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!!