I'm a slayer, ask me how.

Because Sea Shanties are all the rage in 2021 (well, at least the second week of it), enjoy Luke Westaway and Johnny Chiodini singing about mental health as though it was their own personal pirate ship.



If you enjoy this tune, support the artists by downloading it from pretty much anywhere digital music is sold!

Star Wars and The Beatles. It’s weird to lump these two together. To an outsider, they have very little in common, apart from being major forces in shaping popular culture forever. But you probably wouldn’t think of the two in the same moment unless you were taking part in some kind of quiz show.

But for me, they are two of the BIGGEST obsessions I ever had in my youth. I memorized actor’s names in Star Wars and I knew the stories behind every Beatles song. And every time I think I’m done with them, that maybe I’m over them. They PULL ME BACK IN!

Case in point, this “not a trailer” released by Disney and Peter Jackson two weeks ago (that I am just seeing now??):



At first I was like “Huh, okay, Beatles thing, I guess I will watch this, it’s only 5 minutes.”

But then the images of the four of them, so clear, in color…the audio as clean as if it was recorded today…I could feel my heart swell and the 13 year old fangirl inside me began to jump up and down and slowly freak out with every new sequence – every snarky comment from John, every smile from Paul, George’s quiet presence (yet somehow judging us all) and Ringo’s antics.

If all 56 hours were remastered, I would watch all 56 hours so it is probably for the best that Jackson is going through and editing this down to a more reasonable amount of time.

It was the same feeling I had when the ‘Force Awakens’ trailer dropped. The cynic in me sat down to watch, but when it ended, I was fully on board with it. I will probably listen to The Beatles in my car tomorrow and hang on to that energy that they bring me.

I have a bootleg copy of ‘Let It Be’, the 1969 film that most of this footage originated from. I watched it once and I don’t think I can ever watch it again. It was painful to see these four friendships crumble under the pressure of the past ten years. So what did Jackson find in that “lost” footage that compelled them to create this new documentary? Will he manage to craft a happier story? Or at least a more realistic picture of what was going on inside and outside the studio at the time?

Does the world need another Beatles documentary? Probably not. Am I going to enjoy this and get emotional about four men I have never met? Without a doubt.

Jackson – don’t let me down.

Guys...guys, just stop what you're doing and take ten minutes and listen to the adorable Luke Westaway's new album "Basically Afloat".

He tackles the topic of mental health but somehow makes nice little tunes about it all.

I think my favorite tracks are "Seasons" and "Don't Wait Until 2016 to Try Therapy" with the sea shanty "Mental Health Is Less Grim If You Pretend It's Old Boats" making me smile like an idiot because Johnny Chiodini makes an appearance.

( fangirl rambling )

I'm really hoping he comes to PAX East again this year.

I bought my Bastille concert tickets during the special "fan" presale and each ticket came with a free copy of their new album! They finally arrived today (thank goodness for Spotify so I've already heard the album a few times). I'm taking my Mom with me as she is a fan too and it is also right around her birthday so BONUS! I'll bring her the CD next time I see her. Not sure if she has listened to the album yet - I bought her Spotify but I have no idea if she actually uses it.

Steam summer sale started today and I'm trying to figure out where to hide my wallet! I don't really need anymore games, as you all know, but I did play 'Two Point Hospital' during the free weekend a few months ago and LOVED it and it is 50% off right now and I am SO TEMPTED! It's a ridiculous hospital management simulator. I mean, I played it pretty much that whole weekend non-stop so I guess I liked it!

It's back to being summer here again, in the 90s today, mostly because of the HUMIDITY. So sticky.

It was also my last Babies in Bloom program today. As a manager, I probably won't get to do as much programming though because I am in a pretty small branch, I could conceivably be the ultimate backup person. But, yeah, kinda sad about it. I mean, I was exhausted afterwards so if you had asked me right after I probably would have been relieved to be done, but now that I'm sitting here, I'm kinda sad.

But who knows! I know that they picked me for this position because of my programming and outreach skills and making connections so I'm sure I will be in charge of some fun events. Or at least be a part of them while my staff runs them and I just help out. IT IS GOING TO BE SO WEIRD!

I think I'll go play video games to distract myself. <3

STILL NEED QUESTIONS AND/OR PHOTO REQUESTS FOR JULY! DW // LJ

Dan has got such a way with words. They teased this release for a few days before, posting bits of the lyrics on Instagram. It's good though. I am so ready for a whole album's worth of music.

I had my "New Releases for You" Spotify list going this morning and this was in the mix, squashed between pop love song "Me" (which is cute and I like Taylor and Brendan's voices together, but it is just bubble gum) and Florence + The Machine's Game of Thrones song...it struck me that Bastille is probably the most "political" band I listen to. But I love them because, while they do get melancholy sometimes, I feel like things are hopeful in the end, even if it is just about enjoying the moment rather than focusing on the bad everywhere.

LOL speaking of GoT, how did I not know that Sophie Turner (Sansa) was in a Bastille video? I guess I haven't watched their videos that much, just listen to the music. Still, RANDOM!

trepkos asked "If you could only listen to five bands for the rest of your life, who would they be?"

I don't think this question was as hard to figure out as I thought it was going to be! While I enjoy listening to Spotify and finding new music, I definitely have a lot of go-to artists for days when I just need a certain something. My personal tastes lean towards bands that I can sing along with. I'm all about singer/songwriter and lean pretty heavy on the indie/folk/alternative styles.

So, here are my top 5:

5. "Weird Al" Yankovic



I've been listening to "Weird Al" since I was a kid and he always makes me laugh. If I'm going to be limited to 5 musical experiences, then having "Weird Al" in the mix guarantees I get laughs and also a wide range of musical genres. Because I wouldn't want to live the rest of my life without the occasional accordion solo during a polka based on overplayed top 40 hits.

4. Sting



I had a habit of stealing my Mom's music and Sting was definitely her guy first. But it is hard to deny his talent and ability to write catchy songs with smart lyrics. Always lots of good allusions in Sting songs. I could probably survive just on Ten Summoner's Tales for awhile, that whole album is perfect. Love songs, story songs and everything in between. If you have never heard it, hop over to Spotify now and make sure you listen past the "singles" tracks and get to those deeper cuts - the one about the seven brothers that save the town, the other about the nerdy guy trying to best the muscle-bound suitor, and the kinda creepy 'St. Augustine in Hell'.

3. Bastille



Another band that both my Mom and I like, though I think I found them first! Maybe? At any rate, we found them on our own and then both realized we liked them. Even saw them in concert!

It only makes sense that I would be a fan after being raised on music like Sting's. Bastille's lyrics tend to tell stories and also are full of references to other works, everything from 'Rime of the Ancient Mariner' to 'Twin Peaks'. And I feel like they do work with an ALBUM mindset, which I also appreciate from bands nowadays. We are so used to streaming singles and thus a lot of groups just make albums of singles, but I feel like both 'Bad Blood' and 'Wild World' have a flow to the songs when you listen to them from start to finish. With only TWO albums out and neither of them new, Bastille was still my top band of 2018, so clearly I like going back to them when I need to rock out.

2. Paramore



Another band that I keep going back to. Hayley Williams' voice is so unique. And I love how they keep trying to grow and change with each album. If you listen to their very early stuff and then to the newest songs, you can see that they are progressing as musicians and writers. It's a scary thing for a band to do but it gives them a lasting power that I don't think a lot of their peers will have. The latest album, After Laughter, had this fun retro vibe, with hints of the 80s and 90s music that I'm sure they listened to while growing up, but it was still Paramore through and through. And, again, the stories in the songs keep maturing too. Hayley even pointed this out at the last concert we went to, prefacing 'Misery Business' by saying that it really isn't a healthy attitude and she has grown as a person since then...but damn it is fun to sing along.

AND NOW, MY NUMBER ONE CHOICE
----- !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!DRUM ROLL!!!!!!!!!!!!! ---------

1. The Beatles



I fell in love with The Beatles back in Middle School and it is a love that lasts forever. In fact, I just had them on this morning because I needed something to start the day off right. There is a Beatles album for every mood, every time of day. They are always there for me. They were my first music based fandom. I don't think I've ever hit the same level of obsession as I did with them for any other band. I learned so much about life, love and music from these four lads from Liverpool. If you told me I could only listen to one band for the rest of my life, I'd have all of their albums in my arms before you could finish the sentence.

YOUR TURN! What are your top 5 bands/artists?

For over ten years, I would send out a mix CD to friends and family of my favorite songs of the year. It was a labor of love – I would sit and sort through all my albums, finding my favorite songs and then put them all in order, trying to create a story or theme that tied it all together.

But it turns out that mailing CDs gets expensive and most people don’t have easy access to a CD player anymore anyway! So this year, I’m going high-tech and posting my playlist on Spotify. I still forced myself to stay within the 80-minute playtime of a CD-R and I did spend way too much time stressing over the order of the playlist.

As I always said with my mix CDs each year – for your first listen, please just listen straight through. Don’t hit shuffle, don’t skip to your favorite artist, listen to this like it was an album. Sometime in the new year I will write an annotated list of why I picked what I picked and the order etc. But for now, listen and enjoy while you prep those New Year’s Eve party snacks. Click the pretty picture to be linked to Spotify.



FYI - shameless plug but you can get 3 months of Spotify for 99 cents right now if you've never had Premium. Totally worth it, though it is hard to go back afterwards LOL.

P.P.S. I'll try to make a YouTube playlist so that those without a Spotify account can listen too. <3

If you want to add a few more tuns to the playlist from the previous, go ahead! My instagram friends did not read my instructions LOL so now they have added 2-3 songs each and it is throwing off the balance! I'll make the playlist "public" on Monday and share it with the world so everyone can listen to our amazing musical choices on Christmas Eve.

I'm "Saturday Librarianing" today. Got on my Star Wars "ugly" Christmas sweater (though I was told it wasn't ugly at all). I bought donuts for everyone and got here to find someone else had brought in pastries and cookies the day before LOL. So I'm on a sugar high at the moment and loving it.

I also spent most of yesterday afternoon making cookies so I won't go into any kind of withdrawal over the 3 day break, that is for sure!

I need to gather up all the holiday cards from my desk and take them home with me to decorate the staircase. Since we don't have a mantle but we do have split foyer, this year I decorating the ledge around the staircase. I was shocked that the cats didn't knock everything down! I only found two things on the floor so far and it has been weeks! Granted, I put the baby gate we use to block the stairs at night over by the decorated side for extra coverage but we all know if a cat wants to knock things down, it will find a way.

So, over ten years ago, I started an annual tradition of making a mix CD to share with friends and family. Last year, after a dry spell in music listening and also tallying up the post office bills of mailing CDs all over the country (sometimes the world), I decided to stop.

Then I found this wonderful thing called Spotify Premium and spent all year listening to music again, rediscovering old favorites, catching new albums when they were released and discovering new artists. Suffice it to say, I could make about 3 mix CDs with all the songs I've enjoyed this year.

So I'm going to build two playlists - the 90 minute version (i.e. what would have fit on a CD) and the "Deluxe Edition" that will contain ALL the tracks I enjoyed.

Because I'm a bit of a music nerd, I am going to spend an inordinate amount of time putting the songs in order so that it is not just a mix, but a weird story in song form. Usually I try to link together themes and emotions where I can.

I *think* you can stream the songs even if you don't have a Spotify account...maybe. If that doesn't work, I guess I could make a YouTube playlist...but first I have to pick the songs and their order!

BRB listening to 90 minutes of music and stressing about which song comes next!

EDIT: Dear GODS I just remembered that CDs are only 80 minutes!! Cassettes were 90 minutes..I am old.

I heart this show and I HEART Kevin Kline so much. <3