Music to Wallow To

So way back in December I wrote a blog entry called "Music to Break Up To" which featured a number of "moving on " type songs. Now in that entry I promised a follow up soundtrack for the other side of break-ups, the wallowing in self-pity. Now to be honest, I haven't really been in much of a deep brooding mood in the past several months, so I haven't really had the desire to compile this list. But, hey a promise is a promise.

So if anyone out there is having a hard time with that special someone here are some songs that will help you ride that tough patch. But once you're done feeling bad with those ones, please check out the first list, it is far more uplifting!!!

Now I know that there are a lot of cliche songs out there to listen to by Air Supply or the Backstreet Boys, but please, just because doesn't mean that you need to listen to bad music. So here is a sample for you to listen to...

1. Violent Femmes -- "Gone Daddy Gone". Sure Gnarlz Barkley has a decent cover out of this song, but the original is still the better one here. This is textbook Femmes energy with a touch of raw emotion.

2. Foo Fighters -- "Disenchanted Lullabye". Speaking of raw emotion, I bring you this song. It is one of my favourite songs by the Foo Fighters and captures depressed rage. The chorus lines of "I may be scattered/a little shattered/what does it matter?/no one has a fit like I do/I'm the only one that fits you" sends chills down my spine.

3. System of a Down -- "Lonely Day". I know it's cliche. I wanted to put this one out here for my own personal experiences. Last spring, I was sitting at my home in Scotland having just broken up and clearly in a wallowing mood. I turn the radio on and it starts playing some good upbeat songs and then they announce that they are going to play the UK premiere of the new System of a Down. I get excited to hear some good angry metal, and I get this song. So here I was on the loneliest day of my life hearing a song about it. Let's just say that it helped the wallowing process along.

4. See Spot Run -- "Girl Like You". Do you remember these guys? They made it big back in the late 90's with their song "Weightless", but this was their lesser known follow-up single. I think that it is far better. It really has a feeling of hopelessness as it asks the glaring question "Where am I gonna find another girl like you?". Sorry to anyone who just broke up with a guy out there, I don't suppose that this song applies to you as much.

5. Modest Mouse -- "Make Everyone Happy". Awesome band, awesome song. This song has stellar lyrics full of doubt like "I'm not sure who I am, but I know who I've been", that probably capture exactly what you are thinking in this state.

6. Cake -- "Mexico". These guys will probably make every soundtrack I make for this site. That is not only a testament to my rabid fanboy love, but also to their underrated versatility. You really need to check this song out, hell go and listen to all of Prolonging the Magic, it will blow your mind.

7. New Radicals -- "Someday We'll Know". As I said in one of my very first posts, "The New Radicals are the most unjust 1 Hit Wonders of all time", and this song is a major reason as to why. You can just feel the questions and confusion ooze out in Greg Alexander's voice as he sings this amazing ballad.

8. The Arcade Fire -- "Crown of Love". Surely you knew that they would make an appearance on this chart. Well this is the perfect song to wallow to. Even if I am in my cheeriest of moods this song makes me choke up, it's that good. You owe yourself a listen because I could not possibly do it any justice.

9. Feist -- "Lonely, Lonely". I let my true feelings for Feist come out once before on this blog. She has an amazing voice and sounds so very genuine. This song is a great bring-me-down if there ever was one.

10. Bloc Party -- "This Modern Love". Another amazing song that I'm not sure I could do justice with my description. It deals with the frustration and angst that goes with so many relationships now a days. Here is an awesome video of Final Fantasy (the band not the game stupid) doing a live cover of this song, it will rock your world.




11. Yeah Yeah Yeahs -- "Maps". If the words "wait, they don't love you like I love you" sung with pleading desperation doesn't get you, then you must be the Tin Man because you haven't got a heart.

12. Magnetic Fields -- "The Saddest Story Ever Told". A great song about someone struggling to come to terms, while their counterpart moves on to a new and happy life. It really is a song whose title measures up well to its lyrics.

13. Franz Ferdinand -- "Fade Together". What's this? An upbeat rock band making an appearance on this playlist? This is one of the two songs on You Could Have it So Much Better where they take a break from their high energy power cords and mellow things down. I didn't think that it would work, but I'll be damned if it doesn't get me. A great song about growing apart from that someone special. On a side note, I saw them play this one live in Belfast back in '05 and it was simply amazing how they were able to take 20,000 drunken Irish and bring them all down with this song.

14. Matchbox 20 -- "You Won't Be Mine". I'm really not sure how I came across this song many years ago in one of my random downloading sprees, but it has been on my music list for a very long time. While it may be slightly outside my normal musical sphere, I can't recommend this one highly enough. In this song, Rob Thomas tells his ex that she will be ok and move on but always adds "but no, you won't be mine" and conveys a strong sense of regret.

15. Hawksley Workman --"No More Named Johnny". While I can't say that I have ever dated anyone named Johnny, I still find this song really sad. In typical Workman fashion, the lyrics are whimsical, poetic and to the point all at the same time. I'm still not 100% sure what relevance driving an ice cream truck has to anything, but it still somehow fits into a really great song. Trust me, that last sentence will make sense once you give this song a listen.

16. The Shins -- "Gone for Good". One of the very best songs on Chutes too Narrow. It has explores ending a relationship you've been in for too long with great detail. Probably something we can all relate to...

17. The Weakerthans -- "Left and Leaving". I simply love this band, their indie-acoustic-folksy sound has a special place with me. Plus they're Canadian and therefore awesome. My favourite line in this song is definitely "I'm trying not to wonder where you are", it really speaks to the challenge that comes with moving on.

18. Lily Allen -- "Littlest Things". Now this is were I start to kick the sadness up a notch and a half. If you read this blog yesterday, you would know how much I adore this woman and this song is a big reason why. While a lot of her other songs (including the three videos I posted) are very upbeat, this one is really quite sad. She talks about being reminded of her ex and wonders if he is going through the same thing. Don't worry Lily, if you are sad, my shoulder is right here for the crying on...

19. Yeah Yeah Yeahs -- "Modern Romance". Second time this band makes an appearance, second time the word Modern is featured in a song title. Weird eh? This song argues that romance simply doesn't exist in this day and age. Even the most hopeless of romantics (i.e. me) find it hard to argue against Karen O here. If you like this song, there is also an excellent cover of it by TV on the Radio that you may want to check out.

20. New Radicals -- "Crying Like a Church on Monday". If you thought "Someday We'll Know" is a sad one, then you haven't heard anything yet. This song takes sadness and despair to a whole new level. There is such powerful imagery in this song that it rips your heart out a little bit each time you listen to it. Proceed with caution.

21. Prozzak --"Anna-Lisa". Don't laugh, seriously this song belongs here. Yeah Prozzak is probably the cheesiest band ever made, and I try to deny the fact that I own a copy of their first album, but this song is actually really good. It goes on about having your heart broken by the one that you thought was "the one" and doesn't involve the bands usual cartoonish disco antics. Seriously, you need to check this one out.

22. Beck -- "Lost Cause". In an earlier post, I mention that this may just be the saddest song that I have ever heard. Well my opinion on that one is still very much intact. The words "I'm tired of fighting/fighting for a lost cause" really sum up breaking up to a tee. If you are in the right (or wrong) mood, this one will make you burst into tears.

Well that just about does it for this one. I've been listening to these songs while I write about them and I'm feeling kind of down now, I think that I need to listen to my moving on list once more to cheer myself up.

Anyway, I'm sure that I forgot more than a couple of good ones, so please let me know some good ones to include, I may do a bonus list of break-up tracks (From both lists) at a later time. Or maybe I'll just move on to a cheerier soundtrack later on, we shall see.

Until next time,

G