Earth Day.

I love Earth Day. I remember planting trees every year in elementary school and sitting through assemblies and hearing speakers tell us the things we could do on April 22nd to save the earth. I always wondered, why only treat our earth well one day a year? Shouldn't everyday be Earth Day?

Too overwhelmed by saving the earth through planting a forest? Start with little things like turning off the water while you're brushing your teeth or riding your bike instead of wasting gas and energy with your car. Here is a list of more things you can do!

Also, sidenote: If you don't recycle, please kill yourself. I mean that in the nicest way possible.

If we keep neglecting the earth, pretty soon beautiful places and things like this wouldn't exist. Wouldn't that be terrible?

A little taste of my trip to Sicily last summer. :)

Ben Folds and Nick Hornby.

Can this be true? Yes, yes it is!

Ben Folds as in Brick, Kate singer, songwriter Ben Folds is collaborating with Nick Hornby as in High Fidelity, About a Boy novelist Nick Hornby. The album, tentatively entitled Picture Window is set to release in September. Hornby will be supplying the lyrics as Folds' puts them to music and adds his vocals. Three songs from the album "Picture Window", "Levi Johnston's Blues" and "Claire's 9th" have already leaked and are getting me all excited.

Listen to "Picture Window" here:



Being a fan of Ben Folds for years and an avid reader of everything Nick Hornby has ever written, I have to say, this makes perfect sense. They have a lot in common:

• both use simple language and ideas to communicate serious issues.
• both are self-deprecating.
• both are extremely witty and emo at the same time.
  
• both have been married more than once and obviously heartbroken more than 16 million times.
  
• But most importantly, both are beyond talented.

"It seems to me now that the plain state of being human is dramatic enough for anyone; you don't need to be a heroin addict or a performance poet to experience extremity. You just have to love someone."
-Nick Hornby (How to Be Good)

"Next door, there's an old man who lived to his nineties and one day passed away in his sleep. And his wife, she stayed for a couple of days and passed away. I'm sorry, I know that's a strange way to tell you that I know we belong."
-Ben Folds

Hello April.

Every month, I construct a new playlist encompassing all my moods and emotions.

Here's a teeny tiny glimpse of my Hello April Playlist:

The Avett Brother's Kick Drum Heart


Cory Branan's Tall Green Grass


Frightened Rabbit's Keep Yourself Warm


Straylight Run's Existentialism on Prom Night


And for the wildcard...

Kid Cudi featuring Common and Kanye West- Make Her Say

ROMPER.

I interrupt normal scheduling to bring you my new obsession: Rompers!

Designers are totally just giving it a cool name like 'romper' to avoid the real deal: these are JUMPERS for adults. I loved jumpers then and I love them now. I bought one from Urban Outfitters (see below) and it's so comfortable and airy, I want to wear it everyday. I just might.


They are beyond adorable in different patterns and styles. Check it:

1, 2, 3... Crows

Ok, so I know I spent my formative years in the early 2000s which translates to intense boy band action and blonde girls singing about genies.

(What's with the footwear, fellas?)

And while I hold a special place in my heart for 'Nsync and 'Oops I did it again', I find that I deeply connect with 90s alt rock bands a tad more.

Maybe it's because they have something more substantial to say.

OR maybe it's because thought processes occur before they begin to write.

Either way, I'm dedicating this post to the Counting Crows. The boys led by the infamous dreaded Adam Duritz have been around since 91 and are still going strong. Personally, I think they are more lyrically superior to a lot of bands out there. While a decent portion of their songs make me look out the window as I contemplate life with tears in my eyes, most songs make me want to dance in circles barefoot. Check out one of my favorites:

Remember me.

With all the extreme action, 3-d and devastation floating around in movies these days, I find it refreshing to see a trailer that looks quiet and simple. I'm all about grandiose movies and being blown out of my seat in the theaters but there is something especially wonderful about a movie that speaks to you softly. Loud movies help with escapism but calmer movies pull your life into the story and leave you wondering about your story in the end.

Remember Me seems like one of those. Plus, former blood sucker Robert Pattinson (I wonder if Kristen 'I always look and sound like I'm on drugs' Stewart is jealous?) is attracting me to the film. Of course, I could be completely wrong based on the fact that I'm making this conclusion from a two and a half minute trailer.

Here: check it out for yourself.



P.S. In one of the commercials, I heard the song "The Dress Looks Nice On You" by Sufjan Stevens. It's an incredibly beautiful song. Listen to it now.

Back to the Roots.

Recently, I was feeling like there was this big gaping hole in my life where something used to be. And that something was concerts.

The Starting Line at Warped Tour.


I honestly had these shoes and wore them, ALOT.

High school was a time when going to concerts was what me and my friends did. (That and driving around and going to Dunkin Donuts, of course.) The only thing that mattered in this world was being engulfed in a sweaty crowd filled with peers who were just as passionate as we were about our bands. And we would sing these oh-so-incredibly emo lyrics out and attempt to catch eye contact with the lead singer we were convinced if he knew us, would love us. We stood outside in lines in mid-December with no coats as we froze into an ice sculpture of kids huddling together with t-shirts and converses on.

Me in Rome
Rutgers Football Game

Throughout college, I still went to concerts but it was never the same. Maybe because there was now more of an outlet to do all these things I never had. (Like study abroad in Italy or meet all these intelligent exciting people that didn't live in my hometown and drink incessantly every weekend with them.) And besides, you could always just listen to the kid on your floor or your best friends down the street play music. There was less of an urgency to get that invigorating life changing feeling of being at a concert because in college, you get that feeling almost everyday.


Ok, enough with nostalgia. The whole point is once I moved back home last June and was unemployed for a while, that stuck feeling happened again. That need for an outlet returned. So, as a solution, we went nuts on concert tickets once we got some income in. Thus, these past two months have been a concert OVERLOAD. And now, five years detached from high school, I can confidently say: there is nothing like live music to jolt some life back into you.

Here's a quick peak of the concerts I went to in the past months and the ones that I am going to in March :)

No Doubt Reunion Tour
Gwen Stefani can still run around the stage frantically and sound awesome at the same time.

Jack's Mannequin

Andrew McMahon of Something Corporate will always be my lyrical hero.

Blink 182 Reunion Tour Need I say more? This reunion was an experience of a lifetime. Highlight: Travis playing drums upside down while spinning on the ceiling of MSG!

Saves the Day

"If I could only see you now for about an hour maybe just a minute just to ask
What has he got that I don't have?"

New Found Glory

This was their 10 year anniversary of their self-titled and they played EVERY song, not to mention a bunch of other amazing ones. The energy they brought to the stage was unmatchable.

The Waffle Stompers

Hey, these boys are my best buds! But they are ALSO an awesome ska band taking over New Jersey. Check them out.


John Mayer

I have to say John Mayer killed it and stands out as one of the best concerts I've ever been to. He may be a douche, but the beautiful man has talent.

River City Extension

Toms River boys River City Extension is an indie folky "chamber punk" band that has incredible stage presence.

Happy Ending

Teacher and student combo Happy Ending lyrics are not so happy at all. But no one ever said depressing wasn't talented.

Coming up this month:

Ingrid Michaelson


Dashboard Confessional