A Rhyme: "Lover's Spit" - Broken Social Scene

"Lover's Spit" is featured on the band's 2002 album You Forgot It in People. It, along with "Anthems for a Seventeen Year-Old Girl" are both fan-favorites. The album features complex and experimental musical techniques and a wide range of different instruments. In 2003, the year the album was reissued, it won the Juno Award for Alternative Album of the Year. Sylus Magazine put it in 7th place on their Top 50 Albums: 2000-2005 list.

I first heard this song by listening to Jim Carrey's (woo hoo!) iTunes celebrity playlist. The man has excellent taste in music by the way. Anyway, this was a song that I immediately liked. I haven't quite been able to figure out exactly what the song is about, but I'm sure it's pretty deep. Mind you, the lyrics are suggestive but the song is a great one nevertheless, without the gimmicky lyrics. Many think the song is about meaningless love. That seems about right. See the lyrics here.



Picture credit: wikipedia

A Rhyme: "Life Goes On" - LeAnn Rimes

The release of "Life Goes On" in 2002 marks a departure in Rimes' career from country to pop and from girl to woman. While LeAnn enjoyed cross-over success in 2000 with songs featured in the film Coyote Ugly, (most notably "Can't Fight The Moonlight"), this was the first time she truly changed her sound. The album Twisted Angel is a mix of pop and R&B. The video for "Life Goes On" was shot in New Orleans and was perhaps most notable for LeAnn's more exposed clothing and suggestive movements. The song is about letting go of the past.

I enjoy anytime an artist decides to change their sound. It makes for something more interesting, especially when the change is something so unexpected. LeAnn lost some fans when she released this record, but I know she gained some as well. This is one of my favorite records of her's and "Life Goes On" is on of my favorite songs from the album.

Picture Source: eil.com

A Riff: Social Networking Gone Too Far

At a Clayton County school in Georgia, two teachers got into a fight at their jobs over a Facebook love letter from a fellow male teacher. Both teacher's claimed to be romantically involved with the same man. At one point, teachers Ebony Cobb and Chaka Smith fought inside a classroom, in front of students, shouting expletives in front of the children. The entire story can be read here.

So the question is, when does social networking cross the line? I think it goes over board when people post way too much of their personal business online. Also, when information like who you are dating and what is going on with that person comes into play and it starts to interfere with your professional life, then you have done something wrong. Two years ago, facebook removed photos of mothers breastfeeding their babies and banned others for "obscene content", angering thousands. But it must be understood that posting such photos is graphic and shouldn't' be allowed.

Personally, I am a private person. I don't put my business out in the street for others to know. I know what lines shouldn't be crossed. Do you?

Sources: Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Sydney Morning Herald

A Rhyme: "Confessions" - Usher

"Confessions" or "Confessions Part II" is the fourth single released by R&B crooner Usher on his 2004 album of the same name. It is a continuation of the interlude, "Confessions Part I" which tells of a mans infidelity. Part II goes on to convey a man confessing his infidelity to his beau about getting his mistress pregnant. Of course, the song stirred rumors that Usher himself had impregnated a woman while cheating on a girlfriend, but Usher maintained that it had never happened to him. Instead, one of the co-writers of the song, producer Jermaine Dupri admitted that the ideas behind the songs on the album are his. Still, rumors persisted that Usher had cheated on a girlfriend and knocked up a lover.

The issue of pregnancy, specifically unplanned ones, still looms. Especially among teens. The teen pregnancy rate has been increasing in recent years. Perhaps the most shocking aspect of this trend is that some teens actually want to get pregnant--as young as age 13! Some defend teens, saying they feel a need to be loved or they feel a void that needs to be filled. But teen pregnancy is inexcusable and is the fault of both, irresponsible partners. It is a serious undertaking to raise a child and it should, not be taken lightly.

Picture Source: wikipedia, blogs.blackvoices.com

A Riff: Blogging for Fun

Why do I blog? Well, simply put, I do it because I enjoy it! Blogging allows me to express things about about myself about the topics I enjoy. I love music; I always have. Music is something every and anyone can relate to. So blogging about music is really fun because it allows me to talk about why I enjoy and I can explain what I like about it so much.

On this blog, I can have fun expressing my certain likes and even dislikes about a particular song or artist. Previously, I have often wanted a medium through which I could discuss such topics but I was unsure about how I could do that. Now that I have found blogging, I have a forum in which I can have fun discussing my favorite topic.

To celebrate the fun I've had on the blog, I've included a musical slide show showcasing the different Rhymes I've featured so far. Have fun!

Picture cred: condemnedtorocknroll.files.wordpress.com, .avistarentals.com, ultimateturntables.com

Spotlight: Artists and Self Expresion

Self Expression is the expression of one's individuality usually through creative activities. Many artists use self expression in their work. Whether it's in their songs or in their music videos or concerts, many performers use their career as a means of expressing themselves. My favorite singer, Britney Spears, (Yay!) said in her 2008 documentary Britney: For The Record that art is her therapy. Many singers who also dance on stage during concerts get to express themselves and their music through their choreography .

But what happens when artists' self expression goes too far? Britney Spears has been criticized for going too far during her concerts and live performances, like at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards when she debuted her single "I'm A Slave 4 U" and performed with a snake. She received much criticism for her so-called raunchy and suggestive performance. Many think Britney goes to far in her performances and songs because of what she expresses. My personal opinion? Artists have the right to express themselves how ever they feel as long as it isn't causing anyone harm. When an artist is expressing themselves and someone is harmed, then self expression has gone too far.

Picture credit: britney.com, killthelights.org

Spotlight: Country Music & Suicide

According to an article published back in 2007, a study shows a link between listening to country music and committing suicide. The article asserts, "Country music is hypothesized to nurture a suicidal mood through its concerns with problems common in the suicidal population, such as marital discord, alcohol abuse, and alienation from work." I don't know about you, but while country music of today still talks about these issues, that sounds like the country music of the 1940s, 50s, and 60s. The report goes on to say that "the greater the airtime devoted to country music, the greater the white suicide rate." So basically if you listen to country music while on a road trip from Georgia to Florida, you'll probably want to commit suicide by the time you get down there? Or will it take a while to sink in, and by the time you get back home to Georgia, you'll want to commit suicide?


What I don't understand are the terms under which the study was conducted under. What kind of country music did the people in the metropolitan areas listen to? And for exactly hoe long? By which artists? Were they male or female? Does it matter if the particular song or songs were up tempo songs or ballads? I first started truly listening to country music when I was in the 4th grade. I listened to LeAnn Rimes, (I used to have her song "How Do I Live" on repeat while my sister on my way to gymnastics! I've always listened to her.) Rascal Flatts, Terri Clark, Toby Keith, Kenny Chesney and other artists. While the thought of my immortality does cross my mind sometimes (who doesn't think about their dying day--presumably when they're old and gray? ) but I never thought about seriously ending my life prematurely. I still listen to country music, but not as much as I did back then. I do indulge in the sounds of LeAnn Rimes, Rascal Flatts, and Carrie Underwood more than other artists, and while their songs may deal with serious topics, they don't push me to think about ending my own life. Maybe it's because I listen to other genres of music as too. Who knows?

You can read the rest of the article here, although the entire report is unavailable because it seems to be out of date.

Source: The Monkey Cage