#130 - Code Name: The Cleaner - Ok, I fast-forwarded through this one, but from what I could see I could tell that it's one of those movies that never should have been made.
#129 - Thr3e - A lame serial killer movie that was marketed to Christian audiences because one of the characters was a missionary at some point... like that wasn't changed at the last second to justify the film's existance.
#128 - Norbit - The worst movie I actually sat through in all of 2007. The story is stupid, the characters are incredibly offensive and not in a smart-ass sort of South Park way, and the acting is atrocious. The fact that this movie actually got made indicates that there still are a lot of idiots in the world. The fact that it nearly made 100 million proves that there are a scary amount of said idiots.
#127 - Alvin And The Chipmunks - A terrible movie, but at least it's not completely racist. Basically, this is a stupid movie aimed at unsophisticated children and they're long-suffering parents. Jason Lee and David Cross each dropped their personal cool levels by 5% for appearing in this movie.
#126 - Epic Movie - If only people would stop paying to see these dumb movies they'd stop making them, or at least they'd start writing them better. Honestly, these movies seem to be written by children.
#125 - Bug - The movie is based on a play. An incredibly lame-ass and irritating play that lasts 90 minutes and seems more like 90 hours.
#124 - Hannibal Rising - Wait, this movie is only 3 removed from The Silence Of The Lambs? Shit, has any franchise disintegrated faster? The Exorcist? Superman, maybe? This movie is ugly and stupid and it's plot actually takes credibility away from plot developments in the other 3 movies! It's called direct-to-DVD, people.
#123 - Rush Hour 3 - Not that I ever cared about the first two, but this one was even worse. Chris Tucker waited like 8 years to make this film... and should have kept waiting.
#122 - Captivity - A new low in the torture horror genre, Captivity is ugly, disgusting and nasty with no redeeming social commentary to speak of.
#121 - The Hills Have Eyes 2 - The sequel to a re-make that isn't a re-make of the original's sequel. You know, no matter what the movie actually is described as, what it ends up being is pure splatter shit. A geek show, plain and simple.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Best Movies Of 2007 - Movies I Have Yet To See
Over the next few weeks, I'm going to post brief reviews and rankings of all the movies I've seen this year. First of all, I'm going to tell you the movies this year that I haven't seen but want to, in order of preference:
Across The Universe
In The Valley Of Elah
The Savages
Persepolis
The Orphanage
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
The Wind That Shakes The Barley
Lust, Caution
La Vie en Rose
Margot At The Wedding
Black Book
Lions For Lambs
Things We Lost In The Fire
The Kite Runner
We Own The Night
Death At A Funeral
Rendition
Away From Her
Resurrecting The Champ
Goya's Ghosts
Lars And The Real Girl
P2
Hitman
The Great Debaters
2 Days In Paris
The Invasion
In the Shadow of the Moon
The Final Season
Sydney White
Illegal Tender
Love in the Time of Cholera
September Dawn
Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Across The Universe
In The Valley Of Elah
The Savages
Persepolis
The Orphanage
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
The Wind That Shakes The Barley
Lust, Caution
La Vie en Rose
Margot At The Wedding
Black Book
Lions For Lambs
Things We Lost In The Fire
The Kite Runner
We Own The Night
Death At A Funeral
Rendition
Away From Her
Resurrecting The Champ
Goya's Ghosts
Lars And The Real Girl
P2
Hitman
The Great Debaters
2 Days In Paris
The Invasion
In the Shadow of the Moon
The Final Season
Sydney White
Illegal Tender
Love in the Time of Cholera
September Dawn
Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Top 1000 Songs #720-#711
#720 - "How Am I Different" - Aimee Mann - Bachelor No. 2 - The sixth of eight Aimee Mann songs on the countdown, "How Am I Different" is one of her best ballads.
#719 - "Can't Get There From Here" - R.E.M. - Fables Of The Reconstruction - The third of twelve R.E.M. songs on the list, "Can't Get There From Here" was one of the first great pop songs that the band recorded before their breakthrough in the early 90's.
#718 - "Polly" - Nirvana - Nevermind - The third of fifteen Nirvana songs in the top 1000, "Polly" is the band's creepiest song. It's not the first song to place itself in the view of a rapist, but it's the best.
#717 - "All I Wanna Do" - Sheryl Crow - Tuesday Night Music Club - The first of two Sheryl Crow songs on the list, "All I Wanna Do" was the singer's breakthrough hit and one of the greatest debut singles of the 90's.
#716 - "Baby Did A Bad Bad Thing" - Chris Isaak - Forever Blue - The first and only Chris Isaak song in the top 1000, "Baby" is about the 1000th song to steal it's beat from the same song, but it's lifted up by Isaak's excellent voice and brilliant lyrics.
#715 - "Black Sun Morning" - The Screaming Trees - Buzz Factory - The fourth of six Screaming Trees songs on the countdown, "Black Sun Morning" features one of the band's most exciting and up-tempo choruses.
#714 - "Don't Panic" - Coldplay - Parachutes - The third of six Coldplay songs on the list, "Don't Panic" is best known for it's presence during the opening scenes of Garden State.
#713 - "Nothing Compares 2 U" - Sinead O'Connor - I Do Not Want What I Have Not Got - The first and only Sinead song on the list, "Nothing Compares" was a cover of a Prince song and one of the biggest songs of 1990.
#712 - "Fake Plastic Trees" - Radiohead - The Bends - The second of eight Radiohead songs on the countdown, "Fake Plastic Trees" was one of the band's first great songs, moving beyond the commercial success of Pablo Honey and towards the brilliance of OK Computer.
#711 - "Ruff Ryders Anthem" - DMX - It's Dark And Hell Is Hot - The first of two DMX songs in the top 1000, "Ruff Ryders Anthem" features one of the best beats and choruses in all of rap in the 90's.
#719 - "Can't Get There From Here" - R.E.M. - Fables Of The Reconstruction - The third of twelve R.E.M. songs on the list, "Can't Get There From Here" was one of the first great pop songs that the band recorded before their breakthrough in the early 90's.
#718 - "Polly" - Nirvana - Nevermind - The third of fifteen Nirvana songs in the top 1000, "Polly" is the band's creepiest song. It's not the first song to place itself in the view of a rapist, but it's the best.
#717 - "All I Wanna Do" - Sheryl Crow - Tuesday Night Music Club - The first of two Sheryl Crow songs on the list, "All I Wanna Do" was the singer's breakthrough hit and one of the greatest debut singles of the 90's.
#716 - "Baby Did A Bad Bad Thing" - Chris Isaak - Forever Blue - The first and only Chris Isaak song in the top 1000, "Baby" is about the 1000th song to steal it's beat from the same song, but it's lifted up by Isaak's excellent voice and brilliant lyrics.
#715 - "Black Sun Morning" - The Screaming Trees - Buzz Factory - The fourth of six Screaming Trees songs on the countdown, "Black Sun Morning" features one of the band's most exciting and up-tempo choruses.
#714 - "Don't Panic" - Coldplay - Parachutes - The third of six Coldplay songs on the list, "Don't Panic" is best known for it's presence during the opening scenes of Garden State.
#713 - "Nothing Compares 2 U" - Sinead O'Connor - I Do Not Want What I Have Not Got - The first and only Sinead song on the list, "Nothing Compares" was a cover of a Prince song and one of the biggest songs of 1990.
#712 - "Fake Plastic Trees" - Radiohead - The Bends - The second of eight Radiohead songs on the countdown, "Fake Plastic Trees" was one of the band's first great songs, moving beyond the commercial success of Pablo Honey and towards the brilliance of OK Computer.
#711 - "Ruff Ryders Anthem" - DMX - It's Dark And Hell Is Hot - The first of two DMX songs in the top 1000, "Ruff Ryders Anthem" features one of the best beats and choruses in all of rap in the 90's.
Top 1000 Bands #720-#711
720 - Toto - An 80's band that seemed pretty cheesy, but there's a lot more going on in their songs than a casual listen would indicate.
719 - Uncle Tupelo - A legendary roots rock band that never lived up to the hype in my opinion, but they do still have quite a few good songs.
718 - Mando Diao - An indie rock band with an excellent debut album.
717 - Foghat - One of the biggest bands of the 60's, Foghat is a stereotypical classic rock band. A few good hits, but a lot of cheese.
716 - Jeff Healey - A blues rocker who made a big splash in the wake of the Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jeff Healey had a couple of decent-sized hits and a big one with "Angel Eyes".
715 - The Cardinal Sin - A hard rock band from Minneapolis that I caught in Pierre a couple of times. They do a great cover of "Bastards Of Young" and are generally a lot of fun.
714 - Neil Diamond - He's often referred to as the Jewish Elvis, but in my mind he's more like a male Barbara Streisand. It's not that his songs are bad, many are quite good, but the cheese level is enough to knock him down significantly.
713 - Urge Overkill - Coincidentally enough, Urge Overkill's biggest hit was a cover of Neil Diamond's "Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon" from the Pulp Fiction soundtrack.
712 - David Gray - The adult contemporary singer responsible for "Babylon" and 50 other songs that try and fail to measure up to "Babylon".
711 - Uriah Heap - A late 60's classic rock band with a major hippie following, they had a big hit with "Easy Livin'".
719 - Uncle Tupelo - A legendary roots rock band that never lived up to the hype in my opinion, but they do still have quite a few good songs.
718 - Mando Diao - An indie rock band with an excellent debut album.
717 - Foghat - One of the biggest bands of the 60's, Foghat is a stereotypical classic rock band. A few good hits, but a lot of cheese.
716 - Jeff Healey - A blues rocker who made a big splash in the wake of the Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jeff Healey had a couple of decent-sized hits and a big one with "Angel Eyes".
715 - The Cardinal Sin - A hard rock band from Minneapolis that I caught in Pierre a couple of times. They do a great cover of "Bastards Of Young" and are generally a lot of fun.
714 - Neil Diamond - He's often referred to as the Jewish Elvis, but in my mind he's more like a male Barbara Streisand. It's not that his songs are bad, many are quite good, but the cheese level is enough to knock him down significantly.
713 - Urge Overkill - Coincidentally enough, Urge Overkill's biggest hit was a cover of Neil Diamond's "Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon" from the Pulp Fiction soundtrack.
712 - David Gray - The adult contemporary singer responsible for "Babylon" and 50 other songs that try and fail to measure up to "Babylon".
711 - Uriah Heap - A late 60's classic rock band with a major hippie following, they had a big hit with "Easy Livin'".
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Top 1000 Songs #730-#721
#730 - "Guilty" - Gravity Kills - Gravity Kills - The first and only Gravity Kills song on the countdown, this song might not sound familiar, but I assure you that you've heard it before. It was on the X-Games Soundtrack as well as the opening credits of the movie Seven.
#729 - "New York City Cops" - The Strokes - Is This It - The second of three Strokes songs on the list, "New York City Cops" was actually removed from the American version of the album (it was considered poor taste to have a song mocking the NYPD come out shortly after 9/11), but it was one of my favorites on the album.
#728 - "Criminal" - Fiona Apple - Tidal - The first of two Apple songs on the list, "Criminal" was her breakthrough hit and the song that established her as a top female vocalist at only 19.
#727 - "My Back Pages" - Bob Dylan - Another Side Of Bob Dylan - The fourth of fifteen Dylan songs on the list, "My Back Pages" contains the famous line "I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now."
#726 - "Wildflowers" - Tom Petty - Wildflowers - The fourth of seventeen Petty songs on the countdown, "Wildflowers" is the title track from his second solo album and one of the best ballads of his career.
#725 - "Volunteers" - Jefferson Airplane - Volunteers - The first of three Airplane songs on the list, "Volunteers" is notable as the best song the band did where Grace Slick did lead on vocals.
#724 - "Gold Digger" - Kanye West - Late Registration - The first of two Kanye songs on the list, "Gold Digger" is the best song off of his second album and was one of the best songs of the year it was released, 2006.
#723 - "Holiday In Cambodia" - The Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables - The second and highest ranking DK song is one of the most intense of all hardcore punk songs from the 80's.
#722 - "In My Head" - Queens Of The Stone Age - Songs For The Deaf - The fourth of sixteen Queens songs in the top 1000, "In My Head" was the second single released off of the band's breakthrough album Songs For The Deaf.
#721 - "I'm Free" - The Soup Dragons - Lovegod - The second of two Soup Dragons songs on the countdown, "I'm Free" is a Brit-pop remix and cover of the obscure Rolling Stones song.
#729 - "New York City Cops" - The Strokes - Is This It - The second of three Strokes songs on the list, "New York City Cops" was actually removed from the American version of the album (it was considered poor taste to have a song mocking the NYPD come out shortly after 9/11), but it was one of my favorites on the album.
#728 - "Criminal" - Fiona Apple - Tidal - The first of two Apple songs on the list, "Criminal" was her breakthrough hit and the song that established her as a top female vocalist at only 19.
#727 - "My Back Pages" - Bob Dylan - Another Side Of Bob Dylan - The fourth of fifteen Dylan songs on the list, "My Back Pages" contains the famous line "I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now."
#726 - "Wildflowers" - Tom Petty - Wildflowers - The fourth of seventeen Petty songs on the countdown, "Wildflowers" is the title track from his second solo album and one of the best ballads of his career.
#725 - "Volunteers" - Jefferson Airplane - Volunteers - The first of three Airplane songs on the list, "Volunteers" is notable as the best song the band did where Grace Slick did lead on vocals.
#724 - "Gold Digger" - Kanye West - Late Registration - The first of two Kanye songs on the list, "Gold Digger" is the best song off of his second album and was one of the best songs of the year it was released, 2006.
#723 - "Holiday In Cambodia" - The Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables - The second and highest ranking DK song is one of the most intense of all hardcore punk songs from the 80's.
#722 - "In My Head" - Queens Of The Stone Age - Songs For The Deaf - The fourth of sixteen Queens songs in the top 1000, "In My Head" was the second single released off of the band's breakthrough album Songs For The Deaf.
#721 - "I'm Free" - The Soup Dragons - Lovegod - The second of two Soup Dragons songs on the countdown, "I'm Free" is a Brit-pop remix and cover of the obscure Rolling Stones song.
Top 1000 Bands #730-#721
730 - Vendetta Red - A 21st-century modern rock band with a handful of great songs to their credit.
729 - The Crash Test Dummies - They weren't exactly a one-hit wonder, but they did have one gigantic hit with "MMM (etc.)" that made them seem like the next big thing... until they weren't.
728 - Tonic - One of those mid-90's modern rock bands who had a couple of hits but never distinguished themselves from the other faceless minions of the post-grunge era.
727 - Massive Attack - A techno-themed Brit Pop band that provided the theme song to your favorite TV show.
726 - Cracker - Another face in the crowd 90's band with a couple of great hits, including "Low".
725 - The Pink Spiders - An indie punk band with one really outstanding album to their name.
724 - The Cinematics - Another great indie rock band who made a big splash with their debut album in 2007.
723 - The Darkness - The love them or hate them band of the past few years, The Darkness are straight up glam metal. If you take them seriously... well... don't take them seriously.
722 - Whitney Houston - Her songs are mostly poorly-written crap, but she has the most amazing voice of her generation.
721 - Stealer's Wheel - Gerry Rafferty's one-hit wonder band who hit a home-run with "Stuck In The Middle With You".
729 - The Crash Test Dummies - They weren't exactly a one-hit wonder, but they did have one gigantic hit with "MMM (etc.)" that made them seem like the next big thing... until they weren't.
728 - Tonic - One of those mid-90's modern rock bands who had a couple of hits but never distinguished themselves from the other faceless minions of the post-grunge era.
727 - Massive Attack - A techno-themed Brit Pop band that provided the theme song to your favorite TV show.
726 - Cracker - Another face in the crowd 90's band with a couple of great hits, including "Low".
725 - The Pink Spiders - An indie punk band with one really outstanding album to their name.
724 - The Cinematics - Another great indie rock band who made a big splash with their debut album in 2007.
723 - The Darkness - The love them or hate them band of the past few years, The Darkness are straight up glam metal. If you take them seriously... well... don't take them seriously.
722 - Whitney Houston - Her songs are mostly poorly-written crap, but she has the most amazing voice of her generation.
721 - Stealer's Wheel - Gerry Rafferty's one-hit wonder band who hit a home-run with "Stuck In The Middle With You".
Monday, January 28, 2008
Top Songs #740-#731
#740 - "Blue Sky" - The Allman Brothers - Eat A Peach - The first of four Allman Brothers songs on the countdown, "Blue Sky" has never been one of their bigger hits, but it's one of my favorites.
#739 - "Crazy" - Gnarls Barkley - St. Elsewhere - The first and only Gnarls song on the list, "Crazy" was pretty much THE song to hear in 2006. It's by far the most unusual and remarkable "it" song of the last decade.
#738 - "Calling It Quits" - Aimee Mann - Bachelor No. 2 - The fifth of eight Aimee Mann songs on the countdown, "Calling It Quits" is one of her most well-known songs and one of her more up-tempo songs.
#737 - "Californication" - The Red Hot Chili Peppers - Californication - The first of five RHCP songs on the list, "Californication" was the best song off of the band's most popular album. It also had some of the band's best songwriting.
#736 - "Feel Good Hit Of The Summer" - Queens Of The Stone Age - The third of sixteen Queens songs, "Feel Good" consists entirely of a list of drugs screamed loudly by Josh Homme and Judas Priest front-man Rob Halford.
#735 - "Sheena Is A Punk Rocker" - The Ramones - It's Alive - The second of five Ramones songs on the countdown, "Sheena" has the same beat as a lot of Ramones songs, but this is by far the most popular of the group.
#734 - "The Everlasting Gaze" - The Smashing Pumpkins - Machina / The Machines Of God - The first of seven Pumpkins songs on the list, "Everlasting Gaze" is on my list based almost entirely the breakdown at the end of the song, which was the best Pumpkins moment after Mellon Collie.
#733 - "Tommy Gun" - The Clash - Give 'Em Enough Rope - The third of eighteen Clash songs on the top 1000, "Tommy Gun" is one of the most straight-forward punk songs that the band produced in their early efforts.
#732 - "Backwater" - The Meat Puppets - Backwater - The first and only Meat Puppets song on the countdown, "Backwater" was a surprise hit for the band in the mid-90's after guest-starring on MTV Unplugged in New York with Nirvana.
#731 - "Cut Your Hair" - Pavement - Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain - The first and only Pavement song on the list, "Cut Your Hair" was the band's most radio-friendly song, which is to say that it had a beat and a chorus, though audiences ignored them anyway, as they always did.
#739 - "Crazy" - Gnarls Barkley - St. Elsewhere - The first and only Gnarls song on the list, "Crazy" was pretty much THE song to hear in 2006. It's by far the most unusual and remarkable "it" song of the last decade.
#738 - "Calling It Quits" - Aimee Mann - Bachelor No. 2 - The fifth of eight Aimee Mann songs on the countdown, "Calling It Quits" is one of her most well-known songs and one of her more up-tempo songs.
#737 - "Californication" - The Red Hot Chili Peppers - Californication - The first of five RHCP songs on the list, "Californication" was the best song off of the band's most popular album. It also had some of the band's best songwriting.
#736 - "Feel Good Hit Of The Summer" - Queens Of The Stone Age - The third of sixteen Queens songs, "Feel Good" consists entirely of a list of drugs screamed loudly by Josh Homme and Judas Priest front-man Rob Halford.
#735 - "Sheena Is A Punk Rocker" - The Ramones - It's Alive - The second of five Ramones songs on the countdown, "Sheena" has the same beat as a lot of Ramones songs, but this is by far the most popular of the group.
#734 - "The Everlasting Gaze" - The Smashing Pumpkins - Machina / The Machines Of God - The first of seven Pumpkins songs on the list, "Everlasting Gaze" is on my list based almost entirely the breakdown at the end of the song, which was the best Pumpkins moment after Mellon Collie.
#733 - "Tommy Gun" - The Clash - Give 'Em Enough Rope - The third of eighteen Clash songs on the top 1000, "Tommy Gun" is one of the most straight-forward punk songs that the band produced in their early efforts.
#732 - "Backwater" - The Meat Puppets - Backwater - The first and only Meat Puppets song on the countdown, "Backwater" was a surprise hit for the band in the mid-90's after guest-starring on MTV Unplugged in New York with Nirvana.
#731 - "Cut Your Hair" - Pavement - Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain - The first and only Pavement song on the list, "Cut Your Hair" was the band's most radio-friendly song, which is to say that it had a beat and a chorus, though audiences ignored them anyway, as they always did.
Top 1000 Bands #740-#731
740 - Caroline's Spine - A one-hit wonder with one of the best rock songs of the modern rock era, "Sullivan".
739 - The Academy Is - A dance emo band with a couple of solid albums to their credit.
738 - Naughty By Nature - One of the most popular rap groups of the 90's, NBN had big hits with "OPP" and "Hip Hop Hooray".
737 - Curtis Mayfield - One of the kings of 70's funk, Mayfield was never a favorite of mine, but he's got enough great songs to justify this ranking.
736 - The Magic Numbers - An indie rock band with a few great albums but no breakthrough hits.
735 - The Robot Ate Me - An electronic artist that reminds me of Radiohead. I saw him perform in Pierre. It was weird, but his recorded music is very interesting.
734 - Anthrax - A band that's more famous than well-known, Anthrax was one of the early influences of the rap rock genre that would destroy music at the end of the 20th century.
733 - Tantric - Take Days Of The New and subtract their arrogant prick of a lead singer and this is the band you get.
732 - Rainbow - A late-70's, early 80's heavy metal band that has had four lead singers (take THAT Black Sabbath!) and each one sounds completely different.
731 - Dr. John - The king of New Orleans boogie rock, Dr. John had a huge hit with "Right Place, Wrong Time".
739 - The Academy Is - A dance emo band with a couple of solid albums to their credit.
738 - Naughty By Nature - One of the most popular rap groups of the 90's, NBN had big hits with "OPP" and "Hip Hop Hooray".
737 - Curtis Mayfield - One of the kings of 70's funk, Mayfield was never a favorite of mine, but he's got enough great songs to justify this ranking.
736 - The Magic Numbers - An indie rock band with a few great albums but no breakthrough hits.
735 - The Robot Ate Me - An electronic artist that reminds me of Radiohead. I saw him perform in Pierre. It was weird, but his recorded music is very interesting.
734 - Anthrax - A band that's more famous than well-known, Anthrax was one of the early influences of the rap rock genre that would destroy music at the end of the 20th century.
733 - Tantric - Take Days Of The New and subtract their arrogant prick of a lead singer and this is the band you get.
732 - Rainbow - A late-70's, early 80's heavy metal band that has had four lead singers (take THAT Black Sabbath!) and each one sounds completely different.
731 - Dr. John - The king of New Orleans boogie rock, Dr. John had a huge hit with "Right Place, Wrong Time".
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame Inductions - January 2008
The following artists where inducted into my rock n roll hall of fame in January of 2008:
Modest Mouse
Van Halen
John Mellencamp
James Brown
Public Enemy.
The web site will be updated soon.
Modest Mouse
Van Halen
John Mellencamp
James Brown
Public Enemy.
The web site will be updated soon.
Rock Update
Albums:
The Juno Soundtrack is now at #2 on the album charts. I'm gonna guess no one had "Kimya Dawson" in the biggest star of January 2008 pool, but if you did, you're the winner.
The Magnetic Fields debuted at #77 and Ringo Starr debuted at #94.
Modern and Mainstream Rock:
Seether's "Fake It" stayed at #1 in both charts and is probably close to some record on both lists by now. Damn it.
Debuting this week were Jack Johnson's "If I Had Eyes" at #17 on Modern, Puddle Of Mudd's "Psycho" at #18 on Modern and Ozzy Osbourne's "Black Rain" at #20 on Mainstream.
The Juno Soundtrack is now at #2 on the album charts. I'm gonna guess no one had "Kimya Dawson" in the biggest star of January 2008 pool, but if you did, you're the winner.
The Magnetic Fields debuted at #77 and Ringo Starr debuted at #94.
Modern and Mainstream Rock:
Seether's "Fake It" stayed at #1 in both charts and is probably close to some record on both lists by now. Damn it.
Debuting this week were Jack Johnson's "If I Had Eyes" at #17 on Modern, Puddle Of Mudd's "Psycho" at #18 on Modern and Ozzy Osbourne's "Black Rain" at #20 on Mainstream.
New Movies This Week
See It:
Untraceable - The Silence of the Lambs comparisons are silly and the idea that this is an original idea was disproven by Millennium 10 years ago, but it still might be worth a look.
Skip It:
Rambo - Really, was anyone demanding that a new Rambo movie be made? I mean, other than Sly Stallone's financial planners? It's not as pathetic as the Rocky movie as far as concepts go, but still.
Meet The Spartans - What, you thought The Comebacks was this year's pathetic spoof? Nope, it's this piece of shit.
How She Move - The bad news is that they keep making these stupid dance-themed movies. The good news is that audiences are ignoring them now. We'll know for sure when Step Up 2 opens.
Untraceable - The Silence of the Lambs comparisons are silly and the idea that this is an original idea was disproven by Millennium 10 years ago, but it still might be worth a look.
Skip It:
Rambo - Really, was anyone demanding that a new Rambo movie be made? I mean, other than Sly Stallone's financial planners? It's not as pathetic as the Rocky movie as far as concepts go, but still.
Meet The Spartans - What, you thought The Comebacks was this year's pathetic spoof? Nope, it's this piece of shit.
How She Move - The bad news is that they keep making these stupid dance-themed movies. The good news is that audiences are ignoring them now. We'll know for sure when Step Up 2 opens.
New Shit This Week
DVDs:
Buy It:
None This Week
Rent It:
The Hunting Party - An indie movie that didn't play in a lot of theaters, but should be worth a look.
Reservation Road - Pretty much the same as The Hunting Party really. There's way too many good movies that fit this bill.
Sydney White - It could be worth a look if you like fractured fairy tales.
Skip It:
Saw IV - If you liked all of the first three, you'll like this one... and you deserve it too.
The Game Plan - The surprise hit of the fall, kinda like Wild Hogs was the surprise hit of the spring.
CDs:
Buy It:
None This Week
Borrow It:
Cat Power - Jukebox - The indie folk singer-songwriter releases her second album of covers.
The Drive-By Truckers - Brighter Than Creation's Dark - A reliable southern rock band that seems to have a new album out every six months, and that's not counting side projects.
MGMT - Oracular Spectacular - The latest "best new thing" to enter the market.
The Whigs - Mission Control - I really liked their first album, so this one should be worth a look too.
Buy It:
None This Week
Rent It:
The Hunting Party - An indie movie that didn't play in a lot of theaters, but should be worth a look.
Reservation Road - Pretty much the same as The Hunting Party really. There's way too many good movies that fit this bill.
Sydney White - It could be worth a look if you like fractured fairy tales.
Skip It:
Saw IV - If you liked all of the first three, you'll like this one... and you deserve it too.
The Game Plan - The surprise hit of the fall, kinda like Wild Hogs was the surprise hit of the spring.
CDs:
Buy It:
None This Week
Borrow It:
Cat Power - Jukebox - The indie folk singer-songwriter releases her second album of covers.
The Drive-By Truckers - Brighter Than Creation's Dark - A reliable southern rock band that seems to have a new album out every six months, and that's not counting side projects.
MGMT - Oracular Spectacular - The latest "best new thing" to enter the market.
The Whigs - Mission Control - I really liked their first album, so this one should be worth a look too.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Top 1000 Songs #750-#741
#750 - "I'll Stand By You" - The Pretenders - Last Of The Independents - The second of five Pretenders songs on the countdown, "I'll Stand" was the last great song that the band would ever record and is a departure from the band's usual sound.
#749 - "Breakdown" - Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers - Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers - The second of seventeen Petty songs on the countdown, "Breakdown" is one of the first great songs that the band released on their debut album.
#748 - "Tenth Avenue Freezeout" - Bruce Springsteen - Born To Run - The third of eleven Springsteen songs is one of the band's oldest, as it pre-dates their incredibly early 80's success.
#747 - "Take The Power Back" - Rage Against The Machine - Rage Against The Machine - The fourth of twelve Rage songs on the top 1000, this one is a rap rock song with a political message... unlike all of Rage's, umm, other songs.
#746 - "Connected" - The Stereo MC's - Connected - The first and only Stereo MC's song on the list, "Connected" was the band's breakthrough hit. Of course after they broke through they went right back into their original packaging, but still.
#745 - "Dead Souls" - Nine Inch Nails - The Crow Soundtrack - The third of seven NIN songs on the countdown, "Dead Souls" is far and away the best Joy Division cover ever produced and a great song from a great album in it's own right.
#744 - "Big Yellow Taxi" - Joni Mitchell - Dreamland - The first and only Joni Mitchell song on the list, "Big Yellow Taxi" is the singer-songwriter's best folk song and it's managed to survive all the years despite the multitude of horrific covers by the likes of the Counting Crows.
#743 - "Take Me To The River" - The Talking Heads - More Songs About Buildings And Food - The first of ten Talking Heads songs in the top 1000, "Take Me To The River", a cover of the Al Green classic, was the song that took the band from NYC clubs to the mainstream.
#742 - "Walk" - Pantera - Vulgar Display Of Power - The first and only Pantera song on the list, "Walk" is the band's most radio-friendly song and easily their best written.
#741 - "Saving Grace" - Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers - Highway Companion - The third of seventeen Petty songs on the countdown, "Saving Grace" borrows the Bo Diddley riff and uses it to kick off an album of road songs that would represent Petty's 500th consecutive brilliant album.
#749 - "Breakdown" - Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers - Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers - The second of seventeen Petty songs on the countdown, "Breakdown" is one of the first great songs that the band released on their debut album.
#748 - "Tenth Avenue Freezeout" - Bruce Springsteen - Born To Run - The third of eleven Springsteen songs is one of the band's oldest, as it pre-dates their incredibly early 80's success.
#747 - "Take The Power Back" - Rage Against The Machine - Rage Against The Machine - The fourth of twelve Rage songs on the top 1000, this one is a rap rock song with a political message... unlike all of Rage's, umm, other songs.
#746 - "Connected" - The Stereo MC's - Connected - The first and only Stereo MC's song on the list, "Connected" was the band's breakthrough hit. Of course after they broke through they went right back into their original packaging, but still.
#745 - "Dead Souls" - Nine Inch Nails - The Crow Soundtrack - The third of seven NIN songs on the countdown, "Dead Souls" is far and away the best Joy Division cover ever produced and a great song from a great album in it's own right.
#744 - "Big Yellow Taxi" - Joni Mitchell - Dreamland - The first and only Joni Mitchell song on the list, "Big Yellow Taxi" is the singer-songwriter's best folk song and it's managed to survive all the years despite the multitude of horrific covers by the likes of the Counting Crows.
#743 - "Take Me To The River" - The Talking Heads - More Songs About Buildings And Food - The first of ten Talking Heads songs in the top 1000, "Take Me To The River", a cover of the Al Green classic, was the song that took the band from NYC clubs to the mainstream.
#742 - "Walk" - Pantera - Vulgar Display Of Power - The first and only Pantera song on the list, "Walk" is the band's most radio-friendly song and easily their best written.
#741 - "Saving Grace" - Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers - Highway Companion - The third of seventeen Petty songs on the countdown, "Saving Grace" borrows the Bo Diddley riff and uses it to kick off an album of road songs that would represent Petty's 500th consecutive brilliant album.
Top 1000 Bands #750-#741
750 - Imogen Heap - An indie singer-songwriter who's been around for 10 years now and was recently nominated for a best new artist Grammy. Oh, Grammy, will you ever stop providing me with hilarious anecdotes?
749 - The Mighty Mighty Bosstones - They only had one big hit, but "The Impression That I Get" was one of the best ska songs ever recorded.
748 - Procol Harum - A classic rock band that had a few decent-sized hits, but none bigger than "A Whiter Shade Of Pale".
747 - Under The Influence Of Giants - An emo band that's been accused of being derivative in the past, but created a solid debut album.
746 - The Ying Yang Twins - A Dirty South rap group from Atlanta with a lot of funky beats to their credit.
745 - The Moldy Peaches - Everyone's discovering the band now thanks to Juno, but they've been around for awhile making great, quirky music.
744 - Be Your Own Pet - A punk band that is literally comprised of a bunch of punk kids, they have a few good albums to their credit already.
743 - The Datsuns - A surprisingly musical hardcore metal band with one solid album to their name so far.
742 - The Stills - An indie rock band with a few great songs and a decent album.
741 - Blind Melon - As far as I'm concerned, they're still a one-hit wonder, but some people believe they're very important because their lead singer died.
749 - The Mighty Mighty Bosstones - They only had one big hit, but "The Impression That I Get" was one of the best ska songs ever recorded.
748 - Procol Harum - A classic rock band that had a few decent-sized hits, but none bigger than "A Whiter Shade Of Pale".
747 - Under The Influence Of Giants - An emo band that's been accused of being derivative in the past, but created a solid debut album.
746 - The Ying Yang Twins - A Dirty South rap group from Atlanta with a lot of funky beats to their credit.
745 - The Moldy Peaches - Everyone's discovering the band now thanks to Juno, but they've been around for awhile making great, quirky music.
744 - Be Your Own Pet - A punk band that is literally comprised of a bunch of punk kids, they have a few good albums to their credit already.
743 - The Datsuns - A surprisingly musical hardcore metal band with one solid album to their name so far.
742 - The Stills - An indie rock band with a few great songs and a decent album.
741 - Blind Melon - As far as I'm concerned, they're still a one-hit wonder, but some people believe they're very important because their lead singer died.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Top 1000 Songs #760-#751
#760 - "Wild World" - Cat Stevens - Tea For The Tillerman - The first and only Cat Stevens song on the countdown, "Wild World" is one of the best songs from the singer-songwriter genre in the 70's.
#759 - "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" - The Animals - The first of three Animals songs on the list, "Misunderstood" is a frequently covered classic from the early British Invasion.
#758 - "In Your Eyes" - Peter Gabriel - So - The first and only Gabriel song in the top 1000 is by far his best song and earned eternal fame as the song playing on the boombox that John Cusack held up on rain during "Say Anything".
#757 - "It's Still Rock N Roll To Me" - Billy Joel - Glass Houses - The third of four Joel songs on the countdown, "It's Still" was Joel's response to New Wave music. It was also notable as the #1 song in the country the day I was born. It's not a particularly important fact, but at least it wasn't some shitty pop song.
#756 - "Tangled Up In Plaid" - Queens Of The Stone Age - Lullabies To Paralyze - The second of sixteen QOTSA songs on the list, "Tangled" is a play on the title of one of the best songs ever written and one of many songs on the list off of Lullabies.
#755 - "Girl, You Have No Faith In Medicine" - The White Stripes - Elephant - The second of ten White Stripes songs in the top 1000, "Medicine" is one of many great songs off of their best album, Elephant, and features some of the band's most clever lyrics.
#754 - "Stranglehold" - Ted Nugent - Out Of Control - The first of two Nugent songs on the list, "Stranglehold" is one of the best psychedelic rock songs of the classic rock era and features some of the era's best guitar work courtesy of Uncle Ted.
#753 - "What's Left" - Big Timber - Red Cloud West / Big Timber - The third of four Big Timber songs on the countdown, "What's Left" is off of the band's first split EP and was the blow-out closer at their first set in Pierre.
#752 - "Monkey To Man" - Elvis Costello - The Delivery Man - The second and most recent of eleven Elvis songs on the countdown, "Monkey To Man" is the best Elvis song in more than a decade, featuring great lyrics and an outstanding chorus.
#751 - "The Way I Am" - Eminem - The second of three songs on the chart for Eminem, "The Way I Am" is Eminem's best and most direct assault on his critics in the media.
#759 - "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" - The Animals - The first of three Animals songs on the list, "Misunderstood" is a frequently covered classic from the early British Invasion.
#758 - "In Your Eyes" - Peter Gabriel - So - The first and only Gabriel song in the top 1000 is by far his best song and earned eternal fame as the song playing on the boombox that John Cusack held up on rain during "Say Anything".
#757 - "It's Still Rock N Roll To Me" - Billy Joel - Glass Houses - The third of four Joel songs on the countdown, "It's Still" was Joel's response to New Wave music. It was also notable as the #1 song in the country the day I was born. It's not a particularly important fact, but at least it wasn't some shitty pop song.
#756 - "Tangled Up In Plaid" - Queens Of The Stone Age - Lullabies To Paralyze - The second of sixteen QOTSA songs on the list, "Tangled" is a play on the title of one of the best songs ever written and one of many songs on the list off of Lullabies.
#755 - "Girl, You Have No Faith In Medicine" - The White Stripes - Elephant - The second of ten White Stripes songs in the top 1000, "Medicine" is one of many great songs off of their best album, Elephant, and features some of the band's most clever lyrics.
#754 - "Stranglehold" - Ted Nugent - Out Of Control - The first of two Nugent songs on the list, "Stranglehold" is one of the best psychedelic rock songs of the classic rock era and features some of the era's best guitar work courtesy of Uncle Ted.
#753 - "What's Left" - Big Timber - Red Cloud West / Big Timber - The third of four Big Timber songs on the countdown, "What's Left" is off of the band's first split EP and was the blow-out closer at their first set in Pierre.
#752 - "Monkey To Man" - Elvis Costello - The Delivery Man - The second and most recent of eleven Elvis songs on the countdown, "Monkey To Man" is the best Elvis song in more than a decade, featuring great lyrics and an outstanding chorus.
#751 - "The Way I Am" - Eminem - The second of three songs on the chart for Eminem, "The Way I Am" is Eminem's best and most direct assault on his critics in the media.
Top 1000 Bands #760-#751
760 - Skindred - A mainstream rock reggae/ska metal band. Surprisingly, this works, at least well enough for a few good songs.
759 - Athlete - An indie rock group that made their biggest splash with their most recent song "Hurricane".
758 - Badly Drawn Boy - A British indie singer with a few solid albums to his credit.
757 - Rob Thomas - The lead singer of Matchbox 20 went solo for at least one album so far. The music is extremely catchy, but it's mostly pop fluff at this point. Kinda like Matchbox 20, actually.
756 - Phish - The band that's taken up the Grateful Dead's mantle of road warrior is more reputation than result in my opinion, but they do have a few catchy songs.
755 - James McMurtry - An indie folk singer with a couple of great albums but no hits so far.
754 - Yo La Tengo - A legendary roots rock band that has a long string of solid albums but no attention-grabbing songs as of yet.
753 - Zero 7 - Another Garden State Soundtrack band, Zero 7 has a decent-sized hit with "In The Waiting Line", but haven't been able to cash that in to widespread success with a follow-up album.
752 - The Babyshambles - Pete Doherty's second band had a decent first album and a better follow-up. They should be going up a little the next time I do this list.
751 - Page And Plant - Two of the three remaining Zeppelin members have teamed up for an album of re-makes and an excellent album of new material.
759 - Athlete - An indie rock group that made their biggest splash with their most recent song "Hurricane".
758 - Badly Drawn Boy - A British indie singer with a few solid albums to his credit.
757 - Rob Thomas - The lead singer of Matchbox 20 went solo for at least one album so far. The music is extremely catchy, but it's mostly pop fluff at this point. Kinda like Matchbox 20, actually.
756 - Phish - The band that's taken up the Grateful Dead's mantle of road warrior is more reputation than result in my opinion, but they do have a few catchy songs.
755 - James McMurtry - An indie folk singer with a couple of great albums but no hits so far.
754 - Yo La Tengo - A legendary roots rock band that has a long string of solid albums but no attention-grabbing songs as of yet.
753 - Zero 7 - Another Garden State Soundtrack band, Zero 7 has a decent-sized hit with "In The Waiting Line", but haven't been able to cash that in to widespread success with a follow-up album.
752 - The Babyshambles - Pete Doherty's second band had a decent first album and a better follow-up. They should be going up a little the next time I do this list.
751 - Page And Plant - Two of the three remaining Zeppelin members have teamed up for an album of re-makes and an excellent album of new material.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Top 1000 Songs #770-#761
#770 - "Heartbreak Hotel" - Elvis Presley - Greatest Hits - The second and highest-charting Elvis song on the list, "Heartbreak" is one of Elvis' most famous songs and it's my favorite of his.
#769 - "Shoplifters Of The World Unite" - The Smiths - Louder Than Bombs - The first of two Smiths songs on the list, "Shoplifters" is the best anthem that the band ever made.
#768 - "She's The One For Me" - The Beta Band - The Three Eps - The second and top song on the countdown for the Beta Band, this is the one that the band is best-known for, as it was featured in the movie High Fidelity.
#767 - "Creep" - Stone Temple Pilots - Core - The first of six STP songs on the countdown, "Creep" is the band's best song from their "Let's rip-off Nirvana" phase.
#766 - "I Can See For Miles" - The Who - Join Together - The first of nine Who songs on the list, "I Can See For Miles" is one of the band's best from their early 60's Mod phase.
#765 - "Unbelievable" - E.M.F. - Schubert Dip - The only song by E.M.F. on the list and the only song that anyone knows by the band. How one-hit wonder are they? The second time most people heard from them was when they changed the lyrics to their song for a macaroni commerical 15 after the song became a hit.
#764 - Change (In The House Of Flies) - The Deftones - White Pony - The first and only Deftones song on the top 1000, "Change" was about as mainstream as the indie metal band ever got and it's one of the best metal songs of the last 20 years.
#763 - "I Hate Myself For Loving You" - Joan Jett And The Blackhearts - The second of three Jett songs on the list, "Hate Myself" was the band's biggest hit outside of the obvious #1. It's one of the best riot grrl songs as well.
#762 - "Black Or White" - Michael Jackson - Dangerous - The first and only Jacko song on the top 1000, "Black Or White" is the last great song the man recorded before he lost his damn mind. It's a complex song with a lot of guest stars and different phases throughout the song.
#761 - "All Around The World" - Oasis - Be Here Now - The second of six Oasis songs on the list, "All Around The World" was one of many great Oasis anthems that defined the band and eventually limited their ability to move on with their career.
#769 - "Shoplifters Of The World Unite" - The Smiths - Louder Than Bombs - The first of two Smiths songs on the list, "Shoplifters" is the best anthem that the band ever made.
#768 - "She's The One For Me" - The Beta Band - The Three Eps - The second and top song on the countdown for the Beta Band, this is the one that the band is best-known for, as it was featured in the movie High Fidelity.
#767 - "Creep" - Stone Temple Pilots - Core - The first of six STP songs on the countdown, "Creep" is the band's best song from their "Let's rip-off Nirvana" phase.
#766 - "I Can See For Miles" - The Who - Join Together - The first of nine Who songs on the list, "I Can See For Miles" is one of the band's best from their early 60's Mod phase.
#765 - "Unbelievable" - E.M.F. - Schubert Dip - The only song by E.M.F. on the list and the only song that anyone knows by the band. How one-hit wonder are they? The second time most people heard from them was when they changed the lyrics to their song for a macaroni commerical 15 after the song became a hit.
#764 - Change (In The House Of Flies) - The Deftones - White Pony - The first and only Deftones song on the top 1000, "Change" was about as mainstream as the indie metal band ever got and it's one of the best metal songs of the last 20 years.
#763 - "I Hate Myself For Loving You" - Joan Jett And The Blackhearts - The second of three Jett songs on the list, "Hate Myself" was the band's biggest hit outside of the obvious #1. It's one of the best riot grrl songs as well.
#762 - "Black Or White" - Michael Jackson - Dangerous - The first and only Jacko song on the top 1000, "Black Or White" is the last great song the man recorded before he lost his damn mind. It's a complex song with a lot of guest stars and different phases throughout the song.
#761 - "All Around The World" - Oasis - Be Here Now - The second of six Oasis songs on the list, "All Around The World" was one of many great Oasis anthems that defined the band and eventually limited their ability to move on with their career.
Top 1000 Bands #770-#761
770 - The Roots - The Roots are something of an anomaly, an alternative rap group. They don't move a lot of albums, but they're one of the best rap groups around.
769 - The Hot New Mexicans - A punk band that I first heard in Pierre. They were one of many bands on this countdown that I first saw at a summer music festival that was by far the most ambitious show Pierre's ever put together.
768 - Nick Cave - He'd probably rank a lot higher on other people's lists, but outside of a few really great songs ("Red Right Hand", "The Mercy Seat", etc.), I haven't really been a big fan. Still, those few songs are good enough for this slot on the list.
767 - Ani DiFranco - The queen of the 90's alternative folk universe, Ani is a legend of the Lillith Fair scene, but I've never really gotten too into her stuff.
766 - Sahara Hotnights - An all-girl indie rock rock band with a couple of solid albums to their credit.
765 - The Cardigans - An indie rock group that had a big hit with "Lovefool", though that's hardly a representation of how good they are. They regret being known for that song to this day.
764 - The Smithereens - A New Wave group with a couple of big hits and a whole lot of smaller ones.
763 - The Boy Least Likely To - A singer-songwriter with a solid track record, though he doesn't have any hits as of yet.
762 - Rites Of Spring - A legendary early-90's hardcore punk outfit that broke up after release a few solid albums.
761 - Feeder - A Brit-pop band with a couple of hits so far.
769 - The Hot New Mexicans - A punk band that I first heard in Pierre. They were one of many bands on this countdown that I first saw at a summer music festival that was by far the most ambitious show Pierre's ever put together.
768 - Nick Cave - He'd probably rank a lot higher on other people's lists, but outside of a few really great songs ("Red Right Hand", "The Mercy Seat", etc.), I haven't really been a big fan. Still, those few songs are good enough for this slot on the list.
767 - Ani DiFranco - The queen of the 90's alternative folk universe, Ani is a legend of the Lillith Fair scene, but I've never really gotten too into her stuff.
766 - Sahara Hotnights - An all-girl indie rock rock band with a couple of solid albums to their credit.
765 - The Cardigans - An indie rock group that had a big hit with "Lovefool", though that's hardly a representation of how good they are. They regret being known for that song to this day.
764 - The Smithereens - A New Wave group with a couple of big hits and a whole lot of smaller ones.
763 - The Boy Least Likely To - A singer-songwriter with a solid track record, though he doesn't have any hits as of yet.
762 - Rites Of Spring - A legendary early-90's hardcore punk outfit that broke up after release a few solid albums.
761 - Feeder - A Brit-pop band with a couple of hits so far.
New Movies This Week
Cloverfield - It's all about Cloverfield this week. A monster movie that takes the perspective of a group of innocent bystanders who nonetheless have a shitty day and a lot of direct contact with the monster. It's a brilliant idea and easily the best movie we're going to see until May or so, not counting last year's Oscar contenders.
VERDICT - SEE IT ASAP.
VERDICT - SEE IT ASAP.
New Shit This Week
Albums:
Nothing of note.
DVDs:
The Ten - An indie film that didn't open in wide release. The movie got mixed reviews, so it's probably best to rent it first.
VERDICT - RENT IT.
Good Luck Chuck - Jessica Alba and Dane Cook desperately try to win the title of worst actor in Hollywood. Cook wins because at least Alba is pleasant to look at.
VERDICT - SKIP IT.
Mr. Woodcock - Billy Bob Thornton continues his typecast career as an asshole as Sean William Scott answers the question of "What the hell ever happened to that guy who played Stifler?"
VERDICT - SKIP IT.
Nothing of note.
DVDs:
The Ten - An indie film that didn't open in wide release. The movie got mixed reviews, so it's probably best to rent it first.
VERDICT - RENT IT.
Good Luck Chuck - Jessica Alba and Dane Cook desperately try to win the title of worst actor in Hollywood. Cook wins because at least Alba is pleasant to look at.
VERDICT - SKIP IT.
Mr. Woodcock - Billy Bob Thornton continues his typecast career as an asshole as Sean William Scott answers the question of "What the hell ever happened to that guy who played Stifler?"
VERDICT - SKIP IT.
Modern Rock Update
Albums:
Kate Nash debuted at #36. Not other rock albums debuted this week.
Modern and Mainstream Rock:
"Fake It" by Seether stayed at #1 on both charts. There's just no accounting for taste.
Debuting this week was "Bodysnatchers" by Radiohead at #20. This is the first Radiohead sighting on the charts in the 4 years I've been monitoring them, though "There There" made the charts a few months before I officially started to keep track.
Kate Nash debuted at #36. Not other rock albums debuted this week.
Modern and Mainstream Rock:
"Fake It" by Seether stayed at #1 on both charts. There's just no accounting for taste.
Debuting this week was "Bodysnatchers" by Radiohead at #20. This is the first Radiohead sighting on the charts in the 4 years I've been monitoring them, though "There There" made the charts a few months before I officially started to keep track.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Top 1000 Songs #780-#771
#780 - "The Letter" - Joe Cocker - Greatest Hits - The first of three Joe Cocker songs on the countdown (all covers), "The Letter" is a 50's song that Cocker livened up early in his career.
#779 - "Phantom Limb" - The Shins - Wincing The Night Away - The second of three Shins songs on the list, "Phantom Limb" was the first song released on the band's follow-up album after Garden State made them one of the top bands in indie rock. Fortunately for them, the song and the album it's on are both outstanding, so they didn't fall victim to the expectations gauntlet that crushes so many young bands.
#778 - "Chelsea Dagger" - The Fratellis - Costello Music - The second single from their debut album (and the second and final song on the countdown), is an improvement on "Flathead" and one of the most up-tempo songs of the 21st Century.
#777 - "In Like The Rose" - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Take Them On On Your Own - The first of three BRMC songs on the countdown, "Rose" features the band at their Mary Chain shoegazer best, with grinding verses and an intense chorus.
#776 - "Darts Of Pleasure" - Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand - The second of six Franz Ferdinand songs in the top 1000, "Darts" is a lesser-known track from their debut album and features one of their best hooks, which is saying a lot for this band.
#775 - "The Rat" - The Walkmen - Bows And Arrows - The first and only Walkmen song on the list, "The Rat" is one of the best songs from the garage rock revival of the early 21st century. It's got all the garage rock basics going for it: great lyrics, simple beat and rapid tempo.
#774 - "6th Avenue Heartache" - The Wallflowers - Bringing Down The Horse - The only Wallflowers song on the list, "Heartache" is Jakob Dylan at his Springsteen-esque best. The band seemed ready to take over the charts in 1996, but after a great debut album, they sort of disappeared.
#773 - "Time Is Running Out" - Muse - Absolution - The third of five Muse songs on the countdown, "Time" was the band's breakthrough it as they went from great band no one had heard of to great band that people who listen to good music have heard of but no one else has.
#772 - "Driftwood" - Travis - The Man Who - The only Travis song on the top 1000, "Driftwood" was the best ballad of the second wave of Brit-pop that hit in the late 90's.
#771 - "Because The Night" - 10,000 Maniacs - Campfire Songs - The only song by 10,000 Maniacs on the list is unique as a song that didn't do much for the original artist (Springsteen), but essentially made the careers of two artists that have covered it (Maniacs and Patti Smith). There was a time in the early 90's when it looked like the Maniacs would be the next REM. That time passed quickly, but it did still happen.
#779 - "Phantom Limb" - The Shins - Wincing The Night Away - The second of three Shins songs on the list, "Phantom Limb" was the first song released on the band's follow-up album after Garden State made them one of the top bands in indie rock. Fortunately for them, the song and the album it's on are both outstanding, so they didn't fall victim to the expectations gauntlet that crushes so many young bands.
#778 - "Chelsea Dagger" - The Fratellis - Costello Music - The second single from their debut album (and the second and final song on the countdown), is an improvement on "Flathead" and one of the most up-tempo songs of the 21st Century.
#777 - "In Like The Rose" - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Take Them On On Your Own - The first of three BRMC songs on the countdown, "Rose" features the band at their Mary Chain shoegazer best, with grinding verses and an intense chorus.
#776 - "Darts Of Pleasure" - Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand - The second of six Franz Ferdinand songs in the top 1000, "Darts" is a lesser-known track from their debut album and features one of their best hooks, which is saying a lot for this band.
#775 - "The Rat" - The Walkmen - Bows And Arrows - The first and only Walkmen song on the list, "The Rat" is one of the best songs from the garage rock revival of the early 21st century. It's got all the garage rock basics going for it: great lyrics, simple beat and rapid tempo.
#774 - "6th Avenue Heartache" - The Wallflowers - Bringing Down The Horse - The only Wallflowers song on the list, "Heartache" is Jakob Dylan at his Springsteen-esque best. The band seemed ready to take over the charts in 1996, but after a great debut album, they sort of disappeared.
#773 - "Time Is Running Out" - Muse - Absolution - The third of five Muse songs on the countdown, "Time" was the band's breakthrough it as they went from great band no one had heard of to great band that people who listen to good music have heard of but no one else has.
#772 - "Driftwood" - Travis - The Man Who - The only Travis song on the top 1000, "Driftwood" was the best ballad of the second wave of Brit-pop that hit in the late 90's.
#771 - "Because The Night" - 10,000 Maniacs - Campfire Songs - The only song by 10,000 Maniacs on the list is unique as a song that didn't do much for the original artist (Springsteen), but essentially made the careers of two artists that have covered it (Maniacs and Patti Smith). There was a time in the early 90's when it looked like the Maniacs would be the next REM. That time passed quickly, but it did still happen.
Top 1000 Bands #780-#771
780 - 1090 Club - An excellent indie band that played in Pierre. I missed their show, but a friend of mind picked up the CD and I liked it.
779 - Tesla - An 80's rock band that got lumped in with the hair bands, sometimes unfairly, Tesla had a few solid hits that transcended their genre.
778 - Earth, Wind & Fire - One of the best R&B bands of the 70's, EW&F scored some of the biggest hits of the decade.
777 - The Alan Parsons Project - A late 70's prog rock band that had a few good songs outside of their bloated genre stylings.
776 - The Tubes - An 80's New Wave band that had a few hits before fading away.
775 - Meredith Brooks - A 90's one-hit wonder who struck it big with her Alanis knock-off "Bitch".
774 - The Mamas And The Papas - The legendary 60's folk rock band never made a huge impact on me, but I still can't turn my back on a catalog that rivals The Beach Boys for it's genre.
773 - Skid Row - One of the best of the hair bands, Skid Row had the best lead singer in the genre and a couple of their songs even stand up on their own.
772 - Lauryn Hill - The former Fugee released one of the greatest debut albums of all-time and then did... umm... nothing. She should do something else because, you know, she's really good...
771 - The Bangles - Not exactly the most credible girl group of all-time, but they did produce some of the best pop songs of the 80's, including "Walk Like An Egyptian" and "Hazy Shade Of Winter".
779 - Tesla - An 80's rock band that got lumped in with the hair bands, sometimes unfairly, Tesla had a few solid hits that transcended their genre.
778 - Earth, Wind & Fire - One of the best R&B bands of the 70's, EW&F scored some of the biggest hits of the decade.
777 - The Alan Parsons Project - A late 70's prog rock band that had a few good songs outside of their bloated genre stylings.
776 - The Tubes - An 80's New Wave band that had a few hits before fading away.
775 - Meredith Brooks - A 90's one-hit wonder who struck it big with her Alanis knock-off "Bitch".
774 - The Mamas And The Papas - The legendary 60's folk rock band never made a huge impact on me, but I still can't turn my back on a catalog that rivals The Beach Boys for it's genre.
773 - Skid Row - One of the best of the hair bands, Skid Row had the best lead singer in the genre and a couple of their songs even stand up on their own.
772 - Lauryn Hill - The former Fugee released one of the greatest debut albums of all-time and then did... umm... nothing. She should do something else because, you know, she's really good...
771 - The Bangles - Not exactly the most credible girl group of all-time, but they did produce some of the best pop songs of the 80's, including "Walk Like An Egyptian" and "Hazy Shade Of Winter".
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Top 1000 Songs #790-#781
#790 - "Pale Blue Eyes" - The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground - The fourth of seven VU song son the countdown, "Pale Blue Eyes" is one of their more radio-friendly songs and one of the best ballads ever recorded.
#789 - "Hey Joe" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced? - The first of nine Hendrix songs on the list, "Hey Joe" was one of the band's first hits and is one of the most famous cover songs of all-time.
#788 - "Man In Black" - Johnny Cash - Man In Black - The first of six Cash songs in the top 1000, "Man In Black" is his statement of purpose song, presenting the ideologies that fueled his music for 5 decades.
#787 - "Dirty Laundry" - Don Henley - I Can't Stand Still - The first and only Henley solo song on the countdown, "Dirty Laundry" is Henley's angry rant against the "Broadcast News"-ification of the news media in the early 80's. Of course, if he knew how bad it would get, this song would probably sound like the Sex Pistols.
#786 - "Run Like Hell" - Pink Floyd - The Wall - The first of fourteen Floyd songs on the top 1000, "Run Like Hell" was one of the band's biggest hits, but was a bit too straight-forward of a song to make it higher on the list.
#785 - "Shadow Of The Season" - The Screaming Trees - Sweet Oblivion - The third of six Screaming Trees songs on the list, "Shadow Of The Season" is one of Lanegan's most up-tempo songs with a great chorus that has more urgency than the average Trees song.
#784 - "No Surrender" - Bruce Springsteen - Born In The U.S.A. - The second of eleven Springsteen songs on the countdown, "No Surrender" features some of Bruce's best lyrics and a great chorus.
#783 - "Pattern Against User" - At The Drive-In - Relationship Of Command - The first of three Drive-In songs on the list, "Pattern" wasn't one of their bigger hits, but it's one of the most intense songs the band ever made, and that's saying a lot for this group.
#782 - "The Denial Twist" - The White Stripes - Get Behind Me, Satan - The first of ten White Stripes songs on the top 1000, "Denial" is one of many piano-driven songs on their Satan album, and features one of the band's most intricate choruses.
#781 - "The Impression That I Get" - The Mighty Mighty Bosstones - Let's Face It - The first and only Bosstones song on the countdown, "The Impression That I Get" is one of my favorite ska songs. It's not saying much, but ska was pretty big in the mid-90's and this is just about as good as it gets.
#789 - "Hey Joe" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced? - The first of nine Hendrix songs on the list, "Hey Joe" was one of the band's first hits and is one of the most famous cover songs of all-time.
#788 - "Man In Black" - Johnny Cash - Man In Black - The first of six Cash songs in the top 1000, "Man In Black" is his statement of purpose song, presenting the ideologies that fueled his music for 5 decades.
#787 - "Dirty Laundry" - Don Henley - I Can't Stand Still - The first and only Henley solo song on the countdown, "Dirty Laundry" is Henley's angry rant against the "Broadcast News"-ification of the news media in the early 80's. Of course, if he knew how bad it would get, this song would probably sound like the Sex Pistols.
#786 - "Run Like Hell" - Pink Floyd - The Wall - The first of fourteen Floyd songs on the top 1000, "Run Like Hell" was one of the band's biggest hits, but was a bit too straight-forward of a song to make it higher on the list.
#785 - "Shadow Of The Season" - The Screaming Trees - Sweet Oblivion - The third of six Screaming Trees songs on the list, "Shadow Of The Season" is one of Lanegan's most up-tempo songs with a great chorus that has more urgency than the average Trees song.
#784 - "No Surrender" - Bruce Springsteen - Born In The U.S.A. - The second of eleven Springsteen songs on the countdown, "No Surrender" features some of Bruce's best lyrics and a great chorus.
#783 - "Pattern Against User" - At The Drive-In - Relationship Of Command - The first of three Drive-In songs on the list, "Pattern" wasn't one of their bigger hits, but it's one of the most intense songs the band ever made, and that's saying a lot for this group.
#782 - "The Denial Twist" - The White Stripes - Get Behind Me, Satan - The first of ten White Stripes songs on the top 1000, "Denial" is one of many piano-driven songs on their Satan album, and features one of the band's most intricate choruses.
#781 - "The Impression That I Get" - The Mighty Mighty Bosstones - Let's Face It - The first and only Bosstones song on the countdown, "The Impression That I Get" is one of my favorite ska songs. It's not saying much, but ska was pretty big in the mid-90's and this is just about as good as it gets.
Top 1000 Bands #790-#781
790 - Eazy E - The former NWA member had a few successful albums before his death.
789 - The Ataris - An indie rock band that has had a few good songs over the years.
788 - Magazine - An early alternative rock band that never broke through but had a lot of great songs over the years.
787 - Fiction Plane - An upstart new modern rock band with a fantastic debut album.
786 - Kula Shaker - A British band that scored big with a cover of Deep Purple's "Hush".
785 - Jack's Mannequin - An emo band with solid songwriting and a few great songs to their credit.
784 - The Bottle Rockets - A southern rock band with a few great songs and a lot of good ones.
783 - Wall Of Voodoo - A quirky Devo-sound-alike band that had a huge hit with "Mexican Radio" in the early 80's.
782 - Mountain - A classic rock band that had a few hits, especially "Mississippi Queen", one of the most famous songs to ever end up in a beer commercial.
781 - Slobberbone - Pretty much the same thing as the Bottle Rockets, but slightly better.
789 - The Ataris - An indie rock band that has had a few good songs over the years.
788 - Magazine - An early alternative rock band that never broke through but had a lot of great songs over the years.
787 - Fiction Plane - An upstart new modern rock band with a fantastic debut album.
786 - Kula Shaker - A British band that scored big with a cover of Deep Purple's "Hush".
785 - Jack's Mannequin - An emo band with solid songwriting and a few great songs to their credit.
784 - The Bottle Rockets - A southern rock band with a few great songs and a lot of good ones.
783 - Wall Of Voodoo - A quirky Devo-sound-alike band that had a huge hit with "Mexican Radio" in the early 80's.
782 - Mountain - A classic rock band that had a few hits, especially "Mississippi Queen", one of the most famous songs to ever end up in a beer commercial.
781 - Slobberbone - Pretty much the same thing as the Bottle Rockets, but slightly better.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Modern Rock Update
Albums:
Radiohead's "In Rainbows" debuted at #1, despite having been available for as little as free (and legal) on the Internet since October.
The Juno Soundtrack isn't a debut this week, but it is at #8, which is fucking amazing considering that it is mostly Kimya Dawson and Moldy Peaches music.
Modern And Mainstream Rock:
Seether stayed at #1 on both charts with "Fake It".
There were no debuts this week. There haven't been any debuts for awhile, actually. It's been the same damn songs every week and most of them suck. Try harder, music industry.
Radiohead's "In Rainbows" debuted at #1, despite having been available for as little as free (and legal) on the Internet since October.
The Juno Soundtrack isn't a debut this week, but it is at #8, which is fucking amazing considering that it is mostly Kimya Dawson and Moldy Peaches music.
Modern And Mainstream Rock:
Seether stayed at #1 on both charts with "Fake It".
There were no debuts this week. There haven't been any debuts for awhile, actually. It's been the same damn songs every week and most of them suck. Try harder, music industry.
New Movies The Last Few Weeks
The Bucket List - Two great actors playing out a story that we've all seen before. Should still be worth a look.
VERDICT - See It.
These movies all have no interest to me and here's why:
One Missed Call - A crappy trailer for a shitty re-make of a lousy original in a terrible genre.
First Sunday - This movie is not targeted at me. It's made for people who like to watch shit.
In The Name Of The King - Two words: Uwe. Boll.
The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything - It's a fucking Veggie Tales movie. I'd be more likely to see a new Pokemon flick.
VERDICT - See It.
These movies all have no interest to me and here's why:
One Missed Call - A crappy trailer for a shitty re-make of a lousy original in a terrible genre.
First Sunday - This movie is not targeted at me. It's made for people who like to watch shit.
In The Name Of The King - Two words: Uwe. Boll.
The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything - It's a fucking Veggie Tales movie. I'd be more likely to see a new Pokemon flick.
New Shit The Last Few Weekends
DVDs:
3:10 To Yuma - One of 2007's best films is on DVD just in time to make everyone wonder why it won't get any Oscar nominations.
VERDICT - BUY IT.
Sunshine - Danny Boyle's latest is far from perfect, but it's still one of the better sci fi films in recent years.
VERDICT - RENT IT.
The Ten - From what I've heard, this one should be pretty good, so I'll definitely check it out when I get a chance.
VERDICT - RENT IT.
Death Sentence - A good ride in the theater, but my memories of it haven't held up too well, so no purchase for me.
VERDICT - RENT IT.
Mr. Woodcock - In this case, I'm giving higher ranking to the potentially awful movie that I haven't seen yet.
VERDICT - RENT IT.
Good Luck Chuck - And this would be the awful movie that I have seen. Pretty damn bad.
VERDICT - SKIP IT.
Dragon Wars - An Asian sci fi movie with giant lizards that didn't get great reviews or buzz? Yikes, it must be horrible.
VERDICT - SKIP IT.
CDs:
Kate Nash- Made Of Bricks - Potentially the next Lily Allen, I intend to pick up this CD the next time I'm in Sioux Falls, assuming it's still at that new artist price.
VERDICT - BUY IT.
Marah - Angels Of Destruction - They're not the greatest indie rock band, but they do have a good track record.
VERDICT - BORROW IT.
3:10 To Yuma - One of 2007's best films is on DVD just in time to make everyone wonder why it won't get any Oscar nominations.
VERDICT - BUY IT.
Sunshine - Danny Boyle's latest is far from perfect, but it's still one of the better sci fi films in recent years.
VERDICT - RENT IT.
The Ten - From what I've heard, this one should be pretty good, so I'll definitely check it out when I get a chance.
VERDICT - RENT IT.
Death Sentence - A good ride in the theater, but my memories of it haven't held up too well, so no purchase for me.
VERDICT - RENT IT.
Mr. Woodcock - In this case, I'm giving higher ranking to the potentially awful movie that I haven't seen yet.
VERDICT - RENT IT.
Good Luck Chuck - And this would be the awful movie that I have seen. Pretty damn bad.
VERDICT - SKIP IT.
Dragon Wars - An Asian sci fi movie with giant lizards that didn't get great reviews or buzz? Yikes, it must be horrible.
VERDICT - SKIP IT.
CDs:
Kate Nash- Made Of Bricks - Potentially the next Lily Allen, I intend to pick up this CD the next time I'm in Sioux Falls, assuming it's still at that new artist price.
VERDICT - BUY IT.
Marah - Angels Of Destruction - They're not the greatest indie rock band, but they do have a good track record.
VERDICT - BORROW IT.
Top 1000 Songs #800-#791
#800 - "The Boys Are Back In Town" - Thin Lizzy - Jailbreak - The first and only Thin Lizzy song on the countdown, "The Boys" is a legendary classic rock song from the peak of rock n roll, the 70's.
#799 - "Funk #49" - The James Gang - Out Cold Soundtrack - The first and only James Gang song to make the list, "Funk" features one of the best and most famous guitar riffs in all of rock history.
#798 - "Movin' On Up" - Primal Scream - Screamadelica - The first of two Primal Scream songs in the top 1000, "Movin' On Up" is one of the best songs in all of Brit-Pop.
#797 - "All For You" - Sister Hazel - Somewhere More Familiar - The only Sister Hazel song on the list, "All For You" is usually mistaken for a Blues Traveler song, though it's lyrically superior and catchier than anything John Popper ever came up with.
#796 - "Comatose" - Pearl Jam - Pearl Jam - The third of twenty-five Pearl Jam songs on the list, "Comatose" is the best song off of their self-titled album that wasn't released as a single and the heaviest song Pearl Jam's recorded in the past decade.
#795 - "Trouble With Dreams" - The Eels - Blinking Lights And Other Revelations - The third and highest-charting song by the Eels, "Trouble With Dreams" is the best song on the band's brilliant last album.
#794 - "All Along The Watchtower" - Bob Dylan - Before The Flood - The third of fifteen Dylan songs, "Watchtower" is more famous as Hendrix's cover, but the original is still an early folk rock classic.
#793 - "Through Being Cool" - Devo - New Traditionalists - The second of five Devo songs on the countdown, "Through Being Cool" was never one of the band's hits, but it was one of their best-written and creative songs.
#792 - "99 Problems" - Jay-Z - The Black Album - The first and only Jay-Z song on the list, "99 Problems" is the best East Coast rap song ever written and also one of the best songs of the 90's.
#791 - "Talk Of The Town" - The Pretenders - Pretenders II - The first of five Pretenders songs on the top 1000, "Talk Of The Town" is a prototypical Pretenders ballad from the 80's, clever verses, great chorus and excellent sound through and through.
#799 - "Funk #49" - The James Gang - Out Cold Soundtrack - The first and only James Gang song to make the list, "Funk" features one of the best and most famous guitar riffs in all of rock history.
#798 - "Movin' On Up" - Primal Scream - Screamadelica - The first of two Primal Scream songs in the top 1000, "Movin' On Up" is one of the best songs in all of Brit-Pop.
#797 - "All For You" - Sister Hazel - Somewhere More Familiar - The only Sister Hazel song on the list, "All For You" is usually mistaken for a Blues Traveler song, though it's lyrically superior and catchier than anything John Popper ever came up with.
#796 - "Comatose" - Pearl Jam - Pearl Jam - The third of twenty-five Pearl Jam songs on the list, "Comatose" is the best song off of their self-titled album that wasn't released as a single and the heaviest song Pearl Jam's recorded in the past decade.
#795 - "Trouble With Dreams" - The Eels - Blinking Lights And Other Revelations - The third and highest-charting song by the Eels, "Trouble With Dreams" is the best song on the band's brilliant last album.
#794 - "All Along The Watchtower" - Bob Dylan - Before The Flood - The third of fifteen Dylan songs, "Watchtower" is more famous as Hendrix's cover, but the original is still an early folk rock classic.
#793 - "Through Being Cool" - Devo - New Traditionalists - The second of five Devo songs on the countdown, "Through Being Cool" was never one of the band's hits, but it was one of their best-written and creative songs.
#792 - "99 Problems" - Jay-Z - The Black Album - The first and only Jay-Z song on the list, "99 Problems" is the best East Coast rap song ever written and also one of the best songs of the 90's.
#791 - "Talk Of The Town" - The Pretenders - Pretenders II - The first of five Pretenders songs on the top 1000, "Talk Of The Town" is a prototypical Pretenders ballad from the 80's, clever verses, great chorus and excellent sound through and through.
1000 Greatest Bands #800-#791
800 - Taking Back Sunday - One of the most successful emo bands around (good enough for a slot in the top 800!), TBS has found a decent amount of crossover success over the years.
799 - Nick Drake - Sadly for Mr. Drake, he didn't find the vast majority of his fame until several decades after his death, when the Garden State soundtrack and a couple of commercials brought him to the front of indie rock.
798 - Mary J. Blige - The queen of modern R&B, Mary J. has had a massive amount of success over the past decade and is still at the top of the charts on a regular basis.
797 - Tangiers - A new indie rock band that's tearing up the music blogs, Tangiers has released very little so far, but what I've heard so far, I've liked.
796 - Don McLean - He had a bunch of hits, but let's be serious, "American Pie" is the only one that anyone will remember, but it is one of the all-time greats.
795 - Dr. Hook - The one-hit wonder band that made it big with "Cover of the Rolling Stone". Of course, they didn't get big enough to actually get their picture on the cover of the rolling stone, but that's beside the point.
794 - Rihanna - She's blown up even more as a superstar since when I originally made this list, so she'll probably go up a bit next time. She's one of the best artists in hip hop at the moment.
793 - Aqualung - The latest Coldplay knock-off has made a couple of good albums so far, but is best-known for their brilliant "Brighter Than Sunshine".
792 - 1908 - Another band that I first saw in Pierre, 1908 is an arty indie rock band with a great EP.
791 - The Brakes - This would be the British band called The Brakes, which is slightly better than their American counterpart. Another solid indie band with a small following that could blow-up in the near future.
799 - Nick Drake - Sadly for Mr. Drake, he didn't find the vast majority of his fame until several decades after his death, when the Garden State soundtrack and a couple of commercials brought him to the front of indie rock.
798 - Mary J. Blige - The queen of modern R&B, Mary J. has had a massive amount of success over the past decade and is still at the top of the charts on a regular basis.
797 - Tangiers - A new indie rock band that's tearing up the music blogs, Tangiers has released very little so far, but what I've heard so far, I've liked.
796 - Don McLean - He had a bunch of hits, but let's be serious, "American Pie" is the only one that anyone will remember, but it is one of the all-time greats.
795 - Dr. Hook - The one-hit wonder band that made it big with "Cover of the Rolling Stone". Of course, they didn't get big enough to actually get their picture on the cover of the rolling stone, but that's beside the point.
794 - Rihanna - She's blown up even more as a superstar since when I originally made this list, so she'll probably go up a bit next time. She's one of the best artists in hip hop at the moment.
793 - Aqualung - The latest Coldplay knock-off has made a couple of good albums so far, but is best-known for their brilliant "Brighter Than Sunshine".
792 - 1908 - Another band that I first saw in Pierre, 1908 is an arty indie rock band with a great EP.
791 - The Brakes - This would be the British band called The Brakes, which is slightly better than their American counterpart. Another solid indie band with a small following that could blow-up in the near future.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Top 1000 Songs #810-#801
#810 - "Crossfire" - Stevie Ray Vaughan - In Step - The second of three SRV songs on the countdown, "Crossfire" is also Stevie's second most famous and successful song, and is the perfect example of one of his "slow" style songs.
#809 - "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" - Crosby, Stills & Nash - Crosby, Stills & Nash - The first of three CSN songs on the top 1000, "Judy" is the band's best song from their early pre-Neil Young period and represents the pinnacle of non-political folk music.
#808 - "Living In America" - The Sounds - Living In America - The first and only Sounds song on the countdown, "Living" is the best example of the band's unique indie rock sound.
#807 - "Old Man" - Neil Young - Decade - The second of six Neil Young songs to make the list, "Old Man" is one of Neil's most introspective and well-written songs.
#806 - "Never Enough" - The Cure - Never Enough - The second of six Cure songs on the top 1000, "Never Enough" is one of the few great Cure tunes with a fast pace and a pulsing beat. The chorus is particularly good.
#805 - "Teacher" - Jethro Tull - Benefit - The first and only Jethro Tull song on the countdown, "Teacher" isn't one of their bigger hits, but it has their best chorus by far and it's not nearly as reliant on the friggin' wind instruments.
#804 - "Revelations" - Audioslave - Revelations - The second of three Audioslave songs on the list, "Revelations" is the best song on the band's last disc, and features one of the band's best raging choruses.
#803 - "The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades" - Timbuk 3 - Looks Like Dark To Me - The first and only Timbuk 3 song to make this or any list, "Shades" is a classic Cold War-era protest song from the 80's. The band got a lot of indie cred for this song, but they squandered it and never had another hit.
#802 - "High Fidelity" - Elvis Costello - Get Happy - The first of eleven Elvis songs on the countdown "Fidelity" is one of his biggest hits from his early New Wave days.
#801 - "Elevation" - U2 - All That You Can't Leave Behind - The first of sixteen songs by U2 in the top 1000, "Elevation" is my second-favorite song on Leave Behind. The usual dose of U2 spiritualism is present, but it's the pulsing chorus that really sells this great song.
#809 - "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" - Crosby, Stills & Nash - Crosby, Stills & Nash - The first of three CSN songs on the top 1000, "Judy" is the band's best song from their early pre-Neil Young period and represents the pinnacle of non-political folk music.
#808 - "Living In America" - The Sounds - Living In America - The first and only Sounds song on the countdown, "Living" is the best example of the band's unique indie rock sound.
#807 - "Old Man" - Neil Young - Decade - The second of six Neil Young songs to make the list, "Old Man" is one of Neil's most introspective and well-written songs.
#806 - "Never Enough" - The Cure - Never Enough - The second of six Cure songs on the top 1000, "Never Enough" is one of the few great Cure tunes with a fast pace and a pulsing beat. The chorus is particularly good.
#805 - "Teacher" - Jethro Tull - Benefit - The first and only Jethro Tull song on the countdown, "Teacher" isn't one of their bigger hits, but it has their best chorus by far and it's not nearly as reliant on the friggin' wind instruments.
#804 - "Revelations" - Audioslave - Revelations - The second of three Audioslave songs on the list, "Revelations" is the best song on the band's last disc, and features one of the band's best raging choruses.
#803 - "The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades" - Timbuk 3 - Looks Like Dark To Me - The first and only Timbuk 3 song to make this or any list, "Shades" is a classic Cold War-era protest song from the 80's. The band got a lot of indie cred for this song, but they squandered it and never had another hit.
#802 - "High Fidelity" - Elvis Costello - Get Happy - The first of eleven Elvis songs on the countdown "Fidelity" is one of his biggest hits from his early New Wave days.
#801 - "Elevation" - U2 - All That You Can't Leave Behind - The first of sixteen songs by U2 in the top 1000, "Elevation" is my second-favorite song on Leave Behind. The usual dose of U2 spiritualism is present, but it's the pulsing chorus that really sells this great song.
Top 1000 Bands #810-#801
810 - The Melvins - One of the bridge bands between 80's metal (the good kind) and grunge, The Melvins had a few truly great songs, but were mostly significant for the inspiration they'd provide for much better bands down the road.
809 - The Zutons - An indie band that's had a few solid albums to their credit so far.
808 - Grand National - An outstanding indie band that will go way up the next time I put this list together, as I've found a lot more about this great new band.
807 - Cat Power - The critical darling of indie folk at the moment, Cat Power has quite a few great songs strung out on a handful of solid albums.
806 - Band Of Horses - BOH got this ranking mostly based on their first album, particularly the minor indie hit "The Funeral". Based on their second album, which is even better, they'll be going way up in the future.
805 - The Pogues - A legendary Irish band from the 80's, the Pogues have never been my favorite, but they have more than a few great songs.
804 - The Subways - A fairly new punk band I heard about in Blender magazine. They have a great sound and should enjoy a lot of success in the near future.
803 - Marah - An above-average roots rock band that scored a big hit with "Sooner Or Later".
802 - Margot And The Nuclear So & So's - A brand new indie pop band that I found out about in Paste magazine. They look to have a bright future.
801 - Jesus Jones - A modern rock band that had a couple of huge hits in the early 90's and then faded into obscurity for good.
809 - The Zutons - An indie band that's had a few solid albums to their credit so far.
808 - Grand National - An outstanding indie band that will go way up the next time I put this list together, as I've found a lot more about this great new band.
807 - Cat Power - The critical darling of indie folk at the moment, Cat Power has quite a few great songs strung out on a handful of solid albums.
806 - Band Of Horses - BOH got this ranking mostly based on their first album, particularly the minor indie hit "The Funeral". Based on their second album, which is even better, they'll be going way up in the future.
805 - The Pogues - A legendary Irish band from the 80's, the Pogues have never been my favorite, but they have more than a few great songs.
804 - The Subways - A fairly new punk band I heard about in Blender magazine. They have a great sound and should enjoy a lot of success in the near future.
803 - Marah - An above-average roots rock band that scored a big hit with "Sooner Or Later".
802 - Margot And The Nuclear So & So's - A brand new indie pop band that I found out about in Paste magazine. They look to have a bright future.
801 - Jesus Jones - A modern rock band that had a couple of huge hits in the early 90's and then faded into obscurity for good.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Top 1000 Songs #820-#811
#820 - "Modern And Lost" - Big Timber - Lean Down - The second of four Big Timber songs to make the countdown, "Modern And Lost" was one of the songs the band played in their first set at Pierre, where they were a complete unknown to me at the time.
#819 - "Makes No Sense At All" - Husker Du - Flip Your Wig - The only Husker Du song on the list, "Makes No Sense" is the hookiest song that the band ever wrote. It features a great chorus and the best beat the band ever had.
#818 - "Mexican Radio" - Wall Of Voodoo - Call Of The West - The first and only Wall of Voodoo song on this countdown (or any countdown for that matter), "Mexican Radio" is a quirky early 80's alternative rock song that is probably the most bizarre song on the list.
#817 - "What I Got" - Sublime - Sublime - The first and only Sublime song on the top 1000, "What I Got" was the first song that I heard from the band and the original mix of the song (without all the digital effects) is by far the best thing I ever heard from this short-lived band.
#816 - "The Outsider" - A Perfect Circle - The Thirteenth Step - The first of three APC songs on the list, "The Outsider" is the best song off of the band's second album, a concept album about addiction.
#815 - "Girls & Boys" - Blur - Parklife - The first of three Blur songs on the countdown, "Girls & Boys" is the most pop-friendly song that the band ever created and one of the Brit-Pop genre.
#814 - "Dakota" - The Stereophonics - Language. Sex. Violence. Other. - The first and only Stereophonics song on the top 1000, "Dakota" isn't quite the band's biggest hit, but it's up there, with a great chorus and a pulsing beat.
#813 - "Abstract Plain" - Frank Black - Teenager Of The Year - The second of three Frank Black solo songs on the countdown, "Abstract Plain" is one of his first post-Pixies hits and features some of his best songwriting.
#812 - "I Feel Free" - Cream - Fresh Cream - The first of five Cream songs on the chart, "I Feel Free" isn't as intense as some of their bigger hits, but it fit nicely within the mod scene that was popular at the time.
#811 - "Relative Ways" - And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead - Source Tags & Codes - The first of three Trail of Dead songs on the list, "Relative Ways" is off one of the band's early CDs and features the usual build and outstanding chorus that are typical of the band's career.
#819 - "Makes No Sense At All" - Husker Du - Flip Your Wig - The only Husker Du song on the list, "Makes No Sense" is the hookiest song that the band ever wrote. It features a great chorus and the best beat the band ever had.
#818 - "Mexican Radio" - Wall Of Voodoo - Call Of The West - The first and only Wall of Voodoo song on this countdown (or any countdown for that matter), "Mexican Radio" is a quirky early 80's alternative rock song that is probably the most bizarre song on the list.
#817 - "What I Got" - Sublime - Sublime - The first and only Sublime song on the top 1000, "What I Got" was the first song that I heard from the band and the original mix of the song (without all the digital effects) is by far the best thing I ever heard from this short-lived band.
#816 - "The Outsider" - A Perfect Circle - The Thirteenth Step - The first of three APC songs on the list, "The Outsider" is the best song off of the band's second album, a concept album about addiction.
#815 - "Girls & Boys" - Blur - Parklife - The first of three Blur songs on the countdown, "Girls & Boys" is the most pop-friendly song that the band ever created and one of the Brit-Pop genre.
#814 - "Dakota" - The Stereophonics - Language. Sex. Violence. Other. - The first and only Stereophonics song on the top 1000, "Dakota" isn't quite the band's biggest hit, but it's up there, with a great chorus and a pulsing beat.
#813 - "Abstract Plain" - Frank Black - Teenager Of The Year - The second of three Frank Black solo songs on the countdown, "Abstract Plain" is one of his first post-Pixies hits and features some of his best songwriting.
#812 - "I Feel Free" - Cream - Fresh Cream - The first of five Cream songs on the chart, "I Feel Free" isn't as intense as some of their bigger hits, but it fit nicely within the mod scene that was popular at the time.
#811 - "Relative Ways" - And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead - Source Tags & Codes - The first of three Trail of Dead songs on the list, "Relative Ways" is off one of the band's early CDs and features the usual build and outstanding chorus that are typical of the band's career.
Top 1000 Bands #820-#811
820 - Thom Yorke - The Radiohead front-man had a solo album released in 2006. It was no Radiohead album, but it was still a great debut with a lot of classic songs.
819 - Janitor Bob And The Armchair Cowboys - A regional favorite, Janitor Bob had a huge hit with "The Happy Song" and a couple smaller hits as well.
818 - Horse Feathers - An outstanding roots-rock band that I caught in Pierre when they played in a burned-out death-trap of an apartment, AKA the only place in Pierre to see a rock show. Great stuff.
817 - Electric Six - Probably the most successful techno-tinged dance rock band of their generation. And they're 817th on my list. Not a great genre...
816 - Rev Run - One of the members of Run DMC went solo for an album and created some of the best rap music of the new century.
815 - Gravity Kills - They had a bunch of other singles, but let's be serious and acknowledge that they're only going to be remembered for "Gravity", which is one of the great industrial rock songs ever made.
814 - Peter, Bjorn And John - They released a great debut album all-around, but they're best known for their mega-hit "Young Folks".
813 - The Kingsmen - The band that recorded the biggest song of the garage rock era, "Louie Louie"... never really did anything else.
812 - Pretty Girls Make Graves - Lauded by no less than the Korean girl on Gilmore Girls, Pretty Girls Make Graves had a short career with a couple of solid albums before they ended a bit too soon.
811 - Ween - A goofy band that's impossible to read, Ween can be anywhere from excellent to abysmal, depending on what experiment they're trying at the time.
819 - Janitor Bob And The Armchair Cowboys - A regional favorite, Janitor Bob had a huge hit with "The Happy Song" and a couple smaller hits as well.
818 - Horse Feathers - An outstanding roots-rock band that I caught in Pierre when they played in a burned-out death-trap of an apartment, AKA the only place in Pierre to see a rock show. Great stuff.
817 - Electric Six - Probably the most successful techno-tinged dance rock band of their generation. And they're 817th on my list. Not a great genre...
816 - Rev Run - One of the members of Run DMC went solo for an album and created some of the best rap music of the new century.
815 - Gravity Kills - They had a bunch of other singles, but let's be serious and acknowledge that they're only going to be remembered for "Gravity", which is one of the great industrial rock songs ever made.
814 - Peter, Bjorn And John - They released a great debut album all-around, but they're best known for their mega-hit "Young Folks".
813 - The Kingsmen - The band that recorded the biggest song of the garage rock era, "Louie Louie"... never really did anything else.
812 - Pretty Girls Make Graves - Lauded by no less than the Korean girl on Gilmore Girls, Pretty Girls Make Graves had a short career with a couple of solid albums before they ended a bit too soon.
811 - Ween - A goofy band that's impossible to read, Ween can be anywhere from excellent to abysmal, depending on what experiment they're trying at the time.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Top 1000 Songs #830-#821
#830 - "Souljacker Part I" - The Eels - Souljacker - The second of three Eels songs on the list is far from their most famous song, but it's easily one of their best. This song features one of my favorite choruses ever.
#829 - "Divine Thing" - The Soup Dragons - Divine Thing - The first of two Soup Dragons songs, this is the biggest hit that they wrote for themselves and just what they needed to be remembered as something more than a flash in the pan.
#828 - "Pictures Of You" - The Cure - Disintegration - The first of six Cure songs on the list, "Pictures" could have ranked higher, as it has a great beat and excellent lyrics, but it's too damn long.
#827 - "You Wear It Well" - Rod Stewart - Never A Dull Moment - The first and only Stewart song on the countdown, "You Wear It Well" isn't as well-known as "Maggie May", but I think the lyrics and story of the song are superior, which is why it gets the nod instead.
#826 - "Stay Loose" - Belle And Sebastian - Dear Catastrophe Waitress - The first and only B&S song on the chart, "Stay Loose" is the best of a large group of great proto-emo songs by one of the most influential bands of the 90's.
#825 - "The Perfect Drug" - Nine Inch Nails - Lost Highway Soundtrack - The second of seven NIN songs on the list, "The Perfect Drug" is the band at it's industrial metal peak. Shortly after this song, the band would move in a more modern rock direction, with a great deal of success, but this is the first incarnation of the band at their finest.
#824 - "Fire Down Below" - Bob Seger - Night Moves - The first and only Seger song on the countdown, "Fire" was never a big hit for him, but I think it has his best blues-rock lyrics and the best chorus of his massively successful career.
#823 - "Sultans Of Swing" - Dire Straits - Dire Straits - The first and only Dire Straits on the chart, "Sultans" was the band's big hit before they became one of the biggest bands in the world in the early 80's. The song paints a vivid picture of a concert performed by an old-school band in a changing musical climate.
#822 - "Yellow" - Coldplay - Parachutes - The second of six Coldplay songs on countdown, "Yellow" was the band's breakthrough hit and the song that's most worthy of the "U2 clone" rap that they get, but it's the band at their epic best.
#821 - "Little Friends" - The Ponys - Laced With Romance - The first of two Ponys songs on the list, "Little Friends" is an obscure indie rock throwback to 60's-era rock. The band themselves have made brilliant music for years, but have yet to hit it big with the mainstream.
#829 - "Divine Thing" - The Soup Dragons - Divine Thing - The first of two Soup Dragons songs, this is the biggest hit that they wrote for themselves and just what they needed to be remembered as something more than a flash in the pan.
#828 - "Pictures Of You" - The Cure - Disintegration - The first of six Cure songs on the list, "Pictures" could have ranked higher, as it has a great beat and excellent lyrics, but it's too damn long.
#827 - "You Wear It Well" - Rod Stewart - Never A Dull Moment - The first and only Stewart song on the countdown, "You Wear It Well" isn't as well-known as "Maggie May", but I think the lyrics and story of the song are superior, which is why it gets the nod instead.
#826 - "Stay Loose" - Belle And Sebastian - Dear Catastrophe Waitress - The first and only B&S song on the chart, "Stay Loose" is the best of a large group of great proto-emo songs by one of the most influential bands of the 90's.
#825 - "The Perfect Drug" - Nine Inch Nails - Lost Highway Soundtrack - The second of seven NIN songs on the list, "The Perfect Drug" is the band at it's industrial metal peak. Shortly after this song, the band would move in a more modern rock direction, with a great deal of success, but this is the first incarnation of the band at their finest.
#824 - "Fire Down Below" - Bob Seger - Night Moves - The first and only Seger song on the countdown, "Fire" was never a big hit for him, but I think it has his best blues-rock lyrics and the best chorus of his massively successful career.
#823 - "Sultans Of Swing" - Dire Straits - Dire Straits - The first and only Dire Straits on the chart, "Sultans" was the band's big hit before they became one of the biggest bands in the world in the early 80's. The song paints a vivid picture of a concert performed by an old-school band in a changing musical climate.
#822 - "Yellow" - Coldplay - Parachutes - The second of six Coldplay songs on countdown, "Yellow" was the band's breakthrough hit and the song that's most worthy of the "U2 clone" rap that they get, but it's the band at their epic best.
#821 - "Little Friends" - The Ponys - Laced With Romance - The first of two Ponys songs on the list, "Little Friends" is an obscure indie rock throwback to 60's-era rock. The band themselves have made brilliant music for years, but have yet to hit it big with the mainstream.
Top 1000 Bands #830-#821
830 - The James Gang - Joe Walsh's biggest non-Eagles band had two huge hits before breaking up.
829 - Wire - An early punk band with a large catalog, but no breakthrough hits.
828 - The Suicide Machines - One of the many great underground punk bands that I discovered through Blender magazine. They have yet to break out, but you never know.
827 - Jawbox - One of the most popular indie bands of the 90's, Jawbox fell apart when they signed with a major label.
826 - Stellastarr - A solid indie rock band from the past 10 years, featuring soaring rock songs and deep lyrics.
825 - The Inspiral Carpets - An under-rated Brit pop band that had a few smaller hits in the 90's.
824 - The London Suede - Yeah, I didn't realize until after this list was made that the London Suede and Suede were the same band. They're both on this countdown and when I revise it, Suede will be much higher than they currently are.
823 - Breaking Benjamin - An entirely average hard rock band that keeps churning out songs that are good for about one listen, but there sure are a lot of them.
822 - Cinderella - One of the few hair bands that I like, Cinderella had a solid metal sound and decent lyrics. They also had the worst hair, but I didn't grow up with MTV, so I didn't watch the videos, so it was never important to me.
821 - Kimya Dawson - The female vocalist from the Moldy Peaches has released a couple of albums on her own. She scored the entire soundtrack to Juno, which I'm going to see this weekend, so she may go way up in the chart in the near future.
829 - Wire - An early punk band with a large catalog, but no breakthrough hits.
828 - The Suicide Machines - One of the many great underground punk bands that I discovered through Blender magazine. They have yet to break out, but you never know.
827 - Jawbox - One of the most popular indie bands of the 90's, Jawbox fell apart when they signed with a major label.
826 - Stellastarr - A solid indie rock band from the past 10 years, featuring soaring rock songs and deep lyrics.
825 - The Inspiral Carpets - An under-rated Brit pop band that had a few smaller hits in the 90's.
824 - The London Suede - Yeah, I didn't realize until after this list was made that the London Suede and Suede were the same band. They're both on this countdown and when I revise it, Suede will be much higher than they currently are.
823 - Breaking Benjamin - An entirely average hard rock band that keeps churning out songs that are good for about one listen, but there sure are a lot of them.
822 - Cinderella - One of the few hair bands that I like, Cinderella had a solid metal sound and decent lyrics. They also had the worst hair, but I didn't grow up with MTV, so I didn't watch the videos, so it was never important to me.
821 - Kimya Dawson - The female vocalist from the Moldy Peaches has released a couple of albums on her own. She scored the entire soundtrack to Juno, which I'm going to see this weekend, so she may go way up in the chart in the near future.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Top 1000 Songs #840-#831
#840 - "Desperado" - The Eagles - Desperado - The second of four Eagles songs on the countdown, "Desperado" was one of the band's first big hits and is one of the best country songs of the 70's.
#839 - "A Little Less Conversation" - Elvis Presley - Greatest Hits - The first of three Elvis songs on the top 1000, "Conversation" was one of the last hits that the King had before the end of his career, but it's one of the finest examples of his Vegas period, which is by far my favorite.
#838 - "After Midnight" - Eric Clapton - Eric Clapton - One of the first hits that Clapton had on his own (and the first of four songs in the top 1000), "After Midnight" was one of the definitive songs of the classic rock era and announced Clapton as a force to be reckoned with as a solo artist.
#837 - "Roxanne" - The Police - The second of five Police songs on the countdown, "Roxanne" was the band's breakthrough song and set them on to a course that would make them one of the biggest bands of the New Wave era. The song is perhaps most famous for it's cover by Eddie Murphy in 48 Hrs.
#836 - "You May Be Right" - Billy Joel - Glass Houses - The second of four Billy Joel songs on the countdown, "You May Be Right" was one of Joel's biggest hits of the 80's and one of the last songs he wrote before taking a pop turn in the late 80's.
#835 - "Life On Mars" - David Bowie - Hunky Dory - The third of ten Bowie songs in the top 1000, "Life On Mars" is Bowie's trippiest song that didn't end up on "Ziggy Stardust" and features some of his best lyrics.
#834 - "Car Wheels On A Gravel Road" - Lucinda Williams - Car Wheels On A Gravel Road - The second and highest-charting song on the list for Lucinda, "Car Wheels" is an intensely personal alt country ballad about her childhood that was so moving it led her father to apologize in response. One of the best, if not the best, alt-country songs ever written.
#833 - "Nothing Is Good Enough" - Aimee Mann - Bachelor No. 2 - The fourth of eight Aimee Mann songs on the list, "Nothing" is a slow-burning ballad in the finest Mann tradition.
#832 - "No Cars Go" - The Arcade Fire - Neon Bible - The second of three Arcade Fire songs on the countdown, "No Cars Go" was the second big hit to be released off of their classic Neon Bible album.
#831 - "Big Mess" - Devo - Oh No! It's Devo! - The first of five Devo songs on the list, "Big Mess" is one of the band's lesser known songs, but it had one of the best riffs in the band's career.
#839 - "A Little Less Conversation" - Elvis Presley - Greatest Hits - The first of three Elvis songs on the top 1000, "Conversation" was one of the last hits that the King had before the end of his career, but it's one of the finest examples of his Vegas period, which is by far my favorite.
#838 - "After Midnight" - Eric Clapton - Eric Clapton - One of the first hits that Clapton had on his own (and the first of four songs in the top 1000), "After Midnight" was one of the definitive songs of the classic rock era and announced Clapton as a force to be reckoned with as a solo artist.
#837 - "Roxanne" - The Police - The second of five Police songs on the countdown, "Roxanne" was the band's breakthrough song and set them on to a course that would make them one of the biggest bands of the New Wave era. The song is perhaps most famous for it's cover by Eddie Murphy in 48 Hrs.
#836 - "You May Be Right" - Billy Joel - Glass Houses - The second of four Billy Joel songs on the countdown, "You May Be Right" was one of Joel's biggest hits of the 80's and one of the last songs he wrote before taking a pop turn in the late 80's.
#835 - "Life On Mars" - David Bowie - Hunky Dory - The third of ten Bowie songs in the top 1000, "Life On Mars" is Bowie's trippiest song that didn't end up on "Ziggy Stardust" and features some of his best lyrics.
#834 - "Car Wheels On A Gravel Road" - Lucinda Williams - Car Wheels On A Gravel Road - The second and highest-charting song on the list for Lucinda, "Car Wheels" is an intensely personal alt country ballad about her childhood that was so moving it led her father to apologize in response. One of the best, if not the best, alt-country songs ever written.
#833 - "Nothing Is Good Enough" - Aimee Mann - Bachelor No. 2 - The fourth of eight Aimee Mann songs on the list, "Nothing" is a slow-burning ballad in the finest Mann tradition.
#832 - "No Cars Go" - The Arcade Fire - Neon Bible - The second of three Arcade Fire songs on the countdown, "No Cars Go" was the second big hit to be released off of their classic Neon Bible album.
#831 - "Big Mess" - Devo - Oh No! It's Devo! - The first of five Devo songs on the list, "Big Mess" is one of the band's lesser known songs, but it had one of the best riffs in the band's career.
Top 1000 Bands #840-#831
840 - The Coup - Another political rap group on the countdown, The Coup is a little bit better than the Dead Prez, but not much.
839 - Crowded House - A mid-80's new wave band that had a few smaller hits, but broke through with "Don't Dream It's Over".
838 - Pete Townshend - The once and current member of The Who, Townshend had a much more successful solo career than band-mate Roger Daltrey, scoring a major hit with "Let My Love Open The Door".
837 - The Kings - An 80's alternative band that hit it big with "This Beat Goes On / Switching To Glide".
836 - Your Heart Breaks - A singer-songwriter team that I first heard at a show in Pierre. Their music is smart and well-written and it has a sweeping sound to it.
835 - T.S.O.L. - A political punk band from the 80's. They don't really have a signature song, but they created a great deal of solid music over the years.
834 - Bon Jovi - Their current incarnation has been an abomination for more than a decade, but they make this spot on my list based on their mid-80's work, when they were directly stealing from Bruce Springsteen. It's not great music, but the people they hired to write their songs for them did a decent job at times.
833 - The Jayhawks - An alt country band with a series of smaller hits culminating in their brilliant "Blue".
832 - No Address - A modern rock band that surprised the hell out of me by putting together a solid album from start to finish. Not the greatest stuff, but still far beyond average.
831 - Fischerspooner - A 90's era alternative band that's still around to this day, they've put together a couple good albums with many great songs on each.
839 - Crowded House - A mid-80's new wave band that had a few smaller hits, but broke through with "Don't Dream It's Over".
838 - Pete Townshend - The once and current member of The Who, Townshend had a much more successful solo career than band-mate Roger Daltrey, scoring a major hit with "Let My Love Open The Door".
837 - The Kings - An 80's alternative band that hit it big with "This Beat Goes On / Switching To Glide".
836 - Your Heart Breaks - A singer-songwriter team that I first heard at a show in Pierre. Their music is smart and well-written and it has a sweeping sound to it.
835 - T.S.O.L. - A political punk band from the 80's. They don't really have a signature song, but they created a great deal of solid music over the years.
834 - Bon Jovi - Their current incarnation has been an abomination for more than a decade, but they make this spot on my list based on their mid-80's work, when they were directly stealing from Bruce Springsteen. It's not great music, but the people they hired to write their songs for them did a decent job at times.
833 - The Jayhawks - An alt country band with a series of smaller hits culminating in their brilliant "Blue".
832 - No Address - A modern rock band that surprised the hell out of me by putting together a solid album from start to finish. Not the greatest stuff, but still far beyond average.
831 - Fischerspooner - A 90's era alternative band that's still around to this day, they've put together a couple good albums with many great songs on each.
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