It’s also this time of the year where people think back on the year that has passed and make a new years resolution.
I have been reminiscing a lot these days about the past year. All in all, it’s been a really great year for me. I finished my first three years at Hasselt University and graduated as a Bachelor in the Molecular Life Sciences. I realised this year more than ever what amazing and irreplaceable friends I have, among other things when they threw me a surprise 21st birthday party. Plus all the birthday parties, concerts, bbqs etc we did this year. I also made some amazing new friends: you guys know who you are and even though we’re far away from each other, know I love you guys! I got to see some amazing concerts, festivals, expositions and theatre shows: Milow, Clouseau, James Blunt, Körperwelten, …
And more than anything, I realised how important music is and what a gigantic influence it has on my life. I discovered some amazing (new) artists this year: Panic at the Disco, The Academy Is…, Milow, Jeff Buckley, just to name a few. I have been to some amazing concerts and festivals. I get inspiration from music and I noticed that no matter how down I am, when I put on some of my favourite artists, they are always able to get me back on track. Always up and down, never down and out, as William Beckett said it so nicely.
All the above rambling over the importance of music is also why I decided not to make a write a resolution this year. If I did, it would probably say something: go to bed earlier, pick up on sports, spend less time on the internet and stop procrastinating things. But I probably wouldn’t be able to make these things happen (I have no will power whatsoever), so instead I decided to write something useful. I made a ABC list with artists that I listened to over the years. Some have been an inspiration for writing, some got me through not so nice times, some learned me to get out and enjoy life more. One way or another, they all had a positive influence on my life. So I hope that maybe you’ll find someone who will be an inspiration, who helps you through some rough times and who will influence you in a positive way.
A: Anouk – R U Kiddin’ Me
A Dutch singer who has always been like some kind of hero to me because she seems like such a strong woman. I got to see her live about three years ago and although I got a little disappointed, I still really like her music. This song is the one that really got me listening to her. It may not be her best (in fact, I know it isn’t), but it’s one of those that I love to shout along to.
Also: Air Traffic, Axelle Red, ABBA
B: Blink 182 – The Rock Show
I must have been about 13 or 14 when I first listened to this band. They were one of those that got me into rock music. I kind of forgot about them, but for some reason, I picked their music up again a few weeks ago. And still like them. The Rock Show because it’s my favourite Blink song.
Also: the Beatles, Bryan Adams, Bon Jovi, Bethany Joy Lenz, Bob Dylan
C: Clouseau – Close Encounters
I’m usually the shy and quiet girl, but with this band I just can’t help myself. I went to their December concerts for the past five years and I have seen them a couple of other times as well. When they are on stage, I turn into this crazy dancing, jumping, singing mess. Two years ago I almost got into a fight with the guy sitting behind me because he couldn’t see anything, but it so would have been worth it! (Hint: if you want to go to a concert and don’t plan to get up from your seat, don’t go to Clouseau). Close Encounters is one of the few English songs they did (they tried to make it international, but after two cds they went back to Dutch, thank god!) and it’s the English version of my favourite song of theirs, called Daar gaat ze.
Also: Coldplay, the Cure, Counting Crows, the Chemical Brothers
D: Damien Rice – Unplayed Piano
I stumbled upon this guy when I was browsing through my sister’s music collection. I haven’t been listening to him that long, but he pleasantly surprised me. He’s one of those guys you can just sit down and listen to on a cold winter night. The song is a typical Damien Rice song, additional vocals are done by Lisa Hannigan, who used to do backings in his band.
Also: David Bowie, dEUS, Destiny’s Child
E: Elton John – Can You Feel The Love Tonight
I don’t listen to Elton John every day, but he sure has some amazing songs. Your song is such a beautiful song and I still get chills when I hear Candle in the Wind. Originally an ode to Marylin Monroe, but it always reminds me of the funeral of Lady Di, for obvious reasons. I choose this song because it’s one of my favourite Elton John songs and it’s from The Lion King, which after all these years still is my favourite Disney movie.
Also: Elvis Costello, Eric Clapton
F: Fall Out Boy – Where Is Your Boy
Off course, these guys had to be on the list. I actually have been listening to them for only a little over a year, but they really have me hooked. They have pretty much everything I look for in band: great music, inspiring lyrics and an incredibly talented singer. I’ll finally be seeing them in March and I’m already counting the days. It was hard to pick just one song, but I went with Where Is Your Boy because this is one of those songs that really shows what an amazing voice Patrick Stump has.
Also: Faithless, Feeder, Foo Fighters
G: Gabriel Rios – Wish
An artist that I like because he makes music that isn’t like anything I heard before. The best way I can find to describe it is a mix of rock and Latin with electro influences. Wish isn’t a typical Rios song, but it’s one of my personal favorites because it’s so pure.
Also: Gavin Degraw, Guns ‘n Roses, Goo Goo Dolls
H: Heideroosjes – Time Is Ticking Away
My first real concert was one of this Dutch band, I think I was 15 or 16. Stagedivers, bruises from the mosh pit and punkmusic, I loved it all. This is the band that made me realise how important lyrics are to create a good song. I stopped being obsessed with them after a while and looking back, the lyrics aren’t as great anymore as they once used to be and the music is pretty far from what I listen to now, but we all love to reminisce don’t we? So every once in a while I still put in their live cd and just enjoy all the memories. “Who knows the first line of this song? What? Oh yeah, that’s right…” I don’t know many bands who would get away with that, but they did. Time is ticking away because it’s the first song of them I ever heard and it’s a nice song about living for the moment and having fun with friends and no worries.
Also: Hot Hot Heat
I: INXS – Never Tear Us Apart
The only thing I could come up with for I. It’s one of those golden oldies that get played at parties a lot and it’s nice to act over the top on. Any other suggestions?
J: Jeff Buckley – Lover, you should come over
Only the good die young.. I have known the Hallelujah cover for about forever, but it wasn’t until about two weeks ago that I decided to check out his album Grace. I listened to it one night before going to sleep and god, I totally fell for it. Fell hard that is. Amazing singer and guitarist. Actually I should advice you to just go out to the stores and buy Grace, but Lover, you should come over is a nice start.
Also: James Blunt, Jimmy Eat World, Justin Timberlake, Joe Cocker, Jimi Hendrix
K: K’s Choice – Breakfast
As with many great bands, I discovered them relatively late. They went on hiatus in 2003 to work on solo projects, but apparently they are working on a new album that should be in stores somewhere 2010. I definitely hope these are not just rumors, because even though I like Sarah solo as well, working with her brother just lifts them to a higher level. Breakfast is one of their not so known songs, but it’s my favourite K’s Choice number. The lyrics always make me smile.
Also: the Kooks, Kate Voegele
L: Live – Dolphin’s Cry
Another pretty old band, like many on the list. I started listening to this band after They Stood Up For Love became a big hit. Ed Kowalczyk always seems so passionate when performing. You ever had the feeling that hits that make a band big aren’t that great in your opinion and that the songs are overrated? I definitely have that feeling with some bands, but Live isn’t one of them. Dolphin’s Cry still blows me of my feet every time I hear it.
Also: Lenny Kravitz, Lamb
M: Milow – Canada
First, I wanted to put Muse up here (one of those bands that are very high on my ‘I want to see them live’ list), but then Milow popped up in my head and I had to put him here. A very talented, humble and spontaneous singer-songwriter who made it big in Belgium this year. I had the pleasure of seeing him perform four times in the last half year and I enjoyed every minute of it. His cover of 50’s Ayo Technology is amazing as well. I like most of his songs, but Canada is my favourite. It has such nice lyrics and it inspires me to want to chase after my dreams, no matter how silly they may be. Plus I love how he mixes Van Morrison’s Brown Eyed Girl into the end when playing live.
Also: Muse, Michael Jackson, Mika, MoZella
N: Nada Surf – Blonde on blonde
A band I discovered thanks to my love for One Tree Hill. They are featured on the Friends with Benefit soundtrack and after hearing them there I had to hear more from them. Blonde on blonde is one of my favourite songs by them. It’s able to calm me down when I’m upset plus it refers to the great Bob Dylan.
Also: Nirvana, Novastar
O: Oasis – Wonderwall
Isn’t it sad that Oasis is the only band I could come up with starting with O? I don’t even like them that much, because even though they make nice music, the Gallagher brothers get on my last nerve pretty much. Which means a lot, cause I usually listen to music for the music and not for the people making it. But despite the getting on my last nerve thing, they still made some great songs, Wonderwall being one of them.
P: Panic at the Disco – Mad As Rabbits
Same as for Fall Out Boy: people that know me a little bit knew Panic would be popping up at the P. What can I say about these guys? They are young, funny and talented musicians and I’m already looking forward to their next album. It sucked that I missed their Werchter passage in July, but I still prefer friends over music, so I chose a friends bday BBQ over their concert that day. It’s hard to pick one song, cause I like every last one of theirs (even counting the overly silly It’s almost Halloween), but I managed. I like the message Mad as Rabbits brings around and this happened to be the song that was able to make my smile grow even wider when I hopped in my car after receiving a ‘you’re very welcome here’ for my internship a couple of weeks ago.
Also: the Police, Placebo, Pearl Jam
Q: Queen – Radio Ga Ga
The only other band I could come up with starting with a Q was Queens of the Stone Age, so this was a pretty easy letter. I know this band mostly from top –insert number/year- lists and parties, but they are one of those that I just have to sing along to when I hear them. I love how over the top they are. I don’t really have a favourite, so I picked a random song from my collection: Radio Ga Ga it is.
R: R.E.M. – Loosing My Religion
I had a hard time picking just one band starting with R, but I eventually choose R.E.M. because their concert at Werchter 2005 was without a doubt the best I have ever been to. Losing my religion isn’t their best song (remember what I said about big hits at L), but oh the memories! Imagine yourself standing in a crowd of about 50 000 people, it’s midnight and the only burning spotlight is aimed at Michael Stipe sitting on the edge of the stage listening to that same 50 000 singing Losing my religion. Been there, done that and the memory still makes me smile like a lunatic.
Also: Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Radiohead, Roxette, Rolling Stones, Regina Spektor
S: Something Corporate – Konstantine
This is one of the first bands that made me think ‘damn, they are played so close to home and I wasn’t not there’ when I saw them perform on tv. They made me want to go out there and see more bands live and they are part of the reason I was at Pukkelpop 1,5 months after their passage in Belgium. Some of you may know the vocalist/pianist Andrew McMahon better as the founder of Jack’s Mannequin. They never really had a big hit in Belgium as for as I know, but I remember begging my cousin to get me their cd. Konstantine isn’t on Leaving through the Window, but it became my favourite when I heard it for the first time. It’s one of those songs that I played on repeat for about two months before moving on to something new.
Also: Sara Bareilles, Sinead O’Connor, Sarah Bettens
T: The Academy Is... – Bulls In Brooklyn
Technically I would place this band under A, but they are just to good to not talk about. Another band of young and very talented boys. I got into them around the time Fast Times at Barrington High came out, which is somewhere in August. I don’t like William’s voice much on the first EP, but I listed to the other cds first and I had already fallen hard by the time I got to this EP. Plus the lyrics are amazing on all the songs, they seem so honest. William’s writing is definitely an inspiration to me. It’s one of those groups of which I can’t pick a favourite song because there are so many I like and it changes every time. I decided to go with Bulls in Brooklyn because I wasn’t a big fan of Santi after the first listen, but this happened to be one that struck me from the beginning, both lyrically and musically.
Also: Tom Helsen, Tyler Hilton, Tom Vanstiphout
U: U2 - Vertigo
Again one of those groups that exist longer than me. I was reading Panic at the Disco’s blog about a week ago and Ryan Ross was posting a ‘countdown’ with music he listens to (sounds familiar huh? Indeed, I’m not very original). When he posted one for the U, he said he almost didn’t find one. I found myself shocked, how can someone not know/think about/listen to U2? Although they have a lot of great songs, Vertigo was an easy choice. I’m totally in love with the beginning of this song. Uno, dos, tres, catorce – insert amazing intro –
V: Van Morrison – Have I told you lately
The only artist I could come up with starting with a V. Not that that’s a bad thing though, cause what I know of him is great. Brown Eyed Girl is already mentioned at M and this Have I Told You Lately could be mentioned at C, cause Clouseau did a really nice cover of it. But I must admit I like the original better.
W: the Wreckers – Leave The Pieces When You Go
Another band I came across thanks to One Tree Hill. The band consisted of Michelle Branch and Jessica Harp and was put on hold last year (after existing only two ears), so the girls could work on their solo projects. An example of how a couple of guitars and two beautiful voices are enough to make touching music. Leave the pieces when you go is the first song I think of when thinking of the Wreckers, so that choice wasn’t hard.
Also: Weezer, the Who
X: Kiss – I Was Made For Loving You
I know, not a band that starts with an X. But since I couldn’t come up with anything else, I decided to cheat a little. So it became Kiss. Not a band I listen to on a regular base, but who doesn’t love to shout along to I was made for loving you?
Y: the Yardbirds – Shapes of things
I actually had no idea which band to put here when I started the list. I asked around a little bit and some names popped up, but none that I had ever heard of. So I browsed the internet and some lyrics sites and this band popped up. They’re from way before my time, but it’s one of those nice sixties bands. Plus this is where Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page started their careers and for that alone they deserve to be mentioned.
Z: Zornik – Scared of Yourself
Home is where the heart is pretty much qualifies for this band. They got formed not so far from my home and in the seven years they exist, I have always liked them. I got the opportunity to see them a couple of times and they never disappointed me (well, except for this summer at Werchter Boutique, thank you very much Tokio Hotel!). They announced a 1,5 year hiatus at the beginning of this month and I’m already wanting them to be back. Scared of yourself because it’s an amazing song tout-court and because seeing the clip for the first time made me think they showed Koen Buyse’s sister while it was actually just him all dressed up.
On a closing note, I hope off course that everybody has an amazing evening tonight. I hope you get to spend it with the ones you love, whether that means family, friends,… Go out and have fun. Go crazy tonight and have a good time. I’ll be drinking one (just one, right Bre ;-)) on all of you!
Labels: 2008, music, new year's eve, wishes
