#tuneofthetime

The normal spring break this year for the majority of people my...

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 01:20:00 -0400

The normal spring break this year for the majority of people my age at my school consists of binge drinking in Vegas, or sitting poolside at an all inclusive resort with their parents. While that sounds lovely, and nothing sounds better than day drinking, my lifestyle of living paycheck to paycheck does not provide for bottle service at the Cosmopolitan.

During my spring break I decided to come home and stay at my house for a week. Initially, the plan was to sleep in, eat free food, and get caught up on school work (or Modern Family). I know from experience, and from the undying reputation, that my hometown is extremely boring. There are actually a small list of things to do here, but anything that there is to do, either requires a wad of cash, or has to be done before five o’clock because the entire town shuts down early. Also, my schools spring break fell on a week different than all of my friends, and I refuse to eat lunch out by myself for an entire week.

For all of these reasons, I have decided to make my spring break as relaxing as possible. At the risk of sounding like an emotional, Eat, Pray, Love softy, my goals are to eliminate the stress of approaching college finals, and catch up on the little things in life that bring me peace.

I first discovered Blind Pilot in March when they performed in Missoula, MT. I had heard of them but I never heard their music and was apprehensive about spending the money. After going, I can confidently say that I would pay that $13 ten times over again. Their concert was an amazing experience. Not only did the entire bar suddenly feel like a large family (possibly a result of a group wine buzz), but I was also suddenly reminded that real vocal talent isolated from the flashy production distractions still exist.

Off of their hit filled album “We Are the Tide” Blind Pilot’s track “Half Moon” has become the song of spring break. The song has an uplifting feel, combined with an incredibly catchy chorus (my weakness). Also, lead singer Israel Nebeker’s voice is comparable to that of an angel. I encourage everyone reading this to listen to the recorded version of the track and compare it to this live version. You might find that some of Blind Pilot’s live recordings of songs are even better live, than they are recording.

Although summer sucks the inner hipster out me, musically...

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 18:06:17 -0400

Although summer sucks the inner hipster out me, musically speaking (explained further in the previous post), top 40 music will always have a special place in my heart. When I find a song I like, I want to hear it. Luckily I have an iPod and can listen to my music wherever I want to (ßyou see that Apple? Send me a MacBook). Yet for times when I am without my iPod (#firstworldpains) I listen to the radio, which plays the same mainstream music on my iPod. I definitely don’t hate that I can jam out to my favorite song in the car, grocery store, and most importantly at the bars (music and drinking are inextricably linked). The downsides of sharing musical taste with Ryan Seacrest is that many of the songs make me want to drink and party at unacceptable hours of the day, and also that Seacrest has an enduring boner for Selena Gomez, Justin Beiber and other children with prepubescent squeaky voices.

“Turn Up the Music” by Chris Brown has recently become my most recent top 40 obsession for one primary reason. This track makes me want to rage, and not in the context of domestic violence (I know what you were thinking). When I listen to this song I literally imagine myself dancing on top of a table in a jam packed dance club, waving a bottle of Grey Goose around in the air (I don’t actually like vodka but Grey Goose feels appropriate). This is one of those songs, like said earlier, that makes me want to party no matter where I am. The second this song comes on the radio, pushing my shopping cart full of generic brand groceries through Ablertsons suddenly turns into a cliché pop music video full of dancing and sexual tension.

The music video for “Turn Up the Music” is another reason why I have become so infected by this song. Chris Brown may not be a model citizen, and many would grade his live singing as subpar, but the dude can dance. Breezy doesn’t really even dance that much in this video, but I have a penetrating weakness for clubs with choreographed group dance (specifically at 1:32 in the music video).

All of my rage and desire to black out ends for two quick seconds at 2:58 in the song when Chris Brown belts a run of notes that sounds something similar to Mickey Mouse Club Christina Aguilera on a merry-go-round. At this part I giggle for a quick moment and quickly revert back into my drive to destroy myself.

Chris Brown as a person is questionable, yet for the period of time that this song occupies my headphones I am #teambreezy

The school year is coming to an end and the weather is starting...

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 15:56:52 -0400

The school year is coming to an end and the weather is starting to warm up. Hipsters are busting out of their minimalist studio apartments in their frayed jorts an abnormally shaped sunglasses. Simultaneously my short term music trends rapidly shift away from the top tracks on iTunes and assume an Indy-alternative alter ego. Any music I listen to is only Indy relative to my normal habits. In fact most of it would be characterized as mainstream by any Pitchfork attendee. This musical drift is an annual occurrence. It’s like the birds flying south, or the release of my coveted seasonal microbrews (Summer Honey by Big Sky Brewery, Summer Shandy by Leinenkugel, or Somersault by New Belgium).

Every year there is one song that gets the ball rolling towards the hipster music scene; this year’s catalyst is “Simple Song” by The Shins. A triple climax, the song features a catchy chorus highlighting the unique sound that is James Mercer; all while demonstrating that meaningful lyrics are not yet a historical artifact. As I preformed this song in my room using my dvd player remote for a microphone (cliché, I know) to an audience of furniture, I found my favorite moment in song comes at 1:38 and again at 2:30. Mercer’s dedication to the lyrics “Could be there’s nothing else in our lives so critical as this little home” makes me understand why it has become the soundtrack to the past 48 hours of my life.

I caught wind of the song first on Saturday Night Live, and second from my roommate’s brother who sent me a playlist I requested in order to cater to my changing musical taste. It is important to note that I would be characterizing myself as a musical d-bag (definition by heeerrroooo on Urban Dictionary) if I said I have always loved The Shins. Until I received the song from my friend (hopefully legally), the only other song I owned (or knew of for that matter) was “New Slang” from the flick Garden State.

Needless to say, I could definitely listen to more work from The Shins. But for now, I will put on my jorts, search for a pair of wayfarer from a thrift store and leave this song on repeat until I find a new dependence.