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Aug 12

The Bynx Fam

  • August 12, 2024
  • Blog

Favorite Jams Pt.1

As record store owners, we have a passion for music. That passion spans decades; whether it’s jazz from the roarin’ 20s, folk anthems from the psychedelic 60s, punk from the DIY 80s or the homespun indie music dominating our present airwaves, we don’t discriminate. Well, we try not to, but everyone’s got their own opinion when it comes to music; especially when it comes to their favorite songs. That’s one of the beautiful things about it: in music, there’s something for everyone.

Kick Out The Jams

With that said, we figured we’d get a lil’ personal and highlight some of the songs that represent our own unique tastes. So here it is, the first in a multi-part series, The Bynx Fam’s Favorite Jams. I (James) will kick it off with 10 songs that I love. As I’m sure you’d all agree, it’s not easy as a music lover to make a list of your favorite songs (there are just sooo many!) but I shall put forth my best effort. So, without further adeiu, and in no particular order, here they are:

The record store at Bynx
  1. Arctic Monkeys/505 — A classic from my youth. I used to listen to this song over and over again. It never gets old. All us indie rockers from the mid 2000s wanted to be Alex Turner at one point or another. 
  2. Leonard Cohen/The Stranger Song — Big (BIG) Leonard Cohen fan here. Impossible to place his songs in any kind of pecking order, but this is a standout. I suggest you watch this live performance. A little emotional treat awaits you at the end. Rest In Peace, King. 
  3. Jeff Buckley/I Woke Up In A Strange Place — Look, I became a Jeff Buckley fanatic in my college days. Grace is one of those rare Perfect albums. And I mean Perfect with a capital P. But the rawness of this particular song — along with a vision I have of myself blasting this in my blue Pontiac Pursuit in the middle of a raging winter storm — makes this one especially… special.
  4. Bill Evans/Peace Piece — I fell in love with jazz when I was 18 and quickly fell in love with Bill Evans’ music. This track always gave me a feeling of tranquility. I have listened to it so much. 
  5. Bright Eyes/We Are Nowhere And It’s Now — My obsession with Bright Eyes goes all the way back to high school, so don’t let an obvious song choice fool you! This one comes off yet another perfect album. I could honestly find a reason to name any song, but this is a favorite. 
  6. Led Zeppelin/Going To California — Another amazing band with so many good songs it’s impossible to choose just one. But I had to do just that, so here it is. I listened to this so many times, riding along the coastline in my hometown; sitting atop a fallen tree in the forest; deep into a bottle of red wine on a summer night. Just a perfect tune for any occasion, really. 
  7. The Beatles/Happiness Is A Warm Gun — Ha! That’s what I think when forcing myself to choose a song by these four gentlemen. But I pick this one, simply because I love John Lennon and, to me, this epitomizes to me the intricacy of his songwriting abilities. 
  8. Wilco/Misunderstood — Oh, Jeff Tweedy, you are a legend. This song is just Wilco in a bottle: folky yet heavy, well arranged yet chaotic; an emotional rollercoaster. I love it and you. 
  9. Jon Hopkins/Everything Connected — I used to despise electronic music. Now I can’t get enough. This song epitomizes how it makes me feel. The whole album does, actually, but this song is a journey in and of itself.
  10. Time/Pink Floyd — Well, if I’m to choose just one more song, this one seems a good pick. Dark Side Of The Moon is just too good. When I was 18, whilst standing under lightly falling snow in my backyard, I listened to it from front to back for the first time ever. I can’t explain to you all how much this album means to me, to my growth as a person, music fan and musician. As far as I’m concerned, the whole album is one 42-minute-and-50-second-long song. But this part is a standout.

I Have Too Many Favorite Songs!

And there it is. I cringe at how many good songs I had to forego, but that is inevitable with such a short list. Hope you find something in there you may like, or maybe you have one or a few of the favorite songs as well.

As always, don’t forget to check out our unique collection of music ephemera and books!