#12 - Music (1)
I have a song for literally every situation in the recorded history of man. Music is very important to me, it’s so deeply embedded in my soul. I’m legitimately shocked when someone shares that music isn’t important to them.
Honestly, I’m willing to bet my parents played music for me in the womb. Some of my earliest musical memories include: hearing my Dad singing Isn’t She Lovely by Stevie Wonder (which he also put on a cassette mixtape that he made to celebrate my birth), my parents putting on Word Up by Cameo to get me to silly dance (it works to this day), my Dad’s massive record collection and the time honored Saturday tradition of turning up the tunes while cleaning.
As I got older, I started to branch out into nearly early genre (except country minus Cowboy Carter and the Chicks). My preteens were shaped by pop music (R.I.P. Kidd Kraddick) and smooth jazz during car rides. When I was about 11, the first cassette tapes my parents got for me were Tragic Kingdom by No Doubt and Jagged Little Pill by Alanis Morissette. A few years later, when I got my first CD player, it came with Violator by Depeche Mode and Running With Scissors by Weird Al. The first CD I purchased for myself was The Fragile by Nine Inch Nails (Trent Reznor is and will always be my hall pass).
8th grade Ariel discovered the 80’s and fell in love with New Order and the Smiths. This was the height of the cassette tape era for me, recording eighties music and obscure indie tracks I would discover on Sunday nights. To You Alone by The Beta Band is a track I still listen to regularly.
High school was a tough time. The taunting coming from on all sides for “acting white” amped up, because I fell in love with nu-metal, especially Linkin Park. It was at this point that I very secretly dipped a toe into the pool of mainstream rap music. Not because of anyone’s teasing, but wanting to see what inspired the rap aspect of the angry rock I was clinging onto, partially out of legitimate enjoyment, but also the desire to be accepted by my peers.
I finally started to shed the desire to be liked by people with narrow worldviews, which allowed me to broaden my tastes even further. Mashups were the sonic embodiment of who I was, cross-genre experiments, some more successful than others. Destiny’s Child mixed with Nirvana became an automatic track on any CD I burned for myself or anyone else.
When I got to college, I had my (first) feminist awakening and pulled back from mainstream rap because I couldn't get over the misogyny and lack of promotion for the women that were rapping. (It wouldn’t be until years later that I understood the bummer of a fact that misogyny can pop up in any genre.) Not wanting to abandon hip hop entirely, I was influenced by my online friends to backpack rap and instrumental producers like MF DOOM and Madlib. Albums like The Mouse and the Mask and Madvillainy were on endless repeat in my Chevy Malibu.
This and more is what’s always going on inside my head. My vocal stims are almost always a line from a song. If I’ve ever sent you a song, made you a playlist or given you a mixtape - know that it’s a deep act of love from me. Music is my love language, if you buy into the concept.
Here’s ten random songs for you <3:
My Red Hot Car - Squarepusher: Listen closely to this one, lmao.
We Share Our Mother’s Health (Ratatat Remix) - The Knife: It’s giving chopped and screwed vibes.
Cobra (Rock Remix) [feat. Spiritbox - Megan Thee Stallion: I’m still obsessed with how good this is.
Everything In Its Right Place x WAP - HOT LIKE FIRE.
Don’t - Bryson Tiller: I still haven’t mastered the mid-song pause.
Look Ahead - Future: The sample here is chef’s kiss.
Closer (Nine Inch Noize Version) - Nine Inch Nails, Boys Noize: This classic sounds so fresh with this revamp.
Freak Like Me - Sugababes: This isn’t my favorite lineup of the girls, but this cover is A+.
Numb/Encore - Linkin Park & Jay-Z: This whole album feels timeless to me.
Rude Boy Resort - Rihanna & Papa Roach: This is my encore song if I ever become lead singer in an all mashup band.
