30 Day Song Challenge

day 01 - your favorite song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5X-jd9Y8mo BLUE LIPS



day 02 - your least favorite song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hzrDeceEKc WONDERWALL



day 03 - a song that makes you happy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95rTEbYUdH0 A SONG FOR TEN



day 04 - a song that makes you sad
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6jMjnVJlzY NORA



day 05 - a song that reminds you of someone
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0yYCqkt0VE LITTLE BLACK BACKPACK



day 06 - a song that reminds you of somewhere
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fD92J4W9n04 MOVING TO NEW YORK



day 07 - a song that reminds you of a certain event
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fI3Jargc-0M LIFE ON MARS



day 08 - a song that you know all the words to
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6OYGEoWKYk THE MALADJUSTED JESTER



day 09 - a song that you can dance to
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YG00bdl0EoA THE ART OF LOSING



day 10 - a song that makes you fall asleep
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rlaF2c2ByI LULLABYE FOR A STORMY NIGHT



day 11 - a song from your favorite band
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RIMciSEjrQ FEARLESS



day 12 - a song from a band you hate
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2oIiPwy_4I MISS A THING



day 13 - a song that is a guilty pleasure
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LW1xMrh5uq4 CASEY



day 14 - a song that no one would expect you to love
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPd8mHXap_U INDIGO



day 15 - a song that describes you
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J62r9FkscUU GARDENS AND THE GRAVES



day 16 - a song that you used to love but now hate
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSdbQLXpmPQ HEY LEONARDO



day 17 - a song that you hear often on the radio
I don’t listen to the radio, but Pandora often gives me Sister Hazel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cEvcixJyNI Come Around



day 18 - a song that you wish you heard on the radio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQHqF_ZfBcQ WASTING TIME



day 19 - a song from your favorite album
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEyXME29Y3Y THE CURSE



day 20 - a song that you listen to when you’re angry
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaHD4Fyz5mg PRIVATE SCHOOL KID



day 21 - a song that you listen to when you’re happy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HglzcdwO48M EVERYTHING



day 22 - a song that you listen to when you’re sad
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmbQEQltOwM HALLELUJAH



day 23 - a song that you want to play at your wedding
I honestly don’t know any non-lame wedding songs

day 24 - a song that you want to play at your funeral
BRIGHT FUNERAL

day 25 - a song that makes you laugh
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLAEg5aTXAE THE PERFECT BATHROOM TRIP



day 26 - a song that you can play on an instrument
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzllVlzzeuo THAT THING YOU DO



day 27 - a song that you wish you could play
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNzsyqNrJQk CAMERA ONE



day 28 - a song that makes you feel guilty
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tgu0i4TWssY THE WALMART SONG



day 29 - a song from your childhood
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPXnPdsJQOY BABY’S REQUEST


day 30 - your favorite song at this time last year
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YukRbyWJoR4 RUMORS

Welcome

The Album Inquisition is a project. Little by little, I will be going through every album on my harddrive and revisiting all my music, including things I haven't listened to in years. Then I will be recording my opinions and reviews and recommendations of all the music right here in alphabetical order. Please enjoy.

Why am I doing this
I am working on animating a podcast. I have nearly exhausted all the free podcasts that I want to listen to and can only afford so many audiobooks. Instead of listening to the same 20 songs over and over through the tedious animation process, I'll be listening to each song once (over 100 hours worth in total).

Alex Day

Parrot Stories: Buy for $12.00

Alex Day is a YouTube star signed onto DFTBA Records, who produces albums by musicians who have made a name for themselves on the internet. He is the inventor of the musical genre Trock (Timelord Rock) which is music about the TV show Doctor Who. He is a member of the trock band Chameleon Circuit.

Parrot Stories is his solo album, not trock.

Genre: indi rock

Sound: Although DFTBA Records music isn't always the best recordings, the sound is pretty solid. Some songs are harder rock with drums and guitar, others are mellow and almost bubble-gummy with synth and ukelele. Alex's British accent and youth come through in the singing. Decent variety.

Writing: Most of the songs are innocent love songs with unique angles, a lot like the Kate Nash song "Birds"

The Good: solid music, raw (in a good way) vocals

The Bad: sometimes comes close to being off key

The Unique: ukulele, sometimes a wandering melody

If you're only going to buy one song: A Thousand Hours

If you're only going to buy three songs: A Thousand Hours, Hearts, What You Do

Typical lyrics: "I'm not that good at writing / but I thought you should know / every song's about you / 'cause you're everywhere I go / If all we did was hold hands / and laugh at stuff on TV / that would still be a realy good day for me." (Hearts)

A Taster: Holding On...

Among the Oak & Ash

Among the Oak & Ash: Buy for $10.99

Among the Oak & Ash originally is a duo of two singer/songwriters who were successful in their solo careers--Josh Joplin and Garrison Starr. This band takes old Appalachian folk songs, lullabies, gospel songs, etc. and turns them into rock songs.

The self-titled album Among the Oak & Ash is one of my favorite albums of all my music.

Genre: Folk rock
Sound: Beautiful ballads and hard rock songs, but they definitely rock a lot harder live. Garrison's and Josh's voices sound amazingly good together aside from being strong independently.
Writing: It's mostly covers, but these are songs that have survived because they are still relevant. The couple songs written by them fit in perfectly with the classics.

The Good: An eclectic set of stories
The Bad: Some people may be unwilling to try it because old Appalachian folk songs with a modern flavor is not a mainstream genre.
The Unique: The idea and the voice qualities

If you're only going to buy one song: Angel Gabriel
If you're only going to buy three songs: Angel Gabriel, Pretty Horses, Big Mouth Strikes Again
Typical Lyrics: "You can't break a man of dreams, Joe Hill, Joe Hill / You never could and you never ever will / Struggle on, struggle on, struggle on, struggle on."
A Taster: Peggy-o...




There have been some songs released from the next album. These recordings are very quiet, but still very moving. Garrison has left the band. Right now Bailey Cooke is providing the female vocals and some banjo playing.

Personal photo:

Among the Oak and Ash in the Bowery Ballroom in New York City June 2009.

Ari Herstand

Whispering Endearments: Buy for $15.99

Ari Herstand is a Minneapolis-based singer/songwriter who often uses looping in his live performances in order to play multiple instruments at one time without having a band behind him.

Whispering Endearments is his 2008 album.

Genre: Acoustic Alternative
Sound: Jack Johnson-esque, but mostly ballads.
Writing: A lot of metaphors, but I have trouble finding a deep layer to them.

The Good: The jazz/latin/reggae style that comes through more in the upbeat songs.
The Bad: Most of the ballads sound alike.
The Unique: The recording and looping.

If you're only going to buy one song: Rose Stained Red
If you're only going to buy three songs: Rose Stained Red, Center of a Kiss, Christian Dear

A Taster: Rose Stained Red (with looping)

Personal photo:

Ari Herstand and CAB in La Crosse, WI 2008. (I'm in the jean jacket.)

Augustana

Can't Love, Can't Hurt: Buy for $10.69

Augustana is a California-based band. Their big hits were Boston and Sweet and Low.

I picked up their 2008 album Can't Love, Can't Hurt at their concert we put on in Wisconsin. Real nice guys.

Genre: emo alternative
Sound: mainstream, slight whine, catchy
Writing: Not terribly unique, but not obnoxiously cliche


The Good: snappy, catchy, makes you want to sing along
The Bad: can't really distinguish than a dozen other bands like Something Corporate
The Unique: hmm.

If you're only going to buy one song: Boston (not on this album)
If you're only going to buy three songs: Boston, Dust, Either Way
Typical lyrics: "She said I think I'll go to Boston / I think I'll start a new life / I think I'll start over / Where no one knows my name" (Boston)
A Taster: Boston

Personal Photo:

Augustana and CAB in La Crosse, WI 2009. (I'm on the far right in the hat.)

Barenaked Ladies

Barenaked Ladies is a prolific Canadian band, one of my favorites.

Genre: pop
Sound: fun, upbeat, with some very heartfelt ballads now and again
Writing: amazing. Strange funny songs and also spine chilling serious songs

The Good: the writing, the vocals, diversity of style
The Bad: Steven Page is no longer with the band.
The Unique: topics that have never been done before. Ed's geek-rap


Born on a Pirate Ship
If you're only going to buy one song: Shoebox
If you're only going to buy three songs: Shoebox, I Know, When I Fall
Typical lyrics: "Broke into the old apartment / This is where we used to live / Broken glass, broke and hungry, broken hearts, and broken bones / This is where we used to live." (Old Apartment)

Everything to Everyone
If you're only going to buy one song: Testing 123
If you're only going to buy three songs: Testing 123, War on Drugs, Another Postcard
Typical lyrics: "You can't imagine so many monkeys in the daily mail / and all of them coming anonymously so they leave no trail / Never thought I'd have an admirer from overseas / but somebody's sending me stationary filled with chimpanzees." (Another Postcard)

Greatest Hits: Download now for $8.99
If you're only going to buy one song: It's the Greatest Hits album--you can't choose just one

Rock Spectacle
If you're only going to buy one song: When I Fall
If you're only going to buy three songs: When I Fall, Life in a Nutshell, If I Had a Million Dollars live (if only for the amusing anecdote bonus after the song)

Gordon
If you're only going to buy one song: Box Set
If you're only going to buy three songs: Box Set, The Flag, New Kid

Stunt
If you're only going to buy one song: I'll Be That Girl
If you're only going to buy three songs: I'll Be That Girl, Some Fantastic, Who Needs Sleep

Maroon
If you're only going to buy one song: Too Little Too Late
If you're only going to buy three songs: Too Little Too Late, Falling for the First Time, Humor of the Situation


A Taster: One Week... (or watch the actual music video here)





Personal Photo:


Barenaked Ladies in Madison, WI. Steven Page on screen. 3-24-04. Oddly enough, you can actually download the audio of this entire concert for only $12.49.

Bascom Hill

Bascom Hill is a band from Madison, WI -- named after the big hill on campus. I actually just won a t-shirt from them.

Maybe: Buy for $8.99

Genre: Alternative
Sound: It's got a bit of that Jack Johnson close-to-reggae sometimes, and it's light like a hint of beach music but not quite that either
Writing: Fair

The Good: Style, music, vocal quality, catchy
The Bad: A lot of the ballads sound the same
The Unique: That occasional reggae flare

Maybe

If you're only going to buy one song: Angels Weep
If you're only going to buy three songs: Angels Weep, For a Moment, Maybe

Inevitable

If you're only going to buy one song: My World
If you're only going to buy three songs: My World, Go On, Hello
Typical lyrics: "If you're not living in my world, it sucks to be you." (My World)
A Taster: My World...



Personal Photo:


Me and the lead singer of Bascom Hill.

Big D and the Kids Table

Big D and the Kids Table is a rather large group that plays ska music with punk-style singing.

Genre: punk ska
Sound: Young punk voice with awesome ska horns and ska-style guitar, very few ballads
Writing: Creative situations for songs, lots of swearing

The Good: horns, melody
The Bad: You might have to be in the right mood to listen to it if you're not used to punk. It's very upbeat, often angry.
The Unique: topics

Good Luck buy for $14.98

If you're only going to buy one song: Good Luck
If you're only going to buy three songs: Good Luck, Are You Just Scared?, Myself

How it Goes

If you're only going to buy one song: Safe Haven
If you're only going to buy three songs: Safe Haven, Moment Without an End, 175
Typical Lyrics: "So it seems, our disc was run over, shattered all our dreams / The sun is shining down, we played disc in every single town that we stopped in." (175)

A Taster: Shining On

Blessid Union of Souls

Blessid Union of Souls is one of my all-time favorite bands. They've undergone some member changes over the year. Their first four albums were the best, my favorite being Walking off the Buzz, hands down. Eliot Sloan and Eddie Hedges both have done some solo work.

Walking off the Buzz: Download for $8.99

Genre: 90's rock
Sound: Eliot's got a little bit of the pop whine, but the music is distinctive and has some soul and roots flavor to it. Makes you want to sing along.
Writing: A lot of typical pop love songs, sometimes the point is sacrificed for rhyme, but the singles are usually very clever.

The Good: CP's harmonica playing!
The Bad: Half the songs have cliche lyrics. Most of the Perception and Close to the Edge albums.
The Unique: Their grammar, distinctive guitar, Eliot's singing, occasionally the powerful voice of Emosia

Home

If you're only going to buy one song: End of the World
If you're only going to buy three songs: End of the World, Nora, Home
Typical lyrics: "The lie in believe, I in deceive, the her in together, the we in the weather." (End of the World)

Blessid Union of Souls

If you're only going to buy one song: Scenes From a Coffee House
If you're only going to buy three songs: Scenes From a Coffee House, Humble Star, Jelly
Typical lyrics: "She becomes like jelly in my hands, jelly in my hands, jelly in my hands." (Jelly)

Walking Off the Buzz

If you're only going to buy one song: Stone Glass Window
If you're only going to buy three songs: Stone Glass Window, South Hampton Avenue, Last Day of My Life
Typical lyrics: "We live on South Hampton Avenue / We'll leave the welcome mat out for you / Now that you think you know who we are / How do you like us so far?" (South Hampton Avenue)

The Singles

If you're only going to buy one song: Standing at the Edge of the Earth
If you're only going to buy three songs: Hey Leonardo, Storybook Life, Standing at the Edge of the Earth
Typical lyrics: "She likes me for me / not because I sing like Pavorotti / or because I'm such a hottie *sigh* / I like her for her / not because she's hot like Cindy Crawford / She as got so much to offer." (Hey Leonardo)

Perception

If you're only going to buy one song: Redemption
If you're only going to buy three songs: Redemption, Let's Get Out of Here, Bittersweet Sublime
Typical lyrics: "I've seen the shadows of the corners of my mine / Now I can't hear the cry of my soul." (Redemption)

Close to the Edge

Total disappointment. While Back From the Dead is probably the best song BUoS has ever done, we have pretty much all of these tracks from previous albums.
If you're only going to buy one song: Back From the Dead

A Taster:

Personal Photo:


Me talking to Eliot, Tony, and Jeff in La Crosse, WI 2005.

Chameleon Circuit

Chameleon Circuit: Buy now for $12.00

Chameleon Circuit is a trock band. That is, timelord rock. That is, songs about Doctor Who. It consists of four popular YouTube vloggers including Alex Day, who invented trock.

Genre: Trock. Indie rock.
Sound: A bit pop meets indie rock with young British voices.
Writing: Cheesey, obviously, but not in a bad way.

The Good: Surprisingly good instrumentation. Diverse vocalists.
The Bad: Although in key, not terribly strong vocals.
The Unique: It's about Doctor Who. What more can I say?

If you only buy one song: Exterminate Regenerate
If you only buy three songs: Exterminate Regenerate, K9's Lament, Blink
Typical Lyrics: "Running through the snow with my brain in my hand." (Friends of the Ood)
A Taster: an Awful Lot of Running

Darren Hayes

This Delicate Thing We've Made: Buy for $16.69

Darren Hayes is the voice behind the 90's band Savage Garden. His solo career is now coming up on its fourth album. The first two aren't very good, but the 2-disc set This Delicate Thing We Made is one of my favorite albums. There are also DVDs not only of performances but animations to go with his music, created by Darren's artist husband.

Genre: electronic pop
Sound: If I wasn't already aware of Savage Garden, I would probably dismiss it for sounding too 90's boyband, but not usually obnoxious. Australian accent doesn't really come through in the singing.
Writing: Honest later in career. Sometimes tells a story.

Good: Time travel theme of Delicate album
Bad: vocal processing in song Bombs Up in My Face. The first 2 albums
Unique: Falsetto

Spin
If you only buy one song: Good Enough
If you only buy three songs: Good Enough, Spin, Like it or Not

Tension and the Spark
If you only buy one song: Darkness
If you only buy three songs: Darkness, Popular

This Delicate Thing We've Made
If you only buy one song: How to Build a Time Machine
If you only buy three songs: How to Build a Time Machine, Neverland, Casey

Typical Lyrics: "Hey, put down that rock now / Can't you see he's half your size? / Hey, he looks familiar / Oh my God, it's me age nine! / Put your shoes on, run away from here / I can't get involved, this is all so weird." (How to Build a Time Machine)

A Taster: Verge

Personal photo:

Darren Hayes' first show for This Delicate Thing We've Made. London, England, March 6, 2007.

David Bowie

Eagle-Eye Cherry

Present Future: Download album for $9.49

Eagle-Eye Cherry, son of Don Cherry, is the Swedish singer/songwriter most known for his single Save Tonight.

Genre: 90's alternative

Sound: Often acoustic, varied ethnic styles thrown in, fun

Writing: Not terribly deep, but not cliche either

The Good: Feel-good music

The Bad: Has he fallen off the face of the planet? Where's he got to?

The Unique: Recognizable voice

If you're only going to buy one song: Shades of Gray
If you're only going to buy three songs: Shades of Gray, Long Way Around, Feels So Right
Typical Lyrics: "I'm south of skating but I'm north of the cash / I could sure use the money but I'm ashamed to ask." (Shades of Gray)
Recommendation: Buy the whole album
Taster: Save Tonight

The Fratellis

Genre: Rock
Sound: A little bit punk, no ballads, either angry or cheery, upbeat, British, occassional other influences like ska
Writing: Good, but not really the type of band Ipay attention to the words

The Good: good dancing or walking or running music
The Bad: have to be in the mood for some fast, loud music
The Unique: energy

Costello Music
If you're only going to buy one song: Whistle for the Choir
If you're only going to buy three songs: Whistle for the Choir, Cuntry Boys and Girls,
Recommendation: Pick and choose songs

Here We Stand
If you're only going to buy one song: My Friend John
If you're only going to buy three songs: My Friend John, Mistress Mabel, Acid Jazz Singer
Recommendation: Buy whole album
A taster...