Songs I Dig - 16

It seems I've procrastinated enough - now to get the rest of these songs finally off my list! I don't know why it's been so difficult to write in the blog the last half of the year. I've been barely writing five blogs a month. But with the new house and other assorted activities, I don't have as much time. Here's for a better effort in 2010! Anyways, I must get the latest Songs I Dig blog in before I have any hope of doing a top 10 list for the year. And here we go!

Shinedown - "Second Chance" : 2009 really seemed to be a big year for the rock band from Jacksonville, Florida. I cannot say I was really all that familiar with their work prior to this year. But thanks to hits like "Second Chance" and their latest song, "If You Only Knew," myself and others have discovered an excellent modern-day rock group. The song itself is a catchy tune and one that's easy to sing along to. It has proven to be Shinedown's biggest hit to date and really solidified their standing in today's rock genre.

Lady Gaga - "Pokerface" : Out of all of the artists that have been featured in the SID blog in 2009, this artist probably had the biggest year out of them all. Not only has Lady Gaga's debut album "The Fame" been certified multi-platinum, but "Pokerface" itself has also been given the same distinction. And how can anyone deny success of the song with its catchy lyrics and innuendos. What really drew me into the song was the opening beat and sound of the song. I'm always about unique-sounding songs and this one is definitely very unique. And it definitely works.

Carolina Liar - "Show Me What I'm Looking For" : This was the first single off the debut album "Coming to Terms" for the group Carolina Liar. It was released earlier in the year and although it's not a real empowering song, it's certainly no dud. The group is based out of Los Angeles but most of its band members originate from Sweden. "Show Me What I'm Looking For" proved to be Carolina Liar's biggest hit from the album and was one of the better songs of 2009.

Nickelback - "If Today Was Your Last Day" : Once again, here's Nickelback on the SID blog, proving that 2009 was another good year for the group. The song was originally supposed to be the first song from the album "Dark Horse" but was scrapped for "Gotta be Somebody." It ended up being the second song released from the album and became the second top 20 song off the album. It's a song with a very deep message, one that could be described as motivating. It basically states not to take life for granted and to treat each day like it's your last.

Cobra Starship - "Good Girls Go Bad" : Here's another one of those super-catchy songs and one that'd be extremely fun to dance along to at a club. Cobra Starship is a group formed in New York City and has released three albums so far. Their latest, "Hot Mess," has spawned the hit single "Good Girls Go Bad" which basically describes a guy that's a big time troublemaker and one that girls just can't resist. It's basically an ode to those big, bad, rough guys and really puts the nice guys in the backseat. Despite its message, it's done very well on the charts and has become Cobra Starship's biggest hit to date.

Green Day - "21 Guns" : 2009 also brought the group Green Day back into modern-day music conversations with their newest album "21st Century Breakdown." 21 Guns was the second song from the album and one that presents a sobering message within the lyrics. The song basically discusses the end of a very long battle, not a warfare battle mind you, but any kind of battle a person faces as part of life. And this is a battle you're not winning. Sometimes it's better just to give up and move on than to keep fighting a losing battle. It's a genious song and one that has done well for Green Day in 2009.

Missy Higgins - "Where I Stood" : I was tempted to leave this song off the list, but after listening to the song again, I feel it's deserving to be listed amongst the others in this particular group. I guess you could say this song is one of the more under-appreciated songs of the year. It's a very slow, thought-provoking ballad. Missy Higgins is an Australian-born musician and "Where I Stood" is the second song from her second album "On a Clear Night." It's one of those break-up songs where the protagonist in the song is having trouble completely accepting the break-up from the antagonist. And that the new "lover" probably won't be able to live up to the protagonists standards. The song has a somber beat to it, yet it's very powerful in its own way.

And that wraps up the latest edition of the Songs I Dig. Seeing that we're one day away from Christmas and a week away from the New Year, be sure to look for a top ten countdown of the biggest hits from 2009. A reminder, this is my personal list of the best songs of the year and has nobody elses influences involved. So if you disagree with my tastes, just take it with a grain of salt. I am contemplating whether or not I should do some sort of countdown of the best songs of the entire decade. It's a monumental task and one that I am considering doing. Either way, I'll let you know whether I decide to tackle it or not. In the meantime, enjoy the current listing of songs and we'll see you next time in the Songs I Dig.