Sometimes you have to work on Christmas (Sometimes...)

Sorry, late, missed deadline, can't get anything done on time, excuses, etc. ANYWAY, Happy Christmas, here are some Christmas songs. Conveniently packaged in two compilations, we have the first Christmas mix, new and old Christmas songs; as well as the second mix, old Christmas hymns and carols. If you're looking for more, Bright Eyes' A Christmas Album and James Taylor's James Taylor At Christmas are both great albums. If that's not enough, Sufjan Stevens has released five. Enjoy! (What? I'm on break. Did you really expect a full entry this week?)

Happy Christmas Vol. 1:
http://www.mediafire.com/file/a7oatd49429dw2d/Happy%20Christmas%20Vol.%201.rar

Happy Christmas Vol.2:
http://www.mediafire.com/file/44a3o58rs2ya73p/Happy%20Christmas%20Vol.2.rar

By the way, in Fairytale of New York, they use some pretty hefty insults during the duet part. However, when BBC radio censored it, everyone in the UK threw a fit so they left it. Just a bit of fun trivia.

From the land of ice and snow

Short post this week because finals are coming up next week and I've been busy with work and being in Italy on vacation. I did manage to put together a wintery mix for all you lovely readers. So here's the fourth installment of the Love Is Jargon Mixtapes:

http://www.mediafire.com/file/5qz35puzdy9wak0/%5BLIJ%5D%20Mixtape%20%234-%20Hell%20Freezes%20Over.rar

1) Inchtime- Icicles & Snowflakes
2) The Arcade Fire- Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)
3) Mew- Snowflake
4) Fountains of Wayne- Valley Winter Song
5) Red Hot Chili Peppers- Snow (Hey Oh)
6) Kings of Leon- Velvet Snow
7) The Arcade Fire- Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)
8) Mew- Snow Brigade
9) Armor for Sleep- Frost and Front Steps
10) Burning Brides- Arctic Snow
BT)  Foreigner- Cold As Ice

I'm not going to give you a track by track this time, but I will say there is something for everyone here. Try walking outside with this on while it's snowing. Hopefully more snow songs coming next friday.

Ginny is a punk rocker.

Last night I went to the midnight premier of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part 1) and left the theater wanting more than anything to be a wizard. I had my ticket weeks in advance, watched all the previous movies, and started listening to some magic related music. It was the usual stuff: The Wizard by Black Sabbath, Do You Believe In Magic?, The Flaming Lips' album At War With The Mystics, etc. But that wasn't quite cutting it. Then I remembered a band I had heard of a while back; Harry & The Potters. I had dismissed them as a comical example of how creative fans can get. Seeing that I didn't have any of their albums, I thought I might as well get some. That's how I found Wizard Rock. That's right, Wizard Rock; music about and inspired by the Harry Potter books. Did you know there are over 70 bands in the genre? That's alot for a 'gag genre'. But here's the thing: its not a gag, these people make real music. Ok, so Harry & The Potters' first album isn't a great example, but later in their discography they really pull it together. So how about this: if you saw Deathly Hallows Pt.1, are going to see it, or have any vague interest in this sort of thing, listen to some Wizard Rock (conveniently provided for you here). If you like the bands, the rest of their music is just a google away. Wands at the ready. Swish and flick!

http://www.mediafire.com/file/fzkalwqvb8yy7d5/Wizard%20Rock.rar
Also: When did Ginny Weasly get so attractive?

Who's gonna carry all that weight? That's not my weight. Not my weight, not my problem. That's what I say...

This week's entry is dedicated to The Beatles. Now, I don't care if you don't like The Beatles; I do and so that's what I'm writing about. You don't have to like The Beatles, that is your choice. However, I have no interest in getting into a “stop liking what I don't like” conversation. I ask that if you despise The Beatles and every piece of music they have ever created, that you either skip this week's entry, or do your best to go into it with an open mind. I will do two things to alleviate your pain (and to bring some essence of creativity to a Beatles discussion. I'll admit it; its been done). First of all, I won't talk about The Beatles' influence on rock music or any other genre. Second, I will not have you listen to songs recorded by The Beatles. This will be an all covers post.

If you do like The Beatles, disregard that last paragraph. Let's get to the point: anyone who knows me knows that I like The Beatles. As for my favorite album, I like Abbey Road. Sure, there are songs I may skip depending on my mood (I'm looking at you, Maxwell's Silver Hammer...) but for the most part I will listen to every song, every time. Oddly enough, my favorite song is not on Abbey Road- in fact, it's not on any studio album (It's Don't Let Me Down in case you were wondering; though Carry That Weight is a close second). Abbey Road is an album that demands to be listened to in its entirety. Side B's Tracks 3 through 7 and then 8 through 10 are popularly and semi-officially considered the Abbey Road and Golden Slumbers Medleys respectively. Whether official or not, the tracks carry musical themes that make the entire second half of the album hard to separate into tracks. This is a perfect example of the vinyl experience; it was made to be listened to all together, even taking into account the pause between sides. The long heavy I Want You (She's So Heavy) ending Side A is followed by the liberating opening of Side B- Here Comes The Sun- for a reason. Meanwhile the rest of the album tells a story, albeit a strange one. It has plenty of great lyrics and catchy melodies and I have plenty of good memories of listening to it. The point I'm really trying to make is that I love Abbey Road. It holds personal meaning to me and that is a stronger argument than any intended or unintended quality or theme that may have been inserted. Now, I'm sure even Beatles fans will disagree with my choice. Everyone has their favorites, Abbey Road just happens to be mine. As always, I'd love to hear what yours is. To each their own.

But anyway, here's this week's little project:

http://www.mediafire.com/file/odlbnnb6lb8tuc2/%5BLIJ%5D%20Mixtape%20%233-%20Abbey%20Road%20Repaved.rar

Abbey Road Repaved

Side A:

Track 1) Come Together- Michael Jackson

When I found this track, I listened to it purely out of curiosity. I had no intention of putting it on this mix. Then it was good... really good. Michael Jackson had become a worldwide joke before his death, and still is to some extent. Because of that, I wasn't even going to give this song a chance. However, I think its a great example of an artist taking a song, preserving it, yet still making it his own.

Track 2) Something- Jim Sturgess

I loved Across the Universe; I thought it was a well executed idea. If I had the money, I'd have liked to do something similar. My roommate would disagree, but he has said himself that he is probably in the minority. Whether you liked the movie or not, the way Sturgess sings this song is great.

Track 3) Maxwell's Silver Hammer- Let's Wrestle

Let's get one thing straight; I take John Lennon's stance on this song (Lennon thought it was stupid and refused to participate in its recording). It certainly has a right to exist, but if this song was removed from the album, I doubt I'd even notice. I grabbed this cover because it wasn't too bad, even for a song I don't like.

Track 4) Oh! Darling- Huey Lewis

Remember Huey Lewis and The News? This songs nothing like that. Apparently The News was too busy to show up for this recording, changing the entire sound. Despite that, its a nice cover and Lewis' voice really makes it work.

Track 5) Octopus's Garden- Jeffrey Lewis

You may or may not be surprised how hard it was to find a cover of a song written by Ringo Starr. I honestly just included this one because it was the only cover of the song I could find. It's not bad, but its not exactly a masterpiece either.

Track 6) I Want You (She's so Heavy)- George Benson

Jazz meets The Beatles. George Benson jazzed up about 90% of Abbey Road and released it as The Other Side of Abbey Road in about 1971. It was a big hit then, and I'm hoping it'll be a big hit with you too, fabulous readers. I love good jazz, and Benson is certainly good jazz.

Side B:

Track 1) Here Comes The Sun- Nina Simone

In the words of the late Joe Strummer: “Let Nina Simone rule the world!” Her song To Love Somebody is on the Joe Strummer documentary soundtrack, The Future Is Unwritten. I would suggest checking out both the song and the documentary as they are both worth experiencing. Her 1971 cover on the album of the same name is equally so.

Track 2) Because- Elliott Smith

Elliot Smith just can't be happy (barring his excellent work in Heatmiser) and this song is no exception. After all, this is a guy who committed suicide by stabbing himself in the chest... His cover of this track is beautifully sad.

Track 3) You Never Give Me Your Money- Nine Below Zero with Glenn Tilbrook of Squeeze

Nine Below Zero is a band signed to Glenn Tilbrook's record label. I'm not sure why he decided to record this song with them, but I'm glad he did. I love Squeeze, they were a big part of my middle school days. That was when my musical tastes were just starting to branch out and for that, Squeeze will always have a special place in my heart.

Track 4) Sun King- Gomez

This is another song that was hard to find a cover for. But this one is a little above average compared to the other harder to find tracks on Abbey Road.

Track 5) Mean Mr. Mustard- Cornershop

Ok, I admit some of these come from Mojo Presents Abbey Road Now, mostly because they were the best or only covers of the song I could find. But hey, why fix what isn't broken, right?

Track 6) Polythene Pam- Atom & His Package

I'm never sure what to feel about Atom & His Package. They're an interesting band and can both very talented and very funny, but I feel like I haven't listened to enough of their songs to pass judgment just yet. This cover is a bit different with heavy distortion and slightly altered lyrics.

Track 7) She Came In Through the Bathroom Window- Los Lonely Boys

This is a band my uncle introduced me to a few years back. They have a Hispanic flare- rock by way of good old Mexico- and some of the best guitar work I've heard. That was the only time I think we've really talked in depth about a single subject. Its strange how doing the research for this brought me back to some interesting memories; The Beatles, Squeeze, my family. Everything is connected...

Track 8) Golden Slumbers- Ben Folds

Ben folds is another nostalgia blast for me. Until now I hadn't listened to Ben Folds in several years, but I immediately remembered why I used to; Ben Folds is incredibly talented. I've been listening to his albums all this week and I can recommend some great non-Beatles related songs. But non-Beatles related is not what we're talking about right now so I'll save it for later.

Track 9) Carry That Weight- Trash

If this one sounds like the original, there's a reason for that. Trash was a band signed to The Beatles' own Apple Records and this track comes from Come and Get It, a compilation of rare and unreleased songs from Apple Records including some Beatles Covers and an early James Taylor's Carolina In My Mind with Paul on guitar and George doing backing vocals. Its full of great tracks; definitely worth checking out..

Track 10) The End- Cheap Trick

I bought Cheap Trick Plays Sgt. Pepper Live because for whatever reason it makes me laugh whenever I think of it. Though the concept may or may not be funny, it ended up the same way the Michael Jackson cover did. Its good (and not from Sgt. Pepper, I might add) and so it made the mix.

Track 11) Her Majesty- Chumbawamba

I think this cover is brilliant. It both turns the originally very short ending piece into a full song, and criticizes the Royal Family. Who would have expected this from the band who brought us Tubthumper?

The best times are yet to come.

Friday. This blog will be updated on Friday every week. Or at lest, that's the goal. I've done a piss poor job of it so far, but hopefully that will change. Until then, bide your time and hold out hope.

We're getting close to Halloween, It's Halloween, so the obvious thing to do here would be to give you a compilation of Halloween and/or autumn related songs. Being the blandly predictable person I am, that is exactly what I am going to do. Sorry to disappoint you, bored readers looking for a twist. However, I will give it just a hint of a twist. Rather than giving you basically the same post as two weeks ago with different songs, I'll just give you the songs with a line or two about each of them and then focus on something completely different. Ok?

Download here:

http://www.mediafire.com/file/w96zhoh8pbfjk96/%5BLIJ%5D%20Mixtape%20%232-%20Autumnsongs.rar

Track 1) Jethro Tull- Heavy Horses

“Bring me a wheel of oaken wood/a rein of polished leather/a heavy horse and a tumbling sky/brewing heavy weather.” Need I say more?

Track 2) Ryan Adams- Halloweenhead

This should be obvious just from the title. The not so obvious part is that Ryan Adams is 'country' and I don't like country. Even if you don't like country, listen to Ryan Adams. Simple as that.

Track 3) Manic Street Preachers- Autumnsong

Another obvious title. I'd also mention though, that Send Away the Tigers- the album this track comes from- is a great autumn album in general.

Track 4) Tarkio- Slow Down

It was tough not to include every song from Tarkio's Omnibus as they all sound perfect for an autumn afternoon. Slow Down is one of the more spirited tracks and that's the only reason I chose it over the others.

Track 5) Aeroplane, 1929- A Nervous Whistle To Keep My Courage Up

This song is a newer one in my library, but it's quickly become a fall favorite. Clocking in at just short of five minutes, it's a bit longer than I'd usually put on a mix. Then again so is Heavy Horses; proving that if the track is good enough, I'll make an exception.

Track 6) Sea Wolf- Leaves In the River

This song is perfect. It's a story about Halloween and the sound effects in the background really pull it all together. If you've never listened to Sea Wolf, you're missing out.

Track 7) Iron & Wine- Lion's Mane

Iron & Wine is perfect any season music. In fall it sounds like fall, in summer it sounds like summer.

Track 8) The Decemberists- Red Right Ankle

See what I did there? It was so hard to pick just one Tarkio song, so I threw in a Decemberists rack too. Yes its the same guy, but Colin Meloy is possibly one of my favorite indie singers. This one comes on recommendation of my roommate.

Track 9) Sufjan Stevens- Romulus

This track was also selected by my roommate. He's got good taste; you can trust him.

Track 10) Jon Foreman- Southbound Train

I had to throw in a sad song. Autumn is a time of death in the same way that spring is a time of rebirth. Just be glad I didn't pick The Funeral by Band of Horses. (Which you should listen to if you haven't already.) Also, its the guy from Switchfoot if you're into that.

Bonus Track) Iron & Wine with Calexico- Sixteen, Maybe Less

As a bonus I threw in another Iron &Wine song. This has always been a late fall song, so it might even be a little to early right now. Regardless, its a great song.

Now for the unrelated half. I say unrelated because none of these songs are in the playlist I just gave you; but that doesn't mean they don't fit with the theme. I didn't include any of the songs I'm about to talk about because the band already did that for me. Scott Allbright of Poor Bailey has decided to try a really cool project this month. He has decided to release one song a day, every day until the 31st. Called The October Project, or A Song a Day to Keep the Demons Away. The songs are being released on http://happydead.com/  for a dollar each. Now, over the course of a moth you will end up paying $31 for this album, but the beauty of it is that you can preview the songs first. Now I don't mean 30 sec iTunes preview; they let you hear the whole song before you decide to purchase it. That way you can pick and choose which songs you want and tailor the album to your specifications. For a dollar each, I'd say this album is totally worth it, and it gives you something to look forward to every day, right? I wish I had discovered these guys earlier, because what they're doing is really pretty neat. At this point you can preview/buy the whole album. If you like Bright Eyes, this is a must hear album.

On a completely unrelated note, I'd also like to announce the Love Is Jargon Logo Design Competition. Anyone who would like to design a new version of the heartbox logo can send a 133x133 jpg file of their design to loveisjargon@gmail.com.

It's been a long slow collision...

Well, after being horrendously busy for a while, then taking a vacation, I'm finally getting around to posting another entry. I will make no excuses for this late entry and would like to apologize to anyone who actually checks this blog. In return, please accept this offering of girls singing awesome songs:

http://www.mediafire.com/file/pfyg95vg9zymf98/%5BLIJ%5D%20Mixtape%20%231-%20Girl%20Rock.rar

I've been listening to a lot of songs and bands with female vocalists lately, and so I decided to compile a sampler of some of my favorites to share with all you lovely readers. After all, just because I've been busy doesn't mean I haven't been listening to music. Now, while I've entitled this mix “Girl Rock”, it is not necessarily “Girls who ROCK”. Most of these songs are really more Alt Rock and Folk, but don't hold that against me. I plan to compile a more rocking one later. But anyway, I wouldn't expect you to just pick this up without any explanation, (but if you would all the better) and this wouldn't be much of an entry. I should also mention that the files I've included are for trial purposes and if you like them, you should support the artist. To the artists: if you object to having your music in this compilation, feel free to email me at loveisjargon@gmail(dot)com and I'll remove it. Now that that's out of the way, here are the reasons I picked what I did:

Track 1) Rie Fu- Voice

Rie Fu is quite possibly the greatest bi-lingual girl rocker I've listened to. Now, that being said, I haven't heard many bi-lingual girl rockers... Still, I feel this has to give her some credibility. Rie Funakoshi (Rie Fu, for short), is a Japanese singer-songwriter, but she is also fluent in English and records in both languages, frequently in the same song. The track I've included however, is entirely in English because not everyone is keen on listening to songs that they can't understand. Shame on you uncultured music listeners who do this... (I kid, to each their own). Her songs are generally poppy, catchy, and upbeat. In terms of why you should listen to this, I really don't have much to say. Its kind of hit or miss with the Japanese parts, so if you like this track, look up some of her other songs and decide for yourself.

Track 2) Amy Millan- Headsfull

I love Amy Millan's voice. If you're listening to the mixtape while reading this, you'll begin to hear a clearly discernable pattern of what kind of female vocals I tend to like somewhere around track 5... Though I usually prefer her duets with Torquil Campbell, I couldn't ignore this track from her solo release Honey From the Tombs. Its fast, short, and leaves me wishing she had recorded a few more tracks with the same feel as it doesn't exactly match the rest of the album. If you're as infatuated with her voice as I am, try the more ethereal sounding songs with Campbell on Stars' albums, or the very indie Broken Social Scene. Stars and BSS being favorites of mine, I suggest you listen to both.

Track 3) The Delgados (Emma Pollock)- Everybody Come Down

The Delgados were a four piece Scottish indie band fronted by the lovely Emma Pollock. Their 2002 album Hate was both humorous and dark, as are many of their other songs. I love them for the same reason I love Amy Millan's work in Stars; many of their songs follow an interesting structure or incorporate unique instruments or are just plain beautiful. Though my all time favorite songs are “The Light Before We Land” and “Woke From Dreaming” off Hate, “Everybody Come Down” off their 2004 album Universal Audio is much more upbeat and shows off Pollock's voice just as well. Universal Audio is the happier of the albums, but in my opinion Hate is stronger.

Track 4) Kate Nash- Mouthwash

And now for something a bit different: piano driven rock. Kate Nash is talented, occasionally profane, and very much English as far as her accent goes. I suppose the best way to escribe her is spunky. “Mouthwash” is a great example of just what she can accomplish with a piano. I included this track rather than something by Sara Bareilles or Regina Spektor because, while I like both of them as well, you've probably heard a few of their songs already. If not, that's your homework. Bareilles' debut album, Love Song's title track was everywhere for a while and Spektor has plenty of catchy radio hits to choose from. Pick up any album of either of theirs and see how you feel.

Track 5) KT Tunstall- I Don't Want You Now

Remember that song from a few years ago, “Black Horse & The Cherry Tree”? It was on the radio quite a bit. Did you like that song? Well forget everything you know about it. If you liked it, that's great. If not, don't worry, Miss Tunstall has a fairly wide range of musical stylings. Her music is generally acoustic Alt Rock (not that 'Alternative Rock' really means anything...) with a lazy Sunday morning feel, but she also has her fair share of Rock. This track is one of them. 'I Don't Want You Now' comes from her 2007 album Drastic Fantastic. Normally, if I was recommending tracks from Tunstall's discography I would use songs from my favorite album, her 2005 release Eye To The Telescope. But for this playlist, I chose the more rock oriented Drastic. If you're looking for Rock, this is the album to pick up; tracks like “Funnyman”, “Saving Face”, and “I Don't Want You Now” are great examples of Tunstall's ability to compose catchy energetic tracks. KT's got a great voice and no matter what sound she employs, I always enjoy the album, and on top of that she's pretty cute.*
*(See: http://www.last.fm/music/KT+Tunstall/+images/2127485)

She also has a new album out that I'm ashamed to say I haven't picked up yet...

Track 6) The Cardigans (Nina Persson)- I Need Some Fine Wine And You, You Need To Be Nicer

The Cardigans are another great currently dead band, active for about as long as The Delgados were. Fronted by Nina Persson, the Swedish band recorded and toured for a good twelve or thirteen years and achieved a fair amount of popularity outside of their home country. I chose “I Need Some fine Wine” for the sole reason that I like the title. My favorite song with Nina doing vocals is actually her duet with Manic Street Preachers' frontman James Dean Bradfield in “Your Love Alone Is Not Enough” but I felt I should use a song that focused more on her own vocals. As with the other songs I've mentioned in passing above, “Your Love Alone” would go on a bonus disc for this mixtape were I to make one. She also really seems to like Black Sabbath and does some interesting reworked covers of “Iron Man” and “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” on First Band On the Moon and Emmerdale respectively.

Track 7)Lissie- Record Collector

If you can't tell by now, Lissie is a recent favorite of mine. If you want more reason to pick up her album, click the link at the end of the Led Zep article.

Track 8) Ellery (Tasha Golden)- Where It's Going

Ellery... What can I say about this band? I have the utmost respect for both Tasha and Justin Golden and am sorry that I missed what I'm sure was a great concert last night in Bowling Green's Arts Village. Having seen them twice there, in the most intimate home-y feeling concerts I've ever been to, I am in absolute awe of their talent and friendliness. Their music is very folk oriented and Tasha's vocals are a little bit country sounding. But if you're not a country fan, don't let that drive you away. Think of it as the musical equivalent to a nice warm home cooked meal on a cold day. The duo is very talented and they are quite possibly two of the nicest people I have ever met. “Where It's Going” comes from their latest album  This Isn't Over Yet, an album that is not only great, but also has the name of yours truly mentioned in the liner notes. If that isn't a reason to purchase it, I don't know what is. Watch and support these two, they really have a lot to offer. (And a big shoutout to both of them if they ever happen to read this!)

Track 9) Lucy Schwartz- I Don't Know A Thing

Lucy Schwartz is only 20 and has already released at least three albums and a few EPs. And if that doesn't impress you, her voice will. Her talent as a songwriter and performer really shines through on “I Don't Know A Thing” off her 2007 release Winter In June. Surprisingly insightful for her age, “I Don't Know A Thing” is a beautiful shrug of the shoulders and confession of her own fallibility. Her résumé is already packed and she seems to just keep going, getting other big names to play alongside her on songs. Definitely check out Winter In June.

Track 10) Ingrid Michaelson- You and I

I will always remember my friend Madeline when this song begins playing. Every single time. She introduced me to Ingrid Michaelson's music one day by playing “You and I” on her ukelele and it has since become something of a signature song of hers. I encourage you to listen to whichever version you can. Though Ingrid's version is infinitely more accessible to the rest of you, if you know Madeline you know what I mean when I say her version is undoubtedly the best.

BonusTrack) Lissie- Bad Romance (Lady Gaga Cover)

I don't know how you feel about Lady Gaga. I, for one, think she is either crazy or brilliant or quite possibly both. I enjoy her music and feel she may be unjustly discredited for her eccentricity. But I'll leave that for another entry. Instead, have this cover of Bad Romance performed by none other than Lissie. (I swear, I'm not obsessing. I just had one more track I felt needed to be shared.)

And as we wind on down the road...

A quick one while you were away:
I meant to get this up sooner and decide on what day this blog will be updated, but I can't say anything for sure. As of right now this is where we are: updates will happen sporadically, but I will attempt to have at least a small update at least once a week. That's the best I can do for now, so please check in once or twice a week. Now for this week's update.

And as we wind on down the road...
I've recently been spending alot of time with a recording I feel gets neglected. The recording is Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven and every cover version I've accumulated over the years (eleven, if you're curious). Now, I'm guessing your initial thoughts might be something along the lines of Stairway to Heaven? But everyone knows that song; how could he say with any confidence at all that it is somehow 'neglected'? Or maybe you were thinking LOL SATIRWAY TOO HAVEN?! THATS LIKE THE OLDEST SONG EVERRR!1!! WHY U TALKIN ABOUT THAT?! (Well, you could have been; I don't know you personally.) If you were thinking the former then yes, clever yet predictable blog reader, Stairway to Heaven is popular and seems to always find its way into Best Songs of XX compilations. Before you stop reading right here, let me ask you something: When was the last time you listened to Stairway to Heaven all the way through? How many times have you examined the song rather than just putting it on in the background or skipping to a shorter song?

(This is the part where you answer my rhetorical questions quietly to yourself.)

I'm guessing you don't listen to it all that often, and I can't say I do either. Except for this week. Now, I'm sure you have a good reason; probably because it's a long song. Clocking in at just barely over eight minutes, meandering at a leisurely pace for a good portion of it, it isn't exactly something you'd go running to or put on while you're working or whatever things you people do at home. But that's the thing; it isn't meant to be.

There was a time, when I first started listening to classic bands like Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Black Sabbath, that I thought a band wasn't good unless they had at least one song that lasted over ten minutes. I realize now that this isn't true, but it certainly helps enhance the listening experience. Certain great songs (Stairway, Shine On You Crazy Diamond I-V & VI-IX, and anything by Yes) are sometimes overlooked because they aren't radio friendly. Yes, most people know about them, but they don't necessarily take the time to really experience them. Do you own vinyl records? Do you have a turntable to play them on? If you're over 40, do you remember those little clips you had to use to play 45's? Doesn't matter, those questions were also rhetorical. If you want to know what I mean by experiencing a song, listen to it on vinyl. Part of experiencing a song is listening to it uninterrupted, with your full attention on the recording, and to a point, in context with the rest of the album. This is easier to do with vinyl. That's what I want you to do right now: find that Zeppelin record, brush the dust off, and fire up that turntable. If you don't have stairway on vinyl, that's fine, CD will work too. What? You don't have it on CD either? Ok, mp3 then. You don't have it at all? Have you ever even listened to it? What have you been doing with your life, Scott? (Now your name may or may not be Scott, but that's what I'll call you for now.) Ok, “Scott”, that's fine. If you don't have Stairway, one can be provided for you.* If you are listening to it on a computer, I suggest hooking up a good pair of speakers or headphones. Now, drop the needle, hit the play button, or click the link, respectively. Make sure you've got some time too; as I said, Stairway is a decently long song. Now sit back, close your eyes, and let the music and lyrics paint a picture for you. I'll see you in eight minutes.

*For any of you in need of a recording, you can also listen to it right on the page: 
[http://www.4shared.com/audio/uUqpU93A/Led_Zeppelin_-_Stairway_To_Hea.htm]
 
So how was it? What did you hear? Did you notice the quiet intro? How about the first crescendo at around 2:14, the second at 4:19, and the third at 5:34? Did you remember the song peaked at almost the seven minute mark, or had you maybe never listened that far into it? But a song that gets louder is no big achievement, the important part is the resolution at 7:40 when it decrescendos. And then Robert plant sings And she's buying a stairway... to Heaven...

Now for the lyrics. I'm a sucker for songs that tell a story, and Stairway is no exception. However, the meaning of any song is completely dependent on the listener and to say that Stairway to Heaven is vague is an understatement. Personally, I think it's about death, but that's just me. What do you think? If you want to listen to it again with the lyrics in front of you and get back to me, I'd fully support that. I'd love to hear other people's interpretations; even yours, Scott.

If you're looking for more Stairway, try this recording by Lissie and some guy with a beard. By far my favorite cover:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMS2O4rZyWY 

Can linguistics sink ships?

This blog came about early this morning in my big fancy Introduction to Literary Theory and Criticism class as just a nagging thought. As with most nagging thoughts, it refused to leave my head until I did something about it. So here it is: Love Is Jargon. The name was just a phrase that came up in one of our discussions two weeks ago as a joke; it sounded good so I doodled a heart made of blocks next to my notes and put the letters in it. Seeing it today, and with the thought of a pop-culture-reveiw-oriented blog stuck in my head, I realized the wheels were already in motion. But I'm no good at blogs. I think the term 'blog' sounds stupid and I don't have the time or motivation to update one as often as I'd like, that is why responsibility will fall to you as well. If you have a reveiw of a movie, album, book, or even video game I guess. Whatever floats your metaphorical boat. Just send in your entries to the email below either within or as a .doc attachment and I'll post them under whatever name you want. Please spellcheck your work before you do, as I am not an editor.

This is it: the maiden voyage... I look forward to see if this blog sinks or floats.

Contribute to Love Is Jargon by sending your entries to: loveisjargon@gmail(dot)com.