Unknown Artist - Track #!

One of the good things about having to re-record your entire record collection is going through all your music over again. I've been spending a good amount of time going through the hundreds....no that's not quite right, thousands of songs I have and countless CD's and tapes and records.

I have most if not all the modern day pop/rock/hip-hop standards if you will. Not that they're anything special but they usually have a good beat you can dance to, or you hear them and talk to your friends about this song and how the melody works for you or the chordes come together to form that simple musical magic that gets them to number 1 on the Billboard list.

I have these songs, but I also have numerous others that no one if anyone has ever heard of and probably never will. I sit hear tonight listening and giving homage to the songs and songwriters and artists that never quite made it or quit before they scored that one great hit that would have put them over the edge. Or the band or singer collaboration with another band/singer songwriter that made that off name album that you heard on the college station and made you wonder why it wasn't played main stream on the FM.

I have my stereo on right now listening to these forgotten artists and songwriters and bands. Songs that I had completely forgot that I own. Listening in bliss. Songs that make me remember why I bought the album and who I was with when I bought them, or what day it was, what the weather was like or how I was feeling physically and emotionally.

I sit here listening to Massive Attack (most people who listen to house music know of them so it's not exactly fair to say their unknown, but still you never hear them on the radio and probably never will) the song Protection. It's absolutely exquisite in it's simpleness. "I stand in front of you, I take the force of the blow, Protection, you're a boy and I'm a girl/am a girl and you're a boy, Protection". I love this song.

It plays on my rather old and dated now Phillips bookshelf system that I should probably replace. It's always been rather picky about CD's it plays and sometimes refuses to play certain CD's. But I won't get rid of it. It plays the music so rich and so warmly. It's got the exact right amount of bass and treble that I can control. It's like a high-fi but it isn't, I love the thing. So when it finally goes out I think I may even shed a tear for the thing.

I have the cd changer on random. Loading all these CD's from artists people probably don't know of.

Rosey - Dirty Child
I remember purchasing this CD way back in 2003. It came out in 2002. I remember reading the review in GQ. The reviewer said she was like Sarah McLachlan or Allanis Morissett. I was never able to find it at the regular stores and finally found it at Blockbuster music/then Warehouse Music when they got bought out. The only copy of it sat on the shelf for well over a year. Finally that Blockbuster/Warehouse music store (all of them nationwide really) went out of business. And I'd go in and out scooping up CD's for half or 75% off their price, but never picking up Rosey's CD. I always picked it up, but never bought it. Then the final day the store was opened I walked in and it was there in a last minute 90% off sale. I picked it up for $3 bucks. I was with a group of friends having a late night drink and driving about aimlessly when we walked in. By friend Can looked at it after I bought it. She laughed at the album title, Dirty Child, and made fun of me a little. Plus it doesn't help that Rosey is actually very cute she is if you ever see the cover. At first I listened to it and thought it was rather crap and threw it away in the corner of my CD pile to be found a few years later. I played it again and instantly fell in love. The songs are very bass heavy but in a good way, and she has a raspy but in my opinion sexy voice as he lyrics are most of the time too. I don't think she ever put out another album before but I hope she didn't give up on music and stop writing songs. I hope.

Lara Fabian- artist and album

I picked this one up a long time ago. I saw the video early in the morning when I went into work at 3 am for a job long since forgotten. "I Will Love Again" was the song to the video. I was fast and poppie and dancy. I know those aren't real words but how better to describe it? I bought the CD thinking that the rest of it would be dancy and poppie too. I was wrong the rest of the album was mellow, very very mellow, like adult contemporary mellow, something my mom would like and play. Me being not my mom didn't like it, I ripped the one song and forgot about it. I come back to it now with a different appreciation. I listen to it regularly when I need to relax. She sings some beautiful songs in Italian. (She's Italian actually) I like it now the way I like listening to Barry Manilow full blast in my car and sing to Mandy on the highway only to bring the volume to a whisper and mumble the lyrics when I'm at the light or driving down a regular road. I'm silly that way. Stupid that way. But I love it I love this CD.

Laura Pausini - From the Inside
I heard her back when we actually had a dance/trance station in the village of San Antonio. They played an awesome trance version of "I Surrender"and I fell in love. I danced so much to that and they played it at the clubs all the time for about a year. Then it disappeared. Much like Lara Fabian I bought the CD thinking that it would be dancy just like the radio. I was wrong again. The CD version, the CD itself actually is very acoustic and the CD version of "I Surrender" is soft and mellow. I was so mad that I bought it. (I was at the height of my Trance/Techno phase) Again throwing to the side till a few years later when I heard it again. Like Lara she too is an Italian singer. She sings in Italian, Spanish, English, French and Portuguese. Again its a mellow CD and became hooked after a bad time (the break up type) that made me appreciate the music. I can't say I listen to it regularly now associating with that break up time period but I like it now, non-trancie and all.

BBMAK - Into Your Head

You probably heard the song "Out of My Heart". It's a pop non hit that played like on the Disney channel for pre-pubescent girls. A trio of heart throb surfer type boys playing on the beach as the video goes. Ok I won't say that I exactly like this CD. But I bought it way back when. When being about 5 years ago on a month long trip to New York City and Toronto/Niagara Falls with an ex. At the time she loved the song so we heard it all the time in the rental, that and Diamond Rio (a country group I like). She had the song from a friend but not the CD. So I bought it for her. We listened to it endlessly so much so that I was quite sick of hearing it ever again. It came with a bonus video CD that could only play on a PC so my laptop played in our hotel room every night. Needless to say after it all ended I got the CD back from her, she kept the vid/PC/CD. I've popped it in every now and again to hear Out of Your Head cause sometimes you need stupid pop songs to laugh about. But I keep it cause it reminds me of that odd yet wonderful month of travel and the things we did. Maybe I'll sell it some day, trade it in, but for now I'll let it collect dust and think about it.

Mary Fahl - The Other Side of Time

This one is odd. It's like cover songs from well I'm not sure, she didn't write these songs. What a minute looking at the CD sleeve she did. It's world music maybe? Oh here's how do describe it. Ok if you've ever seen "Serendipity" love that movie, Kate Beckinsales fiance plays that off the wall weird world music artist. Yeah she's just like that, but a girl. Anyways I got this on a whim from Barnes and Nobles, it was sitting on display on the checkout counter in the music section. I asked the guy working there if it was any good. It was only $5 bucks. He said he loved it and gushed over it. I bought it. Last time I listen to him. (Should have know he is like in his late 60's) I don't regret buying it but it's only something I can listen to every so often. In fact it's playing now. I think I'll press the skip button on the remote.

Martin L Gore - Counterfeit (Martin Gore is a member of Depeche Mode he wrote nearly all their songs, this is his solo album)

Poor Martin. I bought this CD thinking it would be really good like a Depeche Mode CD. Unfortunately it was odd and somber. It didn't really have any success like Dave Gahan's solo project (Dave the lead singer of Depeche Mode) I had high hopes for this CD but was and still am disappointed. But needless to say I copy it to the PC and put it now in the pile to trade at the CD Exchange store for credit towards something new. Good try Martin, really, but next time, try a little harder, have some fun.

Olive - Extra Virgin

Ruth Ann-Boyle. She has an amazing voice. I love her stuff with Olive. They haven't put anything out in years but their stuff is highly remixed in the trance/techno/dance world. If you're into that you've probably heard endless mixes of "You're Not Alone" my absolute favorite song. But the album non-the-less is very good. Not quite as dancy, very somber but good. Give it a listen, you might like it. It's a constant for me, well not a constant but I play it a lot.

Weekend Players - Pursuit of Happiness

Another collaboration of artist. Groove Armada and some others. Made this band. Again not really played on the radio like Massive Attack but some songs are remixed and used at clubs. Its a good CD, house music that is very good. I play it a lot, good for slowing things down when DJ'ing.

Mandalay - Solace

I heard her on a CD I bought at Starbucks. Yes I bought one of their CD's there, to my utter gasp. Anyways it was on a Ambient Lux CD mix. "This Life" the song I love it dark and haunting and beautiful at the same time. It's the perfect chill out song. Great for sitting outside on a rainy day and having a drink and reading a book.

Rodrigo Y Gabriela (CD title is also their names)

This is a newer CD. I don't think you'll ever hear them on the radio. They play acoustic guitars very latin, but they play all sorts of things. It's very nice, not like a regular guitar CD you might own. This one has soulish/rock to it. I hope they catch on more main stream. They were supposed to play at South by Southwest in Austin this year but Rodrigo was denied a visa to come to the US and play in time. I hope they come play again. Their awesome. It comes with a bonus DVD about them. Their actually from rock/punk back grounds. They have an interesting artist story that I love. I hope they catch on.

Anna Nanlick - Wreck of the Day

Ok you've heard her song "Breathe 2Am". But I like her other songs too. Songs which this more than likely one hit wonder will never have played. Lets hope she's not a one hit wonder. She's got some other good songs. I wait to see.

Aracade Fire - Neon Bible

Ok so I think you've heard of them. I listen to satellite radio so they play them regularly and on the FM college station in town. So I'm not sure they play them on the regular radio. But I hear a lot of No Cars Go and Keep the Car Running. But the song I love is "Black Wave/Bad Vibrations. I love the dual part of this song. Listen and wonder in amazement. :P

Ray Munns - Rays House

I dance compilation. Mr. Ray I thank you for introducing me to Ghosts - By Tenth Planet. It's hauntingly beautiful.

Ok that's it for now.