music + valerie = emotions!

There’s something about David Bazan’s voice that makes me incredibly homesick. Maybe because my Pedro the Lion love affair happened while I was still in Iowa. Maybe because I just feel like I need to feel something when I hear him. In this instance, the song Options did me in. So I started thinking (yep.. it happens) about how some songs remind me of specific events, make me feel a certain way, and how I listen to those songs when I feel that way once again. What’s about to happen in this post feels very self-aggrandizing, but hey.. it’s fun. At least for me. :) Here are the songs with the specific event (or events) of which they remind me.

Parantheses - The Blow
I can just picture Claire acting this song out from across the corner when we were working opposite carts. It just makes me want to bounce up and down and hug everyone.

This Year - The Mountain Goats

Fall on the floor crying, heartbroken, felt like my life was over sad. I used to sing “I’m gonna make it through this year if it kills me” while fighting back tears like a big ol’ baby. Now I listen to this song without crying.

Elephant Woman - Blonde Redhead
Winter in Iowa, riding a city bus at night, staring longingly out the window and looking and everything as if I were in a movie. It really did feel like I was in a movie at the time.

If You Find Yourself Caught In Love - Belle and Sebastian
I’m sure you can guess what this memory involves. Lots of uncontrollable smiles and butterflies.

What’s the Altitude - Cut Chemist
This just reminds me of Tim Hackbarth because he introduced me to this band. When I disappeared into boyfriend-land for far too long, he accepted me with open arms when I realized I was a jerk for ditching my friends.

Fa-Fa-Fa - Datarock
Training for my marathon. I used to listen to this on my weekday runs, and I couldn’t help but mouth along (and look like a total weirdo).

Solid Gold - Eagles of Death Metal
This reminds me of the lovely Katherine Beavers. When we’d work at the stand together, we’d both yell “SWEAT!” at each other in time with the song. She introduced me to the joys of this song.

I was about to list a bunch of songs with specific gyrostand memories, but instead, I’ll just make one list of them, since the memory would be something like “I listened to this a lot during work and it was on every playlist I made.”
Saves the Day - Atmosphere
Blood on our Hands - Death From Above 1979
Toxic - Britney Spears (damn, right)
Hustle Formation - The Go! Team
Pink Motorcycle Helmet - Thunderbirds are Now!

I could probably go on, but I’ll stop. Really, this just makes me want to go through old playlists and listen to what I used to listen to in my gyrostand days.