This Too Shall Pass

I'm so excited!  Tomorrow we fly out for our first ever cruise!  I am jonesing to leave and cannot seem to concentrate on anything but thinking about how much fun we're going to have.  But I have to go to work and I have a bunch of "last minute" things to finish before I can truly start my vacation.  And THAT is the intro to this song ...

This Too Shall Pass ... by Ok Go

"You can't keep letting it get you down (When the morning comes) ... this too shall pass."  I'll just keep singing that refrain all day today ... when the morning comes I will be getting on a plane and then on a boat the next day and then just relaxing for the better part of a week!  Aaaaah!

PS -- I love the video for this song (there are two available on YouTube so click HERE for the other version).  You might recognize the group name because they also did a super cool video for their song "Here It Goes" which used some innovative choreography on treadmills that absolutely blew up on youtube!  The music is good all by itself, but the videos take things over the top!

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Fine By Me

One of the potential recurring themes I have considered for this blog is a New Music Monday kind of idea.  The problem with this is that, as a blog, within just a few weeks or months, those songs that were once "New Music" are now ... old.  That said, I think it best to give it the old college try anyway so ...

Fine By Me ... by Andy Grammer

One of the first things that I noticed about this song is that the bass line of the song sounds very familiar.  I can't put my finger on it but that is not a new bass line.  That's probably the first reason I liked the song ... but then I listened to the lyrics and began to appreciate the message of the song (or at least my interpretation of it).  This guy is going through the process of convincing himself that he actually really does love this girl he is with.  By the end of the song his "fine by me" statement is more about a future life together and not just an "eh, this relationship is just okay" sort of mentality.

I just think ... when my wife stands next to me that
I have "FINE" by me!

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Come What May ... and ... I See The Light

People often seem surprised when finding out that actors and actresses can "carry a tune" but I'm never surprised by that!  I believe most everyone can sing decently, and with a little coaching and work, most people can sing very well.  It IS, however, a surprise when actors and actresses sing a song that becomes a huge favorite for me.  There are, thus far, only two such songs that "make the grade" for me.

Come What May (from Moulin Rouge)

 ... by Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman

I See The Light (from Tangled)

 ... by Zachary Levi and Mandy Moore

To be fair, Mandy Moore is a singer turned actress turned singer, so she is in a different category, but the other three are clearly actors and an actress, but they all sing very well.  Nicole Kidman's voice is not very strong, but it is just as beautiful as she has been in most of her movies.  And the boys?  Ewan and Zachary?  They can seriously carry their own!  I saw Zachary perform on the Oscars and he sounded great!  And Ewan has done some Broadway stuff so you know he's good.

Come What May has a "we can overcome anything" sort of feeling to it, which is needed in any really strong relationship.  There are times when you almost have to shout your love and commitment and the slow build to that climax in this song is one of the best I have ever heard, movie-related or not!

I See The Light is perfect for a Disney movie, but as a stand alone song about perspectives being changed and new light being shed on how you see another person, it is even more amazing!  A duet, with minimal background sound, makes each note more important.  The harmony between tenor and alto parts is so beautiful that I literally cried the first time I heard the song (with my oldest daughter, in the movie theater).

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Six Pack: Colbie Caillat

It's Saturday again so it must be time for another "Six Pack" of songs!  Today's featured THEME will be the artist Colbie Caillat.

I've been a fan of her music since I first heard it and own all three of her currently released CDs.  Karen won tickets for us to go and see her in concert 3 years ago at the Colorado State Fair.  She was still a relatively new artist then and it showed with her stage presence (which was very timid).  The concert was very good though and her most recent CD contains some of her strongest work yet.  The fact that my wife really enjoys her music makes me like them both even more (CC because my wife likes her and Karen because she has good taste!)  :)

Herewith are my Six Pack of favorite CC songs (and the album they are from):

#6.  Fallin' For You (Breakthrough)
As great as this song is, it's only #6 on my list because I love the other songs even more.  And it narrowly beat our her first single "Bubbly" which is also a great tune.

#5.  Realize (Coco)
Almost everyone has had the kind of friend that you thought should be more than a friend.  When you're "there" then you have a sense of not wanting to ruin what you already have (friendship) but also a curiosity about what you might be missing (true love).  This angst is perfectly captured in this song ... you just wish the other person would "make the first move."

#4.  I Do (All of You)
I do ... like this song!  My wife LOVES it, which is the main reason that it is on this list.  The upbeat, catchy guitar riffs hook you instantly while the title and chorus make it a guaranteed staple for wedding parties for years to come.  But the 7-year-old inside of me giggles every time she sings "do do."

#3.  Brighter Than The Sun (All of You)
Of her "released" music, this song was instantly my favorite!  With an even more catchy rhythm than "I Do," this song combines clapping and appropriately placed vocal stutters with short, crisp chords and pretty fancy guitar picking.  If she could have found a rhyme other than "gun" this might be on my favorite songs of all time list.

#2.  Fearless (Breakthrough)
The slow melody of this tune seems to contradict with the words being sung.  There is hurt in her voice, the result of someone she loves having left her.  It seems she is trying to convince herself, in this song, that she can move on ... "I'm fearless.  Better believe I'm fearless."  And the resounding harder beats of the song emphasize her commitment to overcome this desperation ... "Oh, oh, oh, oh whoa-oh-oh-oh"  That is real hurt but also has a cleansing effect.  Brilliantly done!

#1.  Tailor Made (Coco)
Although not her strongest lyrics or music, this tune still ranks as my CC favorite.  Unless you own the CD, you've probably never heard it.  The song is just a hopeful love song ... for another person.  That's what I like about it.  I have family members and friends who are single and just haven't found that right fit.  I think of them when I hear this song and hope they can find someone that is "Tailor Made" for them ... like I did with Karen!  :)

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Bizarre Love Triangle

It's Flashback Friday time again and that means it's time to revisit a song you've likely forgotten.

Bizarre Love Triangle ... by New Order

I guarantee that you remember this song.  I also guarantee that you either absolutely love it, or you cannot stand that kind of music.  I have never really met anyone that's just "okay" with that 80's techno-synthesizer sound.  My best buddy from high school, Craig, was just like me in that he LOVES this kind of music.  I have fond memories of driving around Rick's College (now BYU-Idaho) in Rexburg, with the t-tops off of the Trans Am and this song blaring on the radio.  I had this song (and other like it) on several casette tapes, which we played all the time whenever we went cruising for chicks.

We were sooooo cool!  Ha ha!

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A Thousand Years

Sigh.

I was hoping to never have ANY tie-in on this blog to those vampire / werewolf movies ... but this song is just too beautiful and poetic to NOT do a post on it!

A Thousand Years ... by Christina Perri

Of course her success with the song Jar Of Hearts, put Christina Perri in a position to write a song for these movies.  Her voice is haunting and her delivery of the words she writes is perfectly suited to a vampire movie.  This is an eerie song that carries a message of love which works equally well for the undead as it does for anyone (like me) who believes in eternal marriage.

And my wife is a fan of those books and movies, so they can't be ALL that bad!  :)

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Shine

Yesterday was a CRAZY BUSY day.  Between work meetings, running the Pinewood Derby for my son's scout pack, and leading my church team to a victory on the basketball court I felt like I was "in the spotlight" way more than I ever prefer to be.  That was the story behind this song selection for today.

Shine ... by Collective Soul

I don't listen to much "hard rock" but not because I don't like it.  I just usually prefer a more mellow sound for the sorts of activities I'm involved in more regularly nowadays.  But this song has a nice edge to it and always seems to motivate me to put my best effort forth.  I cannot really even understand most of the words of the song, but when I feel like I'm on a stage I often think "Heaven let your light shine down."  I hope I can let my light shine in a way that provides some inspiration to those around me ... just maybe not with as much anger as this singer is portraying.

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