Baby, its cold outside.

Today the University of Pittsburgh is snuggling beneath a gorgeous white blanket. This is the first real snow fall. My rule of thumb is I may listen to Christmas music heavily either after Thanksgiving or upon the first snow fall. Granted I listen to this fab music year round, people tend to judge if you are breaking it out in july. Typically I have to wait until Turkey day to give into my addiction, but luckily I recently moved to a very snowy city. I am head over heels in love with the Holiday season; I am in a perpetual fantastic mood from this day until January 2nd. This snow fall means soon I get to go home to Philadelphia to drink mint hot cocoa with mum and watch A Charlie Brown christmas, String popcorn while watching/acting out/singing a muppet christmas carol with Bitsey, eat thousands of Apple Cider Doughnuts and sled with Brittany and Julie and best of all go to Longwood Gardens as much as possible. Nothing is better than this time of year. Nothing.

To celebrate the kick off of Christmas time, I thought I'd upload my favorite Holiday album (Besides Charlie Brown which will come closer to J.C.'s B-day). All the silly alternative shit and Mariah Carey is fun to sing in the car but this is a classic. Classics are required for baking, tree trimming, tea drinking, etc. This is a great album and is not too heavy on the religious stuff for those of you who don't dig it. 

Favorite Tracks: Baby, Its cold outside, I'll be home for Christmas, Mistletoe and Holly

Christmas With the Rat Pack

and your little Asian friend, well she can come if she wants

Brittany Fetzer.

the love of my life.

Despite what many believe, Brittany and I did not meet until high school and did not really become friends until our Sophomore year. That is right, we did not sleep in the same crib. Mind blowing. But the short length of our friendship is not a

n accurate representation of its value. She is everything I wish I was and can't be. She literally completes me. Her mind is phenomenal and her heart is even greater. I can't imagine my life without her.

When we first started becoming friends Brittany offered me a CD. It was Louis XIV. I loved it. It is filthy and ridiculous. I knew i loved this girl from that minute. This album always makes me think of her; it represents us very well. Loud and obvious and sassy and vulgar. I listen to this all the time. Especially when I miss her.

Louis XIV; The Best Little Secrets are Kept

She's my black hearted Girl

Next person; Next Albums(s)

Elizabeth/Lizzy/Bits

This is my sister. She is an animal. I really just love her guts as much as a sister could possibly love a sister. She is darling and I just can not express how much she defines who I am. 

This child is always making fun of me for how I dress, speak and the "weird" music I listen to. Every day on the way to Unionville High School, I'd try to sneak a cd into the player and I'd always be shot down. "God Jordan I HATE this stuff!" She even has the audacity to say to mum and I "goooosh how many time are we going to listen to the Beatles???" Well, she's been warming up to it lately. A few years ago I played this album for her and she actually enjoyed I'm in no mood. Shocking. So ever since then, every time I listen to the Fiery Furnaces I think of my little lamb.

The Fiery Furnaces; Bitter Tea

I'll write home everyday

Ok so 30 seconds after I posted the last little guy I decided that I was going about this all wrong. So, I will be uploading the essencials of Miss J. Grier's life. These next few albums hold intense emotional importance with me; thus you deserve to have them.

Lets start at the very beginning. 

My mother is my favorite human being on this earth and in all of History. Whenever people ask "who would you have dinner with dead or alive, if you could pick ANYONE?" I always think of mum. If you are foolish to think I'm smart or well read or cool; thank Denise Grier. She took me to my first art museums, introduced me to the best books and as you will see, played for me the greatest music. Her sister was a flight attendant living in L.A. from 68-72ish until she passed away; needless to say she was incledibly fabulous, incredibly hip and very aware. She was dating the Manager of the soon to be rather famous band Chicago and ran with an unbelievable crowd (which ultimately lead to her demise.) Obviously, she loved the Beatles. While my mum was in high school, she spent her summers in L.A. with Phyllis just hanging out, going to shows, galleries, protests and of course Disneyland. After my aunt was killed after her senior summer in L.A., my mother clung to the music her sister introduced her to. As a result I was raised on The Beatles. Everyone says that, but I really was. Blackbird was my lullaby. And I can remember screaming Do you want to know a Secret? in the car on the way to preschool. My wonderful mother keeps her favorite person alive though this stuff and, thankfully, passed that love on to me.

My earliest memories of this deeply rooted passion are from two early albums. I feel like these days its very cool to love Abbey Road and Yellow Submarine, but all too often the early things get over looked by our generation. This is the music that made them famous. I feel like you cant truly understand and appreciate the Beatles unless you understand where they started. So cheers to the quartet practicing in the park. This is the first Beatles installment of many,in honor of my biggest influence, my mum.

The Beatles; Please Please Me

Favorite Tracks: Do You Want To Know A Secret?, Misery, P.S. I Love You

The Beatles; With the Beatles

Favorite Tracks: Till There Was You, Devil In Her Heart, All My Loving

This is pretty trendy these days and who am I to fight trends?

I honestly think blogs are dumb but I should give it a fair shot, yes? And since I steal music from all my wonderful friends' blogs I figured it was time to pay it forward.

So once two of my lovely Pittsburgh friends told me that I looked like Zooey Deschanel and I almost cried because in my opinion she is one of the most beautiful people of our generation. 

Not only is she wonderful to look at but she has a Fabulous voice. Like her gorgeous swagger and clothing, it is very nostalgic and fun! She now has a band with M. Ward called simply She & Him. Now, I'm sure I will get criticism for this because this band appeared on MTV for 5 minutes but quite frankly I don't give a shit. They are catchy and fun and cheerful! Enjoy.

She & Him; Volume 1