addiction to the slumber

It’s hard to find that right song sometimes.

A momentary touch, a short-lived spark, but enough to keep you going through that instant. Half Asleep tapped me on the shoulder today, just in-between being stuck in the jam and reeling around in my black shoes, ready to quit, to leave it all. 

Every now and then, I’m awake. Mostly, I’m half asleep. Drifting in and out of indigo seas and crimson tides. 

Image from Arvida

Half Asleep – School of Seven Bells (click!)

*swing

wish you were here

I’m physically tired, from walking through large almost-forests for class, and walking up a hill because I didn’t trust that the bus would come. Here’re two little somethings for tired feet. Happy feet, but tired feet.

*crush

p.s. Received the horrifying news that tashed was suspended, but found it safely there when I got home. If you don’t know tashed, you should still thank it for giving merrymen much of its music merriment.

Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd cover) – Candy Cane (click!)

Falling Into You – Elektone (Singaporean! click!)

to amelia

Thank you amelia for that uplifting e-mail with its very surprising sweet things. We started merrymen thinking of ourselves as Robin Hood’s happy helpers, but it still stunned us to no small measure that we do make your world a merrier place. Though we don’t know you, we’re mighty pleased that we’ll all be at camera obscura together.

Here is Amelia’s happy song, bouncing down a highway in an old car, past small barber shops and boys on bicycles.

De Capulet- Help me! Help me! (click!)

And the rest of her energy-drink Happy List:

A.I.S.R. – Gettin’ Better
Jose Vanders – Faces Going Places
New Radicals – You Get What You Give
Owl City – Captains and Cruise Ships
The Beatles – Twist and Shout
Weezer – El Scorcho
Wilco – The Thanks I Get

And a song in return.

Always Your Way- My Vitriol (click!)

*crush

rain and mornings, and explaining things

A little bit about crush and swing this slow thursday morning.

When Crush and Swing were kids, they would go to each other’s houses to play ever so often. When Crush went to Swing’s house, Swing would be boss, and Crush would comply with tail between legs and a soft voice. But when it was Swing’s turn to go to Crush’s house, Crush would become the resident monster, yelling at Swing to get up and play with her.

One of their favourite games was Travelling. This could only be played at Swing’s house because Swing had a mini luggage and a toy passport. Swing also had toy spectacles, which they wore to look like adults.

Crush’s house had a whiteboard, a mini blackboard, and little chairs. So they often played School.

These days, Crush and Swing don’t boss each other around anymore. But they still play, by going to concerts and pretending to be in concerts. When they’re not being snobbish and selective about music, Swing secretly likes Kanye, and Crush secretly likes Kenji.

Now who would like to try and guess what their pseudonyms represent?

*crush

Rainy morning songlist:

Lisa Mitchell- Neopolitan Dreams

Fleet Foxes- White Winter Hymnal

T. Rex – Cosmic Dancer

Lisa Mitchell’s MySpace

i said woof, be mine

Nellie McKay’s Dog Song is the most ridiculously absolutely bestest sweetest funniest song, for all those out there who ever had a dog that died. Or who ever had a dog for that matter. 

Watch her belt out her tribute to Carmello.

Nellie Mckay – Dog Song (click)

Nellie Mckay’s MySpace

*swing

 

it feels like this: cajun dance party

Their band name sounds like a generic compilation cd you can buy in Popular bookstore. Their music is not quite. It’s the kind of happy unsappy music you can walk swiftly to the bus stop to, but it’s still mellow enough for lie-down picnics. These guys played at the recent Tokyo and Osaka Summer Sonic Festivals, can you feel yourself turning into an Envious Eve like me?

No Joanna could be whiny, but there’s the driving muted guitar riff that runs like fast scenery through a bus window. We all know how important soundtracks are to bus scenes in movies, with the protagonist looking out from the top deck but not really looking at anything. This is such a soundtrack.

*crush

Cajun Dance Party – No Joanna

Cajun Dance Party’s MySpace (all good)

because we separate

I know many people do not like Radiohead and may not even have much of an impression of them. I think they were a little too early for those in my generation, burning the underground tracks whilst we still thought Britney was cool and Stephen Gately was straight.

Reckoner is my current fav from their In Rainbows album. The intro is reminiscent of the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony, with clashing steady beats for performers to make carefully calculated movements to. The lyrics don’t really matter to me this time, with thom yorke’s voice in an endless call, I think I am one of the leaves that float around Pocahontas in colours of the wind.

I listen to Reckoner the whole evening. It plays in the background as I carefully calculate my plans for the next hectic week.

Searched all night for a suitable photo for maximum visual impact, and I must say, this one of thom yorke is my fav so far.
An award will be given for the best caption!!

Reckoner – Radiohead (Click!) 

*swing

on greener grasses

This song makes you want to stay in your bed and cry. I told Swing I was sad, and she said, “Must be that Ingrid.”

And it was that Ingrid, with vocals and guitar so pensive that it sounds like somebody trying hard not to cry, swallowing word ends, cold.

So which would you rather do: give up your imperfect Someone for greener grasses, or give up greener grasses for your imperfect Someone?

*crush, with *swing in third person

Ingrid Michaelson- Giving Up (click)

Ingrid Michaelson’s MySpace

Men with Accents

Do you remember discovering Oasis? Oasis is a very special band to the Merry Men. Well, the man who discovered Oasis has discovered Glasvegas from Scotland.

I’ve been put off traditional guitar rock bands for a long time. But finally here is a lead singer who blasts himself into the microphone and writes good songs and looks like he doesn’t care about anything except the music. They just stand there and sing it as it is, with no silly adolescent lyrics or whines. I’m getting their album. I’ve always had a soft spot for thick British accents and brutish vibes.

*crush

Added: Geraldine – Glasvegas (click!)

i fear we’re facing a problem

 

The Morning Benders – Lovefool (Cardigan’s Cover)

{click above to listen!}

If you’re looking for polished marble, head to the Hilton. We’ve got your raw sashimi here. And…”it’s free!”

I love the tambourines the best. It’s like the sidekick. The good ones that doesn’t become evil and tries to outshine the hero.

The picture in my head is this. We are a bunch of kids with unruly hair ( i do have rather unruly hair, naturally) we lie on hay. Our hair blends into the hay. The one with the plaid red shirt starts singing and the rest, we just strum along.

*swing

Lovefool is one of those songs I’m still always surprised that I like. This cover was done by bashful boys who say that what they’ve done can never be better than the original. Hence they gave it away in a free album. Can you believe that it was done with one mic in a bedroom? Makes us all think we can be recording artists with our laptops. (And we may try and fail and love this more.)

Bashful is the word for their harmony– “well I think you do” is as melty as the ice cream sounds of the beach boys. It’s the kind of song I will listen to when I’m sad or very happy, and it will amplify both feelings. I see sand and waves at night, and a little airy pub with a thatched roof, and these guys singing as we drink unmemorable blue drinks. Heavenness.

*crush