Recommendation for the Week, 9/12-9/18

On September 11, 2001, I woke up in the morning (feeling like P. Diddy) as I had for any other school day. I did my work like I did on any other school day. I got on the bus to go home and sat with my brother, like I did on any other school day. I went to bed knowing that the world would never be the same.

I was in fifth grade then. I remember everything from the time I got home from school to the time I laid my head down to rest for the night. I don't remember anything that happened on September 12, or even September 10 for that matter. I remember when I knew something was really wrong: my dad's truck was parked at the bus stop, waiting impatiently to pick my brother and I up. This was odd, because my dad never misses a day of work and that my house is literally less than fifty feet from where the bus dropped me off. I came home, where my mom was speechless, staring at the television. I saw fire, I saw smoke, and for the first time in my primarily innocent life, I saw death, and I saw chaos.

No matter what country you hail from, what religion you follow, what your views on this country or its people is, the fact of the matter is that the 9/11 attacks changed the course of history forever. It sparked the ongoing War on Terror, caused the death of thousands of people, and brought terrorism to forefront of the American way of life. However, the phoenix that rose from the ashes of Ground Zero burned brighter than ever before: American flags lined the streets, help came to those in need, and the friends and family of those who were lost found some solace after getting that devastating news. This was when I truly discovered what it is to be American, and it also the first time I discovered the healing power of music. It was when I began to broaden my horizon and understanding of music, where I found a meaning and a feeling I had never known existed.

So long as there is happiness in the world, there will seemingly always be tragedy. The unexpected always has a way of catching us all off guard at some point, and sending us on our ass for a while. Thankfully, there will always be music to pull us from the wreckage, so we can continue our pursuit to constantly burn out brighter:

P.O.D. "Alive"- As the United States attempted to pull through the pain of those lost during the 9/11 attacks, there was no solace offered from mainstream pop music (hot artists at the time included Britney Spears before she went insane, *NSYNC, and the Backstreet Boys). And then everyone was introduced to P.O.D. in a big way: the powerful opening line of "Alive" is an attention-grabber ("Every day is a new day, I'm thankful for every breath I take"), and the song provided and uplifting chorus that resonated with those suffering. What's so interesting about the success of the song is how unaccessible P.O.D. seemed at the time: four tattooed guys, two with dreadlocks, they looked more like a gang than a band who wrote one of the most unlikely hit songs of the decade, and we're all the more thankful for it.

Zac Brown Band: "Chicken Fried"- There's always been something about country music that just makes you say "This is America."The Zac Brown Band may be the best new artist that can carry that flag (both literally and figuratively) and show people what it truly means to be American. The simplistic, nostalgic feel to "Chicken Fried" is the strongest testament to capture the band's signature sound, and should be an instant addition to any party mix, even if its only purpose is to throw back a cold one and reminisce about the "good old days" for a little while.

My Chemical Romance: "Welcome to the Black Parade" and "Famous Last Words"- No matter what happens in a person's life, the death of a loved one will always end up affecting their lives. It can come at any instant, and My Chemical Romance seemed to have found that out. The album The Black Parade is one of best mainstream rock releases in nearly a decade, and "Black Parade" and "Famous Last Words" help to add to the album's overall theme of accepting death. While the songs give a similar message of carrying on with the memory of your loved ones giving you strength, My Chemical Romance find a way to make each song unique and inspirational without it feeling forced or overdone. There's a reason My Chem is still touring off of The Black Parade (originally released in February of 2007), and these two choice cuts are the living, breathing reasons that they are.

Four Year Strong- "One Step at a Time"- Losing a band member, someone you spend the majority of your touring time with, must be tough. Take it from FYS: they lost original keyboardist Dominic Mallory, but found the strength to carry on in his name. Knowing how many others are going through a similar situation as theirs, the band put all their emotion from the loss into one of the best tracks off of their sophomore full-length Enemy of the World. Though it seems simple, the band show us all that there's really only one way to cope with an emotional time: get through it, one step at a time. It's almost insultingly simple, yes, but it's also some of the best advice I've ever taken.

Motion City Soundtrack: "Everything is Alright"- I will always remember Motion City Soundtrack as one of the bands I loved thanks to a fateful two-hour browsing session at the FYE in my local mall. I loved the nerdy feel of Commit This to Memory, but I especially enjoyed the upbeat attitude of "Everything is Alright." As it turns out, it's now the only song I go to when I',m feeling down, and I get the idea that there are a lot more kids doing the same. The truth is, no matter how hurt you are, sometimes all it takes is the comfort of someone saying "everything's going to be okay" to pull you out of  funk, and thanks to Motion City Soundtrack, we'll have a song to do just that for a very, very long time.

There's something revealing about tragedy: it reminds us how short, fleeting, and unpredictable life is, and how important it is to make use of the time we've all been given. Am I saying the 9/11 attacks were necessary for Americans to learn that? Of course not. No amount of condolences or sympathy cards can replace the holes left by those lost in the attacks, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't still do all we can to help them. Thankfully, humans were given the ability to make music, and with the selections given above, here's hoping those suffering find the strength to carry on. If you've lost anyone to any kind of terrorist attack, disease, or any other tragic way, I offer my deepest sympathy and condolences. If you have any additions to make, please leave them, I'd love to hear them.