Guest Post: Hunter

As Coco's family road trip has brought her into the middle of nowhere, she has enlisted some help from her future college suite mate: me. Hopefully I won't let her down or disappoint you, readers. I've been listening to a mixture of music genres lately. Of course, as I'm from Texas, there's always the obligatory country music--but I won't share that here.

"Next to Me" by Emeli Sande

This song was introduced to me just last night by one of my close friends who just returned from a month-long stay in Africa. She immediately thought of me when she heard because Emeli Sande's music is very similar to that of Janelle Monae (who I love and have seen in concert a few times). So talented.

"Lakehouse" by Of Monsters and Men

I decided to buy the Of Monsters and Men album on impulse when I was shopping in a random Target in Tyler, Texas. This was a couple months ago and I had no clue what Of Monsters and Men sounded like but the second I played their CD in my car, I was hooked. This is absolutely my favorite song by them.

"Rocks and Daggers" by Noah & The Whale

Noah & The Whale first entered my realm of interest in 2010 during the semester I spent in New York City. Every morning in our dorm, we'd have a "song of the day." This song was played by my friend Gracie and ever since then, I have associated it with all the memories during those 4 months up north.

Road Trip?!

This week has been absolutely mad. But in the best way, yknow. Why? Because it's the obligatory family summer road trip. No big deal, you say? No, my friend. Big deal. My family takes road trips to a whole different level. Road tripping is like an Olympic sport around here, and we win both gold and silver, leaving the Griswolds with a lowly bronze. It's not a rarity to drive from California to Pennsylvania in three days... twice in one summer. I've forgotten what a bathroom break even feels like.

So you must realize how this blog post might be a little, well, off. And I'm going to just hope that you love me enough forgive. I'll do my best.

"Magic Carpet Ride" by Steppenwolf

When I'm on a road trip, this song makes me feel like I'm the protagonist in a great road trip movie. Like Wild America or something. I'm not going to try to explain that. You should know by now not to ask for explanation.

Except, now that I think about it, it's probably because "Born To Be Wild" by Steppenwolf is in the movie Wild America. Boh.

"Like a Dancer" by The Enemy

I don't think the lyrics correlate to this at all, but this song feels a bit like some sort of life-is-good anthem, and it's the sort of song I'd feel completely happy listening to in the car on the way to some vacation destination. It's got a nice rocky undertone. Rocky being, like, rock and roll. Not Rocky the boxer. I don't know why you'd make that mistake. Listen, I'm writing this at a very late hour.

"Gimme Twice" by The Royal Concept

Let's get this straight. The girls are the freaky kidnappers in the music video? What is that? I am declining further comment because anything I have to say this point will do zero justice to your view of the video, to this blog, to my integrity. Like I said, it's late. And I think I would like this band better if the lead singer's voice didn't remind me so much of Phoenix because I was definitely among those who overdosed on that band in the summer of 2009.

For the record, I asked my younger brother what to post, and literally every suggestion he had was a Billy Joel song. I asked him why, and he just stared at me with this look that asks, "What sort of idiot are you?" and said, "Billy Joel's awesome."

xx coco

"Tiny Dancer" by Elton John

I don't know that he expected this song in particular, but there's my tribute to the bro.  Hold me closer, Elton John.

Wait, wait, wait, actually please don't.


EDIT: Tuesday, August 7th, 20:02
It has come to my attention that Billy Joel and Elton John are not the same person. I am deeply sorry for any confusion and hurt that this has caused. Refunds will be available upon request, and therapy may also become available. If not, you can email me your problems and I'll send back sympathetic smiley faces. 

Good Morning, Baltimore!

Naw, I'm not really in Baltimore. Nice place though.

Jerry Douglas + Mumford and Sons' cover of "The Boxer" by Simon and Garfunkel

So, we've been running low on covers here. Obvi. Because generally less than any covers means... no covers. Listen, I'm listening to a song and typing at the same time and sometimes that makes things I say make less sense. Also, sometimes things I say don't really make sense anyways. Anyways, please listen to this auditory ambrosia.

"D'artagnan's Theme" by Citizen Cope

And how about some Citizen Cope? Oh, we fancy, huh? Yeah you are welcome! So is it the weirdest thing in the world that I really like the name D'artagnan? Is that cruel to do to a child or something? Because it just sounds like that guy has a lifetime of swordfighting, romanticism, and general BA swashbuckling ahead of him.

Man, I love Citizen Cope.

Juston Stens and the Get Real Gang's cover of "Let Me Roll It" by

I'm not sure who exactly I was speaking with, but I recently had a conversation with the conclusion that if you ever have the chance to join a band that follows the format: [INSERT NAME] and the [INSERT SOMETHING ELSE], don't do it! Don't be part of the Get Real Gang because Juston Stens is going to help you get real with a serious reality check when he leaves you all behind for a solo career! You're just a pawn in Juston's game!

That last rant exhausted me. I can't go on.

xx coco

Funny Story...

No, I lied, and I don't have a funny story.  Look, all day I've been funny, and I'm watching a ten year old who just doesn't understand, so I'm feeling a bit on the bitter side about my comic abilities. When I told her she couldn't take a joke, she looked at me deadpan and said, "No. No, I can't," and walked away. And to think I made that girl an omelette.

"Girls" by Deep Sea Arcade

Why does his voice sort of remind me of The Beatles? Or maybe it's that haircut, that heinous haircut... Nonetheless, The music video is well done, in my opinion. Of course, it's not the kind you could watch over and over because of how cool it is, but then again, I don't think I'd put the song on repeat either.

"Bottom of the River" by Delta Rae

Excellent, excellent song. Her voice kills me. It's deep and soulful and just stays with you. And freaky as the lyrics may be, they're well written and just work with what they've chosen to do here. I love it. But oh, my stars above is that not the creepiest music video? It's simply terrifying. Aside from that, it's somehow beautiful.

"Tamer Animals" by Other Lives

I don't know, somehow any time I see tiny people, my first instinct is "They're borrowers!" but that could be just me. I sort of think I'm not alone in that though. Actually, I'm not even sure those people are supposed to be tiny, but their cars are, like, toy cars. And the gravel of the pavement looks massive! Beyond that essential tangent, it's a soothing song. I don't want to go as far as to say dispassionate, but it's certainly good for calming down after you listen to "Bottom of the River."

I think the valuable lesson here is not to make omelettes for just anyone. If someone's made an omelette for you lately, you're probably special. But maybe less so if you payed money for it. But we can pretend if it makes you feel better.

xx coco

Don't Stop Believin'

Hold on to that fee-eeli-in'. That's like a mandatory wedding song. I was talking with my mom, and she said that when it came out they had no idea that "Don't Stop Believing" would be the legend that it is today. It's not even her favorite Journey song. And I was like, "Journey has other songs?!"

Just kidding.

But it does make me wonder which songs of today our own children will immortalize. *please let it not be The Black Eyed Peas* Every song will be an oldie someday. Which songs do you think will be forever songs, and which songs will blow over and be forgotten? That will be a serious punch in the gut, the day little Marlene refers to Coldplay as oldies or asks if I ever had an actual CD of Maroon 5.

Also kidding. I would never name my child Marlene.

"Hey Now" by David Barnes

This song makes me happy. It also makes me want to talk in a funny accent. Don't judge me; I'm having more fun than you. But it really does it for me when they whip out the whistling in the middle of an upbeat song. And they don't overdo it either. Bravo, David Barnes.

"Love love love" by Avalanche City

Please. Please tell me this music video isn't a penguin in love on a boat, fighting a pirate and being rescued by a blimp. Someone tell me it isn't so. Who does this? Penguins? Leave the penguins be!! What did penguins ever do to pirates! They don't even have booty to steal! Just, like, useless feathers and such. Times like these tell me that I should be making music videos for a living.

But, I mean, lovely song.

"Dreams" by The Cranberries

Why? Because I feel like it. Once I bought a Woodstock '94 CD because this song was on it and I was young and stupid. Other artists included Porno for Pyros and Salt n Pepa. It was utterly terrifying.

Don't stop believing, mis amigos.

xx coco

Tonight, Tonight

You know when I feel like a loser? When someone asks what genre of music I like. If you like the music I post, you probably understand the feeling. (If you don't like the music I post, what the heck are you doing here?) Usually I sound a little like this: "Well, mostly I listen to bands that are a little... rocky. With some folk thrown in. And oldies. Good ones, like the Stones, none of that 'polka dot bikini' business. Plus a bit of Jack White sometimes. And every once in a while some reggae. Oh and Jack Johnson." By the time I've listed off three more genres and rambled for a minute more about how not all indie rock is bad and picked some fuzz off my sweater, I'm normally not in a conversation anymore. Then again, I'd rather not say "Oh, I like a bit of everything," because that leaves me sounding indecisive and like not much of a music fan at all. Besides, I don't like a bit of everything. Once dubstep actually made my ears bleed.

So if you've been listening to Coco Cappuccino and are wondering what genre you've gotten into, I have no idea. Tell people your taste in music is as changing and harsh and untamable as the sea. And say it in the Tia Dalma voice too, so it really freaks them out.

"On The Sly" by The Bamboos feat. Kyle Auldist

Hey I like that red dress! I had originally wanted to post a different song by The Bamboos, "Medicine Man," but dat ain't on YouTube, so listen in on Spotify or something, whatever.

"Save my Soul"by Alpine Shore

The beginning of this song seriously sounds like "Steal My Kisses" by Ben Harper. These guys are from Colorado and describe their sound as "Colorado Beach Music" which sort of seems disillusioned to me because Colorado is very landlocked, but I'm totally going with it because my ears liked it anyways.

"Junk of the Heart (Happy)" by the Kooks

This has to be my favorite Kooks song. It's nice because you can really just kick it while you listen. Very catchy, doesn't get old. Except every time I see the title, I sort of think about "My Junk" from the musical Spring Awakening. Not a bad music video. I'm not overly enthused with it or anything, but the shadows of the violin players are quite lovely.

Oh, by the way, that whole thing about bleeding ears was a lie. Except once I was so close to the speaker at Young the Giant that I actually thought I felt something that had ruptured in my ear and freaked out until we got to the car and my sister could confirm that, indeed, my ears were intact. True story, bro.

xx coco

Aha!

Bet you weren't expecting a Wednesday post!

On a note related to literally nothing, watch this video:

xx coco

Cereal, Among Other Things. Like Music

Here's the thing. I could eat cereal for... maybe forever. It's becoming semi-serious. Especially at night. It just really doesn't fill you up, know what I'm sayin'? So you end up eating as much cereal as might fit in the back of a decent sized minivan before you know it. And I know it's probably the cardinal sin of healthy eating, but cinnamon toast crunch, let's just skip the whole bowl and milk thing. Hand me the box if you want to live.

And if you don't enjoy sugary cereal, you're either a liar, a robot, or a diabetic. If you're a liar or a robot, get off my blog. The diabetics can stay. You guys have it rough.

In other news, I've decided on a Monday-Friday schedule for the blog posts, since Mondays need a little cheer and Fridays are so great that we all just want to dance.

"Bright Lights" by Gary Clark Jr.

Perfection: this song has reached it. I'm pretty eh on the music video. But the song itself, in particular those vocals, is just gorgeous. Touch of Black Keys, anyone?

"Cali in a Cup" by Woods

Ok, so I know this is someone's random home-cooked video of their jump off Sauron's tower into a 6 foot deep pond in Virginia, but it is actually the only video I could find with the song. Just pretend it's got some instagram-esque effects, and it's not too much different than many of the music videos on Youtube today! Nice song though, right?

"Auto-Happy" by Slow Runner

And to end on a groovin' beat, I give you Slow Runner! Just like me and all the girls on my high school cross country team that I convinced to build forts in the woods with me rather than run our workouts! And is it just me, or is the use of autotune in this song totally not annoying? It's like a new breed of music!

xx coco

Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler

I don't speak French. But I did see that on a sign once. And I liked it.

*Warning: minor use of obscenity in next song*
"On My Mind" by Boy in a Box

I don't know if the boys/girls in this music video are boys or girls. Good old-fashioned rock sound though.

"Live Your Life" by Yuna

This isn't entirely my style, but I'm good with it. Good for very, very chill days. Yuna's also got a lovely cover of "Come As You Are" by Nirvana. And you know how I feel about covers.

"Two Matchsticks" by The Wooden Birds

Very interesting music video. A lil creepy, but that might just be me... A beautiful song, also quite chill. I guess it's just that kind of summer day.

I also found this, which I like, on the Fake Science facebook page. This is all.

xx coco

So... I'm back.

So, for quite a while, I've been away.  Not away, physically, just decidedly not updating Coco Cappuccino. I can't give you a great excuse. Honestly, I just became more and more discouraged as I couldn't see direct proof that this blog had anything to do with anyone's life, that it made any sort of difference or mattered at all whatsoever. Then one day, I simply didn't click that taunting orange "Publish" button.

And my friends, for this I apologize.

After great amounts of pressure from select family and friends, I logged back in and was absolutely overwhelmed to see that, even in my rude absence, CocoCapp was being checked by so many users daily, even though I've failed to post for months. Scouring the internet for new and interesting music might not save the world. It might not end any crises or help anyone in particular. But it does make some people happy, and this matters about as much as any light gesture I could make could. So, I am back. And I'll be keeping you updated with music, just like you like it. However, this time I'm going to make it more manageable by posting twice a week and making these posts more special. This way, I won't get overwhelmed and lose steam again.

Life is so short. Far too short to keep all that music to myself. Music is meant to be shared and loved by as many as possible. With this, I give you "Coco Cappuccino Returns: Curse of the Sometimes Borderline Hipster Tunes."

"Simple Kind of Lovely" by Kara's Flowers (Maroon 5)

Kara's Flowers, actually, is the name that Maroon 5 used as they started out, somewhat unsuccessfully. They changed their name to evade the Kara's Flowers pop-rock past. Or at least, that's what Wikipedia told me when I wondered. 

"Do You Remember" by Ane Brun

Let me tell you, there's no such thing as too weird. Also, this guy is a great actor. Doesn't her voice remind you a lil of Florence?

"People C'mon" by Delta Spirit

Delta Spirit is quickly becoming a favorite of mine. There's a thunderstorm outside my home and it happens to be wonderful "I'm perfectly happy but sort of angsty" music. And I mean that in the best possible way.

I've seen some amazing things since we last spoke. I've traveled some. I went to Bonnaroo, I chatted with Flea of the RHCP, I watched Radiohead from on top of Skrillex's tour bus, and I mistook The Civil Wars for a married couple (...but they're so cute together!!). And now, I look forward to sharing these things with you, the internet.

xx coco