Tag Archives: Music

10 Love Songs For Valentine’s Day

The Countdown is on, people! One week until Valentine’s Day! Time for the collective push back at the commercial juggernaut Hallmark has built. Boo to over-priced cards, short-lived flowers, tushy-padding candies and dust-collecting, bedbug-colonizing bears.

We’ll celebrate our love the old-fashioned way . . . with a mixed tape. Of course, we know that mixed tapes have gone the way of the dodo and New Coke. It’s just that when Ellen and I got together with our guys, we still called playlists “mixed tapes”.

This list is a deeply personal one. Think of it as a love story, my love story, told in song. Of course, each and every song is a much better choice than a lot of what’s offered up on lists like this one.

1. “Fly Me to the Moon” by Frank Sinatra

The song that quite literally started our whole romance. Back in the day, a newfangled contraption arrived on campus called voicemail. Steve and I had started hanging out the fall of my senior year, but we weren’t really dating yet. We were both going to our school’s annual Screw Your Roommate dance though, and we planned on trying to sneak in a dance. Unfortunately, this SYR dance had about as much drama on the floor as you might expect. Long story short: our dance never happened. Sweet Steve sent me this song to my brand-spanking new voicemail with a fun message about dancing to it later. I was a goner, ladies. A total goner.

2. “Romeo and Juliet” by Indigo Girls

So the Indigo Girls were kind of a thing when we were in college, and this particular song played on a loop during my senior year AKA the Heady-Crazy-About-Each-Other phase. The soaring vocals, the raw emotion, the energy. It was and still is the epitome of young, earnest love.

3. “Home” by Bonnie Raitt

While not a huge country music fan in general, Bonnie Raitt and the Dixie Chicks bridge the Great Divide for me. This one captures so clearly that moment when I realized that I was right where I was supposed to be. This Guy. This Moment. The Future I was starting to imagine for us.

4. “Slow Dancing” by Bono

Is it enough to just say Bono? It should be. This is a special song for us. Hell, it should be for everyone. Try NOT to dance with your sweetheart to this one.

5. “At Last” by Etta James

This song was worn out for all the playtime I gave it in the months leading up to my wedding. Old songs sung by beautiful, strong voices hit every right note for me. Whenever I hear this one, I’m 23 again. I can’t promise time travel when you hear it, but anybody who has found THAT somebody will get why this song can still move me to tears.

6. “You and I” Ingrid Michaelson

Even though I just found this song recently, it captures young love’s optimism and wild imagining so well I had to include it. It hints at that friendship and camaraderie that lies at the heart of many relationships, but especially mine.

7. The Beatles “In My Life”

This one isn’t just for Steve but for our whole little kingdom. It was playing on our CD player when I came home from the hospital with my first baby. In my life, I’ve loved them all, these people, my little clan. More than they will ever know.

8. “Hey, Stephen” by Taylor Swift

When my daughter was a tween, we both fell in love with Taylor Swift. One day in the car we heard this song. From the front, I shouted over my shoulder, “This is my song for Daddy!” I don’t know what it says about the brain trust I’m raising that not a single child questioned how it could be our song when Taylor had just written it and clearly we had been around the block a couple times before that. Nevertheless, it is a love song for a boy named Stephen, and I’ve got me one of those.

9. “Come Away With Me” by Nora Jones

As of next week, we will tip the scales and teens will outnumber us. While not a terrifying realization, it is a sobering one. We already play this song often, plot our getaways, and exchange meaningful glances over school projects and dirty dishes. This is the rolled-up sleeves, deep-in-the-trenches stage of parenting for us, but Nora takes us to that beautiful place we want to get back to together.

10. “Grow Old Along With Me” by Mary Chapin Carpenter

This song always gives me a catch in the throat when I remember that John Lennon not only never really got to record this song properly before he was killed, he never grew old with his sweetheart. God bless our love and all those like it that we all get our second acts, our quiet folding into old age together.

Feel free to add your own love song to the list!

-Erin

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The Like Totally For Real 80s

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It was the worst of times. It was the best of times. It was the 80s.

Ellen: So what do you think of when you think 80s?

Erin: Besides BIG? Madonna clothes, lace gloves, legwarmers, big shoulder pads.

Ellen: You are 100% correct, buuuuuuuuuuuuut . . .

Erin: Seriously? You say I’m right, but then qualify it with a mile long but? I’m right. I lived through the 80s. I know. End of story.

Ellen: I think you’re looking through St. Elmo’s Fire colored glasses. I just feel like all of that stuff is the cute music video 80s. For example, my daughter had to make an 80s costume for a play she was in last year. Behold.

This is a little too adorable to be authentic.

Erin: She looks adorable — leg warmers, lace glove, jelly bracelets — everything I said. She even has a little Vans action thrown in.

Ellen: See, it’s that word “adorable” that’s getting me. Forget about the Benetton commercials and MTV. I’m talking about the REAL 80s — the 80s that walked down the halls of the middle schools and high schools. The 80s of which we BOTH have photographic evidence.

Erin: Well you’re going to have to gag on that spoon all by yourself because you know I still can’t scan pictures.

Ellen: Oh, if you are throwing down the fingerless lace glove gauntlet, then I am accepting the challenge because we owe it to the children to give an accurate history.

(Just to be clear – All Photographic ~~Embarrassment~~ Evidence is Ellen’s)

10 Righteous BIG Slices of the REAL 80s

1. Overview of an 80s Teenage Girl

That’s right, we had BFF before there was texting. Stick that on your skateboard and pump mongo. And speaking of not having texting, check out that extra long phone cord — necessary so you could roam free while talking to your BFFs. We’ll talk about the fashion later, but note that my room was About Last Night purple and green. And my love for Duran Duran was/is real, Folks. Today’s technology met yesterday’s fangirl when Duran Duran tweeted and Facebooked about my post. It was a dream come true that I didn’t even know was possible back in the day.

2. Real Righteous Everyday 80s Fashion

Loose mile long sleeves ending at your waistline is super flattering. We’re thinking of bringing it back.

Despite what the Disney Channel would have our kids believe, we did not walk around looking like we just jumped out of a Cyndi Lauper video . . . that was for special occasions. Mainly, we looked like we were drowning in our clothes. I had the best figure of my life and I was swallowed in Benetton and Esprit. Just look at my tiny friend above. We wore over-sized shirts, baggy pleated jeans, scrunched socks, huge bows in our hair, and over-sized blazers with linebacker shoulder pads. The only thing we tried to make small was the bottom of our jeans — those were folded, rolled and pegged. The rest of the pants were ballooning around us, but those leg openings were tight.

If you were serious, you put a safety pin in that cuff. Just to show it who was boss.

3. Totally Tubular Hair

This should probably not be its own category because it will be featured in EVERY picture, but I could not resist. Plus it gives a glimpse of the special occasion 80s. Check out those gloves! I never took them off for the entire dance. You know why? Because my hands were a blue stained Smurfy mess by the time I reached the dance. Wrapping your hands in synthetic satin makes them sweat. A lot.

That hair is big and that dress is something else — drop-waist, puffed sleeves, AND a big bow — but I’m just reminiscing about not having to wear Spanx. Which is a very good thing since it wasn’t invented and satin is not forgiving, People. — Ellen

Erin: You know, truly, that picture is not THAT bad.

Ellen: I’m easing them into it. Just wait.

4. Gnarly Accessories

Of note, this is a scan of an honest to goodness Polaroid picture — not some punk Pic Monkey frame. This post is dripping 80s. In a totally oozing way. — Ellen

It was really the accessories that made the outfits. Huge cross pendants (thanks Madonna), huge brooches, huge earrings — the 80s were B-I-G! Swatches, stacked rubber bracelets, fedoras, oh my! You could generally tell everything about a person from the buttons on their denim or Members Only jackets. I don’t think I can express enough that things were big and gaudy.

This picture was to show the buttons on my jacket. Unfortunately, most of them were on the right side, but you get the idea. I did promise the hair would get worse, so there’s that.

Erin: That hair just got real.

Ellen: Told you. Did they have straightening irons back then?

Erin: All evidence indicates no.

5. We Were All Valley Girls — Fer Shur

The 80s was all about teens adopting the ways of California. In particular we emulated Valley Girls — girls from the San Fernando Valley who spoke with atrocious grammar and diction, glorified shallowness and stupidity, and revered shopping as an art form. “Gag me with a spoon.” Our parents were so lucky. It really is beyond description. Let Moon Unit Zappa describe it to you in song. On Solid Gold no less.

6. When We Weren’t Valley Girls, We Were Skate Rats and Surfer Dudes

Check out my Jams. Just stop looking at my hair and glasses. I was a late bloomer. — Ellen

You would have thought we were all dividing our time between our surfboards and our skateboards — the Jams, the Vans, the lingo. Kate even reminded me I had a hunk of Sex Wax. I did not have a surfboard . . . or any other need for it. Now that we think about it, the 80s was like an elaborate, gaudy costume party. Except we were serious.

7. Where We Got Our Crazy Ideas

It can all be blamed on MTV born on August 1, 1981, at 12:01 a.m. At least that is our story and we’re sticking to it. See, there used to be a time when MTV had music videos . . . 24 hours a day. Our parents thought it would rot our minds. Little did they know what MTV would turn into in the 21st century. Give me a little Cyndi Lauper She Boppin’ over 16 and Pregnant any day. And yes, we know what Cyndi was getting at.

8. Well Maybe Movies Can Claim Part Of The Credit For Our Crazy Fads

It felt like movies started trends almost more than they reflected them. This was the decade where the “Coming of Age” movie ruled and John Hughes was king — The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, Weird Science, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and Pretty In Pink. Don’t forget the Brat Pack either — Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, Andrew McCarthy, Demi Moore, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, and Ally Sheedy. St. Elmo’s Fire showcased these powerhouses. And then there was The Karate Kid, Taps, Red Dawn, Dirty Dancing, Flashdance, Desperately Seeking Susan, Footloose, and Say Anything. We might be going out on a limb, but John Cusack was the 80s. But wait, so was Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Robert Downey Jr., Patrick Swayze, . . .

John Cusack in “Say Anything.” This would have lost so much of its punch with an iPod.

9. Totally Awesome 80s Music

We’ve already covered Ellen’s love for Duran Duran, but the 80s was pretty diverse. You had everything from pop to hair bands, from punk to techno, from acid rock to new wave. We had mixed tapes where Bon Jovi rubbed mullets with Twisted Sister while nestled next to the Dead Kennedys, The Rolling Stones, and U2. A Flock of Seagulls, The Thompson Twins, Madonna, Michael Jackson, and Blondie were also favorites. We can’t forget Rick Springfield and . . .

Ahhhhhh! We can’t list all of our favorites, so let’s talk about these mixed tapes. We could not just select songs for our playlists off of iTunes. We lived in a decade where you had to work for your music. You sat poised with a tape recorder next to the radio waiting for your jam to be played and hoping the DJ did not talk over the intro. If you were ambitious, you could go around to your friends’ houses to record their tapes and – gasp – vinyl records. The sound quality was scratchy, you could hear the recorder clicking on and off, and you didn’t really want the last five seconds of the songs anyway. If you loved static, you were in heaven.

Speaking of heaven, it was glorious when the Walkman came about and you could listen to your music on the go. The belt clip was INCLUDED. Maybe you should take notes Apple.

10. The Best Part Of The 80s

Forever friends. How grateful should our children be that we did not get forever stuck in the 80s?

Coming up on Our 25th High School Reunion

Our kids have a bubblegum dream impression of the 80s, but we lived the ugly and share it with you.

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The 12 Days Post-Partum

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This week on Monday Listicles, we are supposed to talk about music—holiday songs, songs we love, songs we hate, etc. Here in The Sisterhood we are of two minds about Christmas songs. All that rocking around the Christmas tree curls Ellen’s toes but warms Erin’s heart, so writing a post about Christmas music was going to be—how shall we say this diplomatically—tricky. And because it’s Christmas and we are both procrastinators and busy, we don’t really have time to duke it out properly—you know, with jingle bells and a peppermint stick.

Delicious, delectable, and deadly. You’ve been warned.

But we are also girls who can’t back away from a challenge,and when not one, not two, but three lovely fellow bloggers are asking you to play, well, you do what you gotta do—you play. Because of our aforementioned issues, we cannot really talk about holiday music, so we are gonna sing, or rather, make a song just for you. We did mention that we are available for all your party needs here, so you should probably have seen this coming.

Anyway, there is a whole songbook of classic Christmas carols that we could have chosen, but none will burrow more furiously into your cerebral cortex than that original dirty dozen— The 12 Days of Christmas.

This creepy Lord A-leaping might also sneak into your thoughts now too.

Like any good artists, we then mined our collective histories for some humor to inspire our writing. We put on our Adam Sandler hats and rocked this puppy, Sisterhood-style. Without further ado . . .

The 12 Days Post-Partum

On the first day postpartum, my wee babe gave to me a huge giant pain in the rear.

On the second day postpartum, my wee babe gave to me two nipples cracking.

Buy me by the bucketful. Steal the free sample from your roommate. This stuff is the ONLY stuff that will make you feel better!

On the third day postpartum, my wee babe gave to me three giant spit-ups.

On the fourth day postpartum, my wee babe gave to me four nervous breakdowns.

A couple days without sleep and you will be transformed.

On the fifth day postpartum, my wee babe gave to me five explosive diapers.

On the sixth day postpartum, my wee babe gave to me six nights with no sleeping.

On the seventh day postpartum my wee babe gave to me seven toddlers sneezing…at the first pediatrician check-up.

On the eighth day postpartum, my wee babe gave to me 8 outfits changing.

On the ninth day postpartum, my wee babe gave to me 9 hormonal zits a-poppin.’

On the tenth day postpartum, my wee babe gave to me 10 pounds still in need a-goin.’

On the eleventh day postpartum, my wee babe gave to me 11 loads a-washing.

On the twelfth day postpartum, my wee babe gave to me 12 more reasons to love someone I didn’t think I could love much more.

Here’s a homemade ornament Erin made of newborn Ace in a post-baby economy. As you can see, she was not lying when she said that she is NOT crafty. But isn’t he a cutie??

In the end, we both survived and had more kids, but that first post-partum period did leave an impression. If you are in the trenches now, have a very merry first Christmas with your wee one and know that this too shall pass. Some day you might even write a song of your own about it.

Thanks again to Stasha at Monday Listicles for a place to show off our song-writing talent (people hardly ask us to perform any more. . .hmmmm), but also to Rachee and her sister Mrs.RKFJ for their idea to write about 10 Holiday songs. Stephanie at Mommy, For Real added to the Christmas party fun with her idea 10 Songs We Love, Hate, or Love to Hate. While you are here, you might as well check them all out. They might inspire you to write your own song. Or maybe we did. Have a rocking Christmas!—Erin and Ellen

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10 Songs to Power You Thru Your Cleaning

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We couldn’t be any happier about this week’s list than if we had picked it ourselves, so a big thanks to Cassie at our Foto Friendly Family for asking us to make a list of songs this week.

In Erin’s house, nothing gets done without a playlist to push us through. We have five kids to please AND motivate, so we try to have a little something for everyone in every clean-up music mix we make. So here are some of the songs from our most recent playlist. Just imagine us bopping around the kitchen, making lunches, and sweeping floors with these playing in the background. And I’m going to pretend that everything I asked them to do actually got done.

1. Suicide Blonde–INXS

2. 1-2-3-4–Plain White T’s

3. 5 Feet High and Rising—Johnny Cash

4. What Makes You Beautiful—One Direction

5. Drive By—Train

6. London Calling—The Clash

7. Barely Legal—The Strokes

8. Somebody to Love–George Michael

9. Sometime Around Midnight–The Airborne Toxic Event

10. Hammer and a Nail—Indigo Girls

And thank you, of course, to the wonderful Stasha of Monday Listicles. It’s our favorite way to ease into our week!! Check out the rest of the fabulous lists there!

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Biddie(13) is a twee bit obsessed with a certain boy band from across the pond. She bought the One Direction video with money from her babysitting gig and conned Steve into watching it with her. This is the conversation I overheard.

Steve: “Do any of these guys play instruments?”

Biddie: “Oh, yeah. Harry plays the kazoo. And that one plays the triangle.”

Steve: “So they’re real musicians then.”

Thinking that their musical talent might not be the main draw. . .

—Erin

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Aey Oh, Let’s Go! 10 Songs to Get You Where You Wanna Go

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This week we are “On the Road” with Monday Listicles. Whether you are on the road for a day or more, nothing helps the miles click away better than some great tunes. So that’s what I am linking up. I make absolutely no claims about this list other than these are great road trip songs. In my last phone call to Ellen before she disembarked on her cruise, I asked her for her thoughts. “Well, definitely not the theme song from Titanic.” Got it.

So these are all me, plus a little bonus for Ellen. Enjoy and feel free to leave any of your favorites in the comments. I wrote and rewrote this list a thousand times, so I know some of what’s missing. I might be able to make a whole new playlist from your favorites. Thanks! Erin

1. “Blitzkrieg Bop” by The Ramones—In the opening riff, it practically begs you to hit the road and then the beat just keeps you going. Really you could probably put any Ramones song on your list and be just fine, but this song is sheer perfection if you are hitting the blacktop.

2. “Mr. Blue Sky” By ELO— You might be tempted to dismiss this song. Don’t. You cannot hear this song without head-bobbing and toe-tapping—a definite plus to get you through boring stretches of highway or traffic snarls.

3. “Where the Streets Have No Name” by U2—Way back in the day, my Uncle Bill told me that Irish people were a little left of center as an explanation for the sheer genius of this group. Whatever the reason, they just work for me, and this song works for a road trip. You can sing along to lyrics (a definite bonus for a road trip song), and the music itself has all the energy and rhythm of wheels to pavement.

4. “Mercedes Benz”—Janis Joplin-— No road trip playlist is complete without a song about a car. There are a bunch to choose from, but I am a chick so this is where I go. It also has that sing out loud quality that catapults a song from good to great.

5. “Good-bye, Earl”–Dixie Chicks—This song might be one of the most fun songs on the planet, and it makes the perfect road trip song. Great beat, fun lyrics, with a little shot of Thelma and Louise—two of the best movie characters ever to hit the road! Channel your inner bad-ass and get out there!

6. “Bamboleo”–Gypsy Kings—If you have never heard of them, well, then let me introduce you. If you question me bumping La Grange by ZZ Top for them, well, then let me convince you. Steve travelled through Indonesia and Asia for 5 weeks listening to them, then we travelled for 2 weeks through Ireland on our honeymoon listening to them. Pretty much anything by The Gypsy Kings works on a road trip too,but this is THE song—listen to the rhythm, the melody, the beat and pretty soon you have arrived effortlessly on the doorstep of your destination.

7. “Roadhouse Blues”— The Doors—I don’t need to convince anyone about the magic of the The Doors. This song’s bluesy folksiness, perfect lyrics, and great advice (Keep your eyes on the road and your hands upon the wheel!) will really get you where you wanna go.

8. “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)”—The Proclaimers– These Scottish twins know how to have a good time, and we can all thank The Housemartins for giving them their big break so they can let us in on the fun. Remember that toe-tapping I was mentioning before? Try to stop yourself.

9. “Radar Love”–Golden Earring—Probably one of the best road trip songs ever. I’m not saying anything else. Just perfect.

10. “Thunder Road”– Bruce Springsteen—Oh, Bruce, you totally nailed it on this one. The longing, the harmonica, the lyrics—“well, the night’s busted open, these two lanes will take us anywhere”—well, try to keep your keys from the ignition after this song.

But in case you aren’t feeling my list, NPR has many more. Check them out and get out there!

PS–A little bonus track for Ellen who is safely back on dry land, but rock-climbing with Girl Scouts today. You can’t keep that girl still for long.

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10 Songs to Celebrate Women

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Every day deserves a little moment of celebration. Nothing says celebration like a little music, so here are my choices for songs that should be playing on every woman’s playlist. In no particular order, these great songs celebrate this glorious state we call Woman like none other.

You can feel free to disagree with my choices, but I have taken these songs to heart, and now I might be a bit of a handful. Can you see my cyber-wink from here?? Erin

10 Songs to Celebrate Women: because every day and every woman deserves a little celebration. Add these to your playlist now! Sisterhood of the Sensible Moms

1. Cyndi Lauper “True Colors” (sung here by Eva Cassidy) I love that Cyndi Lauper created this song. We girls of a certain age grew up listening to her and taking her words to heart. Girls are about so much more than just having fun, and this song was Cyndi’s beautiful way of saying that. Eva Cassidy was a great talent lost too soon to skin cancer. She sings this song so beautifully that it almost feels like it was written for her.

2. Lesley Gore “You Don’t Own Me” —Men, especially in today’s political environment, seem to have forgotten this. You DON’T own me! Stand up and rock it out, Sisters. This is the song to be singing in your head when you cast your ballots.

3. Helen Reddy ”I am Woman”—This song was the battle cry of the women’s movement for a reason. It celebrates and empowers women. You will feel a whole lot better about getting a new job, quitting an crappy job, or, heck, even washing your floor, if you are doing it with a heart full of some of this invincible girl power. It is such a powerful touchstone that in 2010 when Kathryn Bigelow won the Best Director Oscar for “The Hurt Locker,” the first time a woman won the award, they played it as her exit music.

4. Sara Bareilles— “Love Song” She won’t even write him a love song if he doesn’t respect her and treat her right. And by him, I mean THE MAN, because she wrote this song to her record label. It’s the little stands we take to make sure people treat us with the care and understanding we deserve that change the world. In this case, her little stand became a huge hit AND a satisfying thumbing her nose at the executives who tried to control her. Even if “he” can’t love her, you certainly should. She is a Sister who has your back.

5. Gwen Stefani “Just a Girl” –This is a girl who has had it with the way men rule the world. This is the song to rally your girlfriends to the cause. We don’t need a world where we are forced to hold someone’s hand (I personally love hand-holding, but you get my drift). This song was written in 1995, Ladies. The world has not changed that much since then. Get inspired.

6. India Arie “I’m Not Your Average Girl”— This song celebrates being a happy, well-adjusted girl like none other. I want to play this on repeat into my teenage daughter’s ear in a non-stop loop. If we all thought like this, the world would be a much happier place.

7. Indigo Girls “Closer I am to Fine”— This was the song that girls sang OUT LOUD during college. Every woman I knew then could sing this song by heart. This was our generation’s version of “I Am Woman.”

8. Nina Simone “Feeling Good” This song just oozes happy, confident, potent, powerful woman. If you felt like this every day, there is almost nothing you couldn’t do. You go, girl!

9. Linda Ronstadt “Different Drum”— I love the spunk and honesty in this girl’s desire to spread her wings and fly. Even her polite decline of the boy trying to “reign” her in warms my heart. Another one I might have to put on a playlist for my teen girl.

10. Natasha Beddingfield “Unwritten”— Don’t let the fact that this was the theme song to “The Hills” deter you from hearing the awesome message she has to share. She celebrates making mistakes, releasing inhibitions, and female empowerment—what’s not to love?