A Good Start.

...finally. It seems like ever since I started listening to books (and podcasts about books), I've had less and less music in my life. I miss it; last year I set an intention to get "more music" into my life. It wasn't very successful. When we setup Alexa earlier this summer I tried again with Amazon Music. I found a few playlists and stations I enjoyed, but it still didn't click.

And then I spent two weeks with Sara and saw how much she used and enjoyed Spotify (just like many of y'all have shared). Today I finally got myself started.

In addition to joining Spotify Premium (and telling Alexa about it - which was surprisingly easy), I also suspended my Audible membership (credits have been piling up now that we're using Overdrive so much), so I'm actually saving a few dollars a month.

Now I need to start exploring the music! If you have playlists you love, would you please share them with me? My username on Spotify is mere2007. Thank you!!

Sounds of the Season.

Yesterday, our church was full of music. For the morning worship services, the choirs combined with members of the Georgia Symphony for a stunning performance of Vivaldi's Gloria. In case you're unfamiliar with it, this recording is beautiful (and it's pretty to look at, too)!

We closed worship with Angels We Have Heard on High. It's one of my favorite hymns and accompanied by organ, strings and brass, a truly joyful sound!

In the afternoon, we hosted the Alpharetta Community Chorus' Holiday Concert. It was my first time hearing this chorus and it was delightful. They invited a local high school's chamber chorus and mens' chorale to join them for a few songs. The combined choirs sang the final piece; again our sanctuary was filled with joyful sound.

Here at home, my Christmas playlist is on non-stop shuffle.

...which means I've had zero time for audiobooks and podcasts. But I added two new recordings to my Audible library this morning (this members-only freebie and a collection of PD James' holiday short stories). Must make time to listen to both soon, along with Tim Curry's wonderful performance of A Christmas Carol (because - yikes!! - less than two weeks to go!)

What's on your playlist this season?

Ten on Tuesday | An Atlanta Playlist.

Today, Carole's asked us to share songs "about where we live". What a fun excuse to make a playlist*!

I've lived in the Atlanta, Georgia area for over 35 years. Those first eight songs have been part of my playlist since college (well, except for Love Shack which didn't come out until 1989 when I was already married with a child :-) ... but "heading down the Atlanta highway" of course I had to include it).

The Ramblin' Wreck is Georgia Tech's fight song. I remember hearing that one as a kid. My dad was a Georgia Tech alum and that's probably the biggest reason I went there, too. (and then met Marc, and ...we made Atlanta our home).

I added those last two songs because they bring me back here. or when I'm here and missing folks who call (or used to call) this place home, make me smile (or sometimes cry, but almost always in a good way).

...and speaking of "making me smile", here's today's Charlie story:

me: let's go home and have lunch
Charlie: ketchup?

Fun as always, thank you, Carole! and if you're not already playing along with Ten on Tuesday, click here to join.

*and yeah, I'm still using Apple Music; I didn't find anything I liked better and I kind of know how to use it!

Ten on Tuesday | On the Radio.

...iTunes radio, that is. Today Carole has asked us to share the first ten songs that play on our favorite station. While Charlie ate his breakfast this morning, it was Imagine Dragons (thank you to my sister for introducing me to their music; this station is a regular at our Wednesday evening meet-ups) and here are the first ten songs I heard:

1. Demons, Imagine Dragons

2. The Scientist, Coldplay

3. Sink or Swim, Bad Lieutenant

4. Tiptoe, Imagine Dragons

5. On the Wing, Owl City

6. Home, Phillip Phillips

7. Sail, AWOLNATION (this was the only song I skipped ;-)

8. Whispers, Passenger (this one was brand new for me and I liked it!)

9. Burn, Ellie Goulding

10. Dog Days are Over, Florence + the Machine

More than specific songs, today I'm hoping to get pointers on which stations I might like to try. And on which platform... I have iTunes, Amazon and Spotify on my iPad. I'm sure at some point I had Pandora, but no longer. Which is your favorite?

...and as a small reward for reading all the way to the bottom, here's one of my favorites from today (apologies to my Instagram friends...you've likely seen it already!)

Click here to join the Ten on Tuesday fun.

Ten on Tuesday | My Holiday Playlist.

...ok, full disclosure right up front. Carole's asked us to share the first ten songs that come up on our iPods. But I don't have one. and until this past weekend, I didn't even have songs in iTunes. Yeah, I guess I'm not that particular about my music. These days I mostly listen to podcasts and books.

When my girls lived here, there was music all the time. And I had iPods (yes, that's plural).

And now...not. I deleted the music from my phone when I needed space to upgrade to iOS7 (two years ago?) and I deleted the music from my iPad to make space for photos before we went to Europe in May.

But last week I missed my Christmas music. Saturday, my sister helped me figure out how to copy playlists from my old laptop and I managed one - "Christmas Long List".  I now have 52 songs, playing pretty much in perpetual repeat.

So with a nod (and a wink) to today's prompt, I've chosen ten favorites.

It's not easy to choose ten from a list of 52...choosing 52 from the Christmas music universe is hard enough. I am really glad there was a Jingle Bells (I think there are three White Christmases!); I can't wait to see what Charlie thinks about Michael Bublé'!

Even though I'm not that into music, I know many of you are...and I look forward to reading about your random picks.

p.s. proving at least one of the "mere-et-filles" was into music...at one point.

Ten on Tuesday | Play It Again.

...yikes, it's nearly 7pm already - I know where the day went (knitting, a walk, Costco, lunch with Katie, more knitting, a nap - last night was a late one!, another walk, laundry and dishes), but boy did it fly by...like all the days seem to lately. Remember that scary numbers post from a few weeks back? yeah, it will be 2015 in just over six weeks. I wish I could slow the clock (and not only to give me more time to knit the Christmas gifts!).

And now you're probably wondering how that little tangent relates to today's topic. Carole's asked us to list ten musicians we'd like to bring back (from the dead). A few of the guys on my list died way too young. I'm not even sure they realized how quickly their time here would end. I hope they'd agree with me that even just a few more months could be time well-spent. Maybe they wouldn't make any new music, but knowing these guys, I think they would. And that would be such a gift.

The first names that popped into my head when I read the prompt were classical composers. I ended up limiting them to just four names. These are my favorites. I definitely think they could make it in the 21st century...and have fun with it!

1. Mozart

2. Bach

3. Vivaldi

4. Beethoven (I wonder if modern medicine could help him hear...and then I wonder if that would spoil his genious? and if he'd even like it?!)

then the John's

5. Johnny Cash

6. John Denver

7. John Lennon

and the rest

8. Elvis (from the 1960's)

9. Frank Sinatra (ditto)

10. Marvin Gaye (even after 31 years, this is still my very favorite date night music - for the next 31 years, it would be nice to have a few new songs!)

And now...back to knitting. I did get some great Charlie photos yesterday and I'll be sharing them soon, but if you don't want to wait that long, check out Katie's post (here).

Click here to join the Ten on Tuesday fun.

 

ten on tuesday. the holiday playlist.

...today Carole asked us for our ten favorite holiday albums. I took it one step further and narrowed it down to my ten favorite songs. for 2012. I started the top 10 playlist back in 2007 when I first did Shimelle's Journal Your Christmas (she had a prompt about christmas music). I had a longer list in 2010 and I made an 11 for 2011 list last year. but I've never really blogged about the list. til now. thanks Carole!

the view from iTunes

in no particular order (because - of course?! - I play it on shuffle):

1. White Christmas, by Bing himself. from his Merry Christmas album, the one where he's sporting a Santa hat on the cover. I remember this one stacked right on top of Johnny Mathis on the phonograph when I was growing up.

2. Winter Wonderland, by Johnny Mathis. from his Merry Christmas album, the one where he's sporting the ski attire.

3. Ave Maria, by Luciano Pavarotti. from O holy night (a CD I've purchased more than once). opera light for Christmas.

4. O Holy Night, by Celine Dion. from These Are Special Times. her voice is one of the few that can do this song justice.

5. Sleigh Ride, by Kenny G. from his Faith album (I also have Miracles and it's just as good). thanks, I'm sure to the "new" Miracle on 34th Street, this one recalls New York City and twinkle lights.

6. River, by Sarah McLachlan, from Starbucks' 2006 holiday album. not particularly happy for sure, but I love her voice and there's something heart-pulling about the lyrics that I love.


I think those six songs have been on all my holiday playlists and I'd gladly listen to those six albums over and over (which I did today, just making sure).

and now the other four.

7. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, by Michael Buble from his Christmas album. I was so glad he released an album (and a Christmas special!) last year. I like everything on that album, but this song rounded out my list in a "little" way.

8. Glasgow Love Theme, from the Love Actually soundtrack. I added this last year...maybe because Love Actually is secretly Marc's favorite holiday movie and I've seen it at least two dozen times. this theme is one of my favorite parts (well, except for when colin firth proposes. or the closing scene in the airport).

9. Winter, by Joshua Radin from An Indie Christmas, part II. I thank Sara for this one because she put this album in my iTunes, but I just stumbled across the song this year...something about the lyrics...sad, yet sweet...with the melody and of course sung by him. I wonder what I'll think about this one next year?

10. Angels We Have Heard on High, by Andrea Bocelli from his My Christmas album. this is one of my favorite songs to sing on Christmas Eve. I only wish I could sing it like he does.

Looking forward to seeing what's on your playlist this year!

click here to join the Ten on Tuesday fun!

10 songs for a great mood.

...I'm going to make this one short and sweet. I have only ten more stitches to finish the bind-off on my winnowing shawl. I'd be in the greatest of great moods to get it blocked before work today!!

the album cover flow for this playlist

1. summer, highland falls. billy joel. this is probably my favorite sound. period. it brings back happy memories. it always makes me smile.

2. just to see you smile. tim mcgraw. the default ring tone on my phone.

3. I run to you. lady antebellum. marc's ringtone.

4. here comes the sun. the beatles. I'll bet this on a few lists today!

5. hell on the heart. eric church. katie's ringtone. memories of paris. and her teaching me to love country music.

6. days like this. van morrison. another favorite. and a reminder that even days like this are good ones.

7. can't help falling in love. andrea bocelli, featuring katherine mcphee. this one probably works best if you are in love. count myself lucky on that score.

8. autumn. vivaldi's four seasons. no lyrics, just music. upbeat and beautiful.

9. amazing grace. chris tomlin. this one gets a lot of playtime in my car...I love to sing along.

10. ain't no mountain high enough. marvin gaye & tammi terrell. ditto the sing along. even better if you have a microphone (don't you love that scene from stepmom).

thanks, carole, for another fun topic!

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coeur de pirate.

...was just thinking that I hadn't found any new music in a while. and then I found this on chelsea's blog. love it! maybe it will help my french, preparing for paris, too!

Music-Happiness

Lately, I’ve been music-happy, what with my brand-spankin’-new iPod (of the “Classic” variety) and all of the coolness that it embodies. It is beautiful and silver and shiny and colorful and it actually works. And it can house 80 gigabytes of whatever media form I want to put on it. (Still tackling the video download thing, but I’ll get there—eventually.)

And here, in honor of my currently purple iPod (do you really think I wouldn’t buy something to protect my most valuable possession, and I am most definitely not exaggerating? My iPod and my glasses are my most prizes possessions.), I give you a shuffle. Prepare to have your mind blown away!

“With a Little Help from My Friends” by The Beatles. A new addition. After seeing Across the Universe (and if you haven’t it’s out of DVD the first Tuesday in February, whenever that is), I really enjoyed comparing the originals with the movie’s adaptations. I know it’s probably sinful to say this, but I like Joe Anderson’s and Jim Sturgess’s version better. But this is also pretty darn good.

“Oh Yoko” by John Lennon. Okay, the music gods are definitely trying to make me feel guilty for just giving the shaft to John, Paul, Ringo, and George. Regardless, this is a pretty great song, and probably because of its repetitiveness, not despite that.

“Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite” by Eddie Izzard. Okay, this is definitely a sign. Honestly, I do prefer the original over this, although this is just seems to me a wonderfully insane song that played at an equally wonderfully insane part of Across the Universe. Right after it got pretty trippy.

“Into Dust” by Ashtar Command. I really love Chris Holmes. He’s produced some Joshua Radin tracks, but he also has a really nice voice (soft like Radin’s) and Ashtar Command is his “side project.” But this nine-minute-plus song played on The OC in really what is one of the most significant moments of the show. I won’t rant on about stuff that probably nobody else but me remembers, but I’ll just say that it was the moment when Ryan finally understood that it in fact was not his destiny to save Marissa. It was the end of their story—his moment of closure. And what a wonderful way to mark it with this great cover of the Mazzy Star track. (Edited to add: God, I do talk about these people as if I knew them. And the sad part is that I kind of wish I knew them. I mean, don’t we all want a Seth Cohen in our life to add unnecessary humor to a tragic situation? Or a Ryan Atwood over whom we can quietly brood in true Atwood fashion? Or a Kirsten Cohen who will offer perspective in the most troubling of situations? Or a Marissa Cooper with whom we can compare our lives and be thankful that we don’t have it that bad? Or even a Julie Cooper, because don’t we all wish we were that awesome?! I know I’m not the only one, whatever you may think.)

“The Pageant of the Bizarre” by Zero 7. You know, I really am a click-happy music fan, and this, as well as so many other songs currently occupying my iTunes Library, are products of that habit. This song is as well, but at least it serves a purpose and contributes to my mega-OC playlist, which really does need revising. Still, it’s a decent song.

“The End of the Road” by Boyz II Men. It’s on The OC playlist, so don’t go assuming I listen to artists that put a “z” where there should be an “s” or “II” where there should be a “to.”

“All You Need Is Love” by The Beatles. This is like how you put my mom’s iPod on shuffle and 75 out of 100 times a Billy Joel song will come up. When you have the room to put it on your iPod, you put it on. And I’ll say it again (despite my prediction that 8 other Beatles songs will pop up after this and/or my DVD of Across the Universe will mysteriously not work), but I prefer this song when it plays in Across the Universe. But that’s merely a product of the moment when it plays, as well as Dana Fuch’s catchy “love is all you need”s throughout the middle of the song. Okay, the song’s about to end and it’s…

“Get What You Need” by Jet. Jet is one of those bands that makes catchy really loud, but really catchy songs. Still, watching Kate Winslet do a weird jig-thing in The Holiday is seriously cringe-inducing. Sad.

“Girl” by The Beatles. What is this?! Agh. On the bright side, at least it’s The Beatles that occupy a lot of my iPod and not Fall Out Boy or some other equally terrible band that fill the iPods of some of my peers.

“Loose Lips” by Kimya Dawson. Dawson, a member of The Moldy Peaches, an indie/alt-folk group (I think I read a description similar to that somewhere, but if it’s not accurate, whoops!), is features heavily on the soundtrack for Juno, which, by the way is AMAZING, and I feel sad that it probably won’t win Best Picture or Best Actress at the Oscars, even though it totally should. Ellen Page is amazing in the title role, and the movie as a whole is the best that I've probably ever seen. Diablo Cody, the screenwriter (and also a fellow blogger), is my hero. I hope one day I can write a script as charming, funny, and generally awesome as Juno. Anyway, back to this song, it’s basically a lot rambling, as the title implies. And also some extra Bush-trashing.

“Boy’s Gone” by Jason Mraz. Again, a product of having 80 gigs of free space to occupy. Still, I have to credit Jason Mraz for his style—he blends hip-hop, acoustic beats, and radio-friendly pop to create his own sound. He also provides great commentary on the many VH1 nostalgic programs.

“Evil” by Interpol. Interpol must be pretty freaking amazing if The OC and Friends both felt they were awesome enough to be featured on their shows. If they’re good enough for the geniuses behind those shows, they’re more than good enough for me.

“Make This Go on Forever” by Snow Patrol. You know, I really like Snow Patrol. I think lead singer Gary Lightbody has a really incredible voice and the rhythms and lyrics are really just so memorable that a random Snow Patrol song will occasionally pop right into your head even if you haven’t heard it in a long time. And that’s a real feat.

“Cliquot” by Beirut. I really love Zach Condon’s voice. It sounds sort of foreign to me, so it’s a bit surprising that he’s from Santa Fe. Still, he’s managed to really impress me with “Postcards from Italy,” “A Sunday Smile,” and “The Penalty,” the last two of which are featured on his latest album, The Flying Club Cup.

“The Magic Number” by Blind Melon. Of “No Rain” fame (you know, the 90s hit with the bee girl video?), Blind Melon takes on School House Rock. And I have to say this is just so less annoyingly catchy than those songs were—but I guess that’s how you get kids to remember to “unpack [their] adjectives,” or remember the Preamble to the Constitution (and how many of you are trying to recite it right now?). I was actually first introduced to School House Rock in the fifth grade. And I remember not being able to sleep because that dumb adjective song was stuck in my head. I think I cried that night.

“No More Empty Words” by The Thrills. I really enjoy The Thrills, what with their Irish accents and upbeat sound. I really enjoyed their most recent album, Teenager, but I think “Big Sur,” off of So Much for the City, is probably my favorite song of theirs. It’s that OC factor.

“Pagan Angel and a Borrowed Car” by Iron & Wine. Man, I love Iron & Wine a bunch. Especially Sam Beam, he of the massive beard, and his airy, wispy voice. Perfect.

“Embryonic Journey” by Jefferson Airplane. You’d think I’d be a major dork for having Jefferson Airplane on my iPod, but seeing as how this was the final song played on the first television show that I loved (okay, obsessed over), it only seemed appropriate. It’s a really nice acoustic piece and really fitting for the final go-around in that wonderfully purple apartment. It must be a skill of mine to pick the shows with the best closing songs.

“Good Life” by Kanye West featuring T-Pain. I don’t care what you say. I love Kanye West. I love how he’s not some thug that raps about the most insignificant things. I love how he has creativity in his music. I love how he dresses. I love his innovation in his music videos. I love how he embraces and takes inspiration from other areas of music (he’s worked with Adam Levine from Maroon 5; he sampled Daft Punk on “Stronger”—that’s all I know of, but I’m sure there’s more examples of his diversity). I do, however, hate that I was too stubborn to take notice before.

“Little House of Savages” by The Walkmen. I only vividly remember The Walkmen playing on The OC because they did during the episode when one of my favorite songs plays, the EP version of Rachael Yamagata’s “Worn Me Down.” That ending sequence is wonderfully depressing.

“More than Fine” by Switchfoot. As poppy as this song is, I really do appreciate Switchfoot’s other, more mellow songs. The Beautiful Letdown was an album that, a few years ago, I played on repeat, and I still remember every single word for every single song. And you know what? I still enjoy it. Funny how the brain works.

“Heretics” by Andrew Bird. My favorite song of this past summer. This song has so many layers and sounds—it is constantly transforming. In the beginning it sounds orchestral, then Bird’s voice comes in, and the drums kick in, and there are some deep backup vocals, and then some light, airy vocals, and then everything kicks in at once. And then he comes back with some cheeky vocals, and some cool guitar riffs, and then the strings are emphasized more, and then everything kicks in again at once, and then Bird leaves us with some mellow vocals. And it’s all pure genius.

“Scarecrow” by Beck. Much in the same way that I appreciate Jason Mraz, I also appreciate Beck. His sound is really just so different and I really just enjoy it.

“Honey and the Moon” by Joseph Arthur. Wow, I love Joseph Arthur, and this song always leaves me nostalgic. As wonderful as the end of “The Pilot” episode of The OC is, it’s made ten times better by this song. This was before Josh had the brilliant Alex Patsavas to supervise music selections, but Josh isn’t too shabby himself. The boy has good taste.

“Honest Screw” by Patrick Park. I first discovered this song on YouTube, searching for Patrick Park music videos (of which there are none, but I can most definitely accept that he is just too brilliant for such things), and I stumbled on a video montage of Patrick Park on a tour set to this song. It’s a wonderful video and it makes me love Patrick Park more than I already do. It’s just such a wonderful song by my favorite artist and favorite lyricist. My love for this man really knows no bounds.

And I’m leaving it at that, because things have just gotten too good for them to keep up that way. Thanks for reading, and really give some of these songs a listen. Embrace click-happiness!

Across the Universe

For much of today’s generation, the brilliance of The Beatles is lost. (Before I continue, I’d like to say that, while I’m no Beatles scholar, I definitely appreciate their work and recognize the impact that they’ve had on popular culture over the last four decades.) Sure, the youth knows some of their songs, like “Hey Jude” or “Hello, Goodbye,” but were it not for a Super Bowl halftime performance by Paul McCartney a few years ago and a catchy Target commercial, I’m afraid that many teenagers, when asked the simple question, “You know who The Beatles are, right?” would make a confused look, and, finally getting the memo, sourly pull out their iPod headphones from their ears, pausing for a split second Soulja Boy’s (no typo there, I promise) “Crank That” and say “Yeah, sure, whatever,” and return to the sounds of “pop music.” Little do they know that the music that they listen to, or even the genre that they listen to, goes back to the Fab Four in some way or another. John, Paul, George, and Ringo. (“Ringo?!” they would say. “What kind of a name is Ringo?!” They would then go right back to listening to Timbaland.) Forty-some years ago the guys from across the pond graced us with their catchy tunes, of which the list is endless.

And so, thankfully, decades after these four guys formed the band that would endure physically for years, but that would and will last for years to come, the greatest movie ever is made. Ah, I kid. It’s not the greatest movie ever. But it’s the best one I’ve seen in a long time.

Named after the song that graced The Beatle’s last studio album, Let it Be, Across the Universe is the musical that will introduce much of today’s generation to the brilliance of The Beatles.

In all, there are more than thirty different Beatles tunes that the lead cast belts out (and quite amazingly, I might add), and there is not a weak one in the bunch (such a thing is pretty rare, I think you’ll find). What’s also incredible is how effortlessly they seem to fit into the plot. Take “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite.” Okay, so normally you wouldn’t think it would fit into a love story, but it does. And it’s amazing in the process.

Across the Universe is a story of a young bloke from Liverpool (birthplace of The Beatles) named Jude (“Hey…,” Jim Sturgess). Jude travels to the eastern coast of the United States to Princeton, where he meets Max (“… and the Silver Hammer,” Joe Anderson ), a carefree guy who shows him the ways of the Americans, and his younger sister Lucy (“…in the Sky with Diamonds,” Evan Rachel Wood). What enfolds is their love story, spanning the late 60’s, including the anti-war movement in Vietnam that often personifies much of the revolutionary decade.

Also told are the stories of other famous names from famous Beatles songs, such as Sadie (“Sexy…,” Dana Fuchs), Jojo (“Get Back,” Martin Luther McCoy), Prudence (“Dear…,” TV Carpio), and Dr. Robert (“Doctor Robert,” Bono). Each lends his or her voice to the soundtrack, which, if you haven’t inferred, is flawless. Thirty-one tracks and I am hooked. Some of the highlights for me are “With a Little Help from My Friends,” “I’ve Just Seen a Face,” “Let It Be,” “Come Together,” “Dear Prudence,” “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite,” “Something,” “Strawberry Fields Forever” (which is featured during a fantastic, and rather hallucinogenic, sequence), “Happiness is a Warm Gun,” “Hey Jude,” and “All You Need is Love,” which is my favorite out of all of them.

You might think that it’s a bit crazy to say that this film is an achievement in both art and music, but it’s just that good. It leaves nothing to be desired. Well, except that I want to see it again and again.

But, of course, don’t take my word for it. Watch the theatrical trailer here, get super excited, and then go out and see the movie. You won’t regret it, if not because of the awesomeness that is Across the Universe, but because you’ll finally get to experience, albeit in a slightly different way, the awesomeness that is The Beatles.

Easy as 1-2-3?

A few days ago, my mom told me about this A-Z contest playlist thing. Basically, a blogger had created a contest where her fellow bloggers made playlists where every song title started with a different letter, the 26 letters of the alphabet. And then she drew the winner and someone one….

So of course I don’t learn about this competition until after I have a chance to win it. Nevertheless, my mom still presented me with the challenge, which I didn’t think would be that hard. And guess what? It wasn’t. In fact, the hard part wasn’t finding a song that started with the letter I or Q or Z (although X is a bit of a stretch – see below), but deciding which song out of hundreds to choose from.

Below is my list of 26 songs, and every single letter of the alphabet is represented. Better yet, no artist repeats.

A is for "All My Days" by Alexi Murdoch: This is my favorite ‘A’ song. Alexi Murdoch is too unknown for the amount of talent he has. The perfect voice. The perfect lyrics. It’s almost not fair how perfect he is.

B is for "Bittersweet Symphony" by The Verve. Chances are if you haven’t heard this song, or at least the famous orchestra that opens the song, you are at most, 10 years old, but then again, you probably wouldn’t be reading this blog, so everyone should know this song. If not by its name, then by that orchestra. It’s pretty distinctive, and it makes for a pretty good song.

C is for "California 2005" by Phantom Planet. I’ll admit that I really don’t like how this song is called “California 2005.” So what if it’s more mellow than its upbeat original? It’s still the same song. The lyrics are the same. The band is the same. They just threw in some whistling and hand claps. Does that really call for a new song title altogether? But kudos again to my hero Alex Patsavas (I posted about her in my last post, you may remember) and Mr. J. Schwartz for putting Phantom Planet up to “covering” their own song.

D is for "Dice" by Finley Quaye and Beth Orton. This is a wonderful song with a nice… oh, who am I kidding, I know absolutely nothing about musical terms like “harmony” or “melody.” All I know are phrases like “this is awesome,” “it sounds pretty cool,” and “it’s so darn catchy.” And, in this case, I can use all of those technical terms.

E is for "Earthquakes and Sharks" by Brandtson. I’ve been listening to this song for over a year and I like it every single time. It never gets old. The pure definition of a timeless classic. At least in my mind.

F is for "Fans" by Kings of Leon. Pretty sure this song is off their new album, Because of the Times. Still good music. Still that same, distinctive voice of Caleb Followill, the lead singer.

G is for "Good Day" by Luce. This song just reminds me of summer. It’s just really happy and it “flows” really well, whatever that means. This song could also have easily gone to another G song by the exact same name. So, sorry Tally Hall, but I chose to go in a different direction. Sort of.

H is for "Hallelujah" by Jeff Buckley. Not enough can be said about this song and just how classic it sounds to me. Jeff Buckley does an amazing cover of a song that is covered a lot. It’s the best I’ve heard, so it says a lot about this song. (It also helps that I have associated this song with a fantastic OC moment, but still.)

I is for "I Want to Hear What You Have Got to Say" by The Subways. The Subways are a band that can go for a “heavier” type of rock (but I still listen to it, so it can’t be that “heavy”) but can tune it down, evident in this case. And then they can combine the two elements, and they do that pretty flawlessly in this song, as well. Plus I love the aspect of the girl singing in this song. Puts a whole new spin on the song.

J is for "Just For Now" by Imogen Heap. I’m not sure if I’ve ever posted about this song, but I chose this song assuming that I haven’t just so that I could talk about Imogen Heap’s spectacularly amazing live rendition of this song that sounds little like the original but a billion times better. This woman has out-of-this-world talent and some cool machines to display that talent. I’ll say that the awesomeness of this video got me through the craptastic week that is winter finals.

K is for "Keep It Together" by Guster. Guster is one of those bands that does the radio-friendly alt-pop stuff, but then goes way crazy and does “Carol of the Meows,” (click for a link to a HP fanvid, which is the best clip of the song that I could find) which is an experience that you can’t really describe. Well, describe well.

L is for "Legendary" by Lou Barlow. This song is so mellow, but really, really good. It starts out pretty slow, but picks up towards the end, but maintains its gloomy sound throughout. Now that’s dedication.

M is for "Marvo Ging" by The Chemical Brothers. The Chemical Brothers have this sort of crazy, instrumental thing going on. Think The Album Leaf, add some more upbeat sounds and mixes, and you have The Chemical Brothers and this wacky, but awesome song.

N is for "Naked As We Came" by Iron & Wine. When the talk on the TWoP OC boards was about the final song to play on The OC, I really could not think of a song that could be played. So I Googled “the saddest songs,” and came upon this one. It’s really not that sad, but it’s beautiful and I could totally envision it as the final song to ever grace an OC episode.

O is for "Oh Yoko" by John Lennon. John Lennon sings the same thing over and over again in this song, but it somehow works. Maybe because of the upbeat sound. But I’m guessing it’s more because he’s John Lennon and he can do whatever he wants.

P is for "Paint the Silence" by South. This used to be my favorite song and deservedly so. It’s pretty long, but it doesn’t have the feeling of being dragged out like other long songs do. It has some great lyrics, too, which also helps. And it was on The OC twice, which helps even more.

Q is for "Quiet" by Rachael Yamagata. After Imogen Heap, Rachael Yamagata is my favorite female artist. Her first LP, Happenstance, is so beyond flawless it’s not even funny. She has this amazing, deep, sort of husky voice, and she’s so different than all of the other female “singer-songwriters” out there. And yes, I have to use quotes, because half of those girls don’t even write their own stuff. Yes, Ashlee Simpson, Hilary Duff, Avril Lavigne, and Lindsay Lohan, I am looking at you.

R is for "Rough Gem" by Islands. This is a slightly different sound than what I usually listen to. It has that Caribbean sound to it. I think it’s probably the steel drums, but at least we known that Islands are self-aware of their sound.

S is for "Stay With Me Tomorrow" by Patrick Park. I’ve really gotten into Patrick Park more lately, especially some of the songs off his new album, Everyone’s In Everyone. Anyway, this song is on that album. Going back to the final song on The OC ordeal, this was one of the songs that I thought would be the last one when I heard it was a Patrick Park song. I could totally envision the final scene (totally different from what actually happened, but that’s aside from the point), but I was just off on the song. Give it a listen and tell me that it doesn’t sound like a series-ending song, though.
T is for "Transatlanticism" by Death Cab for Cutie. Final chapter in the final song on The OC story (kind of strange that I picked three songs that fit into this little story, though, isn’t it? Or maybe I did it on purpose in order to relay my story to everyone. Who knows?!). Many of the posters over on TWoP thought that this would be the perfect song. I was still content on “Naked As We Came,” but I decided I had to give this song a listen. And I became obsessed. This song is really like four songs in one. It transitions flawlessly.

U is for "Umbrellas" by Sleeping at Last. I read about this song on a music blog and fell in love with it. It’s got a pretty “soft” sound, but it builds up wonderfully and the climax in the song is amazing.

W is for "We Will Become Silhouettes" by The Shins. The best of both worlds! The Shins covering a Postal Service song. This song is off the Such Great Heights EP (I think), and has a much different sound than the original, which is a lot slower and more electronic. But, hey, that’s the best thing about covers.

X is for "Chicago X 12" by Rogue Wave. I know, I know. But couldn’t it technically be “X 12, Chicago?” No? Well, then you go find a song starting with ‘X.’ I’d be delighted to take a look at your results (or lack thereof). Anyway, off of Rogue Wave’s new album, Asleep at Heaven’s Gate, which I love.

Y is for "Young Folks" by Peter Bjorn & John. Chances are you’ve never heard of Peter Bjorn & John, but that you have heard this song, which is kind of everywhere. Read on (from a TWoP recap): “a song so over-licensed it now plays whenever I send an email, receive an email, am approached by strangers, see a blue or green car, or think about what shoes to wear today.” Here’s a more fitting analogy: Remember The Fray’s “How to Save a Life”? Remember how it was like a rite of passage that any television show with an audience of at least 10 million (give or take a lot) used that song, preferably in an episode-ending montage? Okay, well, Young Folks is like “How to Save a Life,” except instead of television shows, it’s car commercials. Sort of. It’s hard to explain.

Z is for "Zak and Sara" by Ben Folds. One of the few songs that talks about a Sara without an ‘h’ (and even includes that description in the lyrics!). Also, one of the few songs to start with a ‘z.’ I included it for both of those reasons.

I'm the KING of the world...

An ode to my enternal love for Titanic. Oh, how I love that movie.

Okay, anyway, in a very music blog-y sort of way, I've done a play on the title of my post according to the subject of the post. Anyway, the reason I'm in a music blog-y type of mood, is because, I have finally discovered how to stream songs on here, and, believe it or not, it's not that hard. Strangely enough, I had such an epiphany in the car ride coming home from the beach. But that's aside from the point.

You're probably wondering where I get the whole king thing from and where I tie it all up in a nice bow with the music blog-y thing.

Well, cease to wonder.

Just today (yesterday by the time I finish this. For some reason, blog posts take me significant hours to post, which is why I should never have a blog) I finished my second summer reading book, King Leopold's Ghost.

[Cue the "aha!"s]

While a slightly (okay, incredibly) boring read, I originally thought that it would read like a textbook, but in some weird way, it really doesn't. It's not as painless a read as the things that are more up my ally (Entertainment Weekly, for example), but not everything can be, right? Occassionally, you have to endure the 306-page history lesson. And I bet a good portion of those who read this have never even heard of the subject on which this book is based.

Ever heard of the Congo in Africa (Zaire, today, I guess)?

Okay, good.

Ever heard of Belgium in West Europe.

Okay, I'd hope so.

Ever heard of King Leopold II, cousin of Queen Victoria of England?

Okay, that's a bit tougher.

Ever heard of the mass killings inflicted upon native Africans at the turn of the 20th Century in King Leopold's own personal colony, the Congo Free State, due to forced labor, especially when it came to gathering ivory and rubber?

Yeah, didn't think so. (But kudos to you if you have. You already know the basis of the book. Now go out and read it!)

Ever heard of rubber being tapped from vines, like maple syrup is tapped from trees?

Yeah, me neither! Who knew?!

Anyway, the auther, Adam Hochschild, has a strange way of turning the whole ordeal into the resemblance of an actual book, by creating all these characters, and actually making a story out of them.

It's an okay book, I'll admit, and I recommend it to those who a) want to learn more on the subject, b) like world history, or c) want to take a nap, as reading this book led me into some wonderful naps.

The only problem I had with this book was the constant jumping in time. First it would be 1904, and he would go back to something that happened in 1890, and then he'd cite an example from 1907, and all the while, I'd just be like, "Okay." Actually, it was more of an "Okayyyyy???"

Anyway, I now have just one more book to read, Jane Eyre, which is like twice the size of this, but really the only "real" book, with dialogue. (Oh, how I long for dialogue right now.) But I've heard that it's "boredom on ice." Awesome!

So on to the more fun portion of this post: the music part. As I mentioned before, I finally taught myself how to stream songs, so now I can include some nice tunes for your listening pleasure! Yay!

In keeping with the "king" theme and also with the music blog theme, here is a nice king-inspired tune....

[MP3] Woman King - Iron & Wine

Now onto what I hope will become a weekly feature. It's basically just the few songs that I have on continued replay. This week, there a few, which include:

[MP3] Hummingbird - Wilco. Off of the album, A Ghost is Born, this is a lovely song with quite a few hooks. Sounds like it came straight from You've Got Mail. I think it's the lead singer's voice, but who knows. Maybe it's just me.

[MP3] 1234 - Feist. It's a shame that I had to be lowered to the level of finding out about this song via VH1's "You Oughta Know" feature. Like, am I seriously that out of the loop? Perhaps it is the summer heat. Anyway, this is a fun, little tune, off of Feist's most recent album, The Reminder. that I like to think of a hopscotch song. You can check out the music video here.

[MP3] Australia (Peter Bjorn & John Remix) - The Shins. Usually, I'm not that fond of remixes, but this one is just so great, that perhaps I'll have to reform my opinion on the subject. It's not too weird, as remixes can sometimes get. And it's not too techno, like it should be played in an Abercrombie & Fitch store. Really, it's just a neat variation on the song from The Shins' latest album, Wincing the Night Away. Check it out.

And there you have it.

Happy listening, everyone!

recharging.

spring is finally here! the tree in the backyard is full purple now, and the jasmine is just starting to bloom, too (can you see the little bits of yellow?) sunshine and warm weather never fail to cheer me up. i ran in the park yesterday for the first time this year - i only run in shorts and a t-shirt, so when it's cold (or rainy) i'm stuck inside on the treadmill. and i love watching the food network, but the run outside is a different kind of fun. there are people and dogs and nature and my ipod.

anticipating the outside run, i completely overhauled my ipod. deleted everything and added back just what i wanted. then i had sara make a playlist from what i'd added - and her only comment was 'mom, where's life is a picture?' (song from the end of the o.c.) so I added that one this morning and created a fun playlist of her shuffle (which i'm listening to now and really enjoying - i didn't take the two songs that embarrassed her :-) ...and every so often i wonder is it weird that a 44 year old has the same taste in music as a 15 year old, or a 20 year old? maybe not exactly the same - i do have a lot of andrea bocelli, but so does katie, and cecilia bartoli, and chicago - but similar enough to make music a fun thing for us to share.

so - recharging this weekend - really needed it. picked sara up from the bus on friday afternoon and headed to target for a new season of friends (all of the seasons on sale for $19.99 each - seemed like a good deal for this house since we love love that show!) sara picked season 6 - the one that ends with monica and chandler getting engaged. and we bought snack-y food for dinner - and just chilled and watched about 8 episodes before we fell asleep on the couch. we love doing that.

yesterday was totally fun, just for us, no school, no work, no chores (meaning today seems pretty hectic!) i spent some time on-line looking for new inspirations:

*this site - a blog from the writers of Grey's Anatomy (for sara who wants to be a tv writer - but i just checked the link and maybe it's my laptop, but i can't see any of the posts...i know they were there when i found the site originally?)

*this blog posting - for the layouts at the bottom - i have some of those papers in my stash and i like the idea of using just a single photo on the page, but so far my pages seem to be way more pictures and much less of everything else!

*ali edwards' autism speaks badge - this is a very cool idea from kevin bacon - earlier this week ali's was in 2nd place, but she's moved ahead and seems to have a lead that will be hard to beat. and i love that she posted instructions for a mini-book. which i will have to do eventually!

*this tutorial (thank you oh joy! and jessica jones) on fabric-covered thumb tacks - how cool is that? another thing i'll need to do eventually - of course i no longer have fabric scraps, so i'll have to buy some and the thumb tacks will probably end up costing me $1.00 each!

*moleskinerie - i got waylaid here for a good hour plus. i totally love the whole idea of a 'culture' built around these journals. continue to be amazed at how much 'stuff' is going on in the world that i just had no idea about.... check out this cool journal page (i used to have her blog in my favorites list and i'm not sure why i let it go... i added it back)

*and in honor of my friend francie who lives in and completely loves portland (have to say we agree with her about the loving part!) this very cool flower shop (again thanks to oh joy!)

then sara had an alta match (she played well, but the other girl was better)

later we went to see reign over me (good movie, but not our usual chick flick - needed another 8 episodes of friends to recover!) and we made california blt's from ina garten's barefoot contessa at home. yummy! (we did modify the mayonnaise by adding just a bit of pesto - neither of us could stand the thought of a sandwich with just plain mayo - ugh!) and we had sorbet and frozen fruit for dessert.

also keeping up with the ncaa tournament. my bracket got clobbered last weekend when i had texas and boston college in the elite eight. and i had memphis playing florida for the championship. marc and sara are still in good shape, but one of them will lose out today - sara's picked georgetown and marc's got unc.

in closing - the azaleas are in full bloom in the backyard:

Come On! Do The Shuffle!

Most of the blogs I read are music blogs (i guess i'm floating, Silly Pipe Dreams, etc.), unlike my mom and sister, who seem to mostly check out those artsy, personal going ons of people's lives blogs. So why not combine the two? My thoughts exactly. Got this idea from Silly Pipe Dreams, and I thought it would be fun, and at the time it was the perfect thing to do in order to avoid studying for the dreaded Biology test.

So it's an iPod shuffle. I did an original test run with it, and found some of the songs far too embarassing to even post here (you know, that Panic! At the Disco stuff *bows head in total and complete shame*). I have since done a pretty significant fixing-up of my iPod, and I can now say that there are very few songs that I would be embarassed to post here. So here goes. I change the setting to shuffle. And start with the next song after this one (which happens to be "Look After You" by The Fray).


Kicking the Heart Out by Rogue Wave: Love this song. Took it from Katie's music library on her computer. Love this artist. Wanna know how I first heard of this great band? The O.C. (from The O.C. Mix 5 - their song, "Publish My Love," was featured on it), which unfortunately can no longer supply me with brand new artists. In fact, I guarantee at least six of these songs will have been featured on The O.C., although this one was not.


China by Chris Holmes: Ah, what did I tell you? An O.C. song. Love this song, although I can safely say that the times that is was featured on the show were not some of my favorites (Sadie Campbell, anyone? *rolls eyes wondering what the heck the writers were thinking there*). But good song nonetheless. Also, check out Into Dust by Ashtar Command. Holmes, who has actually produced some stuff for Joshua Radin, is actually a part of that band/ensemble, and it's a wonderful song, and a great cover of the Mazzy Star original (more O.C. songs, here).

The End's Not Near by Band of Horses: Two O.C. songs in a row. Man am I on a roll. Okay, so another great song, featured in the wonderful music-packed fourth season. It's also on The O.C. Mix 6: Covering Our Tracks, an album that I would encourage anyone to buy, as 10 of the 12 songs are worth buying and listening to. So this a cover of the song originally done by The New Year (also on The O.C., as that was the theme of Covering Our Tracks - covering songs that had been on the show before).

(It should also be noted that I get sad whenever I hear this song or something similar to the title of the song, as it's first lyric, "The end's not near, it's here" is the title of the series finale of The O.C. (see my only other post for more details on the awesomeness of that.)

Wonderwall by Ryan Adams: Two covers in a row. Three O.C. songs in a row. Perhaps I need to listen a wider variety of song. So the cover of the ever-popular Oasis song. Much more mellow. And as of right now I can't really say which version I like better. I tend to go back and forth with Oasis covers ("Champagne Supernova" by matt pond PA is an example of this). Maybe it's just nostalgia from the ending of The O.C. Will I ever be able to listen to a song that was featured on this show without getting either midly depressed or happy as I smile and think of something stupid Marissa did while drunk when the song played?

The West Coast by Jason Schwartzman: My feeling when I heard the beginning notes of this song? Joy. Ah, I love this song, and the newer, much better version that does not feature the voices of Taylor Townsend, Ryan Atwood, and Taylor's French ex-husband, Henri-Michel (that's right, it's yet another O.C. song) is, to say the least, refreshing.

So you may or may not know Jason Schwartzman's name. It's more likely that you recognize it from a movie or two (Rushmore or Marie Antoinette) . It's less likely that you recognize it from Phantom Planet, the band for which he used to be the drummer. (It may or not be less likely that you know that Phantom Planet is the band behind "California," the theme song for The O.C. (yay for more O.C. stuff!).

Strange and Beautiful (I'll Put a Spell On You) by Aqualung: Another O.C. song. Geez. I have a sad, or rather one-dimensional (you choose), taste in music, don't I? So this is actually a good song, and it's grown on me quite a bit since I first listened to it. Pretty slow and mellow, but nevertheless a good song.

From Here On In by South: Fortunately, this song was never featured on The O.C. But you didn't think it was just that easy, did you? Nope. South actually was featured a few times on the show, and that is how I found about them. This is such a good song. But they have so many more other great ones. A few I recommend: "Paint the Silence" and "Up Close and Personal."

(It should be noted that the shuffle got a little messed up after I stopped, not paused, "From Here On In," and then, of course, could not pick up on the previous order of songs. So the following songs followed "From Here On In.")

Emaline by Ben Folds (Live): Featured on some mix CDs that I've made for my mom, for a while this song made me sick. I'd listened to it too many times. (Other songs that have racked up triple-digit plays in my iTunes library (although Emaline has not. It's sitting at a cool... 7 plays) - "Speeding Cars" by Imogen Heap (177), "Earthquakes and Sharks" by Brandtson (167) "Good Day" by Tally Hall (155), "Honey and the Moon" by Joseph Arthur (101, and I'm glad to see it's broken into triple digits) - have not, however.) Ah, well, it's good right now. That Ben Folds Live album is great. And, I can make another O.C. connection here. I know, I'm relentless. But Seth actually had a Ben Folds Live poster in his bedroom. Sorry, I just had to say it.

(Yet again, I think I may have messed up the correct shuffle order, as I checked out my most-played songs in my library. So I guess the following songs will follow "Emaline.")

Pioneers by Bloc Party: Back to O.C. songs. I knew it couldn't last more than about two songs. But what a cool song this is. And a cover of it by Tunng was actually featured on The O.C.... in the same episode. I know, I know, The O.C. and covers are an unbeatable combination. But this is just a really cool song. Completely energizing. Very Bloc Party-ish (duh).

Bossy by Kelis: And I thought I had removed all embarassing songs from my iPod. But I have an excuse for this one. It was on The O.C. and is therefore a part of my master O.C. playlist, which is on my iPod. This, of however, does not explain my motive for actually pursuing the song and putting it on the master playlist.

I Won't Be Left by Tegan and Sara: Another song from Katie. I actually think this may be a Grey's Anatomy song. I know Tegan and Sara has been featured on the show, but whether the song has I am not exactly sure.

Inside Your Head by Eberg: Is it repetitive to again say that this is an O.C. song. Anyway, a good song. Kind of electronic-y, but I like it anyway. And a really cool time when it played on the show. I immediately wanted to know the artist of the song.

The Celibate Life by The Shins: I would make ties to The O.C. (trust me, there are definitely some), but why when the greatness of The Shins speaks for itself, regardless of whether they've been featured on a TV show (that's right, it is a TV show, despite my claims that it's more than that). This was on their debut album, Oh, Inverted World, which I definitely like more than Chutes Too Narrow and Wincing The Night Away, although each album is good in its own right (even though Wincing The Night Away didn't blow me away so much).

Rains In Asia by Jump, Little Children: Man, this is the first song on here that I have not been able to come with any actual television ties for. Wow. Bet you didn't think I had any songs like that on my iPod, right? But I was actually introduced to Jump, Little Children a few years ago, when Katie first heard them. As I think about it now, it was probably 3 or 4 years ago. But I actually found this song a few months ago, after barely listening to the band for a while, but I liked it and had never even heard of it before.

Weird Divide by The Shins: Crazy how you can have two Shins songs practically right after the other. But everything I said about "The Celibate Life" can apply here, so there's no need to repeat it here.

I Turn My Camera On by Rock Kills Kid: Wow, I love this song. This is one of the first songs on here that I really, really, really like. Of course, it's an O.C. cover, but it's so good. It's probably one of the best ones on Mix 6. It's a cover of the Spoon song, which is has a much more upbeat, fun sound. What's so great about this song is RKK's completely new spin on the original.

Mr. Brightside by The Killers: Man, how old is this song. Another O.C. song, but The Killers were about to kit it big before when they were featured on The O.C. Still a good song, as pretty much their entire first album.

Clarity by John Mayer: This song is actually from John Mayer's second album, Heavier Things, which I have never actually heard in its entirety. But I love his first album, Room For Squares, so much that I don't think I'd actually like any of his other albums more. Still, this song is so unbelievably catchy it's crazy.

Northern Sky by Nick Drake: This guy has a cool voice. Strange that the only way I recognized this song or another one of Drake's songs was through Serendipity, as many of his songs were on that soundtrack.

Rapid Hope Loss by Dashboard Confessional: I can already hear the laughs and see the rolled eyes. Katie, I know I'll get grief for this one, but I believe it was you who put this on the iTunes library in the first place (although I do take responsibility for having this on my iPod, but still).

(Even worse, I find myself singing along to this song. I'm hopeless, I know.)

Save Yourself by Sense Field: I purchased this song on iTunes probably about a year ago, and I still like it. But there's not much more to say there. I don't know too much about Sense Field, except that this a good song by them.

Ooh La La by The Faces: My mom was singing along to this song in the car Friday night. Hee.
Love Song For No One by John Mayer: Another John Mayer song, but this one is from Room For Squares. I think was on one of the mix CDs I made for my mom. I'm pretty sure it was the Love Songs one from Valentine's Day 2006 (good songs that had the word "love" in them - original, I know).

Twenty Four by Switchfoot: I totally love this song. When I got their album a few years ago for Christmas, I had no idea that they were a Christian band. But I still love this album, and this is probably my favorite on it.

Mr. Blue by Catherine Feeney: Ah, O.C. song. There hasn't been one in a while, it seems. Ah, well, I love this song. Really happy song:

"Mr. Blue
Don't hold your head so low that you can't see the sky...
Mr. Blue
It ain't so long since you were flying high...
Mr. Blue
I told you that I love you
Please believe me"

You're So Damn Hot by OK Go: Hee. Okay, this was also an O.C. song, so maybe they come in cycles on my iPod, who knows. But OK Go definitely has some much better songs, but this is just a fun one. To check out treadmill choreography (yes, there's such a thing), check out this video for Here It Goes Again.

And so that does it for my iPod shuffle. A quick little "By The Numbers" feature.

26 - number of total songs
12 - number of songs featured on The O.C.

3 - number of songs that are covers
2 - number of songs that came up that I'm embarassed about
31 - approximate number of hours it took me to start and finish this post