See Me Smile, It's Not For A Funny Joke

It is one of those days when it is so terrible outside that it makes me want to curl up in bed and not get out. This makes for a very unproductive day trust me. Well, after bumming around my PJs until 3pm I have put it into my mind that it is time to attempt some form of productivity and here I am writing a blog, hopefully it will turn into something worth reading.

Yesterday was a good day for my favourite musician Kathleen Edwards. She released a cover of the song It Must have been Love, which is beautiful and you should go download it right now, and she released the music video for her song Comedian/Chameleon. This song is one of my favourites on the album Voyageur, I know I could say that about every song on the album but whatever, and I have been waiting for this video ever since October when Kathleen tweeted that they were filming it.

I’ve written about Comedian/Chameleon before in the review that did for Voyageur, it was short but concise so I think that I will share it again instead of rewriting the same sentiment.

“The next song is Chameleon/ Comedian. I have a bootleg copy of this song from her performance at the Drake, and I have to say this song it so different. I really love the changes that she made. It is a little slower and more intense. You can really feel the emotion coming through within the instrumentation. I love the lyrics of this song, they really just make sense. It is almost like an epiphany happening within a song. The metaphor is that strong.”

The video beautifully shot and builds on the ideas that are held within the lyrics. I think that one of my favourite things about Kathleen Edwards is that she is not afraid to think outside the box. This video is different and I don’t think that there are a lot of musician who would have been brave enough to do something that is so in your face. It is such an interesting concept and each frame is so cool.

Please take some time to watch the video for Comedian/Chameleon! And then go download It Must Have Been Love!

 

The Virgin Suicides - Book Review

The Virgin Suicides was on my to-read list for months and finally I took the time to read it. It’s not a very long book; it only have just over 200 pages, but for some reason it took me a long time to get through. I’m not really sure why, maybe I was busy doing other things, but I did enjoy it.

If you don’t know The Virgin Suicides is about the five Lisbon girls who all commit suicide. The story is told by the boys who lived on the same street as the Lisbons and kept tabs on the girls while they were alive and tried to make sense some sense of their deaths.

The thing that really made this book for me was the writing Jeffrey Eugenides is a great writer, he was able to catch my interest and keep it. This is really important because there were times when I was reading and started to think to myself that he has gone off on a tangent. Yes, there were times when a person would be mentioned as knowing the Lisbon girls back in the day and then there would be a detail description about what that person was doing now. I could have done without these descriptions, but the writing was so good that I can forgive that fact.

As for the plot I really enjoyed hearing about the Lisbon girls and what their lives were like. The interesting twist is that it is an outsiders looking in, you never really know what things are really like in the Lisbon house you just get this very biased opinion. The boys worshiped the Lisbon girls and because they don’t have the answers the girls remain a mystery throughout the whole story. You find out what is going to happen on page one, but that doesn’t take anything away from the story, I was interesting to get even the little bit of insight into the Lisbon girls lives to try to make a little bit of sense from their suicides.

I would definitely recommend The Virgin Suicides to anyone who thinks that it sound intriguing, but be warned that I don’t think that this book is for everyone. The writing is great, but the subject matter is very dark.

Heartthrob

So, this week I really wanted to pick my favourite song of off the New Tegan and Sara album Heartthrob but I am having a really difficult time choosing which one is my favourite. I have been a fan of Tegan and Sara for a long time now, I remember seeing the music video for Living Room on Much Music when I was in High School, and I was so excited to hear that they were releasing a new album. My first listen of Heartthrob I wasn’t really sure what I thought about it. This album is quiet a departure from what Tegan and Sara have done previously that I wasn’t sure how I felt about it, but after a few more listens and seeing the interview on Q I am so sold on this album! I love it! I think it is so great! I can’t choose which song is my favourite because they are all so awesome.  I really don’t think that I can express just how much I love this album.

While Heartthrob may be a departure for Tegan Sara at the same time it is so them. Tegan and Sara have always been very unique and that is exactly what has carried on into this album. Yes, this album is more poppy and uses synthesizers, but in no way are Tegan and Sara selling out! Just the opposite, it seems like a natural progress for their music. In the Q interview they flat out said that it was contrived and that is what I love about them! The music change but they didn’t make excuses or say that it just happened; it was thought out and planned!

What I love the most is that it still sounds like Tegan and Sara. The vocal, melody and harmony are undeniable their style. The music even sounds like them but more pop infused, and not at all like the music you will find on Much Music these days! Tegan and Sara are still as unique as they ever were, but they have opened themselves up to a broader audience. I have to say that the more that they have taken feels completely natural to me, and I am so glad that they did it.

The first song that I heard of off Heartthrob was, of course, the single Closer. I like it right away, I thought that it was different but interesting and couldn’t wait to hear what the rest of the album would be like. Yes, at first I wasn’t sure about the rest of Heartthrob, but now I love it. The lyrics are amazing, they are so honest. Tegan and Sara have really put their hearts on their sleeves for this album and every word hits home with me. I never thought that I would ever listen to an album that would make me want to dance and cry at the same time, but here it is and I want to do just that! I can’t say enough about the lyrics they are that good, and it is consistent in every song! Please just take the time to really listen to the words.

Since I started to write this blog I have listened through Heartthrob and I can say that I think that my favourite song is a tie between I Was a Fool and How Come You Don’t Want Me. Both of these songs are heartbreaking and beautifully written. I strongly urge you to at least check on these two songs and them purchase the rest of the album.

 

My Top 10 Favourite Books Read In 2012

I know that 2012 has been gone for a good month now, but I have seen lots of peoples top 10 books that they read during 2012 and I have been toying with the idea of writing my list for a little while…I guess that I have decided to do it. 2012 was a year of reading accomplishment for me as I set, and reached, a goal of reading 50 books during the year. I had never set a reading goal for myself before and was looking forward to trying to attempting said goal. I not only reached my goal of 50 books but I surpassed it by reading 51 books! I feel very proud of myself, and I also feel like I have read enough books to compile my top 10 favourite books that I read during 2012. I hope that this list inspires you to read more and that you check out some of the books on the list. Just so you know this list is not in the order I liked them but in the order that I read them.

 

1.       The Book Thief By Markus Zusak

I guess I cheated a little with The Book Thief because I actually started it before the New Year but I did read the bulk of it during 2012. This book is set in Germany during the Second World War and follows the story of a young girl who steals books and teaches herself to read. I found this story to be very interesting for a number of reasons, the first being that you rarely get stories that are from the German side of the war. Sometimes it seems that people forget that there were innocent people living in Germany during the war, people who were just like those living in the ally countries, being killed even though they didn’t agree with Hitler and what he was doing. The other reason was because it is narrated by death. This gave the story such an interesting perspective especially during a war.

2.       The Fault In Our Stars By John Green

I have loved John Green for quite a while now and when I discovered that he was going to release a new book I preordered it as soon as possible. I read The Fault In Our Stars in two days, it is one of those books that you just can’t put down. The story is about a girl named Hazel who has cancer and meets a boy name Augustus at a cancer support group and the relationship that the two develop. The Fault in Our Stars is a story that hits you hard right in the heart. It evokes so many feeling, and emotions that you start to really think about life while you read it. There is not enough praise that I can give this book, you really just need to read it.

3.       The Descendents By Kaui Hart Hemmings

I saw the movie of The Descendents before I read the book and I can honestly say that it didn’t ruin the book for me. It is one of the best adaptations that I have ever seen, and while reading the book I could picture everything from the movie that is how closer the movie is to the book. If you don’t know The Descendents is about a man whose wife is in a coma and tells how he deals with it and his two daughters. The thing that jumps out about this story to me is how realistic it is, I feel like this story could happen for sure.

4.       Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children By Ransom Riggs

If you want a book that grips you then this is the one for you! The story follows a boy who is trying to find out if the stories that his Grandfather told him about a home for children are true. This was such a surprising read; I didn’t know where it was going to end up. I enjoyed the journey so much and the experience was enhanced by the use of old strange pictures.

5.       Divergent By Veronica Roth

In a world where there are now tons of dystopian young adult novels you’d think that there aren’t really any new interesting stories within this genre, but there is! Divergent is different! Yes, the world is still not as it should be, and the government is still corrupt, but it is done is such a captivating way that it makes the whole genre seem fresh and new. It was one book that I could not put down and more than once read late into the night.

6.       13 Reasons Why

Teen suicide seems to be at a high right now, but you never really know the reasons why. 13 Reasons Why is a haunting suicide note in the form of tapes. These tapes are being passed around to all the people that are mentioned and the reader finds themselves experiencing the story with one of these people and getting his commentary on what is said on the tapes. I think that this is an important book, it shows how your actions can affect someone, even if you don’t realise it.

7.       Before I Fall By Lauren Oliver

This was probably the book that surprised me the most, at first I wasn’t really sure if I was going to like it but by the time I was half way through I was hooked. The story follows a teenage girl, Samantha, who goes to a party and then is in a car accident. Each chapter is Sam living the same day over and over as she sees how her actions effect and change the events that happen. At first I really didn’t like Sam, but by the end of the story I had a strong emotional attachment to her and had to continue reading to find out what was going to happen to her next.

8.       White Oleander By Janet Fitch

This was a reread for me, I had read White Oleander about two years previous, and I can say that I enjoyed it more the second time around. The book follows Astrid after her mother is put in jail and she is put into foster care. The writing is absolutely amazing, it really grabbed me and kept me interested throughout the whole book. The story is sad, but ultimately hopeful, and I know that I will reread this book again.

9.       The Causal Vacancy By J.K Rowling

I am a fan of the Harry Potter series and yes, that is part of the reason that I wanted to read J.K. Rowling’s newest book, but it was more because of her writing and not because I was wanting another book just like Harry Potter. The Causal Vacancy is nothing like Harry Potter and it is definitely not for kids. I know that a lot people didn’t like this book, but I really liked it! It is an interesting and different read. I can’t say that I’ve read anything that is quite like it, and it is all about a community and how people interact and influence each other lives. In the end it is Rowling’s writing that really make this book great, she has such a distinctive style that enhances the story.

10.   Who I Am: Pete Townshend By Pete Townshend

This is the only non-fiction book I read in 2012 and I sure did pick a good one! If you are unaware Pete Townshend is the guitarist and principal songwriter for The Who. However, if you are looking for a book about The Who then you have the wrong book. This autobiography is about Pete Townshend’s life, sure it touches on The Who, it was a huge part of his life, but it gives more insight into the feelings and thoughts that went into what happened to Pete rather than the band as a whole. One of the coolest things about this autobiography is that the words sound like Pete Townshend talking, and the book reads like he is telling you a bunch of stories. To make this book even more special I was lucky enough to meet Pete Townshend and get him to sign my copy!

Clapa Your Hands, Stompa Your Feet

This week I have been obsessed with Serena Ryder’s new album Harmony, getting each song stuck in my head as various times. I first got into Serena Ryder in 2008 with her album Is It O.K. came out. I was lucky enough to have the chance to see her at the Charles W. Stockey Centre in Parry Sound during her tour of the same name and enjoy every second of her performance.  When it comes to Canadian artists that are underrated I believe that she is one of them.

Serena Ryder has always seemed to do whatever she wanted and not what she thought would sell. She has a unique voice, and she doesn’t sound like another Fiest wannabe. The music that Ryder writes is beautiful and Melodic. Her lyrics are deep, relatable and the vocals convey every bit of emotion that is held within them. I love having strong female musicians to listen to and Serena Ryder definitely fit that description.

One of the best songs on Harmony is the first single Stompa, which is just so groovy that it makes you feel cool just listening to it. When the distorted guitar kicks in you feel like bobbing your head to the beat, which I actually am doing right now. Man, it has such a great beat; this is one of those songs that love to walk too. It gives me confidence and makes feel like I can face anything. If there was ever a Serena Ryder song that I would call and dance song this is it. I always feel like dancing when I listen to Stompa, which I suppose is sort of the point of the song.

Stompa is such a different and unique song. Serena Ryder’s voice is so great, the way she sings in her lower register, and I can’t help loving it. I think that you should love it too!

On Being Lonely

Recently, I have been on a “songs I haven’t listened to for while” kick, and I have listened to some really awesome songs that I sort of forgot about. Tonight, I had my iPod plugged in to my computer and was going through the music queuing up songs. I got up as the songs played to get ready for bed and then Lonelier Than This by Steve Earle came on and I just stopped. It had slipped my mind that I had queued up this song, but as soon as it started to play the emotions just hit me. I used to listen to this song a lot back a few years ago, and every once in a while, when I was feeling really lonely I would put it on repeat. It is interesting that I haven’t listened to it for quite a while, but that as soon as it came on I felt like I needed to hear it.

The first thing that you need to know about me is that I really like being alone. I don’t mean single, even though the song is actually about heartbreak that is not really what I am talking about. I like spending time by myself. This isn’t something recent, when I was a teen I used to love to be in my room listening to music and reading. Now, don’t get me wrong, I enjoy hanging out with people and doing things, but I have a breaking point where I just want to be alone. I’m really good at keeping myself busy, I can waste time like crazy, and sometimes I think that if someone else was around they would just get in my way. However, in the end, I believe that people aren’t meant to be alone all the time.

I have moments where I look around my apartment and I wish that there was someone there to talk too, or even just watch TV with. These are my Lonelier Than This moments. There are days when I don’t really talk to anyone, I might talk to the cashier at the grocery store, and most days it doesn’t bother me, but if you string enough of those days together you start to feel a bit lonely. All of my family is so far away and I can’t just hang with them, and my friends are kind of far too. There are nights when I wish that I had a friend who lived around the corner and we were always at each other’s places just chilling, but it’s so hard to meet people to create these kinds of friendships.

Now, I know what you are thinking…and NO! this really isn’t about me being single. I know that when girls say that they aren’t interesting in dating most people look at them suspiciously thinking to themselves Sure. As much as I’d like to hang out with someone, I really don’t want it to be romantically. I don’t want to have to worry about whether he likes me, or if he is going to kiss me. I have come to terms with single life and I am really OK with it. I honestly don’t want to have to plan my life around some guy, I want to do whatever I want and I don’t want some guy getting in the way. Life is not all about romantic love!

When I am having my Lonelier Than This moments I am missing my family and my friends. I want to spend time with the people that make me laugh and make me feel like I belong. I just want to sit and listen to them talk, or watch a movie with them. It’s probably more of a homesick feeling then anything.

Lonelier Than This is so perfectly melancholy. I love the emotion in Steve Earle’s voice, it makes me want to cry, the way that it is like a whisper. The guitar is probably my favourite because it sounds so sad; I don’t think that there is another song where the guitar sounds sad like this. It is a song where the emotion is so present that hits the heart every time that I listen to it.

Alright, now that I have thoroughly depressed you, I want you know that I do not want you to feel sorry for me. I am happy a lot. I might feel lonely sometimes, but I’m sure that is true of all people.

Love Reign O'er Me

Well, we made it! This is the last song on Quadrophenia, and goodness it is a great one! Love Reign O’er Me is one of those songs that I get goose bumps every time that I listen to it. There is not one thing that is bad about it, and it is by far the best song on Quadrophenia.

As far as the story goes what we know is that Jimmy was heading toward a rock in a boat. He actually jumps onto the rock and this is where Love Reign O’er Me takes place. During one of my first blogs I mentioned that Quadrophenia is happening in flashback, Jimmy is remembering what has led him to a certain point and this is it. I don’t think that Jimmy isn’t actually dying, but I think that he has gone all the way out to this rock and gets stuck. He starts to think about everything has happened and has an epiphany.

Love Reign O’er Me starts out with the sound of rain and a solitary piano, the song has a somber sound to it and the piano really sets the mood. The piano that you hear on this recording is actually what Pete Townshend had recorded for the demo version, when it came time to re-record everyone involved thought that the piano sounded great and wanted to use that same take. Pete on the other hand never thought that his piano playing was good enough and wanted someone else to record it for the album.

As for vocals Love Reign O’er Me has some of the best vocals ever recorded. This is a difficult song to sing and Roger Daltrey pulls it off magnificently. There is quite a range of notes and emotion that is held in the vocals and it not easy to pull off. I have heard Roger sing this song live and he does not disappoint. People often say that when singers get older they can never sing as well as they use to but I have to say that Roger still sounds pretty good. Yes, Roger’s voice is not quite what it used to be 40 years ago, but he still sounds really good and I can’t wait to hear how he sounds on this tour!

I think that by listening to the song that you can probably figure out on your own what the epiphany Jimmy had on the rock. Love Reign O’er Me is such a great way to end this story, the sentiment that is held within the song is universal. Things for Jimmy are not completely resolved, but you can tell that they will get better from here.

I hope that you enjoyed my musings on Quadrophenia because I have really enjoyed writing them! This project has gotten me very excited for the concert tomorrow! I can’t believe that the concert is tomorrow! When I wrote the first blog it felt like it was so far away! It is going to be such a great show!