What I'm Listening To... Matt Nathanson's Last of the Great Pretenders

'Just because you learn to breathe underwater, doesn't mean you ever shake the fear of being drowned.'

With Matt Nathanson's 9th full length studio album, we hear a sound we've never heard before from the pop rocker. In the words of the man himself, "And with this record, I can really feel it working. I hear it. These songs feel different, in a really cool way. It's exciting... evolution baby! A bunch of steps forward on the slow slog towards becoming 100% myself. Cause in the end, that's the only real currency we have anyway."

The tracks move away from that "sappy and romantic" pop vibe and move towards a place of rock. Although there always had been a sense of truth to his lyrics, it's clear that with this album Nathanson went deeper and a more personal connection is felt. It's not all sunshine and rainbows, which is something I really appreciated. There's a feeling of loss within the love in some of the tracks and it's real. A great example is the album's single 'Mission Bells'.

I'm a big lyrics girl. Whenever I get a new album, I listen to it straight through once to experience the whole thing. I listen to it through again and pay close attention the lyrics. Often, lyrics make or break a record for me. I want to understand the story and the message. I want to feel the feeling of the track. I want to have the full experience of the album.

The tracks I have on repeat: 'Birthday Girl', 'Kill the Lights', 'Heart Starts'

'Last of the Great Pretenders' is available now on iTunes, Amazon and even better, get it at your local record store!

Have you listened to the album? Have any album suggestions for me? Leave a comment below!

ABC, 123, Get to Know me

I'm aware the title of this post is way corny, but go with it! I have folders filled with random things I find on the interweb to keep for inspiration, boredom, etc. One of them is an ABC list of questions about yourself. Since we're just getting acquainted or reacquainted, I figured it was the perfect time to post it.  I would love to give credit to where ever I got this from, but it's been sitting around for a long time. If you are the one that came up with this, thanks! So here we go...

A: Attached or single? Single girl swag (I can't believe I just said swag...)
B: Best friend? Just one? I'm lucky enough to have a few and I wouldn't trade them for anything. The loves of my life. My sisters. You know who you are, xo.
C: Cake or pie? Cake. Specifically, cheesecake!
D: Day of choice? Saturday because it's all play and no work :)
E: Essential item? My iPhone.
F: Favorite color? Turquoise and that whole family of beautiful blue/greens.
G: Gummy bears or worms? Is that even a question? Obviously gummy bears.
H: Hometown? About 45 minutes outside of the City of Brotherly Love (Philadelphia)
I: Favorite indulgence? This is always changing, but I'd have to say currently frozen yogurt.
J: January or July? July. Summertime is the best time!
K: Kids? Nope. Sorry, I wasn't on Teen Mom 1, 2 or 3.
L: Life isn't complete without? Laughter, good friends and good music.
M: Marriage date? SERIOUSLY?! HAHA BYE.
N: Number of brothers/sisters? One younger sister.
O: Oranges or apples? Apples. Preferably with honey or peanut butter.
P: Phobias/Fears? Heights, roller coasters and probably a bunch of other things I can't think of right now.
Q: Quotes? Not all those who wander are lost.
R: Reasons to smile? Life's a beautiful thing and there's so much to smile about. (Love ya, Marilyn)
S: Season of choice? Summer and spring are tied. Warm weather and sunshine is all I need!
T: Tag 5 people. Eh, maybe. Sunshine and Sinatra, tag you're it!
U: Unknown fact about me? I hate ranch and blue cheese like absolutely HATE. Don't even come within 5 feet of me if you have either of those.
V: Vegetable? Red peppers, preferably roasted.
W: Worst habit? Biting my nails.
X: Xray or Ultrasound? WTF?! Once again, I wasn't on Teen Mom 1, 2 or 3 and I'm proud of it!
Y: Your favorite food? Chicken fingers because I'm secretly 5 years old.
Z: Zodiac sign? Libra.

Hope you enjoyed getting to know a little bit about me. Comment below about something we have in common or a fun fact about you! Feel free to fill out the survey on your blog and play along :)

Stop, collaborate and listen...

... Jenna's back with a brand new invention! 

Alright, that was the beginning and end of my rap career. If you don't get the reference, please view the following: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rog8ou-ZepE. 

I'm kind of new, kind of old when it comes to blogland and I would love to connect with some fellow bloggers. Let's trade buttons, collaborate, guest post or whatever! I have space on my blogroll and I'll love to add some lovely blogs.

I love getting emails, but who doesn't?! Feel free to email me ANYTHING and EVERYTHING. Seriously. Okay, well anything and everything but spam. Nobody likes spam! 

Did you hear a great new album or is there some new band you are obsessing over? Find a new store or trend you love? Did you just have the best lunch of your life? TELL ME ABOUT IT! Maybe we'll come up with a new post or just start a new friendship.

So, holla at ya girrrrrl - rippedjeansandvinyl [at] gmail [dot] com

Hi, I suck with HTML and now I seem like a jerk.

Apparently my limited HTML knowledge from my Myspace/Xanga days has failed me and I need to give some credit where credit is due! I was messing around with the sidebar and the widths and accidentally deleted the coding for the button for the gal who made this lovely layout - NOT COOL!

Just need to give a proper shoutout to Katrina of Pugly Pixel who offers really great free things for bloggers from tutorials to Photoshop brushes to a zillion other random things. I suggest you all check her out! I am no where near talented enough to make this layout on my own, but she is and it rocks!

I'm working to add her to my sidebar right now to give her the proper credit, but I just wanted to shoutout to her now.

So we may have met before...

Once upon a time, more specifically July 2013, this girl decided to finally take the leap in the blogging world. Being a PR girl, I followed a variety of blogs from fashion to music to whatever else you could think of. I've always been somewhat of an addict. We don't even need to discuss how many times I check my Bloglovin' app on my iPhone daily. When it comes to putting my thoughts to paper, it's always been natural to me. Writing's always been one of my passions and I have notebooks filled with my jottings from over the years. As much as some would like to deny it (and I sure as hell am not one of those people), social media is taking over the world. Seriously. More people get their news from Facebook or Twitter than actually turning on a cable news channel or program. Like I said, I'm a PR girl and I couldn't resist making my mark in this crazy social media world beyond my excessive quippy tweets or sharing my favorite BuzzFeed posts on Facebook. Why couldn't I be like these bloggers I admire so, but with my own spin (obviously)?

Anyways, that brings me to my "leap" in July of 2013 which turned out to be more like just dipping my toes in the water followed by epically falling on my face. It's pretty intimidating seeing how established many of these bloggers are and how they know their audience so well and consistently have amazing content and AHHHHH! Admittedly, that intimidation led me to kind of back off the blogging world. I surrendered. Well, the intimidation combined with life in the real world outside of the interweb because ya know, we all have one of those - a real life. I kept saying I was going to come back, but that never happened. I admit it, I failed.

In the words of Aaliyah (RIP, homegirl) - "If at first you don't succeed, dust yourself off and try again." So I'm back, but why? There's a multitude of reasons, but it all started with an article I had to read for a writing class. Doesn't it always seem that what we do in the classroom somehow translates into our lives in one way or another? It's crazy how life works.

The article discussed advice for recent journalism school graduates in the first five years of their career. Now, I'm not in journalism school and I'm not a recent college grad (this May - wahoo!), but the article really drew my attention. It provides useful tips for anyone attending college with interest in communications or writing.

The first tip in the piece says to "Write something short everyday." Back in middle and high school, I always would write just for enjoyment. I kept journals and yes, something they were more "dear diary" kind of things rather than anything else, but I was writing because I loved it. I missed that. Now I have the opportunity to write about not only my passions, but also things related to my career path and industries of interest. Plus, I wouldn't mind having something awesome for my future employer to see when they inevitably Google me. If you're reading this future employer, HI!

Like I said, the article reaches out to more than just the journalism school graduate. Don't let the title scare you off! Here's a link to the piece if you want to check it out yourself: http://bit.ly/1nLJtM5.

So if we've met before, nice to see you again. If you're new, welcome to rippedjeansandvinyl! Grab a cup of tea (I suggest vanilla chai) and stay a while. Things are just getting started.

Every Twenty-Something Should Be Watching GIRLS -- Seriously.

If you're a twenty-something, you should be watching GIRLS on HBO.

• Judd Apatow is a writer and producer on the show: Judd freaking Apatow! How can you deny anything that man has done? The creator of Freaks & Geeks (which was cancelled for reasons I can never comprehend) and basically everyone's favorite comedies. You name a hilarious movie, this man made it. He's a genius. He's perfect. This show just is another masterpiece he's a part of.
• Self-Discovery: I'm about to be a senior in college and from what I've heard & seen, the transition from the comforts of college to being an actual adult in the real world can be rough. TV shows and movies tend to sugarcoat this rough times in our lives, but GIRLS keeps it real. The show's pilot episode begins with the main character Hannah (Lena Dunham) getting cut off from her parents and telling her she needs to get a real job. She can't be in her mid-20's with an unpaid internship and her parents, as they say, "funding her groovy lifestyle". This whole scene sets the stage for the series as Hannah embarks on getting a real job and finally growing up.
• You Are Beautiful -- Seriously: All five of the girls the show centers around are very different in many ways. Unlike you're typical show, it's not all size zero girls who eat cheeseburgers for every meal and don't gain a pound. Dunham, the creator of the series and main writer, realizes that we're not all a size zero. The show is infamous for all the naked Hannah that we see and although at times we may cringe, Dunham doesn't have the perfect body. She is comfortable in her own skin, all the girls are. This positive self image continually radiates. Yes, there are times where Hannah may say she hates herself, but don't we all? We all have moments where we are unhappy with our bodies, but in the end, no matter what shape or size; we are all beautiful.
• We're all a little self-centered...: It's true. It's undeniable. No matter what you may say, every single one of us is a little bit self-centered. When you're a twenty-something, the most important person in your life is you. Hannah doesn't stop talking about herself and manages to make every situation about her. Jessa lives in her own little bubble and runs away from every sign of struggle or problematic situation. Shoshanna is Shosh. There's really not much more to say. Once you meet her, you'll just understand. Marnie has a smothering boyfriend and once they break up, she falls apart and goes into a downward spiral. While they're all friends, you can tell that sometimes they just love themselves more than each other.
• It's freaking hilarious: During a break up Hannah quotes Missy Elliot as defense. Seriously. This show is so hilarious in the most honest way. The unbeatable creative team of Dunham and Apatow come up with some of the best lines in any TV show I've seen lately. The way pop culture is so intricately weaved into this show is perfection.

All in all, these ladies are the voice of our generation. Every episode is relatable on some level. The struggles of a twenty-something are real and the show dramatizes situations the same way we all do in our minds. If you're not watching, get it on. If you don't have HBO, steal a friend's HBOGO password or find it illegally online (yes, I'm promoting illegal activity because it's THAT good!).