Can you tell I've had exams?

My lack of posts recently will tell you I've had exams. My impeccable punctution and use of capital letters will tell you I'm blogging on my iPhone. During said exams, I've had Justin Vernon's cover of Peter Gabriel's Come Talk To Me on repeat. The song is a lovely reach-out to a distant loved-one and Bon Iver is up there in my top 5 favourite artists, best debut albums, best side projects (perhaps more on that another day...) and best gigs. Also, no offence to Gabriel's Scratch My Back album, but this song also marks the beginning of the (more exciting, imho) follow-up, I'll Scratch Yours. The songs are being released full-moon by full-moon, and what better way to start than with this beautiful track and an extensive quote from it:

'In the swirling curling storm of desire
Unuttered words hold fast
With reptile tongue the lightning lashes
Towers built to last
Darkness creeps in like a thief
And offers no relief
Why are you shaking like a leaf?
Come on, come talk to me
...
I did not come to steal
This all is so unreal
Can't you show me how you feel
Come on, come talk to me
...
You lie there with your eyes half closed,
Like there's noone there at all
There's a tension pulling on your face
Come on, come talk to me
...
Don't you ever change your mind
...
I can imagine the moment
Breaking out through the silence
All the things that we both might say
And the heart it will not be denied
'Til we're both on the same damn side
All the barriers blown away'

[Come Talk To Me; Peter Gabriel]

Musicovered

Since the brilliant Musicovered (check out http://musicovered.wordpress.com/) took my suggestion to have Live With Me as their track of the day, I just had to write about it here. Musicovered called the track 'blinding' and 'perfect for Sunday morning', I said that it is a brilliant mix of Massive Attack's traditionally experimental style with Terry Callier’s bluesy, soulful voice.

'Either way, win or lose,
When you're born into trouble,
You live the blues.
I've been thinking about you, baby,
See it almost makes me crazy'

[Live With Me; Massive Attack]

Flowing Through My Fingers

Buck 65's remix of Sufjan Steven's cover of the Castanet's "You Are The Blood"? Works.

'And lemonade and sweaty sex
Hug me like I gave you cheques
...
Tell me things to make me blush
...
A melody to make me smile
Not that you've been gone a while
...
You kiss me like potted plants
Bite me like fire ants
Touch me like an old stamp
...
Not stolen cash, I'll pay you back
...
You are the blood
Flowing through my fingers
[That's what I meant to say
Blood in my fingertips
I couldn't tell you that it's the other way]
All through the soil and up in those trees
...
A mild snack, late evening hunger
DVDs and VCRs
...
Grass stains and flushed face
Refreshing like a glass of milk
Your shaven legs were like silk
You kiss me like a bon voyage
...
A lovely Saturday night alone'

[Blood pt.2; Buck 65]

Lyricists

NME's 17th April edition celebrated the "Greatest Lyricists in the World Today". And the most heartbreakingly true-to-life lyric?

'I won't kill myself trying to stay in your life'

[No Distance Left To Run; Blur]

Highs & Lows

Going back to the last post, like i said i would, about the relative lows and highs in life & love, this is what i made myself think of; a pop/rock/folk/glam/dance musing on a boxing match. Honestly:

"Now the world can be an unfair place at times
But your lows will have their compliment of highs"

[Ambling Alp, Yeasayer]

Mornings

Local Natives were a chance find - someone recommended them to me, i think, and after only a couple of listens, i took the risk of buying two tickets to see them at the Arts Centre near my Uni. I'm so glad i did since they were amazing live - considering i'd only bought their album two days before, i found myself bouncing along to all their catchy tracks.
And not catchy in the formulaic pop kind of way, but in the these-people-really-know-how-to-work-their-instruments-and-have-fun kind of way.
Clever lyrics too, if you needed any more convincing that they aren't standard pop (i've worried myself by calling them catchy and fun...). Subtly hidden - it's worth a peruse on lyrics websites to see what theyre saying.
To continue with this blog format of what lyrics mean to me, rather than band reviews, i'd say that this is just about how there are always massive highs to compliment any lows (a theme i might come back to, because i already have another couplet in mind!).

"I'll endure the night
for the promise of light"

[Sun Hands; Local Natives]

Smug

This blog entry is me being proud of myself for putting in the effort to ask around, see if anywhere would offer me some work experience, and lo and behold, two places have already said that yes, they will.
Just shows that if you work hard enough, you can achieve your goals.
Also, i'm allowed to be proud now, because usually i am self-deprecating and shy.

'But then I go again, wishing never solved the problem
If you wanna get it big time, go ahead and get it get it big time'

[Tightrope; Yeasayer]