2006 Random Gum
The People, Places, Things, Events and Songs that Randomly Hold Everything Together

Serge Gainsbourg – Melody [Extrait de Melody Nelson]
Serge’s influence can be heard in so much contemporary music and has also influenced my life. Being French, it makes me think of my beloved French connections…both the old and the new.

Aislers Set – Emotional Levy
While this song has no particular meaning or significance, I just love the sound.

Akron/Family & Angels of Light – I Pity the Poor Immigrant
This year I got to know a brilliant woman, Lenore, who sent me a fantastic CD introducing me to this music. I figured the song was appropriate given my ongoing struggles with immigration.

Cat Power – The Greatest
Years ago, one of the weirdest experiences of my life occurred when my friend Naomi and I attended a Cat Power show and had the misfortune of meeting Olli the Finn. This year my friend Catherine kept me musically current by sending me loads of CDs, among them this superlative offering from Cat Power. This song reminds me a lot of the melancholy of late winter.

Orri Harðarson – Ég og þú
A lovely Icelandic song that makes me think of my beloved friend Anna. (Can't find a good link for this either.)

El Perro del Mar – God Knows (You Gotta Give to Get)
A song with a great theme… makes me think a lot about the concept of give and take, particularly in friendship. I have some wonderful friends now but even those with whom I have had difficulties, I feel I managed to reach the closure and finality I always crave so much.

Giant Drag – Everything’s Worse
Historically I introduced others to new music, but the roles have reversed. My dear friend Tara, who visited over Christmas, gave me this CD as well as her support and love. I listened to this a lot in my rush between bureaucratic offices while dealing with immigration as 2006 began.

The Melody Unit – The Plea Before the Scream
A friend from years ago, guitarist and frontman of The Melody Unit, sent along their fabulous CD, Songs for the New American Century. It was a tough choice deciding which song to include here because the entire CD is absolutely worth a listen.

The Fall – Cheetham Hill
I love The Fall and this song. I share a love for The Fall with Naomi… and this year was definitely a big year for her with a Vegas wedding and getting her jewelry-making business off the ground.

The Fitness – Day Job
I tried not to like The Fitness, but there’s just something so snotty, so 80s and so infectious about its very tongue-in-cheek presentation…(and the singer nearly ended up as my sister-in-law).

Madonna – Forbidden Love
Yeah, I know… Madonna?! Somehow, her last album was incredibly catchy. “Hung Up” kept popping up in my life. Given the overexposure of that song, I chose this slightly less hyped song. This makes me think very much of my dear friend Sarah, who has had a very rough year…

Gorillaz – DARE
Some things just have no explanation.

Lady & Bird – Suicide is Painless
I fell in love with Keren Ann (Lady of Lady & Bird) this year thanks to my friend Shaina but decided to use Lady & Bird since “Bird” is Barði Jóhannsson of Bang Gang (Icelandic). I find all the little Icelandic mistakes rather funny. Icelanders always say “v” when they mean “w” and vice versa (wice wersa)… the lyric about “visions” says “wisions”… also the word “skin” is clearly pronounced as the plural “skins” in Barði’s vocals. Haha.

Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan – The False Husband
Here’s to the end of things…so sad.

The The – Armageddon Days Are Here Again
With the uproar surrounding the Danish newspaper cartoons, the fighting in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah and general furor and chaos surrounding religion, this song from 1989 remains timely… perhaps even more applicable today than it was then.

Chitra – Kehna Hi Kya
The sounds of Bollywood make me happy. Maybe because they make me think of Indian food, which I could eat daily. Most recently I’ve shared Indian meals with my friends Alfa, Jane and Kathleen, whose friendships are among the best things that happened to me in 2006.

The Wedding Present – Dalliance
I love the Wedding Present, always will. They came to Iceland this year, but it will take a miracle to get me to attend a concert with an Icelandic audience.

Tanya Donelly – So Much Song
“Someone’s gotta stay/and clean up this mess…” This song touched me on some level and I was overcome by emotion as I dealt with my own doubt and eventual endings.

The White Stripes – Forever for Her (Is Over for Me)
Another bit of music given to me by Tara, I was strongly affected by the song and felt it was a good ending for this year’s compilation.

Or… the whole thing except the songs that do not exist on Spotify.