Favorite songs of the '00s and the '90s
With the decade slowly coming to an end this year, it's certain that there will be many "Best Songs of the Decade" lists coming out eventually. So the other day, I was scrolling through my iTunes songs list, and decided to create a playlist of my own 20 favorite songs from the 2000s. In a way, it's my "Desert Island Disc" as well, since I'll never get sick of listening to them. LOL These are in no particular order, except for what I thought would sound good as a playlist.
01. "The Everlasting Gaze" - The Smashing Pumpkins ('00)
02. "Lyric" - Zwan ('03)
03. "There, There" - Radiohead ('03)
04. "Looking For Water" - David Bowie ('03)
05. "Clocks" - Coldplay ('02)
06. "City of Blinding Lights" - U2 ('04)
07. "Chasing Cars" - Snow Patrol ('06)
08. "Pipe Dreams" - Travis ('01)
09. "Drops of Jupiter" - Train ('01)
10. "Hey Ya!" - OutKast ('03)
11. "Get Ur Freak On" - Missy Elliott ('01)
12. "Hot N Cold" - Katy Perry ('08 )
13. "Say It Right" - Nelly Furtado ('06)
14. "I Hate This Part" - The Pussycat Dolls ('08 )
15. "Sunrise" - Norah Jones ('04)
16. "A New Day Has Come" - Celine Dion ('02)
17. "Pure Shores" - All Saints ('00)
18. "Bleeding Love" - Leona Lewis ('08 )
19. "What It Feels Like For A Girl" - Madonna ('00)
20. "It Only Hurts When I'm Breathing" - Shania Twain ('02)
So then, I decided to do the same for my favorite '90s songs! LOL
01. "Airbag" - Radiohead ('97)
02. "99th Dream" - Swervedriver ('97)
03. "The Devil You Know" - Jesus Jones ('93)
04. "Two Worlds Collide" - Inspiral Carpets ('92)
05. "There's Still Life" - Chapterhouse ('93)
06. "A To Fade In" - Adorable ('93)
07. "Cool Your Boots" - Ride ('92)
08. "I Only Said" - My Bloody Valentine ('91)
09. "Black Metallic" - Catherine Wheel ('92)
10. "Galapogos" - The Smashing Pumpkins ('95)
11. "Silent Lucidity" - Queensryche ('90)
12. "Dream Brother" - Jeff Buckley ('95)
13. "She's Not Dead" - Suede ('93)
14. "Why God Loves You" - P.M. Dawn ('95)
15. "Possession" - Sarah McLachlan ('93)
16. "Horror Head" - Curve ('92)
17. "Ladder" - Joan Osborne ('95)
18. "Drowned World / Substitute For Love" - Madonna ('98 )
19. "The Air That I Breathe" - k.d lang ('97)
20. "Why" - Annie Lennox ('92)
I didn't bother to make a favorite '80s list, since it would be difficult as I have so many songs from then. But please feel free to share some of your favorite songs, of any decade! 
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Digg thisSomewhere Over The Rainbow
The other day, a friend of mine showed me a YouTube clip of the song "Over The Rainbow" (from The Wizard of Oz) sung by the late Hawaiian singer Israel Kamakawiwo'ole. I had heard a portion of the song on some TV commercials, but never really knew the artist singing. The great thing about his rendition is how it's so uplifting and soothing in a way - it really put a lump in my throat too the first time I heard it, as well as being on the verge of tears! lol
Anyway, check it out if you'd like. The rendition also includes a portion of the song "What A Wonderful World." Here is the link.
MBV Reunion
I just want to share my excitement about the reunion of My Bloody Valentine this year!! Kevin Shields has finally followed through with what he's been promising for years - for MBV to play together again live. Granted, there may or may not be a new album anytime soon (even though he says so), so I won't believe until I see it. lol
For now though, I've been catching up on their live performances that they've done in Japan and London on YouTube. I'm not sure if I'll be able to catch them live here in the States, so these clips will do just fine. For any fans of MBV out there, please share your comments about this long-overdue reunion!
Here are a few clips of the live performances of songs from the album Loveless, along with their corresponding videos when they were first released. FYI, for those who are not familiar with the band, their music and concerts tend to be loud and a bit distorted.
1. Only Shallow - Live 2008 / Music video
2. To Here Knows When - Live 2008 / Music video
3. Soon - Live 2008 / Music video
Quick update
I guess it's been a while since I've typed anything on here, so I suppose it's time for an update. My partner Matthew's family came to visit this past weekend for the 4th of July, and I must say that it was a great time overall. Matthew's brother Jason is hilarious (just like Matthew - it must run in the family), so there were a lot of jokes being told. lol Their daughter Kristen is just adorable too. Matthew's mom and I met for the first time as well, which was kind of a big deal since last year she didn't really approve of Matthew's relationship with me. But I guess she's come around since then because she and I had some fabulous talks this weekend. So, all is well in that area. lol Although I knew it wouldn't be a problem anyway. 
Friday afternoon we all went to see the movie Wall-E (the new one from Pixar). I must say it was very entertaining and rather funny in parts - not quite what I expected from what I saw in the previews, which is a good thing I suppose. Matthew's daughter Abby wanted to see it badly, so we all thought it would be a good idea. Needless to say, we all enjoyed it. If you haven't seen the movie, I won't give away what it's about, but all I'll say is that the message clearly criticizes "human overdependency on technology."
Next Wednesday the 16th comes season 5 of Project Runway, yay! I am very excited, as I really got into the show after season 3 ended (thank you for the reruns, Bravo!). Season 4 had a high level of talent, even too much considering the pre-established careers of some of the contestants, so I'm sure season 5 will be the same. Yes, I am glad that Christian won, although I still think Jillian should have been second instead of Rami. But Chris? Please..... Even though he's lovable and talented, his final collection reeked of creepy gothica. As for PR's move to Lifetime and the change in production, who knows? I guess I'll just wait and see. lol Although they'd better not change a damn thing!
Anyway, just wanted to write a quick update for everybody. Take it as you will.
Have a great day!
- Troy
I've got you under my skin!
(By the way, these are in no particular order.)Turn it UP!:
"Say It Right" - Nelly Furtado
"Waiting On The World To Change" - John Mayer
"Ain't No Other Man" - Christina Aguilera
"Who Knew" - P!nk
"Chasing Cars" - Snow Patrol
"Wait For You" - Elliott Yamin
"My Love" - Justin Timberlake
"Black Horse And The Cherry Tree" - KT Tunstall
"No One" - Alicia Keys
"Umbrella" - Rihanna
Turn it OFF!:
"You're Beautiful" - James Blunt
"Misery Business" - Paramore
"Check On It"- Beyonce
"Love Like This" - Natasha Bedingfield
"Crank That (Soulja Boy)" - Soulja Boy Tell 'Em
"Call Me When You're Sober" - Evanescence
"London Bridge" - Fergie
"Buttons" - Pu$sycat Dolls
"Do It To It" - Cherish
"Lips Of An Angel" - Hinder
Just had to get this all off my chest, since I heard "Lips Of An Angel" today actually. LOL
Recent Reviews
What also hurt U2 was coming up with the monstrous "PopMart" tour that followed the album's release. Not that it was a bad tour per se - it just wasn't what the people were expecting. Unfortunately, that is often what happens in the music world.....fans lose faith in the artists that they love when they try to tread new ground musically (consider the "sophomore slump"). Many fans have a difficult time with change, and want their artists to stay the same throughout their careers. Some artists succeed in that, where they are comfortable in writing the same type of music album after album, thus pleasing their fans. Some artists, like U2, prefer to push their boundaries a little and do some exploring. It worked for them the first time around with Achtung Baby (partly due to the poor reception of Rattle And Hum), but while change may be good for some fans once in a while, for others it is not something they want again and again (which explains why U2's popularity declined a bit in the '90s). This also explains why 2000's All That You Can't Leave Behind was such a success - it was U2's "return to form" that fans had been craving for ten years prior.
All of this is why Pop did not receive the appreciation that it deserved. Granted, U2 may have erred by releasing "Discotheque" as the first single (one of the weakest tracks on the album), because public perception of the rest of the album was based upon their reaction to that song. Unfortunately, the public did not take the time to discover that Pop was NOT "Discotheque" + 11 more like it, but it was "Discotheque" + 11 more better. It is unfortunate that Pop did not do better than it did, because it really is a great album. Once you get past the misleading title ("Pop"), you find that the music on it is so much more than that. Granted, while U2 did continue their electronica streak with a few songs (e.g., "Discotheque," "Mofo," "Miami"), the rest of the album exhibits what makes the band timeless - well-written music, strong instrumentative performances, and lyrical prowess. Even though the band members themselves have shared their concerns about the record, the fact is that Pop is still a U2 record. It still comes from a band that we know will turn out great music, even if it may not sound like how we expect.
But that is what is great about a band like U2 - they are not afraid to push themselves musically, they are willing to take risks, and yet they are able to please the public in some way. The negative reactions to Pop were mainly based upon the last point, as the public was not really pleased with the continued direction, which is unfair. Luckily for the fans, they got what they wanted three years later with ATYCLB. Luckily for those who appreciate musical diversity and really take the time to listen, we got an album that shows U2 just as creative as they always had been; an album that truly does stand up as one of the best in their catalog.
However.......Ferment still remains a very strong debut, regardless of its aforementioned technical demerits. The band's songcraft is impeccable, the musicianship is solid, and the consistently memorable songs make the album an enjoyable listen - certainly holding up nearly 15 years later. Ferment, despite its initial "shoegaze" label, does not sound dated. In addition, the album is one of the better debut albums of most other English bands of the time, as the musical strengths of the band members clearly show that Catherine Wheel had longevity, instead of disappearing in the blink of an instant like many early '90s British acts (EMF, anyone?).
As for the songs, "Black Metallic" and "Shallow" are standouts, along with the single "I Want To Touch You," but melodic gems begin to stand out as well upon repeated listens. "Indigo Is Blue" may start with a 40-second squall of guitar, but by the end, the melody is memorably apparent. "Bill And Ben" and "Flower To Hide" are similar as well, interspersing their melodic textures often throughout the songs. However, with any album, there are some dire moments ("She's My Friend," "Tumbledown, " and the uncharacteristically-poppy closing track "Balloon" to name a few). But as a whole, Ferment holds together quite well, making it as good of a "shoegazing" introduction as any non-"shoegazing" band can do.
Unfortunately, following their second release, 1994's Fake, Adorable ceased to exist. Fortunately, we are left with this diamond in the rough of early-'90s British pop/rock.
