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!

The 11 Best Songs By Jenny Lewis

Everybody loves free music. Even me.  I know a lot people read this blog just for the free tunes.  And that's okay.  Because I know there are some people who read the blog for the blog as well as the free tunes.  And, every once in awhile, I can alert people to new music...or a new band...or a new album that just got released.  In all fairness, I do think the bands deserve money...and the labels, begrudgingly. So, I do hope you go out and buy the albums now and again.  That said, I only leave the music up for a limited time.  Usually, one month.  I think it's fair, if you're going to get some free tunes then you should read the blog on a regular basis.  Lately, I've been getting a lot of requests for re-posts of old links that are 2-3 years past.  Sorry, guys...not going to happen.  When new albums come out...then maybe I'll re-post, but you have to pay attention.  You need tunes...I need readers..you scratch my back...I'll scratch yours and it'll all wash out in the end.

Here Are The 11 Best Solo Songs By Jenny Lewis:

1.  Handle With Care (Rabbit Fur Coat)
2.  You Are What You Love (Rabbit Fur Coat)
3.  Jack Killed Mom (Acid Tongue)
4.  Carpetbaggers (Acid Tongue)
5.  Paradise (Rise Up With Fists EP)
6.  Melt Your Heart (Rabbit Fur Coat)
7.  Bad Man's World (Acid Tongue)
8.  The Highs And Lows Of Being Number One (Acid Tongue Bonus Track)
9.  The Charging Sky (Rabbit Fur Coat)
10.  The Next Messiah (Acid Tongue)
11.  Go Away (Carpetbaggers EP)

Buy Jenny Lewis & Jonathan Rice's new album, I'm Having Fun Now...now!!

The 11 Best Songs By Film School

I hate the phone.  I know it's supposed to be a great convenience but how come whenever I use it, it's nothing by an inconvenience.  It always rings when I get in the shower.  It always rings when I'm sitting down to dinner or lunch.  It always rings when I'm walking out the door.  It always rings when I'm sitting down to work.  It always rings when I'm talking to someone on the other line.  And here's the best part...it never rings any other time.  I could call 100 people and tell them to call me back...and not one of them will until I make myself a sandwich and hop in the shower. 

And now we have cellphones.  Sometimes I wish life was a little slower like it was in the 80s.  Where talking meant more than a sideways happy face.

Film School gets a new label...and a stronger sound.  Still draped in 80s goth...but more energetic.

Here are the 11 Best Songs By Film School:

1. Two Kinds (Hideout)
2.  On and On (Film School)
3.  Dear Me (Hideout)
4.  Breet (Film School)
5.  Harmed (Film School)
6.  11:11 (Film School)
7.  What I Meant To Say (Hideout)
8.  P.S. (Exclusive)
9.  Sick Hipster Nursed By Suicide Girl (Hideout)
10.  Walk Until Sunday (11:11)
11.  I Just Turned Into A Gas (Alwaysnever)

Buy Film School's new album, Fission...now!!