Today marks the second post in my new mini-series, A Week of Valentines! Yesterday I showed you how to craft a homemade pillow that is appropriate for all ages and genders. Today we will be discussing music. Tomorrow, food.
While more than half of my readers are American, I must admit that as Canadians, we have some pretty amazing musicians that come from our country. This includes The Guess Who, Five Man Electrical Band, Joni Mitchell, The Band, The Stampeders, Leonard Cohen, Gordon Lightfoot, and Steppenwolf, just to name a few of my favourites. Yours, too, probably.
One of the most renowned Canadian artists is Neil Young. Just last week, he collaborated with Jimmy Fallon on his classic song “Old Man.” The results were pure genius, in my opinion. The skit was funny in a way that I never would have expected. Anyway, take a look for yourselves if you haven’t already seen it.
For Valentine’s Day, I’ve created this YouTube playlist with one or two songs from each of these artists. The total length is 50 solid minutes of pure listening gold. So, why not put on some soulful oldies to invoke feelings of love, relaxation, and nostalgia? Nothing helps set the mood for fantastic lovin’ more than music does.
while this blog is such a fantastic way to reach out to my followers, discover new friends and faces, be inspired by other wonderful bloggers and their own creations, i would like to dedicate more time towards the hello scarlett store so that i can make it as successful as possible. beginning in september, i will only be posting three days a week rather than five. however, this change will only be a temporary one. i will be back to blogging more regularly when i feel as if the store is well on its merry little way. :-)
because this will be the last music post for awhile, i am choosing a song by a band that has literally altered my life. in 2008 i graduated from university with a three year bachelour of arts honours degree. with no career in mind but with a longing for some change and some traveling, i moved to switzerland to become a nanny for four small children. while i was there, i discovered the killers. now they were already quite popular, but because i try to avoid popular music, i had not heard any of their songs up until that point. i was hooked. i would have their music playing on my ipod as i rode my bike among the alps, walked to and from work, took the rail around the country, and, as it went nearly every night, laying in bed while trying not to feel homesick. in the end, my homesickness won and i went home a short time later.
i returned to university for one more year in order to complete a four year degree. on the first day of my last semester, in walked *g*. being a cold january morning in canada, he, of course, was wearing a big winter coat. his face was the first thing that i focused on. i swore that he was the twin brother of the frontman for the killers, brandon flowers. *g* also noticed me that day, and for both of us, it was love at first sight. we became friends that month, and shortly after were married.
now obviously it was his personality that won me over in the end, but if it were not for me moving overseas, stumbling upon this band, feeling perpetually homesick, and returning home and to university, my life would have turned out to be completely different. maybe that wouldn’t have been so bad, but for where i am now, i feel so blessed and so lucky to be where i am in this very moment.
every decision a person makes effects their future in one way or another. so while brandon flowers climbs and sings on top of the piano, while the audience roars, and while sparks fly about the stage, i hope that you also can reflect on your life choices and feel fulfilled. i certainly know that i feel that way about “all the things that i’ve done.”
i took these photos in february 2009 at the o2 center in london, england one month after i met *g*.
i know that on hello scarlett, we keep stating that ‘this is my favorite band’ or ‘this is my favorite book’ or ‘this is my favorite such and such’. i hope that instead of being tiring for you readers, it just goes to show that *g* and i have lots of favorites. i look at it as being a good thing, and that we are two people who are easy to please. ;-)
credence clearwater revival is one of my favorite bands. when i was a girl, my mum would always have the golden oldies playing on the radio. thus my current preference for classic hits was highly unavoidable. moreover, for as long as i can remember i have always had an appreciation for ccr. it wasn’t until *g* and i were dating, though, that i bought my first record by them.
“ramble tamble” is the song that i most associate our dating days. i will never forget the first time that my crosley record player played through this song. *g* and i literally stopped in our tracks to listen to the music. after it finished, we played it again and again that night, and almost every night afterwards.
i chose this song specifically today because it is the first day of our week-long camping trip. i hope that if you listen to “ramble tamble” it instills the same feelings of love, contentment, and nostalgia that it brings to me. meanwhile, we and i will be driving up north with our belongings, dogs, and music in tow. :-))))
one of my favourite bands has got to be joy division. here is their hit “disorder” which was featured on their 1979 record, unknown pleasures, considered by many to be one of the greatest records of all time.
the simplicity of the guitar riffs, jumpy drum beat and curtis’ melancholy vocals really defined what joy division was all about. their sound has been copied by many but never outdone.
the long weekend is over, and it’s back to another full week of work. here in canada, we have to wait another full month before we have another statutory holiday! :-(
because it is monday and most of us have to get back to it, here is a song by 1,2,3 entitled “work”.
i think that the song pretty much sums up my mood.
Hello! My name is Emory. I am a wife, mother of four (three on earth in heaven). This is our life on the Canadian prairies.
email: helloscarlettblog@outlook.com
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