Study Music

The music I listen to is completely based on whatever activity I happen to be doing. Working out, studying, driving, crying, eating fajitas...they all have specific playlists. Seriously. I have a Spotify playlist titled "IDGAF" where the only song on it is the That's So Raven theme song.
...I suppose I could write a blog post about all of these playlist scenarios but in general, I try not to commit to anything. That's the number one rule of life, kids. Never make any promises.

Anyway, I'm a forever student so I've decided I'm an authoritative figure on the subject of study music. I'm extremely picky about what I can and cannot listen to, and over the 50ish years I've been a student, I've discovered all the most effective songs that I can be (sort of) productive with. Now, when something super, super, SUPER serious has to be revised or a shit ton of reading needs to be done I need absolute silence but if it's just mundane "blah blah what is my life" studying then I can put on some music. This music must meet a couple different criteria:

1. Said music must not be able to be sung/hummed/foot-tapped/mimed along to.
2. Sadness must be a prevalent in the song, typically represented by minor chords or slight dissonance. Think ominous. After all, studying sucks and the further we sink in to the depths of despair, the better.
3. Music must be able to keep studying person awake, leading me to exclude anything with the word "zen" in the title or Gregorian chant.

You can be completely boring and predictable and go with the classic playlist of "Mozart in the Morning" and "Bach for Brains" orrrr you can listen to some of my faves and branch out a little from the men in wigs...unless you're really into that. Then, by all means, go ahead. It's classical for a reason. 

In fact, let me start out with a couple of my favorite classical productivity songs.

Classical

I prefer things with a murderous energy to them (see number 2 in the list of requirements). This usually entails listening to a lot of Russian composers. Historically, war/poverty/famine/general-fucked-up-ness leads to good music. Shostakovich was a pretty cool Russian dude that liked composing music about wars. I also like Stravinsky who composed the Rite of Spring which is totally amazing to study to since you feel this powerful energy when you're TYPING. FURIOUSLY (example. me, right now). Dance of the Knights by Sergei Prokofiev is probably the best music I've found to edit a paper to. Those grammar mistakes you made are begging to be slaughtered.
Russians are cool but you also have the French...seemingly înnócënt and très gâteau (french skillz), but in fact, they're pretty dang depressing. Maurice Ravel's Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte is my favorite classical piece of all time. It's wonderful to study to because it's super sad, just like your attempt at calculus. He also wrote Bolero, which sucks. Another French guy I like is Erik Satie. Debussy, my ass! (Just kidding, Claude, you rock too) This Satie guy owns sad piano music and the 3 Gymnopedies make my life worth living...or dying. Whatever.
Oh, and then there's Danse Macabre by Sain-Saens which is literally a horrifying/deathly dance. Perfect.

Not Dead Guys

Sometimes you don't want to listen to things a bunch of dead guys wrote. How about the same thing, but this time, the guys are still alive!
Here's my not so subtle shout-out to Dan Howell (@danisnotonfire) for introducing me to Ludovico Einaudi (with a name like that he couldn't possibly be Italian). Modern composers are usually the pits and don't have anything new to contribute to modern music since all the dead guys already did it... but Einaudi's music is creepy and minimalist, in the best possible way. I'd recommend listening to his albums Divenire and also the Royal Albert Hall concert album. Sometimes he adds a beat to his music, which you'd think I would like, but no.

Andrew Bird isn't dead either. He's pretty much completely alive and writing amazing music all the time. Unfortunately, I can't sit and study to his music since it breaks rule #1, but ALAS there is a solution. Useless Creatures is a completely instrumental album that he put out in 2010 that is great to study to. The whole thing is amazing and each song has it's own unique sound. My personal favorite is Carrion Suite which everyone should listen to, regardless of study needs or not.

Soundtracks

Typically, my go-to study plan is to put on a soundtrack. Obviously, I'm referring to music that was written specifically for a film and unfortunately, not to the Sister Act soundtrack  I think there are some real gems within movie music that typically get hidden behind the spectacle of the film. Some of my personal best movie soundtracks for studying are: 

Chocolat (a little too happy sounding sometimes but generally good for studying), Whale Rider (gorgeous movie, gorgeous music), Waking Ned Devine (when I'm feeling like I should be having a Guinness instead of studying), Cloud Atlas (the Cloud Atlas Sextet didn't disappoint), Amelie (amazing, but I think I've memorized the music leading me to break rule #1), Memoirs of a Geisha (big thanks to my friend Kyle for telling me this, it's not too John Williams-y) and the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (both Swedish and US versions..for the soundtrack. I have other opinions about the movies).

Trip-Hop/Electronic/Something

I never know what to categorize this type of music as. It's that stuff that's sort of ambient elevator music but elevated (pun.) to another level (double pun.) Emancipator's album "Soon It Will Be Cold Enough" is a great album to sit down and just let go all the way through. I'm also going to mention Pogo (Nick Bertke) as having some of my favorite study music (and music in general) but a lot of it doesn't fit the rules. Ugh, WHO CARES. He's brilliant. Brilliant. BRILLIANT. I started, like many, finding his remix of Alice In Wonderland called Alice in 2008 and I've been hooked ever since. The way he puts seemingly mundane sounds together to make beautiful music is stuff of genius. Finally, the self-titled album by xxyyxx is good for a full listen to calm down when you are at the point of ripping your hair out.

And then there are the times when I can be really productive blasting Uprising by Muse because FUCK THE SYSTEM. More like bureaucrazy, amirite? 

Top Tracks (2)

Here we are again. Discussing my "top tracks" from Spotify. What a great tradition we've created here.

Here they are.
Can I just say, the amount of times in my life I've had to Google "how to take a screenshot on a mac" is astounding.

1. Be the Song - Foy Vance
This song is gorgeous. Absolutely stunning. Back in my days of religiously watching Grey's Anatomy I first discovered Foy Vance. But, because I'm an idiot, I haven't listened to anything by him in the past couple years. I'm going to be seeing him (opening for Ed Sheeran) in February so I thought I'd give his music another whirl and boy, that was a good idea. The Melrose EP is so calming and soulful.

2. X-French Tee Shirt - Shudder to Think
Holy shit I about lost my mind when I rediscovered this song. I probably first heard this when I was seven years old and it all came flooding back to me when it was played on the radio last week. There's something about the dissonance in this song that I'm completely obsessed with. There's literally no possible way you can hear this chorus 400 times in a row and not rock the fuck out to it. Brilliant.

3. One Day / Reckoning Song -Asaf Avidan & the Mojos
I know nothing about this song, group, remix, anything. It's completely addicting though. This is one of those songs where you end up listening to it about ten billion times without any recollection of having it happen.

4. Miss Cigarette - Rizzle Kicks
Rizzle Kicks are of those groups that I just sit there listening to, obsessed with figuring out what the samples are that they use. Whosampled.com is probably my favorite website in existence. Am I the only one that can sit on there for hours clicking through samples further and further back down a deep dark spiral? Anyway, my millions of subscribers, I can't figure out the sample in Miss Cigarette so let's try solving this mystery. *crickets*

5. New Born - Muse
Origin of Symmetry is my favorite Muse album. This is my favorite song on Origin of Symmetry. So, here we are.

6. You Make Me Sick - P!nk
Hello childhood me. Do you still remember this? Yes? You do? Every lyric? Perfect.
Moment of silence for this P!nk that we all remember and miss....

7. C'mon C'mon - The Von Bondies
Another favorite middle school song. Apparently I was feeling nostalgic this week...(see numbers 9 and 10 for proof).

8. Swimming Pools (Drank) - Kendrick Lamar
THIS IS THE BEST HIP HOP ALBUM/SONG/EVERYTHING THAT HAS COME OUT IN YEARS. Sorry about the excessive CAPS but I feel very passionate about this. Everyone always gives modern hip-hop such a bad rap (pun completely intended) but all I would have to do is give them a copy of good kid, M.A.A.D. city and they would instantly retract that opinion. I've listened to this song hundreds of times since October and I'm not even slightly sick of it. In fact, my alter rap ego knows every word and has gotten pretty boss at performing it.

9. No Scrubs (With Rap) - TLC
Best song ever written in the history of music. *drops mic*

10. Ready or Not - The Fugees
I'm pretty confident that the last time I heard this song was in 1996 so I'm not sure how it made this list but I'm not complaining. I love a good Lauryn Hill moment. We can all agree The Score was a flawless album, right?


Speaking of Lauryn Hill and nostalgia I'm going to go listen to Doo Wop (That Thing) and dust off my Umbro shorts (I still remember the conversation..."but moooommm, Mel C wears them). Peace out home skizzles.

Album Review: Japandroids - Celebration Rock

Another rave review!
(You can stop reading here if you want, that pretty much sums it up, but carry on reading if you want something a bit more in depth)

Apparently Japandroids have been around for a while. I keep hearing through the music grapevine that this is the "long-awaited" follow-up album to one they put out in 2009 that was apparently on every music list ever of all time that I SOMEHOW COMPLETELY MISSED. I guess I was busy with school or some bullshit.

Japandroids' sound can best be described as a garage band you tried and failed to put together in the 90's... but then get rid of absolutely everything and multiply the talent factor by about a billion. It's loud, angst-y, and just plain good. 
Apparently there are two guys in this group: Brian King on guitar and David Prowse on drums. TWO GUYS. When listening to them, you'd have no idea. The sound they create is just louder than life.
The album isn't too long, only eight tracks but it's filled with a non-stop energy that makes it feel perfectly complete. The first song I heard on the album was "The House That Heaven Built" and even after hearing the whole thing, beginning to end, this is still my favorite. Maybe it's because I heard it on the way* to the first day of my new job and the lyric "if they try to slow you down, tell them all to go to hell" really appealed to me. I still repeat that lyric to myself after encountering literally everyone I ever meet.

I don't use the word fierce a lot because of my PTSD from years of watching America's Next Top Model but this record is FIERCE....in the true dictionary definition of the word, not in any way associated with Tyra Banks.

Download:
1) The House That Heaven Built
2) The Nights of Wine and Roses
3) Fire's Highway

Hell, just go for it and download all eight. You've already got this far.

*big thanks to my local radio station for playing stuff like this

Also, I just learned that they were in my hometown in December for two nights and I had no freaking idea. Going to fling myself off a cliff now so sorry there won't be any more blog posts.

U.T.R.B. - Pressure

I just heard this song and what is this blog if not a place for me to share. Enjoy.

Grammy Predictions

As I briefly mentioned in a previous post I work in the music department of a store (which will remain nameless for as much as I dislike my job and would like to be fired I know realistically that wouldn't be a good idea). One of the new displays in our stores features "Grammy Nominees For 2013": Taylor Swift, fun., Maroon 5 and Kelly Clarkson. That's it. One of the explanations for this shit wall display is the fact that my merchandiser is a guy who would rather be playing golf any given day than picking out music or possibly, that the Grammy nominations this year slightly...underwhelming.

I thought I would go through all (or some...let's not get too crazy) of the 2013 nominees and I can share my two cents about who will probably win (underlined), and then who I would pick to win. I'm not a clairvoyant by any means but strictly based on previous year's statistics, about 300% (math.) of the time they give the Grammy to the person I most dislike.
Cool. 

Also, big ups to Wikipedia for existing so I can just copy and paste this shit.

Record of the Year
“Lonley Boy” — The Black Keys
“Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” — Kelly Clarkson
“We Are Young” — fun. feat. Janelle Monae
“Somebody That I Used To Know” — Gotye feat. Kimbra
“Thinking About You” — Frank Ocean
“We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” — Taylor Swift

Ugh. I just rolled my eyes at this entire category. I'm going to have to give this one to Taylor Swift. We're going to get plenty (pleeeenty) of T. Swizzle at next year's Grammy's so I just feel like they're going to prep and prime us for that. After all, she's always just so "surprised" when she wins! LIKE, WHO WOULD HAVE GUESSED!? ...everyone. always.
As for who I think should win... Frank Ocean. He did something brilliant with Channel Orange that deserves to be recognized. I also wouldn't be opposed to Gotye winning because as overplayed as that song was, I love his music (especially "Like Drawing Blood"), he puts on a good show, and is sexy as hell.

Album of the Year

The Black Keys — El Camino
fun. — Some Nights
Mumford & Sons – Babel
Frank Ocean — Channel Orange
Jack White — Blunderbuss

Predicting Mumford for this one. I mean, yeah. Probably. I don't really care. I'm already over this. Frank Ocean should win though. I like every song on his album and I only like certain ones on the other ones. So, that's the reasoning I had. I do love Jack White though... whatever. I'm done with this.

Best New Artist

Alabama Shakes
fun.
Hunter Hayes
The Lumineers
Frank Ocean

Predicting fun. to win this one. I mean, they probably will because they are "new" and their songs took over every radio station in existence the past year. As far as who I'd pick...Frank Ocean (shock.) or Alabama Shakes. Ho Hey makes me want to drive off the nearest cliff and Hunter Hayes is that child that sings that one song that if wasn't sung in a countryesque way would sound really possessive. Right? I WANT TO WRAP YOU UP. I WANT TO KISS YOUR LIPS. I WANT TO MAKE YOU FEEL WANTED. I WANT TO CALL YOU MINE. I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND FORRRREVVVERRR. NEVER LET YOU FORGET IT. Creeps me the fuck out.

Song of the Year
“The A Team” — Ed Sheeran
“Adorn” — Miguel
“Call Me Maybe” — Carly Rae Jepsen
“Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” — Kelly Clarkson
“We Are Young” — fun. feat. Janelle Monae

Predicting Call Me Maybe...because...it's Call Me Maybe and everyone and their mom (literally) knows it. Get it away. Just get it over and let it die.
As for who I'd pick...Ed Sheeran. Obviously. I'd give an award to Ed Sheeran for every category if I could...new artist, latin pop album, movie score...all of the above. Done and done.
Shit, I didn't even see that We Are Young is nominated...so...this category is a mess of who-knows-what and I change my mind to having fun. win this one. Or something? Who the fuck knows. Maybe we should just fuck it all and give it to Miguel.

Best Rock Album

El Camino — The Black Keys
Mylo Xyloto — Coldplay
The 2nd Law — Muse
Wrecking Ball — Bruce Springsteen
Blunderbuss — Jack White

Guessing that the Black Keys will win this one because the Grammy's aren't like a regular mom, they're a cool mom. Right, Regina?
I'd pick Muse because Muse will always be one of my absolute favorites and despite the shit it gets, the 2nd Law is the 2nd best album (appropriate) they've ever put out (after Origin of Symmetry, duh). YEAH I SAID IT. The rest of the nominees are good too though. So I don't really care who wins...except NOT Bruce Springsteen because who even heard that album at all? Go home, Bruce.

Best Rap Song (I had to type these out by hand because I couldn't find a list, can you tell?)
"Daughters" - Nas
"Lotus Flower Bomb" - Wale feat. Miguel
"Mercy" - Kanye West and Pusha T and other people but really? Kanye's going to accept the award if he wins
"The Motto" - Drake feat. Lil' Wayne
"N*!%$&*^S in Paris" - Jay-Z and Kanye West

"Young, Wild and Free" - Snoop Dogg & Wiz Khalifa

I was going to discuss best Rap Album but the nominees were stupid and the Roots won't win so I don't even want to go there. These are all good songs but I'm mega confident that it will go to N*#*$#(&84s in Paris because the song is damn good. Mercy is also amazing and I literally listen to it at least 300 times a day. So really, either way Kanye's going to make an appearance on stage and I couldn't be more excited for the bullshit that comes out of his amazingly talented mouth.

In conclusion, there's a lot of bullshit going on at this year's Grammy's and they haven't even started yet. Basically:

• We're going to see Frank Ocean not winning anything except Best Urban Contemporary (FOR THE LOVE OF GOD AT LEAST GIVE HIM THAT)
• Amy Winehouse is going to win posthumously (with Nas) and someone is going to cry (me)
• Adele better show her ass up and make another perfect acceptance speech ("fanks!")
• Nobody will give a single fuck about 99% of the categories (Sorry Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance, Album Notes, Recording Package, etc.) 
• I'm already 4,000% done with Rihanna's performance
• If the Muppets beat out T. Swift it will be the best night of my life
• Bill Clinton will be there

Top Tracks

It's Saturday!!! You know what that means!!
...or, no, you don't.
I only just started this blog and we're already getting into "theme days". Infinite eye rolling, I know.
I just thought that there should be a day out of the week (you can bet money on the fact it won't be the same day every week) where I discuss my top tracks that I've been listening to. It helps you get to know me so I'm not just this random disembodied voice you stumbled across.
Conveniently, Spotify figures all of this top tracks business for me! Hurray! The less work I have to do, the better. Can somebody show me the algorithm they use to figure this out? I mean, I never listen to One Direction and for some reason they keep showing up on my top artists week after week. ....there must be something wrong with their computer system...
........
............
................
*shifty eyes*

Ok.
Here they are!
1. Cannonball - Damien Rice
This one is popping up for the sole purpose that I listened to it about eight million times last week since I'm trying to learn it on guitar...don't bother asking how it's going. It's one of my favorite folk/acoustic songs and the whole album in general is just tops. It's been my favorite for years and years.
2. Boy (Acoustic Version) - Nina Nesbitt
I heard about this girl a while ago and just never gave her a chance. After listening to a lot of her music, her songs for me are hit or miss but I'm really in love with this acoustic version of Boy. Worth a listen if you like people with awesome accents.
3. All My Life - Nizlopi
This song has been one of my favorites for years. That's why it's here. End of discussion.
4. Thrift Shop - Macklemore and Ryan Lewis
This is one of those songs that I absolutely love but I'm terrified I'm going to get sick of it now that radio stations have caught on to it's brilliance. Fun song. Fun album. Dig it.
5. Boots of Spanish Leather - Bob Dylan
If someone held a gun to my head and forced me to pick a favorite song of all time (WHY would anyone do that) this would probably be it. It's perfect and I will never stop listening to it.
6. Professional Griefers - deadmau5 feat. Gerard Way
I could go on for days about how disappointed I was in deadmau5's new album but this is a gem within the I-don't-even-know-what. I mean, a lot of people might not like it since it's a bit more...Gerard Way-y...than anything else deadmau5 has done but I'm into it.
7. Pop That - French Montana feat. Rick Ross, Drake, Lil Wayne
Here's the point in my blogging where you realize I listen to a lot of really shitty music. This song is so terrible but so incredibly good. And no, I can't twerk...I've tried.
8. What You Need - The Weeknd
I can't express how much I love The Weeknd. Sooo... that's that.
9. Awkward - San Cisco
I thought I liked this song, but now I'm not so sure. It starts out kind of Strokes-y but then it switches to something that just doesn't sit well.
10. We'll Be Coming Back - Calvin Harris and Example
This song being on my most popular list is a result of being American and not getting to listen to any Example's music on Spotify. I really don't like this song but I love Example so there we go. Calvin Harris has just been disappointing lately but that's a discussion for another time.


I hope you enjoyed some insight into what I've (apparently) been listening to. I'm surprised with the amount of acoustic music but the weather has been bipolar and horrible lately. Um, ok? Care to explain that rationale, Carmen? Maybe later.

Carrie Bradshaw LOVES Spotify

I can't think of what to write about.

This always happens when I'm trying to follow through with some sort of continuous journal. At first I have this inspiration and feel like I'm freaking Carrie Bradshaw, clicking away at my laptop, sat at my desk next to an open window, feeding off the energy of the city below, dreaming of my next terrible innovative outfit choice. *yearning sigh* *eyelash flutter*
...then reality slaps me in the face and I'm screaming at my outdated computer, surrounded by piles of laundry and lying in bed full of crumbs from whatever meal I ate at some point in the possibly quite distant past trying to come up with something fairly interesting to write about.
And instead of internally narrating my life in a poetic way while meandering the streets of New York I just sort of mutter to myself in a psychotic way while trying to locate my car in a parking ramp.

Now we've established I'm not Carrie Bradshaw. Good. I'm glad we got that out of the way.
Moving on...

I can only think of one thing to talk about. I mean, at some point I made a list of potential topics when I was feeling inspired but my non-inspired self can't be bothered to find it.
So, Spotify it is.
I think I'm going to make a blog post (hah. no I won't.) about how I will literally do anything to get free music and I'll include Spotify in that, but right now I'm far too tired and I'm only going to say one or two things about it:

1) I'm convinced the piano and guitar riff at the beginning of the Spotify ads asking you to get "premium" is what is playing at the gates of hell.
I swear, every time I hear that **doo doodoo do doodoo do do doooooo* I lose a week off my life... which means I'll probably be dead by next week...which is fine because then I don't have to follow through with this blog anymore.

2) My home page just told me that Catch My Breath by Kelly Clarkson is "a top track among my friends". I have decided to get new friends.

Thanks Spotify.

Album Review: Andy Stott - Luxury Probems

I thought I'd start out my first real post with an album review. Something that people can easily search for and hopefully nothing too controversial (although, it is the internet so something is always controversial to someone).

Electronic music is one of my favorite genres. It really is one of those things that people either love or hate, like Taylor Swift or cilantro. I just happen to love it...well, most of it. There really is some garbage out there where people just mess around with some sound effects on their new macbook and call themselves a DJ. (guilty)
For all of those out there that have listened to electronic and just don't "get it" I want to give a little spiel of why I personally like it. There's something about non-lyrical music that really appeals to me. Instead of having some heartfelt personal lyrics to relate to, an electronic (or classical, jazz etc.) artist has to somehow trigger the listener to feel something without words. How can a simple beat or a pulsating rhythm be appealing? That's the fascinating thing. Your ears can decipher certain sounds that they like, and certain ones that they don't, without regards to a lyrical message or whatever else. There's this emotion and meaning and complexity within a bunch of seemingly simple notes and I LOVE IT.
End of spiel.

Now, on to Andy Stott.
I'm just going to get to the point and say this is one of my favorite albums of 2012 and possibly the best electronic album I've heard....ever? *whoa* Yeah.
It's incredible. So incredible that I went out and bought the physical album. I know I like something when I actually buy it, since I currently hold the title of cheapest person on earth. I spent $20 on this imported sucker and I couldn't be happier.

Every track blends into the next, without seeming like one gigantic electronic mess of a song. They all have their own distinct feel with a cohesive...dark?...undertone to it. Haunting? Other worldly?
Sidenote: I should probably get better at describing music if I'm going to continue with this blog.

Anyway, the album has eight tracks, all great and all MUST be listened to with a good pair of headphones. The pulse is just absolutely incredible. When listening, you sort of submerge into this smooth music only to have subtle pulsations pick you up from underneath (...what?).
Andy Stott masters the "drop" on this album. If you listen to any electronic music you know what I'm talking about. It's that point in the music where the tone changes, something "drops" and all of a sudden you're submerged. Here, it's so subtle and so amazingly done. It doesn't hit you in the face...it sneaks up on you and then you're like "Oh, there it is. Yes."

Ugh. So good.

Favorite Tracks:
Hatch The Plan - Really simple vocal sample surrounded by all these overlapping beats and kind-of jungle-like and outer space type noises? Just go with it, it works.
Numb - Here's where you can hear that drop. It's really light at first and then this heavy beat just hits underneath and it blows me away every time.
Sleepless - This one took me a while to get into and then the 2:50 mark hits and it's all over. So good.

Go give it a listen. The whole album is available on YouTube on one video with actually really amazing sound quality (better than the individual tracks I've found). Usually I don't get too undone about less than perfect sound quality but this album deserves it. It deserves a lot.

Obligatory Introduction, I Guess.

Here I am.
Making a music blog.
I'm entering this with a "what the hell am I doing here" mentality, just like I did when I started a YouTube channel and Tumblr. Apparently I've really embraced this whole social media thing and I'm not sure why. "My opinions must be stated and you must listen!"
I hate myself.

I've reached an astonishing 100 Twitter followers *brushes shoulder off*(.....because of a serious dry scalp issue) and I'm sick of bothering them with my "HEY GUYS LOOK WHAT MUSIC I'M LISTENING TO" tweets because they don't care. Now I can spit my opinions out into the blogging abyss and whoever wants to listen, can listen.

I'm blogging about music because I love it. There's really not much else to say about that. I'm going to chatter on here about music I like, music I don't like, concerts and things, other things, music related things, non-music related things, fajitas, whatever.

Working in a music store in the suburbs has made me realize how much I really appreciate good music. You know, good music (she says with a holier than thou attitude). But seriously, I don't know how many more times I can sell someone a Katherine Jenkins CD without burning the earth to the ground so I need a place to vent. Have you guys heard her?...on repeat, every day, ruining singing songs from movies? No? HAHAHALUCKY. I can't take it any longer.
Same goes for Jackie Evancho. Bitch has it coming.


This is not Pitchfork.