The 11 Best Songs By The Smiths

What is amazing about the Smiths is how consistent all their music is.  Every song is good.  Every song.  Making a list is almost impossible.  Every time I go through their catalog, the list changes.  From day to day and minute to minute. I could put all the songs on cards and paste them up on my wall, then throw darts blindfolded and the 11 cards I hit could make my list...and it would an outstanding list no matter which cards I hit.  Well...unless I hit  the carpet and light switch.  Each Smith fan has their favorites.  Each person's list would be completely different and each list would be uniquely exceptional. Now, there are the haters out there who abhor the Smiths and Morrissey.  We call those people...Katy Perry fans.

Here are the 11 Best Songs By The Smiths:

1. There Is A Light That Never Goes Out (The Queen Is Dead)
2. Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before (Strangeways)
3. Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want (Louder Than Bombs)
4. Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Love Me (Louder Than Bombs)
5. Still Ill (The Smiths)
6. How Soon Is Now? (Meat Is Murder)
7. Half A Person (Louder Than Bombs)
8. Panic (Louder Than Bombs)
9. I Want The One I Can't Have (Meat Is Murder)
10. Queen Is Dead (The Queen Is Dead)
11. The Night Has Opened My Eyes (Strangeways)

Buy Johnny Marr's new solo album, The Messenger...now!!!

The 11 Best Songs By Thom Yorke

Today a new system to stop internet piracy has been put in place.  It's called the Consumer Alert System.  It's a plan by internet providers to alert users who download music illegally.  You will get warnings that you are committing piracy and be told stop.  The problem with this system is it might be the most ridiculous and improbable attempt to stop online piracy.  First of all, how will they know.  Just because I download a file from online doesn't mean the file is illegal.  How will they know the file is an illegal track unless they're sitting behind me at my computer and watch me open it up.  And if they are to do that...then that touches upon a whole bunch of privacy laws.  The government can't look at what books I'm checking out at the library...why should the internet providers be allowed to look at my online habits?  Why do they have the legal right to act illegally?  You're not allowed to commit a crime in order to police another.

Here's the irony in all this.  In 2012, it was the first year that music sales actually rose.  Finally consumer confidence has been restored and people are starting to buy music again...and what do they do...they repeat the same mistakes they made in the first place.  Mind-boggling.

Here are the 11 Best Songs By Thom Yorke:

1. And It Rained All Night (The Eraser)
2. Black Swan (The Eraser)
3. Rabbit in Your Headlights (U.N.K.L.E. - Psyence Fiction)
4. Hearing Damage (Twilight: New Moon)
5. Harrowdown Hill (The Eraser)
6. Atoms For Peace (The Eraser)
7. The Eraser (The Eraser)
8. El President (Drugstore - White Magic For Lovers)
9. The White Flash (Modeselektor - Happy Birthday)
10. Analyse (The Eraser)
11. 2HB (Velvet Goldmine)

Buy Thom Yorke's new solo project (with Flea), Atoms For Peace - Amok,...now!!

The 11 Best Songs By Bullet For My Valentine

I think I send a few shock waves through my social circle when people discover that I listen to these guys.  I'm not sure if I get more questioning glances because of this band or David Guetta. My brother is a wine snob...I mean, connoisseur. He's like a fifth level sommelier...just for fun.  When it comes to wine...he has his favorites.  And he definitely turns his nose up at the others.  But he will be the first to say...that each person has their own tastes and if someone enjoys drinking Charles Shaw $1.99 then good for them.  Wine is meant to be drank.  I feel the same way about music.  It's meant to be heard and enjoyed.  Everyone has different tastes which can vary from person to person and moment to moment.  There was a time when listening to Metallica caused the music elite to cringe.  Now, you're not cool unless you do listen to them.

Here are the 11 Best Songs By Bullet For My Valentine:

1. Hearts Burst Into Fire (Scream Aim Fire)
2. Eye of the Storm (Scream Aim Fire)
3. Your Betrayal (Fever)
4. No Easy Way Out (Scream Aim Fire Deluxe)
5. Take it Out On Me (Scream Aim Fire)
6. Tears Don't Fall (The Poison)
7. Fever (Fever)
8. A Place Where You Belong (Fever)
9. The End (The Poison)
10. 4 Words (The Poison)
11. Welcome Home Sanitarium (Scream Aim Fire)

Buy Bullet For My Valentine's new album, Temper Temper now!!

The 11 Best Songs By Starfucker

The first thing that crosses my mind when I hear of a band named Starfucker, I think that death metal.  This band is far from that.  Maybe it's because Fucked Up tainted my conception of what a profanity-laden band would embody.  Also, with Fucker in the title of your band name...you're really limited your exposure.  You can pretty much kiss off any halftime appearance at the Super Bowl, Grammy performance...and even MTV at this point.  Granted, Starfucker wasn't their first name (Pyramid and STRFKR got turns) and as much as I assumed, the name has done very little to hamper them.  Target actually selected one of their songs to be featured in a commercial.  Target is pretty much a Game of Throne's DVD short of a Walmart.  Nothing says family demographic like a band called Starfucker.  But good for Target for having the balls to pick the best band for the job, while not getting stuck on their name.  And good for Starfucker for not selling out and calling themselves something like Fall Out Boy.

Here are the 11 Best Songs By Starfucker:

1. Millions (Reptilians)
2. Medicine (Jupiter)
3. Bury Us Alive (Reptilians)
4. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (Jupiter)
5. Julius (Reptilians)
6. Florida (Starfucker)
7. Dragon Queens (Dragon Queens 7")
8. Burnin' Up (Bsides WEB)
9. Boy Toy (Jupiter)
10. Rawnald Gregory Erikson the Second (Starfucker)
11. Mona Vegas (Reptilians)

Buy Starfucker's new album, Miracle Mile, now!!!

The 11 Best Songs By Samantha Crain

The PlayStation 4 was announced today.  The article talks about how the PS4 will be the most advanced gaming system ever.  A processor faster than 99% of most computers.  The highest resolution pixel count of any system.  A faster network.  Motion-capture.  And, a new social media component. But the one thing they don't mention is if the games are any good.  Everyone loves the bells and whistles when it comes to gaming...but at the end of the day...none of that matters if the game sucks.  Angry Birds might be the most popular game in the world right now and it has the graphic superiority of a 1993 Nintendo.  Like music that spends millions of dollars on production, it doesn't matter how much you shine it up if the song at core just sucks.  Sometimes less is more.  Bobby McFerrin had a number one hit using just his mouth.  Don't get me wrong, I'm excited about the new system and am dying to try it.  But I think companies trying harder at being the most advanced...rather than just being the best.

Here are 11 Best Songs By Samantha Crain:

1. Devils in Boston (Songs in the Night)
2. Rising Sun (Songs in the Night)
3. The River (The Confiscation EP)
4. Songs In The Night (Songs in the Night)
5. Santa Fe (You Understood) 
6. The Last Stanchion Goes Belly Up (The Confiscation EP)
7. Witchitalright (You Understood)
8. Traipsing Through the Aisles (The Confiscation EP)
9. Up On The Table (You Understood)
10. Lions (You Understood)
11. Bananafish Revolution (Songs in the Night)

Buy Samantha Crain's new album, Kid Face, now!!

The 11 Best Songs By Puscifer

My friend Gina deactivated her Facebook account for the week of her birthday then she reactivated it the following week.  When I asked her why she did it, she said it was because she didn't want to have to thank everyone on her Facebook for wishing her a happy birthday.

Whether we like it or not, there is an unsaid Facebook birthday etiquette.  It is understood that you don't have to wish your friends on your Facebook a happy birthday.  That's optional.  But if it's your birthday and all your friends, acquaintances, co-workers, and people you only friended to be polite wish you a happy birthday...you are obligated to thank them all.  I know people who only check into their Facebook once a year just to give the obligatory thank you.  Because when you don't...you're an ungrateful asshole. This brings us to a whole new level of internet etiquette.  Because the whole world sees your actions, you can either do the universal thank you to everyone...or you can do the individual thank yous to each person.  But if you thank one person...you have to thank them all.  Same goes if you have two friends with birthdays on the same day.  If you wish one a happy birthday...you have to wish the other one a happy birthday, too...even if you don't like the other person.  It's almost enough to avoid the Facebook birthdays altogether.

That said, I told my friend, she could just hide her birthday from her Facebook community.  She replied, "Why would I want to do that?  I want everyone to know when my birthday is.  I just don't like having to thank them."

Here are the 11 Best Songs By Puscifer:

1. Conditions For My Parole (Conditions For My Parole)
2. Green Valley (Conditions For My Parole)
3. The Undertaker (Underworld)
4. The Mission M Is For Milla Mix (C is For)
5. Toma (Conditions For My Parole)
6. Holiday on the Moon (New Tales To Tell)
7. Horizons (Conditions For My Parole)
8. Rev 22:20 (Underworld Evolution)
9. Potions Deliverance Mix (C is For)
10. Momma Sed (V is for Vagina)
11. The Weaver (Conditions For My Parole)

Buy Pusicfer's new album, Donkey Punch The Night...now!!!

The 11 Best Songs By Foals

Is it just me or does Top Ramen deserve a Medal of Honor?  Or whatever medal they give out to food that has gone above and beyond its purpose.  I mean, think about all the great things Top Ramen has done for this country.  Think of all the countless college students who could afford to eat and pay their tuition because Ramen provided such an affordable meal.  I went through a flat of that stuff every week, which left me plenty of money to go to concerts on the weekend.  If that's not enough...think of the families who stay fed during tough economic times because at least they can afford soup.  You can feed a family of 5 for $1!!  That's a better solution to the economic crisis than any one in Obama's cabinet has figured out.  And, when you're sick...Top Ramen beats out any canned soup.  Next to homemade, Top Ramen may be the perfect soup/meal.  If they don't deserve a medal...they at least deserve a reality show.

Here are the 11 Best Songs By Foals:

1. Miami (Total Life Forever)
2. Cassius (Antidotes)
3. Hummer (Non-Album Single)
4. Balloons (Antidotes)
5. Olympic Airways (Antidotes)
6. Mathletics (Non-Album Single) 
7. Blue Blood (Total Life Forever)
8. Everybody Wants To Rule The World (Metropolis Session)
9. Spanish Sahara (Total Life Forever)
10. Astronauts N'All (Hummer Single)
11. Tron (Antidotes) 

Buy Foals new album, Holy Fire...now!!!

The 11 Best Songs By Late Night Alumni

There comes a point when a side project becomes bigger than the artist who created it.  This happens when the new band has a life of its own, it's own fan base...who many don't even know the guitarist was in some 80s hair metal band.  Late Night Alumni's famous member is EDM darling, Kaskade.  I guess it's a sign of the times that when a DJ has a side project...it's an actual band.  I've been recommended LNA for a couple years now...and two of the people who recommended them to me didn't even know that Kaskade was in the band.  One of them didn't even know who Kaskade was.  I told her he was a big DJ.  She replied, there's no such thing.  I just smile and nodded.  I guess we won't be seeing her at EDC this year.

Here are the 11 Best Songs By Late Night Alumni:

1. Angels and Angles (Haunted)
2. You Can Be The One  (Of Birds, Bees, Butterflies)
3. Finally Found  (Of Birds, Bees, Butterflies)
4. Empty Streets (Empty Streets)
5. In the Ashes (Haunted)
6. Seemingly Sleeping (Empty Streets)
7. Run A Mile (Of Birds, Bees, Butterflies)
8. Light Reading  (Of Birds, Bees, Butterflies)
9. It's Not Happening (Haunted)
10. Of Birds, Bees, Butterflies (Of Birds, Bees, Butterflies)
11. What's in A Name (Of Birds, Bees, Butterflies)

Buy Late Night Alumni's new album, The Beat Becomes a Sound...now!!!

The 11 Best Songs By Frightened Rabbit

Every time I feel like giving the Grammy's a second chance they severely let me down.  I will admit that Sunday's show was much better than the show has been in recent years.  But I turned off the show with a feeling of..."that's it?"  Maybe last year was so strong this one just pales in comparison.  I love that there's less awards and more live performances. Though some of the live sets seemed flat.  Despite all the pomp with Taylor Swift's song, the performance was extremely wooden.  It was like a movie with great set desgin but a crappy screenplay.  Fun. picked a dull song for that venue.  Kelly Clarkson seemed like she just woke up from a nap after being put to sleep by Fun. I think the lighting tech took a lunch during Rihanna's song and was doing acid for Bruno Mars' set.  And to top it off, probably the most energetic performance of the night with Chuck D and LL Cool J was cut off!  Maybe it wasn't so much what was in the show but what was missing. Where was the MCA tribute?  I get the Levon Helm tribute.  Totally warranted and great performance.  But Bob Marley over MCA?  And honestly...if you had to pick between MCA and Levon Helm: MCA is more important.  I get covering Beastie Boys songs is difficult...but Sabotage is doable.  Why not a DJ set/mix of their work?  DJs are hot right now.  And where was the electronic music?  They had an EDM tent last year.  This year, I'm not sure David Guetta was even let in the building.  I get that folk music is hot right now.  And I appreciate the show embracing it...but that doesn't mean to overkill it.  There is such a thing of too much of a good thing.

Here are the 11 Best Songs By Frightened Rabbit:

1. The Greys (Sing The Greys)
2. I Feel Better (The Midnight Organ Fight)
3. The Wrestle (The Winter of Mixed Drinks)
4. The Modern Leper (The Midnight Organ Fight)
5. Fuck This Place (A Frightened Rabbit EP)
6. Skip The Youth (The Winter of Mixed Drinks)
7. Nothing Like You (The Winter of Mixed Drinks)
8. Don't Go Breaking My Heart (The Loneliness and The Scream)
9. Heads Roll Off (The Midnight Organ Fight)
10. Music Now (Sing The Greys)
11. Home From War (State Hospital EP)

Buy Frightened Rabbit's new album, Pedestrian Verse, now!!!

The 11 Best Songs By Ride

I've been reading some of the reviews about the new MBV release.  Almost every review/reviewer has been completely full of shit.  It's like a hipster vocabulary orgy with each critic spewing out pages of Roget's Thesaurus to describe the either sublime, beautiful or pungent songs that have been unveiled by Kevin Shields.  And each critic is so busy trying to sound clever that in the end, they're failing at doing the one thing that they're supposed to be doing...reviewing the material!

Here's a snippet from a good review on NME: "hazy guitars slide in and out of focus to create a soft, dream-like fuzz, augmented by the occasional slither of bell-clear soloing that rings through the haze and Shields’ cotton-candy soft vocals adding to the envelope of sound."

What the fuck is he talking about?  It sounds like he's describing a night in Eli Roth's Hostel.  Idiot.  And he never says whether the song is good or not.  Basically all we learned from his review is that the song makes noise with guitars.  And Kevin Shields might sing on it...or give out Halloween candy. I can't tell.

Here's a review from Spin, from someone who didn't love the new album:  Kevin Shields bats us first left and then right with each bend of the guitar, lifts us up or pushes and holds us down, toys with us like we're a ball of yarn and the God of All Sonics is a small kitten with a capricious whim, a dark mien and a mind like a diamond.

Again...what in the fuck fuck are you talking about?  Kittens, yarn, Gods of Chow mein?  These reviews are about as helpful as Stevie Wonder giving driving directions.

You want to know how I learned how they felt about the album...by the numerical grade at the end of the review.  Not by the review itself.

Here's my review of the album:  "It's good.  It sounds like a more mature Loveless.  8/10."  That's a review.  And that's as long as it needs to be.  All people want to know is should they buy it or forget it.  That's all.  They don't care that you went to some Ivy league school and the only job you could get was getting paid $25 per album review.  It's a music review...not scripture.

Enough about MBV's surprise release...and time to discuss another return of another seminal shoegazer band.  This week, Ride has released the remastered versions of the remainder of their catalog.

Here are the 11 Best Songs By Ride:

1. Dreams Burn Down (Nowhere)
2. Chrome Waves (Going Blank Again)
3. Moonlight Medicine (Carnival of Light)
4. Seagull (Nowhere)
5. Kaleidoscope (Nowhere)
6. Nowhere (Nowhere)
7. From Time To Time (Carnival of Light)
8. Time Machine (Going Blank Again)
9. Ride The Wind (Tarantula)
10. Unfamiliar (Nowhere)
11. Like A Daydream (Smile)

Buy the Ride remasters now!!!

The 11 Best Songs By My Morning Jacket

The Super Bowl is over and I can't say I'm happy about the game. I agree with Frank Gore...the better team did not win.  The 49ers played a piss poor first half but came roaring back in the second half to almost pull off an amazing comeback.  There was one thing standing in there way:  the officiating.  No, I'm not a sore loser...and no I don't think that had the right calls been made that it would have guaranteed the 49ers' win...but it would have been a fair game.  On the 4th down play at the end of the game...there was pass interference  The announcers thought it was pass interference   All 50 people who were at the party I was attending (even the Ravens fans) thought it was pass interference.  Even the Baltimore players thought it was pass interference.  Only one person didn't agree.  The ref.  Since the game, people who are defending the call have been saying "you're not going to get those calls at the end of the game.  You have to make the big play."  Why?  Why on the last play of the game does the defense get the benefit of the officiating?  Why doesn't the defense have to make the big play?  Basically, everyone defending the non-call is saying that on the last play of the game, the defense is allowed to cheat.  It's wrong...and the more this happens...it's only going to set up an unforgivable disaster.  Mark my words.  In the next couple of years, a official/referee is going to get murdered for making the wrong call.  And maybe it needs to happen to get the NFL to wake up and do something about the horrendous officiating that has all but plagued the game.  I'm not condoning a murder...but when you play with fire...only bad things can come from it...and the only way you learn is when you finally get burned.

And if the NFL is going to lean toward any team...why would you lean to the team that has a murderer on the roster?

Could not be better timing with the new Jim James album and his mellow vibe.

Here are the 11 Best Songs By My Morning Jacket:

1. One Big Holiday (It Still Moves)
2. Librarian (Evil Urges)
3. Cobra (Chocolate and Ice)
4. Touch Me I'm Going To Scream Pt. 2 (Evil Urges)
5. Golden (It Still Moves)
6. Holding On To Black Metal (Circuital)
7. Xmas Curtain (At Dawn)
8. Where To Begin (Elizabethtown)
9. O Is The One That Is Real (Split with Songs: Ohia)
10. Thank You Too! (Evil Urges)
11. Dondante (Z)

Buy Jim James new album, Regions of Light, now!!

The 11 Best Songs By My Bloody Valentine

I'm not sure what news is most shocking tonight:  is it that the 49ers are back in the Super Bowl after almost 20 years...or is it that My Bloody Valentine has released their 3rd album after a 22-year wait?  (Take that Axl Rose)  Is it a coincidence that MBV's new album was released today on the eve of the 49ers return to football super stardom?  MBV's first album came out in 1989...the same year that the Niners won their first of back-to-back Super Bowl victories.  There were a lot of Irish immigrants in gold rush years up in the Bay area.  Maybe they're connected...but probably not.  Either way, it's a good night for music fans and football fans everywhere.  And even better if you're a fan of both.

Here are the 11 Best Songs By My Bloody Valentine:

1. Soon (Loveless)
2. When You Sleep (Loveless)
3. (When You Wake) You're Still In A Dream (Isn't Anything)
4. Only Shallow (Loveless)
5. Off Your Face (Glider)
6. Strawberry Wine (Strawberry Wine)
7. You Made Me Realise (You Made Me Realise EP)
8. You Never Should (Isn't Anything)
9. Swallow (Tremolo)
10. To Here Knows When (Loveless)
11. Angel (EP's 1988-1991)

Buy their new album, m b v now!!!