One of the things I enjoy when I'm reading other blogs on Xanga is the feature where you can put what you are listening to or reading. That feature is not available here on Blogger.
Recently, my buddy Kyle (or Krob or Crack Rob or a myriad of other names that I randomly use to refer to him) came down to Alex for a visit. With him he brought 3 CDs for me -- considered a late birthday present.
The one I was looking forward to the most was by Dashboard Confessional. Kyle was the first one to turn me on to the emo croonings of Chris Carrabba back when we were in college. He burned Dashboard's first 2 CDs for me, and I bought the 3rd one. Kyle bought me the fourth one. Carrabba's lyrics have some innate way of connecting with his audience on a deeper level. Literally, you can hear Carrabba pouring his heart and soul into every song. The newest CD is no different than the previous 3. While I wouldn't consider it my favorite of his CDs, it is definitely worth listening to. It has stayed on a constant rotation in my car ever since I opened it.
While Dashboard was the one I was most eagerly anticipating, it actually might end up being my least favorite of the three. I'm really digging Hawthorne Heights' CD, If Only You Were Lonely. I had heard the first single, Saying Sorry, on the radio and really enjoyed it. So I had high expectations. And I wasn't disappointed. The album's opening track, This Is Who We Are, is a dark, yet catchy, song about suicide. And that theme runs throughout the album -- not suicide, but a darkness that is combined with a catchiness. The more I listen to this CD, the more I like it.
But the best CD, and the one that is quickly climbing up my list of favorite CDs, is the much-anticipated debut from Angels & Airwaves, a spinoff band from former blink-182 lead singer Tom Delonge. While I listened to some of blink's hits on the radio, I was never a huge fan of the band. It seemed to be too crude for my taste at the time, although blink's lyrics were very humorous. So I wasn't buying into all the hype about AVA -- and there has been plenty. But that hype was much deserved. Simply put, the album is amazing. Delonge touted the album as the best music he'd ever made, saying he wanted to revolutionize pop music. He claimed to have had some sort of epiphany and wanted to recreate that feeling for his fans. Therefore, the album comes off feeling very "spiritual" -- particularly tracks No. 6 and 7, "The War" and "The Gift". Again, I wasn't a blink fan, particularly Tom, but he's done a tremendous job with this new album. I'd recommend it to anyone.
Friday, August 04, 2006
Sunday, July 30, 2006
If only I had his shot
I've got a new nickname -- JJ.
For those of you who know me (which, umm, is probably all 20 of you), my first name doesn't start with a 'J'. Neither does my middle name. So how'd I end up with the new moniker? My skillz on the basketball court.
Don't laugh. No, seriously. Stop it! By now, I'm sure you've read of my late-night/early-morning experience with the church youth group's lock-in. Well, I came to the lock-in decked out in my Duke 'No. 4' jersey of former Blue Devil J.J. Redick (now with the Orlando Magic). Due to my threads and my ability to knock down 3-pointers from NBA range (like my boy JJ), the kids from the youth group labeled me 'JJ'. And the nickname's stuck. I heard it this morning from one of the kids -- Ted, a great athlete who will be a junior at Pineville High, who wishes he could ball like me!
Moving away from your home for the past 12 years is very interesting because it gives you a chance to start over. Nobody here knew who I was. As Binni, Kyle and others can attest, I've never exactly been the most popular person on the block. Wasn't in high school. Wasn't in college. Yet I am here. It's just weird.
The kids seem to love me. Even the guys in the sports department at work think that I'm funny and knowledgeable. It's so strange to be popular. Yet I love it. I've really opened up (which has been an ongoing process, but just think back to how introverted I used to be!), especially around the kids.
The Bret of old is growing up. Responsibility. Marriage. Home ownership. All that jazz. But JJ is still young at heart -- even if his body isn't listening!
For those of you who know me (which, umm, is probably all 20 of you), my first name doesn't start with a 'J'. Neither does my middle name. So how'd I end up with the new moniker? My skillz on the basketball court.
Don't laugh. No, seriously. Stop it! By now, I'm sure you've read of my late-night/early-morning experience with the church youth group's lock-in. Well, I came to the lock-in decked out in my Duke 'No. 4' jersey of former Blue Devil J.J. Redick (now with the Orlando Magic). Due to my threads and my ability to knock down 3-pointers from NBA range (like my boy JJ), the kids from the youth group labeled me 'JJ'. And the nickname's stuck. I heard it this morning from one of the kids -- Ted, a great athlete who will be a junior at Pineville High, who wishes he could ball like me!
Moving away from your home for the past 12 years is very interesting because it gives you a chance to start over. Nobody here knew who I was. As Binni, Kyle and others can attest, I've never exactly been the most popular person on the block. Wasn't in high school. Wasn't in college. Yet I am here. It's just weird.
The kids seem to love me. Even the guys in the sports department at work think that I'm funny and knowledgeable. It's so strange to be popular. Yet I love it. I've really opened up (which has been an ongoing process, but just think back to how introverted I used to be!), especially around the kids.
The Bret of old is growing up. Responsibility. Marriage. Home ownership. All that jazz. But JJ is still young at heart -- even if his body isn't listening!
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