After an unintentional and lengthy hiatus from this space, I am back a changed woman. And by that, I really just mean I'm legal baby. Alas! No more fuss with stressful fake ids that look nothing like me and certainly no more walks of shame. Now that I am in my last 365 days as a full-of-life-care-free teenager, I have realized that it is time to get my act together and start accomplishing a bunch of small, but brooding aspirations. Or rather, it is more like a long-term to do list (things I want to introduce to my life and things I just simply want to do more often). First step: write them down. Check. As for the rest, I'll keep you posted on my progress, mainly for my own sake.
Moving on! Please allow me to rekindle with my blogging life and provide you with an outpour of music entries. Someone tell me what it is about summer and music? I think it's the eons time to discover new artists, to get your hands on dope album releases, to see live shows and festivals (ones which I can only read reviews and depressingly long to have been there) and of course to dance and drive to fun, catchy summer anthems. But it must also be the sunshine, porches and backyards, starry nights and the friends and family you get to share it with? Absolutely.
I suppose I'll jump into this with my current musical fixation. If any of you have yet to discover how absolutely sensational itunes podcasts are, I fervently suggest you to do so immediately. They are free and offer hours and hours of literally anything you could possibly want. Music, live or recorded, video clips, social commentary on pop culture, history and other subjects, guitar lessons, even you know, explicit porn podcasts......whatever strikes your fancy. It had been a long while since I updated and loaded some of the newer music podcasts and it wasn't until my dearest sister told me about all the truly amazing Canadian artists she was hearing on the CBC Radio 3 sessions. Specifically Dan Mangan, an acoustic, indie folk musician from Vancouver BC and Danny Michel, a folk rock, guitar-looping king from Waterloo ON. CBC 2 broadcasted the show the two of them put on in Ottawa this past April titled "Danapalooza." It is an hour and a half podcast of poetic and musical brilliance, to say the least. I fell in love instantly and I am giving you a plethora of ways to do the same. You can listen to each of their myspaces/website playlists and you can download the CBC podcast free from itunes. Free? Free. FREE! !
While both sets were outstanding, Dan Mangan won me over. His distinctive, gruff voice is endearing and soothing. When its paired with his lovely guitar melodies and wise, profound lyrics, Dan Mangan will truly melt your heart. Or make you want to cry. Yes cry. But one of those really wonderful cries because you just listened to something so beautiful. It's simply extraordinary how he manages to accurately articulate and express certain dynamics of every day life in the most penetrating way.
A couple of Mangan's songs feature Shane Koyzcan's spoken word, a guest performer and renowned poet for his wit, his passion and for his sincere words taken directly from the heart, for the heart. His lyricism alone is moving, but layered on top of Dan's guitar and coupled with his vocals, Shane's verses leave me breathless everytime. And man, he brings out the hopeful romantic in me, I must admit. Makes me long to see the day where someone loves me the way the he loves whomever he wrote these poems about. Please just listen to the podcast I tell you! If you still are not convinced by my two big thumbs up or atleast intrigued by Dan Mangan's striking resemblance to Seth Rogan...read this exerpt from "Fair Verona." It is a small glimpse at Shane's brilliance.
I dreamt once,
that even though we aren't related,
even though I'm a boy and you're a girl,
I dreamt once that we were siamese twins.
We spent most of our days brushing each other's hair
and playing scrabble.
It was awesome.
And then one day a doctor told us he could change our lives forever.
Filled our heads with ideas like privacy,
so we said yes.
So their wield us into the operating room,
and put us under ...
Then I had a dream within a dream,
I dreamt that I was running,
swiftly,
and with a grace I have never known,
ducking and rolling to avoid sharp branches.
I took lessons from Jesus Christ, lizards,
and learned to step lightly upon water
then ran across oceans,
stopping to catch my breath on the backs of whales that came up for air.
I ran so fast and so far I felt like a lawman trying to capture the escaped convict of my own breath.
Later I woke and discovered that we had been placed on opposite ends of the recovery room, you were sitting up in your bed crying.
So I asked you,
what's wrong?
And you asked me,
why did you run away?
So I limp toward you,
Climbed inside your bed, ran my hand through your hair and told you,
I didn't.
I was running to find you.
You can check out a lot of Shane's work (music, poems, books, biographies etc.) here at his main website:
http://www.houseofparlance.com/koyczan/index.html
Up Next:
I'll be giving a little love and promo to the fabulous Noah and the Whale.
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