30 posts tagged “music”

...till Breaking Dawn is released.

I kind of cheated. I didn't read the entire first chapter in the just-released special edition of Eclipse, but Entertainment Weekly ran about a third of the first chapter and I read it.

The highlight of my day in an otherwise awful cesspool now that I have succumbed to the rotavirus my nieces and nephew (and my mom and sister) had last week.

I still don't feel like blogging, blogging, and honestly, I don't know if I'll ever feel like blogging, blogging again. I think I'll just do a summary-type thing.

On the agenda:
Game 1, Championship Series, Women's College World Series: This is the first championship series since 1986 that hasn't featured either Arizona or UCLA. I like both Arizona State and Texas A&M, but Longhorn or not, I'm going to go ahead and root for the Aggies anyway. Because yeah, there's a fierce rivalry between A&M and UT, but when it comes down to it, I'm going to cheer for the state and the conference. And also, the Megan Gibson-Amanda Scarborough story is very compelling.

Organizing my iPod: Loading a bunch of new stuff, including the Eclipse playlist and new stuff from Linkin Park, Armor for Sleep, Muse, Marjorie Fair, blink-182, Sugarcult and Coldplay; going through my almost 3,500 songs making sure there are no duplicates and that the artist, song title and CD are correct.

A Company of Swans (Eva Ibbotson): I'm anxious to read this because its protagonist has made Stephenie Meyer's favorite literary heroine list, and since her list is almost identical to mine, I suspect this will be a fantastic read.

At around this point in the American Idol season, I remember why I always resisted watching this show.

(Can someone please tell me why Taylor Hicks won Season 5? Because I still don't understand. And by the way, has he dropped off the face of the earth? No, I doubt I'm that lucky.)

Michael Johns didn't deserve to leave. Carly Smithson certainly didn't deserve to leave. I am so over Jason Castro and his lazy, devil-may-care approach to the last three or four weeks it's not even funny. He doesn't care. He has been horrible for a while now, and it doesn't even seem to faze him. What Simon said last night was dead-on accurate: this is not the Jason that the judges put into the contest. And still he's safe. I don't get it. He should've left tonight, not Brooke.

David Cook is the only contestant left standing that is truly inventive. I mean, he made me like Dolly Parton, Michael Jackson, Mariah Carey and Neil Diamond -- that's some kind of talent.

Anyway, the best part of tonight's elimination show had nothing to do with any of the contestants, but rather Natasha Bedingfield's performance of "Pocketful of Sunshine" and how it spurred my very reserved, very completely-opposite- of-gregarious 11-year-old nephew to burst into a very lively, surprisingly decent "I've got a pocket, got a pocketful of sunshine, I got a love and I know that it's all mine..."

I love this song.

i am outside, and i've been waiting for the sun
and with my wide eyes, i've seen worlds that don't belong
my mouth is dry with words i cannot verbalize
tell me why we live like this

keep me safe inside your arms like towers
tower over me

'cause we are broken, what must we do to restore
our innocence and the promise we adored?
give us life again, 'cause we just want to be whole

lock the doors 'cause i'd like to capture this voice
that came to me tonight so everyone will have a choice
and under red lights, i'll show myself it wasn't forged
we're at war, we live like this

keep me safe inside your arms like towers
tower over me

'cause we are broken, what must we do to restore
our innocence and the promise we adored?
give us life again, 'cause we just want to be whole

tower over me and i'll take the truth at any cost

'cause we are broken...

If you listen to the radio (and/or saw Wednesday's American Idol), then you know who Leona Lewis is. Or you've at least heard "Bleeding Love."

I am currently obsessed with it. As are Keenan, Kevin and Mia. I picked them up today to take them to Keenan's basketball game and on our way we heard some of our (current) favorite songs, which included "No Air" by Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown, "All Around Me" by Flyleaf, "Four Minutes" by Madonna, Justin Timberlake and Timbaland, "Never Too Late" by Three Days Grace and "See You Again" by Miley Cyrus -- yes, I'm ashamed to say, that song is forever in my head, and it's also my five-year-old niece's favorite song at the moment -- and we were waiting for "Bleeding Love" to come on.

I dropped Keenan off at the gym for warm-ups and the twins and I went to Quizno's for a sandwich. Guess what the first song we heard after getting back in the car?

Anyway, as I said, we are all super in love with it.

I'm hanging out at home tonight to tackle one of my obsessive-compulsive projects: namely, taking my gobzillion pictures and putting them in photo albums. Now, that might not seem like that big of an ordeal, but because it's me, I'll be taking all the pictures that are currently in the albums out of the albums and then reorganizing all of them.

I think there was something similar featured in an episode of Friends -- seriously, you can just call me Monica Geller.

While picture-organizing, I'll be watching The Messengers (yes, finally) and In the Land of Women. I haven't seen the latter in a while, but I've recently been pimping it to Steph -- probably ad nauseum, sorry about that -- and then I found this (awesome) vid set to one of my favorite songs, "Dark Blue" by Orange County piano rock band Jack's Mannequin, and so I need to watch it.

For the 123rd time.

I am often jealous (a perfectly normal, healthy amount) of movies and TV shows because ordinary and not-so-ordinary goings-on are backed -- and usually enhanced -- by music. In the past few years (I think I first noticed when Dawson's Creek and Felicity premiered, and then re-noticed with the advent of The OC), the trend of using popular and not-so-popular-but-who-become-popular-with-all-the-exposure artists and songs with actual lyrics has emerged.

Scrubs and Grey's Anatomy are largely responsible for launching the career of Joshua Radin. The OC made Death Cab for Cutie and Rooney household names and gave then-brand-new The Killers a ton of exposure.

Anywho, so I always have music on the brain in some form or fashion.

When I was reading the Twilight series -- I read all three books back-to-back twice -- I was constantly thinking of different songs. As in, hey, this would be great on the movie soundtrack. Or I'd hear a song and think, hey, this reminds me of Bella. Or Edward. Or Edward and Bella.

So I made myself a mix. I sent Erin and Steph copies since I knew they'd appreciate it. After all, they are the only people I know besides my sister who have read this beyond awesome series.

But as I was listening to it today at work, I realized that not only is it kind of eclectic, but it's very emo. If I'd had the chance, I'd have added a ton more Secondhand Serenade. I am obsessed (a perfectly normal, healthy amount) with their (okay, his, in the Chris Carraba/Dashboard vein) latest CD. It is awesome. I listen to it non-stop on repeat while I'm at work. It's the perfect music to a) turn up loudly and b) sing along loudly.

Secondhand Serenade, The All-American Rejects, and Boys Like Girls are just about my favorite bands right now and I don't think I ever get tired of them.

Even if my dad calls them "whiny."

(I think I listened to the first track five times in a row today; the second is my favorite of all of his songs.)

"Let Go" by Frou Frou is one of my very favorite songs. Whenever I hear it, I instantly think of the final scene in Garden State, one of my favorite movies. I never thought anyone else could ever top Frou Frou.

Until Boys Like Girls.

Holy. Crap. Their unplugged version is absolutely beautiful.

Atonement releases on DVD tomorrow. It's #1 in my Netflix queue, and I timed it (not on purpose not quite on purpose) so they'll get my latest DVDs back tomorrow, so I'd better get it. I'm just saying.

I downloaded the Oscar-winning soundtrack last night and it is absolutely breathtaking. I instantly remembered every scene as if I'd just seen the movie yesterday instead of two months ago.

This track in particular gave me chill bumps because...well, unless you've seen the movie, it's hard to describe. It's only 76 seconds (or something equally minuscule), but it is powerful.

Every track is beautiful, but my favorites are "Denouement," "Elegy for Dunkirk," and "Atonement."

If I have to be at work on a Saturday, Panic! at the Disco is definitely a great companion to have.

I'm eagerly awaiting the March 25th release of Pretty. Odd.

ETA: Just when I was hopeful that I (or Vox) had fixed whatever was going screwy, my last post has disappeared. Oh well. It's not like it was an important post. I really wish they'd go back to the version before this one, because I hate it. And thanks for the responses -- it's helping me cull my current neighborhood and clean up my permissions.

I think everyone knows by now how much I love music.

But there's one band that never (ever) fails to make me weak in the knees. I guess I should say one lead singer, since he has the most amazing voice. I'm pretty sure the first single I ever heard by them ("Push") was the first song at that point to ever give me chills.

In fact, the first time I heard about the creator of Veronica Mars, I was all, "the guy from Matchbox 20 has crossed over into television? Seriously?" I about choked on my Dr Pepper and then proceeded to laugh for 10 minutes at Piz's "Rob Thomas is a whore" line from last season.

Yes, I am talking about Rob Thomas of Matchbox 20. Guh. His voice does unspeakable things to me. I don't so much like the revival stuff, and I wasn't quite as crazy about his solo album, but Yourself or Someone Like You, Mad Season, and More Than You Think You Are get regular play on my iPod. In fact, I play them so much, it's a good thing mp3s don't wear out.

"Push." "3 AM." "Kody." "If You're Gone." "Rest Stop." "Bright Lights." "Leave." "Hand Me Down." I could go on. There are very few of their songs that I don't like.

My favorite, though, is "Hang." Seriously? Chillbumps Every. Time.

Someone posted these live performances from recent concerts and I about died. Twice.