I am admittedly ridic about these things but it's been six months since I reset my play counts, I'm bored and it's hot out, so Top 100 on my iPod! Not only that, but songs that were on the LAST Top 100 are bolded! Yay play count obsessions!
100. "Who Says", John Mayer, Battle Studies
99. "Outside", Green River Ordinance, Out Of My Hands
98. "Never Going Back Again", Fleetwood Mac, Rumours (#63)
97. "Hope For Me Yet", Marc Broussard, Carencro
96. "Wagon Wheel", Stephen Kellogg & The Sixers, The Bear
95. "Touch Me Bad", Steel Train, Live From Bonnaroo
94. "Mandolin Moon", Sister Hazel, Absolutely (#95)
93. "The Wanderer", Marc Broussard, Carencro (#39)
92. "Charmer", Kings of Leon, Because of the Times (#65)
91. "Call and Return (Say That You're Into Me)", hellogoodbye, hellogoodbye
90. "Something Coming Over", O.A.R., Live From Madison Square Garden (#85)
89. "Carry You There", Hanson, Stand Up Stand Up
88. "The First Single (You Know Me)", The Format, Interventions and Lullabies
87. "Rainbows", Dennis Wilson, Pacific Ocean Blue
86. "Alone", The Bee Gees, Still Waters
85. "Chelsea", The Summer Set, Love Like This
84. "Wake Your Eyes", Steel Train, Twilight Tales from the Prairie of the Sun
83. "Make It Through", Sherwood, QU
82. "Garden", Needtobreathe, The Outsiders
81. "Song to Me", MWK, Incoherent With Desire to Move On
80. "Use Somebody", Kings of Leon, Only By the Night (#3)
79. "Rich Girls, Poor Girls", Everybody Else, Everybody Else (#27)
78. "Sure Fire Winners", Adam Lambert, For Your Entertainment
77. "I've Let You Go", Steel Train, Trampoline
76. "More Time", Needtobreathe, The Heat
75. "All Part of the Show", Stephen Kellogg & The Sixers, The Bear
74. "Better Love", Steel Train, Twilight Tales from the Prairie of the Sun
73. "We Could Run Away", Needtobreathe, The Heat
72. "The Story of Your Life", To Have Heroes, To Have Heroes
71. "Must Be the Water", Marc Broussard, Must Be the Water (#99)
70. "Happy Alone", Kings of Leon, Youth and Young Manhood
69. "Milk", Kings of Leon, Aha Shake Heartbreak (#38)
68. "I Saw It On Your Keyboard", hellogoodbye, Zombies! Aliens! Vampires! Dinosaurs!
67. "Where's the Love", Hanson, Middle of Nowhere (#78)
66. "Snails", The Format, Dog Problems
65. "The Weight of Her", Butch Walker, Sycamore Meadows
64. "More Like Me", Trevor Jackson, Kyle Riabko and Boots Factor Are...
63. "The Boys You Do (Get Back At You)", The Summer Set, Love Like This
62. "Black Eye", Steel Train, Live From Bonnaroo
61. "Gimme Some Lovin'", The Spencer Davis Group, Gimme Some Lovin'
60. "The Day I Quit My Job", Sleeperstar, To Speak, To Love, To Listen
59. "Whose Chariot", O.A.R., Rain or Shine
58. "One True Thing", MWK,Incoherent With Desire to Move On
57. "Camaro", Kings of Leon, Because of the Times (#33)
56. "Fire on the Mountain", Hanson, The Walk (#1)
55. "Makeup", Everybody Else, Everybody Else (#10)
54. "Better Day", To Have Heroes, To Have Heroes
53. "Tickle Your Toes", Steel Train, Twilight Tales from the Prairie of the Sun
52. "Firecracker", Steel Train, Trampoline
51. "What You've Done to Me", Needtobreathe, The Outsiders
50. "Alright With Me", Kris Allen, Kris Allen
49. "Manhattan", Kings of Leon, Only By the Night (#6)
48. "Touchdown Turnaround (Don't Give Up On Me), hellogoodbye, Zombies! Aliens! Vampires! Dinosaurs!
47. "World's On Fire", Hanson, Stand Up Stand Up
46. "Oceans", The Format, Dog Problems
45. "Moving On", Needtobreathe, The Heat
44. "Killing More Than Time", MWK, Incoherent With Desire to Move On
43. "Lost Myself in Search of You", Matt Nathanson, At the Point
42. "Come Around", Marc Broussard, Carencro
41. "At Least I'm Not As Sad (As I Used To Be)", fun. Aim and Ignite
40. "Bleed to Love Her", Fleetwood Mac, The Dance (#7)
39. "It's About Time", The Beach Boys, Sunflower (#69)
38. "School is For Losers", Steel Train, Trampoline
37. "Stronger (Back on the Ground)", Nick Jonas and the Administration, Who I Am
36. "Get Up and Go", Hanson, Underneath (#18)
35. "Be Calm", fun. Aim and Ignite
34. "Ragoo", Kings of Leon, Because of the Times (#24)
33. "The Stuff You Gotta Watch", The Band, Jericho (#89)
32. "Strut", Adam Lambert, For Your Entertainment
31. "Swan Dive", Sister Hazel, Chasing Daylight (#22)
30. "Restless", Needtobreathe, The Heat
29. "Notion", Kings of Leon, Only by the Night (#5)
28. "Georgia", Hanson, The Walk (#67)
27. "I Want You Back", Steel Train, 1969
26. "Heartbreaker", Matt Wertz, If It Ain't Broke...
25. "Barlights", fun., Aim and Ignite
24. "Fever", Adam Lambert, For Your Entertainment
23. "Shady Esperanto & the Young Hearts", Stephen Kellogg & the Sixers, The Bear
22. "Hard Knocks", Marc Broussard, Keep Coming Back
21. "Live Like We're Dying", Kris Allen, Kris Allen
20. "These Walls", Hanson, Stand Up, Stand Up
19. "Walking the Dog", fun. Aim and Ignite
18. "Imperial Lover", Carney, Nothing Without You
17. "Save Me", Marc Broussard, Carencro (#96)
16. "Be Somebody", Kings of Leon, Only By the Night (#34)
15. "When We First Met", hellogoodbye, When We First Met
14. "Let Us Love", Needtobreathe, The Outsiders
13. "Home", Marc Broussard, Carencro
12. "Girl Named Tennessee", Needtobreathe, The Outsiders
11. "Perfectly Lonely", John Mayer, Battle Studies
10. "All the Pretty Girls", fun. Aim and Ignite
9. "Something Beautiful", Needtobreathe, The Outsiders
8. "Washed by the Water", Needtobreathe, The Heat
7. "Fans", Kings of Leon, Because of the Times (#2)
6. "Take Your Time (Coming Home)", fun. Aim and Ignite
5. "You and I Undercover", Steel Train, Steel Train Is Here
4. "Here (In Your Arms)", hellogoodbye, Zombies! Aliens! Vampires! Dinosaurs!
3. "Been There Before", Hanson, The Walk (#23)
2. "Benson Hedges", fun. Aim and Ignite
1. "Waiting For This", Hanson, Stand Up, Stand Up
Showing posts with label sk6ers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sk6ers. Show all posts
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Thursday, March 18, 2010
SK6ers and Needtobreathe in Chi-town
It just so happened that my friend and I wanted to see SK6ers soon and also see Chicago. It also so happened that SK6ers were opening for Needtobreathe in Chicago. Thus, we went!
When it comes to the SK6ers, I really can't imagine anyone seeing their live show and not liking them. They have one of the most fun live shows I have ever seen and that is one of the main reasons why I became a fan of theirs to begin with. They are everything an opening band should be. Energetic, entertaining, playing a mix of their own music, getting the crowd involved and tossing in some familiar tunes. Love them SO much. There was a lot of Glassjaw Boxer love, with "Fourth of July", "Milwaukee" and "Big Easy", which of course was the crowd participation number with the hand motions. They played "The Bear", which entertained me extra because I had been singing it all day and there was TUBA on it! "Shady Esperanto and the Young Hearts" had a choreographed dance, which was various levels of entertaining depending which member of the band you happened to be looking at. They all had ties on and some had vests, some had hats, they're so adorable and that song is just so catchy that to see them in those outfits, singing that song while bouncing on one foot, it's just too much. They closed the show with a Stephen song mixed with a medley of covers and when I say medley, I mean medley. There were at least 20 songs in there, chronologically by decade. It was awesome. Shana and I were dorks and cheered extra loud for "Aquarius" in memory of Kyle Riabko, who is currently starring in Hair former SK6er status. So much fun, those guys are. I wish they made it easier to see them in my own town!
Needtobreathe was incredible. It kind of amazes me that I had no idea who they were at this time last year but they're that kind of band that sometimes, it just clicks and it has totally clicked for me. Something about them just resonates with me, I love their music so much and seeing them live is an awesome experience. It was especially fun seeing them in the Midwest, where they have a considerably larger following. I saw them at Highline Ballroom here in the city in September and it wasn't even sold out. That's about a third of the size of the Chicago House of Blues and that was sold out. They were able to play quite a longer set, with obviously, a lot of love for The Outsiders, I think they played all but three songs from that album, plus a mix of songs from The Heat and even "Don't Wait for Daylight". They even let Bo sing lead on "Won't Turn Back", aww! He sings so pretty and so different from Bear. All of the rockier songs seemed to be in a row and it kind of felt like all the more rootsy stuff was toward the end. "More Time" and "Something Beautiful" and "Stones Under Rushing Water", it's almost like a different band when those songs come out after "Prisoner" and "Girl Named Tennessee" (I could not stand still for that song, oops). They closed with "Through Smoke", which I thought was a bit of an odd choice for a closer and also, they still hadn't played a few songs that I was surprised they'd go without, but really didn't think they'd encore for long. But, they did! First song of the encore was "Hurricane", then into "Let Us Love" which is one of the most fun of their live songs, with the built in singalong and ridiculous energy. When I saw them in New York, they had ended the show with an unplugged version of "Something Beautiful". When they played that earlier in the set here, I figured that they wouldn't be doing anything like that for this show because the venue was so much bigger and it just probably wouldn't work. So when Bear walked to the absolute tip of the stage and said they were going to sing something totally unplugged, I was pretty intrigued on how that was going to work. He asked everyone to be as quiet as possible, because his unamplified voice wouldn't be able to sing over people talking or singing along, and you could seriously hear a pin drop. He started singing "Washed by the Water" and it completely filled the room up. He has an absolutely incredible voice and hearing it just as it is, in this big room, full of silent people, singing that song about his dad and his faith, was insanely amazing. After the bridge, he asked to crowd to join in and I think he was a little blown away by the immediate response that came. He had said earlier that it was their biggest headlining show to date and I love that I got to be there for such a huge show for them. It was so, so awesome.
I think I'll be thinking of this performance every time I hear the song from now on. Even in the video, when the crowd comes in, it's a little chilling and being there was even more awesome. And when Bear starts singing "Can't Always Get What You Want" at the end, you can sort of hear the crowd trying to be patient and let him sing, but everyone loses their resolve at the exact same moment and screams "you get what you need!" Really, one of the best live concert moments I've ever been a part of! I love them so much. Can't wait to see them again here in a few weeks.
When it comes to the SK6ers, I really can't imagine anyone seeing their live show and not liking them. They have one of the most fun live shows I have ever seen and that is one of the main reasons why I became a fan of theirs to begin with. They are everything an opening band should be. Energetic, entertaining, playing a mix of their own music, getting the crowd involved and tossing in some familiar tunes. Love them SO much. There was a lot of Glassjaw Boxer love, with "Fourth of July", "Milwaukee" and "Big Easy", which of course was the crowd participation number with the hand motions. They played "The Bear", which entertained me extra because I had been singing it all day and there was TUBA on it! "Shady Esperanto and the Young Hearts" had a choreographed dance, which was various levels of entertaining depending which member of the band you happened to be looking at. They all had ties on and some had vests, some had hats, they're so adorable and that song is just so catchy that to see them in those outfits, singing that song while bouncing on one foot, it's just too much. They closed the show with a Stephen song mixed with a medley of covers and when I say medley, I mean medley. There were at least 20 songs in there, chronologically by decade. It was awesome. Shana and I were dorks and cheered extra loud for "Aquarius" in memory of Kyle Riabko, who is currently starring in Hair former SK6er status. So much fun, those guys are. I wish they made it easier to see them in my own town!
Needtobreathe was incredible. It kind of amazes me that I had no idea who they were at this time last year but they're that kind of band that sometimes, it just clicks and it has totally clicked for me. Something about them just resonates with me, I love their music so much and seeing them live is an awesome experience. It was especially fun seeing them in the Midwest, where they have a considerably larger following. I saw them at Highline Ballroom here in the city in September and it wasn't even sold out. That's about a third of the size of the Chicago House of Blues and that was sold out. They were able to play quite a longer set, with obviously, a lot of love for The Outsiders, I think they played all but three songs from that album, plus a mix of songs from The Heat and even "Don't Wait for Daylight". They even let Bo sing lead on "Won't Turn Back", aww! He sings so pretty and so different from Bear. All of the rockier songs seemed to be in a row and it kind of felt like all the more rootsy stuff was toward the end. "More Time" and "Something Beautiful" and "Stones Under Rushing Water", it's almost like a different band when those songs come out after "Prisoner" and "Girl Named Tennessee" (I could not stand still for that song, oops). They closed with "Through Smoke", which I thought was a bit of an odd choice for a closer and also, they still hadn't played a few songs that I was surprised they'd go without, but really didn't think they'd encore for long. But, they did! First song of the encore was "Hurricane", then into "Let Us Love" which is one of the most fun of their live songs, with the built in singalong and ridiculous energy. When I saw them in New York, they had ended the show with an unplugged version of "Something Beautiful". When they played that earlier in the set here, I figured that they wouldn't be doing anything like that for this show because the venue was so much bigger and it just probably wouldn't work. So when Bear walked to the absolute tip of the stage and said they were going to sing something totally unplugged, I was pretty intrigued on how that was going to work. He asked everyone to be as quiet as possible, because his unamplified voice wouldn't be able to sing over people talking or singing along, and you could seriously hear a pin drop. He started singing "Washed by the Water" and it completely filled the room up. He has an absolutely incredible voice and hearing it just as it is, in this big room, full of silent people, singing that song about his dad and his faith, was insanely amazing. After the bridge, he asked to crowd to join in and I think he was a little blown away by the immediate response that came. He had said earlier that it was their biggest headlining show to date and I love that I got to be there for such a huge show for them. It was so, so awesome.
I think I'll be thinking of this performance every time I hear the song from now on. Even in the video, when the crowd comes in, it's a little chilling and being there was even more awesome. And when Bear starts singing "Can't Always Get What You Want" at the end, you can sort of hear the crowd trying to be patient and let him sing, but everyone loses their resolve at the exact same moment and screams "you get what you need!" Really, one of the best live concert moments I've ever been a part of! I love them so much. Can't wait to see them again here in a few weeks.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
lots of stuff I love right now
There's always so many songs and stuff that I love at any given time so I decided to compile a bunch of it into a post. So, here are some songs and videos of songs and a few other things I love right now!
"The Story of Your Life", To Have Heroes - To Have Heroes is Andy Skib's "solo" project, away from MWK and playing in David Cook's band. I love Andy's voice and I love the way it's complimented by the acoustic nature of his EP. This song is just gorgeous, lyrically and instrumentally and as a writer, I find myself really relating to the idea of it. I love the way the words in the verses are quick and then the choruses and bridge slow back down. Extra perk of this song, and what kind of explains that varying structure for me, is that it was written by Jason Mraz and Isaac Hanson at Fool's Banquet!
"The Weight of Her", Butch Walker - I love this song so much! It reminds me of Tom Petty. Also, the awesome spoken bridge: "What am I supposed to talk about with you anyway? I graduated the year you were born. I don't wanna have to drive around listening to your burned CDs through your shitty car speakers of every band you think you discovered. It's just gonna make me feel insecure!"
"Shady Esperanto and the Young Hearts", Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers - I can't stop listening to this song! It's so freaking catchy and this video is hilarious, if just because it's like, the SK6ers in a legit video and they're so awkward and goofy as usual plus a marching band.
"Perfectly Lonely", John Mayer - God, I love this song. The guitar on it is so addicting and his voice and the lyrics and I love John Mayer. Watch him bounce! Also, I love that in this video, he basically admits that it is not a very long-lasting feeling! That's all I wanted, JM.
"Texas Rain", Sleeperstar - These guys are so wonderful. This video is from the show I saw them and I was standing basically right where this view point is. I love Chris' voice and he is also rather cute. I also love that this video does a good job of showing Shaun, because I loved watching him drum.
"Song Burning in Hell", Steel Train - So much of why I love Steel Train is present in this video. From Jack being adorable and his big red guitar to the pounding drums to the random high-pitched harmonies to the percussion jam in the middle to the crowd participation moments to Evan and his fro to everything about them. I saw them play this song twice and it's so much fun live and makes me want their new album right now!
"River", Isaac Hanson - This video kind of sums up why I love Isaac. Taylor had the flu for almost a whole week of this fall's tour, the first show being in Boston, so Ike and Zac stepped up a little extra. Isaac busted out "River" from 3 Car Garage for his solo there. I just love how surprised he is when the crowd sings back to him, his goofy face when he wants it later, how much he can still sell a song he wrote when he was 15, how kickass his voice is sometimes and just how awesome he is in general.
I could probably do this weekly and I just might!
"The Story of Your Life", To Have Heroes - To Have Heroes is Andy Skib's "solo" project, away from MWK and playing in David Cook's band. I love Andy's voice and I love the way it's complimented by the acoustic nature of his EP. This song is just gorgeous, lyrically and instrumentally and as a writer, I find myself really relating to the idea of it. I love the way the words in the verses are quick and then the choruses and bridge slow back down. Extra perk of this song, and what kind of explains that varying structure for me, is that it was written by Jason Mraz and Isaac Hanson at Fool's Banquet!
"The Weight of Her", Butch Walker - I love this song so much! It reminds me of Tom Petty. Also, the awesome spoken bridge: "What am I supposed to talk about with you anyway? I graduated the year you were born. I don't wanna have to drive around listening to your burned CDs through your shitty car speakers of every band you think you discovered. It's just gonna make me feel insecure!"
"Shady Esperanto and the Young Hearts", Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers - I can't stop listening to this song! It's so freaking catchy and this video is hilarious, if just because it's like, the SK6ers in a legit video and they're so awkward and goofy as usual plus a marching band.
"Perfectly Lonely", John Mayer - God, I love this song. The guitar on it is so addicting and his voice and the lyrics and I love John Mayer. Watch him bounce! Also, I love that in this video, he basically admits that it is not a very long-lasting feeling! That's all I wanted, JM.
"Texas Rain", Sleeperstar - These guys are so wonderful. This video is from the show I saw them and I was standing basically right where this view point is. I love Chris' voice and he is also rather cute. I also love that this video does a good job of showing Shaun, because I loved watching him drum.
"Song Burning in Hell", Steel Train - So much of why I love Steel Train is present in this video. From Jack being adorable and his big red guitar to the pounding drums to the random high-pitched harmonies to the percussion jam in the middle to the crowd participation moments to Evan and his fro to everything about them. I saw them play this song twice and it's so much fun live and makes me want their new album right now!
"River", Isaac Hanson - This video kind of sums up why I love Isaac. Taylor had the flu for almost a whole week of this fall's tour, the first show being in Boston, so Ike and Zac stepped up a little extra. Isaac busted out "River" from 3 Car Garage for his solo there. I just love how surprised he is when the crowd sings back to him, his goofy face when he wants it later, how much he can still sell a song he wrote when he was 15, how kickass his voice is sometimes and just how awesome he is in general.
I could probably do this weekly and I just might!
Friday, October 23, 2009
Top 100!
I'm re-setting my play count tonight. My iPod, Jackson Braddock, is almost a year old. Considering how I feel about play counts, this is a fairly big step for me to take. However, it is time. But, because I am me, my Top 100 Listened To tracks, from late October 2008 to late October 2009:
100. "Everybody Finds Out", Fleetwood Mac, Say You Will
99. "Must Be the Water", Marc Broussard, Must Be the Water
98. "The Beauty of Letting Go", Green River Ordinance, Way Back Home
97. "To the Beat of Our Noisy Hearts", Matt Nathanson, Some Mad Hope
96. "Save Me", Marc Broussard, Carencro
95. "Mandolin Moon", Sister Hazel, Absolutely
94. "Will You Be There", Michael Jackson, The Essential Michael Jackson
93. "17", Kings of Leon, Only by the Night
92. "Got Me Going Crazy", Jonas Brothers, A Little Bit Longer
91. "I Have You to Thank", Gavin DeGraw, Gavin DeGraw
90. "Oh Well", Fleetwood Mac, Live
89. "The Stuff You Gotta Watch", The Band, Jericho
88. "One Man Show", Jonas Brothers, A Little Bit Longer
87. "In the City", Hanson, This Time Around
86. "Thirteen", Stephen Kellogg, Bulletproof Heart
85. "Something Coming Over", O.A.R., Live from Madison Square Garden
84. "Dying to be Alive", Hanson, This Time Around
83. "Eyes of the World", Fleetwood Mac, Live in Boston
82. "Black or White", Adam Lambert, American Idol
81. "What Christmas Means to Me", Hanson, Snowed In
80. "I'm On a Boat (featuring T-{Pain)", The Lonely Island, Incredibad
79. "BB Good", Jonas Brothers, A Little Bit Longer
78. "Where's the Love", Hanson, The Middle of Nowhere
77. "A Daily Anthem/Kiss on the Neck", David Cook, David Cook
76. "Mission Responsible", Michael Tolcher, I Am
75. "Great Divide", Hanson, The Walk
74. "Where You Are", Marc Broussard, Carencro
73. "Arizona", Kings of Leon, Because of the Times
72. "Change in My Life", Hanson, Take the Walk
71. "Faker", Everybody Else, 1 1/2
70. "Silver Springs", Fleetwood Mac, The Dance
69. "It's About Time", The Beach Boys, Sunflower
68. "Ophelia", The Band, Northern Lights - Southern Cross
67. "Georgia", Hanson, The Walk
66. "Madeline", Hanson, Middle of Nowhere
65. "Charmer", Kings of Leon, Because of the Times
64. "Wait Here For You", Hanson, Hanson.net 2009
63. "Never Going Back Again", Fleetwood Mac, Rumours
62. "Rock 'n' Roll Band", Boston, Boston
61. "You Are the Best Thing", Ray LaMontagne, Gossip in the Grain
60. "Something Going Round", Hanson, The Walk Tour Live
59. "Summertime", New Kids on the Block, The Block
58. "Kiss and Run", Fleetwood Mac, Tusk [Bonus Tracks]
57. "The Shape I'm In", The Band, Stage Fright
56. "Change Your Mind", Sister Hazel, Before the Amplifiers
55. "All For You", Sister Hazel, Before the Amplifiers
54. "Someday I Suppose", The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Don't Know How to Party
53. "Golden Slumbers", The Beatles, Abbey Road
52. "Starfish", Sister Hazel, Before the Amplifiers
51. "Bold as Love", John Mayer, Continuum
50. "The Longest Hour of My Life", Everybody Else, Everybody Else
49. "Hungry Heart", Bruce Springsteen, The River
48. "Glory Days", Bruce Springsteen, Born in the U.S.A.
47. "Stumbling Through the Dark", Trevor Jackson, Kyle Riabko and Boots Factor Are...
46. "Say Goodbye", Everybody Else, Everybody Else
45. "Oh! Darling", Dana Fuchs, Across the Universe
44. "Crazy Beautiful", Hanson, Underneath
43. "Meat Market", Everybody Else, Everybody Else
42. "Oh! Darling", The Beatles, Abbey Road
41. "Bus Song", Trevor Jackson, Kyle Riabko and Boots Factor Are...
40. "Love Me", Taylor Hanson, Live in Poughkeepsie NY 10/25/08
39. "The Wanderer", Marc Broussard, Carencro
38. "Milk", Kings of Leon, Aha Shake Heartbreak
37. "Love Bug", Jonas Brothers, A Little Bit Longer
36. "China Grove", The Doobie Brothers, Best of The Doobie Brothers
35. "River Song", Dennis Wilson, Pacific Ocean Blue
34. "Be Somebody", Kings of Leon, Only By the Night
33. "Camaro", Kings of Leon, Because of the Times
32. "Second Hand News", Fleetwood Mac, Rumours
31. "Not Down With That", Trevor Jackson, Kyle Riabko and Boots Factor Are...
30. "Dreaming with a Broken Heart", John Mayer, Continuum
29. "Rock 'n' Roll Razorblade", Hanson, The Best of Hanson Live and Electric
28. "Sweetest Goodbye", Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers, Glassjaw Boxer
27. "Rich Girls, Poor Girls", Everybody Else, Everybody Else
26. "I Am", Hanson, The Walk
25. "One Man Band (of Brothers)", Trevor Jackson, Kyle Riabko and Boots Factor Are...
24. "Ragoo", Kings of Leon, Because of the Times
23. "Been There Before", Hanson, The Walk
22. "Swan Dive", Sister Hazel, Chasing Daylight
21. "Long Train Runnin'", The Doobie Brothers, Best of The Doobie Brothers
20. "Love Runs Deeper", Lindsey Buckingham, Gift of Screws
19. "Every Word I Say", Hanson, The Best of Hanson Live and Electric
18. "Get Up and Go", Hanson, Underneath
17. "Sweet Sophia", Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers, Glassjaw Boxer
16. "Lost Without Each Other", Hanson, Underneath
15. "What Did I Get Myself Into", Kyle Riabko, Before I Speak
14. "Sex on Fire", Kings of Leon, Only by the Night
13. "Gift of Screws", Lindsey Buckingham, Gift of Screws
12. "Down", Hanson, 2.0 Membership Kit
11. "Faker", Everybody Else, Everybody Else
10. "Makeup", Everybody Else, Everbody Else
9. "Watch Over Me", Hanson, The Walk
8. "Running Man", Hanson, The Walk
7. "Bleed to Love Her", Fleetwood Mac, The Dance
6. "Manhattan", Kings of Leon, Only by the Night
5. "Notion", Kings of Leon, Only by the Night
4. "Something Going Round", Hanson, The Walk
3. "Use Somebody", Kings of Leon, Only by the Night
2. "Fans", Kings of Leon, Because of the Times
1. "Fire on the Mountain", Hanson, The Walk
100. "Everybody Finds Out", Fleetwood Mac, Say You Will
99. "Must Be the Water", Marc Broussard, Must Be the Water
98. "The Beauty of Letting Go", Green River Ordinance, Way Back Home
97. "To the Beat of Our Noisy Hearts", Matt Nathanson, Some Mad Hope
96. "Save Me", Marc Broussard, Carencro
95. "Mandolin Moon", Sister Hazel, Absolutely
94. "Will You Be There", Michael Jackson, The Essential Michael Jackson
93. "17", Kings of Leon, Only by the Night
92. "Got Me Going Crazy", Jonas Brothers, A Little Bit Longer
91. "I Have You to Thank", Gavin DeGraw, Gavin DeGraw
90. "Oh Well", Fleetwood Mac, Live
89. "The Stuff You Gotta Watch", The Band, Jericho
88. "One Man Show", Jonas Brothers, A Little Bit Longer
87. "In the City", Hanson, This Time Around
86. "Thirteen", Stephen Kellogg, Bulletproof Heart
85. "Something Coming Over", O.A.R., Live from Madison Square Garden
84. "Dying to be Alive", Hanson, This Time Around
83. "Eyes of the World", Fleetwood Mac, Live in Boston
82. "Black or White", Adam Lambert, American Idol
81. "What Christmas Means to Me", Hanson, Snowed In
80. "I'm On a Boat (featuring T-{Pain)", The Lonely Island, Incredibad
79. "BB Good", Jonas Brothers, A Little Bit Longer
78. "Where's the Love", Hanson, The Middle of Nowhere
77. "A Daily Anthem/Kiss on the Neck", David Cook, David Cook
76. "Mission Responsible", Michael Tolcher, I Am
75. "Great Divide", Hanson, The Walk
74. "Where You Are", Marc Broussard, Carencro
73. "Arizona", Kings of Leon, Because of the Times
72. "Change in My Life", Hanson, Take the Walk
71. "Faker", Everybody Else, 1 1/2
70. "Silver Springs", Fleetwood Mac, The Dance
69. "It's About Time", The Beach Boys, Sunflower
68. "Ophelia", The Band, Northern Lights - Southern Cross
67. "Georgia", Hanson, The Walk
66. "Madeline", Hanson, Middle of Nowhere
65. "Charmer", Kings of Leon, Because of the Times
64. "Wait Here For You", Hanson, Hanson.net 2009
63. "Never Going Back Again", Fleetwood Mac, Rumours
62. "Rock 'n' Roll Band", Boston, Boston
61. "You Are the Best Thing", Ray LaMontagne, Gossip in the Grain
60. "Something Going Round", Hanson, The Walk Tour Live
59. "Summertime", New Kids on the Block, The Block
58. "Kiss and Run", Fleetwood Mac, Tusk [Bonus Tracks]
57. "The Shape I'm In", The Band, Stage Fright
56. "Change Your Mind", Sister Hazel, Before the Amplifiers
55. "All For You", Sister Hazel, Before the Amplifiers
54. "Someday I Suppose", The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Don't Know How to Party
53. "Golden Slumbers", The Beatles, Abbey Road
52. "Starfish", Sister Hazel, Before the Amplifiers
51. "Bold as Love", John Mayer, Continuum
50. "The Longest Hour of My Life", Everybody Else, Everybody Else
49. "Hungry Heart", Bruce Springsteen, The River
48. "Glory Days", Bruce Springsteen, Born in the U.S.A.
47. "Stumbling Through the Dark", Trevor Jackson, Kyle Riabko and Boots Factor Are...
46. "Say Goodbye", Everybody Else, Everybody Else
45. "Oh! Darling", Dana Fuchs, Across the Universe
44. "Crazy Beautiful", Hanson, Underneath
43. "Meat Market", Everybody Else, Everybody Else
42. "Oh! Darling", The Beatles, Abbey Road
41. "Bus Song", Trevor Jackson, Kyle Riabko and Boots Factor Are...
40. "Love Me", Taylor Hanson, Live in Poughkeepsie NY 10/25/08
39. "The Wanderer", Marc Broussard, Carencro
38. "Milk", Kings of Leon, Aha Shake Heartbreak
37. "Love Bug", Jonas Brothers, A Little Bit Longer
36. "China Grove", The Doobie Brothers, Best of The Doobie Brothers
35. "River Song", Dennis Wilson, Pacific Ocean Blue
34. "Be Somebody", Kings of Leon, Only By the Night
33. "Camaro", Kings of Leon, Because of the Times
32. "Second Hand News", Fleetwood Mac, Rumours
31. "Not Down With That", Trevor Jackson, Kyle Riabko and Boots Factor Are...
30. "Dreaming with a Broken Heart", John Mayer, Continuum
29. "Rock 'n' Roll Razorblade", Hanson, The Best of Hanson Live and Electric
28. "Sweetest Goodbye", Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers, Glassjaw Boxer
27. "Rich Girls, Poor Girls", Everybody Else, Everybody Else
26. "I Am", Hanson, The Walk
25. "One Man Band (of Brothers)", Trevor Jackson, Kyle Riabko and Boots Factor Are...
24. "Ragoo", Kings of Leon, Because of the Times
23. "Been There Before", Hanson, The Walk
22. "Swan Dive", Sister Hazel, Chasing Daylight
21. "Long Train Runnin'", The Doobie Brothers, Best of The Doobie Brothers
20. "Love Runs Deeper", Lindsey Buckingham, Gift of Screws
19. "Every Word I Say", Hanson, The Best of Hanson Live and Electric
18. "Get Up and Go", Hanson, Underneath
17. "Sweet Sophia", Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers, Glassjaw Boxer
16. "Lost Without Each Other", Hanson, Underneath
15. "What Did I Get Myself Into", Kyle Riabko, Before I Speak
14. "Sex on Fire", Kings of Leon, Only by the Night
13. "Gift of Screws", Lindsey Buckingham, Gift of Screws
12. "Down", Hanson, 2.0 Membership Kit
11. "Faker", Everybody Else, Everybody Else
10. "Makeup", Everybody Else, Everbody Else
9. "Watch Over Me", Hanson, The Walk
8. "Running Man", Hanson, The Walk
7. "Bleed to Love Her", Fleetwood Mac, The Dance
6. "Manhattan", Kings of Leon, Only by the Night
5. "Notion", Kings of Leon, Only by the Night
4. "Something Going Round", Hanson, The Walk
3. "Use Somebody", Kings of Leon, Only by the Night
2. "Fans", Kings of Leon, Because of the Times
1. "Fire on the Mountain", Hanson, The Walk
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
good music is good times
Kyle Riabko needs to come back to NYC and play some gigs. I just went on a spree, buying his new album and the Trevor Jackson album and gah, his original stuff is just so good. The TJ stuff is hilarious too, tuba! Plus, The Parkdale Sessions has a straight version of "Left Behind" that is just gorgeous and an R&B version of "The Guilty Ones", and Kyle Riabko and Boots Factor Are... has this awesome cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Everywhere" that reminds me a bit of "Say You Love Me" from The Dance. Love it. Can more people I already love cover Fleetwood Mac for me?
I'm really on a kick of bands I saw open for other people and ended up loving. I still can't stop listening to Everybody Else. It felt like legit love from the start, but considering it's been over a month since I last saw them live, I think it's really legit now. I go through phases with some new bands I like where I'm like "OMG LOVE" for a bit until I wear the song out and it no longer feels as awesome as it did, but pretty much every song I loved of theirs is still on high rotation. I still listen to Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers quite a bit too. I never got quite that actively into them, but those fave songs of theirs that I loved in May still get a lot of play and now I'm back into listening to the other stuff quite a bit too and loving it. Then there's Kyle, who kind of slides into that group even though he wasn't in the Sixers anymore by the time I saw them because he was already rehearsing for Spring Awakening which I then saw him in which prompted me to buy his solo album and see him at Joe's Pub and then Stephen and Boots were there! And did songs with him, including a cover of "Up on Cripple Creek"! A little convoluted but awesome! And hell, I'm even stuck on a few Dave Barnes songs lately!
In addition to that, I'm also listening to a lot of classic rock lately. Doobie Brothers, Boston, Allman Brothers, The Band, those types. "The Shape I'm In" and "Ophelia" and "Long Train Runnin'" and "China Grove" and "Soulshine" and "Foreplay/Long Time" and stuff that is so much more than just music. The stuff that reminds me that I was born into the wrong era.
I'm really on a kick of bands I saw open for other people and ended up loving. I still can't stop listening to Everybody Else. It felt like legit love from the start, but considering it's been over a month since I last saw them live, I think it's really legit now. I go through phases with some new bands I like where I'm like "OMG LOVE" for a bit until I wear the song out and it no longer feels as awesome as it did, but pretty much every song I loved of theirs is still on high rotation. I still listen to Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers quite a bit too. I never got quite that actively into them, but those fave songs of theirs that I loved in May still get a lot of play and now I'm back into listening to the other stuff quite a bit too and loving it. Then there's Kyle, who kind of slides into that group even though he wasn't in the Sixers anymore by the time I saw them because he was already rehearsing for Spring Awakening which I then saw him in which prompted me to buy his solo album and see him at Joe's Pub and then Stephen and Boots were there! And did songs with him, including a cover of "Up on Cripple Creek"! A little convoluted but awesome! And hell, I'm even stuck on a few Dave Barnes songs lately!
In addition to that, I'm also listening to a lot of classic rock lately. Doobie Brothers, Boston, Allman Brothers, The Band, those types. "The Shape I'm In" and "Ophelia" and "Long Train Runnin'" and "China Grove" and "Soulshine" and "Foreplay/Long Time" and stuff that is so much more than just music. The stuff that reminds me that I was born into the wrong era.
Monday, November 24, 2008
iTunes check-in!
I'm going to have to reset my play counts in about a week, so it's time for another one of these!
Let's do Top 25! With comments! Oh yeah.
25. "The Longest Hour of My Life", Everybody Else, Everybody Else
My current fave EBE song. Love Carrick's voice on this one and really just like the vibe of it. It's not as light as it sounds musically, but it's very enjoyable. I ironically listened to it the first time while waiting an hour to vote on Election Day, so I now have fond memories of how that turned out whenever I hear this song!
24. "Rip It Up", Hanson, Underneath Acoustic/"Go" single
Crowd participation plus an awesome Isaac vocal. Pretty random, but awesome! It makes me want to be at a concert though!
23. "Where Did I Go Wrong?", Martin Sexton, Live Wide Open
Really love this song. And this dude. His style is quite quirky, which I find quite appealing. This song is especially wonderful, with the falsetto coming in and just very relaxing and pleasant.
22. "Gift of Screws", Lindsey Buckingham, Gift of Screws
I cannot listen to this song and not crack up. The beat, the delivery, the maniacal laughing that occurs throughout. The yelping? The various activities that could be done whilst listening thanks to the in-song instructions? Amazing. "To the left, to the right, up an down, in and out!"
21. "Bullets", Bob Schneider, Lonelyland
Either music venues or other bands love this dude, because this song is always on the house mix before a concert. I loved it every time I heard it and I finally sought it out. Such a cool tune. Jazzy, with a horn section, kind of scatty, with a few bouts of rapid fire lyrics.
20. "Don't Stop Me Now", Queen, Jazz
It is appropriate that the album this song is on is called Jazz, because I always envision the most elaborate and exciting jazz dance routine in my mind when I listen to this song. I would use it to audition for So You Think You Can Dance. It starts all slow and then boom, you're going and going and soon you're flying and you're not going to stop! Exhiliration!
19. "Kiss and Run", Fleetwood Mac, Tusk (Remastered Edition)
I've always found that when you love a band for a long time, the new stuff gets more play than the old stuff you've always had (there may be an entry on this later). So this song, an outtake from the Tusk recording sessions, gets lots of love. Random chatting, an awesome Stevie/Christine/Lindsey harmony, just basic instrumental and a really catchy tune. I wish there was more of it, but I love it!
18. "Filthy/Gorgeous", The Scissor Sisters, Scissor Sisters
If I ever do karaoke in a public place, this is the song I'm doing. I absolutely love it. Nothing is better than shaking your ass and singing insulting remarks in falsetto. "You're disgusting! Oooh, and you're nasty!"
17. "Love From Here, Love From There", Lindsey Buckingham, Law & Order
It makes me laugh how high this song is. I admit that this is my least favorite Lindsey solo album, I barely even listened to it until recently and I found this song hilarious the first time I heard it. Now I can't stop listening to it. It's like this cheesy country song that could totally be line danced to, yet it's also Lindsey? The combination is oddly irrestible.
16. "Oh! Darling", Across the Universe
I. Love. This. Version. Of. This. Song. It's one of my alltime favorite Beatles songs, but Dana Fuchs just makes it all the more amazing, and dude on it (don't remember his name, eek!) also sounds absolutely amazing. Can't get enough of this!
15. "Grown Man", New Kids on the Block, The Block
This song could not be much more ridiculous and that is why I love it. "Gonna give you some grown man! Gonna give you some grown man!" When I saw NKOTB live, they actually had the Pussycat Doll who's vocals are featured on the song on a video screen. It's so bad it's good. Really good.
14. "Great Divide", Hanson, The Walk
I heard this song for the first time a little less than a year ago and my life hasn't been the same since. I remember hearing it that first time and being completely transported. This is the song that made me realize that Hanson was not just a part of my past, that it was time to pay attention again. It's also the song that sums up so much of their charity work, which I have to come to care quite a bit about. A really powerful, kickass song.
13. "Sweet Sophia", Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers, Glassjaw Boxer
I absolutely love the piano line on this song. It actually hurts to turn this song off because I love the piano line that much. Love Stephen's voice on this one, and the lyric "Stole my soul with a laugh and a look, and your heart shaped lips and my breath that you took."
12. "Rock and Roll Band", Boston, Boston
Everything I love about classic rock, rolled into three minutes of pure, fun, amazingness. The drum line in this song kills me, and Brad Delp's vocals are beyond sublime. I admit that I laugh every time they say "dancin' in the streets of Hyannis!", but I can't listen to this song and not end up with a huge grin on my face due to the absolute awesomeness.
11. "Fire on the Mountain", Hanson, The Walk
It's hard for me to remember a time when I didn't know that post-11-year-old Zac Hanson actually sang lead, but such a time did exist. Then I heard this song and haven't stopped listening to it since. It's probably the song I've listened to the most over the past year. I love the theme of it, the vibe of it, the vocals, and most of all, the lyrics. "Can we pick the pieces up? We're mending Babylon, trying to right the wrong. Can we pick the pieces up? Live, learn, life, love, die, dust, gone."
10. "I Wanna Take You Higher", Sly and the Family Stone
Honestly, I downloaded this song when I found out Hanson was covering it this leg and ended up adoring it. One of the songs that make me wish I could be a part of the coke-induced craziness of the 70's. Wailing away. Rocking out. And playing drums.
9. "Bold as Love", John Mayer, Continuum
This is one of those songs I ignored for far too long and one day accidentally kept on and realized I was in love with it. Mayer sells the song, vocally and with the guitar work. Just love it. Whenever I'm at work and this song comes on, it's time to mentally check out for a few. "My yellow in this case is not so mellow!"
8. "Traci Brown (A Song for You)", Hanson
Seriously? This song exists because of a contest where the winner got a song written about them. "Traci Brown, she's got what you need/A blue-eyed West Virginian who knows what she believes." Maybe it's because they're the type of band that does that kind of thing. Maybe it's because I love the melody. Maybe it's because of all the songs Zac Hanson sings, he sounds the absolute best on this one. Needless to say, this song gets a lot of play, random as it is.
7. "Something Going Round", Hanson, The Walk
This was one of my favorite "new" Hanson songs when I rediscovered them early last year. It's safe to say I'm addicted to it. It doesn't help that this is the song they opened every show with this past leg of the tour so hearing it makes me think of the fun of seeing them live. The opening drum beats, the built in "singalong" section in the middle, just a great feel-good song.
6. "Rock 'n' Roll Razorblade", Hanson, The Best of Hanson Live and Electric
It took awhile for this song to grow on me, but I adore it now. It has a very 90s rock feel to it, vaguely Smashing Pumpkins. Amazing piano solo and just a chill rock vibe to it. The harmony at the end of this is also ridiculous. Zac is singing so high I'm pretty sure the sound is coming out his nose.
5. "Makeup", Everybody Else, Everybody Else
Catchy as hell. I remember getting up when I was seeing them live to hit the bar and the merch stand during this song and just dancing away from seat and all the way back. Again, the song itself isn't as light as it sounds but it's really a fun tune. Plus, any song with the lyric "you've got a long walk home, but you've got headphones", is going to get some points.
4. "Summertime", New Kids on the Block, The Block
Oh man, this song! Makes me smile every time it's on and then I start dancing and then I envision the video and laugh. The song has everything that made NKOTB so amazingly ridiculous in 1988. They didn't even update themselves, it's just 1988 again in 2008. And I love it. And please, Donnie with his speaking over the singing? Doesn't get much better than that.
3. "Every Word I Say", Hanson, The Best of Hanson Live and Electric
This is one of those songs that I heard about before I actually had it. Hanson fans adore this song and before I heard it, I didn't get what could possibly cause it to get the reaction that it does. I get it now. It's one of those songs that just stops me from what I'm doing whenever it comes on and I'm lost in it. Taylor's voice is a little more rugged and by the end of the song, Isaac is wailing away. It's a bit different for them too, which adds to why I love it. Powerful and moving and freaking awesome.
2. "Manhattan", Kings of Leon, Only by the Night
This song currently owns me. It was one of the ones on the album I skipped the first few listens and now can't turn off any time it comes on. Like my #1, this song just has an amazing vibe to it and the vocals are so raw and moving. The lyric "we're going to show this town how to kiss these stars" nearly makes me weep every time I hear it. Which is a lot.
1. "Notion", Kings of Leon, Only by the Night
This may be the perfect rock song. I'm not even lying. The first time I heard this song, I was IN it. It just has that feel to it that I love in a song, especially as a fan of the classic rock sound of the late 70's. Amazing lead vocals, a rocking guitar bit, piano. Not does the song soar, it singlehandedly gave me hope that people of my own generation can write and record songs like this.
I will need to do another one of these soon to see how things change!
Let's do Top 25! With comments! Oh yeah.
25. "The Longest Hour of My Life", Everybody Else, Everybody Else
My current fave EBE song. Love Carrick's voice on this one and really just like the vibe of it. It's not as light as it sounds musically, but it's very enjoyable. I ironically listened to it the first time while waiting an hour to vote on Election Day, so I now have fond memories of how that turned out whenever I hear this song!
24. "Rip It Up", Hanson, Underneath Acoustic/"Go" single
Crowd participation plus an awesome Isaac vocal. Pretty random, but awesome! It makes me want to be at a concert though!
23. "Where Did I Go Wrong?", Martin Sexton, Live Wide Open
Really love this song. And this dude. His style is quite quirky, which I find quite appealing. This song is especially wonderful, with the falsetto coming in and just very relaxing and pleasant.
22. "Gift of Screws", Lindsey Buckingham, Gift of Screws
I cannot listen to this song and not crack up. The beat, the delivery, the maniacal laughing that occurs throughout. The yelping? The various activities that could be done whilst listening thanks to the in-song instructions? Amazing. "To the left, to the right, up an down, in and out!"
21. "Bullets", Bob Schneider, Lonelyland
Either music venues or other bands love this dude, because this song is always on the house mix before a concert. I loved it every time I heard it and I finally sought it out. Such a cool tune. Jazzy, with a horn section, kind of scatty, with a few bouts of rapid fire lyrics.
20. "Don't Stop Me Now", Queen, Jazz
It is appropriate that the album this song is on is called Jazz, because I always envision the most elaborate and exciting jazz dance routine in my mind when I listen to this song. I would use it to audition for So You Think You Can Dance. It starts all slow and then boom, you're going and going and soon you're flying and you're not going to stop! Exhiliration!
19. "Kiss and Run", Fleetwood Mac, Tusk (Remastered Edition)
I've always found that when you love a band for a long time, the new stuff gets more play than the old stuff you've always had (there may be an entry on this later). So this song, an outtake from the Tusk recording sessions, gets lots of love. Random chatting, an awesome Stevie/Christine/Lindsey harmony, just basic instrumental and a really catchy tune. I wish there was more of it, but I love it!
18. "Filthy/Gorgeous", The Scissor Sisters, Scissor Sisters
If I ever do karaoke in a public place, this is the song I'm doing. I absolutely love it. Nothing is better than shaking your ass and singing insulting remarks in falsetto. "You're disgusting! Oooh, and you're nasty!"
17. "Love From Here, Love From There", Lindsey Buckingham, Law & Order
It makes me laugh how high this song is. I admit that this is my least favorite Lindsey solo album, I barely even listened to it until recently and I found this song hilarious the first time I heard it. Now I can't stop listening to it. It's like this cheesy country song that could totally be line danced to, yet it's also Lindsey? The combination is oddly irrestible.
16. "Oh! Darling", Across the Universe
I. Love. This. Version. Of. This. Song. It's one of my alltime favorite Beatles songs, but Dana Fuchs just makes it all the more amazing, and dude on it (don't remember his name, eek!) also sounds absolutely amazing. Can't get enough of this!
15. "Grown Man", New Kids on the Block, The Block
This song could not be much more ridiculous and that is why I love it. "Gonna give you some grown man! Gonna give you some grown man!" When I saw NKOTB live, they actually had the Pussycat Doll who's vocals are featured on the song on a video screen. It's so bad it's good. Really good.
14. "Great Divide", Hanson, The Walk
I heard this song for the first time a little less than a year ago and my life hasn't been the same since. I remember hearing it that first time and being completely transported. This is the song that made me realize that Hanson was not just a part of my past, that it was time to pay attention again. It's also the song that sums up so much of their charity work, which I have to come to care quite a bit about. A really powerful, kickass song.
13. "Sweet Sophia", Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers, Glassjaw Boxer
I absolutely love the piano line on this song. It actually hurts to turn this song off because I love the piano line that much. Love Stephen's voice on this one, and the lyric "Stole my soul with a laugh and a look, and your heart shaped lips and my breath that you took."
12. "Rock and Roll Band", Boston, Boston
Everything I love about classic rock, rolled into three minutes of pure, fun, amazingness. The drum line in this song kills me, and Brad Delp's vocals are beyond sublime. I admit that I laugh every time they say "dancin' in the streets of Hyannis!", but I can't listen to this song and not end up with a huge grin on my face due to the absolute awesomeness.
11. "Fire on the Mountain", Hanson, The Walk
It's hard for me to remember a time when I didn't know that post-11-year-old Zac Hanson actually sang lead, but such a time did exist. Then I heard this song and haven't stopped listening to it since. It's probably the song I've listened to the most over the past year. I love the theme of it, the vibe of it, the vocals, and most of all, the lyrics. "Can we pick the pieces up? We're mending Babylon, trying to right the wrong. Can we pick the pieces up? Live, learn, life, love, die, dust, gone."
10. "I Wanna Take You Higher", Sly and the Family Stone
Honestly, I downloaded this song when I found out Hanson was covering it this leg and ended up adoring it. One of the songs that make me wish I could be a part of the coke-induced craziness of the 70's. Wailing away. Rocking out. And playing drums.
9. "Bold as Love", John Mayer, Continuum
This is one of those songs I ignored for far too long and one day accidentally kept on and realized I was in love with it. Mayer sells the song, vocally and with the guitar work. Just love it. Whenever I'm at work and this song comes on, it's time to mentally check out for a few. "My yellow in this case is not so mellow!"
8. "Traci Brown (A Song for You)", Hanson
Seriously? This song exists because of a contest where the winner got a song written about them. "Traci Brown, she's got what you need/A blue-eyed West Virginian who knows what she believes." Maybe it's because they're the type of band that does that kind of thing. Maybe it's because I love the melody. Maybe it's because of all the songs Zac Hanson sings, he sounds the absolute best on this one. Needless to say, this song gets a lot of play, random as it is.
7. "Something Going Round", Hanson, The Walk
This was one of my favorite "new" Hanson songs when I rediscovered them early last year. It's safe to say I'm addicted to it. It doesn't help that this is the song they opened every show with this past leg of the tour so hearing it makes me think of the fun of seeing them live. The opening drum beats, the built in "singalong" section in the middle, just a great feel-good song.6. "Rock 'n' Roll Razorblade", Hanson, The Best of Hanson Live and Electric
It took awhile for this song to grow on me, but I adore it now. It has a very 90s rock feel to it, vaguely Smashing Pumpkins. Amazing piano solo and just a chill rock vibe to it. The harmony at the end of this is also ridiculous. Zac is singing so high I'm pretty sure the sound is coming out his nose.
5. "Makeup", Everybody Else, Everybody Else
Catchy as hell. I remember getting up when I was seeing them live to hit the bar and the merch stand during this song and just dancing away from seat and all the way back. Again, the song itself isn't as light as it sounds but it's really a fun tune. Plus, any song with the lyric "you've got a long walk home, but you've got headphones", is going to get some points.
4. "Summertime", New Kids on the Block, The Block
Oh man, this song! Makes me smile every time it's on and then I start dancing and then I envision the video and laugh. The song has everything that made NKOTB so amazingly ridiculous in 1988. They didn't even update themselves, it's just 1988 again in 2008. And I love it. And please, Donnie with his speaking over the singing? Doesn't get much better than that.
3. "Every Word I Say", Hanson, The Best of Hanson Live and Electric
This is one of those songs that I heard about before I actually had it. Hanson fans adore this song and before I heard it, I didn't get what could possibly cause it to get the reaction that it does. I get it now. It's one of those songs that just stops me from what I'm doing whenever it comes on and I'm lost in it. Taylor's voice is a little more rugged and by the end of the song, Isaac is wailing away. It's a bit different for them too, which adds to why I love it. Powerful and moving and freaking awesome.
2. "Manhattan", Kings of Leon, Only by the Night
This song currently owns me. It was one of the ones on the album I skipped the first few listens and now can't turn off any time it comes on. Like my #1, this song just has an amazing vibe to it and the vocals are so raw and moving. The lyric "we're going to show this town how to kiss these stars" nearly makes me weep every time I hear it. Which is a lot.
1. "Notion", Kings of Leon, Only by the Night
This may be the perfect rock song. I'm not even lying. The first time I heard this song, I was IN it. It just has that feel to it that I love in a song, especially as a fan of the classic rock sound of the late 70's. Amazing lead vocals, a rocking guitar bit, piano. Not does the song soar, it singlehandedly gave me hope that people of my own generation can write and record songs like this.
I will need to do another one of these soon to see how things change!
Monday, November 3, 2008
and then there's everybody else
I think one of the best things that can happen when you go to a concert of a band you're really excited to see is to have an opening act that doesn't suck.
I really don't like opening bands. Usually, if I'm going to concert, I'm really excited to see the band I'm going to see. In some cases, the opening act simply doesn't interest me, such as when I saw Modest Mouse open for R.E.M. this summer (it seemed some Modest Mouse fans felt similarly about R.E.M., give how many left after MM's set). Sometimes the opening act is boring or not talented or just doesn't put on a good show. Sometimes they simply aren't enough to get keep your attention on the music as you count how many songs have been played and estimate how much longer they will be on stage. I feel that a perfect opening act should be a band/performer that is good, that compliments the band they are opening for and that puts on an entertaining, engaging and energetic show without overshadowing the act they are opening for. I find this blend hard to find.
So imagine my surprise when, for the second time this year, I saw a band open for Hanson that fit this description. The first, Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers, were on the spring leg of The Walk tour and may be my favorite opening act ever. I've come to love them in their own right and continue to brag about them when opening act discussions come up. They were fun, they were energetic, their music was catchy, they did a few kickass covers and they walked that fine line of not being too much like the headliner and not so different that their inclusion made no sense. They were essentially awesome.
Then, this leg, came Everybody Else. Now, due to my lack of moderation in concert-going where certain bands are concerned, I saw Everybody Else three times in a very short span of time. Each time, I was definitely more excited to be seeing the headliner, and yet every time I saw Everybody Else, I liked them more. To the point where when I went to my last show of my "mini-tour" and was considering adding one more on, my enjoyment of Everybody Else and excitement to see them one more time was a factor in my decision to just do it. Their songs are catchy and fun, they have a great vibe and now that I'm done seeing them live, I still can't stop listening to their music.
So here's to good opening acts. Let's hope my luck continues to be so good. Or my favorite bands continue to pick such quality entertainment.
I really don't like opening bands. Usually, if I'm going to concert, I'm really excited to see the band I'm going to see. In some cases, the opening act simply doesn't interest me, such as when I saw Modest Mouse open for R.E.M. this summer (it seemed some Modest Mouse fans felt similarly about R.E.M., give how many left after MM's set). Sometimes the opening act is boring or not talented or just doesn't put on a good show. Sometimes they simply aren't enough to get keep your attention on the music as you count how many songs have been played and estimate how much longer they will be on stage. I feel that a perfect opening act should be a band/performer that is good, that compliments the band they are opening for and that puts on an entertaining, engaging and energetic show without overshadowing the act they are opening for. I find this blend hard to find.
So imagine my surprise when, for the second time this year, I saw a band open for Hanson that fit this description. The first, Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers, were on the spring leg of The Walk tour and may be my favorite opening act ever. I've come to love them in their own right and continue to brag about them when opening act discussions come up. They were fun, they were energetic, their music was catchy, they did a few kickass covers and they walked that fine line of not being too much like the headliner and not so different that their inclusion made no sense. They were essentially awesome.
Then, this leg, came Everybody Else. Now, due to my lack of moderation in concert-going where certain bands are concerned, I saw Everybody Else three times in a very short span of time. Each time, I was definitely more excited to be seeing the headliner, and yet every time I saw Everybody Else, I liked them more. To the point where when I went to my last show of my "mini-tour" and was considering adding one more on, my enjoyment of Everybody Else and excitement to see them one more time was a factor in my decision to just do it. Their songs are catchy and fun, they have a great vibe and now that I'm done seeing them live, I still can't stop listening to their music.
So here's to good opening acts. Let's hope my luck continues to be so good. Or my favorite bands continue to pick such quality entertainment.
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