The 55 Best Albums of 2014 (45-55)

Back from vacation and back on the horse.  I will be attending Sundance next week and will keep on top of all the music shenanigans happening.  Until then, let's finish off 2014 the right way. Here are the 55 Best Albums of 2014 (45-55):

45. Kele - Trick
46. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Only Run
47. Phantogram - Voices
48. Metronomy - Love Letters
49. The Faint - Doom Abuse
50. Death From Above 1979 - This Physical World
51. PS I Love You - For Those Who Stay
52. Sharon Van Etten - Are We There?
53. Tom Petty - Hypnotic Eye
54. Chris Robinson Brotherhood - Phosphorescent Harvest
55. Pixies - Indie Cindy

Buy These albums now!!    

The 11 Best Songs By The Faint

With Coachella launching this weekend, the most talked about musical reunion wasn't that of Outkast or Neutral Milk Hotel, it was that of Nirvana.  Being inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame, an accomplishment in itself, brings with it the  pseudo-obligatory live performance.  The surviving members of Nirvana have rarely played together over the past 20 years.  And when they do, they avoid Nirvana songs.  But at the ceremony, in tribute, they embraced their legacy head on.

Finding a replacement for Kurt Cobain would be practically impossible.  And no, Dave Grohl is not an adequate choice (in that role).  Maybe Mark Arm...maybe Frank Black.  But then you're battling with whether those singers can put in a respectable performance.  There's too much judgement.  I liked that they went with all women.  It's out of the box cool.  Instead of trying to replace Kurt, they took a 90 degree turn and actually re-invented what Nirvana meant in the most awesome way possible.  I loved Joan Jett jamming with them.  I'm not a huge Kim Gordon or Annie Clark fan, but I respect the choices.  Lorde did feel out of place and not because of her pop sensibilities...she just didn't bring the emotion in the right way.  Not that she was too new (remember when Eddie Vedder fronted the Doors) it just felt the choice was forced; more dictated than selected.  She was certainly worlds better than most of her pop cohorts.  At the end of the day, it was a nice feeling to see the guys jamming together again.  It was a tribute worthy of Kurt's legacy.

Nirvana is one of those few bands where the surviving members actually like (love) each other.  It's respectable that they don't want to trample on the career of Nirvana by carrying on with the band but I would love to see them play together more.  They have great chemistry. They're super talented in their own right.  I love the Foo Fighters, but damn, do I miss Grohl slamming the skins.  And Krist on bass, plays sludgier and grimier than anyone.  Throw Smear in there, with punk core roots and that's a bad ass band in need of singer.  Maybe throw Chad Channing on drums...and...?  Coachella...are you listening?

Here are the 11 Best Songs By The Faint:

1. Worked Up So Sexual (Blank-Wave Arcade)
2. Agenda Suicide (Danse Macabre)
3. Call Call (Blank-Wave Arcade) 
4. Southern Belles In London Sing (Wet From Birth)
5. Glass Danse (Danse Macabre)
6. Casual Sex (Blank-Wave Arcade)
7. Let The Poison Spill From Your Throat (Danse Macabre)
8. The Geeks Were Right (Fasciination)
9. Sex Is Personal (Blank-Wave Arcade)
10. Mirror Error (Fasciination)
11. Your Retro Career Melted (Danse Macabre)

Buy The Faint's new album, Doom Abuse...now!!!

Don't forget to check out our blog's awesome new book The 111 Best Lists of the 2000s.  Available now! (featuring The Faint)

The 11 Best Songs By The Faint

This week saw the death of one of the most important items in our lives. Scrabulous was removed from Facebook. At first, I was scared...did this mean I actually had to go and get a life? I needed to find something better to do with my time? Luckily, I soon found the email version at the scrabulous website...which I think I might like more than the Facebook version. But here's what I find perplexing about this whole situation, it's the fact that Hasbro's forced Facebook to remove the application from their website. The reason is for Copywright infringement. Okay, I get that in theory. But in reality, it may have been one of the dumbest business moves of all time. For months, people on Facebook have been playing scrabulous. Then, when they want to get a version to play at home with their friends...they can't go out and buy a Home Version of Scrabulous...they have to buy Scrabble. Scrabulous was free marketing for Scrabble! And what did Scrabble do? Write a thank you letter to Scrabulous for igniting a whole new legion of fans to the board game? No, they threatened to sue them. Now people are boycotting Hasbro. Good job!

The 11 Best Songs By The Faint:

1. Worked Up So Sexual (Blank-Wave Arcade)

2. Agenda Suicide (Danse Macabre)

3. Southern Belles in London Sing (Wet From Birth)

4. Let The Poison Spill From Your Throat (Danse Macabre)

5. Call Call (Blank-Wave Arcade)

6. Glass Danse (Danse Macabre)

7. Sympton Finger (Wet From Birth)

8. Desperate Guys (Wet From Birth)

9. Your Retro Career Melted (Danse Macabre)

10. Sex Is Personal (Blank-Wave Arcade)

11. Hypnotised (B-Side)

Buy The Faint's new album Fasciinatiion...now!