THE UNKNOWN: R.E.M. - Live at the 40 Watt

I'm sorry about the half-post. I thought I had this whole concert. In fact I know I have this whole concert...I just have no idea where the single to Bang and Blame is. I just listened to the complete CD a few months back...now the files are mysteriously missing from my computer and the CD has vanished from my collection. I think our maids stole it. So here's the first half...and I promise to look for the CD and fill in the gaps...at least I hope I can.

Here's R.E.M.'s performance from the 40 Watt club in 92. Though this isn't all the songs...it's the actual release that WB put out on the B-Sides of CD singles for Monster.

THE UNKNOWN: R.E.M. - Live at the 40 Watt:

1. Drive (not Officially Released)
2. Monty Got A Raw Deal (What's The Frequency Kenneth?)
3. Everybody Hurts (What's The Frequency Kenneth?)
4. Man on the Moon (What's The Frequency Kenneth?)
5. Losing My Religion (Bang & Blame)
6. Country Feedback (Bang & Blame)
7. Begin The Begin (Bang & Blame)
8. Fall On Me (Crush With Eyeliner)
9. Me In Honey (Crush With Eyeliner)
10. Finest Worksong (Crush With Eyeliner)
11. Drive (Strange Currencies)
12. Love Is All Around (not Officially Released)
13. Funtime (Strange Currencies)
14. Radio Free Europe (Strange Currencies)

The 11 Best R.E.M. Songs - The IRS Years

In 17 days, people will be lining up at every post office in the country as if Led Zeppelin reunion tickets were going sale. Lines will stretch down the street like the food kitchens on Thanksgiving Day. For one reason and one reason only: to pay their taxes. Now, most people will be paying taxes that are equivalent of the price of Led Zeppelin tickets (and no you can't write that off). And they will be bitching and complaining that the government is stealing their hard earned money. It's their money...they should be able to do whatever they want with it. They will bitch about this after they leave the post office, while driving on a "paved road, " which is kept safe by a "co-ordinated light signal." They will be driving in a car that has been put through numerous "safety tests" so as it doesn't blow up while driving. They will luckily avoid most accidents since the "police" and "ambulance drivers" will take care of any problem when it occurs. They will get home and watch "free" TV, drink "treated" water, eat "FDA-approved" food., while their country is being kept safe from "invading ninjas" (seriously, it's a real problem). So bitch up, America! It's your freedom to do so.

Here are the 11 Best R.E.M. Songs - The IRS Years:

1. These Days (Life's Rich Pageant)
2. Driver 8 (Fables of the Reconstruction)
3. The One I Love (Document)
4. Pretty Persuasion (Reckoning)
5. So. Central Rain (Reckoning)
6. Begin The Begin (Life's Rich Pageant)
7. I Believe (Life's Rich Pageant)
8. Carnival of Sorts (Chronic Town)
9. Harborcoat (Reckoning)
10. Sitting Still (Murmur)
11. It's the End of the World As We Know It (Document)

ACCELERATE!
ACCELERATE!
ACCELERATE!
ACCELERATE!

The 11 Best R.E.M. Songs of the Warner Bros. Era

Going pro is one of the hardest decisions a college basketball player will ever make. You want to make yourself eligible for the NBA draft at the right time in your college career. If you jump out too early, you may have a limited career at best (Dajuan Wagner). Or if you wait too long, you college career may do more harm than good (Toby Bailey). A college star needs to balance a solid college career with NBA hype. When either of those is off centre, then the NBA future will be definitely shaky.

Who of these players is ready for primetime? And who is not?

Mayo, Rose, Beasley, Love, Gordon, Walker, Bayless, Singler?

Here are the 11 Best R.E.M. Songs of the Warner Bros. Era:

1. Country Feedback (Out of Time)
2. Losing My Religion (Out of Time)
3. Orange Crush (Green)
4. Pop Song 89 (Green)
5. Drive (Automatic For The People)
6. Low (Out of Time)
7. Leave (New Adventures in Hi-Fi)
8. Ignoreland (Automatic For The People)
9. Texarkana (Out of Time)
10. Circus Envy (Monster)
11. World Leader Pretend (Green)

Buy The New R.E.M. album ACCELERATE.

The 11 Best R.E.M. Songs of the Post-Bill Berry Era

The N.I.T. Who the hell cares about the N.I.T? A bunch of mediocre college basketball teams competing to establish who is the least mediocre. What's the point? To prove that you don't suck as much as another team who wasn't good enough to make the NCAA tournament? That's like a bunch of blind people competing in a dart competition. Does it really matter who wins?

If they really wanted to make the N.I.T. interesting, they should invite the 32 worst teams in college basketball. And instead of the winning team moving onto the next round, the losing team moves on to play another losing team. This would continue on until one team loses all of their games. That team would be crowned the worst team in college basketball. Now that would be an amusing sporting event to watch!

Here are The 11 Best R.E.M. Songs of the Post-Bill Berry Era:

1. Parakeet (Up)
2. Final Straw (Around The Sun)
3. Walk Unafraid (Up)
4. The Apologist (Up)
5. I'll Take the Rain (Reveal)
6. Disappear (Reveal)
7. The Outsiders (Around The Sun)
8. Leaving New York (Around The Sun)
9. #9 Dream (Instant Karma)
10. She Wants To Be (Reveal)
11. At My Most Beautiful (Up)

Buy The Special Edition of R.E.M.'s new album ACCELERATE with 5 great bonus tracks (FOR under $10)

P.S. - All The Right Friends and Bad Day aren't eligible since they are just remakes of old songs.

The 11 Best R.E.M. Albums

How many of you still have all your final four teams? All of you who actually thought Duke would do anything in the tournament with Greg Paulus...sit down. Georgetown's best player last year was not Hibbert, it was Jeff Green who is now in the NBA. But nice try. Notre Dame was one player strong. Pitt burst their wad in the Big East Tournament. The ACC sucked this year. Clemson was a 10 seed at best.

Only Uconn would have been a smart pick to still be dancing. But Uconn's PG blew out his knee (otherwise they would have taken out UCLA).

Here are the 11 Best R.E.M. Albums:

1. Life's Rich Pageant
2. Reckoning
3. Murmur
4. Green
5. Out of Time
6. Automatic For The People
7. Fables of Reconstruction
8. Document
9. Dead Letter Office
10. Monster
11. New Adventures in Hi-Fi

THE UNKNOWN: R.E.M. - MTV Unplugged

I have been distant. I have been withdrawn. I know I had surgery. But something more important...something more life-changing has been distracting me for the past few weeks. It is the NCAA basketball tournament. One of the greatest...if not greatest sporting events of all time. 65 college basketball teams compete in a single-elimination tournament. One missed shot...one extra turnover...one extra free throw can spell the difference between getting to play another game and going home until next season...or some cases...forever.

But now that the "madness" has lulled until Thursday...I have time to get back into my blogging.

A week from today...on April First (and it's not a joke), R.E.M. is set to release their 15th album. That's right 15 albums. Some bands are lucky to get to record 15 songs. R.E.M. has proven that they aren't some flash in the pan indie rock band. They are in fact, one of the greatest rock bands of all time.

This entire week will be dedicated to R.E.M. coming up with every list imaginable about the band. But today...no list. Instead, how about a Happy post-Easter treat.

Here is R.E.M.'s performance from MTV Unplugged. And a hidden classic at that...

1. World Leader Pretend
2. Half a World Away
3. Disturbance At Heron House
4. Swan Swan H
5. Radio Song
6. Low
7. Perfect Circle
8. Fall On Me
9. Belong
10. Love is all Around
11. End of the World
12. Losing My Religion
13. Pop Song 89
14. Summertime

Here's the deal. In order to get more R.E.M. goodies...you must buy the new album, Accelerate, by the band. (less than $10 here) Don't burn it from a friend. Don't get it off bittorent. Don't put your ear to the wall and listen to your neighbor's copy. Go buy your own. If I see that a lot of people are going out and buying the album (and I can tell by all your clicks), I will continue to post great stuff. If not...this will become Bryan Adams week. And trust me, the last thing you want is 11 different versions of Run To You.

The 11 Best Snoop Dogg & Dr. Dre Duets

Why is prostitution illegal? Who gets hurt in the process? The prostitutes who make $100 an hour? Hell, that's more than I make. The Pimps who get a percentage of the take? Are they really doing anything different than an agent or lawyer? The people who pay the prostitutes? Well, if you go out on a casual date you could spend more on dinner and a movie and still not get laid. At least with a "pro," you go home satisfied. A recent report announces 1 in 4 teens have a STD. Whereas if you have sex with a prostitute, you're chances of catching something is 1 in 20. You could say it's because of the social stigma. If that's the case, then why is one of the most watched reality shows about hookers? Why do we worship rappers who act like pimps and rap about hooker sex?

Who really cares? Oh that's right...Jesus cares? But wait...isn't that a tad hypocritical, considering his girlfriend was a hooker?

Here are the 11 Best Snoop Dogg & Dr. Dre Duets:

1. Nuthin' But a G Thang (The Chronic)
2. Who Am I? (Doggystyle)
3. Still D.R.E. (2001)
4. Deep Cover (Deep Cover Soundtrack)
5. On the Blvd. (The Wash Soundtrack)
6. Bitch Please 2 (The Marshall Mathers LP)
7. Chin Check (N.W.A. Reunion)
8. Lil Ghetto Boy (The Chronic)
9. The Next Episode (2001)
10. The Wash (The Wash Soundtrack)
11. Wit Dre Day (The Chronic)

Buy Snoop Dogg's new CD (Ego Trippin').

The 11 Best Black Crowes Related Albums

It's championship week. For all of you out there who plan to fill out brackets in your office pool, this week's games are crucial in deciding who will go to the tournament. If you haven't watched any basketball games all year...this is the week to start catching up. Watching the league tournaments will be a great asset in helping you fill out your brackets. You'll notice why some teams will excel and others fail.

One thing I've noticed over the years, from being a big college basketball fan, experience counts...and those who have played longer tend to know how to win and stick around...

Here are the 11 Best Black Crowes Related Albums:

1. Shake Your Money Maker
2. Amorica
3. Lions (FREE w/ subscription to Emusic)
4. Live at the Greek
5. Lost Crowes
6. Southern Harmony and Musical Companion
7. The Robinson Brothers - Brothers of a Feather (FREE w/ subscription to Emusic)
8. Chris Robinson - This Magnificent Distance
9. Three Snakes and One Charm
10. Chris Robinson - New Earth Mud
11. By Your Side

The 11 Best Black Crowes Songs

How did the Black Crowes make it? They came out in the glam-laced big hair of the 80s...they had big hits in the flannel-wearing 90s...but they sound like a band who took a time machine into the future from the 70s. I don't think there is any other band out there who sounded less like the popular musical style of the day and still somehow found a way to be successful. Not only did these guys have a hit...or two...they had three very prominent stoner-friendly albums that somehow found themselves sandwiched between Snoop Dogg and Candlebox on the pop music charts. (Who's Candlebox? Ask your parents) Somehow...20 years later (yep, it's their 20th year) the Black Crowes have remained relevant, popular, and most importantly...respected.

Here are the 11 Best Black Crowes Songs:

1. Remedy (Southern Harmony and Musical Companion)
2. She Talks To Angels (Shake Your Money Maker)
3. Descender (Amorica)
4. Seeing Things (Shake Your Money Maker)
5. Jealous Again (Shake Your Money Maker)
6. Wiser Time (Amorica)
7. Hard To Handle (Shake Your Money Maker)
8. My Morning Song (Southern Harmony and Musical Companion)
9. Lay It All On Me (Lions)
10. Waitin' Guilty (Money Maker B-Side)
11. Hotel Illness (Southern Harmony and Musical Companion)

Purchase the new Black Crowes album, Warpaint...you won't be sorry.

THE UNKNOWN: The Black Crowes - Rustic Cabin Evergreen Woods

Everybody out there who is on Facebook raise their hand. Okay, everybody who isn't on Facebook, go join then come back and read the following.

Recently I found an old high school buddy on Facebook: Dave C. or as we called him him...Super Dave. Super Dave could and would do anything. Super Dave could pound a 6-pack of beer then surf his friend's station wagon at 30 mph. Super Dave could eat a 3-foot long Subway sandwich then run a mile in under 6 minutes. Super Dave once talked a police officer out of arresting him for driving naked and drunk. Super Dave was Super. I can't tell you how happy I was to find Super Dave and add him as a friend. I instantly emailed him and asked him what was up...surely he was doing things I could only dream of. This was his reply...

Hey guy, I'm married with 3 little girls. I'm a statistician now. Off to ballet class...talk soon.

The dream is dead.

Band reunions are like finding "super daves" on Facebook. At first you're excited...but they are always letdowns.

The Black Crowes - Rustic Cabin Evergreen Woods

1. Rainy Day Woman #12 and #35
2. Don't Wake Me
3. Waitin' Guilty
4. Somebody's On Your Case
5. 99 lbs.
6. Song of the Flesh
7. Just Say You're Sorry
8. Sunday Buttermilk Waltz
9. It Must Be Over
10. You Don't Have to Go
11. Darling of the Underground Press
12. Mellow Down Easy

Buy the new Black Crowes album Warpaint (despite my rant...it's very good) - circuit city is the cheapest on the net right now.

The 11 Best Stephen Malkmus Songs

This is my first post after shoulder surgery two weeks ago. It's amazing how we take for granted what we have. You can't even imagine how much your life changes with one arm incapacitated. Don't believe me...try making lunch with only one hand. You'll understand pretty quickly. Since I'm writing with one hand...this will be brief...

Here are the 11 Best Stephen Malkmus songs:

1. JoJo's Jacket (Stephen Malkmus)
2. Phantasies (Stephen Malkmus)
3. Trouble (Stephen Malkmus)
4. Dynamic Calories (Dark Wave EP)
5. Post-Paint Boy (Face The Truth)
6. Discretion Grove (Stephen Malkmus)
7. Fractions and Feelings (Dark Wave EP)
8. Dark Wave (Pig Lib)
9. Ballad of a Thin Man (I'm Not There soundtrack)
10. The Hook (Stephen Malkmus)
11. Church on White (Stephen Malkmus)

Buy Stephen's new album here.

Get two new Jicks MP3 songs free: Cold Sun and Baltimore