25. "Anxious Arms" by The Jealous Sound
There are two alum recordings of this song. The one that actually makes the countdown is the version on Jealous Sound EP. I also had problems picking my favorite song from the EP itself, which is one of the finest EPs that I own. The guitar work on this song is fantastic, and I think that Blair Shehan piqued at the moment in time that this song came about. The lead parts accompany the distorted rhythm parts perfectly, and the parts are perfectly mastered and perfectly balance. First, I have always loved his vocals that somehow border on a scream and a whisper at the same time, while at the same time being sing-a-long-able. Blair's lyrics resonate with me more in his Jealous Sound work than they ever did with Knapsack. My favorite lines come near the end of the song: "You give what you have when it's all that you've got. You hope it's enough, but you know that it's not, and you say, well please don't worry." For me the whole song is a message from God or something bigger than me, telling me not to worry. I don't know exactly where the Jealous Sound stands on the God issue, so it is hard to say what the lyrics really mean, but that is what they mean to me, and that's good enough for me.
24. "Parking Lot" by Mineral
So usually Christian music and artistry don't go hand-in-hand, even to me, an open follower of Christ, but Chris Simpson has always exemplified the ability to make art in all his endeavors. He has never signed to a Christian" label and has always been on the cutting edge. He brought the second wave of emo (not the crap that those goth kids listen to) to Austin, Texas of all places in the early 90s. The lyrics are great, as they are in all Mineral songs. They speak of the realistic and painful reality that is life, and sure, all that pain will one day end, but that everything here is not going to be great all the time. In the end, Chris welcomes the pain"So come on with the darkness, And come on with the fear, Cause I gotta start somewhere, and it might as well be here." In the end, we will all laugh at all the foolishness of our lives, as we look back. This lead guitar that intersperses the verses also just screams out of the speakers. It is an ingenious guitar riff.
23. "Secret of the Easy Yoke" by Pedro the Lion
Oddly, another song written by a Christian (or formerly-Christian) artist. Sure, David Bazan has had very public and outspoken problems with God, and those struggles are never more apparent than they are in this song that paints the picture of a real person struggling with the concept and person of God. "Somedays, I don't love you at all," Bazan croons at the end of each chorus. I feel this way sometimes in passing phases, and maybe the way I can relate to the song makes it great, but there is comfort (unlike the lack of comfort in Bazan's current work) at the end of the song : "If this is only a test, I hope that I'm passing, Cause I'm losing steam, but I still want to trust you." And then a voice that comes from somewhere else, "Peace. Be still." The "Be still" section of the song resembles the serenity that I must seek when I myself feel the way the speaker in the song does. The gentle and simple guitar coupled with the ride that builds to the end is just phenomenal. As with most Pedro songs, the beat is down-trodden, but you find yourself singing along with every word, and furthermore, singing along with passion.
22. "Here Comes Your Man" by the Pixies
I really hate selecting singles, especially famous singles that define bands for countdowns like this (unless it is the Beatles, in which case, that is impossible), but the Pixies knew what they were doing when they put out this catchy tune. To me, the Pixies ushered in the "indie" sound, mentality, and strangeness. Sure the songis "Here Comes Your Man," but you kind of get the impression that the man is a hobo or some deadbeat (or perhaps a drug dealer). I love Pixies lyrics, because I never know what the hell Frank Black is really talking about, but it is fun to speculate. The song is simply a sing-long. The guitars are a throwback to surfer music, reminiscent of the Beach Boys' Endless Summer, but the vocals are in direct opposition to the guitar line, with the gruffness of Black's and the edge that Kim Deal's voice has. The is a scene in 500 Day of Summer where Joseph Gordon-Levitt sings the song in karaoke, and sure, I loved the song years before the movie came out, but it did make me think that in the rare instance I would step up to a karaoke mic, I might just look under "Here Comes Your Man" first.
21. "Sierra" by Cursive
This is one of those songs that kind of creeped up on me. I love the album The Ugly Organ, and all the tracks are so great that forever, I found myself falling in love with this song or that, but now that years have gone by since the album came out, this is the one that sticks out most to me. I love the imagery of this poor orphaned girl that the father has abandoned. The song expresses the hurt and pain the father character has of not knowing his daughter, and according to the father, he doesn't deserve to. This is probably the best story all packed in to three minutes that you can tell, especially in the restriction of a song. As with most songs on the album, the cello elevates the song to another level. The build in each chorus that launches into each chaotic verse is brilliant. If you haven't hear this one, find it, listen to it, and pay attention to the story it tells.
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