Saturday, April 7, 2012

G is for Garbage...and a few others


I've been known to obsess over a musician or two in my life. Perhaps no more so than my infatuation with the haunting voice of Shirley Manson, lead vocalist for the band GARBAGE. 

Jessica Bell and I have teamed up for the A-Z blogging challenge this year to talk about our musical muses - a band/artist or song that has inspired, or affected us in some way. 

Garbage holds a special place in my heart.

My family has a cabin at the beautiful Christina Lake, tucked in the Canadian Rockies - and sadly, a 10-hour drive from my northern Alberta home. Before I got married, inherited an amazing stepdaughter, and became "mom" to three dogs, I used to make this commute several times in one season. 

Typically in my Celica (damn, I miss that car), driving at very high speeds. For one summer, I played nothing but Garbage (literally, not metaphorically) for the entire trip. Every one of their songs sounded magical pumping through the speakers of my amazing stereo system (have I mentioned I MISS that car?), but Push It definitely ranks in my top three Garbage songs.


Sidenote: Lead singer Marilyn was actually one of the muses for my character Jagger Valentine. Jagger's more of an Audioslave fan, but sometimes when I write about her adventures, I listen to Garbage.

Or I listen to GOO GOO DOLLS. In particular, Name, which was featured in the movie City of Angels. 




Great movie - bad ending!

Of course, I'd be remiss in not mentioning GUNS AND ROSES. Yeah, I was a bit of a metal head growing up, though true fans of metal might not classify GnR as anything stronger than heavy rock. Like many of the 80s bands I loved as a high school student, I would have stood in line for concert tickets...for a very long time.





And finally, my current song obsession by the band GOTYE. Yeah, I know it's playing on every radio station (and coming up in an episode of Glee) but it's such an amazing track - hard not to love it! My stepdaughter teases me about having "songs of the moment" - this is mine right now.



Would Garbage, Gotye, or Goo Goo Dolls be on YOUR list? If not, which "G" band would?

Now, go check out some of the other blogs taking part in the A-Z Blogging challenge, including my Dawn Dalton blog where I'm talking about awesome YA books, and the Most-Wanted Monsters blog where Judith and I are writing poems and talking smack about some creeptastic beasties.

- Dawn

12 comments:

  1. Love Garbage!

    But that Gun's N Roses song. Takes me back to 1987 and my then girlfriend. I am belting out my best Axl Roses now much to the horror of my kids. ;)

    I am trying to read all the A to Z blogs, but coming back to the ones I really like.
    Looking forward to seeing what you do all month!

    Tim
    The Other Side
    The Freedom of Nonbelief

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    1. Tim, I wish I could witness the singing! I often sing Guns and Roses, much to my teenager's dismay. I think it has more to do with my BAD voice though. :-)

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  2. Oh my gosh! I can't believe we both have the Goo Goo Dolls!!!

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  3. I am so happy to see people giving Garbage their due

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    1. Yay - another Garbage fan! Such a fabulous sounding band.

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  4. Garbage is a band? i never would have thought! oh well. interesting band!

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    1. It's true, Emily - and their music is anything but :-D

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  5. Guns 'n' Roses - very cool. And third person today who has mentioned Garbage!

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    1. I thought I might be the only Garbage fan left. Looks like I'm not alone :-) I do still love Guns and Roses.

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  6. I just saw someone else with Garbage as their G word too. Maybe now I should google them so I can find out who they are... LOL!

    Stacey

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  7. Guns 'n' Roses, Sweet Child of Mine and Gotye's Somebody That I Used to Know. Now I'm listening. I'm a song of the moment, kind of woman, myself. Right now, it's The Shins (what is it about James Mercer's voice?), Bon Iver, Citizen Cope and the Black Keys. Just popping by from the A to Z. I'm doing animals. Cheers!

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