Drew's Top 25 Songs: Part 3/5

And the list goes on.

15. Modest Mouse - "Dramamine"
The first Isaac Brock song I heard was "Think Long," which was sent to me by a girl in Texas. It was only a little over a minute, but I was intrigued. I got a few more songs, liked what I heard, and went out to buy one of the albums. I decided to start at the beginning (not counting Sad Sappy Sucker) and picked up This is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About. This song came on and I said, "wow, that sounds so amazingly cool." I set out to learn how to do the harmonics, since at this point I was still only playing Weezer songs, and instantly felt compelled to figure out the entire album. I had it at one point, but haven't tried in a really long time. "Dramamine" is still one of my favorite songs to play though.
Buy this album.

14. David Bowie - "Life On Mars?"
My dad used to listen to Bowie while driving my sisters and me around. I never really took much notice to it. I knew a few songs ("Changes," "Heroes" and "Ziggy Stardust"), but all the rest were ignored while I played Pokemon. Five years (ha) later, I took my dad's long-abandoned record player and large album collection and started listening to whatever I picked out. I came across Hunky Dory, thinking "ooh, the one with Changes." After listening to the entire thing, I flipped it back over and listened again. This song stands out because I love the crescendo that goes into the choruses (let me know if I used the term incorrectly). Makes me wish I could play the piano.
Buy this album.

13. Neil Young - "After the Gold Rush"
Another song that makes me wish I could play the piano. I just dig it. Not sure what else to say. It's a great song. I love the melody. Um... yes. Good enough for me.
Buy this album.

12. Dinosaur Jr. - "Repulsion"
This was a really hard choice. I originally had "Blowing It"/"I Live for That Look" (pretty much one song), and then it was "Take a Run at the Sun" (which is the one Dino Jr. song that sounds nothing like Dino Jr.). After both of these, I sat there staring at my iTunes. After five minutes of this, I picked up my guitar and thought, "what's the most fun Dinosaur Jr. song?" Repulsion is the answer. I then compared this to both of the previously mention tracks and decided it was superior. While Blowing It makes me want to sing along, and Take a Run makes me want to play a theremin along to the Beach Boys, Repulsion makes me want to play guitar like J Mascis. I am slowly realizing that this list is based around guitar. Kind of pathetic, but whatever.
Buy this album.

11. Pavement - "Range Life"
Pavement song #2. Even off the same album as the prior one. What can I say? This band is great. I believe it's this song that got Billy Corgan all pissed at Pavement, and even led to him saying that the Smashing Pumpkins wouldn't play (as headliners, of course) Lollapalooza '94 if Pavement was there.
Buy this album (not again if you already bought it from number 17's link).

So anybody else excited for The Dark Knight? I know am.

Drew's Top 25 Songs: Part 2/5

Sorry to interrupt with the Wilburys post, but I bought it and it truly was worth the 15 bucks I paid for it. Anyhow, on with the countdown.

20. The Smiths - "Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want"
The first Smiths song I heard was "Half a Person," which I instantly enjoyed. However, I didn't really get into the Smiths until I downloaded what I thought was Weezer doing some song called "Please, Please, Please..." After I got it, I realized it was much darker than any other Weezer song I knew, and it sounded really familiar (which I later found out was because The Dream Academy's cover was featured in the art museum scene in Ferris Bueller's Day Off). So I googled it and found out the song was actually done by the Deftones, and that it was really a cover of a Smiths song. After this, I found as much Smiths as I could and eventually a friend (props to Lisa) bought me their first Singles collection. I think my favorite part of the song is Marr's mandolin part. At least I'm pretty sure it's a mandolin.
Buy this album.

19. Built to Spill - "Car"
This was a hard decision. I really like BTS and I would put Martsch in my top five influences when it comes to guitar. While there are so many other songs by them I like, Car is always a good standby. I've been questioned a few times over why I like There's Nothing Wrong With Love over Perfect and Keep It, and I'll say the same thing I have before: I dig pop songs. While I really love the songs, it's hard to listen to really long tracks very often. The moment when the strings/distorted guitar comes in after the one minute mark kicks so much ass.
Buy this album.

18. Weezer - "You Gave Your Love To Me Softly"
I really don't know what there is to say about this. Weezer is my favorite band. It's kind of embarrassing to say after "Beverly Hills," but it's true. If there was no Weezer, I might not have started taking guitar or music seriously. This was a b-side on the "El Scorcho" single and also used in the movie Angus instead of "Wanda" (which was written for the film's original script). Thanks for giving me something to do with my teenage years, Rivers. By the way, I put the El Scorcho version up which has two guitars. If you want the version with a synthesizer added in, check out the Angus soundtrack.
Buy this album.

17. Pavement - "Gold Soundz"
I had heard about Pavement a few years ago and at first, I didn't really care for them. I had five of their songs, and two of them were mostly just screaming. The other three I thought were alright, but didn't care enough to check out more. Last year I finally decided to try an entire album, so I got "Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain." A minute and ten seconds in (when Malkmus' voice enters "Silence Kid", which I believe to be the greatest five most beautiful seconds of sound ever recorded), I thought "I was wrong." After the third song, I was convinced I was a moron in high school. Gold Soundz really got to me because it, like most of my favorite songs, had a part where it kicked in. As soon as they come to the chorus and the drums and guitar octaves start I just get so excited. It's the kind of song that I would love to play live, but would feel bad because I know I couldn't do it justice.
Buy this album.

16. Elliott Smith - "Bottle Up and Explode!"
Elliott Smith is the best songwriter of my generation. There's really not much else to say. This song is great, just like all of his other music. I'm sad to say that I started listening to him through a friend very shortly before he died. I don't know what to say about it all, except that he is missed.
Buy this album.

Hopefully I'll get part three up within a week.

Traveling Wilburys = Great.

Buy this album.




















The Traveling Wilburys Collection.
2 CDs and a DVD.

This is both of the Traveling Wilburys albums. If you don't know who the Wilburys were, it was a super group comprised of Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, George Harrison, Tom Petty, and Jeff Lynne. I currently only have their first album, so I will be picking this up tomorrow. I highly recommend everyone else check it out as well.

Here are some samples of their songs:
End of the Line (YouTube) Mp3
Handle With Care (YouTube) Mp3
Wilbury Twist (YouTube)

And here's where you can buy the record:
Amazon
Best Buy

Drew's Top 25 Songs: Part 1/5

I made this blog a while back, and have just decided it's a good time to finally start using it. After thinking about what could make a decent first post, I came to the conclusion that only a list of my personal favorite songs would work. It's currently 4:30 in the morning, so I think I'll keep this short. I was thinking ten, but I'll do it in two parts. Actually, maybe 25. Yes, that's it. A five post series of my top 25 favorite songs.

So here they are, my top 25 songs.

25. Pixies - "Letter to Memphis"
I was originally going to put "1979" by the Smashing Pumpkins right here; however, I decided to go with this song for a few different reasons. Obviously, this is the song that inspired the name of my blog. I think the selling point for this song with me is the guitar intro and Black's line "'why did you come so far?' and she said, 'trying to get to you. I had to get to you.'" It reminds me of a line from a movie or something. While I love the album this is off of, I still only have it on cassette. I really do need to pick this up on cd.
Buy this album.


24. The Who - "Baba O'Riley"
One of the greatest songs ever written. I was once tempted to buy an Alesis Micron synthesizer just because it came with a pre-programmed voice of the unforgettable sound that is the backbone of this song. If you haven't heard this song, I feel bad for you.
Buy this album.

23. T. Rex - "Jeepster"
I really like T. Rex. Whenever you really like a band, it's hard to choose just one song, which is a problem I've had with a few bands on this list. The guitar line in this is just great, along with the bongos it is one of my favorites to sing along to while driving (alone). And that's why it's on this list.
Buy this album.

22. Blur - "Coffee and TV"
On the list I have sitting here, I wrote down "The Partisan" by Leonard Cohen. Don't get me wrong, I love everything I've heard by Cohen, but "Coffee" gets stuck in my head so often that I had to include it. I am looking back now and amazed that I didn't have a single Blur song on here. Honorable mention goes to "End of a Century."
Buy this album.

21. Daniel Johnston - "Walking the Cow"
A chord organ never sounded so good. I had the pleasure of hearing him play this live with Beaten Awake as his backing band, and it was everything I dreamed it would be. Except that I wasn't asked to join him backstage for a one on one lesson on how to record a chord organ well. But hey, that's why they're called dreams.
Buy this album.

Part 2 coming soon!