GREAT SONGS FROM THE 00'S, VOL. 2

Alright...after a long week, I'm home, and resting soundly. It was actually a very nice trip home yesterday. Even though it was cold, I had a very smooth drive from Boulder to the Denver International Airport, got through security with no issues, and was in a really good mood. I even managed to cross a very important item off my work to-do list. Coming home, I fly into Detroit, and that's where the only really interesting thing happened.

I don't know if it was a case of TSA being paranoid about flights flying into Detroit, but there were 2 cops at the entrance of the plane, and 4 TSA agents at the gates, looking to search people randomly. Now, the good thing is that I was in first class, and they never search fist class, but I just found it odd that of all the flights I have taken in the past few years (well over 100), this is the most agents I've seen for any flights. I have to believe the government, in it's propensity to overreact, is paying extra attention to flights into Detroit.

So, the flight was smooth as silk, and I actually sat next to a normal person, and had a decent conversation for part of the flight. It was a great end to an exhausting week. I came home, did a little bit of work (answered a couple emails, no more, no less), and then went and took a little nap. It was just a great day all in all. Oh, and I received some pretty exciting career news...that will come as soon as I get the clearance to actually talk about it!

The Futureheads - Decent Days and Nights
Tokyo Police Club - Citizens Of Tomorrow
Arctic Monkeys - Scummy
Art Brut - Emily Kane
Dirty Pretty Things - Deadwood

BUZZCUTS VOL 3

This has been a brutally long day today, 16 hours of non-stop, balls to the walls work, and I'm pretty beat. To top it all off, it seems that we have a little blizzard in Boulder. It started snowing today about noon, and by the to9ime I was ready to drive back to the hotel, we had a good six inches on the ground. That was 4 hours ago, and it's hasn't stopped yet.

Enjoy the music, I am going to bed!

Simple Plan - I'd Do Anything
Butthole Surfers - Pepper
Gin Blossums - Follow You Down
Len - Steal My Sunshine
The Calling - Where Ever You Will Go

ONE HOT WONDERS, VOL3

Last day of the one hit wonders for now. No worries, though, there have been a ton of one hit wonders over the years, so there will be no shortages of them for more posts in the future. I'm not sure what tomorrow will bring, but I have some great music lined up for the next few weeks!

It's colder than hell here, and I gotta tell say, cabin fever is really hitting me hard. I live so far out in the boonies that there's not really a lot to do. Unless of course, your into freezing your ass off doing winter sports. There are a lot of people here that are into snowmobiles, and while I'm sure they have a lot of fun, I just can't imagine anything I would want to do less than jumping on a snowmobile, and going really fast in the winter time. Same goes for skiing. If I could go snow skiiing in Key West, I would so be into the sport. Don't get me wrong...I love watching winter sports, and I can't wait for the Olympics to start. But right now, I'm pretty bored, and can;t wait for summer.

Faith No More - Epic
4 Non Blondes - What's Up
Frida - I Know There's Something Going On
Nina - 99 Red Balloons
Blind Melon - No Rain

ONE HIT WONDERS, VOL 1

Happy New Years everyone. New year, new decade, new music to go with it. I've lined up a couple posts of one hit wonders from the past 30 years or so. I've always thought that the term one hit wonder was pretty subjective in that every band that has ever been labeled a one hit wonder has a fan somewhere that would argue that point with you. I always use Modern English as a great example. If you just listened to mainstream radio in the 80's, you would think that they only really had one hit, Melt With You. But if you listened to any underground or college rock station, you would know that Modern English had a pretty good run. But, since the label one hit wonder is a mainstream label, I'll just go with the criteria that the band only had one mainstream hit.

On a more personnel note, my vacation is coming to an end, and I've got a lot of work waiting for me when I get back. In fact, I already know that I have two trips coming up, both to Boulder, CO. That's not a bad thing, for sure...some of the best beer I've ever drunk is from the Boulder area. I'm hoping that I don't do as many trip this year as I did last year. Last year, I was gone for 36 weeks. Trust me, there is nothing glamorous or sexy about business travel.

Benny Mardones - Into the Night
Calloway - I Wanna Be Rich
Divinyls - I Touch Myself
Jimmy Eat World - The Middle
Blues Image - Ride Captain Ride

Buzz Cuts, Day 2

As promised, I'm back. I took a couple days off to take care of my daughter, who had a minor surgery. As a parent, one of the most helpless feelings I've ever had was watching them wheel her into the operating room. She is an extraordinarily brave young woman, but sitting with her before they came for her, I could tell she was a little nervous. She put up a great fight, but I know my baby girl, and she was nervous. I grabbed a hold of her hand, and held it a few minutes, without saying a word, and I think that helped calm her a little. But the worst was when she came out of recovery.

She was pretty upset, and crying, which just about ripped my heart out. If you've ever been under for an operation, you know that when you first wake up, your brain is still a little scrambled. I guess she was pretty disoriented, and not really sure of where she was or what was happening, and she got pretty upset. But once mom and dad was allowed in to see her, she calmed down a lot, took a little nap, and when she woke up, she was a lot better. As I write this, she is back to herself, albeit with a sore throat. But all s well, and I'm happy.

Harvey Danger - Flag Pole Sitta
Three Days Grace - I Hate Everything About You
Toadies - Possum Kingdom
The Presidents of the United States of America - Lump
Fuel - Hemorrhage (In My Hands)

Buzz Cuts, Day 1

Today is my anniversery, so I am kind of out of town. Unless I find the time to do some posting, I will be taking a couple days off, as my daughter is having a little operation. Nothing major...but I want to make sure I give her all the attention she needs.

Today's post was inspired by one of those late night commercials for music that is almost as forgettable as it is memorable. A lot of these songs give you what "Aha!" moment...you may not have heard them in the past few years, or even remembered they exist. Then you hear it, and suddenly you remember when it came out, what you were doing, where you were. That's really the magic of music...how closely it binds to memory, and brings that all forward years later. It's kind of like magic!

Three Doors Down - Kryptonite
Lit - My Own Worst Enemy
Hole - Celebrity Skin
Bush - The Chemicals Between Us
Everclear - I Will Buy You A New Life

GREAT SONGS FROM THE 00'S, VOL. 1

My sweetspot for music is definitely the 80's and 90's...when it comes to great music from the past 10 years or so, I'm pretty much in the dark. I mean, I know some stuff, so I'm not totally in the dark, but my education into music from the past 10 years is still a work in progress. Part of whats so great about doing a music blog is that is kind of forces you to get back in touch with music, especially music your not real familiar with. Put it this way...try to put on paper 50 great songs, just off the top of your head. Yet, 50 songs is only 10 posts. Now, try 500 songs...a lot tougher to be sure.

So there are some bands that I've run across from the past 10 years that I really enjoy listening to. Periodically, I'll post new volumes to this series, but for now, lets take a look at today's selection. First up is Interpol. Interpol's "Turn On The Bright Lights" is, in my opinion, not only one of the best albums of the past 10 years, it's also one of the best albums I've listened to, period. First, unlike a lot of the newer groups, Interpol actually did an album, not just 2 or 3 "hits" and a lot of filler. Top to bottom, it's a great album, filled with great songs. Forget the whole "their just a Joy Division rip off" crap you hear way too often. These guys bring it on every song.

Next to Interpol, Hot Hot Heat might be the most successful band on the list. I love loud, aggressive, fuzzy guitars, as well as great lyrics. This band brings all that and more. I don't have a lot of of their stuff, but what I have I really like...enough to keep on my iPod. And my iPod isn't a new one, so I don't have a lot of space there!

The rest of the groups here are also well worth listening to. The newer bands I like tend to have a rougher edge and sound to them...bands like The Strokes, Dirty Pretty Things, The Subways...I could go on and on, but lets start with these 5. And we'll go from there!

Hot Hot Heat - Talk to Me, Dance With Me
Pretty Girls Make Graves - Blue Lights
Razorlight - Golden Touch
Shiny Toy Guns - Don't Cry Out
Interpol - Obstacle 1