Day 13: One Of Your Favorite 70s Songs

DAY 13: ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE 70s SONGS

Earth, Wind, and Fire "September" 

When it comes to stereotyping music in the 70s, disco and groovy jams is what most people tend to think about. A lot of the bands and music that my dad tends to like falls in the range of the late 70s and most of the 80s. That's basically when he was my age. Earth, Wind, and Fire is one of those bands, so I've heard quite a bit of them throughout my lifetime. I enjoy their sound, and many of their songs certainly make me want to groove. "September" is one of those classic songs that most people will recognize when they hear it. And, in my opinion, it's a song you can't help but start to move to when you hear it. I can also appreciate a band that uses some musical instruments besides guitars and drums. The combination of the brass instruments as well as the saxophone make this a great song for the ears. Hope you get to remember "September" and enjoy today's selection. 

Day 12: A Song From Your Preteen Years

DAY 12: A SONG FROM YOUR PRETEEN YEARS

Gwen Stefani "Hollaback Girl"

"THIS SHIT IS BANANAS, B-A-N-A-N-A-S!" Everyone knows those lyrics right there, and that may be partly why this was one of the most popular songs of 2005. And, in 2005, that makes me 11 years old. This was another one of those songs that my sister played on repeat quite a few times. It's easy to sing along to, and the beat is extremely catchy. This is one of those classic songs that, having to actually reflect on the year it came out, I can't believe is over ten years old now. As a side note, Gwen Stefani was the first live concert I ever went to. I won tickets on the radio to her Sweet Escape tour, which had Akon touring alongside her. Enjoy "Hollaback Girl," and don't go too bananas while you're listening! 

Day 11: A Song That You Never Get Tired Of

DAY 11: A SONG THAT YOU NEVER GET TIRED OF

Bishop Briggs "Pray (Empty Gun)"

This was another pretty tough topic for me. If a song is on one of my playlists, there's a good chance that I don't get tired of it anyway. However, I've been playing Bishop Briggs on repeat quite a bit, especially "Pray." She's got an extremely soulful voice, and, when paired with her lyrics, she's got some pretty amazing songs in my opinion. I had the pleasure of seeing her perform at the Firefly Music Festival in Dover, DE last summer. Even her live performance didn't disappoint, and she was practically a ball of energy the whole time. She's fairly new on the scene, but I definitely recommend giving her songs a listen. You can start here, with "Pray."

Day 10: A Song That Makes You Sad

DAY 10: A SONG THAT MAKES YOU SAD

Twenty One Pilots "Stressed Out"

Now, just because the topic says sad, doesn't mean I shed a tear when I hear this song. I think it's a fantastic song. The sad part about this song is the truth that it speaks to. As we start to get older, especially in high school and beyond, life just continues to get more stressful. At 17 or 18 years old, we often get forced to try and essentially figure out what we have to do for the rest of our lives. It only gets worse from there as you start to have bills to pay etc. We all have plenty of moments where, as "Stressed Out," indicates, we'd rather go back to the innocence of childhood. We only had to worry about the next time we might play with a friend, or when your parents would tuck you into bed. This song is sad in the sense that it reminds you that you're no longer just some young kid who has virtually no responsibility. Hopefully you haven't grown tired of this song and the excessive amounts of time it was played on the radio, and can enjoy it for today's sad song.

Day 9: A Song That Makes You Happy

DAY 9: A SONG THAT MAKES YOU HAPPY

MGMT "Electric Feel"

I discovered this song during the summer of 2010, and it has constantly remained my "happy" song ever since then. Every single time I hear this song, I can't help but smile and be put in a good mood. The beat is just so damn catchy, and the words are easy to sing along to. When "Electric Feel" comes on, you just feel the radiant vibes that are coming through the speakers. MGMT tends to be known for these smooth, melodic songs. "Electric Feel" is the icing on the cake of their style of music. Personally, this ranks in the top 10 of my all time favorite songs. I recommend this song for anyone who is having a bad day, as I think you'll cheer up pretty quickly. As the lyrics go, "do what you feel now," and give this fantastic song a listen.

Day 8: A Song About Drugs or Alcohol

DAY 8: A SONG ABOUT DRUGS OR ALCOHOL

Arctic Monkeys "Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?"

This album by Arctic Monkeys had a few pretty big hits back in 2013, including this song here. Whether or not you use alcohol or drugs, this song is pretty catchy. I'd venture to say that most people can relate to being a situation like this as well. Drunk texting is a pretty common occurrence. And, while I personally have never used drugs, I imagine it's a similar situation when you're high. Most of the time, the outcome that you're looking for in this situation is not the one you're hoping for. If you get the chance, look up the actual music video to this song, as it's a pretty accurate depiction of the events that occur when you drunk/high text. This is a song that never gets old in my opinion, and I can play it on repeat for awhile. Hope you enjoy the track, and hopefully you aren't the person who's getting contacted when someone is high.

Day 7: A Song to Drive to

DAY 7: A SONG TO DRIVE TO

Eminem "Lose Yourself"

This topic was a little difficult for me for the simple fact that if I like a song, I've probably driven to it before. I still live in the past in the sense that I love making and listening to CDs in the car. So, as I build playlists, I play DJ with my own music and make what I personally think are great mixes. Anyway, we drive to songs for lots of different reasons. It could be that we're upset, and we blow off steam by cruising around and blaring some heavy rock. Sometimes, we're sad and we just need to drive and sing the latest break up song. Today's pick is another one of those songs that I can almost guarantee has been driven to plenty of times. "Lose Yourself" is a classic song that comes from the movie 8 Mile, which is a profile of Eminem as he grows up in Detroit. It's arguably his most popular song of all time. This song is used for all sorts of purposes: maybe on a workout playlist or as a pump up song before a big game or presentation. Regardless, I'd bet that when "Lose Yourself" comes on the radio, you and all your friends can immediately rap all the words. 

Day 6: A Song That Makes You Want to Dance

DAY 6: A SONG THAT MAKES YOU WANT TO DANCE

POWERS "Beat of my Drum"

"Beat of my Drum" by POWERS is one of those songs that you immediately start to dance to as soon as it comes on. Inherently, the chorus of this song is literally telling you to dance to the song. Although, I don't think you needed the song to tell you that to actually do it. I've always been a sucker for feel good beats like this. I just can't help but smile a little and move to the music when I hear songs like this. A little bonus tidbit on this song, especially if you like baseball. MLB Network's offseason show, Hot Stove, is using this as their theme song this winter. So, if you're feeling you need to warm up in this bitter cold, go ahead and move to the beat of the drums of this great song!

Day 2: A Song You Like with a Number in the Title

DAY 2: A SONG YOU LIKE WITH A NUMBER IN THE TITLE

Phoenix "1901"

This is another fairly popular song. I chose this song because it's just so catchy. It comes on and I just immediately want to start dancing to it. This was the first song I ever heard by this group, and it only led to more discovery of their music, which I'm a fan of. From what I found, the song, according to the band, is about Paris in 1901. If you really pay attention to the lyrics, there seems to be a reference to the Eiffel Tower. Here's a nice little history tidbit for you: most people thought the Eiffel Tower was ugly when it was built for the World's Fair in the late 19th century. Parisians had planned on knocking it down shortly afterwards. However, it survived, and now stands as one of the biggest tourist attractions in the world. Whether you like this song for its historical context or not, I think few would argue that it's not a great song to enjoy. For me, it's one of my favorites, even if they are singing "fold it" instead of "fallin'" in the chorus!

The First Challenge & Day One: A Song You Like With a Color in the Title

THE FIRST CHALLENGE 

As I begin this journey, I start with a 30 day challenge that involves an interest that's near and dear to my heart: music. Most of us have been listening to music for as long as we can remember. As we grow up, our music tastes evolve, and we come to create our own unique playlists that help get us through our lives. That's what makes a 30 day music challenge so interesting to me. In a way, by completing it, I will have created another one of these unique playlists that will, when completed, ultimately tell a small story. So, with that, here is the list I will be using over the next month:

DAY 1: A SONG YOU LIKE WITH A COLOR IN THE TITLE

Mayday Parade "Black Cat"

Mayday Parade is a band I just kind of stumbled upon in high school, when I hit a pretty heavy punk rock phase. Nevertheless, the album this song comes from, "A Lesson in Romantics", is pretty solid all around. I've always interpreted "Black Cat" to be a song about a relationship that becomes suffocating over time. As the story goes on, jealousy gets in the way of something that seemed so good, and everything breaks down. I've jammed out to this song countless times over the years, especially on those days when I just didn't feel like dealing with people anymore. Whether it's due to a relationship or other things, we can certainly feel suffocated by life at times and all it throws at us. That being said, this is a good song to sing to and shake off some of those feelings.