A music post!

Weekend - rather uneventful. Really, nothing of note happened. I ate a few slices of a couple really excellent pizzas. Made some enchiladas today. Pandora just gave me one of my favorite Of Montreal songs, so that's pretty rad. (I've been trying to use rad more and more, hoping it'll catch on again. Unfortunately, it hasn't worked out quite as well as my "eat a dick" campaign did.) The video for it is also kind of sweet. In general, Of Montreal's videos are awesome. Like this one for "Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse," which may be my favorite video of theirs. Their #1 song in my book, though, is "So Begins Our Alabee," which also has a nice video.

Just for fun, here are a few more videos that I enjoy

• Wilco on Letterman - "Hummingbird" (just a fun song)
• Jeff Tweedy (lead singer of Wilco) - "Is That the Thanks I Get?" (although my favorite version of this song is from the Iowa City concert)
• Jeff Tweedy - "Acuff Rose" (one of the most amazing moments of any concert I've been to is when he played this one sans PA)
• The Mountain Goats - "Woke Up New" (I know I'm lame, but this song really gets to me sometimes, I really really really like it, probably my favorite song from his newest album)
• The Mountain Goats - "This Year" (great song and video)
• The Shins - "Phantom Limb" (one of my current favorite bands, and the video is so good)

Since I've already mentioned a few bands, I may as well go ahead and list my currentTop 5 bands, and why they're in such high acclaim in my mind. As always, these are in no particular order, unless otherwise stated.

Wilco - Possibly my favorite band right now, everything they've put out has been extremely solid and enjoyable. While I've never seen the band live, Jeff Tweedy played here in February of '06, and as I stated before, it was one of the best concerts I've ever been to. So they earn bonus points for that. All of the live recordings I've heard/seen have been incredible, it's only a matter of time before I see the whole band.

The Shins - They're latest album, with the help of some publicity courtesy of Zach Braff and Gardens state, has made them pretty huge, I believe debuting at #2 on the Billboard charts. I loved their previous album "Chutes Too Narrow," and their newest, "Wincing the Night Away," does not disappoint. Almost everytime I listen to it, a smile is on my face. Just an excellent "indie" band, and a close second to Wilco in my favor. Unfortunately, I have yet to see them. They're one of the only bands that I really desire to see that I haven't... yet

Of Montreal - Kind of a goofy pop band, once described to me as "a fruity version of the Beatles." Which is okay by me. Their lyrics are a little ridiculous at times, but that just adds to the funness (possibly a made-up word) in my mind. One of the more unique concerts I've seen put on, but definitely worth checking out. I can't wait to see them again in Minneapolis over Spring Break!

The Mountain Goats (official site here, a great fansite here) - I first heard of John Darnielle's one man band when I was DJ'ing at KURE in Ames, during the point when Darnielle actually lived in Ames. I played a few of his songs and liked them enough to go see him in concert one night at the M-Shop, and was hooked. He is one of the more intense live performers I've seen, along with some amazing lyrics. Everything of his seems so simple and bare-bones, but always in a way that fits pretty perfectly with his songs. When I saw him again a few years later, he had added a bassist and had released a few albums actually recorded in a studio, instead of the usual boom-box recordings. Still an intimate show, but not quite the same intensity that the first one had. Always enjoyable, though.

Bright Eyes - This was a tough choice for the last spot, but I think Bright Eyes takes it. I've seen them in concert a few times and have been impressed every time. Another band that I heard of in my radio days. I've really appreciated the change and growth that Conor Oberst has shown, from the early "angstier" days to the mellower, more country-tinged songs that he had on "I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning." Also, I just now found out that they have a new album coming out in March, entitled "Four Winds." Gives me something to look forward to, now!

Other bands/artists that didn't quite make the cut include: They Might Be Giants, The Weakerthans, The Eels, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Ben Folds, Built to Spill, Talib Kweli, The Talking Heads, and others. Others are in my Hall of Fame, and are all-time in my top list, but it wouldn't be fair to other bands to be up there. This includes the Beatles, Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Van Morrison, The Zombies, and some others that slip my mind right now.

Wow, all of this just from Pandora. Is there anything this little internet radio thing can't do?