happy record store day!

Well, I really shit the bed with my attempt at #30daysofGOOD. In my defense... I... don't really have a defense. I'm still going to attempt to check everything off that list in my own sweet time.

The past few weeks have been kind of crazy- but I'll get to that tomorrow (maybe...). Right now, I just want to celebrate Record Store Day! In honor of this glorious day, I present to you...

Three records that changed my life!*

1)"OK Computer" by Radiohead

 First of all, I am just extremely thankful that I have two sensible older brothers who listen to good music (though slightly too "jam bandy" for my taste). I honestly don't know what kind of person I would be without their influence. My guess? I would be way more lame than I already am.

I remember listening to this album in my brother Jeffrey's tiny room. At the time, I think I was pretty into boy bands and pop music (z100 like woah), so this was quite a departure. I didn't appreciate the album at the time (I really loved "Karma Police," but I thought some of the other stuff was a little weird), but looking back- I'm just so glad I was exposed to something besides BSB. Radiohead is now one of my favorite bands.

2) "Lifted, or The Story Is In The Soil, Keep Your Ear To The Ground" by Bright Eyes

This was probably the first album where, after buying it, I got home and shut myself in my room and listened to the whole thing several times (while reading the lyrics, of course). I was a confused, emotional teenager and it was like Conor Oberst was screaming out all my feelings. (I had a lot of feelings.) To this day, whenever I hear the first few notes of "Lover I Don't Have To Love" I am magically transported back to my Honda Civic- speeding around New Jersey back roads in the dark and screaming at the top of my lungs.

This record also connected me to other "Indie-type" artists (Rilo Kiley, Death Cab, Tilly and the Wall, etc.), which in turn led to me feeling like part of a community of people who were actually kind of similar to me.

3) "Little Plastic Castle" by Ani DiFranco

Shockingly, I started listening to Ani as I was coming out (both to myself and to the world). In fact, the first person I ever verbally came out to was an Ani-loving, free-spirited pothead named Amy (at least, I think that was her name... it is terrible that I don't remember).

It's not really enough to say that it was a breath of fresh air. It was actually more like finally being able to breathe after being denied any oxygen for years. It felt that good and scary and exhilarating and terrifying and gratifying. To hear this woman sing about having sex and relationships with other women like it was all the most normal thing in the world... I mean... what?? It just blew my mind.


So those are three records that changed my life. Maybe I'll find another one this afternoon.

*Please note: these are not my three favorite records or the three best records I've ever heard. They just all impacted my life in significant ways.