In celebration of the end of a very long year...

But in celebration of a great year for music, I give you my annual end of the year list. Lyrics included this time.

2009 Albums Of The Year
1. Mayday Parade - Anywhere But Here
"You said you knew this was wrong, but still worth dying for..."
2. John Mayer - Battle Studies
"I love you more than songs can say. But I can't keep running after yesterday..."
3. Boys Like Girls - Love Drunk
"That summer radio, fireworks off the patio, a 3am string of green lights in a row..."
4. Holiday Parade - Tickets & Passports
"If I had it my way we'd put the past aside. We'd take the boat to the bay, leaving the whole world behind as the sea takes hold of our tales untold..."
5. All Time Low - Nothing Personal (maybe)
"You know I don't need sleep and I lost my keys, but I've got so many friends..."

Wow. I just spent like forever going through my iPod trying to come up with stuff that a) actually came out this year and b) I listened to it. It was far more difficult than I thought. I didn't listen to a lot of new stuff this year and the new stuff I did like, I fixated on. So in light of that...

Albums I Listened To The Most Regardless Of When They Came Out
1. Taylor Swift - Fearless/Taylor Swift
2. Matt Nathanson - Some Mad Hope
3. Jimmy Eat World - Chase This Light

Album That Got Played The Most In Kat's Car
1. Jimmy Eat World - Chase This Light

Album That Got Played The Most In Julie's Car
1. Boys Like Girls - Love Drunk

Song That Got Played The Most In Our Hall Group
1. Cobra Starship - Hot Mess (L&J)
2. Jonas Brothers - Burnin' Up (K&K)

2009 Single Of The Year
1. Lady Gaga - Bad Romance

2009 Discovery Of The Year
1. Florence

2009 Concert Of The Year
1. Fall Out Boy - O2 Arena London (because it's the last. for now. and for the look on kali and i's faces during disorder)

2009 Movies Of The Year
1. The Twilight Saga: New Moon
2. Up In The Air
3. Band Slam
4. (500) Days Of Summer

After watching the Glee finale...

So I may have just cried during the Glee finale. A lot. In the public computer lab. It was sweet and it's been an emotional day and an emotional week. Fuck, it's been an emotional semester. Things have changed and begun and ended and it's just been not at all what I expected. But in an important way. These words are trivial it seems, but mean something tonight.

"I know that I've got issues, but you're pretty messed up too.
Either way I found out I'm nothing without you..."
- Kelly Clarkson

For you and me, there's no where left to hide...

"Can we become more than just ourselves?"

"The city as my witness,
I am who I want to be, but you could be anything
Just be anything with me..."

- Jimmy Eat World

Being emo today, can't really put a finger on why. Jimmy is soothing my soul. Trying to figure out how to be who I want to be.

So, I'm a terrible person...

And I didn't write anything for the month of November on here. School and life and friends and drama took over and got in the way of me doing much of anything besides writing papers and giving hugs. So, I am being a god awful person and back dating this entry by ONE DAY in order that I have something dated November because I don't want to ruin my streak of writing every month. Not this close to the end of 2009! Forgive me, for I have sinned. Moving on...

The following lyrics are my favorite thus far off John Mayer's new album Battle Studies. I reviewed it for my college newspaper, but haven't had a chance to get back and keep listening yet so my opinion might change. My this is the line that stuck out to me most and that has stayed with me over the past few weeks.

"Good to know it's all a game
Disappointment has a name:
It's heartbreak warfare."
- John Mayer

You've come a long way boys...

But this song will remain the same in our heads forever. So this band is a funny story. That's really all there is to say about it. Julie and I's first time hanging out just the two of us (our first date, let's be honest here) was at their first show.

Text Messages:

Me: "Do you have plans tonight?"

Her: "No, did you have any ideas?"

Me: "There's this local band that I've heard of that's playing tonight. Do you want to go?"

Her: "Sure."

And so it began. That night in the Salem High School auditorium to an audience of about 25 people, STAY played their first show. Aside from our respective first kisses, it was Julie and I's most awkward experience ever. It was probably only my second or third "scene" show and definitely my first really small show. I totally thought Julie would think I was such a loser and would never want to hang out with me again. It turns out we both thought it was a) ridiculous and b) awesome. And we proceeded to go to a million other such shows every night we could and we became very much a part of the Boston scene. And whenever we go through something awkward, we're like well it wasn't as bad as Salem.

Now, two and a half years later, those boys are on the edge of something really fantastic I think. With only one of their remaining members -- yeah, they're angsty but they've had this lineup for about a year now and they're great -- they've come a long way. They put out their latest EP in the spring and they're playing shows all the time. They're going to be big and we're going to be proud. We'll tell the story about that night. They'll always be our boys.

I've got a handful of lyrics to post, so here goes:

"We took a chance; we had the summer time and made it to the coast.

We slept in cars and saw the shoreline fade to crimson red and gold.

We fell in love back then and swore to run against the ocean air."

"Let's run away to a town we're not afraid to die in.

We grow and we learn to let go. Let's write ourselves a story."

and this, from that first night and so many car rides and concerts after that...

and the line that gets talked about most of anything they write...

"And I'm so afraid that the life I've made is a long road to losing the love that I crave..."

- STAY

Another post for Mommy...

I've been missing her a lot these days. It's hard to be away from her at school and not have her hugs and her assurance in person. Her unconditional understanding. I know it's hard for us sometimes and we both have our issues, but she's my favorite person in the whole wide world.

And, yes, this is from the Hannah Montana movie. No judgements. Afternoons with Katharine.

"You tucked me in, turned out the light

Kept me safe and sound at night,

little girls on depend on things like that..."

"You had to do it all alone,

Make a living, make a home,

It must been as hard as it could be..."

"Butterfly fly away, got your wings now you can't stay,

Take those dreams and make them all come true..."

- Miley Cyrus

The closer I get to leaving her, to being a true grown-up, the more those last words ring true.

"What can we do better? When will we know how?"

This is from a band that I really don't know/care much about. But I love love this song and this one line that runs through my head day in and day out.

"You can sit beside me when the world comes down."

- The All-American Rejects

I've got a lot of those people and for that I'm lucky.

The soundtrack to a broken heart...

So I said a few weeks ago that Mayday Parade's new album Anywhere But Here is about falling in love, falling out of love, and healing. I've been listening to the album even more since then and I have some more lyrics that I want to keep safe for me to look back on. So here they are.

"I'm ready to give this all I have, I'm ready to be amazed

'Cause I'm standing here along, trying to make this life my own..."

"When you hear this chorus do you miss the way the world was spinning for us?

Do you hurt the way that I do?"

"To all my friends, let's make this count.

We're not alone."

- Mayday Parade

Again, let it heal you. A lot of us need healing right now.

One of the best songs of all time...

Okay that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but it's a song I love and most everyone else does. Screaming it in the car. I've seen it covered a few times in the past few months and it always makes me smile.

"Don't stop believin'

hold on to that feeling..."

- Journey

Bonus quote from the episode of Glee that features this song that always gives me chills when I hear it: "Being a part of something special makes you special, right?"

"In seven months, you'll be a college graduate."

"Are you changing? Are you changing? Are you changing?
Do you know it? Do you feel it? Do you know it?"
- Ben Lee

I am changing. Every second.

I've fallen hard for this album this weekend...

Okay so the new Mayday Parade album, Anywhere But Here comes out on Tuesday and I'm super excited. It'll be the perfect soundtrack for whatever happens with Teach For America. I've been listening to the MySpace stream for the past few days and I've really fallen in love with it. I hated the new songs when they came out. They really just didn't click with me and I didn't feel any connection to them. That's all changed hearing the whole album. It's heartbreaking and young and honest and beautiful. It's about being broken and fixed.

"Sometimes it isn't where you're going, it's who you're with..."
- Mayday Parade

Let it heal you.

From the depths of international political economy hell...

Homework in the media lab. Have a Pandora station going for "One Year, Six Months" which is one of my favorite Yellowcard songs. I listened to it recently and wanted to hear songs like it tonight while I suffer through this reading response. It's been a crazy few days with lots of work and lots of drama and music is always the perfect anecdote. Here are some of the lyrics that stuck in my head:

"And I'll forget about you long enough to forget why I need to..."
- Matt Nathanson

"Don't stop this train, don't for a minute change the place you're in..."
- John Mayer

Fireflies at night...

This is a song that Kali played for me one afternoon just after school started when we refused to leave Katharine's bed. Yes, that's how it went. She said "Do you care if I play some techno indie-pop?" And this is what happened and I feel in love with this one line that sticks out every time I play this song --- which has been a lot since then.

"I'm weird 'cause I hate goodbyes..."
- Owl City

I used to be love drunk...

I'm not in love with Boys Like Girls' sophomore album, Love Drunk. It was released this past Tuesday and is their follow up to their debut self-titled album. Both albums were released through Columbia Records. The album sounds too much like unoriginal and annoying bands like Metro Station or The Maine. It's not as crisp and tight pop as their debut. The lyrics feel less genuine and more forced. Some of it just isn't catchy (and that's what I'm looking for in my pop-punk music) and I can pretty much just leave it without a second thought. However! There are a few gems on the album and I'm anxious to share my favorite lyrics from those tracks...

"'Cause this is the real thing, love changes everything
This is the night when every heart's exploding..."

"Summer radio, fireworks off the patio,
A 3am string of green lights in a row,
And the real thing, love can change everything..."

"Don't wanna wake up the telephone ring
"Are you sitting down? I need to tell you something."
Enough is enough, you can stop waiting to breathe and don't wait up for me.
Get up and go, take a change and be strong,
You could spend your whole life holding on.
Don't look back just go, take a breath move along,
You could spend your whole life holding on.
Don't spend your whole life holding on..."

- Boys Like Girls

A forgotten song returns...

This is a song that I heard at the beginning of the summer in Katharine's car that I had honestly forgotten about. It stuck with me and I found myself coming back to it this summer whenever I was feeling down.

"Oh god please don't tell me this has been in vain,
I need answers for what all the waiting I've done means..."

"So go on love, leave while there's still hope for escape..."

"I can't help it baby this is who I am,
I'm sorry, but I can't just go turn off how I feel..."

- Jimmy Eat World

So many afternoons, this song is how I feel.

Again I am writing about a promotional song...

This time, it's the new Coke advertisement/campaign song "Open Happiness". The song goes along with a world Coke's created that takes place inside an ordinary soda vending machine. The track was produced by the well-respected Butch Walker and features a handful of different artists including Cee-Lo, Janelle Monae, Travis McCoy of Gym Class Heroes, Brendon Urie of non-Panic! At The Disco, and Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy. You probably could have guessed that those last two were who persuaded me to check out the track. It's actually pretty fun in a jammy, riding with the windows down in the summer kind of way. It's upbeat and about tryin to stay positive and "open up some happiness". Or, you know, a can of Coke. Smile, life's fun a lot of the time.

"Learn the words and sing together..."

"Come on and lift me up to a better way
Open up a smile on another face
So I can feel something new..."

- Open Happiness

Some mad hope...

"In this heartbreak world of just imagine,
With tired talk of better days.
In this heartbreak world where nothing matters,
come on let's make this dream that's barely half awake
come true..."

"And just drive until this summer gives..."

- Matt Nathanson

That last one always makes me nostalgic. And the vocals in this give me chills.

On and on to the beat of our noisy hearts...

This man has become one of my go-to's for all around great music. I count him among my favorites. I don't just have one favorite from him. So much of what he does is both musically pleasing and lyrically meaningful. He is beloved amongst many of my friends and will continue to get played during road trips and late night drives. I will now post too many times with lyrics from his songs. Like I said, I have too many favorites.

"She don't lie in bed at night staring at the ceiling,
She don't wait to begin.
She bets on long shots, she wants what they've got.
She skates where the ice thins..."
- Matt Nathanson

Some days I feel like that's me. Especially the second line.

Send it on...

WARNING: People will hate me for this.

So the Disney starting lineup have finally gotten together to do a song. But it's actually kind of interesting and cool. The six involved --- all three Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, and Demi Lovato --- are part of Disney's Friends For Change. They sing a song entitled "Send It On" that is being used to promote environmental awareness and "green" living among young Disney viewers. It's awesome of Disney to try to involve that demographic in living sustainably from such an early age. It's awesome of these artists to get involved. The song itself it an actually semi-inspirational power ballad about passing along good deeds (hence "Send It On") and seeing major change through those small acts. Check it out on youtube if you're as into the Disney crowd as I am (or just love Nick Jonas as much as I do).

"Just one spark starts a fire..."
- Disney's Friends For Change

Wow it's been too long.

It's been over a month since I posted on here. How did that happen? Internship, work, friends, travel, etc. More than that, I've had one of those summers where I've been pretty stuck on music I've listened to for a long time and artists who already appear on here. But I have discovered a few gems and has a few nostalgic moments that I'll share on here now.

Below are a few lyrics from a song that Julie plays in the car all the time and I always forget what it is and who it's by and also that I adore it. So I needed to post pieces of it here as a constant reminder.

"Somewhere between the end and the point where we begin..."

"Shine on, shine on.
And let the others see
You've got your victory..."

- Needtobreathe

Restart the past and head for the future...

I missed this voice. And you've got some quality lyrical moments too, boys.

"Everything I'd promised everyone I'd be well I just ain't..."
- Panic! At The Disco

Excited about what comes next. Heartbroken still, but proud.

You've changed...

"From now on, we'll carry on. But remeber this: we're writing our names in the lives of the ones we miss..."
- Bettie Servert

An old song that came on my iPod shuffle and made me think.

Swear to shake it up...

"Don't you see, I'm the narrator and this is just the prologue..."
- Panic! At The Disco

Apparently so.

Nothing personal...

Okay so it's time. Time for the All Time Low sophomore record mega-post. Let's pop-rock-n-roll. Quite literally. So the album's called Nothing Personal and it came out this past Tuesday. Since then, Julie and I have pretty much listened to it non-stop. Therefore, I've got a bunch of favorite tracks and even more favorite lyrics. I'm going to try my best to list maybe one from each song? Maybe one from the songs I like the best? We'll see. I wanna get this all down so I remember what I loved at the beginning. In track order. Absolute favorites are in bold.

"I wanna feel wreckless, wanna live it up just because. I wanna feel weightless 'cause that would be enough."

"You were fake, I was great. Nothing personal." (LMAO. Priceless.)

"Don't be so sentimental no, this love was accidental..."

"Suburban living with the feeling that I'm giving up everything for you..."

"Mix tapes of her favorite bands tearing up the radio lost in the stereo's sound..."

"You know I don't need sleep and I lost my keys but I got so many friends..."

"Dressed up as myself to live in the shadow of who I'm supposed to be..."

"Take the streets all night 'cause we sleep all day..."

"Hey there it's good to see you again. It never felt right calling this just friend. I'm happy if you're happy with yourself..." (Story of my freakin' life.)

"You couldn't have me, I didn't want you, and you're selling me out to the girl I can't afford to lose..."

"Arrogant boy, love yourself so no one has to."

Most of all, I am so proud of these boys. Julie and I spent a lot of time on Tuesday and in the days leading up to the release talking about this. We've loved them forever and now it's their turn to be superstars. It's watching Fall Out Boy pass the torch. And they deserve every single second of it. Love you boys. Welcome to the big leagues.

You'll always be a part of me...

I haven't blogged these lyrics yet because I always forget to. But they deserve to be on here so much as they got me through this past semester. They are from a band who I grow to love more and more every day and whose lyrics make me think and warm my heart. So this is thank you for the comfort, My Favorite Highway.

"She phones home: composed, a bit panicked, hesitates to admit she misses the Atlantic..."
- My Favorite Highway

On this side...

"Only the curious have something to find..."
- Nickel Creek

I know absolutely nothing about this band and I only heard this song because of a mix CD from a wedding seriously. It's not even really a song I like, but this line stook out to me.

Lines, Vines, And Trying Times

I'm sorry I'm not going to apologize again for them. They do what they do --- the pop-rock sugary-sweet but actually written and played by them --- very very well. It makes me feel young and it makes me bounce and sometimes that's more fun than serious and moving music. Sometimes it's enough.

Favorites off the new record:
1) Nick & Miley (Lmao I had to.)
2) Fly With Me
3) Before The Storm
4) Don't Speak

The following are from those last three in order:

"We'll chase the stars to lose our shadow, Peter Pan and Wendy turned out fine so won't you fly with me..."

"They always say a heart is not a home without the one who gets you through the storm..."

"It's a hope for all the hopeless in the worst of trying times..."

- Jonas Brothers

This should have been on here years ago...

This is a song that means the world to me and anyone who knows why. Just like the Ben Lee song, it's a song that I often forget about unless it's, you know, May. But it came back to my attention this week when Sarah Dessen put it on a playlist to accompany her new book Along For The Ride that is about a girl learning to be among girls. So it fits.

"And as long as she's got noise, she's fine. But I could teach her how I learned to dance when the music's ended."
- Dar Williams

That part always sticks out in my head when this song plays and it always elicits my biggest smile. Anything that comments on music does that usually. But thanks to this school and these women who really do teach me every day to dance without music.

Counting all the scars you made...

Okay I'm breaking a rule here. I said a while back that I would not quote this girl on here again because I really do have like --- not better 'cause she's fantastic, but broader shall we say --- taste in music. But that was before I heard this song and fell in love with this one line that is me and hits me and stays in my head all day.

"And you come away with a great little story of a mess of dreamer with the nerve to adore you..."
- Taylor Swift

Hey there, it's been a while.

Sorry I haven't posted on here in forever. It's been a busy summer and it's only the middle of June. A lot of working --- work that I actually love and that makes me feel fulfilled. And lot's of growing up and talking to other people about growing up. But I have been listening a lot of music --- specifically a lot this week and I wanted to post a little bit of it. This is a song from Ben Lee, whom I love but is definitely one of those overlooked artists for me. I kind of forget about him and then whenever I hear something from him, I immediately think "Wow, he's kind of amazing."

"Love me like the world is ending..."
- Ben Lee

So simple, so true. There are really not any second chances. Better to say something than not. Trust me. Love hard and wish well. Yup, stole that from Peter.

I've seen friendships fall to pieces.

"And you stay right between the lines of fear and blame
And you begin to wonder why you came
Where did I go wrong?
I lost a friend, somewhere along in the bitterness.
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life."
- The Fray

I normally don't listen to the radio. Ever since I've become a true music fan, I've grown to detest most of the garbage there. But recently, I was reminded of this song when I was listening to the radio since my iPod hook-up broke. I will never hear it and not get that ball in my throat and have to swallow back tears. Not ever. It will always remind me of my fight with Nasha which was easily the second worst experience of my life. It'll never be the same and that's tough. But I'll take something over nothing. Need someone to quote Gilmore Girls with. 143 Always & Forever.

PS: Lyrics in the subject are from The Academy Is... just so everyone knows.

On my mind and in my ears...

This is a song, not lyrics. It's something that I found randomly through a friend and I've fallen for it. Everyone knows this song, it's the wedding song. But I'd never heard it done on a guitar before and it's beautiful. Ignore the guy playing it, just listen to it. If I get married, this is the version I want. Just so everyone knows.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4Sh9cKEDH0&feature=related.

Back to cleaning my room. More entries soon, I've been feeling moody and musical so you know it's bound to happen.

Mean everything to nothing...

These guys are going to blow up and they should. As much as they are a lot of people's best kept secrets --- Katharine, Lauren, and so on --- they're got more talent than so many of the cliched bands in the scene and they deserve the success that's coming their way. The lyrics listed here are from the first song on their sophomore album Mean Everything To Nothing which came out last week. They were pointed out to me by Katharine and I knew immediately that I should put them up here. They're just so striking and beautiful. I can't help but keep the music playing.

"I guess that it's true you never know
the passive power of the truth so cut me loose..."
- Manchester Orchestra

Wow, three updates in two days...

Craziness. But this is a second update thus far that's not actually a lyrics. But it should be. It's a quote from a t-shirt that should be on my doorstep when I arrive back in the U.S. in exactly 11 days. (Yeahhhh, Julie!) And it's beautiful and it gives me chills and I wanted to share it. It's from an organization called To Write Love On Her Arms, that everyone reading this probably already knows about, but if not check out www.twloha.org immediately. Stay hopeful.

"We will be the hopeful."

<3

From their new album...

Here are some of my favorites from Holiday Parade's new album Tickets And Passports, out a few weeks ago. It didn't strike a cord with me immediately and I was actually pretty disappointed at first, but I've warmed to it. Especially the last two songs, which in addition to single "Getaway" are the album's strongest.

"If I had my way, we'd put the past aside. We'd take the boat to the bay, leaving the whole world behind as the sea takes hold of our tales untold. I'd say "Come with me tonight, we'll fall without a fight." If you're scared, it's okay..."
- Holiday Parade

"It's how is all comes back to you and I..."
- Holiday Parade

Everyone who reads this thing knows who that last one is talking about.

This reminds me of a certain someone...

"They took him to the hill where they made him a star.
Everyone loved who they knew from afar..."
- Empires

I was listening to Howl the other night and this lyric struck me over like a bus in Florence. I know some of their lyrics, but I'd never picked up on this one before that night. It's so Peter Pan, so truthful about so many people I love. From afar, from up close are two different things. Are they? I don't want them to be.

These four crazies deserve to be on here...

"And I'm over getting older..."

"Maybe it's not my weekend, but it's gonna be my year..."

"I wanna feel reckless, wanna live it up just because,
I wanna feel weightless, 'cause that would be enough..."

- All Time Low

They do what everyone else does. But they do it best. Always have and always will. They're definition pop-punk. And they deserve all the success Nothing Personal will have this summer. Keep rocking, boys.

They have one of the best band names around....

And I've fallen for this song in the past few days...

"Life flies by so you have to embrace it
Forget the past 'cause you cannot erase it
So live the dream, and learn to chase it
And when you can almost taste it
It's all come alive..."
- My Favorite Highway

I feel like every day is an exercise in chasing what you want and forgetting what you can't have.

I swear this is the last time I will quote her lyrics...

"And when you find everything you looked for,
I hope your life leads you back to my front door
But if it don't stay beautiful..."
- Taylor Swift

I haven't thought about you in years and suddenly I can't get you and New Year's Eve out of my head. God help me.

It's a weird I'm proud of you feeling too, which I really didn't expect.

She has a thing for mix CD's...

"I spend my days just passing through
these roads, they lead from me to you..."
- Holiday Parade

These guys are special. They a) seem like good guys b) have amazing lyrics and c) are pretty kick-ass live. Julie and I have been becoming more and more obsessed with them as the days where on. Now, they've recently posted a new song called "Getaway" which is off their sophomore album entitled Tickets And Passports which comes out on April 7th. Make sure you get it. I'm serious.

And this song has been getting me through the past few days. I'm really truly connecting with it and even though it's about falling in love and that's not what I'm doing, there's an oddly comforting aspect to it for some reason. I can't wait to get the whole CD and let it warm me up.
Summer's coming and I think it'll be good for summer.

The lyrics above are some of my favorites and the subject of this entry is a lyrics too that was the first to catch my ear because, you know, that's me and Julie. And finally one of the most brilliant lines in the song...

"We live our lives like falling stars..."

Everyone's got a song in my life...

That one that I immediately connect with them.

"I'm by your side, you've been my mine
Through the good and the bad,
And all those nights when we'd just drive
And we felt all alone in the world.
Look out tonight and we were right,
Look how far we've come and now is our time..."
- Bedlight For Blue Eyes

It's been too long since I've heard that in a car on that street between Lizzie's house and the Common. Where the conversation stops for this one part.

Miss you, Patrick. 2 months. Reserve Saturday night. Tell Jeremy to get his ass back to Starbucks.

If we're all alone, aren't we in this together?

Julie introduced me to this song a few years ago -- Wow, was it really that long ago? I guess so. -- and it's always been my go-to angsty song. The bridge is absolutely brilliant and I'm jealous that she got to see this live.

"And rip me apart to see my insides, compose myself I'm not secure
And don't believe a single thing that you have heard,
And throw my pride into this fire, my confidence is dead, I'm tired
Who's giving up? I won't burn out, I'll just burn up.
And I was raised on excellence, always taught to look my best.
I don't want to be just anybody, don't want to be anything you forget.
Villains die and heroes live forever, tragic endings get remembered
I don't want to be just anybody, don't want to be anything you forget."
- October Fall

Sometimes life is really scary...

It's been a scary few weeks for me. Some weird stuff happening that I don't really feel like dumping on here. But in short, I usually consider myself and a tough person. I'm not easily scared and I'm pretty independent. But that's all being challenged right now and I'm being forced to ask for help. While I'm working through all this, I've been listening to a ton of music. This is one song that Alex talked about in his blog and I went back and listened to it and it fit with my mood...

“It’s safe to fall if you just trust the ground that you stand on.”
- Midtown

Because Alex said it's his favorite...

"Hoping that you remain the same..."
- The Cab

This idea of change/remaining the same is a very, very common theme in a ton of the music that I listen to. It's in Fall Out Boy, it's in Valencia especially, it's everywhere. Do people change? Should they? Can people stay the same? I like this sentiment. If you're a good person as this character here is, then don't lose that. I've done more changing in the last two years than I have in my entire life, I'm pretty sure, but I can still spot the girl I was when I was in high school or middle school or elementary school. Here's hoping the best parts of us remain the same.

I learned there lay within me an invincible summer...

"And we frolicked about in our summer skin..."
- Death Cab For Cutie

I miss those days. But they're coming again. Julie, get Peter and Holly ready for me.

This is what I hoped Florence would look like...

"Show me how pretty the world is, you're brilliant when you try..."
- Matt Nathanson

Today was a good day. That gives me hope.

Thanks to my sister for this album...

It's a good one, for sure. Bouncy and beautiful. And there's a song called "Julie."

"I’m ready for fear, and love and everything between..."
- We Shot The Moon

PS: Devastating note, Harrison left The Morning Light. Julie informed me of this today. How will I marry him now? I think he's actually legal now. Sad.

Senza paura

(Fearless)

"I don't know why, but with you I dance in a storm in my best dress, fearless..."
- Taylor Swift

Say what you mean, say what you feel

"Even if your hands are shaking and your faith is broken, even if you eyes are closing, do it with a heart wide open..."
- John Mayer

This is the craziest adventure ever. There's no way around the fear. Everyday is something I didn't do the day before.

Julie, This Is For You...

Since I know you read this.

"If another genre were going to be emo, it would be country."
- Julie

I'm glad you're tolerating my obsession with Taylor Swift so well. And that you share my obsession with that one Carrie Underwood song.

This is the last of the post-it notes I have saved...

"I lost my place but I can's stop this story,
I'll find my way but until then I'm only spinning..."
- Jack's Mannequin

I love the story metaphor. Get ready to turn a page.

I immediately think of four boys...

I'll always defend them.

"It's just loyalty protecting royalty."
- You, Me, And Everyone We Know.

I'll always believe.

I am in love with this girl for reasons I can't explain...

This Taylor Swift song, called "The Best Day" is the most beautiful thing ever. And it's been perfect for me as I prepare to leave my mother, my best friend for the next fifteen weeks. The longest we've ever been apart.

"I know you were on my side even when I was wrong
and I love you for giving me your eyes
For staying back and watching me shine
and I didn't know if you knew so I'm taking this chance to say
that I had the best day with you today..."
- Taylor Swift

I love you Mommy. <3

Just like the oldest friendships and the oldest loves...

"This story's old, but not complete..."
- Valencia

The Resolution

"I'm alive and I don't need a witness to know that I survived,
I'm not looking for forgiveness. I just need light.
I need light in the dark as I search for the resolution..."
- Jack's Mannequin

Me: [Talking about Teach For America] It didn't scare me.
My Former Principal: I don't think anything can scare you.

Things I have been thinking about today. Making me smile.

Four years ago...

I was in high school. This album is what I wish it were like.

"You're a stranger I know well and not at all..."

"It was the best of times from broken homes and battle scars to where we are..."

"You'll go off, you'll forget, you'll grow out of hanging form the edges, breaking off the past. You'll know when to move on, you'll know when to take all the right chances, never looking back..."
(This is so true and so brilliant.)

"These are the fast times..."

- The Academy Is...

This is really, really late...

But I wanted to do a little end of the year thing. Just some of the albums I thought were awesome this year. And a few that I discovered late this year. Albums. Bands. Concerts. Movies.

2008 Albums Of The Year
1a. Fall Out Boy - Folie A Deux
1b. Valencia - We All Need A Reason To Believe
2. Jack's Mannequin - The Glass Passenger
3. Panic(!) At The Disco - Pretty. Odd.
4. John Mayer - Continuum (I know, but I just discovered it this year.)
5. High School Music 3: Senior Year Soundtrack (Seriously.)

2008 Best Discovery Of The Year
1. My Favorite Highway

2008 Best Concert Of The Year
1. Fall Out Boy - Northstar Bar
2. Mayday Parade - Warped Tour (Because we finally made it.)

2008 Movies Of The Year
1. High School Musical 3: Senior Year
2. Twilight
3. Nick And Norah's Infinite Playlist

2008 Biggest Musical Guilty Pleasure
1. Jonas Brothers

Band That's Going To Be Huge In '09
1. All Time Low will continue to take over the world.

Today I saw someone fall in love...

But love it never perfect. He's taken. She's smitten. He is too, but he's still taken. Somewhere down the road.

"Young love is ruthless, so learn to fly..."
- The Academy Is...

Okay, confession...

This isn't a lyrics. But it should be. Direct from another blog.

"Be like your iPod. Put your life on shuffle."
- Peter Pan

That's what happens on Monday, I suppose. A great adventure.

You've gotta swim...

"Swim for the music that saves you when you're not so sure you'll survive..."
- Jack's Mannequin

I love it when music comments on the power of music. Gives me reason to quote it like this.

"Yeah, you gotta swim. Don't let yourself sink, just follow the horizon I promise you it's not as far as you think."
- Jack's Mannequin

On the inside of my head, this has been a really crummy week. Song like this make it okay.

For Just Another Weekend...

"I'm still chasing my heart down 95..."
- Valencia

I had an awesome day in Providence today. Exit 6 to Exit 28 and Exit 21 to Exit 9 and back again. Julie to Catherine to Nasha and back again. Breakfast at eleven, Private Practice at noon, cupcakes at one. Perfection. No one talks with me like these two. They make me think.

Shane Henderson, you're too good...

"Sometimes, you gotta walk in the rain if you're dying to find what you're looking for..."
- Valencia

Who the hell knows what I'm looking for these days, but I hear it rains a lot in Florence.