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Top 25 Radiohead Songs

2011-02-22T13:45:00.000-08:00

In light of the new and excellent Radiohead LP, The King of Limbs, I have decided to compile my top 25 Radiohead songs ever. As my partner Cathy recently said, not even the best of today's bands (Arcade Fire, Sufjan Stevens, etc..) even come close to them. They are simply the greatest, most interesting band. These are the best songs by the best band in the world.

25. Creep
OK, so this is Radiohead's biggest song, and it's from their worst album by far. Despite it's arena-ready intentions, Creep is a pretty effective song. It's standard 90s alternative, but it's also got edge and it's definately catchy.

24. Reckoner
Reckoner drifts into the middle of In Rainbows and just sort of takes your breath away. Like many Radiohead songs, it's haunting and beautiful, but it's also got a sparse, tinny beat that gives it some life.

23. Bloom
Bloom opens the new album, The King of Limbs, and it's all style. This song has a relentless rhythm section with an odd tempo. There's also a far amount of twinkling and buzzing synths and keyboards in the background to put it over the top.

22. Myxomatosis
This track sounds like a chainsaw cutting through concrete. Hidden near the back of Hail to the Thief, Myxomatosis is an absolute rave up.

21. Pyramid Song
Pyramid Song is one of many Radiohead tracks that reveal how masterful the band is at unusual timings. Thom Yorke plods on a piano and bleats out bleak imagery, until Selway's drums come splashing in like underwater fireworks.

20. Planet Telex
When the echoing riffs and giant drums open up The Bends, Radiohead let the world know that we are dealing with a whole new band. While it's similar to the Brit-pop of Pablo Honey, The Bends stepped up all the Radiohead's best rock talents. This was the true beginning.

19. There There
When Radiohead returned from the shit-storm of their electro period, they sounded a bit tired. Hail to the Thief was sort-of a return to rock, but it also seemed like the band was on a downward turn. Still, most of the album couldn't help but be genius, because we are talking about the greatest band here. There There is definately a stand-out.

18. Airbag
What would soon become a theme, Radiohead open OK Computer with an endlessly cool song. Pounding drums, soaring guitars and perfectly placed bass doodles decorate this track.

17. 4 Minute Warning
It makes sense that 4 Minute Warning did not make In Rainbows. It doesn't really fit the rock sheen of that record. Still, it's a kick-ass Radiohead song. It's uncharacteristically shambling and sluggish but in the most dementedly playful way. This is a breath of fresh air.

16. How to Disappear Completely
One of the most solopsistic songs ever, let alone Radiohead songs. Every element of this track is perfect: the simple but devastating chords, the haunting effects and Colin takes the bass for a very lonely walk.

15. Let Down
Let Down could be Radiohead's prettiest song. Excessive guitar twinkling.

14. All I Need
A relentlessy beautiful song on a relentlessy beautiful album, All I Need is an obvious stand-out even when it eats it's own tail at the end.

13. Separator
Separator ends the newest Radiohead album on a huge high note. This song is subtle and pretty, and it caps off one of the most beautiful 4-song stretches Radiohead has ever produced. Also, superb on-point drumming from Selway.

12. Talk Show Host
Talk Show Host was a b-side from the OK Computer sessions. But many people know it from the Romeo and Juliet soundtrack. This is one of the best examples of Radiohead in swagger-mode. Badass track.

11. Karma Police
This is probably the second biggest Radiohead song ever, and it's miles ahead of Creep. Still, Karma Police is definately a pop song, and when it explodes at the end with Yorke nearly losing himself, you realize how perfect it is.

10. Kid A
Many might skip Kid A, because on the surface it seems like a minor song. It keeps quiet; there's no real singing or rock instruments. But I think it's one of their greatest compositions. It's an exercise in keeping it's low-key melody above all the little bells and whistles, and it's a beauty to behold.

09. True Love Waits
True Love Waits never made it onto any album. It might be because when it was written, or at least perfected, the band sort of moved beyond balladeering. Still, this one stands up to their greatest ballads. It's also an uncharacteristically straighforward love song, so relish that.

08. A Wolf at the Door
If you make it all the way through the long-haul of Hail to the Thief, you get rewarded with that album's best song: A Wolf at the Door. Supposedly inspired by Thom Yorke's vicious real life mugging, the song is equal parts menacing and soaring.

07. Street Spirit (Fade Out)
Street Spirit is just an awesome song. It's got a great ominous mood, which also predicts what was yet to come.

06. I Might Be Wrong
I Might Be Wrong is a badass rock/dance song that came just when people thought the band was getting too out there. It's distorted and electronic enough to fit in with the rest of Amnesiac, but it's definately the stand-out.

05. Lotus Flower
A perfect lead single for the new album, Lotus Flower breathes some vitality into Radiohead. It really sounds like they are enjoying themselves. Although it's an electronic based song, it still sounds rich and organic. And love the video.

04. Paranoid Android
I would put money on most people calling Paranoid Android the best Radiohead song. And I don't disagree. It's obviously their biggest. It has an intricately played intro with biting verses, then it erupts into huge riffage, and then it collapses into a funeral march.

03. Idioteque
This song symbolized the end to the kind of Radiohead most casual rock fans loved. To them, it was all downhill from here. To us, it was uphill. Idioteque is a rambunctious yet bleak foray into electronics. It's danceable, but it's deeper than that too.

02. House of Cards
House of Cards might be the most romantic sounding song Radiohead produced. It's practically light rock, but I also think it's their best song of the 21st century.

01. Fake Plastic Trees
Yes, it's a weeper. But Radiohead never sounded as bigger or better as they did on Fake Plastic Trees. Let's just forget it spawned a legion of terrible, lightweight brit-pop.

Top 100 Songs of the 90s

2011-02-08T08:10:00.000-08:00

I've done the 80s, and now it's time for my favourite songs of the 90s. This is an interesting list for me because this is when music became important. I cut my teeth watching Much Music Countdown when I was 9 and 10 with my cousin Mike, and this gave us an uncommon love for "Peaches" and "Wonderwall". But this is not a list of what I enjoyed when I was 10, these are the songs that I feel stood the test of time. Here we go!

100. The Future Sound of London - "Papa New Guinea"

99. Dr. Octagon - "Blue Flowers"

98. The KLF - "Wichita Lineman Was a Song I Once Heard"

97. Mercury Rev - "Hudson Line"

96. Jawbox - "Savory"

95. The Orb - "Little Fluffy Clouds"

94. Black Tambourine - "Throw Aggi Off a Bridge"

93. Seefeel - "Plainsong"

92. Ol Dirty Bastard - "Brooklyn Zoo"

91. Deee-Lite - "Groove Is in the Heart"

90. Primitive Radio Gods - "Standing Outside a Broken Phonebooth with Money in My Hand"

89. Public Enemy - "Welcome to the Terrordome"

88. Nine Inch Nails - "Closer"

87. DJ Shadow - "Midnight in a Perfect World"

86. Tom Waits - "I Don't Wanna Grow Up"

85. Soul Coughing - "Bus to Beezlebub"

84. Sonic Youth - "Superstar"

83. Cornelius - "Star Fruits Surf Rider"

82. Bruce Springsteen - "Streets of Philadelphia"

81. Daft Punk - "Around the World"

80. Cornershop - "Sleep on the Left Side"

79. Gang Starr - "You Know My Steez"

78. James - "Laid"

77. Moby - "Porcelain"

76. Temple of the Dog - "Hungerstrike"

75. The Wedding Present - "Corduroy"

74. Robert Wyatt - "Heaps of Sheeps"

73. Sunny Day Real Estate - "47"

72. Aphex Twin - "Fingerbib"

71. Mazzy Star - "Fade Into You"

70. Magnetic Fields - "Take Ecstasy With Me"

69. Massive Attack - "Teardrop"

68. Lemonheads - "It's a Shame About Ray"

The Lemonheads - It's A Shame About Ray
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67. The Tragically Hip - "Ahead by a Century"

66. Underworld - "Born Slippy"

65. Mos Def - "Umi Says"

64. Hole - "Miss World"

63. Air - "Kelly Watch the Stars"

62. Cocteau Twins - "Heaven or Las Vegas"

61. Cat Power - "Cross-Bones Style"

60. Refused - "New Noise"

59. Janet Jackson - "Got 'til It's Gone"

58. Stereolab - "Cybele's Reverie"

57. Disco Inferno - "It's a Kid's World"

56. Kristin Hersh ft. Michael Stipe - "Your Ghost"

55. Jay-Z - "Hard Knock Life"

54. Lauryn Hill - "Doo Wop (That Thing)"

53. Paul Simon - "Obvious Child"

52. Sloan - "The Lines You Amend"

51. Boards of Canada - "Roygbiv"

50. Dinosaur Jr. - "Feel the Pain"

49. Blur - "The Universal"

48. Ween - "Roses Are Free"

47. Breeders - "Cannonball"

46. Morphine - "Candy"

45. The Sea and Cake - "The Sporting Life"

44. The Roots ft. Erykah Badu - "You Got Me"

43. Built to Spill - "Car"

42. Saint Etienne - "People Get Real"

41. Portishead - "All Mine"

40. Pharoahe Monch - "Simon Says"

39. Sinead O'Connor - "Nothing Compares 2 U"

38. Foo Fighters - "Everlong"

37. A Tribe Called Quest - "Can I Kick It?"

36. Primal Scream - "Loaded"

35. Bjork - "Human Behaviour"

34. Wilco - "A Shot in the Arm"

33. Brian Eno and John Cale - "Lay My Love"

32. Arthur Russell - "This Is How We Walk on the Moon"

31. Modest Mouse - "Broke"

30. Neil Young - "Harvest Moon"

29. Daniel Johnston - "Some Things Last a Long Time"

28. Rage Against the Machine - "Bulls on Parade"

27. Yo La Tengo - "Autumn Sweater"

26. Weezer - "El Scorcho"

25. Chemical Brothers - "Block Rockin Beats"

24. Pavement - "Grounded"

23. Smog - "Teenage Spaceship"

22. Belle and Sebastian - "Sleep the Clock Around"

21. My Bloody Valentine - "Soon"

20. Wu-Tang Clan - "Triumph"
I always thought this was the technically best rap song ever. There might be a couple others that I find more enjoyable, but "Triumph" is the most impressive. Nine MC's showing off incredible diverse styles of rapping. And it's all over that menacing Godzilla beat. Also, Inspecta Deck = best verse ever?

19. Beta Band - "Dry the Rain"
It's funny when John Cusack says in High Fidelity: "I will now sell 5 copies of the Beta Band's 3 EPs". Because in reality, he probably sold thousands more than that. I watched that 45-second clip and fell in love. This is a head-nodding folk-hop masterpiece that has one of best crescendos ever.

18. Jane's Addiction - "Stop"
Long before it became a video game bore, "Stop" was one of the most thrilling rock songs ever. And it became one of my favourites because it switches it up. It slows the tempo, then drops the instruments, and then explodes.

17. U2 - "Stay (Faraway, So Close)"
In my opinion this is the best U2 song, or at least the best ballad. The band already established the fact that they could do melodrama better than anyone. But on "Stay" they manage to pull off a subtley despressing masterpiece (in U2 terms I guess). Also, this is the band's last gasp of greatness. It's all down hill from here.

16. Beastie Boys - "Sabotage"
Holy shit this song. Admittedly, "Sabotage" has one of the all-time greatest videos that only makes the song better. But this track is amazing even without Spike Jonze. If you don't mind getting yelled at for 3 minutes, then you should love "Sabotage".

15. Depeche Mode - "Enjoy the Silence"
An obvious influence of The Knife, Depeche Mode had haunting electro-pop down decades ago. Because of the 80s pop feel, and the fact that it was released before "Nevermind", this track doesn't feel like a 90s cut. But it was released in 1990, and it's a beast, so it belongs.

14. Beck - "Devil's Haircut"
When Odelay came out I went through a phase of only wanting to listen to albums that deconstructed genres. I've since moved on from this, but the magic of "Devil's Haircut" remains. Funk, blues, punk, and rap have never been blended so good.

13. Dismemberment Plan - "Spiders in the Snow"
The D-Plan mix standard indie-rock with beautiful, icy synths and just the right amount of off-beat weirdness. "Spiders in the Snow" has the tempo and volume of rock anthem, but it feels more like a little ditty.

12. Pulp - "Common People"
Speaking of anthems, here's one of the biggest British ones. Disgust and despression has never been captured as well as on "Common People". And when Jarvis Cocker starts going off the rails towards the end, you just want to start punching rich people.

11. Palace Music "New Partner"
Before he went gothic as Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, Will Oldham was in this country-tinged ramshackle band. "New Partner" is the best Palace song, and while it tearfully touches on nostalgia, it also triumphantly looks into the future.

10. The Flaming Lips - "Race for the Prize"
Anyone who has ever seen the Lips play live already knows. This song is synonymous with confetti, balloons and sweat. Pretty much just the greatest time of your life, and it all takes place during "Race for the Prize"

THE FLAMING LIPS - RACE FOR THE PRIZE
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09. R.E.M. ft. Patti Smith - "E-bow the Letter"
R.E.M. have plenty of amazing songs from the 90s, but for some reason this one stands above the rest. It sounds like the band took all the experience from being the biggest band in the world (i.e. the hit-writing ability and the world weariness), and then had an adrenaline dump. "E-bow" could be considered a companion piece to U2's "Stay". Unfortunately, it will all down hill for these guys too.

08. Pharcyde - "Runnin'"
In my opinion, this is the best and brightest of not only the Pharcyde's career, but also producer J-Dilla's. The breezy and bouncy quality of this track is matched only by De La Soul's "Eye Know". I wish these guys were still around, and I wish Dilla was still alive.

07. Elliott Smith - "Needle in the Hay"
In case you haven't noticed, I've got a thing for sad bastard music. But this song transcends sadness into something beautiful. I remember when Elliott Smith died and I couldn't believe he stabbed himself in the chest. You can sort of believe when you hear this track.

06. Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - "I See a Darkness"
Speaking of sad, it's Bonnie 'Prince' Billy! Well, what can I say. "Darkness" is a stone-cold classic. Despite it's sparseness, I feel like this song stands up to some of the greats. I'm talking Beatles great. Just ask Johnny Cash.

05. Neutral Milk Hotel - "Holland, 1945"
If you embrace the fuzz of "Holland, 1945", then you can move on to appreciating its awesomeness. Jeff Magnum writes simple songs; 3 or 4 chords mostly. But that's all I really want. Couple this songwriting with these lyrics (look 'em up) and you've got this masterpiece.

04. Radiohead - "Fake Plastic Trees"
I remember seeing Radiohead with my partner in Montreal and doubting that they were going to play this song. And then Thom Yorke starting strumming this song, and fireworks starting going off. Literally, fireworks. Over our heads. To this song. Amazing.

03. Jeff Buckley - "Last Goodbye"
Like Elliott Smith, Buckley was a master gone too soon. "Grace" was filled epic and beautifully composed songs, and the high range of Buckley's vocals just put everything over the top. "Last Goodbye" stands at the top of these songs.

02. Nirvana - "Smells Like Teen Spirit"
What could I possibly say about this one? It's so obvious, but it really sounds like no other song. For sentimental reasons, it gets edged out of the top spot, but is there anyone who really doubts how awesome "Smells Like Teen Spirit" is?

01. The Smashing Pumpkins - "1979"
I know this is not the kind of Pumpkins that most fans love, but for me no other song represents the 90s better. "1979" is the most nostalgia-inducing song here for me. But it's also incredibly written and performed. It was the Pumpkins greatest moment, and I think the greatest moment of the 90s.

Top 100 Songs of the 80s

2011-01-03T15:28:00.000-08:00

Here's another list. These are my favourite songs of the 80's, which I think was the best decade for music. Tomorrow will be my top albums. Stay tuned.

100. Bob Marley - Could You Be Loved

99. Mr. Fingers - Can You Feel It

98. Sugarcubes - Birthday

97. David Sylvian - Red Guitar

96. The Minutemen - Corona

95. Psychic TV - The Orchids

94. Modern English - I Melt With You

93. Eddy Grant - Electic Avenue

92. Gun Club - Sex Beat

91. Pet Shop Boys - West End Girls

90. Dif Juz - A Starting Point

89. Bad Brains - Banned in DC

88. Human League - Don't You Want Me

87. Malcolm McLaren - Obatala

86. Scitti Politti - The Sweetest Girl

85. Motorhead - The Ace of Spades

84. Don Henley - Boys of Summer

83. The Chills - Pink Frost

82. The Clash - Straight to Hell

81. Durutti Column - Sketch for Summer

80. Mekons - The Last Dance

79. English Beat - Save It For Later

78. The Police - Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic

77. The Raincoats - Lola

76. Elvis Costello - Beyond Belief

75. Madonna - Like a Prayer

74. ESG - My Love For You

73. Devo - Whip It

72. The Field Mice - Emma's House

71. Ultravox - Vienna

70. Billy Idol - Dancing With Myself

69. The Jam - That's Entertainment

68. Tears for Fears - Head Over Heels

67. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five - White Lines (Don't Do It)

66. Bruce Cockburn - Lovers in a Dangerous Time

65. Neil Young - Keep On Rocking in the Free World

64. Psychedelic Furs - Pretty in Pink

63. Lucinda Williams - Side of the Road

62. XTC - Dear God

61. John Lennon - Watching the Wheels

60. The Go-Betweens - Cattle and Cain

59. The B-52s - Private Idaho

58. INXS - Need You Tonight

57. Josef K - It's Kinda Funny

56. Daniel Johnston - Walking the Cow

55. Adam and the Ants - Kings of the Wild Frontier

54. Arthur Russell - Soon to be Innocent Fun/Let's See

53. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - The Mercy Seat

52. The Blue Nile - Downtown Lights

51. This Mortal Coil - Song to the Siren

50. Nirvana - About a Girl

49. Prince - I Would Die 4 U

48. The Art of Noise - Moments in Love

47. Echo and the Bunnymen - Silver

46. Billy Bragg - A New England

45. Meat Puppets - Up On the Sun

44. Galaxie 500 - Strange

43. The db's - Black and white

42. Beastie Boys - Shadrach

41. Mary Margaret O'Hara - When You Know Why You're Happy

40. Tom Tom Club - Genius of Love

39. A-Ha - Take On Me

38. Leonard Cohen - Hallelujah

37. Laurie Anderson - O Superman

36. Vaselines - Jesus Doesn't Want Me For a Sunbeam

35. Cocteau Twins - Lorelei

34. The Smiths - There Is a Light That Never Goes Out

33. Beat Happening - Indian Summer

32. U2 - Where the Streets Have No Name

31. Fugazi - Waiting Room

30. The Waterboys - The Whole of the Moon

29. Violent Femmes - Blister in the Sun

28. Orchestral Manouevres in the Dark - She's Leaving

27. Cyndi Lauper - Time After Time

26. Tom Waits - Clap Hands

25. Dinosaur Jr. - Tarpit

24. David Bowie - Ashes to Ashes

23. The Stone Roses - Waterfall

22. Jesus and Mary Chain - Just Like Honey

21. Peter Gabriel - Shock the Monkey

20. Cowboy Junkies - Sweet Jane
This track is up there with Jeff Buckley's "Hallelujah" as one of the best covers of all time. The Junkies take Lou Reed's classic stomper and transform it into a sad and ethereal slow dance. One of the most beautiful songs ever.

19. Duran Duran - The Chauffeur
There's a scene in last year's movie "Greenberg" where Ben Stiller snorts a line and wants to put on some real 'coke music'. This is the song he plays, and he's not off the mark. It's typical 80s synth-pop, and it's haunting and confident. This is a bad-ass song disguished as cheesy 80s music.

18. The Replacements - Androgynous
The Mats are mostly known for their slapped together bar-punk, but every once in a while Westerberg can spill out a weeper. Androgynous is both heartbreaking and interesting, and it can never be played out.

17. De La Soul - Eye Know
De La Soul borrows heavily from Steely Dan's "Peg" on this track, but they leave the cheesiness at the door. Instead, they turned this melody into an effortlessly breezy cool. Feel-good music.

16. AR Kane - Miles Apart
AR Kane are best known for co-creating "Pump Up the Volume", but they're most interesting stuff comes from the record, "i". This is the stand-out from an album full of interesting genres including shoegaze, reggae, house and brit-pop. This song touches on all of it.

15. Sonic Youth - Teenage Riot
This is far and away the best SY song, for obvious reasons. The dreamy intro with Kim's spoken word, the propulsive drums, the glaring guitars and the slacker lyrics. It's all huge.

14. Paul Simon - Graceland
I always thought this was the best Paul Simon song. It's just one of those flawless pop songs, dripping with melody and also danceable.

13. New Order - Bizarre Love Triangle
I have vague memories of hearing this song as a young child and thinking it was from outer space. And I can't really listen to it without falling into some sort of nostalgic dream-like trance. Also, one of the best-ever choruses.

12. Talk Talk - I Believe in You
Talk Talk made holy music. Slow builds and expert musicianship, this stuff is made for candlelit listening. And I can't think of another song that's more subtly cathartic than this.

11. R.E.M. - Radio Free Europe
When most people think of R.E.M., they generally don't think of this song. Before they were they biggest band on earth, R.E.M. were making speedy Byrd's influenced post-punk and Michael Stipe couldn't enunciate if his life depended on it. It was awesome, and this is the best track from that time.

10. The Cure - Plainsong
This song is just massive. The Cure had many phases, and this was their icy, majestic song-scape phase. The Synths flood and the reverb shakes you to your bones.

09. Bruce Springsteen - I'm On Fire
This seems like a small song, but it packs a punch. It's the Boss at his most vulnerable but also his most cool.

08. Felt ft. Liz Fraser - Primitive Painters
This song grew on me in a big way. It's so endlessly listenable. It's the Velvets mixed with the Smiths, and then when Liz Fraser's vocals come crashing in, well, I'm sold.

07. Kate Bush - Cloudbusting
Hounds of Love is one of the most interesting albums of the 80s. There's the concept of being stuck out at sea, the dramatic vocals, the interpretive dancing, and the lack of cymbals. But Cloudbusting is the standout for me.

06. Queen ft. David Bowie - Under Pressure
How can you fucking argue with this song. There are like 20 anthems crammed into one song. Every line could be the chorus. Amazing.

05. Pixies - Where Is My Mind
This is the coolest song on this list. Absurd lyrics, haunting background coos, and that menacing guitar line makes for an amazing track

04. Jane's Addiction - Jane Says
This is sort of a sentimental one for me, but I think it holds up as one of the best 80s songs regardless of what you think of this band. Perry's voice can make or break a track, but the steel drums are what really make it work. It's both bubbly and sad.

03. The Pogues ft. Kirsty MacColl - Fairytale of New York
This recently topped my fav Christmas songs list, but I think so highly of it that it's nearly my favourite song of this decade. It's the kind of sad song that actually makes you happy (despite its kind of offensive lyrics). Cry into your beers.

02. Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart
It would have been interesting had Ian Curtis not hung himself, because I think the band would've still made New Order-like dance music. And this track sort of proves it. A stone-cold classic and everybody knows it.

01. The Talking Heads - This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)
Hands down this is my favourite song of the 80s, but the Stop Making Sense version is specifically amazing. It's the moment where one of the world's best bands at the peak of their powers plays arguably their best song. The world should have stood still.

Top Christmas Songs of All-Time

2010-12-17T10:31:00.001-08:00

WHOOOOO!

10. Jingle Cats - White Christmas

09. Bruce Springsteen - Santa Claus Is Coming to Town

08. David Bowie and Bing Crosby - Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy

07. U2 - It's Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)

06. Sufjan Stevens - Come On! Let's Boogey to the Elf Dance

05. John Lennon - Happy Christmas (War Is Over)

04. Bing Crosby - Christmas in Killarney

03. Vince Guaraldi Trio - Christmas Time Is Here

02. Joni Mitchell - River

01. The Pogues ft. Kirsty MacColl - Fairytale of New York

Top Albums of 2010

2010-12-07T07:45:00.000-08:00

Another year down, another year-end albums list. In terms of actual, full-length albums, I thought it was kind of a shitty year for them. Obviously, there were some great ones, but I wasn't blown away like most years. Still, I've managed to compile a top 20 list and I feel good about the picks. You'll notice that this list is front-loaded with heavy-hitting, estasblished indie superstars, as opposed to new blood. But I just thought they brought it the hardest this year. I hope you enjoy, and please let me know what you think!

20. Wild Nothing - Gemini

Recently, I've been shying away from 80s-informed, straightforward twee-punk because I think it's nice one in a while, but I don't think every fucking band should sound like Black Tambourine. Still, I can't deny how awesome Wild Nothing is. The songcraft stands out, and he mixes it up just enough (from R.E.M. jangle to Cocteau Twins sheen) that this album is ahead of the pack.

19. These New Puritans - Hidden

Probably the most unique album on this list, Hidden is beyond genre-tagging. They blend woodwind orchestral arrangments with post-punk, dub, opera, and a lot more. I really don't know what to call it, but I do know that it's exciting, inventive and worth checking out if you haven't already.

18. Jonsi - Go

I really wasn't expecting to like this album as much as I do. I've been sort of cooling off on Sigur Ros, and I heard the other side project, Riceboy Sleeps, was not all that interesting. But man, this is an awesome record. Jonsi brought in indie composer-extrordinaire, Nico Muhly, and maniac percussionist Samuli Kosminen, to help craft these explosive, colourful, melodic anthems all set under that surreal, angelic voice. This is a huge record.

17. The Walkmen - Lisbon

There's is something so comforting about a Walkmen album. Maybe it's just that they are so consistent, and that they're sound is so warm (in a cold way?), that the songs are irresistable. They push themselves just enough out of their comfort zone so as to stay fresh, but they're always unmistakably the Walkmen. They've got old man wisdom, but a song as propulsive as "Angela Surf City" shows that they're still young men with passion.

16. The Roots - How I Got Over

Speaking of cooling off, here's another band I never expected to give another shot. How I Got Over is the Roots' return to relevancy (along with their consistently awesome performances with the Fallon show). Yes, there are many indie-rock guest spots such as Joanna Newsom, Monsters of Folk and the Dirty Projectors, but that's not solely what makes the record interesting. Here, it's the hooks, the melodies, and ?uestlove's kick drum.

15. Twin Shadow - Forget

Twin Shadow sounds like many things, such as Berlin-era Bowie and 80's sophisto-pop, but he also doesn't really sound like anything before him too, if that makes any sense. Lushly produced by Grizzly Bear's Chris Taylor, Forget is an album that has many influences but never seems to be copying. It's a hard record to pin down. It's kind of like this year's Bear in Heaven.

14. The Tallest Man On Earth - The Wild Hunt

The Tallest Man On Earth transcends the normal coffee-shop, indie folk vibe simply through his intricate playing and off-key vocal delivery. The Wild Hunt delivers on the promise of his previous full-length, Shallow Graves, because this record remains consistent throughout while the other got repetitive. Really pleasant listening.

13. How to Dress Well - Love Remains

For the most part, I have not been impressed with this year's stunt genre experimenting (ahem Sleigh Bells and Fang Island), but How to Dress Well knocks me flat. It's a meditation on late 80s and early 90s R'n B, but processed through heavy reverb and distortion and without the cheesiness. The flashy, syrupy beats and vocals are toned down, and the melancholy melodies and haunting vocals are turned up. And this makes for a very cool, very instrospective listening.

12. Phosphorescent - Here's to Taking It Easy

I was a big fan of Phosphorescent's previous sparse and even menacing style on Pride, but I'm an even bigger fan of his country-rock whooping and hollering. Here's to Taking It Easy is part Willie Nelson, and part My Morning Jacket. It's got great melodies, great choruses and great sad-bastard lyrics. It's a great summer record.

11. Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest

It took me a long while to come around to this album. But this makes sense because it took me a while to come around to the last Deerhunter album. Bradford Cox took a page from the bubbly pop of the last Atlas Sound album and pasted it onto Deerhunter's rock aerobics. If you're not into this record, give it time. It's a grower.

10. Local Natives - Gorilla Mansion

While I liked this record when I first heard it, I must admit I thought it derived a lot from big-name indie acts. And I still think that really. It's Fleet Foxes, it's Grizzly Bear, it's Yeasayer. But those are great bands, right? And the combination of these influences is what makes the record interesting. Gorilla Mansion is simply an accomplished, solid batch of indie rock.

09. Joanna Newsom - Have One On Me

Three discs is a big undertaking, so listening to one part of Have One On Me at a time is the best way to experience Newsom's latest. I welcomed this record with open arms, which is surprising because I still can't get into Ys. But there's so much expert musicianship and such complex songwriting it's overwhelming. It's a lot less busy than her last record, and more warm. And it's totally Joni Mitchell at times, and that's great.

08. LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening

This Is Happening grew on me the same way the Deerhunter record did. But I wanted to like it so bad when it came out. I loved the cover, I loved the initial singles. But I could not get through the 3-song stretch of Hit to Somebody's Calling Me. So, I just stuck with it, and eventually I've come to love those songs too. And it goes without saying the rest of the record is immediately classic.

07. Broken Social Scene - Forgiveness Rock Record

Well, here's one of my all-time favourite bands and they deliver again. No other band knows how to blend the anthemic with pretty ambience like these guys do. I'll admit it's not as good as the self-titled or You Forgot It in People, and they should've totally left "Chase Scene" off the record. Still, it's another feel-good, solid album from one of the best.

06. Vampire Weekend - Contra

As one of the most hated bands in indie-rock, Vampire Weekend did a brave thing by sticking with their signature sound. I can't deny how awesome these guys are. They've expanded their pallett to 80s electro-pop and ska and surf, but Ezra's lyrics are still as rich as ever. And these guys are the kings of incorporating the most perfect keyboard parts.

05. Beach House - Teen Dream

I can't imagine it getting any better for Beach House. Teen Dream will go down as their masterpiece. They've continued with their dream-pop style, but they've picked up the pace a bit and definately picked up the songwriting. Perfect autumn album, perfect night-time album.

04. Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Speaking of masterpieces, here's another one. If you've read my recent review of this record then you already know how I feel. But again, Kanye is one of the best beat-makers and one of the best at bringing together interesting contributors. I know he's annoying and he says dumb things. But he's also undeniably talented, and sometimes I want to hear dumb things.

03. Sufjan Stevens - The Age of Adz

Sufjan could have done well for himself by putting out another banjo-toting, indie-folk opus, but I am way happier he put out this. The Age of Adz is a self-conscious, dirtied-up, electro-influenced mess that is just as cathartic as his previous masterpieces. Actually, it may be more cathartic. It's just such a refreshing departure, but it's still a highly melodic and rich sounding record.

02. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

It sort of bothers me that some critics call the Suburbs a 'return to form'. One reason is because I still think Neon Bible is awesome, but also because I think this is a totally different kind of record for Arcade Fire. For one thing, it's subdued (at least for them) and it's patient. It doesn't slap you across the face with huge singalongs or big messages. It slowly reveals itself as a classic. I can't imagine the pressure that was on this band prior to the release, but they more than delivered. It's a record that solidifies Arcade Fire's status as one of the all-time greatest bands ever.

01. The National - High Violet

I knew as soon as I heard High Violet that it would be my favourite record this year. It's a straight-forward, capital-I indie rock record, but it's does everything I want an album to do. It inspires, it saddens, it makes me laugh. I've listened to it probably hundreds of times (maybe just 100, probably less actually). And as their third masterpiece in a row, it solidifies (at least in my eyes) the same status as the Arcade Fire. One of the all-time greats.

Top 50 Songs of 2010

2010-12-02T15:52:00.000-08:00

Here we go! 2010 was a pretty good year for a diverse amount of awesome songs (as are most years). No surprises really, just some good songs.

50. First Rate People - "Girl's Night"

49. The New Pornographers - "Moves"

48. The Morning Benders - "Excuses"

47. Gonjasufi - "Sheep"

46. Suckers - "You Can Keep Me Running Around"

45. Laura Marling - "Made by Maid"

44. Warpaint - "Elephants"

43. Jonsi - "Go Do"

42. The Tallest Man on Earth - "The Wild Hunt"

41. Gayngs - "The Gaudy Side of Town"

40. Spoon - "Who Makes You Money"

39. Owen Pallett - "Lewis Takes Off His Shirt"

38. The Roots ft. Joanna Newsom, STS - "Right On"

37. Cults - "Go Outside"

36. Flying Lotus ft. Thom Yorke - "And the World Laughs With You"

35. Wild Nothing - "Bored Games"

34. Charlotte Gainsbourg ft. Beck - "Heaven Can Wait"

33. Lemonade - "Lifted"

32. Erykah Badu ft. L'il Wayne - "Jump Up in the Air"

31. Sharon Van Etten - "Love You More"

30. Keepaway - "Yellow Wings"

29. Department of Eagles - "While We're Young"

28. White Hinterland - "Icarus"

27. Beach House - "Better Times"

26. Antony and the Johnsons - "I'm in Love"

25. These New Puritans - "Attack Music"

24. El Guincho - "Bombay" VIDEO HAS NUDITY NSFW

23. Sufjan Stevens - "Heirloom"

22. How to Dress Well - "Ready for the World"

21. Caribou - "Odessa"

20. The Walkmen - "Angela Surf City"

19. Vampire Weekend - "Run"

18. Jamie Lidell - "Compass"

17. Deerhunter - "Helicopter"

16. Zola Jesus - "I Can't Stand"

15. Frightened Rabbit - "Swim Until You Can't See Land"

14. Broken Social Scene - "Art House Director"

13. Here We Go Magic - "Collector"

12. Twin Shadow - "I Can't Wait"

11. Big Boi ft. Cutty - "Shutterbug"

10. Phosphorescent - "The Mermaid Parade"

09. Die Antwoord - "Enter the Ninja"

08. Local Natives - "Airplanes"

07. Perfume Genius - "Mr. Peterson"

06. Yeasayer - "O.N.E."

05. Arcade Fire - "The Sprawl II (Mountains Beyong Mountains)"

04. Kanye West ft. Bon Iver, Rick Ross, Jay Z, Nick Minaj - "Monster"

03. LCD Soundsystem - "Dance Yrself Clean"

02. Joanna Newsom - "Good Intentions Paving Company"

01. The National - "Blood Buzz, Ohio"

Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

2010-11-24T15:39:00.000-08:00

Earlier this week everyone's (least?) favourite online music site, Pitchfork, dropped a perfect 10/10 on Kanye West's latest, "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy". This is big news because Pitchfork hasn't given anything a 10 , aside from reissues, since maybe Wilco's "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" eight years ago. Make no mistake, the rating is a statement and it's not necessarily an unfounded one. But is the record really 10 out of 10?

Personally, I don't think so. I do think it's a genuinely thrilling record and one of the year's best. I also think it's a lot more than that, but let's start with the songs. Well, they're great! Production-wise, West is pretty much a genius. Where other big-name rap producers like the Neptunes and Timbaland stick to their(admittedly awesome) formulas and signature sounds, West is a sponge. But he's extremely tasteful when he wrings out that sponge. It's all in the choices: dropping the drums here, tacking on a swelling synth there, muffling and distorting his voice throughout. Some of his sampling (Aphex Twin, King Crimson, WTF??) could border on stunt-sampling but they actually work quite well. You could look at the variety and huge quantity of guest stars (Nicki Minaj, Bon Iver, Elton John, Jay-Z, Fergie, etc...)and think, again, that it's a stunt. On paper, it's cool or at least interesting to know Bon Iver and Fergie are on the same record, but it's shitty and forced when the record sucks. Here, it's not forced. They all serve the flow of the record.

There are some obvious bangers such as the apocalyptic "Power" and the staggering "Monster". There are some syrupy, synth-ballads such as "Runaway" and "Blame Game" for good measure. And there are solid tracks throughout. It's not perfect though. As the Pitchfork review suggests, "Gorgeous" has some of West's best-ever rhymes, but the track itself is a little dull. There's a lot of sexist language (self-aware or not) throughout the record; a lot of "bitch" uses, and a line about a bruised esophagus that just straight-out pisses me off. When West opens up about his domestic abuse histories, it's meant to reveal his flawed character and add depth to his persona. But it can also come off as sensationalized. And it's also clearly wrong.

Furthermore, we are also talking about Kanye West here, and this guy pisses people off. He often says some ridiculous things (again, regardless of how self-aware it is). And when he says things that are supposed to make him appear as 'in-on-the-joke' or more thoughtful than you might think, he's often coming off just as dumb. But West's appeal has never been the literal content of his words. Instead, we hang on, or connect with, his emotions. This is a man who totally immerses him self in his own frustration, elation, doubt, arrogance, love, fearlessness and fearfulness. He pulls no punches, and those punches are often knockouts. He's got wit to boot; he is capable of being really funny and he is capable of saying things you've never heard before. He's really just one of the most interesting stars around today. And what's awesome is that he makes great music to go with it.

But, again, is it a 10? My reason for thinking it's not is because the record just doesn't hit that perfect rap album status for me. I really like it, and I can hear it's greatest in each song, but it doesn't reach that undescribable quality that true perfect albums have. Apparently, Pitchfork (and when I say Pitchfork, I mean the writer of the review, not the all-knowing, all-powerful MR. PITCHFORK)thinks it reaches that perfect status. And that's understandle; it's a huge, diverse album from a very interesting musician. And the songs back it up. But for me, it's just really good. And that's fine, right?

Top 30 All Time Movie Trailers

2010-11-16T17:16:00.000-08:00

I love movie trailers almost as much as I love the movies themselves. Often a trailer can even be better than the movie (as is the case with a few on this list). Here's a list of my favourite trailers of all time. Keep in mind that some of these movies are not even good. Also you should close any ads and watch in full screen. Ok!

30. Miller's Crossing

29. Pi

28. Rushmore

27. Aguirre, The Wrath of God

26. Sin City

25. The Social Network

24. Face Off

23. Repo Man

22. Waking Life

21. Blow Out

20. Cliffhanger

19. Unbreakable

18. Rumble Fish

17. Dead Man

16. Tron

15. Blue Velvet

14. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

13. Stop Making Sense

12. The Dark Knight

11. Videodrome

10. Dr. Strangelove: Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

09. Brazil

08. Zabriskie Point

07. The Watchmen

06. Pulp Fiction

05. Real Life

04. Alien

03. There Will Be Blood

02. Where the Wild Things Are

01. The Shining

Top Songs from the Last Decade (2000-2009) Pt. 3

2010-10-29T13:17:00.000-07:00

Here is the final part, and top 50, of my songs of the decade list. I hope you've enjoyed it.

50. The Flaming Lips - "Do You Realize"

49. Cat Power - "I Don't Blame You"

48. Doves - "There Goes the Fear"

47. Peter Bjorn and John - "Young Folks"

46. Jens Lekman - "Maple Leaves"

45. Antony and the Johnsons - "Hope There's Someone"

44.Kanye West ft. Adam Levine - "Heard 'Em Say"

43. Beck - "The Golden Age"

42. Dirty Projectors - "Stillness Is the Move"

41. Daft Punk - "Digital Love"

40. Decemberists - "Red Right Ankle"

39. The Postal Service - "The District Sleeps Alone Tonight"

38. The Mountain Goats - "This Year"

37. Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - "Love Comes to Me"

36. Stars - "Your Ex-Lover Is Dead"

35. The War on Drugs - "Taking the Farm"

34. Fleet Foxes - "White Winter Hymnal"

33. Modest Mouse - "3rd Planet"

32. McLusky - "To Hell With Good Intentions"

31. The Strokes - "Is This It?"

30. Of Montreal - "The Past Is a Grotesque Animal"

29. Feist - "I Feel It All"

28. My Morning Jacket - "Mahgeetah"

27. TV on the Radio - "I Was a Lover"

26.Destroyer - "Bad Arts"

25. The Shins - "Kissing the Lipless"

24. Manitoba - "I've Lived on a Dirt Road All My Life"

23.Grizzly Bear - "Two Weeks"

22. Band of Horses - "The General Specific"

21. The Hold Steady - "Stuck Between Stations"

20. Arthur Russell - "Love Is Overtaking Me"

19. Wilco - "Jesus, Etc"

18. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - "In This Home on Ice"

17. Animal Collective - "Fireworks"

16. Sunset Rubdown - "Us Ones in Between"

15. Bon Iver - "Blood Bank"

14. Yeasayer - "Tightrope"

13. The National - "Mr. November"

12. MIA - "Paper Planes"

11. Interpol - "NYC"

10. Panda Bear - "Bros"

09. OutKast - "Bombs Over Baghdad"

08. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Maps"

07. Radiohead - "House of Cards"

06. Wolf Parade - "I'll Believe in Anything"

05. LCD Soundsystem - "All My Friends"

04. The Knife - "Heartbeats"

03. Broken Social Scene - "Cause = Time"

02. Arcade Fire - "Neighbourhood #1 (Tunnels)"

01. Sufjan Stevens - "Casimir Pulaski Day"

Top 150 Songs of the Last Decade (2000-2009) Pt.2

2010-10-29T05:03:00.000-07:00

Here is the second part of the list, from 100 to 51.

100. Sun Kil Moon - "Carry Me Ohio"

99. Passion Pit - "Sleepyhead"

98. MGMT - "Time to Pretend"

97. Kings of Leon - "The Bucket"

96. Menomena - "Muscle 'n Flo"

95. Gillian Welch - "Elvis Presley Blues"

94. Tapes 'n Tapes - "Insistor"

93. Phosphorescent - "A Picture of Our Torn Up Praise"

92. Queens of the Stone Age - "No One Knows"

91. Man Man - "Van Helsing Boombox"

90. The Tough Alliance - "Something Special"

89. Deerhunter - "Nothing Ever Happened"

88. Neko Case - "Star Witness"

87. Hercules & Love Affair - "Blind"

86. Grandaddy - "Now It's On"

85. Califone - "The Orchids"

84. At the Drive-In - "One-Armed Scissor"

83. Franz Ferdinand - "Take Me Out"

82. Constantines - "Young Lions"

81. Okkervil River - "Black"

80. Los Campesinos - "You! Me! Dancing!"

79. The Streets - "Blinded by the Lights"

78. Bright Eyes - "First Day of My Life"

77. Dan Deacon - "The Crystal Cat"

76. Cornelius - "Drop"

75. Frightened Rabbit - "The Modern Leper"

74. Devendra Banhart - "The Body Breaks"

73. The Rapture - "Out of the Races and Onto the Tracks"

72. Iron and Wine - "Naked As We Came"

71. Vampire Weekend - "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa"

70. The New Pornographers - "The Laws Have Changed"

69. Bloc Party - "Like Eating Glass"

68. Final Fantasy - "This Is the Dream of Win and Regine"

67. The Roots ft. Cody ChesnuTT - "The Seed 2.0"

66. Midlake - "Young Bride"

65. Girl Talk - "Smash Your Head"

64. The Walkmen - "The Rat"

63. Jamie Lidell - "Mulitply"

62. Dismemberment Plan - "Sentimental Man"

61. Christian Falk ft. Robyn - "Dream On"

60. WHY? - "Good Friday"

59. Hot Chip "And I Was a Boy From School"

58. Spoon - "I Turn My Camera On"

57. Elliott Smith - "Twilight"

56. Phoenix - "Long Distance Call"

55. David Byrne and Brian Eno - "Strange Overtones"

54. Death Cab for Cutie - "The New Year"

53. Liars - "The Other Side of Mt. Heart Attack"

52. Beirut - "Sunday Smile"

51. The Go! Team - "Ladyflash"

Top 150 Songs of the Last Decade (2000-2009)

2010-10-28T17:26:00.000-07:00

Lists galore, amiright??? I can't help myself. Here is my top 150 songs of the last decade. It's in three parts, so today will be 150-101. Also, it's one song per artist. Tell me what you think!

150. Air France - "Collapsing at Your Doorstep"

149. El-P - "Stepfather Factory"

148. The White Stripes - "Fell In Love With a Girl"

147. Black Mountain - "Druganaut"

146. Bowerbirds - "Northern Lights"

145. Blackalicious - "Blazing Arrow"

144. Pretty Girls Make Graves - "This Is Our Emergency"

143. Gang Gang Dance - "House Jam"

142. Air - "Playground Love"

141. Rufus Wainwright - "Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk"

140. Architecture in Helsinki - "Do the Whirlwind"

139. Battles - "Atlas"

138. Bat for Lashes - "Daniel"

137. Deerhoof - "Milkman"

136. The Thermals - "Pillar of Salt"

135. The Clientele - "Reflections After Jane"

134. Atlas Sound ft. Panda Bear - "Walkabout"

133. R. Kelly - "Ignition" (Remix)

132. Joanna Newsom - "Bridges and Balloons"

131. Calexico - "Not Even Stevie Nicks"

130. Jurgen Paape - "So Wiet Wie Noch Nie"

129. Beach House - "Master of None"

128. St. Vincent - "Now Now"

127. The Avalanches - "Since I Left You"

126. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - "Breatless"

125. m83 - "Run Into Flowers"

124. Swan Lake - "All Fires"

123. Smog - "Dress Sexy at My Funeral"

122. Sigur Ros - "Staralfur"

121. Cut Copy - "Unforgettable Season"

120. Gorillaz ft. MF Doom - "November Has Come"

119. Four Tet - "Hands"

118. !!! - "Me and Giuliani Down by the Schoolyard"

117. Sonic Youth - "The Empty Page"

116. Chad VanGaalen - "Clinically Dead"

115. Dodos - "Fools"

114. Cee-Lo - "I'll Be Around"

113. Badly Drawn Boy - "The Shining"

112. Death From Above 1979 - "Romantic Rights"

111. Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings - "100 Days, 100 Nights"

110. Belle and Sebastian - "Piazza, New York Catcher"

109. Washed Out - "Feel It All Around"

108. Cass McCombs - "Harmonia"

107. Blur - "Out of Time"

106. Basement Jaxx - "Romeo"

105. Andrew Bird - "Fake Palindromes"

104. Microphones - "The Moon"

103. Kurt Vile - "Overnight Religion"

102. Jay-Z - "99 Problems"

101. The Futureheads - "Hounds of Love"

Chuck Klosterman Is Our Generation's Chuck Klosterman

2010-10-17T10:11:00.000-07:00

Probably more than any other author, I take writing and conversation cues from Chuck Klosterman. His books (Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs, Killing Yourself to Live, etc...) closely mirror the way I want to talk about pop culture. As you could tell, my blog is full of half-formed ideas and opinions about an array of pop culture topics (not just music, by the way). Except, Klosterman thoroughly investigates interesting phenomena within our culture, and I mostly just write (poorly) about how much I like or dislike something. I don't have the capability or the patience to get too deep about Saved by the Bell, for example. But I love reading about it. In any Klosterman book that I've read, I've burned through it in almost one sitting.

Critics have said that Klosterman is "our generation's Hunter S. Thompson". I suppose they say this because both men write about culture and often include themselves in their writing. But really, it's not an apt comparison. Where Thompson would tap into the root of evil in America, Klosterman tries to convince you that soccer sucks. For some reason, though, Klosterman's work resonates more within me. His essay collections read like youtube videos. You could watch clips of Kiss songs, Boston Celtic highlight reels, or Real World episodes, or you could just pick up a Chuck Klosterman book.

I don't want to make it seem like Klosterman's work is fluff or lightfare. He can often tap into some deep insights on love, death, self-consciousness, and mostly culture-identity. I can't really think of another writer who tackles the range of pop subjects that Klosterman discusses. He's the poet-laureate of the internet age; a writer that reflects our nerdy, celebrity-worshipping, cool-obsessed culture and injects it with importance.

This Break Room Live interview is a great example of how Klosterman can break down a big cultural event like Michael Jackson's death:

And read this great slash film interview:

http://http//www.slashfilm.com/2009/12/04/the-chuck-klosterman-interview-part-1-eating-the-dinosaur-the-state-of-entertainment-journalism-and-whether-or-not-avatar-is-geekdoms-chinese-democracy/

YTV Is the Reason I'm Fat.

2010-10-13T18:47:00.000-07:00

If you are close to my age (about 62 years old), and you owned a television, then YTV was probably a big part of your childhood. From when it started in 1988, to at least the mid-to-late 90s, the people who ran the station did a ridiculously great job at presenting fun, hilarious, educational, creative, and sometimes really, really weird programming. I probably spent more time watching YTV then I did sleeping. It made me a fat kid with a very poor attention span. YTV probably sucks now, I dunno. Still, it's a huge part of my memories and, in general, it's integral to the identity of Canada's generation Y.

Here's a clip of The Zone with PJ Phil. When I saw this on youtube I was astonished at how unrehearsed it is. Despite it's cheesiness, this video shows Phil being open and honest with kids, and he encourages them to voice opinions and be creative. You never see this anymore:

Even the commercials were great. The National Film Board of Canada had all kinds of their vignettes in between shows, like "The Logdriver's Waltz".

And the PSA's are also permanently embedded into my mind. Like this haunting one:

And then there were the shows. Here were some of my favs:

The Muppet Show:

The Hilarious House of Frightenstein:

You Can't Do That on Television:

X-Men:

Camp Cariboo:

Picture Pages:

And I can't find the intro to the Rugrats, but here's the theme song by Mark Mothersbaugh from Devo. It's probably the best children's show theme song ever.

And there are so many more great shows and clips and everything. Youtube is a wellspring for this shit. Anyways, enough time wasted for today.

Off the Floor, Off the Building, Over the Bridge, Through the Window, Nothing But Larry Bird

2010-10-05T12:15:00.000-07:00

Growing up, I had a few favourite basketball players. Charles Barkley, Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins and Shawn Kemp were all gods to me. Looking back, there is one player who stands above the rest: Larry Bird.

Now, I consider myself a Boston fan in general. The Celtics, Red Sox and Bruins are my favourite teams in their respective sports. But basketball was always my favourite sport, and if Larry Bird was the greatest Celtic ever then you can do the math why he's my favourite player. Unlike Jordan or Magic Johnson, Bird was never really flashy. He could even seem clumsy at times. But he was the most intelligent player to ever play and he had an unmatched work ethic.

This is the best highlight video for Bird that I could find on youtube. I'm sorry that the music is Eminem, but I actually don't mind that it's Eminem. (really)

I also love this video revealing Bird's habit of trash-talking. In basketball, there's nothing I like more than a player who can trash talk and back it up. But I pretty much only like this in basketball. I sort of like it during dance offs.

And finally there's this hilariously nerdy and classic McDonald's commercial. All competition should be done over hamburgers.

The Facebook Movie: Jeff Lawton likes this.

2010-10-03T20:56:00.000-07:00

I recently just got back from watching The Social Network. And...it's great!

Here's the trailer:

The movie is about the creation of Facebook (whatever that is) and also how the creator, Mark Zuckerberg, is a great big jerk. Zuckerberg is played by Jesse Eisenberg, who was in Zombieland, Adventureland and the Squid and the Whale but is probably best known for also being Michael Cera. It was directed by David Fincher, who directed Seven, Fight Club (which are great), Zodiac (which I hear is great), and the Curious Case of Benjamin Button (which I hear is not-so-great but still ok). And it was written by Aaron Sorkin, who also wrote A Few Good Men and the West Wing and was most notably in this Entourage cameo:

(for the record, I cannot get into Entourage)

But yeah, the movie is definately one of the best I've seen this year (also: Inception and Scott Pilgrim VS. The World). It's interesting how a man can create the biggest social networking site ever while being socially inept himself. And blah, blah, blah me talk boring now. SO, I recommend it.

Happiness Is a Warm John Lennon on Heroin

2010-10-01T09:55:00.000-07:00

I recently picked up Rolling Stone magazine's issue of the 100 Greatest Beatles Songs. It's definately interesting to read facts and quotes about this song and that. But the actual order of the songs is another thing (for example: "Day in the Life" is rightfully ranked #1, and then it's followed by "I Want to Hold Your Hand" at #2, which is ridiculous). If you want, you can see the top ten here:

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/17386/194557

The best thing about this list is that it's made me re-obsessed with the Beatles. In particular, I'm getting deep into the weirdest John Lennon tracks.

Now, I've always loved Lennon the most. Early on, it was John who wanted to make Dylan-inspired folk such as "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" and "Norwegian Wood". Then he ate acid everyday and wrote classics like "Strawberry Fields Forever", "Tomorrow Never Knows" and "I Am the Walrus". Lately, I've been playing Lennon's White Album tracks non-stop.

Strung-out on heroin, jaded about hippie culture, and with new weirdo-artist girlfriend Yoko Ono on his arm, Lennon went into the White Album recording sessions with the intention to fuck shit up. And the stuff that came out is amazing. For example:

"Happiness Is a Warm Gun"

or "Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill"

or "Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except for Me and My Monkey"

These songs are sooo good. Too good actually. Somebody ought to assassinate that guy.

Bill Murray: Genius or Hero?

2010-09-29T19:00:00.000-07:00

This post marks a slight change in direction for my blog. Instead of writing exclusively about music, I will now write about anything I think is awesome. Call it: Awesome Blog! Awesblog! whatever. Obviously I will still write about a bunch of music, but now I am also free to write about other things that I love. Such as Bill 'Groundhog Day, Ghostbustin' Ass' Murray.

Let's count Bill Murray's accomplishments, shall we?

1. He was one of the biggest stars from the golden age of Saturday Night Live, which is probably THE most important comedic television show in history. More than the Tonight Show, more than the Simpsons.

2. He was the best character in one of the most successful movies of all time: Ghostbusters

3. He has played a ridiculous range of characters from Hunter S. Thompson to Polonius to Garfield.

4. He has worked with a who's who of important filmmakers, such as Wes Anderson, Sofia Coppola, Jim Jarmusch, Tim Burton, Sydney Pollack, etc...

5. He frequently shows up in random movies, hilariously playing himself along side Michael Jordan, or the Wu-Tang Clan, or zombies.

Here are some examples of great Bill Murray moments:

Furthermore, I just like the man's demeanor. He always comes off as down to earth. He has no agent, so apparently if you want him in a movie you just call him. And one rumour that I think is just amazing is this: Apparently Bill Murray has been known to sneak up behind random people, put his hands over their eyes and say "Guess who". When that person turns to see who it is, Murray says, "No one will ever believe you," and then runs off. AMAZING

Also, this is a good B.Murray interview:

http://www.gq.com/entertainment/celebrities/201008/bill-murray-dan-fierman-gq-interview

And now watch this:

Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

2010-08-10T07:38:00.000-07:00

I've recently been worried about the amount of edge I have in my music taste. For example, I don't really care about Sleigh Bells or Wavves or Fang Island, bands who are exploring new realms of invention or innovation. Furthermore, my interest in genres like hip-hop and electronica are waning to say the least, and as much as I admire new records from Big Boi and Flying Lotus I'm usually forcing myself to pay attention. There was a time when I considered myself fairly forward-thinking towards new and 'difficult' music. I thought it was important to take myself out of my comfort zone and really challenge my tastes. In other words, there was a time when I'd put Fuck Buttons on a mix CD. These days, however, I just listen to boring old dad-rock.

"The Suburbs", the new Arcade Fire record, can definately fall under this dad-rock category. It's pretty standard rock 'n roll, informed by 90's indie, Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young, and it is easily the most predictable indie album to love this year. But honestly, I do really love it. For their first two records, the Arcade Fire perfected earnest, propulsive rock with grand, sweeping orchestral arrangements. On "The Suburbs", they don't deviate from this formula so much as they fine-tune it. These songs tone down both the splashy, reckless choruses of "Funeral" and the big-statement-preachiness of "Neon Bible". While they do throw in some electro-pop on tracks like "Half-Light II" and "Sprawl II" (admittedly this is still a pretty safe indie-rock move), the songs are mostly subtle and subdued. It's the most 'grower' album they've written, but "The Suburbs" feels richer for it. It's a record to spend time with, and it certainly has embedded itself deep in my consciousness. Furthermore, seeing the band play some of these songs live (like the driving "Month of May" and the rip-roaring "Ready to Start") I'm pretty confident that the Arcade Fire's status as one of the best and most exciting bands of our time is cemented.

But it still makes me wonder, if the only records I've been responding to are old safies like The National, Broken Social Scene and now Arcade Fire, does this mean I am losing my edge? I think the answer is clearly: Yes. But as long as records like "The Suburbs keep getting churned out, then I am satisfied with that.

Classic Album: Neil Young - On the Beach

2010-07-07T09:22:00.000-07:00

I've been on a pretty significant Neil Young kick as of late. I've always been a fan, but when I was younger I mostly had an appreciation of Decade and maybe Harvest and After the Goldrush, and not much else. But man, Neil's catalogue is a wellspring of classic material. From the late 60's to the late 70's, he had a stretch of great records that is almost unrivalled (I think of maybe R.E.M. or Dylan as peers in this sense).

On the Beach is a record that I wouldn't have bothered with years ago. There's no mega-hit; no "Cinnamon Girl", no "Old Man", no "Harvest Moon". Listening to it now, however, I hear a rich, raw and powerful batch of songs that make up Neil's (arguably) best record. There's a solemn swagger to the playing and the vocals, as if Young is no longer interested in crafting one of those aforementioned hits and would rather slug out bummer songs about vampire blues. This is a professionally minimalistic record, all slow-to-mid-tempo rock, that gets permanently burned into your psyche.

The National - High Violet

2010-05-27T14:08:00.000-07:00

Prior to High Violet, The National were already a heavy hitter in the indie-rock world. They've released four well-received albums in the aughts, but it was the last two, Alligator and Boxer, that pushed the band into a sort of quasi-superstardom. Both of those records have been called 'growers' by many critics, and that seems appropriate. The National's songs don't slap you in the face with any forced gimmick, but upon repeated listenings they bury themselves deep into your heart. You hang on every note and every word.

Because these records have accumlated such a strong following, The National are no longer a well-kept secret. Instead, they are now the most hyped of all the 'hype bands' and, as many failed artists could tell you, that's not necessarily the most desireable position to be in. However, on their latest record, High Violet, the band more than delivers. This is their third masterpiece in a row.

Not only do I think this is the best National record yet, I also haven't been this excited about an album in years (probably not since LCD Soundsystem's Sound of Silver from 2007). The reasons for my excitement, however, are not that obvious. The band isn't really doing much differently; I guess they're a little more focused than on Alligator and a little more reckless than on Boxer. But overall these songs just feel like their strongest, most riveting batch.

And there are no mis-steps either. Since I've been listening, nearly every song has held the title of 'favourite' at some point for me. There's the swelling march of "Terrible Love", the anthemic sadness of "Bloodbuzz, Ohio", the grand catharsis of "Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks", and I could go on. They've perfected a heart-felt, soaring and straightforward-yet-still-rich brand of rock that other bands can only dream of making. Mostly though, these songs just feel good. Part of me wants to grab you by the shoulders and shake you into loving this record (hence this review), and the other part of me wants to keep this record just for me and my girl. Our own little treasure.

Except that this is obviously going to be a huge record for The National; the one that secures them a spot in history as one of the greats. And good for them, I say. They seem like nice people, and they sure made a damn fine album.

Classic Albums: R.E.M. - Automatic for the People

2010-04-29T15:14:00.000-07:00

R.E.M. is one of the biggest bands in the world, and I would even suggest that when they released Automatic for the People they were THE biggest band. So, most of their radio hits are permanently embedded in my sub-conscious. That being said, I spent most of my life not really appreciating how deep R.E.M's output of quality records really is. From Murmur to at least New Adventures in Hi-Fi, every R.E.M. record is at least really good. That's a 10-record streak! But it's Automatic that takes the cake. It's their most popular record, it had the most hits, and it's the most consistent.

Top Albums of the 90s: Revised and Enlarged

2010-04-08T06:29:00.000-07:00

When I posted my initial list of favourite 90s albums last year, I did it sort of half-assed. I just typed out 50 records with no photos or blurbs, and I missed a lot of great records. So now I want to do right. Hopefully you'll find this new list more informative and pleasing to the eye. If you did see my old list, you will not only notice that there are twice the amount of records here, but also that the order has changed drastically (in some cases). Also, I want your comments. Let me know what you like and don't like, and don't be shy. (scroll to the bottom to leave a comment)

100. Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral

I'm not the biggest NIN fan in the world, but The Downward Spiral is just such a monster of an album. It's abrasive, long and depressing, but it's also got some of the grimiest and infectous beats of the decade. This is a total hate-mood record.

99. Stereolab - Dots and Loops

Stereolab were easily one of the most inventive and exciting bands of the 90s, as they were able to incorporate a vast amount of influences under their umbrella of sound. Dots and Loops finds them in space-lounge mode, taking the loung-pop of Air and combining it with the bubbly percussion of Tortoise.

98. Yo La Tengo - Painful

I imagine that Yo La Tengo's Painful is best listened to on some kind of painkiller or anti-depressant. The album drifts along, balancing light melodies with distant, angular guitars. It rocks too, but in a way that's intoxicating and unintrusive.

97. Royal Trux - Accelerator

Think of the Rolling Stones at their most boozed and strung-out, then take away the posh and half of the musicianship, and that's pretty close to what Royal Trux sound like. Accelerator is all silly singalongs and lo-fi blues-rock, and it's a helluva good time.

96. Beat Happening - You Turn Me On

Beat Happening are a fairly divisive band. You could complain about the lack of bass, Calvin Johnson's deep atonal vocals or the fact that their songs are so simple they make the Ramones sound like Beethoven. But then you'd be missing the point. You Turn Me On is a bright, funny and refreshingly raw record from a band who are almost (but not quite) posing as anti-musicians.

95. Fugazi - Red Medicine

Red Medicine is mid-period Fugazi, which means this record finds the band somewhere between their hardcore early days and their later art-punk dabblings. It's an intriguing and often-thrilling balance, and it's also a good place to start with Fugazi if you're not already into them.

94. Pixies - Bossanova

Most people's favourite era of Pixies is their raw, art-rock period in the late 80s. That doesn't mean, however, that this record is any less of a classic. Bossanova is still an important Pixies album and it's got plenty of hooks, surf-rock riffs, piercing screams and weird little eccentricities to keep me coming back.

93. Built to Spill - Keep It Like a Secret

Discussions about Built to Spill often come down to the question of which is their best record: There's Nothing Wrong With Love or Perfect From Now On. However, I feel like Keep It Like a Secret is unfairly left out. This is especially weird considering the record is practically a combination of the other two. This record is both a long-winded rock epic and indie-pop ear candy, and it's an essential listen for someone who loves, for example, Modest Mouse's Good News or the Shins' Chutes Too Narrow.

92. Green Day - Dookie

Today, Green Day is one of my most hated bands, for obvious reasons. But this doesn't mean that their 1994 breakthrough, Dookie, is any less explosive. This isn't genius music, but it hits the same pleasure centres that a band like the Buzzcocks would`ve. It`s pop-punk, yes, but Dookie has an innate authenticity that lifts the record well beyond it`s imitators.

91. Modest Mouse - The Lonesome Crowded West

The Lonesome Crowded West is probably Modest Mouse's most raw and riviting album. Isacc Brock sings with both ferocity and a wounded tenderness that rivals the best rock singers. Although it's a bit overlong, this record is packed with so many good ideas and catchy songs I had to include it on this list.

90. Seefeel - Quique

Seefeel's Quique blends the guitar atmospherics of My Bloody Valentine with the pulse of late-80s house music into one beautiful record. They key to this record, however, is the subtley intricate and inventive percussion. This is a rich album that reveals new discoveries on repeated listens.

89. Daft Punk - Homework

If Discovery was the record where Daft Punk perfected pop music, then Homework is the record where they perfected the beats. By far the coolest and most impressive group from that wave of techno that took the world by storm in the late 90s, Daft Punk are also the only ones who don't sound dated.

88. Rage Against the Machine - Evil Empire

Most people consider Rage's self-titled debut the band's best record. But I feel like this record has more pop, more bounce and a clearer sound than it's predecessor. And despite the legions of horrible rap-rock bands Rage has spawned, you can't deny they touched on a truly exciting, dangerous and innovative sound here.

87. Dr. Octagon - Dr. Octagonecologyst

Kool Keith likes to rap about sex and poop, often at the same time. If you can get beyond this, and I won't blame you if you can't, then you will appreciate his excellent inter-rhyming style and bizaro humour. At the very least, Dan the Automator's beats are worth the listen, as they are dense, dark, abstract and jazzy in a way I've never heard before.

86. Liz Phair - Exile in Guyville

Exile in Guyville is apparently a song by song response to the Rolling Stones' Exile on Main Street. But I never really think about that when I listen to it. Instead, I hear an excellent and overtly sexual indie-rock record. It's so good I almost forget that Phair is now a sickeningly awful pop star.

85. Happy Mondays - Pills, Thrills and Bellyaches

The Happy Mondays sound so much like they don't give a shit that I can't believe they made a record as good as Pills, Thrills and Bellyaches. It's a great dance-rock album from the Manchester dance-era, and if you dig that scene, and can tolerate Shaun Ryder's ignorant holler, then you should enjoy this.

84. Beck - One Foot in the Grave

If Beck has a forgotten record, then it's probably One Foot in the Grave. For the most part, it's a quiet slacker-folk record, produced by Beat Happening's Calvin Jonson. This is Beck is rare-form, and by that I mean that this is Beck is modest mode (as opposed to star mode). Still, it's a great batch of songs and it's just been reissued, so I recommend giving it a listen.

83. His Name Is Alive - Mouth by Mouth

His Name Is Alive never reached a significant audience, even for an indie band. They were a little too creepy, a little too gothic and a little too difficult to pin down. Still, Mouth by Mouth is an impressive batch of songs that incorporate dream-pop, crunching guitars and electronics uniquely and effectively.

82. Sunny Day Real Estate - Diary

You hate emo, I hate emo, we all hate emo. But let's not blame Sunny Day Real Estate, ok? Even though Diary is basically the prototype for bands crying into their mics, SDRE did it way better, way smarter and way less embarrasingly. Put it this way: Diary is much more Weezer than My Chemical Romance. There.

81. Neil Young - Harvest Moon

Neil Young obviously did not have to make an album as great as Harvest Moon. But the legend is still kicking, and still putting his all into each record. This album finds Neil in his folky stage (as opposed to blistering rock) and it's probably his best late-period release.

80. R.E.M. - New Adventures in Hi-Fi

I hope not, but New Adventures in Hi-Fi could go down as R.E.M's last truly great album. At the time of its release, it was touted as a return to form (after the weirdly underrated Monster), but I still feel like it's a little underappreciated. This album compiles everything great that the band did up until that point, and takes it a little further.

79. The Lemonheads - It's a Shame About Ray

I remember seeing the video for The Lemonheads cover of "Mrs. Robinson" when I was young and thinking that this was a stupid band. Man, I was wrong. Sort of. It's a Shame About Ray is a little dumb-sounding at times, but in a totally endearing way. This album is feel good, pretty-boy punk about drugs and girls, and it needs to be reconsidered.

78. Brian Eno and John Cale - Wrong Way Up

Even though Wrong Way Up is a collaboration of two musical heroes of the 70s, I had never even heard of it up until last year. But its strange that an album this chipper and poppy, with musicians this revered, would go so unnoticed as a great 90s record. It's vaguely synth-pop, with some reggae and dark folk, and it's super-catchy.

77. Beck - Midnight Vultures

Beck, like Prince, is such a studio wizard that he could probably take any genre and do something awesome with it. So it makes sense that he would tackle a subject as fun as Prince-like electro-funk. Midnight Vultures is still an important Beck record, despite its seemingly tossed-off feel, and it should go down as a highpoint in his career.

76. Public Enemy - Fear of a Black Planet

Fear of a Black Planet is a gigantic record. It's actually a bit too long if you ask me. But there so much going on to love, so many 'Fuck Yeah!' moments, that makes this an undeniable classic. Even Flavor Flav, now an obvious joke, comes off as intelligent and intergral to the group.

75. Stereolab - Mars Audiac Quintet

Mars Audiac Quintet is just another great Stereolab record in a two-decade career full of them. It's a propulsive rock record, with pretty harmonies and spacey, synth sounds. The band has been more creative on other records, but they've never sounded as excited as they do here.

74. Elliott Smith - XO

Following the quiet masterpiece of Either/Or, Elliott Smith got nominated for an Oscar for best song, signed to a major label, and got a much bigger budget. He used this new money wisely, though, instead of overproducing. On XO, he's got a fleshed out, full-band sound and he incorporates some strings and whatnot, but they all complement his devastating songs instead of drowning them out.

73. Disco Inferno - The 5 EPs

Disco Inferno are an odd little band who sound like nobody before or after them. At heart, they write jangly, New Order post-punk, but they splice it with so many weird vocal samples and distorted instrumentation that it becomes almost unrecognizable as pop. Almost is the operative word, however, because most of The 5 EPs is indeed rooted in pop structures, and the entire thing is entralling.

72. Pearl Jam - Ten

Pearl Jam have complained about the sound of Ten, thinking that it's overproduced or not raw enough. I, however, think it's their best sounding record. It's the sound of a band in constant elevation. It's spacious and organic, passionate and truly huge. How could they not have been the biggest band in the world with a record this epic?

71. Bjork - Homogenic

Homogenic is the sound of Bjork focusing. Her previous two releases were smorgasbords of sounds and styles, but this record is singular in its glacial electronics and sweeping string arrangments. One of the most beautiful records of the decade, for sure.

70. Smog - Red Apple Falls

Listening to Bill Callahan takes patience. His voice is monotone, his songs are slow, and the lyrics are dense. Eventually, however, the genius of his words reveal themselves and the subtle, minimal flourishes in sound perfectly compliment what he's saying. Listen to Red Apple Falls five times and you'll know what I'm talking about.

69. Weezer - Weezer

It's difficult to remember how awesome Weezer used to be, but throwing on the Blue Album helps. A pop-punk classic, this album is jammed with so many memorable hooks and witty lyrics it's almost unbelievable that this band could've made a bad record. And then they went and made a bunch of bad records.

68. Olivia Tremor Control - Dusk at Cubist Castle

Olivia Tremor Control were the centrepiece of the Elephant 6 collective, which was a group of bands/friends that included Neutral Milk Hotel, Apples in Stereo and Of Montreal. A giant opus, Dusk at Cubist Castle is also a disciple of the simple pop pleasures of the Beatles and the Beach Boys.

67. Gastr del Sol - Camoufleur

An early post-rock outfit for Chicago producer/songwriter Jim O'Rourke, Gastr del Sol were an important band for a small amount of people. Camoufleur finds the band dabbling in electronics, Americana and the jazzy pop of the Sea and Cake.

66. Eels - Electro-Shock Blues

The subject matter for Electro-Shock Blues consists of a number of devastating occurences in singer/songwriter Mark Everett's life. Basically, many of his friends die, his sister commits suicide in a mental ward, and his mother is diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. It would almost be too heavy to sit through if not for the bright and inspired songwriting throughout.

65. Fugazi - 13 Songs

Few punk bands, or any band really, started their career as thrillingly as Fugazi did. Rising from the ashes of hardcore bands Rites of Spring and Minor Threat, Fugazi were more melodic and musical than their previous groups while remaining intense and passionate. 13 Songs is a compilation of their early singles, but it rivals even their best 'official' full-lengths.

64. Wilco - Being There

Like most double albums, Wilco's Being There suffers from being too damn long. However, the best songs here are so fun and exciting (not to mention permanently etched in my mind) that I can't deny my love for the album as a whole. Even the filler is at least really pleasant. Still, I wish Being There was one disc.

63. Red House Painters - Ocean Beach

While he would reach greater heights (in my opinion) later on with Sun Kil Moon, Mark Kozelek's Red House Painters excelled at making hazy, spacious folk-rock with jazzy interventions and epic song lengths. Ocean Beach is the band's best record.

62. Mercury Rev - Deserter's Songs

Forever regarded as the inferior brother record to the Flaming Lips' Soft Bulletin (mostly because of producer David Fridmann), Deserter's Songs itself is an impressive batch of songs. Eschewing their noise-rock early days for a polished, orchestral sound, Mercury Rev found their groove on this beautiful easy-listening classic.

61. Slowdive - Souvlaki

Of all the shoegaze records of the early 90s, Souvlaki sounds the prettiest. The tempos are slow and the reverb is overwhelming. It almost sounds like vinyl melting, if not for the glacial textures of the guitars. This is the textbook of make-out records.

60. Magnetic Fields - Holiday

Before Stephen Merritt started composing gigantic concept records, he made modest little pop records, albeit still with exceptional songwriting skills. Holiday finds him in 80s-pop mode, with bubbly synths and beat machines. It still sounds like a Magnetic Fields record though, i.e. lovelorn, witty, vaguely sarcastic and vaguely sincere.

59. Cornelius - Fantasma

I am convinced that Cornelius is a fan of all popular music. I say this because Fantasma sounds like he tried to squeeze everything into it. I'm not even going to try to list the genres that are touched upon in this record. Just assume that Fantasma sounds like everything.

58. Massive Attack - Blue Lines

Blue Lines is nearly solely responsible for inventing the entire trip-hop genre. It's brighter than most of the records it influenced (including their own later releases), and this is because there is considerably more soulful crooning and energetic rapping. But the throbbing basslines, dark synths and jagged breakbeats that are associated with trip-hop are infused on every track. Blue Lines is an undeniably pioneering triumph of sound.

57. Pavement - Wowee Zowee

If Slanted and Enchanted was Pavement's freak-out phase, and Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain was their accessible phase, then Wowee Zowee is a natural combination of the two. It's a huge album that exercises all of the band's interests and influences, to admittedly varying results. But as a whole, WZ is enormously entertaining.

56. Pulp - Different Class

One of the best records to come out of the (overrated) Brit-pop period, Pulp's Different Class is a biting yet joyous album. The record avoids most of the camp of Blur and the simple-mindedness of Oasis, and itstead fuses disco, glam-rock and the romanticism of Leonard Cohen together to form a thrilling rock epic.

55. Cat Power - Moon Pix

Recorded in Austrailia during Chan Marshall's unstable period, Moon Pix is a stark and troubled record. The instrumentation is sparse, as in guitar or piano with some drums here and a flute there, but her voice is the main draw. Cat Power is a born storyteller, even if at the time she couldn't deal with the people she was telling these stories to.

54. Slint - Spiderland

Slint play angular, menacing, minimal, and even vaguely funky post-rock and not enough can be said about how great they sound. But what makes Spiderland so important is the vocals. Focused on two characters, Don and the Captain, Brain McMahan either speaks or screams into the mic, both with measured intensity, and the results are moving and unsettling. Listen to this record with the lyrics sheet in front of you.

53. The Sea and Cake - The Fawn

The Sea and Cake sound relentlessly pretty, and the Fawn is likely their most beautiful sounding record. Sam Prekop's breathy vocals bounce off sharp guitars while the rhythm section ebbs and flows in between. This is impressive, jazzy musicianship mixed with highly accesible tunes.

52. Air - Moon Safari

While Air was lumped into the trend of late 90s techno, they never really fit in. Moon Safari, while obviously informed by French house, was more of a polished, professional-sounding piece of lounge-pop from outerspace. Even though Air influenced a significant amount of shitty chill-out dinner music, this record never feels cheesy or postured. It's just impressive, effective songwriting.

51. Neutral Milk Hotel - On Avery Island

While On Avery Island is half the genius of Neutral Milk Hotel's next record, it is still an incredible listen. Simple folk ditties are dirtied-up with fuzz and distortion and played with feverish intensity.

50. Tom Waits - Bone Machine

Since swordfishtrombones, Tom Waits has been ridiculously consistent to the point where he rarely excites anymore. Bone Machine, however, is clearly one of his highpoints. Continuing his trend of junk-yard percussion, weirdo-blues, old country and New Orleans jazz, Bone Machine is thrilling simply because the songs are so glorious. An essential Waits record.

49. The Wedding Present - Seamonsters

Seamonsters is a powerhouse record. It's a few guys banging out sweet pop tunes as loudly as they can, while the singer devastates the listener with pained, witty and profound vocals. The Wedding Present are a criminally under-appreciated band, and anyone who loves the more rocking side of a band like the National should probably check them out.

48. DJ Shadow - Endtroducing

DJ Shadow's Endtroducing showcases an artist who has a profound understanding of their genre (hip-hop) and then releases a perfect culmination of almost everything it stands for. I say 'almost' because there is no rapping on this record at all. The focus here is on the craft of sampling and beat-making, and by doing this Shadow has illuminated the lifeblood of an entire genre, not to mention he has released an utterly essential record.

47. Lambchop - How I Quit Smoking

Lambchop play a hushed, relaxed but also slightly warped style of Nashville-influenced alt-country. How I Quit Smoking is the band's debut and best record, and there are countless instances of subtley great moments throughout.

46. Magnetic Fields - 69 Love Songs

This record is exactly what the title says it is: 69 songs about love. It's a delightful, but long, listen and probably not something to take all in one sitting. The record contains a vast amount genres, but the core Magnetic Fields style of twee/electro/Beatles-esque pop is the dominant sound. There are a couple duds, understandably, but the consistency of great songs here is remarkable.

45. Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)

Certainly the most prolific rap group ever, the Wu-Tang Clan were also one of the best. 36 Chambers was their debut, their peak, and their most traditionally Wu-Tang-like. Dusty, sparse and menacing beats are complimented by nine unique and talented MCs, to form a gritty, street-smart, but also sort-of classy rap masterpiece.

44. The Beta Band - The 3 EPs

While it is indeed three compiled short records, The 3 EPs easily works as a normal full-length. The Beta Band was like a British answer to Beck's LA folk-hop, with a little more folk and a little less hip-hop. This record is probably the band's best, and although it lags a bit in the middle, the rest of the songs are too great for that to matter.

43. Morphine - Cure for Pain

Morphine was an odd formula. The band consisted of a vocalist/basist (Mark Sandman, who would years later die onstage of heart failure), a saxaphonist and a drummer. Cure for Pain, their most acclaimed release, goes back and forth between blues-rock and ballads for the entirety of the record. This stiff structure, along with the novelty of the band's instruments, falls to the background though, because of the strength of these incredible songs.

42. Palace Music - Viva Last Blues

Before he was Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, Will Oldham played with his brothers in a band called Palace Music. This alt-country classic is at times rollicking, at times somber, but always comforting and oddly beautiful.

41. Pavement - Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain

Pavement's only real shot at the alternative-era MTV showcase, Crooked Rain was a decidely more accesible record than their debut. But it was still essentially a Pavement record, stuffed with that same slacker mentality, sloppy playing and the vocal eccentricities of Stephen Malkmus.

40. Belle and Sebastian - The Boy With the Arab Strap

While weirdly maligned at the time by critics, The Boy With the Arab Strap has lasted the test of time and should be considered amongst the band's best records. While following in the twee-pop vein of their previous two records, the band also incorporates an increasingly eclectic style that would paint their later work.

39. Weezer - Pinkerton

While I think Weezer's Blue Album is great, it's Pinkerton that makes me perplexed about how bad this band is now. This record contained most, if not all, of the power-pop charm of the debut, but added a stronger emotional resonance. It's a deeply personal album and therefore a more interesting album and certainly the one I reach for the most.

38. Talk Talk - Laughing Stock

Talk Talk are climbing the ladder on my favourite bands list. Laughing Stock is their final, and most difficult record. Some call it the birth of post-rock, whatever that means. But it's a jazz inspired, spacious, slow, spiritual, painstakingly detailed masterpiece that's worth spending time on. But if you're interested you should maybe start with a couple of their 80s albums first, namely The Colour of Spring and The Spirit of Eden.

37. Cornershop - When I Was Born for the 7th Time

Brit-pop, tradional Indian music, turntablism, Americana, trip-hop, electro-pop, a Beatles cover, and a spoken-word piece by Allen Ginsberg. That's a lot to fit into a record, but that's When I Was Born for the 7th Time.

36. Beastie Boys - Check Your Head

Their debut was moronic fun, their sophmore release was a big artistic statement, but Check Your Head was the record that gave the Beasties staying power. Here, they were rapping over their own punk-funk instrumentals, giving them instant cred in the rock world but also revealing their versatility. While they made a couple more good records after this, Check Your Head was the last time the Beastie Boys were untouchable.

35. The Sea and Cake - The Sea and Cake

Chicago in the early-mid 90s was one of the most productive music scenes in American history, rivaling San Francisco, Seatle, you name it. But of all the gritty punk and post-rock that the city was immersed in at the time, The Sea and Cake brought the pop harder than anyone. Their self-titled debut is the band's most upbeat, straightforward record, and also their easiest to listen to.

34. Belle and Sebastian - Tigermilk

Belle and Sebastian's debut, Tigermilk, originally pressed only 1000 copies. But people fell for it pretty hard, and thus the band's career jumpstarted. This record, along with the Boy With the Arab Strap and If You're Feeling Sinister, was part of one the most impressive 3-album-run by any band ever.

33. Nas - Illmatic

If there's only one rap album everyone can get behind, it's probably Illmatic. At a quick 10 tracks, Nas basically destroys all competition with a unique flow, jazzy beats and a no frills approach. He's never been this good again, but neither has any other rapper.

32. Depeche Mode - Violator

Violator is one of, if not the best, defining moments of the synth-pop era. It's simultaneously dark and vibrant, perfect for clubs but also rainy days. It's also the last of its kind, as Nirvana dropkicked this shit off the radio a mere year later.

31. Portishead - Dummy

While not the first to bring trip-hop to the masses (that would be Massive Attack), Portishead did it the best. Dummy is such an easy album to love because every beat is infectious, Beth Gibbons singing is equal parts heartbreaking and spooky, and the little production tics on each song become instant fav moments.

30. U2 - Achtung Baby

Before U2 spiralled into a mess of bad ideas and self-parody, they made their best album in Achtung Baby. The story goes that after their crappy foray into American blues with Rattle and Hum, the band was at a crossroads. Bono and the Edge wanted to make electronic music, while Larry and Adam wanted to return to their fiery anthems. So what did they do? They settled for a middle ground. This resulted in something fresh, but also unmistakingly U2. And now they suck...so bad.

29. Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream

Had the Pumpkins edited Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness into one disc, you'd probably see two of their records on this list. But they didn't so we're left here with Siamese Dream. But this a pretty phenomenal album to be left with. This is the band at their most focused, most rockin' and most awesomestest. I just wish they didn't still exist.

28. A Tribe Called Quest - Midnight Marauders

The favourite Tribe album is usually considered to be The Low-End Theory, but I think Midnight Marauders takes the cake. Following in the jazz-rap identity of the previous record, Tribe made it more expansive, more energetic and more fun to listen to on this record.

27. The Flaming Lips - Clouds Taste Metallic

Before the orchestral and electronic highlights of The Soft Bulletin and Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, the Flaming Lips were sort of just a plain ol' rock band. But they were a really great rock band, though, and Clouds Taste Metallic was the best, and last, record under this guise. This is the best place to start if you're curious about early Lips.

26. Saint Etienne - So Tough

Saint Etienne are a band who seemed like they were having a constant identity crisis. It's like they didn't want to sound too-Abba, or too-Primal Scream, or too-Stereolab, or too-Beastie Boys, but they obviously sounded like all of those bands. Because of this, most of their early albums have a strange non-flow to them. However, this always worked strangely in their favour, and this is most evident on So Tough. This record is simply their best group of songs and ideas on one disc.

25. Wilco - Summerteeth

Wilco have never been brighter, or more poppy, than they are on Summerteeth. It's the first record to announce that they were abandoning their pure alt-country roots, even if it didn't totally inform the abstractions of their later records. Actually, it sort of sticks out like a sore thumb in the band's discography. Summerteeth is obviously a transitional phase between the band's two major sounds, but it doesn't really sound like either of those two Wilcos. It sort of makes me think the band should maybe revisit and expand upon the Brian Wilson-isms of this record.

24. Primal Scream - Screamadelica

Screamadelica is not the first record to mix the Manchester rave scene with classic rock, but it's the first to unapologetically seperate the two sounds and cram them into one album. If you only like rock, then you probably only like half the album, and if you only like dance, well, you know. But if you're anything like me, then you like the whole thing.

23. Nirvana - In Utero

In Utero has allowed Nirvana to be remembered as a great band, instead of a band that made one great record (two if you count the obviously inferior, but still pretty awesome, Bleach). The pressure when making this album was probably unthinkably immense, but the band succeeded because they didn't try to make a bigger, better Nevermind. Instead, they made a smaller, rougher and tighter punk-rock album, that stands up as a near-equal to the album that defined a generation. That's impressive.

22. Built to Spill - There's Nothing Wrong With Love

If someone were to ask me what band best represents the vague genre of 'indie-rock', I'd probably say Built to Spill. There's a quirky unprofessionalism to this rock, but that doesn't mean it's bad musicianship. Doug Martsch has long been proclaimed as an indie guitar god, even if the songs themselves are fairly straight-up and simply catchy. This is most accessible BtS record and definately my favourite.

21. Smog - Knock Knock

Some songwriters have an ability to draw you into their songs with an inexplicable power. Examples that come to mind are Leonard Cohen, Morrisey, Neutral Milk Hotel's Jeff Magnum, etc...Smog's Bill Callahan must be included with this elite group. His wording is intoxicating while being frustatingly vague, and it's always beautifally poetic. But on Knock Knock, the music catches up with the words. This is a lively, accessible album, and definately the best thing Callahan has done.

20. The Roots - Things Fall Apart

Most rap records stick to a formula. Rap artists generally focus on having crisp beats, and then just try to outwit each other lyrically (obviously, this has resulted in some great albums such as Nas' Illmatic). Rarely does a rapper or a rap group try to fuck things up a bit. However, the Roots' Things Fall Apart fucks things up bigtime, yet still retains the joy and soul of traditional hip-hop. First of all, this is a band through and through, not rappers and producers. But also, the songs are chopped up, slowed down, experimented with and are just simply more interesting and creative than those of their peers. An under-appreciated landmark rap album.

19. Cocteau Twins - Heaven or Las Vegas

For the decade prior to Heaven or Las Vegas, the Cocteau Twins had been perfecting their own brand of pristine, lush 80s pop with the soaring (and non-sensical) vocals of Elizabeth Fraser. This record is the band reaching their peak. It's an epic, sweeping, just plain beautiful sounding record. No one did 'pretty' better than the Cocteau Twins.

18. Boards of Canada - Music Has the Right to Children

Music Has the Right to Children is the soundtrack to your most beautiful and nostalgic dreams. It's electronica textured with stangely comforting vocal samples, lively and intricate beats, and a wash of warm synths, so that it feels more organic than music with live instruments.

17. Elliott Smith - Either/Or

Think of the saddest Beatles or Simon and Garfunkel songs, then add a punk background, heroin addiction and a history of childhood abuse, and you've got Either/Or. Oh, but then factor in that Smith never got better; in fact spiralling deeper into addiction and depression until he finally commits suicide by stabbing himself in the chest. That's a lot of emotional heft for one album, but it makes for an unforgettable listen.

16. Pavement - Slanted and Enchanted

With Slanted and Enchanted, Pavement probably thought they were throwing together a noisy, weird little album that would find a cult audience. Now, almost two decades later, it's an essential, classic album that informs every indie-rock band in the world. It's not for weak stomachs, however, as there's plenty of distortion, screaming and general tomfoolery. But that's the appeal.

15. Bjork - Post

Post is a beautiful mess. It's as if Bjork wanted to throw everything to the wall and see what sticks, except everything stuck. So, there's industrial, house, IDM, swing, Afro-pop, amongst countless other endeavours. But it's all tied together by 'that voice'. Bjork's simply one of the best vocalists, and important artists, ever.

14. Radiohead - The Bends

Radiohead didn't have to release OK Computer, Kid A, Amnesiac or In Rainbows to be considered one of the best bands of our time. The could've just released The Bends and that would be enough. The most 'Brit-pop' of their classics, The Bends is often the favourite Radiohead record for rock purists. It's all soaring anthems, big choruses, and grand ballads. They could've been U2, but they wanted better.

13. Stereolab - Emperor Tomato Ketchup

Emperor Tomato Ketchup touches on the same things Stereolab always touch on: kraut-rock, post-rock, French pop, punk, funk, doo-wop, you name it. But it's never been as concise and seemingly essential as it is on this album. The consensus is that this is the best Stereolab album, and I would agree.

12. Yo La Tengo - I Can Feel the Heart Beating As One

Yo La Tengo could have kept on making Sonic Youth and Velvet Underground-inspired indie-rock, and they would've gone down in history as a 'great' band. But with I Can Feel the Heart Beating As One, they've made sure they'll go down as an 'important' band. This record finds the band branching out into a wider variety of genres (practically every kind of rock-oriented genre you can think of actually). This is a colossal album, with many highpoints as well as subtle pleasures.

11. R.E.M. - Automatic for the People

If it weren't for Automatic for the People, R.E.M. would've fallen under the category of bands who started with a bang but whose quality of output diminished over years. Instead, they made arguably their best record (better than Murmur in my eyes), and cemented their status as one of the biggest bands in the world and one of the best who's ever done it.

10. Jeff Buckley - Grace

As opposed to other early deaths like Cobain and Elliott Smith, I always thought Jeff Buckley's was the more devastating for American music. My reason is that I felt like Buckley was the most likely to have a Neil Young-like career of consistency and re-invention. Still, we have Grace, a beautiful record of Zeppelin-esque guitar work-outs, New York art-rock, romantic balladry and of course Buckley's angelic voice.

9. Belle and Sebastian - If You're Feeling Sinister

When most people talk about Belle and Sebastian it usually only involves their wimpy sound (namely, twee-pop). But what's most impressive to me is the sheer awesomeness of the songwriting. I'd put these songs up there with your Brian Wilsons and your John Lennons any day. If your interested in B and S, start here.

8. The Flaming Lips - The Soft Bulletin

The Flaming Lips had been perfecting their own noisy, quirky brand of indie-rock for about 15 years before they made this orchestral-pop classic (and easily their best album). The Soft Bulletin was when they found their own unique sound (thanks in part to producer David Fridman) that pushed the pounding rhythm section to the forefront, tinkered with seemingly every instrument and electronic under the sun, and allowed Wayne Coyne and his charmingly awful voice to become our greatest hero in the face of evil.

7. My Bloody Valentine - Loveless

When I first listened to Loveless, I was irritated trying to sort out the melodies through all the pink noise. But then one day, after throwing it on once more, I came to a revelation. Instead of trying to figure this record out, I let it wash over me and then I understood. This record will not fall into my personal rules for what rock should sound like, nor will it be pinned down as an album of genius abstract ideas. It is simply a record to be experienced.

6. Nirvana - Nevermind

Obviously.

5. Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - I See a Darkness

There's a holiness to Will Oldham's music that has never been rivaled (except for maybe Arthur Russell). And it is here, under the Bonnie 'Prince' Billy moniker, that his spirituality and songwriting chops reached their peak. I See a Darkness is solemn and haunting, but there is also an undeniable beauty and even joy that is found in this somber folk classic.

4. Dismemberment Plan - Emergency & I

Dismemberment Plan are a criminally under-appreciated band, but I can see why. They can come off as a little too novel or brainy, and they're angular approach would never reach stadiums or arenas. But man, Emergency & I hits me pretty hard. The band throws around odd time signatures, spastic freakouts, anthemic choruses and subtle balladry into a prefect mix and an addictive record.

3. Radiohead - OK Computer

Any 'best of the 90s' list that doesn't include OK Computer is a prick-list. Everyone who's heard this record knows that it is scientifically great. It's the album that launched Radiohead into 'Greatest Band' status, and they're still at the top.

2. Beck - Odelay

I've always been a sucker for records that blend many genres, and Odelay is probably one of the best to fall under this category. It's folk, hip-hop, punk, indie-rock, blues, dance, funk, country and everything else. In terms of cool it doesn't get much better than Beck, and this is simply his best record.

1. Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea

If you know me well, or read this blog, you probably know how much I love this album. For those who don't know, In the Aeroplane Over the Sea is a devastating, cathartic piece of psych-pop with a kaleidescopic approach and probably the best lyrics of the 90s. It laid the groundwork for bands like the Decemberists and the Mountain Goats, just to give you an idea of the quality of its influence. This is far and away my favourite record of the decade. Indescribably great.

Classic Album: Cocteau Twins - Heaven or Las Vegas

2010-03-23T21:08:00.000-07:00

I am fairly confident that Heaven or Las Vegas is the most beautiful record ever pressed. The Cocteau Twins' music is all shoegaze and 80s pop, drenched in reverb and jammed with fluttering, unintelligble vocal harmonies. And this is by far their prettiest record.

Classic Album: Depeche Mode - Violator

2010-03-15T08:50:00.000-07:00

Depeche Mode is a band that I've started appreciating only recently. Like I mentioned in the Duran Duran post previously, I was pretty resistent to synth-pop when I was younger. Now it's nearly the only thing I ever listen to (not true at all). This is the Mode's best record and it's a great late night listen. Super dark and super cool. Here's the best song, "Enjoy the Silence".

Classic Album: The Replacements - Tim

2010-03-10T06:42:00.000-08:00

Considering the Replacements inform some of my favourite bands of today (The Hold Steady, Wilco, etc...), then I better love this record. The Mats could be both very raw punk and squeaky-clean jangle-rock, and Tim is their greatest balancing act of these two styles. There has been some criticism on the sound quality of this album, but where some people hear muddled production I hear nostalgic haze. All studio versions of these songs are taken down from youtube, but here's a great video of lead singer Paul Westerberg singing solo the closing track, "Here Comes a Regular".

Classic Album: Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea

2010-03-04T20:45:00.001-08:00

If you've followed this blog from its earliest entries, you'll know that I've already written a more detailed review discussing how much I love In the Aeroplane Over the Sea. It's probably my second favourite record ever, next to BSS's You Forgot It in People. Yet it hits me on an entirely different level. Whereas YFIIP is a communal affair that celebrates the dynamic of human spirit, Neutral Milk Hotel has created a thorough examination of profound human sadness. This isn't to say it's not fun either, it can be, but it's far more of a personal, emotional experience. More specifically, ITAOTS is musically fascinating. These are simple songs fleshed with oddly perfect instrumental passages, deliberate fuzz and some of the best lyrics ever put to record. I'm rambling. But listen to this song, pay attention to the lyrics, and you'll see.

Classic Album: Love - Forever Changes

2010-03-02T22:10:00.000-08:00

When you think of a 60's psychedelic band from L.A., you probably think of the Doors. This is too bad, because the Doors suck. And also because you should think of Love. The brainchild of Arthur Lee, Love did psychedelia better than anyone, and Forever Changes is one of the greatest rock records of all time. This album is dark and dense, but it can also be a bit silly and light-hearted, and it's always engaging. Here's the opening and best song, "Alone Again Or":

Classic Albums: Joni Mitchell - Blue

2010-03-02T22:01:00.000-08:00

Joni Mitchell seems underrated to me. I know she is highly regarded and respected and acclaimed, but I still feel that her name isn't considered enough when talking about the 'greats'. And her masterpiece, Blue, is just such an awe-inspiring album. It's beautiful, jazzy, intricate, emotional and technically dazzling, and it's definately one of my favourite albums right now. Here's a very wintery, very Canadian track:

Classic Album: Duran Duran - Rio

2010-03-02T21:37:00.000-08:00

Growing up on 90's grunge and alternative, I acquired a distaste for 80's pop at an early age. This is unfortunate, because I now regard popular music from the 80's as far superior than popular music from the following decade. Duran Duran might be the best example of a band I would have totally ignored when I was younger. This band was extremely popular, uncomfortably synth-y, and desperately unmanly. And these are all qualities I love now, so that's why Rio is fantastic. Listen to "The Chauffeur", one of the album's weirder tracks, and you might be pleasantly surprised at how damn impressive and interesting Duran Duran once was.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amPPdcokwYY&feature=related

My Dream Festival

2010-02-16T11:11:00.000-08:00

So the lineups for the major summer music festivals have been announced, and they seem fine I guess. I think the best so far is Sasquatch because of Pavement, MMJ, the National, LCD, BSS, Mountain Goats, Vampire Weekend, Dirty Projectors, etc... I realize that my own dream festival will never be realized, not in eleventy billion years. However, if I had my way and the money/means to get all of these bands together, this is what I'd pick. (This is based on the Coachella system, so 3 days, about 42 bands a day, and let's say 2 reunion shows a night)

Friday:

David Bowie, Daft Punk, Jay-Z, Beck, Leonard Cohen, *Reunited Neutral Milk Hotel, *Reunited Dismemberment Plan, The Cure, Broken Social Scene, Animal Collective, The Hold Steady, Band of Horses, MIA, Grizzly Bear, Hot Chip, Beirut, Cut Copy, Cat Power, Hercules & Love Affair, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, Phoenix, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, The Rapture, Bat for Lashes, Wolf Parade, Iron and Wine, The Sea and Cake, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, Dan Deacon, Deerhunter, Bill Callahan, Man Man, Jamie Lidell, Neko Case, Lambchop, Girls, M. Ward, Joanna Newsom, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, The Walkmen, Girl Talk, Stereolab

Saturday:

Prince, Radiohead, *Reunited Talking Heads, *Reunited Pavement, Flaming Lips, Wilco, Paul Simon, LCD Soundsystem, New Order, The National, Of Montreal, Bon Iver, Yeasayer, Mountain Goats, Andrew Bird, Tom Waits, Vampire Weekend, B-52s, Sonic Youth, Beach House, New Pornographers, Belle and Sebastian, Yo La Tengo, Modest Mouse, Dinosaur Jr., Bright Eyes, Caribou, Jens Lekman, The Roots, Battles, Fleet Foxes, Peter Bjorn and John, The Knife, De La Soul, Devotchka, Okkervil River, Erykah Badu, Frightened Rabbit, Menomena, The Dodos, Deerhoof, Califone

Sunday:

Bruce Springsteen, REM, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, *Reunited Pixies, *Reunited Pogues, Arcade Fire, Bjork, Beastie Boys, TV on the Radio, My Morning Jacket, Dirty Projectors, Sufjan Stevens, Lou Reed, The Shins, Spoon, Interpol, Van Morrison, The Strokes, Public Enemy, Decemberists, Blur, Devo, Elvis Costello, Feist, Devendra Banhart, The Go! Team, Iggy Pop, Wu-Tang Clan, Postishead, Midlake, The Tough Alliance, The Streets, Air, Gang Gang Dance, Les Savy Fav, Cornelius, Saint Etienne, m83, Liars, Daniel Johnston, Built to Spill

How ridiculous would that be!? Impossibly ridiculous.