Songs To Get Through The Last Few Weeks

The last few weeks of the semester is the most dreaded time amongst college students. It is when many major projects and assignments are close to being due and still many more assignments are given out. Whether it is writing lengthy research papers, preparing for final tests and exams or simply fighting off fatigue, the end of a semester is when most college students hit maximum stress levels and simply put their heads down and plow through the last few weeks as best they can.

Music is many college students' best friend during these stressful times. When you are spending hours in front of your computer screen working on assignments, nothing makes time go by faster than opening up iTunes and listening to music. It helps make the homework process a lot more bearable and takes your mind off of how much work is still left to be finished. When choosing music to listen to while doing work, it is best to choose something unobtrusive in order to maintain your focus on the task at hand. Below is a list of songs and/or artists I listen to in order to get through large amounts of homework.

American Analog Set - American Analog Set was an Austin, Texas based indie band that created lush, acoustic driven soundscapes that seemed to wrap the listener in its organic sound. This is the perfect study music in my opinion and I have written numerous papers with their albums on repeat. You cannot really go wrong with any of their albums or songs, but here is one of my favorites:

Ryan Adams - Although I said to pick music that does not make you lose your focus (anything really energetic, loud, etc), it is important to have some music that is relatively upbeat to help bring you out of the doldrums of the end of the semester. My go-to Ryan Adams album for studying would have to be Gold. The perfect blend of quiet songs and upbeat rockers that make you sing along, Gold will help wake you up if you are fighting off late-night fatigue. Here is my all-time favorite song off this album

Elliott Smith - Elliott Smith's early material had all the feeling of home-recorded songs that seemed to be little more than a man and his guitar. His soft vocal delivery and hushed music is excellent for studying. A lot of his songs are depressing to a degree, but that will at least relate to the stress of knowing you are so close to the end of the school year, yet have so much work to do.

What are your favorite artists to listen to while studying? I know that when the semester is over, I will celebrate by listening to this.

This one is for you Mr. Adams

From what I have gathered from my music loving friends is that Ryan Adams is a polarizing figure. There are those who can’t stand him and those who are willing to spend every penny in order to collect every song the man has written, and trust me, there are many.  I happen to fall into the latter category. Ryan Adams has received accolades from virtually every music publication starting with his work in Whiskeytown and his debut solo album "Heartbreaker", a country album that tugs at the heartstrings with every lyric and melody. However, the stories that have come to stick with Adams for better or worse focus on his personal life whether it was his long history of drug use, the public accosting from Courtney Love or his marriage to Mandy Moore.

Despite what sort of tabloid-worthy stories that have dotted Adams’ past, the fact remains that he is an incredibly gifted and prolific musician. Adams recorded three albums with Whiskeytown, eight solo albums (that were officially released, there are many more if you count unreleased works), three albums with The Cardinals, and one album with The Finger. That is just studio full-lengths since 1995 and does not include a slew of EP’s, singles, or unreleased works that Ryan Adams has talked about that have yet to be released for various reasons.

My favorite example of his prolific writing style involves the struggle to release "Love Is Hell". Adams was made to release the album in two parts at the insistence of his label who were worried over the shift in style. To reach a compromise, Adams recorded "Rock N Roll", an album full of upbeat rock songs , in two weeks in order to release "Love Is Hell". While many critics panned the album, the fact remains that many of the songs on that record were instantly catchy and could have had hit potential, and he did it all in two weeks.

Adams writes at such an incredible pace and it seems that he is constantly finishing new music and sure, being a prolific songwriter is impressive, but are the songs any good? You bet. Whether Adams is writing country, rock or metal music most of his songs are bona fide gems. Not only is his music top notch, but Adams also keeps his fans updated on what he is working on through his Facebook page. So, here’s to you Mr. Adams, for writing such beautiful music and hopefully one day the masses will catch on to your creativity.

Below is a video of Ryan Adams performing "Oh Sweet Carolina" during a rehearsal with his band and featuring guest vocals by Mandy Moore. An excellent performance and song, I hope you enjoy it!