New Amsterdam

OK - Travis' new album comes out in a few weeks, but I have skillz (well John does) so I am listening to it now and did listen to it most of the weekend. It is awesome. Very, very good. Since Matt introduced me to Travis in the fall I have always enjoyed listening to the music, and this album is no different. "The Boy with No Name" and I believe it is released on May 7. So, get it now, get it then - either is fine with me. I just recommend you take a good listen. All the songs are lovely, but one in particular caught my interest from the very beginning and I think it is because of the phrase "Park that is Central." Not sure why it sticks out to me, but it does.

The whole thing is very relaxed and very Travis.

Lyrics:

New Amsterdam

New York, New York,
good bye girl

And they meet
on Bleecker Street
or the Park that is Central
oh no
I watched the sun go down
down down beneath the ground
and it's a new day,
it's a new dawn,
in New Amsterdam.

The stranger in the moonlight,
looks stranger in the moonlight

And they meet
on Bleecker Street
or the Park that is Central
oh no
I watched the sun go down
down down beneath the ground
and it's a new day,
it's a new dawn,
in New Amsterdam.

And we meet
on Bleecker Street
or the Park that is Central
oh no
I watched the sun go down
down down beneath the ground
and it's a new day,
it's a new dawn,
in New Amsterdam.

Hold Me Now

I like Sujifan Stevens a good bit, but don't listen to him as much as I like - not sure why. But, Justin kindly turned me onto The Polyphonic Spree, and I find that they are sort of similar. The 4:30 track Hold Me Now was the first to really stick out for me, but I also really like Section 17 (Suitcase Calling).

The quality that Polyphonic & Sujifan share (at least in my eyes) is the utilization of very diverse instruments, melodies, and chord structures to create "real music." Its so much more than rock-and-roll (which I love). And I don't even consider their music rock at all. What category is it? I have no clue. But I know that the people that write this sort of stuff do composition of the same caliber as good symphonic band guys. The arrangements and array of instruments is complex and offers listeners an intellectually stimulating experience. These are no doubt hard core chorus and band geeks (or at least were).

Lyrics:

Hold Me Now

He started the day with a mood and a shake.
He was finally arranged.
And someone said with a cold, hard chest, "You're a mess!"
He woke up at nights.
He thought he was twice.
He was moving away
cause everyone thinks that it goes away with age.

Hold me now.
Don’t start shaking.
You keep me safe.
Don't ever think you're the only one
when times are tough in your new age.

Hold me now.
Don’t start shaking.
You keep me safe.
Don't ever think you're the only one
when times are tough in your new age.
You better be cool at the time.

He’s walking along with his soul in his lungs.
Ya stare at him long you can find a new song.
Everyone thinks they've got a new phrase.
But you're still miles away.
You're still miles away.
I said, "You're still miles away."

(Repeat 2x)
Hold me now. Don't start shaking.
You keep me safe.
Don't ever think you're the only one
when times are tough in your new age.

Instrumental Bridge

(Repeat 4x)
Hold me now. Don't start shaking.
You keep me safe.
Don't ever think you're the only one
when times are tough in your new age.

As Lovers Go

It's Dashboard Confessional today. Well, technically today I am listening to Panic! At the Disco, cause it is what is on my mind, but last night - driving down the road - it was all Dashboard. And this song came on, and it made me sort of reflect on things. And I smiled. :-)

Lyrics:

As Lovers Go

she said "i've gotta be honest,
you're wasting your time if you're fishing round here."
and i said "you must be mistaken,
cause i'm not fooling...this feeling is real"
she said...she said "you gotta be crazy,
What do you take me for? Some kind of easy mark?
"No, you've got wits, you've got looks,
you've got passion, but I swear that you've got me all wrong."

all wrong.
all wrong.
but you got me...

i'll be true, i'll be useful...
i'll be cavalier...i'll be yours my dear.
and i'll belong to you...
if you'll just let me through.
this is easy as lovers go,
so don't complicate it by hesitating.
and this is wonderful as loving goes,
this is tailor-made, whats the sense in waiting?

and i said "i've gotta be honest
i've been waiting for you all my life."
for so long i thought i was asylum bound,
but just seeing you makes me think twice.
and being with you here makes me sane,
i fear i'll go crazy if you leave my side.
you've got wits...you've got looks,
you've got passion but are you brave enough to leave with me tonight?

tonight.
tonight.
but you've got me...

i'll be true, i'll be useful...
i'll be cavalier...i'll be yours my dear.
and i'll belong to you...
if you'll just let me through.
this is easy as lovers go,
so don't complicate it by hesitating.
and this is wonderful as loving goes,
this is tailor-made, whats the sense in waiting?
this is easy as lovers go,
so don't complicate it by hesitating.
and this is wonderful as loving goes,
this is tailor-made, whats the sense in waiting?

Dog Problems by The Format

OK. Wow. I love it. This album is good. At least for me.

The Format's first single off the album was "The Compromise" - a song Justin and I enjoyed over last summer/fall when we were riding back and forth from town building the house. The current single off the album, "She Doesn't Get It," makes me smile ear to ear every time I hear it, and lots of dancing happens in the car. In fact, several songs make me do that. :-D

Its nice because there are so many different words I can use to describe the different songs on the album... whimsical, carnival, music box, fun, happy, show-tuny, crisp, loving, passionate, true, baring.

I think my new friend John & I are going to go see them up at the Spring Fling at Erskine College on May 5. :-) Yippeee! (It is awesome to have a person locally that loves music as much (no more) than I do. So fab!!)

I guess my favorite song on the album is probably "Inches & Falling"

Lyrics:

Inches & Falling

I love Love
I love being in love
I don't care what it does to me

Take these tattered boxes
that used to hold your clothes
Break them down
Build them back up with your bones
All you did was construct a mess
You'r good to me when only flesh
You'r a memory with nothing to show

When we would take trips
We swore we'd never take pictures
Pictures only prove you can't convince
Now i wish those photographs
could convince you that what we had
would only turn out a negative

well
well
well

If fingertips are relationships
then i could barely carry your weight
If fingers are mistakes
Don't use this one to point the blame
Just sing
sing

I love love
I love being in love
I don't care what it does to me
These pills are fine to pass the time
'til i find my new drug
Then
We'll take our chances
we'll last a month
we'll never speak again

How i love being in love

And don't pick up the line
You're dressed to have a good time
you don't need him, you need to be seen
so someone else can treat you wrong
so you my love can sing this song

I love love
I love being in love
I don't care what it does to me
These pills are fine to pass the time
'til i find my new drug
Then
They'll take advantage
I'll claim that's what i want

To be the new statistic

How i love
How i love
How i love being in love

Take these tattered boxes
That used to hold your clothes
Break them down
Build them back up with your bones
All you did was construct a mess
you're dead to me if love is death
You're a memory with nothing to show

WELL
WELL
WELL

If fingertips are relationships
Then maybe i could use a break
She smiles
She points at me
shes says:
Baby i love how you sing
so just
sing

I love love
i love being in love
i don't care what it does to me
These pills are fine to pass the time
'til i find my new drug
Then
We'll take our chances
we'll rise above
we'll last until the end

How i love
How i love
How i love being in love