The 20

I wanted to share a little special tradition I do to celebrate my birthday. 


Every year I give myself a little gift. I compile the most meaningful songs that I've listened to over the last year of my life and make a playlist of them. Each birthday, the playlist is as long as I am old.


I'm not really sure where I came up with the idea from, but I really love music, and being able to have a musical record of the past year of my life is pretty cool in my opinion.


So without further ado, here is this year's playlist and some of the reasons why I chose the songs. I'll keep the explanations and critiques short, because I could go on forever about these songs. The titles are linked to the respective music video for that song, so feel free to check them out whilst reading. Or whatever.


Anyways, here it is.


1. Bulls on Parade by Rage Against the Machine (Live at the Grand Olympic Auditorium
I've never really been into live music, but this drew me. Anyone who really knows me will know that Rage is my favorite band of all time, and the sheer veracity of this gave me a new outlook on live recordings. This is the first year I've ever put live music on the playlist, and it's all due to this song, which is one of my favorites of Rage's. This is the opener from their last performance before they broke up in 2001. It's at the Grand Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles, and that concert is an amazing piece in of itself. Tom's haunting guitar intro underscored by Tim's bass just grabs at me. And when Brad hits the drums and Zack starts to rap, it explodes. It still amazes me and gives me shivers.


2. B.Y.O.B. by System of a Down (Mesmerize)
Its powerful, its crazy, its almost schizophrenic. Rocking out with my friends in the car to this song provides some of my best memories of high school. It simultaneously taps into my love for activism and just being crazy. Necessary combo, really.


3. NJ Legion Iced Tea by A Day to Remember (Homesick)
My brother got me into ADTR. At first I thought they were okay. And then I heard their Homesick album. I fell in love with the melody and shredding bass riffs. Its terrific stuff, and I need more. It brought about an addiction this last year for finding melodically pleasing heavy metal.


4. Revelations by Audioslave (Revelations)
I only ever had the first Audioslave CD up until recently, and when I bought Revelations and heard this song, I loved it. For those of you who don't know Audioslave, they're basically Rage, except with Chris Cornell instead of Zack de la Rocha. And I don't care what you say: Tom Morello and Chris Cornell are two of the greatest rock artists of this age. It was so different from their early stuff. They had established a sound that was catchy and harsh, and I still use this to get me pumped up in the mornings. The first half of this CD is those sorta pump up songs.


5. Stupify by Disturbed (The Sickness)
Music to mow lawns to. The best Disturbed song out there, along with Down With the Sickness and Stricken. There isn't anything better, and it perfectly encapsulates that very threatening power they always push for. It riddles me with shivers, and I can't help but head bang. They're music video is also pretty sick for this one.


6. Ich Tu Dir Weh by Rammstein (Liebe Ist Fur Alle Da)
Again like Audioslave, I only ever had a little bit of Rammstein's stuff. This last year I got almost all of their CD's. Ich Tu Dir Weh's music video is straight up raw power. I can't even believe that something that man is allowed to be put on the internet. Its energy undefined. This is also the first foreign song I've put on the list.


7. Send the Pain Below by Chevelle (Wonder What's Next)
I love Chevelle's early stuff, partially because I think it'd be the sort of rock I could sing really well. And let's face it, it's just awesome. The poetry they use, both musically and vocally, is really intense, and while it's not their heaviest, it suffices in terms of melodic endeavor much better. And again, amazing music video.


8. Blow Me Away by Breaking Benjamin (Halo 2 Soundtrack, Volume 1)
I sometimes put songs on that may not be as relevant to my life this year, but are more a tribute to years past that I wanted to include. Years when I didn't do this playlist. This one still retains a lot of relevancy though. Back in junior high a friend lent me the Halo 2 soundtrack while we were on a choir tour. I listened to it nonstop. It was really my first introduction to the idea that video game music could be listened to outside the game. Blow Me Away was my alarm clock for most of those years. After a while I didn't listen to the Halo 2 soundtrack as much, but this year I rediscovered it. And it still rocks.


9. Morgenstern by Rammstein (Reise, Reise)
This year was a big year for Rammstein with me. I'd heard Engel which is what originally got me into this sort of stuff, and I love Ich Will's music video a lot. But Morgenstern was what cemented Rammstein in my mind as music which could rock my mind and heart. It's majestic in its scope of music and poetry. Read the lyrics in English. They're wonderful.


10. Mr. Jack by Sytem of a Down (Steal This Album!)
Try to find the meaning of what this song is. You can't. The band themselves have stated they're not entirely sure what it's supposed to be. Everyone argues about it. This was kind of a quirky find. I love System, but it wasn't until this song came along that I really knew that System was so wonderful. This song made me think about a lot of meaning in my life, and it holds a very special place for something I can't really talk about. I still can't figure out what it's about.


11. Born of a Broken Man by Rage Against the Machine (The Battle of Los Angeles)
There's a reason Zack de la Rocha, lead singer of Rage, is the way he is. The reason is in this song, and it's anger at that reason is overtly evident. This song is literally tearing, ripping, shredding anger. Walking across campus listening to this I could see Rage playing in the rain too. It was some sort of epic mind music video. It has a lot of puncture to it's depth.


12. My Curse by Killswitch Engage (As Daylight Dies)
I listened to Killswitch Engage's discography on a ride across eastern Washington back to western. I don't like the screaming of a lot of it, but this song I have always loved. It's obviously about love, which is very appropriate for me. The music video is fantastic as well. Music to ride to triumph to.


13. Teardrop by Massive Attack (Mezzanine)
Yes, this is the song from House. Yes, it does have lyrics. Yes, it is beautiful. Yes, you do need more of it. You may now precede with your life.


14. Stan by Eminem (The Marshall Mathers LP)
Eminem is the greatest rapper of all time. This is probably the greatest rap song of all time. The lyricism and depth of meaning here explores a topic that is outside the realm of booty shaking and gang stars. It has meaning. And sorrow. Admittedly, my girlfriend got me turned onto Eminem again with Mockingbird. Maybe that'll be on here next year. And rap really needs more of that these days.


15. Last Week's Alcohol by Kerrigan and Lowdermilk (Party Worth Crashing)
There was literally a 5 day period when I listened to nothing else but this song. It's college. No, not a song about college. This song is college. It's her, and it's all the issues and shit, and it's just morose. In a good way. I haven't been more touched by a piece from a musical or a live piece than I have by this. It talks.


16. We Are All Connected by Symphony of Science (A Glorious Dawn)
Take the world's greatest scientific minds, autotune them, and then put them to a catchy mellow rap backdrop. This is the final product, and I must have more. I won't even bother trying to explain the depths of this. I wouldn't be able to breathe.


17. I Am The One by Inon Zur (Dragon Age: Origins Soundtrack)
This song has won so many awards I won't even bother trying to list them all. This video game song is a testament to the dedication and craft music puts into the art of video games. And it is appreicated.


18. Path Vol. 2 by Apocalyptica (Cult) 
Four cellos, tortured into heavy metal and pure streamlined riffage, torn apart with sensually destructive lyrics. That is what this song is. For the first song by Apocalyptica with lyrics, they chose well. Sandra Nasic is fantastic in it. Everything is so spot on. This is another one of those songs from my younger years, but I did get into it a little this year. It's just abominable how power filled it is.


19. If It Means a Lot to You by A Day to Remember (Homesick)
Hearing this song gave me a whole new context for not only appreciating the capacity for creation ADTR has but also for what an acoustic song could do. The times I usually listen to this is when I'm feeling lonely and just had a good conversation with her. It gets the blood pumping the way it does when I think of her. I just imagine me and all my friends bursting out towards the end and rocking heavy to this. Simple is often the best device for music, but this still takes it farther. I love ADTR.


20. M4 Part 2, song (as used in the game Mass Effect) by Faunts (Mass Effect Soundtrack)
Yet another video game song. This one has saved me in driving. It's epic in scope, and if you ever have played to the end of Mass Effect, you know the chills you get from hearing this song. It's hauntingly awesome, and while the lyrics are a little overwhelmed, it's still an amazing piece. Its just beautiful.


So there you go. You now know my 19th year leading up to the beginning of my 20th year of life in terms of music. I hope you enjoyed.