A Tribute to Rob Gordon

Ok, for all you fellow music nerds out there I have been planning to write about my favourite tunes for a while. The problem is that music is such a big part of my life that I can't really break it down into the one post and I have been wracking my brains how to best go about it.

As a result I have decided to write a Rob Gordon tribute series, starting today with the top five albums that mean the most to me. So in other words, the albums that when I listen to them take me back to a particularly important time in my life. So (in no particular order) here we go...

#1 The Whitlams - Eternal Nightcap - Grade 12, one of the best years of my life. I'll never forget the day I sat on a friends couch next to the boy I had a crush on and listened to No Aphrodisiac come number 1 in the JJJ hottest 100 that year. Every song on that album reminds me of that time and I still know every single word.

#2 Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals - Live from Mars (Disk 2) - I wasn't sure if Rob Gordon would allow what is basically a compilation album onto one of his top fives, but I figure this is only a tribute and I can do what I want! I just about wore this disk out when I was breaking up with my first serious boyfriend and still to this day Walk Away brings me to tears. I also saw them live the year after, my first 'big' concert.

#3 Arcade Fire - Funeral - This also has a spot in my favourite albums of all time, but it makes an appearance here for a couple of reasons. To start, I can't hear Wake Up without being transported back to the bedroom of the boy who introduced me to the album. He accidentally left it on repeat one night and I kept waking up on and off listening to this amazing music. I then introduced the album to another good friend of mine and it subsequently became 'our album'. He said Neighbourhood #1 (Tunnels) reminded him of me, and when we saw them live we held hands and sang our hearts out to it. A moment I will never forget.

#4 Radiohead - OK Computer - I'm not going to give the full explanation as to why this album is so important to me as the information included in the story not only incriminates me, but if my Mum were to read this it would be far too much information for her! I will say though, that I debated between this and The Bends (which I believe is without a doubt one of the best albums ever), which was also pretty important at a pivotal moment in my life and didn't leave my cd player for about 6 months after. I decided on OK Computer though, as it was there for a pretty formative time in my life and therefore comes out on top.

#5 Death Cab for Cutie - Plans - This one is important for a couple of reasons. To start with Death Cab were one of the first 'indie' bands I discovered on my own. I think that's important to find those bands that you can identify as really being yours. For me, that's Death Cab and funnily enough I got into them cause I also discovered Ben Gibbard's other project, The Postal Service. Plans was the first album of theirs that I really got into and also has I Will Follow You Into The Dark, which I ended up singing at my grandmother's funeral. I still can't hear that song without tears and I definitely can't sing it anymore. I doesn't stop me loving it though.

So there is my top five 'memory' albums. What are yours?

Landing on my feet

Have you ever had that realisation that you have made exactly the right decision at the right time? Of everything playing out like it was meant to be, and even when things aren't exactly perfect, having that feeling that it's all going to be ok anyway?

I've never had this before until now. But this decision to turn my life upside down, leave everything behind and start completely fresh seems to have been the absolute right one. I've never felt so relaxed and in control of where I'm going and what I want to get out of life. And I'm having a ball, making new friends and fitting in better than I ever thought I would in this scary new world.

I'm learning new things and being challenged both at work and at home. But I think the best thing is looking at all the things that have happened in the last 3 months and realising that without all of these events happening, the situation I'm now in wouldn't be as perfect or as right.

Fate, you have made a believer out of me!