Today I continue my ongoing feature showcasing my personal picks for the best songs of the past decade, posting ten songs at a time.
160. Jimmy Eat World – Authority Song
The band’s breakthrough was in the form of a pretty spectacular power pop album, and while their new sounds reveal the group to have eased into generic territory, this self-titled disc (originally called Bleed American, but changed due to the post-9/11 attack on media and music) was a welcome escape from the over-saturation of bland hip-hop and post nu-metal radio dreck. “Authority Song” is a forgotten album track that has more hooks than the uplifting, cheesy lead single “The Middle.”
Today marks the official first day of autumn 2010. As far as music goes, there is usually one “song of the summer” – a track that we will forever associate with the previous season of this particular year. This song usually embodies the typical moods related to summer – laziness, partying, a carefree, optimistic attitude, et al.
While I’m not going to try and pick this song, I have my nominations – songs that will bring me back to this summer, my first few months in a new city, and, as with most summers, a good time in near-intolerable heat.
Today I continue my ongoing feature showcasing my personal picks for the best songs of the past decade, posting ten songs at a time.
170. Dwight Yoakam – Give Back the Key to My Heart
No question the 80’s and 90’s were the prime years for Yoakam in terms of success, but after having his turn at the spotlight, he ventured deep into the crossroads realm, taking a more traditional approach to his brand of honkey-tonk. While most dug deeper into the cinematic country-pop Nashville world, Dwight stayed around Hollywood, acting and making indie records. One of the highlights of his work this past decade is this Doug Sahm cover, recorded for the Imus Ranch Record in 2008; it’s just good ol’ DY doing what he does best.
Including this one, an in-depth analysis of the phenomenon that is the Gathering of the Juggalos.
Today, Consequence of Sound released their Top 100 Albums of All Time list, and it’s pretty damn impressive, if you ask me. Take a gander.
Finally, Pitchfork had a pretty cool article on the new trend in indie album covers – amateur retro photography. Think the latest from Vampire Weekend and Crystal Castles.
Today I continue my ongoing feature showcasing my personal picks for the best songs of the past decade, posting ten songs at a time.
180. Ok Go – Get Over It
Before they were Internet phenoms jumping around on treadmills, OK Go was a brilliant, quirky power pop group tearing up the mainstream rock radio airwaves. “Get Over It,” the band’s debut single, is quite possibly the loudest, brashest, angriest thing they’ve ever done. And while they’ve maintained their knack for punchy, catchy songs, this track is a raucous introduction from their best album.
So Katy Perry has a new song. And the only word I can come up with to accurately describe it is “atrocious.” I feel it’s apt. Let’s verify, shall we?
atrocious – adj. 1. shockingly bad or tasteless; dreadful; abominable
Yeah that sounds about right. But don’t take my word for it. Peep this, homie.
So let’s review:
“Are you brave enough to let me see your peacock?
Don’t be a chicken boy, stop acting like a beeotch
I’ma peace out if you don’t give me the pay off
Come on baby let me see
What you’re hiding underneath”
and of course:
“I wanna see your peacock, cock, cock
Your peacock, cock
Your peacock, cock, cock
Your peacock”
So yeah, atrocious. There was a time when sexuality was subtle, when camp was cute, when parents would turn the other cheek because their Top 40-loving kids probably wouldn’t understand the context of the double entendre until they turned 13 or 14.
I don’t remember that time.
But this is far from the worst thing the pop music world has given us, overtly sexual or otherwise. Here are nine other lyrically atrocious examples – and I haven’t even scratched the surface of what the CHR world likes to consider “poetry” in our modern times.
Overall, 2010 has been an amazing year in the world of music. My year-end list is swamped, and we’re not even into fall yet, where the majority of hyped and acclaimed releases are dropped. But alas, like every hit-filled year, there are some misses. I’ve listened to a lot of albums in 2010, and I’ve heard some fascinating work, some boring duds, and a few completely atrocious, “what were they thinking?” moments. Sometimes we know what we’re getting into, but it hurts the worst when a highly-anticipated album does not impress. Here are a few examples of albums from groups that failed to deliver this time around.
For the most part, when browsing Pitchfork’s recently-posted Top 50 Music Videos of the 90’s, four names dominate: Chris Cunningham, Hype Williams, Michel Gondry, and Spike Jonze. And all four of these men completely deserve their recognition – they all, in their own way, directed only the finest of what is considered to be the best decade for music videos. MTV was still influential and watchable, and the medium of video promotion was still powerful in the music biz.
This burgeoning new phenomenon had transformed into a well-produced, highly-financed, ultra-creative artistic landscape that the 80’s products couldn’t touch. By the time of the 2000’s, however, the luster was lost – the best videos were buried in the over-saturation of the Web, and the “music” cable channels ceased music programming. Still, we have the 90’s – the golden age of the music video, and Pitchfork, more or less, covered the highlights.
There are many personal favorites of mine that didn’t make the cut – perhaps one day I will compile my own list of top videos from the 90’s. While video lists usually lean towards either ranking in terms of influence or innovative spectacle, Pitchfork teeter-tottered between the two, leaning toward the latter. With this in mind, it’s a decent list – like most lists, it has some glaring omissions, which are recognized after the jump.
Today I continue my ongoing feature showcasing my personal picks for the best songs of the past decade, posting ten songs at a time.
190. Pete Yorn – For Nancy
There’s no getting around it: musicforthemorningafter is a masterpiece and by far Yorn’s finest hour. And “For Nancy,” the breakthrough single for the Jersey-born musician, is the finest song off that disc. A tale of love lost that’s parts optimistic, parts well-wishing, and parts purely bitter, every confusing emotion associated with a breakup is laid out plain here. That’s always been a specialty of Yorn’s – no confusion, no abstraction, just a straightforward, “it is what it is” approach, musically and lyrically. Here, when wishing the best/worst for an ex, it reminds me of another great American songwriter. Don’t think twice, it’s alright, indeed.
As expected, last night Green Day stole the show in Chicago, performing well over the park’s curfew and giving every Lollpalooza ticket holder their money’s worth and then some. It’s doubtful Soundgarden will be able to top it tonight. Consequence of Sound has the rave review and more coverage of the day.
