Amy's Top Twenty...

As the New Year approaches, it's not uncommon to hear lists rating the "Best" of the prior years... everything from movies to books to music to celebrity moments. Well here's my Top 20 list - my twenty favorite songs of all time. They may not make the critics' lists, but they're the ones that I could listen to over and over and over again... and here they are, in no particular order. Enjoy!

** Note: Most of them link to a YouTube video of the song... a few of them I couldn't find, so you'll have to track them down elsewhere if you want to hear them.





Indigo Girls - Ghost







AC/DC - (You Shook Me) All Night Long








Scott Weiland - But Not Tonight








King Harvest - Dancing in the Moonlight








Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell- Ain't Nothin' Like the Real Thing








Craig Armstrong & Elizabeth Fraser - This Love








Bob Marley - Mellow Mood








Counting Crows - Anna Begins








Soul Asylum - I Did My Best







Little Feat - Cajun Girl








Mary Chapin Carpenter - Passionate Kisses







Tyrone Wells - More







Bob Dylan - Tonight I'll Be Stayin' Here With You







Chaka Khan - Sweet Thing









Billy Joel - Only the Good Die Young







Wyclef - Perfect Gentleman







Bon Jovi - I'll Be There For You







Rockell - In a Dream







Janis Joplin - Me and Bobby McGee







Buju Banton - It's All Over

New Tyrone Wells Album!

Yay! I've been waiting for the new Tyrone Wells album, "Remain," for months and it's finally available as a digital download at iTunes.

I had heard several songs from the album at concerts or on MySpace, but the entire album is so much better than I could ever have imagined. My new favorite song is called "All Broken Hearts." It's haunting and beautiful and inspiring...

I have loved Tyrone Wells for years now, and I remember when he was just an independent musician from California, touring locally and putting out his own self-produced albums through smaller, independent sites like CD Baby. Now he has a contract with Universal Republic, and his new album debuted on iTunes as one of the top 10 rock albums of the week!

I highly recommend you check it out. If you love Coldplay or U2 or Vertical Horizon... you'll love it! In my opinion, Tyrone has earned every ounce of success that's coming his way!

Things I'm Thankful For...

• My parents, who have always loved me and supported me despite all the crap I've put them through.
• My first love, Adam... I'll never forget what it felt like to be loved for who I am. I know I'll find that again someday.
• The children in my class - they are so small and vulnerable, yet they radiate joy and trust. They remind me of the things that really matter in life.
• The parents of the children in my class, for trusting me with their most important treasures every day.
• Megan O, my best friend and the sister I never had, for loving me through the ups and the downs. Here's to a bright future together, raising our kids and playing in the sunshine and making art and... well, you know.
• Nike, for respecting teachers and paying us accordingly.
• All my amazing friends, near and far... and the technology that helps us keep in touch, even in the midst of our busy lives.
• My dog Abby Lou... she's the best hiking buddy a girl could ever ask for and she's worth all the shoes she's chewed up over the years.
• My co-teachers and suitemates, who make it a joy to wake up and go to work every day.
• Portland, Oregon... finally a place that feels like home.
• Music... my lifeblood... when I can't find the words, I can always find a song to express how I feel.
• Barack Obama, who helped me rediscover the part of myself that cares about where our nation is headed.
• Landmark Education. I really wouldn't be who I am today without a three-day course called the Landmark Forum.
• Art... which comes in many forms, and hides inside all of us.
• The people who take the time to smile as they pass me on the sidewalk each day.
• Freedom and love and joy and celebrations and diversity and friends and family and heartache and trust and all the other things that make us human.
• I'm grateful for every day in this beautiful Universe!

What I Listen to on the Tough Days....

I don't adhere to any particular religion and I'm still bitter and frustrated with all the dogma in the world... but when it comes down to it, I know there's something more. I know we're not alone. I know it's not really about all the little things that seem to matter SOOOO much from day to day but are meaningless in the big picture. This song reminds me of that... it says it all for me. You can see Tyrone singing it here and it'll be on his new album that comes out in January.

"More" - Tyrone Wells

Sometimes I get so tired just trying to find a place to lay my head
I look up to the sky
I feel the warmest light comfort me.

I've seen the great heights reminding me I'm alive.
I don't want to die.
I don't want to waste another day or night.
I know there's something more than what we're living for.
I see it in the stars, I feel it on the shore...
I know there's something.

I think we're all afraid that we might be alone down here.
We all want to have some faith.
At least that's true in my case... to just believe.

I've seen the great heights reminding me I'm alive.
I don't want to die.
I don't want to waste another day or night.
I know there's something more than what we're living for.
I see it in the stars, I feel it on the shore...
I know there's something.

This world could crumble into the ocean.
This could all end tonight.
I undermine You, then try to find You - my only Source of light.

I'm breathing out...
and breathing...

I am alive!
I don't want to die.
I don't want to waste another day or night.
I know there's something more than what we're living for.
I see it in the stars, I feel it on the shore.

I know that I'm alive.
I don't want to die.
I don't waste another day or night.
I know there's something more than what we're living for.
I see it in the stars, I feel it on the shore.
I know there's something more.

Feed the Animals

I am now officially a fan of Girl Talk, aka Gregg Gillis. He's a guy who samples hundreds of tiny bits and pieces from other songs to make magic! His mixes are fantastic... they flow together so smoothly, and I love trying to pick out the pieces of other songs that I recognize.

In just one track from his new album, he samples Roy Orbison, Ludacris, Rage Against the Machine, Aaliyah, Sinead O'Connor, and twenty other pop artists... it's unbelievable.

His new album is called "Feed the Animals" and it's available as a pay-what-you'd-like download at http://www.illegalart.net/... just click on the album cover and follow the directions. I'd recommend paying at least $5.00 to get the seamless mp3 file - I think that's the best way to enjoy the music, since it allows each song to flow directly into the next.

Check it out... at the very least, it's different from most of the stuff being played on the radio these days.

And if you want a little more information, go to the website for NPR's Day to Day and listen to Friday's show... he was interviewed for the program, and that's how I first heard about him.

StarStruck!

I'm a huge fan of an up-and-coming singer from California named Tyrone Wells.... he is amazing!

I discovered him a few years back through a website called Pandora, an online streaming radio station. The site finds new songs that are similar to songs or artists you already enjoy. If you haven't tried Pandora yet, check it out... it's a great way to find new music that you might not have heard before - lots of unsigned artists and independently-produced albums.

Back to the point... I love Tyrone Wells. His songwriting is beautiful and uplifting, his voice is incredible, and he's not bad to look at. He's also got the stage presence of a HUGE star just waiting to happen...

AND HE LEFT A COMMENT ON MY MYSPACE PAGE THIS WEEK!!! I'm very giddy about it... that's right, giddy... like a pre-teen girl... it's fantastic!

So now I love Tyrone Wells EVEN MORE because he actually responds to questions from his fans... and in a very timely manner (as in... less than an hour after I asked a question on his blog).

So here's my request: check out Tyrone's website or MySpace page, and if you love him as much as I do (or even if you're mildly intrigued or interested in his music) check out his tour dates and go see a show near you... you won't regret it. I saw him on the west coast leg of his tour a few months back and he's great... and his opening act, Jason Reeves, is also incredible. Well worth the $12 ticket cost, so I'll be seeing them again when they're in Portland next month.

http://www.tyronewells.com/ or www.myspace.com/tyronewells


PS - Yes, I realize he may not have actually left the MySpace comment himself... he was recently signed by Universal, so he's probably got managers and other people to answer questions and respond to fans... but it's still very cool and it still made my day.