The Soundtrack of My Life

I have been thinking about music a lot lately. Music is something that I generally think about a lot anyway, but it's been occupying my thoughts quite a bit more as of late. Music is a funny thing. When one hears a song, it can instantly trigger a memory. Much in the same way scent can transport you to a place with just a quick whiff. I am the sort of person who assigns particular songs to a person or place. I will often create a playlist that reminds me of certain qualities I have found in a person. I have also created playlists which I listen to when I go to certain places like Cades Cove or driving to South Carolina. I even had a playlist when Zane and I went to Washington. All of that to say that in everything that has happened with Bateman, that has been one of the toughest things. He had songs that were assigned to him in my mind. Songs that I loved because I loved him. For me to hear those songs now is painful. Particularly any song by Mumford & Sons, which is awful because they are my favorite band. He and I saw them in concert twice and when I hear certain songs by them it sometimes transports me to the first show of theirs that we saw, which was the best concert I've ever seen. Or they take me to their last show we went to in August. That was around the time that I knew things between he and I were coming to an end. He seemed annoyed to be there and wasn't really sharing the experience with me. Now I am working so hard trying to hear their songs and have them be mine. I want to be able to hear The Cave, Little Lion Man or Hopeless Wanderer and not have it fire a synapse in my brain that automatically connects to him and his face. How do I do that?

 

The best thing though is the discovery of new artists and songs that I am falling in love with. Finding bands that I love that are my own. Hearing a song that I've never heard and making it my new theme song. Right now I am completely in love with the song One Day Like This by Elbow. It is such a sweet song and the lyrics are so wonderful and inspiring to me. I've been using it as my alarm to wake me up and it makes me smile instead of grimace at the thought of having to get out of bed to face the day. I imagine that the day is directly in front of me and it could truly hold something special. Another song I currently adore is Two Fingers by Jake Bugg. Give the two finger salute to yesterday. You're damn right! I'm alive and in a good place and that's where I plan to stay. It has also been so great to be able to listen to bands that I liked before. When I met Bateman I was a huge fan of Kings of Leon. Then he informed me of how his second wife played a couple of their songs all of the time and that he hated them. Being the people-pleaser that I am, I quit listening to them. Although, I will say that my musical tastes have evolved over the last few years, so I don't enjoy their music in the same way. However, their song Sex on Fire still does something to me. It's just a damn sexy song!

 

I'm just really thankful that some songs that I have loved for so long, but don't listen to on a regular basis haven't been ruined. He never really seemed interested in the Indie music that I prefer. Like Deathcab for Cutie, Arcade Fire, The Lumineers, or Radiohead. Thank goodness! He never really seemed to care for some of the older artists that I love. For instance, Bateman hated The Beatles. I mean...what the HELL?! He said that they were overrated. Complete bullshit if you ask me. The Beatles are my all time favorite band, so really he did me a favor. None of their songs have been ruined for me. We never listened to Van Morrison together either thank God! My favorite song by Van Morrison, Sweet Thing, has the ability to ring true each time it comes back around for me. I hadn't thought of the song in a while, but saw it mentioned by an actor I dearly love (gee...I wonder who?) and it caused me to get my CD out to listen to the song. It transports me to a memory I have of Zane's dad and a couple of friends from about sixteen years ago. The song wasn't playing in that moment, but the images that the lyrics call to mind take me there. "We shall walk and talk in gardens all misty wet with rain." It also drudges up those memories of other past love and how those just weren't the right ones. There could be one coming in the future and one will be able to take things at face value. "I'll be satisfied not to read in between the lines." One has to hold out hope. Not me, though. If I ever decide to try again, which is highly doubtful, the man will have to be very special, but there I go digressing again....

 

I have a current playlist that I am wearing out. I've tied it to the thoughts of people that I adore. Many of them are some of my old favorites and others are new recommendations that I've read about on-line. Several are British...surprise surprise. Alt-J, Elbow, London Grammar, and Stone Roses for example. If any of you reading have a suggestion, please feel free to chime in and offer them up. Thanks again to all for reading!

Beautiful Music?

On September 15, it was announced that The Used will have a song on the soundtrack for New Moon. Bert McCracken told take40.com that the title of the track is "For You I Would" and that Nine Inch Nails musician Danny Lohner produced the song. The song has not been released yet, but according to McCracken (heheh) they wrote the song especially for the film and it is going to be the title track for the album. I look forward to hearing the song. Well, really I look forward to anything having to do with this movie. As we all know Paramore hit it big after their song 'Decode' was chosen as the title track for the Twilight soundtrack. It's getting exciting! Thanks to newmoonmovie.org for the heads up.


The lady in charge of putting the songs together for the soundtrack for New Moon, Alexandra Patsavas, revealed some awesome news to Ben Sisario of The New York Times yesterday. The track list will be complete and released on Friday (tomorrow)! Of course we already know that Deathcab for Cutie and The Used have a song on the album, but all we have really heard in the past few months was speculation. Patsavas didn't care to say for sure who would be on the soundtrack, other than Deathcab, but she did say that she is confident that it would include Thom Yorke (Radiohead), Bon Iver and Band of Skulls. I do believe that those three artists had been previously confirmed, but it is not know which songs by those artists will be used. I am so excited for this album. I have complete faith that, much like the film New Moon, the soundtrack for New Moon will be better than the one for Twilight. I liked most of the tracks for the Twilight soundtrack, but there were a couple that I just did not think fit the "feel" of the story. I think the two songs that were from probably the best know artists (Perry Ferrell and Collective Soul) were the ones I liked the least. However, it did open me up to some "new-to-me" artists that I have really come to like. May I also just go on record and say that I DO NOT care for Bella's Lullaby. The more I have listened to it the more I think it sounds like the instrumental soundtrack for The Sims. When I hear it, I feel like I should be building and decorating my virtual house. Anyway. I think that the appeal of the New Moon CD will definitely come from the emotional tie it will have with the fans, so it is sure to be a hit regardless. Tune in tomorrow and I will hopefully have the whole list for you.


Newborns arrived in Forks the other day. According to eclipsemovie.org there are two set reports from fans who went to watch the whole thing go down. In seeing the photos and reading the descriptions, it is evident that David Slade, the director, is taking this film in a much darker direction. This is pretty exciting to see. Of course this part is not in the book, but I think it will be a nice addition. The photos that the two fans shared show some spooky looking newborn vamps walking out of the water very slowly. You can also see Xavier Samuel (Riley) and Jodelle Ferland (Bree) although she was not filming at the time.Spooky...I LOVE IT! Follow the link to read the full reports and see more photos.



E! Online has a story about Eclipse newcomer, Jack Huston. Jack plays the role of Rosalie's fiancee during her human life, Royce King II. It is assumed that this will occur in a flashback in the film. Huston goes on to talk about his brief stint on the set of Eclipse. He did not have the opportunity to work with Rob Pattinson (Edward Cullen) or Kristen Stewart (Bella Swan), which sounds like he feels is a good thing. He talks about how he might not have gotten the gritty role if David Slade had not been willing to meet with him. Sound like Slade is a nice guy, at least. Huston goes on to state in the interview that he only worked with Nikki Reed (Rosalie Hale) and that she made him feel welcome and that they had fun. I'm not really sure how I feel about him saying that it was "fun", since Royce basically gang rapes Rosalie with a group of his friends and leaves her for dead. I guess with a heavy scene like that, it would be important to try to keep things light.


It has been discovered that Booboo Stewart (Seth Clearwater) is to start shooting this morning. He sent out a message via Twitter stating that he was headed to set after breakfast. Seth is my favorite of all of the werewolves (shape shifters), so I hope this kid is good. Also, makes me curious which scene they are filming. I can't wait to see the pivotal battle between Edward, Bella, Seth, Victoria and Riley. I think Slade will keep things dark and ominous and I can't wait until June, 2010!



One last quick bit of Twilight news. Kellan Lutz (Emmett Cullen) and Peter Facinelli (Carlisle Cullen) were spotted out in Vancouver yesterday. They looked unbelievably gorgeous, but what is up with the glasses that Kellan is wearing? They look good as sunglasses, but when he has them flipped up "Dwayne Wayne" style he loses me. I love that Kellan is into fashion, but I'm not too sure about that particular fashio statement. What do you all think about these photos courtesy of laineygossip.com? Follow the link for more photos.




Today has been a more relaxed day at work (CRAP! I probably just jinxed it!). Yesterday was a different story. Sarah had the day off and Roger was in meetings so I manned the box office alone with Jimmy Brimer to keep me company. Of course that was when I wasn't on the phone taking orders. The bright point of my day was a phone call from Mary Costa, the voice of Walt Disney's: Sleeping Beauty. I knew her years ago when I worked for The Disney Store and she would come in to sign animation sericels and lithographs. I also had the pleasure of working with her and several of my fellow Cast Members when Disney hosted the premiere of Sleeping Beauty at The Tennessee Theatre several years ago. When she called, I told her who I was and she got very excited and said that she did remember me. I don't necessarily believe that she did, but it was so nice of her to say so. I just think that it is amazing to have a Disney Icon in our town. I mean she knew Walt Disney and was chosen by him to be the voice of Aurora! It's just a real honor to get to interact with her, whether she remembers me or not. :o)


One quick Zane anecdote. Last night we were being silly and I don't really remember what we were talking about, but I started talking in a more effeminate voice than my own. Zane said, "Mommy, you sound like those guys on that show." I wasn't sure what show he meant, so I asked. He said, "The one where they make the clothes and the girls walk down the runway." I said, "Project Runway?" He said, "That's it!!" I cracked up. I didn't mean to sound like one of those guys, but it was funny that he thought about that particular show.

Well, I took Zane to school this morning and let him walk about half way to his classroom without me. As we were walking in, one of the Kindergarten teachers was walking a group of kids out of the gym. Zane said he saw one of his friends from his class, so I asked him if he would like to walk to class with his friends and the teacher. The teacher looked at Zane and asked if he would like to walk with her. He gave me a sceptical look, but I assured him he would be fine and that I didn't mind, so he gave me a hug and walked on with the teacher. I stood and watched him until he went around the corner. It is just such an amazing thing to watch your child grow. When he was a little baby, I never really thought about all of the small milestones that he would accomplish in a mere five years. Each one is small, but so wonderful. Just seeing my child walking down the hallway of his school without me...it made me proud, but a little sad. It is amazing how many times, as a mother, those two emotions occur together.