OK, so it's been awhile since I made a strictly music-related post, and the music nerd inside me just won't stand for it any longer. So, here it goes.
I've been thinking about concerts a lot lately, since I'm still on a high from one I went to 2 weeks ago and because I'd love to see about a bajillion more.
For this post, I'd like to share my dream lineup for a concert. And since this blog is titled "Live in Dreams" after all, I am going to include bands that it would be impossible to see in real life. Why? 'Cause I can.
Nirvana
Here's one that I could never see in real life. You know, because Kurt Cobain is all dead and whatnot. And Nirvana is just not Nirvana without Kurt Cobain.
Their set at the Reading Festival in 1992 was particularly kick-ass.
Radiohead
My favorite band. I must see them before I die. Or before they get too old to tour. Whichever comes first.
True Love Waits = Eargasm
The Stone Roses
Especially if it's like their epic rave-like show at Blackpool in '89.
"I Am The Resurrection" was the best moment.
Elliott Smith
So quiet, beautiful, and moving. Oh Elliott, why'd ya have to go?
Ramones
Gotta love their short, powerful punk songs.
My Bloody Valentine
I'm not sure if I'd be able to hear afterwards, but it'd totally be worth it.
I mean, come on, this is loud and it's not even live!
Jimi Hendrix
Preferably he would set his guitar on fire during his set.
Belle & Sebastian
I feel like their concert would be very chill and enjoyable. And very sing-alongable.
The Doors
I dig Jim Morrison, what can I say?
M.I.A.
I just love her. And she'd bring diversity to the mainly all-rock concert. Plus, her clothes would be awesome!
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
I've seen them and they are amazing!!
It's really difficult to get a good picture at a concert. Just sayin'.
The Smiths
Because I love Morrissey in all his androgynous glory.
and finally...
Iggy Pop and The Stooges
Seeing Iggy stage dive, bleed, and throw peanut butter into the crowds? Crazy but SO. EPIC.
Hey, their 3rd album wasn't called Raw Power for nothing!
So, there ya go, folks. The perfect concert lineup according to yours truly.
I finished my first year of college yesterday. How is that even possible? It just seems like yesterday that I was laying in my tiny dorm room bed on that first night, sweating profusely from the lack of air conditioning, and nervous about what would lie ahead for me in college.
Let me tell you, this past year has been one of the best of my life. College so far, for me, has been 10x better than high school. Sure, you still have to get up and go to classes and everything, but college gives you a lot more freedom to do what you wanna do. After all, the goal isn't a diploma, the goal is to figure out what you want to do for the rest of your life.
To celebrate the ending of a fantastic school year, I want to dedicate this post to anything and everything freshman year.
First off, I'd like to say that I've grown a lot as a person and a student during these past nine months. I've learned a lot. Such as:
1. The Freshman 15 really exists.
Eating in a dining hall where no one is stopping you from eating another helping of mac and cheese and in which there are many unhealthy options to consume can cause an increase of poundage. Late night snacking while studying also doesn't help.
2. Living in a dorm room is a major adjustment.
The dorm room that I shared with Meredith, the best roomie ever!
I had a very spacious room to myself at home, where I could make multiple messes and not worry about how it affects anyone else. In a dorm room, though, you must learn to control the messy person inside of you and clean up after yourself. It is also a major adjustment to share a bathroom with 14 other girls. But, alas, you get used to it.
3. Some college classes are intense...
Hello...Western Civ, anyone?
4. ...And some are not.
Two words: Human Communications. (Loved that class, btdubs)
5. You'll meet people unlike anyone you've ever met in your life.
For better or worse.
6. You will live for the weekends.
During the weekdays, classes, homework, and other responsibilities will get you stressed. The weekends are the time to let loose and have a little fun. Except for Sundays. Sunday is the worst day of the week. You've had your fun on Friday and Saturday, now you've got to do the homework you've been putting off. Blech!
7. You will hear a lot of Ke$ha songs.
Again, for better or worse.
8. You'll miss home at first, but you will most likely get used to it- and (gasp!) begin to like it.
Homesickness occurs no matter how old you get. But you'll get used to having to be away from your mom's cooking, your pet, and free laundry. And hopefully you'll begin to like being able to do what you want to do and stay up as late as you want.
9. Getting up early never gets any easier.
I had to get up at around 8 AM every week day this semester. It never got any more enjoyable.
10. You will learn things about yourself that you did not know before.
Whether it's from being away from home, taking different kinds of classes, or meeting new people, you'll begin to find out things about yourself that you did not know before. I learned that I do not want to be a Psychology major. I've also learned that nothing makes me happier than giving an ass-kicking speech. And I believe that I've also learned to loosen up and be more willing to open up to people.
OSU= My future college
One major decision that I came to during my Freshman year of college is that the college I went to was not right for me. There are many reasons why. But one thing I want to make clear is that it has nothing to do with people that I've met. I've met some of the nicest, funniest, most amazing people in my first year of college. And we will all remain best friends, I'm sure of it. <3
Next order of business. Okay, so anyone that knows me knows that I'm a huge music fanatic. There are many songs that will remind me of this year. Including:
Taio Cruz- "Dynamite"
AKA "The Ashland Song". They played this at Orientation, and I had never heard it before. Therefore, I will always associate it with beginning college.
B.o.B. featuring Rivers Cuomo- "Magic"
Three words: FOAM DANCE PARTY.
Pink- "Raise Your Glass"
"We were airborne!"
Ke$ha- "We R Who We R"
I think I heard this song approximately 967 times during Freshman year.
"Backing Up" and "Bed Intruder Song"
"Do you wanna go somewhere and watch it??" BAHAHA.
Cee-Lo Green- "Fuck You"
So many memories with this one.
Willow Smith- "Whip My Hair"
CAUTION: Excessive whipping of hair may cause neck pain
Asher Roth- "I Love College"
My college experiences thus far have not been equal to Mr. Roth's, but tis a funny song anyway.
Edward Maya- "Stereo Love"
Lady Gaga- "Judas"
Matt & Kim- "Daylight"
This song single-handedly helped me get through studying for Stats.
And anything by The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
I recently saw The Pains and met the lead singer, Kip Berman. One of the best nights EVER!
Oh! and, of course, Rebecca Black's "Friday" and it's spoof "Saturday"
"IT'S SO FUN!"
All in all, I'd say that Freshman year has been the most kick-ass year of my life. I wonder what Sophomore year will have in store for me...
-tjms
6 May 2011
"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened."
Summer is coming soon and I am SO. EFFING. EXCITED. Seriously, it cannot arrive fast enough. I'm really looking forward to not having to go to classes every day, study, or do homework. The prospect sounds amazing.
In summer's past, I'd spend a lot of my time lazing around, daydreaming in the sunshine, and eating fresh tomatoes as if they were apples. I'm still gonna do that; that is what summer is to me. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to get a job this summer. I'm a college student, I need money. Oh wellz.
I also want to do some other things this summer, so I thought I'd make a little list. (I love lists)
Things that I want to accomplish this summer:
1. Go to concerts
I am seeing Crystal Castles in August and I'd love to see more bands!
2. Grow my hair out
It's been my goal for like 2 years now to grow my hair out until it reaches my derriere. This summer, I'm gonna try not to cut it.
3. Exercise every day
It's so much easier for me to exercise during the summer. Swimming, walks, playing outside. So much more fun than jogging on a treadmill.
4. Swim <3
I love being underwater. It is euphoric.
5. Read
I haven't read a book just for fun for waaaaayyyyy too long.
6. Visit Ashland friends
7. Catch up on music intake
Being in college is hard work; it leaves little time to just sit and listen to music. I desperately need to catch up on my tunage.
8. Watch (500) Days of Summer
Because I've been craving this movie for a while, and it's got the word "summer" in the title!
9. Spend as much time with my niece and nephew as possible
I miss them so much when I'm away, so I'd like to spend a ton of time with them this summer.
10. Do some soul-searching
Summer, hurry up please. I've got big plans for the two of us.
-tjms
21 April 2011
"On an island in the sun, we'll be playing and having fun. And it makes me feel so fine, I can't control my brain"
<3
I'm a dreamer. Tis true. But I'm not the only one...or, at least I hope I'm not.
We grow up learning about how imperfect the world is- the crimes, the injustices, the lack of jobs, blah blah blah. It really makes one wonder whether or not we really have a chance in this world. We're all the time told that you need to pick a job that makes a lot money because the cost of living is increasing and the job market is declining. Wow, great. I'm really glad I'm spending thousands of dollars on tuition for college when there are people with degrees working at Wal-Mart. It sometimes makes me wonder if I should go for a job like a nurse where I know I'll always be needed. But, you know what? I don't wanna do that. I wanna do something that I am passionate about.
I started off college as a psychology major, and I do love psychology and I know that psychologists will always be needed in our society no matter what. But it's not what I'm meant to do. It's just not. I'm glad I've realized this early in my college years, because I don't want to think 5 years and thousands of dollars down the line "I'm not happy doing this." Call me crazy, but dammit, I want to be happy!
What makes me happy, you ask? I don't completely know yet. I'm kinda indefinitely in that "figuring shit out" phase right now. But I know that I love music way too much to not do something related to it for a career. I've also realized this semester that I love being in front of people, giving speeches, and making people laugh. It makes my heart explode with glee every time I get a good response from a speech. Also, my love of writing has resurfaced, which is exciting. Right now, I'm just trying to figure out how to smoosh all these things together into one massive, badass career. It'll happen eventually.
My point is that, if you have a dream, chase it. No matter what statistics tell you, no matter what your professors say, no matter what, chase it. You'll thank yourself in the long run.
Trust me.
-tjms
15 April 2011
"Maybe if I really tried with all of my heart then I could make a brand new start"
<3
A Dream Deferred
by Langston Hughes
What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore--
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over--
like a syrupy sweet?
By now, everyone has heard Rebecca Black's universally panned yet nevertheless very popular song "Friday" as well as the many spoofs on such song. I know, old news. I'm not going to be talking about that song, I believe that ship has sailed. But, one thing I've been thinking about is that this whole "I'm going to sing about a day of the week" thing isn't a new idea. Songs with days of the week in their titles have been around for decades now.
Let's take a look...
Monday
"I Don't Like Mondays" - The Boomtown Rats
"Rainy Days and Mondays"- The Carpenters
"Blue Monday"- New Order
"Monday, Monday"- The Mamas and the Papas
"Manic Monday"- The Bangles
Tuesday
"Ruby Tuesday"- The Rolling Stones
"Tuesday's Gone"- Lynyrd Skynyrd
"Tuesday Morning"- The Pogues
"C U Next Tuesday"- Ke$ha
Wednesday
"Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M."- Simon & Garfunkel
"Waiting for Wednesday"- Lisa Loeb
"Ash Wednesday"- Elvis Perkins
"Wednesday"- Tori Amos
Thursday
"Thursday"- The Futureheads
"Thursday's Child"- David Bowie
"No Typical Thurday Night"- The Downtown Fiction
"Blackouts on Thursday"- Les Savy Fav
Friday
"Friday I'm in Love"- The Cure
"Friday Night At The Drive-In Bingo"- Jens Lekman
"Friday"- Sunny Day Real Estate
"Friday Night"- Lily Allen
Saturday
"Come Saturday"- The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
"Saturday in the Park"- Chicago
"Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting"- Elton John
"10:15 Saturday Night"- The Cure
"Saturday Night"- Suede
"Saturday"- Built to Spill
"Another Saturday Night"- Sam Cooke
Sunday
"Sunday Sun"- Beck
"Sunday's Pretty Icons"- Belle & Sebastian
"Sunday Sunday"- Blur
"Sunday"- The Cranberries
"Sunday Morning"- The Velvet Underground
"Sunday Bloody Sunday"- U2
"Everyday Is Like Sunday"- Morrissey
"Sunday"- Sonic Youth
"Sunday"- Sia
"Sunday Morning Call"- Oasis
Also, if that's not enough, there are artists such as:
Happy Mondays
Hey Monday
'Til Tuesday
Wednesday 13
Thursday
Gavin Friday
On a Friday (who became Radiohead)
Saturday Looks Good to Me
Taking Back Sunday
The Sundays
-tjms
9 April 2011
"Come Saturday, you'll come to stay. You'll come to sway in my arms. Who cares if there's a party somewhere; we're gonna stay in."
<3
Do you ever have those moments in life where everything is okay? Just for one moment, everything is great. When you catch yourself in a moment and you're saying, "Wait, I'm happy here in this moment."
As Nas said (well...rapped): "Life's a bitch and then you die". And yeah, we all know that that is true sometimes. Some days, you wake up late for a class in which you have an exam in, your hair looks like shit, and then you fall on the icy sidewalk for the 50th effing time and you're about to lose it.
Yeah, if you're like me, those days happen way more often than I would ever want them to. But have you ever noticed how sometimes, whether it be for a day, an hour, or just a single moment, life is good? You're not sure why, but you feel okay with everything going on in your life. This brief moments of peace almost make up for the times when life is less than stellar.
Most people have a lot on their plates- and I've definitely got my fair share. And last week was rough. So many exams, reading assignments, classes and other responsibilities just decided to overlap. It happens. C'est la vie. But it sucks, you know?
But something I've realized is that in the middle of tumultuous times, sometimes life just goes right for a little while. For me, that "little while" was today. The first two days of this week were average; reading for Monday, an exam on Tuesday, etc. But then today has just been awesome. Nothing that amazing happened. I mean, I didn't win the lottery or meet an attractive, nice, available male or anything. But today just rocked. I didn't fall asleep in my early classes, I took an ah-may-zing nap before lunch, people were really receptive to my speech and they laughed at my jokes, I got to hang out with some awesome friends, and they even served good food in Convo today (I know, crazy, right?) And as I walking tonight, I just kept smiling to myself. And I thought to myself "Wow, life figured out how to get good today". And in that moment, I was happy and at peace with everything going on in my life. That moment made all the other tough times seem not so bad.
Of course, the pessimist in me wants to say "Hey, life will reach a sucky point again- just wait!" But as Matt & Kim say (okay...sing), "Thinking about tomorrow wont change how I feel today".
And today, I feel pretty damn fantastic.
-tjms
7 April 2011
"I wish that I could have this moment for life, 'cause in this moment, I just feel so alive"
<3
