Ooh, We Need Jesus

'Ooh, We Need Jesus' by Sara Beth Geoghegan is my fourth favourite song of '09.


I don't listen to much Christian music because, well... I don't really like most of it {unless it's from the 70's, heh}. I think I just don't like the style of most contemporary Christian artists... *shudders*
But, I read about Sara Beth Geoghegan one day and decided {after listening to a few samples} to buy her album, Tired of Singing Sad Songs.
I listened to it a few times, decided I kind of liked it, and went on in life. But then I kept listening and I realized what a great album it was.
Sara Beth made the album after going through a hard time in her life. Which is why, I think, it is such a strong album. Her melodies and voice are beautiful, but her lyrics are my favourite part.
On 'Ooh, We Need Jesus', it's not all "happy! happy! - Jesuslovesmethisiknow"!
No... she shows she's human with honest lyrics such as "At my very best I'm a hypocrite and I need Your love when I hate everyone." Which is something I can totally relate to.
And though somedays I try to delude myself, I do, indeed, need Jesus.

Listen:


I noticed after many listens of Tired of Singing Sad Songs that most of her lyrics don't have rhymes. I am a total rhyme freak... but now I've realized: it doesn't have to rhyme to be good. ;)

Boys On Their Birthdays

My third favourite song of 2009 is "Boys On Their Birthdays" by Slow Club.

This is a hidden track on Slow Club's debut album Yeah So. At the end of the last album track, 'Our Most Brilliant Friends', there's a minute or so of silence. Various sounds then start playing in the background, including someone playing the top of empty wine glasses! The guitar comes in and then the song starts. For a while, until I did some simple research, I had no idea what the song was called, all I knew was I loved it a lot.
I love 'Our Most Brilliant Friends' too and would have posted it along with its hidden track... but I decided to edit it cause it's 10:00 minutes long altogether which isn't always the most pleasant things to sit through. ;)

Rebecca {the female half of Slow Club} says: "The song is about one very unfortunate week. But in the same week some wonderful things happened. I met some people I wish I hadn't, and some that have changed the way I think about things since. I also did some hardcore dancing and was in terrible pain afterwards because playing the drums stood up has ruined my shins."
Which would explain the rather odd lyrics at the end "...the bones inside my shins are crumbling... it's from all the crunking I've been doing." Haha!

Listen:



Though I'm still not quite sure why it's called 'Boys On Their Birthdays'... Ah well, song titles don't always have to make sense. :)

God Help the Girl

My second favourite song of 2009 is 'God Help the Girl' by God Help the Girl.

{From Left to Right, Stuart Murdoch, Catherine Ireton, Celia Garcia, and Alex Klobouk: the main core of God Help the Girl}

God Help the Girl is Stuart Murdoch's {Belle & Sebastian's frontman} brainchild. How everything came together to make this group and album is rather confusing to try to explain. {2 hours it took me to realize this... *sigh*} So, read about it here.

The lovely Catherine Ireton is the main singer in God Help the Girl. Her voice is as beautiful as she is!

Listen to 'God Help the Girl':




{And if anyone has been wondering why Belle & Sebastian haven't released a studio album since 2006's The Life Pursuit, I believe God Help the Girl is the answer to your question. ;)}

Shadows

Don't worry, I'm not dead -- just very busy! :)
I think this week is not going to be as busy, so I can now post my 5 favourite songs of 2009!

I had some trouble narrowing it down... and I also had a problem because I would pick a song that I thought was from 2009... but then it would be from 2008 or 2007...
{I don't know what's wrong with my brain these days!!}
But, I got all that sorted out {I think}. Hehe.

First off, I shall post 'Shadows' by Au Revoir Simone. {These are going to be in no particular order}


Au Revoir Simone is one of my absolute favourite groups! These three girls make captivating, gorgeous music. My thoughts are too futile to describe fully why I love them. *sigh*

'Shadows' is one of my favourite songs off their newest album Still Night, Still Light.
It's a great album! There are a lot more instrumental bits, which is cool. I never knew that so much could be done with just a few keyboards, a drum machine, and an occasional bass-line!
Their vocals and lyrics are superb as well. :)

Listen to 'Shadows':




{By the way, I've decided to stop linking to the song's download unless it's a song that's hard to find.}

Our Own Pretty Ways

It's 2010 now! How weird is that? It still feels like 2005 to me...
Anyway, I've been really busy lately and school starts tomorrow so I don't know how much blogging time I'll have.
But, I'll try to make time because I want to post my 5 favourite songs from 2009!

Until then, here's a group called First Aid Kit that I've had bookmarked in my "artists to listen to" for a while, but I didn't actually listen to them til New Year's Eve and I think they're pretty fantastic!
The group is made up of two sisters from Stockholm: Klara and Johanna Söderberg.

Here is a video of them performing one of their songs "Our Own Pretty Ways" in some woods near their home:



{Siblings do the best harmony!}