09/07/2015
A few days ago, I said that Dar Williams was pretty tough to beat when it comes to female singer-songwriters. I still believe that statement is true, but if there is one artist that I would rank slightly higher, and her name is Ani DiFranco. Now this is the 6th and final entry from her in this project, so her placement in the Top 20 should not come as a surprise. But the challenge here was how to pick my favorite song from her very, very large catalog. At times like these, it is sometimes best to go with the obvious choice, which is her likely most famous and recognizable song, "32 Flavors." The song even once appeared in an ad for the NFL, which I much admit was very, very strange to see. The whole song is just beautiful and demonstrates clearly the power that a person with an acoustic guitar and few chords can wild. It also contains some of those trademarked sharp and thought-provoking lyrics that makes DiFranco so compelling: "Squint your eyes and look closer. I'm not between you and your ambition. I am a poster girl with no poster. I am thirty-two flavors and then some and I'm beyond your peripheral vision so you might want to turn your head. Cause someday you're going to get hungry and eat most of the words you just said." The song is definitely top 20 material... and then some.
09/08/2015
Back in the fall I mentioned how there was one band that once again opened my eyes to new music. That band was Death Cab For Cutie. The album of theirs that was playing at the time was 2005's Plans, and the song that more than anything flipped the switch was today's song, "Soul Meets Body." The whole song is a study in contrasts, I believe, from the title to the musical style that seems to combine a very mechanical beat and bass line with a very organic acoustic guitar line. The music blends seamlessly with more of the band's trademark thought-provoking lyrics and lovely harmonies: "Cause in my head there's a Greyhound station. Where I send my thoughts to far off destinations. So they may have a chance of finding a place where they're far more suited than here." All things taken together, it is truly beautiful music and a melody that softly soars through my atmosphere.
09/09/2015
There are a few songs out there where all you need to hear are the first few chords and it instantly puts a smile on your face… or in the case of today's song, perhaps it is a bit of a smirk. By the time the drum line comes in, you can pretty much count on me to be air-drumming. When James' 1993 album "Laid" came out, I was already pretty familiar with their music, but even then, I was pretty blown away by how *good* that album was. The ironic thing is that the feel of the album is actually quite a bit more serious than the album's signature single, the now infamous title track, "Laid." But that certainly can not take away from how much fun the song is, even if "American Pie" caused it to be a bit too ubiquitous. Perhaps we became so obsessed that it became a bore? Oh no. No, no no.
09/10/2015
Back in the early 90s, I was not that into very "hard" rock. But the band and perhaps the album that finally changed my opinion was 1993's "Chrome" from the British band Catherine Wheel. The band's first album "Ferment" grabbed my attention with its more ethereal sound, and by the time Chrome hit the stores, I was ready to Crank it up to 11. In that spirit, I think that my favorite song in the Catherine Wheel catalog is the first single from that great album, today's selection "Crank." I must admit, the words to the song don't really make any sense to me, but it is just an awesome, slightly subtle alternative rock song. As far as Catherine Wheel goes, my dream is complete.
09/11/2015
Throughout this project, I have from time to time had to dance around a topic slightly. When I first mentioned how my friend Kimber turned me onto the band The National, I first deflected the song to a more recent album of theirs. A few months later, I introduced the actual album that first appeared on my desk, 2007's "Boxer," but I deflected that song to a Hidden Gem on the album. But, when it comes down to it, even though I really like a lot of The National's music, there was never any doubt which of their songs was going to be high on my list, the main single on that great album "Fake Empire." Much like some other entries on this list, it has all the elements of the things the make The National such a great band: a soul-full piano line, a spare drum part, smoky, haunting vocals, and a slow build to the end that leaves you wanting to hit the repeat button. There is nothing fake about it.
09/12/2015
Much like yesterday's song from the National, I also feel like I danced a bit around today's song as well. Back in the fall, I mentioned my discovery of Mumford & Sons first album "Sign No More", yet featured a newer song. Back in June, I highlight the Hidden Gem of a title track from the same album. But when it comes down to it, the song that really matters is today's song that made me fall in love with the band in the first place, "Little Lion Man." Oh the harmonies! Oh the kick-ass banjo! For a while back in 2009, I feel like I heard this song everywhere I went, and I was 100% OK with that. Although the entire album is great, this song stands above the rest.
09/13/2015
As this particular count-down approaches the Top 10, I think that it is fair to say that we have reached a bit of a turning point. The last 26 songs are all among my favorites, of course, but today is the day where we really hit the upper echelon. I have had a chance to comment a few times about how the band New Order has some pretty mediocre albums, yet has some really solid singles. At the top of the list of all those great singles, is today's song, "True Faith." Like all good New Order songs, it has an upbeat, electronica sound that just makes you want to get up and dance. But, I think the thing that sets this song apart is that it has this strangely epic feel to it. It just feels like the song is *important* somehow. Bernard Sumner even seems to have written some pretty good lyrics for this one: "I feel so extraordinary, something's got a hold on me. I get this feeling I'm in motion, a sudden sense of liberty... That's the price that we all pay. Our valued destiny comes to nothing. I can't tell you where we're going; I guess there's just no way of knowing." Good stuff... truly.
09/14/2015
I am probably not as big of a fan of U2 as some people, but they are still fairly high on my list. Like New Order, U2 for me is a bit hit or miss, only with U2, they tend to either have whole albums that are either great or mediocre. In my estimation, their 1983 album "War" is one of the good ones, and within in confines lies what I believe is their greatest song, "Sunday, Bloody Sunday." Although, in all honesty the live version (from the album "Under a Blood Red Sky") might be even better. The song is a protest song of sorts, describing some of the violence in Northern Ireland in the late 20th century. The signature snare drum part is reminiscent of a army marching to war, and the song contains some of Bono's best lyrics, "And the battle's just begun. There's many lost, but tell me who has won. How long? How long must we sing this song? How long, how long 'cause tonight...we can be as one tonight." Bono, can sing this song as long as you want.
09/15/2015
I first became acquainted with the Australian act Midnight Oil based on their late 80s and early 90s album Diesel and Dust and Blue Sky Mining, but when push comes to shove, I think that my favorite album of theirs is the 1993 effort "Earth and Sun and Moon." A big reason for that is the presence of today's song, "My Country." The song itself appears to be an ironic take on an old saying from a 19th century American statesman ("Our Country, may she always be in the right... but my country right or wrong.") I am sure that the Oils had a bit of an axe to grind with some government action (whether it be the US or their native country). But no matter the political motivation, the song itself flat out rocks, and Peter Garrett's lyrics have seldom been more thought provoking, "Did I hear you say My country right or wrong? My country oh so strong. My country going wrong. My country right or wrong." It doesn't take a giant leap of logic to realize that this one is one of my favorites.
09/16/2015
When you think about the band the B-52s, I think that it is easy to sort of write them off as a bit of a novelty act. Although they certainly have a certain whimsical bent, their first two albums are pretty creative, unique, fantastic, and at times even a little serious... but not *that* serious. A perfect example of all of these factors coming together is my personal favorite B-52's song, today's track "Private Idaho." Although the song on the surface seems tame, the words to me suggest that it is a bit of a grim warning against the dangers of nuclear war: "Living in your own Private Idaho. Underground like a wild potato. Don't go on the patio. Beware of the pool, Blue bottomless pool." Get it? You have Idaho all to yourself and you are underground. But even with such a serious topic, the song is still tremendously *fun.* Like all B-52's song, the band seems to be having an awesome time. That Peter Gun-esque guitar line? Absolutely killer. When I am in an Idaho state of mind, I don't want to get out of it any time soon.
09/17/2015
As we enter Mid-September is earnest now, time draws short and my Top 10 is upon us. I mentioned long ago how I considered Depeche Mode to be one of my Big 4 favorite bands, so it only stands to reason that they would be appear this high in the countdown. I really like a lot of Depeche Mode songs, but my favorite is today's track, "Everything Counts." The track originally appears on their 3rd studio album "Construction Time Again," but the version that I am partial to in the live version Closer from the concert album "101". If I am not mistaken, DM even used it as the last song of the main set when I saw them in concert at Pine Knob so many years ago. The song itself has this lovely contrast of more serious part intertwined with the more whimsical chorus that sounds like it is backed by a speak-and-spell. It is a brilliant combination. In the live version, the songs ends with the crowd vamping the chorus, "The grabbing hands grab all they can. Everything counts in large amounts." It is just a perfect slice of 80s electronica. That counts for a lot in my book.
09/18/2015
It is no secret that I am a pretty big fan of The Cure, and as the 2nd member of my Big 4 to appear in the Top 10, I am a little surprised myself that I *only* have my favorite song of theirs at #9. If nothing else, I think that speaks to how special I think some of the upcoming songs are! In addition, I think my favorite Cure song is actually a bit of an underdog choice. Sure, I could have gone with Love Song, or Friday I'm In Love, Boys Don't Cry, or even Pictures of You. But my favorite Cure song is actually today's song, "In Between Days." Despite my love for some of the darker, more gloomy songs in the Cure catalog, I just have a soft spot for this upbeat, dare I say happy little number. The drums, guitar, keyboard, and Robert Smith's voice just come together perfectly, and the video is just pure joy. I suppose in a way, some of the lyrics are appropriate for my impending day coming up: "Yesterday I got so old, I felt like I could die. Yesterday I got so old, It made me want to cry." Nah, I don't feel like crying, I just feel like dancing.
09/19/2015
The Pixies were one of those bands that I discovered just a bit too late to consider one of the "Big Four," and it took a while for it to really sink in with for me in regards to how awesome I think that they really were. I have highlighted several of their great songs this year, but my favorite is today's track, "Dig For Fire." I really don't know what the song is supposed to be about, but the way the song builds, the heavy guitar, the trading of vocals between Black Francis and Kim Deal... it's just special. It pumps me up and puts not really a smile on my face, but a upward curl to my lip. It is weirdly empowering. The video featuring the band riding like they are in a motorcycle gang just fits the feel of the song perfectly, and I don't even like motorcycles. Can you dig it? Yeah.
09/20/2015
I commented previously that Dar Williams and Ani Difranco are my two favorite female singer-songwriters, but the overall crown in that category has to go to Michael Penn. There have been times when I have considered the question, "who is my 5th favorite band?" (If I assume the top 4 slots are taken). Yesterdays band (The Pixies) are a strong contender for that slot, as are the group in tomorrow's slot, but Michael Penn might be the correct answer. I think he is perhaps the greatest songwriter of our generation, and my favorite song of his is a bit of a Hidden Gem, today's selection, "Figment" from his best album, 1997's "Resigned." I have been on a bit of a positive tick with the selections over the past few weeks, but today's song is a return to the theme of songs about troubled love. It is intense, heartbreaking and a flat-out masterpiece. I could pretty much quote each and even lyric from the entire Michael Penn catalog, but I will leave you with this, "Treaded water 'til I made you cry. But I loved you more than I will now recall at all. I was born to call that bluff, and isn't history just a bargain and a plea that we'd all know what to break and what to rise above. Do you think that love is a figment of your imagination?" No, it isn't Michael. Not even close.
09/21/2015
The other contender for the crown of Paul's 5th favorite band should come as no surprise at this point, it is the brilliantly whacky and prolific NYC duo known as They Might Be Giants. A lot of bands seem to want to be TMBG, but there is only one original. Now, my iTunes library tells me that I own over 400 songs from the band, so picking out my top choice from them is a bit tricky... except that it really isn't, because it is clearly today's song, "Ana Ng." The song seems to be a little love song about a girl from the other side of the globe that the narrator meets at the 1964 World's Fair, which took place at Flushing Meadows in Queens. Jen and I visited the site several years ago and went to far as to locate a park bench near the site of the DuPont Pavilion, just to see it the bench was still warm. (It was not). But, the cute message and brilliant herky-jerky guitar part always warms my heart whenever this song is on.
09/22/2015
Today's song is a bit of a surprise, perhaps, as it is from a band that has only appeared once so far in this entire project. However, "Life Worth Livnin'" is such as amazing song, I could not help but to place it in my Top 5. I mentioned briefly how I first was introduced to Uncle Tupelo by a former co-op student who gave my a copy of their anthology as a gift. Ironically, this song isn't even on that anthology. The other half of that story in that I first received a "mix CD" from that same co-op containing a variety of songs, but this was the track that absolutely blew my mind. I was not even all that interested in alt-country at the time, but beautiful guitar and longing, almost desperate nature of the lyrics in this song are just something magical: "It seems everybody wants what someone else has. There's sorrow enough for all... We've all had our ups and downs, It's been mostly down around here. Now this whole damn mess is becoming quite clear. Looks like we're all looking for a life worth livin'." But despite the sad nature of the lyrics, the song itself seems to be a message of hope, "This song is sung for anyone that's listening. This song is for the broken-spirited man." Ultimately, that is why I love sad songs. Even though they are sad, it is in the telling of the story that gives hope for something better. It's catharsis. Sometimes life is hard, but it is songs like these that truly remind us that life is worth living, even if they sometimes have to break us down so they we can build back up.
09/23/2015
Today's song is just special. Sometimes in life people, places, and music just come together in ways that equal near perfection. I am sure that I first heard "The Freshman" from the Verve Pipe (the original version) on the Impact at some point in High School. I knew that it was a great song, but since they were still just a local indie band, it was pretty hard to get a copy of their music. I did eventually get a copy of their first two albums on tape, but I think I may have even been in college by then, because as I remember, for the final song lyric message of the day sent to my friends during my Freshman year at MSU, I actually had to call the Impact, request the song, and then listen with a pen and paper ready. Fast forward a year or so, and we were all standing in our seats for the Verve Pipe's triumphant return to MSU's campus for a concert in support of their major label debut, which featured another version of the Freshman, only this version would peak at #1 on the pop charts. To have been a Freshman in the place that inspired The Freshman and to get to hear the band play the song in that very place? Special. As for that message that I sent on that final day of classes my Freshman year? Well, it got forwarded back to me on my final day as a Senior: "I can't be held responsible 'Cause she was touching her face. I won't be held responsible. She fell in love in the first place. For the life of me I cannot remember what made us think that we were wise and we'd never compromise. For the life of me I cannot believe we'd ever die for these sins, we were merely freshmen." Special. I guess maybe you had to be there. (Thankfully, I found a video with the original (and best) version of the song.)
As a footnote, a year or so there was a column in Entertainment weekly took a look back at the pop charts in 1996, and the punk-ass writer gave this song a "D." He complained that the song was not as good as Bitterweet Symphony by The Verve (idiotic), and not as good as "Brick" by Ben Folds (which was important because this writer read somewhere that The Freshman is about abortion, which does not even seem to be true.) I literally sent him an angry e-mail letting him know EXACTLY how bad he was at his job.
09/24/2015
All of the songs in my Top 20 so far have at least come from bands that I have mentioned previously over the past 350+ days, but once again, there is an exception to every rule. I am frankly not that familiar with the band Luna. I even had to just look up that lead singer Dean Wareham originally was in a band called Galaxie 500. I only own one album by Luna, their 1994 album Bewitched. But when it comes down to it, there is only one song from Luna that matters, today's song, "This Time Around." As for One-Hit-Wonders in my collection, this one stands head and shoulders above the rest... by about 1000 feet. I first saw the video for this song on 120 Minutes, and I have been bewitched by it ever since. There is just something about the melancholy glide guitar and those lyrics... those lyrics: "this time around the pressure's on. You hope for happiness, your hand are scarred. I've seen your girl, you think she's cute. Don't make her crazy, don't make her sad... I hope for happiness, I think of you." I just melt. There is just this feeling of a last chance of redemption, that everything could be OK if you just get over one hump. But, the song gives the feeling that it is a long-shot. It's devastatingly beautiful and tragic without any actual confirmation of doom. It is almost the perfect song. Bewitched indeed.
09/25/2015
If you have been paying much attention over the course of this adventure, you should probably be able to guess the bands that are going to fall into the #1 and #2 spot in this count down. After all, I have been saying from very early on that I have a "Big 4" group of bands and 2 of the 4 have already been mentioned. Coming in at the #2 spot is the Smiths. I have already said that my favorite album of all time is The Queen Is Dead and that my favorite unrequited love song of all time is "I Know It's Over." However, when push comes to shove, my favorite Smiths / Morrissey song overall is an unrequited love song that is not even on that album. It is instead today's song "How Song Is Now," from 1985's Meat Is Murder. Even if you are not that familiar with The Smiths, I think you might recognize this iconic gem. The signature, haunting ghost-train-like guitar part from Johnny Marr is the stuff of legend. Although I still find "I Know It's Over" to be more emotionally devastating, Morrissey's lyrics are pretty darn good here as well, "When you say it's gonna happen "now" well, when exactly do you mean? See I've already waited too long, and all my hope is gone. You shut your mouth how can you say I go about things the wrong way. I am human and I need to be loved just like everybody else does ." It is simply spectacular. I just want to listen to it right... now.
09/26/2015
After 360 days of songs and 39 days of a Top 40 count-down, it is time to come full circle. As I mentioned on Day 1, R.E.M. is pretty much my favorite band, and the 1986 album "Life's Rich Pageant" is still my favorite R.E.M. album (probably #2 on that little mental list of time.) So, it just seems appropriate that my favorite song of all time would come off of that great album and by that great band. As for the song itself, it is really just a reflection of me. Despite my love for sad love songs, I am at heart a positive, optimistic person. Perhaps Counting Crows said it best when they sang, "I want to be someone who believes." I think that it is important to believe. I think that it is important to have faith, in a variety of things. As such, my favorite song is, "I Believe." The song opens with an awesome little banjo solo and just gets better from there. Michael Stipe's lyrics are as sharp as they ever were: "I believe in coyotes and time as an abstract. Explain the change, the difference between what you want and what you need, there's the key. Your adventure for today, what do you do between the horns of the day... Trust in your calling, make sure your calling's true. Think of others, the others think of you... I believe my humor's wearing thin and change is what I believe in" It is just the greatest song of all time. This. I. Believe.
At this point, you may be wondering what is going on as I have just completed my Top 40 count-down, yet the big 4-0 for me is still a few days away. Well, there is but one chapter left in this great adventure in order to put a bow on things. Starting tomorrow we are truly in the home stretch. It's time for the Big Finish
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