[	Tags	|	music	]
[	Current Mood	|	chipper	]
[	What am I listening to?	|	Ween - Push Th' Little Daisies	]

• Obtain these songs (I initially typed "buy" but... well... you know... just obtain them).
• Put them on a CD (or in a playlist in your music library if you, like me, rarely touch physical media anymore)
• Write on the CD in marker (or name the playlist) "Music that stomps depression's face into a mushy mess before molesting it like a baby rabbit's skull until it squeals for mercy, but this music shows no mercy to the depression. Nay, begging for mercy only makes it more vicious!"
• Anytime you are feeling even slightly down, play this set of songs on random until you feel better

1. Good Day by Natives of the New Dawn (from "Need Something")

   Wake up, it's time to rise and shine,
   just another day in this life of mine.
   I take a deep breath,
   my lungs fill to capacity,
   it's gonna be a good day. (Why?)
   Because it has to be.

   This is my go to song. Nothing can put things at ease in my mind more quickly than a song that tells you that you have to choose to have a good day.
   
2. Drinking Song by Jenny Owen Youngs (from "Batten the Hatches")

   There's solace at the bottom of a bottle
   ba da da da da da
   There's solace at the bottom of a bottle
   ba da da da da da

   I know, I know, this isn't really all that happy a song. In fact, it's rather depressing if you think about it too long. The fact is, this absolutely doesn't belong on my list at all, but defying logic, it reminds me of a much more depressing time of my life... and nothing I can go through today can possibly contend with the roughest part of my abusive drinking and drugging, so it ends up rather uplifting for me.
   
3. Chemical Calisthenics by Blackalicious (from "Blazing Arrow")
   There is no part of this song that needs quoting, it is just an insanely fun song to listen to. I wish he would record a physics version. I await Physics Calisthenics.
   
4. Beautiful World by Colin Hay (from "Going Somewhere")

   And still this emptiness persists.
   Perhaps this is as good as it gets.
   When you’ve given up the drink and those nasty cigarettes.
   Now I leave the party early, at least with no regrets.
   I watch the sun as it comes up, I watch it as it sets.
   Yeah this is as good as it gets.

   You know, that really is as good as it gets.
   
5. Make Yourself (acoustic version) by Incubus (from "Make Yourself" Japanese import)

   If I hadn't made me,
   I would've been made somehow.
   If I hadn't assembled myself,
   I'd have fallen apart by now.

   I prefer the acoustic version of this song not simply because I prefer the acoustic versions of most songs (which I do), but because it dramatically changes the feel of the song. The album version has a very defiant, "fuck you" feel to it. This has a more plaintive, "I need this" feel; which is entirely what I need when I'm feeling full of self pity.
   
6. Afternoons and Coffeespoons by Crash Test Dummies (from "God Shuffled His Feet")

   Times when the day is like a play by Sartre
   When it seems a bookburning's in perfect order
   I gave the doctor my description
   I tried to stick to my prescriptions

   This makes the cut by way of the "with a headache" school of thought. This line of reasoning is, everything could be worse, just add a headache (which begs the question, what if my problem *IS* a headache). This is my reminder that I don't have a "headache" to boot!
   
7. Superman by Goldfinger (from "The Best of Goldfinger")

   So here I am
   doing everything I can
   holding on to what I am
   pretending I'm a superman

   Some days, this is what it feels like to be me. Sometimes, you don't need to hear a song about how it is going to get better, sometimes you just need to hear your situation glorified in song. I listen to this song when that is the case.
   
8. Red Rabbits by The Shins (from "Wincing the Night Away")

   And I can't go into this no more,
   It puts too many thorns on my mind,
   And the necessary balloon lies a corpse on the floor,
   We've pissed on far too many sprites,
   And they're all standing up for their rights.

   No, it doesn't make much sense; not *literally* at least. That's not what The Shins do. It's not their "thing", as it were. A song from the perspective of the entity putting you through the trials and tribulations that you are going through, set to a slightly upbeat tune, with a popping-bubbling noise in the background... it's a formula for, at the very least, a smile. Pissing on sprites is bonus material.
   
9. Friends O' Mine by Bowling for Soup (from "A Hangover You Don't Deserve")

   Well it was ugly but we made it this far
   Some have gone but I forget who they are
   Now the hangovers are worse but we get through them fine

   Cliche starting in 5... 4... 3... 2... Sometimes, it's just nice to be reminded (in a fun and plucky way) that you have friends.
   
10. Make My Way by Blues Traveler (from "Straight on 'til Morning")

    When you roll down your window
    And ask for directions
    Can you count on the answers
    That you would receive
    If you've ever been taken
    By that passed along pay back
    Why ask in the first place you might not believe
    But I won't be confined to road maps
    Or let assholes decide
    And I'd rather be lost
    Then afraid to take a ride

    You cannot live life afraid of making a mistake or being misled. Sometimes where you end up accidentally is far and away preferable to where you would have had you had your own way. My presence in Michigan is merely a series of strange coincidences, and not a thing I'd have ever even considered, given my own desires. That could have worked out worse, eh?
    
11. Debauchery by David Gray (from "A Century Ends")

    Your blouse your skirt
    I'll undo them so gentle
    With beautiful care
    I'm a lonely man
    With five bottles of wine
    I'd like you to share

    Another of those songs that have nothing to do with being happy, but damned if it's not a fun little song about the joy of a roll in the hay to pass a cold and stormy night.
    
12. Everything's Just Wonderful by Lily Allen (from "Alright, Still")

    Oh Jesus, Christ Almighty,
    Do I feel alright? No, not slightly.
    I wanna get a flat, I know I can afford it
    It's just the bureaucrats that won't give me a mortgage.
    It's very funny, 'cause I got your fucking money
    And I'm never gonna get it, just 'cause of my bad credit.

    If I made music, it would be this. Viciously sarcastic, superficially humorous, and absurdly bubblegum. I lose all credibility as a lover of music for this, but Lily Allen entertains the shit out of me, and this is no exception. If you can make it through this song without bobbing your head and tapping a foot along with the beat, you have no soul.
    
13. Your Misfortune by Mike Doughty (from "Haughty Melodic")

    When your faith in life is gone
    Come and speak to me
    When you're down and all messed up
    Seek my sympathy

    
    
14. Ride the Tide by Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies (from their self titled album)

    Let's ride, let's ride, let's ride this tide

    This and the previous song are just another pair of little reminders that there I have friends out there who would be happy to help me out, or just to listen and bolster my spirits. This one has the added benefit of carrying that "ride it out and see where it goes" message with which I am so enamored.
    
15. Steal My Sunshine by </b>LEN</b> (from "You Can't Stop the Bum Rush")

    i was lying on the grass on sunday morning of last week
    indulging in my self defeats
    my mind was thugged, all laced and bugged, all twisted round and beat
    uncomfortable three feet deep
    now the fuzzy stare from not being there on a confusing morning week
    impaired my tribal lunar-speak
    and of course you can't become if you only say what you would have done
    so i missed a million miles of fun

    I don't claim to understand this song. I don't even claim to enjoy this song. I will say that it never fails to put a smile on my face (typically at the line "I've never seen her look this bad before" "I did once before, but this is pretty bad").
    
16. Come out Fighting by The Vandals (from "Hitler Bad, Vandals Good")

    Problems! I've got em too,
    but keeping them inside is not the thing to do.
    Problems! You've got to face hang-ups head-on,
    before you know they're hangin' you.

    There is something to be said for ignoring metaphor, craft, or subtlety entirely and just saying what you need to say. I prefer this version to the Pennywise version because of its lack of polish.
    
17. Theme Song by Too Much Joy (from "Cereal Killers")

    We only shoot when shot at
    We give away what we don't need
    We live for fun and freedom
    We stamp out fear and greed
    
    To create you must destroy
    Smash a glass and cry, too much joy

    I just really enjoy the sentiment, this "we're just here to have fun" that it expresses... and the little spoken bit near the end makes my day.
    

push th' little daisies and make em come up
push th' little daisies and make em come up
push th' little daisies and make em come up
push th' little daisies and make em come up
push th' little daisies and make em come up
push th' little daisies and make em come up
push th' little daisies and make em come up
push th' little daisies and make em come up

[	Tags	|	music, rant	]
[	Current Mood	|	shocked	]

I simply had to share this little missive by a local band known as Verses (reproduced below with commentary).

Verses Signed and Discovered!
Hello Verses Friends,

First of all, thank you to all of you who have been listening and patiently waiting for us to completely blow up (in a good way.) We also want to thank those who have been out to a couple of our shows, and have cheered for us despite having to wait for a bunch of lame shit bands performing (if that is what you call it). Thank you, those days of waiting are now over.

What has happened is that we have been discovered and signed by M.A.M.A, a multi-media productions company out of Detroit. We are now on track to be a certified, music industry recognized regional band by December2008. What this means, is that this year is going to be a test-market conducted by the indie lable (MAMA) to see if our music is a viable entity capable of being bigger than just the Detroit Metro Area.

THIS IS HOW YOU CAN HELP. We need you to:

1)Pay for a ticket to 10 upcoming major venues: Clutch Cargo's, St.Andrews, Royal Oak Music Theater, Emerald Theater, etc. These will be properly announced, promoted, and advertised. We will be performing with three other bands that are in similar situations as us, except their music is COMPLETELY DIFFERENT, and will be performing in a fantastic, PARTY ATMOSPHERE. Gone are the days of lame venues and horrible bands. And for all of us we say, Amen. TELL ALL YOUR FRIENDS!

2) Keep your eyes peeled on the site for upcoming announcements. Check your myspace message box for e-mails.

3)If you are not interested in coming to shows in the Detroit Metro Area during this year, GET OFF THIS PAGE. DELETE YOURSELF. YOU ARE WASTING OUR SPACE and WE WANT DEDICATED FANS WHO LOVE MUSIC. We will be performing 10 large venues, and 10 smaller venues. The 10 smaller venues are a perfect opportunity to come and hang out with us to see if we are as cool as we sound. I guarantee we are.

Thanks again,especially to X and the guys at MAMA Productions. This opportunity is once in a lifetime. Verses Friends: IF YOU EVER WANTED TO BE A PART OF A GRASSROOTS MUSICAL MOVEMENT, THE TIME IS NOW!!!!!!

Ecstatic Peace,
Dan - Verses

[	Tags	|	life, music, religion	]
[	Current Mood	|	chipper	]
[	What am I listening to?	|	Evening Service - The Bible Says	]

Everybody, we had a band meeting and Donnie reminded us that we are a Ministry first and a band second...With that perspective, we have to agree even if it means that we can't accept some of the fans out there. Donnie is writing some guidelines for who we can and can't accept... straight people who aren't atheists and so on. He said we shouldn't accept anyone from San Francisco because it might be a trick.

So, if we have to unfriend you because you are a sinner... don't worry.Donnie says that he is going to set up a way that you can "graduate" to an Evening Service fan after you've been certified in the CHOPS program.

(Emphasis mine)