Seattle Music Pride Fo Sho

I definitely have pride in my hometown. I mean, Seattle is pretty awesome. And Macklemore & Ryan Lewis seem to agree. They released their video for Can't Hold Us this morning, and it's ah-maz-ing. Appreciate the sweeping views of my city. Because it really is that cool.

 

Fakt.

View of fall colors from South Fork Park, Provo Canyon.

Citi jako podzim. Fakt.

It feels like fall. Truly.

Fall is finally here, and I guess I'm ok with it. I was reluctant to say goodbye to summer, but since returning from my trip to Utah, I'm ready for it all--the crisp air, the vibrant colors of the leaves, pumpkins, squash, Halloween, the smell of burning brush fires in the backyard. All of it.

As I've mentioned many times before, as the seasons change, so do my musical selections. Fall equals acoustic awesomeness, and other soul-searching sounds. Bloc Party has recently come out with a new album. I have to admit that I don't care for most of it, but their ballads are once again spot on. And Kele...his voice slays me. Please enjoy this gem of a song called Truth.

This made me laugh...out loud!

So I know I haven't written in a very long time. I have so much to write about, but haven't had a ton of time to do so. But in an effort to stay current, I had to post this.

You all know how much I love Korean drama's and K-Pop, right? Well, if you didn't, you do now. Psy, a somewhat controversial Korean rapper, did the almost impossible. His song Gangnam Style is a HUGE hit here in America. Gangnam Style made it big during the Olympics, and it's everywhere. Even SNL. I came across this clip today, and it had me rolling on the floor.

 

When I saw all the hype, I wanted to figure out what it was all about. I came across this article by The Atlantic, which I thought explained the significance of Psy's hit. It was also interesting to read the comments by the other readers of the article.

So, if you're wanting to watch the original video, I have to warn you that parts of it may be seen as inappropriate. But I still found it to be hilarious!

Hello Olympics!

osource

We not the Opening Ceremonies absolutely fabulous?!
Well done, Danny Boyle, well done!

I am so pumped for these games.Despite the well covered glitches (thanks American media) that have led up to the 2012 Summer Olympics, I think London is going to show the world a good time.

I was in Taiwan during the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Funny enough, in Taiwan they cover different sports and countries than they do in the States. Fancy that! More ping pong and the martial arts, less of the sports I really wanted to see (beach volleyball, gymnastics, etc). And all the commentary was in Chinese. I don't know why that was such a shock, but it was. It made for a unique experience.

Back to London.

I loved the transitions to the different eras of time--from the more pastoral era to the industrial age and then to the digital age. Amazing music (I think all the best music comes from the UK or is at least influenced by other artists from the UK). And that love story? So cute.

But my favorite part of the ceremonies was the parade of the nations. I loved seeing the athletes from the smaller, lesser known countries, bear their flags with such pride. It was interesting to see the athletes from the warring countries in the middle east that have been through so much, and yet are able to compete. I loved seeing Bolt carry the Jamaican flag. I loved that the Czechs were ready for the rain (those rain boots and umbrellas!). And I loved seeing "Chinese Taipei" march, despite not being able to participate under their real name--Republic of China.

I love the hope, the camaraderie, and the spirit of the Olympics. It's infectious! And I hope that London 2012 won't let me down. So far I'm pretty convinced it won't. I mean, they did chose Muse's single, Survival, as the official Olympic song. Can it get any better than that?


Muse - Survival - Official Music VideoMuse - [HD] by AceVideos

Homesick for Taiwan

I've been missing Taiwan this week. My cute students, the simplistic life-style of an English teacher, the people, the food...

Yeah, pretty much all of it.

I posted as much on FB, and one of my former students wondered if that meant I was coming back. So sweet! But, no. Not at this time.

While I was there in 2008 the film Cape No. 7 was released. It became so popular that it was hard to escape it's effects. It wasn't the most amazing film that I'd ever seen--I had some issues with the main characters--but it captured much of the Taiwanese spirit and culture. For that reason, I love it.

I remember coming to class one day and telling my students that I'd seen it. They then burst into song (I'm sooo not kidding). Each of them started belting out the song shown below. It was an amazing memory, of my wonderful time in a country I love.

Please enjoy.

It's Sunny in Seattle!!

It's sunny in Seattle--a magical thing, I tell you! Sun in Seattle rights all the wrongs in the world.

And...it's warm!

Summer, is it you?

In the summertime, I've  noticed that my taste in music tends to shift. On sunny warm days, my regular indie/alternative music doesn't seem as appropriate. That's what fall and winter are for. Summer calls for upbeat music, whatever genre it may be (except for most country).

I came across this video the other day, and thought it was soooo funny! Catchy and creative, and Carly Rae Jepsen doesn't seem to take herself too seriously. What's not to like? 

Please enjoy!

This Modern Love

It's about time that I shared some more music! I think it's been over a month. Crazy. Lately I've been listening to some of my old stuff. Not old as in retro or oldies, but my good ol' go-tos. Like Bloc Party. I'll never ever get sick of listening to Kele's voice. Swoon!

I happened upon this video of one of my favorite Bloc Party songs. There's something about live, acoustic music that triggers the emotions, whatever they may be. Maybe because the song is in it's purest form? Walls come down, the artist is truly sharing something he's created, something from the heart.



Marry me Kele! You can sing to me any day or night of the week! :)

May the Fourth Be With You

Haha.

I love being a nerd.

Today is Star Wars Day, and for some reason this is the first time I've even heard of it. I have a couple of friends that are huge fans that are holding a viewing tonight complete with Star Wars themed food...costumes are not discouraged.

I've never been a super fan, but it's hard not to like Star Wars. And you have to admit that John Williams is a brilliant composer! We played the Imperial March in marching band, and then in Wind Ensemble we performed the piece that influenced Williams' composition--Gustav Holst's Mars, Bringer of War, from his Planets (brilliant piece, by the way).

And I thought about Star Wars every single day I lived in Taiwan. Fact. Remember how I taught twins that were named Luke and Leia? Well, they were never told why they were given those English names. They had no idea. Towards the end of my second stint teaching there, I felt like I had to let them in on it. We watehed a clip in class, and they thought it was the coolest thing ever. (Oh, the Taiwanese and their English names!!!)

And Star Wars loosely reminds me of this video by the Beastie Boys:


Beastie Boys - Intergalactic by BeastieBoys-Official

The Beastie Boys have always been a favorite. So many memories in junior/high school involve their songs (in particular, cruising to Brass Monkey, and Girls with my best friend's older brother and his friend on a particular New Year's Eve). Intergalactic was one of my absolute favorite songs my 9th grade year. I still remember a heated conversation with one of guy friends over it (even then I was a music snob).

As you may already know, Adam Yauch--aka MCA--passed away today from cancer. It's a tragedy that the world has lost such a talented performer, filmmaker, and philanthropist (he's the one who directed the above video.) The Beasties have forever influenced the music world, and for that I am grateful to have lived in such a time.

So simply, here's to MCA!

A few favorites of the moment

I know, it's been a while, huh?

Of late, I often have those moments when I sit down at my computer with full intentions to write,and then...nothing.. Inspiration gone.

 I don't know what's happening to me. It's not like I don't have things to write about. I do. Life has become immensely more interesting over the past couple of months. New Year's resolutions have actually come to fruition (sadly, not the one for lipstick)!

But all I can really think about is how much I want it to be summer right now. In the Northwest. Mr. Weather is such a tease. Giving us sun one moment and torrential down pours and wind the next. Oh, well. I'm just impatient is all. This is really becoming apparent in my life of late.

Anyhow, on to my favorites of the moment:

Lemons--I'm slightly obsessed. Always have been, really, but it seems to come out a bit more when spring has sprung. I'm addicted to Dreyer's (or Edy's on the East Coast) Lemonade popsicles. A-Mazing! I pretty much love all forms of lemonade, but my favorite right this second is blackberry lemonade. Yup, it's as delicious as its sounds.

Pretzels--this week I learned how to make pretzels with a dear friend from high school, and they were sooo good that I had to try out the recipe myself tonight. And they were pretty good, I must admit. A new favorite.

Jane By Design--a new favorite show (and I may have started and finished the first season this week(. It was on netflix, and I needed a show in the background as I was doing other things. And it's pretty amazing.

Chicago--I think it's my new favorite city. I had the change to visit earlier in the month, and loved everything about it. I mean, it doesn't get better than a city on a lake with beaches, right? Maybe Miami could compare, maybe? I felt like it had the best of the West mixed with what I loved in the East. Loved it.

Ellie Goulding--she's just amazing. Her sound Lights, is one of my favorites. I came across this little video earlier today, and had to share. It's sooo good. Ellie normally is all electronic, so it's really neat to be able to hear her go acoustic.

Please enjoy! (I was just there, too!!!)

In the Open: Ellie Goulding - Guns and Horses from In the Open on Vimeo.

What the Water Gave Me

Confession...

I went to karaoke two times in two nights. I may need an intervention.

On the one hand,
I love to sing and it relieves stress.

On the other, 

I stay up much too late, 

which makes me mighty tired for work the next day.

A different, yet kind of related note (haha), I bought more music this week! 

Hoorah! I love new music!

Florence Welch is one of my very favorite artists. Her lyrics are introspective and deep, and really say something. She sings of spirituality, and has a lot of religious imagery in her videos. I recently watched an interview with her, and she said that music is the means that she can fully communicate her true self. And I feel like I understand what she's saying.

I have to admit that some of her videos creep me out a bit--that's the main reason why I don't post more of her music on my blog. This song is one of favorites from her new album, Ceremonials, and it's not creepy.

Please enjoy.

Happy Friday!

It could not have come sooner! What a week! Some major ups and downs, but that's life right? Sure keeps things exciting. I know I keep on promising I'll update with the interesting bits of life, and I may actually get to it this weekend. Horray! Aren't you excited?

And today is sunny and beautiful and warm. And it's February. These things rarely coincide.

I have to admit, February is the very best month. One, it's my birthday month. Two, Valentine's Day. Three, Leap Year. There's something incredibly special about Leap Year, don't you think?

Anyway, I digress. I really just wanted to share some music, like I do most Fridays. (Or used to do most Fridays).

I purchased some tunes  this week (two albums plus two more songs!), which I don't usually do. I'm normally perfectly satisfied listening to Pandora or to last.fm, but sometimes there's an album or song that I just have to have. And that's how it was with The Civil Wars. I'm in love with their album Barton Hollow. It's been out for a while, but I just recently rediscovered them through one of my roommates.

Please enjoy!

 

Place de la République

It's only 10 am and a third of my liter bottle of Diet Dr. Pepper is gone. Perhaps I should have made "no caffeine consumption" apart of my goals for the year. But I don't know if I could actually do it after a night like last night. It was another testament that I am no longer closer to 20 than I am to 30. Gah, that sounds horrible.

I think I may be addicted to karaoke.

I just can't get it out of my system.

I went again last night with my roommate (who has an AMAZING voice by the way), and stayed much to late. It happens every time. I say to myself, "Tonight, I will leave at 11pm," and then 11pm turns into 12:30am...on a work night. Which is much harder than a school night, let me tell you!

Funny things seem to be happening to me of late at the frequented karaoke bar. Two weeks ago a utterly intoxicated man in his 30s started talking to my friend. I could tell that she was a bit unnerved, so I took one for the team, and engaged him in conversation, so he would leave her alone. He was asking if one of us if we wanted to do a duet with him. My friend did not. Nor did I. But I think this is where my being much too nice comes to bite me in the butt. I agreed to sing with him, thinking he would leave us alone once we appeased his request. We sang. I sat down. Horror of horrors he followed me, and asked for my number. He ended up taking my phone, entered his number, and called his phone. He was too quick for me to give him fake digits. And to top it off, we was wearing something that looked much like a wedding band. I told myself that he would be much too drunk to remember what happened that night, and that he would forget all about in the coming days and weeks.  Not so much. Three days later I received a text from him wishing me a Merry Christmas, and asking how to contact me on facebook. Naturally, I ignored the text. (All kinds of ick, huh?).

Last night I had a song dedicated and sung to me. Wasn't quite sure what was going on. Still don't know if it was a joke, or if it was serious. I'm going to pretend that it was a joke.The guy was apart of our group, but I'd only met him once before at karaoke. But how embarrassing!

It's Friday, and you know that I have a great bit of music for you. Je promis that I'm getting to it. And karaoke does relate. Sort of.

It's been really hard of late to pick good songs to sing. I don't listen to the radio, so I don't really know any of the popular songs out at the moment. And my music collection is eclectic. Very eclectic. I'm more of an alternative/indie girl, but I have my fair share of classical and foreign music. That being the case, I haven't really rocked it at karaoke.

Lately, I've been listening to the soundtracks of Amélie and Marie Antoinette on repeat, mixed in with a little Arcade Fire. I love French music. And we all know K-pop holds a special place in my heart. I even have  more than half a dozen Czech/Slovak albums.

A couple of weeks ago I stumbled upon this gem on iTunes. Coeur de Pirate has an AMAZING sound, and this song is absolutely beautiful! It's one that touches my soul and almost brings tears to my eyes.

Please enjoy Place de la République by Coeur de Pirate.



Click here for French and English lyrics.

Do I listen to pop music?

Umm, not really.
Or at least I don't think I do.
Perhaps I am in denial.
Now that I think about it,
I am a Belieber,
 and Lady Gaga is pretty awesome
 (well, only her 1st and 2nd albums, really).

Crap.

In my head I still see myself as the alternative and indie loving, intelligent and ultra cool co-ed. 

Maybe the problem is that I'm not in college anymore?

Nor do I have a whole lot of time of late to research new bands.

Oh, bother. 

But maybe it's ok?

That I like pop, I mean. 

Well, pop music that is intelligent and has many iconic cultural references and/or statements (in the case of Gaga). 

Beyonce.is.amazing. 

And she just released this video on the internet this past week. 

And.it.is.amazing.

How many references can you find?

Russia

Happy Weekend! I can't believe how quickly this week has gone by. Not that I'm complaining though. I still need to post what I did last weekend, because it was super awesome. Hopefully I can get something cooked up this weekend as well.

So this song has become one of my new favorites. It's by a Northwest band called Ramona Falls, after the amazing waterfall in the Portland area.

 (I kinda claim Portland as a part of Washington--it is one of our sister cities. 

And Northwesterners do need to stick together!).

Gorgeous music. And the actual artist is pretty cute too. The world goes round.

Enjoy!

Citi jako podzim...

It truly feels like fall in Seattle. The temperatures have dropped, there's a delicious crispness in the air, and the leaves are starting to turn. And the rain has returned. But what is Seattle without rain, really?

Autumn has always been my favorite season. Always. Ask anyone. I loved experiencing a true East Coast fall last year, and the gorgeous falls in the Czech Republic. There's something utterly romantic about tree lined paths with leaves all around. Love.

Anyways, I've heard this song a few times before, but I feel like it captures the season (which apparently the artist does not agree).

Please enjoy!

Blowing my mind at the moment...

Many of you know that I finally got a job after being jobless the majority of the summer. It's so wonderful to be employed! Yes, I did have a summer off, but there is a definite difference between having a summer off and knowing you'll have something in the fall, and having the future be a blank.

Anyhow, the company I now work for is pretty awesome. I'm learning all kinds of things about power plants and how electricity is dispersed. Never thought I'd be interested in something quite like this, but it's refreshing. I've always enjoyed science, but my strengths always lay in the arts and humanities.

I've been doing some data entry, and some other tasks that don't require too much brain power. I've been listening to varying conference talks and NPR broadcasts interspersed with Pandora and Last.fm. Today I'm listening to Bon Iver. I LOVE Bon Iver. Unfortunately I haven't had much chance to checkout the new album.

Umm...it's AMAZING! And blowing my mind. Especially this one:




At least for now.

Hope you all are having a fabulous week. It's hump day you know. Only two more days until the weekend!

Song of the Summer

My roommate Megan is one cool gal. And among other things, she has amazing taste in music. One Saturday we were getting ready for a barbecue and she created a Foster the People station on last.fm (if you haven't heard of last.fm, you've got to check it out!).

Ever since that day, I've been hearing them everywhere.

 And I'm kinda in love.

Here's my favorite song of the summer: Pumped up Kicks.



Here's to summer and all its awesomeness!

What you know

Happy weekend! It's hard to believe that another weekend is already here. Not that I'm complaining. My Fourth of July was fabulous. I'll write more on that later.

It's been a week full of  friends and introductions to new music--or I should say, new to me music. I've known Two Door Cinema Club, but haven't listened to them on a regular basis. It's the recent favorite band of a good friend of mine (and ironically enough, he looks like the lead singer), and this song has been stuck in my head all week. Good thing it's a good one!

Please enjoy!

A bright spot in my week

This week has been stressful. No more interns at work, and a million projects to complete before my final day, next Friday. (I can't believe I only have a week left of work. Weird). And the BIG MOVING DAY looms ahead of me.

Luckily, I have Sia on my side. Quirky, cheery, upbeat melodies are keeping me going this week. Here is one of my favorites.

Please enjoy.

What I've been listening to this week

It was an incredibly stressful past couple of weeks, and when nothing else seems to work, changing the music I listen to does. This week I listened to the soundtrack to Pride and Predjudice non-stop.

Can I just say that I think the movie is absolutely beautiful? The cinematography combined with the music was breathtaking. My favorite scene/song from the movie is this one:



I remember seeing it for the first time in the theater (yes, I saw it several times), I was in awe. The scene where she is standing on the ledge with her dress billowing in the breeze. Absolutely beautiful!

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Here's to beautiful music and the way it makes us feel!