Top Ten of the Decade – #1
Song: Iron & Wine – “Sodom, South Georgia”
Year: 2004
Link: ♫ http://twt.fm/358426
About: Trying to decide on what song would be considered my #1 for the top ten list was like trying to decide on what to name your child. Granted, I’ve never had to do such a thing, but I can imagine it’s a similar experience. The true amount of wisdom that Sam Beam provides with Iron & Wine is mind boggling. His ability to be so utterly descriptive and subtle is as haunting as the stories you hear where some person gained super human strength at the last second to push a car off of the train tracks, right before it was to be destroyed by a freight train. “Sodom, South Georgia” fits that description to the very last detail. Lyrically the song resembles that of a time once known as bittersweet. It garners the fruitful love for one, and tragic loss of another. To add to the musical picture of the south, fallen on hard times, Sam Beam’s deep breathy voice and beautiful guitar playing are top notch.

I really can’t go into too much more detail than I already have. I have a wonderful story behind this song, and how I fell in love with it, but I’d prefer to save it for a time that I might tell you in person. Until then, please sit back and listen to this song. Enjoy the verses, the melodies, the tale of love, and the thought of loss. Hopefully my song selection agrees with your tastes. Cheers.

Papa died smiling
Wide as the ring of a bell
Gone all star white
Small as a wish in a well
And Sodom, South Georgia
Woke like a tree full of bees
Buried in Christmas
Bows and a blanket of weeds

Papa died Sunday and I understood
All dead white boys say, “God is good”
White tongues hang out, “God is good”

Papa died while my
Girl Lady Edith was born
Both heads fell like
Eyes on a crack in the door
And Sodom, South Georgia
Slept on an acre of bones
Slept through Christmas
Slept like a bucket of snow

Papa died Sunday and I understood
All dead white boys say, “God is good”
White tongues hang out, “God is good”

Jamie Dull ends his Song of the Day posts here at The Red Circle today. Please continue to check out his SOTD tweets by following @jamiedull on twitter! Check back for more from Jamie @theredcircle.

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Song: Muse – “New Born“

Year: 2001

Link: ♫ http://twt.fm/358423

About: This was surprisingly a difficult decision to make. I kept finding myself flipping between multiple Muse songs before I could make a choice. Finally I settled on “New Born“. It’s a super dynamic song that offers sheer honesty and passion. It’s not overproduced, nor is it too natural. It’s raw, yet full of life. The amount of drama that can be found is Muse’s music is so impressive that I sometimes wonder if they’ll supply the score to the Apocalypse (assuming we shall be so lucky to see a fairy tale come to life). I settled on this song particularly because it sprouted off of their second album (recorded at Abbey Road studios). The band was still very much in their baby stages, and they were pulling off insane productions like this. In comparison to their newer stuff (which is all really, really great) this entire album decorates a painting on a canvas that is musical genius. Their future was shining ever so brightly once this album came out, and it definitely spoke accurately. Although I can’t say I’m as fond of their newest album, The Resistance, as I was with their last two records, I can say that they have consistently kept their promise of providing scorching guitars over classical piano pieces and rock hard rhythm sections (the bass line to Hysteria FTW!). “New Born” provides light into the dark hallway that becomes Muse’s future. Kudos to them for being able to write songs that make others think, “Hmm… Why didn’t I think of that?“

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Top Ten of the Decade – #3

Song: David Gray – “As I’m Leaving“

Year: 2001

Link: ♫ http://twt.fm/358418

About: I’m not sure if this is technically cheating, but I’m going to run with it. This song was originally written sometime between 1995 and 1998, but wasn’t released until 2001. For anyone who knows me or follows my SOTD Tweets, you’ll understand that I am a phenomenally huge David Gray fan. As a musician, he’s principally one of my biggest influences, if not the biggest. I knew that somehow I had to include David in my top ten songs of the decade list because, well, he deserves it. Hell, I could have easily chosen multiple songs that could fit into this list, but then I would be just acting biased. Anyway, personally I have a special connection to David’s music. I originally wanted to select David’s song “Freedom” to take the #3 spot, however I had already used it up in my SOTD tweets earlier this year. So, I had to choose another. “As I’m Leaving” has a raw emotion element to it that has clearly been absent in over 90% of music that has existed within the last 10 years. I find that when songwriters are able to tell stories through their instruments rather than exclusively through lyrics, the soul behind the song is much brighter. David has the talent of knowing how to pair lyrics to sounds. It’s almost like every song is a soundtrack to a lost film. “As I’m Leaving” speaks oceans of brilliance.

I’m leaving my explanation of this song a little shorter than usual because I know that I could end up typing out a novel of why I love it. I hope you enjoy it.

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Song: Carbon Leaf – “Maybe Today“

Year: 2001

Link: ♫ http://twt.fm/358417

About: Ok, let me tell you a little story. The year was 2003. I was a resident of Findlay, Ohio, attending college. The city is quite small and full of life. The local college radio station (88.3 WLFC) consistently played a variety of music that barely reached the edge of town. I was regularly driving a 1998 Chevy S-10 truck at the time. I didn’t own an iPod (they were just blowing up at that point), so on the passenger seat of my tiny little truck, I always kept this cd case that held 250 cd’s (which I had packed full). It was insanely inconvenient because it was really heavy and always got in the way. One day it was raining pretty hard, and I had begun to get frustrated with my cd case. It was hard to sort through cd’s while driving. I came up to a stop light and quickly had to hit the brakes to avoid another car. My cd case flew out of the seat and landed on the floor of my truck. Angered, I gave up on trying to find something to listen to. I then turned the radio on to 88.3 WLFC and heard the very beginning of “Maybe Today“. It was incredible. I kept saying to myself, “I didn’t know Eve 6 was this good!” Turns out they’re not (I mean no disrespect). I had only ever heard a couple of Eve 6 songs at that point, so naturally I made an honest mistake. Anyway, after the song ended I kept waiting to hear the DJ announce who the band was, and what the song was called, but it never happened! The university would have a computer generated playlist consistently spin tracks throughout the day until the actual DJ showed up in the evening to host their show. I was furious, so right when I got home I started searching through Eve 6′s entire collection of music online in order to find this song… and I obviously couldn’t. I was heartbroken. Months later I ended up DJ’ing for the same station on Wednesday nights (good times). Right when I started, I was determined to figure out where this song came from. Low and behold, one day, I found it. CARBON LEAF! I had actually never heard of them, and was surprised. I ended up going out to the store that day to buy this album (Echo Echo), and instantly fell in love. A few months later they ended up releasing their Indian Summer album, which is when I became an official hardcore fan. As for the song itself, literally just listen to it. It’s calming, intricate, mellow, and tasteful. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. It actually sits easily in my list of favorite songs of all time. I’d go into more detail, but the story behind this song is what’s most fun.

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Top Ten of the Decade – #5

Song: Between the Buried and Me – “Selkies: The Endless Obsession“

Year: 2005

Link: ♫ http://twt.fm/358416

About: Dude, seriously. This band is in-fucking-credible. I had the pleasure of seeing them right when they released their Colors album (which they played from front to back without a break between songs). They actually closed with this song, and it was just as epic live as it is on record. The amount of crazy ass time signatures, polyrhythms, and shredding solos mixed with insane chord progressions and metal drum work makes this song one of the best to be released within the last twenty years, seriously. And we haven’t even gotten to the unbelievable outro that is Metal’s answer to Clapton’s “Layla“, yet. Once you get through the madness that is the first few minutes (which WILL melt your face), you are met with the embrace of the most glorious outro of outros. Dueling solos, a brilliant key change, and a super tight rhythm section take this song to a level that is rarely seen in prog metal today.

Oh, I forgot to mention, this is the same band that covered Motley Crue’s “Kickstart My Heart“, Metallica’s “Blackened“, Pink Floyd’s “Us and Them“, Counting Crows‘ “Colorblind” AND Queen’s “Bicycle Race” on their 2006 cover album The Anatomy Of, which I strongly recommend listening to. Anyway, BTBAM is literally one of the tightest bands I’ve ever heard in my life, and their musical ability is not unlike early Meshuggah (who were well ahead of their time when they first started in the 80′s). I hope this band sticks around.

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Song: Death Cab for Cutie – “Transatlanticism”
Year: 2003
Link: ♫ http://twt.fm/358547
About: Ben Gibbard has the ability to inspire others one note at a time. I listen to this song and I feel nothing shy of bliss. The first time I ever heard this track, I felt motivated to make changes within my life. I imagine that this happens to most people who listen to Death Cab. You’ll also probably notice that I have a love for epic songs that turn into giant masterpieces. The fact that this song sets confidently at 7:54 makes me happy. I’m all about the big productions. The addition of the powerful piano and huge chorus lines towards the end, mixed with the repetitive quarter note drum tracks force this song to forge ahead like a beautiful storm just hitting land. I hope you feel as inspired after listening to this song as I do.

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10. Tommy Boy
Fell In love with this movie when I was a kid. It took place roughly 35 minutes from where I grew up, so naturally I related to it. Hiarious too!

9. Twister
I know, I know! Really? Twister? Hey! Shut it, ok? I really got into this film when I was a kid because I was fascinated by tornadoes. Plus the cinematography is wonderful!

8. Clue
Seriously, Tim Curry’s acting in this movie is beyond brilliant. Not to mention that Michael McKean is pretty bad ass too.

7. Once
Much like my column that I wrote about this movie, I’m fascinated by its brilliant musical score and wonderful emotion. Such a good movie to relax with.

6. Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope
A year ago this film wouldn’t have even grazed by thought process, but recently I fell in love with the Stars Wars trilogy, finally accepting its greatness into my life.

5. A League of Their Own
I used to watch this movie regularly when I was a kid. Tom Hanks’ acting is beyond awesome. I love baseball, and Tom Hanks is my favorite actor, so naturally this was a good combo.

4. Robin Hood: Men In Tights
Dude, you can’t go wrong with this film. Cary Elwes is one of the most underrated actors of all time. Plus Mel Brooks is a genius.

3. Almost Famous
I’m a sucker for movies that revolve around a musical storyline. This movie has always spoken to me on a level that I can’t explain.

2. High Fidelity
John Cusack is wonderful. As a Chicago resident (I actually live in the same neighborhood as the music store’s location), I can watch this film over and over and still find joy. Such a beautiful story.

1. That Thing You Do!
As mentioned before, Tom Hanks is my favorite actor. Trying to describe why this movie is my all time favorite in a couple sentences is difficult. Let’s just say that the attention to detail and raw emotion attached to the story is was gets me every time. Such an unbelievable film. The perfect movie for aspiring musicians.

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Top Ten of the Decade – #7

Song: Queens of the Stone Age – “I Think I Lost My Headache”

Year: 2000

Link: ♫ http://twt.fm/358410

About: Ok, I struggled A LOT with this choice. First off, I had to sit and decide if I wanted to choose a song from QOTSA or Them Crooked Vultures. Seriously, you don’t understand how tough it is to make that decision. The songwriting between the two bands is unlike any other. Josh Homme being the principal songwriter in both has an uncanny knack for creating music that is obscene, brilliant, vulgar, and intelligent. I have a hard time putting how good of a songwriter he actually is into words. Secondly, once I decided to choose a QOTSA song (I’m saving my tasty TCV songs for future SOTD’s) I had to actually… ya know… chose a fucking QOTSA song! I decided to go with “I Think I Lost My Headache” because of what the band brings to the table. First off, I have a soft spot for brass sections, and secondly, I have an even softer spot for awkward time signatures. Now, sadly I was only able to provide a link to a live version of the band performing in a studio, which deviates a little from the original album cut, however you’ll still get the overall feel of what I’m talking about. For the album version, the band get into the song, and play the outro with a 6/8 for two measures, ending the third measure with a 3/4 (at least I think that’s how to interpret it). The brass section follows. While the band fades out, the horns continue playing the melody until they fluster about in crazy jazz orgy of sounds. This then ties in to the irony of the song being titled “I Think I Lost My Headache“, in which case one might actually get a headache after listening to this. But before we even get to the amazing outro, the song plays around with heavy verses and off beat choruses with tons of reverb and fun triplets. It’s all over the place, yet it makes total sense.

With the live version that I’ve provided, there is sadly no brass section. The band makes up for this by turning the outro into a swing section, which ends up working out very well. Anyway, I chose this song, not because of its technicality, but its originality. The 2000′s were lucky to have a band like QOTSA. Without them, we would have been stuck listening to Fall Out Boy. Meh.

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Top Ten of the Decade – #8
Song: Live – “We Deal in Dreams”

Year: 2004

Link: ♫ http://twt.fm/358407

About: This particular song is the most “commonly structured” out of my entire list. It was risky choosing a song from a band that’s considered post-grunge, and somehow managed to plug away after their peak. Granted the band split up recently, however their songwriting has always stood out above other acts that emerged when Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains were running things. At first listen, you’ll notice that this song is really basic. The band tunes down a half step (Eb – like 95% of their songs), and provides a simple 4/4 off beat rhythm with a chorus-y guitar part in the intro. The first thirty seconds of this song sets in just like most alt-rock tunes. Almost very Creed-esque (I shivered when I said that name). Exactly one minute in, the song hits the chorus. This is where Live’s ability to grab their listeners full throttle comes into play. No, it doesn’t turn into an epic “Layla“, but it does generate power. I may be a little biased being that I’ve been a loyal, hardcore fan since the Mental Jewelry days (“Mirror Song” anyone?), but I have to say that in comparison to any other post grunge band, Live has a cult following for a reason. They have the ability to create simple anthems that speak loudly. Simplicity is something that Live have always used to their advantage. Within the last decade I’ve noticed pop rock music getting very technical and complicated (Panic! At the Disco for example), which can easily become unlikeable, and I’ve heard pop rock/ alt rock go the simplistic route, and just really suck (“Keep Away” by Godsmack – though released in 1998). The idea behind this song in particular is that it meets right in the middle… and doesn’t suck. All of the necessities are there. Chad Gracey’s off beat ride cymbal bell shots provide a tight rhythm, while the harmony vocals throughout the chorus create an atmosphere that most bands forget about. All in all, Live has always known how to be dynamic enough to make a difference. My favorite part is that this song was originally recorded during Live’s heyday for the Throwing Copper sessions as a B-side, but was later released as the only single to their 2004 Greatest Hit’s album, Awake, the Best of Live.

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Song: Josh Woodward – “Cherry”
Year: 2005
Link: MP3 on joshwoodward.com
About: Josh Woodward is an independent acoustic rock artist that gives all of his music away for free on his website. I discovered this song in 2005 when the album, Crawford Street came out. I attended Josh’s cd release party at Coffee Amici in Findlay, Ohio. I was living in Findlay at the time, and had begun performing at Coffee Amici quite often when they would host open mic nights. Josh was doing the same. Not only was Josh an astonishing performer (who has only gotten better over time), he was/ is a phenomenal song writer. The first time I had ever listened to “Cherry“, I was hooked. The song speaks loudly of lyrical genius and promise. Since hearing this song five years ago, it still lives on my list of personal favorites of all time. Josh has this uncanny ability to capture the animation of a brilliant song, and put it into music. A rarity amongst the most successful of songwriters. I can only hope that the first time you hear this song, you feel the same way.

Since the release of Crawford Street in 2005, Josh has released 6 more albums, which are all beyond unbelievable. The newest being Breadcrumbs, released in 2009. As a songwriter myself, I have consistently been challenging myself to write a song that even comes close to the sincerity and sheer beauty of a Josh Woodward song, and yet I haven’t even grazed the surface. Probably never will. Remember, ALL OF JOSH’S MUSIC IS FREE, so please go to his site and have a listen. You can also purchase physical cd’s on a “name your own price” basis, which is revolutionary for the independent music circuit. Supporting Josh would be supporting true musicianship and great music. www.joshwoodward.com

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