Recently Played

I have been meaning to do a post like this for a while, but never got around to it. So when I say “Recently Played” in the title, I’m referring to some of the songs I’ve listened to over the last few months.

One thing you should know about my musical taste is that I like songs more than I like artists. What I mean by that is: I might like two or three songs by someone and that’s it. In some cases, it could just be one song. To be fair, I definitely probably haven’t listened to all they have to offer.

Obviously, there are exceptions. There are some bands/artists who have many songs on my “Liked Songs” list on Spotify.

As you’ll discover from this list, I find new music in unique ways. I have my tricks – some of them require me to listen carefully to lyrics on TV and then type them in on Google. Others require me to do nothing.

And when I say “new music”, I mean “new, to me”. A lot of the time, a song will have been out for years and I’ll just be finding out about it.

You should also know that I’m someone who will find a new song and play it on repeat for a week, or until I get tired of it. Thus, it’s tricky when I discover multiple new songs at the same time.

So, without any further adieu, here is my list.

Parade – Matchbox Twenty

I first heard this song last week, by accident. A YouTube video had ended and the next one started playing. It was a Matchbox Twenty concert. Before I realized what happened, I was about a minute into the song and realized I liked it.

The sound and the lyrics take me right back to university and all the feelings of, “Oh no, this isn’t going to last forever.” It’s also the type of song I could’ve listened to on repeat while pulling an all-nighter for an essay.

Good Things Fall Apart – Illenium ft. Jon Bellion

I first heard this song a few weeks ago on a Canadian show called, Battle of the Blades. It’s basically Dancing with The Stars, except they’re wearing figure skates and are on ice.

Look, we’re in the middle of a pandemic and football is only on three days a week. Don’t judge me.

I don’t know who Illenium or Jon Bellion are, but I like the song.

You’re So Last Summer – Delaney Jane

This song is a cover. It is originally by Taking Back Sunday, who you may know from the mid-2000s. However, I know them from their song, “Spin” which was in Madden 07. That opened me up to their other songs, including this one.

Get all that? Or should I make a timeline? I’m making a timeline.

Madden 07 –> Spin –> Taking Back Sunday –> You’re So Last Summer –> 13 Years Later –> Delaney Jane’s cover –> This Blog Post

By the way, what a treasure trove that Madden 07 soundtrack is. Treasure trove for me, at least. If you were to look at it, you’d be like, “uhhh Paul is weird…oh, there’s that song by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus”.

I believe I came across this version on Spotify as one of my weekly suggestions. I think I like it more than the original because it’s slower and stripped down.

That last line made me sound like I’m 108-years-old. Don’t fret, I can assure you I’m only 95-years-old.

Care – beabadoobee

Since I have just revealed my age with the last song, I feel obligated to say, “Beaba-who?” whenever saying the name of this artist.

I struggle to type her name out. I’ve had to copy it letter for letter from YouTube. I don’t like messing up names, so I’ll try harder.

I heard this song a few weeks ago on Jimmy Kimmel Live. For a second – or the duration of the song – I felt like I was transported back to 2002. Was Michelle Branch going to be the musical guest on the next show, would Vanessa Carlton be sitting at a piano, or would Natalia Imbruglia be torn?

Which member of the 2002 Car Ride Radio Holy Trinity, be on next? Tune in and find out.

I don’t know what I just did, but it looks like I retroactively wrote a teaser for the show. They’re welcome.

Don’t Know What You Got (Till It’s Gone) – Cinderella

There is a band named, Cinderella? Did the rest of you know this? I only found out a month ago.

It was on an episode of AEW Dynamite (professional wrestling), where they played a montage to hype the upcoming match between former tag team partners, Adam Page and Kenny Omega. I’ve queued it up for you right HERE, so please enjoy.

I said, PLEASE ENJOY.

Combine any sports clips with music, and I’m in, most of the time. The wrestling ones are normally the best ones. If you can’t tell, I’m someone who has searched “(insert sports person) montage” on YouTube for over a decade, and discovered many songs that way.

Anyway, when that montage played on TV, I saw people mentioning “Cinderella” on Twitter and thought, “That’s why I’ve never heard that song before, it was in Cinderella.”

Me so smart.

Then I found out the band was called Cinderella, and now just live in a perpetual state of befuddledness.

Reset – Rich Aucoin

Hey, remember when I said earlier that I watched that show that is basically Dancing with The Stars, but on ice? Yeah, this song is from that, as well.

Wojtek Wolski and his pro, Meagan Duhamel, skated to the song twice because they made it to the Finals and got to re-do a dance they had previously done. They ended up winning the show.

Should I go on?

Take Me Away – Lifehouse

I feel like I’m really oversharing today, so let’s continue.

When I was a kid, my first favourite song was “Kryptonite” by 3 Doors Down. My second favourite song was “Hanging By A Moment” by Lifehouse, and I think that’s why I have a soft spot for them and about four-ish of their songs.

Their music is good if you ever need to lay on your bed and stare at the ceiling, only to realize that closing your eyes feels more comfortable. And then before you know it, you’ve heard the same song five times in a row.

See Right Through Me – Mobile

This song is straight out of 2007. I know this because it was one of the songs I listened to while doing homework in high school.

About a month ago, it randomly popped up in my head and I added it to my list on Spotify.

Lightning – The Glorious Sons

I feel like if someone filmed you crossing busy streets and put it into a montage where the theme is, “Don’t know where I’m going, so I’ll cross the street and look up at stuff”, this song would go good with it.

That seems oddly specific, but it’s the first thing that came to mind.

I first heard this song during the Stanley Cup Playoffs earlier this year. I think they played it before a game featuring the Tampa Bay Lightning. Fitting, right?

I don’t really have anything else to say about it, I’m still thinking about my montage idea and people staring aimlessly at street lights.

Come On Out – The Airborne Toxic Event

The first time I heard a song by The Airborne Toxic Event was maybe two years ago. It was a song called, Sometime Around Midnight. It’s a great song, as most of you probably figured out years ago.

The song I’ve just shared came out earlier this year, during week three of the pandemic. Remember then? Time didn’t move and neither did we!

I like how their lyrics just seem to be thoughts that they turned into music, rather than music they turned into thoughts. It’s a song that is very easy to listen to on repeat, but that might just be me.

To the Bright and Shining Sun – The Walls

I had the UEFA Euro 2004 PC game. In fact, it’s probably still in my closet.

I’ve never really been into soccer. I played it at recess. I’ll watch it on TV out of boredom, but then it just bores me further. I’ll care about the World Cup and Euro tournament, but not really.

If anything, the Canadian Women’s National Team is where my deepest connection to soccer lies. I remember seeing them on TV around 2002, when a young Christine Sinclair was only starting out. She was already unstoppable back then.

By the way, Sinclair has the most international goals by either men or women. She’s one of the greatest Canadian athletes ever. Just so you know.

Anyway, the video game. It was fun. Sliding tackles were fun. This song was in it. There was also a Nelly Furtado song in the game called, “Forca”, which was the official song of Euro 2004.

I don’t know how I remember that, either. Once I think of one memory, it seems to trigger another.

You, my captive audience, are the beneficiary of this rampant brain activity.

Hard Feelings – Brian Fallon

I’m starting to think it’s impossible for Brian Fallon to write a bad song.

This song feels like it came off a no frills Taylor Swift pandemic album, but I’ll let you be the judge.

This is the ultimate gloomy day, power just went out, song.

If you want recommendations for other songs by him, feel free to ask. You probably won’t.

Thanks for reading and listening! I hope you were introduced to some new songs today, or were mildly enthused/annoyed by my commentary. I may do this again in the future.

What songs have you been listening to lately?