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
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
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."
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