Foxymoron

10 songs I liked in 2006

With all the festive distractions, I haven't been thinking about music much but someone said posting "best of" lists after the new year is bad luck. She may be right so here we are on December 30th (Mom's birthday!) and I've thrown together some of my favourite songs (in no particular order) from the year that was 2006:

[mp3] Cat Power - The Greatest
[mp3] Ohbijou - St. Francis
[mp3] The Dears - You and I Are a Gang of Losers
[mp3] Cansei De Ser Sexy - Music is My Hot Sex
[mp3] Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Cheated Heart 
[mp3] Josh Rouse - Givin' It Up
[mp3] Tokyo Police Club - Nature of the Experiment
[mp3] Emm Gryner - All-Time Low
[mp3] Girl Talk - Smash Your Head
[mp3] Lily Allen - Everything's Changing (Live)

Soon we ring in the new year and I'm ready. It's time for a frequency change!

Let them stare

A couple times a year, my family shares a meal meet with my dad's clients turned family friends. This is a family I've known for a few years now and tonight, for the first time, I was awkwardly conscious of a couple shamelessly staring at our table from across the room. I guess there is something rare and odd (in my opinion, nice) about a table that includes an African man from Cameroon, his Italian wife, their two adorable children, the Italian grandparents and my mixed Asian family.

Despite the multiculturalism in Toronto, it's rare to see racial integration in groups where the majority of people are over the age of 40. Of course, this is changing and I'm looking forward to seeing more integration and friendships in upcoming generations. Just a thought I wanted to share today...

[mp3] 1 Giant Leap (ft. Robbie Williams & Maxi Jazz) - My Culture
[mp3] Sweatshop Union - The Human's Race

It's a wonderful night

Over dinner, we discussed plans for the upcoming new year. Resolutions (party less, exercise more, be responsible, etc.) and of course, the night that's supposed to be the "best ever," New Year's Eve. I dread this night more than the other 364.  It's the pressure, the crowds and cost. Too much of all of the above. I'd rather stay inside with a bottle of red wine and board games. Interested? Otherwise, I guess I'll be coaxed into dancing in the streets, reluctantly, of course.

[mp3] The Stars - Fairytale of New York
[mp3] Bloc Party vs. Fatboy Slim - Skeleton vs. Wonderful Night

Sugar, sugar

Friday night, I sat in a friend's living room with a coffee table full of gluttony. After bites of Toblerone cheesecake, pink frosted cookies, homemade ice cream cake and peanut butter squares, we all looked down at the table of sugar with remorse. How can something taste so good, feel so wrong? Guilt, oh guilt.

In the daylight, we craved something saltier and sauntered down Bloor with thoughts of poached eggs and dill sauce at By The Way Cafe. Even though the cinnamony coffee was certified organic, I couldn't help be feel a tinge of guilt still. Breakfast was not exactly a healthy alternative to last night's desserts, but healthier. And that is what we aim for this time of year. Sherbert over ice cream, skim over homogenized milk in our lattes and turkey over steak. The rationalization is that if there is more than one food group covered, then it is  OK.

[mp3] Sneaker Pimps - Spin, Spin Sugar (Armand's Bonus Dub)
[mp3] Stereo MC's - Sweetest Truth (Show No Fear)

My broken house behind me

I found a pair of bright pink Totes (old skool sock version) buried in my sock drawer. They've been keeping me warm as I hold my breath for the new year. Too many bad things have happened to important people in my life lately, heartbreaking endings to an already lousy year. 2007 can't come soon enough. It's a new start. Again.

[mp3] The Mountain Goats - "This Year"
[mp3] K's Choice - "Another Year"

I don't want to wake up on my own anymore

Last night, I stayed up until 3 a.m. to finished Stephen Chbosky's The Perks of Being a Wallflower I read most of it yesterday, some while on the subway. It's an absorbing read and I almost didn't care that I was maybe sort of crying on the train as Maple Leaf fans poured into the car. Charlie, the protagonist, is the most likeable character I've read about in a long time. I guess that is a perk of being a wallflower — astute observation. In the holiday spirit and in preparation for famiily time, here's one of my favourite quotes from the book in which Charlie describes his own family gathering:

"I am very interested and fascinated by how everyone loves each other, but no one really likes each other"

Aside from this book, my December has so far been a bust. I hope yours is better. Here's Charlie's favourite song, he put it on a mixtap twice:

[mp3] The Smiths - Asleep [Buy]

Oh my, what happened to the time?

And suddenly, it was December. The month rolled in on the heels of unseasonably warm days and now it's frozen puddles, wind chill factors and red cheeks. As I drove home Friday night, I felt the wind force its power on my car, shifting it to the right on the Don Valley Parkway. It was a disconcerting introduction to the month, but I made it home safely. After all, this is the way it's supposed to be — chaos wrapped in scarves, tuques and over sized jackets.

[mp3] David Gray - December [Buy]
[mp3] Tilly and the Wall - The Ice Storm, Big Gust, and You [Buy]