Music In Review: Mumford and Sons-Sigh No More

       Ok, so I was at my brother's wedding and was chatting with one of my cousins and he said that I needed to check out Mumford and Sons.  I was like "OK" but I guess it just went into the swimming pool of my mind where everything drowns and is forgotten.  Well I recently was being bored to death by god knows what so I went to the ever-reliable youtube. I was looking through some covers and there was one of Mumford and Sons' Little Lion Man so i listened and thouroughly enjoyed it and then listened to the actual song and loved it even more so i just continued to listen to their debut album "Sigh No More" which was released in the Us on February 16.  

       Now that I have listened to the whole album (multiple times) I can truly say that I love Mumford and Sons.  Formed in 2007 by lead vocalist and guitarist Marcus Mumford, along with Marshall 'Country' Winston, Ben Lovett, and Ted Dwane, this indie folk band came out of London.  This band brings a sweet tune with a quartet of strings such as the double bass, the banjo, and the mandolin.  Having listened to this album repeatedly I can truly say that there is no bad songs...as of a matter of fact, there or no mediocre songs...all the songs are amazing.  With the sound that combines a little bit of The Avett Brothers, Fleet Foxes, and  Beirut (Gulag Orkestar album), along with a small orchestra/choir sound, and their own originality, this band has the potential to become huge.  

       The lyrics are another thing to be impressed by too.  If you listen closely to the lyrics, you will be blown away.  "Sigh No More" has amazing flow to it and all the makings of an spectacular album.  I know that it was originally released in the UK in October of '09 but I will include it in this year's collection since 1) it wasn't released in the US 'till '10 and 2) I just started listening to them. I LOVE THIS ALBUM

Songs to Check Out:

-Little Lion Man

-Winter Wind

-The Cave

-Awaken My Soul

Rating: 9.6

Movie Mash Up: The Hurt Locker

    The Hurt Locker may be the front runner for best picture.  This low budget, small publicized movie has been creeping its way up critics' list of favorite movies of the year.
    This movie blows all other Iraqi war movies out of the water.  The movie is about a small team that is put together for one reason... to find and neutralize bombs.  The team gets a new leader who is reckless and has no concern for his safety.  His jeopardizes his team and throughout the movie it shows how even when you are in the military and surrounded by fellow soldiers, you can still be isolated and alone.  The movie brings on some pretty intense scenes.

Rating: 8.6

Music In Review: Top 20 songs of 2009

20. Island, IS- Volcano Choir
19. Lovesick Teenagers- Bear In Heaven
18. Empire State of Mind- Jay-Z ft. Alicia Keys
17. Actor Out of Work- St. Vincent
16. Daylight- Matt and Kim
15. 1901-Phoenix
14. Quiet Dog Bite Hard- Mos Def
13. Blood Bank- Bon Iver
12. Crystalized- The xx
11. My Girls- Animal Collective
10. Daniel- Bat For Lashes
9. While You Wait for the Others- Grizzly Bear
8. Laura- Girls
7. Watching the Planets- The Flaming Lips ft. Karen O
6. Young Hearts Speak Fire- Japandroids
5. French Navy- Camera Obscura
4. Little Secrets- Passion Pit
3. Knotty Pine- Dirty Projectors and David Byrne
2 Anonanimal- Andrew Bird
1. Two Weeks- Grizzly Bear

Movie Mash Up: The Blind Side

      The Blind Side is one of the better sports stories put onto the big screen since Remember The Titans.  The Blind Side is a true story of a black teenager from the projects of Memphis.  Michael Oher was put in a private school to be given a shot at real academics and football.  One of the moms of fellow students (played by Sandra Bullock) discovers that Michael Oher has no home and basically fends for himself, so she provides him a home and cares for him.  He goes on to play football at Ole Miss and become the 23rd pick in the 2009 NFL for the Baltimore Ravens.  The story is truly a great one in that it shows the compassion of a one human being to another, even when they are on opposite sides of the social spectrum.  The movie also shows what it means to be a family even to those who are not related to you and what you would do in order to help and protect them.
     This movie is not just like any other sport stories in the sense that it is by disney therefore it keeps it family oriented.  Don't get me wrong, it is still very family oriented, but it shows the real story with real life troubles (drugs, violence, abandoned children).  It is a well directed movie that could see some nominations in the Oscars, especially a best-actress nom from Sandra Bullock (yes, i said Sandra Bullock).  She portrays Leigh Anne Tuohy with a strong yet compassionate demeanor.  Honestly, i think no one else could have played the part better.

Rating: 7.9

Favorite Sports Teams

These are the greatest sports teams in the world! If you don't like it then I don't care!


10. NC State Basketball
9. Carolina Panthers
8. Carolina Hurricanes
7. NC State Football
6. Phoenix Suns
5. FC Barcelona
4. Duke Basketball
3. Notre Dame Football
2. New York Jets
1. New York Yankees

My Favorite TV Shows

So this blog is going to be about my favorite TV shows.  This does not mean that they are the best but they are my favorite.  Since I have not grown up with channels such as HBO or Showtime I am excluding them.

10. Family Guy        

Family Guy is a thing of genius by Seth MacFarlane.  I do not watch it as much but when I watch it I get a good kick out of it.  The stupidity of some of the characters and the random flashbacks by Peter Griffin make of a good animated comedy show.  Bringing pointless story lines and turning them into something that goes way beyond the norm is something that I appreciate because I like comedies that are utterly ridiculous.

9. Southpark      

Number 9 is another animated comedy.  Southpark goes along with Family Guy in the sense that they turn the story lines into out of control episodes.  For example: I recently watched the episode Butter's Bottom Bitch in which the character Butters has never kissed a girl.  Cartman tells him that if he paid a girl $5 he could get a kiss.  The genius yet troubled minds behind Southpark (Trey Parker and Matt Stone) lead Butters into getting his first kiss into running a prostitution ring.  I mean it blows my mind with what they could turn anything into.  It is a very troubled show but also a very enlightening show.  They make shows out of everyday situations and some serious problems and just make fun of them.  I don't want to sound like a ass but it is good that someone can poke fun at almost everything.  It lets me laugh at controversial stuff that needs a break from seriousness or just making fun of things that you strongly agree with.  Obviously these guys are doing something right because they have lasted for 13 seasons and keep getting better.

8.  Lie to Me      

This show is currently on its second season and is quickly making its way up my list of favorite TV shows.  Dr. Lightman is the best deception expert there is.  He solves cases through the lies of people.  It is a very intriguing show in that it makes you question the magnitude of lies.  Everybody lies weather its small white lies or lies to cover a dark secret.  This show goes through some very scientific information and makes me think of weather this stuff can actually happen.  Its a very entertaining show that throws excellent twists and turns into it and brings investigation shows to a whole new lever.  This show is clearly getting better and I hope it sticks around for a while, but you never know cause it is hard to keep a new show running especially now.

7.  The Daily Show with John Stewart      

The best show on comedy central.  Bringing light to the political world as well as other news.  A lot of people get fed up with political media and I'm one of them.  I'm not saying I always hate it because in fact I enjoy it most of the time (except Fox News).  The show cracks down on a lot of political crap and calls them out.  Since I'm over in Italy I try to keep up with news and the Daily Show.  I was recently reading my brother's blog and he was talking about his strong dislike for the right wing (which I share with him).  He left the link to a Daily Show episode where it just goes off on Fox News and I was laughing my ass off.  This is were my biased opinion plays into.  If you have read this so far you might be like "of course he likes this show cause he is a liberal and it only makes fun of Republicans."  Well at the end of the clip mentioned above they call out the Left, but I was still laughing.  I enjoy the show cause it shows that the media (especially political) is horrible.  It throws crap into people's face and it somehow sinks into their brains.  The Daily Show does a great job countering it and brings humor into something that is just plain ridiculous most of the time.

6.  Man vs. Wild      

Talk about a manly show.  Man vs. Wild is pure entertainment and awesome.  Bear Grylls is a total badass and just keeps me wanting for more episodes.  I know a lot of people say its all fake and crap like that, but the truth is its not fake.  Yeah the sense of weather he is actually all alone and has to do everything by himself, yeah that part is fake but they don't hide it.  The show's purpose is to show you HOW to survive in situations, not to film a guy trying to survive by his lonesome.  I mean there is an episode dedicated to showing how the crew works, from camera guy to ropes team to survival expert.  This show is in my list simply because of the thrill i get out of it.  One of my dreams is to do an episode with Bear Grylls and do everything he does (that includes eat all the things he does).  TV shows are meant to do either of two things: inform you or entertain you and this show does both.

5.  Sportscenter    

The world of sports.  Everything you need to know about sports in the US, Sportscenter has it covered.  This sports news show is one that I follow 24/7.  Being a avid sports fan (understatement) Sportscenter keeps me in the loop with what is happening in sports.  This kind of show could just give you news but Sportcenter has brought in some very knowledgeable personas that are highly entertaining, such as John Anderson and Scott Van Pelt.  They bring humor with great style yet give you all the news you need without fixating on trying to be funny.  Even there commercials are great.  I absolutely hate commercials but I love it when This is SC commercials are on.  Anyways, being in high school I would always watch the end of SC before going to school just to catch the Top 10.  I love this show and is one I will always never get fed up with.

4.  MTV: Real World/Road Rules Challenges      

This is my trashy show.  Everyone has one and if not needs to get one and this is mine.  I love this show with a passion.  All the bullshit drama, the fights, the challenges is pure entertaining.  But what I love about this show the most is the actual challenges.  I would love to go on one and compete.  The stuff they do is stuff I always want to try.  The competitive aspect is what I think drives me the most to watch it.  I thrive on competition.  If you know me then I am a very competitive person.  I always try to win at everything and that is a flaw of mine, but this is not the point.  Now, the drama is awesome.  20 people in there 20's vying for a couple hundred thousand dollars, you are bound to have drama!  Big boy fights to backstabbing bitches, this show brings all the entertainment a 20 year old like me needs.  Every season brings great fun and without it I would struggle to find something to feed my competitive thrill and reality show craving (this is the only reality show I watch so I'm not a reality show addict).

3.  Scrubs          

The inner child of every adult is shown through Scrubs.  The life of a doctor (J.D.) and his friends dealing with life and work.  The friendship between J.D. and Turk is something that is very unique.  It's guy love.  The guy love brings the most comedy to show.  In the show J.D. has a monologue that is carried throughout the show and his inner monologue is shown which throws random yet hilarious scenes at you.  I think the best aspect about this show is that the relationships between all of the characters bring different types of humor.  Besides the laughs and the great entertainment, it provides a deeper side and brings life problems into the show.  It is a great comedy that has not disappointed at anytime throughout the series.

2. House M.D.              

There is absolutely nothing boring about this show.  House is not just another medical show, it is much more than that.  It is deeper on so many levels, especially with the last couple of seasons.  The show follows a diagnostician (Gregory House) that has a brilliant mind but is very troubled.  His cases are not about the patient but they are about the puzzle.  His obsessiveness to get the answer is one that absorbs him.  The truth is all that matters.  His view of the world is that it is a place where everything can be explained and he makes it an objective to express his view.  He is a cruel jackass that is miserable because of a deep vein thrombosis in his leg which has left him crippled in his right leg.  House is probably the most intriguing character that I have ever come across in TV.  To me this show is more psycho-analytical than a medical show.  This season there have been twists in every episode and this season is very promising.  This is probably the best show there is in my opinion but this list is not for best, it is for favorite.  House is the ultimate show that has humor, drama, and suspense: everything that I need to keep coming back for more.

1.  Friends              

My favorite show of all time.  This show probably is the one, at least for me, that deals with real life situations.  This comedy is about six friends living in The Village in New York City.  It shows the struggles and successes of each one as they deal with each other.  I think this is my favorite show because of the type of humor it has.  It deals with real life humor.  It is as if it wasn't even written in the script.  I can tell that in some shows it is very obvious that it is written in the script to make that scene humorous such as Scrubs (I'm not saying it is bad because it is not. It's just I like this humor better) but not in Friends.  The humor is something that seems to come from what a normal conversation can be.  The title brings a lot of meaning into this show.  Being able to be that close to that may people for that long of period of time is something that I believe everyone should have.  Going through the ups and downs of life with people that care about you is something that should be enjoyed and not taken for granted.  The writing is amazing and the actors are perfect for their parts.  Every episode is entertaining and keeps me laughing.  It also helps that Jennifer Aniston is in it! This is the only show that is no longer running which is why I think it is number one.  I have seen everything that this show has (multiple times).  When the other shows end I think the will move up on the list but it will be very difficult to trump Friends in my mind.

My Time Abroad

      So I am about 2 1/2 months into my semester abroad in Italy.  I'm based in Florence and I consider it to be one of the most beautiful cities I have ever been in.  This experience is a chance that I could not have passed up.  Studying abroad is something that I always thought I would do but never had the realization of doing it until my parents encouraged me to do it.  After that there was no doubt in my mind that I was going to study abroad, especially after talking to my brother who said he regretted not ever taking the opportunity to study abroad.  As I have been here and experienced a whole new world, I have realized that moments like these should be taken full advantage of.  I came to Europe when I was 16 and enjoyed it but being a four years older has given me the understanding on how to really encase my mind around the coolness that I have been presented with.  I have made every chance to travel (even though it has landed me pretty much broke) from all over Italy to Spain, Austria, Czech Republic, and Greece.  Its not everyday that i can just say, "Hey! I feel like going to Athens for the weekend," and then actually be able to do that.  
      Since I have been over here I have discovered that there are stages that someone who still relies on mommy and daddy's penny to get you by goes through while being away from home for an extended period of time (this does not count family vacations for 2 weeks, this includes at least several months): 1) The exhilarating thrill of being in a new environment and being able to experience the culture. 2) The short session of missing home.  This occurs after the first couple of weeks when you have done exploring the new place your are in and you realize that your laundry needs to be done and mommy is not there to do it for you.  You quickly realize that she is not there and you have to do it for yourself. 3) After your little homesick stage you begin to accept this new way of living  and you start becoming a more independent person.  You make your own food you clean your room in order for you not to live in filth and you take on other responsibilities that you would not take on at home. 4) After about the second or third month you get into this stage where you have a legit reason for missing home.  Your whole life is back there, your family friends, and even pets.  You miss being able to do the stuff you used to do without realizing that you take it for granted such as  driving in your car going to hang out with some friends and maybe going to an awesome party at a college apartment.  I'm not saying you don't make friends.  You do, you make great friends that you will hopefully keep in touch with when you get back, but right now its not the comfiness that your used to back at home. 5) I have not reached this stage but I believe I will.  This will occur a week or two before you leave. You will realize that your time is coming to an end and you don't want to leave.  You realize that you have had one hell of an experience and you want it to continue.  Then you realize that you need to get back to the real world cause that is where you belong.
      My experiences here have taught me many things.  It has taught me to be responsible for who I am and what I do.  I have recently watched Zombieland (a fantastic comedy/horror movie) and in the movie the main character, Columbus, has a list to survive in this post-apocalyptic world (and I'm not saying that the world is a nightmare) and #32 on his list is "Enjoy the Little Things."  I believe this is true no matter what world you live in.  As long as you can find joy in the most insignificant things you will keep on rolling though the walls that stand in your way.  The last thing I deem important in the things that I have learned abroad is relationships.  Having spend time with 15 other college mates of mine (and many other college students from across the US) is something I hold of value.  The more people you can share an experience like this with the better off you will be.  To come here and make new friends and build relationships with them is what I hope the most to take back to college with me (besides the pics and touristy souvenirs).
      I will undoubtedly miss Italy and all that it has given me but I will be ready to get on with the normal and familiar life that I am used to.  This experience has prepped me for after college and how I will fend for myself.  It has made me stronger and I will never take this opportunity for granted.