Just press play

Suzi Starheim

Editor’s Note: In a continuous effort to bring you, the reader, fun pieces you can use, we’ve decided to include a playlist from a different staff member each week. We all have different music tastes, and we’re hoping some of our selections might just make their way onto your iPod.

“Ding Dong Song” by Gunther & the Sunshine Girls

While the majority of the words in this song consist of “mmm” and “la la la.” I still find it interesting to listen to. The song, basically a dirty sexual song with the words “tra la la” and “ding ding dong” replacing anything vulgar that could be said, is hilarious in that hardly any of the lyrics are made up of actual English. Yet, it’s something that, after hearing, you can’t get out of your head due to the pure fact that it is so different from most songs revolving around sex.

“Breathe (2 a.m.)” by Anna Nalick

While this song starts out soft and almost acoustic-sounding, by the minute-and-a-half mark you can clearly hear a raw intensity from the artist not produced by screaming the lyrics. Nalick’s voice is what makes this song worth listening to; she has a very pure and calming voice that is soothing whether recorded in a studio or heard live.

“View from Heaven” by Yellowcard

Anyone who has lost a family member or loved one will appreciate this song. While the acoustic version has much more impact on me personally, even the radio version has an amazing impact. Basically, the song is about not believing someone has passed away and wishing for just one more moment with that person. The violin between the verses of this song makes it a much more emotional song.

“Bleed It Out” by Linkin Park

This is something I can listen to as I fall asleep or even something I can exercise to. This song is the first on Linkin Park’s third studio album to contain rap lyrics, it’s sung by the amazing Mike Shinoda, and it’s is just an upbeat and extreme song from beginning to end.

“Gives You Hell” by The All-American Rejects

While Tyson Ritter, lead singer of the group, doesn’t have the most soothing or pure voice of any artist I’ve heard, this song is still at the top of my list. This song is such a kick in the face that you just have the urge to pat Ritter on the back for getting even at whomever he is referring to in the lyrics. It would suck to be on the receiving end of the message of this song.

“Rompe” by Daddy Yankee

While I can’t make out half the words in this song, it’s still a song I can’t sit still and listen to. I love the fact that the song is a total mixture of Spanish and English lyrics, which is what makes it so hard to decode right away. Overall, it’s a great song to dance to, exercise to or even just listen to in order to get moving in the morning.

“Freak On a Leash” by Korn

While I love about 99 percent of the songs this band sings, this one stands out because of Jonathan Davis’ solo freak out. A pretty hardcore song from beginning to end, this section (only in some versions of the song), makes the song truly reflect a “freak on a leash” as we essentially hear Davis go nuts. He just bursts into a solo not made up of any real words, but rather sounds like “boom na da noom na na nema” and so on. He succeeds in emphasizing the title of the song and making himself sound crazy.

“Thunder” by Nuttin’ But Stringz

While this song starts out sounding like any other typical rap song, Nuttin’ But Stringz does something great here. Using violins as the main instrument in the song, these two men hardly utter 45 seconds worth of lyrics in the song, and surprisingly, lyrics are not missed. The violin, being such a classical and traditional instrument was not something I thought of as a main component in a rap song, but the talent of these two men who incorporate violins, especially without lyrics to overpower them, has made this rap song stand out above all other typical ones I’ve heard in the past.