This Dave Matthews (surprised?) song has always struck a chord with me. I made sure it was played near the end of my wedding night-- not because it's a particularly fitting song for a wedding, or even one you can really dance to-- but because its lyrics were words I wanted to make sure I was living in the final hours of one of the most amazing days of my life.
Beyond being appropriate for my wedding day, I think it's also fitting for this project. "Pig" calls on us to see all the light in our life, to embrace the present and "not burn the day away". With only a final few days left until my Thankfulness Project year closes, I know this song will be on my mind often. Whenever I hear it I think of my wedding and marriage, one of the ultimate blessings of my life, but I will also think that this is not just a song for the most special days but for every day.
I know this song has been released for a while, but I heard it for the first time this week. I imagine it hits a chord with a number of people living in the Northeast right now.
Coldplay’s song was used in last night’s NBC Benefit for
Hurricane Sandy, and I was moved by it, as I always am. It’s a song filled with
such hope, a reminder that even in our darkest of moments there is light.
Mumford & Sons new album Babel is amazing. I’ve already
expressed my gratitude for them as a band, but I must do it again. “I Will Wait”, a
song off Babel, feels quite poignant at my life right now, and I’m thankful that
it captures an experience there are little words for.
I have a tendency to like music that is moving, or more on the sad side...but I'm also partial to a lot of music that is more upbeat and happy. "Laid" by James is a song that never fails to put me in a good mood...and even when I hear it yesterday, and am in a good mood, it puts me in an even better mood. Those opening riffs get me every time...
Since discovering this band late this summer, I've been listening to their album My Head Is An Animal, and my favorite of their songs "Little Talks", on near repeat. I love falling in love with new music!
As an anniversary present, Kegan took me to see the Broadway musical Once this past weekend. I've wanted to see it for quite sometime (since even before it won the Tony for Best Musical) so I was thrilled to go. Once was first a movie, and many people who've seen it have suggested it to me, but I never got around to watching the film. I love a night out to the theater, and this was no exception. It's an unconditional love story with a subtle message about those that come and go in our lives, and the music is moving. The most popular song from the score, "Falling Slowly", is one that I had heard and have liked prior to seeing the play, but it was so much more powerful in person. I'm thankful to have seen this show, and more so grateful to have experienced it with Kegan in honor of our anniversary.
The other night at dinner I was loving the music that the restaurant was playing. At the end of the night I asked our waiter if they were, as I suspected, using Pandora...and they were! He told me the station they were playing (Belle & Sebastian) and it's been the soundtrack to my day as I've puttered around my house. Pandora is one of my favorite websites, and I've been introduced to so much new music from it.
My favorite Simon & Garfunkel song...always makes me want to drive cross country. On Tuesday I heard it on the radio and I became totally choked up by it...another one of those beautiful, sad songs I can't help but be moved by.
When Shanna made me my Dave & Tim bag she also gave me a mixed CD she made me. I love the whole compilation; we have very similar tastes in music, so that came as no surprise. The song that I have been replaying most from it is "Save Your Scissors" by City & Colour.
Last week was pretty rainy, so it was lovely to have a nice weekend with lots of sunshine. While Kegan drove today I had the window down, my feet up on the dashboard, and it felt like the perfect summer day, only made more so when "Solsbury Hill" came on the radio.
"Today I don't need a replacement, I'll tell them what the smile on my face meant..."
The first song I ever heard by Greg Laswell was his haunting cover of Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Want to Have Fun". Any man who can turn one of the peppiest songs of all time into a miserable ballad is a man after my own heart! The day after hearing that cover I downloaded all of his albums and have seen him live many times.
Whenever I hear Greg's music I think to myself, "How is this man not more famous?" And yet, sometimes I selfishly want to keep him my little secret. John Green wrote in his novel The Fault In Our Stars about how passionately you can feel about certain books, and if you alter his quote to be about music, that is how I feel about Greg Laswell: "Sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together until and unless all humans read this book. And then there are books...which you can't tell people about. Books so special and rare and yours that advertising your affection feels like a betrayal." For me, Greg's music is so special and rare and mine that advertising him does feel like a betrayal in some ways....unlike any other musician I listen to, his music reaches me on such a personal level that sharing it is like giving away a piece of myself.
That being said, Greg's newest album, Landline, was released today, and I wish him the best of luck and success with it. I've downloaded it and am listening to it as I write this. It's a different vibe than his other albums, and with any new music it will take time to grow on me. But it inevitably will, because at his core Laswell is a masterful singer and songwriter. He's one of those people about whom I think, "Thank you for being."
"How The Day Sounds" (Live), My favorite Laswell song...and it's surprisingly a happy one!
The magic of Pandora always introduces me to great new music, such as The Slip. I've been listening to this song on repeat this week and am officially in love.
Lately I've been very moved by activism, coincidentally in different ways. I'll expand on that at a later date, but last night I was reminded of my favorite music video. Music videos are by no means a main form of entertainment for me, but the Sarah McLachlan song "World on Fire" is one of my favorites, so a few years ago I youtubed the video. True to the message of the song, the video is unbelievably powerful. Its simplicity is striking, and I am thankful for the motivation and reminder that we can all do our part, no matter how small, in making the world a better place.
Back when I was in high school I discovered music trading. At the time I didn't have the ability to burn CDs...or a computer newer than 1987. So I couldn't participate in trading, and instead relied on the kindness of strangers and the option of "B & Ps", which was when I would send blank cds and return postage for someone to burn me a copy of whatever show they had. I loved participating in B & Ps in high school, usually spending my study hall in the library arranging them, and was always grateful to get a package in the mail. As a result I've amassed a small collection of Dave Matthews and Counting Crows live shows which I still listen to years later.
I recently revisited some old music websites I frequented, and realized I could actually trade with someone now, nearly a decade later. I arranged a trade and even offered my own B & P. It feels really great to give back to the music trading community. Today I spent some of my evening copying a show for someone in Virginia, and look forward to putting it in the mail tomorrow, knowing it'll make someone's day later in the week.
I love the music of Bon Iver. Like most of my musical taste, Bon Iver is mellow and somewhat sad. It's indie folk at it's best, my favorite musical genre. They are up for four Grammy Awards, which will be awarded this weekend. Should they win I am sure they will become much more famous. Of course they are deserving of this, but I relish in these days before they gain a larger following. I've always liked being a fan before mainstream popularity.
"Bon Iver" is French for "Good Winter", and I definitely that's reflective of their band and fitting for the season. I find myself playing their album continuously these days, and love having their music fill up my home. Thanks are also due to Allison, who leaned over to me during a Greg Laswell concert and said, "You have got to download Bon Iver. They are totally your music." And, as usual, she was right.
