Top 10 Songs of 2009
This was a difficult year! While I heard so much good music this year, it was very hard to look back and try to organize and rank what I heard. I had to actually wrack my brain and scour the Internet for other top songs of 2009 lists to make sure I wasn't leaving anything out. I still reserve the right to change things later!
I'll start off with my "honorable mentions" which go to three very different gay boys who all had big years in 2009. First, my friend Bradley has been working on his forthcoming album from which this song is from: "Rock Hard" - Swivek. I know he has been putting so much work into this album and he asked me to direct the music video for this song, which I am still working on. In addition, I also did a remix of the track, so look for that early in 2010. Another remix I worked on was for the next song: "Bottom Your Way to the Top" - Logan Lynn. I had seen one of Logan's videos ("Feed Me to the Wolves") on Logo many times so I was so thrilled when he e-mailed out of the blue to ask if Shitting Glitter would be interested in remixing one of his new songs. Of course we were delighted and the SG remix of "Bottom Your Way to the Top" is currently on YouTube. Logan, besides being a cute ginge, is a great guy and his album "From Pillar to Post" was recently released, and I highly recommend it. Lastly, I wasn't a huge fan of this next guy as I don't ever watch American Idol. Apparently, he did perform at a show which Shitting Glitter also performed at (before they were stars! Ok, well before he was) although I don't remember him. Anyway, I have to give him credit for being a shining star and for representing the gay on American Idol, and advancing (or setting back, depending on how you look at it) the gay in mainstream pop. It is: "For Your Entertainment" - Adam Lambert.
Now on to the top 10!
10. "Love Comes" - Bananarama
I was never a huge fan of Bananarama, mainly due to the fact that when I first started listening to the radio as a kid, they were all over it. It was over-saturation. I never really had anything against them, it was just that they were a little too mainstream for me I guess. From a pretty young age, I was into "alternative" before that was a term that was used. I just liked things that not everyone else was listening to. I did end up having an affair with "Cruel Summer" several years after its prime, and later discovered the amazing song "Robert Deniro's Waiting" which lead me to open my mind a little about Bananarama. But it was finally their persistence, and this new track, that won me over. I finally broke down and went out and bought my first Bananarama CD; two actually, I bought the debut album and the more recent album "Drama." Congrats to these girls for sticking with it and continuing to make great pop and dance music.
9. Evil - Matt Goss
Similarly to Bananarama, back in the 80's there was a group of three British lads going by the name of Bros. who were making a little splash here in the states. I saw them on Night Flight and got their record which was one of my favorites. To this day I still love the song "I Owe You Nothing." I was very surprised when somehow I stumbled upon this new gem, "Evil," and had to double check to make sure this Matt Goss was the same guy who used to be in the band Bros., and sure enough it was! He is looking (and sounding) better than ever with this fun, sexy romp and you must check out the video. Apparently he has been doing a show in Vegas which would be worth checking out if I ever get back there while it's still going on. I've also heard some rumors of a Bros. reunion but I doubt that would make it here in the states. Anyway, judging from his new album, "Gossy", I think Matt is doing just fine on his own.
8. Gonna Get Drunk & Tell Her That I Like Her - Invisible Material
Yes, this is a band I'm in. But, it was one of my favorite songs of the year and it's catchy. We recorded this song early in the year with producer Nick Jett up in the valley, recording four songs in one night for our debut EP, of which this is the title track.
7. Bad Romance - Lady Gaga
I don't claim to be a huge fan of Lady Gaga, but my boyfriend is, and I have the utmost respect for her as an artist and a musician, and of course for being an outspoken advocate of gay rights. Lady Gaga, whether you love her or hate her, was definitely a huge part of 2009. You couldn't escape "Poker Face" (especially if you spent any time near a gay bar) and we've all incorporated the term disco stick into our lingo. But with "Bad Romance," Lady Gaga has shown that she has staying power, and she knows how to write a song that gets stuck in your head. I won't go on and on gushing about the song (you can look at many other top songs of 2009 charts to find that) but I will say that this was one of two songs that was firmly lodged in my head for the better part of December, 2009 and will always bring back memories of my family vacation in Maui.
6. Fireflies - Owl City
This was the other song that I couldn't get out of my head, for better or worse. I hadn't heard anything about this artist or song until it was already on the top of the charts and some people (like my sister) were already getting annoyed by it. Since I don't listen to the radio, that rarely happens to me (although the Black Eyed Peas "I Gotta Feeling" would get my nomination for worst/most annoying song of the year). Anyway, I went out and bought this CD after listening to it once on Lala.com and I'm glad I did. I don't think Owl City will become one of my favorite artists, but I do think he is very talented and has a knack for writing cute indie pop songs. I especially like the song "Umbrella Beach" from the album Ocean Eyes, but this song was undeniably one of the top songs of 2009.
5. 19th & Lexington - Shitting Glitter
This song is from my band's new album, which was released last week, but this song was the single that preceded the album. This song is special to me because I actually wrote and programmed most of the song at Seamonster Sounds studio in Malibu while we were working on the album. So technically, it's the newest song that's on the album and the only one that was directly written in Malibu. Inspired by Goldfrapp, initially I thought there would be guitar in the song since Brandon was still in the band at the time I started it. But things happened, and we ended up finishing this songs with just keyboards, bells, and vocals. It was going to be called "Wig Out" first and then at one point there was an almost finished demo with completely different lyrics. Somehow it ended up becoming "19th and Lexington" and we chose it for the first single since it has a nice beat and cool electronics, and showcased just Amy and I at the time we were trying to move forward with just the two of us. Luckily, now we have a full band again. We made a video for this song which is on YouTube.
4. To the Moon - Fischerspooner
This is the first song on my list that wasn't technically a single. Fischerspooner rather quietly released their third album, "Entertainment" this year, and because of their lower profile on a smaller indie label, I'm not even sure what song was considered the "single" although I did see the video for "We Are Electric" on Logo, and I did like that song alot. But this song, the album closer, was so haunting and beautiful that it stays in my head much more than any of the other songs. It was one of the highlights of the year when me, Marc, Myles and Amy drove down to Anaheim to see Fischerspooner at the House of Blues. The fans were just as plentiful and rabid as ever before which was great since I was worried that people might not even know the new album was out. The show was great and the setlist was a fantastic combination of old and new. I hope Fischerspooner keep recording and touring, but if they don't, "To The Moon" would be a great swan song.
3. Back to the 80's - Aqua
I have to admit the first time I heard this song I was quite sure what to think of it. As a recovering Aqua addict, I kind of felt how it must be for a junkie to suddenly be presented with a spoonful of heroin. I was like, "didn't I already kick you?!?" After all, Aqua was a very specific place and time in my life and hearing their debut album actually brings back some bittersweet memories for me; odd, considering how sickly sweet all the songs are. But I did love Aqua, and after I got over my initial hesitance, I can say that I still do love Aqua, and it was great to see them come back this year. This was one of three new songs they recorded for a greatest hits package and reunion tour (which didn't make it to the US of course) but supposedly they are working on a full length album. I guess there is always room for more silly euro-pop in this world.
2. Some of My Best Friends - Pansy Division
2009 was a great year for Pansy Division, and I'm glad I came onboard as a fan late rather than never. After all, back in 2001 when Amy, Von and I started Shitting Glitter, hoping to be the first big gay pop-rock band, the only band I really knew of to look up to was Pansy Division. I hadn't heard much of their music, which luckily changed when I started dating Dylan since he had some of their CD's. Finally, in 2009 they released "That's So Gay," which was the first Pansy Division I went out and bought myself as soon as it was released. I was blown away at how amazing the album is, not only as a collection of great pop-punk songs, but also the lyrics which can go from political activism to witty satire and just plain silly sex-talk and back in one song! So many songs on this album stand out, so I feel a little funny choosing the one written and sung by the band's lone straight member, but this song made me cry the first time I heard it, as well as smile and laugh all at the same time. It's such a reassuring song, and having gone through such an emotional rollercoaster with Prop 8 last year continuing into this year, reassurance is definitely a good thing. I was lucky enough not only to see Pansy Division on their tour in support of this album, but to meet and hang out with lead singer Jon Ginoli during his book tour (his autobiographical account of Pansy Division, "Deflowered" is a great read), but also was honored to have Chris Freeman join as a special guest bassist for Shitting Glitter at our show in October at The Dragonfly.
1. Bad Times - Annie
I met Annie back in 2005 when her debut album "Anniemal" had just been released, and she was doing an in-store promotion at Virgin Megastore. She immediately seemed so friendly, down to earth and normal - very different from what I had expected with all the hype. In fact, she almost seemed nervous during her performance, and her outfit was so plain and girl-next-door like; very different from the stylized image from her new album cover seen here. I was very lucky to hang out with Annie again later when she was performing at Cinespace in Hollywood, and also got to see her perform at Iceland Airwaves in Reykjavik, where she gave Dylan and I a shout out from the stage - her "friends from Los Angeles." Annie's new album, "Don't Stop" was finally released this fall after lots of delays and problems with her record labels, but it was worth the wait. I fell in love with this album - every song is a winner, and the album flows very well and incorporates many different sounds and styles all the while retaining it's pop sensibilities. The breathy, insistent track "Bad Times" is my favorite, though, and has the unique ability to lodge itself in my brain yet still sound fresh each time I listen to it. Congratulations, Annie, on a job well done and for making my #1 song of 2009!
I'll start off with my "honorable mentions" which go to three very different gay boys who all had big years in 2009. First, my friend Bradley has been working on his forthcoming album from which this song is from: "Rock Hard" - Swivek. I know he has been putting so much work into this album and he asked me to direct the music video for this song, which I am still working on. In addition, I also did a remix of the track, so look for that early in 2010. Another remix I worked on was for the next song: "Bottom Your Way to the Top" - Logan Lynn. I had seen one of Logan's videos ("Feed Me to the Wolves") on Logo many times so I was so thrilled when he e-mailed out of the blue to ask if Shitting Glitter would be interested in remixing one of his new songs. Of course we were delighted and the SG remix of "Bottom Your Way to the Top" is currently on YouTube. Logan, besides being a cute ginge, is a great guy and his album "From Pillar to Post" was recently released, and I highly recommend it. Lastly, I wasn't a huge fan of this next guy as I don't ever watch American Idol. Apparently, he did perform at a show which Shitting Glitter also performed at (before they were stars! Ok, well before he was) although I don't remember him. Anyway, I have to give him credit for being a shining star and for representing the gay on American Idol, and advancing (or setting back, depending on how you look at it) the gay in mainstream pop. It is: "For Your Entertainment" - Adam Lambert.Now on to the top 10!
10. "Love Comes" - BananaramaI was never a huge fan of Bananarama, mainly due to the fact that when I first started listening to the radio as a kid, they were all over it. It was over-saturation. I never really had anything against them, it was just that they were a little too mainstream for me I guess. From a pretty young age, I was into "alternative" before that was a term that was used. I just liked things that not everyone else was listening to. I did end up having an affair with "Cruel Summer" several years after its prime, and later discovered the amazing song "Robert Deniro's Waiting" which lead me to open my mind a little about Bananarama. But it was finally their persistence, and this new track, that won me over. I finally broke down and went out and bought my first Bananarama CD; two actually, I bought the debut album and the more recent album "Drama." Congrats to these girls for sticking with it and continuing to make great pop and dance music.
9. Evil - Matt GossSimilarly to Bananarama, back in the 80's there was a group of three British lads going by the name of Bros. who were making a little splash here in the states. I saw them on Night Flight and got their record which was one of my favorites. To this day I still love the song "I Owe You Nothing." I was very surprised when somehow I stumbled upon this new gem, "Evil," and had to double check to make sure this Matt Goss was the same guy who used to be in the band Bros., and sure enough it was! He is looking (and sounding) better than ever with this fun, sexy romp and you must check out the video. Apparently he has been doing a show in Vegas which would be worth checking out if I ever get back there while it's still going on. I've also heard some rumors of a Bros. reunion but I doubt that would make it here in the states. Anyway, judging from his new album, "Gossy", I think Matt is doing just fine on his own.
8. Gonna Get Drunk & Tell Her That I Like Her - Invisible Material
Yes, this is a band I'm in. But, it was one of my favorite songs of the year and it's catchy. We recorded this song early in the year with producer Nick Jett up in the valley, recording four songs in one night for our debut EP, of which this is the title track.
7. Bad Romance - Lady GagaI don't claim to be a huge fan of Lady Gaga, but my boyfriend is, and I have the utmost respect for her as an artist and a musician, and of course for being an outspoken advocate of gay rights. Lady Gaga, whether you love her or hate her, was definitely a huge part of 2009. You couldn't escape "Poker Face" (especially if you spent any time near a gay bar) and we've all incorporated the term disco stick into our lingo. But with "Bad Romance," Lady Gaga has shown that she has staying power, and she knows how to write a song that gets stuck in your head. I won't go on and on gushing about the song (you can look at many other top songs of 2009 charts to find that) but I will say that this was one of two songs that was firmly lodged in my head for the better part of December, 2009 and will always bring back memories of my family vacation in Maui.
6. Fireflies - Owl CityThis was the other song that I couldn't get out of my head, for better or worse. I hadn't heard anything about this artist or song until it was already on the top of the charts and some people (like my sister) were already getting annoyed by it. Since I don't listen to the radio, that rarely happens to me (although the Black Eyed Peas "I Gotta Feeling" would get my nomination for worst/most annoying song of the year). Anyway, I went out and bought this CD after listening to it once on Lala.com and I'm glad I did. I don't think Owl City will become one of my favorite artists, but I do think he is very talented and has a knack for writing cute indie pop songs. I especially like the song "Umbrella Beach" from the album Ocean Eyes, but this song was undeniably one of the top songs of 2009.
5. 19th & Lexington - Shitting GlitterThis song is from my band's new album, which was released last week, but this song was the single that preceded the album. This song is special to me because I actually wrote and programmed most of the song at Seamonster Sounds studio in Malibu while we were working on the album. So technically, it's the newest song that's on the album and the only one that was directly written in Malibu. Inspired by Goldfrapp, initially I thought there would be guitar in the song since Brandon was still in the band at the time I started it. But things happened, and we ended up finishing this songs with just keyboards, bells, and vocals. It was going to be called "Wig Out" first and then at one point there was an almost finished demo with completely different lyrics. Somehow it ended up becoming "19th and Lexington" and we chose it for the first single since it has a nice beat and cool electronics, and showcased just Amy and I at the time we were trying to move forward with just the two of us. Luckily, now we have a full band again. We made a video for this song which is on YouTube.
4. To the Moon - FischerspoonerThis is the first song on my list that wasn't technically a single. Fischerspooner rather quietly released their third album, "Entertainment" this year, and because of their lower profile on a smaller indie label, I'm not even sure what song was considered the "single" although I did see the video for "We Are Electric" on Logo, and I did like that song alot. But this song, the album closer, was so haunting and beautiful that it stays in my head much more than any of the other songs. It was one of the highlights of the year when me, Marc, Myles and Amy drove down to Anaheim to see Fischerspooner at the House of Blues. The fans were just as plentiful and rabid as ever before which was great since I was worried that people might not even know the new album was out. The show was great and the setlist was a fantastic combination of old and new. I hope Fischerspooner keep recording and touring, but if they don't, "To The Moon" would be a great swan song.
3. Back to the 80's - AquaI have to admit the first time I heard this song I was quite sure what to think of it. As a recovering Aqua addict, I kind of felt how it must be for a junkie to suddenly be presented with a spoonful of heroin. I was like, "didn't I already kick you?!?" After all, Aqua was a very specific place and time in my life and hearing their debut album actually brings back some bittersweet memories for me; odd, considering how sickly sweet all the songs are. But I did love Aqua, and after I got over my initial hesitance, I can say that I still do love Aqua, and it was great to see them come back this year. This was one of three new songs they recorded for a greatest hits package and reunion tour (which didn't make it to the US of course) but supposedly they are working on a full length album. I guess there is always room for more silly euro-pop in this world.
2. Some of My Best Friends - Pansy Division2009 was a great year for Pansy Division, and I'm glad I came onboard as a fan late rather than never. After all, back in 2001 when Amy, Von and I started Shitting Glitter, hoping to be the first big gay pop-rock band, the only band I really knew of to look up to was Pansy Division. I hadn't heard much of their music, which luckily changed when I started dating Dylan since he had some of their CD's. Finally, in 2009 they released "That's So Gay," which was the first Pansy Division I went out and bought myself as soon as it was released. I was blown away at how amazing the album is, not only as a collection of great pop-punk songs, but also the lyrics which can go from political activism to witty satire and just plain silly sex-talk and back in one song! So many songs on this album stand out, so I feel a little funny choosing the one written and sung by the band's lone straight member, but this song made me cry the first time I heard it, as well as smile and laugh all at the same time. It's such a reassuring song, and having gone through such an emotional rollercoaster with Prop 8 last year continuing into this year, reassurance is definitely a good thing. I was lucky enough not only to see Pansy Division on their tour in support of this album, but to meet and hang out with lead singer Jon Ginoli during his book tour (his autobiographical account of Pansy Division, "Deflowered" is a great read), but also was honored to have Chris Freeman join as a special guest bassist for Shitting Glitter at our show in October at The Dragonfly.
1. Bad Times - AnnieI met Annie back in 2005 when her debut album "Anniemal" had just been released, and she was doing an in-store promotion at Virgin Megastore. She immediately seemed so friendly, down to earth and normal - very different from what I had expected with all the hype. In fact, she almost seemed nervous during her performance, and her outfit was so plain and girl-next-door like; very different from the stylized image from her new album cover seen here. I was very lucky to hang out with Annie again later when she was performing at Cinespace in Hollywood, and also got to see her perform at Iceland Airwaves in Reykjavik, where she gave Dylan and I a shout out from the stage - her "friends from Los Angeles." Annie's new album, "Don't Stop" was finally released this fall after lots of delays and problems with her record labels, but it was worth the wait. I fell in love with this album - every song is a winner, and the album flows very well and incorporates many different sounds and styles all the while retaining it's pop sensibilities. The breathy, insistent track "Bad Times" is my favorite, though, and has the unique ability to lodge itself in my brain yet still sound fresh each time I listen to it. Congratulations, Annie, on a job well done and for making my #1 song of 2009!
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