This is Just A Sorry Lament

Hey ya'll, C here again. I figured this would be an easy week to find music but I was wrong. It turns out the majority of less than cheerful songs in my library are all directed at self made problems or internal sadness. This prompted a very lengthy listening session in search of true melancholy, which of course has left me in a very infinitely sad state of mind. I should get on with it before I end up laying in bed and staring at the ceiling for 8 hours instead of writing this blog.

Since the theme of the week was inspired by a Smashing Pumpkins song I have to post my favourite tune by them, "Mayonaise". This song reminds of every day in first year university. I think maybe because that was the most I ever listened to it. It was rough being away from home for the first time and having no friends from high school come to Guelph. For a while I didn't think I was gonna make it. I remember lying in bed and listening to 'Mayonaise' while falling asleep. It definitely didn't cheer me up but it seemed to channel my "depression" into a semblance of fluidity and made it manageable. I love this song. I think I could listen to the intro forever and of course D'arcy's bass is incredible.

This next tune is by Meg & Dia. They're a sister band that have a bunch of dudes playing instruments. They have very nice voices and know how to use them. I'm a fan. They have a song called 'Halloween' which is possibly the saddest song ever. It's about a women who loses her partner on Halloween, about the sadness of having someone removed from your life and realizing that you have to go through the rest of your life without them. The song definitely shakes you out of any little bubble you're in and makes you look around and take in the world around you and appreciate the people in your life.

Hey, you guys like Bob Dylan? I like Bob Dylan. Here's Bob Dylan.

Wow, so now my extensive listening session has yielded too many infinitely sad songs and I'm being forced to choose a final selection. Runner's up include: Wintersleep's 'Dead Letter & the Infinite Yes', Thrice's 'Atlantic', The Hereafter's 'Back Where I Was', and Flogging Molly's 'Float' - all songs that would be perfect to listen to while sitting on top of a mountain and looking out over infinity. But, I'm going to thrown up Belle & Sebastian's 'This is Just a Modern Rock Song', not because of what the song is about but just for how it makes you feel. Stuart's voice is too perfect for this style of music. The definition of melancholy.

Infinite sadness also reminds me of the book "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky. If you haven't read it, read it. It's a life changer. Very nicely written too. And Charley, the main character, likes The Smiths so it gets extra bonus points. Charley is a pretty infinitely sad kid for reasons that you discover throughout the book. He talks about "being infinite" a lot... it's sad and yet happy all at once. He also makes mixtapes for his friends. He starts them off with 'Asleep' by The Smiths and finishes them with the same song. I'll leave you with Morrissey, his voice, Marr and his piano. Later Days people!