Thursday, September 29, 2011

One More

"How it Ends" by Devotchka
Ok, I told myself I was going to stop blogging for tonight, but this song came on my Pandora and I had to post it because I love it. His voice is haunting. And the video is pretty awesome too. 

A few of my favorites

"DC Sleeps Alone Tonight" by the Postal Service. 
This song is amazing for so many reasons. First of all, the story behind The Postal Service is awesome. Jimmy Tamborello, a beat maker for the group Dntel, and Ben Gibbard from Death Cab started working together through the mail. Jimmy would send Ben bits of electronica and Ben would send lyrics. Together, perfection happened. The beat gets you amped and the lyrics make you just want to sing along. This has been one of my favorite songs since high school. I hear it and still think about riding on back roads with the windows down, trying to figure out the story behind the song. 


"King of New Orleans" by Better Than Ezra
As soon as I hear this song, I'm immediately dancing in New Orleans at The House of Blues during Mardi Gras with 3 of my most favorite people-you know who you are fellow Fab 4ers :) Better Than Ezra is my favorite band hands down. And that's saying a lot because I have so much love for SO many artists. But BTE is still the best band I've ever seen live. They're just FUN. Every song makes you want to dance or sing along. I've seen them live so many times and look forward to seeing them again this year at Mardi Gras.
Funny story that I think of every time I hear this song: Jazz Fest 2009. One of my favorite people in LIFE, had recently come out as gay. This song came on and he immediately said, "Oh this song is about me!" He was inferring that he was The King of New Orleans, however, the next line of the song was, "And he loves the girls, and he loves the boys." He was so embarrassed. Classic.

"Heart of Life" by John Mayer
This is one of those songs that starts playing, and I instantly have goosebumps. The guitar itself might as well be singing the lyrics. This song to me is all about the guitar. Well, and the lyrics too. Everyone has been that person crying, lying on the floor wondering, "How am I going to go on?" "Was that the right decision" "Is my heart ever going to stop aching?" And then somehow, it does. Life goes on and proves the "sad you" wrong. Like the song says, "The heart of life is good." Life has strange plans for us, but through heartbreak comes happiness. I know that's how it worked for me. I would suffer the heartbreak a thousand times over to have the happiness I have today.

"Sweet Disposition" by The Temper Trap
Dougy Mandagi's voice is like honey. This song is featured in most of my playlists because I love it so much. It makes me want to reach out my arms and twirl in circles or jump up and down (which I usually do when it comes on). The song was featured on 500 Days of Summer with Zoey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt which is where I first heard it. Youth is the word that comes to mind when I'm in my car jamming out. Maybe it's because of the lyrics, "And while our blood's still young/it's so young/ it runs/and we won't stop until it's over/ won't stop to surrender" but I think it's more of just the feel. It just makes me feel good.

"Dog Days Are Over" by Florence + The Machine
Talk about empowering! I always get a fierce feeling when I hear this song. Like, someone TRY and mess with me I dare you! This is another song that was featured in a movie, Eat Pray Love. The movie, eh, sub par even though I love Julia Roberts. But it is my favorite book. Ever. And I find that the song fits the story perfectly.

Anyways, this is only a small taste of what is to come. Like I said before, feel free to suggest songs to me and I'll let you know what I think!

Happiness

I guess it's only fitting to have my first post include the song that inspired the name of this blog: Awake My Soul by Mumford and Sons. I didn't so much pick the name because I love the lyrics, but because I think that music has the power to awaken the soul. I hear a good song and it lights up my whole day. There's a song for every emotion anyone could possibly experience. It's probably one of the reasons I love music most. Through the lyrics, I find the words that describe how I'm feeling.



And sometimes it's just the music itself. Balmorhea's song Lament comes to mind. Talk about powerful. There are no lyrics to let you know what it's about but I imagine something incredibly sad and yet empowering. I feel like even though the music is almost mournful, it picks up and makes me think someone's fighting for what they believe it. Be it love, their health, whatever. I love it.