Rock and Roll ain't Noise Pollution

"Train" by Nyles Lannon

2011-08-30T15:35:00.000-07:00

I've been listening to this song called, "Train" by Nyles Lannon. It came on shuffle last night, and I had never heard it before. I don't remember ever downloading it, but it's in my purchased folder on iTunes; apparently I bought it a while back and just never listened to it. It's on a soundtrack to a movie I've never heard of, and frankly, it took me by surprise. It's not the lyrics, because I've hardly listened to them, to be perfectly honest. They seem nice enough, as I've caught snippets through the music.

The music, paired with the singer's voice, is just so soothing. I'm ready to pull up a blanket, sip my coffee and burrow into a book right now with this song playing in the background. How else can I describe it? It's just plain lovely.

Listen to a clip here: http://www.last.fm/music/Nyles+Lannon

In other news, I'm trying to teach myself how to play the guitar using the internet as my teacher. I've discovered one major thing: My fingers are short and I need a guitar with a smaller neck. The guitar I have is a hand-me-down, so it's definitely good to start out with, doing some practice stuff. I hope to get my own one day, though. Preferably one my fingers can fit.

Bon Iver

2011-07-10T18:33:00.000-07:00

Things have been extremely complicated over the past few months. I don't want to get too detailed because I don't know if I can. Khim, to whom this blog is and always will be dedicated, passed away in May. She is so missed, but I take comfort in knowing she is in heaven, free from pain. I will always love her, and everything I write here will be for her.

I don't want to write about one song today. I want to recommend an entire album: Bon Iver's self titled album that was released a few weeks ago. "Perth", "Holocene", "Calgary"...just to name a few favorite songs. Every one of them evokes a different emotion inside of me that I'm unsure there are adequate adjectives to describe them. I feel unsure; I feel excitement; I feel joy; I feel sadness. The lyrics are, as always, abstract. But it's the music itself that captures me. It's one of the most beautiful albums I've heard all year, and I recommend it with all my heart to anyone who truly enjoys such simplicity, yet utterly complex sound. It's a contradiction, but such a stunningly beautiful one and the only way I can honestly explain it.

Listen to "Perth", the first song on the album, here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIluBvQ77Bk

"To Build A Home" - The Cinematic Orchestra

2011-05-08T17:26:00.000-07:00

On January 25th, I was in a car accident. I lost a lot of my creative energy due to it and have neglected this blog, but it slowly returned to me and I really am doing okay. Physical therapy hopefully won't last much longer.

I do have a request, for anyone who reads this: Please pray for Khim, whose strength and courage after all she's been through is truly inspiring. She's my hero. She's one of the strongest women I've ever known, and I pray for her recovery every day of my life. I ask you to say a prayer as well, or just think of her if praying isn't your thing. She's an incredible young lady.

This song, "To Build A Home" is one I will constantly come back to. One thing I love about certain songs is when they can pull off those dramatic climbs in the music. Not really a slow build, but sort of, only done multiple times in a song. "White Blank Page" by Mumford and Sons is an awesome example, and this song, by The Cinematic Orchestra is one that effectively pulls it off. Sometimes it's not something I want in a song, but it's wonderful in this case.

Not only is the music spectacular, but the lyrics are just so poetic that I almost feel like bursting into tears sometimes. I love it when a song does that to me! Check these out:

Out in the garden where we planted the seeds
There is a tree as old as me
Branches were sewn by the color of green
Ground had arose and passed it's knees

By the cracks of the skin I climbed to the top
I climbed the tree to see the world
When the gusts came around to blow me down
I held on as tightly as you held onto me

Truly breathtaking.

You can listen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_f8h1xtkb0U&feature=related

"With You" - Nate Stone

2011-01-07T08:32:00.000-08:00

I hope you had a nice holiday, Khim. Things were slightly crazy in my little corner of the world, so I hope yours was a little more calm. 2011 is going to be a good year, I think. The year things start to look up. I have faith in this.

One of my dear friends sent me an iTunes gift card for Christmas, so you can imagine my crazy excitement when I stumbled into their music store. I always get a little flustered because I want everything, but I'm taking my time and searching for songs that really speak to me.

The song I picked this time is "With You" by Nate stone. I fell in love with his voice while listening. It's so deep and meaningful, and I can just close my eyes and feel it inside me. I'm very into these singer/songwriter type songs lately (as well as folk music) and this just hit the spot. The lyrics are simple and sweet, the music soft and beautiful. I just love everything about it.

Listen to it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YF4Eojr7J0M

Have a wonderful weekend, honey.

"Nothing Else Matters" - Original Bedroom Rockers

2010-12-19T18:54:00.001-08:00

I'm not sure if I shared this song with Schelz, but I really think it's one of those songs you two will thoroughly enjoy.

First of all, it's haunting. The whole tone of it, and I really love that kind of song. It also has a very cool sound to it, along with the beautiful lead vocals. I really love songs that have unique openings, and this is one of those songs.

Really, I'm not quite sure what else to say about it except that I just love it. I love the sound of it, I love the lyrics, and I love how it makes me feel when I listen to it. I think you will too, Khim.

Listen to it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-WFnJBPBo4

"Sorrow" - The National

2010-12-06T15:35:00.001-08:00

So Khim - I had planned to go in a completely different direction than this, but I just couldn't. This song grabbed me by everything I am. Not sure if I can really explain why, but I'm going to try anyway.

It's a bittersweet song, really. Mournful. But it's not depressing, at least not to me. I think that's because I find it so damn beautiful. The music is what first grabbed me, because it grows. It starts out strumming along and it just grows, it builds, gets stronger as the song moves along. It's really incredible to me, because I didn't notice it at first; not until I got to the end and I found myself slightly out of breath.

Also, the lyrics are distressingly gorgeous:

Sorrow found me when I was young
Sorrow waited, sorrow won
Sorrow, they put me on the pill
It's in my honey, it's in my milk

Don't leave my hyper heart alone on the water
Cover me in rag and bone sympathy
Cause I don't wanna get over you
I don't wanna get over you

Just absolutely stunning.

Listen to it HERE, honey.

I hope your week is going well!

"Intro" - The XX

2010-11-29T22:12:00.000-08:00

I'm going instrumental tonight, Khim. I just downloaded this song, and it's getting to me in so many different ways. If I had to try and pinpoint something particular, I'd have to say the drums really make me get very excited about this song. Right around 23 seconds, when they first start, because the beginning is my favorite part. Everything just seems to work together so beautifully. This is one of those songs that has you kind of silently jamming with your eyes closed. Does that make sense to you? And then when the voices chime in, I get goosebumps. I love a song that can do that to me.

It makes me feel inspired to be creative. We all need a little more of that in our lives, don't we?

Listen HERE.

Until next week, dear!

"Walking By" - Something Corporate

2010-11-20T20:57:00.000-08:00

So I thought I would try blogging about music again, only things will be a little different this time because I'm going to be talking specifically to my friend, Khim. She's a music lover like me and she's going through a rough time right now, so these songs will hopefully lift her spirits.

Andrew McMahon is one of my favorite musicians, Khim. He's overcome so much that life has thrown at him and his music really reflects that. I've seen the man five times now, and I'm never bored or disappointed.

"Walking By" is one of my favorites. It's one of those beautiful songs that tugs at your heartstrings. The piano combined with the violin and his soft, sweet singing just hits all the right spots. The lyrics have that longing feel, that sad yet beautiful yearning to them, and it always makes me feel so content to listen to it. It's one of the first songs I owned by Something Corporate, and it will always be one I hold close. I hope it makes you feel something, too.

Come back next week and I'll have a new song for you. Feel better, sweet girl.

Walking By

<3

The Wrote & The Writ - Johnny Flynn

2010-03-16T07:09:00.000-07:00

I'll start out saying that I love folk music. My friend Lexie recommended The Wrote & The Writ to me a while back and I instantly fell in love. Great voice, great lyrics, great guitar; there's so much to love about this song. Johnny Flynn's voice is reminiscent of Johnny Cash; deep and emotional.

I like how it's so soothing. The lyrics are nice, the music is nice, and it's perfect to listen to when you need something calm. Also, the guitar playing is phenomenal. Listen at 2:40 in and you'll hear it. I could cry, it's so beautiful.

There are other versions of this song, but they don't stand up to this in my opinion.

You can listen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rI-R730VJik

Silversun Pickups "The Royal We"

2010-02-05T12:53:00.000-08:00

You've probably heard of Silversun Pickups. They've been around for a few years, but they're just now gaining recognition and popularity on mainstream stations. Pretty amazing band. Rock meets new wave. Decent sounding voice, too. I'm growing very fond of it the more I listen.

The song I want to talk about is The Royal We. It has the coolest sound to it, music and lyrics. Kind of has this suspense/thriller feel to it. I heard the music start and I got goosebumps all over.

The music is upbeat and it gives me a real rush. And there are some strings being played in there somewhere, which is fantastic. Though the guitars are my favorite.

Lyrics wise, this song is completely creepy. But they're thrilling, and they tell a pretty freaky story. Songs that do this are extremely fun to listen to because you can find so much inspiration in them.

Favorite part -- 1:48-1:54; the music gives me the good chills.

Listen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvCiyGz4mO8

More than music

2010-01-30T18:17:00.000-08:00

I've been listening to a lot of music lately; a lot of different genres, and I've been struck by everything so much more than usual. It's a rough time right now, for a lot of people, and I can relate to that. I'm going through it, too.

Music is more than an escape. I don't really know how to describe it, to be honest. My discussions as of late tend to fizzle down to incoherent "guh" sounds. It's like I can't make the other person truly understand how incredible that song is we're listening to. "Don't you get it?! Can't you hear what I'm hearing right now?!"

I'm very passionate about things I love. I probably get on a lot of people's nerves when I go all "MUSIC, DO YOU HEAR IT? MUSIC!". I don't want to apologize for that, because music deserves to be flailed over.

Lately, songs are getting me so high that I feel like I'll never come down. So many of them, they just go so deep it's like they're seeping into my bones. I can feel a song pulsing through my veins, pumping through my heart, flowing through. Music is more than sound; it's something I feel I can't describe properly. It makes me hurt inside, like I'm just ready to burst when I hear a song start.

I wish everyone felt this way.

Jeffrey Foucault - "Wild Waste and Welter"

2009-11-20T12:05:00.000-08:00

I am completely and utterly in love with this song. It's the epitome of Blues: the lyrics, the guitar, just the whole feel of it. I love Blues, but it's hard to find really good Blues.

This song does something incredible to my ears, and I'm not sure if there is a right word for it. It makes me want to sing and dance and learn how to play the guitar. And the lyrics are truly haunting; a perfect pair to the incredible beat of this song.

And can we talk about his voice for a moment? Because damn. Foucault sings this song with his soul. He makes it sound a bit lazy, but still with an intensity that makes me take a step back while trying to remember to breathe.

This is a song I can listen to over and over without getting sick of it.

You can listen here: http://new.music.yahoo.com/jeffrey-foucault/tracks/wild-waste-and-welter--31793316

But I highly recommend the acoustic version, if you can find it. Because it's a completely different listening experience.

Ryan Levine - "Don't Walk Away"

2009-10-11T23:44:00.000-07:00

I'm not exactly sure how long this link will last, but click it and listen to "Don't Walk Away" by Ryan Levine:

Don't Walk Away

The song is beautiful, and the singer has this kind of haunting loneliness in his voice, in the way he sings it.

I never knew exactly what I'd find
Looking down the road of another life
And I never really meant to leave your side
Looking down the road of another life

There is such an intense longing in the lyrics.

No, don't walk away
Tell me all the steps I need to take
No, don't walk away
I know what a fool I've been, and I'll clean the mess I've made

Desperation, and sadness. But the music is soft and beautiful, like his voice.

I heard this song on Numb3rs, my new love affair, and I'm thrilled I heard it. It has made me cry more than once today.

But I'm OK with that.

Matt York - "Death Came a Knockin''

2009-07-01T22:23:00.000-07:00

I can only find a live version of this song, but click the link and you'll be pretty happy you did.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qrkctt5SLa4

I can't even blog about this properly. This song, and his voice, and the fact that I've had it for a long time and didn't even REALIZE. Listen to that voice!

Just listen to it. And then listen to anything else you can by him, because his voice will blow you away!

Talk about SOUL.

This song is worth the $0.99 on iTunes.

Lynam - "It's All in Your Head"

2009-06-10T23:06:00.000-07:00

Lynam. Found these guys completely by accident, flipping through mom and dad's satellite radio channels when I was visiting one weekend. And since then, they never let me down.

The thing I love about this band is they have such a unique sound. It's kind of like reinvented old school rock, and every now and again they mix it up with a hint of bluegrass. Two of my favorite things.

I chose "It's All in Your Head" because I'm in a rocking kind of mood today :-P I love the way this song starts, and true to Lynam fashion, they completely rock that guitar.

There are some songs I listen to and love the lyrics so much that I end up loving the song more. And then there are some songs I listen to and the music trumps the lyrics. The lyrics to this song are somewhat forgettable, not anything thought-inducing, in my own opinion, but the music is just plain awesome that it doesn't even matter.

And speaking of awesome? That guitar. Wait until you're about 2/3 in, and you'll know what I'm talking about. These guys know what they're doing. And if you doubt their guitar playing skills, check this out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JultSpWdhQc

That kid knows how to play.

I also highly recommend their songs "Save My Soul" and "Just Say Anything".

Check out a live version of "It's All In Your Head" on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5UqJTpHJR0 (caution: explicit language)

Nightwish - "Over the Hills and Far Away"

2009-06-05T19:32:00.000-07:00

My little sister doesn't realize I listen to other albums by Nightwish besides their Once album. Just because Once is my favorite, doesn't mean I don't love others.

"Over the Hills and Far Away" is an earlier Nightwish song and it's just plain amazing. One of my favorite things about Nightwish (besides Tarja Turunen) is the fact that their songs, such as this one, tell stories. Their lyrics are really simple stories, but they make such an impact. They take me to a completely different universe, so to say, because their songs/stories have this fantasy, mythical vibe that make you think of heroes and magic and supernatural creatures.

Tarja Turunen, the singer of this song, is no longer a part of Nightwish. She's the lead on most of the albums they have out, but they've since replaced her with Anette Olzon (I think in 2007). Anette is a strong, decent singer, but she doesn't hold a candle to Tarja. Really, not many do. The woman is an incredible vocalist, which you can plainly hear if you listen.

I'm definitely a fan of this symphonic metal stuff, and this song has all the things I like in an epic song: Amazing singing, awesome lyrics, and a powerful chorus. One of the things I love most is a song that's going along and you're interested, you're thinking "Okay, I can get behind this", and all of a sudden you hear the chorus and it blows your socks off.

That's what this song does for me.

My favorite part of this song? 3:24 to 3:38, and you'll know why.

Check out "Over the Hills and Far Away" on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylhrQewk6lI

Blitzen Trapper - "Furr"

2009-06-01T00:54:00.000-07:00

I heard Blitzen Trapper's "Furr" watching the TV show "Chuck" one night (watch it, it's awesome). As soon as it started, I knew I was going to be looking for this one.

So how do you describe this band? It's a little different, like mixing Folk music with Rock music. And it's a pretty awesome combination. Not only are the lyrics great, but there's just so much to listen to in this song. And not the overwhelming kind of "so much", we're talking the Goldie Locks "Just right" kind. I mentioned I'm not much of a country fan, but I do love Folk music and I'm a big fan of bluegrass because, if you're good, then you really know how to incorporate the right amount of instruments without sounding like you're trying too hard.

It's a pretty easy going song. They have more upbeat ones, but that's for another day.

Oh, and their harmonizing skills are masterful. They give me chills, it's so awesome.

Check them out on myspace: http://www.myspace.com/blitzentrapper

Coheed & Cambria - "Welcome Home"

2009-05-20T10:45:00.000-07:00

I'm not planning to make these insanely long, so check the songs out if you have a few spare minutes. You might be pleasantly surprised.

On to the song of the moment:

I've talked to some people about Coheed & Cambria and it usually goes either way; they love them, or they just don't.

It's usually the same argument when they don't: "I don't like the lead singer's voice."

And who am I to argue with that? There are plenty of songs I'm put off by because the singer just doesn't do anything for me. Most country songs, for example. The singing just makes me go, "Eh."

But I'm going to defend Claudio Sanchez, lead singer of this incredibly awesome band, because as much as I love a deep, raspy voice...This man can sing

"Welcome Home" is one of my favorites. It just rocks. The guitars are amazing, the drums, the background vocals...it's epic. I love epic music. But the thing that does it for me is Sanchez. The first time I heard him, I thought, "Oh now that's different." His voice is higher than I usually like when it comes to good, blood-pumping rock music. But the more I listened, the more in love I fell. His voice is absolutely beautiful, and it's like he can do anything with it. Paired with such poetic lyrics, as pretty much all of their songs have, they're everything I love about a band. Easily one of my favorites at the moment.

Check out the song on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AC_xzitahlU (caution: explicit language)

Hurt - "Wars"

2009-05-06T10:33:00.000-07:00

So here's the deal: I'm going to pick out some of my favorite songs and tell you why I love them. I do this anyway with a lot of you (you know who you are), so I've decided to post my love here on blogger.

Let's get started, shall we?

Tree recommended this band, Hurt, to me, and I quickly fell in love. Not unusual, as I tend to die over all things music.

Hurt is harder rock. The song, "Wars", is pretty typical these days, lyrics-wise. It's about war (duh, right?). We've all seen these songs popping up more and more, but this one is definitely something. If you can make it past the bleak lyrics (and come on, who doesn't want a good depressing song to brood over every now and again?), just keep your ears on the music itself.

I can't say I'm a music guru or anything, I just know what I like. And these guitars are sweet. Not to mention the beautiful arrangement during the chorus.

And did I mention his voice is raspy and gravelly and makes me swoon? I think some of us know how I feel about raspy voices.

Check out their myspace here: http://www.myspace.com/hurt