Just for Fun Friday

Well, despite my cold getting worse (ugh, summer colds. Be gone, illness!), I'm pulling a Proust. So I've got a Just for Fun Friday for you. Another musical friend from years returns:

It was probably a pal in undergrad who first introduced me to Meshell Ndegeocello. Or maybe it was Audiogalaxy. Anyone remember that? Anyways, her music is unlike anything I've heard before or since. Amazing, inspirational, what else is there to say? Okay, time to take care of myself. Also known as, sleep time!! :P

Just for Fun Friday

I was sitting in my car the other day, waiting on my love who was running on errand. I turned on the radio to this song and instantly loved it. I Shazamed it and found out the track heralds the return of my old dear friends, Silversun Pickups. Wheeee!


So good. So happy. :)

I also love when I find bands that seem to evolve with me. When I first heard "Lazy Eye", I was obsessed with it. But I don't listen to that song much these days because I'm not in that emotional place anymore. But "Cannibal" just so corresponds with where my head is these days, I'm pretty sure it's going to become my new obsession.

Music for Journeying

Having recently completed a move that included a journey across part of this continent, I thought I'd focus on songs that make me think of journeying.

There have always been stories of traveling in all world literature. And much has been written about how journey stories are metaphors for a human's journey through life -- traveling from major life event to major life event rather than from place to place. I, for one, have yet to write my own big journey story that I have on my back burner. But in my life, I've always moved around. In 33 years I've lived in 9 different places. I haven't seen much of the world, but I have seen much of this continent we call America of the North.

So it might not be surprising that I am inspired by songs about traveling that have a definite folksy-country vibe. Here are just a few of these songs, starting where I started this journey: in the Wilderness of Manitoba.

And then of course there's Johnny Cash's "I've Been Everywhere" which is like a musical North American travel bingo. Of course, this move we crossed only a few of the places in the first verse off the list! Two provinces: Manitoba and Ontario. Six states: North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. And we passed through numerous cities: Winnipeg, Grand Forks, Fargo, Minneapolis, St. Paul, Baraboo, Madison, Chicago, Flint, Sarnia, London and Toronto. It was a long trip.

But I've realized that this enjoyment in travel, or rather, in moving from place to place is not a joy shared by many. I'm a rare breed: someone who likes moving. I've noticed that there are a couple members of my extended family who have that wanderlust, but beyond our family I don't know too many people who actually like the prospect of moving every few years. But it's something that has marked my adult life. The last time I lived in one place for a long time was between the ages of 3 and 17. Since then, I haven't lived in a city for longer than 3 years at a time.

So I've thrown in a few rambler anthems into this mix. If you're going to write a journey story, I hope you find that these songs give you some inspiration!

Also, be sure to enjoy the video for "Hopeless Wanderer." That one took me by surprise with its silly secret. :)

Just for Fun Friday

Hey kids! This week, I'm posting a super hit. Why? Because this song totally gets me super nostalgic.

I wasn't going to post the official video. Sometimes I'll avoid posting the official music videos if I think they are boring or just don't really adequately capture the spirit of the song. And in this video, there is definitely a lot to be bored about. Namely, random chicks with lingerie stuck in their butt cracks.

****TANGENT ALERT****

On the topic, I've never been quite sure why naked or half naked chicks is still in 2014 seen as edgy or pushing the envelope. Do you know how many naked chicks I've seen in music videos, in movies, on TV, on the internets in my lifetime without having sought those images out? Even time they cut to a scene of some girl in her undies, my vision actually blurred from the deep ennui I felt. BORING!!!!!

****TANGENT OVER****

However, I had to post this video. Because the particular summer that it reminds me of -- back when I was 21 ( don't ask me what year that was -- let's just tell you it was this millennium at least) -- one of the friends I went around with actually raced cars in his spare time. So on top of the song reminding me of that summer, parts of the video do as well.

It was a summer to remember. Of summer of dance clubs every weekend, of cottage parties, of unending parties. Sure, some really messed up stuff happened that summer. A couple things to me, but mostly really weird stuff around me. But more than the things that happened, it was the feeling of that summer. A long, hot summer between years of ungrad. Hasn't my entire life from that point to this been just an endeavor to recapture that feeling?

RoboNomics Book II Soundtrack

Hey all! As promised, I've put together a soundtrack for RoboNomics Book II over the past couple weeks. From my perspective, it's as though you can trace the broad outline of the plot through these tracks. That's probably impossible, however. You will have no way of knowing what's going to happen in the story from just listening to this music.

However, might a fun exercise to try and guess! :)


At least it's not as long as the RoboNomics Book I soundtrack! Hope you enjoy it!

Just for Fun Friday!

I've recently discovered St. Paul and the Broken Bones. Feel-good-down-to-your-soul music.

Sooooo good. Loves it. Happy Friday!

RoboNomics Book I Soundtrack

So, RoboNomics Book I is complete! At least, it is completely posted up on Wattpad now, entered into the Wattpad Prize, and as I just found out, has made it onto one of Wattpad's reading lists. The list is entitled "Time and Eternity". So cool. When they sent me the email explaining that the book is on the list, they said that they 'love' my story! Yay! :)

Before I leave the story, at last, to the care of the world, and start work on RoboNomics Book II, I would like to give it a good send off. And so, I've compiled the very best and most inspirational tracks from all of my previously 'Music that Inspired RoboNomics Chapter..." playlists into a master list.

And so, here it is kids, RoboNomics the Soundtrack. A massive list of the music I listened to while imagining the plot, coming up with character foibles, and revising -- the endless revising that I put into RoboNomics Book I.



Stay tuned for another little goodie next week...

Oh, I can't not tell you! I'm planning on releasing a preliminary music taste of Book II in the form of a RoboNomics Book II Soundtrack! Can't wait! :)