The Nerdy Girlie's Music Monday #17: Indie Christmas Playlist

Tis the season nerds! Who started listening to Christmas music the day after Thanksgiving like me?! My favorite way to consume Christmas music is via my record player....ahhhh the sweet crackling of a spinning vinyl, sipping a warm mug of something sweet, watching the Christmas tree lights twinkle...heaven on Earth!

I WISH I could have all of these songs on vinyl but my iPhone will have to do. Enjoy a taste of my FAVORITE bands at Christmas!!

1. A Christmas Song - A Silent Film.

2. Baby It's Cold Outside - The Filthy Souls.

3. You're Just Like Christmas - The Crookes.

4.  Merry Little Christmas - Bad Veins.

5. Just Like Christmas - Dan Croll.

6. Christmas At Our House - A Silent Film. Because you can never have enough A Silent Film at Christmas time! I've been bugging them for two years now to make a Christmas vinyl! This song is an original song and the video is of Robert singing his cat Woody to sleep! #dead

I just also have to mention that my absolute favorite Christmas album is Lee Greenwood's Christmas To Christmas. I'm not a country fan, but to me this isn't country, it's just a cozy home-y Christmas vinyl! Do you nerds have any obscure favorite Christmas tunes?! I'd love to hear them! I LOVE Christmas music so much! Let me know what you think of my list in the comments below!

The Nerdy Girlie's Music Monday #21: Wild Wild Horses

SOOOOOO I got the best birthday present a mix tape! There are SO many good songs on it, I just had to share them with you! Here is my number one favorite from even before I received the mixed tape from my Pisces Soul Sister!

I have the best friends with the best taste in music. The moment my Pisces Soul Sister told me about the Wild Wild Horses show she had attended back in LA I looked them up right away. Had the video queued up for when we hung up the phone and fell in love upon first lesson!
They have an entire series for these videos that are all directed {nerdy link!} Jennifer Morris of Once Upon A Time!
They are beautiful and so is the song! I cannot get enough of it! #ONREPEAT Follow them on Twitter @wwHorses. Share your new favorite music obsessions with me in the comments below! I need new stuff to listen to on repeat!

The Nerdy Girlie's Music Monday #20: 12 Albums That Have Stayed With Me

When one of my best friends Lindsay asked me on Facebook to share the twelve albums that have stuck with me, I had to stop a minute and think! Only twelve...since forever?! That was a difficult task. I also couldn't just list off twelve albums without explaining myself either!

So here I go...

1. Beastie Boys - License To Ill. I remember hearing this album for the first time with two of my best high school friends. We listened to it non stop my tenth grade year. Since then it has come and gone, but never forgotten. It is one of the only physical CDs I actually own and it is scratched to ALL hell. But still plays. And I still rock out! I actually JUST Snap Chatted me "rapping" my favorite tune Paul Revere!

FACT: The best date I've ever had, this song was played! He and I rapped the entire thing back and forth and it made my night. That was one of the reasons I was hooked on him for so long. I've always wanted someone to love the albums that are important to me. He's gone. But I've found someone better. And we defiantly do NOT have the same taste in music....besides the Beastie Boys.

2. Spice Girls - Spice. I remember when I heard Wannabe for the very first time. I was in the car, my Nana was driving and I we were in Phoenix. The DJ did not say who the band was, or what the name of the song was. I just remember that being the first song I can remember falling in love with upon first listen. We went straight away to the record store and I tired to explain the song to the cashier, unsuccessfully.

3. Backstreet Boys - Millennium. The same time I discovered the Spice Girls, I was already on Team BSB. I remember listening to their first CD on that very same trip to Nana's! By the time I Want It That Way arrived on the air waves, I was hooked. It is THE BEST boy band song of all time. #MyOpinion :) I did learn to LOVE Nsync too. But BSB & Nick Carter will always be #1.

FACT: I've never seen them in concert! :(

4. Nsync - No Strings Attached. Then came Nsync. My best friend at the time ended up converting me to Team Nsync for a while. When we met, my entire room was covered in BSB posters. When we became friends, we re-decorated and I taught my little brothers all the guys names. #TeamLance. It was the height of TRL and the Making The Video for Bye Bye Bye was the best thing I had ever seen! Bye Bye Bye is the SECOND best boy band song of all time. A VERY close second! 

FACT: I saw them in concert in DENVER back in 2000!

AND.....I just got sucked into watching that Making The Video episode....so I'm done stalling...for now :) Ok and POP! too. Damn good!

5. New Found Glory - Sticks And Stones. And now I turn my musical corner. Still boy bands. But now I'm living the punk lyfe! My BFF Tommy introduced me to NFG back in 2001 and my musical heart evolved. I remember going to Best Buy the day Sticks And Stones came out and buying it! NFG ended up leading me to....

6. The Starting Line - Say It Like You Mean It. I consider TSL to be the first band that I discovered on my own. They will always hold a special place in my heart. I even mentioned them in my 5 Fandom article about the 5 songs that changed my life!

FACT: I've seen them more times than I can count. They also made me fall in love with concert photography!

7. Dashboard Confessional - MTV Unplugged. Out of all the old records I listen too, this one gets the most spins. TOMMY gave it to me too! I've always been so inspired by his lyrics and his passion. He is the original FEELZ master!

It was two years ago when I finally was able to meet him. I was queuing up to see his new band Twin Forks and Chris was just sitting out in the line talking to the first two people there. I was 3rd. I walked up....TRYING to be all cool, but freaking out on the inside. He said "Hi I'm Chris, I like your TOMS." We were both wearing them! He hung out and chatted for a bit and then went back inside. I died. To meet someone you've loved and connected with for so long and to have them be so amazing is a dream come true. He even signed my old album. I wanted to cry.

FACT: Dashboard made me want to learn how to play the guitar ten years ago and now I am!

8. Fall Out Boy - From Under The Cork Tree. Though NFG and TSL were first. FOB has the albums I listen to still today.

FACT: My Pisces Soul Sister and I were at the SAME Warp Tour in Pennsylvania TEN years before we met! #MeantToBe

9. Gavin DeGraw - Chariot. Gavin was the first "indie" musician I found. Again my music tastes changed and I was so happy listening to this album over and over again. And every album since! I just saw him in concert for the first time a few years ago and it was one of the best I've ever been to.

FACT: I was in Gavin's Fire video! {Behind and to the right of the lady in the red top!}

10. A Silent Film - Sand And Snow. A band that changed my life. Upon hearing them for the first time, I fell in love. When I saw them live for the first time I was hooked. Since then, you all know that I am a Lamplighter for life. We talk about them constantly here on the blog, I've traveled to many different cities to see them and have made some of my best friends because of them. Amazing music, people and fans. They will always be apart of my musical soul.

FACT: I even visited their home town of Oxford, England!

11. Catfish And The Bottleman - Balcony. This was my album of 2015. I was introduced to Catfish one year ago, in DENVER. Damn Denver you got me on lock. After I saw them live for the first time I had their album on repeat for months. It got my through my break up, my rebound and it still has all the feelz to this day. By the time I saw them for the second time this past October, I was that fangirl. I screamed, jumped and sang my heart out...from the Balcony!

12. Hozier - Hozier. I've heard of Hozier for a long time. But I never really liked Take Me To Church. But I also never really listened to it. I didn't want to like it because everyone liked him. Then I came to Denver this past December and my BFF Liz played him for me. I fell hard. Someone New was my jam for the month. Then Work Song became my swoon song of 2015. I want to live inside that video. I would love to dance my soul out like the dancers in that video. I cannot help but ballet around the room or car whenever that song comes on.

FACT: Work Song just so happened to be the first song to play the moment I saw Denver for the first time after my road trip!

Now it is YOUR turn. In the comments below list the twelve albums that have stuck with you OR a link to a blog post where you go into more depth like me. OR just mention one! I cannot wait to hear what you all mention!

The Nerdy Girlie's Music Monday #19: Walking On Cars

It's been a while since an album has grabbed me enough to want to write about it. {See The Civil Wars. And I didn't write about how Hozier took over my December and January!}

Back in November, as a going away gift, my Pisces Soul Sister Kristen, made me a mix tape entitled ALL THE FEELZ! You can read all about it HERE! It is UH-MAZING, but it was track number three that took hold of my heart and didn't let go. I listened to Hand In Hand by Walking On Cars for days on end.

After I chilled out a bit I moved on to phase two, the Google stalk! Their Twitter, You Tube and Facebook.

Before I had the album. I had their gorgeous You Tube videos. All of which are magical, beautiful and have the best twist endings!

Then this past week, I realized their debut album Everything This Way had been released! I went straight away to search for it on Spotify. From the first notes of the very first song, Catch Me If You Can, I was hooked. Then lead singer Patrick Sheehy's voice came in and I swooned. From then on the entire album has been on repeat and I don't see that ending anytime soon.

Each song has gorgeous melody's and heartbreaking lyrics. There isn't a single song I don't like. I cannot wait to see them live. Fingers crossed since they just released this new album that they will come over to the States from Ireland ASAP! Oh yeaaaaaah...I said Ireland! #moreswoonage

Ok FAVE tracks:

*Catch Me If You Can
*Two Stones
*Hand In Hand
*Tick Tock

LISTEN to this absolutely perfect album with ALL the feelz over on Spotify! And/or purchase it on Amazon and iTunes. I've added the vinyl to my birthday wishlist {hint hint :)}

Goodbye Starman…

Boyfriend Broach

By Tillie Elvrum aka The Music Maven

This is the first blog post I’ve written through teary eyes...

Yesterday morning I woke up to the news that David Bowie died and I’ve been an emotional wreck ever since. If I hadn't been traveling, and getting ready for a board meeting, I would’ve been home curled up in front of my record player listening to the musical icon that meant so much to me and the world. I pulled myself together, and now that I’m sitting on a plane home at 30,000 feet I feel like I can give into my feelings and reflect on one of my musical heroes.

Photo: BBC News Washington, DC bureau paid tribute to David Bowie

The news of David Bowie’s passing hit me like a punch in the gut -- so shocking and unexpected. Just last week he celebrated his 69th birthday and released an album -- little did we know it was his final gift to his fans. Of course now his song, Lazarus, and the accompanying video make so much sense, and I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to watch the video again -- it just hurts too much.

Front page of the Financial Times

Several people asked how I was feeling when I found out about his passing -- I guess they knew I’d be affected and to be honest I’m heartbroken. I remember the day John Lennon died, but I was really too young to appreciate the magnitude of his loss at the time, but there is no doubt about the depth of this loss to me and music fans my age. David Bowie is my John Lennon. I am just young enough to have missed the Ziggy Stardust era in all its glory, but as an original MTV kid, Bowie soundtracked my adolescence and his style influenced my fashion. He was truly the poshest, most innovative, and beautiful human being that I ever laid eyes on. He was otherworldly, but beyond the theatrics and glamour it was his music and lyrics that made me a lifelong fan.

It seems just about everyone I know has a “Bowie moment” in their life, and last week in celebration of his birthday I posted on my social media about my Bowie moment. I posted a video of Bowie performing Heroes at the Live Aid concert in 1985. I still remember watching this powerful performance and in that moment the words and sentiment of the song took up residence in my heart. Over the years whenever I’ve faced challenges, there’s been a little voice inside singing the refrain “We can be heroes...” -- Bowie sang it and I believed it.

I am so grateful for David Bowie, the music he shared with the world, and his fearless, artistic vision. I am having a hard time coming to terms with the reality of a world without David Bowie. He lived his life in Technicolor, but today the world seems a little darker without our Starman. How blessed we were to have you, David Bowie...thank you will never be enough.

The Nerdy Girlie's Music Monday #18: The Civil Wars

We all know the person who waits until an entire series comes out and THEN binge watches the entire series in a weekend. Is that you?! I do that, but with music. I get stuck on ONE album and listen to it on repeat until the moment arrives that it has healed me and done. Other times its listening to the same song on repeat for days.

Happened with The 1975, Catfish and the Bottlemen and most recently The Civil Wars.

My awesome-ly cool and super nerdy friends at Nerd Coolture met me for lunch one day and we got to chatting about life, love, nerd stuff and of course music. They told me the tale of The Civil Wars and their break up which was tragic. The next morning I hit play on Spotify, the first song grabbed me, the second stopped my heart. Poison And Wine was then on repeat for days. I even ran one night to the song on repeat for thirty minutes. Upon first listen I cried, then and even now go back in forth between it giving hope and it still making my feelz pour out.

I self torture with music. But music always heals.

A few days later I drove down to Amoeba and bought the record...and a mug!

I finally was able to listen to the entire album from start to finish! I cried and repeated many of the other songs over and over.

My favorite other than P&W is To Whom It May Concern. If I ever felt like a song was written especially for me, this is it. It is so sweet, a tad depressing in my current relationship state...you know self torturer and all...but mostly hopeful.

Not pictured is the gorg Star. Who shot the photo!

SOOOOOO if all that didn't make you want to listen...ooops!! I just LOVE my FEELZZZ so much! On my second night here in Denver, my new friend family had a night in...ate pancakes for breakfast then cuddled on the couch trying to make each other cry with all the FEELZ songs.

I think I might fit into Denver quite nicely.

The Nerdy Girlie's Music Monday #16: All The FEELZZZZ Playlist

When I put in my leave of absence at the theater for the rest of the year, I didn't even think about how I wasn't going to be seeing the friends, now family, I'd come to see day in and day out. Or in the case of my Pisces Souls Sister Kristen every week.

We were both so use to seeing each other weekly for dinner or shows or ALL THE FEELZ chats....that she was the toughest goodbye I had to do in LA. She as a fellow Pisces, knows all the feelz I go through. Though she is defiantly the logical one.

Logically she decided to make me the BEST mix CD I've ever gotten...entitled...ALL THE FEELZ! First song and I was hooked...3rd song and I made myself NOT play it on repeat for days...made it to the Adele cover and died!

She truly knows what music and lyrics mean to the soul and I am so grateful to have her and her amazing musical tastes in my life! If you are in LA like me she does a weekly concert calendar on her blog Local Music Nation...in San Diego her co-blogger and our other amazing musical friend Amanda has you covered as well!

Follow them on Twitter: @_localmusicnation

{Spotify Playlist}

1. Introduction to “The War of Women” – Joe Firstman* 

2. Everything’s Changing – The Kin* 

3. Hand In Hand – Walking On Cars***** 

4. Don’t Shut Your Eyes – The Crash Motive 

5. Beautiful Pain – Keaton Simons**

6. Dream Catch Me – Newton Faulkner 

7. Falling In Love at a Coffee Shop – Landon Pigg {Could this song be written for me?!}

8. Something Beautiful – Needtobreathe*

9. Heart and Soul – Twin Atlantic

10. Mountains – Biffy Clyro 

11. Death of Me – Tony Lucca*

12. Chasing Rubies – Hudson Taylor***

13. Think of You – Carney* 

14. Someone Like You (Adele Cover) – Corey Gray & Jenny Lane****

15. Breathless  - Dan Wilson 

16. All I Know – Pepper’s Ghost 

17. Golden State Goodnight – Jay Nash

18. Saving All The Love – Joe Firstman*

Piano's make me swoon....*are the one's I'm obsessed with the more stars the longer I listen to them on repeat :) Enjoy nerds and THANK YOU KRISTEN MY LOVE!!! xx 

The Music Maven's Music Monday #42: Your San Diego Comic Con Playlist 2015

By Tillie Elvrum aka The Music Maven

San Diego Comic Con is almost here – I am so excited to see all of my nerd family for 5 days of fun!  Every year I put together a nerdtastic SDCC playlist – I like to have some tunes on stand-by for those long waits in the H Hall Line, getting ready for one of the great off-site parties, or just for those moments when I need a little peace from all the SDCC commotion.  Here’s my SDCC 2015 playlist – it’s full of songs with a geeky twist!

Perfect Time by Beecake: Beecake always makes my SDCC playlist because lead singer Billy Boyd portrays  Pippin (my favorite hobbit) from The Lord of the Rings.  But they also make really lovely music and this song from their last album is kinda “perfect” for SDCC.

Warriors by Imagine Dragons: Imagine Dragons’ music is just made for video games. Warriors is a great collaboration between the band and Riot Games for the League of Legends 2014 World Championship.

The Hanging Tree by Jennifer Lawrence: James Newton Howard is one of my favorite movie composers and he did it again with this song and Jennifer Lawrence’s beautiful folk-y vocals from The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 soundtrack.

The Boys Will Be Out For A Fight by The Filthy Souls:  This one is for our Nerdy Girlie, Megan, and in honor of The Filthy Souls lead singer, Dave Green, who will be playing the Geeks Go Glam Party sponsored by High Voltage Magazine and hosted by Liz with Being Geek Chic and The Nerdy Girlie. Can’t wait!

Hollow Moon (Bad Wolf) by AWOLNATION: I love me some AWOLNATION and this song from the Fifty Shades Of Grey soundtrack is so good! Disclaimer: I haven’t read or seen anything Fifty Shades Of Grey so this isn’t an endorsement of either. I just know a good song when I hear it.

California (There Is No End To Love) by U2: Every SDCC playlist needs a California related song because it really is one of my favorite places – and this year I get to add a song from my all-time favorite band U2.  Turn this song up and head to the beach – I promise your heart and soul will be renewed after.

Hooked On A Feeling by Blue Swede: Yeah, going old school thanks to the fantastic Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack. I swear my husband has listened to this soundtrack non-stop since the movie came out. Non! Stop!

Live For The Moment by The Sherlocks: Okay, this song has nothing to do with my favorite fandom, Sherlock, BUT I love this UK band and I know they are on their way to great things – get to listening my friends!

A Stake in My Heart by Gemeni: These lovely, hardworking ladies will be playing the popular SherlockeDCC party again this year. I love how the nerd community rallies to support independent artists like Gemeni.

Dreamboat by A Silent Film: This song is for some very special nerds…The Nerdy Girlie blog and SDCC have brought some amazing people into my life. Every year The Nerdy Girlie team takes on new challenges and adventures and we meet so many great people along the way. This one is for all those folks that I’ll see at SDCC: Megan, J.D., Els, Kristina, Sora, Lacy and the Baker Street Babes, Liz from Being Geek Chic, Joie, Syl, Noelle, Brooke, Adam and The CineMast Crew, Becca and the fine folks from Elope, Lenny my favorite Englishmen, Ruby, Chelsea, Kristin, and Trina from High Voltage Magazine.  Get ready…for the best SDCC yet! 

You can stream my SDCC 2015 playlist over on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/tilliethemusicmaven/playlist/17ISzin2Ki7wliONTE0g8A

See you in San Diego!

The Nerdy Girlie's Music Monday #14: Dark Waves

Do you know what my most favorite thing in the world is? Being surrounded by music. EVERY TIME I go to a show I realize this time and time again. It happened in Phoenix. Again at The Viper Room last week and this Saturday at the Make Music Pasadena Festival.

I don't remember how I found Dark Waves aka Nick Long, but it all began on Instagram. If you DON'T know, as a photographer, Insta is my favorite way to express myself, besides this blog!

Like I said, I don't know HOW I found Dark Waves on Insta, but the happy thing is that I did. I don't remember if I knew he was a musician or not. I just knew he was a great photographer and I'm kinda a Insta snob as in I only {for the most part} follow accounts that inspire me.

When High Voltage Magazine asked me to shoot for the Make Music Pasadena Festival I was excited to see Dark Waves on the line up. Even better than experiencing live music, is experiencing it with friends who GET IT and my High Voltage ladies get it.

Dark Waves hit the stage and I hit the pit ready to shoot. Upon his first note, I had the hardest time shooting. I think I ended up shooting as fast as I could and by the end of the second song, I had to be done. Nick grabbed my music loving heart with his first strum and I was a swooning puddle doing the best I could to complete my assignment.

When I knew I had what I needed I re-joined my friends and melted {and not just from the heat}. Songs that really grab me, make me do something very specific. It might sound weird, but I have to grab my heart and just close my eyes and be in the moment. When it's REALLY good I have to grab my friend next to me. BOTH things happened during Nick's performance.

And since I got in my car at the end of the festival day the Dark Waves EP has been on repeat. My favorite songs being The Heartbeat The Soul and I Don't Want To Be In Love.

NOW go LISTEN to Dark Waves AND follow him on Insta! Not just one...BOTH! Learn from my failures. I am so happy to have Nick's music in my life now, better late than never right? Thank God he is LA based! I cannot wait to see him preform live again! #swoonmusic

Twitter: @darkwaves
Insta: @dark_waves
Spotify: Dark Waves
Facebook: Dark Waves

Dreaming that everyday could be a festival day and living our live on the rails.

The Nerdy Girlie's Music Monday #13: Bad Veins At The Viper Room

I don't know why I am always surprised by how much I LOVE live music. I am always happy and excited to go to shows, but as soon as the band hits the stage and their music fills my ears, I am transported to my happy place. It is like a musical awakening. I cannot stop smiling, dancing and just living in the moment. I have found it increasingly harder to want to photograph my favorite bands. Usually my bands sets are only thirty minutes long...which isn't much. I want to be in those thirty minutes with no distractions, just music, it is what I live for.

I was of course introduced to Bad Veins by The Music Maven. Surprise, surprise am I right?! Three years later and I've gotten use to seeing my boys every May. The same month, the same week and sometimes the same day each year. So when they announced a one off show at the famous Viper Room on the Sunset Strip, there was no question of wether I'd be in the crowd or not.

What I have really loved as of late, is meeting up with friends that you haven't seen in a long time and it being like no time has ever passed. That was what it was like with Bad Veins. Ben {singer, guitar} and Jake {smashing drums} welcomed me with big smiles and hugs. These two guys are some of the sweetest musicians I have ever met.

This was my fourth time seeing Bad Veins live and every time I have seen them perform they have blown me away. Three out of four times it has been a 21+ and over crowd. Now usually I prefer 21+ for my own sanity, but for the bands I love, I find that the all ages crowd GIVE more.

Bad Veins gave it all that night and I felt like I was the happiest person in the room. No matter wether they are performing to twenty people at The Casbah in San Diego or a packed house in Santa Ana, Bad Veins always brings the fun. They played MY favorite Nursery Rhyme and a NEW song Under The Covers. LOVED IT! I cannot wait to hear their brand new FULL album, which hopefully comes out sometime this year!

Since we had a LOT to catch up on, after their set, we headed across the street for a quieter venue and drinks. I had my VERY FIRST Guinness and am now obsessed! It was only one night I got to spend with the guys...hours really, but I am so happy they were able to make time for me. I'm finding more and more that quality time is more important than quantity of time. I will always make time for these talented guys.

Follow them on Insta {they have a GREAT Insta}, Twitter {@badveins} and Facebook. LISTEN to them on Spotify, they have the most heartstring tugging rendition of Rainbow Connection!