Today I continue my ongoing feature showcasing my personal picks for the best songs of the past decade, posting ten songs at a time.
140. Primus – Pilcher’s Squad
Sgt. Norman “Nobby” Pilcher was the infamous British police officer best known for planting drugs to frame rock stars and hippies in the 60’s. Up until getting caught for doing so in 1973, Pilcher managed to collect quite a resume of celebrities in handcuffs, including two Beatles, George Harrison and John Lennon, as well as Mick Jagger and Donovan. He is the subject of this two-minute ditty found on Primus’ 2003 reunion EP Animals Should Not Try To Act Like People. The song is wild and weird, all while frontman Les Claypool delivers a fine tale of a corrupt man of the law, breaking only for a two-second solo from guitar virtuoso Larry “Ler” Lalonde (“Go Ler!…..Thanks Ler!”).
Today I continue my ongoing feature showcasing my personal picks for the best songs of the past decade, posting ten songs at a time.
150. Kanye West – Stronger
The Daft Punk-sampling first single from Graduation not only showed a compelling progression in West’s production, but it showcased his always-improving lyrical prowess. Kanye’s known for his incessant bragging and unfathomable ego, but with beats and words this precise, this banging, this funny, he continued the consistency of delivering on his Cassius Clay-channeling talk.
Once every three months I list the best of what I heard in albums/songs/remixes for the quarter. I do this to personally keep up with all the awesome music I hear, as it ultimately helps me at the end of the year when I do my overall listing for the previous twelve months. I also do it to introduce you cool cats to tunes you may have missed independently.
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.
