Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Eight Legs

I first listened to Eight Legs because I heard they sound like The Films. I love The Films. They don’t sound like the Films, but I still like them. They have thick British accents, a great upbeat sound, and fun lyrics. If I had to make a comparison, they kind of remind me a bit of Madness (Onnne step beyyyyyooooooond) with that hint of 80’s sound that seems to pepper my entire music collection. I had a hard time finding the album, which frankly made me all the more determined to listen to them. In my truly lame American style. they make me want to crack out my Union Jack and start calling all the dudes blokes. In my blood, I’m Scottish (damn my stupid ginger genes!), but in spirit, I feel the whole Brit thing. I so want to run away to London, but maybe like London circa 1969 or 1980. Anyway, I digress. This is Spilt Milk:


“Sometimes its funny how eloquence sounds eloquent
And sometimes all that you can do is all that you can do
Sometimes I wish I had a button I could push
To make things go my way”

Monday, February 22, 2010

Reality Permeates

Picking just one Brandi Carlile song was near impossible for me. I have been meaning to write a post about her for awhile, and the task feels daunting. I saw her perform last Thursday at the Capitol Theater and felt like it was finally time to post something. I’ve selected the song Dreams from her (their, really it's her and the band that makes the music so wonderful) latest album Give Up The Ghost because seeing it live has made me love it about ten times more. There’s about a minute and a half of introduction, so just scan forward if you just want to hear the song.


"I can't have you, but I have dreams..."

I love the beauty and emotions in the sound and lyrics to the music. The first time I saw her live, she opened for Chris Isaak (bought my first CD from the twins after the show!). It was an incredibly tumultuous time period for me, and I loved to escape into the beauty and calm of their music. It will always be extremely special to me because it was the soundtrack of that time period, which helped me learn a lot about myself and the world. Getting to see them again was a true treat and a great way to celebrate my 30th birthday. Every time I see them, I get a little bit of a crush on the Hanseroth twins. I still think The Story is one of the sweetest, most romantic songs ever written. Anyway, here’s Turpentine.


“Just when we believe we could be great, reality it permeates, and conquers from within again…”

Monday, February 15, 2010

Desperately Seeking David Bowie

A few weeks ago, the after-lunch-and-avoiding-our-desk conversation at work was centered on some of the guys brainstorming where I could meet a nice, cool guy. Their top suggestion was to hang out at coding camps. Umm, thanks, but no. It was an amusing conversation. I spent far too long complaining about what a raw deal it is to be nearing 30 and still single. However, I’ve changed my mind. Going forward, I’m Thirty, Flirty, and Thriving, even if I am more 30 going on 13

I decided that life would be so much easier if I could just supply my checklist to someone, a matchmaker perhaps, and they could search a database or put me in a big room of eligible men that I could peruse. For fun, I created a checklist:

  • Crazy style of David Bowie 
  • Kick ass musical tastes like Brandon Flowers 
  • Super cool and intelligent like Pete Townshend 
  • Sexual perverse like Billy Idol 
  • Silly and goofy like Xander Harris, Ducky Dale, or Jason Segel 
  • Sweet like of Lloyd Dobler 
  • Sexy like Aidan Quinn in Desperately Seeking Susan 

I created the most bizarre list ever. Seeing the items stack up together, I feared that I might have designed a serial killer. You can’t piece together a person. People are a balance of traits, both good and bad, that define who they are. And honestly, as much as I love Lloyd Dobler, I realize that outside of the universe of Say Anything, he would be that totally annoying stalker that doesn’t know how to take a hint.

I thought about the guys that I loved. They weren’t any of those things on the list. The ones that really mattered had something special that can’t be added to a checklist.

There was the boy in high school. We’d sneak to talk on the phone at 3am. Maybe it was how tired we were, but he laughed at my doornail joke for an hour. We never ran out of things to talk about.

There was the guy who’s kiss was so electrically charged with emotions that I still gauge all kisses on his.

There was the sweetie who knew it was my most nervous day ever and despite the fact that we were upset with each other, he told me that he always had my back. Honestly, he always did.

They weren’t the guys that were so perfect, saying and doing all the right things at the right times. They were the real ones who challenged me to be a better person, yet accepted me for who I am. It sounds weird, but I get it.I realize that there isn’t a perfect list. I need to exercise a little patience and remember that good things are worth it.

Romeo & Juliet Shadowplaying Under The Milky Way

I have serious love for Brandon Flowers. I saw them (The Killers) with my friend Amber in October 2009 in Tampa, and they did this awesome cover of Under the Milky Way I found a video of the cover from the night we were there. Super cool. I’m sure that you can hear me screaming and singing like a loon somewhere in the background.


Granted, I’m a little biased, but I love almost any song better when is the Killers are covering it. For example, I’ve always loved Dire Straight’s Romeo and Juliet, but hearing it covered by The Killers definitely took it up a notch for me.


Finally, if you love Joy Division (or even if you don’t), you must must MUST watch Control. The Killers did this cover for the movie, but it is just superb and probably one of my all time favorite covers.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

It's history. It's poetry.

The Catcher in the RyeWhen I was 15, I read Catcher in the Rye for the first time. I picked it for a book report for my sophomore English class . My teacher was worried about me checking with my parents before I read it, which made me want to read it more.

It was nice to read a novel with a protagonist that spoke, felt, and acted like the kids I knew. Holden Caulfield made me laugh, but the story also made me very sad. I think that's why I loved it so much. The world felt authentic and the writing was accessible. It was unlike the things we were reading in school.

I've been a Salinger fan ever since. In the wake of Salinger's recent death, I give you the opening to the novel and hope that it will spark some interest in you.   



"If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth..."

Picked my battles. Restrain impulses.

It has been an exceptionally long few days. I was having one heck of a time coming up with a song since I spent the better part of the week held up in bed sick watching a Gilmore Girls marathon. I considered Elastica (Gilmore related) and my ultimate go-to Simon and Garfunkel, but then Monday morning I heard Bloodsugars’s Light at the End of the Tunnel and just loved it. I bought I Can’t Go On, I’ll Go On and have been listening to it all morning and am enjoying the sound. However, I got the song for free on the CMJ 2009: The Bands, The Music, The City, Vol.3 compilation from Amazon.




"...there's just enough light to bounce a small reflection off the dark in my eye."

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Gifts Given

My friend Amber shared a bunch of new music with me recently, so I am sharing a couple of my favorites from the batch. What I specifically love about both of these songs is that they have a different sound to everything else I’ve been listening to lately. They both seem influenced by that Smiths-y, great lyrical, moody sound of the 80’s, which is one of my favorite time periods for music.
The XX – Heart Skipped a Beat:


“Heart skipped a beat
And when I caught it, you were out of reach
And I’m sure, I’m sure
You’ve heard it before…”
Black Kids – I’m Making Eyes at You


“Please don’t, please don’t speak;
You’ll kill the mystique…”