So, in honor of settling down, I am off to the city for a concert tonight. It is going to be fabulous – an artist that I really like giving a private show at Webster Hall in NYC. This will be a new venue for me and one that I have really been wanting to visit. I love these small, intimate, invitation-only concerts where you really get up and close to the artist.I can’t wait to let you know about it tomorrow.
Today’s song is by The 1975, a four-piece, alt-rock band from Manchester in the UK. The group met at school in 2002 and released their first EP in 2012; three more EPs followed. They recently released their debut, self-titled album, The 1975, in September 2013.
The band consists of Matt Healy (lead vocals and guitar), Adam Hann (guitar), Ross McDonald (bass), and George Daniel (drums). They have a really cool sound and are certainly making a big splash. In April of this year they had their first big performance in the US, playing at Coachella Music Festival. I am sure there is much more to come from them and if you have not already explored their music, take time to do it now. They are really good!
With just a few minutes to post tonight, I wanted to give you a great song to help start off your weekend. This is a playful, cool song with a really fun beat.
This song is by Charli XCX (Charlotte Emma Aitchison), an English singer-songwriter who started writing songs at the age of 14. This song is on The Fault in Our Stars soundtrack – which, by the way, is an amazing soundtrack with an incredible list of songs and artists. (I have not yet seen the movie, but I absolutely loved the book.)
My son was playing the soundtrack earlier this week while we were driving in the car and this song just became one of my very favorites. I’m sure this “Boom Clap” will be the sound in my ears when my alarm goes off at 4am tomorrow morning! Yikes!
I absolutely love this song! I think the music is perfect and the lyrics are amazing. It is just such an honest view of how we look at ourselves and our flaws. My favorite lyrics are:
The song is by Bastille, a rock band from London, England. I am certain that most of you will know them by their tremendously popular song, “Pompeii.” Many people may be unfamiliar with any of Bastille’s music other than “Pompeii” because that is the only song that is ever played on the radio. For me, that is a downside to popular radio, they find a song they like by a band and then they overplay it to death. The band actually has a lot of great music and I hope that you will enjoy this song (my favorite) from their Bad Blood album, released in the US in September 2013.
Bastille (named for Bastille Day, which is Smith’s birthday) was originally started as a solo project by singer-songwriter, Dan Smith. The band is now composed of the very talented Dan Smith (singer, songwriter, keyboard player, and producer), Will Farquarson (bass), Chris Wood (drummer), and Kyle Simmons (keyboard player). They all perform back-up vocals, and the chemistry among the band is amazing. Bastille was honored this year at the Brit Awards with British Breakthrough Act of the year. The band was also nominated for three other awards – British Group of the Year, British Single of the Year (for Pompeii), and British Album of the Year. They have been called “the word-of-mouth success of 2013!”
Embrace your flaws! It makes us who we are … and who wants to be anyone else? 🙂
I have attached two versions of this song because they are both amazing – one was recorded at Abbey Road Studios and is literally an amazing acoustic version backed by a room full of strings, and the other is another acoustic version with keyboard, guitar and hand drums. Just both very cool! I would love the Last.fm sessions version on my iPod.
It is Mother’s Day weekend and I have decided to post one of my favorite “mother” songs today. I am sure many of you are already very familiar with this song by CHVRCHES, but I would put this song way up on my list of favorites and just think it is perfect for Mother’s Day weekend. CHVRCHES, a trio from Glasgow, Scotland, made a huge splash into the music scene in 2012 (which is when I first heard them) and they have never turned back.  CHVRCHES has an amazing and unique sound and they are just interesting people to top it off. If you don’t yet know this song, I am certain you will like it; if you do already know it, I hope you will enjoy listening to it again on this Mother’s Day weekend.
On Mother’s Day we get the special opportunity of celebrating mothers, but today I want to take the opportunity to celebrate being a mother. I love beinga mom … it has been one of the greatest gifts of my life. From the moment IÂ held my new little babies, I just fell in love. I feel incredibly blessed to have the privilege of being their mom.
I honestly don’t believe that there is any other experience in the world that could bring more joy, more pain, more frustration, more excitement, more worry, more pride, and all at the same time help me understand love in a way that I never knew was possible. I have to say, that there is nothing more beautiful than having your child give you a hug and tell you that they love you. Luckily, I have two very affectionate children who make certain that they hug me freely and tell me those words often. I find that when they are away from home, there is a huge void and so I am very lucky this weekend to have both children home. It makes me so happy that my daughter made a point of coming home the weekend before finals to celebrate Mother’s Day with me.
I have loved every minute of being a mother. First, there was the remarkable baby stage where I could just sit for hours holding them and watching them sleep. That was the best. But, then there was the toddler stage. I loved watching them learn and discover every new thing about the world. That was the best. And then we started school and it was such fun to get to see them interact with the world and learn and develop into their own little person. That was the best. And then we reached adolescence and that was the best … okay, some days it wasn’t, but mostly it was. 😉 I loved watching as they developed opinions on issues and ideas and began figuring out their place in the world. And now, as both of my children are teenagers with one away at college, I am loving these moments too and think they are the best. I love the friendship that has developed with both of my kids and the way that they also still rely on me as their mom. Over the years, I have loved watching their accomplishments and successes, and also watching their resilience as they experienced trials and disappointments.
I love this time and this moment and, luckily, I never wished any moment away while I was experiencing it, but now there are some days that I wish I could rewind and do it all over again. I cannot lie and say that I don’t miss those little blonde kids with the big blue eyes who just wanted to hold my hand and cuddle. They often say that motherhood is the hardest job, and not for all the work that has to be done, but because our one main job is to love our kids so much that we are able to let them go when it is time. I am so grateful for the privilege I have had to be a mother and for my two incredible children who made me a mom. Being a mother is my greatest joy!
Happy Sun Day! I am so excited to see the sun! It is amazing what a blue sky and some sunshine can do for your psyche.
It appears that spring is finally coming to the east coast. I have every window in my house open today spreading fresh air throughout the house. I love that! I also just carried a lounge chair outside to sit in the backyard, and we are planning to barbecue. I can’t wait until the flowers start blooming and the massive trees surrounding our house start breaking out their leaves. It looks like we may only get a few days of these temps and then dip back down into cooler weather again, but I am going to take advantage of every minute of this lovely weather.
I mentioned a couple of days ago that I was ready to bubble wrap my family. I should have acted upon that sentiment right at that moment! I got a text this morning from my daughter, who plays ultimate frisbee for her college team, and she got hit in the face with the frisbee at a tournament today. She is a fairly aggressive player (haha, if you know her, you will know that she is an intense being in general!) and somehow she got herself between the disk and a receiver. I guess she made a good block, but her lip, and the cut above it, are certainly showing the signs of that defensive move. Bubble wrap, baby! Send it to me in bulk!
Today’s song is from a young, New England-based band called Magic Man. The band originally started as a duo by two childhood friends (Alex Caplow and Sam Lee) who began writing music during their down time while traveling in France working on organic farms. They released their self-produced, debut album, titled Real Life Color, in 2010. In the short time since then, the band has grown to five members (adding Justine Bowe, Daniel Radin, and Joey Sulkowski) and released an EP (You Are Here) in September 2013, with a full length album expected this year.
Magic Man has a very cool sound – blending synth pop with rock, creating what they call “triumphant synth rock.” I really like singer, Alex Caplow’s, voice. This song is amazing and has such a cool sound. I also like the music video, which was just released in February. The video is very surreal and artsy – matching the sound of the song perfectly. I definitely see big things ahead for this very talented, young band. Hope you enjoy the song.
Also – as a side note – I now want to go to Paris. Tell me that listening to this song doesn’t make you want to go as well!
Another snowy day here in the east coast! I am driving my daughter’s Mini Cooper and I can’t say that it is the best vehicle for slippery, windy, hilly roads.
Snow is beautiful, but I am feeling like I need a little balance between winter and sunshine! I am looking forward to getting to spend some time in sunny, warm Arizona with my son later this week. He can get his fill of golf rounds and I can get my fill of sunshine, hiking, and time with old friends. Returning to places I have lived before is always a wonderful experience. I have so many good friends from my time in Arizona and I can hardly wait to get to spend some time with them. It may be hard to leave again.
The song of the day today is a very catchy tune and I love the sound that Future Islands creates. I think you will enjoy listening to this synthpop sound today – I know that I am enjoying listening to it. The video also seems to catch where I am today … they are seeking the beach and I am seeking the sunshine. 🙂
Future Islands is a synthpop group currently based out of Baltimore, Maryland. The band started in 2006 while they were attending East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina. They have a very unique sound that makes for very easy listening. Future Islands have announced that they will be releasing a new album in March of this year, but this song is from their last album “On The Water,” which was released in late 2011.
