Song of 8/29/2010: Me and the Moon by Something Corporate. So last night was the Something Corporate concert. It was amazing, to say the least. There is something absolutely fantastic about seeing a band you’ve loved for a good portion of your life perform the songs that have helped you through good times and bad. It’s an affirming feeling to hear all of the lines that have shaped your life and know that they mean as much to the person singing them as they do to you. There is something more fantastic about that band being incredible live. The energy the band has, the fact that pianist/lead singer andrew macmahon was so passionate that he needed two mikes for when he had to burst up from the piano bench and needed to continue to sing. I knew every song, the opening rifts literally sending chills down my spine. The whole show began with the song Reunited and to me it was more than a reunion, it was a reawakening to something amazing that for the first time I got to be a part of. When Something Corporate stopped touring, I hadn’t been in a place where I could go to shows. I heard people all around me talking about this time they saw Something Corporate and that time and I’m not going to lie, I’m kind of jealous I didn’t get more of an opportunity to get to know their live playing. But it’s fun. It’s fun when an entire crowd sings along. It’s fun when you go and the songs aren’t just songs, they are a part of you that has always existed but is now taking a different shape. It’s fun when you realize that everything you’ve loved about a band is still true even after four years, that all the songs that are special to you are special to the band as well. On the first encore, Andrew comes out and says something along the lines of, I hope you don’t mind but the song I’m about to play is kind of long. Immediately I knew they were playing my favorite song. Hearing Konstantine played live means more to me than I think I even knew at the time. I almost cried seeing the passion on his face for a song that has been such a huge part of my life. It was seriously a night that I won’t forget for a long time. The best way to sum it up is that it was absolutely amazing and I feel lucky that I was a part of it.
Thanks Nick for coming with me, I couldn’t think of a better person to have shared that experience with.
I am a butterfly, but you wouldn’t let me die. It’s me and the moon she said.
Song of 8/21/2010: Darkness Falls by Aetherborn. Metal/Rock. That is how this band describes itself. I would have never heard of them if they hadn’t started following me on Tumblr. But since they did, I thought I would give them a chance. I do have to say that I am a little disappointed they don’t have any music videos up. But pushing that aside, I think I like this song. First of all, metal and rock is an epically awesome combination. It’s like peanut butter and Oreos. Two things I very much enjoy and when you put the together you get the savory sweet, sticky happiness. This song might not be sticky, but it is empowering and the lead singer has a strong voice. She can hold her own, and owning metal/rock music isn’t easy. I really like the harsher aspects of the music, the drums, guitars and bass that grab you but complement the vocals. Not to mention that the lyrics just happen to perfectly speak to how I feel today (coincidental? I think not. Thank you fate.) The one thing that I don’t like about this song is that about halfway through there is some recorded males voice saying… something. I don’t like it because I feel that it disrupts the flow of the song AND I can’t even understand what he’s saying (the music is just too loud. Good and impressive, but way too loud). Luckily, it ends quickly. If that’s my only complaint, the song definitely is pretty good. To reiterate, I really like the the blend of genres, it’s the kind of loud that grabs my heart and makes it sway to the beat which is painfully obvious amidst the strong vocals. After listening to it about four times, the jury has landed: I like this song. It could someday be one of my favorites but today it kept me from posting the song I planned on, which is high praise in and of itself.
Song of 8/18/2010: Only You by Portishead. I love Portishead. The trippy, slow, beautiful music is kind of fitting for my mood right now. Someone suggested I listen to this song and I really like it. The combination of scratching records, big brass and Beth Gibbons’s vocals really make it unique and interesting for me to listen to. Right now I’m being a bit crazy, irrational and feminine so I’m gonna go try to get some sleep. But listen to this song if you a) like portishead or b) are interested in listening to something kind of different from anything else you’ve ever heard.
Song of 8//16/2010: I say a little prayer by Aretha Franklin. Sorry to be cutting this so close to the wire but I didn’t get home from work until super late tonight (had to stay to follow a West Hollywood City Council meeting which took forevvvver). Then I had to stop at the grocery store. My mom sent me up a care package. I love that. Thank you mom!! She sent me a lunch box (with hopes that it would encourage me to eat lunch) and so of course I felt compelled to buy groceries and then come home and make a lunch. It was actually kind of fun. I LOVE the lunch box (it’s adorable and has tinker bell on the cover. I love tinker bell) AND she sent me frog and monkey shaped ice packs. AWESOME! Anyways I was getting out of my car at the grocery store and some guy pulled up near me and this song was playing. It made me smile and was stuck in my head until now. So I thought I would share. Anyways, it’s almost tomorrow so I have to post this and go to bed (well, honestly: eat some ice cream and go to bed. world class dinner!) Tomorrow’s post probably won’t be any better (Beverly Hills City Council meeting) but Wednesdays will be. Promise. In the meantime, just say a little prayer.
Song of 8/10/10: Love song by Sara Bareilles and Four Year Strong. This song is a funny, in my opinion anti-romance song (and there is nothing like hearing it played the way it was meant to and then hearing it all screamy and angry). It’s heart felt, I’m not going to do something because you tell me I have to do it. I want to do it if I want to and not because you’re making me. I’m not really in a love song mood, so if I look at it as the anti-love song it makes me feel a little better. I think Sara Bareilles looks a lot like Regina Specktor and that makes me smile. The sound similar but… their voices are different. I like the piano and I like the fluidity of the song. I also really like the Sara Bareilles video. It’s like a photo booth for love songs, generic and for the many. It’s an interesting concept. Contrast the two songs if you’re looking for a laugh. Punk goes pop cd’s are always funny, because that’s the way the punk kinds listen to pop music. But it all gets around somehow! Dirty.
Song of 8/09/10: Lifestyles of the Rich and the Famous by Good Charlotte. This song is totally random except for the fact that it says Beverly Hills in the opening scenes and I’m going to take about my new job today. So that’s the correlation. Whee. Otherwise I’m not a huge Good Charlotte fan. Just this album, The Young and the Hopeless.
Anyways, work. So I started last Monday and completely jumped into everything. The paper comes out every Thursday so everything for the issue needed to be done for a Wednesday deadline. Things I like about this community newspaper: It’s hyper local so you can get to know the players. It’s community oriented, so it’s fun to do talk about things that are going on in the community. It’s just me in content so I get a lot of bylines! (I’m in charge of pages one through nine of the paper and the rest is advertisements). Things I don’t like about this community newspaper: It’s hyper local so the people who are going to be difficult are going to be difficult but you still need to get in touch with them so it’s a song and dance and gets incredibly frustrating. It’s community oriented, so I need to find the news where there isn’t any because I can’t necessarily cover the global issues just things that pertain to Beverly Hills. AND, it’s just me in content so I’m super stressed about getting everything together for Wednesday because it’s just me trying to gather the content and it’s really difficult. So there is definitely some give and take to the job. But it’s a step in the right direction, where I want to be going and not in some dead end job where I barely make enough money to pay the bills. If I can survive 6 months to a year, I can use the bylines to get myself somewhere else. It’s a stepping stone and it does have a lot of benefits. Plus, I’m getting paid to be a journalist instead of working at IB doing something that didn’t challenge me and didn’t feel worthwhile. At least this job is very challenging and I will be a better person for it.
Song of 5/22/10: Hips Don’t Lie by Shakira ft. Wyclef Jean. What’s the first thing I really did once I got internet at the new place? If you guessed: skyped with my parents for two and a half hours, you’d be correct :p. Holy Crap, I didn’t mean to do that but time got away from us. I am the coolest person ever on a Saturday night! I was posting on Caleb’s facebook wall and this song always makes me think of him (because we listened to it a lot, I don’t know whether or not his hips lie…) anyways, I was feeling slightly sentimental so here is a Latin pop song that is kind of awesome in the worst way possible (upside down and in a hammock).
Song of 5/10/10: Mona Lisa (When the World Comes Down) by the All American Rejects. Today has been jam packed with action, adventure and awesomeness, except not really. I feel like I’m sleep typing.. I am so tired. I drove for at least four hours today (the lease signing and apartment showing got postponed in a weird way so it ended up happening but not at the time we were told) and now I’m just a total zombie. This song is a wonderful love song in a world crashing down kind of way. It reminds me of the romance that is the end of Fight Club, Edward Norton grabbing the hand of Helena Bonham Carter as the buildings around them explore, and I love it. If you listen to the lyrics: the world sucks and is falling apart, but here come sit beside me and we can fix it together. It’s us against the world baby, forever.
Song of 5/08/10: She Doesn’t Belong to Me by Pete and the Pirates. Last night I went with Aurora to her parents house to meet the cat that I am going to adopt. The whole way up (which thanks to traffic ended up taking quite a while) we were listening to Pete and the Pirates. They are an awesome band. Thus, I wanted to share it with you guys. Posts are going to be kind of short for the next week, I imagine, because a lot is happening. I have to study, write a paper, finish up the database as best as I can, finish internship and then next weekend I’m moving! So please apologize my lack of in-depth blog posts for the next week or so because this week is going to be insane… and then after this week is all over: I GRADUATE!! Omigosh. Just sharing. Anyways, enjoy this video!
