Wednesday, June 25, 2008

// posted by Jessica in General @ 7:56:06 pm - 1 Comment »
The strangest thing about living in Nashville…

Now that summer is here, you will regularly find me driving around with my windows down, sunroof open, singing along off key to my blaring stereo. I’ve been living here for almost two years, and there’s still one thing that kind of weirds me out: the fact that several of the artists I listen to could be driving right beside me listening to me butcher their songs.

I mean, Ben Folds lives here. Jack White of The White Stripes lives here. Jewel has an apartment here, since she’s here so often. If I listened to country, it would be even weirder, I think.

I realize that the probability is low that this would ever occur, but sometimes I can’t help but peek at the car next to me just to be sure…

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

// posted by Jessica in Music @ 12:41:16 pm - 1 Comment »
Comfort songs..

I have a tendency to listen to depressing music and watch depressing movies when I’m not in a good mood. Which is kind of nice because at least it makes me feel like I’m not the only sad person in the world, and listening to happy music is usually more depressing because it’s happy. However, sad songs never really seem to help lift my mood. So, for those times, I am compiling a list of comforting songs that aren’t really sad (and therefore depressing) or happy (and therefore more depressing). I don’t have many so far, so feel free to add your own comfort songs. :)

“Angel Standing By” - Jewel
“Everything’s Not Lost” - Coldplay
“Gravity” - A Perfect Circle
“Let Go” - Frou Frou
“Let It Be” - The Beatles
“Shut Your Eyes” - Snow Patrol
“Speeding Cars” - Imogen Heap

Thursday, October 19, 2006

// posted by Jessica in Music @ 7:35:31 pm - 4 Comments »
Songs that make you tingle..

Are there any songs out there that actually cause you to have a positive physical reaction when listening to them? I’m talking about that hair-raising, tingly feeling of a really good song.

Here’s some songs that give me this feeling (in alphabetical order):
“3 Libras” - A Perfect Circle
“Ask Me Anything” - The Strokes
“Everlong” - Foo Fighters
“Everything’s Not Lost” - Coldplay
“The Great Below” - Nine Inch Nails
“Halcyon + On + On” - Orbital
“Hide and Seek” - Imogen Heap
“Lateralus” - Tool
“Layla” - Derek & The Dominos
“Let Go” - Frou Frou
“Life Uncommon” - Jewel
“Only In Dreams” - Weezer
“Pushit [Live]” - Tool
“Rods and Cones” - Blue Man Group
“Someday” - The Strokes
“Structure” - The Cynic Project
“Susanne” - Weezer
“Tonight, Tonight” - The Smashing Pumpkins
“Unchained Melody” - The Righteous Brothers
“Warning Sign” - Coldplay
“Where I End and You Begin” - Radiohead
“Wish You Were Here” - Pink Floyd

I’m sure there are others that I’m forgetting.

So what songs make you tingle? :)

Tuesday, March 1, 2005

// posted by Jessica in Music @ 12:12:00 pm - 3 Comments »
Some thoughts on music…

Ben and I occasionally get into discussions about what makes music good, since we don’t always agree.

From what I understand, he doesn’t think lyrics to a song are important, whereas I do. He says that this is a female thing. He thinks that most women focus too much on the lyrics of a song and don’t care about the actual music behind it. I argue that the lyrics are what give the song meaning.

My favorite songs are all songs that I can relate to in some way, but that also appeal to me musically. I agree that a song has to actually sound good in order to be a good song, that the lyrics aren’t the whole song (otherwise I might like country or something, hehe). What I consider my favorite songs are all pieces that make me lose myself. I can close my eyes and just get transported to another world when I listen to them. I can’t describe what it is about the song, musically, that I really like. It just connects with me. However, in order to get that connection, I usually have to connect with the lyrics also.

For example, my favorite song is “Lateralus” by Tool. Ben agrees that it is a great song and probably Tool’s best. I can’t explain at all what I love about it, except that it gives me that transported feeling more than any other song. To me, the lyrics are really spiritual as well, and I just feel at peace whenever I hear it.

One of my favorite Jewel songs, “Life Uncommon”, gives me the same spiritual, at peace feeling, to a much lesser degree. But Ben claims Jewel is “not good.” I don’t really understand what he doesn’t like, but I think it is something about her voice.

I’m really interested in hearing other opinions about this topic. So, I pose the following questions:
- What makes music good to you?
- What do you look for in a good song?
- What is your favorite song and why?
- Are lyrics important?
- Are you male or female?

Friday, April 16, 2004

// posted by Jessica in Concerts, Music @ 7:03:50 pm - 1 Comment »
Random things:

Okay, here is the official set list from the Jewel concert, taken from her website:

Near You Always, Passing Time, Everything Breaks, 1000 Miles Away, Sometimes It Be That Way, Little Sister, Down So Long, Everybody Needs Someone Sometime (1st time acoustic), Life Uncommon, Hands, Stephenville TX, hitchiking story->Race Car Driver, Cold Song, What’s Simple Is True, 2 Become 1, Stand, Intuition, Morning Song, Foolish Games, You Were Meant for Me, long intro->Who Will Save Your Soul Encores: Per la Gloria d’adorarvi, Where You Are, Q&A with audience, Chime Bells

Seems I forgot Sometimes It Be That Way and Hands. I knew I was forgetting one or two. :)

A Perfect Circle in Indy tomorrow!! Woohoo!! I need to get to bed early tonight. I’ve got a long drive ahead of me tomorrow. I do, however, have my outfit all ready. :-D

I love this weather. And I love my one tan arm. And I seriously dislike men.

Thursday, April 8, 2004

// posted by Jessica in Concerts, Music @ 12:06:06 pm - 1 Comment »
The Jewel concert was amazing!

Okay, first of all, the pictures did not come out as well as I hoped. Basically, you can see a glowing human figure, and that’s about it. Blah. I will post a couple anyway, as well as one of myself that Ernie took right before I left for the concert. Anyway, don’t know what I’m going to do about the APC concert now.

I did get several audio clips, which came out fairly well.

Me Ryan Cabrera Jewel

I was sitting in the tenth row, dead center, so I had an excellent view. For all of the opening act and the first few songs of Jewel’s set, no one was sitting in front of me.

Okay, first of all, Jewel’s opening act was amazing. His name was Ryan Cabrera (blurrily pictured in the center, above). He was just awesome. He has a website at www.ryancabrera.com where you can download full versions of several of his songs. His album comes out in June. He was really great, and funny, and kind of cute. :) I was really impressed by him.

Jewel came on at 8:30. She was wearing a hot pink skirt, a white tank top, and tennis shoes. She recently got her hair cut and has bangs now, and I thought she looked great. She opened with “Near You Always,” singing a cappella. And, of course, I can’t remember all the songs, or the exact order that she sang them, so here is a general list:

Near You Always, 1000 Miles Away, Passing Time, Everything Breaks Sometimes, Little Sister, Life Uncommon, Stephenville, Stand, Down So Long, Morning Song, Race Car Driver, Cold Song, Everybody Needs Someone Sometimes, 2 Become 1, Intuition, Foolish Games, You Were Meant for Me, Who Will Save Your Soul, Per la Gloria, a new song that she played the dulcimer on, and Chime Bells.

Whew. I am probably missing one or two.

The last three songs were her encore. The new song, which she didn’t mention its name, was awesome. She said that it was only the second time she had played it, the first time being the night before. I would have recorded it, but was out of space by this time.

In between it and Chime Bells, she did a kind of question and answer session. I couldn’t think of anything good to ask, and most of what was asked, I already knew. But basically, she told us she has a dog named George and she lives in Stephenville, Texas, with her boyfriend Ty. She said her next album would probably be six live tracks and six in the studio, one of which would be the dulcimer song. She plans on it coming out at the beginning of next year, but she’s not entirely sure since Atlantic was sold and fired everyone that worked for her. Someone asked if Ty asked her to marry him, would she, and she said yes. :)

Okay, as for audio, I have:
The beginning of 1000 Miles Away - I only recorded the beginning because it was one of the first songs she sang and I wasn’t sure how much space it would take up.
The story behind Race Car Driver - This is the same story that I was trying to explain last September when I saw her, but, like I said, Jewel tells it much better, so here it is.
Stand - Full version
Per la Gloria - I missed the very beginning of it because I was fumbling around with the cam, but I got most of it.

Thursday, April 1, 2004

// posted by Jessica in Music @ 11:03:50 am - No Comments »
Exciting Jewel news!

Billboard put up an article on Jewel yesterday about her next album. Apparently, with all this solo touring she has been doing, she’s going to be making another acoustic album. Since Pieces of You is, by far, my favorite album of hers, this is really exciting to me. She’s always been best without all the band and back-up singers.

Another interesting tidbit in the article is this:

Soon Jewel says fans will be able to take home a true souvenir from her concerts: a live disc of the show they’ve just seen. “I never do a set list,” she says. “I talk a lot. Every show is so different night-to-night.

“I’m alone on stage for two hours with an audience and you can’t lose ‘em,” she continues. “You have to really stay in touch and keep them entertained with nothing but your guitar, and that takes a lot of skills. And I think if you did some sort of formatted generic set list you would just be completely leaving your audience behind.”

At present the plan only allows for sale of the discs at the venue on that night. “Right now we’re going to be selling it like a merchandise piece,” she says. “You know, you can order it at the beginning of a show and pick it up afterwards. Beyond that, I don’t know. There will probably be a demand for swapping shows and all that, but I’m not sure how that will work.”

That’s so awesome! I hope they are doing this when I see her in LESS THAN A WEEK!!!

Here’s a link to the whole article: http://www.billboard.com/bb/feature/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000476281

Tuesday, March 30, 2004

// posted by Jessica in Concerts, Music @ 8:45:57 pm - No Comments »
:-D

I’m in an extraordinarily good mood today. As was I yesterday. And most of the weekend. Hopefully this will continue.

The Jewel concert is a week from tomorrow! I didn’t realize how close it was! That means that TMV/APC are only two and a half weeks away. I should probably make sure that I can get people to cover for me at work.

I can’t remember if I mentioned it, but I got tickets to APC in Atlanta on May 15. They went on sale last Friday, so I picked up a couple floor tickets. I’ll probably drive to Atlanta straight from Clarksville, since I will be there for Sabrina’s graduation on the 14th (lucky!!!).

I’ve got to remember to get some quarters tomorrow so I can do laundry. It’s all sorted, but I’ve only got enough quarters for one load. And I have six loads. I also have two checks I need to cash. So I will try to get to the bank before work tomorrow.

Hopefully I will be seeing Eternal Sunshine again this weekend. :-D

Saturday, February 21, 2004

// posted by Jessica in Concerts, Music @ 2:17:59 pm - 2 Comments »
I broke down and bought Jewel tickets.

They went on sale this morning, so I decided just to see what kind of tickets I would get. 10th row center. I couldn’t resist buying a ticket. This concert is in Asheville and I have class the next day. Ugggh. Anyway, the concert is on April 7, so it will give me a good opportunity to practice with the stealth cam before the APC concert. :-D

I decided last night to see how well the cam took pics in low light conditions. Here’s a pic of my car in a parking lot on campus:
My car in the dark

Yay!

Monday, February 16, 2004

// posted by Jessica in Concerts, Music @ 1:59:18 pm - 5 Comments »
Okay, a couple things have gone on today…

First of all, I forgot that I had a doctor’s appointment at 11:00 this morning. I didn’t even get out of bed until 11:15. And it was around noon when I realized that OH YEAH, I was supposed to go to the doctor an hour ago. Oh well. I’m not really sick anymore. Just sniffley.

Second thing is, I’m gonna see A PERFECT CIRCLE and THE MARS VOLTA in concert!!!! I got tickets to the show in Indianapolis on April 17, which is the closest one at the moment. I’m hoping they come to Atlanta in May, but who knows if they will or if I will be in SanFran at that time, so I thought I should go ahead and go. YAY!!

Jewel is going to be in Asheville on April 7th. I haven’t decided if I am going to that yet or not. Tickets don’t go on sale until the 21st, so I don’t even know how much they are yet.