Top Songs of 2009

Retrograde by Cartel
We're All Going Somewhere by Abandon Kansas
Fin Del Mundo by Paper Mache
Sleepyhead by Passion Pit
Cemetery by Say Anything
A Dustland Fairytale by The Killers
I and Love and You by The Avett Brothers
The Gambler by Fun.
Tickets and Passports by Holiday Parade
Summer, Man by Taking Back Sunday

I tried to pick songs from a variety of albums and genres. I could have picked so many songs that it was very hard to pick just 10. My taste in music has grown by leaps and bounds this year and I tried to reflect that in my picks. So everyone enjoy the music from the past year! I am looking forward to the next 365 days of new music.

Top Albums of 2009

Owl City - Ocean Eyes
Favorite Songs: Vanilla Twilight, Tip of the Iceberg, Fireflies
Abandon Kansas - We're All Going Somewhere
Favorite Songs: Make Believe, Months and Years
Taking Back Sunday - New Again
Favorite Songs: Summer Man, Everything Must Go
All Time Low - Nothing Personal
Favorite Songs: Weightless, A Party Song (Walk of Shame)
Cartel - Cycles
Favorite Songs: Retrograde, Still Remains
The Avett Brothers - I and Love and You
Favorite Songs: I and Love and You, January Wedding
Seabird - 'Til We See the Shore
Favorite Songs: Rescue, 'Til We See the Shore
David Crowder Band - Church Music
Favorite Songs: Oh, Happiness, How He Loves
Fun. - Aim and Ignite
Favorite Songs: The Gambler, Barlights
The Killers - Live From Royal Albert Hall
Favorite Songs: The entire cd
We The Kings - Smile Kid
Favorite Songs: Anna Maria, We'll Be A Dream

Honorable Mention:
Mayday Parade - Anywhere But Here
The Stars of Track and Field - A Time For Lions
Holiday Parade - Tickets and Passports
John Mayer - Battle Studies
Passion Pit - Manners
Valencia - We All Need A Reason To Believe

The Best of the Rest:
The Swellers, Green Day, Muse, Phoenix, Brand New, The Academy Is..., Civil Twilight, Deas Vail, Phil Wickham, Relient K, Say Anything and 30 Seconds to Mars.

As with my favorite songs I tried to pick albums that represent a wide range of genres that I enjoyed this year. Some inspired me to change, some inspired me to dance but they all inspired me in some way the past 365 days. I hope everyone out there found great new music this year and I look forward to the next year of being inspired by great artists.

I and Love and You

Tonight I was scanning through various websites that I enjoy looking at on a regular basis when I decided to go to one that I hadn't in awhile. I went to look through the t-shirts on To Write Love On Her Arms (TWLOA) and ended up looking through their blog. I cam across an entry about The Avett Brothers, a band which I enjoy listening to regularly. I thought it was worth re-posting on here because it's a powerful message that most bands probably don't send along to the world with their music. This is their mission statement that accompanies their album "I and Love and You." Enjoy reading.

Sex God. Chapter 8

I'm trying to finish off these books that I've borrowed from Christy and Dane and I decided to just finish Sex God. In chapter 8 I came across a passage that I struck me and I wanted to share it.

"We want someone to see us exactly as we are and still love us.

It's terrifying to let people see who we really are. To see the darkness in our hearts, our bad habits, all of the things we've done in the past that we regret. Our biases, our shortcomings, the things we aren't good at.

Being naked is terrifying.

What would it be like to be with someone who loves you exactly as you are?"

This is a moving passage to me. I think to myself, how many people truly know who I am? Hope many people can answer these question about me? I realize that this passage is talking about marriage and being "naked" with your partner and I guess that's the idea. There are only two people in this world who have seem me in this raw emotional state and while those two are the closest people to me in this world, I want someone else to see this side of me. Here is one last passage to think about.

"But opening up your soul to someone, letting them into your spirit
And thoughts
And fears
And future
And hopes
And dreams...
That is being naked.

The Fearsome Foursome

I know what you're all thinking. It's been too long since I've been on here. And you are correct. I'm always thinking of great things to write about at work, I just never remember to write when I come home. Sorry. It will happen again, just don't hold it against me. There hasn't been a whole lot going on since my last entry. Chili bowl was one weekend and Branden's birthday was last weekend. Both of those events were loads of fun with lots of great friends. My good friend Christy post lots of pictures from the event and you can creep everyone here .
Last weekend was Branden's party and it was successful. Craig won a free night in a VIP lounge at the Barrel House. KU's pep band was there to celebrate the first bball game of the year. The dueling pianos were pretty cool. It was great to see Boozer and Joe. Being all together was a long time coming.
Ive been saving this special nugget of information for just the right time so here it is: We got Honorable Mention in the Wired Magazine Costume Contest! They made a place just for us. Next year they are making a category, just for us. We're special! We even get free crap from Wired. We are so grateful for everyone who voted for us and for the men and women at Wired for working with us to acknowledge our efforts and ideas. You can see us here. Were no longer calling it a "Quad-Pod" but a "Fearsome Foursome." I think it works.
This weekend is the All Time Low, We The Kings and Hey Monday show. I'm stoked to go see the bands. I've been getting ready for it all week, especially with the release of 2 new WTK songs today, with the pre-order of their new CD, which of course I got. That's about all I have for now. Look for more engaging topics down the road.

LOVE

So I'm inspired by an organization called To Write Love On Her Arms (TWLOHA). This is a non-profit organization that helps people who suffer from depression, suicide and cutting. I heard about this group from some friends last spring when I was going through a lot in my personal life. By no means was I depressed or considering ending my life but sometimes everyone gets down on themselves. I support this group because of the cause and because they are supported by many bands in the alternative music scene, which is the main genre of music I listen to. I love their shirt designs and don't mind spending the extra money because they are worth the cause.

I tell you that part because I needed people to be familiar with why I became inspired right now. TWLOHA Day is coming up November 13th. People are called on to write the word LOVE on their arms to show support for this cause. Simple enough, right? Well, I decided to start writing it on my wrist last week and keep it there until TWLOHA Day. So it's been on my wrist now since Thursday and each time I look at it I think about all different things going on in my life. Usually it deals with hard times in my life or hard times in the lives of my friends. I've known people who have been depressed and a couple whom have considered suicide. I'm very thankful they could pull through it and be where they are today because they have a great deal of affect on my life.

So I was looking at the word LOVE this morning because, each day, I need to re-trace the word so it does not fade. It's kind of like a renewing of my purpose for having it on there. And it hit me on this sunny morning as I was sitting on my front porch. LOVE. A simple-looking four letter word. However, it is quite possibly the most complicated word in the history of words. I think the impact of the word has to do with my night last night. Last night I went back and read through the blog entries of Craig Bower and Tyler Baxter. All of these entries came from our freshman and sophomore years of college. I cried. I laughed. I haven't been that emotional in a long time. Tyler wrote a great entry about love and what it means to him and his quest to find that special someone he can spend the rest of his life with. It was a great read.

Back to my epiphany this morning. Most of the time I look at the word LOVE I think of 3 people. Tyler, Brett and Craig. Together we were a quad-pod. 4 of the best friends anyone could ever have and inseparable. LOVE is a 4 letter word that I look at and associate with my three best friends. Without those 3, I would have never made it to where I am. I realize that Tyler isn't in my life anymore and I pray for him every night. That doesn't change my love for him and it never will. So, looking down at my wrist, I see a bond of friendship that will never be broken. LOVE stands for so much and it stands for different things for different people. Now I have another meaning to associate it with. To all of you who influence my life, thank you. The LOVE I have for you is probably more than you know.


So here is Tyler's xanga entry from Wednesday, March 23, 2005. It is at the bottom of the page. Please read it. It will be worth your time.

Playoffs?

I had a couple ideas to write about that I had thought about whilst at work. Of course I didn't write them down and cannot remember them. Tonight the Tigers lost to Topeka-Hayden in the first round of the playoffs. That marks the end of the 2009 season and the first season since 1999 that my dad didn't coach. His last season ended agaisnt Hayden last year in a beat down. We all knew what was coming that night, even before we arrived in Topeka. Toward the end of the game I remember spotting my mother sitting by herself. My dad, coach Wallace and coach Hays all knew that this game was their last. No one wanted to admit it though. It was very emotional watching the last seconds tick off the clock. I shed a few tears as did the others. My Dad wouldn't hug me after the game and I knew why. We shared a look and that's all it took. Hugging would have brought us both to tears. My father is downstairs right now, watching television because he couldn't sleep. I think I know why. I love you dad. You'll always be a coach in my eyes.