This has been one of those weeks where I wish I could just go back to Monday and start over. I’ve been pretty much flat in bed, drinking Nyquil by night and Dayquil by day. Yup, I’m sick and on top of that the deadlines and e mails don’t ever stop when you work for yourself. So through this week I’ve been soothing my troubled spirit with the kind of music that helps me feel better.

When it comes to songs that offer than aural healing I’ve been desperately needing, it has nothing to do with genre or a particular artist. It’s entirely a lyrical thing. And sometimes it’s just the chorus that lifts me up.

This post is about to get random! Are you ready?

5. Deliver Me From My Enemies by Vivian “Yabby You” Jackson.

I wrote a longer post about this song for the Game Well and Truly Over blog’s 2010 Music Project. And it’s true, I really do need to listen to this song at least once a week. The horns, the rhythm, the harmonies all intoxicate me. But the lyrics say it ALL.

Deliver me, oh my God, from my enemies.
Oh I? plea unto thee, to guide me.
Cause me to hear thy love and kindness in the morning.
For in thee do I trust, cause me to walk in thy way
For I lift up my soul right up to thee,
Teach me to do thy will, for thou art my God,
Thy spirit…it is good. Lead me in uprightness.

Yabby You passed away this year, after a brain aneurysm. His musical legacy will never be forgotten by fans of roots reggae music.

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In my angstiest, angriest teenage days, I was a big Nirvana fan. Huge. Posters on my wall, staying up at night to watch the videos on Alternative Nation. I mostly kept the obsession to myself — not everyone at my school was into rock music. My alternateen existence was mainly shared with a few classmates, and the guys who ran the booth where I bought my music at the mall. Every week I spent my allowance at a so-obviously-illegal kiosk, where all of the latest albums were copied on cassette.

Yes, I was BIG into cassettes. I’ve still got quite a collection.

Anyway, at this particular kiosk I got everything I wanted. All of the music I saw on cable TV and in my Sassy magazines, the music they totally weren’t playing on the radio in Trinidad. I bought albums by Green Day and Bjork and Soundgarden. And I got every Nirvana album from Bleach to Unplugged, all on cassette. I practically burned a hole in those tapes, rewinding songs just to hear Kurt Cobain’s yowl, so filled with pain and emotion.

I remember his death very clearly, even though I was somewhere hot and bright, so far away from bleak Seattle. I was at my friend Carys’ house. My brother called, because he’d seen it on the news and he knew about the posters on my wall and my tape collection. I cried for Kurt, and I wanted so much to be in a place where fellow Nirvana fans were sharing their grief.

That was in 1994. Today, February 20, would have been Kurt Cobain’s 43rd birthday. To give tribute to him, I present my top 5 favorite Nirvana songs.

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Loved your responses on the Whitney Houston giveaway post!

I had to chime in with my own choice for favorite Whitney Houston song — although it isn’t one that appears on her debut album, Whitney Houston.

I gotta say, my favorite Whitney song is It’s Not Right, But It’s OK.

Why? Because I love the sass and strength she exudes in this song. She is letting fools know that she isn’t here to play! Love that song. A close runner up is My Love Is Your Love, just because of the reggae-influence that creeps in there. One of my faves.

Without further ado, the winners!

#4 – David Cillo
# 23 – Nia
#28 – Rory

Congratulations to you. I’ll be in touch with everyone over the weekend to get your address details.

You know me, I’m always planning a fresh giveaway! Keep your eyes open — another one’s coming up soon!

Y’know, I’m not even mad at John Mayer.

I read that Playboy interview and I’d actually like to thank him. Thanks for allowing your foot-in-mouth disorder to shine so brightly, and for giving us all something to remember the next time your trite, boring music comes on the radio. I’ve had my feelings about his character for a long time now, so the idiocy he so rampantly displayed didn’t surprise me one bit. John Mayer has been saying stupid things to the media for a while and this interview just happened to be studded with some exceptional quotes. This whole “scandal” gets a massive eye roll from me. As do all of his meaningless lyrics about appreciating women.

I think John Mayer is a musician who wants to be a comedian. And I think he should just play his guitar, sing his sappy top-40 easy listening songs, don’t kiss and tell, and stay in his lane. Having said that, I think the only people who should REALLY be mad about his Playboy interview are Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Simpson, and Kerry Washington. I’d love to be a fly on the wall when Kerry Washington finally gives John Mayer a piece of her mind, actually. Because, like the Black Snob, I am wondering what “white girl crazy” means.

And as for the rest of the women who are up in arms over his chronic oversharing…well here’s some new music and new musicians to add to your playlist, to fill that void.

1. Ben Harper.

Mmm, mmmm, mmmmmm. Ben Harper looks GOOD, he puts on an amazing live show, he’s sick on the lap steel, and he can sing like nobody’s business. So why is it every time I see him in concert, it seems like the only people of color there are him and me? I don’t get it. Ben Harper’s music can be classified as rock, but I’ve seen him do INCREDIBLE soul music covers. Like Use Me and Sexual Healing. His song My Father’s House is being sold on iTunes to benefit Haiti. If you like John Mayer, you’ll probably love Steal My Kisses. It’s cute and catchy. Click here to treat yourself.

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If Bob Marley was alive, today he would have celebrated his 65th birthday. Every year on this day, fans gather to listen to his music and honor his legacy. From London to Ethiopia to Jamaica to right here in Chicago, we’re celebrating Bob Marley Day. My relationship with his music goes back as far as my earliest childhood days. Check the timeline.

When I was a toddler, my dad spent time in Jamaica studying for a master’s degree. When he returned, he brought what seemed like Bob Marley’s entire record collection with him. Uprising. Natty Dread. Burnin’. Survival. Rastaman Vibration. We had all the LP’s and from that early age, I started soaking them up like a sponge. I swear on the Bible that I have clear, distinct memories of seeing footage of Bob Marley’s funeral on television. The coffin surrounded by an ocean of weeping fans, the mourning of a people. I know I probably have created these memories — Bob passed in 1981. I wasn’t more than two at the time, but part of my brain swears that I witnessed this moment with the rest of the Caribbean.

One of my earliest embarrassing memories is of my brother Dominic sneaking up on me as I sang Redemption Song to myself (I must have been only four or five, and of course I didn’t know the lyrics).

When I was a teenager, Bob’s lyrics helped me navigate my way through oceans of frenemies. I absorbed his lyrics. Listening to his music gave me that feeling of spiritual balance that I felt unable to attain at church on Sundays with my parents.

And to this day, whenever I need a little guidance, a little perspective, a little satisfaction for my soul — I turn to him. Rest in Peace, Mr. Marley. It’s an understatement to say you left this world too soon.

Here are my top 5 favorite Bob Marley tunes, in no particular order. That would be too difficult.

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I certainly hope you all saw the BET Honors ‘10. If you didn’t, allow me to share this video with you. The legendary Kim Burrell SANG her HEART out to Whitney Houston. And Whitney, like everyone in the audience, felt the spirit.

Click here to read more. I apologize – BET’s video doesn’t include a “please do not autoplay” option…
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