Here are all of shiningsun2k's jams.
by Vallejo
Wait, how can I go out on anything other than the song and album that hit me so hard my avatar and usernames and email addresses often reference them to this day, 18 years later? I was only 19 early spring, 1997 when I first heard "Just Another Day" on the radio, introducing me to what quickly became my favorite band and album for a long time and a work that just resonated perfectly with me. Fusing dirty, hard rocking blues and Latin rhythms with a level of skill that belied their young age, the brothers Vallejo will always be essential summer listening for me. And good times rock. And soul searching music. Once again, it's been great and you can find me on Let's Loop, God's Jukebox and Nusiki as 'SS2K' until I choose the one that best suits me, so I hope you'll look me up if you join any of the above. Thanks and best of luck!
Get Shining Sun (Live @ La Zona Rosa, Austin, TX. May 10, 1998) at Amazon
by Shade Sheist
For what might be my final jam, I've chosen this lovely little diddy featuring the late, great Nate Dogg at his soulful best. Enjoy and here's hoping to see you all around one of the other sites. I'm giving God's Jukebox, Nusiki and Let's Loop a good shake before I narrow it down to whichever suits me best, however long that takes. Until then, I'm 'SS2K' on all three, so look me up if you join any or all of the above. It's been great.
by Burning Brides
Another old favorite. Love the Doors-esque bit that starts at about 3:28. Dimitri Coats (singer, songwriter, guitarist) went on to play guitar for Chris Cornell and has been successful with OFF! for a few years now, but I still much prefer his work as leader of Burning Brides with his wife, Melanie at his side on bass.
by Radkey
At long last, their full-length debut has arrived and it is fantastic. One of many tracks I might jam. These kids are great.
by Jay IDK
Wait for the change-up after the 3:00 mark. I jammed Jay back in November when I first stumbled upon him. At that point, he only had 60 plays on Spotify, about 30 of which were mine, and now he's got close to 600. He still has a long way to go, but I'm confident he's going to make it with the great production, lyrics and flow consistent in his work so far. Here's the first track from his new mixtape, Subtrap, and you can have another taste over at @sshop if you find yourself hungry for more.
by The Dark Romantics
Still looking for a new job while working overtime at the current one which gets shittier by the day, my car broke down, got fixed last night and broke down again today. It's been a hell of a week.
by Asian Dub Foundation
@debutch said "Nightmares From the Far East" could be a good jam theme and this song from the album I ranked as my #1 of the 2000-2009 decade immediately came to mind. The eerie, foreboding soundscape and atmosphere are still fantastic 15 years after its release, so turn it up or put on your headphones and enjoy.
by Lost Sounds
Seems like I've jammed a lot of soothers lately, so let's liven things up a bit, shall we?
by The Cat Empire
One of my favorite songs by one of my favorite bands. Job hunting on top of working overtime, holiday weekend and a family emergency has kept me busy and I know I sound like a broken record, but I'll be around more as things settle down.
by Natural Selection
Oh, nostalgia. A childhood favorite from 1991. Music video: https://youtu.be/LNl3fegO4Os. The only song I've heard by them, so I don't know if they did anything else worthwhile. I should investigate. Also, this is my first time online in two days, but I intend to catch up.
by Hunger
My second #sundaysoother in a row, but purely by coincidence as this old favorite just happened to get in my head today.
by Frost
One of my all-time favorite hip-hop tracks. It just embodies summer for me. So smooth. Joining the likes of @melissapulo and @christineb with a rare #sundaysoother. #summerjam
Get East Side Rendezvous (ft. Nino Brown and A.L.T.) at Amazon
by Sam Roberts Band
An instant favorite when the album came out a few years ago. That groove. And I've always loved the lyric "she was born in a cemetery, she was- anything but ordinary..."
by Eric Clapton
I'm a social creature and this weekend ended up being more social than expected, resulting in an unplanned mini hiatus from TIMJ. Back with a song I heard for the first time in years a couple days ago and has been in my head since.
by Now On
There once was a funk, jazz and hip-hop band from Ann Arbor, Michigan, called Funktelligence. Funktell, who I've jammed once so far and will surely jam again, was fantastic and won regional awards, but dispersed before getting further. I had the privilege of experiencing their incredible live show a few times in the late '90s. Emcees Jax and IX Lives relocated to L.A. where they hooked up with Haircut (seen at 1:09 - now better known as Grammy nominated Stone's Throw recording artist, Mayer Hawthorne) and released a couple of killer albums, the first of which includes this feelgood gem.
by Avenged Sevenfold
Here's a band whose name I have a feeling will put many of my followers on this page off, and would have put me off too at one point, but my preconceived notion of them was corrected in '05 with the release of the magnificent 'City of Evil' album. I assumed A7X was a emo or screamo band for kids for a while due to their name, early photos and the fans I'd seen, but they turned out to be more of a legit, kickass metal band channeling the likes of Guns 'N' Roses (for instance, 00:49 in, and what a bassline!) to Iron Maiden and beyond, and doing it well. The musicianship speaks for itself, especially with the highly regarded Synyster Gates on lead guitar (check out his breathtaking gypsy jazz demonstration for Guitar Center's Master Class Series last year: https://youtu.be/DzOV_FBVORk), and I fell in love with the spirit, energy, and shameless commitment to the melodramatic concept and theatrical feel of the album. (continued in comments a la @debutch)
by The Dead Milkmen
An ode to us poor, normal folks. Been a fan of these guys for some time, but didn't know they were working on anything new until I heard this a little over a week ago, and it's been on my brain pretty frequently since. Careful, that bassline is infectious!
by IAMX
Been stuck on this since I broke the album out earlier today. Music reminds me a bit of early Depeche Mode.
by Calexico
The new album dropped a couple weeks ago and they've still got it. Here's my favorite track so far; short and sweet.
by Native Braves
They've only released a handful of songs so far, but I think we'll be seeing a lot more of these Lincolnshire lads in the next year or so. Another one I've been sitting on for a few months.
by Lucius
Here's a nice upbeat earworm with a dark video for ya. Heard this on the local college radio station a week or so ago and it's been in my head fairly regularly since.
by Ady Suleiman
I get the feeling it won't be long before this talented young singer/songwriter becomes a big deal. I meant to make this my next jam when I first heard it a month or so ago, but it got lost in the shuffle. Until now.
by Garbage
Garbage has always been a favorite and this album certainly isn't their best, but it still has a gem or three. I bought this CD three years ago, listened to it once or twice that week and put it away, never to be listened to again, until this week.
by TV On The Radio
Can't wait to see them in concert Monday night. They've been at the top of my list for years, so I'm very excited. Plus, I always enjoy visiting Chicago. And my friends who live there, I suppose.
by J Boogie's Dubtronic Science
I came across this track a couple years ago and I don't really know anything about the artist except he's a San Francisco DJ who's been around for a while and has had some success. More info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J_Boogie.
by Division of Laura Lee
A favorite by another all-time favorite band. This one's from Gothenburg, Sweden. Fell in love with them when I came across their first album, 'Black City', back in '02 and they can do no wrong in my opinion. If YouTube won't work for you and you're interested enough, I uploaded it so you can stream and/or download it here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/885rn5s9p2vjxpn/02%20We%20Are%20Numbers.mp3?dl=0.
by The Growlers
With a sound described as "beach goth", The Growlers quickly became one of my favorite bands after I stumbled upon them about three years ago. Here's a favorite from their latest album, 'Chinese Fountain'.
by Emmy the Great
I finally got to this album in my queue after falling in love with "Swimming Pool" when @alicejustmay jammed it almost a month ago. It's just a four-track EP, but I listened to it several times through and all four tracks are great. The talk of California and summery vibe on this one reminds me a little of the Chili Peppers and has me dreaming of summer as the temperature sits at seven degrees fahrenheit.
by Billy Idol
I'd heard his latest release, last year's 'Kings and Queens of the Underground', was great, but I put it off and never got around to listening to it. Thanks to @mattb07 for reminding me and motivating me to finally check out what is at the moment my favorite album. The whole thing is excellent and it's like he hasn't aged since the early '90s - Idol and Stevens sound about as tight as ever. Here's the link in case it won't play on TIMJ: http://youtu.be/UlvuyTFPUww
by Eagles
One of my favorite songs by one of my earliest and all time favorite bands. I watched the History of the Eagles documentary Sunday night and I've been on a ridiculous Eagles binge since. The documentary, by the way, is excellent and I learned a lot from it. There were several surprises regarding things I assumed were one way, but in fact weren't. For instance, I always go the impression Don Henley had a big ego and was probably the hardest to talk into a reunion, but it appears I was way off and Frey was actually the last to agree. I also feel bad for Poco, having lost not one, but two great bass players with amazing voices to the Eagles and it's great seeing how their legendary songs came about. I could obviously go on forever, but I'll shut up for now.
by The Neighbourhood
"Pretty isn't everything you punkass." Love the Lyrics, love the sound. Hard to believe two years have passed since this song dropped, instantly making me a fan of the then mysterious Neighbourhood. I wanted to use this lyric video, but it won't play on TIMJ. http://youtu.be/d4NqkmAH26M
by Don Ellis
Thanks goes to @bladerunner for turning me onto Don Ellis enough that I saved the album and ended up listening to it all afternoon at work, getting this gem thoroughly lodged in my brain just in time for #FunkyFriday. The whole 'Jazz Club: Soaring' album is phenomenal.
by John Lennon
I like to jam more obscure songs and I've never been a big fan of Lennon, but this entered my head in a major way last night and it hasn't left, thus my jam by default. I have no idea what brought it on, but I like it, so I'm not complaining.
by Donnie Iris
Heard this classic earlier tonight and it's been in my head since. He totally nailed the Buddy Holly/Eugene Levy look.
by Moloko
Possibly my favorite of all the live performances I've seen. This reworked version of the classic Moloko hit surpasses the original album version by far in my opinion and Roisin, in all her sultry beauty and intentionally trashy elegance, owns that stage. It may be a little on the long side, but she'll have you glued to the screen til the end if you watch it. This has been a "must jam" since I joined over two years ago, but was brought to the front thanks to @BladeRunner's current jam (Goldfrapp) and the conversation about boots that broke out between her, @shera and I. :)
by The Damned Things
One of the most unlikely supergroups out there, featuring members of Anthrax, Volbeat, Every Time I Die, and Fall Out Boy. Seriously, who saw THAT coming? I sure as hell didn't, and I was equally shocked by the good times, blues-influenced rock'n'roll vibe of their one and only album. Perfect for a night out on the town. I immediately fell in love with it despite my aversion to FOB and screamo bands like ETID at the time. Here's a good example of why it's a go-to for me when I want something energizing and conducive of a good mood. I suppose I should mention I started a hip-hop page (@sshop) and hard rock/metal page (@ssrock) per suggestions from a few friends, in case any of you are interested. I'll still only be jamming at my usual once-every-six-days pace and this will remain my anything goes page.
by DJ Quik
More great hip-hop made greater by a live band and heartfelt monologue, and appropriate for the New Year's Eve occasion or even #funkyfriday. Happy New Year, y'all, and I'll leave you with Quik's immortal and wise words: "We still party, It get's high - Sometimes we don't feel grown-up and that's no lie - So we party, 'til we die - Cuz life is much too short for you to not be fly"
by Thenewno2
I believe this is my second jam this year by Dhani Harrison and co. I've had this one on my "jam" list since I joined back in 2012 and it got in my head for no apparent reason right after I saw the email notification asking for my new jam, so here it is, visually stimulating steampunk video and all. Another song from a great album that came out two years ago, so here's hoping there's a new album from these guys on the horizon. Also, merry Christmas to everyone who celebrates it!
by Trey Songz
**Link to the must-see actual video below if this video is restricted for you** Performing with a real live band takes hip-hop and r&b to a whole other level and they set the bar with this 2011 MTV Unplugged performance. The original was catchy and I liked it enough, but my jaw hit the floor when I came across this while it was airing. The lyrics are far from profound, but it doesn't even matter. Just listen to the jam session and enjoy. All of the previously existing videos were restricted, so I uploaded this one. Here's hoping it doesn't get blocked. Check out the actual performance video here: http://youtu.be/83WCeCTe79I. It's worthy.
by Radkey
The third song I've posted by these guys. Seems like just yesterday I decided to give this band of three teenage brothers from St. Joseph, Missouri a listen after Scott Lucas of Local H highly recommended them. But that was a couple of years ago and they've been steadily building steam and earning love from fans, critics, and fellow artists alike since. Now they're touring overseas and they've been remixed by UNKLE. They've yet to release a full-length album, but they've got two hard hitting, high energy EP's under their belt and I continue to grow more excited about what the future holds for them with each new song they release.
by Orange 9mm
Back to rock/metal, but still with a touch of rap. Orange 9mm is another all-time favorite and this album is absolutely amazing. It's just too bad it was their last. Chaka Malik was a good lyricist and vocalist who dabbled in rap and even spoken word without it sounding contrived or like generic rock-rap. Some of their stuff is basically spoken word poetry with a melodic refrain set to metal of both the heavy and mellow variety, but always intense. You're sure to hear more tracks from this album if you follow me. Enjoy.
by Jay IDK
Here's something from an up and coming young rapper representing the DMV (D.C./Maryland/Virgina) by way of London, England. With this track, he captures the feeling of overwhelming stress and frustration that comes with the pressure society puts on us to bury ourselves in debt in order to further our education in college when there's absolutely no promise we'll be any better off for it in the end. A feeling I know all too well and have grappled with more than I care to admit. But I digress. Strong, bass-heavy, atmospheric production accompanies Jay IDK's formidable flow and lyrics throughout the whole album -- think 'good kid, m.A.A.d city' era Kendrick Lamar meets Chance the Rapper -- and I think he's on his way to big things despite showing a mere 330 plays on Last.fm (60 of which are from me). Now everyone take note so I can say "I told you so" later. ;)
by Tyrese
A top contender for my personal theme song. I narrowed my list of potential new jams down to about ten songs before picking this brand new Tyrese track 'cause I've been in a bit of a rap and R&B mood lately and I haven't jammed much of either. It's nice to know Tyrese is still making good music.
by DJ Quik
A fine example of live instruments taking hip-hop to another level courtesy of DJ Quik. The album version (http://youtu.be/XlkTGOTF-L8) is blocked and I'm thankful 'cause I might never have found this excellent performance otherwise. Actually, it seems very low energy compared to when I saw him at the House of Blues in Chicago (one of the best shows I've been to - this video does no justice to his stage presence), but that was nine years ago and this one was being televised, so maybe that has something to do with it. Anyway, this is the first song off his new album. He built a great west coast beat around a banjo riff 'cause that's what he does, and he continues to do no wrong in my book.
by Econoline Crush
The choice was easy this time as I've been binge listening to this song since Friday when I broke out an old mixed CD I included it on and I probably listened to it over ten times today alone. Vancouver's Econoline Crush is yet another of my longtime/all-time favorite bands and this groove simply can't be denied. It also resembles another, older favorite band, The Cult, which actually has a bit of history with these guys (see the comments below for one of many disheartening reports I've read of Ian Astbury, whose music I love, being an unbelievable asshole). Trevor Hurst is a great songwriter though and, although this particular track isn't the best example, he has an excellent voice. 'The Devil You Know' and 'Brand New History' are both incredible albums I'd highly recommend to rock, industrial and alternative fans alike.
by Earthsuit
Great atmospheric song by another of my all-time favorite bands, but Earthsuit is sadly no more. Paul Meany, the one rapping here (and who is often mistaken for Sting when he sings, believe it or not: http://youtu.be/TTV0Aa4lC04), has gone on to form and front the much more successful,but still not all that well known, MuteMath. Adam LaClave, the one providing the echoing background vocals, has gone on to form two bands, Macrosick which was forced into hiatus when Hurricane Katrina struck their hometown of New Orleans, effectively scattering its members, and Club of the Sons. MuteMath got a big push from being featured on soundtracks such as Twilight and Transformers, but LaClave's hasn't been so lucky. I call Earthsuit's disbanding sad, but MuteMath has come to be one of my favorite bands and I'm a fan of LaClave's projects as well. Anyway, enough rambling. Enjoy!
by Creature Feature
Good luck getting this one out of your head. These guys were a pleasant surprise back in the MySpace days. I couldn't resist giving them a listen when I found a friend request from a band called Creature Feature and I'm glad. This is what a classic horror/sci-fi obsessed Danny Elfman on a do-it-yourself budget might sound like. Curtis Rx -- vocalist, guitarist, creative leader -- is a talented musician and their songs are a lot of fun. I prefer this impressive fan animated video, but the sound recording is rough: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiEU87-ihm8. #Halloween
by Tha Dogg Pound
There's no better representation of west coast gangsta rap's '90s heyday. Some say Kurupt should have blown up rather than Snoop and I can see why they might think that when hearing him at his best like he is on this track. I think Snoop is more unique and has him beat overall, but he's still one of the best in my opinion. Anyway, I had this on repeat at the gym after work today and it kept me going. Also, just in time to close out #DogWeek and #SexyWeek 'cause that beat and Daz and Kurupt's flows are nothing more than dead sexy. And never mind the fact neither of the themes will be in play any longer by the time many of you see this. Lastly and unfortunately, it seems to be under tight restrictions, so here's hoping it doesn't get blocked right away. http://youtu.be/U2IqmrhJNIg That's the direct link in case it's restricted and you're motivated enough to go the extra step.
by Spacehog
That howl at 3:40 kills me every time. What a voice. Possibly my favorite song by one of my favorite bands set to scenes from what appears to be various low budget horror movies, Ginger Snaps being the only one I recognize. Appropriate for the season. Thanks to @denizenofdreams, I was finally bitten by the #Halloween bug yesterday. My love and obsession with this song is not by any means limited to the Halloween season however. I had to triple check my jam history as it was hard to believe I didn't already jam it. It's also sure to rank high on the top songs list I'll be submitting to @dutchbeeblebrox. Anyway, Spacehog is back together after a long hiatus and they even released a new album I'm quite fond of. Now I just have to see them live.
by Huey Lewis & The News
Never thought my ears would be ringing after a Huey Lewis And The News concert, but I Just saw them tonight and they are and I'm happy to say these guys still put on a great show. Now I'm going to have this and a few other songs in my head all week, I'm afraid. Also, there's a two minute intro before the song even starts - sorry!
by Julian Casablancas+The Voidz
I had planned to jam another Gomez track, but then @MsEllerelli brought this to my attention and that went out the window. There's an official video and it's a Julian Casablancas project, so I might be one of at least a hundred people to have jammed it by now, but I fell in love on first listen and simply can't get enough. I only kind of liked The Strokes and Julian's first solo album didn't do anything for me the one time I listened to it, but the whole 'Tyranny' album is just fantastic. Dark, gritty, frantic experimental and refreshing. I never thought something like this would come from Casablancas (maybe it's The Voidz that make the difference?) and there's at least one other song I'm going to jam from it. Highly recommended.
by Gomez
Recorded at The Fillmore in San Francisco for 2005's live album, 'Out West'. I liked the song to begin with, but they take it up about three notches for the live performance. What a groove. This is another band I'm sure to post more of eventually. Seriously diverse with three strong singer-songwriters, making me think of them as a modern day Beatles (which Beatles elitists of course hate) and prompting a friend I turned onto them to tell people "if you don't like what you hear, wait for the next song 'cause it will be something completely different". Unfortunately, they seem to have mellowed out and the last couple albums have been nice, but rather dull by comparison. Here's hoping they get back to the wild and eclectic experimentation that won them so many fans in the first eight or nine years.
by Sam Roberts
One of what's sure to be several Sam Roberts songs I'll eventually jam and the way he got here is the stuff of legend and fairy tales: http://www.canadaka.net/modules.php?name=Famous_Canadians&action=viewperson&person=103
by DeBarge
I dare say the DeBarge family might have rivaled or even beat The Jacksons in talent. They all have great voices and El, being the Michael of the group, wrote, produced, arranged and played multiple instruments on many songs including this one. Here, Randy sings the verses while El sings the high notes on the chorus and the outro, and he apparently nailed them on the first take. There just aren't many voices as silky smooth as his out there. Also, this is the first entry under the #HipHopOrigins label I've been meaning to start for a while now and which I'll probably only add to very occasionally. It qualifies thanks to this Warren G classic in case you're curious: http://youtu.be/pxRcGp0yWZc. Last, but not least, their mustache game was definitely on point.
by The Pack A.D.
One more of my favorite artists I can scratch off the "Must See Live" list. Saw them last night with Man or Astro-Man?, another great band, and both were fantastic. These two ladies put on a hell of a show and were very sweet and humble considering the amount of ass they kicked onstage. This fan-made video is the only compatible option for the song, but at least there is one.Thanks once again to @KojiroMusashi for making me aware of these guys.
by Sister Machine Gun
I consider Labor Day the end of summer, so here's one of my favorite songs by quite possibly my favorite band of all time from an incredible album I've always associated with the fall season. Chris Randall is one of the most diverse artists I've come across and SMG started out as a typical 80s techno influenced industrial act before going to gritty industrial metal (which is only hinted at on the chorus here) and then infusing funk and blues like you hear on this album, but all the while remaining dark and bitter. Legend has it Chris was named on a list of sexiest male vocalists in Playgirl Magazine back in the '90s. A high honor? Anyway, I'm not expecting many "loves" for this one, but here's another nostalgia jam.
by Run The Jewels
NEW RUN THE JEWELS! Killer Mike (one half of the group, the other half being El-P) has been my favorite rapper in the last five years or so and he calls the upcoming RTJ album "the best rap group album since RTJ1". Judging by this first offering, I'm inclined to believe him. Also, he's an outspoken activist and has always seemed intelligent, but I was a little afraid CNN would try to make him look like a fool when they recently asked him to talk about the events in Ferguson, Missouri. I'm glad that's not the case. Here's the rather interesting interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9dZctr84QY
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