collapsible lung

This is a good, nay, GREAT year, and I say that because most of my favorite bands and singers have been or are releasing new albums! OH JOYYYYYYY!!!! :D

I've just downloaded Relient K's Collapsible Lung, which is my third full album purchase this year, after Khalil Fong's Back to Wonderland and David Tao's recent Hello Goodbye.

I don't really need to say that I love this album right? I'm a good if not die-hard fan.. so of course it's good hahaha! But really, I'm lovin' the upbeat melodies of Don't Blink, Lost Boy, Collapsible Lung and That's My Jam (all of which were previously released on youtube). And everything else are sounding good too. ^_^ I haven't checked the lyrics yet, so I could be wrong in saying that some of the witticism and word play they are known for aren't so prominent this time around (first impression). Mattie has always have a way with words which was how I got hooked with a punk rock band that has apparently gone pop (M has said that their next album will be rock if not punk rock :) I've also read that songs that reflect their Christian faith are not found, so I thought that's quite a bummer cos those that they have written have always been my favorites :(

With that too, I can't shake off the sadness for the departure of their drummer EL right before the album was released, and the news of the other two members (bassist JW and guitarist JS) not joining in the tour. I don't know what that's all about, and maybe in not knowing I tend to imagine the worst. M, this had better not be your doing! :(

anyways, after this, I'll be anticipating Switchfoot's Fading West which is coming out soon (there's an album AND a movie, omg so much awesomeness!) and Leehom's in the studio between his movie takes recording for a new album. this fangirl cannot ask for moar.. MOARRRRR!! hehehe.. sorry for my state of delirium.. wait, I'm not sorry. I'm soooo excited I can't sit still.

a good year indeed.


#update: love the pop rock tunes, but the lyrics quality leaves much to be desired. i think M could do so, so much better. because he has done it before. i am disappoint. i'm enjoying the album without listening to the words. which isn't cool in my book. not cool at all. :(

bittersweet.

I don't know what's going on with Relient K but first, half the band said they won't be going on this year's summer tour, and now Ethan (the drummer) has just bid us farewell. it's really hard for me to express how dejected i am. :( probably as some sort of a balm, they released this new single Don't Blink from their latest album, Collapsible Lungs. I totally enjoy this but still can't shake off the farewell. :(

So I finished reading The Curious Incident.

It's so strange, almost surreal, to sit through it again as if for the first time but with a dash of déjà vu. I found out (again) who killed the dog, what else happened, and what the ending was like :) There's also a 1.5 page 'write-up' on Malaysia that makes me all ^_^.. (basically he saw a tourism ad for Malaysia at a train station, and proceeded to write a little bit abt the country).. here, I took a photo:

I realise this (obliteration of huge chunks of my memories) happens a lot in my life.. not just with books or music, but life.

I remember going into Form 6 and not remembering how Form 5 was like, like my life before that never happened. I remember going through a difficult encounter where my friend happened to be there, and 5 years later, when we recounted the event to another friend, I was so engrossed in my friend's re-telling of the event, as if I was never there. It scares me sometimes how my brain works. Maybe I have some form of undetected amnesia. Maybe I'm just really good at compartmentalizing. *frowns and scratches chin*

I have to say though, this makes for an excellent coping mechanism. It does make it easier to live in the now, with baggage from the past left where they should be. Old memories for most part do not haunt me much after I've gotten over them, mostly because I have little no recollection of the pain. They become like a dream, that no matter how vivid, are but remnants of the night by the time the alarm clock blares in the morning.

This is why I blog---so that when I am 70 and have nothing to do or no idea of who I am, I could go back to some of these entries and go, "Hey, I used to like that! Cool..." or "I still hate that" or "Wow I can be kinda interesting!" :D

Btw have I ever mentioned here how much I LOVE THIS SONG. Growing up in the 90s was awesome (in retrospect, of course!) and anything that points back to that era is welcome with open arms and a batch of freshly baked cookies! I lurvee this band and this song makes me happiee and spell words in a cutesy annoying wayz -- when are they ever coming up with a new album?? Anyway, how many of the references in the song did you get? Okay, balik time. Ciao bella.



That's My Jam
Relient K

[Verse 1]
Turn up the record cause the song’s just begun
I’m smashing pumpkins like it’s November 1
Wish Britney’d hit me one more time on the phone
So tired of counting crows with Mr. Jones
My sister Hazel knows that it’s all for you
Am I a Blur or do you sing my Song 2?

[Chorus]
Ooh, ooh, ooh summertime
Ooh, ooh, ooh back in ’99
Ooh, ooh, ooh, oooooh our first dance
Ooh, ooh, ooh that’s my jam

[Verse 2]
Jane’s addicted, and Alice is in chains
U2 like to move me in mysterious ways
We’re chasing waterfalls and wanderwalls
My Jewel you were meant for me,
So save my soul
Add Seven Mary Three plus 98 degrees
Eve 6 times 311
That’s you and me

[Verse 3]
This Blessid Union of Collective Souls
Is the only world we know
This heart-sha?ed candle box burns for you alone
You outta know

[Chorus - ending]
Ooh, ooh, ooh summertime
Ooh, ooh, ooh feelin’ so sublime
Ooh, ooh, ooh, oooooh Boy II Man
Ooh, ooh, ooh my Pearl Jam

Ooh, ooh, ooh summertime
Ooh, ooh, ooh back in ’99
Ooh, ooh, ooh, oooooh take my hand
Ooh, ooh, ooh baby you’re my jam

when i heard this song this morning, i thought i was thinking aloud. i wasn't, but if i did, this is what i would have said. Mmhmm.

Relient K - More Than Useless

I feel like, I would like to be somewhere else doing something that matters
And I'll admit here, while I sit here
My mind wastes away and my doubts start to gather

What's the purpose? It feels worthless
So unwanted like I've lost all my value
I can't find it, not in the least bit
and I'm just scared, so scared that I'll fail You

And sometimes I think that I'm not any good at all
And sometimes I wonder why, why I'm even here at all
But then you assure me

I'm a little more than useless
And when I think that I can't do this
You promise me that I'll get through this
And do something right, do something right for once

So I say if I can't do something significant
I'll opt to leave most opportunities wasted
And nothing trivial, that life could give me will
Measure up to what might have replaced it

Too late look, my date book is packed full of days that were empty and now gone
And I bet, that regret will prove to get me to improve in the long run

I notice, I know this week is a symbol of how I use my time
Resent it, I spent it, convincing myself the world's doing just fine
Without me
Doing anything of any consequence
Without me
Showing any sign of ever making sense
Of my time , it's my life, and my right, to use it like I should
Like He would, for the good of everything that I would ever know

i wish i make more $$ than i could ever spend
then i wouldn't have to say NO to

this:

RM38

and this:

RM39 - 10% off
saw this at GladSounds and i held on to it forever before putting it back (bought a book though :) -- maybe next year! i've already downloaded a good number of christmas songs from NoiseTrade.com (it's all legal so do check it out! :) and i want this just because it's Relient K and i'm a loyal fangirl. :D

btw did you know GS has an outlet in the prestigious Starhill Gallery? i wonder how they afford the rent (they've been there for a year) -- i suspect francis yeoh might have generously waived it. :D

anyways
christmas shopping is VERY STRESSFUL and i hate it
it's tough buying one gift
let alone 20
in the short 3 weekends in December
so many factors to take into consideration
preeminently a limited budget

chongy said i should ditch the idea
true that
Christmas is not about pressies
yeah it's NOT

ok
maybe next year
i can convince myself that it's OK not to buy gifts
i'm still caving in to the tradition this year
:)

i would love to make something
i know my framed spongy cutout from three years back was a hit with the recipients :D
i still feel the ripple from the delirium
gift making is awesome
if i have the time and a good idea
and still, buy some


oh btw
that day i was grumbling about my financial situation
my bank account goes from XX to near zero within a week from month end
house bills and car loan and insurance and shoes and stuff
(srsly, how i managed with a RM1,800 starting salary last time escapes me)
(i had to save for a wedding and pay off my car loan plus other expenses then)

(but it's not like i earn tonnes more now pffbt)

so we were at BCM's 50th anniv celeb
so we sang this song
great is Thy faithfulness
and i was reminded
all i have needed He has provided
i think i chuckled and thanked God for the reminder
quite an overwhelming reminder actually


on a chirpier note, i gave in to this

RM24 after tax
i ate the whole thing, for once! *beams*
was xmas shopping at MV last Sat and by the time i settled down at Chilli's i was a tired, grumpy and famished shopper. and for some reason, i had to have a cheeseburger, no thanks to marshall and his quest. hehehe.. i was not let down. plus ww happened to be in MV so i had company to watch me down this huge@$$ artery choker!  ;)

R.AGE ran a twitter contest yesterday, giving out passes to watch Tokio Hotel live in Msia. and i won myself a pair!! :D i think this is the first time i've won anything esp at 1st try. hehe.. ^.^ erm, one kink though -- the ONLY thing i know about Tokio Hotel is its androgynous front man, Bill Kaulitz, and that's cos he is often parodied in some site i follow. hahaha.. and now because of the contest, i also know that they are a German pop rock band founded in magdeburg, germany, and that the line "wir müssen jetzt durch diese wand" is from their song called ubers ende der welt (over the end of the world). urm, ok. hahaha.. i would exchange the passes for a meal of pork schnitzels and bratwurst sausages (hold the sauerkraut please), but failing an offer i'd go to watch them ler. :D

isn't he pretty? and the hair! the hair..

i would very much in this lifetime like to see some of my fav acts in action: relient k, mae and the david crowder band.. and possibly owl city. :D [yes, in this order] and switchfoot again but i think the odds are mocking me. le sigh. speaking of mae, i found this youtube clip - so cute, so sad.. love the song!

mae :: we're so far away

the post with not one, not two, not three, not five, not six, not seven, but FOUR youtube vids! whee!

on the easter weekend
i had a good friday. lol. sent out a chat meme asking what was everyone's thought about easter. got interesting answers ranging from "been busy - never really thought abt it" to some pretty lengthy discourses. mine? when i can get down to writing it, i'll post it up on the other blog k. ;)

was went to church for prayer meeting - enjoyed the sharing and praying together. it was a quiet, contemplative evening as i had expected, so i was glad!

Sat was a full day for me - was up by 545am - was invigilating an exam over at UM so i had to get to IBBM office by 7. when that --

which included a crazy morning as candidates left the first session by the swarms and a misconduct case - sigh -- why does it always happen on my watch!

-- was over, made my team pack in record time (without missing out on anything of course ;) so that we could hurry back to the office to deliver the exam material. barely had time to catch up with my ex-colls as i had to rush back to church for performance practice --

did this song with boy weiwen and it was very well received! ^^ *pats selves on back* we had only 2 practice sessions prior due to our tight schedules, but because we are big RK fans, they went smooth ler. happyness! not that i was looking for approval ahem, but the many "well done! we love the song!" that we got aft the service made it very worthwhile. girl weiwern (see why the gender distinction has to be made? :) thought that we sounded very well together. this was the 2nd time i sang with him, after christmas' how many kings performance - works out to be a charm. i wish ppl are more like u, b_ww!

relient k :: getting into you
(yeah i've posted this before :)

-- and music practice. it was combined service for easter, so i had to lead bilingually. but i can't. hahaha... thank God for singers who could! :) i really enjoyed practice - i think jive is quite an awesome drummer. hehe.. both the soo bros have very good work ethics. good job, auntie susin! :P

where was i. um. nvm. we'd a guest speaker - ps kevin gan - cos my pastor was not feeling well. for the life of me, i don't rber what he preached about. haha.. he was expounding on the story of the prodigal son, how the church is like the older brother. "all that i have is yours"

after service we'd lunch at church, mingled around a little bit. but still not enough. there was this guy whom i've not spoken to despite him having been in our church for what, 2 years? bee said she'd intro us, but i was suddenly reluctant. sigh. told her next time la. it's so weird kan. well, he's the rest of the YAs to talk to, so it was OK la.

after service, i was heading home when g_ww texted to ask if i wanna study. NO-I WANT TO SLEEP! but i did. haha.. we hung out at the lovely Societea, a cosy tea place, with her reading for CFA and me for my nite class exam. i was a little dizzy earlier but it soon developed into a splitting headache the size of the grand canyon. when i got home, i was so close to tears but i couldn't cry cos i was too tired. wah - srsly thought i would die from that. but i woke up this morn -- after an superb 12 hour sleep -- still on earth and headache gone. whee! ;)


bloooooo skyes
i love this new vid by owl city. i wouldn't be surprised if skies somewhere are actually like that. this is silly but i could cry if i stood under one of those. ;)

owl city :: vanilla twilight

copeland
they is coming to kayell. i wonder if i should go, since i will be missing out on West Side Story anyways on account of cost. :( booohooo.. it's definitely a cheaper form of entertainment plus i haven't been to a concert since '08.. but i only know a couple of their songs. tak syiok oso. see how la. :)


zune
i've asked a friend who went back to US to help me send my zune to the service centre and see if it was fixable. but my zune never made it louisiana - someone stole it from his luggage during an interstate flight. UNITED AIRLINES - you suck! but we know that already.

check out this is a vid made by a Canadian band who had a terrible experience flying united airlines - the airline workers broke their $3.5k guitar and the airline refused to compensate so they made this vid to get its attention - and it worked! (read the story here) maybe i should do the same.. konon-nya. :P

dave carroll band :: united breaks guitar

on being overtly opinionated
there are just some people who because they think they are right, also think that they MUST shove down their opinions down others' throats. everyone is entitled to their opinion fine, but why do you have to remove all doubts that you are an intelligent life form incapable of even the basic level of intra-species communication when you open your mouth? and when i mimic you, please, it wasn't meant to flatter. i just want to point out how ridiculously obnoxious you are. pfffbt!

mm i'm ranty today. wad's going on?


*BREATHES*

anyways, here' stg awesome to end the post. i don't care much for the song, but the 4-min rube goldberg contraption is just awesome. someone asked if OK Go are a bunch of geeks who happen to be rock stars or are they rock stars who moonlight as geeks. hehe.. 'tis just amayyyzing!

ok go :: this too shall pass