1. Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros 'Home'
2. Visqueen 'Hand Me Down'
3. The Antlers 'Kettering'
4. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club 'Am I Only (Re-Mix)'
5. Jack White 'I'm Sitting On Top Of The World'....not a new song, but this is around the time that I caught up with 'It Might Get Loud' (one of my Top 20 Films of 2009), so I wanted some more obscure Jack White on here.
6. Elliott Smith 'Angel In The Snow'...featured in the film 'Up In The Air'
7. Iggy Pop 'The Passenger'....also from 'Up In The Air'
8. Dan Auerbach 'Goin' Home'....I should mention that 'Up In The Air' had great music, including this standout track from the Black Keys member's solo work.
9. BlakRoc 'On the Vista'...speaking of the Black Keys, here's their side project with various hip hop stars. In this case, Mos Def.
10. Jay-Z 'D.O.A. (Death Of Auto-tune)'
11. Jay-Z 'On To The Next One'
12. Jaydiohead 'Wrong Prayer'....This is the Jay-Z/Radiohead mash-up
13. Jadiohead 'Dreaming Up'
14. Jadiohead 'Reckoner's Encore'
15. Knights 'Kids In Technicolor (Coldplay vs MGMT vs Daft Punk)....on the subject of mash-ups, here is one of the year's best.
16. Kid Cudi 'Pursuit of Happiness' feat. MGMT & Ratatat
17. Kid Cudi 'Soundtrack 2 My Life'
18. Kid Cudi 'Make Her Say' feat. Kanye West & Common
19. Kid Cudi 'Simple As...' ....God damn I love that Kid Cudi record.
If I were a mix-CD from February 2010-March 2010, I may sound go like this:
1. The Avett Brothers 'January Wedding'
2. The Avett Brothers 'I And Love And You'...this is also the title of their new record
3. The Avett Brothers 'Laundry Room'
4. Sad Brad Smith 'Help Yourself'...2009's 'Up In The Air' was probably my favorite film of the year thanks in no small part to the music and this track in particular.
5. Frightened Rabbit 'The Loneliness'
6. Frightened Rabbit 'The Wrestle'
7. Frightened Rabbit 'Skip The Youth'
8. Cold War Kids 'Audience Of One'
9. Cold War Kids 'Santa Ana Winds'
10. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club 'Long Way Down'
11. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club 'Beat The Devil's Tattoo'...title track from the new album
12. Johnny Cash 'Redemption Day'...Rick Rubin recently unearthed the remnants from the American Recordings.
13. Johnny Cash 'Ain't No Grave'
14. Beach House 'Zebra'
15. Little Claw 'Human Taste'
16. Little Claw 'Frozen In The Future'...I know nothing of Little Claw and can't find a full album, but based upon these 2 tracks I NEED everything they've done.
17. Massive Attack 'Paradise Circus'
18. Massive Attack 'Rush Minute'
19. Wale 'New Soul' feat. Yael Naim
If I were a mix-CD from April 2010 I may sound go like this:
1. Bouncing Souls 'Gasoline' ...Bouncing Souls make me happy.
2. Bouncing Souls 'We All Sing Along'
3. Alkaline Trio 'Draculina'
4. Alkaline Trio 'This Addiction'
5. Jay Reatard 'See/Saw'...this prolific punk/indie artist recently passed away of a drug overdose.
6. Jay Reatard 'I Know A Place'
7. Jay Reatard 'Screaming Hand'
8. Liars 'The Overachievers'
9. Liars 'Scissor'
10. Interpol 'Lights'...FINALLY new Interpol. Apparently, they will be leaking a track every now and then from their forthcoming album.
11. Malcolm McLaren 'About Her'...Not a new track at all. Most of you will likely recognize this from 'Kill Bill Volume 2'. This is from the infamous producer of the Sex Pistols who also recently passed away.
12. Thom Yorke 'A Rat's Nest'
13. Jonsi 'Boy Lilikoi'...Jonsi is the solo name for the lead singer of Sigur Ros.
14. Jonsi 'Tornado'
15. JBM 'Cleo's Song'
16. Roky Erickson w/ Okkervil River 'True Love Cast Out All Evil' ...For those who don't know, Roky is the lead singer of the 13th Floor Elevators, a band that was at the forefront of psychedelic rock and was quite the big deal in the late 1960s before flaming out rather quickly. This flame out was thanks in no small part to Roky's combination of drug abuse and near insanity. Do some research into Roky. He's interesting. Get thyself to wikipedia (or something more substantial if you're more inclined.) Anyhow, in a bit of a good old Rock & Roll redemption story, he recorded a new album with Okkervil River as his backing band.
17. Dum Dum Girls 'Blank Girl'
18. Dum Dum Girls 'Yours Alone'...in a different time, this is the type of stuff that would spread like infection across the radio waves.
19. Dum Dum Girls 'It Only Takes One Night'
20. The Hold Steady 'The Sweet Part Of The City'
21. The Dead Weather 'The Difference Between Us'...If nothing else, this Jack White project is sexy.
22. Sunset Rubdown 'Trumpet, Trumpet, Toot! Toot!'...not new, and not from anyone who recently died, so why is it on here? Well, apparently Sunset Rubdown was an integral component to Johnny Depp's development of his persona for the role of the Mad Hatter in 'Alive in Wonderland'. The connection is obvious as both are really chaotic creativity.
If I were a mix-CD from May 2010, I may sound go like this:
1. David Cross 'Really Silly Religious Crazies I Mean Double Triple Crazy'
2. Dan Black 'U + Me ='
3. Dan Black 'Let Go'
4. Dan Black 'Symphonies' feat. Kid Cudi....This is the track that introduced me to the solid album by Dan Black, because I'm always looking out for more Kid Cudi.
5. LCD Soundsystem 'All I Want'....If this track were about half as long and had Julian Casablancas mumbling over it, you'd have a hell of a strokes track.
6. LCD Soundsystem 'Dance Yrself Clean'...This beat has been an instant classic.
7. Kid Cudi (with Chip Tha Ripper and a little help from Christian Bale) 'All Talk'...Cudi samples LCD Soundsystem's 'Dance Yrself Clean'.
8. Kid Cudi 'The Prayer'...not new, but it bridges my boy Cudi with the new Band of Horses album as this is a sample/cover of their most notable track, 'The Funeral' off of their 1st album.
9. Band of Horses 'Factory'
10. Band of Horses 'Evening Kitchen'
11. Band of Horses 'NW Apt.'
12. the Black Keys 'Unknown Brother' ...the Black Keys new record, 'Brothers', is the odds on favorite for my pick for album of the year.
13. the Black Keys 'Howlin' For You' ....and I LOVE the cover art:
14. the Black Keys 'Ten cent Pistol'
15. the Rolling Stones 'Let It Loose'...speaking of rock bands that have a tendency to keep it lo-fi and heavy on the blues....their was a reissue of the Stones' 'Exile On Main Street'. While often forgotten because it lacks those recognizable hits, 'Exile' is considered by many music critics to be the greatest rock album ever made. I mean, this thing touches all of the basis for pre-punk rock. I'm glad this reissue has thrust it upon more fans. Until this we only had Marty Scorsese fighting the good fight and keeping it relevant. Remember the CD case that DiCaprio's character used in 'The Departed' to mail off to Matt Damon's character? Yup, 'Exile'. And this track, 'Let It Loose' was featured in that film.
16. The Rolling Stones 'Sweet Virginia'...more off of 'Exile...'
17. Alex Chilton 'Hook Or Crook'...this prolific rock artist had been making records on his own or with various bands (such as Box Tops and Big Star) before passing away from a heart attack. His death came during the big health care debate in Congress. I mention that because Chilton died of a heart attack. He had experienced chest pains and shortness of breath for a couple of days prior to it while performing such household duties as mowing his lawn. He wasn't stupid. He saw the signs. However, he couldn't afford the trip to the E.R. So, he died due pretty much entirely due to his inability to afford basic health care.
18. Chris Isaak 'Gone Ridin'....Can you believe that in all of these years I'd never seen David Lynch's 'Blue Velvet'? Seriously. It's this iconic film and I'd never taken the time. Anyhow, I finally caught up with it and loved it. I've seen it 3 times now. This Isaak track is in it.
19. Roger McGuinn 'It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)'...and less than 2 days after I finally saw 'Blue Velvet', Dennis Hopper died. Pisses me off. This track is from his iconic film, 'Easy Rider' which I finally caught up with a few years ago. I had feared that it would be a bit hokey due to it's place in our culture, but it's not. It's a fantastic film. Anyhow, McGuinn is the lead singer of The Byrds and here he covers the track made famous by Bob Dylan.
If I were a mix-CD from June 2010, I may sound go like this:
1. Against Me! 'White Crosses'
2. Against Me! 'High Pressure Low'
Would anyone forgive Robert McNamara?3. Against Me! 'Spanish Moss'...Yeah, the new 'Against Me! record is quite good.
In retrospect he had to admit;
There was mistake in going to war without first asking all the questions.
Yes, Robert Strange McNamara,
There are those who just cannot forget.
And I wonder, have I lost my own compassion?
There's just no future left for us to dream of,
Living in an era of instability.
So caught up in the culture of their rivals,
Fear breeds in honest men.
It's a high pressure low.
4. Against Me! 'Bob Dylan Dream'
I dreamed Bob Dylan was a friend of mine5. A.A. Bondy 'Killed Myself When I Was Young'...this is from his 2007 album 'American Hearts', which I really enjoyed. However, the great NBC show, 'Friday Night Lights' is back on the air for its 4th season and there's a new soundtrack accompanying it. This track is featured and I missed just how great it was back when i first heard 'American Heart'.
He had a warm sense of humor
He was outgoing like my wife
We'd hang out late at night
Smokin' joints and drinkin' wine
We go thriftstore shooping for vintage electronics
Race remote-controlled cars through ??? apartments
We never talked about playing music
I dreamed Bob Dylan was a friend of mine
6. The National 'Runaway'...The National's new record, 'High Violet' is fantastic.
7. The National 'Sorrow'
8. The National 'Bloodbuzz Ohio'
9. The National 'England'
10. Broken Social Scene 'Sentimental X's'...the famed Canadian indie group co-op finally has a new album. It's of little surprise that my favorite track was this one which featured Emily Haynes, whom I adore for her work as the lead singer for Metric.
11. Kate Nash 'Pickpocket'
12. Kate Nash 'You Were So Far Away'
13. UNKLE 'On A Wire' feat. Elle J. ...Sure, UNKLE is nowhere near is influential as it were when DJ Shadow was a part of it. However, they (whoever 'they' are at this point) continue to make records and their usually pretty good.
14. UNKLE 'Natural Selection' feat. The Black Angels ...I'm a big fan of The Black Angels.
15. Sleigh Bells 'Tell'em'...among the better records of the year is Sleigh Bells' debut, 'Treats'. This album sounds like 2010. What I mean, is I can't imagine this record coming out before and if it had it may have sounded quite strange. At the same time, there are albums that seemingly try to force progress and it shows. They come across like some kind of musical arithmetic. This album sound like 2010, and it sounds as though it came there organically.
16. Sleigh Bells 'Kids'
17. Sleigh Bells 'Crown On The Ground'
18. Sleigh Bells 'A/B Machines'
19. Flying Lotus '...And The World Laughs With You' feat. Thom Yorke
20. Sleepy Sun 'Open Eyes'
If I were a mix-cd for the month of July 2010, I may go like this:
1. Tokyo Police Club 'Favourite Food'...Holy hell, the new Tokyo Police Club album, 'Champ' is probably 2nd only to the Black Keys' 'Brother' for my pick for album of the year thus far. After finding their full length debut, 'A Lesson in Crime' to be among the most promising new records in years, I was slightly disappointed by there follow up, 'Elephant Shell'. Don't get me wrong, 'Elephant Shell' is a damn good record, but I just had REALLY high hopes for them. Anyhow, 'Champ' is the payoff. These kids are the real deal.
2. Tokyo Police Club 'Breakneck Speed'
3. Tokyo Police Club 'Gone'
4. Tokyo Police Club 'Big Difference'
5. Tokyo Police Club 'Frankenstein'
6. Interpol 'Barricade'...a 2nd new track from their forthcoming album.
7. M.I.A. 'Born Free'...M.I.A.'s new album, 'Maya' was quite disappointing to me. However, if nothing else, this track kicks ass and will be one of the iconic songs for the summer of 2010 for me. Now, what makes this track so good....more on that in a second.
8. Suicide 'Ghost Rider'...M.I.A.'s 'Born Free' samples this fantastic Suicide track from 1977. Skip the new M.I.A. and go listen to more Suicide
9. The Chemical Brothers 'Snow'
10. The Chemical Brothers 'Escape Velocity'
11. Lewis Black 'Hitting 60'
12. The Gaslight Anthem 'The Queen of Lower Chelsea'
13. The Gaslight Anthem 'Stay Lucky'
14. The Gaslight Anthem 'Bring It On'
15. Nashville Teens 'Tobacco Road' ...This 1964 track was featured at the close of the 1st episode from the new season of 'Mad Men'. Such a good show. It takes it's place among my all time favorite shows now. If you have yet to immerse yourself in it, I recommend renting the 1st 3 seasons.
16. The White Stripes 'Let's Shake Hands' (live)...I recently saw the fairly new concert documentary 'Under Great White Northern Lights', which chronicles The White Stripes' 2007 Canadian tour. It was a unique tour and I recommend the film, especially if you're anywhere near the White Stripes fan that I am, and why wouldn't you be. The film offers little in the way of in-depth discussion about the band's motives, or any further insight into the relationship between Jack & Meg White. Instead, it simultaneously sheds light on the band while adding to its mystery. It pulls back the curtain, but provides no answers. Just watching the two of them interact says more than some biography ever could. Anyhow, these 4 tracks are from the film's accompanying soundtrack.
17. The White Stripes 'Ball and Biscuit' (live)
18. The White Stripes 'We Are Going To Be Friends' (live)
19. The White Stripes 'Seven Nation Army'...what a better way to end their tour. For my money, 'Seven Nation Army' is unquestionably the song of the decade. Sure it's a great track, that goes without saying. There were a lot of great tracks that someone could make a case for being 'song of the decade'. I mean, what the hell does it mean to 'song of the decade' anyway? No matter, 'Seven Nation Army' has been covered by over 30 artists already. It's beat is chanted at soccer games around the world. It's the song of the decade.
