I have a declaration to make:

here on Monday, June 13, 2011, at 11:52 PM MST, that I really quite care about Bloc Party.

The band.
I kind of really love them.  (By kind of, I mean that my insides squish every time their music comes up on my shuffle, in such a good way.)

"I love you in the morning...."

There's something in the way you laugh,

and it makes me feel like child.

I was watching videos of Jason Mraz on hulu the other day.  I don't know if I've ever told you before, but I love Jason Mraz, especially his early stuff from Java Joe's and his live recordings.  He may be odd in the way he presents himself or things he says, but I find myself coming back, again and again, to his music.  That must mean I'm supposed to listen, right?

Anyway, he was talking about touring in Europe and how it was a surprising process of finding people he was acquainted with or fans and asking them if they knew of venues where he could play, and how every stop was a different adventure.  I found myself envying him, that lifestyle, whatever you want to call it.  Sometimes I want my life to be a lot less traditional than a regular job and a stay-put lifestyle. 

Jason Mraz reminds me of 2005 when I discovered his live recordings and listened to that and near nothing else.  I traveled to New York for spring break and found more snow there than what I had left.  I spent time with my brother, and the whole trip planted a deep love for the frozen gorges of Ithaca within me. 

I miss times like those, my only worries about getting papers written and readings done, about passing classes and getting to the next year of college and new experiences. 

I don't ever want to feel like my life is stagnant, you know?  I often wonder how I'm going to fit all these things I want to do in my life, like traveling and family and a job... oh dear, a job.  Most of all, I want to travel.  A lot more. 

I haven't written a lot lately because I just haven't known what to say, really.  Not that things are particularly good or bad, but because life just is right now.  It's just what it is--normal--not great, not bad.  Sometimes I get tired of not being in school--I guess that's what being in school for most of my life does.  Anyway, I've gone on a lot of walks lately and though it's 20-or-so degrees out, it feels good because the sun's out.  I forget how important feeling sun on my skin is after winter.

To finish things up, I want to share my favorite things as of late:

1.  Paul McCartney's live version of "Blackbird."  I know you already know I love the Beatles, but I saw him singing it on TV one morning a couple weeks ago and it was just perfect.  It was exactly what I needed.  After this winter, it helps to have Paul take my  sunken eyes and learn to see.

2.  I've forgotten that it's not normal to have a black lab with blue eyes.  I see brown-eyed dogs with black bodies and I become sort of puzzled.  My little dog was sick yesterday, but I think he's much better today and I'm so glad.  Though his shedding is out of control right now, I needed a little reminder that it's nice to have him around, fur and all.

3.  My Life as Liz.  Have you guys seen this show?  I don't know why I love it so much, but it reminds me of high school.  Also, I haven't told you, but hipsters kind of freak me out.  So, I alternate between loving Liz and wondering if she'll get a good hair-washing in... it's a weird quirk, I know.

4.  I'm really, really trying to find a way to visit the beach sooner rather than later.  I don't even really know why I love it so much, I just do. 

5.  My hair's getting longer. 

6.  It's almost time to pull my cruiser out, and I'm secretly wondering if I can fit my dog in its basket.  (Probably not.)  (I don't think I'd be able to steer with him in there... he's a little... big.)

7.  I changed my header.  I like doing that sort of thing more than I should admit.

8.  I have about a bajillion choices to make here soon, and I'm actually kind of excited about it. 

And that is all for today.  Good day.

Djoo know what?

I really, really like the Beatles.

It seems that every time I come back to their songs it feels fresh and new, and just as good as the first time.

I love almost every cover of their songs.

Thing is, I don't know all their songs--lots of the most popular ones. But if you haven't heard TV Carpio sing her cover of "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" from Across the Universe (the movie) I don't know what's wrong with you.

It could just be another one of those things that got carried down to me from my dad; he loves photography and so do I. We could talk about it for hours. I love the Beatles, and so does my dad. But he knows the good stuff. I know most of the regular stuff, and some of the less well-known songs.

I don't know what it is. I think they just make me happy. That's good enough, right?


P.S. I am still struggling with shopping, but I'm working on it.
P.P.S. I forgot to mention that I'm sick again. The worst I've had it this year! Ok, so not REALLY bad, but bad enough. I wish I were here:

eating and drinking some of this (that'd be hot chocolate and toast):

Happy Wednesday.

Fall is

for Matt Pond PA.

Perfect fall music.

P.S. I got so excited about my life and all that I'm up to last night I felt explosive. But in a good way. If that's possible. I do not hate this feeling.

On the way home from work tonight,

I was listening to Ingrid Michaelson's new album, and, turning it up louder and louder, I thought: she is one of the artists whose albums I will probably buy without needing to listen to it first. Which got me thinking about several other musicians whose albums I'll probably always buy, mostly because of their influence on me at some point or another, which happened to be good enough to get me hooked.

Here's my list.

•Jason Mraz. I remember the first time I ever listened to "Waiting for my Rocket to Come." I loved it just from my rhapsody preview, and that album reminds me of some of my dearest memories of my senior year in high school, like going to see Oklahoma the musical at the Capitol theater with my stepdad and my little stepsister, because I was in my school's production of it earlier that year. He let me listen to that album the whole way to Salt Lake and back, and I remember thinking everything about that night was perfect, even though we didn't have time to eat dinner. Later on, I grew to love Jason even more after my best friend gave me a disc with a bunch of early, live recordings. I will probably always feel 18 when I hear those songs. Ever since, I've never missed buying one of his albums. Though I like his live recordings much (much, much) better, his music will always be special to me.

•Sondre Lerche. You guys. He is so great. I don't think you understand. I've been listening to him since before my senior year in high school. My blog title comes from one of his early songs, "No One's Gonna Come," which is slightly Beatles-esque. His second album, "Two Way Monologues" reminds me of my freshman year in college, specifically a night when I went to my sister's apartment and it rained so hard that it seemed the ground was raining up as well. Every album following that one has been, seriously, fantastic. A lot of people became fans after "Dan in Real Life," but do yourself a favor and check out his earlier work. I love him.

•Ingrid Michaelson. I was kind of disappointed by the stuff she released last year--it was a lot of repeats and left me wanting. This latest album, however, is great. Her song, "Glass," always reminds me of flying over Los Angeles in early spring, seeing the skyline at night and turning the music up so loud that it hurt my ears.

•Rooney. My "gateway" drug to better music than... LFO. Stuff like that. The opening riff to "Stay Away" will probably remain my favorite opening to a song, ever. It's good, California rock-pop.

Those are my initial musicians that come to mind. I'll have to think about it some more. That said, who are yours?