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 #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!

The Nerdy Girlie's Music Monday #8: 10 Songs To Nerd Out About!

{LISTEN to the Spotify playlist}

I have been a lifelong fan of music.  It was my first fan-girl obsession {along with the NES and Popples}.  My music tastes back then were not as refined as now *cough* {Backstreet Boys, *Nsync and NKOTB}.  But with guidance from The Music Maven I have been introduced to some awesome bands {more props to follow!}.  

So let's roll the windows down, let our hair blow in the breeze and make up dance moves to these squee-able songs!  {in NO particular order!}

10.  Harbour Lights - A Silent Film.  First thanks to The Music Maven for introducing me to these awesome Lads.  Harbor Lights was one of her top ten songs of 2012 and with that song I fell in love.  When I found out they would be in San Diego for my 30th birthday I got a group of ladies together and we had an amazing night rocking out!  Finding out that the band were also kind was a bonus!  I was even more excited to be able to see them WITH The Music Maven...and the rest is history.

9.  Soldier - Gavin DeGraw.  I have been a fan of Gavin DeGraw since the beginning.  His newest album, Soldier caught me right away.  I am such a hopeless romantic and this song totally plays into that.  Plus it was easy to make up my own dance to {I only do that with songs I love}.

8.  Not In That Way - Sam Smith.  I have a really blessed life.  I don't have many troubles to deal with, but sometimes I'm weird and like to pretend.  That is when I turn to Sam Smith and THIS song.  I LOVE belting it out when no one is around and have all the FEELS {and the Oscar goes to...The Nerdy Girlie!}.  He is my go to writing inspiration and chill out music. #swoonmusic

7.  Pavement - Mona.  Mona was another of The Music Maven's top albums of 2012. The song she added Lines in the Sand was my first favorite, but after getting the entire album Pavement just grabbed my heart with its pure raw emotion.  This would totally be my karaoke jam!

6.  Nursery Rhyme - Bad Veins.  The Music Maven's top album of 2012 and I have to agree!  Nursery Rhyme just makes me want to get up and dance!  I was happy to have been able to see Bad Veins multiple times and they put on an AMAZING show!  BONUS:  The nicest nerdy dudes who are fun to talk to.

5.  Skip the Charades - Cold War Kids.  Another one of The Music Maven's all time favorite bands.  This entire album I love, but this particular song is my stand out!  You can feel the heartbreak in this song, I love songs with powerful emotion! {Insert my 2nd Oscar win}

4.  Kathleen {live} - Josh Ritter.  Josh Ritter is best heard LIVE.  I had never heard him before and my friend Susan took me to his show.  I fell in love right then and there with the way he emotes on stage and brings his songs to life.  You can see on his face how much he loves what he is doing!  Seriously that smile?!

3.  Chocolate - The 1975.  One word, chocolate.  Yeah I wanna hear a song about that amazing sweet!  Do you love eating chocolate?  Then you are going to LOVE rocking out to this song.  It is so completely delicious and infectious!  I dare you to not like it!

2.  Juliet - Royal Wood.  I credit Being Human U.S. for my love of Royal Wood.  Their first season had a few of his songs and that prompted me to get the vinyl.  His songs are so romantic and I am alway a sucker for the use of a piano in music!  As you will find out with most of these bands I have picked.

1.  Destroy You - The Filthy Souls.  Listen to just one note of this song, you will be hooked.  Before any lyrics were sung, I was done.  BUT that's not it!  Just wait till you get to that chorus!  Yeah you'll be dancing in no time.
  

As I was half way through this write up, I realized that it is difficult to explain why something grabs me!  There are so many songs out there, why do these ten do something different to me?!  What do YOU think of them?!  I would love to know if the feelings are mutual!

PLUS you have to tell me what songs YOU have to close your eyes and just dance to!  Share them with me in the comments below!  I love finding new musical loves!

Also it looks like I need to see Sam Smith and Royal Wood this year!  They are the only band on my list I haven't seen live!

The Nerdy Girlie's Music Monday #2: Bad Veins

{The Music Maven is our go to gal for all things music here at The Nerdy Girlie.  But sometimes, my fangirl feels just HAVE to share with you what I am listening to. Music has always been a big part of my life and it just makes me so happy.  So sometimes I have to share some of my music loves with you.  I hope you enjoy my 2nd Music Monday pick...}

Sometimes you love the music, sometimes you love the people and if you are lucky you love both.  With Bad Veins it is most defiantly both.  Great people who make great music.  Wether they are playing for one fan or for a huge venue packed to the limit, these guys always put on a fun and energetic performance.

The Music Maven introduced to me to Bad Veins with her favorite albums of 2012 post.  Then in June of 2013 I was able to see them for the first time at my favorite San Diego venue, The Casbah.  We clicked right away because they are some of the easiest people to talk to, completely inviting and friendly.  It doesn't hurt that Benjamin Davis, the band's leader, is as huge a Futurama fan as I am.  He also has a knowledge of all things music that is on genius level.  It is fun to just sit back and sip coffee while he rattles out a musical theory lesson.  It's way over my head, but any time I can talk music, I'm in my happy place.

Jake Bonta, drums, is such a breath of fresh air and just a sincere and genuine person.  He joined Ben in the band in 2013 and you can tell that they both really enjoy each other.  Jake and his wife are the coolest kids I know.  When I say cool, I mean, they are so chill and are just fun to be around, their youth is contagious.  

Let's not forget the music, which why I fell in love with them in the first place.  Ben's lyrics and melody's are completely infectious and Jake's drum line and enthusiasm makes you want to air drum along!  This duo is going places, so if you are not listening now, you NEED to jump on the Bad Veins train now because it is leaving the station for BIG things!  

{Sorry the video isn't great, I have too much fun to video during a show!}

Essential Bad Veins listening:  Nursery Rhyme, Child, Don't Run, Afraid, Falling Tide, Dancing on TV{NERD ALERT: Chris Hardwick is in the video!}

Follow Bad Veins:

Twitter: @badveins

Instagram :@badveins

Tumblr:  Bad Veins

Facebook:  Bad Veins

YAMAT Podcast

I cannot say enough good things about going to cons!  At Stan Lee's Comikaze this past year held at the LA Convention Center, I met Doug.  I was in the mist of my Breaking Bad marathon and he walked by dressed as THE BEST Walter White.  I had to stop him and chat!

Then at the beginning of April, Doug messaged me on Twitter asking if I wanted to come on his Podcast, You And Me And Thoughts with Doug Clup.  I said of course! He said we would record at his house. I was "ok cool", then The Hunny said "you are going to go to a guys house you met one time?"  So my lovely sister in law was my chaperone and is on the podcast a bit.  Mostly she just sat and read while Doug and I chatted for almost 3 hours!

He is such a fun guy to talk to and we had a LOT in common, plus he is super funny! I hope that you enjoy listening to us chat about Futurama, Being Human and a mutual love of music!  He's totally legit too! :)

**LISTEN to our talk:  iTunes or Stitcher {click on either!}**

Doug hosts Our Apartment Comedy Show Saturday nights in Vista if you are living in the San Diego area.  Find out more about that on his Facebook page.

Find Doug:
You Tube - Doug Clup 
Twitter - @YAMATAT & @Dougathan
Facebook - Our Apartment Comedy Show
iTunes - YAMATAT
Stitcher - YAMATAT

Please let me know in the comments what you thought, I was a bit nervous to begin with! Happy first day of Wonder Con!  I hope everyone has a lovely Easter weekend!!