So here are some choice music picks for August. These songs are treasures, I dug them up for you now CHERISH THEM! Go buy them, download them, or look them up, either way, your iPod can't be without this playlist. I listen to them on repeat over and over and I'll issue new picks in September.
1.) Hello Conscience by The Zutons
LYRIC SAMPLE:
"Cause its all right, to go out at night and forget who you are, allright, then it's up in the morning and back to the start."
WHY I LOVE THIS SONG:
I love English bands, and this singer has a confident voice that he works over in this fun swingy song. Oh yeah, there's clapping.
LYRIC SAMPLE:
"All the stars point me to you and lately they just drive me crazy, A universe could be so cruel so baby baby just say maybe"
WHY I LOVE THIS SONG:
A classic favorite that has all the ingredients for a good song. The lyrics are thoughtful, and the acoustic work is simple and clear but inventive enough to be interesting.
LYRIC SAMPLE:
"Well it's a big, big city and the lights are all out, but it's as much as I can do, you know, to figure you out and I must confess-- my heart's in broken pieces and my head's a mess"
WHY I LOVE THIS SONG:
Anything by this band is phenomenal. This song is a nice break from the other hard hitting, high-energy tracks on this album. It's lighter (and slower) and although all the Fratellis tracks are catchy, this one sticks in your head and hours later you'll be whistling the chorus.
PS: Check out Chelsea Dagger, it's awesome.
4.) Balaclava by The Arctic Monkeys
LYRIC SAMPLE:
"The confidence is the balaclava I'm sure you'll baffle 'em good, with the ending wreck of salty cheeks and runny makeup alone..."
WHY I LOVE THIS SONG:
This song has so much "umph" that it makes me want to drive really fast erratically through a residential area. It's THAT good.
LYRIC SAMPLE:
"Cause I'm the one who waits here for you, I'm the one who'd always adore you, I'm the one who's dying for your cause, Do you care at all?"
WHY I LOVE THIS SONG:
It has a retro-beetle-ish sound and I like that. It's different from their other music which make it stand out for me. If "Hey there Delila" has got you wanting more of the Plain White T's, try this one on.
6.)Paralyzed (Lies for the liars) by The Used
LYRIC SAMPLE:
"Paralyzed by the same old antics, back and forth like some walking spastic, How could a fistfight be romantic? Thinking back now, will you ever feel the same?"
WHY I LOVE THIS SONG: It reminds me of Panic! At the Disco in the way that it melds cool piano sounds, brass instruments, guitars and loud punchy singing. It really gets my blood boiling.
PS-- The whole CS is fan-tas-morphical. BUY IT! You will not be disappointed.
7.)Take out the trash by They Might be Giants
LYRIC SAMPLE:
"Girl why not take out the trash, and once you get him out, tell him not to come back again."
WHY I LOVE THIS SONG: This song has lyrics that really hit home. Girls are notoriously bad at taking out the garbage.... The accompanying music is laid back but fun.
8.) Me and Julio down by the School-yard by Simon and Garfunkel
LYRIC SAMPLE: "Well I'm on my way, I don't know where I'm going, I'm on my way.. I'm taking my time but I don't know where"
WHY I LOVE THIS SONG: It reminds me of a time when I was driving through Pennsylvania, doing eighty around windy mountain roads, all the windows down, singing this song to Brian as we tried to get to New Hope with no directions and him arguing that, "Well if New Jersey is over there.... then New Hope HAS to be somewhere over there...."
****After I wrote this.. I became infatuated with a few other songs, so I've added them below (sorry but they're addictive promise)
-- Pretty girl from San Diego by The Avett Brothers
LYRIC sample: "bout how I know you love me and how I know I want to love you back"
Why I love it: Its a poppy fun song that you can jump around, but it has enough trippy elements in it to keep it fresh. Love it.
--- Taxi Driver by Gym Class Heroes ( I know it's old but still GOOD!)
Why I love it: It's clever, brilliant, genius. Took me a long time to realize that the lyrics were assembled by putting together the names of bands. Plus it's got a nice accompanying chill music.
---Lollipop by Mika
----What's it feel like to be a ghost? By Taking Back Sunday (remember them??!)
Why I love it: Um it's on Transformers, duh!
--Australia by The Shins
Why I love it: The shins are famous for burying tricky little melodies in layers. That's why it takes a few listens to truly appreciate a shins song. In this, there are two stronger melodies layered on top of each other, and the typical cryptic lyrics and sing-songy delivery. There's a remix of the song out there thats orgasmic ( in a good clean fun way) but it's hard to find and tricky to download (please see me after class for a [legal] copy of the song).