Live in a Hiding Place - Idlewild

"There are times that I should try to be so much more alive.."

The song kicks off with a lovely acoustic riff repeating until the chorus, which bursts out of the speakers with the typical Idlewild wave of sound. The uncharacteristic piano mixed into the chaos adds a really nice touch. Then it's back to the acoustic guitar.

It is a lovely song. I don't mind being on an Idlewild kick at all.

Good Morning!

Roseability - Idlewild

This song makes absolutely no sense to me; I mean, what IS "roseability," anyway? Either way, the jangly guitars and euphoric chorus make up for the complete confusion of lyrics. This Scottish band put out "Roseability" in 1999 on the album "1000 Broken Windows." While some of its album-mates may be a bit rough, this song is nicely polished and in my opinion, a strong choice for the single put out the following year.

Ah, if only they would do an American tour. Damn Atlantic.

Good Morning!

Empire State of Mind - Jay-Z, featuring Alicia Keys

Holy shit, I am wearing ear plugs the next time I am visiting my family. I can't handle this. Another catchy piece of trash forced into my subconscious by my little brother. I don't want to talk about it.

Miserable Morning.

California - Hollywood Undead

I blame my brother for this. He has terrible taste in music and a flawed perception of volume. As a result, I was repeatedly subjected to this swill while I was visiting home. This is apparently a radio hit or something, heavily edited to get there, since the chorus is about getting "fucked up." Awesome. I just love songs about skanks and booze. Why don't I listen to more? Oh wait, it's because I have a brain, and am not a wannabe gangster pop star.

In 30 years, the oldies radio stations will still be playing music from the 90's and early 00's. There is no way that old people will still be interested in this bullshit.

Bad Morning.

Fool on the Hill - The Beatles

The movie "Dinner for Schmucks" opens with a creepy montage backed by this song. Like pretty much everything done by the Beatles, this is mellow, soft, groovy, whatever. From the first note, you know it's the Beatles. I could take it or leave it.

Meh Morning.


(From August 16)

Police on My Back - The Clash

This song is one of the gems from the triple-disc behemoth, "Sandinista!". I love how Joe Strummer glamorizes the whole bank robber/ cat burglar/ outlaw thing. Isn't that what all good law-abiding citizens fantasize about? I've definitely had police chase dreams, in any case.

The steady beat is not particularly fast, kind of messing with the listener. I mean, here's a song about running away from the boys in blue, and the song just kind of ambles along. This is one of the things I love most in music - lyrical and musical disconnect. At least, I love it when it's done well, like here.

Good Morning!

Blood - Editors

MMMMMM. Taste that? It's another Joy Division fan club. At least the next generation picks up where Ian Curtis left off. The rich, deep vocals, haunting melodies, and dark feel of this song all combine to produce something that would probably feel at home as the background music for some sort of film noir.

At times I feel regretful for my lack of inter-scene interaction. I don't hang with many goths, and I really wonder if the Editors are popular with them. I mean, they're fucking fantastic, and I dunno, I guess they sound kind of like the Cure, so that's an in, right?

Good Morning!

Hellicopter - Bloc Party

Ah, the fresh sound of dance rock in the morning. I've always admired how Bloc Party can produce both sung and spoken tracks. A lot of bands try and just sound awkward. Perhaps it's the Joy Division influence that makes it work. Maybe it's just that the rest of the song is fantastic, too. I love the relentless sound that you get out of Bloc Party. My least favorite of their songs are the quiet ones. Loud and fast, that's where it's at, am I right?

Good Morning!

England - Ghost Mice

This album, "Europe," details the band's trip across Europe, with about one song per country. For the past week, I've woken up with snippets of several songs at once. Their songwriting all sounds roughly the same, and while they're telling a story, it is even rougher. Perhaps it would be easier to think of the album as a 30 minute song.

Either way, the part that made me choose this particular song is the line "No, you can't get lost if you've got no place to go, you can't take a wrong turn if you're not on your way home. And we realized just how free we really were." I'll try to keep this in mind for my year and a half in Europe. Yep, I'm moving to Italy in about a week. Damn, that's soon.

Good Morning.


(From August 10)

Failure - The Arrivals

I know next to none of the lyrics in this song, but the chorus is a self deprecating round of "I'm a failure, I know nothing!" It's nice to be alright with who you are, I guess. The sound is typical of current punk music (not that watered down radio crap that Green Day puts out these days), and is bold and noisy. Regardless of the lyrics, it's upbeat and fun.

Good Morning!

First Song - Gordon Gano's Army

I saw these guys live, and in a rare case of extravagance, the boyfriend purchased an album. The band was freaking great. They were also adorable, telling a story about how the day before they had gotten to drive ATV's around a farm.

This song is really catchy, but not in an annoying fashion. It keeps a smile on your lips while you sing it in your head for days on end. Warm guitars and that sweet British accent make this pop-punk irresistible.

Good Morning!

Green Grow the Rushes 'O - Campfire Song

This is one of those terrible repetition songs, kind of along the lines of "The 12 Days of Christmas." When I challenged my drunken friend to explain the meaning of the song, she waved it away with "Bible stuff." Good explanation, for only 3 of the verses. My favorite line to imagine being religious is "Two, two lily-white boys, clothe them all in green-o." *Snrk* I'll bet "lily-white" boys are in high demand these days, what with the crackdown on child molestation by the Vatican. Alright, too soon to joke about it, I know. Still a weird verse, though.

Meh Morning.


(From August 1)

It's Got to be Buffalo USA - Promotional commercial

Sometime in the not-so-distant past, someone decided that Buffalo's tourism industry could use a boost. This video was the apparent solution to the problem. I have no idea where this was aired, but the song is really catchy. You try to wake up with something else in your head after watching this.

Even more hilarious is the response. I have to say that this is infinitely more accurate. I have never seen most of the crap going on in the first movie. However, I can vouch for the accuracy of the remake.

Meh Morning.


(From July 31)