Newdrivehome

A journey, including all of lifes nonsense.

recent posts

  • “Just another sweep and it’ll be fine”

    “Newdrivehome Blog # 26

    (The Early November – The Mountain Range In my Living Room)

    I will first say that the The Early November’s album, “The Rooms Too Cold” is one of my favorite albums of all time. From the first song “Ever So Sweet” from this album and til the end…it’s flows together seamlessly, lyrically and musically.

    Ace Enders has a way of telling a story that has kept me in deep thought over the past two decades, with every listen.

    In my odd opinion, I thing this whole album and this song especially…is about the way the world in your own home gets too much of a mountain to climb over; and at the end of the day…it’s easier to sweep it up under the rug, but in the end DOES effect you in a way. It blows my mind that Ace understood that situation being such an early age but…I love it.

    For me, The Early November felt a proper fit tonight (since it’s the early of November). But more realistically this album and this band always brings me the emotional feelings I had all those years ago when I first heard it (during this season)…no matter how many times I’ve listened. Dig deep “The Early November” and “Ace Enders” discography this month. You won’t be disappointed.

  • “Does it feel like twenty below?”

    Newdrivehome Blog #25

    (Hidden in Plain View – Twenty Below)

    The year was 2003, before streaming…growing up in Nebraska, we were pretty sheltered to the outside music scenes (delayed essentially). Luckily, I had a pretty rad group of friends that introduced me to this music, emo, the scene, everything I ended up loving til this day.

    I was given a burned cd with this song and that’s all it took to add it to my lifetime favorite playlist.

    I never dated in high school…I was still in that awkward/weird phase and, I still am…but i make it work towards my advantage now. I had many friends, but didn’t mail the dating scene in high school…so this song always kept me company on many winter nights; singing this as loud as I could in my Pontiac.

    For me…those were the good days, when a burned emo CD and a long drive could solve everything, since life was far simpler then.

  • “Don’t follow me, you’ll end up in my arms”

    To say I was obsessed with this song when it was first released in the fall of 2018, would be an understatement. I was a fan of Joji since back in the “Filthy Frank & Pink Guy” days (See: Harlem Shake…if you know you know).

    When I first heard the synth and melody, I was hooked and immediately in an emotional mood I hadn’t felt before. The production alone is impressive and Joji belting out the chorus still, to this day…puts me in the same mood I was in, when I first heard it.

    For me, this song’s narrative is about a man deciding…reluctantly maybe, to not stay in a relationship when he’s fighting to keep it alive and finally wants to stop fronting and just ask where they’re actually going. It paralleled my life around that time and it’s possibly why I connected so deeply.

    Joji has blown up since this song first released and I’d recommend check his discography and see the progress he’s became as a musician.

  • “This city’s just cemeteries and forgotten men”

    Newdrivehome Blog #23

    (3OH!3 – Still Around)

    I’m know what I felt when I first heard this song. I’ve known 3OH!3 since I first came out to Denver/Boulder in 2006. This isn’t their most popular song but the lyrics and vibe of the song…connected to me when I was going thru my divorce…and all my breakups…I’ve always loved it. And it always reminded me of Colorado

    Sean and Nat from 3OH!3 aren’t dumb…they’re intelligent songwriters & people and they understand this feeling and when I first heard “Stay Around”…I understood what they were saying. Clearly it was years ago before they grew and eventually settled in their lives.

    But the message still resonates to me. I’m still confused in life and want everything to make sense, but…it’s okay. 3OH!3 will always hold a close connection to my heart and life and I’ll miss the time…when we were younger…when life was still up in the air.

    I’m still living in the the “devil town” and although I don’t want anyone to burn it down…I get the feeling, I’m alone and I’m still around…I always will. I appreciate the words and any advice I was given from these guys.

  • “Will you still love me when I’m no longer young and beautiful?”

    Newdrivehome Blog #22

    (Lana Del Rey – Young and Beautiful)

    Honestly, I usually plan my posts and what I had to say. I watched “The Great Gatsby” tonight and this song reminded me how much I LOVE Lana Del Rey.

    When I first discovered her music and…her, my life goal was to marry a woman like her. (Or her…hopefully thinking). For me it feels impossible for intelligent lyricism and quirky personality to work together to create a beautiful song like this.

    I think I’ve noticed it as the years past around me…the lyrics and meaning of this song means so much more. Beauty eventually fades but the love that trapped your heart (in a good way), with your significant other…doesn’t fade.

    I feel this song on the bottom of my heart…the message and Lana (obviously)…but it’s perfection is why I listen to it every other day. (Anything she’s written honestly). I love…love and the story of this song and this movie is fantastic. But at the end of the day…I post this hoping others reading this, read the original book by F. Scott Fitzgerald, “The Great Gatsby”. It’s a beautiful narrative about 1920’s America.

  • “It’s Holidays Time Now”

    Newdrivehome Blog #21

    (Wham! – Last Christmas “trap remix”)

    Sorry everyone, I’m not too early…it’s November, it’s officially Christmas season now.

    I wish I could write about a deeper meaning for todays blog…but honestly it just reminds me of this whole season and how much I love it. It just puts me in a good mood and the hope maybe this Christmas season will be different…and I’ll be happier. Kicking off a new holiday series and redesigning the website…stay tuned.

  • “Everyone is titled to one good scare”

    Newdrivehome Blog #20

    (John Carpenter- Halloween)

    Spookyseason Blog #7

    Michael Myers. Enough said…Michael Myers to Halloween is like Santa Claus to Christmas. To this day every time Halloween is mentioned I can hear the piano of this song start to play.

    Just about everyone hearing this theme play during the Halloween season year after year alone is impressive. But more impressive is the ability for this movie and song to continue to stay alive and adapt to the world around it. First released in 1978 (45 years ago!), with a number of sequels and remakes over the years and it’s still being brought brought to life like the legend of Michael himself. It wouldn’t be a Halloween season without watching at least one of these movies.

    Since first watching and seeing that famous mask…no matter how many times I’ve re-watched I’ve always been invested in whatever comes with the excitement of these movies. Always a favorite.

  • “One Thing About Living In Santa Carla I Never Could Stomach…All The Damn Vampires.”

    Newdrivehome Blog #19

    (Gerard McMann – Cry Little Sister)

    Spooky Season Blog #6

    I’ve been saving these last few spooky season posts for tonight. I don’t want the next posts to seem spammy, but I love this holiday. Currently watching these spooky movies to enjoy this Halloween evening.

    I grew up watching “The Lost Boys”, and the theme song always stands out as a core memory of 80’s horror movies (my favorite era). The way it sounds and how it was written…is perfect for this era. This was the first vampire movie I’ve ever recalled watching; a foundation of my love of this season and these movies.

    Although I wasn’t old enough to fully appreciate these films in real time, I’ve watched all of the 1980’s “Corey’s” movies throughout my life (thanks mom & dad, for introducing me to them), and this is one of my favorites. I’ll admit I’m a nerd and love comic books…a large part of this movies plot was based in a comic store and I LOVE that. The mystery, imagination, and storyline.

    Before vampires were written in the sparkling “Twilight” era…vampires had personalities and were a menace to fear from. Do yourself a favor and start your spooky night movie marathon tonight with “The Lost Boys”. And listen for this song during your watch. I’ll repost again when I start the next movie tonight…or when my ADHD brain writes about another related song. You might be up past your bedtime tonight, my apologies.

  • “I just don’t wanna miss you tonight”

    Newdrivehome Blog #18

    (Goo Goo Dolls – Iris)

    When it comes to life changing songs that I’ll NEVER get tired of hearing; “Iris” sets itself apart from so many songs in my mind jukebox.

    I remember my teenage years hearing this song on the radio and how it moved me in a way that acted as a catalyst over the years…when it comes to my love of deep, meaning, lyrical music…that mirrored my life. It always made me feel I lost something listening to it…whether it be a lost love, missed connection, or an indescribable feeling of melancholy.

    For me, personally…this song felt like a love letter to those, whether a significant other or all that love you, that I’m still here. When the world around you is breaking you and you aren’t acting yourself…it always sent this message, like this lyric states:

    “And I don’t want the world to see me

    ‘Cause I don’t think that they’d understand

    When everything’s made to be broken

    I just want you to know who I am”

    Timeless music. If it’s been a while since you’ve heard it. Take a listen to it.

  • “Wikki, Wikki, Wikki”

    Newdrivehome Blog #17

    (Newcleus – Jam On It)

    I…in a good way, blame my parents for my love of rhythm, hip-hop, and music in general. I remember long drives as a kid (probably to get me fall asleep). But I feel it helped me understand the rhythm in music and songs like this made me appreciate anything I hear…to this day.

    This song always reminds me of breakin’ and the breakdancing culture of the 80s that my parents were raised from. I’m quite sure many people in my life have stories about this never ending love of breakdancing & this style of music. I know a lot of the people I grew up with can understand the importance of this songs style in our current lives.

    Music like this is timeless and it still gets me moving, released in 1984 I feel it’s a single that helped shape the genre from the day of release til now. It’s Saturday…listen to the track and retro to the breakdance culture of the 1980s.

  • “I wish you would…come pick me up”

    Newdrivehome Blog #15

    (Ryan Adams – Come Pick Me Up)

    Here’s a late night entry to the blog. A short break from the spooky season posts.

    Although I’ve posted about Ryan Adams before…this song has hit me in a different way recently. For me, it’s a lonely song about a yearn for a toxic past relationship with a significant other that wasn’t healthy. But after a night with whiskey and lone thoughts these thoughts come to surface.

    I wish I wasn’t talking from life experience…but this song, for me has helped me write through a lot of these moments in my life. This song has always been my go-to when I’m confused or trying to figure those moments In my life.

    I remember hearing this song first at one of my favorite movies “Elizabethtown”…back when it first came out and from that point, I fell in love with it. Check this song and that movie if you get the chance. They’re both great ways of experiencing life’s unsolved love mysteries…and their resolution.

  • “28 Days, 6 Hours, 42 Minutes, 12 Seconds. That Is When The World Will End.”

    Newdrivehome Blog #15

    (Echo & the Bunnymen – The Killing Moon)

    For #spookyseason #5, all I will say is….The movie “Donnie Darko” changed my life. The way it made me feel, paralleled certain things I felt at the time when I first got obsessed discovering this movie. Conrad Bravo, I’m sure, can relate to the days, when we lived together…when I had a day off and he’d come home from work I had watched “Donnie Darko” all day…on repeat.

    The odd nostalgic feeling this film made me felt was incredible. Between Frank, Donnie, and world ending…this song and film made me want to be apart of this world Donnie created. If you haven’t seen this film, take a look. This movie will always be a favorite in my mind.

    The song in the opening of “Donnie Darko” is called the “The Killing Moon” by Echo & the Bunnymen…released in 1984, it sets the mood for the rest of the film. If you get a chance this spooky season and haven’t seen it, check out “Donnie Darko” or at least this song.

  • “What’s Your Favorite Scary Movie?”

    Newdrivehome Blog #14

    (Nick Cave – Red Right Hand)

    So…it’s still #spookyseason. So here’s #4 in my series this month. Every time I hear this song it reminds me of the first time I heard it. In my middle school & high school years, the “Scream” series films were big and in my opinion, helped usher a new generation into the slasher genre…and this song was used in the first three movies and just about any other of the “Scream” films.

    Although I had heard this song in the “Scream” movies for years; if I’m being honest I didn’t even know the name of this song until a few years ago.

    This song was released in October 1994 and the title is from “Paradise Lost” the John Milton poem and was featured in “Dumb and Dumber” as well, before becoming the…for me…slasher anthem of my teens.