The 11 Best Travis B-Sides From The Man Who

Continuing on with yesterday's post...

The Man Who was Travis' breakout album in the states. They had a huge radio hit with "Why Does it Always Rain on Me?" And one of their B-Sides in particular, the cover of Britney Spears' "Baby, One More Time," found a common spot on the radio as well. This may be Travis' only era where their album tracks out number the B-sides...14 to 12.

Here are The 11 Best Travis B-Sides From The Man Who:

The Woman Who

1. River (Joni Mitchel cover)
2. Village Man
3. Be My Baby (cover)
4. Baby, One More Time (Britney Spears cover)
5. Where Is The Love?
6. Green Behind The Ears
7. Days of Our Lives
8. We Are Monkeys
9. Urge For Going
10. Only Molly Knows
11. Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah

Buy Travis new album here.

The 11 Best Travis B-Sides From Good Feelings

No one considers the art of the B-Side a bigger asset than the band Travis. Here's a band that not only turns out some of the most collectable B-sides in the music industry (they cover everyone from The Band to Queen to Britney Spears) they are probably one of the few bands who has released more B-Sides than A-sides. Before the release of their recent album "The Boy With No Name" they had put out a total of 49 songs through official albums. On the flip side (pun intended), they've released 54 B-Sides. Either they're a band working too much overtime, or they're in desperate need of a better record contract.

I've split the next couple of days into a few posts. For fun I've split the 4 eras into their own albums (Bad Feelings, The Woman Who, The Highly Visible Band, and 12 More Memories)

Here's Part One - The 11 Best B-Sides From The Good Feelings Era:

Bad Feelings

1. City in the Rain
2. Standing On My Own
3. Everyday Faces
4. Gimme Some Truth
5. Coming My Hair
6. Unbelievers
7. Hazy Shades of Gold
8. Blue on a Black
9. Reason
10. When I'm Feeling Blue
11. Me Beside You

But Travis' new album here. Please...it's very good!!!

The 11 Best Things To Do In Nashville

When I told everyone that my family was taking a vacation to Nashville, everyone thought I was a loon. Nashville? How was I supposed to relax in a sleezy dirty city like Nashville? Are you kidding, for any of us audiophiles, Nashville is like the L'ouvre of music history. In fact if you throw in Memphis, the state of Tennesee may be the most significant musical state in the country. The number of pivotal rock albums that were recorded in Nashville number in the 1000s. Everyone from Bob Dylan to the White Stripes has recorded in Nashville at one time or another. It's not just about country music, although there's a lot of that going on. If anyone's looking for an off centre vacation with a musical theme then here are:

The 11 Best Things To Do In Nashville:

1. Country Music Hall of Fame - one of the best music museums I've ever been in
2. Grand Ole Opry - if you can see a show, do so at all costs
3. Musicians Hall of Fame - a museum dedicated to the great session musicians like the Funk Brothers, A-Team, and the Wrecking Crew. Absolutely fantastic.
4. The Hermitage, Andrew Jackson's Home - sure he wasn't in a band but when he was in the White House, he used to party like a rock star.
5. Grand Ole Opry Museum - right off to the side of the Opry, highlights many of the legendary performers of the past and present.
6. Wildhorse Saloon - it's a super touristy honky tonk bar, but it's still a great time.
7. Nashville Palace - this honky tonk bar is off the beaten path but the entertainment is quite excellent. Worth stopping in for a beer. And it's next door to the Willie Nelson and Dukes of Hazzard museums.
8. The General Jackson Showboat - Ride an old-fashioned paddle boat while listening to great southern music. It doesn't get much better than this.
9. Downtown - Honky Tonk Bars coming out your ears. It'll be hard NOT find a good.
10. Willie Nelson Museum - It's not great. But it's a lot like Willie. Rough, unique, and off the beaten path.
11. The Loveless Cafe - It's a bit of a drive from downtown Nashville but the place has a lot of history worth seeing and some great food to boot.

Here are some great songs recorded in Nashville:

1. Bob Dylan - The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest (from John Wesley Harding)
2. Frank Black - I Burn Today (From Honeycomb)
3. Ryan Adams - Shakedown on 9th Street (From Heartbreaker)

The Music Blog Awards 2007 (MuBA)

What are the Music Blog Awards?

The Music Blog Awards are the first award event where the music bloggers get to nominate their favorite artists. Over 35 of the best and brightest bloggers on the net selected nominees in 14 different categories from Best Album to Best Song to Best Taco (okay, I made up the last category). Yours truly helped with the nomination process and I can't tell you how thrilled I am with the list of nominees. I think this is the first award show I've been privy to and I didn't cringe when I saw the list of nominees. But here's the best thing about it, the public gets to vote for the winners. Just go here and place your vote with Emusic!

For everyone who votes, you'll get a chance to sign-up for Emusic and download an exclusive MuBA playlist, featuring tracks and artists from the MuBA nominee list. Everyone who signs up for Emusic will get 40 free downloads. And if you try out Emusic for a couple of weeks and don't like it, you can cancel your membership and keep the downloads without having to pay a dime!!

Instead of a typical list today, I've include the nominee list instead. Now Go vote!!

Album of the Year

1. Camera Obscura – Let's Get Out Of This Country
2. Hot Chip – The Warning
3. Joanna Newsom – YS
4. The Decemberists – The Crane Wife
5. The Knife – Silent Shout
6. TV on the Radio – Return to Cookie Mountain
   

Song of the Year

1. Band of Horses – The Funeral
2. Beirut – Postcards From Italy
3. Camera Obscura – Lloyd, I'm Ready To Be Heartbroken
4. Gnarls Barkley – Crazy
5. Midlake – Roscoe
6. Peter Bjorn and John – Young Folks
   

Best Artist

1. Beck
2. Joanna Newsom
3. The Decemberists
4. The Knife
5. TV On the Radio
   

Best Blog

1. An Aquarium Drunkard
2. I Guess I'm Floating
3. Large Hearted Boy
4. My Old Kentucky Blog
5. Stereogum

Best Live Band

1. Cansei Der Se Sexy (CSS)
2. Radiohead
3. Tapes N Tapes
4. The Decemberists
5. TV on the Radio

Best Rock Album

1. The Raconteurs – Broken Boy Soldiers
2. The Decemberists – The Crane Wife
3. Thom Yorke – The Eraser
4. TV on the Radio – Return To Cookie Mountain
5. Wolfmother – Wolfmother

Best Rock Song

1. Band of Horses – The Funeral
2. Tapes N Tapes – Insistor
3. The Decemberists – O! Valencia
4. The Raconteurs – Steady As She Goes
5. TV On The Radio – Wolf Like Me

Best Debut Album

1. Beirut – Gulag Orkestar
2. Cold War Kids – Robbers & Cowards
3. Gnarls Barkley – St. Elsewhere
4. Lily Allen – Alright, Still
5. Lupe Fiasco – Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor
6. We Are Scientists – With Love and Squalor
   

Best Indie Album

1. Cold War Kids – Robbers & Cowards
2. The Hold Steady – Boys and Girls In America
3. Sunset Rubdown – Shup Up I Am Dreaming
4. Tapes and Tapes – The Loon
5. The Thermals – The Body, The Blood, The Machine
   

Best Dance/Electronica Album

1. Cansei De Ser Sexy – Cansei De Ser Sexy
2. Girl Talk – Night Ripper
3. Goldfrapp – Supernature
4. Hot Chip – The Warning
5. The Knife – Silent Shout
   

Best Dance/Electronica Song

1. Gnarls Barkley – Crazy
2. Hot Chip – And I Was A Boy From School
3. LCD Soundsystem – 45:33
4. The Knife – We Share Our Mother's Health
5. The Rapture – Whoo! Alright, Yeah…Uh Huh
   

Best Rap Song

1. Nas – Hip-Hop Is Dead
2. Outkast – PJ and Rooster
3. T.I. – What You Know
   

Best Rap Album

1. Clipse – Hell Hath No Fury
2. Ghostface Killah – Fishscale
3. Lupe Fiasco – Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor
4. Nas – Hip-Hop Is Dead
5. Rhymefest – Blue Collar
   

Best Country/Alt.Country/Country Rock Album

1. Drive By Truckers – A Blessing And A Curse
2. Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins – Rabbit Fur Coat
3. Neko Case – Fox Confessor Brings The Flood
4. Old Crow Medicine Show – Big Iron World
5. The Be Good Tanyas – Hello Love

The 11 Best Songs By Rush

There are three things that plague the human race.: Terrorists, Telemarketers, and Traffic. There is no doubt if all three things were to disappear that the planet would be a much better place to live...in fact, it would be probably be very close to being a utopia. Imagine driving to work and you hit every green light. Imagine that not one person cuts in front of you and no one in front of you comes to a stop for no apparent reason. Imagine how happy you would be if you walked into work without having to use your brakes except to stop in your parking space. Driving to work with no traffic might be better than sex (I said might be). This list is for everyone who has to commute between San Francisco and Oakland. The next three months of your life will be hell. This is dedicated to all of you.

Buy Rush's new album Snakes and Arrows here

Here are the 11 Best Songs By Rush: (Thanks to Captain Kitt for the list)

1. 2112 (2112)
2. Tom Sawyer (Moving Pictures)
3. La Villa Strangiato (Hemispheres)
4. Red Barchetta (Moving Pictures)
5. Working Man (Rush)
6. YYZ (Moving Pictures)
7. The Trees (Hemispheres)
8. A Passage to Bangkok (2112)
9. A Farewell to Kings (A Farewell To Kings)
10. Animate (Counter Parts)
11. The Body Electric (Grace Under Pressure)

The 11 Best Rage Against the Machine Songs You've Never Heard

Right now the Rage Against The Machine reunion is happening. 7 years in the making and all you lucky Coachellans that waited in 100 degree heat are reaping the benefits. For all of us that are sitting in our air-conditioned homes and drinking ice cold lemonade, here's a something they can't get.

The 11 Best Rage Against the Machine Songs You've Never Heard:

1. Hadda Be Playing on The Jukebox (Live)
2. Darkness
3. Kucf The Police (Live)
4. Clear The Lane
5. Zapata's Blood (Live)
6. No Shelter
7. Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos (with Chuck D)
8. Bullet in the Head (Remix)
9. Bombtrack (Mark Goodier Session)
10. Bounce (with Snoop Dogg)
11. Guerilla Radio (DJ Shadow Remix)

Bonus: Calling Dr. Love (Shanti's Addiction) - Okay I know this is only a couple of members of RATM. But Maynard was on the first RATM album. And Tom Morrello and Maynard went to high school together...so seriously, it kinda counts.

The 11 Best Bands at Coachella

Festivals suck. All of them do. We think that they are great because a lot of great artists play at them. And sure, once in awhile a good performance is heard. But for the amount of money you pay, it's never worth it. Coachella is the bastardization of the music festival. More expensive to go for three days than to buy a used car. The drive out there is hellacious. The toilets are decorated with feces on the wall. It's hot. The food costs more than a dinner a Spago and tastes worse than a dinner at Del Taco. The crowd is usually filled with people you would never even invite over to your house. And 99.9 % of the time...the sound system is awful. If you're in the back of the crowd, you're lucky if you can understand every fifth word of the singer. So what's the point? There is no point. Good marketing and an awesome line-up sucks you in every time.

But if you already have tickets...then have a great time!

Here are the 11 best Bands at Coachella 2007

1. Rage Against the Machine (Freedom live)
2. Rodrigo y Gabriela
3. Kings of Leon
4. Ozomatli (Como Ves - Live at the Filmore)
5. Gogol Bordello
6. Arctic Monkeys (I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor - Reading)
7. The Roots (Mellow My Man live)
8. The Decemberists
9. Arcade Fire (Age of Consent - New Order Live Cover)
10. Tokyo Police Club
11. Amy Winehouse

The 11 Best Arctic Monkeys Songs You Haven't Heard

A couple days ago I looked at the arsenal of B-sides from Trent Reznor's 17 year career. Not counting instrumentals...the number tops out at around 13. Today's artist...the Arctic Monkeys had 14 B-sides before their second album even hit the store shelves. My old boss always told me you can judge a band's longevity by their B-sides. And it's somewhat true. Bloc Party had great B-sides and delivered a smashing good new double-album. The Killers had mediocre B-sides and their second album was lukewarm at best. With 14 Bees...you have some really good ones and some rather forgettable ones. But you can't deny the band's hunger to feed our hunger for great music.


Here are the 11 Best Arctic Monkeys Songs You Haven't Heard:

1. 7 (When The Sun Goes Down EP)
2. You Know I'm No Good (Amy Winehouse Cover) - BBC Radio
3. Settle For A Draw (When The Sun Goes Down EP)
4. Cigarette Smoking Fiona (Who The Kcuf are the Arctic Monkeys?)
5. What If You Were Right The First Time? (Brainstorm)
6. Stickin' To The Floor (When The Sun Goes Down EP)
7. Leave Before the Lights Come On (Leave Before the Lights Come On)
8. Despair in the Departure Lounge (Who The Kcuf are the Arctic Monkeys?)
9. Put Your Dukes Up, John (Leave Before the Lights Come On)
10. Who The Kcuf are the Arctic Monkeys? (Who The Kcuf are the Arctic Monkeys?)
11. Bigger Boys and Stolen Sweethearts (I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor)

The 11 Best Non-Album Nine Inch Nails Songs

When it comes to making albums, Trent Reznor has a specific vision for each one. Hell, he took 5 years to get The Fragile just the way he wanted it. Each album is it's own entity. There's a path, a journey to each album experience. Because of this, there are very few throwaways in the Reznor's arsenal...but they do exist.

Here are the 11 Best Non-Album Nine Inch Nails Songs:

1. Perfect Drug (Lost Highway sdtk) - Probably one of the most complex radio songs of all time. From an orchestra of guitars to an actual orchestra. Maybe it was Reznor doing his Prince thing...but somehow, he got it just right.
2. Dead Souls (The Crow sdtk.) - One of the rare covers that holds water with the original. And let me tell, it's practically impossible to cover Joy Division and do them justice. Yet, Reznor does it like it's no big thing.
3. All That Could Have Been (All That Could Have Been) - Sure it's on an official NIN album but it's the only original song among remixes and live tracks. It deserves its own recognition. A fantastic song that has the emotional wrought of Hurt but also the enormous angst of Closer. A NIN masterpiece.
4. Metal (original version) - The version on Things Falling Apart is the remix. This extremely rare version is much more alive and kicking. Could have been an easy fit on the Downward Spiral.
5. Burn (Natural Born Killers soundtrack) - An electric-charged anthem that evolves in absolute mayhem.
6. Home (With Teeth Import Track) - The closest thing that NIN will ever get to a mid-tempo rock song. It's soft enough to play for your mom but the kids who hang out at 7-11 will mope to it, too.
7. Deep (Tomb Raider soundtrack) - A very strange up and down track. Sometimes I love this song...sometimes I hate it. Impossible to find since the soundtrack became out-of-print about two weeks after it's release.
8. Get Down Make Love (Pretty Hate Machine B-Side) - A nice cover of the Queen song. Nothing special. Pretty close remake. But a solid addition to the NIN catalogue.
9. 10 Miles High (The Fragile B-Side) - Rumored to be the original opening track for the album. It has the momentum....
10. Memoribilia (Downward Spiral B-Side) - more of a instrumental remix of an instrumental song. But Trent throws in some typical growls to keep this interesting.
11. Black Bomb (Jerry in the Bag) - Okay, it's not really a NIN song. But since Trent Reznor is pretty much NIN and he co-wrote and sings on this track...it might as well be a lost track. You make the call. Besides...it was either this or The New Flesh...

The 11 Best Nine Inch Nails Songs

I've been having a discussion with a friend of mine, his name is Barry, about who could win in a fight between Henry Rollins and Trent Reznor. Now, ten years ago, when Trent was a wastoid who weighed somewhere in the double digits, Henry Rollins could blow him down with his monster breath. But in the past few years, Trent has hit the gym in a major way and put on about 100 pounds of pure muscle. So, what was once a blow-out is now easily a primetime bout. Now my friend, Barry thinks Rollins could take Trent without much effort. His argument is that Rollins is crazy. If you ever saw him in his Black Flag days then it's easy to see that the guy could fly off the handle at any moment. That's all good and true...and I know Rollins could kick my butt any day of the week and Sunday...BUT, Trent's got something that could push him over the edge. Trent's a bit psychotic. The guy bought the Tate Mansion because he felt it would inspire him to write good music. He spent 5 years in a drug induced coma so he could write the Fragile. He sends hate mail to Guns N Roses message boards. And it only takes one listen of NIN's new CD Year Zero to know that the guy isn't firing on all cylinders. In a knock-down drag-out brawl, I give it to Trent by a nose.

Buy Nin's new CD here.

Here are the 11 Best Nine Inch Nails songs:

1. We're In This Together (The Fragile)
2. Sin (Pretty Hate Machine)
3. Wish (Broken)
4. Right Where It Belongs (With Teeth)
5. Ruiner (The Downward Spiral)
6. Last (Broken)
7. Hurt (The Downward Spiral)
8. Closer (The Downward Spiral)
9. Everyday is Exactly The Same (With Teeth)
10. Please (The Fragile)
11. Only (With Teeth)

Tune in tomorrow for the 11 Best Rare NIN tracks...