where's the love.

day 39. where's the love. hanson.

just embrace it. i know all the words to every single song on hanson's first cd - which was the first cd i ever purchased. i know everyone loves mmmmbop, and it's a solid song, but this one was always my favorite - especially when it gets all deep and dark and issac is singing about dark clouds and lightening.

i was in love with zac. the youngest. i sent him a fan letter that included the line. "i love your braids. i know everyone thinks you are ugly and taylor is the cute one, but i think you're cute." big surprise, but i never heard back from him. :(

young folks.

day 38. young folks. by peter, bjorn, & john.

something that happened to me that was really bogus was that I was dumped on Friday the 13th. Like, why? and was that planned? i'm not going to lie, every single Friday the 13th I think about it. & I know it's Saturday and not Friday, but I had a moment of dread when I thought for a second that it WAS Friday. I feel like I'm cursed for life because I definitely now believe that Friday the 13ths are unlucky days.

after i got dumped, my dad used to whistle this song around purposely because he knew it reminded me of my ex-boyfriend. and it drove me crazy. but, now i think it is funny. apparently my parents didn't take my pain too seriously because just this summer my mother confessed to me that "everyone" thought (insert name here) was actually into guys. thank you mom, for waiting 7 years to let me know.

all my days.

day 37. all my days. by alexi murdoch.

i have the wisest friend who always just has a way of wording things in a beautiful way, whether it's inspiring me on my yoga mat or over a cup of coffee. she is always so insightful that when I leave her, I always feel any worries I have slip right away. I find this special, because a lot of the time, I think I am just the opposite - i'm 100 times more likely to make someone amped up than I am to make them feel peaceful and reposed.

today as I was doubting myself over something silly, she said - "are you going to be the type of person who pushes joy out of their life, or lets it in?" and it's like ugghhhh. how do you always have the advice that is going to hit me JUST where and when I need to hear it?

and then I got into my car and this song was playing & i have this weird superstition that if I hear this song then it's going to be a wonderful day. & nothing crazy great happened today. i'll probably fall asleep on my couch any minute because I slept 3 hours last night, but it's been a good day and sometimes those are the best days. & it's always nice to have a reminder to practice JOY even on the most average of days.

if it's the beaches.

day 36. if it's the beaches. by the avett brothers.

this song crushed my heart today in the best possible way. i have heard it many many times before and have always liked it, but today was like hearing it for the first time. it actually made me stop cold in the middle of a project at work, and i felt like i could probably yak right into the garbage can next to me. which maybe is tmi, but i'm pretty sure no one reads this. in my defense i think my open emotional state can be partially attributed to finishing reading Wild, by Cheryl Strayed, on my lunch break. The ending got me right in the gut, so my defenses were considerably weakened. Add that to a whole bunch of heart openers in yoga, and i was screwed.

to follow up, i obviously got right back to work, but continued to play on repeat until someone came into the office and said "you don't look too hot, i really think you should put on a different song."

suite: judy blue eyes.

 day 38. suite: judy blue eyes. by crosby, stills, and nash.

this song will forever remind me of being 10 years old and waking up on a summer morning to my dad working outside in the yard. i'm sure my dad was purposely singing loudly because he got moody if my brother and i slept any later than 9. i'm also sure i didn't appreciate my dad's music tastes at the time because i was too into my cassette tape of the baby-sitters club soundtrack. but it must have left a mark on my musical tastes for life.

as i've gotten older, i've found that my dad and i have almost the exact same taste in music. it's great because i love going to concerts with him, and every once in awhile he will introduce me to a new band (but more often it's the other way around.) I tried to get him into the fleet foxes this winter, but i made the mistake of comparing them to cs&n, and i think that offended him or something because i'm pretty sure he hasn't even attempted to listen to the cd i got him.

recently i found out that due to all of the woodstock-esqe era concerts i was attending with my dad, my penchant for bandana-like headbands, braids, and my unruly hair, everyone assumed i was smoking a lot of pot. & i mean i could have if i really wanted to. i've never seen more people under the influence than at a crosby, stills, and nash concert. but let me just tell you this, i've also never felt as totally uncool as I did when comparing myself to a bunch of 50 & 60 year olds who still know how to rock tye-dye.

cute without the 'e' (cut from the team)

day 34. cute without the 'e' (cut from the team). by taking back sunday.

this is just an amazing song, and perfect for an angsty 18 year old, because i honestly listened to this song every morning before school, senior year. thea and i can do a perfect rendition of this song to this day.

but the best part about this song is the music video. which in my opinion might be the best music video ever created. this is what i like about it:

- adam lazzara as tyler durden. are you kidding me? i just fainted.
- the girl version of fight club. when i was younger i wanted to join one.
- random splicing - a la tyler durden.
- marla. i try to be marla every year for halloween and always wuss out. this year i'm not wussing out.

this music video is almost as good as the actual movie, but not quite as good as the book.

janet.

day 33. janet. by the format.

this song has basically been in my head all. day. long.

it reminds me of new york city. probably because it references new york city. and probably because I was walking up and down Lexington Avenue all day long today. I've found, that of the few times that I've been in New York, this song has been stuck in my head.

if this is my New York song, cool, I guess. but, I'm sure there are 500 or so songs that mention New York, and I can't help but think that there just may be better ones out there. and, not to mention again that I LOVE the format, but sometimes I really just wish I could move on from my love affair with nate ruess. In 33 days, I've probably referred to him more than anyone else.

I really do love this song though, and it's always incited a little bit of jealousy in me over people named janet. I've mostly just always wanted a song to mention my name, and for how common a name "ashley" is, songs mentioning it just aren't very easy to come by. it seems like every single TV show has a ditzy girl named ashley.. but a quality song about a girl named ashley? nope.