I wish it was raining

I wish it was raining today.

It rained a little bit, just barely, while I was on my way to work this morning.  But that was just a tease.

I love the rain.  It's a beautiful and mesmerizing part of nature, and although at times it is fickle and inconsistent, when it comes back around it always delivers.

Rain is the ultimate source of calm.  This may seem like a contradictory statement, considering the raging damage that can be, and has been caused by, rain.  But to me, no matter what time of day or even time of year it is, I know I will always be set at ease to look out the window and see water pouring to the ground from grey clouds.

If it were raining today, I would be listening to Sparks by Coldplay.  It's probably my favorite Coldplay song, and not only does it fit perfectly with the mood of a rainy day, but the lyrics are explicitly honest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ar48yzjn1PE

Did I drive you away?

I know what you'll say,
You say, "Oh, sing one we know."
I promise you this: I'll always look out for you
That's what I'll do.
My heart is yours, it's you that I hold onto.
And I know I was wrong, but I won't let you down...
Oh yeah, yes I will.
And I saw sparks...

I saw sparks the first day, and I've seen them every since.  Sometimes the rain puts them out, but I hope they keep coming back.

<3 Syd

Play It Again

Hot damn, I love country music.

It never fails to blow my mind how incredibly well a country song can perfectly capture the emotion and mood of a single moment, event, or experience that almost everyone has had, or will have, at some point in their lives.

How do they do this? It's all in the lyrics.

Sure, just the sound of a catchy country tune can put almost anyone in an instant good mood, but have you ever really stopped to listen to the lyrics?

Of course you have, because you're country fans, and you probably wouldn't be half the country fan you are without appreciate such wonderful writing.

There is such precise detail found in country songs, so much so that a perfectly clear picture can be painted in the listener's head right away.  Country singers actually make the listener feel the emotion they're feeling; it's as if every word they sing pulls us into a different emotional state.

I for one think it's an incredible gift for an artist to accomplish this.  Because while the lyrics and imagery play a huge part in the emotional pull of a song, it's also the delivery of these elements, and that's how you distinguish the great artists from the not-as-great.

Of course, I'm definitely no pro when it comes to discussing country; I'm a fairly recent addition to the population of People Who Like Country Music.  However, I am musically inclined,  a passionate person, and a hopeless romantic, and I have to say that I think country music definitely encompasses these aspects of my personality.

Mostly the hopeless romantic part... Because who doesn't want to fall in love with a cowboy while dancing in a sundress on the tailgate during a warm summer night? Yeah.

Two of my favorites come from Luke Bryan, aka the love of my life (he just doesn't know yet).  "Play It Again" and "I Don't Want This Night To End" are perfect summer songs for dancing outside with your man.

I love how carefree and honest the lyrics are in "I Don't Want This Night To End".  The image of not having a single care in the world and riding down the highway blasting the radio in a hot guy's pick up truck is so vivid and appealing, it almost makes me want to physically be in the song, if such a thing was possible (That may or may not have something to do with the fact that my wonderful boyfriend does indeed drive a pick up...).

My favorite lines include "Do anything to make your smile land on my lips, get drunk on your kiss"; "I don't know what road we're on or where we've been... All I know is I don't want this night to end"; and "Gonna cuss the morning when it comes, [...] 'cause you'll have to leave".  It's so funny what a mysterious and almost magical power the darkness and nighttime have over us.  It makes us feel invincible, like nothing else matters outside of the moment we're currently living in.  Yet it also means that when the morning arrives, it brings with it a whole different world, a harsh reality.  Night carries almost a sort of sacredness with it, especially for young people and lovers.

*Listen to "I Don't Want This Night To End": https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=luke+bryan+i+don%27t+want+this+night+to+end


I have to say, after attending Stagecoach for the first time this past April, I have an even deeper appreciate for country music and the great effect it has on people.  There is honestly something so riveting and powerful about the pull the music has on you.

It could have been the warmth of the desert climate, or the beautifully clear starry sky, or the beer buzz, or the adrenaline and excitement, or my love for music, or being surrounded by my favorite people with the arms of my wonderful man around me.  It could have been any of those things, but it's the combination of all of them that produce the most pure happiness and bliss, and as I stood there singing along, swaying to the music and laughing, I became so utterly content that, in the words of Luke Bryan, I truly did not want that night, or any of those nights, to ever end.

Cheers to a warm, blissful, and carefree summer.


<3 Syd

WMG & Ghost Stories

Greetings friends!

Despite what may be popular belief, no, I did not drop off the face of the Earth; I have simply been incredibly negligent of my blog for about the past 3 months :( Shame on me.

Now...

I am currently typing this latest post from my new desk at my Internship with the Promotions department at Warner Bros. Records!!!

So. Freaking. Unreal. Even as I sit here, I can't believe I'm sitting here. Ya know?

Finally have my foot in the door (a rather BIG door, if I do say so myself) within the Music Industry, and I could not be happier or more grateful.  So thank you to everyone who has supported me thus far, I am beyond excited to see where this incredible opportunity takes me this summer!

Let's talk about some actual music, shall we?

Coldplay has a new album out, entitled Ghost Stories, and I have been absolutely dying to write about this for a while now because
a) helloooo Coldplay is my absolute favorite band of all time
b) fittingly enough, the album is produced by Parlophone, a branch label that falls under my new employer!

With the album having been available to the public for a month now (and me having rushed to Target to get the special edition copy with three exclusive songs the day it came out), I have had plenty of time to listen to the album all the way through at least 7 times at this point.  And let me just say... thank god for that, because otherwise I would have judged the entire album's quality solely off of "Midnight," the first single released a while back.

Lezbihonest.... We all sort of panicked when we heard "Midnight" for the first time. I mean, auto-tune?! Really?!?! Yikes. Yet this track has an almost Bon Iver-like quality to it, thus giving "Midnight" an eerie yet entrancing vibe.  You may have been confused by what you heard the first couple of times through, but you weren't able to stop listening either.

And then came the release of the album's second single, "Magic." My faith in Coldplay for a kickass album was restored upon hearing that there was a second single out; maybe "Midnight" was just the ugly duckling track of the album, I thought.  However, as with "Midnight," I was again disappointed by the first impression of this second release.  I felt as though Coldplay had betrayed me by creating such a typical-pop-song-sounding track; how could they stoop that low? It seemed like such a trite song, especially by Coldplay's standards.

Yet it was such a catchy song... Somehow I couldn't stop listening to it.  I still stand by my original impression of "Magic" being a lot lower on the Wow Factor scale than nearly all of Coldplay's previous tracks, but I respect them too much as an artist to not give their attempt at a new sound a chance.

So then the moment came to finally listen to the entire album, all the way through, with no bias or expectation.  And once again, Coldplay absolutely delivered.

Each of Coldplay's previously released albums, or at the very least, the latest 3 or even 4, have been more than just a bunch of artfully created music tracks.  They have all been stories, epic journeys or tales strung together piece by piece, chapter by chapter, song by song.  The albums are also often literally, as well as figuratively, fluid with their content, in the sense that every song on a given album connects smoothly to the next one, without a single break in the sound.

Thus, it almost doesn't make sense if you listen to the tracks out of order, at least not the first couple of times, because this would almost be the equivalent of opening a novel and choosing single chapters to read at a time; the story would make no sense.

While Coldplay has indeed taken somewhat of a different direction and incorporated a new sound with Ghost Stories, I was very pleasantly surprised to find that they also seem to have returned to their roots a bit on certain tracks.  I personally heard this most in O, a simple piano & voice creation with that familiar melancholy and wistful aura that we all know and love from the old, vintage Coldplay.  The piano sequence is fluid and soothing, while Chris Martin's muted voice delivers bittersweet lyrics.

Coincidentally, the lyrics of this song are what move me the most. Martin sings of his lover, who sees love merely as "a flock of birds hovering above." Such an interesting metaphor, because it creates a transient image of love: coming and going at its leisure, feeling affection when it wants with no concern for its partner's feelings.  Martin sings that he continuously looks up to the sky and prays "before the dawn" in the hope that on any given day this metaphorical "flock of birds" might be present; the flock stays put only for a fleeting moment, so he hopes to see it as often as possible.

Listen to O here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XA-Wj8h-a5A

"Fly on, ride through, maybe some day I'll fly next to you."

I believe this song carries a basic but universal message in it that all can relate to: the desire for love, and how difficult it can sometimes be to hold on to the love of the person we want it from most.  Such an exquisitely beautiful yet almost lonely way to describe perhaps the most elusive and sought after thing in life.


On the flip side, I hope everyone out there is enjoying their first few weeks (or days, God Bless the quarter system), of summer! Whether you're sitting in an office cubicle, binge-watching House of Cards on Netflix, or soaking up sun, remember: you're doing it right. Except you should probably go listen to some Coldplay right about now, if you haven't already heard the wonder that is Ghost Stories. ;)  They're a kick-ass band and they always will be.

Happy Summer!!!


<3 Syd

Don't Act Like It's a Bad Thing to Fall in Love

I have recently come to a very important conclusion:

I like the concept and idea of Valentine's Day, having someone you love so much that you get to have a whole entire extra day to share with the world…

…But I hate the actual day.

Am I being hypocritical? Biased? Harsh?

Yes, yes, and YES.

Because I don't care what anybody says, those of us who are strong advocates and celebrators of Single Awareness Day are all secretly beyond jealous of those who actually have significant others.

Why?

While giant teddy bears, bouquets of red roses, heart shaped chocolates, and gooey lovey-dovey stuff is actually indeed quite revolting, it's the thought and gesture behind all of these ridiculous V-Day signature items that counts:

Somebody cares about you.

And isn't that what we all want, on some level or another? Perhaps not to be loved quite yet, but to be on someone's mind, to be thought of, to have someone go out of their way to make you smile? To spend their one hour break between classes chatting with you about stupid things, when they should be cramming for a midterm, because that's how much they want to talk to you?

You gotta be willing to take the risk, to jump off the deep end and throw yourself out there in the hopes that you find someone who likes what you have to offer and who you are as a person. It's as simple as that.  If you're too afraid to jump, you'll never know who's out there!


I've already talked about how much I love my man JT, but Mr. Timberlake's lyrics never fail to manifest the jumbled thoughts I often have floating around in my head.  For all you fellow hopeless romantics out there, ready to celebrate Single's Awareness Day with a good rom-com and a bottle of wine, let Justin sing you a song or two first:

"Not A Bad Thing" (The 20/20 Experience - 2 of 2)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RLs2KB4Gco

This song is fantastic.  It's the closing track on JT's second disc of the 20/20 album, and the lyrics exemplify everything a girl longs for a guy to say to her.  The first line of the song is simple and sweet:
"All I want from you is to see you tomorrow."
When we first become interested in someone, we experience the feeling of being unexplainably drawn to them; the best kind of attraction, because you can't explain what it is, you just know you need to be around them.

The hook of the song is what, personally, gets me every time:
"I know people make promises all the time, and then they turn right around and break them.
When someone cuts your heart open with a knife, and you're bleeding;
But I could be that guy to heal it over time, and I won't stop until you believe it, because baby you're worth it."

THOSE, ladies and gents, are words of genuine care, compassion, and commitment.  When you start to feel yourself caring about somebody on a deeper level, you will do everything in your power to show them, especially simple and honest gestures.

IMPORTANT:
We all have scars, wounds, bruises.  We're young, and essentially we know nothing about relationships because we haven't been involved in that many, if any at all at this age! I think people my age forget that concept sometimes, that everyone is in the same boat: we are all vulnerable and inexperienced together, so you shouldn't be afraid to put yourself out in the open, because chances are you'll find another vulnerable soul who suits you just fine.

Justin ends the chorus by singing, "Spend all your time and your money just to find out that my love was free, so don't act like it's a bad thing to fall in love with me."

Truer words might not be spoken. You only get what you give; if you don't open yourself up to things right in front of you, you'll miss out on amazing, wonderful things. Bottom line.

It's easy, perhaps, to listen to the lyrics of this song and scoff at their admittedly cliche wording.  How many times have we heard the "I won't break your heart," "you're in my arms," and the "I promise" in our own lives, let alone within a song? Tooooo many, that's how many.

Yet I feel an undeniable sense of security and sincere honesty when Justin sings lyrics along the same lines as these cliches.  Perhaps it's the song; perhaps I'm biased; perhaps it's just me.  It's probably just me.  He's a beautiful, successful, and intelligent man, and he gives me hope for the rest of his fellow male species.

I think that's just it: Justin's music gives me hope.  It energizes and fills my soul to give me hope and make me have faith.

So, thank you Justin.  Once again, you rock my socks.

Tell Jessica I'm sorry, but you're my Valentine this year.  She gets to have you to herself the other 364 days, it's my turn.

Happy almost V-Day/Single's Awareness Day!



Cheers,

<3 Syd

Mind Over Matter

Hello Friends, Happy Wednesday!

Hope MLK day treated everyone well with a wonderful long weekend! No Friday class means an extraaaa long weekend for yours truly, four days is almost too excessive, don't you think?

Ok good, because I don't think it is either.

I know it's been a full two months since I've written, and honestly the main regret I have about lagging so much is that I have SO much music to catch up on writing about! I've had so many good post ideas that I failed to actually write, oops... 

However, I'm beyond excited today because I'm sharing with you guys something that I've been looking forward to for three whole years now: Young the Giant's sophomore album, just released yesterday, and entitled Mind Over Matter.

Young the Giant is particularly special to me because I fell in love with their music from the very first time I was introduced to it three years ago, courtesy of one of my best friends, a fellow music enthusiast.  There's just something about their mellow, laid back sound mixed perfectly with subtly complicated drum rhythms and absolutely killer harmonies that just WORK.  I've never been able to stay away, and I've certainly never gotten bored with a single one of their tracks.

Fun Fact: YTG originates from Southern California, specifically the Irvine area, which happens to be the city that neighbors my own hometown.  When they first formed in 2004, their original name was The Jakes, an acronym of the then-four-member group's names.  (Totally worth checking out stuff from The Jakes, it's so young and raw and awesome.)

Another Fun Fact: the guy who does my hair, my friend Forrest, personally knows every single member of the band.  Like they're homies.  Forrest traveled with them for a few months of their last tour and was their stylist on the road.  How lame, right? Pshhh. 

Young the Giant released three single tracks off of "Mind Over Matter" before the full album was released yesterday (January 21st), including the title track "Mind Over Matter." Arguably the catchiest of the album's 13 tracks, it begins with a piano slide, some synth, and gentle violin as well.  Lead vocalist Sameer Gadhia's airy falsetto starts off the song, then builds and becomes harsher as he leads into the chorus, which includes some of my personal new favorite lyrics:

You know you're on my mind

And if the world don't break, I'll be shaking

'Cause I'm a young man after all

And when the seasons change, will you stand by me?

'Cause I'm a young man built to fall

Simple, but so fitting and well chosen to truly exemplify the message and meaning of the song: a young man trying to focus his efforts and thoughts on the real world, yet despite all of the place he's traveled around the world, and the mantra of "mind over matter" that he keeps repeating to himself, his desires and yearning for a girl cannot escape his thoughts.  He is weak for her, based on the condition that she promises to stand by him when he undergoes struggle and difficulty out in the world, because, as he says, he is "a young man after all."

"Mind Over Matter:" 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9ObFJhX2nw&list=PLPOVSQSnwvdfwEE3zaLn7jRtFSiPBLgu3

A beautifully honest lyric, if you ask me.  

Upon listening to the full album all the way through several times now (and still counting), my favorite track so far, aside from the three singles ("It's About Time," "Crystalized," and "Mind Over Matter") is "Firelight."

"Firelight" instills a feeling of nostalgia in me, perhaps because I'm always a sucker for the slower and more mellow songs off any Alt-Rock album, but also perhaps because it makes me feel content and peaceful, and takes me back to the overall sound from Young the Giant's first album.  "Firelight" consists of fluid guitar chords being plucked softly and skillfully behind Sameer's soothing vocals.  The mood that this track creates is undeniably felt; it is one of sultry, seductiveness and much mystery as well.  While the song begins slowly and simply, harmonies begin to build after the first minute or so, and odd chords are used here and there, to ensure that the song is not predictable to the listener. Because the track itself is about five and a half minutes in length, it allows the band to work with many different patterns, themes, and sounds.  The last minute contains no vocals, yet has the rhythm of the track pick up in speed a bit.  

"Firelight:" 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IesdveyZq_0&list=PLPOVSQSnwvdfwEE3zaLn7jRtFSiPBLgu3&feature=c4-overview-vl

I sincerely hope you guys give Mind Over Matter a listen; it's well worth your while.  Young the Giant is moving up in the music world extremely quickly, so hurry and get on that band wagon so that you can be a part of something fantastic as it continues to grow and become even better!

Also worth noting: YTG will be starting their tour on February 4th in Ventura, California! That's only about a two hour drive from SLO, folks, so if anyone wants to tag along with me, let me know!

Happy Hump Day! :)

<3 Syd

The Neighborhood: Afraid

Although "Sweater Weather" it is a fantastic piece of music and one of my personal favorites, this song is probably the only reason you know who The Neighbourhood is.

If you've never listened to anything else by The Neighbourhood besides this mellow, California-beach-and-cardigan-inspired track, you're majorly missing out.  

Full disclosure: until yesterday night, I was missing out.

I left the house for a couple hours, leaving my roommate sprawled on the couch in our bedroom and fixated on her laptop, on which she was streaming video after video of The Neighbourhood's various concert performances... And I came back several hours later to find her in exactly the same spot, doing the exact same thing.  

So naturally, I joined in.

Fun fact: Neighbourhood's frontman Jesse Rutherford is only 22 years old and absolutely smokin' hot. I guarantee his mellow voice of silk and sexy will make you melt.

The band was formed in August 2011, originating in Norman, Oklahoma and later relocating to Newbury Park, California, and has five members.

The Neighborhood played at Coachella 2013, just a year and a half after forming, and barely two years after Jesse and one of the band members had gone to Coachella the previous year and realized they wanted to be on stage themselves.  

Their debut album, I Love You., was released this past April, and they have already experienced overwhelming success and rising popularity in the music industry and among young adults especially.  

After to diving into the mellow and refreshingly honest world of music that The Neighbourhood exists in, I have discovered a new favorite track:  

Entitled "Afraid," its sound may at first seem strangely familiar; that's because it uses the exact same chords as the renown "Sweater Weather," and has much of the same laid-back vibe.  However, upon further listening, "Afraid" establishes a darker mood than "Weather," due in part to the minor key of the song and the echoing techniques used in editing the track, but this haunting and anxious atmosphere is owed more to the lyrics of the song than anything.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrWwtU7iyl0 (Album Version, Explicit)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwZk3G-44kI (Live/Acoutic Version on KROQ)

Some of my favorite lines include 

"All my friends always lie to me, I know they're thinking: 

'You're too mean, I don't like you, f*ck you anyway; You make me want to scream at the top of my lungs.  

It hurts but I won't fight you, you suck anyway, you make me wanna die."

The chorus consists of Rutherford singing:

"When I wake up, I'm afraid somebody else might take my place [...]

When I wake up, I'm afraid somebody else might end up being me"

The reason I feel such a connection to these words is because I feel that fear of losing our identity or not knowing who we are is something that happens frequently, and commonly, among high school and college age students.  It becomes to easy to get lost in the crowd when there are literally thousands of people surrounding you on a daily basis, and when you are far from the comfort of your childhood home and suddenly being thrown into and exposed to the world, completely on your own.  

Everyone goes through issues with friends, or even just with people you are constantly surrounded by in whatever environment you find yourself.  

The title of this track, however, is what speaks to me the most.  From personal observation and experience, I don't think anyone would disagree with me when I say that people in their early 20s, leaving the teenage years behind and beginning independent adult life, are most hesitant and reluctant to use the word "afraid" when describing how they feel.  

The thought of being alone or unsure, or both, is a terrifying one.  Everyone feels it, at least sometimes, but no one ever wants to admit it; being afraid is synonymous with being weak.  

Rutherford brings these unsure feelings and insecure thoughts to life in "Afraid," and I believe he does a remarkable job of creating a musical expression of the thoughts and emotions that people experience when they truly do feel insecure and afraid.  

So.  Thank you, Jesse, for showing me that 

1) tattoos all over a guy's body can actually be extremely sexy,

2) The Neighbourhood does not only sing about wearing sweaters because "it's too cold for you here," and 

3) that real people, all people, feel afraid... And that there's nothing wrong with it.  You have inspired me.

Happy listening, friends! I hope you enjoy "Afraid" as much as I did, and don't forget to explore more of The Neighbourhood's stuff! They're super cool and definitely going places fast.

Cheers,

<3 Syd

PS: HOW SEXY IS HE?!?! I'm dyingggg

Wonderful Fling To Be Flung

Helloooo friends!

I hope everyone had a wonderful day off for Veterans Day, may we always remember those who have fought for the precious, beautiful freedom we often take for granted. <3

Also, Happy Founders Day to my lovely sorority, Gamma Phi Beta!!! 139 years old today, and we don't look a day over 50 ;) Love my sisters and so happy to share this special day with them all over the nation!

Today was an absolutely b-e-a-utiful day!... From what I saw of it through the tinted windows in the prison I call the library :( I've been here for 12 hours and still going strong! Curse Applied Argumentation and writing legal controversy speeches... Fascinating as hell, but let's be real, who has the time?! NOT me. No way.

Anyhoo, I am excited and proud to announce my re-discovered love -- nay, obsession -- with the ravishing Mr. Frank Sinatra.  What an absolute gem! There will never be another like him, and I don't know why he would ever cease to continue being appreciated and cherished by generations to come.

Courtesy of my lovely roommate Mary and her love for old-time jazz and timeless slow songs of the 20s and 30s, I have a new favorite song: "Come Dance With Me" by Sinatra himself.  What a truly wonderful and carefree tune, it makes me want nothing more than to be back in Sinatra's time: simple, beautiful, and happy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQaUyBBL_M8

This song provided me with something I found myself lacking lately: a smile :) So thank you, Frank, for eternally blessing the world with your exquisitely genuine music, and for knowing exactly how to spread happiness as well.  80 years later, and the world appreciates you more and more as time continues to pass.

Also, thank you to all my absolutely wonderful friends for always having my back and reminding me of how blessed I am; I forget that sometimes, and I know you will always be there to help me lift my chin back up and coax a smile on my face.  I truly am so beyond blessed in this life where I have so many things to be thankful for.  Really, "You Make Me Feel So Young." 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuI3ogcQjuI

So, even though it's rather late on this Monday night, I hope you find comfort and inspiration in Sintra's music, as I have.


Cheers!

<3 Syd