I HAVE FRIENDS IN HIGH PLACES

Like the title said, I have friends in high places.
My most recently renewed friendship with a certain Kate Oman has led to good things.
She manages a band. A band called Goodnight Jersey.
And you guys know how I love free songs on iTunes, well she's giving me their whole album.

Kate Oman, I love you!

She's so my music twin, it's scary. Same tastes, feelings, genres, ideas.

Once I get the album, I'll review it. I expect it to be good.

Panic! At The Disco

Blogging on the road. When I actually have a spare, breif moment of time. And I love how my phone doesn't pick up on all of the letters I type. Double checking my work's always fun. Anyway, super-awesome roadtrip with my dad, 5 hours in the car to visit colleges. And I had to provide the music. For 5 hours. Now, normally this isn't a challenge, but finding music I like versus music that doesn't contain swears... It's a tough thing. But one thing we both like is Panic! At The Disco. Old AND new, it's a delight. I love singing along. This is when I realized that Panic was a good band. Stupid Ryan and John having "musical differences"!! I mean, they (and Brendon) are the best members. Just putting it out there, I don't like Spencer. Brendon is sexy and funny and a good singer (in my opinion, despite his lack of formal training, which is slightly obvious), John is hilarious and a cool guy that I want to meet, and Ryan's just adorable. But when Spencer isn't looking like a girl with a penciled in mustache, I'm sure he contributes to the band. I mean he did form it. John replaced that one guy, whose name escapes me, whom the group later bashed as being terrible.

I'm sorry, I'd have links to all of this, but I can only open one Internet window at a time on the iPhone.

DON'T JUDGE A BAND BY IT'S ALBUM COVER.

Have I talked about my addiction?
I haven't? Sorry, it's just so personal for me.

My name is Lorrin and I'm addicted to music.
I love how the auto-correct just went insane with my name. Just sayin'.

Anyway, it's pretty bad. I just went out and bought 2 new cd's. W00t!



And... I don't even feel like blogging about the other one, because I'm pretty sure that I'll end up talking wayyy more about this one.

I like it already. [Just click on the cover to go to the band's webpage. don't judge a band by it's album cover!!!]

Such Great Heights

That's it. Mental note to future me. No more buying/getting into remixes and cover songs before knowing the original.

I've talked about Iron & Wine's cover of Postal Service's song "Such Great Heights" before.

Well, while I'm waiting for my iPhone to receive the osi 4 or whatever [it's been at least 2 hours] I'm stuck on GrooveShark trying to think of songs.

I listened to Postal Service's original "Such Great Heights". I felt almost trippy. It went sooo fast compared to Iron & Wine's.
The same thing happened to me when I was listening to the remix of Lisztomania versus the original.

I found 2 bands while I was at the Hot Topic listening station, but I wrote them down in my phone, which I can't get to. Ridic.
So, for now, I'll just count down the hours until I get to go see Toy Story 3.


It's 3 hours, if you were wondering. :D

MY "Final Fantasy" IS...

Time for international music!
My all-time favorite country is Japan. Though I've never been there, the culture, language and EVERYTHING interests me. I'm currently learning Japanese, and I don't care if my friends tell me its the most difficult language and I'm crazy, I love it.

So, today I'm going to give a little thing on, you guessed it, Final Fantasy 13. Only because I briefed on it yesterday, and I just want to dive in a little further.

I buy all my songs, and don't download any for free because I know that if I was an artist I would want my revenue for a service that I provided. And since I don't listen to big-time music people, the smaller you are, the more each download counts. Sure, if the band offers a free single, like Vampire Weekend did, then that's okay, that's their choice.

But while all my friends used limewire, I stayed true to iTunes.

Okay, back to the whole reason for the title of this post!!!

I would love, love, LOVE for iTunes to carry international songs. The video I posted yesterday, that's not on iTunes or the American version of the game. No, apparently Leona Lewis's "Hands" or something is at the end. I don't even LIKE Leona. She's... Well, not to be rude, but we used to call her Leon Lewis when she hit her big streak with "Bleeding Love". Just because she kinda sorta looked like a man, BUT I DIGRESS [again].

I DO have a chinese song that I bought from iTunes. If you've ever seen the GE commercial... Here, I'll just put it here:


Kudos to the people who cut up this song, because it's actually only about 1 minute long.
What's the song? Cao Fang's "In the Summer" followed by some Chinese characters.

Anyway, the whole point of this was that I wish that iTunes carried more authentic Japanese artists so I could buy them and install them and be happy.

Okay, time to go swimming!

NEW LAYOUT

Eh. I like this one. I used some skillz. Anyway, if you also look to your right, there's a list of songs that I'm listening to/hearing, if you ever need a quick music fix, also a little thing under it for easy following :0, and the archives.

Also, all new links will open in new windows, instead of the window that you're in, just incase you want to keep my blog up!
Let's use... Google as an example.

old link: Google.
new link: Google.

I know this has nothing to do with anything, just a little update.

And, here's a song from the Japanese version of my favorite game, Final Fantasy 13 [xiii].

End Love

Heyhihelllo.
I personally love Ok Go's music videos, whether they're the official or ones they've done for fun. Their YouTube channel is something that always keeps me entertained.

And their new video for the song "End Love" is awesome, yet again. But instead of linking it, or buying it for 2 bucks off of iTunes, Ok Go is having a contest. You can download their video for free. Annnddd, if you do that, and upload it to your Facebook page, you get a chance to win an iPad. But, I don't want the iPad, I just want to put the video up.

If you want the video for yourself, or the chance to win the iPad, click right on over here.

I think I love you.

Right now, for some reason, slow and romantic-like songs are giving me hope right now. They aren't romantic always, just slow and... songs that carry you and calm you.

Here's [the first] playlist of what I'm talking about.

Iron & Wine- Such Great Heights
Bright Eyes- First Day of My Life
Dashboard Confessional- Stolen
Chase Coy- Basically anything he sings.
Ingrid Michaelson- The Way I Am
Paolo Nutini- Last Request

Plus, some of these boys aren't too bad to look at, too.


Paolo Nutini


Conor Oberst


Chris Carraba [I always thought he was in a wetsuit]


Chase Coy. oh god I love him.

Things that bother you, never bother me...

Today, my grandpa said my hair made me look like Tiny Tim.
If you don't know what he looks like,

Thanks, Grandpa.

And he helped come to that conclusion by deducing that since I have curly, dark hair and play the ukulele... Oh! I must be Tiny Tim!

No.

If you don't know who this saucy fellar is, think again. You may recognize this little tune.



Wait, where is that from? I've heard it before...

Good observation, random viewer. It was in the first episode of Spongebob Squarepants, where he feeds all of the sardines with his super spatula.

Take this sinking boat and point it home. *

Wow, have I kept up with this every day? I need a life. I mean, it's not like I've not been doing things, because I was busy all day. But right now my brother is making me stay up with him because he's playing Super Mario Galaxy. It's 11:46, and I know to you hardcore-ers, that's not bad at all, but I don't care what anyone thinks, I go to bed the same time during the week as the weekend. It ranges from 10:30 to 11. Usually, rarely 11. I'm playing a song I ranted earlier about so maybe he gets tired and lets me sleep.

Ten music points if you can identify the song in the title of this blog without using Google.

Now, because of Bonnaroo, [I know ENOUGH'S ENOUGH, ALREADY, but it's relevant] Because of Bonnaroo, I downloaded a Phoenix remix of "Lisztomania" and thought it was awesome. I didn't even think to look at the original. Then, I was surfing through ukulele tabs @Ukehunt and saw the tab for the original Lisztomania. So I bought it on iTunes.

That's when I realized I have a music addiction. This blog proves it. I mean, whose to say anyone's reading? But really, I don't care if only one person reads this. Because that's all it takes. I want to share my music tastes and be original and talk about something that I do for a large portion of the day. So I am.

I'm going to end up buying the whole album on iTunes. :/ I like to have the physical cd, I think it's better.

RELAXATION, PLEASE.

When the family is driving you crazy, like mine is [my three younger cousins came up from Georgia and my aunt just left them here for the day... again] the only thing I can really do to get away from them while still staying in their view [so they don't light the house on fire] is listen to music.

A particularly calming remix of an already good song is "Hide and Seek 2" by Imogen Heap. Both me and my friend Joey had each version of the song, and it was a pretty awesome moment when we found out just how similar in music tastes we really are.

Hide and Seek 2 was put on the "Songs for Tabet" album with pretty awesome artists, like Regina Spektor.

It's so calming and relaxing. Imogen Heap paints you a picture if you choose to listen, or just let the sound of the song on the whole relax you.

Joey had actually done an in-depth interpretation on the song for a class, and when I read it, the song made so much more sense to me.



The smallest one, Lucy, who's about 6, likes to touch everything.

Megofna? *

Time to incorporate two of my favorite things into this next blog post. Well, really my three fav. things. Music, YouTube, and ukulele.

I just thought this guy deserved way more recognition.

Now, as I usually am when discovering cool YouTube things, I'm not sure how I got here, but I ended up watching a guy play Hey There Delilah on ukulele.
He's got SUPERSATURATED talent.

Here's the link for the video itself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7bsfRal38Q&feature=related

His name is Shawn Megofna and he sings better than most singers out there.

Here's his channel.
Here's his myspace.

I like him.

SHAKEDOWN

Okay, so today was the last day of school and it just so happens that I went to my first grad party today as well.
He lives in another town, but anyway... His dad and my dad go to this one cover band's concerts all the time. The band's called Shakedown. I have a shirt from them.

Anyway, one of the main guys was there. Frank.

That's him on the right.

My brother got him to sign a playing card just as he walked out of the door. My camera was in the car, so I didn't get a picture with him.


This band mainly does covers, but it's a local band, so I don't expect much. He learned that I play ukulele and he asked me something like "Are you really into music?"

Yes, Frank. I'm pretty into it.

[and YES, I'M WATCHING BONNAROO RIGHT NOW! I missed The Young Veins & She & Him because of my darn previous engagements. :(]

ON THE GO

Am I a bad Panic fan? I downloaded a free single off The Young Veins latest album "Take a Vacation" because I wanted to check them out, since they're apparently good enough to be at Bonaroo this year. [I know, enough about friggin Bonnaroo] and I'm wondering if I'm letting Brendon Urie down by actually LIKING the song.

Well, this is a blog-on-the-go, and since blogging on my iPhone isn't easy, I'm going to cut this short.

BONNAROO 2010

NOTE: this is a Bonnaroo blog post. If you don't want to hear Bonnaroo ten million times and what it is and it's awesomeness,

go somewhere else.


Yep, that's right. Bonnaroo. For the past week, but more for the past few days, I've been spazzing about Bonnaroo. I've been looking up and reading EVERYTHING on the Bonnaroo website, and even though I'm not going this year, I'm going to try to plan next year.

This year, Bonnaroo has 15 bands that I want to listen to. AND, it's not only a music festival. It's a music&arts festival. It's my kind of place.

You might be thinking, 15 bands? Please.
Guess again. Straight off the Bonnaroo lineup:
DMB, Kings of Leon, Weezer, Phoenix...
Oh, screw this. Check it out for yourself..

Bonnaroo Artists

Iron & Wine were there last year along with Julia Nunes. She's back again this year, along with...

SHE & HIM.
Yeah.

So basically, if you can't go, like me, and you want to see it, you can stream it live on your computer thanks to YouTube. Technically, it's sponsored by the 2011 Ford Fiesta.

This sucks for me because I'M IN SCHOOL. My last day is tomorrow, and Julia's performance [which is the first one] is going on around 12:30 and I'm taking a Spanish final at that time! I could if it was around 8 am or even 2 pm, but nope. It's during one of the only two periods that I CAN'T stream it.

And, I can't even access it on my school's computer because it's on YouTube. And my stupid school has that blocked. Arg!! I'll find a way!

HAVE I LOST YOU? AMERICAN MOUTH? **

I see people in their cars. Don't they enjoy what they listen to? It doesn't look like it. I feel like most of the time, I'm the only one singing along to whatever I have when I go places. Why not enjoy yourself? I know that I'm going to be ninety and still singing out loud to the music. That's what music is, really. It's a elongation of what you're thinking.


One song that gives me goosebumps only when I listen to it, and not sing it, is "Such Great Heights" sung by Iron & Wine. Heard of them? I hope that when you think of this band you don't think of one of the worst interpretations of a book series, a.k.a. Twilight movie saga. I hate everything in that stupid movie. Though the soundtrack is pretty okay with me, since New Moon uses Ok Go, I'm pretty sure.
Still don't get it? "Flightless Bird, American Mouth". I liked the song and was extremely surprised when I heard "Such Great Heights" and found out why the band Iron & Wine sounded so familiar.
This song is just so precious. I love the singer, he's got such a... voice that draws you in, I guess you could say.

Even though this is Postal Service's original song, I love Iron & Wine's version.

Oh wow, I'm so absent-minded. I'm not 16 anymore, I've been 17 for over a month! I guess time just flies by.

A friend of mine brought his iPod with him and showed me his newest songs.
All Katy Perry. All live.

And I gotta say... She's good. I don't like her too much because she's constantly being compared to Zooey Deschanel and I like Zooey wayyyy better. In music, looks... everything.



And She & Him are coming to Columbus in July I think. GLEE!!

JAAAAAAA

Let me say a little thank you to Julia Nunes, famous YouTuber. Even though lately her videos have been coming in less and less she still brings a smile to my face. She inspired me to play the guitar, and then the ukulele. She also brought me to sooo many bands, such as Ben Folds, Say Anything, and Band of Horses.




She's got a lot of haters, but she doesn't care one bit. I'm actually looking at my ukulele right now and thinking about how she says that she doesn't look up the tabs to anything, she just figures it out. There is NO way I'd be able to do that.

And, she's gotten recognition. Ben Folds saw her cover of Gone and asked her to tour with him. She does play it different than the chords out there, but, hell, it works.

Anyway, her latest album "I Wrote These" came out awhile ago, and I want one. I want the physical cd, I think that's always so much better.

Let's talk about that for a second. I know iTunes is running out the need for cd's, but isn't it better to hold it in your hands? Plus, you don't always get the insert.
I, personally, would like to have shelves of cd's, all backed up on my computer, but there regardless.
I don't listen to the radio, so cd's are essential.
Like reading a book on the iPad. I'd much rather have the book itself right there in front of me because even then, you could read it in school or on an airplane, and you can't do that with the iPad. So why neutralize that option?

I swear, if everything's electronic-ized in the upcoming years, I'm gonna go insane.

'CAUSE SHE CAN TELL THAT IT'S A WINDING SPIRAL CASE

A band worth mentioning is Freelance Whales.
They released their first album back in April. People say it's a mashup of Postal Service and Noah. iTunes had one of their biggest hits "Hannah" as a discovery download, so that's how I found them.
I have this iTunes gift card I just found myself in possession of and I'm not sure if I should go for buying up single songs, or go for finishing off an album. If I do choose the latter, Freelance Whale's Weathervanes will definitely be in the running.

I actually had this song playing in my car and it got some positive feedback. I lovelovelove it so much, it's such a cool band.

THERE'S A FORK IN THE ROAD

Marina and the Diamonds.
One of my favorite Brits. Beside Susie.

I originally discovered her music through iTune's free song download. I had seen that TeenVogue had done a page on her, so I downloaded it. Totally worth it. She is one of my new favorites.
I love two of her songs.
"I AM NOT A ROBOT" & "MOWGLI'S ROAD"

Currently, I am singing Mowgli's Road lyrics in my head virtually 24/7. "There's a fork in the road, I do as I am told, and I don't know don't know don't know don't know who I wanna be."
Ignore the "cuckoo"-ing and listen to this.

Mowgli's Road (album version) by MARINA AND THE DIAMONDS

INTRO// INTO THE WOODS

heyhihello.
That's my favorite greeting. And, it's a band, too.

This is my new blog! I've finally decided on a subject that I love soso much. This is where I'll be posting songs and bands that I discover and my thoughts and feelings on them.
First off,
After we watched this in my drama class, I can't get this song outta my head.

Agony
Composed by Steven Sondheim
From the movie/musical: Into The Woods

"Agony, far more painful than yours."
Brotherly love.