Day 21- The Last Song You Paid For

"O.N.E" by Yeasayer- I heard this song recently and had to have it. I know it's a little strange, but that's part of why I like it so much. The chorus is catchy and the last minute or so is great.

Day 20- Last Song Stuck In Your Head

"Walk Away" by Franz Ferdinand- I stole this idea from another thirty day song challenge. Apparently, there are 793(made up number) thirty day song challenges and now I'm creating my own franken-challenge so there will be 794.

Back to the song. Franz Ferdinand makes songs that get stuck in my head. It never fails that when I hear one of their songs, I am singing it hours later. "Walk Away" is no exception. I heard this earlier today and it replaying in my head now. Why don't you walk away, why don't you walk away, why don't you walk away.... all day long.

Small Cool

One of my favorite home websites, Apartment Therapy has an annual contest they call their Small Cool contest. Contestants submit photos of their small homes, some as small as 350 sq ft, and readers vote on their favorites. It's always a good source of inspiration for decorating small spaces. Our apartment is small, not teeny tiny, but the living room ia awkwardly shaped so I am on the hunt for ideas on how to decorate it so that it will be functional and good looking. Below are some of my favorite rooms from this years contest.

Day 19 - A Song With Both Male and Female Vocals

"1957" by Milo Greene- I happen to have a lot of music from bands that have both male and female singers, Arcade Fire, The Rural Alberta Advantage, The Naked and Famous. It's something that I really enjoy in music. This is a song I've only recently heard and know very little about the band. They don't have any albums available for purchase and I can't find too many more songs by them, so I am assuming they are pretty new. Based on this song alone, I am looking forward to finding out more about them.

Electronis Are Stupid

I told you last week of my car window problem which was, thankful, pretty painless to get fixed. Well that was just one of the many things I own that decided to quit working last week. Out of nowhere, my wireless router suddenly stopped routing wirelessly (not a word). Also, my smart phone is starting to show it's old age and has a number of irritating problems.

The most painful of my electronic problems is my beloved Playstation 3. I understand that there is a major issue with the Playstation Network affecting millions of PS3 users going on right now. I knew nothing about that until seeing it on the news because my PS3 will not turn on. I use my PS3 for a number of things. I watch movies via Netflix. It streams music and plays it over my tv speakers. It's my dvd player and, last but not least, it supports my video game addiction. If it was up to me, I would get rid of Directv and rely only on the entertainment provided by the internet and my PS3. With Netflix, Hulu, and Call of Duty, why pay for satellite tv. Early last week, while I was playing a very competitive game of Capture the Flag on Call of Duty, it froze. So I turned it off, let it rest for a while, and tried to turn it back on. It seemed normal at first. I could hear it's fan start up, I heard the little beep that it always makes, and it's light turned green. Then it beeped 3 times and the light changed a color I had never seen it before, yellow. Then the light turned red, which indicates that it was turned off. I tried again and more of the same.

So I searched the internet for an explanation and, more importantly, a resolution. I was surprised to learn that there is a name for this unfortunate issue, "The Yellow Light of Death." I thought, "Well, that's ominous." Apparently, this is something that happens to PS3's when they are at the end of their life cycle and there's not a whole lot that can be done to fix it. I saw Youtube videos showing people opening their PS3's up and using heat guns on the mother board, which I'm not exactly comfortable doing. I also saw people using a hairdryer on the system's vents for an extended period of time and then sticking the system in their freezer, which seems like a not so good idea to me. My other options are to send it Sony, pay them a bunch of money, and they fix it or send a refurbished device or buy a new one for a bunch more money. I have also considered giving up Call of Duty (eep!) and buying a much less expensive device to stream Netflix, like a Roku Box or a dvd player with internet capabilities. None of these options are very appealing. For now, until I make a decision, my PS3 is a giant, expensive brick.

Day 18 - Something Completely Different

"The Human Condition" by Jhameel- When I was doing my new song finding experiment the other day, this is one of the songs I came across. I've listened to it a few more times since then and think it should have been the song I wrote about in that post. It's unusual but very cool and another great example of why I love The Hype Machine. The more I listen to it, the more I like it.

Artsy Band Posters

Art and music, two great tastes that taste great together. My dream home will be filled with a lot of art and I'm sure a good portion of that will be artsy band posters. These posters are colorful, interesting, and if they're for a band you love, meaningful. I've saved a bunch of band posters to my Pinterest account and I thought I'd share a few of them here. I was able to find some really incredible Arcade Fire posters.

(http://www.etsy.com/shop/plasticflame)

(via http://byronic.tumblr.com/post/1506203680)

(via http://cirox.posterous.com)

 I couldn't find the source for this one, eep!

 (via omgposters.com)

Day 17- A Song From A Yet To Be Released Album

"Some Boys" by Death Cab for Cutie- Death Cab is a band that has achieved quite a bit of mainstream success. They are probably the band that I can give the most credit for the state of my current musical taste. Their song, "Soul Meets Body," was my first introduction to the band and it is one of the songs that inspired me to dig deeper into the genre.

They have a new album due out on May 31st which I am looking forward to. I've really liked what I've heard from it so far.


***I'm caught up! Now to write a few posts ahead to stay on top of this challenge.***

Day 16 - A Song By A Grammar Winning Artist or Band

"We Used To Wait" by Arcade Fire- I had never listened to Arcade Fire before last year when they their song "Rebellion" started playing on my Pandora station. After listening to more of their songs, I realized that I had missing out. They released an album last August that I was able to get on Amazon for $3.99. It was one of the first entire albums I had purchased in quite a while, a practice I've gotten more into the habit of since. Their album, "The Suburbs" is very good and I was excited when it was nominated for Album of the Year. In my opinion, the Grammys usually snub music made by real musicians that play real instruments and I was happy to see that a band that I actually enjoyed was nominated for their biggest award. I had no expectation that they would actually win because even though they deserved to win, they were up against much more popular artists like Lagy Gaga, Katy Perry, and Eminem. Then, the evening of the awards, I heard that they would be closing the show, which was a clear indication that they were going to win. So I turned on and watched them win and then perform. Immediately after, I went to Twitter and read all "Who are Arcade Fire?" posts from confused Lady Gaga fans.


Here is my favorite song from the album, which, if you use Google Chrome, has a very cool, interactive video on http://thewildernessdowntown.com/.

Day 15 - A Song About Love

"Can You Tell" by Ra Ra Riot- This song is upbeat and catchy. It's one of those songs that gets stuck in my head so once I hear it, I'm singing it all day.

*Update 4/26/11* I wrote this post last night and just re-read it. How short and boring and lame is this post. The answer is very short and boring and lame. I was tired and irritated because my wireless router is acting like a jerk. Plus, I wasn't feeling very inspired by the music challenge which is a problem that continues today.

Day 14 - A Song That Calms You Down

"Oviedo" by Blind Pilot - I have yet to hear a song by Blind Pilot that I did not like. They are extremely mellow and are perfect for helping me calm down when I'm stressed out over whatever silly thing that has me worried. I seriously love this song.

Day 13 - A Song That You Just Heard For the First Time

I'm behind again so there will be 2 challenge posts today. I really should take the time to plan ahead and schedule these but I kind of like choosing a theme on the fly and then coming up with a song to fit that theme. Almost everyday of this challenge, I have sat down at my computer, realized I need to do a challenge post, decided on the theme, picked a song, and written the post in about 20 minutes. This has been especially true since I gave up on the original challenge rules.

Day 13 of the challenge required a little more time. I wanted to find a song that I never heard before that I actually liked. So I spent a some time on The Hype Machine, listening to new songs, to find one that I liked enough to write about. Before starting, I was worried that I would have a hard time finding a song that I really, really enjoyed but quickly found that would not be a problem. I found several songs that I liked enough to save for another listen.

"The Look" by Metronomy- Out of all the new songs I heard with this little experiment, this one stood out most to me. It has the synthy sound that I'm really liking right now. I'd never heard this band before now but apparently they've been around since 2006. Sure, it's not the greatest song I've ever heard, but it is quite enjoyable. Success!

Pinterest

I came across Pinterest recently when Sherry from YoungHouseLove.com wrote about it. What an incredibly addictive site. It is a virtual pin board where you can save the stuff you find while browsing the internet. The great thing is that you can browse all the wonderful things other people have pinned and re-pin them to your own profile. It's great for saving inspiration photos for rooms, for example, some of my pin boards are titled kitchen, bathroom, etc. So much eye candy.

Day 12- A Song To Play Loudly Through Your Car Window That Works As It's Supposed To

I am happy to report that my car's window is now in fine working order. No more plastic wrap window! Yesterday, my brother was kind enough to take a look at it for me. He opened the inside panel to the door and determined that the power window mechanism was still working but that the window had somehow gotten out of it's track. He was able to get it back on it's track, tighten everything back up and it now works beautifully. I can't tell you how relieved I am that this was not a more complicated or expensive problem.

As I was leaving my brother's house, I rolled down my newly working window, and the first song that played on my mp3 player was this.

"Machu Picchu" by The Stokes

Day 11 - A Song About (or That Mentions) Ghosts, Goblins, or Ghouls

"These Fangs" by Say Hi- In my music collection, there are a substantial number of songs that mention or are about ghosts, goblins, or ghouls but my favorite of those is probably Say Hi's "These Fangs." Last month, I saw them live with my brother and sister in law. They told me that the entire album is somewhat inspired by Buffy the Vampire Slayer. They didn't play this song but the show was great.

Day 10 - A Song That Makes Me Fall Asleep

I decided to stick to the original challenge rules for day 10 because, even though I won't post this until later today, I am writing this at 3:30am, just before my bedtime and Day 10 is a song that makes me fall asleep. I couldn't think of a sleepier song than "The Past and Pending" by The Shins. I have been writing this blog for a little over a month and have mentioned The Shins 5693* times. This is not one of my favorites by them, partly because it is so sleepy. If my mind is racing and I can't sleep, I can listen to this song a couple of times in a row and it helps me drift off. I don't think I will be needing the song tonight, though.

*slight exaggeration

Day 09 - A Song to Play Loudly Through Your Plastic Wrap Window

Day 09 should have been posted Monday, 4/18 but Monday was full of work so I'm a bit late. I will try to do better but will guarantee nothing.

"Ten-Twenty-Ten" by The Generationals- When you're driving down the road with a plastic wrap window, there's not a lot of privacy. You can hear all the noises outside the car and anyone outside the car can hear what's going on inside. When you pull up next to a car with open windows, windows that work the way they are supposed to, and the driver looks over and notices your plastic wrap window, you want to reduce the humiliation by having an awesome song pumping through that plastic. This could work with a wide variety of songs, but on this particular day, I chose this song. I think it was the right choice.

A Lesson in Humility

When I woke up this past Sunday morning, I was in an amazing mood. The sun was shining, I had gotten plenty of rest, and was ready to enjoy game 3 of the Capitals/Rangers playoff series. Jason and I loaded the dogs into the car and headed down the road to his parents' house. Everything was in place for an enjoyable Sunday afternoon. Then things went all wrong.

While driving, I pushed the button to roll down my window and enjoy the beautiful weather. I heard the power window's motor running but the window did not budge. I was not immediately concerned. This had happened once before, over a year ago, on my way home from a Redskins game at Fedex Field on a frigidly cold Monday night in mid- December. I had fantastic seats to witness one of the most embarrassing losses in recent Redskins history, a history that happens to be riddled with embarrassing losses. They lost 45-12 to the New York Giants and I was close enough to hear Jason Campbell's grunts and groans as he was tackled to the ground, repeatedly. After the game, we decided to swing by a McDonalds for some post-beat down nuggets. In the drive-through, I tried to roll the window down and it didn't move. I applied a slight amount of downward pressure to the window with my fingertips, and the window began lowering as normal. All was well.

So, this past Sunday, when my window acted as it had before on that cold night in 2009, I did the same thing. I applied the slightest amount of pressure to move it along, and with a loud kashunk, the entire window dropped into the door. Hmmm, that's not what is supposed to happen. I pulled into a parking lot and tried, in vain, to reach the window and pull it back up. I quickly realized that I was stuck with a window that would not close, it was Sunday, and I would not be able to do anything until, at the earliest, Monday morning.

So I went about my original plan, to watch the Capitals beat the Rangers and move to 3-0 in the series. I even thought to myself, "Well after this problem with my window, the Caps have to win. I can't have that bad a day." I was mistaken. The Caps did not win. Not the end of the world, but it made my already not so great day, a little worse. I also think it's strange that both times this has happened to my window, it's been on a day when a DC sports team, that I desperately want to see win, loses miserably to a team from New York.

After the game, I decided that, in case of rain, I should probably cover the window until it could be fixed. This is where the humiliation comes in. I used gorilla tape and clear plastic to make a temporary window. While I know it is temporary and there was not much I could do about it, it is still embarrassing. What makes it worse, is that I found out Monday morning that the dealership wants me to pay $350 to fix the window. Luckily, I have other options including an awesome brother who has a little experience fixing car stuff but that won't be until later in the week. For now, I am driving to and from work, and anywhere else I need to go, with a plastic wrap window. This post has no pictures because the plastic wrap window is something I prefer to not have photographic evidence of.

Day 08 - A Song Ruined by A Commercial

"You, Me, and the Bourgeoisie" by The Submarines- It happens all the time, I hear a song, I love it, I hear it on a commercial, it's ruined because that commercial plays constantly. You may recognize this song from iPhone commercials. Apple has moved on from these commercials, but there was a time when every commercial break for every show on every channel had this commercial with this song playing. It was a great song but now I can't hear it without thinking about iPhones. What's funny is the song is about excessive consumerism and it's being used for a cell phone, an industry where the product you bought three months is now outdated. 


Here's the commercial and the song's full video. 

Day 07- My Favorite Cover Song

I missed the seventh day of the challenge because I was very busy and even more forgetful. As I mentioned in my last post, I am going rogue and making variations to the challenge. Some may say that this means I failed the challenge but I say, that by forging my own challenge path, I am stepping up and beating the challenge like no one before. Take that, pointless Facebook/Tumblr song challenge! On to the new improved, Janna's 30 Day Song Challenge!

"Enjoy the Silence" by Nada Surf (Depeche Mode Cover)- I grew up in the 80's and 90's with 4 older siblings and because of that, I was exposed to lots of their music as a kid. One of the bands that my older brothers listened to was Depeche Mode. I remember singing along to "Policy of Truth," "Just Can't Get Enough," and "Somebody." "Enjoy the Silence," probably their most popular song, was covered by Nada Surf on their 2010 album. This has quickly become one of my favorite covers. It's everything a good cover should be, reminiscent of the original song (clearly, it is the same song) but with significant enough changes to not be an exact copy. I love the change they made to the chorus.


Another cover worth noting is The Shins (surprise!) version of "Strange Powers" by Magnetic Fields. I hate posting videos that are just a picture with the song playing but it is so much easier than uploading the song and embedding the little mp3 player. There is probably an easier way but it's late and I'm sleepy. So here's a video of a picture of the band with the song playing.

It's Just the Internet

My brother posted a link to this here blog tonight on his Facebook page and since he posted it, I've had more views than I normally get in a week (14 views as opposed to the normal 2.) It's stupid but I am suddenly very nervous. I talked about my blogging jitters here. I guess I should just go ahead and get over it. So for those of you visiting from Kevin's link, Welcome!

Also, I have decided to give up on the 30 day song challenge, sort of. I will still write about a different song each day but won't follow the rules of the challenge. The rules seem a little redundant (Day 03- a song that makes you happy, Day 21- a song that you listen to when you're happy) and don't give me enough of an opportunity to write about the songs I really want to. Maybe I will form my own 30 day song challenge.

Day 06 - A Song That Reminds Me of Somewhere

"Fluorescent Adolescent" by Arctic Monkeys- This day of the challenge was harder than I expected. Maybe that is why it's called a challenge. I guess I don't really associate songs with places. If there's a song I like, I listen to it everywhere. I tried to think of particular songs that I listened to a lot while on a trip and couldn't come up with anything.

Then, out of nowhere, I remembered a trip to the beach I took with my boyfriend, Jason, a few years ago. The trip wasn't especially memorable but this song had just come out and was getting played over and over on the radio. Now, I think of the beach whenever I hear it.

*Update 4/17/11* I just realized that this could be read as a dig on Jason or the beach because I say the trip wasn't memorable. It's not a dig. We go to the beach every year and it's always a great time, I just don't remember the specifics of this particular trip.

Dreamy Home

While browsing Pinterest today, I came across this amazing photo.

home office design by atlanta architect Castro Design Studio

That big curvy window, all those shelves, all that light. My heart can't take it. When I clicked the link, I was brought to a website with a bunch of photos of the house and I think I found my dream home. It's not too big or too small but just right. The hardwood floors are fantastic. When I look at these photos, I start picturing how I would decorate each room. There are a few things I would change, mainly some of the bathroom fixtures but overall, this is the perfect house for me.

traditional exterior design by atlanta architect Castro Design Studio

bedroom design by atlanta architect Castro Design Studio

hall design by atlanta architect Castro Design Studio

*UPDATE* After clicking around Houzz.com a little more I found a bunch more homes that could easily be my dream home like the one below. That site is awesome. 

modern exterior design by boston architect Hammer Architects

Plans

The list of projects I want to complete keeps growing. I keep adding to the list without being able to cross things off of it. One of the more ambitious projects on the list is building a bed frame or headboard. My boyfriend, Jason, and I bought a new mattress last year and, right now, it's on a frame with no headboard. We considered going the usual route and buying one but I would much prefer to make it ourselves. This will allow us to customize it to our exact needs and save money. This is part of a make-over of our bedroom that includes a home-made quilt which is on that list of things I need to complete. You can see some of the progress photos for it on my Flickr stream but once it's complete, I will share that here.

Ever since we bought the mattress, I've been collecting images and plans for do-it-yourself beds and headboards for inspiration. I am looking for something modern and simplistic, partly because that's my taste and partly because that seems like it will be easier than something complex.

I came across this DIY version of a headboard from West Elm on Decor and The Dog. It could be a good option, but if we decide to go with this style, we may make a few adjustments.

(photo via http://decorandthedog.blogspot.com/) 

One of my favorite sites for DIY furniture inspiration is Ana-White.com. She builds furniture and shares her projects and plans on her website. Here are few of my favorites from her site.

 (photo via http://ana-white.com)

I like this one because it has the clean lines we're looking for and her plans a for the complete bed frame. Also, as you can see from the photo above, it can be covered with fabric which I would love to do.

  (photo via http://ana-white.com)

This reclaimed wood headboard is another of my favorites on her site and it may be easier than building a whole bed. 

   (photo via http://ana-white.com)

This one could be great because of the added storage. I also like the idea of having cubbyholes instead of drawers where I could put beds for my dogs since one of my dogs, Ollie, likes to hang out under the bed when he's feeling anti-social.

Here are few more ideas from around the internet.

(via dwellstudio)

This could be very easy to DIY. I don't know if I would like it to extend past the bed on each side and would probably use a darker stain.

These are just a few of my favorites. I have a bunch more saved. Hopefully, we'll be able to make a decision quickly and get to it.

Day 05 - A Song That Reminds Me of Someone

"Super-Connected" by Belly - This song reminds me of a few different people, most notably, my brother, Kevin, and my 14 year old self. Belly is one of  just a few bands that I loved when I was 14 and still love today. Most of the music I liked when I was that age was pretty awful but I still listen to Belly frequently. Back then, I would put the cd on and sing along for hours on end and think about unrequited love. I wanted to be Tanya Donelly. I am pretty sure a hair brush microphone was involved.

The reason it reminds me of my brother, Kevin, is because I did not own the cd. He did. I happened to procure the cd one day while he was not home. That sentence could also read: I stole the cd from my brother, Kevin. I can't remember exactly how it went but I'm pretty sure that I denied knowing anything about it when he discovered it was missing. I also think there was a heated argument when he found out that I had actually taken it and it had been in my possession for several months. Kevin, if you read this, I'm sorry I stole your Belly cd but I should admit that I would have also stolen your Belly poster if I knew I could have gotten away with it.

Youtube won't let me embed the official video, so here's a live version.

Day 04 - A Song That Makes You Sad

"Wake" by The Antlers- I happen to know a thing or two about sad songs. I love when music can affect me emotionally so they are usually my favorite. That made this day of the challenge, well challenging. There are plenty of sad songs that I love much more than the song I chose, but not many that make me feel more sad. This song is gut-wrenching, kick you in the stomach, rip your heart out of your chest sad.

The song is especially sad when listened to in context with the rest of the album it's from, which is a concept album about a hospital worker (the singer) who falls in love with a terminally ill patient. The song is the second to last on the album and seems to be the crest of the story. I think this is such a great sad song because it's not just sad. It takes you through the singer's despair and then builds to a moment of clarity and triumph that he will somehow be okay after what he's been through. The first time I heard this, while listening to the entire album, it brought me to tears. I still get chills every time I hear it.

C-A-P-S!

Tonight is Game 1 of the playoff series between the Washington Capitals (yay!) and the New York Rangers (boo.) I am getting to go pick up some food and get back home to settle in for a night of hockey watching. Here's to watching Capitals hockey well into June. Go CAPS!

Hopefully we see a lot of this tonight.

Something Pretty

My desktop wallpaper gets changed pretty frequently. Changing my wallpaper has a similar affect to re-arranging furniture. It feels refreshing. I thought I might start sharing the images I've chosen to fill that empty space behind my open windows.

Usually, I tend to choose something illustrative but I will use the occasional photograph. Right now, my wallpaper is this lovely image I found on Christiane Engel's blog. She posts a monthly calender wallpaper and they are right up my alley. I also really loved her February wallpaper.

(images via christianeengel.blogspot.com)

Day 03 - A Song That Makes Me Happy

Oops. Forgot to post this on Day 3. Better late than never.

"Home" by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes- This is one of those songs that falls right on the borderline of my musical taste. It is folksy and almost sickeningly sweet but that doesn't stop me from tapping my foot and singing along every time I hear it. It sounds like a bunch of hippies from the Ozark Mountains but apparently they're from LA. Whether it's authentic folk music or a big sham, the song puts me in a good mood. 

Day 02 - My Least Favorite Song

This is significantly more difficult than choosing my favorite song. There is a lot of horrible music out there. The spot for least favorite could be filled by hundreds of songs. How do I choose just one? I decided that instead of choosing something truly vile, maybe something by Ke$ha or that song about letting the dogs out, I will choose my least favorite song out of songs lots of people (hundreds of thousands, probably millions of people) truly love.

I have heard, throughout my life, that The Beatles are the greatest band in the history of music. I am not going to argue with anyone that feels that way. I can't argue that they were not one of the most influential bands. I can't argue that they don't have a bunch of really great, beautiful, and enjoyable songs. There are songs by the Beatles that I love with all of my heart, but one of their songs makes my skin crawl. Maybe it's because I've heard it 8 million times. Maybe it's because it's a 7 minute song and the last 3 1/2 minutes are useless.  Maybe hearing the unrelenting "na na na na" repeated over and over reminds me of someone holding me down and tapping their index finger in the center of my forehead for hours on end. For any one of these reasons, "Hey Jude" is my least favorite song of all time. Every time I hear it, I want to scream.

A Whale of a Tissue Box

How great is this tissue box holder from Etsy shop GnomeSweetGnome? I would love to have this sitting on my desk. Unfortunately, $40 is a bit steep for a tissue box holder so I will have to appreciate from afar. 

Day 01- My Favorite Song

"New Slang" by The Shins- Sorry to be predictable but they are my favorite band. They have a lot of great songs that could easily be my favorite but when asked to choose my tippy-top favorite, above all others by them or any other band, I must choose "New Slang." 

I first heard this several years ago on Pandora and it was the first time I'd ever heard The Shins. While I can't say it changed my life, I can say it changed my taste in music. I am constantly searching for music that will have the impact on me that this song did when I first heard it and because of that, I've discovered a lot of great music since. I have a soft spot for subdued, acoustic songs and this is the best of that type. I am quite sure that the second verse that starts with the songs title, is the most perfect verse of music ever written. It makes my heart ache.

30 Day Song Challenge

I've seen this floating around Facebook and Tumblr and I thought, since I love music, I'd do this here. I will do my best to not post 30 different songs by The Shins but there will certainly be a few.

day 01 - your favorite song
day 02 - your least favorite song
day 03 - a song that makes you happy
day 04 - a song that makes you sad
day 05 - a song that reminds you of someone
day 06 - a song that reminds you of somewhere
day 07 - a song that reminds you of a certain event
day 08 - a song that you know all the words to
day 09 - a song that you can dance to
day 10 - a song that makes you fall asleep
day 11 - a song from your favorite band
day 12 - a song from a band you hate
day 13 - a song that is a guilty pleasure
day 14 - a song that no one would expect you to love
day 15 - a song that describes you
day 16 - a song that you used to love but now hate
day 17 - a song that you hear often on the radio
day 18 - a song that you wish you heard on the radio
day 19 - a song from your favorite album
day 20 - a song that you listen to when you’re angry
day 21 - a song that you listen to when you’re happy
day 22 - a song that you listen to when you’re sad
day 23 - a song that you want to play at your wedding
day 24 - a song that you want to play at your funeral
day 25 - a song that makes you laugh
day 26 - a song that you can play on an instrument
day 27 - a song that you wish you could play
day 28 - a song that makes you feel guilty
day 29 - a song from your childhood
day 30 - your favorite song at this time last year

*Update 4/17/11* I've decided to give up on this and do my own variation of the challenge. I explain why here.

I first heard the song "Young Blood" by The Naked and Famous a couple of months ago. A week or so later, I saw a video for their song "All of This" posted by a Facebook friend. I was instantly smitten. Their album, "Passive Me, Aggressive You," was available for download from Amazon on March 15th and I quickly added it to my mp3 player. So far, it's one of my favorite albums of the year, which is saying a lot because there's been some great music released so far this year. I really like when a band has both male and female vocals. Below are a couple of my favorites from the album.




"Girls Like You"


"Young Blood"


Also, because I love it so much, here's the video for one of their older songs, "Serenade."

Teach Me How to Ovi

I happen to be a fan of the Washington Capitals and they happen to have won against the Buffalo Sabres last night which happens to put them in first place in the Eastern Conference. This happens to make me grin like an idiot.

What also makes me grin like an idiot is the little dance Ovechkin did after he scored the game winning goal in overtime. I've already talked about this on Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr and IM'd it to a friend. I have also saved three animated gif versions of it in my "CAPS" folder on my computer. It's safe to say I'm obsessed. I can't wait for the playoffs to start!

Broken Bells: Meyrin Fields EP

I have already mentioned that I am a huge fan of The Shins. I am dying for them to release a new album but, unfortunately, there are no signs of that happening anytime soon. Luckily, I can still get my fix of James Mercer (The Shins singer/guitarist) with Broken Bells, a collaboration between him and Danger Mouse.

I should warn you that this is not The Shins, by any stretch of the imagination. This is something completely different. Danger Mouse brings an electronic sound that you will not hear in any Shins song. Too be honest, I have not listened to much of Danger Mouse's other projects which include Gnarls Barkley and work with The Gorrilaz, but the Broken Bells album was one of my favorites of 2010. There is something so unique about the mixture of their different styles that makes for some great music. I take it as further proof that James Mercer can do no wrong.

Broken Bells released an new EP this week and I've given it a few listens. I enjoy it quite a bit, especially the title track, Meyrin Fields. That being said, the more music Broken Bells create and release, the further away a new Shins album seems to be. Here's to hoping that James Mercer has gotten his electronic, distorted fix for at least a little while.

Broken Bells - Meyrin Fields

Non Ugly Laptop Bags

I recently purchased a laptop and realized that I would also need a bag for it. So I took my search to my favorite online store, Etsy. That's how I came across BertiesCloset, proof that laptop cases don't have to be ugly and boring. Unfortunately, the shop only sells cases for up to 13" laptops and mine is 15.6" so I ended up purchasing a less interesting bag elsewhere. Even though I didn't buy one, I added BertiesCloset to my favorites in case I have the need for a smaller case in the future. She also sells tablet and netbook cases. I am especially fond of the elephant prints.