music in my life

music has always been important in my life. my childhood days consisted of listening to classic rock nonstop (drove my mom CRAZY with it being on at all times of the day), being quizzed on artists and song titles (one of my many talents is being able to most of the artists and/or song titles from this genre), sitting by our big front window on rainy days and singing "american pie," admiring my dad's cd collection (one of my ultimate goals in life is to have as many cds as my dad),  trying to name artists/song titles before my brother (I always won - except once, damn you first beat of "blinded by the light"), toting around my cd player, watching mtv and vh1 all day (when they actually showed music videos), being awaken on my birthday by the beatles' "birthday," being awaken every summer day by the beatles' "good morning good morning" (I still cringe at the sound of that rooster), and being in marching band. and because of that, I have a pretty open mind when it comes to music. I say I like everything, because I really do listen to it all. jazz, hip hop, pop, rock, classical, rap, alternative, indie, punk, 80s, and now even some country (which I previously couldn't stand). my only exception is the kind where all they do is scream. I don't find that musical nor do I find it pleasing to my ears.

another thing to note about me and music: I have a bad habit of buying cds. some I buy randomly without knowing the sound or the artist and some by hearing only one song (or a portion of a song). my spontaneity may stem from my ultimate goal of having more cds than my dad (see above), but it may also stem from my passion for hearing something different. I'm always open to new music - something I'm not accustomed to.

in reality, it may not be such a bad thing - some of my favorite albums I've bought without knowing anything about it (i.e. quietdrive). I think it keeps things interesting. you can't listen to the radio anymore to hear new music, because every station plays the same thing. over and over again. and my friends either aren't as passionate about music as I am, or have questionable tastes. so my way of exploring new music is to browse for $7.99 or $9.99 cds. I've noticed that these cds (the $7.99 and $9.99 ones) are usually the best cds by unknown non-mainstream artists.

I am in no way a music expert, but there's certain albums or artists that I think people should be aware of. so be on the lookout for my "music in my life" series where I'll post reviews of some of the music I come across.

annoyance of the day: "political" moves by musicians

dear musicians who chose to be political by boycotting arizona,

I get it. you don't like the SB1070 law. you think it's unconstitutional. you want to make a stand. yada yada yada. but making a difference doesn't mean make your fans suffer. we - your fans - have supported you. we are the ones who bought your albums. we are the ones who attended your shows at the little venues like the rialto (in tucson - which, as a former frequent rialto attender, I'd hate to see the historic venue close down because of artists like you who refuse to entertain those who support you) and the marquee (in tempe). we are the ones who buy your merchandise. we are the ones who make you famous and money. why would you punish us? why does taking your "stand" mean we don't get to enjoy your live music? why not try actively protesting and taking an active stand. how is refusing to play shows in our state active? brewer doesn't give a shit about you. she could care less if you play here or not. she doesn't give a shit if your measly shows hurt our economy. (she'll just take more money away from our education so more and more people will grow up with the same mindset as hers.) she probably doesn't even know who you are. we are the ones who care.

and maybe you forgot, but we are not the ones who have a say in the law. sb1070 was not a public vote. we did not vote it into law. not all of us agree with it. (regardless of how I feel about the law.) our governor signed the law. she made the decision. punish her. don't punish us because we live in the state of arizona. we're not going to pack our bags and move our whole lives because of a silly law and what it may or may not do. your boycotting is not hurting those who enforce the law, it's only hurting the venue owners and the fans who always go to your shows - the ones who have always supported you.

bottom line: your boycotting is not doing a damn thing. yes, it's just hurting our economy but that mainly hurts the people - the fans - not the government. use your head. stop trying to be all political. stop trying to think you're making a change by boycotting the state. if you don't like the law, go to the people who matter - the ones who can actually do something about it - aka the government. protest. march. go to lobbyists. throw shit at their house. I don't care. but don't make me hate you because you refuse to play in arizona (which is a beautiful state, by the way) when I have nothing to do with the "point" you're trying to make. 

maroon 5, kanye west, cyprus hill,etc. and those who decide to follow, I'm boycotting your music. see if I buy your cd's again bastards.

signed, 

your ex-fan,

alicia.

call me irresponsible

to answer any questions about the live performance ability of michael bublé, the answer is simple:

amazing. 

his voice was perfect - soulful and manly. his look was beautiful - dressed in a suit and a gorgeous smile. and his show was entertaining and hilarious - making jokes about tiger woods and his new fiancé cutting off his penis.

simply amazing.

you're welcome.

thank you Chris's mom for the tickets.

obsession

everyone has obsessions. it just depends how far they feel like taking them. I have quite a few when it comes to music. I will even go as far to say that music is one of my obsessions. I'm always listening to it. different things. almost everything from classic rock to modern day rock to soul to r&b to jazz. I loves it all. there's a few artists that I'm obsessed with as well - in other words, I can listen to them any time, multiple times, all the time. I never get sick of them.

michael bublé. if you haven't heard of him I'd say he's the modern day frank sinatra. beautiful all around. I'll tell you about how he is live after I see him tonight. yup - that's right. I am privileged to see him in concert tonight and I am BEYOND stoked. I owe chris's mom big time.

one republic. I learned about them when a friend of mine from my psychology class told me about their song "apologize." I listened to it once I got home and for the rest of that night. their debut album is amazing. it's one of those I will listen to for days on end. it's one of my favorites to listen to in the car, when I'm alone, so I can belt them out as loud as I can. it's definitely one of my favorites because I love every song and can listen to every song over and over again. their second album - also amazing (but there's one or two songs I can live without).

the white tie affair. one of my favorite albums to dance to in the car. they're one of those bands that make me a giddy "teen bop" since I melt at the sound of the lead singer's voice. 

kings of leon. but only their latest album. I've listened to (& own) their previous stuff, but it's a completely different sound. not bad exactly, but I'm obsessed with "only by the night." the songs are so sexy. they make me want to take off my clothes and dance on top of a bar. no I have not done it.

quietdrive. if you haven't heard them, you should check them out. great stuff. 

brownies. no they're not a band. their a food. duh. jack from across the hall (who has the rep of being the "grouchy old man" around the tankhouse) just gave me one and it is amazing and reminded me of how much I love brownies. especially the corners where they're nice and soft and gooey in the middle and have a crunch/hardness on the edge that gives it the perfect balance. but only the ones with nuts. no nuts, no fun.