Wow...this has got to be the most unoriginal blog post title to date. Anyhow, 2008 is almost halfway over so I thought it would be a good idea to check in on what's rocked my lobes so far this year. With most of my money going towards gas these days ("Don't get me started, don't even get me started"), I haven't had the chance to buy a lot of music this year. Luckily, Coldplay came to the rescue by giving their first single, Violet Hill, away for free. This brings me to my top pick of the year so far...
1) Coldplay! - I love this band, and from the sounds of the two songs I've heard so far, all of America is going to fall in love with them too (if they haven't already) with the release of their fourth studio album, Viva La Vida. Strings?? Church Bells??? Synthesizers???? Awesome!
2) Gavin Degraw - Not sure about the self-titled album title, but the material on his sophomore effort is rock solid. In Love with a Girl is as hooky, yet lyrically sound as ever, but the hidden gem on this record is Let It Go.
3) I'm Yours by Jason Mraz - If you bought Mraz's second album on iTunes in 2005, you likely know this song. It was included as a bonus track and among the better songs on the entire album. Remixed and with a more upbeat tempo, it's now the lead single on his third album We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things. Somehow the lyrics are more fitting now then they were when the song was originally released.
4) Sheryl Crow - I've blogged enough about Sheryl this year, but this album is definitely worth purchasing. Some of you may be shocked that she only lands at #4 on this list. To be honest, I've stopped listening to the CD and it's only been three months! I think I listened to it way too much the first month and needed a serious Sheryl break. I promise I'll start listening again soon. If you don't feel like buying the entire album, at least purchase Diamond Ring and Make It Go Away (Radiation Song), songs that will never reach radio but are definitely worth your hard earned 99 cents.
5) Singles - I'm digging Take A Bow (Rihanna), Sweet & Low (Augustana), Nine in the Afternoon (Panic at the Disco), Falling Slowly (Oscar winners Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova), Stop & Stare (One Republic), Realize (Colbie Caillat), Trying to Stop Your Leaving (Dierks Bentley), Laughed Until We Cried (Jason Aldean), Say (John Mayer), How Far We've Come (Matchbox Twenty).
Things I'm over:
1) Madonna and Mariah. Stop making music, please.
2) The word Shawty (Shorty, Shortie, etc.) in every freaking song! Having that word in your song does not make your song good. Stop using it. Immediately.
3) Taylor Swift. Such a dilemma here - she's a talented songwriter and pretty hot, but has anyone else noticed that she can't sing? Isn't that a problem for a professional singer?
4) Sara Bareilles' Love Song - She's awesome and the song is great, but that doesn't mean it needs to be used in every commercial, movie soundtrack, Valentine's Day highlight package, etc. The song is over. Move on, please.
5) British People besides Coldplay - Corrine Bailey Rae came along and sounded cool. Then Lily Allen, who wanted to be the opposite of CBR, came onto the scene. Then Trainwreck Winehouse won a whole bunch of Grammy's. Now there's Duffy and Adele. They are all the same person and all fighting to sound cool with a throwback sound. Newsflash - you all sound the same, which makes you uncool. How about some originality?
That's it for my half-year roundup. Feel free to leave me some comments and tell me what you are listening too.
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2 comments:
I'm with you on Taylor Swift (not the hot part). She doesn't sing, she talks, and it sounds horrible!
Welcome back to blogging world, it hasn't changed much except they got a new couch.
I have been a big fan of Glen Hansard of the Frames for years. I am glad he is finally getting some recognition, albeit for a duo, outside of Ireland. Also I am totally with you on the "theme of the year" for music. It seems there is a certain style of music the critics will pick every year and subsequently deem every band in that genre the best of the year.
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