While I was hanging at her house all weekend, I asked Tracy to pick a song. She picked Which Side Are You On which a million people have covered through the years. (She picked the Ani DiFranco version.)

One of my favorite things about Tracy is that she is passionate about creating the kind of world that she wants to live in through community activities. It’s easy to see a problem and shrug; Tracy rolls up her sleeves and does something. It’s very inspiring. (My other favorite thing about her is her killer dance moves.)

She chose it because “It’s an uplifting song that calls people into action for doing good, and it resonates with a lot of groups that I’ve been working with lately that focus not just on the charity work, but on justice issues.”

She told me about her involvement in the 99 Collective, a Christian-based group that is trying to create a church experience for young people who have been marginalized by the mainstream church. (Tracy loves Jesus, and working with young people, and is gay, so it’s pretty much “Tracy’s dream project”.) I would have loved that 15 years ago.

“Also,” she said, “it’s one of those songs that make me dance.”

A friend sent this to me with the suggestion that it might make a good “dance break” song. You should put on fun songs mid-workday and dance around a little. It makes everything better.

That song from the Target commercial you like? It’s called Starfucker.

It could be argued that this is more “Thursday night” music.
I love the way she is so un self-conscious about dancing around, how she’s really INTO the music. There’s a good lesson there, fellow artists.

Via Daffodil Campbell, who is my lovebug.

Phil let me crash with him during my on-a-whim trip to a few weeks ago; he picked this song from Nickle Creek member Sara Watkins for this week’s Monday Music, and this is why:

“I’d had a hellish summer when I went to see Nickle Creek in Central Park. I sent the band a message after and said it was the first time I really smiled since everything happened. She responded with a thoughtful thank you note. It means a lot to me.”

I love it – her voice is like a dream.

Um, yeah. You can totally have a dollar. You are cute.

I danced to this in my jammies with Tino in the crook of my arm, pressed against my cheek. He is a wonderful, tiny dance partner.

Via The Because Show, because they’re cool.

I’m a sucker for any song sung by a girl who dissolves the whole thing into a set of “do do do do”s.

Via Erica, who has amazing taste in music, too.

How many times do you have to do something before it becomes tradition? I think three. This is our fourth year in Puerto Rico for Christmas – a happy tradition for sure. I am probably drinking Puerto Rican horchata right now.

I hope your Christmas was merry and awesome. I’ll be back later in the week.

When Gavin was sitting in my living room last weekend I invited him to pick this week’s Monday Music. I asked why this song, and he said:

“There’s something about M83s music; it’s just dark enough to make it disturbing and beautiful. And gives me a boner.”

I glanced up from my laptop.

“You know I was just typing that all down.” I said. “Do you want to rephrase that? Like, are you sure you want the boner bit still in there?”

He shrugged. “Leave it.”

So I have.