My Favorite Play-Along Piano Songs

Last week, I played the piano for the first time in probably four years. It was sort of like riding a bike–if you tend to crash frequently.

But the longer I played, it came back to me. Strange. Anyway, I was reminded of all the songs I learned to play just so I could play along.

After All These Years – Silverchair

To continue with my bike analogy, I crashed horribly last week. Like, blood everywhere when I tried to play this. But the further into the song I got, it started to come back. Woo! There are like 45 flats and sharps and ten key changes in this one. I tend to round up.

Existentialism on Prom Night – Straylight Run

It’s been years, but I think this is the first song I tried to “play along” to. I’m sure it was an epic fail.

The Luckiest – Ben Folds

If you’re new around here, Ben Folds is one of my favorite people ever. And that’s all I need to say. Oh, one more thing. I played this at my piano recital!

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Random Songs of Awesomeness

Part One

Why say awesome songs when you can say songs of awesomeness? Exactly.

So I’m starting a new series, and for this one, I’m trying to broaden the genre. If possible. I do tend to listen to a lot of a similar sound these days. But I love so many random songs that I have yet to feature on my blog. Some are repeats from before because their awesomeness cannot be contained to one post.

Or I’ve forgotten I already posted it.

Assuming I stick with this series, expect a lot of songs. It’s a deep well of tunes in my brain. The order is also random, in the spirit of the theme. Enjoy!

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“Dance with the Devil” Breaking Benjamin

Yes, the order is random, but I have to start with my man, Ben Burnley. Love the whisper at the end. Stop it.

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“The Pot” Tool

I don’t know what it is about this song. I do not listen to any other Tool song. But I love this one. That. bass. line.

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“Stranger” Katie Costello

“Switched at Birth” brought me here. One of the few songs with a female vocalist that you’ll ever see on this blog.

Another 18 Random Songs I Forgot Were Awesome

On this Music Monday, I bring you eighteen more songs I forgot about. That may be a stretch. It’s not that I forgot about these songs, but it’s more like, I used to listen to them constantly, only to replace them with other songs. So I try to think about songs I used to be obsessed with that I haven’t listened to lately.

In case you were wondering the criteria for this list. As I’m sure you were.

This list is a bit more random than the last. The previous, while still random, consisted of a particular sound. As in, the same radio station would play all of them. This list…eh, not so much.

In the order I thought of them, and without further ado, enjoy.

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“Dashboard” Modest Mouse

I have no idea what this song is about. About five years ago, I had “Dashboard” on my novel soundtrack, but only because I was obsessed with it at the time. So catchy. Weird. But catchy.

My favorite line: We talked about nothing, which is more than I wanted you to know. Love.

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“The Widow” Mars Volta

Uh, yeah. I know nothing about this band. All I know is this song is on fire. What are these vocals?! Seriously. While not my go-to genre (what is this genre?), this track packs a punch and sometimes you just need hit in the face. Know what I mean?

18 Random Songs I Forgot Were Awesome

Are awesome? Hmm.

Here’s a list of some songs I found in my laptop’s music folder. I’ve been using Spotify lately, so I haven’t opened this folder in a while. I was introduced to most of these songs from a local radio that no longer exists. These songs were on heavy, heavy rotation about three or four years ago. Blah, blah, get to the tunes.

In alphabetical order for bonus points!

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Bush – “The Only Way Out”

Yes! One of my favorite quotes makes a pretty good song. I don’t think this song made it big. Perhaps it wasn’t grungy enough for Bush fans? Beats me. I love it.

VIPKID Vibes: 100 Classes and Counting

Last Sunday morning, 7:00 am, I taught my 100th class with VIPKID.

Here’s a list of ten random things I’ve learned so far. 

Music Monday: From One Ben to the Next

I’ve been obsessed with Breaking Benjamin for the past few months, which you may recall if you’ve spent any time around this blog, but I recently went to see Ben in concert. It wasn’t Ben Burnley though. It was one of my other favorite Bens:

Ben Freaking Folds!

Here’s what’s important: Ben Folds is awesome. I love him. He is crazy talented. And that’s all there is to say.

This was my second time seeing Ben Folds in concert. Both times, he performed with a symphony. Classy.

I’m not doing a concert review or summary or anything like that, because, frankly, it would be just a lot of me raving about how insanely amazingly (double adverbs?!?) awesome Ben Folds truly is. 😀

Instead, I’ve decided to highlight a few of my favorite Ben songs. Perhaps if you are new to Ben, this may serve as your intro. Enjoy.

More Random Lauren Facts

It’s time to share some more random facts about me. Why? I have no idea.

 

My treadmill is my happy place. Look, some people are anti-treadmill. They’re all about “the outdoors” and “natural light” but I’m doing just fine, thanks. “Treadmill TV” anyone? Yes! It’s this total awesome sauce YouTube channel, where basically, someone runs with a camera so it’s like a first person view of a trail, or a city sidewalk, or wherever. Last week I was in Australia. Yesterday, I went to Singapore. No passport required.

Don’t Worry. I’m Not Dead.

I have returned. Please. Contain your excitement.

I’ve been a bit MIA lately. Twitter, this, my writing community… I’m such a routine-oriented person that when something new comes along, it throws me off so much that something’s gotta give. In this case, three somethings.

My cat’s social media presence is still very much alive. Because priorities.

So what’s been going on with me? What is it that has screwed over my precious routine?

I got a job, y’all.

For that and other randomness, keep reading. 🙂

Writing Exercise – Character Playlist #6: Mark

My last playlist. And the hardest to compile. Out of everyone, Mark’s list has had the most changes. I started with strictly romantic type songs. But he’s not a total sap. So this is a mix of 90s/2000s alternative, radio-friendly, pop…stuff. With a touch of sap.

For what it’s worth, Mark’s favorite music is jazz. But I was not about to attempt such a playlist. It would just be Dizzie Gillespie, because that’s the only jazz artist I know. 🙂

      

Mark’s Playlist

“The Alt-Rock Top 40er”

1) “Wonderwall” Oasis

2) “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” U2

3) “Do I Wanna Know?” Arctic Monkeys

4)

When the Song and the Scene Cannot be Separated

It’s Music Monday again! This week, I’ve decided to highlight a few songs synonymous with a movie or show. When certain songs are used during a scene, it becomes nearly impossible to hear them without imaging the scene. Just me?

This is not the same as the best music/scene pairings. That’s for another list.

Here are a few of my favorites:

FYI, spoilers ahead.  🙂

Fight Club

Of course, I must start with Fight Club. The final scene of the movie uses “Where is My Mind” by The Pixies, and I guarantee, you cannot hear this song without imagining Edward Norton and Helena Bonham Carter hand-in-hand as buildings explode before them. Am I right? For me, I’d never heard this song (or knew anything about the band) before I saw the movie, so that might be why one can’t exist without the other in my mind.

*Note: I found an edited version to post here. This one is without, uh, Tyler’s splicing work. 😉

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