So, I listen to the Toronto Mike'd podcast pretty religiously.
I think I've missed 1 or two episodes ever. It's a great podcast and it's so cool that this guy is just sitting in his basement and he gets some really big names in Toronto media to come down and have a chat. If you haven't listened, I suggest that you do. Find your favorite Toronto media figure and check out his episode with them. For me, it started at episode 69 with Jason Agnew, one of my all time faves and it just grew from there.
Lately he's been getting some guests to return and they play their top 10 favorite songs and kind of chat about why these songs are on the top 10 for them.
While I have found that there are some "kick out the jams" episodes that have songs I don't enjoy, it's still be really cool to hear why people like them thus keeping me engaged. I think it's also a great way for Mike to get people back in the basement and usually we get a little update on how they are doing/how their career is going at the start. To date, my favorite KOTJ episode was Bob Willette's epsiode, some really good music in that one!
Seeing as I don't work in that industry, I'm not waiting for a call from Mike to be in one of these episodes :)
Instead I thought I'd write a blog about my top 10 inspired by these Toronto Mike "kick out the jams" episodes.
Dammit by Blink 182
I don't recall when I first heard this song but I know that I liked it right away and there hasn't been a time when this song has come on since where I've skipped the song. This may be one of the only songs I've always passionately loved. It's fun, it's catchy, it's easy to sing along with and, the message is one we can all relate to.
The Tide by The Spill Canvas
This song is so soft and calming in terms of the sound but the message is so sad. It's a really weird combination of a calm sound with a not-so-calm story being told. There are some lines in this song that really resonate with me as well. I find a weird comfort listening to this song when I'm feeling sad and it has been my "go-to" for that reason.
Dilemma by Nelly and Kelly Rowland
I was never a big fan of any other genres of music other than hard rock and punk until friends that I worked with introduced me to this song when it came out. It's so catchy and the story is actually a weirdly sad story. I'll never forget the day I was driving up to work and blasting this song and my co worker (who was outside having a smoke) jumped up and started cheering the fact that I went ahead and got the CD and was blaring this song in my car. Such a great memory from a time where I was meeting a whole new group of people at that job who opened me up to a much different world and, as part of that, all sorts of new music.
Chop Suey! by System of a Down
The obvious theme here is that these songs bring back memories. For me, the memory surrounding this song is negative. When I look back at that time, I realize I was feeling teenage angst because this was a time where everyone was figuring out what they wanted to do with their life and I really didn't know what I wanted to do. I just wanted to figure things out but at the same time all I wanted was to be self-sufficient because, through having a lot of friends who were about 5 years older than me via my job, I felt like I was just behind them all the time. This song is calm and builds and then "boom" the angry screaming happens. That was a lot of how I felt in those times. I always found the line "trust in my self righteous suicide" such a powerful line as well. I guess all people who commit (or think of committing/try to commit) suicide feel that they are self righteous but for some reason that line was just so powerful to me. So I guess in some manner it's got a weirdly deep angle to it too.
Wagon Wheel by Darius Rucker
It's catchy and it's fun. Plus, this is the song my friends and I all sing around the campfire when we go up to the cottage. This song just makes me smile.
The Best Deceptions by Dashboard Confessional
Everyone has a sad break-up song, right? This is mine. I guess it's kind of weird that a song that I associate with being so sad is one of my all time favorite songs but this song just has so much feeling so even when I'm not listening to it because of a break up, I love listening to it. I really love the line "So kiss me hard because this will be the last time that I let you".
A bonus is listening to the MTV live unplugged version (which is why I chose to use that video instead of a music video) and hearing the crowd sing along word for word.
Bloody Kiss by Latefallen
For a period of time in my life, going downtown to concerts was what I did. There were plenty of nights spent at the Bovine Sex Club (which, despite it's name is a concert venue/bar) on Queen street. One of the mainstays? Latefallen, a great Toronto band who I became pretty obsessed with and became pretty good friends with the drummer, Bob. To this day, I still don't understand how they didn't get signed. Anyways, beyond the nights in Toronto, I spent a number of nights in London going to see Latefallen with friends who went to university out that way. Lots of fun nights at that period of time. This song/video ended up getting a little play on Much Music as well, which was really cool.
Grand Theft Autumn/Where is Your Boy by Fallout Boy
Fallout Boy's album "Take This to Your Grave" might be my all time favorite record. Top 3 for sure. This song is my favorite of the album and, one of my all time favorite Fallout Boy songs too. Just in case it wasn't obvious, they are one of my all time favorite bands too. I mean, what else can I say? Great song, great album, great band.
I Fought the LAW by Green Day
Green Day is another one of my all time favorite bands. They've been at it so long and they just keep putting out great music. Originally, I was going to use American Idiot as the song I chose because it's the title track to my favorite Green Day album but, after thinking about it a bit more, I realize that this cover means a little more to me and it's all that more applicable after news that broke this week. This cover has been used by Live Audio Wrestling, a weekly Wrestling/MMA radio show that I have been a fan of for about 15 years which has spun off about 6 or 7 podcasts during the week as well. Until this week that his, all the hosts were let go and the LAW is being retooled. These hosts, for the better part of 15 years, have been growing their careers and I have been a fan an following along. So, between one of my favorite bands and one of my favorite radio shows, we have a song here with that's become pretty sentimental.
Not by Your Side by GG Cole and Lakeview
Last song. GG Cole and Lakeview, a band that includes 2 of my friends. Going to their shows and seeing friends has always been a lot of fun but there's more meaning. This band also links me to a group of friends who go to wrestling events together and brings back memories of my days trying (not very well) to make it as a professional wrestler. It's really just a big circle of memories through some long-standing friends and listening to their music brings that all back for me.
Those are my jams!
So, to end it just like Mike does.....here's some lowest of the low to play you out :)
