Awesome Every Day

awesome-everyday:

Regina Spektor- Consequence of Sounds

I am in head-over-heels love with this song. It can totally be in my wedding party when I get hitched to a plate of nachos.

Regina Spektor, a fellow Aquarius, touches on a variety of social issues in this song. Violence, reluctance to resist, and how many of us are forced to rot away in cubicles. It reaches into very sensitive places in my musical and social nerves, while both plucking at them and soothing them. 

Consequence of Sound is a raw, passionate, organic smoothie of social commentary. This song gets me emotional, when I think of how viciously true some of the little snapshots Spektor offers actually are. 

Sweating like demons they scream through our speakers, but we leave the sound on, ‘cause silence is harder.

I feel like this particular line speaks volumes.

We often find the sound of our own solitude too loud, so we turn up the volume with booze or reality tv or other things that do not truly serve us. The western wold is abundant with poisonous escapes. Many portals into avoiding our own demons are reflective of our own. The easiest escapes often boil up negative imagery, but we’d often rather have negative imagery than no images at all.

Oh my gosh, this song is my everything today. 

I really needed to hear this. Maybe you did too.

awesome-everyday:

Freedom - Anthony Hamilton & Elayna Boynton 

Okay, I posted this song a little over a month ago, and it requires a revisit. 

This song is from the Django Unchained soundtrack. It plays during the scene where Django is recalling the time when he and Broomhilda decided to attempt to escape from their plantation and ruthless slavemasters who refused to recognize their marriage.

Jamie Foxx and Kerry Washington hold hands, running through a field in the sun while sweating with angry white dudes on horses right on their heels. I bawled at that scene like it was the end of Beasts of the Southern Wild, y’all.

Not giving up has always been hard
But if I do things the easy way, I won’t get far

It’s an incredibly powerful and moving moment, and the feel of this song— it gives the scene a sort of power it wouldn’t have if there was simply some bland escape music. 

Anthony Hamilton expertly navigates the yearning for a better life through poetic verses that feel like church and history and something Langston Hughes might have conjured up.

There’s gotta be a wind in my bones

It erupts deep, historical feelings in me, no matter how many times I hear it. Musically it takes me in a time machine that connects me to people and happenings and injustices that have changed forms but still exist.

I am looking for freedom
Looking for freedom
And to find it may take everything I have 

What really speaks to me, is that both characters in this song are speaking about weakness. They are aching and hurting in an unavoidable way, but relying on the fact that without hope, faith or strength, things are just going to stay the same.

Life hasn’t been very kind to me lately
But I suppose it’s a push for movin’ on
In time, the sun’s gonna shine on me nicely
Somethin’ tells me good things are coming
And I ain’t gonna not believe

Furthermore, Freedom makes me think of the social justice struggle, and how it’s not work filled with wins and big changes. There’s a lot of hard, emotional work to put in, but I ain’t gonna not believe.

Rihanna - Diamonds

I freaking love this song.

The song was co-written by Sia Fuller, who I just love. Her voice is right in my range, and she’s very skilled, so learning her songs is always a fun challenge for me.

Sia is actually a well-trained jazz singer, but her pop albums are so beautiful! If you listen to Sia’s pop work, she is a very powerful singer who has a particular style of grouping harmonies.

Actually, the first time I heard Diamonds, I thought that Rihanna was Sia.

That observation speaks volumes about Sia’s songwriting style, which is beautiful and easily invokes the deepest emotions one can conjure (If you need some proof, check Sia’s artfully crafted waltz, Soon We’ll Be Found).

My observation also speaks volumes about Rihanna’s uncanny ability to meld her vocal style with great songwriters. There’s a reason Rihanna is a famous singer. She’s adaptable, and has the unique skill that allows her to sound good in basically any genre. 

I know, there’s someone thinking, “She’s no Beyonce,” but seriously, let’s be fair. NOBODY IS BEYONCE, okay? Michael Jackson was no Sammy Davis Jr who was certianlly no James Brown.

Rihanna is glorious, and her presentation of Sia’s vocal style is impressive.

Coasters - Love Potion Number 9

Teena Marie - Lovergirl

Marina and the Diamonds - Oh No!

No Doubt ft Busy Signal & Major Lazer - Push And Shove 

Okay, No Doubt has changed a lot. BUT Y’ALL. Tragic Kingdom came out in like, 1996. They’re all in their 40’s and parents now. 

But guess what? Push and Shove is a great album, sounds absolutely brilliant, and most likely pairs well with some herbal refreshment. 

This particular track, is an amazing dance track with dance hall elements reminiscent of their award winning album, Rock Steady. It also answers the question I’ve been asking, “What might dubstep sound like with live instruments?”

Guess what?

It sounds fuckin’ good.

I am EXTREMELY excited to see No Doubt perform this song live.