My Memory Serves Me Far too Well

I'm not good at ranking things, creating those definitive-sounding lists that fill newspapers, magazines and websites this time of year. Maybe being a professional music critic wasn't as great a fit for me as I thought because I find it hard to rate with certainty my favorite or least-favorite of anything. Sure, I could name 10 of my favorite Madonna songs, but arranging those tracks in a list, 10 to 1, with total confidence in my ratings is something I can't do.

I won't be joining in with the countless music writers and fans who have spent the past month listing out the best songs, albums and artists of not only this year but this decade. I can, however, list out what happened in my year in music and such, and it was a pretty good one.

This is my bedroom mirror. I use it to hold all my tickets, show mementos and so forth until I take the time to file everything away neatly.



On the mirror, I have reminders of all these artists and things I saw this year:

The Joshua Tree/The Ruse at the House of Blues Anaheim on April 23
Social Distortion/The Vandals at the House of Blues Anaheim on May 18
Bryan Greenberg/Graham Colton/Curtis Peoples at Largo at the Coronet Theater on May 31
"It Might Get Loud" at the Los Angeles Film Festival on June 19 (with Q&A with director Davis Guggenheim, Jimmy Page and Jack White)
No Doubt/Paramore at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater on Aug. 1
Disneyland on Aug. 15
"The Beatles LOVE" at The Mirage on Aug. 22
The Joshua Tree at the LA County Fair on Sept. 9
Blink-182/Weezer at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater on Sept. 17
"The Heart of America Tour: Africa's Future and Ours" at the Carolina Theater on Oct. 2
U2/Muse at the Carter Finley Stadium on Oct. 3
"U23D" at the Wachovia IMAX Theatre at Marbles Kids Museum on Oct. 4
"Eddie Izzard Believe" at the Sunset 5 on Oct. 9 (with Q&A with Eddie Izzard)
Spamalot at the Orange County Performing Arts Center on Oct. 10
U2/Black Eyed Peas at the Rose Bowl on Oct. 25
Steve Martin with The Steep Canyon Rangers at the Orange County Performing Arts Center on Oct. 30
BB King/Lukas Nelson and The Promise of the Real at Coussoulis Arena on Nov. 19
Save New Wave at the House of Blues Hollywood on Nov. 21
Dashboard Confessional/New Found Glory at The Glass House on Dec. 1
Disneyland on Dec. 23

Pretty good for a year when I was intending to spend a lot of money or see very many shows. I did see "It Might Get Loud" twice and am looking forward to getting it on DVD soon. I jumped myself nearly sick at No Doubt, so elated to have the band back again. "LOVE" was phenomenal and I would definitely see it again. Weezer kicked Blink's ass in that showdown and I hope to see the band headline in 2010 (get better soon, Rivers!). The two U2 shows were fantastic and amazing. "Spamalot" was so much fun, as was the Steve Martin show. "Believe" is a really great documentary and all Eddie Izzard fans should check it out. Seeing BB King live was a long-held wish come true.

For 2010, I have John Mayer, two or three U2 shows and maybe Weezer to look forward to. I'm sure more will come up as I'll gladly jump at any opportunities that arise.

With this year (and possibly decade, depending on how you define decades) coming to an end, I pulled George Michael's "Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. 1" off my shelf and have been listening to it all week. This is the album Michael wrote to tell the world he no longer wanted to be a pop idol but instead wanted to be seen as a serious artist. He didn't quite stick to that but did make a stunning album that I love and appreciate more today than I did when I first got it nearly 20 years ago on cassette (I've since upgraded to CD).

The songs are all about transition and heartache and uncertainty and soul searching, perfect for the end of the year. Perhaps my favorite song on the album is "Waiting for That Day/You Can't Always Get What You Want" with the verse, "Now everybody's talking about this new decade/Like you say the magic numbers/Then just say goodbye to/The stupid mistakes you made/Oh my memory serves me far too well."

Not too cheery, but the album isn't. It's very serious, very grown-up in that way that only a world-weary 26-year-old can be and an alienated 13-year-old thinks you should be—intellectual, introspective. Michael was going through a lot when he wrote the album and the songs he came up with have travelled with me through quite a bit, too. For as much as I adore the album, I don't listen to it as much as I could so am enjoying having it accompany me home this week, taking in the beautiful lyrics, stunning arrangements and Michael's powerful voice.

Though I wouldn't know where to rank it, "Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. 1" is one of the best pop albums ever. With the weather so gloomy in so many places and all of our lives in a bit of flux, it's a perfect album for right now.

Something else to check out is a new video from The Ghost Who Walks (also known as Neil McCormick, Daily Telegraph music critic and author of the completely awesome "I Was Bono's Doppelganger"). The song feels dreamy '70s (a bit Bowie) and the video surreal yet cautionary.

Really Quick

Another quickie entry. I've been listening to John Mayer's "Battle Studies" pretty much nonstop since buying it last month and am solidifying my connection to it. I still want to do a proper writeup about the album so stay tuned.

Thanks to my favorite Jersey Girl, I've become quite the Bryan Greenberg fan this year, so had to check it out when he posted on Twitter that he'd been named the Hanukkah and Hump Day Hottie by Hollywood Crush on MTV.com. The site has a nice story about the multitalented (and completely sweet and adorable) Mr. Greenberg and a gallery featuring past Hump Day Hotties.

I clicked through the gallery to get a look at the 25 guys the site has singled out for weekly honors and recognized only eight of them. Of all 25 on the list, I'd maybe consider five of them actually hot. Can I still be considered a member of the MTV Generation if I can't relate to much the network produces anymore?

Changing direction, I'm not a sports fan but am a fan of sportswriters, many of whom are the best nonfiction writers I've read. Matthew J. Darnell reinforced that belief for me today when I read his piece on Bengals' receiver Chris Henry.

Until his accident yesterday, I'd never heard of Chris Henry so don't know much at all about the ups and downs in his career and personal life, but I clicked on the link to Darnell's article and was moved by what he had to say. A passage that particularly stuck out to me was:

Too many times, a gifted person comes along, and we automatically make them a role model. Inevitably, they end up doing something to let us down. The truth is, though, that those were never the role models we needed. The role models we need are the people who let us down first, and then show the strength and character to fight back from that.

Sooner or later, we're all going to let somebody down. We're all going to screw up. But life is about how you come back from it, how you learn from it and how you use it to make yourself a better, stronger person.

Good writing, even fantastic writing, can be found in so many places, like a basic cable television show or the beat column of a local daily newspaper. Darnell's article reminded me of that and makes me want to put in the effort to seek out more. Reading great writing can only help me as I work to be the best writer I can be.

Santa the Slam Dancer

Writing about Christmas songs in my last entry got me thinking about some of my other favorite Christmas memories. This one is care of MTV in the '90s, back when I watched it all the time, back when it played music videos all the time, back when those videos were from artists I really liked. Enjoy!

Just Hear Those Sleigh Bells Jingling

Two weeks ago I began my annual ritual of skipping past two different radio stations because they both play nothing but Christmas music beginning a few days before Thanksgiving and ending Dec. 26. It used to be that Christmas music was relegated to the month of December, but then it started sneaking closer and closer to Thanksgiving. This year, station No. 1 started playing Christmas music a full week before Thanksgiving, meaning its listeners are being subjected to a full five weeks of holiday music.

I don't dislike all Christmas music, but after being in the Holiday Fling in high school where I had to spend two weeks listening to "Sleigh Ride" over and over again during rehearsals and then over and over again at my seasonal mall job, followed by two Christmases at a store where listening to an all-Christmas-music-all-the-time radio station was required, I've gotten over most Christmas music, at least the bad stuff (and believe me, a lot of it is bad, really bad).

Instead of focusing on the bad Christmas music currently clogging the air waves at stations across the country, I thought I would list the Christmas songs that I actually look forward to hearing every year:

• Band Aid – "Do They Know It's Christmas"
  Without this song there would be no "We Are the World," no Live Aid. Hearing this song reminds me of the impact we can make in the world, at the holidays and all year long.
  
  
• The Chipmunks – "Christmas Don't Be Late"
  OK, it's a little cheesy, but this song makes me want to skip around the house. It's so sweet, so fun, so innocent, so wonderful. Cameron Crowe saw fit to use it in "Almost Famous," what better recommendation do you need?
  
  
• Everclear – "Hating You for Christmas"
  If you listen all the way through Everclear's fantastic "So Much for the Afterglow," you will find this rocking, spiteful song about the person who messed with your heart and your head, who's moved on from you before you can move on from them, so you'll spend this holiday wishing them ill.
  
  
• John Lennon – "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)"
  So many people have covered this song because it's amazing and powerful, but the original always wins, hands down.
  
  
• U2 – "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)"
  It's U2 doing '60s girl group rock for charity. What could be better?
  
  
• The Waitresses – "Christmas Wrapping"
  It doesn't feel like Christmas until I hear this song. It's fun, it's snippy, it has a horn section, it makes me want to pogo. Save Ferris' reworking is great and the Spice Girls' remake was decent, but the original of this song, like "Happy Xmas," is the best way to go.

Last night I went to see Dashboard Confessional and New Found Glory at the Glass House with my brother. Thought I've seen both bands before, I own nothing by Dashboard Confessional and only the two "From the Screen to Your Stereo" covers CDs from New Found Glory so I was more of an observer last night, totally content to witness the intensity of the fandom both of these bands inspire, particularly Dashboard. Chris Carrabba, lead singer, guitarist, songwriter, emo god, does an opening strum and the crowd goes nuts, he sings a few lines and then steps back from the mic because the crowd will carry the rest.

I know that most performers hand off to the crowd from time to time, but that experience at a Dashboard Confessional show is like no other. The intensity, devotion and sincerity that band's fans have for the music, for the band is so far beyond anything I've ever witnessed or been a part of. It's incredible.

We All Have Wings

I went to see the undisputed king of the blues at Cal State San Bernardino on Thursday night. I will be completely honest and say I know very little about Mr. King's music, what I do know is he is one of the most influential guitar players of all time and I love what he did with U2 on "When Love Comes to Town."

He actually did include a bit of "When Love Comes to Town" during his two-hour set on Thursday (that's right, two hours, and, yes, he is 84 years old). He also told stories about his life in Mississippi, played up to the women in the audience (we're all angels without wings, according to Mr. King) and let Lucille do her thing. His orchestra is amazing and helps Mr. King put on a fun and classy show that reminded me of what going to big band shows must have been like in the '40s and '50s when everyone was dressed to the nines (everyone in his band was in a tuxedo and all of his support staff wore suits). I was really surprised no one in the audience was dancing, because the music being played made me want to put on some amazing strappy shoes, curl my hair just right and wear the greatest dress with the most twirly skirt and dance the night away.

A year or two ago, John Mayer wrote on one of his many blogs that if given the chance to see Ray Charles perform live today, we'd all go, but we do still have that chance with BB King and need to take it. I'm so glad I did.

Saturday night, I did my best homage to Madonna circa 1984 with a giant bow tied in my hugely curly hair, flippy skirt, cut-off fishnets, fingerless gloves and scrunched socks to check out my friends in The Joshua Tree, the best U2 tribute band around. The band played Save New Wave II at the House of Blues with Blasphemous Rumours, a Depeche Mode tribute band, The Cured, a Cure tribute band, and INXS-ive, an INXS tribute band (who's keyboard player/background vocalist was on a few episodes of "Gilmore Girls," how cool is that?).

Joshua Tree always puts on great shows and delivered again on Saturday with its take on U2's famous Red Rocks concert from 1983. If you are at all a fan of U2, go check out Joshua Tree, you will not be disappointed.

The treat of the evening was INXS-ive. I love INXS so much but only got to see the band live once in 1997, just a few months before lead singer extraordinaire Michael Hutchence died. To be in a room with other people singing and dancing to the band's music was so much, but that INXS-ive did a really good job bringing the band's music to life made it all the more better. Saturday also marked the 12th anniversary of Michael's death and when the band played "Never Tear Us Apart" in his memory, the room went nuts. It was a great tribute to a great artist.

A Few Things

Short update. I got the new John Mayer on Monday night thanks to preordering it from his site (bless you John Mayer and Co. for having those shipped out early!). After a few listens, I'm still letting it sink in and will write up a proper review soon.

Tonight, I am going to see Mr. BB King in concert at Cal State San Bernardino. I am expecting to be blown away by this living guitar legend and will provide a full report on that as well.

Finally, the African Well Fund's annual Got Water? auction ended on Monday to great results. The totals will be announced soon, but thank you to everyone who placed a bid. I'm very excited that the Weezer-autographed water bottle I wrote about last time is going to a good home and that we were able to raise more money to help us fund clean water and sanitation projects in Africa.

If you're looking for a great gift for that hard-to-shop-for person on your holiday list, AWF well shares are available in any amount. You can also benefit AWF by shopping from our affiliate partners or selecting AWF as your beneficiary when you use GoodShop.

Raditude!

I was out of town all last week for work so didn't get to pick up Weezer's latest, "Raditude," until Saturday. Good thing that, because when I pulled up to the Best Buy, there was a group of kids queued up to meet the band. The band had been doing in-store appearances at Best Buys in the area to promote the new album and I thought I'd missed my chance, but on Saturday I bought my CD, got my wristband, joined the line and got to meet the band. I got a water bottle signed by Brian, Pat, Rivers and Scott that is now being auctioned to benefit the African Well Fund.

On the fandom scale, my feelings for Weezer find me somewhere between radio fan and diehard. I do own all the band's albums but not the rarities; I've seen the band live three times but only as an opener, never the headliner. I'm not in the fan club but news of new Weezer music always makes me happy because I think the band makes really great pop music.

Weezer is once again delivering delicious, addictive pop music with "Raditude." I've been listening to the two-disc deluxe edition on constant repeat all week because the songs are so sunny and rocking and energetic and wonderful. They've got me speeding up and pounding on the steering wheel and generally enjoying the hours I have to spend in the car each day.

The album is really tight and consistent, even with the four additional tracks on the bonus CD there isn't a single song I feel like skipping. Of course, a few songs are sticking out to me more than others. Lead single "(If You're Wondering if I Want You To) I Want You To" is so yummy and satisfying, a fun anthem for the romantically challenged. The song's clapping and skiffle-style guitar work hit me just right. "I Don't Want to Let You Go" features these beautifully thick, chiming guitar notes that remind me of old surf guitar ballads. "Love Is the Answer" meshes blissful sitar music with lush beats and sweetly optimistic lyrics to create a song that gives me no other choice than to swing my hips and sway my arms.

All the songs on "Raditude" feature the rapid-fire sing-along lyrics, shredding guitar and bouncy rhythms I've turned to Weezer to provide me with for 15 years. This is a band that's kept me dancing, kept me singing, kept me smiling through a lot, and still is. God bless Weezer and God bless pop music.

And I've been meaning to talk up this TV show since I first saw it earlier this year and now have the perfect opportunity since SoapNet (a total guilty pleasure destination with its reruns of "The OC," the original "90210" and "One Tree Hill") is currently rerunning its first season. The show is "Being Erica" and is about a 32-year-old English major whose work life and personal life just didn't turn out the way she thought they would when she was a promising, ambitious teenager. She gets help dealing with all of life's disappointments from a therapist who not only gives her the chance the learn from the past, but to change it as well.

There aren't a lot of shows about someone my age, someone going through exactly what I'm going through, so I give it points for that straight away, but the show is also honest and awkward and silly and sweet and just great fun. Season two starts in January so SOAPnet is rerunning the entire first season Saturdays and Sundays to get everyone caught up (FIOS offers it On Demand, too).