If you aren't a music-lover, this post will probably just be long, boring, and perhaps confusing. But I wrote this for myself, so I understand if I'm the only one who reads it.
Anyone who knows me well, knows that I've been a huge fan of music my entire life. It's a beautiful constant in life, music. It's there when you're happy to make you dance, there when you're sad to let you know that someone else has felt the same way, and there when you're lonely, as another voice in the room. I've been relying on it very heavily with the move, since I don't know many people in Oslo yet. It's nice to have a friendly, familiar voice in the room.
So, I give you the soundtrack of my life. I went back to as early as I can remember being excited about good tunes, and picked a song that I felt was sort of defining for that year of my life. It was really fun to go back and reminisce. Nothing strikes up a memory in my mind like a song. Okay, maybe a picture. But pictures go better with songs, don't they?
Year: 1987
Age: 5
Song: "I Think We're Alone Now" by Tiffany
Rationale: I clearly remember staring at the tape longingly in the glass case at the record store until my mom bought it for me. Yes, my mom took me to the record store when I was little. Because she's cool (thanks Mom!).
Year: 1988
Age: 6
Song: "You Got It (The Right Stuff)" by New Kids on the Block
Rationale: Not sure if it was the music itself (probably not), or Joey McIntyre, but I sure was smitten. I remember dancing to this video in front of the TV.
Year: 1989
Age: 7
Song: "Electric Youth" by Debbie Gibson
Rationale: You can't fight it. I really wanted Debbie's jacket and hat from this album cover.
Year: 1990
Age: 8
Song: "Step by Step" by New Kids on the Block
Rationale: This was the summer I went to the NKOTB concert at Driller's Stadium in Tulsa. I wore my Joey t-shirt, tied on the side with a plastic clip. It was freaking magical. On the first day of school, we had to say a highlight from the summer. You know what mine was.
Year: 1991
Age: 9
Song: "Baby Baby" by Amy Grant
Rationale: I'm sorry. I reached into the depths of my mind to find someone (anyone!) else that I was more excited about than Amy Grant this year. She was it for me.
Year: 1992
Age: 10
Song: "Jeremy" by Pearl Jam
Rationale: It's a huge step going from Amy Grant to PJ. This was the beginning of the grunge era of my youth, and a transition out of the terrible music of the previous years. This video was creepy at the age of 10. But Eddie Vedder's voice kept me coming back for more.
Year: 1993
Age: 11
Song: "The Sign" by Ace of Base
Rationale: A brief relapse into terrible music. I requested the hell out of this song on the radio.
Year: 1994
Age: 12
Song: "Interstate Love Song" by Stone Temple Pilots
Rationale: Ahh, 7th grade angst and awkwardness. This was a big year for me musically…it's hard to pick one. It was toss-up between this and Greenday's "Basketcase." But I think I liked STP more.
Year: 1995
Age: 13
Song: "Glycerine" by Bush
Rationale: Gavin Rossdale gave me the chills. Pretty sure I had a poster of him. Went to a Bush concert. Thought I was awesome.
Year: 1996
Age: 14
Song: "Ironic" by Alanis Morissette
Rationale: It wasn't until high school that people told me I looked like Alanis. I wish they'd told me in 8th grade. It would've made my year.
Year: 1997
Age: 15
Song: "One Headlight" by The Wallflowers
Rationale: Ahh, Jakob Dylan. His lovely face was on the first issue of Rolling Stone I ever bought, in 1997. I loved this whole album, and listened to it repeatedly.
Year: 1998
Age: 16
Song: "Shimmer" by Fuel
Rationale: Tell me this song didn't make you want to rock out. I remember rocking out to it pretty hardcore at a Fuel show in T-town.
Year: 1999
Age: 17
Song: "Two Step" by Dave Matthews Band
Rationale: Thus begins my love affair with DMB. From 1999-2003, I traipsed to any show within driving distance of Tulsa - so St. Louis, KC, Dallas, and OKC. This song was released earlier than 1999, but I started really loving this song at shows.
Year: 2000
Age: 18
Song: "Take a Picture" by Filter
Rationale: For some reason, 2000 is fuzzy when it comes to good songs. But this was always a fave, so I'll go with it. Think I was still listening to a lot of DMB at the time, so maybe not a lot of variety in my rotation in those days.
Year: 2001
Age: 19
Song: "Anything You Want" by Spoon
Rationale: Britt Daniel is a god, and I got to meet him at an A.C. Newman show in Portland last year. I was ridiculously giddy, and told him I had loved his music for a very long time. He was very nice, and didn't treat me like the lunatic that I was. I've loved Spoon for a long, long time. True story: My car was totaled when a lady slammed into me at a stoplight (everyone was fine, thankfully), and I was listening to this album at the time. Afterward, I was able to fish the CD player and this CD out of the wreckage. True story.
Year: 2002
Age: 20
Song: "Fell in Love With a Girl" by The White Stripes
Rationale: Have you heard this song? If you can't rock out to this, I'm not sure you can rock out to anything.
Year: 2003
Age: 21
Song: "Bowl of Oranges" by Bright Eyes
Rationale: It's funny, but Conor Oberst has always had a way of saying how I feel at different stages in life. Thanks, Conor.
Year: 2004
Age: 22
Song: "The Sound of Settling" by Death Cab for Cutie
Rationale: This is the year I graduated from college, and moved across the country for grad school at the University of Oregon. Where I didn't know a single soul. And then I met some of my favorite people, and had some of the most fun I've ever had. I'll never forget how I felt for most of 2004, on the brink of a great adventure. This song always got me excited.
Year: 2005
Age: 23
Song: "Birmingham 1982" by Maria Taylor
Rationale: This song makes me very sentimental for some reason. Makes me tear up sometimes. I used it in the childhood pictures portion of our wedding video, and thought it was perfect for that. Maria's voice is beautiful.
Year: 2006
Age: 24
Song: "The Funeral" by Band of Horses
Rationale: This is one of my favorite albums, ever. I've seen them play twice, and this song rocks live. This is also the year I moved to Portland, and I usually have a deep affinity for music I'm listening to during a major life change.
Year: 2007
Age: 25
Song: "I Feel It All" by Feist
Rationale: I love Feist's voice. Got to see her at the Schnitz in Portland, and she is lovely live.
Year: 2008
Age: 26
Song: "L.E.S. Artistes" by Santigold
Rationale: Ken and I usually listened to/sang this song in the car on roadtrips around Oregon. Maybe that's why I like it so much. Ken and Oregon roadtrips are pretty fantastic.
Year: 2009
Age: 27
Song: "Kids" by MGMT
Rationale: This song has gotten my blood pumping on many a run. It just gets me going. And makes me want to dance, especially while I'm running.
Year: 2010
Age: 28
Song: "Zebra" by Beach House
Rationale: I remember putting this song on my headphones for the first time while spreadsheeting away in my cubicle. It was beautiful. And they're the first show I'll see in Oslo. So again with the love of the music during the transition periods of my life.
If you made it here, I'm impressed. Thanks for listening.
