‘Hear’ in Review - My 2012 + Other Retrospective Musings

I haven’t had the chance to wax poetic about anything in a while…buckle up!

I’ll be the first to admit that I only got balls deep into the greater music scene [indie / obscure / old / new / beyond-the-radio / real / GOOD music] in the middle of 2009, when my cousin handed me a stack of CDs [it would seem that we are indeed a family of physical CD collectors], took me to “shows” as opposed to “concerts” (I thought MSG/Continental were the closest you’d ever get to your favorite musicians) and all-in-all changed my life.

The DeVita’s are a musical bunch. I played instruments / sang in choruses as a kid, many family members play in bands or perform in theater groups, we were the obnoxious neighbors blasting from a million speakers into the backyard every summer, and the band of merry fools singing and dancing during any jaunt in a motor vehicle. I love oldies and disco because of my mom, classic rock: dad, broadway: aunts and uncles, always been a sucker for R&B or some down ‘n dirty rap, and I’ve adored pop like any self-respecting teeny bopper from the 2000’s…but the vast world that lived behind the doors-windows-crawlspaces of music that had been opened for me…folk, indie rock, alt country, bedroom pop, shoegaze, $8 to see a handful unbelievable bands, standing shoulder to shoulder in a tiny 100º room swaying chanting clapping dancing with a room full of strangers…all of the most crazy wonderful things I never knew existed…were mine for the taking!

The end of that year, rolling full steam ahead into 2010, was a period of euphoric exploration for me. I completely immersed myself in this world. I developed a taste (a hunger…a passion…an obsession!) for the good stuff. A solid, widely-encompassing, sophisticated taste, I must say…I call ‘em like I see ‘em, and you should trust me. Through many long Twitter benders, inordinate amounts of downloads, my faithful employers The Wild Honey Pie music blog, and my own unstoppable thirst for experience, I saw 30+ shows, at least 3x that many artists, and fell in love with basically every single one.

2011, both musically and in my personal reality, fell prey to a lull…a sad silence I thought may never end, but thankfully 2012 mirrored the endless supply of emerging sounds from a few years prior. Life, of course, is cyclical in that way, so I’m sure I can anticipate a future slow-down. During that time I’ll have that 35.1 days of music on my iPod to keep me company.

I am a writer by nature and moderate talent, briefly became a legit music blogger by trade, and will forever be a music lover by heart. There is a genre that is perfect for every moment, an accompanying rhythm for every task, a reflective lyric for every inner thought, a goosebump-inducing note for every feeling, and you will catch me putting on a show while I vacuum my apartment or playing drums on my car steering wheel until forever.

I’d like to die with the songs I love stuck in my head
I hope to make the most of all those hollow bones we become
I raise a toast to the souls that sang all along
— Company of Thieves “Around the Block”

Say what you want about social media…it has provided me with a wealth of access to something in my life that the word “love” doesn’t even begin to describe. It’s given me a fun little forum to share my opinions with the world, bond with like-minded folk, and has become what I find to be the best way to live in the present in this fast-paced ever-changing world of ours. To the shy and silent girl I used to be, it has given a voice, and inspired a confidence in my real life that I never imagined I could possess. Every year on Twitter I thank the world for music, and also thank the wondrous weird planet of Twitter itself and all it’s inhabitants for just being there…for me.

With that, I recap all the acts I saw in 2012 (yes, I keep a detailed list)…were you at any of the same shows? Do you suppose I cheated my numbers a bit with having gone to SXSW? Oh well! And also I’ll share with you the albums that were my absolute favorites, in somewhat of a most-listened order:
 

Happy new year, folks…may 2013 be indescribably kick-ass!

xoxo, Nic :)

Literary Lawlz

I seem to have fallen into an unintentional pattern with my most recent reading material, but you will NOT hear me complaining…you’ll just hear me laughing obnoxiously from an otherwise silent room at these ridiculously well-written and hilarious memoirs. I recommend all three, and we all know you want an excuse to go on Amazon and say to yourself or someone who monitors your spending habits, “well it would be irresponsible NOT to buy enough stuff to qualify for FREE Super Saver Shipping!”…the links, my dearest literate shopaholics -xoxo

♥   I Was Told There’d Be Cake - Sloan Crosley

♥   Dress Your Family in Courduroy and Denim - David Sedaris

♥   The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid - Bill Bryson

In a Perfect Holiday World…

…I would be blessed with friends and family who deeply understand me, and would totally get why these weird and wonderfully random things are what I ACTUALLY want for Christmas! *sigh* 

1. Pantone Christmas Balls - Studio Badini Createam for Seletti

I dream in Pantone…VIVA L’ITALIA! 

 

2. Miike Snow Jackalope XMas Jumper

Why I didn’t go with my gut and get this before it sold out in half a day, I’LL NEVER KNOW :( Fail fail fail fail fail.






3.  I would say for the past two years, every holiday and every birthday I’ve put “tambourine” on my list…yes I wanna dance around my room with it, yes I wanna duct tape it to my foot when I tap ‘em to the beat, and yes I REALLY wanna bring it in the car with me and be the girl shaking it around on my 1.5 hr commute every day. SO SUE ME!