Top Five CDs

Last night, Rob proposed the question, "What are your top five favorite albums?" What CDs could you listen to every day and not get tired of. Surprisngly, this wasn't very hard for me. Mostly because there are only a few CDs I actually do listen to, daily. This is because I no longer have an iPod (thieves!) and because it's all I have on my computer. However, I feel no urgency to add more music, so that must mean these songs doing something right. At least, for my musical taste. Here they are, in no particular order.

1. Marathon (Self-Titled, 2005)

I have no idea what this CD actually looked like, and I can't find a picture of it, so we'll use our imaginations. Someone burned it for Rob, and I ripped it onto my computer and iPod (when I still had it). I basically listen to at least two songs on this CD every day. Gravity's Temptation is by far my favorite track. I'm not sure what it is about this band that draws me to them. I started listening after they had already broken up, which is extremely depressing. Rob tells me tales of their last show in a New Brunswick basement. There's such energy and passion in their lyrics, which makes their songs automatically and instinctively catchy.

2. The Killers, Sam's Town (2006)

The Killers are undoubtedly my favorite band, and Sam's Town is a masterpiece. For Reasons Unknown, Read My Mind, Bones, My List, The River Is Wild, and Why Do I Keep Counting? are are among my favorite songs (ever) -- and they're all on this CD. How the hell do they manage to be so talented? Usually I only like a few tracks on a CD. Maybe half. But almost every song is nearly impossible. The Killers have a way of mixing stories with weird and sometimes whimsical lyrics. They've got that trashy, Vegas casino band sound -- but they don't suck. I love driving down the highway at night with the windows down and this CD blasting.

3. The Killers, Day & Age (2008)

O.K., they're my favorite band, so they're showing up again on this list. I was tempted to include Hot Fuss and Sawdust, but variety is the spice of life or some shit. Day & Age is what I liked about Sam's Town, amplified. Human and Spaceman are so odd but perfect. A Dustland Fairytale paints a better story in my mind than many books I've read (not bad for 3 minutes and 46 seconds). Neon Tiger is another favorite. Most main stream bands sound the same to me. They're all singing about the same crap. And then there's The Killers.

4. MC Lars, This Gigantic Robot Kills (2009)

This CD means more to me than any I've listed thus far, but for a different reason. I first started listening to Lars about three years ago. I saw him perform at Hamilton Street, and fell in love with his dorky songs and laptop beats. He was also really sweet, though I was too shy to say much to him. Fast forward to this past year. Rob, Dan and I started our magazine, and we needed someone to interview. I thought about artists that I liked, and thought might be approachable. Lars came to mind, and he's been popping up in issues ever since.

So why is this CD so important to me? It marked the first victory for our magazine -- we received the CD before it was released, for free, in order to talk about it in his interview. Not only does it inspire all those good feelings, but it's actually really, really good. The songs are smart, catchy and fun. This Gigantic Robot kills is my favorite song, but they're all great. True Player for Real, We Have Arrived, White Kids Aren't Hyphy, Hey There Ophelia... all of them. I'm always impressed by hip-hop artists and I especially love when it's not crunk rap.

5. Jimmy Eat World, Bleed American (2001)

I admit, I don't listen to this CD as much as the other four -- but it will always be one of my favorite CDs of all time. I could listen to it any time, anywhere. Again, every song is one of my favorites. Hear You Me is probably my favorite favorite. This is one of those albums than transports me back to 2001, when I first heard it.

Honorable Mentions: Motion City Soundtrack, Commit this to Memory. Death Cab for Cutie, Transatlanticism. Barenaked Ladies, Stunt. Our Lady Peace, Gravity. Northstar, Is This Thing Loaded?