Something Old

Here's something I wrote back in September:



Sometimes with my Ipod I shuffle songs, and sometimes they all sound tired or aren't songs that I want to hear at the moment. However, sometimes the mix sounds vital and gets me "pumped" like the new Fall Out Boy does for the weightlifting steakhead in the Verizon VCast commercial. Today was one of those times for me, and here is part of the list that played.

1. Engine Down--"Intent to Pacify"
Though this song isn't as affective to me as it once was, I still love it, especially turned up loud enough to blow out my tympanic membranes. Keely Davis' voice is emotive and mournful, and the drums are muscular and relentless.

2. L'Altra--"So Surprise"
I think it is pretty awesome that two people who cannot sing very well can still make such a delightfully nuanced and listenable album. "So Surprise" happens to be one of the most compelling and strong tracks on this album.

3. Bound Stems--"Excellent News, Colonel"
I listened to this track twice. This band took a while to grow on me, and I'm glad I came back to Appreciation Night enough to allow it to take hold. This song may be one of the best entry points for listening to this band.

4. Aloha--"A Hundred Stories"
Aloha is my favorite band at the moment... well along with Menomena. I've found That's Your Fire to be a little unlistenable lately for various reasons, but this song was just right today. It is fast and intense, complete with percussion madness breakdown.

5. The Fire Theft--"Summertime"
Just when I had forgotten about his album, here comes "Summertime"--one of my favorite songs from The Fire Theft. Enigk's voice starts out low and soothingly textured and moves to his slightly more manic, higher-pitched vocals by the end of the first verse.

6. Elliot--"Land and Water"
This track is from Song in the Air, and this album never really caught on with me. False Cathedrals has been making a comeback with me (thanks, Chad!), and I feel ready now to give Song in the Air another chance.

7. Spoon--"Reservations"
I am still discovering how Spoon's catalogue is great from top to bottom (I celebrate it as I do with Michael Bolton's catalogue); it is full of great pop songs, and this track from A Series of Sneaks is no exception.

8. Jeremy Enigk--"World Waits"
Then the non-sentient nono-circuitry of the Ipod tapped into Data the Android's emotion chip and sensed/empathized with me, knowing somehow that I needed more Enigk. This song complemented "Summertime" quite well, yet it gave me some new dimensions of Enigk as well.

At this point, "Naked Sun" by Trail of Dead came up, and I immediately vetoed it. I cycled through a few more undesireable tracks, and the heaven-sent mix finally continued with Trail of Dead's "Sunken Dreams." I guess I was destined to listen to a Trail of Dead song, and as I have learned on Lost, the universe has a way of course correcting itself (Is Charlie going to die?).