Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Today's Soundtrack: "Keepsake" by State Radio

Music is what keeps me going. It is without a doubt, my lifeline. Sometimes I think that if it wasn't for music, I'd be completely lost in my life. It's what I can truly connect to emotionally, without having to necessarily talk about whatever it is I have going on in my head, be it good or bad. I'd say that's a pretty weighty role for a 4 minute song to fill, but music never lets me down.

While I love being an independent entrepreneur and able to make jewelry be my full-time gig, it's not always something I'm chomping at the bit to do. Owning your own business can be a little isolating, a little lonely and even a little mundane. Boo-hoo for me right? Not really. I don't feel bad for myself in the least, I get to call the shots in my own life, which isn't a luxury everyone has. While thats a lot control and responsibility to balance on one's shoulders, it's something I welcome in my life. I've always been someone who'd rather be in full control than hand over the control to someone else or trust someone else with my future while my life hangs in the balance. Sometimes I think I don't have a submissive bone in my body. If your reading this right now and thinking, "what a control freak", you would be absolutely correct. I am a control freak, and at this point in my life I've decided to talk full ownership of my control freak-ness, and let my freak flag fly. Now, I'm not saying this is a good or bad thing, but it's how I am, and thankfully, at the ripe old age of 25, I think I've come to terms with the fact that I am who I am and thats all I can be. That's where music comes in. Music is a release for me, where I don't have to be in control, and can get lost in whatever song is playing in that moment. It fills any lonely voids I might be experiencing that day as I work in my studio, it keeps me company when I sketch at my kitchen table late at night, and it comes with me when I walk my dog. Music, music, music, where would I be without you?

Today is a little grey in the Northeast, no sun to be seen and an admittedly lazy day for me. Only a few pieces of jewelry to get finished so I've been filling a lot of my time today with music. Like everyone else, I get into little phases where I love a particular song (usually for no apparent reason) and play it over and over again. That song today is called "Keepsake" by a band called State Radio. State Radio was put together by one of the founding members of a band called Dispatch, a local favorite so I'm often shocked if people don't know who Dispatch is, maybe it's just a regional thing? Anyway, Dispatch was a pretty popular band in their day, I'd call them the independent music movements answer to The Dave Matthews Band. More grass roots, more organic and much more politically charged. State Radio is a continuation of that thought but with a little more rock, a little more politics and a little reggae/ska sprinkled amongst there. State Radio is a favorite in my family and their music is really thoughtful and intelligent. "Keepsake", the track I am personally obsessing over right now, was even used in the Season 3 Finale of my favorite show of all time, Weeds.

Ok, enough blabbering, and more listening. I recommend listening to it once just for it's raw musical integrity and then a second time to really listen to the words. Hope this track is something that can bring a little extra sparkle into your day. Enjoy!

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