Ode to Music.

I have this obsession with music; always have. I think most people feel the same way. It's only by connection and incredible luck that I get to write about it and anybody even cares what I have to say because I think that if you got down to it, just about everyone would have something to say about the music they love.

I've always had this funny relationship with music. When I was a kid, I used to listen to international music and write down the phonetics of the songs I couldn't stop listening to. To this day, I still know the words to entire songs in Spanish, Icelandic, and Russian- none of which are languages I speak. It's weird- I know.

I grew up listening to The Beatles (thanks Mom), Muddy Waters & Howlin' Wolf (thanks Dad), and a variety of The Smiths, country, and whatever they played on KIIS FM. My first cassette tape was Kris Kross. I was all over the board, obviously.

Once I graduated into finding my own "way" with music- my tastes went even more haywire. NOFX, Bjork, and Goldfinger blipped on my radar. My best friend used to make me these mixed tapes that completely rocked my world. Music became my drug. Once someone handed me a driver's license (meaning that I could blast whatever I wanted without my parents caring), it was game over.

Music is, to me, like this entirely new language. I don't care if it's rap or country or ambient... it's like reading a book that takes you from the place you're sitting and transports you wherever you want to go. The beat of a drum can pump you up; a melancholy hum of a violin can calm your nerves. It's sort of incredible when you really think about it. The closest thing I can even think to compare it would be magic... music may well be the closest thing to an actual spell that I've actually been under.

With the introduction of Pandora and now Spotify- it's become even more of a beautiful love affair. I can (and do) spend hours wandering through Spotify, clicking on bands and their "Related Artists" tabs. I want to hear everything; to experience every voice and sound there is. For some reason I find some kind of elation when I hear someone for the first time. Like the butterflies you get when you meet somebody you know you really, really like.

I hope my passion for music doesn't come off too strong, but if you're anything like me, you completely understand. Here's a few gems for your ears, to start your Monday off right: