A belated anniversary CD listing

I mentioned some time ago that I would put up the list of what songs went on our anniversary CD. I don't have all the discs out yet, but the laptop's disc burner is proving to be stubborn and not allowing me to burn the last few discs.

So just in case I can't get the last few discs burned or, for whatever reason, you want to make your very own 2nd Anniversary CD, here's the song list for this year and the reasons why we choose the songs.

As always, the usual caution. The songs on this CD are favourites of ours from the past year. Don't look for hidden subtext into the status of our relationship buried in the songs. Although along with the song list this year, we're including some of the reasons why a particular song is on the CD.


1. Signal Fire – Snow Patrol: I've liked Snow Patrol for about a year. Cathy was easy enough to lure in since one of their songs appeared on Grey's Anatomy. We like this song not just for the lyrics, or that it was on the Spider-Man 3 soundtrack, but because it has just a wonderful music video.

2. The Sound of Settling – Death Cab For Cutie: Cathy was quite leery about trying the band, given their name. However, she's fallen for them as I have.

3. Like A Star – Corinne Bailey: When we were watching the ill-fated Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, they had a musical performer on that we had never heard of before. But we were both wowed by her voice. She broke into the mainstream a couple of weeks later. It's still a beautiful song.

4. Mushaboom – Feist: Also known in our abode as "that song from that cologne commercial." And yet, oddly catchy and upbeat. Everything Cathy likes in a song and I will tolerate from time to time.

5. Me and Mr. Jones – Amy Winehouse: Another successful musical introduction as I became a fan and managed to convince Cathy to give her a try. I could have picked several songs. Cathy wanted this one for the opening lyric.

6. Torbay Road – Colleen Power: Because it wouldn't be one of these CDs if there wasn't a Colleen song on it. Hopefully she'll come out with a new record before we run out.

7. Goodbye Earl – Me First and the Gimmie Gimmies: It also wouldn't be an anniversary CD without some Gimmie Gimmies. I also swore this song wouldn't be played at our wedding, given that it's a song about killing your husband. However, I just can't resist a good cover by these guys.

8. The Internet is for Porn – Avenue Q: Of course it is…

9. Me and You and a Dog Named Boo – Lobo: This is, in fact, a terrible song. However, it kind of works seeing as how we got a dog named Boo in the past year.

10. Every Inambition – The Trews: This band puzzles me. Not that they're bad, because we both quite like them. It's just that Cathy doesn't like loud guitar in her songs, and yet, that's what this band is and she loves them. One more mystery in our marriage.

11. We Used to be Friends – Dandy Warhols: Theme song to the late, lamented Veronica Mars, our favourite show.

12. Take Me Out – Franz Ferdinand: Not just because it's one of the best rock songs in the last few years. Not just because it's catchy as hell. But because we played this song to death on Guitar Hero in the past year.

13. Flathead – The Fratellis: Also known as 'that song from the iTunes commercial." Sadly, really, the impact of commercial on our musical tastes. But it does stick in your head.

14. Alice Burns Down Oldford's Barn – Mark Bragg: We argued what Mark Bragg song would go on the CD. Cathy won with this choice. Any of them would have worked, however.

15. When the Night Feels My Song – Bedoiun Soundclash: Just a catchy little song we liked. No doubt it was played to death by Southern Canadian radio stations. But since we have a weird station in Iqaluit, we never heard it anyway.

16. Misery – Soul Asylum: We were watching Clerks II and once the final scene began unfolding, they played this song, from the first Clerks movie. And it just worked perfectly. And we both remembered how much we loved that song.

17. Walking with a Ghost – Tegan and Sara: Lesbian twin folk singers aren't normally our thing, but it's one damn lyrically clever song.

18. Shape of My Heart – Sting: Sure he can be an arrogant git. Sure he's apparently turning The Police into a jazz band on their tour. But the man can write a song.

19. Book of Love – Peter Gabriel: Unbelievably sappy, yet beautiful song. As soon as we heard it in a movie (Shall We Dance, I believe) we went to iTunes to download it.

20. In the Cold, Cold Night – White Stripes: One of the greatest rock shows we've ever seen, and it was in Iqaluit. Plus, you know, we get many cold, cold nights up here.

21. Can't Help Falling in Love – U2: It's a rough bootleg, so we're sorry about the sound quality. On any other CD it would be the last song. And the line "Good night, Dublin City" breaks Cathy's heart every time, as she missed seeing them play in Dublin by a week.

22. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band – The Beatles: One of our favourite records of the past 12 months is Love, the Beatles remix CD. This is probably our favourite...

23. All You Need is Love – The Beatles: ...although this is a close second. And really, it's hard to beat this to close a record.