Welcome
to my brand new MP3 Blog. My name is John Laird and
I will be posting up different things Monday through
Friday every week. Expect a broad range of music
here as I have a love for just about everything
except Modern Country and Kim Waters. I have so much
to share and I am excited to be rambling on everyday
about all things musically oriented.
I figured that for my first post I would delve into
why I named the blog "Side One: Track One." For me
the first track of an album is always the most
important. It sets the listener up for the rest of
the album and either peaks or crushes all interest
in what else is on the disc. Plus, the name also
serves as a direct reference to my love of vinyl. In
any case my first post if my Top 6 opening tracks of
2006, these are in no particular order. Not every
song posted on this blog will be the first track on
an album but don't be surprised if a large number of
the posts are.
:TV On The Radio - Playhouses: I must admit I was really worried about
"Return to Cookie Mountain." The name seemed slightly lame, granted
"Desperate Youth, Bloodthirsty Babes" is not stellar, and the band signing
to Interscope made me wonder exactly what we would be getting. I was
extremely wrong and I knew it the first time that I heard this song. TOTR
always seemed like a band that would probably one day put together a song
that could really make you want to get up and move around in anyway
possible. I suppose the line "When the Moon is round and full, I'm gonna
teach you tricks that will blow your mind" is the most fitting way to
describe one of the best songs that this band has ever written, who knew
they could be this good?
:Page France - Chariot: It seems so incredibly cliché to say that this song
is one of those that makes you stop and listen. Unfortunately there is no
better way to say it and in fact that phrase describes the entire "Hello,
Dear Wind" album. Page France seems to be all about little details and
different surprises that jump out and reward you for not having the
attention span of a teenager. Pay attention at the 2:07 mark when the lovely
Whitney McGraw jump in and adds a nice touch to an already great song. Look
out for a re-release of this album later this year on Suicide Squeeze.
:Mates of State - Think Long: For me this was another album that I was
slightly worried about. After "Team Boo" I wondered if this duo would pump
out another disc of what my girlfriend calls Carnival Music. Instead they
signed to Barsuk and released an album that has taken their fun sound and
added about 400 layers of magical indie depth too it. The first time I heard
this song I instantly knew that they had delivered on their Barsuk debut and
had managed to make a really fantastic album that stayed true to their
signature vocals but allowed the music to grow and mature, for Mates of
State this song is practically epic. Just so you know, my favorite part
kicks in at the 2:45 mark.
:The Black Angels - Young Dead Men: This track really sets the mood for the
entire album. All of the pounding drums with the crazy reverb heavy vocals
combines to make the most trippy acid rock experience that you can find
today. When this comes on I feel like I should lay on the floor in a hot
room and watch the ceiling fan blades while I feel the music pounding away
at me. Their line "Fire at will, don't you waste no time" defines this band,
they are blasting away and not wasting anytime becoming one of the best
groups around.
:Murder By Death - Boy Decide: I somehow managed to miss this band for
years. I honestly can't say why and the only reason that I ended up noticing
them was the fact that I was seeing a band that I like a lot, The Metal
Hearts, open for them. A few weeks before the show I made a compilation CD
of what most fans considered their best songs and I have to say at first I
didn't get it. Every song felt like a weird version of Johnny Cash ended up
in "Burst and Bloom" era Cursive. After seeing them live, listening to that
compilation a lot, and buying into their style it all came together for me.
These guys are the consummate professionals and you have to give it to them
for sticking to what they do best, all three of their albums are pretty
consistent in quality and sound.
:Regina Spektor - Fidelity: One of my best friends told me to pay some
attention to Regina and I ended up pleasantly surprised at how wonderful she
is. This song in particular is one of those that you can listen to 3 or 4
times in a row just because it is an enjoyable tune. The vocals are
especially fantastic and the music builds and sweeps in all of the right
moments. This song is one of my favorite pop tunes this year.
-
John Laird -
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