"Summer" of Dreams

Where do I even begin?

How about we set the vibe first. It starts out with a some Chet Faker, FKA Twigs, SOHN, and then a little bit of James Bay and George Ezra. Oh, and throw in some Hozier in the mix too. Mmm, yeah. That feels just about right.

Now, where were we? Oh, yeah. Apparently I'm bad at blogging. But that's about to change now. And I am serious this time like, I-want-to plan-an-elaborate-wedding-proposal-to-you-that-would-soon-go-viral-once-I-upload-a-video-of-it-on-YouTube-because-it-was-ridiculously-grandiose kind of serious. But, enough with the promises and on with the agendas.

The past few months have been so different compared to what I was doing a year ago... and I kind of love it. Aside from the uncertainty of where I'd be a year from now and the worries and anxieties that come along with it, it's that same uncertainty that brings excitement to my life. If you told a year ago that I'd be brushing shoulders with Matty (of The 1975) and Thomas Mars (of Phoenix), I would've told you you're crazy because those sorts of things do not happen to me. I'm the type of person who'd buy a Killers concert ticket only to find out they'd soon be disbanding/taking a break and cancel the whole tour (circa 2011). But I guess things finally took a turn for the best because not only have I watched a few of my favorite bands live but I've also found myself to be a certified yoga teacher now. A year ago, I wrote this letter and briefly mentioned how I wanted to pursue my certification and now I actually am. I can't believe that was just a year ago.

For someone who doesn't do much, a lot has happened.

Now, what exactly have I been up to in the months that I've missed blogging?

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I Met Youth Lagoon

Seventeen by Youth Lagoon

I remember everything, from the moment I first spotted the curly-haired man in orange hippie garb to the moment I tried speaking to him. My memory of that short time is so vivid in my brain, I hope it stays that way even as years go by. 

I first came across Youth Lagoon's music last year when I was discovering artists from the 2013 Coachella line-up. I really enjoyed his music and I instantly felt a connection. It makes me feel all sorts of things. Sometimes music does that to me and listening to it makes it an even better experience. Of course, like the geek that I am, I wanted to learn more about Youth Lagoon and started reading about the brilliance that is Trevor Powers. I even wrote about him back in March. He's one of the artists that I feel a strong affinity to because I can somewhat relate to his music. His words are beautiful and speak so much. I read somewhere that his music is to some extent an extension of himself and feels like pages off his journal. Flash forward to 25 January, I was in the crowd and he was on stage. I kept remembering that little piece of information when I was watching him perform. I was in awe of him and his art and I couldn't believe I was there to witness it.

I should probably first mention that I was at Singapore last January 23-27 for St. Jerome's Laneway Festival to see him and many more great artists.

Now, here's how I remember meeting Trevor.

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What's your vibe?

Lately, I've been all around the interwebs and reading a lot too, surprisingly. There's been reading of books, magazines, articles, and blogs - mainly some internet vibes. But I've been listening to a lot of new music too. I'm really liking Youth Lagoon's vibe. His music sounds dreamy, like an MGMT feel, but it also sounds quite vulnerable and sweet at the same time. Trevor Powers who goes by Youth Lagoon has described his musical venture as merely a part of himself and his music as somewhat like letting people read his journal. I love these kinds of musicians who are filled with passion and emotion. Check out this music video, Montana by Youth Lagoon, which is very emotional and powerful that people in this video's comments section are all crying, or almost. 

I've got a few more things to share too, like this short film entitled, The Queen, by Christina Choe. The video is described as such: Bobby works at his parents dry cleaners on prom weekend. When the prom queen and her boyfriend stop by with their dress and tuxedo, Bobby has his own prom to remember. 

This next one, The Scared is scared, ensued when Bianca Giaever asked a six year old on what her movie should be about. Don't let the title scare you away, it's not a horror flick. 

Flickering Lights is a project done by hitRECord, a collaborative production company headed by the great, Joseph Gordon-Levitt. It's a beautiful video and you should definitely check out more works on hitrecord.org. 

These next three music videos are my recent favorites. Cry Like A Ghost by Passion Pit is actually my favorite song off their album and then to have this masterpiece of a video to boot is nothing short of amazing. The directing duo Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert have produced great music videos much like this. They were the brains behind Foster the People's Houdini and The Shins' Simple Song. 

Jim Canty gives us four reasons why we should watch Whispers in the Dark by Mumford & Sons four times as much as we should. At one point, it features a cameo by Haim.

Matt & Kim's It's Alright video will leave you dancing along to their tune. I mean, they already are... dancing on their bed and more. Check out Kim twerking at around 2:39.