Top Ten Tunes For Making An Escape

Hey Everyone!

To all the students out there, I hope you had a good (and maybe even school productive- HA!) slack week. I know I did just that, slacked off. It was nice not having a paper due or a class to run to. Got a few shifts in at work, managed to save up a few bucks which is never a bad thing. Though I have to say, maybe I would have been better off spending that cash and hitting a beach somewhere... Its been far too long since I felt the sun shine on my back, the cool ocean waves against my skin, and the warm sand between my toes! But alas, I digress. Sadly, the beach will likely evade me for a while longer I suspect.

On the topic of vacations- have you ever felt the urge to just escape? To just run as far as your feet can take you, as long as that adrenaline keeps pumping- To just keep going until your lungs give out? Sometimes we all need to get away, to just pick up and start fresh somewhere new. Thats how I'm feeling right now.

I wish I werent in class til April... and I wish I didnt have to immediately start working to pay my rent. If I had the chance, I'd pick up and head to Quebec for a week or two with nothing but a backpack... stay in hostels, walk through the old city, sip coffee in little cafes to stay warm. I just need to get out of here and have some time to think, you know?

I know that was a long rant, but its just the best way to explain this top ten list. Sometimes we cant take those vacations, and there is something that stops us from running. As much as we dream about it, real life has a tendency to get in the way. So when you cant make a physical escape, sometimes a mental escape can be just as good for the mind, body, and soul. If your brain needs a vacation like mine, I suggest the following. These ten tracks, a hot cup of tea and your favorite book. If you're really into it, put on a slideshow of beach pictures and crank up the heat!

In no specific order...

10) The Great Escape by Boys Like Girls

9) All At Sea by Jamie Cullum

8) Island In The Sun by Weezer

7) Holiday From Real by Jacks Mannequin

6) Gone (Going) by Jack Johnson

5) One Love by Bob Marley

4) Fly Away by Lenny Kravitz

3) Paradise City by Guns N Roses

2) Half Way Around The World by Oasis

1) Somewhere Only We Know by Keane

I think that I might take my own advice later tonight, after class. Grab some hot coffee, plug this list into my ipod and get these essays off my back. Its sounding like the perfect plan for me tonight.

How about you? Need an escape? Tell me about it! I'd love to hear from you

Rock On,

- Girl At The Rock Show

Multi-Instrumentalists: Modern Day One Man Bands

Hello Again!

Yet another sunday drawing to an end. Hope you all had a good weekend because its back to school (aka assignments, essays and exams) tomorrow so make it count! Anyways, today I'd like to give you a look at some 'one man bands'. By 'one man band', I do NOT mean that guy who stands on the street corner and plays a drum, harmonica sings, and whatever else at the same time. No, I'm talking an actual recognized artist who essentially records each part (or a large majority) of a track themselves.

I think its amazing that people like this actually exist... most people can only dedicate serious time to one or two instruments, but to do all the work of 4-5 people yourself must be exhausting. I mean, I guess the bonus is having complete control over the creative process. Instead of having a band to compromise with, you can do whatever you want. Change tuning, change chords, change rhythms... the sky is the limit. But it also means you cant do recording simultaneously, a lot of these multi-instrumentalists take twice as long to release albums because one person can only do so much work at a time. I give these artists a lot of credit.

A few to check out:

Bryce Avary (The Rocket Summer)

Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails)

James Husband (aka Jamey Huggins of the band Of Montreal)

Beck

Lenny Kravitz

Sufjan Stevens

Buckethead

Have any other favorites? Let me know!

Rock On!

- Girl At The Rock Show

Song of the Day: Right Here In My Arms by HIM... what can I say, I've been watching Viva La Bam most of the day. Seeing as Ville makes an appearance in 8/10 episodes, I tend to be left with the need to grab one of their CDs haha. I think HIM is absolutely brilliant! Enjoy!