I guess this assignment is a bit uncomfortable, since I've gone through many different phases with music, and I don't necessarily identify with them all anymore. For example, starting from my pre-pubescence and up until after puberty I was pretty obsessed with metal music and it's subgenres. I wanted to listen to all and I experimented with lots of genres that I couldn't recall if I tried. I feel like I've gone through a process of taste refining over the years, and have come to listen to much more diverse and fulfilling music. The music I'd choose as an anthem them no longer identifies me. It's also hard for me to classify them in chronological order since I've been downloading, I mean, legally purchasing loads of music for the past few years and listening to it all bunches at a time. That said, I'm going to try and choose the songs that best identify who I am. These are as follow, in no particular order:
1.) Boards of Canada - Roygbiv:
This song is just reminds me of the first days of when I started my website, which is still going strong. [It's a sort of internet video station were users join and watch a queue of videos and can add content and chat, it's entirely user-based] This was one of the very first songs we played and a few of the very first people to join the room are still around today, 4 website addresses later. I refer to our little community as 'internet nomads', because we've traveled from site to site, seeking refuge from horrible plagues of bugs and terrible site developers. Our current outpost is set up at Reuben's Room for the curious, and the bold.
2.) Gorillaz - Clint Eastwood:
This should've been my #1 song. I'm pretty sure it's the first song I ever learned from start to finish. It got me hooked on hip hop, though reggaeton gave a hard battle for a while. We all went through it, don't act like you won't sing that shit when you're in another country and drunk and it's playing in a club. Don't even try to act like you've never "perriao" before.. But I digress. Gorillaz is amazing, Del The Funkee Homosapien is amazing and reggaeton is almost over.
3.) Survivor - Eye of the Tiger:
I'll spare you the video this time, because this song is involuntarily a trademark soundtrack of a big part of my life; martial arts. This goddamn song was played at EVERY. SINGLE. TOURNAMENT. EVER. In like, the entire history of Puerto Rican martial arts. Now, I practiced TaeKwon-Do for 9 years, and went to about one tournament per month or so during that time. You do the math. That song is forever ingrained in my psyche. I think this song transcends space and time. The entire Universe probably can't get this song out of it's head. The band's name is Survivor because they've not all killed themselves yet.
4.) Grupo Mania - Un Beso:
Disco parties. Dancing classes. Quinceañeros. Learning dancing when I was young was great. Ladies love that kind of stuff. Me and my sister were the sensation at family parties.
5.)Fiel a la vega - Boricua en la Luna:
I saw Fiel a la Vega play live so many times, I couldn't count them. This song played a huge roll in the development of my national pride and political ambition. Being interested in politics led me to want to learn to debate, which is why I'm studying pre-law now. It's a beautiful song that's had a lasting effect on my life.
6.) Bob Dylan - The Times they are' a changin':
This man's words are timeless. We are living in strange times indeed. Lets be the change we want to see in the world.
7.) Gary Jules - Mad World:
I get depressed sometimes. Depression feels a lot like this song.
8.) Nujabes - Luv Sic pt. 2:
I can't stress how beautiful Nujabes' music is. He died 2 years ago, which makes what he made and put out that much more special. His music has had a deep impact on me since I shared it with my cousin, who's a DJ, and he's now moved to the states, but I know he still has Nujabes and thinks of me when he hears it, just like I think of him. This is an amazing song, but THEY ALL ARE. I'm serious. This man was incapable of making a bad song.
9.) Modest Mouse - Float On:
This was when MTV still played music, and I still watched lots of television and drank lots of Coca-Cola. Modest Mouse is a great band and I remember being really into this video when it came out. This is one of those songs that'll come up at a bar every once in a while and it's always at the right volume. Never get tired of this song.
10.) Cold War Kids - Hang Me Up to Dry:
This song just gets to me. Someone very special showed it to me a long time ago. Many years later, I'm laying down on a table in a tattoo shop in Condado, the artist starts up the gun and dips it in the ink and just before he starts this song starts playing on the speakers. I couldn't help but smirk. Life will flirt with you like that sometimes.
11.) Ska P - Legalización:
This song is just classic, it's been around forever and is will be relevant until the end of time. It's ska greatness combined with cheerful lyrics about marijuana consumption with funny mexican accents. How could it possibly get better than that?
12.) Geto Boys - Damn It Feels Good to be a Gangster:
Office Space is one of the best movies ever. Pic related.
13.) Nach - El cuentacuentos:
14.) Kase.O - Cantando:
These two songs are what I consider to be the best spanish hip hop songs ever. I wish I could write like that, not to mention rap. They're both master MC's.
15.) The Pharcyde - Runnin':
I've never been a relationship kind of guy, and I frequently find myself victim of the illusions flings can bring. When they end, this song always rings true for me. Classic golden era hip hop, the type of stuff that should be brought back.
16.) Rebelution - Suffering:
I've listened to this song religiously over the years. And I do mean religiously, though I use the term loosely. I'm no rastafari, but I love to blaze. This is a great song to sit back and meditate to.
1.) Boards of Canada - Roygbiv:
This song is just reminds me of the first days of when I started my website, which is still going strong. [It's a sort of internet video station were users join and watch a queue of videos and can add content and chat, it's entirely user-based] This was one of the very first songs we played and a few of the very first people to join the room are still around today, 4 website addresses later. I refer to our little community as 'internet nomads', because we've traveled from site to site, seeking refuge from horrible plagues of bugs and terrible site developers. Our current outpost is set up at Reuben's Room for the curious, and the bold.
2.) Gorillaz - Clint Eastwood:
This should've been my #1 song. I'm pretty sure it's the first song I ever learned from start to finish. It got me hooked on hip hop, though reggaeton gave a hard battle for a while. We all went through it, don't act like you won't sing that shit when you're in another country and drunk and it's playing in a club. Don't even try to act like you've never "perriao" before.. But I digress. Gorillaz is amazing, Del The Funkee Homosapien is amazing and reggaeton is almost over.
3.) Survivor - Eye of the Tiger:
I'll spare you the video this time, because this song is involuntarily a trademark soundtrack of a big part of my life; martial arts. This goddamn song was played at EVERY. SINGLE. TOURNAMENT. EVER. In like, the entire history of Puerto Rican martial arts. Now, I practiced TaeKwon-Do for 9 years, and went to about one tournament per month or so during that time. You do the math. That song is forever ingrained in my psyche. I think this song transcends space and time. The entire Universe probably can't get this song out of it's head. The band's name is Survivor because they've not all killed themselves yet.
4.) Grupo Mania - Un Beso:
Disco parties. Dancing classes. Quinceañeros. Learning dancing when I was young was great. Ladies love that kind of stuff. Me and my sister were the sensation at family parties.
5.)Fiel a la vega - Boricua en la Luna:
I saw Fiel a la Vega play live so many times, I couldn't count them. This song played a huge roll in the development of my national pride and political ambition. Being interested in politics led me to want to learn to debate, which is why I'm studying pre-law now. It's a beautiful song that's had a lasting effect on my life.
6.) Bob Dylan - The Times they are' a changin':
This man's words are timeless. We are living in strange times indeed. Lets be the change we want to see in the world.
7.) Gary Jules - Mad World:
I get depressed sometimes. Depression feels a lot like this song.
8.) Nujabes - Luv Sic pt. 2:
I can't stress how beautiful Nujabes' music is. He died 2 years ago, which makes what he made and put out that much more special. His music has had a deep impact on me since I shared it with my cousin, who's a DJ, and he's now moved to the states, but I know he still has Nujabes and thinks of me when he hears it, just like I think of him. This is an amazing song, but THEY ALL ARE. I'm serious. This man was incapable of making a bad song.
9.) Modest Mouse - Float On:
This was when MTV still played music, and I still watched lots of television and drank lots of Coca-Cola. Modest Mouse is a great band and I remember being really into this video when it came out. This is one of those songs that'll come up at a bar every once in a while and it's always at the right volume. Never get tired of this song.
10.) Cold War Kids - Hang Me Up to Dry:
This song just gets to me. Someone very special showed it to me a long time ago. Many years later, I'm laying down on a table in a tattoo shop in Condado, the artist starts up the gun and dips it in the ink and just before he starts this song starts playing on the speakers. I couldn't help but smirk. Life will flirt with you like that sometimes.
11.) Ska P - Legalización:
This song is just classic, it's been around forever and is will be relevant until the end of time. It's ska greatness combined with cheerful lyrics about marijuana consumption with funny mexican accents. How could it possibly get better than that?
12.) Geto Boys - Damn It Feels Good to be a Gangster:
Office Space is one of the best movies ever. Pic related.
13.) Nach - El cuentacuentos:
14.) Kase.O - Cantando:
These two songs are what I consider to be the best spanish hip hop songs ever. I wish I could write like that, not to mention rap. They're both master MC's.
15.) The Pharcyde - Runnin':
I've never been a relationship kind of guy, and I frequently find myself victim of the illusions flings can bring. When they end, this song always rings true for me. Classic golden era hip hop, the type of stuff that should be brought back.
16.) Rebelution - Suffering:
I've listened to this song religiously over the years. And I do mean religiously, though I use the term loosely. I'm no rastafari, but I love to blaze. This is a great song to sit back and meditate to.