Leave Your Home, Change Your Name

[Keep in mind that this is just my opinion. I listen to and enjoy much more music than that which I reference in this post.]

Can we just take a moment to appreciate how awesome music is? I mean, I know I'm a total music nerd, and as I've said before, in no way do I think of myself as an all-knowing music buff, but I am passionate, and I think that's the most important part.

I realize that I just wrote a music post a couple weeks ago, but I feel like I didn't quite express my love for the beautiful stuff as much as review and recommend a few artists.

I can't read music. Well, actually, I can, but it takes me way too long to sight read, and I just don't like doing it. I like sounds, not symbols. I may regret not learning how to further advance my skills in reading music in the future, but for now, I am quite content with tabs and sounding out things by ear.

I owe a lot of my 80s music knowledge to my mom. Singing songs from Into the Gap by Thompson Twins is one of my favorite childhood memories. And dancing along to "Rio" by Duran Duran when I was little. I'm so glad that I still have most of those tapes and records in my possession now. Scritti Politti, The Smiths, Depeche Mode, Talking Heads...she had good taste. Same with other music genres: Steel Pulse is still one of my favorite reggae bands to this day.

It's a surprise that I didn't know who Led Zeppelin was when I entered high school.

I never was brought up on classic rock, but I quickly learned, and immersed myself in the fantastic tunes, perhaps too much at times. That led into my love of hard core punk rock, and then into my punk phase during my sophomore year of high school, which I do not regret one single bit. How I do miss the local punk shows and mosh pits...but I digress.

Throughout my punk phase, I learned of something called indie rock: I surrounded myself with Rilo Kiley, The Shins, Death Cab, Tegan and Sara, the works. Probably still my favorite type of music to this day. Regardless of how much I love The Doors, I will choose Rogue Wave over "Crystal Ship" any day. Though perhaps not over "The End". My point is, I love the feel good sounds of The National more often than the acid trip sounds of "Dazed and Confused". I want to hear listen to Tegan & Sara's The Con on repeat for 2 weeks straight, intertwined with some Eisley and Now, Now Every Children.

But that doesn't mean I don't have my Taylor Swift and Jason Mraz moments.

I love music. I love lying on my back on the floor of the empty room next to mine in the basement, doing nothing but letting the sounds of Iron and Wine wash over me. Every once and a while, I tear up when I listen to "Passenger's Seat" by Death Cab.

I was once asked by a friend of mine what sense I would rather lose if I had to pick: Sight or Hearing. I said sight. Sure, I can be moved to tears by the sight of a beautiful piece of art or a film shot, but try watching Amelie or City of God without the sound. It is nothing without the music to guide it.

I'll leave you with that.

Later days.

Song of the Day: "Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks" by The National, from their High Violet album. Perhaps my favorite of the year so far. That I've heard anyway.

Film of the Day: Bottle Rocket (1996). I'm in the middle of it. Love it so far. Also, Inception just came out about 35 minutes ago. Probably seeing it tomorrow in between work shifts if possible.