(ALBUM REVIEW!) Some Nights :: FUN.

Long time no post!

Over the last 2 weeks, I have been listening to FUN's album Some Nights. If you haven't, I recommend you get on Spotify or Youtube and check them out!

The song that is most popular on the radio (I shit you not, I literally heard it 6 times in a 3 hour time span on 2 different radio stations, during my indoor softball games, and from random people passing by humming the tune) is their single We Are Young featuring Janelle Monáe.

However, I highly recommend taking 50 minutes out of your day and listening to the whole album from start to finish.

Many artists have a style that they stick to...a sound that is uniquely theirs and hard to break away from. This isn't that big of a deal because if you like their sound, you stick with them.

But what sets FUN. apart from other bands is the fact that their sound is still uniquely theirs and each song is so uniquely different. This is not something that many artists can do. It's hard. It's complicated. But it is also super freaking amazing. It's almost as if Queen's Freddie Mercury has been reincarnated and reinvented.

Anyway, enough reading. Get to listening!

The Ooks of Hazard :: Kids (MGMT Cover)

I really enjoy this group! One of my students sent me a link to see the video, and then it was passed on again to me by a fellow staff member. There's something pretty magical about a bunch of older folks covering MGMT's popular hit, "Kids" ON UKULELES!

Anyway, I hope y'all enjoy this song and hopefully this group will put out some more fabulous covers and originals :) Until then, I'll keep listening to this one.

Bitches Ain't Shit :: Dr. Dre (Adapted by Bacchantae)

It's not often that I can listen to rap music that is highly misogynist and get a laugh out of it, but the women over at Columbia University that form the A Capella group Bacchantae have gotten quite the chuckle out of me this morning.

I happened upon this post over at Sociological Images this morning and felt it appropriate to return to the blogosphere with this share.

This group managed to take a song so violent towards women and put a mirror up in the face of misogyny. They make a mockery of the objectification of women and perhaps the more people who listen to this genre of music can find a way to listen to something that doesn't support being a jerk - to put it nicely...

I hope they get just as many views on YouTube as Lady Gaga got for "Bad Romance"!

Enjoy :)

Caroline Smith and The Good Night Sleeps :: Closing the Doors

Caroline Smith and The Good Night Sleeps :: Closing the Doors

For those of you who enjoy good female vocal leads and instrumentals that make you wanna dance with someone, this is your group. I have been hearing Caroline Smith and The Good Night Sleeps on 89.3 The Current for quite sometime now, but I always confused them with the musical stylings of Ingrid Michaelson. However, this morning, I was paying attention and learned the real name of the group who has been signing a song I can't get out of my head as of late. I also learned that they're based in Minneapolis - which means I am so going to see them when they're next in town :)

Thus begins our summer music circuit. I hope you all enjoy this new group as much as I do!

Happy Thursday!
The end.
Love,
Meggo

Animal Collective :: My Girls

Animal Collective :: My Girls

This isn't the first time we've blogged about Animal Collective, but it's been a while, so hopefully you'll enjoy this particular jam. I have heard this song a couple of times now on The Current, 89.3 and today it has brought me out of my blogging hiatus. This song is really great for a variety of reasons, which I will list now!

1. It is incredibly simple - from the repetitive lyrics (which only have 3 versus), to the uncomplicated melody, to the basic background beat, to the texturing of the background keyboards.

2. This video is weird and that is why I enjoy it, plain and simple :)

3. The genre of music they create has been labeled as "freak folk" and "noise pop".

4. Instead of saying "wife" or "husband", they say "spouse" and I like that. It also rhymes with "house", which is probably why they used it...or is it???

So, please enjoy this song - and add it to your list of summer jams '09!

The end.
Love,
Meggo
---

---

Animal Collective :: My Girls

Is it much to admit I need
A solid soul and the blood I bleed
With a little girl, and by my spouse
I only want a proper house

I don't care for fancy things
Or to take part in a precious race
And children cry for the one who has
A real big heart and a father's grace

I don't mean to seem like I care about material things like a social status
I just want four walls and adobe slabs for my girls

Love of Our Lives :: Indigo Girls

Love of Our Lives :: Indigo Girls
Poseidon and the Bitter Bug

I know that it has been FOREVER since I last posted, but with the great news of marriage equality in my home away from home state, Iowa, I just had to celebrate with a little Indigo Girls action - from their newly released cd Poseidon and the Bitter Bug (which is pretty fucking awesome if you ask me)...

I am newly refreshed from my blogging haitus, so expect more delicious tunes to come!

Until then, enjoy - on loop, with the windows down and the speakers blaring!!!!!

The end.
Love,
Meggo.



Love of Our Lives :: Indigo Girls

I open my hands to see what you've got.
My days slip like coins into a slot they are gone.
The shadows lie long.
I've been banking on a broken machine, left unattended like most of dreams.
Rusted components of an unmarked song.

We've been staring down the brilliant dream, the sun burns our eyes.
We've been fighting for the love of our lives.

All around us things come apart.
Broken pieces broken hearts.
Fix me, oil me, match me with the next best thing.
Person to person or nation to nation.
Heels dug in, no communication.
Wily time sneaks her weathering.

We've been waiting to be held by binding ties.
We've been fighting for the love of our lives.

And when it breaks down, I beg you don't go.
I circle your ship, I'm ready to blow.
Try to outflank you with an army of words, I strategize.
I am fighting for the love of my life.

Iron, water and oxygen, scotch and soda or any combination.
Starts the reaction.
Is there no mastermind of modern day who can blueprint a plan to make love stay.
Sturdy and weatherproof, ushering in a new revolution.

At the drawing board the hopeful ones still try.
How can we help it when we're fighting for the love of our lives?

Lagaan :: Chale Chalo

Lagaan :: Chale Chalo

For those of you who know me, you will know that I love Bollywood movies - specifically the movie Lagaan. This movie was my first ever Bollywood movie, and was the first time that I had ever seen how cricket was played :) Lagaan is set in the 1800s in a rural village in India, during the British colonial rule. Each village is responsible for paying a food tax (a Lagaan) each season, however, this particular year the village is experiencing a drought and cannot afford to pay the Lagaan AND have enough food to feed the community.

Faced with this reality, a young man from the community challenges a cocky British soldier to a cricket game - if the villagers beat this soldiers team in a game of cricket, they will not have to pay lagaan for 2 years; if the soldiers win, the village will have to pay double lagaan.

Here's the catch - the villagers don't know how to play cricket. The young man has to convince his community that they can learn the game and beat the British and be free of Lagaan - which is a daunting task when you see all the people he's trying to get to be on his team!

This would not be a Bollywood movie if it didn't involve a love triangle and some serious pining - so the plot is twisted when the head British soldier's sister (played by The L Word's 'Helena') sneaks off to teach the villagers how to play cricket.

I won't spoil the rest of the movie for you, but that's the basic plot. The score is by A.R. Rahman (who aslo scored Slumdog Millionaire) and it's fucking incredible - stylistically, musically, compositionally...even if it is a little cheesy at times. Bollywood wouldn't be Bollywood if it didn't incorporate a little bit of fantasy and cheesy humor though - and once you can appreciate that, you can start to understand the true beauty of Bollywood movies.

This is a really great movie, so if you've got a few hours, you should Netflix it and enjoy!

The end.
Love,
Meggo.

P.S. I have included a rough translation of the lyrics so you can get a hint at what the song is all about.

(Baar baar haan, bolo yaar haan
Again and again, speak my friend
Apni jeet ho, unki haar haan) - 2
May victory be ours and defeat be theirs
Koi humse jeet na paave
May no one be able to defeat us
Chale chalo, chale chalo
Come, let us move on
Mit jaave jo takraave, chale chalo
May whoever confronts us be defeated, come 
Bhale ghor andheraa chhaave
Even if pitch darkness shadows us
Chale chalo, chale chalo
Come, let us move on
Koi raah mein na thaam jaawe, chale chalo
May no one halt in the road, come
Toot gayi jo ungli utthi
The accusing finger upon us has been broken
Paanchon mili to ban gaye mutthi
Because we five have come together like a fist
Eka badhta hi jaawe
May our unity only grow
Chale chalo, chale chalo
Come, let us move on
Koi kitna bhi bahekaave, chale chalo
However much anyone tempts us, come
Koi humse jeet na paave
May no one be able to defeat us
Chale chalo, chale chalo
Come, let us move on
Mit jaave jo takraave, chale chalo
May whoever confronts us be defeated, come 

Koi na ab roke tujhe, toke tujhe
May no one stop you or question you
Tod de bandhan saare
Break all ties
Mila hai kya hoke tujhe nirbal, tu hi bataa
What have you gained by being helpless, tell me

Kabhi na dukh jhelenge, khelenge
No pain will come upon us, we will compete
Aise ke dushman haare
In such a way that our enemies will be defeated
Ke ab to le lenge, himmat ka rasta
We will now take the courageous route
Dharti hilaa denge, sab ko dikhaa denge
We will shake the earth, we will show everyone
Raja hai kya, parja hai kya, oh oh oh
Who is king, who are the ruled ones
Hum jag pe chhaayenge, ab yeh bataayenge
We will shadow the earth, now we will show
Hum logon ka darja hai kya, ho oh oh oh
What the status of our people is
Baar baar haan, bolo yaar haan
Again and again, speak my friend
Apni jeet ho, unki haar haan
May victory be ours and defeat be theirs
Ab darr nahin mann mein aave
May no fears now enter our minds
Chale chalo, chale chalo
Come, let us move on
Har bedi ab khul jaave, chale chalo
May every shackle be opened up, come

Chalaa hi chal, haanf nahin, kaanp nahin
Just walk on, don't gasp, don't tremble
Raah mein ab to raahi
Now on this path, oh traveler
Thakan ka saanp nahin ab tujhe dasne paaye
May the snake of fatigue be able to bite you now

Vohi jo tera haaqim hai, jaalim hai
It is the one that is your cruel master
Ki hai jisne tabaahi
Who has caused destruction
Ghar uska pachhim hai, yahan na bas mein paaye
His house is westward, he cannot stay here
Dharti hilaa denge, sab ko dikhaa denge
We will shake the earth, we will show everyone
Raja hai kya, parja hai kya, oh oh oh
Who is king, who are the ruled ones
Hum jag pe chhaayenge, ab yeh bataayenge
We will shadow the earth, now we will show
Hum logon ka darja hai kya, ho oh oh oh
What the status of our people is
Jo hona hai, ho jaave
May whatever is to happen, happen
Chale chalo, chale chalo
Come, let us move on
Ab sar na koi jhukaave, chale chalo
May none bow their heads, come
Koi humse jeet na paave
May no one be able to defeat us
Chale chalo, chale chalo
Come, let us move on
Mit jaave jo takraave, chale chalo
May whoever confronts us be defeated, come 
Baar baar haan, bolo yaar haan
Again and again, speak my friend
Apni jeet ho, unki haar haan
May victory be ours and defeat be theirs
(Toot gayi jo ungli utthi
The accusing finger upon us has been broken
Paanchon mili to ban gaye mutthi)
Because we five have come together like a fist

Freeze and Thaw :: Jayber Crow

Freeze and Thaw :: Jayber Crow

So, I know that we started to do themes each month this year, but I can't contain my excitement! Jayber Crow, a dynamic duo out of the Twin Cities (and 1/2 Luther Alum), just put out a new music video to go with the release of their latest album Two Short Stories on iTunes!!!
Not only is the song pretty amazing - this video is awesome and homemade, by Pete (the mandolin player). I have been playing this song pretty much non-stop since the weekend, so to find that a new video was released only spurred my non-stop loop of Jayber Crow's music.

I hope you all enjoy it just as much as I have been - especially with all the snow melting these last few days...

Enjoy!

The end.
Love,
Meggo.

Twilight :: Numeriklab

NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service
Theme Song:
Twilight by Numeriklab

No - this song is not about the popular vampire book series turned movie craze (Twilight). Instead, this is the theme song to my very new, very favorite TV show called: NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Service). Like many of you, I enjoy watching TV shows that deal with mystery and crime solving - where the good guys always get the bad guys (i.e. Law & Order, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, etc.) , and the writing is always a little bit cheesy and predictable - where the chief says to the ADA, "You gave him bologna and he made himself a sandwich!".

However, NCIS is an entirely different show altogether. This show is based in Washington DC's Navy Yard and has this really great team/comradery dynamic that, I would argue, totally blows Detective Stabler and Dectective Benson from Law & Order: SVU out of the water. Plus, this show is actually really funny - AND - intelligent. Sure, the plot is pretty formulaic just like every other Crime/Detective show, but the dynamics that all the characters have with each other really keep this show going. Not once has there been a main character introduced that I haven't enjoyed, whereas in other shows, there's always your favorites and your not-so-much-favorites-at-all...

Anyway, the theme song is pretty short and kinda jazzy (not in the literal jazzy sense, but more of a do a little dance to the theme song jazzy). I found an extended version as well...so take your pick!

The End.
Love,
Meggo.

Short:


Not as short:

Twilight - Numeriklab

Something Sweet :: Acting Normal

Acting Normal
(in a line)...

This particular local group has become a new favorite of mine - mainly because my friend Susan Tanabe (last one on the right) is in it :P But also because they are REALLY GOOD! It has been a long time since I've seen a group of people that really just know how to jam and have a good time on stage, and these folks sure do know how to entertain! Accompanying the sweet vocal stylings of lead singer, Michael Valentine and Susan (standing next to each other) are a trap set, hand drums, a cello, keyboards, and guitar (with the occasional mouth trumpet - my personal fav!). I am very excited to go to more live shows by this group, but also to buy their EP when it comes out in March (hopefully!!!). Valentine and Tanabe's vocals blend very well together, and you can tell that this particular group experiences many moments of musical communion with one another.

Valentine's voice sort of reminds me a little of Death Cab For Cutie singer Benjamin Gibbard, specifically in that 'I can listen to this guy sing for a long time and not get annoyed because he's actually genuine rather than whinney, plus he's super cute and very talented' sort of way. :D What sets Acting Normal apart from most other local bands is that not only are they very talented musicians that work well together, they have a very tight sound. They are very well put together and not just your average thrown together garage band.

If you're ever in the Twin Cities area and can happen upon a show of theirs, (they've performed at Acadia a few times already this year...) you should totally make it happen.

Unfortunately, I can't embed any of their music on this site, so you'll have to click HERE to check out a couple of their songs - my personal favorite is the first one called Something Sweet. To find out more about Acting Normal, click HERE (I recomend checking out their site for all their funny promo pictures as well - they are funny!)

So, I hope y'all enjoy.
The end.

Love, Meggo.

(Me and Susan rockin Pirate faces and hooks.)

The Meaning of 8 :: Cloud Cult

To celebrate the last day of 2008, I would like to segue into the new year, by starting off January's Song of the Day theme: Local Artists! I know a bunch of us have already posted on Cloud Cult (ahem: Brenda, Dylan, Myself, Kelsey, etc...)...But - They really are freakin awesome :) and so is The Meaning of 8. This is most definitely an album that I never get tired of listening to, and I think that is mostly due to the fact that there are so many layers to Cloud Cult. This album is also a go-to album for any mood I may be in because the end result is always the same - I feel extremely happy and hopeful and instantly better when I listen to it. I've been lucky enough to see them play live a couple of times already this year, and I really encourage all of you to check them out when they come to/near your town.

Until then, you should have a little listen - if you have those big head phones that cover your ears and can find a comfortable place to sit/lay down that faces a window you can look out of while listening to them, I would suggest it. It will change the way you hear music.

Some of my favorite tracks from this album include: Chemicals Collide, Take Your Medicine, Chain Reaction, Purpose, and Thanks.
No more jabbing! time to listen! :)

The end.
Love,
Meggo.



The Meaning of 8

Rhythm Nation 1814 :: Janet Jackson

As many of you already know, I LOVE Janet Jackson. Meggo Trivia: Who owns every single album she has put out since her music career began in the early 80s? Answer: Me. I owe my appreciation of Ms. Jackson (if you're nasty) to my mom and her feminist taste in pop music during my upbringing (Madonnna, Janet, Cyndi Lauper, Pat Benetar, Stevie Nicks...you get the drift). This particular album was one of the first cassette tapes (along with Madonna's True Blue album) that I took from my mom's personal collection to play in my room so I could pretend I was an entertainer in front of my mirror with a hair brush. There's just something about Janet's music that makes me want to get up and DANCE. But this particular album is a favorite of mine for many reasons that move beyond my love of dancing around in front of mirrors and lip-syncing.

Not only does this album include R&B, Rock, Dance-Pop, and Funk styles, it was conceptualized to be a social justice album, which Janet intended to deliver a socially conscious message to people - strong enough for people to notice and take that first step of activism, listening. I would like to think optimistically and think that the fact that this album made history by becoming the ONLY album to have 7 top 5 hit singles ("Miss You Much", "Rhythm Nation", "Escapade", "Alright", "Come Back to Me", "Black Cat", and "Love Will Never Do (Without You)") AND the ONLY album ever to achieve number one hit singles in three separate calendar years (89-91) as evidence enough that Janet's message got through to SOME people...

Here's to Janet and one of my all time favorite albums!
The end.
Love,
Meggo.

Here's my favorite music video for this album:

Janet Jackson - New Music - More Music Videos

Creed:
Music / Poetry / Dance / Unity

Pledge:
We are a Nation with no Geographic Boundaires
Bound together through our beliefs
We are like-minded individuals
Sharing a Common Vision
Pushing toward a world rid of color lines.

With music by our side
To break the color lines
Lets work together
To improve our way of life
Join voices in protest
To social injustice
A generation full of courage
Come forth with me

People of the world today
Are we looking for a better way of life
We are a part of the Rhythm Nation
People of the world unite
Strength in numbers we can get it right
One time
We are apart of the Rhythm Nation

This is the test
No struggle no progress
Lend a hand to help
Your brother do his best
Things are getting worse
We have to make them better
Its time to give a damn
Lets work together, come on now

People of the world today ( Rhythm )
Are we looking for a better way of life ( Rhythm )
We are a part of the Rhythm Nation ( Everybody sing it )
People of the world unite ( Rhythm )
Strength in numbers we can get it right ( Rhythm )
One time
We are apart of the Rhythm Nation ( Whoo )

Say it People, Say it Children ( Rhythm Nation )
Say it if you want a better way of life
Say it People, Say it Children ( Rhythm Nation )
Say it if you want a better way of life

(Rhythm)
People of the world today
Are we looking for a better way of life ( Say it )
We are a part of the Rhythm Nation ( Whoo )
People of the world unite
Strength in numbers we can get it right
One time ( Sing it up now )
We are apart of the Rhythm Nation (Rhythm Nation sing the story)

Say it for the People( Rhythm Nation )
Say it for the Children
Say it for the Babies
Say it for the People( Rhythm Nation )
Say it for the Children
Say it for the Babies
Say it for the, Say it for the, Say it for the.....
( Rhythm Nation )

We are apart of the Rhythm Nation

Random Trivia thanks to Wikipedia!: The album's title was a composite of Jackson's pledge, "We are a nation with no geographic boundaries, bound together through our beliefs. We are like-minded individuals, sharing a common vision, pushing toward a world rid of color-lines" and its supporting creed, "Music, Poetry, Dance, Unity". 1814 referred to the year "The Star Spangled Banner" was written; in addition, 'R' is the 18th letter of the alphabet and 'N' the 14th, hence Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814.

Top 5 Christmas Jams

On this Christmas Day, I thought I'd share my top 5 most favorite Christmas songs.

Enjoy and Happy Holidays!
Love,
Meggo.

What are your favorite Christmas songs?

Red Letter Year :: Ani DiFranco

Red Letter Year - a title that plays on the phrase 'red letter day,' which means a day of special significance - is truly a great album. With Todd Sickafoose, Allison Miller and Mike Dillon (among some other pretty fabulous string players) in her newly formed band, DiFranco has really never sounded better. Her voice and her guitar sound clearer than ever before, while maintaining the rawness and attitude she is most known for. The general flow of the album takes you back and forth and around the bend - by the end of it, you feel as though you've been on a road trip with DiFranco and Friends!

What makes Red Letter Year so impressive, to me, is that this is the 35th officially released album that DiFranco has put out (not including collaborative work) in less than 20 years - and she manages to make each album not only unique, but musically/artistically sound. Regardless of whether or not you dig her musical stylings, all of DiFranco's albums are raw, true, and have the ability to pull you in (if you let them) and speak to the plethora of experiences we go through in our daily lives. Be it love, loss, frustration, anger, joy, heartache, despair, or hope - DiFranco can bend your heart strings just as well as she can her guitar.

(Can you tell I am a fan?)

So, back to the topic at hand - Red Letter Year. This album brings back all the sides of DiFranco that I love most - but with a touch of happy/hopefullness in all the songs! What a great album to go with the upcoming inauguration of President Obama in less than a month! I really love this album and all that it speaks to, so I hope that you have a decent chunk of uninterrupted time to devote to letting this music pour over/around/in you like a faucet on a sponge.

Here's a list of my top 5 favorite tracks (although I truly do love the ENTIRE album!):

1. Red Letter Year
2. Present Infant
3. Smiling Underneath
4. Way Tight
5. Round a Pole
   

Here's to a Red Letter Year...

The end.
Love,
Meggo.

P.S. The portrait of DiFranco came from HERE.

Red Letter Year

So Jealous :: Tegan & Sara

this past weekend, i had the pleasure of hanging out with some pretty fantastic people at a pub called the blue door (which is flanked by several antique stores, so if you've got a hankering for antiques, a good beer selection, and some pretty stellar variations of a Juicy Lucy, you should check this place out!!). somewhere during our conversations, we ended up talking about working out - which was subsequently followed by music that you work out to. while i have a hard time running to music when running outdoors, i have found it is easier for me to bear running on treadmills during the arctic months of Minnesota winter while having my ipod plugged into my ears. while we were going over various genres of music that help one's workout routine, tegan and sara's album "So Jealous" came to mind.


i have found this album to be soooo good for a variety of reasons, but here's my work out tailored list:

1. i'm a slow runner and the overall laid back pace of this album allows me to run to it without feeling like i can't keep up
2. the songs are catchy enough for me to forget that i'm running, so i can just jam out my work out
3. if played from start to finish, each song provides a more 'natural' random setting for your workout, instead of having to pay attention to a treadmill/olyptical machine's 'random' setting
4. if played from start to finish during your workout, you can guarantee yourself a 45 minute workout!
5. by the end, i feel like a rockstar.

what's your workout jams?
the end.
love,
meggo.


So Jealous

Despite Our Differences :: Indigo Girls

i can't believe we've never posted anything on the Indigo Girls and we've been going strong on this blog for a year now! the Indigo Girls have been one of those bands that not only added to my daily soundtrack, but really added meaning to my daily life. sure, they are iconic. sure, they have their stereotypical groupies. but, the Indigo Girls have stayed true to their roots, to their fans, and to themselves in writing their music and engaging in musical communion for so long.

when i miss the FAM (my family of choice), all i have to do is find an Indigo Girl song, hit play, sit back and reminisce about times where we all lived within 10 mins walking distance from one another and could go to the apartment to watch a movie, make dinner, and just have crazy fun. there are a plethora of indigo girls albums i could choose to talk about that reflect that time of my life, but today, i will write about the first album that was released after we all parted ways.

Despite Our Differences, released in 2006, is not just any old Indigo Girls album. I would classify this one as one of their most defining albums because they have managed to stay together for over 20 years and still create such magical music.
i think what i have come to appreciate and value the most about the Indigo Girls is their ability to be individually unique as artists, but also to complement each other so well together. this particular album exemplifies their musicianship very well, so hopefully you all will enjoy it as much as i have over these past couple of years.

some of my personal favorites from this album are: Pendulum Swinger, I Believe in Love, Rock and Roll Heaven's Gate, and Last Tears, but overall, i really do love the whole thing.

the end.
love,
meggo.


Despite Our Differences

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill :: Lauryn Hill

My album of the day is The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill by Lauryn Hill. Like many other teens at the time, I found out about Lauryn Hill via MTV (back when they actually played music videos most of the time) when she was still a part of The Fugees. Also, like many others, I became immediately obsessed with The Fugees and was really devastated when they split up. However, as soon as Lauryn Hill put forward her first solo album in 1998, it became a part of my daily routine...until I went to college. So, for a solid 4 years, I listened to this album pretty much every day of my life. It literally became the soundtrack to my high school career. But the weird thing is that I only remember sharing my love for this album with one friend, and that wasn't until my senior year of high school.



Some of my favorite tracks include Superstar; Every Ghetto, Every City; and Everything is Everything. I liked Doo Wop (That Thing), but that was also everyone else's favorite track when the album became popular...

Anyway, I'm sharing it with y'all now and I hope that it brings back some happy memories and you can think about what you were doing 10 years ago...before you had your ipod and macbook.

"You know it's hot, don't forget what you've got. Lookin' back, lookin' back, lookin' back..." - Every Ghetto, Every City by Lauryn Hill

The end.
Love,
Meggo.

I am including this youtube video for Can't Take My Eyes Off of You because I couldn't get it on the playlist player, but also because it was one of my favorite songs from the album! Enjoy :)

Paper Planes :: I'm From Barcelona

Welcome to Stree-Free Tuesdays - The Vodka 7 to Your Manic Mondays.

The following song is by a group called I'm From Barcelona. IFB got their start in 2005 and since then have been traversing the world with, at times, more than 20 different instrumentalists at a time.





Emanuel Lundgren is the leader of the group (and is sorta creepy looking w/his man 'stache)

but you can meet the rest of them HERE.










Anyway, I keep hearing this song on 89.3 The Current and it always leaves me feeling happy. I like that it's catchy and I like that it incorporates the clarinet - my first instrument. I also find the video to be pretty fun as well - lots of things happening in that elevator!

So, I hope y'all enjoy your Stress-Free Tuesday...Meggo-Style.

The end.
Love,
Meggo

Paper Planes :: I'm From Barcelona

Surrounded by strangers
Their sounds and their changes

There's a big old man
In his underpants
He plays the clarinet every night
Trying hard to figure it out
In the flat above
They are making love
I guess they'll have a beautiful son
Practicing as much as they've done

Paper planes!
Folding paper planes
Throwing paper planes
To clear my head

In the flat below
There's the Cosby show
And Theodor is screaming at Bill
Claire is mad and Ruby is ill
There's a cat out there
Running everywhere
Chasing all the girls in the park
I wish that I could see in the dark

Paper planes!
Folding paper planes
Throwing paper planes
To clear my head
Paper planes!
Folding paper planes
Throwing paper planes
And go to bed

I'm surrounded by strangers
Their sounds and their changes
I'm surrounded by strangers
Their sounds and their changes

Pull Me Out Alive :: Kaki King

i haven't been exposed to much of Kaki King, but i have definitely enjoyed everything i've heard of hers thus far. i find the lyrics to this song to be just as stimulating as the video! it's not often that you get three amazing things all rolled up into a great package! i know we have blogged about Kaki King in the past, but i thought i'd dig through the archives and revisit some goodies.

i haven't been able to do much music listening since the onset of the new job, but i have listened to this song on repeat all day - and it is reminding me of how necessary it is for me to have some de-stressing music in my life. what is de-stressing music for me? i'm not exactly sure - i think that this particular song represents a style that allows me to just space out and stop thinking and to just feel or let the sounds wash over me (it also helps when i feel pulled to bob my head a little or tap my foot) - which is what i have been needing lately.


i hate how stressful life gets in the winter (specifically pre-thanksgiving to post-new years) and lately, i have been struggling to find something to calm my mind and allow me to just chill.



so, i am offering this song up as a de-stresser song and i'm curious what kind of music helps you unwind and relax? :D

the end.
love,
meggo



Pull Me Out Alive :: Kaki King

the tyranny of
trying to know
everything takes
over the freedom
of the mind
to find it’s own
course knowing
more about less
endless long standing
let's end all violence
farewell to thee
sigh when I grin
are we fainting off
the tendrils that
siren and there
my mate and me

pull me out
pull me out alive
pull me out
pull me out alive

oh take me to
cities where all
the hot spots are
inform the institutions
from the defunct
soviet union
when every arrow
will be defined as
post war to be
a bomb college course
but if the universe
is written in a breeze
you will

pull me out
pull me out alive
pull me out
pull me out alive

We Are The Ones :: Will.i.Am

OBAMA!!! OBAMA!!

he won. we did it! i'm still celebrating. i'm so excited to finally have a president that i am proud of and will be proud of and can trust. i am proud to say he is MY president.

OBAMA!!! OBAMA!!

this is MY America. YOUR america. OUR America.

there has been a lot of political tension on my campus surrounding the elections and it has been extremely frustrating and annoying, but the fact of the matter still remains. Obama is our president. no amount of bitching, whining, complaining, lamenting, etc. can change that fact and i am so freaking excited to have been a part of this movement for change. and it won't stop. we will keep moving and growing and learning and loving and things are going to get better.

WE ARE THE ONES WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR!!!!



We Are The Ones :: Will.i.Am

(Obama, Obama)

We can change the world, na, na, na
We can change the world
I would like to see a cleaner earth for my child that I am bringing into the world very soon

(Obama, Obama)
I think that it's time for change
I want a better future for my children

(Obama, Obama)
I would like out environment to be safe

Es es nuestro America
Mi America
Tu America

This is our America
Mi America
My America
Tu America
Your America
America Nosotros

(Obama, Obama)
Someone can actually make a difference in my generation

(Obama, Obama, Obama, Obama, Obama, Obama)
I would like to see us in a world without fear
Basically, I would just like the war to end
I would like the rest of the world to think highly of our wonderful country