Caught a show tonight in Cleveland at the Beachland Ballroom.

The main act, Delta Spirit, was great, but I became smitten with one of the opening bands---> The Romany Rye.

Kaylan and I got to talk to the bassist and guitar player after the show. Turns out the 4 band members are all from Arkansas and were together as a unit on their own before they met the lead singer.

It's really great stuff and I plan on recommending it to my peoples, ASAP.

Here's a video of "All the Boys"

Sandra Bullock Adopts Baby; Leaves Jesse James.

good for her.


Honestly, the answer to why she was even married to Mr. Motorcycle man is unbeknownst to me. Louis Bardo Bullock is the new man in her life. And by man I mean infant. From New Orleans. Yes, she adopted a baby boy from The Big Easy.

Some people's reactions to this might go something like this; "WHAAAAA??"

But I think it's the perfect distraction from her less-than-perfect life. Just look at some other examples of celebs who adopted when the going got a little tough:

1. Sheryl Crow : following her spilt from Lance Armstrong and in the midst of finding out she had breast cancer, the singer adopted son Wyatt.

2. Ricky Martin : adopted twin baby boys... right after coming out of the closet. What better way to show the world that one daddy is better than no mommy ?!

3. Need I say it - Angelina Jolie : who even knows her kid-count these days? Let's just play it safe and say ALOT. And while one may argue that her life is not that 'tough' right now- she's with Brad Pit, ahem!- we can all agree that for quite some time it was not. coughBILLYBOBTHORTONcough.

So good work Sandy. You can now join the ranks of these fine celebrities and become a member in the Shit-Got-Outta-Wack-So-I-Adopted-a-Child-Club.

We loved your motherly role in The Blind Side, and we'll love your new role as a real-life mother to baby Bullock.

Music therapy

There are a few songs that I define myself by. Songs that I could listen to over and over and never get sick of. I think the true wonder of music is its ability to just completely cover up whatever you're feeling internally and kind of provide a sort of artistic form of Novocaine. Here's my prescription of choice:

1. Dave Matthews Band's "Crash Into Me"
This may be the best love song I've ever heard. It's pleading and simple; "lost for you, i'm so lost for you" is about as raw as you can get. There's something so simple in the delivery too; Dave doesn't scream or yell or show anger towards his unrequited love... he just oozes out sensuality. The vulnerability and honesty of this song makes you feel human to want to want someone so bad.

2. James Taylor's "Carolina in my Mind"
On long car rides home from summer vacations in the Adirondacks, James Taylor was right up there next to gas on must-haves for my family. Whenever I hear this I almost always feel a little homesick and nostalgic; like James Taylor is singing about a place we've all been, whether it's the Carolina's or not.

3. John Mayer's "Slow Dancing in a Burning Room"
The melody of this ballad from Mr. Meyer tugs at your heartstrings. It's so downcast and pulls you down into the dull drums, yet at the same time John sounds sort of sexy in his "we're going down together" attitude. it's the perfect tune to fall into after a huge fight with a significant other... when you know you've hit a wall and the relationship ending is inevitable. Your world might be ending, but it's a little better when you let John declare it.


4. Weezer's "Island in the Sun"
How can you NOT love this song?? It's sunny, bright, mellow, and radiates carefree love. One round of Weezer's uuber-chill tune and "we'll never feel bad anymore."

5. Neil Young "Heart of Gold"
Listening to this song makes me feel wiser than my 18 years. Neil has been around the block a few more times than me, but there's something strangely familiar when he sings "i want a heart of gold, and I'm getting old." When you feel like you've had your chances at love and start to worry about finding the one, Neil Young does a pretty good job lamenting for you. *Added bonus: the melancholy harmonica riffs = instant lamenting

no.

Slow dancing in a burning room... literally.

Like many of the Ohio University female students, I awoke Tuesday morning with one thing on my mind: MUST DOWNLOAD NEW JOHN MAYER CD. As I logged onto my laptop and navigated my way to the iTunes store, I began to plan out my day:


10:00-12:00 listen to album in room / make my bed, clean my dishes
12:00- 2:00 move my little listening party to 'Club Alden' and study history
2:00- 4:00 eat some lunch / go to ping for a run (w/ headphones, of course )


... etc. This should illustrate my point that the new album was going to be at the forefront of my day. Verdict? It's amazing, yes. We all knew it would be. But then I had a thought...

I was in bed trying to fall asleep, listening to - you guessed it - more john mayer, when the "The Making of Who Say's" came up next on shuffle. It was a short, documentary-like look at the making of the video for the album's first single. There is commentary, too; both from the director of the video and from John himself.



It shows him with gorgeous New York city models and undeniably cool "urban hipsters" going to hot night clubs and parading around the city like it's their own metropolis playground. At one point they even break into a swimming pool, and the girls strip down to their designer panties and bras. Sounds like a typical night for Lindsay Lohan or any of the 'Hills' hotties, right? Right.

He says he wanted the video to be relateable; the end result is supposed to have us saying " Wow, i feel like i can hang out with that guy." Hmm, maybe if I was on the cast of Gossip Girls, then, yeah; I feel like I could hang out with you, John Mayer.

So why do I feel so upset watching him engage in this night of mayhem? He's not supposed to be in that group of stereotypical rich kids. He's the nerdy-yet-cute guitar player who makes strange facial expressions when reaching those high notes. He's the shaggy-haired boy who melted our hearts with "Your body is a wonderland." The question here is not 'Has John Mayer sold out?' but rather 'Will his music one day change, too?" Let's hope not. Because no matter how much we judge him or feel abandoned by the incoming of this new, 'Hollywood' version of John, we still love his stuff.

Welcome to blogland

This is my first-ever blog post. Excitement is lacking, but that's only because inexperience is the dominant emotion right now. I wish I had more to say, but that's what I get for not starting a blog during my 2-week Spain trip and waiting until the boring, static, and depressing days of week 10, fall quarter freshman year.  More to come.

P.S.  I do not recommend setting up and starting one's first blog with the assistance and/or guidance of CJ Rankey.... for reasons that are too challenging/delicate to explain.