Revival

I woke up today morning, switched on the TV only to hear the noise of a group that calls themselves "The Swedish House Mafia" and their single: Miami to Ibiza.

Listening to this new radio hit, I found myself pining for something with more substance and reminded myself of two albums that I've listened to more than any other throughout my post adolescent life: Lifehouse - No Name Face and Jimmy Eat World - Futures.

I appreciate that these aren't everybody's cup of tea, especially because radio and TV swamp us with the commercial billboard topping singles alone and that's all we get to hear. I am traditionally more inclined towards the genres of rock and alternative (and for people that know me, TRANCE! :P). Anyway, if you get a moment and appreciate good lyrics, great messages and sometimes a bit of emoness, have a listen to these two albums, pure gold!

On a related note, I've just got myself tickets to Kings of Leon live at the FNB Stadium (Soccer City for those not over the world cup) in March next year and their new album is well worth a listen if you are like me, more rock/alternative/indie minded. Here's a link to one of their first singles off the album

In other big big news, the elusive BROTHA has been spotted by a regular blog reader, apparently moving up in the world! Glad to see some things stay the same. (Thanks @MKalpee)

Anyway, the year is coming to an end, wishing everyone a safe and blessed festive season with travels, dossing, costing, weddings, partying and anything else you'll be getting up to.

Have you listened to 23 today?

The Times They Are a-Changin'

This blog post has been insipired by my sudden realisation of how quick things are changing around me, and my reluctancy to let go of some things I naively thought would never change. Ok, who am I kidding, I always knew life would change, just not so quickly.

Bob Dylan sang it in 1964, but it's one of those timeless songs that'll make sense in any one of our lives at some point or the other even to this day... The times they are-a changin'

Hmmm, where to start? 

It's wierd, I'd think the change from varsity to working life would be an immediate shock, but it wasn't, I settled in Ok, it's just now that I start to realise how things have progressed over a year and a half. But work is work, I'm actually more startled at coming to grips with the fact that I'm growing older, and so is everything else I'm familiar with.

A catalyst for this would be that a number of my close friends getting engaged/married (or planning to -you know who you are!). I never thought about it that hard, but when you see people you relate to do it, kinda puts it in perspective... The times they are-a changin'

But its not just that my generation is moving on thats hard to deal with, so are the other generations. Talking to some friends over the past week, the common feeling was how we're trying to resist the fact that our folks are getting older. Again, it's common sense, the circle of life, it's inevitable, but it hits you hard on the head and knocks you out cold when you realise it, to quote directly from the song, "Come mothers and fathers throughout the land, and don't crticize what you can't understand, your sons and your daughters are beyond your command, your old road is rapidly ageing. Please get out of the new one if you can't lend a hand for the times they are-a changin'

Don't even get me started at the 'kids', we're all looking at the little pipsqeaks growing up with slightly jealous eyes, sigh...

There's hardly any point fighting it (although I've heard five unique requests for time machines to take us back to standard 6 and below over the past month from friends). I'm not fighting it, just maybe seeking some solace in that I'm not alone in this yearning for our lost youth.

That said, woot woot! we're growing older! Finally! 

Our future will be defined by our actions now. Somewhat daunting, but at the same time exhilarating, I've always seeked for approval from elders with regards to decisions I make, yet I've made plenty recently on my own, no worries... The added responsibility is sometimes scary but at most times (so far anyway) awesome.

And that really is the key. Now is our time, the changing of the guard if you will.

We really have to embrace the change because as hard as it is to move on, to quote from Bob Dylan one last time then, "you better start swimmin or you'll sink like a stone... for the times they are a-changin"

Indeed they are... I wonder what brotha thinks of it all