Pop!gasms and Exploding Hearts with Glitter. On the Dancefloor.

I don’t care what you all think of Michael Jackson’s death (or life) and all the media coverage. All I care about is if you hear a damn good tune (like much of MJ’s stuff) you follow those boogey impulses to the dancefloor. As a music fanatic, I suggest you take this time to consider the value of a great song and give appreciation and tribute to it by shakin’ yo’ thang!

Music is a huge part of my life. I’m not saying I have any real musical talent, but I’ve always had this obsessing love affair for it. When I was young I wanted to be a singer and I would sing along to every song on the car radio or commercial jingle. I was part of a chorus group when I was in grade school. When I got older and realized I really couldn’t sing worth crap and the extent of my singing career would reach the heights of off-key voice-alongs with the radio, I decided I wanted to play guitar. My dad got me a really beautiful acoustic guitar for Christmas one year (not a particular brand or an overly-expensive one, but still nice, and like I’d know the difference really?). The extent of that went as far as a one semester class in high school and I still can’t tune the damn thing. I know about frets and chords and notes though and how to play a couple jingles so it wasn’t a complete waste. I have a high appreciation for the musically inclined though. If I were to really assess where I’d fit into the whole music scene, I’d probably be a lyricist. Though not even that really, I can write something that someone else can turn into lyrics but I can’t really envision words to music (unless it’s my own words inspired from a song I already know or the like). My point is, even though I may not be good at creating music in any form, I sure do love it like a mad (wo)man.

I was raised on country music. It was a little strange because we lived in a big city but my dad had a dad that was from Alabama and his mom was from Wisconsin. So they switched living between the two states when they got tired of one. Obviously, my dad took more after the country roots and thus instilled it into at least one of his children (me, of course. My brother started to lean more towards the alt. hard rock scene as we got older, and hates country altogether now.). I’ve obviously expanded my musical interests as I’ve gotten older but country music will always hold a special place with me. Something you should know is that my dad’s not that old. But he acts old and likes old things; he’s old-fashioned. So we didn’t just grow up with the new country stuff playing on the radio (we did but there’s more). My dad bought a complete Time Life CD collection of old country music: Loretta Lynn, Johnny Horton, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Hank Williams (Sr. and Jr.), Johnny Cash, and many others. My dad is also a HUGE Elvis fan. We have enough Elvis memorabilia around the house to open our own gift shop. Also, he took the family to Graceland once and he’s been there at least 4 times. As a consequence, I too love it all. I love everything about the country music genre and Elvis. The values and emotions in the lyrics, the rock’n roll hillbilly thang, the iconic symbolism of it all. I also love that it has many fond memories for me. I have many, many fond memories with certain songs but one that really sticks out is my dad sitting in his recliner in the living room. It’s a dingy tan recliner, the living room has a rough dark carpet which I’m laying on turned on my stomach and I’m reading, coloring or writing. The only light in the room is a low yellow light from my grandma’s antique blue glass lamps. The T.V is off but my dad’s 5 disc-changer is on with it’s little blinking green light and I can hear the discs rotating and changing to the next song. Sixteen Tons by Tennessee Ernie Ford starts to play. My dad picks up his MGD and takes a long sip, and then sits back in the recliner. He starts to sing along in a low baritone voice and gets up to turn the volume dial a pinch louder. This is a fond memory to me because my dad always worked hard and it was kind of rare to see him relax or be happy like this. It was even more special because I felt like he thought I was more like an adult because he let me witness this moment instead of telling me to go to my room or go play. I can pick out a million memories like this or like when we played 8 Tracks and Chuck Berry record albums on my great grandma’s old stereo at my 16th Birthday Party (I’m now 21).

As I’ve grown older my appreciation for country music has deepened, but I’ve also expanded my musical tastes. The short and sweet version is that I love anything that can make me dance or that I can relate to lyrically. Though I have a delectable affinity for dance + lyrics; as Darren Hayes would say, “Pop with a capital P,” or “Pop!gasms!” Ever since my 1st boyfriend sang “Truly, Madly, Deeply” by Savage Garden to me over the phone I have been an obsessive nut for Savage Garden. When I found out they were split by the time I even obtained their two main CD’s, I cyber-stalked (searched incessantly for) each member to find out what they were up to now. That’s when I found out Darren Hayes was a solo artist. To put probably a very long and obsessive story short: I own every one of his solo albums, have seen him live in NYC once (my 1st trip to NYC made especially for him!), saw him twice in Chicago (once with a handshake and autograph!), and he is absolutely my most favorite singer of all-time. His voice is beyond amazing, the way he experiments with his talent is pure genius, he’s actually a very nice and genuine fellow in person which makes him all the more delectable and irresistible to my obsessive ways, and he’s a total hottie (even though he’s gay AND married now), and I think I just have a thing for Aussie’s (I also love Keith Urban and Hugh Jackman among other Aussie talents). So, basically, I <3 Darren Hayes and his songs are my inspiration, comfort and definitely has some hits on my dance list.

Some other artists I feel inspire pure “popgasms” include: Michael Jackson (how can he NOT? He exudes popgasms!), Madonna (not so much her alternative work, but her early pop stuff or her new Hard Candy album is delicious), Kate Ryan (a remarkable woman who also sings her hot songs in French as well as English. If you are looking for hot tracks to get sticky to whether it be for a work-out or just gettin’ your butt on the dancefloor, you BETTER get some Kate!), Kylie Minogue (What can I say? She’s another Aussie. She’s just “Wow, wow, wow, wow!”), and Lady Gaga (yea, she’s new but she’s the epitome of glamour). There are obviously others but those are the faves!

For those of you who need some popgasms now, I’ve created a list full of ‘em! I have Rhapsody with my Verizon Wireless service which is soooo worth it because it’s $15/mo for UNLIMITED music. I can choose to purchase the music to put to a CD, or I can just listen to full songs while at work from the Rhapsody play-thinger or sync the tracks to my phone or MP3 player without purchase. Literally thousands and thousands of songs to choose from that I can sync to a music device all for $15/month! Since I don’t purchase the songs, they would naturally go away if I cancel the subscription but why do I need to do that? I have unlimited access to them and I can take them anywhere! Anyway, there’s a whole point to that brief marketing. This list is compiled from my playlist on there. So if you have Rhapsody, you can find all the songs on there. I’m sure you can probably find on ITunes also and maybe even YouTube if you don’t have a music thinger. Anyway, here’s my dance list. Look it up, listen, enjoy the pure popgasms and dance impulses! (Obviously there are mores songs by each artist that are great, but I just did a sampler.)

Britney Spears: Me Against the Music, I’m a Slave 4 U, Toxic, Gimme More, If U Seek Amy, Womanizer

Darren Hayes: Step Into The Light, Tuning of Violins, Me Myself and I, Love and Attraction, I Like the Way

Michael Jackson: Thriller, Beat it, Billie Jean

Kate Ryan: Love or Lust, Je t’Adore, All for You, Alive, Why Imagine

Kylie Minogue: Like a Drug, Speakerphone, Wow, Fever, Come Into My World, Your Love, Dancefloor, Burning Up, 2 Hearts

Lady Gaga: Just Dance, Pokerface

Madonna: Like a Virgin, Material Girl, Vogue, Jump, Ray of Light, 4 Minutes, Give it To Me

Savage Garden: Chained to You, I Want You, I’ll Bet He Was Cool, Love Can Move You

The Veronicas: Take Me on the Floor, Untouched

Miscellaneous tracks: Don’t Trust Me by 3oh!3, Here in Your Arms by Hellogoodbye, Shake It by Metro Station



Love Always and Forever,

Shy Lee Zephyr