Top 10: Albums of 2010

My first Friday Top 10 is dedicated to my favourite new releases from 2010. It's still early enough in the new year to get away with this sort of thing!

• American Slang – The Gaslight Anthem
• Would it kill you? – Hellogoodbye
• The Winter of Mixed Drinks – Frightened Rabbit
• Lowcountry – Envy On The Coast
• Heaven is whenever – The Hold Steady
• High Violet – The National
• Of the Blue Colour of the Sky – OK Go
• Age of Adz – Sufjan Stevens
• Invented – Jimmy Eat World
• My Dinosaur Life – Motion City Soundtrack



I've rounded up a current favourite track from each album, click for link.

Albums I still haven’t listened to yet and are therefore not listed:
Hurley – Weezer, The Suburbs – Arcade Fire, Tourist History – Two Door Cinema Club, Blue Sky Noise – Circa Survive, Dark is the way, light is the place – Anberlin, White Crosses – Against Me…um, others…

Music: Recognizer - Daft Punk

Merry Christmas

Hope you all have a lovely festivus.


Original here

Late but all the same, here's my five favourite 'alternative' takes on Christmas songs at the moment:
> Last Christmas - Florence + The Machine
> Frosty the Snowman - Fiona Apple
> Christmas (Baby please come home) - Death Cab For Cutie
> Winter wonderland - Hellogoodbye
> Happy Christmas - Street Drum Corps feat Bert McCracken

I've also thrown in:
> The lights and buzz - Jack's Mannequin
> December is for cynics - The Matches
> Santa can you hear me? - The Plain White T's (if only for the line "Santa this is no time for a nap, I want a new sweater from the Gap." Hahaha)

And even though it is terrible, I love it so:

> The 12 days of Christmas - Taking Back Sunday
> All I want for Christmas is you - My Chemical Romance

Music: Fairytale of New York - The Pogues
Mood: Calm

Thinking about the straight and narrow

I understand it’s Sanna’s birthday. Considering her enthusiasm for them, I thought this called for another playlist. Happy birthday, hope it is/was good!

> Nothing better (Styrofoam Remix) – The Postal Service
> Piazza, New York Catcher – Belle & Sebastian
> The Luckiest – Ben Folds
> Innocent son – Fleet Foxes
> The Bunker – Beirut
> Fiction – The Lucksmiths
> In the lost and found/The roost – Elliot Smith
> Loyd, I’m ready to be heartbroken – Camera Obscura
> Hospital Bed – Ben Kweller
> Holland, 1945 – Neutral Milk Hotel
> Middle of the hill – Josh Pyke
> No right angles – Ben Lee
> The Twist – Frightened Rabbit
> Firecracker – Voxtrot
> The end and the beginning – Forgive Dudren (feat Brendon Urie and Greta Salpeter)

In other news - Draft done and sent. Sorted. Now just have to fix up exegesis tomorrow.

Music: No right angles - Ben Lee
Mood: Sleepy

A solid soul and the blood I bleed

Now, here is the last playlist I did, for those who wanted to listen to it at the time but were being foiled by tertiary education.

The one I just compiled is a result of overthinking, and actually I had a perfect playlist planned out on my last drive home from work but when it came to drawing it up tonight, I just couldn't remember it. But anyway, I've called it Immortality.

> Hell - Tegan and Sara
> This modern love - Bloc Party
> Nobody move, nobody get hurt - We Are Scientists
> Intervention - Arcade Fire
> Mistakes we knew we were making - Straylight Run
> Salt of the earth - Lovedrug
> Queen of pain - Alkaline Trio
> Up against the wall - Boys Like Girls
> Heaven help us - My Chemical Romance
> Travel Hymn - Circa Survive
> The Wolves (Act I and II) - Bon Iver
> A fine evening for a rogue - Lydia
> In the aeroplane over the sea - Neutral Milk Hotel
> Red at night - The Gaslight Anthem

Music: My girls - Animal Collective
Mood: Accomplished

Blessing and a curse cast down on me

I have come to a conclusion I'm not a huge fan of composing the 'end of month' playlist. I can never remember what I listened to during the month, and my listening habits are too erratic to trace through last.fm or iTunes (for I still regularly use CDs, I know, the horror.) I do however like making playlists, so what the hell. The recent seemingly endless rain and hostage-by-thesis resulted in this one, rather unimaginatively named Rainy Reflections:

> Couches in alleys – Styrofoam feat Ben Gibbard
> Sweet disposition –Temper Trap
> What else is there? – Röyskopp
> Once more with feeling – Get cape. Wear cape. Fly.
> I feel it all - Feist
> Dice – Finlay Quay
> Ragged wood – Fleet Foxes
> When the stars go blue – Ryan Adams
> Don’t you think it’s time – Bob Evans
> Lover you should have come over – Jeff Buckley
> Old soul song (for the new world order) – Bright Eyes
> Gone for good – The Shins
> Blindsided – Bon Iver
> The perfect ending –Straylight Run
> The last day on earth - Kate Miller-Heidke

Music: Red at night - The Gaslight Anthem
Mood: Sleepy

Stealing hearts and cursing under breaths

Playlist du jour, in honour of August, last month of winter and the bringer of chaos. A choice as random as the events the month dished up. I dub thee, 'Last Breath'.

> Mona Lisa, The All American Rejects - It's just such a gorgeous sweet little acoustic song, I can't help but fall a bit in love with it.

> On and on and on, Wilco - Perfect for those dreary winter days that seemed to go forever, it has such a tone of resignation here. I suppose there's a morbid sense of optimism, but to me it has always been more of that "let's run, don't look back" type of things.

> Say I won’t (recognize), The Gaslight Anthem - I am so glad I got into this band when one of the music editors I follow started going on about them back in February. They've just got that amazing ability to walk the line between punk and garage rock and it's brilliant. "So come on before we get much older, and that can happen any one of these nights."

> Uprising, Muse - It's a new Muse song. I feel no other explanation is required.

> Into the ocean, Blue October - One of those songs I'm obsessed with, and have been for ages, and yet can't really understand why. Now holds a special place since it doubled as one of my writing prompts when I was still being half-way organised with that.

> She's a genius, Jet - Being a good aussie teenager, I enjoyed Jet's first album and danced to it at my Year 12 formal just like everyone else. The second one was lacklustre and I think we all kind of assumed they would fade into obscurity. Then I caught this while channel hopping the other day and I'm willing to reconsider. Reminiscent of 'Are you gonna be my girl?', I can get into this.

> Punk Rock Princess, Something Corporate - Genius included this on a playlist the other day and I nearly jumped out of my skin with sheer joy. I had completely forgotten about this song. I loved it in High School and played it incessantly while studying for my exams. Still love it just as much now.

> Tranquilize, The Killers feat Lou Reid - Off the b-side collection Sawdust I’ve always adored this song with a passion. Something about it just agrees with me, and it’s such an odd song to really do that. But still, I love it. Silently reflection turns my world to stone, Patiently correction leaves us all alone, And sometimes I'm a travel man, But tonight this engine's failing.

> Is there a ghost? Band of Horses - As is the case of Wilco as mentioned before, I turn to these indie bands on days when the sun isn't warm enough, the wind is too loud, and I'm far too lethargic to do anything other than play thousands of games of Free Cell and Chess while pondering the meaning of life (or rather the extent of my procrastination).

> Howl, Florence + the Machine - I'm fast developing a healthy appreciation for this.

> Crystalised, The xx - Slow building indie electro. Speaking of, I’m tired of people not getting my Boosh references. Like when an Empire of the Sun video is playing so I of course have to quip “They’re looking for the new sound!” and only receive blank stares. Fail. Sigh.

> Firecracker, Voxtrot - I don't really know what the deal is with this. I was listening to it while compiling the playlist and thought what the hey, let's include it.

> It’s my own cheating heart that makes me cry, Glasvegas - There’s always a Glasvegas song on rotation at some point or another. I think I have a bit of a Glaswegian band fetish.

> I cut like a buffalo, The Dead Weather - Technically a supergroup compromised of Jack White, Alison Mosshart (The Kills), Dean Fertita (Queens of the Stone Age) and Jack Lawrence (The Greenhorns, The Raconteurs). I've waded through a lot of hype around this project for the last month or so, it seemed only right to include one of their songs on the playlist.

> Silence is distance, Yves Klein Blue - POLKA WILL NEVER DIE! Sorry, Harry Dresden reference. I must admit, I love this band, ever since I accidentally stumbled upon them. They've got that indie, gypsy, polka thing happening and they're just so convincing considering they're so stupidly young (I think they are, anyway.)

> The end of the world, Kate Miller-Heidke - I'll be honest and say I never considered myself to be a Kate Miller-Heidke fan, I found very little to like about her previous album and was quite preplexed about the amount of press she was generating. I remained relatively unaware of her until this song soundtracked a Neighbours ad that ran on Channel 10 for what felt like a very long time. It's so slow and dramatic and over-emotional, I found myself reacting to it without even really paying attention. It reminds me of every sad thing I've ever watched, mostly Whoniverse related for I am a loser. She performed it live on Rove last night and I was very impressed with the performance, very captivating and controlled. So I bought the damn song. Are you happy now, Channel 10?

MySpace Music Playlist at MixPod.com

Music: Do it for me now - Angels & Airwaves
Mood: Sleepy

The vanities fell correctly

This gives me the creeps. The picture where they're all crammed into the jar could be in my nightmares. Majorly freaked out.

So tired, so headachey, so fully up for proper partying tonight. Thinking of curling my hair. I don't know. Something. Of course it has to be freezing again today, always the way. Figured that I'll just play the whole thing by ear, if things get out of hand I'll just crash at Roze's and then head off early tomorrow morning. I think it's going to be quite epic.

Meanwhile, what the hell is this?

I'm a little underwhelmed by the new Mayday Parade song, and looking forward to upcoming releases by Say Anything (18/10) and Brand New (22/9). Although I'm kind perplexed by BN's choice of 'Daisy' as an album title. But hey, whatever.

Have a playlist - this one's entitled Acoustish as it contains songs that are kind of acoustic but not really. Up for download here.

> Streetlights - Ludo
> Black dress - Kisschasy
> Self conclusion - The Spill Canvas
> Divine Intervention - Taking Back Sunday
> Stay - The Fold
> Existentialism on prom night - Straylight Run
> Covers - The View feat Paulo Nutini
> Topeka - Ludo
> Another word for desperate - Straylight Run
> Starving your friends - Envy on the Coast
> The boy who blocked his own shot - Brand New
> Don't let them see you cry - Manchester Orchestra
> Make a plan to love me - Bright Eyes
> Lights and Buzz - Jack's Mannequin

[Obligatory disclaimer: Please note all downloads are for promotional purposes only, and should be deleted after 24 hours.]

Music: Capital M-E - Taking Back Sunday
Mood: Hugs?

Strength in my bones put the words in my head

My CoE dvd hasn’t arrived yet. Slightly worrying since tomorrow I’m heading over to Roze’s where the forces of Dorkdom are gathering to watch the horrifying events, followed by a Supernatural marathon. Damn BBC, perhaps they took my extreme emotional railings personally…which is good, cause I meant it, and I’m not taking it back! But I still want my dvd(s? I’m sure it fits on one).

Speaking of, the New York Times does not buy your push-button writing. This must be the only review of the thing I’ve seen that has actually tried to look at it objectively as part of a series. I know a lot of people don’t get it, but trust me when I say CoE torched the fandom. If there could be natural disasters on the internet, this would be what the aftermath looked like. It’s happened in ways I don’t think anyone could have predicted, I certainly couldn’t fathom it at first. It’s…a mess. On many different levels, which I never even considered. There are so many thoughts and reactions floating around out there (like this one), I think it would be a dream for some of my social science lecturers. I’ve tried to apply that sort of rationale to it myself, but I tend to veer off on random tangents. I guess I’m just too close to the subject matter and not well versed enough in some of the discourses being employed to feel like I’m able to do it justice. Still, eight thousand word essay there to be refined. If only I could care this much about something important…like my graded uni work.

As I so cleverly change the subject, I got my uni results back for Honours Writing Workshop today - HD average. I really don’t understand my university. Why do I only ever seem to do well when I’m not actually trying very hard? Perhaps it has something to do with not looking like you’re trying too hard. I mean, honestly, how can I get a high distinction for that Proust essay I spent the greater part of two months avoiding? I just don't know. I’m also slightly concerned about how little I care. I really need to start properly focusing on my thesis. I don’t really have much interest in my final mark, but I do want to pass. Failing would just be a waste of a year and besides, I’ve never failed anything. I’m not going to start now. But the motivation! I need to find it! Ugh.

Now, another playlist. This one’s called ‘Faithless’ and it’s one of my many ever-changing Jack-inspired playlists.
"Those who are faithful know only the pleasures of love: it is the faithless who know love's tragedies." - The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde
I concede that it’s a bit all over the place, but you can still download it here if you wish.

> Borne on the FM waves of the Heart – Against Me!
> Angels with enemies – Lovedrug
> Glycerine – Bush
> 96 Heartbeats – As Tall As Lions
> Breakin’ – The All American Rejects
> You wouldn’t like me – Tegan and Sara
> I am a heart Watson, the rest of me is mere appendix – Forgive Durden
> Say hello to angels – Interpol
> Eat, sleep, repeat – Copeland
> This mess we’re in – PJ Harvey and Thom Yorke
> Rusted Wheel – Silversun Pickups
> Tautou – Brand New
> Moon and moon – Bat For Lashes
> Have you got it in you? – Imogen Heap
> Slowing down (long time coming) – Anthony Green
> Aloc-acoC – Brand New
> Set fire to the third bar – Snow Patrol
> La Cienega just smiled – Ryan Adams
> Parable of the sower – Forgive Durden
> Dance on our graves – Paper Route
> Do you wanna – Joshua Radin

Oh, as for my opinion on the Eleven costume, the bow tie kind of hurts my soul a little, but I will no doubt get used to it. You can get used to anything I suppose. I'm going to miss Ten so much!

I'm home alone tonight and car-less. It's not like I wanted to go anywhere, but the mere thought of being unable to do so is not much fun. I'm too lazy to make dinner but I have to eat something before I can self-medicate the epic headache of doom. Sigh. Toast?

[Obligatory disclaimer: Please note all downloads are for promotional purposes only, and should be deleted after 24 hours.]

Music: I want to know your plans - Say Anything
Mood: Blank

Be proud when you dazzle the wondrous

Reality came crashing down with an iron fist today as my dad decided to become better acqainted with the road. Every time I drive to work now, I can look at the myriad of skid marks on the brand new surface and think fondly of my father. I'm sure I would have been more worked up when I got the call this morning if it wasn't for the fact that I'm still completely numb after last week. My brain just sighed and said "look, what do you want from me? I'm fried!" Anyway, he's fine. Well, ok maybe not fine, but he's alive and whole, and nothing is broken. He's got scrapes and bruises all down his left side, and I think he might have fucked up his knee cause it was starting to look nasty when I picked him up. Apparantly the ambulance wanted to take him to hospital but he refused. Blood pressure's sky high. I ordered him to the doctor's, which meant I spent the afternoon without a car. I was just hoping someone would at least remember to pick me up from work. Luckily, they did. I'll probably be without transport on/off for about 4 to 6 weeks now.

He even made the news. So if anyone heard about two lanes being closed for a motorbike accident on the traffic report this morning, that was him. Twpsyn. The fire brigade was out and everything. Big to-do. I think its kind of ironic seeing as, all things considered, it wasn't that bad a crash. Well, it doesn't look that bad, I mean no one was too badly hurt and the only thing that suffered other than the bike is a bumper - he dropped it and slid it underneath the car when he saw contact was unavoidable. He knows what he's doing - if it was me I'd just have allowed contact and we'd be hunting for my teeth in the bushes. It just freaked a lot of people out by the sound of things. Bike's completely ruined. I had it picked up and took dad to the service shop during my lunch break. I asked the guy if it could be fixed and he went "Uh, no." For some reason, I found his expression quite amusing. Anyway, it's sad to see it in that state. Bits and pieces everywhere. It was in such great condition too. Nothing to be done for it though, so I suppose we'll get the same one again once the insurance gets sorted. I think mum is about ready to do her nut. Well, if she wasn't worried about the sod, she might be. Everything is ruined - helmet, gloves, leather jacket, boots. I think it's damned lucky he was wearing the full kit. In summer he just rides around in a t-shirt, he wouldn't have had any skin left. Gross. Anyway, thousands of dollars' worth of damage. Of course it happens on the day the Antichrist has gone in for its service and they screwed up, leaving mum without a courtesy car. I've been calling people, yelling at people, and driving up and down like a mad woman until I eventually just relinquished Jack into his dubious care. All the while still working 8 hours. Save me, jeebus!

Maybe the universe thought I needed a little reality...to which I say, fuck you universe. There was nothing fluffy or escapist about last week. It instilled the same disgust of general humanity that the everyday usually does. The LAST thing I need is a reality check. Bah. It's going to be a nightmare living with him in this state, he's already moaning and groaning at every opportunity. And lecturing me on my driving. The cheek! Honestly.

But I digress.

I've uploaded some of my Ianto playlist rejects, so you can now download those too if you step this way. This zip contains:

> Early sunsets over Monroeville - My Chemical Romance
> Sleep alone - Bat For Lashes
> Great Expectations - The Gaslight Anthem
> The world has its shine - Cobra Starhip
> The wind blows - All American Rejects
> Almost lover - A Fine Frenzy
> Resounding - Say Anything
> Don't let me die still wondering - Flogging Molly
> Never is a promise - Fiona Apple
> While you wait for the others - Grizzly Bear
> Where have you been? - Manchester Orchestra
> Time Flies - Lykke Li
> Good love - Bat For Lashes
> I've got a witch mad at me... - Forgive Durden
> Demolition lovers - My Chemical Romance
> I've been right all along - Armor for Sleep
> Brothers on a hotel bed - Death Cab For Cutie
> Daniel - Bat For Lashes

[Obligatory disclaimer: Please note all downloads are for promotional purposes only, and should be deleted after 24 hours.]

Music: Siren song - Bat For Lashes
Mood: Pessimistic

[Ah foreshadowing, I hate you.]

Every inch of me is bruised

I've spent the entire day holed up back here in my little corner of the house, minding my own business, and I have to say I feel a lot better about the state of things. I might go so far as to say I may even approve. Apparantly RTD has officially moved to the US, and that sits well with me too. I can let all this go, appreciate it for the brilliant, heartbreaking, risky television it was, provided I never have to deal with Torchwood Cardiff again. The chapter is closed. That said, I've heard rumours being flung around about a US Torchwood for months now, and I'm thinking that's something I could accept. If it's original (not a stupid version of the old one, which they inevitably always ruin, like Life on Mars) and Jack's in it. I won't watch Torchwood without Jack. It'll be like starting over. Not replacing, but turning over a new leaf, so to speak. Despite everything, Jack's still one of my favourite fictional creations (and I'm really appreciating his immortal qualities more than ever). So yes.

Anyway, here's my playlist. You can download it if you wish - Ianto Lives. It consists of the following:

> Dusk & Summer - Dashboard Confessional
She said "No one is alone, the way you are alone"
And you held her looser than you would have if you ever could have known
> Easy, Lucky, Free - Bright Eyes
> Doomsday and the echo - Lovedrug
> Gorecki - Lamb
> Love you till the end - The Pogues
> 21 Guns - Green Day
> Just say you're not that into it - Mayday Parade
> You must be willing - Against Me!
> Common Reactor - Silversun Pickups
> I can barely breathe - Manchester Orchestra
And then I saw your face
You're turning skin into a dirty secret
I watched the beauties, watched the fire
And the fire burn the beauty in their eyes
When I took the blame
We layed in ruins trying to quote your phrase
We're yelling, "someone's got the answers,
But I'd rather think there's nothing to be found"
If you knew I was dying would it change you?
So when you see me falling backwards down the wall that says I'm still alive,
Don't be cautious when I'm cautiously approaching on the other side
Everybody has their reasons, that's the reason we're all going to die
Because if seeing is believing,
Then believe that we have lost our eyes
> I promise you walls - Shiny Toy Guns
> Sad Eyes - Bat For Lashes
> Passenger Seat - Death Cab For Cutie
> Paint the Silence - South
> Ghost of you - My Chemical Romance
> Miserable Visu (Exo Malo Bonum) – Anberlin
> Everything we had - The Academy Is...
> Heaven Help Us - My Chemical Romance
> Transatlanticism - Death Cab For Cutie
The rhythm of my footsteps crossing floodlands to your door
Have been silenced forever more.
The distance is quite simply much too far for me to row
It seems farther than ever before

Also, as a side note – I dedicate ‘Handcuffs’ by Brand New to Jack. I've included ‘Sleep’ by My Chemical Romance for him too.

Some say, now suffer all the children,
And walk away a savior,
Or a madman and polluted
From gutter institutions.
Don't you breathe for me,
Undeserving of your sympathy,
Cause there ain't no way that I'm sorry for what I did...
...cause there ain't no way that I'm coming back again

Of course there were tons of others, I feel like mentioning some of the rejects even though they aren't in the zip:
> Early sunsets over Monroeville - My Chemical Romance
> Great Expectations - The Gaslight Anthem
> The world has its shine - Cobra Starhip
> The wind blows - All American Rejects
> Almost lover - A Fine Frenzy
> Resounding - Say Anything
> Don't let me die still wondering - Flogging Molly
> Never is a promise - Fiona Apple
> While you wait for the others - Grizzly Bear
> Where have you been? - Manchester Orchestra
> Time Flies - Lykke Li
> Good love - Bat For Lashes
> Demolition lovers - My Chemical Romance
> I've been right all along - Armor for Sleep
> Brothers on a hotel bed - Death Cab For Cutie
[Edit: See this post for a dowload link for these]

Now we carry on.


--Because Abs put the song in my head :P

[Obligatory disclaimer: Please note all downloads are for promotional purposes only, and should be deleted after 24 hours.]

Music: Bruised - Jack's Mannequin
Mood: Peaceful

Mixtape June 09

The songs of choice for this dreaded month of winter.

Anberlin, Dismantle. Repair, I go through phases with Anberlin songs – I just pick one that I listen to continuously for a few days for no apparent reason and then abruptly move on again without a second thought. This was the repeat ad nauseum song for this month. It's not that I hang on every word, I hang myself on what you. It’s not that I keep hanging on, I'm never letting go.

Ludo, Topeka, Still on this one from last month. Worryingly obsessed with it, don’t know why exactly but these things hardly ever make sense.

Fall Out Boy, Headfirst slide into Cooperstown on a bad bet, I love singing along to this as I’m driving to work in the morning. It makes the whole going to work thing seem less painful. Does your husband know the way that the sunshine gleams from your wedding band? Also, because I’m an idiot, I find intense amounts of glee in this since I’ve made the connection of Cooperstown with Gwen Cooper – and it’s apt! That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.

Jack’s Mannequin, Bruised, Another song I just love singing along to – really loudly and out of key at that, but still. There’s something almost cathartic in the process. Besides, Andrew McMahon just composes such beautiful, easy melodies.

Cobra Starship, Smile for the Paparazzi, For some reason I always forget how heavy this song actually is, it’s quite deceptive.

Cobra Starship, The world has its shine, This one has recently grown on me. I love the guitar work, and it’s just subtly sweet and yet still fun, as all Cobra’s songs tend to be.

Say Anything, Resounding, God I love this song. I always forget exactly how much, it’s not really quintessential Max in rant mode which he does so brilliantly, but it’s vulnerable and there’s something so honest about it, it makes my heart ache a little. I’m lame I know. You give your trust to those who don't deserve your trust. You put yourself through hell, as you sweat pound for pound, but as the drama fades, tell me what will resound. It’s always been for you, I sing every song for you.

My Chemical Romance, Kill all your friends, This has to be one of my all time favourite b-sides. Ever. A great big perfect sing-a-long chorus that makes it such a shame it’ll probably never be played live.

Green Day, Peacemaker, 21CB song of the month, this one get’s stuck in my head and makes me feel kind of vengefully gleeful. Unsure as to why precisely. Utterly obsessed with the line ’Call up the Captain, death to the lover you were dreaming of’.

All American Rejects, Gives You Hell, This one surely does not need explanation. Easy to relate to, easy to sing along to, easy to enjoy. So much fun.

Timbaland ft She Wants Revenge, Time, From Timbaland’s collaborative album ‘Shock Value’, this tune with alternative/electro duo She Wants Revenge has always been a favourite of mine. They’re quite an odd band so you have to be in the mood for them, but there’s something about this collab that just agrees with me. The rapping contrasts perfectly with the almost monotonous drawl of Justin Warfield's chorus, and I can’t say I really object to the lyrics either.

Muse, New Born, That damn piano intro gets me every time. Every time! That’s why I want to live in it! There’s no tangible, quantifiable way for me to express what that does or is to me.

Mercy Mercedes, Shiver Me Timbers, Last but not least, there’s this pop punk tune which is completely ridiculous and yet so much fun that I can’t help but love it.

Music: Daddy's Gone - Glasvegas
Mood: Perhaps overly fond of Irish Coffee

Mixtape May 09

Here be the songs that were on heavy rotation this past month.

Green Day, 21 Guns - Like I said in my previous post, this is the song that clicked straight away.

Pink, So What - There's something about this song that is just so much fun. Great when I'm walking to uni and trying to ward off the threatening gloom of education.

Mindless Self Indulgence, Shut me up - Always gets me into a 'get up and go' mood. Particularly good when stressed out - in a minute, in a fucking minute!

Forgive Durden, Beware the Jub Jub bird and shun the frumious badnersnacth - I always enjoy "re-discovering" Forgive Durden every now and then. One of those impossibly eloquent bands littered with references and intertextuality - I am powerless to resist. This one gets top points cause it has the brilliant line, "I want to sink my teeth into skin I can't see through". I love it.

Fall Out Boy, w.a.m.s - Out of all the Folie a Deux tracks, this one probably got played the most. That whole album deserves to be on this list actually. It was definitely the soundtrack for May. I must have listened to it continuously for at least two and a half weeks, easily.

Envy on the Coast, Lapse - I just can't get enough of this album! I don't know what it is but I find myself listening to it very regularly.

Ludo, Topeka - Ludo bring the sick and twisted back to the party. Brilliant.
I found God in a catalytic converter, in Topeka on a Monday night. I taste blood every time I think of summer, if that’s true, I’m in for quite a treat. Cause I’m begging for the sun in a mid-Missouri winter, waiting desperately to get out of town. No, you can’t keep a good man down. You’ve been known to obsess over the future. Do you think you’ll get away from the past? As you starve yourself just to make it through ‘til midnight, consider what you might have found. You think you’ve got a good thing now. I found God in a catalytic converter, in Topeka on a Monday night. Every saint has a past, every sinner has a future, so you know it keeps me hanging around. No, you can’t keep a good man down.

I honestly can't think of what else I listened to this month. I can't access my iTunes cause the IT boys have the connection for my external drive (they're trying to find me a new one). But between my weird as hell study playlist and listening to the Green Day and Fall Out Boy albums, I don't think May had much diversity. So there ya go.

Music: The Static Age - Green Day
Mood: Blaaaaah

Mixtape April 09

Oh I do love my gimmicks, don't I? Anyway, taken up Abbi's challenge. Here be my list of songs that I've been playing over and over in the last month:

Envy On The Coast, If God Smokes Cheap Cigars - It took up residence in my head and refused to move. It just ropes me in, this one. I can't say I object.

Say Anything, Admit it!!! - This song keeps me from going on some sort of ill-advised rampage during many uni classes. The ultimate rant song. It restores a semblance of calm to my academic undertakings.

Brand New, (Fork and Knife) - I find any mixtape requires at least one Brand New song. This one has a very different vibe, the piano brings something different to the band's usual style but the imagery verges on the same territory.

The Beatles, I've just seen a face - Always gets stuck in my head, new found appreciation thanks to Across the Universe. One of those that always makes me smile.

Queen, Killer Queen - I'm going throught a phase where I randomly find myself singing this. Which happens sometimes for no apparant reason. It's good fun though. "Caviar and cigarettes Well versed in etiquette Extraordinarily nice."

Flo Rida, Low - Just can't seem to get rid of this one. Not helped by the fact that it can be applied to virtually anything. Everything goes well with the furrrrr.

Forgive Durden, Doctor Doctor - Aaaaah. I really wish I could see Razia's Shadow as an actual stage musical. It's completely mad, just imagine.

Fall Out Boy, 20 Dollar Nose Bleed - Because *someone* generated a genius playlist with this and it has subsequently been on rotation.

The Academy Is, Coppertone - Watch me pathetically pretend it's summer for just a little bit longer. "These are the trails of our youth."

Taking Back Sunday, New Again - This just makes the list as it's been playing in the last few days while I still try to figure out what I make of it.

Kevin Rudolf, Let It Rock - I don't know why I'm so attatched to this song, but I play it quite obsessively. I think it's finally beginning to dissapte now though, thankfully.

Natalie Merchant, My Skin - Yeah...*shrugs*

Jack's Mannequin, Holiday From Real - This kind of ties in with the TAI one, it recalls that kind of 'let's drive to the beach, singing along, and not do anything' feeling.

New Order, 60 Miles An Hour - This song comes and goes quite a bit, I'll often hear it on the radio or in the background of a tv show or something and then I have to listen to it. It sticks around for a while then fades away again. When will it re-emerge? It is a mystery.

Supertramp, Breakfast in America - Again, I have no choice but to blame classic rock stations for putting songs into my head. I still can't believe people didn't know this song was sampled in 'Cupid's Chokehold'. And no, being young is no excuse. Music 101 should start at an early age.

Britney Spears, Womanizer - Hey, it's not Taylor Swift.

So, yes. That's all that strikes me at the moment.

Music: Womanizer - Britney Spears
Mood: Lazy

It's the work that we avoid

Uuuuugh. I forgot how much I disliked cultural studies. I mostly focused on the writing subjects in my undergrad degree (I think I did every single one really) so other than some compulsory culture elements, I avoided it as much as I could. Today we had to name theorists we had read and I hit a major mental blank. I have read some. Just off the top of my head, I can't really launch into intelligent discussion about it. However, should you feel the need to discuss narrative structure or techniques, from Gabriel Garcia Marquez to Dickens, or discuss Tolstoy or Chekov, or if you want to draw parallels between Anna Karenina and Wuthering Heights, I'm good for that!

Sigh. I really need to study up on my theory.

I started my "let's read unconventional narratives" drive today, so I'm reading Cosmopolis by Don DeLillo...I actually wanted White Noise but couldn't get hold of it. But whatever, start somewhere.

I watched Army of Ghosts/Doomsday last night. "The may shoot me dead but the moral high ground is mine." That Yvonne Hartman is a bit mad. The looney part of my brain (which is dominant) always enjoys disecting the Torchwood randomness. Like that bit where she's talking about the giant hand clamp things, and she says they found them in a spaceship buried at the base of Mount Snowdon. Which is in Wales. Surely, that's Torchwood Three's responsibility, or jurisdiction, or whatever? I realise One and Three weren't really on the best terms after Jack took over, but even more so, one would think there'd be clear territories so to speak. Just what exactly where Three doing while all this was going on anyway? Since I'm on the topic, what is with the "Great Cobalt Pyramid" being built on "the ruins of the famous Old Earth Torchwood"? Oh yay. A pyramid. Things like that just depress me. You know, really it's best just not to think of these things.

So, moving on.

I'm getting my hair done tomorrow! I'm thinking of a change. Nothing major, mostly to do with the fringe, but still. Something different!

I have over 14,000 songs at my disposal and I could not find a single thing I wanted to listen to during the commute today. In the end I setteld for this playlist called 'Torchwood', although I'm not quite sure I know what I was getting at. It contains the following:
* Words, hands, hearts - Yellowcard
* Just say you're not that into it - Mayday Parade
* Doomsday and the Echo - Lovedrug
* Do you wanna - The Kooks
* Dismantle. Repair - Anberlin
* Don't let me die still wondering - Flogging Molly
* I promise you walls - Shiny Toy Guns
* You must be willing - Against Me!
* Stockholm Syndrome - Muse
* Take Care - A Change Of Pace
* The long way home - The Material
* I don't believe you - The Magnetic Fields
* Goreki - Lamb
* Almost lover - A Fine Frenzy
* La Cienega just smiled - Ryan Adams
* This is for keeps - The Spill Canvas

I don't even know.

No matter how much I try to ramble, I just can't escape how much work I have to do. I really want to get it all out of the way before Sunday so I can hang with Lizzie. I feel like I haven't seen her in ages, and we're going to the Star Wars exhibition so nerding out is unavoidable. So yes, better start reading and researching I guess.

Serious chocolate craving...

P.S. What are U2 doing now? *shakes head*

Music: Takin' care of business - Bachman-Turner Overdrive
Mood: Recumbent

All your diction dripping with disdain

Current playlist of choice :

• I still remember : Bloc Party
• Dashboard : Modest Mouse
• Wolf like me : TV on the Radio
• Brainstorm : Arctic Monkeys
• A-Punk : Vampire Weekend
• You are the one : Shiny Toy Guns
• Middle of nowhere : Hot Hot Heat
• Blue light : Bloc Party
• Rebellion (Lies) : Arcade Fire
• Signal Fire : Snow Patrol
• Always where I need to be : The Kooks
• I don't believe you : The Magnetic Fields
• It's my own cheating heart that makes me cry : Glasvegas
• Look at me (when I rock wichoo) : Black Kids
• Rewind : Paolo Nutini
• Gorecki : Lamb
• Lazy Eye : Shiny Toy Guns
• Gold Lion : Yeah Yeah Yeahs
• Lover I don't have to love : Bright Eyes
• Hunting for Witches : Bloc Party
• Keep the car running : Arcade Fire
• Gold Skans : The Klaxons
• Flourescent Adolescent : Arctic Monkeys
• Phantom Limb : The Shins
• You only live once : The Strokes

Am amusing myself by downloading indie music and making cds...someone has to do it, I take responsibility for the fate of our musical souls. Still not writing. Still not good.

I am also clearly rebelling and not watching any television. Which is all sorts of futile since I'm still attempting to record everything at once. Technological implosion imminent. Everyone was late getting home tonight and I had actually made dinner and everything. Huffs.

**

Random quiz time :

Your result for The Greek Mythology Personality Test...

Orpheus

33% Extroversion, 80% Intuition, 72% Emotiveness, 71% Perceptiveness

You are an artist, an aesthete, a sensitive, and someone who has never really let go of that childlike innocence. To you, all of life has a sense of wonder in it, and the story of Orpheus was written about someone just like you.

When the Argo passed the island of the Sirens, Orpheus played a song more beautiful than the Sirens to prevent the crew from becoming enticed. When his wife died, he ventured into the underworld to charm Hades but, in his naivete, he looked back becoming trapped there.

You can capture your unique world view and relate it to others with the skill of a master storyteller. Your sensitivity and creativity make you a treasure to the human race, but your thin-skinned nature and innocence can cause you a lot of disenchantment and pain. What's doubly unfortunate is that, if you try to lose those traits, you never will, and everyone will be able to tell that you're putting up an artificial shell to prevent yourself from being hurt.

Famous people like you: Hemingway, Shakespeare, Mr. Rogers, Melville, Nick Tosches

Stay clear of: Icarus, Hermes, Atlas

[Take The Greek Mythology Personality Test at HelloQuizzy]

Music: Oxford Comma - Vampire Weekend
Mood: I could go for some Jack hugs too right now