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?

It's late and I should get to bed, but I had to share this gem I was just introduced to. Enjoy!



Yes, it is the kid from Stranger Things.

And now I have Ninja Sex Party in my Spotify playlist for tomorrow. I'm sure the algorithm will be VERY confused - from the very sensitive folk rock of Seafret to the very immature pop rock of NSP. I HAVE LAYERS SPOTIFY! DEAL WITH IT!

GOODNIGHT!

I haven't listened to Jason Mraz in years. I loved his first album when it came out (waaaaay back when I was in college and had my own radio show. You could *stream* it ONLINE! So high-tech for the early 2000s!) I even got to meet him when he stopped by the radio station I interned at my last year of college (as you can see from this photo, I clearly wasn't interested). I wasn't as into the second album and I don't think I've bothered to listen to the ones after that.

But then we were listening to NPR's Ask Me Another on the way to Wisconsin and Mraz was on to promote the musical Waitress, which he apparently assisted Sara Bareilles in writing and now she has convinced him to take on the role of the doctor. And then he talked about how he was putting out his last album because he is done with the spot light and just wants to go back to his farm and grow avocados. And it was so endearing, so I went on Spotify and downloaded the new singles and they sound like Jason Mraz and it turns out I apparently needed that bouncy fun music in my life.



And since this seems to be a music post, I've also discovered (a few months ago) the band Jukebox the Ghost and I love their new album. Also, lots of bouncy songs though the lyrics can get snarky at times, which crack me up. I've always a singer/songwriter person and I pay very close attention to lyrics.



Last but not least, I am freakin' obsessed with Bastille's new single "Quarter Past Midnight". Like, I went online and found the lyrics so I could memorize them faster. I love cranking up the volume when I'm driving home from work at night.



The thing that really hit me about this song too was how it is sort of the opposite of The Wombats' "Lethal Combination" from their new album.



Like, I feel a bit more melancholy from the wild behavior happening in the Bastille song. They are out drinking and partying but they know that deep down they are trying to escape from something. The song is about trying to outrun the next day but knowing it will come and the escape will come to an end and they will be back to reality. And the song is kind of asking why do we do this to ourselves? Where as The Wombats are partying hard and seem to have just made it a lifestyle and getting blind drunk and waking up in the bathtub in your clothes is normal and I don't feel like that relationship is supportive in a good way?

I really like The Wombats album btw, I'm just amused by how both songs seem to almost parallel each other?

And poor Hayley Williams, hiding in the dark, trying to just get through the night so she can go back home...I feel like these are three short stories about the same night with very different POVs.



Or maybe it's just late and I should get to bed and i'm overthinking it all? GOODNIGHT FOLKS!

I finished watching Hannibal Season 3 with commentary. Now I just have to hope that we get a season 4 someday. I mean, Community got their #sixseasons, is four too much to ask??

In the commentary, Bryan Fuller talks about how Siouxsie Sioux wrote Love Crime specifically for the finale. So I had music on the brain when I went to bed...

...little did I know this would lead me to dreaming about HANNIBAL: THE MUSICAL! Starring me as Will Graham. And...

...wait for it...

I sang Anything For You to Hannibal at the end.

Yes, thank you. I am insane.

In other, non-Fannibal news, we started watching Stranger Things on Netflix. We're only two episodes in but I am enjoying it. It's like someone put all your favorite 80's movies into a blender. And I'm kinda fine with that - I think I prefer it to the reboot. There are SO MANY homages. So far I've seen 'Jaws', 'E.T.' (SO MANY E.T.), 'Poltergeist' -- plus the classic trope of the "broken home", the mother trying to get by without the father.

We also discovered Better Off Ted and we've almost binge watched the whole thing. We actually started watching Stranger Things to slow us down because we realized we have less than 10 episodes left of Ted. Another brilliant show totally advertised WRONG. So sad I missed it the first time around.

I finished my audiobook so I got to listen to music on my way to work today. My iPod was behaving very well, shuffling lots of good sing-along songs for me. Here's a sample for you - happy listening!

Guster - Satellite

MIKA - Emily

Travis - Writing to Reach You

Whitlams - Fondness Makes the Heart Grow Absent

Books for the Beast was a lot of fun. Even though I didn't actually *read* Jennifer Donnelly's book, I enjoyed her keynote speech about her writing process. Just placed a hold on her upcoming novel, These Shallow Graves, which sounded really good.

Also snagged a copy of Brian Selznick's new books The Marvels which I started last night and I am really enjoying. His books are just a whole different world. If you've never flipped through a Selznick books, you're missing out on his amazing blend of art and text. Last night I read 392 pages and they were all artwork, lovely charcoal sketches, each page a rich piece of storytelling art.

In music news, Panic! At the Disco has a new album coming out in January! Sylvia and I are very excited. Hoping he does a proper tour so we can snag tickets to a venue nearby that will allow 14 year olds. New video went up yetserday. I like the song though I am not 100% sure the video goes with it. (but ever since LEGEND I do find a guy in full on demon make up fascinating to watch...I blame Tim Curry)



And in hilarious work news, someone though it would be "helpful" to donate their old LIFE magazine to the library. Just one issue. From 1950.



Didn't seem to be anything of significance about this issue. Not amazing cover story or interviews. We did have a fun time looking at the old ads, like this one:



No throat irritation. Just cancer.

Bad news is that we missed out on RenFest this year. Been too busy on the weekends, with the house and wedding. I haven't missed a RenFest in years, sorta bummed but what can ya do?

Hope everyone is having a good weekend. :)

Seemed appropriate today!!!

I hope my other post didn't seem like I wasn't excited about gay marriage now being legal in all 50 states. I am THRILLED that this is law, that my friends don't have to worry about whether they are married depending on what state they are driving through.

It's always nice when we do something right. **high five America**

I usually could care less about music videos and such, but I really liked the song 'Elastic Heart' so when I saw this article pop up on my "what's trending" email, I clicked through.

Sia apologizes for controversial Elastic Heart video

Sia's Elastic Heart Video is Art Not Pedophilia

I feel bad that people watched this video, which is clearly just interpretive dance, and all they could see in their minds was SEX! I don't think there was anything inherently sexual about this video. I mean, it's weird if you don't know the song lyrics or the context, but just watching it I wasn't like "oooh this is sexy". As the second article says, touching does not automatically equal lust.

I feel even worse for Sia, trying to bring some art into a form that tends to be either concert videos or images that have nothing to do with the song.

I dunno, what do you all think? I'm sure if someone has a history of sexual abuse, **maybe** this would trigger something? But we all have things that are triggers that can't be helped, things in our past that make us upset. There are plenty of other images pushed out by the entertainment industry that are blatantly meant to push boundaries and sometimes purposefully use images that are triggers, but I think this is just artsy dance stuff.

(also, I hadn't seen the video for 'Chandelier' and I watched that afterwards as many of the comments pointed out that the girl dancer was featured in that video as well playing Sia. Her dancing is mesmerizing to me. At once graceful and wild. And I'm not usually into the sort of thing.

Dagnabit, can't embed the Nerdist video for some reason!!!

CLICK HERE FOR NEW WEIRD AL VIDEO, a parody of "Happy"

**flails**

I love me some Weird Al. <3

Not from Weird Al's new album, just a goofy rap battle of Isaac Newton vs Bill Nye (and special guest). A good laugh for a Tuesday afternoon.