Let's Blur it Up

Oh Houston how I kind of missed you, but mainly missed the people.

Sorry if this offends anyone but at the bar I for sure noticed Chicago as a whole has way better looking/dressed people than Houston does.
More trendy/sophisticated/accessorized

I had so much fun though hanging out with my oldest friend Kat M/her sister + Kat's boyfriend / his friends.

Pre-gamed while watching Jersey Shore. How come no one has introduced this hot mess of a show for me yet?! Amazingly trashy. I am hooked.

We hit up Pearl Bar which was interesting..Then some after hours pizza place which was just a waste of time. We were there for an hour waiting on 2 pizza's. I would have gone to Jack in the Box and called it a night.

I am getting pumped for my birthday party in ONE WEEK. We are about to throw down and get plain rowdy.
I hope people do not get all old on me and call it quits before the night it done! Everyone seems to be married/kids/do not go out as much.

I am helping Allie pick out our bridesmaid dresses. It is actually kind of fun/stressful at the same time. In case you did not know, I love fashion/clothes.
I for sure think I have amazing taste from working in fashion for the last 3.5 years, I just wish I had more money to spend on clothes.
There are so many cute dresses out there but there always seems to be just one little thing about it that makes you want to keep looking for something better.
I think we have found some pretty amazing one's so far, just not "the one" but bouncing idea's off of each other I know we have the same taste level/know what she wants so it for sure makes it easier to send stuff her way.

Off to Jack In The Box than watch Jersey Shore before getting rowdy again tonight.

Music Top List

After attempting to count it up I went to between 60-70 concerts this year.
2010 I am going to try and break 100.

Top 5 concerts:

5. Ok Go
That was insane last minute concert I got added to the guest list and I am glad I went too. The boys were just touring to tour this past summer before their new album comes out.

4. Ten out of Tenn
Ten artists from Tenn that performed together. It was just amazing to see so many talented people on one stage. They would rotate the singer and the singer would play one of their songs while everyone else did backings(vocal or instrumental).

3. Taking Back Sunday/Anberlin/fun.
All 3 of these bands are just insanely good. TBS set was solid mixture of older and newer material. Anberlin is just wow, amazing and fun. is just fun!

2. Brand New/Manchester Orchestra
Love this band since I was 17 and wow they did not disappoint. Insanity and I straight listened to their new album/older stuff for at least a month after the show.

1. Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Pure amazing. First time seeing them live and if I was not on the guest list, wow I would have paid money for it. When they come back here next year I will for sure go see them again even if it is not for work. Karen O has this energy that I want in my life.


Top 5 Interviews:

Some were just downright funny, some were just with artists I admire as musicians but this is a good mix.

5. Imelda May
This Irish sensation was classy, beautiful, and a bit hard to understand through her thick Irish accent. It was her first time coming overseas and wow was she amazing live. She is HUGE in Ireland/UK and her show in Chicago was jam packed. She is true Rockabilly from her clothes/make-up to musical stylings. She was insanely nice and her performance was straight solid.



4. Caroline from Chairlift
Calm, collected, New York Caroline. We walked around the city in the rain trying to find a coffee shop and ended up eating at a little hole in the wall Japanese restaurant before their sold out show. Not only was the interview good and she was really open but we talked for about an hour off record about life, fashion, men, etc. She was extremely interested in me and gave me pointers about moving my career from writing to Public Relations. 2009 for her band consisted of their song on the iPod nano commercial, opening up for Phoenix and then The Killers and an MTV video award nomination. Expect even bigger things come 2010.



3. Andrew from Miike Snow
Hands down if you have not heard of the band Miike Snow, please go listen to them! In 2009 they are by far my favorite discovery music wise. Andrew was just a doll and not what I expected(if you have seen his picture he is a bit ruff looking). Their music is new yet being received amazingly. They had 2 sold out Chicago dates and played Lolla.



2. The Almost
Last minute interview/concert. They came here with The Used and I interviewed 4 out of the 5 band members. They were just so funny/sarcastic. The way these boys bounced off each other was any writers dream. My story also got picked up by another publication which was pretty darn sweet!

1. The Fall Of Troy
Just flat out the funnest interview I did all year. Not to mention the most candid. It was no holds bar with these boys and they had no shame telling me things they most likely should not have! They also put on an amazing show opening up for Thursday.


There it is, top 5. Maybe I should have done a top 10 because now more and more interviews/concerts that are noteworthy are streaming back into my brain. Maybe next time Ill do 11-20.

If it's true then tell me how it got this way...

One thing that stays consistent in my life is my love for music.

Hello I do make money off of writing about it so I better like it.

Where did my love for music come from...Don't know. But it is there.

I don't always love the bands with the best singers, or beats, or hooks, but I have always loved the bands in which the lyrics touched me the most.

I don't listen to the radio, ever....It is not some defiant action either, my life just works out to where I do not have to/never have an opportunity too.
I live in a city where I do not have/do not need a car. I take the EL train everywhere and listen to my MP3 player. Maybe one out of every 7 friends I have has a car here and we rarely take it.

My point to all this is, because I swear i have one is, I like music because I like it, not because it is being shoved down my throat by mainstream.

So I am surprised when a band I have loved for years upon years suddenly becomes big. Cobra Starship. When did this happen?! AND WHY.

Their last album is by far their worse, only 3 songs on the whole album is listenable yet they have become a staple with "Good Girls Go Bad" and with naming their title "Hot Mess".
I have been using that phrase since 2004 so do not act like you coined it.
No one really "coins a term" they have all been floating around for years upon years.

Okay now I am done ranting.

I pick my music for the day based on my mood and what lyrics I am "feeling" at the time. So if you know what I am listening too you can pretty much get into my head and know what thoughts are creeping through my brain during that day.

I am a simple girl that seems complicated.

You gotta swim
Swim for your life
Swim for the music that saves you
When you're not so sure you'll survive
You gotta swim
And swim when it hurts
The whole world is watching
You haven't come this far to fall off the earth

-Andrew McMahon