Five Bands to Fall In Love With

Hey everyone! It's been a while since I've last posted, I just got back home and its taken some time getting back in the swing of things. I haven't been up to much other than laundry and running errands, (you wish you had my life, right?) just the usual for such a glamorous girl. The only other thing I've felt like doing with this rainy Florida weather is listen to music and watch movies, so I figured I could just talk about some of the music I've been loving recently. Note to all of you: my tastes in music are constantly and dramatically changing, so don't get used to just seeing one genre. I will try to focus on more indie and rock bands since thats what y'all voted for most in my last poll. (See, I care about what you all think)

1. The Kills (no, not The Killers)

I've been in love with The Kills for a really long time. I've realized they're not the most popular group around too so I'm trying to spread the word. The Kills is just a two-member band consisting of lead singer Alison Mosshart and guitarist Jamie Hince. You may know Alison from her other project The Dead Weather (also awesome) with Jack White, but The Kills' music has a much cooler tone. A gritty, honest sound that keeps me coming back to them and has for years. I recommend their album Blood Pressures for new listeners, here's a taste:

2. Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

Edward Sharpe and company released their second album in May of this year and it absolutely lives up to their debut. This is one of those bands that, no matter what mood I'm in when I turn them on, will have me singing along and dancing in the car during the first song. They're a huge band that seems more like a family with a very unique sound. Their hippie attitude and happy melodies have me hooked and I'll be sure to keep an eye on them for a long time. Here's a tune from their new album Here, Man on Fire:

                     

3. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

Besides having a totally awesome name, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart have a unique shoegaze sound that could only come from this chill quartet from New York City. Their almost dream-pop songs stick in my head for days and I can't help but keep coming back for more! They have released many albums, the most popular being their self-titled debut from 2009. Here is their #1 hit from the album, Young Adult Friction:

4. Santigold

Sometimes its hard for me to find a band with a sound I really haven't heard before, but Santigold definitely has it. This solo act for Philadelphia born Santi White really draws me in with interesting sounds and pleasing rhythms. She toured with Red Hot Chili Pepers earlier this year but has yet to gain a huge following, but you should give her a shot anyways. Besides, I named the blog after one of her songs :)

5. Talking Heads 

Just as a curveball, lets throw Talking Heads out there. This new wave band took us through the 70s and 80s with so many hits like Psycho Killer, Burning Down the House, and Road to Nowhere, you just have to love them. Though they've unfortunately disbanded, the bands music still resinates with many, so let this be one of the bands you and your parents can agree on listening to together on those long summer road trips.

Any thoughts? Some new bands out there I need to know about? Let me know in the comments!

Thanks for reading (and listening)!
Anna

Adventures in Kite Making and Pie Baking

As any of my friends could tell you, I'm not the most competitive person. I was never into sports or any kind of competition, but when it comes to bake-offs, I have a different attitude. Yesterday there was a casual bake-off in my dorm where teams competed simply for bragging rights. My team took a non-traditional route. We made mini blueberry peach pies and they were oh so good. They didn't win, but my goodness they were tasty. Hot out of the oven with a scoop of ice cream, its one of my new favorite treats. I didn't have my camera so I only have other peoples' pictures and, to be quite honest, they're not too hot. But we have to work with what we have, right? Also, I just realized I'm not in any of these, I promise I was there :)

Other than baking, I've been spending my time working for class (writing the Facebook Anxiety article, among other things), visiting the Hershey's store (photo up there), and spending time at the beach. I think I'm having a love affair with Lake Michigan. The weather has been perfect walking around and exploring the beach and just spending time watching the water, its so peaceful.

I watched Rushmore (for the millionth time) a few days ago and it made me want to go fly a kite, so thats what I tried to do today. You'd be surprised how few people sell kites anymore. This being said, me and Jack (he has an awesome music blog here) decided to make our own (mistake #1). We got materials like a garbage bag (mistake #2), some plastic silverware (mistake #3), and a whole bunch of tape and yarn. We thought it might work (mistake #4), so we took it to the beach. Unfortunately, no one got a picture (mistake #5), but needless to say it didn't turn out great. The Windy City didn't deliver on the wind aspect, but when gusts came, it just danced around a little just above the ground. Maybe it was the wind or the kite, but maybe I'm just no Max Fischer when it comes to kite flying. 

Speaking of Rushmore, here's one of my favorite songs from the soundtrack, Oh La La by The Faces, a great relaxing weekend tune. 

Bonne week-end mes amis!

Anna

Facebook Anxiety

Social networking is driving us crazy, oftentimes literally. I asked ten people about whether or not they experience stress or anxiety from Facebook. Opinions varied, but many admitted to feeling stressed about missing out, messing up, and misbehaving.

A study conducted in 2009 determined that Facebook is the most widely used networking site and as of May 2012 the site has over 900 million active users. Critics of the site feel that having all of your content so public can lead to problems with friendships, self esteem, and even damage relationships.


According to an Anxiety UK study, 51% of the users polled said that Facebook and Twitter has had a negative effect on their lives. They said they were experiencing trouble sleeping and feeling insecure and overwhelmed about the amount of information they get from constantly checking their news feeds. 


Among those I surveyed, most said that the main cause of stress comes from missing out on events with friends.


"Its uncomfortable when I see my friends did something and they didn't invite me," says Ethan Miller, a 16-year-old student from Los Angeles. "It doesn't happen much but when it does I feel weird about it, like my friends don't want to hang out with me."


Another main cause for stress was reconnecting with old friends.


"Its just awkward sometimes," says Jack Curtin. The 17-year-old student from South Carolina says he has received friend requests from people he used to know but doesn't necessarily want to keep in touch with. "I'll get a message from a kid I went to middle school with and it's just weird because we don't have anything in common anymore." Curtin goes on to say that he has over 600 friends on Facebook, so you can be sure more than a few were awkward reacquainting.


The last issue people seemed to have with social networking is portraying themselves in a more positive and responsible way than they would in real life.

"I am calculated when I post since it is visible by family, friends, and business associates," Wayne Allred, a 47-year-old engineer from Orlando Florida says. "Each group may take what is said in a different way."

This is also an issue for Sierra Roberts, 17, of Rantoul Illinois. When asked if she has to monitor what she posts, she said, "Yeah, because bosses will see it." This issue has grown to be a problem, especially for teens and young adults looking for jobs and trying to get into college.

Emiliano Rojas, a 17-year-old Mexican student, has a more laid back attitude about the topic. When asked if he ever worries about how he portrays himself on the Internet, he simply responded, "Nah man, I am who I am."


For better or worse, it seems that Facebook has affected the lives of many. We've made our lives public and it seems there's no going back. If Facebook is causing stress, which it seems to be, we need to start backing off and trying to reclaim our lives from the Internet.


For more statistics, check out this cool infographic from Online Dating University.

Lazy Chicago Afternoons

Lazy afternoons are the best. The past few days have been nice and calm compared to my past few weeks, some time I definitely needed to recharge. I've had a lot of schoolwork to do (and its still not quite done) and that means I've neglected my blog :( But I'm back now and hope to be able to share some fun new experiences with you. I only have a few days left up in Chicago, but the adventures will keep coming to you from my friends and me in Orlando once I've gone home. I've missed those crazy guys anyway.

These guys are the best :)

 Though my afternoons have been a bit slow recently, I did have the amazing opportunity to see a show at The Second City! It was such a great show; it made me laugh more than I have in a long time (which is saying something, I'm always laughing). I've always wanted to go there so it was so unreal to finally see it. Other than that, its been relaxing at the dorm, running errands, eating too much junk, and watching movies. Don't get me wrong, I've loved it, but I think that’s due to some good company :)

I have been shopping at vintage shops and markets around town recently. I stay up near Edgewater in northern Chicago and its full of great thrift stores and vintage boutiques. I went out on a limb and bought a crazy awesome yellow vintage dress (I never wear yellow, so we'll see how that one goes) and some nice lace for a sewing project back home. There were so many beautiful rings and broaches but they were a little bit out of my budget. I think it was more fun to just go hang out at a new vintage store with friends than actually shop for anything although trying to get a group of guys to go to antique stores with you isn't the easiest. (I guess I just found some good ones:) )

I've also been reading a lot over the past few days and its been wonderful. I'm currently reading Black Swan Green by David Mitchell and I just finished A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin. Both are wonderful, I wish I was reading A Storm of Swords (sequel to A Clash of Kings) but I decided to take a break from fantasy with some modern British literature and I'm enjoying it for a change. I'm a bit of a bookworm, so I suppose you can look forward to some recommendations and new book alerts from yours truly.

Anyways, I hope you had a good weekend and have a great week!

Anna

Just a Taste

Today held another great Chicago adventure. Some friends and I woke up early (well, early for a Saturday) and took the L down to Millenium Park to enjoy Taste of Chicago. It was such a fun morning with so many kinds of food! 

The park and surrounding streets were full of vendors selling foods and everything smelled delicious. We all delighted in different foods, from deep dish to pot stickers and of course funnel cake, and spent the rest of the time people watching and exploring the gardens nearby. It was a great time to fool around with the camera and take some (sometimes goofy) pictures. I'm not too great at it, but I think a few turned out alright.

I hope you all enjoyed your days as much as mine and maybe even did some celebrating for Bastille Day. Thanks again for reading!

Anna

             

Let's Be Kids Again

The past few days, I've had the pleasure to delight in some childish activities and its been a delight. I went to Chicago's greatest frozen custard shop Lickity Split up in Edgewater and got one of the best desserts of my life (for any of you wondering if Oreos and Nutella taste good together, they do). This little shop had so many cupcakes, candies, and flavors of frozen custard, needless to say I was in heaven. I've really loved this city and this was just the icing on the cake (pretty much literally).  Tomorrow holds many more great experiences in Chicago with great friends, and there will most definitely be a post on these adventures soon.

Thanks for reading everyone, see you next time!
Anna

The Best Summer Cupcake Recipes

Need some new cupcake recipes for summer? With outdoor get togethers, barbeques, and beach days all popping up, here's some new options for summer treats. Enjoy!

Which look the best to you? Let me know in the comments!

Bisous everyone, 

Anna