Still Figurin' Out Who I Think I Am

This one's about the summer and Eyedea.

"Twenty years from now, what song will remind you of the summer of 2014?"

What's up folks? Interesting Blog City prompt here, because I never really considered such a question before...it's hard sometimes to consider what you do in the present when compared with how you'll remember it down the road. And that's not quite how that last sentence should be worded, but I know what I mean, so you'll have that.

I can look at it this way...nothing of major significance happened to me in the summer of 2014, which I guess is a good thing. And I can relate moments often enough to songs, but I have no memories this particular year...no torch-bearing moments of greatness soundtracked by any artists or songs.

And on top of that, my focus lately has been on the "Resurrection Jukebox"  and coming up with dead musicians...or adding to my iTunes library from the hordes of cds my ex felt I didn't deserve to own when we she decided I was no longer welcome in her life. Not that I pay much attention to current music or anything anyway, but that's as good an excuse as I've got for blowing off this summer as being underwhelming musically.

But ask me now how I remember the summer songs of '94...I think that was the year I got my first portable cd player, and I joined one of those "12 cds for a penny" clubs to start building my collection. I was all over the place...Alice In Chains, Sly And The Family Stone, Rage Against The Machine, and whatever else I could bump on the discman through my car's speakers. That summer went from making mixtapes to finding a cassette adapter and modifying my Plymouth Horizon's center console to minimize skipping. Some of y'all will never know the joys and frustrations associated with having to use a portable cd player in your ride.

So yeah...I guess I'm at a loss here. Nothing of note happened, and there were (to me) no great songs worthy of making anything else that might've occurred this summer more memorable. Maybe next year.

MUSICAL BREAK!!

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Michael Larsen was one half of Eyedea & Abilities (the Eyedea half), who recorded on the legendary indie rap label Rhymesayers Entertainment. I wasn't crazy into 'em...I don't think I even have any E&A in my collection, but I thought I might've owned some through an RSE sampler or somethin'. Guess not. But for some reason I started following them on Facebook, and now Larsen's mom updates his status every so often...it's sad and touching, because it puts a whole different perspective on a life you wouldn't normally know much of anything about besides what the artist wants you to see.

His cause of death is listed as "accidental opiate toxicity"...a fancy way of sayin' "heroin OD", although the results of the reports were never made fully public. It was almost four years ago to the day that he never woke up. I wish I had some cool story about Eyedea or his music, but I don't...and that's to me the hard part of a challenge like the Res Juke. We're celebrating artists who no longer can give us a new sense of excitement or enjoyment. We'll never know if that person was able to reach their true potential...who knows, maybe Eyedea could've given us the universally accepted "Summer Jam Of 2014".

Anyway, "Smile" is E&A's most popular YouTube video, and for good reason...poignant lyrics intelligently laid through a drum and bass track that almost overshadows the personal nature of the song itself. In my opinion, the song is filled with life and words to help you live it...and sometimes that's all some people really need to help get them through the day.

"I can only build if I tear the walls down.
Even if it breaks me I won't let it make me frown.
I'm falling but no matter how hard I hit the ground
...I'll still smile."
Lyrics.  

THE DAILY BOX SCORE:

Why am I so fascinated and humored by this stuff? More examples of people using social media to broadcast how inept they are at the English language...22 crimes against words  .

And that's where I'll leave you today...it's a dreary, rainy afternoon and it's sapping what little day-off motivation I have to do anything. Peace, time taught me how to see every second as heaven even though they're perfectly disguised as Hell, and GOODNIGHT NOW!!