A Friendly Musical Visit Every Day

If you visit this site every day, perhaps you've noticed that I try to maintain some kind of theme from one day to the next. It's not always explicit, but after The Ting Tings' THAT'S NOT MY NAME yesterday, I thought I'd continue with the theme of names with Florence + the Machine's REMAIN NAMELESS from the album Ceremonials. "You can call me anything you want" is kind of the exact opposite message to "That's not my name," but this track makes for a great segue into tomorrow's song of the day, which I can't wait to bring you.  It's gotten me through some troubled times, and I'm hoping it'll do the same for you. So make sure to come back tomorrow! Hit that subscribe button up there and never miss a day! Get Ceremonials on vinyl. Seriously. Do it. If you're wondering how you can support me in bringing you songs and visits every day, the easiest thing you can do is tell your friends about the site. Tell any

When I was a teenager, my whole family used to go to one of my sisters' soccer games. She played at a bit of a high level, I guess, and there was a lot of travel involved. We spent a good deal of time around the families of the other girls on her team. Looking back, it was actually a lot of fun. Not sure I would have said so at the time, but in those days teens didn't like their families. No clue if they do now. I don't know any teens. Anyway, one of my sisters is quite a lot younger than I am.  She would have been only 4 or 5 years old, I guess.  Often, we'd bring along her best friend to soccer games so they could occupy each other. My sister and her best friend had very similar names--started with the same letter, same number of syllables--so, in the beginning, the other soccer parents would accidentally call both kids by the same name: the best friend's name. My little sister got SO MAD. And when the soccer parents saw how riled up she'd get, they star

My paternal grandparents babysat me when I was very, very young, and I remember my grandfather saying this to me all the time: "Put your shoes on, Lucy. Don't you know you're in the city?" I was playing on their front lawn in East York. Not sure that quite qualifies as "the city"--this was in the early 80s and Toronto hadn't amalgamated yet. They also babysat my cousin while my aunt and uncle were at working, and my memories of that time, though hazy, are some of my fondest. It's funny (well, not funny ), but now that my grandmother is gone, I miss ALL my grandparents with this weird immediacy, as if they all died with her.  My maternal grandmother outlived all my other grandparents by 20-25 years, but I feel as if I'm grieving an entire generation. It's hard. If you're going through anything like this, my heart is with you. But this song sure makes me happy. If you're wondering how you can support me in bringing you songs a

I fell into a bit of a Cécile McLorin Salvant rabbit hole on YouTube (you know how it is) and landed firmly on this great performance. In an interview, I heard her say that she loves the ephemerality of live music--that it happens, and after it's happened, it's gone. Your memory of the event begins to fade almost immediately, and what you're finally left with is impact rather than memory. For that very reasons, she's actually isn't so hot on recordings of live shows. And yet, here we are, experiencing a performance I didn't attend (although I have seen many Marsalises live in concert). Probably you weren't there either, but I thank the internet gods this little number has been preserved, because I'm absolutely in love with it. If you're wondering how you can support me in bringing you songs and visits every day, the easiest thing you can do is tell your friends about the site. Tell anyone you know--particularly people who are isolated and enj

Yesterday we listened to Dianne Reeves's cover of the Stevie Nicks song "Dreams." Well, I've been listening to Beck's 2017 album COLORS a lot this week, and there's a song called "Dreams" on that baby, too. I considered doing two different Dreams in a row, but instead I'm going with the title track. Although, with this album , I'm spoiled for choice. COLORS is a solid showing, start to finish. It's got a consistent sound and vibe. There isn't a single track that feels out of place. With the vast majority of albums, you stumble across those SKIP tracks--you know, the ones that come on and you immediately hit SKIP, either because they don't fit the tone or they're just not up to snuff. There isn't a single SKIP track, here. Every song is quality, and they all coalesce into one strong album . COLORS is available not only on vinyl , but as a cassette tape ! The music video reminds me of Talking Heads anyway, so take

Yesterday we listened to Fleetwood Mac. Today we're listening to a Fleetwood Mac cover. Dianne Reeves does a tremendous job with this song. I used to listen to a jazz radio station, and every time they played this track I would STOP EVERYTHING and listen.  Finally, I had to run right out (with my actual feet) and buy myself a copy of the album Beautiful Life, on which it is featured (I miss HMV). Have a look at what else you're getting with this album . It's a good one. I recommend. If you're wondering how you can support me in bringing you songs and visits every day, the easiest thing you can do is tell your friends about the site. Tell anyone you know--particularly people who are isolated and enjoy music. Readers of adult fiction can also buy my books or check them out from your local library. Supporting my  AudioErotica  endeavour on  Patreon  would also help me hugely! But you don't HAVE to do any of that. I'm very happy to get a daily visit fro

This is a song I've heard many times over the years, but never actually listened to until a couple weeks ago. It came on while I was doing volunteer work, and it reminded me of a lot of stuff someone close to me is going through right now. Needless to say, I'm the weird volunteer who's always a wiping tear from their eye, hoping nobody notices. "Can I handle the seasons of my life?" Good question. Seems like the more experience you have with life, the more you can handle, but it doesn't always feel that way, does it? Found vinyl for you. Maybe you have your own? Or maybe you had your own years ago and it mysteriously disappeared? That happens. If you're wondering how you can support me in bringing you songs and visits every day, the easiest thing you can do is tell your friends about the site. Tell anyone you know--particularly people who are isolated and enjoy music. Readers of adult fiction can also buy my books or check them out from

Oh, this song... I've started checking out CDs from the library (actual physical CDs from the actual physical library) and was lucky enough to find two albums from Purity Ring at one location. I was familiar with Purity Ring from back when I used to listen to CBC Radio Two.  Pretty sure they got a lot of airplay on a show called The Signal, which I miss every day of my life. This song, Bodyache, is the second track on an album called ANOTHER ETERNITY .  It's so pleading and pained, and when I heard the line "I cried until my body ached," I knew I'd come back to this song when I needed it. And I did, the next time I cried like that--a full-body sob, to the point where you feel like you're going to throw up and you think it's impossible for more tears to come out. And then they do and you're just like... how? The funny (?) thing about midlife (at least, for me), is that your hormones take you back to your teenage years (at least, that's wha

Wow, I could listen to this one a thousand times over, couldn't you? When I was a teenager, I was really into tarot, astrology, numerology, all that "New Age" stuff. You know how they say as you get older you go back to the things you loved when you were young?  I'm finding that to be true--very true.  Suddenly everything that used to interest me (and then didn't interest me at all) is coming back full force. I'm getting back into tarot, particularly, and listening to a lot of podcasts on the topic. One mentioned calculating your birth card, which I'd never done. You add your date, month and year of birth, then keep adding those numbers together until you've distilled it down to a number under 10. Match that number up with the corresponding card in the Major Arcana and there you go, that's your birth card. Mine turned out to be The Magician, a figure who can manifest his will here on earth. It was a message I needed to hear that day in partic

As today marks a special anniversary for myself and my parter, I wanted to choose a romantic song to mark the date. Even though I have an general aversion to Elvis (maybe I'll tell you about it sometime--but not today), I'm a little surprised at my selection. But you know what? I listened to song after song on YouTube, and when I got to this one I burst into tears. It's such a simple song, really, but it says what I feel, and here we are. This one's for you, babe. Take my hand Take my whole life too For I can't help falling in love with you Yes, the LP is available ! You can get this album pretty much every way you'd choose to listen to music . Unless you're stuck on cassette tapes. Then you're out of luck. I think. I could be wrong. If you're wondering how you can support me in bringing you songs and visits every day, the easiest thing you can do is tell your friends about the site. Tell anyone you know--particularly people who are iso

I didn't know this song existed until just now, when I googled what I consider to be Mae West's catchphrase (although I'm sure she had a few): "Come up and see me sometime!" Apparently this song is from a 1934 comedy called "She Done Him Wrong," which co-starred my high school crush, Cary Grant. A few months ago, I watched a documentary series about American comedians of the early twentieth century, but do you think I remember a single thing I learned about Mae West? Nope! Because my memory is terrible and five seconds after I learn something new it falls out the other side of my brain. I do recall thinking she was pretty awesome and I could relate to the censorship her rampant sexuality inspired (when you write about sex for a living, you get shut down time after time, and it ain't polite), but if you want to know more you'll have to do some independent study because I am a terrible teacher. If you're wondering how you can suppor

During the famous Monorail episode of The Simpsons , Homer "serenades" Marge, singing: "I gave my love a chicken, it had no bones." I naturally assumed this was a made-up song, because those lyrics are ridiculous. Turns out I've been wrong all these years. The chicken line comes from a traditional tune called "I Gave My Love A Cherry," also known as The Riddle Song. And you know what?  The Riddle Song is lovely. The first time I heard it in its entirety, I cried! (Not that it takes much to get me crying these days, thank you very much perimenopause...) Descended from a 15th-century English ballad, The Riddle Song was performed by Josh White in the 1949 western film The Walking Hills. Apparently it's been covered and recovered and made an appearance in Animal House --a film I've never seen. If I had, maybe I'd have clued in a little sooner that I Gave My Love A Cherry is a real song, and not one invented by The Simpsons. I think y

Did you know that a 20th Anniversary Remaster of In Utero came out in 2013? Does that make you feel old at all? No? Good for you! Everything makes me feel old! Except... some things make me feel happy. And then I think I'm dumb. Well, not "dumb," because that's a word I've consciously excised from my vocabulary, but there's something about being a cynic and a pessimist and chronically depressed that somehow convinces you that only stupid people can be happy. I know, when I investigate that thought, it isn't true. I believe it's possible for anyone to be happy. And yet, any time I find myself feeling hopeful about the future, I then find myself wondering what I'm missing. I'm being naive. I'm being silly. The future can't possibly be as bright as it seems. If there's light at the end of the tunnel, it's got to be a train. Gosh, it would be great if happiness came to me with no strings attached. Here I go again, push

Browsing Twitter bios, I came across one that simply said, "Hank Williams hasn't answered yet." I was like... I don't know who this person is, but clearly they are my soul mate. Doesn't it feel good when you get a song lyric reference? Or any reference, really. I spend a lot of time watching old episodes of Mystery Science Theater 3000 (and the new episodes, too), and every time I get a joke (especially if it's a call-back to another episode), I feel like I'm part of a club. So join the Leonard Cohen club and listen along to Tower of Song: That performance is from a tour I was very lucky to catch when he was here in Toronto. It was a concert I'll never forget. You can watch Live In London on DVD . I have a copy. Of course I do. If you're wondering how you can support me in bringing you songs and visits every day, the easiest thing you can do is tell your friends about the site. Tell anyone you know--particularly people who are isolate

What is it about redheads? I always have crushes on redheads: Jessica Rabbit, Gillian Anderson, Sweet, Amy Allan ( Dead Files, anyone...? ), and, of course, Florence Welch. In my experience, she attracts a lot of queers like me. A friend of a friend and her girlfriend max out their credit cards following her from concert to concert. Now that's a couple with a shared interest! Sounds like a pretty good life, actually. Florence + the Machine was here in Toronto just a couple weeks back and I didn't get a ticket. Because I'm an idiot. I've been kicking myself every day since. Why didn't I go? Because concerts cost money? Bah! What is money? What good is money if you don't let it flow? We're going back to the album Ceremonials for this track, though I could play you a dozen songs and they'd all be my favourite. Maybe I will. We've got time. But, for today, What The Water Gave Me : Get Ceremonials on vinyl. Seriously. Do it. If you're

"I feel so attractive covered in your sweat." I'm sitting on my balcony, wearing my partner's T-shirt, humming this tune. Yesterday we wore short shorts. Today we sing the praises of a T-shirt that smells like someone we love--or, at very least, someone we lust after. Really, is there any more seductive scent than a lived-in T-shirt?  Not if it's been lived in by that special someone. Toronto's The Beaches captures the spirit of the T-shirt better than anyone else I can think of in this song from their album, Late Show . You want vinyl? Late Show's got vinyl. Give your ears the gift of The Beaches. If you're wondering how you can support me in bringing you songs and visits every day, the easiest thing you can do is tell your friends about the site. Tell anyone you know--particularly people who are isolated and enjoy music. Readers of adult fiction can also buy my books or check them out from your local library. Supporting my  AudioErotic

I was just putting up a post about short shorts at my Donuts & Desires blog (adults only!) when this song popped into my head. Of course, I was posting about erotica ebooks, not clothing, but I think there's a certain amount of crossover. A lot of us probably enjoy short shorts in the same way we enjoy our smut. And if you find this song a tad... dated? (disquieting? unsettling?)... by today's standards, I'm sure you'll take a certain amount of comfort in knowing it's coming at you today from an album called MY BABY SCARES ME. That really says it all, don't you think? If you're wondering how you can support me in bringing you songs and visits every day, the easiest thing you can do is tell your friends about the site. Tell anyone you know--particularly people who are isolated and enjoy music. Readers of adult fiction can also buy my books or check them out from your local library. Supporting my  AudioErotica  endeavour on  Patreon  would also he

Whether you were a child in the 90s or an adult who just happened to enjoy a quality animated series, you probably loved Pinky and the Brain as much as I did. Cartoons really spoke to me, when I was a kid. My household was plagued by domestic violence, and I swear there were times when cartoons saved me.  I had Strawberry Shortcake bedsheets and a Smurfs blanket, and when the world was crashing down outside my door (literally--there was a lot of crashing in my house), I would burrow under the covers and pretend I was in Cartoon World with all my favourite characters. I know that sounds like a bummer of a story, but take it as encouragement, especially if you're a creator like me. Sometimes, when the world is crashing down at our feet, writing erotica (or whatever it is you do--I don't know your life) just doesn't seem all that important. But I can GUARANTEE you the thing you're creating will alleviate someone's pain, somewhere, somehow.  Never quit creating.

My lifelong fear of zombies begins and ends with this song. Okay, that's not entirely true.  My lifelong fear of zombies begins and ends with the 1968 film Night of the Living Dead , which I saw at a sleepover party at the tender age of eight. Scarred me for life! Back when zombie fiction was especially popular and there were all sorts of calls for submissions for short story anthologies, I just couldn't cross that line.  I couldn't throw myself into zombie territory, not even for professional reasons. Why is this song related to that movie, in my mind? I have no idea. And I'm not willing to revisit the film to find out, so perhaps it will forever remain a mystery. Anyway, great song. Get the album. You know you waaaaaaant it! If you're wondering how you can support me in bringing you songs and visits every day, the easiest thing you can do is tell your friends about the site. Tell anyone you know--particularly people who are isolated and enjoy music.

A couple weeks back, I was at a seniors' latin dancing class (long story) and THIS SONG came on the stereo. It stopped me in my tracks. I hadn't heard it in... gosh, close to 30 years? As soon as it came on, so much 1980s Madonna love came flooding back to me. This song... I remember begin at a sleepover and a feud broke out because we were doing a team lip synch contest and I wanted to SING this song. With my actual VOICE. That wasn't allowed, of course, because it was a lip synch contest, not a singing Madonna songs contest. Things were said. Feelings were hurt. My team dumped me and I sang La Isla Bonita all by myself. We recovered.  The night went on. Madonna was everything back then. She was SEX.  She wrote the book on it! I remember watching her videos on Much Music and just swooning. I've got to admit, I'm having much the same reaction watching this video now. God. Damn. If you're wondering how you can support me in bringing you songs and v

If you grew up in the 80s, chances are you associate this song with the California Raisins. I do. And I associate the California Raisins with a T-shirt I received as a birthday present from a girl at school. For me, the 80s was a great time to be a queer kid. It's funny how, when you're a kid, you just KNOW stuff about yourself. Like, I could have told you at 8 years of age that binary gender didn't work for me, if I'd had the words to say so. Then, as you grow up, you kind of let the world talk you into behaving in a certain way, presenting in a certain way, and you talk yourself into doing those things, too. Anyway, there was a girl in my class whose parents were big-time against gender stereotyping. That played out mostly in them encouraging their daughter to do "boy things" like playing sports. They only bought her masc clothes, and when it was birthday party time, the gift her mom bought me was a pair of black corduroy trousers... and a California Rai

Yesterday I played you some "young people music" from 1979. Today I've got "young people music" from 2019. Katie Dey just released a new album called "solipsisters," and this final track ("sieve") is the one I've been playing over and over and over and over.  It's the sort of track you never want to end. Six minutes and fifteen seconds isn't enough. It could go on forever, as far as I'm concerned. Maybe I shouldn't say stuff like that, because when readers make those same comments about my books I'm always like... do you know how long it took me to write that thing? If it were any longer, it wouldn't exist! heh. Anyway, as with all Katie Dey albums , you really need to listen to the whole thing. I've picked out one song that I particularly love because that's what I do on this site, but I highly recommend carving out some time in your day to just listen to solipsisters . If you're wondering h

A couple weeks ago I was on Twitter laughing about my partner making fun of my "young people music." What was I listening to? The 1979 Talking Heads album "Fear of Music," which includes this song--HEAVEN.  I happen to prefer this live version over the album version because of the prominence of Tina Weymouth's gorgeous backing vocals. Every time life gets overwhelming and there's too much going on and I'm sure I can't handle it, this song is sure to pop into my head. "Heaven is a place where nothing ever happens." Is that what we're aspiring to? Or should we appreciate life on earth? All this endless stuff is happening because we're alive. We were born to learn and grow, and that doesn't happen without challenges. Am I making sense? Sorry, I'll stop. If you're wondering how you can support me in bringing you songs and visits every day, the easiest thing you can do is tell your friends about the site. Tell anyone

I've been sitting here listening to this song over and over again for... I don't know how long. Today would have been my grandmother's birthday--it's the first to come around since her death last November.  She was my favourite person in the world and, though she lived a long life and was ready for death, I miss her every day. When she turned 80, we threw her a big party.  Every year thereafter, my whole family got together to celebrate every one of her birthdays. I come from a large family, and it was a big deal to get everyone in the same place at the same time. But we did it for my grandma, because she was the hub. We gathered around her. Without her, my family is fractured and lost. So today's song is for my grandmother, who fell for my grandpa during WWII--because he looked good in a uniform. One of the many comforts I get from music, when dealing with loss, is that when I get to the end of a song... I can play it again. If you're wondering how

Yesterday we listened to a Mother Mother track called "It's Alright." Today we're listening to a song written well over 50 years earlier, but which hits strikingly similar emotional notes. Today we've got Nina Simone performing "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood." I think it's a sentiment close to a great many of our hearts. The yearning in Simone's voice always leaves me aching. If you're wondering how you can support me in bringing you songs and visits every day, the easiest thing you can do is tell your friends about the site. Tell anyone you know--particularly people who are isolated and enjoy music. Readers of adult fiction can also buy my books or check them out from your local library. Supporting my  AudioErotica  endeavour on  Patreon  would also help me hugely! But you don't HAVE to do any of that. I'm very happy to get a daily visit from you, so just keep coming back. Oh, and I also recommend hitting the "Sub

Mother Mother is my favourite band, and every time this particular song comes on the radio I'm like OH THANK GOD. There is never a day when I don't need to hear this message. Maybe you feel the same way, and maybe "It's Alright" will bring you some comfort. From their 2018 album DANCE AND CRY. If you're wondering how you can support me in bringing you songs and visits every day, the easiest thing you can do is tell your friends about the site. Tell anyone you know--particularly people who are isolated and enjoy music. Readers of adult fiction can also buy my books or check them out from your local library. Supporting my  AudioErotica  endeavour on  Patreon  would also help me hugely! But you don't HAVE to do any of that. I'm very happy to get a daily visit from you, so just keep coming back. Oh, and I also recommend hitting the "Subscribe" button at the top of the page so you won't miss a song! See you tomorrow! Giselle

Yesterday we listened to Meryn Cadell's Sweater Song, which I love and adore. When I looked it up on Wikipedia, I discovered that Weezer's Sweater Song was written in response to Meryn Cadell's and, in L.A., the two were played back to back. So, here we are, listening to the Sweater Songs back to back. I actually love the image these lyrics create, and the idea that holding on too tight to that sweater ain't gonna make him come back to you--it's just going to leave you with the ruins of a sweater, of a relationship, of a memory... Am I overthinking Weezer? Nope. If you're wondering how you can support me in bringing you songs and visits every day, the easiest thing you can do is tell your friends about the site. Tell anyone you know--particularly people who are isolated and enjoy music. Readers of adult fiction can also buy my books or check them out from your local library. Supporting my  AudioErotica  endeavour on  Patreon  would also help me hugely

Every time I see a clothing tag that says "100% Acrylic," I think of this funny little spoken word song. Here in Toronto, it was played on the radio all the time. That was back in the early 90s. Nowadays, when I ask people if they remember it, they all give me a blank stare. It was so popular in 1992 and now it's forgotten. But not for long, because today you're going to listen to it. And you'll tell a friend, and they'll tell a friend, and we'll revive The Sweater's popularity. And if you need even more reason to spread the word, it turns out the star of the show is a trans guy! I learned that when I looked up the song on Wikipedia. Always a treat to shine the light on trans artists! If you're wondering how you can support me in bringing you songs and visits every day, the easiest thing you can do is tell your friends about the site. Tell anyone you know--particularly people who are isolated and enjoy music. Readers of adult fiction can

This song mysteriously popped into my head a couple weeks ago, and it hasn't gone far since. Funny, because I don't think I'd heard it in 30 years. My partner was surprised I knew it at all, considering it's older than I am, but some of my favourite songs are older than I am--as you'll soon find out. For today, we enjoy a delicious little ditty with a subtly raunchy video created by a teenager from the 70s. I think she's proposing a threesome toward the end, but I could be wrong... If you're wondering how you can support me in bringing you songs and visits every day, the easiest thing you can do is tell your friends about the site. Tell anyone you know--particularly people who are isolated and enjoy music. Readers of adult fiction can also buy my books or check them out from your local library. Supporting my AudioErotica endeavour on Patreon would also help me hugely! But you don't HAVE to do any of that. I'm very happy to get a daily v

Welcome to the inaugural Friendly Music Visitor post! I'm Giselle and I'm deliriously excited to be here. You know what they say: a song and a visit a day keep the loneliness at bay! I was agonizing (in a good way) over which song to select for our first day together when, on Twitter, I noticed that Sesame Street is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Well, the song that popped into my head instantly--the song I most associate with the Sesame Street of my childhood--is smooth and funky and cooler than cool. Does it have a name? I don't really know. Let's just call it Pinball, and let's listen to it together, twelve times over. If you're in the mood for even more Sesame Street nostalgia , I highly recommend the existential journey that is THE MONSTER AT THE END OF THIS BOOK . Come back tomorrow for another song and visit. I can't wait to see you again!