I apologize to all two of my die hard readers out there for the break from posting, but I am now ready to get back into talking about the carless lifestyle. Getting back to school is hard enough, it’s not made any easier when you throw public transportation into the mix. Since I’m still trying to avoid thinking about lightrails and busses I’m coming at this post from a different angle than the rest. Something that eases the transition into school and makes those train rides more bearable- music.

The following is a list of my personal favorite albums for drowning out that crying baby or the babbling homeless dude you know is going to sit next to you when there’s like 12 other seats open.

Third Eye Blind- Out of the Vein

This 2003 album is the third put out by Third Eye Blind. While this band is in a constant neck-and-neck race with Guster for my favorite band and I enjoy all of their albums, I have no hesitations about calling Out of the Vein my favorite. The albums doesn’t feature some of 3EB’s biggest hits (Semi-Charmed Life, Never Let You Go, or Jumper) but as a whole I think this is the band’s strongest album and is a nearly perfect mix of songs. Danger is one track that has always stood out to me and reflects the feel of the album pretty well.

Desaparecidos- Read Music / Speak Spanish

Desaparecidos was a short lived project hailing from my hometown of Omaha, NE. The band was headed by Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes and Landon Hedges who later went on to form the band Little Brazil. If you don’t know these bands, specifically Little Brazil, take a break from reading, hop onto Google, and check them out. Those who refuse to listen to Bright Eyes because Oberst bitches too much in his music will be pleasantly surprised by Desaparecidos’ sound. This 34 min. album, released in 2002, is a politically charged and energetic album which is a far cry from Oberst’s other cynical/depressing works. The Happiest Place on Earth is probably one of the most political and memorable on the album.

Wale- Attention Deficit

Wale is a D.C. rapper who has been gaining popularity throughout the last several years. There are no excuses for not knowing who he is yet, this guy is good. I can listen to anything he has put out and very rarely dislike any of it. Attention Deficit is his debut album and was put out in 2009. Don’t assume because his debut album is only 2 years old that he’s short on material. Check out his mixtapes too which are just as impressive as the album (Back to the Feature, The Mixtape About Nothing, More About Nothing). Wale is an artist still on the rise with unlimited potential. Chillin ft. Lady Gaga is one of the most popular tracks, and rightfully so.

Black Keys- Attack & Release

Black Keys is a band fueled by heavy guitar riffs and solid drumming. This is a band whose sound I’m sure has been compared to Hendrix a million plus times despite being made up of 2 white guys Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carrey. These are two musicians with no shortage of soul and a natural knack for coming up with some of the catchiest riffs you have ever heard. They have an extensive discography of 6 albums (all of which perfect in their own way) spanning only 8 years. With so much good music it was difficult to settle on a song to feature here; I settled on I Got Mine which is on the album Attack & Release which was the first album of theirs I heard. Check out the song, but I cannot stress enough how much you need to check out every single album.

fun.- Aim and Ignite

This band is awesome. They were formed by Nate Ruess in 2008 after his former band The Format (Google it if you don’t know) broke up. I can hardly imagine trying to compare this band to any other, they use such an incredible amount of instruments in their songs their Wiki page literally lists member Andrew Dost as the flugelhorn and glockenspiel player. Nate Ruess sings with a unique voice that I have seen people say they dislike at first, but after hearing one whole song immediately realize they sound like an idiot and change their mind about. With another album on its way, Aim and Ignite is one that is pretty compatible with any time of day and any mood. Walk the Dog is their song you may have heard in a commercial, I feel like it was for UPS or something.

These are just a few albums that get me through those miserable lightrail rides. Some bands that would make my honorable mentions list:

Hopefully those reading found this interesting enough and potentially have been introduced to a new favorite band. Please comment any thoughts or suggestions for me of bands you enjoy listening to. I’m always looking to get some help expanding the music collection