7-12-2026 MY FAVES: classic hits and pumped up kicks

 what i'm reading...

a continuation of the magic years. i am totally blaming busy summertime schedule for dragging this book along. or maybe i just don't care about bob dylan and the band's progress in the 60s and 70s? 

what i'm listening to...

this week i revisited the native ohioan foster the people album torches from 2011. 

the album really starts off strong with some banging hits, in my opinion. the first song, helena beat is one of my all-time fave songs. it is one of those eargasm songs for me, and i enjoy listening to this one on repeat. 

the first time i heard pumped up kicks was on a croatian radio station 'otvoreni radio' that only played "international" hits. unfamiliar with "gun culture" of the western world, i first fell in love with the beat, not realizing the harsh irony in the lyrics. mind you, i grew up in an environment where most kids had guns in their households, yet every bomb threat caused eye roll and guessing which idiot didn't want to flunk an exam.

call it what you want is a staple indie song, and the following two on the album, don't stop and waste were just okay, following the indie-ness of the time. waste and i would do anything for you bring in some more romanticism in lyrics. saccharine in words, with a funky beat you may not associate with "love song". houdini is another funky song i like, but if you made me choose between the two houdini hits, i may go with a latter dua lipa hit. 

life on the nickel has a similar beat to call it what you want, but with a chorus that appears to have an eastern influence. 

in the song miss you, one may feel like catapulting in the air on a rollercoaster. tense, heavy instrumentals bang through mercilessly, with a few chorus moments that give you a similar feeling when you let go on a rollercoaster, and you almost feel breathless, looking at the edge. 

the album ends with warrant, a song that just feels like the closing song to the movie, just when the credits roll. it's one of those songs which beat just motivates you. 

something to consider when researching about this album:

the managers wanted to take time with creating the album as it was actually backing up the hit success of pumped up kicks. the album received overall favorable reviews, with big kahunas like elton john and other rock stars claimed it as one of their fave albums that year. the album was nominated for the 2012 grammy award for best alt music album, and pumped up kicks was nominated for best group performance. finally, all songs were written or co-written by band lead mark foster. i think the coolest thing is that he's married to julia garner though. neat!