My Definition of "Booragly"

I just went back through all my "Tuesday Tunes and New DVDs" labeled posts and deleted all my Mixwit links as they don't work anymore. It's a sad thing, because I can't even give you iMix links for my music playlists now. That leads me into the melancholy that is "booragly," but it also references some recent changes to this here blog. It's taken me two weeks to finally publish my last two weeks' posts. I went on vacation, got sicker than I've ever been before, and fried my nerves with a crying kid in the backseat for 20 hours driving. When I got home, I couldn't focus to blog and all I wanted to listen to was the "Rainy Day" playlist on my iPod. On top of all that, I needed some extra time to add some new labels and change my layout, which I still haven't finished. Anyway, I think I got the word "booragly" from the movie Benny & Joon, although I'll have to rewatch it with subtitles to make sure I'm spelling the word right.

My "Rainy Day" playlist used to be entitled just plain "Booragly," but I changed it to make more sense to others. The music might also work for rainy days, but that's not exactly what the word means to me. It connotes cloudy skies more than it does rain, and overcast days have always seemed more magical than gloomy to me. I will admit they make me want to stay indoors in my pajamas, but that might have been good for me this week. At least I would have finished updating my blog a week or two earlier. A coworker told me these songs are all girly, which doesn't offend me, but I hope she doesn't subconsciously associate women with depression. Okay, now I'm over-analyzing. Just sample these songs and see if they don't make you want to go home, light lots of candles, and possibly cry over the bittersweet beauty of life:

1. "Sleepwalk" - Santo & Johnny (1959) I first heard it on the La Bamba movie, then later on a Stephen King movie trailer. On that final high note, I always hear the actor playing Ritchie Valens' brother screaming his name in my mind. So sad, so sad, but lovely.

2. "In My Life" - The Beatles (1965) Not my favorite Beatles song, but I'm afraid I don't have "Blackbird" on my iPod right now. This song is a close second. Recently I decided to get over my childhood grudge against the much-hyped band and give all their songs another try. I noticed that I preferred the second half of their career, so I bought Rubber Soul, Sgt. Pepper's, and Abbey Road, but unfortunately I held out on getting The White Album because I figured I could just borrow my dad's. Come to find out, he doesn't know where his copy is at.

3. "Ruby Tuesday" - The Rolling Stones (1966) I always figured it was by The Beatles. I learned of my error after hearing it in one of my favorite movies of all time, Children of Men. It's not the original that's played, but it's haunting no matter what.

4. "Embryonic Journey" - Jefferson Airplane (1967) This is gotta be the lightest song here. I really like the hard strumming at the very end.

5. "He Don't Really Love You" - The Delfonics (1968) I discovered this in 2008 while researching Philly soul. I'm already a sucker for falsetto vocals but there's something more to the chorus which I can't quite put into words. It's something to do with the chords or the key change, I don't know.

6. "Never Going Back Again" - Fleetwood Mac (1977) I first heard this song in a mall and it was impossible to make out any lyrics. I knew I might never find out who did it so I just found a bench, sat down, and made the most of every second till the song ended. Years later my dad made me listen to his latest find over the phone and it just happened to be this song. He had found the live version on iTunes and wanted to know if I owned the original.

7. "Silent All These Years" - Tori Amos (1991) I first heard this in college at a ballet showcase. I think it has a lullaby quality that belies the maturity of the lyrics and when the title is sung it gives me goosebumps everytime.

8. "Fade into You" - Mazzy Star (1993) This gets a lot of radio play on a certain San Diego station. It makes me think of Empire Records, not because this song is on the movie, but because the singer contributes a different song, plus the mood's similar.

9. "Don't Follow" - Alice in Chains (1994) From Jar of Flies, which is one of my favorite albums of all times. I don't remember how I got into Alice in Chains. I first heard them on the Last Action Hero soundtrack, but it wasn't until years later that I got all my friends to watch their MTV Unplugged with me. I don't normally like bluesy stuff, but this song sums up the feeling I've had whenever I wanted to run away from it all.

10. "Wise Up" - Aimee Mann (1996) Before the Magnolia soundtrack, this appeared on Jerry Maguire. I didn't realize she was from the '80s band 'Til Tuesday.

11. "This Year's Love" - David Gray (1999) I first heard this on the movie Crazy/Beautiful.

12. "Three/Quarter North" - Leo Kottke (1999) If not for my dad, I might never have heard of Leo, and I've seen him perform live more than I've seen any other professional musician. He comes out on stage with nothing but his acoustic guitar and sits on a stool. He never stops playing, even between songs. He just talks like a stand-up comedian and picks through patterns until he decides what to play next.

13. "Btoum-Roumada" - "In 2001 Aphex Twin released Drukqs, a two-CD album that featured prepared piano songs influenced by Erik Satie and John Cage. Many of the tracks' names are written in the Cornish language (e.g., 'jynweythek' translatable as 'machinemusic'). Also included were abrasive, fast, and meticulously programmed computer-made songs. Rolling Stone described the piano songs as "aimlessly pretty". Some reviewers concluded that Drukqs was released as a contract breaker with Warp Records—a credible guess, as James's next big release was released on his own Rephlex label." (from Wikipedia)

14. "(I Can't Seem to) Make You Mine" - The Clientele (2001) Re-released on the Strange Geometry album in 2005, it was then used a year later on The Lake House movie, and that's where I heard it. This band kept coming up when I was researching the Britpop and shoegaze genres.

15. "Such Great Heights" - Iron & Wine (2002) My brother confessed to not liking acoustic guitar, but he didn't do it so nicely. He compared it to Mariah Carey and nails on a chalkboard. Not that I have anything against Mariah, but I guess he does. It's rare for a cover to almost improve on the original song and I love The Postal Service version.

16. "Warning Sign" - Coldplay (2002) I thought they were U2 when I first heard "Clocks." Now I listen to them for different influences, but their latest album does use an old U2 producer, and fortunately it's a vast improvement over their dreadful X&Y album.

17. "Humble Me" - Norah Jones (2004) I can't claim to be a Norah fan, but my dad gave me this song and it fits on this list.

18. "To Get Me Thru the Good Times" - Echobelly (2004) Again, I can't claim to be a diehard fan, but I picked this song out in my Britpop and shoegaze research.

19. "Breathe (2AM)" - Anna Nalick (2005) This is the best thing I've heard on top 40 radio stations in the last few years.

20. "Hide and Seek" - Imogen Heap (2005) I only know her from Frou Frou, I didn't follow The O.C. My brother said he almost jumped out the window when his roommate tried to play this. A rock DJ I like tried to give this some radio play but it was voted down by my fellow San Diegans. Those must be the same morons that made System of a Down popular.

21. "Parting Gift" - Fiona Apple (2005) Same story as above.

22. "Be Here Now" - Ray LaMontagne (2006) I found this on the movie which I've been chided for liking, 27 Dresses, but it's got a great, nonexistent soundtrack (you can buy the score) which I think I'll bring up again next Tuesday.

OUT TODAY ON DVD: PING PONG PLAYA