Me Against the Music 2011

As we learned last year, my songs of the year come in no particular order, with no particular genre and no particular number.  I don't really like to get into particulars.  But I do love music.  Here are some of my favorites from 2011, the best year for party music sine 2004.  Some of these songs you'll definitely know, some you may not.  Give them a try, maybe they'll make your 2012 a little brighter.

Give Me Everything - Pitbull featuring Ne-Yo, Afrojack and Nayer
Pitbull's collaboration with Ne-Yo, Afrojack and Nayer was not only the song of the summer, but pretty much the perfect going out song.  It's fast and has an easy beat to dance to along with a hook that you cannot stop singing.  And, like all great pop songs, it has lines that are endlessly quotable as status messages letting all your social network contacts know that you are ready to party.  I can't promise tomorrow, but I'll promise tonight.

The Cave/Little Lion Man - Mumford and Sons

I couldn't choose just one song off Mumford and Sons awesome album, Sigh No More.  I loved this album almost as much as I loved their outfits at every single photo shoot.  Sometimes I don't really understand what Mumford songs mean, but I pretend like I do because it makes me feel smarter.  Either way, I think they're awesome.

Dancing Till the World Ends - Britney Spears
Finally a Britney song that I can actually do all the choreography to.

We Call This Dancing - The Parlotones
I spent most of the spring listening to this song.  And pronouncing dancing with a British accent.  Busting out of our skin, our hearts exploding, escape from this life, we call this dancing.  All you need is love and our love is overflowing, escape from this life, we call this dancing.


I Need A Doctor - Dr. Dre featuring Eminem and Skylar Grey
There may not have been anyone in the country as excited about Dr. Dre comeback as me. (Don't call it a comeback, I've been here for years.)  Except maybe Dre's wife, I bet he was a real pain in the ass hanging around the house and such.  I loved this song, and especially the introduction of Skylar Grey, who is so f-ing talented.

How to Love - Lil Wayne
You had a lot of moments that didn't last forever.

Holocene - Bon Iver
It haunts me.  In a good way.  When I listen to this song I feel like I'm in the Wisconsin cabin that everyone always talks about when they talk about Bon Iver.

When My Time Comes - Dawes
I went to Texas for SXSW last March.  It was a fantastic experience, and one that all music-lovers should have at some point.  The one concert that we tried to go to and couldn't was Dawes and Deer Tick (performing that night as Deervana and doing the entire Nevermind album, yeah, we were pretty upset we couldn't go).  Luckily, we were able to hear the entire concert from the bar across the street.  Just one of the million reasons that SXSW is amazing - you hear awesome music practically by accident.  Dawes is a fantastic group.  I'm also in love with their song, That Western Skyline.  Their music makes me want to wear ruffled dresses with denim jackets and drink beer on a Texas porch.  It made sense in my head.

Rolling in the Deep/One and Only - Adele
21 was hands down the album of the year.  As far as I'm concerned, it may well be the album of the decade.  I wrote about Someone Like You and Set Fire to the Rain back in March and there is a case to be made for every single song on this album to make my list.  I settled on Rolling in the Deep because it is the most famous and most perfect pop song.  And I went with One and Only because it makes me want to fall in love.  You know, with someone besides Adele.  I'm amongst all those holding my breath for Adele's safe and speedy recovery from her reason throat surgery.  And amongst those who is almost thankful that her ex-boyfriend is such a fucking idiot.

Call Your Girlfriend - Robyn
My roommate Ezra dances exactly like Robyn.  Exactly. Like. Robyn.  And pretty much everything that Robyn does is amazing.  This is no exception.  It hasn't been on an episode of Gossip Girl yet, which is actually it's only draw back.

Grenade - Bruno Mars
Okay, so in the interest of full disclosure, I totally thought that Bruno Mars was going to be like a flash in the pan kind of pop star, so I'm as surprised as anyone that he keeps coming out with so many great songs.  I didn't see it coming, but I'm not complaining.

Super Bass - Nicki Minaj
I can't help it.  I just love it.  Best new artist.

I can't believe I somehow got through this list without including any David Guetta.  Nothing But the Beat makes me dance so hard.

Who did I miss who kept you rocking in 2011?

xo kate

Oh, baby, baby...

There are a few things that I love in a way that defies all explanation.  These things are essential to the core of my being and my love for them knows no limits.  I love them more than they probably deserve to be loved, but I can't help it because when you really, truly love something there's never a point when enough is enough.  (I learned that from the classic Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts film The Mexican, before I started to hate both Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts.  Apparently there was a point when enough is enough for that relationship.)  But I digress -- the point is that I hold within me the ability to maintain a deep and abiding love to things and people who can never love me back.  Photo montages. Eminem. Diet Coke. The Kennedy's. Root vegetables.  Clean sheets.  Britney Spears.

It's that last one that I want to talk about today.

The legendary Ms. Britney Spears turns thirty years old today.  She who has grow up with us and in front of us, is officially a grown up.  (I go with thirty as the grown up age since I'm still a few years away.  And, yes, I teach children as a job.)  I was first introduced to Britney in 1998 when she was a regular on the original TRL hosted by Carson Daly before he lost the weight.  I was in ninth grade and it was decidedly uncool to love Britney.  That summer, a boy who liked me wrote out the lyrics to Sometimes and sent them to me at summer camp.  Quite possibly the weirdest form of love letter ever.  In his defense, there was also a very sweet 15 year-old boy poem in the package.

To this point, I pretended my love for Brit was just one piece of my impeccably honed sense of irony, but the truth was I just loved her.  My best friend and I bought her sophomore album (that's for you, D.) Oops...I Did It Again as part of one of those BMC/Columbia music pyramid schemes along with Whitney Houston's Greatest Hits and Ja Rule 3:36.  I still know every song on that CD and regularly put What You See Is What You Get (#6 - yep, I know the numbers by heart) and Just One Kiss From You (#8) on mixes.

Then came Crossroads, which I saw in the theatre and, admittedly, it wasn't great.  But it did co-star Taryn Manning who was also in Eminem's Oscar winning (look it up, bitches) debut film 8 Mile.  The only notable thing about Taryn Manning's career may be that she was in Eminem and Britney's motion picture debuts.  Oh, and, of course, Come On Get Happy: The Partridge Family Movie.  When the video for Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman came out, I thought that might be the end of my love affair with Brit.  I mean, that video is horrible.  It's difficult to watch.  Then she cheated on Justin and, I'll be honest, I was ready to leave her as well.  Later that same year the Cry Me A River video came out and the gauntlet had been thrown.  The court of public opinion was siding with Justin and we was shaping u to be the biggest Mickey Mouse Club star.  Britney was facing her greatest test to date, and so was my devotion.

But my girl Britney doesn't play, she came back and she came hard, releasing In the Zone, kissing Madonna and Toxifying America forever.  Some people consider this to be Britney's last hurrah, but for me it was just the beginning.  I realized that if I could forgive Britney for cheating on Justin I could forgive her for anything.

Two marriages, two children, one shaved head and three mental breakdowns later, Britney is still Britney and I'm still here.  If you ask me, she's only getting better. Her latest string of hits has kept me satisfied ever since begging to If You Seek Amy.  Circus, 3, Womanizer, Hold it Against Me and I Wanna Go show that at 30, Britney still know how to get us on the floor.  Even if she can't get there herself.

I'm not going to say that Britney's some great role model, but if you can watch this whole video of all her hits without dancing at all, I will probably say that you're a little bit dead inside.  So go ahead, give it a try.


Happy Birthday, Brit.  If I have my way, you really will keep us dancing til the world ends.

xo kate

I'm a space bound rocket ship and your heart's the moon, and I'm aiming right at you.

After missing so many important birthdays (Alan Thicke - for shame!) there's one birthday I can remember.  That's right, today is my boy Eminem's 39th birthday.  Yep, 39.  Something people forget about Eminem is that all of his success began after he was twenty-five, something that is so rare in the Bieber-era.  Luckily Jay-Z has made rapping after the age of 40 awesome, so I don't have to worry about Marshall's final year of the thirties being his final year of rapping.  I hope that day never comes.

I've written a lot about Eminem in this space, so I won't bored you again with what an amazing artist he is (you can click the Eminem tag at right to remember that), but just say that in a world where most of us are just trying to find a way to matter, Eminem's music has mattered to me.  It has been a constant in my life for over 10 years, and helped me to make friends (LB, that's you) and enemies (at least briefly).  If you've still not tried it, I hope you do.

I'll leave you with his latest.  Enjoy.



xo katie

So give me one more platinum plaque...

Click to enlarge.

Best chart ever.

xo kate

Cleaning out my closet

Overreaction is my only reaction,
which sets off a chain reaction

I'm moving to Washington, DC in less than a month and I've just started cleaning out the closets of the apartment that I've lived in for three years.  It's not fun.  So, in an attempt to procrastinate, I also decided to clean out my inbox -- which is only slightly more fun -- and came across an email that I sent myself back in April with a link to complex.com's list of the 100 greatest Eminem songs.  Obviously, since he's my G.O.A.T., I decided to take a three hour break from cleaning my closet to clean Em's.


Once you get through the sometimes self-righteous commentary and Mr. Alvarez's initial aversion to commercially produced music, this is a really good list.  (Warning: This is not for the casual fan, this is for someone who knows and loves Eminem's music or who really wants to spend some time listening to music.  If you just like the songs that make the pop charts -- and there's no shame in that -- you should start around #20)  It doesn't contain much that big-time Em fans wouldn't have already heard, but it's like a great trip down memory lane.  The list chronicles that evolution of Eminem as a rapper, producer and performer and reminded me of some of his great songs, battles and guest-verses.  For those of you who are hardcore fans here's some of the lesser-known songs that I was pleased to rediscover on the list:
#90 - Emulate (Obie Trice and Eminem) reminded me how good Obie Trice is; 
#82 - The Kids; 
#81 - Elevator.  Everyone in my office knows that I love this one from Relapse, because I play it several times a day.  I think it's severely under-appreciated.;  
#75 - Lady (Obie Trice f. Eminem) Officially, I'm offended.  But it's a good song;  

The game ain't gonna be the same on the day that I leave it, I swear one way
or another I'ma make these fucking haters believe it.

#66 - How Come (D12).  This one captures the  beginnings of the whiny, forgotten supporters that would later be perfected in My Band.

#60 - You Don't Know (Eminem, 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks, Cashis.  One of my favorite slant rhymes ever -- "It's no pretend shit, it's friendship" -- comes from this record.

#46 - Drug Ballad (Eminem f. Dina Rae) "Back when Mark Wahlberg was Marky Mark, this is how we used to make the party start," just may be the best opening line of a song ever.

#45 - Never Enough (Eminem f. 50 Cent and Nate Dogg). You really do just wish it were longer.;

#39 - Love Me (Eminem, Obie Trice and 50 Cent); 

#36 - Don't Approach Me (Xzibit f. Eminem);

#33 - Scary Movie (Bad Meets Evil) Has me looking forward to the Bad Meets Evil reunion.

#30 - We As Americans. I mean, it caused the Secret Service to investigate him.  That's insane.

#25 - Love You More was in a lot of ways the pre-cursor to Love the Way You Lie. ("The more you put me through, the more it makes me wanna come back to you / You say that you hate me, I just love you more / You don't want me, I just want you more.")

You are the ink to my paper what my pen is to my pad, the moral, the very fiber
the whole substance to my rap.  You are my reason for being the meaning my
existence, if it wasn't for you I would never be able to spit this as intense as I do
and the irony is that you rely on me as much as I rely on you to inspire me like
you do.

But, fear not, the list also includes all your (and my) commercial favorites -- Love the Way You Lie (#100), Hailie's Song (#84), Cleaning Out My Closet (#52), Sing for the Moment (#50), Not Afraid (#38), Like Toy Soldiers (#37), Forever (#27), What's the Difference (#24), Marshall Mathers (#18), My Name Is (#16), Forgot About Dre (#14) and the whole top ten.  

In addition, there were some surprises including Patiently Waiting at #12 -- I always thought that me and my BFF LB were the only ones who liked that song!  Renegade at #7 was another surprise, since I just assumed everyone had forgotten that one.  Personally, I thought that Kim was too high at #9 and Love the Way You Lie was too low at #100 (had this song not featured Rihanna and been an over-played single I'm pretty sure it would have been higher -- the production is some of Em's best).   I thought that Just Don't Give a Fuck was too high at #4 and that Cleaning Out My Closet, Sing for the Moment and Like Toy Soldiers were all too low.  Of course, I was obviously upset that my favorite ever, Crazy in Love was left off the list all together -- just another example of how Heart doesn't get any respect. 

All and all though, the top three were exactly right: The Way I Am (#3), Stan (#2) and Lose Yourself (#1) are songs that -- largely do to their commercial appeal -- have been simultaneously over-exposed and under-appreciated, much like Eminem himself.  But beyond all the hype and hoopla, they are songs that showcase Eminem's versatility, talent and the special magic that he brings to his art. No matter where or when you hear them -- these songs capture a feeling.  Good, bad or ugly, this is music that moves you.

xo kate

Guest post: Neil vs. The Grammys

Katie and I might have missed the opportunity to blog about the Grammy Awards, but luckily my office-mate and bffl Neil has saved the day. He is here to validate all the "eh?", "wtf?" and "LAME" thoughts that were circulating round and round in your head last night during the show. Also, he's a dude. And its about time we had a dude's perspective up in here, dontchathink?


And so, without further ado, W&W brings you live from Neil’s Couch – The Annual Mind-Numbing Train Wreck Also Known as the 53rd Grammy Awards!

8:01 – Well, folks, it’s time for the Grammy’s, and that means it’s time for three and a half hours of awkward acceptance speeches, over-produced medleys, and ridiculously dressed celebs. Let’s see what music’s biggest night has in store for us this year! (I feel like a POW who’s about to enter the torture dungeon. This is gonna be long and excruciating and pretty soon I’m gonna wish I had swallowed the cyanide pill before they captured me.)

8:04 – Okay, just to set the scene for you, I’m watching this thing in my sweat pants while my pregnant wife Katie reads about childbirth on the Internet. Can you FEEL the excitement?

8:06 – Kicking things off with a tribute to the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, featuring Christina Aguilera, Martina McBride, Jennifer Hudson, and two chicks I’ve never heard of. Let the over-singing and awkward transitions between songs begin!

8:12 – Aguilera nearly falls off the stage after a seemingly endless Aretha medley. Man, she’s sooo on fire this month.

8:16 – CBS runs a public service announcement encouraging guys to get screened for testicular cancer as a Valentine’s Day present to their wives/girlfriends. “Hey honey, happy Valentine’s Day. I have ball cancer.” Good idea, CBS. Thanks for caring about my junk.

8:17 – Train takes home the first award of the night for that song “Hey, Soul Sister,” which I kind of liked until I heard it on the radio for the 13,485th time. One thing I didn’t see coming is that the lead singer is apparently married. To a chick.

Ricky Martin is seemingly wearing Justin Bieber's
pants and Angela Chase's shoes.
And it was a shock that he's gay?

8:19 – Ricky Martin’s pants win the award for Tightest Silver Nut-Huggers of the Night. Felicitaciones, Ricky!

8:26 – Lady Gaga emerges from a giant plastic egg and performs a surprisingly sterile and peppy new song called “Born This Way.” But she’s got pointy flesh-colored prosthetic shoulders, so I guess that makes it edgy.

8:41 – Solid performance by Muse, but I could have done without the weird futuristic dancers who were pretending to riot on stage. I guess they figured most Americans don’t know what the word “uprising” means, so they had to act it out. And they would be right. Now pass me ‘dem mayonnaise balls god-dangit!

8:49 – I’m kind of digging Bruno Mars combining some orchestra-style music with lyrics about chasing skirts all over the world. Great energy, but dude missed a few notes. Nice suit, though.

9:05 – Eva Longoria comes out dressed like a penguin to introduce Usher and Bieber, who then have a weird pseudo-gay reminiscence about when they met. “Hey Usher, ‘member when you discovered me and made me a ton of cash and pre-teen tail? That was sweet. I owe you one.”

9:09 – Jaden Smith just popped out of the floor wearing leopard print pants, which is already cooler than Bieber’s entire act so far.

Turns out Jaden Smith is cooler than Justin Bieber.  Who would've thought?

9:13 – Soo, I guess Usher can’t sing live. Wasn’t expecting that. Overall a very underwhelming performance by him and Bieber, yet the crowd gives a standing O. Must be electric zappers in the chairs, right? I hope my unborn child’s musical sensibilities aren’t being shaped by this nonsense.

9:14 – Best Rock Album by an Old White Guy or Muse. Muse wins one for the Brits.

9:21 – Gaga wins Best Pop Vocal, and keeps with the prosthetic theme by adding some flesh-colored horns to her forehead. That is sooo interesting! What an artist!

9:25 – My most anticipated moment of the night arrives when Mumford and Sons take the stage to perform “The Cave.” Totally crushing it. If these guys don’t win Best New Artist, I’m gonna…wait, of course they won’t win. They’re actually good!

9:30 – Strong performance by the Avett Bros, followed by AB and M&S joining up to back Bob Dylan’s corpse. I think I just saw light glinting off the strings that are holding him up Weekend at Bernie’s style.

9:31 – Dylan sounds even worse than I expected as he gargles through “Maggie’s Farm.” I guess the morticians didn’t put enough embalming fluid on his vocal chords. Seriously though, if I wanted to hear a guy choke to death I’d just go across the street and strangle my a-hole neighbor who walks around in spandex all the time and drives a Beamer.

9:44 – They just put Kings of Leon on stage with Miley Cyrus simply because they’re both from Nashville. I’m going to get some friggin’ Cheez-Its.

Cee Lo in an homage to Elton John, and Gwyneth in an homage to boring fashion.

9:48 – Just when I thought the Grammy’s were going to lose us all, Cee Lo Green comes out dressed as a giant peacock from space to sing “F You” with the Muppets. AMAZING. Now I just need Tonya Harding to come out of retirement and club Gwyneth Paltrow to death before she struts out and ruins it.

9:49 – Too late, here she comes.

9:58 – Hey, Katy Perry. Less singing, more jugs. America is falling asleep on your untalented ass.

10:03 – John Mayer apparently thought it was a Halloween party and went as Johnny Depp’s character from “The Tourist.” I’m kind of feeling it.

10:04 – Song of the Year goes to Lady Antebellum for “Need You Now.” These guys are so generic and forgettable that I’m not even inspired enough to make fun of them.

10:12 – In a rare intentionally comic moment at the Grammy’s, Seth Rogan makes a joke about getting high with Miley Cyrus. Way to push the envelope, Seth Rogan!

10:13 – A boring Rihanna performance leads into a super-angry Eminem and the much anticipated return of Dr. Dre. Pretty awesome. Dre is so buttery smooth, he should come out with his own spread: Land O’Dre.

Wait, is it just me or did Jaden and the Biebs just age a lot?

10:20 – Just as I was about to hate all over Bieber for winning Best New Artist over Mumford, they announce Esperanza Spalding’s name. Huh? I mean, HUH? First real shocker of the night, and it was a big one. Enjoy your last night on earth, Esperanza. ‘Cause there’s a 99 percent chance a Bieber fan has already rigged your hotel room with C-4.

10:35 – Mick Jagger just absolutely crushing it. Slinking around on stage and freaking everyone out. Best performance of the night by a man over 75.

10:46 – Babs Streisand performs one of those dreary 70s ballads of hers. Grammy’s really nailed that one. Way to have your finger on the pulse of America.

10:52 – Eminem wins best rap album, but seems angry about it. Get over yourself, dog. You’re rich and everybody loves you.

A rose by any other name...

10:59 – Sean Combs comes out announced as Puff Daddy, and for a second I thought it was 1995 again. Don’t push us. ‘Cause we’re. Close to thaaaa edge. We’re tryin’. Not to. Lose our heads. Uh ha ha ha.

11:03 – J-Lo and her freak husband win for Creepiest Moment of the Year. What a cute couple!

11:05 – Lady A wins Record of the Year, which makes total sense since they already won Song of the Year. I wonder if they’ll win Track of the Year and Ditty of the Year as well.

11:10 – Let’s wrap this thing up, CBS. You just lost my pregnant wife to another 45-minute commercial break.

11:13 – Arcade Fire, a band I’m just starting to get to know and like, performs with BMX bikers riding around on stage wearing helmet cams. Kind of a cool camera shot, but it’s distracting me from the song. Oh, and it turns out one of the bikers is well-known rider Matt Hoffman. I don’t really get the point of that at all. And I’m too tired to analyze it. Moving on.

11:24 – And the moment we’ve all been waiting for (I guess?)…. Album of the year goes to Arcade Fire, who all seem legitimately shocked/happy and immediately run back to their instruments to play another song. One of the few genuine and unexpected moments of the night. And it’s nice to see a truly talented band get recognized, especially since they clearly enjoy making and playing music above all else. Plus, if an album containing songs called “California Gurls” and “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F)” was dubbed the best music in the universe for even a second, let alone an entire YEAR, I may have had a brain aneurism.

11:30 – As the 53rd Annual Grammy’s come to a close, I realize there were probably a million more productive and self-enriching ways I could have spent the past three and a half hours. But I love music, and there were at least 9 minutes of good music in there, with some other entertaining moments sprinkled in. And tomorrow morning at work, I can waste even more time by looking up who won in all of my other favorite categories, such as Best Zydeco or Cajun Music Album (actual category). Ahh, nothing like some sweet procrastination in my Monday morning coffee.

So bon voyage, 2011 Grammy’s. It was a rough journey at times, but you got me where I needed to go on a Sunday night in February – to sleep. --Neil

She ain't a rockstar, but she got groupies

I had intentions of live blogging last night's Grammy awards, but I accidently took a nap at 5pm and didn't wake up til 10:30 -- therein missing most of the show and messing up my sleep schedule for the rest of the night. Oh well! I do have a best and worst dressed list for you all this morning. The Grammy's are a tough award show for fashion, as ridiculous and rocker tends to be more in vogue than elegance and editing. Even within the confines of the show, these six ladies hit the nail on it's head with their rock star glamour.

(1) JLo seems to be on a mission to simultaneously promote her new role as an American Idol judge and also remind the world that she's hot as shit. I'm a huge fan of long sleeves on a short dress if you've have the legs to pull it off -- Ms. Lopez has proved that she's still got it. Although, it has to be said, the dynamic between her and Mark Anthony is so awkward it's hard to watch. (2) I'm not really sure who Selena Gomez is or why she was at the Grammy's but I thought she looked great. All over shine is really hard to wear (see: Heidi Klum), and she wears it well. (3) Honestly, had it not been for Kate Hudson's horrible blue thing that looked held together with masking tape, I probably wouldn't have noticed Selma Blair handling her pregnancy in this casual and pretty way. (4+5) Apparently the Glee cast got the memo about how to pull off rock star and glamourous at the same time. Dianna and Jenna both look totally age-appropriate and totally fantastic in their LBDs. (6) I also don't know who Julianne Hough is, except that US Weekly tells me that she's the reason Ryan Seacrest is not gay, but I really like that she proved that it doesn't have to be super-short or in a neutral to work at the Grammy's.

And now on to the worst...

(1) Rihanna is so beautiful, and sometimes her wacky fashion sense totally plays into that beauty -- for example, I thought that she looked totally awesome in her performance with Eminem and Adam Levine.  The burning dress with the burning stage was dramatic and over-the-top in a great way. This, on the other hand is not. I feel like she's trying to be a sexy-Santa Clause-slinky or something. And, while we're dancing around the subject, how awesome was their performance? I thought Eminem looked focused and energized, if a little angry (I love the angry), Rihanna sounded great and Adam Levine really filled out the bottom of the hook, which can get a little whiney. Plus, I'm so glad that Dr. Dre is back. And I love that I Need A Doctor is essentially a love song between him and Eminem -- Happy Valentine's Day to all! (2)Well she sneaks around the world from Kiev to Carolina, She's a sticky-fingered filcher from Berlin down to Belize, She'll take you for a ride on a slow boat to China, Tell me where in the world is Lady Gaga? (3) This is like the Queen of Hearts and Snooki got together and had a baby. (4) It takes a lot to make Heidi Klum look bad, but here it is! This gold monstrosity clings in all the wrong places, and the cut out shoulders (one of my fashion pet peeves) and horrible hair are just icing on the bad taste cake.  (5) Wonder Woman decides to embrace her Shabby Chic side. (6) Is it just me, or is there actually nothing sexy about Gwyneth's pants suit? She looks shapeless and blah, and like she let Apple pick out her earrings.

Those are my picks. Tell me, who did I miss and who did I misjudge?

xo kate

The Heart of the Matter

Last Saturday night I was out with my wolfpack celebrating the birthday of a lovely wildcat, JG, at Rockfellas in Salem, Mass.  (No, Jay-Z wasn't there.  I don't want to talk about it.) Rockfellas is a delightful little place should you ever have occasion to go to Salem, but, beforewarned, Salem should be famous for it's potholes as well as it's witch trials.  Drive with caution.  

That hair is what dreams are made of.

Anyway, I was digging the cover band made up of four petite men who played 80's, dance and rock. (Not 80's dance rock, as I originally thought -- I was pretty surprised when I heard them play Kings of Leon.)  I liked them immediately because before the show they complimented my new boots.  (Although they used lyrics sheets for their songs.  Aren't reputable cover bands suppose to memorize the lyrics?  Hell, I knew the lyrics to all their songs.  Which is just another reason that I should be in a band.)  But, all in all, they were fine: the crowd was feeling the music, everyone was dancing and singing along. 

That is until the opening cords of Heart's Alone came on.  The dance floor cleared.  The room went silent.  Suddenly, it was a duet between me and the lead singer.  To say that this was not a crowd of Heart fans would be an understatement.  At one point someone came up to us and said, "Oh, great, music to slit my wrists to."  The song full-on tanked.

I love Heart.  I have long been pulling for them to make a Journey-esque revival as a cover band staple. My question is, why hasn't it happened? Why do some bands make the resurgence into pop culture and some don't?  Why Journey and not Heart?  Heart had more hits than Journey over a longer period of time -- they were even in an episode of Glee! 

Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge Journey fan -- Separate Ways is one of my karaoke songs and, if I do say so myself, it's pretty powerful.  I'm just wondering why Heart isn't appreciated for their contribution to rock history?   So, without further ado, here are some of my reasons why Heart should be appreciated  as a great rock band, presented in no particular order.

They are pioneers.  Heart was the first hard rock band to have two females in the lead in sister-duo Ann and Nancy Wilson.

They are versatile.  Heart's hit songs ranged from hard rock (Barracuda) to folk (Dreamboat Annie) to pop (There's the Girl) to, my personal favorite, power ballads (Alone, What About Love, Crazy on You).

Controversy followed them.  Ranging from legal battles with management to lesbian sister rumors to fights on stage, Heart knew that people love a basketcase.

The Eminem connection.  The hook for my very favorite Eminem song is a Heart sample from Crazy On You.

Complicated relationships.  Sisters dating brothers and an inter-band love triangle made Heart a soap opera worth following.

Longevity.  Heart is formed in 1973 and still performs today.  That's a long time to keep rocking.

The music.  Their songs are awesome, and I promise that you actually know way more Heart songs than you think you do.  If you doubt me, click a link to hear the song.  Alone, Dreamboat Annie, These Dreams, All I Want to Do is Make Love to You, Barracuda, Crazy On You, If Looks Could Kill, What About Love, Will You Be There in the Morning.

For God's sake, the hair!  In the eighties, Heart full-on perfected rock star hair.  It was like a combination of Cyndi Lauper and Garth Algar. 

So, for these reasons and many more, I present my plea to you.  Wildcats, will you please consider joining me in my quest to bring Heart back?  Your country, and cover bands across America, need you.

Thank you for your consideration.

xo kate

I am whatever you say I am...

There were four things that I really enjoyed about the Superbowl, and two of them were Eminem.

If you haven't gotten a chance to watch Eminem's ads I've conveniently posted them here. We're all about customer service here at W&W.

It's not a secret that I'm a big fan of Mr. Mathers.  My love goes back a long time (since back when it was controversial to be an Em fan) and has ranged from run-of-the-mill fan to borderline Fatal Attraction status.  But don't worry, this isn't going to be a post about boiling bunny rabbits.  I've written about Em's music here before, but not a lot about why I think he's so fantastic, other than, you know, the talent.  The juxtaposition between the two Superbowl ads is a great examples of why I love Eminem.  In one, Em is a silly, animated caricature peddling ice tea to the masses and in the other, a stoic, gritty jingoist almost begging for the resurgence of the city he loves.  

Imported from Detroit.

The pairing of these opposites really emphasizes the duality of Eminem that makes him so interesting to me.  Since his national debut with My Name Is, Eminem has seemed to simultaneously inhabit so many worlds -- often times in direct contradiction to each other.  He's the shy, deeply-scarred artist and the class clown; the pill-popping, controversy-baiting celebrity and the fiercely loyal friend; the high school drop out and the lyrical genius; the mother-hating, misogynist wife killer and the devoted father raising three daughters. Even his beats have always volleyed between hyperbole and subtly.  Figuring out who the real Eminem is has become the national past-time of music journalists, but I think what fans love about him is that he's all these things.  In a world that longs to classify everything, he defies the pigeonhole, and, in doing so, makes it okay for us to defy it as well.  It, therefore, seemed appropriate that his Superbowl ads were so different.


First, the Chrysler ad, which is total perfection.  You knew it was going to be good just based on the fact that it was directed by Samuel Bayer, of Smells Like Teen Spirit fame, but I didn't know how good.  I'm so into this ad that I'm thinking of actually buying a Chrysler. (Which I guess is the point of an ad, huh?)  The direction, cinematography and narration were pitch-perfect for setting the tone.  The insider's tour of the city, which most Americans probably wouldn't even recognize, was visually interesting and fun.  The glimpses of Eminem in the rear-view mirror and the fade in of Lose Yourself built suspense and excitement before the powerful, dramatic ending with the choir.  I loved the ad's depiction of Detroit as the Mickey Rourke of American cities.  Everyone likes an underdog overcoming obstacles, and Detroit has certainly been the classic down-and-out story.  Eminem brings grit, loyalty and integrity to this metaphor and I'm sure I'm not the only one who got chills.  I almost want to be imported from Detroit.  After all, it's the hottest fires that make the hardest steel.  Man, I just got goose-bumps typing it.

I don't understand how this is NOT scary.

The Brisk ad was a little more difficult for me to get behind. You see, I have a life-long fear of claymation. 


Yep, you read that correctly, I'm petrified of childhood classics like Gumby and the Rudolph movie.  And don't even mention Thomas the Tank Engine. It's not really something that I can explain, it really freaks me out - it's creepy and unnatural and I just don't like it at all.  To see my boy Eminem as claymation was confusing to say the least.  I was going to get all Juliet "my only love sprung from my only hate" about it, but I realized that may have been the tiniest bit overdramatic.  Sometimes my flair for the theatrical gets the best of me.  At any rate, I've decided to embrace the Emination as a form of therapy -- maybe seeing someone that I love depicted in clay can help me learn to love the form? Or at least not want to cry and hide when I see it?  Here's hoping.

All in all, I loved the ads and the Superbowl XLV chapter of the Eminem chronicles gets my seal of approval.  Well done, Marshall.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, the other things I liked about the Superbowl were Fergie's sparkly shoulder pads and Ben Roethlisberger's cumulative Superbowl passer rating of 66.4.  Honorable mention goes to that NFL apparel commercial that had all the clips from old TV shows.  I love anything that works 90210 clips back into the modern subconscious. 


Biggest XLV disappointment? The missed opportunity to bring Justin Timberlake back to the scene of the malfunction during Where's the Love. I mean, seriously, who wouldn't have immediately started recording if Justin had been on that moving platform instead of Slash?  Coulda, woulda, shoulda.


xo kate

The Music in Me

One thing that every Wildcat needs is a banging soundtrack.  Personally, I like to imagine most of my life unfolding like one long, perfectly-edited movie montage.

The opening credits show me walking down the street to the T in the morning to Candi Station's You Got the Love, a la Carrie Brawshaw.  When I hit a rough patch, it's smoothed over by the melancholy angst of Jimmy Eat World's 23.  I fall in love and there Sade is to punctuate the moment with By Your Side.  It doesn't work out (because, really, when does it ever work out the first time in the movies?) and Dirtie Blonde Walk Over Me lets my audience know that I'm over it.

You get the idea.

Given my obsession with the music in my life, I thought it only appropriate that my first post be my favorites from 2010.  I didn't pick a certain number, or rank them because I'm not some music critic who thinks she knows more than other people.  My tastes are far-reaching and undiscriminating, perhaps embarrassingly so.  To paraphrase the great Notting Hill, I'm just a girl, standing in front of an iPod, asking it to make a movie montage of her life.

All of the Lights - Kanye West featuring everyone in the entire world

When your list of all-star collaborators on a song could field a baseball team (with bench players), you'd better turn out a good song.  Luckily, Kanye and his friends, John Legend, The-Dream, Tony Williams, Rihanna, Fergie, Alicia Keys, Kid Cudi, Elly Jackson, Charlie Wilson, Ryan Leslie and Sir Elton John don't disappoint.  If you ask me, this is Kanye being Kanye: sick production, catchy hook, clever rhymes.  Not to shabby for a douchebag.

Dancing on my Own/Hang with Me - Robyn

My best friend growing up was a huge Robyn fan (maybe the only huge Robyn fan?) and after years of Show Me Love being a staple on every mix CD and party list, I thought I had heard enough Robyn to last me for the rest of my life.  But, shockingly, Robyn came back this year with an awesome album -- so awesome, in fact, that I couldn't decide which song to include on the list.  Both songs make me want to hit the dance floor.  But only one makes me want to have hate sex on a piano.  In other news, I always assumed that Robyn was having a late career success like Kylie Minogue.  Turns out, she's 31. Way to make me feel inadequate, Robyn.

Dancing with the DJ - The Knocks

I dare you not to dance to this.  Seriously, just try.  

Fireworks - Drake featuring Alicia Keys

One of the only songs off Drake's album Thank Me Later that wasn't a massively successful single, Fireworks flew a bit under the radar, considering the star-power behind it.  But to me, it was the perfect cool, summer song.  Maybe it's the country girl in me, but the slow-ish verses and smooth, two-part chorus just makes me want to drive with the windows down on an empty road.

Fuck You - Cee Lo Green

When was the last time that a hate song was so catchy?  Cee Lo manages to make getting dumped for being poor sound kind of great.  Plus, anyone who rhymes Ferrari with Atari in 2010 gets my vote.

Nothin' on You- B.o.B. and Bruno Mars

2010 was definitely B.o.B.'s year.  You couldn't turn on the radio last summer without hearing Airplanes, Nothin' On You or Magic.  Whether you call him B.o.B., Bobby Ray or Mr. Fantastic, he was all over the place last year.  And if you ask me, his success was well-deserved, if only for putting out that there paying your taxes is a good thing. And for the record, I am the whole package.

No Love/Spacebound/Love the Way You Lie - Eminem 

It's a well known fact that I've been a huge Eminem fan forever, so it was with excitement and anxiety that I awaited the Recovery album.  It's no secret that Relapse: Refill was not good. At all.  So the idea that Em's days of making albums that were desert island-worthy were over certainly crossed my mind.  Luckily, my panic was for naught, and Recovery has proven to be one of Eminem's best.  These three are my faves from that album.  I like Em when he's all intense.

Only Girl (In the World) - Rihanna
I've never met any girl who doesn't want someone to make them feel like the only girl in the world.  Or, for that matter, like a hot pie.

That's How Strong My Love Is - Alicia Keys
No one, no one, no one sings a love song like Alicia Keys.  This one wasn't particularly popular, but it was my favorite from The Element of Freedom album.

Those are my picks for 2010.  I'll be rotating them into my ongoing montage and I suggest you do the same.

xo kate