Life Lesson #16: There is no price tag on faith. But if there were to be, it would probably say $9.99
I went into a store called Jesus Saves. How could that not be an amazing experience? It was everything I had imagined and more. People making a tidy prophet off the secure knowledge that people will spend any amount of money to prove their piousness to the world. I was willing to spend a little over ten dollars so people could look at my wrist and see that I am wondering what Jesus would do.
For the sake of all the 4 people who read this blog, but most especially Garrett, here are some incredible bands that I think the world needs to know about. If you already know them, good for you! They rock! Literally and figuratively.
Claire's Top 15 (in no particular order)
1. Bright Eyes: Lead singer and songwriter Conor Oberst, is one of the most prolific and most brilliant lyricists of our time. Albums I recommend: Fevers and Mirrors; Cassadaga; and I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning. Another great closely related project is Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band. Here are good examples of work by each band:
2. Hello Saferide: Fronted by Swedish, Grammy-winning, singer/songwriter, Annika Norlin, who is a journalist in addition to being a songwriter. Albums I recommend: Introducing... and More Modern Short Stories from Hello Saferide.
3. Brand New: This is a band that has undergone a lot of changes over the years. It started out as an average, young sounding punk band. They've evolved to a much more mature rock band. Albums I recommend: Deja Entendu; The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me; and Daisy.
4. Manchester Orchestra: I learned about this rockin' band because they were opening for Brand New in SLC, and fell in love with them as a result. Recommended album: Mean Everything to Nothing.
5. Harvey Danger: Great band with some catchy tunes and impressively original lyrics. The best part is, the album I recommend--Little by Little--is available FREE at their official website! You should download it and find out if you like it!
6. Emily Haines: The lead singer of the Canadian band, Metric, (Which I also recommend) has a terrific solo album. She is the songwriter for Metric as well, but Knives Don't Have Your Back, doesn't really sound much like Metric's albums, like Grow Up and Blow Away.
7. St. Vincent: Annie Clark is a multi-instrumentalist-singer-songwriter from Oklahoma. The Album I recommend is her debut album Marry Me. Interestingly enough, the title of the album was taken from the tagline from Arrested Development that is frequently repeated by Maeby Funke. Sadly, the Twilight Saga has marred her career by using her music in the soundtrack for New Moon.
8. Gregory and the Hawk: A mellow, acoustic revolution. Singer/Songwriter Meredith Godreau, plays the guitar and sings some truly heartbreaking and beautiful pieces. Albums I recommend: Gregory and the Hawk and Boats and Birds EP.
9. She and Him: Actress/Singer/Songwriter Zooey Deschanel--You probably know her better as "the girl from Elf"--teams up with Folk singer/songwriter/superstar M. Ward for an awesome, musical experience. Deschanel writes most of the songs, plays piano, and sings; Ward plays guitar, sings back up, and handles the production aspects of the group. Their 2 albums are named Volume One and Volume Two.
10. The Arcade Fire: Where to begin with this amazing band? I suggest you start with the Albums Neon Bible and Funeral. Another Canadian band (Music and beer are about the only Canadian industries the rest of the continent cares about) they are original and brilliant.
11. Rilo Kiley: Lead singer and songwriter, Jenny Lewis, fronts this L.A. based indie-rock band. They've been around for about nine years writing terrific music! Albums I recommend: Under the Black Light and The Execution of All Things.
12. Rooney: Upbeat and a perfect blend of rock and roll traditions with their own unique style. Albums I recommend: Rooney and Calling the World. They've been with a major label for most of their albums, except their most recent, Eureka, for which they joined the world of independent artists. Good for them!
13. The Format: Terrific Indie band, I have a random assortment of songs from them, my favorites of which are "On Your Porch," "1000 Umbrellas," and "Tune Out." Also, the lead singer of The Format has formed a new band called Fun that is, well, a lot of fun!
14. The Early November: For the casual listener I recommend For All of This EP; The Room's Too Cold; or The Acoustic EP. For the serious listener, I recommend their triple album The Mother, the Mechanic, and the Path. It is a complete story including narration, music, and different versions of songs that appear in their other albums. The band has broken up, so the albums listed above are all there will ever be.
15. Silverchair: They started out as a high school grunge band from Australia, but they have since evolved into something that is much, much better. Most people know them for their first album, Frogstomp, but what is really worth listening to is their more recent albums: Diorama; Neon Ballroom; and Young Modern Station. All three of these include full symphonic orchestrations, and a very original indie rock style.
Other Bands of Note: M. Ward, Ben Harper, Neva Dinova, Regina Spektor, Lisa Mitchell, Muse, Dream Theater, Thrice, Flogging Molly, Hot Hot Heat, and Ingrid Michaelson.
