Week 5: Forgive & Forget, Jezli

Forgive and forget is a concept that has always come hard to me. I'm not much of a forgetter when it comes to life experiences (keys are another story) so you can imagine how much of a stretch it is for me to forgive. For my "F&F" playlist, I've constructed a 3-part story. The first part of the playlist talks about hope and love and feeling like you've got it right at last. Then The Weepies take you by surprise with "All Good Things." While you're still trying to figure out exactly what changed, Rilo Kiley takes you through that denial and equivocation. You get angry. And then sad, And then indignant. But you and I both know that "Today Will Be Better, I Swear."

I've chosen to end the playlist with Cat Power's "Lived in Bars" because it is triumphant. It is the only song on here that truly forgives and forgets and just parties in the wake of the new day, but I believe that the act of forgiving and the process of forgetting has more to do with the tumult of the journey that got you there than the phrase "forgive and forget" implies.

Forgive and Forget, Jezli

**In case you missed the memo last time, I'm going to be using Grooveshark to share my tunes. It's an amazing online music sharing community that pays the artists every time you listen to them--at no cost to y-o-U!

01 - The xx - Stars

02 - Remioromen - 3gatsu 9ka

03 - Cheer Chen - The Failure Of Flight

04 - Emmanuel Moire - Mon Essentiel

05 - The Weepies - All Good Things

06 - Rilo Kiley - Portions for Foxes

07 - Tegan and Sara - The Con

08 - Cold War Kids - Hang Me Up To Dry

09 - Waking Ashland - Shades Of Gray

10 - Jenny Owen Youngs - Fuck Was I

11 - Bon Iver - Skinny Love

12 - Stars - Today Will Be Better, I Swear

13 - Stevie Nicks - Some Become Strangers

14 - Cat Power - Lived In Bars

Week 3: Free Ballin' Friday

Freeballin' Friday was definitely thought up by Jezli. We had a song to go with it and everything (see below), but she ended up ditching me for Coachella, and decided that she would be way more bad ass than I am. But she did give me some songs to play. I think her intention was to play songs that shouldn't be songs. Like really bad, horrible songs that make you take your hands off the bike your riding and start swerving in a suicidal fashion just to stop your ears from bleeding so copiously that you attract vampires from Transylvania or leeches from the swampy depths of the Floridian... swamps. Or possibly leeches from East Germany or the Niagra area. Take your pick, but they're coming.

Anyway, I decided to not care about that and made up my own playlist.

So, for Freballin' Friday, I did songs that Jezli would probably not think should be songs, but I love them anyway.

Then my stupid cousin and his stupid friend (only stupid because we have very different tastes in music and in fact neither of them are that stupid in other senses) came over and had to add in their own songs. They definitely didn't think the songs I picked should be actual songs. They're bitches.

"Fat Children" by Jarvis Crocker - I didn't pick this song, Jezli did. It is creepy.

"The Undertaker's Thirst For Revenge Is Unquenchable (The Final Battle)" by Chiodos - I didn't pick this song either, Kendall did. It is sucky.

"Down At McDonnelzz" by Electric Six - I did pick this song. I really like it. It's so funny and awkward. Normally, I hate electronica but this song is crazy and so fun to listen to. I'm usually a lyrics person, but this is just epic. I think it's great and I don't care what anyone thinks.

"Let's Make Love And Listen To Death From Above" by Cansei de Ser Sexy - I didn't pick this song, Jezli did. I have no opinion on it. Actually, it's pretty cool, I'll give it that.

"Holiday" by Doktor Kosmos - This song has a very special meaning for me. MacBeth and I were both big fans of One Tree Hill and one episode Lucas and Nathan have to take a road trip together. They only have one tape with this song on it. She gave me my first iTunes card for my birthday and this was the first song I bought. On our first road trip, I played it for her! Not only is it a fun and happy song, it always reminds me of her. (YouTube video is hilarious. Very Napoleon Dynamite esque.)

"Hi" by Psapp - I like the clanky musical sound in this song. I also like the use of the word abacus. It's groovy.

"Dance Or Die [The Secret Handshake Han Valen Remix]" by Family Force 5 - Family Force 5 is not a band that garners a lot of respect from the musical world, but I freaking LOVE them. If you ever see them live, it'll be one of the best shows you ever go to. They put so much effort and passion and energy into their performances that it's hard not to love them. When I met them at Spirit West Coast, sometime around midnight after greeting over 300 fans, I was the last in line (sneakily snuck in by some friends working the line) and I told ChapStique that I FF5 was my favorite performers and he smiled brightly at me and said 'Thank you' with a sincerity that I'll always remember. Ok, enough gushing. But I love them.

"Ska De La Tierra" by Bebe - This is the scariest ska song I've ever heard. There's a background voice that sounds like something from a horror movie. Other than that, it's really good. I love singing it because it definitely shows off my Spanish skills, which are severely lacking when I don't have the songs memorized. My favorite part is the super fast part. If you can understand it, it's a good message.

"Summer Girls" by A Change Of Pace - The original is such an awful classic. Billy Shakespeare wrote a whole bunch of sonnets. Chinese food makes me sick. Awful. And classic. Had to play it, but could only have a cover, so thank you A Change Of Pace.

"Autumn In The Park" by Suburban Legends - I love Suburban Legends. They were one of the first ska bands I was introduced to. I picked this song because it's really great, but there's one line where you pause and think to yourself I think this guy has something wrong with him. "Come dance with me, all you little boys." :( (Hahaha, the YouTube video is of them performing at Disneyland. Come dance with me, all you little boys. It's Mickey Mouse's theme song.)

"You Must Be Out Of Your Mind" by The Magnetic Fields - I picked this song, not really because it's bad, but because this week Jezli has played it ninety-seven thousand times and it's getting on my nerves and at the moment, I feel like it shouldn't be a song. But it's still good.

"Hustlin'" by Lykke Li - This song is epic. I love covers of rap songs done by people who are the least likely to be rappers- small, white girls with very elegant and haunting voices. It's funny that Lykke Li did "Hustlin'" because a fellow songstress on the New Moon soundtrack, Anya Marina, did a cover of "Whatever You Like." I find this coincidence amusing. Also, the large amount of F-bombs in the middle made my aunt text me a nice little I'm-upset-with-this-song text, so I had to apologize on air.

"John Wayne Gacy Jr." by Sufjan Stevens - I have an awkward obsession with serial killers. This song is about one of the most legendary ones. How weird, Sufjan Steven. But thank you. I appreciate it.

"Mr. Beaver" by Roswick - This song really isn't weird, but Ryan,a friend of mine who is in the band, was listening so I rearranged the playlist to include one song from Roswick just for him. Also, the song is entitled "Mr. Beaver," it probably deserves a spot on this playlist. (They're so underground, they don't even have a YouTube. But do check them out on the iTunes.)

"Daydreamin'" by Dany Janssen - I LOVE THIS SONG. My brother and I have always loved this song from "The Creeper" episode of What's New Scooby-Doo?, one of my all time favorite television shows. I have been trying to find this song to buy forever, but finally fell for that beautiful thing called a YouTube converter and changed the only video/place on the internet that features this song into a nice little mp3 for my own special purposes. If I ever meet Dany Janssen or find a way to pay for this song, I will. Because there's nothing I love more than a song about falling in love with an ostrich.

"If It Means A Lot To You" by A Day To Remember - My cousin picked this song last second and I got it on the air in time. I actually turned out to be a fan of this song. Too bad all the other songs by them scream at me like there's a fucking earthquake ripping apart the building they're in and the floor is splitting right beneath their feet. Here's a novel idea- sing!

Week 2: Little Black Dresses and Diamonds - Something Inspired By Audrey Hepburn

I actually don't have or want to give an explanation for this playlist. I'm sorry. I love the way it sounds and the way it flows. Each song reminds me of different aspects of Audrey and I want you to interpret it for yourself. It's simply a beautiful playlist for a beautiful woman.

"Moon River" by Havalina Rail Co.

"Elements Combined" by Fiction Family

"The Dress Looks Nice On You" by Sufjan Stevens

"Honey And The Moon" by Joseph Arthur

"Strange And Beautiful (I'll Put A Spell On You)" by Aqualung

"She Is Love [Acoustic]" by Parachute

"When I Met The Girl" by Big Kid

"That Thing You Do!" by The Wonders

"I Was Made For You" by She & Him

"The Violet Hour" by Sea Wolf

"Breakfast At Tiffany's" by Rockapella

"Just Like Heaven" by Katie Melua

"Steal Me" by Jupiter Sunrise

"Always Love" by Nada Surf

"Love Comes" by The Posies

"I Hope Tomorrow Is Like Today" by Guster

"Moon River" by Audrey Hepburn

Week 1: Cutie Back Home

Most days I've had too much college to feel entirely content to call San Jose my home but my oldest and dearest friends and family are still based there. San Jose is where I met the greatest loves of my life, where I stayed up late with friends who didn't want to live, where I spent summer dreaming of all the things I wanted to do with my life. The day before leaving San Jose, I had slipped out the back door into my best friend GIRL's car and waited for BOY to pull up onto my street. Then all three of us sat in the car talking, picking at the cloth on the seats, hiding from the dark outside. I almost wished it had rained.

I hope that this compilation contains many shades of sad and wistful, not just the ones that immediately come to mind. Cutie Back Home packages the frustration and letting go of Diane Birch, the mellow of Azure Ray's "Across the Ocean," the honest simple crooning of Rod Stewart's oldies tune "So Far Away," and the reconciliation and self-made peace of mind in French slam poet Grand Corps Malade into a little one hour tribute to things left behind.

There are restrictions about the sort of music we're allowed to play at KSDT, but some songs fit too perfectly to be left out. Luckily by coming here, you're getting the 'expansion pack' version of this playlist. Enjoy!

The Cutie Back Home Compilation

**I will be using Grooveshark to share the playlists that I think you really shouldn't miss (otherwise I will probably just post a few links to my favorite songs--feel free to make requests). Grooveshark is a super cool, totally legal website that pays the artist for every listen--and you use it for free. Bomb dot com!

01 - Between the Trees - Miss You

02 - Spoon - Anything You Want

03 - Regina Spektor - Eet (Acoustic)

04 - Diane Birch - Nothing But A Miracle

05 - Jessica Lea Mayfield - For Today

06 - Alexi Murdoch - Orange Sky

07 - The National - About Today

08 - Azure Ray - Across the Ocean

09 - Stars - Tonight

10 - Noah and the Whale - Blue Skies

11 - Rod Stewart - So Far Away

12 - The Weepies - World Spins Madly On

13 - Elliot Smith - Pitseleh

14 - Justin Vernon - Song For A Lover Of Long Ago

15 - Dustin Kensrue - Madman

16 - Grand Corps Malade - Les voyages en train