Sometimes You Need Anthems

Straight to the music...

My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark by Fall Out Boy

Battle Flag (Lo Fidelity Allstars remix) by Pigeonhed

Explicit lyric warning...

 

 

This Girl is On Fire (Inferno version) by Alicia Keys w/ Nicki Minaj

Just One Reason I Buy Art

 I am a firm believer in Karma. It's one thing, spiritually, that I have held on to no matter which book I was reading. It's a nice way for me to gut check throughout the day. Always asking, should I or shouldn't I? How would I feel if the situation were reversed? Empathy.

Photo property of LiciaJo Fotos

For that reason, I buy art. I try my best. I pick up random paintings that I need on my journey, I subscribe to music channels, I purchase books, my internet-based TV is legal, I am a member of NPR, and I pay for the songs that I listen to more than 7 times (with intent). I try my best.

I can't really call myself an artist. I've sold one photograph in my non-existant career as a creative individual. Everything I do is handed over to those who will appreciate it or not. I free balloons into the air, hoping one will catch a bit of wind and be carried further than my view. I love it. I do it, because I love it. When I bring a smile to a friend, when I make a new one, or when a stranger across the pond takes the time to say, "Cool!"--  my day is made.

But, I understand the desire to one day be dedicated to art. To live and breathe words, music, and images that expand the knowledge or view of a collective culture.To maybe even collect and connect cultures. A shared appreciation. To be able to call myself an artist in some form or another. This is why when given the chance, I buy art.

There are ways out there to listen, watch, and enjoy music and other art forms for free, and using these methods to explore and navigate through the vast amounts of material out there is needed. But knowing the difference between exploring versus taking advantage is key. Once I've decided I need that piece of art, I make the transition and money exchanges hands.

Music, specifically. I am enjoying writing about music. I am exploring songs out there in the never-ending internet jukebox. Each song that I've written about, I've made sure to download. During karma gut checks that is what I feel is right. And if I am recommending music to others, I should own what I say others should try. I also hope that others will appreciate songs and add it to their collection, while also helping add to the growth of the artist that created it.

I am not going to tell others to buy what I suggest, but I will mention my thought process in hopes of a gentle nudge towards a shared viewpoint. Many of you out there that read my blog also create. You also want to grow into an artist appreciated by a collective culture. You also want to be appreciated for your efforts. Do you buy other people's art?  When you do, do you feel more connected to the person that created it?What is your philosophy on buying art?

MM: Fun, People in the Basement, and the Apocolypse

I have a nice little mix of music to deliver to you this Monday. My iPhone has been playing out three songs this past week. All male artists, all unique -- one unreleased single, an Irish indie rock song, and a song about the Apocolypse that is getting a bit of radio play.

All Alone by Fun.

Fun. had a great night at the Grammys this year, nominated for six and winning two major awards. They walked away with gold gramophones for the Best New Artist and Song of the Year (We Are Young). (source)  The three songs that have been released have gained them much traction: We Are Young, Some Nights and Carry On.

If all three songs being played off the album are downloadable, my question was--should I buy the whole album? That is up to you. But in my exploration, I found that only one more song off the album was worth the $1.29 price tag. Like all of their music, it is a unique song, great lyrics, and unusual musical qualities. The music box instrumentals match the story the song tells.  It has quickly become my favorite song on their album.

Undercover Martyn by Two Door Cinema Club

 Two Door Cinema Club is an Irish indie rock band that formed in 2007. They toured the US this past year and are starting to gain a bit of forward momentum. The song, Undercover Martyn, was released in the United States in 2010, but never really touched the charts. It topped out in the UK at 79 and in Ireland at 49. The US did appreciate another song off the album titled What You Know (peaked on the Billboard Alternative Charts at 22) -- though I feel we missed the mark. (source)

Undercover Martyn was the third song the band wrote together. According to an interview with Baeble Music, the song is a made up story describing a guy who is scared to do something, but he knows he has to, and it pays off in the end. a metaphor for the starting of their band. I love the layers in the song, the story, and the catchy lyrical loops. It was a 'one listen, must download' experience for me.

Radioactive by Imagine Dragons

I love me some Imagine Dragons. They can do no wrong by me, and this song is no exception. It started radio play is some cities as early as April of 2012, but was just recently released for download on February 6th of this year. It is already getting much love. So far it has hit #2 on the Billboard Alternative charts, #8 on the Rock charts, and #33 on the Hot 100 charts. (source)

The song is musically complex and lyrically simple, though still deep and profound. The most common interpretation of the song is accepting change and the beauty there is to behold. They talk of surviving the apocalypse, dusting off, and welcoming the new age.



So, feedback.  What do you think of this week's musical choices?  What about you? What songs did you download this week? What have you had on repeat on your iPod?

Freestyle Friday: Things that make me go la, la, la

I love this quote that has been circulating around Facebook. For me, I normally collaborate and listen. But, what will also trigger me to start singing Ice, Ice Baby is when someone says, "Turn off the headlights."




I am notorious for breaking into song on a regular basis. A simple few words can invoke a performance. Here are just a few that had me singing this past week. (Click on the phrase to start the song from the exact location. I embeded the videos as well, if the link doesn't work for you.)

Don’t worry - I think this one gets many of us

This is a story - NPR gets me every time. 

Why you gotta be startin’ somethin' - Ok confession, I only use this expression because of this song. I have small children; this is said a lot.

I can’t stand it - I can't quite remember why this came up, but I'm sure it was one of those nails/chalkboard moments.

Kill the headlights - I was parked outside of the University where my husband works, and was waiting on him to walk out. I said, "I should kill the headlights" --and then of course the song follows. 

This happens to me all the time. What phrases make you break into song?

Introducing Musical Mondays

http://www.layoutsparks.com/pictures/music-notes-6

I've written about music many times on my blog. It is an important part of my life, my writing, heck, even my sanity. And I've often said that sharing music is a way for me to share love, like a baker wants to share their cookies.

Introducing Musical Mondays. Every Monday, I will share my music of the week. Sometimes it will be brand new music, sometimes hidden tunes that I've uncovered, and other times just an old song that re-appeared begging for a replay. There will be times I will have commentary and other times, I will just give you the music. My music appreciation is far reaching and covers many genres. So, not a fan of this week's pics, stop by next week. :-)

But let's go a step farther. On Musical Mondays, you can also share. What song have you been wearing out that week? What new tune have you uncovered or rediscovered? You can post the link in the comment section, or just the song title and band name, or maybe it is a playlist on Pandora, Songza, or Spotify. Also, please provide feedback, if you'd like. Do you like the songs that I've suggested, hated them, downloaded them? Let me know.

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For this week, I will give you three female voices that you may not have heard.

Come Along by Vicci Martinez (featuring Cee Lo Green)

The first comes from a contestant on The Voice. This is starting to get radio play, so you may have heard it. The song itself was originally released in 2001 by Titiyo, a Swedish pop singer. (source) The recent released version is beyond similar, so I hope she is receiving a pretty dime for it. :-) The version below is performed by Vicci Martinez and Cee Lo Green. Vicci came in third on The Voice in 2011.

Sunlight by Helena

I found and fell for Helena, an India-born songwriter, who is a strong storyteller. How her talents
were found and nurtured are quite interesting to me. Here in her words from her website is a bit of insight into her childhood. “My parents were very open-minded, but they were also pretty strict,” she says. “We weren’t raised with any popular music at all. The only CD I ever wanted was Christina Aguilera’s, but my parents thought that music was frivolous, so I grew up listening to Indian and Western classical music, Byzantine chanting, and religious Buddhist chanting. We had a television, but we were only allowed to watch movies once a week. We had three: The Secret Garden, The Little Princess, and Gulliver's Travels. I would tell my parents, ‘I'm bored.’ And they'd be like, ‘No, you're just boring.’ So I created my own little worlds. I’d go into the forest and create a fairy habitat instead of watching television on Sunday.”

She has other songs available that you should explore, but this was the song that brought me to her.

All the Way by Leslie Hunt

Leslie Hunt was in the top 10 girls on American Idol during Season 6.  She was voted off before the top 10 finalists, and well before she truly found her voice. That was not the end for her though. She has been performing in Chicago (her hometown) ever since, both as a solo act and in a band titled District 97. She released two albums, one in May of 2012 titled "Wait For It" and the second back in 2009 titled "Your Hair is on Fire."  (source)  I stumbled across this song while listening to a playlist on thesixtyone.com and shortly after, added it to my collection.


Let me know what you think of these songs. And as mentioned, please share your favorite songs that you've been listening to this week.

Freestyle Friday: Getting out of a Musical Rut

Exploring new music is one of my favorite past times. I hate to get stuck in a musical rut. If the only new music you are exposed to is what is dished out by your local radio station, it is quite easy to do. We all know the drill. They introduce one new song, and then play it to death. Or until you are ready to strangle it to death.

Back when I was growing up, it was much harder to explore new music. Pretty much your only option was to hit up the local record store. I still love to do this, even though these days they are much harder to find.

Technology has made it simple to find new tunes. I have a few websites and apps that I use to keep the music playing. The logos are clickable links.



Pandora is one of the most commonly used internet radio sources. You can plug in a band or song, and it will use it's special music genome project to spit out similar bands and songs. You can build up to 100 radio stations. The free version does include commercials, but you can upgrade to Pandora|One for $3.99 per month for zero interruptions. The fee is billed through your iTunes account. There is a great app for the iPhone and other mobile devices.

I love to take musical journeys by starting with one song that I like, and then keep building new stations until I find myself in uncharted territory. It doesn't just play the Top 40 or radio versions. It plays songs that are on the CD that you may never have heard before, live performances, or unique covers. And you can train it by giving thumbs up or down to songs.





 
Have you ever been walking through a store and heard the coolest song and thought, wow, what is this awesome song? Shazam is an app that is available for your mobile device that will kindly answer that question for you. You can just click Shazam and it will listen for about 10 seconds, tell you the name of the song and band, allow you to share it with friends on Facebook or Twitter, and download it from iTunes. I like to also use it to bookmark songs for later purchase. It also provides instant lyrics so you can stop screwing up your favorite songs.


This is my new favorite toy. It works like a music concierge. Music experts build top notch playlists. There are two main ways to use it. One is to just browse through the playlists available based on popularity, genre, or by a song. There is a wide range of options to choose from and it is all based off of your mood. This option requires you to be a bit more specific in your searching.

The second way, the way that I use the most often is the Musical Concierge. It's easier to just show you. You start with the screen below, which is different based on the day of the week and the time of the day.

 

 So, let's say I want to choose --Eating Dinner. Now I have a new set of options. 

Now, I select "Cool New Music", and it goes even further...

Click on any and the playlist will entertain. Not feeling it--go back and try again.  The thumbs up, thumbs down, and skip functions work just like that in Pandora.  Biggest difference--free and zero commercials.  

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There are other great music players out there such as Spotify and Grooveshark, but these are my favorite for finding new music at the moment.

But don't forget, if you find yourself in a musical rut - ask your friends what they are listening to. I found a whole genre of music just by asking a friend what he was listening to. Post the question on Facebook, and you will be surprised by the response. But whatever you do -- keep exploring. Life is too short to spend it in a rut.

So, what are you listening to these days? Have you used these sites? What are your favorite apps or websites for exploring new music?