Favorite songs of ar-kay-es

I recently bought an iPod and really enjoy iTunes. I especially like going through people's iMix lists and finding new music or finding old favorites that I had long since forgotten about. So, I decided to put together a list of some of the songs that really make me tick, with a brief explanation of what I find so appealing about them. For your visual pleasure, I give you Favorite Songs of ar-kay-es (in no particular order)...

Starry Eyed Surprise (Paul Oakenfold)
I can't remember where I first heard this song, but I fell in love with it immediately and it can bring me right out of a crappy mood. I got the album a year or so ago, but have since lost it. Thank goodness for iTunes!

Toxic (Britney Spears)
I know, I know. She's a pop tart, but I find this song really great. It's definitely good to move your butt to when you're at the gym or in the club.

You Got the Love (Candi Staton)
They played this when Carrie Bradshaw is walking down the streets of NYC in the final episode of Sex & the City. I found it to be quite an empowering song, so I finally obtained a copy of the CD from a special import company after failing at several eBay auctions and striking out on amazon.com.

Untitled (How Does It Feel) (D'Angelo)
If you want to spice up your romantic music mix, just put this on. It pretty much does the same thing for me that "Let's Get It On" does.

At Last (Etta James)
What a voice!!! This song just makes me ache.

Yeah! (Usher)
This song is just fun all around. You can't help but dance to it, and I especially love Lil' John (can he say anything other than "yeah", "what", or "okay"?). On a side note, there's a really funny Chappelle's Show with a sketch about Lil' John.

Feel Good Inc (Gorillaz)
This is one of my newer favorite songs. Shake ya booty!

Mockingbirds (Grant Lee Buffalo)
Don't worry; this isn't a cover of that awful Carly Simon/James Taylor song. I heard this several years ago and really fell in love with the part that starts, "One day this ground will break, and open up for me; I hope it will...". I know that feeling.

Good Day (Ice Cube)
I actually really like a remix of this song, which I call the "flowery" remix and can't find on an independent download site anywhere (take note iTunes!). They put the song over a kind of old school tune and used to play it on the radio when I was in Junior high. I hadn't heard it for years until I was in Germany and it came on the radio there while driving on the famous autobahn...nothing like driving really fast in a rental BMW while listening to such a cool song.

Video (India Arie)
I play this song when I start getting down on myself about various things - pimples, weight issues, etc. It reminds me that I'm always a lady no matter what I decide to do (or not do) to my exterior.

Touch Me Fall (Indigo Girls)
I used to listen to this song with my friend, Tesia, in high school and it was one of the only Indigo Girls songs that I liked at the time. There's something very hauntingly beautiful about the part where they sing, "touch me, I'm so beautiful".

Galileo (Indigo Girls)
Later in life, I've really come to like this song, especially the lyrics "how long 'til my soul gets it right; can any human being ever reach that kind of light..."

Sparkling Diamonds (from the Moulin Rouge Soundtrack)
I love to sing this one. It's great how they merged "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend" with "Material Girl".

Je ne veux qu'elle (Marc Lavoine)
My lovely Parisian friend turned me on to this song. It just sounds like home.

La Belle Et Le Bad Boy (MC Solaar)
This is another song that I heard first on Sex & the City, and just had to find the album.

Temptation (Moby)
A simply beautiful song from Moby's newest album.

Dramamine (Modest Mouse)
This is the song that turned me on to Modest Mouse back when they were playing house parties around Washington state. Props for their big success, but I still prefer this to their newer stuff.

Friend or Foe (Bugs in Amber)
I once dated a guy who used to be in this band and remember the summer that they cut this song. It was so much fun when they actually played it on 107.7 The End one night...and then hearing it later on at a couple of parties loud and live.

These Words (Natasha Bedingfield)
This is a newer song that I found on iTunes and I'm addicted to it now. Turn it up loud in the car and sing along!

99 Luftballoons (Nena)
I can actually sing most of the German version of this song, even after losing most of my German proficiency. It's just too fun to pass up!

Rape Me (Nirvana)
Yeah, I still love "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and remember how revolutionary that song was. But, this is my favorite Nirvana song. "You Know You're Right" was a close second.

Cemeteries (Waxwing)
The drummer from this band is the same as in Bugs in Amber. This song just really touches me and appeals to me when I'm in a thoughtful mood.

Simple Kind of Life (No Doubt)
I actually hated this song when it first came out, but after listening to it a few times, it really grew on me. The lyrics reminded me of how I felt when I was a lot younger.

Hey Ya (Outkast)
This song is so fun and makes you move without you even realizing it. I always laugh when I hear it b/c a friend-of-a-friend once seriously said something to the effect of, "but really, you should never shake a polaroid picture"...yes, she's a photographer, but still...

La Nuit Est Mauve (Patricia Kass)
Patricia Kass has a really fabulous voice, and this is just such a haunting song. Even without knowing any French, you can feel what she's singing about.

Ignition Remix (R. Kelly)
Funnily enough, I ended up really liking this song after watching the parody on Chappelle's Show.

Time of My Life (Macy Gray)
I ended up buying the whole "8 Mile" soundtrack just for this song. Yeah, there were a few other good songs on the album, but this is what got me to hit the "buy" button.

Dry Your Eyes (The Streets)
I love it when rappers can turn around a good, touching song like this. There are other great songs on the "A Grand Don't Come For Free" album, but this one is my favorite.

Soma (The Smashing Pumpkins)
Simply put, this is the musical equivalent of an orgasm, and one of my favorite songs of all time.

She's a Jar (Wilco)
This is a newer find for me. Someone had it on an iMix and I really took to it.

Any Other Day (Astaire)
I found this on someone's iMix as well. Now I have several songs from them, all of which I like intensely, but this one is the tops for me. The lead singer has this sort of airy but grounded quality...no, I'm not sure that makes sense either, but it's about all I could come up with.

Sleeps with Butterflies (Tori Amos)
I love songs by Tori Amos. Her lyrics are so moving and poetic, and this song is certainly no exception. I recently bought a live version from iTunes that is really lovely.

Pyramid Song (Radiohead)
I was fairly disappointed with the album this song was on (which was surprising b/c I LOVE Radiohead), but this song made it worth the purchase.

Grave Digger (Dave Matthews)
It was hard to pick one song from Dave Matthews, since I love most all of his solo work and work with the Dave Matthew's Band. But, I chose this one because I love the play on "ring around the rosies". Also, it's just a great song.

One Million Miles Away (J. Ralph)
I first heard this on a car commercial. What's with car commercials that they get such great songs? Anyway, in this particular song a hot guy is driving a hot car trying to get to the wedding of his beloved before it's too late. The look on the bride's face when the doors fly open is priceless. It's one of the best commercials I've ever seen. I mean, this ad came out in like 2001 and it still gets me just thinking about it. I absolutely hate Volkswagen for removing it from their Web site though. After some googling of the ad title, "Big Day", I can't find it anywhere. So, you'll just have to check out this fabulous story of it instead and imagine it for yourself.