When
I was sixteen I started this project. The idea was to pick a band
each month and let their music inspire my life. At first it was a way
to let the music be heard to its fullest potential, but as the years
went by it became so much more. Not only did it allow me to find so
much new music; it also gave me soundtrack to the years in my life.
Now eight years later I am just amazed at all that has happened.
Since I started this little endeavor eight years ago. I have had one
failed prom date, a three year relationship, and countless lessons
learned. This is the part where of the entry where I explain what
kind of year it was and give it a theme. 2012/2013 was a year in
which I found so many awesome bands and artists. The year where I
said good bye to a franchise that I loved and the music that will
always remind me of it. Twas the year in which I started one
relationship and ended the year in a completely different one.
However I suppose I will be able to explain all of that during our
musical journey.
August
2012: Matt Nathanson
The
musical year started with an acoustic feel. I was starting something
new and listening to Matt Nathanson's voice made it seem easy. I
remembered the old tunes from my college days. All We Are and
Come on Get Higher. As the summer was coming to an end I was
reminded about the song Wedding Dress.
The mistakes someone else had made that were making me suspicious. I
had a new boy in my life who was wonderful and kind. I was excited
for the adventures we would share together. So I began my musical
year believing that he was what I needed in life much like I needed
the song Faster to take me out of my rut. As the fall started
to come finally I became obsessed with the songs Bulletproof Weeks
and Still. I have grown so much in the last year that August
seems like such a distant memory.
September
2012: Artist VS Poet
With
September came birthday fun with a sushi class and the final weeks
before my best friend left with her husband for four years in Germany.
The month was full of fall fun and the song Adorable made me
feel bubbly and fun. Feeling like I was adorable just for all the
things that others thought were annoying. I had previously heard Damn
Rough Night and that is where I found my fondness for this band.
They have a punky sound much like a Cute is What We Aim For. I liked
the way the harmonies were sweet at times and had a wonderful pop
sound as well. It made turning twenty four so much more than I
expected. As the leaves began to fall and I was having adventures in
Apple Orchards I felt the song Alive so much as well.
October
2012: Ed Sheeran
Little
did I know when I heard a haunting melody during the winter of 2012
that I would fall so deeply for a silly redhead in his twenties.
A-Team started what would be a love affair with Ed's music. I
was even lucky enough to see him at Jingle Ball this year. I was
shocked at how many crazy tweeny girls went mad for him because I
think he is a little more sophisticated for them. However when
listening to Taylor Swift's RED she mentioned the song Lego House
and it became such a beautiful love song. (I'm so excited to see him
w/ Taylor this year) A song I cannot help but listen to over and
over again. I swear October I discovered Ed Sheeran's music like I
always hoped to feel when I started this project. It seems like there
isn't a song I don't like by him. I found the sad ballad of Small
Bump and the sweet sultry of
his deepest love songs with. Kiss Me, This, and
Give Me Love.
November
2012: Twilight Music
As
I said goodbye to such a wonderful part of my youth and a saga, I
dedicated November to saying goodbye. I think it was decided early on
in November, but as I watched the Twilight Saga Marathon on a chilly
Thursday (into Friday) I remembered why I not only fell in love with
the books, but the movies. The music these films and Stephanie Meyers
led me too. It is amazing how something so visual can lead you to
such wonderful earfuls of audio. It starts with the Paramore song
Decode and Death Cab's Meet Me At The Equinox in the
beginning. Finally finding the beauty in bittersweet goodbyes with
Bruno Mar's It Will Rain. Finding my way to a final good bye
to Christina Perri's A Thousand Years. I have fallen in love
with the story of Edward Cullen and Bella Swan to this music. It was
only fitting that I let November, the last November with them, be
dedicated to the music of their love story.
December
2012: Better Than Ezra
With
December came a new show, Roswell. I was watching an episode one day
when I heard the song Closer and was reminded of all the late
90s early 00s music I missed. I think December was a busy month, but
I liked this song. It was December 28th and I was coming
back from my grandma's house. I listened to this song about a young
man walking into his son's room frightened that he would make a good
father. It began to make me think about the future I wanted. The
future Christmas days and such. So as I said good bye to 2012 I felt
this was appropriate.
January
2013: Maroon 5
January
was the month in which everything changed. It wasn't a planned thing.
I am not a cheater I promise. However as I tried my hardest to make a
clean break it was made easier the more time spent with Alex.
Daylight became an unexpected song for my new love. It wasn't
forced, but somehow destiny chose it for us. January 5th,
2013 I went to a wedding. In the soft tones of the radio a confession
was made and a decision needed to be made as well. It was then that I
had felt how I had lost my heart and how I never really got it back.
So I made a difficult choice and let what I had go for a scary
unknown much like the song Harder to Breathe. As January went
on I listened to all sorts of favorites like Sunday Morning
and Won't Go Home Without You I started feeling like I had
made the right choice. That warm feeling when I was with Alex during
the coldest of months. So the year began with Maroon 5 and Daylight
became our song.
February
2013: Saywecanfly
To
be honest February was kind of a blur of a month. It was the month I
realized that I had been in love with Alex. It was the month that we
decided to make it official. So in the sweet Valentine days and
birthday moments I listened to the song Dandelion Necklace. I
was kind of busy keeping secrets and spending days with my love I
found saywecanfly in AP Magazine and liked the song. So I picked them
in the middle of the busyness.
March
2013: A Rocket to the Moon
When
I picked them it was before the band broke up. However boy have they
gone out with a bang. When I was younger I loved the song Like We
Used To and this began my obsession with this band. Unlike the
song I had found the better man. The one that didn't do things like
the others used to, but better. As I spent more Snow days with Alex I
listened to the song Mr. Right and it made me giggle. He
always thinks that he is the one that has won some sort of prize, but
I am the one the feels lucky. It was in the middle of those snow day
there came the epic song the reminded me why I love this band. Ever
Enough with Debby Ryan made me emotional and I fell for the
sweetness of the song. The music video is such a wonderful story of
love. It is about being young and in love. Not letting the harshness
of the world take that away from you. That no matter what hardships
you might face, as long as you face them together everything will
feel better. The video showed the couple running away to get away
from the stress by going to Vegas and getting married. “After
all that I've done, is it ever enough.” Such a beautiful
song and I think it is epic.
April
2013: Birdy
April
this year wasn't like a normal April. There were not really rain
shower as much as endless blizzards. In the midst of snow days
snuggled with my love I was on his computer trying to find a video to
show him on youtube. That is where I found the Bon Iver cover of
Skinny Love by the young and talented Birdy. This young girl
with braces with the angelic voice. I began to research her and found
that even though I was happy there was such a beautiful tragedy to
the songs. They really expressed so much of how it feels to have a
snow covered April. Wishing for the sun to finally come out. I found
Terrible Love and 1901. This is very District 12 type
music and it was only fitting that Just a Game ended up on the
Hunger Games Soundtrack.
May
2013 The Afters
Back
in the days I used to go to the Sonshine Music Festival I fell in
love with the early songs of The Afters. This wonderful Christian
band that tends to inspire me the more I listen to them. It started
one day in May when I finally was able to go to the park and listen
to music. This simple thing made me feel like I had found myself
again. One night I heard Life is Beautiful and it made me
think of of Alex and myself. It made me think of just how lucky were
are to have one another. We are not weathly in money, but this song
reminded me that we are far richer in memories and in experiences.
The song makes me think of all of the little things that make me feel
wise and rich beyond anything imaginable. This song brought back my
love of the The Afters. In January I believe my title of the new year
blog was after Light Up The Sky. I started listening to them
in May and it allowed me to remember my youthful years. With Never
Going Back to OK and Lift Me Up! May was about worship God
through music. Thanking him for finally giving us Spring after such a
LONG winter.
June
2013: Delta Rae
I
was listening to Cities 97 one morning on my way to work and I heard
this song, If I Loved You. Immediately I felt extremely
connected to it. This would be the song I would send to the boy that
I started this musical year with. I realized at the beginning of this
summer that I felt different than I did the previous one. While
listening to this song I found that I had never been in love until I
met Alex. At least not the kind of love that is spoken in scripture.
I really enjoy this song, but it is so hard to listen to because it
makes me feel like I was dishonest.I know now that it was never about
honesty I just realized that I had fallen for someone long before I
had met this other boy. I had never really let go of my feeling for
Alex. It was unfortunate and I'm sorry for hurting people, but I
don't regret it, because I'm happy and I've found the love of my
life. Delta Rae is such a wonderful folksy band. Their song Bottom
of the River was even on True Blood. I love the way this band
doesn't use the same singer. Each song has its own story and voice.
Like Morning Comes or Dancing in the Graveyards.
Truthful folk music, such a great way to begin the summer! Listening
to music that not many people know about.
July
2013: Kacey Musgraves
In
the beginning of July I got the honor of seeing The No Shoes Nation
Tour. Even though I missed her Kacey Musgraves was there. The first
song I heard awhile ago was Merry Go Round. Last year I put it
on my birthday CD because it made me feel like she really related to
small town life. The kind of town I grew up in. The type that makes
you feel like if you don't have kids by 22 that you are crazy. This
is such a beautiful song and it is so honest. Kacey's music is
extremely country and I thought it spoke to the middle of Summer
greatly. Even though I don't smoke her song Blowin' Smoke it
such a funny one. Talking about those old town diners and how
everyone wants to get out of them. Makes me feel like I don't have to
work my dead end job forever. The last song I just heard recently is
Stupid. Wow do I love this song. It has this tune that just
gets stuck in my head and makes me feel so fun.
So
this was the type of year that you only find in move scripts. Where
the girl falls for the guy, but he doesn't think he is good enough
for her so he lets her go. Knowing that she will move on and find
another guy. Then he comes back into her life confessing that he made
a huge mistake and wants her, he always has, but he was afraid. Even
though she doesn't want to hurt anyone the girl has a choice to make.
She knows it will be hard, but that if she doesn't follow her heart
she would regret it forever. So with a deep breath she jumps blindly
into it not knowing with any certainity. If those moments don't
deserve a soundtrack then I don't know what kind do? This year was
one that gave me butterflies. It gave me butterflies because I not
only got to share new moments with people, I got to share them twice.
I grew so much to see that we don't really choose who we fall so
hopelessly in love with. That we cannot fight the fate that is laid
out for us. I know some years I make predictions and other years I
don't. The last few years I haven't really felt like I knew, but I
feel it in my bones that by the next music blog there will be
something special and that my dreams I've waited so long for will
start to come true. Maybe I'm just being hopeful, but either way I'm
excited to fall in love to music.
