"oslo" - little hands of asphalt

this piece of artwork is dedicated to danielle startin, whom without i would never have discovered this artist NOR would any of my beautiful ass artwork exist because she also introduced me to sumopaint.com which is where my superamazing art blooms into existence. be sure and send her some love.

did you know those were seals up there? AND NOT JUST BECAUSE MY ART IS SO AW(FUL)ESOME. but i genuinely didn't realize they were seals until i sat down to paint this cover art. pretty surprised.

this norwegian artist has captured a top 10 spot in my albums of the year for very good reasons. a little bit conor o., a little elliot smith, a little bit wilco (or rather wilco's latest. i get a very similar "you & i" feel in this. it might be the girl backing vocals. REGARDLESS, I LOVE IT.), but a lot himself, Sjur (pronounced "Like shoe with an r at the end. A short, rolling one.").

His voice is sweet, melodic, and not the least bit grating on the ears. (My eardrums are pleased and would like to thank you personally, Sjur.)

I love the piano, the guitar, the backing vocals from the girl. THE LRYICS.

It was a moment for the books;
The calendar looks
just like the novels we had only skimmed through.
so i circled out the days that i'll skillfully waste.

i like that bit. "skillfully waste." of course, i don't know if it's a waste of a day if you're enjoying it, but i think that may be the point.

we’ll put it in IKEA-frames. (IKEA!)
Up on the wall it looks profound,
and reminds us Oslo is a small, small town.

clearly, Sjur, you have never been to my town. my town is 1.9 square miles. our population is 2100. SHALL WE PUT UP SOME OSLO STATISTICS? HMMM?

population: 1.4 million
MILLION, SJUR. MILLION.

how many people live in my town? oh yeah. 21. HUNDRED. 2100.
who has a small town now, sjur? who has a small town now?

RIIIIIGHT. now that i've gotten my inner competitive gangster out, i THINK i know what he's trying to say. because even in a city that is so, so big, & where over a million people call it home, there's still so much more out there to live, experience. TRUST ME, I KNOW. (2100 people. remember that, sjur. remember that. though i doubt 'saint matthews' would make a good song about a location.)

i could say a lot more, but i'm not. there's a lot of love aspects to this song, but you can figure them out for yourselees. just listen to the song.

and because i'd rather you buy & support the artist, i'm not going to upload the released mp3; HOWEVER, i do have a link to a free EP he released, so do enjoy.

And with the way I say goodbye
I could have ruined everything.

roller skating vs. roller blading.

i utterly blindly found this today.

I AM SO SMITTEN, I AM KNITTING MITTENS.

guess who's back.

back again.
kallie's back.
tell a friend.

KALLIE'S BACK, KALLIE'S BACK, KALLIE'S BACK, KALLIE'S BACK!

that's right, y'all. after almost 6 months of abandonment, i'm back, INDEFINITELY. i know, i know. but DO TRY and contain your enthusiasm.

NEW POST UP TONIGHT! (':

so you think you can post?

UM, MAYBE.

i'm honestly sorry, readers. life has gotten in the way lately & it's just sucked all the fun out of doing this blog. HOWEVER, i've told life to fck off, so BACK TO BLOGGING!

i actually have a job now, though. (GASP. I KNOW. I'M SURPRISED, TOO.) SO YOU'LL HAVE TO WAIT SOMETIMES FOR A POST. but never that long again without some type of warning (more than likely an lolcat/dog/roflrazzi. it's to be expected, really.

ANYWHO.

i must be off for the mo' but expect a post sometime today.

kallie's back and in...blahging.

this deserves its own post.

see more Lolcats and funny pictures
yeah. lolcats & dogs own my heart & gigglebox. im crying laughing.

hedwig's theme - john williams

i'm really frightened of warner brothers lawyers. HENCE THE LACK OF KALLIE'S BEAUTIFUL-ASS ARTWORK. otherwise, think hedwig totally sets this up perfectly.

i'm back from my week-long league of absence (some call it a vacation; mine was at my grandmother's house. yeah.), and i'm ready to get boogying.

however, today is a very special day. the sixth installment of the harry potter films was released today, and being the mega harry potter fangirl that i am, i saw it at midnight with my best friend and LOVED IT. and i thought it suiting to post the song that sets the tone for all the movies - the famous hedwig's theme. such beauty. such grace. -->such an explosive death<--. john williams really outdid himself on the score for rowling's masterpiece's translation to film, and if nothing else ever satisfies me from the films, the scores do. *pushes glasses up nose*

so enjoy. go see the movie, and if you haven't read the books, allow me to rant at you for hours.
au revoir.

"why do you let me stay here?" - she & him

introducing...

MUSIC VIDEO MONDAY!

(rahhhhh! woooo! reeeeeheehee! standing ovation!)

yep. that's right. my gregarious mouse decided we should have at least one recurring element each week, and because i love alliterative titles, music video monday won. THUS WE ARE HERE TODAY.

so for the very first music video monday post, we have a little quirky video by my sweet darlin' zooey deschanel & the ever-talented m. ward who make up she & him. be prepared to be overloaded by zooey's divine vocals & morbidly adorable behavior:



dying never looked so adorable.

i think one f the best bits is when matt walks up to her at the beginning and she's just died, and he's all, "wtf are you doing on the ground, zo?" and then zooey gets up and does that little dance at 00:42. d'awww. she's so cute. she's really like a little kid playing dress up in this video hahaha.

i think this lyric sort of sets the tone, really:

Why don't you sit right down and make me smile? (uh huh)
You make me feel like I am just a child

this is one of my favorite songs, and i'd highly suggest checking she & him out if you haven't already.

Why do you end it?

lovefool (cover) - the morning benders

my cursive could use a little work...
(this would be a good time to have a mouse, i think. besides the gregarious one in my pocket, i mean.)

"a cover?!" you exclaim. yes. a cover. but a damn good one. likely, most of you have heard the original by the cardigans which is worthy of a download, but there's something about the morning benders cover that makes me absolutely adore it. it's more...haunting? i don't know how to phrase or describe it exactly. i think the original sounds more like the good pop song that it is, but i feel like the morning benders took it to a whole different emotional level. plus, their harmonies are brian wilson worthy. i definitely prefer this version to the original which is definitely a gasp given my melody & beat-loving self. but this song is just proof that it takes more than that to make me adore a song. i honestly believe that the morning benders took this song & made it their own, which just so happens to be a superior version in my eyes. this is one of the few covers i've heard where i think the covering artist/band actually ends up "owning" the song.

even though likely most of you know the lyrics & the morning benders did not actually write these, i'm still going to post them because i do, in fact, like them.

Lately I have desperately pondered,
spent my nights awake and I wonder
what I could have done in another way
to make you stay
Reason will not reach a solution
I will end up lost in confusion
I don't care if you really care
as long as you don't go

free download: lovefool (cover) - the morning benders

(you can download the rest of the ep for free here. i wholeheartedly suggest.)

just say that you need me

god bless america

yes, that's supposed to be fireworks in the corner. remember that imaginaaaaation we talked about? USE IT.

i'm a patriot. i'm not going to lie. most people who know me know how much i love my home country. i'll admit we made mistakes, and we'll make more in the future. but i'd never choose another to be home, and if you have a problem with that, then i suggest you figure out why you don't feel the same for your own home country.

but i have to say there is definitely something about hearing the national anthem that can give me chills like no other. it never fails. as a cheerleader, athlete, and a member of the dance team, i've heard my fair share of versions of the anthem, and each one affects me differently in some aspects, but one effect remains constant--the chills. it's unexplainable the emotion that overcomes me when i hear a song like 'the star spangled banner' or a song such as 'america, my country tis of thee.' i get teary-eyed thinking of all the people who have sacrificed their lives to allow us to lead such a blessed life. am i getting corny & emtional? yes. but allow me this one post to do so.

as a child, i grew tired of the boring patriotic songs that we always heard...and then i heard the chorus sing "grand ol' flag" and my melody-adoring ears perked up. i wish i could find a better version, but this portrays the beat, so you'll understand why i love that at least. the lyrics were simple enough for me to grasp the full meaning of back then, as well. i think i just enjoyed singing it, really. and it's odd, too, because my little brother was around 6 or so when he and my mom were having a conversation about patriotic songs, and he said his favorite was "grand ol' flag." SEE WHY I LOVE HIM? coolest little kid ever, i tell ya.

but anyway, essentially, this post is just to celebrate the birth of America, the beautiful, and I hope you all have a lovely weekend. I'll be gone tomorrow to celebrate with my family, but I'll likely be able to post a non-patriotic song on Sunday. (:

grand ol' flag download

NOTE: amazon has free downloads available of some patriotic songs. take advantage of this wonderful opportunity.

also, am i the only one who enjoys the songs sung by average everyday citizens rather than a choir of perfect voices? i love the realistic quality of it being sung by people who cannot sing in perfect pitch. who get emotional. it's far superior.

have a lovely fourth & may we all consume lots of pig brains & feet (hotdogs) tomorrow! and some watermelon. love me some watermelon! (:

i fell in love with uranus

gotta love mcfly (:

this is just a post because i saw this and knew that my faithful readers would find this as hysterical as i found it.


see more dog and puppy pictures

i officially want this costume for my dog, scout. she & i have this love/hate thing going on & her face would be PRICELESS. i'm normally of the view that dressing up dogs/cats is cruel & idiotic, but LOL. sorry. this is just hysterical.

well, i hope you lovelies enjoy, and to keep in the spirit, enjoy this mcfly video (:


i've been burgled! stupid trolls... pahahaha





UPDATE:

OMG I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS ONE SO MUCH.
i actually guffawed. i love guffawing. though it makes me think of thawing. which makes me relate myself to hamburger meat. not so nice.
ANYWAY:

see more dog and puppy pictures
best caption ever? I THINK SO. gorsh!

the things you find at 2 AM...

don't let the bedbugs bite!

"hideaway" - the weepies

i had to do that font by HAND, suckers. that shit was difficult. and those stars were monotonous to put in. however, i am loving the finished product. my whale is holding a secret, i think. either that or the bowl of petunias told him what was going on, & he's come to terms with his identity...and heading for quickly towards...um, hugging, ahem, his friend, the ground.

first of all, melody girl LOVES the beat. the fact that the acoustic guitar plays in the same tone that deb is singing...ACK. love it. such a good beat. basically, it could win even if it had crappy lyrics, BUT OH IT DOESN'T.

Take the sky

For example
A canvas of a billion suns
But our local hero
Shines them out by day
Save for the winking of a Venus or Mars

Even the stars
Sometimes fade to gray
Even the stars
Hideaway

short, simple, sweet. the best kind of imagery that there is. i think they're trying to say that even though the stars themselves are suns, our local hero (our sun) can outshine them at times. but not only is it saying something small can outshine billions of others, i think the song is also trying to portray the fact that everyone makes mistakes. no one is perfect.

Hear a phoebe sing his only song
The summer's day is hovering
I'll write my full heart
Troubles fly like embers
Out the windows of our traveling car

okay. for those of you who aren't ornithologists nor have the will to google, let me explain to you why this is possibly one of the coolest bird references EVER.

The aptly-named Eastern Phoebe sings its familiar "fee-bee" song throughout the eastern United States and Canada in spring and summer. This song is innately programmed, birds that have been hand-raised and not allowed to hear other phoebes still sing a perfect song. For most songbirds, however, being raised in isolation results in poor imitations of the true song—young birds need to hear other males of their species sing in order to fine tune their vocalizations. (excerpt from http://nationalzoo.si.edu)

HOW COOL IS THAT?!
so, basically, the singer is saying don't fault me for who i am. the songs i sing are ingrained in me. they are natural. (don't get me started on natural vs. forced writing. that's a kallie rant where even Polonius would be mind-boggled & Wordsworth would be patting me on the back. YAY WORDSWORTH! ahem. )

and i also love the image of her writing her troubles away that fly like embers through an open car window on a long journey. ACK. LOVE IT.

I JUST THINK THAT IS THE MOST AWESOME THING EVER. I CAN'T EVEN BE COHERENT. AND MY ITALIC IS STUCK, BUT I AM OKAY WITH THAT.

okay, truthfully, it's driving me fcking nuts, but i don't know how to fix this erroneous error. YAY ALLITERATION!

here's a video that someone had the priveledge to make for the band as a contest. i think it's really cute (:

even the stars hideaway

"im through" - guster

yeah, i got a little lazy on this one, too. let's pretend there's a lot more rocks, k? imaginaaaaaaation (by the way, why isn't there a video of SPONGEBOB doing this?! D:) is a dying mental process. kallie collins...helping generations gain their creativity back...one gullible blog reader at a time.

okay. so i'm actually more ill than i was before i left. my immune system is more complicated & idiotic than the fcking quadratic formula. don't question my mathematical formula choices. i took calculus. only, i can't think of one of those at this moment. i'm too busy concentrating on keeping my stomach contents down where they belong...IN MY TUMMEH. my cardiac sphincter is not agreeing with me, however. CURSES! *raises & shakes fist in anger* but enough about my bodily functions, and ON TO THE MUSIC!

so guster. how'd you get your name?...is one of your members....particularly...fartariffic? (Oh, I'm a real gas, am I not?) what? you ask how i came to that assumption? oh...um. gust? gust of wind? flatulence? OKAY. GEEZE, I'M SORRY. yes, that was a bit pathetic. *plays the im-sick-and-not-on-top-of-my-game-tonight-okay? card* No, it's okay. I know you didn't know. no, no. really. that's not necessary. WELL, if you INSIST!...*enjoys private performance of song* well, now. that was rather enjoyable. NOW ON TO THE DISCUSSION!

okay, warning: this really isn't going to be all that funny because sadly (or bless me, happily!) this song is currently really close to my heart. i've loved the up-tempo beat, but i never really paid attention to the lyrics (because...okay. i have to fess up. i'm a melody girl. a lot of it has to do with me being a dancer since birth, i'm sure, but i also just like a good beat. it can make or break a song for me. HOWEVER, having said that, lyrics can make or break a song for me, as well. see mcfly's the way you make me feel [they lost me on this song at the word "diggin'"])

i looked down and i didn't know what to think
vapor trails from the engine of this plane
shut my eyes and I flew right from this place
made a wish and i blew it all away
then i was alone

at this point in the lyrics, you think this might be about loneliness. but that's partially why i love it. i CANNOT reiterate enough that being alone does not necessarily mean loneliness. the two are NOT synonymous (for me, at least). also, i love, love, love these lyrics. first of all, the visual image that comes in my mind from this song. i can imagine myself flying in the plane. flying gives me such a sense of freedom. it's scary, but it's invigorating. also, i absolutely ADORE the line of "made a wish and i blew it all away" because this is almost like a birthday cake wish and/or a wish of blowing away the vapor trails so there's no way to track him/her. oh, and of course, the mentions of all the blowing & vapor trails totally reiterates my theory on their namesake. (;

right now the sun fills up the sky
and waves of color beat in time
tell all my friends i'm seeing them again
i'm on a great divide
but there is no doubt
i'm never coming back
the story of my life

ever thought about just packing up and leaving? i think that's what this song is about. the "great divide" is that apex or huge change that you make, that giant leap of faith across the canyon. the next three lines illustrate this idea perfectly:

i was down and i did not understand
was afraid couldn't wash it off my hands
so i rose and i flew right from that place

i really suggest you read all the lyrics and check out this song. the following is a live version of the song, but it honestly doesn't do it justice. please download the actual song asap. if you end up hating it, leave me a hate comment. i'll bake you some, ahem, brownies.

"im through ( live)" - guster

i'm through

i'm just a little bit caught in the middle

and who am i to deny the mighty matt?

OHMAHGAH. SO MANY DAYS. HOW DID YOU MANAGE?!
i'm not feeling 100%, but my Popsicle consumption is now down to 2 a day. I ate 10 on Monday. I almost wish I was kidding. But I'm not...and I'm not wishing...cause they were DEEEEEELICIOUS.

now, you're probably like, UH, KLUTZYKALLIE...WHERE'S THE MUSICAL POST?!
answer: in my head. become psychic. only way to read it, sorry. i heard there's an iphone app for that.

okay. actually, i'm halfway done with it, but I'm going to see Transformers with my momma and little brother today. it's free movie day. who am i to turn that down? plus, i have the coolest little brother ever, and i miss him. although i anticipate he's going to be bragging about this huge trip he's going on with his best friend. the little fcker. (that's actually a quote of his from when he was four, referring to an ant that had just bitten him on his arm. hence my love for him ahahaha). i'm 19, and the only time i've been out of the southeast is to go to colorado to see my older brother, which the whole family went, as well. BOOO, I SAY, BOOO. but whatever. i won't resent him for being the lucky little fcker that he is. i feel i need to get a rich best friend. both my brother's have them. HUFF. oh well, I HAVE AWESOME BEST FRIENDS ANYWAYS. maybe one will find oil on their land...a girl can dream.

but anyway, i digressed. majorly. get used to it. the point that i was going to make is that a new music post WILL be made tonight. but until then, enjoy the new generationals music video. major love for them.

i've got the hypochondriac blues

thank you, matt costa, for a sickness related song. makes my job so much easier.

but yeah, guys, i'm just not feeling so swift. i had a song planned for today, but if it's all right with y'all, i'm going to postpone them until kallie's back to business, baby.

currently, i am watching gilmore girls and consuming copious amounts of liquid in both...liquid (cough) & frozen forms. ommmm, popsicles. i have to go buy some more, though. my stash has been depleted. here's to hoping they have the ommy breyer's (PRODUCT PLACEMENT!) ones with real bits of fruit in them. mmm mmm good. (campbell's check is in the mail, too.)

i'm sorry for my fail and any possible finger!fail that may have possibly eluded the ever tipsy firefox spell-checker or my eyes due to a popsicle-induced stupor.

keyboard cat, play me off.

"gimme some motivation" - delta spirit

holy guacamole. if i don't get some ACTUAL cookies for this, i may cry. ):

yes. that is, in fact, their hard to find album art of their ep.
yes, that is, in fact, supposed to be jon, sean, matt, and brandon.
yes, that album art is, in fact, missing kelly winrich because at the time he was not an official member of the band.
yes, jon does, in fact, look just like janice the muppet in my wonderful artwork.
yes, sean does, in fact, look like a picasso painting.
yes, matt does, in fact, look nothing like himself but instead like a generic hipster.
yes, brandon does, in fact, look like drop dead fred when the mega bitch squished his head.
and yes, i am, in fact, still completely proud of this damn thing. SO BOOYAH.

SO. where to start? delta spirit are my favorite band. hands down. matt costa may win overall, but when we get into nitty gritty, delta wins in the band category. (but i do love you harris, james, mitch, and jacob!<--member's of matt's band)

this song is a friday song. it also is a song i DIDN'T HEAR AT THEIR CONCERT IN FEBRUARY. sad times, i tell you. SAD. TIMES. it's easily one of my favorite songs of theirs because...well...

ARE YOU A BELIEVER?
YEAH!

you told me that you loved me but you only knew my middle initial
my name is matthew logan and you spell it L-O-G-A-N
sean, jon, and brandon young aren't just livin' life for the party
we've got important things to do, so this is why we say...

I LOVE THIS SONG! *nods vehemently*
best use of spelling since "B-A-N-A-N-A-S" (because gwen stefani taught me how to spell that word, okay? before i never knew how many nananana's banana had...that shit was banananas............damn.)

plus, there's a bit for all the fangirls out there: hope. if you know matt's middle name (WHICH YOU DO NOW FROM THE SONG ZOMGAH!) then he may possibly believe your confession of love for him. otherwise, you're S. O. L. (sun, that's right. sun. cough.) and it also answers the age old question of "are sean, jon, and brandon young just living life for the party?" WELL, THERE YOU HAVE IT RIGHT UP THERE, FOLKS. NO. THEY. AREN'T. good to know, good to know.

my favorite bit of the song, though?

I always knew you were insecure.
Loneliness is never the cure.
Don't push my love away!

ahhhh. a lesson to all you loners with stalkers out there. BE DESPERATE! you take that stalker & you LOVE him! in all seriousness, i really do love those lyrics, but they can be interpreted in ohsomany ways, and for a girl like me...that's cause for maniacal hand-rubbing....because, yknow...all creative evil-geniuses do that.

if you're wanting to buy this jam-out tune, you're going to have to do a little digging. aka a google search. as far as my limited & only-when-im-bored research has shown, i can't find a legal download of it anywhere, so if you do, share! i'd love to have the ep, but even ebay has SMIDGE. BOOOOO. BOO, I SAY. BOOOO!

this is the end.

"when they fight, they fight" - generationals

i've decided horribly-done renditions of album art via sumopaint is going to be my 'thing.'
i daresay i pretty much pawn at them. look at that pout! i'm pretty damn proud of that tie, gotta say.

This song will NOT leave your head for weeks, I swear. At the zee avi gig, my friend was cracking up because every time we had a quiet moment, I was either humming or singing this song. IT'S JUST THAT CATCHY. The beginning sounds like some goddamn disco/70's song which alone catches my forgotten and lonesome bell-bottoms' attention, and then it goes right into the chorus, and you're already boogying along. it's that good, i pinky swear.

When they fight, they fight
And when they come home at night they say,
"i love you, baby." <-- THIS PART RIGHT HERE.

OHMAN. this is a song you HAVE to listen to in the car, windows down, AT NIGHT, and just sing your little heart out & drum on the steering wheel. it's worth it, i swear. it's the best way to listen to this song, i'm convinced. (granted, i've never heard this live in-concert, but the whole ambience of summer nights, driving down the road is just...in HARMONY with this song.

Was it too much too soon,
Or too little too late?
He got the message she left on his car, in the rain.

the way they sing the words, too...it adds something another group could never replicate.

And when it all comes crashing down,
what can you do,
to find what you're looking for?
And then the words will come to you,
driving through the rain.

But there'll be no one there to say them to anyway.

and i obviously can't speak for the artists themselves, but to me, i see this song as meaning something along the lines of a couple who are struggling in their relationship. they keep fighting, but they're still willing to work it out; however, they continue fighting. finally, it dawns on the guy/girl what to say to their significant other, but it's too late. their other is gone.

kind of sad for such a groovy song, but i still dig it, chyeah. i'm doing the hustle right now. too bad YOU CAN'T SEE ME. MUAHAHA.

these guys did a session over at daytrotter which includes this song, among others.
download it all as it's FREE, AWESOME MUSIC. all you have to do is register.
here's generationals' session.

"songs we sing" - matt costa

(O, I C WUT U DID THAR.)

i made this puppy for a thread where you had to guess the album artwork.
i'm an artist, damn straight. this is a bit like "concept art."
only, i followed through with concept...halfway. let's call it half-full, shall we?

so if you didn't realize, i was obviously influenced by a certain mr. costa (forewarning: if you happen to stumble upon my blog haphazardly, i essentially worship at the altar of costa.)

but anyway, "songs we sing" is the title of Matt Costa's first full-length album release & the song, itself, is worthy of a mention.

i'm not going to post all of the lyrics because that's why God invented google (it was either him or al gore...), but I'll go over some highlights.


these are the songs that we sing (we sing)
these are the songs that i sing
to make the day better

personally, i just really like the simplicity of this song. it's no masterpiece, but it's almost like the lyrics of an old folk song. i feel like it's just a testament to those special songs that you play whenever you're feeling down, and when they come on, they just instantly brighten your day.

and we have got no home at all
travel like gypsies living off any
thing, thing, thing

these are the melodies
with simple harmonies we sing
we sing of the hardship life brings

this also echoes my previous point, but i also like that this is bringing a story into that idea. perhaps it's just a song for all the musicians who are dirt poor, but they continue to do what they do because they love it? maybe.

regardless? i love this song. it's not my favorite costa song by any means, but it's worthy of a mention.

here's a live version matt played at the moonshine festival in 2004:
songs we sing ( live) - matt costa

(feel free to download. just right click, click save as, et voila.)

I'm on a belated blogging craze...

YEP! ya heard it here first, folks.
Kallie's done made another blog. boy-howdy.
as if i'll get any followers. puhshaw.
*spits tobacco*

but i thought i'd take my love for music, and blahg (my use of "blah" is meant to represent the often "blahblahblah" factor of most blogs, for those of you who are unaware of my punny behavior) about a new song every day...actually, that's asking a lot from a girl like me. let's just say every post, and i'll try and make at least 3 posts a week, deal? *shakes hand even if not in agreement* (we'll even pull out the ol' knife-finger-touch fingers contract if we have to.) I say "we." little did you know I have a mouse in my pocket who helps me write my blogs. he's actually the gregarious one. i'm just submissive.

so expect my little darlings soon. i'll try and post a sampling mp3 when available, but otherwise, don't expect miracles or illegal file-sharing. i'm willing to live on the edge...of my seat.