4 songs I seem to get lost in

When these songs play I get lost into them . They seem to bring back a certain period in my life, an idea, feelings and places. It is hard to explain how a few songs connect with you but these do in weird ways that I can never figure out. Some are even guilty pleasure-ish songs that one shouldn’t like. I will try and explain things for them so you, the reader, can understand.

1. Dashboard – Modest Mouse
Something about the groove of the song that gets me going. There is this hopefulness surrounding the song. Modest Mouse are a band that I have to be in the mood for but when this song comes on I get slightly excited. It is almost as if no matter what happens, things are good. Plus it is weird enough to be exciting without off putting.

2. Basketcase – Green Day
Ok this is just a throw back to my younger days. Growing up in the 1990’s I had the pleasure of being able to experience coming of age surrounding by the Alt. Rock and Punk revivals. Long before shitty emo-punk (not that at all) bands flooded the airwaves there was green day and the offspring. They were still punk and mainstream, yeah that changed after their big break albums but so did the clash. This song just wakes up a time when music was fresh and exciting for me.

3. Jesus, Etc. – Wilco
Never has a song about Jesus made me so happy. The slow steady violin intro with a subtle bass line leads the song in. The act of calling out for comfort to someone who needs it was powerful when I first heard it. The tall buildings shake line I heard just around Sept. 11. It connects with me that same way two other songs do from that period (Overcome by Live; New York, New York by Ryan Adams). There is this feeling of peace and joy but also sadness and pain that fills the space within the song.

4. London Calling – The Clash
Punk masters at their best, is this song. As I listen to it now the politics and edge of reason is in the song. Tension and the world show up in the song. I can feel the alienation and anti-government of the 70’s and 80’s flow into it. There is so much in the song that I don’t know and every time I hear it I hear more. I keep discovering all the depth in one punk song. The anti-nuclear movement exists in the song and fear of the future keeps me going back. It feels fresh now as it probably did for the listeners when it was released. I love punk that isn’t simple.