The 11 Best Songs By Depeche Mode of the 00s

Recently, Christopher Clemons of the Seattle Seahawks said that any NFL player who comes out and reveals that his is gay...that would be considered a selfish act.  This reminds me of a story from my childhood...

When I was in high school, one of my classmates noticed that I was listening to Depeche Mode on my walkman and teased me for being gay because I liked Depeche Mode. Unfortunately for him, I wasn't gay. His rationale was that everyone in the group Depeche Mode was gay...so therefore if I listened to them...then I was gay by association.  He teased me while wearing a Judas Priest t-shirt.  Recently, I heard through the grapevine that he's come out of the closet.  Exactly.

The 11 Best Songs By Depeche Mode of the 00s:

1. Precious (Playing The Angel)
2. In Sympathy (Sounds of the Universe)
3. Martyr (Best Of)
4. Suffer Well (Playing The Angel)
5. Lillian (Playing The Angel)
6. Light (Sounds of the Universe Deluxe Edition)
7. Fragile Tension (Sounds of the Universe)
8. Free (Precious Single)
9. Dream On (Exciter)
10. John The Revelator (Playing The Angel)
11. Perfect (Sounds of the Universe)

Buy Depeche Mode's new album, Delta Machine...now!

The 11 Best Songs By The Strokes

It has happened...the best time of the year for music fans is upon us.  Record Store Day.  April 20th, 2013.  It's the day all us of audiophiles spend every last spare dime in our piggie banks on limited edition 7-inches in blue splatter paint or a see-through vinyl.  Where a $30 12-inch with one demo seems like a good deal.  Why?  Because Record Store Day is what listening to music is all about.  It's about owning a piece of the music.  About obtaining something that no one else has.  Today, getting an album is easy, whether you pay for it or it's free.  There's nothing special about owning music anymore.  Before digital, buying an album was part of the process.  It was about that journey.  That piece of music was representative of what you went through to get it and why you chose it.  Every time you held it in your hands it brought you back to that moment.  Record Store Day is about that feeling.  It's about a band's connection to its fans.  Well that...and the fact that splatter paint vinyl looks so freaking cool.

Check this year's release list here:  http://www.recordstoreday.com/SpecialReleases

The 11 Best Songs By The Strokes:

1. 12:51 (Room on Fire)
2. Heart in A Cage (First Impressions of Earth)
3. Under The Cover Of Darkness (Angles)
4. Hard To Explain (Is This It)
5. Reptilia (Room on Fire)
6. Someday (Is This It)
7. Last Nite  (Is This It)
8. Life is Simple in the Moonlight (Angles)
9. Electricityscape (First Impressions of Earth)
10. Taken For A Fool (Angles)
11. Ize of the World (First Impressions of Earth)

Buy The Strokes new album, Comedown Machine...now!

The 11 Best Songs By Songs: Ohia

Loss is the hardest thing any of us face in life.  It comes suddenly and destroys ruthlessly.  Being under appreciated while you're here...is equally potent.  Jason Molina of Songs: Ohia and the Magnolia Electric Company died this past weekend.  He was 39.  His music is timeless.

Here are the 11 Best Songs By Songs: Ohia:

1. The Black Crow (The Lioness)
2. Hot Black Silk (Axxess & Ace)
3. Nervous Bride (The Lioness)
4. I've Been Riding With The Ghost (Magnolia Electric Company)
5. Didn't It Rain (Didn't It Rain)
6. Tigress (The Lioness)
7. Cabwaylingo (Songs: Ohia)
8. Captain Badass (Axxess & Ace)
9. Love Leaves Its Abusers (Axxess & Ace)
10. John Henry Split My Heart (Magnolia Electric Company)
11. Hearts Newly Arrived (Impala)

Check out Songs: Ohia's catalog here.

The 11 Best Songs By Justin Timberlake

Okay, I'm not going over to the dark side...and no, I'm not becoming a pop music fan.  But I can honestly say, I respect the guy.  Of all the pop stars to come out over the past couple of decades...he's leaps and bounds more creative and innovative than the rest.  When Justin was awarded the MTV video music award over Johnny Cash, he threw a fit and thought it was a complete travesty that he should win over the legend.  I was blown away.  I thought all these pop kids were nothing but manufactured toy dolls whose sole purpose was to sell a glossed out over-produced product.  I never thought any of them knew about the roots of the music of what they were singing.  Well, I was wrong.  Justin is a song writer from Tennessee who has as much respect for the music that laid the foundation for him as the music he's making.  There are influences from Michael Jackson to Prince to Stevie Wonder to Johnny Cash.  I have to respect that. But wait there's more.  From his self-deprecating performances on SNL with Andy Sandberg and...yes,  his absolutely fantastic, History of Rap series with Jimmy Fallon...it's more than just respect...I've grown to appreciate his music.  I think he's still growing musically...and I think his best years are yet to come...

Here's the 4th installment of History of Rap for your enjoyment.

Here are the 11 Best Solo Songs By Justin Timberlake:

1. What Goes Around... / ...Comes Around Interlude (FutureSex / LoveSounds)
2. Rock Your Body (Justified)
3. Summer Love/Set The Mood Prelude (FutureSex / LoveSounds)
4. Last Night (Justified)
5. My Love (FutureSex / LoveSounds)
6. FutureSex / LoveSound (FutureSex / LoveSounds)
7. Let's Take A Ride (Justified)
8. Until The End of Time with Beyonce (FutureSex / LoveSounds Deluxe Edition)
9. I'm Lovin' It (I'm Lovin' It EP)
10. The History of Rap (Late Night With Jimmy Fallon)
11. Dick in A Box (Lonely Island - Incredibad)

Buy Justin Timberlake's new album, The 20/20 Experience...now!!!

The 11 Best Songs By The Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

Today begins March Madness...sorta.  A couple years ago, the NCAA thought it would be a great idea to add a couple extra games on the front of the tournament.  They thought it there's nothing bad about "more" March Madness, right?  Wrong.  There's a big problem.  No one cares.  No one watches the first four games.  Two of the games are by 16-seeds...which makes little or no impact on the actual tournament.  The other two are a 13-seed game and a 12-seed game, which could make an impact...but it's only two games.  Therefore, no one counts them.  Everyone waits to fill out their brackets until after those games have been completed.  Basically, they're ignored.  So why have them?  Here's why. Like everything in college sports...it's ruined by the prospect of more money.  College football refuses to have a tournament (which everybody wants) because the Bowl games make so much money.  And College basketball wants to keep their tournament exactly how it is...but adding more games potentially brings in more money.  Instead of protecting the integrity of the sport...they're only thinking about the size of their wallets.  BRMC faced the same situation in their early years.  They could have sold out and gone pop (how many people at their label wanted them to do)...but they kept their integrity and continue to make some of the grittiest and honest rock music out there.  They didn't make the big bucks...but they still make great music.

Here are the 11 Best Songs By the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club:

1. Whatever Happened to My Rock N Roll? (B.R.M.C.)
2. We're All In Love (Take Them On, On Your Own)
3. Rifles (B.R.M.C.)
4. As Sure As the Sun (B.R.M.C.)
5. Berlin (Baby 81)
6. Stop (Take Them On, On Your Own)
7. Weapon of Choice (Baby 81)
8. Love Burns (B.R.M.C.)
9. 20 Hours (American X)
10. Conscience Killer (Beat The Devil's Tattoo)
11. In Like the Rose (Take Them On, On Your Own)

Buy Black Rebel Motorcycle Club's new album, Specter At the Feast, now!!!

The 11 Best Songs By The Replacements (Twin Tone Years)

To many Replacements fans there are two versions of the band.  The early version of the band on Twin Tone Records and the later version of the band on Sire.  Some fans love both versions...others abhor the major label version, calling the band sell-outs for cashing in.  In there defense, even if the Twin Tone years were stronger creatively for the band, they were not very lucrative financially.  Bob Stinson had to work part time as a pizza chef and the band covered most of their traveling expenses on the floundering label.  I'm not sure the band wanted to spend the rest of its life eating corn dogs, sleeping on couches and delivering pizza just so you could feel better about yourself liking them.  I've even heard people bashing the reunion EP as being a major letdown.  They reunited to raise money for their guitarist Slim Dunlap who suffered a debilitating stroke and can't pay his medical bills.  How big of a pretentious douche bag do you have to be to hate on that?

Here are 11 Best Songs By The Replacements (Twin Tone Years):

1. I Will Dare (Let It Be)
2. Color Me Impressed (Hootenanny)
3. Black Diamond (Let It Be)
4. Unsatisfied (Let It Be)
5. Takin' A Ride (Sorry Ma)
6. Go (Stink)
7. Kicking Your Door Down (Sorry Ma)
8. Kids Don't Follow (Stink)
9. Sixteen Blue (Let It Be)
10. Raised In the City (Sorry Ma)
11. Take Me Down To The Hospital (Hootenanny)

Buy The Replacements new EP, Songs for Slim...now!!!

The 11 Best Songs With Dave Grohl That Are Not Nirvana or Foo Fighters Songs

As difficult as it was to narrow down David Bowie's career to 111 songs, this list might actually be harder.  I honestly believe Dave Grohl has been featured on more albums than David Bowie.  Though many of his appearances may be simmered down by some to a mere session drummer guest spot, there's a distinguishable energy on many of the songs where Grohl leaves his mark.  The new album is no different...not to mention...he directed a movie.  I was talking to my friend about the new album.  For some reason, he didn't realize who he was...finally after five minutes of explaining he said, "Oh, you mean the guy from Nirvana."  No wonder he does as much shit as he does.  Go Dave.

The 11 Best Songs With Dave Grohl That Are Not Nirvana or Foo Fighters Songs:

1. How Do You Do (Dave Grohl - Touch Soundtrack)
2. Every Day is Exactly The Same (Nine Inch Nails - With Teeth)
3. No One Knows (Queens of the Stone Age - Songs For the Deaf)
4. Against The 70s (Mike Watt - Ballhog or Tugboat?)
5. Bad Boyfriend (Garbage - Bleed Like Me)
6. Shake Your Blood (Probot - Probot)
7. Go With The Flow (Queens of the Stone Age - Songs For the Deaf)
8. Mind Eraser, No Chaser (Them Crooked Vultures - ST)
9. Good Golly Miss Molly (Backbeat Band - Sountrack)
10. Your Shoes (Taylor Hawkins - Red Light Fever)
11. It's All About The Benjamins Rock Remix (Puff Daddy - Been Around the World)

Buy the Sound Track to Dave Grohl's documentary, Sound City...now!!!

The 111 Best Songs By David Bowie

I am not the definitive voice on David Bowie.  I am one voice.  Basically, this list encompasses the majority of Bowie's solo career.  I did not include Tin Machine or his guest spot/team-ups.  I also avoided the live albums.  This list was hard enough with just his main releases.  This should be a good start...especially if you're only getting into Bowie now.  Just remember, I told you about him first.

Here are the 111 Best Songs By David Bowie:

1. Suffragette City (Ziggy Stardust)
2. Life on Mars? (Hunky Dory)
3. Modern Love (Let's Dance)
4. Ziggy Stardust (Ziggy Stardust)
5. Rebel Rebel (Diamond Dogs)
6. Moonage Daydream (Ziggy Stardust)
7. China Girl (Let's Dance)
8. The Man Who Sold the World (The Man Who Sold the World)
9. Young Americans (Young Americans)
10. Changes (Hunky Dory)
11. Hang On To Yourself (Ziggy Stardust)
12. Space Oddity (Space Oddity)
13. Golden Years (Station To Station)
14. Five Years (Ziggy Stardust)
15. Andy Warhol (Hunky Dory)
16. Song For Bob Dylan (Hunky Dory)
17. The Width of a Circle (The Man Who Sold the World)
18. Neighborhood Threat (Tonight)
19. Bang Bang  (Never Let Me Down)
20. Jean Genie (Aladdin Sane)
21. Blue Jean (Tonight)
22. Sound and Vision (Low)
23. DJ (Lodger)
24. John, I'm Only Dancing (Ziggy Stardust)
25. 1984 (Diamond Dogs)
26. Cracked Actor (Aladdin Sane)
27. Starman (Ziggy Stardust)
28. Let's Dance  (Let's Dance)
29. Watch That Man (Aladdin Sane)
30. Queen Bitch (Hunky Dory)
31. Velvet Goldmine (Ziggy Stardust Deluxe Edition)
32. Be My Wife (Low)
33. Rock N Roll Suicide (Ziggy Stardust)
34. Loving The Alien (Tonight)
35. Fascination (Young Americans)
36. Star (Ziggy Stardust)
37. Heroes (Heroes)
38. Let's Spend the Night Together (Aladdin Sane)
39. Soul Love (Ziggy Stardust)
40. All The Young Dudes (Aladdin Sane 30th Anniversary)
41. Cat People (Let's Dance)
42. Scary Monsters and Super Creeps (Scary Monsters)
43. She's Got Medals (David Bowie)
44. Diamond Dogs (Diamond Dogs)
45. New York's In Love (Never Let Me Down)
46. I'm Afraid of Americans (Earthling)
47. Afraid (Heathen)
48. Lady Stardust (Ziggy Stardust)
49. Kooks (Hunky Dory)
50. Black Country Rock (The Man Who Sold the World)
51. Fame (Young Americans)
52. Criminal World (Let's Dance)
53. The Supermen (Hunky Dory Special Edition) 
54. Sunday (Heathen)
55. Janine (Space Oddity)
56. Secret Life of Arabia (Heroes)
57. Strangers When We Meet (Outside)
58. Growing Up (Diamond Dogs 30th Anniversary)
59. Time Will Crawl (Never Let Me Down)
60. Reality (Reality)
61. The Bewlay Brothers (Hunky Dory)
62. Drive In Saturday (Aladdin Sane)
63. Oh! You Pretty Things (Hunky Dory)
64. It's Hard To Be A Saint In City (Sound and Vision)
65. Day-In Day-Out (Never Let Me Down)
66. Breaking Glass (Low)
67. Jump They Say (Black Tie White Noise)
68. Time (Aladdin Sane)
69. Panic In Detroit (Aladdin Sane)
70. Seven (Hours...)
71. Big Brother (Diamond Dogs)
72. Unwashed and Somewhat Slightly (Space Oddity)
73. Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere? (Pin-Ups)
74. Rock N Roll With Me (Diamond Dogs)
75. Cygnet Committee (Space Oddity)
76. Tonight (Tonight)
77. It Ain't Easy (Ziggy Stardust)
78. You've Been Around (Black Tie White Noise)
79. Letter To Hermione (Space Oddity)
80. Slow Burn (Heathen)
81. The Prettiest Star (7-inch version)
82. Seven Years In Tibet (Earthling)
83. I'm Deranged (Outside)
84. Because You're Young (Scary Monsters)
85. Always Crashing in the Same Car (Low)
86. Little Wonder (Earthling)
87. Outside (Outside)
88. Beat of Your Drum (Never Let Me Down)
89. The Pretty Things Are Going To Hell (Hours...)
90. Look Back in Anger (Lodger)
91. Slip Away (Heathen)
92. TVC15 (Station To Station)
93. Teenage Wildlife (Scary Monsters)
94. Black Out (Heroes)
95. Bring Me The Disco King (Reality)
96. New Killer Star (Reality)
97. Johnny I'm Only Dancing, Again (7-inch)
98. Pallas Athena (Black Tie White Noise) 
99. Quicksand (Hunky Dory)
100. Station To Station (Station To Station)
101. Fantastic Voyage (Lodger)
102. Tumble and Twirl (Tonight)
103. Uncle Arthur (David Bowie)
104. Thursday's Child (Hours...)
105. Magic Dance (Labyrinth)
106. Wild Is the Wind (Station To Station)
107. Dodo (Diamond Dogs Expanded Edition)
108. Wild Eyed Boy From Free Cloud (Space Oddity B-Side)
109. Bombers (Hunky Dory Special Edition) 
110. Don't Look Down (Tonight)
111. When I Live My Dream (David Bowie)

Buy David Bowie's new album, The Next Day...now!!!

The 11 Best Songs By The Men

I've been fighting this parking ticket for almost 9 months now.  I had parked on a street one evening.  I was not parked in the red and there were no parking signs on the street.  I was attending a party and parked with a row of twenty other cars.  We came out during the party to find that all of our cars had been ticketed.  The parking officer claimed he tried to come into the party to tell us to move our cars but was turned away at the door by the bouncer.  This was untrue because the party had no bouncer and the front door was wide open.  We argued with the officer.  He said we should pay more attention to the no parking signs.  We all said what sign?  He just shrugged and said there was one a couple blocks away.  Huh?  I argued with the guy for the next 15 minutes until he agreed to wipe out the ticket.  He gave me his number to call him that Monday and he would take care of the ticket.  I couldn't call until Tuesday, when I did talk to him, he at first acted like he didn't know me.  Then when I kept talking, he started to remember our conversation.  I asked if he would take care of the ticket, still.  He said, "yeah, yeah, yeah."  Then I asked what I had to do.  He said just wait, you'll get something in the mail.  I followed with, "that's it?"  He said "That's it."  I thanked him and hung up. A few weeks later, I got a letter stating that I was delinquent in my fine.  The only reason I was delinquent was because the officer told me not to pay!!!  I think that's called entrapment.  So now strapped with a fine, I attempted to fight the ticket.  I paid the ticket...but they continued slapping more late fees on me despite already collecting my money!!  This is outright criminal.  Below are two pics.  One of my car parking on the street...not in the red.  And one of the street in daylight...see if you can find the no parking sign.  Neither can I.

Here are the 11 Best Songs By The Men:

1. Open Your Heart (Open Your Heart)
2. Turn It Around (Open Your Heart)
3. Bataille (If You Leave)
4. Animal (Open Your Heart)
5. Ex-Dreams (Open Your Heart)
6. () (If You Leave)
7. Praise The Lord and Pass The Ammunition (Immaculada)
8. Candy (Open Your Heart)
9. A Minor (Sacred Bones Presents Todo Muere 2)
10. Think (If You Leave)
11. Oh Yoko (Immaculada)

Buy The Men's new album, New Moon...now!!!

The 11 Best Posthumous Songs By Jimi Hendrix

There has always been a question to the legitimacy of the posthumous releases of Jimi Hendrix's unreleased material.  This is mostly due to Alan Douglas' questionable producing on 3 of the albums and a couple of the compilations.  Using studio musicians to finish Hendrix's tracks left a bad taste in fans' mouths, tainting all the of posthumous releases, including the ones he had nothing to do with.  It wasn't until 1997, when Hendrix's estate took over his recordings are we given a real peak to what was left behind.  There really is only one official album that Hendrix was aiming to complete, that being First Rays of the New Rising Sun.  After that, what we have is a treasure trove of alternate takes, demos, instrumentals, and live jams.  So what are the true Jimi Hendrix releases?  The originals from the years directly following his death?  Or, the newer versions by the family?  Either way...neither versions were released by Hendrix.  Usually when you hear the family the family is taking over...and we instantly think they would have Hendrix's best interests at heart.  That doesn't mean they're right.  I doubt any of the Jacksons could unanimously agree on how to release Michael's leftover music.  And they're all family.  So, my list will include alternate releases and really focus on the song...and not necessarily the recording.

Here are the 11 Best Posthumous Songs By Jimi Hendrix:

1. Angel (First Rays of the New Rising Sun/The Cry of Love)
2. Hey Baby (First Rays of the New Rising Sun/Rainbow Bridge)
3. Ezy Rider (First Rays of the New Rising Sun/The Cry of Love)
4. Valleys of Neptune (Valleys of Neptune)
5. Room Full of Mirrors (First Rays of the New Rising Sun/Rainbow Bridge)
6. Freedom (First Rays of the New Rising Sun/The Cry of Love)
7. Message To The Universe (South Saturn Delta)
8. Bleeding Heart (South Saturn Delta/War Heroes)
9. Drifter's Escape (South Saturn Delta/Loose Ends)
10. Here He Comes Lover Man (South Saturn Delta)
11. The Stars That Play With Laughing Sam's Dice (South Saturn Delta/Loose Ends)

Buy Jimi Hendrix's new album, People, Hell and Angels...now!!!

The 11 Best Songs By Porcupine Tree of the 00s

There's no bigger nightmare in LA than the 405.  It was always bad.  But it was a reliable bad.  Since they started construction on the 405...about 5 years ago...traffic has not only grown worse, it has become almost unbearable.  And it's not just the 405 that's undriveable, it's every freeway in LA.  It's a ripple effect that has clogged every major road artery in the city.  The construction (originally supposed to end in the fall of 2013) is currently scheduled to be finished by the end of 2015.  That's nearly 2 and half years behind schedule and the rumor is they're about 200 million over-budget. If I went 200 dollars over budget on a project, I'd be fired.  If they're so far over budget, why do I have to pay for it?  Angelenos are looking at about 10 years of horrendous, productivity-stifling traffic just to add one carpool lane.  Maybe will traffic will be slightly better when it's done...but will it be worth it?  The only ones who look to be coming out on top in this whole business is the construction company who can't even get the work done right in the first place.

Here are the 11 Best Songs By Porcupine Tree of the 00s:

1.      Arriving Somewhere But Not Here (Deadwing)

2.      Fear of a Blank Planet (Fear of a Blank Planet)

3.      Cholorform (In Absentia)

4.      Deadwing (Deadwing)

5.      Anesthetize (Fear of a Blank Planet)

6.      Way Out of Here (Fear of a Blank Planet)

7.      The Creator Has A Mastertape (In Absentia)

8.      Open Car (Deadwing)

9.      Buying New Soul (Lightbulb Sun)

10.  Time Flies (The Incindent)

11.  The Sound of Muzak (In Absentia)

Buy Steven Wilson's new solo album, The Raven That Refused To Sing...now!!