10 Awesome Songs

When a meme hits you, it hits you bad. You can't sleep, you can't think of anything else, you can't eat (there's some contention about that). It fills your head until you say to yourself, "Ah crap! I'm going to join the bandwagon otherwise I won't have anything done". Look at how 9gag has taken many souls -- it must be the devil itself (some Christian church in Southern USA might've already thought it is, or maybe not). And yeah, I "browse" through 9gag every now and then (like maybe 8 hours a day, not bad).

So here's a meme I found. It's actually a Top 100 favorite songs, but I don't think I'm already Asian level (if you're on 9gag, you'll get that) in music to have something like that.

So I whip up a Top 10. Not in chronological order, by the way. I'm not like Rob Gordon of High Fidelity that makes list in a particular order (chronological, ascending, autobiographical).

Here goes.

1.) Lisztomania (Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix) by Phoenix



Phoenix started back in the mid-90s, but released their first album in 2000. Their songs had been played in two movies, Shallow Hal (with Jack Black and Gwyneth Paltrow) and Lost in Translation (with Bill Murray and Scarlet Johansson; watched this film back in high school and never really got it). They won a Grammy in 2010 for Best Alternative Rock Music.

The song feels pretty much like being on acid trip just because listening to it gives off the feeling of floating on air. I guess it has something to do with Thomas Mars's voice. I like his voice and the beat of the song is really great. The first few lines go like this: "So sentimental. Not sentimental, no. Romantic, not disgusting yet".

2. Sail (Megalithic Symphony) by AWOLNATION



AWOLNATION is a pretty recent band. They began in 2009 after the vocalist, Aaron Bruno, was here and there with the major labels. The song is pretty much about not properly dealing with the "normal" flow of life. Something I can very pretty much relate with. "Maybe I should cry for help/Maybe I should kill myself...Maybe I'm a different breed/Maybe I'm not listening." Bruno's voice is also filled with force and beauty -- another reason to like the song.


3. Sweet Jane (Loaded) by The Velvet Underground



Very obvious answer, maybe. Most people like (or maybe should like) this song. Lou Reed's voice is just so chill, makes you feel chill too. "And that, y'know, children are the only ones who blush. And that, life is just to die."

4. Sakasama no Chou (Hatsuyuki) by SNoW Yukie



The song comes from SNoW's debut album. It is featured (as well as another one of her songs called Nightmare) in an anime called Jigoku Shoujo or Hell Girl (watched it and I love the first two seasons; the last season was a drag and forced). She's a Japanese singer, but she has a few songs in English (On and On; I'm No). I'm not sure if she's still in the Japanese music scene as it is difficult to stay well-known in their music industry (save for Arashi and Utada Hikaru, and maybe Morning Musume).

SNoW has a very soulful voice that transcends to the heart. Her voice is just amazing. I can't remember the exact translation of the song but the title means "Inverted Butterfly". I love the video too!

5. Solanin (Magic Disk) by Asian Kung Fu Generation



The lyrics of the song came from the manga of the same name written by Inio Asano, which was later made into a movie. Both the manga and the movie are really good. I adore Asano's What a Wonderful World manga (a collection of one-shot mangas). Asian Kung Fu Generation was commissioned to make the lyrics written in the manga into an actual song as the actors (who are in a band) have to sing it in the movie. And they did a pretty good job.

The song (and the film) is about leaving your past and moving on. Rough translation of a part of the song (from here): "Even if that frail happiness had somehow lingered on/A bad seed would've surely sprouted/So, I guess this is goodbye."

Typical insightful Japanese artistry for you.

6. Grow Up and Blow Away (Grow Up and Blow Away) by Metric



I found out they're Canadians a few months ago and was excited. I like Canada! Well because my mother had been there before (when I was 8) and she told me a lot of nice things about Canada. Plus another one of my fave band, Tegan and Sara, are from Canada as well!

I have another one of their album (Fantasies) but I like this one better because it's more melodic -- especially this song. "If this is the life why does it feel so good to die today/ Blue to gray/ Grow up and blow away." Emily Haines has a really sweet voice. And she's really sexy!

7. Breaking the Habit (Meteora) by Linkin Park



Linkin Park is the first band I ever liked and got me out of the ditsy world of pop (I was 12!)into the awesome realm of rock. Chester Bennington has a really powerful voice and the emotions there just run deep.

I love this album (their 2nd). The fusion of Eastern instruments, electronica (go DJ Hahn!) and nu rock is just wonderful. I read somewhere that Breaking the Habit is about Chester's victory over drug addiction. The lyrics are very powerful and Chester puts in his whole heart in singing it. I remember screaming my lungs out while singing along to this song. "I don't know what's worth fighting for/ Or why I have to scream/ I don't know why I instigate and say what I don't mean/ I don't know how I got this way/ I know it's not alright/ So I'm breaking the habit tonight".

8. Under Pressure (Greatest Hits) by Queen and David Bowie



I love Queen. I adore Freddie Mercury. He has one of the most amazing vocals in the history of music. This is one of my favorite Queen songs, but I chose this for the list because there is so much truth in it. "Pressure pushing down on me/Pressing down on you no man ask for/ Under pressure, that burns a building down/ Splits a family in two/ Puts people on streets."

9. The Con (The Con) by Tegan and Sara



This is the song that got me following Tegan and Sara. They're Canadian identical twins doing indie music since they were in school and released their first album in 1999 when they were 19. They're thin, high-pitched voice is very unique and makes them very distinct.

10. 19-2000 (Gorillaz) by Gorillaz



I was in high school when I first heard this song and I instantly liked it. It has a right blend of funkiness and bad-ass video. I was taken by Gorillaz and fell in love with their other works - Clint Eastwood, Demon Days, Feel Good, Inc.. I even bought a tape of Demon Days when I was in high school (lost it somewhere, though). I just got a CD of The Fall a day or two ago and I like what I've heard so far. My brother loves them too so I got him their 3rd album, Plastic Beach, for Christmas.