No Ifs, Ands, or Mights about it

Just got home from the They Might Be Giants show. And. It. Was. Awesome. Ears still ringing. Voice still hoarse from singing along (and maybe a bit from lingering illness). Despite some difficulties surrounding who'd be using my 2nd ticket resulting from someone's illness, someone's under-21-ness, my own absent-mindedness and in the end going to the show by my lonesomeness. And yet, how can you feel alone when the CD you listened to hundreds of time during a formative time in your adolescence, Flood, gets played in its entirety as part of a 20th anniversary tribute show? With classics like "Bird House in your Soul", "Istanbul", and "Particle Man", and many other less known, but equally beloved, songs, Flood has always been my favorite TMBG album, so to hear them play it all was ridiculously cool. How often is that going to happen?



As Flood only runs about 40 minutes, the Johns managed to throw in a variety of other songs, including some personal favorites like James K. Polk and New York City. They also came out for 2 encores, including a grand finale version of the "Fingertips" medley from the end of Apollo 18. Great show, guys.



A few vids:

Istanbul!


Particle Man!

What are we gonna do unless they are?

Just broke down and bought tickets to see They Might Be Giants in a couple weeks. I'm generally too tight-fisted to shell out the big bucks to go to concerts, but as these were only $20 (+ $6 worth of service charges) each, I figured I ought to take the chance to go see the two guys who created the first CD I ever owned.

My Musical Recap of 2007, Pt. 1: Favorite Albums

I've been putting off this post for a while now, not because I didn't find a lot of music that I enjoyed this past year. More because I knew there would be a lot to write and that was kind of imposing. In the end I decided to break it up into sections, for my benefit and yours.

One nice thing that I saw on a lot of musical "Best ofs" for 2007 was that the music was there available for your listening in the article. So I did my best to go out to YouTube and find most of the songs that I wanted to mention in this list. I couldn't quite find all of them, but it was surprising how many of them I could find. And it was also surprising to realize how long its been since I watched a music video. As far as I can tell the M in MTV stands for "next top Model" since that is all that is ever on that channel when I surf past it in search of something to watch. It was also interesting to find that some of the songs were made available by someone other than the artist or record label, and basically as audio-only videos. Just the song playing with a picture of the album cover showing. Its an interesting time that we live in.

Anyway, I wanted to start out by first mentioning a couple albums that I enjoyed a lot this past year, and then move on to individual songs. And as before, these albums and songs may or may not have been released in 2007, but thats when they came to my attention. So if you are upset that I include something thats a little bit old, I can't really go back in time and "discover" that song back then, so I might as well enjoy it now, right? Without further ado and in no particular order...

Top Albums of 2007

1. Minutes to Midnight - Linkin Park

If you read this blog, you'll know that I'm a big fan of Fort Minor, side project of LP member Mike Shinoda. This is the first LP album since Mike got Fort Minor up and running and there are a couple tracks on this album that are very Fort Minor-ish. At the same time, this album also has some songs that feel like traditional LP, and some that are harder than their other stuff, and some that are very much adult contemporary in sound. So while there's not a real consistent feel to the album, I thought there were a lot of good songs and I really enjoyed the album.

2. Paper Walls - Yellowcard

In addition to being a big Linkin Park fan, Yellowcard is another favorite band of mine. Their previous album, Lights and Sounds, I didn't enjoy as well as their break-out album Ocean Avenue, and while I didn't enjoy Paper Walls quite as much as Ocean Avenue, I thought it was definitely a step up from Lights and Sounds. If you liked Ocean Avenue, its definitely worth checking out.

3. Commitment - Lucky Boys Confusion

This album came out a few years ago, but if you're like me, you may have never heard of this band. They play what amounts to rock music, but this album doesn't quite fit nicely into that genre for me. Its hard for me to say exactly what I like about them, but I'll put a couple songs from them in the songs section and you can check them out.

4. As Cruel As School Children - Gym Class Heroes

If you've heard of these guys, it was likely their song "Cupid's Chokehold" that featured a chorus from "Breakfast in America" by Supertramp ("Take a look at my girlfriend. She the only one I got. Not much of a girlfriend. Never seem to get a lot.") Or you may be familiar with the songs "Clothes Off!". Anyway, basically their lead singer raps over live instruments and I thought this was a fun album. Kind of chill hip-hop that's not exactly dance music, but good for listening to in the car.

5. Infinity on High - Fall Out Boy

F.O.B. once again put out an album that is growing on me and producing lots of hit singles. They do a good job of standing out from the large (and always getting larger) crowd of emo bands. And they make good songs to back up their quirky song titles. My hat's off to them.

This ends part one of my 2007 musical favorites. Still lots more to come. Stay tuned.

Albums That I Love #15: Food & Liquor

Its always exciting to find a new artist who you really enjoy listening to. And when they have a great debut album that's strong from start to finish. Lupe Fiasco's debut album, Food & Liquor is definitely one of those. I first heard "Kick, Push" and thought it was a great chill rap song, and liked the different vibe. Very laid-back. When I finally was able to check out the album, it was a great hip-hop album. I wouldn't say there are a lot of tracks that stand out, but the album flows smoothly from start to finish with Lupe putting together some great rhymes without needing to fill them up with cussing. Food & Liquor is definitely an album worth checking out.

1. Intro
A little bit of rhymin' and a little bit of introducing, basically introducing the concept of the title, that there's a little good and bad in all of us -- Food & Liquor if you will.

2. Real
For some reason I don't have anything to say about this song...

3. Just Might Be Ok
...Or this one.

4. Kick, Push
As I said earlier, this was the song that made me check out the album. Its a song about skateboarding and love and love of skateboarding.

5. I Gotcha
This song's got a nice piano melody playing throughout, while Lupe lays down the verses over the top.

6. The Instrumental
This song has some of the wickedest rhymes I've heard in a while. I'll put some of the lines here, but you really have to hear it to do it justice.

"He just sits, and listens to the people in the boxes
Everything he hears he absorbs and adopts it
Anything not comin out the box he blocks it
See he loves to box and hope they never stop it
Anything the box tell him to do, he does it
Anything it tell him to get, he shops and he cops it
He protects the box, locks it in a box"

7. He Say She Say
A song about dads who aren't around and how it affects their kids adversely.

8. Sunshine
Another of my favorite tracks. Very chill. Sounds like walking outside on a perfect day, like today.

9. Daydreamin'
A great song about daydreamin'. Feels like a ghetto Alice in Wonderland. First verse is about driving a giant robot that's filled with ghetto people. Second verse seems to be about filming a music video.

10. The Cool
A song about a zombie coming back from the grave to get back to his life of drug dealing. Cool music.

11. Hurt Me Soul
A song about hip-hop music and how he didn't like it and its themes, but then as he grew up he saw that lots of what he heard in the music was all around him and it led him to write rhymes himself.

12. Pressure
I guess its worth mentioning that this track features Jay-Z who at the time was in about month 5 of his seemingly 6 month retirement.

13. American Terrorist
A song looking at acts of "terrorism" and racism in America.

14. The Emperor's Soundtrack
Not sure what this song is about, but I like the way it sounds. Its like a gospel record.

15. Kick, Push II
A revisit to the skateboarding theme of Kick, Push. Talks about a group of kids skating together and how they held together when they didn't have much else going for them, and how getting away from trouble at home to skate was an escape that wasn't drugs. Its almost like a remix of Kick, Push but with totally different verses and chorus and sound. I know that doesn't make sense, but to me, somehow, it does.

16. Outro
A 12-minute track featuring more shout-outs than I've ever heard in a row, including shout-outs to pretty much anything you can think of. Myspace, for example, or Dave's Quality Meats.


If you made it all the way to the end of this review, you deserve to know that this might be the last of the "Albums That I Love" series. I'm kind of at the end of the albums that I can think of to write about for now. I'm going to have to figure out what the new weekly feature might be. Feel free to offer suggestions.

In case you hadn't figured out you could click on the "labels" on each post to find more of the "albums that I love", here's the full list:

#1: August & Everything After by The Counting Crows
#2: The Carnival by Wyclef Jean
#3: Donde Estan Los Ladrones? by Shakira
#4: Ocean Avenue by Yellowcard
#5: Joyspring by Kurt Bestor
#6: The Blue Album by Weezer
#7: Best of 2006 (as voted by me)
#8: The Rising Tied by Fort Minor
#9: Sueños Liquidos by Maná
#10: This Desert Life by The Counting Crows
#11: The Hits by Garth Brooks
#12: Let's Face It by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
#13: Code Red by DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
#14: Come On, Come On by Mary Chapin Carpenter
#15: Food & Liquor by Lupe Fiasco

Albums That I Love #14: Come On, Come On

Come On, Come On by Mary Chapin Carpenter was released in 1992. It is an album that I first owned on cassette tape. I'm not even sure right now how I came to own it, whether I bought it for myself or someone gave it to me. But I am sure that its packed to the brim with great songs. Some slow and some really slow and some a little more upbeat. And while you will probably find it listed under Country music if you had to give it a genre, it really doesn't have a very country feel.

1. The Hard Way
Good things don't come easily. Don't be afraid to lay it on the line and give it your all. Everything we got, we got the hard way.

2. He Thinks He'll Keep Her
This song is pretty much a women's lib anthem about a woman tired of doing whatever her husband wants her to and finally leaving him. While I would not call myself a supporter of the classic women's lib movement, I think this song is really good.

3. Rhythm of the Blues
This is a slow, quiet song about having the blues. I like it.

4. I Feel Lucky
Just a fun song about feeling lucky and winning the lottery despite a horoscope that says "get back in bed."

5. The Bug
Sometimes you're the windshield, sometimes you're the bug.

6. Not Too Much to Ask
A duet with Joe Diffie. This song is about wanting love and to be loved and wanting to be that special person for someone, after things have gone bad in a relationship. "Its too much to expect, but its not too much to ask."

7. Passionate Kisses
You've probably heard this one on the radio. Still a classic after all these years. Apparently its a cover of the original by Lucinda Williams, but since I've never heard her version, I'm going to go ahead and call this one the more famous, if not better version. Shouldn't we all have the good things we deserve and "passionate kisses from you" on top of that? I think so.

8. Only a Dream
Another quiet song. This one about bad dreams, and about sharing them with your sister. And when you are grown up and she's not in the room next door.

9. I Am a Town
Singing metaphorically (clearly) Mary Chapin Carpenter is a lot of things in this song, but mainly things related to small towns. Very nice piano and string music in this song.

10. Walking Through Fire
After two slower songs, this one picks up the pace in a song that starts slow, but picks up as the song moves along. Its about someone making it hard to love them, and having to walk "through fire" to reach them.

11. I Take My Chances
One of my most favorite songs on the album. A great song about taking risks in life. "Some people say that you should not tempt fate...I say fate should not tempt me." "I take my chances every chance I get."

12. Come On Come On
The album ends with the title track. Its another quiet love song. A fitting close to the album. This is a great album for chilling out and it ends on the perfect quiet, mellow note.

Albums That I Love #13: Code Red

The first of many Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince albums that I ever bought (I own them all now) is still my favorite. Its actually the last real album that Will Smith and Jeff Townes made together, although Jeff has occasionally shown up on Will Smith's solo efforts. Code Red has a great selection of songs. Some that have some kind of message and some that are just about having a good time. And thankfully there's no cursing or talking about shooting people or mistreating women or anything.

1. Somethin' Like Dis
The album starts off super strong with The Fresh Prince aka Will Smith laying down rhymes about how great of a rapper he is. A fun song and great rhyming.

2. I'm Looking for the One (To Be With Me)
A laidback track about looking for love.

3. Boom! Shake the Room
Probably the most famous track on this album. Kind of the last great Jazzy Jeff + Fresh Prince single. Still a great song.

4. Can't Wait to Be With You
He's getting back from a long trip, and he "can't wait to be with" her.

5. Twinkle Twinkle (I'm Not a Star)
Talks about people calling him a star and the good and bad that come with that.

6. Code Red
A fun song about being out on the town with another girl on the sly, and having his girlfriend show up at the same restaurant he's at. Code Red!

7. Shadow Dreams
A song about following your dreams even when people try to tell you you can't achieve them.

8. Just Kickin' It
Another great track. Just the Prince kickin' the rhymes.

9. Ain't No Place Like Home
When you're feeling sad and blue, and you're out on the road, there's no place like home.

10. I Wanna Rock
Fun song with the Prince and Jazzy teaming up with some real musicians playing the drums and keyboard. The only real track that features Jazzy Jeff on this album. And of course, as always he shines.

11. Scream
Another song in the vein of "Somethin' Like Dis" and "Just Kickin' It", i.e. the Prince just laying down the rhymes over a simple beat. Another great track.

12. Boom! Shake the Room (Street Remix)
Kind of a weak remix. Of course this was before Puff Daddy "invented the remix". Back when this album was released, the remix just meant putting new beats behind the rhymes. No need to add new verses or bring in 3 more rappers.

Albums That I Love #12: Let's Face It

The late 90s brought us a revival of the genre known as ska. Basically ska music is a lot like punk music, but features brass instruments, generally trumpets and maybe a trombone. This ska revival brought to light some bands who had been at it for quite some time, but hadn't received much attention. Probably the band who got the most press at this time was The Mighty Mighty Bosstones. In 1997, they released their album "Let's Face It" featuring the smash hit "The Impression That I Get", which got tons of play. But the album itself was also a standout. If you aren't familiar with ska music, this might be a good one to check out, although it is maybe a little on the harder side of ska (Ska-core?). Lets dive into the tracks.

1. Noise Brigade
Not sure what this song is about, but its a good intro to the album. Not too hard, just getting our skank on.

2. The Rascal King
A song about smooth-talking criminal.

3. Royal Oil
I really like the way this song just rolls along, laid-back, just chillin'.

4. The Impression That I Get
Of course this song is the star of the album. Just a great song about tragedy and feeling lucky to not have been through what some people I have. You have to love the way Dicky Barrett just belts out the chorus, and the way the horns and guitars really work well together on this one.

5. Let's Face It
This is a song with a message, and the message is its time to move past racism, and race-related violence. The one time I saw the Bosstones play there were some neo-Nazis in the crowd and Dicky really got after them, yelling at them to be bold enough to come up on the stage and say what they thought, but they refused.

6. That Bug Bit Me
A nice uptempo rockin' song.

7. Another Drinking Song
This is a song about drinking (hence the title), and I'm never completely sure whether its against alcoholism or for it. It definitely starts out sounding morose, but ends up rocking to the finish. Has some great lines: "Gonna dive into a dive I've dove into before, gonna haunt a haunt I've haunted like a million times or more", "Just a devotion to a potion...dedication to a medication", "What I've counted on to pick me up has knocked me to me knees".

8. Numbered Days
Another song with a message, this time about a punk who beats up another kid and then when he's in court, his punk "friends" fail to support him.

9. Break So Easily
Kind of a darker, slower song, but with a great chorus. I'm banging my head to it right now.

10. Nevermind Me
I guess this one has a message. Its about a bum asking for money to buy drugs.

11. Desensitized
Lots of yelling in this one. It seems to be about some kind of tragic event in history that has been kind of forgotten. Not sure what event its talking about. Some kind of assassination, maybe?

12. 1-2-8
The album wraps up with another fun song. Again here the lyrics are kind of cryptic. Something about some cooks making some stew and whats in it? -- "no one's really sure". Rockin' from start to finish, with Dicky taking a break from yelling during the verses to sing the chorus.

Again this is an album that I think works better as a whole than as the sum of its parts. It does a good job of mixing in the harder songs with some lighter fare. It has a great flow and I can listen to this album straight through and have done many a time.

Albums That I Love #11: The Hits

Those of you who know me probably know that I'm not a big fan of country music. I was pleased recently to be able to finally fill all 3 sets of preset FM stations on my radio with non-country stations. That said, I grew up in Grantsville, and hearing some country music was inevitable. And since I was able to hear it, I was able to develop some preferences and even have some favorite songs and artists. One of these artists is Garth Brooks, whose album "The Hits" does a great job of giving you the best of Garth. It has a great mix of his slower, pensive, emotional songs along with a great collection of his upbeat, dancin'-and-stompin', havin-a-good-time songs.

1. Ain't Goin' Down (Til the Sun Comes Up)
The albums gets off to a rockin' start with this guitar/harmonica combo.

2. Friends in Low Places
This was a song that I actually knew before I'd ever heard it on the radio. People around me were always singing it, and I thought it must be some old classic the way that everyone would just sing it. Turns out it was just a new classic.

3. Callin' Baton Rouge
One of my favorite Garth songs. Maybe its because I was born in Louisiana, but more likely its just the good fiddle and banjo music. That and Garth belting it out.

4. River
The first of the slower, pensive Garth hits to show up on the album. It gives the analogy of our dreams as a river and us as a boat on that river who is carried along by the dream.

5. Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)
This one is a nice song, but I had to listen to it twice while preparing this review to figure out what it was about. He's a rodeo cowboy on the road and his wife has stopped returning his calls.

6. Thunder Rolls
A song about a cheating lover coming home during a thunderstorm. She's waiting for him. And "he knows that she knows".

7. American Honky-Tonk Bar Association
Back to the more upbeat side of the album for this song about the blue collar, mid-American mindset.

8. If Tomorrow Never Comes
Back to the quiet emotional side of the album. This is a song about treating each day as if it were your last, and making sure you let people know that you love them.

9. Unanswered Prayers
A song that says "some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers". Probably a good point.

10. Standing Outside the Fire
A song about taking risks and putting yourself on the line, and not just standing on the sidelines of life, watching.

11. Rodeo
A good peppy song about the Rodeo and how those Rodeo cowboys are addicted to it. I like it.

12. What She's Doing Now
Thinking about an old lover, its not a good idea. This guy is pretty torn up wondering "what she's doing now?" He called her old number. Luckily no one there knew who she was. Stalker. :)

13. We Shall Be Free
Garth Brooks' anthem to humanity. "When the last child begs for a crust of bread, we shall be free." Free from what? Guilt? I digress. Its a good song.

14. Papa Loved Mama
Another song about a cheating spouse. This time its the wife and when papa finds out its not pretty. Papa was a truck driver see, and he rams his big rig into the motel where mama's cheating and to top it all off, "He never hit the breaks and he was shifting gears." Strangely this is a fun song. Not sure how it ends up like that, but I think its supposed to be fun.

15. Shameless
I can never hear this song without thinking of my neighbor growing up and how he made a video for a girl he liked where he was singing this song. Clearly he was shameless.

16. Two of a Kind, Workin' on a Full House
Another honky-tonk song about getting your family started with his young loving wife. Get it? Two of a kind, working on a full house?

17. That Summer
Kind of a creepy song about a kid who goes to work on a ranch one summer and ends up "becoming a man" with the old woman who owns the place.

18. Dance
Along the lines of standing outside the fire, this is a song about how by living on the sidelines of life you might save yourself some scars, but then you miss out on the great memories as well. "I'm glad I didn't know the way it all would end, the way it all would go. Our lives are better left to chance. I could have missed the pain, but I've have missed the dance."

Its rare to find a greatest hits album with this many great songs on it. Really not a bad one in the bunch. I'm sure some people prefer some songs to others, but definitely this is an album that you can listen to straight through and keep being amazed by the great songs on it.

Albums that I Love #10: This Desert Life

If you'll recall, Albums that I Love #1 was August and Everything After by the Counting Crows. Well after I had fallen in love with that album, it seemed like the Crows would never release another album. Finally they did, and basically it was, in my opinion, not very good. It was called Recovering the Satellites, and while it did feature a couple songs I liked, and one that I really love (Long December), basically I thought, "Well I guess August and Everything After was a fluke", and I gave up on them. You'll have to forgive me, because I was still new to the world of music and sophomore albums. Looking back now, its still my least favorite Counting Crows album.

So years later, I found out that the band was still together and making albums. I saw their most recent album "This Desert Life" at the bookstore, but it still took me a good while before I finally decided to check it out. And I'm sure glad I did.

Here are the tracks:

1. Hanginaround
The Crows come out rockin' in one of their most upbeat songs ever. By upbeat, I don't mean that the subject matter is happy or anything. Its just a very jazzy tune that they really rock out with when they play it live.

2. Mrs. Potter's Lullaby
This nearly 8-minute track meanders all over the place. Its a great song, but I can't really find words to describe it. I like the line "the elephants will get out and forget to remember what you said".

3. Amy Hit the Atmosphere
This is more what I expect from the Crows, not that I don't enjoy their upbeat stuff, but this one just feels very classic Crows. It ends with a great refrain of "All I really know is I wanna know, and all I really know is I don't wanna know."

4. Four Days
A pretty good song, I like the sound of the bass (rhythm?) guitar in this song.

5. All My Friends
Another great song, pretty much just Adam singing about regrets and trying to find your way.

6. High Life
Probably my least favorite song on the album. Strangely enough the title of the album comes from this song.

7. Colorblind
Great piano song. "I am covered in skin. No one gets to come in."

8. I Wish I Was a Girl
A song about being on the road and having a girlfriend at home who dreams that you're out their cheating, and how if he were a girl his girlfriend might actually believe him when he says he's not.

9. Speedway
Probably my 2nd least favorite song on the album. Kind of slow and wandering. About thinking about getting out of a bad relationship that you're addicted to.

10. St. Robinson in His Cadillac Dream
This is probably my favorite song on the album. I really love the way the organ resonates. Its got a jazzy feel like Hanginaround. Good bookends to the albums. "I keep thinking tomorrow is coming today. So I am endlessly waiting."

11. Kid Things
This hidden track actually feels like the band loosened up the screws a bit. The production quality is (purposely) a bit lower than the rest of the album. Talking about how love can make you feel and act like a kid sometimes.

Needless to say, this album restored my faith in the Counting Crows.

Albums That I Love #9: Sueños Liquidos

Sueños Liquidos by the Mexican rock group Maná is another of my favorite Spanish language albums. As a missionary, I'd heard a little bit about Mana and was familiar with one of their songs, but didn't really thing much about them. One of my roommates had some of their CDs and I asked to borrow this one from him, as I remembered hearing about it before. I soon found that it was a great rock album with upbeat songs and slow songs and while it does have a Latin feel to it, its certainly not mariachi music by any stretch. Much of the album has a consistent feel to it, and there aren't tons of songs that stand out to me, but I love the vibe of the entire album. I'll add some comments on the tracks that I think are the very best.

1. Hechicera
2. Un Lobo Por Tu Amor
3. Como Dueles En Los Labios
A slow song about how it hurts when one we love is gone.

4. Chaman
My favorite song on the album. It talks about journeying into the jungle and meeting a Shaman ("Chaman") who tells them that "Never stop loving...love is everything".

5. Tu Tienes Lo Que Quiero
A great latin soft rock song. Love the "ah-ah, hooh" and "Dale nina!" in between verses.

6. Clavado En Un Bar
7. Robame El Alma
8. En El Muelle De San Blas
A classic song about a woman who bids farewell to her husband who is going out to sea. When he never returns, she continues to go to the harbor everyday for years and years, until she is old.

9. La Sirena
10. Me Voy A Convertir En Un Ave
11. Como Te Extrano Corazon
12. Amame Hasta Que Me Muera

Albums That I Love # 8: The Rising Tied

The Rising Tied by Fort Minor is the first solo-project album from Linkin Park's keyboardist/rapper Mike Shinoda. It, of course, features some guest performances, but the real star of this album is the sound. Shinoda has done a great job with the music of this album, and I think that's where it really stands out. Its not another run-of-the-mill rap album. The sound quality of the music and the beats is a step above average.

I've been a little bit hesitant to include an album that I just discovered this year on this list, given that its yet to stand the test of time like the other album's I've reviewed to date have. But I just really like so many of the songs on this album and I think that it deserves a little more recognition than its gotten.

You might be familiar with songs like "Remember the Name" that was featured prominently in TNT's NBA playoff coverage last year or "Where'd You Go" that got a lot of radio airplay, at least here in Salt Lake. Aside from those two singles, other standout tracks include "In Stereo", "Right Now", "Believe Me", "Get Me Gone", "High Road", and "Kenji". That said, the album is great for listening to straight through.

Please be aware that the unedited version of this album does contain explicit lyrics. If you are looking for clean versions, try Wal-Mart or the iTunes Music Store.

Track Listing:

1. Introduction
Just a quick sound bite of someone (Jay-Z?) talking about how it has "big sound".

2. Remember the Name



A great song about getting respect in the rap game, not for spending money, but for making great songs.

3. Right Now
A song that paints the picture of a city scene, jumping from one person to the next, giving a one- or two-line glimpse into the lives of the people we see there.

4. Petrified
5. Feel Like Home

6. Where'd You Go
A song about being on the road, told from the perspective of those left behind at home. Love the piano playing under the beats. If you haven't heard it, you definitely need to check it out.

7. In Stereo
This song about trying out new beats out on the street has some hot beats.

8. Back Home
9. Cigarettes

10. Believe Me



One of my most favorite songs on this album, it just sounds incredible. I've heard the beats used on the Dan Patrick radio show. Not just electronic beats though, its got good string instruments playing along.

11. Get Me Gone
A brief (one verse) song talking about how when Linkin Park was first signed, their producer tried to convince Mike to just play the keyboard, and the rumor that ghostwriters wrote their songs for them.

12. High Road
Another of my most favorite songs. This one builds a lot on "Get Me Gone" theme of being disrespected. Features some the piano stylings of John Legend and they really make the song sound great.

13. Kenji
This song tells the story of Mike's grandfather and the Japanese internment camps during WWII, something we don't hear much about, especially in rap songs. This one features sound recordings from actual internees.

14. Red to Black

15. Battle
A quick sample from a rap battle. Honestly, I know that the rapper in the clip, Celph Titled, is on the Machine Shop label, but I'm not sure what this track is doing here.

16. Slip Out the Back

Albums...er...Songs that I Love #7: Best of 2006

When it comes to albums you can listen to straight through, a large portion of them are Greatest Hits albums. Back when you pretty much had to buy a whole album to get even one song, Greatest Hits albums were like musical goldmines. In that vein, I give you this week's Album that I Love: My Greatest Hits of 2006. You might recall I gave a list of my 2005 faves here. For the most part, I'm using the same rules as last year. With one exception, they are songs released in 2006 or maybe late 2005.

Here's the list:

1. Dream Big - Ryan Shupe and the Rubber Band
Talking about Dreaming Big. Ryan Shupe used to play at the LDS Institute during lunch when I was a freshman at the U, and maybe even after I got back from the mission. I've heard this song has been chosen to be the theme song for a TV Show. Even if it wasn't, its still a great song about dreaming big.

2. S.O.S. - Rihanna
Great high-energy pop song set to the beat of Tainted Love in the background.

3. Tell Me When to Go - E-40 ft. Keak Da Sneak
This song took the "hyphy" movement from the Bay Area and made it a national phenomenon. My friend Cameron's been talking about hyphy for a couple years now, and this song brought it all to the table from "going dumb" to "ghost ridin' the whip" to "put your stunna shades on".

4. Such Great Heights - Postal Service
I realize this song was released in 2003, but I'd never heard until recently. And I love it. So it gets to go on this list. Such Great Heights is a great song to listen to on your ipod while you walk across campus. Its a great soundtrack-to-life song. I love the way it starts out and how it builds and grows, and especially how it makes me feel like I'm doing something supercool regardless of what I'm doing.

5. Temperature - Sean Paul
Like S.O.S., a great song to dance and stomp your feet to.

6. Waiting on the World to Change - John Mayer
John Mayer has a TV Show totally changed my opinion of John Mayer, although I still thought the way he "jammed out" for 5 minutes after every song when I saw him in concert (he was with Counting Crows) was pretty lame. I like the bells in this song. It makes it feel like a Christmas song.

7. Remember the Name - Fort Minor
Fort Minor is Linkin Park keyboardist/rapper Mike Shinoda's side project and you can count on seeing a more in-depth review of their inaugural album, "The Rising Tied". You might remember "Remember the Name" from TNT's coverage of last year's NBA Playoffs. Great hip-hop song with a chorus that fits nicely for sports coverage and verses that talk about building your name in the rap game.

8. Over My Head (Cable Car) - The Fray
I'd heard about The Fray for awhile before I finally realized I'd been hearing them sing this song all the time on the radio. I'm still undecided about what this song is about, although I'm guessing its about everyone else knowing your girlfriend's about to break up with you.

9. I Will Follow You Into the Dark - Death Cab for Cutie
Quiet, sweet, acoustic love song.

10. Ridin' - Chamillionaire ft. Krayzie Bone
A rap song that was good enough to spawn Weird Al's "White & Nerdy" parody. A rap song from a Houston rapper that doesn't overly reek of Paul Wall's signature Chopped and Screwed production.

11. You're Beautiful - James Blunt
What can I say? I just like to listen to this song. Even if James Blunt did look strikingly like Steve Nash. Maybe that's what inspired Steve to get a haircut this year.

12. Where'd You Go - Fort Minor
Fort Minor followed up "Remember the Name" with this more mellow song about family and working on the road.

13. Precious - Depeche Mode
I just love the way this one sounds.

14. Crazy - Gnarls Barkley
Can't have a list of songs from 2006 with mentioning the ubiquitous "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley, a duo made up of DJ Dangermouse and rapper Cee-Lo. In addition to being a fairly good song, they sold it doing performances that ranged from dressing in bathrobes to dressing as Star Wars characters.

15. Sure Thing Falling - Yellowcard
Yellowcard had a new album out this year, and when I first listened to it, I thought that I hated it. Luckily they came in concert to the U to personally convince me that it deserved a 2nd chance.

16. Daft Punk is Playing at My House - LCD Soundsystem
I actually found this song on a bunch of Best of 2005 lists last year and it made me check it out. It actually appears on the soundtrack of a video game I have, and its tons of fun to sing along with.

17. Dance Dance - Fall Out Boy
While Fall Out Boy was really a 2005 phenomenon if you ask me, "Dance Dance" had the kind of fun, frenzied energy that I've come to expect from emo groups when they aren't being angry.

18. Lights and Sounds - Yellowcard
The title track from the new Yellowcard album. Preceded on the album only by a brief piano solo. This one gets the album rockin'.

19. Cobrastyle - Teddybears Sthlm ft. Mad Cobra
I've been hearing this song on soundtracks and video games all year, but I've yet to hear the name of the group pronounced or to hear anything about them. Its a good upbeat pop/hip-hop song.

20. Kick, Push - Lupe Fiasco
Along with Fort Minor's "The Rising Tied", Lupe Fiasco's "Food and Liquor" was my other favorite hip-hop album this year. Lupe puts together rhymes and songs in a way that just flows. Kind of like the skateboarding he talks about on this track.

21. What You Know - T.I.
Not as upbeat and high speed as T.I.'s big hits from 2005 ("Bring 'Em Out" and "You Don't Know Me"), but this ain't no slow jam. Its just T.I. taking his time. The background beats/music are great and T.I. gets the most out of them.

22. Cake - Lloyd Banks ft. 50 Cent
While G-Unit slowly fades into irrelevance (or maybe just incompetence) Lloyd Banks new album included at least one track with a great beat and featuring his smooth delivery. And 50 Cent only shows up to hog the spotlight for one verse.

23. This is Why I'm Hot - Mims
I know the chorus of this song is extremely repetitive and generally I hate songs that sound like they took about 2 minutes to write, but I love the verses of this song (especially the samples of classic regional anthems in the first verse) and the beat and the flow of the lyrics.

24. Upside Down - Jack Johnson
From the "Curious George" soundtrack, very Jack Johnson-sounding, but in a good way. This New Year's Day as I was cooking pancakes in the cabin I had stayed at, someone put on some Jack Johnson and I thought, "Its good that someone makes music that makes great background music."

25. The Instrumental - Lupe Fiasco ft. Jonah Matranga
It was hard to pick just two songs from Lupe's album, but I really like this one for the way the rhymes come so smoothly, overlapping almost. Its like he's using the same words over and over again, but he's not.

26. So Sick - Ne-Yo
Great R&B song about hating love songs after a breakup.

27. Fresh Azimiz - Bow Wow ft. Jermaine Dupri and J-Kwon
Along the way to slaughtering the English language, Bow Wow (he's not Lil' any more) gave us a fun track to ride to. There weren't many songs as Fresh Azthisone this year.

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Same as last year, if you feel I've missed anything, feel free to comment me about it and if its one that I agree with I'll add it to the list.

Albums that I Love #6: The Blue Album

As another week has come and gone, we find ourselves again at Friday, and this Friday brings us an album with no official name, or at least no name on the cover, other than "Weezer".

My first brush with The Blue Album came in the form of "Undone (The Sweater Song)" which was heard on the radio and available on the jukebox at Netty's. That song, in combination with "Buddy Holly" inspired me to include this CD in my initial shipment of 12 free CDs. I was, of course, pleasantly surprised with the entire album and its great bunch of songs.

Later, when Weezer released their next album which I've still never heard much of it, I wrote them off as a fluke. Since then they've had some great singles, but I have yet to listen to an album of theirs that pulls it off from start to finish like The Blue Album.

Here's the rundown:

1. My Name is Jonas
Just a great rock song to kick off the album. Who knows what the lyrics are about, but that doesn't make it rock any less.

2. No One Else
"I want a girl who laughs for no one else; When I'm away she puts her make-up on the shelf." Perhaps a bit on the jealous side, but I think we can all relate to the idea at work here.

3. The World Has Turned and Left Me Here
A song about feeling left behind when love has left you.

4. Buddy Holly
A fun little ditty comparing the singer to Buddy Holly and his lady to Mary Tyler Moore. Coming in at under 3 minutes, its a quick one.

5. Undone (The Sweater Song)
As previously mentioned, the first Weezer song that I was familiar with. Great line: "If you want to destroy my sweater...pull this thread as I walk away."

6. Surf Wax America
Apparently Weezer likes surfing? Not sure.

7. Say It Ain't So
Great guitar riffs in this song. Builds to the end. Great for rocking out.

8. In The Garage
Its funny. Practically every year I figure out something more about this song. Having at one point had a Dungeon Master's guide and a 12-sided die, that part made perfect sense. Later I learned that Ace Freley and Peter Criss were members of KISS. I knew who Nightcrawler was, but just recently learned who Kitty Pride was, since she wasn't in the X-Men cartoon we used to watch.

9. Holiday
Nice rock song with a nice accapella section in the middle.

10. Only In Dreams
In contrast to "Buddy Holly", this track comes in at a whopping (by modern standards) 8 minutes. Its a laidback chill out song that closes the album nicely. Its got a few louder moments but for the most part it feels like the album is falling asleep after a long day.

Albums that I Love #5: Joyspring

Is it Friday again already?

Given the recent Christmas holiday, I decided that today would be a good week to talk about my favorite album of spiritual music. Joyspring is an instrumental album of piano arrangements of hymns by Kurt Bestor. A companion of mine had this tape when I was on my mission, and I was able to trade him for "The Messiah" by the Tabernacle Choir. When I got home, I asked for the CD for Christmas and its definitely an album that stands the test of time. I just really enjoy these piano arrangements.

Given that the songs are all instrumental, I'm not sure I can think of things to say about each track, but here's whats on the album.

1. Oh, How Lovely Was the Morning
2. Nearer, My God, to Thee
3. Love One Another
4. A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief
5. I Need Thee Every Hour
6. Sweet is the Work
7. Abide with Me; 'Tis Eventide
8. I Know That My Redeemer Lives
9. The Lord's Prayer

Albums that I Love #4: Ocean Avenue

Yellowcard is a band that I first heard about from a punk rock chick I knew. I thought it was funny that there was a band named after a soccer penalty, and I didn't think much of it past that. Then I heard a song of theirs on a snowboarding game I was playing and thought, "Hmmm, not bad", and then 2005 rolled around and they blew up. They had some big hits ("Ocean Aveune", "Only One") and most people have heard of them by now. However, they are more than just a big hits kind of band. Ocean Avenue is strong from start to finish. With songs ranging from upbeat and loud to pensive I can't think of a single song I don't like.

1. Way Away
This was the first Yellowcard song I ever really heard and its pretty indicative of what you're going to get on the album -- High energy, emotion, rock laced with electric violin.

2. Breathing
Similar to "Way Away".

3. Ocean Avenue
Probably Yellowcard's biggest hit to date, the title track on the album talks about rememebering growing up and wondering if it would be possible to recapture that feeling if you could find the person you spent a lot of time with.

4. Empty Apartment
The first slower track on the album, "Empty Apartment" has kind of a sad sound. Sounds like a breakup song. Or a post-breakup song.

5. Life Of A Salesman
This song is one of my favorites. Its an ode to fathers. You'd think that punk rockers would fall neatly into the "I hate my dad" crowd, but this song is about looking up to your dad and wanting to be like him when you grow up.

6. Only One
A love song that was another big hit for Yellowcard. Sung in true belt your lungs out emo fashion.

7. Miles Apart
I think this song is about being in a band and hitting the road, but remembering and loving people who are far away, even though you're "Miles Apart".

8. Twentythree
A song about trying to move past grudges.

9. View From Heaven
Another more mellow song, this is a song sung to someone who's passed on. "I'm sure the view from heaven beats the [heck] out of mine down here."

10. Inside Out
Another slower song about a relationship ending and how when its over, its over.

11. Believe
A song written in reference to 9/11 about the firemen who risked/gave their lives and their families. "Be Strong. Believe."

12. One Year, Six Months
An acoustic song looking back at memories of the times when a relationship was good.

13. Back Home
The last track on the album continues the melancholy mellowness thats been showing up on the 2nd half of the album. This song is about having success and getting what you think you wanted, but being away from the people you love and not being able to share it with them. "Another sunny day in Cal-i-forn-i-a, I'm sure back home they'd love to see it."

Albums that I Love #3: Donde Estan Los Ladrones?

Donde Estan Los Ladrones? is an album that will forever and always remind me of my LDS mission to Argentina from 98-2000 during which I heard songs from this album nearly continually, and deservedly so. Its jam-packed with Latin rock goodness. It helped me to know that not all music sung in Spanish is played by mariachi bands. Sadly, ever since Shakira came to the states, almost at the same time that I returned, she's turned in dyed-blonde bimbo who pretty much just shakes her hips or lurches like a zombie while singing whatever it is her manager has arranged for her to sing -- at least thats my take on her English career. I'm sure she's made truckloads of cash that she wouldn't have otherwise, but her pre-peroxide albums are definitely much better.

As an example of how great this album is, I went to YouTube in search of videos from songs on this album and found 5 of them for an album that only has 11 tracks.

1. Ciega, Sordomuda

My love for you makes me a "blind, deaf-mute". One of the things I like best about Shakira's music is the rapid-fire delivery of lyrics. Reminiscent of a good rapper, or "The End of the World as We Know It".

2. Si Te Vas
A great angry song for a cheating lover. "If you go" don't come back cuz I'll be gone.

3. Moscas En La Casa
A song about being in the house alone after said lover leaves, with "flies in the house".

4. No Creo

"I don't believe" in me and a bunch of other stuff. But no one knows me like you do.

5. Inevitable

To continue loving you is "Inevitable"

6. Octavo Día
What happened after God created the world on the "8th Day". Humans screwed it up.

7. Que Vuelvas
I want you to "come back." A great song.

8. Tú

I'll give "you" everything. Just don't go.

9. Dónde Están Los Ladrones?
"Where are the Thieves?" A song saying that there are thieves in high places too, you know?

10. Sombra De Ti
This song about "your shadow" is the only song on the album that I just don't especially care for. I always think, "it can't be that bad, maybe its just not as good as the rest." And then I listen and think, "maybe it really is that bad."

11. Ojos Así

I've been around the world and haven't found "eyes like" yours.

Albums that I Love #2: The Carnival

My freshman year of college, I lived just down the street from a Fred Meyer and fairly often I'd stop in there and listen to CDs in their music department. This was before you could listen to a whole CD on a machine, before .mp3's really. I'd seen the Guantanamera video on MTV, and when I'd stop in, I'd check out Wyclef Jean's inaugural solo effort, "The Carnival", just to listen to the first 30 seconds of the song.

Finally, I broke down and bought the album, and let me tell you its definitely not your typical hip-hop album. There is a broad range of music here, from the aforementioned "Guantanamera" and other more stereotypical raps like "We Trying to Stay Alive", you also get 'Clef playing the guitar, singing with R&B singers The Neville Brothers, and even throwing in some songs that aren't in English or Spanish at the end of the album (I think they're in French or Haitian or something). The skits are all pretty dumb, and oddly enough, iTunes still wants to charge you .99 for something that's only 20 seconds long. I guess it continues a tradition founded on previous Fugees albums, but frankly they don't add anything to the album. Speaking of the Fugees, it is nice to see the former Fugees showing up and playing nice, as later on there was some serious feuding going on.

Please be aware, this album does contain some explicit lyrics although not excessively so, so you may want to look for an edited version of any songs you are interested in checking out.

1. Intro/Court/Clef/Intro [Skit/Interlude]
2. Apocalypse
Despite recently getting bogged down in not really saying anything (see Shakira's "Hips Don't Lie" for example), Wyclef actually can lay down some pretty good rhymes when he cares enough to try. This is a good example.

3. Guantanamera (ft. Celia Cruz & Jenni Fujita)
When I was growing up, my parents had a tape of folks songs from the 60s and Guanatanamera was on that tape. It was one of the first songs I knew that was primarily Spanish (not counting La Bamba and Feliz Navidad). I think that's what drew me to the song in the first place, but its got a lot of the classic Fugee rhymin' that I like. I had no idea who Celia Cruz was when I bought the album, but she had a huge Carnival-themed hit when I was in Argentina. Apparently she's kind of a big deal in the Latin world and has been around for a very long time.

4. Pablo Diablo (Interlude) (ft. Talent, Crazy Sam & Da Verbal Assassins)
5. Bubblegoose (ft. Melky Sedeck)
Not my favorite song, but I really love the last bit of the song where the guitar comes in. Funny how this change really makes the song sound better. Should have used that for more of the song.

6. Prelude to "To All the Girls"
7. To All the Girls
Again, a song that gets good right near the end. Not sure why they don't remix these a little better.
8. Down Lo Ho (Interlude)

9. Anything Can Happen

10. Gone Till November (ft. New York Philharmonic Orchestra)
One of the best songs on the album. Strangely the album version wasn't the same as the video version for reasons that I could never figure out.

11. Words of Wisdom (Interlude)
12. Year of the Dragon (ft. Lauryn Hill)
13. Sang Fézi
First of the non-English tracks. Funny that I like to sing along using nonsense words that I'm sure are nothing like the real songs.

14. Fresh Interlude
15. Mona Lisa (ft. The Neville Brothers)
This is a classic R&B song, and generally I'm not a fan of the whole R&B Slow Jam, but this one works for me.

16. Street Jeopardy
17. Killer MC (Interlude) (ft. Pras)
18. We Trying to Stay Alive (ft. John Forte & Pras)
Great rap song that heavily samples the BeeGees "Stayin' Alive"

19. Gunpowder
Another great song. "Do good things come to those who wait?"

20. Closing Arguments [Interlude/skit]
21. Enter the Carnival (Interlude)
At this point the album totally changes. The skits are over and apparently Wyclef just wants to put some more Caribbean-themed, non-English tracks on the album.

22. Jaspora
That said, Jaspora has a great beat and despite not understanding a word of it, its one of my favorite songs.

23. Yele
24. Carnival (ft. Jacob Desvavieux, Jocelyn Berourard & Sweet Mickey)

Albums that I Love #1: August and Everything After

In the intro to this topic that I gave on Wednesday, I mentioned Columbia House and their 12 for a penny introductory offer. Well in that first 12, came a CD that was destined to become perhaps my favorite of all-time: August and Everything After by The Counting Crows.

I picked being only really familiar with the song Mr. Jones and perhaps vaguely familiar with Round Here. But as I listened to the CD something in the melancholy sound struck a chord with me. To be honest, its kind of a sad album to listen to. But something in the sadness is cathartic for me. At times when I'm feeling down, I like to listen to this album and sing along and let some of the down-ness out. I've owned it for over 10 years and the songs never get old for me.

Here's some quick thoughts on each of the tracks:

1. Round Here
This song is perhaps the epitome of who the Counting Crows are and what their music is about. When they play it live it sometimes goes as long as 12 minutes with bits of other songs mixed in. Not my favorite song, but definitely a CC classic.

2. Omaha
This song was probably my favorite when I first bought the album. I like the resonating hum of the organ. When my brother and his wife moved to Omaha, they bought the album for that reason alone. No idea how they feel about the album as a whole.

3. Mr. Jones
This song, while upbeat still exudes a melancholy acceptance of not being all that you'd like to be. Subsequent versions of the song tend to slow the tempo and the underlying wanting for something more comes through even clearer.

4. Perfect Blue Buildings
Not sure what this song is about, but you have to love the line "try to keep myself away from me".

5. Anna Begins
A song that addresses the topic of love and how it can move a person from just wanting a fling to wanting something more and not being ready for that.

6. Time and Time Again
Again, love the organ, and the singing.

7. Rain King
Another rare upbeat track. Again, I've never been able to really figure out what this is about.

8. Sullivan Street
This song, to me, sounds the saddest of all the songs on the album. Kind of a quiet song, resigned.

9. Ghost Train
My least favorite song on the album. Nothing against it, it just doesn't reach me at the same level as the rest of the songs.

10. Raining in Baltimore
I love this piano-solo song about being away from home, alone, and wanting to have someone to connect with. "I need a phone call." Also has a line that I love, "Three Thousand, Five Hundred Miles Away". Like how the songs builds and then fades out again at the end.

11. Murder of One
The title of this song comes from the fact that a group of crows is called a 'murder'. Another upbeat song with the whole band chipping in. Contains the familiar rhyme about "One for Sorrow, Two for Joy..." Good song to finish the album. I'm always amazed at how just repeating the same line over and over again can work. "I walk along these hillsides in the summer 'neath the sunshine, I am feathered by the moonlight falling down on me."

Interesting note: The 'title' track of the album didn't make it on to the album, but behind the words on the album cover, you can see the lyrics. There's no album version of "August and Everything After", but Adam Duritz, the lead singer, was able to get the lyrics put back together and sang the song live in December of 2003. As the Crows encourage their fans to record their shows, the track can be found in various places online if you know where to look.

Albums that I Love

I've been wanting to start doing some reviews of albums that I love for a while now and have been really quite busy and not sure when to start, because I'd like for it to be fairly regular. I've been so busy lately between school and church stuff that I'm not going to promise anything at this point, but I'm sitting here and I might as well start typing.

In way of introduction, I'd like to say that I first started building my music library in 1995, after receiving my first CD player for Christmas in 1994. Given that I started with just a few CDs, I used to listen to them quite a bit all the way through. Probably within that first year, I'd discovered Columbia House and their 12 for a penny deal ("The first 12 were only a penny and then they jacked up the price!"). This allowed/forced me to expand my library quite a bit, but even still this was way before the advent of buying single songs from iTunes, so it was very common to listen a CD all the way through. Listen to every CD all the way through repeatedly made me really appreciate an album that was solid from front to back, that was enjoyable the whole way. It seems like most artists come up with a few solid "hits" and fill the rest of the album with crap. It seems even more rare now in the era of buying one song at a time.

I've decided I want to share some reviews of my favorite albums -- albums that I can listen to in their entirety and really enjoy. I'm hoping this new feature will be more reliable than the book reviews I tried to do. I found it hard to give good reviews to books I hadn't read in quite some time, and listening to an album shouldn't be as much of a time commitment. Look for the first review this Friday.