"Funny how a melody sounds like a memory..."

  Maybe it's the impending arrival of Spring Break and with it that much needed week-long vacation home, but my emotions have been operating at 110% this past week. I recently became obsessed with The Civil Wars, giving my Adele playlist a much deserved rest, and I'm not even kidding the words spoke to me. One of my favorite books of my young adult life is Something Borrowed by Emily Griffin, and last spring it was made into an amazing movie with an even better soundtrack. Coincidentally the main song off of the soundtrack was by The Civil Wars, and thus my obsession began. Their album Barton Hollow is like nothing I have ever heard before, some songs are strictly instrumental while others are hopeless love ballads. They're the kinds of songs that make you cry the first time you hear them. And now I'm sounding like a crazy cat lady.

  Eric Church sang "funny how a melody sounds like a memory" and wow is that line true. It is almost like Inception when you hear a song and all of sudden you can feel that warm breeze, smell the air, and feel that touch on your skin. It's like you're transported back in time. You can relive all those incredible moments of happiness. Then you can also relive those moments that were once full of happiness and now just suck all the joy out of your room at 3am while you're up working on a social media plan for Dell. And all this happens because of a song that randomly popped up on a Pandora station or Spotify playlist. 
  Now don't get me wrong I love reliving high school memories on the walk to class or snowy days up at the mountain house while in the library working on a paper. So I was beside myself when my roommate introduced me to the new "Pandora", Spotify. You can listen to any song, any playlist from any show or movie, and make playlists based off artists like Pandora. But unlike Pandora, Spotify is linked through your Facebook with founder Mark Zuckerberg giving the greatest endorsement a company could ask for by setting his status to "Spotify is so good." I have been hooked this entire weekend and am listening even as I write this. So thank you Pandora Radio, Spotify, and their iPhone apps for holding my hand and walking me down memory lane on a daily, even hourly basis. And thank you to The Civil Wars Pandora station for introducing me to other amazing artists such as Need to Breathe, Maria Taylor, and Whitley. And to Spotify's Gossip Girl Season 1-5 playlists for getting me through homework this weekend. The next time you jump in the shower, grab a book and head to the balcony, or gear up for an all-nighter take Pandora or the new kid on the block, Spotify, with you and let your memory wander.

The Civil Wars "My Father's Father":

I hear something hanging on the wind                                        
I see black smoke up around the bend
I got my ticket and
I'm going to go home

The leaves have changed a time or two
Since the last time the train came through
I got my ticket and I'm going to go home

My father's father's blood is on the track
A sweet refrain drifts in from the past
I got my ticket and I'm going to go home

The winding roads they led me here
burn like coal and dry like tears
So here's my hope
My tired soul
So here's my ticket
I want to go home