“I prefer the Term Homage”

As I watched High Fidelity again the other day, I was thinking to myself, I wanna work in a record store (but I realized none of them were making money so that thought left me quickly).  Then I noticed I was 10 minutes into the movie and top 5 lists had already been mentioned at least 3 times. Which brings us to todays topic:

Top 5 Lists

I was thinking about doing all the Top 5 Lists from the movie all in one post but I realized a) that would take so long to research, write, and read and b) sebastian has been bugging me about not posting in the last couple days so I’ve been thinking about doing a one-a-day thing where I do a Top 5 from the movie everyday (duh) until I’ve done them all. In addition to that, in order to spice up my own life, I’d throw in other posts so that its not too monotonous. Last thought before this starts: If you have seen the movie, you’ll realize that I am not going to do every single Top 5 that they talk about. Mostly because I don’t know how to answer them (if you actually realize that I don’t do all of them, you know this movie too well).

Top 5 Side 1 Track 1’s (In no particular order) :

1) Song: Sunshine  Album: Sad Clown Bad Summer  Artist:  Atmosphere  –  “Every woman looks better in a sundress” This song is just so feel good and up-beat. And its Atmosphere, who I might be a little bias towards.

2) Song: Planet Rock  Album: Planet Rock: The Album  Artist: Afrika Bambaata & Soulsonic Force  –  I’d drop an “Ali G, Indahouse” quote to flaunt my vast knowledge of movies but that wouldn’t do anything to support this song, so just listen and enjoy one great song by a founding member of the genre I love so dearly.

3) Song: Welcome to the Jungle  Artist: Guns N’ Roses Album: Appetite for Destruction  –  First heard this song freshman year of high school when David burned me a bunch of music (GNR, STP, Offspring, Jay-Z, RHCP). This album then changed my life.  Senior year of high school when I was on the year book committee (video yearbook mostly, none of the mistakes in the book were my fault) I had an idea for the beginning of the video that was shot in first person (does that mean the same thing as first person shooter? cause thats what I was going for…).  What you saw was the view of me getting off the bus, turning around to the school, and as the bus drove away this song started.  A couple months later I finally saw the music video for this song and realized I had, without any knowledge, done a pretty good homage. Cheers.

4) Song: Baba O’Riley  Artist: The Who  Album: Who’s Next  –  “So what if I don’t know all the lyrics to Teenage Wasteland?” “Its Baba O’Riley. The song’s called Baba O’Riley!”

5) Song: You Should be Dancing Album: Children of the World Artist: Bee Gees  –  While going through my music to find songs to fit this category, I stumbled upon theses guys for the first time in years (I have 14000 songs, its easy to have things get forgotten for long periods of time) and remembered how awesome they are. I gotta stop letting new genres make me forget about the classics.

Honorable Mentions:

Song: Brown Eyed Girl Artist: Van Morrison Album: Blowin’ Your Mind!

Song: Battle Cry Artist: Army of the Pharaohs Album: The Torture Papers  –  I’ve been really into these guys recently. Celph Titled’s voice and delivery are so filthy

Song: Black Dog Album: Led Zeppelin IV Artist: Led Zeppelin  –  “When it comes down to making out, whenever possible, put on side one of Led Zeppelin IV.”

I haven’t decided which one I’ll do for tomorrow…so we’ll see what I’m in the mood for when that time comes.

What are you thankful for today? Off the top of my head I can think of my friends, family, delicious food (gained 5.6 pounds at dinner today), beautiful parks, the cure for hiccups, and the button that lets you mute 12 year olds on x-box live.

Love you guys.

“Did I listen to pop music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to pop music?”

So Russell, What do you love about music?

So todays (very late night) post is inspired by the band-aids from the movie Almost Famous (if you think I’m referencing adhesive bandages then bookmark this page, watch the movie, come back and then keep reading). Right after the band thinks they’re gonna break up (this isn’t a spoiler, it happens in every movie with a band in it), one of the band-aids is talking to Stillwater’s manager about the new groupies and says:  “They don’t even know what it is to be a fan. Y’know? To truly love some silly little piece of music, or some band, so much that it hurts.”  During the concert scenes of the movie, the band-aids are shown simply listening to the music. Soaking it in with a smile on their face as if to say I wish this moment would never end.  And from this comes the theme, if you will, of this post.

Songs that make you feel good.

It can be when you’re having a great day and a song comes on that makes you smile from ear to ear. Maybe you’re having a bad day and all you wanna do is sing at the top of your lungs to a song that, may not be the best song ever made, but It’ll bring the tears. And sometimes thats the one thing you (and I) need. So heres a list that covers that for me, anyways. Its hard to categorize such a wide variety of music into a few basic groups, but here are the main ones I can think of. Songs that:

1) You can listen and relate to  2) Bring back memories, either personal or just something you think is funny  3) Are funny. For me there isn’t much better than hearing a line in a song that makes me start laughing hysterically  4) Are just good songs. Listening to my favorite music and feeling better after makes me re-realize why I listened to those songs in the first place

Before I (finally) start this list, there is one basic, but very key rule. It ALWAYS makes the song better when you sing along. Period.

1) Songs you can listen and relate to:

“Chicken Fried” Zach Brown Band  –  This is one of only 2 country songs on this list, and for good reason. a) I just dont get country. and b) the only time I can listen to it is when I’m heartbroken, and it doesn’t cheer me up. But every line in this song reminds you of the simple things in life. Fried chicken, cold beer, comfy jeans, and good music? Country or not, if you can’t get down with that then I’m not sure you can call yourself an American. Shout out to James Ganley for showing me this

“Callin Baton Rouge” Garth Brookes  –  Long. Lost. Love…. Pretty self-explanatory. I usually kick up the volume (and sing louder) when the second verse starts

2) Songs that bring back memories (It’s all about the buildup)

“Lose Control” Missy Elliot Ft. Ciara & Fat Man Scoop  –  This is the only song that has always stuck with me as the song I will always get up and dance to. Or in the case of Sean, Justin and me driving down University Ave past Panda Express with the windows down throwing ourselves around the car like lunatics while Justin has his foot out the window into the next lane doing some kind of stanky leg, sitting down and dancing to.

“Crescendolls” Daft Punk  –  Prospect park, 3rd St. playrground (BK,Ny) As David Butler wisely put it, “It’s so welcoming” (2:24)

“Canned Heat” Jamiroquai  –  First off, until I looked up this band, I thought the singer was a black chick. And secondly…  Napoleon Dynamite anyone?

“Let Me See the Booty” The Dream Ft. Lil Jon  –  The constant presence in every gym visit.  You know you have no shame when you dance in front of the mirrors in a full gym. Thanks to this song, and Sean, that shame left me a long time ago.

3) The Funny Songs (What do you mean funny, funny how? How am I funny?)

“Girl I Wanna Lay You Down” Jack Johnson  –  As much as this song might have been meant to be somewhat romantic, that got thrown away when he wrote “wrap your arms around my love handles”, and every other punch-line in the song for that matter. p.s. I love the difference the audience makes in the live version…helps me get into it***

“Dirty Girl” Atmosphere  –  A little dirty, but in the best way. Probably in the top 5 of my favorite Atmosphere songs. (Woman Tonight by Murs & Slug almost made it on the list simply for the reiteration of the best date ever in the 2nd verse)

“Just Playin (Dreams)”  Notorious B.I.G.  –  There seems to be a reoccurring theme in this group but I cant quite put my finger on it… This song makes me laugh. The simple reason being that I think its hilarious C. Wallace decided to make a song telling everyone all of the singers he wants to get with. I had “smack Tina Turner give her flashbacks of Ike” stuck in my head forever until my friends in provo (mike, mostly) got sick of it so I moved on…to the 2nd phrase of “Suicidal Thoughts” (don’t make sense…)

***pun was not intended

4) The Ones that Stick With You (You got what I neeeddddddddd)

“Feel It” Three 6 Mafia Ft. Tiesto  –  (how did they win an oscar?)  I first heard this song in the library at BYU in one of the single person cubicles. Arnold Palmers and redbulls lined the back of the desk as I sat down to study for midterms.  Saw this song when someone posted it on facebook, ended up replaying it for 45 minutes or so, packed up, and went back to my place. Wish I could say that wasn’t true.  Its a good song, but what makes it for me is the buildup, and then the drop. And then after the drop it picks up to a whole new level above that. It makes me feel giddy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHnGC4VV2dI  –  they cut it short at the end, so if you’re feeling incomplete, play the following

“Defying Gravity” Wicked  –  Once I started hitting the high notes at the end this became my number one song to sing as loud and care free as I please. Not quite my favorite song on the album (“For Good” but that makes me cry if i sing it) but this one still gets me emotional enough if I’m in the mood (I may or may not have teared up during this song when I saw it on broadway).

Some Honorable Mention:

(2) “Africa” Toto  –  Troy and Abed singing with Betty White. (Donald Glover has a great voice). J.D. in Elliot’s bath…mango body butter anyone?

(2) “Shout” Otis Day & The Knights  –  Pick your own favorite quote. Dibs on the cucumber line.

(3) “Beer” Reel Big Fish  –  not a big fan of the verses, but the chorus gets me. “And if you’re drinkin well you know that you’re my friend and ill say, I guess ill have myself a beer”  In the words of a kid named Peter that I met at a party “You gave me a beer. Thats friendship”

Obviously this list wont apply to everyone, but for those reading, if you find even 1 or 2 songs that you can take with you, then I’ll take that as a win (FTK!)

As I look back on this a couple of thoughts come to mind. First, if it wasn’t Hana’s birthday today, would I still be up writing this so she could see it whenever she got up (Happy birthday Hana!). And second, did anyone actually get this far. But that second one is besides the point. The point is:

If someone asked me the question; So Nate, what do you love about music?  I’d flip my chair around, sit down and say…

…to begin with?

Everything.