favorite song of all time and a little parental advice

I do have a concert that I would like to write about, but it occurred to me today, that while I have a clip of my favorite song of all time, I've never written about it.  So here goes.  I wrote about my top 5 favorite movies tonight...and that was tough for a few reasons...A) as I was writing about them, other fabulous movies popped into my head and B) I was having a very difficult time explaining why they were my top 5 favorite movies.  And so it goes with my favorite song of all time...Can't Help Falling In Love With You by Elvis Presley.

I love this song.  love. Love. LOVE.  I love the melody, I love the lyrics...Elvis's voice...what is not to love.  But there is something that goes so much deeper than that...a reason why without hesitation I can say that this is my most favorite song of all time.

I can't say much for the technical level of the song because I don't know technical stuff about music...but I do know how, better than many, I would say, to truly enjoy music.  When I was little, my mom would sing to me at night and in the mornings to wake me up. I am not a morning person and it was a pleasant way to wake up.  I imagine it made mornings much better for both of us...but I digress.  The songs my mom sang in the morning where cheery and wake up-y.  But at night they were more calm and mellow.  I can picture and even hear my mom singing her morning wake up songs.  And I know she had a handful of nighttime go to sleep songs, but the only one that I can hear and picture her singing in my head is Can't Help Falling in Love With You.  I think a great way to solidify your children's undying devotion is to sing to them at night.  I am not a parent, but I feel that is very sound parental advice and I am going to stand by it.

When I would visit my grandparents in the summer both of them would sing me to sleep.  My grandpa has quite a repertoire and I would venture to say that a few of my siblings and even some cousins have great memories of this as well.  In fact, Smoke Gets in Your Eyes is also a favorite of mine for the mere fact that when I was in high school and we lived with my grandpa he would play the song on the piano and sing...usually around midnight.  I really had an awesome childhood.

So there you have it...the reason for my favorite song of all time.  Even thinking about this memory right now I am getting a little choked up.  Just the other night I mentioned to my mom that it was my favorite song of all time, and she said, "well of course it is.  I use to sing it to you every night before bed."  In that moment the memories just came flooding back.  Just like they are now.



I am also a FIRM believer in the lyrics because I don't think we can help who we love...but that is a discussion for another blog on another day!

Taken By Trees

I have mentioned previously that I am in to Scandinavian artists a lot lately...well the trend continues with Victoria Bergsman and Taken By Trees.  I am loving this song!  (Can't wait to be listening to it on the way to Colorado on Saturday!)

4 more days until...

a lovely little sisters getaway!  Saturday my two little sisters (who are taller or as tall as me) and I are heading to Morrison, CO and Red Rocks Amphitheatre to see the following...

We begin with the delightful, mellow crooning of Gregory Alan Isakov...



Then we jump to the talented, funny and all around entertaining Ingrid Michaelson...
(I realize this is not a new song, but it is my favorite Ingrid song...although it is a bummer not to see Allie Moss backing her up)



so...her is a version with Allie!




And finally we will be treated to one of our most favorite artists of all...the lovely, the charming and always insanely talented Brandi Carlile...







SO STOKED!  Well except for the 8.5 hour drive home right after the show :)  SISTER BONDING TIME!!!!

100 guitar riffs by alex chadwick

this was pretty cool...albeit kind of lengthy...but cool none the less.  What surprised me most was how many of the earlier songs I recognized.  As the songs became more recent I was familiar with less and less of them.  Guess when it comes to rock I am more of a classic rock kind of girl.

this is why I love music...because as I continue to listen to new things, I begin to realize new tastes and loves that I've maybe never really delved that deep into previously.  My new goal after listening to this 100 song riff, is to compile a playlist of all these songs and see how many of them I really do love.  Plus, it will make a pretty great driving with the windows down playlist!

this is the interview with alex chadwick...below is the clip of the 100 songs.

live music

Tonight was the first in the summer Twilight Concert Series in Salt Lake City (seriously folks...SLC is one of the best places to spend your summer).  This concert series use to be free, but this year they began charging $5.00.  Best. Idea. Ever.  It was still packed, and I learned how to roll a joint with a one dollar bill...so that was neat...but it definitely was not as crowded and full of crazies as the two previous years.  I won't lie, I miss the days of the TCS being at the Galivan Center and being much more low key, but I love music...especially live music.

There is just something so fabulous about being outside and listening to music.  Tonight The Walkmen opened for Beach House.  Two bands that I was familiar with; two bands I enjoy.  But after tonight... I LOVE THEM BOTH! Watching bands perform live...I don't know what it is, but I love them that much more.  Even with artists I love, my love deepens after seeing them live.

And sometimes, it is what makes me fall in love with an album that I was not all that in love with previously.  For example, when Brandi Carlile released Give Up the Ghost, I definitely loved some of the songs on that album, but I was not madly in love with the album that way I was with her first two albums...not until I saw her perform songs from that album live (in fact I saw her perform the entire album live).  After that, there is not one song on that album that I do not love. Which makes me hopeful for next weekend when I see her perform at Red Rocks Amphitheatre.  I am not madly in love with Bear Creek.  In fact it is probably my least favorite album of hers but I have a feeling that I am going to be more in love come July 14th.

Chastity Brown

Discovered this little gem of a lady musician today...can't wait to hear more!