MUSICAL MUSING: Snow Patrol

Snow Patrol

Of course anyone who knows me at all knows that my favorite band is Snow Patrol. If you've never heard of them, all I have to say is "WHAT?!???? Are you KIDDING me? Awesomest band EVER!!!!" (Okay, so perhaps I'm a little bit 16-year-old groupie-esque when I start talking about Snow Patrol). If you've never heard them, or think you've never heard them, click below:



Having grown up in a household where ONLY country music was allowed, once I became an adult my musical appetite (which had been starved for 18 years) was finally able to expand and develop. I've always liked an eclectic mix of pop, punk, grunge and alternative. Everything from The Cure to Nirvana to Paramore to The Postal Service....and now, Snow Patrol.

I know, I know. The lead singer has had a bit of relationship trouble over the years (thus the awesome plethora of break-up songs on the Final Straw album). Yeah, maybe I have a bit of a thing for Irish bands (U2 was my number one for years). And yeah, I will hesitatingly admit I fell in love with Snow Patrol watching that scene in Grey's Anatomy several years ago where Izzie is laying on the hospital bed with Denny's lifeless body after she killed him by cutting his LVAD wire (no, I don't know what an LVAD wire is....not that I really care). What I cared about at that moment was that an awesome song that I had never heard before, "Chasing Cars", played solemnly in the background as Izzie walked out the doors of the hospital, presumably forever (As it turned out, she ended up sticking around for a few more seasons before they sent her away with a brain tumor). A few moments later in that same episode with that same amazing song still playing ("If I lay here/If I just lay here/Would you lie with me and just forget the world...."), Meredith is faced by both Derek and Finn in a moment of sheer television genius....

Maybe I got a little off-track there.....sorry about that. Those TV dramas suck me in like that sometimes....... Ahh yes, where was I? Oh, music! That's what we're supposed to be talking about here. *Ahem.*

(I think I've admitted before that I "may" be a little obsessive.......)

So basically what I'm saying is that ever since that fantabulous moment in TV history, Snow Patrol has been my FAV-O-RITE band. I did get to see them live once (opened by The Plain White T's, another totally rocksome band); something I still count as one of my coolest-ever life moments.

So why is Snow Patrol my fav, you may be asking. Anyone can have a favorite band, and most people do. And it doesn't really mean that that band is truly THE best band ever (although I'm just certain you would understand why I say that about Snow Patrol if you are listening to them right now). To me, having a favorite simply indicates that the music created by that band (or musician) means something to that person.

You know, for me it's really a combination of things. For one, they don't really have a single song that I don't like. And on top of that, the poignant lyrics, the haunting melodies, the heartache that Gary Lightbody bleeds into his songwriting, memories of the moment when I first heard the song or an important event that is somehow tied to the music; all those things just pull me in and rip into my soul. Obviously, I think "Chasing Cars" is one of their best songs, especially considering that it was that first song that tuned me in to their awesomeness. But they really have so many that I love.



Other favorites include "Run" (click above to listen........featuring the lyrics "Light up, light up/As if you have a choice/Even if you cannot hear my voice/I'll be right beside you dear"), "You're All That I Have" (featuring the lyrics "You're cinematic, razor sharp/A welcome arrow through the heart" and "There is a darkness deep in you/A frightening magic I cling to"), as well as "Tiny Little Fractures" (featuring the lyrics "If I've forgotten what to say/It's because all words are dust"). As another plus, I'm always a fan of unique song titles. My favorite along this line is "Get Balsamic Vinegar....Quick, You Fool!" I mean, really. What does that mean?

Undeniably, the power of music is amazing. Even when a song may not apply directly to me or my life, it can still grab hold of me and just make me feel...something! Sometimes it's good to have those feelings stimulated, even just for those three minutes the song plays, and even if the emotions aren't really yours. Sometimes it's good to be reminded to feel. There is something that I can't quite explain about the power of music. How a certain song can evoke a particular image in my mind or elicit an extraordinary response. I can't even really explain why my favorite song is my favorite (click below), other than the fact that it makes me think about who I am, who I once was, and who I want to be ("I'm good for inspiration, aren't I?"). How often are we lucky enough to be reminded to think of such things? And for that, I thank my favorite band.

BOOK REVIEW: "Men to Match My Mountains"

Men to Match My Mountains

By Irving Stone

Copyright 1956

Castle Books Publishing

(republish arranged by Doubleday Publishing)

Biographical Novel

5 Bookmarks

Well I have to say that when my 86-year-old grandfather-in-law (husband's grandfather) recommended this book to me, I was a little hesitant. As a matter of fact (and I hate to admit this), I kind of put off reading it for awhile. After all, I don't usually like biographies that much. And really, I'm not much of a history buff either. But, I thought, I may as well learn something about this part of the country that I call home. So finally after reading my latest frou-frou fiction, I picked it up and started reading. And then I couldn't stop.

Men to Match My Mountains was an absolutely fascinating summary of the settling of "the Far West", as it is often known. California, Nevada, Utah and of course, Colorado, are all included in this amazing story of amazing people who did absolutely amazing things to make their way across the mountains, toward the coast and toward the gold. I am not a person who could sit down and read book after book after book about the 49ers, the Donner Party, the Mormons, the railroad barons, the mountain men, the roughnecks and the few women who braved the west. But having it summarized the way that it is in this book was just perfect for someone who has a slight interest in the topic, enjoys some awesome anecdotes, and wants to feel just a little bit smarter after a few good days reading.

I will admit the book was long (nearly 450 pages) and it took me awhile to finish. But it was jam-packed with unbelievable stories taken from the journal pages of those who lived it, as well as from 150-year-old newspapers, books, pamphlets and other sources.

Much of this story was incredibly interesting to me on a personal level. There was a great deal of information about the settling of my beloved state of Colorado, including the initial silver finds, the Cripple Creek mines (very near to my home!), streams, rivers and mountains that I am very familiar with, as well as the settling of Pueblo, Colorado Springs and Denver. There was also a vast amount of information detailing the initial settling of Utah by the Mormons, some of which were ancestors of mine.

There were so many great stories in this book that there is just no way that I could at all do it justice by picking just one or two to share. Instead, I just want to strongly recommend that you do yourself a favor, check this book out of your local library and learn a little something about how this country used to work. And how the people of this country used to work for every little thing they had. Strong, strong recommendation for this one, even for those of you who don't think you're that into history. Thanks for recommending it to me, Edwin!