The 11 Best Songs By LCD Soundsystem

As I walked around Border's this weekend, picking leftover books off their shelves during their going-out-of-business sale, a chilling thought crossed my mind...where am I going to buy books?  I rarely went to book stores with specific titles in mind.  I only went with a general idea of something I wanted.  I wanted to enjoy browsing all the different titles and coming home with something new and unique.  But even if I wanted something specific...where will I get it?  Amazon?  Sure...but what if I want it today and not in 3 days?  That's doable...but not efficient.  Target?  Target carries less book titles than CDs.  Last time I was there, they dedicated an entire shelf to Sarah Palin and another shelf to Snooki's new book.  That left one shelf to the rest of their titles.  That's just sad.  I could use a kindle and download it...but like I said...most of the stuff I bought did not come from knowing exactly what I wanted.  It came from reading a book jacket...looking at the cover...reading some pages here and there.  That experience is now gone.  Completely.

We also say goodbye to LCD Soundsystem this week.  Though equating their loss to the loss of the book industry isn't really fair.  But there are some similarities.  It is time to say goodbye to an artist that was totally uncompromising in their musical expression.  They had no label to tell them what to do...because James Murphy, who basically is the whole band, also owns his band's record label.  They had complete freedom to do what they want and had no one to tell them what to do.  Very few bands if any will have that freedom to do what they want.  Like the freedom we had walking around in a book store, freedom to express yourself musically is disappearing fast.

Here are the 11 Best Songs By LCD Soundsystem:

1.  Tribulations (LCD Soundsystem)
2.  Someone Great (Sound of Silver)
3.  All My Friends (Sound of Silver)
4.  Daft Punk Is Playing in My House (LCD Soundsystem)
5.  All I Want (This Is Happening)
6.  I Can Change (This Is Happening)
7.  Great Release (LCD Soundsystem)
8.  North America Scum (Sound of Silver)
9.  Losing My Edge (Non-Album Single)10.  You Wanted A Hit (This Is Happening)
11.  45:33 (45:33)


Buy LCD Soundsystem's London Sessions now!

The Best Albums of 2010 (#12-#22)

Our list continues...one day to go.

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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 11 Best Songs of The Year (so far):

I'm a sucker for a request.  Had no intention of doing this...but if the fans want it...then...

Here are the 11 Best Songs of the Year (so far):

1.  I Was A Teenage Anarchist - Against Me! (White Crosses)
2.  25 To Life - Eminem (Recovery)
3.  Odessa - Caribou (Swim)
4.  Soft In The Center - The Hold Steady (Heaven Is Whenever)
5.  You Wanted A Hit - LCD Soundsystem (This Is Happening)
6.  Giving Up The Gun - Vampire Weekend (Contra)
7.  Valleys of Neptune - Jimi Hendrix (Valleys of Neptune)
8.  End Love - OKGo (Of The Blue Colour of The Sky)

9.  Can't Hear My Eyes - Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti (Before Today)
10.  Flash Delirium - MGMT (Congratulations)
11.  The Fourth Night of Drinking - The Drive-By Truckers (The Big To-Do)

Buy any of the great releases from 2010 and more!

The 11 Best Albums of the Year (so far):

Over halfway through the year and I am unimpressed.  Eminem's new album is pretty good and definitely a return to form.  But the best of the year?  It's not even the best Em album.  Maybe 3rd best.  And Massive Attack, Morcheeba, and MGMT have all made nice albums...but these are far from their best material.  So what gives?  Last year at this time, the Animal Collective, the xx, Grizzly Bear, and Phoenix had all released albums.  I've listened to Sleigh Bells (a reincarnation of Atari Teenage Riot), Best Coast (the new Raveonettes), Surfer Blood (a watered-down Pavement), Beach House (a more moody Joan As Police Woman), & Local Natives (a less innovative Elbow) and have been underwhelmed by all of them. Where's the good music people?!

This decade is really starting off with a whimper.

Here are the 11 Best Albums of 2010 (so far):

1.  Eminem - Recovery
2.  LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening
3.  Massive Attack - Heliogoland
4.  Morcheeba - Blood Like Lemonade
5.  Jonsi - Go
6.  MGMT - Congratulations
7.  Tokyo Police Club - Champ
8.  Against Me! - White Crosses
9.  Free Energy - Stuck on Nothin'
10. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - Mojo
11. Caribou - Swim

Buy these great 2010 albums and others now!

The 11 Best Songs By LCD Soundsytem

I bought myself a new record player this weekend.  I had one which fizzed out a few years ago...and never bothered to replace it.  Didn't think I needed to.  But after spending most of the day listening to my vinyl collection, I'm once again hooked.  It is true that a brand new vinyl played on by a brand new stylus is better quality than a CD.  And it's true that 90% of the people who listen to both won't hear the difference.  I try to describe it to people like the difference between pan&scan and letterbox...but even more slight.

There is something undeniable that vinyl has that CDs and digital are missing.  It's called dedication.  Listening to a record requires attention.  Listening to a CD or digital...you can skip around...listen to part of a song...you barely ever absorb an artist's intention to make an album.  With a record, you can't escape it.  A record creates a connection between an artist and a listener that doesn't exist with any other medium.  I miss records.  And I'm glad to be back in the game.

Here is the 11 Best Songs By LCD Soundsystem:

1.  Someone Great (Sound of Silver)
2.  Tribulations (LCD Soundsystem)
3.  Losing My Edge (Non-Album Single)
4.  Daft Punk Is Playing in My House (LCD Soundsystem)
5.  All My Friends (Sound of Silver)
6.  Time To Get Away (Sound of Silver)
7.  Great Release (LCD Soundsystem)
8.  North America Scum (Sound of Silver)
9.  45:33 (45:33)
10.  Disco Infiltrator (LCD Soundsystem)
11.  Jump Into The Fire (B-Side)

Buy LCD Soundsystem's new album, This Is Happening.

The 11 Most Exciting Acts to see at Coachella 2010

The lineup for the 2010 Coachella show is out. And some strange headliners. Jay-z the first night...okay, I can see it. Muse the 2nd night...yeah, I guess...may be too commercial for the show...but okay. Gorillaz the 3rd night. Gorillaz? Headliner? Aren't they just a novelty act? Considering you have Thom Yorke (a previous headliner) and the Pavement reunion on the same night...you went with Gorillaz as the headliner...okay...

These aren't necessarily the best bands playing at the show. These aren't the bands who might put on the best performances. And these aren't even the bands that I think everyone else would be excited about seeing. These are the bands that I, personally, am excited to see at the show. Some big reunions (Pavement, FNM, PIL, and SDRE)...and some of 2009's breakout sensations (Phoenix, the XX, Grizzly Bear). Should be an awesome show...too bad I can't go.

The 11 Most Exciting Acts I'm Most Excited to see playing at Coachella 2010:

1. Pavement (April 18)
2. Faith No More (April 17)
3. Sunny Day Real Estate (April 18)
4. MGMT (April 17)
5. Phoenix (April 18)
6. the XX (April 17)
7. Grizzly Bear (April 16)
8. Sly and the Family Stone (April 18)
9. Vampire Weekend (April 16)
10. LCD Soundsystem (April 16)
11. Public Image Ltd. (April 16)

Check out the entire list for yourself.

The 111 Best Albums of the 00s (23-33)

The 111 Best Albums of the 00s (23-33):

23. The Shins - Oh, Inverted World (2001)
- Did you see Garden State? Enough said.

24. Outkast - Stankonia (2000)
- The only bad thing about this album is that it wasn't a double album.

25. The Killers - Hot Fuss (2004)
- Hands down the hardest rocking Mormons to ever come out of Las Vegas.

26. LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver (2007)
- Album number 2 is louder, faster, stronger, bigger, braver, and better.
(New York I Love You)

27. The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (2002)
- A concept album that isn't a concept album. Would expect something from the Flaming Lips to make sense?
(Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots)

28. The Postal Service - Give Up (2003)
- Don't side projects usually suck?
(This Place Is a Prison)

29. Lil Wayne - Tha Carter III (2008)
- Just because you're short and ugly doesn't mean you can't make good music.

30. Kanye West - Late Registration (2005)
- Just because you're loud and obnoxious doesn't mean you can't make good music.

31. Spoon - Gimme Fiction (2005)
- Do these guy know how to make bad music? (Sister Jack)

32. Johnny Cash - American IV: Man Comes Around (2002)
- F.U. Trent Reznor.

33. Norah Jones - Come Away With Me (2002)
- Who ever thought sappy piano ballads could be so good?

Buy these albums now.

The 111 Best Albums of the 00s (89-99)

Here are the the 111 Best Albums of the 00s (89-99):

89. Missy Elliott - Under Construction (2004)
- Her 4th album was by far her best...not that the others are too shabby. She may easily be the best female rapper of her day...if not of all time. This is her at the peak of her game.

90. Ryan Adams - Heartbreaker (2000)
- Adams' first solo album is actually a fairly tame start to the massive amount of music he would unleash on the public in the decade to come.

91. Cat Power - You Are Free (2003)
- Is it folk, it punk, is it indie, is it alternative, is it chamber music? Chan Marshall's massive seductive voice finds its groove on her 5th and best release, setting the stage for a steady impact of other stellar releases in the years to come.

92. Bloc Party - Silent Alarm (2005)
- A blast of 80s retro energy, Silent Alarm was a reminder of how much fun alternative music could be. Even Ferris Bueller would have taken the day off to listen to this. (This Modern Love)

93. The Roots - Phrenology (2002)
- The 00s were littered with hip-hop artists testing the genre of what the boundaries were. The Roots had been pushing those boundaries for years...but on this release, they merged some heavy rock groves giving birth to one of the funkiest albums of the decade. (Complexity)

94. LCD Soundsystem - LCD Soundsystem (2005)
- This album was a like a rocket on the club scene, reminding the world what it was like to dance to actual music instead of mind-numbing pulsating electronic dial tones. The white boy dance movement was born on this puppy. (Tribulations)

95. N.E.R.D. - In Search Of... (2002)
- Now there are two versions of this album. The regular old hip-hop version with computerized beats...and the awesomely 70s throwback version with a full band. I'm referring to the latter. It sounded like something Stevie Wonder would have jammed on with the Jackson 5 had they shared a dorm room in college...had they gone to college. (Run To The Sun)

96. Sigur Ros - Takk... (2005)
- A rich rebound from their second more mellow release. It was giant leap forward in songwriting style, crafting epic musical pieces over plain old pop songs. They also proved that you didn't need to sing in English to captivate an American audience...or that Bjork was the only talented one out of Iceland.

97. Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights (2002)
- It had been a good ten years since some sounded as dark, depressed and moody as Interpol sounded on their debut. Ironically, the brooding din was a bright spot in the otherwise morbid landscape of alternative nu metal.

98. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest (2009)
- The band debuted in the Billboard top 10 with this year's addition. An unheard of achievement for an indie rock band. And the album doesn't disappoint. It's like the band is breathing fresh life into their music on this glowing release. At times it sounds like they managed to harness the sound of the wilderness into a harmony. It only grows more interesting with every listen.

99. Jimmy Eat World - Bleed American (2001)
- Emo music was behind the 8-ball from the start. You can thank Dashboard Confessional for that. But if more of the releases sounded like JEW's refined pop brillance, the genre would have been much more tolerable. Instead, in its wake, we got Fall Out Boy and Panic at the Disco. (A Praise Chorus)

Buy these albums now...Best of the 2000s.