{The Girls}

Lately, I've been listening to only two artists.

{Photo Credits: Lorde | Agnes Obel

Lorde......................................................................................................................................Agnes Obel

Love these two.

They represent some of my favorite things:

Culture.

Scandinavia.

Feminism.

Unfiltered music.

Confidence.

Style.

Originality.

Authenticity.

Relativity.

Expressive.

Friendly.

Humility.

All I have been wanting to listen to lately are these two chica's.

Lorde is from Australia.  Agnes Obel is from Denmark.

Lorde does have filtered music, but confident and relatable honesty.

Agnes Obel is unfiltered, she's creative and idealistic and mysterious.

Both are very confident.

The form of feminism they exemplify is the kind I like;

I can't do everything, but that doesn't mean I should be held back.

They are so expressive in their image; I love and admire that confidence.

I would love to see either {or both} of them live in concert someday soon.

What good and inspiring music have you been listening to lately?

{Fleet Foxes}

It has been two years since Helplessness Blues came out by Fleet Foxes.  I am getting anxious, wondering when they will be blessing the world with yet another marvelous album.  Come on, guys, get it together!  Then my hubby reminded me that in the past two years, it has gotten easier for hipster-poseurs to jump all over this kind of great mountain music and be all "hipster" about it... so I guess it's not a bad thing that they're laying low right now.  But seriously, you guys,... spare me.... come on, where's the new stuff!?

"Helplessness Blues"

"The Cascades"

"Lorelai"

"Your Protector"

"Blue Ridge Mountains"

"Ragged Wood"

"Tiger Mountain Peasant Song"

Please hear me out, Fleet Foxes: it's been two years, let there be more music!

{Lonesome Dreams || Lord Huron}

Today's Song of the Day

I just love this song.  This is probably my favorite band in the moment.  Interesting video, but I think this song is a good one for the way it feels out today: Fall, windy, middle of the week, no clouds in the sky... ahhh...

Yeah, this is a good song for today ;)

{Team || Lorde}

Today's Song of the Day

I want to see her live!  This is a great song to get me pumped for the day and it reminds me of the city I grew up in.  In fact, all of her songs remind me of living in a small town in the United States.

{Pompeii || Bastille}

Today's Song of the Day

This song has been in my head all day.  Love this song!  And this band!  I'm glad I stumbled upon them last year - they've been a regular theme in homework and housework.  Enjoy!

Lord Huron

I just want to inform the world about a fantastic, authentic aspiring artist:

Lord Huron

This man and his band are so wonderful to listen to while anything is happening.  I like them at work, I like them for homework, I like them for house-cleaning, I like them for reading, I like them for down time, I like them for background music, I like them for just about anything.  Their sound: kinda mountainy, old-sounding, using copious jungle-sounding instruments like drums, flutes, rain sticks (maybe), vocals embellishments, and they just sound so good.  I love it.  Take a listen to one of the best songs (in my opinion) that has been constantly stuck in my hand these past few weeks:

Happy Thursday!

{Music That Introduces Autumn}

As the cool weather settles on top of the dried colored leaves and beside the scent of pumpkin in the air, I change up my music a little to fit the feel of the season's beginning: peaceful, thin, still, relaxing, reminiscent.

These are a few music groups and artists who I turn on while I sit and enjoy my favorite season making its debut for the year:

Yonder Mountain String Band

Old Crow Medicine Show

Sufjan Stevens

Horse Feathers

Lord Huron

Gungor

The Barr Brothers

The Last Bison

The Devil Makes Three

The Civil Wars

Obviously, I listen to the likes of these all throughout the year.  However, take a listen to one or two of these and you'll understand why they really put me in the autumn mood.  

Nice earthy tones, natural sounds, they make you feel comfortable in the new clean weather and kinda make you want to dance in funny ways (but not at CIU, of course!...)

It's music groups like these that help me embrace my southern-ness.  I love living in the south.  I don't always fit in here, but I don't fit in anywhere else either.  This music makes me feel like I belong, right here in the south, right here in the autumn season.  Ahhh... this time of year is just so nice.

Hearing God in Music

Sometimes I feel like I talk more about the secular music I listen to way more than the more Christ-focused music that I listen to.  I listen to a pretty even amount of the two.  There are a few particular groups that I really enjoy and I love listening to them because I really feel like I'm praising God using words He's given me.  If you really know me, you would understand that I believe my love language between God is through singing.  That is when I feel the closest to Him :)  So here are a few lovely people whose music encourage me in my walk with the Lord, and maybe they'll do the same for you!

Column 1: Gungor : : Brooke Fraser : : Matt Redman
Column 2: Branches : : Phil Wickham : : All Sons and Daughters : : Starfield
Column 3: Josh Garrels : : JJ Heller : : Tenth Avenue North

They're in no particular order (except for Gungor, of course) and they're all such passionate people who love the Lord.  Their lyrics of grace and wonder speak to me as if it's God speaking to me through them.  How powerful is He who uses that which we take for granted as a way to love us more.  If you would like to listen to these lovely people, and worship the Lord with all of your heart, in humble adoration, feel free to listen to the playlist I put together on Spotify called "Grace" that includes more than just a few songs by these guys.  I continue to pray for you who need Him to surround your life with love and hope.  The best thing I recommend is putting the playlist on shuffle so you can get an array of praise and worship.

Comin' Out the Speakers

I love listening to music.  I just love it.  I love finding new music and really getting into new-found artists.  I don't listen to the radio (1. because I don't have a radio to listen to, 2. because there are too many commercials on the radio to wait through just to listen to the same 40 songs over and over again).  There are quite a few regulars that come back up[ in my playlists throughout the seasons.  These 16 bands are the ones I continuously fall back on when I have nothing else to listen to.  These are the few bands that are repeatedly coming out of my speakers:

Top Row, Left to Right:

The Black Keys : : Nico Vega : : Florence + the Machine : : Matt & Kim

Row 2:

Dan Auerbach : : The Dead Weather : : Sent By Ravens : : Linkin Park

Row 3:

The Asteroids Galaxy Tour : : Lindi Ortega : : Kitten : : Gungor

Row 4:

The Heavy : : ABBA : : Lord Huron : : Branches

If you take a listen to any of them, you'll notice the eclectic interest I have in music!  My favorite genre, I would say, is probably something like blues rock; something that has a bit of blues and soul, maybe a little grungy.  I really like the way that kind of music sounds.  I like more modern music, to be honest, that sounds like old music.  It's new! It's fresh! It's not old, and I can still see the musicians live because they're young and truckin'!  However, I do like other genres as well ;) I also really enjoy the folky-sounding music, especially when it has a sort of old rustic mountain-y, old country sound to it.  I guess I could sum up my taste like this: new artists with new music that sounds like it could be old... make sense? :)  I think the only exceptions in the list above to that rule are Linkin Park and Matt & Kim.  Linkin Park (in my opinion) is more of a ... mix of genres (rock, rap, electronic, r/b, etc.) Matt & Kim ... they're just their own genre ;)

If you'd like to have a great sample of music from these delightful folks, take a listen to the playlist I put together on Spotify!  I hope you enjoy as much as I do!

What sounds regularly come out of your speakers?  What music gets you in the mood to move around? Have you found anything new and great lately?  Feel free to comment below!

Gungor's Beautiful Things Album

I first heard Gungor in high school while listening to Radio Free Florence on the radio.  I thought they sounded pretty neat and I learned a song or two by them.  About 2 years ago, when I downloaded iTunes for the first time, I bought their lovely album, Beautiful Things.  I bought the album because I was leading Bible Study for college students in Hartsville and I wanted to find some new-er Christ filled lyrics and chords to practice that was on the level of a young adult.

I didn't know what exactly I was getting into!

I have yet to write a blog about this, but the God-love language God has placed in me as a part of His design for my life is singing.  I am no great singer, but I enjoy singing anyways.  How do I know singing is my love language between me and God?  Because it's when I'm singing to Him, about Him, or even singing songs that weren't written for Him that I feel His presence so intimately.  God uses the words of a song to speak to me, and for me to speak to Him everything I want to say, but can't find the words for.  And for this gift, I am truly blessed because I get some great time with Him when I sing!  Man, I want to sing right now!

Well with this album, after listening through it a few times, I felt like, "Man, this was created for me in so many ways!"

The album starts with recognizing how human and broken and dry I am without God to give me life (1).  Next, the recognition of how great and gracious God is comes in and we ask Him to make the world new and to make us new - make us into something beautiful for Him (2).  Then some telling to world of how God is the beginning and the end, and His promise is a better and brighter day through the endurance of His love (3)!  After exclaiming His presence in the world, we become more intimate with giving our hearts to Him.  Not giving in a way of, "Okay, yeah, I guess you can have this." But in a way that a person gives the most intimate gift to the person they love with their whole heart (4).  We recognize that there is no one else ever who is like God, and nothing - not even the Bible or the Church - can contain how glorious He is and how passionate He is about us (4)!  From one lover to another, we are His Bride (5)!  And because of His love and passion for us, we find love and passion for His world.  Even though we roam the earth, the earth is not our own and we do not control it - the earth is His (6)!  And everything in it obeys Him (7)!  And as we try to get caught up in the world and all the evil the Enemy tries to spread around, He has called us out to live for Him and be the light in His world.  He encourages us and uplifts us so that we are not weak (8)!  There are times when, in trying to fight the evil of the world, we lose our strength, but we always end realizing that it's God's strength we need - not our own.  And He gives that strength to us, so restoring (9).  As He daily restores us for His Will, we praise Him, lifting His name higher (10)!  Like the Psalmist, we tell Him about how wonderful He is and that there is no one like Him.  We repetitively exclaim our love for Him and thank Him for never leaving us even when we turn our backs on Him, even when we didn't know Him - He still sought us out and called us to His side in love and we love Him (11).  God has commanded us to love, and love everyone without regard.  Even if we do everything right in deed, if we don't have love to give, we aren't doing His Will.  He has called us out, and now we must shine out the love and light that the Lord has given us (12)!  In the end, we are surrendering our humanness for His holiness, asking for forgiveness and asking Him to heal His world!  We are reminded of His glorious and His beautiful mighty love (13)!

And in one album, a picture is painted of grace, humility, endurance, love, compassion, selflessness, and it is all God - God the Father, and His Son and Holy Spirit who work for Him through us, and about God in us.  I have been playing through this album over and over again, being reminded that I am a sinner, and yet God loves me.  This is the love I should show to His world, or it will not be healed.  I feel so close to God when I praise Him through the words of this album, and I feel so one with Him.

If you're interested in hearing this God-breathed album of praise and surrender, you can find it on iTunes, Spotify, and other music kiosks.  You can find them on Facebook (maybe Twitter, but I don't like Twitter enough to go looking).  Also, you can listen to their songs on YouTube (I have added those links in the list below), or you can listen to the playlist I made containing just these songs (which I have also made on YouTube).  They're style is very eclectic containing some banjo and jazz guitar as well as some folk-sounding music and a little bit of rock and some blues.  Either way you seek them, listen for God to speak to you and praise Him, for He is so good!

Gungor - Beautiful Things

1. Dry Bones
2. Beautiful Things
3. Brighter Day
4. Heaven
5. You Have Me
6. Cannot Keep You
7. The Earth Is Yours
8. Call Me Out
9. Please Be My Strength
10. Higher
11. Late Have I Loved You
12. People of God
13. We Will Run

Playlist for the Week: Cleaning House

This week's playlist is a lot less 'Nordic' than last weeks.  Last night, I went through a lot of my old music and found some oldies, but goodies and have been listening to them so far today:

1. Young Blood by the Naked and Famous
2. The Wrote & the Writ by Johnny Flynn
3. Giving Up the Gun by Vampire Weekend
4. What You know by Two Door Cinema Club
5. Kill Your Heroes by AWOLNATION
6. Heartbeats by The Knife
7. Up Up Up by Givers
8. Echo Chambers by Parts & Labor
9. Change by Churchill
10. Equestrian by U.S. Royalty
11. Go Outside by Cults
12. Gangsta by tune-yards
13. Your Love Is Loaded by Elin Ruth
14. Dead Oaks by Now, Now
15. Come Monday Night by God Help the Girl
16. You Are the Best Thing by Ray Lamontagne
17. Jungle Drum by Emiliana Torrini
18. Is Your Love Big Enough? by Leanne La Havas
19. Puzzle Pieces by Saint Motel
20. Switzerland by Last Bison
21. If We're Still Alive by Slow Club

My song for the week from this playlist is:

I always recommend every single one of these songs and artists - I hope you enjoy!

Now back to cleaning and crafts...

Playlist For the Week: Going to the Nordic Countries

This week, since I watched Vikings on History Sunday night, I have been PUMPED about my Scandinavian heritage and my calling to Sweden and the Nordic countries!  So this week, I comprised a specific playlist that contains mainly music from the different Nordic countries - most of the music is not traditional, but more or less popular in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland, Greenland, and maybe the Faeroe Islands...  I have also added a few non-Nordic songs that are more reminiscent of Norway and Sweden and the history they have in the world.  First, this is a minute long, it's the intro to the Vikings series on history, it is so... indescribable how awesome this intro is:

So here is my playlist for the week:

1. Sail by AWOLNATION
2. Radioactive by Imagine Dragons
3. Riverside by Agnes Obel
4. Do You Remember by Ane Brun
5. Tidens Gång by Taken By Trees
6. Heartbeats by The Knife
7. Kill Your Heroes by AWOLNATION
8. If I Had a Heart by Fever Ray*
9. What Have I Done by Anna Ternheim
10. I Follow Rivers by Lykke Li
11. Everybody Else by kill your darlings
12. Reaching Forward by Those Dancing Days
13. Wapas Karna by Taken By Trees
14. Brother Sparrow by Agnes Obel
15. Black White & Blue by Ladyhawke
16. All Saints Day by The Silent Comedy
17. Remain Nameless by Florence + the Machine
18. Keep the Streets Empty For Me by Fever Ray
19. Hang Me Up To Dry by Cold War Kids
20. Youth Knows No Pain by Lykke Li
21. Wolf & I by Oh Land
22. No Light, No Light by Florence + the Machine

*Theme song from series

Enjoy this playlist and I hope you're able to catch the second episode of the series on History this Sunday night at 10/9c!  I love my Scandinavian roots!

Up-and-Coming Artist To Know: King Charles (not the real one)

  Something I love to do in my spare time is find new undiscovered-by-the-mainstream music.  It's not something I do to uphold some self-prophetic 'hipster' front which I don't have, but because I have always enjoyed music that only I know about.  So... often in my explorations, I come across some really cool people who deserve some sort of limelight, even if it's not the limelight.

  Recently, I discovered a creative English-man who goes by the pseudonym "King Charles."  His real name is Charles Costa and after studying sociology, he returned to London, his home, where he began to pursue music.  Since then, in short, he came to the States and landed himself a record deal!  He's a talented musician, playing the cello, piano, and the guitar.  He has toured with the likes of Laura Marling and Noah and the Whale - both great music groups!  One thing leads to another and tada!

He's definitely a strange character, but an earnest one at that.  Notice, you may recognize some of the folks in his video above; he's in good cahoots with Mumford & Sons and have actually collaborated with them in a song called "Brightest Lights" - which just happens to be one of my favorite songs right now, and the reason for the name of this blog!  They toured together in this past year.

So basically, this is a guy I recommend to get to knowing!  I have a feeling that, even in some small way, we'll be hearing more of him if we aren't already ;)

Waiting List ( and Playlist)

In the meantime, while I'm waiting on my laptop to be fixed, I am able to use my mom's desktop over my Christmas Break home (for the last time!)  I can't access it every day, but I can from time to time!


So in the meantime, I have developed a playlist that's keeping me occupied while I finish packing to move in to our new apartment!  Frank and I will be getting married in 21 days and I am PUMPED!  We signed for our apartment last Thursday -  a monumental milestone.  I stayed there the first two nights working from 8 in the morning until 2-3 in the morning next day trying to get as much unpacked and situated as I can in order for him to live in a clean apartment for the next few weeks and minimize the 'to-do' list once I get back.  For now, he's living in our little home and will be until I get there at the beginning of January.  Then, he'll spend the rest of our break with his parents one last time and I'll rest for a few days before the wedding.  Great planning on our part ;)

So anyways!  Here's the playlist:

1. Heartlines by Florence + the Machine (she never gets old for me)
2. Puzzle Pieces by Saint Motel
3. I Follow Rivers by Lykke Li
4. Nail In My Coffin by The Kills
5. Cough Syrup by  Young the Giant
6. Do You Remember by Ane Brun
7. Echo Chambers by Parts & Labor
8. Mowgli's Road by Marina and the Diamonds
9. So Far From Your Weapon by The Dead Weather
10. Carry Me by Old Crow Medicine Show
11. What You Know by Two Door Cinema Club
12. Pumped Up Kicks by Foster The People
13. Empire State of Mind by Jay-Z featuring Alicia Keys
14. Work by Down With Webster
15. Prowl by Dan Auerbach
16. Red Paint by Matt & Kim
17. Murder of Crows by Lindi Ortega
18. Anna Sun by Walk The Moon
19. Breath of Life by Florence + the Machine
20. Psychotic Girl by The Black Keys

There's more where that came from...

Other things I'm waiting for include my foot and a job. 

About my foot: I think that in all the moving up and down flights and flights of stairs carrying all sorts of heavy and light items, putting pressure on my feet that usually isn't there, I have managed to fracture the bottom of my foot.  It's in the ball area under my fourth toe on my right foot.  Great to know, right?  Well I look like I'm limping when I walk because it really hurts :(  I first figured it was just an aggravated nerve because of all the heavy lifting and whatnot.  I broke my tailbone last summer and I have problems with nerves in my limbs when I lay on hard ground or on my back the wrong way or twist my hips a certain way, so I just assumed it was an aggravated nerve or something.  Well it hasn't gone away and after looking up the symptoms, it is possible that I could have fractured my bone - the one that is conveniently right inside my foot so that I can't actually mend it.  So I'm waiting on that to heal :)  This is the guide I'm following, among other minor details from other sources, on how to basically home-treat my foot while it is probably healing:

http://www.wendyalbrecht.com/PDFs/technicalWriting/footfracture.pdf

I have a job, currently, but I feel like I'm getting tired of it.  That's not me whining, that's me feeling like it's time for me to move on to something different.  I am thankful to have a job and I will not quit it until I know for certain that there will be a job waiting for me when it comes time for me to leave my current one.  It's been hard finding one though, so I have not had any luck :/ Maybe God is telling me to stay content for just a little longer because He has something better coming for me :)  I guess we'll see. 

Other than that, I am ready for the wedding to come so that all of this stress and planning can just be over!!!  I'm also excited to be marrying my best friend whom I love so dearly and I am thankful that the Lord is TRULY the center and strings of our relationship - and we don't just say that.

Those are updates for the time being!  Enjoy the playlist!  I hope I get my computer back soon..... :'(

{Matt & Kim: Live}

For Brooke's 20th birthday, I took her to see Matt & Kim live in Charlotte at the Fillmore, opened by Oberhofer.  It was amazing!!!  This was our face afterwards ;)

Whistle While You Work

Whistle while you work... do-do-do-do-do-do-doooo...

  One of the shifts I work at night allows us to listen to music on a boombox or through iHome speakers (or anything that loud music can come out of).  For the past two weeks that my friend and I have worked together on this shift, we have completely forgotten about this rare right!  Well I decided that I would burn a CD, maybe two, with music that both of us like so that we can pop it in the disc player each night.  She asked me what kind of music I listened to... and I wasn't exactly sure how to explain!  I don't listen to weird or bad music, just not music people know or would consider listening to at first hear!  I told her to send me  a list of songs she really likes so that I could comprise these discs.  And these are a few of the tracks, videos possibly included, which I have selected to jam out to while preparing people's pasta:

1.  Heartlines by Florence + the Machine

2. Cameras by Matt & Kim

3.  Cheap and Cheerful by The Kills

4.  Not Your Fault by AWOLNATION

5.  Fuckarias by Those Dancing Days pronounced, "fook-are-EYE-us" (Swedish for "a nag" basically) (Go Sweden!  Don't worry, they sing in English.)

6.  The Difference Between Us by The Dead Weather

 
7.  Tigerlily by La Roux

   
8.  Lonely Boy by The Black Keys

I aspire to dance like this man!

   
9.  Mercy by Duffy

   
10.  Rearrange by Miles Kane (or "Come Closer" - it's a close tie)

     
     
So obviously, the music I listen to - just by this small sample - may or may not have ever been heard before by most people who actually listened.  There's more where that came from!  But these are only 10 of the 30 tracks I have chosen to go through to decide which would be best and fast-paced to work to.  Honestly, I chose some of these songs because I figure more people than none have heard at least a few of them - these are the most culturally popular songs in my music library other than Justin Beiber.

As far as type of music I listen to?  I think most of my personal library is blues rock.  Folk music and 'indie' would come in second place.  Everything else follows.  Here's a list of possible genres in my library and a few artists to check out that go with each:

1. Blues Rock: The Black Keys, The Dead Weather, The Raconteurs, Dan Auerbach, Dr. John, Miles Kane, Rival Sons, Dr. Dog, The White Stripes (not really, they just say they are.)
2. Folk music: Fleet Foxes, John Denver, First Aid Kit, Lindi Ortega, The Tallest Man On Earth, The Last Bison, Loch Lomond, Matrimony
3. Indie music: The Kills, The Lighthouse and the Whaler, Tilly and The Wall, Ingrid Michaelson, Imagine Dragons, Saint Motel, Local Natives
4. Hip-hop-ish?: Matt & Kim, Beastie Boys
5. Other...: AWOLNATION, Young the Giant, Taken By Trees, Gabrielle Aplin

I think blues rock makes up most of my library, or some sort of soul sounding rock like it.  I also really like ...folk music, indie?  I really like reminiscent 60's-70's era music.  I like when there are multiple band instruments involved.  I really like music that has a good beat, a good dancing impulse to it, and the pyramid of sound is balanced (yes, I still have the band geek in me).  Eclectic.  That's how I always put it.

The Black Keys will always and forever be my absolute favorite band, though - no matter how popular they become.

So, for those of you who come through the Grille line on Tuesday nights, you may hear some of these classy people boomin' through the stereo speakers! ;)

Playlist and Featured Artist: Matrimony

Starting today, every other Monday, I'll add a post featuring an artist you may or may not have heard of, followed by a Jessica-made playlist based on the cool sounds of the featured artist.  They will be called "Music for the week" maybe...

So kicking off today's Music of the Week!

Matrimony

Our featured artist hails from Charlotte, North Carolina.  The oddball group calls themselves Matrimony, based off of the co-front people, Jimmy and Ashlee Hardee Brown.  Also in the group are Ashlee's brothers, Jordan and CJ, as well as friends Alex Watson and Shae Wooten.  Together since 2009 as the duo, Matrimony has traveled all over the Southeast  sharing their folktone music.  Jimmy Brown is straight out of Ireland, and adds his homeland Irish flair in vocals and instrumentation.  Overall, Matrimony is an energetic and enthusiastic folk band from the Southeast, anyone who matches those characteristics would enjoy a listen to them.  The featured song to give you a taste of the group is below, titled, "Obey Your Guns" -

Like them?  Check out their website at http://matrimonyband.bandcamp.com/ - the song you just heard is a free mP3 download!  Or you can follow their blog at http://matrimonyband.blogspot.com/!

To keep in the Matrimony-style spirit this week, my playlist for the week is as follows:

1. Obey Your Guns by Matrimony - FREE DOWNLOAD!
2. Shallow Grave by Tallest Man On Earth
3. Emmylou by First Aid Kit
4. It's Time by Imagine Dragons
5. The Light Is You by Said the Whale
6. Little Lie by Lindi Ortega
7. The Eye and the Storm by Matrimony
8. If I Ever Leave This World Alive by Flogging Molly
9. Ireland's Call by Celtic Thunder

Thanks for listening this week!  Some of these songs are very catchy, so enjoy them this week, and feel free to dance!  The weekly playlist will vary in length from week-to-week depending on what music sounds best together.  As I said first, this will be bi-weekly.  What will fill the space in-between for the meantime?  I will be opening The Craft Room before the start of school in August ;)  Bi-weekly, you will either get a featured artist and playlist, or will find inspiration in upcycling old materials and being crafty with things you may not ever think of!  Be on the lookout for the links to my craft posts!

My own rendition of a Harry Potter playlist :)

  As promised, this is my personal view for a playlist for Harry Potter.  Of course, it could change in preference over time as I find new music that is reminiscent of Harry Potter and my time spent in his world, however, this is my temporary rendition of it.  Love, hate, discriminate - this was just for fun :) 

1.  All These Things That I've Done by the Killers

2.  Heartlines by Florence + the Machine

3.  Trouble Weighs a Ton by Dan Auerbach

4.  From Yesterday by 30 Seconds To Mars

5.  Sail by AWOLNATION

6.  Deep Blue by Arcade Fire

7.  Shake Me Down by Cage the Elephant

8.  Without a Word by Birdy

9.  Waiting For the End by Linkin Park

10. No Light, No Light by Florence + the Machine

11. 60 Feet Tall by the Dead Weather

12. Surrounded (Or Spiraling) by Silversun Pickups

13. Uprising by Muse

14. Blinding by Florence + the Machine

15. This Is War by 30 Seconds To Mars

  Okay, so there are 3 Florence + the Machine songs, oh well.  This was merely for fun, and I think the last song does more justice than any.  For that song, there are tons of renditions in video making for it, and there was a different one I was looking for (oh well), but this one is really really good.  I think you can appreciate it.  

  Again, this was simply because I thought of doing it on the way back to work yesterday - only for fun.  Nothing important.  Golly, I wish Rowling would do more Harry Potter related books...

©2011

Harry Potter Playlist?

  I have recently - and sadly - finished reading the Harry Potter series in its entirety and I am so sad that I finished!!  I really hope that Rowling decides to continue writing about Harry Potter's children and their adventures in the future (like someday soon, Rowling, come on, I know you want to) because I am so caught up in that world!!  When I rad fiction literature, it's not always a good thing for me because I attach myself to it emotionally;  we all know, that as a girl, emotional bonds are no joke.  Unfortunately, I am also aware of how warped the seventh and eighth movies are since I actually read the book - for those of you who don't know: read the books. Seriously, it is worth your time.  Well now that you know my love for Harry Potter and the world he lives in, you might wonder, "why is there a picture of Florence Welch up above?" Well.  Throughout reading a series (whevnever I decide to read them) there's always this one particular band or musician that I just can't stop listening to.  This artist becomes synonomous with whatever I'm reading, like they were made to compliment each other.  Throughout the vast majority of the time I've been reading the HP series, I have been thoroughly listening to Florence + the Machine - to the point where I hear some of those songs and immediately think of them as themes to Harry Potter.  Weird?  I hop I'm not the only one that does that.  Anyways, on a walk I took up into town yesterday, I started thinking about all the songs everywhere that I relate to being a "Harry Potter theme song" and decided:  I'll make my own personal playlist... just because. So...
  Although Florence + the Machine has produced a plethora of songs I could use to help musically explain Harry Potter, I shall only allow myself to pick two.  Other than those two, I'll pick a few really great songs and try to find maybe 10 songs of my own liking that I feel match perfectly with the struggles and emotions of Harry Potter as a whole - this is strictly opinionated, I don't care if you disagree.  I will start composition of this playlist today while I work and listen to music, and by the time the day ends, I'll be able to give you a list of songs (at least ten) that describe Harry Potter for me.  I'll try and figure out how to do that link doohickey thing that directs you to a place where you can listen to the actual song.  Otherwise, I'll just post the youtube link beneath it.
  Not a big deal blog this morning, but that's okay - it will bear fruit soon enough.

©2011



Gotye? Mainstream??

This is an amazing song by Gotye (feat. Kimbra) called "Somebody That I Used to Know" - GREAT SONG!!  I found it a few months ago when I was trying to look up something by The Kills (O.o strangely enough) and I immediately thought, "this is an awesome song!!! I can't believe I've never heard this! :D"
  As most people know, I am heavily influenced by the sounds of the Underground, where the "rough 'too cool for pop culture,' don't like wimpy boys and stuck up girls, well known by the rejects" kind of music is played and cherished.  Some can say that I go "over the edge" with it, but hey, there's gotta be someone like me to fill that cultural gap.  I get so upset when I find something really amazing that I can share with a few friends who enjoy being on the outside of the pop culture scene only to find a few months later that the pop culture scene has found it, shook it up, hit it against a tree, then told their friends to do the same thing until there's really no value left in it and move to the next thing they can find; repeat.  It makes me sick.
  This song is such a great song, and this man is brilliant with his indie progressive way of listening and thinking.  He combines the great underground sounds of today and mixes them into a cool vintage/postmodern technique.  There's nothing wrong with sharing music!!  But sending it to its death by making it mainstream is, in my opinion unlawful... Strange, right?
  Anyways, I just wanted to say that I am pretty annoyed with good things like music going to the dogs.  When will the underground finally remain the underground?  Why is it so much to ask for pop culture to leave at least SOME things alone??

©2011