Wednesday, May 10, 2006

was the sun outside? yes

Beautiful weather is to be cherished. All animosity is meant to dissipate in the face of sunshine. Does it? Sometimes, but not always. It's a bit of a silly idea if you actually think about it. It's a typically Irish way of thinking, but it works. Anyway, I was at the beach today think I probably got a tan [though it hasn't shown up yet] playing football tennis and lying down and this was all either before or after forgetting the meaning of punctuaction [fullstop] It's a tough life I have [irony?].

To keep a long story short: the sunshine has brought out my inherent "emo" characteristics. Y'see, summer reminds me of a certain time in my life [two years ago now I believe] where I would listen to sort of emo/screamo stuff alot, like MCR when they were actually making interesting music, TBS [ditto] and others, and it's now sort of traditional to listen to the music, and thusly make myself think of that time [it was a happy time.] It's all about the memories for me, not the music.



Alternative, emo/screamo, post-hardcore sort of thing

Emery - Walls
Anberlin - Ready Fuels
Spoken - Promise

So, waddya think? Bit not for you? Well, if that's the case, here's some nice songs I've also been listening to. These actually are nice, floaty acoustic numbers full of love and promise and hope and sadness, and that's the way I am come summer.




Acoustic, floaty, pleasant music

Dirty on Purpose - Girls and Sunshine
The Weepies - World Spins Madly Around

The title Girls and Sunshine evokes [well, duh George!] sunny weather, and ice creams, and lots of pretty young things running across sand past water, shimmering with perspiration and the spray of the sea, people lying on a beach reading the latest bestselling novels, ignoring you and you them, you've got your sights elsewhere. You're happy; more than content. You're jogging along trying to keep up with everything you see sometimes double-glancing sometimes fighting the urge to stare, sometimes at people, sometimes at nature. Or else you're kicking a football about, it's just a laugh and you're smiling - ha ha ha, amazing, etc - and you're thinking this is Heaven.

However, sometimes if you're stuck in a rut, or you've just broken up, or... well whatever... just sometimes, the title Girls and Sunshine will make you slightly down-hearted, knock the wind out of your metaphorical sails, and so forth. Sometimes it will be a morose happiness, a wry smile, etc. And sometimes it will be a comforting sadness. But in any case, the best way I can think to describe this feeling, and why it appears is this: the constant human yearning, a longing for something else, something better, nicer, prettier, sunnier, happier etc. Quite simply put, in this scenario, you still haven't found what you're looking for.

Tuesday, May 09, 2006

this story-book has only just started...



Someday I'm going to have to clear out my e-mail inbox. I do it every now and then - say every three months - and it feels good to put all that writing into folders, delete the random stuff that isn't relevant and tidy up. It's like tidying a messy bedroom and looking around and thinking "lovely" - then promptly exiting the room before your very presence disrupts the tidiness. It's something like that anyway.



But the point is, I'm not doing it today. And you know why? Because my inbox holds magic in it today. What magic? The magic of winning two tickets to go and see My Latest Novel in Dublin, after entering a simple competition just for the sheer "why not?" of it all. Now, since I'm an idiot I think I may have entered for the wrong one [Dublin] 'cause Belfast is closer, and on a date when I have just finished two exams, instead of on a date when I should be revising for two exams. However, if I'd entered for Belfast, I may not have won, so I should just get over it and go. I can't wait. Assuming I'm allowed to go. Will. Be. Amazing.

If you would like to share in my joy, listen to the fantastic Glaswegian band with me. They "are an astonishing Scottish five-piece whose gorgeous songs are complemented by violins, xylophones and undulating percussion."** So yea, the easiest way to explain my love of My Latest Novel is to explain when it started.

I was at the caravan, down to enjoy a bit of free time, a day off work, the pleasant-ness of being beside the sea. It was sunny, but windy - really windy - and I was sick. I was watching waves - nearly feeled awed but then feeling nothing. I went back to bed, and decided to make myself a CD of the sort of songs you can either ignore or be amazed by. The Nov featured twice. That's like a record, since I have a rule that only one song per artist is allowed on mixtapes. But every rule has its exception, and all that jazz. What made it even more impressive was that since downloading the songs I had from various blogs and the official website, I had never even listened to them until that moment in time.

I love the violin and drums and everything that's going on in Sister Sneaker, Sister Soul. I've listened to the lyrics a few times [everytime actually] but I've only caught odd words, like flipping the pages of a scrapbook and seeing something that looks cool, before thumbing past it onto the other pages, delving deeper and skimming through the book like a pebble across water. This is the sort of music that somedays will appear to be floating past you, but if you grab it and tug it down, it will stay with you and be your friend. Other times it just wants to be mysterious and magical and sound beautiful, and I'm not complaining. I'll let it.



My Latest Novel

Sister Sneaker, Sister Soul
The Hope Edition

There's lots of photos 'cause I think they look cool... Sorry if it takes forever for your browser to open. If you get a chance to hear "The Job Mr Kurtz Done" by them, do, because its spoken word verses and personal tone along with the Scottish accent make the song delicately delightful. Anyway; I'm going to drink my tea now before I forget. Then I think I'll head outside, 'cause the sun is still shining. Do you think it's shining in Glasgow? Hopefully I'll head there next year and see My Latest Novel [hopefully, again], and also other cool bands like Sabrepulse and... possibilities are endless.

**Source: official website