Dreaming a heart broken dream?

Yesterday I went to the book store to pick up a novel for my fathers birthday. As I walked in I was immediately greeted by a woman sitting alone at a desk signing her newly published book on one of those silly book tours that people love to do. Of course, nobody cared they walked past her ignoring the novel and the chance to have it signed. I kept walking and I tried to put it out of my mind the best I could.  But of course, I couldn't. There was something sad about seeing this woman introducing herself to random strangers trying to get some attention. You could tell that she was enthusiastic about this book, and I could tell she put some thought into writing it. But yet, it was ignored left to sit in isolation completely ignored. As a wanna be writer I began to imagine myself in her position. I pictured myself waiting for some one just to look at me. Say hey I liked your book alot! But I knew that would never come and I began to feel my dream melt away. As I left the book store my dads gift in hand I began to question if it was better to have your dream destroyed and face the feeling of disappointment, or if it was better not to dream at all. I wonder if that book will ever mean anything to anybody. I sure as hell hope so.

Be hip! Find thse bands before anybody else!

1: 2:54
Sometimes, the hype machine known as British publicity, finds a band that, well might be worth the hype! For example, look at Oasis and Arctic Monkeys both went on to do great things. Next on the list for hyped up British bands is a sister rock duo by the bizarre name of 2:54. The vocals here are quite stunning. Hannah Thurlow has a voice like a grunge goddess made for the new generation. The sound is best compared like a blend of The XX and Sleigh Bells with Alice in Chains kind of grunge guitar work. There is something undeniably sexy about the band though. The lyrics are often intense with the subtle but wicked good guitar work only adding to the intensity. Currently they are not on Youtube, so would you kindly http://www.myspace.com/thetwofiftyfour give them a listen? They are well worth your time and if the demos they place on Myspace are any indication, they will do something quite remarkable once they hit.

2: The Weekend.
I once said that a certain album from back in 2007 would bring about the future of music and it would be unique and lovely. That album was called "Untrue" and it was by a man named Burial. Currently that album is sitting high beloved by critics and fans alike. Some critics even went as far as to call it the best album of the decade. But it seems that I wasn't bat shit crazy when I said that it really was the future.The way I would describe The Weekend, is like this: If Bruno Mars and Burial had a weird depressed suicidal baby, it would sound like this. Like Burial the sound is claustrophobic intense and lonely, (I have often compared it to walking in the rain alone in the dead of night) But the lyrics are like a heart broken Bruno Mars. There is something quietly passionate about the words the singer mutters even if it is processed through a filter that makes him sound distant and haunted. There is something chilling about some of their songs (some tracks tend to veer off into the poppy side) but there are a few brilliant twisting tracks that will send chills down your spine. (Also, there is a a girl pop band called The  Weekend don't be confused.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGfb9TkLnWE the track that keeps catching my attention.

Taste... How does that work!?

Animal Collective is considered today to be one of the most unique and interesting bands on the planet does it mean they're good?

Slipknot is one of the more loved bands of the heavy metal community but does that mean they make good music?

Recently, I was hanging around my friends (Yes I have friends!) and they seem to have an almost obsessive love for heavy metal. Now as you can tell I am a man who enjoys indie kid music and classic rock... Which was kind of the genesis of indie kid music. But yet as my friends headbanged listening to bands like Bullet For My Valentine and Slipknot and I couldn't help but think that the music they were into, was total shit. Of course, that thought lead me to another idea and that was, well, what is GOOD music? What is bad music? Is there even good or bad music? The question kind of pestered at my mind the entire day. Then like a thunder bolt I remembered a quote that friend of mine once said. He told me that there was no such thing as bad music, just music that you don't like. A light clicked and I quickly found that this friend (abnormally wise in this case) was correct. Music is simply the most personal art form ever to exist. Every song a picture, what may look beautiful to one person may look awful to another. For example almost everybody in the hipster community will likely consider almost any of Animal Collectives albums works of art, while people in the metal head community will think that AC is only a pretentious mess of sound, and vice versa. Your taste in just about anything is something that never really stops developing. The question of, what makes music good or bad is not a universal question but a personal question. Your taste in movies music clothes men women ECT is not only your choice, but its apart of you. Its like an unseen birthmark that continues to grow or the way you look. its like a religion something that you believe in, you may find others who partake in it but it is still primarily your own observation and interpretation. People can talk about it, they can hate it, they can love it but above all that matters is that you like the music you listen to. So in the end, yes there is no such thing as good or bad music so long as you are interested in it. So stop being so damn pretentious and just accept one and other! (That means you silly hipsters)

My favorite songs of the 2000's

This is going to be a list counting down my top ten favorite tracks of the past ten years. These are purely personal choices not THE BEST of the decade. So enjoy, Ill be pulling up a new song every day or so. So keep watching! You might pick up a new favorite band or song!

Number 10: "Wolf Like Me"- TV On The Radio

Songs about love are so frequent and often times irritating that it comes as a relief to hear a song like "Wolf Like Me." The song describes the desire not for love or attention or anything romantic of that nature, but an almost psychotic lust for sex.  The song has a certain intensity  that boils over layers and layers of static and white noise that builds to an explosive conclusion. It never feels like a particularity fast song yet that doesn't stop it from feeling like an adrenaline rush. The songs conclusion is easily the huge payoff that the entire song seems to be pushing for. Once its done however, the feeling of intensity it creates doesn't leave you . The feeling that you get is kind of like watching a good horror movie. You know you're watching (in this case listening) to something that is morally wrong and at times shocking but man, its just so damn good!

Number 9: "The Moon"- The Microphones

There once existed a band so talented and so unique that they could keep it together only for a tragically short period of time. That band was called The Neutral Milk Hotel. The band benefited from a unique lo fi sound that was instantly recognizable unique and yet familiar. Now the reason why I would start my paragraph this way is because the only band I can ever compare The Microphones to is Neutral Milk Hotel. The prime reason why is the 3rd track off their seventh album. "The Moon" has a very distinct sound building up using a few acoustic chords before letting lose into a giant explosion of static and intensely personal lyrics. Phil Evrum depicts a romance that feels so perfect and wonderful that it can only exist in fantasy. But of course it isn't perfect and it collapses leaving Evrum to reminisce on the moments that were undeniably perfect to him. The lyrics switch from wonderfully romantic to crippling heartbreak usually within a few seconds. The romance that Evrum sings about is heartwarming and tear jerking. He describes a true love with liberating detail, there is a certain sense of freedom that the listener will achieve, even if they have never felt true love, or events like the ones Evrum describes it is still instantly relate able. So far you have not heard me mention anything besides the lyrics, so you may be wondering what about the sound to the whole song. Well honestly, the thing that I find so perfect about this song is that the sound only adds to it. Making it whole. This would still be very much the same song if Evrum was to speak the words without instrumentation. Yes the static is strangely inviting and the use of lazy sounding trumpets and trombones is lovely. But this is very much a story, not a song. The reason why I started with the whole Neutral Milk Hotel comparison is because you never find songs like this. A track that sends the wide range of emotions all across the board. Like Jeff Mangum, Phill Evrum is able to do what very few musicians could ever dream of doing, and that's creating a passionate real and utterly human story of love loss and all of the emotions that come with it. 

Number 8: "Stuck Between The Stations" The Hold Steady

There are some nights, when there is really only one band that feels natural to listen to. When every awkward boy walks away with an awkward girl and their friends are too wasted to even pay attention to whats going on around them. The Hold Steady have been granted (and have held) the title of America's bar band ever since their debut "Almost Killed Me" back in 2004 and the one thing that the band has always gotten completely right, is the song writing. Craig Fin has found a unique blend of Bruce Springsteen, Paul Westerberg and the whole of Husker Du. Almost all of his tracks deal with a party that one could call the best party ever, at least until the next party is even better. Or the bummer parties where a person gets too high or too drunk and must face the consequences of enjoying themselves just a little to much. In what is easily their career high Craig Finn, with remarkably few lyrics some describes a intense night of partying, a relationship that ended on a sour note and even a little hint at alcohol or drug addiction. "She was a really cool kisser, wasn't all that great of a girlfriend." With that simple statement, the listener is able to see the entire relationship play out as if they were an onlooker watching their best friends relationship fall to pieces. The song has a feeling like flying, the sound the band creates can really only be compared to Bruce Springsteen on Born to Run. Its like a wall of sound and an intoxicating rush of joy and nostalgia. I once heard Craig Finn say this song is all about "Art, love, depression, hiding from alcohol its fate and its about everything else." And honestly, that's all it is. A brilliant blend of strong song writing, an epic uplifting sound and of course nostalgia for the party that you wish you could live over and over again.

Number 7: "Maps"- Yeah Yeah Yeahs

 

Heartache, some know it all too well. Its a feeling that, when held inside for too long, will burst out into a wail of pain, confusion, anger,  tension and pure honest to god love. Enter Yeah Yeah Yeahs' power balled, "Maps." The song was written as an ode to long distance relationships (Frontwoman Karren O's boyfriend was currently touring with a band when the song was written) but the song comes across as more of a pre breakup song. Where one partner in the relationship tries in vain to keep the relationship going. Believe me, this song is nothing you haven't heard before. Its sad bitter and honestly quite painful. But what sets it apart is the painful heartbroken wail of Karren O. As the song progresses her voice becomes more strained to the point where she begins yelling that unforgettable but remarkably simple hook "Wait, they don't love you like I love you." The guitar work is also stunning its remarkable how much sound Nick Zinner is able to create with a few power chords and slides and how well it just fits with the pain of the lyrics, as if the guitar is trying to tell a similar story that the lyrics are. "Maps" was a surprise hit. Much like a song way back from the 90s with the small title of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" this song catapulted the band out of the underground into a mainstream audience. The band is no longer considered hip but that doesn't seem to matter. This song has a feeling of importance, of power and that makes it one of the most raw and unforgettable tracks of this generation.

Number 6: ?

Number 5: ?

Number 4: ?

Number 3: ?

Number 2 ?

Number 1: ?

Grammys!

So unless you live under a rock you probably know of the grammys. Even if you didn't watch you probably heard of somebody talking about how this one weird band one for best album of the year. That band, was Arcade Fire. Performing one of the most exciting and left field turns in the history of the grammys. Even the people who announced the winner seemed shocked at the results stuttering saying "and the grammy goes to... The Su.. Suburbs?" After that the band accepted to which front man Win Butler stated in total shock "OK, what the hell!?"

After that the band played "Ready To Start" A surprisingly perfect track for the win. Although it felt weird seeing a song that I greatly considered to be a vicious battle cry turned into a victory dance. I caught myself laughing as the band bounced around with huge grins singing about the pains of growing up.


Overall I was excited to see Arcade Fire walk away with the top prize. They were easily the most deserving of the nominees and it just showed me that maybe good music in the mainstream isn't as dead as I thought it was.

Number 1: LCD Soundsystem- All My Friends

 

I could try to explain why this is number one, but I can't. I couldn't do it justice. But I will say this, this is the most passionate and powerful song that I have ever heard, or ever will hear.

Number 2: The Velvet Underground- "Sweet Jane"

If you asked me what song I would still be listening to 70 years down the road I would say "Sweet Jane" by The Velvet Underground. I can hear my youth in this song, I can hear my present in this song, I can hear my golden years in this song. I can hear my adulthood in this song, I can hear my mid life crisis, I can hear the sound of my grandkids in this song, I can hear the sound of my death in this song I can hear whatever awaits me afterward. For that reason, this will be the song that will stick with me forever. 

Number 3: The Beatles- "Strawberry Fields Forever"

The single greatest band to exist in the history of forever had changed their game following the release of the so called greatest album of all time "Sgt Pepper." But to me, the greatest moment of The Beatles career came shortly after the release of that masterful album. While shooting for their zany movie "The Magical Mystery Tour" John Lennon went unusually personal with the track that would later become the centerpiece of the soundtrack. "Strawberry Fields Forever" found Lennon detailing his youth and his journeys as young boy playing at the Strawberry Fields orphanage. John's lyrics are at once bizarre and universal. George Martians production aids in creating a sound that even by today's standards is still unique and twisting. Maybe I'm not giving the rest of The Beatles enough credit, but this is almost entirely John's song. Its his life, its his pain and its his brilliant vision that allows him to quiet the demons of his present by looking into the past.

Number 4: The Rolling Stones- "Gimmie Shelter"

Defining one of the most important and bizarre moments in history is difficult but The Stones do it with only with a single powerful punch of a lyric"War, Children its shot away." With "Gimmie Shelter" The Stones turned the start of the darkest war in history and turned it into a furious battle cry. For the song Keith Richards created what is arguably his greatest guitar riff with a shocking effect. However it was Jagger's and more notably, Merry Clayton's howling vocals that steal the show. The punch of the lyrics combined with Richards electrifying riff come together to create the most intense and explosive rock song that I have ever heard.

Number 5: Bob Dylan- "Shelter From The Storm"

"This is poetry" is probably the most abused compliment that a listener can give to a song or a songwriter, but for this one here, I cant quite think of a better way to describe it. Dylan is quite possibly the greatest songwriter the world has ever known but here, he conjures up something that even he should be proud of. With every lyric in this masterful track Dylan tackles another topic, whether it be the war, love, loss of innocence, fighting, religion or the concept of pain. Part of the beauty of this song is the fact that the mysterious "She" that gives Dylan the shelter that he seems to lack can be anything the listener wants her to be. Could she be divine? Could she be a thing an entity? Or is she just that one woman that can make everything alright. There is no right or wrong answer and perhaps like poetry, that's entirely the beauty of it.

Number 6: The Ronettes- Be My Baby

To this day the challenge of creating THE perfect pop song still has not been accomplished. For my two cents, the closest that the world has ever gotten, is The Ronettes "Be My Baby." Indeed this is not a complex song by any means. However, there is something so wonderful here. The song teams with a fire and passion that makes the listener swoon. Even if he or she has never felt the comfort of love should be able to identify with this. The vocal performances and harmonies and awe inspiring in themselves but the real star here is Phil Specters legendary "Wall of Sound." The sound here is simultaneously sweeping and intimate. While I may be overstating what I am about to say, its just my opinion so please don't hate. This is the epitome of pop music. Without a doubt and without a question.

Number 7: The Stone Roses- "Waterfall"

 Every once and awhile you get a band so spectacular and so jaw dropping that they just cant hold it together for long. The Stone Roses were that band. The kind of flash in the pan band that would make listeners crazy to hear ANYTHING that the band would put out next. Sadly, The Roses have never put anything out that could quite equal the magnitude that was their debut. However, that seemed to be enough. The album was simultaneously epic and intimate at the same time. Indeed this was an album where any of the songs could have been my favorite but I stand by "Waterfall" as the number one SR track. The song tells the narrative of a girl old enough to live out on her own and undergoes the journey of a lifetime. Even if one were to remove the lyrics from the song completely, it would still be obvious that this is a song of freedom and escape. The guitar riff alone is enough to inspire anyone who has an ounce of a soul to escape their daily life and undergo a journey of their own. "Waterfall" feels like a rush of air, a song that would make the likes of Bruce Springsteen envious of its ability to create the feeling freedom. But above all "Waterfall" feels like dropping the stress and pain that has been accumulated in a lifetime and at last, letting go of it all.

Number 8: Pavement- "Summer Babe (Winter Version)"

 

Once upon a time age, in the bizarre world of the early 90s, a little band called Nirvana was destroying the charts in sales and had take the crown as the most respected and beloved band of the time. However around the same time, a small band called Pavement was also making a name for itself. Pavement in some ways was an opposite to Nirvana implying a theme of feeling good and being young as opposed to Nirvana s themes of isolation and angst. Both would clash for the title of the best band of the nineties. But to me, Pavement will always be on top. And their very first single of their debut is one of the many reasons why. "Summer Babe"

takes the idea of a perfect girlfriend and makes it a reality. A girl that can make you feel loved even at your lowest, a woman willing to look through your flaws to help you see the light that you cant quite find. This is love seen through the mind of a sixteen year old whose mind hasn't been contaminated with thoughts and need for sex. This is a gem in its finniest form and the perfect song of my youth and love life.

Number 9: Animal Collective- "My Girls"

"There isn't much, that I feel I need, a solid soul and the blood I bleed. But with a little girl and by my spouse, I only want a proper house." Croons Animal Collective's current genius Noah Lennox in the opening bars to 2009's greatest song. Just like that he creates a persona for himself, a romantic with a heart of gold. Here Noah promises his wife and daughter a house, a simple statement but when tied together with the bands harmonies and sweeping sounds, it becomes a song that is unforgettable and utterly beautiful. There is a certain power and passion in Noah's voice that has been typically avoided in an Animal Collective song. This is a love song and honestly, to this day I have never heard a man so full of love for his family as I have here. It rivals the passion of John Lennon as he sings about his nearly obsessive love for Yoko Ono. Now the lyrics while simple are brilliant and affectionate coincide brilliantly with the sound the rest of the band creates. There really is no way to fully describe the sound, it feels like a warm summer morning waking next to the girl you love, and honestly, that;s the best way I can describe it. It just feels that good. It really does. Mrs. Lennox, wherever you are, you are one lucky woman.

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Number 10: Talking Heads- Once In A Lifetime.

When I was around the age of six or seven, I began to pay attention to the music that both my mother and my father played in their car as they drove me from one place to the other. My dad mainly listened to Jazz and the occasional mixtape filled with obscure music that never really got my attention. However every time I entered my mothers car, there were usually about two bands that played. One being her all time favorite, Bruce Springsteen and the other being U2. However every once and awhile she played something new and interesting. She had me listen to artists that she enjoyed like Billy Idol and David Bowie and every once and awhile some forgotten indie band like Carbon Leaf. But nothing caught my attention quite like "Once In A Lifetime." I remember listening to it without quite understanding what it was David Bryne was trying to say. I just enjoyed for the unique sounds of an odd synthesizer and the unusual sense of rhythm. I also often found myself laughing at David Bryne's  ecstatic vocal delivery and bizarre lyrics (I still remember asking my mother how one would take the water from the bottom of the ocean.) As I aged this song sat in the back my mind never moving and never losing its place in my memory. However, I never went out of my way to listen to it. It wasn't on my Ipod and I never felt the need to look it up on youtube. But something changed once I sat down and watched the bands concert movie entitled "Stop Making Sense." I enjoyed the movie quite a bit but I always kept on the edge of my seat just waiting to see Once In A Lifetime. Once it came, it hit me like a ton of bricks. I sat in awe as I witnessed what was arguably the best live performance of a song I had ever heard. Suddenly my feelings for the song returned and I was at last old enough to comprehend what David Bryne was communicating so effortlessly. But one thing stuck to me during the following days, I realized that this was the first song I had ever been truly in love with, and now as I continue to grow up and I look towards the uncertainty of the future, I can take comfort in the fact that this song has shown me that life is strange and it can be painful, but above all, its an exciting mysterious and beautiful journey.

Let the countdown begin!

So what I decided I was going to do with this new fangled blog that my hipster friends decided to get me to do, is make lists and stuff. So first off, I figured what I was going to do was make a list of my top ten favorite songs of all time, starting with number ten respectively.

Well here I am.