August was musically ALL OVER THE DAMN PLACE. I found myself drifting back into my rock roots and I mean all things rock…alt, metal, scream-o, hair, etc. A good solid rock tune is the best. At the other end of the spectrum, I was crushing on the new Janet Jackson and Robyn songs and absolutely in love with the new Culture Club song. Music is my cure to whatever ails me. This month’s music just satisfied every mood that I could feel and left me in a happy space.

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“This is the New Shit” by Marilyn Manson
From THE GOLDEN AGE OF GROTESQUE album, this is easily one of my top 5 favorite Manson songs. It popped into my headphones and I just thought “fuck yeah”. It’s a catchy fucking tune. These lyrics: “Babble babble bitch bitch. Rebel rebel party party. Sex sex sex and don’t forget the violence. Blah blah blah got your lovey-dovey sad-and-lonely. Stick your stupid slogan in…And now it’s you know who, I got the you know what. I stick it you know where. You know why, you don’t care…”

“I Am for Real” by Headstrong
I am so glad I got to see this Canadian band when they were together. They were amazing live and I remember getting kicked in the chest by a crowd surfer at a show in Charleston and seeing them in Columbia and being one of a handful of females there. Their self titled debut album is still brilliant. I connected to this song because I’m just over politics, racism, gender-ism and everything else in the world. This song conveys it all. These lyrics: “Feel me riot. You don’t know me, you motherfucker. They can’t tell us from one another. It’s a real shame, what happened to you. You don’t know me, well now you…you know my name you don’t remember the game though. You keep on talking but it all stays the same…”

“Bird of Prey” by Editors
God, this song is beautiful. Sad. Haunting. Their album THE WEIGHT OF YOUR LOVE may be one of my top 10 favorite albums ever and this song always hits me straight in the fucking feels every time I hear it. It is the complete antithesis of the first 2 songs on this month’s list. I can see the lyrics when I listen to this song and it brings me to my knees every single time.

“Escape” by Kongos
Sunny winter day and this dreamy breezy song lulled me to just do as the title said…escape. My Sundays are my lazy escape days. Often they are filled with just me doing things that make my soul happy: reading, writing, creating, but some Sundays I sit on rooftops and enjoy the company of friends and cocktails.

“Come As You Are” by Civil Twilight (Nirvana Cover)
An absolute beauty of a cover by this amazing South African band. While I do love Nirvana’s original, this cover is where you can feel the pain that Kurt wrote and sang about even more.

“Rise Up” by Imagine Dragons
This song just reminds me to do good.

“Final Dictvm” by Motionless in White (featuring Tim Skold)
If Marilyn Manson could have offspring from his non-existent womb, it would Motionless in White. I’ll probably piss off fans of both bands, but I’ve seen MIW and MM and one can easily see the inspiration MM had over MIW. Besides this song features Tim who was in MM. Anyway, I just dig this song. (If you need a giggle, check Tim out in his former “hair” metal days in Shotgun Messiah.)

“Expression” by Salt-N-Pepa
The year was 1990, 14 year old me had this song on cassette single that I played over and over. My sister and I would sing it while waiting for the bus. I still know EVERY. SINGLE. WORD to this song 29 years later.

“Blasphemous Rumours” by Depeche Mode
I forgot about this song, but as it spun into my ears, I just connected with it. Mainly, having been in the shoes of someone who has contemplated suicide before, the lyrics “I don’t want to start any blasphemous rumors but I think that God’s got a sick sense of humor and when I die, I expect to find him laughing…” struck me.

“Let Somebody Love You” by Culture Club
Culture Club and Boy George could put out glittered silence and I’d buy it. But new CULTURE CLUB for the first time in 20 years…I. AM. IN. These lyrics: “Feed the hunger in your heart. Let somebody love you…” And Boy’s voice sounds just as great as it did in the 80’s.

“Made for Now” by Janet Jackson
New Janet. That’s all.

“Missing U” by Robyn
Just like Janet. New Robyn. Period.

“I Hope You’re Happy” by Blue October
Holy shit, what an infectious and catchy tune. If you are not dancing like Carlton from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, then something is wrong with you. Bonus, these lyrics: “There will be days when you’re falling down. There will be days when you’re inside out. There will be days when you fall apart. Someone else will break you heart…”

“With or Without You” by U2
This song is 31 years old and it is still an epic song. The music. They lyrics. It has all stood the test of time.

“Anybody” by Dead Sara
I adore adore adore this band. They put a snazzy little vid for this song. It makes me love them anymore.

“Because I Got High” by Afroman
You know it’s going to be a good day on the clock when the big kahuna is humming this song.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=videoseries?list=PL801EdtjRumlZmJKT24bvrXJMz8PvQ1us&ecver=1]