cardinal

So The Current played a White Light Riot song this morning (love them, so sad they're calling it quits) and it has been stuck in my head ever since. 

You won't know how far you have gone, if you can't look behind.

I tend to (read: always) learn things in life the hard way. Examples? Not necessary. Friendships, relationships, family, practical, all of it. Has to be the hard way. Today was one of those days.

And it just keeps wrapping around to those lyrics. For all the times that I get so frustrated (read: pissed off) that I have to learn everything the hard way, I guess it really gives me the gift of being able to look back and see how far I've gone from that moment.

Okay okay, enough with the oversharing. That's not what this blog is for.

But seriously. White Light Riot is one of my favorite local bands. You owe it to yourself to come to their farewell show next month.

Current song: White Light Riot - Midway Souvenirs

olympics

So, again my goodness, it's been 4 months since I wrote anything on here. You know, been doing the usual, work, grad school, eat, music, sleep, repeat. Oh and I got a dog. But that's really all I talk about and right now I'm sick of talking about it.

Anyway.

I've found myself listening to old school Dashboard Confessional a lot lately. Which is possibly a good indicator of feeling a little... oh yah know.. do I really have to say it? Emo.

I just had a birthday and all of a sudden I'm feeling a little more adult.. which is cool, I guess. But before I get emo all over this blog, I'll get to the point.

His lyrics. My goodness. This whole album is high school in a snapshot for me. And somehow, it is right now for me too.

Some of my faves:

I'm missing your laugh, how did it break? And when did your eyes begin to look fake? I hope you're as happy as you're pretending.

And you're measuring your minutes by a clock that's blinking eights.

This is incredible, starving, insatiable. Yes, this is love for the first time. Well you'd like to think that you were invincible, yeah, well weren't we all once. Before we felt loss for the first time. Well this is the last time.

Does it comfort you to know you fought the good fight? Basking in your victory, hollow and alone, while you boast your bitter bragging rights to anyone who'll listen. While you're left with nothing tangible to gain. 


And ugh just so much more. That entire album. 

Specifically this song. I even tried to learn it on guitar when I was in high school, but it's tuned down funny and well, my fingers are delicate.
 
Dashboard Confessional - The Best Deceptions

red

So the Delta Spirit show the other night just about rocked my face right off.

It was at the Fine Line, which is actually one of my favorite venues to see medium-sized shows at, especially if they're dance-y. I hadn't seen a show there in quite a while.. felt like there was a blip in their scheduling when it comes to shows I want to see or something. And I was a little surprised that Delta Spirit played there and not Varsity since the first time I saw them about a year ago was at the Varsity and it was pretty well filled. But I digress.

It was sold out, and packed. But we snuck up on the side and actually had a pretty decent view. The crowd was decent too. Didn't dance as much as I would like (but I kind of ask a lot when it comes to that).

But they sounded FANTASTIC. And their background light show of 3 deltas was just the right amount of back glow. Made it feel kind of magical. 

One of the better non-local rock shows I've seen as of late. And besides the Fine Line being packed, one of my favorite non-local shows there.

Wish their set would have been approx. twice as long.

Current song: Kathleen Edwards - Pink Champagne

bell

Ohhhh hello new Rocky Votolato album.

I love you.

And I am not at all surprised.

The joys of contributing to a Kickstarter and getting the album early!

Current song: Rocky Votolato - Fool's Gold

daisy

Go watch this: American Idol - Reed Grimm Farewell

1. Because he's a great person (in real life)
2. Because he gives some great great life advice.

Current song: Some annoying Decemberists song playing on the Current

hands

Man, there is just something about a guy playing piano. Meowwwww.

strengths

If you haven't seen this video from SNL last week, go watch it. I laughed my ass off. It has 3 of my favorite musicians in it. Clue: not LL Cool J.

Oh and for the record, it's a bit challenging to sing and dance and run at the same time, but I'll be damned if I'm not gonna try. I blame Motion City Soundtrack.

Current song: whatever's playing on The Current in my kitchen, can't hear it.

lights

Kathleen Edwards.

So I saw her last September when she opened for Bon Iver, and had never heard her before then. She was good, but was another singer-songwriter and to be honest, sometimes I just get overwhelmed by the preponderance of singer-songwriters in the scene today. Oh and I was a little distracted because I wanted to make a bathroom run before Bon Iver started.

BUT. I've heard her on The Current a handful of times in the last week, specifically the song Sidecar, and she's been growing on me.

So I got her music and it's all I've been listening to today at work. It's pleasant. And not necessarily I-need-to-memorize-these-lyrics kind of music, just enjoyable. Something I can listen to for a good length of time and not get annoyed. Which actually says a lot, I tend to get sick of an artist after 1-ish album's worth of listening. Except for Jeremy Messersmith, that never happens with him. I could listen to him all the time and not get sick of it.

Anyway. Go get her stuff. And love it. Mmmk?

Current song: Kathleen Edwards - Change the Sheets
(PS - there's a city I love all over the video. And what is it about videos with driving and clouds and stuff? I just love em!)

tree

So I've actually been focusing on that little thing called "grad school".. but still listening to music (duh).

I got the new Ingrid Michaelson album, Human Again, though I haven't had much time to listen to it.

I think my favorite albums of hers would be Boys and Girls and half of Be OK and half of Everybody. (See how I got away with not talking trash about any of it? Huh? Huh?)

Anyway. She's got some good jams. I feel like each album has gone a different direction from Boys and Girls, which I just loved so much. (Again, see how I got away with that?)

What else what else.

I've been really into The Format lately. I think I've already written about them. I mean, God forbid I repeat myself, right? But I really like Tune Out and The First Single. Pretty much all of Interventions & Lullabies. So car-dance-able.

My friends Readygoes have a new EP coming out soon and I've very jazzed about that. It's the ultimate in danceability. That's a word, don't you dare tell me it's not.

Other than that.. Yeah I feel pretty boring right about now. Reading Pedagogy of the Oppressed if that's any indication of what my homework life is like. Oh, and I have to read it in silence so I can focus. Most of the time I read it out loud. It helps!

Current song: Counting Crows - A Murder of One

polka dot

Guess who should be doing homeworkkkkkk

This girllllllllll

Le sigh.

So, here I am, not doing homework, obviously doing something completely not homework.

But I just have to tell you to go to one thing.

Go get this album: Dead Man Winter - Bright Lights
(I mean seriously, it's $5, that's deal)

And then dance in your living room. Don't worry, I am too. It's like a world-wide dance party.

Current song: Dead Man Winter - Wasteland

Mmmk?

purple

So I've been lame-o and haven't written on here in what, 16 years?

I know, I know.

But see here's the thing. I've got all this Life stuff happening. You know. School, work, buying a house, trying to maintain my sanity, oh and maybe some friendships, and see music in there too.

So all that to say, it's not you, it's me.

This song is stuck in my head: Beach Boys : God Only Knows