Converse(ly) Speaking

I love the Converse brand. The shoes (I have two pairs, Whitni has three, our little sister has one), the socks (yes, I have socks), the clothes (Whitni has a Converse jacket), everything. Even the logo, which I am considering getting a tattoo of. I know, it sounds crazy, right? I mean, its just a brand.

Right?

See, I don't see Converse as just a brand. I also see it as a statement. But more on that later.

First, a little history. Production of the shoes started in 1908, and were available to women, men and children. There were shoes for sports like tennis and basketball. Soldiers (yes, soldiers) wore them in World War II, and Converse was officially recognized for its contributions. In military training today, they still use shoes/boots manufactured by Converse.

Celebs have been wearing them forever. And in the '50s, wearing Converse was considered an act of rebellion. The number of youth wearing them increased dramatically. This continued through the '70s and '80s, until the popularity started going under. And it just got worse and worse, until, in 2001, Converse filed for bankruptcy. In 2003, Nike bought Converse, and this is where we stand today. (Thanks www.conversestore.net/History1.html for the info)

I never got to wear Converse before Nike got them, and some people complain that the shoes are not the same, but I wouldn't know. All I know is that I love the shoes and what they stand for. I think Converse stands for youth, for activism, for originality, for the present day, as well as the past. Converse is a sign of the times.

It's a shoe for every person. You can find the old-fashioned black and white All-Stars, some Converse boots for that fashionista in your life, or some One Star strap-ons, Nemo style, for your favorite nephew.

When people tell me they don't own a pair of Converse, I always ask why not. Many say they never thought about it, or they just don' think it would look good on them. Not true, and I encourage everyone to go out to your local show store, or go to www.converse.com, and find yourself your shoe.

Because Converse is a multi-generational shoe, and it holds no boundaries.

-Rai

P.S- Happy Halloween!!! Now go design some black and orange Converse!!

Houston, We Have Video

So, on this chilly Thursday night I, Whitni, have successfully figured out how to connect this blog with the wide array of music located on the infamous Youtube. Okay, well, there is one little catch. I can't seem to find too many videos small enough to fit on this blog.



I did, with a little digging, find a video to fit. In the future, the videos Raivynn and I will post may be a little bigger than the page, but we'll try and keep it Summer Music Project sized.

Anyway, this song is mildly new. The album, I And Love And You, has been out since September 2009, but the video has only been up three months. The band is The Avett Brothers, and they hold themselves to a kind of folky rock, sometimes splashing some indie up in there. The song is "Head Full Of Doubt/Road Full Of Promise" and I love it. It definitely gets screen time on my Ipod and the video is a masterpiece. This, in my opinion, was probably one of the best songs of 2009. You decide for yourself.

If you’re loved by someone, you’re never rejected.
Decide what to be and go be it.

-Whitni

First Five Weeks Of Radio: Yes, It Was Awesome

Hello fellow muses! If you didn't read the previous post, I have a radio show, and it is called 'Cooler Than Real Life'. Pretty awesome eh? It is supposed to encourage people to go out into the world and find new music! Or at least listen to the radio again...

If you are reading this and you are a listener- THANK YOU!!! You don't know how much it means to me to know that I'm not talking to myself for an hour, and I promise to do my best to make CTRL the best it can be. I ask only two things of you, and you can even choose one out of the two.

1) Call in. Really, this helps me know that people are listening, and therefore, you can prevent me from rambling (sorry about that). The number is 304-341-7441, and I won't/can't put you on air, so now you can't make anymore excuses about not calling. Pros- You can request a song. Epic(ness).

2) Tell your friends. This one might be a little harder, because you don't want to sound like a walking advertisement. I get that, that's why I'm asking you as a friend (via radio) to just mention how you listen to this great music program. However, if you don't like the show, don't rag please. I won't like you for it, you sound lame, and why are you even still listening in the first place???

Thanks guys. Stay cool.

Rai/Vince





The name of the song is first, then band, with the album in parenthesis.

Radio Broadcast 1 (Sept. 28, 2010):
1)Enterlude by The Killers (Sam's Town)
2)When You Were Young by The Killers (Sam's Town)
3)Come To Me by Koop (Koop Island)
4)The Old Apartment by Barenaked Ladies (Greatest Hits)
5)Someday by Sugar Ray (14:59)
6)Atlas by Fanfario (Eclipse: The Movie Soundtrack) *Band Of The Week*
7)Weekend Wars by MGMT (Oracular Spectacular)
8)Long Distance Call by Phoenix (It's Never Been Like That)
9)Wasting Time by Jack Johnson (On and On)
10)Doo Wop (That Thing) by Lauren Hill (The Miseducation Of Lauren Hill)
11)Another Girl by The Beatles (Help!)
12)Ottoman by Vampire Weekend (Ottoman-Single)
13)Friends, Lovers Or Nothing by John Mayer (Battle Studies)
14)Exitlude by The Killers (Sam's Town)

Radio Broadcast 2 (Oct. 5, 2010):
1)Your Star by The All American Rejects (The All American Rejects)
2)It's A Disaster by Ok Go (Oh No)
3)Expectations by Belle and Sebastian (Juno: The Movie Soundtrack)
4)Undone (The Sweater Song) by Weezer (Weezer (The Blue Album)
5)Roll With It by Oasis ((What's The Story) Morning Glory)
6)Such Great Heights by The Postal Service (Give Up)
7)Something In The Water by The Jealous Girlfriends (The Jealous Girlfriends) *Band Of The Week*
8)Oh, My My by Ringo Starr (Ringo)
9)The Mystery Zone by Spoon (Transference)
10)Giving Up The Gun by Vampire Weekend (Contra)
11)The Ballad Of John and Yoko by The Beatles (1)
12)There's Hope by India.Arie (Life and Relationship)
13)Death And All His Friends by Coldplay (Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends)

Radio Broadcast 3 (Oct. 12, 2010) *Whitni's (My Twin Sister) Picks*
1)Bones by The Killers (Sam's Town)
2)Animal by Neon Trees (Animal-Single)
3)Consolation Prizes by Phoenix (It's Never Been Like That)
4)Dashboard by Modest Mouse (We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank)
5)Five Minutes To Midnight by Boys Like Girls (Boys Like Girls)
6)Great Expectations by The Gaslight Anthem (The '59 Sound)
7)Give It Away by Red Hot Chili Peppers (Blood Sugar Sex Magik)
8)Four Trucks Sitting In The Snow by Paper Airplane (Middlemarch) *Band Of The Week*
9)Come On Eileen by Dexy's Midnight Runners (Too-Rye-Ay)
10)Polythene Pam by The Beatles (Abbey Road)
11)She Came In Through The Bathroom Window by The Beatles (Abbey Road)
12)It's Working by MGMT (Congratulations)

Radio Broadcast 4 (Oct. 19, 2010):
1)WTF? by Ok Go (Of The Colour Of The Blue Sky)
2)Talk by Coldplay (X&Y)
3)Sunday Morning by Maroon 5 (Songs About Jane)
4)Creepin' Up The Back Stairs by The Fratellis (Costello Music)
5)Give Me Novacaine/She's A Rebel by Green Day (American Idiot)
6)Friends by Band Of Skulls (New Moon: The Movie Soundtrack) *Band Of The Week*
7)Remember The Time by Michael Jackson (HIStory: Greatest Hits)
8)Is Love Forever? by Spoon (Transference)
9)Another Place To Fall by KT Tunstall (Eye To The Telescope)
10)White Sky by Vampire Weekend (Contra)
11)Kansas City/Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey by The Beatles
12)Cave In by Owl City (Ocean Eyes)
13)Different Names For The Same Thing by Death Cab For Cutie (Plans)
*At one point in the broadcast I played "In Step" by Girl Talk (Feed The Animals)*

Radio Broadcast 5 (Oct. 26, 2010):
1)Fire It Up by Modest Mouse (We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank)
2)Miles Davis & The Cool by The Gaslight Anthem (The '59 Sound)
3)Stuck In The Middle by Mika (Life In Cartoon Motion)
4)M79 by Vampire Weekend (Vampire Weekend)
5)The Remedy (I Won't Worry) by Jason Mraz (Waiting For My Rocket To Come)
6)Of Moons, Birds & Monsters by MGMT (Oracular Spectacular)
7)Must Get Out by Maroon 5 (Songs About Jane)
8)I Adore You by Melpo Mene (Bring The Lions Out) *Band Of The Week*
9)Mayonnaise by Smashing Pumpkins (Siamese Dream)
10)My Girl's Ex-Boyfriend by Relient K (Mmhmm)
11)Magical Mystery Tour by The Beatles (Magical Mystery Tour)
12)My List by The Killers (Sam's Town)
13)Jind Mahi by Malkit Singh (King Of Bhangra)
14)Thriller by Michael Jackson (HIStory Greatest Hits)

New To Me, New For You

Let me start off by saying this song isn't exactly new. It came out in 2006 (gasp, I know, so long ago this was!) on the album "Inside In/Inside Out". But since I just recently stumbled across it and cannot get enough of it I decided not to be selfish and share it with all my music loving friends.

The Kooks are a lovely little English indie pop band from Brighton, East Sussex. Headed by Luke Pritchard, the band has released two albums and are working on a third as of April 2009. This certain song, "She Moves In Her Own Way" is a soft, guitar picker song with an undeniable upbeat flavor that makes you want to smile and go hug someone. It hit big in the UK, but we here in America let it pass us by. Tsk tsk tsk. I have to say, I can't get enough of this one. Don't be stupid, look it up.

-Whitni

Update! New Radio Section of Blog!!

Really quick, before I write this four page paper, I just wanted to say that I will soon be writing up the first three weeks of the songs I played on my radio show here at Knox called 'Cooler than Real Life'. This will, for right now, only include the songs off my I-pod (expect week 3), although I will soon include the songs played off the computer that resides in the station. That Itunes account has a lot of songs I've never heard, so I often just pick a awesomely named song and play it. Anyways, keep an eye for it!

Shake and Break It

The cover's a little freaky, no doubt. But the music is solid, the riffs are tight and Caleb Followill's wailing voice hits you hard, like a frying pan to the face.

Everyone, even people who don't really listen to music other than the occasional top forty, knows who the Kings Of Leon (KOL) are. Everyone's heard those famed two songs- "Sex On Fire" and "Use Somebody." In fact, I don't think people have heard many more songs than those two. Both songs are pure KOL style: dirty, corrupt southern rock with a splash of indie.

So when I saw a KOL album in the line-up, my first thoughts were, "Oh, I wonder if those songs are on this album?" Of course they weren't and for good reason. This album didn't need those singles to have the effect it set on me. In fact, if it had those songs on there I doubt it would have become my favorite album so far...

Okay, maybe that's not true. I love "Sex On Fire". It's twisty and screwed in all the right ways and even though it's overplayed, I never get tired of hearing it. In fact, it seems like every time I hear it I notice something new. But anyway, onward!

Aha Shake Heartbreak really is shaky. But, the good kind of shaky, not the shaky kind of shaky. The disc starts out with "Slow Night, So Long", which has a killer bass groove going on by the time lead singer Caleb Followill gets around to spitting out those funky lyrics.

Songs like "Taper Jean Girl", "Four Kicks", "Razz", and "Day Old Blues" really made this album for me. The only song I didn't like on this album was "Milk", a song that lives up to it's name- sorta sweet but plain and creamy, no hint of omph. It wasn't a bad song, it just didn't fit in with the rest of the album.



I'd bet you ten bucks that if any of you listened to this album you could identify my favorite song off of this album in a heartbeat. "The Bucket" was the killer for me. Ever have that tight feeling in your chest and that swirling in your stomach when you come across a truly amazing song? "The Bucket" is fun, grippy and truly just happy music.

I think Raivynn would have liked either "Taper Jean Girl" or "Rememo", but alas she slaves away at college.

KOL is one interesting band. Not only do they have a severe case of genre-idtis but they are feeling some serious fan heat right now. KOL has released four albums and ever since their last one "Only By The Night" things have been, well, a little tense. Some fans are turning on the band, saying they've sold out to make 'arena music' and that what made them the Kings Of Leon is gone.

I can't really put in my two cents on this particular discussion, just because I haven't heard enough KOL music. But I can say that as I listened to "Aha Shake Heartbreak" in my sunny room one afternoon, I felt wrong. It seemed like this was the kind of album I should listen to on my Mississippi porch or in some random guy's garage. This album is grungy southern rock and it makes you feel that in your bones, but there is that hint of indie to keep you from falling off the edge. KOL is a 'surprised you' kind of band who are constantly changing they're sound and mixing things, much like legends like Ray Charles and The Beatles, but that southern sound is always there.

The best thing that came out of this album for me? I can now say I am not a one-hit fan, something I hate to be. Ignore the Parental Advisory, I recommend this album for all.

-Whitni

PS- Oh, and, just so you know, KOL has a new album coming out October 19th called "Come Around Sundown." I checked out the single from that album called "Radioactive" and like it. The video was interesting and I'm not sure how I felt about it, but the song was great. Check it out- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPBbMbKSZrQ&ob=av2e

PPS- Last thing, I promise. The Kings Of Leon are made of brothers and one cousin and the brothers were all homeschooled during their childhood, much like myself. Love it.

Awkwardness Part Two: Virtual Awkwardness

Since I am not studying for my Chem quiz, I will waste time blogging about absolutely nothing. Being awkward in real life is scarring enough, but it can be even worse, and even easier, online or through texting.

We can get loured into a false sense of security, but the truth is, if it has the ability to be awkward in real life, then its awkward in virtual life too. Sometimes its even worse via virtual. Especially if you have to see that person in real life again. I'm not even gonna touch on sexting, the highest form of awkwardness there is, because it's like drugs. Just don't do it.

I will, however, give you an example. There's this girl/guy that likes you. And...maybe you don't share the feeling. But you just can't muster up the courage to tell them. So, over Facebook chat, you happen to drop the 'I don't like you, stop giving me the eye' bomb. Over Facebook.

I will repeat, over Facebook.





Now, when you see that person in real life, what do you think it's going to be like? AWKWARD! More awkward because you didn't even have the guts to say it to his/her face.

So, from now on, lets be careful what we do or don't do via Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, or whatever you heart desires. Let's all make a promise to ourselves and our future ex's!

"I will not break up with you over any social network, by text, or by a 27 second voicemail. I promise."

Now don't you feel better?
(Awkward turtle)
Raivynn