erinthehermit
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A friend of mine has been telling me for weeks - nay, months - how much she loves the new John Mayer CD, Continuum.
John Mayer's one of those folks that I feel wary about liking, because when he first started out, he was so ... not interesting. And plus he looks funny when he sings. But I have to admit - this stuff is great. Most of it. The first song - "Waiting For the World To Change" makes my insides warm. But what I love the most (right now, anyway) is the song "Slow Dancing in a Burning Room." The guy can curse while sounding incredibly suave, and that's just awesome. "I'll make the most of all the sadness. You'll be a bitch because you can. You try to hit me just to hurt me. So you leave me feeling dirty, because you can't understand."
In other news, you people that know my brother - he told me he wants vinyl for his birthday (no I still have not gotten him a present). And he gave me some suggestions, but I forgot what they were. And I don't know what he has already. So tell me what to get him, dangit. Thank you.
Finally. Oh No! Oh My! is awesome. People in Texas, go see them this week!
Expensive thought it may be, for a magazine, what I love the most is the way it includes a mix CD. There's always really cool and interesting music. In particular, a song I fell in love with this last go-round was Paolo Nutini's "New Shoes." It reminds me of how much I love shoes... but regardless, it quickly became my Myspace profile song.
I also finally got around to listening to the new The Shins album, Wincing the Night Away. I had heard altering opinions on this ("It's classic Shins stuff," "It's completely different from what they normally do and I don't like it," and "It's different but cool.") I ended up liking some of the songs, but overall, I am enjoying it. One of those CDs that, the more I listen to it, the more I like it. Favorites: Sleeping Lessons, Australia, Phantom Limb, Sea Legs, A Comet Appears.
Story time: I teach in a school where students mostly listen to either hip hop and rap or grunge alternative rock bands (there's no middle ground!). And my kids love to sing in class, and I've been pretty good about tolerating the stupid songs about nothing, until the other day. When my first period students started singing, at the top of their lungs, "Why'd you have to go and make things so complicated??" I immediately turned around and said, "Uh uh. I gotta draw the line now - no Avril Lavigne in my classroom."
And that is all.
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Besides "Phantom Limb" the rest of 'Wincing The Night Away' washed over me in a aural blur upon the first or second listen. But little by little, the onion peels of my ears (or spirit, what have you...) were peeled away and the songs of the album started to penetrate and excite me. It's a fabulous album.
Favourites:
Sleeping Lessons Australia Phantom Limb - I want to reach out and grab Mercer and hug the crap out of him whenever I listen to this. LOL Sea Legs - Damn Damn Damn, what a delicious track. Red Rabbits - Heavenly Black Wave
But, truly, this entire album is a joy to listen to, all the way through.
"What have you been listening to lately, Erin?"
That's a marvelous question, really. And a question you could easily answer yourself by doing a little Erin's Mog exploring. So just skip reading this, and go look for yourself, you lazy bum.
I've still been listening to a lot of KT Tunstall. Not as much non-stop, though. Just kind of ... off and on, I guess. I keep coming back to her. I may get over it eventually.
But yeah... my dad and I were talking the other day about how much I love the radio. Even if my iPod contains every song I could ever think to want to listen to, and my car has a handy AUX thingy, and I have earphones with me all the time, I still love the radio. Why? Because I love the randomness of it. You never know what's coming. There's something magical about hearing one of your favorite songs coming on. You feel lucky and loved and happy. At least, I do.
Now, here's the problem: most radio stations, especially in Waco, don't play many of my favorite songs. Or any of them. Let's just be honest here. So I resort to the next best option to magicality of radioness: the shuffle option. And in honor of that, here are the top 20 most played songs on iTunes/iPod (and I did cheat - read: omit songs - a bit, but only for non-repetitive purposes, and only songs that were high plays a loooong time ago that still haven't been beat out by currect high songs). Have fun.
1. Black Horse and the Cherry Tree, KT Tunstall (I had a major thing about singing along with that one, incessently, in the few weeks before Christmas)
2. Stoppin' The Love, KT Tunstall (I have a major thing about singing along with this one, incessently, now)
3. I Hate Everything (But You), Derek Webb (I heart Derek Webb - another good song of his? Wedding Dress. Such awesomeness.)
4. True Affection, The Blow (girl-fronted techno pop - what more can I say?)
5. Let It Rain, OK Go (Hallelujah)
6. Stand In The Rain, Superchic[k] (I have to say - I don't really like Superchic[k] that much, but this particular song... it was really crucial to me last semester. I don't know if I can explain why.)
7. Through The Dark, KT Tunstall (Yes, more of her - pretty song, though)
8. Colors, Amos Lee (This song was used in that movie, Just Like Heaven. And I love it.)
9. Suddenly I See, KT Tunstall (I told you I was into her lately... and yet you still act surprised.)
10. Blue Eyes, Cary Brothers (Reminds me of Zach Braff... yeah)
11. Winding Road, Bonnie Somerville (More Garden State)
12. Hey Ya, Obadiah Parker (Best cover EVER - seriously - if you've never heard it, try to find it because it's crazy how you can actually hear the meaning of the words when they're sung that way)
13. Smile Like You Mean It, Tally Hall (Probably the second best cover EVER - the choirish vocals are particularly an amazing touch)
14. All Will Be Forgotten, Holly Brook (This girl's pretty cool, I have to admit - I didn't much like her at first, but she's growing on me.)
15. Sweetly Broken, Jeremy Riddle
16. You're The Ocean, Teitur (I love this guy - speaking of which, has anybody heard his new album yet? I'm curious about it.)
17. Smile, Lily Allen (Sounds nice and giddy, but is really rather cruel)
18. Do What You Want, OK Go (The video for this is both very cool, and makes me dizzy)
19. To All Of You, Syd Matters (Very nicely and quietly haunting)
20. Here (In Your Arms), Hellogoodbye (Every time I hear this song, I want to start 80s dancing, and that makes me feel special.)
As a final thought, I would just like to say that this week is awesome. No school Monday (MLK day), delayed start Tuesday, no school Wednesday, and delayed start Thursday (thank you, inclement weather).
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just a note : you can download dj mixes, podcasts, radio shows etc. to your ipod. that way you get to choose a good show that plays the kind of music that you like, and still be surprised. look around online for this kind of thing.... (some radio stations from all parts of the world have shows available on their website)
Yeah, I know... somehow it's not quite the same, but I do do that as well. Sometimes.
MOG Meter
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I know how you feel. I almost feel guilty (but not quite) that I purposefully won't go anywhere near Continuum on the off chance that I'll like it (because I don't want to). I mean, how can you like a man that wrote (or at least sang) a song called Your Body Is A Wonderland?
Haha. I know. That song is awful.