More on beauty

Last weekend I found myself sitting in Tulovana, OR watching the tide come in. A group of pelicans flew across the water at sunset. Some things just cause you to stop in your tracks if you are open to notice them.

That same day I watched my niece throw a frisbee for the first time. She was terrible, but the laughter was perfect.

I watched her parents and her grandparents light up at Madison's giggling. I saw them look at her with such pride over so little a thing. But if you saw little Maddy in the hospital over the first two years of her life, this small game of frisbee was nothing short of winning the superbowl ala Rothlisberger/Santana Moss last minute TD on the tiptoes...amazing.

Since my past post, I have been engaged in quite a few conversations about this subject. About beauty. About processing it. About not seeing it. About being humbled by it, about not understand what I am talking about. About wishing they got it.  I have been all of those things.  

To be honest I am in a living process of discovery on this subject.  And the process or probably more accurate, the awareness of Beauty, is a wonderful thing.  

All those things I wrote at the start of this post are wonderful, and the more you stop to realize it, your heart just bursts with it.  

I spent this morning walking alone through the streets of Tokyo with what I like to think is the perfect soundtrack, "Life in Technicolor" by Coldplay playing in my ears.  Things seemed rich to me, like a good wine.  Depth, pleasing, crave-inducing, unreal.  Beautiful.  What a process.  

What I am listening to right now...

So I am going to post my newest mix list, and notes from here on out. Enjoy!

1.) “All Things Considered”: Bryan Free, Each Other
My long time friend Bryan, otherwise know as the BF, worked really hard on this. Totally respect that. I think this song has a lot to do with the duality we all have going on, with work and home life. Marrying the two is such a challenge…BF has pushed me on this and I have spent a lot of time processing this…hence the song making the mix. (plus the song is pretty good too J)
2.) “Supermassive Black Hole”: Muse, Black Holes and Revelations
Love this freakin band. Just dug them up because my wife got hooked on Twilight. Good workout song.
3.) “Bent”: Matchbox Twenty, Mad Season
I really love this band. Kinda have a crush on Rob Thomas (I know, I know, shut up). I have been watching this live show they do, wow they are really tight. So professional. Good solid tunes. Nothing life changing, just solid.
4.) “Here We Go”: Mat Kearney, City of Black and White
This is probably my most listened to album right now. I think he sounds a lot like Chris Martin without the pitch problems. Writes music like a poppy Counting Crows (nice observation RickyD!) Great songs to listen to, everyone likes it. And I quote Dave Matthews, “If you don’t like this, you don’t like music.” (p.s. Dave said that about his new album; I guess I don’t like music then)
5.) Dig: Incubus, Light Grenades
Love the groove of this song. This is kind of a frat dick band, but this is a good tune. Plus we listened a lot to this at my church demo-ing a new sound system. Shout out to Jason!
6.) Absolute: The Fray, self titled
Not really a Fray fan, but this song is well put together. I am a sucker for background vocals, oohs and ahhs and such. This is good in a road trip mix.
7.) Colors in Array: Future of Forestry, Traveler – EP
This is a top 30 band for me for a lot of reasons. This EP is sweet. They did all the recording and mixing themselves. They did a great job. They are making a move to a U2ish Sigur Ros. Good combo. Awesome guitar tones on this. Love the EPIC ending! In the right frame of mind, it’ll give you chills like crazy.
8.) Where They Sleep: Jeremy Larson
This for me is a “get lost in it” album. It’s luscious, laced with drum programs. I love it. He does all the instruments. I really like this guy.
9.) Gravity: John Mayer, Continuum
Love John Mayer, the guitar solo in this just cries, he has great touch. I have been digging blues lately, but just on the edge. This is the sorority chick official lead singer, but I like it anyway.
10.) Wake Up: Kristian Stanfill, Attention
This guy is intense. Great tune. Again, I am a sucker for background vocals.
11.) Life Goes On: 2Pac, All Eyez on Me
So I recently watched a Black Eyed Peas performance of “Boom, Boom, Pow”, and thought to myself, “Man, rap sucks now.” So I went back to arguably the greatest rapper who has ever been and listened back to one of his banner records. Great stuff, so lyrical, rhythmic, and musical. What a difference. This song is a great one, totally for the generations.
12.) Broken Drum: Beck, Guero
Beck is amazing. I go through waves of complete addiction to his albums. I still think that Sea Change was his best, but Guero comes close for me. This song is a recording masterpiece. It is very articulate in its recording. I love his sleep nature in his pronunciation and color. Ahh, Beck.
13.) The Other Side: David Gray, A New Day at Midnight
I watched a live performance of this song in Abbey Road Studio. (youtube it, unreal). I wanted to find that version and put it on here, but couldn’t find a good recording of it. I had forgotten about DG. He is great. Interesting song from an atheist. Love it!
14.) Stop: Ryan Adams & The Cardinals, Cardinology
I lost it the first time I heard this song. Its such raw emotion, truth and all that stuff jammed into Ryan Adams goodness. I recommend listening to this while you are struggling through something. It helped me.
15.) Come Awake: David Crowder Band, A Collision
I was on a train, sort of numb to life and happened on this song. I cried. I got chills from my scalp to my toes. So often we go through life all numb. I love the message here. Its what God desires for us. Death to life, bright, warm.