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Wednesday, August 9, 2006
 

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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