Music is an incredibly important part of my life; this despite the fact that I long ago lost any ability to read or play music. I find tremendous solace in music, and I’m sometimes frightened by how powerful an emotional effect certain music can have on me. Below are a few of my thoughts and recommendations about the various bands and songs that are most valuable to me.

Top Four

A Perfect Circle

For some bands it takes a while for a real appreciation to develop (System of a Down comes to mind), but for me APC was not one of them. First introduced to me by Brian Terlson many years ago, I immediately took a liking to this band. The songs of this band are somewhat intertwined with some major events in my life in high school, but beyond that emotional value I enjoy them most for Maynard Keenan’s sweeping vocals and the dark but enjoyable lyrics. They are a bit heavy, but very fluid. Listening to them is a big tension reliever. Recommended songs: Thinking of You, Blue, The Nurse Who Loved Me, A Stranger, The Package, and The Noose.

Elliott Smith

Elliott Smith was a troubled young man, he died tragically of suicide a few years back. I didn’t get into him until after he had died, so sometimes it is a little creepy. I’m listening to the thoughts and hopes and sadness of a dead man. Still, the skill, quality, and emotionality of his music is undeniable. I don’t think I immediately liked Elliott Smith’s music, but over the years I have come to enjoy it a great deal. I often listen to it in long cycles, moving through whole albums as I perform some other task (like programming). I would suggest giving him a go a few times. He’s not for everyone, some people think he is too folksy, but his subdued vocals and the simplicity of some of his songs have a timeless appeal for me. Recommended songs: Alphabet Town, Single File, Christian Brothers, The Ballad of Big Nothing, and Between the Bars.

Death Cab for Cutie

This band with the funny name has had more emotional effect on me than any other I can remember. The soundtrack of my life for the end of highschool and the beginning of college, I know all of their songs like old friends. For many periods of my life I felt like every song was a story about some part of my life. They could be described as emo by some, but I think they’ve grown out of that title. Death Cab reminds me of a younger, more naive me, which isn’t always a bad thing. Not to be too melodramatic, but it reminds me that it’s okay to be romantic, and to try to find true love. I also recommend a spin-off project of this band called the Postal Service, my favorite songs are A Brand New Colony and This Place is a Prison, but they are all good.

Radiohead

If I were stuck on a desert island for five years and I could only pick one band’s music to bring, it would be Radiohead. First introduced to me by Dan Frost when we worked together building computers, Radiohead has consistently ranked in my top three favorite bands. Their music varies widely through time because they’ve been producing albums for such a long time. I started out on their newer albums, but as time passed I grew to enjoy their old ones as well. I still enjoy some of their more recent albums more. It’s a major dream of mine to see Radiohead in concert. I’ve listened to concerts tapes that I sometimes enjoy more than the originals. I would recommend Hail to the Thief, Amnesiac, and OK Computer as my favorite albums of theirs. For my absolute favorite songs I would recommend Everything in It’s Right Place, Pyramid Song, and Idioteque. Radiohead is like an old friend that occasionally comes from far away to visit for a while. I will go long periods without listening to any songs, and then suddenly I’ll listen to many for a short period of time and then I’ll stop. But it is okay, there is no regret when they leave because you know they will be your friend for your whole life.

Others

System of a Down

Not for the faint of heart, SOAD is pretty heavy. They take a long time to get used to but I absolutely love some of their songs. I would recommend their first three albums over the more recent stuff, which I never really got into. My favorite songs are Aerials, Prison System, Streamline, many others…

Dashboard Confessional

Probably the most truly “emo” band I listen to, I still enjoy the occasional song. Even more than DCFC, Dashboard makes me remember the romantic inside. My favorites are As Lovers Go and Hands Down.

Apex Twin

Aphex Twin is really weird, but it can also have a strange grip on me. There is something that happens when the songs get engraved into your memory, some gratification at knowing what is coming next. If you listen to it with a good stereo headset the experience is even better; it’s like the music is coming at you from all directions. I’ve mostly listened to Drukqs 1 and 2.

Disturbed

Disturbed is pretty hard and angry, but it still occupies a special place for me. I occasionally go back, listen, and reminisce listening to this with Andy on a bus to some ski-hill in Minnesota. Songs like Believe, Awaken, The Game, and Dropping Plates are all good. Most of my favorite songs come from their first two albums. The later one is okay, but not as good. The first album, The Sickness, is the most raw and in some ways the best. The second album, Believe, also is very good but is somehow more polished and smooth.

Our Lady Peace

I was really into this band for a long period of high school. It still reminds me of trips to aquarium stores with Andy. I actually bought every album they’ve ever released, which is saying something. I would recommend their Spiritual Machines album because it has an interesting premise. Gravity and Happiness are two other great albums from them.