Mr. 152 Insights Into My Soul!

As I sat on the lawn taking in the cool breeze and the steady scream of the guitar, I tried to add up how many times I've seen John Mayer live and when this whole torrid love affair began. The number I came to is 6, but I swear that seems low...

Believe it or not, I'm aware of the absurdity of my obsession. Most people want to label him as a womanizer, a douchebag, or a sell-out, but the truth is that he's a musical genius. And when you take all the tabloid headlines and supposed character flaws away and evaluate the work aside from the person, it's easy to understand how a dreamer like me could fall into this trap.

In my defense, I'm not the screaming girl in the tiny "I heart JM" tee holding up suggestive signs to get attention. I much prefer to revel in the moment quietly, take it all in and sing along. There's just something about someone who has that much passion poured into so much God-given talent that is hard to look away from.

Why is talent so attractive? Why do these types of people seem impossibly untouchable? And why on earth are these the only people I'm attracted to? I have no answers to these questions and I seriously consider that this may be my #1 character flaw and the reason for my single life. I cling to the hope that I was made this way for a reason...

Here are a few excerpts of some of my favorite lyrics. All kidding aside, it is its own kind of Shakespeare.

When Autumn comes, it doesn't ask

It just walks in where it left you last

You never know until it starts

And then there's fog inside the glass around your summer heart

I never liked this apple much; It always seemed too big to touch

I can't remember how I found my way before she came around

I tell everyone, I smile just because I've got a city love...

and I can't remember life before her name

You're not the perfect hand but I don't hit on 19...

and I don't need another kind of green to know,

I'm on the right side with you

Once in a while when it's good, it'll feel like it should

And they're all still around, and you're still safe and sound

And you don't miss a thing, til you cry when you're driving away in the dark

singing stop this train, I want to get off and go home again

I can't take the speed it's moving in

A Life In The Day

What I wouldn't give to live just one day of this life...

"A Life In The Day" from John Mayer on Vimeo.

March Madness

I know, I know...it's been like a month. March Madness has taken on a new meaning in my life this month, and I'm not just referencing the complete upheaval of the NCAA tournament. (Thanks for nothing, you so-called experts; I've gotten my tail kicked in two separate pools and it's not even over yet.) But really, life has just been crazy lately...so can we just do a little recap action and pick up where we left off? Call it even? Um k, thanks.

First off, San Diego was amazing! We had such a great time catching some rays, catching up with friends and literally eating our way around town. A California burrito stuffed with carnitas, fries and guacamole? Let's just say been there, done that.



Aside from the random snowfall on the first official day, spring has finally sprung in Texas! Earlier this month, Megan had a friend in town for the weekend who'd never been to Texas before. Seeing as it was the first beautiful and reasonably warm weekend we'd had, we all offered up our Saturday to show her that Dallas knows how to have a good time.

An early morning patio brunch was followed by a trip to the Nasher Sculpture Museum, where we were challenged to a drawing competition.


We visited everything but the face painting table, and decided it was just too pretty to call it a day. Why not head to The Ritz to have a mimosa? We walked the few blocks downtown and headed into The Ritz lobby like we owned the place. After being lightly cautioned that the pool was on the second floor and was for guests only, we matter of factly strolled over to the elevators and pressed "2". Worth a try, right?

Right. Not 30 seconds after approaching the locked door, a very friendly pool waiter happily swiped his key and welcomed us right in. After making ourselves comfortable in a row of padded lounge chairs, we ordered mimosas and smuggly snoozed in the sun.


That is until we heard a familiar voice making conversation to our left. Ever so sneakily, I peeked from behind my wayfarers to find a familiar face indeed. Amy whispered "Is that...John Tucker must die?" "Umm hmm."


This is the best shot I could get in my feeble attempt to remain cool. We quietly watched Jesse Metcalfe's every move and eavesdropped on his every word for the next 30 minutes or so. We casually sipped mimosas and enjoyed the view until we could giggle, twitter and text everyone we knew.

Next up, John Mayer. I think a few of you expected a ridiculous, overblown, obsessive post after the concert. (I really don't understand why...?) Truth is, I didn't swoon quite like I used to. Am I growing up? Or is it just all his recent bad press? I don't really know, but he's definitely still a favorite and I'll always jump at the chance to see him live.

This time around I was ahead of the game and pre-sale ordered floor seats a mere 4 months in advance. They were by far the best seats I've had for one of his shows and we got to sit next to Chad, his sound guy, which was kind of cool! His tour crew gets to see the show night after night, so it was fun to watch their reactions; you knew when they were really impressed and when they thought he was being ridiculous.

I wish I had some great photos to show you, but unfortunately this was my view for most of the night:

I hate this about concerts; my perfect (and expensive) view, blocked by love birds and bump-its.

Even still, the show was great. He was extremely grateful, the band was incredible and he showed Dallas a lot of love.


Also, my bracket isn't the only thing that hasn't fared so well through the championship. The Beers? suffered a gut-wrenching loss to end the winter kickball season this past week. There was blood, words were exchanged, and there may have been a few threats to pants their pitcher, but overall we were good sports. We'll be back to take the gold next season...I mean, look at this fierce bunch!


I'll leave you with a quick musical snack. The Temper Trap's Conditions is arguably the best album I've heard this year. I mean it. I've had it in rotation for months now and I'm not over it in the least. I'm seeing them live April 12th, so more to come on them soon.

Christmas Vacation

I'm a bit of a competitive person. It's usually less about the prize and more about the glory/bragging rights. However, sometimes such a competition comes along where you just can't help but wanna win. This is one of those times.

For those of you who are not prone to celebrity stalking, you may not be aware that John Mayer is conducting his Second Annual Interfaith Baking Contest. With the grand prize set at 4 meet and greet backstage passes, an autographed guitar and the Christmas sweater he wore on the Ellen Show, I can confidently say, I want to win.

Always supportive of my unhealthy addictions, my creative friends jumped in to help brainstorm a winning idea (last year's winner was a cake in the shape of the legendary leg lamp). The brainstorming session went a number of directions; a cake of John Mayer glittering like Edward Cullen; a cake of the infamous Borat swimsuit was another runner-up. But in the end, we stuck with what we know best - Christmas movies and great one-liners.

With Clark Griswold and Cousin Eddie on the brain, we went to work. It was a real group effort with lots of creative input: Mix vanilla and chocolate frosting for a realistic flesh color. A mini Swisher Sweet cigar would be a nice touch. Toast the coconut to make more realistic chest hair. I've never been more proud or so full of Christmas cheer. Here's to hoping JM gets our humor!

The real Cousin Eddie: our inspiration.

The Swisher Sweets took it up to a whole new level.

It's all about the presentation...and the lighting.

I think the Antler Mug is a nice touch.

One Track Minded

It's the eve of a very big day for music lovers!

At midnight tonight, iTunes will automatically deploy my pre-ordered copy of John Mayer's Battle Studies. The Billboard.com review has already claimed it to be the "best and most adventurous of his four studio albums," and I'll cheerfully second that motion.

John Mayer is an interesting case study in the genre-segmented music industry. Guys love to hate him, girls scribble his lyrics in their diary, US Weekly is still talking about his love life and old-school players like Rolling Stone so desperately want to classify him as a pop sell-out. It's not really surprising that the Rolling Stone review gave Battle Studies 3 stars, but their average user rating was closer to a 4.5. But, even they had to admit that his new album "is a real study in craftmanship and understated guitar ninja-dom". At the end of the day, you can't deny what an incredible musician he is.

Thanks to a thoughtful friend in a high place, I got an early release of it a week ago so I've had some time to let it resonate in my headphones. If you're a devoted follower (like your's truly) you know that JM has a diverse repertoire that ranges from pop ballads and poetic love songs to full swing blues and hard rock. I think this fourth album is different because he's finally earned freedom from the record label and in turn has fused all those sounds into one coherent collection. He managed to reach the pop crowd with the "Half of My Heart" duo with Taylor Swift, the classic rock crowd with his interpretation of Robert Johnson's "Crossroads" and the US Weekly spectators with "Heartbreak Warfare". (Is he publicly jabbing Jennifer Aniston?!) And inevitably, girls will swoon as they deconstruct the other 50% of the album and try to interpret his quest to "find ways to keep the good alive" in romance. This is why I think it's brilliant, but I'll let you decide for yourself. My list of personal favorites is still evolving.


But consider yourself warned; this isn't his most upbeat and optimistic release. Once he set the album title Battle Studies, he took the theme to a new level and carried it out through other titles like "Heartbreak Warfare", "War Of My Life" and "Assassin". He said so himself, "(it's more) observations and a little bit of advice on relationships... kind of like a heartbreak handbook".

If you have better cable than I do, you should set your tivo to the Fuse Channel tomorrow night as they broadcast his first album performance live from the Beacon Theatre in New York City.

There are some other great things happening tomorrow as far as New Music Tuesdays go, but alas, I do have a day job...

Overload

I'm overwhelmed by the idea of blogging about all the new music that's coming out this fall. To be fair, I have to tell you that I haven't purchased a single album on this list; mostly because my bank account is breaking just trying to list them all! I'll have to draw straws to figure out what to purchase first, but I'll leave the rest up to you. I'll cut right to the chase and just give you a list of my picks and links to their websites where you can hear some of the new stuff that may not be available on itunes yet.

SEPTEMBER

David Gray - Draw the Line
If you've never really listed to David Gray, I'll give you a few of my favorites to start with. Babylon might be a song you recognize, but it's near the bottom of my list. I'd recommend checking out Sail Away, Kangaroo and The One I Love. I think he has such a seasonal sound and he's perfect for listening to when you're laying in bed with the crisp air blowing in your windows.

Alicia Keys - Doesn't Mean Anything
Besides rocking Jay-Z's Empire State of Mind, Alicia Keys has also just released a new single. I'm not sure when her complete album comes out, but I personally love buying the teasers up front...kind of spreads out the joy. :)

Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
I'm new to Phoenix, which is pretty obvious because this cd actually came out in May, but I'm totally digging 1901. I'm considering downloading the whole album...I'm open to thoughts & recommendations.

Paramore - Brand New Eyes
This is about as far as I stretch into the emo, punk genre, but this girl can sing. I typically really like a couple of songs from their albums and am not too interested in the rest. The album just came out today, so I'll keep you posted on my favorites. (hint: if it's featured in Twilight, I'll like it.)

Mayer Hawthorne - A Strange Arrangement
This guy has gotten lots of buzz in the music industry from other artists. It's kind of different and has a little 60s revival to it...

Muse - The Resistance
I've liked some of their stuff in past and they're opening up for U2 on their current tour, so they've got some big names in their corner...you know...me, Bono...

A Fine Frenzy - Bomb In A Birdcage
She's a quirky and cool songwriter/piano player, if you're into that kind of thing. A couple of her older songs that will give you a good feel for her sound are You Picked Me and Almost Lover. Her new cd is getting better reviews than the first, so I think it would be a safe purchase.

OCTOBER

Michael Buble - Crazy Love
Brace yourself, he's taking that romantic voice and rat-pack style and doing a cover of Justin Timberlake's Cry Me A River. In his typical fashion though, he's mixing it in with a few originals and a few classics like Georgia On My Mind.

New Moon Soundtrack
Not only will I be re-reading the book and seeing the movie as soon as possible, I'll more than likely be buying the soundtrack as well. Call me obsessive, whatever. The lineup (in the movie and on the soundtrack) is even better than the first time around with big names like Thom Yorke and The Killers; as well as indie favorites like Bon Iver and Death Cab.

Death Cab for Cutie, "Meet Me on the Equinox"
Band of Skulls, "Friends"
Thom Yorke, "Hearing Damage"
Lykke Li, "Possibility"
The Killers, "A White Demon Love Song"
Anya Marina, "Satellite Heart"
Muse, "I Belong to You (New Moon)"
Bon Iver & St. Vincent, "Roslyn"
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, "Done All Wrong"
Hurricane Bells, "Monsters"Sea Wolf, "The Violet Hour"
OK Go, "Shooting the Moon"
Grizzly Bear, "Slow Life"
Editors, "No Sound but the Wind"
Alexandre Desplat, "New Moon (The Meadow)"

NOVEMBER (these all come out the same day, by the way)

John Mayer - Battle Studies
I can guarantee you that this one will be pre-ordered, but I'm sure you knew that. You can listen to his new single on his website and buy the whole thing on November 17. swoon...

OneRepublic - Waking Up
November 17 is going to be a busy day. This is another album that is going to be worth pre-ordering. These guys are so incredibly talented, not only is the lead singer responsible for Beyonce's "Halo" and one million other radio hits, his band brings a whole new sound to radio and pop music. Their first single, "All the Right Places" will be available on itunes next Tuesday, Oct 13.

Norah Jones - The Fall
Nothing beats her first cd, and I haven't heard anything from the new one, but I'm hoping she delivers on some smooth jazz.

Jason Castro - Let's Just Fall In Love Again
You know, the kid from American Idol with the dred locks! He's a fellow Aggie and a Dallas resident, so I'm tempted to support him regardless; but I heard him do a live concert on the radio morning show last week and he sounded incredible. I think his album will be sweet & upbeat...and he's including Jeff Buckley's Hallelujah, which will get you every time.

Kris Allen - Live Like We're Dying
Another American Idol alum; he was precious on the show and he did an awesome remix of Kanye, but I have to say - I don't love the new single he released. Let's hope he comes up with something that reminds me of why he was my favorite.

8. Anticipation

I'm wrapping up my favorite summer things because the weather started changing and I'm already in a fall state of mind. There are so many great things that only take place in the summer, but about this time of year I am always anticipating the fall. The boots; the jackets; the football; the colors – I just can’t get enough. But, since God didn’t think Texas needed anything but a hot summer and a mild winter, I’m forced to look elsewhere for my autumn enthusiasm. These are the things I just can’t wait for!

Battle Studies

The last time I was this giddy was September of 2006…anyone know the significance of that month? Yep – that was when John Mayer’s last album, Continuum was released. I consider myself to be a person who is excited by the simple things in life, so when the big things come along – I tend to lose my grip. The day he twittered the official date for his new album, I quickly installed a countdown widget on my blog – which proved to be dysfunctional and ugly. So you’ll just all have to mark your own calendars, or stick with me and I’ll send out a group text from whatever store I’m standing in at midnight. I kid. Seriously though: November 17, 2009. Write it down, it’s gonna be a good day. He recently twittered "the end of my experience is the beginning of your's..." it's about time.

Glee

Tell me you caught the teaser pilot episode following the American Idol finale in May…or at least jumped in on the season premiere last week. This show was made for someone like me (and probably you too if you’re reading my blog). Dancing, singing, high school drama, sarcasm, awkwardness! You can sigh a deep breath of relief that Fox TV producers have heard our cry. You can also check out the cast’s newly released single on iTunes, On My Own. As if I didn’t already love this show enough, they go and release possibly the greatest Broadway tune of all time – also the only song I’ve ever publicly auditioned with on a stage, solo. (Hallelujah, that’s one thing that can’t be found on YouTube!)

New York

My heart has had an Empire State shaped hole since I left the Big Apple in April. Unemployment left me destitute for the summer, but fall has arrived alongside a steady paycheck…New York City here I come! I’m going up for a 4-day Fall Fest that involves lots of shopping, friends, fall clothes wearing, brunching and a girls trip to Philly to watch Meg run her first half-marathon! My New York coffee cup runeth over…

Follow-Up

So now that I’ve had a couple of days to sit with the new Greg Laswell cd, I have to say, I’m hooked. If you’ve seen Confessions of a Shopaholic, you might have heard his reflective rendition of Girls Just Want to Have Fun…which is pretty cool and gives you some insight into his style. I found his bio on the VH1 new artist site (after sorting through junk for Tool Academy and some show about Ray J) and someone referred to one of his songs as “Jeff Buckley meeting Radiohead in an underground cabaret”. Make of that what you will.

All I want out of life is to be the inspiration for a song like And Then You. I know Kristen is going to razz me about going for the sensitive types, but seriously! This is the kind of song that you need to listen to with your headphones, turn it up and just have a moment…it really is so sweet. His whole album is pretty mellow (which I lurve) but this might be a little too slow and sensitive for some of you. I’m also a big fan of Comes and Goes (In Waves) and The One I Love.

Also, I have been a little hesitant to jump on the MGMT train because I thought that they were a little too techno-ish for my taste. I take it back. I listened to Kids practically on repeat on my way home today – granted, I was already in a good mood because it’s Friday and I had totally snuck out of work early, but it kind of just makes you want to bob your head a little. I’ll get around to the rest of the album soon.

Also, on a completely unrelated note – did you see this on Jimmy Fallon the other night? It brings together so many of my favorite things in a 2-minute span; Justin Timberlake, late night tv, John Mayer and 80's music.

Just because it’s the weekend and I couldn’t be happier:

Prelude

Music is maybe the only thing I’ve been consistently passionate about in my life. It has been a constant companion for as far back as I can remember. There was this one time I got a “jambox” for Christmas – I’m pretty sure it was kindergarten. I somehow got my hands on a cassette tape of Queen’s single, Bohemian Rhapsody (probably swiped from my older brother) and I sat in my closet, jambox in lap, and listened to it over and over, manually rewinding it each time. If you know me at all, which both of you reading this do, you know that this is consistent with my personality. I live for new music and then I completely wear it out. I’m a big fan of the shuffle and repeat features on my ipod.

Blogging is kind of a scary thing to me because I’ve got some really witty friends (and because it's presumptuous to assume people care what you have to say). I have a 9 to 5 job in an advertising/online publishing office, which means I gchat and read blogs most of the day – and I’ve read some really good ones. So to manage your expectations, here are some things you should know about me, this blog and my musical taste.

this is nothing new
I’m not a super-indie person and I’m not out constantly scoping new artists. Most of my playlists are a collection of songs I found featured on itunes, VH1 morning videos, a new movie trailer or an episode of The Hills.

i am very low-key
Give me a Justin Timberlake album and inevitably, my favorite song will be the slow ballad. (you know the part towards the end of Love Stoned…yep, that’s what I’m talking about) There is a time and a place for some Rhianna, but for everyday, I’m always going to pick something more mellow.

Without developing a formal mission statement, my goal for this blog is that it offers you some fresh ideas, brings up some old favorites and helps your day progress to five o’clock a little quicker. I have zero authority in the music biz – although I have been known to be the “Lyrics Police” - and I believe that everyone brings a new perspective to the table, so please offer suggestions! I plan to keep you updated on my latest and greatest "On-The-Go" playlist, inform you about who I'm listening to and why and who knows?...maybe even share my opinions on the new American Idol hopefuls. Share if you’re listening to something that really gets you going! And feel free to offer up tips and ask questions – I might need some ideas to keep this exciting!

Here is something to get this party started - thanks to Kristen for discovering this last year: