Giveth, Taketh

A significant event happened in my life Wednesday night - the birth of my nephew. It was something we had been looking forward to for longer than nine months and I know, without a hint of doubt, that he has great parents looking out for him. His mother is my sister and, even though we are too manly to say it out loud, my brother-in-law is just as much family to me than my own blood.

When I got the picture on my phone, I felt my cheeks widen as I gave the biggest smile I've given in a long time. I actually have an uncle named Matt who, even as I am on the verge of 25, I immensely look up to. My goal is to live up to his name and do whatever I can to pursue that even though states currently separate my nephew and I.

But it's fitting that my nephew was born around two days before an anniversary in my life. An anniversary I don't "celebrate" but rather remember.

December 2, 2001 was a Sunday. I can remember little details from ten years ago because it was a day that would forever change my life. It was a day that, at 14, I would have to figure out how to deal with the loss of a friend.

I met Connie when I was in middle school. We struck up a friendship that admittedly spawned out of affection on my end. She was a year older than me and when she left for high school we didn't see each other as much, but we stayed in contact.

Honestly, so much time has passed that I forgot how we went from acquaintances to friends but I do know that she knew I liked her as more. She didn't return the feeling, giving me an "I don't date guys younger than me" vibe. It was something that to this day I thought was a challenge but never pursued intently because her friendship mattered more.

I used to look for her when I attended my friend's soccer games and when a group of us would go to the bowling alley. We used to chat on MSN messenger and her words were always sincere with me. If one thing was true about the two of us, it was that we cared about one another.

Eventually, one of my good friends Andy would become basically a member of my household. He was also previously a friend of Connie's and the three of us struck a friendship trio of sorts.

It was clear that he was starting to develop feelings for her so any kind that I had that weren't previously suppressed at earlier attempts became finalized. But Connie and I would still have our chats and checkups. One Monday, I was in my room getting ready to watch wrestling. I told Connie this during our phone conversation, one in which she had called to just check on me. Our talks had weaned in recent days and she decided to pick up the phone and see how I was. It was a gesture I will never forget because it was the last time I would hear her voice.

The next weekend, Andy I got the news. Connie was in an accident involving four people and she was one of the two that didn't make it. The car was being driven by a driver who was under the influence and they lost control and ran off the road. Connie was ejected out of the passenger seat and lost her life instantly.

When we got the news, we just left my house and walked. We walked down the street and to the park and back, he and I not saying a word. The only sound you heard was our feet on the pavement and attempts at keeping tears in our eyes.

My dad and I are much closer now than we are then, but I don't think he knew how to react when he drove me to her funeral service. And if he didn't know what to say in the car, there were definitely no words to comfort me as I saw my friend for the last time. Only, it wasn't really her. I will never get over how doll-like she looked as they had to do some touchups following her accident.

But she was laid to rest in her pajamas and at least she left this world giving us a smile. I'm not big into signs or acts of nature, but I remember vividly a single gust of wind as her casket was lowered down in the cemetery. Noteworthy because it was a hot Alabama day in December and there was no wind to cool us down.

I walked by her casket and silently whispered "bye babe" to her; it was something I said to her whenever we would finish our chats and I thought it would be the perfect way to say goodbye one last time.

A few months ago, June of this year to be exact, I was eating at Hooters in Dothan, a city near where my friends and I grew up. There was a particularly ditzy waitress who was at times amusing and annoying. But something felt familiar about her and it wasn't until a friend I was with pointed out that we all went to the same high school. Then the "Shannon" on her name tag had a last name and I realized - she was the driver of the car the night Connie was killed.

I didn't know how to react - I had just been chatting it up with the person who is responsible for the death of one of my best friends. Ultimately, I tried to put on a happy face and finish the time with my friends. I gave her the benefit of the doubt that she had enough hardship on her own having to deal with the consequences of her actions.

But now, today, I realize that all these feelings stem around something that happened 10 years ago. On a weekend when my major focus was securing a relationship with a girl who I was crushing on. Then my week turned into a mix of tears and memories.

Now, the memories remain. And on the day where I mourn the loss of a friend, I simultaneously look forward to celebrating the arrival of my nephew later this month.

I love them both. And I will work just as hard to be an uncle to my nephew as I will to never forget Connie in my life.

MX

"On every street, every car, every surface are names
And at the streets arise, I'll be rather insane
Don't let them take control
No we won't let take control"

"Life goes on
It gets so heavy
The wheel breaks the butterfly
Every tear, a waterfall
In the night, the stormy night
She closed her eyes
In the night, the stormy night
Away she flied"

"Be the cartoon heart,
Light a fire, light a spark,
Light a fire, a flame in my heart.
We'll run wild,
We'll be glowing in the dark."

"And if we could float away,
Fly up to the surface and just start again.
And lift off before trouble just erodes us in the rain"

"Don't want to see another generation drop
I'd rather be a comma than a full stop"

"They got one eye watching you
One eye, what you do?
So be careful what it is you’re tryin’ to do

And be careful when you’re walking into view
Just be careful when you’re walking into view"

"Lord I don't know which way I am going
Which way the river gonna flow
It's just seems that upstream, I keep rowing
Still got such a long way to go"

"Once upon a time we fell apart
You're holding in your hands the two Halves of my heart"

"Up in flames

We have slowly gone
Oh, we have slowly gone

Could we pour some water on?"

"Through my days are flowing
From a shipwreck I heard a call
And she said

When you're tired of aiming your arrows,
Still you'll never hit the mark
And even if your aims are shadows
Still we never gonna part

Come on baby don't let it break your heart"

"The sky is blue,
Dreamed that lie 'til it's true,
Then takin' back the punch I threw,
My arms turn wings,
Oh, those clumsy things
Send me up to that wonderful world
And then I'm up with the birds."

Explanation to come in due time, but for now...

The Sight of Sound

Best in Music for 2011 (so far) W/ GUESTS!

Hey, guess what? Here is some music, just for you! Not only from me, but from my friends Mike and Liz as well. This week, Mike and I are both participating in Liz's Mixtape Mondays with the theme being the Best of 2011 (so far).

Ladies first, so here is what Liz picked for her list. (Note: I can name three artists that I have become fans of because of Liz, so even though this list is for our readers, I am personally looking forward to discovering some new material from her selection).

Click here to download Liz's mix

01. These Days - The Foo Fighters
02. Shook Down - Yuck

03. Calamity Song - The Decemberists

04. Love Is - Meg & Dia

05. Walking Far From Home - Iron & Wine
06. It's Not A Bad Little War - Bayside
07. Calgary - Bon Iver
08. Came Out Swinging - The Wonder Years
09. Freak Out - Tapes N Tapes
10. Little Cup - Thao & Mirah
11. Meantime - Givers
12. Life Is Killing Me - Fireworkds
13. Grown Oceans - Fleet Foxes
14. Cradle - The Joy Formidable
15. Sadness is a Blessing - Lykke Li
16. Weekend - Smith Westerns
17. Everything With You - Pains of Being Pure at Heart

And now, I'm going to hand it over to Mike. (Note: I love that we picked a few of the same bands. Also, there were a couple of artists I left off because I figured Mike had them covered. It's awesome when great minds think alike)

Click here to download Mike's mix

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart- Belong

Manchester Orchestra- Mighty

Bright Eyes- Shell Games

Taking Back Sunday- Best Places To Be A Mom

The Black Dahlia Murder- On Stirring Seas Of Salted Blood

Lady GaGa- Heavy Metal Lover

The Beastie Boys- Long Burn The Fire

Mogwai- Mexican Grand Prix

Melanie Laruent- En t’attendant

Radiohead- Lotus Flower

Bon Iver- Perth

The Decemberists- Don’t Carry It All

Hugh Laurie- Six Cold Feet In The Ground

Foo Fighters- White Limo

Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi- Two Against One

City & Colour- We Found Each Other In The Dark

James Blake- Limit To Your Love

Death Cab For Cutie- Codes & Keys

Tally Hall- Misery Fell

Iron & Wine- Walking Far From Home

TV On The Radio- Will Do

Thursday- Turnpike Divides

And finally, here are my picks. (Note: Foo Fighters is the only artist to appear in all three of our mixes. If you haven't checked out that cd, you need to).

Click here to download my mix

1. Foo Fighters - Bridge Burning
2. Brother - Darling Buds of May
3. Sleeper Agent - Get it Daddy
4. Dr. Dre featuring Eminem, Skylar Grey - I Need a Doctor
5. John Legend - Rolling in the Deep (Adele cover)
6. Peter, Bjorn and John - Second Chance
7. Does It Offend You, Yeah? - We Are the Dead
8. Taking Back Sunday - El Paso
9. Royal Bangs - Fireball
10. Childish Gambino - Freaks and Geeks
11. Lupe Fiasco featuring Skylar Grey - Words I Never Said
12. Hugo - Bread and Butter
13. Farewell Continental - Who's the Boss?
14. Yellowcard - With You Around
15. Manchester Orchestra - April Fool
16. Cage the Elephant - 2024
17. Social Distortion - Machine Gun Blues
18. Augustana - Shot in the Dark
19. Foster the People - Houdini
20. Death Cab for Cutie - Monday Morning
21. Bayside - The Wrong Way
22. Panic! at the Disco - Sarah Smiles

Mix and Match

So there are a few things going on that I should probably give specific attention to in three separate posts, but eff it - I'm lazy.

With that said, I present to you The (current) Life and Times of Mr O - A Three Part Saga

Act I - The Golden State:

I got back from California on Sunday after having an incredible week. Inevitably, there was some drama but it sort of came from an unlikely source in my brothers. Ironically, a few summers ago my brother Nick and I formed a bond and became super close. This time, it was my cousin Katie and I. She was the one who I had flown out to watch graduate and she was the one I spent the majority of my time with. While we probably set a record for laughs and hugs, it was her flat out asking me "why don't you just move out here" that got to me. For the first time in my life I didn't have a straight answer. I'm out of school, so what's holding me back? Right now it's the fact that I am at a good job gaining valuable experience. But best believe if I were to get laid off, I am picking up the phone and calling my Cali family immediately.

Here are some highlights from the trip:

*Becoming known as a car killer (my cousin got in an accident on the first day and after borrowing my Uncle's car it wouldn't start the next day)

*Spending an entire day at Six Flags Magic Mountain. I'm not usually a rollercoaster guy, but I had a lot of fun. Best ride? Riddler's Revenge.

*Walking along Ocean Avenue with the lovely Jeanette as my LA tour guide

*Having a section of family and friends take up three rows at my cousin's graduation. And being one of the loudest groups there.

*Seeing Pirates 4. And liking it.

*The competitiveness of Wii Bowling

*Eating some wonderful BBQ

*Hanging out with two sets of families and killing time by chatting, playing games and taking tons of pictures

Let's just say I was really really (really) sad when I touched down in Atlanta on Sunday. And if I was a betting man, I would put everything I had on me returning to California. Maybe sooner rather than later.

Act II - Summer Lovin, Happened So Fast

I think one of the most depressing things about graduating college and entering the "real world" is that you no longer have a summer. You know, the months when things slow down and you can kind of take things casually. Now that I'm at a big boy job, June through August is going to be feel exactly like February through April, only much much hotter. With that in mind, I still have some goals for the summer months, including

*Finally f**king learning the piano. I have felt inspired to make music lately and I want to see that through. Maybe, just maybe, 2011 will be the year that happens.

*Getting lost in TV and videogames. I know this may sound like a "dumb" goal to have, but I miss the simplicity of enjoying a game or being addicted to a TV show. The last one I watched was Friday Night Lights and that was so good I couldn't even think of watching something else for a while. But now I'm ready to get back in and I have some contenders including Smallville, Veronica Mars, Californication and Weeds. Most likely though, I'm going to start off with 24. As for video games, my cousin Brian let me borrow LA Noire. I've only played a few hours but I already love that game.

*I don't have a weight loss goal as in pounds shed, but I want to get into a "healthier" lifestyle. Even if it means just getting up and walking a little bit in the morning, it's at least a start.

*Also a BIG finally, is starting a music blog. I know that's what this has kind of evolved into, but I'm talking one that deals strictly in music. One that I can show on a future resume. And one that was inspired by a fellow blogger. This is the most important and expect to hear more about it soon.

Act III: Please, Don't Lose Your Faith In Me

Using music as the perfect segway, I am counting down the days until June 28. That's when the reunited original lineup of Taking Back Sunday finally puts out their new cd. It is two weeks away and if the four songs I've already heard are any indication, I am going to be far from disappointed.

There's only a handful of bands I get giddy over, but TBS is one of them. The last time I counted the days for a cd was Coldplay's "Viva la Vida" in 2008 (another "giddy" band). I did a countdown on myspace bulletins (remember those?) so I'm thinking I might do something for this release.

The latest track they released is "All This Now" and you can hear it below:

Hustlers grab your guns

By the time this day is over, I will be with my family in California.

To say I'm excited is an understatement.

I'm thinking about doing some exclusive vacation videos for this blog. Think you guys would be interested in that?

Also, expect some pictures from another blogger you have seen on here before. Basically, the next week is going to be filled with greatness.

As this song is stuck in my head...

So Last Night Was One of The Greatest Nights of My Life

I was really looking forward to the Manchester Orchestra / Cage the Elephant show because I hadn't been to a show where I could just let loose and rock out in a long, long time.

I needed it. I needed to be surrounded by people who want to be moved by music and are listening to people who care about making music. And I got that last night.

I have pictures, but they are blurry. I have videos, but they are loud. So you just have to take my word for it.

Cage the Elephant was straight up fun. But Manchester Orchestra gave an absolutely memorable performance. One that I will never forget

In 2008, I saw Coldplay live and it was, hands down, the best concert experience I have ever had. It's kind of like the movie Fight Club for me - I don't think anything will be able to top it.

But this concert last night came pretty damn close. I've never done drugs, but I'm pretty sure I was high on the music last night.

And right now, as my ears are still ringing and my legs are somewhat sore and I have to be at work in a couple hours, I am legitimately happy.

It's ironic that the venue we were at used to be a church because last night - I got healed.

Music Sunday: Concert Review/Concert Preview

Last weekend a friend and I traveled to New Orleans to see Augustana at the House of Blues. The weekend was a memorable one that included nearly 900 miles of driving, about three Monster energy drinks, a 4 a.m. return before going to work at noon and plenty of good times.

And the show was great as well.

The only two bands advertised were The Maine and Augustana, but we couldn't figure out which would go first. Turns out there were two openers - Hugo and Austin Gibbs.

Hugo was a pleasant surprise, as said friend and I were both fans of his cover of Jay Z's 99 Problems. And his set was really fun and everything an opener should be. I barely had any money, but he said his cd was available for $5 and he would be at the merch table, so we went over and got him to sign it.

And apparently take a creepy picture.

Austin Gibbs was someone I had never heard of and didn't know what to expect, all we had read was that he had an epic mustache. And he did. But he also gave one hell of a performance. I just saw his cd is only $7 on iTunes and I think I just might wing it and give it a shot.

And then there was the Maine. I kinda didn't like this band anyway as I put them in a category of bands that are the equivalent of being the NSYNC of Backstreet Boys of the alternative scene. But they were horrible, at least to me. I just felt like they were one of those groups that catered to making teenagers squeal (and there were plenty of them on Sunday) and not really care about making music. Basically, I hated it.

This is what my musical adventure partner was doing instead of watching The Maine (she was playing Snake)

Finally, the wait was over and Augustana took over the stage. They didn't do anything over the top or crazy, but just played some damn good music. Honestly, I think what made it special was its simplicity. The whole crowd was just wrapped up in the songs and it became an experience I will never forget.

The venue was really cool too.

Oh, and for those asking whether they played, "Fire," they did. Though they did it with the full band and it was cool. Here is my small clip of it:

After that show, Augustana propelled into my top ten. A band that is already there, Manchester Orchestra, I will be seeing on Wednesday.

This time it won't be as far as a drive as we are only going to Atlanta, which is a definite plus as that is the band's hometown. Another plus? Cage the Elephant is opening.

Here are two reasons why this show is going to be great:

Music Sunday: Augustana

While this is going up on Sunday, I am actually writing this on Saturday. Because as you are reading this, I will be on my way to New Orleans to see Augustana perform. I really hope I hear this song:

Music Sunday: Happy Mother's Day

Mama, we all go to Hell

These are the days of Mr O

A lot has been going on lately, which will be highlighted in bullet points with each probably getting their own post at some point.

*Hopefully no one takes this the wrong way, but I can't take much more tornado footage after last week. I literally see it the whole time I'm at work and I'm not getting annoyed with it... it's just so sad. I can only imagine that some people woke up that morning wondering what to post on facebook and ended the day wondering where their house went. I think the most scariest thing is that this "season" isn't over yet

*Immediately after I got off work on Saturday a spur-of-the-moment trip happened and I saw Fast Five that night. And enjoyed the hell out of it.

*Finalized a plan to see a show in two weeks... in New Orleans

*Am close to asking for a day off in the middle of the week toward the end of the month... for a different show (in Atlanta)

*This was my thought process to the Bin Laden news: "holy shit, Bin Laden's dead?" - "AMERICA!!!" - "This is crazy, we are all celebrating someone's death" - "How the fuck did this turn into Obama hatred?" (this one is DEFINITELY getting its own future post)

*Saw Paranormal Activity 2. Was intense.

*In one month, I will be landing in LAX. California may as well be called "Heaven" for that week.

*My bfff will be graduating on Friday and welcoming her daughter into the world in two months. I'm excited to be a part of the celebration for both :)

So hopefully that holds you guys over for a bit. Hold me to my word on turning these into separate posts ;)

Tornadoes Suck

Working at a newspaper in the capital city of a state, you deal with a lot of state-wide headlines. Today was one of those days.

We had reports of severe weather all throughout the day. At first we saw a tornado touched down in Cullman. Then that a hospital in Cullman was hit. And then the biggest news was that it ripped through Tuscaloosa.

I stayed at work a little late to monitor if it was coming our way and what, if anything, we were going to write about it. So far, all we got in the city of Montgomery was some rain. Though by the time I wake up tomorrow that might change.

3 people have died in a city near us (Eclectic). At least 15 died in Tuscaloosa. And as of the time I'm writing this, 58 have died across the state.

The images I've seen have been unreal. And I don't think I will get them out of my head for quite some time.

Snapshot(s) of My Life (Picture Post!)

A desktop I really need to clean up:

A season of a TV show I just finished:

Movies I am currently watching to get ready for this weekend:

My Wrestlemania souvenir cup from my Atlanta weekend:

Music I'm currently listening to:

Me. In my Monday off-day attire:

Music Sunday: Easter Edition

*Note: I plan on bringing back the concept of Music Sunday. Just not a countdown or anything. For right now it will just be whatever is on my mind for that particular time. But any suggestions are not only welcome, but encouraged.

It's Easter. Here's a song with Jesus in the title:

"Well Jesus Christ, I'm not scared to die,
I'm a little bit scared of what comes after"

April 21, 2006

I feel like when someone close to you passes away, there are two dates that are going to stick with you - the day they passed and their birthday.

In my 24 years of living, I have had three good friends taken from me. Two of them, two that I graduated with, are tattooed on my wrist. It's my way of taking them with me everywhere I go, but I still think of them on the above mentioned days.

Two months ago would have been Cynthia's 24th birthday. But we didn't get to celebrate because five years ago today she was taken from us. I say "we" and "us" because she had A LOT of friends.

And honestly, that's a bonus I think to facebook. I didn't get sad to be reminded of it. I was happy to see everybody talking about how much they missed her. Made me realize how much of an impact she had.

I don't want to be entirely depressing, but I want to mention one story. Cynthia lived with her grandmother and the house they stayed in had friends come over so often that we all sort of became another family.

At her funeral, I got ready to go in and say my hellos to everybody and tried my best to "be a man" and not cry or anything. But when I walked in, I locked eyes with her grandma who gave me a sad/proud look. She hugged me and said "she really loved you guys" and all I could say in reply was "we really loved her too." And then, of course, I lost it.

Her grandma joined facebook not too long ago and we all friended her and I thought it was really awesome to see her post this as a status:

"Today marks five long years and yet it seems like yesterday since Cynthia died. She was one special gal.I'm glad to see so many of you remember and care. I love you guys !!!!! Love Grams Our angel is watching over you"

Recently I got the new Yellowcard cd and this song really stuck with me and it's what I posted today.

"All I can do is keep you closer now
'Cause I know your somewhere out there looking down
Wherever you are (Wherever you are)
I hope you can see me smiling"

The Boy Who Blogged Wolf

I feel like after so much time talking about going on hiatus and not blogging for the longest time, I bet anybody who regularly reads this thought that's what happened these past few weeks.

But that is not the case.

I was without Internet after moving into a new place. I had no idea it was going to take THREE WEEKS to get back into it, but in that span I've realized a few things:

*My name is Mr O and I'm an Internetaholic

*No matter how cool having Internet on your phone is, there is no substitute for the computer.

*I have really really missed blogging. And reading blogs. It kind of served as a wake up call because of all the things I could do on my phone, checking blogger was just uncooperative.

I hope you guys are ready for a flurry of posts because I have a lot to discuss. Mostly music stuff (of course) but maybe a few other things thrown in for good measure.

Oh, and if you are my friend on facebook (which most of you are, so you've seen my Internet presence anyway) then I hope you don't mind that I'm about to partake in one of those 30 Day Music Challenges.

Until next time, I want to leave you with my favorite song right now

Music of 2011 (so far) W/ GUESTS!

*Please note, this is a lot of text. But in my humble opinion, it's worth it*

So remember when I had a Most Anticipated 2011 list on here? What's crazy is a good portion of those have already come out and happily there aren't really any disappointments. Some are quickly approaching (Foo Fighters, Death Cab for Cutie, Manchester Orchestra) but for the most part, in my opinion, 2011 has started off strong musically.

With that in mind I wanted to highlight the releases of the first few months of the year. My goal is to share with you guys any that you may have missed, but to also look at the feedback for the ones that I have missed. To speed up that process, I enlisted the help of some friends. So below my picks, you will get offerings from Liz and Mike. Keep in mind, it is way too early to start a "Best of" so these are just the ones we liked.

Let me say a couple things right off the bat. 1) The big one I haven't got to yet is Adele. 2) the only thing close to a disappointment is the Strokes (I wouldn't say it was terrible, but there was just nothing to pull me back). 3) Aside from the picks you will see below, I enjoyed the stuff from Bayside, Radiohead and Bright Eyes, but they are mentioned in Liz and Mike's picks 4) Other solid releases include D.R.U.G.S., Does It Offend You, Yeah?, Explosions in the Sky, Cake and Travis Barker.

On to the selections (please leave suggestions for stuff we missed in the comments):

Matt's Picks

Cage the Elephant - Thank You, Happy Birthday: A spastic (in a good way) album that shows slight maturity with a couple slower, more acoustic tracks. Admittedly, it took me a couple plays to get into it as the wild tracks are a little more out there than the self-titled debut, but it's an all-around fun cd.

Dance Gavin Dance - Downtown Battle Mountain Part 2: You have to be in to the screaming/singing genre to even give this a shot, but if you are it's a hell of a release. Though it's clear Jonny Craig has some personal issues, the reunited lineup sounds stronger than ever. This is my brother's favorite band and it was awesome to see him get excited about it as I am in the same situation when the original Taking Back Sunday releases a new cd (hopefully sometime) soon.

Lupe Fiasco - Lasers: The label frustrations are clear on Lupe's third studio release that definitely sounds more "mainstream" than his first two albums. But the songs are still great and lyrically he cannot be denied as one of the best out there. I read somewhere a line that I couldn't agree more with - even at his worst, Lupe Fiasco is better than the majority of rappers today.

Panic! at the Disco - Vices and Virtues/Yellowcard - When You're Through Thinking, Say Yes: I'm putting these two together because I had almost the same personally story with them both (and ironically they were released on the same day). After strong releases that I had on heavy rotation at one point in my life, both bands just kind of floundered for years. If my opinion is worth anything, both these releases have gotten them back on track (I still haven't taken V&V out of my car).

(Bonus Pick) Green Day - Awesome as F**K: I know this wasn't a new release and live albums get a lot of negativity, but I'll be damned if this isn't a really fun set. I pressed play sort of expecting just some background material but in a few minutes I was jumping around my living room like I was really at the concert. Say what you will about the aging rockers, but they know how to put on a show.

Liz's Picks

Killing Time by Bayside is catchy and melodic yet also has a punk vibe. It has a rougher edge and a bit of a hard-rock vibe but is still undoubtedly Bayside. Definitely worth checking out.

Yuck by Yuck is the bands debut album. Nineties indie rock goodness is how I would describe this. They sound like a mix of all the great early nineties indie music without sounding overdone or uninspired. See: Dinosaur Jr., Elliott Smith and Yo Le Tango and Teenage Fanclub. They are able to balance melodic harmonies and lovely boy-girl vocals with guitar distortion.

I really dig Kiss Each Other Clean by Iron & Wine. It isn't their typical mellow sound; there are clear influences from the hits of the 70's (see: Van Morrison, Cat Stevens and James Taylor).

The King Is Dead by the Decemberists is really good. They've moved away from the prog rock sound of Hazards of Love and produced a mellow, country-folk album.

Mike's Picks

Bright Eyes- The People’s Key

Conor Oberst revitalized Bright Eyes with an immersive album that features spacious snyths, driving new wave, and the examination of spiritual harmony within our society. Throw in some nods to Rastifarinism, and it’s impressive to see just how far the drunk kid catholic has come.

The Decemberists- The King Is Dead

After the tripped-out prog rock of their previous album, Colin Meloy & Co. delivers ten tight tracks that don’t mess around. The record’s rich, Americana overtones feel like good comfort food, providing the solid backbone for Meloy’s signature character studies and soaring harmonies.

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart- Belong

Following in the tradition of vintage shoegazers like Ride and post-punkers like The Cure, The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart have created this year’s breakout album. Belong is chock full of dreamy guitar haze, and crystallizes the most imitate feelings in its prose. The results are gorgeous without being nostalgic

Radiohead- The King Of Limbs

Part jazz-infused nature jam, part astute study of 2011’s electronic music scene, Radiohead created an album that demands attention. The group offers up a record that refuses to be accessible on first listen, but one where the real rewards are just below it’s murky, glitchy surface.

Tonight, We Dine, In HELL!!!

So not only is this around the two-year mark of the initiation of this blog (too lazy to look up the actual day) but this is my 300th post (get the title reference?)

I tried to think of possible things I could do to celebrate this post. I tried to look through videos and pictures and come up with something really cool. But honestly, nothing came to mind.

So really, after 300 posts and two years of blogging, I just want to say thanks. To all the readers who listened to me ramble about music, rant about things in my personal life and my occasional wrestling talk.

Let's go for more 300 more in 2013!

Because after all,

This, Is, BLOGGING!!!

Ok, I'm done...

Scream at the Top of Your Lungs

The other day I randomly clicked on a song and started singing along really loud. I think I was getting it all out of my system for when I have to move soon and will no longer be able to play my music as loud as possible (how's that for a tease of a future post?)

I have a friend that I have perfected the art of the random text with and I shared this with her, simply stating "I'm currently singing I will survive at the top of my lungs. An alternative cover that is"

She then replied asking me what my favorite song to belt out is. And the idea for this post was born.

I could honestly turn this into a new Music Sunday idea (thoughts?) but here is a tiny sample of my favorite songs to sing (and air guitar/bass/drum/rap) like I'm the greatest musician in the world.

Enjoy these while you visualize one of your favorite bloggers gettin down and then leave some of your favorites.

Not only is this an amazing track, but it better win video of the year:

*Oh, and I'm not kidding about that last one. I would kill that song in karaoke.

C'Mon Blogspot, It's Not What You Think, Let Me Explain

So for some reason, I went to reply to the comments on my last post, but it wasn't working with me. So here is what was going through my head when I wrote that.

When I first started blogging, I was addicted. And that's no exaggeration. I was posting almost every day, checking a bunch of blogs daily as well. It got to the point where I had this little community, where we were all commenting on each other's stuff, that included names like the girl with the pink teacup, jeanette, Mr. Condescending, Natalie, Miss H and Lola Lakely. While a couple of them still do some posts, the majority of them have fallen off for various reasons.

In the almost two years since, I've met other cool people who have stuck around with me (Sara, Allison, Lisa) but for some reason in recent months, I was just not feeling the desire to log in to blogspot. And that's the thing - I want to. I want to be back into it.

So, as much as I had talked about it in the past, that post wasn't an announcement of operations ceasing to exist here. It was more of a memo to myself to try and get back into this. And a call back to one crazy summer.

A blogger friend of mine, who, like others I think is starting to drop the "blogger" description and just go with the friend word, suggested to me to consider not closing up shop on A Rush of Blog to the Head. Discussed always having a space of your own to come to with your thoughts. That advice was well received and I will honestly probably always keep this open.

I wish I could say that I've been incredible busy and that's why blogging has been left behind. But actually, I've been tweetin and tumblin with the best of em. So maybe it's just that my attention span has been dramatically lowered? And also I just knocked out the first season of Friday Night Lights and all of what Parks and Recreation has done before that. So it's not a time issue.

I've actually thought about it and I think it's because of my job. I spend all my working hours researching and looking up stuff, taking notes and putting those into a story that goes into an editing process that maybe I am just burnt out from writing.

But that sounds like an excuse.

And honestly blogspot, you deserve better than that. You've been there for me in tough times. Maybe we have just moved past the infatuation stage and now we gotta work at our relationship.

So let's get to work.

I Remember A Time

When I was addicted to blogger.

Oh, summer 2009.

It was the best of times

It was the worst of times

Mr O - The Movie Star

Have you ever wanted to see a video containing the author of this blog? Well, what about one co-starring my bfff? If so, you have come to the right place.

Though Jamie basically recapped on her blog, I will give a brief description here.

Her and I have been friends for years now. She has seen my highs and lows and I have been there for hers. Today was a day where we were just hanging out. But it was also a day where we decided to do a vlog.

After discussing ideas for too long of a time, we came upon the idea of telling the story of our friendship. However, as predicted, the video was really long (over seven minutes to be exact).

So, being the fan of Tosh.0 that I am, we decided to take a cue from his "spoiler alert" segment and cut it down and only show clips. Nearly five minutes was cut to give you the product below.

*Note: If there is interest to see the extended "full" version, just let us know. If not, we are not going to through all that uploading mess for nothing.

Enjoy.

Vlog Question

There is a 32% chance that I might be doing a vlog this weekend.

IF that happens, does anybody have any suggestions of what they would like to see?

28 Days Later: Week Four

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

And now, Week 4...

Day 22

With nothing special happening that day, I decided to take a pic showing off the fresh shave and fresh cut (I was looking pretty homeless before this).

Day 23

Went for a walk on my random day off and took this pic while sitting at a park bench

Day 24

Downloaded some effects for my phone. So I decided to test some out on, what else, a set of Rock Band drums.

Day 25

A "behind the scenes" shot if you will of different forms of media gathering at one location

Day 26

We thought it was sexist that this poster only had an open spot for the female. So we stuck it to the system.

Day 27

Again, just trying out effects on my phone.

Day 28

I call this one "Red Light During a Thunderstorm"

28 Days Later: Week Three

I think with all photo projects, this one is starting to lose it's luster. Oh well, I committed to a month and that's what's going to happen.

(First post explaining the entire thing)

Day 15

As a reporter, I see a lot of scenes. This is one of members of the community at a public hearing discussing possible school closures.

Day 16

My morning routine involves chillin with Jon Stewart

Day 17

We have a breakroom that is named after whoever wins that year's Iron Bowl. After all the crappy tree-poisoning stories out of Auburn, I needed some AU spirit.

Day 18

It was the highlight of my day to have these cookies waiting at my desk. Lowlight was that one of those boxes didn't make it to the next day.

Day 19

Just a Saturday in Alabama. In 2011.

Day 20

My friend (and former roommate) and I used to watch Community every Thursday. Now we catch up online whenever we can get together on a weekend.

Day 21

I don't understand why more people don't like ham and pineapple. Doesn't that look delicious?

28 Days Later: Week Two

And here we go in the second week of the February photo project.

Day 8:

My car was like "Hey Matt, I don't feel like starting today." Five hours at a dealership and a major hit in my bank account later and the Silver Surfer is doing fine.

Day 9:

Just when you think you made the perfect mix cd...

Day 10:

My bfff sent me a text telling me to give her my favorite lyric, no questions asked. Next time I saw her, I had this waiting for me. Now it hangs on my wall.

Day 11:

Was amazed that my Christmas tree was still up. (Update: my sister was at my house for a few hours. Tree is down).

Day 12:

Covering some new animals at the zoo. This was taken during a staredown with a Sumatran tiger. I lost.

Day 13:

This is what I jammed to riding around the night of the Grammys. Pretty happy the Keys got some recognition.

Day 14:

Gotta love Alabama.

Finally...

I think this post is more for me than anybody else. But dammit I am excited right now. And while some people will roll their eyes at why, I'm on such a high that I don't really care.

Backstory:

Growing up, my Grandpa got me into wrestling like some dads get their sons into baseball. It's sort of in my blood at this point. With that said, Wrestlemania is like our Superbowl. It's even gotten to the point where cities compete for it like they do for football's biggest game. Atlanta beat out a few other places to host it in 2011 and as a birthday/Christmas present, my dad got me a pair of tickets.

Again making the comparisons to the Superbowl, people buy tickets not knowing which teams are even playing and wrestling fans buy tickets not knowing who is going to be performing. It's all about the experience.

But still, this year was kind of shaking up to be sort of weak. Honestly, I will continue to keep up with wrestling until I die. But I will probably never watch it as intently as I did when I was a kid (Screw this whole "growing up" thing). From what I have seen, nothing is making me have the whole "I can't wait to go" vibe.

Until tonight.

They announced last week that Wrestlemania would be having a "guest host" for the night. Now, their Monday night show has had guest hosts for the past couple years to come on and promote shows or books or movies or whatever. And there were A LOT of rumors that WWE has been trying to get Justin Bieber to come in. I'm not kidding about that. They have been trying to change to a more PG format and I guess JB would cater to their new demographic.

However, it was not to be for the Biebs.

Seven years ago, a performer like no other walked away from the fans that made him and pursued a career in Hollywood. Tonight, he came back to us. And I will be seeing him live in April.

Finally, The Rock has come back.

Let's Talk Grammys

(*Editor's Note: I published this on my blog at work, so that's why it may sound a little different. Hope you enjoy it all the same. Also, if you want to check out a fellow music blogger's thoughts, check out what Mike posted back when the awards were announced)

This Sunday will mark one of the biggest nights in music with the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards. And just like the upcoming Oscars, one of the funnest parts is saying who is going to win, who should win and complaining that the Grammy Award is just a bunch of corporate heads that don't know the real music (except the Oscars are movies, but you get the idea).

But there will be none of that third part here. Unless it comes to good artists being overlooked.

*A brief note: 109 Nominations is too many to talk about. For the complete list, go here: http://www.grammy.com/nominees

Record of the Year

Nothin' On You - B.o.B. featuring Bruno Mars
Love the Way You Lie - Eminem featuring Rihanna
F*** You - Cee Lo Green
Empire State of Mind - Jay Z & Alicia Keys
Need You Know - Lady Antebellum

Who Will Win: Love the Way You Lie was all over the radio and is arguably one of the biggest songs of 2010. I expect it to win the majority of categories.

Who Should Win: Empire State of Mind had the best crossover appeal I've seen in recent memory, satisfying both hip hop fans and casual listeners.

Who I Want to Win: Though I wasn't the biggest fan of the song, it would be nice to see the underdog come out on top and have Lady Antebellum accept the award. But I would love to see Cee Lo Green get the W for the most upbeat way to ever drop the F bomb.

Album of the Year

The Suburbs - Arcade Fire
Recovery - Eminem
Need You Know - Lady Antebellum
The Fame Monster - Lady Gaga
Teenage Dream - Katy Perry

Who Will Win: I see Eminem taking home a lot of hardware Sunday night and this is another category that will add to his collection.

Who Should Win: Of the five nominated, I would have to give the award to either The Fame Monster, which seemed to produce hit after hit, or The Suburbs, who seemingly had a ton of alternative fans and critics gushing over the indie-esque sound.

Who I Want to Win: There were much better albums out in 2010 than those that were nominated. Unfortunately, Kanye West released his in November. But The Black Keys and/or Mumford and Sons could have, and should have, taken home this honor. So who I would want to win isn't on this list.

Best New Artist

Justin Bieber
Drake
Florence and the Machine
Mumford and Sons
Esperanza Spalding

Who Will Win: Justin Bieber has been everywhere in recent memory and the safe bet would be to go with him. If not, Drake is a top contender.

Who Should Win: Spalding is the clear underdog in this category. I'm not familiar with her and the rest of the nominees have been on fire. All would be deserving.

Who I Want to Win: Hands down, Mumford and Sons. They have a sound that doesn't feel like it will be flash in the pan. I look forward to hearing more from them. Florence and the Machine would be a second choice.

Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals

Airplanes, Part II - B.o.B., Eminem and Hayley Williams
Imagine - Herbie Hancock, Pink, India.Arie, Seal, Konono No 1, Jeff Beck and Oumou Sangare
If It Wasn't for Bad - Elton John and Leon Russell
Telephone - Lady Gaga and Beyonce
California Gurls - Katy Perry and Snoop Dogg

Who Will Win: If the veterans don't take it (Elton; the Imagine cast) I see Lady Gaga sneaking away with another one

Who Should Win: When you put a bunch of big names in a movie, the result is usually disappointing. But that wasn't the case when Gaga teamed with Beyonce. If Telephone took home the statue, it would be deserving.

Who I Want to Win: Airplanes was a solid enough song on its own, featuring the attitude of B.o.B. and the beautiful voice of Paramore's Hayley Williams. Adding Eminem made a good song great and it would be cool to see it win.

Best Rock Album

Emotion and Commotion - Jeff Beck
The Resistance - Muse
Backspacer - Pearl Jam
Mojo - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Le Noise - Neil Young

Who Will Win: Muse is up against some veterans, so I think it will be hard for them to pull this one out. Just for name's sake, I see either Petty or Young winning this one.

Who Should Win: Pearl Jam came back with a vengeance, but Muse has the best of this pack.

Who I Want to Win: Think it's pretty obvious at this point. Viva La Resistance!

Best Rock Song

Angry World - Neil Young
Little Lion Man - Mumford and Sons
Radioactive - Kings of Leon
Resistance - Muse
Tighten Up - The Black Keys

Who Will Win: Muse put a lot of effort into maximizing the sound of their latest release. I see it paying off here with them winning this category.

Who Should Win: Muse is deserving, but The Black Keys or Mumford and Sons put out some of the best music not only in the year, but in music. I would stick with them in every category.

Who I Want to Win: Any of these besides Radioactive. Come Around Sundown was a good album, but I just don't feel Radioactive is worthy of a Grammy.

Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals

Ready to Start - Arcade Fire
I Put A Spell On You - Jeff Beck and Joss Stone
Tighten Up - The Black Keys
Radioactive - Kings of Leon
Resistance - Muse

Who Will Win: I see this being a toss up between Arcade Fire and Muse. Both have an established credibility and both could ride that to a Grammy win.

Who Should Win: The Black Keys should win every award they were nominated for. And the ones they weren't.

Who I Want to Win: See above statement.

Best Alternative Music Album

The Suburbs - Arcade Fire
Infinite Arms - Band of Horses
Brothers - The Black Keys
Broken Bells - Broken Bells
Contra - Vampire Weekend

Who Will Win: I think the Black Keys have a good shot at taking this one. But Vampire Weekend and Arcade Fire are close competitors. By the way, if you haven't seen the Black Keys and Vampire Weekend on the Colbert Report talking about this award, look that up now.

Who Should Win: Once again, if the Black Keys are nominated, they should take it home. Brothers was that good of an album.

Who I Want to Win: I am a fan of both Vampire Weekend and The Black Keys, so either of them winning would be nice to see. But I still have to go with the Keys.

Best Rap Solo Performance

Over - Drake
Eminem - Not Afraid
How Low - Ludacris
I'm Back - T.I.
Kanye West - Power

Who Will Win: If Eminem doesn't have a predictable dominant performance, Drake is the most likely to take home the trophy. I honestly don't understand how Ludacris and T.I. were nominated. It's not a knock against them, I just feel both have put out much better material.

Who Should Win: Kanye West released Power with just enough time to get it nominated, but not the full length My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Nonetheless, he should take the W here.

Who I Want to Win: Eminem is a much better artist than what Not Afraid showed. Like with Ludacris and T.I., it's not a bad song but Eminem is capable of so much more. With that said, I would like to see either Mr. West or Drake take it home.

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration

Nothin' On You - B.o.B. and Bruno Mars
Deuces - Chris Brown, Tyga and Kevin McCall
Love the Way You Lie - Eminem and Rihanna
Empire State of Mind - Jay Z and Alicia Keys
Wake Up Everybody - John Legend, The Roots, Melanie Fiona and Common

Who Will Win: It feels like it's overstated at this point, but either Eminem or Jay Z will most likely get the Grammy in this one. Wake Up Everybody would be a nice change of pace.

Who Should Win: Wake Up! was an out-of-nowhere release that should have gotten more attention than it did. Maybe a win here will justify that.

Who I Want to Win: If the Deuces remix was nominated, I would go with that without hesitation. Since it's not, I became a Bruno Mars fan in 2010 and Nothin' On You helped make that happen so it would be nice to see that song win.

Best Rap Album

The Adventures of Bobby Ray - B.o.B.
Thank Me Later - Drake
Recovery - Eminem
The Blueprint 3 - Jay Z
How I Got Over - The Roots

Who Will Win: See all the above comments about Eminem and Jay Z. Em might win this battle.

Who Should Win: Though I haven't personally listened to How I Got Over, I've heard fantastic praise from this Roots release. If what I heard is true, they should winning here.

Who I Want to Win: Though I wouldn't call it the best of the best, I personally enjoyed B.o.B.'s release. Then again, it's hard to argue against Jay Z, who put out another classic.





So there you have it. Look for the Grammy's to be the Eminem Show. But if there is any justice in this musical world, The Black Keys will have a statue (or two) to take home as well.

28 Days Later: Week One

I don't consider myself much of an artistic person, but I always see people doing photo projects and I was like "I want to be part of the in crowd"

So this is me making an attempt at taking a photo for each day in February (Day 1 = Feb 1 and so on...) Please don't be harsh, these were taken on my phone.

Each day is posted on Tumblr.

Each week is posted on here.

Entire month will be posted on facebook. They get last dibs.

Day 1:

Apparently the vending machine in the break room at work was leaking. Yes, I checked to see if anybody reported it before taking a picture.

Day 2:

My dad drives truck for a living and his route sometimes brings him through where I live. This is his driving companion.

Day 3:

I know everyone that gets this weather all the time is going to be like "we get this weather all the time" but hey - this doesn't usually happen in the deep South.

Day 4:

This is my wrist tattoo in conjunction with that of my brother-in-laws sisters'. (Is there a name for that relationship?) Also, I would hope you know which is mine.

Day 5:

Watched the UFC fight at Hooters with some friends. It was a good time and a good hangout.

Day 6:

Then watched the Superbowl. It was pretty much a guy weekend.

Day 7:

Had to kill some time today and went to the mall and they had Bayside's self titled release on vinyl for ten bucks. It was then added to the collection.