When I was in college, a buddy of mine and I talked about starting a cover band called Songs You Should Know. We were going to only play songs that people don’t normally hear from cover bands, and any requests for Freebird or Sweet Home Alabama would be met with scorn and ridicule. Due to my lack of actual musical talent, the idea for Songs You Should Know has now been downgraded into an occasional blog post.
I can’t make a good mix tape/CD to save my life. There will always be at least two songs that I think are good, and then weeks later will begin to hate from repetitive listening. The mix will have a good rock flow, and then all of a sudden detour into a novelty song. I will occasionally add rap where rap does not belong.
But that doesn’t mean I don’t try. So here’s the mix of my favorite songs that I listened to way too much in 2007. Feel free to download the songs on iTunes and burn your own CD that you will grow to hate by February 2008.
“When You Were Young” - The Killers: Hey look, it’s a song that you probably actually know! Originally I wasn’t very big on The Killers because of “Somebody Told Me,” which was probably the worst debut song for a decent band ever. This is a Killers song that I actually really like, along with “Read My Mind” and “All the Things That I Have Done.” But only one song per band goes on a mix tape. Them’s the rules.
“Wolf Like Me” - TV on the Radio: Some of these songs have a common theme… a leitmotif, if you will… they are lots of fun to listen to while speeding on the Hathaway Bridge. This is one of those songs.
(Not that I actually speed over the Hathaway Bridge. It’s a hypothetical, clearly.)
“The State of Massachusetts” - Dropkick Murphys: You probably know about the Dropkick Murphys now, thanks to The Departed, the Boston Red Sox and “I’m Shipping Up To Boston,” the song threatening to overtake “Are You Gonna Go My Way” as the most overplayed song ever sometime next August. But I’ll be damaged if they don’t still make awesome music, and not even Jonathan Papelbon can change that.
“Big Casino” - Jimmy Eat World: Yes, that Jimmy Eat World. They’re still alive.
“Future Foe Scenarios” - Silversun Pickups: Before I saw this video, I would’ve bet folding money that the lead singer was female. Perry Farrell from Porno for Pyros thinks that lead singer sounds feminine.
“Inner City Pressure” - Flight of the Conchords: This year’s novelty song that screws the entire list up. What can I say… I like Pet Shop Boy parodies.
(Oh, and Flight of the Conchords on HBO was the best new television series this year. No question.)
“Fake Empire” - The National: I discovered The National via Paul Shirley’s MySpace page. That’s right, kids… a 6′11″ white guy playing pro basketball in Spain is a better conduit to new bands than local radio.
“Shatterproof” - Franky Lee: Because every bad mix CD needs a band from Sweden, right? (I’m a little upset that I couldn’t find this song on YouTube. Maybe one of the emo kids that work the concessions at the Grand Theatre can throw a video together real quick. Get on it.)
“Stuck Between Stations” - The Hold Steady: My favorite CD of 2007 was Boys and Girls in America, and The Hold Steady were my favorite new band (to me at least). I also like the fact that I am more attractive than at least 80% of the band (that’s what mom says).
“Borne on the FM Waves of the Heart” - Against Me!: My favorite song from 2007. Good job on the video, emo kids. Now get a haircut.
