These songs go along with some of the chapters in my book
You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost). Hope you enjoy!
1. "Sooner or Later" by Madonna
As a kid I grew up in major isolation, so I never was crazy about boy bands like kids my age should be. I was obsessed with movies from the 1940s. And Madonna. So when the Dick Tracy soundtrack came out and combined my two loves, I was obsessed. I played it on my cassette tape over and over until the tape ran out. For those of you who don't know what a cassette tape is: Yes, I'm old.
2. "Havanaise" by Saint-Saëns
I was a violin prodigy, at least by Southern Mississippi standards. I got a scholarship to college at 15 and had a lot of pressure on me to be the best. Which I lived out in the most neurotic way possible (see book). The piece that I won several competitions with was "Havanaise" by Saint-Saëns. I always gravitated towards showy, slightly skanky pieces. Depth wasn't my strong suit as a musician; I was into flair. Hope that doesn't reflect my life as a whole.
3. "Caaalifornia" by French Horn Rebellion
I do love L.A. and Hollywood. This song exemplifies the starry-eyed Felicia who moved to L.A. on a total whim. I became an actor on some strange destiny whim. It's seen me well in life but it was not logical. But I was peppy about it! For a while.
4. "All the Right Reasons" by the Jayhawks
A lot of the times as an actor in my early days, I would audition for victims of crimes, like on Law and Order. I guess I had a tragic air about me, trying to fit myself into the Hollywood machine. This is a song I'd listen to before auditions to be able to cry in the scene. It worked… not often. Good song, though!
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5. "One Night in Bangkok" by Murray HeadI got addicted to World of Warcraft out of sheer boredom with my acting career. It was a simultaneously fulfilling and terrible time in my life. But the one thing I took away most from the experience was the joyous times when 40 of my friends and I would take down dragons together. This song was our official raid song, and we'd play it when resetting between dying. Lovely memories.
6. "We Belong" by Pat Benatar
I created a Web show called The Guild about online gamers in 2006. It was a crazy journey, picking up a pen, then a camera, and shooting in my garage. I did it for six years and loved every minute of it. This is the song I wanted to be the show theme song, but there were copyright issues I had to avoid at the time. Damn it.
7. "My Eyes" from Dr Horrible's Sing-Along Blog
I was lucky enough to be a part of the biggest Web series to date back in 2008. Dr Horrible's Sing-Along Blog was a three-part series starring me, Neil Patrick Harris, and Nathan Fillion, created by Joss Whedon and his siblings. It was a true phenomenon online, and I was blessed to be a part of it. This song is a duet between Neil and me, which is my fave song. (Even though at the time, Joss and Jed Whedon told me it was their least favorite song in the piece!)
8. "Two of Hearts" by Stacey Q
This song marks an important turning point in my life. Watching this terrible video and grooving to the song while procrastinating writing Season 3 of The Guild inspired me to write the lyrics to a pop song of my own. Which turned out to be the biggest viral video in my career to date.
9. "(Do You Wanna Date My) Avatar" from The Guild
Whatever, I'll list my own song. We recorded it in the composer Jed Whedon's closet. And beat Taylor Swift on the Apple charts with the single. Without the help of a label. Hell yeah!
10. "Everybody Hurts" by R.E.M.
I guess it's hard to write a song this great that becomes an utter cliché; too bad you were so good, R.E.M. But since this song immediately takes me back to my college years, and has the fabric of sorrow that enveloped me through my toughest times after The Guild ended, I'm including it here.
11. "Fuck You" by Cee Lo Green
Classic song to send to the haters online, the bullies. The people who shame you for being yourself. Those. People. Suck.
12. "Ways to Go" by Grouplove
I guess one of the big things I took away after writing the book and surveying myself is that life is all about evolving, through mistakes and victories. This song has the kind of peppy attitude I use to motivate myself to keep going, feel cool, and stay connected to my friends. Embracing my Weirdness as a superpower. Yeah.