"Come Away With Me" by Norah Jones

I don't have a ton of time to post today because I'm on a mission to get a lot of work done on writing some papers...so this will be short and sweet.  Yesterday was a bummer with blogging because I wrote a whole blog about "The Strokes" and then when I went to put a video of the song on the blog the live music was all so bad that they got yanked from the SOTD list and probably wont return anytime soon.  If you can't play live, don't waste our time as music lovers and go get a normal job... right? That might be harsh, but since they're rich, famous, and don't care what I think I'm sure they'll be fine.

I'm not really sure why, but for some reason Norah Jones always reminds me of the holidays.  I don't have a Christmas album by her, I don't know if she has ever made one, but there is something very warm, simple, and heartfelt in her music that makes me think of the holidays.

I'm in Starbucks working today and it is clear that we are in the holiday season. The store is all decked out in Christmas gear, my cup is red with snowflakes, and I almost went with the Christmas Blend today instead of my regular Americano. I didn't change, but I love Christmas and I love coffee so it was tempting.  I'm also pretty pumped for a little early thanksgiving celebration at my place tomorrow. So, the holiday season is here, and Norah is the hit.  Because I have a problem buying music, I'm a product of a commercialized culture, and I'm listening to Norah Jones right now, I'm gonna stop writing this and go buy her album that has been staring at me from the cash register all morning.

Have a good day, I feel like a really legitimate SOTD blog is coming soon.

"Keep Breathing" by Ingrid Michaelson

I'm not really sure exactly how to introduce this song without a little personal interlude.

Life is not always easy, and it certainly is not always fun.  A lot of times in my life when I have been in a tough place music has been a good friend to me.  There is something about music that has always helped me to process things, so sometimes when I was sad I would start out listening to sad music and then just kind of find myself turning towards something that is hopeful and uplifting.  I used to have a real problem with buying lots and lots of cd's.  A lot of times if I had a good week I would stop by the store and pick up an album, and if I had a bad week I might stop by and pick up two. Through high school and college I drove around this little beat up 1995 Suzuki Sidekick.  I loved that little car, but at the end of the day it was really only worth a couple hundred dollars. I always kept that car locked though because even though it was only worth a few hundred dollars I knew there were thousands of dollars worth of cd's inside.

A few months ago I was talking to my sister and she suggested that I listen to Ingrid Michaelson.  I knew a few of her more popular songs, but I was really impressed when I took some time to listen to her songwriting.  Some of her songs are light and airy pop ballads, but she is a serious artists with a lot to say.  I appreciate her hopeful outlook on life, and she is perfect for a little boost of optimism.

"Keep Breathing" is a song about making it through difficult times in life.  I think Ingrid is writing about that time when you're right at the place where you're coming out of a difficult experience and you don't really know what to do, but you know if you keep going things are going to get better. The lyrics are simple and heartfelt. I love how the song begins with a fragile sound and builds into a powerful exclamation to keep breathing in life, to not give up.  It's simple, encouraging, and when she sings it... I believe her.

I hope you like the song, and I was honored to see that a lot of people still read the blog yesterday after weeks of negligence on my part. Thanks, and I would love to hear your song of the day. 

"Your Hand in Mine" by Explosions in the Sky

It has been too long since I have had time to post a SOTD blog.  There has been a lot of good music in the last few weeks though, and I'm looking forward to picking up "The Union" by Elton John and Leon Russel later today.

Last week I spent some time talking with my friend and intern Jesse on the way to watch a high school football game.  Jesse was a high school football player, and he had just got done talking with a guy who played in his last game and had that sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach because he would never walk on the field again with his friends.  Jesse talked to me about the pain of that feeling, and I remember watching Jesse experience that as a high school senior when his team made it to the W.P.I.A.L championships and lost at Heinz field. I also remember my brother going through a lot of those same emotions a few years ago. Whether you are a sports fan or not, imagine being a part of a team with guys you grew up your entire life, and playing your last game with them... and maybe your last game ever.

While I was talking with Jesse about the emotions involved in sports, I started thinking about the movie "Friday Night Lights."  Again, whether you are a sports fan or not i think that this movie gives you a lot of insight into what it feels like to be a high school athlete.  It helps you to understand the kind of things that they deal with, and helps you to see the way these people are shaped through their experiences as a part of that team.  I loved the movie, and one of the best parts about the movie is the excellent soundtrack provided by Explosions in the Sky.

Explosions in the Sky is a band from Austin, Texas that formed in the late 90's. They have a really unique sound and primarily play with three electric guitars and a drum kit.  The band classifies themselves as post-rock, not that genres mean anything, and they write instrumental music.  The band does an awesome job at building their songs into these epic ballads without ever singing a single word.

If you need inspired, and don't we all, give Explosions in the Sky a chance.