I guess I can go ahead and finish that previous post and pretend that I didn't ignore this longer than this guy briefly reemerged for a while last year before redisappearing into obscurity.

Ahem.

The final four are:


Artist: Nellie McKay
Album: Pretty Little Head

My old roommate Bethany told me about ol' Nellie back in the day, and showed me some song called Brooklyn Ave, I believe. It was ok, but I found this album randomly on my iPod while driving one day and gave it a listen. This woman is independent and creative. The album is cram packed with over 20 songs about eeeeverything. She's very satirical and charming. Plenty of wtf moments, too. Give it a listen and try to sort out her confused feelings for her mother in her rap Mama and Me, share in her love of food and it's healing qualities in the aptly titled Food, or enjoy her one sentence story about a cat-attack in Pounce. She covers SEVERAL genres throughout the album, and captures the styles perfectly. Genius. Listen.


Artist: Regina Spektor
Album: 11:11

Ok, well this might not apply as a 'you may not have known' candidate at this point, considering I've shouted my love for Regina over the mountaintops for the last year, but get over it. Even having listened to her new album about 4900 times, I still think this is her best. It was her first album and the songs are nothing but magic. This was before being truly discovered and started having her music 100% produced. She carried songs with her fingers and voice alone, and this album has her heart pulsating throughout. Just listen.


Artist: Five Iron Frenzy
Album: Our Newest Album Ever!

A christian ska band would definitely be applicable to a list like this. I enjoy ska from time to time, but this is simply the best ska band I have ever heard. They emulate all kinds of styles, and even invent a few of their own along the way. Also, they have one of the better senses of humor of any band I've heard, and are very adept at showing how much they enjoy making the music you hear from them. Unfortunately they get typecast as a 'christian' band, which turns a lot of people off, but in their case it means there are a couple songs at most on each album where they share their faith. Please give them a chance. They've been in my favorite band top five since I was 13. Greatness. Big bonus: album artwork by my favorite artist, Doug TenNapel.


Artist: Train
Album: Drops of Jupiter

Have you ever actually listened to the album that contains the song you always sing along to no matter what? Probably not. It's just the definition of a good, solid album. Catchy strong music, clever lyrics, and just all around great musicianship. I love this band. Three albums later, and this is still their very best, in my opinion. If you catch yourself singing along to drops of Jupiter, give this album a chance. The rest is as good or better, I guarantee.

9 albums I love that you may not have guessed. (Part 1)

My computer is stupid and I've been busy and insert excuse or whatever. I have a MacBook Pro now, and it's made my life so much easier that I decided to post a blog, even though I should have been posting all along. But shut up. Here you go. I picked 9 albums that I listen to repeatedly and have passed my test of time, that you might not have thought that I would like at all. I separated it because it's a long ass post. After this I'll continue doing album reviews over newer stuff I run across, and hopefully introduce you to some things you like. On the flip side, if you read this and think I might like something, don't hold back. Withholding information can be considered treason, and I don't want to have to hang you.



Artist: Beck
Album: Sea Change

Yeah, ok, you may have known that I like Beck. But betcha couldn't guess that my absolute favorite album by him is his radical departure from the typical 'Beck style.' You're not going to find any upbeat electronic ironically lyric(ked?) songs on this album. It's almost completely acoustic, and much of it is almost sadly pathetic. (In a good way!) You may not even have to listen to realize the latter- here are a few song titles from the album: 'Guess I'm Doing Fine,' 'Lonesome Tears,' 'Lost Cause,' and 'Already Dead.' Probably not going to be dancing to much of these tunes. Where'd this album come from, you ask? Mostly from a break up from a 9 year relationship. Intense. The album was also produce by Nigel Godrich, Radiohead's main producer. Give it a listen, great to go to sleep to. Not in a bad mood though- it's maybe just a WEE BIT depressing.


Artist: Live
Album: Throwing Copper

Wow. One of my all time favorite albums. Have my sister Sharon to thank for this one- she dropped this one on me about the same time I started driving, which resulted in me very (un)safely driving with studio headphones listening, due to my lack of a CD player in my truck (and more reasonable headphones.) I'm not much for alternative or the grunge scene, but this album is pure gold. And that's just it- it's an ALBUM. The songs naturally progress, and I don't skip around. In fact, I rarely just throw on a Live song, I oftentimes just listen straight through. It's just... an experience. Don't know how else to describe it. Unique instrumentation, great guitar orchestration, powerful lyrics. Give it a shot, it may surprise you.


Artist: Nicole Atkins
Album: Neptune City

This girl blindsided me. I'm a sucker for Roy Orbison, and this is his female counterpart. Quick, does anyone know if Roy froze some sperm somewhere? If we impregnate her, the music world may be turned upside down in about 20 years. Inappropriate overreactions aside, this girl has a VOICE and massive songwriting talent to boot. This is her only full length album out to date, but it's a must have. Go download it. Powerful sweeping melodies, and ridiculous power in her voice. The production is top notch as well. I saw her live, and she was just as impressive. Not to mention hella fine.


Artist: Eminem
Album: The Marshall Mathers LP

Everyone assumes I hate all hip hop and rap. Not true. I always respect talent. And there aren't many people on this world more talented in their trade than Marshall. He's an asshole, he's beaten his wife, he trashes anyone he feels like in songs- and he is fucking awesome. This album is a work of art. Each song is a story, and he's one of the very few artists that I can't recall EVER skipping if a song of his came on my shuffle. Music doesn't get much more interesting than this, folks. If you've never listened, or have claimed to hate him having only heard a few songs, give this album a full listen. People also tell me "man you know he didn't have as hard a life as he raps about. He had it easy compared to others." Uh, this makes him less talented how? Whatever.


Artist: The New Pornographers
Album: Challengers

This is definitely a group I am supposed to hate. One that people make fun of me for loving. One that I actually wanted to hate, and gave very little chance to make it for me. And uh... they did everything right. This band is compiled of several groups in the Canadian emo(ish) indie scene. I refer to it as the Canademodie scene. Unfortunately, all those groups suck, but when they join together, they make music I love and have almost danced to. I was driving so I decided not to, but the end of "The Bleeding Hearts Show" almost sent me into a tribal mating ritual or something. Wow.. So off topic. Istrumentation is incredible. Challengers is currently their newest album, and is way more mature than previous albums (The Bleeding Hearts Show is actually on the album Twin Cinema, also a must-listen.) The songs build and flow and so seamlessly change and shift. There are several singers, male and female, with distinct voices that work together very well. Try it out. It doesn't make you gay. Just bi.

Next four coming soon. If you can guess one, I'll award a prize. And it will be something good, I promise.

Wishes

I wish my hair did that thing, where it like, goes that one direction, but also like, the other way but at the same time while looking, you know, natural. Huh?

I am losing my mind.

And I started the album post, but I think I contracted OCD somehow. Because the album pictures weren't all the same size and it bothered me, and instead of fixing it I did the natural thing and gave up on it for the night and saved it. Isn't OCD a side effect of some medications? Isn't that stupid? I know that one newer medication has a side effect of gambling addiction. That's stupid. What's next? Side effect of homosexuality?

I'll update soonish- thanks for bearing with me.

No time!

For anything! I have about 7 television series to finish or catch up on, 5 recordings that are half-assed and incomplete, and please don't take a step into my room right now... You'll probably break something important. Unless I show you the 4 step technique, and your feet are smaller than mine. I kind of have it perfected at this point, 4 spotless areas in my room that are big enough for my feet to step in. Other than that, chaos.

I probably picked a bad time to start a blog, to tell the truth. But I'm going to TRY to keep on plugging away. But I do have several themed posts planned to give you a little insight into my life, so I hope all 3 of you that keep up with me are excited about that! For my next post I'm going to try and find 10 or so albums and do a "10 albums that I love that you would probably never guess" post. Also, if you twitter, (which I am just now getting around to starting ((which probably also proves how out of touch I am,))) (did I really have to put three there? Guess so.) check out Michael Ian Black's tweets. That guy is gold. Love him.

Back to studying. Erg, Midterm II for me government class is tomorrow. Yes, I have two midterms. Stupid.

Ohhh man...

I am certainly a very irresponsible blogger. Devo was awesome. As expected. Pictures are on my facebook, of fairly low quality, being from the zoomless flashless iPhone. But it rocked either way! Apparently the Palladium Ballroom gets a lot of flack- I found it to be nice and comfortable for a standing venue. The only disappointment was that all the male sizes in t-shirts had sold out by the time i got there, and NO- I did not buy a Devo red power dome, but YOU can here!

Other than Devo, not much to update on, ummm... I got sick Thursday and had to leave work, creating a pretty dreadful four-day weekend for myself. I hate missing work, but there was no way it was goin down my friends- I had enough snot in my head that it was crushing my brain.

And finally started Metal Gear Solid 4 about a year too late, but hey- ... Hey, something. Whatever. Don't... I don't know. Leave me alone. I'm tired. Sorry for the drab uninteresting post. I'll make up for it later. Peace spudheads.

Devolution

Yes. I am going to see them on Wednesday night, at the Palladium Ballroom. Devo, that is, in case for some reason you aren't familiar with them. If you are not, then I'll remind you by simply one phrase from their overplayed (and pretty overrated) most popular song. *Sigh* WHIP IT. They had a bit of misfortune of having a lot of people define their career on a hokey song when their musical library is quite vast and GOOD- not unlike the very talented Styx being stuck with Mr. Roboto. Well, I guess the guys wrote the songs, and have to deal with the aftermath.

Anyway, I'm VERY excited, and if you're still on the fence on whether or not you should attend, one of the masterminds behind Devo, Mark Mothersbaugh, was in charge of all the music for one of my beloved favorite Nickelodeon shows, Rugrats, and also has been commissioned for most of the original music in Wes Anderson's films. It's going to be sweet.

Well I will definitely do my best to acquire a camera and get some sweet pictures, which I will post afterwards of course. Anyway, I've reached that weird stage where you realize that you are continuously breathing and so it becomes less of a habit and you start having to think about each breath- I'm going to go try and do something more mind engaging. Bye!

So much to do....

And so little motivation. Even when I know there are rewards to be reaped! Ah well. I am at least currently continuing down the path towards one of my goals- finishing The Sopranos. I'm in between episodes in the 6th season right now, and decided to do a bit o' bloggin. (Is that leprechaun spirit I hear creeping around in my soul?!?! YES IT IS!)

Anyway, The Sopranos is the best television show I've ever watched. Everything about it is executed perfectly- I'm just so glad there was a television show of this caliber that got the funding and freedom that this show did, all while maintaining popularity. It's unfair that shows like Carnivale and Wonderfalls and Dead Like Me had their very promising futures cut down.

ENOUGH NEGATIVITY! LEPRECHAUN TIME!

I'll leave this one with a poem that I wrote a while back, before I head back to North Jersey to chill wit Tony and my boys. It's called 'The Bird.'


The bird drops a turd when its insides are stirred,

The turd falls absurdly, its path undeterred.

You glance toward the sky and your vision is lured toward the turd and then splat!

Your vision is, oh what's the word? blurred?