Paradise

 Music is a pretty amazing thing.

I listen to music a lot. And I mean, a lot. Whenever I'm on my computer (also a lot...), in my car (... again, a lot.... I have no life) and sometimes even right before I go to sleep (weirdly enough, not as much as I like), I'll be listening to music. There's just something about it. It can be whatever we want it to be, really, depending on what artists, bands and genres we like and also what mood we're in at the time. One song can sound completely different to two different people who listen to it. And I think that's pretty remarkable. Then again, I think that's the case with every form of art. But music is something different, I think.





I'm not lying here when I say that listening to music helps me get through and over migraines. When I get a migraine, which can happen fairly often of late, it's the closest thing to torture I've experienced. I don't know if all of you out there have ever gotten migraines, but they're not pretty. I know that they are triggered in different ways by different people and the pain caused them is also different, but what causes me to get them is the same kind of stuff that causes epileptic fits; namely flashing or flickering lights and screens. Annoying, seeing as I work in IT. And when I get them, the blood vessel or whatever it is behind my left eye starts pulsing. Or throbbing. It's not even that big of a pain or anything. It's just that it's constant. And there is no way to calm it down. The only solution is to just ride it out. Or it was, til I discovered a very effective 'cure'. Music.

This has come off as strange as some people, but for me, music is the best solution to a migraine that I've found. There's no medical 'cure' for migraines, only medication you take daily to avoid the symptoms that cause them. Once its hit you though, bad luck. You're it. You've got to knuckle down and ride it out. I used to have to do that. I'd used to be almost crippled by the pain of a migraine. I would almost certainly be forced into bed, rolling around in something close to agony; not being able to do a single thing about this continuous pulsing, throbbing pain behind my left eye. But then one day I tried something. Instead of just lying there in pain, I decided to listen to some music instead, knowing I'd be awake for hours anyway whilst the pain persisted. Even back then when I discovered this fix, I knew that fast tempo music or anything with a heavy bass kick wouldn't be a smart choice - they would only exacerbate the pain. So I went with slower, more melodic artists and songs. And I struck gold.

I created a big playlist of mostly melodic, at times symphonic songs, all of them with a mostly melancholic, slower tune. Orchestral music is also another good choice. Anyway, with this playlist, I was able to almost completely negate the effects of the migraine after only 10 or so minutes. I'd just turn off my PC's screen, turn the lights off, turn the music up, close my eyes and just let the music play. It was amazing.

Have you ever done that? Just closed your eyes and just really listened to music? And I mean really listen to the music. Listen to the flow and play of the instruments, the melodies and beats, the lyrics and the way they're sung. I do it a lot, especially when I'm blindsided by a migraine. When you listen to music like that, you pick up a surprising amount of things you never noticed before. The subtle harmonies between different instruments, an as-before undiscovered melody hiding underneath the main tune, just all the little, subtle elements in the background that really serve to bring the song together. It's always been there, just never noticed. That's pretty much what I do when I get a migraine, and when I really just close my eyes and listen to music. It's unbelievably relaxing. It's a proven fact to me, as it does what no medication has been able to. I mean, I've been able to negate the pain and relax so much, that I've often fallen asleep whilst the music is playing - that's just how relaxed I feel listening to music during even the worst migraine.

But I mean, you don't have to have a migraine or even a headache to experience it. Just close your eyes and turn up the volume. Shut out the world and just relax. From a technical standpoint, it works best with good quality speakers or sound source, as they're able to reproduce the sounds of the song much better. For example, I have a 5.1 surround sound setup hooked up to my PC via a dedicated soundcard. Which does, believe me, make a difference. Just as good is a really good pair of earphones*. Or, even better, a really good pair of headphones, as they enclose the sound better. The source or device doesn't matter really, but it can make a difference. And to an audiophile like me, it does impact the experience. But to each their own.

Anyway, just find a type of music you like or maybe just songs from a certain artist, and do the above. Close your eyes, turn up the volume, and just relax. I've listened to three entire albums in a row doing this, and the feeling of relaxation and rejuvenation afterwards is just incredible.

As I said before, different people hear the same song differently, and we all have our own preferences and types of music that relaxes us. I prefer slower, more melodic songs when I'm doing the above during a migraine. But I do listen to my typical blend of rock and alternative music when I'm just listening to music and don't have a migraine, and I still experience the same level of relaxation and rejuvenation; just that during a migraine, the faster tempos and deeper bass can sometimes do more bad than good. The music that I listen to to relax the most though, is the music by Coldplay and Starsailor. These two bands... I honestly cannot say enough good things about these two. These guys get music. The instruments and their usage in their songs is just amazing. the flows, beats and melodies these two bands come up with are truly something else, the music just seems right. Most music and vocals these days are doctored and auto-tuned to hell and back, and apart from not sounding legit, it just doesn't 'click' (for me, anyway. Music is different for all of us). But both Coldplay and Starsailor really do produce amazing music. And then there's their lyrics and vocals. It's just on another level.

Need proof?

Coldplay
Paradise
Swallowed in the Sea
Yellow
Every Teardrop is a Waterfall
The Scientist

StarSailor
Neon Sky
Four to the Floor
Lullaby
Love is Here
Good Souls
All the Plans

I obviously don't expect all (or any...) of you will listen to these songs, but if you have time check out 'Paradise' by Coldplay and 'Neon Sky' by Starsailor. Those two songs are, to me, indescribably amazing. 'Paradise' is Coldplay's latest single from their upcoming album Mylo Xyloto. Here's the best way I can describe my feelings towards 'Paradise'; I have all of Coldplay's albums and have listened to their stuff a lot. Yet, I am fully prepared to say that 'Paradise' is my favourite song of all of their work. And it's only been released for one week, if that. That's how much I've played that song, and that's how amazing I think it is. 'Neon Sky' by Starsailor is amazing as well, the flow of its instruments, the way they play together, and the vocals... just incredible.

That's another thing that sells me on a song as well; the vocals. Most artists these days just release songs with essentially brain-dead lyrics that will only last their 15 minutes (undeserved...) and then fade into obscurity. Really good lyrics stick in your head and don't leave. That's why my post titles are all song lyrics or titles; good song lyrics mean a lot to me. Not necessarily the particular lyric I've picked for a post title, but I mean the fact that I use the lyrics for my titles' represents to an extent how much I like and respect artists when they have truly good lyricism in their songs and how much a good line in a song affects me. Examples of artists with good lyrics are, again, Coldplay and Starsailor**. But also Mumford & Sons (these guys maybe to the greatest extent), The Killers, Oasis - and to the least extent among the afore-mentioned bands - more recent stuff from Rise Against. Again, to each their own, but these guys are a cut above for me.

Anyway. I hope this post has been able to convey even a fraction of what I feel towards music. Not just any music, but good music. I don't want to sour this post by giving a wooden spoon to all the artists out there that I can't stand because I think they're sellouts or cut from an inferior cloth. But I mean, you can name a few to yourself. These guys, to me, don't get it. It seems to me like this is a way for them to make a quick buck or to get an identity. And fair enough. We all have to get by somehow. Just realise that you won't be remembered. Your 'music' won't stand the test of time, you'll never be considered 'classic' or 'timeless'. On that point, some of the bands I named as being my favourite won't either, but their works stay with me. We each have our own favourite artists and songs that stick with us, that mean something to each of us. Music that stays in your head because it changed the way you listened to it. Changed the way you thought, changed the way you experienced truly listening to a song, and changed the way you felt. Because that's what music really is, isn't it? A sincere, raw expression of emotion?

And seriously, do yourself a major favour and check out 'Paradise' by Coldplay. Do it just for me? I'll owe you one...

Paradise
Coldplay
Mylo Xyloto, 2011

*If you use the default iPod earphones, do yourself a favour and replace them. Now. They bleed noise like nothing else and are just terrible. You'll notice a positive difference, trust me on that. I for instance, have a pair of Sennheiser earphones. They RRP at $90 odd, so they're not exactly cheap, but the difference between them and the iPod earphones is just on another level in terms of audio quality.

**James Walsh (lead singer of Starsailor) is probaly my favourite singer. His voice is just amazing. I have no idea why these guys were so underrated, it's something that really does piss me off.