Author: duane

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

5SF: may 30

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Today’s five song Friday has a huge surprise from me… a song by a group that up until recently, I couldn’t stand at all. Seriously, the mere mention of their name made my skin crawl, and yet, they have released an AMAZING song that I tried to resist, but couldn’t. Also, I have a few songs that were recommended to me, so again, I really do value and appreciate all suggestions; most of them I really enjoy, and some I am elated to find out about! With that bit of titillation, let’s get to it, shall we?

Santogold – L.E.S. Artistes
I kept hearing how “amazing” Santogold is, and after many recommendations (thanks, y’all) in addition to that, I checked her out, and I must say that I am definitely impressed by this song. The song took me a while to get into, but I find myself enjoying it more with each listen. I really love the drumming, especially at about 2:30 in… I love a good beat. I wanted to include the video because it is one of those occasions where the video totally adds to the song; although, I don’t really know WHAT it adds other than visual entertainment. Nice song, and good recommendation.

Coldplay – Viva La Vida
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_530_coldplay-vivalavida.mp3]
Here’s the song I mentioned above, that comes from the group I couldn’t stand before today… before seeing those damn itunes commercials featuring Viva La Vida, I literally HATED Coldplay. Seriously. What is it about them that I hate? Perhaps the smugness of Chris Martin, and how it totally comes through in each of the songs that have FLOODED the airwaves for the past several years? (yeah, that’s it!) However, there is no denying that this song is pure genius. I will gladly consider myself a Coldplay fan for this song; it is catchy, brilliant, and begs to be played on repeat. Also, not really related to the song, but a note about one member of the band: Will Champion, the drummer, is smoking HOT. Seriously, I want to have lots of babies with him. Alright, I will stop drooling over Will, and drool over this song, because it too, is hot.

Cyndi Lauper – Rain On Me
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_530_cyndilauper-rainonme.mp3]
I don’t really like putting two songs by the same artist two weeks in a row (I like to keep things fresh, and mix things up a bit), but there are times when there are two really stand out tracks that just capture my attention, and beg to be shared. This is one of those times. I featured Cyndi’s club banger Into the Nightlife last week, but after giving the whole (pretty decent) record a listen, I stumbled on this fragile ballad near the end of the CD. I must say, that instantly, I got chills. This song is beautiful, gentle, and totally reminds me of some of her amazingly moving hits like True Colors. This song is quintessential Cyndi for me, and it is an amazing track that begs for much deserved attention. Cyndi, you clearly still have it honey, and I couldn’t be more proud of you.

Missy Higgins – Ten Days
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_530_missyhiggins-tendays.mp3]
Missy Higgins is one of those artists that most of you may not know about, but you really should. She is big in Australia where she is from, and has recently had a hit with Where I Stood (an emotionally driven amazing ballad that I featured a long time ago back when 5SF was just getting started). Since I got my ears pierced, I have been listening to radio on my computer a bit at work (when my ears hurt too much to continue using the torture devices also known as ear phones), and one site that I have been listening to is Pandora. The basic premise, is you enter an artist you love, and they play stuff that is similar. Well, this was one of the songs that they suggested to me, and it reminded me that I needed to get Missy’s first CD, because of how much I LOVE her most recent release, On a Clear Night. Well, after snagging her first album (that contains this track), I have realized how much I really do love this artist, and I just wanted to get some more out there about her. I am definitely impressed with both of her albums, and consider myself lucky to have found such an amazing artist for my music collection. This is a beautiful song, and is definitely indicative of what you can expect from the amazing Missy Higgins. Also, not to gush too much, but that violin riff is simply amazing.

Weezer – The Angel and The One
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_530_weezer-theangelandtheone.mp3]
It is with sheer excitement that I type these next words: Weezer’s new self titled album, or as it will affectionately be referred to because of previous self titled albums, the Red Album, hits stores on Tuesday. I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy, and this song is one of those songs that makes me wonder why so many “fans” gave up on Weezer after Pinkerton. If you aren’t familiar with Weezer’s history, Pinkerton was an amazingly candid and totally honest look into Rivers Coumo’s heart, and as such, it is one of the most beloved records by Weezer’s fans. However, maybe he felt that he said too much, and as such, has not shared as much depth, at that level, since (at least, many would agree that he hasn’t). Well, this song proves to me that Rivers is still the emotive boy that needs love and feels that love enough to put it into song; and proves that those “fans” shouldn’t have given up on this amazing band. I love Weezer, always have, and I am truly excited about the new album; and with tracks like this and the catchy as hell Pork and Beans, why not, right? Weezer is back for all those that thought they left, but those like me know that they never really went anywhere; they were just keeping the emotion in check.

Well, there’s your five songs for this final Friday of May, kids!!! Hope you enjoyed them!!! As always, let me know what you are listening to, and I hope everyone has a great weekend! We are off to the EABF tomorrow for a day of boozing… viva la beer! HA!

all about me, mixed media, the catch-all-egory

my new curve

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Yesterday, at lunch, I wondered aloud to my friend Deb about how long I had to wait until I get a new phone… I am on Verizon, and I have recently started getting the itch that the end of my two years was coming up soon (around the summer usually), so when I got back to the office, I called customer service to see when I could succumb to my need for new technology. Turns out, I have been eligible since early April (thanks for telling me! Sheesh!), so off to the Verizon store I went.

When I got my Motorola Q, I really wanted a Blackberry, but at the time, there weren’t any available that had cameras, and none of those were good enough to make me want to give up having a camera on my phone. Well, recently, the Pearl came out, and I had originally thought about getting it when I had a chance, but after playing with the kinda-qwerty keyboard, I was pretty sure that preferred having a full qwerty at my disposal. After a few minutes of looking on the Verizon website, I had found what the very thing that I wanted: the Blackberry Curve. It is smaller than my Motorola Q, and it does EVERYTHING I want in a phone: email, pictures, internets, texting, qwerty keyboard, and my most wanted feature… IM.

So like I said, I was off to the Verizon store to cash in my $100 towards a new Curve. I also found out that I could get James a phone for free, so I got him the LG VX5400, which has everything his Motorola Razr has, but is just newer, more lightweight, and frankly, a bit cuter. The jury is still out on whether he likes it or not, but I have to say, that the Curve is like the best phone EVER. Seriously, I still joke that I would get my old StarTAC back in a second (I totally would), because it was the best phone I have ever had; but the Curve comes in a very, very close second. This phone rocks. The camera is great, and the internet is lightening fast. Also, I get to use the Blackberry internet plan, which is $20 cheaper than my old one. Rock!!

All in all, I got two phones, cashed in my $100 on mine, and ended up with a rebate of $100 instantly, and $50 mail in; making my Curve only $50. I am extremely happy with my purchase, and being that it was long overdue for a new phone, I couldn’t be happier that it all happened this week. So, if you have IM, make sure to hit me up; I am on yahoo (duanecmoody), AIM (theduanemoody), and even the Blackberry messenger (which I am pretty sure is only for peeps with Blackberrys).

I love a good deal, and this one was just too great not to blog about… not to mention the high I am riding after getting a shiny new piece of electronic equipment to play with!!!! Everyone loves that, right?!?! I also ordered an orange silicon case for it; which I can’t wait for. So far, I have nothing but love for the Curve! Good show, Blackberry!

"pointless", all about me, happenings, is it just me?, mixed media, venting

tuesday the 27th

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I figured it is getting a bit redundant to call these posts “random thoughts” every week, so what the fuck, I’ll change it up a bit. Regardless, here’s some random shit stewing in me brain:

  • I pre-ordered Guitar Hero On Tour for the DS today, because I saw it was coming out while I was at Best Buy returning some D-Batteries that weren’t needed. Dude; I so can’t wait for this game. I want it now, but at least with the pre-order I got an exclusive pick-stylus. I can’t wait to rock.
  • I went to Circuit City today to get God of War II, because they have it in their circular for $10, which is 50% off the retail price. That alone is worth the hassle of putting up with one of the worst companies on the planet… or is it? I went, and in typical Circuit City fashion, they didn’t have it in stock; but it wasn’t the fact that they didn’t have it that was my problem. See, I asked an “employee” (I use that term loosely, because he really didn’t do shit) to help me find it. After looking exactly where I did (where it would sit on the shelf), he informed me that they didn’t have any (REALLY, I looked their dipshit, I KNOW there are none on the shelf *face-palm*). What really topped the cake was the fact that he told me that get this… there is NO WAY for them to look up in the computer and even see if there are any copies on site. Excuse me? I loudly mouthed off about the fact that they must be the only large company that doesn’t bother with things like inventory and whatnot to my friend. What really irritates me about that, is not only can you definitely look up and see if there are any on site, but the goddamned website (that I can access at my PC anywhere in the world that has internet capability) can tell me if your store has the fucking game (I went straight from lunch, and I know now I should have looked). I complained at the front, and she apologized, but who fucking cares; Best Buy price matches, and I am going to go get it there after work. Fuck off Circuit City, you are a huge dose of assholes with a dash of mother fucker thrown on top. I don’t know if 50% off can even get me to go back (I say that, but I know I will find myself in there again someday… damn consumerism!).
  • I applied to the Nursing program at Georgia Perimeter today. The application was extremely simple (which surprised me), and I am REALLY nervous about getting in. I really, really, really want to get this degree going on the fast track, and getting in for the Spring would be like the best thing ever. I am totally crossing my fingers and toes for this one.
  • Tonight I am going with friends for dinner and karaoke, and I can guarantee I will do what I always do; I will not be able to decide which song to sing. I can always think of them when I am not really thinking about it, but when I get up to the sign in log, I just draw a blank. Weird. Any thoughts about what I should sing?
  • Three day weekends should pretty much be the standard. Seriously, having Monday off was amazingly awesome. Looking into June and July, I have two instances of “vacation” coming up, and I cannot fucking wait. I am taking James to a secluded cabin for his birthday weekend, and in July, I am going with my buddy John to New York City for 5 whole days. By the gods, I definitely need a break; and I am definitely looking forward to those.
  • I guess that’s about it… but I am sure I will think of 2 more things as soon as I hit publish, so maybe not…. What are y’all up to these days?

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

5SF: may 23

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This has been kind of a weird week musically; I have been seriously listening to the same things lately, and that doesn’t leave much room for new stuff to creep in. As I mentioned MANY times, Lady Gaga’s Just Dance has been on serious repeat for me, and as a result, I have been shaking my booty and tapping my toes to this infectious song. However, I managed to get some choice cuts for this week, some old, some new, and a rare offering from me: a live performance. Now… without further adieu, here’s the goods:

Carrie Underwood – Pray For Time (live)
After seeing George Michael perform this AMAZINGLY on the Idol finale the other night, I really was hoping I could get his performance on iTunes, because it was seriously that damn good. Well, after talking with my buddy John about the show, he told me how Carrie Underwood had actually sang that same song a few weeks back during the Idol Gives Back; and that her performance WAS available on iTunes (heavy focus on WAS… I had to scrounge the internets to get it). Well, after one listen to her performance, I completely stand by my previous statement about her being an unstoppable powerhouse. Her version of the song may not be ‘better’ than George’s was the other night, but it is certainly nothing short of fantastic. Carrie, girl, you sure can sing, and you look amazing when you do it. Being able to sing live is a clear indicator of real talent (singing wise), and Carrie Underwood certainly brings the goods each and every time. As I mentioned above, it is rare for me to fall for a live performance, but this one is definitely worth falling hard for.

Sarah McLachlan – Blackbird
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_522_sarahmclachlan-blackbird.mp3]
A few weeks ago, Sarah released Rarities, B-Sides, and Other Stuff Vol. 2, which contained a bunch of songs that I didn’t previously have in my collection. Since getting the CD, I have been reminded of how much I love Sarah McLachlan, as well as how amazingly talented she is. This cover of the Beatles’ Blackbird is so beautiful and tender, that you can’t help but completely love it (at least, I can’t). I have been a huge fan of Ms. McLachlan for years, and looking back on her body of work, I can tell you that I will definitely remain a huge fan for years to come. I can’t wait for the next album.

Brian McFadden – Forgive Me Twice
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_522_brianmcfadden-forgivemetwice.mp3]
I posted another song by Brian a few weeks ago, but at that time, I was barely getting into the album, but I liked what I initially heard. After having some more time with the record, I discovered this amazingly beautiful song deeper into the album, and I have been playing it over and over ever since. Seriously, this song is so incredibly beautiful, and sad at the same time. When he says, “you know… I really love you”, you can’t help but believe it. Forgive him Delta!! He’s a keeper! (I think) Delta Goodrem sings backing vocals on the track, which, (if it really is her) makes this another great song that they have collaborated on. This album gets better with each listen, and is definitely far better than his first, in my opinion.

Cyndi Lauper – Into the Night Life
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_522_cyndilauper-intothenightlife.mp3]
This song totally took me by surprise. This is not what I was expecting for the former she-bopper; Ms. Lauper has given us a true club-ready hit. The similarities to Madonna’s Get Together are apparent for me, (probably because it was also penned by Swedish producer Peer Ã…ström) but I still think that it is different enough that at least I still consider it pretty fresh. I like this direction that the true color girl is going, and really like the how the club friendly sound fits her voice so well. I honestly never thought Cyndi would be on one of these weekly lists, but here she is, and with a great song to boot! Here’s to more great surprises, right?!?

The Ting Tings – Great DJ
The drums, the drums, the drums… I’m sorry, what were we talking about? Oh yeah!! This is one of those songs that initially, I want to HATE because of how annoying it should be, but, it crept its way into my brain, and I am fucking addicted to the Ting Tings. Seriously, this song is danceable, infectious, and is a total earwig. I considered posting this one a few weeks ago, but it didn’t hit me right away… however, since then it has steadily gained momentum, and now finds itself getting played more and more when I listen to my ipod. I wanted to post the video too, because, I don’t know if it is just me, but I think the guy in the group is kinda hot.

There we have it! Another Friday, another five songs, and another week on the books. I hope everyone is planning on some fun this weekend; I know we are heading up to the lake at least a couple of times. Plans to meet friends from out of town are also on the books. It should be a fun three day weekend! As always, I hope you enjoyed these songs, but don’t forget, that you can suggest songs for me to; and I encourage you to do so, too!

"pointless", all about me, friends, happenings, is it just me?, mixed media, music musings, music suggestion, podcast, the catch-all-egory, venting

just a few random thoughts

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  • Last night, I was invited to partake in a great “bad beer” podcast, and it was a LOT of fun. I really miss hanging out with the people that were a part of it (my old trivia group for the most part), and it was great to finally meet one of the bloggers I have known URL for a while in person. I hope that we get to do more of those types of things in the future. It was funny that our podcast was talking about how bad chelada style beer was, when I am kind of a fan of Miller Chill. In fact, I actually really like it… so long as it is cold. The other beers we tried (Bud Light Lime, Tequiza, and Michelob Ultra Lime and Cactus) were all gross. I’ll let you know when the podcast is up, and you can here the silly fun we had drinking bad beers.
  • I have been having random fits of sneezing. The allergies in Atlanta are nuts, and this year is no exception. I guess there is something to be said about consistency; regardless of how annoying it may be sometimes.
  • On Tuesday night, I went out to dinner with some friends at a new local restaurant, and I did something that I have not done in a LONG time… I left the waiter zero tip. Hear me out… I waited tables for 5+ years at various restaurants, all of which served alcohol. I have NEVER in my life ever told someone that they had to pay for a drink that they determined to be undrinkable. In fact, I often apologized for something that I had no part in; I never was a bartender, and I never made those drinks. However, we always made it right, and made sure the customer was happy each and every time. I ordered a drink that was absolutely disgusting (which shouldn’t have been), and it was a simple bar mistake. I stand by the fact that this is something that I should not have had to pay for; yet, he made me pay for the drink (even though he took the totally full beverage and poured it out). Unfortunately for this establishment, this is a lesson that I have learned about that place, and as such I will not be drinking there ever again; which pretty much means it has moved itself to the bottom of my list of places to go eat. It sucks too, because being a local restaurant, I really want to support it, but I can’t control how restaurants treat their patrons. Having been a waiter myself, I put up with A LOT of mistakes without saying a word, but this was just ridiculous. Oh well… there is sure to be a yelp review to come about the experience!
  • I have to say, that I was a little surprised by who won AI last night. Oh well, the proof is in the pudding; we’ll see when they release their records, right?! George Michael’s performance on the show was AMAZING. Also, is it me, or is Carrie Underwood completely unstoppable? I mean, she is F-I-E-R-C-E fierce! Not only is she beautiful, but she can sing the shit out of anything!! Maybe I need to download her records…
  • Speaking of amazing music, the song that I featured last week, Just Dance, by Lady Gaga, is one of the most amazing songs ever. Seriously, this song is going to be my song of the summer. I have had it on repeat since last week… Loves it.
  • That’s about it… I guess. Anything going on with you that you want to talk about?? Anything questions you want to ask me that are just burning in your brain? Let me know!

"pointless", all about me, is it just me?, music musings, venting

my tender, tender ear canals

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I have extremely tender and sensitive ear canals. You know how you get those “in the ear” ear phones, and they have different sized inserts “for everyone’s comfort”? Well, even the smallest ones hurt my ears.

It has always been something that I have had to “deal with”, but I have been able to avoid the problem for a long time, since I got my awesomely amazing Bose around-the-ear noise canceling headphones. However, since getting lobes pierced last week, I haven’t been able to use my headphones, because they touch my ear lobes, and as such, I have fallen back on my in the ear phones. Ouch, ouch, ouch. I didn’t realize how much they hurt, because I have never had to use them for extended periods of time before.

I even tried using my friend’s amazingly nice Bose in the ear phones, but those hurt too!! I can’t be the only one out there with sensitive ear canals, so I wonder, if you have this problem, what ear phones are you using?? Let me know, so I can run out and get them today; because I can’t live without my music, and having to shove these devil’s swords in my ear is torture!!!

all about me, friends, happenings, is it just me?, venting, wtf?!

beer fests and marta

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So yesterday, Brody invited me up to the Dunwoody beer festival, and I decided that the best, and most responsible thing to do, would be to ride Marta up, and then catch a ride home with James later on in the evening. I was to meet Brody around 2pm, but being in the hurry I was, I forgot my ticket for the festival, so I had to go home and get it. Well, it only set me back a little bit, so I should have still been there around 2:30. No worries. Well, I got to Marta about 2, thinking it would take about 30 minutes MAX to ride up to Dunwoody. Well, I waited at 5 points for literally, over 40 minutes, while no less than 3 trains (15-20 minutes apart) for Doraville came through. Finally, I got on the last Doraville train, and changed trains at Lindbergh. It turns out, that this is the new way they do things; you get your transfer train to North Springs at Lindbergh, and not 5 points, as it has been in the past. WTF? Marta, you get a huge dose of FAIL, not only for having trains only come once every 20 minutes (seriously unacceptable), but for not indicating to riders the necessary information they need to actually get from A to B successfully.

I can definitely say that I will think long and hard before I get on Marta again. It is bad enough that our city has a sub-par AT BEST transit system, but to find out that even that is unreliable, and at best filled with fault and flaws galore, that it really makes one shake their head. Why can so many cities master the city transit system, but Atlanta just can’t seem to do anything right? Ugh… frustration is all I seem to get from Marta these days, and it is frustration that I can thankfully all but avoid entirely.

After I finally got my destination a full HOUR after I set off on my journey, I had a blast hanging out with Brody, Dave, and other assorted members of their kick ball team. It was a pretty fun day. I can’t say that I drank $30 worth of booze (the price of the ticket), but I did find a new potential favorite beer in Warsteiner’s Cola beer. Holy shit! That stuff is insanely good, and very refreshing. I never though I would like a cola flavored beer, but it is damn good. I am going to be consuming lots of it this summer, I can feel it.

Either way, it all turned out to be a fun day with friends and booze, but it began with a big dose of FAIL, ala Marta style. Boo Marta… yay booze and friends.

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

5SF: may 16

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This has been kind of a weird week. Having my ears pierced has been a pretty big distraction, most importantly, with regards to my sleeping pattern. Even though I find myself a bit sleep deprived, and definitely worrisome about the healing process, I am glad that I got them done. I just hope they heal quickly, because I am honestly tired of tossing and turning all night, because I am not able to sleep on my ears. Weird.

Anyway… today is a bit all over the place. I have two last minute decisions, which is good, because I was having a hard time coming up with 5 songs for today as I have literally been listening to Death Cab For Cutie almost non-stop this week. Their new record is fantastical. Alright… now let’s get to the music we need to be concerned with today, shall we?

Lady GaGa – Just Dance
Damn, this song is hot. Sometimes, I hear a song, and something about that track instantly draws me in; and this is certainly one of those tracks. I think the video is quite funky (hello 80s!), and it also makes it clear that Lady GaGa is obsessed with making herself into a Kylie Minogue record cover (a pose off!). This is one of those songs that makes you want to hear more from the artist. I am very curious to find out if there are other possible gems like this one hiding up Lady GaGa’s sleeve. To be honest, I wasn’t planning on including this song for this week’s five song Friday, because I didn’t hear this song until last night for the first time! However, at the last minute, I decided that it is too fresh not to put it in the mix this week. I hope you enjoy this song as much as I do… I have a feeling it will get a lot of play from me in the coming weeks. Just dance… OKAY!

Rihanna – Take A Bow
After this song was suggested by Steve, I did check it out (see, I do take your suggestions!), and I found myself liking it, but not loving it. However, when I saw the video, I think that it gelled for me; Rihanna is gorgeous, and seeing her sing adds to her voice even more (also, is it just me, or does anyone else get the baby dyke vibe from her in this video?? Looking sexy!). I have tried to resist the force that is Rihanna in the past, but with Good Girl Gone Bad, there is just no reason to put up a fight anymore… it is clear that there is something special about her. Great production to the songs that are being chosen for her (or by her?) is only going to help in propelling her career even further into the stratosphere. This single just shows that there is no stopping this chick, so we had better get used to having her around. I will note that this song was produced by the same folks that did that Chris Brown knock off that I wrote about a few weeks ago, and that it is just different enough (they seem to love that same sound), that I can get into it. It shows that you can use similar elements and still get me on board, but they can’t be so similar that they are actually the same, dig?

P!nk – Nobody Knows
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_516_pink-nobodyknows.mp3]
This beautiful ballad comes off of Pink’s 2006 release, I’m Not Dead. I was listening to XM recently, and this song came on, and it reminded me of how great that album really is. This song is definitely one of the best tracks on the record; if not the best one. It was nice to hear this song and be reminded of a record that made my 2006 list, but one that I haven’t listened to in a while. I always love being reminded of something great that doesn’t get enough attention in my music collection.

Death Cab for Cutie – Grapevine Fires
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_516_deathcabforcutie-grapevinefires.mp3]
After such a glowing endorsement of Death Cab’s new record, I found myself hard pressed to find a favorite song out of the lot. I literally love each track on the record, and each have their own nuances that make me like them. However, for whatever reason, this song stands out just enough, that I wanted to include it this week. If you are a fan of Death Cab’s earlier work, I am curious to hear what you think of the new record. I think that it takes elements of Transatlantacism, and builds on them; without abandoning their trademark Death Cab sound. Perhaps that is why I fell instantly in love with the record (well, that, and the fact that it is simply an amazing album)… either way, let me know what you think, Death Cab fans, won’t you?

Augustana – Fire
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_516_augustana-fire.mp3]
Finally, another song that has fire in the title!! That wasn’t a conscious choice. I have been listening to Augustana’s most recent release, and I find myself enjoying it MUCH more than their debut. Perhaps I was put off by their first single (which I was), but I have had more enjoyment with their new record. There are a few ballad-y type songs that stand out to me, and this one just screams at me. I love how his voice waivers when he gets to the chorus, showing some emotion that was strong enough to prevent it from being smoothed out during production. Sometimes it is small flaws that really make something worth listening to. Also, the note that he holds at the end of the song is impressive.

Well, there they are kids, your five songs for this Friday. Hope that you enjoyed each one as much as I did bringing them to you. Hope everyone has a great (and hopefully, it will FEEL long) weekend as well.

all about me, flickr, happenings, listen up!, music musings, music suggestion

ear plugs and narrow stairs

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So I have been thinking about doing it for a long time, because I think that ear plugs look incredibly hot on guys, but recently, I have been thinking more and more seriously about it. Well, a friend of mines family came into town not too long ago, and her nephew had plugs, and for whatever reason, that made the interest go WAY up. I felt like I HAD to get them.

Well, cut to yesterday… I got them. I got my ears pierced yesterday at the Piercing Experience in Inman Park, and except for the pain of having your ear jabbed with a big needle, I couldn’t be happier. Brian, the piercer at PE was AMAZING. Totally gentle, and extremely kind. Seriously, if you want ANYTHING pierced, I would not recommend anyone else; he was extremely awesome with my piercings. I am not going to lie and say that it didn’t hurt, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be (I guess). I am glad that it is over, and the healing can begin. I have already picked out some great stone plugs for when I get all healed up, but until then, I am rocking some clear glass, and I have to say, that they are quite fetching.
in the right!in the left!
I can’t believe I went through with it, to be honest, but now that I have them, I am totally loving them. Getting pierced at a big gauge (6g!!!) was a bit intimidating, but Brian at PE made it as good of an experience as I think that it could have been. I am so glad I went there.

On a completely different note (no pun intended), I have been listened to the new Death Cab for Cutie album, Narrow Stairs,NON-STOP since I got it yesterday. I don’t know why, but this album gelled with me instantly, and I love each and every song. It is a LITTLE different from the last album, Plans, but I feel a lot of what they were doing on Transatlantacism coming through on this new record. As always, Ben Gibbard’s sweet and endearing voice takes you through each track, weaving a journey of stories, all set to incredible music. So many of his “one liners” really get me, like when he simply, and heart wrenchingly states that “you can do better than me, but I can’t do better than you”. That is the shit that I swoon over, seriously. I have not found one song on this record that I have any negative thoughts about; even the 8 minute “I Will Possess Your Heart” has truly grown on me. I think it was brilliant of them to release it as a single, as it really got me ready for this record. Narrow Stairs is another amazing record from one of my favorite bands, and a record that is sure to make my year end list. This record reminded me of something awesome; records like Narrow Stairs are the reason I can still get excited about going out and buying CDs. This album gets an enthusiastic 5 stars from this blogger… do yourself a favor and pick it up!

all about me, blog on blog, hmm interesting, is it just me?, well?

did the aggregator kill the commentors?

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I’ll openly admit, that I know that I comment less because of how easily it is to digest blogs through the easy to use aggregator format (netvibes for me). In fact, many times, I find that I do more skimming, and find myself back to bored quicker than ever because of aggregators. However, my reliance on them is like that of my cell phone, I can remember what life was like without it, but I wouldn’t want to go back, now that I have become accustomed to using it.

Yet, it does make me wonder… is the aggregator doing the same thing to comments as the music video was supposedly doing to radio stars (see the Buggles video for this reference)? Does the aggregator format kill your desire to comment? Let me know what you think… I can’t be the only one that wonders where the majority of the comments went.

Perhaps I just don’t post as much flaming material anymore… who knows. Either way, it is just one of those “oh… maybe this is because of this” thoughts that I was thinking of today.

Also, in a totally unrelated note, I am happy as a pig in shit this morning. I checked my grades, and as many of you know, I was really worried that I wasn’t going to be able to pull my lab grade up to at least a C. Well, I did one better! I ended up with a B in the lab and the anatomy lecture, and an A in abnormal psychology. I feel awesome right now, because I worried myself silly about these damn classes, and now they are done, AND I got all A’s and B’s!!!!

Summer is going to ROCK.