Monday, May 10, 2010

So Here I Am

I'm fascinated with music blogs.

I have found some of my favorite music on blogs and I'm always excited to find more. But being technically unsavvy, I've never really attempted to do my own until now.

I don't really have any clear cut idea of what I'm trying to do with this blog at the moment. I plan on posting some of my favorite songs here with the hope that you take time out of your day to click on the link, listen to the music and maybe enjoy the songs too. If I can turn you on to some new artists, songs or genres of music, then I've done my job.

As always ... don't steal music, etc. I don't steal music and if you did, I'd be horrified.

So here I am and here we go ... click on the song title to listen to the songs:

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Drivin' 'n' Cryin' --STRAIGHT TO HELL"



BACKGROUND: This is probably my favorite song ever. It's been my favorite for about 12 years now so that should count for something. I titled this blog after the first line in the song, so naturally it should be the first song I post.

THE SONG ITSELF: "Straight To Hell" tells the story of a young boy who comes from a broken family in a small town. His mother is the town floozy and because of that, he's regarded as a bad influence. He meets a girl and they decide to run from the town but before they leave he senses this girl is going to be as smothering and undependable as his own mother.

WHY I LOVE THE SONG: It reminds me of my days working in the bars back in the late 80s. The song was fairly popular in the deep south bars and when I'd play it, everyone would sing along with the chorus. Drivin 'n' Cryin is a rock band out of Atlanta who traipsed into a semi-country mode for this one song. And lead singer Kevn Kinney's voice is so damaged and broken that it lends credence to the lyrics.

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M. Ward's "STORY OF AN ARTIST"



BACKGROUND: This is a cover of a song written by Daniel Johnson. Johnson was a big influence on many of today's rock bands including Kurt Cobain. Johnson's original recordings are extremely melodic but practically unlistenable due to his lack of vocal prowess. In a nutshell, the guy can't sing at all. I'm not sure of his exact diagnosis (and am too lazy to look it up), but the man suffers from mental illness.

THE SONG ITSELF: "Story of An Artist" has a haunting melody and is sung very quietly by M. Ward. The lyrics detail how Johnson felt as everyone in his life tried to hold him back from his true ambition which was to be a creative songwriter or "artist". People are telling him to get a job while he knows that this is really truly the only thing he could ever hope to be a success at due to his mental health.

WHY I LOVE THE SONG: I'm the father of a son with Aspergers. It's fair to say that I worry quite a bit about his future and how he's going to get along in life when his mother and I are gone. I connected with this song immediately due to its melody and when I listened to the lyrics, it became a favorite for life.

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Arcade Fire's "WAKE UP"



BACKGROUND: From Arcade Fire's "Funeral" CD, this song is truly an anthem. From its sound to its lyrics to its production ... it just sounds so HUGE. It was featured in trailers for the movie "Where The Wild Things Are" and played pretty prominently during this past Super Bowl in a few commercials.

THE SONG ITSELF: "Wake Up" is a call for kids to wake up and start planning for the future. I think. I don't know. The lyrics come along at a snail's pace and so I don't really focus on them. I just love the music.

WHY I LOVE THE SONG: For the reasons I've listed above ... it just makes you feel as if you can conquer anything if you put your mind to it. Also, the last minute or so where the song transforms from a majestic anthem to an impression of the Supreme's "You Can't Hurry Love" is really pretty cool and is something you're not expecting the first time you hear it.

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Brandi Carlile's "THE STORY"



BACKGROUND: The song was featured on "Grey's Anatomy" a lot although I don't watch the show and can't vouch for that. I have seen the video where it intercuts scenes from the show with the actual music video.

THE SONG ITSELF: It's a love song about the wrinkles on your face with each one telling a "story". But the stories don't mean a thing without anyone to tell them to. Wow.

WHY I LOVE THE SONG: Ultimately, Brandi's voice as she kicks the song from a pretty singer/songwriter tone into an almost metal jam. She has said that while recording the song as she screamed "All of these lines ...", her voice cracked as she tried to start screaming and she wanted to do it over again. The producer said no because this version was raw and vulnerable and it is. I find it hard to believe that there are people on this world who would NOT love this song. It's just too awesome for words.



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Jazmine Sullivan's "BUST YOUR WINDOWS"



BACKGROUND: I was driving home from Birmingham late one night and trying to find something decent on the radio. I landed about 30 seconds into this song and was drawn in from the rhythm. Then when I heard the lyrics I thought "This must be a novelty song". But the more I listened I realized what the song meant and was blown away.

THE SONG ITSELF: Hell hath no fury. This woman has been rejected and she makes no bones about it. She's driven to such anger that she busts the windows out of the guy's car. She conveys so much pain and hurt throughout the song that you feel sorry for her by the end. Even though that was a pretty messed up thing she did.

WHY I LOVE THE SONG: I personally love the groove ... that Amy Winehouse/Duffy/Sharon Jones type of retro soul. That's what originally sold me on the song in the first place. Plus, she just does an excellent job with the lyrics. Don't think I'd want to date her though.

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Alright ... that's it for now. I've got about a million more songs to do and can't promise it's going to follow this same format as this was a pain to write. We'll see.

2 comments:

  1. Well, "The Story" absolutely blew me away. It brought me to tears, because it is SO like my life and my love. Thank you for sharing this with all of us. I can't wait to let my husband hear it. :-) MizLizzy

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  2. I own "The Story" because you brought it to us over on DL. I like Straight to Hell enough to buy it as well.
    I hope you stick with this format, I really like it. Glad to be reading you again.

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