Day 29: Five Songs

Can you believe it? I'm finally up to date with the challenge... for the first time in about a fortnight! Thank God this challenge is almost over, and I can go back to posting one post a day on topics which you guys are more interested in reading. 

Today's prompt is: 'Five songs or pieces of music that speak to you or bring back memories. Use Grooveshark or Youtube to include them in the post.'

It's been a long time since I last did a music post, which is crazy as I'm extremely passionate about music. Music is one of my greatest indulgences / pleasures in life, and something I like to listen to every day- and have done since I was about nine years old. I have memories attached to most songs I know, as if they were photographs instead of music and lyrics; a single bar of a tune, or a particular lyric can instantly transport me back to a specific moment in my past. I love that about music.

Having almost 4200 songs in my itunes library, and 703 in my favourites playlist, choosing just five songs to talk about is not going to be easy. In fact, this is a practically impossible assignment! It's like asking me which body parts I'd like to keep. Let's see what I can narrow them down to... The songs, not the body parts. I need all of those.

Fall Out Boy- Coffee's For Closers

'Oh baby, when they made me, they broke the mold!'

I've been a big Fall Out Boy fan since I first heard Sugar We're Going Down back in 2005, and have been playing their albums regularly ever since, and pretty much non-stop since they reunited earlier this year. So I knew I had to include them in this post, but deciding which song to feature was a task and a half as I LOVE almost all of them. I narrowed it down to seven songs... and couldn't choose, so went with the one FOB song I've played most: 'Coffee's For Closers.' It's from the album Folie A Deux, which was so badly received by ''fans'' that they received a huge amount of abuse for it, and ended up taking a break for three years! I personally really love the album, it's filled with amazing tunes, and it's the one I play most! Coffee's For Closers is such an upbeat song, and it makes me feel so blissfully content whenever I listen to it. It's a song I particularly like to play when the sun is shining, so it reminds me of summer from 2009 onwards, but I play it all year round. The also adore and highly recommend: The Shipped Gold Standard, W.A.M.S., She's My Winona, Rat A Tat, You're Crashing But You're No Wave, and Young Volcanoes-  go check them out!

Linkin Park- Iridescent

'When you were standing in the wake of devastation, when you were waiting on the edge of the unknown. And with the cataclysm raining down. Insides crying "save me now", you were there impossibly alone. Do you feel cold and lost in desperation? You build up hope, but failure's all you've known. Remember all the sadness and frustration, and let it go. Let it go.'

I've been a Linkin Park fan since I was fifteen and Hybrid Theory was in the charts, and although I don't have one particular favourite (I have about thirty), Iridescent is one which I've always found inspiring. It's a beautiful song which begins as a soft mellow song about feeling lost and alone, and then morphs in to an almost cleansing uptempo anthem about letting go of those feelings. 'Remember all the sadness and frustration, and let it go. Let it go.' It's one of those songs which has really helped me during difficult times, and one I always play when I'm feeling down. It works like a charm!

Evanescence- Lost in Paradise

'As much as I'd like the past not to exist, it still does. And as much as I'd like to feel like I belong here, I'm just as scared as you.'

Evanescence is another band I've been a fan of since my teen years. I first heard of Evanescence about ten years ago when I was seventeen and carrying out work experience at Twycross Zoo. Bring Me To Life was in the charts and regularly played on the radio as I prepared food for monkeys in the kitchen, and I soon fell in love with the album Fallen. Fast forward ten years to today, and I still love them. I'm particularly infatuated with Lost in Paradise from their self-titled album. I think the song is absolutely beautiful, and the music is so powerful it gives me goosebumps. It really shows off just how beautiful Amy Lee's voice is.

Panic at the Disco- Time to Dance

'Well, she's not bleeding on the ballroom floor just for the attention, cause that's just ridiculously odd.'

Panic! at the Disco have been one of my favourite bands since A Fever You Can't Sweat Out was released in 2005.  (Was it really that long ago??) They're another band whose music I refer to when I need something cheerful and uplifting, as their songs are mostly uptempo and fun. Time to Dance is one of those songs, and one which has been in my summer playlists for years, as it always puts me in a great mood. My younger sister and I used to listen to this song a lot, along with Camisado, if we were together. It reminds me of being on holiday in France lazing about in the sunshine, and also of one particular day out with her to London. I couldn't tell you my favourite Panic! song- I love all of their albums- but this is my favourite summery Panic! song.

Seether Feat. Amy Lee- Broken

'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome, and I don't feel right when you're gone away.'

Broken is one of my all time favourite songs. It was out when I was in college back at the start of the noughties, when I was obsessed with Evanescence's album 'Fallen'. If I'm being honest, I still am today. I was hooked on this song the first time I saw the video. I loved the raw setting, and wanted Amy's black angel wings! It's a gorgeous duet between Seether's Shaun Morgan. and Amy Lee, who were actually dating at the time, and I've always liked how their voices compliment each other even though they're very different. It's a gorgeous alternative love song, and for what ever reason, it's appealed to me since I first heard it, and it's one of those songs I play regularly.

Well, I can safely say I've not even skimmed the surface of my most treasured songs. This post took me a few hours to put together as I could not narrow them down! I love so many songs. I hope you've enjoyed this little taster, and go give a few of these tunes a listen!

 Are any of these songs your favourites?