#850 - "We Can Work It Out" - The Beatles - Past Masters - The second of twenty-two Beatles songs on the countdown, "We Can Work It Out" was one of the last great songs for the band, as they brought in guest star Billy Preston to lend a hand.
#849 - "This Is Love" - P.J. Harvey - Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea - The second of four Harvey songs on the list, "This Is Love" is a raunchy blues rocker that's one of the wildest songs ever written.
#848 - "Diamonds And Guns" - The Transplants - The Transplants - This is the only song on the top 1000 for the Transplants, but it mixes all of the best elements of Blink 182 and Rancid to make by far the craziest and most potentially offensive song to eve be featured in a major commercial (and that includes "Lust For Life"!).
#847 - "Tuesday's Gone" - Lynyrd Skynyrd - Lynyrd Skynyrd - The second of four Skynyrd songs on the list, "Tuesday's" would be their best ballad if they didn't also write one of the greatest ballads of all-time, which we'll be seeing later.
#846 - "Politik" - Coldplay - A Rush Of Blood To The Head - The first of six Coldplay songs on the countdown, "Politik" is Coldplay's cynical take on, well, politics, presented with their trademark sweep.
#845 - "Ordinary World" - Duran Duran - Greatest Hits - The first and only Duran Duran song on the countdown, "Ordinary World" was by far the most grown-up song that the band ever recorded. They're still together, but they've never come close to this high-water mark again.
#844 - "Money (That's What I Want)" - Barrett Strong - Greatest Hits - The original and greatest version of this song is Barrett's only hit and only song on this list. An extremely important song in the history of blues rock n roll.
#843 - "Holidays In The Sun" - The Sex Pistols - Never Mind The Bullocks, Here's The Sex Pistols - The second of four Pistols songs on the list, "Holidays" is the broadest of their political attacks, targeting a large array of powerful figures rather than the concentrated focus of a "God Save The Queen".
#842 - "I Fought The Law" - The Clash - The Clash - The second of eighteen Clash songs on the list, "I Fought The Law" is a cover of the legendary 50's songs by the Bobby Fuller Four. The song is updated with machine gun guitars and a faster, much more intense pace.
#841 - "Only The Good Die Young" - Billy Joel - The Stranger - The first of four Billy Joel songs to make the list, "Only The Good" got Billy in a lot of trouble because of it's lyrics, but it's the beat and the incredible story that the song tells that makes it great.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Top 1000 Bands #850-#841
850 - The Romantics - An 80's band that had a huge hit with "What I Like About You", the band managed to have a few smaller hits to avoid the one-hit wonder status.
849 - Nazareth - An average 70's rock band that hit it big with "Hair of the Dog" and "Everybody Hurts".
848 - The Kills - An underground indie band with a few great albums. One of the many indie bands I discovered through Blender.
847 - The Minutemen - A legendary 80's punk band that I never really got that much into, but they have a handful of songs that I think are top notch.
846 - Chubby Checker - Early rock n roll superstar that had a breakthrough smash with "The Twist".
845 - Razorlight - A British band that's made a big splash in recent years, Razorlight is an up-and-coming indie band that I discovered through Paste magazine.
844 - The Gossip - A New York punk band with an incredible lead singer, the band never managed to get beyond the whole female Ramones schtick, but they've made a lot of great music over the years.
843 - The Dead Prez - A politically-charged rap group that wasn't quite as good as Public Enemy, but made their own mark nonetheless.
842 - Longwave - An early 20th century indie dance rock outfit that never broke out, but made a hell of an album or two along the way.
841 - Lupe Fiasco - One of the coolest new rappers in the industry, Lupe crossed over and enjoyed success with indie kids as well as rap fans.
849 - Nazareth - An average 70's rock band that hit it big with "Hair of the Dog" and "Everybody Hurts".
848 - The Kills - An underground indie band with a few great albums. One of the many indie bands I discovered through Blender.
847 - The Minutemen - A legendary 80's punk band that I never really got that much into, but they have a handful of songs that I think are top notch.
846 - Chubby Checker - Early rock n roll superstar that had a breakthrough smash with "The Twist".
845 - Razorlight - A British band that's made a big splash in recent years, Razorlight is an up-and-coming indie band that I discovered through Paste magazine.
844 - The Gossip - A New York punk band with an incredible lead singer, the band never managed to get beyond the whole female Ramones schtick, but they've made a lot of great music over the years.
843 - The Dead Prez - A politically-charged rap group that wasn't quite as good as Public Enemy, but made their own mark nonetheless.
842 - Longwave - An early 20th century indie dance rock outfit that never broke out, but made a hell of an album or two along the way.
841 - Lupe Fiasco - One of the coolest new rappers in the industry, Lupe crossed over and enjoyed success with indie kids as well as rap fans.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
December 2007 Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame Inductions
The following artists were inducted into my Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame in December 2007:
Marvin Gaye
The Beach Boys
Coldplay
Santana
Otis Redding
Van Morrison
Marvin Gaye
The Beach Boys
Coldplay
Santana
Otis Redding
Van Morrison
Modern Rock Update
Albums:
Nothing. It's been that way for awhile, too.
Modern / Mainstream Rock
Seether tragically ended The Foo Fighters record-setting run at the top of the Modern Rock chart, as "Fake It" is now number one on both charts.
Debuting last week were Paramore's "CrushCrushCrush" at #20 and The Foo Fighters debut "Long Road To Ruin" at #19 on Mainstream.
Nothing. It's been that way for awhile, too.
Modern / Mainstream Rock
Seether tragically ended The Foo Fighters record-setting run at the top of the Modern Rock chart, as "Fake It" is now number one on both charts.
Debuting last week were Paramore's "CrushCrushCrush" at #20 and The Foo Fighters debut "Long Road To Ruin" at #19 on Mainstream.
New Movies In Recent Weeks
Juno - A front-runner for a ton of Awards, Juno looks to be the best and smartest comedy in years.
VERDICT - SEE IT.
Charlie Wilson's War - Directed by Mike Nichols, written by Aaron Sorkin, starring Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts and Philip Seymour Hoffman, this movie is smart and hilarious.
VERDICT - SEE IT.
Sweeney Todd - The bloodiest and one of the best musicals of all-time, Sweeney Todd is a fun movie with a lot of black humor.
VERDICT - SEE IT.
Walk Hard - Team Apatow goes for the trifecta with this hilarious send-up of rock n roll biopics and rock history itself. Sadly, it's not doing well at the box office, but it is very good.
VERDICT - SEE IT.
There Will Be Blood - I don't know much about this one, but the advance reviews have been stellar, so when I get a chance, I'll see it.
VERDICT - SEE IT.
Atonement - One of the front-runners for Best Picture, this movie still isn't available in most markets. When it is, I intend to check it out, though.
VERDICT - SEE IT.
The Great Debaters - The last of the watchable films on this list, this movie does have a whiff of "seen it before" to it, but it still should be worth a look.
VERDICT - SEE IT.
National Treasure: Book Of Secrets - This is basically the same movie as the original, almost plot point to plot point. You'd be better off seeing Da Vinci Code or Indiana Jones or one of the other movies that this one rips off.
VERDICT - SKIP IT.
Aliens Vs. Predator: Requiem - Loved all the Aliens movies. Loved both Predator movies. HATED AVP and this sequel is supposed to be even worse than the original. Nothing worth seeing here.
VERDICT - SKIP IT.
The Water Horse - A kids movie about the Loch Ness Monster. Not a chance.
VERDICT - SKIP IT.
One Missed Call - Someone didn't get the memo about the J Horror fad being long dead. At least they had the common sense to release it in the dead zone of January.
VERDICT - SKIP IT.
P.S. I Love You - Pure chick-flick dreck. The stars of this one should have just plain known better. Oh, and the reviews are awful too.
VERDICT - SKIP IT.
VERDICT - SEE IT.
Charlie Wilson's War - Directed by Mike Nichols, written by Aaron Sorkin, starring Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts and Philip Seymour Hoffman, this movie is smart and hilarious.
VERDICT - SEE IT.
Sweeney Todd - The bloodiest and one of the best musicals of all-time, Sweeney Todd is a fun movie with a lot of black humor.
VERDICT - SEE IT.
Walk Hard - Team Apatow goes for the trifecta with this hilarious send-up of rock n roll biopics and rock history itself. Sadly, it's not doing well at the box office, but it is very good.
VERDICT - SEE IT.
There Will Be Blood - I don't know much about this one, but the advance reviews have been stellar, so when I get a chance, I'll see it.
VERDICT - SEE IT.
Atonement - One of the front-runners for Best Picture, this movie still isn't available in most markets. When it is, I intend to check it out, though.
VERDICT - SEE IT.
The Great Debaters - The last of the watchable films on this list, this movie does have a whiff of "seen it before" to it, but it still should be worth a look.
VERDICT - SEE IT.
National Treasure: Book Of Secrets - This is basically the same movie as the original, almost plot point to plot point. You'd be better off seeing Da Vinci Code or Indiana Jones or one of the other movies that this one rips off.
VERDICT - SKIP IT.
Aliens Vs. Predator: Requiem - Loved all the Aliens movies. Loved both Predator movies. HATED AVP and this sequel is supposed to be even worse than the original. Nothing worth seeing here.
VERDICT - SKIP IT.
The Water Horse - A kids movie about the Loch Ness Monster. Not a chance.
VERDICT - SKIP IT.
One Missed Call - Someone didn't get the memo about the J Horror fad being long dead. At least they had the common sense to release it in the dead zone of January.
VERDICT - SKIP IT.
P.S. I Love You - Pure chick-flick dreck. The stars of this one should have just plain known better. Oh, and the reviews are awful too.
VERDICT - SKIP IT.
New Shit The Last Few Weeks
DVDs:
The Simpsons Movie - A hilarious movie that comes close to the greatness of the early seasons of the show.
VERDICT - BUY IT.
Stardust - A clever science fiction film that rivals The Princess Bride as a quirky fractured fairy tale.
VERDICT - BUY IT.
Eastern Promises - Director David Cronenberg is on a hell of a roll, teaming up with Viggo Mortensen for a second straight top ten of the year film.
VERDICT - BUY IT.
Shoot Em Up - Clive Owen and Paul Giamatti star in an indie flick that got great reviews. It should be worth a look at least.
VERDICT - BUY IT.
Halloween - Rob Zombie's re-make of John Carpenter's legendary horror film is certainly not as good as the original, but it's still one of the better horror movies of recent years.
VERDICT - BUY IT.
Once - One of the best reviewed movies of the year. It should at least be worth a rental.
VERDICT - RENT IT.
The Kingdom - A flop at the box office, but it did get decent reviews.
VERDICT - RENT IT.
Balls Of Fury - A goofy movie that has a few laughs in it, but not enough for a purchase.
VERDICT - RENT IT.
War - Jet Li's latest also featured Jason Statham. Worth a look if you like the genre.
VERDICT - RENT IT.
Resident Evil: Extinction - Better than the second, but still not very good.
VERDICT - RENT IT.
The Brothers Solomon - A comedy misfire that didn't do much at the box office, it still might be worth a cheap rental.
VERDICT - RENT IT.
The Heartbreak Kid - The Farrelly Brothers hit a new low while Ben Stiller maintains his status quo in this lousy comedy.
VERDICT - SKIP IT.
Rush Hour 3 - The first two movies sucked and this is the worst of the series. Yuck.
VERDICT - SKIP IT.
Underdog - The less popular of Jason Lee's sell-out movies isn't even worth this sentence.
VERDICT - SKIP IT.
CDs:
Radiohead - In Rainbows - If you haven't downloaded it already, be sure to buy this album. It's a staple of the best of lists this year and for good reason. It's possibly their best album since OK Computer.
VERDICT - BUY IT.
Rivers Cuomo - Alone: The Home Recordings Of Rivers Cuomo - It's not as impressive as I thought it would be, especially given the high-water mark set by the Killers B-Sides album. It's not worth a purchase.
VERDICT - BORROW IT.
The Simpsons Movie - A hilarious movie that comes close to the greatness of the early seasons of the show.
VERDICT - BUY IT.
Stardust - A clever science fiction film that rivals The Princess Bride as a quirky fractured fairy tale.
VERDICT - BUY IT.
Eastern Promises - Director David Cronenberg is on a hell of a roll, teaming up with Viggo Mortensen for a second straight top ten of the year film.
VERDICT - BUY IT.
Shoot Em Up - Clive Owen and Paul Giamatti star in an indie flick that got great reviews. It should be worth a look at least.
VERDICT - BUY IT.
Halloween - Rob Zombie's re-make of John Carpenter's legendary horror film is certainly not as good as the original, but it's still one of the better horror movies of recent years.
VERDICT - BUY IT.
Once - One of the best reviewed movies of the year. It should at least be worth a rental.
VERDICT - RENT IT.
The Kingdom - A flop at the box office, but it did get decent reviews.
VERDICT - RENT IT.
Balls Of Fury - A goofy movie that has a few laughs in it, but not enough for a purchase.
VERDICT - RENT IT.
War - Jet Li's latest also featured Jason Statham. Worth a look if you like the genre.
VERDICT - RENT IT.
Resident Evil: Extinction - Better than the second, but still not very good.
VERDICT - RENT IT.
The Brothers Solomon - A comedy misfire that didn't do much at the box office, it still might be worth a cheap rental.
VERDICT - RENT IT.
The Heartbreak Kid - The Farrelly Brothers hit a new low while Ben Stiller maintains his status quo in this lousy comedy.
VERDICT - SKIP IT.
Rush Hour 3 - The first two movies sucked and this is the worst of the series. Yuck.
VERDICT - SKIP IT.
Underdog - The less popular of Jason Lee's sell-out movies isn't even worth this sentence.
VERDICT - SKIP IT.
CDs:
Radiohead - In Rainbows - If you haven't downloaded it already, be sure to buy this album. It's a staple of the best of lists this year and for good reason. It's possibly their best album since OK Computer.
VERDICT - BUY IT.
Rivers Cuomo - Alone: The Home Recordings Of Rivers Cuomo - It's not as impressive as I thought it would be, especially given the high-water mark set by the Killers B-Sides album. It's not worth a purchase.
VERDICT - BORROW IT.
Friday, December 28, 2007
Top 1000 Songs #860-#851
#860 - "Intervention" - The Arcade Fire - Neon Bible - The first of three Arcade Fire songs on the countdown, "Intervention" is actually their best song, which will be reflected when I revise this list down the road. The song is by far the heaviest and most passionate song that the band has released so far.
#859 - "Message In A Bottle" - The Police - Regatta De Blanc - The first of five Police songs on the countdown, "Bottle" features the band's best chorus along with the usual great songwriting story.
#858 - "Darkness" - Rage Against The Machine - The Crow Soundtrack - The third of twelve Rage songs to make the countdown, "Darkness" was the band's first major exposure to audiences as part of the Crow Soundtrack, the greatest rock soundtrack ever put together.
#857 - "A Daisy Through Concrete" - The Eels - Daisies Of The Galaxy - The first of three Eels songs to make the list, "Daisy" was one of the band's bigger hits, though the focus on this one is more on atmosphere than hooky chorus.
#856 - "Give Peace A Chance" - John Lennon - Working Class Hero - The second of five Lennon songs on the countdown, "Give Peace A Chance" is his second-most well-known song, though there a few others that I prefer myself.
#855 - "Possum Kingdom" - The Toadies - Rubberneck - The first and only Toadies song on the countdown is also the band's only hit. They didn't last long, but they did manage to produce this song, which was one of the best and most widely aired hard rock songs of the 90s.
#854 - "Enjoy The Silence" - Depeche Mode - Violator - The first and only Depeche Mode song on the list (not that they didn't have other great songs, but no others quite made their mark), "Silence" is the band's biggest crossover hit and a little bit superior to "Personal Jesus".
#853 - "Hallelujah" - Leonard Cohen - Various Positions - The second of three Cohen songs on the list, "Hallelujah" is the original version of the frequently covered soundtrack favorite. Cohen's version has a darker tone than the version that made it into Shrek and gloomier than Jeff Buckley's cover, which will be featured later in the list.
#852 - "California Uber Alles" - The Dead Kennedys - Give Me Convenience Or Give Me Death - The first of two DK songs on the countdown, "California" is their most famous song, which they describe as a cautionary tale of fascism in disguise, specifically in the form of California Governor Jerry Brown.
#851 - "Can't You See" - The Marshall Tucker Band - Country Trucker - The first and only Tucker song on the list, "Can't You See" is a haunting Southern Rock blues ballad about the effects that lost love can have on a wounded heart.
#859 - "Message In A Bottle" - The Police - Regatta De Blanc - The first of five Police songs on the countdown, "Bottle" features the band's best chorus along with the usual great songwriting story.
#858 - "Darkness" - Rage Against The Machine - The Crow Soundtrack - The third of twelve Rage songs to make the countdown, "Darkness" was the band's first major exposure to audiences as part of the Crow Soundtrack, the greatest rock soundtrack ever put together.
#857 - "A Daisy Through Concrete" - The Eels - Daisies Of The Galaxy - The first of three Eels songs to make the list, "Daisy" was one of the band's bigger hits, though the focus on this one is more on atmosphere than hooky chorus.
#856 - "Give Peace A Chance" - John Lennon - Working Class Hero - The second of five Lennon songs on the countdown, "Give Peace A Chance" is his second-most well-known song, though there a few others that I prefer myself.
#855 - "Possum Kingdom" - The Toadies - Rubberneck - The first and only Toadies song on the countdown is also the band's only hit. They didn't last long, but they did manage to produce this song, which was one of the best and most widely aired hard rock songs of the 90s.
#854 - "Enjoy The Silence" - Depeche Mode - Violator - The first and only Depeche Mode song on the list (not that they didn't have other great songs, but no others quite made their mark), "Silence" is the band's biggest crossover hit and a little bit superior to "Personal Jesus".
#853 - "Hallelujah" - Leonard Cohen - Various Positions - The second of three Cohen songs on the list, "Hallelujah" is the original version of the frequently covered soundtrack favorite. Cohen's version has a darker tone than the version that made it into Shrek and gloomier than Jeff Buckley's cover, which will be featured later in the list.
#852 - "California Uber Alles" - The Dead Kennedys - Give Me Convenience Or Give Me Death - The first of two DK songs on the countdown, "California" is their most famous song, which they describe as a cautionary tale of fascism in disguise, specifically in the form of California Governor Jerry Brown.
#851 - "Can't You See" - The Marshall Tucker Band - Country Trucker - The first and only Tucker song on the list, "Can't You See" is a haunting Southern Rock blues ballad about the effects that lost love can have on a wounded heart.
Top 1000 Bands #860-#851
860 - Spacehog - A 90's-era modern rock band that managed to put one good song per album.
859 - The Boomtown Rats - Although the band is more well-known for lead singer Bob Geldorf's charity work, the band did have one huge hit with "I Don't Like Mondays" and several smaller hits along the way.
858 - !!! - A dance rock band that had a few hits per album.
857 - Tone Loc - One of the biggest names in pop rap in the late 80s, Loc had two major hits before the bottom fell out, "Funky Cold Medina" and "Wild Thing".
856 - Matthew Sweet - An indie rock songwriter who had a series of hits in the 90s and still pops up from time to time.
855 - Independent Progress - A punk band from Minneapolis that I first saw at a concert in Pierre. Good stuff, political, but not so hardcore that you can't understand them.
854 - The Plain White T's - An emo band that had a huge hit in 2007 with "Hey There, Delilah". The rest of their album is decent, but we'll see if they ever hit it big again.
853 - Mudvayne - A 21st-century math-metal outfit that manages to create a decent song every once in awhile, though a lot of their hits are rather poor.
852 - The Wrens - An indie band that's put together a series of decent albums but never had a breakthrough hit.
851 - James - The brit-pop band that produced that "Laid" song that's been covered 5000 times in 10 years. They had other hits too, but nothing terribly notable.
859 - The Boomtown Rats - Although the band is more well-known for lead singer Bob Geldorf's charity work, the band did have one huge hit with "I Don't Like Mondays" and several smaller hits along the way.
858 - !!! - A dance rock band that had a few hits per album.
857 - Tone Loc - One of the biggest names in pop rap in the late 80s, Loc had two major hits before the bottom fell out, "Funky Cold Medina" and "Wild Thing".
856 - Matthew Sweet - An indie rock songwriter who had a series of hits in the 90s and still pops up from time to time.
855 - Independent Progress - A punk band from Minneapolis that I first saw at a concert in Pierre. Good stuff, political, but not so hardcore that you can't understand them.
854 - The Plain White T's - An emo band that had a huge hit in 2007 with "Hey There, Delilah". The rest of their album is decent, but we'll see if they ever hit it big again.
853 - Mudvayne - A 21st-century math-metal outfit that manages to create a decent song every once in awhile, though a lot of their hits are rather poor.
852 - The Wrens - An indie band that's put together a series of decent albums but never had a breakthrough hit.
851 - James - The brit-pop band that produced that "Laid" song that's been covered 5000 times in 10 years. They had other hits too, but nothing terribly notable.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Top 1000 Songs #870-#861
#870 - "Big Exit" - P.J. Harvey - Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea - The first of four Harvey songs in the top 1000, "Big Exit" is one of the darkest blues rock songs to come out of the 90s and announced Polly Jean as a unique voice in indie rock.
#869 - "Maggie's Farm" - Bob Dylan - Bringing It All Back Home - The second of fifteen Dylan songs on the countdown, "Maggie's Farm" was one of Dylan's last great pre-electric songs and paints a vivid picture of brutal life on a workfarm.
#868 - "China Girl" - David Bowie - Let's Dance - The second of ten Bowie songs on the list, "China Girl" is Bowie's cover of the Iggy Pop original and one of his last great hits in the 80's.
#867 - "Sunshine Superman" - Donovan - Sunshine Superman - The first and only Donovan song on the countdown, "Sunshine" is one of the best folk-pop crossover songs of the 1960's and while Donovan never quite did figure out what he wanted to do with his career, he did manage to leave this mark on music in the years after Dylan went electric.
#866 - "Ladder" - Joan Osborne - Relish - The first of two Joan Osborne songs on the countdown, "Ladder" never became the massive hit that "One Of Us" did, but it's nearly on the same level as that legendary song. Sadly, Joan never quite got to the level of Relish again, but she's still in the business to this day.
#865 - "Levon" - Elton John - Madman Across The Water - The second of eight Elton John songs in the top 1000, "Levon" is a classic ballad that's a bit difficult to follow, but doesn't stoop to sappy sentimentality.
#864 - "Megalomaniac" - Incubus - A Crow Left Of The Murder - The second and highest charting Incubus song on the countdown, "Megalomaniac" is the band's most exciting and up-tempo song and also one of the band's rare ventures into politics, as it isn't too difficult to figure out who the song is addressed to.
#863 - "War" - Edwin Starr - War - The first and only Starr song on the list (and his only major hit), "War" is one of the great protest songs of the Vietnam era, if not ever.
#862 - "Secondhand News" - Fleetwood Mac - Rumours - The second of seven Fleetwood Mac songs on the countdown, "Secondhand News" is one of the many brilliant songs on Rumours, one of the best albums of the 1970's. The song is particularly notable for it's poppy chorus.
#861 - "Swing Life Away" - Rise Against - Siren Song Of The Counter Culture - "Swing Life Away" is one of the finest examples of what sometimes happens when a band that's well known for hardcore songs mellows out a bit and gets a huge hit (another example would be "(Good Riddance) Time Of Your Life" by Green Day). Of course "Swing" is the only major hit that Rise Against has had so far (and their only song on this list), but they've had a few minor hits in their native genre of political punk that give hope that a bright future is in the waiting.
#869 - "Maggie's Farm" - Bob Dylan - Bringing It All Back Home - The second of fifteen Dylan songs on the countdown, "Maggie's Farm" was one of Dylan's last great pre-electric songs and paints a vivid picture of brutal life on a workfarm.
#868 - "China Girl" - David Bowie - Let's Dance - The second of ten Bowie songs on the list, "China Girl" is Bowie's cover of the Iggy Pop original and one of his last great hits in the 80's.
#867 - "Sunshine Superman" - Donovan - Sunshine Superman - The first and only Donovan song on the countdown, "Sunshine" is one of the best folk-pop crossover songs of the 1960's and while Donovan never quite did figure out what he wanted to do with his career, he did manage to leave this mark on music in the years after Dylan went electric.
#866 - "Ladder" - Joan Osborne - Relish - The first of two Joan Osborne songs on the countdown, "Ladder" never became the massive hit that "One Of Us" did, but it's nearly on the same level as that legendary song. Sadly, Joan never quite got to the level of Relish again, but she's still in the business to this day.
#865 - "Levon" - Elton John - Madman Across The Water - The second of eight Elton John songs in the top 1000, "Levon" is a classic ballad that's a bit difficult to follow, but doesn't stoop to sappy sentimentality.
#864 - "Megalomaniac" - Incubus - A Crow Left Of The Murder - The second and highest charting Incubus song on the countdown, "Megalomaniac" is the band's most exciting and up-tempo song and also one of the band's rare ventures into politics, as it isn't too difficult to figure out who the song is addressed to.
#863 - "War" - Edwin Starr - War - The first and only Starr song on the list (and his only major hit), "War" is one of the great protest songs of the Vietnam era, if not ever.
#862 - "Secondhand News" - Fleetwood Mac - Rumours - The second of seven Fleetwood Mac songs on the countdown, "Secondhand News" is one of the many brilliant songs on Rumours, one of the best albums of the 1970's. The song is particularly notable for it's poppy chorus.
#861 - "Swing Life Away" - Rise Against - Siren Song Of The Counter Culture - "Swing Life Away" is one of the finest examples of what sometimes happens when a band that's well known for hardcore songs mellows out a bit and gets a huge hit (another example would be "(Good Riddance) Time Of Your Life" by Green Day). Of course "Swing" is the only major hit that Rise Against has had so far (and their only song on this list), but they've had a few minor hits in their native genre of political punk that give hope that a bright future is in the waiting.
Top 1000 Bands #870-#861
870 - Say Hi To Your Mom - An indie rock punk that could break through at any point.
869 - The Primitives - A British indie band that never broke in America beyond their hit "Crash", which was featured on the Dumb And Dumber Soundtrack.
868 - Oleandor - One of the forgotten late-90's modern rock bands, Oleandor managed to put together a few hits before fading into obscurity.
867 - Ride - 80's shoegaze legends who will forever be stuck in the dead zone between the Jesus And Mary Chain and Spiritualized.
866 - Jackie Wilson - The 60's R&B legend who hit it biggest with "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher".
865 - John Mayer - The 21st century singer-songwriter who wishes he was the new Stevie Ray Vaughan, but in reality ended up the new James Taylor at best.
864 - Ocho - A local folk singer from Pierre who puts on a great show and has a bunch of solid songs.
863 - The Call - A forgotten 80's indie band with a few solid songs, but no hits.
862 - Marc Broussard - A singer-songwriter with a voice like Tom Waits and a promising future.
861 - Isaac Hayes - One of the biggest stars of soul music in the 70s, he's best known as Chef on South Park and for writing the theme for Shaft.
869 - The Primitives - A British indie band that never broke in America beyond their hit "Crash", which was featured on the Dumb And Dumber Soundtrack.
868 - Oleandor - One of the forgotten late-90's modern rock bands, Oleandor managed to put together a few hits before fading into obscurity.
867 - Ride - 80's shoegaze legends who will forever be stuck in the dead zone between the Jesus And Mary Chain and Spiritualized.
866 - Jackie Wilson - The 60's R&B legend who hit it biggest with "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher".
865 - John Mayer - The 21st century singer-songwriter who wishes he was the new Stevie Ray Vaughan, but in reality ended up the new James Taylor at best.
864 - Ocho - A local folk singer from Pierre who puts on a great show and has a bunch of solid songs.
863 - The Call - A forgotten 80's indie band with a few solid songs, but no hits.
862 - Marc Broussard - A singer-songwriter with a voice like Tom Waits and a promising future.
861 - Isaac Hayes - One of the biggest stars of soul music in the 70s, he's best known as Chef on South Park and for writing the theme for Shaft.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Top 1000 Songs #880-#871
#880 - "Hard To Explain" - The Strokes - Is This It - The first of three songs by the Strokes on the list, "Hard To Explain" was the band's follow-up to their breakthrough hit "Last Nite". It also features one of the longest choruses in rock history.
#879 - "Once" - Pearl Jam - Ten - The second of twenty-five Pearl Jam songs in the top 1000, "Once" was never a single or a radio hit, but it's one of my favorite songs on Ten and one of the most up-tempo PJ songs.
#878 - "Crash" - The Primitives - Bombshell - The first and only song by the Primitives on the list, "Crash" is one of many songs on the "Dumb & Dumber" soundtrack to make the list.
#877 - "Thank You" - Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II - The first of twenty-four Zeppelin tunes to make the list, "Thank You' is one of my favorite ballads by the band.
#876 - "For The Movies" - Buckcherry - Buckcherry - The second of three Buckcherry songs to make the countdown, "For The Movies" is a slower song by the standards of the band, but it features one of the best choruses of all Modern Rock.
#875 - "Gloria" - Them - Them Featuring Van Morrison - The first of three Van Morrison songs on the countdown, "Gloria" is one of the staple songs of the garage rock era.
#874 - "Buddy Holly" - Weezer - Weezer (The Blue Album) - The first of five Weezer songs in the top 1000, "Buddy Holly" is the song that broke the band through to the mainstream. Though it's not the best song on the album, it was by far the most popular thanks to it's hilarious video.
#873 - "Optimistic" - Radiohead - Kid A - The first of eight Radiohead songs on the countdown, "Optimistic" is one of the few songs from the band's last few albums to make my list. The song is much more up-tempo and accessible than the band's recent moves into electronica.
#872 - "Closing Time" - Leonard Cohen - The Future - The first of three Cohen songs to make the charts, "Closing Time" is a bit on the long side, but it paints one of the most vivid pictures of a place in musical history (the only major competition being "Piano Man").
#871 - "Righteously" - Lucinda Williams - World Without Tears - The first of two Lucinda Williams songs on the countdown, I first heard this song on an episode of "Alias", one of the first shows to focus on an indie rock soundtrack. Lucinda is one of the best artists in the alt country genre.
#879 - "Once" - Pearl Jam - Ten - The second of twenty-five Pearl Jam songs in the top 1000, "Once" was never a single or a radio hit, but it's one of my favorite songs on Ten and one of the most up-tempo PJ songs.
#878 - "Crash" - The Primitives - Bombshell - The first and only song by the Primitives on the list, "Crash" is one of many songs on the "Dumb & Dumber" soundtrack to make the list.
#877 - "Thank You" - Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II - The first of twenty-four Zeppelin tunes to make the list, "Thank You' is one of my favorite ballads by the band.
#876 - "For The Movies" - Buckcherry - Buckcherry - The second of three Buckcherry songs to make the countdown, "For The Movies" is a slower song by the standards of the band, but it features one of the best choruses of all Modern Rock.
#875 - "Gloria" - Them - Them Featuring Van Morrison - The first of three Van Morrison songs on the countdown, "Gloria" is one of the staple songs of the garage rock era.
#874 - "Buddy Holly" - Weezer - Weezer (The Blue Album) - The first of five Weezer songs in the top 1000, "Buddy Holly" is the song that broke the band through to the mainstream. Though it's not the best song on the album, it was by far the most popular thanks to it's hilarious video.
#873 - "Optimistic" - Radiohead - Kid A - The first of eight Radiohead songs on the countdown, "Optimistic" is one of the few songs from the band's last few albums to make my list. The song is much more up-tempo and accessible than the band's recent moves into electronica.
#872 - "Closing Time" - Leonard Cohen - The Future - The first of three Cohen songs to make the charts, "Closing Time" is a bit on the long side, but it paints one of the most vivid pictures of a place in musical history (the only major competition being "Piano Man").
#871 - "Righteously" - Lucinda Williams - World Without Tears - The first of two Lucinda Williams songs on the countdown, I first heard this song on an episode of "Alias", one of the first shows to focus on an indie rock soundtrack. Lucinda is one of the best artists in the alt country genre.
Top 1000 Bands #880-#871
880 - Golden Earring - The band that's best known for "Radar Love" also made the under-rated "Twilight Zone" before slipping into obscurity.
879 - A Flock Of Seagulls - A rock n roll pariah because of the videos they did in the 80s that showcased the dumbest looking hairstyle in music's history, Seagulls were actually a fairly decent new wave band.
878 - Dolly Parton - The legendary country singer who defined the genre in the 70s and the 80s and wrote Whitney Houston's biggest hit, though Houston completely destroyed it.
877 - Juliana Hatfield - The poor man's P.J. Harvey, Hatfield had a couple of hits during the grunge hey-days of the early 90s.
876 - Witch - J. Mascis' recent guitar-driven metal side-project. No clue if they'll release another CD, but their first one was good enough for this spot.
875 - Merle Haggard - A legendary country artist who was one of the founders of the outlaw country genre, the closest country ever came to respectability outside of Johnny and Willie.
874 - Eve - The second-best member of the Ruff Ryders, Eve has made a successful solo career for herself and is currently the most talented female rapper in the world.
873 - Skywynd - A relatively local band (they're from Minneapolis but they play Sioux Falls a lot), Skywynd has created a series of solid pop rock songs that could yet lead to a major breakthrough.
872 - Killing Joke - An 80's New Wave band that never really had a hit, but managed to create some great underground albums in their day.
871 - Talk Talk - Another 80's New Wave band, but this one actually had a hit with "It's My Life", which was later murdered by Gwen Stefani.
879 - A Flock Of Seagulls - A rock n roll pariah because of the videos they did in the 80s that showcased the dumbest looking hairstyle in music's history, Seagulls were actually a fairly decent new wave band.
878 - Dolly Parton - The legendary country singer who defined the genre in the 70s and the 80s and wrote Whitney Houston's biggest hit, though Houston completely destroyed it.
877 - Juliana Hatfield - The poor man's P.J. Harvey, Hatfield had a couple of hits during the grunge hey-days of the early 90s.
876 - Witch - J. Mascis' recent guitar-driven metal side-project. No clue if they'll release another CD, but their first one was good enough for this spot.
875 - Merle Haggard - A legendary country artist who was one of the founders of the outlaw country genre, the closest country ever came to respectability outside of Johnny and Willie.
874 - Eve - The second-best member of the Ruff Ryders, Eve has made a successful solo career for herself and is currently the most talented female rapper in the world.
873 - Skywynd - A relatively local band (they're from Minneapolis but they play Sioux Falls a lot), Skywynd has created a series of solid pop rock songs that could yet lead to a major breakthrough.
872 - Killing Joke - An 80's New Wave band that never really had a hit, but managed to create some great underground albums in their day.
871 - Talk Talk - Another 80's New Wave band, but this one actually had a hit with "It's My Life", which was later murdered by Gwen Stefani.
Modern Rock Update
Albums:
Godmack's Greatest Hits album was the top debut of the week at #35. So much for Christmas shopping for music, I guess.
There were no other debuts.
Modern And Mainstream
The Foo Fighters and Seether stayed at #1 on their respective charts.
Debuting this week on Mainstream were Kid Rock's "Amen" at #17 and Linkin Park's "Shadow Of The Day" at #19.
Godmack's Greatest Hits album was the top debut of the week at #35. So much for Christmas shopping for music, I guess.
There were no other debuts.
Modern And Mainstream
The Foo Fighters and Seether stayed at #1 on their respective charts.
Debuting this week on Mainstream were Kid Rock's "Amen" at #17 and Linkin Park's "Shadow Of The Day" at #19.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
1000 Greatest Songs #890-#881
#890 - "The Needle And The Damage Done" - Neil Young - There's A World - The first of Neil's six songs on the countdown, "Needle" is a somber and haunting ballad that would only become more relevant as heroin became the drug of choice of artists throughout the 90s.
#889 - "All My Ghosts" - Frank Black And The Catholics - Frank Black And The Catholics - The first of three Frank Black songs on the list, "All My Ghosts" features yet another one of the brilliant hooks that have made him one of the most talented songwriters of his generation.
#888 - "Your Time Has Come" - Audioslave - Out Of Exile - The first of three Audioslave songs, "Your Time" is the last great song that the band produced before breaking up after only three albums.
#887 - "Simple Man" - Lynyrd Skynyrd - What's Your Name - The first of four Skynyrd songs on the countdown, "Simple Man" is now sadly associated with beer commercials and Shinedown, but before all that happened, it was best remembered as the best ballad that the band ever wrote.
#886 - "Welcome To Paradise" - Green Day - Dookie - The first of nine Green Day songs, "Welcome" is the first of a couple songs from Dookie and featured all of Green Day's signature marks, a great hook and a fantastic chorus.
#885 - "Yesterdays" - Guns N Roses - Use Your Illusion II - The first of eight GNR songs to make the list, "Yesterdays" was never a big hit, but I received the single as a Christmas gift and it's always been a favorite of mine.
#884 - "So Says I" - The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow - The first of three songs by the Shins on the list, "So Says I" is yet another brilliant indie pop song from the current champs of the genre.
#883 - "Rock And Roll" - The Velvet Underground - Loaded - The third of seven Velvet songs to make the list, I first heard this song as a cover by Perry Farrell and liked it enough to look up the original, which is even better. Lou Reed at his finest.
#882 - "Heaven Beside You" - Alice In Chains - Alice In Chains - The first of eight Alice songs on the countdown, "Heaven Beside You" is one of the best songs off of the last true Alice album before the band fell apart.
#881 - "Peace Frog" - The Doors - The Morrison Hotel - The second of ten Doors songs to make the song, "Peace Frog" is perhaps the most un-Doors-like song to ever become a hit. Of course, it was on one of their last albums when the band had pretty much broken up, but still.
#889 - "All My Ghosts" - Frank Black And The Catholics - Frank Black And The Catholics - The first of three Frank Black songs on the list, "All My Ghosts" features yet another one of the brilliant hooks that have made him one of the most talented songwriters of his generation.
#888 - "Your Time Has Come" - Audioslave - Out Of Exile - The first of three Audioslave songs, "Your Time" is the last great song that the band produced before breaking up after only three albums.
#887 - "Simple Man" - Lynyrd Skynyrd - What's Your Name - The first of four Skynyrd songs on the countdown, "Simple Man" is now sadly associated with beer commercials and Shinedown, but before all that happened, it was best remembered as the best ballad that the band ever wrote.
#886 - "Welcome To Paradise" - Green Day - Dookie - The first of nine Green Day songs, "Welcome" is the first of a couple songs from Dookie and featured all of Green Day's signature marks, a great hook and a fantastic chorus.
#885 - "Yesterdays" - Guns N Roses - Use Your Illusion II - The first of eight GNR songs to make the list, "Yesterdays" was never a big hit, but I received the single as a Christmas gift and it's always been a favorite of mine.
#884 - "So Says I" - The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow - The first of three songs by the Shins on the list, "So Says I" is yet another brilliant indie pop song from the current champs of the genre.
#883 - "Rock And Roll" - The Velvet Underground - Loaded - The third of seven Velvet songs to make the list, I first heard this song as a cover by Perry Farrell and liked it enough to look up the original, which is even better. Lou Reed at his finest.
#882 - "Heaven Beside You" - Alice In Chains - Alice In Chains - The first of eight Alice songs on the countdown, "Heaven Beside You" is one of the best songs off of the last true Alice album before the band fell apart.
#881 - "Peace Frog" - The Doors - The Morrison Hotel - The second of ten Doors songs to make the song, "Peace Frog" is perhaps the most un-Doors-like song to ever become a hit. Of course, it was on one of their last albums when the band had pretty much broken up, but still.
Top 1000 Bands #990-#981
890 - The Door Keys - A punk band from Indiana that I first heard at their concert in Pierre. Disorganized, but a lot of fun.
889 - Voxtrot - One of the most recent indie rock bands to light up the blog scene. They only recently released their debut album, but it's a good one.
888 - Rick James - 70's funk legend who enjoyed a huge revival thanks to the Chappelle Show.
887 - Twisted Sister - The signature band of 80's hair metal, they were actually pretty decent for at least their first few singles. They burned out rather quickly, though and haven't been heard from since.
886 - Gram Parsons - You know that whole country rock thing that developed in the 70s and is still around? Yeah, he invented it.
885 - The Knack - A one-hit wonder from the 80's who hit it big with "My Sharona".
884 - Paramore - An interesting newcomer, Paramore has enjoyed a great deal of success with their hybrid of Evanescence and Riot Grrl sounds.
883 - Catatonia - A friend of mine introduced me to this band. They're an interesting enough group, but nothing groundbreaking.
882 - Quasi - A late 90's indie rock band that's gone in some interesting but experimental directions in recent years.
881 - The Vaselines - All of their best songs are best known because Nirvana covered them. They're the band behind "Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam", which isn't as good as Nirvana's, "Son Of A Gun", which is actually better than the cover and "Molly's Lips", which is fucking awful. They use a damn bicycle horn in the song. Seriously.
889 - Voxtrot - One of the most recent indie rock bands to light up the blog scene. They only recently released their debut album, but it's a good one.
888 - Rick James - 70's funk legend who enjoyed a huge revival thanks to the Chappelle Show.
887 - Twisted Sister - The signature band of 80's hair metal, they were actually pretty decent for at least their first few singles. They burned out rather quickly, though and haven't been heard from since.
886 - Gram Parsons - You know that whole country rock thing that developed in the 70s and is still around? Yeah, he invented it.
885 - The Knack - A one-hit wonder from the 80's who hit it big with "My Sharona".
884 - Paramore - An interesting newcomer, Paramore has enjoyed a great deal of success with their hybrid of Evanescence and Riot Grrl sounds.
883 - Catatonia - A friend of mine introduced me to this band. They're an interesting enough group, but nothing groundbreaking.
882 - Quasi - A late 90's indie rock band that's gone in some interesting but experimental directions in recent years.
881 - The Vaselines - All of their best songs are best known because Nirvana covered them. They're the band behind "Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam", which isn't as good as Nirvana's, "Son Of A Gun", which is actually better than the cover and "Molly's Lips", which is fucking awful. They use a damn bicycle horn in the song. Seriously.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Modern Rock Update
Albums:
Mudvayne had the top debut of the week at #51.
Also debuting this week was nothing else. At all. Questions on why the music industry is going under quickly? Anyone?
Modern and Mainstream Charts:
The Foo Fighters and Seether stayed at #1 yet again.
Debuting this week are "Long Road To Ruin" by the Foo Fighters at #15 on Modern, Five Finger Death Punch at #19 on Mainstream with "The Bleeding" and Breaking Benjamin with "Until The End" at #20 on Mainstream.
Mudvayne had the top debut of the week at #51.
Also debuting this week was nothing else. At all. Questions on why the music industry is going under quickly? Anyone?
Modern and Mainstream Charts:
The Foo Fighters and Seether stayed at #1 yet again.
Debuting this week are "Long Road To Ruin" by the Foo Fighters at #15 on Modern, Five Finger Death Punch at #19 on Mainstream with "The Bleeding" and Breaking Benjamin with "Until The End" at #20 on Mainstream.
New Movies This Week
The Golden Compass - A cross between Narnia And Lord Of The Rings, Compass is much better than it's trailer makes it appear to be. I liked it so much I want to buy the other two books, if only because the film was such a flop that there won't be any sequels.
VERDICT - SEE IT.
I Am Legend - Will Smith stars in another filming of the book of the same name. The most famous previous version was Charlton Heston's The Omega Man. It looks like it's going to be pretty good and Smith has a fantastic track record at the box office, so this one looks like a winner.
VERDICT - SEE IT.
Alvin And The Chipmunks - Oh, Jason Lee, we knew you well. You used to make indie flicks for the likes of Kevin Smith and Cameron Crowe. You have a hit show on TV that is both funny and intelligent. And yet you now choose to make the worst kind of family films? First Underdog and now this? I hate to give you this moniker, but you've earned it.
Whore.
VERDICT - A leading candidate for worst movie of the year.
VERDICT - SEE IT.
I Am Legend - Will Smith stars in another filming of the book of the same name. The most famous previous version was Charlton Heston's The Omega Man. It looks like it's going to be pretty good and Smith has a fantastic track record at the box office, so this one looks like a winner.
VERDICT - SEE IT.
Alvin And The Chipmunks - Oh, Jason Lee, we knew you well. You used to make indie flicks for the likes of Kevin Smith and Cameron Crowe. You have a hit show on TV that is both funny and intelligent. And yet you now choose to make the worst kind of family films? First Underdog and now this? I hate to give you this moniker, but you've earned it.
Whore.
VERDICT - A leading candidate for worst movie of the year.
New Shit The Last Two Weeks
DVDs:
The Bourne Ultimatum - Amazingly, this series seems to get better and better as each film progresses. I don't know if I've ever seen that before. The Bourne movies are exciting, intelligent and with the exception of the steady cam problems they have, are damn near perfect action movies. Oh, and they look fucking awesome in Blu-Ray.
VERDICT - BUY IT
Superbad - The lesser of the two Apatow films of the summer, Superbad is also the second-funniest movie of the year. Apatow packs his DVDs with fantastic features and the Unrated version is definitely the one to get.
VERDICT - BUY IT
Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix - The Harry Potter movies just seem to keep getting better and better and this is no exception. While the first two movies were too long, the last three were also very long, but were so exciting that they seemed shorter than most feature films half their length. Oh... and the stories? They get even better in the last two books.
VERDICT - BUY IT
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End - Don't even bother trying to figure out what the hell is going on in this movie, but it's a lot of fun and exciting. Plus, the special features on these DVDs are always excellent.
VERDICT - BUY IT
The Nanny Diaries - Finally, a movie that isn't a must-buy. You can tell that it's Christmas season because of all the top-shelf DVDs that are coming out, but this one sucks. Scarlet Jo needs a better agent at this point, though apparantly the source material for this was supposed to be pretty good.
VERDICT - SKIP IT
CDs:
Two solid weeks in November and December and not a single damn CD worth buying. WTF?
The Bourne Ultimatum - Amazingly, this series seems to get better and better as each film progresses. I don't know if I've ever seen that before. The Bourne movies are exciting, intelligent and with the exception of the steady cam problems they have, are damn near perfect action movies. Oh, and they look fucking awesome in Blu-Ray.
VERDICT - BUY IT
Superbad - The lesser of the two Apatow films of the summer, Superbad is also the second-funniest movie of the year. Apatow packs his DVDs with fantastic features and the Unrated version is definitely the one to get.
VERDICT - BUY IT
Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix - The Harry Potter movies just seem to keep getting better and better and this is no exception. While the first two movies were too long, the last three were also very long, but were so exciting that they seemed shorter than most feature films half their length. Oh... and the stories? They get even better in the last two books.
VERDICT - BUY IT
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End - Don't even bother trying to figure out what the hell is going on in this movie, but it's a lot of fun and exciting. Plus, the special features on these DVDs are always excellent.
VERDICT - BUY IT
The Nanny Diaries - Finally, a movie that isn't a must-buy. You can tell that it's Christmas season because of all the top-shelf DVDs that are coming out, but this one sucks. Scarlet Jo needs a better agent at this point, though apparantly the source material for this was supposed to be pretty good.
VERDICT - SKIP IT
CDs:
Two solid weeks in November and December and not a single damn CD worth buying. WTF?
Top 1000 Songs #900-#891
#900 - "Take It Easy" - The Eagles - The Eagles - The first of four Eagles songs in the top 1000, "Take It Easy" was the band's first big hit and possibly the greatest country rock song of all-time.
#899 - "Don't Go Back To Rockville" - R.E.M. - Eponymous - The second of twelve R.E.M. songs on the list, "Rockville" is one of many great songs that came around before the band had it's major breakthrough.
#898 - "Colossal" - Wolfmother - Wolfmother - The second of three songs from Wolfmother's outstanding Zeppelin-esque debut album, "Colossal" also featured heavy doses of influence from the band's other huge forefather, Black Sabbath.
#897 - "Wise Up" - Aimee Mann - Magnolia Soundtrack - The third of eight Mann songs to make the countdown, "Wise Up" was many of her great songs that appeared on her breakthrough performances on the Magnolia Soundtrack.
#896 - "Bodies" - The Sex Pistols - Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols - The first of four Pistols songs off of their only album, "Bodies" is the band at it's crudest. The song is also possibly the angriest, most vicious song ever recorded.
#895 - "Proud Mary" - Creedence Clearwater Revival - Rollin' On The River - The first of five songs for CCR, "Proud Mary" is far more famous for it's cover by Ike and Tina Turner, but I prefer the original version with it's twangy working class sound.
#894 - "(Just Like) Starting Over" - John Lennon - Double Fantasy - The first of five Lennon songs on the countdown, "Starting Over" has a great early rock n roll vibe to it and has the usual outstanding lyrics from the greatest Beatle.
#893 - "Kiss Me On The Bus" - The Replacements - Tim - The second of four Replacements songs on the list, "Kiss Me On The Bus" is a fantastic alt country song with a style that is wedged right between their slow songs and their fast ones.
#892 - "Last Chapter" - Big Timber - Lean Down - The first of four Big Timber songs to make the list, "Last Chapter" was one of the first songs that the band played in Pierre, where I first heard them. They are, by the way, the best band I've ever seen play in Pierre.
#891 - "Death Valley Blues" - Mark Lanegan - Bubblegum - The first and only song by Lanegan on the countdown is easily my favorite thing he's done outside of the Trees and Queens Of The Stone Age. It's not that I don't like Mark's music, but for the most part it's very down-tempo and that's not usually the type of song that stands out, though "Death Valley Blues" is like the anti-Lanegan tune, hence it's inclusion on the countdown.
#899 - "Don't Go Back To Rockville" - R.E.M. - Eponymous - The second of twelve R.E.M. songs on the list, "Rockville" is one of many great songs that came around before the band had it's major breakthrough.
#898 - "Colossal" - Wolfmother - Wolfmother - The second of three songs from Wolfmother's outstanding Zeppelin-esque debut album, "Colossal" also featured heavy doses of influence from the band's other huge forefather, Black Sabbath.
#897 - "Wise Up" - Aimee Mann - Magnolia Soundtrack - The third of eight Mann songs to make the countdown, "Wise Up" was many of her great songs that appeared on her breakthrough performances on the Magnolia Soundtrack.
#896 - "Bodies" - The Sex Pistols - Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols - The first of four Pistols songs off of their only album, "Bodies" is the band at it's crudest. The song is also possibly the angriest, most vicious song ever recorded.
#895 - "Proud Mary" - Creedence Clearwater Revival - Rollin' On The River - The first of five songs for CCR, "Proud Mary" is far more famous for it's cover by Ike and Tina Turner, but I prefer the original version with it's twangy working class sound.
#894 - "(Just Like) Starting Over" - John Lennon - Double Fantasy - The first of five Lennon songs on the countdown, "Starting Over" has a great early rock n roll vibe to it and has the usual outstanding lyrics from the greatest Beatle.
#893 - "Kiss Me On The Bus" - The Replacements - Tim - The second of four Replacements songs on the list, "Kiss Me On The Bus" is a fantastic alt country song with a style that is wedged right between their slow songs and their fast ones.
#892 - "Last Chapter" - Big Timber - Lean Down - The first of four Big Timber songs to make the list, "Last Chapter" was one of the first songs that the band played in Pierre, where I first heard them. They are, by the way, the best band I've ever seen play in Pierre.
#891 - "Death Valley Blues" - Mark Lanegan - Bubblegum - The first and only song by Lanegan on the countdown is easily my favorite thing he's done outside of the Trees and Queens Of The Stone Age. It's not that I don't like Mark's music, but for the most part it's very down-tempo and that's not usually the type of song that stands out, though "Death Valley Blues" is like the anti-Lanegan tune, hence it's inclusion on the countdown.
Top 1000 Bands #900-#891
900 - Allanah Miles - A one-hit wonder for her instant classic "Black Velvet".
899 - Dick Dale And His Del-Tones - Surf-rock guitar legend Dick Dale and his band created some of the most famous instrumentals of all-time.
898 - Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan - Campbell of Belle And Sebastian teamed up with the Screaming Trees' Mark Lanegan for an album and this ranking is the result.
897 - Mitch Ryder And The Detroit Wheel - One of the best bands of the 60s, Mitch Ryder is best-known for "Devil With A Blue Dress On".
896 - Ash - One of the best of the Brit-pop artists, Ash's biggest hit was "Girl From Mars".
895 - The Posies - A little-known 90's indie rock band that created many great songs but never broke through.
894 - Annie Lennox - The Eurythmics lead singer had a series of hits on her own, including "Walking on Broken Glass".
893 - What The Kids Want - An underground punk band that I caught in Pierre a few years back.
892 - Brand New - One of the biggest names in emo history. That's good enough for #892 in my book.
891 - House Of Pain - Irish frathouse rapper Everlast got his start in this band, who had a huge hit with "Jump Around".
899 - Dick Dale And His Del-Tones - Surf-rock guitar legend Dick Dale and his band created some of the most famous instrumentals of all-time.
898 - Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan - Campbell of Belle And Sebastian teamed up with the Screaming Trees' Mark Lanegan for an album and this ranking is the result.
897 - Mitch Ryder And The Detroit Wheel - One of the best bands of the 60s, Mitch Ryder is best-known for "Devil With A Blue Dress On".
896 - Ash - One of the best of the Brit-pop artists, Ash's biggest hit was "Girl From Mars".
895 - The Posies - A little-known 90's indie rock band that created many great songs but never broke through.
894 - Annie Lennox - The Eurythmics lead singer had a series of hits on her own, including "Walking on Broken Glass".
893 - What The Kids Want - An underground punk band that I caught in Pierre a few years back.
892 - Brand New - One of the biggest names in emo history. That's good enough for #892 in my book.
891 - House Of Pain - Irish frathouse rapper Everlast got his start in this band, who had a huge hit with "Jump Around".
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Top 1000 Songs #910-#901
#910 - "Run To The Hills" - Iron Maiden - Death On The Road - The first of two Iron Maiden songs on the countdown, "Run To The Hills" is political in the heavy metal tradition, as the song combines historical content with their usual speed metal licks.
#909 - "Chop Suey!" - System Of A Down - Toxicity - The first of four System songs to make the list, "Chop Suey!" is a bizarre metal song with lyrics that allude to the last moments of Christ's life.
#908 - "Human Touch" - Bruce Springsteen - Human Touch - The 90's weren't kind to the Boss, but he did manage to put out two solid albums on the same day and this, the first of eleven Springsteen songs to make the top 1000, was the best from those two albums.
#907 - "That'll Be The Day" - Buddy Holly - Greatest Hits - John Wayne inspired Buddy Holly to write this, his best song and only song on the chart.
#906 - "Anna Molly" - Incubus - Light Grenades - The first of two Incubus songs to make the top 1000, "Anna Molly" was a number one hit for the band in 2006 and their best song since their first album.
#905 - "California" - Phantom Planet - The Guest - The first of two Phantom Planet songs on the list, "California" is sadly best known as the theme song of "The OC", but was actually released years before that show began.
#904 - "Incinerate" - Sonic Youth - Rather Ripped - The first of two Sonic Youth songs to make the list, "Incinerate" is on their most recent album and serves as proof that the band is just as good now as they were in their prime.
#903 - "Ants Marching" - The Dave Matthews Band - Under The Table And Dreaming - The second of three DMB songs to make the countdown, "Ants Marching" is the most up-tempo song that the band ever made and one of my favorites.
#902 - "Call Me" - Blondie - No Exit - The first of the two Blondie songs to make the list, "Call Me" was one of the signature songs of the early New Wave era and became a huge hit after being featured in "American Gigolo".
#901 - "D'You Know What I Mean" - Oasis - Be Here Now - The first of six Oasis songs to make the list, "D'You" is one of the last great songs that the band would ride before sliding out of the spotlight. Like all Oasis songs, it's too long, but it does a great job of sweeping you up with it's excellent chorus.
#909 - "Chop Suey!" - System Of A Down - Toxicity - The first of four System songs to make the list, "Chop Suey!" is a bizarre metal song with lyrics that allude to the last moments of Christ's life.
#908 - "Human Touch" - Bruce Springsteen - Human Touch - The 90's weren't kind to the Boss, but he did manage to put out two solid albums on the same day and this, the first of eleven Springsteen songs to make the top 1000, was the best from those two albums.
#907 - "That'll Be The Day" - Buddy Holly - Greatest Hits - John Wayne inspired Buddy Holly to write this, his best song and only song on the chart.
#906 - "Anna Molly" - Incubus - Light Grenades - The first of two Incubus songs to make the top 1000, "Anna Molly" was a number one hit for the band in 2006 and their best song since their first album.
#905 - "California" - Phantom Planet - The Guest - The first of two Phantom Planet songs on the list, "California" is sadly best known as the theme song of "The OC", but was actually released years before that show began.
#904 - "Incinerate" - Sonic Youth - Rather Ripped - The first of two Sonic Youth songs to make the list, "Incinerate" is on their most recent album and serves as proof that the band is just as good now as they were in their prime.
#903 - "Ants Marching" - The Dave Matthews Band - Under The Table And Dreaming - The second of three DMB songs to make the countdown, "Ants Marching" is the most up-tempo song that the band ever made and one of my favorites.
#902 - "Call Me" - Blondie - No Exit - The first of the two Blondie songs to make the list, "Call Me" was one of the signature songs of the early New Wave era and became a huge hit after being featured in "American Gigolo".
#901 - "D'You Know What I Mean" - Oasis - Be Here Now - The first of six Oasis songs to make the list, "D'You" is one of the last great songs that the band would ride before sliding out of the spotlight. Like all Oasis songs, it's too long, but it does a great job of sweeping you up with it's excellent chorus.
Top 1000 Bands #910-#901
910 - Harry Nilsson - John Lennon loved him, but Nilsson only really had one big hit, "Everybody's Talkin'" from Midnight Cowboy. When I say "from Midnight Cowboy", I mean that they played it about 1000 times during the movie.
909 - Eddie Cochrane - One of the founding fathers of rock n roll, Eddie scored big hits with "C'mon Everybody" and "Summertime Blues".
908 - Colin Hay - The former lead singer of Men At Work enjoyed a late career comeback thanks to a cameo on "Scrubs".
907 - Smokey Robinson - The Motown legend has enjoyed a long and successful career in R&B with his sweet and high singing voice.
906 - Killswitch Engage - One of the great new metal bands to come out in the past few years, Killswitch Engage is an old-school revivalist band that's just getting started.
905 - Union Underground - A late-90's metal band that bridged the gap between Monster Magnet and Clutch.
904 - The Living Things - A modern rock T. Rex revivalist band that enjoyed a few hits off of their debut glam-rock album.
903 - The Dead Milkmen - An obscure indie rock band that had a breakthrough hit with "Bitchin' Camaro".
902 - Tokyo Police Club - An up-and-coming indie rock band that's got a big-time buzz going for them on music blogs, TPC already has one great album under their belt.
901 - M.I.A. - A unique artist who practically has a genre to herself, M.I.A. combines political lyrics with dance beats to create something that's never been heard before.
909 - Eddie Cochrane - One of the founding fathers of rock n roll, Eddie scored big hits with "C'mon Everybody" and "Summertime Blues".
908 - Colin Hay - The former lead singer of Men At Work enjoyed a late career comeback thanks to a cameo on "Scrubs".
907 - Smokey Robinson - The Motown legend has enjoyed a long and successful career in R&B with his sweet and high singing voice.
906 - Killswitch Engage - One of the great new metal bands to come out in the past few years, Killswitch Engage is an old-school revivalist band that's just getting started.
905 - Union Underground - A late-90's metal band that bridged the gap between Monster Magnet and Clutch.
904 - The Living Things - A modern rock T. Rex revivalist band that enjoyed a few hits off of their debut glam-rock album.
903 - The Dead Milkmen - An obscure indie rock band that had a breakthrough hit with "Bitchin' Camaro".
902 - Tokyo Police Club - An up-and-coming indie rock band that's got a big-time buzz going for them on music blogs, TPC already has one great album under their belt.
901 - M.I.A. - A unique artist who practically has a genre to herself, M.I.A. combines political lyrics with dance beats to create something that's never been heard before.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Top 1000 Songs #920-#911
#920 - "Brighter Than Sunshine" - Aqualung - Strange And Beautiful - The only song in the top 1000 from Aqualung, "Brighter Than Sunshine" was so well-regarded by Blender magazine that they said it should have replaced "Fix You" on the latest Coldplay album. It would have fit in nicely, too, as it's one of the finest songs of the latest wave of Brit Pop, which is mostly artists that sound like Coldplay, which hilariously enough is constantly accused of ripping off U2 and Radiohead.
#919 - "Last Child" - Aerosmith - Rocks - The first of seven Aerosmith songs is from the band at their cocaine fueled best. Sobriety and a lack of quality would follow later on, but for a few years, the band was at the top of the musical world.
#918 - "I'm Waiting For The Man" - The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground & Nico - The second of seven VU songs, "Waiting" is yet another druggy classic from the masters of druggy music and was featured prominently in the graphic novel "V For Vendetta", though not in the movie.
#917 - "Train Kept A-Rollin'" - Aerosmith - Get Your Wings - The second of seven Aerosmith songs on the chart, "Train" is Aerosmith's cover of an old blues song. I've heard several versions of this song, and this is by far the best.
#916 - "Don't Worry Baby" - The Beach Boys - Endless Summer - The first of four Beach Boys tunes to make the countdown, "Don't Worry Baby" is a breezy surf-rock love song, which was a specialty of Brian Wilson and the boys.
#915 - "Deathly" - Aimee Mann - Magnolia Soundtrack - The first of eight Aimee Mann songs on the countdown, "Deathly" is one of many great songs featured on Aimee's breakthrough work on the soundtrack to the tedious artsy-fartsy movie "Magnolia".
#914 - "Wake Up" - Rage Against The Machine - Rage Against The Machine - The second of twelve Rage songs on the list, "Wake Up" is a typical call-to-arms from the Machine. The song was featured at the end of "The Matrix" in the final scene of the movie, that did not have two sequels. That's right, they don't exist, it was merely the robots trying to trick you into believing the theory is crap by making two terrible movies to discredit the first. And the robots are right behind you... right now! Boo!
#913 - "Jane Says" - Jane's Addiction - Nothing's Shocking - The first of two Addiction songs on the list, "Jane Says" is a strange ballad about an abused woman. I believe the title of the song is a tribute to the Velvet Underground / Lou Reed tradition of naming songs with a woman's name and "Says".
#912 - "Detroit Rock City" - KISS - Double Platinum - The only KISS song to make the list (if you're curious, I despise KISS with the exception of this song, "Rock N Roll All Nite" and "Calling Dr. Love" because they were the triumph of style over substance and ruined rock for 10 years by inventing hair metal), "Detroit Rock City" is a hooky novelty song with a great chorus.
#911 - "Mr. Harris" - Aimee Mann - Whatever - The second of eight Aimee Mann songs on the countdown, "Mr. Harris" is a song about a May-December romance that features the usual alignment of great lyrics and a brilliant chorus that are typical of Mann's work.
#919 - "Last Child" - Aerosmith - Rocks - The first of seven Aerosmith songs is from the band at their cocaine fueled best. Sobriety and a lack of quality would follow later on, but for a few years, the band was at the top of the musical world.
#918 - "I'm Waiting For The Man" - The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground & Nico - The second of seven VU songs, "Waiting" is yet another druggy classic from the masters of druggy music and was featured prominently in the graphic novel "V For Vendetta", though not in the movie.
#917 - "Train Kept A-Rollin'" - Aerosmith - Get Your Wings - The second of seven Aerosmith songs on the chart, "Train" is Aerosmith's cover of an old blues song. I've heard several versions of this song, and this is by far the best.
#916 - "Don't Worry Baby" - The Beach Boys - Endless Summer - The first of four Beach Boys tunes to make the countdown, "Don't Worry Baby" is a breezy surf-rock love song, which was a specialty of Brian Wilson and the boys.
#915 - "Deathly" - Aimee Mann - Magnolia Soundtrack - The first of eight Aimee Mann songs on the countdown, "Deathly" is one of many great songs featured on Aimee's breakthrough work on the soundtrack to the tedious artsy-fartsy movie "Magnolia".
#914 - "Wake Up" - Rage Against The Machine - Rage Against The Machine - The second of twelve Rage songs on the list, "Wake Up" is a typical call-to-arms from the Machine. The song was featured at the end of "The Matrix" in the final scene of the movie, that did not have two sequels. That's right, they don't exist, it was merely the robots trying to trick you into believing the theory is crap by making two terrible movies to discredit the first. And the robots are right behind you... right now! Boo!
#913 - "Jane Says" - Jane's Addiction - Nothing's Shocking - The first of two Addiction songs on the list, "Jane Says" is a strange ballad about an abused woman. I believe the title of the song is a tribute to the Velvet Underground / Lou Reed tradition of naming songs with a woman's name and "Says".
#912 - "Detroit Rock City" - KISS - Double Platinum - The only KISS song to make the list (if you're curious, I despise KISS with the exception of this song, "Rock N Roll All Nite" and "Calling Dr. Love" because they were the triumph of style over substance and ruined rock for 10 years by inventing hair metal), "Detroit Rock City" is a hooky novelty song with a great chorus.
#911 - "Mr. Harris" - Aimee Mann - Whatever - The second of eight Aimee Mann songs on the countdown, "Mr. Harris" is a song about a May-December romance that features the usual alignment of great lyrics and a brilliant chorus that are typical of Mann's work.
Top 1000 Bands #920-#911
920 - Prozac Rat - This band was started by two guys I went to school with. I've only heard one album's worth of material, but it's pretty impressive stuff.
919 - The Germs - A late 70's punk band that never really broke through but ended up inspiring a lot of artists in the early 80's.
918 - Nelly Furtado - I'm not so much a fan of her recent output, but her debut album was interesting.
917 - The Five Man Electrical Band - They wrote "Signs" one of the definitive songs of the 60's. They didn't do anything else to my knowledge.
916 - The 4 Non Blondes - Lead singer Linda Perry went on to write decent songs for pop singers in recent years, but this band is famous for "What's Up".
915 - Lisa Loeb - She's had a lot of success as a songwriter, but her only major breakthrough as a singer was "Stay", which was huge in the mid-90s.
914 - Kelly Clarkson - Yeah, she was on American Idol, but whoever is writing her songs now is more than earning their pay. Notably, I wouldn't be familiar with her music if not for the shitty radio situation in Pierre before I got XM.
913 - Camper Van Beethoven - "Take The Skinheads Bowling" is their notable song, but they did manage to put together a couple of solid but weird albums while never escaping the shadow of the Dandy Warhols.
912 - She Wants Revenge - You may not recognize the band, but if you listen to indie rock, you know the genre. It's called "Joy Division rip-offs". SWR is by far the least of the bands in this genre to get successful.
911 - Ten Years After - Late 60's rockers who played Woodstock and scored a big hit with the cynical "I'd Like To Change The World".
919 - The Germs - A late 70's punk band that never really broke through but ended up inspiring a lot of artists in the early 80's.
918 - Nelly Furtado - I'm not so much a fan of her recent output, but her debut album was interesting.
917 - The Five Man Electrical Band - They wrote "Signs" one of the definitive songs of the 60's. They didn't do anything else to my knowledge.
916 - The 4 Non Blondes - Lead singer Linda Perry went on to write decent songs for pop singers in recent years, but this band is famous for "What's Up".
915 - Lisa Loeb - She's had a lot of success as a songwriter, but her only major breakthrough as a singer was "Stay", which was huge in the mid-90s.
914 - Kelly Clarkson - Yeah, she was on American Idol, but whoever is writing her songs now is more than earning their pay. Notably, I wouldn't be familiar with her music if not for the shitty radio situation in Pierre before I got XM.
913 - Camper Van Beethoven - "Take The Skinheads Bowling" is their notable song, but they did manage to put together a couple of solid but weird albums while never escaping the shadow of the Dandy Warhols.
912 - She Wants Revenge - You may not recognize the band, but if you listen to indie rock, you know the genre. It's called "Joy Division rip-offs". SWR is by far the least of the bands in this genre to get successful.
911 - Ten Years After - Late 60's rockers who played Woodstock and scored a big hit with the cynical "I'd Like To Change The World".
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Top 1000 Songs #930-#921
#930 - "No Shelter" - Rage Against The Machine - Godzilla Soundtrack - The first of twelve songs for Rage is one of their very few contributions to soundtracks, this song features two of my favorite Rage lyrics:
"What ya need is what they sellin
Make you think that buyin is rebellin"
and
"Hospitals not profit full
Yet market bulls got pockets full"
#929 - "Take It Easy (Love Nothing)" - Bright Eyes - Digital Ash From A Digital Urn - The first of four Bright Eyes songs in the top 1000, "Take It Easy" is the best song off of the lesser of the two albums Bright Eyes released simultaneously on what is by far the greatest day in the band's career.
#928 - "Surrender" - Cheap Trick - Live At Budokan - The only Cheap Trick song to make the list, it was a tough call to choose only one song off of this excellent live album, but "Surrender" was the best pure rock song of the bunch.
#927 - "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35" - Bob Dylan - Blonde On Blonde - The first of fifteen Dylan songs on the countdown, "Rainy Day" is the best display of one of the sides of Bob Dylan that rarely shines through in his music, his excellent sense of humor.
#926 - "Butterflies And Hurricanes" - Muse - Absolution - The second of five Muse songs and the second song off of their classic indie rock album Absolution, "Butterflies" has a typical Muse sound to it, which is to say it sounds like someone screaming while a building collapses around them.
#925 - "Time Won't Let Me Go" - The Bravery - The Sun And The Moon - The only Bravery song to make the list, "Time" is the closest the band has ever come in their never-ending race to top The Killers, who they will forever be linked to like Megadeth is to Metallica. The song has great lyrics and an excellent chorus. It's one of the best songs of 2007.
#924 - "Christine" - Siouxsie And The Banshees - Kaleidoscope - The first of four songs on the top 1000 for Siouxsie, "Christine" is yet another example of the style and sound that helped Siouxsie invent post-punk in the late-70s. They were never the most successful band in the genre, but they were always the best.
#923 - "Candle In The Wind" - Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - Although I considered disqualifying this song from consideration due to it's pathetic reappropriation in 1997, "Candle" (the first of nine Elton songs) makes the list due to it's original meaning and intent, which not even Elton himself could destroy, no matter how hard he tried.
#922 - "Butterfly" - The Screaming Trees - Sweet Oblivion - The second of six Screaming Trees songs, "Butterfly" is yet another brilliant Trees song with intricate verses and an awesome chorus. How they failed to become a huge success during the one period of time when mainstream audiences were willing to listen to good music (the 90's) is beyond me.
#921 - "Exhuming McCarthy" - R.E.M. - Document - The first of twelve R.E.M. songs to make the list, "Exhuming" features my favorite lyrics by the band (which says a lot!). The song is pretty obscure, but if you can find it, it's worth a listen for it's multitude of stab-shots at the heart of 80's-era yuppies.
"What ya need is what they sellin
Make you think that buyin is rebellin"
and
"Hospitals not profit full
Yet market bulls got pockets full"
#929 - "Take It Easy (Love Nothing)" - Bright Eyes - Digital Ash From A Digital Urn - The first of four Bright Eyes songs in the top 1000, "Take It Easy" is the best song off of the lesser of the two albums Bright Eyes released simultaneously on what is by far the greatest day in the band's career.
#928 - "Surrender" - Cheap Trick - Live At Budokan - The only Cheap Trick song to make the list, it was a tough call to choose only one song off of this excellent live album, but "Surrender" was the best pure rock song of the bunch.
#927 - "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35" - Bob Dylan - Blonde On Blonde - The first of fifteen Dylan songs on the countdown, "Rainy Day" is the best display of one of the sides of Bob Dylan that rarely shines through in his music, his excellent sense of humor.
#926 - "Butterflies And Hurricanes" - Muse - Absolution - The second of five Muse songs and the second song off of their classic indie rock album Absolution, "Butterflies" has a typical Muse sound to it, which is to say it sounds like someone screaming while a building collapses around them.
#925 - "Time Won't Let Me Go" - The Bravery - The Sun And The Moon - The only Bravery song to make the list, "Time" is the closest the band has ever come in their never-ending race to top The Killers, who they will forever be linked to like Megadeth is to Metallica. The song has great lyrics and an excellent chorus. It's one of the best songs of 2007.
#924 - "Christine" - Siouxsie And The Banshees - Kaleidoscope - The first of four songs on the top 1000 for Siouxsie, "Christine" is yet another example of the style and sound that helped Siouxsie invent post-punk in the late-70s. They were never the most successful band in the genre, but they were always the best.
#923 - "Candle In The Wind" - Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - Although I considered disqualifying this song from consideration due to it's pathetic reappropriation in 1997, "Candle" (the first of nine Elton songs) makes the list due to it's original meaning and intent, which not even Elton himself could destroy, no matter how hard he tried.
#922 - "Butterfly" - The Screaming Trees - Sweet Oblivion - The second of six Screaming Trees songs, "Butterfly" is yet another brilliant Trees song with intricate verses and an awesome chorus. How they failed to become a huge success during the one period of time when mainstream audiences were willing to listen to good music (the 90's) is beyond me.
#921 - "Exhuming McCarthy" - R.E.M. - Document - The first of twelve R.E.M. songs to make the list, "Exhuming" features my favorite lyrics by the band (which says a lot!). The song is pretty obscure, but if you can find it, it's worth a listen for it's multitude of stab-shots at the heart of 80's-era yuppies.
Top 1000 Bands #930-#921
930 - The Georgia Satellites - A one-hit wonder that made the best southern rock song of the 80's, "Keep Your Hands To Yourself".
929 - Ram Jam - An under-rated and mostly forgotten band that managed to score a bit hit with "Black Betty" before calling it quits.
928 - Natalie Imbruglia - Natalie had a couple of big hits in the late 90's and then disappeared. I don't know if she's been heard from since.
927 - H.I.M. - Another day, another Scandinavian metal band. This one goes for the goth angle of the genre and occasionally comes up with a decent song, though many of their tunes are laughable.
926 - Tapes N Tapes - The band that lit up the blog scene in 2006, Tapes N Tapes has a solid album to their name, but that's about it so far.
925 - Stars Of Track And Field - Their songs are mopey but pleasant sounding. What else would you expect from a band named after a Belle And Sebastian song?
924 - Eagle Eye Cherry - Like his sister, Eagle Eye only had one hit, but it was a big one, "Save Tonight".
923 - Morningwood - An indie pop band with emo leanings, Morningwood has a handful of good songs, but they're mostly potential at this point.
922 - Damien Rice - The Generation X heir of James Taylor is a great songwriter, but his music can be very dull at times.
921 - The Futureheads - An indie dance rock band with a couple of catchy songs, but they haven't quite put it all together just yet.
929 - Ram Jam - An under-rated and mostly forgotten band that managed to score a bit hit with "Black Betty" before calling it quits.
928 - Natalie Imbruglia - Natalie had a couple of big hits in the late 90's and then disappeared. I don't know if she's been heard from since.
927 - H.I.M. - Another day, another Scandinavian metal band. This one goes for the goth angle of the genre and occasionally comes up with a decent song, though many of their tunes are laughable.
926 - Tapes N Tapes - The band that lit up the blog scene in 2006, Tapes N Tapes has a solid album to their name, but that's about it so far.
925 - Stars Of Track And Field - Their songs are mopey but pleasant sounding. What else would you expect from a band named after a Belle And Sebastian song?
924 - Eagle Eye Cherry - Like his sister, Eagle Eye only had one hit, but it was a big one, "Save Tonight".
923 - Morningwood - An indie pop band with emo leanings, Morningwood has a handful of good songs, but they're mostly potential at this point.
922 - Damien Rice - The Generation X heir of James Taylor is a great songwriter, but his music can be very dull at times.
921 - The Futureheads - An indie dance rock band with a couple of catchy songs, but they haven't quite put it all together just yet.
Monday, December 3, 2007
Top 1000 Songs #940-#931
#940 - "Tasty Taste" - Welcome To The Cinema - Welcome To The Cinema - The first and only song from Brookings, SD's Welcome To The Cinema (a band that I've seen play a couple times in Pierre) to make the charts, "Tasty Taste" is a brilliant slice of indie dance rock that could have been a cut from the first Franz Ferdinand album.
#939 - "Heroin" - The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground & Nico - The first of seven Velvet Underground songs in the top 1000, "Heroin" was one of the most shocking and unnerving songs to come out of the 1960's and one of many VU songs that helped to form the underground music scene in New York that would save rock n roll ten years later.
#938 - "Cold Shot" - Stevie Ray Vaughan - Couldn't Stand The Weather - The first of three SRV songs on the list, "Cold Shot" utilizes Stevie's blues hook to it's maximum potential.
#937 - "Comfort Eagle" - Cake - Comfort Eagle - The only Cake song to make the top 1000, "Comfort Eagle" is a typically quirky cut from one of the most unique bands in all of rock.
#936 - "Hang Me Up To Dry" - The Cold War Kids - Robbers & Cowards - The only Cold War Kids song to make the countdown, "Hang" is an intense and creeping song with a fantastic chorus.
#935 - "No More Tears" - Ozzy Osbourne - No More Tears - The first of three Ozzy songs on the countdown and one of the last truly great songs for the Ozzman, "No More Tears" is a creepy metal song that was also one of the last shots fired before that crappy nu-metal shit took over.
#934 - "Nearly Lost You" - The Screaming Trees - Sweet Oblivion - The first of six Trees songs on the list, "Nearly Lost You" was by far the band's biggest hit, becoming a decent-sized hit on MTV back when they used to play music videos... or music for that matter. Easily the most radio-friendly song the band ever made, but not quite my favorite.
#933 - "Crazy On You" - Heart - Dreamboat Annie - The second of three Heart songs to make the top 1000, "Crazy On You" has great guitar work and an excellent chorus. In other words, a Heart song from the 70's.
#932 - "Can't Get It Out Of My Head" - The Electric Light Orchestra - Afterglow - The first of two ELO songs, "Head" is a much more typical ELO song than the Beatles-esque song that tops it on the countdown. It's a very hypnotic, dreamy song with a sweeping chorus.
#931 - "Stuck In The Middle With You" - Stealer's Wheel - Greatest Hits - The only Stealer's Wheel song on the chart or on the radio for that matter, "Stuck" had it's big moment in the sun when Quentin Tarantino included the song in the torture scene of his movie "Reservoir Dogs".
#939 - "Heroin" - The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground & Nico - The first of seven Velvet Underground songs in the top 1000, "Heroin" was one of the most shocking and unnerving songs to come out of the 1960's and one of many VU songs that helped to form the underground music scene in New York that would save rock n roll ten years later.
#938 - "Cold Shot" - Stevie Ray Vaughan - Couldn't Stand The Weather - The first of three SRV songs on the list, "Cold Shot" utilizes Stevie's blues hook to it's maximum potential.
#937 - "Comfort Eagle" - Cake - Comfort Eagle - The only Cake song to make the top 1000, "Comfort Eagle" is a typically quirky cut from one of the most unique bands in all of rock.
#936 - "Hang Me Up To Dry" - The Cold War Kids - Robbers & Cowards - The only Cold War Kids song to make the countdown, "Hang" is an intense and creeping song with a fantastic chorus.
#935 - "No More Tears" - Ozzy Osbourne - No More Tears - The first of three Ozzy songs on the countdown and one of the last truly great songs for the Ozzman, "No More Tears" is a creepy metal song that was also one of the last shots fired before that crappy nu-metal shit took over.
#934 - "Nearly Lost You" - The Screaming Trees - Sweet Oblivion - The first of six Trees songs on the list, "Nearly Lost You" was by far the band's biggest hit, becoming a decent-sized hit on MTV back when they used to play music videos... or music for that matter. Easily the most radio-friendly song the band ever made, but not quite my favorite.
#933 - "Crazy On You" - Heart - Dreamboat Annie - The second of three Heart songs to make the top 1000, "Crazy On You" has great guitar work and an excellent chorus. In other words, a Heart song from the 70's.
#932 - "Can't Get It Out Of My Head" - The Electric Light Orchestra - Afterglow - The first of two ELO songs, "Head" is a much more typical ELO song than the Beatles-esque song that tops it on the countdown. It's a very hypnotic, dreamy song with a sweeping chorus.
#931 - "Stuck In The Middle With You" - Stealer's Wheel - Greatest Hits - The only Stealer's Wheel song on the chart or on the radio for that matter, "Stuck" had it's big moment in the sun when Quentin Tarantino included the song in the torture scene of his movie "Reservoir Dogs".
Top 1000 Bands #940-#931
940 - Ambulance LTD - A bit of a one-hit wonder, but they're one of the more original bands to come out in recent years.
939 - Alicia Keys - Pop/R&B singer Alicia Keys makes the list on the strength of "Fallin'" alone, though she has many other solid songs.
938 - I'm From Barcelona - A brand new indie rock band with an interesting sound.
937 - Probot - Dave Grohl's metal side project that featured guest appearances by some of the greatest legends of heavy metal, including Lemmy from Motorhead.
936 - The Blues Brothers - The Saturday Night Live novelty act managed to put together a few albums, including one with a great cover of "Soul Man".
935 - The Troggs - They only had one hit, but it was a big one, the garage rock anthem "Wild Thing".
934 - The Pure Prarie League - A southern rock band that only broke through with one big hit, "Amie".
933 - The Standells - Another band, another one hit wonder. Their hit? "Dirty Water".
932 - Little Feat - Pretty much a one-hit wonder, Little Feat did manage to put together a large following on the basis of their other southern fried albums.
931 - DragonForce - 80's metal throwbacks DragonForce have some of the fastest guitars in the business working for them. If you can handle the cheese factor, they're actually pretty good.
939 - Alicia Keys - Pop/R&B singer Alicia Keys makes the list on the strength of "Fallin'" alone, though she has many other solid songs.
938 - I'm From Barcelona - A brand new indie rock band with an interesting sound.
937 - Probot - Dave Grohl's metal side project that featured guest appearances by some of the greatest legends of heavy metal, including Lemmy from Motorhead.
936 - The Blues Brothers - The Saturday Night Live novelty act managed to put together a few albums, including one with a great cover of "Soul Man".
935 - The Troggs - They only had one hit, but it was a big one, the garage rock anthem "Wild Thing".
934 - The Pure Prarie League - A southern rock band that only broke through with one big hit, "Amie".
933 - The Standells - Another band, another one hit wonder. Their hit? "Dirty Water".
932 - Little Feat - Pretty much a one-hit wonder, Little Feat did manage to put together a large following on the basis of their other southern fried albums.
931 - DragonForce - 80's metal throwbacks DragonForce have some of the fastest guitars in the business working for them. If you can handle the cheese factor, they're actually pretty good.
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Top 1000 Bands #950-#941
#950 - "Maps" - The Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever To Tell - The first and only YYYs song to make the charts, "Maps" is a fairly uncharacteristic song for the band, as it's a power balled reminiscient of The Pretenders' "I'll Stand By You". This song is so good that Kelly Clarkson ripped it off and had a #1 hit.
#949 - "No Sugar Tonight / New Mother Nature" - American Woman - The first of two Guess Who songs to make the charts, "No Sugar Tonight" is a driving, straight-forward 70's rocker with a fantastic chorus. "New Mother Nature" is a bit weaker than the first half, but it's still a great song.
#948 - "I'm The Man Who Loves You" - Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot - The only Wilco song to make the list, "I'm The Man" is the most up-tempo of all Wilco's songs, which are usually slower and more country-tinged.
#947 - "Money (That's What I Want") - The Beatles - With The Beatles - The first of twenty-two Beatles songs to make the countdown, "Money" is a reminder that the Beatles spent the first few years of their career as a band that covered 50s-era R&B songs.
#946 - "Solid" - The Dandy Warhols - Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia - The first of two Dandy Warhols songs in the top 1000, "Solid" served as the theme song for one of the greatest shows of all-time "Undeclared" (another of their songs that didn't make the cut, "We Used To Be Friends" was also the theme song for the similarly excellent Veronica Mars) and yet another great Warhols song whose lyrics can't keep up with the outstanding beat.
#945 - "No More Mr. Nice Guy" - Alice Cooper - Billion Dollar Babies - The first of two Alice Cooper songs to make the list, "Nice Guy" is one of the most straight-forward songs of Alice's career and by far his best-written song.
#944 - "Think I'm In Love" - Beck - The best song off of Beck's last album (and first of nine on the list), "Think I'm In Love" is sort of a mix of the usually hyperactive Beck and the slower, more insightful Beck that shows up every couple of years.
#943 - "Dancing With Myself" - Billy Idol - Kiss Me Deadly - The first of two Billy Idol songs to make the list, "Dancing" is a sharp and well-written song from the early days of punk rock that Billy was in from the start.
#942 - "The Funeral" - Band Of Horses - Everything All The Time - The only Band Of Horses song to make the list, this is the best Arcade Fire song that wasn't written by The Arcade Fire. Great lyrics, great backing tune and a fantastic build to the song make for a promising start for the band.
#941 - "See No Evil" - Television - Marquee Moon - The first of three songs on the chart for Television, one of the most influential bands to come out of the New York art rock scene of the 70's, "See No Evil" is the most accessible of the major hits that the band would have while bridging the gap between The Velvet Underground and The Talking Heads.
#949 - "No Sugar Tonight / New Mother Nature" - American Woman - The first of two Guess Who songs to make the charts, "No Sugar Tonight" is a driving, straight-forward 70's rocker with a fantastic chorus. "New Mother Nature" is a bit weaker than the first half, but it's still a great song.
#948 - "I'm The Man Who Loves You" - Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot - The only Wilco song to make the list, "I'm The Man" is the most up-tempo of all Wilco's songs, which are usually slower and more country-tinged.
#947 - "Money (That's What I Want") - The Beatles - With The Beatles - The first of twenty-two Beatles songs to make the countdown, "Money" is a reminder that the Beatles spent the first few years of their career as a band that covered 50s-era R&B songs.
#946 - "Solid" - The Dandy Warhols - Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia - The first of two Dandy Warhols songs in the top 1000, "Solid" served as the theme song for one of the greatest shows of all-time "Undeclared" (another of their songs that didn't make the cut, "We Used To Be Friends" was also the theme song for the similarly excellent Veronica Mars) and yet another great Warhols song whose lyrics can't keep up with the outstanding beat.
#945 - "No More Mr. Nice Guy" - Alice Cooper - Billion Dollar Babies - The first of two Alice Cooper songs to make the list, "Nice Guy" is one of the most straight-forward songs of Alice's career and by far his best-written song.
#944 - "Think I'm In Love" - Beck - The best song off of Beck's last album (and first of nine on the list), "Think I'm In Love" is sort of a mix of the usually hyperactive Beck and the slower, more insightful Beck that shows up every couple of years.
#943 - "Dancing With Myself" - Billy Idol - Kiss Me Deadly - The first of two Billy Idol songs to make the list, "Dancing" is a sharp and well-written song from the early days of punk rock that Billy was in from the start.
#942 - "The Funeral" - Band Of Horses - Everything All The Time - The only Band Of Horses song to make the list, this is the best Arcade Fire song that wasn't written by The Arcade Fire. Great lyrics, great backing tune and a fantastic build to the song make for a promising start for the band.
#941 - "See No Evil" - Television - Marquee Moon - The first of three songs on the chart for Television, one of the most influential bands to come out of the New York art rock scene of the 70's, "See No Evil" is the most accessible of the major hits that the band would have while bridging the gap between The Velvet Underground and The Talking Heads.
Top 1000 Bands #950-#941
950 - Wilson Pickett - R&B legend Pickett makes it on the strength of legendary songs like "Mustang Sally" and "In The Midnight Hour".
949 - K.D. Lang - She's had a number of great hits, but "Constant Craving" is the one that stands out the most.
948 - The Matthew Good Band - A Canadian band that doesn't have a very big following in America, but has been creating solid music for more than a decade.
947 - The Rapture - An up-and-coming indie dance-rock group that's coming off their best album.
946 - The Descendants - The legendary 80's punk band makes the list, but not very highly, as I've never really gotten that into them for some reason.
945 - Amy Rigby - Indie singer-songwriter Amy Rigby has gotten a lot of critical acclaim, but has yet to translate it into the success she deserves.
944 - The Dears - A brand new indie-rock band with an excellent debut album. They should be shooting up the chart pretty soon.
943 - Isis - One of the best prog metal bands in the business today, Isis is a band I only discovered recently, but so far, so good.
942 - Commander Venus - Connor Oberst's first band (he was a teenager when the band was together) isn't in the same league as Bright Eyes, but they're still really good.
941 - Buddy And Julie Miller - Folk singer-songwriting team Buddy and Julie Miller have been producing decent music for the past couple decades.
949 - K.D. Lang - She's had a number of great hits, but "Constant Craving" is the one that stands out the most.
948 - The Matthew Good Band - A Canadian band that doesn't have a very big following in America, but has been creating solid music for more than a decade.
947 - The Rapture - An up-and-coming indie dance-rock group that's coming off their best album.
946 - The Descendants - The legendary 80's punk band makes the list, but not very highly, as I've never really gotten that into them for some reason.
945 - Amy Rigby - Indie singer-songwriter Amy Rigby has gotten a lot of critical acclaim, but has yet to translate it into the success she deserves.
944 - The Dears - A brand new indie-rock band with an excellent debut album. They should be shooting up the chart pretty soon.
943 - Isis - One of the best prog metal bands in the business today, Isis is a band I only discovered recently, but so far, so good.
942 - Commander Venus - Connor Oberst's first band (he was a teenager when the band was together) isn't in the same league as Bright Eyes, but they're still really good.
941 - Buddy And Julie Miller - Folk singer-songwriting team Buddy and Julie Miller have been producing decent music for the past couple decades.
Saturday, December 1, 2007
New Movies This Week
The only new movie this week is "Awake". It stars Darth Vader and Dark Angel, so you know that the acting is going to suck and they didn't bother to screen it for critics, so the story probably sucks too.
VERDICT - SKIP IT.
VERDICT - SKIP IT.
Modern Rock Update
Albums:
Amy Winehouse's first album "Frank" was the top debut in a weak week for rock, debuting at #61.
An AC/DC compilation debuted at #73.
Also debuting this week was a Nine Inch Nails remix album at #77.
Modern and Mainstream Rock:
The Foo Fighters and Seether stayed at #1 on their respective charts.
Debuting this week is Mudvayne's "Dull Boy" at #20 on Mainstream.
Amy Winehouse's first album "Frank" was the top debut in a weak week for rock, debuting at #61.
An AC/DC compilation debuted at #73.
Also debuting this week was a Nine Inch Nails remix album at #77.
Modern and Mainstream Rock:
The Foo Fighters and Seether stayed at #1 on their respective charts.
Debuting this week is Mudvayne's "Dull Boy" at #20 on Mainstream.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Review of Ne'er Do Well - Dusty Sunday Morning
First of all, as a disclaimer, Ne'er Do Well is my friend Ryan Stoick's band. I do still intend to be objective in my review, however, but bear that in mind throughout.
1. Lordy, Lordy:
Muddy vocals. Great beat. Decent lyrics. Good drive throughout the song. Drums and distorted guitars are big plus. Too short.
7/10
2. So High, So Low:
Though the song has a definite Soundgarden vibe, the vocals remind me of Ozzy at times. The clapping rhythm is a plus, but the song doesn't take off the way I'd like it to. The song is too short, but it does have solid lyrics and a good drive.
6/10
3. La Dee Da:
This one has an Alice In Chains sound to it. It features a good drum-driven beat, the best lyrics so far in the album and a dense, atmospheric sound. There is an excellent vocal contrast in the final minute and a very good AIC-style guitar fade at the end.
8/10
4. Sowing Season:
A decent Screaming Trees beginning transitions into a better AIC sound that's handled much better than the original demos I've heard. Great lyrics, good quiet-loud dynamic. Guitars are a bit muddy for my taste. Solid guitar/drums instrumental beginning around the 3 minute mark. Great build throughout the song.
9/10
5. Nightingale:
The opening guitar lick seems to borrow from Nirvana's "Polly". Slow and somewhat lacking in intensity. Decent lyrics. Good guitar-work on the breakdown before the last verse. The song ends somewhat abruptly. This is the first version of the song that I've heard and I didn't care for it much. My least favorite song on the album.
5/10
6. In Dispute:
This song has a good backing beat and an Alice In Chains vibe. Solid lyrics. Transitions cause problems at the beginning, but get better as the song progresses.
6/10
7. Halo In My Hand:
Interesting style, especially the horns and drums, which give it a bit of a Latin vibe. The best lyrics of the album. Definitely the most original, best and interesting song of the album. A bit too long, but the atmosphere of the song sets a great mood and maintains it throughout. My favorite song on the album.
10/10
8. Noose Around The Sun:
Good guitar work at the beginning. Vocals and guitars don't quite mesh at the beginning. Guitars get fuzzy around the one minute mark, which works much better with the vocals and the chorus. A definite Nirvana vibe permeates the song, especially in the lyrics and vocal style. Guitars are dominant and solid throughout. Hooky chorus.
9/10
9. Kaliedescope:
Good harmony and vocal contrast with the female guest vocalist. Great lyrics. Good build to the song and interesting guitar work between the verses. An interesting song with an eastern vibe to it. One of their best.
10/10
10. Winter Song:
Screaming Trees cover. Guitar creep sound at the beginning of the song doesn't work well with the song structure. The song improves when it hits the chorus, but it's a bit slower than the original. The vocal performance is solid throughout. Mid-song instrumentals work well. A great song choice for a cover, but some sections are too slow.
7/10
11. Corona:
Weird dense vocal and instrumentals throughout the song. Interesting horns. I prefer the previous arrangement to this song. Lyrics are excellent, but the song doesn't carry itself as well as previous demo versions, and it's too slow.
6/10
12. Velveteen:
Good lyrics, but muddy vocals and harmonies that don't work well. Good guitar and drumbeat set a great tone for the song, especially the military-esque drumbeat. Vocals improve as the song goes on. A great song if not for the vocal problems at the start.
8/10
13. Fly In The Wall:
Great AIC influenced chords at the opening of the song. A slow instrumental song with creepy guitar work and moaning vocals. Good mood music. Would be excellent as part of a movie score.
9/10
Overall:
Heavily influenced by AIC, Screaming Trees, with a scattering of Nirvana influences.
Too slow at times.
Vocals solid for the most part, but too muddy at times.
Good guitar work, but they frequently get drowned out.
Lyrics are dark and frequently insightful. Songs never trip on lyrics.
A promising debut.
8/10
Best Songs:
Halo In My Hand
Kaliedescope
Sowing Season
Noose Around The Sun
1. Lordy, Lordy:
Muddy vocals. Great beat. Decent lyrics. Good drive throughout the song. Drums and distorted guitars are big plus. Too short.
7/10
2. So High, So Low:
Though the song has a definite Soundgarden vibe, the vocals remind me of Ozzy at times. The clapping rhythm is a plus, but the song doesn't take off the way I'd like it to. The song is too short, but it does have solid lyrics and a good drive.
6/10
3. La Dee Da:
This one has an Alice In Chains sound to it. It features a good drum-driven beat, the best lyrics so far in the album and a dense, atmospheric sound. There is an excellent vocal contrast in the final minute and a very good AIC-style guitar fade at the end.
8/10
4. Sowing Season:
A decent Screaming Trees beginning transitions into a better AIC sound that's handled much better than the original demos I've heard. Great lyrics, good quiet-loud dynamic. Guitars are a bit muddy for my taste. Solid guitar/drums instrumental beginning around the 3 minute mark. Great build throughout the song.
9/10
5. Nightingale:
The opening guitar lick seems to borrow from Nirvana's "Polly". Slow and somewhat lacking in intensity. Decent lyrics. Good guitar-work on the breakdown before the last verse. The song ends somewhat abruptly. This is the first version of the song that I've heard and I didn't care for it much. My least favorite song on the album.
5/10
6. In Dispute:
This song has a good backing beat and an Alice In Chains vibe. Solid lyrics. Transitions cause problems at the beginning, but get better as the song progresses.
6/10
7. Halo In My Hand:
Interesting style, especially the horns and drums, which give it a bit of a Latin vibe. The best lyrics of the album. Definitely the most original, best and interesting song of the album. A bit too long, but the atmosphere of the song sets a great mood and maintains it throughout. My favorite song on the album.
10/10
8. Noose Around The Sun:
Good guitar work at the beginning. Vocals and guitars don't quite mesh at the beginning. Guitars get fuzzy around the one minute mark, which works much better with the vocals and the chorus. A definite Nirvana vibe permeates the song, especially in the lyrics and vocal style. Guitars are dominant and solid throughout. Hooky chorus.
9/10
9. Kaliedescope:
Good harmony and vocal contrast with the female guest vocalist. Great lyrics. Good build to the song and interesting guitar work between the verses. An interesting song with an eastern vibe to it. One of their best.
10/10
10. Winter Song:
Screaming Trees cover. Guitar creep sound at the beginning of the song doesn't work well with the song structure. The song improves when it hits the chorus, but it's a bit slower than the original. The vocal performance is solid throughout. Mid-song instrumentals work well. A great song choice for a cover, but some sections are too slow.
7/10
11. Corona:
Weird dense vocal and instrumentals throughout the song. Interesting horns. I prefer the previous arrangement to this song. Lyrics are excellent, but the song doesn't carry itself as well as previous demo versions, and it's too slow.
6/10
12. Velveteen:
Good lyrics, but muddy vocals and harmonies that don't work well. Good guitar and drumbeat set a great tone for the song, especially the military-esque drumbeat. Vocals improve as the song goes on. A great song if not for the vocal problems at the start.
8/10
13. Fly In The Wall:
Great AIC influenced chords at the opening of the song. A slow instrumental song with creepy guitar work and moaning vocals. Good mood music. Would be excellent as part of a movie score.
9/10
Overall:
Heavily influenced by AIC, Screaming Trees, with a scattering of Nirvana influences.
Too slow at times.
Vocals solid for the most part, but too muddy at times.
Good guitar work, but they frequently get drowned out.
Lyrics are dark and frequently insightful. Songs never trip on lyrics.
A promising debut.
8/10
Best Songs:
Halo In My Hand
Kaliedescope
Sowing Season
Noose Around The Sun
Top 1000 Songs #960-#951
#960 - "Angels Of The Silences" - The Counting Crows - Recovering The Satellites - The first and only Counting Crows song is their best off of their under-rated Recovering The Satellites CD. They didn't do much after this album, which is why the band is frequently and unfairly written off.
#959 - "What Would You Say" - The Dave Matthews Band - Under The Table And Dreaming - The first of three songs by the DMB, I first heard this and other songs by the band when I was in high school. If you can believe it, they used to get a lot of airtime on the KRRO before they became a hardcore/metal/crap station in the late 90s.
#958 - "Los Angeles" - X - Los Angeles - The only X song to make the list, "Los Angeles" is the underground punk band's crowning achievement (well, that or "4th Of July", which barely missed the cut). X is one of many indie bands that I first discovered in college after Napster became available.
#957 - "People Are Strange" - The Doors - Strange Days - The first of ten Doors songs to make the countdown, "People Are Strange" is the rare Doors song that is too short for it's own good. The song features Morrison's creepiest vocal that didn't involve him killing his father.
#956 - "Rise" - Public Image Ltd. - Compact Disc - The only song from PIL to make the list, "Rise" is a hell of a departure for Johnny Rotten after first making his mark with the Sex Pistols. One of the great post-punk songs of the 80s.
#955 - "Survivalism" - Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero - The first of seven songs on the top 1000 and the lesser of two incredible singles from Year Zero, "Survivalism" is Reznor's return to the industrial metal that first got him attention on Pretty Hate Machine.
#954 - "Say You Love Me" - Fleetwood Mac - Fleetwood Mac - The first of seven Fleetwood Mac songs and one of the few that's not on Rumours, "Say You Love Me" is an essential song in the history of 70's pop radio.
#953 - "Black Magic Woman" - Santana - Black Magic Woman - The only song Santana put in the top 1000 is actually a cover of an old Fleetwood Mac song, but no one remembers that because this is easily the definitive version of the song. I first heard this song on KYBB, the classic rock station in Sioux Falls, where it's a well-known staple of the genre.
#952 - "I Got You (I Feel Good)" - James Brown - Greatest Hits - The Godfather's only song in the top 1000, "I Feel Good" is one of the most well-known soul songs of the 60s and one of the key moments in the history of rock n roll.
#951 - "Slow Jam" - New Order - Get Ready - The first of two New Order songs on the list, "Slow Jam" is the most recently discovered song to make the top 1000, as I only found this song while reviewing a New Order discography I had located recently during a post-punk kick I was on.
#959 - "What Would You Say" - The Dave Matthews Band - Under The Table And Dreaming - The first of three songs by the DMB, I first heard this and other songs by the band when I was in high school. If you can believe it, they used to get a lot of airtime on the KRRO before they became a hardcore/metal/crap station in the late 90s.
#958 - "Los Angeles" - X - Los Angeles - The only X song to make the list, "Los Angeles" is the underground punk band's crowning achievement (well, that or "4th Of July", which barely missed the cut). X is one of many indie bands that I first discovered in college after Napster became available.
#957 - "People Are Strange" - The Doors - Strange Days - The first of ten Doors songs to make the countdown, "People Are Strange" is the rare Doors song that is too short for it's own good. The song features Morrison's creepiest vocal that didn't involve him killing his father.
#956 - "Rise" - Public Image Ltd. - Compact Disc - The only song from PIL to make the list, "Rise" is a hell of a departure for Johnny Rotten after first making his mark with the Sex Pistols. One of the great post-punk songs of the 80s.
#955 - "Survivalism" - Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero - The first of seven songs on the top 1000 and the lesser of two incredible singles from Year Zero, "Survivalism" is Reznor's return to the industrial metal that first got him attention on Pretty Hate Machine.
#954 - "Say You Love Me" - Fleetwood Mac - Fleetwood Mac - The first of seven Fleetwood Mac songs and one of the few that's not on Rumours, "Say You Love Me" is an essential song in the history of 70's pop radio.
#953 - "Black Magic Woman" - Santana - Black Magic Woman - The only song Santana put in the top 1000 is actually a cover of an old Fleetwood Mac song, but no one remembers that because this is easily the definitive version of the song. I first heard this song on KYBB, the classic rock station in Sioux Falls, where it's a well-known staple of the genre.
#952 - "I Got You (I Feel Good)" - James Brown - Greatest Hits - The Godfather's only song in the top 1000, "I Feel Good" is one of the most well-known soul songs of the 60s and one of the key moments in the history of rock n roll.
#951 - "Slow Jam" - New Order - Get Ready - The first of two New Order songs on the list, "Slow Jam" is the most recently discovered song to make the top 1000, as I only found this song while reviewing a New Order discography I had located recently during a post-punk kick I was on.
Top 1000 Bands #960-#951
#960 - Wayne County And The Back Street Boys - No, not THOSE Back Street Boys, this one was an influential 77 NYC Punk band whose only major claim to fame is "Max's Kansas City".
#959 - Ben Kweller - Indie folk singer Ben Kweller only has a handful of songs to his name, but he's already made an impact on my collection.
#958 - Harvey Danger - Ska band Harvey Danger only had one hit, but it was a hell of a hit, as "Flagpole Sitta" is one of the best one-hit wonder songs ever made.
#957 - The Ventures - Surf-rock instrumentalists The Ventures created some of the most memorable guitar solos of early rock n roll.
#956 - NOFX - The most juvenile of all 90s punk bands, I enjoyed listening to NOFX in college, but by this point I only listen to a few of their songs, though those few songs are still pretty good.
#955 - Todd Rundgren - While more influential as a producer than as a musician, Rundgren still managed to create many of the best pop songs of the 70s.
#954 - La Rocca - One of the most recent bands I discovered, La Rocca is a long way from a breakthrough, but their music, which I first heard on a sampler disc in Paste magazine, is light years ahead of most bands that have achieved fame these days.
#953 - Perry Farrell - The lead singer of about 10 million bands, but most famously Jane's Addiction, Farrell has produced a couple solo albums that have been above average and better than anything he's done outside of Addiction or Porno For Pyros.
#952 - William Shatner - Shatner has recorded two albums worth of the most hilarious cover songs this side of Richard Cheese. His second album is the funnier of the two because he was playing along, but the first one is still unintentionally awesome.
#951 - Waylon Jennings - One of the great country singers of the 20th century, Jennings created some of the finest Outlaw Country this side of Johnny and Willie.
#959 - Ben Kweller - Indie folk singer Ben Kweller only has a handful of songs to his name, but he's already made an impact on my collection.
#958 - Harvey Danger - Ska band Harvey Danger only had one hit, but it was a hell of a hit, as "Flagpole Sitta" is one of the best one-hit wonder songs ever made.
#957 - The Ventures - Surf-rock instrumentalists The Ventures created some of the most memorable guitar solos of early rock n roll.
#956 - NOFX - The most juvenile of all 90s punk bands, I enjoyed listening to NOFX in college, but by this point I only listen to a few of their songs, though those few songs are still pretty good.
#955 - Todd Rundgren - While more influential as a producer than as a musician, Rundgren still managed to create many of the best pop songs of the 70s.
#954 - La Rocca - One of the most recent bands I discovered, La Rocca is a long way from a breakthrough, but their music, which I first heard on a sampler disc in Paste magazine, is light years ahead of most bands that have achieved fame these days.
#953 - Perry Farrell - The lead singer of about 10 million bands, but most famously Jane's Addiction, Farrell has produced a couple solo albums that have been above average and better than anything he's done outside of Addiction or Porno For Pyros.
#952 - William Shatner - Shatner has recorded two albums worth of the most hilarious cover songs this side of Richard Cheese. His second album is the funnier of the two because he was playing along, but the first one is still unintentionally awesome.
#951 - Waylon Jennings - One of the great country singers of the 20th century, Jennings created some of the finest Outlaw Country this side of Johnny and Willie.
Monday, November 26, 2007
1000 Greatest Songs - #970-#961
There have been a few adjustments to the list again, but bear with me. I'll post the full, final 1000 when they're all figured out.
#998 - "When A Man Loves A Woman" - Percy Sledge - When A Man Loves A Woman - The only Percy Sledge song to make the top 1000 (and by far his biggest hit), "When" is one of the greatest soul songs ever written and one of the few pre-Dylan songs I enjoy on a regular basis.
#992 - "Mannish Boy" - Muddy Waters - Hard Again - The only song in the top 1000 from one of the founding fathers of rock n roll, "Mannish Boy" features a great vocal and one of the most famous hooks in the history of music.
#972 - "Flathead" - The Fratellis - Costello Music - The first of two songs in the top 1000 from The Fratellis is the song that made them famous when it appeared in an IPod ad. The Fratellis are one of the best new bands to come around in a long time and "Flathead" is about as good of a debut single as a new band can hope for.
#971 - "Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam (Unplugged)" - Nirvana - MTV Unplugged In New York - The first album to put two songs on the countdown (and the second of 15 Nirvana songs on the list), Unplugged's Vaselines cover provides yet another fantastic track from the greatest set in modern rock history.
#970 - "Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)" - The Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) - One of the biggest New Wave hits of the 80's (and the only Eurythmics song on the top 1000) is also one of the darkest and creepiest songs to ever become a huge pop hit.
#969 - "A Certain Romance" - The Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not - The second-best song off of one of the greatest debut albums of all-time, "A Certain Romance" (the first of three Arctic Monkeys songs on the list), isn't quite in the league of "Dancefloor", but it's close.
#968 - "Worked Up So Sexual" - The Faint - Blank Wave Arcade - The only song on the charts from Omaha indie techno band The Faint is easily the best song from their decidedly weird but undeniably unique sound.
#967 - "Stan" - Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP - The first of three Eminem songs on the countdown is far and away is most mellow song, leaning heavily on a sample from Dido of all artists, this disturbing fan letter of a song is the closest Eminem ever came to creating something truly insightful.
#966 - "Human Being" - The Beta Band - Human Being - The first of two songs from the low-fi indie pop group The Beta Band gained my attention after I learned of the band the way most people learned of the band, on the High Fidelity soundtrack.
#965 - "Joker & The Thief" - Wolfmother - Wolfmother - The first of three songs from Wolfmother's debut album, which is excellent from start to finish and possibly the best metal debut since Black Sabbath.
#964 - "Apocalypse Please" - Muse - Absolution - The first of five Muse songs to make the top 1000, "Apocalypse Please" features a fantastic build and a style that could only be described as apocalyptic. I first discovered Muse when "Time Is Running Out" hit the modern rock charts in 2003 or 2004. Since then, they've been one of the biggest and best acts in Modern Rock.
#963 - "Blue" - The Jayhawks - Blue - One of many songs that I first discovered on a promotional CD given away at Target of all places, "Blue", the only song on the chart for The Jayhawks, is one of the rare alt country songs to break-out in my mind before Wilco busted the doors open in the late-90s.
#962 - "Modern Love" - David Bowie - Let's Dance - The first of ten Bowie songs to make the top 1000, this is one of the few of his from the 80s to make it to the list. It wasn't a great decade for Mr. Bowie, but it had it's moments.
#961 - "Zombie" - The Cranberries - No Need To Argue - The only Cranberries song to make the top 1000, "Zombie" was one of my favorite songs to listen to in junior high thanks to the Minnesota college rock radio station I managed to pick up at my house until their signal got weakened so much that it was no longer possible.
#998 - "When A Man Loves A Woman" - Percy Sledge - When A Man Loves A Woman - The only Percy Sledge song to make the top 1000 (and by far his biggest hit), "When" is one of the greatest soul songs ever written and one of the few pre-Dylan songs I enjoy on a regular basis.
#992 - "Mannish Boy" - Muddy Waters - Hard Again - The only song in the top 1000 from one of the founding fathers of rock n roll, "Mannish Boy" features a great vocal and one of the most famous hooks in the history of music.
#972 - "Flathead" - The Fratellis - Costello Music - The first of two songs in the top 1000 from The Fratellis is the song that made them famous when it appeared in an IPod ad. The Fratellis are one of the best new bands to come around in a long time and "Flathead" is about as good of a debut single as a new band can hope for.
#971 - "Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam (Unplugged)" - Nirvana - MTV Unplugged In New York - The first album to put two songs on the countdown (and the second of 15 Nirvana songs on the list), Unplugged's Vaselines cover provides yet another fantastic track from the greatest set in modern rock history.
#970 - "Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)" - The Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) - One of the biggest New Wave hits of the 80's (and the only Eurythmics song on the top 1000) is also one of the darkest and creepiest songs to ever become a huge pop hit.
#969 - "A Certain Romance" - The Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not - The second-best song off of one of the greatest debut albums of all-time, "A Certain Romance" (the first of three Arctic Monkeys songs on the list), isn't quite in the league of "Dancefloor", but it's close.
#968 - "Worked Up So Sexual" - The Faint - Blank Wave Arcade - The only song on the charts from Omaha indie techno band The Faint is easily the best song from their decidedly weird but undeniably unique sound.
#967 - "Stan" - Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP - The first of three Eminem songs on the countdown is far and away is most mellow song, leaning heavily on a sample from Dido of all artists, this disturbing fan letter of a song is the closest Eminem ever came to creating something truly insightful.
#966 - "Human Being" - The Beta Band - Human Being - The first of two songs from the low-fi indie pop group The Beta Band gained my attention after I learned of the band the way most people learned of the band, on the High Fidelity soundtrack.
#965 - "Joker & The Thief" - Wolfmother - Wolfmother - The first of three songs from Wolfmother's debut album, which is excellent from start to finish and possibly the best metal debut since Black Sabbath.
#964 - "Apocalypse Please" - Muse - Absolution - The first of five Muse songs to make the top 1000, "Apocalypse Please" features a fantastic build and a style that could only be described as apocalyptic. I first discovered Muse when "Time Is Running Out" hit the modern rock charts in 2003 or 2004. Since then, they've been one of the biggest and best acts in Modern Rock.
#963 - "Blue" - The Jayhawks - Blue - One of many songs that I first discovered on a promotional CD given away at Target of all places, "Blue", the only song on the chart for The Jayhawks, is one of the rare alt country songs to break-out in my mind before Wilco busted the doors open in the late-90s.
#962 - "Modern Love" - David Bowie - Let's Dance - The first of ten Bowie songs to make the top 1000, this is one of the few of his from the 80s to make it to the list. It wasn't a great decade for Mr. Bowie, but it had it's moments.
#961 - "Zombie" - The Cranberries - No Need To Argue - The only Cranberries song to make the top 1000, "Zombie" was one of my favorite songs to listen to in junior high thanks to the Minnesota college rock radio station I managed to pick up at my house until their signal got weakened so much that it was no longer possible.
Top 1000 Bands #970-#961
#970 - Jack Johnson - There aren't many adult contemporary artists on my list, but Jack has produced a couple catchy songs. Don't go looking for any edge here though.
#969 - This Bike Is A Pipe Bomb - Another band I first heard in Pierre, Pipe Bomb's set wasn't very good due to sound problems, but their recorded material is first-rate punk.
#968 - Dogs Die In Hot Cars - They only had one hit, but this indie rock buzz-band produced a solid album before fading into obscurity.
#967 - The Indigo Girls - The darlings of the Lillith Fair circuit, The Indigo Girls were in my mind a female Simon and Garfunkel, though they didn't have nearly as many great songs.
#966 - The Colour - A hard rock band with indie leanings, The Colour should look to make some noise in the near future.
#965 - The Forecast - An indie rock band that never quite took off, The Forecast managed to put at least one song onto the charts before fading away.
#964 - The La's - For the most part, this Brit pop band only had one hit, but it was one of the biggest of the genre "There She Goes".
#963 - Menswear - Another Brit-pop band that never really had any hits, but had a series of solid songs instead.
#962 - Lita Ford - The first lady of 80's hair metal, Lita managed to put together two legitimately great songs before her run was over.
#961 - Panic! At The Disco - A catchy emo band with some good hooks, but not a whole lot to speak of lyric-wise.
#969 - This Bike Is A Pipe Bomb - Another band I first heard in Pierre, Pipe Bomb's set wasn't very good due to sound problems, but their recorded material is first-rate punk.
#968 - Dogs Die In Hot Cars - They only had one hit, but this indie rock buzz-band produced a solid album before fading into obscurity.
#967 - The Indigo Girls - The darlings of the Lillith Fair circuit, The Indigo Girls were in my mind a female Simon and Garfunkel, though they didn't have nearly as many great songs.
#966 - The Colour - A hard rock band with indie leanings, The Colour should look to make some noise in the near future.
#965 - The Forecast - An indie rock band that never quite took off, The Forecast managed to put at least one song onto the charts before fading away.
#964 - The La's - For the most part, this Brit pop band only had one hit, but it was one of the biggest of the genre "There She Goes".
#963 - Menswear - Another Brit-pop band that never really had any hits, but had a series of solid songs instead.
#962 - Lita Ford - The first lady of 80's hair metal, Lita managed to put together two legitimately great songs before her run was over.
#961 - Panic! At The Disco - A catchy emo band with some good hooks, but not a whole lot to speak of lyric-wise.
New Movies This Week
The Mist - Based on one of Stephen King's best stories, The Mist finally reaches theaters (it's been in production hell for decades) with King's finest director Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile) at the helm. I've seen this movie and it was excellent, though majorly depressing.
VERDICT - SEE IT ASAP.
Hitman - Potentially the best video game movie ever made, I was excited to see Hitman, until it got 11% positive reviews at Rottentomatoes.com. That screams "DVD" to me.
VERDICT - SKIP IT.
August Rush - Sappy and non-descript, this movie looks boring as all hell.
VERDICT - SKIP IT.
Enchanted - It's a Disney family flick, but it's been getting great reviews. It might be worth a look... on DVD.
VERDICT - SKIP IT.
This Christmas - I know nothing about this movie. I haven't even seen any ads for it, but it's a big hit, thanks to targeted marketing.
VERDICT - SEE IT, but only if you're in the market being targeted.
VERDICT - SEE IT ASAP.
Hitman - Potentially the best video game movie ever made, I was excited to see Hitman, until it got 11% positive reviews at Rottentomatoes.com. That screams "DVD" to me.
VERDICT - SKIP IT.
August Rush - Sappy and non-descript, this movie looks boring as all hell.
VERDICT - SKIP IT.
Enchanted - It's a Disney family flick, but it's been getting great reviews. It might be worth a look... on DVD.
VERDICT - SKIP IT.
This Christmas - I know nothing about this movie. I haven't even seen any ads for it, but it's a big hit, thanks to targeted marketing.
VERDICT - SEE IT, but only if you're in the market being targeted.
Modern Rock Update
Albums:
The latest Zeppelin Greatest Hits album debuted at #7.
The Killers new B-Sides CD debuted at #12.
Also debuting this week were The Goo Goo Dolls at #33, Seal at #35, Duran Duran at #36, and the Hives at #65.
Modern and Mainstream:
The Foo Fighters and Seether stayed at #1 on their respective charts.
Debuting this week were Coheed and Cambria's "The Running Free" at #20 on Modern.
The latest Zeppelin Greatest Hits album debuted at #7.
The Killers new B-Sides CD debuted at #12.
Also debuting this week were The Goo Goo Dolls at #33, Seal at #35, Duran Duran at #36, and the Hives at #65.
Modern and Mainstream:
The Foo Fighters and Seether stayed at #1 on their respective charts.
Debuting this week were Coheed and Cambria's "The Running Free" at #20 on Modern.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Top 1000 Songs #980-#971
Due to a song that was added further up the list, there will be two songs at #971. This will probably happen a couple times before this is all said and done.
980 - "Still Crazy After All These Years" - Paul Simon - Still Crazy After All These Years - Paul Simon's only song in the top 1000 is probably his most famous song. It's the song he performed on Saturday Night Live in a turkey costume. I first heard this song when I bought a Greatest Hits cassette of Paul's back in college.
979 - "Straight On" - Heart - Dog & Butterfly - The first of three Heart songs on the list, "Straight On" was one of many songs I first heard on the classic rock station in Sioux Falls. This one doesn't have the punch of their two better songs, but it's still excellent.
978 - "Such Great Heights" - The Postal Service - Give Up - The only song on the countdown from Death Cab frontman Ben Hibbard's side project The Postal Service is one of the best emo songs ever written. I first discovered the band at the recommendation of Blender magazine. If you're curious, only 3 Death Cab songs beat this song.
977 - "Blank Generation" - Richard Hell And The Voidoids - Blank Generation - Quite possibly the first official punk song, "Blank Generation", the only Richard Hell song on the countdown, was the launching point for the New York '77 scene that inspired The Ramones, who in turn inspired the English punk movement. Richard Hell's band didn't last very long and they've mostly been forgotten, but they were essentially the Pixies of punk.
976 - "Slither" - Velvet Revolver - Contraband - "Slither" is the first of two songs by Velvet Revolver and the highest ranking new song from their debut album. VR's always been a bit of a disappointment to me, but they did manage to put a few solid songs together. Still, with the lead singer of STP and the band from GNR, they should be among the greatest bands ever.
975 - "Do You Remember Rock N Roll Radio?" - The Ramones - End Of The Century - The first of five Ramones songs on the list, "Radio" appeals to me particularly because of the chorus, which is remarkable even for one of the best chorus bands in rock history. Since the Ramones don't get a lot of air time in South Dakota, I learned about this band in college.
974 - "Dead Again" - Buckcherry - Buckcherry - The first of three songs by Buckcherry is also the first of three songs from their debut album, which ranks among the best rock albums of the 21st century. I actually learned about Buckcherry from the Sioux Falls rock radio station KRRO, which is surprising because they've mostly played shitty music for the last few years.
973 - "Hunger Strike" - Temple Of The Dog - Temple Of The Dog - The only song on the list from the supergroup that didn't realize it was a supergroup (the band features Eddie Vedder, Chris Cornell and members of Pearl Jam), "Hunger Strike" was the single that Eddie sang on. The song got a lot of airplay after Pearl Jam and Soundgarden made it big.
972 - "Rock You Like A Hurricane" - The Scorpions - Love At First Sting - The only Scorpions song to make the countdown is also the only hair metal song. I might have been a big fan of the genre when I was 8, but I quickly learned that I was wrong. Still, this one is still memorable enough to keep me from flipping the station if it comes on.
971 - "Moneytalks" - AC/DC - The Razors Edge - The first of nine AC/DC songs, "Moneytalks" was one of two hits that marked AC/DC's comeback in 1991. I've always been a big fan of blues rock and AC/DC was the best at it in the last 25 years.
971 - "Tightly Wound" - The Capes - Hello - The only song by the Capes to make the charts is one of those buzzworthy songs that gets bands attention from music blogs. They never really built on the hype, but the song, which I heard about in Blender, is excellent.
980 - "Still Crazy After All These Years" - Paul Simon - Still Crazy After All These Years - Paul Simon's only song in the top 1000 is probably his most famous song. It's the song he performed on Saturday Night Live in a turkey costume. I first heard this song when I bought a Greatest Hits cassette of Paul's back in college.
979 - "Straight On" - Heart - Dog & Butterfly - The first of three Heart songs on the list, "Straight On" was one of many songs I first heard on the classic rock station in Sioux Falls. This one doesn't have the punch of their two better songs, but it's still excellent.
978 - "Such Great Heights" - The Postal Service - Give Up - The only song on the countdown from Death Cab frontman Ben Hibbard's side project The Postal Service is one of the best emo songs ever written. I first discovered the band at the recommendation of Blender magazine. If you're curious, only 3 Death Cab songs beat this song.
977 - "Blank Generation" - Richard Hell And The Voidoids - Blank Generation - Quite possibly the first official punk song, "Blank Generation", the only Richard Hell song on the countdown, was the launching point for the New York '77 scene that inspired The Ramones, who in turn inspired the English punk movement. Richard Hell's band didn't last very long and they've mostly been forgotten, but they were essentially the Pixies of punk.
976 - "Slither" - Velvet Revolver - Contraband - "Slither" is the first of two songs by Velvet Revolver and the highest ranking new song from their debut album. VR's always been a bit of a disappointment to me, but they did manage to put a few solid songs together. Still, with the lead singer of STP and the band from GNR, they should be among the greatest bands ever.
975 - "Do You Remember Rock N Roll Radio?" - The Ramones - End Of The Century - The first of five Ramones songs on the list, "Radio" appeals to me particularly because of the chorus, which is remarkable even for one of the best chorus bands in rock history. Since the Ramones don't get a lot of air time in South Dakota, I learned about this band in college.
974 - "Dead Again" - Buckcherry - Buckcherry - The first of three songs by Buckcherry is also the first of three songs from their debut album, which ranks among the best rock albums of the 21st century. I actually learned about Buckcherry from the Sioux Falls rock radio station KRRO, which is surprising because they've mostly played shitty music for the last few years.
973 - "Hunger Strike" - Temple Of The Dog - Temple Of The Dog - The only song on the list from the supergroup that didn't realize it was a supergroup (the band features Eddie Vedder, Chris Cornell and members of Pearl Jam), "Hunger Strike" was the single that Eddie sang on. The song got a lot of airplay after Pearl Jam and Soundgarden made it big.
972 - "Rock You Like A Hurricane" - The Scorpions - Love At First Sting - The only Scorpions song to make the countdown is also the only hair metal song. I might have been a big fan of the genre when I was 8, but I quickly learned that I was wrong. Still, this one is still memorable enough to keep me from flipping the station if it comes on.
971 - "Moneytalks" - AC/DC - The Razors Edge - The first of nine AC/DC songs, "Moneytalks" was one of two hits that marked AC/DC's comeback in 1991. I've always been a big fan of blues rock and AC/DC was the best at it in the last 25 years.
971 - "Tightly Wound" - The Capes - Hello - The only song by the Capes to make the charts is one of those buzzworthy songs that gets bands attention from music blogs. They never really built on the hype, but the song, which I heard about in Blender, is excellent.
Modern Rock Update
Albums:
Angels And Airwaves had the top debut of the week at #9.
Van Morrison's latest Greatest Hits album opened at #48.
Also debuting this week were Jimmy Buffett at #54 and Sigur Ros at #58.
Modern and Mainstream Rock:
The Foo Fighters stayed at #1 on Modern with "The Pretender" while Seether stayed at #1 with "Fake It".
Debuting this week on Modern is The Bravery with their unofficial Friday Night Lights Season 2 theme song "Believe" at #19.
Debuting this week on Mainstream is Korn's "Hold On" at #18.
Angels And Airwaves had the top debut of the week at #9.
Van Morrison's latest Greatest Hits album opened at #48.
Also debuting this week were Jimmy Buffett at #54 and Sigur Ros at #58.
Modern and Mainstream Rock:
The Foo Fighters stayed at #1 on Modern with "The Pretender" while Seether stayed at #1 with "Fake It".
Debuting this week on Modern is The Bravery with their unofficial Friday Night Lights Season 2 theme song "Believe" at #19.
Debuting this week on Mainstream is Korn's "Hold On" at #18.
Top 1000 Bands #980-#971
980 - Ian Brown - The former lead singer of The Stone Roses has made a couple of fairly good albums as a solo artist as well.
979 - Sam Roberts - The indie rock singer-songwriter has produced one great album so far in his career and should continue to have success in the future.
978 - Manu Chao - The only world music artist to make the top 1000, I first heard Manu Chao on the Henry Rollins Show. They're one of the rare artists that I can enjoy without understanding a word that they're saying.
977 - Grandmaster Flash And The Furious Five - The first great rap group and the first hip hop artist to be inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame, Grandmaster Flash is best known for "The Message" and "White Lines (Don't Do It)", as well as their associations with New York punk artists such as Blondie.
976 - Frou Frou - One of many great indie rock bands that I first heard from on the Garden State Soundtrack. Their song on that album "Let Go" is by far their best, but they have a few songs outside of that which are worth listening to.
975 - Arcwelder - One of those bands that no one has ever heard of, but I've enjoyed what I've heard from them.
974 - Dios Malos - An up-and-coming hard rock band with indie stylings.
973 - Suicide - A New York '77 punk band that influenced a great many post-punk bands, Suicide's music is a slow and methodical take on the type of art rock that the Velvet Underground first mastered. I first found out about this band on the "Blank Generation" compilation, that introduced me to a dozen great artists I previously had no knowledge of.
972 - The Yardbirds - Essentially the AAA level where talented guitarists went before becoming huge stars on their own, The Yardbirds at one point included such legends as Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page. They never had the success of a Cream or a Led Zeppelin, but they did manage to put together a few solid albums before they went their separate ways.
971 - Bow Wow Wow - The second project from the man behind the Sex Pistols, Malcom McLaren, was essentially a one-hit wonder with their cover of "I Want Candy", but they did have a few more decent New Wave hits before fading away.
979 - Sam Roberts - The indie rock singer-songwriter has produced one great album so far in his career and should continue to have success in the future.
978 - Manu Chao - The only world music artist to make the top 1000, I first heard Manu Chao on the Henry Rollins Show. They're one of the rare artists that I can enjoy without understanding a word that they're saying.
977 - Grandmaster Flash And The Furious Five - The first great rap group and the first hip hop artist to be inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame, Grandmaster Flash is best known for "The Message" and "White Lines (Don't Do It)", as well as their associations with New York punk artists such as Blondie.
976 - Frou Frou - One of many great indie rock bands that I first heard from on the Garden State Soundtrack. Their song on that album "Let Go" is by far their best, but they have a few songs outside of that which are worth listening to.
975 - Arcwelder - One of those bands that no one has ever heard of, but I've enjoyed what I've heard from them.
974 - Dios Malos - An up-and-coming hard rock band with indie stylings.
973 - Suicide - A New York '77 punk band that influenced a great many post-punk bands, Suicide's music is a slow and methodical take on the type of art rock that the Velvet Underground first mastered. I first found out about this band on the "Blank Generation" compilation, that introduced me to a dozen great artists I previously had no knowledge of.
972 - The Yardbirds - Essentially the AAA level where talented guitarists went before becoming huge stars on their own, The Yardbirds at one point included such legends as Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page. They never had the success of a Cream or a Led Zeppelin, but they did manage to put together a few solid albums before they went their separate ways.
971 - Bow Wow Wow - The second project from the man behind the Sex Pistols, Malcom McLaren, was essentially a one-hit wonder with their cover of "I Want Candy", but they did have a few more decent New Wave hits before fading away.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
1000 Greatest Songs - #990 - #981
#990 - "Feelin' Alright" - Traffic - Traffic - Cocker's version is more famous and a little better, but Winwood and Traffic created a great song for him to build upon. This is the first of two Traffic songs in the top 1000.
#989 - "Come Back" - Pearl Jam - Pearl Jam - The first of a list-best 25 songs for Pearl Jam, "Come Back" is the best ballad on their "comeback" album. Frankly, I don't think they ever went anywhere, but their latest is among their best, so let the masses think what they like.
#988 - "Casey Jones" - The Grateful Dead - Workingman's Dead - The first of three Dead songs in the top 1000 is the first one that I came across during my classic rock phase (the last few years of high school and the first few years of college, which was about 1997-1999), and while it's not my favorite, it's the first glimpse I had into the Deadhead phenomenon, which I think is still a bit out of proportion, but at least they have a handful of great songs unlike, say... Phish.
#987 - "Bad Reputation" - Joan Jett And The Blackhearts - Bad Reputation - Also known as the theme song to "Freaks & Geeks", Joan's first of three songs in the top 1000 is rivaled only by The Runaways' "Cherry Bomb" (lead vocals by guess who...) as the definitive riot grrl song.
#986 - "Clash City Rockers" - The Clash - The Clash - The first of 18 songs by the Clash in this list, "Clash City Rockers" was one of their first great songs and one of the early hits of the punk genre in the 70s. I discovered this along with every other Clash single on their Greatest Hits album that I bought used on a lark while working at Citibank. Oddly enough, the reason I had heard of them was because of songs on "Combat Rock", widely regarded as their worst album.
#985 - "Fall Back Down" - Rancid - Indestructible - The first of two Rancid songs on the list and the best off of their most recent album. If this is the last we hear from Rancid, at least they went out with a bang.
#984 - "The Man Who Sold The World (Unplugged)" - Nirvana - MTV Unplugged In New York - The first of 15 songs by Nirvana to make the chart and the first of several from their classic Unplugged CD, this Bowie cover expands greatly on the original, as pretty much every song from this set did on it's original version. I received this song on cassette for Christmas of 1994 and listened to it endlessly for the next few years.
#983 - "Ruby Soho" - Rancid - And Out Come The Wolves - The second and final Rancid song to make the top 1000, "Ruby Soho" is by far the most popular, and coincidentally the best, song by one of the best punk bands of the 90s.
#982 - "Undertow" - Tool - Undertow - The first of nine Tool songs on the list, "Undertow" is one of the first great songs from the modern masters of metal.
#981 - "My Wave" - Soundgarden - Superunknown - The first of eleven Soundgarden songs to make the list and one of many from their breakthrough album, "My Wave" doesn't get the glory that "Black Hole Sun" gets, but is still in the same league as one of the great songs of the grunge era.
#989 - "Come Back" - Pearl Jam - Pearl Jam - The first of a list-best 25 songs for Pearl Jam, "Come Back" is the best ballad on their "comeback" album. Frankly, I don't think they ever went anywhere, but their latest is among their best, so let the masses think what they like.
#988 - "Casey Jones" - The Grateful Dead - Workingman's Dead - The first of three Dead songs in the top 1000 is the first one that I came across during my classic rock phase (the last few years of high school and the first few years of college, which was about 1997-1999), and while it's not my favorite, it's the first glimpse I had into the Deadhead phenomenon, which I think is still a bit out of proportion, but at least they have a handful of great songs unlike, say... Phish.
#987 - "Bad Reputation" - Joan Jett And The Blackhearts - Bad Reputation - Also known as the theme song to "Freaks & Geeks", Joan's first of three songs in the top 1000 is rivaled only by The Runaways' "Cherry Bomb" (lead vocals by guess who...) as the definitive riot grrl song.
#986 - "Clash City Rockers" - The Clash - The Clash - The first of 18 songs by the Clash in this list, "Clash City Rockers" was one of their first great songs and one of the early hits of the punk genre in the 70s. I discovered this along with every other Clash single on their Greatest Hits album that I bought used on a lark while working at Citibank. Oddly enough, the reason I had heard of them was because of songs on "Combat Rock", widely regarded as their worst album.
#985 - "Fall Back Down" - Rancid - Indestructible - The first of two Rancid songs on the list and the best off of their most recent album. If this is the last we hear from Rancid, at least they went out with a bang.
#984 - "The Man Who Sold The World (Unplugged)" - Nirvana - MTV Unplugged In New York - The first of 15 songs by Nirvana to make the chart and the first of several from their classic Unplugged CD, this Bowie cover expands greatly on the original, as pretty much every song from this set did on it's original version. I received this song on cassette for Christmas of 1994 and listened to it endlessly for the next few years.
#983 - "Ruby Soho" - Rancid - And Out Come The Wolves - The second and final Rancid song to make the top 1000, "Ruby Soho" is by far the most popular, and coincidentally the best, song by one of the best punk bands of the 90s.
#982 - "Undertow" - Tool - Undertow - The first of nine Tool songs on the list, "Undertow" is one of the first great songs from the modern masters of metal.
#981 - "My Wave" - Soundgarden - Superunknown - The first of eleven Soundgarden songs to make the list and one of many from their breakthrough album, "My Wave" doesn't get the glory that "Black Hole Sun" gets, but is still in the same league as one of the great songs of the grunge era.
Top 1000 Artists - #990 - #981
990 - Beth Orton - Orton is an indie folk artist that got good reviews in Blender magazine, which is where I first heard about her.
989 - Dave Grohl - The drummer for Nirvana and the lead singer of The Foo Fighters has had numerous side projects, but this particular spot is reserved for his solo side projects, including the hilarious parody of "With Arms Wide Open".
988 - Love - A legendary "forgotten" 70s band that had one amazing album and then pretty much disappeared.
987 - Gerry Rafferty - The lead singer of Stealer's Wheel had a handful of hits on his own, including the brilliant "Baker St.".
986 - Head East - They only had one major hit, but that song ("Never Been Any Reason") is one of the signature songs of the 70s.
985 - The Kickback - A punk band from Vermillion, South Dakota, The Kickback was another great band I discovered in Pierre.
984 - Carl Perkins - One of the first great artists of rock n roll, there probably wouldn't have been an Elvis Presley if there wasn't a Carl Perkins first.
983 - The Greenhornes - A 60's garage rock throwback and a favorite of Jack White, The Greenhornes have a solid resume of blues rock and Beatles-esque tunes to their credit.
982 - Indigenous - One of the best and most successful bands in South Dakota's history, Indigenous was a solid blues rock band that earned a small measure of national acclaim.
981 - The Manchester Orchestra - Manchester is an indie rock band that's just getting started, but could have a bright future ahead of them.
989 - Dave Grohl - The drummer for Nirvana and the lead singer of The Foo Fighters has had numerous side projects, but this particular spot is reserved for his solo side projects, including the hilarious parody of "With Arms Wide Open".
988 - Love - A legendary "forgotten" 70s band that had one amazing album and then pretty much disappeared.
987 - Gerry Rafferty - The lead singer of Stealer's Wheel had a handful of hits on his own, including the brilliant "Baker St.".
986 - Head East - They only had one major hit, but that song ("Never Been Any Reason") is one of the signature songs of the 70s.
985 - The Kickback - A punk band from Vermillion, South Dakota, The Kickback was another great band I discovered in Pierre.
984 - Carl Perkins - One of the first great artists of rock n roll, there probably wouldn't have been an Elvis Presley if there wasn't a Carl Perkins first.
983 - The Greenhornes - A 60's garage rock throwback and a favorite of Jack White, The Greenhornes have a solid resume of blues rock and Beatles-esque tunes to their credit.
982 - Indigenous - One of the best and most successful bands in South Dakota's history, Indigenous was a solid blues rock band that earned a small measure of national acclaim.
981 - The Manchester Orchestra - Manchester is an indie rock band that's just getting started, but could have a bright future ahead of them.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Top 1000 Songs - #1000 - #991
#1000 - The Cure - "Mint Car" - Greatest Hits - The first of 7 Cure songs to make the list, "Mint Car" was one of many Cure songs I discovered in college, since the Cure never got much airplay in South Dakota beyond "Friday, I'm In Love".
#999 - "Gin & Juice" - Snoop Dogg - Doggystyle - Snoop's only solo song to make the list, I first heard this song when my dad found a copy of the album that someone at work had thrown away. I was 14 at the time. lol
#998 - "Head Creeps" - Alice In Chains - Alice In Chains - The first of 9 Alice In Chains songs to make the list, "Head Creeps" was a definite change in style for the band, as was much of their self-titled and, sadly, final studio album.
#997 - "N.I.B." - Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath - I actually first heard this song (the first of four Sabbath songs) when Primus did a cover with Ozzy on vocals. The original is a little bit better, though, which is why it's on this list.
#996 - "Air" - Sparta - Wiretap Scars - From the ashes of At The Drive-In arose The Mars Volta and Sparta, whose first single (and the first of three songs on the countdown) appears here at #996. "Air" got a small amount of airplay on the Sioux Falls rock station KRRO, but I really got into the band when I caught their concert in Sioux Falls later that year. It was one of the greatest live shows I've ever seen and the band just keeps getting bigger and better.
#995 - "It's So Easy" - Guns N Roses - Appetite For Destruction - The first of nine GNR songs in the top 1000, "Easy" is most well-known for the abnormal vocals Axl Rose uses on the song. Appetite was one of the first cassettes that I ever received after a friend of the family gave me his copy when he was done with it. Guns N Roses was the first truly great band that I ever got interested in and it all started with this album, if not necessarily this song.
#994 - "Regular John" - Queens Of The Stone Age - Queens Of The Stone Age - One of the oldest Queens songs to make the list (and first of sixteen on the list), "Regular John" first came to my attention after I bought "Songs For The Deaf" at a Target store literally because it was cheap and I had heard Dave Grohl was involved with the band. That was the starting point about 5 years ago. They've since become one of my favorite bands.
#993 - "Do You Want To" - Franz Ferdinand - You Could Have It So Much Better - The first single, but not the best song, from Franz Ferdinand's excellent follow-up to their brilliant debut album, "Do You Want To" (the first of six songs on the countdown) was the signal that the band wasn't just another indie rock flash in the pan.
#992 - "Wake Up Time" - Tom Petty - Wildflowers - A little-known but outstanding album track from Petty's second solo album, "Wake Up Time" (the first of Petty's seventeen songs here) was a song I found tucked away with all of the hits on that album when I bought all of the most recent Petty albums used at Last Stop in Sioux Falls back when I worked at Citibank.
#991 - "Here Comes A Regular" - The Replacements - Tim - The first of four songs by the Mats to make the list, "Here Comes A Regular" is one of the big hits off of the dreaded "sell-out" album from the legendary alternative rock band. I first discovered the Replacements in college, because, as usual, they don't get any airtime in South Dakota outside of the college towns.
#999 - "Gin & Juice" - Snoop Dogg - Doggystyle - Snoop's only solo song to make the list, I first heard this song when my dad found a copy of the album that someone at work had thrown away. I was 14 at the time. lol
#998 - "Head Creeps" - Alice In Chains - Alice In Chains - The first of 9 Alice In Chains songs to make the list, "Head Creeps" was a definite change in style for the band, as was much of their self-titled and, sadly, final studio album.
#997 - "N.I.B." - Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath - I actually first heard this song (the first of four Sabbath songs) when Primus did a cover with Ozzy on vocals. The original is a little bit better, though, which is why it's on this list.
#996 - "Air" - Sparta - Wiretap Scars - From the ashes of At The Drive-In arose The Mars Volta and Sparta, whose first single (and the first of three songs on the countdown) appears here at #996. "Air" got a small amount of airplay on the Sioux Falls rock station KRRO, but I really got into the band when I caught their concert in Sioux Falls later that year. It was one of the greatest live shows I've ever seen and the band just keeps getting bigger and better.
#995 - "It's So Easy" - Guns N Roses - Appetite For Destruction - The first of nine GNR songs in the top 1000, "Easy" is most well-known for the abnormal vocals Axl Rose uses on the song. Appetite was one of the first cassettes that I ever received after a friend of the family gave me his copy when he was done with it. Guns N Roses was the first truly great band that I ever got interested in and it all started with this album, if not necessarily this song.
#994 - "Regular John" - Queens Of The Stone Age - Queens Of The Stone Age - One of the oldest Queens songs to make the list (and first of sixteen on the list), "Regular John" first came to my attention after I bought "Songs For The Deaf" at a Target store literally because it was cheap and I had heard Dave Grohl was involved with the band. That was the starting point about 5 years ago. They've since become one of my favorite bands.
#993 - "Do You Want To" - Franz Ferdinand - You Could Have It So Much Better - The first single, but not the best song, from Franz Ferdinand's excellent follow-up to their brilliant debut album, "Do You Want To" (the first of six songs on the countdown) was the signal that the band wasn't just another indie rock flash in the pan.
#992 - "Wake Up Time" - Tom Petty - Wildflowers - A little-known but outstanding album track from Petty's second solo album, "Wake Up Time" (the first of Petty's seventeen songs here) was a song I found tucked away with all of the hits on that album when I bought all of the most recent Petty albums used at Last Stop in Sioux Falls back when I worked at Citibank.
#991 - "Here Comes A Regular" - The Replacements - Tim - The first of four songs by the Mats to make the list, "Here Comes A Regular" is one of the big hits off of the dreaded "sell-out" album from the legendary alternative rock band. I first discovered the Replacements in college, because, as usual, they don't get any airtime in South Dakota outside of the college towns.
Top 1000 Bands - #1000-#991
#1000 - Japanther - An indie punk band from New York, I saw Japanther in concert in Pierre. They were alright, but their albums are much better than they were that night. Japanther is notable as the only band I've seen play Pierre that's received national attention.
#999 - The Redmenn - An intense punk band from Rapid City. I first heard of them when I saw them playing in Pierre. Apparantly, one of their songs was featured on Grey's Anatomy, but I'll forgive them for that.
#998 - The Jim Carroll Band - Jim Carroll was the man whose life became the movie The Basketball Diaries. His band is mainly known for their one big hit, "People Who Died", which is one of the great punk songs of the 70s.
#997 - E.M.F. - One hit. "Unbelievable". I bet you can sing it just by reading the title of the song.
#996 - Jenny Lewis - The lead singer of Rilo Kiley recently released a solo album that was clever and enjoyable.
#995 - The Black Eyed Peas - As a disclaimer I must inform you that "My Humps" is an absolute abomination and their spot on this list is due to their above average output previous to their most recent album, particularly "Let's Get Retarded" (that's the real title, by the way, not the PC one that they made up later on).
#994 - Norman Greenbaum - "Spirit In The Sky". Great song. There's not really a whole lot else to say here.
#993 - The Count Five - Another one-hit wonder, this one from the 60s. The song is "Psychotic Reaction", if you're curious.
#992 - Coolio - There aren't many good rap songs that aren't in the gangsta genre, but Coolio has got a whole lot of the ones that do exist.
#991 - The Underground Railroad To Candyland - Another "Live In Pierre" band, URC is a punk band with a style that describes description. They put on a great show, too.
#999 - The Redmenn - An intense punk band from Rapid City. I first heard of them when I saw them playing in Pierre. Apparantly, one of their songs was featured on Grey's Anatomy, but I'll forgive them for that.
#998 - The Jim Carroll Band - Jim Carroll was the man whose life became the movie The Basketball Diaries. His band is mainly known for their one big hit, "People Who Died", which is one of the great punk songs of the 70s.
#997 - E.M.F. - One hit. "Unbelievable". I bet you can sing it just by reading the title of the song.
#996 - Jenny Lewis - The lead singer of Rilo Kiley recently released a solo album that was clever and enjoyable.
#995 - The Black Eyed Peas - As a disclaimer I must inform you that "My Humps" is an absolute abomination and their spot on this list is due to their above average output previous to their most recent album, particularly "Let's Get Retarded" (that's the real title, by the way, not the PC one that they made up later on).
#994 - Norman Greenbaum - "Spirit In The Sky". Great song. There's not really a whole lot else to say here.
#993 - The Count Five - Another one-hit wonder, this one from the 60s. The song is "Psychotic Reaction", if you're curious.
#992 - Coolio - There aren't many good rap songs that aren't in the gangsta genre, but Coolio has got a whole lot of the ones that do exist.
#991 - The Underground Railroad To Candyland - Another "Live In Pierre" band, URC is a punk band with a style that describes description. They put on a great show, too.
Top 1000 Artists / Songs Introduction
For starters, these lists are strictly my opinion. No one else's opinion was taken into account. So if you disagree, it's because you're wrong.
Although these lists were constructed slowly and in a logical manner, mistakes do happen and I'll probably be revising the lists even as I start to post them. Shit happens, that's all there is to it.
When I get a chance, I'll post these lists 10 at a time from the bottom up. It probably won't be every day, but I'll try.
That being said, enjoy.
Although these lists were constructed slowly and in a logical manner, mistakes do happen and I'll probably be revising the lists even as I start to post them. Shit happens, that's all there is to it.
When I get a chance, I'll post these lists 10 at a time from the bottom up. It probably won't be every day, but I'll try.
That being said, enjoy.
New Shit This Week
DVDs:
Paris Je T'aime - Several high profile directors from around the world contributed a segment to this excellent love letter of a film to the city of Paris.
VERDICT - BUY IT.
Ocean's Thirteen - Despite the usual law of diminishing returns with sequels, this movie is still worth a look, and it's better than Ocean's Twelve by a mile.
VERDICT - RENT IT.
Shrek The Third - The Shrek series should have ended with the first movie. Neither of the sequels has much to add to the original and this one was worse than the second.
VERDICT - RENT IT.
Pride And Prejudice - Yet another Jane Austen adaptation. Snoozefest.
VERDICT - SKIP IT.
CDs:
The Hives - The Black And White Album - A slow week in music sees the top new album award go to a follow-up album from a mediocre indie rock band from a dead genre. Ouch.
VERDICT - BORROW IT.
The Killers - Sawdust - The second best album of the week? A B-Sides disc from a band with only 2 albums to their name.
VERDICT - BORROW IT.
Paris Je T'aime - Several high profile directors from around the world contributed a segment to this excellent love letter of a film to the city of Paris.
VERDICT - BUY IT.
Ocean's Thirteen - Despite the usual law of diminishing returns with sequels, this movie is still worth a look, and it's better than Ocean's Twelve by a mile.
VERDICT - RENT IT.
Shrek The Third - The Shrek series should have ended with the first movie. Neither of the sequels has much to add to the original and this one was worse than the second.
VERDICT - RENT IT.
Pride And Prejudice - Yet another Jane Austen adaptation. Snoozefest.
VERDICT - SKIP IT.
CDs:
The Hives - The Black And White Album - A slow week in music sees the top new album award go to a follow-up album from a mediocre indie rock band from a dead genre. Ouch.
VERDICT - BORROW IT.
The Killers - Sawdust - The second best album of the week? A B-Sides disc from a band with only 2 albums to their name.
VERDICT - BORROW IT.
Monday, November 12, 2007
November Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame Inductees
The following artists have been inducted into my Hall Of Fame this month:
| The Eagles |
| The Replacements |
| Alice Cooper |
| ZZ Top |
| Weezer |
| The Allman Brothers |
| Frank Sinatra |
Saturday, November 10, 2007
New Movies This Week
Fred Claus - The holiday season starts earlier and earlier every year. This one is going to be compared to Elf quite a bit and it's not nearly as good as that, but it's still alright.
VERDICT - SEE IT.
Lions For Lambs - Yet another politically themed film that's getting lousy reviews. Naturally, the right-wing pundits are assuming it's because the films don't have right-wing politics, but in reality it's because they suck.
VERDICT - SKIP IT.
P2 - Unfortunately for this film, it didn't get the memo on torture porn being yesterday's news until after it was in production. I can't think of any reason to see this one or why they would release it in November.
VERDICT - AVOID IT.
VERDICT - SEE IT.
Lions For Lambs - Yet another politically themed film that's getting lousy reviews. Naturally, the right-wing pundits are assuming it's because the films don't have right-wing politics, but in reality it's because they suck.
VERDICT - SKIP IT.
P2 - Unfortunately for this film, it didn't get the memo on torture porn being yesterday's news until after it was in production. I can't think of any reason to see this one or why they would release it in November.
VERDICT - AVOID IT.
Modern Rock Update
Albums:
The Eagles debuted at #1 with their Wal-Mart exclusive album. Not that I much care for the whole "Wal-Mart" thing, but it did keep Britney Spears and The Backstreet Boys out of the top spot.
Avenged Sevenfold debuted at #4.
Also debuting this week are Puscifer at #25, Armor For Sleep at #93 and the Bob Dylan-themed "I'm Not There" soundtrack at #95.
Modern And Mainstream Rock
The Foo Fighters stayed at #1 on Modern, but Seether took over the top spot on Mainstream. Thanks a lot, America.
Debuting this week were Eddie Vedder's "Hard Sun" at #18 on Modern, Puddle Of Mudd's "Psycho" at #16 on Mainstream and Killswitch Engage's cover of "Holy Diver" at #20 on Mainstream.
The Eagles debuted at #1 with their Wal-Mart exclusive album. Not that I much care for the whole "Wal-Mart" thing, but it did keep Britney Spears and The Backstreet Boys out of the top spot.
Avenged Sevenfold debuted at #4.
Also debuting this week are Puscifer at #25, Armor For Sleep at #93 and the Bob Dylan-themed "I'm Not There" soundtrack at #95.
Modern And Mainstream Rock
The Foo Fighters stayed at #1 on Modern, but Seether took over the top spot on Mainstream. Thanks a lot, America.
Debuting this week were Eddie Vedder's "Hard Sun" at #18 on Modern, Puddle Of Mudd's "Psycho" at #16 on Mainstream and Killswitch Engage's cover of "Holy Diver" at #20 on Mainstream.
Monday, November 5, 2007
New Shit This Week
DVDs:
Sicko - Michael Moore's latest, which was as poorly marketed as any film in recent memory, still managed to become one of the top-grossing documentaries of all time. It's not as good as his previous films, but his DVDs are usually stuffed with great features and this one is worth a purchase in my view.
VERDICT - BUY IT.
Ratatouille - Pixar and Brad Bird's latest visual masterpiece is fun and clever. I wouldn't buy it,
but if you like this sort of thing, you probably should.
VERDICT - RENT IT.
I Now Pronounce You Chuck And Larry - A stupid and pointless film that's as infinitely forgettable as any other Sandler blockbuster of recent memory. Oh, and it's homophobic. REALLY homophobic. If the movie were about black people, it would have been produced by the Klan.
VERDICT - AVOID IT.
CDs:
A whole lotta nothing from my perspective, but if you're into specific genres, this could be a good week for you as Jay-Z and Nas both release discs (reheating that old rivalry, boys?), Monster Magnet has a new disc of the same song sung slightly different, Sigur Ros uses bizarre instruments and vocals so weird it makes Bjork sound human and Angels and Airwaves makes a move on stealing the title of "Least Interesting Rock Band" from Jimmy Eat World.
Sicko - Michael Moore's latest, which was as poorly marketed as any film in recent memory, still managed to become one of the top-grossing documentaries of all time. It's not as good as his previous films, but his DVDs are usually stuffed with great features and this one is worth a purchase in my view.
VERDICT - BUY IT.
Ratatouille - Pixar and Brad Bird's latest visual masterpiece is fun and clever. I wouldn't buy it,
but if you like this sort of thing, you probably should.
VERDICT - RENT IT.
I Now Pronounce You Chuck And Larry - A stupid and pointless film that's as infinitely forgettable as any other Sandler blockbuster of recent memory. Oh, and it's homophobic. REALLY homophobic. If the movie were about black people, it would have been produced by the Klan.
VERDICT - AVOID IT.
CDs:
A whole lotta nothing from my perspective, but if you're into specific genres, this could be a good week for you as Jay-Z and Nas both release discs (reheating that old rivalry, boys?), Monster Magnet has a new disc of the same song sung slightly different, Sigur Ros uses bizarre instruments and vocals so weird it makes Bjork sound human and Angels and Airwaves makes a move on stealing the title of "Least Interesting Rock Band" from Jimmy Eat World.
New Movies This Week
American Gangster - The first obvious "Oscar bait" movie of the fall opens this week and looks to be a huge hit. Starring Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe and directed by Ridley Scott, this movie is a high priority for me to see.
VERDICT - SEE IT ASAP.
Bee Movie - Jerry Seinfeld's return to the entertainment world is an animated film with a great marketing campaign, but a shoddy product. Still, it's worth a look.
VERDICT - SEE IT.
The Martian Child - John Cusack has a great track record for picking his roles, but this one looks like a sappy melodrama that's not worth a theater ticket.
VERDICT - SKIP IT.
VERDICT - SEE IT ASAP.
Bee Movie - Jerry Seinfeld's return to the entertainment world is an animated film with a great marketing campaign, but a shoddy product. Still, it's worth a look.
VERDICT - SEE IT.
The Martian Child - John Cusack has a great track record for picking his roles, but this one looks like a sappy melodrama that's not worth a theater ticket.
VERDICT - SKIP IT.
Modern Rock Update
Albums:
Robert Plant and Allison Krauss had the top debut of the week at #2.
SOAD front-man Serj Tankian debuted at #4.
Coheed And Cambria debuted at #6.
Also debuting this week were Seether at #9, Neil Young at #11, Say Anything at #27, Ryan Adams at #40, Rob Zombie at #57, Ween at #69, and Cobra Starship at #80.
Modern and Mainstream Rock:
Once again, The Foo Fighters stayed at #1 on both charts.
Debuting this week on Modern were Avenged Sevenfold's "Almost Easy" at #19 and Atreyu's "Becoming The Bull" at #20.
On Mainstream, Hurt debuted at #20 with "Ten Ton Brick."
Robert Plant and Allison Krauss had the top debut of the week at #2.
SOAD front-man Serj Tankian debuted at #4.
Coheed And Cambria debuted at #6.
Also debuting this week were Seether at #9, Neil Young at #11, Say Anything at #27, Ryan Adams at #40, Rob Zombie at #57, Ween at #69, and Cobra Starship at #80.
Modern and Mainstream Rock:
Once again, The Foo Fighters stayed at #1 on both charts.
Debuting this week on Modern were Avenged Sevenfold's "Almost Easy" at #19 and Atreyu's "Becoming The Bull" at #20.
On Mainstream, Hurt debuted at #20 with "Ten Ton Brick."
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
New Movies This Week
Dan In Real Life - Steve Carrell has been on a big-time roll in the past few years (excluding Evan Almighty) and is heading towards Jim Carrey levels of comedy success. This is a very intelligent and very entertaining flick.
VERDICT - SEE IT.
Saw IV - Another year, another Saw movie. Well, let's face it, it's really just the same one over and over again with less interesting characters.
VERDICT - SEE IT.
VERDICT - SEE IT.
Saw IV - Another year, another Saw movie. Well, let's face it, it's really just the same one over and over again with less interesting characters.
VERDICT - SEE IT.
Modern Rock Update
Albums:
Jimmy Eat World debuted at #5 with Chase The Light.
Santana debuted at #8 with a... greatest hits album.
Also debuting this week was Thrice at #24 and REM at #72.
Modern and Mainstream Rock:
The Foo Fighters stayed at #1 on both charts.
Debuting this week on Modern was Linkin Park at #20 with "Shadow Of The Day" and on Mainstream were Drowning Pool's "Soldiers" at #20 and Godsmack's butchery of one of my favorite Zeppelin tunes "Good Times Bad Times" at #16.
Jimmy Eat World debuted at #5 with Chase The Light.
Santana debuted at #8 with a... greatest hits album.
Also debuting this week was Thrice at #24 and REM at #72.
Modern and Mainstream Rock:
The Foo Fighters stayed at #1 on both charts.
Debuting this week on Modern was Linkin Park at #20 with "Shadow Of The Day" and on Mainstream were Drowning Pool's "Soldiers" at #20 and Godsmack's butchery of one of my favorite Zeppelin tunes "Good Times Bad Times" at #16.
New Shit This Week
DVDs:
Spider-man 3 - The least of the Spider-man movies (by FAR), is still worth a purchase for the special effects alone.
VERDICT - Buy It.
Mr. Brooks - This surprisingly good underachiever is worth a look, but not quite worth a purchase.
VERDICT - Rent It.
Home Of The Brave - I don't know much about this movie, but it's got a great cast and I've heard good things.
VERDICT - Rent It.
Talk To Me - A well-reviewed movie that never saw the light of day, this is definitely worth a rent.
VERDICT - Rent It.
Hostel 2 - This sequel is actually better than the original, but no one went to see it, so you'll probably never believe me.
VERDICT - Rent It.
License To Wed - A rather dumb movie, but just about the only comedy being released this week, so if that's what you're looking for...
VERDICT - Rent It.
The Wendall Baker Story - It looks good, but the reviews were mixed.
VERDICT - Rent It.
Captivity - The lowest rung on the torture porn ladder didn't get anyone to see it in theaters, which is a good sign for humanity.
VERDICT - Skip It.
CDs:
Serj Takian - Elect The Dead - The first single reminds me a lot of System Of A Down and that's more than enough for me to give this one a buy nod.
VERDICT - Buy It.
Babyshambles - Shotter's Nation - Pete Doherty puts down the crack-pipe long enough to record this album. So far when he does that it's been fantastic, so this one gets a full recommendation.
VERDICT - Buy It.
Coheed & Cambria - Good Apollo I'm Burning Star IV, Vol. 2: No World For Tomorrow - Seriously, do you really think anyone pays enough attention to your music to notice that there's a massive 5 album prog story arch running through it? Most people just know you guys for the lead singer's screeching vocals and that's all anyone will know you for.
VERDICT - Borrow it.
Spider-man 3 - The least of the Spider-man movies (by FAR), is still worth a purchase for the special effects alone.
VERDICT - Buy It.
Mr. Brooks - This surprisingly good underachiever is worth a look, but not quite worth a purchase.
VERDICT - Rent It.
Home Of The Brave - I don't know much about this movie, but it's got a great cast and I've heard good things.
VERDICT - Rent It.
Talk To Me - A well-reviewed movie that never saw the light of day, this is definitely worth a rent.
VERDICT - Rent It.
Hostel 2 - This sequel is actually better than the original, but no one went to see it, so you'll probably never believe me.
VERDICT - Rent It.
License To Wed - A rather dumb movie, but just about the only comedy being released this week, so if that's what you're looking for...
VERDICT - Rent It.
The Wendall Baker Story - It looks good, but the reviews were mixed.
VERDICT - Rent It.
Captivity - The lowest rung on the torture porn ladder didn't get anyone to see it in theaters, which is a good sign for humanity.
VERDICT - Skip It.
CDs:
Serj Takian - Elect The Dead - The first single reminds me a lot of System Of A Down and that's more than enough for me to give this one a buy nod.
VERDICT - Buy It.
Babyshambles - Shotter's Nation - Pete Doherty puts down the crack-pipe long enough to record this album. So far when he does that it's been fantastic, so this one gets a full recommendation.
VERDICT - Buy It.
Coheed & Cambria - Good Apollo I'm Burning Star IV, Vol. 2: No World For Tomorrow - Seriously, do you really think anyone pays enough attention to your music to notice that there's a massive 5 album prog story arch running through it? Most people just know you guys for the lead singer's screeching vocals and that's all anyone will know you for.
VERDICT - Borrow it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)