The 11 Best Supergroup Duos

Side projects and supergroups always draw amazing attention but usually end-up disappointing greatly.  It's hard for an artist to experiment with a new sound because of the expectations they bring with them.  A few artists manage to exceed expectations usually by throwing a big curve.  If it is too outside the box, it tends to scare listeners away...and if it's too inside the box...it leaves listeners wondering what the point was in the first place?  Billie Joe of Green Day and Norah Jones of pianos team-up today to play a collection of Everly Brother songs.  Which side of the box does this fall In?  Out?  Under? Over?  Ever?

Here are the 11 Best Supergroup Duos:

1. Electronic (Bernard Sumner of New Order & Johnny Marr of The Smiths)
2. She & Him (Zooey Deschanel & M. Ward)
3. Pinback (Zach Smith of Three Mile Pilot & Rob Crow of Heavy Vegetable and Thingy)
4. Felt (Murs & Slug of Atmosphere)
5. Quasi (Sam Coomes of Heatmiser and Janet Weiss of Sleater-Kinney)
6. Discovery (Rostam Batmanglij of Vampire Weekend & Wesley Miles of Ra Ra Riot)
7. Bad Meets Evil (Eminem & Royce Da 5'9")
8. Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson
9. Matthew Sweet & Susanna Hoffs (The Bangles)
10. The Evens (Ian McKaye of Fugazi and Amy Farina of The Warmers)
11. WZRD (Kid Cudi & Dot Da Genius)

Buy Billie Joe Armstrong & Norah Jones new album, Foreverly...now!!

The 11 Best Songs By Kid Cudi

Since us humans don't seem to be appreciating the life we have here on Earth, maybe it's time to start looking elsewhere.  This week, scientists announced they have found three new planets that could support life.  These planets are hundreds of light years away and it may take us hundreds of years just to develop travel to get us there.  But that said, it's an encouraging and invigorating story in the midst of chaos, mayhem, and destruction.  The question of course comes, if we do go to another planet and find alien life...will it look humans-like, animal-like, or Yoda-like?

See you tomorrow at Record Store Day.

Here are the 11 Best Songs By Kid Cudi:

1. Soundtrack 2 My Life (Man On The Moon)
2. Simple As... (Man On The Moon) 
3. Mr. Rager (Man On The Moon II)
4. Scott Mescudi vs. The World (Man On The Moon II)
5. Up Up & Away (Man On The Moon)
6. Erase Me (Man On The Moon II)
7. Cudderisback ft. Vampire Weekend (Mixtape)
8. CuDi Zone (Man On The Moon)
9. Enter Galactic (Man On The Moon II)
10. Day 'N' Nite (Man On The Moon)
11. Make Her Say (Man On The Moon II)

Buy Kid Cudi's new album, Indicud...now!!

The 11 Most Anticipated Albums of 2013

I'll post the top 111 albums of 2012 on Friday.  So you still have time to get me your lists!!  Just send me your favorite albums of 2012 in the comment section.  Top 20...or whatever number of albums you liked.

With 2013 already .3% over, let's start looking ahead at what our year might look like musically...

This is a list of albums that have official release dates...or have been officially announced.  There might be a new Arcade Fire album, there might be a new Modest Mouse, there might be two new Beck albums...and we all know how long Kevin Shields takes to do anything so I'm not holding my breath about a new MBV album until 2015.  And honestly...why does everyone care so much about a new Cher album?

The 11 Most Anticipated Albums of 2013:

1. Phoenix (April)
2. Eminem (June)
3. Depeche Mode (March)
4. MGMT - MGMT (May)
5. Atoms for Peace - Amok (2/18)
6. Tegan & Sara - Heartthrob (1/29)
7. Kid Cudi - Indicud (March)
8. Natalie Maines - Mother (May)
9. Bad Religion - True North (1/22)
10. Ra Ra Riot - Beta Love (1/22)
11. Johnny Marr - The Messenger (1/26)

What albums did I leave off?  What are your most anticipated?

Buy the best of 2012 here!

The 11 Best Songs By Kid CuDi

Kid CuDi is daring to go where no rapper has ever gone before (successfully)...into the world of rock.  Many have tried.  Most have failed.  Ice-T tried to do it with Body Count.  If not for the song Cop Killer...they would have been forgotten.  Lil Wayne tried it.  Rebirth was still born.  Everlast came the closest but it's arguable whether he was even a real rapper in the first place.  Even the over-hyped soundtrack to the film Judgement Night was no more than a novelty.  For all of you who just piped to say "hey, I liked that album," I call bullshit.  You hated it...that's why you haven't listened to it in 18 years.

Will Kid Cudi succeed where the others have failed?  History suggests yes.  But trends are meant to be broken.  Actresses-turned-singers were a joke until we met Zooey Deschanel.  Maybe it's WZRD's turn to reinvent what an artist can do.

Here are the 11 Best Songs By Kid CuDi:

1. Sountrack 2 My Life (Man On The Moon)
2. Simple As...  (Man On The Moon)
3. Mr. Rager  (Man On The Moon II)
4. Scott Mescudi vs. the World (Man On The Moon II)
5. Up Up & Away (Man On The Moon)
6. Erase Me (Man On The Moon II)
7. Cudderisback ft. Vampire Weekend (Mixtape)
8. CuDi Zone (Man On The Moon)
9. Enter Galactic (Man On The Moon II)
10. Day 'N' Nite (Man On The Moon)
11. Make Her Say (Man On The Moon II)

Buy Kid Cudi's new rock album...WZRD...now!!

The Best Albums of 2010 (#12-#22)

Our list continues...one day to go.

Get me your top albums of the year...pronto.  Remember...your top 20...your top 10...or your top 7...or 2...whatever you liked.  It's up to you.

And visit our $5 store to keep the blog alive.

Here are the Best Albums of 2010 (#12-#22):

12. Kid Cudi – Man on the Moon II (Maybe)
13. She & Him – Volume II (I Knew It Would Happen This Way)
14. The National – High Violet (Bloodbuzz Ohio Live)
15. Crocodiles – Sleep Forever
16. Against Me! – White Crosses (Bob Dylan's Dream)
17. Kanye West – My Dark Twisted Fantasy
18. LCD Soundsystem – This Is Happening
19. The Hold Steady – Heaven is Whenever
20. Janelle Monae – ArchAndroid
21. Bruce Springsteen – The Promise
22. Junip – Fields

Buy these albums and more now!

The 11 Best Albums of 2009: 34-44 (Part 2)

With the end of decade sending everyone scrambling to make decade topping lists, let's not forget all the good music that made this year one of the better musical years of the decade.

Don't forget to vote in our annual "best of." Just send us your top 20 albums of the year...or as many as you can think of, if you can't think of 20. We take all albums...all genres...just be sure they were released in 2009. To vote, just put your list in the comments section of the blog...or email us.


Here 11 Best Albums of 2009: 34-44 (Part 2):

34. Moby - Wait for Me (Shot In The Back of the Head) - only $5.00
35. Kid Cudi - Man on the Moon
36. Au Revoir Simone - Still Night, Still Light - only $5.00
37. Rodrigo y Gabriela - 11:11 -only $5.00
38. Julian Plenti - Julian Plenti...is a Skyscraper
39. Cursive - Mama, I'm Swollen (What Have I Done)
40. Green Day - 21st Century Breakdown (East Jesus Nowhere)
41. The Editors - In This Light and On This Evening
42. Great Lake Swimmers - Lost Channels
43. Bob Dylan - Together Through Life
44. Alice in Chains - Black Gives Way To Blue