The events of the past week aboard a Northwest Airlines flight landing in Detroit have shed light on the shocking speed with which our Homeland Security department springs into action. Far be it from them to be outmaneuvered by some inept Nigerian terrorist - stringent measures were immediately implemented to prevent a more catastrophic event from taking place in our skies.
First, passengers on U.S. flights found that they would not be allowed to hold coats or blankets on their laps for the duration of their trips. This move was based on credible intelligence compiled by our government that substantiates the long-held belief that minutes prior to lighting their shoelaces on fire, nearly every terrorist develops a spontaneous erection. In medical circles, this is known as Abdullah Arousal Syndrome. By preventing passengers from keeping bulky items on their laps, the "warning pointer" as the FAA is referring to it, will be more readily observable, hopefully allowing plane crews to act swiftly in disarming the perpetrators.
Next, air travelers were dismayed to find that they would not be allowed to go to the restroom for the last hour of their flights. In other news: it is suspected that Al Qaeda cells worldwide are currently in a frenzy, desperately trying to rework attack plans that involve assembling bombs an hour and a half before a plane lands. Oh, wait...we're getting word...yes, it's been confirmed by Homeland Security that Al Qaeda has successfully devised a way to assemble bombs an hour and a half before a plane lands. We have a comment from Paul Assnugget, acting chief of Homeland Security, "Dammit!"
And then there is my personal favorite - passengers will not have access to in-flight entertainment during the last hour and a half of their flights. This, after a number of CIA raids of Al Qaeda bases worldwide that uncovered an intricate plot to execute pilots on U.S. bound flights with the aircrafts' DVD copies of Paul Blart: Mall Cop.
Other heightened security measures allegedly being considered:
Placing any individuals named "Ramzi Al-Kaboom" on the no-fly list.
Isolating suspicious looking or acting individuals from the rest of the security checkpoint lines in all airports worldwide and torturing them using repeated 2-hour long loops of the seat belt fastening instructional video used aboard U.S. aircraft.
More crying babies aboard all U.S.-bound and domestic flights. Intelligence reports suggest that Al Qaeda operatives really hate babies and will be forced to disembark the aircraft before take-off.
Posting those little yellow signs in the rear window of all U.S. aircraft, "Bounty Hunter On Board"
On all U.S.-bound and domestic flights, immediately following the seat belt demonstration, a short video will be played featuring David Letterman's "Top 10 Reasons Not to Blow Up This Aircraft."
Waterboarding the shit out of every Homeland Security employee until they come up with better fucking ideas.
It's also rumored that Doritos is sponsoring a contest for which people can submit their own ideas for new security measures. The winning contestant will be selected by none other than Osama Bin Laden himself, and will immediately be appointed new acting chief of Homeland Security. Bin Laden is expected to release a video with further details shortly.
So rest assured ladies and germs, your safety is in good hands. U.S. Homeland Security is on the case. Next week, we will have a special CIA panel assembled to discuss ways we can better broadcast all of our planned military operations across all the worldwide television news feeds.
Happy New Year!
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Top 210 Songs of the Decade 30-1
So it's been a long ten years, yet at the same time, it seems like just yesterday we were stocking up on non-perishable food in preparation for the Y2K disaster. But here we are, a mere 5 midnights away from 2010. And I have just one question...where are those damn flying cars already? Anyway, we've finally made it to the end of my Top 210 Songs of the Decade list. Now children all over the world can finally sleep, the angels can sing, and we can all get back to our daily lives. I hope you've enjoyed reading about artists and songs you've never heard of. Maybe one or two of you (read: everyone reading my blog) have even checked out some of the songs and (gasp!) agreed with my assessment. In any case, here are the lucky 30...the songs that topped off the soundtrack to MY 00's (still haven't figured out how to refer to that darn decade, huh? well, are we entering the 10's or the teens now?). The descriptions here are deservedly a little lengthier than in past entries, so settle in. Here's to another ten years of great music...
30. Def Leppard - Now (only appropriate to begin the last post with my favorite band of all time...this was the awesome first single from their poppier, yet under appreciated album, X)
29. Shinedown - Burning Bright (Shinedown has actually gained more commercial relevance with their successive two albums, but in line with my typical nature of going against the grain, I think it's their debut CD, Leave a Whisper, that remains their best...this song is actually only the SECOND-highest from them on my list)
28. Jason Wade - You Belong to Me (if anyone mentions Taylor Swift, I will heave - this is a different song from the 1950's that has been covered by many artists over the years...here, the amazing Jason Wade from the band, Lifehouse, gives his lilting take for the Shrek soundtrack)
27. Gas Giants - I Hope My Kids Like Marilyn Manson (Robin Wilson of Gin Blossoms fame has tongue firmly planted in cheek for this ode to anyone who anyone who does it their own damn way...due to record label hell, the Giants' one-off CD, From Beyond the Backburner was relegated to being a weakly supported indie release, but remains one of the great overlooked gems of the decade)
26. Tyrone Wells - More (may have mentioned it before but it's worth repeating - discovered this incredible singer-songwriter accidentally at the 2009 South by Southwest Music Festival...if you haven't listened to his album Remain, go do it)
25. Glen Phillips - Courage (first saw the Toad the Wet Sprocket frontman do this one acoustic at a Toad show, long before he released his little-known but classic album, Winter Pays for Summer, on which the recorded version first appeared - to say this guy knows his way around a melody is an understatement...still, not his last appearance on my list)
24. Disturbed - Land of Confusion (not easy to remake what was a top 5 hit and breathe new life into it, but Disturbed rock their faces off, transforming the 80's Genesis hit, and almost making me forget about that creepy Ronald Reagan puppet/cartoon figure from the old video)
23. Theory of a Deadman - Better Off (as with their modern rock comrades, Shinedown, my album preference doesn't coincide with ToaD's commercial success...I think 2005's Gasoline was a solid rocker, this single being the best of the bunch)
22. Kelly Clarkson - Since U Been Gone (I was late jumping on the Kelly bandwagon, and it was this in your face kiss-off that grabbed my attention when she did it a cappella on VH1...I instantly realized that despite my shunning of all things Idol, this girl had TALENT...and certain other admirable attributes, which we won't get into here)
21. Daughtry - What About Now (speaking of Idol, how ironic that another alum has become one of my favorite rock acts - this one is a classic)
20. David Cook - Light On - (Idol, we must stop meeting like this...Soundgarden's/Audioslave's Chris Cornell co-wrote this rock ballad and Cook sings the crap out of it - I unfortunately wasn't as impressed with the rest of Cook's debut CD, but this one will be on repeat for years to come)
19. Shinedown - Fly From the Inside (their first ever single, and in my opinion, still their best - crank it up in the car)
18. Phil Collins - Can't Stop Loving You (Collins long ago left his chart domination behind, but he continued to have bursts of success with soundtrack contributions and this adult contemporary hit, which I didn't know until just now, was a British top 10 score for Leo Sayer in the 70's - Collins' best since the late 80's/early 90's)
17. Aimee Mann - Wise Up (I had already been a big fan of the Til Tuesday singer's solo work when she was tabbed to provide the musical backbone to the 1999 flick Magnolia - possibly my favorite movie of that decade - and although many found it to be goofy and sappy, one of the most emotionally gripping scenes in the film was a montage of several characters singing passages from this jolting ballad...the lyrics are simple but pack a punch, and made this the best use of a song I've ever seen on screen)
16. Nada Surf - Always Love (some will remember this band's quirky 90's hit "Popular" - along with this one, still the only two songs of theirs I know, but they score some major pop/rock cred in my book with this one...check it out)
15. Default - Count On Me (Nickelback's Chad Kroeger discovered this Canadian band and they scored a modern rock hit in 2002 with "Wasting My Time" - that was pretty much the end of their success in the States, but this Kroeger-penned track blows away anything else I've heard from them...or Nickelback, for that matter)
14. Will Owsley - Upside Down (a seeming pop/rock genius who unfortunately has left a scarcity of original material for us to enjoy - he released this track as a double-sided single with another song on my list, "Psycho" in an exclusive deal with iTunes, and promptly dropped off the face of the Earth)
13. Helloween - If I Could Fly (I had heard of these guys back in the heyday of hair metal, but I didn't truly "discover" them until many years later, after this 2000 barrage of rock bombast had already been released...an acquired taste indeed, but the piano riff and guitar crunch seal the deal for me...a classic highway rocker)
12. Semisonic - Chemistry (I saw these guys open for Sheryl Crow sometime in the 90's, and as good as Crow was, they upstaged her - Dan Wilson is, as I mentioned before, with few equals in pop/rock songwriting...this one presents a fun analogy between exploits in the laboratory and exploits in relationships - "...and we found out that the two things we put together had a bad tendency to explode." Indeed.)
11. Angie Aparo - Spaceship (the first single that was intended to catapult this Atlanta singer-songwriter to stardom...video on VH1, touring with Matchbox Twenty...alas stardom was not to come and he had to "settle" for Faith Hill's aforementioned hit cover of the song "Cry," also off his 2000 album The American. Yet STILL not his top mention on my list)
THE TOP TEN
10. Glen Phillips - True (a collaboration with the earlier exalted Dan Wilson...doesn't get better than this)
9. Mike Garrigan - Another Day in Paradise (so hard to choose one favorite from Garrigan, one of the best singer-songwriters of the past two decades...ask me again in ten years, and I may pick a different song of his)
8. Live - Run to the Water (the Pennsylvania rockers have inexplicably had true chart success evade them since the early/mid-90's...don't let their 1999 album The Distance to Here go overlooked though...this single from that collection stomped onto my personal playlist when it was released in the early days of this decade...when you're done, go listen to every album they've put out since then - there are three, and they're all great)
7. Papa Roach - Last Resort (easily the most commercially accessible song in my Top Ten...modern rock perfection)
6. Revis - Caught in the Rain (discovered this first single via a baseball computer game...as I mentioned before, after releasing what I considered to be a classic first album, these guys disbanded - this one shakes you like thunder from your stereo)
5. Joey Tempest - Forgiven (the Europe frontman escapes his hair band days by crafting what can only be described as a perfect pop/rock album, his solo work more in the singer/songwriter vein - makes you forget that this guy ever stood on a table and shouted ROCK THE NIGHT in a cheesy 80's video...his 2002 album, Joey Tempest, is available used for $9 on Amazon - or you can just ask me for a copy)
4. Collapsis - October (my introduction to Mike Garrigan, and I haven't looked back since...contains the best use of the word "couscous" in any song to date...but seriously folks, go to mikegarrigan.com or look up his solo stuff and this band on iTunes...do it)
3. Bad Religion - New America (admittedly not a HUGE fan of this legendary punk band, but I have to say, when they get it right, they get it right...this one is a clarion call through the megaphone of rock music to all Americans that we can't rest on our laurels if we want to achieve true happiness and peace - so many resonant lyrical passages here, but perhaps one of the most telling is, "You can live in staunch denial and mark me as your enemy. But I'm just a voice among the throng who want a brighter destiny." Amazing this was written ten years ago, huh?
2. Nina Gordon - Tonight and the Rest of My Life (what's truly amazing about this song, is that it actually made it onto pop radio and STILL didn't become a smash hit...I mean, what does a singer/songwriter have to do? If it were possible to paint a dream and then sing the painting, this reverie-like melody would almost surely be the result. I got a jolt when Gordon, the seething 90's rocker chick, transformed herself overnight into a Sarah McLachlan-come-lately...especially because she out McLachlan-ed McLachlan in every way. All I can say is, please come back Nina. I want more.
NUMBER ONE
When I started the arduous task of compiling this list in 2006, I honestly had no idea what my number one song would be - or even if it had been released yet. It had. After sifting through all the music of the 6+ years previous, it came as little surprise to me that my favorite currently-working singer-songwriter came out on top. What was somewhat surprising, and what gave me pause, is that my number one was not an original song. Was it right for a cover song to top my chart? Well, being that nobody besides me was ever intended to see this, I didn't give it much further thought, and no song since has given me reason to change this ranking.
Angie Aparo - Champagne Supernova (As I stated before, it takes a certain talent to take a song that was previously a huge hit by another artist and transform it in a way that makes it fresh, improves upon the original, keeps it relevant, etc. Since Aparo's take on Elton John's "Rocket Man" had previously blown me away, I assumed that was the best it could get. Then he released his full album of mostly covers, One With the Sun, and included this Oasis track. To call it mesmerizing would be a gross understatement. As much as I loved the original, this one made me completely forget that the song existed before Aparo. That's an achievement in remaking others' works that can be reached by few. Sadly, for me, Aparo, after his next original album, 2003's For Stars and Moon, largely dropped off the recording scene. I was lucky enough, though, to catch him live one more time in San Francisco a couple years ago, and that performance only reaffirmed his place in my personal music stack as the true #1. Again, for those in the Southeast, or NY areas, where he most frequently performs, keep your eyes out. An Aparo show is something you don't want to miss. Until then, you can find the covers album along with his 2000 classic, The American, on iTunes, and the aforementioned For Stars and Moon used on Amazon. For his amazing independent debut, Out of the Everywhere, along with a boatload of unreleased tracks, you'll have to snag a burned disc from me. All could not be recommended highly enough.
Thanks for reading, and hopefully listening. Happy New Year and an amazing 2010 to everyone.
30. Def Leppard - Now (only appropriate to begin the last post with my favorite band of all time...this was the awesome first single from their poppier, yet under appreciated album, X)
29. Shinedown - Burning Bright (Shinedown has actually gained more commercial relevance with their successive two albums, but in line with my typical nature of going against the grain, I think it's their debut CD, Leave a Whisper, that remains their best...this song is actually only the SECOND-highest from them on my list)
28. Jason Wade - You Belong to Me (if anyone mentions Taylor Swift, I will heave - this is a different song from the 1950's that has been covered by many artists over the years...here, the amazing Jason Wade from the band, Lifehouse, gives his lilting take for the Shrek soundtrack)
27. Gas Giants - I Hope My Kids Like Marilyn Manson (Robin Wilson of Gin Blossoms fame has tongue firmly planted in cheek for this ode to anyone who anyone who does it their own damn way...due to record label hell, the Giants' one-off CD, From Beyond the Backburner was relegated to being a weakly supported indie release, but remains one of the great overlooked gems of the decade)
26. Tyrone Wells - More (may have mentioned it before but it's worth repeating - discovered this incredible singer-songwriter accidentally at the 2009 South by Southwest Music Festival...if you haven't listened to his album Remain, go do it)
25. Glen Phillips - Courage (first saw the Toad the Wet Sprocket frontman do this one acoustic at a Toad show, long before he released his little-known but classic album, Winter Pays for Summer, on which the recorded version first appeared - to say this guy knows his way around a melody is an understatement...still, not his last appearance on my list)
24. Disturbed - Land of Confusion (not easy to remake what was a top 5 hit and breathe new life into it, but Disturbed rock their faces off, transforming the 80's Genesis hit, and almost making me forget about that creepy Ronald Reagan puppet/cartoon figure from the old video)
23. Theory of a Deadman - Better Off (as with their modern rock comrades, Shinedown, my album preference doesn't coincide with ToaD's commercial success...I think 2005's Gasoline was a solid rocker, this single being the best of the bunch)
22. Kelly Clarkson - Since U Been Gone (I was late jumping on the Kelly bandwagon, and it was this in your face kiss-off that grabbed my attention when she did it a cappella on VH1...I instantly realized that despite my shunning of all things Idol, this girl had TALENT...and certain other admirable attributes, which we won't get into here)
21. Daughtry - What About Now (speaking of Idol, how ironic that another alum has become one of my favorite rock acts - this one is a classic)
20. David Cook - Light On - (Idol, we must stop meeting like this...Soundgarden's/Audioslave's Chris Cornell co-wrote this rock ballad and Cook sings the crap out of it - I unfortunately wasn't as impressed with the rest of Cook's debut CD, but this one will be on repeat for years to come)
19. Shinedown - Fly From the Inside (their first ever single, and in my opinion, still their best - crank it up in the car)
18. Phil Collins - Can't Stop Loving You (Collins long ago left his chart domination behind, but he continued to have bursts of success with soundtrack contributions and this adult contemporary hit, which I didn't know until just now, was a British top 10 score for Leo Sayer in the 70's - Collins' best since the late 80's/early 90's)
17. Aimee Mann - Wise Up (I had already been a big fan of the Til Tuesday singer's solo work when she was tabbed to provide the musical backbone to the 1999 flick Magnolia - possibly my favorite movie of that decade - and although many found it to be goofy and sappy, one of the most emotionally gripping scenes in the film was a montage of several characters singing passages from this jolting ballad...the lyrics are simple but pack a punch, and made this the best use of a song I've ever seen on screen)
16. Nada Surf - Always Love (some will remember this band's quirky 90's hit "Popular" - along with this one, still the only two songs of theirs I know, but they score some major pop/rock cred in my book with this one...check it out)
15. Default - Count On Me (Nickelback's Chad Kroeger discovered this Canadian band and they scored a modern rock hit in 2002 with "Wasting My Time" - that was pretty much the end of their success in the States, but this Kroeger-penned track blows away anything else I've heard from them...or Nickelback, for that matter)
14. Will Owsley - Upside Down (a seeming pop/rock genius who unfortunately has left a scarcity of original material for us to enjoy - he released this track as a double-sided single with another song on my list, "Psycho" in an exclusive deal with iTunes, and promptly dropped off the face of the Earth)
13. Helloween - If I Could Fly (I had heard of these guys back in the heyday of hair metal, but I didn't truly "discover" them until many years later, after this 2000 barrage of rock bombast had already been released...an acquired taste indeed, but the piano riff and guitar crunch seal the deal for me...a classic highway rocker)
12. Semisonic - Chemistry (I saw these guys open for Sheryl Crow sometime in the 90's, and as good as Crow was, they upstaged her - Dan Wilson is, as I mentioned before, with few equals in pop/rock songwriting...this one presents a fun analogy between exploits in the laboratory and exploits in relationships - "...and we found out that the two things we put together had a bad tendency to explode." Indeed.)
11. Angie Aparo - Spaceship (the first single that was intended to catapult this Atlanta singer-songwriter to stardom...video on VH1, touring with Matchbox Twenty...alas stardom was not to come and he had to "settle" for Faith Hill's aforementioned hit cover of the song "Cry," also off his 2000 album The American. Yet STILL not his top mention on my list)
THE TOP TEN
10. Glen Phillips - True (a collaboration with the earlier exalted Dan Wilson...doesn't get better than this)
9. Mike Garrigan - Another Day in Paradise (so hard to choose one favorite from Garrigan, one of the best singer-songwriters of the past two decades...ask me again in ten years, and I may pick a different song of his)
8. Live - Run to the Water (the Pennsylvania rockers have inexplicably had true chart success evade them since the early/mid-90's...don't let their 1999 album The Distance to Here go overlooked though...this single from that collection stomped onto my personal playlist when it was released in the early days of this decade...when you're done, go listen to every album they've put out since then - there are three, and they're all great)
7. Papa Roach - Last Resort (easily the most commercially accessible song in my Top Ten...modern rock perfection)
6. Revis - Caught in the Rain (discovered this first single via a baseball computer game...as I mentioned before, after releasing what I considered to be a classic first album, these guys disbanded - this one shakes you like thunder from your stereo)
5. Joey Tempest - Forgiven (the Europe frontman escapes his hair band days by crafting what can only be described as a perfect pop/rock album, his solo work more in the singer/songwriter vein - makes you forget that this guy ever stood on a table and shouted ROCK THE NIGHT in a cheesy 80's video...his 2002 album, Joey Tempest, is available used for $9 on Amazon - or you can just ask me for a copy)
4. Collapsis - October (my introduction to Mike Garrigan, and I haven't looked back since...contains the best use of the word "couscous" in any song to date...but seriously folks, go to mikegarrigan.com or look up his solo stuff and this band on iTunes...do it)
3. Bad Religion - New America (admittedly not a HUGE fan of this legendary punk band, but I have to say, when they get it right, they get it right...this one is a clarion call through the megaphone of rock music to all Americans that we can't rest on our laurels if we want to achieve true happiness and peace - so many resonant lyrical passages here, but perhaps one of the most telling is, "You can live in staunch denial and mark me as your enemy. But I'm just a voice among the throng who want a brighter destiny." Amazing this was written ten years ago, huh?
2. Nina Gordon - Tonight and the Rest of My Life (what's truly amazing about this song, is that it actually made it onto pop radio and STILL didn't become a smash hit...I mean, what does a singer/songwriter have to do? If it were possible to paint a dream and then sing the painting, this reverie-like melody would almost surely be the result. I got a jolt when Gordon, the seething 90's rocker chick, transformed herself overnight into a Sarah McLachlan-come-lately...especially because she out McLachlan-ed McLachlan in every way. All I can say is, please come back Nina. I want more.
NUMBER ONE
When I started the arduous task of compiling this list in 2006, I honestly had no idea what my number one song would be - or even if it had been released yet. It had. After sifting through all the music of the 6+ years previous, it came as little surprise to me that my favorite currently-working singer-songwriter came out on top. What was somewhat surprising, and what gave me pause, is that my number one was not an original song. Was it right for a cover song to top my chart? Well, being that nobody besides me was ever intended to see this, I didn't give it much further thought, and no song since has given me reason to change this ranking.
Angie Aparo - Champagne Supernova (As I stated before, it takes a certain talent to take a song that was previously a huge hit by another artist and transform it in a way that makes it fresh, improves upon the original, keeps it relevant, etc. Since Aparo's take on Elton John's "Rocket Man" had previously blown me away, I assumed that was the best it could get. Then he released his full album of mostly covers, One With the Sun, and included this Oasis track. To call it mesmerizing would be a gross understatement. As much as I loved the original, this one made me completely forget that the song existed before Aparo. That's an achievement in remaking others' works that can be reached by few. Sadly, for me, Aparo, after his next original album, 2003's For Stars and Moon, largely dropped off the recording scene. I was lucky enough, though, to catch him live one more time in San Francisco a couple years ago, and that performance only reaffirmed his place in my personal music stack as the true #1. Again, for those in the Southeast, or NY areas, where he most frequently performs, keep your eyes out. An Aparo show is something you don't want to miss. Until then, you can find the covers album along with his 2000 classic, The American, on iTunes, and the aforementioned For Stars and Moon used on Amazon. For his amazing independent debut, Out of the Everywhere, along with a boatload of unreleased tracks, you'll have to snag a burned disc from me. All could not be recommended highly enough.
Thanks for reading, and hopefully listening. Happy New Year and an amazing 2010 to everyone.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Top 210 Songs of the Decade 60-31
We're getting ever so close...I know you're all excited!
60. Pete Yorn - Strange Condition (singer-songwriter...released this great song, then kind of lost me after that)
59. Bad Religion - Broken (punk rock)
58. Avril Lavigne - Naked (this is one instance where I broke my rule that I would only include songs that were released as commercial singles if they were by an artist whose songs were played on radio...this was the best song on Avril's debut CD, and best she's done since)
57. Maroon 5 - Won't Go Home Without You
56. Jonathan Kingham - Grace (only know this guy from seeing him open for Glen Phillips...great song, but according to my sister, who bought his CD at the show, the rest of it is crap)
55. Anna Nalick - Shine (this singer-songwriter inexplicably dropped off the face of the Earth after this song was released as the first single off her upcoming album...it's still "upcoming" after 2 years - probably record label red tape? Anyway, really talented at mixing great lyrics with catchy hooks - plus, she's smokin')
54. Alkaline Trio - Mercy Me (accidentally stumbled across this rock gem just this year, even though it came out 4 years ago)
53. Weezer - Pork & Beans
52. Unbroken (Hotel Baby) - Monster Magnet (I don't even know how to describe Monster Magnet...they have a few great songs...check out Negasonic Teenage Warhead or Powertrip from the 90's)
51. Poison - I Never Cry (a remake of an Alice Cooper song I had never heard of...awesome)
50. Augustana - Sweet and Low (one of the standout tracks off of my favorite album of last year)
49. +44 - When Your Heart Stops Beating (one of two bands to rise from the ashes of the previously broken up Blink-182 (the other being Angels and Airwaves) - this album was great...wasn't so crazy about A&A...now Blink is back together, so I guess that's it from these guys)
48. Leona Lewis - Run (how Bleeding Love and Better in Time were huge hits and this Snow Patrol cover wasn't even originally included on her debut CD is beyond me...as is the fact that this didn't make it on radio - the only song that appears on my list by two different artists)
47. A Fine Frenzy - Almost Lover (I could probably make an argument (with myself?) for this to be as high as the Top 10...a lesson in perfect pop balladry)
46. The Alternate Routes - Time is a Runaway (an overlooked pop/folk-rock band...their 2007 debut CD was awesome, the follow-up - not so much)
45. Suzie McNeil - Hung Up (one of the "losers" from Rock Star: INXS, but easily the most talented singer of that bunch - somehow couldn't parlay the TV exposure to success in the States - you wouldn't even know her debut CD was released anywhere but Canada...sang her ass off on her first CD - the follow-up didn't impress me much)
44. Natalie Imbruglia - Beauty on the Fire (her 2005 CD, White Lillies Island was a pop masterpiece - one of the best of the decade in my opinion - plus, she is one of the most beautiful humans ever to walk)
43. Nina Gordon - Kiss Me 'Til It Bleeds
42. Jesse Cook w/ Danny Wilde - Fall at Your Feet (world renowned spanish guitar virtuoso accompanied by lead singer of The Rembrandts on vocals on a remake of a Crowded House song...how can you go wrong?)
41. Angie Aparo - Cry (otherwise known as "the Faith Hill song" even though Aparo wrote it...as he explained in concert, his ex-wife is enjoying the royalties from this one)
40. U2 - The Hands that Built America (I'm probably one of the only people on the planet who would count this classic from Martin Scorsese's Gangs of New York as U2's best song of the decade...but I do)
39. Collapsis - Wonderland
38. Mike Garrigan - See You Tonight
37. Lifehouse - Spin
36. Coldplay - Fix You (why does every "Best of" list on Earth count "Clocks" and "The Scientist" as this groups top songs? This one far surpasses any other song they've done in my opinion)
35. Natalie Imbruglia - Wrong Impression (the best from the Aussie princess)
34. Dan Wilson - Breathless (if you haven't listened to Free Life by the ex-Semisonic singer, and you want to know what perfect pop songwriting sounds like, then give it a whirl)
33. Our Lady Peace - Is Anybody Home
32. Glen Phillips - Sleep of the Blessed
31. Fountains of Wayne - Mexican Wine (ah...the fickle nature of the music-listening public - Stacy's Mom goes berzerk and then the band returns to virtual obscurity with this next (and light years better) single)
60. Pete Yorn - Strange Condition (singer-songwriter...released this great song, then kind of lost me after that)
59. Bad Religion - Broken (punk rock)
58. Avril Lavigne - Naked (this is one instance where I broke my rule that I would only include songs that were released as commercial singles if they were by an artist whose songs were played on radio...this was the best song on Avril's debut CD, and best she's done since)
57. Maroon 5 - Won't Go Home Without You
56. Jonathan Kingham - Grace (only know this guy from seeing him open for Glen Phillips...great song, but according to my sister, who bought his CD at the show, the rest of it is crap)
55. Anna Nalick - Shine (this singer-songwriter inexplicably dropped off the face of the Earth after this song was released as the first single off her upcoming album...it's still "upcoming" after 2 years - probably record label red tape? Anyway, really talented at mixing great lyrics with catchy hooks - plus, she's smokin')
54. Alkaline Trio - Mercy Me (accidentally stumbled across this rock gem just this year, even though it came out 4 years ago)
53. Weezer - Pork & Beans
52. Unbroken (Hotel Baby) - Monster Magnet (I don't even know how to describe Monster Magnet...they have a few great songs...check out Negasonic Teenage Warhead or Powertrip from the 90's)
51. Poison - I Never Cry (a remake of an Alice Cooper song I had never heard of...awesome)
50. Augustana - Sweet and Low (one of the standout tracks off of my favorite album of last year)
49. +44 - When Your Heart Stops Beating (one of two bands to rise from the ashes of the previously broken up Blink-182 (the other being Angels and Airwaves) - this album was great...wasn't so crazy about A&A...now Blink is back together, so I guess that's it from these guys)
48. Leona Lewis - Run (how Bleeding Love and Better in Time were huge hits and this Snow Patrol cover wasn't even originally included on her debut CD is beyond me...as is the fact that this didn't make it on radio - the only song that appears on my list by two different artists)
47. A Fine Frenzy - Almost Lover (I could probably make an argument (with myself?) for this to be as high as the Top 10...a lesson in perfect pop balladry)
46. The Alternate Routes - Time is a Runaway (an overlooked pop/folk-rock band...their 2007 debut CD was awesome, the follow-up - not so much)
45. Suzie McNeil - Hung Up (one of the "losers" from Rock Star: INXS, but easily the most talented singer of that bunch - somehow couldn't parlay the TV exposure to success in the States - you wouldn't even know her debut CD was released anywhere but Canada...sang her ass off on her first CD - the follow-up didn't impress me much)
44. Natalie Imbruglia - Beauty on the Fire (her 2005 CD, White Lillies Island was a pop masterpiece - one of the best of the decade in my opinion - plus, she is one of the most beautiful humans ever to walk)
43. Nina Gordon - Kiss Me 'Til It Bleeds
42. Jesse Cook w/ Danny Wilde - Fall at Your Feet (world renowned spanish guitar virtuoso accompanied by lead singer of The Rembrandts on vocals on a remake of a Crowded House song...how can you go wrong?)
41. Angie Aparo - Cry (otherwise known as "the Faith Hill song" even though Aparo wrote it...as he explained in concert, his ex-wife is enjoying the royalties from this one)
40. U2 - The Hands that Built America (I'm probably one of the only people on the planet who would count this classic from Martin Scorsese's Gangs of New York as U2's best song of the decade...but I do)
39. Collapsis - Wonderland
38. Mike Garrigan - See You Tonight
37. Lifehouse - Spin
36. Coldplay - Fix You (why does every "Best of" list on Earth count "Clocks" and "The Scientist" as this groups top songs? This one far surpasses any other song they've done in my opinion)
35. Natalie Imbruglia - Wrong Impression (the best from the Aussie princess)
34. Dan Wilson - Breathless (if you haven't listened to Free Life by the ex-Semisonic singer, and you want to know what perfect pop songwriting sounds like, then give it a whirl)
33. Our Lady Peace - Is Anybody Home
32. Glen Phillips - Sleep of the Blessed
31. Fountains of Wayne - Mexican Wine (ah...the fickle nature of the music-listening public - Stacy's Mom goes berzerk and then the band returns to virtual obscurity with this next (and light years better) single)
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Avatar
So, no sooner did I write a status update on Facebook lamenting how wary I've become about movie reviews, than the film critics decide to get one exactly right. From the varying write-ups I read on James Cameron's long-awaited Avatar, the descriptions and evaluations of the film were mostly spot on. The long and short of it is - the visual nature of the movie is mind-boggling, the script is somewhat of an afterthought.
To say that Avatar is visually stunning would be the understatement of the decade. Being that the decade is over in two weeks, that's saying something. If you are going to see this movie, you absolutely MUST see it in IMAX 3D. I don't know what the regular 3D looks like, but I'm telling you - don't bother unless it's IMAX 3D. This was the first film I'd ever seen in IMAX, and I think my jaw practically hit the soda-stained floor upon the very first scenes. One reviewer, I forget which one, nailed it when he said that somewhere, Brett Ratner, Michael Bay, Roland Emmerich and the rest of the Hollywood action flick elite are peeing their pants because James Cameron just raised the bar for special effects through the roof. Everything - the colors, the creatures, the landscapes - simply mystifying. For that alone, all of the technical crew associated with the film should win every Oscar available. They should probably create new technical Oscars just for Avatar. The one award category in which it will not collect accolades is screenwriting. That's not to say the writing was terrible; it wasn't. The story was just completely overshadowed by the physical beauty of the film. The mythology, the character development, the dramatic turns in the story - they don't suck you in like Star Wars did 30+ years ago. It's not even up for debate as to whether Colonel Miles Quaritch will take a place in film history alongside Darth Vader, or if Jake Sully is this generation's Luke Skywalker. These characters will never pierce pop culture like George Lucas' did. The last quarter of the film was rather silly, actually. And again, that's exactly what was mentioned in some of the reviews.
So is it worth the $15 or whatever it costs near you to see an IMAX 3D film? I'd say yes. It's an experience. And once the movie is out of theaters, the opportunity to have that experience will be gone forever. There's no way watching this one on HBO would even come close to measuring up. I usually laugh when people say they want to go see a film just for the special effects. This is one time when I'm not laughing at that notion.
To say that Avatar is visually stunning would be the understatement of the decade. Being that the decade is over in two weeks, that's saying something. If you are going to see this movie, you absolutely MUST see it in IMAX 3D. I don't know what the regular 3D looks like, but I'm telling you - don't bother unless it's IMAX 3D. This was the first film I'd ever seen in IMAX, and I think my jaw practically hit the soda-stained floor upon the very first scenes. One reviewer, I forget which one, nailed it when he said that somewhere, Brett Ratner, Michael Bay, Roland Emmerich and the rest of the Hollywood action flick elite are peeing their pants because James Cameron just raised the bar for special effects through the roof. Everything - the colors, the creatures, the landscapes - simply mystifying. For that alone, all of the technical crew associated with the film should win every Oscar available. They should probably create new technical Oscars just for Avatar. The one award category in which it will not collect accolades is screenwriting. That's not to say the writing was terrible; it wasn't. The story was just completely overshadowed by the physical beauty of the film. The mythology, the character development, the dramatic turns in the story - they don't suck you in like Star Wars did 30+ years ago. It's not even up for debate as to whether Colonel Miles Quaritch will take a place in film history alongside Darth Vader, or if Jake Sully is this generation's Luke Skywalker. These characters will never pierce pop culture like George Lucas' did. The last quarter of the film was rather silly, actually. And again, that's exactly what was mentioned in some of the reviews.
So is it worth the $15 or whatever it costs near you to see an IMAX 3D film? I'd say yes. It's an experience. And once the movie is out of theaters, the opportunity to have that experience will be gone forever. There's no way watching this one on HBO would even come close to measuring up. I usually laugh when people say they want to go see a film just for the special effects. This is one time when I'm not laughing at that notion.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Top 210 Songs of the Decade 90-61
90. The Season - Where You Are (don't know anything about this band, other than the fact that this song popped up on the free downloads section of the iLike sidebar that is connected to my iTunes...and it's good)
89. Seether - Rise Above This (a great modern rock song from the past couple years)
88. Vertical Horizon - I'm Still Here
87. Juliana Hatfield - Cry in the Dark (a very overlooked singer-songwriter)
86. Jude Cole - Raining on the Moon (see comments at #132)
85. Helloween - We Damn the Night
84. Disturbed - Inside the Fire (modern rock)
83. Live - Sweet Release
82. The Damnwells - I Am a Leaver (favorite song from this Brooklyn band)
81. Sugar Ray - Answer the Phone (not one of their bigger hits, but in my opinion, the best single they've released)
80. Staind - Outside (modern rock)
79. Disturbed - Liberate
78. The Smithereens - She's Got a Way (this band's best work was done in the 80's and 90's, with this one exception)
77. Snow Patrol - Spitting Games
76. Def Leppard - Four Letter Word
75. Marilyn Manson - Personal Jesus (great remake of the Depeche Mode hit)
74. Icehouse - Lay Your Hands on Me (one of my favorite 80's bands who unfortunately has not released an album of original material in quite a long time - but this was the one new track on their remix CD from a few years ago...please come back, Icehouse!)
73. Theory of a Deadman - Since You've Been Gone (modern rock)
72. Lifehouse - Breathing
71. On - Slingshot
70. Dokken - Sunless Days
69. Pat Monahan - Her Eyes (amazing pop tune from the lead singer of Train - just saw them live for the first time, and dang that boy can sayyng!)
68. The Donnas - Take It Off (for some odd reason, I remember exactly where I was when I first heard this song - I was in the car pulling into the parking lot of Palace Station Casino during one of my pre-move Las Vegas trips...I remember thinking wow, who is this...they rock)
67. Angie Aparo - Rocket Man (again, one of my favorite singer-songwriters ever...completely transforms this Elton John classic...incredibly, it's not the best remake he's ever done...stay tuned for that entry later on down the list)
66. Owsley - Rise
65. Gin Blossoms - Learning the Hard Way (I often continue to follow artists long after their commercial success has burned out...and that's why I get to enjoy gems like this pop/rock should-have-been classic)
64. The Exies - Ugly (this was a pretty big modern rock hit, but I still think this band has been largely overlooked)
63. Johnny Cash - Hurt (in one of the most blatant departures from my typical taste in music, I had to include this Cash cover of the Nine Inch Nails hit - funny, since I don't like either Johnny Cash OR Nine Inch Nails very much...this one just worked...and even Rolling Stone agreed with me on this one!)
62. Kelly Clarkson - Behind Those Hazel Eyes (I've slid slightly off the Kelly bandwagon with the last two albums, but her first two had some awesome pop songs...this being one of them. I still hold out hope that she may be my future wife.)
61. Marilyn Manson - The Fight Song (just as a side note, the Manson tune, "Coma White" may very well have made my Top 20, if not for the fact that they never released it as a single...so this is my top entry from Brian Warner and co.)
Stay tuned...
89. Seether - Rise Above This (a great modern rock song from the past couple years)
88. Vertical Horizon - I'm Still Here
87. Juliana Hatfield - Cry in the Dark (a very overlooked singer-songwriter)
86. Jude Cole - Raining on the Moon (see comments at #132)
85. Helloween - We Damn the Night
84. Disturbed - Inside the Fire (modern rock)
83. Live - Sweet Release
82. The Damnwells - I Am a Leaver (favorite song from this Brooklyn band)
81. Sugar Ray - Answer the Phone (not one of their bigger hits, but in my opinion, the best single they've released)
80. Staind - Outside (modern rock)
79. Disturbed - Liberate
78. The Smithereens - She's Got a Way (this band's best work was done in the 80's and 90's, with this one exception)
77. Snow Patrol - Spitting Games
76. Def Leppard - Four Letter Word
75. Marilyn Manson - Personal Jesus (great remake of the Depeche Mode hit)
74. Icehouse - Lay Your Hands on Me (one of my favorite 80's bands who unfortunately has not released an album of original material in quite a long time - but this was the one new track on their remix CD from a few years ago...please come back, Icehouse!)
73. Theory of a Deadman - Since You've Been Gone (modern rock)
72. Lifehouse - Breathing
71. On - Slingshot
70. Dokken - Sunless Days
69. Pat Monahan - Her Eyes (amazing pop tune from the lead singer of Train - just saw them live for the first time, and dang that boy can sayyng!)
68. The Donnas - Take It Off (for some odd reason, I remember exactly where I was when I first heard this song - I was in the car pulling into the parking lot of Palace Station Casino during one of my pre-move Las Vegas trips...I remember thinking wow, who is this...they rock)
67. Angie Aparo - Rocket Man (again, one of my favorite singer-songwriters ever...completely transforms this Elton John classic...incredibly, it's not the best remake he's ever done...stay tuned for that entry later on down the list)
66. Owsley - Rise
65. Gin Blossoms - Learning the Hard Way (I often continue to follow artists long after their commercial success has burned out...and that's why I get to enjoy gems like this pop/rock should-have-been classic)
64. The Exies - Ugly (this was a pretty big modern rock hit, but I still think this band has been largely overlooked)
63. Johnny Cash - Hurt (in one of the most blatant departures from my typical taste in music, I had to include this Cash cover of the Nine Inch Nails hit - funny, since I don't like either Johnny Cash OR Nine Inch Nails very much...this one just worked...and even Rolling Stone agreed with me on this one!)
62. Kelly Clarkson - Behind Those Hazel Eyes (I've slid slightly off the Kelly bandwagon with the last two albums, but her first two had some awesome pop songs...this being one of them. I still hold out hope that she may be my future wife.)
61. Marilyn Manson - The Fight Song (just as a side note, the Manson tune, "Coma White" may very well have made my Top 20, if not for the fact that they never released it as a single...so this is my top entry from Brian Warner and co.)
Stay tuned...
Monday, December 7, 2009
Top 210 Songs of the Decade 120-91
Bored yet?
120. Cold - Suffocate (modern rock)
119. Collapsis - Radio Friendly Girlfriend (lead singer, Mike Garrigan appears on this list solo as well)
118. Collective Soul - How Do You Love
117. Nina Gordon - Now I Can Die
116. Black Lab - Without You (modern rock)
115. Glen Phillips - Always Returning (co-written with The Rembrandts' Danny Wilde)
114. Guster - Amsterdam (guitar pop band from Boston)
113. Gin Blossoms - Long Time Gone
112. The Offspring - Can't Repeat
111. Live - OVercome
110. 3 Doors Down - Let Me Go
109. Mike Garrigan - Sigourney Weaver
108. Guster - Satellite
107. Mika - Erase (standout track from flamboyant, broadway-esque, pop singer)
106. Halestorm - I Get Off (rock chick, Lzzy Hale's amazing vocals drive this modern rock band)
105. Better Than Ezra - Absolutely Still (Better Than Ezra hit #1 on the college charts this week - at #2...Ezra - har har har)
104. Bon Jovi - (You Want to) Make a Memory
103. Guster - One Man Wrecking Machine
102. Saliva - Survival of the Sickest
101. Gin Blossoms - Someday Soon
100. Collective Soul - Counting the Days
99. Vertical Horizon - When You Cry
98. Def Leppard - Long, Long Way to Go
97. Snow Patrol - Run
96. Alanis Morissette - Underneath
95. Candlebox - Stand (great comeback single from 90's modern rock band)
94. Tyrone Wells - In Between the Lines (pop/rock singer-songwriter with an amazing voice - check out his album, Remain)
93. Mark Kano - Walking on Broadway (lead singer of Athenaeum, sometimes singing partner of Mike Garrigan)
92. The Damnwells - 55 Pictures
91. Ken Andrews - Up or Down (lead singer of 90's modern rock band, Failure, and current bands On, and Year of the Rabbit - musical offspring of Beck and Weezer?)
120. Cold - Suffocate (modern rock)
119. Collapsis - Radio Friendly Girlfriend (lead singer, Mike Garrigan appears on this list solo as well)
118. Collective Soul - How Do You Love
117. Nina Gordon - Now I Can Die
116. Black Lab - Without You (modern rock)
115. Glen Phillips - Always Returning (co-written with The Rembrandts' Danny Wilde)
114. Guster - Amsterdam (guitar pop band from Boston)
113. Gin Blossoms - Long Time Gone
112. The Offspring - Can't Repeat
111. Live - OVercome
110. 3 Doors Down - Let Me Go
109. Mike Garrigan - Sigourney Weaver
108. Guster - Satellite
107. Mika - Erase (standout track from flamboyant, broadway-esque, pop singer)
106. Halestorm - I Get Off (rock chick, Lzzy Hale's amazing vocals drive this modern rock band)
105. Better Than Ezra - Absolutely Still (Better Than Ezra hit #1 on the college charts this week - at #2...Ezra - har har har)
104. Bon Jovi - (You Want to) Make a Memory
103. Guster - One Man Wrecking Machine
102. Saliva - Survival of the Sickest
101. Gin Blossoms - Someday Soon
100. Collective Soul - Counting the Days
99. Vertical Horizon - When You Cry
98. Def Leppard - Long, Long Way to Go
97. Snow Patrol - Run
96. Alanis Morissette - Underneath
95. Candlebox - Stand (great comeback single from 90's modern rock band)
94. Tyrone Wells - In Between the Lines (pop/rock singer-songwriter with an amazing voice - check out his album, Remain)
93. Mark Kano - Walking on Broadway (lead singer of Athenaeum, sometimes singing partner of Mike Garrigan)
92. The Damnwells - 55 Pictures
91. Ken Andrews - Up or Down (lead singer of 90's modern rock band, Failure, and current bands On, and Year of the Rabbit - musical offspring of Beck and Weezer?)
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Top 210 Songs of the Decade 150-121
Was in NY for a week, so this section of the list is a little late. The next one will follow on Sunday as scheduled. Check out the song clips (over there ----->) to sample exactly what my crazy taste in music is like.
150. Hinder - Get Stoned (Lips of an Angel was their big, sappy radio hit, but this rocker is 100 times better)
149. Theory of a Deadman - Invisible Man (modern rock)
148. Helloween - I Live For Your Pain (the 80's hair band that never broke through)
147. Fuel - Hemorrhage (In My Hands)
146. Glen Phillips - Thankful (lowest of 5 on my list from the Toad the Wet Sprocket frontman)
145. Gas Giants - Quitter (half of the Gin Blossoms in a side project during GB's hiatus)
144. Athenaeum - Comfort (the band that should have been huge in the late 90's but weren't)
143. Lifehouse - Blind
142. U2 - Walk On
141. Owsley - Be With You
140. Staind - For You (one of the best from Staind - a rocker amongst mostly syrupy radio ballad hits)
139. Collapsis - Automatic (one of the best singer-songwriters out there, Mike Garrigan, fronts this late 90's/early 00's band and lands all over my countdown)
138. Evan & Jaron - Crazy For This Girl (come on, you remember this one)
137. Skillet - Say Goodbye (great ballad from a Christian rock band)
136. Live - Mystery (the lowest of 5 from one of the most underappreciated rock bands of the past two decades)
135. Roland Orzabal - Dandelion (lead singer of Tears for Fears - little known solo album had some great songs)
134. The Bangles - Something That You Said (yes, they made music in the 00's)
133. The Veronicas - When It All Falls Apart
132. Jude Cole - Inhale (great singer-songwriter, now best known for helping launch the career of the band, Lifehouse)
131. Live - The River
130. Mike Garrigan - She Alone
129. Disturbed - Stricken (modern rock)
128. Revis - Seven (the modern rock band that should have been huge, but instead broke up)
127. Kip Winger - Where Will You Go (no laughing)
126. Evanescence - Call Me When I'm Sober
125. Rev Theory - Hell Yeah (great modern rock band)
124. Foo Fighters - Long Road to Ruin
123. Dan Wilson - I Can't Hold You (amazing singer-songwriter, former lead singer of Semisonic (remember "Closing Time"?))
122. Keane - Crystal Ball
121. The Living Things - Let it Rain (one of the few songs on the chart from 2009)
Stay tuned for more on Sunday...
150. Hinder - Get Stoned (Lips of an Angel was their big, sappy radio hit, but this rocker is 100 times better)
149. Theory of a Deadman - Invisible Man (modern rock)
148. Helloween - I Live For Your Pain (the 80's hair band that never broke through)
147. Fuel - Hemorrhage (In My Hands)
146. Glen Phillips - Thankful (lowest of 5 on my list from the Toad the Wet Sprocket frontman)
145. Gas Giants - Quitter (half of the Gin Blossoms in a side project during GB's hiatus)
144. Athenaeum - Comfort (the band that should have been huge in the late 90's but weren't)
143. Lifehouse - Blind
142. U2 - Walk On
141. Owsley - Be With You
140. Staind - For You (one of the best from Staind - a rocker amongst mostly syrupy radio ballad hits)
139. Collapsis - Automatic (one of the best singer-songwriters out there, Mike Garrigan, fronts this late 90's/early 00's band and lands all over my countdown)
138. Evan & Jaron - Crazy For This Girl (come on, you remember this one)
137. Skillet - Say Goodbye (great ballad from a Christian rock band)
136. Live - Mystery (the lowest of 5 from one of the most underappreciated rock bands of the past two decades)
135. Roland Orzabal - Dandelion (lead singer of Tears for Fears - little known solo album had some great songs)
134. The Bangles - Something That You Said (yes, they made music in the 00's)
133. The Veronicas - When It All Falls Apart
132. Jude Cole - Inhale (great singer-songwriter, now best known for helping launch the career of the band, Lifehouse)
131. Live - The River
130. Mike Garrigan - She Alone
129. Disturbed - Stricken (modern rock)
128. Revis - Seven (the modern rock band that should have been huge, but instead broke up)
127. Kip Winger - Where Will You Go (no laughing)
126. Evanescence - Call Me When I'm Sober
125. Rev Theory - Hell Yeah (great modern rock band)
124. Foo Fighters - Long Road to Ruin
123. Dan Wilson - I Can't Hold You (amazing singer-songwriter, former lead singer of Semisonic (remember "Closing Time"?))
122. Keane - Crystal Ball
121. The Living Things - Let it Rain (one of the few songs on the chart from 2009)
Stay tuned for more on Sunday...
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