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Mar
4
2004

CDs I can play without skipping a song

5. Soul Coughing Ruby Vroom
I had a marginal knowledge of this band (Super Bon Bon, Soft Serve, Soundtrack to Mary) when I met Danny, who owned three of their CDs. I love this album, their first, because it is raw and original--probably why none of the songs received radio play. Their lyrics, while often nonsensical, become the rhythm of the drums and bass so that they actually do tell a story (however neurotic it may be). I know this is getting long, but I have to say this: it is rumored that the band broke up after Ricky Martin's "Shake Your Bon Bon" was released (because of S.C's "Super Bon Bon".) Poor guys.

Favorite Ruby Vroom song: Janine
Lyric: Janine, I drink you up/ If you were the Baltic Sea and I were a cup, uh huh.

4. Caedmon's Call 40 Acres
I don't listen to many Christian artists, but I love Caedmon's Call because they play many different instruments and styles of music and their lyrics are deep and powerful (or fun and whimsical; pretty much any -icals you can think of are on this album).

Favorite 40 Acres song: 40 Acres
Lyric: Out here the Texas rain is the hardest I've ever seen/ It'll wash your house away, but it'll also make you clean

3. Ben Folds Five Self-Titled
You have probably noticed, being the astute readers that you are, that four of my top five listings are the artists' debut albums. I'm not sure why this is, but it probably has something to do with liking to be the "discoverer" of a band (as much as you can be when you live in the Midwest). At any rate, I love BFF's first album.

Favorite Self-Titled song: The Last Polka (I have no idea how I forgot this song on my best break-up songs entry. I apologize).
Lyric: He said, "Well I hate that it's come to this/ But baby I was doing fine. How do you think/ That I survived the other 25 before you?"

2. Weezer Self-Titled
It's blue. It's beautiful. And it's the sole reason I became a (mediocre) bass player.

Favorite Self-Titled song: Only In Dreams
Lyric: You can't avoid her/ She's in the air/ In between molecules of/ Oxygen and carbon dioxide

1. Pearl Jam Ten
Again, I have to say that I used to eat, sleep and breathe this band (I have recently discovered some more worthy pursuits).

Favorite Ten song: Oceans
Lyric: Hold on to the thread/ The currents will shift/ Glide me towards you know something's left/ And we're all allowed to dream of the next time we touch

Honorable Mention
Eric Clapton eric clapton unplugged
Tori Amos Little Earthquakes
Rusted Root When I Woke

Posted by sara Email in miscellaneous . It contains 449 words and has been viewed 436 times.

5 comments

Oh my goodness! Those are all amazing! Even the Weezer CD. That was all I listened to several eyars ago. I am not a huge weezer fan anymore, but I still love that CD. wow - all of those cd's are cd's that I can listen to over and over again, without skipping a song. caedmon's call is awesome (though I like the one before that a little better), I love soul coughing - a high school girlfriend got me hooked on 'em. peral jam - nothing needs to be said. bff - phenomenal - all of their discs (and ben folds - without the five). even the runner up cd's - awesome. if you like rusted root - you need to check out madison greene. They are a christian band from the detroit area - heavily influence by rusted root - yet better. send me you address and I burn you a live cd of theirs and send it to you. and i know danny loves waterdeep - i can send you some live waterdeep too!
dave [Visitor] • http://hippydave.brendoman.com• 03/05/04 @ 10:54
thanks, dave. we saw a band in college called "Havalina Rail Company" --they are like a "Christian Rusted Root", too.
sara [Visitor]• 03/05/04 @ 18:50
Another great list! That Havalina concert was my 21st birthday and they sang to me, but they wouldn't play any of their slow stuff from their first album. I'd rather that than happy birthday... sheesh, even my grandma can sing that to me. Still though, what a fun memory for a 21st birthday. There's no way I could come up with 5 albums for this. I think you're lying. I had the same thrill of "discovering" Ben Folds5 and love them/him more than butterscotch pudding, but I always skip over at least one... even though it's probably a different skipped song on any given listen. But I will come up with at least one answer, for the sake of discussion... Ten minutes later... Man, this is freakin' hard! Five minutes later... Okay, fine. First place goes to The Prayer Chain for the album "Mercury" which I still cannot believe only cost me whatever it did. They should've charged me $500 for as many times as I've listened through it. Even still, I skip a song once in a while. Second place goes to "Asleep In The Back" by Elbow. I've actually had to pull over from driving to listen to this. It can affect me that much. But I skip through #8 (Don't Mix Your Drinks) every few times through. I can't and never have been able to listen to "OK Computer" (Radiohead) all the way through. There are 2 or 3 tracks that really just can ruin the experience of that CD. But I give it honorable mention because, with every other song on there, I have to listen to it twice before I go to the next one. Hooray for the longest comment ever! -Jared
[Visitor]• 03/06/04 @ 04:54
yea, havalina is pretty good. i would really compare them to rusted root though. well, maybe at times. but madison greene is a lot like 'em. heavy percussion, chanting, just an alaround very similar sound.
dave [Visitor] • http://hippydave.brendoman.com• 03/06/04 @ 09:43
Does anyone know where to find a new (or possibly used) copy of Russian Lullabies by Havalina Rail Co.? Please send me an e-mail and title it something like "Havalina". Thanks
brent atema [Visitor]• 05/14/04 @ 00:24

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