What You Should Have Heard #90

My Mix CDs

I’ve got a lot of music but limited space to hold it in, especially in my car. So I’ve gone the old tried-and-true way of making mix CDs to have access to as many bands as possible while driving. I’m going slightly old-school since I’m a bit backwards and have no iPod.

So I finally got a Smart Phone a couple of months ago. I've now got a Spotify account with more than 10,000 songs in various playlists, so I guess I'm done with CDs. I'm going to see this through to the end, though. Well, through Yellowcard, at least. I got a bunch of miscellaneous CDs that contain a bunch of bands with a song or two by each.

Most of the songs will be more upbeat, with probably only the occasional ballad or slower song included. I like to sing in the car, and the more upbeat songs are more fun to sing.

I’ll be going in alpha-numeric order with these, and then I’m going to go into the various compilations I made of bands that didn’t have enough songs to include in a whole CD.

My only limitations are that I use 80 min. discs, and I’m only going to use one disc per band/artist. I will make exceptions for only my most favorite bands with huge playlists (Foo Fighters and Self, off the top of my head), but I’d really like to boil everything down to just one disc.

Here’s the list guide:

Track # - Song Name - Album Name [Artist if album is by a different artist]

                                                               

Weezer Mix CD

Disc 1

1. American Gigolo – Maladroit
2. Dope Nose – Maladroit
3. Keep Fishin’ – Maladroit
4. Slob – Maladroit
5. Living Without You – Maladroit
6. No Other One – Pinkerton
7. Why Bother? – Pinkerton
8. Across the Sea – Pinkerton
9. The Good Life – Pinkerton
10. El Scorcho – Pinkerton
11. Pink Triangle – Pinkerton
12. Falling for You – Pinkerton
13. My Name Is Jonas – Weezer (Blue Album)
14. No One Else – Weezer (Blue Album)
15. The World Has Turned and Left Me Here – Weezer (Blue Album)
16. Buddy Holly – Weezer (Blue Album)
17. Undone (The Sweater Song) – Weezer (Blue Album)
18. Surf Wax America – Weezer (Blue Album)
19. Say It Ain’t So – Weezer (Blue Album)
20. In the Garage – Weezer (Blue Album)
21. Holiday – Weezer (Blue Album)
22. Susanne – Weezer (Blue Album)
23. My Evaline – Weezer (Blue Album)

Disc 2

1. Sugar Booger – Island in the Sun
2. Brightening Day (My Best Friends Are Gone) – Island in the Sun
3. Oh Lisa – Island in the Sun
4. Always – Island in the Sun
5. Beverly Hills – Make Believe
6. Perfect Situation – Make Believe
7. Peace – Make Believe
8. My Best Friends – Make Believe
9. Don’t Let Go – Weezer (Green Album)
10. Photograph – Weezer (Green Album)
11. Hash Pipe – Weezer (Green Album)
12. Island in the Sun – Weezer (Green Album)
13. Crab – Weezer (Green Album)
14. Knock-Down Drag-Out – Weezer (Green Album)
15. Smile – Weezer (Green Album)
16. Glorious Day – Weezer (Green Album)
17. Troublemaker – Weezer (Red Album)
18. The Greatest Man That Ever Lived – Weezer (Red Album)
19. Pork and Beans – Weezer (Red Album)

A few notes on Weezer:

• I’m a fair-weather fan of Weezer. I loved the blue album. Past that, everything’s hit or miss. Pinkerton and the green album were good with a number of catchy songs, but they just didn’t capture the awesomeness of their debut.
• I saw these guys live in ’97 or ’98. 1997, I think. They were touring with No Doubt, who headlined. I loved Weezer’s set and ended up retiring to the parking lot two songs into No Doubt’s set. No big story or revelation here, I just wanted to mention it. It was a very lackluster concert with an opening band that I can’t even remember.
• Even though I’ve tended to be totally underwhelmed with the last few albums, I still get excited whenever a new album is announced. I keep hoping for, well, not another blue album, but something just as good. Hell, I’ve got enough songs on here for two discs, so I know the group has the chops.

Weezer’s Official Site

Weezer’s Facebook page

Weezer’s Myspace page

Weezer’s Twitter feed

Weezer’s iLike page

Weezer’s Wikipedia entry

Weezer’s AllMusic entry

Weezer’s YouTube page

Also, in case you've forgotten: When I can remember to add this to the bottom of my posts, I’m going to whore myself out with an impassioned plea: click on the ads. PLEASE click on the ads. I don’t care if you exit out of it immediately or actually look around. This isn’t some professional blog where I believe in the products I’m shilling. These are automatic ads placed by Google. But when you click ads, I get a little bit of money, and as a single father of three, every penny from every source helps...especially with Christmas bills here and an unsure/shaky work situation. So I’m going to keep this tiny bit of begging at the bottom of my posts, and I hope you’ll take an extra 10 seconds after reading my blog to click on an ad. The only thing it costs you is time. :) Thanks so much!

What You Should Have Heard #89

My Mix CDs

I’ve got a lot of music but limited space to hold it in, especially in my car. So I’ve gone the old tried-and-true way of making mix CDs to have access to as many bands as possible while driving. I’m going slightly old-school since I’m a bit backwards and have no iPod.

So I finally got a Smart Phone a couple of months ago. I've now got a Spotify account with more than 10,000 songs in various playlists, so I guess I'm done with CDs. I'm going to see this through to the end, though. Well, through Yellowcard, at least. I got a bunch of miscellaneous CDs that contain a bunch of bands with a song or two by each.

Most of the songs will be more upbeat, with probably only the occasional ballad or slower song included. I like to sing in the car, and the more upbeat songs are more fun to sing.

I’ll be going in alpha-numeric order with these, and then I’m going to go into the various compilations I made of bands that didn’t have enough songs to include in a whole CD.

My only limitations are that I use 80 min. discs, and I’m only going to use one disc per band/artist. I will make exceptions for only my most favorite bands with huge playlists (Foo Fighters and Self, off the top of my head), but I’d really like to boil everything down to just one disc.

Here’s the list guide:

Track # - Song Name - Album Name [Artist if album is by a different artist]                                                              

Violent Femmes Mix CD

1. Nightmares – 3
2. Dating Days – 3
3. Mother of a Girl – 3
4. Lies – 3
5. Intro – Add It Up (1981-1993)
6. Waiting for the Bus – Add It Up (1981-1993)
7. Country Death Sound – Add It Up (1981-1993)
8. Black Girls – Add It Up (1981-1993)
9. Jesus Walking on the Water – Add It Up (1981-1993)
10. 36-24-36 – Add It Up (1981-1993)
11. I Held Her in My Arms – Add It Up (1981-1993)
12. Old Mother Reagan – Add It Up (1981-1993)
13. American Music – Add It Up (1981-1993)
14. Out the Window – Add It Up (1981-1993)
15. Blister in the Sun – Violent Femmes
16. Kiss Off – Violent Femmes
17. Please Do Not Go – Violent Femmes
18. Add It Up – Violent Femmes
19. Confessions – Violent Femmes
20. Prove My Love – Violent Femmes
21. Promise – Violent Femmes
22. Gone Daddy Gone – Violent Femmes
23. Ugly – Violent Femmes
24. Gimme the Car – Violent Femmes

A few notes on the Violent Femmes:

• The Violent Femmes were a bit of a short-lived phase for me. I discovered their self-titled album in early in high school and was captivated by it. Past that, I really didn’t like much else. I ended up buying a couple additional CDs, but really, Violent Femmes and Add It Up (1981-1993) are all I really need.
• I love “Black Girls.” The crazy horns and other various instruments (a Jew’s harp?) are great. I don’t know how much of the song is actually improvised, but it sounds like a wonderful jam session that just happened to be recorded. As a lapsed sax player, the sax parts just speak to me. They’re not pretty, but they’re still awesome.
• I honestly haven’t listened to these guys in a while. I bought the single for “Machine”…wow, almost two decades ago, and that song turned me off of them. I didn’t know if that was representative of a new sound they were trying, but it didn’t work for me, and I pretty much kept to the few albums I already had.  

Violent Femme’s Official Site

Violent Femme’s Facebook page

Violent Femme’s Myspace page

Violent Femme’s Twitter feed

Violent Femme’s iLike page

Violent Femme’s Wikipedia entry

Violent Femme’s AllMusic entry

Also, in case you've forgotten: When I can remember to add this to the bottom of my posts, I’m going to whore myself out with an impassioned plea: click on the ads. PLEASE click on the ads. I don’t care if you exit out of it immediately or actually look around. This isn’t some professional blog where I believe in the products I’m shilling. These are automatic ads placed by Google. But when you click ads, I get a little bit of money, and as a single father of three, every penny from every source helps...especially with Christmas bills here and an unsure/shaky work situation. So I’m going to keep this tiny bit of begging at the bottom of my posts, and I hope you’ll take an extra 10 seconds after reading my blog to click on an ad. The only thing it costs you is time. :) Thanks so much!

What You Should Have Heard #88

My Mix CDs

I’ve got a lot of music but limited space to hold it in, especially in my car. So I’ve gone the old tried-and-true way of making mix CDs to have access to as many bands as possible while driving. I’m going slightly old-school since I’m a bit backwards and have no iPod.

So I finally got a Smart Phone a couple of months ago. I've now got a Spotify account with more than 10,000 songs in various playlists, so I guess I'm done with CDs. I'm going to see this through to the end, though. Well, through Yellowcard, at least. I got a bunch of miscellaneous CDs that contain a bunch of bands with a song or two by each.

Most of the songs will be more upbeat, with probably only the occasional ballad or slower song included. I like to sing in the car, and the more upbeat songs are more fun to sing.

I’ll be going in alpha-numeric order with these, so if you want to argue with me about what Weezer songs should be included, you’re going to be waiting for a while.

My only limitations are that I use 80 min. discs, and I’m only going to use one disc per band/artist. I will make exceptions for only my most favorite bands with huge playlists (Foo Fighters and Self, off the top of my head), but I’d really like to boil everything down to just one disc.

Here’s the list guide:

Track # - Song Name - Album Name [Artist if album is by a different artist]

                                                               

Vanessa Carlton Mix CD

1. Ordinary Day – Be Not Nobody
2. A Thousand Miles – Be Not Nobody
3. Paint It Black – Be Not Nobody
4. White Houses – Harmonium
5. Private Radio – Harmonium
6. Streets Have No Name – Harmonium
7. C’est La Vie – Harmonium
8. Nolita Fairytale – Heroes and Thieves
9. Hands On Me – Heroes and Thieves
10. Spring Street – Heroes and Thieves
11. My Best – Heroes and Thieves
12. Come Undone – Heroes and Thieves
13. The One – Heroes and Thieves
14. Heroes and Thieves – Heroes and Thieves
15. This Time – Heroes and Thieves
16. Fools Like Me – Heroes and Thieves
17. Home – Heroes and Thieves
18. More Than This – Heroes and Thieves

A few notes on Vanessa Carlton:

• I feel no shame in admitting that I’ve got a huge crush on this girl, and it all started after listening to “White Houses.” I have always been a sucker for a pretty girl who can sing, but pretty girls who can sing, play the piano AND bewitch you with dance? Game over, man. Game over. In the video, she’s dancing to her song, and the whole thing, the lyrics, her, her voice, her dancing…everything combines to form this wonderful work of art. Yeah, I’ve been smitten.
• “White Houses” captivated me, and the entirety of Heroes and Thieves made me a fan for life. You might have noticed that every song from that album is on this list. I’m currently working up a list of my “perfect albums,” ones that I love through and through, where there is no desire to skip any songs, and this is one of them. Bits and pieces of “The One” really connected with me over the past few years, what with the dissolution of my marriage and the inevitable mulling over the past and thinking about all the “what ifs” and “could have beens.”
• I loved the symbolism in the beginning of the video for “Nolita Fairytale.” Watch “A Thousand Miles” then watch “Nolita Fairytale.” Besides that, the video is a great jumping on point for the whole album. It doesn’t seem like a slick music video. It’s like clips from home movies that she just happens to be singing in. Her smiles and obvious happiness seem real, despite the unicorns and fairies.
• I realize that I don’t have any tracks from Rabbits on the Run included here. That’s not because I don’t like any of them, it’s just that I made this mix before the CD was released, and I still haven’t bought it yet. I don’t know why. I’ve listened to it on Spotify and I’ve enjoyed it. I plan on remedying that this evening, though, because the album is available for $5 on Amazon through the end of the month. Clicking on the link in the previous sentence should take you right to the album. I’d buy it now, but I’m at work (shhhh) and we’re blocked from downloading stuff from Amazon. Sucks, but I can wait until I get home. I’d download it on my phone using the Amazon MP3 app, but the $5 deal is only good on the website.
• I’ve been listening to the CD on Spotify as I’ve been writing, this, and I’ll have to admit that I don’t think many of the songs would have made it into this mix. The music is fine, I guess, but it doesn’t have the energy or emotion that I grabbed onto with Heroes and Thieves. There are also too many times when her voice shifts and it sounds like I’m listening to Zooey Deschanel in She & Him. It’s not bad, but it’s not what I came to like. The whole thing is just a little too indie folk for me.
• But still, the girl is beautiful, her voice is captivating (when it doesn’t sound like Zooey Deschanel), and her dancing is mesmerizing.

Vanessa Carlton’s Official Site

Vanessa Carlton’s Facebook page

Vanessa Carlton’s Myspace page

Vanessa Carlton’s Twitter feed

Vanessa Carlton’s Soundcloud page

Vanessa Carlton’s iLike page

Vanessa Carlton’s Wikipedia entry

Vanessa Carlton’s AllMusic entry

Vanessa Carlton’s YouTube page

Also, in case you've forgotten: When I can remember to add this to the bottom of my posts, I’m going to whore myself out with an impassioned plea: click on the ads. PLEASE click on the ads. I don’t care if you exit out of it immediately or actually look around. This isn’t some professional blog where I believe in the products I’m shilling. These are automatic ads placed by Google. But when you click ads, I get a little bit of money, and as a single father of three, every penny from every source helps...especially with Christmas bills here and an unsure/shaky work situation. So I’m going to keep this tiny bit of begging at the bottom of my posts, and I hope you’ll take an extra 10 seconds after reading my blog to click on an ad. The only thing it costs you is time. :) Thanks so much!

What You Should Have Heard #87

My Mix CDs

I’ve got a lot of music but limited space to hold it in, especially in my car. So I’ve gone the old tried-and-true way of making mix CDs to have access to as many bands as possible while driving. I’m going slightly old-school since I’m a bit backwards and have no iPod.

So I finally got a Smart Phone a couple of months ago. I've now got a Spotify account with more than 10,000 songs in various playlists, so I guess I'm done with CDs. I'm going to see this through to the end, though. Well, through Yellowcard, at least. I got a bunch of miscellaneous CDs that contain a bunch of bands with a song or two by each.

Most of the songs will be more upbeat, with probably only the occasional ballad or slower song included. I like to sing in the car, and the more upbeat songs are more fun to sing.

I’ll be going in alpha-numeric order with these, so if you want to argue with me about what Weezer songs should be included, you’re going to be waiting for a while.

My only limitations are that I use 80 min. discs, and I’m only going to use one disc per band/artist. I will make exceptions for only my most favorite bands with huge playlists (Foo Fighters and Self, off the top of my head), but I’d really like to boil everything down to just one disc.

Here’s the list guide:

Track # - Song Name - Album Name [Artist if album is by a different artist]

                                                               

U2 Mix CD

1. Even Better Than the Real Thing – Achtung Baby
2. Beautiful Day – All That You Can’t Leave Behind
3. Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me – Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me [single]
4. Vertigo – How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb
5. Desire – Rattle and Hum
6. Angel of Harlem – Rattle and Hum
7. When Love Comes to Town – Rattle and Hum
8. Where the Streets Have No Name – The Joshua Tree
9. I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For – The Joshua Tree
10. With or Without You – The Joshua Tree
11. Pride (In the Name of Love) – The Unforgettable Fire
12. Sunday Bloody Sunday – War
13. Seconds – War
14. The Refugee – War
15. Numb - Zooropa

A few notes on U2:

• I used to like U2 a LOT more than I do now. I don’t know what changed. I used to be able to listen to War and Rattle and Hum constantly, and now I just don’t care whenever they do something. Some of their stuff still sticks with me (“Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me” was by far the best thing to come out of Batman Forever.), but it just seems to me like they’ve been recycling the same stuff since the mid-to-late ‘90s.
• Wow…I have nothing else to say about these guys.

U2’s Official Site

U2’s Facebook page

U2’s Myspace page

U2’s Twitter feed

U2’s Wikipedia entry

U2’s AllMusic entry

U2’s YouTube page


Also, in case you've forgotten: When I can remember to add this to the bottom of my posts, I’m going to whore myself out with an impassioned plea: click on the ads. PLEASE click on the ads. I don’t care if you exit out of it immediately or actually look around. This isn’t some professional blog where I believe in the products I’m shilling. These are automatic ads placed by Google. But when you click ads, I get a little bit of money, and as a single father of three, every penny from every source helps...especially with Christmas bills looming on the horizon. So I’m going to keep this tiny bit of begging at the bottom of my posts, and I hope you’ll take an extra 10 seconds after reading my blog to click on an ad. The only thing it costs you is time. :) Thanks so much!

What You Should Have Heard #86

My Mix CDs

I’ve got a lot of music but limited space to hold it in, especially in my car. So I’ve gone the old tried-and-true way of making mix CDs to have access to as many bands as possible while driving. I’m going slightly old-school since I’m a bit backwards and have no iPod.

So I finally got a Smart Phone a couple of months ago. I've now got a Spotify account with more than 10,000 songs in various playlists, so I guess I'm done with CDs. I'm going to see this through to the end, though. Well, through Yellowcard, at least. I got a bunch of miscellaneous CDs that contain a bunch of bands with a song or two by each.

Most of the songs will be more upbeat, with probably only the occasional ballad or slower song included. I like to sing in the car, and the more upbeat songs are more fun to sing.

I’ll be going in alpha-numeric order with these, so if you want to argue with me about what Weezer songs should be included, you’re going to be waiting for a while.

My only limitations are that I use 80 min. discs, and I’m only going to use one disc per band/artist. I will make exceptions for only my most favorite bands with huge playlists (Foo Fighters and Self, off the top of my head), but I’d really like to boil everything down to just one disc.

Here’s the list guide:

Track # - Song Name - Album Name [Artist if album is by a different artist]

                                                               

Tracy Bonham Mix CD

1. I Was Born Without You – Blink the Brightest
2. Eyes – Blink the Brightest
3. Dumbo Sun – Blink the Brightest
4. Naked – Blink the Brightest
5. Freed – Down Here
6. Behind Every Good Woman – Down Here
7. Fake It – Down Here
8. Cold Day in Hell – Down Here
9. Jumping Bean – Down Here
10. Meathook – Down Here
11. Mother Mother – The Burdens of Being Upright
12. Navy Bean – The Burdens of Being Upright
13. Tell It to the Sky – The Burdens of Being Upright
14. Kisses – The Burdens of Being Upright
15. The One – The Burdens of Being Upright
16. One Hit Wonder – The Burdens of Being Upright
17. Sharks Can’t Sleep – The Burdens of Being Upright
18. Bulldog – The Burdens of Being Upright
19. Every Breath – The Burdens of Being Upright
20. 30 Seconds – The Burdens of Being Upright
21. The Real – The Burdens of Being Upright

A few notes on Tool:

• Bonham’s debut album The Burdens of Being Upright is almost a flawless album in my opinion. Only one song, track 5 “Brain Crack,” isn’t included in this mix. I think it’s just a wonderfully put-together album. The music, the lyrics, and the unexpected addition of the violin come together to form a great listening experience.
• With four years between TBoBU and her follow-up album Down Here, she kind of fell off my radar. When I did finally get around to listening to it, a lot of the harshness that drew me to her debut was missing. That’s something I’ve noticed with Garbage and No Doubt, too. These bands/performers have evolved their styles over the years (I’d say No Doubt/Gwen Stefani has been the most drastic), and while I’ll never fault a group for evolving, it makes me a bit sad when it evolves away from my musical tastes.
• One of the best concert-going experiences I’ve had, one that’s probably in my top three if I’d have to rank them, was Everclear’s Summerland tour. They played the upper area of Starwood Amphitheater, a Nashville-area venue which is sadly no more. On the bill were 7 Year Bitch, Spacehog, Tracy Bonham and Everclear. Tickets were reasonable, the show was a couple weeks before my freshman year of college started and a group of friends were interested in going, so I was pretty excited. Between Everclear’s Sparkle and Fade, Spacehog’s Resident Alien and Bonham’s debut album, these three bands were taking up a lot of my CD player’s time, so I was sure this was going to turn into a good show. The week prior, I ended up winning an invite to a meet-and-greet for Spacehog at a Nashville radio station for the afternoon of the concert. There was pizza and a short acoustic set, then we were able to get pictures taken with the band. It was tiny and awesome. The concert that night didn’t disappoint. 7 Year Bitch took the stage first, and they were extremely forgettable. I think they screamed way too much. Bonham was next, and I was mesmerized by the combination of her vocals and violin skills. While Spacehog and Everclear were more energized, I thought Bonham was the highlight of the evening.

Tracy Bonham’s Official Site

Tracy Bonham’s Facebook page

Tracy Bonham’s Myspace page

Tracy Bonham’s Twitter feed

Tracy Bonham’s Wikipedia entry

Tracy Bonham’s AllMusic entry

Tracy Bonham’s YouTube page

Also, in case you've forgotten: When I can remember to add this to the bottom of my posts, I’m going to whore myself out with an impassioned plea: click on the ads. PLEASE click on the ads. I don’t care if you exit out of it immediately or actually look around. This isn’t some professional blog where I believe in the products I’m shilling. These are automatic ads placed by Google. But when you click ads, I get a little bit of money, and as a single father of three, every penny from every source helps...especially with Christmas looming on the horizon. So I’m going to keep this tiny bit of begging at the bottom of my posts, and I hope you’ll take an extra 10 seconds after reading my blog to click on an ad. The only thing it costs you is time. :) Thanks so much!

What You Should Have Heard #85

My Mix CDs

I’ve got a lot of music but limited space to hold it in, especially in my car. So I’ve gone the old tried-and-true way of making mix CDs to have access to as many bands as possible while driving. I’m going slightly old-school since I’m a bit backwards and have no iPod.

So I finally got a Smart Phone a couple of months ago. I've now got a Spotify account with more than 10,000 songs in various playlists, so I guess I'm done with CDs. I'm going to see this through to the end, though. Well, through Yellowcard, at least. I got a bunch of miscellaneous CDs that contain a bunch of bands with a song or two by each.

Most of the songs will be more upbeat, with probably only the occasional ballad or slower song included. I like to sing in the car, and the more upbeat songs are more fun to sing.

I’ll be going in alpha-numeric order with these, so if you want to argue with me about what Weezer songs should be included, you’re going to be waiting for a while.

My only limitations are that I use 80 min. discs, and I’m only going to use one disc per band/artist. I will make exceptions for only my most favorite bands with huge playlists (Foo Fighters and Self, off the top of my head), but I’d really like to boil everything down to just one disc.

Here’s the list guide:

Track # - Song Name - Album Name [Artist if album is by a different artist]                                                               

Tool Mix CD Disc 1

1. Vicarious – 10,000 Days
2. The Pot – 10,000 Days
3. Cold and Ugly – 72826 EP
4. Jerk-Off – 72826 EP
5. Stinkfist – Ænima
6. Eulogy – Ænima
7. H – Ænima
8. Forty-Six and 2 – Ænima
9. Hooker with a Penis – Ænima
10. Jimmy – Ænima
11. Die Eier Von Satan – Ænima
12. Ænima – Ænima
13. Sweat – Opiate EP
14. Hush – Opiate EP
15. Opiate – Opiate EP

Tool Mix CD Disc 1

1. The Grudge – Lateralus
2. Schism – Lateralus
3. Parabola – Lateralus
4. Ticks and Leeches – Lateralus
5. Lateralus – Lateralus
6. Intolerance – Undertow
7. Prison Sex – Undertow
8. Sober – Undertow
9. Crawl Away – Undertow
10. Swamp Song – Undertow
11. Undertow – Undertow
12. 4° – Undertow

A few notes on Tool:

• First off, the band is working on a new album. No release date has been set, though, but tour dates have already been announced. Looks like Maynard is going straight from Puscifer dates to Tool dates. The guy’s a machine.
• I have a friend from Indiana to thank for my love of Tool. Heck, he’s the guy I need to thank for introducing me to alternative rock. Before he started pushing his CD collection on me, I was knee deep into a love affair with classic rock.
• I got into alternative rock during my transition from Indiana to Tennessee, between my sophomore and junior years of high school. Tool’s Undertow and Pearl Jam’s Ten opened my ears up to a whole new musical vista, one that was fostered by a couple of great Nashville radio stations (RIP Thunder 94). Tool was always in heavy rotation when I got tired of the radio and wanted to listen to CDs.
• While I’ll always have a place in my heart for Undertow and its influence on my musical evolution, Ænima will always be my favorite album (unless the band puts one out in the future that surpasses it…which wouldn’t be a bad thing). It seems to radiate more energy and emotion, and those tend to be the albums/songs I gravitate toward the most. I loved “Eulogy” and its layered percussion opening. That’s the song that was on repeat the most.
• I don’t know if it’s just me, but I’m always a little let down with the follow-up to any album I fall head over heels for. Lateralus was a good album, but I keep comparing it to Ænima, and just doesn’t stack up as well for me. I think before the next album, I’m going to give Lateralus and 10,000 Days some good listens and re-evaluate my thoughts on them.
• Maynard Keenan has two other bands that I enjoy (A Perfect Circle moreso than Puscifer), but you’ll notice I didn’t include any of their songs in this mix. That was something easy to do with bands like The Burden Brothers and The Toadies or the various projects Ken Andrews has worked with. But with Maynard and his bands, the sounds are just SO different that they wouldn’t work well together in a mix CD. So Tool gets two CDs all to itself, and A Perfect Circle gets its own CD. At the time I made the CDs, I didn’t like enough Puscifer songs to include on a full-length mix CD.

Tool’s Official Site

Tool’s Facebook page

Tool’s Myspace page

Tool’s Twitter feed

Tool’s Wikipedia entry

Tool’s AllMusic entry

Tool’s Semi-Official Fan Site

Also, in case you've forgotten: When I can remember to add this to the bottom of my posts, I’m going to whore myself out with an impassioned plea: click on the ads. PLEASE click on the ads. I don’t care if you exit out of it immediately or actually look around. This isn’t some professional blog where I believe in the products I’m shilling. These are automatic ads placed by Google. But when you click ads, I get a little bit of money, and as a single father of three, every penny from every source helps...especially with Christmas looming on the horizon. So I’m going to keep this tiny bit of begging at the bottom of my posts, and I hope you’ll take an extra 10 seconds after reading my blog to click on an ad. The only thing it costs you is time. :) Thanks so much!

What You Should Have Heard #84

My Mix CDs

I’ve got a lot of music but limited space to hold it in, especially in my car. So I’ve gone the old tried-and-true way of making mix CDs to have access to as many bands as possible while driving. I’m going slightly old-school since I’m a bit backwards and have no iPod.

So I finally got a Smart Phone a couple of months ago. I've now got a Spotify account with more than 10,000 songs in various playlists, so I guess I'm done with CDs. I'm going to see this through to the end, though. Well, through Yellowcard, at least. I got a bunch of miscellaneous CDs that contain a bunch of bands with a song or two by each.

Most of the songs will be more upbeat, with probably only the occasional ballad or slower song included. I like to sing in the car, and the more upbeat songs are more fun to sing.

I’ll be going in alpha-numeric order with these, so if you want to argue with me about what Weezer songs should be included, you’re going to be waiting for a while.

My only limitations are that I use 80 min. discs, and I’m only going to use one disc per band/artist. I will make exceptions for only my most favorite bands with huge playlists (Foo Fighters and Self, off the top of my head), but I’d really like to boil everything down to just one disc.

Here’s the list guide:

Track # - Song Name - Album Name [Artist if album is by a different artist]

                                                               

Toadies Mix CD

1. Buried in You Black Heart – Burden Brothers [Burden Brothers]
2. Shadow – Burden Brothers [Burden Brothers]
3. Beautiful Night – Burden Brothers [Burden Brothers]
4. You’re So God Damn Beautiful – Burden Brothers [Burden Brothers]
5. Plane Crash – Hell Below, Stars Above
6. Push the Hand – Hell Below, Stars Above
7. Little Sin – Hell Below, Stars Above
8. Motivational – Hell Below, Stars Above
9. Heel – Hell Below, Stars Above
10. You’ll Come Down – Hell Below, Stars Above
11. What We Have We Steal – Hell Below, Stars Above
12. Sweetness – Hell Below, Stars Above
13. Hell Below, Stars Above – Hell Below, Stars Above
14. Mister Love – Rubberneck
15. Backslider – Rubberneck
16. Possum Kingdom – Rubberneck
17. Quitter – Rubberneck
18. Away – Rubberneck
19. I Come from the Water – Rubberneck
20. Tyler – Rubberneck
21. Happy Face – Rubberneck
22. Velvet – Rubberneck
23. I Burn – Rubberneck

A few notes on The Toadies:

• I’m including the Burden Brothers in this mix because both bands share a lead singer and, really, they sound pretty indistinguishable. I guess this should be a Vaden Todd Lewis mix instead, then.
• Rubberneck is a very short album. I think it only clocks in at 33 minutes (Wikipedia says 36, so I wasn’t that far off). I remember feeling incredibly cheated the first time I heard it, thinking, “That’s it?” Looking back, though, I’ve gotten more enjoyment from those 36 minutes than from longer releases by other bands.
• I’ve listened to No Deliverance and Feeler, and Mercy from the Burden Brothers, but nothing on them really grabbed me like these other three releases. All of these are available on Spotify, though, so maybe I’ll be able to gain a better appreciation for them.
• I’ve ended up using a number of songs from Rubberneck as inspiration for a couple of characters/situations in a book I’m writing. I hope I’ve strayed enough to not be accused of plagiarism, and I’ll change things if I have to, but music has been a HUGE part of my life, and I like to do things like that as my way of saying thanks.
• I had a chance in high school to go see Bush and The Toadies in concert and passed for some reason. I’m still disappointed in myself for that.

Toadies’ Official Site

Toadies’ Facebook page

Toadies’ Myspace page

Toadies’ Twitter feed

Toadies’ YouTube page

Toadies’ Wikipedia entry

Toadies’ AllMusic entry

Burden Brothers’ Official Site

Burden Brothers’ Facebook page

Burden Brothers’ Myspace page

Burden Brothers’ YouTube page

Burden Brothers’ Wikipedia entry

Burden Brothers’ AllMusic entry


Also, in case you've forgotten: When I can remember to add this to the bottom of my posts, I’m going to whore myself out with an impassioned plea: click on the ads. PLEASE click on the ads. I don’t care if you exit out of it immediately or actually look around. This isn’t some professional blog where I believe in the products I’m shilling. These are automatic ads placed by Google. But when you click ads, I get a little bit of money, and as a single father of three, every penny from every source helps...especially with Christmas looming on the horizon. So I’m going to keep this tiny bit of begging at the bottom of my posts, and I hope you’ll take an extra 10 seconds after reading my blog to click on an ad. The only thing it costs you is time. :) Thanks so much!

What You Should Have Heard #83

My Mix CDs

I’ve got a lot of music but limited space to hold it in, especially in my car. So I’ve gone the old tried-and-true way of making mix CDs to have access to as many bands as possible while driving. I’m going slightly old-school since I’m a bit backwards and have no iPod.

Most of the songs will be more upbeat, with probably only the occasional ballad or slower song included. I like to sing in the car, and the more upbeat songs are more fun to sing.

I’ll be going in alpha-numeric order with these, so if you want to argue with me about what Weezer songs should be included, you’re going to be waiting for a while.

My only limitations are that I use 80 min. discs, and I’m only going to use one disc per band/artist. I will make exceptions for only my most favorite bands with huge playlists (Foo Fighters and Self, off the top of my head), but I’d really like to boil everything down to just one disc.

Here’s the list guide:

Track # - Song Name - Album Name [Artist if album is by a different artist]

                                                               

Three Days Grace Mix CD

1. Are You Ready? – I Hate Everything About You
2. Bitter Taste – Life Starts Now
3. Break – Life Starts Now
4. World So Cold – Life Starts Now
5. The Good Life – Life Starts Now
6. Bully – Life Starts Now
7. It’s All Over – One-X
8. Pain – One-X
9. Animal I Have Become – One-X
10. Never Too Late – One-X
11. On My Own – One-X
12. Riot – One-X
13. Let It Die – One-X
14. Over and Over – One-X
15. Time of Dying – One-X
16. One-X – One-X
17. Burn – Three Days Grace
18. Just Like You – Three Days Grace
19. I Hate Everything About You – Three Days Grace
20. Home – Three Days Grace
21. Scared – Three Days Grace
22. Overrated – Three Days Grace

A few notes on Three Days Grace:

• This group is high on my list when I want to listen to some screaming or some anti-ex songs. They’re fun to listen to and easy to scream along with. It’s kind of weird. Lead singer Adam Gontier actually has a good voice, so it can be jarring to hear that, say at the beginning of “Break,” and then he seamlessly transitions into a harsher, raspy yelling. Weird in a good way, I mean.
• I can’t listen to “The Good Life” without thinking it sounds like a harder Nickelback song. Maybe it’s a Canadian thing?
• When going through their Vevo channel to pick out some videos, I was amazed at the transformation in Gontier. From the first video they did (“I Hate Everything About You”) to the latest (“The Good Life”), it doesn’t look like the same person. Of course, I don’t look like I did eight years ago, it’s just a little strange to see the transformation happen over a handful of minutes while watching the videos.
• I listened to TDG a LOT during the past two years. Between personal problems and the dissolution of my marriage, I was hurt and angry and this is what I listened to and screamed along with driving to and from work. I can only imagine how I looked to other commuters as I sat in traffic just screaming, sometimes with tears streaming down my face. Yet I don’t associate TDG with the problems I faced. There are some artists I still have a difficult time listening to because it’s the music we listened to, but these guys were therapy. Primal, screaming therapy. You’ll have to use your imagination as to the songs that were put on repeat most often.

Three Days Grace’s Official Site

Three Days Grace’s Facebook page

Three Days Grace’s Myspace page

Three Days Grace’s Twitter feed

Three Days Grace’s YouTube page

Three Days Grace’s Wikipedia entry

Three Days Grace’s AllMusic entry


Also, in case you've forgotten: When I can remember to add this to the bottom of my posts, I’m going to whore myself out with an impassioned plea: click on the ads. PLEASE click on the ads. I don’t care if you exit out of it immediately or actually look around. This isn’t some professional blog where I believe in the products I’m shilling. These are automatic ads placed by Google. But when you click ads, I get a little bit of money, and as a single father of three, every penny from every source helps...especially with Christmas looming on the horizon. So I’m going to keep this tiny bit of begging at the bottom of my posts, and I hope you’ll take an extra 10 seconds after reading my blog to click on an ad. The only thing it costs you is time. :) Thanks so much!

What You Should Have Heard #81

My Mix CDs

I’ve got a lot of music but limited space to hold it in, especially in my car. So I’ve gone the old tried-and-true way of making mix CDs to have access to as many bands as possible while driving. I’m going slightly old-school since I’m a bit backwards and have no iPod.

Most of the songs will be more upbeat, with probably only the occasional ballad or slower song included. I like to sing in the car, and the more upbeat songs are more fun to sing.

I’ll be going in alpha-numeric order with these, so if you want to argue with me about what Weezer songs should be included, you’re going to be waiting for a while.

My only limitations are that I use 80 min. discs, and I’m only going to use one disc per band/artist. I will make exceptions for only my most favorite bands with huge playlists (Foo Fighters and Self, off the top of my head), but I’d really like to boil everything down to just one disc.

Here’s the list guide:

Track # - Song Name - Album Name [Artist if album is by a different artist]

                                                               

Third Eye Blind Mix CD

1. Anything – Blue
2. 10 Days Late – Blue
3. Never Let You Go – Blue
4. 1,000 Julys – Blue
5. Blinded (When I See You) – Out of the Vein
6. Danger – Out of the Vein
7. Wake for Young Souls – Out of the Vein
8. Losing a Whole Year – Third Eye Blind
9. Narcolepsy – Third Eye Blind
10. Semi-Charmed Life – Third Eye Blind
11. Graduate – Third Eye Blind
12. Thanks a Lot – Third Eye Blind
13. London – Third Eye Blind
14. Don’t Believe a Word – Ursa Major
15. Water Landing – Ursa Major
16. New Girl – American Pie Soundtrack

A few notes on Third Eye Blind:

• I fell in love with “Semi-Charmed Life” in high school, and not the highly edited radio cut, but the longer album version. I’m pretty sure I bought the album after hearing that song only once or twice. Thus began my love/hate relationship with Third Eye Blind.
• I saw the group on some late-night talk show (Letterman?) when they were promoting their self-titled debut, and it was horrible. It could have been an off night for lead singer Stephan Jenkins, but that one performance really turned me off the group. Then Blue was released and I really liked “10 Days Late” so I picked up the CD…and felt pretty meh about most of the rest of the CD.
• That’s how it goes for most of their stuff. The stuff I like, I REALLY like. All the other stuff to me is just noise.
• I kind of hate Jenkins because he dated Vanessa Carlton. I think I might hate anybody who dated her. I want to date her. I might have a little crush on her.
• “Blinded” is an amazing song. I didn’t “get” it until recently. I know that girl. I used to be in love with that girl (but not anymore, so call me, Vanessa Carlton!!).

Third Eye Blind’s Official Site

Third Eye Blind’s Facebook page

Third Eye Blind’s Myspace page

Third Eye Blind’s Twitter feed

Third Eye Blind’s YouTube page

Third Eye Blind’s Wikipedia entry

Third Eye Blind’s AllMusic entry

Also, in case you've forgotten: When I can remember to add this to the bottom of my posts, I’m going to whore myself out with an impassioned plea: click on the ads. PLEASE click on the ads. I don’t care if you exit out of it immediately or actually look around. This isn’t some professional blog where I believe in the products I’m shilling. These are automatic ads placed by Google. But when you click ads, I get a little bit of money, and as a single father of three, every penny from every source helps...especially with Christmas looming on the horizon. So I’m going to keep this tiny bit of begging at the bottom of my posts, and I hope you’ll take an extra 10 seconds after reading my blog to click on an ad. The only thing it costs you is time. :) Thanks so much!