Ms Mr "Bones"

The first time I heard Ms Mr's song "Bones" was the Game of Thrones Season 3 trailer. I haven't been able to get it out of my head since.


With beautiful lyrics that hit a yearning note of melancholy, the haunting song fits Game of Thrones perfectly.

Ms Mr's cd will be mine soon!

She's Making Jewelry Now

While I was drinking coffee and reading blogs this morning I found a humorous clip from Portlandia:


Ah, the creative lifestyle.

I love Portlandia.

The Blue Show

At some high schools they are called "band geeks." In Eaton Rapids they were called "band nerds" (and don't you forget it).

When I moved to Eaton Rapids halfway through eighth grade, I thought it was the worst place on Earth. Little did I know, the last few weeks of eighth grade would bring two awesome things into my life: my friend Wondra (of Wondra's World) asked me to hang out and my band director asked me to play trumpet in marching band the next year.

The following fall brought friendship and music. I am still proud of the hard work we put into The Blue Show. Although band members did not always get along, no outsider got away with making fun of one. We worked together, we played together, but most importantly we made music together.

Recently, Wondra put her time and money into sharing videos of the 1996-97 Eaton Rapids Greyhound Marching Band with the world. A warm thank you to her!

I will never forget the sense of pride our director instilled in the band. To this day I am early everywhere I go because he insisted "to be early is to be on time and to be on time is to be late." 

Our band director pushed us to strive for excellence. On the way home from one performance he stopped the buses, pulled everyone outside and called the band to attention. What followed was one of the fiercest lectures of decorum I have ever heard. Yet rather than laughing him off, we strove to achieve the goals he placed before us. 

The band gave me confidence in myself. It was about discipline. It was about entertaining the crowd. But most of all, it was about being a part of something greater than ourselves.

Go Hounds!

Easy, Quick Everyday Hair

I dream of chic, understated hair. I do not like to have my hair in my face when I am at work, so my hair is usually in a ponytail.

Sash of AskSash88 has uploaded 10, Easy Quick Everyday Hairstyles for long & medium hair for people who struggle with boring hairstyles.



Each style is effortless and low maintenance. Best of all, the hairstyles do not require much more than an elastic hair tie and bobby pins.
Yesterday I wore my hair like number 5. It was nice to wear it down, and it did not take much more time than putting my hair in a ponytail.
I cannot wait to try another style!

I found Sash's video via Oh The Lovely Things post 10 Easy, Quick Everyday Hairstyles For Long and Medium Hair.

Murmuration

A flock of starlings is murmuration--it is also an act or instance of murmuring. Take a moment to watch Murmuration produced by Islands and Rivers for the WWF film and video competition Life. Nature. You. Make the Connection.




Murmuration from Sophie Windsor Clive on Vimeo.

The bird's breathtaking flight attests to God's creation.

The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

SS Edmund Fitzgerald underway via

On November 10th, 1975, the SS Edmund Fitzgerald and crew of 29 men shipwrecked in a early winter storm with hurricane-force winds on Lake Superior. 
Growing up in Michigan, I remember hearing about the shipwreck of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald when I was in elementary school. After my teacher explained to the class what happened to the ship and crew, she played a scratchy record with the song "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" by Canadian songwriter Gordon Lightfoot. 
When I was in 7th grade my dad and stepmom took me and my siblings on a tour of the Upper Peninsula, and we stopped at the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Bay near Paradise, MI. Even now I remember how sacred the remains of the ship seemed to me.
This video is a tribute to the tragedy.

Even though it happened before I was born, I still get teary-eyed when I hear the song.

My Bloody Valentine

Sometimes I want to listen to music but I do not want to be distracted by lyrics. Shoegaze music is the perfect type of background music.

Shoegaze originated in the early 1980s with the band My Bloody Valentine. The 1991 album Loveless is a shoegaze classic; it is still relevant twenty years later.

I wish My Bloody Valentine was touring; the band would be amazing live.

Oren Lavie's Her Morning Elegance Video

The dreaminess of Oren Lavie's video for Her Morning Elegance is appealing; for me, the stop motion depicts how sometimes our dreams reflect daily routines and other times our lives seem like dreams.

OK GO This Too Shall Pass Video

Although I have not listened to Ok Go's newer music, my inner band geek (concert clarinet and marching trumpet) loves their video for This Too Shall Pass:

Cut Copy Concert

In March Matt and I saw Crystal Castles at the Royal Oak Music Theatre in Royal Oak, MI. Last Saturday we returned to Royal Oak to see Cut Copy.

I would like to note that opening band Delicate Steve was a pleasant surprise. Before the concert Matt and I had discussed how opening bands are often disappointing. Delicate Steve's rich guitars and drums somehow combined dance, celtic and tribal music. The crowd could not keep their eyes off of the band's standing drummer.

Cut Copy is for those of use born in the eighties: we were too young to go to concerts but we have an affinity for the music. Cut Copy's synthpop sound draws upon the beats of bands such as Daft Punk as well as New Order and Kraftwerk.

The band played songs such as Lights and Music, Hearts and Fire, So Haunted and Far Away as well as songs off of their newest album, Zonoscope.

Although I wish they would have played more of album Bright Like Neon Love (my favorite song is "Time Stands Still"), the lead singer Dan Whitford's "Drama Geek" flair made up for the oversight.





via
As you can tell from the video, the crowd favorite was Lights and Music.
After the concert Matt and I walked the streets of Royal Oak. All in all it was a wonderful night.

The Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ

Crystal Castles Concert

Last Sunday Matt and I saw Crystal Castles at the Royal Oak Music Theatre in Royal Oak, MI. Downtown Royal Oak has a relaxed feel; it is a hipster's dream with artsy boutiques, thrift shops, restaurants and lofts. 

Royal Oak Music Theatre Marquee

Built in the late 1920s, the venue is completely renovated. The original seating has been removed. 

We stood next to the rail of the first tier. It was nice to have a great view of the stage for a change; I am short-statured so the tallest person in the crowd usually stands in front of me. I wish I had stood farther from the stairs because I was jostled by people dancing while others pushed their way up and down the stairs. 

Theater security was strict. They sent people back to the car with cameras and confiscated glow sticks through the opening band's (Teenage Fantasy) performance. I was too distracted by security to listen to the band.

Crystal Castles was intense. The lights flashed with an energy matched by the electronic music. 

Alice Glass, Crystal Castles

Singer Alice Glass gave an amazing performance despite her broken ankle. She used her crutch as a dance prop as she sang and drank Jim Beam. A bodyguard held her aloft as the crowd surged to dance around her.

It was a good crowd. We danced with greater fervor as we recognized each song. It was like a wild video game dance party.

The video below was uploaded by someone who went to the same concert. It is an accurate portrayal of the evening.

I love the single "Not in Love" featuring Robert Smith of The Cure. It is off of Crystal Castles second self-titled album. The video below is another example of the band's sound.









Overall, it was a great concert. I would love to go back to the venue to see more bands.

Murder By Death Concert

Last Saturday my boyfriend Matt and I went to see indie band Murder by Death. It was our second time seeing the band.

The show was at Mac's Bar in Lansing, MI. Although we enjoy travelling to Detroit to see bands, it was nice to go to a concert closer to home, especially since the roads were slick.

Mac's Bar

I got our tickets through Fusion Shows. They do not charge additional fees, unlike other services that shall remain unnamed. The process was paperless; I did not have to print tickets or confirmation. I merely showed them my id and we went inside.

I enjoyed the opening band, Buried Beds. The band sounded vaguely familiar, but I cannot pinpoint who they they sound like. Buried Beds had a joyful energy; the band interacted with the audience and had fun on the stage.

The second band was Fake Problems. I was amused by the Wookie painted on the base drum. Their amps were too loud for my hearing comfort; however; they put on an energetic performance.

Murder By Death was as remarkable as the last time. The first time I saw Murder By Death, I was in awe of their cellist and keybordist Sara Balliet. I have never seen anyone play strings with such a mesmerizing passion. We stood close to her at both concerts.

Sara Balliet, Murder By Death

The venue quickly heated under the stage lights. Still, music poured from the band despite the heat. It reminded me of the lyrics to Bob Seger's song Turn the Page:

Out there in the spotlight 

You're a million miles away 

Every ounce of energy 

You try to give away 

As the sweat pours out your body 

Like the music that you play

They soon discarded their playlist for the crowd's requests. Among the songs they played were 52' Ford, Ball & Chain, Steal Away, The Big Sleep, Spring Break, Brother and Sometimes The Line Walks You.

When Sara and bassist Matt Armstrong left the stage to get beers, singer/guitarist Adam Turla took the opportunity to play Shiola.

As part of their encore the band played a ditty called The Pizza Song which the band wrote to celebrate finishing their last album.

Sara Balliet and Adam Turla, Murder By Death

The last time Matt and I saw Murder By Death, we requested Killbot 2000. I was disappointed I did not get to hear it again, but I knew the band was exhausted from the extended set.

Here is an example of Murder By Death's sound. As you can see, they invoke the dark sound of certain lawless eras--Southern Gothic meets Johnny Cash meets a Vaudeville Carnivale.







This gal cannot wait until Murder By Death returns to Michigan!

Imported from Detroit Commercial

I did not watch the Superbowl. I do not understand football, nor am I interested in the half-time show or ads. Yet when I saw the Chrysler Eminem commercial trending on Twitter and Facebook I went to YouTube and watched it.

If you have not seen the ad, it is brillant. It is Detroit, and indeed Michigan, defying the negative image that has clouded the city and state. As Sarah Cwiek of Michigan Radio reported in "Imported from Michigan? You Bet." for some the commercial was like an epic last stand.

Love it or hate it, the commercial left many with tears in their eyes. Michigan is going to fight, whatever the odds.

The Whitest Boy Alive

As you may recall I love music, especially indie bands. In the past several weeks one of my top played tracks is The Whitest Boy Alive "1517".

Check out this video from their Rules release party concert in IC Berlin; I wish I had been there to see it live!




The band started as an electronic band but have slowly eliminated programmed elements. They tweet at wbalive.

So You Want to Write a Novel Video

Do you remember the iPhone 4 vs. Evo video? Here is a similar video sure to get a chuckle from serious writers.






I found it via Speak Coffee to Me.

How To Be Alone Video

I found "How To Be Alone" on Drop Stitches Not Bombs. The film by Andrea Dorfman and poet/singer/songwriter Tanya Davis shows alone does not mean lonely. The video is beautiful and powerful.