It's officially 2011 and everyone's making their new year's resolutions. I've already been plugging away at a diet for about 5 weeks now so I guess I could throw that on there. I', resolved to start being a better person all around (grades, parenting, cooking, cleaning) but that's pretty much a standing resolution, I think if we ever stop plugging at that one there's a problem.
I guess if I'm going to come up with something original for the new year it's going to be: Blog more (because people need and want to know my thoughts, dammit), make time to hit the gym a couple times a week, spend less money, read more (I keep an Excel spreadsheet of all of the books I have to read and it's getting ridiculous, especially since I got some more for Christmas) , and try to get some order back in my thoughts and life. I feel better when things are in order. It's a disease and a gift at the same time.
Those are some of my superficial and non-superficial goals for 2011. It's going to be a good year. 2010 wasn't bad (my daughter was born so it was sort of a banner year) but I have a really good feeling about 2011.
Things I'm looking forward to in 2011:
1. Green Lantern: I have high hopes for this movie. Don't get me wrong, I really like Ryan Reynolds a lot, but I was skeptical about his casting. He's known for being more of a comedic actor, even in his action roles, and the character of Hal Jordan is a staunch, military man. From what I've seen of the trailer it doesn't look like he's playing the character as Hal Jordan, what he's playing is Kyle Rainer (geeks will understand this). I think it really is a toss up, I'm not a huge fan of the Green Lantern mythos because it all tends to be very cosmic and I'm more a fan of street level super heroes but I've read enough and I know enough to know what I'm talking about. I think if they do it right and build enough of a story around the character Reynolds is playing, I will definitely like it as will most average, non-comic book readers, but I have a feeling the Green Lantern fans and purists aren't going to like it.
2. New Swellers Album: The Swellers announced fairly recently that they will be releasing a new record in 2011. Nick and Jonathon are good friends of mine but moreover they are and always will be my favorite band. I am EXTREMELY excited.
3. New Blink-182 Album: There was a time when I would have apologized for being a Blink fan but that time isn't now. I'm an adult and I'm too old to give a shit about labels and cliches in the music community. I like what I like and I have a wide pallet when it comes to that. Word is that the first album since 2003 (and since their reunion) is going to drop this Summer and I'm excited to hear it.
4. X-Men: First Class: Okay, now as far as movies go X-Men Origins: Wolverine was a solid C+ in my opinion. It was a bit of a mish mash of various things and more than a little hackneyed but it was fun. X-Men III: The Last Stand was a fucking train wreck for fans of the comic. It took 20 years of comics, bits and pieces of this and that, and mashed it together into one mess of a movie and Brett Ratner should be ashamed of himself. I have a feeling that X-Men: First Class will be more in the vein of the former. I'm expecting a lot of fun but I have my expectations low on substance. There are two things that are a light in the tunnel of hope for this with me and they are: Matthew Vaughn and James McAvoy.
5. Captain America: The First Avenger: Pretty much everything I said about Green Lantern applies to this movie as well. Seriously, just read that and substitute Chris Evans for Ryan Reynolds and Captain America for Green Lantern.
6. Cowboys and Aliens: Are you picking up the theme yet? I am a fan of comic books and graphic novels and this is going to be a big year for them. As for this one I have two words: John Favreau. He has proven that he knows what he's doing in this area and I'm going to put my faith in him. I have a bad feeling it's going to tank though.
7. Thor: I'm on the fence with this as to what to expect. I just hope they find away to minimize the Thor-speak.
8. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II: Ten years, some of the greatest pieces of contemporary fiction that exist, and a 12 year old boy inside me that Can. Not. Wait.
9. I Am Number Four: I'm curious.
Now I know that this is essentially a rhetorical question since very few people actually read my blog but after all that self indulgence I feel obligated to ask: What are your resolutions and what cultural events are you looking forward to in 2011?
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Thursday, December 23, 2010
My Top Albums of 2010
These are my favorite albums of 2010. I have a passion for a few genres but I'm extremely eclectic in my tastes so if you want a list of the hippest records that came out this year check Pitchfork or something. Mine is going to be all over the place. They are in order.
1. Hanson - Shout it Out
2. Kate Nash - My Best Friend is You
3. Gaslight Anthem - American Slang
4. Tim Barry - 28th and Stonewall
5. Danielle Ate the Sandwich - Two Bedroom Apartment
6. Ray Lamontagne & the Pariah Dogs - God Willin' and the Creek Won't Rise
7. Backseat Goodby - The Good Years
8. Otem Relik - Elephant Graveyard
9. Micah Schabel - When the Stage Lights Go Dim
10. The Rocket Summer - Of Men and Angels
Honorable Mentions:
Crystal Bowersox - Farmer's Daughter
Cee-Lo Green - The Lady Killer
Syndicate - The Line Starts Here
Rooney - Eureka
The 88 - The 88
1. Hanson - Shout it Out
2. Kate Nash - My Best Friend is You
3. Gaslight Anthem - American Slang
4. Tim Barry - 28th and Stonewall
5. Danielle Ate the Sandwich - Two Bedroom Apartment
6. Ray Lamontagne & the Pariah Dogs - God Willin' and the Creek Won't Rise
7. Backseat Goodby - The Good Years
8. Otem Relik - Elephant Graveyard
9. Micah Schabel - When the Stage Lights Go Dim
10. The Rocket Summer - Of Men and Angels
Honorable Mentions:
Crystal Bowersox - Farmer's Daughter
Cee-Lo Green - The Lady Killer
Syndicate - The Line Starts Here
Rooney - Eureka
The 88 - The 88
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
My Mom and Halloween
I've never been big into Halloween. I was a very bookish kid and I was definitely never the type of boy who liked snakes, snails, and puppy dog tails, so to speak. I didn't like getting messy, "Are You Afraid of the Dark?" gave me night terrors, and anything remotely related to horror made me nauseous (I'm not joking).
When Halloween season came around I took to the more light-hearted, cartoonish side to it. My mom was a certified genius when it came to costume making. One year I went as Johnny 5 from the movie "Short Circut" and she managed to pull this off. She made the large metal tread-like wheels for my legs from the lids to copy paper boxes and glued HUNDREDS of popsicle sticks to them for the "treads" one at a time. Having to buy a costume was like admitting defeat for her. I only ever remember wearing one store bought costume in my whole childhood and it was as a Power Ranger in the first grade.
Other things I went as include a gay space man (it was a character that I invented and she brought to life in and EXTREMELY flamboyant, bedazzled fashion), Superman (which she bought a Superman costume JUST to cut the emblem off of it so she could put it on her home made outfit made of sweat clothes and quality fabrics so I wouldn't have to wear a coat over my costume, per my request), Ash Ketchum from Pokemon (this was rather boring for her but she made my brother Picachu) and finally a computer. Yes, an entire computer.
The Gay Spaceman
Dowl rods in the spangly gold cape to make it extend like wings when I lifted it, a modified and bedazzled Robo-Cop helmet, and (you can't really tell from the photo) gold, bedazzled boots.
Then there was the computer. The mother of all Halloween costumes to ever be created. I went to my mother and told her that I wanted to be a computer for Halloween and without questions she created this.
That is a REAL mouse Velcroed to the side of the apparatus and a REAL keyboard sticking out of the front. This all would probably have been fine but she did not stop there. What you can't really tell from this photo is that those colorful "CPU" lights in the front have actual, working lights in them. My mother started by buying a set of battery powered, decorative Halloween lights from the dollar store. It was a short string of Christmas-style lights with small plastic pumpkins over the bulbs, attached to a small battery pack. I suppose it was probably designed to put on an office desk or in a window. Mom pulled the pumpkins off of each bulb and fastened the string inside the large box behind colored cellophane. She taped the battery pack with the switch on it inside the box by the bottom where I could turn it on and off with my hand. In short, she wired it so that my chest actually lit up while I was trick-or-treating.
The point of these anecdotes is this: my mom worked full time, every day. She's damn good at her job and has done it for a lot of years. Her work didn't always stop the second her key hit the door either, she spent a lot of nights working from home after a day of working in the office. She never stopped being incredible at her job but that NEVER stopped her from being an amazing mom.
My mom never missed a sporting event I was in, she led my den in cub scouts, we went camping and on family vacations, I never wanted for a single thing in my whole life, and believe me, I wasn't always the greatest kid in the world. I was sick as a kid, and it made me a wholly terror a lot of the time.
There are a lot of stay at home moms and even certain organizations who think that if a woman works, she can't be a real parent to her children. To those people I have to say, quite frankly... suck it.
When Halloween season came around I took to the more light-hearted, cartoonish side to it. My mom was a certified genius when it came to costume making. One year I went as Johnny 5 from the movie "Short Circut" and she managed to pull this off. She made the large metal tread-like wheels for my legs from the lids to copy paper boxes and glued HUNDREDS of popsicle sticks to them for the "treads" one at a time. Having to buy a costume was like admitting defeat for her. I only ever remember wearing one store bought costume in my whole childhood and it was as a Power Ranger in the first grade.
Other things I went as include a gay space man (it was a character that I invented and she brought to life in and EXTREMELY flamboyant, bedazzled fashion), Superman (which she bought a Superman costume JUST to cut the emblem off of it so she could put it on her home made outfit made of sweat clothes and quality fabrics so I wouldn't have to wear a coat over my costume, per my request), Ash Ketchum from Pokemon (this was rather boring for her but she made my brother Picachu) and finally a computer. Yes, an entire computer.
The Gay Spaceman
Dowl rods in the spangly gold cape to make it extend like wings when I lifted it, a modified and bedazzled Robo-Cop helmet, and (you can't really tell from the photo) gold, bedazzled boots.
Then there was the computer. The mother of all Halloween costumes to ever be created. I went to my mother and told her that I wanted to be a computer for Halloween and without questions she created this.
That is a REAL mouse Velcroed to the side of the apparatus and a REAL keyboard sticking out of the front. This all would probably have been fine but she did not stop there. What you can't really tell from this photo is that those colorful "CPU" lights in the front have actual, working lights in them. My mother started by buying a set of battery powered, decorative Halloween lights from the dollar store. It was a short string of Christmas-style lights with small plastic pumpkins over the bulbs, attached to a small battery pack. I suppose it was probably designed to put on an office desk or in a window. Mom pulled the pumpkins off of each bulb and fastened the string inside the large box behind colored cellophane. She taped the battery pack with the switch on it inside the box by the bottom where I could turn it on and off with my hand. In short, she wired it so that my chest actually lit up while I was trick-or-treating.The point of these anecdotes is this: my mom worked full time, every day. She's damn good at her job and has done it for a lot of years. Her work didn't always stop the second her key hit the door either, she spent a lot of nights working from home after a day of working in the office. She never stopped being incredible at her job but that NEVER stopped her from being an amazing mom.
My mom never missed a sporting event I was in, she led my den in cub scouts, we went camping and on family vacations, I never wanted for a single thing in my whole life, and believe me, I wasn't always the greatest kid in the world. I was sick as a kid, and it made me a wholly terror a lot of the time.
There are a lot of stay at home moms and even certain organizations who think that if a woman works, she can't be a real parent to her children. To those people I have to say, quite frankly... suck it.
THIS BLOG IS DEDICATED TO TRACY VALENTINE
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Camping in Roscommon
This past weekend, my wife and I went on a wonderful weekend camping trip to Roscommon, MI where we went kayaking, walking, roasted marshmallows, drank rum and beer by a warm fire, and slept in a tiny cabin watching DVD's on a portable player.
Neither of us had ever been kayaking before, apart from Loren when she was about 9, so it was an adventure to say the least. We dressed in multiple layers and took it slow and we both managed to have a really great time.
Loren even managed to have a great time despite the fact that she was consumed with fear about tipping over and drowning in the 3 feet of water at any moment.
The trees in that part of the state where at their peak for color changing and the scenes we saw were immaculate and picturesque. Beautiful explosions of golden leaves everywhere you looked with perfectly constructed houses perched along side the river peering down over it. We saw ducks and deer and felt the cold water rush past our kayak and it was paradise to me.
We came back to our campground an
d had a campfire where we roasted marshmallows, made smores, drank beer and rum, and laughed together as the sun set over the Au Sable. It was gorgeous. We ate lunch that day as a diner in town called "Angel's Place" that served some of the most amazing home cooked food I've ever eaten and for dinner I had a steak at Fred's, a restaurant slash bowling alley that was amazing.
After all this we piled into our tiny heated cabin where we played board games and watched movies on a portable player until we drifted off. Best weekend that I have had in quite some time. I know that it's only been 4 months of fatherhood but I still feel like a break to remind me why I married the woman I love is important. Something to break up the day to day of cleaning, cooking, homework, diapers, crying. This is DEFINITELY something that we will be doing again, most certainly with Lyric when she's old enough to come along.
Neither of us had ever been kayaking before, apart from Loren when she was about 9, so it was an adventure to say the least. We dressed in multiple layers and took it slow and we both managed to have a really great time.Loren even managed to have a great time despite the fact that she was consumed with fear about tipping over and drowning in the 3 feet of water at any moment.
The trees in that part of the state where at their peak for color changing and the scenes we saw were immaculate and picturesque. Beautiful explosions of golden leaves everywhere you looked with perfectly constructed houses perched along side the river peering down over it. We saw ducks and deer and felt the cold water rush past our kayak and it was paradise to me.
We came back to our campground an
d had a campfire where we roasted marshmallows, made smores, drank beer and rum, and laughed together as the sun set over the Au Sable. It was gorgeous. We ate lunch that day as a diner in town called "Angel's Place" that served some of the most amazing home cooked food I've ever eaten and for dinner I had a steak at Fred's, a restaurant slash bowling alley that was amazing.After all this we piled into our tiny heated cabin where we played board games and watched movies on a portable player until we drifted off. Best weekend that I have had in quite some time. I know that it's only been 4 months of fatherhood but I still feel like a break to remind me why I married the woman I love is important. Something to break up the day to day of cleaning, cooking, homework, diapers, crying. This is DEFINITELY something that we will be doing again, most certainly with Lyric when she's old enough to come along.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Dust Covered Soul - Love.Angel.Music
This is the final album art and title for the album I'm working on that WILL be done in the next hand full of months. I've recorded and re-recorded and re-envisioned a complete record that I'm going to press and distribute to the 5 or 6 interested parties for years now and I'm finally at a place creatively and I finally have the right view of the finish line along with the right songs to do this. I sound very pretentious right now but this has been a long time coming. I guess you could say I'm in the pre-production phase of things, getting the songs and the concept down at this point.
I've decided to go with the band name "Dust Covered Soul" that I came up with five years ago before deciding to just use my name because it won't be just me on this record. The album will have a song co-written and produced by Eric Quimby featuring his guest vocals and the other songs are going to feature my good friend and multi-instrumentalist Bryce Berry backing me up on a handful of instruments ranging from cello to piano to vocals.
The art is hand drawn and touched up in Photoshop. Over the years I have made literally dozens of potential album covers with several potential titles (My Legacy, Courting Disaster, Flannel & Folk Songs, Doing Just Fine to name a few) and I'm sick of using the same old filters and ideas over and over. I wanted to use a title and art work that came from a very real and organic place because that's where I feel like my songs come from. They have their flaws, because I have a lot of flaws musically, but I like to think that's part of my charm.
YouTube
MySpace
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Music Under the Radar
This will be the first blog of my new idea "Music Under the Radar" It's just me talking about a few groups or artists that I think aren't getting as much acclaim and recognition as they deserve, or at least artists I feel compelled to spread the word about. You may have heard of them and if you have, spread the word, if you haven't, at least give them a try. There are plenty of options for hearing a few tracks before investing in a whole record in the age of computers.
1.) Danielle Ate The Sandwich: DATS is a solo project of Danielle Anderson, a twenty-something from Fort Collins, Colorado who plays an old school folk way beyond her years. Her voice is a gorgeous soprano with serious jazz tendencies that fills you up like the warmth of that first sip of a perfect cup of coffee. The songs are soft folk tunes with jazz, pop, and old school rock thrown in making for a truly perfect and unique throwback indie sound. She favors the ukulele as the main rhythm instrument although there are plenty of songs with guitar and on her newest record (Two Bedroom Apartment) there is a lot of warm bass holding the rhythm on it's perfect course. She has three albums for sale on her website and they are all filled with her beautiful brand of indie folk. Having already told you about the ukulele it probably won't surprise anyone that a large chunk of her fan base comes from here YouTube videos (as YouTube and the ukulele seem to go together quite nicely) and for those of you looking to get a taste of what she is about, I highly recommend going there and watching her wide array of videos ranging from covers to originals.
2.) Ray Lamontagne: Probably the least "under the radar" of all the artists on this list but still nowhere near as big as I feel he should be. Lamontagne is never going to be a pop superstar, his music isn't like that, but he definitely has a certain appeal that should and could be enjoyed by almost anyone. I fell in love with his music after hearing the song Trouble from his album of the same name a hand full of years back. There is something incredibly soulful and perfect about his voice. His songs and voice sound like early Van Morrison with more control with hints of old soul like Otis Redding, all with vocal cords that sounds like they've been aged in whiskey and perfection. His most recent album God Willin' & the Creek Don't Rise was actually number one on iTunes the week it came out and that made me happy but I still think not enough people know about this man's incredible voice and songwriting ability.
3.) Syndicate: Alright, I'm a little biased on this one because they ARE friends of mine but, completely objectively, I honestly feel like their talent warrants them having more fans. I'm not going to say a whole lot because if you want the full details on this group you can read MY REVIEW of their first album The Line Starts Here. I'll simply say that if any part of you misses that sweet spot in the 1990's when radio alt rock was hooky, soulful, and powerful... you will find Syndicate to be a fantastic listen, no question.
4.) Todd Kuffner: Aside from Syndicate, Todd Kuffner is probably the MOST "under the radar" artist on this list. He has a decent sized following on YouTube, but besides that he doesn't really view music as his main drive, more as something he does on the side that people happen to enjoy. He's been on YouTube since February of 2009 and just released his first album Squirrel Hunter In Training this past July. The record contains 35 full songs and is only $9.99 on iTunes... since music is something he does for fun, he seems to not pay much mind to the unspoken rules of the music business like album lengths which is all the better for the consumer because you receive three albums worth of stellar songs for the price of one. The music it's self is a rootsy sounding pop rock that strongly resembles The Dave Matthews Band meets a bit of John Mayer and a lot of Cat Stevens. Kuffner's voice is folky but still very accessible and even a bit soulful at times. The songs are hooky and the lyrics are phenomenal. If any of that sounds at all appealing to you check out his website to hear album tracks or go to his YouTube channel to see him play a few of his songs.
5.) The Swellers: Another band featuring friends of mine. Also The Swellers are, by leaps and miles, my favorite band of all time. They represent a lot to me musically and sentimentally and I don't think any band will ever take their place in that spot. I've written and talked a lot about them in the past so it's difficult to know where exactly to begin but I guess the best place is probably with the basics. They are a rock/punk band from the Flint area that got their start playing shows in the, now virtually extinct, Flint local scene. They began as a three piece but evolved to four as their sound matured and eventually signed with Atlantic Records imprint Fueled By Ramen (launching pad of bands like Paramore and Fall Out Boy). They tour relentlessly bringing their brand of 90's era skate punk to their fans all over the world. There really isn't a lot that I can say without sounding like I'm gushing but they will never be as big as I feel they deserve to be so I figured they definitely needed a slot on this list.
6.) Tim Barry: Tim Barry is probably the most sonically abrasive artist on this list. His music is certainly not for everyone, but if you're into gruff acoustic folk rock with tinges of punk, then Tim Barry is king, in my opinion. He is one of my personal favorite artists so, again, it is difficult for me to write objectively about his talent without sounding like a gushing fan but I will do my best. Barry is from Richmond, VA and is one of the most sincere and intense performers I've ever seen live or heard on record. Everything he says is real and performed and sang with an amazing earnestness that you simply don't find in music. He is the lead singer of Virginia punk band Avail, and his past and a punk rocker comes through in his songs just like every other aspect of his life and his friend's life. When I listen to my Tim Barry records, two words tend to pop into my mind over and over. They are, as I said previously, "intense" and "sincere". If you go in with the right mind set, there's no way you can be disappointed.
Just Listen...
Now for the portion of the blog I call the "Just Listen..." section. I'm not going to say anything about the artist, just post a video you should watch and love.
Backdoor Slam:
1.) Danielle Ate The Sandwich: DATS is a solo project of Danielle Anderson, a twenty-something from Fort Collins, Colorado who plays an old school folk way beyond her years. Her voice is a gorgeous soprano with serious jazz tendencies that fills you up like the warmth of that first sip of a perfect cup of coffee. The songs are soft folk tunes with jazz, pop, and old school rock thrown in making for a truly perfect and unique throwback indie sound. She favors the ukulele as the main rhythm instrument although there are plenty of songs with guitar and on her newest record (Two Bedroom Apartment) there is a lot of warm bass holding the rhythm on it's perfect course. She has three albums for sale on her website and they are all filled with her beautiful brand of indie folk. Having already told you about the ukulele it probably won't surprise anyone that a large chunk of her fan base comes from here YouTube videos (as YouTube and the ukulele seem to go together quite nicely) and for those of you looking to get a taste of what she is about, I highly recommend going there and watching her wide array of videos ranging from covers to originals.
2.) Ray Lamontagne: Probably the least "under the radar" of all the artists on this list but still nowhere near as big as I feel he should be. Lamontagne is never going to be a pop superstar, his music isn't like that, but he definitely has a certain appeal that should and could be enjoyed by almost anyone. I fell in love with his music after hearing the song Trouble from his album of the same name a hand full of years back. There is something incredibly soulful and perfect about his voice. His songs and voice sound like early Van Morrison with more control with hints of old soul like Otis Redding, all with vocal cords that sounds like they've been aged in whiskey and perfection. His most recent album God Willin' & the Creek Don't Rise was actually number one on iTunes the week it came out and that made me happy but I still think not enough people know about this man's incredible voice and songwriting ability.
3.) Syndicate: Alright, I'm a little biased on this one because they ARE friends of mine but, completely objectively, I honestly feel like their talent warrants them having more fans. I'm not going to say a whole lot because if you want the full details on this group you can read MY REVIEW of their first album The Line Starts Here. I'll simply say that if any part of you misses that sweet spot in the 1990's when radio alt rock was hooky, soulful, and powerful... you will find Syndicate to be a fantastic listen, no question.
4.) Todd Kuffner: Aside from Syndicate, Todd Kuffner is probably the MOST "under the radar" artist on this list. He has a decent sized following on YouTube, but besides that he doesn't really view music as his main drive, more as something he does on the side that people happen to enjoy. He's been on YouTube since February of 2009 and just released his first album Squirrel Hunter In Training this past July. The record contains 35 full songs and is only $9.99 on iTunes... since music is something he does for fun, he seems to not pay much mind to the unspoken rules of the music business like album lengths which is all the better for the consumer because you receive three albums worth of stellar songs for the price of one. The music it's self is a rootsy sounding pop rock that strongly resembles The Dave Matthews Band meets a bit of John Mayer and a lot of Cat Stevens. Kuffner's voice is folky but still very accessible and even a bit soulful at times. The songs are hooky and the lyrics are phenomenal. If any of that sounds at all appealing to you check out his website to hear album tracks or go to his YouTube channel to see him play a few of his songs.
5.) The Swellers: Another band featuring friends of mine. Also The Swellers are, by leaps and miles, my favorite band of all time. They represent a lot to me musically and sentimentally and I don't think any band will ever take their place in that spot. I've written and talked a lot about them in the past so it's difficult to know where exactly to begin but I guess the best place is probably with the basics. They are a rock/punk band from the Flint area that got their start playing shows in the, now virtually extinct, Flint local scene. They began as a three piece but evolved to four as their sound matured and eventually signed with Atlantic Records imprint Fueled By Ramen (launching pad of bands like Paramore and Fall Out Boy). They tour relentlessly bringing their brand of 90's era skate punk to their fans all over the world. There really isn't a lot that I can say without sounding like I'm gushing but they will never be as big as I feel they deserve to be so I figured they definitely needed a slot on this list.
6.) Tim Barry: Tim Barry is probably the most sonically abrasive artist on this list. His music is certainly not for everyone, but if you're into gruff acoustic folk rock with tinges of punk, then Tim Barry is king, in my opinion. He is one of my personal favorite artists so, again, it is difficult for me to write objectively about his talent without sounding like a gushing fan but I will do my best. Barry is from Richmond, VA and is one of the most sincere and intense performers I've ever seen live or heard on record. Everything he says is real and performed and sang with an amazing earnestness that you simply don't find in music. He is the lead singer of Virginia punk band Avail, and his past and a punk rocker comes through in his songs just like every other aspect of his life and his friend's life. When I listen to my Tim Barry records, two words tend to pop into my mind over and over. They are, as I said previously, "intense" and "sincere". If you go in with the right mind set, there's no way you can be disappointed.
Just Listen...
Now for the portion of the blog I call the "Just Listen..." section. I'm not going to say anything about the artist, just post a video you should watch and love.
Backdoor Slam:
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
My Top 25 Sentimental Albums
This is a list of my top 25 sentimental albums. These are albums that all mean something to me as a music fan, a musician, an artist, and a person. They all either played a roll in shaping who I am as a person or are records I just really REALLY love. More albums may be added to these over time but these are the records I know will always mean something profound to me and will always represent either one period in my life or all periods in my life.
Keep in mind that I don't necessarily believe that these are all among the greatest albums of all time, nor are they even all MY personal opinion on the greatest albums. This list is all about sentimentality. They are in no particular order.
Underneath - Hanson
My Everest - The Swellers
Ups & Downsizing - The Swellers
The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan - Bob Dylan
All Killer No Filler - Sum 41
Blood on the Tracks - Bob Dylan
Shout it Out - Hanson
One Fell Swoop - The Spill Canvas
Rivana Junction - Tim Barry
13 Songs - Fugazi
Highway Miles - Kid Brother Collective
Through Being Cool - Saves the Day
Can't Slow Down - Saves the Day
The River - Bruce Springsteen
Still Searching - Senses Fail
The Times They Are A-Changin - Bob Dylan
Bleed American - Jimmy Eat World
Sticks and Stones - New Found Glory
Manchester - Tim Barry
Something to Write Home About - The Get Up Kids
Hot and Bothered - The Hot Flashez
Dookie - Green Day
Third Eye Blind - Third Eye Blind
Rockin the Suburbs - Ben Folds
Casadaga - Bright Eyes
Keep in mind that I don't necessarily believe that these are all among the greatest albums of all time, nor are they even all MY personal opinion on the greatest albums. This list is all about sentimentality. They are in no particular order.
Underneath - Hanson
My Everest - The Swellers
Ups & Downsizing - The Swellers
The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan - Bob Dylan
All Killer No Filler - Sum 41
Blood on the Tracks - Bob Dylan
Shout it Out - Hanson
One Fell Swoop - The Spill Canvas
Rivana Junction - Tim Barry
13 Songs - Fugazi
Highway Miles - Kid Brother Collective
Through Being Cool - Saves the Day
Can't Slow Down - Saves the Day
The River - Bruce Springsteen
Still Searching - Senses Fail
The Times They Are A-Changin - Bob Dylan
Bleed American - Jimmy Eat World
Sticks and Stones - New Found Glory
Manchester - Tim Barry
Something to Write Home About - The Get Up Kids
Hot and Bothered - The Hot Flashez
Dookie - Green Day
Third Eye Blind - Third Eye Blind
Rockin the Suburbs - Ben Folds
Casadaga - Bright Eyes
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