A Little Bit About Music

I am having trouble thinking of things to write about that are not about my recent past or upcoming future. I think my mind is consumed with the things in my life that are important to me, and apparently none of those things are dissecting music, commenting on politics, making funny jokes, chatting about celebrities. Am I boring? I know I'm fun to be around, (at least I think I am!), but it seems from what I've been writing in the past couple of weeks that I don't have a lot to say that's not like journal entry-worthy.

Let's take a stab at it...Music:

I listed to the new Jack White's new album Blunderbuss on Spotify yesterday. I had read about him having a problem with women he can't control, and how this comes into play in a lot of his lyrics. I thought initially, "Oh, it can't be that bad." It must be because I read the article (http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2012/04/jack-whites-women-problem/256349/) ahead of time, but I heard snippets exemplifying this in almost every single song. Talk about issues! This was really my first foray into Jack White's music, since I've never really been an avid fan of the White Stripes. I liked the sound of it, but the content I wasn't too sure about.

I also listened to a bunch of music by Gotye while I was cleaning my apartment last night. I really enjoyed the popular song he did with Kimbra, "Somebody I Used to Know," and the video to that song is pretty awesome. But I have to say, aside from a few kind of catchy songs, I wasn't captured by his other music. I listened through all of his albums and down to the remixes of his current songs, and I don't think I was caught up in any one song to pay attention too much. I listened to the whole new album, Making Mirrors, again at work this morning, and was like, "Meh." I wanted him to be better. I wanted his music to grab me.

Now I'm listening to dance music! It brings me back to my roots. Not my young kid roots (Beatles, Beach Boys, Diana Ross records) and not my young teenage roots (90s Nirvana to No Doubt to Hanson), but my "I'm friends with Bob" roots in the years when we'd listen to Christina Aguilera dance mixes in the car, choreographing routines for music videos, and driving up to Montreal on a whim to dance the night away at a booming techno after-hours club. I watched an episode of How I Met Your Mother last night talking about all the things they're too old to do. I think driving 3 hours to go to an all night dance club is on that list for me at the ripe old age of 28. Even Bob, who seemed worlds older than me back then, was only 18 or 19 when we were doing that crazy stuff. I don't think either of us has the stamina for it anymore. But we can still enjoy the music.

Music I have been really enjoying lately includes the whole Of Monsters and Men album that I finally downloaded "My Head is an Animal," the Fun. album "Some Nights," and Lana Del Rey's "Born to Die." Of Monsters and Men just seem to be full of anthems. I don't know how better to describe their appeal. In the way that for almost every song they sang at their concert, they had the audience singing along for some part of the chorus or vocal part. I will always love "Little Talks" but "Dirty Paws" and "Mountain Sound" have really made their way into my heart as favorites.

My all time favorite on Fun.'s album is the title track from the album, "Some Nights." A cross between a gospel choir and Vampire Weekend is how I described it to a friend. It just jazzes me up so much to hear it blaring into my headphones. Most of the other songs on the album are catchy and fun to listen to, but none grabs me as much as "Some Nights." I also really enjoy the hit off of that album "We Are Young." It features Janelle Monae who I liked ages ago on facebook just purely by seeing the way she dresses. I must make a note to download more of her music.

Last was Lana Del Rey. Her voice is captivating, and I feel like she could be singing about horse poop, and I'd still listed. The title track "Born to Die," and the following track, "Off to the Races" are my favorites from that album, but I also love "Video Games," the song that became a youtube sensation and made her famous. I'm interested to see where she goes from this debut, and if she has staying power.

Well, there I go. I thought I had nothing to say, and I went and talked about music for the whole 750 words. Next up, politics? I think I might miss tomorrow, since I'm traveling, but I'll do my best!