The 11 Best Songs of 2010

Even though I'm not a huge fan of the digital world...even though I'm not a huge fan of Apple...I can't help but find myself loving the new Apple TV.  It takes making mixes to the next level.  Even better than an ipod.  I have 100,000 songs.  Now, all my playlists have instant access to all my music at any time.  I guess for every two steps back...there is one step forward.

There's still time to get me your best albums of the year lists.  Just put your list it in the comment section.  I'll get it.  I swear.  Your top twenty...or however many albums you loved/liked this year.

Have a happy holiday.

Here are the 11 Best Songs of 2010 (according to me):

1.  I Was A Teeange Anarchist - Against Me!
2.  Tighten Up - The Black Keys
3.  Suburban War - The Arcade Fire
4.  Fuck You - Cee-Lo Green
5.  Conversation 16 - The National
6.  Odessa - Caribou
7.  Soft In The Center - The Hold Steady
8.  Monster - Kanye West
9.  You Wanted A Hit - LCD Soundsystem
10.  Crossed Wires - Superchunk
11.  How I Got Over - The Roots

Honorable Mentions (Bonus list!):

Never Tear Us Apart - Beck's Record Club
End Love - OKGo
Cold War - Janelle Monae
Erase Me - Kid Cudi
Punching in a Dream - The Naked and Famous

Buy these songs & others now!

The Unknown: Ryan Adams at KCRW

All week I have scoured the city for a hard copy of the new Ryan Adams album.  Best Buy (the once best place in town to buy new CDs) had it on back order.  But they had a dozen of the new Bryan Adams. True story!  I went to Target, they didn't have it either.  I went to three independent music stores.  None of them had it.  I ended up buying it on Amazon.  Certain albums I don't mind getting digitally...but I have found I give more attention to an album when I get the hard copy of it.  That's why I wanted the Ryan Adams.  With two discs...it was a lot to absorb and would get lost in my 95,000 MP3 song library.  I would have bought the pre-order on Pax-Am, the record label...but they were sold out.  I almost didn't buy the album because I couldnt find it.  It's like the music industry is working overtime to fail.  I just don't get it.

Here is Ryan Adams at KCRW:

1.  Two
2.  The Sun Also Sets
3.  Once Whatever
4.  Everybody Knows
5.  I Taught Myself How To Grow Old
6.  Sweet Caroline
7.  Stars Go Blue
8.  Come Pick Me Up
9.  Down In A Hole
10.  Morning Becomes Eclectic Ditty
11.  Pearls on A String
12.  How Do You Keep Love Alive

Buy Ryan Adams' new album, III/IV...now!!

The 11 Best Songs By Ryan Adams & The Cardinals

It's been three years since we've seen any new material from Ryan Adams.  That's an insane drought from a guy that released a five new albums a year for most of the decade.  Sure, there was Orion (get it?  O Ryan)...but does that really count?  Then there was the Pax-AM single series...but then again...I don't even know anyone who was lucky enough to score a copy of any of the singles.  And, even now, the new Ryan Adams & the Cardinals album, III/IV is really just a bunch of leftover tracks.  Leftover Ryan Adams is like leftover pizza...at worst...it's still pizza.

Here are the 11 Best Songs By Ryan Adams & The Cardinals:


1. If I Am A Stranger (Cold Roses)
2. Don't Fail Me Now (Jacksonville City Nights)
3. How Do You Keep Love Alive (Cold Roses)
4. Sweet Illusions (Cold Roses)
5. Always On My Mind (Jacksonville City Nights B-Side)
6. Majik (Cardinology)
7. These Girls (Easy Tiger)
8. Meadowlake Street (Cold Roses)
9. The Hardest Part (Jacksonville City Nights)
10. Fix It (Cardinology
11. Let It Ride (Cold Roses)


Buy the new double album, III/IV...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 Best Albums of 2010 (#23-#33)

Today I said goodbye to Emusic.  It's strangely symbollic that exactly 5 years ago today, I signed up for emusic.  For most of you that don't know and have been living with a 14.4 modem since the mid-90s, emusic was a pay service for music.  You pay them $10 a month and you were allowed to download 40 songs a month.  Over the years it changed...it went to $12 a month for 30 songs.  A little stiffer price but still cheaper than anywhere else on the net.  And as time went on, the site's catalog grew. 

Recently, the site ended the pay-for-credits method in lieu of...pay-for-money method.  Don't ask...I still don't get it.  Now, you pay a monthly fee, let's say $11.99 and you get $11.99 in credit to the store.  Makes no sense.  Isn't that just the same as buying the tracks?  Which is identical to every other site on the net, right?  Only on Emusic...if you don't spend your money by the end of the month...you don't get to roll it over.  You don't get it back.  They keep it.

Why the change over?  Well, they added 250,000 new tracks by major label artists while dumping great indie labels like Merge.  So, basically, they dumped the music I wanted for the music I already owned.  I have no reason to stick around.  It's like breaking up with a girl.  The kind who were super cool in the first few months, then as the years grew on, they stopped trying and got fat and lazy.  It's hard to walk away...but it's sadly the right thing to do.

Here are the best albums of 2010 (23-33):

23. Jonsi – Go

24. Broken Bells – Broken Bells
25. Minus The Bear – Omni (Your Private Sky)
26. Gaslight Anthem – American Slang (Acoustic)
27. John Legend & The Roots – Wake Up
28. Bad Religion – Dissent of Man (Cyanide)
29. Free Energy – Stuck on Nothin’
30. Girl Talk – All Day  (FREE!)
31. Big Boi – Sir Lucious Left Foot
32. Jenny & Johnny – I’m Having Fun Now
33. Ra Ra Riot – The Orchard

Buy these albums and more now!!

The Best Albums of 2010 (#34-#44)

As the countdown to my favorite albums of 2010...I still want to hear yours.

Just send me your list of favorite music.  It can be 1or 2 albums...it can be 10...or even 20.  Send whatever you want.  I will compile everyone's lists into one master list and post it at the end of the year.

Until then, check our updated $5 store for a lot of great cheap deals.

Here The Best Albums of 2010 (#34-#44):

34. Les Savy Fav – Root For Ruin

35. Sleigh Bells – Treats
36. Gayngs – Relayted
37. Charlotte Gainsburg – IRM
38. Tokyo Police Club – Champ
39. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – Mojo
40. Peter Gabriel – Scratch My Back
41. Corin Tucker – 1,000 Years
42. Efterklang – Magic Chairs
43. Anais Mitchell – Hadestown
44. Deer Tick – The Black Dirt Sessions

Buy these albums and other great music from 2010 now!!

The 11 Best Songs By Daft Punk

Pushing forward to the end of the year, it's time for me to do a little pandering to my lovely peeps.  That's you...stand up and take a bow. 

Running this site isn't free.  Nor do I have hours of unlimited time to host lists and very cool MP3s.  Don't get me wrong...I love doing it.  But it would be nice that it wasn't a money-losing venture for me.  Anyway...all I ask is if you can get the time...cruise through my store and see if there's any music out there you like.  I get a small  (and I mean very small) percentage of each purchase.  But every purchase adds up.

Happy holidays and all that jazz.

Here are the 11 Best Songs By Daft Punk:

1.  Something About Us (Discovery)
2.  Human After All (Human After All)
3.  One More Time (Discovery)
4.  Robot Rock (Human After All)
5.  Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger (Discovery)
6.  Face To Face (Discovery)
7.  Da Funk (Homework)
8.  Television Rules The Nation (Human After All)
9.  Digital Love (Discovery)
10.  Around The World (Homework)
11.  Veridis Quo (Discovery)

Buy Daft Punk's Soundtrack to Tron: Legacy...now!!  (only $3.99 for a super limited time)

The Best Albums of 2010 (#45-#55)

It's that time of the year again.  Time for the "Best of" lists!  It's the time for all us music bloggers to take all the countless hours of listening to music and pour it through our collective strainers.  But don't take our word for it...it's time for your opinions, too.

I want all of you to send me your 20 best albums of 2010. The only rule is that the album had to be released in 2010.  It could be any album from any aritist in any genre.  I just want to know your favorites.  I will then tally everyone's lists into a mega-master list of 111 albums.  If you can't think of 20...then send 10...or just 5.  And if you only like 1 album.  That's okay, too...just send that.

Just post your favorites in the comment section.  Or PM me.  Thanks...and keep listening.

Here are the best albums of 2010 (#45-55):

45. Jimmy Eat World – Invented

46. Kings of Leon – Come Around Sundown
47. Darkstar – North
48. O. Children – O. Children
49. Fistful of Mercy – As I Call You Down
50. The Orb & David Gilmour – Metallic Spheres
51. Bonobo - Black Sands
52. Film School – Fission
53. Josh Ritter – So The World Runs Away
54. Linkin Park – A Thousand Suns
55. Vampire Weekend – Contra

Buy these albums and more ...now!!

Free Music Friday: Girl Talk (Thanksgiving Edition)

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

This Thankgsgiving, I am thankful for free music.  I am thankful for Greg Gillis and Girl Talk.  I am thankful that Girl Talk makes some of the best running mixes ever.  I am thankful that Girl Talk makes some of the music I can't stand...actually listenable.

Have a great holiday and be sure to celebrate America with Black Friday.

Get Girl Talk's new album...All Day.  For free.  Absolutely free...no strings attached.

The 11 Best Songs By Kanye West

Is Kanye West an asshole...or just a rock star?  Or, is it a requirement that a rock be an asshole?  How many lead singers are introverted, shy guys?   It takes a certain personality to want to be on stage in front of the thousands of people wanting them to cheer for them.  If you really thing about it, all singers are narcissist to some degree.  Yet, we find it so surprising when a lead singer acts like a narcissist.  Big personalities make big music.  Small personalities don't make it at all.

Here are the 11 Best Songs By Kanye West:

1. Diamonds From Sierra Leone Remix w/ Jay-Z (Late Registration)

2. Stronger (Graduation)
3. Jesus Walks (College Drop-Out)
4. Touch The Sky (Late Registration)
5. Golddigger (Late Registration)
6. Never Let Me Down (College Drop-Out)
7. Roses (Late Registration)
8. Heartless (808s & Heartbreak)
9. Homecoming (Graduation)
10. Amazing (808s & Heartbreak)
11. Through The Wire (College Drop-Out)

Buy Kanye West's new album, Dark Twisted Fantasy...now! (only $3.99...for a super limited time)

The 11 Best Bruce Springsteen Songs of the 00s:

There are certain albums that come along in a band's career that are above comparison.  For me, these would include The Cure's Disintegration, GNR's Appetite For Destruction, Michael Jackson's Thriller, and Pearl Jam's Ten.  These artistss have all had good careers and churned tons of great music, but these albums remain their zenith of perfection.  Each an untouchable album of pristine quality.  Bruce Springsteen's The Rising would also fall into this category.  That may be a surprising thing to say considering the momumental albums that the Boss has given to the world...Born To Run, Nebraska, Born in the USA, Darkness.  Each great.  Each an amazing album.  But to me, the Rising was something else.

The Rising was a moment in time.  America was reeling in post-tramatic stress from the 9/11 hijackings.  We didn't know how we felt and we didn't know how to feel.  One man said it all for us perfectly.  Bruce Springsteen put out an album of emotions that embodied what everyone was feeling.  Everything that we had bottled up, he let out.  He didn't shy away from hurt, from pain, or from anger.  He said everything we felt, and he felt everything we said.  Musically, it soared.  Lyrically, it was grounded.  There has really never been any other rock album in history that managed to capture a moment in American history as much as this album by Bruce.

How do you compare his other music to this?  You can't.  That doesn't mean he didn't make other good contributions.  This past decade was one of his busiest decades of his entire career.  He put out 9 albums!  While, everything was very overshadowed by The Rising...he still had some great music that should not be overlooked.

Just as epic as Darkness on the Edge of Town is...the songs that didn't make the album, have just as much going for them.  Be sure to check out the Promise...even if you're just a casual Bruce fan.  You won't be disappointed.

The 11 Best Songs By Bruce Springsteen:


1. 41 Shots (Live in New York City)
2. The Hitter (Devils + Dust)
3. Eyes on the Prize (We Shall Overcome)
4. Magic (Magic)
5. Outlaw Pete (Working on A Dream)
6. Radio Nowhere (Magic)
7. Devils + Dust (Devils + Dust)
8. Last To Die (Magic)
9. The Wrestler (Working on A Dream)
10. All The Way Home (Devils + Dust)
11. Life Itself (Working on A Dream)

Buy Bruce Springsteen's new release, The Promise...now!!

The 11 Best Songs By Cee-Lo Green

I was discussing...more like debating...with a friend the merits of  Cee-Lo's hit song, "Fuck You!"  I personally think it's an awesome song.  I think the profanity perfectly exhibits that frustrated high school sentiment of sitting in your room learning that the girl you have a crush on is going out with the biggest douche bag in your class.  We've all been there.  My friend disagrees.  Though he likes the music and the tone of the song...even the sentiment, he thinks the profanity ultimately ruins the timelessness of the song.  It goes from potentially be a smash hit to a novelity.    He used the example...imagine if Michael Jackson's "Beat It" was really called "Fuck It."  Would the song be huge?  For sake of conversation, let's say he meant "Fuck off" not fuck it...since Fuck it and Beat It have two totally different meanings.  That said...how would that affect the song?  It's a valid question.  I don't think the song would be as good.  But that's because that song didn't need the profanity to be a good song.  Just as the Beatles "I Want To Hold Your Hand" didn't need it.  Or U2's "Pride" didn't need it.  But there are times that profanity actually makes a song better.  Pearl Jam's "Jeremy" is just that much better because of the speed-mumbled line "harmless little fuck."  And that's a classic.  Rage Against The Machine uses the line "Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me" for the song "Killing in the Name Of..." and turns that phrase into a timeless anthem.  And NWA's "Fuck Tha Police" is a cultural battle cry.  Would the song have been better if it went... "Screw the police, coming straight from the underground, young brother got it bad cuz I'm brown?"  Just not the same.

Here are the 11 Best Songs By Cee-Lo Green:

1.  Getting Grown (Perfect Imperfections)
2.  When We Were Friends (Soul Machine)
3.  Let's Stay Together (Soul Machine)
4.  What Part of Forever (Twilight Eclipse)
5.  I'll Be Around (Soul Machine)
6.  Closet Freak (Perfect Imperfections)
7.  Georgia (Single)
8.  Ophidiophobia (Snakes on a Plane)
9.  Die Trying (Soul Machine)
10.  Under The Influence (Perfect Imperfections)
11.  Stranger in the Crowd (Coke Single)

Buy Cee-Lo Green's new album, The Lady Killer.  Now!!!

The 11 Best Songs By N*E*R*D

When I was younger, hearing a band exhibiting a throwback sound always instigated a feeling of disgust.  I was instantly appalled by the incredible lack of creativity that the band was ripping off someone else's sound instead of creating their own.  I preferred completely unique and original bands like Guns N Roses and Depeche Mode. 

It wasn't until I was older that I realized that Axl Rose was just trying to be Rob Halford and Slash was merely mimicking Brian May.  While David Gahan and Martin Gore were trying their best to do their Roxy Music meets Kraftwerk impression.

Now, I get it.  There is nothing truly original.  So, when a band employs a quality throwback sound.  I think I enjoy it a lot more than someone trying to sound different...just to sound original.

Here are the 11 Best Songs By N*E*R*D:

1.  Run To The Sun (In Serach Of...)
2.  You Know What (Seeing Sounds)
3.  Lapdance (In Search Of...)
4.  Tape You (In Search Of...)
5.  Laugh About It (Seeing Sounds)
6.  Maybe (Fly or Die)
7.  Things Are Getting Better (In Search Of...)
8.  Drill Sargaent (Fly or Die)
9.  Rock Star (In Search Of...)
10.  Sooner or Later (Seeing Sounds)
11.  Stay Together (In Seatch Of...)

Buy N*E*R*D's new album, Nothing....now!! (only $4.99)

The 111 Best Weezer Songs

As I was logging in to do my nightly post, I noticed this will be my 600th post?  Shit...I had no idea.  I was going to do a list for the new N*E*R*D album...but hell...this calls for something much bigger.

With two new Weezer releases...I might as well do my own "expanded list."

Buy Weezer's 2 new releases, Death To False Metal and Pinkerton Deluxe

Here are the 111 Best Weezer songs:

1. The Good Life (Pinkerton)
2. No One Else (Blue)
3. Hash Pipe (Green)
4. Why Bother? (Pinkerton)
5. Tired of Sex (Pinkerton)
6. Pork and Beans (Red)
7. Buddy Holly (Blue)
8. Photograph (Green)
9. This Is Such a Pity (Make Believe)
10. Surf Wax America (Blue)
11. Pink Triangle (Pinkerton)
12. Keep Fishin’ (Maladroit)
13. Getchoo (Pinkterton)
14. Don’t Let Go (Green)
15. In The Garage (Blue)
16. Simple Pages (Green)
17. Perfect Situation (Make Believe)
18. Take Control (Maladroit)
19. Dope Nose (Maladroit)
20. You Gave Your Love To Me Softly (Pinkerton B-Side)
21. Butterfly (Pinkerton)
22. Teenage Victory Song (Green B-Side)
23. Unspoken (Hurley)
24. We Are All On Drugs (Make Believe)
25. Possibilities (Maladroit)
26. El Scorcho (Pinkerton)
27. My Name Is Jonas (Blue)
28. Freak Me Out (Make Believe)
29. No Other One (Pinkerton)
30. The World Has Turned and Left Me (Blue)
31. If You’re Wondering If I Want You To (Raditude)
32. Where’s My Sex? (Hurley)
33. The Angel and The One (Red)
34. Fall Together (Maladroit)
35. Heart Songs (Red)
36. Say It Ain’t So (Blue)
37. Crab (Green)
38. I Just Threw Out The Love of My Dreams (Pinkerton B-Side)
39. The Damage in Your Heart (Make Believe)
40. American Gigolo (Maladroit)
41. Only In Dreams (Blue)
42. O Lisa (Green B-Side)
43. Everybody Get Dangerous (Red)
44. Ruling Me (Hurley)
45. Smile (Green)
46. I Don’t Want To Let You Go (Raditude)
47. Falling For You (Pinkerton)
48. Memories (Hurley)
49. Jamie (Blue B-Side)
50. Slave (Maladroit)
51. Knock-Down Drag Out (Green)
52. I Want To Be Something (Hurley B-Side)
53. The Other Way (Make Believe)
54. Starlight (Green B-Side)
55. O Girlfriend (Green)
56. Space Rock (Maladroit)
57. Mykel & Carli (Blue B-Side)
58. Troublemaker (Red)
59. Put Me Back Together (Raditude)
60. Brave New World (Hurley)
61. Across The Sea (Pinkerton)
62. Living Without You (Maladroit Import)
63. Hang On (Hurley)
64. Brightening Day (Green B-Side)
65. December (Maladroit)
66. Haunt You Every Day (Make Believe)
67. Island in the Sun (Green)
68. Kids/Poker Face (Red B-Side)
69. Trainwrecks (Hurley)
70. Love Explosion (Maladroit)
71. Holiday (Blue)
72. Dreamin’ (Red)
73. I Hear Bells (Raditude B-Side)
74. Pardon Me (Make Believe)
75. Slob (Maladroit)
76. Suzanne (Blue B-Side)
77. Undone (Blue)
78. Sugar Booger (Green B-Side)
79. Beverly Hills (Make Believe)
80. Glorious Day (Green)
81. Lullaby For Wayne (Blue Deluxe)
82. Cold Dark World (either version - Red)
83. Velouria (Where Is My Mind?: Tribute To The Pixies)
84. Can’t Stop Partying (Raditude)
85. Get Me Some (Raditude B-Side)
86. Waiting On You (Pinkerton B-Side)
87. The Greatest Man That Ever Lived (Red)
88. Let It All Hang Out (Raditude)
89. Brain Stew (Happy Record Store Day)
90. Smart Girls (Hurley)
91. Worry Rock (A Different Shade of Green: Tribute To Green Day)
92. I’m Your Daddy (Raditude)
93. Always (Green B-Side)
94. Run Over By A Truck (Raditude B-Side)
95. Death And Destruction (Maladroit)
96. Peace (Make Belive)
97. Trippin’ Down The Freeway (Raditude)
98. Hold Me (Make Believe)
99. Burndt Jamb (Maladroit)
100. Run Away (Hurley)
101. Christmas Celebration (Winter Weezerland)
102. In The Mall (Raditude)
103. Oddfellows Local 151 (Red B-side)
104. Miss Sweeny (Red B-Side)
105. All My Friends Are Insects (Hurley B-Side)
106. Automatic (Red)
107. The Spider (Red B-Side)
108. Thought I Knew (Red)
109. Turn Me Round (Raditude B-Side)
110. The Story of My Life (Raditude B-Side)
111. Viva La Vida (Hurley B-Side)

11 Good Albums from the Past Couple Months

Sorry I've been on hiatus as of late.  Had some family stuff come up.  Followed by the Giants unbelievably making it to the World Series...and winning.  A work crisis.  And finally topped it off with some good old fashioned stomach flu.  There's one thing I realized while having my untimely bought with the stomach flu...there's a band, an album, or a song for every situation.  As I slowly recovered from my annoying illness after wallowing on the floor in crippling pain.  I was able to get onto my computer for a few minutes to check some emails...and play some Facebook games (need to have priorites, right?).  My itunes popped on with an album I had been listening to recently...Fistful of Mercy.  For some reason, at that moment, while every noise...light...movement...shake of my body made me want to run to the bathroom and pray to an unHoly devil...that album hit the spot.  It was the perfect momentarily distraction.

The reason the album was up on my computer was because I was lucky enough to attend Fistful of Mercy's private "first live show ever" last week.  For those unfamiliar with the band, it's Ben Harper, Joseph Arthur, and Dhani Harrison.  I can't say enough good things about the band...and would have done a more formal list if this hadn't been their first album.  That said, there have been a few new albums over the past couple of months that did not get a list since there were not enough songs by the band to do a proper list yet.  Therefore, here's a nod to them.

PS.  Pardon my crappy cellphone camera picture...but that is a shot from the show.

11 Good Albums Worth Checking Out From the Past Couple Months:

1.  Fistful of Mercy - As I Call You Down
2.  Warpaint - The Fool
3.  John Legend & The Roots - Wake Up!
4.  Janelle Monae - The ArchAndroid
5.  Klaxons - Surfing The Void
6.  Efterklang - Magic Chairs
7.  Tired Pony - The Place We Ran From
8.  Crocodiles - Sleep Forever
9.  Bonobo - Black Sands
10.  The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger - Acoustic Sessions
11.  Twin Shadow - Forget

Buy these albums and more...here.

Free Music Friday: Bad Religion Tribute Mixtape

Buying a Halloween costume for a 5-year-old is possibly one of the most difficult tasks a parent will ever undertake.  Picking out birthday or Christmas presents pales in comparison.  With presents, worst case, you can just let your kid go on a feeding frenzy in a toy store and just buy whichever toys they amass.  They go home happy.  You go home happy.  Halloween costumes are another difficulty level altogether.  First is the month long argument to decide who your kid is going to dress up as...if it's appropriate and if it's feasibly possible.  How do you logically convince a 5-year-old not to dress up as "Miss California?"  Or explain to them the social implication it comes with?  I just resort to, "Go to your room until you decide to dress up as something else."  It is effective.  After the argument comes the extensive Halloween costume scavenger hunt of traveling to twenty different stores to not only find a costume that your kid likes...but then to find it in their size.  She was originally going to be Dorothy from Wizard of Oz...but not one store had her size.  Not one.  I went to 20 stores.  And here's the kicker...none of them were sold out...none of them ever ordered that size.  Finally, after hours of tears and disappointment, we settled on an angel.  Now I have to figure out what the 2-year-old is going to wear.

Germs of Perfection: A Tribute to Bad Religion

1.  William Elliott Whitmore - Don't Pray On Me
2.  Frank Turner - My Poor Friend Me
3.  Weakerthans - Sanity
4.  Switchfoot - Sorrow
5.  Ted Leo - Against The Grain
6.  Cheap Girls - Kerosene
7.  New Politics - Generator
8.  Cobra Skulls - Give You Nothing
9.  Polar Baear Club - Better Off Dead
10.  Guttermouth - Pity
11.  Riverboat Gamblers - Heaven Is Falling
12.  Tegan & Sara - Suffer


Free Bad Religion Mixtape Tribute via Spin Click HERE.

The 11 Best Songs By Ima Robot

In TV, when a show has hit a wall for new ideas, they do something called "jumping the shark" in refernce to Fonzi on Happy Days epic episode about jumping over a tank of sharks on his motorcycle.  Most of the times, the producers will have one of the characters gets pregnant because new babies add a plethera of cheesy cliche episodes about stinky diapers.  I have two kids.  I watch TV to get away from kids, not watch other people's kids...

That said, "jumping the shark" isn't just resigned to TV shows.  Bands can jump the shark.  Directors can jump the shark.  NFL quarterbacks can jump the shark.  Even companies.  Specifically...Emusic.  For years Emusic has been the indie world's darling for online music retail.  They even threatened itunes by doing everything different.  There was no DRM on the songs.  The songs were better quality.  You could download them infinite amount of times once you bought them.  And the selection was much more user friendly.

That was the case.  On Nov 1st.  Emusic will abandon everything they did that gathered them such a strong cult following and become just another online retailer like Amazon on Itunes.  You will still to have a montly account...but now instead of credits it's just money.  You will still have to pay a montly fee upfront...and if you don't use all the money by the end of the month...oops...oh well...

Why the big change?  Why is emusic tossing their salad in the face of all their fans?  Because Universal Music Group is being added.  Oooh....a bunch a music that no one at emusic wants.

Guess who's not getting renewed.

Here are the 11 Best Song By Ima Robot:

1.  The Beat (Monument To The Masses)
2.  Alive (Ima Robot)
3.  Pouring Pain (Monument To The Masses)
4.  Scream (Ima Robot)
5.  Cool Cool Universe (Monument To The Masses)
6.  Creeps Me Out (Monument To The Masses)
7.  Sing Boy (Search and Destroy)
8.  The Beat Goes On (Public Access Single)
9.  Let's Talk Turkey (Ima Robot)
10.  A Is For Action (Ima Robot)
11.  Two Hearts Too Young (Search and Destroy)

Buy Ima Robot's new album, Another Man's Treasure, now!!!

The 11 Best Songs By Kings of Leon

Let's just get one thing straight.  There are two versions of the Kings of Leon.  There's the diry south, grungy unwashed version that delivered the first three albums.  Now we have the second incarnation of the band that has gone for a smoother, grander sound in the vein of U2.  Most of the fans that have been follwing the band since the Youth and Aha days, curse the new version of the band.  They're sell-outs.  They're knock-offs.  They just all out suck.  But do they?  Are they?  Let's for a minute imagine if the first 3 Kings albums didn't exist.  Imagine if their first album was Only By The Night.  Would they still suck?  Or would people have a different view of them?  I'll be the first one to say that I like their early albums better than their recent offerings...but that doesn't mean the new albums are bad.  Sex On Fire is still one of the best songs of the past decade.  And Caleb Followill has one of the best rock voices out there.  His voice is so good it could be and r&b...and isn't that what Sex on Fire really is...an r&b song?

I honestly wish there were more bands out there who sold-out like the Kings of Leon.  How much better would the world of music be if that was the case?

Here are the 11 Best Songs By Kings of Leon

1. Sex on Fire (Only By The Night)

2. Knocked Up (Because The Times)
3. The Bucket (Aha Shake Heartbreak)
4. True Love Way (Because the Times)
5. Closer (Only By The Night)
6. McFearless (Because the Times)
7. Soft (Aha Shake Heartbreak)
8. California Waiting (Youth And Manhood)
9. Use Somebody (Only By The Night)
10. Spiral Staircase (Youth And Manhood)
11. Velvet Snow (Aha Shake Heartbreak)

Buy the Kings of Leon's new album, Come Around Sundown now!!

The 11 best Songs By Idlewild

On my October release poll, we had one vote for the new Idlewild.  Made me think it was not worth doing a list for the band, since no one was excited to hear the album.  Then I thought, maybe the whole reason that no one is excited to hear the new album is because you guys are not familiar with the band.  Therefore, here's a catch-up for all those who don't know them.  Hope you enjoy the Scottish R.E.M.

Here Are the 11 Best Songs By Idlewild:

1.  You Held The World In Your Arms (The Remote Part)
2.  These Wooden Ideas (100 Broken Windows)
3.  A Modern Way of Letting Go (The Remote Part)
4.  Century After Century (The Remote Part)
5.  No Emotion (Make Another World)
6.  Little Discourage (100 Broken Windows)
7.  Roseability (100 Broken Windows)
8.  As If I Hadn't Slept (Warning/Promises)
9.  El Capitan (Warning/Promises)
10.  A Ghost in the Arcade (Make Another World)
11.  Everything (Make Another World)

Buy Idlewild's new album, Post Electric Blues...now!!!

The 11 Best Songs By Belle & Sebastian

I never understood how Belle & Sebastian could be happy all the damn time.  Is Stuart Murdoch taking some sort of ultradose of SSRIs 24/7?  Sure, there are things in life to make you happy...but there are also things that make you sad.  I quote the famous poet, Butthead, when he said, "You have to have things that suck, so you know what things are cool."  For example, if those miners hadn't been trapped in that mine for 68 days, then we wouldn't be reminded how lucky we all are.  And without bands like Maroon 5, we wouldn't know how good B&S are.  Get it?

Here Are the 11 Best Songs By Belle & Sebastian:

1.  If You're Feeling Sinister (If You're Feeling Sinister)
2.  Like Dylan in the Movies (If You're Feeling Sinister)
3.  The Boy With The Arab Strap (The Boy With The Arab Strap)
4.  There's Too Much Love (Fold Your Hands Child)
5.  Dress Up In You  (Life Pursuit)
6.  Stay Loose (Dear Catastrophe Waitress)
7.  Me And The Major (If You're Feeling Sinister)
8.  Another Sunny Day (Life Pursuit)
9.  Seeing Other People (If You're Feeling Sinister)
10.  Piazza, New York Catcher (Dear Catastrophe Waitress)
11.  The Blues Are Still Blue (Life Pursuit)

Buy Belle & Sebastian's new album, Write About Love, now!!!

The 11 Best Songs By Cursive of the 00s

Today, I stopped by a Crown Book liquidation center.  I only planned on buying some $1 books for stocking stuffers.  Thought I'd walk out of there spending no more than  5 or 6 bucks.  Not even close.  I did a ton of really good deals.  A ton of respectable $1 books...if there is such a thing.  But I made one unique discovery.  Something I never thought in a hundred years I would find...a CD.

In the back of the store, behind a rack of VHS movies, I found the CD shelves.  Strangely, the CDs were hidden behind an even more obsolete medium...or maybe not.  Most of the CDs, were very obscure groups on even more obscure labels.  Yet, one artist stood out.  One artist I had been looking for...for years.  That artist is Sweet 75.

For those who don't know, Sweet 75 is the short-lived post-Nirvana project of Krist Novoselic.  It didn't have the sparkle of the Foo Fighters...and sold only a few dozens copies.  I'm a huge Nirvana fan and always wanted a copy...but it was impossible to find one.  It was released one Tuesday and was out-of-print by Friday.  I scoured used stores...even ebay.  But the price tag was always too high.  Until today.  Today, I found the CD for $1.  One freaking dollar.  From the most important band of the 90s to the $1 rack at a liquidation center.  Take note Guy Berryman...you're next.

Here are the 11 Best Songs By Cursive of the 00s:

1. Rise Up! Rise Up! (Happy Hollow)

2. Some Red Handed Slight of Hand (The Ugly Organ)
3. Dorothy At Forty (Happy Hollow)
4. Art Is Hard (The Ugly Organ)
5. The Martyr (Domestica)
6. In The Now (Mama, I’m Swollen)
7. Sierra (The Ugly Organ)
8. Mama, I’m Satan (Mama, I’m Swollen)
9. Into the Fold (Happy Hollow)
10. The Night I Lost the Will To Fight (Domestica)
11. The Great Decay (Burst and Bloom)

Buy Tim Kasher's solo album, The Game of Monogamy , now!!

The 11 Best Songs By Travis of the 00s

Have the 90s finally died?  Or just waiting to be re-incarnated?

This year has become the year of the solo album.  But most of these solo albums are alum from bands who blasted onto the music scene in the 90s.  Incubus, Live, Sleater-Kinney, Outkast, Radiohead, and the Wallflowers were all big names in the 90s.  They were the trendsetters in the 90s.  Now, outside of Radiohead, they have become irrelevent to the current mainstream output and remain merely classic influences to today's crop of youngsters.  Therefore, members of these bands have had to go out and re-invent themselves to become relevent again.  Although, the first couple of 90s artists to try the solo thing were Stephen Malkmus and Chris Cornell.  Both guys spent this past summer on sold-out reunion tours with their original bands.

So, maybe this whole solo thing is just some big ploy to get audiences pining for the old stuff...the classic stuff.  In this business, in this age...whatever works.

Here are the 11 Best Songs By Travis of the 00s:

1. Side (The Invisible Band)

2. Quite Free (Ode To J. Smith)
3. Big Chair (The Boy With No Name)
4. Sing (The Invisible Band)
5. My Eyes (The Boy With No Name)
6. Quicksand (12 Memories)
7. Sailing Away (The Boy With No Name)
8. Pulling Mussels (Selfish Jean Single)
9. Re-Offender (12 Memories)
10. Long Way Down (Ode To J. Smith)
11. Flowers in the Window (The Invisible Band)

Buy Fran Healy's new solo album, Wreckorder, now!

The 11 Best Songs By Revenge

I wonder if the music industry is purposely trying to shoot itself in the foot or they're really just the biggest morons this side of the government.  It's like they're making a bigger effort to fail than to succeed.

This past week, Soundgarden sold 1 million plus copies of their newest hits compilation, Telephantasm.  Only it was packaged with Guitar Hero.  Therefore, Billboard disqualified all those GH sales from Soundgarden's official sales number.  Instead having a well-deserved comeback #1 on the billboard charts, they sink to #24.  In a digital age, SG found a way to push CDs.  Something...no one can do.  Yet, they did it.  And instead of rewarding them and ushering in a new era of creative sales, the industry wants to bury this brilliant move...and their own careers along with it.

I don't think it's any surprise that I just found out that Freebass (the uber supergroup featuring Peter Hook of New Order, Mani of the Stone Roses, and for a moment Andy Rourke of the Smiths) was released two weeks ago.  Who has the time to promote an album made-up of influential artists when you need to put all your effort into selling pop music's newest crap fest?

Here's Peter Hook's other solo band Revenge...and a look back.

Here are the 11 Best Songs By Revenge:

1.  Big Bang (One True Passion)
2.  Little Pig (Gun World Porn EP)
3.  Slave (One True Passion)
4.  Deadbeat  (Gun World Porn EP)
5.  Televive (V2.0/Be Careful What You Wish For)
6.  Soul (V2.0/Be Careful What You Wish For)
7.  Surf Nazi (One True Passion)
8.  Cloud Nine  (Gun World Porn EP)
9.  Jesus...I Love You (V2.0/Be Careful What You Wish For)
10.  The Wilding (V2.0/Be Careful What You Wish For)
11.  Pineapple Face (One True Passion)

Buy Freebass' new album, It's a Beautiful Life.

The 11 Best Songs By Sleater-Kinney

In last week's LA Times, there was an article on the owner of the Amoeba Record chain.  In an eye-opening write-up (eye opening to everyone who thinks they know the music industry but doesn't), it revealed that in this digital age of music...Amoeba records has seen no sales decrease.  Let me repeat that...Amoeba Records in the worst era ever for the music industry has seen zero sales decrease.  Why?  Why has Amoeba succeed while others have failed?  What is it that Amoeba has done right where the others have done wrong?

It's simple.  Know your audience.  Amoeba knows its customers and knows what they want.  They stock their shelves with music (from all genres) that will attract all audiophiles from all listening habits.  The big box stores and Tower Record-like places only pushed music on major labels.  They limited their supply and short-changed their audience.  They tried to make the audience like what they were feeding them instead feeding the audience what they liked. 

Even today, I'll go into Best Buy or Target on new music Tuesdays and not find 50% of the new releases I'm looking for.  They have 250 copies of Taio Cruz but one copy of Jenny Lewis (I bought it).  Two weeks later, they have 244 copies of Taio Cruz still sitting there and no copies of the new Bad Religion.  No copies of the Corin Tucker Band.  No copies of Fran Healy.  No copies of Tim Kasher.  Do they not realize that just because they don't have what I want, I'm not going to buy what they have?  Obviously not.

Thank you to Taio Cruz for being today's example.

Here are the 11 Best Sleater-Kinnery Songs:

1.  Turn It On (Dig Me Out)
2.  I Wanna Be Yr Joey Ramone (Call The Doctor)
3.  The Professional (All Hands On The Band One)
4.  Jumpers (The Woods)
5.  Dance Song '97 (Dig Me Out)
6.  Start Together (The Hot Rock)
7.  Good Things (Call The Doctor)
8.  The Day I Went Away (Sleater-Kinney)
9.  Stay Where You Are (Call The Doctor)
10.  It's Enough (Dig Me Out)
11.  Entertain (The Woods)

Buy the new album by the Corin Tucker Band, 1,000 Years now!!!

The 11 Best Chris Cornell Solo Songs

lLast week, I went to the Sonic Youth/Pavement show.  There was something comforting about listening to 2 1/2 hours of fuzzy guitars and warped lyrics while pounding an Estrella Damm Inedit (best beer in the world).  Then a strange realization hit me.  Pavement's been around almost 20 years.  While Sonic Youth is pushing 30.  These two indie niche bands have surpassed many of their hitmaking contemporaries, not only in the dust, but in obscurity.  Why did they survive while all the mainstream marvels crashed and burned?

This past week Soundgarden released their greatest hits package, which many are touting as their first comprehensive compilation (did everyone forget about A-Sides?).  Soundgarden hasn't been around in over a decade.  They completely missed the 00s.  But they are coming back with a bang. Once last week's sales numbers are official, Soundgarden, will have a platinum album and the number 1 album in country.  An accomplishment...no one has done in a long time.

What Soundgarden did was brilliant.  They are attaching their new album with every copy of the new Guitar Hero game.  For every video game sold, they sell one album.  How did they do so far?  They sold 1 million copies on the first day.  Take that Nsync.

Here are the 11 Best Chris Cornell solo songs:

1.  You Know My Name (Carry On)
2.  Sunshower (Great Expectations sdtk)
3.  Can't Change Me (Euphoria Morning)
4.  Seasons (Singles sdtk)
5.  Billie Jean (Carry On)
6.  Flutter Girl (Euphoria Morning)
7.  Time (Scream)
8.  No Such Thing (Carry On)
9.  Moonchild (Euphoria Morning)
10.  Enemy (Scream)
11.  Never Far Away Rock Version (Scream)

Buy Soundgarden's Greatest Hits Telephantasm now!!

The 11 Best Songs By Pete Yorn

Last night I saw the Black Keys at the Hollywood Palladium.  I thought it was interesting that two years ago, when their Danger Mouse produced album, Attack & Releases, was...uh...released, it was poised as their big breakthrough effort.  Yet last night, they only re-visisted that album for a single song.  The Black Keys are a very unrestrained band and Danger Mouse employs a very restrained sound.  Maybe that just didn't translate live to their frantic, loud, and explosive show.  Maybe that's not what the band wants to sound like...or is supposed to sound like.

Fusing two talents together can have great results.  Like Ben Harper and the Blind Boys of Alabama.  But  that can also produce worried music.  Just ask Chris Cornell about his R&B album.

Frank Black of Pixies fame, produces Yorn's newest album, sure to bring a unbridled raw energy.  Whether it's good or not, that alone merits an focused listen.

Here are the 11 Best Songs By Pete Yorn (solo):

1. Lose You (Music For The Morning After)

2. Strange Condition (Music For The Morning After)
3. Murray (Music For The Morning After)
4. Undercover (Nightcrawler)
5. For Nancy (Music For The Morning After)
6. Splendid Isolation (Nightcrawler)
7. Committed (The Day I Forgot)
8. Life On A Chain (Music For The Morning After)
9. Crystal Village (The Day I Forgot)
10. China Girl (B-Side)
11. Paradise Cove (Back & Forth)


Buy Pete Yorn's new self-titled album, Pete Yorn...now!!!

The 11 Best Songs By Jimmy Eat World of the 00s

For all of those cats out there who run their own blogs, you all know that there's a new type of spammer running around.  Programs or bots automatically go out and search for key words in blogs and place comments in the comment section.  These comments are ads for other sites...like porn, fake rolexes or even offers to have your blog advertised in the comment section of other blogs.

These random comments have gotten out of hand.  Lately, I've been getting comments for the Republican party, Anti-Obama, and Jesus Christ propoganda.  This stuff doesn't really offend me as much as it perplexes me.  What born again Christian thinks their audience might be looking at a Weezer post?  A post about the TV show Weeds signifies an anti-Obama crowd?  Or how in the world does one think Iron Maiden and Sarah Palin are like peanut butter and jelly?

Here are the 11 Best Songs By Jimmy Eat World:

1. A Praise Chorus (Bleed American/Jimmy Eat World)

2. Disintegration (Stay On My Side Tonight)
3. Bleed American (Bleed American/Jimmy Eat World)
4. Chase This Light (Chase This Light)
5. Sweetness (Bleed American/Jimmy Eat World)
6. Pain (Futures)
7. Just Tonight… (Futures)
8. Get It Faster (Bleed American/Jimmy Eat World)
9. Big Casino (Chase This Light)
10. 23 (Futures)
11. Firefight (Chase This Light)


Buy Jimmy Eat World's new album, Invented now!!!

The 11 Best Songs By Bad Religion of the 00s

My friends and I had a debate over the notion of freewill. The topic started from a quote by Bad Religion singer Greg Graffin: "The allusion of freewill is so strong that we might as well assume we have it." It's an interesting quote when you start to explore the thought behind it. Now remember, this quote is coming from Graffin, who is a sworn atheist. He believes that because of our genetic make-up and our environmental upbringing, that our lives are practically pre-determined. No matter what you do...from the job you choose to the lunch you eat…it has all be pre-determined by your subconscious decades prior to the current moment. Heavy, huh?


Lead guitarist and chief songwriter, Brett Guerwitz left the band in the early 90s but returned at the start of the 2000s. As hard as he tried to concentrate on other endeavors, he was pre-determined to return to the band and help them stage a mighty comeback after a couple missteps. The career of BR is an amazing one. After starting in the punk scene of the 80s, they found themselves forced into the mainstream alternative maelstrom of the 90s, only to make a might comeback this decade, making some of their best music. They don’t make them like this anymore.

Here are the 11 Best Bad Religion Songs of the 00s:

1. The Defense (Process of Belief)
2. Heroes and Martyrs (New Maps of Hell)
3. Broken (Process of Belief)
4. God's Love (The Empire Strikes First)
5. Ephiphany (Process of Belief)
6. New Dark Ages (New Maps of Hell)
7. The Empire Strikes First (The Empire Strikes First)
8. Sorrow (Process of Belief)
9. Won't Somebody (acoustic) (New Maps of Hell)
10. Los Angeles Is Burning (The Empire Strikes First)
11. Don’t Sell Me Short (The New America)

Buy Bad Religion's new album, Dissent of Man...now (only 7.99 here)!!!

The 11 Best Songs By TV on the Radio

It seems to the be the year of the side project/solo album:  Gayngs, Tired Pony, Broken Bells, Dead Weather, Junip, S. Carey and about a dozen more solo albums.  Looks like TV on the Radio does not want to be left out of the trend.  David Sitek has put out his own side project called Maximum Balloon.  After a few listens, this might the best one yet. 

Believe it or not this is the third side project from TV on the Radio.  Kyp Malone put out his band's debut last year called Rain Machine.  Tunde Adebimpe has CD/DVD out under the name Fake Male Voice.

Here are the 11 Best Songs By TV on the Radio:

1.  Wolf Like Me (Return To Cookie Mountain)
2.  Dancing Choose (Dear Science)
3.  Staring At the Sun (Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes)
4.  Stork & Owl (Dear Science)
5.  Dreams (Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes)
6.  Hours (Return To Cookie Mountain)
7.  DLZ (Dear Science)
8.  New Health Rock (New Health Rock EP)
9.  Crying (Dear Science)
10.  Blues From Down Here (Return To Cookie Mountain)
11.  I Was A Lover (Return To Cookie Mountain)


Buy the debut album from Maximum Balloon....now!!

The 11 Best Side Project Songs By Justin Vernon

I learned about the new S.Carey release (bassist of Bon Iver) the old fashioned way:  word of mouth.  Not only did I not know that his solo album had been released, I didn't even know the bassist was out recording his own album.  Discovering a great album like this really like finding that diamond in the rough.  What makes it especially awesome is how I found out.  It wasn't in some big music magazine that did a huge spread on it.  It wasn't a feature on the radio.  And it wasn't blasted all over a music blog/web page.  I heard about it from a friend, which in all honesty is the best sign of quality when it comes to music.  Reading a review from a big corp is hard to take seriously when they have dozens of reviewer all with different tastes...all with different moods.  Your friends are your friends.  Their tastes are always their taste.

This is now the 24378th album featuring members of the indie darling Bon Iver.  Either this band is ridiculously talented...or every one else out there plain sucks.

Here are the 11 Best Side Project/Other Band Songs By Justin Vernon of Bon Iver:

1.  Island, IS (Volcano Choir - Unmap)
2.  Last Prom on Earth (Gayngs - Gayngs)
3.  Silent Signs (DeYarmond Edison - Silent Signs)
4.  A Satisfied Mind (Eau Claire Memorial Jazz I - A Decade With Duke)
5.  Ragstock (DeYarmond Edison - Silent Signs)
6.  Since I Fell For You (Eau Claire Memorial Jazz I - A Decade With Duke)
7.  Sleepymouth (Volcano Choir - Unmap)
8.  If It's True (Anais Mitchell - Hadestown)
9.  The Gaudy Side of Town (Gayngs - Gayngs)
10.  Doubt Comes In (Anais Mitchell - Hadestown)
11.  Bewtiched (Eau Claire Memorial Jazz I - A Decade With Duke)

Buy S. Carey's new album, All We Grow...now!!

The 11 Best Songs By Jose Gonzalez

Did you know you can only fold a piece of paper in half 7 times?  Eight times if it's a thin napkin or tissue.  If somehow you were able to fold it 42 times in half...it would stretch up to the moon.  Swear.  I tried to explain exponential growth to a friend.  They didn't get it.  They could not believe I was serious...and they thought I was a fool for suggesting such.  To me, exponential growth is very easy to understand.  I can't understand how some people can't grasp such simple concepts.  Until.... 

I didn't know Jose Gonzalez was Swedish.  This is how badly I didn't know Jose Gonzalez was Swedish.  I read there was a Swedish band coming out with their debut album and their name was Junip.  I thought this was strange because Jose Gonzalez had a band, too, called Junip.  I didn't understand how there could be two bands with the same name...not that it hasn't happened before.  (Just ask the 1960s Nirvana)  For some reason, I could not fathom it could be the same band...because for the life of me, I could not believe that Jose Gonzalez was from Sweden.  I knew he was from Europe.  But I thought the UK, Spain, or France.  Oh well...go Sweden.  I wonder if he ever gets in land battles with Royksopp.

Here are the 11 Best Songs By Jose Gonzalez:

1.  Heartbeats (Veneer)
2.  Down The Line (In Our Nature)
3.  Teardrop  (In Our Nature)
4.  Cycling Trivialities  (In Our Nature)
5.  Slow Moves (Veneer)
6.  Remain (Veneer)
7.  Killing For Love  (In Our Nature)
8.  Storm (Austrailian Tour EP)
9.  All You Deliver (Veneer)
10. Crosses (Veneer)
11.  Hand On Your Heart (Austrailian Tour EP)

Buy Jose Gonzalez's new band's debut album:  Junip - Fields

The 11 Best Songs By The Killers

Brandon Flowers is douche bad.  The guy called Green Day anti-Americans for performing American Idiot in England.  That honestly doesn't even make sense, especially coming from a guy sporting a Hitler moustache.  Being a douche bag is a common trait for lead singers...so I guess I can forgive it as long as he keeps making good music.

Against better judgement, I went and bought the new CD at Best Buy (yes, I paid money for a CD). And I'm horribly disappointed.  But it's not disappointment in the CD.  Musically, I'm satisfied.  Flowers did a great job.  I think the album is quite good.  I'm disappointed in Best Buy's music selection.  They've reduced the music racks to two racks.  One rack is new releases...the rest are an uncategorized mess.  With giant gaps of empty space.  I was upset.  I usually browse the section, maybe pick up a good deal.  Not this time.  This time I didn't even want to bother.  I was so upset, I complained.

The employee at the store said he too was disappointed, but according to him, Best Buy is planning to get rid of all CDs by January.  What the hell?  MP3 files suck.  They're fine for listening on ipods and such...but the quality is piss.  CDs were a good compliment.  Doesn't the music industry realize when you buy a CD, you're buying the whole album.  When you go digital...you only buy one song.  You want to save CD sales...stop selling digital singles.  If you stop selling albums, your sales will plummet.

Yet another stupid mistake by the record industry. 


Here are the 11 Best Songs By The Killers:

1. Jenny Was A Friend (Hot Fuss)

2. Somebody Told Me (Hot Fuss)
3. Bones (Sam's Town)
4. Midnight Show (Hot Fuss)
5. Sam's Town (Sam's Town)
6. When You Were Young (Sam's Town)
7. Tranquilize (Sawdust)
8. Spaceman (Day & Age)
9. For Reason's Unknown (Sam's Town)
10. Mr. Brightside (Hot Fuss)
11. I Can't Stay (Day & Age)

Buy Brandon Flowers new solo album, Flamingo, now!!!  Also check out Linkin Park and Weezer's new albums for only $6.99.
 

The Unknown: Weezer - Schrutitude

Here's my time of the month to be a dick.  I get to lecture you about how nothing in this life is free.  Well, mostly.  It costs me money to keep the blog going.  So I ask you, my loyal readers (all 3 of you) to take a look in my MP3 store.  I always update my store with $5 albums.  Some great one from 2010 this month:  Ted Leo, BT, Nada Surf, School of Seven Bells, Delphic, and Band of Horses.  A good way to catch up on some good tunes for cheap.   And in return, I'm giving you this tremendous Weezer album.  Okay, tremendous is a bit of a reach...but...

Check out Weezer's new album Hurley...some great tunes on there. 


Here is Weezer - Schrutitude:

1.  Get Some
2.  Run Over By A Truck
3.  The Prettiest Girl
4.  The Underdogs
5.  I Woke Up In Love This Morning
6.  Turn Me Round
7.  Story of My Life
8.  Kids Poker Face
9.  Should I Stay Or Should I Go
10.  I Hear Bells
11.  Cold Dark World (Rivers)
12.  You Won't Get With Me Tonight

Buy Weezer's new album, Hurley...out right now!!

The Unknown: Thom Yorke The Pencil

I don't get the whole Digital Music bullshit.  My last three takedowns were all for posts where there was no music links.  Seriously.  The last takedown was from a bad review I gave of the last Dixie Chicks album....four years ago!  Yes, I got a takedown letter for giving a bad review!!  So let me get this straight...I can give away your product as long as I say something nice about it.  No wonder your industry is crumbling.

One band who gets it is Radiohead.  Thank God for Radiohead.  I respect Radiohead so much, I'll buy anything they do just to support them.  Even when their drummer decides he's talented enough to do his own solo album.  I know what you're thinking, he's no Dave Grohl, but you know what...Phil's in Radiohead.  And that's not a bad gig.  If you haven't heard the album, go get it now.  You'll be happy you did.

Here is Thom Yorke - The Pencil:

1.  All For The Best
2.  Hearing Damage
3.  Feeling Pulled Apart By Horses
4.  The Hollow Earth
5.  Jetstream
6.  A Rat's Nest
7.  Iuvya
8.  The Drunkk Machine
9.  After The Goldrush

Buy Phil Selway's new solo album, Familial...now!

The 11 Best Little Boxes

Happy Jew year!

New season of TV coincides with the Jewish New Year. Coincindence? Showtime kicked it off early with the newest season of Weeds which has almost nothing to do with the show in the first season...but hey, what else are you going to watch...every thing good has been cancelled.

Here are the 11 Best Little Boxes:

1.  Elvis Costello
2.  Melvina Reynolds
3.  Man Man
4.  Jenny Lewis & Jonathan Rice
5.  Persephone's Bees
6.  The Decemberists
7.  Rise Against
8.  Angelique Kidjo
9.  The Shins
10.  The Individuals
11.  Randy Newman

Watch Weeds and buy Jenny Lewis and Jonathan Rice's new album, I'm Having Fun Now.

The 11 Best Songs By Interpol

Last night I had my second of two Fantasy Football drafts.  Going into both drafts, I super high expectations for myself.  I had studied.  I was prepared.  I was going to kick ass all over our draft.  Then the draft happened.  And it was all downhill.  I ended up taking players I didn't want.  I passed on players I did want.  And at the end of it all...I was left with a team I hated.  Both times.  Screwing up the first time is understandable.  But doing the exact thing a second time?  What was I thinking?!!  Anyway...I felt this way last year and went to the championship game.  Maybe my team will grow on me.

Here are the 11 Best Songs By Interpol:

1.  Slow Hands (Antics)
2.  The New (Turn On The Bright Lights)
3.  Evil (Antics)
4.  PDA (Turn On The Bright Lights)
5.  Leif Erikson (Turn On The Bright Lights)
6.  Who Do You Think? (Our Love To Admire)
7.  Narc (Antics)
8.  Obstacle 1 (Turn On The Bright Lights)
9.  The Heinrich Manuever (Our Love To Admire)
10.  Not Even Jail (Antics)
11.  Untitled (Turn On The Bright Lights)

Buy the new Interpol album called...Interpol.  Now!