First Love

I'm so excited to write my first post in my "new" blog.  I figured why not write about the first time I ever fell in love...

I was in fifth grade and I went to Wal-Mart with my mom and my sister.  I had some money (not sure why, maybe Christmas or birthday) and I was finally at the age where I decided that instead of going to the toy aisle, I would go to the music.  I was ready to pick out my first CD.  It wasn't Hanson, or Nsync, or Backstreet Boys (although I would later purchase those...I mean I was 11).  It was 1997 and I was faced with a choice.  I stood there in the music aisle, and with the help of my sister, narrowed it down to Better Than Ezra-How Does Your Garden Grow? and Third Eye Blind (I think it was self titled).  These are both SOLID choices for an 11 year old.  I would later purchase 3eb, so don't worry about that.  I wore that album out.  From that point on, whenever I had extra money, you would find me in the music aisle. 

*Side note:  It makes me infinitely sad that my children will probably never stand in the music aisle at Walmart and obsess over which CD to buy with their money.  They will download them instead. 

BTE would later end up being my first concert too!  Technically New Kids on The Block was, but BTE was my first concert that I was old enough to remember attending.  I think I was in 7th grade when I went with my mom, dad, Sara, and Ashley to see BTE and Cowboy Mouth.  I won tickets because my mom heard on the radio that one of the DJ's was at the mall with tickets by the elevator and would give two to everyone who came up to him.  My mom went up to him.  Then my dad.  Then me.  I have never been so excited in my life and the concert did not disappoint.  I would go on to see them about 100 more times and even get to meet them and have them sign EVERY SINGLE ALBUM they are came out with, including the one that you could only get online.  They were even impressed with my collection.

 

To this day I still love BTE.  I don't love them as much as I used to, but they are definitely still rocked in my car every once in awhile.  I attribute my overly-extreme love of music to them.  I also attribute some of my musical evolution to my sister.  Without her, I probably would have chosen something lame.  I am pretty sure her intentions were selfish.  My guess is that she didn't want to listen to said lame CD on repeat for months to come, but no matter the intentions I am thankful.  Her influence on my musical taste would later piss my mom off when she helped me to purchase the Alanis Morisette album.  We stuck it in the CD player on the way home and when Alanis very clearly sang, "and are you thinking of me when you fuck her" mom quickly shot a look at Kristyn.  Luckily mom let me keep the CD. 

After purchasing my first CD, I would often sneak to her room when she wasn't home and steal:
Smashing Pumpkins-Melon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
The Offspring-Come out and play
Live-Throwing Copper

So in honor of national sibling day yesterday (YOU THOUGHT I WAS BEING LAZY!!!) I made not one...but TWO playlists for my sister that you now all get to take advantage of.  The first is the one she asked for.  Her "Songs that are mellow, but I can still rock out to that are clean, but not squeaky clean" playlist (that one's not difficult at all to interpret...)

1. I Turn My Camera On-Spoon
2. In Our Darkest Hour-Phantom Planet
3. Junk of the Heart (Happy)-The Kooks
4. Long Distance Call-Phoenix
5. Young Folks-Peter Bjorn And John
6. Broadripple is Burning-Margot and The Nuclear So and So's (this one has the F word in it, but only once.  The kids will probably miss it)
7. Sing, Theresa Says-Greg Laswell
8. Seven Nation Army-The White Stripes
9. Up Up Up-Givers
10. Electric Feel-MGMT
11. Cameras-Matt and Kim
12. While I'm Alive-STRFKR
13. Two Weeks-Grizzly Bear
14. Knee Socks-Arctic Monkeys
15. West Coast-Coconut Records
16. Midnight City-M83
17. Screaming Infidelties-Dashboard (an oldie, but appropriate for the mix)
18. Stay Young, Go Dancing-Death Cab
19. Love you Madly-Cake
20. Sideways-Citizen Cope


The second is her "Thanks for making sure I didn't listen to lame music, happy national siblings day mix".  Please enjoy this compilation of my favorite songs from all the CD's I have ever stolen from you in the late 90's.  Make sure to listen to it on shuffle.

1. Selling the Drama-Live
2. I Alone-Live
3. All Over You-Live
4.Vasoline-Stone Temple Pilots
5. Interstate Love Song-Stone Temple Pilots
6. Big Empty-Stone Temple Pilots
7. Big Bang Baby-Stone Temple Pilots
8. Trippin' on a Hole in a Paper Heart-Stone Temple Pilots
9. Tomorrow-Silverchair
10. Everything Zen-Bush (Although I think you had this CD because you stole my tape of it and got it stuck in your car cassette player when you got in that wreck)
11. Comedown-Bush
12. Machinehead-Bush
13. Glycerine-Bush
14. Shimmer-Fuel
15. Superman's Dead-Our Lady Peace
16. 4am-Our Lady Peace
17. Clumsy-Our Lady Peace
18. Follow You Down-Gin Blossoms
19. Come Out and Play-Offspring
20. Thirty-Three-Smashing Pumpkins
21. Stumbeline-Smashing Pumpkins (still an amazing song)
22. Tonight, Tonight-Smashing Pumpkins
23. Zero-Smashing Pumpkins
24. 1979-Smashing Pumpkins
25. Today-Smashing Pumpkins


I've been making mixed CD's for EVERYONE for years and years now as you can see in the picture below...

Mom sent me this picture.  She still has her "Bitchin Mix".  Very curious what is on this one.  I probably made this for her 8 or so years ago.  Everyone got mixed CD's for Christmas and their birthday every year that I was in college.  I put a lot of thought into the mixes.  It's one of my favorite things to do.  When I first started dating Jon, I am pretty sure that is how we actually got to know each other.  We were both fairly busy, but we would exchange mixed CD's every time we got together.  I knew he was the one when the first song on the first mix he gave me was West Coast-Coconut Records and the second was Drop it Low-Esther Dean and Lil Wayne.  A man after my heart.  My point is that music definitely brings people together.  It is one of my favorite things in the whole world and I plan on writing about it a lot.  Also, if you ever want a mix just let me know!!  I won't even charge you :)