Music for the New Year (Ode to Pandora)

I find music to be very soothing and often pertinent to my life. Music is the soundtrack for the movie we're living and sometimes it can open doors into our dark hearts or shine light upon our smiling faces. And sometimes it can even close out the darkness and lift us into the light.

Below I'm going to list some new interesting music I discovered through listening to Pandora http://www.pandora.com/ which is accurately called the music genome project. They have dissected a gazillion songs and artists and thrown them all into their streaming radio. What you do when you sign up for this FREE streaming radio is type in a song title or artist you like then Pandora will play songs and artists for you that have similar elements and influences. You can thumb up songs you like and thumbs down those you don't (thumbs down immediately stops the song from playing). As you go through your songs you hone your "station" until it's perfect for you. This site has introduced me to some great new artists I've never heard of and helped me to fall in love with artists I'd only heard some mainstream stuff of but never experienced their full beauty. So below I'm going to list my favorite station (actually a combination of a few elements) and the great songs I've found through it.

My station is actually a "Quickmix" of a few of the best stations I've created. It's Table for One by Liz Phair, Fade Into You by Mazzy Star, Hey There Delilah by Plain White Tee's and Night Swimming by REM. Through this salmagundi I have found an audiory experience that is quite divine.

Coming Through the Woods, is the current soundtrack for my life. I'm simply going to list some of the songs below and comment on a few. Please remember these are just my take on the music, each listener hears different things.

Samson- Regina Spektor http://www.pandora.com/music/song/regina+spektor/samson

Beautiful lyrics and voice. I love this song! Have you ever "cut the hair" of someone you loved and caused some great pain to them?

Table for One- Liz Phair http://www.pandora.com/music/song/liz+phair/table+for+1

For me this song is about the struggle of overcoming your demons and angst against those who joyfully aid you in your downfall and about realizing what is wrong with you.

Space Travel is Boring- Sun Kil Moon- this is a slow remake of a Modest Mouse Song. http://www.pandora.com/music/song/sun+kil+moon/space+travel+is+boring

Ben Folds Five- Ok, who didn't hear Brick in the 90's? Was that the 90's? Wow I'm old. But from listening to Pandora I've heard his song Luckiest which reminds me very much of my feelings about my husband (stop gagging Sister Honey) and Magic which I just think is plain beautiful. I would never have discovered these songs without Pandora.

http://www.pandora.com/music/song/ben+folds/luckiest

http://www.pandora.com/music/song/ben+folds+5/magic

The Maker-Dave Mathews- Again, who doesn't know Dave Matthews, but seriously I've never been that big of a fan until I heard him do a live version of this song on Pandora. LOVE IT! I feel this song. http://www.pandora.com/music/song/dave+matthews+tim+reynolds/maker+live

I Will Follow You into The Dark-Death Cab for Cutie- this song is essentially what my husband has said to me on occasion (hush Sister Honey) and it makes me feel warm and safe when i hear it. http://www.pandora.com/music/song/death+cab+for+cutie/i+will+follow+you+into+dark

Mother to the Moon -Jason Myles. Oooooh, what a voice, need I say more?

http://www.pandora.com/music/song/jason+myles+goss/mother+to+moon

And Jose Gonzalas, I think he has such a lovely sound.

Besides these beauties I've also discovered slow strange remakes of songs like Jessie's Girl and Time after Time. You can go to Pandora and do a song search and sample these odd and beautiful songs, you can sample songs off the entire albums or you can just listen to whatever comes your way.

Now go build your soundtrack! Happy Listening!

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