For the past few weeks, I’ve been collecting albums… must’ve acquired about 60+ as of now. They range from all sorts of genre (e.g. Cafe del Mar to Nirvana to Jars of Clay – to Nine Inch Nails to India Arie, you get the picture. Old and new, whatever was available.

I haven’t gotten to a third of them, but I thought I’d share the select songs to look for from the albums I did get to listen to. I wasn’t able to get the full discographies (translated: all the albums) of most of the artists, so there may be different versions of some songs (or even the same) which I don’t know about.

I’m basing this list of “cool tracks” on the albums I have… If you see the albums, then try these songs for size:

Switchfoot

song [album]

• (I) Dare You to Move [The Beautiful Letdown]
• Learning to Breathe [Learning to Breathe]
• Only Hope [New Way to Be Human]
• Meant to Live [The Beatiful Letdown]
• This is Your Life [The Beatiful Letdown]
• Redemption [The Beatiful Letdown]
• On Fire [The Beatiful Letdown]
• 24 [The Beatiful Letdown]
• Home [The Legend of Chin]
• Don’t Be There [The Legend of Chin]

dc Talk

song [album]

• Say the Words [Intermission – Greatest Hits]
• Between You and Me [Intermission – Greatest Hits]
• That Kinda Girl [Free At Last]
• Lean On Me [Free At Last]
• Word 2 The Father [Free At Last]
• Consume Me [Intermission – Greatest Hits]
• In the Light [Intermission – Greatest Hits]
• Socially Acceptable [Intermission – Greatest Hits]
• Hardway [Intermission – Greatest Hits]
• Chance [Intermission – Greatest Hits]

Since I only got these two albums, and Free at last is newer, then I’d have to say that their older albums seem to be better. They make excellent music but the whole “rap” thing just doesn’t seem to grow on me. It sounds like Gary Valenciano’s old inspirational albums where a lot of lame rapping was going on. Don’t get me wrong, I dig Gary V’s music, I’d just rather he stay away from Rap/Hip hop (unless he’s dancing to it of course)

Creed

song [album]

• What If [Human Clay]
• Higher [Human Clay]
• My Own Prison [My Own Prison]
• In America [My Own Prison]
• My Sacrifice [Weathered]

Creed is no longer, now replaced by a band called Alter Bridge – comprised of the same members less that annoying vocalist. Thank God for that! Haven’t been able to get a copy of the new band’s songs though.

AudioSlave

Album: Audioslave

• Cochise
• Gasoline
• Like a Stone
• Shadow on the Sun
• Explorer
• Hypnotize
• Light My Way

This is basically Rage Against the Machine less vocalist Zach dela Rocha, replaced by Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell

The song that made waves in the radio didn’t impress me, but after getting the album and listening to the other songs I must admit that he’s no Zach, Chris can actually hold his own! All in all a good album.

Alicia Keys

song [album]

• Butterflyz [Songs In A Minor]
• If I Ain’t Got You [The Diary of Alicia Keys]
• Someday We’ll All Be Free [America: A Tribute To Heroes]
• Fallin’ [Songs In A Minor]
• Troubles [Songs In A Minor]
• A Woman’s Worth [Songs In A Minor]
• Goodbye [Songs In A Minor]
• The Life [Songs In A Minor]
• Mr. Man [Songs In A Minor]
• Never Felt This Way [Songs In A Minor]
• Dairy [The Diary of Alicia Keys]
• So Simple [The Diary of Alicia Keys]
• Nobody Not Really [The Diary of Alicia Keys]

And can I just say, though I love John Mayer’s songs… his song Daughter winning over Alicia’s If I Ain’t Got You in the Grammy Awards is just plain wrong!

Just because Alicia already won a bunch of awards that night – that doesn’t mean you can go political and “give chance” to others… give credit where credit is due. Have you heard the two songs? It’s beyond me how something like Daughters can match up against I Ain’t Got You. Hell, I’d even have to admit that even John Mayer’s best songs could not match it… And this is already from the point of view from someone who’s a “rocker” at heart.

Same goes with the whole Ray Charles thing… just because the dude had just died, you don’t have to be polite and give him the awards. If there’s one person who is deserving of an award in light of Ray Charles’ death, it would be Jamie Fox alone in the Oscars… and not because it’s the polite thing to do – but because Mr. Fox deserved it for an excellent performance.

Really now, give credit where credit is due, what’s the point of these shows when you can adjust stuff arbitrarily? Might as well turn the these “awards” shows into “tribute” shows.

Amber

Album: Naked

Her “naked” album (though sexual) is actually pretty good. 10 of the 15 songs are good which can easily justify buying the album.

India Arie

Album: Acoustic Soul

• Video
• Promises
• Back to the Middle
• Ready for Love
• Always in My Head
• Beatiful
• Wonderful

Jamie Cullum

Album: TwentySomething

• All At Sea
• Singin In The Rain
• I Get A Kick Out of You
• It’s About Time
• Next Year Baby
• What a Difference a Day Makes

(I Also got the Pointless Nostalgic album, but haven’t listened to it yet)

Joss Stone

She seems to be big, so I decided to download her album “The Soul Sessions.” Honestly, I have to say that I’m not impressed by the music – at least as far as The Soul Sessions is concerned.

I am impressed however, by her singing – but her music in The Soul Sessions simply doesn’t do her voice justice… it sounded like a Pop/Country album infused with Soul singing style… not my cup of tea.

Dream Theater

Jeez, these guys are friggin good! I mean it’s an aquired taste since they sound more of like a glam-metal band on steroids, but damn are the good!

Progressive rock has always been more of a listening trip for the audience. I guess in the choral world, this could be those songs that normal people find “strange” – because it’s more of the technique that is being observed.

Anyways, I got about 20 albums of theirs including singles, christmas (fan-club) special CDs, and though I haven’t rated each one, I can say that these guys got MUSIC aside from skill going with them… take away the dated “glam” feel from their sound, and you can see that they really know how to make melodic songs regardless of how complicated they may be.

Liquid Tension Experimet

Members of Dream Theater less the bassist and vocalist. Bassist replaced by someone else [supposedly very good] and now we have the same type of band – only with instrumental songs…

Live

Album Birds of Pray

Yes, that’s not a typo (it’s really Pray). This is a disappointing album since out of the 13 tracks only 2 really stood out: Heaven and Lighthouse. Then again, even Secret Samadhi had only 2 good songs. I think my fave albums are still Mental Jewelry and Throwing Copper

Maroon 5

Album: Songs About Jane

Basically, their songs that made the charts are the good ones (Harder to Breathe, She Will be Loved and Sunday Morning) the rest aren’t that quite “remember-able”

Nickel Creek

song [album]

• This Side [This Side]
• The Lighthouse’s Tale [Nickel Creek]
• Out of The Woods [Nickel Creek]
• When You Come Back Down [Nickel Creek]
• Green And Gray [This Side]
• Seven Wonders [This Side]
• Beauty and the Mess [This Side]

Only This Side made waves on the radio here as far as I can remember, but you’d be surprised that hey have other cool songs to. I’d guess I’d describe them as “The Corrs, only using different instruments (and one girl instead of one guy).

Their sound, which is primarily bluegrass, is actually pleasing to listen to. They use a guitar, a mandolin and a fiddle… and the “percs” probably come from their instruments (when one is inactive) – minimal, unorthodox, but effective.

Pantera

Diamond Darrel (God rest his soul) was a moving force in every rock guitarist’s world. He will surely be missed. I consider him as a pioneer of some sort. His style was truly a unique one… kinda like Rage Against The Machine’s Tom Morello, applied into death metal.

Anyways, any Pantera fan would love all of their albums. But not many people know that they had albums before Cowboys From Hell. I was able to get albums such as I Am the Night, Metal Magic, Power Metal, and Projects in the Jungle. – which were too old-school sounding for me (e.g. glam-metal) – actually they sounded Dream Theater-ish, but for some reason, Dream Theater could pull it off.

Green Day

Album: American Idiot

Good album – half of the songs were good. I’ve always liked Green Day since their Dookie days, despite the people hating them for the vocalist using a “contrived-accent.” But that’s how a new sound is defined… rules are meant to be broken in music. That’s what sets Jimi Hendrix, Black Sabbath, and the like apart from the rest of the pack – by defying the norm.

Let’s stop this

Ok, this is taking too long, I’m not even at a third… I guess I’ll just abruptly stop here. You could still get a lot of info from the few artists I’ve mention here anyways. Enjoy your music!

Update

Was able to get an album of Alter Bridge’s One Day Remains. 11 Tracks, currently on track 8, and already marked 5 songs as good. Damn, that means this album alone already matches Creed’s number of good songs across 3 albums!

I swear, it’s gotta be that vocalist hehehehe.