xmu > coffee house.

How is it honestly going, good reader of the blog? I sure do hope that things in your life are going well. And I really mean it. Your happiness means the world to me. And, speaking of happiness, the camper is back-in-action.

That’s right. Last night, I once again reconnected with my sleeping bag and let me tell you something: we have really missed each other. It was high time that we got back together.

Anyhow, what I’ve really come here to tell you is that I am listening-in to a new radio station, by way of those satellites. Though I am still in complete love with the Coffee House, it was time for a change. It started to feel like they were playing the same stuff, and it wasn’t the stuff that I really liked. There was this one song called “Magic Marker” by Monsters of Folk that they kept-on playing for what seemed like every single damn second. Don’t waste any minute of your life looking that song up. So not even worth it.

But, anyway, it was time for a change. So, I bumped a few stations down and got real-into a station that they call Sirius XMU. The U may or may not stand for University, and I think that’s what it really does stand for, but it should really stand for Ungodly amounts of greatness. This station is receiving the official stamp of totally and completely boss.

So, I can’t just sit around and enjoy all of these songs that I am currently feelin. I had to share some of them with you. And it’s really exciting to know that I can actually listen to these people outside of the internet and i-tunes. Whoever said that radio is dead needs to turn their ears on over to XMU, because it’s there that they will find a righteous revival.

Alright, I have listed below eleven songs so that you can get a vibe of what I am currently enjoying on this station, on the radio. That’s right, people. ON THE RADIO. It’s incredible that actual good music is getting a little well-deserved air-time. Suck on that, FM.

Okay, here they are:

11. "Cold War (Nice Clean Fight)" The Morning Benders

10. “Quiet Little Voices” We Were Promised Jetpacks

9. “Shadow People” Dr. Dog

8. “81” Joanna Newsom

7. “World Sick” Broken Social Scene

6. “A Little Lost" Arthur Russell

5. “Diplomat’s Son” Vampire Weekend

4. “The High Road” Broken Bells

3. “What a Drag” Bear Hands

2. “Go Do” Jónsi

1. “Bloodbuzz Ohio” The National

Okay, I hope you liked my list, cause I worked real-hard to bring it to you. Actually, not hardly, but I do keep a stack of orange post-its with me, so I can write down the names of songs that I really like. So far, listening to this station for the past three days has successfully filled-up four of those post-its. And that’s pretty impressive.

Now go forth and listen to some of the ones that I posted for you over on that video list to your immediate right. I would have put all of them on here, but that list is starting to get obnoxiously long. I’m gonna have to take some of those off of here. It’s getting to be ridiculous. But you can feel free to go look up the others on your own. They would totally deserve your attention.

Alright, now go get into them. Also, Jónsi is from Iceland. I know, it’s completely awesome.

Yours through the frequencies,
katie beth

wait, there's more: did you like the number one song on that list? Well, get excited because that album (High Violet) is gonna drop into your atmosphere on May eleventh. And here's what it's gonna look like:

you need to hear this.

Hell’s bells, friends of the blog. I spoke too soon. Remember that girl we discussed? You know, the one that I don’t really care for, well, she didn’t drop the class. It’s alright, though. It’s nothing I can’t handle.

Anyhow, you know I like to set the scene, and right now, I am sitting in a really cold computer lab and there’s only one other person in here. I’m sitting at the computer in the back left corner of the room and he’s sitting in the back right corner of the room. Do you think that makes him a Republican? Perhaps.

Anyway, it’s April and I always feel sorry for March. We never saw it coming and we hardly notice when it’s left, but I think I made good use of the month. I hope you did, too. And if you didn’t, well, that’s alright.

Okay, I need to tell you about the song that I have now listened to, well, I haven’t been keeping count, but sweet lord, I can’t stop. Do you know the genius that is Justin Vernon? Well, just in case you don’t, he’s great. And you know how you get into those Youtube trances? Well, I do and I just start clicking and listening, especially when I have to sit in this freezing computer lab for what feels like forever.

And it’s a nice escape because there are usually lots of people in here and they all have on blue scrubs. (I’m in the Health Building) And they’re all quite tall. I was in the lobby the other day and it almost felt like I was experiencing a scene in Avatar, but I digress.

Back to the musical discussion:

Well, I knew that Peter Gabriel of “In Your Eyes” fame had covered “Flume,” by Bon Iver [a boss project by Justin Vernon where he hibernated in a cabin in winter and emerged with quite possibly the best thing you’ll ever hear] Anyhow, I had heard the “Flume” cover and I liked it a lot and then, with the wonder that are hyperlinks, I finally discovered a video of Justin Vernon’s cover of “Come Talk To Me,” by Peter Gabriel.

Isn’t that awesome? It’s like musical-cover-tag, and I’m all for it. I could go on all day about Justin Vernon, but my two hours of work with my daily Academic Work Scholarship are about up and I parked in a two-hour spot, so I best be winding it on down, but just know that J. Vernon is rapidly replacing J. Mayer in my heart where I keep my greatest musical loves. And know that’s a major thing for me.

Alright, guys, I have posted the song on here for you. Please listen-on-in and get excited. It’s ridiculous, and in the best-sort-of-way.

I promise I won’t wait super-long to put up another post. I know you get sad when you can’t come on over to the blog and read something great.

Also, I have a quick little story to share with you:

The other day, I was walking into class and there’s a bench outside. On it, there sat a girl. And she had on black pumps, really tight jeans, lots o’ make-up, and two lip rings. They were sort of like punk-rock elephant tusks. Anyway, she was just sitting there and she was holding something. I couldn’t tell you if it was a dog or a cat, but I’m pretty sure it oinked. It was bizarre. And she told it to “hush up.”

Perhaps there is grand significance in that story, perhaps not, but I felt like it needed to be shared. Okay, now, go and listen to that video and feel free to fall in love.

Yours,
katie beth