Posts Tagged ‘the violet burning’

Welcome To The Inner Workings Of My Mind

December 14th, 2013

I added new songs to my home page under “Songs On Repeat.” I’ve been really digging these songs lately, and continuously hitting back on my ipod or car or itunes (too bad you can’t hit repeat on Pandora). I hope you enjoy them too.

I can no longer post the mp3 on my site for download, as I have been hacked too many times by china. Long story.

MsMrHurricane
Secondhand Rapture
MsMr

It was a few weeks ago, and I was driving home on my long commute after a long day at work when I first heard this song. As with most songs I latch onto, the lyrics resonated within me. I was hooked. For the next few weeks I listened to this album nonstop. Then to my surprise, I saw they were playing a show in San Diego at a little club that holds maybe 200 people. So pumped, I tried to buy tickets. But the only tickets that would be available, would be a few extras that a radio station was to give away at the door at 8pm. So I planned to show up at the door at 6, and wait in the freezing San Diego snow (it was really cold that night) and get to see my new music crush. But I had forgotten that I had promised my brother that I would babysit. Which rolled over the clock till about 7:30. I then rushed down to the show, to only see the line wrap around a few blocks, and then a few blocks more before I could even find parking. Still, I forged on and got in line. I waited in line, cold, for an hour. Around 9pm however, the line started dissipating. They were filled up. I was so bummed. Still, I have been really digging their music. I hope they don’t get over played by radio, and killed by the trend, like it feels is happening currently to Lorde.

Welcome to the inner workings of my mind
So dark and foul I can’t disguise
Can’t disguise
Nights like this
I become afraid
Of the darkness in my heart
Hurricane

Hurricane by Ms Mr on Grooveshark

MsMrBlind
The Violet Burning
The Violet Burning

This band has been a long time favorite of mine. One of the first “christian rock bands” that I actually thought was cool, and made good music. This album in particular was the Achtung Baby of their collection: the album that stood out as a departure from expected. As a christian that dislikes stereotypes and churchspeak found it refreshing that they even swore in a song on this album, even if it was a bit censored out. Anyhow, I’ve been picking up my guitar a bit lately. It must be that 1 month stage of the year where I play and hurt my fingers and my esteem before packing the 6-stringer away for the year. And one of the songs that I can “play” and that I play often during this time period, is this song, Blind.

I can see your light pour through me
Looking for the love in it all
I see the light when we both collide

Blind by The Violet Burning on Grooveshark

tristan-prettyman-cedar-and-goldI Was Gonna Marry You
Cedar + Gold
Tristan Prettyman

Keeping this post upbeat like the other two songs, here is another song that I have been playing a lot lately. Not necessarily for the lyrics, although they do pack the punch of emotions. I have always had some Tristan Prettyman on my ipod or computer, however wasn’t really a big listener. Often I would skip her songs. Then last year, I was looking for some entertaining things to do in San Diego one weekend, and I saw she was playing at the Belly Up. So I bought tickets. After really enjoying the show, I had a newfound respect for her. I recently tweeted with her and learned she was set to play another show in San Diego. I immediately bought tickets.

Her last album certainly has a lot of emotions in the lyrics, and some that I may have experienced in this tough, strange, roller-coaster year that I have had. I am looking forward to seeing her play the Belly Up this next week. Till then, I will be playing her music including this song, nonstop.

I gotta go on
Time to spread my wings and fly
Higher than the bluest sky
Never did me any good waiting around
Only so much that my heart can take

I Was Gonna Marry You by Tristan Prettyman on Grooveshark

Standing By The Light Of The World

April 27th, 2009

I added new songs to my home page under “Songs On Repeat.”  I’ve been really digging these songs lately, and continuously hitting back on my ipod or car or itunes (too bad you can’t hit repeat on Pandora).  I hope you enjoy them too.

u2_nolineonthehorizon3×5
Room For Squares
John Mayer
Its not a secret that I am not a huge fan of John Mayer.  However, I think they guy is unbelievably talented.  Not only is he an outstanding guitar player, but he has a great sense of humor.  If you haven’t seen them already, you should check out the videos I previously posted.  He jokingly says in one of those videos, “If I can’t get the girl, why don’t I just tell her I’m John Mayer?”  He is also often witty and clever.  

I have been a proponent of living with your eyes open.  What I mean by that, is that often whether it be vacationing, or in real every day life,  we live behind a camera.  We forget to realize that we are there, in the middle.  Whether it be birthday parties, concerts, or vacations, I am consciously trying to take “mental” pictures.  To take in and capture the moment, so that years from now, I might remember the scent in the air, the color in the sky, the hug of a friend–the many different moments of a moment that a photograph cannot capture.  Not that I am against pictures, as I think pictures are great tools to spark the memory.  But it is our mental image, our mental picture of the memory that will bring joy for many years.

John Mayer talks about that in this song.  And as I have been preparing to travel to Italy, it is a reminder to live through your minds lens, rather than your camera lens.


Today skies are painted colors of a cowboy cliche
And its strange how clouds that look like mountains in the sky are next to mountains anyway
Didn’t have a camera by my side this time
Hoping I would see the world through both my eyes
Maybe I will tell you all about it when I’m in the mood to lose my way
but let me say
You should have seen that sunrise with your own eyes
it brought me back to life

killers_dayandageA Dustland Fairytale
Day & Age
The Killers
This is the second time in a row, a song from this Killers album has made it into my Songs On Repeat section.  This is surprising to me.  Although I love the Killers, this album as too many weaker songs.  Though, as told from the last 2 S.O.R, it has some catchy tunes as well.  If you haven’t seen it on these pages already, you definitely have to check out my snide of their cool light show performance of “Human” at the MTV European Video Awards.  Every time I go to Vegas now, I always think of the time I saw the Killers live there at the Hard Rock, as well as the time the lead singer came on stage and sang with U2 “In a Little While.”  Bono called the Killers “the swankiest band in Las Vegas.”

Dustland Fairytale is a great story told through song.  There is speculation that the song was written by the Killers lead singer, Brandon Flowers, about his Mom and Dad and how they met at age 15 in a trailer park.  Either way, its a catchy tune that brings back childhood memories of fairytales.  I recently wrote a pensée snide with the following lyric:

And the decades disappear like sinking ships
But we persevere god gives us hope
But we still fear we don’t know
The mind is poison

thevioletburning_lipstickanddynamitewonderCrush
Lipstick and Dynamite Wonder
The Violet Burning
This one is probably the heaviest musically that I have put up here yet.  For a long time (and I’m not necessarily kicking it off yet), this album has been in my “fantasy five” (5 cds that you would want to have if you were stranded forever on a desert island).  Part of that might because I was once stranded with this cd only.  It was May of 1997 and when I reached the hotel in Greece, my case of cd’s was missing (I do not know to this day if I left them on the train, if someone stole them, or the running joke on the trip – if Ben Morookian had merely taken them.  All that was left was this one cd that I had had in my cd player at the time.  This cd kept me company through long bus and train rides, and it carried on for the other cds, the faithful departed.  Anyway, this has always been one of my all time favorite bands.  And this cd has been released twice, once as a self-titled and once as the above title.   However, both cds are identical.

We are finding where we want to go
We are trying to regain control
Let the streams of light pour down on me
Let the love that heals me set me free
Come on, crush me

This Week I'm Thinking About: Heather Weir