Weekly Mix # 58

Here's where we get our first glimpse of 2008. Sorry this was late.


1. Runnin' With the Devil by Van Halen
OH YEAH! You know this is really just a blues song that was transformed into awesome!
2. The Kelly Affair by Be Your Own Pet
One album and then they broke up, probably for the best
3. Tom Sawyer by Rush

I don't like Rush and I don't think I ever will. This song however is just barely on the tolerable scale.

4. Time To Pretend by MGMT

I don't get why this band was so loved and haled as brilliant. They must know the critics.

5. You're Gonna' Miss Me by The 13th Floor Elevators

Roky Erickson's band. Like most people I didn't hear this song until I saw High Fidelity.

6. Be My baby by The Ronnettes
Some people love this song because it was in Dirty Dancing; I just like the Phil Spector Wall of Sound production and the big hair.
7. Rehab by Amy Winehouse
Huge song! This won her Grammy's and made her millions of dollars. It is a throw back to do-wop and Motown and The Ronnettes big hair but has Mark Ronson production
8. Talk Dirty To Me by Poison

Oh No! Before Brett Michaels embarrassed himself as a "reality" personality he embarrassed himself in his band Poison by making pop rock under the guise of metal.

9. Into Action by Tim Armstrong

The man from Rancid; he knows how to make a good time summer album. The girl who sings with him on this was thirteen years old.

10.This Is The Day by The The
You may know this song from an M & M's commercial. It's actually a pretty sad song.
11.It's My Fault for being Famous by The White Stripes

B-sides are a lost entity because nobody knows what that means anymore. Now it's just a bonus track. Anyway this is a funny song about being stalked by the press and fans.

12.Eat Yourself by Goldfrapp

She returns to her Felt Mountain after being disco for some years.

13.Sundown by Gorden Lightfoot

Just a groovy 70s singer songwriter. This was on heavy repeat for a while back in 08'

14.Boston by Augustana

Great sweeping pop song that only got my attention because of the city.

15.Well All Right by The Hives

We get hand clapping in this one and that's awesome.

16.The Moneymaker by Rilo Kiley

This song is nowhere near as crazy as, Portions For Foxes but it's still pretty mean.

17.Umbrella by Rihanna feat. Jay-Z

This song made Rihanna huge and there was no going back much to Chris Brown's chagrin.

18.Tennagers by My Chemical Romance
Many people think this is MCR's best song, I don't but I do think it's a good one. The video owes a lot to Smells Like Teen Spirit, I suppose it's an homage
19.1979 by The Smashing Pumpkins

It's a little song and it's cute; it was also a big hit for them. I heard that Billy Corgan had to completely recompose the music right before they recorded it.

20.Lazy Eye by Silversun Pickups

When the Smashing pumpkins couldn't be Smashing Pumpkins, The Silversun Pickups could be.

21.The End Of The Line by The Traveling Wilburys
The late 80s super group containing Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Roy Orbison and produced by Jeff Lynn made a lot of money off this project.

Albums? Top 10? 2000s? Really?

A friend posed to me that top ten albums are more important than a top 100 list of songs. I argued that nobody buys albums so what does it really matter. So this will be a retro tribute to the 90s, 80s, 70s and even the 1960s when the Album concept was launched. We have come 360 in our music listening units, granted it’s no longer on a wax 45s but in a digital MP3; there are no more B-Sides, no more hidden gems to find that are too out there for mainstream radio. Nor will there will be pieces like, “Hey Hey, What Can I do” which didn’t make it to Led Zeppelin’s III album because Jimmy Paige was so messed up he ruined the end of the recording leaving the song to be designated as “The Immigrant Song” B-Side. No more Singles like Sam Cooke’s “Shout” which originally was a two sided single where side A ends as he sings, “Now waaaaaaaaaait a minute . . .” and then the DJ would either have to flip the wax over as quickly as he could or buy a second copy for another turn table.
This countdown will be a memorial to vinyl, cassette and even CD’s which introduced the hidden track. Notables include John Mellencamp’s rendition of the Hombres’, “Let it All Hang Out” and Nirvana’s “Endless and Nameless” that appeared on Nevermind, sort of.

I'm also going to compare this to the Rolling Stone List


Anyway here's the top ten albums of the decade!


1. Elephant (2003), The White Stripes
This isn't the cute White Stripes from before, this is the White Stripes post break up. Jack white is disillusioned, and angry. The opening track, "Seven Nation Army" relays this fury with the pounding bass drum that pulls you through the song down to Wichita via wild horse to get as far from the pain as possible. Through the story of the album Mr. White gets lost, gets angry, gets tender, lonely and gets possessive sometimes all in one song. Even though Meg White sings, "In The Cold, Cold NIght"; it's still Jack's story of desperation. "The Hardest Button to Button" we find our man trying to accept all the bull and swallow his pride. By the finally of the album which is a joyful sing along with Holly Golightly, "Well It's True That We Love One Another" you need it. It offers the hope for the new and the short memory of painful break ups.
Rolling Stone Rank #5


2. Back to Black (2007), Amy Winehouse
So much more than a 1960's R & B tribute, Amy Winehouse delivered one of the best albums about dysfunction we've had in a long, long time; it's no mistake this Album took home Grammy's galore. We travel with Amy as she refuses to get clean on the huge "Rehab", as she finds out her man's been cheating her in "Me & Mr. Jones", as she cheats on her man in "I'm No Good" and as she plays the other woman in the title track all in triumphantly wonderful production. When you follow the story on the album you feel unclean for knowing far too much about her troubled romance but you will go back and listen again because the songs are so complete and make you ask, "What kind of Fuckery is this?"
RSR # 20


3. Is This It? (2000), The Strokes
Yes. Yes, this is it. This bands arrival on the scene was statement that garage bands were still out there even if it was a three car garage band. With a sound that can be compared to The Velvet Underground's less edgy stuff, The Stooges less loud stuff and even the Cars early stuff. The strokes wrote catchy tunes with awesomely crappy low-fi sounding guitar about not getting along with girls. The big single, "Last Night" finds our singer Julian Casablancas crooning about his lack of reason behind walking out on his girlfriend in such a way that nobody in the history of the universe will ever understand. The title track, "Is This It?" he argues with his girl about things that are creating a rift in their romance. Every song on the Album is a joy to listen to and has some drive to it, "The Modern Age" is a fine example of the foot tapping, head nodding effect the songs have.
RSR # 2


4. The Black Album (2003), Jay-Z
He hailed it as his final album and it was remixed by DJ Danger Mouse as the Gray Album (which some find to be a better album) The Black Album containing two totally kick ass and iconic tunes "Dirt of Your Shoulder" and the Rick Rubin rocker, "99 Problems". The album in many ways typical of a rap album as the star boasts but also keeps it real by informing us of his tough roots. As his "final" album Jay-Z goes out on top and from the looks of things he's stayed there . . . just not on this list.
RSR # 14 "The Blue Print" ranked higher




5. Marshal Mathers LP (2000), Eminem
Slim Shady grows up . . . sort of. The second album from Eminem shows us that he still has a soft spot and an cutting edge for pop culture in the mega genre crossing, "The Real Slim Shady" where he makes fun of Mtv's party line expecting to be demonized for it but obviously it didn't work out that way. Some peole say the album is shocking, others hilarious and some call it a very personal work; it is in fact all three at various times. On "The Way I Am" Eminem doesn't defend himself in any other way than stating that he is who is his for better or worse as he explains that he should have to defend himself in the first place but the media likes to pick on him; he even gives a shout out to Marilyn Manson. The Album is the rapper at the cross hair of being a f'd up guy who can't choose between getting high or taking care of his daughter and an entertainer obsessed with the entertainment industry. Sure he says he want to kill his wife but he also dresses up like Britney Spears.
RSR # 7


6. Dangerously In Love (2003), Beyoncé
An R&B diva arrives! Beyoncé releases her first solo album after her career with the many faces of Destiny's Child. The vocals are strong, the songs are gold and the sales were enormous. From the very beginning of the first song, "Crazy In Love" you are pumped with energy and primed to shake your ass on the dance floor. Generally the album is ripe with dance numbers like, "Naughty Girl" which the chanteuse does her best Donna Summer and "Baby Boy" which brings in dance hall rap dude, Sean Paul for some heat. She gets intimate on the tune, "Gift From Virgo". There are several songs to give Beyoncé street cred by including the likes of Big Boy and her man Jay-Z. It's a solid pop collection that at it's best is very enjoyable and at it's worst it's harmless.
RSR # Did Not Rank

7. Weezer (green) 2001, Weezer
The nerds make a comeback! When Hashpipe hit the air I was shocked to find out that the band was still around; I had thought that they sank into 90s oblivion but that was not the case. Not only did this album put them back on the map but it let them expand there sound into more fun style rock pop. "Island in the Sun" is a sweet little melody that is fun to chill out to. "Knock-Down Drag-Out" and "Photograph" are the strong power pop tunes as well.
The Green LP relaunched the bands career making them decade long mainstays releasing catchy tune after catchy tune making a greatest hit album totally awesome!
RSR # Did Not Rank


8. Yeah Yeah Yeahs (2006), Show your Bones
The sophomore effort from the hipster trio of Williamsburgh and now Silver Lake is a gem. They brought along the acoustic guitar and Karen O got damn catchy in her melodies even venturing into lullaby territory on "Dudly". There is still some anguish in the lyrics but nothing to compare with "Maps" on Fever to tell. The big hit, "Gold Lion" Karen turns into Siouxie Sioux with harrowing wails. On "Phenomena" the bad gets down right dirty, sounding like a stripper's bump and grind, hypnotizing and sexual. This album is the album that sees the band mature from their previous and that's always important for a band that sticks around.
RSR # Did Not Rank but "Fever to Tell" did


9. Gorillaz (2005), Demon Days
Eclectic, danceable and chillable. The cartoon band, The Gorillaz second album takes the elements that made the first album enjoyable and make them gel more cohesively. Hypnotic, melodic and weird are more adjectives to describe the music and while, the ubiquitous "Feel Good In." has a catchy bass line, "DARE" resurrected Sean Ryder from debris of 90s Manchester and stuck his fat head in a video for, Noodle to dance around. The songs found on the Demon Days are surreal dreams put to music, keyboard and beat heavy, Dennis Hopper even lends narration to "Fire Coming Oot Of The Monkey's Head." If there is one album to get high to this decade this is the one.
RSR # Did Not Rank


10. Felt Mountain (2000), Goldfrapp
Goldfrapp's dark, moody masterpiece is not something you'll find yourself walking away from with a smile, even the Goth kids get the shivers when they hear her coo over music that seems from another era, one that never existed. There's circus odd circus notes on "Oompa Radar" that in it's place could send a person on the edge right over. The chilling violins on "Human" that make the listener dread what's about to happen to our siren but when the song breaks out into a samba beat it still seems very dangerous.
This is a trippy, trippy album that needs to be listened to from start to finish; it is a complete work of art not just a collection of songs. The lyrics are somber to fearful almost in that torch song way that can be reminiscent of Portishead if Portishead didn't use beats. Strings, organ, whistling, keyboard whines and odd percussion range from seeping and dramatic to small warnings.
RSR # Did Not Rank


Here's the link to the Rolling Stone Top 100

Let the countdown continue 90-81

So really what more is there to say but something over due and well after the point. When Kurt Cobain died so did the future. Let's face it once he passed into Rock n' Roll here after all music dried up and became retro and forever pulled backward but then again that is the fate of the Generation X, to insist on looking back to their beginnings like some dumb founded lab bred species wondering where the hell they came from. To spend far too much time probing the question of why did these mixed up people who bred us bother, what did they get out of it? It seems like my ge-ge-ge-generation is as selfish as the folks we were supposed to loath in the 80's; those god dammed yuppy scums who's blind ambition ruined the country . . .at least they got new wave.
What did I get after 1994? The revenge of pop and the dominence of hip hop which were both just nice things for MTV to broadcast sinse the performaers involved all seemed to have nice bodies and fancy things. Now music is sort of rolling somelace that I can't be bothered with to examine.

90. No One Knows by Queens of the Stone age
They get a nod due to their awesome friends
89. Fallin' By Alicia Keys
Moonlight Senata never sounded so top 10.
88. Make it Clap by Busta Rhymes and Spliff Star
Busta's the man and even though isn't his best song it's was the best in new millenium
87. When the Man comes Around by Johnny Cash
Gone but not forgotten, Johnny served us a nice tail of revelations on his way out the door
86. The Rat by the Walkmen
Heart ache and breakup sound perfectly angry and scared on this gem of a song by a band I don't know anything about
85. Do You Want to by Franz Ferdinand
I love the beginning of this song and the way it makes me move is good too
84. Lovely Head by Goldfrapp
In the 00's Goldfrapp was better than Portishead but really the same aside from all that weird dance music
83. Float On by Modest Mouse
This was a big hit for these guys and so they get to make an appearance on the the top 100 of the 00s
82. Crazy by Gnarles Barkley
Another big, big song. These guys will never have to work again. I saw The Racontuers cover this live; it was the high light of the show
81. Fuck the Pain Away by Peaches
If you aren't familiar with the teaches of peaches there are thousands of girls with scars on their arms who are. Why so high on the list? Because it is an anthem of sorts for the alterna-slut culture