History of Me

Thursday treats!

Guess what? It’s July 1st, which means… IT’S MY BIRTHDAY MONTH!!!!!

I’ve got a lot in store this month and I’m kicking off the month of July with some Thursday Treats for you: some of my favorite albums which mean a LOT to me! I’ve been listening to a lot of music lately, and keep going back to albums and artists that have a lot of meaning in my life, musically… from high school, to college, to some crazy days of being a teacher. Here they are.. pretty much in reverse order. 😉

Hem – Funnel Cloud

I got this one when I was a middle school teacher and was totally miserable. I hated teaching 8th grade, but I loved listening to this album. After I found it, I’d listen to it in the car almost every day on the way home. Sally Ellyson, the lead singer of Hem, has one of the most stunning voices I’ve ever heard.

A Fine Frenzy – Bomb in a Birdcage

I also discovered the beauty of A Fine Frenzy when I was teaching (that was a good year for music… I hated my job SO MUCH I needed something to pour myself into, so I chose music and photography). Alison, the lead singer of this group, has an amazing voice, and listening to her makes me introspective, giggly, and heart-heavy all in the same 50 minutes or so. I can listen to this album (which actually came out fairly recently) at almost any time. It’s so much fun keeps up a good pace for editing photos. Back when I was teaching school, I listened to her first album, One Cell in the Sea, over…. and over… and over.. and over. It helped to keep me sane on some of my craziest days dealing with very difficult situations as a first year teacher.

Portishead – Dummy

Here’s a record I didn’t listen to while teaching. No, this one is a gem from college. Even after almost 10 years, the opening notes from the first song on this album, Roads, remind me of some interesting and specific times in those first few months of college and sends a shiver right down my spine from remembering.

Stevie Nicks – The Wild Heart

You didn’t think I’d actually do a big music post without Stevie, did you?

No, of course not. I just saved the best for last. 🙂

“Dare my wild… heart….” (Wild Heart)

I love this album for so many reasons, too many to list here. I am a huge Stevie Nicks fan, and this was one of my favorite albums in high school. I used to love laying on my bed with headphones listening to all the layers of music – trying to dissect them, picking out the instruments.

“When I remember someone, I remember their dreams….” (Enchanted)

Stevie got me through the latter part of my teenage years and I love her. 🙂

“Oh, who… is the beauty, who the beast?

Would you die of grieving… when I leave?” (Beauty & The Beast)

If anything, just buy this album and listen to that song, Beauty & The Beast – the final song on the album. It is a stunning piece of work, was recorded with a live orchestra, and it will draw you in until the very last note is played.

<3

2 thoughts on “Thursday treats!

  1. Thanks so much for making this post, Karen! I’ve never heard of Hem and decided to check them out and am quickly falling in love w/ this album. I think this will be an itunes purchase pretty soon. 🙂

  2. I have mad love for Stevie, too! She’s amazing. I checked out Hem and was inspired to recommend Neko Case to you if you haven’t yet heard her. Kudos to you for teaching 8th grade! I don’t know your reasons for hating it, but I know I would for many a reason. Middle Schoolers are completely out of my happy zone. 🙂

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