Colored

I took it like a grown man crying on the pavement. 

This song has been inside my head today. One of the most beautiful songs you will ever hear. Feelings of sadness, regret, and introspection all converge into a singular fuzzy, existential emotion. Frontman Andy Hull, as I have realized today, is one of my favorite lyricists. His careful and slightly whimsical wordings craft vivid images of his world for the listener. (chill..... redux?)

One of the many places this song takes me to is a long, lonely, quiet (hypothetical) train ride through the American West. In case my blog background didn't give me away, I am a train admirer (TA). Trains make me feel warm and contented. Some reasons I romanticize them: the CHOO CHOO, circumstances in which you are standing near a train track and see a train approaching from afar that seems to be moving so slowly with its singular headlight shining towards you and then the train is passing right by you with power and authority unrivaled by any other machine. Also because these machines are often composed of, what feels like as it is chugging by, hundreds of different cars.  

Stationary trains are equally as romantic to me, if not more so. Thinking about some abandoned train cars sitting on some abandoned railroad makes my heart flutter. It is impossible to properly describe the aesthetic pleasure I feel from looking at a train car, but I will attempt. I like to imagine every abandoned train car idle in its current position on the train track since at least the 1980's (the decade I associate with anything seeming like a "long time ago"). Each car would tell its own story of fascinating travels if it could communicate with humans. But since I have yet to communicate with a train car, the travel stories are left for me to type. My favorite story usually includes the car travelling through some obscure mountain pass in Colorado or Idaho or Nevada, seeing specific sights that no man has ever set eyes on before. 

Aside from my fantasy world, abandoned train cars also offer more immediate visuals that I enjoy. The symmetrical shape, the rust, the graffiti, the bold lettering loudly proclaiming its origin and the colors these factors create. Thus, I forced Kate to take a trip with me to the Train Museum(!) of Danbury, CT. I figured I would be indulging myself in some railroad history and probably some sweet-ass photos of old trains. It was the stuff of my wildest dreams. I got what I expected, plus a train yard (real-life trains no longer in service that are now part of the museum's collection) to walk around in. This is what the train yard(!) looked like:

New Haven Halloween car (candy inside)

Proceeding means walking into living trains

 
My second favorite train (I am 8 yrs of age) is the yellow MAINE CENTRAL caboose (first blog mention of "caboose;" will not be the last). Firstly I enjoy the contrast of the windows on the left; one being see-through/black and the other being boarded up with what appears to be some sort of yellowing paper/white. I also appreciate the yellow/green paint job. But mostly I love the caboose's sense of humor. THINK SAFETY WORK SAFELY. Seems to be an attempt at a snappy slogan/ public service announcement? All I can think about is how safety and safely are almost the same word and how much this slogan does not roll off the tongue. Were "workers" during this caboose's active railroad career distracted by this as well? Distracted to the point that they inadvertently began to work unsafely? This sloganeering seems to have been unsuccessful.

My favorite train is LONG ISLAND. I have never been east of Queens, New York, but I love imagining this train chugging along the shores of the Atlantic merrily performing its blue-collar Long Island duties. Its lettering seems to recall the earliest, most primitive methods of placing letters onto modes of tra(i)nsportation. In my estimation it also seems to be the most crumbling and have the most paint peeling. Its base colors are now charmingly trending towards "rainbow." Bringing me to my blog post intention: a colorful discussion. 

The Five Senses (in bullet form):

• Hearing
• Sight
• Smell 
• Taste 
• Touch 

Existential question (not rhetorical) posed to you, audience: What would be the last sense you could afford to lose as a Five-Sensed human? I cannot imagine life as a blind person. Probably because my imagination would be all that is left. I identify as a visual learner (Psychology major!) and my visions are the language in which my thoughts are formed. Without vision, I cannot comprehend how thoughts could be formed. I should feel grateful every day for my ability to see. My favorite perk of being able to see: colors. 

Colors and color combinations are what makes sight fun. Ponder this notion for a second; you enjoy sight. And I love the interaction of colors. Bright, not necessarily "loud," colors are most aesthetically pleasing to me. They also give me a subliminal feeling of positivity. Thus, "goth" people (they may already be extinct in the year 2013, sorry for making a high school reference) dress in black. They want you to think they are depressed and misunderstood. They wouldn't dare don bright, colorful outfits and reward onlookers with a subliminal feeling of positivity. FULL DISCLOSURE: I relish positivity, so I try to dress colorfully. I try to decorate my bedroom with color (bedroom is the only room I currently control). I take color photographs. I try to say colorful things in social interactions.

Color communicates. Different colors are associated in our brains with different emotions. Softer colors can help put us at ease. Louder colors can communicate dominance. We use colors in our descriptions; there is a universal understanding among people with sight. Nations, sports teams and countless (I didn't attempt to count) other associations identify themselves through colors. The "color commentary" during a sports broadcast offers insight. No matter the era or generation, colors have been and will always be integral in advertising; the warmth colors bring to us is universal. We are in awe of landscapes because of particular color combinations and contrasts. The principal reason I love trains is most likely because of their striking colors. 
 

A pleasing color combination (at left) currently staring back at me.

A black-and-white world operates inside a box. A world in color is limitless. My favorite color is green. What's yours?     

Thank you for reading these words. 
A band that might also be enamored with color: Colour Revolt-Matresses Underwater   

chill........

Within popular lexicon as of April 16th, 2013, "chill" seems have a significant presence. I could not quantify for you, audience, just how much of my personal lexicon overlaps with popular lexicon. I like to imagine no overlap existing. Especially since my favorite pastime (blogging is an undoubted second) is mocking pop(ular) culture. However, I am experiencing some Cognitive Dissonance (Psychology major!). I am unquestionably influenced by pop culture, as anyone with an awareness of it is to some degree. This influence carries into our personal lexicon. Most of us (me) couldn't understand what the fuck was going on in Hamlet in high school because of Shakespeare's lexicon. In the same way, had Shakespeare boarded a time machine and chose to be transported to April 16th, 2013 (to get an opportunity to read my blog), he would not understand what we were saying. And I would mock him for being so pretentious. 

A chill discussion:
Today, "chill" does not only mean "to cool food." It rarely means that. In popular lexicon, I think it most often means "relax." 
"Chill bro!" Translation: Relax, male. 

Or in the lexicon of out-of-touch adults: "Take a chill pill, Bill." Translation: Relax, male.

In more recent years(?), "chill" has begun to mean "hang out."  
"Yo, you wanna chill later?" Translation: Would you like to spend some time together later, friend? 

It has also been modified to be used a personal adjective, meaning "cool."
"My friends are pretty chill." Translation: I like my friends. (An inherently weak persuasion; who doesn't like their friends?) 

"Chill" also has a special connotation within the marijuana community. As in, super-laid back. 
"Yo0o0o you're so chill." Translation: Do you have any weed? 
 
I'm not sure of the exact era in which "chill" became the common word being spoken in any given casual small-talk exchange. But I know that, now, as of April 16th, 2013, I hear it almost every time I share a small-talk exchange with a male acquaintance. Even in passing: 

Me: Yo, what's up man? 
Man: Chillin. 

I pass by a man, and we are walking. Yet, he's "chillin." Suddenly, "chill" translates to "am alive?" Or more simply: "nothing." The way popular lexicon is trending, as far as I'm concerned, is that "chill" will soon mean "everything." As in, just substitute "chill" for any word and its meaning will be understood. Furthermore, are we approaching popular lexicon in which everything is just understood and we are simply reading each other's minds? "Chill" is the barometer of society's evolution. 

Side note: I suppose my "what's up" can be critiqued as heavily. The real answer to "what's up?" will either be "the ceiling" or "the sky," no exceptions. But "what's up" is not the title of this blog post. Critiques of my hypothetical personal lexicon will be saved for blog posts from the future. If not blog posts from never.       

"Chill" is being analyzed because it is today's theme. My blog post intention for today was to talk about my top 5 "chill" bands. "Chill" is probably not the most poetic way to describe my sentiments, but for the purposes of this blog post becoming an internet sensation, I am going the popular-lexicon route. 

FULL DISCLOSURE: While blogging, I am infrequently listening to music. You already know that music is my livelihood, my blood, my double-cherry pie. But, as you have also noted, I am very particular and exert a great deal of effort when it comes to my diction. So, focus while blogging is paramount. It feels a bit like betrayal to admit that I don't really listen to music while blogging. But herein lies the purpose of this blog post (the following is cliche and a played-out pop culture reference. I'm turning myself in to the hypocritical blogger police):

I don't always listen to music while blogging. But when I do, it's most likely one of the following bands. 

XX (Dos Equis, en espanol) beer product placement in my blog (my take: "I don't always drink Dos Equis, but when I do, it's Dos Equis Ambar). Weird tangents aside...

I have been really enjoying jazz music lately. It might be a subconscious (Psychology major!) effort to relive my past as a trombonist in high school concert band. I like to believe that I am being totally honest with myself about music that I enjoy, as I've never given myself an opportunity to indulge in jazz in the past. I've always written it off as "old people music" or "archaic and irrelevant" in my mind. But my ears have opened and soul is being cleansed. Jazz artists will not be included on this "chill" list because, despite jazz music epitomizing any variation of "chill," I don't feel like I have enough expertise to eloquently distinguish them yet. One day, I will make a jazz top 5. NOTE TO AUDIENCE: if you have any jazz suggestions to me, please include them in the comment section of this blog.  

When I say my top 5 "chill" bands, I do not mean my top 5 reggae bands. That would be a blank list. I mean the bands that I would rely on when I had to study and needed background noise that was extremely enjoyable yet would not disrupt my concentration. These bands help me focus and make me feel relaxed simultaneously. These bands are not necessarily "quiet," but I go to them most often at minimal volume late at night. When I pop in one of these bands' albums, I usually end up wanting to listen to their entire discography. These bands are the soundtrack to my most genuinely self-reflective moments. These are bands I prefer when my head is most clear and my mind is most open. These bands I prefer while blogging. 

These are not my favorite bands. They are my top 5 CHILL bands (bands currently on my itunes), in ascending order of chill-effectiveness. 

5. Brand New 
The undisputed champions of the early 00's (2000's) "emo" movement/lifestyle. Brand New were two cuts above their peers when it came to songwriting. They have definitely have made an appearance on my "top 5 favorite bands, period" list in the past (not available at press time). Sonically balancing quiet moments with some seriously aggressive angst, Brand New's calling card has always been Jesse Lacey's extremely personal, bleeding-heart lyrics. Their latest album (2009's Daisy) didn't chill for me, but I hold out hope for a return to form based on the strength of their high-water marks. 

Most chill album: Deja Entendu is a very close second, but I will go with one of my all-time favorites, The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me, 2006. 

 
4. The Mars Volta
The most musically experimental band I consider myself a fan of, they are both lauded and resented by "music critics." In their heyday (they lost their luster with their two most recent albums), they could make a 70-minute album feel 20 minutes and leave you thirsty for even more. Their spacey atmospheres, muscular guitar solos and English/Spanish vocals flowed together seamlessly. They are equally enjoyable at high or low volumes. 

Most chill album: Frances the Mute, 2005. 

  

3. Circa Survive
Circa's (ca.'s) mouthpiece Anthony Green is the closest thing to a rock star/god in today's "alternative" music landscape. Unflinchingly sexual during performances, his beautiful androgynous croon coupled with his rugged masculine features and dreamy blue eyes add up to "rock god." Google image search him if taking nothing else from this blog. The real reason Ca. is on this list, however, is everything else about the band's sound. They posses the most "atmospheric" and "post-rock" sound of anything found on my itunes. Rarely up-tempo, the songs seem to glide by as your soundtrack to a magic carpet ride. There is also a sad undertone in their sound that aids any introspective efforts on the part of the listener. Green's lyrics are personal yet vague and littered with double-meanings, adding to the introspective cause. A beautiful band in every sense.  

Most chill album: On Letting Go, 2007. 

2. Fugazi
If I constructed a line graph for each band I have ever liked, with each point on the graph being my enjoyment level of a band at a given time, Fugazi's graph might have the least variance out of any band over time. Most of the bands I listen to have a peak period of enjoyment, followed by a gradual decline as I discover new music. This is probably because Fugazi is consistenly a band whose music grows on you. It will never blow your mind on first listen. I own just three of their albums and I've bought each with a significant grace period in between. They are truly innovative songwriters who consistently push the envelope. Fugazi take me to a very contented state.  

Most chill album: Red Medicine, 1995.

1. Radiohead
I spent an entire summer listening to exclusively Radiohead late at night. Much like Fugazi, they exclusively take musical left turns. Thom Yorke's vocals are often indecipherable and always dreamy. They are anti-pop in sound, rock band in popularity. Their chill factor is undeniable. I get the feeling, which in my opinion is the apex of any form of art, that Radiohead purposely go in a totally different direction musically with each release. Yet they consistently top themselves. In sum, they are quintessentially chill. 

Most chill album: Kid A, 2000.

 
Thanks for reading these words. Hope these bands can make your life a little more enjoyable. 

Now go chill.