Anthem of Epic Proportions (Fuck Yeah!)

I think I just found my new alarm clock jam on mornings when I feel like somersaulting out of bed and going straight for the push-ups. Get your patriotism on with my new favorite song ;) I bet somewhere Kenny Loggins (see: this) is kicking himself for not coming up with this one first. Happy 4th of July, everyone!

Weezer - "Represent" Video

After hearing "Chelsea Dagger" 10 or so times on Wednesday night in the Chicago dive bar, it got me thinking about the best sports songs. Sure, everyone loves Queen and "Gonna Fly Now", but the more interesting songs are the ones that are connected to particular teams or events. Here's Weezer's solid stab at a World Cup song.

Free Energy & Foreign Born @ Mississippi Studios

It was a rainy February night, but Free Energy's fist pumping anthems, "Free Energy" and "Hope Child", made it feel like summer. I want them to play at all my barbecues. Looking back to 70's for inspiration, Free Energy captures a hedonistic innocence that makes me want to head to the water tower with Randall Floyd and Mitch Kramer. All the songs they played sounded great. If they ever release their album, the band seems destined for bigger venues than Mississippi Studios' tiny stage.

Every time I hear the songs off the Foreign Born's Person To Person I like them more. While I usually am skeptical of bands with a bongo drummer, the Foreign Born have me rethinking that likely faulty logic. Their stellar percussion is even more pronounced live, making it hard to move to the rhythm of "Winter Games" or "Vacationing People". The restrained and ringing guitar on both songs sounded particular good that night.

The Features - Some Kind Of Salvation (2008)

After a brief and forgettable introduction, the Features launch into the powerful and thumping "The Drawing Board". With horns blaring and piano banging, it's a full and exuberant sound. The rest of the album is filled with similarly anthem ready rock 'n roll. It builds and climaxes with crashing drums and hammered chords, working in a little soul into its charging garage rock. "The Temporary Blues" kicks of with a nervous strum that promises to explode and then it does, with plenty of bashing and a mess of hey's. "Wooden Heart" follows, cribbing an intro from STAX songbook to great effect. The band is tight and the highlights are worth playing over and over. They slip in some mellower tracks into the mix, making the peaks seem even higher. Sometimes you may just want to rock and have a good time and in those situations this album could serve you well.

British Sea Power - Do You Like Rock Music? (2008)

It's an impressive album, full of epic songs that build slowly until the pounding drums kick in and then soar through ringing guitars and passionate vocals. How you feel about rock anthems will probably determine how much you enjoy this album. There are less of the playful oddities of the first two albums, but the move away from indie-aesthetic serves the songs well. "A Trip Out", "Waving Flags" and "Atom" stand out.