The 11 Best Portishead Songs:

Hilary vs. Obama vs. McCain.

Everything you hear on the news is that Hilary and Obama are destroying the Democratic party, while McCain silently floats along in he background. Hilary and Obama are on the front page of the news paper every day...and this is a bad thing. McCain is on the back page, yet this is a good thing. Obama and Hilary lead the nightly news stories, they are the center of all political debate, and their ideologies are getting showcased on a habitual basis. Yet, McCain, who has been silent as a dead man, is the more viable candidate. Have these people forgotten that there is no such thing as bad publicity. And I'll tell you what...bad publicity is better than no publicity. Americans forget. Quickly.

To prove my point, who was the Democratic Presidential candidate in the last election? Raise your hand if you already forgot.

Here are the 11 Best Portishead Songs:

1. Roads (Dummy)
2. Sour Times (Dummy)
3. Half-Day Closing (Portishead)
4. Numb (Dummy)
5. All Mine (Portishead)
6. Wandering Star (Dummy)
7. Mysterons (Dummy)
8. Undenied (Portishead)
9. Pedestal (Dummy)
10. Cowboys (Portishead)
11. A Tribute To Monk and Canatella (Sour Times)

Pre-Order Portishead's new album, Third. Street Date: Tuesday, April 29.

The 11 Best Blind Melon Songs

This week saw a changing of the guards. A new leader emerged. A new face was put on the front of a tradition. Some saw this as a sign of the times. Many thought this was a travesty. They said a sacred heritage had been trampled on. The new leader did not belong. The new leader was not welcome. And for the past week...they've been letting her have it.

I'm talking of course about Danica Patrick's first Indy Car win in the Indy Japan 300. This week, she became first woman to ever win a closed course race in the heavily male-dominated sport of Indy car racing. Immediately, the news channels and online authorities jumped to attention in order to downplay her win. It wasn't an important race. It didn't really matter. Nobody really cares.

But last year, when Tony Kanaan won the Indy Japan 300, it was big news and he was cheered for it. Why was it an accomplishment for a man to win in a cock-filled sport, but just a footnote when the first woman...EVER...wins?

Everybody stop talking for a second. So what if it's not the Indy 500...she still won...beating MALE DRIVERS who are all supposedly better than her. Patrick's win is huge. Monumental. History-making. Anyone who believes or says otherwise is just flat out wrong.

End of discussion.

Be sure to buy the new Blind Melon album (yes...a new album)...featuring new singer, Travis Warren. I'm shocked to say this...but it's actually a good album.

Here are the 11 Best Blind Melon Songs:

1. Galaxie (Soup)
2. Soul One (Nico)
3. Change (Blind Melon)
4. Walk (Soup)
5. Candy Says (B-Side)
6. Mouthful of Cavities (Soup)
7. St. Andrew's Hall (Nico)
8. Soak The Sin (Blind Melon)
9. Pull (Nico)
10. Time (Blind Melon)
11. Soup (Nico)

Who says people can't change? Here's my Blind Melon Top 11 from 2 years ago to compare.

THE UNKNOWN: Everclear - Sparkle and Fade - Disc 2

For those of you who read my blog know I can sometimes go days without doing a post. Most of the time, the posts are themed to big releases for the week. April 1st (no joke) saw R.E.M.'s new CD hit shelves, therefore we dedicated a week to them. But this week saw a very minimal release schedule. Granted the new Neva Dinova is definitely worth getting excited about but there just wasn't enough material to do a fair list. Therefore, the only other appetite wetting artists was Everclear. No...not the alcohol Everclear...that's appetite erasing. But the 90s grunge band, led by 75-year-old Art Alexaxzisfeihsaois. Who, despite the general consensus, haven't always sucked...Fire Maple Song was good. But this week they are releasing an album of covers. Which always has an intriguing factor. Only Everclear found a way to screw it up. Most of the covers are old B-sides that have been around for years...so major yawn.

I was going to try to do a best of list...but didn't have the patience to weed through all their crap. Instead, a hidden gem that is surprising good.

Here is Everclear - Sparkle and Fade - Disc 2 (live acoustic):

1. Heroin Girl
2. Summerland
3. Annabella
4. Sparkle
5. Heartspark Dollarsign
6. American Girl

Buy the new Everclear album (The Vegas Years) if you dare....

The 11 Worst R.E.M. Non-Album Tracks:

The challenge was if R.E.M. went to #1...I would post the 11 best b-sides...but since it didn't (only #2) you're going to have to settle for second best. Sorry...we'll try again on the next album.

The 11 Worst R.E.M. Non-Album Tracks:

1. Chance (Dub)
2. Tom's ?
3. Dark Globe
4. Lion Sleeps Tonight
5. Dragging The Line
6. The Great Beyond
7. Dream A Little Dream
8. Witchita Lineman
9. Love is All around
10. Funtime
11. It's a Free World Baby

Try again to make R.E.M. #1....buy Accelerate now!

The 11 Best Moby Songs:

Charlton Heston died this past weekend. I was discussing with my friends which were his best movies. Obviously, Ten Commandments...Planet of the Apes, Soylent Green, and Ben-Hur. But I threw in Bowling for Columbine. My friends rained down all manner of criticism upon me. How could I be so disrespectful at such a sorrowful time? Honestly, I don't think I was. Bowling For Columbine was an Oscar winning film. (Heston's touch was a big part of that) It's currently the fifth highest grossing documentary of all time. Armageddon is Heston's only other big box office feature and it doesn't even crack the top 50. And B4C was a cultural phenomenon. People get too touchy when it comes to political beliefs. A good film is a good film despite if it's made by a anti-semitic nut job (Apocalypto). And a good album is a good album...even if the singer is well...a bit off kilter.

Here are The 11 Best Moby Songs:

1. God Moving Over The Face of the World (Everything Is Wrong)
2. Everytime You Touch Me (Everything Is Wrong)
3. At Least We Tried (18)
4. Sunday (The Day Before My Birthday) (18)
5. Move (Move single)
6. Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad? (Play)
7. When It's Cold I'd Like To Die (Everything Is Wrong)
8. Where You End (Hotel)
9. Porcelain (Play)
10. James Bond Theme (I Like To Score)
11. Go (Moby)

Buy Moby's New CD, LAST NIGHT.

The 11 Best In Rainbows Side Tracks

In Rainbows may be the most groundbreaking album of the decade. Just take a look at the milestones broken with this album.

1. A pay as little as you want for a complete download of an album. Even free.
2. Officially release an album on the internet months before a physical copy.
3. Sell a B-side album as a companion to the official release
4. Release multiple Live versions/alternate versions of the actual album. (Scotch Mist/BBC/IR Webcasts)
5. Allow the Release of a Remix Album (Amplive)
6. And this week...they officially released all the tracks for a single song (NUDE) and are allowing the fans to remix the song and compete for best remix.

Note to all record companies: Embrace the internet.

Buy In Rainbows now!

The 11 Best In Rainbows Side Tracks:

1. Down Is the New Up (In Rainbows Disc 2)
2. The Headmaster Ritual (In Rainbows Webcast)
3. Last Flowers (In Rainbows Disc 2)
4. Ceremony (In Rainbows Webcast)
5. Video Tapez (Amplive Remix)
6. Bangers + Mash (In Rainbows Disc 2)
7. Nudez (Amplive Remix)
8. 15 Steps (Scotch Mist Version)
9. Bodysnatcher (Live at the BBC)
10. Jigsaw (Scotch Mist Version)
11. Reckoner (LoveTongueAttack Bmore Remix)

The 11 Best R.E.M. Non-Album Instrumental Tracks

In the past I've been better about compiling the B-Sides and Non-Album tracks. But R.E.M.'s career is too expansive. There's too many tracks. And in fact, I don't have them all. So I would feel dishonest about trying to create B-side albums without all the possible tracks available. So I've split the NA tracks into two categories...regular and instrumentals.

If and only if...R.E.M.'s album goes to number one, I'll post the second half with all the regular B-Sides. So you better buy the album. RIGHT HERE.

(BTW, the missing links are tracks I do not have...not sure why...I just never was able to get my hands on them...BUT I have heard them...hence the inclusion.)

The 11 Best R.E.M. Non-Album Instrumental Tracks:

1. Winged Mammal Theme
2. New Orleans Instrumental #2
3. Tricycle
4. Rotary 11
5. Fruity Organ
6. Surfing the Ganges
7. Mandolin Strum
8. Emphysema
9. Last Date
10. 165 Hillcrest
11. 2JN