collectedmess's Blog

So here are some fun stats for you in regards to me and the world of music in 2008:

1. I only purchased THREE albums this year. THREE. I thought it was two, then I realized there was another and yippee, I upped my count to THREE. If I thought about it, I would be depressed by this because for me it means that there were only 3 albums in a 365 day year that I thought were worth purchasing. They were:

– Harry Connick Jr: What A Night! A Christmas album
–Unplugged presents Julieta Venegas
–Erykah Badu : New Ameryka, Pt. 1:  4th World War

1. I went to one show. Julieta Venegas in Los Angeles, unplugged. So I didn’t understand half the songs, but it was one of the best shows ever.

2. Coldplay failed to win me over as a fan.

3. MtV Tres, on the other hand, did. Spanish music videos are just so fun to watch.

If you want to read why I love the songs in said "Best of 2008" mix, you can read those here. I like to have reasons why. Also, even if the song didn't come out in 2008, I discovered it in 2008. And since I'm not a stickler, I like to include them if I liked them.

If you want to listen, here's the drop.

In no particular order, for various reasons:

4 Minutes -- Madonna
Algun Dia -- Julietta Venegas
American Boy -- Estelle
Chasing Pavements -- Adelle
Breathe Me -- Sia
Closer -- NeYo
El Presente -- Julietta Venegas
Elevator -- Flo Rida
Get Low -- Flo Rida
Honey -- Erykah Badu
How I Could Just Kill A Man -- Charlotte Sometimes
Just Dance -- Lady Gaga
Love Hangover -- Kidz in the Hall
Paper Planes -- MIA
See You Again -- (Yes!) Miley Cyrus
Whatever You Like -- TI
Willie and LauraMae Jones -- Shelby Lynne

On the same note, if I had to pick my most favorite album of 2008...it would have to be one I only discovered oh, two days ago. But have listened to about 12 times already. (13. It just started over.) Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis' Two Men With the Blues. LOVE it. Just love it. I'm sad I didn't discover it until just now, but I'm glad I have. It's a combination you wouldn't think would work, but oh-dear-god does it ever. I highly reccomend giving it a listen...and that's not to be taken lightly because I rarely throw out the reccomendations. I'll make you a mix, but you'll hardly ever find me reccomending entire albums.

The subject was "The Good Old Days" and it sparked something in my head that made me recall my Disneyland mixes. The Disneyland mixes were songs I liked to listen to when I'd have to get up early to get ready for a day in the Park. I was like 7 and had to be peppy. These were always my favorites, some of them anyhow. And yes, I always sang along. Still do; in fact, I still make a Disneyland mixes for trips to the Magic Kingdom. I just tend to keep them to myself. I'm always the only one who likes to get up early, it seems.

The Good Old Days

Hit the Road to Dreamland (Betty Hutton)
I'm Beggining to See the Light (Ella Fitzgerald)
Give Him the Ooh-la-la (Blossom Dearie)
You Make Me Feel So Young (Frank Sinatra)
With Plenty Of Money and You (Bassie and Bennett)
Angelina Zooma-Zooma (Louis Prima)
I'm Gonna Sit Right Down (Nat King Cole)
Bei Mir Bist Du Schon (Janis Siegel)
If I Were A Bell (Dinah Washington)
Tea For Two (Bassie and Fitzgerald)
Take the A Train (Gillespie and Fitzgerald)
Old Black Magic (Prima and Smith)
Doop Doo Dee Doop (Blossom Dearie)
Papa Loves Mambo (Nat King Cole)
On The Sunny Side of the Street (Tommy Dorsey)
Jump, Jive an' Wail (Louis Armstrong)

No Pop Here

(please note, there is some foul language in my mix. if anyone cares about that.)

My New Year's Eve Mix. It's right over an hour. Not an easy mix to put together and it killed me to cut it down, so I'm going to post my original idea in my blog.

For the record, I'm not a New Year's Eve person. If I were going to have a party, though, I'd start this at about 11 and let it play on through midnight. I was going for a up and down mellow, might make you want to move, might make you tap your foot type thing.


1. Fireman -- Lil Wayne
2. Sing Sing Sing (With a Swing) -- Benny Goodman
3. Spur of the Moment -- Ludacris
4. Have a Cigar -- Rosebud
5. Signs -- Justin Timberlake/Snoop Dogg
6. One Nation Under A Groove  -- Parliament Funkadelic
7. Just Dance -- Lady Gaga
8. Floetry -- Floetic
9. Hollywood Swinging -- Kool and the Gang
10. Wouldn't Get Far -- The Game
11. Got To Give It Up Pt. 1 -- Marvin Gaye
12. Lebanese Blonde -- Thievery Corporation
13. Hypnotize -- Notorious B.I.G.
14. Round About Midnight -- Gotan Project



Also, for the record, my title, No Pop Here, has nothing to do with anything but the image I've chosen for my cover art. I don't do NY's Eve, so there's no poppers for me, etc...

A collection of my favorite Christmas songs for a little late night present wrapping.

Merry Christmas!

I love all three of those. Thanks for sharing!

This song is making me happier than I can find words for.

What about you? What's making you happy musically?

I always giggle when my iPod does something like that, go from Rap to Jazz. I don't know why, but it just amuses the heck out of me.

I've long been a fan of those generic shuffle mixes. You know, where you fire up the iPod (or whatever it is you chose to listen to), hit play, and just make your mix from whatever comes up. There's no real rhyme or reason and it's so simple it's sad, but I always thought it held so much information. It can give a clear picture of exactly what a person likes to listen to, etc. I'm always amused by my Shuffle mixes; they can be all over the map just like I am.

Lebanese Blond -- Thievery Corporation
Lorelei -- Ella Fitzgerald
Solar -- Miles Davis All Stars
So What -- Ani diFranco
Ex-Girlfriend Syndrome -- Charlotte Sometimes
That Thing -- Lauren Hill
My Heart Stood Still -- Chet Baker
Running Up That Hill -- Kate Bush
Summer Sun -- Koop
Sell Out -- Tiger Lou
Leave the Pieces -- The Wreckers
American Dreamin'-- Jay-Z
With Plenty of Money and You -- Tony Bennett and Count Bassie
Sowing the Seeds of Love -- Tears for Fears
Whatever Whenever -- Groove Armada
Save Me -- Aimee Mann
Army of Me -- Bjork
The Ghost In You -- Psychedelic Furs
Crucify -- Tori Amos

Get it here if you're so inclined.

Up next for me: a Christmas mix, my favorites of 2008, and my New Years mix for the mix-of-the-month thingie!

Correction: I don't know who MOST of these are.

I have not heard of one of these, but I so look forward to giving it a listen.

Another swap. This time 50 of my favorite love songs/ballads. I love that love songs can be in any form, from uptempo to slow dance songs to rap. I do wish, though, there were more love songs in the country category, but then, I do love me some heartbreak songs and where better to get those than country?

Anywhoo. 50 of my favorites. It was harder to put together than I thought.

Personal items:
     1. Soft Shoulder by Ani diFranco is probably my most favorite song ever
     2. Baby, It's Cold Outside by Margaret Whiting and Johnny Mercer is, in my opinion, the only version of this song that should be allowed.
     3. I always have to sing along to: Summer Wind by Michael Buble and It's Alright With Me by Harry Connick Jr. (which I do exceptionally well might I add)
     4. I don't really like The Beatles but Two Of Us makes an appearance for sentimental reasons
     5. Yes. Kick, Push by Lupe Fiasco is a love song. A boy and a girl. A boy and his skateboard. You can love your skateboard just as much as you love a person.
     6. I'm On Fire by Bruce Springsteen and Me & U by Cassie are songs that make me think about sex.
     7. Speaking of sex (gasp!), my mother wouldn't let me listen to Teach Me Tonight by Dinah Washington as a kid because she thought it was too dirty.
     8. If you think Blossom Dearie is cute, you should see her in person. A-freaking-dorable.
     9. If you think Alison Krauss is cute, you should see her in person. A-freaking-dorable. And super friendly too.
    10. I like to watch videos of Louis Prima and Keely Smith on YouTube because they were so sweet together.

Special note:
Because this was such a big mix I broke it up and uploaded it by section. Each section has the track listing but I've listed them 1-50 here.

Love x Infinity

1. The Best Thing For You Would Be Me (Diana Krall)
2. How Sweet It Is (James Taylor)
3. Slave To Love (Bryan Ferry)
4. Call Me When You Get This (Corinne Bailey Rae)
5. Crush (Dave Matthews Band)
6. Me & U (Cassie)
7. Mad About You (Hooverphonic)
8. I Get A Kick Out of You (Jamie Cullum)
9. Baby (Bebel Gilberto)
10. I Know I Know I Know (Teagan and Sara)
11. God Only Knows (The Beach Boys)
12. Lemon (U2)
13. L.O.V.E. (Nat King Cole)
14. Soft Shoulder (Ani diFranco)
15. Baby, It's Cold Outside (Margaret Whiting and Johnny Mercer)
16. If I Were A Bell (Dinah Washington)
17. Sunny Road (Emiliana Torrini)
18. My Heart Stood Still (Chet Baker)
19. Everywhere (Michelle Branch)
20. I Love Being Here With You (Diana Krall)
21. When You Come Back Down (Nickel Creek)
22. At First Sight (Kylie Monogue)
23. Deed I Do (Blossom Dearie)
24. Lover, You Should've Come Over (Jeff Buckley)
25. Save Me (Aimee Mann)
26. With Plenty of Money and You (Count Bassie and Tony Bennett)
27. Coffee and TV (Blur)
28. It's Alright With Me (Harry Connick Jr.)
29. Iris (Goo Goo Dolls)
30. Come To My Window (Melissa Etheridge)
31. Tea For Two (Louis Prima and Keely Smith)
32. Love Song (Sara Bareilles)
33. So Damned Beautiful (Polaroid)
34. Summer Wind (Michael Buble)
35. A Long Walk (Jill Scott)
36. Two of Us (The Beatles)
37. Under My Skin (Rachael Yamagata)
38. I Can't Believe You're In Love With Me (Frank Sinatra)
39. Kick, Push (Lupe Fiasco)
40. Teach Me Tonight (Dinah Washington)
41. Exactly Like You (Diana Krall)
42. Out of the Woods (Nickel Creek)
43. No Ordinary Love (Sade)
44. O.K. (Ani diFranco)
45. We Are In Love (Harry Connick Jr.)
46. Moonlight Saving Time (Blossom Dearie)
47. I'm On Fire (Bruce Springsteen)
48. Miracle (Josh Rouse)
49. I want You (Alana Davis)
50. Baby, Now That I've Found You (Alison Krauss and Union Station) 

Dowloads:

Love x Infinity Pt. 1
Love x Infinity Pt. 2
Love x Infinity Pts. 3 and 4

(Note, this was initially created for a swap I signed up for)

I personally prefer up and down types of music when I get my day started; a little bit of fast paced, a little bit of mellow. Something I can sing along to when the moment permits. I think I captured how I like mornings perfectly with this.

If you have any problems, do let me know!

Up and Down Morning

1. Proud Mary (Ike and Tina Turner)
2. Scotch and Chocolate (Nickel Creek)
3. Littlest Birds (Be Good Tanyas)
4. It's Oh So Quiet (Bjork)
5. Little Jazz Bird (Blossom Dearie)
6. Clothes Off (Gym Class Heros)
7. In The Morning (Norah Jones)
8. Carnival (The Cardigans)
9. Got To Give It Up (Marvin Gaye)
10. 4 In The Morning (Gwen Stefani)
11. Dance Tonight (Lucy Pearl)
12. C'est Si Bon (Eartha Kitt)
13. Lovely Day (Bill Withers)
14. Dig That Crazy Chick (Louis Prima and Keely Smith)
15. I'd Like To (Corinne Bailey Rae)
16. Last Night They Had To Carry Me Home (Tiger Lou)
17. Isn't This a Lovely Day (Diana Krall)