About that Singles post...

...yeah life got in the way, and I'm only getting around to it now. What with the show opening I've been listening to a bunch of different stuff, some of it to get me pumped (or "amped" as Ernie liked to put it), other stuff just because it sounds good. Let's get started.

Kanye West - Stronger
This one is just a given. It played on the radio once in the dressing room, leading me to start rapping along since I knew every word to the track (having heard it a million times by now). After that it just got played every single pre-show after that. My love for this track is well documented on this blog.

Black Sabbath - War Pigs
A favorite of my castmate and friend Ernie. Before "Stronger" rolled around, this song was the song to which we all danced, moshed, and air-guitarred prior to curtain. I'm not a huge fan of Black Sabbath or even metal for that matter, but this song did what it had to do.

Finger Eleven - Paralyzer
Another dance around the dressing room favorite. Very sad to hear this song somehow got snubbed on the Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock setlist. Awesome riff, the beat is simple, but unforgettable, and its just a great song by a band that most people wrote off.

Speaking of which, what should a band do when its core fans abandon them for having "sold out" for getting a radio friendly hit? Do what Finger Eleven did and get a new fanbase. I bought Them vs. You vs. Me the other day, and their new brand of bouncy hard rock is positively amazing. It'd be easy to assume "Paralyzer" is just another one-hit wonder track, but in reality its matched by the likes of "Falling On", "Change the World", and "I'll Keep Your Memory Vague". It's not earth-shattering, but dammit if isn't better than the by-the-numbers angst rock we've become so used to. I hope you're taking notes, Seether.
Ruling on the Field: 7.5/10

Rihanna - Umbrella (Cinderella remix feat. Chris Brown)
I know I'm way behind the times on this "Umbrella" remix, but it got played on Alex, Helen, and Amanda's show and I fell in love with it. The more I listen to Top 40 R&B, the less I find myself hating it. I ruckused Good Girl Gone Bad to see what I was missing, and it wasn't nearly as bad as I was thinking it would be (and nowhere near as sickeningly sugarpoppy as the new Backstreet Boys album). While I'm at it, Shut Up and Drive is equally good at getting the adrenaline flowing.

Dropkick Murphys - I'm Shipping Up To Boston
Anyone who saw The Departed will know this song, and it's textbook DKM with it's throat wrenching vocals, pulsing drums and sick guitars. Another fun song to get yourself worked up to.

The Crash Motive - Not Giving Up
Yeah, I know I posted this last time, but it's still just as appropriate. Every time I hear this song, I feel like I need to get up and fight someone. The drums sound like they belong on a rap album, and you can't not bounce along in your chair to the chorus. I'm playing through their debut album, and can't stop raving about these guys. If you don't have this song, you really have no excuse.

All these tracks and others can be found on the iMix I just threw together, aptly titled "GET AMPED". Go check it out on iTunes (I posted it as an entry for a contest The Crash Motive is holding right now). I'll link to the mix tomorrow after the updates I made to it take hold.

Back later with other stuff.

==TJ==