The Birth of Cool

I was given the assignment to name my Top 10 Coolest Albums, and I immediately broke out into a cold sweat. I am not and have never been cool. I have accepted this and am quite comfortable in my nerdishness. I wear nerdy like a crown. I decided in order to complete this assignment properly, I at least needed to understand what being "cool" means.

Websters defines cool as:

slang

a :  very good :  excellent; also :  all right

b :  fashionable, hip <not happy with the new shoes … because they were not cool — Celestine Sibley>

Urban Dictionary defines cool as:

The best way to say something is neat-o, awesome, or swell. The phrase "cool" is very relaxed, never goes out of style, and people will never laugh at you for using it, very conveniant for people like me who don't care about what's "in."

Homestar is cool.
The Red Sox are cool.
Twinkies are cool.

Well that didn't help me at all. I thought about it for a long while, and determined that cool is primarily comprised of confidence with a little je nes sais quois thrown in. However, once the confidence transforms into arrogance, the cool factor evaporates. Cool is difficult for me because I am a person drawn to vulnerability like a moth to the proverbial sad-sack flame. Most of my favorite music is definitely not cool. It could make a circus carny cry. But I do think I have a few cool gems. So here goes (in no particular order)...

1. "Mermaid Avenue" by  Billy Bragg & Wilco - What's not to love about this 1998 album of previously unheard lyrics written by Woody Guthrie put to music by British activist singer Billy Bragg and the American alternative rock band Wilco?
2. "Blonde on Blonde" by Bob Dylan - Often ranked as one of the top albums of all time, Dylan is just so cool in this album with grandly scaled music and lyrics that are colloquial and visionary. "Visions of Johannah" is one of the coolest songs ever.
3. "The Grey Album" by Danger Mouse - This mashup album created in 2004 uses a capella versions of Jay Z's "The Black Album" and couples them with unauthorized instrumentals from The Beatles "The Beatles" (better known as "The White Album"). It is genius. And so very cool.
4. "Now You Know" by Doug Martsch - Built to Spill's frontman, Doug Martsch, released this solo album in 2002 (I got a bootlegged copy from a friend of his in 2001!). It is cool because he departs from his rock-oriented work to touch on blues and folk. Jangly goodness.
5. "The Reminder" by Feist - Leslie Feist is just cool and my girl crush. I had a hard time choosing an album. This one is her third full-length album and must be cool since so many songs were used in commercials. It also landed her on Sesame Street. What is cooler than singing with muppets?
6. "White People" by Handsome Boy Modeling School - This is a collaborative project between renowned hip hop producers Dan the Automator and Prince Paul. The collaboration lasted between 1999 and 2006 and resulted in two albums featuring a wide array of guest rappers, singers, comedians and DJ's. They were a conceptual hop hop duo that parodied and commented on the vanity, consumerism, materialism and self absorption of upper class society. Their second album, "White People" was released in 2004. Collaborators included Cat Power, Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand, Jack Johnson, Cedric Bixler-Zavala of The Mars Volta, Pharrell, and comedian Tim Meadows.
7. "American IV: The Man Comes Around" by Johnny Cash - In my world, no one is cooler than Johnny Cash. I chose the last album he made before his death. In 2002's "American IV," most of the songs are covers which Cash performs in his own spare style with help from producer Rick Rubin. "Hurt," a song written by Trent Reznor, is the most haunting song I have ever heard. Reznor said Cash's version of the song deeply moved him. It honestly makes me a little sick when I listen to it.
8. "Murmur" by REM - This is the debut album by REM, released in 1983. It drew critical acclaim for its sound, defined by singer Michael Stipe's cryptic lyrics, guitarist Peter Buck's jangly guitar style, and bassist Mike Mills' melodic basslines. It characterized the quieter more introverted side of the first wave of alternative rock in the U.S. Quiet and introverted has become quite cool lately. So I think this one hits the mark. And "Radio Free Europe" is such a great song.
9. "No Depression" by Uncle Tupelo - This is the first studio album from alternative country pioneers, Uncle Tupelo, and was released in 1990. It is considered to be one of the most important albums in this genre which is often misunderstood and underrated. This of course makes it uber-cool. (Thanks you guys for contributing to my coolness.)
10. "Peel Slowly and See" by The Velvet Underground - This is a five disc comprehensive retrospective of material performed by The Velvet Underground and released in 1995. It chronicles the band from its earliest demo tapes recorded in 1965 to Lou Reed's final work with the band in 1970. These people were hanging out with Andy Warhol and changing rock and roll forever. What could be cooler? It is said if you start listening to this band in your teens, you will be weird forever. That explains it all...

So this is what I consider to be cool. And now that I have spent so much time thinking about it, I must be the coolest person on our fair planet. 

Lovely L's

This was a fun one. Here are my L's in alphabetical order.

1. Lark - Josh Ritter. I know you all just don't get my love for this Idaho native. He was named by Paste magazine as one of the top 100 songwriters of all times so I am not alone here. This song has gotten me through some hard times. "I am assured that peace will come to me.  A peace that surpasses my understanding and my need." Beeeeautiful.

2. Last Train from Poor Valley - Norman Blake. I grew up listening to my father perform this song. So it is a part of my soul. I like his version better, but it isn't on youtube. He used to change the name to Misty instead of Becky..."And the soft, new snows of December lightly fall my cabin round. I saw the last train from Poor Valley takin' my brown haired, Misty, Richmond bound."

3. Let's Not Shit Ourselves (To Love and To Be Loved) - Bright Eyes. A fantastic protest song. "We all fit into your slogan on the fast food marquis. Red blood, white skin, and the blues. I've got the blues. I've got the blues! That's me!" Have I mentioned how much I love Conor Oberst? "To love and to be loved. Let's just hope that it's enough."

4. Live and Die - The Avett Brothers. Americana at its best. Making banjos cool. And rockin' the cello. Come on.

5. Living Proof - Cat Power. This is Chan Marshall at her soulful best. "You're supposed to have the answer. You're supposed to have living proof." Weird video...she is one cool weird lady.

6. Losin' Yo Head - Monsters of Folk
Probably the most My Morning Jacket sounding song on this masterpiece collaborative album by Jim James, Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis (Bright Eyes), and M. Ward. They are my supergroup.

7. Love Cats - the Cure. This is one of those happy Cure songs that are so easy to love.

The Most Hated Man in America

I read this short article shortly after you both resoundingly agreed that Billy Joel was the absolute worst and thought that you'd both enjoy reading the article.

http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/9175027/billy-joel-released-album-new-songs-20-years-#8212-been-good-legacy

And as a bonus, I've linked another article published four years ago which explains specifically why Billy Joel is so bad.

http://www.slate.com/articles/life/the_spectator/2009/01/the_worst_pop_singer_ever.html

BOTW - Foals

Let's get one thing straight - when you mix math rock with Oxford England and a lead singer named Yannis, you know you're dealing with Holy Fire.  Like Christopher Columbus, I found this band by chance.  My daughter was playing around with my iPod one day, and must have accidentally purchased one of their songs.  The pure rage of .99 lost turned into pure joy as I listened to the floating vibes.  She was named "Blue Blood"

The Foals have a strange way of mixing familiar riffs into something completely original.  While listening, I often strain trying to make connections with other bands or vocalists (Temper Trap?).  Perhaps this tendancy is informed by their influences.  They site bands like Arthur Russell, Talking Heads, and The Redneck Manifesto.  Personally, I have a hard time drawing the comparison.

I love how they turn an elevator tune into something so violent and exciting.  Their new album, Holy Fire, really is something else.  Like Empire of the Sun, the music should really have a prescribed wardrobe, scandinavian name, and facial hair.  Something like this:



For as vague as I've been, you'd think I was trying to break up with my girlfriend.  The ultimate message - it's not me, it's them.  They are the real deal.  Along with their stellar sound, they have managed to stay obscure enough to retain my attention.  Without reservation, I recommend this band.

Along with Blue Blood, check out these songs:

Late Night:

My Number:

Bad Habit (personal favorite):

Bright Eyes - I Love Him Like My Luggage

A while ago, MG asked who I wanted to see most in concert, and I can never answer questions like that on the spot...don't ask me why. Of course, the answer is Bright Eyes!!! And here is an interesting article I read today that I thought I would share since you all love Top 10 lists so much. While this is not my Top Ten...I will agree that these are all fantastic songs.

The Ten Best Bright Eyes Songs - Stereogum

La la la la la la la la la

WTF....almost my entire music library is not showing up in iTUNES!!!!!!

My Tardy K's

The long awaited K's:

• Karma Police - Radiohead
• Kids - Sleigh Bells ( I would have done MGMT's Kids, but I think MG took it)
• Kill - Jimmy Eat World
• Kim & Jessie - M83
• Kinder Blumen - Real Estate
• King of the Beach - Wavves
• Know Your Onion - The Shins (MG, you didn't take this right?)

BOTW - The Cowboy Junkies

So a friend posted an interesting article on Facebook from The Alternate Root listing their opinion of the top roots albums of the past 25 years. Of course I was intrigued, but the most exciting part was rekindling an old flame.

Now I know you all have issues with the moniker "Alt-Country"...so you probably couldn't get past the eye rolling enough to read the above mentioned article which I recently posted on this blog. (Honestly enough with the eye rolling. You could injure yourselves - pop an aneurism or a kidney stone or something.) If you did read the article, then #9 is the flame of which I speak. Yes, The Cowboy Junkies. And despite the name, they really aren't cowboy at all.

Senior year in high school I fell in love with #9, their album The Trinity Sessions. It is a thing of beauty. Remember at this time I was mostly listening to bands you would find on MTV's 120 Minutes, or playing in your local mosh pit. So this was quite a departure for me. Unbeknownst to teenage me the Los Angeles Times named the album one of the top ten albums of 1988, and they were nominated for Group of the Year at the Juno Awards in 1990 and 1991.

The band formed in 1985 and is comprised of three siblings and an outsider all from Toronto, Canada. Their sound using the ambisonic microphone and a mix of blues, country, folk, rock and jazz has earned them both critical attention and a cult following. They continue to make albums, but none have attained the fame of The Trinity Sessions. In 2007 they released Trinity Revisited, a re-recording of the album with guests Ryan Adams (oh I love him!), Natalie Merchant and Jeff Bird among others.

If you get nothing else from this post, you must listen to their cover of The Velvet Underground's Sweet Jane. Ethereal. Sublime. Even Lou Reed likes it.

I love this one too. I was never into bad boys...but singing this song could let any girl's imagination run a little wild. Misguided Angel also off of "The Trinity Sessions."

This is a sublime cover of Townes Van Zandt's To Live's to Fly off of a subsequent album "Black Eyed Man."

Blue Moon Revisited (A Song for Elvis) - what is not to love about a harmonica? Who is that girl in the video?  Who knows?

The History of Awesome

I threatened to put this link on here. And I think I will just to show there are other people out there with awesome music taste like mine. Plus it leads nicely into my hijacked Band of the Week. So there. Read if you dare...I feel a little like Vincent Price right now.


The Top 35 Roots Albums of the Last 25 Years

(o)K

I was going to start this off with a rousing version of "Kum Ba Yah", but I thought DP might never forgive me. So here goes the K's.

1. "Kamera" - Wilco. Makes me want to go make some photographs. Or dress up like a hobo. Not sure which.

2. "Kick Drum Heart" - The Avett Brothers. They are just so adorable...the number 1 reason you should like a band.

3. "King of Birds" - REM. "Standing on the shoulders of giants leaves me cold." They are poets, I tell you!

4. "Kiss Off" - The Violent Femmes. Best top ten list in a song. I especially like # 8.

5. "Know How" - Kings of Convenience. Gotta love me some Scandinavian mellow sounds. Plus Leslie Feist's voice is like buttah in this.

6. "Kicked It In the Sun" - Built to Spill. I always think Doug Martsch sounds like a smashed cat when he sings. This one totally exemplifies that thought.

7. I was going to pick your other Shins song, but I will leave it for DP. I did an eeny mo miney between several "Kiss" songs, and this one won. "Kissy Kissy" - The Kills.

Kobra KAI!!!!!!

GET HIM A BODY BAG...YEAH!!!!!

Man, if I could select that clip 1-7, I would do it.  Don't you just want to punch that guy in the face?  I hope Smith reads this because that BYU basketball player is getting it after this guy.

Here's the quick and dirty, not so flirty, run through the K's:

1) Kelly Watch the Stars - Air - Fantastic space rock song.  I don't like most of their stuff, but they have 3 or 4 KILLER songs.  EDIT:  OK, this is not the best version of the song (Moog Cookbook remix is better), but this video is hilarious.

 

2) Kids - MGMT  - "Makin' Momma so Proud"

3) Killing an Arab - The Cure - This was the final song in the set they played at Shoreline Amphitheatre when I saw them.  The place ERUPTED!  Such a fantastic song.

4) The Killing Moon - Echo & the Bunnymen - Simply one of the best songs ever written

5) Kimberly Austin - Porno for Pyros - So Perry Ferrell is kind of a scuzzy looking guy, but what a nice song

6) Kissing the Lipless - The Shins - Clapping never sounded so good.  You could get a nice strobe effect in your apartment if you had clappers set up on your light fixtures.  EDIT:  I'll be honest, if you don't like this song, you are likely a nihilist.

7) Kool Thing - Sonic Youth - This song and video have so much going for it.  This was the song that turned me onto Sonic Youth (already loved Public Enemy, so Chuck D joining up was instant cred), and the song (and Kim Gordon) are just badass.  Love this excerpt from Wikipedia:

"Kool Thing" was the first major label single from American noise rock band Sonic Youth's 1990 album Goo. It was released in June 1990 on Geffen Records. The song was inspired by an interview bassist/singer Kim Gordon conducted with LL Cool J for Spin in which the two artists clashed.^[1] Although he is never mentioned by name, the song's lyrics contain several references to LL Cool J. Gordon's lyrics make reference to several of the rapper's works, including the single "I Can't Live Without My Radio" and the album Walking With a Panther. She also repeats the line "I don't think so", which appears in LL Cool J's "Going Back to Cali". Chuck D also contributes some vocals in the song.

Just J

I have decided I have really weird music taste. But it is better to be weird than boring. At least that's what my mom always tells me.

1. Jezebel - Iron & Wine. This song makes me want to start a thimble collection. "Make me a beast half as brave, I'd be the same."God, I love Sam Beam.

2. Jumping Someone Else's Train - The Cure. I love old Cure. I think I gave my parents a stroke when I started listening to this.

3. John Saw the Number - Neko Case. Neko makes locusts and honey cool again.

4. Just Stand Back - Low. Don't forget, "I could turn on you so fast."

5. Jesus, etc. - Wilco. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is by far the best Wilco album. This is a great song. Makes me want to close my eyes, and do dorky white people dance moves.

6. Jackie Dressed in Cobras - the New Pornographers. I love Neko Case so much I put her on here twice  in two different personas. And a potato!!

7. Joy to the World - Three Dog Night. Don't you want to call every frog, Jeremiah?

Jumpin' Jehoshaphat

I wonder how Jezebel, Jeroboam, and Job feel about being passed over for the Jumpin' accolade?  Don't you think they'd like to jump as well?

Jammin - Bob Marley  If you don't smile while you listen to this song, you are a McCarthyite.

Jeannie's Diary - Eels  We have hit the Eels stride now.  What lyrics...

I don't have a chance at writing the book
I just wanna be a page
In jeannie's diary
One single page
In jeannie's diary

Just Like Honey - Jesus & Mary Chain  I dare you, I double-dog dare you, to challenge Prince to a game of basketball...er, I mean, to not like this song.

Just Like Heaven - The Cure  This was the first Cure song I fell in love with.  So many great memories with this song.

Jennifer's Body - Hole  Fantastic song from a fantastic album.  Angry angry angry!!!  Its too bad she went bat-crazy.

Joey - Concrete Blonde  Meaningful high school song.

Just for Now - Imogen Heap  If my last name was heap, I would probably change it.

Some Fun Live M83

Wow, I loved J

Easy picks:

• The Jeweller’s Hand – Arctic Monkeys - This song has some serious swagger.  Their best song from their best album.
• Jigsaw Falling Into Place – Radiohead - This song has some great hooks.  The vocals are some of Yorke's best.
• Joker and a Thief – Wolfmother - For the butt-rock in each of us.
• Jolene – The White Stripes (cover) - Dolly Parton just didn't know what to do with this song.  Jack White took it to a whole new level.
• Julius – StrFkr - Classic
• July, July! – The Decemberists - Reminds me of my daughter.
• Just - Radiohead - BEST MUSIC VIDEO EVER.  I remember conversations with friends, all speculating about what was whispered at the end.

"I" Am Missing Something

What an unmitigated disaster!  My list was just too hard to whittle down.  Here is my best shot at the "I's" I would take with me to the other side:

• I Have Forgiven Jesus – Morrissey - LOVED IT FROM THE FIRST LISTEN.  ARROGANT AND PURE SACRILEGE.     
• I Still Remember – Bloc Party - BEEN MY FAVORITE SONG FOR A VERY LONG TIME.  THERE IS A VERY PARTICULAR EVENT IN MY LIFE THAT I REMEMBER EVERY TIME I LISTEN TO THIS SONG.
• I’m Shakin’ – Jack White - ONE OF THE REAL GEMS FROM THE BLUNDERBUSS ALBUM.
• Ion Square – Bloc Party - YES, TWO BLOC PARTY SONGS FROM THIS LETTER.  THIS SONG MADE ME FALL IN LOVE WITH THE INTIMACY ALBUM.
• It’s Not a Fashion Statement, It’s a Deathwish – MCR - IF YOU DON'T KNOW BY NOW, A GUILTY PLEASURE OF MINE IS MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE.  THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE SONGS.  
• It’s Only Life – The Shins - I THINK I MIGHT HAVE CRIED THE FIRST TIME I HEARD THIS SONG.  A REAL PRETTY ONE.
• It’s Real – Real Estate - MAKES ME WANT TO SURF.

I am Shiva

Yes, I's are deep...lots of I, If, In, It's, etc...this will be interesting. Man, I'm leaving off some heavy hitters...Zero 7, PM Dawn, one of my favorite Oasis songs, two DCFC songs, Tribe, etc. I think only three of these songs would stick on the list every iteration (In My Life, It's a Motherfkr, and Isabella of Castille). May post vids later, but encourage you to Youtube these if you haven't heard them before.


I Want You Back - Jackson 5 - Hot damn, this is a good song.


I Would Die 4 U - Prince - One of the rockingest songs about the Holy Trinity you'll ever hear.

I'm not a human
I am a dove
I'm your conscience
I am love
All I really need is to know that
You believe

I'm Cold - The Cure - Narrowly edged out "Icing Sugar" for the Cure spot. God, I love Cure bass and angry Cure, and this is the best of both worlds.

But it was you who wanted love
Not romance
You have to pay the price
My body may be made of fire
But my soul is made of ice

In My Life - The Beatles - OK, I think this is the last of my must have Beatles songs. If you don't like this song, you are a nazi serial killer.

Isabella of Castille - Strfkr - Man, those tear drops are sick. Gotta love a song named after one of the most awesome monarchs of all time.

It's a Motherfkr - Eels - One of the most beautiful songs I've heard. Edged out "I Like Birds" for the Eels spot.

It's Different for Girls - Joe Jackson - Already linked to this one before, but its that good. Takes last slot.

It's All About I

Holy cats! This one was ridiculous. I stopped paying attention after a while, there were so many good choices. This list would be different 5 minutes from now, but it is fun. Definitely classic oldie based. They knocked the newbies out of the water.

1. Imagine - John Lennon. I kind of love this video. "This is not here."

2. I Walk the Line - Johnny Cash

3. If I Needed You - Townes Van Zandt. This is a great song to cover. But I love this one.

4. I'll Fly Away. I love this old gospel song. I especially loved when my sister in law sang it at their grandmother's funeral. This version is great. Allison Krauss and Gillian Welch from the O Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack. Love me some Coen brothers.

5. I Fought the Law - the Clash. C'mon! Fight the power!

6. It's the End of the World as We Know It (and I Feel Fine) - REM. I know all the words. Do you?

7. I Feel it All - Feist. This is my dancing song. Her happy dance looks like mine. And she is just so cute.

A Wonderful Discovery - A Mini BOTW

FORGIVE MY INDISCRETION.  I FELT LIKE VENTING.

When I have weeks like the one I've had, I often award myself a few bucks a night to buy songs on spec from iTunes.  In my darkest hours, I have purchased golden classics from Loggins and Messina.  Typically, I let the Man running the Genius recommendations take me wherever he'd like.  After sifting through recommendations based on my purchase of Taylor Swift (I blame others in my home), I found a real gem.  Based on my purchase of My Bloody Valentine, I was navigated to The Joy Formidable.  I was blown away.  I bought the whole album, and have been swimming in it all night.   I will feature them in a formal Band of the Week someday.  In the meantime, take a listen.  Someone my age has never felt so comfortable "shoegazing".

They feel like a literal incarnation of the fictional "Clash At Demonhead".  Charismatic lead singer, a unusually fit bass player, and Zach De La Rocha's second cousin on the drums (not really, but I imagine so).

I regret to inform you that their music has been featured on a Twilight film and the television show "Vampire Diaries".  Please try to put these facts out of your mind immediately.  Remember, some of Radiohead's best work was featured on Twilight as well.  I blame Mormon authors.

Recommended first listens:

• A Heavy Abacus
• Whirring
• The Everchanging Spectrum of a Lie

I feel the true measure of a band is best determined on the stage.  The following link is a show they did for YouTube.  I pay good money to see them live.

DOESN'T THIS GUY LOOK LIKE JOSHUA HOMME FROM QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE?!?!?

Please don't hate me for sharing this band out of turn.  I needed to write something.  Excuse this behavioral lapse.

Hall of Awesome #2

MGMT CAT!!!!

When you have an hour to spare...

I love that Youtube has full length shows!  I particularly enjoyed this one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceJQehcZTIc

Will the real H please stand up? Please stand up?

Yeah, so I'm totally cheating here.  As I was making out my short list and I had so many "Heys" I just had to cheat...heh heh heh!!!!  It is still going to be damn hard to whittle this down to 7...carving out the Smiths just because we all know them (but there's 5 or 6 MONSTER Smiths here).  And carving out Pumpkins (heh heh).  Going for eclecticity here...would most likely be a different list tomorrow.

In the non-"Hey" division:

1) Head On - Jesus & Mary Chain - One of the ultimate high school love songs for me

2) How Beautiful You Are - The Cure - Some of the best lyrics of any Cure song

3) Heart of Gold - Neil Young - My favorite singer-songwriter and a true titan in rock history.  This song always brings a tear to my eye.

4) Hypocrite - Lush - so speaking of hooking me up with a date, do you know any cute Japanese-Hungarian musicians that dye their hair red?  Great song with a great vid.

5) The Holiday Song - The Pixies - Really dark lyrics but really fun song

6) Hide and Seek - Imogen Heap - So unique

7) The High Road - Broken Bells - Mercer + Mouse = Magic

BONUS) How Stupid Mr. Bates - The Police - obviously not one of my favorites but must be the inspiration for the worst person in TV history since Punky Brewster.  Not a bad song though.

Hey now!

Wow, got some tough songs to fill after Dan pillaged some heavy hitters.  Lets see what's left:


In the "Hey" division:


1) Hayling - FC Kahuna - I have often told Dan how much I would marry this song if I could...just a tremendous trip-hop song.

 2) Hey Joni - Sonic Youth
3) Hey Jude - Beatles

4) Hey Man - Eels

5) Hey You!!! - The Cure - Come over here, you look like Christmas!  What a great line!

6) Hey You - Pink Floyd
7) Hey Porter - Johnny Cash

Suit Up Garfunkel!

Pick your weapons, gladiators...

The earnest guitar of Paul Simon and the white fro of Garfunkel vs. the pop rock/new wave of the Bangles with the spunkiness of Susanna Hoff.


















The song...A Hazy Shade of Winter.  This was Simon & Garfunkel's second biggest hit on their Bookends album, after Mrs. Robinson.  It has been described as one of their toughest, most rock-oriented songs.

Fast forward 20 years.  On the heels of their breakthrough album featuring "Walk Like an Egyptian", the Bangles were a hot commodity and were asked to provide a song for the Less than Zero soundtrack.  This is the result:

While I love Simon & Garfunkel, the Bangles version could easily be one of top 100 songs of all time...just love the drive and the energy.  My vote to the Bangles.

Tenacious H

A couple comments - First, I had already decided to call my post "Holy H" and Misty snaked me.  Second, I definitively know one of Goettsche's H posts.  Out of respect, I will not post that song.  I limited myself to one Bloc Party song starting with H (there are loads).

• Heads Will Roll - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
• Heart of a Girl - The Killers
• Halo - Bloc Party
• [Hidden Track] - Flake Music (How's that for a deep cut!?!?)
• Holdin' On to Black Metal - My Morning Jacket
• Homeward Bound - Simon and Garfunkel
• Howlin' For You - The Black Keys

Holy H

Me first. This one was impossible.

1. Heavy Metal Drummer - Wilco

2. How It Ends - Devotchka

5. The Hardest Part - Ryan Adams (They only have a live version on you tube)

7. Heroes - David Bowie

3. Ho Hey - the Lumineers. I'm a sucker for a mandolin.

4. Hold On, Hold On - Neko Case

6. House by the Sea - Iron & Wine

Hold Everything! Remove One of My G's. Stat!

I have been waiting for the G's to post this song. And I forgot it!!!!! Holy brown in my gown.

So, please enjoy one of my top ten favorite songs (yes, I said it). And it is by an Idaho artist. And it is an amazingly beautiful song with the video filmed in Joshua Tree National Park, a place dear to my heart, much like Josh Ritter.

A Girl in the War - Josh Ritter

Geeez.

1. Good Vibrations - The Beach Boys

2. Golden Slumbers - The Beatles

3. Graveyard - Feist

4. Geraldine - The Avett  Brothers

5. Get Well Cards - Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band

6. The Greatest - Cat Power

7. Girl with One Eye - Florence and the Machine

Packard G-Force

So, I have to give MG a big shout out on some of my G's.  I admittedly would not have a good selection of Gs if it wasn't for MG.

• Glory Box - Portishead
• Grinnin' In Your Face - Son House
• Games - The Strokes
• The Guitar Man - Bread (Laugh if you must)
• The Great Escape - We Are Scientists
• Girlfriend in a Coma - The Smiths
• Gold on the Ceiling - The Black Keys

BOTW - Cat Power

This post will elaborate on a part of my persona that I'm sure you both have met a time or two, Contrary Mary.

Years ago my husband (although I don't think we were married yet) excitedly told me about a new band that he thought I would love. In those days we spent too much time arguing about music. This must have ocurred during one of these times, because I never even listened to the band he knew I would love. In fact, for a long time I thought they were a hip hop act. This is a human error, we mock what we don't understand.

That band was Cat Power, and although I don't enjoy the idea of cats having powers, I do LOVE this band.

In her 17 years of recording music as Cat Power, Chan Marshall has evolved from a neurotically nervous confessional songwriter - one who embraced minimalism and was almost afraid of recording and performing; she would play shows with her back to the audience and had a reputation for eccentric on stage behavior.

Through breakdowns and periods of time where she planned to abandon music altogether to become a homemaker and mother, Marshall continued to grow into a more confident and compelling songwriter. She moved from grungey rock to blues and soul, embracing her Southern roots.

Marshall has always maintained a deep affinity for cover songs, a habit that is attributed to both apprehension about her own songwriting abilities and her respect for folk music traditions, the act of preserving and recreating relics of Americana. Of her vast collection - she has entire albums of cover songs - stand out include renditions of "Sea of Love," "Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again," and "Still in Love with You."

In 2012, Cat Power released Sun, Marshall's first album of entirely original material since 2006's The Greatest. Sun has gone on to make many "Best Albums of 2012" lists, and has been praised for its ability to embrace both darkness and light.

Now 40 years old, Marshall is up to her ninth studio album, with dozens of excellent early tracks and one off singles composing her oeuvre as well. She is constantly reinventing herself. Here are a few songs that have resonated with me, and that hopefully exemplify some of this diversity.


He War from "You are Free" (2003)

The Greatest from "The Greatest"(2006)

Free from "You Are Free" (2003)

Nothin' but Time from "Sun" (2012) - My new mantra.

Should I make this a cover contest? So many to choose from. How about Wonderwall?