Topic: Under the radar jams

All you hear nowadays is what is playing on the radio; what’s new, and of course the classics. My past few blog entries have been completely serious, but with this one I want to have a little fun. Because after all, I’m writing about something that consumes the majority of my day-music. Now, we have all heard of Brittney Spears, Nicki Minaj, and Katy perry(and yes I did just take these names off of the top ten songs on ITunes.). But what we forget about is the other great music that is out there; the songs that not only have a good tune to them, but speak the truth.

            I listen to pop music just as much as the next person; maybe even more, but this entry will be focused to the bands that you may have not ever heard before. I don’t really think of them as indie-rock or anything, because I think of those people as having zero followers and also usually consisting of either people who don’t know how to play their instruments, or just singing songs where I’ll never even understand what they’re saying. So, here are some of my favorite bands and performers. And I’ll do an explanation on each of them, who knows? Maybe you’ll even look them up, making this blog entry a success.

·         Vampire weekend.

               

Vampire weekend is a fun and entertaining band that I personally listen to while driving or cleaning-it makes both activities much more fun! These are their two albums, both in which I own and love. Now, before you get all excited (that is, if any of you even are), I should warn you that they are not strong in the lyrical sense. When I mentioned before songs that speak the truth, this particular band was not what I meant. For example, “sweet carob rice cake, she don’t care how the sweets taste. Fake philly cheese steak, but she use real toothpaste”- California English.

I don’t really understand what ^that particular line means, but I have always thought looking for the deeper meaning of things as a fun challenge! Anyway, check them out. You might find that their endless chatter is funny or, maybe you’ll be the one to figure out the meaning!

Here is one of my favorite songs by them…It’s from their second album, Contra, and it is called Giving up the gun.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bccKotFwzoY&ob=av2e

Motion City Soundtrack

      










As you can see, this particular band has four albums-every single one of them in which I absolutely love! This is a band whose lyrics and overall sound is amazing! If you are truly interested in checking them out, which I urge you to do, start with the first album-Even if it kills me. I love practically every song that one and it’s what started my personal obsession for this band.

            I know I said I was focusing on bands that aren’t super well known, but I have heard Motion city soundtrack on the radio before. It was only like once, and on some random channel I’ve never been able to find again, but still. They and Vampire weekend probably have a lot more fans and followers than you would think. Motion city Soundtrack has even done some concerts at the crystal ballroom a lot. It’s a tough call, but I’d say they would easily make one of my favorite bands!

Here are so songs to look up if you’re interested…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dod4x53FZyQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iB8FPrauFw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgSWGJcTLls

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q674L_jJIck

·         Cage the Elephant. 

     

This is the greatest F the man type of band you can possibly ever find! I love everything about this band; the lyrics, the music, everything! Some of the songs you might be familiar with. The first album in my opinion is the better one, except I have found that I enjoy one of the songs from the second one. This band also has come to the crystal ball room on occasion, although I’ve never got to see them. I worry that their concerts might be just a little too much for me, although I do like their music and the ticket prices aren’t usually that bad. So they are another band to keep an eye out for.

Here, if you decide to look them up…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Si8qP_isBb4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFwWmQwLW4s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKSpgmr3jEg

In a nutshell, this is what I listen to. But there are some other bands and performers I love as well… Here they are…

·         Katy Castello
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQ7w20WqL50 

·         Jenny Owen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GR0HAIsufxg 

·         The academy is…

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOk8SI-1YGA

·         Never shout never 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLJdK3grm5w 

Just thought I would put some really great sorta different music up for you to enjoy!

Topic: Religion

For this entry, I’m about to tackle one of the most controversial of issues- the topic of many wars. Religion. Religion is the one thing that seems to band us together, or tear us a part. Either way, it always seems to make a staple in whom we are and who we wish to become. It is not a topic that makes an appearance often in my life, except for recently. It seems that all of a sudden, people are coming up to me asking me what I believe, and responding after I am through that I am mistaken. For those of you who have found your faith, one that fits your morals as well as your beliefs, I applaud you. It is a wonderful thing to find something bigger than yourself; some hope to hold onto. But where it really gets me, is when those morals and beliefs don’t apply to you and you still seem keen on joining in this certain religion. What I’ve found, and please don’t take this personally, is that organized religion is nothing more than a walking contradiction to most, although I do understand it truly isn't for some. The big kicker at the end of each explanation is afterlife. The whole, “and if you follow our beliefs, you’ll get to go to heaven,” or some form of it anyway, is truly what religion all comes down to for most people. How many people truly in their soul buy into everything that is in that certain religion? And do you know what the best part of every explanation is? When I tell them I still don’t fully agree, and then I am damned to hell.

            Let me tell you, I am not a stupid person. I am fully capable of determining what to believe and what not to. I do not need anyone telling me I am going anywhere, none the less heaven or hell-and yes, I do get annoyed by both destinations. It is probably my time now to tell you that I am not an atheist. I am not Buddhist or Christian or any other organized religion you can think of. I am a teenage girl who has found that you must limit who and what you trust in and determine the facts from deception.

            When I said I wasn’t an atheist, I meant it. There has got to be something bigger than us out there, I mean how else would you explain the whole reason to being thing? You know what I’m talking about, how there was just enough gravity that we won’t float right off the ground, or how it doesn’t crush us from too much force. How there was plant life, which made oxygen attainable. How it seems that we are built perfectly to do what we need to do, opposable thumbs and all. I stand by that there is no way this could possibly be just all coincidence-It’s something. I’m not sure of what yet, and if you do know please don’t tell me. I’ve always liked the journey more than I’ve ever liked finding the answer.

            For those of you who are still convinced I am damned to hell, perhaps your right. Maybe I am, but isn’t it strange how we all seem to get what’s coming to us? So with that, don’t tell me. Don’t tell me what I’m destined for, whether it be heaven or hell, because when it all comes down to it, you don’t really know do you? No one does, and that’s what makes religion a mystery, it can be handled as a fight to the death of who is right or not, or we can just all agree that it is something beyond comprehension. That we all will find out eventually what is truly out there.  Isn’t that what we all want to know? What’s there and what isn’t? Not who is right or who is wrong, because in the end it won’t be those who you have shared your beliefs with that will benefit, only yourself. I say live for you and whatever is meant to happen, will. Like I said, if you ever find out what the answer is, don’t tell me. Because isn’t that the answer in the end? The searching is what brings us to where we need to be. 

Thank you for taking the time to read this entry. Good luck, and remember to enjoy your spiritual journey! 

Author's note

It has come to my attention that my generation has little perspective on the world; what they think looks good, sounds good, and even how major life events are supposed to go. I am not an outspoken individual, I am not the rebel or trend setter. I am a person, just as any of you who might be reading this right now, with my own ideas on how things should work. I free myself of what society finds "politically correct," and promise to myself that I will say all that I am thinking. And with that, with all that I blog about and with all that I share, I solemnly swear to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me god.