I woke up today just feeling great. The overcast skies had opened up and the sun was shining down. Don’t get me wrong, it was still only 14°F out, but it just looked fantastic with the light beaming off the mounds and mounds of glowing white snow around.

Usually on a day like this, I’d post “Feeling Good” or “Three Little Birds” or “Up, Up, and Away” but I’ve already posted all of those so I needed something different. And I remembered that this past weekend, I had “Semi-Charmed Life” stuck in my head. Don’t know why. I hadn’t heard it in a while but it was playing through my mind for a few hours.

Alright, I know someone is bound to bring it up. Yes, I know the song is about crystal meth. If you don’t know that context (or even if you do), it’s just a feel good song. After all, it is about the high that comes with methamphetamines, not the withdrawal or longer term effects…

In other words, ignore the drug motif and just feel it for what it is: a feel good song.

Third Eye Blind – Semi-Charmed Life [YSI]

I just recently got XM Radio back in my car and oh how I’ve missed. This weekend Alt Nation is doing a “-10 weekend” where they’re playing all the biggest hits from the first decade of this century. Yesterday they played Young Folks from Peter, Bjorn, and John, and all I could think about was Kanye’s remix of it.

This song is a couple years old but still enjoyable.

Kanye West – Young Folks [YSI]

Talib Kweli is one of the best hip hop artists currently performing. Whether or not you like him is besides the point. He’s certainly not quite the made the mainstream rap culture but he’s amazing. He’s even gotten props from Jay-Z. In “Moment Of Clarity,” Jay says:

If skills sold
Truth be told
I’d probably be
Lyrically
Talib Kweli

Gutter Rainbows, on Tuesday and this is one of the bonus tracks featuring Iron Solomon and Jean Grae. Kweli blew me away once again with this album and this song specifically. I feel like if this was acappella, it’d still be just as interesting to listen to with Talib’s natural ebbs and flows.

Here’s a neat little anecdote about Talib Kweli. Five years ago, I had no idea who he was. I was just getting into hip hop and didn’t even know his name. As it turns out he was headlining a free concert series at Penn State and I was assigned to shoot his performance for the yearbook. That night as he came on stage, I got to be right up there with him. I had my camera and press pass and walked around the stage with Kweli getting closeups and just having a good time next to Talib. He really connected with the audience and it was a fun night.

Talib Kweli – Chicken Soup (ft. Iron Solomon and Jean Grae) [YSI]

I actually posted this song back in July during my Summer Sundays but today it just seemed so appropriate that I couldn’t help but to post it again. After shoveling nearly a foot of snow all morning, I need something that gives me hope for the sunny Spring once again.

Little darling
It’s been a long, cold, lonely winter
Little darling
It feels like years since it’s been here

The Beatles – Here Comes The Sun [YSI]

It’s been five days since I last posted. Things are just crazy. Just over a year ago when I started Bridging The Verse, I worked one job with lots of free time. Now about a year later, I’m working two jobs, taking graduate school classes, and traveling on weekends. Something’s got to give. And unfortunately, it looks like it’s going to be BTV feeling the biggest loss. I’m going to do my best to keep it up to a one post a day blog but I just can’t make that promise.

Jessie J is a 22 year old singer out of the UK. I believe it was Maxim that recommended her in their last issue. Her solo album does not release until the end of March in the UK and April in the US. Her first single “Do It Like A Dude” peaked at number 2 in the UK and this is her second single “Price Tag” featuring B.o.B.

There’s something about her that certainly intrigues me. It’ll be very interesting to see how, not only her music evolves but also her persona. She’s compared to Rihanna at times, but I think we might see that character change over time. Anyway, do it up Bobby and Jessie!

Jessie J – Price Tag (Ft. B.o.B) [YSI]

I’m actually not the biggest fan of this Buggles song but today during lunch, I heard The Limousines’ “Internet Killed The Video Star.” And it got me thinking about how the whole industry evolves. Not just in technology. But in the actual sound of songs and the marketing and distribution. Anyway, the Buggles had it right. Video certainly did kill the radio star but has internet killed the video star or just changed it?

I don’t know. This post is already too deep for me and yet I’ve hardly scratched the surface. Below are both the Buggles and Limousines. Although the Buggles’ song is only so-so with me, I am really digging The Limousines.

The kids are disco dancing
They’re tired of rock ‘n’ roll
Don’t bother telling them that drum machine ain’t got no soul

The Buggles – Video Killed The Radio Star [YSI]

The Limousines - Internet Killed The Video Star

So yesterday Hoodie Allen released his brand new track “Dreams Up” that I posted as well as a bunch of other blogs. As has become a the staple of Hoodie Allen’s songs, he samples an often lesser-known indie band and, with the help of producer RJF, does his thing over the track.

Yesterday’s song was no different. The track he sampled was “White Nights” by Oh Land. I’ll be honest. I know nothing about Oh Land. I had to spend a bit of time searching for what the song was that he sampled. But make sure to check out their/her site here. And you can always hear more music by Oh Land on Soundcloud.

White Nights by OhLand

Bonus Track: Here’s the Twin Shadow remix to White Nights

White Nights – Twin Shadow Remix by OhLand

Two posts in one day? Well that’s just unheard of for me. But this is completely worth it! Hoodie has  just released a brand new track today! “Dreams Up” samples Oh Land’s “White Nights” and, of course, throwing in his ever-creative wordplay, Hoodie’s done it again. I can’t wait to see how this track blows up all over the internet and now I’m even more excited to see him live come February.

“Dreams Up” is the first track off Hoodie’s forthcoming mixtape entitled Leap Year. In Hoodie’s own words, “It’s up-beat track, all about bringing a new attitude into the new year.” I couldn’t agree more.

Make sure to check out his last mixtape, The Pep Rally, and check out his Facebook for all the upcoming tour dates. And you can always listen to more of his work on Soundcloud.

By the way, did you notice the new Hoodie Allen logo?

I’m digging it!

Excellent branding.

Dreams Up by HoodieAllen

Whether or not you like the show, you have to admit that NBC’s Chuck often has a an excellent soundtrack accompanying it. (Maybe not quite as good as Scrubs but still up there with it). The Music Ninja is always posting up the newest tracks featured in Chuck, but today I’m doing something a little different.

In last night’s episode, they used a song by the band Slow Club, a band I’ve never heard before. But I really enjoyed the song and looked into them. Turns out I’m really digging their sound. They’re an indie pop folk rock band. Yeah, I know. Some of those descriptors are the opposites of each other but I’m not sure how else to describe their sound. They appear to have been releasing tracks since 2006 but only released their debut album, Yeah, So, in 2009.

The three tracks below are songs off of their album and “When I Go” was the track used in Chuck last night.

Slow Club – When I Go [YSI]

Slow Club – Trophy Room [YSI]

Slow Club – Giving Up On Love [YSI]

Considering this song came out in 1973, I should probably be saving it for a Throwback Thursday but after having come up in conversation this weekend (AKA me singing it while bored watching football), it was just too catchy and held way too much nostalgia to wait until Thursday to post.

When I was 2 years old, Disney’s Robin Hood was my movie of choice I’m always told. If I got up super early, this is what I wanted to watch. And not just once. I’d watch it multiple times in a day… And by “in a day,” I mean in a row. The credits would start to roll and we’d rewind the tape to the beginning. I kinda wish they had DVDs back then so there would have been no waiting. Robin Hood wasn’t the only movie I had a child obsession with but it was the better of the two considering the other was this…

And I decided to keep the nostalgia going by ordering Robin Hood on DVD from Amazon. That means one day this week I’ll end up watching a kids movie by choice… Too bad!

Roger Miller – Oo-De-Lally [From  Disney's Robin Hood (1973)] [YSI]