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

In Between Dreams

Tomorrow, I leave for San Francisco.

So I can (attempt) to run the Nike Women's Half Marathon.

I wish I could be in this beautiful and artistic city much longer than a mere two days, but I can't wait all the same.

Thinking about going to San Fran, and the fact that it's finally here, has led me to start thinking more and more each day about studying abroad in the Fall of 2014.  More than anything, I want to study in London.

Something about that magnificent city with red leaves, rain-slicked pavements, a warm cup of joe, and people watching in a local pub just feel so necessary and right in my life right now, and I wonder if I can wait much longer to (hopefully) embark on that journey.

I'm feeling especially wistful and melancholy lately, though I'm not sure why.  I think I really just need to get away; perhaps this is why the thought of being in London, away from life as I know it, appeals to me so greatly at this time.  Who knows.

The song I choose to share with you today (or tomorrow, whenever you get a chance to take a look) is a classic, a bit dated but never out of style.  Do You Remember by Jack Johnson is nostalgic and loving, and it is without a doubt everything I want.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Y5kxOGhqrw

I just want a wonderful man to sing to me about our life together, is that too much to ask? Sigh.


<3 Syd

RAIN

Finally, RAIN!!!! 

My favorite kind of Fall weather finally stopped hiding from me.  I don't care what anyone says, there is absolutely nothing better than waking up to the smell of fresh rain on the pavement outside your window, and hearing the gentle trickle and pitter patter of drops hitting the roof above you.  It is nature's most beautiful music.

On days like these, I find that there are no better companions than a Pumpkin Spice Latte and Coldplay.  My favorite band never fails to provide me with cozy comfort and absolute serenity as the grey clouds let showers fall to the earth below.

So of course, being that Coldplay is, indeed, my most favorite band, I am obliged to share with you all their most recent release!

Entitled "Atlas," it is a brand new track to be featured on The Hunger Games: Catching Fire soundtrack.  But regardless of the album it is being released on (sorry if you're not a Hunger Games fan), this track is exquisite and utterly beautiful.

It begins with enchantingly soft piano riffs, and Chris Martin's low and sultry voice sings to us in an entrancing, almost lullaby-like state.  The song picks up about halfway through, slowly building in the music until Martin breaks through and sings louder: "I'll carry your world."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lh3TokLzzmw


Really, a wonderful piece of music; Coldplay never seems to fail.

Maybe I'm biased.  I probably am. Maybe.

I just love them so much.

Anyway, I hope you give "Atlas" a listen, and I hope that if, like me, you are experiencing this wonderful first taste of Fall weather, you truly take it in and enjoy it.  I challenge you to find your place of serenity and contentment today.

Here's to a good second half of the week, cheers!




<3 Syd

HAPPY OCTOBER!

HAPPY OCTOBER EVERYONE!!!

So stoked that one of my favorite months is finally here! Autumn is such a beautiful and captivating season, I feel like we take it for granted a lot.  Stop and look around once and a while once the leaves begin to turn and the air becomes a bit crisper; our world is so completely stunning and we are so blessed to live in such a wonderful world.  SLO especially captures my heart during this season.

I have SO much to celebrate tonight!!! I had the honor of welcoming 72 new sisters to my sorority, Gamma Phi Beta, and I honestly could not be more excited to see what these talented gems will accomplish as they begin their journey as crescent moons.  It's so hard to believe that I was in their position a whole year ago!

ALSO.  New Two Door Cinema Club EP is out today! I've probably mentioned it a gazillion times, but I'm seeing them in concert in Oakland on the 22nd of this month with my friend Joey, and I literally cannot wait! Their new stuff seems to be going in a slightly different direction than they have done in the past, but it's definitely a good change.  Nothing to complain about here.  My favorite, besides "Changing Of The Seasons," would have to be "Golden Veins".  Super catchy and definitely takes a little warming up to, considering it almost sounds like a completely different lead singer, but it's totally rad and I fully give them credit for being risky and changing up their sound.  Rock on, guys!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEGAO4Xyq94

AND, if that's not enough exciting news for one day, my man Justin Timberlake released the other half of his 20/20 Experience album today!!! I think for most people it might take a lotttt of warming up to; as with much of the first half of this album, Justin's tracks are on the long side, and that's not necessarily always a good thing, unfortunately.  You may find yourself wondering when the eff the song will be over, because it doesn't seem to be going anywhere... But I give JT credit for always staying relevant and for being so god damn sexy.

Best track? The final cut of the album, entitled "Not A Bad Thing".  The entire song is over 11 minutes long, but halfway through the song drastically changes from one style to another, and the second half of the track is exquisitely beautiful.  JT reverts back to his roots by serenading us in a simple style, with just his soothing voice and some acoustic guitar.  If you are looking for a song to fall asleep to, this is it, ladies.  Keep doing you, Justin.  We freaking love it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CErc7TZ7ilc


Have a WONDERFUL night, ladies and gents! I love you all, I cannot believe how blessed I am to be living this life.


<3 Syd