Music – Yea Yea Pueblo

Lately, it seems that time has been slowing down and speeding up simultaneously. I’m sure I know why, but I’m not in a position to say as of yet.

With certainty, the soundtrack to this changing era in our lives is Beach House’s newest album “Bloom”. It’s exactly as Lindsey Zoladz with Pitchfork says, “‘Bloom’ is also what these 10 songs do, each one starting with the sizzle of a lit fuse and at some fine moment exploding like a firework in slow motion.” Truly profound.

I also expect the passage of time to be indicated by the life expectancy of my 12-year-old Beagle, Yango. The vet gave him only a few months to live this April. It’s now August, and he’s better than he’s ever been (although I can’t say much for his internal malignant tumor). He’s more active, happy and spry than when I first adopted him. Thanks be to Iggy. Our newly adopted dog won’t take no for an answer at playtime. They will run, they will scrap. Joy overwhelmed me when my friends who visited this summer commented on how great Yango looked. I’m optimistic that he’ll be hanging around for at least another year. R-e-l-i-e-f.

There are some major changes in our household afoot. I really haven’t been feeling so hot lately, which explains the recent blog hiatus. I’ll be posting less frequently this month as a result. Rest assured, I’ll be sharing more at a later time.

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AND! We shall not forget, the giveaway winners! I used the random number generator to pick two readers from the comments on the last post. Lucky ladies # 2 and 6 are the winners. Lauren and Ashley can email me their mailing address and a pretty little necklace will be coming their way from South Africa via Washington State!

Prior to and after the road trip out here to the Pacific Northwest, I purchased several albums to start the new PNW era.

If you are anything like me then you store your memories along with scents, sounds and tastes.
Each new phase in my life brings forth a new catalog of music, food, fashion and literature. This new period in my life in Washington is no different. I’ve listed a few albums that I’ve been listening to lately to share with you, in case you hadn’t had the chance to check these artists/albums out.

1. Tanlines – Mixed Emotions

One word to describe this album: catchy.

These guys captured a synth heavy afro-pop feel on this album. It’s my current go-to record for all present progressive verbs (i.e. cooking, cleaning, living room dancing).

2. Florence + The Machine – Ceremonials

I know this album dropped late last year, but that hasn’t stopped me from including it in the Springtime library. This album is empowering. The powerful vocals help me dig deep on particularly difficult runs and the track ‘Shake it Out’ has been the perfect backdrop for Tacoma exploration. I’m a fan.

3. Gotye – Making Mirrors

This is my most recent purchase. My rainy days are filled with multitasking around the house so I love listening to this album while running up and down the stairs herding laundry, books and my dog to their respective places. It’s also fairly mellow at times too, which makes cozying up to my laptop equally pleasant.

4. First Aid Kit – The Lion’s Roar

Ladies, we finally have ourselves a Joni Mitchell / Carole King style duet. These girls come to us from Sweden but have a distinctly Pacific Northwestern sound. Think girl-folk Fleet Foxes tracks. I listened to this album a lot before moving and on the way out.

5. Y La Bamba – Court the Storm

This album is a beautiful blend of Devendra Banhart and Joanna Newsom stylings. Hello bilingual folk album of my dreams! I believe Joanna Newsom (a Tacoma, WA native, woohoo!) also collaborated on the title track of this album.

I’ve included reviews of these albums. I really pay no mind to the ‘ratings’ they receive by music critics. Music is not just something you listen to and critically analyze. It’s an accessory to life, a soundtrack to pace your experiences. Music is the score of our sentience, and the score is exactly what we make of it.

Enjoy the tunes, and Happy Spring!