Savvy 6 Debut

I’ve had a number of people lately ask me for recommendations for new music. Maybe it’s because I played the violin for a number of years, (save your stereo-typical Asian comments) but I find that music is a universal language. Music has something to offer every person, it can match your various moods and well, it’s just awesome. I always like finding a new artist and soaking up all their material so when they hit it big (like most of my pics usually do) I don’t have to be just another listener who discovered them while they are being over-played on a Top 40 radio station.

I often hear songs and think of where they would be applicable in my life, as if my life was some movie being made and I was able to create a soundtrack…p.s. if you are ever on a road trip or long flight this is a great mental exercise to keep yourself from passing out or getting forced into watching a crappy movie…not that I can say that’s happened to me, “hypothetically”.

So here we go blog readers, a new feature – I’m going to share a sampling of the shuffle feature on my iTunes and a short review of why I recommend it, why I like it, what I like about it…basically whatever I want to write about it. It’s shuffle so you never know what you will get – the one spontaneous thing I like in my life.

Anywho, I like music, music likes me. I’m thinking about making music my Valentine for 2008. Learn about it.

Here it goes, the Savvy 6:  *It’s my blog, I’ll call it what I want.

“Show Me” – John Legend
First, John Legend is amazing in concert. Yes his audiences are a huge crossroads of various age groups – he was on Oprah – which explains the phenomenon of a 45 year old married couple being seated next to 21 year old girls in outfits that some consider lingerie. Second, I like this song because it reminds me that sometimes all the analyzing will lead you no where, and you just need to relax and wait – “I need a sign, something I can see, why all the mystery?

“Mayfield” – Augustana
I stumbled upon Augustana accidentally and thought they were just another Third Eye Blind type of sound…then I realized, I like Third Eye Blind. This has the great one line chorus of “Oh are we gonna make it?” – totally the song that I love having the sun roof open to and blaring as I drive on the afternoon of a crisp but sunny day.

“Run” – Snow Patrol
This is one of those songs that can take you back to an exact time/circumstance in your life. No matter how hard you want to disconnect it to that memory it will always be there. It’s just a memorable instance in your life history, for me this song is senior year of college, another mix tape from an emotionally confused dude, another mixed signal – pretty standard. Great song though, my favorite part: “You’ve been the only thing that’s right in all I’ve done and I can barely look at you, but every single time I do, I know we’ll make it anywhere.”

“The Pieces Don’t Fit Anymore” – James Morrison
I adore James Morrison, his album is one that I constantly have in my car and can listen to on repeat for hours, days, at this point months on end. It’s one of those songs that just strikes a cord with me – maybe it’s just been a good fit for the way I think and operate but I do love this one. “It’s time to surrender, It’s been to long pretending, There’s no use in trying, When the pieces don’t fit anymore.”

“Sing Me Sweet” – Matt Nathanson
For some reason this song always comes on when I am at the gym and everytime I breeze past it because it reminds me of Sunday Morning. A calm, serene, wake up to a late breakfast and face the day type of song that shouldn’t haunt me while I am sweating on a treadmill. Matt Nathanson opened for Guster I believe 3 years ago in Portland and I was fully smitten. Then I found out he went to college with a friend of mine’s sister…maybe there’s hope for me to become some guitar boy’s roadie/wifey yet! “Say you’ll never let me go, Cause i’ve gone long enough, waiting for wonderful” – who wouldn’t want that written about them…

“Where Are You Now?” – Michelle Branch
I laughed when this came up. For some reason people tell me I look like Michelle Branch – and in the handful of times this has happened the people seem genuinely shocked when I tell them, no, people don’t tell me that every day. They must see something I don’t. I do love this song because I consider this one of the J-Dub anthems. I used to hear this song when I was traveling all the time at the former workplace and it’s got this great guitar, rock out vibe with lyrics that basically capsulized all of the things I would think about when I was halfway around the world, over analyzing and well, being me.

So that’s the first edition of the Savvy 6. Hope you enjoyed this installment.