Brandy - What About Us

Along the lines of "Sick of Being Lonely," Brandy is another old-school hip-hop fave of mine from the early days of the 2000's.  When I wasn't watching her on Moesha, I was watching the "What About Us" video in the winter of early 2002, and the chorus has literally been stuck in my head since.  Yes, I'm telling the truth about that.  I'm not really familiar with a lot of her music anymore, but what I like now about "What About Us" is the techno-electro-hip-hop feel that it has to it.  It's something you can move your shoulders to, but there's just something futuristic about it to me.  Brandy's voice is just lovely too, and I think this will be another case of music that is permanently ingrained in my head.  Not that I mind one bit...

Abba - Mamma Mia

Something I like to say a lot is that you cannot listen to Abba and be unhappy.  No matter how stressful the day may be, Abba will make it better.  I swear.  So it's about time that I got my favourite Swedish pop band on the blog.  "Mamma Mia" is from the 1975 self-titled album, but you probably know that it's also the name of the musical that was based off of the Abba catalogue, and the movie.  Meryl Streep owned it during her rendition, but the original is still special to me.  "Mamma Mia" is definitely one of my favourites from the group.  It might be because it's terribly infectious (in the best possible way), but the uplifting lyrics, instrumentals and vocals that are neither over-the-top or blending into the background.  Abba did pop right in the 70's, I can tell you that.  And what you know?  I'm feeling happier already.

Turisas - For Your Own Good

Out of Finland, Turisas is a band you should be listening to if you like anything in the vein of folk metal.  They remind me of Ensiferum-meets-Nightwish (and maybe just a touch of Avenged Sevenfold), and it's a unique sound, but it also has that familiarity.  I wouldn't steer you wrong here.  And you can't say no to electric violin, and in today's case, jazzy piano.  Yes, it can be done.  "For Your Own Good" is the lead single from 2013's Turisas2013 album, and with good reason.  It may not be as folky as some of their earlier work that I'm more familiar with, and I can imagine some fans would be up in arms about it, but I like it.  It still has the metal you love, but it's just delivered in a different way.  This is why I want to compare them to Avenged Sevenfold, but Turisas is less horror rock and more power-folk-symphonic-all-the-good-stuff.  Though "For Your Own Good" can be different, different can also be good at the same time....or very very very good.

Rush - A Passage to Bangkok

I like my new music, but more often than not I need some classics to get me through the day, and Rush is always the answer to life's problems.  I was first introduced to the band years ago, when my brother first began his obsession with classic rock and songs like "A Passage to Bangkok" were always on repeat at our house.  Some things stick if you listen to them enough, so here we are now.  I Love You Man also fueled this a little more too, just saying.  "A Passage to Bangkok" is a journey through the 70's, with drug-fueled night aplenty.  Geddy Lee's voice is also perfect...if I was alive in the 70's he would have been my Rody Walker or Ben Kowalewicz.  We also have awesome guitar and drum work thanks to Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart, and together, it makes "A Passage to Bangkok" a trip.  No, not a drug trip, but actually a lovely adventure through rock.  Classics are songs that people keep coming back to decades later, and this, my friends, is a classic and a half.

Field Mob - Sick of Being Lonely

You can really only call a song a throwback if it mentions using a pager, and that's what's happening here with Field Mob's "Sick of Being Lonely."  I was in the fourth grade when I first heard "Sick of Being Lonely" while watching BET and staying at my Oma's house when I was too sick to go to school.  106 & Park was what I always looked forward to watching on cable when I was there, and I can really credit that to my love of rap music back then, and the love that has grown into what I have now.  Though my favourite rap is a little different than it used to be, finding "Sick of Being Lonely" again was like taking a step back in time.

When I was younger, I really enjoyed the hook sung by Ciara (apparently I never knew it was her before...), and the southern drawl of Field Mob (which I know is true because I was a huge Nelly fan back then too).  Now, that southern rap sound still gets me, and that hook is just as catchy.  Some things last twelve years into the future, what can I say?  "Sick of Being Lonely" is indicative early 2000's rap, but these days I'm one for the sputtering background beats, rough rap that still sounds slick, and lovely hooks.  Some things never change.

Violent Femmes - Good Feeling

My favourite Violent Femmes album has slowly but surely become their self-titled effort from 1983.  I don't know if it's just the overall lovely melancholy of the album and the always-infectious classics that are a part of it, but something about it had just reeled me in for more.  First "Please Do Not Go," and now "Good Feeling."  What's next?  Well, we'll have to see, but today, let's stay on track.  "Good Feeling" has that lovely-yet-desperate yearning to it, mixed with soft acoustic guitars and a little keyboard here and there.  It's a delicate little thing, but one that will warm up to you in no time at all.  Besides, Gordon Gano is just as awesome when he's soft and vulnerable as when he's quirky and exciting, like in "Blister In The Sun," for example.  This another one those less-is-more instances, though Violent Femmes are never doing too much.  More is less, for them, and "Good Feeling" is a classic that I won't be moving on from any time soon.

Lana Del Rey - Get Drunk

First off, I have to prepare everyone because I bought the new Chevelle album today...so expect lots of talk about that very soon.

Then we have today's song, another selection by the lovely Lana Del Rey, and it's most likely one that you've never heard.  She seems to have a lot of music out there that's never been officially released, but that's okay, because I've somehow seemed to have acquired most of it.  "Get Drunk" isn't from an album or collection of unreleased songs, per say, but kind of fits in with the acoustic May Jailer work that I've mentioned before.  It's not as Jewel as those songs, though, and has a little hint of her more recent style of music, even if she's only singing with an acoustic guitar.  Though she does well with opulence in music, her minimal stuff is just as great.  "Get Drunk" is lyrically strong and has quite the dark energy to it, with Lana nearly breathing how do you like me now? over and over.  Lana manages to be dreary but wonderful at the same time, and it's the inner complexities that make up "Get Drunk" that makes it a thing of beauty.  Minimal beauty, but beauty nonetheless.

Cigarettes and robitussen, will I ever get to heaven?