twenty-something

Because you demanded it (and because there's nothing in my life that I'm feeling appropriate for the blog right now), here's a rundown of the largely middle-of-the-road sounds that are filling my iPod on my daily commute. Populated largely from WBOS and *sigh* Grey's Anatomy, this mix reads like it was made by someone who's reached his late twenties, when in fact I am firmly still in the mid-range. I am still hip and relivent -- it's just that the tunes I'm listening to this fall may be a bit tame. That doesn't mean they don't rock my ass off (while I'm drinking a Pumpkin Spice Latte, of course).

Mat Kearney - "Bullet," "All I Need," and "Crashing Down"
Kearney is my current M.O.T.R. God. He may be Grey's new go-to singer/songwriter, but I've liked him for a while now (even though Danielle liked him first). "Bullet," a funky love tune taking it's title from the simple-yet-powerful lyric, "I would take a bullet for you," is my favorite, constantly reminding me of the short list of people that I would, indeed, die to protect, a list that's been on my mind a lot this fall. The other two songs are just so good that I eat them up like room temperature frosting from a can. Good stuff. You should listen.

Jonny Lang - "Anything's Possible"
At first, I hated this song. It has some seemingly misguided and almost inappropriate soundbytes from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.. But when you get past that? It's peppy. And uplifting. And just plain good.

Sufjan Stevens - "Chicago"
I came late to the party, but I am digging this indie god these days. And my favorite is "Chicago," his most popular and accessible song -- you know, the one everybody likes, and that Snow Patrol sings about in their single, "Hands Open"? But Chicago -- the city, not the song -- seems to be the place to be lately, so it makes me think of the friends I dearly miss.

Rocco DeLuca - "Colorful"

Josh Kelley - "Deep Deep Breath" and "You are a Part of Everything"

John Mayer - "I Don't Trust Myself (With Loving You)," "Dreaming with a Broken Heart," and "In Repair"
...and the whole damn album. Surprisingly, John Mayer has redeemed himself in my jaded little heart with "Continuum." I adore his new album (with or without "Sneak Peak," Yelli). It's just so good, particularly the three tracks mentioned above. "In Repair" is, literally, this year's answer to my fall anthem of 2005 -- Coldplay's "Fix Me." This year I am in much better shape and this song reminds me that, while sometimes I might think I'm still broken, maybe this is as fixed as I get. And maybe that's a good thing. "I could be wrong, I could be ready." And speaking of being ready -- "I Don't Trust Myself" is the perfect song for a certain state of mind that I find myself in sometimes. "If my past is any sign of your future, you should be warned before I let you inside." This is pure gold. Like "Room for Squares" but with more polish, more power, more maturity. Bravo, Mr. Mayer. Bravo.

Starsailor - "In the Crossfire"

Shawn Colvin - "Fill Me Up"
A woman? On this list? And a woman from Lilith Fair at that! What is this, 1998? I had long ago abandoned Sarah McLachlan and her sisters, but this new ditty from Ms. Colvin is short, sweet, and addictive. It kinda sorta makes me wish that the Lilith gals still hit the road in the summer.

Gomez - "How We Operate"
Another song from Grey's, but another one I've known for a bit longer. It's dramatic, just like me -- but with a really sweet beginning, some abrupt lyrics, and a swelling chorus. And sometimes, sometimes, the right lyric -- "Turn a new page, tear the old one out" -- hits me at the right time -- a picturesque view of Boston -- and I know that I'm in the right place and my recent decisions have been right for me. Thank you, Gomez, for affirming my life choices with another killer tune.

Snow Patrol - "You Could Be Happy" and "Open Your Eyes"

The Alternate Routes - "Ordinary"

Dixie Chicks - "Lullaby"
With an opening lyrics like, "They didn't have you where I come from," how can I not fall in love with this sweet, sweet song.

Amos Lee - "Shout Out Loud"
He's back, and better than ever.

Regina Spektor - "Samson" and "Better"

The Killers - "When You Were Young"
Don't hate me, my brothers and sisters -- but I was largely disappointed by the Scissor Sister's follow-up. The Killers, however, delivered where the Sisters could not. Whereas Jake Shears and company's effort sounds too much like recycled and imitative Bee Gees/Elton John '70s (I'm sorry, while the sound is peppy it reeks of unoriginality, so unlike their first album), The Killers have channeled their largely retro sound into something much more inventive. While I haven't spent a ton of time with the new disc, I do really like it, particularly the first single -- which is actually pretty gay, with little glam and with nary an apperance on Dancing With The Stars. (For the record -- the boys I thought about when I was young looked nothing like Jesus.)

The Fray - "How To Save a Life"
Overplayed? Yes. Still perfect? Hell yes. This song had been the song for me this fall in coping with some tough, but ultimately healthy and correct, choices I had to make. Sad that I find that wisdom in a pop song. This song, to me, is about forgiving yourself for giving up on someone after doing all that you can to help them. It's about trying and failing, about making the very difficult decision to say good-bye to someone you love because watching them hurt themselves and others, not to mention you, is ultimately killing you. It's about finally saying, I'm better than this and so are you. And I can't save you. "As he begins to raise his voice, you lower yours and grant him one last choice..." Still, I get goose bumps.

Previous Seasonal iMixes:
What Summer Sounds Like (June 2006)

You Make Me Feel Like Singing (August 2005)