My Roommate Needs Better Music.

Happy Birthday Roomz!

Today my roommate, Martha Stewart, is 20 years old.  Basically a haggard old woman.  I am incapable of cooking/baking/being domestic, so here's a picture of the cake I wish I was capable of making for her.

MC's birthday lists are always extensive.  She is the type of person who never stops shopping, so her birthday is the perfect excuse to create giant lists of things she wants.  The problem is that she "accidentally" buys presents for herself, so it's hard to keep up with what she wants versus what she's already bought.  So, I decided on these:

Because you can't have enough Kate Spade.

Anywho, what she really really wanted from me was something nobody else could give her: a list of songs that she will like.  So, I feel that this playlist is pertinent if you possess any of the following characteristics:

• Unnatural Blonde Hair
• 11-20 year old age range
• You were transfixed by the recent Poo Pourri commercial on Youtube

• You enjoy anything monogrammed or Lilly Pulitzer

• Mindy Kaling is your hero

• If this applies to you or your roommate in a very tangible way:

So here we go.  Here's a list of songs you, Martha Stewart, will probably like.  Enjoy and happy birthday.

Marry Me- Jason DeRulo
*there's some awesome product placement at the 2 minute mark.  Just saying.

The Poison- All American Rejects

I'm Good, I'm Gone- Lykke Li
*Truly a bizarre video.

Everybody- Fonzworth Bentley

Her Diamonds- Rob Thomas

Hey Leonardo- Blessid Union of Souls

Teenage Dirtbag- Wheatus


Just Got Started Lovin' You- James Otto

V for Vinyl

Today is the day.

I decided to participate in Kallie's Alphabet Weekend Warriors link up, which is where bloggers write about a day planned around one letter.  My letter was V, so I took it upon myself to finally find a good record store and purchase some Vinyl.

Mural on the other side of the building.  Not relevant, but cool nonetheless.

I love record stores because you can't find them just anywhere anymore.  I can't think of anywhere I'd rather spend my time than a place with live music, books, records, and memorabilia.  Continuing about our day, we decided to stick with a Vintage theme and hit up some thrift shops.  Here are some highlights:

The Cars- Shake It Up.  A fantastic album.  And Jesus floating above my head.

MC and with an impressive collection.

Furby collection.  I found this horrifying and also nostalgic.  A weird combination.

So, I know that most of that has nothing to do with V.

Other than eating some vanilla ice cream and very good cake, that's all I could manage.  To make up for it, here are some songs that pertain to this subject.

Why Can't This Be Love- Van Halen.

Vultures- John Mayer.

Valerie- Amy Winehouse.

Giving Up the Gun- Vampire Weekend.

Tom's Diner- Suzanne Vega.

Life Is Beautiful- Vega 4.

Thrift Shop- Vitamin String Quartet.

Astral Weeks- Van Morrison.

And now you know.  Possibly the most random assemblage of songs ever.  You're welcome.

We still have spots available for Alphabet Weekend Warriors! e-mail Kallie @ butfirstcoffeeblog@gmail for your chance to join in on the fun! Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Any Given Sunday

Sunday.

This week we spent Sunday morning downtown at this gorgeous church called Immaculate Conception.  Observe:

My roommate, Martha Stewart (yes, that is her name and no, I'm not kidding) has never been to Catholic Mass so I thought it was about time.  I've been overdue for some good old-fashioned sacraments anyway.

After church we decided to get some lunch.  This was hard because everything is closed on Sunday.  Also driving downtown is always difficult, but especially frustrating on a Jaguars game day where everybody is trying to get early parking.  

Sidenote: It's not that I don't like the Jags, because I like them enough.  I'm just a little confused because all of the crazy fanatics seem to believe that the Jaguars are not terrible.  Where I come from, Tampa, people are well aware of how bad the Buccaneers have been.  In Jacksonville people are actually in denial.  They always think this year will be the year.  I'm just trying to be realistic when I say...don't bank on it.  Don't be that person.

So, we finally found somewhere to eat.  Jennifer and MC (that's what Martha Stewart calls herself to avoid the constant hassle of people asking how her jail time went) insisted on getting chips and queso even though we were at a pizza bar.  My life tip for today: Generally avoid buying Mexican food from an Italian restaurant.  

We then took pictures.  That's just what we do.

Stack photos are still happening after both of us left the 

sorority. Typical.

MC and I.

 Being cutesy and whatnot.

Music Time.

I have no theme for my music selections because my only real intention for this post was to document my adorable outfit and friends.  I guess I'll just link some equally adorable songs that follow the theme of a great Sunday morning.  

To Be With You- Mr. Big
Bruises (feat. Ashley Monroe)- Train
All At Once- The Fray
Not Over You- Gavin DeGraw
People- Jon McLaughlin
Touch- Natasha Bedingfield
Stick With Me Baby- Allison Krauss & Robert Plant
Doctor My Eyes- Jackson Browne
I'm In Peace- Justin Nozuka
Never Had Nobody Like You- M. Ward

Being a Working Girl Bites.

I haven't ever really talked about my job.

That's because in my life it's a pretty controversial subject.  Sometimes I love it, sometimes I hate it.  Here are the best parts about my job:

• Free food every shift
• Talking to nice people
• Being with cool coworkers
• Getting paid

Here are the worst parts about my job:

• Constantly smelling like latex.
• Being nice to people that are not nice to me.
• Trying to ring up people who are talking on the phone.  That's just rude.
• Cleaning up after babies who throw food everywhere.
• Getting condiments sprayed in my eyes (this happens more often than you might think)

In honor of my less-than-glamorous job, here are a few awesome songs/artists that are food related.  

Bullet With Butterfly Wings- Smashing Pumpkins

Strawberry Swing- Coldplay

Hit- The Sugarcubes feat. Bjork

Short Skirt/Long Jacket- Cake

Everything I Own- Bread

Dreams- The Cranberries

Energy- Apples In Stereo

She Don't Use Jelly- The Flaming Lips

Backwater- Meat Puppets

Holdin' On To Yesterday- Ambrosia

Peaches- The Presidents of the United States of America

Criminal- Fiona Apple

* I would just like to add a side note that even though I had an idea in mind for this playlist, it turned out even more awesome than I expected without me even trying.

Random Anecdotes.

I've noticed that some things I think are important are not important to other people.

This list includes: 

1. Finding doppelgangers for every person. It may be another human (doesn't have to be famous) or even a species of animal.  
2. Maintaining a constant list of movies whose soundtracks I must immediately download.
3. Making sure that nobody steals my books. I understand that in this day in age the event of a book thief ransacking my apartment is unlikely.  I also realize that most of my books are ones I keep solely to look more sophisticated than I actually am.  The fact remains: don't touch my library.
4. Keeping a mental checklist of songs that should be combined/mashed up into a fantastic remix.
5. Watching every episode of So You Think  You Can Dance to make sure I know every single song on it.
6. Developing a romantic relationship with Jason Segel a la "Freaks and Geeks" up until the early years of "How I Met Your Mother".  Some may say that this is a doomed endeavor, but I say anything is possible.  Just watch "The Lake House".

Number 1: Some say that my doppelgangers are not accurate. 

 I have mentioned this skill before and have not received enough negative feedback to squash my confidence.  Therefore I am about to unveil my most important doppelganger revelation to date:

This is Ryan, my boyfriend, followed by Jim Carrey.  Despite the low percentage of people who agree with me (around 28%) I would like to say that I feel rather confident in this comparison.

Number 2: Movies whose soundtracks I have recently gained interest in.

Warm Bodies.  Please note these particularly interesting tracks:

The Bad In Each Other- Feist

Patience- Guns N' Roses

Hungry Heart- Bruce Springsteen

Yamaha- Delta Spirit

Oh, Pretty Woman- Roy Orbison

Midnight City- M83 *there will be more on this later, please stay tuned.

Runaway- The National

Chasing Mavericks. Cool tracks include:

Plowed- Sponge. Also I really like "Molly (Sixteen Candles)" in case anybody cares.

Pepper- Butthole Surfers

Start Choppin'- Dinosaur Jr.

Fade Into You- Mazzy Star

I Need An Energy- Greg Holden

Number 3: Books that have been recently ALMOST stolen:

I Found The Shack on my dining room table the other day.  I think it was being used for biblical studies by someone, but the fact remains that it could have been nabbed by just about anybody.  I discovered A Million Little Pieces in the backseat of my roommates car.  She was caught sprinkle-handed (get it?!).

Lolita was not actually stolen, rather misplaced during my last attempt to read it. Yes, I've been trying to finish it since high school.  Also, Mindy Kaling's book was not stolen either.  I just wanted to note that it's really funny and you should read it.

Number 4: Songs that should be mashed up but have not been thus far.

Safe and Sound by Capital Cities and Midnight City by M83.  I can't be the only one to think of this.  Right?

Shark In the Water by VV Brown and If We Ever Meet Again by Timbaland.

Someone needs to make these things happen.  I am incapable of mashing things...so I leave it up to the public.

Number 5: My Favorite Songs on SYTYCD

• Gyrate- Da Muzicianz feat Mr. Collipark
• Ramalama Bang Bang- Roisin Murphy
• In the Morning- Junior Boys
• Gravity- Sara Bareilles
• If It Kills Me (Casanova Version)- Jason Mraz
• Comanche- The Revels
• I Know It's Over- Jeff Buckley

Number 6: My Schoolgirl Crush on Jason Segel

Click on this picture to see the exact moments I fell in love with him.^^^

That's all, folks.

My Favorite Songs

This topic is prefaced by a short story that you will have to read through.

  It starts with my boyfriend graduating college two weeks ago.  A few weeks prior his sister asked him for a list of his favorite songs to play at his graduation party.  He calls me up after an hour or so of compiling songs and asks if he can send it to me for approval.  This got me thinking about what his definition of "favorite song" is, and how my definition is a little bit more involved.

Now, let it be known:

It took me more than an hour to pen a definitive list of my favorite songs because I take this stuff a little too seriously.  I have my favorite bands (which is a topic for a different day), but favorite songs are different.  Songs are much harder to list. First, I'll tell you my requisites for a "favorite" song.

1. Must be unconditional.  No matter what time of day, age, or emotional state, it will always be your favorite.  I think this requires some perspective, aka your favorite song is not one you heard for the first time 2 days ago.
2. Must have emotional connection.  There are no favorite songs that are your favorite just because they are catchy.  You have to connect a life event to this song.
3. Whenever you are shuffling through your iPod/iPhone/MP3 device, you always stop to listen to it.  Obviously it doesn't count when the circumstance isn't right, but when you are alone and hear the intro, you stop and listen to it.  If you skip over it because you've heard it too many times, it's not one of your favorites.
4. There is NO ORDER to a favorite song list.  Songs are like best friends, you can have more than one.
5. You must love literally EVERYTHING about the song.  There's nothing you would change.

So, without further ado, this is my Favorite Songs List as of 2013. 

• Layla- Derek and the Dominos.  I would listen to this song on repeat for hours as a kid because I was struck by how fantastic it is.  There aren't enough words to express its genius.  Also I would like to note that the story behind 'Layla' is really interesting.  

• In Your Eyes- Peter Gabriel.  This is a perfect song.  It describes how I feel about God, the people I love, and life in general.  It's just that simple.

• Time of the Season- The Zombies.  Also, if you have ever seen "Prom Night" (the lame horror movie about everybody getting murdered on Prom Night) there is a more contemporary version of this song by the Ben Taylor Band that is also good.  It is not, however, better than the original.

• All I Want is You- U2.  The story behind this is that I've always loved U2, but I didn't know this song until Valentine's Day 2008.  The reason I remember that date is because it was on a VH1 Classic Valentine's Day special.  At first I was more infatuated by the music video (you will see why when you watch it), but it slowly became a song I couldn't live without.

• Fire and Rain- James Taylor.  My teacher in Pre-K would play this during nap time.  True story.  Some things you just never forget.

• Remember (Walking in the Sand)- Aerosmith (originally performed by the Shangri-Las).  Aerosmith is such a fantastic band, so it is odd that my favorite song of theirs is actually not theirs.  I just love what they did with this song.  It is everything that a cover should be.

• I Miss You- Blink 182.  This is because, despite what you may think, I am actually only 20 years old and enjoy the music of my generation.  When people say that music these days has gone to hell, they forget bands like Blink 182 and songs like this.

• Heavy- Collective Soul.  My dad used to play the intro to this song over and over while he drove my brother and I back from school.  When I think of being happy during my childhood I think of those car rides and how this song made me feel invincible.

• Danny's Song- Loggins and Messina.  Despite what you may believe, the reason I like this song is not because my name is Dani.  It's just a happy coincidence.

• Because- The Dave Clark Five.  When I dance with my father at my wedding, it will be to this song.  Out of all of the ways "I Love You" can be said, this song says it in the purest, most wonderful way I can think of.

• Mama, You Been On My Mind- Jeff Buckley (originally by Bob Dylan).  This is another song in which the cover, to me, is better than the original.  Jeff Buckley got me through things that my closest friends couldn't have.  His voice, I'm convinced, has actual healing powers likened to that of Rapunzel's hair and the tears of a Phoenix.

• Shiver- Coldplay.  That's right, this song beats out all of the other Coldplay songs that have hit the top of the charts.  What can I say, I root for the underdog.  Also, if you think about it, the song makes so much sense.  They are shivering because they are COLDplay.  Get it?!! Ha.

• Unchained Melody- The Righteous Brothers. Fun fact: I think Simon Cowell also really loves this song.  There's just nothing better than a man hitting notes that high.  

• Sunday I'll Be Gone- VAST.  A theme that I've noticed in this list is that beautiful voices are important to me.  This is especially true for Jon Crosby and this track in particular.  I am just a sucker for tragic songs and that is something VAST excels at.  

• Silent Running- Mike and the Mechanics.  I have always thought this song was a perfect combination of lyrics and melody.  Paul Carrack's voice is haunting (see Tempted by Squeeze), and the words he sings are unsettling in a very good way.

• Everybody Wants to Rule the World- Tears for Fears.  The beginning of the song sounds like a cold shower right after a grueling workout.  It is refreshing.  It's everything I love about music of the 80's.  

• And I Love Her- The Beatles.  You may believe the Beatles are overrated, the Stones are better, or maybe you have never even bothered to listen to them.  Regardless of these beliefs you can't hear this song and not fall in love with it.

I just realized that there are no songs by women on my favorite songs list.  This is upsetting, but the facts are facts.  I must make a post about female artists soon.  That is all for today.

What I've Been Up To

So, I went to visit my cousins in Georgia last week for the fourth of July and found myself right in the middle of Redneck Nation.  I hope the citizens of Jasper County, GA don't mind me saying that, but it is definitely true.    

 Here's an example of the culture shock I experienced when visiting Jackson Lake:

Yes, this is a VW bug attached to a dissembled boat...

This is pretty self-explanatory.

This is less self-explanatory.  It is actually the underside of a deer's tail, as we were later told by  a local.  The facial features were added by the taxidermist.  I am not making this up.

Now, I know that it seems like I'm making fun of this lifestyle, but the truth is that I wish I grew up in the South.  I mean, geographically I was raised 7 hours south of "The South", but Tampa may as well be New York City in comparison to the backwoods of Georgia.  They all have a southern accent, impeccable manners, and aren't the least concerned about living in an area where Rattlesnake Repellent is commonplace.  I'm a little embarrassed, but I thought that a fishing weight was a bullet.  Like, for a gun.  Think about that.

I wish that I didn't feel awkward when I sing along to a country song with a fake accent.  I wish I wasn't terrified that my boyfriend had a tick when we came back from Georgia.  According to Brad Paisley, ticks are pretty normal and even a little sexual.  The first time I went to a gun range was a week ago.  I guess I'm just not all that well-rounded.

Either way, this is what I've been listening to lately.  A lot of it is country (what I listened to in Georgia) and some of it isn't.  I guess the moral of this blog is that Florida is an odd place in relation to the states that surround it.  Music crosses cultural boundaries in a way that I find important as I get older and experience new things.

1) Unorthodox Jukebox- Bruno Mars.  My favorite tracks are: "Locked Out of Heaven", "Gorilla", "Natalie", and "If I Knew".  It's just a great album, I'm a really big fan.

2) Blue- Malbec.  I have a weird habit of downloading soundtracks, and this song is featured in "My Best Friend's Girl".  I've never seen the movie, but the song is just adorable.

3) Don't Ya- Brett Eldredge.  This is just a cute song that makes me dance.  Also I've made a very keen observation that Brett Eldredge looks a lot like Josh Dallas (aka Prince Charming on "Once Upon A Time").  Exhibit A:

Nailed it.

4) Geraldine- Glasvegas.  This showed up on my playlist and I remembered how much I love it.  Sometimes social workers are just inspiring enough to write a song about.  This is a song I think everybody should know.

5) Good Directions- Billy Currington.  This is one of my favorite country artists, and it has almost nothing to do with his gorgeous face.  

 6) Madness- Muse.  I've always loved Muse, but this song is one of their best thus far.  That's saying a lot, too.                                                                                                                                       7) Me Me Me- Lars and the Hands of Light.  I discovered this song in Hollister, believe it or not.  Great things happen when buying gift cards for your cousin's birthday.  It's fantastic, that's all there is to it.                                                                                                                                                                                                 8) Subterranean Homesick Blues- Bob Dylan.  I think this song is pretty underrated, especially because the music video is iconic.  I just want to learn all the words and quote it on a daily basis.  That's not too much to ask.

9) Could It Be- Charlie Worsham.  Another cute country song that is pretty forgettable, but when I hear it I'll sing along and be instantly happy.  Also I'm pretty confident that Charlie Worsham looks a lot like Judd Nelson (aka John Bender from "The Breakfast Club").  Exhibit B:

This is another similarity that nobody else seems to see, but one day my genius for seeing doppelgangers will be realized.  I digress.

10. It Goes Like This- Thomas Rhett.  It's a cute little song that goes well with driving home from work on a Wednesday night.  It goes well with most everything.  Side note: I'm pretty satisfied with the number of attractive country singers that have recently produced music videos. 

Yeezus and other Religious Musings

I am a practicing Christian.

People immediately jump to conclusions about me based on this fact.  Possibly, I am a terrible follower of Jesus due to the music I listen to, the lifestyle I lead, and the opinions I have.  Either that or I am a terrible music critic because I obviously believe that the only credible music in the eyes of God is gospel.  This is not, however, how I feel.

I believe God has put musicians on earth to show that He is accessible through many mediums. That means he can even be heard through the writing of non-believers, you just have to hear it and feel it.  Note:  This is conditional to the specific musician and the personal beliefs of the listener, just like anything else in the world.  What I believe brings me closer to God may not to the next person and visa versa.

You may be thinking that this is my way to justify my music taste in the eyes of God.  You are right.  I'm sure that I listen to songs that He would not approve of, but that does not define the quality of a relationship.  That's all I will say about that.

All of this being said,

I am sure that musicians have an equally hard time justifying the music they write with their faith. This is a universal problem.  A prime example, as stated in the title of this post, is the new album Yeezus by Kanye West.  It is no secret that he is my favorite rapper.  To those that know me very well it is also no secret that I can recite "Jesus Walks" line for line.  I do, however, find fault in this album due to the conflicting ideas between his Christianity and the content of some songs. 

 I will be the first to say that music should not be censored or watered down, but does that mean that it should even have super explicit content in the first place?  There is a line of what is acceptable for every person, which I understand, but what is the line for Kanye West, a self-professed Christian?  I don't know if there is one, because in this album he actually equates himself to God in a way that I personally am uncomfortable with.

Now, all of this moral hoo-haa aside, what do I think of the album?  What do I think of the actual music?  Can the morality and the artistry be separated at all?  I don't know if I have answers to all of those questions, but I am going to state my personal opinions with each song I feel is notable.

I hope it's very obvious by now that I don't think or want everyone to agree with me, but I'm putting it in cyberspace because it's a controversial subject that is worth at least considering.  Plus I love Kanye.

1. On Sight- From a secular point of view this song is very listenable.  It seems to be an elaboration of "Stronger", which as everybody knows can't be a bad thing for album sales.  I also enjoy the bridge cutting into the song the way it does. I think that Kanye often uses a shock factor that ruins the song for people like me.  He didn't have to curse that much or write about what he did, and I don't appreciate that aspect of it. Bottom line: I don't think that the artistry of the song outweighs the lyrical content that I am opposed to.   

2. Black Skinhead- So, I'm Catholic.  However, I'm not offended by what he says in this song because I've heard worse from other Christians about Catholics.  That's the thing about this song, the political inaccuracy is ironic and therefore very important to hear.  I think that the anger is necessary and the cursing is warranted. Bottom line: The song is not a classic and by far not marketable for 80% of music listeners, but it is a song worth listening to. 

* I'd like to add that a lot of interesting information can be found on songfacts.com and artistfacts.com, not only on this song or any other Kanye West song, but on almost any artist you can imagine.

3. I Am A God (feat. God)- I assume that he says the song is featuring God because the song features a lot of ideas from the Bible. This sounds like Christian rap, but way better because it isn't terrible.  I don't like the sound of the woman crying in the background, but I do enjoy that it sounds like "Heard 'Em Say".  Bottom Line: Even though Kanye is super cocky and it's a little annoying, I think that this song was truly inspired by God.  It is candid, beautiful, and overall well executed.

4. New Slaves- Simply put, I feel the same way about this track as I do with "Black Skinhead", except the line about being...a "swallower" is trashy and unnecessary.  However, I would rather listen to this song over the other just because the bass line is really catchy.

Those are the tracks I think are most relevant to morality.  I can't say that it's an album I will listen to regularly because it is a little distasteful, but it's still relevant in the music scene and that's exactly what he was going for, isn't it?   

Summertime

You wouldn't know it by how pasty-white my skin is,

but it's summertime.  I haven't been out much.  Even if I did go out, it would take a long time for me to show any signs of a tan.  Am I bitter about that?  A little.  However, I have nobody to blame but myself unless you want to get technical and blame my father's ancestors for this pale and stubborn Polish skin I have inherited. 

Regardless of whose fault this is, the fact remains that I am still on the computer rather than soaking up any sun.  So, in order to atone for this I am just going to make a playlist.  I will burn this playlist and play it in my car as I make the 4.5 hour journey back to my parents' house this week to see my brother graduate from high school.  While I am there I intend to go to the beach, enjoy my free time, and make up for spending all of May staying indoors.  I cannot be more excited about it, so this playlist is a product of my excitement.

1) Blister In the Sun- Violent Femmes

2) Spotlight- Gucci Mane feat. Usher

3) Water- Brad Paisley (This can also be interchanged with "Beat this Summer", but I like Water better)

4) At the Beach- the Avett Brothers

5) Never Let You Go- Third Eye Blind

6) Long Hot Summer- Keith Urban

7) Sweetness- Jimmy Eat World

8) Summer of '98- Secret Handshake

9) I Do- Better Than Ezra

10) Summer Girls- LFO

11) Little Secrets- Passion Pit

12) Bad Girls- M.I.A.

13) Treasure- Bruno Mars

14) I Can't Lie- Maroon 5

15) Man Down- Rihanna

16) If We Ever Meet Again- Timbaland feat. Katy Perry

17) Lover, Lover-Jerrod Niemann

18) One Week of Danger- The Virgins

19) So Lonely- The Police

20) Keep Me In Mind- Zac Brown Band

As Previously Mentioned,

My brother of 18 years is graduating high school this week.  I cannot believe it's been 2 years since I moved out.  It's weird to think that I haven't been able to see him every day, or even every few months.  I'm tremendously proud of him.  So, in honor of Greg and his accomplishments, I have a picture of us and a song that relates to him in many ways.

Go-Getter Greg- Ludo

Happy June, Everybody.