Summer is always a great time for music. Those are the songs you make memories to- hanging out at the beach, driving around with your friends, bonfires in your backyard. Summer songs always have the ability to take me back to certain years as if they were yesterday.
I've been making "best of summer" mixes so long, I used to make them on tapes, and I made covers for said tapes by drawing palm trees with markers, scanning them and formatting them in ClarisWorks (remember clarisworks??)
The best thing about these mixes (besides being mildly horrified at some of my choices) is that you can look at them and see the evolution of my musical taste, and also tell what I did that summer. I'm going to post all my lists, one each week, leading up to August when I'll make a list of all my favorite songs from this summer.
I give you my list from 2000. I was 15, and this was a time before ipods (or atleast a time before I had an ipod.) I spent my days babysitting the kids down the street from me and watching TRL with them so they could track the progress of NSync's "It's Gonna Be Me" as it climbed up the charts. I was experiencing the resurgence of my love for Hanson, and the beginning of my love for Eve 6.
The Best of Summer 2000
Everclear: Wonderful
B-44: Get Down
Dr Dre/Snoop Dogg: Next Episode
Lit: Over My Head
Eve 6: Promise
Matchbox 20: Bent
Vertical Horizon: You're a God
Barenaked Ladies: Pinch Me
Red Hot Chili Peppers: Otherside
Incubus: Stellar
KEF: Hottie Boombalottie (I totally still like this song.)
Papa Roach: Last Resort
Soul Decision: Faded
Hanson: If Only
LFO: Veronica
Christina Aguilera: Come On Over
Showing posts with label jams. Show all posts
Showing posts with label jams. Show all posts
Friday, June 19, 2009
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Oh Hot Damn: These Are My Jams (vol 3: Alarm Clock Songs)
The Matches said it: It's the alarm versus me and the snooze button wins.
Maybe it's the fact that I tend to stay up until 4am most nights, or the fact that sleeping is just so damn great, but I end up hitting snooze on average about 6 times per morning. One of my alarms uses itunes to wake me, and I've learned the importance of finding a good song to wake up to in the morning.
You might think it sounds like a good plan to wake up to your favorite song. Bad idea-- after it rips you from sleep for the 3rd or 4th time, you're really just going to start resenting it. You can't pick anything too upbeat or loud, or you'll hit snooze as a reflex before you have a chance to realize you're awake. Pick something too mellow and you might not wake up at all.
If you use some itunes-based alarm clock, what's YOUR favorite song to wake up to? I'm always looking to build up a good morning playlist!
These are 3 of my favorite alarm clock songs. I discover new ones from time to time, thanks to shuffle, but these are the 3 best ones I can think of:
1. Four Year Strong "The Takeover"
Most FYS songs will just make you fall out of bed if played loud enough early in the morning, but the first 10-12 seconds of this song will lull you awake without making you want to hurl your computer across the room. This made me realize the key to a good alarm clock song: slow build of volume/intensity.
2. Nate Dogg/Warren G "Regulate"
In addition to being one of the best songs ever, this fits my previously established criteria. Be careful though, hit snooze too many times and you'll be having early-morning mini-dreams about playing dice in an alley and/or gunfights.
3. The Dangerous Summer "The Permanent Rain"
I woke up to this the other day and I'm pretty sure it was atleast partially responsible for my day-long good mood.
Maybe it's the fact that I tend to stay up until 4am most nights, or the fact that sleeping is just so damn great, but I end up hitting snooze on average about 6 times per morning. One of my alarms uses itunes to wake me, and I've learned the importance of finding a good song to wake up to in the morning.
You might think it sounds like a good plan to wake up to your favorite song. Bad idea-- after it rips you from sleep for the 3rd or 4th time, you're really just going to start resenting it. You can't pick anything too upbeat or loud, or you'll hit snooze as a reflex before you have a chance to realize you're awake. Pick something too mellow and you might not wake up at all.
If you use some itunes-based alarm clock, what's YOUR favorite song to wake up to? I'm always looking to build up a good morning playlist!
These are 3 of my favorite alarm clock songs. I discover new ones from time to time, thanks to shuffle, but these are the 3 best ones I can think of:
1. Four Year Strong "The Takeover"
Most FYS songs will just make you fall out of bed if played loud enough early in the morning, but the first 10-12 seconds of this song will lull you awake without making you want to hurl your computer across the room. This made me realize the key to a good alarm clock song: slow build of volume/intensity.
2. Nate Dogg/Warren G "Regulate"
In addition to being one of the best songs ever, this fits my previously established criteria. Be careful though, hit snooze too many times and you'll be having early-morning mini-dreams about playing dice in an alley and/or gunfights.
3. The Dangerous Summer "The Permanent Rain"
I woke up to this the other day and I'm pretty sure it was atleast partially responsible for my day-long good mood.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Oh Hot Damn, These Are My Jams (Vol 2: The Best Songs Ever)
I'd like to start with the disclaimer that these are NOT the best songs ever. They are MY best songs ever.
I used to make a lot of mix cds in college (yes, my first two years of college were pre-ipod). After getting sick of listening to my ska mixes volumes 1-4 I started making one called "The Best Songs Ever." It was supposed to be a mix of all the songs I'd ever called my favorite. That was too long to fit on one cd, so I narrowed it down to just the songs I'd never gotten sick of. I could only think of 4.
Now there are a few more added to the list, but I've realized that this mix can only be completed on my deathbed (then I hope someone will burn it and play it at my funeral) because any of these songs have the potential of being kicked off the list if I get sick of them in the next year, or decade, or five decades.
My challenge to you is to start your own "Best Songs Ever" list. These are the songs that you wouldn't even THINK of skipping when they come up on shuffle on your ipod/itunes/zune (do zunes even still exist?) The songs that, when you're out in public and you hear them, you grab whoever's closest to you and say "I LOVE THIS SONG," even when you're sober. If the day comes that you skip one of these songs, or don't bust out a huge smile when you hear the first chords/riff, the song's gotta go. Even as I wrote this blog, I realized I had to take a song off my list.
Songs aren't eligible to be added to your list until you've known them for atleast a year. You can't know if something's the best song ever if you've only been listening to it for a couple months. Also, no pretending to be cool in this game. No one's judging, least of all me (hell, half my list was once featured on a VH1 "worst songs ever" countdown. Seriously.)
The Best Songs Ever (as of 3/28/09)
1. The Temptations "Ain't Too Proud to Beg"
2. The Jackson 5 "I Want You Back"
3. Warren G/Nate Dogg "Regulate"
4. Mr Big "To Be With You"
5. Michael Jackson "The Way You Make Me Feel"
6. Spin Doctors "Two Princes"
7. Third Eye Blind "Semi-Charmed Life"
8. (tentative) Green Day "Welcome to Paradise"
9. (tentative) Hanson "Where's the Love"
I used to make a lot of mix cds in college (yes, my first two years of college were pre-ipod). After getting sick of listening to my ska mixes volumes 1-4 I started making one called "The Best Songs Ever." It was supposed to be a mix of all the songs I'd ever called my favorite. That was too long to fit on one cd, so I narrowed it down to just the songs I'd never gotten sick of. I could only think of 4.
Now there are a few more added to the list, but I've realized that this mix can only be completed on my deathbed (then I hope someone will burn it and play it at my funeral) because any of these songs have the potential of being kicked off the list if I get sick of them in the next year, or decade, or five decades.
My challenge to you is to start your own "Best Songs Ever" list. These are the songs that you wouldn't even THINK of skipping when they come up on shuffle on your ipod/itunes/zune (do zunes even still exist?) The songs that, when you're out in public and you hear them, you grab whoever's closest to you and say "I LOVE THIS SONG," even when you're sober. If the day comes that you skip one of these songs, or don't bust out a huge smile when you hear the first chords/riff, the song's gotta go. Even as I wrote this blog, I realized I had to take a song off my list.
Songs aren't eligible to be added to your list until you've known them for atleast a year. You can't know if something's the best song ever if you've only been listening to it for a couple months. Also, no pretending to be cool in this game. No one's judging, least of all me (hell, half my list was once featured on a VH1 "worst songs ever" countdown. Seriously.)
The Best Songs Ever (as of 3/28/09)
1. The Temptations "Ain't Too Proud to Beg"
2. The Jackson 5 "I Want You Back"
3. Warren G/Nate Dogg "Regulate"
4. Mr Big "To Be With You"
5. Michael Jackson "The Way You Make Me Feel"
6. Spin Doctors "Two Princes"
7. Third Eye Blind "Semi-Charmed Life"
8. (tentative) Green Day "Welcome to Paradise"
9. (tentative) Hanson "Where's the Love"
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Oh Hot Damn, These Are My Jams (vol. 1)
The title of this blog is what I originally wanted to call our new "Industry Spotlight" feature, but once we added more questions to the survey besides "Current Top 5 Albums" it didn't make much sense. I figured I shouldn't let that name go to waste (<3 u Flo Rida) so I'm figuring out a way to write a series of blogs under that general theme.
First edition: My Current Top 5 Singalong Jams
Ever since I started working on Inklings full time, I've been working out of my apartment. Office space is rather pricey in NYC, plus if I work from home I can be in my pajamas until like 2pm. My roommates, on the other hand, have these things that I like to call "jobs." These "jobs" typically cause them to be out of the apartment for large chunks of the daytime. With the place to myself, I tend to walk around singing at the top of my lungs all day (sorry, stay-at-home neighbors.) These are the songs I like to sing most this week:
1. Take Cover "One More Shot"
2. Hit the Lights "Cry Your Eyes Out"
3. Demi Lovato "Get Back"
4. The Temptations "Ain't Too Proud to Beg"
5. Hanson "Where's the Love"
I'll be writing more of these, probably with different themes, from time to time. I mean, unless I get a "job."
Also, check out our two newest features-- Industry Spotlight (featuring a different musician, industry-person and music fan each week) and Write On! (highlighting a different music-related blog each week).
In the past week we've shot interviews with Breathe Carolina, Anarbor, This Providence and The Hoodies. Stay tuned to see those on the site very soon! In the meantine, check out our myspace photo albums and you can look at behind the scenes pictures from our shoots with Breathe Carolina and The Hoodies.
First edition: My Current Top 5 Singalong Jams
Ever since I started working on Inklings full time, I've been working out of my apartment. Office space is rather pricey in NYC, plus if I work from home I can be in my pajamas until like 2pm. My roommates, on the other hand, have these things that I like to call "jobs." These "jobs" typically cause them to be out of the apartment for large chunks of the daytime. With the place to myself, I tend to walk around singing at the top of my lungs all day (sorry, stay-at-home neighbors.) These are the songs I like to sing most this week:
1. Take Cover "One More Shot"
2. Hit the Lights "Cry Your Eyes Out"
3. Demi Lovato "Get Back"
4. The Temptations "Ain't Too Proud to Beg"
5. Hanson "Where's the Love"
I'll be writing more of these, probably with different themes, from time to time. I mean, unless I get a "job."
Also, check out our two newest features-- Industry Spotlight (featuring a different musician, industry-person and music fan each week) and Write On! (highlighting a different music-related blog each week).
In the past week we've shot interviews with Breathe Carolina, Anarbor, This Providence and The Hoodies. Stay tuned to see those on the site very soon! In the meantine, check out our myspace photo albums and you can look at behind the scenes pictures from our shoots with Breathe Carolina and The Hoodies.
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