i need you to press me down before my body flies away from me

satan said dance

...i laugh more often now, i cry more often now, i am more me

atx pachanga fest 2011

In midst and depths of utter exhaustion, there are only a few things that can revive my soul: sleep, music, beautiful clothes, Ryan Gosling, and music. Now, when time is working against me and Gosling is out of the question, the only thing I can count on is music. 

This past saturday my body hit rock bottom around noon - an accumulation of long nights and long drives left me feeling much like a zombie. Still, I was determined to make it out to Pachanga Fest. And so I did. There I was dragging around limb by limb - soul unconscious but body still in motion. 

Then, suddenly, it was as if my guardian angel came down from her jukebox shaped cloud and stabbed my arm with a heavy dose of some illegal drug - I was alive! Guardian angel no where in sight, I realized it was the music playing that had revived my soul. It was the cumbias. It was that spanish flare in the rhythm and beat of the music that had my shoulders shrugging and my feet prancing. It was enough to keep me going the entire evening - 5 blissful hours of one hell of a time.

dress: zara

belt: american apparel

shades: urban

shoes: target

you said it was not inside my heart, it was

One of the best things about concert road trips to Austin is the next morning when I head to the Urban Outfitters on Guadalupe. I always find exactly what it is I am looking for when I'm there. The minute my eyes glanced on this wool camel blazer, I knew this time would be no different - I would leave a happy girl. After the blazer, my eyes flirted with this long floral dress that I had seen a month prior but put back because of the almost triple digit price. I'm so glad I held back that time, the dress was on sale for $20. Needless to say, this time, I didn't hold back. 

Another great thing about these frequent road trips is the music to and from Austin (and in between too of course). I was especially pleased with my little sisters music selection when we were home bound: a mix of the National, Deer Hunter, and the Morning Benders. I must have asked her an absurd and annoying amount of times to remind me who it was that we were listening to. My redundant ways must have paid off because I was actually able to recall the names of the bands just now. If you haven't guessed it already, I have an awful, good-for-nothing memory. However, every now and then my brain cells align, a light turns on, sparks fly, and I'm able to either retain or recall a piece of information - like the name of a song. This was the case when I heard Anyone's Ghost by the National. 

I'm almost certain it was the chorus that made sparks fly. The chorus took the liberty of going past my ear drum and making itself at home in some deep corner in my head next to the likes of other songs like Dance, Dance, Dance by Lykke Li and things I'll never forget like my siblings' birthdays. What was so special about this chorus, you might ask? It took me back to a point in time where I felt exactly as the singer described. You can hear the song for yourself or search for the lyrics to further decipher what it is I mean. If it's the first, I'll save you the trouble of searching for the song:

Top: Urban Outfitters

Pants: Charlotte Russe

Beaded Necklace: Aldo

Little People Charm: Forever 21

like mexican dogs nobody gave us names

Where to begin. Okay, I think I've got it. I first heard Cold War Kids through a boy I once dated. Now, I typically try to avoid and reject all music that correlates or reminds me of someone I rather not be reminded of but that still did not keep me from seeing CWK in Austin. On a side note, that awful habit I have of avoiding particular bands or songs, it doesn't make much sense considering my overall jukebox selection changes drastically after a breakup; you know, less of Home by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros and more of You Bloody Motherfucking Asshole by Martha Wainwright or Remember by Devendra Banhart - one of my favorites by the way. So obviously he's in my head, what's the point in avoiding particular bands or songs? There is no point, but I have a niche for bad habits (see picture above of blogger holding cigarettes in one hand and a cough drop in the other).

Anyhow, I was extremely pleased that I made an exception to said awful habit. Now, I've been to my fair share of shows so I know a killer performance when I have the pleasure of seeing it. Wait...pause...I'm not saying what you think I'm saying. They DIDN'T put on a killer show but...BUT...their performance was, for lack of a better word, touching. There was something about the way the members moved to the music, how the guitarist shut his eyes and mouthed every single lyric down to the ones sometimes only the singer knows, how the bassist couldn't stay in one spot because he let the music sort of be the compass of his direction, and especially...it was especially how they were all just so focused on what they were playing. You could just tell that they genuinely enjoyed what it was they were doing and the music they were playing. I went from a girl with a crush to a girl in love that night - in love with CWK.

Young the Giant (the opening act) on the other hand had an abundance of chemistry, and they were a set of good looking musicians with good style (see picture of cool shoes above) and hip shaking tunes that everyone loves to love or sometimes hates to admit they love. They didn't by any means steal the show but they prepped me well enough for what was to come. And so, I hope I've done the same for you. Here are two of my favorites CWK performed and a song I wish they would have. If you're going to pick one, pick the last one. Enjoy:

Dress: Betsey Johnson

Boots: Vince Camuto