top bands: 11-20

as i promised in my previous post, i compiled a list of my favorite bands as of this moment in time. it was very difficult to do, since there are so many bands and music genres i enjoy listening to. which makes it very hard to compare the styles of different bands. and there are just as many bands i was obsessed with for a few months, and then never listened to again.. but i did my best to eliminate those bandwagon bands from this list. so without further ado, here we go!

20. Saosin

Favorite Song: Voices [Saosin]

one of the first heavier rock bands i could stand and actually enjoy. no screamo, no heavy yelling.. just good, solid music with intense riffs.

19. The Starting Line

Favorite Song: Island [Direction]

most people know these guys for their song "Best of Me", which was a hit back in the middle school days. can't say it's my favorite song, or favorite album!

18. We The Kings

Favorite Song: Skyway Avenue [We The Kings]

what's not to like about these guys? one goofy readhead lead singer and three kids who look like they can pass as girls. i guess that's the recipe for a perfect pop punk band.

17. LMFAO

Favorite Song: Yes [Party Rock]

when your band members are named foo and blu, who only sing about party rockin', you get a bunch of ridiculous music with even more ridiculous lyrics.

16. The Secret Handshake

Favorite Song: Summer of 98 [One Full Year]

just found out today that this guy is no longer making music.. which is a bummer. he made some really catchy electronica music, even if there was a lot of heavy auto-tune.

15. Adam Lambert

Favorite Song: Pick U Up [For Your Entertainment]

so he didn't win american idol.. but that's not to say this guy doesn't have pure singing talent. maybe america just wasn't ready for his shrieking.

14. Forever The Sickest Kids

Favorite Song: Hey Brittany [Underdog Alma Mater]

i first saw these guys open a concert in worcester, and then a few months later saw them co-headlining with one of my other favorite bands. i think it was a sign to check them out.

13. 3OH!3

Favorite Song: Double Vision [Streets of Gold]

these guys know how to combine really catchy beats with ridiculous music videos and absurd lyrics. let me just grab a sample: "gonna have a house party in my house".

12. Basshunter

Favorite Song: Vi Sitter I Ventrilo Och Spelar DotA [LOL <^^,)>]

this gaming nerd had such an unhealthy passion for video games that he decided to dedicate an entire techno song to it. now he's world famous, filthy rich, and still a nerd.

11. Lady Gaga

Favorite Song: Poker Face [The Fame]

lady gaga's outfits continue to get so ridiculous that it begins to hurt my eyes. thankfully her music is still easy to listen to, even if she's taken a much more jesus-driven approach.

so there's a wrap-up of the first part of my list. bands 1-10 will be coming out within a few days, keep posted!

valerie anne poxleitner

what an eventful day today!

so i got my top two wisdom teeth removed first thing in the morning - i had to get them out because they were creating complications in my mouth and pushing against all my other teeth. thankfully they grew out pretty straight, which helped for a smooth and easy surgery. i had gotten my bottom two teeth out several years ago when i was still in middle school, back in the braces days.. i wonder why i didn't just get all four of them out at that time? could've saved me a bit of trouble now :)

they put a mask over my face and had me inhale laughing gas for a few minutes. it kinda hits you like a brick, you feel perfectly normal and then WHAM! you're floating in space and giggly about everything. the first time he gave me laughing gas was when he injected my gums with novacaine to numb my teeth for the procedure, and the second time was the actual pulling of the teeth. now i won't go into any graphic detail, but let's just say both my teeth were out of my mouth in about.. 60 seconds. very impressive.

what isn't so impressive is how long i had to keep gauze in my mouth to stop the bleeding..

the procedure didn't leave me in too much pain, so i decided to go back to work and finish the rest of the afternoon there. i managed to get as much done in those 4 hours, which also included running to stop and shop for a supply of chicken noodle soup, jello cups, fruit cups, and pudding. time to eat unhealthy? oh yeah. if i seem like i am bouncing off the walls for a few days, you'll know why.

after work, i drove from natick to alewife to catch the T. what normally is a half hour ride took me almost an hour and a half, just from the traffic in front of alewife alone. another gentle reminder that i would never want to commute (drive) into boston on a regular basis. public transportation will most likely be my best friend.

anyway, i was catching the T to see the lights concert at the middle east restaurant in cambridge - i literally found out about it yesterday and bought the ticket immediately. maybe the most underrated band in my list of top 10 favorite bands.. which i will have to make a list of in the near future. maybe even top 5 material? i'd have to think about that for a while.

thankfully i downloaded her new album, siberia, just in time to listen to it a million times before hearing it live. and the awesome part - this was her first concert since the release of the new album, and the first of a lengthy US tour! so i really got lucky here, and sat back (stood far away from the screaming pre-teens) and enjoyed the show. phenomenal concert. one of the best live performances i've seen!

hi lights!

giving out high-fives to the crowd!

it was an early concert, so we all got out right around 8:30. i kinda liked it, not having to leave boston at midnight for a concert and getting home at a deathly hour. why can't other bands follow this example? i'd go to more concerts if they did :P (especially in the summer hours, when you have to leave boston as the red sox games are ending at the same time.. that's just hell in the subway system).

now back to the good part!

click image for music video

reality hits

time has gone by too fast since graduation.

minutes turn into hours, hours into days, days into months. it's all one big blur.

is this what life is about to become?