Category: 2017

Here are a few songs for your enjoyment as we near the end of the summer:

• “Beautiful Cliché” by McKenzie “Mac” Brummond  —  Mac is a good friend of mine and a talented songwriter and performer.  Her performances always inspire me to write my own music.  “Beautiful Cliché” is one of her fans’ favorites.  It’s also the first song she ever uploaded to Spotify.  For more of Mac’s music, visit her YouTube page.
• “Bilgewater” by Brown Bird  —  Thank you to Eric Hageman for the suggestion!  This is a musically and lyrically fantastic song.
• “Subdivisions” by Rush
• “Dancing Men” by Buddy Rich
• “Tarkus” by Emerson, Lake, & Palmer
• “Rhapsody in G Minor Op. 79 No. 72” by Johannes Brahms
• “I Could Be the One” Avicii and Nicky Romero
• “Perm” by Bruno Mars

Here’s an album that you should listen to at least once this month:

• Who’s Next by The Who  —  This album was released in August 1971.  It has been regarded as one of The Who’s best albums as well as one of the best rock albums of all time.  It contains familiar songs like “Baba O’Riley,” “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” and “Behind Blue Eyes,” but every song on this album is worthwhile.  Pete Townshend and The Who are rock icons, and Who’s Next is an iconic album.

Finally, this is an artist you should explore when you get the chance:

• I See MONSTAS  —  I’ve mentioned these guys before.  They’re a British EDM group with jazz influences and one of the few EDM artists who knows how to vary the energy of their songs.  Many EDM artists just make their music loud and try to add a catchy hook or beat to make up for a lack of creativity and dynamics.  ISM adds energy by taking the dynamics back and then adds more with insane drops and the powerful voice of Skaar (AKA Bryn Christopher).  They haven’t released much since their Evolution EP in 2012, but they’re still one of my favorite EDM artists.  I hope every day for new material from them.

I release a new suggestions list every other Tuesday.  Please leave your suggestions in the comments.  If I pick your song, artist, or album, I’ll give you credit for it up above.

Here are some songs for your enjoyment during the Independence Day season:

• “The Star Spangled Banner” by Francis Scott Key  —  You might remember that Key wrote this poem while watching the Americans withstand British naval forces at Fort McHenry.  But did you know that the song is set to the British tune “To Anacreon in Heaven”? It’s worth listening to and learning to sing the US version in four-part vocal harmony.  It adds a little something the next time you hear our national anthem at a Cardinals baseball game.
• “Achilles Last Stand” by Led Zeppelin  —  This is my second favorite song of all time.  There are several layers of dubbing to this song.  Jimmy Page’s work with the guitar is phenomenal and the lyrics are epic.  It has an interesting background story too.  Good for traveling and for classics majors.
• “Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity” by Gustav Holst  —  Some of you might recognize the main theme from this song from your church hymns.  It’s possibly my favorite contemporary orchestral piece, and I think it’ll be one your favorites too.  My advice is to listen to it in context of the whole orchestral suite, The Planets, but if you have to pick one, this is the best.
• “Ritual feat. Wrabel” by Marshmello  —  Marshmello is an up and coming EDM artist with hits and misses.  This is a hit.  I was on the fence for a while, mostly because of the high-pitched male voice (not a fan).  Every time I ditched the song, I’d start humming it and bobbing to the bass in my head.  It’s catchy, I like it, and I’ve been playing it since the end of last summer.
• “Roundabout” by Yes  —  You might not be a Yes fan (yet), but you might recognize the opening to this song from the To Be Continued videos circulating the internet right now.  Do yourself a favor, and listen through the whole song sometime.  Yes was added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this past year, so you’re listening to a big piece of rock history.
• “Perfume Medley” by Pentatonix  —  I had never heard of Perfume, a Japanese pop band, but Pentatonix’s “Daft Punk Medley” is one of my favorite songs.  So I gave this one a shot, and it did not disappoint.  Granted, it’s not as good as the other medley, although it is pretty similar.  What’s amazing is the flexibility of Pentatonix.  No matter the language or genre, they’re able to make a worthwhile and beautiful version of any song.

Here is an album that you should listen through at least once this month:

• Led Zeppelin IV by Led Zeppelin  —  Any rock fans who know their stuff will remember this album is a landmark for Led Zeppelin and for rock.  I’m still listening through their discography, so I couldn’t say it’s my favorite album of theirs (yet).  After listening to Led Zeppelin 1-4, I can tell you it’s my favorite so far.  Every song is a hit, including everyone’s favorite overplayed LZ song: “Stairway to Heaven.”  So listen to the album and give the song some context.  A good album anytime for anyone at any age.

Finally, this is an artist you should explore when you get the chance:

• Johann Sebastian Bach  —  The greatest composer of all time.  I have to be honest that I don’t fully understand what Bach does with even the simplest of pieces.  I can tell you that he often writes several melodies that play at the same time in one song, but that hardly expresses his genius and understanding of music.  So instead of giving my usual spew, here are a few quotes that sum up Bach better than I can:

“The Immortal God of harmony.” – Ludwig van Beethoven

“Study Bach: there you will find everything.” – Johannes Brahms

“And if we look at the works of J.S. Bach — a benevolant god to which all musicians should offer a prayer to defend themselves against mediocrity — on each page we discover things which we thought were born only yesterday.”  – Claude Debussy

“Beethoven tells you what it’s like to be Beethoven and Mozart tells you what it’s like to be human. Bach tells you what it’s like to be the universe.” – Douglas Adams

“Bach almost persuades me to be a Christian.” – Roger Fry

“The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul.” – J.S. Bach

I’m going to start releasing a new suggestions list every other Tuesday.  Keep coming back for new suggestions.  Also, please leave your suggestions in the comments.  If I pick your song, artist, or album, I’ll give you credit for it up above.