City of Writers: A Weekly Newsletter
2016 has been a crappy year. Lots of good things happened to me, but my personal joy was overshadowed by everything going on in the world. I wish I could ignore everything that did happen (presidential election results, Aleppo, the spike of celebrity deaths, Orlando, among many other things) but…
OK, I cheated, most of the artists here aren't "girl groups" in the traditional sense. A lot of them are duets or soloists with more female vocalists behind them. Those were my only requirements for this mixtape. As long as the vocalists were primarily female (rather than female-fronted bands with…
Just like it says on the tin, songs you can listen to with the windows wide open and cranked to 11. Or, if you're in the desert like I am, with the windows up and the air conditioning at full blast. Cars (paid link) by Gary NumanCruisin' (paid link) by…
My end of the year mixtape for 2015, featuring the top 15 tracks I played incessantly over the year. Play (featuring Sampha) (paid link) by Katy BLes Sex (paid link) by Kylie MinogueI Don't Care (paid link) by CherylFavorite (featuring Jeremih) (paid link) by Nicki MinajThis Side of Paradise (Lost…
In case you're just joining us, the Best Year Ever mixtape is a nine-year tradition. It's been so much fun to look back at what I listened to over the years. I'm ending 2017 strong, and today, it's my end of the year mixtape to close out what has ostensibly…
A great dance mix, get your heart rate up for sure. D.A.N.C.E. (paid link) by JusticeMy Drive Thru by Julian Casablancas, Santogold, and Pharrell WilliamsFreak Like Me (paid link) by SugababesLe Disko (paid link) by Shiny Toy GunsTemperature (paid link) by Sean PaulDon't You Want Me (paid link) by The…
Mystere was amazing. It was a dress rehearsal, but there weren’t any accidents or anything during the show. There was so much going on that I didn’t know what to focus on. The comic relief was seamless, and clearly there to help fill the time in changing sets.
There was one performer that I called la Bebe, which means “the baby” in French, but her actual character name is Bebe Francois. So I was pretty close. She had the baby thing down pat, down to the little laugh and movements.
An edited version was published in the April 2, 2005 edition of College of Southern Nevada’s Coyote Press.
What if I told you that there’s a song on Top 40 radio dedicated to our humble town?
“Somebody told me/that you had a boyfriend/that looked like a girlfriend/that I had in February of last year.”
Who hasn’t dated someone in Vegas that didn’t look androgynous? If so, send them my digits.
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As is custom, my end of the year mixtape featuring my top 10 most played songs for the year. 2018 was a great year for pop music. Solid releases, breakout stars, gossip. Calvin Harris — Feels (featuring Pharrell Williams, Katy Perry, & Big Sean) (paid link) Paramore — Proof (paid…
I tracked down the Billboard Hot 100 #1s for the week surrounding my birthday and made a playlist. I can't believe some of the songs that ended up on it because each track fully reminds me of where I was when it was a hit. Maniac (paid link) by Michael…