Song of the Day 12/01/10: Ke$ha – Cannibal

Ok, so yes we can all agree, in a quality contest, Ke$ha is right between terrible and horrible.  Her lyrics are ridiculous.  Her rapping (white girl talking, whatever you want to call it) is just plain bad.  Her singing is autotuned beyond belief.  The thing is, she’s hilarious!   Not just funny, she literally makes me laugh out loud.  In public.  And she knows it.  All her music is completely tongue in cheek.  It’s funny because while other female artists try to hide their sleaze in clever, ambiguous lyrics, Ke$ha just doesn’t care.  She’s so dirty that she’s actually appealing.  She has a song called “C U Next Tuesday”!  If you dont think that’s funny, then don’t even bother listening to the song because she’s not your kind of humor.  But if that makes you laugh, then don’t dismiss her.  It helps that her beats are extremely catchy too.  “Cannibal (yes, I’m finally talking about the song)” is just plain funny.  A metaphor about how she eats up boys, the chorus is “I Am Cannibal!”  Come on!  There hasn’t been a lyric that stupidly great, since The Killers “Are we human or are we dancer” line.  She even has a bridge where she makes fun of her own “oh oh ohoo oh ohs”!!  Yeah, I know, I’m dumb.  So yeah, if you’re looking for great music, you should probably pass this up, but I don’t think there’s anyone that does trashy for the sake of entertainment better then Ke$ha right now, and she continues to make me laugh.

2010 Youtube Playlist

Here’s a link to my Songs of the Day 2010 Youtube Playlist

Song of the Day 11/30/10: Nine Inch Nails – The Great Below

So yeah, Nine Inch Nails is usually really depressing.  That doesn’t mean it can’t be amazing at what it does.  Of all of NIN’s albums, the one that turned me on to them the most was called Still, an acoustic album by Trent, which is basically him and a piano.  Funny, considering how industrial their sound is.  Naturally, my favorite Album would be the Fragile.  An album that’s dark beyond reason, and yet still comes out hopeful.  “The Great Below”, is just as it’s described, the absolute lowest you can feel.  However, there’s no anger at the bottom, it’s just acceptance.  I think “The Great Below” does an amazing job of capturing what it feels like when you truly hit rock bottom.  I listened to it a lot at one specific period in my life and it helped me to accept my circumstances, and sit in them to contemplate, rather than run to media distractions.  If you’ve been there, then you know what it feels like.  And if you haven’t, then you can’t really imagine, but “The Great Below” will give you a taste.  I wanted to post a different more hopeful song, but for some reason I couldn’t get the haunting power of The Great Below out of my head, so that’s what you get.  Bask in its release from avoidance of pain.

Song of the Day 11/29/10: Nightwish – Ghost Love Score

If there has ever been an album that single handedly makes the case for operatic metal, it is Nightwish’s Once.  To be honest, I don’t think a better operatic metal album will ever be created since Nightwish and their singer Tarja are no longer together.  To say that “Ghost Love Score” is epic, doesn’t even come close to a good description of its breadth.  The song is never too heavy, and often feels drawn out, but it’s all in the interest of creating that tension that begs for the orchestra and choir to roll back in and command the second half of the song.  The second half of the track has this feeling of snowball effect where layers just keep getting added one after the other, in perfect succession making this crazy awesome sound.  The breakdown, at about 4 minutes, to this awesome string piece, adds woodwinds, choir and eventually horns and metal into this ultimate metal force that cannot be stopped.  Listen to this loud and in one sitting, and then over and over.  Tell me you don’t start to get chills around 5 and a half minutes!!  I remember the first time I heard this song I just started laughing, because it was so ridiculous.  Enjoy.  And check out the rest of the album too. : )

Song of the Day 11/28/10: DC Talk – Say the Words (Now)

I’ve been wanting to do a DC Talk song for a while, because DC Talk is just so absolutely amazing.  Completely cheesy, and yet somehow not at all.  I think most members of my family can sing along to every lyric of every song by them.  That being said, I like “Say the Words” since it clashes old DC Talk’s rap work, with this newly remixed version which has more of their later years pop sound.  Still the best part of the song, like all their music, is the lyrics.  And a song about the distortion of the word love, and its purity makes me teary eyed in the worst sort of way.  I also love the variety in this song.  I think I first heard it around 8th or 9th grade, and though I’ve been corrupted over the years, I remember thinking, that’s what I want love to be like for me.

Song of the Day 11/27/10: Lostprophets – Sway

So the Lostprophets were one of those bands I liked to rage to in the early years of high school, but the truth is while they really know how to bring the energy, they also constructed some really awesome mellow songs, such as this album ender.  I love Ians voice which sounds equally good while screaming, singing, or going falsetto.  The simpleness of this track on the surface, also has a kind of build underneath that really draws you to keep listening.  Its meaning, of being able to sway in the midst of life is something I was really drawn to.  I remember in high school after a bad break up, just going on long walks at night and listening to this over and over.  The outro is equal parts haunting and soothing, mixing in influences from choir, to Moby, in a way that just works on so many levels.  It can even make you wanna dance in the right mood.  My other great memory of this was driving around with my sister, Hannah, in traffic, and this song came on and we were just silent for nine minutes.  At the end Hannah was just like, WOW who was that?  lol.  I hope you enjoy it as much as we did and still do.

Song of the Day 11/26/10: John Legend – Again

So this is a strange one.  Sometimes there’s just a song that captures a specific magic.  There isn’t one oustanding reason why the song is so great, but it is.  In the case of “Again”, by John Legend, I think it’s a good song but there is a specific raw, live version of the track that is just leaps and bounds better than any other version.  It holds the spot of my favorite John Legend track.  I think that sometimes, an artist plays a song on a specific night in a specific mood, and it’s just different!  Magical.  Powerful.  Whatever the word, I wasn’t able to find this version on Youtube!  I guess it’s a rarer cut than I thought.  I couldn’t bare to put up one of the lesser versions because in this case, it’s that specific recording that has all the magic for me.  So if you want today’s song of the day, send me a message with your email address and I’ll send you the track.  It’s worth it.

Song of the Day 11/25/10: Hillsong – With Everything

I posted a video for “What Matters More” the other day and professed (though none of you were able to read it), that Derek Webb was the dark underbelly of Christian music.  He’s willing to talk about whatever was relevant, rather then what THE MAN deems important for “Christian rock” labels.  Hillsong is probably the poster child for stereotypical Christian worship music, and while often I do have to admit I’m not impressed, they also release a lot of amazing worship music.  This epic track is for me, the one I most love to sing along to at the top of my longs when I’m feeling down.  A very, very simple song shouting praise for the Lord that could be just like any other song, breaks down in the 5th minute, into one of the most awesome sing along moments ever!  It builds so well and it just keeps going and going, and huge props to the drums.  Also, I love sing alongs where you don’t need to know the lyrics cause they just say things like “woah oh oh”.  Hahaha.  Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.  Happy Thanksgiving everyone . And thanks to all of you for your continued love and support of this project.

Song of the Day 11/24/10: Amanda Palmer – Have To Drive

I’m sorry, but facebook erased the message on my last post twice when I posted it, so I’m a bit frustrated right now and don’t feel like writing much.  Amanda Palmer does not equal The Dresden Dolls, as their styles are very different.  I love this song because it shows off Amanda’s ability to keep you on your toes.  I listened to this song many times before I realized what it was about.  When I finally did, I  started cracking up.  Stop reading this and try listening to it first to see if you can figure out what it’s about.  Then come back and read the explanation here.

The song is actually about roadkill.  Lol, Amanda is racked with guilt over the fact that we constantly kill animals because of our need to get around.  I love it because the song is so ABSOLUTLEY dramatic, which makes it just over the top fun.  At the same time, I think it’s mostly tongue in cheek, with some bit of Amanda really writing an ode to the dead animals on the road.  Genius.  Oh and Ben Fold’s production of this song, with adding the choir at the end, is amazing!

Song of the Day 11/23/10: Derek Webb – What Matters More

Yes, once again, I was unable to get on facebook in time to post this.  Still, personally I think it’s worth the wait.  Have you ever felt sick of “Christian music”?  The same three chords.  The same three topics.  The same continuous song predictability.  No one seems to live a real life at all, or have any music talent.

EDIT: So yeah, somehow, the rest of this post got deleted. I apologize. To summarize though, Derek Webb is a Christian artist who doesn’t fit any of the above cliches.

Song of the Day 11/22/10: Deadmau5 – I Remember

Pronounced Dead Mouse, Deadmau5, is an amazingly awesome progressive house DJ.  He has his hands in everything recently.  He’s a hacker who started writing house music as a joke, writing a song called “This is the Hook”, that was about how easy it is to write house music.  I really like “I Remember” because it’s just extremely chill.  I guess I’ve had a lot on my mind recently, and it’s nice to just zone sometimes and listen to something calm.  Hope you like the track.  Oh also, he wears a giant light up mouse head when he DJ’s.  Really cool.

Song of the Day 11/21/10: Dropkick Murphys – I’m Shipping Up To Boston

If you haven’t seen the Departed, you may not be obsessed with this song.  It’s one of those uncannily awesome drunken Irish sailor anthems!  To quote a friend, “this song makes me wanna punch a hole in the wall and slam 6 beers.”  For me personally, I started really getting it to it when I was trying to find music to listen to while killing things in Halo.  You’d be surprised how many kills you can rack up in the 2 and half minutes that this song is pumping your blood with super human strength.  Oh, and it’s a great car sing along song, which is one of the reasons it’s song of the day, based on my wonderful friend, Judea’s, reminding.

Don’t forget I have a Personal Band or Album Suggestion section.  Sometimes I get specific band and album requests from close friends and I want to invite you as well.

https://doctorizmusicremedies.wordpress.com/about/want-a-personal-band-or-album-suggestion/

If you’re looking for a specific sound, or type of band or feeling, please comment on that page and I’ll try my best to find something appropriate for you.  I love you all, thanks for your continuing words of encouragement that keep me on top of this project.

Song of the Day 11/20/10: Billy Talent – Pins and Needles

I love Billy Talent.  They’re the best live band I’ve ever seen, with the exception of The Dresden Dolls.  They’re always so full of energy and obviously that’s a common theme for me.  All their songs are really catchy, and the guitars and vocals are just SO ADDICTIVE.  In many ways, Billy Talent is one of those bands that’s a soundtrack to your life.  At least for me.  I love listening to them while walking around or trying to get things done.  I also love them lyrically, and their songs are often told as stories with relate-able ideas.  “Pins and Needles” is not the best song by Billy Talent, nor is it my favorite.   However,  when I listen to it, I feel like it’s the soundtrack to my life.  I try to be controlled, but I just want to lash out all the time.  The song is about a girl and I know people are immediately going to relate it to my relationships if they know my ex’s, but for me it’s more than that.  It’s not just how I relate to women, but how I relate to life.  I love things (people, materials, whatever) and then at some point, either from loving them too much or taking them for granted, I break those things or do them harm.  It’s not till they’re so far gone and they’re out of reach, that I realize just how much I’ve messed up and all I wanna do is apologize.  I love the track, especially the bridge.  And expect a lot more Billy Talent on this list in the future.

Song of the Day 11/19/10 Part 2: The Bug – Poison Dart

Part 2:

The second song is the truly different track.  The Bug is one of the many aliases of London based artist, Kevin Martin.  I know you probably haven’t heard of him either.  Neither have I really, but London Zoo is an album that is so hard to categorize or pin down, that almost every reviewer is forced to give it a good review.  It’s completely different and so incomparable to other work that it’s hard to say bad things about it, beyond “this is really annoying.”  One track off the album can’t really give you an idea of the whole album, considering the variety, but “Poison Darts” happens to be my favorite track.  If you play this somewhere and someone else recognizes it, then that person must listen to lots of music!   Anyways, like I stated at the beginning, these aren’t the kind of tracks you wanna listen to every minute, but they do work well when you want to be different or expand the musical horizons of a collection of people, while also showing off your own musical knowledge (and yes I know that admitting this makes me a sad sad human being, but still, you have to be honest, it feels good playing something no one else has heard of).  Oh, and if someone says The Bug isn’t good, that’s ok too since music is so subjective.  But you can drop the fact that it’s in the top 5 critically rated albums of 2009 on metacritic (though again, that’s owed to the fact that it’s hard to review the album).  Also, enjoy both videos, and know that the Bjork one is fan made, and won a contest.

Song of the Day 11/19/10 Part 1: Bjork – Innocence

Sorry I could not get this up last night, but on the brightside, it’s another double friday!  Plus, I’ll be putting up Saturday’s song of the day.

Today picks are a little special.  They aren’t every day listens.  One thing about expanding musical horizons and being a good music collector, is you have to have some things that are really obscure and that make people say “Interesting” or “bizarre,” rather than “oooh, i love this song!”  It’s also fun to be that person who plays the song that literally no one else has heard.  Even better when they haven’t even heard of the band.  The first track is by Bjork.  “Thats not obscure”, you say, “everyone knows Bjork, she wore that swan outfit.”  But ask someone to sing one of her tracks and one of two things will happen… They’ll give you a blank stare, or they’ll actually attempt it and you’ll have to politely ask them to stop.   Let’s face it, 99% of the time Bjork’s music only sounds good when she performs it, not when you do.  What I’m trying to say is, play almost any Bjork track that isn’t commonly known (as in basically all of them) and people will be forced to think.  I recommend “Innocent” because it’s off of her Volta album, which I happen to favor due to the electronic nature of the beats.  Oh, and both of today’s songs are totally car tracks too, cause they have nice bass.

Song of the Day 11/18/10: The Protomen – The State Vs. Thomas Light

Have I mentioned that I’m obsessed with The Protomen???  So yeah this track is off their second album, which is the second act of their three part album trilogy.  “The State vs. Thomas Light” finds Dr. Light at the funeral for his lover, Emily.  Without going too deep, Light’s father dies working in the mines to support his family.  Light with the help of his assistant, Dr. Wiley, create intelligent robots that can do manual work, so humans don’t have to.  Wiley also uses the design to make military robots, which Light disagrees with.  Wiley then uses one of these robots to kill Emily, when she wont leave Light for him.  He then frames Light for the murder by spreading propaganda throughout the city claiming Light is responsible.  This song starts at the funeral, where Dr. Light is arrested and put on trial.  He is found not guilty, though obviously from his words he doesnt agree.  SO FRICKIN PASSIONATE AND INTENSE!!!  Love this album.  Did I mention the next track involves the angry city gathering to lynch him after the trial?  Still with me?  Just listen to the song.  And get the album.  Also when you get the album, realize that a lot of the story background is only told in the liner notes.  But yeah, even if you dont commit, enjoy this pure awesomeness.

Song of the Day 11/17/10: Stratovarius – Eternity

Ah… Stratovarius, always welcome when you need to feel a bit more powerful.  The major riff in this song is so good.  For a long time I thought high pitched male vocalists were wusses, but one day I was listening to Strat and thought… you know how powerful it must feel to sing those notes!?!?  lol.  Yeah just enjoy it’s awesome electrical power, and walk the walk, instead of just talkin the talk.

Song of the Day 11/16/10: Pain of Salvation – Pluvius Aestivus

This track from the album BE is a concept album about life; its beginning, middle, end and rebirth.  It’s a grandiose epic of an album, inspired by the idea of making an album with a complete orchestra.  This track, which translates to “Summer Rain,” is a mostly piano representation of a rainstorm and its themes.  Listen while watching the rain outside if you can.

Song of the Day 11/15/10: Kanye West – Lost in the World

To say that Kanye’s new album has blown my mind is the understatement of the year.  I can’t even describe this songs wonder.  Just listen and be amazed.

Song of the Day 11/14/2010: Animal Collective – In The Flowers

Animal Collective is one of those bands most people find to be inaccessible.  I tend to agree with them, but to pass them up is a mistake.  “In the Flowers”, is pure genius.  It’s a song about the the singer meeting his wife (the dancer), who he then has to leave behind because he needs to go on tour.  He dreams of leaving his body, so that he can meet his wife in the flowers, so they can dance happily together.  This is music you can feel.  Some people say Animal Collective can’t write songs, but just listen to the beat building towards the moment where he says, “if I could just leave my body for the night” and the explosion of sound and the joy that comes with it.  Listen to it a few times.  Listen to it loud.  And sing along to it in your car.  It’s very addictive.  lol.  Have fun.

Song of the Day 11/13/10: Avenged Sevenfold – Sidewinder

So, a lot of people hate Avenged Sevenfold.  I think in large it’s due to their very unique sound.  Metal fans think they’re too soft and pop rock fans think they’re too hardcore.  Some people think the singer is too wimpy, others think he’s too rough.  The songs are too long for some and too short for others.  I can go on, but I’ll let you know right now to leave all your preconcieved notions behind, and just listen to the music for what it is.  Avenged Sevenfold doesn’t have the best lyrics all the time, but what they do have is extremely good musicality and song writing skills.  They know how to keep a listener on their toes, and how to keep you guessing where the song will go next.  “Sidewinder” is amazing at this.  It has a killer opening rift, super raspy singing, patient drums and amazing guitar shredding skills, at four and a half minutes, proves you completely wrong by becoming an even better song2 for the last two minutes. It’s a shocking change, but something that’s missing in lots of metal.  Variety.  In the words of one of the commenters on the youtube video: Best.  Outro.  Ever.  Enjoy.  Oh and it’s metal so please play it loud.

Song of the Day 11/12/10: Cloud Cult – Sleeping Days Part II And No One Said It Would be Easy

That’s right.  Two songs of the day!

To say that Cloud Cult is my favorite band of all time, really means something because I LOVE music.  I love a lot of it, and picking a favorite is virtually impossible for me.  But, if I had to only listen for one band the rest of my life, Cloud Cult would be it.

If you don’t know their story, they’re an extremely eco-friendly band (check out their website for more info). However, unfortunately and fortunately, it’s not their eco-friendlyness that defines them.  Craig (the lead singer) and Connie Minowa had a baby, Kaidin.  After the release of their first album, in 2002, Kaidin unexpectedly died of unknown causes.  Craig locked himself in his basement studio for over a year, and wrote over a hundred songs to deal with the grief.  “Sleeping Days”, is one of those first tracks.  Over the past decade, Cloud Cult has released numerous albums dealing with the progression of the loss of a son.  However, most of the music also has a sort of joy, along with Craig handling the death of his son, in realizing that he and his wife must live better lives for Kaidin.  There’s no way that this paragraph can at all describe even a tiny bit of what Cloud Cult is and what it’s all about.

The reason I couldn’t just pick one song is because the variety within the bands sound is huge.  Even these two songs will hardly give you a taste of what the band has to offer.  The second song is the first Cloud Cult song I ever heard.  It was released on their 2008 album.  You can tell that Craig had changed a lot within the 6 years. Anyways, go to this band’s website.  Buy all their albums.  Listen to them constantly.  Theres just so much there, and there are no words to describe the impact Cloud Cult has had on me.  For a band that dealt so closely with death, they are amazingly hopeful.  Expect to see a lot more Cloud Cult on these dailies, in the future.  Also, the band has a self produced DVD about their history that is EXCELLENT.  Get that too and watch it.  And if you can make it to a show, all the better.  Also the “Sleeping Days” song has a good caption in the video that includes lyrics.

AND

Song of the Day 11/11/10: B’z – Love Phantom

Who’s B’z?  Seriously?  They have 43 consecutive #1 singles, and 23 #1 albums!!  On the Japanese Oricon Charts that is… Oh, and they’ve sold over 79 million records in Japan alone.  Did I mention they are the first band from Asia to have their handprints and signatures put in Hollywood’s RockWalk?

The B’z started out in the 80s making pop music, and slowly became a rock band in the 1990’s.  The definitive middle album between their pop and rock days was released in 1995, and is called Loose.  Loose wasnt sure if it was pop or rock, and it culminates on the track, “Love Phantom”.  How do you describe it?  It starts with strings.  It has a bizarre, cheesy deep vocal part at the beginning.  It has eerie piano.  Wait… is that an extremely dance poppy bass beat???  Oh cool.  Koshi sings like a sexier, Japanese Steve Tyler!  Is there a rap in the middle of this song??  Tak Matsumoto’s guitar skills are equal to Steve Vai!  The only thing this song is missing is an opera singer!!  Oh wait it has that too!!!  Yeah, I’m serious.  There is no other song in the world like this.  It even has mixed Japanese and English lyrics.  I’m told it also has some of the most poetic lyrics in Japanese music, though it’s obviously lost in translation.

I guarantee if you put this song on your Ipod, you’ll probably be a bit embarrassed the first time you listen to it.  But then slowly throughout the day, your fingers will reluctantly go back to play it again and again, till you blast it in your car, singing at the top of your lungs to the embarrassment of your friends.

Song of The Day 11/10/10: Yellowcard – Believe

Maybe it’s because I was in New York on 9/11.  Maybe it’s because I know people who fought those fires and through all that wreckage.  Whatever the reason, there’s no denying the power and impact of 9/11.

Yellowcard succeeded in paying tribute to those heroes without being disrespectful, or cliche.  On top of all that, the electric violin was perfected for Ocean Avenue.  Yellowcard may be a one album wonder, but their one album is one of the most well put together pieces of music I own.  “Believe” is a song that will always pull on your heart strings.  Whether it’s listening to the firefighter tell victims everything is going to be alright minutes before buildings collapse on them, the bridge about telling his wife and kids he loves them and wanting to make the heroes sacrifice worth while, or hearing Ryan Key screaming, “Think about the chance I never had to say; thank you for giving up your lives that day,” this song is nonstop perfection.  As is the rest of the album.  So grab that too (seriously, what other band writes a song about how their father positively affected them?).

Song of the Day 11/09/10: The Protomen – Unrest in the House of Light

Where to begin…?

The Protomen is my favorite new discovery of 2010.  I simply can’t put into words how obsessed I am with this band.  I listen to them everyday, most of the day.  There is a passion about this band that is just SO hard to find.  The band creates concept albums (a trilogy of which the first two acts have been completed) loosely based on the world of the videogame, Megaman.  Without going over the deep end in details;  Light is a doctor, who creates a son, whom he uses to to fight against the evil totalitarian world government.  This first son is eventually killed in battle.  Light then creates a second son, whom he instead wishes to live a peaceful life.  This song is Light’s plea to his second son to not follow in his brother’s footsteps.  This song gives me chills every time I hear it.  I’ve cried twice listening to this album, and once was during this song.

Listen to the song.  Download the album.  I’ll give it to you if I must, but there really is nothing like this out there.  I wish I could write more.

Song of the Day for 11/08/10: Dresden Dolls – Sex Changes

The Dresden Dolls are the single greatest duo I’m aware of in the musical world.  They play off of each other so well it’s an experience you can only, truly understand live.  Piano and drums, alone, have never sounded better.  “Sex Changes”, like most Dresden Dolls songs, is especially awesome cause it has a double meaning.  The song discusses both how sex changes a person, and the affect of a sex change.  Just listen to the… oh, so clever… lyricism accompanied by the two best percussionists in the world.  That’s right, Amanda beats the piano.  This isn’t my favorite Dolls song, but I woke up this morning singing it so I thought it was appropriate.

http://www.dailymotion.com/embed/video/x7y9p5<br /><a href=”http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7y9p5_the-dresden-dolls-sex-changes_music&#8221; target=”_blank”>the Dresden Dolls – Sex Changes</a> <i>by <a href=”http://www.dailymotion.com/andybe29&#8243; target=”_blank”>andybe29</a></i>

Song of the Day for 11/07/10: Pain of Salvation – Sisters

Why?  Tells the tale of a man who struggles over the loss of a lover, meets her sister, and wants to bed her because of the similarities between the two.  He knows it’s wrong because he doesnt really want her.  The song finishes open ended without the man making a final decision.  Pain of Salvation is one of my all time favorite bands, and this song is near the top of the list of their greatest works.  All their albums are concept albums so check out the entire album, Roadsalt.  I’m sure I’ll feature more tracks off the album in the future.

Enjoy it.