It’s been making the rounds, and thanks to fellow Seattlite Megan of iheartbacon, it’s come to Orangette: the “music in my kitchen” survey. I’m generally not one for these sorts of things, but I’ll make an exception this time, since a) nobody likes a party pooper, and b) music accompanies nearly every moment of my waking life—and especially my time in the kitchen (which, in my experience, easily doubles as a dance floor with a very convenient refreshments stand). So, with no further ado:

Q: What’s the total size of music files on your computer?
A: Zero. I’m still very loyal to the CD. I like my music to be tangible, for now.

Q: What is the last CD you bought?
A: There are two: Bill Frisell’s Unspeakable and Ted Leo and the Pharmacists’ Shake the Sheets, both gleefully purchased with the aid of a gift card from my grandmother. [Nanzer is forever trying to buy clothing for me at Christmas, which is a very, very bad idea. She just won’t let up, despite ominous but good-natured warnings from both me and my mother. But this past Christmas, the heavens opened and a new era dawned: while I did get the requisite piece of clothing or two, she also gave me a gift card to one of those big bookstore chains. It’s a start!] Thank you, Nanz.

Q: What is the last song you listened to before you were tagged to do this quiz?
A: I was driving a rental car, and I’d turned on the local easy-listening station, since that’s the sort of thing you’re supposed to listen to in rental cars. So, as luck would have it, the last song I listened to was Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer,” which, at the suggestion of one of my cousins, I prefer to call “Hold Me Closer, Tony Danza.”

Q: Name four songs that you listen to a lot or that mean a lot to you.
A: I’m going to list both, because I can.

Songs that I listen to often (read: must be invigorating and at least somewhat danceable):
1. Ted Leo and the Pharmacists’ “Shake the Sheets” (put on your boots and dance, I say)
2. Q and Not U’s “When the Lines Go Down” (very infectious, slightly spastic beat)
3. Les Savy Fav’s “Yawn. Yawn, Yawn”
4. Femi Kuti’s “Do Your Best” (those horns! that Mos Def! tasty with breakfast!)

Songs that mean a lot to me (read: songs that give me goosebumps):
1. Radiohead’s “Where I End and You Begin”(sexy, moody, lonely, and slightly creepy, with a great beat)
2. Mano Solo’s “Les Gitans” (that heartbreaking voice, that piano! Je me laisse transporter…)
3. Plácido Domingo and John Denver’s “Perhaps Love” (John Denver’s voice is so crystal-clear, so reassuring; this song is my dad, my childhood, and our old house on Westchester Drive)
4. David Byrne’s “The Great Intoxication” (fantastic drum opening, strings, and outstanding Major Genius Mr. Byrne lyrics; this song is falling in love itself)

And now, back to the meat of the deal…