Paula in Progress

Second Wave Wednesday

My favorite movie of all-time is "The Outsiders".  I love the story, the movie (my gosh, could there have been a hotter group of cast members?) and I loved that time in my life.  1983 was my first year of living in North Carolina and my fun group of neighborhood friends and I went to see Ponyboy and Company at the Carolina Circle Mall...I think that's one of the reasons it's my favorite movie, it conjures up such feelings of sentiment that I can't help but be moved.  But also, Ponyboy and Johnny show such raw emotions  that the teenage girl in me will forever be connected to them.

 

Another way I connect, is through music and the feelings it brings out in me and the different ways that can happen.  My favorite songs elicit various emotions either with their melody or the lyrics and sometimes even both things touch me!  The Paper Tongue's song, "Get Higher" is addictive!  It's a different kind of love song, because this is no ballad, in fact it rocks!  And for my fellow Twilight Series lovers out there...can you pick up on the 2 Twilight-ish references in the lyrics?  If I ever get to talk to these guys, who happen to be from Charlotte, North Carolina, I'm going to ask them if they intentionally speak Edward or if it's just a natural talent! =)  Please, please, please leave me a comment if you figure out the Edward speak...it will make me smile!!!  But even if you don't pick up on the reference...you are sure to enjoy the song!

Second Wave Wednesday

Greetings from the year of our Lord, 1980! On this day I bring you a trailer from the movie Xanadu. A movie that I obsessed about musically. In fact, I have some of the songs from the soundtrack on my ipod!   I have seen this movie probably 50 times, and it's so bad....but oh so good! I don't understand it and I really don't need to. Even if you didn't like this movie, or worse, never saw it, you need to watch the clip, there are some majorily funkadelic 80's fashions in there....and I'm not talking about the good fasions we all loved from that era, I'm talking about some scary stuff....

Are you still with me or did I lose you to Xanadu?

Today's Second Wave Song is one that actually reminds me of the New Wave Sound. It is a beautiful song...lyrics, melody and all. And  is brought to you by A Silent Film.

Wouldn't the world be a better place if we were all "Driven By Their Beating Hearts"?  Listening to their words takes me to a place where we  all just love each other and forget everything else, sometimes it feels good to go there, if only in my mind. 

 

;

Second Wave Wednesday

Who's ready to party Prince style, like it's 1999?   Or even better, party like it's 1986 at your boyfriend's junior prom, wearing an oh-so-Pretty-in-Pink southern bell style dress and acting extremely tubular with coordinating Risky-Business-sunglasses? 
 This was such a happy time for me!  I was just months away from moving back to Greensboro for my senior year in high school after being gone for two years, I had flown in from Tampa to go to prom with my sweet and cuter than cute boyfriend Dave Pleasants and my bestest friends had come over that day to help me get ready for the big night!  Not only did they help me get ready, my girlfriend accomplices sneaked out clothes for me to change into after the dance...what my parents didn't know didn't hurt them (I hope my sons don't read this)!

But that was then and this is now!  And today, I am really diggin' Middle Class Rut's latest song, "New Low".  This song just begs to be turned up....LOUD! And your goal is to sing louder than the volume...you can't really feel the song until you do that!  Go ahead, try it and then tell me I'm wrong...I dare ya! =) 

Second Wave Wednesday

Welcome to the second edition of Second Wave Wednesday where I share a little of myself from the New Wave Eighties and time warp us back into the Second Wave Music of today.  This week I bring you a picture of me at summer camp 1985 with my sailor shirt and peroxide dyed orange hair!  YMCA Camp Indian Springs is a place so dear to my heart that words cannot begin to express my deep appreciation for the friendships and experiences I had there.   I am on the far left standing next to one of my best friends in the whole world, at a time when I had a major crush on him!  Love you Hawkeye!

But enough about me!

You are here to get a nibble of my excellent choice in music and you shall not be disappointed!

My selection this week is Against Me!'s "I Was a Teenage Anarchist", which has an incredible sound all around! I love the drums and guitar and I love the way the lyrics are sung...I don't really care either way about the lyrics themselves, I just love how they are put together.  I have listened to this song 70 times on my ipod, but I would have sworn it was more...I never tire of it!  One last thing...you have to watch the video at least two times, the second time, take your eyes off the main action and focus on the crowd in the background...it's pretty entertaining.  Let me know what you think!

Second Wave Wednesday

 

I'm a child of the 80's.

I loved growing up in the 80's

I loved being a teenager in the 80's

I loved 80's fashion.

I loved 80's movies.

I loved 80's music.

Well, really I love music in general, but I especially love New Wave. 

My inner snob really wants to say that if you have to ask what New Wave is, then you're not worth telling, but on the other hand, I am a grown up and should not behave like a child just because you weren't lucky enough to grow up loving New Wave like I did!

So if you must ask, New Wave is um.....well..... it's a......hell, I have never had to define New Wave before.  I'll wait right here until you read this and catch up with the rest of us: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Wave_music

Got it? Good! Now we can move on....

My love and need for New Wave was not being met by my music collection and definitely not by regular radio, so when XM Satellite Radio came out in 2001, I jumped at the chance to get my fix.......

well, fixed!

Then two things happened in my life that changed everything!

1. The Twilight Movie came out.
2. My oldest son became a teenager.

After getting the Twilight soundtrack and listening to it countless times- ok well, modern technology actually allows you to count how many times, but you get the point-I had to have more...so I started occasionally listening to Alt Nation on the satellite.

But then when my oldest son became my oldest teenager, he took a strong liking to alternative artists and since we both have a passion for music, he started sharing his itunes favorites with me...and the rest, as they say, is history.

So what does all this blabbing have to do with "Second Wave Wednesday"?

Funny you should ask, I was just getting to that!

In my son's infinite teenage wisdom, he has informed me that Alternative Music is now being coined Second Wave.

And since I know  many other adults out there  loved and still love New Wave music, I thought I would set aside a little time each Wednesday to showcase one of my favorite Second Wave songs so that you too may enjoy something new and maybe even bond with a teenager you love.

So without further ado, or words, here is the song that started the Second Wave era for me, The Black Ghosts' song, Full Moon from Twilight! Enjoy!