It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year...Usually...

Hi everyone, sorry, i know it's been well over a month since my last post, but the truth is i just didn't feel like anything was worth writing about. Well, nothing i could put on here for all to see anyways.

Lately life has been a bit dull, just filled with school and such...boring, i know. But some good news, Christmas is less than a week away and i am so freaking excited i lack the words to express it! Christmas has always been my favorite time of the year, and not just because of the presents either. I've always loved the feeling, the atmosphere of the holiday. That warm, snuggly, safe feeling you have waking up and walking downstairs on Christmas morning.

I also greatly appreciate the fact that i get to reconnect with some people in my family who i don't get to see nearly as often as i would like to. On Christmas Eve i get to hang around with my 3 cousins, and we're all within 3 years of eachother at the most, the oldest being 20-21 (not 100% sure which...>.>). Now, see, i have a reputation for being the cousin that doesn't show up for these family gatherings, so the most i get to really see all of them together is Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve, if that.

Maybe next year when things aren't as crazy and up in the air it'll be easier to see more of them, because to be honest i miss all three of them, one especially who i used to be so close with you'd have to freaking take a crowbar to us to pry us apart.

Hell, even continents drift, i guess it's not so surprsing that people do too.

Night All,
-Russ

Big Day...

November the 10th...it's sort of a big day for me...alot of big things happened to me on this day. Ok...so like two big things...but still it's sort of a big day.

Three years ago, lets just say a big first for me happened, and if it wasn't for that one thing, i'm not sure if i would be the same person i am today. I know you kinda read this, thank you for your friendship these past 3 years and for dealing with me through all my stupid moments, it honestly means the world to me.

One year ago, lets just say i was finally "set free" for lack of better words. A year and a half is a long time, and things can really boil over such a time. I'm not sure you still read this after our last little thing, but sorry for any jerky things i might have done before, fighting is stupid. And if you really do still read this, i honestly hope you're happy where you are and wish you the best of luck in the future.

Well, i hope that will do for now, so for this November 10th,
-Russ

PHILLIES 2008 WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS!!!

WOOO WE WON WE WON WE WON WE WON WE WON WE WON WE WON WE WON WE WON WE WON WE WON WE WON WE WON WE WON WE WON WE WON WE WON WE WON WE WON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Hahahaha, sorry, had to get that out of my system, i live in the suburbs in Folcroft only a good 10-15 minutes from Philly! Doubt i'll be sleeping tonight!!!!!


-Russ!!!

P.S.-Sorry for the delay with the Band/Artist of the Week, it'll be back on Sunday November 2nd!

P.P.S.-WE WON WE WON WE WON!!!!

Next Year

my life will be completely different. All of the friends i have now will be off at their respective colleges, and i will have to come to terms that there will be some i may never see or speak with again. Now i know that isn't a very positive outlook, but hey, the truth is the truth.

I'm already noticing changes this year, and not all of them are good. For one, i've made a few new friends and have gotten closer with some people who i wish i had gotten close to before. Then there's the ones who seem to be slipping farther and farther almost everyday. Well, atleast that's how it feels anyway. There's one person in particular, but i'm not one for mentioning names, that i used to be able to talk to anytime, all the time, and about anything. Now, it kind feels like they're on a ship headed to God-knows-where, while i'm stuck back at the dock being able to do nothing but wave and wish them luck.

People change, this is true, but do friends have to too? It's a little ridiculous to lose a friendship just because something is different. Sure, you may not like things a person has done, or something that person has said, but if you're truly friends, you should be able to put that all behind you...right?

One upside from all this life-crap is that i'm constantly building some truly epic lyrics for my first full song in a long time. I think my last one was written sometime in May-ish, maybe even before that. I can't write well, atleast it doesn't feel like it to me, when things are boring. I need something going on so that i have a catalyst for my writing. It doesn't work if i write about something i'm not experiencing.

This leads me to one of my biggest problems writing-wise. I will start a song, my mind in some place, and it'll be brillant, but, all of a sudden something happens that completely changes my state of mind and then i can't go back and finish, knowing that i'm no longer on the same train of thought i was when i began. Hopefully what i'm feeling now will last long enough for this song to be finished, i'm actually looking forward to it. It has to deal with losing friends due to them moving away, or just becoming distant, and even though it sucks, you have to do what you can, even if it means waving from the dock when you really want to be on board.

That's all for now,
-Russ

Band/Artist of the Week 10/19/08

Howdy hey, i'm starting a new thing here, every Sunday I'm going to post a new Band/Artist of the Week. This is when i pick a band or artist, tell you about them, and then suggest that you listen to them until they sicken you (but they won't because they're awesome).

First ever Band/Artist of the Week will be the one, the only, Julia Nunes. This is appropriate because her new cd I Wrote These, came out this week (which you can order off her website, link will be below). Julia started off making videos of her playing ukelele/acoustic guitar on Youtube, where she soon gathered a large fanbase (currently around 400,000 subscribers), from here she released her first cd, called Left Right Wrong, of only her playing recorded versions of some of the songs from her videos, the most popular being the song Into The Sunshine.

From there she kept recording videos in her spare time, and eventually had enough material to record her second cd I Wrote These (mentioned earlier). Both of these cds are amazing, and if you like acoustic/alternative you will love Julia.

My Recommendations are the songs:
Into The Sunshine
Regrets
Lasting Impressions
Balloon
Anything from the two cds :-p

Links:
www.youtube.com/jaaaaaaa
-official youtube page where you can watch her videos

www.Junumusic.com
-Offical website where you can order her cd's and t-shirts

Stay tuned for more, i'm excited for this little addition here.

Enjoy!
-Stash Out!

Screw Reality

I love fantasy. Books, Movies, TV shows, you name it. If it has some sort of mythical creature or something in it, i'll watch it. I don't know why i enjoy the genre so much, but then again i did grow up on Power Rangers and Dragonball Z, which probably didn't help.

Then there's the factor of the monotony of Reality, which Fantasy tends to break. To me, there's nothing better than forgetting life for an hour or two and diving into a new world filled with whatever your mind can dream of.

As i'm typing this, i'm also looking at my copy of Brisignr, the Third Book in the Inheritence Cycle (Which is the Eragon series just fyi), and i noticed that i haven't been bored yet while i'm reading it. It's amazing really. Every book has atleast one boring part you kinda struggle through, even Eragon had this and it took up a whole chapter. It was excrutiating really.

I have already read the Harry Potter Series, i'm still reading Lord of the Rings, i intend on finishing A Series of Unfortunate Events and the Charlie Bone/Children of the Red King Series sometime in the near future, but next (besides school and all) i want to focus on The Wheel of Time series of books. I've heard alot about these books and about how great of a series it is, even if each book is almost 900-1000 pages in length, and there being 13 in the series. (yikes...)

If you know me, i'm not sure if i come across as the reading type. Trust me, i most certainly am, and if it's a good book, good luck seeing me without it for awhile.

Feel free to suggest some to me,
Night all!!!

-Stash Out!

More New?

Yeah, so basically AP Music is still hard, and i'm still thinking more at night then at any other time of the day. I'm here to let you in on a few more new things i've had in my head, one of them is going to either be a chorus or a bridge to a new song, tentatively titled ""Friends"" (quotations are part of the song name, hence the double there). Anyway it goes like this:

We grew older
As the wind grew colder,
And we just grew further apart,
The world kept on turning
The sun kept on burning,
I think we were doomed from the start

Yeah not sure where it will be in the finished thing...

New thing #2 is just a line i might write a song around, which is how most of my lyrics start development, with a single, what i think is clever, line and then they flesh out. Any way this one has no title and simply is just this:

I can't trust myself any further than i can carry a tune.

Once again not sure where it will be or if it will be used at all...most likely will be a lead into a chorus of somekind...only time will tell i suppose.

Ok the third and final new little thing i thought of comes from a conversation i just had just about 30 minutes ago (it's around 1:32 AM now) and it goes like this:

I really shouldn't be up this late
I should really be in bed,
I should really have done my work
But i'd rather talk to you instead.

I'm thinking part of a verse for this one...maybe even part of ""Friends."" Once again i'm not sure...whatever i finish first you will undoubtedly see up here eventually, so stay tuned.

Goodnight?
-Stash Out

I Still Think Way Too Much At Night...

For the last few years i was convinced. Music is what i wanted to do, what i wanted to go to college to study, what i wanted to pursue a career in. Now...i'm not so sure. I don't know why, but all of a sudden it just seems to be going right over my head. I listen to pieces of music and realize i could probably never even start to write anything as layered or complex as even the simplest song.

I started taking an AP Music course this year, and it's the only class i'm concerned about. Music always seemed to come easy to me, then again, i've been playing percussion for the last 8 years of my life, which isn't exactly the most complex music to read. But now, learning the theory and why certain things sound the way they do...it's just overwhelming. I thought it was going to be a relatively difficult class, but it's just ridiculous. It seems as if everything we're learning is just going straight through my head without sticking to anything. I get a vague idea of where something goes and why it does, but i can't specify certain things.

It's times like these i wish i had taken up a second instrument a long time ago. Maybe then some of this stuff would make more sense. I have no idea if this post even made any sense but i needed to vent about this and noone is online at 4:45 in the morning, so this is going to have to do for now.

Till Next Time,
-Russ
(this post seemed a bit too serious to put my usual sign out here)

Oh Yeah...

One more thing, i do have an original song all but finished. The lyrics are done, and the music is almost there, there's just a little part before the Chorus i need to figure out, but after that its complete, and i thought i would treat you all to sneak peek. Now, this song is almost a year in the making (come January) and i'm glad i finally have it just about done.

Just so you know the title isn't definite...I might call it "Me" or "Prince Charming (I Promise)"
Both will make sense when you read the lyrics, let me know what you think in the comments if you want.

Verse 1
I can promise you everything,
The earth, the stars, and the moon,
But we know that's not happening,
Atleast not anytime real soon,
I could promise that i'd be,
The perfect one for you,
I can't promise you anything,
And not be lying too

Chorus
I can't promise you anything,
I can't promise you Prince Charming,
I can't promise you anything,
That would sound too promising,
But i'll try real hard,
Right from the start,
To be the one you want,
And the one you ask for,
I can't promise much,
But i can promise...
Me

Verse 2
I can promise i'll be there,
Or atleast some of the time,
I know i'll begin to wear,
On your patience and your mind,
But if you just stick it out,
And stay on for the ride,
If you give me once more chance,
I'll promise one more rhyme

Chorus

Bridge
I wrote this song for you,
To show through and through,
I am deeply flawed,
Like everyone else,
I know i'm not
The perfect guy,
But i can get pretty close,
If i try


That's it, i know it is a bit corny, but i like it, it's honest and that's all i care about

Look for it on the Purevolume/Myspace soon...

Enjoy,
-Stash Out

I'm Not Sure...

What to do about all these new bands coming out these days. Two years ago, i would've loved them all, seeing as they all carry the similar "pop-punk" sound. But the thing i can't decide is this, are they good...or just catchy?

I remember in 8th grade, i was listening to Fall Out Boy (yes they did exist pre-Sugar We're Going Down) and i thought it was the best band ever. Well, next to blink-182, who remain my favorite to this day...But, Take This To Your Grave was an amazing album, but when i listen to it now, i just shake my head and wonder just what happened to such an amazing band.

So pop-punk, is it even justifiable anymore? Is there any talent or creativity left in it? Will it ever go back to the old ways? Well, New Found Glory has kept my hopes up, along with (+44), Say Anything and, surprisingly, Panic at the Disco. Let's hope these heroes can save the genre before its swallowed into nothingness and is forgotten...

That's all for now,
-Stash Out...

Hmm...

So, i'm doing pretty well. I have new song almost finished, i hit a new creative streak, i'm about to attempt my first all nighter of the summer, and i think i'm pretty happy at where i am.

I'll keep you all updated on the song process, expect to see the lyrics here when i'm done.

Night All
-Stash Out!

You Always Were So Cynical...

Yeah, i have nothing to say to you, so stop bothering me...and i'm pretty sure you probably read this out of some strange sense of curiosity and i know you'll have read this when you IM me all pissed off, but i'm not mentioning names and all i have to say is nothing, because that's all i feel you truly deserve.

And who the hell are you to tell me how to handle a relationship? Mind your own damn business.

Sorry for that post, i know i said i wasn't going to use this blog to be condescending and jerk-ish, but this was a special occasion.

Night All,
-Stash Out!

New...?

me Ok, so i've had a creative-block for some time now, but miraculously as i was playing around with my guitar i stumbled upon a chord pattern that sounded nice and then the words came right out.

I only have a verse and some of the chorus spelled out, and its all subject to change, but i'll give you a sneak peek, just because:

1st verse

What did i come here for?
It would be easy
To ignore you
If i hadn't seen
Your face before
Now i'm picking my jaw
Up from the floor
When i see you
walk through that door

Chorus
And i keep falling
And i keep calling
Out for you,
Hoping you need me too,
And i keep falling
And i keep calling
Out for you,
Hoping you feel the way i still do

Yup, that's it, you might recognize that jaw lyric from the post a few days ago, glad i finally found a place for it. I'm hoping to write the rest of this soon because i really like it.

Till next time
-Stash Out!

Bully Will Murder My Brain...

Yup, my creativeness died. I just failed twice at updating this thing with another rant. I don't know why, or how, it just happened...whoops. Then again, i did just play a video game for around oh....6 hours? Yeah, let's go with that.

This video game is Bully: Scholarship Edition for the Nintendo Wii. It was developed by Take Two and Rockstar Games, yes the very same infamous developers that brought you the ever so dangerous Grand Theft Auto Series! (gasp!) Yeah...too bad video games don't kill people, stupid people kill themselves and happen to be playing video games at the time or just so happen to die in some kind of game reference...so f***-off Hilary!

Ok...got that out. Anyway, thats exactly what this game is, a Teen-rated GTA. instead of a felon you're a sort of...high-school Robin Hood. You stand up to the Bullys and the Jocks and the Preppy kids for the little guys, all while adminstering your own brand of "justice"...and that i mean wedgies, stink bombs, and slingshots :-).

Yeah, the game is fun, takes a bit to get into the swing of it, but it's so fun. The combat system is a little...well...difficult. The controls are great, even for a Wii port, but if you are fighting more than 3 guys at a time by yourself, you are pretty much screwed. I really don't feel like explaining the whole game premise here, so go look it up at IGN or Gamespot or even Wiki if your bored.

Night!
-Jimmy Hopkins...er Stash...Out...

blink-182

They are the greatest band ever, go listen to them, now!

-Stash Out!

New Lyrics...Maybe?

hey hey, its 4 AM or atleast around that time. Like i said, i don't know why i write when i do, i just do, it just works...i dunno...

But, as many of you know i write lyrics...or atleast try :-p. And earlier today/tonight/this morning(?), i thought of a clever thing:

"Picking my jaw off the floor
When you come through the door."

Eh, it's nothing really fancy, but i don't usually go for fancy. Not sure if i'm going to use it yet, i'm actually in the middle of writing a song...and this is looking good for a bridge section. Oh well, this post was really pointless, and i'm going to bed.

Night!
-Stash Out

Late Nights = Way Too Much Thinking

So its around 2:30 AM, and this just so happens to be when my mind is the most active. Believe or not, when i write, its usually around this time at night. Whether it be on here, or lyrics, or just jotting down ideas for a project i've been working on since 6th grade, the ideas just seem to flow better later at night. Now i'm not sure if i just become a clinical genius late at night or if its just the lack of sleep causing my brain to over-act as a way to yell at me "GO TO BED DUMBASS!" Either way it just tends to work.

But with most situations there are pros and cons to this "overnight genius." (teehee, liked what i did there? its a turn of phrase!) While sure, the creative things work better, other stuff i just want to forget about also tend to rear their ugly heads. Whether its a person or a place or a particularly creepy section of a book, (anyone who has read The Road by Cormac McCarthy, im talking about the part where he finds the cannibals in the basement) they must just think its hilarious to bug me while i'm sleep deprived. Well haha thoughts...haha, you are hilarious. (sarcasm...no really...it is...)

But anyway, (good song by the way, it's by Blues Traveler, look it up) the whole reason i'm writing this post is because i happen to be up late at night and i'm thinking to much about a past occurance/person to get to sleep. Of course, thank God, i'm not the only one who does this. (Infact theres a facebook group that was just started called "I Think Wayyy Too Much At Night" and yes the 3 y's are really there) So i stay up and i talk on AIM to my friends who also happen to be up late and thinking too much and than we think too much together and i'm sure if too many of us though too much all together at once, it would bring about the apocolypse...but so far we've been safe.

So now its around 2:45 AM, and i'm thinking of heading to bed and doing something with this excess thought goo floating around in my brainal-cavity...

Night all,
-Stash Out!

Musically-Random

So as everyone knows (all thos who know me anyway) i love, not like, music. Listening to it, playing it (if i know how), and even watching it. And lately i've been listening to alot of random songs, mostly for nostalgic reasons. Certain ones remind me of a place, or a person, or a time that i miss or wish i could experience again. For example: A Decade Under The Influence by Taking Back Sunday always reminds me of a week spent in Upstate New York with my cousin, which is something that i wish i could go back to very much.

Music means something different to everyone, i mainly focus on the lyrical part of it, mainly because lyrics can make or break a song for me. If a song is catchy, thats good, but if its lyrics don't mean anything, whats the point? Unless its Weird Al or a random blink-182 song, i like my music to mean something. Most lyrics are about girls, or relationships, or heartbreak and this is easy to understand, seeing as how these are some of the most influential subjects out there. However, when someone can pull a random verse out of nowhere about something completely different than the usual subjects, i find myself thinking in awe "Why can't i write something like that?"

Lyrics are important, but without the music backing it, they're just poems. Which brings me to something else that bugs me: people who are completely ignorant of lyrics. Most songs nowadays have their meanings in their lyrics, and when someone writes a song, they want their message heard and its almost insulting when someone takes such a thing and takes it as something that isn't worth their attention. Sure, a catchy tune or a mellow ballad is always fun to see, but if you ignore the meaning to a song, whats to point of listening to it? It actually annoys me to no end when i ask someone what they think a song means and their answer is "I don't know, i just like the music." Don't sing something unless you either know what it means or know that it means something. Or just don't sing it around me.

Wow...that was a good rant...don't really know why i wrote it, just bored.
Seeya next time
-Stash Out

Hypocrite!

Yeah yeah, it's a blog, and i've badmouthed such things for as long as i can remember, but thats only because most blogs are full of self-righteous, condescending crap. I'm just doing this because im bored...no kind of purpose behind it.

Go ahead, call me a hypocrite, yell at me for contradicting myself...whatever...I'm just a 17 year-old kid with nothing better to do. So bite me. :-)

well...umm...that's it for now?

-Stash Out