Celine cries over OK Computer

It's been a while since I posted and, as usual, I don't have much to say. So here's another favourite album. Again, I feel weird trying to articulate my feelings about music, so it's really just anecdotes that are somewhat-related to this album and the tracks I chose.

OK Computer by Radiohead (1997)

I think I mentioned in a previous post about liking music that has a sort of other-worldly quality to it. Sort of like space music. I have a little analogue ribbon synth that I will sit and play with for ages, just making weird blippy noises and squeaks and stuff. And most of the apps on my phone are drum machines, synths, and even a weird keyboard thing. Basically I'm a big nerd for sound.

And that's what I love so much about this album. The layers of sound, sounds you can't quite recognize, the effects...I get excited by that kind of stuff. And Thom Yorke's voice never ceases to amaze me. I saw Radiohead live for the first time this year and they sound just as awesome live as they do on record.

Favourite tracks:

• Exit Music (For a Film)
• Karma Police - I've sung this at karaoke. Perhaps not the best choice for karaoke.
• No Surprises - One time I wrote a short paper in college about the use of this song in  a movie. I always tried to tie any assignments to music and movies. That time I managed both in one. Success!
• Lucky

Celine cries over The Man Who

I drew this a long time ago and had it sitting in drafts.
My hair is longer (about shoulder-length) now. Just wanted to clarify.

The Man Who by Travis (1999)

I love Travis. I'm fairly certain I've seen them live more than any other group (I've even met Fran, Andy, and their keyboard player Claes after one of their shows and Fran signed his name and drew wings on the back of my shirt. Pretty awesome!) This is my favourite Travis album and I've listened to it consistently since I was in college. I love everything about this album: the production, the arrangements, the artwork (and the artwork of the singles).

Favourite tracks:

- "Writing to Reach You" - Once in a photography class we had to do a project where we had to take one photo for each word of a 7+ word phrase of our choosing and I chose "Everyday I wake up and it's Sunday". No one in the class knew the song.

- "As You Are" - Another of my desert island discs.

Celine cries over Crow Sit on Blood Tree

Could it be? Is it already time for another installment of Celine cries over music? (I haven't been up to much lately and I'm home sick with a cold, so despite my earlier intention to spread these out so that people wouldn't have to deal with my gushing over music too often, I don't have anything else to post about.)


Crow Sit on Blood Tree by Graham Coxon (2001)

As difficult as it was to choose one Beatles album, it was possibly even harder to choose my favourite album from Graham's discography. If I'm honest, I could write a post for each of his albums (and who's to say I won't...). But this, if not consistently my favourite, is always a contender. I can't even properly articulate what it is about this album that makes it a favourite. On the whole it's rather melancholy and quiet, although there are some rock-ier numbers. It just feels honest and sincere, which is what I love most about Graham's music. He always seems to mean it, if you know what I mean. And the guitar playing is, of course, awesome.

My top tracks (without commentary because I've already gushed enough):

- Empty Word (This is one of my desert island discs. I love everything about this song. I love the lyrics; I love the slow build from the quiet start to the rock out at the end.)
- Big Bird
- Bonfires

Celine cries over Abbey Road

Abbey Road by The Beatles (1969)

It's difficult for me to choose a favourite Beatles album, but when pressed (not that that happens very often), I usually say Abbey Road. Confusingly, while it was the last album they recorded together, it was released before Let It Be. I don't have anything interesting to add to the volumes that have been written about the Beatles or this album, but I'd just like to share some thoughts on why this is generally my go-to favourite Beatles album:

- They were all clearly at the top of their game (although, let's be honest, when were they ever not the best in the biz?). Side one plays like a typical album with distinct songs, while side two ends with a medley of awesomeness.

- Everyone's distinct style and personality comes through - not only on the various tracks (with each member contributing at least one song), but especially on "The End" with Ringo's drum solo and George, Paul, and John taking turns with the guitar solos.

- The three-part (triple-tracked to sound like 9 voices) harmonies on "Because."

- I don't think I've ever listened to "Golden Slumbers" without crying...

I could really go on and on, but in order to maintain some semblance of sanity, I'll leave it at that. Basically it blows my mind how these four guys were able to crank out awesomeness time and time again. And anyone who disagrees that the Beatles were the greatest band that ever existed is just plain wrong. (I feel I should add a disclaimer here: I'm not saying everyone has to love the Beatles or that all of their songs were pure gold, but just considering their influence and the cultural impact they had (especially in light of the short time they were actually producing records), there's no other band that can touch them.)

Celine cries over 13

Welcome to the first installment of what I shall be calling "Celine cries over music" a.k.a. a listing of my favourite albums. These won't necessarily be in any order (partly due to the fact that I have a very difficult time deciding on a favourite Beatles album) and I don't have super varied tastes in music, so consider yourself forewarned. And as excited as I am to share my favourites, I'm horrible at articulating my feelings about music because mostly I just want to gush and sigh and cry when I listen to music I really enjoy...

First up: 13 by Blur (1999)

Surprise, surprise, I know. A big shocker (especially for anyone who has seen my tumblr) that I'm starting off with this. The penultimate album by Blur (not including compilations) and the last one before Graham Coxon's departure from the group. Cue uncontrollable sobbing.

I suppose the album isn't exactly an easy listen. Even after having listened to the album more times that I could possibly count, it still manages to stir up a whole sea of emotions for me. I don't want to get super pretentious and delve into a review of the album; that's what critics (ha!) are for, so I'll just share the following about my two favourite tracks:

1. When I listen to "Caramel", I find myself wondering how this it isn't everyone's favourite song. It has everything I look for in music: it's familiar, yet otherworldly; it scares me, yet it's oddly soothing. The layers of sound, the lyrics and Damon's voice, the slow build-up to the controlled chaos toward the end of the song, only to have it calm back down and fade out the way it began - it blows my mind every single time I listen to it. I've got chills now just thinking about it.

2. I first became aware of Blur through"Coffee and TV". I remember seeing the video and thinking it was cute and sad and loving the singer's voice. (It came as a bit of a shock when I later found out that Graham wasn't the usual singer in the band, although I love Damon's voice as well.) I like the contrast of the upbeat sound of the song and the rather melancholy lyrics. And the guitar solo? Pure awesomeness.

Recent productivity

It's no secret on this blog or to anyone who has spoken with me for any period of time that I love Blur and that I consider Graham Coxon to be one of the most awesome people ever. So imagine my excitement last month, when the fabric Graham designed for Liberty was finally available on their website! I wasted no time ordering small quantities in two colors (this required considerable restraint on my part - I wanted yards and yards of it in all four colors!).

Pretty swoon-tastic, huh?

I was loath to cut the fabric, fearing I'd ruin it and thinking that anything I made wouldn't be worthy of its beauty (wow, swoon much?). I finally decided to make a shift/tunic-y thing out of the blue-ish one and a skirt out of the grey one. And I still have enough of the grey to make something else as well.

Nothing too fancy, since I didn't want to detract from the pattern. And apparently I couldn't be bothered to iron them before taking the pictures...But I'm quite happy with them and am super excited to wear them for everyone to see the awesome pattern!

And - as an update on my last post - I'm still sick with what has turned out to be pneumonia and not just a cold. Oh well. It means short work days and lots of reading and TV watching.

Important Information

I have this little notebook within close reach at all times. Like I always do, I've given it a useful label: "ideas". It should be titled "important information" instead. It has little drawings (of birds, people, buttons, sewing patterns I'm looking for), random observations I've jotted down, newspaper clippings I've pasted inside, a Morse code cheat-sheet, humorous quotes, and addresses and phone numbers (some of which I don't recognize and even my old German cell phone number).

New glasses and A.P.C. sweatshirt that people love to mock.

It also includes a lot of lists. As I believe I've mentioned before (although maybe I haven't), I like to make lists. This notebook contains lists of books I'm planning on reading (I have a different notebook for books I've finished), typewriters I own and their ribbon sizes, favourite foods, and a useful list entitled "Things I Like". I also have several lists entitled "Favourite Songs". Every month or so, I create a new list of current favourite songs. My top two always remain the same, but I generally like to add another six songs (I like even numbers) that I can't stop listening to at the time.

Here's the list for June:
This Boy (Anthology I Version) - The Beatles
You're So Great - Blur
Livin' - Graham Coxon
Caramel - Blur
Here - Pavement
Cornerstone - Arctic Monkeys
Green Fields - [The Good, the Bad, and the Queen - the name of the record, not the band]
High and Dry - Radiohead

(Again, my taste in music is rather obsessive.) I also have a list of my favourite parts of songs. But I'll save that for another time!

A new shirt from Out of Print. They donate a book to a community in need for each shirt sold.

I knew I had to have this as soon as I saw it. The Catcher in the Rye is one of my top three favourite books (along with Homo Faber and To Kill a Mockingbird) and has been since I first read it as a teenager. I still remember quite vividly the summer I read it for the first time. There's nothing quite like discovering a very excellent book. Except maybe discovering a very good record. But that's a whole other post.

nice.

I tend to give the folders on my computer weird, non-helpful names - things like "stuff" and "more" and "other stuff". These are from a folder called "nice", which, for once, is an accurate title.

These photos also inform my style: Ramona Quimby, Scout Finch, children's clothes in general and cardis.

Cats

This is my grandmother's cat, Ivory. Isn't she cute? When she plays her nose and ears turn really pink. She also likes to stick her paws under closed doors to see what's going on in the rooms without her.

It's been really hot lately and at night I sit up with the fan on and sketch kitties.

The one on the bottom left says "Meowrice Chevalier." :)

It's nice to start the day with my favourite cup. Especially when I don't feel like getting out of bed. (The one in the blue shirt represents the way I feel about camping/hiking.)
And the back is just as nice.