life in technicolor.

So, let's kick this off with an important question: have you ever had the pleasure of listening to the song “life in technicolor,” by those giants Coldplay? You’ve gotta check it out. It doesn’t matter how many times I listen to it, I still can’t get over it. I love music like that. So much so, that I’m going to dedicate this post to the songs that I just simply can’t get over.

[SPOILER ALERT: as a direct result of the list at the end, (no, don't scroll down yet. it's not the time and you'll be seeing it too soon) this is an awfully long post. If you’re not in it to win it, go ahead and venture somewhere else. This is for true fans of the blog, and therefore, the people that I will endlessly love]

…decided to stay? well, it's official: I really like you.

When I say that I can’t get over these songs, I mean that I can’t wrap my head around their awesomeness. You know, they're the ones that you hear and you find yourself talking in all capitals about them and if people tell you to "calm down" or "be quiet" you just move onto the next person, anyone, who's willing to listen. And you get them to sit down in front of the nearest computer and you frantically pull up a video and wait for their expression to change because you've brought them to something so incredible.

With these certain songs, I can come close to fully understanding all that they are, but then, I just never get there; and that’s the best part.

The best things (or in this case, songs) in our lives are those that we can’t completely understand. Lyrically speaking, you can hear a song and feel like you’ve understood the meaning, but you can turn around five years later, hear the same thing and have a totally different understanding. Music’s pretty incredible that way.

That’s a great feeling. You know when you hear a song and it finally hits you; you never really got it until this very moment? Well, I love that. And I sure do hope that you do, too.

I also love sitting down and thinking about how music can come full circle. One of the best things is to see what I first started listening to and then seeing what I listen to now, or rather, hear. No matter how many people I hear that I think I could love more than I love John Mayer, I still give him credit.

I give lots of credit to JM’s songs because they were my first musical loves. I know that sounds sort of ridiculous, but I really mean it. When I was about twelve or thirteen, I woke up and turned on my TV. The channel locked in was VH1 and it was once again time for some sort of countdown. Anyway, I saw the video for “No Such Thing,” and that was pretty much it.

At that point in my life I could have easily been swallowed into the succubus of giggly pop, but instead, I heard my main man JM and thought he was pretty alright.

Now, I listen to new people. And I feel like, in some sort of way, that I owe John Clayton Mayer a whole-hell-of-a-lot of credit. I wouldn’t appreciate the people that I just can’t enough of now if I hadn’t first heard him.

I posted a video of the best thing he’s ever done. Keep with it, even through the whistling. It’s not that I don’t like the sound of the whistle, I just get jealous cause I can’t do it. Anyhow, I hope it changes your life. It sure did for me. And I really like it because it was back when JM wasn’t all that well-known. He was still just keeping it real.

Anyhow, I know that got a little tough to follow, but I sure hope you got it. I’ve listed some of the songs by people that I want - nay - need you to check out and if you've already heard them, go back and bump them again because they certainly deserve it.

Also, here’s to never forgetting our first musical loves. May we be proudly belting out their lyrics years from now during their farewell tours.

Yours,
katie beth

In no particular order: these are the songs that, upon first hearing, really did something for me. I hope they continue to do something for you:

1. “No Such Thing” John Clayton Mayer

2. “I Will" Alison Krauss + Union Station

3. “It Never Entered My Mind” Miles Davis

4. “Smoothie Song” Nickel Creek

5. “Broadway" Alison Krauss + Union Station

6. “Skinny Love” Bon Iver

7. “Moth’s Wings” Passion Pit

8. “The Guy that Says Goodbye” Griffin House

9. “Closing Time” Semisonic

10. “Bittersweet Symphony" The Verve

11. “Little Secrets” Passion Pit

12. “Things an Old Man Keeps” Ghosts in the Woods

13. “Island, IS” Volcano Choir

14. “Help I’m Alive” Metric

15. “Man on the Side” John Clayton Mayer

16. “Out of the Woods” Nickel Creek

17. “Forty Mile Town” Eric Johnson

18. “Fix It” Ryan Adams

19. “Little Lion Man” Mumford & Sons

20. “Blackie’s Dead” Pete Yorn + Scarlett Johansson

21. “Lump Sum" Bon Iver

22. “She Is” The Fray

23. “The Cape” Eric Bibb

24. “First Day of My Life” Bright Eyes

25. “Vultures” John Mayer Trio

26. “Crazy Faith” Alison Krauss + Union Station

27. “Cannonball” Ghosts in the Woods

28. “Stick With Me Baby” Robert Plant + Alison Krauss

29. “Fake Empire” The National

30. “The Cave” Mumford & Sons

31.“Fast Car” Tracy Chapman

32. “Angels” Flight of the Conchords

33. “I’ve Seen All Good People” Yes

34. “Sex On Fire” Kings of Leon

35. “Still” Volcano Choir

36. “Re: Stacks” Bon Iver

37. “Over My Head” Martin Sexton

38. “Get Me Through December” Alison Krauss

39. “Let Your Love Grow Tall” Passion Pit

40. “Born” Over the Rhine

41. “Hometown Glory” Adele

42. “Happy” Brandi Carlile

43. “Drunkard’s Prayer” Over the Rhine

44. “Red Light” Jonny Lang

45. “In Your Atmosphere” John Clayton Mayer

46. “Hummingbird” John Clayton Mayer

47. “This I Know” Sam + Ruby

48. “Keep it Loose, Keep It Tight" Amos Lee

49. “Let My Love Open The Door" Pete Townshend + Raphael Rudd

50. “Life in Technicolor” Coldplay

Well, friends, sorry it got to be so long, but I just couldn’t stop myself. And I posted a few videos by some of the very-very favorites that found their way onto this ground-breaking list. I probably could have kept going, but it’s getting to be a little much. And I feel like I’m going to go the rest of the day and night just thinking of songs that should have been on this list, but I digress.

Consider it a top 50, but also consider that I have a new favorite song every day. Make yourself a date with this list and look these songs up and look hard. And really do it, people. These are epic songs that will, no doubt, change your life. yes, even the one by Flight of the Conchords.

to whoever is still reading this: “thanks for sticking around.”
to John Clayton Mayer: “thanks for being the first.”

it’s about to get nostalgic.

whoa! it's the first post of a new month they call March. And, as of the time that this was posted, that blog hit counter has been steadily working hard to reach 279. and my favorite price is $2.79, as a direct result of Flight of the Conchords. I promise that post about Bret and Jemaine will be here soon.

Anyway, you should know that I had full intentions of making this blog about things that are nostalgic and slightly sentimental. So, that was a good choice of title for this post. However, I usually divert the subject and instead choose to reference things like “that’s what she said.”

Unfortunately, or fortunately (depending on how you feel about acoustic interpretations), I am once again listening-in to The Coffee House on XM…or Sirius.

Aren’t they just one-in-the-same? They should just create a hybrid name of the two, like, Siri-X, or something along those lines. Calling it Sirius-XM radio is starting to get a little obnoxious.

Anyhow, that’s what I’m currently listening to and once again they’re bumping tons of that sentimental stuff. And you know what? I really like the stuff. Right now, it’s a song called “Two of the Lucky Ones” by Pete Droge & Elaine Summers. Feel free to look it up. I’m sure they’d appreciate it.

It’s a great song, but these sorts of tunes put me into a sort of mood that is all kinds of nostalgic and slightly sentimental.

*now playing: “Sing for You” by the wonder that is Tracy Chapman*

And it got me thinking, and I hope you’ll choose to read on, but if you’re not into things that are all kinds of nostalgic and slightly sentimental, that’s alright. But if you are, feel free to read on and know that I will forever love you for doing so, cause it’s about to get real up in this piece:

When I wrote that one post, that one called “doors,” I was in a real trick of a mind state. And I started to really get into this incredible band called Over the Rhine.

And if you do nothing else, take the time to look up some of their lyrics. They will change your life, I promise.

Here’s the one that got me: “You’re my water, you’re my wine / You’re my whiskey from time to time”

And I read it, and then I heard it. It was kind of awful. It was the point where you really want something, and I mean really want it.

And I read over those little poems that I wrote the other day. And I started thinking about how I have never-ever-ever written any sort of poetry. And I got a sick feeling because I realized I had never wanted to before.

Do you think it’s because I had to get that awful feeling of want? I think we both know the answer, friend. I had it bad. And it’s kind of silly, but it’s a kind of silly that I don’t mind, but I don’t think it’s one that I can go back to.

I mean, that’s the thing about having something in your mind seem so clear, but it’s really not. You think that you’re well on your way to having it, but you really weren’t ever even close.

It sucks, but it’s life. And life is pretty obnoxious that way.

I feel like I should stop for a quick second and tell you to look up “Honey Don’t Think” by someone named Grant Lee Buffalo. Awesome name and an awesome song.

Anyway, if you’re still reading this, I have total respect and admiration for your ability to keep with it.

I guess I should be winding up this post, but I don’t really know how to end it.

I mean, I think those poems kind of did the trick. They kind of washed it out of my system. I feel like I can focus again. Or maybe that nagging feeling of wanting something, or a certain someone, has just sort of become common-place, and I’m kind of numb to the whole thing.

As awful as that may seem, I kind of hope that’s what it is.

And I kind of hope that’s how it stays. Cause even though having a little crush on someone makes us feel sort of silly and all ridiculous-and-such, it would be pretty boring without them.

I mean, I’d actually have to pay attention to lectures all of the time.

And, really, that’s one of my favorite places to go: somewhere in my head that is completely different then where I am (like sitting in a boring class) without ever having to leave where I am.

It’s kind of like I star in my own secret show. And let me tell you something, it’s great. I wish you could visit my thoughts like you can visit the movie theater. And I wish you could just hang out for a minute and watch my daydreams. They’re really great.

I hope that it’s the same for you and I hope that, even if you do have a crush that seems completely intangible, it’s still a nice place for you to go.

And it makes for some pretty awesome poetry.

Thanks for sticking it out and reading through my nostalgic and slightly sentimental post. It means the world, wherever you may be.

Yours,
katie beth

this is the best one that I heard while writing this post (over on what is now to be known as Siri-X) and I think it suits this post just-fine. especially that part about the cabin door. and there's something pleasantly jack black-ish about that video up there.

“Over My Head” by Martin Sexton.

(scoll on up and find the video back up there, somewhere. no, to the right. yeah, your right. yep. click it.)