7. A song to drive to

"Mind Storm" by Joe Satriani. Perfect for cruising.

6. A song that makes you want to dance

"Ophelia" by Kaya. I went through a phase when I was absolutely entranced by industrial dance, and even practiced in front of the mirror by myself. \(//∇//)\ This song has just the right beats to make me wanna dance and pull out some of my industrial moves again.

5. A song that needs to be played LOUD

"Falling Sparrow" by Masterplan. It just does.

4. A song that reminds you of someone you would rather forget about

"Frozen" by Within Temptation. I wouldn't say there's anyone that I want to forget, since I think all experiences have been key in making me who I am, but this is probably the closest. This was my dealing-with-a-break-up song after I ended a poisonous relationship in high school. This feeling of "You tell me I'm frozen, but what could I do?" that I felt bad cutting off all ties with him but had to end it for my own sanity and well-being. At this point I wouldn't care if I saw him again, but I'm not about to seek him out either, we'll just see if we ever cross paths again.
There are a lot of Within Temptation songs that have special meanings in my life. They used to be my favorite band but sadly I haven't been too happy with their direction lately.

 

3. A song that reminds you of summertime

"Summer Breeze" by Seals and Croft. The ultimate feel-good song. It reminds me of summer vacations walking around in Belmont and smelling the honeysuckle and jasmine growing off the fences in the bright sunlight. If there's two scents I love more than anything in the world, they are vanilla and jasmine. Whenever I see a jasmine flower I think of this song and start believing that summer is near.

2. A song you like with a number in the title

"2 Minutes to Midnight" by Iron Maiden. A New Year's Eve tradition for me since high school. But that aside, this is one of my favorite Maiden songs - catchy rockin guitar riffs, interesting melodic bass line, brutally anti-war lyrics. I had the opportunity to see these jolly Englishmen last year, we were so far in the back on the lawn we could barely see them, but just sang along with the rest of the 10,000 people, just normal looking people, singing along to songs that you don't hear on the radio. It's a neat experience. Not to mention the pyrotechnics and stage animatronics make them the most expensive stage show I've ever seen.
Iron Maiden is pure fun and genius, gotta love these guys.

1. A song you like with a color in the title

I'm doing another 30 day thing because I'm bored, snagged this one off tumblr about 30 different songs.
"Kurenai" by X Japan ("kurenai" means "crimson" in Japanese). X Japan is THE epitome of Japanese rock music, they are wildly popular and sell out arena shows on a regular basis. Even though I've known about them for a very long time, I didn't get into them until recently. Their music is compositionally pretty simple, but X Japan has powerful and emotionally moving melodies and lyrics. Yoshiki has been suicidal throughout his life, and the lyrics are just very honest and poetic in a way that I think really touches the human condition, and they have really been a strength to me in recent times. One of my life's goals is to see X Japan, they came to California 3 years ago and played 2(!) Bay Area shows, but naturally, I was in Utah at the time (and not really a fan yet). They said they would come back soon. I'm still waiting...
X Japan songs are usually either a power ballad or a rockin speed metal song. "Kurenai" is both. Enjoy this classic...

To Get Lost on I-80

The other day we were in the city trying to find our way home and a lightbulb went off in my head and I turned to Matt and excitedly said, "Did you ever realize that this is where I-80 ends?" I definitely used many gestures and voice inflections trying to explain the significance of the fact that the highway that stretches from sea to shining sea, so to speak, ends right here in our own backyard.
Some days I imagine myself shooting past my freeway exit for work and driving, out past the mountains, past civilization, into deserts and tumbleweed salt flats, away from all my problems and surrounded by nature. I fancy myself to be a Ben Kenobi type, the hermit, and also a wanderer and a nomad. I'm not so much a city-lite to need the constant buzz of civilization and to keep up with current events. Nay, I would not have drank the hemlock but rather would have left Athens with my cloak and walking stick and wandered the Mediterranean until the day I departed the earth. Lizards and twigs would be my company then, but life's a bit more lavish these days - we have video games.
Sometimes I forget how close freedom actually is. There are no physical laws limiting us from freedom, just societal obligations and monetary needs. Is that why there is a whole subculture of people who have shunned those things nowadays? While I am far from dreading my hair and buying a steel frame backpack and a dog to hitchhike along the coast, I am still in search of my manifestation of
freedom