10) Between the Lines by Stone Temple Pilots - Ever the lyrical mastermind, Scott Weiland has returned to bless us with his wisdom yet again. I mean, who else can come up with the lyrics "You always were my favorite drug, even when we use to take drugs." Classic. First of all I highly doubt that Scott Weiland is not "taking drugs" anymore. What would be the point now? After a good solid 30 years of hardcore drugs you might as well just keep it up to finish your remaining years. Whether or not Weiland has finally kicked his quite impressive drug habit, the song is more than deserving of a top ten showing. I only kid when I doubt Weilands sobriety, I watch Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew so I know anything is possible. I do, however, want to take this opportunity to give a special shout-out to "drugs" without which, we may never have had this rockin' song, or any other Stone Temple Pilots song for that matter. Thank you drugs!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzS590AkE6c
9) Yeah Yeah Yeah by New Politics - This is the second song from New Politics to make the countdown. As I stated in my write up for "Dignity" (#32) the lead singer in this band is out of his mind. He is seriously going to hurt himself while filming one of these videos. If I ever see this guy walking towards me on a sidewalk I will immediately run to the other side of the road..... and not even look both ways. I would take the risk of being crushed by a car before I would let this wacko stroll by me.
Anyway, about the song; this song reminds me of the summer. I remember one time in particular I was bartending down the beach and this song came on the radio. I had just started loving the song and was so excited to hear it while working. It was a real slow day at the beach and I don't think I had more than 5 customers up to that point in the day. The second this song came on about 6 old ladies came to the bar. They all ordered frozen drinks and the stupid Island Oasis machine drowned out the entire song. In between drinks I could catch a glimpse of "Yeah's" here and there, and honestly it only made things worse. Of course I finished the drinks exactly as the song was ending; as the ladies walked away with their delicious drinks and left me alone at the bar to listen to the next song, "Justify My Love" by Madonna, which I HATE with a passion.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=II0uqBUewD0 Enjoy them while the lead singer is still alive!
8) Bushwick Blues by Delta Spirit - As I stated in number 13's "Harold T. Wilkins" there were three songs this year that I had never heard until I started to make this countdown. This is one of them. I have heard of the band Delta Spirit here and there by some DJ's but never by a human in real life.
I was about 5 seconds in to the 30 second sample on itunes and I instantly knew that this song would make the list. Then, when I heard the entire song, I knew right away that it would make the top 20. I listened to it about ten more times in a row and still almost feel bad about not placing it higher than 8. But, I know how I get obsessed with songs and then the magic fades. It would not be fair to songs released in Jan, Feb, Mar etc. in which I still am obsessed with. They have stood the test of time (as far as yearly countdowns are considered) and "Bushwick Blues" has not yet done so. Although I am 100% positive it will. If you do one thing for me for 3:52 seconds, listen to this song. The end is incredible, but you have to listen to the entire song to truly appreciate the end.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADifNNwa1P8 I will accept money, giftcards, or booze as a thank you for introducing you to your future favorite band of all time!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0m3LO8pzfs (Here is the acoustic version for all you hard core fans)
How great is his voice?
7) Mountain Man by Crash Kings - I don't know what I can say about this song. I love every second of it. There is not one part of the song that I don't love. I can not think of any other song that I feel that way about. There is no "one minute" that is bone-chillingly amazing, but the entire song is just amazing. I would say each segment of the song is a 9/10 for me. There are no parts that are a 10/10, but there certainly no parts that are an 8/10. It is kind of strange. I will stop rambling on now because I am sure you all get the point.
This is the second Crash Kings song on the countdown, "You Got Me" was at number 28, and was the song that always came on while I was just about to get out of my car at work. Just thought you might need a reference point.
This song was on repeat in my head as I hiked the Grand Canyon for 5 days in April, and also when I hiked to the top of Mt. Washington in October. Maybe I did both sub-consciously because of the song, who knows?
**** This song was released in 2009, but for some reason WBRU included it in their list of possibilities for this year, and I did NOT rank it on my countdown last year, so it is eligible****
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OvqpNP7dTI (WARNING - This song may initiate strong urges to climb to the top of dangerous mountains, or traverse through death-defying canyons.)
6) Out of the Blue by Julian Casablancas - This is it. My number one song that I just heard last week for the first time. Now, unlike Fanfarlo, and Delta Spirit, I was more familiar with Julian Casablancas. I knew that he is the lead singer of The Strokes, but I had NO IDEA how awesome he was as a solo artist. Why didn't anyone tell me?????????? I feel so left out. I have to admit that The Strokes, The Vines and The Hives, three bands that pretty much came out at the same time and sound very similar, are confusing to me. But, I believe I liked The Strokes the best. Now, I KNOW I like them the best and Julian Casablancas may have moved his way into my top 20 favorite people of all time. I heard the 30 second sample of this song, and immediately purchased the entire CD from Itunes. Imagine that. Hearing 30 seconds of one song, and loving it that much as to blindly buy the album. Tell me you are not curious as to how awesome this song is. I dare you to NOT listen to this song.
This song would EASILY be number one if not for the same reason "Bushwick Blues" was not higher than #8. It has not stood the test of time YET. However, if I don't like this song in 6 months, somebody please shoot me because I am clearly on life-support and don't know what I am thinking.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=849PNCwCqKA
I was just kidding when I dared everyone to NOT listen to this song. PLEASE listen to it.
5) F You by Cee-Lo - I am as shocked as you are that a guy that looks like Biggie Smalls and sings a song called F**k You is my number 5 favorite song of 2010. It is by far the catchiest song of the year and will probably be between 1-3 on almost all countdowns. It is amazing that this song is edited on the radio and still is so wildly popular. I think the song is hilarious, so fun, and impossible to get out of your head. This song takes the title away from Lenny Kravitz as my all time favorite song by an African American guy. Lenny Kraitz previously held the position with "Always" at number 1,435.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pc0mxOXbWIU
Get Ready For a Shocker!!!!! For all of you that thought you 100% knew what my number 1 song of the year was going to be..... well guess again!!!!!!!!
Number 4.......
This is ABSOLUTELY NO reflection on the person he is......
He is still my second favorite person of all time behind Jesus...........
But...............
4) Crossfire by Brandon Flowers - I will give you all time to recover from what is sure to be the most shocking news you have heard all month. (If you know me personally.)
OK, let me explain myself. I do not think there is a bigger Brandon Flowers fan on the planet than me. I almost hope that I never meet him because I think I would be crying like a little girl at an N'Sync concert, which would be extremely embarrassing. (I just got an image in my head that I met Brandon Flowers in like 40 years, and we are both 70 year old men, and I am crying while shaking his hand. I don't know why but I am laughing hysterically at the thought of that.)
For those of you that I hate and do not know who Brandon Flowers is, he is the lead singer of The Killers. Last year the Killers decided to go on a hiatus for a year or so. During this time Brandon Flowers decided to go solo and release the CD Flamigo, which (SPOILER ALERT) might be my third favorite CD of all time (my brother just dropped dead.)
His only release so far from the CD is "Crossfire." There are no words to explain how much I love the song, the video, and everything about Brandon Flowers, but "Crossfire" is probably my 7th or 8th favorite song on the CD. I have to be fair and un bias when making my countdowns and as much as it kills me to not put Brandon Flowers and anything related to him at the top spot of ANY countdown, it is only fair to the other three songs that I guess I, begrudgingly, love more than "Crossfire."
That said, should Brandon release another song or two from Flamingo in 2011 don't even bother reading my 2011 countdown because you know what number 1 is going to be.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AhU12zC8fc
(Does anyone else's youtube have a shirtless Jared Leto staring at Brandon Flowers in amazement? That might be the funniest thing I have ever seen.)
Last comment I will make about placing Brandon Flowers at #4. I feel like I feel when I rooted against the Redskins one time because it meant I was going to win my fantasy football match-up; (I have done this ONE time while bartending and will never forgive myself) - a traitor.
3) This is War by 30 Seconds to Mars - OK. That is REALLY weird. I forgot that #3 was Jared Leto's band when I wrote the last comment about Jared Leto staring at Brandon Flowers on youtube. Now it is even funnier.
I wrote a few days back that the song "Resistance" by Muse was one of two songs of the countdown that I consider to be Epic. This is the other one. This song is perfect.
A Brilliant poster on youtube made a comment about this song saying "This song cant be loud enough." That might be the truest statement I have ever heard about a song. Ever. If I was ever listening to this song and someone said to me "can you turn that down a little, it is too loud" I would punch them in the face, and I am not a violent person. I might even punch them in the face twice.
There is nothing else to say. For some reason I do not think they have a official video for this song, which I am really confused about. But you can certainly hear it here. (haha homophones.) hear/here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMAVLXk9QWA
Before I move on to two (more homophones.) Has anybody ever seen the movie Sophie's Choice starring Meryl Streep. SPOILER ALERT (from a 1982 movie) Basically Streep was sent to Auschwitz with her son and daughter. Upon arriving at Auschwitz an officer told Sophie she had to make a choice; one of her children could live, the other must die. At first she refused to make the choice. The officer then said that if she could not make a decision they would BOTH die. Within a few seconds Sophie had to make the toughest decision known to man, save her son, or save her daughter. I will not ruin the entire movie, but lets just say she made the right choice.
Anyway, I felt EXACTLY like Sophie must have felt when I was forced to make the decision between these final 2 songs as to which would win and which would be the runner up. I was going to have both win at first (much like Sophie) but a voice in my head kept saying I MUST choose one. A decision HAD to be made, maybe it was made hastily, but much like Sophie I will have to live with this decision for the rest of my life. Lets just hope it is the right one. I feel your pain Sophie!
2) Little Lion Man by Mumford and Sons - I can not say this song is not as great as the number 1 song, because it is. There is NOTHING wrong with this song. It is a classic. It has opened me up to a whole new style of music. I have never heard anyone say anything but amazing things about this song. It came on about 5-6 times a day at the beach and I never had a customer complain about it, like they do about almost every other song. It is brilliant, it is genius, it is poetic, it is everything that I love about all 48 previous song combined into one perfect song. You know it, you love it. If you do not own this CD. Stop reading this list, go to your local music store and buy it now. You will not be sorry. Or you could just open your itunes and download it and not leave your house/work.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLJf9qJHR3E (There are no words in the English language to describe minutes 2:49 - 3:59)
1) Animal by Neon Trees - Like I said when I was ranking their first showing on the list 1983 (#18) Neon Trees are really reminding me of early Killers, which scares me. I am so obsessed with Third Eye Blind and The Killers that I do not have time in my life to be obsessed with another band. I hope they cut it out with all this craziness and just make really really good music, not music that I compare to either of those two bands. When I saw them in concert it solidified my love for them. This was my anthem this summer and even if I was in the middle of a conversation when this song came on, the convo. would end until this song was over. I would even occasionally leave the bar to turn up the music and force some loyal patrons to be sans alcoholic beverage for a few seconds. The horror!
I am sure most of you know it; I am sure most of you love it. If you don't know it, you will love it. If you don't love it, I don't love you!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qY--Yu4kzz0
BONUS!!!!!!!!!!!!
BEST CHRISTMAS SONGS OF 2010.
#3 - I Wish It Was Christmas Today by Julian Casablancas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wS-k66MKgs
#2 - Wish List by Neon Trees
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJVI5lj_by8
#1 - Boots by The Killers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UymN_kjYeFk (Who said they broke up?) Literally speechless, it is like the guy is in my head. Favorite Movie ever, Favorite Band ever, Favorite Mortal Person Ever!
Download ALL three of those songs right now and enjoy them over the holidays! Each year brings new highs and lows to all of us. At least we will always have at least 50 songs each year to get us through!
Merry Christmas! Happy New Year!
NEXT LIST COMING SOON!!!!!!!!
Friday, December 17, 2010
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Favorite Rock Songs of 2010 - #20 - #11
20) Closer to the Edge by 30 Seconds to Mars - Who would have ever guessed that the highlight of Jared Leto's career was NOT going to be playing Jordan Catalano in the early 90's television show "My So Called Life." I think that Jared Leto is my favorite actor-turned-singer of all time (right behind Raven Simone from the Cosby Show and That's So Raven.) As much as I love "Closer to the Edge" it is still BY FAR my second favorite 30 Seconds to Mars song in 2010. Also, I find it very difficult to believe that Jared Leto is going to be 40 next year. He doesn't look at day over 30, which is still very very young.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLqHDhF-O28
19) Worth it All by Fairhaven - Fairhaven, the local band from RI/MA did not just make the countdown (for the second year in a row) because I know the lead singer. They are 2009's Rockhunt winners and came out with a very impressive CD. I met Alan (the lead singer) when we both won tickets to have Sushi with Switchfoot. I even became friends with him and his girlfriend before I knew he was the lead singer of Fairhaven, so therefore they knew I was genuinely a nice, hilarious, fun-to-be-around guy; not simply pretending to be interested in friendship because of his fame. Granted, I would have been hamming it up a little more had I known from the start exactly who he was.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oR2wvrcwUmk (This is not a great LIVE version at all. The song is awesome. Believe me. I highly suggest sampling it and buying it on itunes.)
18) 1983 by Neon Trees - Neon Trees is my favorite new band of 2010. I saw them a couple weeks ago in concert (with OK Go) and they were unbelievable. I was shocked at how much they reminded me of The Killers circa 2003-2004. I just this second found out that the band opened up for The Killers in 2008, which means I have probably seen them many times live. I would not remember them at all though because I am always too excited about seeing The Killers that I am usually doing shots at the bar or something. Apparently Ronnie Vannucci (the drummer from the Killers, and my favorite drummer of all time - tied with Brad Hargraves from Third Eye Blind) played in a band (Attaboy Skip) with the Neon Trees bassist. Hopefully Neon Trees will continue to impress us for years to come and maybe one day (ten years from now) if they are anything remotely close to The Killers or Third Eye Blind, I may even get a Neon Tree tattooed to my body.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfqTUmv4w34 (is it possible to have a band be in your top 10 favorite bands of all time after just 2 released songs? I think yes.)
17) Break Through the Silence by Monty Are I - Monty Are I is the final local band to make the countdown.
They are also doing so for the second year in a row (Last years "One in a Million" came in at #9.) 3/4 of the band went to Cranston West High School in the late 90's. The principal of my school actually had them in class and he said they were all really great kids. I met them at one of their shows and snapped a few pictures with them. We only talked for a few minutes, but they did seem like really cool guys. The entire CD is really good and this is my second favorite song on the CD. Monty Are I (formally knows as Monty's Fan Club) were WBRU's Rock Hunt winners way back in 2002.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mLKvU5xuOk (After watching this video please tell me they are not the best band to come out of RI, ever)
16) In One Ear by Cage the Elephant - Last year "Back Against the Wall" by Cage the Elephant was number 15. For some reason I really like the lead singer's voice. I also love the bands sound of rock/blues/punk. If you listen to the words in this song it really has a lot of meaning behind it. The band looks like they are just a bunch of grungy twenty-somethings, but they are really intelligent. Maybe that is why I like the band so much; I look like a grungy twenty-something, and I, too, am wicked intelligent.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPgWNuUkuA8
15) Lay Me Down by The Dirty Heads - If Jack Johnson and Sublime had a baby, it would be named The Dirty Heads. I am pretty sure that not even 95.5 WBRU knows the name of this band. I listen to an unhealthy about of WBRU throughout the year and I have heard this song at least 100 times on 95.5. I have never once heard a DJ say the name of this band. Anyway, it is a great summer song and makes me think of the beach. I will be kind of shocked if The Dirty Heads have another hit song, for some reason they just seem like one hit wonders to me. But what a wonder this song is!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnuEOYK1Kps
14) You and Your Heart by Jack Johnson -
About this song:
If you haven't heard this song you either: A) Have not turned the radio on since 2009 B) ONLY listen to rap and/or country music C) Are deaf D) Are dead
If you do not like this song you either: A) Hate fun B) Hate smiling C) Hate both D) Hate summer, and all things related to nice, warm weather
Jack Johnson is the second artist (of seven) to have 2 songs makes the 2010 list. Bravo Mr. Johnson.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWVnZAJaq4Q How can you NOT love this guy?
13) Harold T. Wilkins (Or How to Wait for a Very Long Time) by Fanfarlo - OK, I do a lot of research before I create this list. 95.5 has a list of 117 songs that are eligible for this years countdown. If I am not familiar with a song I will sample the song on itunes. If I like what I hear I will search for the video on youtube. Every year I find some gems during this process. This year I found THREE. Yes, 3 songs that I have never heard before last week are now in my top 13 songs of the year. I have basically been listening to only these three songs for the past week and I am obsessed with them. Anyway, this is the first one. I have heard of Fanfarlo before, but I could not tell you anything about them. This song was apparently in the 2010 movie "Going the Distance" whatever that is; so if you saw that movie (which I highly doubt) you might already know this song.
If you watch even 3 of the videos out of all 50, you must watch this so you can hear this song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnR2oVUTPCo
12) I Was A Teenage Anarchist by Against Me! - I did not think that Against Me! could do anything to improve on their last CD, but I was wrong. The song is so simple and to the point, but I can listen to it over and over again and not get sick of it. I have put it on repeat on my itunes many times and just kept listening to it. I just watched the video for the first time and it is great. It is one scene and even simpler than the song, but it is a perfect fit for the song. I even got the chills at one point. Although maybe because it is 60 degrees in my house right now and I am eating frozen grapes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7RUeMCZL3Q
11) The Cave by Mumford and Sons - The ONLY reason this song is not in my top 10 is because I am sticking to my tradition of not allowing two songs by the same band to be in my top 10. Last year I even had to place "Bonfire" by Third Eye Blind at number 11 because "Don't Believe A Word" was number 1.
If you are facebook friends with me you may remember I posted this video about a month ago with the words "The last minute of this song may be one of my favorite minutes of ANY SONG of ALL TIME." The entire song is amazing, but the last minute in particular almost brings me to tears. It is that good.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KkUeRPjc-Y ( If you watch the video the part I am referring to is from 3:17 to 4:00, the amount of passion in all of their faces while singing that part of the song is beyond words.)
And then there were ten........
Oh, and a special Christmas song that I will include in tomorrows finale.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLqHDhF-O28
19) Worth it All by Fairhaven - Fairhaven, the local band from RI/MA did not just make the countdown (for the second year in a row) because I know the lead singer. They are 2009's Rockhunt winners and came out with a very impressive CD. I met Alan (the lead singer) when we both won tickets to have Sushi with Switchfoot. I even became friends with him and his girlfriend before I knew he was the lead singer of Fairhaven, so therefore they knew I was genuinely a nice, hilarious, fun-to-be-around guy; not simply pretending to be interested in friendship because of his fame. Granted, I would have been hamming it up a little more had I known from the start exactly who he was.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oR2wvrcwUmk (This is not a great LIVE version at all. The song is awesome. Believe me. I highly suggest sampling it and buying it on itunes.)
18) 1983 by Neon Trees - Neon Trees is my favorite new band of 2010. I saw them a couple weeks ago in concert (with OK Go) and they were unbelievable. I was shocked at how much they reminded me of The Killers circa 2003-2004. I just this second found out that the band opened up for The Killers in 2008, which means I have probably seen them many times live. I would not remember them at all though because I am always too excited about seeing The Killers that I am usually doing shots at the bar or something. Apparently Ronnie Vannucci (the drummer from the Killers, and my favorite drummer of all time - tied with Brad Hargraves from Third Eye Blind) played in a band (Attaboy Skip) with the Neon Trees bassist. Hopefully Neon Trees will continue to impress us for years to come and maybe one day (ten years from now) if they are anything remotely close to The Killers or Third Eye Blind, I may even get a Neon Tree tattooed to my body.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfqTUmv4w34 (is it possible to have a band be in your top 10 favorite bands of all time after just 2 released songs? I think yes.)
17) Break Through the Silence by Monty Are I - Monty Are I is the final local band to make the countdown.
They are also doing so for the second year in a row (Last years "One in a Million" came in at #9.) 3/4 of the band went to Cranston West High School in the late 90's. The principal of my school actually had them in class and he said they were all really great kids. I met them at one of their shows and snapped a few pictures with them. We only talked for a few minutes, but they did seem like really cool guys. The entire CD is really good and this is my second favorite song on the CD. Monty Are I (formally knows as Monty's Fan Club) were WBRU's Rock Hunt winners way back in 2002.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mLKvU5xuOk (After watching this video please tell me they are not the best band to come out of RI, ever)
16) In One Ear by Cage the Elephant - Last year "Back Against the Wall" by Cage the Elephant was number 15. For some reason I really like the lead singer's voice. I also love the bands sound of rock/blues/punk. If you listen to the words in this song it really has a lot of meaning behind it. The band looks like they are just a bunch of grungy twenty-somethings, but they are really intelligent. Maybe that is why I like the band so much; I look like a grungy twenty-something, and I, too, am wicked intelligent.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPgWNuUkuA8
15) Lay Me Down by The Dirty Heads - If Jack Johnson and Sublime had a baby, it would be named The Dirty Heads. I am pretty sure that not even 95.5 WBRU knows the name of this band. I listen to an unhealthy about of WBRU throughout the year and I have heard this song at least 100 times on 95.5. I have never once heard a DJ say the name of this band. Anyway, it is a great summer song and makes me think of the beach. I will be kind of shocked if The Dirty Heads have another hit song, for some reason they just seem like one hit wonders to me. But what a wonder this song is!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnuEOYK1Kps
14) You and Your Heart by Jack Johnson -
About this song:
If you haven't heard this song you either: A) Have not turned the radio on since 2009 B) ONLY listen to rap and/or country music C) Are deaf D) Are dead
If you do not like this song you either: A) Hate fun B) Hate smiling C) Hate both D) Hate summer, and all things related to nice, warm weather
Jack Johnson is the second artist (of seven) to have 2 songs makes the 2010 list. Bravo Mr. Johnson.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWVnZAJaq4Q How can you NOT love this guy?
13) Harold T. Wilkins (Or How to Wait for a Very Long Time) by Fanfarlo - OK, I do a lot of research before I create this list. 95.5 has a list of 117 songs that are eligible for this years countdown. If I am not familiar with a song I will sample the song on itunes. If I like what I hear I will search for the video on youtube. Every year I find some gems during this process. This year I found THREE. Yes, 3 songs that I have never heard before last week are now in my top 13 songs of the year. I have basically been listening to only these three songs for the past week and I am obsessed with them. Anyway, this is the first one. I have heard of Fanfarlo before, but I could not tell you anything about them. This song was apparently in the 2010 movie "Going the Distance" whatever that is; so if you saw that movie (which I highly doubt) you might already know this song.
If you watch even 3 of the videos out of all 50, you must watch this so you can hear this song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnR2oVUTPCo
12) I Was A Teenage Anarchist by Against Me! - I did not think that Against Me! could do anything to improve on their last CD, but I was wrong. The song is so simple and to the point, but I can listen to it over and over again and not get sick of it. I have put it on repeat on my itunes many times and just kept listening to it. I just watched the video for the first time and it is great. It is one scene and even simpler than the song, but it is a perfect fit for the song. I even got the chills at one point. Although maybe because it is 60 degrees in my house right now and I am eating frozen grapes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7RUeMCZL3Q
11) The Cave by Mumford and Sons - The ONLY reason this song is not in my top 10 is because I am sticking to my tradition of not allowing two songs by the same band to be in my top 10. Last year I even had to place "Bonfire" by Third Eye Blind at number 11 because "Don't Believe A Word" was number 1.
If you are facebook friends with me you may remember I posted this video about a month ago with the words "The last minute of this song may be one of my favorite minutes of ANY SONG of ALL TIME." The entire song is amazing, but the last minute in particular almost brings me to tears. It is that good.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KkUeRPjc-Y ( If you watch the video the part I am referring to is from 3:17 to 4:00, the amount of passion in all of their faces while singing that part of the song is beyond words.)
And then there were ten........
Oh, and a special Christmas song that I will include in tomorrows finale.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Favorite Rock Songs of 2010 - #30 - #21
30) Dog Days Are Over by Florence and the Machine - I have been getting a lot of feedback from people saying that they are not familiar with a lot of the songs in my countdown. Besides my obvious response (you need to listen to 95.5 WBRU more often) I say, "Maybe if you listen to the song, you will know it." I feel that will be the case with this song. You may not know it by the title, but if you have not been hibernating for the past six months you should know this song.
This video is literally like a bad nightmare that I can not escape from, but her voice is awesome. I am embarrassed to say that I have not heard any other song from Florence and the Machine but only time will tell if they can live up to this great tune.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWOyfLBYtuU
29) This Too Shall Pass by OK Go - Not only is this one of my favorite sayings of all time, but this video might crack my top 20 videos of all time. As I have said previously, this list is not about videos, it is about the song. I think that I love the song so much simply because of the title and video, but it is still worthy of a top 30 showing on the list. I recently saw OK Go in concert. My brother seems to think they were the worst band he has ever seen in concert (and we had to listen to that comment throughout the 7 songs we heard them play.) I did not think they were terrible, but they were quite different and I would rather have left the concert then to listen to my brother complain any longer.
No matter how average/terrible they are in concert I still think this song is great and the video is classic. If you have not seen this video, do yourself a favor and watch it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qybUFnY7Y8w ( It is one of the most watched youtube videos of all time, and well deserved.)
28) You Got Me by Crash Kings - For some crazy reason this song would come on the radio about 3-4 times a week just as I was about to get out of my car and walk into work. Because I have a slight case of OCD I would wait in my car and pretend I was doing something until the song was over. I would ALWAYS shut the car off the second the song was over because if I loved the next song I would have to listen to it too and then I would be late to work. It takes me about 15 seconds to walk from my car to my classroom, but God forbid I miss the first 15 seconds of a song that I can play at any given time on my itunes. Anyway, this song reminds me of sitting in my car in the parking lot at work (at 7:35 in the morning) and pretending that I was looking for something important (as if I have anything important in my car) and covering my mouth as I sang along in case anyone was looking at me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31twJwf9PTA
27) At Or With Me by Jack Johnson - I bet you no more than 3 people that will read this will know this song by its name. I did not even know the name of this song and I own the vinyl AND the CD for some reason. This is by far the most fun song of the year and it reminds me of summer (which makes me sad right now because it is 17 degrees out and I am typing this while wearing a Snuggie.
For some reason the video really made me laugh, but maybe it is just because I had one too many glasses of wine tonight! Hahahahahahahaha
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vM_10MzkX6k
26) Tighten Up by The Black Keys - This will probably make most top 10 lists for songs this year, but it did not crack my top 25. I really like it, and I really like the band, however, I just could not rank it any higher than this. For some reason I got kind of sick of it. If I made this list in June it may have made my top 5, but it is now December and I have heard it so many times that if I did not hear it for another 6 months I would be just fine. I do, however, really like it, and this was the year that I fell in (really like a lot, but not LOVE) with the Black Keys.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpaPBCBjSVc
25) Beautiful Thieves by AFI - When I first started creating this list "Beautiful Thieves" was meant to be around 45 - 50. The more I listened to it, the more I kept moving it up higher and higher. It is one of the underdogs of the list (the Sanjaya Malankar if you will) of 2010. OK, not the Sanjaya because Sanjaya sucked and this song certainly does not, but this song is like the Holly from Survivor Nicaragua. I really thought it was going to go real early because it was kind of weird at first, but as time went on I ended up really rooting for it and happy it made it this far. Congratulations "Beautiful Thieves", AFI, and Holly!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vz__wHVCNng (Spoiler Alert: Every person in the video dies except for the band) Nobody was going to watch it anyway.
24) Impossible by Anberlin - Words can not describe this song. It is IMPOSSIBLE.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjE_2fFMnG0
23) Sing by My Chemical Romance - My Chemical Romance is the first of seven bands to have two songs on this years countdown (Na Na Na was #37.) Unlike "Na Na Na" it did not take me long at all to really like "Sing." "Na Na Na" is simply a fun, silly song. "Sing" is the complete opposite. It is very ironic that this song appears on the countdown right after "Beautiful Thieves" because in this video I think the only people that DO die is the band. The video is like a mini movie so if you are bored at work grab some popcorn and your favorite alcoholic beverage, kick back and enjoy "Sing."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTgnDLWeeaM
22) Resistance by Muse - There are two songs on the list that I consider Epic. This is one of them. I have heard from people that have attended a Muse concert and almost all of them say it is almost life-changing. I really want to see them live just to see how it changes my life. I am willing to bet I will be the same person walking out of the show that I am walking into the show. I would, however, like to test it out. Muse had a song my 2009 favorite songs list (The Uprising #43) but this song blows "The Uprising" out of the water.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPE9uSFFxrI EPIC!
21) Trippin' Down the Freeway by Weezer - Weezer can do no wrong. I have loved these guys for about 16 years now. That is insane. They surprise me every time they release a new CD and it has a song like this on it. I know that a lot of people love Weezer, but I think they are extremely underrated.
I LOVE when this song comes on the radio when I am driving down I-95. I can not help but blast the song, roll the windows down and sing as loud as I can. (Is I-95 even a freeway? I just realized that I have no idea what a freeway is. Anyway, I-95 certainly feels like a freeway when I am "trippin" on it and this song is on.) This is one of those songs that I don't even care if people are laughing at me singing, I just can not resist.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OallS8SKI0
Top 20 Tomorrow. Who's excited?
This video is literally like a bad nightmare that I can not escape from, but her voice is awesome. I am embarrassed to say that I have not heard any other song from Florence and the Machine but only time will tell if they can live up to this great tune.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWOyfLBYtuU
29) This Too Shall Pass by OK Go - Not only is this one of my favorite sayings of all time, but this video might crack my top 20 videos of all time. As I have said previously, this list is not about videos, it is about the song. I think that I love the song so much simply because of the title and video, but it is still worthy of a top 30 showing on the list. I recently saw OK Go in concert. My brother seems to think they were the worst band he has ever seen in concert (and we had to listen to that comment throughout the 7 songs we heard them play.) I did not think they were terrible, but they were quite different and I would rather have left the concert then to listen to my brother complain any longer.
No matter how average/terrible they are in concert I still think this song is great and the video is classic. If you have not seen this video, do yourself a favor and watch it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qybUFnY7Y8w ( It is one of the most watched youtube videos of all time, and well deserved.)
28) You Got Me by Crash Kings - For some crazy reason this song would come on the radio about 3-4 times a week just as I was about to get out of my car and walk into work. Because I have a slight case of OCD I would wait in my car and pretend I was doing something until the song was over. I would ALWAYS shut the car off the second the song was over because if I loved the next song I would have to listen to it too and then I would be late to work. It takes me about 15 seconds to walk from my car to my classroom, but God forbid I miss the first 15 seconds of a song that I can play at any given time on my itunes. Anyway, this song reminds me of sitting in my car in the parking lot at work (at 7:35 in the morning) and pretending that I was looking for something important (as if I have anything important in my car) and covering my mouth as I sang along in case anyone was looking at me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31twJwf9PTA
27) At Or With Me by Jack Johnson - I bet you no more than 3 people that will read this will know this song by its name. I did not even know the name of this song and I own the vinyl AND the CD for some reason. This is by far the most fun song of the year and it reminds me of summer (which makes me sad right now because it is 17 degrees out and I am typing this while wearing a Snuggie.
For some reason the video really made me laugh, but maybe it is just because I had one too many glasses of wine tonight! Hahahahahahahaha
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vM_10MzkX6k
26) Tighten Up by The Black Keys - This will probably make most top 10 lists for songs this year, but it did not crack my top 25. I really like it, and I really like the band, however, I just could not rank it any higher than this. For some reason I got kind of sick of it. If I made this list in June it may have made my top 5, but it is now December and I have heard it so many times that if I did not hear it for another 6 months I would be just fine. I do, however, really like it, and this was the year that I fell in (really like a lot, but not LOVE) with the Black Keys.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpaPBCBjSVc
25) Beautiful Thieves by AFI - When I first started creating this list "Beautiful Thieves" was meant to be around 45 - 50. The more I listened to it, the more I kept moving it up higher and higher. It is one of the underdogs of the list (the Sanjaya Malankar if you will) of 2010. OK, not the Sanjaya because Sanjaya sucked and this song certainly does not, but this song is like the Holly from Survivor Nicaragua. I really thought it was going to go real early because it was kind of weird at first, but as time went on I ended up really rooting for it and happy it made it this far. Congratulations "Beautiful Thieves", AFI, and Holly!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vz__wHVCNng (Spoiler Alert: Every person in the video dies except for the band) Nobody was going to watch it anyway.
24) Impossible by Anberlin - Words can not describe this song. It is IMPOSSIBLE.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjE_2fFMnG0
23) Sing by My Chemical Romance - My Chemical Romance is the first of seven bands to have two songs on this years countdown (Na Na Na was #37.) Unlike "Na Na Na" it did not take me long at all to really like "Sing." "Na Na Na" is simply a fun, silly song. "Sing" is the complete opposite. It is very ironic that this song appears on the countdown right after "Beautiful Thieves" because in this video I think the only people that DO die is the band. The video is like a mini movie so if you are bored at work grab some popcorn and your favorite alcoholic beverage, kick back and enjoy "Sing."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTgnDLWeeaM
22) Resistance by Muse - There are two songs on the list that I consider Epic. This is one of them. I have heard from people that have attended a Muse concert and almost all of them say it is almost life-changing. I really want to see them live just to see how it changes my life. I am willing to bet I will be the same person walking out of the show that I am walking into the show. I would, however, like to test it out. Muse had a song my 2009 favorite songs list (The Uprising #43) but this song blows "The Uprising" out of the water.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPE9uSFFxrI EPIC!
21) Trippin' Down the Freeway by Weezer - Weezer can do no wrong. I have loved these guys for about 16 years now. That is insane. They surprise me every time they release a new CD and it has a song like this on it. I know that a lot of people love Weezer, but I think they are extremely underrated.
I LOVE when this song comes on the radio when I am driving down I-95. I can not help but blast the song, roll the windows down and sing as loud as I can. (Is I-95 even a freeway? I just realized that I have no idea what a freeway is. Anyway, I-95 certainly feels like a freeway when I am "trippin" on it and this song is on.) This is one of those songs that I don't even care if people are laughing at me singing, I just can not resist.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OallS8SKI0
Top 20 Tomorrow. Who's excited?
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Favorite Songs of 2010 #40 - #31
40) Knights of Bostonia by State Radio - OK. Here is a little behind the scenes information on the making of "Ryan's Countdowns." I listen to each song as I write my little review about it. As I write this and listen to this song, I really regret placing the song this low on the list. It is too late to change now though because it would not be fair to the other songs that already beat this song (I know, I have issues.) Anyway, this video makes me want to sell my condo and move to Boston. If you love Boston, or even like Boston, you might get the chills while watching this video. Also, somebody needs to convince me that the brown haired guy in the band is NOT Kenny from Real World / Road Rules Challenge fame. It has to be him and I refuse to believe otherwise. *
* It is not him, but it really really really looks like him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xWltmskEAM (I just watched it again, and this song could easily have made my top 20.)
39) Your Decision by Alice in Chains - Twenty years ago I would never have believed that 20 years in the future I would be writing a list of my favorite songs from 2010 and include an Alice in Chains song. Crazy. I am not sure if bands in general are just getting uglier and uglier, but there are some ugly guys in this band. Just as Kenny from MTV's challenges was in the last video, I am pretty convinced that the drummer of Alice in Chains in now Severus Snape from Harry Potter. Anyway, Alice in chains had a song on my 2009 list and now made it back on the countdown with "Your Decision." For a bunch of old men that could drop dead any second, they are still rocking.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2D37POA11KY
38) Bending Over Backwards by The Wandas - These guys are from Boston and were the winners of this years Rock Hunt put on by WBRU. I loved this song the first time I heard it, which does not happen all too often. I know this might be a very bold statement, but I think these guys sound VERY MUCH like what I imagine a modern day Beatles might have sounded like. If you don't believe me, listen to the song (which I doubt anyone will. Even though I go out of my way to get the youtube video and attach it to the blog so you don't have to do anything but CLICK on the button below.) I just don't think anybody is watching the videos is all. I'll get over it though. With time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzShq84xb0E
37) Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na) by My Chemical Romance - Yes. That is the official name of the song, 3 Na's followed by 9 Na's in parentheses.
I was so excited when I heard My Chemical Romance was coming out with a new CD. However, when this song was released I was real bummed. I did not like it at all. I don't know if I was just not in a good mood when I heard it, or if I did not feel like being happy, I just did not like it. Now, it is almost impossible for me to not smile when I hear this song. It is real fun. Sometimes I even wish I was in a bad mood just so I could listen to this song and have it put me in a good mood. As is always the case with My Chemical Romance, this video is real cool (not that any of you will watch it.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egG7fiE89IU (Oh and mom, could you put this on my Christmas list, I still don't have the CD. Thanks)
36) Terrible Love by The National - I had no idea who The National was until I went to Uganda last summer. They were one of my roommates favorite bands and we listened to them all the time. I picked up this CD the day it came out and it is still in my car (because it is real good, not because I am lazy and did not bring it inside.) OK, maybe it is in my car for both reasons, but regardless, it is still in my car and I listen to it often. Terrible Love is the COMPLETE opposite of the song Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na.) This is so relaxing that I almost feel like I should not be driving when I listen to it. Terrible Love should come with a warning... Do not operate heavy machinery while listening to the first 3 minutes of "Terrible Love." Hahahahahahaha. God I crack myself up sometimes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUhpzyun8SE
35) Lasso by Phoenix - I remember requesting this CD for Christmas last year from my parents. Much to my chagrin after opening all of my wonderful presents I still was void of my "Wolfgang Amadues Phoenix" CD. The drive to my grandparents house was somber and I kept thinking that I would have to go to FYE the next morning and spend my own hard earned money on the must-have CD. Fast forward ten minutes and I am ripping through my next batch of presents while trying to eye my pile of remaining presents for what looks like a CD. As I am carelessly destroying what I am sure is going to be a sweater from JC Penny I saw it. What did my grandparents...... I mean Santa....... cleverly disguise in a JC Penny clothing box? You guess it. Phoenix's CD "Wolfgang Amadues Phoenix." Crisis averted.
Lasso is AWESOME and so is this CD and so is Phoenix. Thanks Mem and Pop!!!!!!!!!!!!! Love You!!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okbDmEGrCZ8
34) The Sound by Switchfoot - Last October I won yet another WBRU contest. Just weeks after returning from a free Royal Caribbean cruise sponsored by Bud Light, which brought us to a tropical private island for a private show by Dave Matthews Band, I (well, my friend Linda, but she only registered because of me) won something almost just as awesome; Sushi with Switchfoot. Yes. I got to eat raw fish while standing at the Lupos bar with the Switchfoot boys. That night, after dinner, we were in the front row as the common people were allowed to enter Lupos. It was like a CD release tour so they played their entire new CD "Hello Hurricane" from start to finish. The CD is easily in my top 5 CD's from 2009, and the song "Hello Hurricane" might be one of my favorite un-released songs of all time (un-released meaning never played on the radio.) This song, "The Sound" might be my least favorite song on the CD and it is STILL my 34th favorite Rock song of the year. That is how awesome this CD is. (Just for comparison, last year their song "Mess of Me" came in at number 6 for the year! Switchfoot rules.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNQgABsUfK8
(I just watched the video for "The Sound" for the first time, and I forgot how much I really do love the CD. I wish it made my top 20, I am mad at myself again.)
33) Around the Bend by The Asteroids Galaxy Tour - I think I am high from just watching this video. This video belongs in the 70's. WAYYYYYYYY before when I was born. Do you think anyone in this band has ever smoked pot? (Can at least one person watch this video so I am not talking to myself?)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yq-aNkBc2_M
32) Dignity by New Politics - OK the lead singer of this band definitely needs to smoke a little bit of The Asteroids Galaxy Tour's pot. He might be one of the most animated singers I have seen in years. For a little while I felt like I was watching the video for New Kids on the Block's "Hangin Tough" or something. He is going to hurt himself if he does not calm down.
I just heard "Dignity" not too long ago and I really like it a lot. A lot of people are comparing them to Lincoln Park, but I like them way more than Lincoln Park. WAY More.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOJpMr6-cqU
31) Maybe by Sick Puppies - OK. The song is a little cheesy, I know. It sounds EXACTLY like it could be the "voted off" song on American Idol. When I hear the song I always picture the American Idol stage and a crying contestant in the left hand corner of the screen, while the contestant watches moments of their lives in which their dream of possibly amounting to anything was still a reality. I can not believe that this show does this to these poor contestants. They just get the worst news of their lives and then they are forced to watch a montage of some of the best moments of their lives. It is sick and twisted, but I always love it.
Anyway, I dare you to listen to this song and not think of American Idol. You CAN NOT do it. Good song, with a good message, more importantly I love female guitarists, especially hot ones.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFhRowkNrTM
* It is not him, but it really really really looks like him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xWltmskEAM (I just watched it again, and this song could easily have made my top 20.)
39) Your Decision by Alice in Chains - Twenty years ago I would never have believed that 20 years in the future I would be writing a list of my favorite songs from 2010 and include an Alice in Chains song. Crazy. I am not sure if bands in general are just getting uglier and uglier, but there are some ugly guys in this band. Just as Kenny from MTV's challenges was in the last video, I am pretty convinced that the drummer of Alice in Chains in now Severus Snape from Harry Potter. Anyway, Alice in chains had a song on my 2009 list and now made it back on the countdown with "Your Decision." For a bunch of old men that could drop dead any second, they are still rocking.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2D37POA11KY
38) Bending Over Backwards by The Wandas - These guys are from Boston and were the winners of this years Rock Hunt put on by WBRU. I loved this song the first time I heard it, which does not happen all too often. I know this might be a very bold statement, but I think these guys sound VERY MUCH like what I imagine a modern day Beatles might have sounded like. If you don't believe me, listen to the song (which I doubt anyone will. Even though I go out of my way to get the youtube video and attach it to the blog so you don't have to do anything but CLICK on the button below.) I just don't think anybody is watching the videos is all. I'll get over it though. With time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzShq84xb0E
37) Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na) by My Chemical Romance - Yes. That is the official name of the song, 3 Na's followed by 9 Na's in parentheses.
I was so excited when I heard My Chemical Romance was coming out with a new CD. However, when this song was released I was real bummed. I did not like it at all. I don't know if I was just not in a good mood when I heard it, or if I did not feel like being happy, I just did not like it. Now, it is almost impossible for me to not smile when I hear this song. It is real fun. Sometimes I even wish I was in a bad mood just so I could listen to this song and have it put me in a good mood. As is always the case with My Chemical Romance, this video is real cool (not that any of you will watch it.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egG7fiE89IU (Oh and mom, could you put this on my Christmas list, I still don't have the CD. Thanks)
36) Terrible Love by The National - I had no idea who The National was until I went to Uganda last summer. They were one of my roommates favorite bands and we listened to them all the time. I picked up this CD the day it came out and it is still in my car (because it is real good, not because I am lazy and did not bring it inside.) OK, maybe it is in my car for both reasons, but regardless, it is still in my car and I listen to it often. Terrible Love is the COMPLETE opposite of the song Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na.) This is so relaxing that I almost feel like I should not be driving when I listen to it. Terrible Love should come with a warning... Do not operate heavy machinery while listening to the first 3 minutes of "Terrible Love." Hahahahahahaha. God I crack myself up sometimes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUhpzyun8SE
35) Lasso by Phoenix - I remember requesting this CD for Christmas last year from my parents. Much to my chagrin after opening all of my wonderful presents I still was void of my "Wolfgang Amadues Phoenix" CD. The drive to my grandparents house was somber and I kept thinking that I would have to go to FYE the next morning and spend my own hard earned money on the must-have CD. Fast forward ten minutes and I am ripping through my next batch of presents while trying to eye my pile of remaining presents for what looks like a CD. As I am carelessly destroying what I am sure is going to be a sweater from JC Penny I saw it. What did my grandparents...... I mean Santa....... cleverly disguise in a JC Penny clothing box? You guess it. Phoenix's CD "Wolfgang Amadues Phoenix." Crisis averted.
Lasso is AWESOME and so is this CD and so is Phoenix. Thanks Mem and Pop!!!!!!!!!!!!! Love You!!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okbDmEGrCZ8
34) The Sound by Switchfoot - Last October I won yet another WBRU contest. Just weeks after returning from a free Royal Caribbean cruise sponsored by Bud Light, which brought us to a tropical private island for a private show by Dave Matthews Band, I (well, my friend Linda, but she only registered because of me) won something almost just as awesome; Sushi with Switchfoot. Yes. I got to eat raw fish while standing at the Lupos bar with the Switchfoot boys. That night, after dinner, we were in the front row as the common people were allowed to enter Lupos. It was like a CD release tour so they played their entire new CD "Hello Hurricane" from start to finish. The CD is easily in my top 5 CD's from 2009, and the song "Hello Hurricane" might be one of my favorite un-released songs of all time (un-released meaning never played on the radio.) This song, "The Sound" might be my least favorite song on the CD and it is STILL my 34th favorite Rock song of the year. That is how awesome this CD is. (Just for comparison, last year their song "Mess of Me" came in at number 6 for the year! Switchfoot rules.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNQgABsUfK8
(I just watched the video for "The Sound" for the first time, and I forgot how much I really do love the CD. I wish it made my top 20, I am mad at myself again.)
33) Around the Bend by The Asteroids Galaxy Tour - I think I am high from just watching this video. This video belongs in the 70's. WAYYYYYYYY before when I was born. Do you think anyone in this band has ever smoked pot? (Can at least one person watch this video so I am not talking to myself?)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yq-aNkBc2_M
32) Dignity by New Politics - OK the lead singer of this band definitely needs to smoke a little bit of The Asteroids Galaxy Tour's pot. He might be one of the most animated singers I have seen in years. For a little while I felt like I was watching the video for New Kids on the Block's "Hangin Tough" or something. He is going to hurt himself if he does not calm down.
I just heard "Dignity" not too long ago and I really like it a lot. A lot of people are comparing them to Lincoln Park, but I like them way more than Lincoln Park. WAY More.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOJpMr6-cqU
31) Maybe by Sick Puppies - OK. The song is a little cheesy, I know. It sounds EXACTLY like it could be the "voted off" song on American Idol. When I hear the song I always picture the American Idol stage and a crying contestant in the left hand corner of the screen, while the contestant watches moments of their lives in which their dream of possibly amounting to anything was still a reality. I can not believe that this show does this to these poor contestants. They just get the worst news of their lives and then they are forced to watch a montage of some of the best moments of their lives. It is sick and twisted, but I always love it.
Anyway, I dare you to listen to this song and not think of American Idol. You CAN NOT do it. Good song, with a good message, more importantly I love female guitarists, especially hot ones.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFhRowkNrTM
Monday, December 13, 2010
TOP 50 Rock Songs of 2010 - #50 - #41
For my very first countdown on this new blog I decided to pay homage to my favorite genre of music, Rock. The criteria for this countdown is simple. The song must have been a part of 95.5's (my favorite radio station of all time) playlist at some point this year. A few of the songs may have been released at the end of 2009, but as long as it was not included in last years list (which I suppose I can post if there are any curious fans out there) it is eligible for this years list. A couple of stand-out songs from 2010 which are not included in this years list (due to not meeting the eligibility requirements) are Pink's "Raise Your Glass", Eminem's "Love the Way You Lie", and surprisingly both Bruno Mars songs. Finally, Third Eye Blind did not have a released song this year, therefore, the top spot is up for grabs this year! Without further adieu, my favorite 50 Rock songs of 2010!
50) Immigraniada (We're Comin' Rougher) by GoGol Bordello – Initially I was not a huge fan of this song. It actually kind of scared me. I even won tickets to see them in concert and choose to not attend. Looking back on that warm spring night, I wish I had sucked it up and went to the show. I REALLY like this song now, and am no longer scared of it. I am, however, a little frightened by the video, but the video is really awesome and highlights immigrants coming to this country (which we are all immigrants to in some way or another) from all over the world. Watch the video, but be prepared to be a little terrified by the lead singer. IN NO WAY does he have a nice voice, I just like the way the song pumps me up.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oioNZSPqRM
48) Sweet Disposition by The Temper Trap - It is impossible for me to NOT sing along with the part Sweeeeeeeeeeet Dissssssssssspoooooooooosiiiition, and I don't believe anybody that says they don't sing along as well. It is pretty much the only words I understand in the entire song, but I love that part. The rest of the song is good, I just can't really understand him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4C8e7nNLZNs
47) Letters From the Sky by Civil Twilight - I have heard this song before, but had no idea what the name of it was, and had no idea who sang it. So, as you can imagine, it was pretty difficult to find. This song was played on one of my favorite TV shows of all time. I actually think I was the only person in America to watch this show..... AND, I wasn't even IN America while half of it aired, I was in Uganda and had to DVR it. Anyway, the show was Harper's Island and this song was played in either the penultimate episode or the finale (I don't remember) when two of my three favorite characters died. Oh, and if you are thinking "we'll at least one of your favorite characters didn't die" stop thinking that because he died in the very next scene. Anyway, it is a nice peaceful song. Doesn't pump me up, but is certainly nice to listen to when you are just hanging around and making lists of your favorite songs of the year.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Wa7dFR09vU
46) Home by Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zeros - If I am correct, I believe that my friend Kate knows someone who is cousins with someone in the band. Either that or my friend Kate is friends with someone that knows someone who is cousins with someone in the band. Either way, I have some MAJOR connections with them. Also, I believe I recall Kate telling me that Eddie Vedder is a HUGE fan of the band. Any band that Eddie Vedder is a fan of is a fan of mine... well, you know what I mean. This is a very fun song and it makes me happy just listening to it. Especially the whistling, I am a sucker for songs with whistling in it. A little known fact about me is that I might be the best whistler I know.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjFaenf1T-Y
45) Freak by Smashing Pumpkins - I just started listening to this song and I don't know why I have been avoiding listening to it. It is real good and I am actually pretty mad at myself for denying this wonderful song from myself for so long. What is wrong with me sometimes?
OK. I kind of just like the refrain, but I like the refrain a LOT.
I will buy a drink for the first person that can correctly tell me what Smashing Pumpkins means in Britain.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJHbJfv_PUQ
44) Dominos by The Big Pink - One of the things that has baffled (I don't know how to spell that word) me the most this year has been WHY this song has not been on commercials for Dominos Pizza. WTF? I get so mad every time I see a Dominos Pizza commercial and don't hear this catchy tune.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGnNlQ-KNv4
43) Here We Are Juggernaut by Coheed and Cambria - First of all, any song that includes the word "Juggernaut" in its title deserves to be on some sort of list. It always takes me a while to warm up to any new Coheed and Cambria song, but once I finally warm up to them I usually really like them, and this song is no exception. I think I subconsciously try to NOT like Coheed and Cambria because they are kind of weird and I don't really like looking at the lead singer (he reminds me of an even fatter and hairier (is that how you spell "more hairy?") Adam Duritz in the video for Mr. Jones.) OK, upon re watching the video maybe not fatter, but definitely more hairy. Anyway, if you haven't heard the song yet, give it a listen. It is a pretty cool video despite the hair ball lead singer being ever-present.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLFtM4GIRA4
42) Radioactive by Kings of Leon - I knew there was a zero percent chance of K.o.L. having a more successful year this year than last year. Zero. With last years success of "Use Somebody" "Sex on Fire" and "Notion" I knew that whatever they released this year would pale in comparison, and I was right. I did not even really like "Radioactive" for a long time, but it grew on me and I can honestly say I like it, and I still do like them. I had the pleasure of seeing them in concert last month and they were real good. On paper I should be a HUGE K.O.L fan, I am just not. I have no idea why, there is no logical explanation. Everyone is stunned when I simply say " I like them" or "They were good" but that is exactly what I think of them. I like them. I think they are good. "Like" and "Good" are perfect words for how I feel about Kings of Leon.
Oh, and it didn't help that I had (what seems like) 60 beers before, during and after the concert and barely remember it. Maybe that is why I simply say it was "good."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPBbMbKSZrQ
41) Jesus Stole My Girlfriend by Violent Soho - I remember the first time I heard this song. My students were taking a quiz and I had the radio on in class (just a little background noise.) I remember really like it and wanting to know who sang it. I did not want to turn the radio up and distract the students because I am such a kind, selfless, compassionate teacher. I remember literally getting on my hand and knees (because my radio is on the floor) and putting my ear up to the radio to hear the DJ talk about the song and hopefully inform me who sang it. I remember one of my students saying "What are you doing Mr. J?" and I told them I wanted to hear who sang the song. Not ONE student even questioned it and they all went back to work and if seeing their 30 year old teacher on the floor with his ear pressed up to a radio was something they see everyday, which it probably was.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzrAfkyq-xM (Very Modern Day Nirvana-esque, this video reeks of "Smells Like Teen Spirit." Pun intended.
There you have it. 50 - 41. Next ten songs coming soon! Feel free to comment with any positive things you have to say about my list, or myself.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oioNZSPqRM
49) Heavy Cross by Gossip – Just as Immigraniada’s music video helped the song move up on my list, the video for Heavy Cross did the complete opposite. Granted this is not a list of the best videos of 2010, but the video does have some sort of impact on how I feel about the song. I had NO idea that the lead singer of this band looked the way she does. The song did a lot more for me when I imagined the lead singer to look like say, Jillian Michaels, not a Biggest Loser contestant on Day 1. Anyway, despite the lead singer having some physical issues the song is still pretty awesome and I will listen to it on the radio any day of the week.
48) Sweet Disposition by The Temper Trap - It is impossible for me to NOT sing along with the part Sweeeeeeeeeeet Dissssssssssspoooooooooosiiiition, and I don't believe anybody that says they don't sing along as well. It is pretty much the only words I understand in the entire song, but I love that part. The rest of the song is good, I just can't really understand him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4C8e7nNLZNs
47) Letters From the Sky by Civil Twilight - I have heard this song before, but had no idea what the name of it was, and had no idea who sang it. So, as you can imagine, it was pretty difficult to find. This song was played on one of my favorite TV shows of all time. I actually think I was the only person in America to watch this show..... AND, I wasn't even IN America while half of it aired, I was in Uganda and had to DVR it. Anyway, the show was Harper's Island and this song was played in either the penultimate episode or the finale (I don't remember) when two of my three favorite characters died. Oh, and if you are thinking "we'll at least one of your favorite characters didn't die" stop thinking that because he died in the very next scene. Anyway, it is a nice peaceful song. Doesn't pump me up, but is certainly nice to listen to when you are just hanging around and making lists of your favorite songs of the year.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Wa7dFR09vU
46) Home by Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zeros - If I am correct, I believe that my friend Kate knows someone who is cousins with someone in the band. Either that or my friend Kate is friends with someone that knows someone who is cousins with someone in the band. Either way, I have some MAJOR connections with them. Also, I believe I recall Kate telling me that Eddie Vedder is a HUGE fan of the band. Any band that Eddie Vedder is a fan of is a fan of mine... well, you know what I mean. This is a very fun song and it makes me happy just listening to it. Especially the whistling, I am a sucker for songs with whistling in it. A little known fact about me is that I might be the best whistler I know.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjFaenf1T-Y
45) Freak by Smashing Pumpkins - I just started listening to this song and I don't know why I have been avoiding listening to it. It is real good and I am actually pretty mad at myself for denying this wonderful song from myself for so long. What is wrong with me sometimes?
OK. I kind of just like the refrain, but I like the refrain a LOT.
I will buy a drink for the first person that can correctly tell me what Smashing Pumpkins means in Britain.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJHbJfv_PUQ
44) Dominos by The Big Pink - One of the things that has baffled (I don't know how to spell that word) me the most this year has been WHY this song has not been on commercials for Dominos Pizza. WTF? I get so mad every time I see a Dominos Pizza commercial and don't hear this catchy tune.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGnNlQ-KNv4
43) Here We Are Juggernaut by Coheed and Cambria - First of all, any song that includes the word "Juggernaut" in its title deserves to be on some sort of list. It always takes me a while to warm up to any new Coheed and Cambria song, but once I finally warm up to them I usually really like them, and this song is no exception. I think I subconsciously try to NOT like Coheed and Cambria because they are kind of weird and I don't really like looking at the lead singer (he reminds me of an even fatter and hairier (is that how you spell "more hairy?") Adam Duritz in the video for Mr. Jones.) OK, upon re watching the video maybe not fatter, but definitely more hairy. Anyway, if you haven't heard the song yet, give it a listen. It is a pretty cool video despite the hair ball lead singer being ever-present.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLFtM4GIRA4
42) Radioactive by Kings of Leon - I knew there was a zero percent chance of K.o.L. having a more successful year this year than last year. Zero. With last years success of "Use Somebody" "Sex on Fire" and "Notion" I knew that whatever they released this year would pale in comparison, and I was right. I did not even really like "Radioactive" for a long time, but it grew on me and I can honestly say I like it, and I still do like them. I had the pleasure of seeing them in concert last month and they were real good. On paper I should be a HUGE K.O.L fan, I am just not. I have no idea why, there is no logical explanation. Everyone is stunned when I simply say " I like them" or "They were good" but that is exactly what I think of them. I like them. I think they are good. "Like" and "Good" are perfect words for how I feel about Kings of Leon.
Oh, and it didn't help that I had (what seems like) 60 beers before, during and after the concert and barely remember it. Maybe that is why I simply say it was "good."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPBbMbKSZrQ
41) Jesus Stole My Girlfriend by Violent Soho - I remember the first time I heard this song. My students were taking a quiz and I had the radio on in class (just a little background noise.) I remember really like it and wanting to know who sang it. I did not want to turn the radio up and distract the students because I am such a kind, selfless, compassionate teacher. I remember literally getting on my hand and knees (because my radio is on the floor) and putting my ear up to the radio to hear the DJ talk about the song and hopefully inform me who sang it. I remember one of my students saying "What are you doing Mr. J?" and I told them I wanted to hear who sang the song. Not ONE student even questioned it and they all went back to work and if seeing their 30 year old teacher on the floor with his ear pressed up to a radio was something they see everyday, which it probably was.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzrAfkyq-xM (Very Modern Day Nirvana-esque, this video reeks of "Smells Like Teen Spirit." Pun intended.
There you have it. 50 - 41. Next ten songs coming soon! Feel free to comment with any positive things you have to say about my list, or myself.
Welcome!
If you know me, you know that I am consumed with making lists. I am a sucker for countdowns of any kind, no matter what is being counted down. I myself have created lists for everything from my 500 favorite songs of all time to my favorite students of all time. I often get bombarded with emails, text messages, and face-to-face encounters from beloved fans requesting to be a part of my email lists which slowly reveal a particular countdown of mine. I decided to create this blog as a place for everyone to be able to read my lists and feel like they are important. Some lists you are bound to love, some lists may be of no interest to you, either way I am sure you will be entertained at some point in your life simply by reading this soon-to-be famous blog. To my legions of fans out there, this is for you!
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