TBT: “We Must Stare Into a Crystal Ball and Only See The Past…” High School Influences

High school is a weird time in life.

I was young, impressionable and immature. Everything that felt important at the time turned out to surprisingly insignificant. Although, I didn’t realize this until years later. Like most people, I learned from those awkward teenage years and have used those experiences to grow into the person I am today.

Because this is a blog about music, I will not bore you with stories from my glory days but rather introduce you to our TBT topic this week. The top 5 influential songs of our high school days. Just as I have evolved and grown as a person since high school, so have my musical preferences. The following is a list of songs that I consider the roots of the passion I have for music. Enjoy.

5: Sleeping In by The Postal Service

I must confess, it took a few listens for me to enjoy this song. The electronic style of The Postal Service was rather foreign to me at the time. I was fully dedicated to guitar driven, punky music full of power chords and lyrics almost exclusively about some kind of breakup. But this song helped teach me that different styles of music are entertaining and equally as impressive. It also introduced me lyrics that comment on more than just ex-girlfriends.

4: Admit It! by Say Anything

Say Anything was one of the first bands that I listened to that weren’t exactly “mainstream.” I learned about them through a friend who introduced me to the album …Is a Real Boy. I loved that album and this song really stuck out to me. I still listen to it frequently and have discovered similar bands to Say Anything that I have come to love based solely on this song.

3: Screaming Infidelities by Dashboard Confessional

Through this song, which I listened to on repeat for several months, I learned that songs about love, or in the case the loss of it, can be so much deeper and darker than, say, Blink 182’s Going Away to College, for example.

2: Cute Without the E (Cut From the Team) by Taking Back Sunday

The dual singing of John Nolan and Adam Lazzara is absolutely stunning. But what’s even more stunning is how intense and clever the lyrics of this song are. Because of this song, I learned to value that clever wordiness and imagery in future music discovery.

1: At the Bottom of Everything by Bright Eyes

Bright Eyes is easily my most influential band, and if it wasn’t for this particular song, I would never have taken an interest in the Conor Oberst fronted band. I had a friend who literally forced me to listen to this song in his car one evening. I distinctly remember protesting and asking to listen to something that i was already familiar with. I loved my music and honestly didn’t think much of expanding my horizons. But as soon as I heard his voice sing those extremely poetic and encrypted lyrics, I was hooked. If it wasn’t for this particular song, my music collection would likely only consist of Blink-182, Green Day, New Found Glory and a handful of other similar bands. This is, by far, the most influential song I have ever listened to and I am so grateful that I did.

-Grant

“Through Myself and Back Again…” The Influence of Counting Crows’ “August and Everything After”

Our musical preferences, though admittedly different, have essentially stemmed from a single album created during the heart of the amazing era of 90’s alternative rock: August and Everything After by Counting Crows. This post will feature our thoughts and early of on the debut full length album of Counting Crows.

(Grant)

A few years ago I was rummaging through an old credenza at my parents house and came across a time capsule that I made when I was in the 5th grade. I opened it and found all the adorably embarrassing artifacts one would expect to find in a time capsule created by a 10 year old. Small writing assignments about baseball, old art projects, school pictures and a small questioner to be read by my future self.  One of the questions asked about my favorite song at the time. I wrote, “Perfect Blue Buildings by Counting Crows.” Remember, I was in the 5th grade.

Like most people, my introduction to music came directly from my parents, particularly my father. I remember a CD collection consisting of various musicians and bands such as Fleetwood Mac, Cheap Trick and several albums from The Police, his favorite band. The collection also included August and Everything After, a new-ish album at the time from 90’s alternative powerhouse Counting Crows. I distinctly remember popping that album into a CD player and listening to it frequently.

Obviously, my 10 year old mind didn’t understand virtually any of the lyrics, which is probably a good thing, as the album touches on rather dark adult themes. I may not have fully understood the deep, often haunting lyrics that saturate the album, but I did understand that it was very, very good music.

To this day, August and Everything After remains one of my favorite albums of all time. Few artists express such raw emotion and possess such a moving voice perfectly paired with poetic lyrics as Adam Duritz. Few bands compose songs which accurately depict the tone of the lyrics as accurately as Counting Crows. Do yourself a favor and celebrate Throw Back Thursday by jamming to this album, one of the greatest albums of the 90’s.

 

(Reagan)

Let me just start by saying that August and Everything After by the Counting Crows is one of the best albums I have ever listened to! I was extremely excited when my co-writer, Grant, text me last night and asked if I wanted to listen to it for a TBT post.

Like Grant, I remember listening to this album with my dad and loving the sound of it.  I didn’t fully appreciate the songs on this album until after my dad took me to see them live (Opening act… Frou Frou!)  I was inspired by the passion the band played with.  Especially from front man Adam Duritz.  I remember leaving the show in awe!

What I love about this band and this particular album is the simplicity of it.  I have always said that the members in this band aren’t the greatest musicians in the world but they are some of the best song writers I have every heard.  When you listen to this album, you really feel what the band is trying to say to you.  The Counting Crows are the best at simple chord progressions, basic drum beats, a catchy chorus and presenting it with a passion only Adam can bring to the table.

Its been 22 years since the Counting Crows released August and Everything After and I appreciate it more now than ever.  I can listen to that whole album, cover to cover, and not be disappointed with a single song.  It is a musical treasure that I encourage you to blow the dust off of and listen to again.  I think you will be happy you did.

August And Everything After album