Let me think… what was going on in the first week of November last year? Oh that’s right. Texas Tech (and a little known guy named Michael Crabtree) was shocking the sporting world, Graham Harrell was the new favorite for the Heisman Trophy, and the vibe on campus was off the charts.
I had never been around a college community so excited, pumped and unified as the week leading up to and after the first week of November.
Oh my, how the times can change in just one year. But there has been one constant from that autumn to this: my love for the Foo Fighters.
Last November I was busy celebrating the one-year anniversary of their incredible “Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace” album by blaring it out of my apartment window.
This year, Foo Fighters are leading me into happy territories again by releasing a greatest hits album. That and two other recently-released albums are my top three music picks to jam to on your commutes of the week.
“Greatest Hits” by Foo Fighters (2009):
So why would I include a greatest hits album on this list?
Because if you don’t already own all these specific songs on their own (like I do), you can actually just buy this one album and immediately have a library of the most kick butt songs Foo Fighters have ever created.
Lead singer and rock hero Dave Grohl formed Foo Fighters after his drumming stint in Nirvana was cut short by Kurt Cobain’s suicide. In a short 15 years, he turned Foo Fighters into legend.
This band has pumped out hit song after hit song and remarkably has never lost its Seattle-based roots in the process. Foo Fighters have never sold out and yet still has been incredibly successful in the mainstream rock circles.
If you want to introduce yourself to one of the greatest rock bands of our time, buy this one album and enjoy an hour and a half of sheer alternative/grunge/rock awesomeness.
Highlights include the super emo-grunge “Everlong,” the soaring “Times Like These” and the hard rock “My Hero.”
“Birds & Cages” by Deas Vail (2009):
There isn’t much I can say to let you all know why this album is awesome.
Deas Vail has this matchless way of combining pop/rock/electronic sounds with deeply haunting and beautiful melodies. “Birds & Cages” is a soundtrack for those memories of the most innocent and pure times in your past.
You can just start the album at track 1 (“The Things You Were”) and leave it be. Let your mind wonder and your imagination soar. And let Deas Vail deliver top notch indie rock to your ears. Other highlights include “Birds” and the breathtaking “Atlantis.”
“Escape 2 Mars” by Gift of Gab (2009):
If I asked 10 different hip-hop enthusiasts to name the best lyricist in the game, I would get 10 different answers.
Talib Kweli, Kanye West, Common, Ludacris, Lil’ Wayne, Nas, Lupe Fiasco and Jay-Z are just some of the answers I would most likely hear. And all for good reason, these guys are top-notch rappers.
But in my opinion, the best emcee in the game right now is the insanely talented, California-born Gift of Gab. And his new release, “Escape 2 Mars” is as solid as a hip-hop release can get.
It is creative, thoughtful and, most importantly, a lot of fun.
“Escape 2 Mars” uses super tight space-age sampling, and Gift of Gab’s positive message that we all need to take better care of our planet and each other, as a nice break from the pointless ramblings of the Soulja Boys of the world.
Oh yeah, the guy has also got mad skills in creating the most complex and unique rhymes you will ever hear.
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