Friday the 11th of March

This post is mostly going to be about music but i felt that it's only right that i start it by saying that right now my thoughts are with two sets of people half the world away this evening. I hope the news coming in from Japan doesn't get any worse, that the situation at the nuclear plant resolves itself and the men and women of Japan are able to begin to get their lives back on track soon after this earthquake. The footage that has turned up on the internet is shocking and awe inspiring in the worst possible way; the raw power of the earthquake and the tsunami that followed it have proven that even the most technologically advanced societies on earth are still vulnerable to the sheer power of a natural disaster. The other people on my mind are the Libyan rebels; fighting and dying for every town and city as Gaddafi attacks his 'people' with a brutal disregard for human life. Meanwhile the UN debates and discusses faced with the minefield of international diplomacy and a situation where there is no indisputable right answer. Personally i'd support the creation of a no fly zone over Libya, recognising the council in Benghazi as the legitimate government and offering them advice and weapons (seeing as we've helped arm most of the other powers in the region it would be nice if for once we gave our weapons to the good guys).

On a lighter note, i've been enjoying doing the 30 day song challenge on facebook (basically a set of rules which require you to post a different song, chosen on a different set of criteria, each day, and post it on your wall) it's been an interesting experiment and posed me several almost unanswerable questions; how on earth am i meant to choose my favourite song for example? It's a question for which the answer changes on an almost hourly basis, depending on my mood and where i am. As it was i chose my favourite Bloc Party song, This Modern Love as this has been pretty consistently up amongst my favourite songs. I've found it really entertaining trying to work out which songs fit which categories, though some have definitely been easier (favourite band) than others (a song that makes you happy - there were a lot of options).

It's also been good fun to go on the main page for the challenge and scroll through what other people have put. I find it fascinating to look at which songs other people find happy or sad, which songs carry particular meaning and which bands they simply can't stand. It's been a great reminder of just how subjective music is, how one person's favourite song can be another's most hated, without it saying anything critical about either person.

Music has some objective value, like any art form; there are some pieces which require more skill than others, some which challenge the audience more, but in the end the most important aspects; whether you enjoy it, whether it takes on some meaning beyond that of a simple 3 minute song or whether it captures peoples imaginations, all that is subjective and i'm incredibly glad for that. I love the fact that despite the hyper-socialised world most people of my age group live in, where peer pressure can be implemented on a national or global scale via the internet, music, and the arts in general, are still so wonderfully subjective. You may say you like one song or another to impress someone else, but deep down you have opinions on that songs which are entirely personal and i'm intensely grateful for that.

The experiment was one of a whole host of reasons why i've decided to change my own attitude to this blog. I'm going to try and post more frequently, instead of only writing when i have something that has been bugging me for days at a time. I'm going to try and write most days, even if it's just to post a song or two which i think people should listen to, recommend a tv show or film i think people should watch or just ramble about what is on my mind.

So today (it's technically tomorrow, or yesterday depending on your perspective, i'm too tired to care either way) i'm going to recommend a band from New Zealand called 'The Naked And The Famous'. If you're going to go on a night out, or just want a song or two to get you in a more upbeat mood, check them out. I'd particularly recommend 'Punching In A Dream' and 'Girls Like You' if you only have time to listen to a couple.

I think i'll finish this blog with a brief section of lyrics from one of my favourite songs right now:

I still believe, in the need, for guitars and drums and desperate poetry

If i was ever to get a tatoo, those words would be the ones i'd get done.

Any feedback is very welcome, whether it's good or bad, plus any musical recommendations are always much appreciated.