Mountains

Kristen’s Wedding Mix ’12- A Selection

Posted on by Kristen

I have a friend who is getting married at the end of this month so obviously, I am making her a lovely wedding/marriage themed mixed CD. In the process of combing through my music library to select the perfect songs, I’ve realized that many of the songs that one might classify as “love songs” aren’t really that at all. Well, there are a lot of songs about love, but I feel that they are mostly about love lost, a yearning for love, or what might more appropriately be labeled “lust” songs.

Another challenge is keeping the ratio of slow songs to more upbeat numbers reasonable. Ballads are great, but there can be rock songs about love and marriage, right? right??

Overall this has been a fun little exercise as it’s encouraged me to take a closer listen to some of my favorite songs. I thought I’d share some of my selections, so here are my top five cuts from my first wedding mix:

1)      “Mountains” – Biffy Clyro

I firmly believe this to be the most romantic song ever written. I think for full impact, one must read the book Only Revolutions which inspired the song and the album it is on. I selected the acoustic version for the mix

 

2)      “Nothing Without You” – Carney

I am also including the obvious “Think of You” but I wanted to rock the mix up a bit.

 

3)      “Car Door (Dancing In the Aisles)” – Joe Firstman

All the complexities of marriage boiled down to a single line: “I’ll open up your car door every time as long as you’ll reach over and unlock mine”

 

4)      “On Top Of The World” – Matthew Perryman Jones

the beauty of this song is paralyzing

 

5)      “May I Suggest” – Red Molly

an affirmative song that should be played every day, but might be particularly relevant on a day like your wedding day

 

I also have on deck, songs from Ed Sheeran, Ben Rector, NEEDTOBREATHE, A Fine Frenzy, Tony Lucca, and more!

However, suggestions are welcomed…

 

~ Kristen

Read This!: The Brain’s Response to Music…

Posted on by Kristen

Came across this article in my daily Pub Med search. It links the two facets of my life (brain imaging and music), so I thought I’d share.

For a more palatable summation, check out this news article entitled “music rewards brain like sex and drugs”

Basically, it indicates that music we experience as pleasurable (they actually measured the sensation of getting chills), can lead to dopamine release in the brain. This dopamine is part of a reward circuit. An interesting point brought up in the discussion section is that this reward circuit is often linked to activities that are highly adaptive (sex, eating), but it is also associated with drug use, smoking, and other activities that might be associated with addiction.

My question is, can we look at music as something that is culturally adaptive or would it be more lumped in the addiction category? On the one hand, music can be seen as an imperative part of human survival. It brings people together, keeps them going through more difficult times, and can create and/or augment feels of euphoria. On the other hand, I’ve always speculated that I have a chemical addiction to music. I use it to get me though the day. I suffer from withdrawal if I don’t get it. Music can also be incredibly manipulative.

I suppose I would hypothesize that reward properties of music would be similar to that of say food, a substance that we need to survive, but that can also be abused. Then, my question would be, is there a “type” of person who would be more prone to this “music addition”? What would distinguish this person, physiologically?

Anyway, those are my initial thoughts on the article. I’d love to take the research a step further and look at the addictive properties of music…perhaps someday I’ll get the opportunity…

~ Kristen  

I’m fairly confident that my nucleus accumbens is going crazy right around the bridge of this song:

Kristen’s ’10 Mix- Track 3- Biffy Clyro

Posted on by Kristen

3. “Mountains” – Biffy Clyro

Anyone who has talked to me in the last 6 months knows that I am OBSESSED with Biffy Clyro. When I first saw them, I couldn’t decide what I was listening to. Their tunes can be poppy (“Bubbles”), but they play them like a metal band. The music can be so unpredictable, yet it’s still unbelievable catchy. The song “Mountains” moves me every single time. Biffy Clyro plays arenas overseas (they’re Scottish), but in LA they headlined at The Bootleg (tiny theater). There was no show I felt more privileged to be a part of. I love a lot of bands, but with Biffy Clyro, I’m head over heels. Do yourself a favor and get their CD, Only Revolutions…do it now!

go to their website to check out more of their fantastic music videos: http://www.biffyclyro.com/

Some pics from Biffy Clyro’s Epicenter performance:

~ Kristen

track 2: After Midnight Project
track 4: Joe Firstman