There have been several hot button political issues, people and songs in the spotlight recently, and due to the frequent nature of inquiries directed my way, I thought it was time to address them all. Here and now. Why the hell not? I rarely delve into the personal, but I’m feeling particularly snarky and honest today.

Question 1:
Are you getting married now that it is legal in California?

Answer:
Perhaps. We’ve been together for over 11 years, and don’t want to get married just because we can. That being said, I cried when I saw this video of Ellen & Portia. So beautiful.

Political side note: please vote No on Prop 8 if you are a registered voter in the state of CA.  You may not know me personally, but why deny me the opportunity to finally marry the woman who shares my heart?

Question 2:
What do you think of the song “I Kissed a Girl” by Katy Perry?

Answer:
In college we had a term for what she is boasting about – LUG (lesbian until graduation).  It has become as common as the Freshman 15. Yawn. Although I will admit that the damn song is quite catchy.

Question 3:
Why don’t you write about Lindsay Lohan & Samantha Ronson?

Answer:
For the same reason you will never see me discuss hotel heiresses and the like; because I do not cover celebrity gossip, nor do I have any interest in perpetuating rumors about people. There are plenty of other sites out there to satiate such curiosities.

Question 4:
What do you think about Sarah Palin?

Answer:
As if you have to ask. Although her official stance on gay marriage and benefits for same-sex couples is vague at best, I’m not an idiot. She and McCain will eviscerate the path which people like Ellen and Bill Clinton paved for so many.  And don’t get me started with Palin’s offensive and egregious views on myriad other issues. This is not a political blog, so I’ll stop there.

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So there you have it, a completely tangential entry which I’m sure I’ll regret in retrospect.

Open iTunes right now and download the EP Talking Circles.  She has a hauntingly beautiful voice, and her lyrics linger long after you’ve listened.

Click here to hear other tracks on her MySpace page, and read her blog as well.

Prior to Ashley’s solo career, she provided background vocals for country legend Radney Foster. She has contributed background vocals to both a Lindsay Lohan and a Badly Drawn Boy album as well.

Oh, and when she was younger she performed with some kid named Justin Timberlake…

As a matter of fact, here is the video of them singing and dancing at a local fair…in matching parachute pants with suspenders.

Seriously though…for the price of two lattes you can own 6 songs from a very talented new artist. I highly recommend her EP and also encourage you to see her live when she comes to a venue near you!

Here are the CDs which have been on shuffle in my car for the last few years…I know, random.

Matt N is a given, but this particular CD…is just special to me. I will finally openly admit to being a fan of JT (although I don’t love his second effort as much).  Missy is a dirty bird, and this CD makes me both laugh and want to dance, every time. As for the Boss – of his entire body of work, this album simply resonates the most with me.

And now, on to my 12 Favorite Albums of All Time, in order of release date.

I am not going to elaborate or articulate how and why each makes the list; there are significant emotional connections and life experiences attached to each, and even I don’t share everything in this space…

Suzanne Vega: Suzanne Vega (1985)

Paul Simon: Graceland (1986)

U2: Joshua Tree (1987)

Melissa Etheridge: Brave and Crazy (1989)

George Michael: Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. 1 (1990)

Indigo Girls: Nomads Indians Saints (1990)

Depeche Mode: Violator (1990)

kd lang: Ingenue (1992)

Peter Gabriel: Us (1992)

Sheryl Crow: Sheryl Crow (1996)

Music from the Motion Picture: Garden State (2004)

Green Day: American Idiot (2004)

Apparently I was not enamored with music from 1997-2003, and it also seems that very little has touched my soul since 2004.  Let’s hope that something spectacular this way comes, sooner rather than later.

Do you have Desert Island Disc lists, or have I been playing this game alone in my head for years?

The first free minute we had, he sat on the stairs with his guitar and played an Indigo Girls song. We bonded, I was sold, and I can’t even begin to fathom where I’d be living or working right now, let alone what I’d be listening to, had we never met.  That being said, he would not necessarily agree with my top choices and favorite records.

When I wasn’t obsessing over U2′s Joshua Tree, the following albums were on shuffle in my 5-disc CD player during four years of research, reading and writing.

FRESHMAN YEAR: 1991-1992

      

   

SOPHOMORE YEAR: 1992-1993

If I may stroll down memory lane on a personal level for a moment, 1993 was a very momentous time in my life. Not only did I officially come out, I spent several months abroad in London. And this album, which remains a favorite of all time, basically held my hand as I went through that process and experienced the revelation:

JUNIOR YEAR: 1993-1994

SENIOR YEAR: 1994-1995

Up next, the ‘now,’ the post-college to contemporary choices which remain music to my ears and soul.

Around the same time that I discovered hip hop and Run DMC was a permanent fixture in my portable boom box, this little teenage girl in Orange County also fell in love with the Beastie Boys. Licensed to Ill remains a personal favorite to this day.

Guns n Roses appealed to my deeply buried rebellious side, but I continued obsessing over the dark, lamenting lyrics from the likes of Depeche Mode and The Cure.

Next up: the college years, when I only partially delved into the world of grunge and flannel, had a very obvious Lilith Fair of my own, and escaped with a lifelong appreciation for real bands like REM and U2. Oh, and I met some guy named Matt who would forever alter my music perspective and life in general…