This is pretty darn interesting.

If the world could vote.

Noticed how countries with non-democratic tendencies tend towards McCain? *g*

Well, no secret what I would vote, right? Although, on the other hand… McCain and Palin would probably make even better laughing stock than Mr. George W. Or almost.

Anna Ternheim is a Swedish singer and songwriter whom I absolutely adore.

Do you know the feeling of being frozen inside, so lost that even tears elude you? Listening to Anna Ternheim’s music is one of the few things that can crack the wall then, and make me cry. And thus, she saved my life more than once already.

Also, Anna somehow evolved to be the music that connects me most with my little meerkitten brother who lives so far away, and whom I miss so often. Music plays a large role in our relationship, so I have many singers, bands and songs that mean something between us… The Fleet Foxes, Joni Mitchel, Martha Wainwright, Regina Spektor, Teitur, The Guillemots… these are just a few that come to mind spontaneously. But Anna Ternheim was the first music that really connected us, that we listened to together, crossing the distances.

Anna made two albums so far which are both wonderul, “Somebody Outside” and “Separation Road”. Again, it’s very hard to choose. I love almost every song from every album. But, as I have to:

Shoreline

And, for my meerkitten brother:

My Secret. This song was the soundtracks to the nights we spent talking.

Hard to choose just one song. It’s unfair with those heroes of old, who created music for decades. Sting, Bowie, Queen - what to choose?

In the 70ies, he gave us Space Oddity and Ziggy Stardust.

In the 80ies, songs like Blue Jean, Let’s Dance and China Girl - all of which I won’t link, because I don’t like that phase of him overmuch. But he also made Modern Love, and that, again, is a song to link.

And don’t you think he went quiet after that. No, he’s still composing and active. Just a little bit Afraid Of Americans, but then again, who’s not?

Ruling Hollywood’s music was (along with some few other names) Hans Zimmer. I am willing t

o bet my pretty behind that each and everyone of you already has listened to music he composed.

For me, scores are accelarators and catalyzers of emotions. I listen to them (preferably via headphones) when I need to get away, when I need to think, when I need to cry.

I listen to them when I write.

Yes, that is vital. I think I couldn’t write without listening to music, and most often, I use a score. I have a huge collection of them and choose them according to the mood I need in what I write.

Representing Mr. Zimmer’s myriads of music, I give you

from The Pirates Of The Caribbean - At World’s End: “At Wit’s End”

Today, I chose

I’m Going Slightly Mad.

Two songs expressed my feelings during that time. Here they are.

Oh Laura - Release Me

Hoobastank - If I Were You

(Ignore the highly annoying videos in both cases)

And before you ask: We’re better now. Working on it, at least.

I still love the Rock Kings of old. KISS. Black Sabbath. Thin Lizzy. Queen. Aerosmith.

OMG Steven Tyler. Did I hear anyone say “ugly”? I’d let him eat me any day.

I probably have the complete diskography, but two songs mean a lot to me.

“I Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing” is my hubby’s and my song. I dared to sing it in front of 80 people of our wedding. My voice probably trembled, but that was not about perfection, right?

The other one is “Amazing”. Why? The lyrics describe a time in my life that felt exactly like this.

There were times in my life
When I was goin’ insane
Tryin’ to walk through
The pain
When I lost my grip
And I hit the floor
Yeah, I thought I could leave but couldn’t get out the door
I was so sick and tired
Of a livin’ a lie
I was wishin’ that I
Would die

It’s Amazing
With the blink of an eye you finally see the light
It’s Amazing
When the moment arrives that you know you’ll be alright
It’s Amazing
And I’m sayin’ a prayer for the desperate hearts tonight

But there is only one man who plays them like THAT.

When I was younger, I used to listen to this piece for hours on end, the stereo cranked up so that there was nothing else in the world but music, booming out of my room. When other teenagers played punk and metal, I played Vivaldi. Believe me, Vivaldi IS punk and metal. In a way.

Behold: Nigel Kennedy, playing Vivaldi, The Four Seasons, Winter.

(Oh, btw: I listened to punk and metal, too )

The artist I went to see is Jason Mraz (I love this website, btw). And in case you’re wondering: Yes, I blogged him once already. If you know him from the radio or MTV, you probably know his summer single “I’m Yours”.

Yes, I like his music. I was happy to read that he was touring Germany. I was looking forward to the concert. But I didn’t understand why all the reviews purely went crazy about him performing live. Now I do.

I wasn’t prepared to enjoy one of the best musical performances of my life (and I have seen a LOT). Mr. Mraz has an outstanding voice, and performs with an easiness and self-irony that I have seldom seen on stage. It was one of those hard-to-explain-if-you-haven’t-been-there things, and I am glad I was.

So which song to choose from such an amazing evening? Difficult. I will choose the one that touched me the most, despite it being one where he cannot show much of his voice or mastery thereof. But it seems to be a lot of what Jason Mraz and his music mean to me, personally. A certain pondering melancholy which, still, never stops hoping or believing in life.

And this is what his music meant to me these last months: Not stopping to believe in life.

Jason Mraz - “Life Is Wonderful”