GOOD NEWS!!

I was brave and weathered the Black Friday shopping yesterday. Though I didn't head out till 10 hoping to bypass most of the crowds. That didn't happen, there were TONS of people at Best Buy when I got there. I was even interviewed by the local news! Little shy and awkward me was on TV 3 times Friday! Not that I got to see it- boo work! Why was I at Best Buy with all the crazies you ask?Well,

I FINALLY GOT A NEW HARDDRIVE!!!!!!!!

I am now the proud owner of the Western Digital My Passport Essential SE 1TB portable harddrive. That's not a plug or any kind of promotion I'm just really excited. I have a new toy!! Where this baby lacks in psychical size (its about as big as my hand!) it makes up in storage space!

It's he a cutie? I've named him Fred and I know we've become fast friends!

Yes, I realize I might sound a little odd, but when you think about it, this is normal

behavior for me. I love music so much that you could call it an addiction and since I have an older laptop I was never able to store my massive collection on my laptop. I've had to rely on some sort of external storage unit. Ipods, harddrive, etc. But now I have Fred and he's already working on replacing everything that I lost.

See!

He's a busy little bee! I've even got a spreadsheet of all my missing music so I know exactly what I'm missing. That's the highlighted window in the back. This time around I'm going to organize the crap out of my music.

You know how people always say its the little things that bring the most happiness? Well this is by far the biggest little thing to happen to me in a while. I really am ridiculously excited!!

My Hometown. Part One

I grew up with the Air Force. I've moved around a bit. I consider many places, states, and countries 'home'. I always consider music to be my hometown. Music has been the biggest constant of my life. I may more around, change and grow as a person but music will always be there for me. Sure, there is music that comes and goes. Its not easy to stay the exact same, do and act the same way your whole life. But as often as my music choices change there will always be bands and artist that stand the test of time. They might not be on my top ten favorite of all time list, but it something I know I’ll always be willing to listen to.

Below are a few songs that will always has a place in my heart. Just like how my many hometowns will always be a part of who I am.

Snow Patrol (“You're All That I Have”, “Run”, “Ways and Means)

I loved listening to this band while I would be hauled up in the library studying like a crazy person. They have a nice mix of up-tempo songs as well as tearjerkers. Keeps the brain's wave flowing with out over loading the system.

Jimmy Eat World (“23”, “Kill”, For Me This is Heaven”)

I'm pretty sure I've mentioned J.E.W. Before. This is a special band since not only are the one of the “hometowns” but they are also one of my all time favorites. They're song 23 was my life that year of my life (and maybe still a little bit true today). 23 is perfectly heartbreaking. Funny, most of their songs that I love are kinda painful love songs, but things never seen to work out the way they should. That there is my life in a nut shell.

The Weakerthans (“Aside” “Left and Leaving”)

I first time I heard The Weakerthans was on a mix tape (an actual casset tape) that my friend James had made for me since my little Nissan only had a crappy tape player. I always thought of the tape as my “late night driving with the windows rolled down” soundtrack. I drove around a lot when I was in high school. It was really the only place I had too quite and privacy. I normally drove by myself and late at night and in suburban Colorado there are not many people out late at night. All these songs remind me of the sense of freedom and pure relaxation all my late night driving trips left me with.

*Gas was a lot cheaper when I was 16!

We don't need no stinking words!

Or badges if you've been lucky enough to have watched the awesomeness that is Troop Beverly Hills. And if you haven't you are missing out on a true 80s gem that well leave you craving cookies.

Pushing all that aside, today I'd like to focus on an aspect of music that might not always be in the forefront. The instrumental. Lyrics can make or break a song so easily for me. Simply put, they are my favorite part of a song. I like having something to sing along to and since I'm a huge fan of over analyze every little thing, lyrics only add to my crazy! Lately I’ve found myself favoring instruments or as I like to call them: songs that are just too cool for words. By cool, I don’t mean the popular kids in your local high school cafeteria but cool as in relaxed, peaceful, that moment of the day right before the sun reacts the horizon and the world is lush and green with a thing layer of dew covering all the vegetation. That kind of cool.

Explosions in the Sky –“The Only Moment We Were Alone' and 'Your Hand in Mine' (the Friday Night Lights theme song)

There was once a wonderful football focused book called FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS that would go on to be reincarnated in not only a book but ONE OF THE BEST TV SHOWS OF ALL TIME! (its that good, seriously) The movie soundtrack set the tone for the tv show's soundtrack and all that would not be possible without this groovy instrumental rock band from Texas. Every track breaks your heart a little with each listen. Its the music I want playing softly in the background of all my most emotional and passionate moments. There's almost a small town on the plains, I'm about to break out of and take over the world vibe. Its all just so inspiring. Listen to either of these song and tell my you don't feel something nagging at you butt.

Pretty Lights - “Finally Moving”

Pretty Lights is much more synthetic than the last group. There's more hip hop style beats and the majority of the “Finally Moving” was composed on a computer. (I'm guessing) Doesn't have the same organic, heartbreaking, bleeding my sole out through my guitar vibe. This song is has more some a joint and dance around your friends basement and of couse there's someone who's brought their glow sticks with them. I like to listen to Pretty Lights riding the subway underneath Manhattan. This song and the random mix of people you'll find on the train just goes together so well.

*yes there are words, but they don't count.

Hammock - “I Can Almost See You”

Iceland. That's what comes to mind when this track starts. Or is it Greenland? Which ever one is the coldest. I picture myself walking across some barren arctic landscape, it's cold but something amazing is just a couple more steps. There might be a baby polar bear off into the distance. Not sure what's waiting just over the horizon but the track makes me believe it must be ridiculously amazing. That's the reaction I get to this track. Anything that can cause such a vivid daydream gets an A+ in my book.