So I suck at writing on this thing over summer apparently…oh well, I’ve been insanely busy with work and my volunteer stuff. Heres what’s good…
1. Forever Young
2. Lighthouse, soon to be tattoo #2
3. Cape Cod for two days with mama!
4. MGMT- Kids
5. Nosferatu dances to Lady Gaga
6. Back to my loves in SF August 29th
7. Applying for Semester at Sea (and crossing fingers about getting in!)
8. 500 Days of Summer, such a good movie!
9. Ptown!
10. KISSES XOXO
Today I am very homesick for the motherland of good ole’ Boston, land of the Irish and bad drivers and delicious pizza…so heres a playlist FOR BOSTON (and Massachusetts in general).
1. I’m Shipping Up To Boston by Dropkick Murphys
“I’m shipping up to Boston…” Soon I hope.2. Mass Pike by The Get Up Kids
“Last night on the Mass Pike, thought I was losing you, last night on the Mass Pike, I fell in love with you…” This is mine an Maryclare’s traditional song for any highway driving in the state of Massachusetts…on or off the pike.3. State of Massachusetts by Dropkick Murphys
The State of Massachusetts…enough said.4. For Boston by Dropkick Murphys
For Boston, for Boston…yup.5. Boston by Augustana
“Think I’ll go to Boston…I’ll get out of California…”6. Dirty Water by The Standelles
“Love that dirty water…Boston you’re my home…”7. Boston (Ladies of Cambridge) by Vampire Weekend
A great song about Boston at night. “I’ve held dreams of boston all of my life…”8. Walcott by Vampire Weekend
Well actually…I’d rather be going into Cape Cod tonight!9. Logan to Government Center by Brand New
“You’re what makes New England so great…”10. Massachusetts by The BeeGees
“Feel Im goin back to massachusetts,Tried to hitch a ride to san francisco,
Gotta do the things I wanna do.
And the lights all went out in massachusetts
They brought me back to see my way with you.”
11. They Came to Boston by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
Bosstones…totally essential, and really hilarious the song is about watching the annoying tourists in the city. “I was here before they came. I’ll be here long after…”12. Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond
Well this song was written about MA, thought it doesn’t actually mention it…and some street performer is always playing it late night in the subway stations. “The good times never seemed so good…”
Sometimes dance parties just happen, especially in dorm buildings around midnight…here are some of my favorite (although slightly embarrassing) dance party worthy songs!
1. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun by Cyndi Lauper
Oh come on, you knew this was coming, its the quintessential girl power dance song.
2. Kids by MGMT
This song is on a constant loop through my head, its beat just compels you to move.3. Take A Chance On Me (and Mama Mia) by ABBA
What’s a dance party without ABBA really? Its embarrassing but everyone knows it and secretly loves it.4. Dancin’ With Myself by Billy Idol
The name explains it all really…5. 1999 by Prince
Prince is fabulous, this song is so perfectly dance worthy. So perfectly Prince.6. Wannabe by Spice Girls
Remember this? Yeahh early 90’s. Alright so I was maybe 7 when I first heard this song? I can’t actually remember, but I do remember dancing around to it. And despite that being like what, 11 years ago? I still dance around to this song.7. Like a Virgin by Madonna
Oh Madonna, you complete me.8. I Think We’re Alone Now by Tiffany
I remember being in middle school, dancing around my room to this song with Maryclare right as we were discovering it and other musical gems from the 80’s.9. The Safety Dance by Men Without Hats
This is a homage to one of my best friends, Michelle, this gets stuck in her head with disturbing frequency, and it always sparks impromptu dance parties no matter where we are.10. What I Like About You by The Romantics
This is the kind of song that you dance to sort of spastically while shaking your hair around a lot.
First fives of 2009! So here it is, my top 5 songs…I’m not going to explain these ones, instead I’ll just link you so you can listen for yourselves!
1. Where Is My Mind by The Pixies
2. Whatever Happened by The Strokes
“Into The Unknown”, Photo by Swamibu
All the cool kids are doing it, so how could I resist? I think resolutions however are stupid, I’d rather just set some goals! So here are some goals I have for 2009.
1. Learn to use Flash and InDesign (and work super hard in my design classes so I gain more skills).
2. Take more photos.
3. Move into a house with my friends (which will be happening by June!!).
4. Learn 10 (or more!) new things to cook.
5. Learn to play the guitar (I am finally attempting again!) and practice the piano more (as I have been drastically slacking.).
6. Travel at least one new place.
7. Try one new artistic practice or medium that I normally never would out of thinking its weird, or that I am unable.
8. Read 20 (or more!) books. I used to read so much but this past year I haven’t as much and I regret that!
9. Continue to update this blog and my portfolios.
10. Maintain a 3.25 GPA!!!
Obviously as the year progresses more goals with come up, but this is the list for now!
Every year there are a set of songs that you listened to a million times, some new songs from the year that stuck with you, and songs that defined particular events during the year, so here it is, my 2008 summed up in music! I would love to know some of yours too!
1. Live or Let Die by Paul McCartney
Not a new song at all, but on June 1st sitting in Anfield Stadium in Liverpool, England at the Paul McCarntey concert that was part of Capital of Culture ‘08…the song Live and Let Die was one of the defining moments of my life up to this point. The song starts out slow and suddenly explodes into noise and fireworks and I just remember forgetting how cold and wet I was and just being so awe-inspired by the scene in front of me.2. Human by The Killers
This song, really doesn’t make sense, I mean come on “are we human or are we dancer?” what does that even mean? Well I have no idea, but seeing the Killers live at Not So Silent Night ‘08 was a really amazing moment for me and this was the first song that they opened their set with, the whole atmosphere just had that feeling of unity. Its from their new album that came out this year and is one of the best albums of the year!3. Hot n Cold by Katy Perry
Such a tacky pop song, so horribly catchy. That alone is good enough in my book, but I suddenly started hearing this song all the time when I started my job at Lush (because all we listen is disco diva music!) and this song is now just constantly stuck in my head!4. West Coast Friendship by Owl City
As you know, I moved to San Francisco, California for school in August and this is a cute little song about finding your place in California. “I must be in California, Aloha, my happy west coast friends…” I couldn’t have said it better :).5. Paper Planes by M.I.A.
This song was played a million times in my dorm building during the first semester of school, all my friends constantly had it playing, it was all anyone heard for a while and thusly it became a sort of anthem to our first semester at art school.6. D.A.N.C.E. by Justice
This is another one of those catchy songs that when you live in a building with 90 other art kids that gets played a lot. For whatever reason nearly everyone in my building has a love affair with Justice and this song got almost as much airtime as Paper Planes. I think its because its so fun to dance around to!7. Fortunate Son by Credence Clearwater Revival
Another classic, even my British friend at school knows this one, this is one of those classic songs, that everyone knows and like to put on and sing along too, I seem to have found myself in a lot of crazy music listening sessions turned sing-along via this song in the past few months!8. Happiness by Goldfrapp
One of their new songs from this year, its just very simple and makes me smile when I listen to it! It makes the list because it came out this year and is an amazing little song!9. Viva La Vida by Coldplay
This whole album really, I listed to it so many times on the flight to England and the train ride to London. Its a beautiful song, the whole CD is really really good, one of the best albums of this year!10. Paris to Berlin by Infernal
I don’t think this song came out this year, but the memories connected to it are definitely hilarious. This song was introduced to me in late May, a few days before graduation by a friend of mine while we were sitting around in an empty art room. She put it on, and got up and did a whole dance to it! So now we both know the dance and several of my other friends know it now too, and it always just leads to hilarious events.11. Two Step by Dave Mathews Band
This is so tacky of me, but this was of senior song, the lines “Celebrate we will/Because life is short but sweet for certain.” were the lines we used as the motto for our senior t-shits. I was never one of those people who was into this sort of thing normally in high school, I never cared, I was not one of those popular weirdos who “LOVED DAVEEE!!!” (as in the popular kids who were obsessed with Dave Mathews Band and thought they were super indie and cool for it). But regardless, high school is one of those things everyone goes through and when graduating (as I did in May) you look back and realize you ended up with someone good friends and good memories and this was the senior song, thus it got tagged to a lot of those good times.12. All I Want is You by Barry Louis Polisar
This is the year that everyone fell in love with this song via Juno, and at art school I get a lot of crap for liking this movie, but its cute and hard not to like, and the music in it was awesome. This song is just adorable, for a while it got put on all the mix CDs I made for people in hopes that it would make them feel as warm and fuzzy as it made me feel.13. Always Love by Nada Surf
Towards the end of the summer, in someone’s car on a really hot and humid night where we had the windows dow and it felt like we were the only people on the whole planet, a friend of mine put this song on, and it fit, it just fit perfectly. We were all about to go off to college and in our separate directions and I remember someone else just quietly saying that this was it, this was the end, that we wouldn’t just be all together aimlessly driving around with no worries until next summer, if we were even still in touch. And it wasn’t really sad so much as just nostalgic and kind of surreal, an “infinite moment” if you will.14. Sunshine Highway by The Dropkick Murphys
This song just epitomizes right after I got my license this summer, driving on the highway under a perfect blue sky in my crappy old Lincoln feeling so incredibly free.15. California by Phantom Planet
I moved to California, and made a whole California playlist which you may remember, so enough said. So cliche and yet, so right!I love music, its a major part of my life, I watch a lot of rock documentaries and read memories ect, so here are some of my favorite quotes from some of my favorite musicians!
1. “I was a rust repairer. I was a rust repairer and full-time survivor. I survived all the major earthquakes, and the Titanic, and several air crash.” -Keith Moon (on being asked what he did before The Who)
2. “We didn’t all get into music for a job! We got into music to avoid a job, in truth - and get lots of girls.”-Paul McCartney
3. “I mean, Eighteen years old is the age of consent in Europe and you can go anywhere and do anything you like. In America, it is dumb. At eighteen you should be able to do anything that you like, except get married.” -John Entwistle
4. “When things get too heavy, just call me helium, the lightest known gas to man.”-Jimi Hendrix
5. “Through literacy you can begin to see the universe. Through music you can reach anybody. Between the two there is you, unstoppable.” -Grace Slick
6. “You wake up in the morning and you look at your old spoon, and you say to yourself, ‘Mick, it’s time to get yourself a new spoon.’ And you do. ” -Mick Jagger
7. “I was born with a plastic spoon in my mouth. ” -Pete Townshend
8. “All I can do is be me, whoever that is. ” -Bob Dylan
9. “I think of myself as an intelligent, sensitive human being with the soul of a clown which always forces me to blow it at the most important moments.” -Jim Morrison
10. “Don’t compromise yourself. You are all you’ve got.” -Janis Joplin
I have music playing, almost always, while I’m working, while I’m driving, while I’m making art, and there are always certain songs that give off certain feelings. It seems like there are only songs I’ll listen to during the coldest days of winter when it snows, and since tonight is the first snow of the year (that I’ve been in Massachusetts for) I’m sharing with you my playlist of “wintery” songs.
1. Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels) by The Arcade Fire
This song starts out with the lines “And if the snow buries my, my neighbourhood.”, I mean really, what could be a more fitting way to start a playlist about winter! Plus the song has an overall cold mellow feel, the same that you (or at least I) get on cold grey winter sundays.2. New Year by Death Cab for Cutie
The classic Death Cab for Cutie song that pretty much everyone knows at this point, Ben’s mellow vocals ring out lines about ringing in the new year.3. The Winter Song by Eisley
This womans voice is beautiful, very chilly in my opinion plus the first few lines of the song go “The Winter Song/Walking home with the/Snow it is falling down”, enough said.4. Early Winter by Gwen Stefani
I love Gwen, and I don’t care what anyone says! I love her songs and her voice and her hair and everything. I even own a pair of shoes from her Harajuku line at Royal Elastics! Uh but anyways, the song, it just really projects that cold chilly sort of lonely but not necessarily bad feeling I get from the cold.5. Through the Backyards by Au Revoir Simone
A friend of mine described the noise in the song as snow falling and said that the vocals sounded like they would warm you up after being out in the snow.6. 20 Years of Snow by Regina Spektor
Regina has a chilly voice to begin with, then top it off with lyrics of boys who are “dying breeds” and daughters who are “20 years of snow” and you have one very winter feeling tune.7. Run by Snow Patrol
There is just something about this song, his voice just sounds cold, like he’s standing in the snow and you can see his breath, I think this is just one of those songs that I end up liking a lot sometimes and that time usually is winter so I associate them, but it does make me think of someone telling them that even through the coldest winter they are still there with you.8. I Am A Rock by Simon and Garfunkle
The songs setting is winter, “A winter’s day, In a deep and dark December” to be exact while “Gazing from my window, To the streets below, On a freshly fallen silent shroud of snow”.9. Hazy Shade Of Winter by Simon and Garfunkle
Yes, another S&G song, I couldn’t help it…you can’t not include this classic, “the sky is a hazy shade of winter” you can’t deny it.10. Cold Water by Damien Rice
Searching for yourself in the cold…sounds pretty darn wintery to me.
Lately I’ve been having trouble falling asleep and then staying asleep, typical art school student problem…well really a problem for any college student who is stressed out with school work and a job and social responsibilities. One of the biggest things that helps me get to sleep is putting on some chill music and zoning into it, so here is a mix of songs, albums and artists to fall asleep to.
1. Le fabuleux destin d’Amélie Poulain by Yann Tiersen
Okay so this is actually an entire album, its the soundtrack from the motion picture Amelie (a must see if you haven’t already), its all beautiful instrumentals. Really anything by Yann is amazing, I’ve got the entire discography!2. The Marie Antoinette Soundtrack
Not every song on here is necessarily the best for when you want to sleep, but this album does have several really beautiful and soothing instruments such as the Vivaldi Concerto and the Opuses by Dustin O’Halloran.3. Mistake Mistake Mistake Mistake by Dntl/James Figurine
Another album, filled with low-key electronic songs and white noise type sounds.4. Andrew Bird
Everything and anything, seriously. Andrew Bird is insanely chill. It’s hard to say what my favorite album is but lately I’ve been digging “The Mysterious Production of Eggs”.5. One Plus One is One by Badly Drawn Boy
This album is really sweet, is calm and has one of my favorite songs ever on it, Year of the Rat (which it actually is this year!), so if you don’t listen to the whole album you should at least look up the music video for Year of the Rat, it will make you warm and happy inside!
I move in 5 days, and a great way to prepare for a trip or move or anything is to have a playlist about it so you can listen and get totally excited! Here are my top 10 songs from my California playlist. It gets me so excited for my move…well not about packing for said move, but thats another post!
1. Holiday From Real by Jacks Mannequin
“Oh, California in the Summer/Ah, and my hair is growin’ long”2. Over My Head by The Fray
“As you lose the argument in a cable car.”3. California Girls by The Beach Boys
“I wish they all could be california girls/The west coast has the sunshine”4. Piazza New York Catcher by Belle & Sebastion
“San Francisco’s calling us/the Giants and Mets will play”5. California Dreamin’ by The Mamas & The Papas
“California Dreamin’ on such a winter’s day”6. California by Phantom Planet
“Driving down the 101/California here we come”7. San Francisco by Scott McKenzie
“If you’re going to San Francisco/Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair8. Californication by Red Hot Chili Peppers
“And tidal waves couldn’t save the world from Californication”9. Sleepy California by Her Space Holiday
“But I just hope they know/It’s just Sleepy California/How much I really care”10. California One Youth and Beauty Brigade by The Decemberists
“And the road a-winding goes/from golden gate to roaring cliff-side and the light is softly low as our hearts become sweetly untied/beneath the sun of California one”