Harmonious transitioning: Kaitlin's favorites of 2009

2009 was a year of transformation regarding my musical focus. Last semester revolved around electronic music for the most part. My must-see list for Coachella was constructed around the time slots of Crookers and MSTRKRFT, and I worked relentlessly to acquire press passes for both EDC and HARD Summer. After I experienced the disaster
that was HARD Summer (or Flaccid Summer as my friends call it), the electronic music scene was no longer fun and happy to me. These electronic music festivals
had become the cool thing to attend; a place at which 13-yearolds can experiment with drugs while dancing to DJs they can’t even name. As the scene began to lose
its authenticity, I began to lose interest. My attention had transitioned
to an interest in the music my friends created, but mostly the music they were influenced by. I became accustomed to listening to jazz, experimental noise, psychedelic instrumental music and ethereal vibrations. It was all very new and exciting, though
headache-inducing at times. Interspersed between the noise and the vibrations was classic
‘80s hip-hop, which my friends and I would listen to at the random parties we attended, at which my friends would shotgun smoke literally (i.e. exhaling smoke through
the barrel of a shotgun) while listening to Brotha Lynch Hung, who raps about eating babies, and drinking straight whiskey. As anyone could see, I had completely escaped the rave scene. But whether or not the new scene I was a part of was any better is still
undecided in my mind. After the summer ended and I prepared to move back to San
Diego, I began to fall back into the sounds that comforted me the most at the time: Beirut, Jenny Lewis, The Dead Weather, Fleet Foxes, Grizzly Bear and WHY?.
Interestingly enough, I think that the ‘80s hip-hop sub-consciously brought me back to music that based itself upon lyrics rather than random noise or excessive bass.
As the school year progressed, my roommate had developed a pre-party playlist, exposing me to bands I hadn’t heard much of, such as Empire of the Sun. I am grateful to her for providing me with the Phaseone remix of Animal Collective’s song “Daily Routine.”
However, by immersing myself in USD’s weekend party scene once again, I submitted
myself to overplayed rap songs and Lady GaGa. I instantly learned the art of selective hearing, a tactic mastered by my grandma, it had been dormant in my genetic
makeup until I needed it the most. At this point, my personal life is becoming more and more a part of the real world and less confined to the typical lifestyle of a college
student. I will be turning 21 in January, a birthday that will open up many possible doors of experience for me, especially in regard to the amount of shows I will be able to attend. It’s unknown to me what my 2010 soundtrack will be, but if it’s as varied as my 2009 soundtrack I will most definitely be needing a second iPod.

Songs of ‘09:
January: “Blue Ridge Mountains”
by Fleet Foxes
February: “ The Next Messiah” by
Jenny Lewis
March: “Whatever You Like (Discotech
remix)” by T.I.
April: “WARP” by The Bloody
Beetroots
May: “Gifted” by N.A.S.A. featuring
Kanye West, Santigold and
Lykke Li
June: “Ready, Able” by Grizzly
Bear
July: “Locc 2 Da Brain” by Brotha
Lynch Hung
August: “Hang You From the
Heavens” by The Dead Weather
September: “Against Me” by
WHY?
October: “Your Rocky Spine” by
Great Lake Swimmers
November: “U R A Fever” by The
Kills tied with “Bless This Mess”
by Haley Bonar
December: “White Winter
Hymnal” by Fleet Foxes (it never
gets old)