Winter Songs

As some of you may or may not know, I keep an mp3-ish blog at Touch My Clickwheel where I (infrequently) write short posts about music I like. Times are a'changing, and I'll be incorporating music on the Gitnerblog this year.

Here are two Winter/Christmas-themed songs I discovered tonight and am smitten with. First is "Winter Song" by Sara Bareilles ft. Ingrid Michaelson. Find more femme-y songs on the Winter Songs compilation from Hotel Cafe. Next is "Blue Christmas" by First Aid Kit, a Swedish sister duo. Both are a bit melancholy in mood, but they can only make your Christmas better. Enjoy and hope everyone's having a good holiday!

Favorite Albums of 2008

Let me clarify. These are my favorite albums of 2008, but they are probably not the best. I like a lot of them for sentimental reasons, but maybe you'll find something you like too. Click on the links to hear a track on YouTube.

In no particular order...

1. Laura Marling - Alas, I Cannot Swim
I discovered Laura Marling's music in London and was fortunate enough to see her perform live twice.

2. Noah and the Whale - Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down
Closely related to Laura Marling is Noah and the Whale. I saw them play at the ICA in London and couldn't wait for their album to finally come out. While I was unhappy with some choices they made with demo tracks that had been floating in the blogosphere for months, I can't help but love it.

3. Jaymay - Autumn Falling
I saw Jaymay perform at Dingwall's in Camden Town, London. It was my first concert I ever went to all by myself. Jaymay's songs are pleasant and sing-along friendly, and the album is solid all the way through.

4. Kaki King - Dreaming of Revenge
Kaki King is a constantly evolving musician. She's expanded her repertoire of mostly acoustic guitar songs to include some catchier rock songs. Her voice takes some getting used to, but I'm a three concert veteran and am hooked for life.

5. The Magnetic Fields - Distortion
I was disappointed with Distortion at first, because I just couldn't get over the distorted sound that weaves through all the tracks. But clever lyrics and catchy melodies shine through. It just needs a few tries to warm up to it.

6. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
"White Winter Hymnal" took the blogosphere by storm. When I saw them at Black Cat this year, their harmonies blew me away. It's impossible to capture their talent on a recording, but their debut album comes close.

7. Lykke Li - Youth Novels
I was absolutely blown away by the first single "I'm Good, I'm Gone." Her album has about four more songs that are worthy hit singles. Even better are Lykke Li's live performances, which you can find on YouTube. This Swede will stare you down, and you won't be able to turn away.

8. Girl Talk - Feed the Animals
Feed the Animals makes me want to dance in my underwear. I'm sure that says something. Also, in one album, it's a rapid review session of all the rap music I wasn't listening to all year.

9. Aimee Mann - "@#%&! Smilers
I love Aimee Mann. Literally all of her songs. "@#%&! Smilers is no different. She was amazing at the 9:30 Club this fall and even played 'Til Tuesday's "Voices Carry."

10. Sigur Rós - Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust
I don't know what they're saying, but it doesn't really matter.

Shameless Self-Promotion

Instead of studying for finals, I've created a MySpace Music page for myself. I finally began writing my own songs thanks to a great class at Georgetown taught by the great Bill Danoff (of Starland Vocal Band and "Take Me Home, Country Roads" fame).

Check out my songs here! http://www.myspace.com/jessgitner

Amtrak: Worse than the Chinatown Bus

Apologies for the lapse in posts. I had planned on a glorious post-Thanksgiving recap about sleeping twelve hours each night, hanging with the fam, drinking limitless supplies of Arizona Green Tea, and indulging in an endless supply of music, tv shows, and movies.

I had a blast... until I took a spill on Monday morning on the Amtrak train. I popped up like it was nothing. "Are you okay???" the guy behind me asked. "Yeah, yeah... I'm fine. I'm fine." When I finally found a seat on the packed train to DC, I knew I probably wouldn't be able to stand up in four hours. So I confessed my embarrassing fall to the ticket taker. "I fell down and hurt my leg." I asked for some ice or a first aid kit. He kindly told me to walk my ass to the cafe car.

Amtrak customer service continued to degrade from there. The ticket taker found me in the cafe car again and told me that an 80-year-old woman had fallen between the platform and the train. She didn't cry though. Thanks, asshole. Later when I got up to get some fresh ice, a different Amtrak employee looked at my shoes (my Vans...) and said, "No wonder why you fell. Those shoes don't look like they have much grip." Fuck you too, pal.

There were, however, two nice people on the train. I sat across a Pace University professor who was so kind to me that I mistook her for a Kindergarten teacher. She gave me her magazines to read when she got off the train and talked to me while I sat across from her. Sigh. Then there was one Amtrak lady who got my bags and moved them to where I was sitting with my leg propped up.

All I got was a bone bruise on my shin, but it hurt, man! Maybe I would've been better off on the Chinatown bus. Alright, back to the studying routine. More posts for procrastinating later...