Recently a bunch of dance covers of Olive's classic, "You're Not Alone" have begun popping up. Like weeds, really. Unwanted, unnecessary, and baffling. I mean, not horrible, but if they aren't going to surpass the original, why bother? So it got me thinking about some of the older songs that I "grew up" with, the stuff that really formed my musical foundation. I'll share those with you now.
Our Lady Peace - Superman's Dead
Riding on the coattails of the dying grunge movement, Our Lady Peace attacked mainstream rock radio with this classic creepy falsetto track. Thus started my long term love of this Canadian rock group. Their sound would change, album by album, but they are still my favorite band. Somehow.
Republica - Picture Me
I always pick the odd fish off an album. Republica's debut was chock full of simply amazing tunes. "Ready To Go", "Drop Dead Gorgeous", "Bloke", "Wrapp", but "Picture Me" still stands out. The track is slow, seductive, and alluring. It stood out because it is so different from the rest of the upbeat and aggressive album. And it, along with a few other songs I'll mention, really solidified my love of what I tend to call trip hop (although I hear I'm classifying it incorrectly).
Mono - Life In Mono
From the Great Expectations soundtrack (the first half of which rocked my world), this track could be heard playing from my state of the art 3-cd changer back when I lived with my mom and grandmother. If you don't get it, you don't get it. (Sorry, Washington Post).
Olive - You're Not Alone
This song is over 10 years old. Yet listen, do you hear anything like this anymore? No. And not because this song sucks, it is far far far from terrible. Olive was onto something. Their us debut, Extra Virgin, was a masterpiece. While I didn't love every song when I listened to it, I hold such feelings of nostalgia listening to it now that I am compelled to place it among the very best of my CD collection. This song was on mainstream US radio, around the same time as Our Lady Peace's "Superman's Dead". Strange, that I would so deeply love those two songs from the same time.
Anggun - Snow on the Sahara
Not sure how I originally found this track all those years ago, but something about it lingers. Her voice is so pure and emotive. The music is amazing. This track has definitely lasted in my adoration.
Aqua - Turn Back Time
Another case of a song standing out due to it's lack of cohesion with the album it was found on. Don't get me wrong, Aqua's debut, Aquarium, is a camp pop classic. But "Turn Back Time" is a classic in its own right, transcending the considerable groans the rest of the album elicits from most listeners. It was used in the movie Sliding Doors, another Gwyneth Paltrow movie that made good use of good music.
A Life Less Ordinary Soundtrack
Not only was the movie fantastic and utterly understated, but the soundtrack was clever and well used. From the dreamy trip hop of the Sneaker Pimps to the angst of Ash to the unadulterated techno bliss of Prodigy, it summed up the schizophrenic mood of the movie perfectly. I included the full 7 minute version of R.E.M.'s "Leave" as it is by far the superior version to the edited, and less dramatic, version used on the soundtrack.
No Doubt - New
One of the few songs by No Doubt that really didn't feel like a representation of that time, "New" is one of the few songs that I still love due to an emotional attachment. In a time of extreme loneliness and depression, this song pulled me through. And now, when I listen, I feel that detachment and that great well of sadness that I could easily fall into at any time, but I also feel the comfort and familiarity that the track provided when I needed it. Truly one of my favorites.
Natalie Imbruglia - Troubled By the Way We Came Together
Natalie is a love of mine, her early music that is. Her more recent stuff is still good, but not as good. "Smoke", and this track pretty much sum up exactly what made her so good. Her voice grips you, and her music holds you in place. Very rarely does music cause me extreme emotions, but this one gets me.
P.S. - Sorry for the CSI fan video. There was no real video or even Natalie themed video that I could find. If you're not a fan, check out another window while you listen. If you are, watch and feel something.
Ok, that's it for now! Hope you enjoyed.
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