Swim

So, honestly, I heard this song on the soundtrack from my work, and was really surprised. It took me about 3 months+ to identify who the singer was. No joke.



I don't really know how to explain what this song means to me. I guess it just makes me want to keep trying. Even though things suck sometimes. Sometimes it's hard to remain optimistic when you feel like you've been beaten down. Don't get me wrong, I'm not really in a bad mood right now, but this song really speaks to me when I am upset. I don't know many Jack's Mannequin songs, but I really enjoy this one.

Every song has different meanings for every different person. I understand that the previous sentence probably didn't make much sense. What I mean is that, based on every individual's life experiences, a song may speak to them differently. This song makes me try and revive some optimism when it feels like things are only going downhill. Just keep going, it has to get better, right?

Anyway, I'm not really sad, and haven't been for awhile. When I put it into perspective, I had a pretty great night. I was just thinking about the song and thought I'd share.

Just a Dream

This song has been stuck in my head, but I'm not really sure why.

The Semester Is Over

This is my last post for the semester. This doesn't have a lot to do with music...at all.

The semester is over, and I'm not really sad to see it go. I think that the blogging project was helpful, and I'll probably still keep blogging. It really is a good way to keep practicing writing.

This semester was kind of rough for me. I transferred from C.M.U. and had only taken one semester here, Spring '10, and wasn't sure what to expect for the fall. Honestly, I was afraid that I wouldn't like it, since I was accustomed to another school, and had taken a year off before transferring here. But I do like it here, so it works out. It just took some adjustment.

This was one of my favorite classes this semester, no lie. I agree with some others, it did challenge me, but in a good way. It's weird to be done, but I'm not gonna lie, it's going to be nice to have a month-ish off. I hope to see you guys in other classes, and I really do hope that some people keep blogging. I really do enjoy reading other people's blogs. It's interesting.

So, to everyone, have a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a really good, relaxing break!!

Elvis

As previously promised, here's my words on Elvis:

Elvis was born in Mississippi (I still spell that word in my head, like in elementary school). His family moved to Tennessee when he was thirteen. He got a record deal, released "Heartbreak Hotel" and later did a few years in the service after being drafted.

In the '60's he did mostly movies. His manager, Colonel Parker, had a large influence on Elvis' career, and largely dictated what Elvis did, and did not do. I haven't actually personally seen many of his movies. I've seen a few, and they aren't theatrical masterpieces, but hey, when you're Elvis, do they have to be? Some of his best songs were from his movies (or a few were, anyway) so I'll give him that.

One of his best songs, and my mother's favorite, from the movie Blue Hawaii:



Elvis started doing concerts again, after a long absence to make his movies, in 1968. The '68 Comeback Special was a big hit, and from what I understand, gave people the concert Elvis they had been missing. Elvis married Priscilla in May of 1967 and Lisa Marie was born in 1968.

In 1973, Elvis and Priscilla divorced, though I'm not certain it wasn't more of a mutual thing. During the '70's Elvis continued to release tracks, including the popular "Burning Love" and "Suspicious Minds."





During the '70's Elvis' health began to decline. He had been performing more and more concerts, and was heavily dependent upon prescription drugs. There is some speculation on why he relied on drugs, but it was likely to keep up with his busy schedule, as well as other reasons. On August 16, 1977 his girlfriend, Ginger Alden, discovered him on his bathroom floor. He was pronounced dead later that day.

Elvis is a legend. He may not have written his own songs, his movies weren't that spectacular (they weren't horrible, but not the best ones ever seen), and he found himself depending upon drugs later in life, but he certainly set the scene for many artists to come. His death was premature, and who knows what he could have accomplished, had he fought his drug addiction. It's probably pretty fair to say that the music scene wouldn't have been the same today without him.

Just another artist that died too young.



This is a cool video.




I'll leave you with this.

Last But Not Least

The semester is winding down, and I can't say that I'm sad to see it go. It isn't that I didn't enjoy my classes, but I think it will be nice to have a break for a little bit. One more week of stress, then a brief period of relaxation.

For the last week of class I've decided to make this week "Elvis Week." The real Elvis week actually falls in August, but I've decided to do it now. Sue me.

Elvis was pretty much a legend, but that goes without saying. There are a lot of people with different opinions about his work. Some say he was washed up, some say he went out in his prime. No matter what you believe (which is your own opinion) there's no doubting that he's a legend. There's a reason they call him "The King of Rock 'n' Roll," right?

So this week I'm going to talk about Elvis, his career, music, and maybe even some movies. I think it's appropriate to end off the semester with his work, to go out on a good note, figuratively speaking.

Long as I can See the Light

This is a good song.

Homework Music.

My iPod was on shuffle today while I did homework. Some songs that played that I forgot about:





Side note-Slash is in this band.


And one more very good song.


I'm not trying to steal the idea from another blogger about the iPod shuffle posts (which I really like, by the way). :) These are just some more songs I forgot I liked.

"Oldies?"

I'm hesitant about using the term "Oldie" to describe any of the music that I'm listing here. It really isn't that old. It's just the genre it falls under now, I guess.

I spent a lot of time with my grandparents growing up. We were a pretty close family, in a way. Since I spent so much time with my grandparents growing up (and since my mother likes music that seems to be out of her era) I grew up loving music that doesn't fit the time frame that I grew up in. I've probably already mentioned this.

Whenever I was with my grandparents in the car, or in the house sometimes, we would listen to Oldies 96.1. This is part of the reason why I'm so disturbed that the oldies station has switched from people like the fifties and sixties to Pat Benatar and R.E.O. Speedwagon. Anyway...

I like Lesley Gore. Most people probably know her for "It's My Party" or "Judy's Turn to Cry," but I'm personally a fan of "You Don't Own Me." I never really understood the first two songs. The songs basically describe how Lesley's boyfriend left her birthday party and came back dating Judy...okay, yeah, that's sad. So, in Judy's turn to cry Lesley talks about how her former boyfriend, Johnny, who is now dating Judy, saw Lesley kiss another guy, so he hit the other guy. So basically, now it's Judy's turn to cry because Johnny left her. Personally, I'm not sure Johnny knows what he wants. Anyway, don't get me wrong, I like "It's My Party" and "Judy's Turn to Cry" a lot, but I just prefer "You Don't Own Me."



Another "older" musician that I enjoy listening too is Sam Cooke. He had some very popular music. Before I knew who his name, I knew his songs, just didn't realize who he was. He died at 33.



I don't know that you can actually call Neil Diamond old, and he was probably more popular during the 60's, but I enjoy his music nonetheless.



Everybody looks really intense and serious in this video.



There are many more songs that could probably fall into the "Oldies" genre that I really enjoy, these are just a few. I think sometimes I was born in the wrong era.

Norah Jones

I'm a huge Norah Jones fan. There, I said it.

I guess I probably first heard Norah Jones in 2002 when her first album Come Away With Me came out, but I don't really remember it. I was too busy being fascinated with what other normal 7th/8th graders were fascinated with, I guess. The first time I really remember listening to her music was when I was a teacher's aide during my senior year of high school. I was an aide for a pretty cool art teacher (which does not reflect my own art ability). She would let me listen to the music on her computer while I graded papers, made coffee, or whatever. That's where I heard Norah Jones. And I've liked her music ever since.

The first song I've heard of hers was "Don't Know Why." It's the first track on her first album, and it gives a good first impression. It was fairly popular, and I think it earned her a grammy.


There's something about the blend of pop/jazz that gets me, I guess. It's a definite contrast to some of (most of) the other music I listen to. For this reason, it seems strange that I like the music so much. I guess it isn't always easy for me to relax, and her music allows me to mellow out for awhile.

One of my favorite songs is "Until the End." I feel I can relate to it. I had a friend like the one she describes, so the song just kind of resonates with me. I'm not trying to be too melodramatic and over-analyze the song. I'm sure it could have other interpretations, but it just makes me think of someone I used to know. And myself. And a lot of things. But that's okay.




Another favorite song of hers (besides like, her whole first album) is "Young Blood." This song came off her recent album The Fall. The album came out in 2009. I was very excited to have it, as I have two of her other albums (I have no explanation as to why I don't have the fourth, if I'm such a "fan"). This song became a quick favorite.



Anyway, clearly, I like Norah Jones. Whether it's the way her music mellows me out, the lyrics, or the fact that it's different from the other stuff I normally listen to, I'm a fan. Needless to say, when I received a DVD of a Norah Jones concert for my birthday just recently, I was more than pleased (though I fear I didn't make my excitement as clear as I should have). Anyway, I'd recommend the music to pretty much anyone.

My name is Christine, and I'm a Norah Jones fan.

Christmas-time is here.

They've been mixing the Christmas music in at work. I'll admit, I used to be one of those "No Christmas music before Thanksgiving!" kinds of people. There's nothing wrong with that. I'm still that way in most cases. But the new music is a nice mix up to the soundtrack.

They need to play more Elvis, though.
They should play this:


Also, this is a crazy video. It's amazing that they can make it so she can duet with him. That's Martina McBride, by the way.



They could play this too. That would be nice.



And Dean:


And Frank. That's it for now.

If I Die Young

I guess I've been kind of under a rock recently. I blame this on the fact that I rarely listen to the radio. I listen to country radio even less often. I need to start listening to the radio more often so that I can learn what kind of new music is out.

I feel like someone wrote about this song, but I can't remember.
I think I first heard this song when I was listening to Pandora with a country-loving friend. I then recently heard it on a mix CD. The song is kind of sad, but I like the idea behind it.



The band name is The Band Perry. I don't know much about the band, or any of their other songs, but from what I gather, they're pretty recent. As the title implies, the song is about dying young. It's kind of a hypothetical song, but I think it gets a point across and can get people to re-evaluate some things in their lives. Nobody plans on dying young, but unfortunately, many people do. Since a lot of people are afraid of death, nobody wants to think about what would happen if they did die. It's troubling. Death is a depressing topic. Nobody wants to lose a loved one, and nobody (hopefully) wants to die. Everyone knows it's going to happen one day, but sometimes not thinking about it is easier. I guess that's why I like this song. The band isn't afraid to talk about it. The lyrics are touching and the music is moving. Pretty good combination.

I think that this song would fall into the "Songs I listen to When I'm Sad" category.

On another note, in the video you can see that one of the band members is playing an accordion. How often do you see that happen anymore? It interested me, anyway. Also, she's holding a book of Tennyson, and the book is open to a certain page at the end of a video. This requires investigation.

Rediscovering

I found a CD I forgot I had the other day. That wouldn't be so weird if the CD itself hadn't been still sealed, in the plastic wrapping, sitting in the CD holder on my desk. I have no recollection of buying this CD, or receiving it as a gift. What was the CD? Three Days Grace's "One X." I don't have any clue where it came from. I hate forgetting stuff like that.

Finding the CD made me think about the music that I used to like, still like, but forgot I liked. So I'm going to share some music that I completely forgot about, up until now.

First up is a track off of the CD that I found. The song is "Never Too Late." It had a good deal of radio play, so I guess I stopped listening to it because it was verging on that "overplayed" category for me. I hate when songs become overplayed, and try to avoid them if they're getting close.

I used to listen to the band Yellowcard a lot a few years ago. One of my favorite songs was "Shadows and Regrets." I learned how to play it on the guitar once, but it's been so long that I've forgotten.

I used to listen to Dashboard Confessional when I was in high school. I used to listen to the "Dusk and Summer" CD a lot...like, all the time. I guess I stopped listening to it when it started getting annoying-his voice was a tad high pitched and whiney.

I listened to Jewel when I was in high school. The "Pieces of You" album was pretty good. My favorite song from the album, and probably the saddest:

I used to listen to Tom Petty. My dad had the Greatest Hits album.


There are more bands that I've rediscovered, but these are the ones I've been listening to lately. I have a tendency to listen to bands until I can hardly stand them, put them away for a few years, then find them again. It's a pattern, I think. It's nice, though, finding things that you didn't remember you liked. I wish I had a metaphor to describe it, but I'm lacking at the moment. I'm going to start rifling through my collection more often.

For the times I'm feeling down...

When I'm feeling down, I tend to listen to more depressing, emotional music. Makes sense, right? It's really hard for me to try to listen to upbeat music if I'm just not feeling that way. I saw a group on facebook (that sounds really lame, I know) that said something to the extent of "When I'm sad, I listen to emotional music." So I know I'm not alone. The people of facebook do the same thing.

I think one of the most depressing bands that inhabits my iTunes is Bright Eyes. Conor Oberst is a great song writer. His vocal skills can sometimes be limited, but overall, the lyrical content and musical quality makes up for what he can't provide vocally. Bright Eyes doesn't really bring me up when I'm feeling down, but it sort of helps, I guess.

Coldplay has a few songs that I listen to when I'm down. The song "Fix You" is definitely one of those songs. I heard it once a long time ago, and like most songs, I didn't know who it was. It took me months to figure out who sang the song. It now sits a few notches after Bright Eyes on one of my playlists.

I first heard the next song when I was pretty young. My dad had the CD. I think they were a one hit wonder, but I don't know if they actually made it very high on the Billboard Top 40. Either way they were popular in the 90's, only had one song, and were from Michigan.

I watched the movie Reign Over Me a few years ago. It has Adam Sandler, Don Cheadle, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Liv Tyler, among others. It's seriously one of my favorite movies, despite how sad it is. That's where I heard the Pearl Jam cover of "Love Reign O'er Me." It makes me sad I think because I think of the movie. I know it's a cover of the Who, but it's still pretty solid.

And then there's Elvis (I'll talk more about him in future posts. I really like Elvis). This is one of the more depressing songs he sang.


I listen to a bunch of other songs when I'm down, but this is just a small example. Everyone has their down days, and I have them no more and no less often than everyone else. I could launch into a big discussion about how listening to sad songs when you're already sad seems counter-productive, but I feel that it doesn't really matter. It doesn't have to make sense. It makes me feel better. That's all that counts, right?

Good Mood? Yes.

I'm not the kind of person who wears her heart on her sleeve. I like to keep my emotions to myself. It isn't necessarily that I'm trying to hide the way I feel, it's just that I don't really feel that I need to share it, but I guess that doesn't make too much sense. I have nothing against people who are more open with their emotions, and sometimes I wish I was that way. Anyway, even though I don't always leave much out there emotionally, there is one good way to tell how I'm feeling-look at my iPod.

What kind of music I'm listening to at any given moment tells a lot about how I'm feeling. I have certain songs and playlists for certain moods. I think that music has the power to heighten emotions, like, if you're happy, a song can make you happier, and sometimes, a happy song even makes me feel better when I'm angry or sad. Music is a powerful thing, for sure. So I guess I'm going to spend a little time over the course of the next few posts talking about songs that fit whichever mood I'm in. I'll share some of my happy songs, sad songs, angry, and so on.

So today, I'm going to start off with happy songs. I'm in a pretty good mood, so why not share the songs that reflect that?

I heard this first song for the first time when I went with a friend to work on some of her ceramics projects a few years ago. Some of her classmates had hijacked the radio, and were playing their music. I didn't know who it was at the time but I remember seriously liking the song and being put in a good mood. It took me a long time to track down who sings the song, but now I listen to it fairly often. On another note, this guy sings really high. Kinda impressive.

This next song is an old favorite. I used to hear it every day when I would walk through Cedar Point (where I worked) before the park opened. It was one of the few good songs on the soundtrack there. It's in the movie You've Got Mail, as a side-note.

The next song plays at work sometimes. I know someone who refers to it as "the happy song." It definitely seems to fit.

The next song doesn't make a lot of sense, but it makes me happy. Something about the music, I guess.

I don't really even need to introduce the next one. It needs no words, in my mind.

With a band name like The Wombats, they have no choice but to be great.

And finally...



There are a bunch of others that put me in a good mood, and I'll add them at a later date. However, this should be a good sample of what's to come. Happy listening!

Concert Season

I'm a concert person. I really am. Some people don't like them, which is fine. To each their own. Some people can take them or leave them. And some can't get enough. I fall into the third category.

Chevelle

I only saw one concert this summer. I know, I know, just one? I'm disappointed, too. I saw my first concert when I was thirteen. That was it. I was hooked. Since then I've spent a good deal of time, and a good chunk of my paychecks, going to concerts.

Halestorm

I love live music. I think that it definitely shows who has true talent, and who falls short. Being on the radio now doesn't necessarily guarantee that an artist or group actually sounds good. With so many different effects they can add to music now, it can be hard to tell who's good, and who...doesn't. This, by the way, is why I like music from decades past. There weren't fancy effects that morphed voices so that people sounded better. They really just had to have talent, at least, I'd like to imagine that's how it was. But I digress.

Shinedown

I like the concert atmosphere, but I understand why it would put some people off. Mosh pits are scary (I avoid them like the plague), being on the floor can get a little scary and crowded (nobody enjoys being that close to the person next to you), nosebleed seats aren't worth the money (I can't imagine how much they make if they're charging everyone $65 a ticket), and sometimes, it isn't worth it to find out your favorite artist really isn't all that good. I can definitely sympathize with all of these feelings. But I guess in my opinion, that's what makes it part of the experience. Those are the things that make a concert. Without these semi-annoying elements, you may as well be listening to a CD. or an MP3. Whatever the kids are listening to these days.

Halestorm

Anyway, I'm itching to go to another concert. I have a feeling that there needs to be another in my near future. Maybe I need to go to concert rehab. We'll see.

Staind

A quick list of bands that I've seen. Some of them were seen at the same concert, opening for the main act, so it really isn't as many as it seems. Here they are:

• Avril Lavigne
• Simple Plan
• Gob (yeah, I didn't really know who they were either)
• DriveBy
• Billy Talent
• My Chemical Romance
• Papa Roach
• Avenged Sevenfold
• Buckcherry
• Saving Abel
• Seether
• Nickelback (twice)
• Coheed & Cambria
  
• Halestorm (three times)
• Shinedown
• Chevelle
• Staind
• RED
• .38 Special
• Lynyrd Skynyrd
• Brett Michaels
• Breaking Benjamin
• Sick Puppies
  
• Van's Warped Tour (too many artists to mention)
• Local artists
  

VersaEmerge

Me and Halestorm (yes, again)

**Note: All of the pictures from above are from concerts I've been to. I used to have a lot more, but after my hard drive decided to die last summer, they all went away. It was a sad day.

Something Vague

This is one of my favorite Bright Eyes songs. I'm learning how to play it. It's a work in progress. So I thought I'd share the real song.




It's pretty sad, which in no way reflects my current mood. But it's good.

The 90's.

Have you ever heard a song and thought to yourself, "Man, that song is so 70's/80's/90's/etc!" Yeah, I have. More than once. It's funny how some decades have certain sounds and styles of music that you can attribute to them. For me, while I love all of the other decades, I'm a big fan of the 90's.

Let's get this straight. I don't like all 90's music. Some of it was pretty awful, and could have never been produced and I would have been okay. That can be said about a lot of decades, though. And I'm probably missing a good chunk of the decade. But I like the majority of it.

I don't really know what kind of sound to attribute to it...there was so much going on. It started with grunge, with the "bubblegum pop" catching the tail end. So I don't know what kind of style I could define it as, but I really like how versatile it was.

One of my favorite 90's bands was the Goo Goo Dolls. They're most popular for their song "Iris" that was featured in the movie City of Angels, y'know, the one with Nicolas Cage and Meg Ryan. That's not my favorite Goo Goo Dolls song, though. My favorite is probably "Black Balloon" with "Sympathy" coming in at a very close second. I really love "Black Balloon." The lyrics are up for interpretation, but the music is nothing short of beautiful, to me. One of the better bands from the decade.

Another good 90's band is Matchbox Twenty. They had a lot of popular radio hits, but some of their better songs can be found on their albums, not on the radio, like the song "Hang." It surprised me that Rob Thomas launched his own solo career, but that the group was able to come back together for their "Exile on Mainstream" album. Then he put out another solo album. Go figure.

I wouldn't be talking about the 90's (and doing them justice) if I didn't talk about the "grunge" music. From what I understand, grunge came around in the early part of the decade, and included bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden, (who released an album in the very late 80's, but I'm calling them 90's). They called it the "Seattle sound" and it was super popular until around the time Cobain died, and Pearl Jam decided they hated Ticketmaster. At least that's what I've read. It was pretty influential, though. It created an era of "post-grunge" bands, which can be classified in other genres too, like Bush, and Stone Temple Pilots. The real grunge movement might have been over quickly, but it really influenced the 90's.





Some of my other favorite 90's artists are Oasis, Alanis Morissette, and Third Eye Blind. There are others, I'm sure. All in all, I think that the decade was a good time for music. It might not have had a defining sound, but it definitely sticks out in my mind.






Also, I like this song. I think she was a one hit wonder, and from Australia.


I guess to wrap it up, the 90's was good. There were a lot of good songs, and I just don't have the space to include all of them. But then, I'm biased, because the 90's was the only decade that I can remember. So, I'm open for opinions. Either way, I <3 the 90's.

Get over it.

"Ain't it just a bitch? What a pain...
Well it's all a crying shame. What
left to do but complain? Better find someone to blame.

Hey! Get, get, get, get over it!"


And this is how I feel for the day. That's all I have to say, for the moment.

VersaEmerge: A Review

Vultures Unite


Do you have a vulture fetish? Do you like well thought out lyrics and catchy guitar riffs? Do you wish “The Nightmare Before Christmas” was a musical genre? Then the new album, “Fixed at Zero,” by the band VersaEmerge, is for you.

After releasing several much shorter EP’s, the band’s first full length album was met with much anticipation from their growing fan-base. Released on June 21, 2010 by their label, Fueled by Ramen (which also represents bands such as Paramore, Gym Class Heroes, and A Rocket to the Moon), the eleven track, 46 minute album can be picked up for a cool $10.98 on Amazon.com, or on the bands website, www.versaemergemusic.com.

Playing like full-on punk rock, edgy alternative, and the soundtrack from an eerie, Tim Burton-esque movie, the album has created a good balance. The wailing guitars, thoughtful lyrics, and mysterious melodies create a more unique sound than what most other bands are offering at this time. VersaEmerge sounds like a combination of Paramore, Flyleaf, and Evanescence, with the punk edge of bands like OK Go, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. By blending the sounds of different genres and adding their own twist, VersaEmerge creates a distinctive, and pleasant listening experience.

The band’s first single and title-track, “Fixed at Zero,” is surely one of the strongest. The line from the chorus, “There’s a vulture on my shoulder,” has sparked a following, calling themselves the “Versa Vultures,” an entire line of VersaEmerge vulture-related clothing, and the name for the band’s upcoming tour, the “Vultures Unite” tour. The song shows the frustration behind feeling trapped, and the pressure from outside sources to give up, without trying. While some bands’ title-tracks leave the audience disappointed, hoping the other songs make up for it, VersaEmerge succeeds in pleasing the audience and leaving them hoping for more.



On the opposite end, the albums least inspiring tracks, while still catchy and admirable, are “You’ll Never Know” and “Up There.” The outside melody that precedes most songs on the album, that ties the song together, just doesn’t fit with “You’ll Never Know,” and leaves it sounding more awkward than moving. The most straight-forward track of the album, telling of an un-requited love, doesn’t share the same thought-provoking lyrics that can be found on the remainder of the record. While the attempt is admirable, and clearly vulnerable on the part of the writer and vocalist, Sierra Kusterbeck, it seems to have difficulty meshing with the remainder of the album. While “Up There” doesn’t have the same lyrical problem, it does share the same melodic inconsistencies, making it a more difficult listen than the other tracks on the album, though still reasonably interesting.

Other notable tracks include: “Mind Reader,” “Stranger,” “Fire [Aim Your Arrows High],” and “Lost Tree.” “Mind Reader,” a very close second to the title-track, if not a tie, is not only catchy, but thought-provoking. Telling of the obvious frustrations of having someone always seem know what you’re thinking, the song continues to delve deeper. “Lost Tree” adds an interesting quality by repeating key phrases from the other songs on the album, and truly tops the album off with a nice conclusion, leaving the listener feeling content.



Sierra Kusterbeck’s vocals play a wide range through the album, from the power behind “Figure it Out” to the quieter, more melodic “Lost Tree.” It’s clear the girl has talent. Hitting notes that span the spectrum, she has found an amazing control over her voice. Band-mate Blake Harnage adds background vocals, and harmonizes during their duets in the tracks “Your Own LoVE,” and “Fire [Aim Your Arrows High].” Occasionally Sierra’s pitch hits an almost too-high, irritating level, but overall, her voice is more astonishing than annoying.

If you’re looking for a catchy, up-beat dance song, this album is not for you. However, if you’re looking for a deeper, more meaningful listening experience that nicely combines melody and lyrics, this is an album that is definitely worth the money.


(The above was the review that we had to write for class. It was edited very slightly, but only in structure, not content. I just single spaced it and took some of the tabs out, and added a few links. Otherwise, all of the words are the same, that part wasn't changed. I felt it nicely tied into my blog, so I'm glad that we had to post it.)

Unwinding.

After a long day of working, studying, and finishing my review, I'm trying to unwind. Listening to stuff like this definitely helps.

Love Will Keep Us Together?

Aside from listening to music, which I do a lot of, I also really enjoy reading. I find that lately I haven't had much time to sit down and enjoy a good book, but it's something that I'd like to pick up again. I don't have a particular style of book that I prefer, usually just what catches my eye when walking through Borders with a friend. However, when I found a book that could combine my love of reading and love of music, I was intrigued.

The book is called Love Will Tear Us Apart, by Sarah Rainone. I haven't finished it yet, but so far, I would say that it's a pretty good book. The plot involves a group of young adults that return home for their mutual friends' wedding. The guests feel like their lives are falling apart, and that they didn't live up to a certain potential. Their feelings are only intensified by how the bride and groom seem to lead such perfect lives, and have everything so together.

How does this relate to music? Each chapter starts with a different song title, ranging from "Smells Like Teen Spirit" to "Beat It" to "Like a Prayer." The song/chapter title appropriately corresponds with what is happening in the book, and sets the atmosphere for what is to come. By adding the song titles, the author has added a soundtrack to the book. Since soundtracks are usually only found in movies or TV shows, this book, by most standards, is fairly unique.

The idea of having a soundtrack to go along with the book was what initially drew me to the book. I've never seen a book structured the way this one is, and though it was confusing at first, it was easy to pick up on the author's style.

Overall, I think that the author's experiment with style and creativity was successful, but then again, I'm not any kind of a professional critic. The book isn't for everyone. Sometimes some strong language is used, and some might not appreciate some of the topics discussed. That was just a disclaimer. However, it ultimately depends on the person. For me, though the novel pushed the line a bit, it helped offer a more "real" depiction of the problems that some young adults may face. There are some things that could be improved upon, but ultimately, it was an interesting approach, and a creative style.

I really feel like I just wrote another review, but not for class. Weird.

As a side note, this is the song that the novel title is referencing:


And this is the song that it always makes me think of:


I have no idea why.

Distracting.

This is my current distraction.

Cover Story

There are a lot of good songs. This is nothing new. However, there are a lot of good songs that are copies of good songs.

In my opinion, a band covering a song does not take away from the original-the original can still be good. However, it's always nice to see other people's interpretations of the song, too. So, I'd like to share a few of my favorite cover-songs, if I can find any good videos for them. There are probably a lot more that I've missed, but these are just the ones I can think of off the top of my head.

One of my favorite covers is the Shinedown version of "Simple Man," originally by Lynyrd Skynyrd. There are a lot of people that like Shinedown, and many who don't, but for me, I personally fall in the middle. The song, though, is good. I like the original song a lot, but I like the Shinedown one because it has a more acoustic feel to it.


Another favorite cover of mine is the VersaEmerge cover of Brittney Spears' "Toxic." I first saw VersaEmerge at Van's Warped Tour this past year, and found this cover when searching their videos on youtube. I personally don't care for Brittney Spears, but I won't hold it against people who do. I think this was an interesting way to re-do this song.


There is a series of CD's that has come out called the "Punk Goes..." series. The titles range from "Punk Goes Pop" to "Punk Goes Metal" and even "Punk Goes Crunk." I found my first CD from this series, "Punk Goes Pop 2" at Hot Topic. The series is, essentially, a bunch of bands covering an assortment of songs.

I honestly prefer this version of "Straight Up" over the Paula Abdul version, but that's just a personal opinion. I think it was an interesting way to change up the song.





The Silverstein cover stole the video from OneRepublic's version of "Apologize," but the song, overall, is good. The other two didn't have music videos. "Apologize" is my favorite of the ones I posted, but the other ones are good, too.


It's definitely a series I would recommend, but that's definitely a matter of personal taste in music. I posted a lot of videos about it, and I don't expect them all to be played. They just make me happy.

A very popular cover song that most people don't know is a cover is Reba McEntire's "The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia." She covered another song, "Fancy" as well, which I posted in a previous post.

There are probably a lot more cover songs that I've missed, but I've posted a lot of videos right now. I just wanted to share a few. I'm open to suggestions about others that I've missed, and I might add them at a later date. But now, I must quit procrastinating and get back to the paper that I've been putting off. I'll leave with this:

Currently

I'm not sure what to write about today. Hopefully it comes to me later, but for now, I'll just say what I'm listening to. That will be fine, for the time being.




I heard this song first on the old iPod nano commercial, but I like it.

Gone Country

I'm not a big country fan. It's been an issue for me and my country-loving friends. They don't know why I don't like it, and I guess I can't accurately explain it either. It's nothing personal. It's just not my favorite genre of music. I don't hold it against people who like it, it just isn't for me. However, there are a few songs that I do like.

One of my favorite country artists, probably my overall favorite, is Martina McBride. I've listened to her since I was young, and of all the country artists I've heard, she's the one that's stuck with me the longest. I'm not really sure why. One of my favorite songs is "Independence Day." Even though the song is a little depressing, I think it's inspirational, in a way.

Among my other favorite Martina songs are "Whatever You Say," "Love's the Only House," and "It's My Time." I feel like a lot of her songs have a meaning to them, which is admirable, when most people just sing about sometimes pointless topics.

Reba McEntire is another favorite. I have good memories of riding in a friend's car listening to the "Reba: Greatest Hits, Volume 3" CD, on repeat. I'm not a fan of all of her songs, but she has quite a few good ones. Her song "Fancy," (which actually isn't her song, but is a cover of a Bobby Gentry song) was one of the first songs that really got her career going. Since then, she's produced many more songs, including "The Night that the Lights Went out in Georgia," which was actually another cover, "I'm a Survivor," "Why Haven't I Heard From You," and "Take it Back," among others. I think a lot of people know her for TV series, appropriately named "Reba." Funny show. I think it runs on Lifetime now.


When I was younger, I used to listen to The Dixie Chicks. There was a pretty big controversy involving them around 2001, but I don't really remember the details. Since then, I'm pretty sure they've fallen in popularity and possibly broken up, but I admit to not knowing the full extent of the details. I haven't thought of them in years, until I watched Runaway Bride. The following video is pretty sad, but shows that they're also pretty talented, like 'em or not.

There's a lot of older country I like, including Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, and Conway Twitty (who some may know, surprisingly, from "Family Guy"), among others. I like Garth Brooks, some Tim McGraw, some Kenny Chesney, and a bunch of other artists whose names and song titles I can't quite remember. I'm really not a Taylor Swift fan. I barely consider her country anyway, but that's just a personal opinion.


Whether I like it or not, country music seems to be a big part of society today. It's something that I can accept.

But I'm not going to be donning my Cowboy boots and hat anytime soon. Other people can, and I'm not going to hold it against them, they can probably pull it off better than me. But I think, for me, I'll just stick with my Converse. Much more comfortable.

One more thing.

It was brought to my attention by a family member, when talking about my blog, that I have forgotten one of the biggest local One Hit Wonders. Question Mark and the Mysterians.




I seriously grew up maybe a mile from his house. Question Mark (yes, that's what he changed his name to) was in the Clio Messenger when his house burned down. I'm very sad that I forgot him. But he's been added now. Pretty catchy song.

"Who are we talking about again?"

I love a good One Hit Wonder. I really do. Though the definition leaves room for interpretation and isn't always accurate, a One Hit Wonder is generally a band or artist with only one popular song, one song that made it to Billboard's Top 40. There are problems with this definition, such as what "popular" really means, or whether the Top 40 is an accurate estimate of a song's true popularity. In general, though, the term just means, generally, that song that you can mention to pretty much anyone that would evoke a "Yeah! That song is great! Who is it by again?"

There have been a lot of lists formed of the most "popular" one hit wonders, and a VH1 special devoted to just the subject. A movie was made (That Thing You Do), and in general, there seems to be a lot of fascination with what causes the phenomenon, and what happens to the band afterward. I prefer to just take it as it is: they had a popular song, then they fell out of the public eye. I guess I just feel like over-thinking it can just ruin the song.

That being said, I have a list of One Hit Wonders that I really love. By sharing them, I may be setting myself up to be mocked, but I don't care. There are a lot of other people out there that secretly love them, too.

My first, favorite, song, has to be "Come on Eileen," by Dexy's Midnight Runners.

This is seriously one of my favorite songs. I have no clue what he's saying throughout the entire song, but something about the music, use of many different stringed instruments, and the upbeat tempo always (and I mean always) puts me in a good mood. I wish I had an explanation, but sadly, I do not. It's just simply, amazing.

"No Rain," by Blind Melon is also pretty high up on my list. The song came out and was popular before I was in preschool, but, among certain people, is still well-loved today, which is a pretty big feat. What the song is really about is up for a lot of interpretation, but that's part of the reason why I enjoy it-many people can listen to the same song and come away with different meanings. I'm not really sure what's going on in the video, however.

This song, "Epic" by Faith No More, was on Rock Band, but that's not where I heard it first. This is definitely another case of having absolutely no clue what's going on in the music video.

There are a lot of other songs that are high up on my list, but I simply don't have the energy to search for every video right now. Some of them, sadly, mostly from the 90's (since that's from the time-period that I remember) include: Semi-sonic's "Closing Time," "Take On Me" by A Ha, "Bittersweet Symphony" by the Verve, "Ice Ice Baby" (word to your mother) by Vanilla Ice, "Tainted Love" by Soft Cell, "Turning Japanese" (even though I'm not sure it's PC) by the Vapors, and "Bitch" by Meredith Brooks. There are probably a lot more, but I really just can't think of the band names right now...

On another note, I absolutely cannot stand the song "Macarena." Really, no exaggeration. Can't even stand it.

I guess One Hit Wonders are kind of a cultural phenomenon. What causes one song to rise to such popularity, but what keeps the band from producing another really popular song, is really an interesting case. Either way, nothing stops them from having an impact on the generation that made them popular, and even on some of the ones to follow. But I'm over-analyzing. Like I said, I take them for what they are, a good (or maybe not so good) song, and leave it at that.

Sometimes it's better not to think about things too much.

Skills.

This girl puts my guitar playing skills to shame, and she's only fourteen! When I was fourteen, I could barely hold a guitar. Impressive.



She's playing the Halestorm (which I'll probably talk about at a later date) song "Better Sorry than Safe." You should check out her other stuff here.

Mack is Back

Today is a Bobby Darin day. Plain and simple.

Most from my generation don't know Bobby at all, and if they do, they know him for his hit, "Splish Splash," but there's much more to Bobby than that.



One of the most popular songs that Bobby Darin sings is "Mack the Knife." This song always seemed strange to me. The song was released in 1958, but the song seems very closely tied to murder, when you listen to the lyrics. It seems strange that a song, based around murder, became so popular in the fifties. However, I wasn't there, so I don't know. Either way, the song got him a Grammy. From what I've read, "Mack the Knife" originally came from a German opera. Then again, my source is Wikipedia, so I'm never really sure what I can trust from there. The song is probably one of my favorites.


One of Bobby's more popular hits was "Beyond the Sea," an English version of the French song "La Mer" (which, just as trivia, can be heard in one of the episodes of Lost). "Dream Lover," and "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby," were also popular. The last song was used in the movie Little Rascals, and every time I hear that song, that's what I think of. One of my favorite, yet one of the more depressing, songs he sings is "Artificial Flowers." The song about a young orphaned girl who makes her way in the world by making and selling artificial flowers, is kind of a tear-jerker, and oddly upbeat for such a sad song.


I couldn't find an actual live recording of the song, and this was before music videos, but I did attach the audio file, via youtube.

Darin led a successful career, and later became more politically concerned, from what I understand. He was an actor, nominated for an Oscar, and married twice, once to Sandra Dee. His life ended way too early, when he died in 1973 at the age of 37.

Bobby Darin has always been a staple in my house. As I've gotten older, this hasn't changed. Despite his untimely death, Darin definitely left an impact, at least on me and my family.

So whether you're in the mood for an upbeat song like "Splish Splash," a ballad like "Beyond the Sea," or a song about a murder, like "Mack The Knife," Darin is definitely a good option for any day.

Soundtracks

I love a good soundtrack, I really do.
However, there is one soundtrack that I don't like.

I work a lot, over thirty hours per week. Due to some form that I don't remember signing, I can't talk about where I work here, or can't slander it. However, if you don't know where it is...I think we're fine. I'll give you a hint: it's the first store to put groceries and a department store together. I learned that in my training.

Though I'm not going to talk about the store or the people, I'm going to talk about the soundtrack. Some of it is pretty terrible. Like, really terrible. There was one song that played throughout the summer that was, essentially, one word repeated over and over. "Summertime, summertime, summertime, summertime..." was repeated, I swear, once every half an hour. It hurts me to remember it.

However, some good things have been heard on the soundtrack, including possibly half, if not all, of the soundtrack from The Wedding Singer. I hate to say it, but some of the things have broadened my musical horizons.
I think one of the songs that I love hearing the most is this one-"Friday I'm in Love." For some reason, this song always makes me happy. It's a love song, yes, but in a weird way. He has a lovely way of saying things and it helps get me through those long shifts.



The above song makes me think of what I can remember of the nineties. The nineties was, for the most part, a pretty good era for music. I love the reference to the movie. Again, a very happy song.

I've heard some good Roy Orbison on the soundtrack, Sheena Easton's "Morning Train (Nine to Five)" and even more recent things like Owl City and Fergie ("Big Girls Don't Cry"). However, I'm fairly convinced that third shift gets to pick their soundtrack somehow. If you want to hear a more alternative rock/soundtrack (and are nocturnal), third shift is when you should shop.


I have heard Shinedown, Stone Temple Pilots, and have been told Muse plays on the soundtrack on those rare days when I have to be to work before the sun comes up, which, by the way, I think should be a crime.

My analysis of the playlist from my work was only brought about by how, in a way, I wish my life had a soundtrack, and in a way, it does. We're able to identify with certain songs more than others because it's an experience we can relate to, and thus, that song means something to us, becoming part of our own personal soundtrack. Every song that has meaning to us has become part of our lives, and, if our lives were movies, would have a certain scene they would be played with. In my opinion, anyway. However, our lives aren't movies. Which is good, because mine would be a very boring one.

The other reason I analyzed the soundtrack is simply because...I'm stuck listening to it every day and wanted to share it with everyone. I only shared the good parts, though. Consider yourself lucky that there is no video for "Summertime."

Or the five million orange juice commercials, advertised by Tom Selleck. No Tom, Halloween is not a good time for orange juice, sorry.

Currently

This has been stuck in my head pretty much all day.

It's called "Salty Eyes" by The Matches. I don't know much about The Matches, honestly. I only know a few songs, and this is one of them.

Old School

With all of the new technology and the way it changes, sometimes it's nice to have things be a little simpler. Though I may be young, I don't entirely understand the way some technology works. I've been called "technologically illiterate" more than once, but hey, I'm learning.

In my last post I showed a picture of the record player my mother received for Christmas. As I still live at home, I view her record player, in many ways, my new toy. So far she doesn't seem to mind. The first time I put a record on, I dropped the needle. That was just before she swooped in, moved me out of the way, and did it herself. Who knew dropping the needle could hurt a record? Since then, I've improved, and can almost put the record on without injuring it. For the most part.


After listening to the same ten records repeatedly, my mother and I decided to venture out in search of new listening experiences. So today, we left for Jellybean's, a music/book/collectible store on Court St. in Flint. This was the store where her records came from originally.

This isn't a commercial by any means. Actually, the store smells of basement, which I attribute to all of the materials that probably came from a basement. However, it is possible to find some really cool stuff. Among others, you can find The Beatles, Elvis, Van Halen, Queen, Boston, and Blondie, as well as others like Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby, and Frank Sinatra. It definitely spans the decades.


My mom's purchases consisted of artists such as Bobby Darin, Doris Day, and her favorite, Elvis. These purchases all seem strange to me, since she's only 38, but, who am I to judge? My purchases didn't reflect my age, either. I came out with a Billy Idol album, CCR's Cosmo's Factory, and The Beatles 1962-1970.

I really feel that as we progress into a more technologically advanced society, some of the nice things of the past are being lost. I was fortunate enough to be raised in a family where the "oldies" were played regularly, and records were an acceptable form of listening technology. I really feel that, to some extent, the progressing technology of iPods and mp3's loses something along the way.

Don't get me wrong. This new technology is definitely convenient, and you'll for sure see me with my iPod on for the better part of the day. Mp3's are easy to acquire (sometimes, too easy) and offer more flexibility. It's nice to be able to take your music with you. Arguably, this new technology is better than the old, because you can have more music, anywhere, and anytime you want it.

However, somehow, there's also a warmness lost. A personalization, I guess. I'm not even old enough to remember when records were popular (I wasn't the one that roller-skated to the Pretty in Pink soundtrack, like my mom), but I still feel that there's something there that's lacking with cd's, mp3's, etc. The skips and pops, while annoying, also add a character to the record. I guess it's different, in a way. At least to me.

I guess after a long day, it will be nice to come home and listen to something soothing, like Dean Martin, maybe, and feel like he's singing for me.