(50) Sundays of Music: #49

#49: Cage the Elephant - Cage the Elephant


For the record, I hate self-titled cds. I just feel a band can be a little more clever than to name a cd after themselves, though some of my favorites have done it. Also, it just looks confusing when you are trying to do a countdown.

It's funny, over the years i've forgotten a few things. But I remember the exact street I was driving on when "Ain't No Rest for the Wicked" came on the radio. I was immediately interested. The sound was pretty cool, but it's rare that songs tell a story these days. And I don't mean a deep philosophical story with lyrics and everything, I mean a beginning, middle and end. And that's what their first single was. Add to the fact that the song began to be seen in commercials for a video game called Borderlands and you had a hit on your hands.

A few weeks after that, a friend of mine picked up the cd and said it was great. I had checked it out myself and really started to like the first two tracks "In One Ear" and "James Brown." I began to notice it's one of those cds that just flows really well. I had actually downloaded the cd to listen to it, but this became one of those cases where it was so good, I saw it on sale at Best Buy for 7 dollars and decided to pick up the actual copy.

Other tracks like the latest single, "Back Against the Wall," help push the albums unique sound. I'm not really sure how to describe it, to me it just sounds like some great Jam Rock, if I could call it that. And I just did. But you can see for yourself.

The Response Blog: WW, Mr. C, & Contests

Taking it back to the UFC layout:

Preliminary Fight:First off, I hope you guys appreciate my commitment to the first word in "wordless wednesdays." However, the responses from yesterday's post require some feedback. Just to clear things up:

1) It was a friend's house, not mine. But we still had fun nonetheless.

2) I know some of the poses looked flamboyant, but I was trying to replicate some of my favorite wrestlers poses like this:

and this:

haha, i don't think that made it any better, but the above is a guy from back in the day called "Macho Man" Randy Savage, and that twirl thing I was doing with the cape was trying to be like he used to do. We kind of had the same one, huh?

Undercard: So the other day I posted an Under My Covers blog and Mr. Condescending asked if I knew any artists from today that would go with some of the bands he listened to. I'm choosing to respond in a blog because I only have a couple so if anybody reading this wants to help (jeanette, i'm looking at you my musical buddy) feel free. But here is the few I came up with right now.

*Note* these bands don't sound exactly like the ones he mentioned, but my theory is that if you enjoy those bands, you should enjoy the following:

Kings of Leon
Example: Notion & Crawl

Manchester Orchestra
Example: I've Got Friends & Wolves at Night

Silversun Pickups
Example: Well Thought Out Twinkles & Lazy Eye

Cage the Elephant
Example: Ain't No Rest for the Wicked & James Brown

That's all I can think of right now, but maybe some more inspiration will hit me (or fellow bloggers will be able to chip in). But yea, Mr. C, I hope you like these but don't be afraid to tell me if you don't.

Main Event: So I came back from a surprise one day trip to Crestview yesterday and found I had a package. These were the contents of said package:
It's basically what winners get in the mail. Well, winners of cool blog contests. Please click on the image so you can see the awesome artwork on cd's.

jeanette: Disc 1 is playing as I type this, ya know, cuz it's music to blog to. Thank you!

So that's it, but I wanted to let you know to drop whatever plans you have, because this weekend you are ALL going to be guests at my house ;)

Random lyric of the day:

I am slipping through, I am slipping through
I am slipping into the airwaves
(The static's where you'll find me)
And this is nothing new, you are slipping through
My fingers and into the airwaves
Into the airwaves

Just like old times

Tonight was a good night. Well, come to think of it, last night was good too. I just don't have the pictures so I can't show it off. Oh well, i will try my best to give a visual. For chronological sake, let's start with yesterday.

It was my roommate's birthday. Little trivia about my roommate... he's basically my p.i.c. We have been friends since 4th or 5th grade, but we tell everybody it's been about 27 years. If you have ever seen the show Scrubs, look at Turk and JD and that is pretty much us. I am JD, the more emotional one. He just kinda goes along with most stuff. We have been roommates since our first year in college (August will start year 5) and the thought of the day we separate (he will graduate in the spring, myself in the summer) is a sad thought to say the least. If you saw the FINAL episode of Scrubs, it basically revolved around JD leaving the hospital. I told him how it was going to suck when that day came for us. Well, enough of the background. We both have a pretty random sense of humor, so here is how his birthday went down. We put up a banner in the hallway that had "16" dangling from it (signaling a sweet 16, even though he turned 22) and we got him a pinata. The pinata was a 100 dollar bill that we filled with paper money, fake coins, and skittles. So when he finally busted it (edit: we tore it open) it literally rained skittles. Pretty awesome. Add in the fact our friend from Troy came up and our other friend from down the street made him a cake, THEN toss in a dinner at CiCi's and a good Rock Band session, and you had a good night.

Now, on to tonight. For all these people coming into my little corner of the blogosphere (especially those in the music group), one thing to know about me is that I am a dj at a campus radio station. That is not me saying "know this about me because I am cooler than you," rather "know this about me because I will probably talk about it -- a lot." But tonight was my first trip in the studio since April, and it felt good. I mostly played the new Taking Back Sunday cd, but I threw in some other bands like Incubus, Anberlin and The Sounds. No one could call in cuz the phones were down so I don't know if anybody was listening, but an old friend from high school named Leah (for you jme, cuz i know you would ask who it was if I left it vague) tuned in after we got to chatting on myspace's new chat feature. After I gave her a shoutout, she referred to me in her status as "THE COOLEST PERSON ALIVE!!!" I think I will end this post on that note...

Random lyric of the day:

Oh, there ain't no rest for the wicked,
Money don't grow on trees.
I got bills to pay,
I got mouths to feed,
There ain't nothing in this world for free.
I know I can't slow down,
I can't hold back,
Though you know, I wish I could.
No there ain't no rest for the wicked,
Until we close our eyes for good