Tunes In My Blood

Like so many people, I have music in my blood.  Silence has its place, and I love it as well, but it’s music that sifts into my bloodstream and sets the rhythm of my heartbeat.  When stuck in a musical void, I will sing, hum, even whistle to fill the gap.  In the car, I scan local radio stations with an open ear for new and interesting music.  And in that spirit, I offer the five best songs you may or may not have heard on the radio but should listen to nonetheless.

#1.  Shadow of the Day   -   Linkin Park   -   Though I’ve enjoyed this band since they hit the big-time several years ago, I’m increasingly impressed with their music.  Some fans are always disappointed when a group’s sound changes, but I think they are going in a more mature direction and sound great.

#2.  Apologize   -   OneRepublic and Timbaland   -   It would have been a good song anyway, but the beat Timbaland dropped into this track really gets to you.  This is a great one to crank up and belt out (but if your voice is anything like mine, you might want to wait until you’re alone). 

#3.  Stop And Stare   -   OneRepublic   -   I think this is the first time I’ve really enjoyed two songs from one band that received airplay at the same time.  I find this one more lyrically interesting but just as addictive as Apologize.  If these songs are any indication, OneRepublic is definitely a group to keep an eye on.

#4.  How Far We’ve Come   -   Matchbox Twenty   -   Already widely touted, I felt the compulsion to include this song simply because I think it deserves the hype.  With optimisticly dark-hearted lyrics and a strong beat that never lags, this is another great song to crank and belt.

#5.  Out of My Head   -   Ashlee Simpson   -   While perhaps not the most original artist out there, she still manages to come up with some pretty interesting songs, this one included.  It’s catchy and quirky enough to get my attention and just weird enough to keep it.  I doubt it’ll be one of the year’s best but for the moment it’s one of the songs I turn up instead of tuning out.

Honorable mentions to my oh-so-glamorous line-up (look out, Grammies, there’s a new list in town) include Wyclef Jean and Akon with Sweetest Thing; Alicia Keys with No One; Taylor Swift for her cross-over Teardrops On My Guitar (specifically for the line “she’s got everything that I have to live without”); Fergie with Clumsy; and, to my own surprise, Duran Duran with Falling Down. 

All are worth closer auditory inspection than the average, run-of-the-mill noise usually offered up.  Enjoy, get an earful, and feel free to comment on some of your favorites as well.