Post #17 - "Lost Cause"

Just heard this song by Beck from the Scrubs episode "My New Game" and I'm in love with this song because of how it sounds. It's a sad song, but if it sounds good, that shouldn't stop someone from listening to it just because it'll make them feel down.

"Lost Cause" is from Beck's 2002 album Sea Change, which marked a departure from his style in favor of a folk rock sound (I'm taking this from Wikipedia, though this will be my first Beck album to listen to when I get the chance). The album's theme centers around that of deteriorating relationships, and that is visible in the song's lyrics (coming up soon). Rolling Stone magazine gave Sea Change a five star rating and placed it number 440 on its list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

The song itself is sad, accompanied by an finger-picked guitar, so acoustic indie girls, eat your hearts out of this one. It obviously fits in with the album's theme, in this song he admits that he is tired of a relationship that is headed south. I like the entire song, most of all its verse lyrics (here's the first):

"Your sorry eyes, they cut through bone/They make it hard to leave you alone/Leave you here wearing your wounds/Waving your guns at somebody new."

The music video off YouTube I've included is, well, entirely in slow-motion, with Beck's head attached to some type of humanoid torso and sparks and stuff. Well, hope you enjoy this song as much as I did (the video, meh).

Post #16 - "Vertigo"

So I was watching the new episode of South Park a few nights ago, the one with Bono and the world record for most fecal matter produced by a human, which is measured in Katie Courics. Anyway.. throughout the episode Bono sings the lyrics to "Vertigo", i.e. answering his cell phone with "Hello, hello!" and dancing around while singing "Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!" So every time I think of this song now, I think of that. Let's get down to business.

The song is the first single off U2's album How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, which is the band's eleventh studio album. The album has been successful, selling more than three million in the U.S. alone. Bono describes this album as being their "first rock album."

Out of the entire song's lyrics, I probably like the verses best, although the counting straight to 13 from three is rebellious in a way that would turn the world of Sesame Street upside-down (my favorite is Cookie Monster, because he's the euphemism for a crack addict in the minds of children). Anyway, this is how the first verse goes:

"Lights go down/It's dark, the jungle is/Your head can't rule your heart/A feeling is so much stronger/Than a thought/Your eyes are wide/And though your soul/It can't be bought/Your mind can wander."

The following YouTube video is the official music video, where the band is playing and singing in some otherworldly desert with a bullseye that can shift elevation instantaneously (and U2 is flying through it as trails of black dust fall behind them!). Enjoy!

Post #15 - "The Sound of Settling"

Aside from the Shins, Death Cab for Cutie is my other favorite indie band. There's something about their music that I like, I can't put my finger on it though. It's one of the most melodic music you'll ever hear from a band today, and they rarely miss the target when it comes to musical satisfaction.

"The Sound of Settling" is off the album Transatlanticism, which has sold approximately a quarter of a million copies. The album as a whole is easy for me to listen to in one sitting, so if you can survive 30 minutes driving in a car listening to songs on the radio concerning "supermanning that ho," then I'm sure you'll survive this, and come out all the better for it. The album art is interesting too, with a bird seemingly wrapped in yard (someone call PETA!).

The song itself is cheery and upbeat, it's hard to feel down while listening to it. The lyrics are great (although the chorus does get repetitive if you listen to it on repeat) and I really like these lines:

"I've got a hunger/Twisting my stomach into knots."

"Our youth is fleeting/Old age is just around the bend/And I can't wait to go gray."

All in all, a great introductory song to the great band that is Death Cab for Cutie. The video off YouTube I've included is the official music video that has the band and some other people singing the song in a trippy frame with a frame effect. Enjoy!

Post #14 - "Don't Speak"

For the past day I've had this song running through my head for God-knows-what-reason. I admit that I'm no ska fan and have never listened beyond the singles on TV of No Doubt (maybe I should get into it sometime), but I'm sure that this song is great music.

Off their album Tragic Kingdom, this is the song that elevated No Doubt to popularity in 1996. The album was ranked number 441 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time and has sold approximately 16 million copies worldwide since its release. It was also nominated for Best Rock Album at the 1997 Grammy Awards.

The song itself was co-written by Eric and Gwen Stefani about the ending of a seven year relationship between the latter and bassist Tony Kanal. The song hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and remained there for 16 weeks, a testament to its power and a validation of No Doubt as one of the greatest bands of the 90s. What I really liked about the song was the raw honesty in its lyrics, without the need for any sugar-coating as the dark atmosphere of the song is what makes it great. Here's the chorus:

"Don't speak/I know just what you're saying/So please stop explaining/Don't tell me cause it hurts."

"Don't speak/I know what you're thinking/I don't need your reasons/Don't tell me cause it hurts."

The video I've chosen off YouTube is the official music video with the band, among other things, performing in a garage. It's a nice video, so I won't delay you any further and let you hop off to watching it. Enjoy!

Post #13 - "Bad Day"

I admit, the only R.E.M. songs I've heard of are "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?" and this one, but they are one of the many artists on my to-listen list. If all R.E.M. songs are as good as this, then I think I've been living in a hole for most of the 90s (can you blame me though? I was only 5 when "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?" charted) and I need to run out to buy some.

I heard the song back in 2003, when it was included on their second compilation In Time: The Best of R.E.M. 1988-2003. Too bad the compilation didn't receive rave reviews (think I might pick it up sometime as a starting point).

Anywho, I really liked the lyrics in this song (I'm pretty sure some of the hardcore R.E.M. fans are hunting me down as I type this), particularly in the bridge leading up to the chorus, although the two lines following the first two differ as the song progresses:

"Broadcast me a joyful noise unto the times, lord,/Count your blessings./We're sick of being jerked around./We all fall down."

As for the video, I've used R.E.M.'s YouTube (at least I think it's their YouTube site, it looks official enough) to locate the music video for the single (and they allow embedding!). I really liked the music video, with the band acting as newscasters and a whole bunch of graphical eccentricities that would seldom be found anywhere else. Anywho, hope you enjoy!

Post #12 - "Blowin' in the Wind"

It's finally getting to be windy and cold in the DC Metro area, so I decided "let's take a contrived approach and choose a song meaning that's literal." That and I haven't chosen one of Bob Dylan's recordings yet, and "Blowin' in the Wind" was the song that introduced me to his music.

This song is off Dylan second album The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, which was ranked number 97 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. The song itself is considered one of Dylan's greatest, and indeed, one of the greatest ever, ranking number 14 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

I will assume that many of you (if there is anybody reading this) are unfamiliar with Dylan's works and the reason why this song sounds so familiar is because you saw Robin Wright Penn playing this song in Forrest Gump naked (remember that scene where they start grabbing her legs and then Tom Hanks comes in and beats the crap out of them?). Anywho, this song is your quintessential protest song, which is self-evidentiary in its lyrics, where Bob Dylan asks different questions, yet gives the same answer:

"The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,/The answer is blowin' in the wind."

Off YouTube, the following video (the sound might be off-sync with the video, but good nonetheless) is from No Direction Home and from about four decades back. Anyway, hope you enjoy and go pick up some more Bob Dylan while you're at it.

Post #11 - "Gone for Good"

Yes, it's another Shins song, perhaps too soon, but I've been listening to this song on repeat for the past 12 hours and good God, it's great. It's off Chutes Too Narrow and is the second to last track. See what happens when you listen to an album the entire way through? You'll always discover something else you like. So whenever you buy a CD, don't just go to that overplayed single, go to track 1 and listen all the way through to the last track.

"Gone for Good" has that twangy, country sound, but don't let that sway you from listening to this song. Once it gets to the chorus, you'll be glad you stuck around for it. The song is about unrequited love, a girl who wants a guy, but he's not in the same boat as she is. My favorite lines from the song are in the chorus:

"I find a fatal flaw/In the logic of love/And go out of my head."

"You want to jump and dance/But you sat on your hands/And lost your only chance."

The video I've chosen off YouTube is an acoustic performance of the song (sorry, I didn't want some film kid's take on the meaning of the song) by James Mercer and Jesse Sandoval (I think). The album version is better, in my opinion, so "don't" download the MP3 and "don't" listen to it, and just go buy Chutes Too Narrow. Enjoy!

Post #10 - "Mexican Wine"

This is the first track off Fountains of Wayne's album Welcome Interstate Managers, the same album which "Stacy's Mom" came off of (this track is better though, and nobody knows about it!).


The song itself sounds like Weezer could have made it, although I hate Weezer (in retrospect, that Beverly Hills song sucked hairy testicles). I first listened to this song back in 2003 when I listened to a sample of the CD and what really attracted me to this song was the beginning. I really like the lyrics and instrumentation in the intro:

"He was killed by a cellular phone explosion/They scattered his ashes across the ocean/The water was used to make baby lotion/The wheels of promotion were set into motion."

"But the sun still shines in the summer time/I'll be yours if you'll be mine/I tried to change but I changed my mind/Think I'll have another glass of Mexican wine."

The YouTube video for "Mexican Wine" is apparently the official music video, featuring two girls lip-syncing the song in the beginning. The single was pulled due to the controversial lyrics (I guess when they lip-synced the line "Think I'll have another glass of Mexican wine"), which is really silly considering the number of teenage girls who drink themselves to death each year. Here's to you drunkards! Really though, stop drinking.

Post #9 - "I Want to Break Free"

This is one of my favorite Queen songs, coming off of 1984's The Works (AMG thought the album sucked, I don't know because I haven't listened to it). Anywho, you can also find the song off the Greatest Hits album (you know, the one with the purple background and the golden lions and shit?).


The song itself is contradictory in its lyrics, with the singer alternating between being infatuated and wanting to escape from his failed romances. I really liked the synthesizer solo in this because of the unique "fat" sound it produces (trying to reproduce it with your mouth alone will raise a few flags in peoples' minds). Also this part is my favorite in the song:

"It's strange but it's true/I cant get over the way you love me like you do/But I have to be sure/When I walk out that door/Oh how I want to be free baby/Oh how I want to be free/Oh how I want to break free."

As for the video I have provided via YouTube, it's the music video for "I Want to Break Free," featuring the band cross-dressing and vacuuming (Well, Freddie Mercury did have AIDS...). For those who don't want to watch four grown men in women's clothing, go out and buy Queen! For the rest, enjoy!

Post #8 - "Road Trippin'"

The Red Hot Chili Peppers are the band that got me into rock through their song "Californication." Years later, I'm still in awe of how the music they have produced have so much staying power. Arguably one of the best bands in recent memory, their range extends from rap-induced funk to the mellow and somber rock that makes teenyboppers swoon.

"Road Trippin'" is off RHCP's album Californication, which marked the return of guitarist John Frusciante to the band after a hiatus filled with drug experimentation and self-discovery (not sure that I would use those two hand-in-hand, but that's what he did). The album contains familiar hits such as the title track, "Scar Tissue" and "Otherside." I'll probably come back to those in the near future.

For the song itself, "Road Trippin'" is a quiet tune with finger-picking guitar and a driving bass line, suitable for anytime you feel the need to lay down and trip out, but don't have any drugs on you (I don't recommend drugs though). The vocals also make this song one of RHCP's better quiet songs, with Frusciante's voice backing up Anthony Kiedis.

The video posted below is the official music video (I think, I mean it has them, right?) off YouTube. Mainly just them playing alone at a beach house (filled with drugs?) and on the beach. It does seem like a song you would play at the beach, probably because the song's about a road trip. Anyway, enjoy!

Post #7 - "The Soft Parade"

This song comes the Doors' fourth album The Soft Parade, in my opinion their worst album. I really should listen to it through again though, that's how I discovered "The Soft Parade." However, it's not the only track I liked off the album, the other two being "Tell All the People" and "Touch Me." I guess with another listen I'll find some more tracks I like.

Anywho, time for the song itself. This track is the essence of what the Doors are. It combines every element of what makes the Doors great, from soft melodies to driving rock. Speaking candidly, it is basically an orgy of the Doors' styles. Listen for the harpsichord accompanied part following the "Petition the Lord with Prayer" monologue, it's my favorite part of the song.

"Can you give me sanctuary?/I must find a place to hide/A place for me to hide."

"Can you find me soft asylum?/I can't make it anymore/The Man is at the door."

The video I found off YouTube is basically just clips of Jim Morrison throughout his time with the Doors. Too bad he died when he did, his writing was beautiful. Anyway, enjoy "The Soft Parade." Did I mention it was nearly nine minutes long? Sorry.

Post #6 - "My Back Pages"

I picked up the Byrds' Greatest Hits album yesterday and I still haven't listened to it the entire way through, but this afternoon I was listening to the second half of the album when I stumbled onto "My Back Pages."


The song itself was originally written by Bob Dylan and included on his album Another Side of Bob Dylan. While I haven't had the opportunity to listen to his version, it's safe to say I'll probably pick up the album after I have Blonde on Blonde and Highway 61 Revisited. Let's stick to the Byrds' version for now though. The overall tone of this song reminds me of yesteryears, in the same vein as the Beatles' "Yesterday" or Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man." The guitar solo is absolutely beautiful and if I were on the edge of a nostalgic breakdown now, I'd cry. The following is my favorite line of the song:

"Ah but I was so much older then/I'm younger than that now."

As for the video that I've included in this post, it's mainly a compilation of clips of the Byrds' performances from the mid-60's (so it appears). Well, hope you enjoy this one as much as I did!

Post #5 - "Don't Panic"

This next song is from arguably one of the best bands today; Coldplay. I will go so far as comparing them to the Beatles, just with less albums. Nonetheless their success speaks for themselves, selling over 40 million albums worldwide.

From their first studio album Parachutes, "Don't Panic" is a fairly short song by today's and also Coldplay's standards. This doesn't subtract from the beauty of the track though. This is probably my favorite Coldplay song. The thing I really love about this song is Jonny Buckland's slide guitar that's present for just about the entirety of the track.

The video off of YouTube is the official music video for the song, featuring an interesting style of cutout animation of the band as they try to make it in what appears to be a world gone to shit. Anyway, hope you enjoy this!

Post #4 - "Patterns"

This song is from one of my favorite artists, if not my favorite, Simon & Garfunkel. While their music is folk-based and may sound like what your parents (or grandparents) listen to, it really speaks for itself when you hear the harmonies of their voices, coupled with Paul Simon's masterful guitar playing.

"Patterns" is off of their third album Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme, which ranks at #201 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Also contained on this album are "Scarborough Fair/Canticle" and "A Poem on the Underground Wall", songs that will be featured in the not too distant future.

Things really do seem to reappear in your life, be it people or events, and "Patterns" makes truth of this:

"Impaled on my wall/My eyes can dimly see/The pattern of my life/And the puzzle that is me"

"From the moment of my birth/To the instant of my death/There are patterns I must follow/Just as I must breathe each breath."

The video of the song is off of YouTube, featuring the duo at the Kraft Music Hall in 1968. Hope you enjoy!

Post #3 - "Yellow Submarine"

Off of their Revolver album, this song is frighteningly and sickeningly catchy and upbeat. You can understand why children (and self-prescribed Beatles fans who are teenage girls who only own the 1 compilation) will love this to death. However, this song may prompt the more hardcore (and musically mature) Beatles fan to find the nearest handgun and put a bullet into their brain. It's still a great pick-me-up song though and the little bubble sound effects are trippy.

Revolver ranks #3 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of all time, whereas Yellow Submarine charted in both the U.S. and U.K., at #2 and #1 respectively. Have you looked closely at the album cover? Weird shit, man.

Let's move forward to the video for Yellow Submarine off of YouTube. This took me an ungodly amount of time to find, because believe it or not, there's a cartoon movie for Yellow Submarine. It's a really trippy movie... probably would be awesome if you had some LSD on your hands... Oh well, enjoy!

Post #2 - "My Generation"

For the song I am posting now, it's off of their debut album known in the U.S. as The Who Sings My Generation, known in the U.K. as simply My Generation. This ranks at #236 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, whereas the song itself places #11 on the same magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

This is a great song for just about anytime you're feeling contempt for authority. Despite it being some four decades old, it still has a lot to say about rebellious youth and all that that implies. The sound of the song is just plain ferocious, featuring all the members of the band, from the energetic drumming and guitar playing to the stuttering vocals and bass solos.

I found a video of the song being performed at the Monterey Pop Festival via YouTube, so that you don't have to find it yourself. Hope you enjoy "My Generation" and the pyrotechnics, Keith Moon-drumming, Roger Daltrey-stuttering and Pete Townshend-guitar-smashing!

Post #1 - "Saint Simon"

Hi, welcome to A Music Blog. My first selection for you is a song from the Shins off of their album Chutes Too Narrow. I've only had the fortune of listening to the entire album the whole way through once in the time that I have owned it. But I thought this track was beautiful and definately stands out on its own. The song's title is "Saint Simon" and I really hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

I found the official music video for Saint Simon off of YouTube, showing them playing in the middle of mating season for monarch butterflies. Enjoy!