SBC's Awesome Mix - SAM 8

A few years ago I was sitting at home alone with nothing to do on a weekend night (awww) and I decided to occupy my time by making a mixed CD.  I was so struck by inspirado that I made two CD's that I cleverly titled SAM 1 and SAM 2 (SBC's Awesome Mix)... riveting and creative, I know.  Since then I've made nine installments in the SAM series.  SAM 1-8 are now circulated among the masses five or six of my friends along with the SAM Ryan Adams.  Betcha can't figure out what's on that one.  Challenge extended!  (name that quote... anyone?  Anyone?  If you can name it and you don't already have a SAM collection, I'll send you one!)

Anyway... I've never really explained (or really given much consideration to) the reason why I picked the songs that I picked on each CD.  I like to think that my friends are sitting up at night wondering why I like the songs that I like, but I'm pretty sure they're just up to breast feed or pee or something like that.  I thought it would be fun to let the Internet know my fave songs, perhaps spread some good music love to fellow music peeps, and perhaps explain to the friends that know me why I picked certain songs... i.e. why I like them in the first place.  

I just made SAM 8, so I'm going to start from the last and work my way back because SAM 8 is fresh in my head which makes THIS post just that much easier.  Here's the SAM 8 play list:

1. Amazing - Josh Kelley

2. Another Door Closes - Jont

3. Boys With Girlfriends (live) - Meiko

4. Come On Get Higher - Matt Nathanson

5. Dream Catch Me - Newton Faulkner

6. Free - Donavon Frankenrer

7. Gray or Blue - Jaymay

8. Heavenly Day - Patty Griffin

9. Nothing I Can Do - Ben Taylor

10. Oh Boy - Duffy

11. Overkill (Acoustic Version) - Colin Hay

12. She's Mine - Brett Dennen

13. Shout Out Loud - Amos Lee

14. Sing for You - Tracy Chapman

I always put the songs on my CD's in alphabetic order by song title because... well... Because.  It's much easier than coming up with some rhyme or reason to the order.  Alpha order works.  No need to reinvent the wheel here, folks.  

1.  I just like this song... I'm actually surprised it didn't make it onto a SAM before 8.  It's kind of played out and I'm glad it's first because I usually skip it now.  But it's a beautiful song that I just dig. 

2.  Another Door Closes is a song MommaM (SMB's mom) heard at the end of a Gray's Anatomy episode and it spoke to her as songs tend to speak to us.  She looked it up and found it and spread the word... I love it because she loves it and I understand why she loves it.  SMB would have loved it, and that's reason enough right there if you ask me.  MommaM found Jont's Myspace page and even sent him a message telling him that she loved the song, and he even wrote her back a very lovely personal message.  Even more reason to like him.  I think he sounds a lot like Damien Rice too, which is just icing on the cake.

3.  Girls with Boyfriends reminds me of the college version of myself.  It doesn't hurt that the song is just too dang catchy and sticks in my head like no other.  She's got a great sing along voice and understandable lyrics which are all bonuses for me.  When I was in college I was in a sorority for the first two years then changed paths a bit and ended up living in a house with a bunch of guys.  We were all buddies and I was the token female in the house, and this song just kind of reminded me of college fun times for pretty obvious reasons if you listen to it.  Do it.  Go listen to it.

4. I heard Come on Get Higher on the Coffeehouse channel on Sirius that I'm hopelessly addicted to and just liked it immediately.  It's a little odd to explain exactly why I like this song so much, but who's going to judge me out here on the Internet.  Not you, right?  Good.  This is a very sappy love song that even has some blatantly obvious sexual overtones to it, but there's a line in it that just totally reminds me of SMB.  It is: "...and I ache to remember all the violent sweet perfect words that you said."  If you know SMB you'll perhaps "get it" but I don't really know a good way to explain it.  SMB was a delightful mix of violent and sweet at times.  

5.  Dream Catch Me is by a deliciously dreadlocked white guy.  I have a serious soft spot for white guys with dreads.  Funny I married a bald guy.  It's a happy good song... did I mention he's delicious?  

6. Free is another happy sing along song that just makes me smile.  I tend to get way into depressing take-a-bath-with-your-toaster type of music, so I try to embrace simple happy feel good songs when I come across them

7. Gray or Blue is another one that just kind of sticks in my head.  It's another great sing along song, and I love her voice.  It doesn't take itself too seriously and I just like it because it's cute and simple and lovey dovey. 

8. Heavenly Day is by Patty Griffin... nuff said.  Patty Griffin does no wrong.  She's amazing, and this song is amazing.  Uhh Mazing.  If you don't know Patty, go find her.  She wrote a few songs the Dixie Chicks recorded, and coincidently sings my #1 favorite song of all time, but that's on another SAM, so you'll just have to stay tuned for that big reveal.

9. Ben Taylor is great, and I basically just had to pick at random which song I'd put on SAM 8.  Stay tuned for more Ben Taylor on future SAM's because I'm just now becoming acquainted with the many many delightful Ben Taylor songs.

10.  I bought the ENTIRE Rockferry CD just to get this one song that I heard on Coffeehouse and could NOT believe it was Duffy.  The CD is OK, but this is by far (IMO) her best song.  It's another one I really like to sing along to, and I enjoy the lyrics to boot.  

11. Colin Hay sounds oddly afflicted in his songs, but they're still great songs.  This one was on an episode of Scrubs that was on one of the rerun channels the other day, and it reminded me that I liked it.  Then immediately had to make AC listed to the song of his on the Garden State Soundtrack that he TOTALLY sounds afflicted in.  It's rather funny once you hear the Garden State song and then listen to Overkill you can hear his weird affliction and it makes it funny to listen to.  That and it is just a good song... affliction and all.

12.  Brett Dennen is one of those musicians that you hear on the radio then go look him up and go... WTF?!?!? Because he looks NOTHING like he sounds.  His voice is very unique and yummy and kind of makes me think dirty stuff... then I looked him up and he looks like he's 16 years old and has this mop of red hair and it just confuses me.  This song is awesome though, and I expect to find more and more of his stuff that I must procure. 

13. Amos Lee has a lot of really good songs, and this one is the first one I liked by him, so here it is.  Expect more.  

14. Another one from Coffeehouse... I complain a LOT that they play entirely too much Tracy Chapman.  I'm actually not a huge fan, but I actually like this song because it's surprisingly upbeat for a Tracy Chapman song.  I like her voice a lot, but I get tired of her and her fast car and the other dreary songs that they play over and over and over again... When I realized this song was hers, I decided to add it to the SAM play list because it's so anti fast car.  

That about sums it up.... This is also a terribly long blog posting, so if you're still here.  Thanks for reading!  If you like any of these songs and have other songs to suggest, I'm all ears!  Go forth and legally download.  

That is all, 

~SBC