Three of My Favorite Songs

Gave Up by Nine Inch Nails: This entire EP is incredible. Nine Inch Nails flirted with a lot of alternative genres, from New Wave to Industrial, but Broken, released in-between Pretty Hate Machine and The Downward Spiral, is the band's only true Hardcore Industrial Metal album. What the fuck does all that mean? It means this album rocks, with blitzkrieg beats, guitars saturated with distortion, and Reznor's trademark screaming vocals. Gave Up is my favorite. "It took you to make me realize," Reznor shouts as the guitars chug along at a breakneck pace. Pure aggression that's danceable enough that you almost want to be thrown into a mosh pit.

All You Pretty Things by David Bowie: Hunky Dory is one of the greatest albums of all time, with All You Pretty Things being one of Bowie's greatest songs. A melancholy piano tune seemingly about an otherworldly apocalypse, All You Pretty Things features all of Bowie's strengths, from his expressive voice and gift for melody to his penchant for penning odd, sci-fi influenced lyrics. The descending chorus is straight up glam rock, but this isn't really a rock song; the unusual chord progressions owe more to showtunes and Broadway than Chuck Berry. "Look out my window, what do I see/The sky cracking open and a hand reaching out for me." All You Pretty Things is always playing somewhere in my mind.

Love Like This by Foxy Shazam. Foxy Shazam is a native Cincinnati band that has never really gotten their due, despite being amazing. I only started listening to them after meeting their keyboard player Sky at a farmers market, but I'm trying to make up for lost time. Love Like This is just a great song. It's got a pop chord progression, with lead singer Eric Nally's vocals reminding me of Fred Mercury's, despite his voice not really resembling Mercury's in timbre. The horns add a lot to Foxy's sound, differentiating them from other glam bands, while their excellent sense of arrangement keeps their songs tight, even when they spiral past three minutes. I challenge you to listen to Love Like This and not get it stuck in your head.