Artist Spotlight: Hozier

 Hozier is one of the artists that I found on multiple contemporary Dark Academia playlists. For good reason - his lyrics are quite cerebral, as he draws a lot of his inspiration from philosophy and spirituality. I remember a Tumblr post that described his songs as being specifically for "waging the Revolution and then coming home to make sweet love to your woman." Yeah, it's kind of like that. A lot of his songs are fantastic protest songs. And then he also has a lot of great love (and love-making) songs. If either of these things are your jam, I highly recommend listening to the "This is Hozier" playlist on Spotify. For today, I'm just going to go through a selection of my favorite Hozier songs and their deeper meaning (if they have one) to get you started.

• "Take Me to Church"

This is probably my favorite Hozier song. I know that's not particularly unique, because it's the only one that really got widespread play on the radio stations where I've lived. But it is one that speaks to me. It's about feeling closer to God (or Universe, Source, Force, or whatever other name you have for it) through sex as a loving act, not what religion deems is spiritual. In Hozier's words, it's a "celebration of sexuality," with sex itself being a sacred expression of love. Pulling out this metaphor, it's also about being in love with someone who society (particularly the Church) says is not allowed and expressing that love in a way that is seen as sinful. Hozier, who was raised an Irish Protestant, is deeply critical of the Catholic Church. Rightly so. As a former Catholic, I am also disappointed in the faith of my childhood and I remember the last time I went to Mass in earnest, I cried. No, I wept. I believed in God (which I prefer to refer to as the Universe) but I did not agree with a lot of the Church's teachings. I didn't believe in Hell, I didn't believe people should be punished for their humanity and - most blasphemous of all - I didn't think Jesus believed that either. It felt like I was losing something. Mind you, at this point I had already engaged in premarital sex because, while I think no sex until commitment is a good boundary, I always felt no sex until marriage was manipulation. Although at one time I wished I could be, I was never going to be one of those good Christian girls. I'm too much of a free-spirit to follow such arbitrary rules. I have no shame about my sexuality (because, like Hozier, I believe it is sacred) and I'm sure They think that's wrong, too. 

No masters or kings when the ritual begins

There is no sweeter innocence than our gentle sin

In the madness and soil of that sad earthly scene

Only then I am human

Only then I am clean

Oh, oh, Amen, Amen, Amen

This song grew to be a protest song among the LGBT community at the time it was released. The music video is critical of the Russian repression of homosexuality, tales of which are unbelievably brutal. Although I'm not gay, I've had many friends throughout my life who are (both while they were in the closet and out). I have seen a number of my friends struggle with their beliefs because of their sexual orientation. Some have left the Catholic Church and Christianity altogether while others have found more liberal Christian communities to belong to. I've seen formerly devout Mormons tossed out of their communities - this was harder to watch, because leaving such a strict faith often means being estranged from their families. I've witnessed friends berated and abused by their parents. To be honest, I think that shook my faith the most. I couldn't believe in a God or follow a religion that allowed for such blind hatred and disgust towards someone you were supposed to love. Especially in light of all the corruption and devastation caused by the pedophilia scandals. Nope, couldn't follow that anymore. So I decided to create my own....and yes, it's very much based on Love.

• "Nina Cried Power" (featuring Mavis Staples)

This is a protest song that celebrates all other protest songs. The "Nina" referred to is Nina Simone, a musician and singer who channeled her influence as an artist to become an activist in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Simone's songs were boycotted in Southern states and as she became more active in the movement, her music became less popular. Hozier also honors the legacy of other musicians turned activists - James Brown, Woody Guthrie, Joni Mitchell, John Lennon, to name a few. And of course, Mavis Staples, a gospel singer and civil rights activist whose voice also lent power to the Civil Rights Movement. It's her voice that carries the bridge comprised of this strikingly powerful sentiment:  Power has been cried by those stronger than me, straight into the face of those who tell you to rattle your chains if you like being free. The video also features activists currently working for civil rights on all fronts. 

 It's not the song, it is the singin'

It's the heaven of the human spirit ringin'

It is the bringin' of the line

It is the bearin' of the rhyme

It's not the wakin', it's the risin'

Choosing to speak out against injustice when you have so much to lose shows real courage. Music, in particular, has been used to embody the voice of the people. I was thinking just this morning that, although most of the best songs are about Love, the rest are about overthrowing the government (or the status quo, society, or any authority that oppresses Freedom). Music, especially at this point in history, is so accessible to the masses. It is a powerful force to call out for change. To call out for justice, for mercy, for awareness. I expect we'll be hearing more of this type of music in the coming years.

• "Arsonist's Lullabye"

This song is about our inner desires. Our inner darkness, the wild Creator and Destroyer entwined within our soul. There is some creative force inside all of us - it is unique to us, it calls only to us, it speaks only to us. And it will do this all our lives. You can allow yourself to be consumed if you repress it or you can watch it spiral out of control if you don't learn to harness it. The Arsonist, who has tried to ignore it all his life, watches as this desire - this calling - destroys everything in his wake.

All you have is your fire

And the place you need to reach

Don't you ever tame your demons

But always keep 'em on a leash

It's a lullaby because it's how the arsonist sleeps at night. He justifies to himself he had to do it, or else he'd go crazy. We do what we must. I have a dramatic, impulsive streak and, when I was young, I was in a powerless situation. I only felt my power when I was tapped into my rage, when I was fighting back, when I was forcing things to happen. I know how cruel and destructive I can be. I was even proud of it, once upon a time. And I feel the urge to give in to that side of me more often than people would expect. It's so much easier. My darkness is not tame at all, it's as wild as it ever was. But I understand its proper place now and how to channel the power it has, to appreciate the wisdom it has gifted me. I don't let it take control but I don't fear it either. But I am still learning to live with my demons - that process never ends.

• "Like Real People Do"

This is one of Hozier's sweeter love songs, in my opinion. It's about having a dark past - having made mistakes - but it not making a difference to a new love. The lyrics describe evocative imagery. Perhaps it's an extremely literally interpretation, but I picture a cemetery. He was buried, a corpse drained from a past relationship. She was digging to find something deeper than she'd felt before. Somehow, they came together. How they got to that graveyard doesn't matter. All that matters is that they found each other. And all he wants to do is kiss her. 

I will not ask you where you came from

I will not ask you and neither would you

Honey just put your sweet lips on my lips

We should just kiss like real people do

I don't think much more needs to be said about that. It's a nice sentiment - to not be judged for who you were in the past. To find someone who can see you as who you are now. Who wants to uncover you, even though you've felt like an awful, dead thing for so long. Such a thing exists. It's rare but it's precious.

All the videos are linked in the titles for your listening pleasure. Thanks for reading!

6 Tips for Curating a Killer Playlist

While I was putzing around the airport the other day, I had a chance to distill my knowledge of making playlists into six guidelines. I wouldn't call myself an expert on playlist building - one of the reasons I'm not writing this for "Self" or "Marie Claire" - but I have fucked up enough playlists to know that these six rules are a pretty solid foundation. Some will be self-evident, others arbitrary, but all have a reason for being on this list. Disregard at your own peril.

1. Choose a Central Theme. This is your "why" for the playlist. Why do you want to build a playlist? Maybe this is your workout mix or you want to set the mood for going out on a girl's night. Whatever your reason, make sure you identify that is, because it's the foundation for all the other rules. It also has the added benefit of making difficult song choices easier, because you understand the playlist's raison d'etre - it's reason for even existing in the first place. If you take a moment to think about it, I think most people instinctively know what songs they'd put on a Party-themed mix versus what they want to listen to while they're studying for a test. You can be really creative with this. There's an astrologer I follow on Twitter, Chani Nicholas, who builds playlists as a horoscope for each sign (which are amazing btw - if you're on Spotify, just search for #CosmicPlaylist). I've seen fellow witches/pagans build "Money Manifestation" playlists filled with money themed songs. Personally, I have a playlist with all the songs I think would be great to build a burlesque routine around. Anything goes when you're choosing the theme. And the more specific you get, the more targeted your playlist will be, which means you'll have to do less editing in the long run.
2. Remember the "Vibe." Knowing what vibe you want for your playlist is simple as asking yourself one simple question - "How do I want to feel while I'm listening to this playlist?" I say that it's simple, but it's probably one of the most complicated questions a person can ask themselves, mostly because a lot of people are afraid of feeling their feelings (but that's a rant for the other day). Yes, you absolutely can create a playlist of songs that make you cry (in fact, I'd encourage it, just for the cathartic benefits alone), but most people are building playlists to set the mood for happy times, like birthday parties or road trips. Remembering the vibe requires you to think critically about the emotional impact a song has on you. For instance, I was talking to the coworker I was traveling with about Lana Del Rey - we both like her music, but I think he put it accurately when he said that he feels like he wants to kill himself with a Twizzler afterwards. All of her songs have a melancholic quality to them and - let's face it - melancholy is just romanticized sadness, my friends. So if you want to feel sad and wistful about an ex, by all means, load it up with some Lana Del Rey, but she probably doesn't belong on a Hype Mix. Another thing to remember about the vibe may be that you're looking for a certain type of music - a certain genre or maybe a specific sound. Pandora used to be good about this, when they were true to their whole goal about recommending songs with the same "musical DNA." Although, that didn't always work. I remember wanting a playlist with pop songs that had a Middle Eastern flair to it, based on "Beautiful Liar" by Beyonce and Shakira. Unfortunately, Pandora interpreted that musical DNA as "more Beyonce, please." Don't get me wrong - I like me some Queen Bey, but that's not what I was going for and it's the primary reason why I believe human ears are crucial to the playlist creation business.
3. For working out, use the beats per minute (BPM) as a guide. There have been numerous studies on the impact of music on a person's activity intensity while working out. The higher the beats per minute, the more intense the workout. The reason for this is that the body subconsciously matches the rhythm of the music, so if the music is moving faster, the body will naturally move faster or with greater power. You can use this to your advantage while building your work out playlists. There are plenty of resources out there to identify what BPM is right for each type of workout but a rough guide would be this: 140+ BPM songs are great for high intensity workouts (running, HIIT, cycling, dancing), 100-139 BPM are going to be for moderate intensity workouts (endurance running, strength training, power walking), and under 100 BPM are best for low intensity workouts (yoga/flexibility, swimming) and warm up/cool down cycles. The BPM does not have to impact the vibe - as we've seen, there are some great sub-100 songs that are perfect for pushing you during a work out. My recommendation is to order your playlist (if possible - if you're using the free version of Spotify, random is mandatory on the app) in a way so that you use the lower BPM in your warm up and cool down phases, then move gradually between moderate intensity and/or high intensity songs, depending on what your needs are. 
4. Limit the list to two songs per artist. This is one of those arbitrary rules that I've found just works in reality. If you love an artist, one song is too little but three songs makes it seem like the playlist only has that artist. I don't know why that happens, it just does. Variety is the spice of life and when you are trying to limit how long the playlist is, these arbitrary rules pay off in the long run. Limiting an artist to only two songs requires you to get really picky on which songs truly fit your theme and vibe for playlist. You start to notice little things about the songs - for instance, maybe a particular lyric hits you harder than you realized or the background music is just a tad slower than you want for the mix. In finding that perfect song by your favorite artist for your go-to playlist, you'll discover songs you never knew existed. More than likely, the artist you love to hear on the radio is way more prolific than the 2 or 3 singles they put out a year. So go ahead and explore. Your ears will thank you.
5. Edit, Edit, Edit. It happens - you don't always get a playlist right the first time. Sometimes, after listening through once or twice, you realize a song that you absolutely love just doesn't fit. That's okay. Kill your darlings....or at least move them to a playlist where they fit better. You don't have to put all your favorite songs on a playlist - I've done that and it is an emotional roller coaster not for the faint of heart. If you find yourself skipping a song a lot on a playlist, that's a good indicator that it may not belong there. Likewise, it's normal to get bored, especially if you have a "go-to" playlist that you're always listening to. It's okay to remove songs as they get overplayed and add new ones as you discover them. There's a reason why music apps (like Spotify and Pandora) have a "like" button - it's so you can find those songs again when you want to. I also recommend using this button liberally when you're listening to playlists made by other people or by the app company, as this is a great way to discover new music, even if you don't have a plan for it yet.
6. Know your limits (even if you don't think you need them). This is the master rule to remember when creating a playlist. Sure, maybe you don't have a song limit. Maybe you're not going to exclude genres from your list. Maybe you don't have a desired song length. That's all well and good, but in practice, you'll know when you've strayed because you just don't enjoy listening to the playlist anymore. Always remember what your original intention was. Always consider whether or not the playlist is meeting your needs and act accordingly. Sometimes that means you have to start over. Playlist creation is an art and, like all good art, you get better by doing. So if you don't what your limits are, what arbitrary rules you have for your own playlists, I recommend going out and breaking some eggs until you find what works. 

And that's it. I hope these tips are helpful and informative - now go have some fun!

It's Summer, Bitches!

Merry Belated Litha, y'all! Yep, it's that time of year again. School is out, beaches are crowded, and some of the best songs of the year are being released. I've combed the interwebs and my own memory to bring you my top 5 Summer Songs. Some of them are officially on professional lists of the best songs of the season....and some are not. However, they all mean something to me so I hope you enjoy them. Just a quick warning - I am going to get quite rant-y, in many directions, so keep up!

5. "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Ray Jepson

"Call Me Maybe" came out in the Summer of 2012. You know how I remember that? Because it was an election year and some asshole made a parody of Obama on the campaign trail. That summer, I was volunteering for Ron Barber's special election campaign. He was running to take over for Gabby Gifford's seat, because on January 8th of that year, some asshole shot up a "Congress on Your Corner" event in Tucson. I'll never forget where I was when that happened. He murdered 8 people (including a friend's cousin) and injured several others, including Giffords and Barber. I know that took a dark turn, but it's background. Let's get back to that summer.

Anyway, I volunteered for the Barber campaign. I most remember the guy who ran the local Democratic office because he would always give me shit about stuff....mostly my clothes and the fact that I wouldn't register Democrat. "Why do your jeans have holes in them?" "Why don't you wear more clothes?" "Why are you still an Independent? Choose a side!" No. I'm still an Independent because, like George Washington, I believe that parties are the worst thing for this country. Honestly, if you removed the "R" or "D" next to candidates' names, most people wouldn't know who they were voting for. It would be chaos and I think that might actually be good for this country. But I digress. Sure, he gave me a lot of shit, but he also seemed genuinely impressed that I actually talked to people and tried to understand what they thought was important about the person they were voting for. Because it is important. I may not have talked to the most people but I like to think I changed the most minds when I called.

Back to the song - go ahead and judge me, but I really like "Call Me Maybe." It's cute, it's fun, and it's young, which makes it the perfect song for Summer. The video is pretty funny, too. Carly is trying to get the attention of her cute neighbor (who is HOT and just my type) but he's pretty oblivious. Well, we find out at the end of the song - to Carly's chagrin - that Hot Neighbor is gay/bisexual and he would rather fuck her guitarist. That's fair. The guitarist is also pretty cute.

"Call Me Maybe" Video

4. "Here Comes the Sun" by The Beatles

I know this isn't particularly original or interesting, but "Abbey Road" is my favorite Beatles album. It's very clear they wrote it while they were on drugs, which makes the sound totally unique. Also, some of their craziest songs are on there. "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" is a personal favorite - it's upbeat but it's about a serial killer. Yeah....I'm....odd, sometimes. Some of my other favorites include "Oh Darling!" and "Something." The latter in particular reminds me of my parents. "Something in the way she moves/Attracts me like no other lover/Something in the way she moves me/I don't want to leave her now/You know I believe and how?" I'm going to stop there, because that song deserves its own post. Needless to say, I believe true love exists because I know how my dad feels about my mom. Sappy indeed, but I don't care.

Another favorite on the album is "I Want You (She's so heavy)." The lyrics are pretty simple - it's mostly just Paul singing "I want you" several times - but the instrumental piece is so dark and luxurious, it kind of pulls you in. It's supposed to feel like a heroine trip - or like if you are lying in an opium den, which I think the Beatles did quite often when this song was written. My dad told me once that Paul was singing to a cheeseburger but I think he was just fucking with me. Anyway, after you get trapped in the thick fabric of this song, "Abbey Road" pulls you back out of the depths with "Here Comes the Sun," which is so chipper, you forget you were drowning in bass guitar only moments ago. I have fond memories of "Abbey Road" because we'd always listen to it at least one time through when my dad picked me up from college for breaks (I didn't drive back then). I definitely know this album like the back of my hand but it's one I could probably listen to over and over. There aren't many albums like that - most only have one or two good songs - so take some time to do some listening. For your musical education, of course.

"Here Comes the Sun" Video

3. "California Girls" by The Beach Boys

I'm a California Girl - I have the birth certificate to prove it! Okay, I only lived there like a month after I was born but I do like the state for small bursts. Not to live there, of course - it's too expensive. But I always enjoyed our visits to LA and San Diego because I love - LOVE - the beach. This song posits that the girls from California are prettier. Honestly, I feel like I'm a California 7, but it's a nice idea. Just for reference, a California 10 is like the hottest a girl can be, so I'm probably being overly generous to myself. However, it makes sense that California Girls would be the prettiest, since that's where the majority of our film, music, and modeling industry is. Marilyn was from California and she was stunning, even before they got to her with the peroxide. My favorite picture of Norma Jean is one of her earlier modeling photographs, when she still had her red hair. She standing on the beach...she has her hands up near her face and she's just smiling at the camera. Here, I found it....

Norma Jean Baker

It's so innocent, like she doesn't have a care in the world. Of course, we know she did. She was the poster child for Borderline Personality Disorder and what we know about her life has helped me to understand more about what has happened in mine. She wrote poetry, you know. I've read some of it - it was quite good. It makes me kind of sad, because she felt like she was worthless without her looks but she wasn't. Norma was really beautiful inside, it's just that no one really bothered to see it. I didn't really mean to rant about Marilyn for this song - it just sort of turned out that way. However, I think that's where I needed to go so I'm gonna leave it.

"California Girls" Video

2. "Despacito (Remix)" by Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee (feat. Justin Bieber)

This was last year's Song of the Summer. It's kind of ridiculous. Personally, I only understand the Justin Bieber part and the bridge. Because I never learned Spanish, despite living in the Southwest for a good portion of my life. I make bad life choices - one of those choices was getting a degree in French. But hey, if you ever need someone to let you know if they've translated the French parts of American movies correctly, I'm your girl. Anyway, my older sister loves this song. She had it on repeat the whole time we visited North Padre Island last year....and I didn't mind it. Neither did the baby, but he's inherited my weird taste in music.

If you remember, "Despacito" was banned in Malaysia for being to racy. Which made me curious as to what I'm singing along to....so I looked up the English translation to find out. And - holy shit! - I think Malaysia might have had a reason to ban it....and I'm generally against banning stuff. Basically, "Despacito" (which means "slowly" in Spanish) is about Luis Fonsi telling some girl how he's going to make slow, sweet love to her. The Spanish lyrics include lines like, "I want to see how much love fits in you" (Oh my!) and "Let me trespass your danger zones/Until I make you scream" (Whew...is it hot in here?) It makes the actual English lyrics in the remix sound tame. I highly doubt Puerto Rican girls scream "Ay Bandito!" when they orgasm....but, to be fair, I'm not Puerto Rican, so I'm not the expert here. Whatever. The song is catchy as hell and I was super excited to hear it in the radio playlist again.

"Despacito (Remix)" Video

1. "The Boys of Summer" by Don Henley (as sung by The Ataris)

The Ataris cover of "The Boys of Summer" is probably my most favorite cover ever. They update the lyrics slightly to make it current. Instead of a "Dead Head sticker on a Cadillac," it's a Black Flag sticker. And that's the extent of it....she still wears Wayfarers, not Oakleys or some shit like that. The Don Henley version of this song is the 5th best Summer song according to music critics, so I feel like putting it at number 1 on my list is accurate.

The lyrics tell a story, but not like how country songs tell a story. It's more subtle. You start with this boy who is in love with a girl. Perhaps a little obsessed (he's driving past her house at like midnight...) but clearly he wasn't ready for it to end, so that's understandable. I imagine it was a summer fling and I think her family must have a summer home in this lake town, where this boy is a local. Depending on how you imagine the lyrics, either he's remembering the summer fling and she's not actually around anymore. Or you can imagine it how I do - she actually lives in town and he sees her everyday, flirting with all the "boys of summer" when they come to town. I think that version is more tragic. Essentially, we see the narrator going back and forth throughout the various stages of grief for the end of his relationship. Confusion ("I don't understand what happened to our love"), Denial ("But, baby, I'm gonna get you back/Gonna show you what I'm made of"), and then briefly touching on Acceptance ("Those days are gone forever/I should just let 'em go") before plummeting back into Depression for the last chorus. Man, it really is kind of a sad song. I hope Don Henley eventually got over this girl....because it sounds like he needs a hug. Including both versions of the song, because they are both excellent.

The Ataris Version

Don Henley Version

Music Video Nerdery

If you didn't know, Topless Robot is just about my favorite blog (besides my own).  The tag line is "Nerd News, humor, and self-loathing" and boy, does it deliver just that.  It's always good for a chuckle -- especially on Fan Fiction Fridays (Warning:: FFF WILL jade you) -- and I always find something fun to share.  Like this list of the top 10 Nerd Icons in Music Videos.  Although it's not on the list, Leonard Nimoy's appearance in the alternative video for Bruno Mars' "The Lazy Song" also deserves mad props, if only for the sheer genius of watching Spock buy a half-gallon of milk and porn in a bathrobe.  Check out the list at Topless Robot and you can watch the aforementioned music video below.  It's totally okay if you want to watch it on mute...I understand.

Music Geeks Representin' in Films

I thought this was a cool list over at Spinner.  It lists the Top 20 Music Geeks in Films.  Now I don't consider myself a music geek -- I think I have more geek points in the Literature and Obscure Horror Films categories -- but I do think I'm more of a music geek than people who actually come out and say they've mastered music geekdom.  As for the list, I think William Miller (Almost Famous) should've come before Nick & Norah and possibly even Juno and I'm not even sure Dewey Finn counts because it's basically Jack Black in a school uniform --don't get me wrong....music-wise, Jack Black is amazing but I cannot say the same for his movies.  Overall, okay ratings considering they mostly stuck with movies the average person has seen.  Check it out here and see if you agree. 



"High Fidelity" Touchstone Pictures