Tracks 11-15

If you’ve been following, songs 16-20 started to vary from songs 21-25, and that trend is about to continue. This playlist isn’t intended to boast my tastes, but rather remind listeners and readers of tracks they have forgotten about or perhaps introduce genres and songs they would generally overlook. There’s a lot of music in the world, and I’m open to the preferences and suggestions of others. This is my list, though, so you’re stuck with these tracks for now.

Here are songs 11-15.

15. “The Mice, The Demons, And The Piggies” by Wolfgang Parker

Favorite Lyric: “Well the whiskey in front of my face keeps pour-pour-pour-pour-pouring along, makes me drunk-drunk-drunk-drunk as hell all night long.”

You won’t find much information on Wolfgang Parker, but the Ohio-based musician and writer is incredibly talented and versatile. Room Nineteen is a fantastic album showcasing Parker’s abilities in punk, rock and swing. “The Mice, The Demons, And The Piggies” contains a basic and contagious rhythm, and the piano solo mid-way transitions perfectly into the more up-tempo concluding movement. The lyrics fit the sound, and if I would have to guess, the room is the character’s mind, and the taps and voices are inner demons he’s trying to wash away with a vice—the very vice that is the cause and solution. Just a guess. Or it could just be a really cool song. On another note, Parker is also a children’s book author

14. “Joey” by Concrete Blonde

Favorite Lyric: “But if I seem to be confused, I didn’t mean to be with you, and when you said I scared you, well I guess you scared me too.”

“Joey” is about alcoholism, or addiction in general, and not just the struggle the individual faces, but the people in their life who are forced to share the pain and absorb the consequences. Johnette Napolitano has said that this was a very difficult and painful song to write because of the content and close connection she has with the lyrics. Yet, we all have a connection to addiction in a way. I’ve lost friends to alcoholism, seen futures destroyed by drugs and others I know have lost family members. Though “Joey” charted after being released, the message behind the great lyrical and musical rhythm also contributed to the song’s impact on audiences.

13. “The Way That It Seems” by Onward, Etc.

Favorite Lyric: “The more I live life in reality, I pray to go insane, if your eyes are always open it’s impossible to dream.”

This song is a great journey song about perseverance and viewing the world in a different way than it’s presented on the surface. Rosco Wuestewald is an incredibly talented singer-songwriter, but his journey is one of innovation. His home has become the road; he started touring at 17, playing with local musicians in the towns where he booked gigs. After seeing Onward, Etc. (now Aage Birch) live on a whim, I was an immediate fan, and Wuestewald’s energetic form of folk and Americana combines a great sound with poetic stories and thought. “The Way That It Seems” is a song that can last a life-long journey.

12. “I Still Believe” by Frank Turner

Favorite Lyric: “And I still believe in the need, for guitars and drums and desperate poetry.”

Frank Turner is another artist I saw on a whim, and he has since become one of my favorite singer-songwriters of all time. He’s an amazing storyteller, and backed by the Sleeping Souls, his style and words reach a broad audience. He doesn’t just offer events from his life, but a relation for many people to ponder through brilliant rhythmic scheming. “I Still Believe” may not even be Turner’s best track, but it’s the song that introduced me to his music, but also an anthem for the genre I’ve loved for so many years. In my opinion, he will go down as one of the great singer-songwriters the world has had the privilege to experience. In a strange way, this song and video always gives me chills.

11. “Fast Car” by Tracy Chapman

Favorite Lyric: “You gotta make a decision, leave tonight or live and die this way.”

At some point in our life, we all feel stuck. Some people’s situations are much worse than others, and they’re constantly searching for an escape, a better life. Tracy Chapman tells a story about getting out and releasing the chains that hold someone down from being something else. A person can become stuck in a loop, and for many less fortunate it’s a difficult cycle to escape. “Fast Car” is an incredible song, and shouldn’t just be considered one of the best folk rock songs in history, but one of the best songs in history across all genres because of the perfect match of melody and message.

Next Post: Songs 6-10.