phosphorescent - the mermaid parade

I will be the first to admit that I am not the biggest country music fan. Occasionally, I'll like some of it, but I'm not enamored. Weird, right? I'm from Wisconsin, isn't that a prerequisite for living there?

Irrelevant life facts aside, I'm definitely in love with this song by Phosphorescent, which is a more indie country band (which begs the question, am I automatically attracted to anything with an "indie" label? and if so, is that horrible?). The Mermaid Parade is not exactly a sad song, though it could be easily interpreted as so. The protagonist of this story didn't go home to his wife, with whom his relationship has faded, and rather watched beautiful women dance. He's rejected stability, and all that he knows, just to satisfy a random impulse, but he seems happy.

And while it leaves a sour taste in your mouth, you have to hand it to him. I applaud rejecting normalcy for spontaneity. Living in the moment is the ultimate goal, and I would totally sit and watch the mermaid parade with him for the hell of it.

Youtube- The Mermaid Parade

note to self

Oh my. I've been neglecting you since my mini-vacation.

Never fear. I shall soon resume my musings. I would tonight, but my mind is plagued by gloomy thoughts and so I shall retreat to my music for personal reflections.

On a random side note, I've been listening to a lot more full albums as opposed to the usual one or two songs. Right now I'm loaded up with Arcade Fire, Owen Pallett (Final Fantasy) and Sigur Ros. I guess I feel like I'm getting a full and complete picture listening to a whole album. Takes a bit longer, but it's worth the time and effort.

Anyways, as this is mainly a not to myself to get off my ass and start writing again, say goodbye to moody, melancholy me, and hopefully hello to a genuinely happy me.

took a drive into the sprawl

Alright, so I know this is backwards, but nevertheless I'm going to post it.

"Sprawl I (Flatland)" is the prelude/companion piece to "Sprawl II" aka my current favorite song. I bought The Suburbs at Target for only eight dollars. I was shocked, but not complaining. So the whole album is amazing, but I'm madly in love with this pairing of songs.

Sprawl I is a sad song. Contemplative lyrics paired with mournful melancholy guitars and strings. "I took a drive into the sprawl/ to find the places we used to play/ it was the loneliest day of my life." Disillusioned and confused, we're only left trying to stir up old emotions that don't come back as easily. "Cops shown their lights/ on the reflectors of our bikes/ said 'Do you kids know what time it is?'/ well sir, it's the first time I felt like something is mine/ like I have something to give." Win Butler's voice gets a little quieter. As if he knows inside what he means, but knows that the others won't understand no matter what he says.

The song ends on a sad note and then immediately followed by the upbeat Sprawl II, telling the same lament of discontent and old memories. In fact, the story is the same. "We shield our eyes from the police lights/ we run away but we don't know why." It's the same story from the two different perspectives of the parties involved. Intrinsically different but ultimately linked together.

Youtube- Sprawl I (Flatland)

get away from the sprawl

"They heard me singing and they told me to stop/ quit these pretentious things and just punch the clock/ these days my life, I feel it has no purpose/ but late at night the feelings swim to the surface."

Way to beat me to the punch on describing my feelings, Arcade Fire. I don't know if I could more accurately put into the words those little nuances and naggings of my life situation right now. This is my life right now, and I'm not trying to be all dramatic. My life is punctuated only by going to work and coming home and going online and sleeping. Then waking up and doing it again. This monotonous routine I'm sure is shared by 99% of the population of the world, and I want to be in that 1% who lives life freely. Big ambitions yes, but it's not impossible.

Anyway, those lyrics come from the song "Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)" from Arcade Fire's newest album, which comes out today actually, The Suburbs. From the reviews I've read, it's quite amazing and with songs as good as this one, I'm optimistic. "Sprawl II" is not a sad sounding song, contrary to the downtrodden situations it describes. Feelings of being lost among the chaos of the world. Constantly plowing forward not caring what souls it crushes on the way. "Dead shopping malls rise like mountains beyond mountains/ and there's no end in sight/ I need the darkness, someone please cut the lights." The melody line is a quietly powerful electronic beat that makes it almost hopeful. Maybe we can escape from the vicious cycle of the ordinary. "Can we ever get away from the sprawl?" Well, we don't know but we'll just hold on and hope so.

Youtube - Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)