Keep moving!

Every week, Saturday and Sunday come and go and still to (mostly) everyone's surprise, Monday morning arrives. Without fail, the phrases I hear every week include:

"The weekend just wasn't long enough."
"Just a few more days until the weekend!"
"Hooray -it's Friday!"

OK yes, I do love the weekends. It's great to sleep in and have a bit of down time. However, as the other five days of the week take up more of my time - I think focusing on how to make these just as great is really important for having a quality of life. Counting down the minutes until the next weekend is overlooking all of the great things that Monday through Friday have to offer.

So for the past hour as I've been getting things in place for the week, I've played Mr. Scruff's "Get  A Move On!" on repeat and I've never been more eager for a Monday morning! This eight minute song is guaranteed to get you movin' & groovin' and ready to take on whatever this week has to bring. Also, if you're a Spotify user, subscribe to my Good Morning Playlist for additional good-mood-jams.

How do you start your week off stress-free?

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Coldplay + social media = #winning

Coldplay released the video for "Paradise" today (check it out here) and let me start out by saying I absolutely love the song and am eagerly anticipating the album Mylo Xyloto due out next week. However, I do have mixed feelings about the video. I can't get past the ridiculous elephant costume (although I have to admit that the cinematography is gorgeous, and I think I'll be dreaming of paradise tonight as well.) Since most of the video is an implied story, I am not a fan of the lyrics written out on pieces of cardboard as I think it's a bit too literal. But to be honest, Chris Martin can get away with anything in my book and at the end of the day, I will still continue to watch it and share it. Maybe it's the "wow" factor we all crave. In the YouTube era of videos when we are used to watching homemade webcam productions, I guess anything goes!

The band is running a pretty cool marketing campaign to spread the word about their new album. They are taking advantage of the nifty album cover to allow fans to create their own version with their initials to use as a Facebook or Twitter avatar. What better way to personalize your brand for your fans and initiate a grassroots movement for publicity? In our ever-connected-social-media-infiltrated world, standing out is important. In particular, the music industry is having a challenging time profiting and has to be creative. I'd say this idea is #winning!

Any other cool music marketing campaigns you've noticed lately?

In the meantime, enjoy the additions to the A-Z playlist project below, and continue sending suggestions to TheDailyChallengeBlog@gmail.com for your favorite morning tunes. Subscribe to the playlist on Spotify here.

"Gone in the Morning" - Newton Faulkner

"Helena Beat" - Foster the People

"Islands" - The xx

"Just One Look" - Doris Troy

"Kick Drum Heart" - The Avett Brothers

"Learnalilgivinanlovin" - Gotye

"Live in a Van" - Burlap to Cashmere

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Live from Beachland Ballroom: The Head And The Heart

Last night The Head And The Heart returned to Cleveland (after their summer show with The Decemberists) at the Beachland Ballroom. If a single person walked in to the venue with a doubt in their mind about how the night was going to go, I am positive they left with a desire to be the seventh member of the band, or at the very least a permanent groupie. In any case, the show was phenomenal and easily one of the best I have seen in 2011. The small venue, voted best live music scene in Cleveland, provided an intimate setting of less than 200 people. Yet again, another reason why indie concerts are some of the best - the audience is practically serenaded by the band. The openers, The Devil Whale followed by Thao with The Get Down Stay Down, set the stage for an evening of high expectations.

2011 has been a big year for the band as they signed with Seattle's Sub Pop Records, released their self titled album and headlined their own tour. And this is just the beginning.

A highlight of the evening was when both opening bands joined TH&TH on stage for an incredible version of "Lost in My Mind" - my personal favorite. As if the 45-minute set wasn't enough, the encore performance of "Gone" had everyone in the audience singing along and tapping their feet. For anyone who enjoys folk music, singer/songwriters, quality entertainment or talented musicians, then this lineup is a top choice. And the best part? Everyone in the band was super chill and went out of their way to mingle with fans afterward. Josiah even rocked a fan's Browns' hat for a brief period of time during the show. Five stars in my book.

Listen to The Head And The Heart here.

Spotify's social integration: Love it or hate it?

Facebook announced several changes in the past week, one of which being the new requirement to have an account in order to use Spotify. Now, in my opinion, I see nothing wrong with this. First of all, over 750 million people have Facebook and I am betting a majority of Spotify users would already be in this category. Second, the music industry is undergoing a radical change and I think providing a social outlet just might be the answer to save it. Think about it - how do you find out about new music? Rarely are people browsing the CD aisle at the store anymore, and traditional radio is not the go-to choice. The answer? Find out what your friends are listening to and your library will expand tenfold.

And for those people who are concerned about an invasion of privacy? Well, the good news is Spotify enabled a "private listening" mode so every track doesn't show up in your Facebook profile. But if you are embarrassed to share your playlists with your friends because all you listen to is Michael Bolton, well then, I think there are other issues to address..

In the meantime, here are a few songs on repeat this week which I am currently loving:

• Wilco's entire album, The Whole Love, is now available. My two favorite tracks are "I Might" and "Whole Love."
• City and Colour's "Against the Grain." The band recently announced a Cleveland show at the end of November which I must attend!
• I first heard The Horrible Crowes "Behold the Hurricane" on The Morning Buzz on 88.3 FM and can't get enough. Great find of the week!

What do you think - should Spotify users be required to have a Facebook account? Do you want to know what music your friends are listening to?

Music spotlight: Radical Face

I started listening to one song by the band Radical Face ("Welcome Home") and each song I've listened to since I enjoy more and more. The mellow sound is both soothing and energizing and the incorporation of several instruments keep it interesting. Below are my two favorites (for today at least) - let me know what you think.

Have a fabulous weekend.

-C

Music spotlight: Givers

I heard the band Givers on KCRW a few weeks ago and came across a few videos again today on the Rolling Stone YouTube channel. Their energetic beats are a great way to start your Wednesday and will have you dancing in no time!

It's gonna be a lovely day..

 

Happy first day of November! I hope it is lovely.

Mood-lifters

A few months ago I stopped watching the news because I found that any time I would turn it on, even if it was just for five minutes, everything was related to violence, death, destruction, or accidents on the highway! There was rarely a time when I said, "wow, I'm really glad I just spent my time listening/watching that." So anyway, I had this thought: what if the news only reported on the number of people who made it safely to work, which I am sure is much much greater than the number of people who were involved in car accidents. The number of people who weren't affected in a shooting rampage, which again, is a much greater number than the victims. The charitable acts of people, often overlooked, is again a much greater percentage of the population than the percentage doing "bad." Etc. etc. you see my point. Since I don't think the media is going to give in to that idea any time soon, it is inevitably up to each and every one of US to seek out inspirational and positive things, which it turns out, are not at all hard to find! I think because the media often focuses on violence and tragedy rather than hope or more uplifting topics, it is fairly easy to assume that "there is no good" being done in the world. But that statement couldn't be more wrong! I have a list of just a few things off the top of my head that I consider "mood lifters" if you're ever doubting the positivity of humanity, or just need another reason to smile and share it with someone else.

• Fashion: Who doesn't want to go shopping, think about shopping, think about fashion, etc.?! Here are a few websites related to shopping and fashion that I love.
  
• Toms Shoes: If you haven't heard of it, go check it out. As stated on their website, their purpose is: "With every pair you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need. One for One. Using the purchasing power of individuals to benefit the greater good is what we're all about." Awesome!
• Everyday to Runway: A close friend of mine recently moved to NYC, got an internship at Cosmo, and blogs about fashion! Talk about livin' the life. I love reading her blog to see what some of the latest trends are with celebrities, and to see the fashion world through her eyes since it is something she is really passionate about.
  

• Music: You cannot deny that music is an easy and enjoyable way to spruce up your life. There are too many great artists and musicians out there, it's hard to narrow it down but I've compiled a random playlist just for today. (Another note, check out Pandora.Com to listen to free internet radio based on what genre/artists you like.)
  

• Jason Mraz - Remedy
• Regina Spektor - Fidelity
  
• Black Eyed Peas - I Gotta Feeling
• The Temptations - The Way You Do The Things You Do
  
• Weezer - Dreamin'

• Books: There are so many books on living life with a positive attitude, happiness, etc. that I feel like I don't have enough hours in the day to read them all! A few that I recently read: The Happiness Project (Gretchen Rubin), The Secret (Rhonda Byrne), Eat, Pray, Love (Elizabeth Gilbert) and Something to Smile About (Zig Ziglar.) And on my to-read list: The Blind Side (Michael Lewis) and many many others that I am not going to sit here and list out!

• Other blogs and websites: I have a few blogs that I refer to when I am looking for a "mood lifter" or a little added inspiration to my day.
  
• The Happiness Project: From the author of the book.
• La Vita é Bella: A close friend of mine started blogging about her positive thoughts and I find it really inspirational.

There are many others but I don't want to overwhelm this post with lists and lists (because I could probably go on for a long time!) Lastly I'll leave you with one of my favorite ways to find inspiration, a quote: "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. " Martin Luther King Jr.