Walking in a Winter Music Wonderland

Hey y'all.

Now Playing - Josh Groban - Little Drummer Boy

As you can see, the winter-type season is upon us. Seeing the snow shovels return, being ecstatic about the new purchase of a snow blower and wearing the 'big' jacket for winter are all indications that Canada's winter is upon us. I myself have always preferred the cold over the hot and will choose to be too cold than too hot, so this season is not one I overly loathe. I do not pretend to enjoy the slick roads, especially since my commute is now 45 minutes which allows for 2700 wrong movements to occur (45*60 ;)).

Anywho, this post is not going to be a Negatron. It is written to talk about something that never lets me down...and that's MUSIC! Rather than doing full reviews of the latest albums I have purchased, I will comment quickly and just let you all know which albums I like.

Rihanna - Talk That Talk - RiRi does not disappoint on this new gem. Myself, personally, I prefer song number 2 (Where Have You Been). This song is great for cranking as you are cruising the highway, and for me it makes me feel like one of those bad-ass chicks in movies eg. Zoe Saldana in Colombiana. Another song that I'm digging is song number 9 (Roc Me Out). It starts very sleek and then goes into a wicked beat song. Finally song number 12 (Red Lipstick) has touches of the dubstep that I fell in love with this summer. Anything that has that, has my vote :).

Footloose Soundtrack 2011 - Okay, confession time!! Hi, my name is Marie and I have not watched the original Footloose movie! Now that that is out of the way, I have to say, I LOVED this movie!! I wanted to line dance my way out of the theatre, which felt great! The movie was great and the soundtrack is just as great, if not better! The title track, Footloose by Blake Shelton, is a great modernized version of the classic by Kenny Loggins (which my mother loves!!). Another gem is Holding Out For A Hero by Ella Mae Bowen; I loved this song so much that I am eager to hear more from her! Finally, the song that gets one of my great friends Trish jamming in her seat is Let's Hear It For The Boy by Jana Kramer! This is another remake of a classic that is superbly modernized and accessible to this generation. I love when songs and artists do that! 

Justin Moore - Outlaws Like Me - Disclaimer: You have to love, live, breathe, eat and sleep country music in order to like this album. You can't just respect country, you can't just admire country, you can't just have a friends with benefits relationship with country, you have to want to flipping marry country music! That being said, I love country but even this album got a tad 'redneck' for me. I bought this album  because of the song Bait a Hook, which I loved because I hope to never end up with someone who can't..bait a hook? Listening to the rest of the album, I fell in love with If Heaven Wasn't So Far Away, a sweet song about reconnecting with lost loved ones and what you would do if you could 'visit'. The rest of the album is pretty much cookie cutter country about beer, twang and a dirt road. It's a nice listen and an album to listen to when you are wearing your Wranglers. 

Well I hope y'all (the twang is spreading!) enjoyed my mini reviews. I also very much enjoy the song that is 'Now Playing' as Josh Groban can sing carols to me all day long and I wouldn't mind one bit! His voice is 'melt-like', easy and smooth. On that note, I wish you all the best of driving conditions, the good fortune of snow that melts on it's own and doesn't leaving death traps on sidewalks and the best start to winter possible. 

Love, Laugh, Listen

-Marie. 

SICK blog post...not the good kind ;)

Now Playing - No Time for Tears - Jo Dee Messina

Hey y'all!!

I just figured I'd finally crack and do a new blog post. The last one was on my birthday (!) and that was 2 WHOLE MONTHS AGO!

There is a reason that it was that long ago though...that's about the last time I felt healthy! I have had a congested head, aching rib, sore throat, hacking coughing monster in my body since then. It had nothing to do with the 25 jello shots I had that night, did it? 

Well anywho, I'm still alive and like the song I'm listening to conveys, there is no time for tears. Work is busy as ever (yes they still expect you to come in when you're sick...kids can't wait). Social life is on it's last legs as nothing is really enticing when you feel like your head is a big ball of mucus. Like days off in fire season, the only reason I leave my bed is for ticketed events it seems. But I do believe the mend/end is in sight. I sure hope so anyways. I would like for people to believe that I'm alive again...and I wanna hold my new nephew! Henry has eluded me so far and I don't wanna miss the chance to hold a newborn! 

So yes, rather than blither on and on about what I've been the last 2 months, I'll add a few pictures. Hopefully the next one doesn't take that long to post!!

Amazing show!

My life in a bottle...

My 23rd Birthday!

Wishing you all health and happiness!!

-Marie.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Good Saturday Morning All!!

Now Playing - My specially, just made right now playlist! 

Well, well, well, another year gone by, eh? I can honestly say that I've had a lot of changes in this year! I finished my last term of University, started my path as a teacher with subbing, started my 6th summer with SRD, had the worst thing imaginable happen to my town, made new friends and reconnected with old ones, moved to a different town, and started a new job! Whew...as I always say, a lot can happen in a year. 

I just want to take this time before I get up and face this birthday day and all of the fun that it will inevitably bring to say thank you to everyone who I have been blessed to spend time with this year. It seems like every year I get happier and more fulfilled in my life and with my relationships with people. It's amazing how much growth I can see in myself and how I feel about my life. I think it's very important to reflect on your life with every new year of life. 

 I read an article in Glamour magazine once about people who were certain ages reflecting upon their lives and what their age meant to them. One woman's interview stood out to me because of the quote that she offered. It went something along the lines of 'My age is a percentage of the greatness that I am, and with every year that passes, I get a little more great'. I am 23 years old today so I am at 23% of my greatness, with only more great things to come. 

OK! Back to the music!! Speaking of that specially made playlist...it only has four songs, but they are four songs about...guess what?? Birthdays!!

The first was Happy Birthday by the Click Five. This song struck me when I bought this album. And when quickly thinking of birthday songs at 11 in the morning, this song sprung to mind. I love the indie, poppy sound of this song. It definitely has a different sound than other birthday songs. 

The second song was Like It's Her Birthday by Good Charlotte.  I heard thing song was kind of about Paris Hilton because Benji Madden was dating her, but for a song about Paris, it's not that bad. It has a catchy tune and it just makes you want to dance..like it's your birthday ;).

The third song was In Da Club by 50 Cent. The opening line is enough on this song. I remember watching Oprah's 50th birthday on her show and they played this song! So timeless even though the rest of the song really has nothing to do about birthdays ha ha!

The last song! Happy Birthday Mr. President by Marilyn. If 50 Cent is timeless, then I'm not even sure what category this song would fit under! I remember when the Point steakhouse in Slave used to play this song on people's birthdays. I thought it was such an original song choice rather than subjecting all of the wait staff..plus other patrons to listen to the festive singing that usually accompanies such an occasion....I also picked it for my friend Kate who LOVES Marilyn Monroe and who, when I woke up and discovered this, had left me a singing voicemail!!

My 23rd and 3rd birthday smiles :)

Just a side note: If you look at the above picture, I look freakishly like my Dad, I never really noticed it until now, but I look like my Dad with a long haired wig on! So cute!

Anywho! Best be getting up for birthday breakfast!

Wishing you all a music-filled day!

-Marie...The Birthday Girl ;)

A Touch of Nostalgia...

I would normally do a Now Playing in this section, but that would be WAY too many songs!

Hi!

Have you ever had a day when you are driving in your car, listening to your MP3 player on the treadmill or listening to the radio at work when, like all the stars align, a song from your past comes on and it elicits a memory of days gone by? Well this blog post is all about those songs!

As I type this, one of those songs is playing on my first mp3 player (a Sony Walkman mp3 player that looks like a kidney bean!). The song is Fishin' in the Dark by Nitty Gritty Band. This song (and Cadilac Ranch by the same band) remind me of driving around in my Auntie Bonnie's old car when I was about 5 or 6 years old. I can distinctly remember the lyric from Cadilac Ranch about Tyrannosaurus Rex. Anywho, I had totally forgot about this song until I was in my high school Gym class and my Gym teacher was teaching us line dancing! And what song came on?? CADILAC RANCH! I literally almost passed out! It's like all of my childhood memories came rushing back to me...and it felt amazing! I love that this song is once again popular and I get to hear it when I go out dancing with my friends :).

It's kind of funny how this old mp3 player is like a treasure chest for me. With every click to the next song, it's like discovering another golden coin, or the perfect dress in your size, or the monster buck on the last day of hunting season (hey! I have to be diverse). These songs bring me back to my past that was way more stress-free than my life is right now. I remember jamming (if that's not an ode to the past, I  don't know what is) out to the these songs when my Mom drove us around in our mini-van. Or when I'd go into the big city and we'd get to listen to 92.5 FM in Edmonton and hear the new, cool music. It just feels great to go back to those simpler days, if only for a few minutes, because you get to see how far you've come. Now I cruise around in my own car, and I have satellite radio that I can access anywhere for the 'cool' tunes. It's kind of funny that on certain days, I would rather listen to these gems than the 'cool' tunes anyway.

These songs are timeless, memorable and just plain predictable. I know we all have them, because on a road trip today for work, my coworker 'discovered' a band on my old iPod that he listened to when he was 14 years old and was obsessed with listening to them for about 20 minutes of the drive. We all react differently to these songs. Another example is having a whole country bar crowding the dance floor when 'Bye, Bye, Bye', 'Wannabe', and 'S Club Party' came over the speakers. I know it's a generation thing and we all have certain songs, but the thing that unifies us all is that we have them. We have memories that no one can take away and memories that music can bring back to us at, it seems, just the right moment. 

This is why I love music. The power it has to take people back in time in order to reconnect and reassess their lives. I know I feel amazing after listening to old songs. It's like they are all 'power' songs (if you read my last blog, you know how much I love 'power' songs). So for all of you out there, I hope you have, or at the very least take, a moment where a song from your youth comes into your ear and makes you smile, reminisce and makes you feel instantly better about your life. 

Oh this brings me back...

Wishing you a 'nostalgic' moment,

Marie

Throw Me A Melody, I'll Write You A Symphony...

Now Playing - Original Me - Cascada (The Entire Album)

Hi! (from the road :) )

So here we go, the first blog post on the road, (I finally did it!). I'm so excited that this idea of posting a blog from other places, other than my hometown, actually made it! It also kinda fits that the album that I'm going to be reviewing today is one that I listen to as I cruise (I listen to audiobooks usually if I drive long distances). So, before I start, I'm going to be all teacher and let you know what I am planning today for this post: a more extensive review on an album (guess which one it is??).

The Review

So I said before that my Old Man Markley review (psst...it was last post!) was a mini-review and what I meant by that was that I only talked about a few songs that stood out to me and gave brief descriptions on them. This review is going to be a little bit different because I'm actually going to designate some time for ALL of the songs on this album (don't worry, there are only 11 songs!). 

1. San Francisco - What a great first song!! Gets you dancing and it's one that you can crank as you drive around in the summer! The one thing that I will say about this song is that it does have a certain "California Girls"(Katy Perry)-esque vibe to it. I love that song too so it helps this song, it's just kind of funny how this seems like a lesser mainstream version of that song. 

2. Au Revoir - This next song seems like a 'power' song. What that means is that it's all about female power and not about a girl 'gushing' about her new man. As a single, and proud of it, female, I LOVE 'power' songs. Always have, always will :)...even when I'm not single.

3. Stalker - Ok, so as soon as I saw the title for this next song, I was hooked! It's a running joke with a few friends of mine that I'm a 'stalker', just because I find them all over our town and such. But with the techno beats and the fact that she talks a little bit at the beginning and end of this song, I don't mind being associated with this song. 

4. Night Nurse - If you listen to this song, you might get a bit of Cher at the beginning when they sing the 'Night Nurse' part, I definitely did, which is one of the reasons I like this song. Another is just the ease of understanding and hearing the lyrics (I love to sing along to songs :) ). 

5. Pyromania (the song is the video that's linked at the beginning of this post) - Now I'm a bit touchy when it comes to songs about fire, because of what happened in my hometown on May 15, but I actually don't mind this song. I think it has a good beat and rhythm. This whole album is pretty techno and this song lends really well to that genre. A definite party song :).

6. Unspoken - The first 'slow' song of this album. The word slow is quoted because this song definitely has a bit of electronica in it as well. I love the rapping in this song (give me a good rap anyday and I'm happy :) ). I love the lyrics of this song and it's funny that I know couples that this song pertains to; they have a love that doesn't need words to explain it's there (my parents, Alyssa and Josh).

7. Original Me - The title track :). I love this song because it's another 'power' song. I would rather someone know the 'original me' than the made up and fake me, anyday :).

8. Sinner on the Dancefloor - Listening to this song from the beginning, you would think it's going to be quite a slow song, but then you get the pounding techno beat that totally changes the sound of the song. Another great dance song :).

9. Enemy - The second slow song from Cascada. This song definitely showcases the singer's very sweet and soft voice. I think it's beautiful. The lyrics are definitely deeper than on the other songs. I love when artists who are more 'clubby' and such include songs like this on their albums. It allows for more emotional moments to come off a single album.

10. Hungover - Another deep and slow song. Hidden in this song is a 'power' song. It seems as if Cascada wants to keep all of their slow songs to the end of the album; I'm not a big fan of that. I like my song styles intermingled or else you just end up skipping the last three songs off an album.

11. Independence Day - The second song with rapping on it :). I feel like the last song kinda segue'd nicely into this one. She was 'hungover' from him and this song is kind of about her 'sobering' up. She is gaining her independence and her 'power'.

Overall this album has a nice electronica/techno mix. It has a nice variety of songs that you can jam along to. I have on more than one occasion, rolled down my windows and cranked it while driving around my hometown with the sun shining through and thinking 'this is paradise'. Cascada has, in the past, been quite monosound on her albums (re: Alyssa.."Cascada?"), but this album has a nice balance of sounds and subjects. I bought this album because I love upbeat, uptempo music and she hasn't let me down before. I didn't come out of this experience let down either :).

Rating: 4.5 bars out of 5.

Bye for now, and "C(ascada)" you very soon,

Marie

While I've Got Your Ear, What Do You Want To Hear...

Now Playing: The Whole Album - Guts n' Teeth - Old Man Markley

Well here we go again, 

Hi!

So this post is going to be a hybrid of a few things. I'm going to do a my first review(be it a mini one) and then I'm going to talk about a certain type of playlist (hint: I took a girls road trip this weekend), and finally(!) I am going to recommend a new song that made me super happy to find and hear! So let's get started.

THE REVIEW

 

As I start this review, the song that drew me to this band has just come to an end. It's called "For Better, For Worse" from (you guessed it!) Old Man Markley! Now I know what your thinking and it's something I thought too...what kind of music is this band going to play? The band name doesn't really give any hints, and when I tell you what they play, you might shudder if you don't like country music. They play a folksy/rock/indie style of music. This album is definitely a mix of different sounds. The background sound is country, but the lyrics are deeper than normal country music. I already mentioned one of the songs that I love off of this album (look above for a great song that has an opening that you can't help but sing over and over again; the video is crazy too!) , but another one is called "Letterman". (Sorry I don't have a link for this one). The opening harmonica bit drew me to this song and made me feel like swaying in my seat. The lead singer's voice is so gruff and soulful in this song that it is very easy to listen to. If you are looking for a song where you can 'bop' to the whole song, this is your choice. The third song that I love (I love them all, but this was a mini review) is called "Song Songs", and it is hyperlinked on my whole album link. This song leads perfectly into the second portion of this post. I cannot express how much I love this song, but I'll sure try. The message it conveys is one that there are all different types of songs. I love when songs can cover so many moments in your life. There is a line in the song "Songs can't tell who you are, but they feel so real", it just speaks volumes. No matter how you feel, there is a song that can motivate you, console you, be your best friend, be your coach, be your shoulder to cry on. I thank Old Man Markley, and J for introducing me to them, for this great album and the awesome music that I get to listen to forever. :) (psst...go buy it!! :) )

Musical Score: Five bars out of five.

THE PLAYLIST

Giggles, Moneybags & Bangin' Boo

Leadfoot & Cadilac

So these are my girls and I love them all! We recently went on a four day girls fest down to Calgary and then on to the town of Blairmore for a little thing called "THUNDER IN THE VALLEY". Along the way, we spent over 20 hours in my small vehicle. (Five girls + five girls luggage for four days = one tired car!) Anywho! We listened to a lot of music on this trip and I thought I would share our 'playlist' in order to inspire other future girlfriend road trips! 

Leaving the city: Everybody (Backstreet's Back) - Backstreet Boys - We all jammed out to this one and so will you! It's a classic!!

Driving down the Highway: Party Rock Anthem - LMFAO - Now this one is new, but had to be added to this playlist (we fist pump out the window!)

The first night in Calgary: Cadilac Ranch - Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - Leadfoot and Cadilac (aptly named!) were showing the cowpokes how the city folk do the two-step while the three of us (Giggles, Moneybags, and Bangin' Boo) were hanging outside taking pictures!

Heading to Blairmore: Thunderstruck - AC/DC - This head rocking song set the tone for the rest of the weekend, heck, it even has the word thunder in the title! 

Getting ready to go out the second night: Blow - Ke$ha - I honestly think we listened to this song five times that second night! Such a 'get you pumped up' song, and who can't help but dance when she says to at the beginning?

Heading to the Lake - Shots - LMFAO - This is another song that gets you pumped up and allows you to do the 'Python'; Moneybags' way of doing a fist pump where you essentially punch forward or make a striking python..try it!

Last night at Thunder - Firework - Katy Perry - I thought it was quite cute that in the huge field where they set off 30 straight of minutes of fireworks, they cranked this song. I LOVE! when songs link up to what is actually happening.

Heading Home - Man! I Feel Like a Woman - Shania Twain - This whole song encapsulates our weekend but with the lyric "the best thing about being a woman is the prerogative to have little fun", Shania cemented her place in our all girls weekend. This song is so empowering and you just want to crank it and sing it with your girlfriends!!

So that's that, the first playlist that was inspired by my real life. I look forward to many others and what emotions and adventures that they will be based on!

P.S. - Sorry to any boys who read this...the next playlist won't have as much estrogen in it..

BREAKING NEWS!!

Ok, so I went into this blog posting tonight only thinking I'd do two things: the review and the playlist, BUT!! whilst looking for a video for my last posting, I came across something wonderful!! 

A NEW PARAMORE VIDEO!!

Now if you haven't already guessed by my background, or my first blog song selection, or my tattoo..or, or, or..I love Paramore!! I could write and talk about them and gush all day..but I won't. Anywho, here is the video for their NEW SONG!! (GAHH my inner self is screaming) 

'Monster'

Thanks guys and gals for reading and I hope you take your daily dose of Vitamin M(usic) ;)

-Marie

Well I Got A Lot To Say To You...

Now Playing - Crushcrushcrush (Live) - Paramore - The Final RIOT!


First a little history....

Hi!

My name is Marie and I love music!! Like we have all seen that commercial where the guy marries the gum..right?? Well I would marry music if I could...we would make beautiful music together...cheesy I know ;). Anywho, back to the real story. I have loved music my entire life and it plays a huge role in my life: from my lowest lows, to my highest highs, music has always been there for me. I felt like this blog was a good idea in order to properly express my love and appreciation for all that music has given me, PLUS open a line of communication about reviews of new CD's and talk about playlists for different activities (not just working out, but taking a bath, crying about an ex, or just going for a walk on the beach!) 

Anywho...now that you know a bit about me and what this blog is about, I look forward to many entries to come :). So excited and so many ideas floating around. 

See you on Side B,

Marie.