Fatty's First of the Year Playlist - 2015

Continuing on my little first-of-the-year-personal-inventory thing...

Some people say that one thing that makes guys different from girls is that girls are more fickle than guys.  For example, they'll love a music artist intensely (like my sister and New Kids on the Block - Good God...), and then abandon said artist at the drop of a hat for some other artist.  Guys, on the other hand, figure out what they love as teenagers and then love it for life.

If that's actually accurate, I don't know where I fit.  My tastes are constantly evolving and expanding.  For example, I didn't always like metal music with screamy vocals.  The closest I got was Soulfly, which I could dig cuz I liked Max Cavalera when he was in Sepultura.  Then I heard the riffs and musicianship in music by Lamb of God, Shadows Fall, and the like.  Soon, the screamy vocals were just part of the music.

I bring this up cuz I decided to put together a playlist representing where my head is at here and now in January 2015.  I've realized that I love a lot of the same music I loved back in the day, but I also love a lot of contemporary music.  And I love a lot of metal music.  But I also love a lot of mellower stuff, I guess cuz you can't be pissed off enough to spit nails all the time.  Sometimes I'll love a song cuz it reminds me of someone important to me.  Sometimes I'll love a song just cuz it kicks my ass.

So here you go: a musical representation of where I find myself at this point in time.  There's not a lot of up-to-date stuff on this list.  Some of these songs are actually pretty damn old.  But they're all here for a reason.  Maybe they're full of wicked awesome playing.  Maybe they make me feel something when I hear them.  Maybe I relate to what they're talking about.  And maybe they're just fun to sing along with.  So, without any more nattering on, here's Fatty's January 2015 Playlist (with short notes as to why the song's here):

1.   "Walk with Me in Hell" by Lamb of God - I learned growing up that Hell is a state of mind.  I think that Hell is having to live in a world that isn't much like the one you wish you lived in.  Like this world is for me.  And sometimes I wish I had someone who'd walk through Hell with me.
2. "I Need Your Clothes, Your Boots, and Your Motorcycle" by Austrian Death Machine - Cuz hearing what it might sound like if Arnold Schwarzenegger fronted a metal band is endlessly amusing to me.
3. "Everlong" by Foo Fighters -  "Hello, I've waited here for you/ Everlong..."  And I'm still waiting...
4. "She Just a Girl, Eddie" by The Darkness - Cuz sometimes you just have to let go...
5. "Big Machine" by Ryan Miller - I feel like this is what everybody in the society I grew up in has been trying to do to me ever since I was a kid.  
6. "DOEN" by Red Fang - Cuz it's got a a killer riff and just kicks my ass.
7. "War Eternal" by Arch Enemy - See the previous song's commentary.  That plus awesome guitar solos.
8. "Alright Guy" by Todd Snider - I think I'm an alright guy.  At least, I hope I am.
9. "I've Had It Up to Here" by Weezer - I'm not a professional musician, but this tune perfectly captures how I feel about my writing.  And especially how I feel about writing my own stuff to make other people happy.  Which is why I'll always be a poor writer.
10. "Cape of Our Hero" by Volbeat - After all the bullshit I've been through, how can I pick myself up, fly away, and most important, have any hope that good thing can still happen to me?
11. "The Rain Song" by Led Zeppelin.  It's just a chill, pretty tune.  I'ts funny that Zep is known as this powerful, fire breathing force of a rock band, but my two favorite Zep tunes are mellow and laid back (This one and "Hey Hey What Can I Do?").
12. "Killers and Kings" by Machine Head - One word: RIFFS!!
13. "I Never Walk Alone" by Huey Lewis and the News - This one's here for my friends.  I don't really have a lot of them, but they are super important to me and I appreciate and love each of them.  Even Clifton.
14. "My Day is Coming" by Rivers Cuomo - Ok, I know this song is about the U.S. soccer team, but the sentiment is still resonant with me: that some day I'll actually get my shit together and figure out how to win in life.  It might happen...
15. "Wooden Leg" by Alestorm - Cuz the chorus is a lot of fun to yell at the tops of your lungs.
16. "Thought of Sound" by The Rentals - It's just a really, really frakking fun song.  Sometimes that's all you need.
17. "Almost Lover" by A Fine Frenzy - I found this tune on a friends Spotify playlist and really dug it.  Maybe someday I'll be able to get through it without getting all weepy.
18. "Let Me Drown" by Soundgarden - Cuz some days, I just wanna quit.  And I want people to just let me end it.  Those are sucky days.
19. "1000 Miles an Hour" by OK Go - One of those flight of fancy songs about just picking up and leaving everything.  And I think about doing just that at least eight times a day.
20. "Old School" by Overkill - Cuz it's a rousing, sing-along rocker about being proud that you've survived.  And I think I'm proud I've gotten this far.

I seem to remember that the highest number of songs I've ever fit on a CD is 23.  So, here are three more bonus tracks:

1. The Pacific Rim Theme by Ramin Djawadi - I wish this music came on whenever I entered a room, cuz it makes me feel like a badass.
2. "Always" by Killswitch Engage - It reminds me of my little brother who passed away.  I miss you, Pookie.
3. "The Rainbow Connection" by Weezer w/Hayley Williams - I love this song and this is my favorite version of it.  And it's the perfect closer for this playlist.

What songs are significant to you right now?  Care to share?  No?  Aw, well.  I tried...