Tag Archives: zero 7

Songs that…

Here are some playlists I have made over the past week or so. I have listened to all these songs so many times it would drive anyone else insane and they still produce the same feelings for me. Some I have known for years, some for weeks. But they all are very special for some reason or another. So I figured I would make a playlist to attempt to summarize the overwhelming feelings each one gives me eveytime I listen. It is not surprising that some artists have produced a couple of songs I feel are worthy for these playlists.

Understanding my knowledge of the music world is very limited, I still do feel these songs came to me for a reason. Most of them are free to listen to on youtube or myspace if you desire sampling.

Songs that make me feel alive

“Passing By”- Zero 7

“Mad World”- Gary Jules

“Requiem for a Tower”- Clint Mansell

“Teardrop” and “Angel”- Massive Attack

“Prophecies” and “Opening” -Philip Glass

“Something So Right” -Paul Simon

“How it Ends” and “The Last Beat of my Heart”-Devotchka

“Where are you Going?” -Dave Matthews Band

“New Slang” -The Shins

“Clay Pigeons” -John Prine

“The Ballad of Love and Hate” -The Avett Brothers

“The End to…” -Holy Ghost Tent Revival

“16…Maybe Less” -Iron and Wine

“Two Boys” -The Itchy Hearts

“The Simplest Thing” -Hey Rosetta!

“Gassenhauer” -Carl Orff

Songs that make me happy

“Happy Happy” -Spookie Daly Pride

“No Rain” -Blind Melon

“Stir it Up”- Bob Marley

Songs that say “I ain’t happy” but still make me happy

“Clint Eastwood”- Gorillaz

Songs that I run to

“The Modern Age” -The Strokes

“Vagabond” -Wolfmother

“The Middle” -Jimmy Eat World

“Taper Jean Girl” -Kings of Leon

“Flagpole Sitta” -Harvey Danger

“Very Loud” -Shout out Louds

“Fortunate Son” -Creedence Clearwater Revival

“Bitter Sweet Symphony” -The Verve

“Lex” -Ratatat

“Black Betty” – Ram Jam

Songs that I like but probably shouldn’t because I wouldn’t want to get caught listening to them by anyone…

“Thugz Mansion” -Tupac

“Don’t Know Why” Norah Jones

“Everything’s Not Lost” -Coldplay

“I Love my Sex” -Benny Benassi

“Strict Machine” -Goldfrapp

Songs that make me sad

“Hung my Head” -Johnny Cash

“Sleep” -The Dandy Warhols

Songs that creep me out

“And I thought my Jokes were Bad” -Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard

“House of the Rising Sun” -Animals

to be continued,

Grayson Cobb

Simplicity

I wonder if you can look at a play list of someone’s and see a reflection of their personality. I wonder.

I expanded my itunes top 25 most played to top 100 today. It seemed fitting. I am not one to listen to a song and throw it away the next week. Those top songs on my play list are there for a reason.

My top song is Passing by, by Zero 7. I have probably listened to it a couple hundred times. There are only three non chorus verses and yet in its simplicity it somehow moves me.

My next top played song is The Simplest Thing, by Hey Rosetta! Its title reflects its meaning and the seven minutes reflects on love and happiness being the simplest thing. Its so simple. Its so easy! But in the clutter of our complex lives and complex toys and complex thoughts we somehow lose that.

The song starts of somber and slow to reflect sadness and confusion but mid way through jumps to a quick beat to mimic the solution to our problem. We just cheer up, and stop feeling and thinking so down. We move on and we lighten up. Go for a walk. Look at the beautiful world. Sing a song! We all have it in us. It’s the most natural thing to do. Look at a kid. Live like a kid.

The third most played song reflects simplicity in another way. I heard it first in Little Miss Sunshine. Surfjan Stevens with his repeating lyrics and progression hits on life as growth and movement. Life is not static, things move on. Love, growth, movement, death, “all things go,…all things grow.” He sings of traveling with his friend and getting rid of his past life. He travels and grows and feels free. He simplifies his life and accompanied with it is an intense revelation of the world’s beauty.

A car is pretty simple in its purpose but when analyzed, a car causes all kinds of hassles. First you need a manufacturer to make the car. And of course without roads a car would be worthless. So there must be a company to make asphalt, there must be people to make the roads, and then there need to be people to repair the roads as they degrade. But how will we recognize one car from another? And then how will we make sure that everyone is driving a safe car? License plates and regular inspections of course! And then to make a car run we need fuel. So to get fuel we need stations where a car can get fuel. Then to get the fuel there we need trucks, pipelines, tankers, drills, and people! Goodness this is getting confusing. Then how do we make sure that people are not being bad drivers? Then what happens when something goes wrong with the car? What do we do when a lot of people want to bring there cars to one place like a mall? And of course lets not forget the problem of when two roads cross each other. The list goes on. And in the process we become more stressed and lost. We lose sight of the reality.

So what about a bike? A lot less hassles I would say. And then what about two feet? Not much hassle there.

As Henry David Thoreau said, “Simplify, Simplify.”