"Let It Lie" - The Bros. Landreth

Proof that I attended an OUTDOOR winter event 

It's not very often that I  blog about a local band.  It might be because I haven't heard many local bands that I'd like to write about it,  but it's really probably because I'm too lazy to go out on "the scene" scoping out bands like I"m a middle-aged, cigar smoking talent scout about to give someone their big break by writing about them in my semi-shitty, self-serving music blog.

"EmmyLou" - First Aid Kit

Sorry Jack.. only room for one on this plank.

So. I'm getting married.

I'm excited, slightly terrified and mostly in love. It's kind of frightening to imagine choosing one person to stick with for the rest of your days, all at the young, still idiotic age of 28. I love my future err.. husband (panic), but I've realized it's more of a best-friend, retainer-in, bra-off type of love. Meaning, I can't imagine my life without him but I don't know if I'd take it as far as Rose and Jack did, Ala Titanic.

"You, Me And The Bourgeoisie" - The Submarines

(Sigh) those were the days..

Sometimes life sucks.  Sometimes it's hard.  As much as it  seems enticing to be perpetually happy, consider this,  if everything is always great,  nothing is great.  Life has ups and downs for a reason.  The "downs" exist to make you stronger, and to make the "ups" that much sweeter.

I'm 26 now.  I'm on the wrong side of 20, and beginning to notice that I feel (slightly) and look (barely) old-er.  I seem to be becoming more (ugh) responsible...  It's terrible.  I'm thinking things through, making less bad decisions and contemplating my future.  Previously, my "future" hadn't extended past the next morning.

"Stubborn Love" - The Lumineers

Sorry too busy doing things like this to blog!

Sorry I've been a bad blogger again but I was off enjoying Europe.. and Mexico.. and life!  Good news is I picked up some new songs in between here and there and have a list of to-blogs. I started listening to The Lumineers before my Euro-trip, as a couple of friends had suggested songs to me.  Most people are probably familiar with their single, "Ho Hey", probably not as many with "Stubborn Love."  That's OK, I never mind taking the road less travelled.

"Daughter" - Loudon Wainwright III

Quarter Life Crisis Exhibit A

Now that I've reached my quarter life crisis point (I've already been through the piercing/tattoo/leather phase so it can't get much worse),  I find myself reflecting a lot this past year. Being an over confident 20 something year old, I usually think that everything I say is gospel. There is one thing that I've learned, that most would agree with, that family is the most important thing in your life.  No matter how much you fight with them or they irritate you, at the end of the day they're blood, and these are the people that will always care most and be there for you. This post reminds me of a quote from another song, "Everybody's Free To Wear Sunscreen" by Baz Luhrmann.

"The Shell" - Rose Cousins

The human body has an amazing ability to adapt. We can survive extreme temperatures, (which is why us Canadians still exist), and situations. For example; when we feel threatened our body goes into "Fight or Flight" mode. We release hormones that speed up our heart rate, open our lungs and increase blood flow and pressure to our muscles in preparation to run or defend ourselves. Adaptation is how people overcome disease or sickness, severe operations like organ transplants, or even simply gain muscle.  In the BBC series, "Inside the Human Body", they "show how existence is a struggle and how, minute by minute, from your first breath to your last, your body performs countless small miracles to keep you alive." The series interviews a man who can hold his breath underwater for 9 minutes, a man who swims in glacial lakes so freezing that they would kill a normal person, and a woman who has lived for 10 years on nothing but potato chips.

"Little Talks" - Of Monsters And Men

Imma show you how proud I am

Remember back in the old days when people used to marry within their heritage to keep the bloodlines pure?  I guess you probably don't remember, because you'd be 700 years old now, and dead instead of reading this blog. Anyways, I like those days. I am annoyingly proud of my heritage (hey son, check out all of my foreign tattoos).  I am half Icelandic and half Ukranian.  Don't tell my Baba (Ukranian Grandma), but I might just be a little more proud to be Icelandic.  Come on, really though - even pierogi can't compete with Vikings!

"Video Games" - Lana Del Ray

I was crying over Postsecrets like this

I can't sleep.  I just got back from Hawaii (Woe is me - I know),  and I'm still on "Island Time".  By "Island Time" I mean I'm terribly exhausted but can't fall asleep without hearing the ocean anymore apparently?  Being a Social Media maven I was playing around on my Pinterest.  Perfect site for me as I already creepily save photos I like to folders on my computer to look at when I'm bored.  I posted said photos to Pinterest and now I feel much more productive....  Anyways, I started looking at some of my favourite Postsecrets, got emotional and decided to blog my insomnia out.

"One Great City" (I Hate Winnipeg) - The Weakerthans

I'm proud to say I live in Winnipeg. I'm not from here originally, I voluntarily made the choice to move here.I have learned that Winnipeg is known for two main things;

Welcome Home Winnipeg Jets

1. Being ridiculously cold (Hence Winterpeg)
2.Losing the Winnipeg Jets.

Slowly but surely, people's perspective on Winnipeg is shifting.  Like "The Little Engine That Could", Winnipeg is quietly doing amazing things.  From our brand new airport, world class Polar Bear facility at Assiniboine Park, IKEA (oh yes), to the Museum for Human Rights. The entire world watched us this summer as after 14 years we welcomed home our beloved Winnipeg Jets. But Winnipeg doesn't really talk about the great things that we're doing, and that - is what many say to be our biggest fault.

"Small Town Streets" - Zachary Lucky

When I grow up I want to be
just like Penny Lane...

Gawd I feel guilty.  So guilty. This blog has become a forgotten house plant, slowly wilting, in the corner of the room.  Despite my recent negligence I promise never to let this blog die. Being able to share my taste in music with people all over the world is an amazing feeling.  I used to daydream about being a Penny Lane-esque kind of broad that travels around the world scouting out bands and penning articles for Rolling Stone Magazine. The closest I've come to this thus far, is writing my blog and picking up local musicians.  C'est la vie - I'll take what I can get.

This song came to me quite unexpectantly through my little cousin.  The weird part is that I had no idea he was my cousin until two years ago when my brother started bringing him around (baby bro has a nasty habit of bringing home strays). We soon discovered him as one of our own, and any talk of marrying him off to various other cousins stopped (mostly).

"Low Man" - Alberta Cross

Sky, Highway, Prairies and Me

I write most of my blogs while driving.  Not literally, just in my head. I pick a song I want to write about and I play it over and over again until I'm inspired.  I don't do a whole lot of driving, but every week I do make my trek to "The Lake".  "The Lake" is about an hour from doorstep to doorstep and the easiest, breeziest drive I ever have to do.  Almost the entire hour drive is just sky, highway, prairies and me.  During my drive to "The Lake" I do alot of thinking and tend to make most of my decisions.

"The General" - Dispatch

I don't believe in war. I'm a strong believer in making love.. not war.    It blows my mind that in such a sophisticated society with advanced technologies and beliefs, that we still engage in this ancient act. That being said, I understand that when the decision to fight is made we require people to fight. I have nothing but the utmost respect for the men and women that put their lives on the line every day so that we don't have to.  One of my best friends has been overseas with the army twice.  Every time I heard a report of Canadians killed while fighting abroad I scrambled to the newspaper to find the names, praying every time that it wasn't his.  It's crazy to think that this goofy guy who used to let me cut his hair on the deck (bad idea), and sit puking beside me on the front steps after we'd been kicked out of his own house party, could actually be the same guy sent out to the desert to fight for our Country. Thankfully he made it home safe and sound each time, and I look forward to wrecking many more parties with him.

"Furr" - Blitzen Trapper

"So I says to Mable I says.."

For someone that used to want to be IN radio, I really don't like/listen to it all that much.  I prefer to have my own radio show, and by radio show I mean my Ipod.  My music saavy neighbor, (I know that guy has got to start paying me for all these plugs) suggested I listen to CBC: Radio 2.  I was like right,  It sounds like something my Grandma might listen to before bed.  I was kind of right, because their late shows consist of alot of old people material and jazz etc., but before/after work they have some solid programming.  They play a beauty of a mix of classics, indie and new music.  Their hosts actually have interesting material.  They don't just talk about getting drunk and their sexual escapades with various radio groupies, they spout endless trivia about musicians, songs and the industry in general.  I effing love it to be honest.

"Kids" - MGMT

I'm not averse to pop music, or "Top 40".  I just find myself drawn to music with a little more depth than a puddle.  That being said, there a few irritatingly catchy pop/dance songs that I find myself downloading and shoulder dropping to in my car on my drive to work.

The drunk people had no idea what this song was

I was at a local bar that I kinda despise a few weeks ago, (said bar coincidentally is also my office - figure that one out), when I heard the song "Kids" by MGMT.  At the time I didn't know what the song was called and was frantically trying to interrogate the drunk people nearest to me on the song's name before it ended.  Someone suggested Arcade Fire, and even though I doubted them I spent the next day trying to Google various Arcade Fire song lyrics.  My next move was to text about five people I know that like music as much as I do. Four out of five shot blanks, but the fifth hit a bullseye and pointed me towards, "Kids" by MGMT.

"The Great Escape" - Patrick Watson

Tropicana you genius you

Since becoming involved in the wonderful world of marketing I find myself analyzing marketing campaigns.  Print ads, billboards, TV commercials.  I pass judgment and over analyze them all from a marketing perspective.  Instead of sub consciously being influenced by advertising I find myself becoming consciously aware of it and then making the decision as to whether or not I allow myself to be influenced by their message.  The other day at work we were discussing effective commercials and the first one that came to my mind was a particular "Tropicana" commercial.

The "Fake Sun" in Inuvik

I'm creepy.  In several ways, and one of those ways is that I have an incredibly strong and weird aversion to anything orange/citrus-ey.  I HATE the color orange, the smell of orange, and I especially hate the taste of orange.  Despite all of the aforementioned hatred for orange, I found myself disappointed after watching the Tropicana commercial that I couldn't buy Orange Juice the next time I went to the store.  The premise for the commercial is promoting Tropicana's theme, "Brighter mornings for Brighter days". For those of you not from Canada,  Inuvik, Northwest Territories is known for two things. 1.) Being cold, and 2.) Several weeks of complete darkness during their winter.  Tropicana invited a group of Canadian filmmakers to capture the moment where they "brought back the sun" to Inuvik during the town's frigid and dark winter.On January 9, 2010 Tropicana raised a 36-foot wide illuminated helium balloon over Jim Koe Park in Inuvik.  The residents watched as the balloon shone as brightly as the real sun in the black sky.

"Man in Black" - Johnny Cash

Proper way to put on gloves

At the end of a long day of work the last thing I usually feel like doing is.. well anything. This Tuesday I was particularly exhausted and would have loved nothing more than to stay home and veg.  My daydreams of lying around in my trashy underwear watching even trashier TV were short-lived, because I knew I had a date.  A long standing one actually, every Tuesday for the past two and a half years.  I volunteer at our local humane society - in the back area doing animal care related tasks. As I pulled on my scrubs, Crocs (yes-guilty) and snapped my latex gloves (like I imagine some sort of sexy nurse would) I found myself wondering, "Why do I volunteer?"

"White Hot" - Tom Cochrane

This is how Nickelback reminds me..

Something that I missed out on growing up in a small town was concerts.  Obviously Nipigon wasn't big enough to host a movie theater, let alone a proper stadium. Thunder Bay wasn't much better when I was living there. Nickelback was the first live, fairly large concert that I ever saw.  Please note this was when Nickelback was considered popular (yes, there was a time), and "How You Remind Me", was the number one single...well pretty much everywhere.  When I moved out to Manitoba I was thrilled at the opportunity to attend not only Nickelback concerts...but good concerts as well!  The first concert I remember attending at the MTS Centre was Tom Cochrane. I don't remember much else about that night as Winnipeg was hosting Grey Cup that same weekend - but I do remember falling a little bit in love with Mr. Cochrane.

"Someone Like You" - Adele

Oh affairs

OK then, it has been MUCH too long since I've posted a sappy love song.  Sorry - had to do it.  I have had "Someone Like You" by Adele on repeat for the last 3 weeks, so I feel like a bit of a traitor if I don't write about it.  Like It's a secret love affair that no one can know about, and as a new rule I'm trying quite hard to cut down on those. 

"Beer" - Reel Big Fish

Trumpets make everything sound good

So what happened to Ska? Anyone? Doesn't a trumpet make anything sound good! I actually forgot about Ska until my recent vacation with an old friend, (clarification: old as in long-time-childhood friend, not old as in wrinkles and liver spots.) 

"The Cave" - Mumford & Sons

"Excuse me sir.. which song is this?"

After my Grammy rant, I know I promised you a blog on Mumford & Sons, so here it is my dears. This year has definetly been my year for music. I am typically a Classic Rock gal, but this year I found myself getting into every type of genre - from folk to hip hop. I've had alot of influence from some very music savvy friends - but now that I'm a "blogger" I find myself discovering new music everywhere. I find songs in movies, TV shows, other blogs, and even in stores. In a particularly creepy move, I heard a song that I liked so much while in a store the other day, that I asked to speak with the manager to find out the artist, (for those of you who are curious - it was Mazzy Starry - "Fade Into You").