Melodious Moments.

I tend to get stuck in musical ruts. My iPod is home to over 5000 songs, and yet I find myself constantly listening to the same handfuls at a time. It's an awful habit, but that's an issue for another day. The reason why I have this awful habit is because I just love downloading new music. Maybe I don't listen to it forever, or fall head over heels in love with the band... but there's a great sense of satisfaction in hearing the first few notes of a brand new song, or hearing a lyric that makes the hair on the back of your neck stand on end. New songs just evoke a different kind of feeling, or maybe I'm just romanticizing it. Who knows? All I know is that I intend to bombard you with some beautiful new tunes to jam out to in this summer heat.

River City Extension
Holy mother of god, I think I'm in love with this band. This doesn't always happen when you troll around last.fm for music, but when it does you download every piece of music the artist has ever produced, hummed, or whistled. Their music is upbeat, catchy, toe-tapping, and hilarious. The perfect summer background if you're cruising around town, blasting the tunes with the windows down. It's really just fun stuff with amazing guitar riffs, and the subtle touches of brass.To summarize them, really, all I think I have to do is point out that one of their songs is called "Too Tired to Drink", and I think that does the trick nicely.

Alabama Shakes
Soulful, beautiful, and powerful. The best way I can possibly describe this band's style. Her voice reminds me of really old school soul and r&b, it's quite refreshing to hear. Every song just booms with emotion, I think the best way to ever listen to this band would be live. I think she would blow you right out of the room with her raw feeling. Definitely on my list of bands to track down a vinyl for! I can only imagine how smooth that would sound.

Dear and the Headlights
These guys are super upbeat, and totally have a summer vibe. Folk-pop-punk feeling, with a heavier/funkier bass line. The drums are solid, and definitely stand out above the tracks. Not my favourite of the lot, but that's because I'm trying to branch out from such "folksy" and "pop-punk" feeling stuff.

Little Joy
Another one of my favourites from this haul! They sound freakishly like the Strokes, his voice reminds me SO much of Julian Casablancas, but I could just quite possibly be losing my mind. Their bass is just dreamy (if you haven't noticed a trend yet, I adore funky bass lines), and their lyrics are pretty endearing. Quite refreshingly, they are also not just a one trick pony! Their track "Don't Watch me Dancing" slows down, becoming a lovely ballad much different than much of their lively jams.

The Vaccines
Almost every time I download new music, I end up with a British indie-rock band. Every. Time. I'm drawn to their guitar handiwork, catchy lyrics, and adorable accents. There were a couple of songs that wound up being just too gosh darn repetitive for me, but that's just a giant pet peeve of mine (along with horrendously long intros and outros in songs- what is WITH that?). This is the epitome of "movie soundtrack music" to me, the kind of music that I put on, and can imagine a party scene going on.. or a long roadtrip scene with funny clips spliced together. Maybe I'm crazy!

Forest City Lovers
Finally, a Canadian band! These lovely folks call their home Toronto, and have a wonderfully sweet sound to them. If you're a fan of Ingrid Michaelson, A Fine Frenzy, or anything along those lines- this band is for you. Her voice has a very ambient feel, but the music picks everything up with some pep, making for a very interesting sort of sound. Going to try to catch these kids if they ever make their way around here!

Yukon Blonde
Another Canadian band, this time from BC! I've been trying to put them into words, and I can't quite figure out how to describe them. Their guitar work is lovely, and the background harmonies create a very mellow vibe that is perfect for summer relaxing by the pool, or hanging out with a couple of good friends in the sun. Of all of the bands, this one was Boyfriend's top pick, so if you like Gorillaz or Hawksley Workman- you would probably enjoy this band quite a bit.

Of Monsters and Men
Something a little different than what I normally listen to. This band reminds me a lot of Florence and the Machine's newer stuff... psychedelic undertones and a very monotone, sweet sort of singer. I'm pretty sure that I've heard of this band somewhere before, so Lord knows I'm pretty sure that half the world has already heard of them. But this is what life is like when you don't listen to the radio.

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I had put together a wonderful playlist of 33 songs to share with you guys, but then realized 8tracks only lets you put two songs per artist on a playlist.. and well, that sortof fell flat. Anyway, here's a narrowed down and edited version of that same list for you listening pleasure...


 

melodious moments v.1 from devotchkagirl on 8tracks.

Got any songs that you think I would love? Anyone else out there making 8tracks playlists? Or maybe you're in a band that I should definitely hear?

Leave a comment!

Family Vines.

A couple of weeks ago, the women of my family got together for our annual "Girls' Day Out" event (and yes, I totally designed that amazing logo for this occasion, but my Grandma ended up picking a different one of my creations). Essentially, this is where we pile into a couple of cars, and tour around the Niagara region to as many wineries as we can muster before dinner. This usually ends in all of us spending far too much money, the trunks of our cars being a couple of inches closer to the ground, and all of us being slightly tipsy from all the delicious tastings (except our lovely designated drivers, of course).

It took me a while to come around to wine, but over the course of the last three Girl's Day Outs I've really discovered a taste for it. White wine is my home slice, red wine... well, that might take me a couple more years to learn to appreciate (I cannot understand why you would want to drink something that is DRY- beverages are meant to QUENCH your thirst!). My Grandmother is the master organizer of this entire ordeal, bless her heart, and we always wind up back at her place afterwards for a celebratory barbecue with the menfolk who got left behind with the children. What can I say? We girls get shit done.

We started at Megalomaniac, which I do strongly recommend. Their winery is built into the side of the hill, and for the tastings you get to go right into the storage room (pictured above on the left and below). For that alone, it's worth checking out! The staff there was super friendly, and everything is just top notch- quite swanky. Their wine wasn't my favourite of the day, but for anyone with a more sophisticated palate than myself, it will certainly appeal to you. Personally, I enjoy a smoother wine, with less acidity. 

And their packaging is to die for!

Another great find was Frogpond Farm, a 100% organic winery. Their grapes are organic, as well as their entire wine-making process. For anyone trying to be a friend to the environment, I cannot suggest this wine enough! It tastes phenomenal, really "clean" (go figure). No strange aftertastes, nothing unwelcome left creeping around on your tongue... just beautiful and refreshing. Not to mention, they had adorable sheep and a dog hanging out on the property. Didn't think to ask, but I'm fairly certain the sheep are there for more than just aesthetics (cheap fertilizer anyone?). 

Being the totally unorganized people that we were, we were in a rush to move onto the next place and didn't have the time- but for those of you who move at a less hurried pace, next to the main building was a self-guided tour around the property. This winery is also completely bike-friendly, and has tons of parking for anyone cruising on up.

Not a whole lot of photo-ops at Joseph's, but we make sure to hit it up every year. One reason is that everyone there is amazingly friendly and helpful, another is that their prices are to die for, but the main reason is pictured above. My hometown is Mississauga, where the absolutely wonderful Hazel McCallion presides as mayor, and has since the dawn of time. At Joseph's you will find both a white and red wine dedicated to this awesome lady (for under $20 too!). Not sure how much longer they will be making this stuff, but if you love her as much as we do, I would recommend heading over there to snag a couple of bottles for yourself. I also strongly recommend their Caroline rose (named after the owner's daughter), it's a beautiful summer pick for sitting on the patio! And, as a bonus fun fact- Joseph's was the first winery in the region to start making Ice Wine, which has become totally trendy and a highlight of the Niagara region. 

To follow the typical cliche, I saved my favourite for last (which is quite fitting, as it was the last place we squeezed in on our way home!). Organized Crime is a tiny little place off the beaten path, but is well worth going out of your way for. Their collection is just stunning, each wine having a hand drawn label which forms a story when you line them all up. One of their wine bottles (the 2008 pinot noir, pictured below) is featured in an art museum in California because, well, it's so gosh darn beautiful!

Organized Crime gets its name from a true story that happened just around the corner from their property. Back in the day, there were two rival Mennonite churches who could not see eye to eye on the beauty of music. One had an organ, and other saw that (as well as all music) as sinful and just plain terrible. So, the considerably unreasonable church got together and hatched a plan. In the middle of the night they broke into the musical church, stole the organ, put it in a buggy, and dumped it in a river. After that, they had "beautiful silence" once more.

Not only is the whole namesake of the wine pretty interesting, but the wine itself is just fantastic. Their 2008 Riesling Reserve is just about the best wine I think I have ever had the pleasure of tasting. Seriously. My mother and I killed the bottle at the barbecue afterwards because we could not get enough of it! Our plan is to attempt to collect all of the bottles someday... unfortunately that might end up taking us a good long while, as our beloved Riesling is $28, and it only goes up from there. While being a little pricey for our conservative wallet, I can say without a shadow of a doubt that this wine is worth every single penny. 

Expect to see more wine adventures with me! I'm not sure if it has more to do with the fact that I am actually "growing up", or just because I just love wine glasses, but wine is something I certainly look forward to enjoying more often.

Do you have any unconventional events you do with your family every year? Or a favourite wine that I absolutely must try? Comment below!

PS: The image below is the design of my mine that my Grandmother picked for our lovely group t-shirts. Not my favourite of the lot, but totally adorable and appropriate for our motley crew.

Home Sweet Apartment.

Our apartment finally has functional internet, thus I can finally stop disappointing my list of goals and get back to a regular blogging schedule. Now balancing a job, social life, and this blog might wind up being a challenge... but hell- challenge accepted! As promised, I finally got around to taking a couple (dozen) photos of the new place for you all to drool over with envy.

I made a little sacrifice, and gave up half my room for the livingroom...

Honestly? I love it.

More (& the rest of the apartment) behind the cut-

Holy Moving Batman!

Alrighty then, since the last time I posted my world has been topsy-turvey with the chaos of moving. The lovely boyfriend and I traveled back to the wonderful land that is my hometown, Mississauga, to haul all of my crap to Montreal for good! While it was great to see my family and do some sight seeing, it feels fantastic to be back here in the city that I love so dearly. It's been a crazy time, but things are finally starting to settle down, and the place is definitely starting to look like home. Unfortunately, we didn't pick an internet provider before moving, and thus are stuck in the stone age without a wifi signal to our name. Right now, I am writing to you from the patio of the local Dunkin' Donuts, which graciously provides free wifi (hurrah!). And again, unfortunately, I haven't had the time (or foresight) to take many pictures of the new place- but trust me, that will most certainly come (I'm quite proud of our decorating success!). So I will leave you with these two sneak peaks, and hopefully be back soon with more.

The place is coming along splendidly, and hopefully with that some creative juices and positive things will soon follow! If you wanna keep up with what's going on around here, you can always find me on my twitter, or around instagram under the name jaysharps (or, for those you without instagram, you can also find the pictures here!). But for now, I must slink back into the dark ages to brush up on my French and continue unpacking! ☮♥
(also you can now Follow my blog with Bloglovin!)

You Can Do It; Goals & Things to Look Forward To

At the end of every year I write a sort of "farewell" to everything that had happened. For 2012, I wrote A List of Rules & How to Break Them, a different take on the original idea. As it is now the end of April, obviously I had totally forgotten that darn list even existed. While not being a list of goals or resolutions per ce, it just sort of got pushed to the back of my mind once life resumed, and the romantic tides of the New Year washed away. This blog is a re-kindling of the mentality I had back then, so I decided to make a whole new list of (rather more straightforward) goals! Some of them may seem silly, or redundant, or just plain stupid- but sometimes things need to be set in stone before they become common sense.

Click below for the legible list & a little bit more info!

Beginning of the End (Grab some popcorn!)

Why howdy! To those of you who have just stumbled upon this blog (with impeccable timing too, I might add) my name is Jessica. I am twenty years old from a city just outside of Toronto, Ontario, currently living in Montreal, Quebec. A sort-of-kind-of student, I spend my time being rather unproductive and gallivanting around with my motley crew of friends. The rest of my time is spent watching countless hours of popular television programs that went off air years ago with my lovely boyfriend, Arca.


Oh, and I can’t forget to mention my beautiful roommate, her cat, and lizard. They will likely be highlights of this blog and their names will revealed (and adored) rather quickly.


There are many ways that I’ve contemplating kicking off this blog. Part of me wanted to just say to hell with formality, and just start posting what will eventually become the usual stuff. Then I sat and thought about it a bit more (and by no means was I procrastinating what-so-ever, nope, not me) and realized that I have to do this corny stuff now and then. Besides, how else am I to explain what I mean to do here? Because realistically, this is going to look like just another blog… and to be quite frank- it will be. For me, however, this is going to be a place to sort out my thoughts and record my progress toward the life that I will one day actually attain.

The thing I want the most in life is to be an entrepreneur (of course, what twenty-something with an existential crisis hasn’t come to the exact same conclusion?) and that dream has been floating around in my head since I was a kid sitting cross-legged on the floor watching Family Channel. Most of my life, however, has been devoted to academia. First, I wanted to be an Archaeologist- travelling the world and digging up awesome shit from the past. Then, a Historian- the Archaeologist’s less dusty cousin. For a while I wanted to study Psychology, but then realized that a person would have to be crazy to take advice from me (ahaha- get it?). After that I drifted listlessly through Philosophy, Writing, English, and several other strange options before realizing that while I was well suited for a life of academia, it certainly was not what would make me happy. I attended a brief semester attempting to become a Goldsmith/Jewellery maker, but that wasn’t quite stimulating enough (I’m impatient and soldering can kiss my ass).


And here we are! Sitting a couple of blocks away from Concordia University, in the heart of downtown Montreal, where you only have to walk a couple of blocks to find a “good” strip club, and some smoked meat! But in all seriousness, I came out here to pursue the life I have always dreamed of. What is that exactly, might you ask? (And seriously, if you’re not asking that by now, I am a bit worried about you). A beautiful Café devoted to local arts of every flavour! Be that homemade products, music, zines, artwork, poetry, dance, juggling, back-flips, or what-have-you! Affordable coffee that’s strong enough to wake the dead, paired with scrumptious, filling food that puts hair on your chest (none of that “on-the-go”, child sized portion crap). Everything is planned out in my head, all that I have to do is make the money to start, promote the hell out of it, and find some amazing people to help me out.

That is what this blog is for- to chart the progress of my dream-life, and to find some kick-ass people to contribute in the meantime. I have a couple of other ideas in my head for this blog and its followers- but that will come in time! For now, posts about cute things, art that I find, concerts I’ve been to, and beautiful things along those lines are what you will find here!

So tell your friends, your brothers, your aunts, your mum- hell, tell your dogs and cats too! The more the merrier. Welcome to a front-row seat to the slow (but sure) downfall of my sanity.

☮♥

Don't Mind the Mess!

Terribly flattered that you've taken the time to stumble upon my blog, however I hate to inform you the terrible beast is still under construction.

Check back in a week or so for the updates to begin!

☮♥