Hello, dear friends! May has been quite a busy month and I don't want to bore you with any school related news, so all I shall say is that I just finished a presentation and finals are in a week. But you know what else is in a week?
Yeah, that's right.
Miles and miles of tires spinning on blacktop. Winding roads, sketchy gas stations, open spaces, passing by scenery consisting of fields and fields of dead grass and soil, cows and horses grazing (though not together)... A delicious road trip. And what contributes to making a road trip magical? Hours and hours of tunes spitting out the iPod. I know it's been forever, but I've returned with my playlist. As a heads up, the majority of these are not new; they're just some stuff I've been getting into recently. I'll be adding more as the week draws near, but for now this is what I have. Road trip edition, take it away.
01 [We The Kings-Find You There] I haven't listened to We The Kings in ages, not ever since my friend introduced me to their song "Check Yes Juliet" in 2010. Fast forward to last year when I started watching CTFxC and more recently, the Shaytards, when I rediscovered their music. Not bad, not bad at all...
03 [Sam Tsui ft. Kina Grannis-Bring Me the Night] I can't find this song on Youtube quite yet because the album was released just yesterday. My good friend, E, was able to obtain this song for me. I LOVE IT.
05 [Jonsi-Sinking Friendships] Discovered this song when I was watching clips from the show Chuck on Youtube.
06 [Jonsi-Around Us] There are two versions of this song. The first being upbeat, the second one toned down and driven by the tinkling piano keys. Both have a drastically different feel. I recommend listening to the first version first.
17 [Philip Phillips-Home (PianoGuys cover)] I may be a little biased since the Piano Guys are my all-time fave YouTube musicians and "Home" is one of my fave songs right now, but this is GORGEOUS.
first and foremost, if you frequent to my blog each week, then you probably have noticed by now that the layout, header, font color, etc. has been changing. I apologize for the mess. I'm almost done. though to be honest, I'm not 100% satisfied with the look right now but it'll have to wait until break where I have all the time in the world to mess around with it to my uber satisfaction. all that to say, bear with me! I'm trying to make this site a prettier place and I hope it's working!
also, if you are a somewhat nice person, please vote on the poll to the right of the post. it's for my own personal use. don't worry it doesn't show who votes what if you're scared or embarrassed to let people know you read my ramblings. sheesh.
anyway.
I know I sound like a broken record, but I'm seriously in denial that we've already jumped into November. trust me, you'll hear me say it again when December rolls around, but let's tackle one month at a time, shall we?
here's my playlist for the month. I'll add to it when more pops up. yes, the first three are all from Swift. judge me not.
03[Taylor Swift-I Knew You Were Trouble] okay, okay, okay, I admit it. didn't like this one the first time I listened. but hey, people can grow fond of things they initially dislike, right? DON'T JUDGE ME.
05[Gungor-Beautiful Things] I'm sure most of you have heard this song before, but I had never heard of it before two weeks ago. got to hear a gorgeous, stripped-down version with a guitar and two violins during Harvest Fest, and now I'm trying to learn it on guitar. it's a really beautiful piece and if you've never heard of it before, listen! I even stuck the video in here for your sake.
06[Waking Ashland-All Hands On Deck] THROWBACK. I don't know what it was that reminded me of this song the other day, but I felt compelled to include it in the playlist.
07 [Mariah Carey-All I Want For Christmas Is You (Anthem Lights cover)] CHRISTMAS MUSIC! yes, I thought I'd throw one in for the time being. there'll be a plenty more coming. and if goes well, then there may or may not be a Christmas song posted per day on the blog starting after Thanksgiving, but we'll see.. enjoy the video too.
people of the internet, have a swell weekend & I'll see you next Monday.
AH. it's October! anybody excited about this season as much as I am? it's hoodie&pumpkin&spice&pretty leaves&Thanksgiving&reunion&food baby weather. that's pretty good schtuff in my book...(minus the food baby perhaps.)
sorry, this is kind of a really pathetic playlist.. honestly, I haven't been listening to anything new. check back in the next few weeks, I'll be adding more if anything pops up.
random fandom moment:
I've been following Tyler Ward since 2009 and in three years, the guy has become such a sensation. he's one of the few artists on Youtube that I actually feel proud of for accomplishing so much. the first original song I listened to from him was "Paper Heart," and he had me sold. I love almost all the originals he's ever put out. (here are some of my faves: "The Hardest Thing", "Pages of Life", "Home", "Falling", and my hands-down favorite, "The Rescue") anyway, Tyler released an EP a week or so ago and it iss amazing. shoutout to Efan who bought it from iTunes and was considerate enough to send it my way. three of the originals that I linked below were also posted on Tyler's channel. you must have a listen.
it's SEPTEMBAH d00d. how'd that happen? I have no idea. I pretty much put out a blog post every week (sometimes two), so it's crazy to think that every four posts, another month has passed. <gulp> but enough about that, there's a playlist waiting for you. 1-2-3-GO.
01 [The Beatles-Blackbird Glee cast cover] hands down favorite from the list. I first heard this song when my friend Rai and his older brother + dad played it for the team on one of the last days of my SE Asia trip. it was delightful. I'm not a big fan of the Beatles (PLEASE DON'T KILL ME), so naturally I squealed with glee (pun intended) when I heard this version. Chris Colfer's voice is aaammazing (and so are the harmonies).
05 [Owl City-Silhouette] sadly there is no real version up on Youtube yet. and being the fan I am, I probably should buy the album... somefan I am, but I'm broke sooo contribute to the Ariel + Owl City fund, please? I'm kidding. but I will put you on the guest list for life if you buy me this album and/or "All Things Bright And Beautiful" for my birthday. ;)
06 [The Icarus Account-Life Is Beautiful] found this band not too long ago. this song is pretty lengthy but if/when you have time, listen to it. the lyrics are what really make this song so real to me.
07 [Neyo-So Sick covered by Sam Tsui and Max Schneider] okay another round of applause to Efan. I wouldn't have listened to this cover if he hadn't suggested it. I love Sam Tsui and all but sometimes I'm just a bit skeptical of the songs he does... but this cover is mad amazing. and Sam and Max's voice are too perfectly matched.
it's only the beginning of September but I'm already counting down the days til November/fall break... taking it one day at a time. have a swell week :)
waaah. hello! how goes it? I know the month of July is already disappearing quickly, but I thought it made sense to put out a playlist anyway since all of these have been songs that remind me of the past month and what I've been going through. enjoy ;)
03 [Ed Sheeran-Lego House](side note: having never seen Ed's face other than the dark one on the album cover, I was so utterly confused when the music video started because I was so convinced that was Ron Weasley. took me basically the whole video to get it and ended up having a good laugh. yeah, I'm quite slow.) mm, bought the "+" album in Malaysia after listening to it nonstop on the plane. soo good. one of my favorites from the album. and this COVER by Eclipse is amazingg. you'll love it if you're a fan of good a capella.
04 [Mat Kearney-Ships In The Night covered by Jake Coco and Eclipse] yeah, to prove my point about Eclipse being amazing, you must listen to this amazing cover. I honestly didn't think anything could take away from the original but wow. this cover? well, it's not quite the same but it's definitely up there.
05 [Ed Sheeran-Autumn Leaves] okay this song... is hands-down my favorite from the album. no questions asked.
07 [Fun.-Some Nights covered by Peter Hollens] Peter Hollens is the reason I have fallen in love with acapella music all over again. as for the song itself, first time listening to it. not bad. quite catchy.
10 anddd please give it upp for the laaast artist! [Charity Vance-The Diner Song] diner song? what?! just listen to it. this song is by all means the most cute, dreamy, fall-asleep-on-cotton-clouds song you'll ever hear. her voice and style reminds me a little bit of Mindy Gledhill. if you enjoy indie, you're in for a treat and even if you don't, you're still in for a surprise.
well, this is sorta different (actually, not really), but since I'm going to be out for the month of June I thought I'd put together a nice playlist for myself as I squish into an uncomfortable seat for 24 hours among the fluffy clouds. and call me weird, but whenever I put "traveling" and "music" together, I assume a loaded iPod of indie music. I have no idea where I got this mental picture from, but I can tell you one thing: there'll be no indie here.
just kidding, maybe there will be...we'll see, but don't expect it to happen. (I've nothing against indie, I'm just saying it most likely won't show up here). also, this playlist is not technically "complete" as there are already a ton of other songs on mp3. these are just the ones I haven't added yet haha. thus, this will be the most random list of music you'll ever have laid eyes on.... okay, that was really awkward. PLAYLIST.
GO.
01 [Coldplay- Life In Technicolor ii] uhm, is it sad that I totally didn't know Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow were married until last week? gaah.
13 [One Direction- What Makes You Beautiful] yes, I listen to 1D. no shame. I'll be na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-ing along on the plane while everybody is catching a wink. like a baooowss.
23 [Angels and Airwaves- The Adventure] Tom DeLonge. yipppee. okay, I sorta lied. I already have this song on my mp3, but I thought I'd put it here anyway. somehow, I always grow more fond of it whenever I'm on a long flight.
thatt's all for now. if you think there are some songs I should add to my playlist, let me know. I gotta start packing (yuuck). soo toodle-loo, I'll be seeing ya.
ugh, can you believe April is over? I don't feel like it stayed long enough. just gone in the blink of an eye and now it's May. whew. but anyway, here's my playlist for this month. check it out and enjoy.
01 [Maroon 5- Payphone (clean version)] Efan insisted I listen to this song after he heard it on the Voice. aware of our different musical tastes, I was wary at first but eventually succumbed. it had me right at the start, but then came the cussing. GAH. mainstream artists in the music industry sure know how to ruin a song. thankfully, there was a clean version released with the two words replaced and with the unnecessary rap cut. if you don't dig Adam Levine's voice then check out some of these covers HERE and HERE.
02 [Owl City ft. Mark Hoppus- Dementia] so Adam tweeted this song from his upcoming album featuring Mark Hoppus from Blink 182 and ahhhh! it's so different from his usual electronic pop stuff, (which I'm sure will get a lot of mixed reviews come the album release) but I'm so excited and I love it!
08 [Philipp Poisel- Eiserner Steg] yes, this is German. and yes, I did have to look up translation for the lyrics. the title is called "Iron Bridges" and it's kind of like a break-up song. well post-breakup-come-back-before-I-lose-you-forever kind of song... ;) but the song is sooo beautiful anyhow.
I've been on a Mat Kearney roll lately, haha. his songs are usually a hit or miss for me. the week has been good though. 'scuse the overload, but these are my faves from him. if you don't wanna listen to all of em, at least check out 01 and 03.
06 [Mat Kearney- All I Need] he dedicated this song to his friends who were affected by Hurricane Katrina; it's so beautiful.
now for something OTHER than Mat Kearney...
07 [He Is We- I Wouldn't Mind That (Good Goose Remix)] this is the song I turn up and dance to when nobody's home. forreals. (vid I linked is to a youtuber I'm subbed to and not the complete song. you can download it for free in the description box). the original is pretty good too.
08 [Carly Rae Jepsen- Call Me Maybe Cimorelli cover] :D last week? or maybe the week before, there was an outburst of covers on this song all over my Youtube feed. this one is the best imo so far. ;)
muchos apologies for posting so little the past few weeks. been dead busy and currently in the middle of midterms. I'm still posting at least once a week, so keep yer eyes peeled. xo
not gonna lie, this will probably be one of the strangest playlist mix yet. but this has got to be my favorite one so far. a lot of forgotten oldies and plenty of new discoveries, so whoopee! onward.
01 [joy williams-charmed life]what I'm about to tell ya, what I'm about to say, don't even let it throw you, it just might change your day. this song should be my theme song for life. ha.
03 [breanne duren-daydreams (adam young remix)] you know what makes me smile? the word "reverie" and the last two notes of this song. Breanne's voice reminds me of Lights sometimes and she really seems like a sweet person too. totally would love to meet her after AdamY[; (she sings backup vocals with him when O.C. is on tour.)
04 [measure-closer] can't quite explain what I like about this song and artist. when it clicks, it just sticks. <--that was not meant to rhyme, but hey, it works. cheesiness at the best yo.
06 [for king & country-busted heart] these lyrics have echoed a prayer the past few weeks... (trivia: these guys are the younger bros of Rebecca St. James. cool, right? more trivia: Rebecca St. James is married to the bassist of Foster the Kids.)
08 are you ready for this? guess what my current favorite genre could be... (I use "favorite" very loosely since I rarely ever have favorites for anything, especially in the world of music.) [kaskade ft. mindy gledhill-eyes] yup, that's right: trance music. I know, I never thought I was the type either. I think it started after listening to Armin van Buuren's "Youtopia" ft. none other than Adam Young. can't say I like all the music under this category though and I can't say it's for just anybody. if you hate repetitive music... you better not be listening to this. haha
09 [Q;indivi-part of your world remix] who doesn't love a Disney song!? and MY SONG at that? haha just kidding. I'm horrible. I don't like being associated with the merm but I still bring it up. sigh Ariel, smh smh, but this is such a fun remix/cover! (just fyi, this isn't my fave Disney song. if I must choose, it'd be a tie between Tangled's "I See the Light" and Hercules' "I Can Go the Distance". absolutely love them both.)
09 [dvorak-humoresque] I know, wtheck is this?! classical music on the playlist?! GET OUT. paha shall I explain? the shorter story would be I'm in the mood for something classy. the longer explanation would be this piece and I goo waay back to kindergarten. growing up, my mother had this flute CD that had been gifted to her by a childhood friend, and of course on that CD was none other than this piece. the big bro and I listened to it nonstop while we did our homework, our chores, during breaks etc. the song was also part of the soundtrack on a Sherlock Holmes PC game that my bro and I spent literally weeks fervently trying to unravel. (the game is called "Sherlock Holmes: Secret of the Silver Earring" for anybody curious. look I'll even attach where the song appears in the game HERE. skip to 2:43.) naturally, I had grown to love 'Humoresque' a lot by then so I chose to play it my seventh grade year for my violin recital. I'm not sure I did the piece justice. I doubt it. still. good times. k, I'll stop rambling now. ;)
11 [hong pei yu-tiptoe love] remember me talking about the Taiwanese drama "In Time With You"? yeah, this was on the soundtrack. I don't listen to Chinese songs, but this is a total exception. (I say that a lot, don't I?)
12 [tim be told- the hymn (o what mercy)] I just want to end this playlist with this song I found completely by accident. the lyrics are so powerful. I especially like that third verse where it goes, "All our treasures we have counted loss for to surrender is to gain" (sorry about the video, couldn't find a better one.)
so there's not a lot of songs this time around because usually when I go through my playlist it takes about two to three weeks to wear out a good song out for me and that's only if I listen to that one song over and over again for those three weeks straight. in another words, a handful of good songs can last me a jolly long time. if you're looking for the free music download, jump straight to no. 8
heeey, happy monday! hope you guys are having a fantasmical day off for MLK's day. i know i'm not, cause i'm studying for finals. ew.
real quick before you read on... a thought occurred to me as i was putting together my last playlist and i'm guessing perhaps you guys have wondered the same as well: why in all things insane am i making a post when i could just go on youtube and create a playlist?
good question. i'm not sure i have a legit answer to that as i am completely biased about youtube playlists. i'm not sure why i dislike them so, i just do and that's just the way it is. on the other hand, having my blog as the link to give people when they ask me for song suggestions <cougholderbruddercough> is easier for me to remember than a mile long youtube link. and that's all i have to say about youtube playlists. alrighty, here we go...
okay, i'm back...with a handful of sweet little tunes (if you missed the previous playlist, click here), except this time its a mix of wintery+Christmas songs to get me in the mood for the holidays. is it just me but every year seems less and less exciting come Christmastime? i find that terribly sad, but that's for another post. quick note: please keep in mind, these are just a couple of my favorites. if you want Christmas songs by the double, just crank up the oldies station on your radio, you'll have no trouble there. that being said, playlist, LESSGOOO!
01 kicking it off with [tobymac ft. owl city- the first noel] of course, with every playlist i have, adam young somehow winds up on it. ohh what can i say...he'll be back laterr ;) being a fan of tobymac and mega-fan of adam (haha i'm a megaaa fannn, whatever that means), i thought this version was decent. didn't dig the rap at all, but it was bearable. adam+toby definitely made an interesting match vocal wise.
02 [the almost-little drummer boy] ahh this is hands-down my favorite rendition of this song. listening to the guitar and drums paints the image of the drummer boy, does it not?
03 [glee cast- last christmas] before you ask, let me just say i have never in my whole life watched a single episode of glee. ever. however, i'd be lying if i said i had never listened to any of their covers. i'll admit it, they are a brilliant group with talented voices. as for the show... i've heard, not so much...
04 [glee cast- baby it's cold outside cover] (jake coco+savannah outen) i find it funny how i'm posting covers from youtubers i think are aite. welll, sometimes you know, they do make some good covers. love the lyrical dialogue--the playful banter rings with a bit of wit.
05 FIIIIIIIVEEEE GOOOOOLDEEENN RINNNNGSSS [relient k-12 days of Christmas] what's a Christmas without this song? no clue. ha. a classic with a twist.
06 [justin bieber-mistletoe] just because you see JB in the house does not by any means indicate that i am a fan girl. faaar from it, but i will say the guy has improved some since his, uhm, shall we say pubescent days? you don't think so? just admit it, ever since rebecca black skyrocketed to disaster overnight, the bieb's voice has become almost angelic to your ears. still no? wellllll, you know what they say...HATERZ GON HATE.
07 [julia sheer-have yourself a merry little christmas] i'm that sad little person who never knew the lyrics to this song other than the "have yourself a merry little christmas uhh, something, ooh la la troubles will be gone..." hahaha pathetic, i know. its one of those things you think you know so well, but really...you don't.
08 [owl city-tip of the iceberg]welcome back winter once again and put on those warm fuzzy sweaters and you'll feel much better when...
09 this is, by far, my favorite out of all the songs on this playlist. [coldplay-christmas lights] nothing like a little coldplay to put a smile on my face. though, i must say it sounds less of a christmas song and more of a i-just-broke-up-with-my-significant-other-help-me-please-it's-depressing. on a side note, if you get me that piano, i'll love you forever.
10 sometimes one can get a tad bit caught up and winded with all the busyness (read shopping) of this season. [mike tompkins-the christmas rush] i bet you know what he's talking about and that, my dear friends, is why...
11 ...stopping yourself and giving a good rap on the noggin' to remember Christmas is the reason behind everything is a necessity. [hillsong united-born is the king] (also, double brownie pts for the confetti, cute kids and banjo haha)
12 [david crowder band-angels we have heard on high] so sad these guys are disbanding (or have rather). thank goodness they were gracious enough to put out another cd before they disappeared. i love this song especially. it just makes me wanna jump around and sing on the top of my lungs. and IS THAT A FIDDLE I HEAR?!
13 no reason at all, i've gotten tired of listening to people sing "silent night". it's not that i don't like the song, but it's just i don't know...too overdone? i'm sure without a shadow of a doubt, you know all the verses by heart, right (well at LEAST the first verse)? totally something to reflect on while you listen to [lindsey stirling-silent night]. so beautifully done.
14 [home:word-magnetic north and taiyo na] it's not a wintery song nor a Christmasy song, so why is it on here? i don't know about you but i think there's so much about home that plays into this time of the year. the description box of the video puts it into better words than i can...
15 if you've ever wondered what harry shum jr dancing to the sugar plum fairy theme from the nutcracker would look like, it'd no doubt look a little something like this. awesome, right?
16 of course this list wouldn't be complete without [handel's messiah hallelujah chorus] brought to you by a flash mob! classy riightt derrr. cut the flash mob, my favorite would have to be [for unto us (handel's messiah)]. i know what i'll be listening to when i put the christmas tree up.
17 alright last ones totally for kicks. i saw it awhile ago & not to delve too deep into it but i'm sure nobody would mind if you just left santa's lap reserved for the kids...please. ;)
honestly, i have no idea why i put numbers on my playlist 'cause now it look like i have hardly anything on here. oh silllyy mee... well hope you lovelies are doing swelll. i'll see you soon. PEACE.
