Play It Again

Original Books of CDs
(anyone want them?)

I have 7,719 songs in my iTunes library.  That's about 23 days worth of music.  Some of it was purchased for my girls; i.e. Dan Zanes (for Grace), Ke$ha (for Rosie) and the Rio soundtrack (for both).  Most of it, however, is mine.  I have spent years building my this collection.  Way back when iTunes launched, my husband and I spent a ridiculous number of hours downloading all of our CDs from high school and college onto our computer (see left).  I have hundreds of playlists.  I make playlists for my playlists.  Well, not really, but you get what I'm saying.  Today, I am admittedly obsessed with discovering new artists and bands and then sharing what I find.  On Saturday morning as I headed off to work, I plugged my iPod into my car without selecting anything specific.  I just pressed 'play'.  I never do this.  One song after the next I found myself thinking, "oooh, I haven't heard this one in a while."  I quickly realized that I have some unbelievable music on there that I rarely listen to.  With each new album that I purchase these days, the old ones tend to get pushed down the forgotten music ladder.  Such a shame.  So rather than move forward in my search, for the next few weeks, I'm going to look back.  I  might not do it all in 23 straight days, but I've got plenty of time.  Here's a taste of what I heard today.  Would I run with all of them?  Probably not.  But I do a lot of other things.  Hope you enjoy this as much as I did!

1st iPod - approx 2 lbs
and about an inch thick

1. Brazen - Heartless Bastards  
 - First heard this band at Austin City Limits a few years ago.  Lead singer has an amazing presence and her voice is raw but gripping.  Made a mental note to listen to the entire album again.
2. Redhead Girl - Air  
 - My live music wing(wo)man introduced me to 'Air' when my second daughter was born. The music is mellow but detailed and beautiful.
3. This Modern Love - Bloc Party 
- One of the songs on the Wedding Crashers soundtrack.  Have maybe heard it twice.  I'm diggin' it. Note made to dig deeper into Bloc Party's album and see what else they have to offer.
4. Penny Lane - The Beatles  
 - A classic.  I can't imagine anyone staying in a bad mood after hearing this one.  It's on the Beatles 1 album along with so many other amazing gems.
5. Fitz and the Dizzy Spells - Andrew Bird 
- One of my favorite artists.  A "go-to" for any scenario.  His voice is sweet, his violin is sweeter and he is bizarrely good at whistling.  He's just so cool.
6. I Can't Get My Head Around It - Aimee Mann 
 - Her music is a bit solemn but her albums always tell such a good story and her voice is so unique.  
7. Shelter from the Storm - Bob Dylan  
 - Don't really need to say much about this one.  Just sit back and listen.
8. B-Boy Bouillabaisse: A Year and a Day - Beastie Boys  
- This one made me want to go out and run.  It's a total funk fest.  Delicious.
9. Hot in Herre - Nelly  
- At my request, my dear friend LS sent me all the music from her wedding.  8 CDs worth of treats.  She's a huge music fan and she compiled it all on her own.  She also loves to cut a rug and this one makes me think of her dancing back on her wedding day.  That was awesome.
10. No Speak No Slave - The Black Crowes  
- Arguably one of the best bands of my generation.  Such a good cut.  And there are SO many amazing albums by these guys.  I'm planning to spend the rest of the day with them.  Oh boy!