Music Addictions

Ladies and Gentlemen, I am still alive! I have not had many lists lately had about 10 bajillion to-do lists lately, none of which have been completed, hence the lack of posts. This also may not prove to be very interesting, but I am trying not to fall asleep in the library before my next class, therefore I decided I should put down the peer-reviewed journal articles and entertain myself for a few moments. Without further ado, here is a compilation of my current favorite songs.

"Save Me" Nicki Minaj
"Aminals" Baths
"Rumor Has It" Adele
"Afternoon" Youth Lagoon
"Bete Noire" Seryn
"Rivers and Roads" The Head and the Heart
"Slow Show" The National
"Something Goes Right" SBTRKT
"That's Life" Frank Sinatra
"Resta Con Me" Ludovico Einaldi


As I made this list, I realized it is a good transition from warm weather into the current cooler temperatures. Check these songs out, I promise you'll find something to your liking, and if you don't then by all means tell me! Time for class.

Cheers to procrastination and good music!
Becks

My Kind of Town

Only a week ago, I was in the great city of Chicago attending the Pitchfork Music Festival. I just looked through the pictures from the trip a few minutes ago, and almost cannot believe it actually happened. Every moment of the trip was beautiful. And I would like to share some highlights.

Our new friend Dave. If you looked up 'hospitable' in the dictionary, or I guess these days I should say if you googled it, you should find a picture of this kind soul. We stayed with Dave, a student at Northwestern  and someone we had not previously met, for part of our trip and he was so welcoming! He provided us with delicious breakfast, washed his sheets, gave up his room for me, treated us to deep-dish pizza, and showed us the great view of the city from the shore of Lake Michigan bordering campus! I could not have imagined a nicer, more accommodating person to stay with.

Millenium Park. Our one outing besides the festival was a trip to Millenium Park. We ate at the outdoor restaurant (if you ever go try the raspberry tea, I do not normally like tea and it was delicious!), took pictures by the bean, walked through the garden area, and made a stop at the Crown Fountain. It was just a small taste of the city that has me wanting to return and see more!

People watching. At the festival, we saw people of every age, size, hair color, etc. I have never seen a greater mix of people in my life! And hipster children are adorable! People watching may be one of my favorite hobbies, and this may have been THE prime location for it.

The music. Of course, being there for a music festival, I enjoyed many artist's performances. My personal favorites were
     tUnE-yArDs- This girl does not sound like a girl. She has a great sound, almost tribal, and was so fun to watch live! They passed out face paint before she started playing, giving the audience more of an incentive to enjoy the show.
     James Blake- The amount of bass used during his performance was INSANE. I felt like I was in another world. He is an adorable British guy, with a beautiful voice.
     Fleet Foxes- One of my favorite folky groups, they have incredible skill when it comes to harmonizing.
     How to Dress Well- Tom Krell. We actually met him on Saturday! His performance was wonderful, full of emotion, I'm not going to lie I teared up a few times. He has an amazing voice that is highlighted much better on his new EP than his album Love Remains.
     Cut Copy- Hands down, THE most fun of everyone we saw. Which leads me to my next highlight...
   
Dancing. I love dancing, probably more than any other activity. It's fun, freeing, and almost magical somehow. You can just feel the music and lose track of everything else around you. And I got to dance quite a bit at Pitchfork! Cut Copy was the most dancey, with Gang Gang Dance being a close second.

All in all, I had an amazing time in Chicago! I want to return someday, to the city and the festival. Both are well worth more exploring.

The Bored Board

In my state of boredom today when I came home from work, I began perusing the internet. I read the blog of an almost stranger and one of a good friend, twitterstalked a few lucky people, and at some point I came across the blog of a stay-at-home-mom talking about how she keeps her kids from sitting around in their pajamas all day during the summer by posting a "bored board" with different activities they can choose between.
Well I might not be in pajamas, but I certainly do become quite worthless when I get home from work. And although this Mom may or may not be using this as a ploy to get her children to do their chores, I'd like to take her idea for myself. If I have a list of things to choose from when I get home, maybe just maybe I'll do something besides sit in bed and watch 30 Rock (again) when I'm brain-fried after work!

Write a letter. Currently I only have one pen pal, but who says I can't send snail mail to anyone at any time? There are few things better than receiving a special note, whether its from your roommate or your best friend that lives too far away. Why not spread the joy? And who knows, maybe I'll get some in return!

Draw. Now, I'm no artist. And I get easily frustrated when I try to convey a picture in my brain onto a piece of paper. I'm gradually accepting the fact that I will probably never create a masterpiece, but I've become a fantastic sketcher of robots for now.

Organize my closet. At the end of this summer, I'll be leaving my apartment of two years for a house that I will share with a few girls that are very dear to my heart. I'm looking forward to having a bigger kitchen and living room, but sadly my closet will be shrinking. So here's to getting rid of that shirt I bought in middle school and haven't worn since!

Memorize the lyrics to ever Bon Iver song ever. Before I move, I'll be seeing Bon Iver, one of my favorite artists, in the lovely city of Atlanta. Based on previous concert experience, the more lyrics you know and the more songs you recognize, the more you enjoy the incredible-ness of the artist. I expect this to easily slide into my top three concerts of all time.

I should probably make this list longer for those days when I'm irritable and nothing sounds remotely enjoyable, but for now I feel like I've given myself more than enough to tackle! So kick that Summer boredom in the face, and if you have any suggestions for other boredom-busters for a cheap college student PLEASE TELL ME

Counting the days til August,
Becks

Reasons My Dad is Awesome

I try to have creative titles, but you know, sometimes you just have to go with something simple. I know Father's Day has past, but I don't try to contain my love for my parents to just the holidays dedicated to them. So here are some great things about my dad.

Quotes. If he sees a funny church sign, or something posted in an office, he will write it down and send it to me. I don't know if he knows how much I love words, but he brightens my day with these surprises all the time!

Long Conversations. I wish I could count the number of times we've sat in the living room talking into the wee hours of the morning, discussing all sorts of topics from ethical issues to comics to old memories. Let me tell you, if you ever want a good story he has plenty!

People watching. I have inherited from my father the eye for seeing visual similarities between complete strangers and people I know very well. He will grab me and say, "That man there, don't his ears look just like Greg down the street?" We don't always agree, but its pretty entertaining.

Dessert. We both have an intense craving for ice cream, and he also has created one of my favorite sweet treats! I don't think we've ever named it, but you spread peanut butter on a saltine cracker, top it with half a marshmallow, and toast it until the top is just brown. They are incredibly delicious and easy to make!

I know this isn't a long list, but I try not to go on and on when I post. To sum it up, I love my dad. He has always been so easy to talk to, and he is so kind hearted. We haven't always gotten along perfectly, but I've never doubted that he loves me too, even when I know I don't deserve it!