Songs of the Week//12-14-2014//Surfer Guy

This weeks songs makes me think of all the people I see in the hallway and invent stories about. Like Surfer Guy. His hair is pretty great.

Miss Rebellion des Hormones//Stereo Total

Teenage angst? Cheesy French background music? count me in

There Is a Light That Never Goes Out//The Smiths

So cheesy I know, part of me is embarrassed, the other part of me can only keep replaying that scene from 500 Days of Summer in my mind? 

"To die by your side is such a heavenly way to die"

The Medic//Foxing

Because I saw them live this week and they sounded so great live. Especially the trumpet parts. 

Walking Around at Night//The Vivian Girls

The Vivian Girls are forever my favorite and sometimes I dream about them getting back together and playing a show in Philly. 

Sorry this weeks songs are up later than normal but I'm an unorganized mess right now with lots of work I need to catch up on!

Hope you're having a good day,

A

Modern Baseball Show!!!

 

 This past Thursday I got to go to the Modern Baseball concert here in Philly, and it was so great. The only complaint I have is that they didn't play How Do You Tell a Girl You Want to Kiss Her which is just a fabulous song and I probably could have shouted it out, but I didn't, because I wasn't thinking anything through because I was on that euphoric concert rush (really bad run-on, I know)

 

There was four bands that played before Modern Baseball and it was around 10pm when Modern Baseball finally came on (which normally I wouldn't care about but I had school the next day). The two that really stuck out to me were Crying and Foxing. Crying (pictured above - awful quality I'M SORRY) stuck out because the way the lead singer holds the microphone is really different - she grasps it with both hands and then leans over it, singing with her wavering high pitched voice. I had a really hard time hearing her voice though because the guitar/drums were really amplified and drowned it out for the most part. I enjoyed their set but I don't think they're the kind of band I'd listen to.  

 

Foxing was another band that played and I really enjoyed their show/music. The lead singers voice captures so much emotion (a more painful, frusterated emotion) and when he dances around the stage he kind of portrays someone that just went through a really bad break up and is trying to get it all out. ALSO he would pull out his trumpet randomly and play along with the band and it was so great and perfect I couldn't stop smiling.

 

 In between sets they were playing music on the speakers, and for the most part it was just mumbly punk music that you couldn't really make out, but at one point they played Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" and everybody went crazy and people pulled out their lighters and other people were crowd surfing (really not that safe now that I think about that combination), and this one guy standing near us jumped into his friends arms and started shouting "I'm flying Jack! I'm flying!". I wish they had played more recognizable music between bands because then I think it would have made the wait seem shorter.

Finally Modern Baseball came on and I was so excited and my friend was so excited cause it was actually happening! When they came on I think they felt the restlessness of the audience and so they didn't talk much but said something along the lines of "We're going to play as many songs as we can, loud and fast" and then they just broke into song. My favorite song that they played was probably Tears Over Beers and it almost felt like I was listening to the song for the first time because the performance felt so charged and powerful. 

I'm so happy I got to go, and going made me realise how I need to get out to more concerts because they make you feel that adrenaline rush that compares to nothing else. 

I'm sorry if this post is scrambled or confusing but there was just so much that writing this I feel a bit frazzled trying to figure out what I should include. 

Have a great week!

A

(oh at one point my glasses got kicked off by a crowd surfer and I just immediately dropped to the ground and started moving my hands around looking for them. Right as a grabbed them someone stepped on my hand which freaked me out because had I been two seconds late my glasses would have been crushed and the rest of the concert would've sucked because I would've been completely blind. But hey they didn't get crushed so yay! )

Songs of the Week//12-7-2014//Well Gee

Hey!

It's the weekend! This week had been extremely painful for me as I hadn't gotten a single good nights sleep so being able to sleep in this morning was almost luscious.

Here is a few of the songs that have gotten me through this extremely lethargic week:

Anthems for a Seventeen Year Old Girl//Broken Social Scene

"Park that car, drop that phone, sleep on the floor, dream about me" 

I first discovered this song a while ago but lately I just can't get enough of it!?

Bad Kids//Black Lips

I watched 500 Days of Summer for the first time this weekend and while it wasn't my favorite I got this gem from the soundtrack (I'm currently reading A Clockwork Orange and I feel like this song kind of intertwines with the whole discussion  the author has about how people always wonder why some people are bad but don't wonder why some people are good) 

I Swore//Denai Moore

The whole idea of loss of innocence in a way that's not normally discussed is really clinging itself onto me 

Trying to Pretend//Vivian Girls

Never not a good time for the Vivian Girls 

Mrs. Robinson//Simon and Garfunkel

This just feels so good. 

Hope you had a good week!

A

I Swore EP//Denai Moore

I Swore is filled with the hauntingly sweet voice of Denai Moore. All of the tracks offer a fluid mellow feel, yet are still very polished. Self described as folk, I feel as if she has more soul and depth than a lot of "regular" folk artists; I imagine she could fit into a variety of genres as her music  encompasses so much. Originally hailing from Jamaica, Denai creates a sense of belonging in her music, and will carry you along as her voice swells, creating beautiful harmonies with the piano. My favorite track off this album is the namesake of the EP: I Swore. The repetition of "I swore at my mother, for the first time" is really powerful because through very simple and delicate wording it shows the emotion of growing up as well as reaching that point where something slips and you feel as if a bit of your innocence is lost. The music video shows the overconfidence of teenagers: how we can work potential situations up in our head, and when they actually play out we end up watching these cocky expectations crumble around us. 

Genre: folk, acoustic

Website
Youtube
Soundcloud
Facebook

(Side Note: I actually got to see Denai perform this past summer at the We Love Green music festival in Paris and her voice sounds just as flawless and eloquent live as it does on her tracks)

Random Stuff I like Part 2

Hey

Today I thought I'd post a bunch of pictures that I found randomly around the internet, like I did a few weeks ago.

 I got a collection of Thoreau's work from the library last week and I'm very slowly working my way through it. This photo makes me look like a try hard tho but whaddyagonnado *shrugs*

 Missing metropolitan everything 

 "Harry, I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Every day, once a day, give yourself a present." The whole first season of Twin Peaks (which is the only part that I've actually watched) seems to be stuck in an eternal fall and I love it.

 This sweatshirt is everything to me but I feel like if I get it people will a)judge me or b)think I'm really into Fergie (which I'm not - I just think that the pairing of the lyric with Degas dancers is the best decision anyone has made since applesauce became a thing). I should just get over what people think, IF ONLY IT WAS THAT EASY

 What 7/10 people here say when I ask them

 Me being a teenagery on Thanksgiving

If someone puts this on a shirt/sticker/anything I will buy it. 

Thats all for now...

Have a great week,

A

Songs of the Week//11-30-2014//Standing Up

Hey,

Here are my songs of the week: 

I'll Try Anything Once//The Strokes

Okay, I have been looking for this song for so long and I finally found it this week I was just so overjoyed, you have no idea. I kept hearing it random places but couldn't make out the words to search the lyrics and I fell upon it this week and it will never come off repeat now.

Cherry Bomb//The Runaways

The title is the ultimate #tbt to foursquare in elementary school

Paris Song//oh!Hello

Even in my best weeks I miss it. Oh well. maybe next time? 

Stuck on the Puzzle//Alex Turner

This was on Submarines soundtrack so I couldn't not include it considering how much I've been listening to it 

Tears over Bears//Modern Baseball

This song is just great 

Hope you like some of them/discover new songs.

Hope you're having a great day,

A

Submarine (2010) dir. Richard Ayoade

 

Submarine is a  teenage drama/comedy/romance that feels very real yet imagined/dreamy at the same time. What I especially like about this story is that it doesn't have the Hollywood approach to a British school boy that you normally see in movies. What I mean by this is that it's not the cliche hot guy who makes all the girls swoon with his thick accent - he's just a typical guy. Also, his best friend "Chips" looks frighteningly like a gangly blonde British kid I used to know and I just can't shake it. 

 

This movie tells the story of Oliver Tate and how his family is falling apart, as he thinks he's falling for a girl called Jordana. Due to Jordana's confidence and cockiness they become a thing and the movie shows the development of their relationship and the "ups and downs" (to quote any rom-com review out there). 

 

The cinematography of this film is really  nice, and there's a lot of shots that show off/embody the small town feeling really well. The pastel colors yet darkness of the shots is not something I was expecting, and kind of leaves me surprised, because I imagine this being a big hit with all those *soft grunge* tumblr users (not to stereotype, but yeah) yet I have never seen any of the *soft grunge* blogs I follow mention it. 

 

It's also a strangely relatable film. Even if your parents aren't having troubles, even if you are not chasing after a girl/guy there is just so many tiny aspects of teenage hood that this movie gets right.  For example, there's a lot of parallels between random thoughts I have, and thoughts that Oliver has. The above image shows one of the more obvious examples of these thoughts, but I promise there's tons sprinkled throughout the film that will fill you with a strange suprise of "I'm not the only one". 

Also, this movie feels timeless.  While watching, if it hadn't been for the cassette tapes and Polaroid, I could have imagined  this movie taking place anytime between the 1980's and now; it feels modern yet very lost in the past. This is a strange balance that works really well in the movies favor, and in my opinion, shows the timelessness of teenage angst/thought/boredom. 

Furthermore, this movie is  funny. Not too funny to make it seem like its trying to hard or too fake (like in the Kings of Summer how Biagio just pushes the bill on realisticness), but just this raw honest emotion of a teenager that reads as funny.

Finally, the soundtrack is really fitting. It's all done by Alex Turner, and he sets the melancholic, lost in time sentiment. I enjoy the uniformity of the soundtrack, and how unlike many other soundtracks, it's not just a bunch of different pop songs thrown together that leave the viewer feeling like it could have been better.

Overall I really enjoyed this film, and I am in disbelief that I hadn't heard of it earlier.

IMDB

OH!hello//Sleepy

Sleepy is OH!hello's second full album, and is a true lazy day gem. This acoustic lo-fi pop band from Portland creates a casual and comfortable sensation, the perfect soundtrack for a day at home. I feel like this is the kind of music that plays in the background of the "falling in love" scenes in movies, yet you can listen to it without feeling that melancholic "why have I never found love" sentiment. The use of ukulele incorporates a kind of uplifting sensation, even in the more downcast songs. This creates a very satisfying balance, and I think is the reason why the album sounds so good.

Genre: acoustic pop, bedroom pop, indie, lo-fi
Favorite Track: Savana Sabertooth

Bandcamp

Music of the Week//23-11-2014//A Hug From a Friend

Home (RAC remix)//Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

This is such a cheesy song but this remix is everything, it's to the moon and back amazing. 

 

Ain't Nothing like the Real Thing//Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell

Overall a feel good sound.

 

I Still Haven't Seen Almost Famous//Panucci's Pizza

I relate to both the lyrics and the title of this song, so all around a 10/10

 How Do I Tell A Girl I Want To Kiss Her?//Modern Baseball

This is nice music to do a wierd sway thing too. 

I Want You To Sit Next To Me At The Park//Cyberbully Mom Club

I love the obvious titles Cyberbully Mom Club always has, and sometimes I like to pretend people pay attention  to what I'm listening to on Spotify. 

Thats all for this week, hope you enjoy!

A 

Panucci's Pizza//Don't Tip the Delivery Boy

Today I'm just putting up this super small, quick post about an indie punk band from Pennsylvania called Panucci's Pizza. To be frank about it, their production quality isn't the best, but their songs have this strange addictive quality to them. I originally listened to them after seeing the title of one of their songs "You know when the Trojans got that horse and they were all "Yeah this is totally a gift" Thats how sure I am" because that just sums up a lot of emotions in a strangely relatable way. I really like how on some of their tracks, one second they seem like a casual folkish pop kind of band and then all of the sudden it just breaks out into punk/rock vibe. Maybe it's just because I've been having a bad week, but this album (Don't Tip the Delivery Boy) feels like a hug from an old friend that turns into a dance party. 

Genre: punk, rock, pizza party (why not?)
Favorite Track: I still haven't seen Almost Famous

Bandcamp

Music of the Week//16-11-14//Slightly Homesick

Young Boys//Sin Fang

Take Me To Church//Hozier

Chum//Earl Sweatshirt

I'm Your Teenage Prayer//Bob Dylan

I haven't posted much this week because school has just been a lot, but expect some new reviews/posts sometime this week.

Hope you had a nice weekend,

A

NO/NO//Drag EP

NO/NO is a pop punk band from Milwaukee, and the Drag EP is their debut release; reminiscent of Siouxsie and the Banshees (specifically Hong Kong Garden) or even The Samples. The rawness of the rapidly strum guitar is dance inducing, and gives off a very teenage angsty vibe. The vocals can seem slightly drowned out by the instruments on a couple of the tracks, which adds to the apprehensive mood of the EP. The female (Cat Ries) and male (Harrison Colby) vocals work together in a really satisfying alternating pattern, specifically on the track Crooked Faith, which in my opinion is what really completes the EP.

Genre: pop punk, punk, new wave, coldwave, darkwave, dream pop
Favorite Track: Hardcore

Bandcamp (their EP is a free download!)

Music of the Week//8-11-14//Potential

 New Orleans//Naxxos

Facebook

Twitter

Cigarette Burns Forever//Adam Green 

Website

This Too Shall Pass//Danny Schmidt

Facebook

Website

Days Are Gone//Haim

Style//Taylor Swift

(I know, I know) 

Hope you're having a nice weekend!

A

I got this!

Hey! 

I made it to Friday! I'm only slightly overwhelmed by homework! I'm making friends! I'm hanging out with friends on the weekend! Positive thoughts! Excitement for the near future! 

I'm trying to exude as much positivity as possible so that I can just be a happier person and therefore hopefully have a happier life. 

Today was really good - one of my closer friends here came back to school after being in Florida, I got some really good grades back, and I didn't feel lonely once which I think is one of my biggest accomplishments of these past few months.

Heres a few pictures that I liked and wanted to share:

I want be at a diner at 3am - I feel like its an important part of American teenagehood

cool shirt I decided I needed

I apologize and say "sorry" too much, so I related more than I wish I did to this license plate. 

I've started listening to new music again, so hopefully this weekend you'll see a review, and then also a "music of the week" post like the ones I used to do. 

Hope you have a great weekend,

A