Songs inspired by 9/11

Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning) - Alan Jackson
Skylines and Turnstiles - My Chemical Romance
Hole in the World - Eagles
Illume - Fleetwood Mac
Let's Roll - Neil Young

Songs inspired by the War On Terror era

Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue (The Angry American) - Toby Keith
Not Ready to Make Nice - The [Dixie] Chicks
When the President Talks To God - Bright Eyes
Let's Impeach the President - Neil Young
Why (feat. Anthony Hamilton) - Jadakiss
American Idiot - Green Day
Where Is The Love? - Back Eyed Peas

Johnny Cash was a living legend who had been forgotten after a very difficult personal time, relapsing in the 80s. Famed producer Rick Rubin invited Johnny Cash to come be a part of Rubin's American Recordings series. This week we are looking at Cash's American III and IV, featuring mostly covers, some re-recordings, and one return-to-form new song. Releasing a year before his death in 2003, American IV features the iconic cover of Nine Inch Nail's Hurt, which Trent Reznor would later say belonged to Cash going forward. Some of these covers make sense, some seem like they shouldn't but work anyway, and some are absolute flops. But there is some vital work here.

This week we are looking at Justin Timberlake's 2000s records, Justified and FutureSex/LoveSounds. Justified was Justin's coming out as a solo artist, largely produced by both Timbaland and The Neptunes (Pharrell and company). Finding a cohesive sound and direction was rough on this record. While the Neptunes are hit makers, the album as a whole was aimless -- better suited as a Micheal Jackson record that he had already passed up. For the next record, the Neptunes would not be returning, due to contractual reasons. Timbaland helped Justin "bring sexy back". This record is both more coherent in its approach and less consistent in its delivery. Still, some of the best pop songs from the 2000s can be found in these records.

This week, we look at the video game cultural juggernaut, Grand Theft Auto -- specifically, Vice City, as it's the most aesthetically distinct. There are a few key elements that make GTA Vice City a compelling caricature of the of Miami in the 80s, and the soundtrack is essential.

We picked a smattering of highlights across Vice City's robust radio stations, from era defining genres like new wave, synth pop, classic hip-hop and more. These artists and songs are truly iconic.

Wave 103 - Flock of Seagulls: I Ran
V-Rock - Judas Priest: You've Got Another Thing
Emotion 98.3 - Toto: Africa
Flash FM - Yes: Owner of a Lonely Heart 
Flash FM - Hall & Oates: Out Of Touch
Radio Espantoso - Deodato: Super Strut
Wildstyle Pirate Radio  - Run DMC: Rock Box
Wave 103  - Tears For Fears: Pale Shelter
Emotion 98.3 - Foreigner: Waiting For a Girl Like You
Flash FM - The Outfield: Your Love
Flash FM - Bryan Adams: Run to You
Wave 103 - Nena: 99 Luftballoons
Emotion 98.3 - REO Speedwagon: Keep on Loving You

This week we are looking at avant-garde artist, Bjork. Medulla is project of all vocals, including the "instruments." There are moments where the tracks are as convincing as a typically recorded song. The follow up Volta has features and Timbaland on production for some tracks. The album is explicitly more political, too. Bjork is not for everyone -- it's heady stuff. But some moments are more accessible, Join us as we try and parse through the signal and noise.

This week we are looking at Daft Punk, French house EDM duo, obscured in robotic futuristic garb and robot helms. Discovery is a fun, euphoric record with well known singles and some hidden gems. Less appreciated, Human After All is a darker, less inviting project -- but one we enjoyed all the more.

This week we are looking at the pop mega star, Katy Perry. Hitting the scene at large in 2008 with her record One Of The Boys, Katy Perry made the transition from christian singer-songwriter to rock-informed pop music, pointing toward the future of EDM influenced pop.

Katy Perry would find her lane with her out of this world hit record, Teenage Dream, featuring more hit singles on one album -- re released as Teenage Dream The Complete Confection - than most artists have over a few records. The presence of Katy Perry in the late 2000s is unavoidable.

This week, Tyler and Greg discuss the movie soundtracks of two movies -- 2007's Into The Wild and 2010's Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.

Screenplay written and directed by actor Sean Penn, Into the Wild is a telling of the true story of Christopher McCandless - an American adventurer who spent two years living nomadically and then months in the Alaskan wilderness with minimal supplies. McCandless would die of starvation, leaving behind diaries with writerly details that John Krakauer adapted into a novel.

The soundtrack to this film is entirely performed and partly written by Pearl Jam's Eddie Veder. The music here is more acoustic, folksy, and autumnal. Going acoustic was not uncharted from 90s grunge heroes, but this was new for Eddie Veder in particular. His particular warble and new weathered sound fits quite well with the ethos of the film.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is a comic book adaptation, directed by music loving director Edgar Wright, where Scott Pilgrim must defeat Romona Flowers's seven evil exes in order to have his own chance at wooing her. The film is oddball -- so much so that it was hard to market and commercially failed. Yet now it's a cult hit.

The soundtrack features a fair bit of music from Beck, as he wrote the songs the band in the movie would play as their own. Those songs are largely garage rock romps that really hit. The soundtrack is a mix of non-diegetic and diegetic songs from Metric, Frank Black, Broken Social Scene, and more.

This week, we are reviewing Paramore. Recently the band has enjoyed a resurgence, making headlines for Hayley Williams political statements made at live shows. While Paramore has embraced more dance and pop as of late, they started as a punk rock band, signed by Fall Out Boy label, Fueled By Ramen.

The albums we are reviewing are 2007's sophomore record, Riot!, and 2009's Brand New Eyes. While these albums on the whole do not stand the test of time according to our metrics, there are certainly gems here.

Tyler and Greg recently saw the Yeah Yeah Yeahs live at the Armory in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The band, comprised of New York natives Karen O, Nick Zinner, and Brian Chase, is touring for their most recent record, 2022's Cool It Down. That record is an 8 track masterpiece, according to the experts here at Down On High. Their live show was filled with rockstar antics, confetti, giant beach balls, and hits after hits. Featuring tracks from all five of their albums, this show suggests seeing them now is the best time to see them.