It's been awhile [best of 2008]

I don't really use this thing anymore, but I wanted to do this:

Top 12 albums of the year:
(No particular order)
The Glass Passenger -Jack's Manequin
New Surrender -Anberlin
You're Awful, I Love You -Ludo
A Band In Hope -The Matches
The Black Swan -Story Of The Year
For Those Who Have Heart- A Day To Remember
Pretty. Odd. -Panic at the Disco
Viva La Vida -Coldplay
Folie a Deux -Fall Out Boy
Fast Times At Barrington High -The Academy Is...
Become The Not Found -State and Madison
A Ghost In The Electric City- Urbanites


Best Song(s) of the year:
The Resolution -Jack's Mannequin
Gives You Hell - The All-American Rejects
Monument -A Day To Remember
Younglife -Anberlin

Band of the year: Jack's Mannequin

Best unsigned band(s): State and Madison and Urbanites

Best tour line-up: Rx Bandits / Maps & Atlases

Best live performer(s): Jack's Mannequin, The Rocket Summer, Anberlin

Soon to be famous band/artist: Anberlin

Obsession.

I can't stand to think about a heart so big it hurts like hell
Oh my god I gave my best but for three whole years to end like thisWell do you want to fall apart?
I can't stop if you cant start
Do you want to fall apart?
I could if you can try to fix what I've undone
Cause I hate what I've become

You know me, oh you think you do you just don't seem to see
I've been waiting all this time to be, something I can't define
So let's cause a scene, clap our hands and stomp our feet or something,yeah something I
've just got to get myself over me

I could stand to do without, all the people I have left behind
What's the point of going around when it's a straight line baby, a straight, straight line
So let's make a list of who we need and it's not much if anything
Let's make a list of who we need and we'll throw it away
Cause we don't need anyone, no we don't need anyone

And I hate what I've become.

You know the night life is just not for me
Cause all you really need are a few good friends
I don't want to go out and be on my own,
You know they started something I can't stand
You leave for the city,
Well count me out
Cause all this time is wasted on everything I've done

Yeah
Over me

jsdangajweng

"Been gone more days this year than I have been home
Trading friends for trips to the coast
This hotel room feels more like a tomb"

tour must be a really strange experience.

Love

Come on and save me
You're what I want
To get out of here
Let's get out of here


I. am. so. excited. for. tomorrow.

This man has made more of an impact on my life than most people can even begin to understand.

http://www.fivestarpublications.com/camping/

Progress

President Obama gets inaugurated on January 20th.
The NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) was founded on that day 50 years ago.
I think that's fucking awesome.
You go, America.

Deep Conversations & Inspiration

I just think it's incredible how much other people can change the way you think, change your outlook on life, change everthing about you.

Let the words flow.

"There are two types of education. One should teach us how to make a living, And the other how to live." -John Adams

Think about it.

To the people that send shivers up and down my spine (and not in a good way).

Do you really think you're cool?
Get over it.
Get over yourself.
I don't know who you're trying to impress, but it's not working.

New banner. Chippewa.

playing soccer in the south field,
skiing in the water,
this place is the best.

Why won't you speak?

There's so much to be said.

this really hit me.

so I'm reading a Patrick Stump interview, and he says this..
"When you write to what people want, that means that your only goal is to try to and--I mean, why do you want to please people so much? Probably to make money off of it or something, there's some ulterior motive, right?"

just write what you think is good. who gives a fuck about how people judge it. good music is stuff that comes from your heart. if that element's not there, it's just a bunch of crap. be original. explore uncharted territory.

with a lot of the up and coming bands in the indie/pop punk/rock/whateveryouwanttocallit scene, I think there's kind of a slump. in my opinion, bands are just writing what they think will get a good response. this may not be necesarily true, because I don't personally know these people or know what they go through while writing their music. that's just what it seems like from a listener's point of view. the truly great bands are the ones who are willing to go against all odds and put out stuff that they are proud of, stuff that they can look back on in 10 or so years and be like "wow, I'm really proud I can say I wrote that." if bands don't venture far from what's typical, how can they expect to make any progress?

I don't know, just an opinion...

chills. every god damn time.

if she cries, there's no better deep inside.
just let her know she ain't alone.

I guess some thing just never get old.

Joke me something awful just like kisses on the necks of "best friends"
We're the kids who feel like dead ends
And I want to be known for my hits, not just my misses
I took a shot and didn't even come close
At trust and love and hope
And the poets are just kids who didn't make it
And never had it at all

And the record won't stop skipping
And the lies just won't stop slipping
And besides my reputation's on the line
We can fake it for the airwaves
Force our smiles, baby, half dead
From comparing myself to everyone else around me

Please put the doctor on the phone 'cause I'm not making any sense
Blame everyone but me for this mess
And my back has been breaking from this heavy heart
We never seemed so far
I'm hopelessly hopeful, you're just hopeless enough
But we never had it at all

I LOVE DONALD PASSMAN.

"If you buy a load of plastic flamingos and can't sell them, you eat them."

I'm about to embark on a most excellent adventure.

I just bought Donald Passman's All You Need To Know About The Music Business. this should be a good... however long it takes me to read this.

p.s.-name that movie.

The Truth.

"You ever notice that the Food Network is far more interesting when you're hungry? When you're full you're like, 'This is stupid.' But when you're hungry the Food Network's like porn. You're like, 'Oh, yeah, whip it up baby. Make it for me.'" -Jim Gaffigan

26 Letters, 12 Notes.

The name of the new Dave Mason record. I was driving with my mom and they played a song off that record and mentioned the name. I don't listen to Dave Mason, but regardless, that's probably the most epic name for an album/band/song/book/anything I've ever heard, and in general, it's a mind blowing concept.

All articles, novels, stories, poems, speeches and lyrics are based off a mere 26 letter alphabet. with the same 26 letters you can portray anything you want. with the same 26 letters you can express extreme happiness, sadness, love, or fear. with the same 26 letters you can become insanely successful or be bound for failure.

The 12 notes concept is a little different to me. I just think it's crazy that every single song ever written, no matter the genre, when it was written, or who wrote it is based off the concept of notes. it's truely what brings all forms of music together.

These two things together are truely something powerful. 38 things that can change the world. how you choose to handle this power, however, is completely up to you. so go write a song. write a book. express your freedom. alter the way people think. change the world. all it takes is 26 letters, 12 notes.

Do you feel?

Amazing video
Amazing song
Amazing album
Amazing artist
Amazing guy

so excited for tomorrow.

I'm tired of never getting anywhere

Hear that song in your mind,
Play it loud, it's alright
Cause you've got nothing to hide
Yeah it's all in your mind
Lay it out, you've got time
You've got something inside

I'm silly

so I wanted this blog to be more serious, but this is hilarious and I feel the need share it. at least with anyone who actually reads this.

my mom told me today about how the first time she took me to the library I was very fascinated by the fact that they had drinking fountains. I didn't care about the books, just the drinking fountains.

hope I put a smile on your face.

Scared of what the world would hold

tomorrow my family minus my little brother is going down to check out ISU because my sister's probably going there. all I have to say is, when the fuck did we grow up? it feels like last week we were making forts under the coffee table in my family room. it's times like these where I think about the movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off and the quote from that movie "life moves pretty fast. if you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." I'm in such a hurry to grow up. I need to embrace my childhood while I still can.

First blog

I decided to make a blogspot, obviously.. uh, I don't really have much to put in here at the moment. I don't have a very exciting life, but I'll write when I'm feeling deep. Peace easy.