Month: November 2007

five song friday, listen up!, mixed media, music musings, music suggestion

5SF: november 30

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Hey there! Back from a week off, it’s your five song Friday! This will, unfortunately, be the last one of the year, however, because as I have mentioned many, many times, December will involve the presentation of a new CD each and every day!! That’s right! I am going to bring you my top CDs of 2007, and it is going to be fun! There is some good stuff that has come out this year, so get ready, because my best of list is just around the corner. One note about tomorrow; I am going out of town today, and won’t be back until Sunday, so I am going to try and post the post with the date tomorrow, and just see if that works. If not, I will post it on Sunday, along with the December 2nd selection. Either way; the music is coming at you!

Now, on with this week’s five song Friday!

Sugarland – Stay
Yesterday, I was telling a friend of mine about a rumor that I heard about Beyonce coming out with a country album, and I was reminded of the really good cover of Irreplaceable by Sugarland. In order to give her a listen, I went to youtube, only to discover this amazingly beautiful song as well. I will warn you, the video may make you cry; but I felt it was so touching, that I had to post the video for the song. This song made me run out and get this CD. I LOVE Jennifer Nettles voice, and this song is just so emotive! A sad one, but a good one.

Shayne Ward – Breathless
Next up, is the most beautiful Shayne Ward; whose new CD Breathless just came out earlier this week. Let me start by saying, that I love this boy; not only can he sing, he is also so amazingly beautiful! I have loved Shayne for a while now, and I am really happy that his new CD is so good. If you like ballads, and boy band-type singers (think Justin Timberlake, only less “nubian” — as HE thinks he is), then you will love Shayne. I like to think that he is singing it to me… sigh. There are a few trite lyrics, but I can easily look past them; into his beautiful eyes.

Robyn – Be Mine!
Today, I am bring back an old favorite; Robyn’s “new” single Be Mine! I really don’t know what is going on with this record, as far as a US release, but I have had it for quite a while, and it is brilliant. I reviewed it back in one of my popcasts, and even played a clip of this song, but I feel compelled to share it again in this forum, because of how great it really is (as well as the new, very good video that was recently released). I feel like I need to say this: this is a perfect pop record. Let me repeat myself; THIS is a PERFECT pop record. Robyn really deserves some major props, because she is trying to do great things for pop, and while I can’t get her CD stateside, I do applaud and support her efforts. I hope that she has a second coming in the states soon; VERY soon. I love you Robyn!

Kylie Minogue – In My Arms
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_1130_inmyarms.mp3]
Another amazing album that I have been blown away by, that came out recently, is Kylie Minogue’s tenth album, X. I have never really been a “Kylie fan”, having only really enjoyed a few songs here and there, but I have to say; this album is pretty damn good. This song in particular is my favorite from the album, and makes me want to dance all night long. What a fun song!

Kate Havnevik – Someday
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_1130_someday.mp3]
Poor Kate got bumped a few weeks ago when I found the video for the new Sugababes single, but that doesn’t mean that I forgot how amazing this song is; so now she gets her moment on the 5SF this week! I heard some random song of hers a long time back, where I don’t know, but it prompted me to download her album and check her out. I never really could get into it, for whatever reason, but this song came up on random one day, and I just listened to it on repeat. It is amazing. I love the arrangement, and her haunting vocals send chills up my spine. This is a fantastic song.

Alright! I hope everyone enjoyed this week’s 5SF, because it was a little all over the place; but no matter, all these songs deserve the spotlight, because they are all good. Just to say it again, tomorrow starts the month of music, and while I am out of town, I am going to go ahead and write the post, and hope that by dating it for tomorrow, that it will show up when it is supposed to. If not, I’ll fix it when I return on Sunday! I hope everyone has a good weekend, and happy listening!

all about me, is it just me?, listen up!, mixed media, music musings, music suggestion, venting, well?

please don’t stop the music *clap clap*

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December is rapidly approaching, and I am narrowing down my picks for my year end “best of music 2007” December blog-a-thon. I don’t even know if anyone will care or not, but I am excited. I also need to get back into my old podcast, which I haven’t done in ages… I guess I’ll have to put that on my list.

Either way, I have been listening to music non-stop, because there have been some great CDs come out in the past few weeks, many of which will make my year end list. There is just so much to absorb! I think that I like music, and sharing it, because it really is one of the only things that can truly make me feel good. I also really love being surprised by something, and it being really good. There really is nothing like hearing a really amazing song; it gets me energized, and totally takes me to a good place. I love that, and that very thing has been happening a lot lately. 2007 has proven to be a good year for me, musically, and I look forward to blogging about that next month.

One thing, however that is a cause of much strife and grief for me, is my last.fm profile. I don’t know why, but I find myself kind of obsessing about it, and lately, even more so. After iTunes decided it wanted to delete my playlists, the last.fm client decided it no longer wanted to scrobble my ipod tracks. This SUCKS, because I listen to music all day at work, and I really want those tracks on my profile. I have tried reinstalling iTunes, and the last.fm client; both with no luck. If there is any advice or help that anyone can give me, I am all ears; I like last.fm, and I like the whole idea of it, and want to actually use it!!! Help!

Other than enjoying the hell out of some great pop records (Shayne Ward, Kylie Minogue, Girls Aloud, Sugababes, etc.) in the recent weeks, I have been slowly counting down to the end of this semester. I am so ready to have these two classes under my belt, and I hope that once I am finished with them, I will regain some of my momentum. They have just both been demanding, and frustrating. I can’t wait until the next two weeks are over! Let’s hope that next semester (and all subsequent following ones) is much better!

I also made some color/border changes to the blog template… thoughts?

"pointless", all about me, is it just me?, the catch-all-egory

*sniff* *hack* *cough* bleck!

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So James has passed his head cold on to me. Nice. I HATE being sick. I don’t do sick very well either; I’m a whiny baby when I get sick. He’ll just have to put up with it though, since he got me sick! HA! In all seriousness, though, I am just hoping that I get better before this weekend… I am really looking forward to our getaway.

Last night, I was thinking incredibly too much, as I usually do, and I think that I am going to start trying to live more under the motto, “if it makes you happy, it can’t be that bad”. Yes, I know it is a cheesy Sheryl Crow song, but I think that she’s got something there; if it really does make me happy, what does it really matter what anyone else thinks, right? Right. Now… just to convince me…

Finally, I have been overwhelmed by the insane thrust of Christmas (which apparently gets earlier and earlier every year… eventually, it will ALWAYS be Christmas… yikes), and instead of my usual “feelings of good tiding and joy”, I have been filled with a “give it up already!” attitude. I don’t think that Christmas should be so commercialized to begin with, and I guess it really isn’t as big a deal as it is made out to be. It’s just another reason consume, if you ask me. And being a consumer, I am sure that I will; but I don’t have to ring a bell or be jolly like a fat man to do so. This year, I think that this website really sums up how I feel about the juggernaut that is Christmas. Mine is going to be ONE day, and only one day. So there. Enjoy your trees, and know that I am happy for you to be in the mood; just don’t expect me to put one up. (Besides, if I want to see Christmas decorations in all their glory, I only need to look next door to our neighbor’s gaudy decorations…)

civil rights, is it just me?, politics, show the love

alright, my candidate for president is…

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Ha! I got you!

Just kidding… I said it was too early to “back a candidate”, and I couldn’t agree more, but I have to say, I can’t get over the optimism that I constantly and consistently see from Dennis Kucinich. I think that he has lofty goals, and falls on the side of extreme optimism when it comes to many of the issues; but that is why I like him so much. I would like to believe, as he does, that things REALLY can be good without all of the evil that we currently see. I would really like to believe that there is more to people than power and greed.

I mean, can you imagine having a president that actually cares about poverty; that is, ENDING it, and not creating it (like our current “leader”)? He’s got the right idea about the “gay agenda” too (the only one to be for gay marriage; which again, isn’t the issue, but nevertheless, we know where stands); equal rights for one and all. I just can’t help but think, that it could be a truly great society if we were all as optimistic, and really believed and strove for that which could make us the best society that we really could be. What would be so bad about having a nation of people that were all doing well, and thriving? That sounds like a good thing to me!

While I am going to stick to my “it’s too early” principle, and I am not going to say that I “back” him officially; I do hope in my heart that a man that believes that peace and equality are two fundamental principles for this world’s survival can have such an influential position someday. Maybe Dennis is that man? I for one think that would be pretty awesome.

All that, and his wife is hot! (Not to mention, really smart, and quite the optimistic sharer of great ideas).

Go Kucinich! (And those like him)!

"pointless", mixed media, music musings, the catch-all-egory, venting, wtf?!

damn you itunes!!!

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Yesterday, iTunes decided that it would delete ALL of my playlists.

ALL of them.

So, last night, I took a good 4 hours to back up over 16gb of music, and to remake every one of my playlists. It took forever. Sometimes, computer programs really have a mind of their own; I just hope that it doesn’t decide that it doesn’t want my playlists again, or I might find another program to use for managing my music.

Sort it out, iTunes!

all about me, happenings, the catch-all-egory, venting, wtf?!

my thanksgiving day

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UPDATE! A note about 5SF: For today, I am taking the day off. To be honest, I forgot it was Friday!! We’ll be back next Friday with 5 new songs! Just enjoy your weekend folks, and sorry that I forgot about today’s 5SF.

I spent almost the entire day studying anatomy, before taking my test last night.

The power went out twice before I took the test, and I was hoping that things would be fine while I was actually taking the test (which is online, and timed for one hour). I always save my answers as I go, so if it cuts you off, it isn’t that big of a deal, and you can start where you left off. However, with 2 minutes left to go, the power went out again. I “finished” with the test, but I hadn’t submitted it yet. Fuck. I managed to get my PC back up, and log in, only to see my time had expired; but I had saved all of my answers. I submitted the test, and I emailed the professor, and I hope that everything is okay. Technically, I finished in the allotted time, so I hope that there isn’t an issue. It says I got a 92.5, which is also a plus.

I will definitely be MORE thankful when this damn semester is over. Seriously, it has been HARDER than I was expecting. Here’s hoping that next semester is better; and that we don’t have anymore close calls like yesterday.

I hope everyone had a great day! Now, James and I are going to Best Buy to see what’s left!

all about me, is it just me?, the catch-all-egory, venting, wtf?!

eye lashes, mobile phones, and mood swings

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Eye lashes. They are supposed to keep stuff OUT of your eye. So, why is it, that I am so often pulling out my eye lashes to keep THEM from going in my eye?? Seriously, I have been complimented numerous times on my lovely long eye lashes, and I am here to say, TAKE THEM! I don’t want them anymore. I have had to deal with eye lashes in my eyes for my whole life, and I am tired of it.

Mobile Phones. HANG UP AND DRIVE has become more than just a motto of mine lately; 9 out of every 10 times I am cut off, almost ran off of the road, almost rear-ended, or that I witness blatant fuckery of someone in a car, they are on a mobile phone. I think that it should be outlawed that you can talk and drive; because it is clear that these people actually CANNOT talk and drive. If you need to talk on your phone, pull over. Have a quick little, “let me call you back when I get home” conversation, and then focus on driving. I don’t want to have to deal with your stupid-bad-driving ass anymore, okay? I think they should make it legal to pull these people over ourselves and beat them up if they are caught driving under the influence of mobile phones. That would certainly “curb” the behavior, now wouldn’t it.

Mood swings. I have been having mood swings so weirdly, lately. Seriously, I know I am depressed, but Jesus, this up and down is nonsense. Take today, I am feeling pretty good today, despite having a shitty past 2 weeks. Some of those days were “okay”, but there were some pretty low ones in there too. Nothing was really “great”, but today is feeling pretty good. Maybe it’s because of the pending time off? Who knows, I just hope that this swing stays on the up and up; for a change.

"pointless", all about me, is it just me?, mixed media, the catch-all-egory

pondering “thanks-giving”

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So this week is Thanksgiving here in America; and simply, the third week in November everywhere else. This year, for probably the first time ever, we aren’t going anywhere for Thanksgiving. Originally, we were asked to go to a friend’s house for the “festivities”, but a new job has put them working on this fake holiday. So, we are without plans, other than the typical, “get drunk and think about X”. While a part of me is relieved that I don’t have to worry about all of that food, and the typical turkey-induced coma that comes post feast, another part of me is left pondering the very existence of this “holiday”.

What are we really giving thanks for? Things are pretty shitty right now for the economy, we aren’t doing well with international relations, and we, as a nation, continue to marginalize ourselves; both from the rest of the world, as well as our “unwashed masses”. I guess we could give thanks for being able to eat, breathe, live, etc… but it really makes me think about how far away from the sense of “survival”, and the meaning of Thanksgiving in the first place. Are we really thankful for what we have anymore?

I hope that everyone does have a great couple of days off, and that you all enjoy your T-day festivities. This is in no way, meant to be a downer post… it is more of a reflective/duane-thinking-too-much-about-everything-in-the-world post if anything.

In other news… I have been playing Super Mario Galaxy, and it may be the #1 reason to get a Wii… it’s fantastic. I also got my “Christmas” presents yesterday; a bright and shiny new Nintendo DS with a couple of games. I am sure that James will hook me up with a couple more “little” things closer to the actual “holiday”, but this is pretty much my big ticket item. I am going to get his stuff probably this week too… there’s no need to wait when he will be out of town on the actual day, now is there? Perhaps the fact that I am becoming a Nintendo fanboy is reason enough to be thankful this week, eh?

get involved, happenings, listen up!, show the love, that is so gay

Iranian spared from execution!

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Yay!!!

Amid global pressure from human rights organizations, and due to global protest, “Iran’s chief justice nullified the imminent death sentence of Makvan Mouloodzadeh”!!!!

This is FANTASTIC news. This restores a tiny bit of faith for me in humanity.

To everyone that blogged about it, and cast attention towards the issue, this shows that speaking up can make a difference! This is great news. I, for one, am very happy that at least this one case was changed because of global pressure. If we keep putting pressure on these people, hopefully, MANY more people can be spared!

(source)(source)

concerts, five song friday, listen up!, mixed media, music musings, music suggestion

5SF: november 16

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Guess what time it is… time for some new music suggestions from the weekly five song friday! Let’s get started…

Sugababes – Change
This week, I had a curveball thrown my way… I wasn’t expecting the new Sugababes video for Change to be posted, and as such, I am compelled to switch out one of my previous choices in favor of this clip. I have to admit, the video definitely looks a lot like an America’s Next Top Model shoot, but perhaps that is why it is fun? Either way, I LOVE this song, and I have really been enjoying the Sugababes new CD, also titled Change. Save one song, it is definitely their best to date. They should have just left that bad song off, and put Push the Button on there, and it would have easily been a 6-star CD, but alas, that didn’t happen. Here’s hoping they break through over here in America some time soon… these ladies are too good to be left to the rest of the world! You have fans here too girls!

Leona Lewis – Bleeding Love
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_1116_bleedinglove.mp3]
Leona Lewis was the winner of the most recent incarnation of X-Factor, kind of an “Idol” type show in the UK, the same show that brought us the swoon-worthy Shayne Ward. In any show that you have to “win” by showcasing raw live singing talent, you know that the winner is going to be able to at least do one thing, and do that well; sing. And Miss Leona can do just that. Not only can she really sing, I have to say, they really picked a great song for her with Bleeding Love, and after hearing it, I have been compelled to listen to it over and over. It is a really great pop song, and it is no wonder as to why it is the number one selling single in the UK right now. The song is great… I can’t vouch for the rest of the album, but this song is definitely a winner in my book.

Nicole Atkins – Kill the Headlights
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_1116_headlights.mp3]
All I have to say, is that it is rare that I go to a concert, and I am wowed by the opening act (I must say though… in the case of some, they can become more of a favorite than the artist I intended to see… as is the case with Sara Bareilles). Last week when we went to see the Pipettes, I had never heard of Nicole Atkins, but that all changed once she took the stage. At first, I was slightly interested, but as she got warmed up, I really fell in love with her sound; a very old soul-sound with an almost child-like/innocent voice. I really enjoyed her at the concert, and got her CD after the show. One of the songs that stood out to me at the show was Kill the Headlights, and has proven to be my favorite from her record by far. If you enjoy Brandi Carlile (especially the more rock-twinged song The Story), I highly recommend Nicole Atkins, because she may have a similar voice, but she definitely takes her music in a different, and more weathered direction… and the result is really great.

Rilo Kiley – Smoke Detector
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_1116_smkdetector.mp3]
I have to say, that the album, Under the Blacklight, by Rilo Kiley really took me by surprise. While I instantly fell in love with the song Silver Lining (which still remains one of my favorite songs from this year), the rest of the record had to slowly grow on me. And grow on me it did… this has turned out to be one of my favorite records of the year, and it really is a great one indeed. Smoke Detector is my one of my other favorite songs from the record; which will, by the way, have a place among my top spots for this year’s albums of the year.

Silversun Pickups – Lazy Eye
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_1116_lazyeye.mp3]
Finally, the song from what I would label as the 2nd CD I most regret not hearing in 2006 (when it was released), because it would have surely have made my year end list of favorites, Lazy Eye is one of my favorites by the Silversun Pickups. I have featured them in a five song Friday of the past, but felt compelled to bring more love for the Silversun Pickups this week, because a dear friend confessed that she had never heard of them when asking if we wanted to go to a concert in which they were one of the featured acts. Well, we got tickets to the show, so I think now is as good a time as any to get acquainted with this fantastic group. The rest of the CD is awesome as well. I really do love this band!

Alright, there you go. Another five song Friday under my belt! I am really getting excited about the upcoming “31 days of CD suggestions” for my year end “best of” countdown… stay tuned!

And as always… have a great weekend, and tell me what YOU are tuning into!