My Playlist- Road Trip

The songs that always make me think of traveling the country ;)

Ghost Riders (In The Sky)- The Outlaws
Big Sur- Alanis Morrisette
Breathe- Michelle Branch
Pioneer- The Band Perry
Love Will Tell Us Where To Go- Bridgit Mendler
Get Outta This Town- Carrie Underwood
Airstream Song- Miranda Lambert
Miles- Christina Perri
Lubbock or Leave It- The Dixie Chicks
The Sweet Escape- Gwen Stefani
My House- Kacey Musgraves
Every Time You Go- Ellie Goulding
Diet Mountain Dew- Lana Del Rey
Dear California- Vanessa Carlton

Album Review- Rabbits On The Run

Rabbits On The Run- Vanessa Carlton

        I must confess, I am quite the fan of Vanessa Carlton. Something about the rolicking piano accompanied by her small, clear voice has always done it for me. This is her most recent album, released July 26, 2011, and it marks a major style change for Vanessa. The piano is still there, and her vivid imagery abounds, but the record as a whole has a notably darker, more gothic sound than the others. It was also recorded directly to tape, quite uncommon for this day and age. On into the song by song!

     Carousel- The first single, and most upbeat of the CD, it tells the story of life with joyous piano licks and metaphors. A great opener to the album.

      I Don't Want To Be A Bride- Slow and emotional, with a message that speaks volumes about girls today. Handclaps provide the percussion, and the only other backing instrument is a childrens choir until you get near the chorus, when a soft acoustic guitar and piano join the mix. Beautiful song.

      London- One of the gentlest songs on the record, it features Vanessa's voice above a quiet piano and guitar. Midway it picks up with a few violins. At first appearing to tell the story of a city, it becomes evident in the second verse that it is in fact a love story.

     

      Fairweather Friend- My personal favorite, it opens with the insightful lyrics "say you see through the folly, but you do it for the fame". The chorus is ethereal and smooth, the song as a whole depicts a failed romance with a "fairweather friend".

      Hear the Bells- Haunting is the best word to describe this song. The chorus is deceptively simple, three chords played twice, and Hear the Bells is echoed as if from a ghost's mouth. A perfect halfway song.

      Dear California- A standard parting song, it brings some life back to the album with guitar that manages to sound perky despite being in the minor key. A shaker and a snare behave as the drums, setting the backdrop for Vanessa thinking wistfully about a former lover that she has to leave.

       Tall Tales For Spring- As bouncy as a spring day, Alice in Wonderland does spring to mind. Despite the verses exuding life, the chorus twists and slows while she proclaims "madness". Very unique.

        Get Good- Beginning the final three ballads, a story of redemption is told lyrically with metaphor. The na na nas add more than you might think.

       The Marching Line- Piano thuds as Vanessa recites lyrics. Not much to say about this one. It's pretty though.

       In The End- Another confession. I've barely listened to this song, despite owing the CD for more than a year. Unique for the violin that clashes at the start, giving way to more ominous piano melody which renders it nearly impossible to hear her voice. More of an instrumental piece than the others, a lovely end to the record.

This Week I'm... #1

It's Wednesday. This is not an ordinary Wednesday, though, for today I start posting again. I think something fun to do is tell y'all what I'm loving this week. So, let's get started.

MUSIC:

Recently I've been obsessed with all things Emmy Rossum. I mean, what's not to love? She's gorgeous, an amazing singer and actress, plus she's so sweet! I've been adoring her debut album, Inside Out. It's so laid back and dreamy sounding, perfect for listening to in summer. 

As far as anything not Emmy, I've been shuffling through my (considerable) music library and rediscovering things I loved a few years ago. Topping the list as far as albums go:

Heroes and Thieves- Vanessa Carlton (all of her songs are wonderful)

Jagged Little Pill- Alanis Morissette (does this one even need an introduction?)

Made of Bricks- Kate Nash (a wickedly brilliant lyricist- must listen to for fans of Lilly Allen)

BOOKS:

E is For Evidence- Sue Grafton. I've been reading my way through the series, so far loving all of them. But then, I'm a mystery fan.

Bitterblue- Kristin Cashore. A sequel to Graceling, this is actually my personal favorite of the series. I love how it reads almost like a mystery, while maintaining the storyline from Graceling and Fire.

Dark Inside- Jeyn Roberts. An oft-overlooked apocalyptic tale with a unique storyline that takes the "humans destroy themselves" storyline to a new level. More thought-provoking than one might think.

BEAUTY:

My no.1 favorite this week as far as makeup is concerned is without a doubt the ELF mineral infused mascara. While I'm iffy on the fancy mineral claims, the fact remains that this is an excellent mascara. It defines, lengthens and volumizes. For three dollars? Yes, please.

And that's it! Hope you like this, and I'll be updating it every week, so stay tuned.

-K