Way Back Wednesday: Nelly Furtado

Remember back when Nelly Furtado was just this super cute Canadian girl singing cutesy pop songs and not some hip-hop hype girl?  I heard this song while shopping last week and I remembered how much I really loved her first album, Whoa, Nelly!, and also how different her music is now.  Not that I don't like her newer music, but I have very fond memories of driving from LA to Lake Tahoe with my BFF for Warped Tour and listening to this album the whole way.  Where is the old Nelly Nelly Furtado?  Is she still in there or has she been completely taken over by the hip-hop bug?  I'd love to hear an album of somewhere in between.  Would be pretty fly.

Braziliantly Perfect Record: Built to Spill - Keep It Like A Secret

Built to Spill - Keep It Like A Secret

There is no way I could do a list of perfect records from start to finish without mentioning the Built to Spill masterpiece Keep It Like A Secret. This record is perfect to me. Every song is just as amazing as the previous. The guitarmanship, the lyrics, the Doug Martsch signature childlike vocals. It's like musical porn to me. Anytime I put this record on, I feel better for having heard it.  There isn't a time that it doesn't immediately put me in a better mood. This record brings me back to when I first started working at my old job. My work bff and I were both equally in love with it and tag teamed playing it on the community cd player in the office. I knew I loved this record, but it was completely sealed when I saw Built to spill play live.  One of my favorite bands ever to see play live.  SO GOOD.

Built to Spill is a band that is near perfect for me in general. They are one of a few bands that I can actually stand listening to them noodle on stage. The way Doug plays his guitar so nonchalantly, as though he has no care in the world. Does he need to look at the strings to see where he is? Nope. He's Doug Martsch. One of the best guitar players, if you ask me and also the creator of this amazing record that will never grow old, fade away or be dated.

Listen: "The Plan," "Carry the Zero," "Time Trap," "You Were Right" "Broken Chairs"

New (to me) Music: Japandroids

Sometimes I hate myself for being a judgmental music snob.  It's this arrogant bullshit that almost makes me miss a band just because I think they have a stupid band name.  It wouldn't be the first time.  I used to have nightmares about how much I hated the name Badly Drawn Boy.  Although I love his work with the About A Boy Soundtrack, I still smirk in disgust when his name is mentioned.

Fortunately, I am a mature adult and have moved past this part of my life.  This is where the Japandroids come in.  I kept hearing their name and this is what came to mind: J-Pop, Videodrone (don't ask) and corny rap-metal (I actually pictured shiny pleather catsuits and spiky boots).  What I found out when I ACTUALLY LISTENED TO THE MUSIC, was that they are AMAZING!  And, I love them!  And, they might be one of my new favorite bands.

Celebration Rock is full of awesome party anthems best served with a pint of Guinness and a dash of fist pumping.  I pop it on before setting out on a hike and pick back up 30 minutes later totally energized and ready to go.  "The Nights of Wine and Roses" is my favorite song right now.  Before, it was "The House That Heaven Built" and I feel as though it's going to keep changing with each and every listen (my money's on "Continuous Thunder").  I picked this one up from Amazon when they were running one of their amazing mp3 sales.  I highly recommend you doing the same.

YAY Japandroids!!

New Single: The xx

After releasing the first single from their forthcoming sophomore album, the xx have released another single to further fan the flames of excitement for the September 11th release of Coexist.  I was quite a bit obsessed with "Crystalized" and "Shelter" from their self-titled first record and CAN.NOT.WAIT to hear Coexist in its entirety.  They had me at "Angels" and keep reeling me in.  LOVE. Love. LOVE. love. love. love. that song. September 11th will not be here fast enough!

Way Back Wednesday: Foreigner

Sometimes I am such a whiny emo bitch that I want to kick my own ass.  On Monday, I was in spin class and the instructor played "I Want to Know What Love Is" by Foreigner (after class for the stretching, not for actual spin) and I got all wispy.  Let it be known that I do not actively like this song.  I'm sure I liked it when it came out, but I was thirteen and really didn't know what love is.  Now I'm a "grown ass adult" (as someone pointed out to me the other day) and this is NOT OK.  In honor of my being a complete idiot, I'm dedicating this week's Way Back Wednesday to all the emo bitches, old and young.  Sometimes you just gotta have a good cry and feel sorry for yourself.

It helps if you then watch the video.  It's so GOD DAMN CHEESY you can't help but feel better!