True Life: I Just Fell in Love with a Pop Album

(I did warn you this blog was eclectic.)

I'll preface this by saying that no, I don't listen to a lot of pop music. I don't drive, and when I do listen to radio it's usually in a gym or bar, where I have no control over what I'm hearing. That said, I've heard enough snippets of Ariana, Iggy, and Katy to know that there's not a lot of substantial stuff in Top 40 pop right now.

At least, that's what I thought prior to spending this past week streaming "1989" and finding that I couldn't stop listening to it. I've been wandering in a fog of infectious tunes for seven days, unable to get the words out of my head (though to be fair I haven't been trying that hard).

I was embarrassed to admit it at first, but now I'll say it for god and everyone to see: this is a fantastic album. I'm not being ironic; I truly like the music, and I like Taylor Swift herself a lot better having listened to it.

It's not that I've ever harbored a particular dislike for Swift, I just thought a lot of the hype was unfounded. Sure, her previous songs have been catchy and cute, but they just weren't for me (probably because I'd long since left my tweens by the time she arrived on the scene). The most notable memory I associated with Taylor Swift was the media circus a few years ago when she was releasing an album and the blogosphere devoted a significant amount of time and research to figuring out exactly which celebrity fling each song was about. Cue exaggerated eye roll.

But "1989" is different. It's a full pop album, for one thing - and I think the best decision Swift and her team made on this record was to lean into that 110%. Every song has a catchy, current hook, and I have no doubt that any of the tracks would fit in just fine with the current fare on the radio. But what sets it apart from the bunch is what Swift brings to the mix: not just the palpable sincerity she brings to each song but the lyrics themselves.

If you've been waiting for this record in the hope of more sappy ramblings about various celebrity boy toys, you'll be disappointed. Sure, some have combed the songs for hints of this, but I think to approach the album this way is to miss the point. To put it in a very simplistic way, this is a much more mature album. Sure, a lot of the songs still have that trademark romantic overtone, but even the ones that are most reminiscent of Swift's earlier work have a new layer to them, an acknowledgement that sometimes you make mistakes in love, and sometimes relationships have to end, and both of these things are okay. Apart from finding this refreshing myself, I love the idea of 15-21 year old girls hearing these kinds of things, and hopefully taking their cues from them.

As for Taylor Swift's "scandalous" love life? Don't worry, it's addressed on this album in a way I don't think she's ever done before. Don't get me wrong, the record is far from being a "fuck you" album, but the way Swift handles it is almost better, and certainly classier. She faces the popular perception that she's boy-crazy and confronts it head on, namely in the track set to be released as the album's second single, "Blank Space". The lyrics to this track (possibly my favorite on the album) are sharply sarcastic, and it really gives a great insight into how Swift has decided to handle her media-imposed identity. She's done pretending it isn't true that she's dated around, and she's done trying to apologize for it. Taylor Swift knows she's a player, and she's openly mocking our singular fascination with that aspect of her life. That kind of empowerment is something I can't help but applaud.

I think the other misconception about Swift is that she's somehow less intelligent than other musicians, perhaps because of the themes she tends to write songs about. While that not only seems like a ridiculous generalization (I do hate the idea that being smart or "worldly" means wholly dismissing notions like romance), you only have to listen to "New Romantics" to see that Swift is smarter than most people give her credit for. The song is a ridiculously danceable commentary on the Millennial generation, and one of the better commentaries I've seen to boot. The titular comparison between the current generation and the Romantics of the 19th century, angst-ridden and eager for stimulation, is astonishingly apt and I could probably write another several pages on that, but I won't.

I guess what I'm saying, and why I felt compelled to write this when I usually stick to literature and politics, is that I think it's time we give Taylor Swift the credit she deserves. By that I mean not just giving her our money or our ears, but giving her actual respect as a feminist, as an artist who has come into her own and made the praiseworthy decision to use her staggering fame to really make a mark rather than simply searching for the next big hit. She knows that there are literally millions of young girls out there being inundated with competing narratives of what a woman should be, and she's choosing to wield that power in a deliberate, responsible way. In my opinion, that's a pretty big deal.

Soundtrack Series, Part Four: On the Road

Summer is just about here (even if some of us are still waiting to graduate), and for me that means travel.  At least, in a roundabout way it does.  Yes, budget permitting I would love to go somewhere new and unfamiliar, but looking at things practically my journeys will most likely take place on the streets I already know.  And that's okay for now, because I feel like there's still something to be learned, and maybe even some new part of it to experience. 


But no matter where my travels (or lack thereof) lead me, I find myself thirsting for the perfect soundtrack to provide the essential musical companionship.  These are some of the tracks that will most definitely be making it into the rotation when the first of my journeys, Seattle to Chicago, kicks off next week.

Holiday in Spain -- Counting Crows
This song is kind of heartbreaking, but in an awesome way.  It's about escaping, which for me is most definitely a big part (if not the biggest part) of traveling.  I had a friend once say that she thought Adam Duritz makes his best music when he's depressed, and as much as I'd hope he's happier now, based on this song alone I would be inclined to agree.

Chicago -- Sufjan Stevens
No, I'm not biased just because the song title is my hometown.  This song is fantastic in a way that is uniquely Sufjan, and it's such a great travel song, especially for car rides (I honestly think there's something he did on purpose with the instrumentation that forces you to picture road-tripping across the country).

Good Man  -- Josh Ritter
This isn't really a traveling song, but it's catchy in a similar way.  Josh Ritter is one of my favorite artists because I feel like he has a song for every occasion and ever mood.  I like the idea of rolling along a highway with the windows open and this song on the radio, listening to its Western-y tune and picturing Josh's adorable smile when he sings it.

In the Sun -- Joseph Arthur
I think this is a great contemplative travel song, one that I'd probably play while walking through a quiet landscape or maybe looking down at one.  There are so many beautiful elements to this song, and it's one that makes me stop and pay attention every time I hear it.  I think it'd be a perfect way to put myself wholeheartedly into the present moment.

City of Blinding Light -- U2
This song is super catchy and super upbeat.  I like most of what U2 does, but speaking from experience this is a fantastic song for driving at night (especially in the city...with lights).  It just has one of those hooks that makes you feel like the night (or day) could go on forever.

Cape Canaveral -- Conor Oberst
 This is another one that I just enjoy listening to.  It makes me want to tap my foot a little and just let it wash over me, wherever I am and whatever I'm doing.  That, and I think the part about the actual Cape Canaveral probably has something to do with it-- because what means of travel is cooler than a rocket ship?

No Sound But the Wind -- Editors
Not only is this song about McCarthy's novel The Road (and I love me some songs about books, naturally), but it's just so epic.  For me it conjures the image of a dark road at night, quiet and abandoned, rolling along and watching the lines on the pavement swim past you.

Transatlanticism -- Death Cab for Cutie
I would posit that this song is terrific background music for a lot of the more solemn occasions in life.  And for me, travel often qualifies as one of those.  This track is great for a long walk, for staring out the window of a plane or train, or even sailing.


Bittersweet Symphony -- The Verve
This song is probably on this list almost solely because of the scene in Cruel Intentions where it plays as Reese Witherspoon drives away.  Is it not the perfect "heading out on the (literal or metaphorical) road" song?  I defy you to disagree.

Sound of Silence -- Simon & Garfunkel
 Maybe it's the amount of TV and movie montages in which I've seen this song used, but for me it evokes thoughts of transition, of change and of the inevitability that things will move forward, with or without you.  This is a thought I have often when traveling, even when that traveling is just a walk around my own neighborhood.  I feel very small sometimes, in the best way, especially compared to the nature around me, and this song accompanies that feeling very well.

Soundtrack Series, Part Three: Times of Change

 Well, here I am.  Less than 3 weeks till I'm a college graduate and till I'm on a plane back to Chicago, leaving behind so much of what I've gained over the past four years.  It feels like there's no good way to describe this rush of feelings, no way to truly encompass everything that's been going through my head.  Everything feels bittersweet and almost impossible to categorize-- every event, every outing and experience is fun and wonderful because I'm with the people I love most in the world, but everything also feels tinged by the ever-present knowledge that very soon I won't be.  Every conversation I have with someone from here on out could be one of the last, every time I visit my favorite haunts might be the time when I ought to be taking a mental snapshot, lest I forget the details of what it looks, sounds, and feels like.

Of course, this has prompted a shift in the music I've been listening to (but then again, it doesn't take much for that to happen).  The point is, I've been discovering more and more songs lately that seem to speak to this weird feeling in my chest, the overwhelming idea that something's ending and that I've got to grab hold of every second of joy that I can before that time comes.  These are just a sampling of the songs that have been my soundtrack during this time of transition, of goodbyes and attempts at making plans and new hopes.

Run -- Snow Patrol
One of my all-time favorite songs (and the all-time most played song on my Ipod, fun fact).  It's just such a poignant song about leaving, specifically leaving the one you love.  For me graduating and leaving Seattle doesn't carry quite the gravity this song does, but I can't omit it from this list because it is so wrapped up in the idea of change for me, of transition and of the power the people you love have over you. Also, there will never come a time when that epic instrumental portion just before the song wraps up doesn't blow my mind.

23 -- Jimmy Eat World
If I had to pick a song that most accurately sums up my feelings toward this upcoming transition in my life, this one is a definite contender.  This is just a fantastic song about the weirdness of being this age (I'm not 23 but I'm close enough, and I more than understand the sentiment), not knowing where things are going to go and feeling just a little bit out of control in the face of how fast life is passing you by.  It also has a great message about going after what you want:  "You'll sail alone forever if you wait for the right time/ What are you hoping for?"  That line just strikes me in a fresh way each time I hear it, and it reminds me of the need I have to evaluate what, exactly, I'm hoping for, and how I can reach it.

American Pie -- Don McLean
Not only is this a great story-song, but it expresses so much of what I think everyone feels on the precipice of a major life change.  McLean isn't excessively emphatic about it, but he's clearly devastated by the tumultuous times in which he finds himself, and regardless of whether you can appreciate the actual events he's singing about, chances are you can relate to the feeling behind it.  I know I can-- this is the kind of song that makes me wish I were a songwriter, so that I could encompass my feelings so flawlessly in such a versatile format.

I Must Belong Somewhere -- Bright Eyes
Love the catchy tune of this one, and the fantastic imagery.  It's a great commentary, but it also lets the listener establish his own sense of place in the world. I like this as a "change" song because there's so much in it about the way some things will inevitably remain the same.  

More Adventurous -- Rilo Kiley
I think the reason this song made the list (apart from the fact that Jenny Lewis is just downright marvelous), can be summed up in my favorite two lines:
"...With every broken heart we should become more adventurous"
"And [I] thought about how we are all as numerous as leaves on trees and maybe ours is the cause of all mankind-- get loved, make more, try to stay alive..."

In My Life -- The Beatles
"I know I'll never lose affection for people and things that went before/ I know I'll often stop and think about them..." This is one of my all-time favorite songs--short and to the point.  Reflect on your life, and remember all the people, places, and events that have shaped it.  This is a song that gives me motivation to move forward even into an uncertain future, because there are so many more memories to be made.  And even if it's all downhill from here, I'll be able to carry the things I've loved with me wherever I go.

Wild World -- Cat Stevens
This song just gives me a kind of warm fuzzy feeling.  It feels like a parent's kind-hearted, well-intentioned warning, filled with that distinct feeling of being cared for.  Not to mention, something about Cat Stevens just gives me the feeling like a friend is singing to me, like he knows how afraid I am of the "real world" and wants me to feel better about it. If that's not a good enough reason to put it on the "change" playlist, I don't know what is.

Somewhere Only We Know -- Keane
 This song is just fantastic.  If Keane had never recorded anything ever again, or if it had all been awful, this song would have been enough of a contribution for them to forever have my respect and affection.  There is something so beautiful about this song, about its imagery and its message, and it makes me feel better about damn near everything.  This song makes me think of community, and of the value of shared experience, and shared memories. 

Leaving Town Alive -- Bethany Joy Lenz
Little known song, but definitely a great little tune about the nature of change, and the little ways it impacts us.   There is a sense of how much life can wear you down, but there is also the shadow of victory, of being able to weather it all so long as you let your heart rule you.  It's about missed opportunities and letting those experiences teach you, guide you, so that you don't miss the next great chance that comes along.

100 Years -- Five for Fighting
One of several "life is short" songs on this list, because I think for me the notion of change and the idea of the fleetingness of time are very tightly linked.  Just as this song flies by, the years of your life that John Ondrasik is singing about can pass you by in the same exciting, wonderful, painful blur.  And if you're not careful, you might miss it. I'm hoping that when I'm "99 for a moment" I'll be able to look back on this part of my life as a time when I really did something, really put forth my best efforts and strongest energies to better the world around me.

Live Like We're Dying -- Kris Allen
I need to learn how to live the message of this song so much more fully.  It resonates with me so strongly every time I hear it, and I want to be that person who embraces every moment of my life to the fullest, yet somehow I find myself coming up short.  I know it's going to be especially tempting to just coast or kill time after graduation (particularly until I find a job), but I want to be very intentional about living each day with meaning, even if it feels like there isn't any.

Soundtrack Series, Part Two: Sounds of Love

I'm not a romantic.  Okay, I actually think that sometimes I am a romantic, but not in the way you'd expect.  I hate chick flicks and happy endings.  I'm not planning on waiting around for "Mr. Right" to find me in the hopes that we'll ride off into the sunset together.  The roles of wife and mother don't really appeal to me at all, especially in competition with writer or teacher or any number of ambitions I haven't yet discovered.

But I believe in love.  All of my stories feature it pretty heavily; the novel I'm writing is pretty much a 300 page treatise on why when we lose our ability to love we lose ourselves.  And I have a soundtrack, not a formal one, but a cluster of songs in the back of my mind that remind me of what love feels like, what it sounds like.  As you might expect, they're not all happy (all right, I'm lying, most of them are pretty melancholy) but the meaning they've got packed into them is worth a million crappy pop songs about soul mates and dating and weddings.

**And no, I'm not sure what it means that so many of them have one-word titles.
 
Faithfully -- Journey
If I am ever visited by the urge to get married and I have a wedding and there's a first dance, this song is it, beyond a doubt.  Not only do I unabashedly adore Journey, I love the epic build of this song.  And of course I'm a sucker for the lyrics, too.  As if none of that were enough, my love for this song was only reinforced tenfold when I heard it covered on "Glee" by the fantastic Lea Michele (and Cory Monteith), though I would definitely insist on the original version at my wedding.

Honestly-- Bethany Joy Lenz
It's not a secret that most of these are songs more focused on the heartbreak side of love than the warm & fuzzy (what can I say, it's who I am).  This song is about regret, but it's also about the endurance of loving someone even after things have gone south.  Take this line "I'm so glad you're far away/Is that a terrible thing to say?/Still I wonder if you're okay..."  Yes, she's nursing a broken heart and maybe even bruised pride, but there's still love there, and I think with any relationship that's ended it's important to remember that you loved that person once upon a time.

Someday We'll Know -- Mandy Moore and Jonathan Foreman
 Something else I'm a sucker for:  the couple who can't be together or shouldn't be together because of circumstances beyond them.  Yes, it's true that there are a lot of people who like these types of stories, but I think I'm in the minority in that I don't root for them to defy the odds/overcome whatever obstacle is impeding them.  I prefer them longing for each other, moving forward as individuals, and maybe even learning something from the experience.  The two people in this song haven't figured it out yet, but they will, and the romantic side of me loves that.

Yellow -- Coldplay
Whoever it was that introduced Chris Martin to odes and/or to songwriting, thank you.  This song is just such a beautiful tribute to a person who is literally the light of another person's life.  I can't say much more about this (my words wouldn't do it justice), so I'll just say that I'm pretty sure it's a no-brainer on a list of love songs.

Iris -- Goo Goo Dolls
Another pretty obvious/typical choice, but I had to stick it on here.  "You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be"-- what person, romantic or not, wouldn't want to hear something to that effect?  We also get a strong sense of the person singing the song as a complicated, even troubled figure, and the subject of the song being a source of salvation and comfort.  It's not a story song, but it makes you want to know the story behind it.

Someone Like You -- Adele
There had to be a song in here about the one that got away.  It's a staple of every love song list, and Adele's contribution to the catalog is nothing short of phenomenal.  There is something so raw and beautiful about every aspect of this song-- the simply piano, the lyrics dripping with longing, and of course that absurdly beautiful voice (I'm pretty sure she could cover just about any song and I'd love it).  When I discovered this one, it shot straight to the Most Played on my Ipod; there's just something about it you won't be able to get out of your head.

For the Nights I Can't Remember -- Hedley
 This one's a great song from a pretty unknown Canadian band, and it's all about appreciating all the things, big and small, that the person you love does for you.  It's about wanting to be a better person in return, because of how much you love them.  And it's got that alt-rock vibe that I thoroughly dug during my high school daydreaming phase (not to mention the fact that it was featured on Degrassi, which is pretty much the epitome of adolescent understandings of love).

 
Your Ex-Lover is Dead -- Stars
This is probably my favorite breakup song ever.  There's so much venom in such simple lines, and it's sad while also expressing a push to move forward.   I love the way they take literally the idea of forgetting or un-knowing someone you used to really love, and the way it comes to a resolution.  Best lines:  "I'm not sorry I met you/I'm not sorry it's over/I'm not sorry there's nothing to save."

Call It Off -- Tegan and Sara


The Temptation of Adam -- Josh Ritter
I absolutely love songs that tell a story, and this is one of my all-time favorites.  In about 4 minutes of song, Josh Ritter weaves a beautiful little tale of two people assigned to man a nuclear arsenal beneath the ground, and naturally they fall in love.  The temptation is "Adam's" impulse to simply allow the world above them to end so that they can continue to be together.  I've read a lot of pretty intense love stories in my time, but I think there's something uniquely moving about this one.

First Day of My Life -- Bright Eyes
I've seen this on a few occasions recently as a wedding song, and while some have scoffed that it's a hipster choice, I disagree.  It's a simple little song, and Conor Oberst's vocals leave much to be desired at times, but the beauty is in the simplicity, in the offbeat-ness of it.  "I'm glad I didn't die before I met you," Oberst sings, and isn't that how we all feel about the ones we love?

Come Home -- One Republic
This song, one of One Republic's best in my opinion, is truly beautiful.  Half plaintive plea, half "dreaming out loud" about a better world, it gets across something that is very difficult to articulate.  I think there's definitely a message here that it's okay to need people, as long as you can appreciate that there is still some beauty in your life without them, it would just be clearer if they were around.  Additionally, the version featuring Sara Bareilles on the second verse is even more gorgeous than the album cut.

Soundtrack Series, Part One: Songs to Commemorate a Life

Anyone who knows me can tell you that I'm a huge music enthusiast/nerd.  They'll also probably tell you that I have a penchant for making playlists for every occasion, with the songs that I've meticulously selected to summarize my feelings toward the event.  Last week I was working on my graduation party playlist, to commemorate the end of my college experience, and I got to thinking about how much I love doing this, creating a soundtrack that speaks the things I can't say. 

And naturally, it got me thinking about other occasions I could create playlists for, and what might go on them.  The first one I completed, listed here, is the soundtrack for my funeral.  I realize that might read as morbid, but when you think about it, what better occasion to express exactly how you feel about your life, and about death?  If there's one event I have every right to leave my mark on, it's this one.  So I present the 12 tracks I've narrowed down to comprise my memorial soundtrack.

I'm sure as time goes on I will think of additions to this list, but I also find that most of these for me have been pretty enduring and tied up in a lot of my memories.  This is my ideal playlist, and I'm so attached to these tracks that there may need to be an addendum to my last will & testament with a link to this blog, so that whoever handles my affairs doesn't go against this one fervent wish. 

1.  Wildflowers - Tom Petty
Beautiful, folksy little song with genuinely good wishes for the listener/subject.  I'd kick things off with this one because it's just so nice and it conjures up the image of sending someone on a journey.  That would probably be the theme of my funeral (do people have themes for funerals?), embarking on a journey, and so I think this would be a tremendously appropriate opening.

2.  Forever Young - Youth Group
This song takes me back to high school, when I first heard it, and I can't help but remember the sense of possibility and excitement that I felt looking ahead to the rest of my life.  I had so many dreams (still do, but they're more realistic now), and so many hopes, and this song reminds me to hold the memory of that time in my heart.  

3.  Remember Me as a Time of Day - Explosions in the Sky
I probably overuse the word "transcendent" when talking about music, but with this band I think it is merited about 98% of the time.  This track is so beautiful-- any time I need to take a minute and just be I like to close my eyes and let this play in the background.  I think that most of the Explosions in the Sky catalog would be apt for a funeral/celebration of life, but since I've limited myself to one track I have to go with this one.  


4.  Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World - Iserael Kamakawiwo'Ole
 I associate this song with some of the most contemplative, peaceful moments of my life.  It's the perfect track to play while you simply sit with your thoughts and reflect, and there's something so indescribably soothing about that ukulele.  This song puts me in mind of a beach somewhere far from any civilization, with clear skies and crystalline water that stretch on forever.

5.  Fire and Rain - James Taylor
This song has a lot of regret in it, beautifully and subtly articulated.  It's not that I want anyone to feel this way about me when I'm gone (the regret part, I hope they'll feel the affection!), but it's something I've always struggled with.  I often worry that the people in my life don't know just how much I love them, and that I'm taking my time with them for granted.  I also associate the tone of this song with change, the quiet kind of change that takes you by surprise with how much it impacts you.  I have so many people in my life who've changed me like this, and my hope is that somewhere along the way I've had a similar effect.

6.  Let It Be - The Beatles
This isn't a song I associate with death, but one I associate with my father, who died when I was young.  I have very few vivid memories of our time together, but something I do recall is the many car trips we went on, and all the things we'd talk about even while running errands.  One of the occasions that has always stood out in my memory is this song coming on the radio, and my father just bursting into song, barely knowing the lyrics and drumming on the steering wheel.  It's just such a great snapshot of the goofy, fun-loving person he was to me, and every time this song comes on I take pause to remember that car ride. I really love the idea of having such a vivid reminder of our time together as my own life draws to a close. 

7.  Angel - Sarah McLachlan
When I think of soft music that touches my soul, I think of Sarah McLachlan, and most particularly this song.  It's about how hard just living life can sometimes be, and I appreciate that.  There can be a million little struggles even when you haven't been struck by some overwhelming tragedy, and there's always (for most of us) the need for just a little more peace in our lives.  I don't necessarily believe in angels (they've always come as a package deal with the kind of theology to which I've never subscribed), but I love the image of being embraced by something greater than myself, and comforted in that embrace.

8.  When I Look to the Sky - Train
This was the first song I ever thought of as a spiritual experience.  There is so much tied up in this song-- nature, loss, spirituality-- in short, all the things that truly resonate with me.  I love this song because it acknowledges the immensity of loss while also providing a comforting sense of continued community with the person or people who are no longer here.  I would play this at my funeral if only to guarantee that the people I love get to experience it at least once.

9.  For Good - Idina Menzel & Kristin Chenoweth
I feel like I think of a different loved one each time I hear this song, and it somehow applies to all of them.  This is the perfect friendship song, and one that expresses just how much one person can mean to another.  I liked it in context of the musical it's in, but I like it even more as a standalone song, because it feels almost too universal to be confined to one story.  My favorite line in the song ("It well may be that we may never meet again in this lifetime, so let me say before we part...") would be especially poignant in the context of a memorial, and I hope that it would comfort those I love the way that it has comforted me on so many occasions.

10.  Home - Michael Buble
I've always had a kind of sentimental attachment to the concept of "home" as much more than a particular place.  Home is in your memories, in your heart, and in the people who make you feel that indescribably comforting, warm feeling in your chest.  It's a feeling we all can relate to, but that's almost impossible for us to articulate.  I love this song because between the lyrics and Michael Buble's lovely voice and the soft instrumentation, that feeling gets conjured up inside me all over again.  I would hope for this song to inspire the comfort and fuzzy feeling in others that it always does for me.

11.  The Long Day Is Over - Norah Jones
I don't actually know if Norah Jones wrote this song as a metaphor for death, but that's how it has always read to me.  It's so gentle and soothing that I think this is a legitimate candidate for a song I would like to be listening to at the actual moment of my passing away.  It feels like a send-off, one that's understated and serene, exactly the way I'd like it to be.  And what better for my friends and family to hear as they send me off and say goodbye?

12.  Moving On - Michael Giacchino
This is one of the most moving compositions I have ever heard.  Yes, it's from a television show, but the last few minutes of LOST will be forever in my mind as a truly amazing, touching experience, enhanced all the more by this track.  I would insist on this being the last song to play as everyone walks away and returns to their regularly scheduled lives, because it is structured in the exact way I would want my memorial to be:  it opens quietly, builds to a beautiful violin crescendo, then fades away quietly.  My feelings follow the pattern of the instruments every time I listen to it, and it always provides me with a very unique feeling of catharsis.  I hope it would do the same for everyone else, rounding out this playlist and my life on the perfect note.

The Technological Divide

I was so happy.  I was finally at a point in my life where DVDs were affordable, provided I did my homework and found the place selling the movie I most wanted to see for even just a few dollars less than the competition.  Yes, it was a simpler time, a time when I enjoyed purchasing the few films I felt genuinely inclined to watch again and again, and to experience in a new way via all the special features.

And then the whisperings of a new device began.  I heard rumblings of the Blu-Ray revolution, but I was so encased in my bubble of DVD happiness (having finally phased out any and all remaining VHS tapes-- remember those?) that I was able to turn a deaf ear on them.  Blu-Ray would never affect me; I wasn't into dropping all my cash on a new platform for movie watching, not when I was so satisfied with my current viewing means.  I watched a Blu-Ray or two with friends and I came to the conclusion that, even if it grew popular, I didn't want to make the switch over, because I found the excessive sharpness of the movies to be incredibly off-putting.  That wasn't going to become my problem.

But this Friday, after years of resistance and eye-rolling, Warner Brothers tried to make it my problem.  Here was I, in my local Borders (I had a gift card, or else I obviously would've ventured somewhere decidedly less pricey), ready to fork over some $20 for a copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1.  I was so excited, because I'd been seeing and reading advertisements everywhere for this awesome DVD package that would include not only hours of special features and behind-the-scenes footage, but a very exclusive preview of the film's second half, due out in theaters on July 15th.  This was perhaps the exclusive reason that I trekked down to the store (in the rain, no less) on the day the DVD was released, so that I could be one of the first people I knew to view all this special features goodness.  But what happened instead was deeply disappointing.

Apparently I had been misled by the advertising campaign, perhaps deliberately.  You see, when I reached the DVDs section, I was presented with two options:  I could purchase a copy of the film, just the film with perhaps a few deleted scenes (which if you know DVDs is nothing special), for the regular price (the 20 or so dollars I was anticipating), or I could have access to all the special features and extras I was promised if and only if I purchased the DVD/Blu-Ray combo for nearly double the price.  I'm sure you can imagine the twinge of annoyance that took me over upon reading that.

I don't have a Blu-Ray player, and I have no plans to purchase one any time soon.  My living room television and computer both play DVD's, and DVDs are still, for the most part, about half the price of the average Blu-Ray.  It makes no sense, logically or financially, for me to make the switch.  And yet here was WB thinking they could appeal to my love of Harry Potter and try to force a conversion out of me.  It was a nice try, I'll admit-- if any movie could have potentially persuaded me (and I'm guessing many others) to consider Blu-Ray, it was HP7.  But I'm not so easily swayed.  I bought the regular DVD, contented myself with watching the movie in normal quality and the halfhearted special features the lone disk included, and you know what, WB?  It was great.  And I'm sure I'll be able to find the preview of the second movie on the Internet in a matter of days, if it hasn't been posted numerous times already.  And then I'll send the link to my friends, with the warning that they shouldn't be bamboozled into purchasing a fancy Blu-Ray copy they don't need or want.  Or better yet, I'll wait until July to see the first scene of Part 2 in person, the way it should be seen.

It's frustrating to live in a society that's constantly upgrading these things.  Yes, it's great that we're on the cutting edge (although I'd like to see a lot of the energy and funds we use for some of these things used on maybe medical advances or helping people who actually need it, but that's another story...), but things are getting out of hand.  We assume everyone has an Ipod, a Smart Phone, a laptop computer, and then we get started on comparing brands.  I've largely tuned out the snobbery of the Apple disciples of the world, but sometimes it just downright stings to be judged because maybe you can't afford to drop $1500 on a laptop when all you really need it for is word processing and Internet; or your old-school flip phone works just fine for you, because it still makes calls and sends texts, which if you can remember that far back was the original purpose of these increasingly absurd devices.

I'm not old-fashioned.  I'm pretty minimalist, but I still have more stuff than I probably need.  But I think it merits asking why we're so obsessed with these kinds of things, and where we think it's actually going to get us in the long run.  I like to think that my appreciation for and understanding of film and music haven't been negatively impacted by the lack of an Apple insignia on the devices by which I consume them, nor will they be.  And I don't like being deceived, just because some corporation thinks they can turn me into one of those consumers who starts blindly assuming I need that next new shiny thing.

Inspired

Last night I attended a benefit concert at my school, hosted by our A Capella group.  The show was great, in addition to being for a great cause.  What I love the most about opportunities like this-- opportunities which don't often occur for free outside of college life-- is getting to see people who are passionate about something performing their art, and doing so simply for pure love of what they do.

Apart from wanting to gush to everyone and anyone who would listen about how talented my peers are, it also left me inspired.  Seeing other people so open with their own art always reminds me how important mine is to me, and it motivates me to work harder. 

It can be really hard to make writing a priority, especially with everything going on (and even harder to justify making writing a priority), but moments like these remind me why I should.