Walking Wounded

For me The Format really had their work cut out for them with this album. I absolutely loved their first album and had high hopes for this one. Interventions And Lullabies was one of those albums I never got bored with and could always go back to.

My first listen through the record I was looking for a song to top “On Your Porch” from Interventions And Lullabies. I didn’t find it. I don’t think that song can be topped. My second listen through the record I really tried to feel it and listen to what they were doing.

I don’t get bored listening through this album. That was a problem that plagued Guster’s new album. In fact this album ends and I’m feeling “I want more!”

The Format, as far as I can tell, is doing what no one else is doing. They have such a cool original sound. It has lots of style, originality, and freshness. They keep their lyrics real and definitely talk about the harshness of life but the music style gives it this “Screw it; I’m going to have fun in this life anyway.” The music stays peppy, upbeat and full of a joyful sound.

I can’t repeat enough how interesting this album stays. I love the sound they’ve created and the interesting musical things they do. They pull off a perfect combination of style and talent while still keeping the music very catchy.

I highly recommend this album. Like the first album it gets better every time I listen to it and I continually get more and more hooked on their songs. Interventions and Lullabies had a couple songs that can’t be beat and Dog Problems didn’t have any songs of that caliber, but overall Dog Problems is a better album and I’ll be listening to it for years to come.

Oh, one last comment. It contains a lot of songs that would be perfect for homemade mix CDs (if you are into that sort of thing, like I am).

Go Here and listen to some songs from this album!!

Feel free to let me know what you think.

After Added: Go Here and read this blog entry, it really makes me love these guys as a band even more.

Soon I will be going to a wedding where I will see tons of old friends from my high school days. This means I need to start figuring out the answer to the questions. You know what they are. How are you doing? What have you been up to? Typically there are two answers. You will get either life sucks and I have no idea where I’m going, or more likely I’m doing such and such, dating so and so, and life is going great.

Which answer am I going to give? I’m trying hard to shoot for neither. I could easily say “Things are great. I bought a house a year ago. I just got a new (to me) car. I have a steady job programming at Crusade. I have a wonderful girlfriend that I love. I love my church and am very involved with their music.”

Wow, my life is perfect. Isn’t that the perfect answer? Is that the answer people strive to achieve so they can tell their friends how great they are doing with their life?

Now, everything I said was true, but boy does it leave out the gory details. Now if I tack on “I’m constantly stressed about all the repairs for my house. I’m freaked out because I don’t know where my relationship will end up in the future. I’m very unsure about my career decision and have considered switching to something else. I struggle with anxiety and always want to use anything I can to ‘check out.’ I want to run and hide in a corner. I’m so scared to follow my hearts desires because of my overwhelming need for a feeling of safety. I basically feel completely lost in life”

Well, now we have quite a different view on my life. I think the best honest answer is things are going well but life is tough, stressful, and completely unpredictable. How will it come out at the weeding? I don’t know, depends on my mood. But I’m not going to hide behind the life is peachy scenario because I can’t stand when people do that.

So, yesterday had its moment of fun.  On my way to lunch yesterday I look down to find a decent size hole in my pants right at the crotch.  I ask myself “How did I miss this?”  I ask the guys in the car if anyone else had noticed.  One had noticed (but didn’t tell me).  Anyway, this is one of those holes that opens and closes while you are walking.
I go into Quiznos to get my lunch and quickly walk to the counter.  I’m quite uncomfortable to say the least.  I was glad to get my sub.  It was now used as cover.

Skipping ahead, we get back to work and I say “See this isn’t a problem I can just cover the hole with my sub like this.”  Well in that process I dropped my sub.  I went down to pick it up and you can guess what happened.  Yep, it rips almost halfway down my leg.  Oh my!

I dropped my napkins too but didn’t bother to pick them up due to my revealing status.  But, fortunately (feel the sarcasm) there was a 60 year old lady who just walked out of the building and picked them up for me.  That made me felt good.  I just made an old lady pick up something I dropped.  I was to preoccupied keeping myself covered with my sub though.

I go to my desk.  I (very carefully!) try to staple this hole together.  It is to little avail.  Gradually the staples came out and now not only do I have this big hole in my pants but lots of tangled loose staples in areas I don’t really want them.

Needless to say, that was that and I went home early.

I haven’t experienced anything like that since I was 12 and jumped out a tree only to have a branch keep my shorts while I make it to the ground.  In which I rode home on my bike in my underwear trying to use my torn in half shorts as a towel.

Yeah, the one when I was 12 was much worse.  Anyway, there are some fun stories for you from my life.

I’ve decided to make a new category for my car. Why? Because while looking for a way to attatch my ipod up to my car, I came across a lot of other cool stuff I can do to my car.

Also, while looking around for “how to”s for my Toyota Matrix xrs, I didn’t find anything very helpful, so hopefully I’ll be able to make some better articles.

My first two things will be getting the windows tinted because FL is so hot! It’ll also make the car look pretty sweet. Secondly I’ll figure what to do about my ipod situation. I can connect it, but it looks like I have to disconnect my 6 cd changer to do so. I still have to look into it more. We’ll see.

And I know I know, I still need to add pictures and the buying story. Other than that, I have to say I LOVE THIS CAR!!!