MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
And now it's time for the occasional feature we call In Your Ear. That's where we ask interesting people about the music that interests them. Today we'll hear from Maria Bustillos. She is the author of "Act Like a Gentleman, Think Like a Woman," a woman's response to Steve Harvey's "Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man." She's also author of "Dorkismo: the Macho of the Dork." She recently stopped by our Washington, D.C. studios to talk about three of her favorite songs and why for her music is a family affair.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
MARIA BUSTILLOS: My name is Maria Bustillos. I am a freelance journalist, working for mostly Web publications, like The Awl in New York. And most of the modern music that I listen to now was either introduced to me by my daughter or her friends. I remember how excited she was to play Interpol for me, for instance. We listen to music on the way to school and I told her I love Interpol, it's beautiful. But let me introduce you to where this came from. And I played her Joy Division, the "Ceremony." I remember very well the first song she listened to and she really loved that song. It became one of our songs.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "CELEBRATION")
JOY DIVISION: (Singing) Oh, I break them down, no mercy shown. Heaven knows, it's got to be this time. Watching her...
BUSTILLOS: It was very sweet because when she was waiting for her year abroad in France we found ourselves in Brooklyn before she was about to head to France, and they played this song "Ceremony" for us just by complete coincidence. I hadn't cried at all until that minute and then I totally blew it.
(SOUNDBITE OF LAUGHTER)
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "CELEBRATION")
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "THE END OF THE WORLD")
BUSTILLOS: Another one, my second selection is Jens Lekman "The End of the World."
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "THE END OF THE WORLD")
JENS LEKMAN: (Singing) There's got to be someone here tonight who can explain to me how shadows can also shed a light.
BUSTILLOS: We had discovered him together and it was really great because I was the only mom in a certain distance whose kid would actually go with her to the rock show. We saw a lot of bands together and we really enjoyed seeing Jens Lekman. And we both really, really love this song. He's a wonderful performer.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, SOUNDBITE OF SONG. "THE END OF THE WORLD")
LEKMAN: (Singing) Because the end of the world is bigger than love.
BUSTILLOS: And the third one is a new song that we both love by a guy, Pogo. It's called "Bloom."
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "BLOOM")
POGO: (Singing) (Sung in foreign language)
BUSTILLOS: The video that goes with it on YouTube is very beautiful. It's all made of cutup Disney videos and "Mary Poppins." It's a very, it's just sublime. And, you know, we trade stuff with each other all the time and my daughter and I love this song.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "BLOOM")
POGO: (Singing) (Sung in foreign language)
BUSTILLOS: That was author Maria Bustillos telling us what's playing in her ears. And that's our program for today. I'm Michel Martin and this is TELL ME MORE from NPR News. Let's talk more tomorrow. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.