Albums #46 thru #53

Album #46 Gentelemen's Pact E.P. by Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band

Album #47 Letting Off The Happiness by Bright Eyes

Album #48 Live @ the 9:30 Club by Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band

Album #49 Oh Holy Fools E.P. by Bright Eyes

Album #50 The Age Of The Understatement by Last Shadow Puppets

Album #51 Lotusflow3r by Prince

Album #52 Between The Buttons by The Rolling Stones

Album #53 No Line On The Horizon by U2 (Second Time)

So there you are, I have listened to 53 albums in their entirety this year. As you can see right above me, I have only listened to one album twice and that was U2's new one. There are many albums on my list that I would love to listen to twice, but for some reason the new U2 really grabbed me and just days after hearing it, I had to back to it. I have been wanting for some time now to go back and relisten to Kanye West's latest CD as well, which was the first CD I heard all year. God, this year is going by fast!

Albums #36 thru #45

Album #36 Probot by Probot

This is Dave Grohl from Nirvana and the Foo Fighters heavy metal album. It contains various heavy metal singers singing the songs and is not for the faint of heart.

Album #37 Cardinology by Ryan Adams

Ryan's latest release that continues in his rock,folk,alt-country kinda way. Has some amazing songs on it that any of fans of Ryan will love.

Album #38 Love is Hell by Ryan Adams

Contains probably my favorite Ryan Adams song of all time "This House Is Not For Sale." When you hear Ryan croon "Calm down, calm down," over and over again, you'll feel it in your bones.

Album #39 Scream by Chris Cornell

Chris wrote and recorded this album with hip hop producer timbaland and all I can do is ask why?

Album #40 Show Your Bones by The Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Downloand "Phenomena" and try to tell me the YEAH YEAH YEAHS don't rock!

Album #41 By The Way by Red Hot Chili Peppers

Will these guys ever get old in age, or old on the ears? HELL NO!

Album #42 No Line On The Horizon by U2

U2's latest album and in my opinion there very best in years!

Album #43 MTV Unplugged by Pearl Jam

The long awaited never released until now accoustic set by Pearl Jam. Simply amazing. Only bad thing is you have to buy the deluxe version of their new "TEN" box set which will run you at least $130.00.

Album #44 Memory Almost Full by Paul Mccartney

After all these years, he's still got it. "End of the End" is one of the best Mccartney songs I've ever heard.

Album #45 Kind of Blue by Miles Davis

Nothing really can be said, that has not been said about this jazz classic!

Albums # 31 Thru #35

So I have been lazy about updating daily, therefore here are 4 albums I listend to in the last week, with a two line review accompyning each.

Album #31 Either/Or by Elliott Smith

If some angels decided to play guitar and sing melodic songs, then I'm sure they'd sound a lot like Elliott Smith. This album maybe in my top 5 albums of all time.
5 out of 5 Missed Outs

Album #32 Album Of The Year by The Good Life

An absolutely amazing album chronicling the lead singers divorce month by month over a 12 month period. There are 12 songs, each song representing a different month in the marriage, this one will break your heart.
5 out of 5 Missed Outs

Album #33 Into The Wild by Eddie Vedder

This album served as the soundtrack to the movie "Into The Wild." It's Eddie from Pearl Jam, singing and playing an accoustic guitar without much other instrumentation on the album.
4 out of 5 Missed Outs

Album #34 One Day As A Lion E.P. by One Day As A Lion

This is Zack De La Rocha, from Rage Against The Machines new band. The E.P. is 5 songs long and it really just made me want to hear Rage Against The Machine because it's not half as good.
2 out of 5 Missed Outs

Album #35 Led Zeppelin I by Led Zeppelin

Do I really have to say anything about this album, besides it deserves...
5 out of 5 Missed Outs

Album # 30 I'm Wide Awake It's Morning - Bright Eyes

I would imagine anyone who knows me, knows Bright Eyes is probably my 3rd or 4th favorite band of all time. That being said, I'm very biased when it comes to hearing their music. I can't believe I had made it this far into the year without hearing an entire CD of theirs. So anyway, here is another 5 MISSED OUT rating CD, I believe that makes 3 for the year! Bright Eyes, Conor Oberst(who is the singer for Bright Eyes) and The Beatles all earning 5 Missed Outs from yours truly. Bright Eyes really touched on their country leanings on this here album as most of the album has a little bit of a country feel to it, with nice romantic yearnings of love and loss and a few anti-George Bush songs thrown in for good measure! I will leave you with the lyrics to one of my favorite songs of all time found on this album. Read them and tell me how wonderful the feeling of being totally in love with someone is, or is not.

"First Day Of My Life"
This is the first day of my life
Swear I was born right in the doorway
I went out in the rain, suddenly everything changed
They're spreading blankets on the beach
Yours is the first face that I saw
I think I was blind before I met you
Now I don't know where I am, don't know where I've been
But I know where I want to go
And so I thought I'd let you know
That these things take forever, I especially am slow
But I realize that I need you
And I wondered if I could come home
Remember the time you drove all night
Just to meet me in the morning
And I thought it was strange, you said everything changed
You felt as if you'd just woke up
And you said, "This is the first day of my life
I'm glad I didn't die before I met you
But, now I don't care, I could go anywhere with you
And I'd probably be happy
"So if you wanna be with me
With these things there's no telling
We'll just have to wait and see
But I'd rather be working for a paycheck
Than waiting to win the lottery
Besides, maybe this time it's different
I mean I really think you like me

Recommended Downloads: BUY THE WHOLE THING

Missed Out Rating: 5 out of 5 Missed Outs

What I was doing while listening: Driving around town

Albums # 25 thru # 29 (Placebo Discography)

I did it again. For the second time this year I have listened to a bands entire collection of albums. This time the band was Placebo and I am very satisfied. For the last couple of years I have had all their albums, yet only listened to one song over and over again. Their song “Blind” is one of my all time favorite songs. Now I can add about 15 other Placebo songs to my list of must listens.

So in the order of their release here are 5 two line reviews:

Album # 25 Placebo – Placebo

Their self titled debut is a bit different than the Placebo nowadays. Still some good indepent punk, pop and rock on this fine debut.

Album #26 Without You I’m Nothing – Placebo

It seems that on this second album, Placebo started to find their sound and stuck with it throughout the album. The song “Every You Every Me” alone is worth buying this album which started introducing the electronic element of the band.

Album # 27 Black Market Music – Placebo

Their third album didn’t even chart in the United States, but hey it was # 1 in France! Makes me think those French dig pretty cool music!

Album # 28 Sleeping With Ghosts – Placebo

Their fourth album which really concentrated more on electronics than other releases is the first to gain any U.S. attention. This album would lead the way into their next album which brought them even more recognition here in the states.

Album # 29 – Meds – Placebo

With their 5th and latest release (2006) Placebo actually made the U.S. charts albeit at number 180! It once again was # 1 in many other countries and contains my new favorite Placebo song of all time “Infa-Red,” a song detailing how his lover can’t ever get away from him since he can “see in the dark.”

When all is said and done Placebo are a fine band, mixing some rock, electronica, and punk with some David Bowie thrown in. I cant see how anyone could listen to them and not be addicted!

Discography rating: 4 out of 5 Missed Outs

Book # 4 A Dull Roar - Henry Rollins

I have read many books by Henry Rollins over the years. He has become one of my favorite authors. Most know Henry from Black Flag or the Rollins Band, he was the lead singer for both. Most of his books are like journals where he chronicles his travels around the world. This book saw Henry all over the United States performing and some dates in Europe. Henry's commitment to his art and work are something to be desired. I'm sure I'll get through a few more Henry books this year, can't wait!

Where I was while reading: Laying around the house and hours in the back yard.

Missed Out Rating: 4 out of 5 Missed Outs

Album # 24 Is this It? - The Strokes

Two line review: The Strokes could possible be the coolest band on the planet, though The Hives may give them some competition. This is their debut release and in my opinion should have created a category of music called something like "COOL MUSIC," or "Music to teach kids what cool is."

Recommended Downloads: "Soma," "Last Night," "Is This It?"

What I was doing while listening: Laying on the couch

Missed Out Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Missed Outs

Album # 23 Beyond The Valley Of The Murderdolls - The Murderdolls

With song titles like "Slit My Wrist," "People Hate Me," "Dead In Hollywood," "Dawn Of The Dead," and "Dressed To Depress," you get the idea that this band is pretty dark. You're right, they are, both dark and very heavy. This band is definately not for your mother. Most of the songs deal with zombies, death and other b-movie horror flick subjects and I can't get enough of it. Unfortunately the Murderdolls only put out one album and this is it. However if you like the singer, his name is Wednesday 13, just look him up on the internet and you'll find his other releases.

Recommended downloads: All of the above mentioned songs.

What I was doing while listening: Driving around and laying around the house.

Missed Out Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Missed Outs

Album #'s 18 Thru 22 Blink-182 Discography (5 Albums)

Album # 18 Cheshire Cat – Blink-182

Well I did it. For some odd reason I decided to listen to all five Blink-182 releases over the last few days. I guess when they announced they were getting back together at the Grammy’s I was inspired. Cheshire Cat was their first release and boy do they sound young. This album is filled with 2-3 minute punk songs. The one thing missing from later Blink releases is the pop sound. They definitely were going for a more straight forward punk approach, where later albums find them in the pop punk world. Still a great album overall. 3 Missed Outs.

Album # 19 Dude Ranch – Blink-182

Two Line Review: Starting to sound more like the Blink 182 we all know and love. This album contains their two first hits “Dammit,” and “Josie.” 3.0 Missed Outs.

Album # 20 Enema Of The State – Blink-182

Two Line Review: So here is the album that broke Blink 182 into mainstream America and MTV! How could you forget “All The Small Things,” “What’s My Age Again,” and “Adams Song?” 3.5 Missed Outs.

Album # 21 Take Off Your Pants And Jacket – Blink-182

Two Line Review: The guys found themselves in a groove with the momentum from the last album. Contained the hits “First Date,” “Rock Show,” “Stay Together For The Kids,” and one of my favorite Blink songs ever, “Story Of A Lonely Guy.” 4.0 Missed Outs.

Album # 22 Blink 182 – Blink-182

This was the last release from Blink before they broke up. It’s their most mature album and has my favorite Blink song of all time “Feeling This.” It also has the hits “Down,” “I Miss You,” and a really cool song “All Of This” featuring Robert Smith of The Cure on vocals. 4.0 Missed Outs.

All in all a pretty good experience for me. I plan on doing this a few times this year with various artists.

What I was doing while listening: Laying on the couch, driving around town, taking showers and other general craziness.

Overall Discography Missed Out Rating: 4 out of 5 Missed Outs.

Album # 17 Blind Melon - Blind Melon

Two line review: When this CD was released in 1990, no one sounded like this alt-country-folk-pop-rock band Blind Melon. Listening to it last night in 2009, still no one sounds like Blind Melon, a truly classic band.

Recommended downloads: "Tones Of Home," "No Rain," "Dear O'l Dad," "Change," "Drive," "Paper Scratcher," hell just buy the whole thing!

Album # 16 We Did Not Know The Forest Spirit Made Flowers - Black Lips

Two line review: This album sounds like one long song, which is not bad if it's a good song. Well, it's not a good song and I would describe this garage rock sounding band as the worst thing I've heard this year.

Recommended downloads: NONE

What I was doing while listening to: Lazing around the house.

Missed Out Rating: 1 out of 5 Missed Outs.

Album # 15 Until There's Nothing Left - Kill Hannah

Two Line review:

A very good emo/rock/pop album that was recommended to me by my friend as I dropped her off at school. I have had the album for quite some time, and after listening to it in it's entirety it's one I will definately listen to again.

Recommended downloads: "Lips Like Morphine," "Love You To Death," "Crazy Angel."

What I was doing while listening: Driving to and from work.

Missed Out Rating: 3 out of 5 Missed Outs.

Album # 14 10,000 Days - Tool

So I asked my girl for a recommendation, "just name any band and I'll listen to a whole album from them," I said. Without hesitation she said "Tool." She went on to recommend "10,000 Days" specifically. So personally, I've never been much of a Tool fan and after listening to the whole album, I can't say I am anymore of a fan than i was before. There are two songs on this album that are so powerful though, that it's a definate must own. Track 1 is "Vicarious" and has such a slow grinding low end sounding groove it will make you want to turn it up to 11. My other favorite song on the album is "The Pot." I honestly believe this entire album is worth buying for those two songs alone. In addition, I think some music deserves to be listened to in certain environments. This album is definately a mood album, or a headphone album. I listened to it in the car and I think that took away from the album a little bit.

Recommended downloads: "The Pot," "Vicarious."

What I was doing while listening: Driving to and from work.

Missed Out Rating: 3 out of 5 Missed Outs

Album # 13 Answer That And Stay Fashionable - A.F.I

If familiar with them at all, it’s the “Miss Murder” single that was released a couple of years ago that you remember. Or if you’re like millions of Americans you may remember “Miss Murder” from the Guitar Hero video game. When all is said and done, “Miss Murder” is quite a good song and without a doubt A.F.I’s most popular. This album “Answer That And Stay Fashionable” will leave you thinking it’s a different band then the one who released “Miss Murder” or the album “Decemberunderground” that it is from. This album ATASF is pure straight forward punk rock. It’s not pop punk like Green Day or Blink-182 either. It’s the old school Black Flag real deal punk rock. I think the whole album which is 15 songs long comes in at under 30 minutes long. You wont find much to sing along to on here, but you will find 15 songs to pump your fist to and start a mosh pit if you’d like to. If you like punk rock music and have not checked out A.F.I’s older albums, you’re missing out for sure.

Recommended downloads: "Half-Empty Bottle," "Your Name Here," "Highschool Football Hero."

What I was doing while listening: Driving home from work.

Missed Out Rating: 2.5 out of 5.0 Missed Outs

Album # 12 Doggystyle - Snoop Doggy Dogg

Back up off d’eeez nuts. Oh, yeah, I feel like a real gangster now! It's been years since I listened to a complete Snoop Dogg, or as he was known back then…Snoop Doggy Dogg album. I’m really digging through my iPod to hear stuff I just don’t listen to all the time and this is one of those CD’s. I will admit that I listened to this CD quite a bit back in 1993, but listening to it now just kinda dulled my senses. You can only hear so much about banging whores, smoking pot, drinking gin and shooting people before you just want to throw the damn CD out the window! I like Snoop’s version of “Lodi Dodi” and “What’s My Name” and “Murder Was The Case” are still classics. One thing re-listening to this album did was introduce me to “G’z & Hustlers,” which is a pretty good track. It’s the last track on the album and I don’t ever remember hearing it before. I think I’d be safe deleting all but the above songs off my iPod.

Recommended downloads: "What's My Name," "Murder Was The Case," "Lodi Dodi," "G'z & Hustlers."

What I was doing while listening to: Laying around the house.

Missed Out Rating: 3 out of 5 Missed Outs

Album # 11 It's Not Me, It's You - Lily Allen

Wow, what a great album. I was a pretty big fan of Lily's first album and I'm sure most of you are familiar at least with her big hit "Smile." I didn't even know this new album was out yet until reading a review in Rolling Stone magazine. I must say Lily has quite the gift to write hit singles. I swear all 12 songs on this CD can be radio hits. Upon first listen, each and every song sounds and feels like I've heard them before. Right off the bat I had a couple of favorites like "It's Not Fair," and "He's Wasn't There." The former song detailing her experiences with an older inadequate lover, while the latter song details her experience of growing up without a father present. There's a lot of pop, jazz and danceable music to enjoy on this disc. I almost want to give it a 5 missed out rating, but it's a little too poppy/bubble gummish to warrant that, so Lily you get a 3.5 missed outs from this guy!

Recommended downloands: "It's Not Fair," "He Wasn't There," "F$#! You," "Everyone's At It"

What I was doing while listening: Driving to and from work.

Missed Out Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Missed Outs

Album # 10 Rubber Soul - The Beatles

So it's happened again! Though I figure every Beatles album I listen to will probably warrant a 5 Missed Out rating, this happens to be maybe my favorite Beatles album of all time. Well maybe second favorite, I think the "White Album" may be number one. I will first say that this album contains my favorite song of all time. It's a hard thing to do for someone who loves music as much as I do. However when it comes to the song "In My Life," it's an easy decision. Through all my years of loving, studying and living music, The Beatles "In My Life" is far and away my favorite song of all time. Every song on this album is a gem, and if you don't already own it, I'd ask why? Do yourself a favor and buy it! The album opens with a Paul Mccartney rocker "Drive My Car" and doesn't let up until the album ends with "Run For Your Life" which is John Lennon's jealousy at it's worst. Lyrics from the song:

"Well I'd rather see you dead, little girl, than to be with another man
You better keep your head, little girl, or I won't know where I am,
you better run for your life if you can, little girl
Hide your head in the sand little girl, catch you with another man,
that's the end'a little girl"

Now as creepy as that may seem to some, I think it's absolutely beautiful! The album also contains "Norwegian Wood (This Bird has flown)" which tells the story of an affair John Lennon had while married to his first wife Cynthia. I mention this because it's probably the second best song on the album and deserves to be heard by anyone that enjoys story telling music. Well don't hesitate any longer, go out and buy it. Unfortunately The Beatles still are not on iTunes and may never be according to Sir Paul Mccartney. So guess what, you'll have to get it the old fashioned way, buying it online in CD or LP version, or actually visiting a record store!

What I was doing while listening: Driving to and from work.

Missed Out Rating: 5 out of 5 Missed Outs

Album # 9 Narrow Stairs - Death Cab For Cutie

Almost at album #10 for the year. For those that don't know Death Cab For Cutie, you're certainly missing out. A very melodic kind of rock that some may say borders on the whole emo movement. Singer Ben Gibbards lyrics are certainly emotional and always revealing but this band deserves much more than just the emo tag. This is the bands latest release and as with most of the music I listen to deals with good relationships and bad relationships. The album contains 11 songs and honestly I can't think of one that I did not enjoy. It opens up with a sleepy, dreamy track called "Bixby Canyon Bridge" which is so beautiful you'll have to wonder whether you're dreaming or not. The second song and one of my favorites makes the stalker in all of us seem like a pretty cool person, it's called "I Will Posses Your Heart." Though I'm certain anyone who has ever been stalked may not appreciate the song, the song is done in quite a tasteful manner. "Twin Size Bed," is a great break up song detailing the ex-girlfriends desire to own a twin size bed as opposed to a queen, since the queen made her feel too alone. Another one of my favorite songs is "Grapvine Fires" which tells the story of being on a romantic date with his girlfriend and her daughter all while watching from afar the fires that burnt much of Los Angeles a few years ago. For the melodic fans out there, the album is filled with some of the most beautiful guitars and pianos you'll ever hear. I would recommend you buy the entire album and if you like it, take the time to look through the rest of their catalogue of great music.

Recommended downloads: "I Will Posses Your Heart," "Twin Size Bed," "Talking Bird," "Grapvine Fires," "The Ice Is Getting Thinner."

What I was doing while listening: Driving to and from work. (once again in the cold Ca rain)





Missed Out Rating: 4 out of 5 Missed Outs

Album # 8 Glitter - Mariah Carey

I'm a pretty big Mariah Carey fan, there I admit it. However getting through this album was a bit tough. I own every CD she's ever put out, but never really paid much attention to this one. If you don't remember it was the soundtrack to her movie of the same name. The movie bombed and most fans and critics say that's what caused the soundtrack to bomb. I'm not so sure about that, I never saw the movie, but this album was such a chore to listen to from beginning to end, I'm thinking Mariah owes me some allowance money for completing the chore. There were two songs that I may leave on the iPod of the 12. "Loverboy" has a real hip 80's dance club kinda groove and so does "Didn't Mean To Turn You On." The rest of the album just kinda goes nowhere. There are a million different guest rap artists and that was a major flaw of many 90's albums. Just look at Michael Jackson's last couple of records. Anyway glad I finally listened to this in it's entirety and if you're so inclined at least check out a couple of the songs on this album.

Recommended downloads: "Loverboy," "Didn't Mean To Turn You On," "Last Night A DJ Saved My Life."

What I was doing while listening: Driving to and from work in the pouring rain.

Missed Out Rating: 1.5 out of 5 missed outs

Album # 7 Burn - The Red

I cannot believe that I have only listened to seven albums so far this year. However this is my case in point, I usually spend all my time skipping from one song to the next, from one artist to the next and so on. I very rarely listen to an album in it's entirety, and I'm loving this experiement so far. The Red are an accoustic rock act from Los Angeles that according to all my recent research may no longer be together. It's unfortunate because they were one of the best unsigned to a major label bands I've ever heard. The Red is mainly lead singer and songwriter Marco Aiello's baby as he is the only constant on their three albums. This album "Burn" was their last release and came out in 2005. The album was given out for free at shows in exchange for your email address. This album has so many good songs you'd think The Red was bigger than they ever became. Their biggest claim to fame was the song off this album "Don't Help Me," as it was featured on NBC's The Biggest Loser reality show. The theme of the album deals with relationships gained and lost and opens with a real heart wrencher called "Want." Marco's songs usually deal with romance and it's darker side. The only song on this album released to radio as a single is track #7 called "Run." It's a real gem, that whenever I played it for someone brought up comparisons to U2 for some odd reason. I believe my favorite song on the album is "Jacie" which is just a basic pop love song that sends shivers down my spine everytime I hear it. The album is made up of mostly accoustic guitars, light drumming and Marco's vocals. There is even a song sung in Itlaian which I'm sure most ladies would fall in love with. In any event I really wish I could tell you where to get the album, but it seems the bands website http://www.thered.com/ has been taken down. If you are even slightly interested just send me an email at themissedouts@gmail.com and I'd gladly burn a copy for you.

Recommended downloads: Not available for download

What I was doing while listening: Driving to and from work

Missed Out Rating: 4 out of 5 Missed Outs

Album # 6 Conor Oberst - Conor Oberst

It's happened. I have listened to the first album that deserves a 5 Missed Outs rating! As anyone vaguely familiar with me, you will understand Conor Oberst is one of my favorite artists of all time. Therefore most of you may think, well of course it got a 5 MO rating, it's Conor! Conor or not, this album deserves the 5 MO's. Conor is a master story teller, so I thought I'd review this album a little different. I summarize the story of each song and see if that intrigues anyone enough to go out and download a couple of songs from iTunes, or to purchase the entire album!

Track 1 - Cape Canaveral
Imagine having an older, wiser friend that you look to as a mentor/teacher. This song tells the story of sitting with that person, sharing conversations, laughter and memory all while watching the United States rockets take off in Florida at Cape Canaveral.

Track 2 - Sausalito
Vacation anyone? Living on a houseboat with the waves rocking you to sleep? Lyrics from the song: "We should move to Sausalito
Living's easy on a house boat
Let the ocean rock us back and forth to sleep
And in the morning with the suns rise
Look in the water, see the blue sky
As if heaven has been laid there at our feet"

Track 3 - Get Well Cards
Without a doubt, my FAVORITE song on the album and probably my favorite song in the last 10 years. I can't remember a song I have purposely listened to more than this one, if ever. The song is the story of being in a relationship that's on a break. The song finds the singer on vacation in a foreign country missing his girl. He's trying to send a card, saying he's sorry, saying he's missing her and wants her in his life. However every day he walks down to the beach he sees the postman passed out sleeping on the sand. This leads him to wonder if she'll ever get the card. If anyone who has ever read this blog wants to hear one of the greatest songs ever written, make sure you download this song! Lyrics from the song:
"I want to be your happiness
I want to be your common sense pain
Wrap your head in a picket fence
Rebuild after the hurricane

Right there, that's the postman sleeping in the sand
He's got a letter to deliver, but I can't stay mad
Right there, that's the postman sleeping in the sand
He's got a get-well-card to deliver
He's going to do it by hand, he's going to do it by hand"

Track 4 - Lenders In The Temple
The Catholic religion is a common theme in Conor Oberst songs. It finds it's way into more songs then I can remember both in his solo career and with Bright Eyes. This song builds a vision around the bible story where Jesus overturned the tables of those who were selling goods inside of the holy temple. The song tells of how far we've crumbeled as a society and leans towards believing that if Jesus were around, he'd be a bit unhappy with the current state of things.

Track - 5 Danny Callahan
A good song, however a little sad. Danny Callahan was a little boy dying of cancer when he met Conor Oberst. This song tells the story of the little boy and touches on the relationship of a mother and son going through that tragedy.

Track 6 - I Don't Want To Die In The Hospital
Does this song need anymore explanation than what you find in the title? If it does, here is a verse from the song:
"Yeah, I don’t give a damn what those doctors say
I don’t want to spend another lonesome day
I don’t want to die in the hospital
You got to take me back outside
They don’t let you smoke and you can’t get drunk
All there is to watch are these soap operas
I don’t want to die in the hospital
You got to take me back outside"

Track 7 - Eagle On A Pole
Infidelity takes over the subject of this song. Drunken nights, forgetting where you are and showing up to be greeted by the person you cheated on waiting for you at the front door. No fun.

Track 8 - NYC Gone, Gone
Conor makes his home in both Ohmaha, Nebraska and New York City. This is a short 1 minute song about being fed up with the hustle and bustle of NY and wanting to head to Mexico for a vacation. Side note this whole album was recorded in Mexico, just south of Mexico city.

Track 9 - Moab
Many other reviewers have called this the best song on the album. It's a great song, but I still think "Get Well Cards" is better. This is a road travel song, the story being there is nothing that the road cannot heal. Try it out, next time you need a break, get in your car and hit the road for a few hours!

Track 10 - Valle Mistico (Reubens Song)
Reuben worked at the house in Mexico where Conor recorded this album. This song is just Reuben blowing some sort of blow horn for 20 seconds or so.

Track 11 - Souled Out!!!
A great song with mistakes and all making a joke out of heaven being full. You can die, and you could have been good, but this song hints that maybe heaven is already sold out and there wont be any room left for any of us?

Track 12 - Milk Thistle
Anyone familiar with Conor or Bright Eyes knows that Conor has had his difficulties with alcohol. Milk Thistle is the herb that doctors recommend for alcoholics with liver problems. Milk Thistle is supposed to support liver growth. This is a love song written to the power of Milk Thistle. Lyrics from the song:

"Milk thistle, milk thistle
Let me down slow
Just help me go slow
I've been hurrying on
I was poised for greatness
I was down and out
I keep death at my heels
Like a basset hound
If i go to heaven
I'll be bored as hell
Like a crying baby
At the bottom of a well"

So there you have it, the best album by far I have listened to this year!

Recommended downloads: JUST BUY THE WHOLE THING!

What I was doing while listening: Laying on the couch and driving to and from work.

Missed Out Rating: 5 out of 5 Missed Outs

Book # 3 Diary Of A Wimpy Kid (Rodrick Rules) - Jeff Kinney

As I stated earlier, I read book one in this series as a recommendation. It was good. It follows the life of a 7th grader named Greg Heffley. He's kind of a geek, kind of a nerd, but still is always looking for a good time. The book is written as a journal and entertains from beginning to end. I highly recommend if you have kids, or love comic book type books. Part three "The Last Straw" in the series was just released, so I'm looking forward to reading that soon.

Where I was while reading: Front porch

Missed Out Rating: 3.5 Missed Outs out of 5

Album # 5 Heroine - From First To Last

So I've made it through my first 5 albums of 2009! I must say, this is quite a challenge, since I'm so used to always skipping around my 160GB iPod that I very rarely let an entire album play. One thing this little project is doing for me is allowing me to see what I might like to clean up off the iPod. For example, the 11 songs on this album from hardcore screamo/emo band From First To Last would probably be cut down to about 2 songs. I am a huge fan of their debut cd with vocalist Sonny Moore who has a pretty good set of lungs to scream all his teenage angst out with. Yet on this album I was only able to find about two songs that I may ever listen to again. The album starts off with a pretty good screaming screecher called "Mothersound." I hate to say it just heads south from there. Normally this is the kind of album I may give an unlistenable rating to, however since I enjoyed two songs out of the eleven, I'll give it a two missed outs. Don't worry, no need to go out and buy this album. Also Sonny Moore, which was about the only redeeming quality of this band is no longer in the band. Their latest release doesn't include him, but has a new lead singer. Though at some point this year I may listen to their debut album "Dear Diary My Teenage Angst Has A Bodycount," I'm pretty much done with these guys.


SIDE NOTE: I found this very interesting. I just read a review on Amazon about the album and to save you time here it is:

FROM AMAZON.COM: When I first heard From First To Last's sophomore album "Heroine", I can admit I was totally turned off. After one listen I shelved the cd away never to see the light of day again. Now this could be my own fault because in my mind I hyped the cd up way too much. I mean with Ross Robinson producing what was promised to be FFTL's "darkest and most impressive effort yet", I had to have high expectations. However if I would have reviewed this album the day I got it, I probably would have given it a 1 star horrid review, and thankfully from my experience I learned not to. Actually to my surprise "Heroine" really began to attach itself to me, and I can't explain why. While it has little in common with the previous screamo/posthardcore persona that the band used to maintain, the album is indeed a progressive stepping stone in the group's evolution. After giving it a second chance and that much needed time to work its ways on me, I actually discovered I liked the album quite a bit, if not just for its oddity. With all complaints and skepticism aside, "Heroine" is probably one of the strangest, yet addicting listens you're likely to have this year.

***With that said, maybe I should start listening to albums two or three times before I review them. Eh, maybe not, who cares! But you can buy it at Amazon.com below for .16 cents so give it a shot!

Recommended downloads: "Mothersound," "Waltz Moore."

What I was doing while listening to: Driving to and from work.

Missed Out Rating: 2 Missed Outs out of 5

Book # 2 Dreamseller - Brandon Novak

So book number 2 was one of my favorite Christmas gifts and it was a pretty good read. It's labled an addiction memoir and was written by Brandon Novak, a former professional skateboarder. No one can deny the only reason Brandon was given this book deal was because of his relationship with Jackass superstar Bam Margera. Being a fan of Bam's work, I decided I wanted to read this book to see where Brandon's relationship with Bam began and so on. The book has a co-writer and it's clear that the co-writer must have written most of the book. I believe that to be the most dissapointing part of reading the book. It goes into great deal explaning what Brandon did to support his drug habit. He was involved in everything you can imagine from stealing from family to dealing in gay prostitution. The book largely covers his stint in re-hab, and it's in re-hab where you get most of the entertaining stories. Overall not a bad book, but one I would only recommend to fans of memoirs or professional skate boarding.

Where I was while reading: Laying on the couch.

Missed Out Rating: 2 out of 5 Missed outs

Album # 4 Deftones - Deftones

Generally a self titled album is usually the bands first album. That is not the case here. The Deftones first album was called "Adrenaline" and was released in 1995. This album titled "deftones" was released in 2003 and happens to be the bands 4th album. The Deftones have been one of my favorite bands over the last thirteen or fourteen years. I feel like I kind of grew up with these guys! I guess most would call them heavy metal, or even that term I despise "nu-metal." I like to think of them as hard and I mean very hard rock. I said earlier that nobody can scream like Bert from The Used, however I must immediately take that back, because after listening to this album in it's entirety, lead singer Chino Moreno wins the prize! His growl is as vicious as a lion and his whispers as gentle as an angel. In between all the rough house metal are some catchy hooks on songs like "Minerva" and "Hexagram." I may have to coin "When Girls Telephone Boys" as my favorite song on the album. It may take you weeks to discover what the lyrics are saying, so I'll sum it up for you...A relationship gone wrong, and the guy is pissed and wants the world to know about it! If anything download that song, put on some headphones and turn it up to 11! I was stuck between giving this 3.5 or 4 missed outs. Upon first listen in it's entirety I want to give it 3.5, but know after repeated listens it may be a 4. Anyway, overall a fantastic album to help you pass time while painting the bedroom walls bloody red.

Recommended Downloads: "Hexagram," "Minerva," "Good Morning Beautiful," "Lucky You," "When Girls Telephone Boys."

What I was doing while listening: Painting

Missed Out Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Missed Outs

Book # 1 Diary Of A Wimpy Kid - Jeff Kinney

So my favorite little buddy "D" introduced me to this "Wimpy Kid" series of books. I was first intrigued by the fact that they are written in the style of guess what, an ONLINE BLOG/Journal. How cool is that? This book follows the story of Greg Heffley, a sixth grader. The book acts as Greg's journal, not diary as he strongly states in the beginning of the book. It follows him through his sixth grade year and summer. It will make kids laugh and made me as an adult remember all those ups and downs during Jr. High School. Overall a very good and fast read. I have also read book # 2 in the series, which I will review/post soon. The 3rd installment of the series just came out last week and hollywood studios are currently in pre-production to make a movie out of the first book. Side note, it is currently the 89th most popular book on Amazon.com. Pretty cool.

Where was I while reading: The front porch

Missed Out Rating: 3 out of 5 Missed Outs

Album # 3 Oh No - Ok Go

While driving through the California rain I listened to my 3rd complete album of 2009. I guess if you took some of the best bands in the world: The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Weezer, Nirvana and others and mixed them all up and spit out all their reject songs you'd get a little something like Ok Go. The band is most famous for their song "Here It Goes Again" which became famous after their music video blew up on youtube. The video was self made by the band and had all the members dancing in unison while on treadmill machines. This album was given to me as a Christmas gift back in 2007. Believe it or not I had never listened to the whole album until today. I wasn't missing much that's for sure. There are fourteen songs on the album and I'd say I probably will only listen to maybe 4 of them ever again. The big hit "Here It Goes Again" is a good song, just as "It's A Disaster" is a really good song. The best song by far is the sleepy ballad "Oh Lately It's So Quiet" which tells the story of a heartbroken soul walking around an empty house that his former lover left him all alone in. I could listen to that song daily, however the rest of the album just sounds like industry type pop rock with a couple heavy riffs thrown in every now and then. To say the least, I was really dissapointed, but thank you Mark for thinking of me at Christmas time two years ago. And for the beef jerky this Christmas as well!

Recommended Downloads: "It's A Disaster," "Oh Lately It's So Quiet."

What I was doing while listening: Driving to and from work in the rain.

Missed Out Rating: 2 out of 5 Missed Outs

Album # 2 Lies For The Liars - The Used

The Used are a band I have been listening to for about five years. They always have kept me entertained and have provided me with one of the best live shows I saw last year. "Lies For The Liars" is their latest release, it came out in 2007. I saw The Used last February at Kat Von D's MUSINK tattoo festival and was dissapointed that I wasn't familiar with a lot of their new tunes. Well, I guess I should have listened to this album in it's entirety back then. There are several memorable songs on the album that make you want to get up and jump around, while at the same time grabbing random things and throwing them against the wall. The Used in my opinion, would be best described as a hard rock band, but their certainly is lots of emo and pop thrown in and I'm not sure many can scream the way lead singer Bert screams. For me the most memorable and best songs on the album were "Pretty Handsome Awkward," The Bird And The Worm," "With Me Tonight," "Liar Liar(Burn In Hell)," and "Smother Me." So if you are so inclined to just try a few songs off iTunes, start with any one of those. Most songs on this album seem to deal with relationships going bad "Liar Liar(Burn In Hell), and being totally in love "Smother Me." Then songs like "The Bird And The Worm" will just kind of throw you for a loop.

Unfortunately there are about four forgettable songs and this leads me knock off about 1.5 missed outs on the rating, but overall it's still a very good album.

Recommended Downloads: "Pretty Handsome Awkward," "The Bird And The Worm," "With Me Tonight," "Liar,Liar(Burn In Hell)," "Smother Me."

What I was doing while listening: Driving to and from work.

Missed Out Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Missed Outs

Album # 1 808's And Heartbreak - Kanye West

Oddly enough, for my taste that is, I started the year off with Kanye West's latest CD. I wasn't looking all that forward to it as I'm not the biggest Kanye fan. However after reading in Rolling Stone magazine that it was an instant break-up classic, I was intrigued. Now that I've listened to it completely I am pleasantly surprised. Without a doubt, I believe it to be Kanye's strongest album by far. The subject matter on the album certainly seems to only deal with a lost relationship, though the song "Coldest Winter" is clearly about Kanye's mother who passed away last year. The last song is a live bonus track entitled "Pinocchio Story" that shows Kanye at his story telling best. If you haven't picked up the album, do yourself a favor and get it now! If you have ever been in a failed relationship, who hasnt? You should instantly fall in love with songs like "Heartless," "Love Lockdown," and "See You In My Nightmare."

I remember there was a time when people compared 50 Cent to Kanye West and vice versa, after listening to this album in it's entirety I'd say that's like comparing the Monkees to The Beatles. They don't even belong in the same sentence.


Recommended Downloads: "Welcome to Heartbreak," "Heartless," "Love Lockdown," "Robocop," "Coldest Winter."

Side Note: Anytime an album on here scores 4 or higher, it would be in your best benefit to buy the WHOLE ALBUM!

What I was doing while listening to: Cleaning house.

Missed Out Rating: 4 out 5 Missed Outs!