The 4.5 years that was college are over and have been for a little over year. Some say they are the best years of your life. Independence, the friends you meet, challenges you over come, these short years that help shape who you become. One thing that I was never told about was the music.

Billings Montana had a solid 5 stations. You have the classic rock, oldies (and yes they are goodies), the requisite pop station, and even if you are in Manhattan every town has a country one. In college I became exposed to musicians that weren't on MTV where kids on TRL request so and so and then have the urge to scream (still haven't figured that out). In college I also saw how these musicians (Mraz, Jones, Mayer, Day, etc...) did break through and make it big. Something can be said about an intimate venue and a year or two later sitting in the grass where you can only see the musicians on the big screens dotting the lamp posts.

I thought leaving college would all of sudden transform me into a 40 year old. So that the music I listened in college would be the same songs that I would take with me to my grave. Music has had a much more lasting impact than I thought. The illegal downloading still continues, burned CDs continue to grow (those thieves ran off with over a 100...BASTARDS). My genres expand. Sunday morning I now and then like to play some Sinatra or Miles Davis as I slowly wake up. No curtains in the bedroom means I'm up before 8 on the weekend. Let me repeat, I'm up but by no means motivated. Now and then driving Garth Brooks tells me to hurry on up and call Baton Rouge. I'm continuing to expand the collection and thought I would let you see my top 25 most played according to iTunes.

Ben Lee "Begin"
Damien Jurado "Wedding Cake"
Stereophonics "Dakota"
Turin Brakes "Long Distance"
Keane "Bedshaped"
The Killers "Mr. Brightside"
Rachael Yamagata "Letter Read"
Ryan Adams "English Girls Approximately"
50 Cent "Hate It or Love It"
Ben Lee "Catch My Disease"
Patrick Park "Something Pretty"
Turin Brakes "Falling Down"
Jackopierce "Please Come to Boston"
Death Cab for Cutie "A Lack of Color"
Kings of Convenience "I'd Rather Dance With You"
Nada Surf "Bizzard of 77"
Donavaon Frankenreiter "What Ya Know About"
Rachael Yamagata "The Reason Why"
Ryan Adams "Please Do Not Let Me Go"
Turin Brakes "Feeling Oblivion"
Bob Dylan "Lay Lady Lay"
Damien Jurado "Ohio"
Death Cab for Cuties "Passenger Seat"
Del Amitri "Driving With Brakes The Brakes On"
Finley Quaye ft. Beth Orton "Dice"