Give life a little optimism.

Her music is always catchy and has that feeling of “RAWR”. I can’t explain it, but it’s that feeling you get when you close your eyes and enjoy what you’re hearing to the thousandth power. Behind the quirky beats and the feeling of flying spaceships, the lyrics are actually amazing. The main thing that I like about LIGHTS is that there is so much thought that goes into the lyrics. And I know how it feels to try to make a unique song that won’t numb people’s brains. Wanted to express that in this short blog. Looking forward to a lot more great LIGHTS lyrics in future albums. >=)

I would sail across the east sea
Just to see you on the far side
Where the wind is cold and angry
There you’ll be to take me inside
We’ll find ways to fill the empty
Far from all the hysteria
I don’t care if we suddenly
Find ourselves in Siberia

Siberia by LIGHTS

I wrote a song about a man who searches for his woman during the aftermath of an apocalypse.

I travel through this wasteland
With nothing but a note in my hand
The dust in the sky clouds my vision and gives me teary eyes
As I wonder why I can’t let you die
The angels call me,
But I know it’s not my time
I won’t surrender until I’ve seen your eyes
The night calls me,
but I know I can’t sleep
Your face fills my dreams
Time’s wasting as it seems
Open my eyes and see the stars
You might as well be on Mars
The hunger in my soul is no match
For the needle in my heart, my heart, my heart

*Weird poetic chorus*
You are my love, my only desire
I walk through this land like a gun for hire
While my heart beats in my chest
You must know that I’ll never rest
I’ll set you free

In the darkest dark, in the still of the noise
I hear your voice, you give me no choice
The danger is no longer the anger
Of what happened, the past hasn’t won
Regret is like a sun burning my lounges
If I see what I cannot, then my hope begins to rot
The end of my road is almost home, the loneliness grows
The serenade fades, thoughts are turning to a haze
The land’s like a maze, chance is starting to fade
Where your body lays, this illusion decays
Purpose leaves my legs, my heart slowly breaks
My soul slowly aches, everything in my wake is gone, is gone, is gone

the-sss asked: Oh, hi! Thanks for the follow! You love LIGHTS too? She's amazing! :)

No problem. :) And LIGHTS is amazing.

In my opinion, a song is truly good when I can listen to it 50 times in a row. The following songs are among the most addicting songs I’ve heard within the last couple years. I haven’t included any LIGHTS songs, because half or more of the list would consist of those. Most of these songs are like indie and chilled out music. Chilled out music for a chilled out guy. :)

10. Blown Away by Carrie Underwood

Album: Blown Away (2012)

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDooiYMagTs

I’m not really a Country kind of guy, but the first time I heard this song, I knew I was gonna be listening to it over and over. Being that this is fairly new and I haven’t heard it as much as the other songs on this list, I’ll put it at number 10. This is still an amazing song.

9. Shoelaces by The Submarines

Album: Love Notes/Letter Bombs (2011)

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqSMOuRLnDc

This song was a really pleasant surprise for me. While doing my daily search of new music I stumbled across this and immediately knew this would be stuck in my head for days. I love the vocal duo of Blake Hazard and John Dragonetti here. It’s what I like to call a chillcool song where you just close your eyes and say “Yeah”.

8. Lonely Boy by The Black Keys

Album: El Camino (2011)

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omfh914SubQ

One day I was in the parking lot of a grocery store blaring this song and this dude walks up to my window while I’m all into it. At this moment I honestly thought I was about to be robbed. I lowered the volume. He was like “What song is this, man? This is catchy.”  This is just one of those songs that a lot of people can appreciate. I love that old bluesy sound that The Black Keys put out. Nice throw back band.

7. Here’s To Us by Halestorm

Album: The Strange Case Of… (2012)

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWCNvLGo3NE

It’s a shame more people have probably heard the Glee version rather than the original. You could probably make the argument that Glee made more people aware of the song. Whatever! I love the nostalgia the lyrics give off and the whole vibe the song has. It’s nice to see a band that I fallowed when they were local Pennsylvanians get some recognition.

6. White Nights by Oh Land

Album: Oh Land (2010)

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzmTY5SOL_g

No lie. One time I woke up to myself slurring the lyrics “These dreams under my pillow…” That was a sign of listening to this song way too much. I actually discovered this song on a YouTube ad. The only YouTube ad in internet ad history that I was like OH SHIT, I NEED THIS SONG. The result of this song has produced some bad dancing, but I felt it fit with the energy of the muziks.

5. It’s Time by Imagine Dragons

Album: Continued Silence EP (2012)

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvHP8GWDPHY

Gotta love the mellowness of the lyrics combined with some drums, clapping and the gentle strum of a banjo. I’d like to thank 97.5 HFS in Baltimore for being cool enough to play this song. Also, check out that Continued Silence Ep. All the songs are pretty catchy, but It’s Time is definitely my favorite.

4. Pumped Up Kicks by Foster the People

Album: Torches (2011)

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oLzX0RPquk

Oh yeah. Can’t get this song out of my head once I start listening to it. It’s fun to sing the chorus in a high pitched voice to try to imitate the vocalist. Over and over and over. Till people don’t wanna be around you anymore… I’m joking. They’ll be hypnotized by it too.

3. Tongue Tied by Grouplove

Album: Never Trust a Happy Song (2011)

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwB-iVAfnMo

I heard this song on an iPod commercial (I think) and never looked back. I popped the CD in the car and blasted this over and over. (I typed pooped instead of popped by mistake and almost left it there. Thought I would point that out.) The part where Hannah starts singing is so good. >:) I’ve set this bomb on other people’s ears and have got them addicted too. Success!

2. We Are Young by .fun (feat. Janelle Monáe)

Album: Some Nights (2012)

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8zslGAqy5k

I feel like a song like this song is the song of our generation. A song like this only comes along once in a great while. My coworker has actually banned me from singing this at work. I still like to torture her by humming it. I went a little overboard listening to it all day every day, constantly singing it. Superb song.

1. Young Blood by The Naked And Famous

Album: Passive Me, Aggressive You (2010)

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdO85Qf4Poc

We Are Young almost dethroned this song, but in my humble opinion, this is a perfect song that just cannot be beat. I’ve listened to this about 5x more than We Are Young. I am in love with the singer’s voice (both singers), the instrumentals and the lyrics. It took me a bit to order this list, but ultimately I knew Young Blood was my favorite song.

It was really hard to make this list and leave out a lot of songs, so I will now make an honorable mentions list:

Punching In A Dream by The Naked And Famous

Somebody That I Used To Know by Gotye (feat. Kimbra)

Secret by Lux Leopard

Make It Bun Dem by Skrillex & Damian Marley

My Body by Young The Giant

Shuffle A Dream by Little Dragon

Love Interruption by Jack White

I Know What I Am by Band of Skulls

Sail by AWOLNATION

Blood For Poppies by Garbage

no-99 asked: I THOUGHT WE WERE PALS TOO! But then I saw your tumblr post and clicked your twitter and saw YOU weren't following me back! So I re-followed and now we are pals again ^_^

<3

1. Talent

Above all, The Ravens defense has been consistently good no matter who the defensive coordinator has been. It’s because of the drafting style of the Ravens choosing the best player available and scouting player that have that hard nosed Ravens style. Constantly developing new players to step up when starters go somewhere else, instead of making big splashes in free agency. Looking for players with great work ethic and traits that make someone a Raven. These things contribute to the defense, making it in sync and physically dominant.

This helps develop “home grown” people like Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Haloti Ngata, Terrell Suggs and Lardarius Webb into elite players. People constantly step up that aren’t even first round draft picks. Pernell McPhee (5th round) and Arthur Jones (5th round) are great examples. You can’t forget the gems that the Ravens find as undrafted free agents. Jameel McClain, stepping up when Ray Lewis was injured, has proved he’s been a great UFA acquisition. Remember Bart Scott? He was an undrafted free agent. I’m sure there will be 1 or more in the UFA crop this year.

In 2011 The Ravens went 6-0 in their division and 8-0 in their divions, which I might add is a very tough division with the Steelers, Bengals and even the Browns. They were one missed catch away from making it to the Super Bowl. The defense was third in average yards per game with 288.9 in the regular season. The Ravens defense is one of the most feared in the league and can only get better with the addition of Courtney Upshaw, Dean Pees and other small things that the Ravens do to make the team better.

2. Dean Pees

You can’t dispute that there is so much talent on defense, but I believe there is more to it to potentially have one of the greatest defenses of all time. Defensive coordinator, Dean Pees I think will be the catalyst here. In his first season as defensive coordinator of the Patriots in 2006, he took an average defense and made it top 10 setting a new franchise record of average yard per game with 14.81. They were fourth in takeaways, second in opponent passer rating and first in opponent fourth down conversion.

In 2007 The Patriots were 16-0 with Pees contributing to defense. They were second in sacks with 47. They ranked fourth in the league in yards allowed per game with 288.3. That’s the fewest allowed by a Patriots defense in 28 years. This defense ended up sending 3 starters to the pro bowl. In 2008 The Patriots’ defense ranked second in the NFL in forced three and outs. They helped give their offense the second best field position. The Patriots had an 11-5 season even though they used 22 different starters, including rookies.

The Patriots were talented, but I believe Dean Pees made them all that much better. He’s been coaching for 33 years and many, many players love and respect him. If you ask anyone that’s known him, they will tell you he’s extremely knowledgeable when it comes to football. There’s so much knowledge players can learn from him. With the already dominant defense of The Ravens, I believe Dean Pees can make it better.

3. Organized Aggression

There is no one that harnesses aggression and anger better than Ray Lewis. He’s even said in his own words that the defense in 2001 played like they were always pissed off. They were angry. They felt like they always had something to prove. And they put that aggression into their game always played full throttle. I have looked at every player and almost all of them have a reason for playing with a chip on their shoulder. I believe they will use this to their advantage.

• Ray Lewis: As I said before, he knows how to harness aggression. It’s bittering to a person to come so close every time and come up short right before the Super Bowl. Last year I think was the worst, because the Ravens had the Super Bowl with in their grasp. Literally in their hands, swiped away by a defensive play and figuratively wiped gone by a missed field goal. Not only Ray Lewis, but everyone in the organization will play with a chip on their shoulder knowing there was something more they could’ve done to ensure that victory.

• Ed Reed: There have been a lot of talks that Ed Reed isn’t happy with his contract situation. There is a year left and I’d like to think that Ed will play with a chip on his shoulder. There is no doubt he is probably one of the greatest safeties of all time if not the greatest, but I believe he will play so fiercely that he will want to show he deserves a nice contract extension. He’s watched one of his proteges Lardarius Webb, turn into an elite cornerback and get a nice payout. Ed will be playing like an elite safety as usual, maybe even more aggressive to show that he’s still got it.

• Terrell Suggs: Last year he said, “They gonna give us the respect we deserve or we gon’ take it by force.” This pretty much sums up how the NFL Defensive Player of the Year has played. Terrell has said he wants to get to the Super Bowl before it’s too late. This will be motivating force to harness his anger into something productive. Is it possible he could get even more sacks then in 2011? He’ll be looking to hunt down quarterbacks. EDIT: Right as I posted this article, I realized Terrell Suggs tore his Achilles tendon playing basketball. This doesn’t change my view of the team being dominant.
  

• Lardarious Webb: He played like an elite cornerback in 2011 with 5 interceptions in the regular season and 3 more in the playoffs. He also had 67 tackles (54 alone), a sack, 20 knocked down passes, 81 regular season return yards plus two touchdowns (one from a punt return and another off a 73-yard interception). In my opinion and many others’, he should’ve gone to the Pro Bowl and I believe he will play like a pro bowler, if not better. He will show that he absolutely deserves to be a pro bowler.

• Jameel McClain: To wait 7 rounds and not be draft alone puts a chip on your shoulder. You feel like there is more to prove. Jameel McClain has been one of those unrestricted free agent gems. With all this talk about an heir to Ray Lewis, a lot of people have discredited him as someone who could be in that spot. I expect Jameel to have his best season in 2012 proving many people wrong.

• Cary Williams: Originally drafted by the Titans in 2008 in the 7th round, he’s spent time on their practice squad and injured reserve before playing in game 14 against Houston. In 2009 he was in five games with the Titans before finally coming to the Ravens. At this point he’s had a lot to prove. He really broke out in the 2011 season making up the dangerous secondary trio of him, Lardarious Webb and Jimmy Smith. Only getting a second round tender, he will focus everything he’s worked for into being considered more than a second round tender. If a new contract isn’t signed, you can bet he will look to up the ante and show the Ravens that he should be considered one of the best cornerbacks in the league. 

• Terrance Cody: For his first starting season, personally I think he did well, but there are people that didn’t like his performance. Terrance even said himself he hopes to drop some weight and replace it with muscle. I expect him to train hard and focus the aggression into his workout and his on field performance. He is a massive guy and will have the potential to throw people around.

• Pernell McPhee: One of the most surprising breakout rookies of 2011 with 6 sacks, he was a 5th round pick that surpassed the expectations of everyone. He’ll be looking to show that he is just as good as a 1st round pick.

• Courtney Upshaw: Once expected to be a top 15-20 overall 1st round pick, he fell to the Ravens at number 35 overall in the 2nd round. John Harbaugh has said that on the phone he seemed a little disappointed that he wasn’t picked in the 1st round. That is great motivation to prove people wrong. He will be looking to show all the teams that passed him up that they made a big mistake.

• Paul Kruger: He says that he doesn’t mind that Courtney Upshaw was drafted. It’ll just give him more to work towards in gaining that position as a starter. Harbaugh has all the confidence in the world, but there is still that lingering doubt that he is only a situational pass rusher brought in on 3rd downs. He will look to prove he can do as good if not better than Jarret Johnson. Many people don’t know this, but in early 2008 he survived a brawl from what’s thought to be a Las Vegas gang. He was stabbed in the abdomen and a screwdriver was driven through the back of a Ute teammate. Brass knuckles were used to break the nose and shatter the cheekbone of his younger brother. The fight left Kruger with life-threatening injuries that required nearly 50 staples. He lost his kidney and spleen. He returned to the field in the fall and became a first-team All-Mountain West defensive lineman. How tough is that? To come back and show people what he’s made of shows he’s been playing with a chip on his shoulder his whole career. To make it this far in the NFL is a testament to his will and he’ll only get better.

• Arthur Jones: A former 5th round pick, he will compete with Pernell McPhee for a starting position. I’m sure he’s happy for his brothers, but I also think this is where he steps it up and proves he’s just as good as a 1st round pick, like his brother Chandler. A real factor I think is his MMA training with his brother, the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon “Bones” Jones. I remember Chandler saying the training made his hands faster and made his instincts better. You can look for Art to prove he is just as good as his other brothers.

• Sergio Kindle: Originally a 2nd round pick in 2010 and once considered a 1st, he was ready to show the Ravens what he could do. All that was destroyed when he fell down two flights of stairs fracturing his skull. He experienced head trauma and lost hearing in his left ear. As a result it’s harder to communicate with teammates. A lot of fans have cast him off as a bust, but Sergio hasn’t given up yet. Look for him to take all that negativity, misfortune and anger and fine tune it into his game. He’s looking to really learn the playbook and prove people wrong. If anyone in the league has a chip on their shoulder, it’s Sergio Kindle.

With the way the 2011 season went and all the work they put into it, all the players will probably put an extra aggressive force into their game. Long being considered a great team in the NFL, that Super Bowl ring has eluded them for the past 11 years. Even though Ray Lewis already has a ring, you know he wants one more before retiring. This isn’t just defense, the entire team put so much effort only to come up short. This is a team that is out to prove they are a Super Bowl contender.

I haven’t blogged in a while, partly because I can’t think of anything to blog about. Lately I’ve been trying to find things to do to make a difference. Not like going to extremes or anything, but just trying to do things out of the ordinary. For instance I sponsored a kid in Ecuador. That’s actually made me feel really good, like I’ve done something to make a difference. I wanna do something more though.

When I saw Baltimore Ravens player Paul Kruger tweet that he will be the team captain of a fund raising team for Baltimore Kidney Walk, I thought it would be an amazing idea to help. I joined his team so fast that I’m the first person to join. Lmao. It’s really interesting why Mr Kruger is involved with this. A quick Wikipedia search brings this up:

“In January 2008, Kruger survived a brawl with what police suspected was a Las Vegas gang in which he was stabbed in the abdomen, a screwdriver was driven through the back of a Ute teammate and brass knuckles were used to break the nose and shatter the cheekbone of his younger brother. The fight left Kruger with “life-threatening injuries” that required nearly 50 staples to close the incisions made during a four-hour surgery.He was held out of spring practices but returned to the field in the fall.”

He lost his kidney and his spleen. The fact that he is still alive AND playing football at a high level is inspiring to me. I think it’s great that he’s trying to raise money for the National Kidney Foundation and I wanna help any way I can. If you’re in Baltimore you should walk with us. It’s going to be at the Baltimore Zoo. Join Team Kruger and donate if you can at this link: http://goo.gl/dhqt4 :D