Ooh Aah - The Grits

"My life be like ooh ahh

Ooh 

My life be like ooh ahh ooh ahh

Ooh"

Today I wandered the city listening to rap and r&b and classic rock.  Today I abandoned my ipod of indie acoustic rock in exchange for a completely different ipod. 

So today I come back to my favorite rap song: Ooh Aah by The Grits.  There's something that instantly hooks with the low vibrations of the vocal introduction in combination with the organ that makes it impossible to resist.  This is the perfect song to bounce along the street to.  And that's exactly what I did: I danced uptown with a bounce in my step as the heavy beat driven rap filled my ears.

All Good Reasons - Barefoot Truth

"Life is calling

But you need healing now

For all good reasons

Change is coming"

I need to heal and find how to embrace life completely without the pain of loss.  

Change is indeed coming. 

Folk.  Oh I love folk., especially pop-folk.  With a bit of a bounce to the tune, the catchy lyrics pair with a voice that hooks.  The song itself echoes artists like Pete Francis, who is currently touring with them, and Jason Mraz.  

Cinnamon - The Long Winters

"Do you remember when you saw her last?

I said her skin is cinnamon

Her skin is cinnamon"

I'm in a Long Winters mood.  The Long Winters gave one of the best performances I've seen and considering I review concerts, that's a pretty big compliment.  I remember hearing that Colin Meloy commented on the same concert I saw, saying how amazing it was, etc. (I don't have an exact quote...oops!)  And considering Colin Meloy is my favorite artist, I feel validated in stating that the concert was utterly fantastic.  With verve and gusto, John Roderick poured out his soul, the entire time with a smile on his face, his pure enjoyment on display for all to see.  He taunted the audience, mocked his performance, and then grabbed his guitar.  

So began my love of The Long Winters.  

And today I'm reminiscing and playing all of their cds, because yes, I have them all.  So today's song is theirs.  Cinnamon.  It was the second Long Winters song I fell in love with but it is probably my favorite today.  A flagrant fan of cinnamon, I (quite liberally) put it on nearly everything.  I connect to this song if for no other reason than to imagine I could be a girl someone would sing about.

I Buried a Bone - Blind Pilot

"I buried a bone

And darling you don't know him

Darling you don't know him

Darling you don't know

And just where you are might be the right place

might be that sweet space

but you don't know"

It's strange to meet with people who used to know you so well and realize that you have grown apart yet still connect.  But it makes me wonder, by burying parts of our past, do we unintentionally prevent people from knowing us?  

Blind Pilot, a Portland band, brings heart wrenching sweet vocals together with minimal accompaniment by acoustic guitar, drums, and keyboard.  Talented lyrics combine to easily make this band one of my favorite lazy afternoon listens.

The Coast Is Always Changing - Maximo Park

Recommendations are much appreciated!

And this I love!  After living in Scotland for 6 months, I am admittedly a sucker for a good accent.  Combining that with cute lyrics, endearing vocals, and a peppy beat makes this song a find.

Be OK - Ingrid Michaelson

"I just want to be okay, be okay, be okay

I just want to be okay today"

Today I headed back to work and faced an onslaught of "are you okay"s and "I'm so sorry"s.  It's sweet and I appreciate it but there's only so much I can take.  I don't want to talk about  it.  I don't want to think about it.  I just want to be.  With lines like, "just give me back my pieces", this song was perfect for today.  Just hoping to make it through the day without getting teary, I actually was singing this song in my head to survive it.

Ingrid Michaelson is fantastic.  I adore her music, her voice, her stories.  I do not adore her live.  Stick to the cds.  They're cheaper and you can hold on to them for longer.  The cd and the show are the same, so get your money's worth - buy the cd.

All For Swinging You Around - The New Pornographers

"Exploding international, the scenes, the sounds, and famously the feeling that you can't squeeze round, while tearing off another page of looser change outrage

It's another perfect day until the night shows"

On a mission to distract myself this weekend, I found myself embracing the uncharacteristic spring weather by exploring Manhattan.  With a fantastically tripping, upbeat tempo, this song inspires an exploration.