Pumped Up Kicks

 

So, I kept hearing this song everywhere. All I could ever understand of what they said was "All the other kids with the pumped up kicks, better run, better run...." It's a great song with a nice beat, and it gets stuck in your head really quickly. All the makings of a hit. I like to know words to songs, so I looked up the lyrics to this song by Foster the People.

Is it just me or is this song about a school shooting? This "cowboy kid" goes on a rampage with a gun he got from his dad's closet. Why is this not a big deal to anyone? I don't understand how we can mourn tragedies like Columbine and the Virginia Tech shootings and then love this song. It just boggles my mind. This could almost be akin to writing a hit song about 9/11 from the perspective of the terrorists, putting it to a snazzy beat, and then having Americans dance to it. Talk about irony.

This doesn't stop me from loving the song though! In fact, I just got the album and it is amazing. It's sincerely one of the best albums I've gotten in a long time. All the other songs are less tragic and controversial in my mind. But I can't get rid of this sense of guilt I have for liking "Pumped Up Kicks." Call me a hypocrite.

However, for the writing of this post, I did a little more research. Come to find out that Foster the People's leading man, Mark Foster, who wrote the song said he wanted to get inside the killer's mind. He was going to do it about the victim's perspective but thought that would be a copout. It's all about saying f**k you to the hipsters, yet these are the kinds of kids listening to and loving this song. He said there isn't actual violence in the song and that it's an internal dialogue in this kid's mind. So, in a sense, it is a commentary on the isolation and detachment our youth feel today. Aha! Another great ingredient for a hit.

We all love a good controversy, and maybe that is why this song is popular. It seems to reach a part of everyone, the rebel inside each of us. I'm not saying I condone the thoughts portrayed in it, but I'm finding that it was not meant to be taken literally. Foster wanted to understand another side of the story. And, as a writer, I can respect that. It's a fun song to dance to and it also has a chill aspect to it. Foster the People is not just another pop band. I tend to think they will be around awhile now because of the depth, fortitude, and genius behind their madness. There's more to them than meets the eye.  FtP, you have made a fan out of me.

Paige and I love to dance to this song so much that we've almost got a choreographed dance to it.

Attitude of Gratitude #23

fun. 

I've been discovering some great new bands lately. One of them is Fun. They have a great, unique sound that I'm super addicted to and is super...well...fun! 

Karly LaOrange 

For introducing me to fun. and for being such a crazy, awesome coworker. And for not giving up on me in the whole marriage department. (If she mentions Maddie Case one more time...)

 

Kelli McButtars

For having such a fantastically awesome life through I can live vicariously. For laughing at my dumb Irish-Indian accent. For keeping me posted on her ever-evolving love life. For playing Words with Friends with me and always kicking my trash (really...thanks for that...I love being humbled...). For being my personal editor on my book (she suffered through my attempt at a vampire book...poor girl...). And for our lunch dates whenever I'm in Utah or she's here in Idaho. Basically for being the awesome redhead that she is.

Attitude of Gratitude #20

Today I'm thankful for:

Shirts that Fit

A few years ago I bought two shirts from Kohl's that were a little on the snug side. I really don't know what my thinking was. Part of it was probably denial that I was getting big. Maybe I thought I would get down enough to fit into them. Or maybe I liked that they were tight and showed off my "muscles." Well...I didn't really wear them all that much because instead of getting fitter, leaner, and smaller, I started getting bigger. We've had this discussion before. Well, I saw one of the shirts in my closet today and decided I would see if it fit. Lo and behold! It fit! Perfectly! And I now have the muscles that I wanted to be able to show off in that shirt. Woohoo!

 

Freedom

I started reading Ally Condie's book Matched which is a dystopian/totalitarian (all the rage right now thanks to Hunger Games) society that pretty much tells you how your life is going to be lived. The whole premise is based on being matched to who you will have to marry. The Society links you with someone your most compatible with, tells you what job you get for life, and even tells you when you're going to die. I would go crazy, and I'm kinda going crazy reading it which, I guess, is kinda the point. Reading this book, even though I'm not that far into it, has made me realize how grateful I am for the freedoms I have and that I take for granted. Some societies out there act a little like the one in Condie's book (not to the extreme) and I'm grateful I have the choice of what to do with my life, who I can be with, and how I'm going to do everything. Oh how I love America! Even when our economy is in the dumps like it is right now it's still a pretty awesome place to live. 

 

Music

I love how music can change emotions, heal, bring joy, calm us down, and give us a form of expression when words fail us. I have heard that "We sing because we have no more words; we dance because we cannot move." That just means that these artistic expressions allow us to convey things that words and motions can no longer do justice to. I love music in most of its forms and I'm grateful for its power in my life.

Attitude of Gratitude #17-#19

To catch up I'm just going to do one for each day (Thurs through Sat). Cheating, you say? No one asked you. Besides, this is my project. I do what I want.

Thursday November 17:

Chevelle 

I had a not-so-good night at work on Thursday. So on the way home from work I blasted Chevelle. They are great for workouts, bad nights, and some catharsis. Don't get me wrong, I love chill music, but sometimes it's nice to rock it out. Their new album is expected December 6th and I'm dying to hear it!

 

Friday November 18:

Yoga

I tried Yoga on P90X for the first time yesterday. Let me tell you: I was dripping with sweat and I have been really sore today. It was such a great workout! I'm sad it's taken me this long to discover it. Thing is: It felt like an experience rather than a workout. It was all new to me and I struggled, but I loved it and I felt more centered and calmed afterward. I'm a huge yoga fan now!

Today I'm grateful for:

Oranges

Oh, how I love oranges this time of year. They may just be the highlight of November/December for me. Maybe it's from my time spent in Florida. I just have a soft spot for this fruit. Mmmm...so yummy! Not only do they boost your immune system, but they are also tasty this time of year. Thank you, Heavenly Father, for creating such delicious morsels of citrus-y goodness!

Challenge Day #14

Today I am supposed to blog about my favorite musician. I'm going to talk about my top three even though it is hard to do that because I have so many favorites. I absolutely love music and I literally don't go anywhere without my iPod.

Number 1: Tori Amos

She is an acquired taste to be sure. When I first heard her I wasn't impressed. Part of the reason it is hard to love her right away is that she enunciates words in an odd but charming way. It is a distinct sound that I cannot get enough of. Just recently I was trying to introduce a friend of mine to the ways of Ms. Amos and I got all excited about a part in the song "Precious Things" and I was disappointed by her reaction. I asked her what she thought and she said "I couldn't understand her."

A big reason I absolutely love Tori is because I do understand her. She manages to connect to me at a different level that I cannot explain. Another huge thing for me is that her music literally saved me during my grieving after my sister's passing. Right at this moment I am listening to her cover of "Father Figure" and it is amazing.

Number 2: Florence + the Machine

A new love of mine I was introduced to at the end of last year. She is a genius and reminds me a bit of Tori Amos. Maybe that is the draw. Her lyrics are brilliant and also don't make complete sense at face value just like Ms. Amos'. My favorite song of hers is "The Drumming Song." I cannot wait for more brilliance from her. I cannot get enough of her album.

Number 3: Adele

Her new album 21 is freaking amazing. I've loved her since I heard "Chasing Pavements" a few years ago. The raw emotion and beauty in her voice is so appealing to me and it speaks to me. Her sound is classic and timeless.

Runners Up:

Number 4: The Civil Wars
Number 5: The Killers
Number 6: Ke$ha

Interesting to Note:

Kelli would appreciate this, but I just realized that my top three favorite musicians are all redheads.

Brand New Eyes

I just purchased two new albums yesterday. Big deal, right? Well, it is a big deal! These albums just so happen to be from two of my favorite bands right up there with Tori Amos herself.

I will do two different posts for the albums.

Paramore's Brand New Eyes is a great album. They have not changed their sound a whole lot which is fine. The only real difference is that these songs seem a little darker, moodier, and angrier. The lead single off the album "Ignorance" is, essentially, about how the band was about to break up. According to lead singer Hayley Williams this song was the catalyst into allowing the band members to finally speak to each other again and really let out their feelings. I'm not sure about the details, but the band was about to break up. "Ignorance" is not only about a band near breaking point but it is also about relationships changing in general and how we sometimes treat those we know the best in the worst ways possible. It is also easy to see, in this album, the influence that No Doubt has had on the band. In one of the tracks Williams sounds a lot like Gwen Stefani.

There are a lot more acoustic songs on this album such as "Misguided Ghosts." I was also astounded by Williams' pipes in the final track "All I Wanted" where she belts out some amazing notes. It's also nice to hear the boys from the band lend their voices to some of the tracks.

1. Careful: Classic Paramore with a catchy beat and oodles of attitude.

2. Ignorance: Has an edgier sound coupled with the claustrophobic video this song is destined to be a classic.

3. Playing God: A song about someone who thinks very highly of themselves. "Next time you point the finger, I'll point you to the mirror." Great lyrics.

4. Brick by Boring Brick: Excellent title. Love it. And I dig the attitude in the "ba-da-buh-ba-dah-buh-bah."

5. Turn It Off: It might just be me. But this is the song that recalls, to me, No Doubt. I'm sure Paramore would take this as a compliment so I have no reservations of making the comparisons.

6. The Only Exception: A great acoustic sound and a love song that shows the softer side of the band.

7. Feeling Sorry: "Got no time for feeling sorry." Need I say more?

8. Looking Up: This seems to be a celebration of Paramore's success and wondering why they were willing to "hang it up." Their dreams have come true with their current success and this song is evidence that they are willing to stick through all the downs in order to enjoy the ups. "We're just getting started." Can I just say...YES!

9. Where the Lines Overlap: One of my favorite tracks from the album. A nice little ditty.

10. Misguided Ghosts: A very pretty song that shows that Paramore is a very diverse band that can rock it out with the best of them and then go soft with perfect clarity.

11. All I Wanted: I love that this one starts out so soft and sober then come in the drums. This is possibly my favorite track on the album. It laments the loss of love and highlights the loneliness after it. Another bonus is Hayley Williams' incredible voice which sounds better than ever in this track. There's a part where the music stops and she just belts out "All I wanted was you" and my first thought was "Wow." And then I smiled.

I applaud you, Paramore, on another great album. You never cease to please and amaze.

5.