Do You Believe What I Say Now...

:: 01 ::

Weezer
The Blue Album

This album has always been there for me, singing the soundtrack of my life. When I'm sad, I listen to it. When I'm mad, I listen to it. And when I'm happy, I listen to it. How perfect could one CD be. I can't say enough about the emotional connection I have with it. I guess it goes back to those high school days, old girlfriends, and stupid people; and when Rivers Cuomo was the only person in the world that understood me.

That's it. I'm out.

Be Like The Squirrel, Girl

:: 02 ::

The White Stripes
Elephant

I'm Calm Like A Bomb

:: 03 ::

Rage Against The Machine
The Battle of LA

Because You Can't, You Won't, And You Don't.... stop

:: 04 ::

Beastie Boys
Ill Communication

Out Of Her Head She Sang

:: 05 ::

Foo Fighters
The Colour & The Shape

You Don't Know How Lucky You Are

:: 06 ::

The Beatles
The White Album

Pocket Full of Shells

:: 07 ::

Rage Against the Machine
Evil Empire

The perfect band to listen to when you're either (A) Mad at The Man, (B) Working late because someone else dropped the ball, and/or (C) Just plain mad.

Tracks of Note:
Bulls on Parade, People of the Sun, Year of the Boomerang

Soon Your Sugar Daddies Will All Be Gone

:: 08 ::

Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash With His Hot and Blue Guitar

My Dad used to sing and play all the classic Johnny Cash songs, especially Folsom Prison Blues, when I was a kid. I guess that's why I'm such a big fan now. Everytime I'm coming back home from a business trip or vacation, Hey Porter always pops into my head. It's just an upbeat, simple song about a simple southern boy coming home.

Hey porter! Hey porter!
Would you tell me the time?
How much longer will it be till we cross
that Mason Dixon Line?
At daylight would ya tell that engineer
to slow it down?
Or better still, just stop the train,
Cause I wanna look around.

Hey porter! Hey porter!
What time did ya say?
How much longer will it be till I can
see the light of day?
When we hit Dixie will you tell that engineer
to ring his bell?
And ask everybody that ain't asleep
to stand right up and yell.

Hey porter! Hey porter!
It's getting light outside.
This old train is puffin' smoke,
and I have to strain my eyes.
But ask that engineer if he will
blow his whistle please.
Cause I smell frost on cotton leaves
and I feel that Southern breeze.

Hey porter! Hey porter!
Please get my bags for me.
I need nobody to tell me now
that we're in Tennessee.
Go tell that engineer to make that
lonesome whistle scream,
We're not so far from home
so take it easy on the steam.

Hey porter! Hey porter!
Please open up the door.
When they stop the train I'm gonna get off first
Cause I can't wait no more.
Tell that engineer I said thanks alot,
and I didn't mind the fare.
I'm gonna set my feet on Southern soil
and breathe that Southern air.

Tracks of Note:
Folsom Prison Blues, Hey Porter, Get Rhythm, Cry Cry Cry, I Walk the Line, Hey Porter, Get Rhythm

On His Italian Leather Sofa

:: 09 ::

Cake
Fashion Nugget

I'm not very good at describing music, (See numbers posts 10-25) so I'll keep this one short and get out of the way. Here goes. Yeah, it's old news to say that you love "The Distance," but it'd probably make my top 5 favorite songs of all time. I love the "quirkiness" and soul of Cake. 1 part white funk, 2 parts Vegas crooner, mixed with a liberal dollop of spoken word poetry night. Bake at 350 degrees. Serve warm.

Tracks of Note:
The Distance, Frank Sinatra, Italian Leather Sofa, Race Car Ya Yas

Your Rehearsed Insanity

:: 10 ::

Foo Fighters
Self Titled

Would we even know Dave Grohl's name had Kurt not taken his own life? Or Sean "Puffy" Combs' name had Biggie Smalls not died? ... to be honest, I guess I don't know what his name is now... is it still P. Diddy? All I can be sure of is I'm glad these guys are out on the street 24 hours a day fighting foo so that we can enjoy our liberty.

Tracks of Note:
I'll Stick Around, Floaty, This Is a Call, Big Me

One And One And One Is Three

:: 11 ::

The Beatles
Abbey Road

I wasn't a fan of The Beatles until I bought the Beatles One album, then realized I knew almost every Beatles song. What power! for a band to have most every song engraved into the dna of several generations. There's not much else one can say, other than it's a burning dream of mine to recreate the Abbey Road photo... how original.

Tracks of Note:
Come Together, I Want You, Polythene Pam, She Came in Through the Bathroom Window

Could've Been A Genius If You Had An Axe To Grind

:: 12 ::

OK Go
Self Titled

Chin up, Chicago... you still have OK Go. Thanks to the band's guerrilla marketing genius on YouTube with the treadmill video, I started liking the radio hits from their second album. So I took a listen to their first album and loved every song. They have a way of writing the catchiest tunes that just stick into your brain. This is a band that I didn't want to like, it's poppy and happy - but when I searched my feelings, I knew it to be true... they're just good. I defy you to listen and not be immediately put into a better mood. In fact, any Bears fan with murderous feelings toward Grossman should first take a deep breath, count to ten, and put on some OK Go.

Tracks of Note:
What To Do, Get Over It, Hello My Treacherous Friends, CCCinnamon Lips

.....

:: 13 ::

Nirvana
Nevermind

There's nothing I can say.

Tracks of Note:
C'mon

Two Turntables and a Microphone

:: 14 ::

Beck
Odelay

To me, Beck embodies the "Alternative" label more than any other artist. I love the different sounds from low tech sampling to old school folk-hip hop... fusion, thing. Plus any artist that is non-compromising and constantly pushing music to new, original heights should be applauded. (The Information has the coolest album art concept of all time.) This album just works, and Where It's At is on the soundtrack of my life.

Tracks of Note:
Where It's At, New Pollution, Devils Haircut, High 5

My Empire of Dirt

:: 15 ::

Johnny Cash
American IV: The Man Comes Around

I love all of the American albums, but this one is by far my favorite. Does anyone have a cooler singing voice than Johnny Cash? I'm not afraid to say that most of the songs on this album make me want to cry. But that's Johnny Cash, one moment he has you laughing at Sue, next you are rocking out at Folsom, then you find yourself weeping and sucking your thumb in the fetal position to Give My Love to Rose.

Tracks of Note:
Hurt, Personal Jesus, The Man Come Around, Give My Love to Rose

I Ain't Telling You No Lie...

:: 16 ::

Blues Traveler
Four

I'm not a huge fan of Blues Traveler, but I am a huge fan of this album. '94 was a simplier time: back when 9/11 was just an emergency phone number, and John Popper was large.

Tracks of Note:
Crash Burn, Run-Around, Hook, Stand

It Ain't Me...

::17::

Creedence Clearwater Revival
Willy And The Poor Boys

Don't have much to say, other than I love this album. My dad's a big Creedence fan, so I guess that's why I heart them so. It's peppy. It's fun. And I can pretty much listen to the whole album despite the mood I'm in.

Tracks of Note:
Fortunate Son, Down on the Corner, The Midnight Special, Cotton Fields, It Came Out of the Sky

Where They Hung The Jerk That Invented Work

::18::

O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Soundtrack

So I feel a little out of place being the only person to have 3 soundtracks in their 25. And even though the soundtrack to Empire is the greatest movie soundtrack of all time, O Brother is higher ranked just because listen to it more. Don't get me wrong, I hate country. Especially that new pop-country-"save a bull, ride a cowboy" nonsense. But this... this is golden. True soulful mountain music. If you ever have insomnia, try listening to Hard Time Killing Floor Blues or Didn't Leave Nobody But the Baby.

Tracks of Note:
Man of Constant Sorrow, Hard Time Killing Floor Blues, O Death, Lonesome Valley

Give me a skinny or give me a fat...

::19::

King's X
Dogman

Another high school fav. Pound for pound, one of the greatest hard rock, Christian bands to walk the globe. Lead singer Doug Pinnick has awesome set of pipes that at times sounds very Hendrix-esque - check out Manic Depression. And Ty Tabor's guitar pickin' makes me want to smack my mama.

Definitely one of the most memorable live concert experiences of my life. (Thanks, Atrain for keeping me awake during our drive back at 3 in the a.m.) If the sovereign people of this blog decided to do a list of our top 25 songs of all time, Dogman would be there proudly pumping a fist in the air.

On a side note, I went on the band's website and checked out their tour dates. It said they are currently touring with Skid Row. (You can't see me, but I'm giving you the rock hand symbol.)

Tracks of Note:
Dogman, Manic Depression, Black The Sky, Don't Care

I Went To John Jay University...

::20::

RunDMC
Down With The King

"I'm takin' the tours, I'm wreckin' the land--I keep it hardcore because it's dope man--these are the roughest toughest words I ever wrote down--not meant for a hoe like a slow jam, check it-sucka emcees could never swing with D--because of all the things that I bring with me--only G-O-D could be a king to me--and if the G-O-D be in me, then the king I be."

Truer words have never been spoken. Pure poetry. Don't turn your back to me, B. You know you can recite the whole song. For everyone else.

Tracks of Note:
Down With The King, Ooh Watcha Going To Do, Come On Everbody