“Live inspired” is NYC’s Lifestyle & Charity’s motto. As I breeze through the eMagazine, images of beauty and grace-all in the name of philanthropy-wash over me.
Yes. Why yes, I am inspired. In a matter of minutes I feel as if I just flew through six thousand pins on Pinterest that I actually thought were lovely, inspiring, and beautiful. Now, I’m ready to…
“Rage in the days of Summer Let go in the days of Summer Change the world in the days of Summer”
..well, sort of. The whole full-time job puts a bit of a damper on my desire for a summer rage, but I am excited to see what other art, fashion, food, beauty, entertainment, lifestyle and culture inspiration L&C will introduce me to in the fall issue. Until then I will “rage” at my desk to L&C’s summer playlist on Spotify.
I’ve been listening to Aqualung since early high school. I remember driving in my little white Toyota listening to The Strange and the Beautiful. The windows were rolled down and the music was loud. Of course, when Memory Man was released I listened to it as I explored Aspen groves in Southwest Colorado. As I began college in NYC, Words and Music was a constant companion for many late-night study sessions. About a year and a half ago, my computer was stolen-along with my entire music collection-so I haven’t listened to Aqualung since.
That is, until a few days ago.
I was trudging through hundreds of pages of billing at work and decided to add Brooke Fraser’s 2010 CD, Flags, to my Spotify playlist. When the first cords of “Who Are We Fooling” hit my ears, I stopped. Immediately after the song ended I played it again, then again, and again, and again, and again, and again. I heard a familiar voice join Brooke in brilliant melody. It was Matt Hales (from Aqualung) and together, their harmony wove in and out and lingered in the air (and in my head) long after the song was over. But the song’s content stood out to me the most.
It’s not often that you hear a beautiful song about married love. It’s even less frequent you hear lyrics in a bridge that praise everyday struggles; “Cause real love/ Is hard love/ It’s all we have/ It’s a break-neck/Train wreck/ It’s all we have.” And sticking it out together through the thick and the thin, because life’s struggles are the things that it is made of. “Together we’re one, but apart tell me Who are we fooling?”
File Next To: Copeland, Jon Foreman, Jeremy Enigk, Sara Bareilles, MuteMath
But I thought he had already called it quits-for the second time? Regardless, the newly married, newly sober musician is at it again, and his newest masterpiece, Ashes And Fire, is available in stores and online TOMORROW, October 11th. Heck, this album, though thoroughly folky/country, may become more beloved than Gold, or Adam’s last release, Easy Tiger. This rock-and-roller has gone through hell and back since he was diagnosed with Ménière’s disease, which ruins hearing and equilibrium) two years ago, and now emerges with a softer edge. Soprano harmonies by his beloved wife, Mandy Moore, track titles like Kindness and Lucky Now (not Enemy Fire, or Drugs Not Working?), and a low-key soulful vibe throughout the album signals a new turn in Adam’s life. Longtime friend, Norah Jones, again accompanies Adams with guest vocals on this album.
If you haven’t jumped on the Spotify bandwagon already, it’s high time you did. In case you haven’t heard, Spotify is the best thing to happen to music since iTunes. Spotify is a music streaming service with desktop applications available for Linux, Microsoft Windows, and Mac OS X.
Ryan Adams
