the oracle: listening Archives

listening

September 3, 2008

seems destiny ends with me saving you

As of yesterday, the Dr. Horrible soundtrack is available on iTunes. I like the "Horrible Theme," "My Freeze Ray," "A Man's Gotta Do," "Brand New Day," and "So They Say," but I think my favorite is "My Eyes."

Posted by oracle at 7:19 AM | Comments (0)

August 1, 2008

don't go away mad

So, I'm kind of in love with Mötley Crüe. As I've mentioned before, I've got a huge crush on Nikki Sixx, I'm developing a similar (if somewhat lesser) crush on Vince Neil after seeing them play live, and I've listened to at least one Mötley Crüe song every day since Crüe Fest. I can always find one of their songs that I'm in the mood to hear. My favorites include the following (somewhat lengthy) list:
"Kickstart My Heart"
"Shout At The Devil"
"Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)"
"Hell In High Heels"
"Too Young To Fall In Love"
"New Tattoo"
"You're All Need"
"Smokin' In The Boys Room"
"Looks That Kill"
"Saints Of Los Angeles"
"Motherfucker Of The Year"
"Toast Of The Town"

Hearing any song from that list evokes the same response from me that most AC/DC songs do - namely, excited squeaking and clapping of hands as I reach to turn up the volume. When Mike asks what I want to listen to in the truck, the answer is almost always the same: Mötley Crüe! I can't wait till their next concert in our area (hopefully it is on a non-kid weekend. I'd love to actually meet Nikki Sixx this time.

Posted by oracle at 9:09 AM | Comments (0)

April 4, 2008

music just for me

I wasn't in Borders long when I went last week, but I was there long enough for them to play Bryan Adam's "Heaven," and Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart." <3

Posted by oracle at 4:54 AM | Comments (0)

April 3, 2008

From the Screen to Your Stereo, Vol. 2

New Found Glory covering "Hungry Eyes" and "The King of Wishful Thinking"? I'm in love. In fact, I'm kinda crushing on the whole album, especially the afore-mentioned songs and "Iris," "Crazy For You," "Stay (I Missed You)," and "The Promise." I predict that my co-workers are going to be hearing this album on repeat tomorrow.

Posted by oracle at 8:23 PM | Comments (2)

January 13, 2008

remember when we first had the thought of living?

Egypt Central's album is coming out on Tuesday! Now I'll finally get to see if I like the rest of the album as much as I like "Over and Under".

Posted by oracle at 8:51 PM | Comments (0)

December 19, 2007

I wish I could shake some sense into you and walk out the door

Last night was one of music nostalgia. Better Than Ezra - Porcelain, Chris Knight - Oil Patch Town, The Crystals - Then He Kissed Me, The Righteous Brothers - You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin', Mark Chesnutt - Almost Goodbye/I Just Wanted You To Know, Loreena McKennitt - Bonny Portmore, Queen - Princes Of The Universe, Mark Collie - Even the Man in the Moon is Cryin', Clay Walker - What's It To You/Where Do I Fit In The Picture, Aaron Tippin - Working Man's Ph.d., George Strait - Amarillo By Morning, John Berry - I Think About It All the Time/What's In It For Me, Metallica - Turn The Page. Each song is an emotional bookmark, an instant connection to a memory and a feeling, and listening to them last night felt like going through bunch of old photographs.

Posted by oracle at 2:06 PM | Comments (0)

won't look back when I say goodbye

I've been loving Simple Plan's new song, "When I'm Gone," ever since Mike called it to my attention last week. The video for it, however, is another story entirely. I like the idea, that the chick sees him everywhere, but I could do without the weird lines during the scenes with the band.

PS: I am not thrilled about having to wait till February for their new album. I want it NOW, dammit.

Posted by oracle at 9:44 AM | Comments (0)

October 5, 2007

in which our heroine needs to pay closer attention to track listing info

I saw Better Than Ezra with Karinne and her husband in 2000 when they came to the Warner Theater in DC with The Calling. The Calling was the reason I wanted to go to the show, but after seeing BTE play I was a fan. The energy was contagious, the crowd was very into them, and the music was extremely catchy. The only disappointment was that they played a lot of songs from Closer, their new album at the time, so I had to wait until it was released to be able to hear those songs again. "Porcelain," "Misunderstood," and "Good" are my favorite BTE songs, but until yesterday I didn't realize that "Good" is on one of the albums I have (Deluxe and Closer). While I may have known that at one point, for at least the past four years I have been under the impression it was on an album I didn't have. I finally figured it out last night when I tried to find out the name of the album it was on, and, boy, do I feel stupid.

Posted by oracle at 8:02 AM | Comments (0)

August 30, 2007

there's a lightning storm each and every night

I've been loving Alkaline Trio's Crimson album lately. I've had it for quite a while, but when I got it I only listened to the one song off of it that I'd fallen in love with (as I'm wont to do), completely ignoring the rest of the album until last week when my iPod shuffled it to my attention. I can't believe I didn't pick up on the fact that the entire fucking album is fantastic before now. The songs that are currently grabbing my attention are "I Was a Prayer," "Smoke," "Mercy Me," and "Burn," but, really, those are just the ones I can easily remember the names of - the other songs on the album are just as good. <3

Posted by oracle at 7:27 AM | Comments (2)

August 1, 2007

the hills are aliiiive with the sound of muuuuusic

Things I learned while listening to the radio on the way home yesterday was a learning experience.

1) Matchbox Twenty is back together and has a new song out. I'm a little disappointed that I didn't love it immediately like "Push" and "Real World" (really, all the songs off their Yourself or Someone Like You album), but I haven't decided whether or not I like it yet. I suspect that will take a couple more listens.

2) Fuel's new album is being released next Tuesday. I'd heard "Wasted Time," the first single from it, before, but yesterday was the first time I heard which band played it. I really like it, and the new lead singer, Toryn Green, does a good job on the vocals, but I can't help but think that I'd like it better if it was Brett singing. Regardless, I'm still going to pick up the album when it's out. I'm just glad the new lead singer's not Chris freaking Daughtry.

Posted by oracle at 1:42 PM | Comments (0)

June 29, 2007

poppy vices

Mine: The Backstreet Boys are releasing a new album this year. (I thought it was going to be sometime this summer, but it appears I might have misheard and it will really be out sometime in the fall.) Trufax*: the only BSB album I do not have is their greatest hits album.

His: The Spice Girls are back together and are kicking off an 11-city tour in LA this December. (I'm not much of a Spice Girls fan, but I'm eternally grateful that out of all the bands from that timeframe, Mike likes them more than he likes OMC.)

*stolen from Karinne, like everything else (and, like everything else, there is a good chance I am not using it properly)

Posted by oracle at 3:38 PM | Comments (1)

May 23, 2007

I'm not going away

I'm listening to Ozzy's new album (Black Rain) thanks to my super-awesome husband, and it's pretty good. As usual, I love some of the songs and there are some that I just like, but none of the songs on the album are something I'd skip over.

Posted by oracle at 7:45 AM | Comments (0)

May 10, 2007

maybe just a smile

"Got You (Where I Want You)" has been going through my head lately. I love the song so that's not of the bad, but it is a little surprising given that I haven't heard anything from or about The Flys since this song came out. I realized that I didn't have their album in my iTunes on either computer (yeah, I'm still transferring everything over) so I dug it out of my box of cds in the garage and got my fix a few minutes ago.

This song takes me back to the summers of 1998 and 1999, a timeframe in which Karinne and I saw a LOT of movies, including Disturbing Behavior. "Got You (Where I Want You)" was the only song I liked on the Disturbing Behavior soundtrack, so I picked up The Flys album Holiday Man (which turned out to be not much better at all) instead. Can't Hardly Wait was another movie from that summer, and it's soundtrack is chock full of musical goodness, including "Paradise City" (my personal favorite from the album). I do a little dance every time I hear the opening notes to that song no matter how many times I've heard it recently, and like all of my favorite songs, it's always a little better if I hear it on the radio. Satellite, terrestrial, it doesn't matter - I like getting surprised with it, like a present just for me.

I have a special place in my heart for soundtracks anyways, regardless of whether or not they're from that summer. The 10 Things I Hate About You soundtrack is a great one, as is soundtrack from The New Guy (I LOVE SR-71's "Let It Whip"). Another of my favorite soundtracks is, of course, Buffy The Vampire Slayer: The Album. There are only a few songs on that one that I don't care for. (Radio Sunnydale is good too, but I'm not in love with as many songs on it.)

But no matter how much I love all of my soundtracks, if I could only have one in my collection, there's no question in my mind which one I would choose: the soundtrack from Top Gun. The only thing that would have made that any better is if they'd included "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' " on it.

Posted by oracle at 8:57 PM | Comments (0)

May 8, 2007

the elephants left town

"How Bizarre" was way overplayed when it was first released. I didn't hate it the very first time I heard it, but after hearing it every five minutes on the radio for a while, I was more than ready for it to fade away, and even now, almost 10 years later, I can't seem to get away from it. It's stuck in my head right now because, for the second time in the past week, I heard it this morning on my way in. For some reason I associate it with cheerleading camp, so every time I hear it I remember practicing cheers in the gym, snobs, and awful, horrible uniforms.

Posted by oracle at 8:05 AM | Comments (2)

May 4, 2007

every time I look around

I'm still not a fan of that song, but it was what was playing on the radio this morning on my way to the gym. (Yes, I live less than two miles away from my gym - possibly more like one - and I still drive there. It is less of a lazy thing than it is a paranoia one: 4am + me + our not-as-well-lit-as-I'd-like subdivision = a very jittery Kate.)

So the neurologist appointment was both a trial and a tribble-ation (hello, nerd roots). Yesterday was not a good day to leave work early because of last-minute preparations for a super-big meeting today, but since I'd had the appointment for several weeks, there was no way I was going to cancel. The last-minute meeting prep kept me there a good 30 minutes later than I'd planned, and that meant I was cutting things awfully close for my appointment (mistake #1). As I mentioned yesterday, I had paperwork to fill out that I put off until the last damn minute, which was ridiculous seeing as how I'd had over a damn MONTH to fill in the various blanks (mistake #2). I pulled into the parking lot with 5 minutes to spare, so I quickly filled in the blanks I hadn't had time to complete at work, then started to walk inside until I noticed that the door said "gynecology" instead of "neurology." Apparently I didn't look close enough at the signage when I parked (mistake #4). Or read the address (mistake #5). A more detailed survey of the area made it quite clear that I was not in the right area, so I got directions from one of the receptionists in the gynecologists office (mistake #6), who told me that the neurologist was in another building. I got back in my car, drove to that building, found one of the last parking spots in the entire lot, and scampered into the building. But when I was reading the sign in the lobby, I couldn't see the right doctor's name on there anywhere. At that point I called the doctor's office like I should've in the very beginning. I got better directions, explained the situation (v. embarrassing, btw. I worked in a doctor's office, for Pete's sake; I should know better!), and got to the right place just a few minutes after I was supposed to have been there. I parked in front of the wrong building, but at that point, I didn't care. The receptionist was very patient with me, and the doctor didn't even realize I was a few minutes late, but it was still not how I prefer to kick off an appointment with a new doctor.

It is very difficult to fill out a sheet detailing things about your headaches when you get two very different types of headaches with a few symptoms that overlap. The doctor was nice and paid close attention while I was talking about the various symptoms of the headaches, then he started asking a variety of questions to try to figure out what some of my triggers are, for both the migraines and the other headaches. One of the ingredients in one of my allergy prescriptions is more than likely responsible for some, if not all, the other headaches, and he recommended I keep a log to track some of the various triggers for my migraines. Hormones also appear to play a part in my migraines, but I don't have to look at eliminating the birth control pills until after we've tried everything else with no results. He also mentioned the possibility that I could have fibromyalgia and commented that my TMJ problems could be a trigger as well. My MRI was fine though, so at least I know none of this is thanks to a brain tumor.

For the next six weeks I need to write down pretty much everything I do and note when I get headaches and what kind they are so we can figure out what's setting them off. After that, he suggested that we try tweaking things to eliminate as many of my triggers as possible (chocolate, if you turn out to be bad for me, I will be devastated), and if none of that works, then we'll start looking at preventative medicines. Before I left, he also recommended a book to help me figure some of this stuff out. I'm nervous about trying to determine my triggers on my own over the next few weeks (what if I miss something?), but I like that giving me more prescriptions wasn't his first suggestion. I'd rather make small lifestyle changes first and then look at other options if those aren't working.

Posted by oracle at 5:00 AM | Comments (0)

April 19, 2007

let the record play

Still into Good Morning Revival and still sloooowly repopulating my iTunes library. I should be getting ready for our trip, but thus far my only attempt at packing has been to get out my Fox duffle bag and leave it in the back of the closet for when I do start packing. We're taking the puppies to my sister's house tonight, and have I gotten any of their stuff together yet? Not unless thinking about it counts. Hell, I haven't even written up a packing list yet, which is quite an anomaly for me - I usually make that list days before I need to even begin thinking about packing. Time to get out one of my gajillion steno pads and get down to business.

Posted by oracle at 7:14 AM | Comments (0)

April 18, 2007

keep your hands off my girl

I like the new Good Charlotte album (Good Morning Revival). Sure, there are some songs I like more than others, but the bottom line is it's an album I can listen to in the background without having to worry about diving for my iPod in time to skip a song because I can't stand it. My current favorite tracks are "All Black," "Broken Heart Parade," "Break Apart Her Heart," "Something Else," "Keep Your Hands Off My Girl," "The River," and "Dance Floor Anthem."

Posted by oracle at 5:08 AM | Comments (0)

April 6, 2007

those were the best days of my life

My iPod knows me so well when it comes to Bryan Adams. I'm listening to So Far So Good on shuffle and it started by playing my favorite songs from the album ("Run To You," "Heaven," "(Everything I Do) I Do it For You," and "Summer of '69") in a row.

Posted by oracle at 7:30 AM | Comments (0)

February 27, 2007

what the hell, XM?

Dear XM,

I am concerned about some of the song selections on your channels this week, specifically Squizz and the Bone Yard. While I love BuckCherry, neither they nor "Crazy Bitch" belong on the Bone Yard at this point. I'll be okay with it in 10+ years or so, but I think playing them now is a bit premature, to say the least. Also, Nickelback is no longer Squizz material. If the song had been one of their earlier efforts, say, "Not Leavin' Yet," perhaps, I wouldn't have had an issue, but I have yet to hear a song from their new album that is Squizz-worthy. I am hoping that these two instances are just blips, that the Squizz and the Bone Yard will soon be back to normal.

Sincerely,
Kate

PS: Was it necessary to have K-Fed do a commercial for the top 20 channel? I mean, really.

Posted by oracle at 5:44 PM | Comments (0)

what the hell, XM?

Dear XM,

Sincerely,
Kate

PS: Was it necessary to have K-Fed do a commercial for the top 20 channel? I mean, really.

Posted by tayker at 5:44 PM | Comments (0)

endorphins > caffeine

Maybe it's the endorphins, but I'm having a great morning. Even my still-persistent headache isn't putting a damper on things. I heard "I'll Be" on the way in this morning, from the very first sax note. I love that song. I've loved it since the first time I heard it (spring of '99, in the car on the way to the beach for a weekend away with my mom, sister, a family friend, and her daughter), and it's one of the rare songs that I haven't gotten burned out on, no matter how frequently I heard it on the radio. Good Charlotte's "Girls and Boys" was also on this morning's XM soundtrack, and I love that one too. I didn't hear all of it, but I came in before my favorite part, so I was still happy. If I could just keep my sock from slipping off my heel, my morning would be perfect.

Posted by oracle at 7:11 AM | Comments (0)

January 19, 2007

damn you, American Idol

The earth is doomed. It began reluctantly with Kelly Clarkson and "Miss Independent." Shortly after that, I grudgingly discovered that I liked "Invisible" by Clay Aiken. When Mike bought both of Kelly Clarkson's albums, I officially had to admit that I'm kind of a fan. Last year Bo Bice got a (tiny) foothold with "The Real Thing," Mike and I went to a Kelly Clarkson concert, and I was sideswiped with Carrie Underwood's "Before He Cheats." A couple months ago I gave Daughtry a listen and discovered that, not only did I not hate them as much as I thought would, I actually liked them enough to by their album. (I am still not pleased that Fuel wanted to get Chris Daughtry as a replacement for Brett Scallions though.) As if all that wasn't bad enough, I heard a song on the way in this morning that I really liked, so I looked it up a few minutes ago only to find out that I've been suckered in by Kellie Pickler with her "Red High Heels." I'm almost afraid to ask what's next.

Posted by oracle at 6:21 AM | Comments (0)

May 23, 2006

promiscuous girl

a couple random music thoughts:

Metallica's "Purify" is awful, and I'm still trying to figure out why it was being played on XM 22.

This must be one of my conservative little old lady moments, because the first time I saw "Promiscuous Girl" on my MyFi display, my initial response was one of mild disapproval. I can't put the reason into words right now, but I think it has to do with the negative connotations of "promiscuous" and the "men + lots of sex = studs, women + lots of sex = sluts" double standard. In related news, seeing "I'm in Love With a Stripper" on the screen never fails to get an eye roll as I change the station.

Posted by oracle at 7:22 AM | Comments (0)