Diane Birch
5. Since You've Been Around. Rosie Thomas
6. Turn To Stone. Ingrid Michaelson
7. Somebody Loved. The Weepies
8. Such Great Heights. Iron & Wine
9. Leaving You. Corey Crowder
10. The Part Where You Let Go. Hem
11. All Love. Ingrid Michaelson
12. Where The Road Meets the Sun. Katie Herzig & Matthew Perryman Jones
13. Avalanche. Marie Digby
14. Yellow Rose. Christopher Jak
15. It Don't Matter to the Sun. Rosie Thomas
16. Someone Else's Life. Joshua Radin
17. Magic. Colbie Caillat
18. I Feel It All. Feist
19. A Case of You. Joni Mitchell
20. I Gotta Feelin. The Black Eyes Peas

all time top 5 Michael Jackson songs

I have always loved, and still do love, Michael Jackson. Honestly, is there anyone else that can compare when it comes to talent? Is there anyone else that made a bigger impact in the world? I don't think so! When I look back over my childhood, all the way through high school, Michael Jackson is the soundtrack. I had cassette tapes and listened to them until they wore out. I used our VCR to record his videos so that me and my friends could watch them over and over until we had every move memorized. Nothing would put me in a better mood than a little bit of MJ.

I'm still in shock that he is dead. It's tragic. He had so much more to give. I was really looking forward to his big come back. I've been obsessed with watching the tribute shows, new developments, and documentaries. I can't wait to see the memorial, but I've decided to do my own little tribute on my blog. Here is my all time top 5 list of Michael Jackson songs:

5. Beat It - I probably sang and danced to this song more as a kid than any other song. Played it in the empty garage with my little red tape player while I danced in circles in my roller skates.

4. Remember the Time - This is my favorite video ever. My little brother is obsessed with Egypt and this video had to have been where it all started. I never realized how many cameos there are in it until a few days ago when I saw it again.

3. Scream - I was on the drill team in high school. We did a dance to this song, and it was my favorite dance ever. Everyone else loved it too, and we took first in the state competition. I love the video too. I remember it being a huge deal that Janet grabbed her breasts. That was way before she let one loose at the super bowl.

2. Black or White - I lived in a tiny town in southern Utah. Race wasn't a part of my life. We were all white. This song and the video, and just Michael Jackson in general, opened my eyes to the world and put me on the path to become the person I am today. I truly believe that his influence, his actions, his music, and his words brought the world together for the first time regardless of race. And he was humble about it, but he deserves all the credit in the world.

1. The Way You Make Me Feel - This song makes me happy. It ends up in a lot of my mixes. I never get tired of it. I'm sure I will listen to it, and every other Michael Jackson song forever and ever.

Michael Jackson more than deserved his title as the King of Pop and I doubt there will ever be anyone that can come close to it. RIP Michael!

december playlist

with everything that is going on this month, I have often felt like I am watching my life from afar. kind of like a movie. and every good movie has an even better soundtrack, right? right! so, here is the playlist that has been in the background during all of the change and good times I have experienced in November and December.

Lucky. Jason Mraz featuring Colbie Caillat
Breathe Me. Sia
I'd Rather Be With You. Joshua Radin
Hallelujah. Jeff Buckley
More Time. Needtobreathe
This Year's Love. David Gray
Favor. Rocco DeLuca & The Burden
Morningtime. Sarah Dashew
Lay It On The Line. Rebekah LeBeau
How Am I To Be. The Watson Twins
Begin To Cry. Christopher Jak
Falling or Flying. Grace Potter & the Notwist
New Day's Dawn. The Wilshires
Where I Stood. Missy Higgins
How Can I Keep From Singing. SHeDAISY
Wintersong. Sara Bareilles & Ingrid Michaelson
Song For a Winter's Night. Sarah McLachlan

deer valley

I got free tickets to the Deer Valley Music Festival, so I took Jaime with me and we headed out for a girls night away. we first ventured up to Main Street and had dinner at Yuki Arashi. the sushi was pretty good. I'm sure we will post about it someday on Girls' Bite Out. as we neared the end of our meal, the dark clouds prevailed and the rain began pouring. rain is my favorite weather, almost nothing makes me happier than being in the rain! so, we ventured outside and headed for the car, stopping for ice cream, of course.

the music festival is outdoors, and as much as I love rain, I was hoping it would subside so we could enjoy the performance. the view was beautiful, the music was amazing (even depsite the fact that I'm not a big Beatles fan), the whole thing was great. and then there was a breeze. have you ever been wet and cold during a breeze? yeah, it's not exactly warm and comfy. we stuck it out as long as we could, but ended up leaving early. as we were rounding a corner on a wet, muddy slope, my cute little flats slipped right out from under me and I landed flat on my butt in the mud. my purse and lawn chair went flying, and everyone gasped in horror. leave it to me to make a complete fool of myself. I couldn't help it, I busted up laughing. what else could I do? it was funny, there is no denying it. and nothing could have ruined the evening. check out the view:

July Playlist

For the past few months, Jaime, Erica and I have been doing a monthly CD swap. I think the songs that I put on my CD each month are very telling of where I stand and who I am right then, so I have decided to start posting them. The name for my CD this month is Just Breathe. It seems like I have muttered that phrase to myself several times the past few weeks and when I looked back on my playlist, the songs all fit. It's one of my favorite mixes I have ever made and I can imagine myself listening to it forever. I hope you all enjoy it as well.

1. Keep Breathing. Ingrid Michaelson
2. Broken Parts. Raining Jane
3. Chasing Pavements. ADELE
4. Angels On The Moon. Thriving Ivory
5. Back To Where I Was. Eric Hutchinson
6. New Slang. The Shins
7. What If you. Joshua Radin
8. Incline. Raining Jane
9. World Spins Madly On. The Weepies
10. See How I Run. Jessie Baylin
11. Go On, Say It. Blind Pilot
12. Hometown Glory. ADELE
13. Closer. Joshua Radin
14. Desperate Sails. Raining Jane
15. Here For Now. Ani DiFranco
16. Be Be Your Love. Rachael Yamagata
17. Backyard. Guster
18. In The Deep. Bird York
19. Whiskey Lullaby. Brad Paisley

Marie Digby

a few weeks ago, Jaime and I went to the Marie Digby concert. it was amazing!! tiny room, only about 45 people there, great music, very personal. the venue was interesting. it was basically someone's garage and backyard on a random street. I am now a huge fan of Eric Hutchinson. Stepsonday was pretty good as well. you can read more about our experience here. why should I cover all the details when Jaime has already done it so well? here are some of my pics. enjoy!

Marie Digby:

Eric Hutchinson:

ditto

Jaime took me to The Swell Season concert on Friday for my birthday. she is right. I am a changed woman. this was the best concert I have ever been to. please read her post about it since she gave it much more justice than I can. The Swell Season Concert & Its Accompanying Superlatives yes, ditto.

since I love them so much, I want to share. so, I have dedicated my playlist to Glen Hansard and The Swell Season. enjoy!!!

lyrics

I have been listening pretty closely to songs lately. a lot of the time, if the lyrics mean something to me when I hear them, I tend to listen to that part of the song over and over. sometimes the whole song. and then the lyrics will randomly pop up in my head. these are some of those lyrics - organized by category, of course:

Lyrics that make me feel empowered:

“I'd rather sleep my whole life away than have you keep me from dreaming.” Sara Bareilles, Fairytale

“When I'm approached in a dark alley, I don’t lift my skirt. … I was blessed with a birth and a death and I guess I just want some say in between.” Ani Difranco, Talk To Me Now

“Forgive... well that's a mighty big word for such a small man. And, I'm not sure I can.” Rebecca Lynn Howard, Forgive

I've had my fiar share of take care and goodbyes. I've learned how to cry, and i'm better for that." Sara Bareilles, Many The Miles

Lyrics that remind me of the pain and circumstances of past relationships:

“Feels like reckless driving when we're talking
It's fun while it lasts, and it's faster than walking
But no one's going to sympathize when we crash
They'll say ‘you hit what you head for, you get what you ask’
And we'll say we didn't know, we didn't even try
One minute there was road beneath us, the next just sky.”
Ani Difranco, Falling is Like This

“Oh I know you can hear me
But i'm not sure you're listening
I hear what you're sayin'
But there's somthing missin'
Whether I go whether I stay
Right now depends on
Whatever you say”
Martina McBride, Whatever You Say

“If you just realize what I just realized,
Then we'd be perfect for each other and will never find another.”
Colbie Caillat, Realize

“I have to block out thoughts of you so I don’t lose my head
They crawl in like a cockroach leaving babies in my bed
Dropping little reels of tape to remind me that I’m alone.”
Blue October, Hate Me

"Would have cut it myself if i knew men could climb hair. I'll have to find another tower somewhere and keep away from the windows." Sara Bareilles, Fairytale

Lyrics that give me hope:

“Take this sinking boat and point it home, we’ve still got time.” Falling Slowly, Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova

“Heaven bent to take my hand
And lead me through the fire
Be the long awaited answer
To a long and painful fight”
Sarah McLachlan, Fallen

“Three little birds, sat on my window.
And they told me I don't need to worry.
Summer came like cinnamon
So sweet,
Little girls double-dutch on the concrete.”
Corinne Bailey Rae, Put Your Records On

Lyrics to lighten the mood:

“Gimme some suga’, I am your neighbor!” Outkast, Hey Yah

“Movin' to the country, gonna eat a lot of peaches
Peaches come from a can, they were put there by a man, in a factory downtown.”
Presidents of the United States of America, Peaches

“Is he a dot, or is he a speck?
When he's underwater does he get wet?
Or does the water get him instead?
Nobody knows, particle man.”
They Might Be Giants!, Particle Man

You can't beat They Might Be Giants and The Presidents, right? I wanted to end on a lighter note. some of those are a little depressing. :) If you haven't heard some of these, be sure to.

all time top 5

have you ever watched High Fidelity ? John Cusack's character, Rob, lists his all time top 5 records by different categories throughout the movie, as well as his all time worst break-ups. side note: it's one of my all time favorite movies for a lot of reasons. I found myself thinking about it today while I was driving all over town in my car listening to Sara McLachlan's Wintersong album. I realized that I'm not sure I will ever get tired of that CD. I'm surprised I haven't worn it out yet... There are two songs in particular that I listen to over and over and over: River and Song for a Winter's Night. I know every word, and I sing really loud like a crazy person in my car. it's also really odd that I can listen to a Christmas album like this. do you ever do that or is it just me? what are some of the songs that have that effect on you? I should dedicate a blog to listing all of those songs that I have...