~Song Review~

It's so hard to choose just one song or album for this review, so I'll name a couple of my favorites. First has got to be Within Temptation, a Dutch band that is classified as "symphonic metal rock". Now while that's a mouthful, their unique style of music is utterly fantastic. The way they blend their background beats with their wicked guitar playing and outstanding lead vocalist, Sharon den Adel, makes for a truly interesting experience. Some of my favorites include The Howling, The Truth Beneath the Rose, and Stand My Ground, just to name 3 of my 21 songs by them. Definitely check them out if you're into that kind of music.

Another of my favorites is Nightwish. While similar to Within Temptation, Nightwish is a Finnish rock band that has more of a variety of styles. For instance, their earlier works with their previous lead vocalist, Tarja Turunen, has a more 'opera' feel to it because her vocal range was so high and melodic. Their current music is what you would compare more to Within Temptation, with the fast beats and the hardcore background. Their current lead vocalist, Anette Olzon, has a deeper voice, but can still hit those high notes. A few favorites with Tarja are Wishmaster and Nemo, and a few with Anette are Sahara, Amaranth, and Bye Bye Beautiful.

Lastly, I gotta say I'm a huge sucker for soundtracks. If I see a movie that has music I love in it, I go buy the whole soundtrack. Probably my most recent buy was the soundtrack to Robin Hood, the 2010 film starring Russell Crowe. No vocals, just plain instrumentals with astounding swooping notes and falling scales that perfectly capture the moods of each scene. And then there's the music from The Secret of Kells, a 2009 animated movie loosely based on The Book of Kells. While I love every song in that movie as well, the one that stands out the most is Aisling's Song (pronounced 'Ashley' or 'Ashlyn'). The song switches between English and Irish Gaelic, a dying language I am beginning to learn. Check it out some time. You'd be surprised at what comes off to be a childish movie is actually quite the contrary.

So I guess that's my music in a nutshell. I'm not one to run off and listen to all the pop culture songs out there. I'd much rather listen to my vaguely obscure bands and movie soundtracks that few people have actually heard of (as in listened to the songs, not just one lyric).

~Nick and Jay~

In The Great Gatsby, Nick and Jay have an interesting relationship. They seem to fit well together, and yet, seem to almost hold things back. For instance, Jay has this persona that he puts on for everyone else that isn't "close" to him, but that mask falls away when he's with Nick. Then do we really see the real Jay Gatsby: a sad sort of a chap who is so in love with Daisy that is makes him sick to try to be around her. Nick appears to be the more 'mature' one, but we still don't seem to know much about him, or Jay for that matter, so we can't fully pass judgment on their actions just yet. But you also have to wonder if Jay is telling the truth or not, because he has the person he is to people, and then the person he is to Nick. Plus, you're not sure if what he told Nick was the actual truth, seeing as how Nick noticed when Jay rushed when he said he had gone to Oxford. So I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

~Winter Poem~

Silent whispers flit through the air
Bringing with them cold wafts of winter.
Falling slowly the snow covers
All that meets the eye.
The land is bare
The trees all dead.
The leaves left are covered
Little dead bodies in the snow.
Melancholy shadows cloak the streets
Where no one walks.
The world is dead.
Waiting for the returning warmth
Of reviving spring.