A Matter of Music

I've realized that one of the features I really miss from the Xanga blog site is the Xanganon. For you non-xanga users out there, the Xanganon was a feature that would put whatever you were listening to, watching, or reading on the top of your post. It was powered by Amazon and added a nifty picture of the corresponding CD, DVD, or book cover next to the title. For example: 

Currently Playing: Every Waking Moment by Citizen Cope

                                          -Somehow

The only difference is that next to "Currently Playing" would be a picture of the CD and the title would be a link to the CD on Amazon. It was pretty sweet. If any of you technologically inclined blog stalkers out there happen to stumble upon this post, could you let me know if there is any comparable blogger feature? Thanks mates. 

In case you were wondering, that was more than a mere example. I'm actually listening to that at this very moment. Citizen Cope became one of my all-time favorite artists last summer following an epiphany I had when I fell asleep listening to him one evening. Adam totally called it. It truly was an epiphany as I had hated Citizen Cope with a passion before that evening. Like Saul of Tarsus I was struck down and ended my persecution of Citizen Cope. I am now his greatest evangelist. Life is much better now that I'm Cope's Paul.

Already, listening to Citizen Cope floods my mind with memories of last summer. Music does that to me. I don't know if it's the same for you all, but I associate music with a certain time in my life when I listened to that particular music a lot. It is both a blessing and a curse. I have the ability to make any memory I choose to recall more vivid; but at the same time inadvertently trigger some very painful memories I would otherwise never wish to recall. It can ruin some really great songs for a while. 

I recall Adam's thorough frustration with me when I couldn't listen to The Dreaming Tree (a truly amazing Dave Matthews Band song) for about a year and a half because it reminded me of a very painful breakup. "Man... you need to stop associating good music with girls," he told me. I've never forgotten his words. It was at that moment I became cognizant of my music-memory association. I have since come to embrace it. Sometimes it's best not to burry every emotion away. I'm reminded of a scene from I Heart Hucakbees:

Jude Law: Well... whats so great about depression? 

Dustin Hoffman: Nothing... Unless it holds the key to something you compulsively avoid... so it will never be examined or felt.

Thats a really great movie by the way. If you have the means, I highly recommend it.

Hmmm... this post has gotten completely off track. I was supposed to be writing about Citizen Cope and last summer. Instead, I've rambled about my memory associations and I Heart Huckabees. But, alas, my mind and itunes library have drifted from Mr. Cope and have turned to Coldplay, a whole new batch of memories, and the realization that I should really be packing right now. I suppose thats it from me tonight. I have to catch a plane tomorrow morning. 

This is for all you former loyal readers of my Xanga: 

Goodnight Bishop