Music Monday: MMW

    

Music Monday: A Quickie

                           

I'm currently in the process of moving. I'll be in the new place on Saturday. That has absolutely no relevance to this post, but I wanted to share it anyway.

Music Monday

                        

Music on My Mind

Because I'm cranky and all sorts of PMS-ey I feel like posting some music vids. It's going to be a rough, rough, emotional week this week, and when I have weeks like this I like to hide away in music.

Oh, and for the record, when someone starts getting a little moody and you ask, "Have you taken your Pamprin today?" be prepared for the Laser Death Stare Perma-Scowl. 

Enjoy the music.

Oh, and if you're of the praying persuasion (which I am not), pray for my students this week. It's going to be a long week.

Previously on OBG... 1.3

                      

Previously on OBG is on hiatus this week.

Check back next Monday for an all new episode.

In the meantime, enjoy this music video...

A Musical Interlude

    

Well, it's Saturday (well, technically, for me, it's Wednesday. You are again hearing from my past self. Freaky, right?). I'm not sure where I am or what I'm doing (really, I don't. If you see me, let me know). Hopefully I'm having a fun weekend. I'm sure I'll tell you about it tomorrow or on Monday. Or maybe not. If I'm having a really good time, I'm sure I will be too ashamed to talk about it (assuming I can remember any of it. Damn! Being thesis-free is fantastic fun!). Remember that one weekend I couldn't talk about? That was so... well, it was something. Hopefully the weekend will go down more like that other weekend I spent partying in a field, the one that I kind-of, sort-of talked about without revealing too much. Hopefully it won't be as boring as this past weekend or as sad as that weekend I spent in the mountains. Who knows. I'm sure my future self will fill you in, so enough of the reminiscing.

So, for today's cop-out post, let's talk music.

Summer is coming, I'm unemployed, and in case you missed the memo, I might not have a home after June. Therefore, I'm planning a few road trips to visit family and friends and maybe do some couch surfing. I'd like to start acquiring some new music so I can compile my Summer Driving play list for my iPod.

Of course, I have my typical summer stand-bys (see list below), but I'm always looking to expand my musical repertoire (I think this word works here, right?) so I'm looking for any and all recommendations.

Summer Stand-bys
The Kinks
Ben Harper
Gnarls Barkley (def. a guilty pleasure)
Cheap Trick
Mike Doughty
(I think it pretty much goes without saying that anything on my Favorite Music list will be included, right?)

Contemplating Adding These Albums
Plastic Beach by Gorillaz

Here Lies Love by David Bryne & Fatboy Slim

Brothers by The Black Keys

High Violet by The National

Sea of Cowards by The Dead Weather

So what do you think? What music do you like to road trip by? Feel free to leave your suggestions in the comments. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Sometimes I long for a place I can call...

 

 Sometimes. But for the most part, I usually feel like this...

Have you Listened yet?

 
NPRs First Listen

(because if you haven't, you really need to)

 

Yeah, I know, I'm slacking.

    

Sorry, but I have other things on my mind right now. In the meantime, enjoy this video. It should brighten your day.

And here's another. Just because I love everything about this video. Trust me, you will too.

I promise to return to (happy) blogging as soon as I get some things in my life back in order. Hope everyone is enjoying the beautious weather!

One Blue Girl

  

"Music should be your escape" (Missy Elliot)

     
In honor of the "Methods" chapter I'm currently plugging away at...
(Please forgive the ad)

TV On The Radio - New Music - More Music Videos

It's only forever, not long at all...

  

A short time ago I wrote about a childhood crush who has remained a crush of mine into adulthood (as a small update to that post, I think they canceled his show... again. One of these days, Christian, one of these days). Today, I write about another childhood crush who I still can't get enough of.

Yup, David Bowie. 

Now before you judge, I have to ask, have you NOT seen Labyrinth? I mean, seriously, what young girl growing up in the 80s didn't have the hots for David Bowie after that movie? (I must admit though, his pants were kind of frightening to my innocent eyes. I'm providing you with a visual) 

What young girl didn't fall asleep at night pretending she was Sarah, fighting her way to the castle beyond the Goblin City? I know I did. 

What young girl didn't fall in love with the ballroom scene and imagine that when she grew up, she would wear a dress just like Sarah's? And have you ever really listened to the lyrics to the song in that scene? Here, let me remind you...

"I'll paint you mornings of gold

I'll spin Valentine evenings"

 

(sigh) Magical, right? Yeah, I know. You're welcome. And who can forget Within You? This song haunted me and defined what it meant to be in love for me for many years (which probably explains a few of my relationships, unfortunately). It still makes me melt (I mean, aside from the whole obsessive, stalker thing it has going on). I apologize for the length of this one, the good stuff is in the first 2 minutes.

David Bowie just happens to be one of those musicians that I felt like I couldn't openly express my love for. I mean, we're not talking NKOTB here. When you were a young girl in elementary school, the last thing you wanted to do was tell your friends you liked David Bowie (I have to admit, I still have a hard time admitting this one. Kind of like admitting that I am was a huge Madonna fan. Some love is just meant to be kept a secret).

Let me leave you with a few more Bowie tunes (at this point, I must point out that while my love for the Goblin King was all encompassing, my love for David Bowie doesn't extend to his teeth, which are hideous. You'll see). 

Sorry, but I'm going to make you work for these videos. And remember...

"I ask for so little. Just fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave."

Let's Dance     Dancing in the Street     China Girl     Modern Love    

Earlier today... (or, The post that took ten hours to write)

    

It's Sunday morning. I'm internet-less as well as cable-less. It's wet and nasty outside. What's a "multitasking" girl to do? Well, hey! Why not catch up on my iTunes podcasts and play Spider Solitaire? Great idea!

So, I'm listening to Iron & Wine on an NPR: Live Songs from All Things Considered Podcast podcast when it occurs to me that most of my musical education has occurred at the hands of men. (A good friend of mine was recently shocked to discover that I was unaware of Iron & Wine. I was also under this assumption as I am no good at names or titles. Low and behold, I opened up iTunes and discovered that I was, in fact, already acquainted with them. I'll have to remember to tell him.)

My first recollection of being introduced to music, outside of Strawberry Shortcake and Raffi, was on a car trip with my dad to my maternal grandmother's house. He had just picked up Bon Jovi's Slippery When Wet album. My sisters and I happily, and innocently, sang "Livin' Underwear" during our 6-ish hour long car ride to Long Island. I don't think my grandmother, a very prim and proper lady, was all that impressed when we excitedly told her about it. My dad's music collection also included The Doors, The Stones and Led Zeppelin, to name a few. (Now that I think about it, I believe my dad was also responsible for my introduction to the horror movie genre, but that's a tale for another day.)

 

My grandma (and half of my face, and a plant)

Before I continue with my masculine musical influences, I should point out that many female figures in my life introduced me to music as well. My mom was a fan of folksy soft rock like The Carpenters and Carly Simon (decidedly NOT my thing). With my step-mother, it was Top 40 tunes (aka Pop music, yuck). My oldest sister, a true 80s child, introduced me to some rockin' 80s tunes (when her musical tastes crossed over to country, I didn't go with her). My twin sister added Tori Amos and Jewel to my musical repertoire (she has since crossed that country line as well), and my younger sister, a real true tree-hugging hippie, introduced me to Ani DiFranco (we still share the most similar musical tastes. My youngest sister's last opportunity to be musically influential over me was when she was five. To this day, I cannot stand big, purple, singing dinosaurs.). My friends were all madly in love with NKOTB, which I loathed but pretended to like because in elementary school, the last thing you wanted to do was tell your friends you don't like something they LOVE (I never trusted their musical tastes after that).

Back to the men. As a young and naive teenager, my music tastes tended towards the tastes of my current crushes and boyfriends. There was the basketball player who loved Bruce Springsteen, the hockey player and the Smashing Pumpkins, the soccer player and Garth Brooks (my ONLY foray into country music), the other basketball player and Dave Matthew's Band, the musician and The Police... Blues Traveler, Bob Dylan, Cake, CCR, The Eagles, Jimi Hendrix, Nirvana, Pink Floyd, Silverchair, Steve Miller Band, STP... all music that I once claimed to love but only listened to because of some boy (I do really like Nirvana though, and they have the honor of still being in heavy rotation).

In college and into my late-twenties, a long-term boyfriend introduced me to Against Me!, the Beatles, Ben Harper, Bob Marley, Dropkick Murphys, Franz Ferdinand, G. Love, Gorillaz, Grateful Dawg, The Grateful Dead, Incubus, Jack Johnson, Matisyahu, OAR, Phish, Rusted Root, Stringcheese Incident and Sublime, to name a few. Yeah, I liked most of this music, but enough to say it defines my musical preferences? Nah.

During my journey of self-reflection, I've set a goal to discover the music that I like because I like it and not because some man in my life liked it. I write down any artist I hear that affects me and is worthy of exploration. My self-led musical education has unearthed some old favorites that I had previously tossed aside (Fiona Apple, the Kinks, the Rolling Stones, Radiohead, Candlebox...) and opened my eyes to some new faves (Adele, A Fine Frenzy, The Antlers, The Killers, She & Him, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Ingrid Michaelson, you know, it would be easier if you just looked this up yourself. Scroll back up, on the right of the screen, and read Music I Can't Get Enough Of. It's not a complete list, but, whatever). 

I'm gaining a better understanding of who I am through my musical tastes. I've met two really good friends in grad school who I consider to be my soul-mates in friend form (and yes, one is a male, whom I previously mentioned) who have contributed to my current musical discoveries (Holly Miranda, Wolf Parade, TV on the Radio, Grizzly Bear...). They point me in a direction, and I'll either head down that path and like what I find, or I see where the path branches off, and I find my own way to somewhere else.

I like my music and for the first time in my life, I'm not ashamed of my musical tastes because they are a part of me and a reflection of me, and I'm starting to really like me again.

Music is good for the soul (part two)

Music is good for the soul (part one)

The love continues...

          

I think I'm in love (again)

                           
that is all

I think I'm in love

  
that is all

The big 3-0...

So, last Sunday I celebrated my 30th {gasp} birthday. We started the celebration by ringing in the BIG day with some good beer and some good music at Brittany's Restaurant & Sports Bar. The bar was smokey, the crowd was, uh, interesting, so-to-speak (think middle aged, redneck women out for a night on the town and the men who like that sort of thing), but the music was good. Furious George, a pretty decent cover band, was definitely slumming it that evening. I'm sure they can, and do, play at much better venues. Their set was damn good though, and they managed to play quite a few of my favs while avoiding all the cliche cover band tunes.

On the evening of my actual b'day we had some ice cream cake before heading out to enjoy a yummy sushi dinner at the Ichiban Sushi House. (Incidentally, I was dismayed to discover that ice cream cake doesn't involve any cake. I'd never had it before, or at least not to my recollection, and was rather disappointed. However, considering my egg allergy and the fact that I had pancakes for breakfast, it was probably a good thing.) After stuffing ourselves with raw fish (well, I was stuffed) we hit up the Irish pub, Murphy's, for some beer, football (it was Sunday after all) and some good old fashioned Irish drinking songs. Despite the festive atmosphere we soon bailed because, quite frankly, the service sucked. We wandered over to the Columbia Firehouse for some quiet conversation and, of course, more beer (and considerably better service). The Firehouse offers a nice selection of regional beers, and I wish I could remember which one it was that I drank for the rest of the evening because it was quite good, but alas, I cannot.

We took Monday off (it was a holiday, after all) and headed out on Tuesday to the mountains of West Virginia for some skiing. Yes, I said West Virginia. Why? Lord only knows, but I don't think that's a trip I'll be making again anytime soon. I have to admit though, some of the scenery we drove through was quite impressive, like the Seneca Rocks and the area of the Smoke Hole Caverns, but when we arrived in Davis, WV, I wondered if we had made a very bad decision. Despite the isolation and backwardness look to the place, we did manage to find a really enjoyable place to eat, Sirianni's Cafe. The atmosphere was rustic and comfortable, the service was friendly and attentive, and their attitude was surprisingly liberal and anti-country. The only downside to this place was that they only accept cash or checks, and seeing as we only had about $24 on us, we settled on a pepperoni pizza. It was good, in fact it was so yummy I ate four slices.

After filling up our bellies and picking up some beer, we trekked back to our room at the Canaan Valley Resort. I really wish I had something good to say about our room, but it had to be the must run-down hotel room I have ever stayed in. From the mildewy tub to the water stained toilet and sink to the dysfunctional heater. Let's not forget the total 70s decor, which I'm pretty sure is the last time that bathroom was ever cleaned (seriously, there were spiders hiding in the corners of the shower). The Hickory Dining room was at least attractive enough, the food was okay and the service was decent. After filling up on another pancake breakfast Wednesday morning, we hit the slopes where I was finally able to try out my new ski boots (they were a birthday present for my last birthday). I only get to ski about once a year, so it takes me a few runs before I get the hang of it again (this time it took me about four). I should have avoided the midday break for beer and loaded fries at the bar though. I could only make it down the slopes two more times before I came this close to losing those fries all over the side of the mountain. Overall, the skiing was good. It was midweek so the mountain was pretty empty and the lines at the lifts were nonexistent.

So, how do I feel about turning 30? Well, ever since I turned 29 I've been getting all sorts of reactions whenever I admit my age. Some people responded with groans and asked me if I dreaded turning 30. Others expressed to me that my 30s would be my BEST DECADE EVER. Some even laughed because they just had their BIG day and were estatic to see someone else hit the mark. Me, I have mixed feelings about it. For one, I had expected to be much further along in accomplishing some big life goals. On the other hand, I see turning 30 as a fresh start. Turning 29 felt far much worse. As I have explained numerous times since the BIG day, 29 felt like the end of something, while 30 feels like the beginning. I have goals, I have aspirations and more importantly, I know what I want in life, and I will settle for no less. Most importantly, I realize that if my life is not what I want or expected, I have no one to blame but myself. I have the power, and I have the control to make myself happy, and I feel damn good about that. (Plus, I'm pretty sure I don't look 30 yet. see photo above)