Each of the songlists belowcontains five tracks selected by the members of FT. These aren’t necessarily the top songs, but they are important to the band members, for one reason or another. Enjoy a sampling of some of our favorites.

Matthew’s:

  1. These five songs are all special to me for different reasons. Light of Day was a turning point for me, lyrically. It marks the first time I attempted to write a song with no rhyme scheme. I just focused on the meter of the lyric, and I was really pleased with the results.
  2. For Simplicity, I set out to write as few words as possible, while still addressing the theme of the song. It was a fun creative challenge, resulting in a six word verse. To me, it represents the joy of creating music.
  3. Westward Bound is special because it reminds me of my state of mind during the pivotal summer before I traveled West to attend law school in Kansas.
  4. As for Raven & the Dove, it’s always been one of my favorites, particularly because of Theron’s jaw droppingly good instrumentation.
  5. And Life Lines is a notable departure for Frozen Taco – a melodious, leisurely paced tune, one of our longer songs; it establishes and holds a subtle, languid, engaging mood. It’s unique in the FT pantheon of songs. And there you have it – my five picks.

Theron’s:

  1. After the Visions, Dreams, and Nightmares album, I wanted to depart from the thick orchestrations and long, drawn-out style of songs. Living in the Now, from the Relic album, was an excellent manifestation of this new form. And here’s a little bit of trivia: The guitar part for Living in the Now was originally used in a Hypothetical Seven movie, “The Creature of Potters Pond”.
  2. Benediction is just one of my favorite tunes of all time. The whole song is based on a simple chordal pattern: minor 7th chord, up a minor 3rd to a major chord, up another minor third to a major chord, finally up a major third to a major chord - which appears in various ways all over the song. This song also sports some of my favorite lyrics.
  3. Calm After the Storm is my favorite classic pop-style song by Frozen Taco. I can’t tell you how many times I rewound to listen again to this one.
  4. I have great memories creating the tune for Achille’s Heel. From the powerful intro to the soft Beatles-esque verse, I remember being content with the whole song. Some extreme trivia: The middle section idea was inspired by “Rejoice greatly, o’ daughter of Zion” from Handel’s Messiah.
  5. I’ve always loved The House of Years because of the intricacy in the music. The song is always changing and always interesting.

Dave’s:

  1. I fell in love with Calm After the Storm when Theron played me the bare instrumental track, before it had any vocals. Then Matt’s lyrics and delivery sealed the deal. Just a solid song all around. It was the high point, for me, of the FT live show years ago. I think on the recording you can hear me over the band, crying out with delight. Awesome.
  2. Magnifikhan that has brought me to tears more than once. The build to the final verse is majestic, and Matt’s lyric throughout captures something without overstating the emotion.
  3. I wish Ingenuous Predator didn’t so exactly sum up what I lost in the falling out Matt and I had all those years ago, but it does. That being said, I think this is the best song the duo has written, period. It floors me every single time.
  4. I have written and spoken often about The Voyage of Karl being the “quintessential” Frozen Taco song. It was a complete collaboration at every step, musically and lyrically. For me, it felt like the first time I added music to the group, and not just notes.
  5. Grey Poupon - Sheer fucking anarchy.

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