I'm one of those people who needs complete and total silence to fall asleep so there really isn't a song that makes me fall asleep to. However, there are some songs that are better to fall asleep to than others. One of the better songs happens to be "Winning" by Emily Haines and the Soft Skeleton. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Emily has an AMAZING voice. Normally, with Metric, she sticks to harder, more rock style music. In her solo music, on the other hand, she had the chance to show off just how beautiful her voice is with a bunch of slower piano music. This song is incredible and features of of Emily's amazing lyrics.
On the topic of sleep, sleep is one of my favorite things ever. I wouldn't mind being in a coma... as long as I wasn't secretly conscious and just couldn't express myself. Cause that'd suck. And not being able to shower would suck to cause I'd staaaaank. Anyway, off the topic of comas and into regular sleep... It seems no matter how much I sleep, I'm always tired and I always want more. Perhaps I'm lazy. Or I just have really weird sleep needs. Or I'm dying... Hopefully not that last one o.O
Also: This song isn't on the site I make my playlists on so I put another song by Em on there. Here's a video of it live, though.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Day 9: A song that you can dance to
I use the term "dance" very liberally.
I can't dance to any music but "Hurt You" by the Sounds makes me want to try. The funky electronic beat is super catchy and the vocals are perfect... I love when there are both male and female vocals. My favorite line is, "Don't want to hurt you, try not to fuck with your feelings..."
I can't dance to any music but "Hurt You" by the Sounds makes me want to try. The funky electronic beat is super catchy and the vocals are perfect... I love when there are both male and female vocals. My favorite line is, "Don't want to hurt you, try not to fuck with your feelings..."
Monday, August 9, 2010
Day 8: A song that you know all the words to
I could've chosen many songs for today's blog because I spend more time memorizing song lyrics than I do pretty much anything else, including studying. If only No Doubt would come out with an album about genetics... Anyway, the song I ultimate chose is "Bathwater" by No Doubt. I've been looking for a reason to write about this song and today seemed like a good day to do so.
"Bathwater" is one of my favorite songs ever. It's really quirky and not like any other song I can think of. I love the constant beat and the trumpets. Gwen sounds really old school and the song has a kind of... burlesque feel, for lack of a word to describe it. Interesting fact about this song: It was written the night before it was recorded in like 10 minutes. How awesome is that?
Probably my favorite thing about this is song is the video for it. Have a watch below. Can you spot Adrian dressed in drag? =)
"Bathwater" is one of my favorite songs ever. It's really quirky and not like any other song I can think of. I love the constant beat and the trumpets. Gwen sounds really old school and the song has a kind of... burlesque feel, for lack of a word to describe it. Interesting fact about this song: It was written the night before it was recorded in like 10 minutes. How awesome is that?
Probably my favorite thing about this is song is the video for it. Have a watch below. Can you spot Adrian dressed in drag? =)
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Day 7: A song that reminds you of a certain event
FYI: I added the playlist that was on the first post to the right side of my blog. Have a listen to the songs I've been writing about!
I know this song has lot of special meaning to many people, but to me, "Angel" by Sarah McLachlan holds something different for me. Most people associate it with that sad puppy commercial, and let's be honest, I do too, but more than that it reminds me of something that happened when I was in 7th grade.
Every New Years since I was little, my family has had a tradition where we invite some family friends over and they spend a night or two here celebrating. The year I was in 7th grade was no exception. New Years day my friend, Tara, and I were up late watching TV when my brother came into the room and asked, "Joe, do you know Jessica Mayer at all?" I said that yes, I did just not very well. We had band and gym together, though, and her locker was right next to mine. I asked him why he wanted to know and he said he was just wondering so I brushed it off.
The next morning, I was playing Beyond Good and Evil on my Gamecube when my mom came into the room and told me to turn it off because she had something she needed to tell me. I asked if I could just pause it and she said that no, I needed to turn it off and come sit down at the kitchen table. I did as I was told and she began to tell me something that would change my life forever.
The night before, Jessica and her two sisters were driving to the bachelorette party for their brother's wedding when they were involved in a car accident. Jessica was killed instantly and her sisters did not survive much longer. This was my first real encounter with death. I had pets that had died in the past but this was the first time that a person I knew had died.
A few days later winter break ended and we returned to school, not knowing how everyone would be reacting. I came into school and everyone was tying white ribbon on the locks of their lockers and Jessica's locker had a picture of her up on it. People were sitting in the halls and classrooms talking to each other, crying, hugging... each one trying to make sense of what had happened. We talked about it in every class that day (except math... our math teacher still tried to teach us a lesson but we were honestly too upset to really comprehend it). Teachers cried. The one that has stuck with me most was my band teacher crying... Actually, pretty much everyone in that class cried. Some were just paralyzed and sat in silence. In gym, we just sat in groups and talked about what happened. None of us could believe that Jessica was really gone.
The moment that it really hit me the most was the end of the day when I went to my locker to get my things and head home. Normally, Jessica would be there smiling and ask me what homework we had but not today or ever again, for that matter. It was strange how something so little was what affected me the most. It really made me stop to think about the little things in life and how I shouldn't take anything, or anyone, for granted.
By now you're probably thinking, "Okay Joey, that's really sad but what does this have to do with the sad puppy song?" Well, I'm getting there. Don't get your panties in a bunch.
Fast forward a week or two. Jessica's funeral, my first funeral, had come and gone, with 90% of the 7th grade class along with most of the St. Anthony Middle School staff attending. It was now time for everyone's favorite awkward middle school event, the Friday night dance (or, the P.C. version that my middle school referred to it as, the "activity night"). You know that anything starting at 7 and ending at 11 is going to be a GOOD TIME especially when coupled with a bunch of hormonal pre-teens who were just discovering the magic of grinding.
During this dance, however, something different happened, something profound that's memory still lingers with me to this day. After the DJ got done playing "Get Low" or some other raunchy generic rap hit of 2003, he stopped the music and said, "Okay guys, we're going to slow it down for one song. We'd like to dedicate this song to Jessica Mayer. We'll never forget you, Jess." And he was right; we never have.
The song he played was "Angel" by Sarah McLachlan (bet you didn't see that one coming!!!). At first, everyone just kind of stared at each other. None of us knew what to do. Then, slowly, people began to sit down. Soon everyone was sitting down and many of them, including myself, were crying. I had never heard this song before but it seemed to so perfectly fit the situation we were in. It was encouraging to see everyone, even complete strangers who had never spoken to Jessica, being so respectful and mourning such a loss with us.
Now, every time I hear this song I am reminded of that cold January night and, more importantly, of what Jessica's death taught us all: Be grateful for the simple things because you never know when they'll be gone. Take the time to appreciate those around you, no matter how well you know them, because they may not be in your life much longer. And, most of all, live your life the way you want to, never wasting even a single day, because you never know when it'll all be over.
I know this song has lot of special meaning to many people, but to me, "Angel" by Sarah McLachlan holds something different for me. Most people associate it with that sad puppy commercial, and let's be honest, I do too, but more than that it reminds me of something that happened when I was in 7th grade.
Every New Years since I was little, my family has had a tradition where we invite some family friends over and they spend a night or two here celebrating. The year I was in 7th grade was no exception. New Years day my friend, Tara, and I were up late watching TV when my brother came into the room and asked, "Joe, do you know Jessica Mayer at all?" I said that yes, I did just not very well. We had band and gym together, though, and her locker was right next to mine. I asked him why he wanted to know and he said he was just wondering so I brushed it off.
The next morning, I was playing Beyond Good and Evil on my Gamecube when my mom came into the room and told me to turn it off because she had something she needed to tell me. I asked if I could just pause it and she said that no, I needed to turn it off and come sit down at the kitchen table. I did as I was told and she began to tell me something that would change my life forever.
The night before, Jessica and her two sisters were driving to the bachelorette party for their brother's wedding when they were involved in a car accident. Jessica was killed instantly and her sisters did not survive much longer. This was my first real encounter with death. I had pets that had died in the past but this was the first time that a person I knew had died.
A few days later winter break ended and we returned to school, not knowing how everyone would be reacting. I came into school and everyone was tying white ribbon on the locks of their lockers and Jessica's locker had a picture of her up on it. People were sitting in the halls and classrooms talking to each other, crying, hugging... each one trying to make sense of what had happened. We talked about it in every class that day (except math... our math teacher still tried to teach us a lesson but we were honestly too upset to really comprehend it). Teachers cried. The one that has stuck with me most was my band teacher crying... Actually, pretty much everyone in that class cried. Some were just paralyzed and sat in silence. In gym, we just sat in groups and talked about what happened. None of us could believe that Jessica was really gone.
The moment that it really hit me the most was the end of the day when I went to my locker to get my things and head home. Normally, Jessica would be there smiling and ask me what homework we had but not today or ever again, for that matter. It was strange how something so little was what affected me the most. It really made me stop to think about the little things in life and how I shouldn't take anything, or anyone, for granted.
By now you're probably thinking, "Okay Joey, that's really sad but what does this have to do with the sad puppy song?" Well, I'm getting there. Don't get your panties in a bunch.
Fast forward a week or two. Jessica's funeral, my first funeral, had come and gone, with 90% of the 7th grade class along with most of the St. Anthony Middle School staff attending. It was now time for everyone's favorite awkward middle school event, the Friday night dance (or, the P.C. version that my middle school referred to it as, the "activity night"). You know that anything starting at 7 and ending at 11 is going to be a GOOD TIME especially when coupled with a bunch of hormonal pre-teens who were just discovering the magic of grinding.
During this dance, however, something different happened, something profound that's memory still lingers with me to this day. After the DJ got done playing "Get Low" or some other raunchy generic rap hit of 2003, he stopped the music and said, "Okay guys, we're going to slow it down for one song. We'd like to dedicate this song to Jessica Mayer. We'll never forget you, Jess." And he was right; we never have.
The song he played was "Angel" by Sarah McLachlan (bet you didn't see that one coming!!!). At first, everyone just kind of stared at each other. None of us knew what to do. Then, slowly, people began to sit down. Soon everyone was sitting down and many of them, including myself, were crying. I had never heard this song before but it seemed to so perfectly fit the situation we were in. It was encouraging to see everyone, even complete strangers who had never spoken to Jessica, being so respectful and mourning such a loss with us.
Now, every time I hear this song I am reminded of that cold January night and, more importantly, of what Jessica's death taught us all: Be grateful for the simple things because you never know when they'll be gone. Take the time to appreciate those around you, no matter how well you know them, because they may not be in your life much longer. And, most of all, live your life the way you want to, never wasting even a single day, because you never know when it'll all be over.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Day 6: A song that reminds you of somewhere
"No One Sleeps When I'm Awake" by the Sounds reminds me a lot of my time at Purdue largely because that's when I really got into the Sounds. Actually, I really got into a lot of music there, come to think of. I really wasn't enjoying myself as much as I could've been so I guess music was my escape like it always has been. The Sounds, Lights, Paramore, and, of course, No Doubt and Metric... They made things seem alright. I also started realizing something about myself there. Something that I never thought would happen to me but these feelings and urges just kept building inside of me and I couldn't deny it any longer.
I realized that I...
FUCKING LOVE LADY GAGA.
She is glorious. Fucking glorious.
I realized that I...
FUCKING LOVE LADY GAGA.
She is glorious. Fucking glorious.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Day 5: A song that reminds you of someone
Today's song takes us way back to the 90's... or the early 2000's, I don't remember. The early 2000's are basically an extension of the 90's. But that's beside the point. The song is "Juliet" by LMNT and it reminds me of one of my BBFs, the lovely Maxi Moroni. I remember when this song first came out I used to listen to it on Radio Disney all the freaking time and sing along. Now the only thing that has changed is the Radio Disney listening to part. I remember last summer we were riding in Maxi's car and she played this song and it brought back so many memories... I wish trashy pop music were as glorious today as it was in the 90's. The only trashy pop music I'd classify as glorious these days is Lady Gaga.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Day 4: A song that makes you sad
It's day 4 of the 30 day song challenge and today's theme is "a song that makes you sad." I chose the song "Pretend" by Lights. I happen to adore Lights; not only does she make really good music but she's REAL PURTY!!!! I mean, look at this picture I stole from her Facebook:
LOOK AT THAT FACE. It's soooo... symmetrical.
But this blog isn't about me being a creep, it's about this lovely song that happens to make Joey very nostalgic. I turned 20 just over a week ago and it's been really sinking in that I'm not a child anymore and you know what? I had a pretty damn good childhood. Nothing overly traumatic happened (well, until I was like 16, anyway) and I lived a pretty easy life. And best of all, I got to just play all of the time and didn't have to work hard in school (which really fucked me over for college haha). I got to do a lot of things Lights sings about; Drinking soda (or that sparkly grape shit) instead of wine, water gun fights, play fights in general... Don't get me wrong, I love me some wine but I'd give it all up to be a child again. Things were just better back then.
Some things I miss: Game Boys, Pokemon, playing cops and robbers, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, old episodes of the Simpsons, Nickleodeon, Beanie Babies, getting dressed up for Halloween, Christmas in general, playing Legos, going to my grandma's in Illinois and catching lightning bugs, the Fun Fest at my elementary school, chalk, sledding down my neighbor's hill, sleepovers, Skip Its, biking, bad 90's music, being able to get by on 7 hours of sleep, doing nothing all summer, getting special treatment because I was so young, ghosts in the graveyard, freeze tag, my friend's basement, N64 (I miss this one A LOT haha), the Spice Girls, movies like Clueless, being innocent and carefree, Joe and Tara's Bar (don't ask haha), awkward middle school dances, calling people do see if they wanted to play, looking forward to college and the future and having endless possibilities ahead of me...
I wish I could go back.
LOOK AT THAT FACE. It's soooo... symmetrical.
But this blog isn't about me being a creep, it's about this lovely song that happens to make Joey very nostalgic. I turned 20 just over a week ago and it's been really sinking in that I'm not a child anymore and you know what? I had a pretty damn good childhood. Nothing overly traumatic happened (well, until I was like 16, anyway) and I lived a pretty easy life. And best of all, I got to just play all of the time and didn't have to work hard in school (which really fucked me over for college haha). I got to do a lot of things Lights sings about; Drinking soda (or that sparkly grape shit) instead of wine, water gun fights, play fights in general... Don't get me wrong, I love me some wine but I'd give it all up to be a child again. Things were just better back then.
Some things I miss: Game Boys, Pokemon, playing cops and robbers, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, old episodes of the Simpsons, Nickleodeon, Beanie Babies, getting dressed up for Halloween, Christmas in general, playing Legos, going to my grandma's in Illinois and catching lightning bugs, the Fun Fest at my elementary school, chalk, sledding down my neighbor's hill, sleepovers, Skip Its, biking, bad 90's music, being able to get by on 7 hours of sleep, doing nothing all summer, getting special treatment because I was so young, ghosts in the graveyard, freeze tag, my friend's basement, N64 (I miss this one A LOT haha), the Spice Girls, movies like Clueless, being innocent and carefree, Joe and Tara's Bar (don't ask haha), awkward middle school dances, calling people do see if they wanted to play, looking forward to college and the future and having endless possibilities ahead of me...
I wish I could go back.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)