Category Archives: Playlists

Creative Pursuits, Grandparenting, Imagination, Joy, Music, Playlists

In Cahoots with One Hit Wonders

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Today’s blog post is inspired by my 12 year-old grandson and my now-confirmed-by-a-professional audiologist hearing loss.

The week before last, I went in for the hearing test I’d been putting off for longer than I care to acknowledge. I pretty much knew that I was going to test “positive” for hearing loss, though the degree to which my hearing has sunk was a surprise. The audiologist said he was stunned that I’ve managed for this long with my level of hearing. Hearing aids have been ordered and I’m trying not to get too anxious about how it might go. But I’m hopeful.

During a recent weekend spent with our grandson, he and I bonded over our love of music. I learned his current favorite song is “Cecilia”, by Simon and Garfunkel. I even introduced him to what it sounds like on vinyl! Since it was on my borrowed “Bridge Over Troubled Water” album, I also introduced him to that most chillingly beautiful song. I just can’t not think about and talk about and listen to great music right now.

On another (musically-related) note, I’ve decided that “In Cahoots” is going to be the name of my pretend band. It’s perfection, really. Though there’s probably another band with the same name out there, somewhere. It stands to reason, right? I will not employ the Google machine to verify this, because it’s way more fun to pretend that I am the clever gal who came up with the best band name ever.

I imagine that my pretend “In Cahoots” band specializes in one-hit wonders (categorized as an act that had one hit song in the top 40 Billboard chart) from 1967, the year I was born, through 2026. I suppose this means they’d have to be a pretty large band with a mix of voices and the ability to perform a variety of musical styles. But, this is my imagination at play here, and there should be no rules when it comes our imaginations.

I’ve been in a happy little bubble for a few days now, curating a Spotify playlist (the 14 year-old version of me is geeking out over here!) for myself of exclusively one-hit-wonders. Just for fun, you know? I’ve started out by picking a couple of “one hit wonder” songs from each year for this playlist, ones that 1) remind me of a specific era in my life and/or 2) that I really enjoy. What I suspect, as I move forward with this quest, is that there will be fewer “one hit wonders” the closer I get to the year 2026. I’ve gotten through all of the 90’s at this point so I’ll see if my theory proves correct before too long.

Why I think this, I don’t know. Maybe it’s because I feel like, especially in the 70’s and 80’s, pop music was so much more experimental (hence a larger portion may not have been commercially successful) than it is now. I mean, have you ever listened to the song “In the Year 2525”, by, I kid you not, Exordium and Terminus/Little Kids (what?! So many questions!) from 1969? Not like I actually recommend it, but it is also, you guessed it, a one-hit wonder.

Naturally, I’m also very intrigued about what may have become of these one-hit wonder acts. It makes me think of that character in a movie I still adore in spite of it’s problems, “Love Actually”. One of the love stories within this movie is about a man who was convinced to come out of retirement to re-imagine his one-hit wonder as a (colossally bad and cheesy) Christmas song. There’s got to be so many stories out there of lives lived leading up to, during, and after musical acts and their one-hit wonders. That’s a “behind the music” type of show I would certainly watch. How about you?

Hot takes on this little musical game I’m playing with myself so far:

“Loser” by Beck was a one-hit wonder. I have been a fan of Beck for several years now, and I was stunned to learn he hasn’t had any other top 40 hits. I suppose he is more critically lauded than he is commercially successful?

1983’s “one-hit wonders” were the worst of them all (through the 90’s anyway). To the point where none of them will be represented on my Spotify playlist.

The song “Layla” (with that luscious never-ending piano and guitar melody at the end) from 1972 was technically a one-hit wonder too! It’s because it was released by the short-lived band Derek and the Dominos before Eric Clapton found humongous success as a solo act.

I think the next time our grandson comes over, I’ll share this playlist with him and see his reaction. I’m sure he will be full of questions and commentary about it.

Here’s a one-hit wonder from 1982, which was featured in a movie I remember loving so much in high school, “Valley Girl”. I had quite the crush on Nicolas Cage back then. I thought he was so effortlessly cool and exotic. So, tell me, my fellow music lovers, what is your favorite one-hit wonder? Please share in the comments!

Blogging, Celebrate, Dancing, Fun, Happiness, Joy, Laughter, Playlists, Positivity, Spontaneity

8 Things I do for Fun

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List five things you do for fun.

This was the daily prompt from WordPress and I’ve decided to go with it.

I am a fan of having fun. I think putting a pause on our adult responsibilities to be playful is good for our spirits.

Also at play here is that my birthday is coming up very soon and I’m excited to celebrate it with my family. My brain is in party mode!

I’m going to share not just 5, but 8 things that I do for fun. Because 8 is my lucky number, folks.

What do you like to do for fun?

Fun for me is:

  • Playing group board games like “Ransom Notes”, “Apples to Apples”, or “Scrabble” with family and/or friends. This is a guaranteed way to share laughs together. I love the feeling of relaxation in my whole body after some good old fashioned belly laughs.
  • Dance. Sometimes alone in my kitchen. Sometimes with my grandson when he challenges me to “dance-offs”. The more spontaneous the dancing is, the better. That’s where the joy is.
  • Creating music playlists. My method is to think of a mood I want to create or a genre I want to re-visit, then search online for songs under that category. While this is a more introverted way to have fun, often the end result is that I get to share these playlists with the special people in my life.
  • Thrift store shopping. It’s a surprising treasure hunt every time and freeing as well, as it’s guilt-free. I don’t come out of a thrift store with my purchases feeling bad about spending money, because I never spend that much. Even better, the money I spend often goes toward a cause that supports and lifts others up.
  • This. Blogging. Interacting with all of you in the comments.
  • Decorating my house. Using home decor I kept from our previous house in new ways. Finding just the right spot to put that cool piece of pottery I found at a thrift store. It’s a simple and creative activity that just tickles me.
  • Photography. Now, I don’t claim or even aim to be a professional photog necessarily. It’s just fun for me to capture shots in the day to day with my cell phone.
Karl the cat, when he came to visit last week
  • Spending time on the water. Trolling for fish in a boat while the sun warms my skin. Looking forward to doing this on our pontoon (the one we plan to buy in the next few months) this summer!

Entertainment, House Hunting, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Music, Playlists

Time for a Musical Interlude

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The following was written by me on 7/18/22.

Hubs and I put an offer in on a house. It’s a fixer upper but it’s on a river. Waterfront, baby!

The offer hasn’t been accepted yet, and I’m all kinds of anxious about it. I need to slow my roll. Be patient and not get ahead of myself by imagining how we’re going to fix the place up.

Because for all I know, it won’t end up being “the one”. House-hunting is a strange experience in this life. While I appreciate the fact that Hubs and I have the ability to be homeowners in this country, it requires some serious grit. It’s torturous.

This is why, my friends, you are getting a post about the wonderful distraction of music from me today. I need to focus on something other than this house hunting bullshit. If you’re a regular reading of my ramblings who appreciates music even half as much as me, you might like a break such as this too.

Update: Still 7/18, just much later on. Some other dope offered cash to the seller. I imagine one of those wealthy investors. They must have seen all the potential that we did in that house. Back to it, I guess.

Now back to the point of this post: which is A) introducing you all to a unique and talented artist, B) musing about the earworms in my head, and C) sharing song related anecdotes.

The one musical group on a loop in my head since this summer began is ABBA. It’s probably on account of us having the 70’s channel on Sirius XM on regular rotation while we are tooling around Wisconsin in the Tacoma.

“Knowing me, Knowing You” is especially embedded in my brain.

Something I realized listening to the 70’s channel and regular old radio this summer is just how many simply gorgeous songs came from that era and beyond. Like “Suddenly” by Billy Ocean, “Sail On” by the Commodores, and “Oh Girl” by the “Chi-Lites”. Just sweet, lovely songs that get forgotten over time.

In other music-in-my-head news, the song “I Just Haven’t Met You Yet” by that corny crooner (“cornoner”?) Michael Buble, is a major earworm for me these days.

Clearly, this song is in reference to our house-hunting journey. Maybe the song will get out of my head once we actually close on the home we purchase here in beautiful northwest Wisconsin.

There is a fantastic radio station, The Current, which is owned by MPR and based out of the Twin Cities. Hubs and I had sort of forgotten about this station when we were still in Colorado, despite being able to stream it. We were listening to it in our camper the other night and a song came on that really caught my attention. It’s by an artist I don’t think I’d ever heard of: Orville Peck.

Of course I had to google him out of curiosity and learned he is an artist like “Sia”, as he keeps his face covered when in public . I think it’s sort of odd, but yet cool. The mystery of it intrigues me, though his voice intrigues me much more.

I think the song “Unconditional (Look Out Kid)” by Arcade Fire is awesome. It feels to me like a love song from Gen X to Millenials and Gen Z. I would love to be in the audience at one of their concerts, singing along with the “Do do do do do do do do do do do” part. They are playing in Minneapolist this fall, so maybe I’ll get that chance.

Our daughter and grandson recently moved to a nearby town where the writer of Daughter’s “go to” Karaoke song grew up. I love “coincidences” like that, don’t you? Below is a video of that song.

The biggest item on our wish list, besides a place to live that isn’t mobile, is a pontoon. I’m not much of a country music fan (especially the newer stuff), but sometimes there’s just a song that I love despite myself. We all have those, right?

Please tell me: what are yours? Or how about your current playlist and/or earworm in your head these days?

Fun, Happiness, Joy, Music, Playlists, Positivity

Good Vibes Playlists

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As a melophile, I am an enthusiastic believer in the power of music. It can reach into your soul and capture it, if only for a moment. It can speak to you in a way you can’t put into words. It can set the tone for your day and it can comfort you when the day is done.

Some music has the ability to improve your attitude. Give you a little boost of energy. A little pep in your step. Compel you to do a little jig in your kitchen. Put a smile on your face and leave you humming it’s tune for the rest of the day.

That is what my “Good Vibes” playlist, which I created for myself on Spotify, does for me. When I put it together, I decided to simply go right off the top of my head, thinking of the songs that tickled me and finding them via the search option on Spotify. I told myself to not overthink this playlist, not to judge my choices, especially since it could easily be edited at a later time.

Do you all have something akin to a “Good Vibes” playlist to turn to when you need a pick-me-up? If you do, please do this gal a favor and share what’s on yours. If you don’t have one, I highly recommend you invest a bit of time to create one for yourself. You’ll thank me later.

I would be remiss if I didn’t share what’s on my personal “Good Vibes” playlist. I won’t give you the full list, because that would take away from the time I’d rather you spend making your own custom playlist.

Header image courtesy of https://www.quotemaster.org/Happy+Music