Post Christmas Blues

I love Christmas. I question the fact that the Christmas season starts November 1st. At that point, there's already Christmas music playing on some radio stations. Also, all the stores are stocked with Christmas decorations galore. I don't understand why this is, though. Advent only starts four weeks before Christmas. I don't usually feel the need to start Christmas shopping before Thanksgiving. I'm a last minute person, what can I say?

Are there other holidays that we start preparing that early before? Am I missing something or is it just me who notices this? Oh well. I feel like this does happen in other aspects of our culture, though.

People who get married usually are engaged for about a year before the actual wedding happens. The preparation that goes into a wedding is amazing. I can't imagine why people need to do that much work for a one to two-hour ceremony. It just seems so silly. I can't imagine what compels people to spend so much money on weddings either. I'd much prefer to spend that kind of money on a house or a nice vacation to Europe. That's just me, though.

I guess it has to do with Americans being very ceremony-oriented. We like to make big splashes when it comes to birthdays and anniversary's also. There are those people who get married twice. That is the most absurd thing to me. I guess it's probably because I'm not married. I feel like once is enough. Well, if we're not including divorce at least. It'd be nice if once were enough, but that doesn't seem to be the case these days.

Anyways. I hope you had a good Christmas. Enjoy the rest of your vacation.

Mi Guitarra

I just wanted to let you know that my guitar now has strings. I know, it's quite amazing. The thing is that I didn't have strings on it for a few weeks now. I was too busy with school to be able to go to the music store and get new strings so it was kinda naked for a little while now.

Now I can practice. Today, my dad asked if I had been performing at all lately. I sadly have not. I don't know what's keeping me. I blame it on the nudity of my guitar, though. Now, all better.

Yayness.

Merry Christmas everyone! And happy New Year!

Finals

Finals make my head hurt. Literally. I've been studying for a couple hours and I now have a headache. I took a study break to make brownies, though. They smell really good and after they get a chance to cool, I will be able to eat some. The rest will inevitably be ingested by my roommates and/or friends at school.

It's the weirdest thing, though. I am somehow unable to listen to music while I study. I don't like it at all. The silence is deafening. The thing is, it's really distracting. I can't concentrate if I have music on. I even tried listening to music in Spanish and with the fact that I am quite fluent these days, I was still distracted by it. Oh well.

Good like with Finals all! Have a great holiday break!

Performance

This will be my last blog for this class. I will continue to blog after the class is over. I hope you guys keep blogging, too. If not, have a great Winter Break!

I have been performing since I was a wee tyke. I actually remember performing a song at my church when I was little. I'm not sure of the name, but I know the melody to it which is kind of impressive.

I have always loved performing. It makes me really nervous, but I also get a thrill out of it. When I start playing my solo or singing during a performance, I will sometimes get so nervous that my lip will quiver and it will give the sound a vibrato of sorts. I usually get over this after the intro thankfully.

I cannot count the amount of times that I have done solos or duets or whathaveyou. It's an amazing thing. I don't even know why I continue to perform. It's not like I get any money from it.

There were a couple times I was paid for performing. I played the flute at someone's wedding. I also played in a flute choir where we were paid for playing at Bordine's and the Dicken's Festival.

I could tell you about so many experiences when it came to performing. Most were good, a couple were bad. During high school, I participated in marching band. It was not my favorite thing to do, let me tell you. Most of the time we were cold, and a lot of the time, the field was muddy. I also didn't like that we had to watch football.

For some reason, one year, our band played in a Christmas parade. I don't know how we got that gig, but by the time were done, my fingers were numb. It was not my most pleasant experience in band.

One of my favorite pieces that we played in the flute choir was the Pink Panther. I always played the bass flute and for once, I actually got the melody. It sounded reaaaalllly good. I loved that song.

As you can see, I have done a lot of performing. I hope to continue. One of these days, I'll get new strings for my guitar. Until then, the stage awaits me.

Coldplay and other stuff

If you don't love this band then it's possible you're not human. Coldplay is AMAZING. That's all I'm going to say about that.

"Fix You" is really kind of a sad song. It's about fixing someone. It's positive in a way though because someone is being guided home. I like the guitar solo also. It sounds really good for some reason. I like the ending, also. It gets more upbeat while the lyrics are a little bit more depressing. It's just a cool idea. Here's the video. 

I love, love, love the song, "Viva la Vida." I don't know what it is. I think it has something to do with the introduction. That and the strings. I love it when people use string instruments in unconventional ways (this is a good  example of that). The thing is, I have never understood this song. I guess that's okay, though. It's still a good song. Watch the video here.

There are so many good songs by Coldplay, but I chose to share this one with you all because it has a really good piano melody and I also like the vocal melodies. It is arranged well, in general, though.The introduction really pulls the listener in and then they keep listening when we are brought back to that same melody throughout the song.





So I brought up the fact that I like it when strings are used in new and interesting ways. That brings me to the movie "Step Up" which has a last dance number. The song that is featured has Hip Hop influences, but it also uses strings. It sounds really cool. The dance is good, too.




Also,  I wanted to let you know that one of the bands that I am a fan of, The Hook, played in Flint. It was really cool to see them in a more familiar setting. I enjoyed it a lot. The disappointing thing was that there weren't that many people there to see them and they are a really good band. So next time, go and see them. They only play covers, but it's of popular music that's really fun to listen to so it's cool.

Christmas

I wanted to let you know, if you didn't already, that there are 23 shopping days left until Christmas. Don't worry, I haven't gotten all my gifts, either. With the snow, I am feeling Christmasy so I thought I'd post some of my favorite Christmas songs.

I, of course, love "White Christmas" by Bing Crosby. My family and I used to watch the movie, "White Christmas" every Christmas, but then I think we lost the VHS tape. I still will watch it if it comes on TV, though. I love Bing Crosby's voice. It's so soothing. It's got a really good tone to it. I love this song because it evokes the Christmas spirit. I remember one Christmas when we had a green Christmas. It was very disappointing for me.



"O Holy Night" is a really good song, too. I particularly like this version with Josh Groban only because I love Josh Groban's voice. He has a really nice timber to his voice. I could listen to him singing for hours and I probably have.




"Silent Night" is another song that I really like to listen to around Christmas time. I really like Charlotte Church as a singer and she does a really good job on this song. She has a good voice, but I can't listen to it for hours like I can Josh Groban's. She's a good singer, though. It's just very "choir-y" which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it can get annoying after a while.




Another song I love, love, love is "Carol of the Bells." An amazing version of this song is done by Trans-Syberian Orchestra (TSO). The only album of theirs that I have is their Christmas album and it is amazing. Some of their originals are really good along with the classic Christmas music. I just find that TSO is an awesome group because of the musical range that they have. I love the blending of the orchestra with the bass and the electric guitar. It sounds really good.

James Blunt

I have loved James Blunt's music for a while ever since I heard the song, "You're Beatiful." It is such a good song. I guess I just like that the singer thinks the girl is beautiful in this song. It's just kind of lovey dovey which of course I love. It's also sad because it says, "And I don't know what to do 'cause I'll never be with you." I love the video, too. It's so weird because it looks like it's snowing and then he takes his clothes off. I like the fact that he has a guitar pick in his back pocket. I sometimes keep a guitar pick in my wallet. You can watch the video here.

Another song that I like of his is "Same Mistake." I feel like it has some relateable lyrics because it's talking about not learning from your mistakes. I feel like a lot of people can probably relate to maybe going back to the same harmful relationship or repeating that same bad habit. It happens to the best of us. "Give me reason, but don't give me choice 'cause I'll just make the same mistake again." It makes sense. Good song. Watch the video here. 

"Goodbye My Lover" is another sad song by him. It's about a relationship that's over but the singer is still in love with the person. "Goodbye my lover, goodbye my friend. You have been the one, you have been the one for me." It's really sad, but it's really pretty. "I'd be the father of your child. I'd spend a lifetime with you...and I love you. I swear that's true." It's just about someone who doesn't have to let their lover go. It'd be really hard, I'm sure. I really like the piano part in this song, also. Most of the time he plays the guitar in his songs, but it really went with the song.

Folk and Country

So  I wanted to let you in on the fact that I love folk music. Good folk music that is. One of my favorite bands from back in the sixtie's, when they were popular, is Peter, Paul and Mary. They have so many songs that I love, but I'll just post a few of them.


This is a beautiful song. I know that it actually is a Bob Dylan song that they are covering, but I really like this version of the song. Mary has a really pretty voice and the harmonies sound really good, too. The lyrics are deep. They evoke deep thoughts about things that people really don't want to talk about.




Another good song that they did is "Leaving on a Jet Plane." This is a John Denver song, but they made it beautiful. I love their three-part harmony. It sounds soo good. It's a sad song about leaving someone. It's still nice in some parts though. "Kiss me and smile for me. Tell me that you'll wait for me. Hold me like you'll never let me go." It's so romantic.



I like some country music. I'm really picky about the kind of country music that I listen to, though. Usually, I only like female country artists. One of the artists I like is Patsy Cline. She had a lot of hits back in the day. I like the song "Just a Closer Walk with Me" that she sang. It's very beautiful. I like the lyrics a lot, too. "I am weak, but thou art strong. Jesus, keep me from all wrong." This song just bring me so much joy. I'm pretty sure this song is a cover, also.



A country band that I like is the Dixie Chicks. They have made a lot of good music over the years. One song that I like of theirs is "Not Ready to Make Nice." It's a very strong message. The narrator in the song isn't going to just lie down and take what's given to her. I feel like it's another one of my go-to feminist songs. It also has a good melody. The violin sounds really good in this song, too.

Review of Brandon Flowers Concert

If you know me at all, you understand how much I love the Killers and Brandon Flowers' music. Both the band and Flowers' music are very good. I was able to see Brandon Flowers in concert at the Royal Oak Music Theatre on my birthday on Wednesday.

It was amazing to say the least. He sang pretty much all the songs on his album and the last song he sang was an acoustic version of "When You Were Young" which is a song by the Killers that I really like. All the songs he performed were really good. I enjoyed the entire concert. The lighting and the fact that I was about fifteen feet away from the performers was amazing.

After the concert, my brother, me and a couple other people went out to a bar. They had this ska band there who played. I love ska bands because they have horns which reminds me of the days back in high school when I was in band.

I was in band from the fourth grade until 12th grade. I don't regret one second of it even if that meant marching during half time on really cold nights and having to watch the football team lose yet another game. Not that winning a game would make it more interesting. I made friends through band and I went to band camp during the summer time for a week of marching and playing my instrument non-stop.

I feel like I would be a different person if I weren't a musician. My mother just asked, "Have you played your flute lately?" which is a good question. The answer is "No," sadly. I don't play it as much as I used to. It's just not something that I think about as much. I should, though. Playing the flute has always given me such joy. I have loved playing the flute and the bass flute and even the piccollo with its very out-of-tune high pitchiness.

Without music, I would be a different person. That's why it is really important that we have music in schools. If kids don't have arts programs, then what are they going to take, math and science classes? Neither of those are interesting to someone like me. I'm a language person and I have never had to take a math class during my entire college career.

I would encourage you to help save the music. All you have to do is go to the website and donate. It's the season for giving. If you're leary about donating, ask yourself this question: what would you do without music? If there are no musicians, then there is no one to make the music.

"Making It"

What does it mean to make it in the music world? Does it have to do with money, fame or getting all the hookers and drugs that you want whenever you want? I wanted to explore this topic since I went to a concert on Friday of a band who I have been a fan of for quite some time.

I am talking about the band, "Lifted." They are a band who come from Owosso and they are a trio. The band's members include Dan (vocals/ guitar), Brenda (bass/ backup vocals) and Dustin (drums). The band plays rock music that is heavy but not too heavy for my delicate eardrums.

I bought their new album, Red Raven, and I must say that I like it a lot. They did a really good job on it and it's really nice to hear songs of theirs that I've heard a lot, but the new songs are really good, too.

So what do they have to do with making it? Well, I feel like they are a good example of the gray areas that come up when talking about what it means to make it in the music world. They are a local band that doesn't exactly play to sold out shows at Madison Square Garden, but they do play at the Machine Shop in Flint. This is a venue that hosts many bands that have made it including Uncle Kracker and Gavin Rossdale from Bush (both of whom I wanted to see).

I guess that's another qualification to test if they have made it: if a band's song/s are on the radio. I haven't heard Lifted on the radio, but it's possible they were on the radio according to their myspace. They do have a music video which I really enjoyed seeing on Friday. It's a really good song and the video really goes along with the song which is always good. If you want to watch the video, you can go here.

So, to answer my own question, I would say that Lifted has made it in terms of underground music, but they haven't in terms of pop music that you hear everyday. It's okay, though, because that's way cooler. My previous band mate said that he would much rather be the former instead of the latter which you would understand if you had ever met him.

If you're curious about learning more about Lifted and their music, you should check them out on Facebook and Myspace.

Music is a Universal Language

For my Spanish class we are having to lip synch to songs that are in Spanish so I thought I'd talk about Latin American music for this post.

I have always loved Enrique Iglesias. He is an amazing artist. I don't really like "I like it" (ironically) that much. I don't think the lyrics are that great. I just wanted to interject that before talking about this next song. My favorite song of his is "Heroe" ( note the 'e'). This is the Spanish version of the song "Hero." It is a really good song. It's off the album Escape. It's a really good album. It has a lot of pop songs that I really like. There are a few songs that are done in Spanish but most of them are in English which works.





Another artist that I really like is of course, Selena. She was an amazing singer and she even broke into the American music market with her song, "Dreaming of You." I have always loved this song. I like some her songs in Spanish tonight, but those don't get played on the radio that I listen to, at least. I love the movie that was made about her. I thought that Jeniffer Lopez did a really good job of portraying her.



I have always enjoyed Shakira's music. She's been around for a while now and she has had a lot of good hits.The song that we're doing for my class is "La Tortura." It's a good song. In the song, it's talking about the guy who messes up. The girl in the song hurts a lot from what did. She also cries a lot. He basically says that he's not a saint and that he makes mistakes. He also talks about how it hurts him a lot which doesn't really make a lot of sense. Anyways.

Party Shuffle

That's what it's called on my droid. It's pretty fun. Anyways, I wanted to try shuffling the songs on my phone and seeing what happened.

Here goes...



I don't think I've talked too much about Green Day. I really like this song, though. It's what I listen to when I feel like listening to rock which isn't as much these days, but I do actually listen to it on occasion.



This is yet another amazing song from James Blunt off of his album, "Back to Bedlam" which is a very good album. I am really excited because his new album comes out TODAY! You cannot know how excited I am about this occurrence. James Blunt is one of my favorite artists. He's an amazing singer and musician.



There's actually a few songs on my phone that I haven't really listened to. This is one of them. I actually really like this song, though, now that I've listened to it. It's not like a lot of her other songs. I like the slowness and the very thought-provoking lyrics are really good, too.



Have I told you that I am in love with Sara Bareilles? Well, I am. Her music, at least. Her album, Kaleidoscope Heart is the best thing that has ever happened to me. This song, "Breathe Again" is really good. I love it. It's slow and soft and it makes me swoon. I love it. I don't know when I'm going to hear another album as good as this one. 



I love every song on the album, "Hot Fuss" by The Killers. They are an amazing band and they always put out good music including this song. "If the answer is no, can I change your mind?" is such a good lyric. The band always impresses me with their word choice, though.

That was a sampling of some of the music on my phone currently. Hope you liked it. 

More old school

There may be some overlap here because I sometimes like songs so much that I write about them twice so I apologize if that happens.

The first artist needs no introduction. She's a nineties artist who had a lot of good songs off her album, Jagged Little Pill. The song, "Ironic" is really good. It has a lot of good lyrics in it. It really sounds very angst-ridden which I really feel was a theme for the women of the nineties.

Watch the video here.

Another good song of Allanis Morissette's is her song, "Head Over Feet." I feel like if I went through a bad breakup, then I would write a song like this. It's so nineties, I love it. I wish I could transport myself back to this time period where we actually got to hear good music on the radio.




I love Gwen Stefani from back in the day when she was so much less "poppy." She had some good hits that she just doesn't seem to be able to replicate. Her few songs that were hits in the last few years were good, but they don't compare to her older stuff. Awesome song: "Hollaback Girl."



The band Smashmouth hasn't had too many hits recently. I do recall memorizing practically all the lyrics to the song, "All Star" back when they were more popular. I must say though, that I am really glad that I didn't watch music videos until I was older. Most of this stuff is way sexually explicit.



Another good song of theirs (cover technically) that they did was "I'm a Believer" by the Monkees. I really like their version of this song. It's really well done. I guess I like anything that's associated with the Shrek movies. I must admit, I think I've seen all those movies in theaters. They're really good movies.




One of the bands that I remember from my middle school dance days is Linkin Park. I remember loving the song, "In the End." I still love that song which is why I'm going to share it with you. If you want to reminisce about the good old days, click here.

I hope you enjoyed time traveling with me. Until next time.

Soundtracks

After putting in my Tarzan CD into my stereo today, I was reminded of how much I love soundtacks of movies, musicals and even television shows. TV show soundtracks are definitely at the bottom of the list, but they can sometimes have some good songs on the albums that they put out.

I'm not exactly sure what it is that I love about soundtracks to movies. It has something to do with the fact that I love associating a certain scene or part of a movie with a song. To this day, whenever I hear "Take my Breath Away," I always think of the sex scene in Top Gun. I can't help it. It's an association that will stick with me until the day I die.  Some of the movie soundtracks that I really like include, "Bruce Almighty," "You've Got Mail," and "Win a Date with Tad Hamilton." There are many more, but I'm not going to list all of them.

A lot of the soundtracks that I listen to even now have been Disney movie soundtracks. Some of the Disney movies that have really good soundtracks include "Pocahontas," "Mulan," "Tarzan," "The Little Mermaid," "The Lion King" and "Alladin." All of those movies had music in them that has remained timeless to those who were around during that time. These kinds of movies are the movies that we want to save and give to our children and to our children's children. The music in the movies always gets stuck in my head even if I hear the song only once. I'll leave you with some of my favorite Disney songs.




Hope you enjoyed looking back at some classic kid's movies with some awesome music!

Hip Hop/ R&B/ Soul

So I wanted to apologize for neglecting the many other genres that music has. I know that pop/ soft rock is my main interest in terms of music, but I wanted to diverge off that path for a moment to take a look at the wonderful genre of hip hop and R & B. I'm hoping that you enjoy the songs that I'm going to be mentioning.
First off, I really like the integration of the lead singer from Weezer, Rivers Cuomo, and B.O.B. I feel like it is a really good combination. I can't believe that I didn't think of it first. It somehow really sounds good. I really enjoy the chorus on this song (of course). The verses are good, too, though.

Another good song from B.O.B. is "Airplanes." After I first heard this song, I fell in love. The melodies are really good. The lyrics are also really good. I find myself rapping along to the verses at times which some might find weird for me. It really isn't. I like rap a lot. I'm just very particular about the kind of rap that I listen to. You can listen to this song if you go here.
I never used to like Eminem. I hated his music and I hated him as a person. I've never seen the movie that he was in either. I can't even think of the name, if that tells you something. I really feel like his music has improved a lot, though. One of the songs that I can't stop listening to is by him. Enjoy.

I love Alicia Keyes. Both her new stuff and her old stuff is good. She's an amazing artist and she needs to keep up the good work. Keep writing music and singing songs, Alicia. You're good at it. On that note, one of the song, "Empire State of Mind" that she did with Jay-Z is a little different than her usual stuff. It's a really good song, though. I like the lyrics and the music video is really good, too.

I can't talk about Alicia Keyes without showing this video. I'm not going to say too much. It's amazing. Watch it.

Concert

So I went to the concert at Good Beans Cafe on Friday night. It was really fun. There were lots of people in all sorts of different costumes. There were four different artists that I got to hear including Arlow Xan, The Loose Ties, and Chris Russell was the headliner.



I really enjoyed this concert. It was a lot of fun. I even saw a couple people that I knew who weren't playing in any of the bands. I of course know the people in the bands because I've seen them more than a few times.

Everyone played really well. It was kind of weird to see the people in costumes while playing on stage. It was cool, though. There was also the added bonus of poetry, also. It was good to hear.



I also was able to wear a costume. I wore my pirate outfit which included a sword, a vest, a frillyh blouse, and an eye patch. It only cost me less than ten dollars for both the sword and the eye patch. I was pretty happy with my purchases, let me tell you.



I'm excited because I've decided that I'm going to go to a concert on the 30th at Churchill's. Arlow Xan is going to be performing which is awesome. I'm a big fan of them. If you've never heard their music, I would really recommend you check them out. They are a local band that performs around the Flint area. I'm sure you could catch if you really wanted to.  You can go to their website for more information.



I also enjoyed hearing Chris Russell. He's a really good guitarist and I also really like his singing voice. It works for him. I also was able to request "Daughters" by John Mayer for him to play. It's a good song and the version he plays is good, also. The only thing was that he could have used less reverb on that particular song. It would have sounded better. He's a really good musician, though, and you can check his music out here.



Support your local artists!

Skills

So lately, people have been requesting my tutoring skills (either that or my guitar skills). I have been tutoring guitar to one of the guys that I know at church. He's a beginner. It's sometimes frustrating watching someone just start out when I personally have gotten much further than he has. It's hard, but I don't mind it that much.



I'm also tutoring someone else that I know from Spanish club. It'll be interesting tutoring someone that I know a little bit better. I'm not usually in that position, so I don't know how it will go.



So today, I sadly forgot about Creative Collaboration night at Good Beans Cafe. I had been planning on attending, but somehow I managed to forgot. It was a long day, though. I was at school for a tutoring appointment (Spanish ) at 9 a.m. and I didn't manage to leave until 7:30 p.m.



The Creative Collaboration night is at Good Beans Cafe in Flint and it's every third Wednesday of the month. It's for people to share poetry or music or whatever. I've only played my guitar for people once and it didn't go very well. I kind of wrote a song and played it and the song didn't have the best lyrics to it. Let's just put it this way: there's profanity in the song and I don't think the audience was expecting it. There's some other stuff in the song, but I won't get into that.

I do love writing lyrics. I haven't written any in a while since the band has kind of fallen apart. I blame this on the fact that both my bandmate and I have horrendous schedules that keep us going 24/7 it seems (speaking for myself here). Oh well.



I really should get a more regular practice schedule with my guitar. If I could commit to practicing a half hour a day, it would really improve my playing ability. I feel like I would be able to learn songs a lot quicker, also. It's not like I usually play in front of an audience or anything, but it's still fun to play it.



 Well, I'll leave you to it. I've got some practicing to do. 

Review of the album, “Flamingo”

Brandon Flowers, the lead singer of the Killers, announced his solo career in spring 2010, but it wasn’t until September that listeners were able to get their hands on his new solo album, “Flamingo.” I always expect the best from the Killers in their music and I was given an awesome album from the Killers.

Flowers was introduced to music at a young age by his older brother, Shane, who showed him bands like Oasis and the Cure. These are some of what influenced Flowers’ music. This is probably why I sometimes think that I am listening to music from a different decade.

The sweet melodies of the opening track on Brandon Flowers’ “Flamingo” are a musical solace. The guitar and keyboards make me swoon like a girl at her cotillion. “Give us your dreamers, your harlettes and your sin, Las Vegas” is a lyric that somehow covers up the dirty parts of Las Vegas. It doesn’t ever use the word “whore.” Flowers is from Las Vegas so that makes sense.  

Brandon Flowers’ voice is very melodic and soothing in this album. It’s not so soothing that it would put you to sleep, but it has a sweetness to it that is akin to John Lennon in the song, “Imagine.”

The track “Only the Young” is a very catchy tune. It even has a little hint of electronica with the synthesizer coming in to give it that authentic “The Killers” feel. It sounds more like a song by the Killers than a Brandon Flowers song which is disappointing. I wish it was more unique. Another song that is like one of the Killers’ songs is “Jilted Lovers and Broken Hearts.”

The addition of Jenny Lewis in the chorus of “Hard Enough” is different than what I’m used to hearing in the Killers’ songs. Her voice sounds really good in it. It almost makes the song sound a little bit more country which isn’t a bad thing. It’s a song about life’s hardships and how people deal with them individually. “Been telling myself that I can’t roll with the changes” is a good line that works well with the casual tone of the song.

“Playing with Fire” makes use of Flowers’ falsetto. The first part of the song is instrumental and groovy. “You know you’re going to hurt somebody tonight” is a lyric that makes me think of the phrase “playing with fire” and how it is referring to doing something dangerous.

The opening notes on the song, “Crossfire” are very comforting. They bring me to a place that is safe and reassuring. Even the song lyrics reassure the listener with the lines, “I promise tonight not to do no harm.” The song is really about finding a place between redemption and punishment. It’s about living a life that’s not for you, but for God.

The rest of the album is just okay. I like listening to it, but it feels like it’s just another album from the Killers. I don’t feel like there is anything unique about it. I was hoping it would be more of a solo project than a replica of the Killers’ music. I am disappointed by the lack of creativity from Flowers.

New with the Old

For this post, I wanted to compare some of my favorite artists to their past selves. I hope this works. I'm not going to make a decision as to whether they've improved or gotten worse, I'm just going to give evidence to maybe some changes in their music. I could also show how far they've come in their music.
Lifehouse is one of my favorite artists. I don't know what it is, but I really enjoy listening to them. I remember their hit, "Hanging By a Moment." I still love that song. It's a hit for a reason. 

Now, compare that to one of their more recent hits. The song "All In" is really good song. It's one of those songs that I have to sing along to. Who am I kidding? I sing to practically every song that I hear that I like. This one I obviously like a lot.

Another band that I love is Maroon 5. They are amazing and their music makes waves in the music industry. I have loved their music for a few years now.  The song, "She Willed be Loved" has always resonated with me. It's not a song about sex. It's a song about love. That' what is so great about it. It's also about a guy wanting to love a girl. It's very romantic which is awesome.

I feel like this next song is a little bit different than the other Maroon 5 song. The music video, in particular, is very sexual. I think so, at least. I feel like it takes away from the song's musicality. Sometimes the music video can get in the way of the music, if you know what I mean. That's what happens here. It's a little bit too showy for my taste. It's still a good song, though.

 Kelly Clarkson started out as an American Idol. She is one of the best singers to come out of that television show. I don't really watch the show and I don't really like the idea of it in general, but I have to admit that she is a good artist and I like her music. One of her first singles, "Because of You" is a heart-wrenching tune about hurt. It's about feeling broken after being heart-broken. The girl in the song can't trust anyone now because of how she was hurt by this guy. It's a really good song.

One of Kelly Clarkson's more recent hits, "Already Gone" is another slow song. It also pulls on your heart strings like the aforementioned song. This is also about a relationship that has gone wrong. It's about looking back and remembering what it was like while she was in the relationship. This song is very similar to the previous song that was shown. I think that Kelly Clarkson has really stuck with the same style which works for her.

My Life

No one reads my other blog (or at least they don't comment on it) so I thought I'd try and write about my life in this blog. It's allowed, even encouraged to write more than two blog posts. So, here goes.

I am really tired right now. I am experiencing yet another ten-hour day. I think this is the third in a row. I am actually looking forward to my eight-hour work days at the gas station. At least, I'll get to go home earlier than 7:00 in the evening.

I blame this on the fact that I've added yet another job to the list. I am now tutoring Spanish in the Student Development Center. It's weird that people think I'm smart and think I can teach them something. I am also a Spanish major so I probably know more than I realize. It's nice, though. I get to review some of the stuff that I learned a really long time ago. It actually helps.

We had a bake sale for the Spanish Club today. It was quite successful. We made about the same amount of money as our last bake sale which is sufficient. We're trying to raise money to go to Mexican Town in Chicago during Spring Break. I don't think we'll be able to raise all the money, but we'll at least be able to raise a good chunk of it.

I think I'm going to go home, get a pint of icecream, and watch The Notebook. If you knew me well enough, you would probably realize that this isn't a good sign. It's just that my personal life (dating) hasn't been going too well lately. I hate being attracted to anyone. Then, there's the possibility of them not returning the attraction. Oh well. It happens.

I like working for the M Times, but it's hard because I don't have a lot of free time to do reporting. I blame this on the fact that I'm always hanging out with people during my breaks between classes. Refer to previous paragraph.

I think I"m going to fall asleep at nine o'clock tonight, that's how tired I am. That would actually be really cool. I would actually be awake for my other job (I told you I had a list). I guess it will help when next week comes around and I'll get paid.

But anyways. I just wanted to give you an idea of what's going on with me. And of course, I leave you with this song. It's fitting, don't worry.

My Favorite Band

Hi. My name is Elise Lorenz and I'm coming out as The Killers number one fan. I realize that confessing this could cause some problems in my group of friends, but I don't care. I don't want to live a lie anymore. I'm a fan of the Killers and I'm proud of it.

Now that that's over with, I wanted to tell you about my favorite band. They are the only band that I can say has not disappointed me. Every time I listen to another album of theirs, I am happy to say that it either meets or exceeds my expectations. Anyone who can do that can be called my favorite band.

The Killers is an alternative rock band that was formed in 2001. They released their first album, "Hot Fuss" in 2004 which I enjoy immensely. I think that it's one of their best albums.

Image via Wikipedia

Other albums include Sam's Town and Day & Age. I wasn't as impressed with Day & Age as I was with their previous two albums. It just didn't have as much goodness. That's what I think at least.

One of the things that I was really excited about was that Brandon Flowers, the lead singer of the Killers, came out with a solo album. It came out in September and I've listened to it and I must say that I'm quite impressed. I'm sure that Brandon Flowers wouldn't have to do much to impress me. He could probably just talk on the album and I would still be in love with his voice.

I'm excited because I'm planning on going to see Brandon Flowers in concert. He is performing in Royal Oak on my birthday. I was very happy to see this when I looked at his upcoming concerts.

If you haven't heard the Killers' music, you should check them out. Here's one of my favorite songs by them. I leave you with "Mr. Brightside."

Music as Poetry

I have always considered music to be a form of poetry. It is very similar in that it has verses or stanzas. Most music rhymes which is not always true of poetry, but poetry can rhyme if it wants to. Some artists can pervade the boundaries of music and poetry. One example of this is Jewel. She has written a book of poetry called "A Night Without Armor." It has some very beautiful poetry in it. There are a lot of underlying emotions within the poems which is intriguing to me. I would definitely recommend that you pick up a copy. It's definitely worth your while.

Some music I have found to be very poetic which means that its focus seems to be on the lyrics. There are a lot of artists out there who do this. One artist, in particular, who I would like to spotlight is Broken Bells. Broken Bells is a band that consists of James Mercer, who is the lead singer and guitarist of the Shins and Brian Burton a.k.a. Danger Mouse. Their self-titled album that came out in March is one of those albums with lyrics that are difficult to decifer, hence poetic.


I also think that The Killers (my favorite band of all time) has poetry in their lyrics. I have always loved the songs that have come out on their albums. Sometimes they tell a story and sometimes they are just good to listen to. I always relate in some way to their music. That's why I love them.  I think that my favorite album of there's is "Hot Fuss." It has a lot of really good songs that can be played over and over on anyone's stereo. It's also something that can be played on a long commute (I would know). I love listening to different albums on my way to work. It makes the drive more interesting.



Lastly, I'd like to leave you with a poem.

Music



the stuff that makes me tick
the oxygen i breathe
i am one with you
musica serenade
to my ears
a lover's secret
sweet nothings
in my ear
only for me
to hear
what i want
to hear

Feminism

I don't mean feminism as in the "man-hating" kind of feminism or the "career woman" kind of feminism. In this instance, I am talking about the act of being of being feminine. Of being female in general. Sometimes females are not always feminine. This post proves that statement while showing the wonderful women artists who like to be feminine. The ones who like to be what our society considers "masculine" are shown here, also.

I have always loved Jewel.  She has this way about her. Her voice is amazing. She makes me go weak at the knees. You can tell that "these foolish games are tearing me apart" from the emotion that she puts into her songs. It's not just melodics. It's heart. "As I clumsily strummed my guitar" is something that I can relate to. I don't usually strum my guitar in any other way besides clumsily. "Your thoughtless words are breaking my heart" looks so true in this video. She looks very heart-broken if you watch the video.

I never considered Pink to be a very "feminine" woman. "I'm a hazard to myself" is a testament to the honesty that she always puts in her songs. They are all very real and from the heart. She doesn't sugarcoat things for people.  Her songs are a little off the path of pretty, soft rock that I usually like to keep in my music collection. They are all usually good songs, with the exception of a few. "Don't Let Me Get Me" I have always liked, though.

"I wish nothing but the best for you both" is the exact opposite of what the phrase says. Alannis Morisette isn't as big today as she was in the 90's but her music is still influential. "I'm here to remind you of the mess you left when you went away" is a very blunt statement. There's no covering up the truth in Alannis Morisette's mind. She speaks the truth and she doesn't care what you think. Her lyrics are very heart-wrenching. The listener really gets what the message is in this song. That's what I like about her whole album, "Jagged Little Pill." It's the exact opposite of who I am. All dirt and no flowers. You can watch the video here. 

Avril Lavigne was more than just a musician and singer. She was also a fashion icon. She created a look for girls that was everything, but feminine, wearing men's ties, wife-beaters and boys' shorts. She had long hair so she still looked like a girl, which is probably what made it acceptable. "Promise me I'm never gonna find you fake it" sounds like something a guy would say, not a girl. "You know you're not fooling anyone when you become somebody else" is about changing who you are to impress your love interest. The person in the song doesn't want their crush to change, though. I reallly like the song with its message and its melodies. It works.

Tegan and Sara is a band that I started listening to about a year ago. They are a little bit more punk than I usually listen to, but I really like their songs. They have one of those albums, though, that you can get tired of if you listen to it for a while. At least I do. I'm not saying that the songs aren't good. It's just that a lot of the songs have a really similar sound. You can check them out here. 

Lastly (this could go on forever), I am going to leave you with the amazing songstress who happens to also be very beautiful: Ms. Sara Bareilles. Sara Bareilles came into my life a couple of years ago. I haven't been able to stop listening since then. Her most recent single,"King of Anything" is so awesome I can't stand it. Whenever I hear it, I am awestruck. I'll stop whatever I am doing to sing and dance along to its addictive melodies. Nothing on the radio right now can compare to this song.

Bad Ideas...

So most of the time, I actually listen to different types of music based on my mood. When I'm really happy I'll listen to pop or hip hop. Anything that makes me dance is a possibility. When I'm feeling kind of down, I listen to really slow songs. They aren't necessarily sad, but they definitely have a slower pace to them.

I actually have a go-to album when I'm down in the dumps. It's called "Slow Songs" which is a very creative title, if I do say so myself. There are a lot of good songs on there that I would like to share with you. The disclaimer is that you should actually listen to these when you are in a good mood. Listening to sad songs when you are sad only causes you to be in a worse mood. It doesn't necessarily do that to me, but I just wanted to say that it could happen to someone.

One of the songs on the album that is one of my favorite slow songs is called, "This Year's Love" by David Gray. I found it via the movie, "Crazy Beautiful" which had Kirsten Dunst in it. It was about a girl who was on the wrong track and a guy who was a little bit more mature. They fall in love bla bla bla. It's a good movie. You should watch it. Anyways. The song has really good lyrics. If you haven't noticed, I'm a romantic. I hope this doesn't cause you to stop reading my blog.

Another really good song is Jeff Buckley's "Hallelujah." This song is amazing. It mentions the Bible in a way that is more inclusive than exclusive. It also has an amazing guitar part that I wish I could play. I guess I've never tried to play it so you never know. The picking is just very melodic and sweet. The lyrics, "Love is not a victory march. It's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah" resonate with me for some reason. It just makes sense is all. It's a long song, but it's worth listening to.

"The Book of Love" sung by Peter Gabriel is yet another romantic song that is so sweet and pretty. It would make a really good slow song on the dance floor, too. I can imagine dancing to this with a special someone. "But I love it when you sing to me. And you can sing me anything." This is an example of the kinds of lyrics are in this song. They just make my heart go pitter-patter with delight. Even listening to these songs when I am in a good mood makes me feel like taking the nearest person and slow dancing close to them. The violin in this song sounds really good, too.

The last slow song that I want to talk to you about is "Storm" by Lifehouse. I have always liked the band Lifehouse. They are really good. The lead singer's voice is really good, too. "And I will walk on water. And you will catch me if I fall. And I will get lost into your eyes. I know everything will be all right." The chorus is like a lullaby in a sense. It's just so comforting, almost like chicken noodle soup or hot chocolate. 

Rock Band

Though some of you may argue that people cannot actually make music via the video game, Rock Band, I would have to disagree. The guitar, drums, bass and vocals are channeled through the video game and through the speakers on the television screen to make a semi-authentic form of music. It's not the same as if it were through actual guitar and actual drums, but it's still similar.



I usually end up doing the vocals since, if you haven't been reading my blog lately, I am a singer. That's what I do. I sing. I've tried doing the guitar, the bass and the drums, but I suck at all of them for some reason. I blame it on my lack of hand-eye coordination. That's why I played soccer. It wasn't as necessary as foot-eye coordination which I didn't have that much of either.

I do enjoy playing the acoustic guitar better than the guitar on Rock Band. I know that I'm not very good at the acoustic guitar. I've accepted this. This is why Robby plays the guitar in our band, Karma Pills. I just really like playing it. I always end up playing it really late at night when my parents are asleep. I always feel bad because I don't want to wake them up, but I'm not going to sacrifice my practicing time just for the sake of them getting a little bit of shut eye. I know that sounds really selfish, but it's not like I practice every night or anything. I should, though. I would probably improve, then.



Another instrument that I play is the flute. I have been playing the flute since the fourth grade. I played in the marching band, the wind symphony, a flute choir and the Flint Youth Symphony in high school. I was what you would call "dedicated" to say the least. I don't know how it is that I didn't join the Wind Symphony when I got to college, but it wasn't a priority for me any more. I did pick up the flute again when I started dating this guy who played the piano. We used to play "Moonlight Sonata" together. I still find that song to be the most beautiful thing in the entire world. You should listen to it some time. It's really majical.



Now the only time I really play my flute is in my band. I don't play it often enough, but it's not high on my list, sadly. My mom always tells me about how astounded I was to hear about my flute teacher not playing the flute for a period of her life. I thought it was the most awful thing in the entire world. At the time, I was still playing it a lot and couldn't see a reason to stop playing it. Now I have classes, student organizations and a couple jobs that take up the majority of my time. I can't help these things.

Another reason that I put the flute down temporarily was because I wanted to focus on the guitar. I started taking guitar lessons at the end of my senior year of high school. I took them for a year until I realized that they weren't really worth the money that I was paying for them. I didn't practice enough (which hasn't changed much). Oh well. I still get a lot out of it. I don't usually play in front of an audience so it doesn't really matter. My dad thinks that I sound good so that's what counts. 



The weird thing is that I would actually consider myself better at the acoustic guitar then I would at Rock Band. I guess it just happens that way sometimes. 

My Band

So I wanted to let you know that I am officially in a band again as of this week. Apparently, my bandmate has moved back to this side of the state. This means that we can have band rehearsal again. I'm not sure when I'm going to fit it into my schedule but I'm sure I'll be able to find time.

The band name is Karma Pills and it is with me and my friend, Robby. He plays the guitar and I sing or play the flute depending on the song. We've only done one performance so far, but I'm hoping to do more once we have more songs and such.

We did actually do a demo, though. It didn't turn out as good as I had hoped, but it was the first time I had ever recorded so I didn't expect that much out of it anyways. I also didn't have that much time to work with because I had to go to work that evening so it's not like we had all day.

The one performance that we did do was at Good Beans on their Creative Colab Night which was really cool. We performed three songs and they went pretty well from my perspective, at least. I also had my family come watch which was cool because they had been wondering what I had been doing with these so-called "rehearsals." My whole family seemed to like the songs which was really cool.

There is only one song on the demo where I play the flute. It's the introduction to the album so it doesn't really have a title which is kind of unfortunate. It's really cool, though, because I wrote the flute part to the song. I've been playing the flute for the majority of my life, but most of the time I play other people's music, not music that I wrote. It's a really exciting thing to see something that you created come into fruition. It's almost like making a child except without having to become pregnant.

We don't have a website at the moment, but once we do, I'll definitely let you know what it is.

Singing

"Sing to the Lord a new song..." I don't know the rest but for some reason I remember that verse. I love singing. I've been missing out lately since my band kind of broke up. It's hard to stay a band when my band mate and I live so far away from each other. It's pretty crazy. Another factor is that we both are busy with school and stuff. That usually influences a lot of the activities that I do, though.

I have been in the mood to sing karaoke lately. I know that a lot of people associate karaoke with drinking since most of the places that have karaoke are bars, but I usually tend to stay away from alcohol when I'm singing. I have no knowledge that this is actually true, but I feel like alcohol would harm my vocal chords in some way or another.

If you can't tell, I'm a singer. I've been singing probably since elementary school. I remember singing in my church choir when I was really little. I actually remember the song that we sang. "What can one little person do? What can one little me or you do? What can one little person to help the world go round?" and on and on.

Music has always been a part of me in an almost spiritual way and it's not just because I've been singing in church for a long time. It's also because it somehow brings me closer to my creator. I love singing by my pond and whenever I sing, I feel like I am singing to God. I feel like He can hear me, too.

Without music, I don't know where I would be or what I'd be doing, but I know for a fact I'd be less happy than I am now. Even when I'm in a bad mood, singing can get me in a better mood. It's just the way that I've been my entire life. I always sing when I'm cleaning. Either that, or I'll have music playing and I'll sing along to that. That way, it makes the time go by faster.

All I can say is:

Karaoke anyone?

The Music of Dancing

I have a confession to make. I love to dance. I dance in my pajamas, in the kitchen and in my bedroom. If I had the ability, I would dance instead of walking. Walking is so boring to me. One foot in front of the other which is basically the same dance move over and over again.

I am mentioning this because I sometimes pick music based on the fact that I can dance to it. One of the songs that I love dancing to is "Teenage Dream" by Katy Perry. I am obsessed with this song right now. I don't know why but I love it. It has amazing lyrics. It makes me want to go back in time and have a romantic relationship with someone as a teenager. It sounds so appetizing because of her lyrics. I am sure there are a lot of babies being made to this song.

Another song that I love dancing to is 3OH!3's "My First Kiss" which is a really fun song. It's a different type of dancing but it's dancing, nonetheless. I also love the "mwah" sound in it. The line "I'm gonna get you out your panties" is so funny. All the songs on the album, "Streets of Gold" are funny. It just seems like these guys pretend like they have game, but they really don't. Then again, now that they are musicians, they probably get laid all the time.



Weezer's song "Beverly Hills" I can also dance to. I love that song so much. Also, I love the little "Gimme, gimme" that is intermitently sung in the chorus. It just makes me happy. I sing along to this song like it is the soundtrack to my life which it kind of is. If you had seen my car, then you would understand what I'm talking about. It's not exactly new and it's not exactly free of rust. "Preppy girls never looked at me. Why should I ain't nobody, got nothing in my pocket" is another awesome line from Weezer. I love their lyrics so much. I can relate to them for some reason.

Weezer

Like many of you know, Weezer came into the music scene in the early 90's. I was only a week tyke at the time of the band's formation so I obviously didn't get into them until later. Their first album "Weezer" a.k.a. "The Blue Album" had a few hits that made it a success. One of the songs that I personally like from that album is "Say it Ain't So." It's got just enough rock it to please my "rough" side and just enough pop it to make it listenable.

I have to say that I have listened to "Pinkerton" in its totality and did not enjoy the album very much. I guess it's too hardcore for my taste. I think there was a couple of songs that I enjoyed on that album, but I would have to re-listen to the album and I don't really want to do that.

I will have to tell you that my all-time favorite Weezer song is "Beverly Hills." It's from the album, "Make Believe." I have no idea what it is. Part of it is the lyrics, "no class, beat down fool." Ahh the description. It somehow always gets me. That and honesty. I'm a fan. The video is really funny, too. You should check it out some time if you want a laugh.

Another song that I really like that comes off "The Red Album" is "The Greatest Man that Ever Lived." It's a very cocky song, which I like for some reason. It's kind of arrogance that you can laugh at because you know that it's not true. I'm sure there is some truth to it. The best lyric from that song is "You come like a dog when I ring your bell." The simile and imagery in that one phrase is one word: amazing. I cannot help loving that line as much as I do.

I did not like Raditude very much. I felt like it trying too hard to have a hip hop feel to it, if that makes any sense at all. I just feel like Weezer should go back to their roots. They need to go back to the good old days when they actually knew how to make and perform good music.
 
Here's an example of one of their good songs.

Deviation from Nineties' Music...for a second

So I'm going to be doing a few more posts about nineties' artists. Until then, I'd like to give you a taste of what I'm listening to right now.




"Misery" - Maroon 5

Awesome Nineties Artist

If you were born in the nineties, then thumbs up to you. The nineties were a good decade when it comes to music. There are a lot of bands that I love from that time period. Some made it out with a few fans and some were one-hit wonders. I'm still amazed that people like Uncle Kracker and the band, Smashmouth are around. I guess there is an audience for every kind of music out there. Even The Backstreet Boys are still touring. Now that is just crazy.

One band that I really like from the nineties is Savage Garden. They definitely had hits that were popular at that time. Their debut album, titled, "Savage Garden," had some really good songs on it. In particular, I love the song, "Truly, Madly, Deeply." The lyrics are very powerful to because they are about the kind of love that really can change a person because they want to be better for the person that they are with. The melodies in the song are good, too, but I think that I am in love with the lyrics from this song. I feel like I could listen to this song and never really tire of hearing it. I would probably get tired of hearing the same music over and over again, but the lyrics are the kind of lyrics that could stick around forever.

One of the songs that I really liked was "Crash and Burn." If it's not technically a classic, then it should be.
Their second album, "Affirmation," is the album that the song is on. There's another song that I liked on that album called, "I Knew I Loved You" which is a very romantic song. It's kind of crazy if you think about the lyrics too much, though. I don't think it's possible to know that you're going to fall in love with someone before you actually meet them.

This is the cover of the band's second album, "Affirmation."





Subject matter

I am going to be blogging about my favorite music, artists and concerts and my not-so favorite music, artists and concerts. Nothing gets left out.

I just wanted to let you know what all this is about. 

Have a nice day.