Copywriting class was cancelled today, meaning I’ve had a few extra hours to catch up on badly needed projects, like emailing back distant friends in distant places and writing for its sheer joy. Something I hope to more of, especially with my trip to Spain looming on the very distant horizon. One of the compelling reasons for my return was that I couldn’t remember streets, cafes, stores and metro lines. As soon as I bought a ticket, the memories surged back in full colour. Walking down Huertas in the rain. Getting on the Cercanias train before dawn broke to go down to Villaverde, an industrial barrio in the south, where I taught at Air Liquide on Mondays and Fridays. Parque del Oueste, on route to classes at Dell and the Universidad Completense. The sticky heat of summer pounding down on the bright streets of Chamberí. Even though I grew up so close to San Francisco, and worked there for a long time, Madrid was the first real city I lived in. And although it was my first city, it was never mine. I was never a true inhabitant, just a visitor on a prolonged vacation.
Meanwhile, in Miami Beach, my life has returned to the American mundane. I live in this little isolated vacation patch, and I feel like I work nonstop. This isn’t entirely true -- I manage to go out to bars and drink with friends -- but the level of craziness and abandon is entirely different. Most nights are spent facing my iBook, making designs for typography class, or in front of white paper, making bizarre free association diagrams during the brainstorming process of copywriting class. My life in Madrid was defined by the music of my surroundings, the miserable Spanish pop songs blasting in nightclubs (which I later learned to love), strains of flamenco, occasional American music played in Irish pubs, and the innovative thud of European house. With all the work I do, I define the music my surroundings -- on route to the gym and school, I’ve got the CD player or iPod in tote, and in my room, I’m either tuned into the jazz programs on NPR or listening to music.
Here’s some of what I’ve been listening to lately.
Singles
Roberta Flack, “Hey, That’s No Way To Say Good-bye”
One of my favourite songs of all time. Leonard Cohen’s lyrics are as haunting as the tune.
Daniel Bedingfield, “If You’re Not the One”
This is an incredibly cheesy pop song, but I think it was popular when I was living in Barcelona back in early 2003. I feel like I’ve heard this song all over Europe, and when I found it the other day on iTunes, I had to download. One of those emotional, drippy love songs, but it reminds of being in love in a youthful, optimistic, passionate way, so I listen to it and try to recall what it felt like to, um, feel.
Akon, “Ghetto”
Yeah, it’s a mainstream song, but I find the harmonizing and chorus really beautiful and slightly more thoughtful than a great deal of other R&B/pop out right now.
Jill Scott, “Golden”
This song isn’t exactly new, but I’ve been listening to it a lot lately.
Erykah Badu, “Back in the Day”
Again, not the newest song. But something between Badu’s gorgeous, lazy vocals and the bassline puts me in a very good mood.
The Game, “Hate it Or Love It”
The sample makes the song.
The Game, “How We Do”
I wanna throw a party, or ride around town in a cool car.
Ciara, “One, Two Step”
Could a song be any catchier? I wish every pop song sounded this fun and this good.
Snoop Dogg feat. Pharrell, “Let’s Get Blown”
This song makes me want to live inside a music video, where everyone is tan, beautiful and rich, hanging out by a pool, playing cards, eating cream cheese and smoked salmon, watching boys play basketball and drinking champagne. Wait, I think I just described heaven.
Paulina Rubio, “Te Quise Tanto”
I’m not the greatest Latin music fan, but I saw Paulina Rubio perform this song on Spanish television shortly before I left. It is through-and-through pop music, but I can listen to it on repeat, and justify this by saying I’m practising my Spanish.
Albums
Atmosphere, Headshots: Seven
Excellent underground hip hop, and the first time I’ve ever thought I should go check out Minneapolis.
Hernán Cattáneo, Renaissance: The Masters Series
I went on a date with an Argentinian back in December (the last time I’ve even been on a date). Despite consistently ignoring his subsequent phone calls and text messages (I found him a little, uh, protective on the date and decided it wasn’t going to be a good ‘pairing’) still stalks me to this day. Anyway, the only redeeming part of the date was learning about Hernán Cattáneo, an Argentinian deejay who spins very nice, melodic house music. At times this CD gets a little watery, but I find it great to have on while I work.
Sander Kleinenberg, This Is Everybody Too
I heard this back in the fall, on one of the worst nights of my life (a long story). Hearing the album was indeed the best thing to come out of the night, except being able to tell the story of just how awful the night was. (In a nutshell, my roommate and I went out with a guy she’d met in his friend; the guy was unbelievably rude to me and all-around incredibly miserable to be around. UGH.) Anyway, Kleinenberg’s double disc CD is really good, capturing a funky club sound while still remaining seamless between records.
Ministry of Sound, Clubbers Guide 05
Every year, I dig into my wallet and shell out a chunk of cash for the Ministry of Sound Clubbers Guide. Yes, I have a penchant for tacky, upbeat, fun house music. I found the 2005 guide used at Spec’s here on Miami Beach and thankfully saved about $20 in the process. As usual, one disc leans towards deep house and the other towards progressive house (is that term even allowed anymore?), and I prefer the deep house one -- certain segments are just magnificent, in that big club-having fun kind of way. The fact that I’ve heard it played at Crunch over the speakers is probably another indication of its gay appeal. On a side note, usually several tracks from this guides are make it onto the top 10 list in England, which says something about how other cultures make room for music other than what neatly fits into “hip hop/rap,” “R&B/soul” and “pop/rock” formats.
