adam|riggins

You have probably seen this on other blogs, but every Friday (that I remember to do it), I will post a list of 5 “somethings”. Not nessessarily a top-5 list, but there will be 5 of whatever I post. So here we go…

Friday 5: The 5 cd’s I would want with me if stranded on an island (with a cd player and batteries)

1. The Decemberists – The Crane Wife

The Decemberists are a band like few others I have heard. One song will be 4 minutes, and the next will be 16 minutes. That actually happens a few times on this cd, but it never gets old. The longer songs seem broken up into a couple of songs, just tied together under the same name. Style-wise, they have a folk-rock sound, often using a mandolin right next to the acoustic guitars. They sometimes sound Irish, although they are from the US.

2. Foo Fighters – Echoes, Silence, Patience, and Grace

I have been a foon (get it, as in “foo” and “fan”? I just made it up, and you can use it too) since the first cd back in 1995 or so. I was in 9th grade when I heard it, and that was all it took. Now, 12 years later, ESPG came out, and I have not been able to get enough of it. It rocks as hard as any FF cd ever has, but not at the expense of good music.

3. Alice in Chains – Unplugged

This is an old one, but good grief, it is good. It is amazing how a band can have 2 singers that have such similar voices. They do most of their hits during this concert, and their musicianship really shines though in the acoustic arrangements of some of the songs. My favorite song is Nutshell hands down. Wow.

4. Andrew Osenga – Letters to the Editor vol. 1

At only 6 songs, this EP show what happens when a true singer/songwriter sits down to record some songs with a list of rules for the project (as in, none of the songs can incorporate the use of a guitar pick). It keeps it interesting. Each song is just Andy and his guitar, and one of the best Andy O songs I have ever heard came from it (Swing Wide the Glimmering Gates). This is inspirational as a musician.

5. Third Day – Third Day

Of any CD I own, this one is my favorite. I have been a Third Day fan since 1993, and I have managed to see them in concert 33 times over the years. This cd was their breakthrough cd into the CCM market, and to this day, I think it is their best one.

So there it is. Hopefully, if I ever get stranded on an island, I will have these supplies. I mean hey, something has to distract me from a smoke monster or the “Others”, right?

I have been looking forward to seeing the new Rambo movie for some time now. So, you can imagine the pleasure I took in readin the excellent review that Cinematical gave it. It was a thorough review, and even had humor thrown in:

The last half hour of Rambo is just people exploding. Rambo shoots you with a gun, you explode. Rambo hits you with an arrow, you explode. Rambo gives you a wedgie, you explode. And those who don’t explode probably wish that they had — it’s certainly better than having your larynx slowly ripped out by a 61-year-old man in a bandana!

For the full review, click here.

Mark Lee has posted an interesting piece on his blog about our country’s place in Iraq.  His band recently played some shows over there for the troops, so this info is first-hand.  I won’t list them here, but here is one of them with the description:

We do not currently import any oil from Iraq: Those opposed to the war like to cry “Blood for Oil”. but that’s not happening. Most of Iraq’s oil output comes from a large oil field in the hotly contested Kurdish region in the North, and most of this oil is exported to Turkey. As of now, not a drop is exported to the U.S. We get our oil from places like Canada, East Africa, South America, etc.

I had no idea about that one, or really any of the others.  Regardless on your stance on the war, it is worth checking out.

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