A Shopping List For My Grandpa: Introduction

Hey Everyone!

Happy New Year... its the start of a whole new decade and a start at a whole new life. I feel like this year has a lot of promise and I'm excited to see if it proves me right. Alright, although my writing is still going to be a little sparse, I am definitely going to lean myself back into it. I miss coming here and sharing music with my blog and any readers I may have. That being said, the topic of this blog may be slightly confusing and I'm going to clarify it for you!

Over the break, I wrote a few emails back and forth to my Grandfather. He said that he reads my blog and it allowed him to see and understand my passion for music although he has never had much of a passion for it himself. As a joke, he added "maybe its not too late for me yet" and I took this as a bit of a challenge being waved in front of me... could I find music that my Grandpa would perhaps enjoy? He gave me that challenge and asked me to come up with 3 CDs I recommend for him. 

Image: My artist rendition of my Grandpa listening to his new cds... created using SP Character Generator HERE

I thought this would be kind of a cool project to share... I'm curious to see if I can find music for another person with not much to go on. I mean, I'd like to think I know my Grandpa really well, but sometimes music can extend beyond typical associations we have of a person. Its a very tricky and personal thing, not easy to do if you dont have pretense as to what this person already listens to. In my world, music is my air. For my grandpa, its the background noise in his life. As such, its kind of challenging to get the attention directed towards the music. 

For this project, I'm going to pick music I like that I think my Grandpa MAY like. I cant be sure, but I figure its worth a shot and could be almost, a way for my Grandpa and I to understand each other :) So if this interests you, check back on Monday January 4th for my list! 3 albums by 3 different artists, I'm going to highlight specific songs that I think he should listen to as well as describe why I made each selection!

This is exciting, time to go narrow down my list!

Rock On,

- Girl At The Rock Show

Halloween Party Playlist

Hey everyone!

So I know its a little early for this entry, but I cant help myself. As I'm sure you're all aware, Halloween is slowly creeping up on us. Personally, this is one of my favorite holidays of the year. Yes, I am aware that it is nothing more than corporate designed nonsense to make us spend money and temporarily give up on those healthy diets to splurge on sugar, but you have to admit the simple fact... its FUN! So in honor of upcoming holiday festivities, here is my list of top ten songs for those halloween parties some of you may be busy planning.

10. Ghost Busters Theme: because what is halloween without classic theme songs? Definitely a good way to break the ice in a big group and get everyone involved!

9. Halloween by The Creepshow: kind of self explanatory... it doesn't get much better, a song called Halloween by a band called the Creepshow? It just demands a place on any playlist. You could also look into the original version which is by the Misfits if you're looking for something a little heavier in the punk genre.

8. Pet Sematary by The Ramones: Again, the marriage of rock music and classic horror films make this a perfect fit. "I don't wanna be buried in a pet sematary, don't want to live my life again" The Creepshow also does a great cover of this if you want a more modern sound for your party :P Other covers: Michelle Darkness, Rammstein

7. Welcome To My Nightmare by Alice Cooper: What is "horror rock" without a little Alice Cooper? Not exactly a dance track, but its eerie and haunting in sound & lyrics so its great for atmosphere.

6. Tainted Love by Marilyn Manson: This version is a long way from the original performed by Gloria Jones back in 1964. Soft Cell also does a great cover, but for this list, I highly recommend Manson. This version of the track combines a well known classic with a metal/techno edge and creepy vocal style. Very halloween-esque.

5. American Psycho by The Misfits: Very morbid and for lack of better words, evil? haha. This band is known for their "horror punk" music, so definitely look into a couple of their songs if you want some good halloween related punk/hardcore.

4. Time Warp by Rocky Horror Picture Show (movie): This is right out of a classic halloween styled musical, and perfect for getting everyone dancing. You cant back out on this one, there are no excuses since it tells you exactly how to do it!

3. I Put A Spell On You by Screamin' Jay Hawkins: An oldie but a goodie. A little more bluesy than the other tracks, but its a great song to play around halloween. If you like the song itself but want something a little different, search through some of the covers by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Katie Melua, Marilyn Manson or others. This song has been remade in various styles so its up to you what you like!

2. Thriller by Michael Jackson: Why not honor the late great king of pop this halloween by playing this at your party? Who doesn't instantly think of dancing zombies when this track comes on?

1. The Monster Mash by Bobby Boris Picket: Because you absolutely cannot have a halloween party without this track. Its the ultimate necessity. Everyone will know it and have a good laugh.

So thats my list, hope you enjoy the recommendations. Do you have any favorite halloween themed tracks to add to the list? Let me know, I'd love some help building my own list, so please feel free to share :)

Thanks & Happy Early Halloween Preparations!

Rock On

- Girl At The Rock Show