More Music (My Chemical Romance)

Welcome to Monday everybody and today the band is My Chemical Romance. They are pretty emo and they remind me a little bit of Queen but that may just be the lead singers vocal stylings. I have only one of their albums called The Black Parade and it really feels like a concept album to me. It may sound funny to say but listening to them this morning has helped to clean the taste of the Grammys out of my mouth from last night. Though it was nice to see Adele win, the show itself was pretty lame and I am not convinced she needed or deserved to win album of the year. But anyway on the the vocal and rock operatic stylings of My Chemical Romance!!

"The End"



"The Sharpest Lives"



"Welcome To The Black Parade" This was the big hit off of this album and I really do like it. But, on a side note I am kind of a sucker for songs with marching band drums. I just can't help it.



"Mama"

More Music (Australian Day)

I listen either National Public Radio (NPR) or KNRK on the way to work each morning and since today is apparently National Australian Day. (Don't ask me why. I have no idea.) KNRK played 8 songs from Australian bands or artists and I liked that idea so I am stealing it. These are in no particular order but they are bands that I like who are from Australia. So please enjoy them.

1. Men At Work: "Overkill"



2. Midnight Oil: "Forgotten Years"



3. INXS: "Mediate"



4. Crowded House: "Don't Dream It's Over"



5. Olivia Newton-John: "Physical"



6: Jet: "Cold Hard Bitch"



7: AC/DC: "Thunderstruck"



8: GOTYE: "Somebody That I Used To Know"



There you go. I hope you guys enjoyed this little bonus musical excursion.

MLK Day

I am taking a break from the list today because it is Martin Luther King day. We will jump back into the list feet first tomorrow. So, you may be asking, what are we going to be listening to today then. I am not sure. I will have to see what strikes as fun and interesting. Maybe I will just hit random on the old music player and throw up the first three or four songs that we get. Lets do it.

"A New World" Dark Moor



"Sound and Vision" David Bowie



"Movin' Out" Billy Joel

More Music (Flight of the Conchords)

I have a soft spot for novelty acts but I really like them if they are also pretty talented and Flight of the Conchords are very talented. I only hope that they get back together soon. But, until then here are a few of their tunes to get you by.

I always want to do something special for "The Ladies of the World"



This one has their manager singing but I really like it. But then again I like "Leggy Blondes"



I really, really like this song. I think mainly because I like things that go "Boom"



I am posting this one because I think of it as a tribute to Bowie. Even though they are nowhere near as good as Bowie was or is even now. Bowie Forever!!!

More Music (Fleetwood Mac)

I find Fleetwood Mac to be a interesting band. They were formed in 1967 and have never really stopped. The band has seen loads and loads of changes but Mick Fleetwood and John Mckvie have basically always been there. They begun as more of a blues based rock band.

This is their first #1 British Single "Albatross"




That song just blows my mind because its sound isn't at all like what was Rumors or their other later albums.

"Tell Me All The Things You Do" I really love the guitar in this one. I think Jack White may have listened to some early Fleetwood Mac



Now we will get into some of their late 1970's more popular stuff.

More Music (Erasure)

I have one Erasure album and in it they cover several Abba songs and I love it. I have no regrets. I hope you enjoy the videos.

"Lay All Your Love on Me"



"S. O. S."



"Take A Chance On Me"



I hope you enjoyed the dance music.

More Music (Emily Osment)

Now today's artist may surprise a few of you. But those of you who know me will also know that I like a bit of good old fashioned pop music now and then. They will also know that I am partial to music sung by attractive ladies. So that being said I bring you an album by Emily Osment called Lovesick. Now I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this album. She really does a good job with this type of music and it will be interesting to see if she ever gets as popular as Katie Perry and Britney Spears.

"Lovesick" This song and video obviously owes a lot to Lady Gaga but that is okay. It works for me I think the chorus and the hook is really catchy.



"Let's Be Friends" This one is pretty much the same kind of song as the last one and pretty typical of this style of pop music. Weightless and Fun.



"Marisol" This one is a little bit different then the first two and highlights her voice more without so much of the autotune to support thing.



Now, I do not listen to bubblegum pop very much but sometimes it is the perfect thing because I just want to listen to something light and happy. This type of music is a palate cleanser for me. It lets me get back to my usual stuff that is deeply emotional and heart wrenching for me.

More Music (Elton John)

Hey everybody, I know that it has been awhile since I last posted on my music collection and I must apologize to you all for that. I am hoping that I can use the week of thanksgiving and the holiday season to get back into the swing of things. I am working again and living with my parents and both of those things are bringing me some real calm and stability and I am feeling more like I am living on a normal schedule again. So here we go. I left off with Electric Light Orchestra and up next on my list is another artist who was a little extravagant and a lot talented and that artist is Elton John. I only have a two album greatest his collecting of Sir Elton but I really do enjoy it. His career as spanned four decades and he has sold more then 250 million records. So lets get it started shall we.

"Levon" is a great song. I just love it so much and it never fails to make me sing along.



This song is a little overwrought but I tend to like things that are overwrought. No regrets for me. "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me"



I wasn't going to post this one but I really love this song. "Rocket Man"



"I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues" another classic number.



I simply have to close this out with a song that was used to great effect in the film Almost Famous that song is called "Tiny Dancer"

More Music (The Eagles)

So we finished the D's and now we are moving into the E's and our first group is the Eagles. Now this is how I usually feel about the Eagles

But I have one album of theirs and it is a two disc live one called Eagles Live
. I believe I purchased it because I like the song "Seven Bridges Road" on it. But other then that they Do not do much for me as a band. But I will throw up some videos for you my faithful readers.

"Wasted Time" this is actually a more poignant song then I realized it was. But I may be just personalizing it as I tend to do with everything.



"Life in the Fast Lane" This one always reminds me of Miami Vice




"Seven Bridges Road" just a good, good song.

More Music (Dropkick Murphys)

Here we are the last group in the D category and it is Dropkick Murphys who I enjoy now and then. But I really have to be in mood for their kind of Irish tinged punk rock. I am not often in the mood for punk rock so I do not listen to them very often. I only own one album and it is The Gang's All Here. There are some fun songs on the album but I also feel that their are better Irish sounding and better punk bands out there. I know they have a large and loyal following but my usual response to punk rock bands out of the Boston area is a resounding "meh". I just do not really care. I also do not really care for Boston as a city or for the people from the area. "West Coast 4-Eva" What, What"


Here you are their version of "Amazing Grace". I am not posting anything else by this shite band.

More Music (The Doors)

Another Monday and another installment of my music library. We are almost finished with the D's and today we are checking out The Doors. I like The Doors. I do not listen to them all of the time and that is mainly because in high school I wore out several tapes listening to them. But every now and then when I pull them back out I am reminded of why I enjoyed them so much. One thing that I really enjoyed about them was that they did not have a bass guitarist they used bass keyboards and I always thought that was pretty cool. If I am correct and I am not going to check so you can just deal with it. Their first album came out in 1967 and their last was in 1971. I am not counting any of the albums released after Jim Morrison died. Why would I? Without him the band wasn't the same. I am hoping I can show you some songs that were not on the radio much because those same songs are still being played on classic radio even now and that is just sad.

"The Alabama Song" is one of my real favorites.



"People Are Strange" is another song that I just really like. It did get some radio play.



"Spanish Caravan" is just a great, great song.



"Five To One" something about this one I just really like as well.



This one is off of their last album "L'America". I love it's strangeness.



See you tomorrow with the last group in the letter D in my collection. I wonder who it will be?

More Music (Dixie Chicks)

Well. This is a significant change from yesterdays post. This is an album from 2002 Dixie Chicks and the album is called Home. I really do like all of the song's on this album. It is the only Dixie Chicks album that I own and I am not even sure what moved me to purchase it. I believe that it may be their cover of the Fleetwood Mac song "Landslide". But I am not totally sure either way lets get to toe tappin shall we.

Here is a live version of "Long Time Gone" on I believe German television. I also like that in this song they pretty much take a swing at modern country radio and I am always in favor of that.



A live version of "Landslide" oooh again in Germany. Nice.




"Travelin' Soldier" this is a sad song but I really enjoy it. I know it is not that big of a surprise that I would like a sad song.



Lets wrap this up with a little "White Trash Wedding"



Say what you want about the Dixie Chicks and their politics or even about country music. But the reality is that they can flat play live. That is why I posted all live clips. There are lots of modern pop artists who are totally studio manufactured and just can't play live so in a lot of ways this is just refreshing to see and hear.

I am just enjoying this too much. I am going to post two more songs that are not on the album that I own but I really like them.

"Not Ready To Make Nice". This is an actual music video but it is a pretty cool video actually.




"Lubbock or Leave It"

More Music (Depeche Mode)

Sadly I only have one album from this band 1987's Music for the Masses. I think I used to have another but I seem to have misplaced it. Which actually vexes me a little bit. But me being vexed is a story for another day. It has been a long time since I last listened to this album but I still really enjoy it. I saw Depeche Mode in concert in Portland either for this albums tour or the next one and I remember really enjoying it. I also remember being underage and drinking beers in the parking lot of the Memorial Colosseum and lying to a policemen about my age. It was a great night. So lets listen to some music from the album shall we.

"Little 15"



"I Want You Now" A live version of this song.



okay that last one made me think of someone that I can't have. I am a little bit surprised by that. Let's keep it together Lance.

"Strangelove"



Another live one "Pleasure, little treasure"

More Music (The Decemberists)

I have already written lots and lots about this band in previous posts. I usually listen to them at least once a day. It isn't always the whole album but I listen to a song or two. I really feel like there is not a song that I don't like of theirs. They are all amazing in one way or the other. So I am just going to put up a few of my favorite songs.

"Leslie Anne Levine" 2002 Castaways and Cutouts




"The Soldiering Life" 2003 Her Majesty






"16 Military Wives" 2005 Picaresque I love this song but I love the video as well. For two reasons 1. It reminds me of Rushmore. 2. I did MUN in college.



"The Infanta" 2005 Picaresque I just love the drums in this song.



"Yankee Bayonet" 2006 The Crane Wife



"Sons and Daughters" 2006 The Crane Wife Something about this song just works for me. I love it so much.



"The Rake's Song" 2009 The Hazards Of Love I love this whole album but I really really like "The Rake's Song" this is a live version.



"The Rox In The Box" 2011 The King Is Dead



There you go folks. I just love this band.

More Music (David Bowie)

This is a good Monday. My favorite solo artist is David Bowie. It started for me when my friend was going away to college and he gave me some of his albums. They were Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, The Doors Strange Days and I do not remember the others but really the only one that mattered was David Bowies.

I think Ziggy Stardust is probably the best creation of David Bowie and one of the best concept albums that has ever been. I really like Bowies entire discography so I am pretty psyched that I can bring you some of his music today. These are going to be in no particular order. They will just be songs of his that I like.

"Changes"



This is one of my favorite songs. "Life On Mars?"



"Five Years" from Ziggy Stardust



"The Man Who Sold The World" and doesn't David look lovely in that dress on the album cover.



"Waiting For The Man" I love Mick Ronson on guitar in this one.



"Modern Love" I know there are Bowie fans who do not like this song. But for some reason I really enjoy it. I enjoy it much more then "Lets Dance" another song from the same era.



I could go on and on but lets finish it with that one.

More Music (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young)

Well not much that I need to say about this band. These are two of my favorite albums and I could really listen to them over and over again and I have. So if you haven't heard or listened to Crosby, Still, Nash and Young do yourself a favor and pick up these two albums. Deja Vu and So Far, are I think two of the best acoustic albums of all time. You may disagree with their politics but you can't say that their music was not good. So I am going to throw up some videos and let you guys just enjoy it.

"Carry On"



"Almost Cut My Hair" This one is really more for me. I am really leaning toward getting it cut. I know several people who it would make happy.



"4 + 20" just a great song



Here are three from the next album So Far.

"Wooden Ships"...not much can be said about this song. It is just so good.



"Teach Your Children" This is one of my favorite songs.



"Ohio" This is a more political song it is about the Kent State shootings. Go ahead and google it if you want. I am not going to be trying to unpack that mess today.



Let's finish up this nice musical trip with some "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes"



I would be remiss if I didn't also post "Southern Cross" I just can't help myself even if it isn't on the two albums that I own it is an amazing song.

More Music (Coheed & Cambria)

Who is in the mood for a little "progressive rock" or prog rock as it is popularly known. Now I am not going to give you a definition of prog rock you can google it. But here are some band that are known for basically starting prog rock in the 70's. Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Yes, Genesis, Jethro Tull, and Emerson, Lake & Palmer. I coincidentally enough have albums from all of these bands. I know that is not a real shock to most of you.

Coheed & Cambria have been described as new prog. I like to describe them as "post-neo-orthodoxy prog rock" but that is mainly because I like to give things extra long names because it amuses me. I have two of the bands five studio albums. Their first album The Second Stage Turbine Blade which came out in 2002 and their fourth album Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness which came out in 2005. I like the fourth album a little bit better then the first one. Lets get to the music shall we. In fact I like the fourth album so much I am not going to be posting anything off of the first one.

There is something about this song "Always And Never" that just blows me away. But I am kind of a sucker for this type of majestic over the top rock music. You will hear more of it as we move further into my collection. My apologies if you hate it.



This is an even better example of the type of music I was just talking about and is actually the song right after the one I just showed you. "Welcome Home"



I think we will call it quits right there. You folks enjoy your headbanging and remember these words and live by them

"Keep on rockin."

More Music (CIV)

Well after a stretch of pretty mellow music we are taking a little trip down punk rock lane with a band called CIV and there album So Far, So Good...So What. I am not even sure when I purchased this album or even where I was at in terms of life that I was listening to this. Because most people know that I am not a big fan of punk rock. There is some of it that I do like to be sure. But really it is not my favorite type of music.

This album was released in 1995 and was the bands first album. The band name came from the last name of the lead singer Anthony Civarelli. They came out of New York City and their most well known song was "Cant Wait One Minute More" which I remember MTV playing a lot of and it being on an episode of Beavis and Butthead as well as in a Nissan commercial in 2005.

So lets start with "Can't Wait One Minute More" and dig a little deeper into the album after that.



As I watched that video and re-listened to the album I am starting to remember why I liked this album. There are some pretty cool songs on it and they remind me a little bit of how Social Distortion sounded during that era. They also remind me of Suicidal Tendencies.

This one is called "Set Your Goals". The song is only 1:50 I am not sure why the video is 3:21. But anyway. 1..2..3..4



This last one is called "Choices Made" and is pretty much the punk message.

More Music (City and Colour)

This album is called Sometimes and was the debut solo album by a Canadian artist named Dallas Green. He decided to call his solo work City and Colour. It is pretty much acoustic solo work and he has some other musicians who tour with him and help him record now and then. I like this album quite a bit. It just is really a nice album to listen to on repeat and let the songs kind of fill you up.

"Hello, I'm In Delaware"




"In the Water I Am Beautiful" What a sad, sad beautiful song. It totally reminds me of the times that I have just been really stupid about things. The older I get the more I am convinced that there are times when I am just really dumb.



"Comin Home" I really enjoy this song a lot. It reminds me of Johnny Cash and his "I've Been Everywhere".

If you have enjoyed this today or any of the artists of this type that I have posted lately. Do yourself a favor and track them down.

More Music (The Chieftains)

The Chieftains are a band that I have been a fan of for a long time. I only have one album partly because their musical catalog is just so extensive. The album I have is The Long Black Veil. I am not sure that there is a weak song on it. They have some older traditional Irish ballads as well as some country songs that have come out of the traditions of the Irish. The most noticeable one for me being "Tennessee Waltz". I am not going to get deep into the band's history but The Chieftains have been around for 40 years and in that time have released some 40 albums counting live ones but appeared on several other albums that are compilations. The Long Black Veil has several guest singers on it some of the biggest artists in the music world, such as Sting, Mick Jagger and The Rolling Stones, Sinéad O' Connor, Van Morrison, Tom Jones, Marianne Faithfull, Ry Cooder and Mark Knopfler. It really is an amazing album and one of my favorites of any genre. Lets get to the music shall we.


Now, I am not a huge fan of the Rolling Stones or Mick Jagger but he does an amazing job in this one. This is just an amazing song about love and pain and regret. The title track of the album. "The Long Black Veil"





The next song is one that Sting did the vocals for. Called "Mo Ghile Mear" and big surprise it is another nice song.



This one is the one that Sinead O'Conner sings on. "The Foggy Dew" this is a haunting number and is about the Easter Uprising of 1916. A sad song but it was a sad time to be an Irishmen.



That is it for today. I hope you folks enjoyed your trip to Ireland.