Thursday, July 31, 2014

The 11 Best Songs By Jenny Lewis

Coming up with a "best of" list for Jenny Lewis is more complicated than it seems.  Jenny has had such a rich, complex musical career, it's challenging to narrow it down to one specific aspect.  First you have her stint with Rilo Kiley, an amazing noughties band, which only cracked the surface for exposure.  You have her solo career, which is really only one album, since Rabbit Fur Coat is more of a collaboration album with the Watson Twins and Jenny and Johnny is a duet album with Jonathan Rice.  Then there are all her guest appearance for bands like Postal Service, Bright Eyes, and Elvis Costello. So where do I start?  Should I do an exhaustive list of all the best songs of Rilo Kiley or just a slice of her solo section?  What about her movies and TV shows?  I couldn't decide...so let's just do them all. The 11 Best Songs By Jenny Lewis:
  1. More Adventurous (More Adventurous)
  2. Love and War 11/11/46 (More Adventurous)
  3. The Execution of All Things (The Execution of All Things)
  4. Under The Blacklight (Under The Blacklight)\
  5. My Slumbering Heart (The Execution of All Things)
  6. Melt Your Heart (Rabbit Fur Coat)
  7. Portions For Foxes (More Adventurous)
  8. You Are What You Love (Rabbit Fur Coat)
  9. With Arms Outstretched (The Execution of All Things)
  10. Sing A Song For Them (Jenny Lewis - Acid Tongue)
  11. Straight Edge Of The Blade (Jenny and Johnny - I'm Having Fun Now)
Buy Jenny Lewis' new album, The Voyager...now!!!   Don't forget to check out our blog's awesome new book The 111 Best Lists of the 2000s.  Available now!  (featuring Rilo Kiley) Buy this book or everyone you know will die.

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

The 11 Best Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers of the 80s

Tom Petty rules.  
Petty owned the 70s.  It was this decade when Petty crawled out of the Florida swamps and kicked us in the ear drums with jangle-rific rock n' roll that infected us with push play, rewind, repeat.  "American Girl" & " Refugee" will out live us all.  In the 90s, Petty had a massive rebirth ignited by the late 80s iconic solo album, Full Moon Fever.  "Learning To Fly" had us strumming along as they went to the top of the rock charts, Johnny Depp and Faye Dunaway were making video cameos, and indie filmmakers were hiring the band to score soundtracks.  Like the decade did for other 70s icon, John Travolta, the 90s reminded us why we loved them in the first place.
Twenty years down the road, TP & the HBs were as dominant as ever.  But in between the 70s and the 90s, Petty took the road less traveled.  The 80s may be Petty's most subversive decade.  The 80s were owned by MTV.  Petty couldn't dance like Michael Jackson, and he couldn't wear a dress (or not wear) like Madonna.  He couldn't rap like LL Cool J and claymation just wasn't his thing.  But that didn't mean Petty and the boys weren't churning out music that stood on par with the best of their career.  
Here are the 11 Best Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers of the 80s:
  1. Rebels (Southern Accents)
  2. A Woman In Love (It's Not Me) (Hard Promises)
  3. Insider (Hard Promises)
  4. Change Of Heart (Long After Dark)
  5. The Waiting (Hard Promises)
  6. Deliver Me (Long After Dark)
  7. It Ain't Nothing To Me (Southern Accents)
  8. Runaway Trains (Let Me Up I've Had Enough)
  9. You Got Lucky (Long After Dark)
  10. We Stand A Chance (Long After Dark)
  11. Jammin' Me (Let Me Up I've Had Enough)
Buy Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers new album, Hypnotic Eye...now!!!
Don't forget to check out our blog's awesome new book The 111 Best Lists of the 2000s.  Available now!  (featuring Tom Petty's best of the 00s)
Buy this book or everyone you know will die.

Thursday, July 24, 2014

The 11 Best Songs By Sebastian Bach

That's right, this is a list about Sebastian Bach, former lead singer of the seminal 80s glam metal band, Skid Row.  Why would I do a list about Sebastian Bach?  A man who seemingly puts his music IQ on par with the best of the best Rock N Roll Jeopardy champions.  Because Sebastian Bach kicks ass.  Bach has one of the most unique rock voices of all time.  It's loud, timid, angry, emotional, bellowing, caustic, and ethereal all at the same time.  It has the power to get you up in the morning and make you pancakes.  It has the power to make any woman fall in love with you in just three notes.  Bach's voice is so powerful that it once traveled back in time and helped end World War II.   If angels sang bad ass rock music, they'd sound like Bach.  Though glam metal has all but fizzled away outside of the occasional Darkness release, Bach's current music is still solidly on par with the strongest of the 80s releases.  Twenty five years down the road, Bach still knows how to make an album and the guy deserves credit for proving that only the strong survive.
Here are the 11 Best Songs By Sebastian Bach:
  1. Love Is A Bitchslap (Angel Down)
  2. My Own Worst Enemy (Kicking & Screaming)
  3. Kicking & Screaming (Kicking & Screaming)
  4. Our Love Is A Lie (Angel Down)
  5. You Don't Understand (Angel Down)
  6. Caught In a Dream (Kicking & Screaming)
  7. Falling Into You (Angel Down)
  8. By Your Side (Angel Down)
  9. Lost In The Light (Kicking & Screaming)
  10. Blasphemer (Bring 'Em Bach Alive)
  11. Dirty Power (Kicking & Screaming)
  12. Counterpunch (Bring 'Em Bach Alive)
Buy Sebastian Bach new solo album, Give 'Em Hell...now!!
Don't forget to check out our blog's awesome new book The 111 Best Lists of the 2000s.  Available now! 
Buy this book or everyone you know will die.

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

The Unknown: The White Sea

For anyone out there who obsessively listened to M83's "Midnight City" to the point that you couldn't crawl out of bed in the morning without it playing it before you poured yourself a cup of coffee, a new cure for that addiction is available.  The "Midnight City" addiction will never go away but there's a patch.  Morgan Grace Kibby who sings on the habit-forming track has branched out on her own with her solo project The White Sea (not the first time - see The Romanovs).  With vulgar lyrics sung so sweetly, you can't help but fall in love with this album of summer serenades.  The album features the lyric of the year:  "I'll fuck you blind and make a run for it; screaming hey oh, hey oh, hey oh."  I mean, come on, who hasn't thought that once in their life.
Buy The White Sea's new album, In Cold Blood...now!
Check out:  Warsaw
Don't forget to check out our blog's awesome new book The 111 Best Lists of the 2000s.  Available now! (featuring M83)
Buy this book or everyone you know will die.

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

The 11 Best Songs By The Raveonettes

Fun Fact:  The Raveonettes last album, Observator, was inspired by a three day drug binge at Venice Beach by lead singer Sune Rose Wagner. Here are the 11 Best Songs By The Raveonettes:
  1. Observations (Observator)
  2. Breaking Into Cars (In And Out Of Control)
  3. Do You Believe Her (Whip It On)
  4. Heartbreak Stroll (Chain Gang Of Love)
  5. That Great Love Sound (Chain Gang Of Love)
  6. War In Heaven (Raven In The Grave)
  7. Sleepwalking (Pretty In Black)
  8. Gone Forever (In And Out Of Control)
  9. Somewhere In Texas (Pretty In Black)
  10. Evil Seeds (Raven In The Grave)
  11. Heart Of Stone (In And Out Of Control)
Buy The Raveonettes new album, Pe'ahi...now!!      

Monday, July 21, 2014

The 11 Best Songs By Braid

Braid is yet another band to make a comeback that only continues to confirm the musical genius of the '90s.  Born out of the so-called emo movement (that was as obtuse of a term for music as "alternative" was), the band's fanbase has grown bigger and stronger during their 15-year hiatus than it did while they were a band.  Bob Nanna tried to escape the pressure of the frothing Braid fans by feeding them scraps of his later projects, The City on Film and Hey Mercedes, but that was like feeding vegetables to a pack of lions.  They ate it so they wouldn't die...but they were starving inside.  The Braid reunion tour was a good appetizer followed by the free EP starter plate...but what the fans truly wanted was a new album.  Nanna is giving them what they wanted.  Though, the new album won't give Braid fans everything they want...but the only way to truly satisfy those rabid Braiders is fire up the Delorean and speed back to 1998.
Here are the 11 Best Songs By Braid:
  1. A Dozen Roses (Frame And Canvas)
  2. First Day Back (Frame And Canvas)
  3. Killing A Camera (Frame And Canvas)
  4. Summer Salt (Frankie Welfare Boy Age Five)
  5. The New Nathan Detroits (Frame And Canvas)
  6. Nineteen 75 (The Age Of Octean)
  7. Do Over (Closer To Closed)
  8. There Is A Light That Never Goes Out (Movie Music Volume 2)
  9. Jimmy Go Swimmer (The Age Of Octean)
  10. Brass Knuckle Sandwich (Frankie Welfare Boy Age Five)
  11. Grace Car Part One (The Age Of Octean) 
Buy Braid's new album, No Coast...now!!

Don't forget to check out our blog's awesome new book The 111 Best Lists of the 2000s.  Available now!
Buy this book or everyone you know will die.






Friday, July 18, 2014

The 111 Best Songs By Morrissey

I know I haven't updated in a couple of weeks...but I've been busy putting this together.  How did I do?  What did I forget?  What are your favorite 111 Morrissey songs?
Fun Fact: Morrissey used to be the lead singer of the Smiths, who named themselves after the Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Will Smith.
Here are the 111 Best Songs By Morrissey:
  1. I Don't Mind If You Forget Me (Viva Hate)
  2. Tomorrow (Your Arsenal)
  3. Suedehead (Viva Hate)
  4. We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful (Your Arsenal)
  5. Hairdresser on Fire (Viva Hate)
  6. Glamorous Glue (Your Arsenal)
  7. First Of The Gang To Die (You Are The Quarry)
  8. Everyday Is Like Sunday (Viva Hate)
  9. Why Don't You Find Out For Yourself (Vauxhall And I)
  10. Will Never Marry (Everyday Is Like Sunday)
  11. The Youngest Was The Most Loved (Ringleader of the Tormentors)
  12. You're Going To Need Someone On Your Side (Your Arsenal)
  13. Interesting Drug (Single/Bona Drag)
  14. How Can Anybody Possibly Know How I Feel? (You Are The Quarry)
  15. Yes, I Am Blind (Ouija Board, Ouija Board/Bona Drag)
  16. I Like You (You Are The Quarry)
  17. Picadilly Palare (Bona Drag)
  18. The National Front Disco (Your Arsenal)
  19. Irish Blood, English Heart (You Are The Quarry)
  20. You Have Killed Me (Ringleader of the Tormentors)
  21. Something Is Squeezing My Skull (Years Of Refusal)
  22. Our Frank (Kill Uncle)
  23. You're The One For Me, Fatty (Your Arsenal)
  24. November Spawned A Monster (Single/Bona Drag)
  25. I Just Want To See the Boy Happy (Ringleader of the Tormentors)
  26. One Day Goodbye Will Be Farewell (Years Of Refusal)
  27. America Is Not The World (You Are The Quarry)
  28. Late Night, Maudlin Street (Viva Hate)
  29. I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris (Years Of Refusal)
  30. Life Is A Pigsty (Ringleader of the Tormentors)
  31. I Am Hated For Loving (Vauxhall And I)
  32. Break Up The Family (Viva Hate)
  33. It's Hard To Walk Tall When You're Small (You Are The Quarry)
  34. Black Cloud (Years Of Refusal)
  35. We'll Let You Know (Your Arsenal)
  36. Such A Little Things Makes Such A Big Difference (Interesting Drug/Bona Drag)
  37. Roy's Keen (Maladjusted)
  38. Southpaw (Southpaw Grammar)
  39. All You Need Is Me (Years Of Refusal)
  40. The Ordinary Boys (Viva Hate)
  41. The Last Of the International Playboys (Single/Bona Drag)
  42. Mute Witness (Kill Uncle)
  43. My Dearest Love (Swords)
  44. You Must Please Remember (Dagenham Dave)
  45. Alsatian Cousin (Viva Hate)
  46. He Knows I'd Love To See Him (November Spawned A Monster)
  47. Sing Your Life (Kill Uncle)
  48. If You Don't Like Me, Don't Look At Me (Swords)
  49. I'm Not Sorry (You Are The Quarry)
  50. Satan Rejected My Soul (Maladjusted)
  51. Please Help The Cause Against Loneliness (Bona Drag Deluxe Edition)
  52. Tony The Pony (Kill Uncle)
  53. Alma Matters (Maladjusted)
  54. The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get (Vauxhall And I)
  55. Shame Is the Name (Swords)
  56. I Have Forgiven Jesus (You Are The Quarry)
  57. A Swallow On My Neck (Sunny)
  58. I'm OK By Myself (Years Of Refusal)
  59. In The Future When All's Well (Ringleader of the Tormentors)
  60. King Leer (Kill Uncle)
  61. Whatever Happens, I Love You (Boxers)
  62. Children In Pieces (Swords)
  63. World Is Full Of Crashing Bores (You Are The Quarry)
  64. Reader Meet Author (Southpaw Grammar)
  65. Let The Right One Slip In (Viva Hate Centenary Edition)
  66. The Boy Racer (Southpaw Grammar)
  67. Certain People I Know (Your Arsenal)
  68. Mama Lay Softly On The Riverbed (Years Of Refusal)
  69. Do Your Best And Don't Worry (Southpaw Grammar)
  70. Spring-Heeled Jim (Vauxhall And I)
  71. Jack The Ripper (Now You Know My Heart Is Full)
  72. The Operation (Southpaw Grammar)
  73. I Knew I Was Next (You Have Killed Me)
  74. My Life Is A Succession Of People Saying (You Are The Quarry)
  75. Boxers (Single/World of Morrissey)
  76. The Teachers Are Afraid Of The Pupils (Southpaw Grammar)
  77. On The Streets I Ran (Ringleader of the Tormentors)
  78. Munich Air Disaster 1958 (You Are The Quarry)
  79. Now I Am I Was (Maladjusted)
  80. Christian Dior (Swords)
  81. Sunny (Sunny)
  82. Cosmic Dancer (My Early Burglary Years)
  83. Heir Apparent (Alma Matters)
  84. Maladjusted (Maladjusted)
  85. Pashernate Love (You're The One For Me, Fatty)
  86. A Song From Under The Floorboards (The Youngest Was The Most Loved)
  87. Disappointed (Everyday Is Like Sunday/Bona Drag)
  88. Seasick, Yet Still Docked (Your Arsenal)
  89. Happy Lovers At Last United (Bona Drag Deluxe Edition)
  90. Bengali In Platforms (Viva Hate)
  91. I've Changed My Plea To Guilty (My Love Life)
  92. I Will See You In Far Off Places (Ringleader of the Tormentors)
  93. Ammunition (Maladjusted)
  94. Girl Least Likely To (November Spawned A Monster)
  95. Hold On To Your Friends (Vauxhall And I)
  96. The Loop (Sing Your Life)
  97. Moon River (Hold Onto Your Friends)
  98. Sorry Doesn't Help (Years Of Refusal)
  99. Have-A-Go Merchant (Boxers)
  100. Driving Your Girlfriend Home (Kill Uncle)
  101. Dagenham Dave (Southpaw Grammar)
  102. I Know Very Well How I Got My Name (Suedehead)
  103. I'll Never Be Anybody's Hero Now (Ringleader of the Tormentors)
  104. Let Me Kiss You (You Are The Quarry)
  105. Michael's Bones (The Last Of The Famous International Playboys)
  106. Satellite of Love (Satellite Of Love)
  107. To Me You Are A Work Of Art (Ringleader of the Tormentors)
  108. Trouble Loves Me (Maladjusted)
  109. The Lazy Subathers (Vauxhall And I)
  110. Black-Eyed Susan (Sunny)
  111. Little Man, What Now? (Viva Hate)
Buy Morrissey's new album, World Peace Is None Of Your Business...now!!

Don't forget to check out our blog's awesome new book The 111 Best Lists of the 2000s.  Available now!
Buy this book or everyone you know will die.

Thursday, July 03, 2014

My 11 Favorite Albums of 2014

It's been a weird year in music.  There's actually been a lot of great music...but nothing that has yet to stand above the rest.  There's been no real consensus on what albums are 2014's calling card.  From site to site, it seems there's a lot more variety than most years.  And my top 11 is no different.  While there seems to some shared love for James Vincent McMorrow, Against Me!, Cloud Nothings, and The War On Drugs, my favorite album of the year (the infectious Broken Bells) is nowhere to be found on any list.  The Jack White peaks into a couple lists but has been widely slammed, probably because the album was made for vinyl and listening to any other way takes it down a notch. Strangely, it happens to be my favorite non-White Stripes Jack White recording to date.  I've seen Pure X and Conor Oberst get a couple mentions (albeit low on lists).  White Sea and First Aid Kit are two budding artists hitting their strides, yet fail to get mentions.  Last on my list is the addictive EP by the band Movement.  Everyone's raving about How To Dress Well (which is another good album) but I feel like Movement is doing the same thing but is already leaps and bounds ahead.  But this is the great thing about music...there's something for everyone to love. Happy 4th!  Enjoy songs from the albums below...plus a few other good tracks from this year. Here are my 11 favorite albums of 2014 (so far):
  1. Broken Bells - After The Disco
  2. James Vincent McMorrow - Post-Tropical
  3. Against Me! - Transgender Dysphoria Blues
  4. Jack White - Lazaretto
  5. Conor Oberst - Upside Down Mountain
  6. Cloud Nothings - Here And Nowhere Else
  7. Pure X - Angel
  8. First Aid Kit - Stay Gold
  9. White Sea - White Sea
  10. The War on Drugs - Lost In the Dream
  11. Movement - Movement EP
     

Don't forget to check out our blog's awesome new book The 111 Best Lists of the 2000s.  Available now!
Buy this book or everyone you know will die.