I like music. I like loud music. I think anyone that has lived with me for some part of the past 23 years knows this. I frequently have to spit my gum out while driving simply based on the sole fact that I want to sing loud and sing proud. I like to sing so much that one time I was caught red handed at a stoplight in Downtown Stamford: head thrashing, foot stomping, singing as loud as can be to The Vincent Black Shadow’s “House of Tasteful Men.” I was behind her and in the lane next to her. She did a double-take as she glanced in her rear view mirror, then proceeded to fully turn around to laugh smile at me. I think if I had been single and asked for her number, she would’ve immediately coughed it up, impressed by my contagious spirit and no-shame attitude towards life. Um…yeeeeeah.
There are a few CDs I need to take out of my car. They’re like drugs. I’ll tell myself that there’s no way in hell I want to listen to them. Then I put them in, take them out, and get mad at myself for having nothing else to listen to, only to find myself sucuumbing to the rock out sesh as these albums once again get me through the hell that is I-95. If they were heroin, my ears would probably be bleeding from the abuse.With no further adieu, allow me to the present the Top 3 CDs I Cannot Physically Remove From My Car Because I Have Way Too Much Fun Listening To Them.
1. Paramore – Riot!
Now I’m not one for pop-punk. I prefer Bad Religion, The Clash, The Sex Pistols, and any other type of real punk over the Fueled By Ramen stuff, but Hailey and the gang have won me over. Catchy beats, heart-felt lyrics, mind-enthralling hooks. They’ve got it. I knew that’d be big ever since “All We Know Is Falling,” and man, allow me to scratch my back on this one. Ahhh. Now everyone’s all “I love Paramore!” “I love Misery Business!”
Yeah, they will eventually become so trendy that I’ll want to hide the fact that I’ve included them in this list, but for now I’m going to claim them as my own. This CD is a fun romp through pop-punk perfection, and a much better effort than their last.
Recommended Downloads: Misery Business, Fences, crushcrushcrush
2. The Donnas – Bitchin’
Everyone knows I’m a huge Donnas fan (4 shows and counting!), but this album is definitely the best. I wasn’t so hot on “Gold Medal,” but this first post-Atlantic release really brought out the ROCK. I probably listen to it about 1 full time a day, and I’ve owned the album for about 2.5 months already. The Donnas are all about partying, drinking, smoking, fun, and rocking. I can’t find anything wrong with that. (And come on…look at that cover!)
Recommended Downloads: Bitchin’, Wasted, Like An Animal, Smoke You Out
3. Foo Fighters – Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace
These choices are all pretty mainstream, but SO WHAT? I’ll give you indie-snobs your fix sometime next week. For now, I don’t care that my third choice is also pretty mainstream-ish because all of these albums are most excellent. Grohl and Co. definitely laid down a solid record with a great mix of loud rock screamo hits, superb acoustic ones as well, and beautiful melodies to round it all out. Very eclectic and very good. I also think this is their best album yet, and this band just keep getting better.
Recommended Downloads: Stranger Things Have Happened, Let It Die, Summer’s End
I’m so sick of these albums. But they rock oh, so hard.
