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Continuing with some of my all-time favorite tunes…..
4. Rachael Yamagata-Letter Read
It’s hard to single out a song from her, considering they’re all so well written and beautiful. But this was the first song I ever heard from the budding singer/songwriter. Her style is pretty original, even after she’s now been copied by countless wanna-be pop stars. The piano-driven ballads of love and loss hit home, as well as the great beats she has to back them up. All of her album Happenstance is worth checking out and the sophmore release Elephants is pretty remarkable too.
5. Mana- Hundido En Un Rincon
Even if you don’t speak (or understand) Spanish, it’s hard not to be drawn to Mana. They’re a Latin-fused rock with melodies and rhythms that are magnetic, pulling you into the passion and music unlike most other bands. I first heard this song on their MTV Unplugged album from the mid-90s, which featured the great percussive accompaniment of Louis Conte. The whole Unplugged album is stellar as well as the album that originally featured this song-Cuando Los Angeles Lloran. More recent releases from them include Amar Es Combatir, a regular spinning album on The Appetizer.
6. Johnny Cash-I See A Darkness
I’m also drawn to great songwriters, especially when you can tell just by the lyrics and the scratch in their voice that they’ve traveled a hard road and come out alive on the other side. Cash definitely fits that category. He was one tough customer in the music world, writing and recording nearly until his dying breath in 2003. This song is a cover of Will Oldham’s classic tune found on American III: Solitary Man.
There’s some songs that just stick with us over time. Maybe there was a song you loved when you were a child and years or even decades later are still just as beloved by you as they were back then. I know that’s the truth for me. There’s new songs that make it into the prestigious “Dave’s Faves” collection, but I wanted to share with you all some that have stood the test of time. There’s no particular order to these, and this is just a smattering and not a complete list. Rather it’s an off-the-cuff sampler.
1. Pearl Jam-Yellow Ledbetter
PJ will always be one of my favorite bands. I remember rocking out to them with my buddy John Shellington when we were in middle school. I tried to learn to play their songs on guitar but didn’t make it so far. John on the other hand was (and still is) a virtuosic guitarist and picked up even the solos without trouble. So we would jam to this song all the time. Pearl Jam has released more live albums than any other band, and Yellow Ledbetter is a common show stopper for the band. Mike McCready changes the end solo each time, which makes each performance unique. The song is an ode to Jimi Hendrix in a lot of ways. I have some favorite versions, but the track itself is legendary.
2. Brandi Carlile- Throw It All Away
Since I first heard Brandi’s self-titled debut album, I’ve been telling everyone I know about her music. Truthfully it’s hard to pick a favorite because all of her songs are so unique and powerful. Her sound is comparable to a female version of Johnny Cash’s lyricism with her own brand of folk/rock. Throw It All Away was the first song that really grabbed a hold of me. For several months in 2008, I put the track on the Appetizer weekly. I was just in love with it. While she’s since done some incredible songs since, this track has stuck and will continue to through time.
3. Blindside-Sleepwalking
Screamo-Alternative is not a style I get to feature much on the show. But I still love some select groups from this genre. Emery, Underoath, and MeAgainstYou were some of the first bands I listened to after I got hooked on Blindside in 2003. I used to turn away from the style because I couldn’t understand the lyrics, and I thought too many acts were trying to be the 21st century Nirvana. But Blindside’s lyrics and musical style set them apart. I was privileged enough to get to see them live twice and this track continued to be not just great on cd, but even better live. I’ve been able to feature the acoustic version a few times, but nothing compares to the all out rockin’ version. It’s found on their Silence album.
*note*- A close second to this track in terms of favorites is About A Burning Fire, the title track to their 2004 release. It’s an all-out cry for love and what love is. It’s such a passionate song, my wife and I used the end chorus as the processional song at our wedding.
More faves to come. As always, check out our playlists for other great tracks at http://appetizerradio.com
A very happy belated birthday to one of my biggest heroes-Chuck Norris. Though The Appetizer is a music program, we still make it a priority to acknowledge greatness in all aspects of life. International Day of Awesomeness was yesterday, but to commemorate the day, it’s still worth mentioning. Since the start of the Chuck Norris craze, it’s been funny reading and hearing all the different abilities of the 80′s action hero. Some of my favorites are – Chuck Norris can lead a horse to water AND make it drink.
- Chuck Norris can slam a revolving door.
- Chuck Norris counted to infinity – twice.
- Chuck Norris’ hand is the only hand that can beat a Royal Flush.
- Chuck Norris can divide by zero.
- Chuck Norris once kicked a horse in the chin. Its descendants are known today as giraffes.
-Chuck Norris doesn’t wear a watch; He Decides what time it is.
-Chuck Norris’ calendar goes straight from March 31st to April 2 because no one fools Chuck Norris.
Please share with us some of your favorite Chuck Norris sayings. Enjoy Awesomeness Week!
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