Burn and Shine's Favorite Songs of 2009

First of all, Merry Christmas. I'm stealing a few minutes away from our annual, Xmas Star Wars Marathon (Just the original three-- minus all the crappy bonus footage that was added in the 90s) to bring you my favorite songs of 2009. No mean feat, considering we were up until 2am last night decorating the Christmas Tree (I know, right?) and putting together MJ's first bicycle!

There is a top 26 this year, with "Plans" by Dinosaur Jr. (see video above) topping the list. #'s 2-26 can be found on this, the final compilation of the year (and, I guess, the decade). While I would like to take the time to give you a commentary on each of the songs, I really need to get back to Lucas and Co.

Before I go though, I'd like to invite you all back just after the new year as I have a little tribute to the aughts in store-- and of course my final albums list for the year (still sorting through a few last minute items). Look for some new installments of my Birth of Power Pop series (those of you who got hard copies know what I'm talking about, the rest of you will be caught up soon!) early in 2010 (Maybe February?).

Otherwise have a Happy New Year and, as always, Happy Listening!

Favorite Songs of 2009:

02. Johnny Marr & Neil Finn ~ “Too Blue”
03. The Fresh & Only’s ~ “Feelings in My Heart”
04. The Disciplines ~ “Best Mistake”
05. Best Coast ~ “When I’m With You”
06. Generationals ~ “When They Fight, They Fight”
07. Mount Eerie ~ “Between Two Mysteries”
08. The Almighty Defenders ~ “Cone of Light”
09. Grant Hart ~ “California Zephyr”
10. The Bats ~ “Steppin’ Out”
11. Built to Spill ~ “Hindsight”
12. Outrageous Cherry ~ “Anymore”
13. A.C. Newman ~ “Like a Hitman, Like a Dancer”
14. El Goodo ~ “Don’t Worry Marie”
15. Superchunk ~ “Crossed Wires”
16. J. Tillman ~ “James Blues”
17. Brendon Benson ~ “Don’t Want to Talk”
18. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart ~ “A Teenager in Love”
19. Tim Easton ~ “7th Wheel”
20. The xx ~ “Crystalised”
21. The Black Hollies ~ “Gloomy Monday Morning”
22. Superdrag ~ “Ready to Go”
23. Ty Segall ~ “Die Tonight”
24. Vivian Girls ~ “Moped Girls”
25. The Clean ~ “In the Dreamlife U Need a Rubber Soul”
26. Wilco ~ “You and I”

Total Time: 1:17:30

Download it here: Burn and Shine's Favorite Songs of 2009

Obama accepts Nobel Peace Prize?

This song was written as an anti-Bush song, but most of it still rings true today. The Dems continue to drag their feet on true health reform and we're still fighting two wars. The honeymoon is over.

p.s. Not sure why the date is wrong up there, today is actually December 10!

Christmas Party Soundtrack!

I know, right? It's that time of year again. I'm putting my comp up early this year, because last year's three Christmas comps have been far and away the most popular downloads I've put up here at Burn and Shine. The first three Redux volumes, by the way, have new download links, and you can find them here: Seventy-Five of the Best Holiday Tunes Known to Man!

I struggled a little bit with this year's volume, but Mrs. Maximum Jack came in and saved the day by helping me sequence it, and by making some hard decisions as to what to leave off (thanks Sweetie!). We both agree that the standout track on this year's comp is the Reigning Sound's "If Christmas Can't Bring You Home". A song neither of us had heard until this year. It was released as an old-fashioned Christmas 7" on Norton Records in 2004, and I stumbled upon it via some nice blogger who had done a vinyl transfer (I wish I could remember who that was-- apologies). Another new to me highlight is "It's Xmas So We'll Stop" by Frightened Rabbit. A Scottish band that I didn't think I really liked-- or at least I didn't like their last record, but this song is just achingly beautiful. It was also released as a 7" last year on FatCat Records. Again some random nice blogger did the vinyl transfer--- not me.

Anywho, with four volumes and nearly five hours of Christmas Rock, you now have the perfect soundtrack to your next holiday get together.

Happy Listening!

Christmas Redux Four

01. “Seasons Greetings” by Robbers on High Street [2:23]
02. “Merry Christmas Will Do” by Material Issue [3:36]
03. “Careless Santa” by Mono Puff [2:16]
04. “iPod Xmas” by Hello Saferide
05. “This Christmas” by Donny Hathaway [3:32]
06. “Christmas is Cancelled” by The Long Blondes [4:29]
07. “Let Me Sleep (Christmas Time)” by Pearl Jam [3:00]
08. “If Christmas Can’t Bring You Home” by The Reigning Sound [2:32]
09. “Ghost of Christmas” by Manic Street Preachers [3:39]
10. “I Believe in Father Christmas” by Greg Lake [3:22]
11. “Back Door Santa” by Clarence Carter [2:10]
12. “Christmas Eve” by Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci [1:51]
13. “Christmas Must Be Tonight” by The Band [3:41]
14. “Little Saint Nick (Single Version)” by The Beach Boys [2:11]
15. “There Ain’t No Sanity Claus” by The Damned [2:31]
16. “Christmas Vacation” by The Descendents [2:39]
17. “Power Pop Santa” by The Pointed Sticks [3:20]
18. “Holiday Hymn” by Orange Juice [3:01]
19. “Lonely This Christmas” by Carter USM [2:12]
20. “Christmas” by The Posies [3:53]
21. “Everyday Will Be Like a Holiday” by William Bell [2:39]
22. “Silver Bells” by Swearing at Motorists [2:03]
23. “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” by The Ronettes [2:42]
24. “It’s Christmas So We’ll Stop” by Frightened Rabbit [5:28]
25. “Christmas Time (Is Here Again) by The Beatles [3:03]

Total Time: 1:15:25

Download it here: Christmas Redux Volume Four

Beware the Savage Jaw of 1984!

A few years ago, I put together a 15-Disc CDR compilation of the 80's. It was a massive and time consuming process, but I thoroughly enjoyed every second of it. I had originally intended to post those comps here at Burn and Shine eventually. As you can surmise, I've decided against it-- at least for the time being. Instead, I have decided to start tackling individual years. I'm starting with 1984 for a few reasons.

First, it was the year that I discovered "College" music. I was in tenth grade, and was still very much into heavy metal and it's slightly uglier sister, hair metal. My brother gave me a tape with R.E.M's Murmur on one side and Reckoning on the other. Needless to say, my musical listening habits changed quite drastically. While I can't claim to have heard all of the artists on this compilation as early as 1984 (some of them I didn't hear till much later), I can safely say that tape my brother made, put me on a collision course with most of the artists I've used to represent the year.

Second, 1984 is generally considered a great year among Rock & Roll Historians. As I alluded, College music was in it's heyday. No less than three consensus, classic albums were released on independent labels (I'm thinking of Zen Arcade, Double Nickels and Let it Be and the case could be made for a few others . . .). The mainstream also produced some timeless gems (Purple Rain, 1984, Born in the USA and The Unforgettable Fire spring to mind). While nothing on my compilation could be classified as obscure, I have stayed away from the artists generally considered as mainstream-- though some of the artists did find huge mainstream success later.

Finally, it's been 25 years since these records came out. I might make this an annual tradition in November, as it seems to be a month with few options for themes (you don't really think of music when you think Thanksgiving do you?)-- with apologies to the years 1980-83.

Happy Listening!

1984: We're Behind Schedule

01. Guadalcanal Diary, "Watusi Rodeo" [2:45]
02. The dB's, "Amplifier" [3:11]
03. The Bangles, "Live" [2:36]
04. The Go-Betweens, "Unkind & Unwise" [3:06]
05. The Replacements, "Favorite Thing" [2:20]
06. Lloyd Cole, "Perfect Skin" [3:19]
07. Nick Lowe & His Cowboy Outfit, ""Half a Boy and Half a Man" [2:57]
08. Meat Puppets, "Plateau" [2:22]
09. The Pandoras, "It's About Time" [2:22]
10. The Smiths, "Hand in Glove" [3:23]
11. Talk Talk, "It's My Life" [3:54]
12. Let's Active, "Easy Does" [3:25]
13. The Waterboys, "Somebody Might Wave Back" [2:43]
14. The Cure, "The Empty World" [2:37]
15. Minutemen, "History Lesson Part II" [2:12]
16. Echo & the Bunnymen, "Crystal Days" [2:25]
17. Depeche Mode, "People Are People" [3:46]
18. Hüsker Dü, "Something I Learned Today" [2:03]
19. The Fall, "2 X 4" [3:38]
20. The Church, "Constant in Opal" [3:31]
21. Los Lobos, "Will the Wolf Survive" [3:44]
22. Dumptruck, "How Come?" [4:08]
23. Game Theory, "Nine Lives To Rigel Five" [2:49]
24. The Psychedelic Furs, "Heaven" [3:27]
25. R.E.M., "Letter Never Sent" [3:03]

Total Time: 1:15:31

Download it Here: 1984: We're Behind Schedule

Halloween Music!

I can't believe it's been a year since I started posting these comps! Halloween is upon us, so I thought I'd dish out another platter of Ghoul-ly, Rock & Roll Goodness. I think I've come up with another interesting mix, though it does seem to be a little heavy on the Post-Punks (The Cure, Jazz Butcher, Joy Division, The Gun Club, Pixies, Opal and the Sound all make an appearance here!). What is it about that era and it's fascination with morbid themes?

One song from that era, which unfortunately will probably never make one of my Halloween comps is the supremely fabulous "Bela Legusi's Dead" by Bauhaus. This song still sounds ahead of (and somehow behind?) it's time, and it's even been called "Goth's 'Stairway to Heaven'". It probably won't make one of my comps, because it's nearly 10-minutes long. I have, however, posted it via the Youtube video above (it's not really a video, but it is the original version of the song from 1979).

Just in case you missed it last year, or you're just now stumbling upon this blog: I've re-upped the first volume of Candy Apples & Razor Blades. Feel free to slide on over to the original post if you'd like to download it: October 30, 2008

A few comments about CA&RB Vol. 2. I have three returning players from the first volume: Roky Erickson, The Misfits and Frank Black (though here he's with his band, Pixies). Making his first appearance at Burn and Shine is Warren Zevon. Though I've never been a huge fan, I've always had a soft spot for "Werewolves of London". Instead of using the definitive version, I used an alternate take that can be found on the rarities compilation, Preludes from 2007. I like the Hamlet quote that kicks it off, and I think the creepy background vocals on it are a nice touch. Okay, that's enough blabbing.

Happy Listening!


Candy Apples & Razor Blades Vol. 2: More Music for All Hallow's Eve:

01. "Bo Meets the Monster" by Bo Didley [3:03]
02. "Graveyard Orbit" by Crystal Stilts [3:26]
03. "Devil's Food" by Alice Cooper [3:35]
04. "Happy Nightmare Baby" by Opal [2:57]
05. "The Blood" by The Cure [3:43]
06. "Vampire" by Antsy Pants [1:20]
07. "Dawn of the Dead" by The Weakends [2:14]
08. "Black Candy" by Beat Happening [3:00]
09. "Children of the Grave" by Black Sabbath [5:18]
10. "Lil' Devil" by The Cult [2:44]
11. "Night of the Vampire" by Roky Erickson [4:19]
12. "Zombie Love" by The Jazz Butcher [3:56]
13. "Nightmares" by Jay Reatard [2:12]
14. "Dead Souls" by Joy Division [4:57]
15. "Ghost on the Highway" by The Gun Club [2:46]
16. "Evil Hearted You" by Pixies [2:37]
17. "Night of the Living Dead" by The Misfits [1:59]
18. "The Devil" by PJ Harvey [2:56]
19. "Pet Sematary" by The Ramones [3:30]
20. "Skeletons" by The Sound [3:27]
21. "Werewolves of London (Alternate Take)" by Warren Zevon [3:38]
22. "Bride of Frankenstein" by Toy Love [2:08]
23. "Zombie Zoo" by Tom Petty [2:56]
24. "Grave Robbers" by Mount Eerie & Julie Doiron [1:47]
25. "Halloween Parade" by Lou Reed [3:33]

Total Time: 1:18:05

Download it here: Candy Apples & Razor Blades Vol. 2: More Music For All Hallow's Eve

Pip Squeak a Go-Go!

Someone just recently turned me on to Pancake Mountain. We don't actually get the show here in Chattanooga, but you can find a ton of stuff on YouTube or on their website: Panckake Mountain. Maria loves music, and I swear she made me watch the "Vowel Movements" video fourteen times in a row. Lucky for her, I love Ian MacKaye. Her favorite part is when the kids are rocking out:



Anywho, seeing that video reminded me that it had been a long time since I put together a kid's music disc. We've got several volumes around the house, and I generally like to pick stuff that adults and kids will enjoy equally. I'm big on bringing them the classics on these discs, but I'm also not afraid to use obscurities. Stuff that's fun to sing or reminds me of my own childhood also usually makes the cut. I think this one turned out pretty nice.

Happy Listening!

Pip Squeak a Go-Go!

01. Jason Ringenberg, "Get Up Up Up!" [1:38]
02. Bill Haley & His Comets, "(We're Gonna) Rock Around the Clock [2:11]
03. Feist, "1 2 3 4" [3:04]
04. Irma Thomas, "Break-A-Way" [2:34]
05. The Cyrkle, "Red Rubber Ball" [2:20]
06. Rick Springfield, "I've Done Everything For You" [2:44]
07. Pure Prairie League, "Amie" [4:22]
08. Joe D. Johnson, "Rattle Snake Daddy" [1:46]
09. Ben E. King, "Stand By Me" [2:58]
10. Traffic, "You Can All Join In" [3:37]
11. Creedence Clearwater Revival, "Cotton Fields" [2:54]
12. Brenton Wood, "Oogum Boogum Song" [2:30]
13. Sweet, "Funny Funny" [2:51]
14. Guided By Voices, "Teenage FBI" [2:54]
15. Talking Heads, "Road To Nowhere" [4:19]
16. Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians, "Balloon Man" [3:36]
17. Chris Kenner, "I Like It Like That" [1:58]
18. Chubby Parker, "King Kong Kitchie Kitchie Ki-Mi-O" [3:10]
19. The Foundations, "Build Me Up Buttercup" [2:59]
20. Wanda Jackson, "Let's Have a Party" [2:09]
21. Nina Simone, "My Baby Just Cares For Me" [3:03]
22. Dr. John, "Iko Iko" [4:10]
23. The Edsels, "Rama Lama Ding Dong" [2:28]
24. Shirley & Lee, "Let the Good Times Roll" [2:24]
25. Peter, Paul & Mary, "Leavin' On a Jet Plane" [3:27]

Total Time: 1:12:05

Download it here: Pip Squeak a Go-Go

Workers of the World, UNITE!

Okay, I probably just got this blog placed on the Fox News Watch List for using the Soviet Union's state motto as the title of this entry. But seriously, it's Labor Day Weekend, and I wanted to do a little musical tribute to this Socialist holiday.

Notable first appearances on Burn and Shine include: Rush (still in their Cream phase, before Neil Peart steered them in a more progressive direction), Bobby Dylan, the Minutemen and the Clash. Some returning stars include the Beatles (how else could I have possibly started this compilation?), Elvis Costello and the Kinks (if you haven't already noticed, they are my favorite band).

Happy listening!

Workers of the World, UNITE!

01. The Beatles, “A Hard Day’s Night” [2:34]
02. They Might Be Giants, “Minimum Wage”[0:47]
03. Rush, “Working Man” [7:11]
04. Tina & Ike Turner, “Proud Mary”[3:33]
05. Bob Dylan, “Maggie’s Farm’ [3:54]
06. The Clash, “Career Opportunities”[1:53]
07. The Kinks, “Get Back in Line” [3:04]
08. Bruce Springsteen, “Factory” [2:20]
09. Modern Lovers, “Government Center” [2:03]
10. Minutemen, “Working Men Are Pissed” [1:19]
11. Daniel Johnson & Jad Fair, “First Day At Work”[3:03]
12. The Isley Brothers, “Work to Do” [3:11]
13. The Rolling Stones, “Luxury” [5:01]
14. Jimmy Reed, “Big Boss Man” [2:50]
15. Billy Bragg, “There is Power in a Union” [2:50]
16. Patty Smith, “Piss Factory” [5:03]
17. The Members, “Goodbye to the Job” [2:25]
18. The Jam, “Just Who is the 5 O’clock Hero” [2:15]
19. Todd Rundgren, “Bang the Drum All Day” [3:39]
20. Waco Brothers, “Plenty Tough and Union Made” [2:50]
21. Dave Edmunds, “Here Comes the Weekend” [1:59]
22. Elvis Costello, “Welcome to the Working Week” [1:23]
23. Uncle Tupelo, “Coalminers” [2:34]
24. Woody Guthrie, “Talking Hard Work” [3:26]
25. John Lennon, “Working Class Hero” [3:51]

Total Time: 1:14:58

Download it here: Workers of the World, UNITE!

My Little Girl Is Turning One!

Happy Birthday Maria Justine! Whew, I can't believe it's been a year already. In light of this momentous occasion, I thought I'd put together a special "Girl" themed comp. Last year after our birth announcements went out, we got a fabulous disc from our good friend Laura (who, by the way, has a most excellent radio show/blog here: Needles + Pins ) titled "Oh, Girl - Welcome MJ!" I can't tell you how many times we listened to it. Even though she snagged many of the best "Girl" songs, I managed to find a few that I thought were pretty good as well. With her permission (fingers crossed!) I would gladly share her compilation here at Burn and Shine. For the time being, you'll just have to whet your appetite with mine.

A couple of quick words about my comp. My last installment featured the first Rolling Stones appearance, and today's playlist features the Who making their first showing on a Burn and Shine compilation. Seriously, I have no idea why it has taken me so long for either of these artists, but I'm sure they will show up again in the future. I actually left off one of my favorite Kinks tracks, "Nothin' in This World Can Stop Me Worryin' 'Bout My Girl", because they have shown up a few times already-- go figure. Finally, I just wanted to be sure that you realize that track #22 is actually by an American band called the Bats which featured Jon Brion-- not to be confused with the fantastic New Zealand combo of the same name, which have not yet been featured on B&S.

Happy Listening!

Girl:

01. Paul Westerberg, “You’re My Girl” [0:28]
02. Television Personalities, “Silly Girl” [2:47]
03. The Dukes of the Stratosphear, “Vanishing Girl” [2:30]
04. The Hollies, “Little Girl” [3:02]
05. Edwyn Collins, “Girl Like You” [3:59]
06. The Who, “Glow Girl” [2:26]
07. The Descendents, “Silly Girl” [2:23]
08. Marshall Crenshaw, “Cynical Girl” [2:37]
09. X, “Poor Girl” [2:54]
10. The Only Ones, “Another Girl, Another Planet” [3:02]
11. Blondie, “Sunday Girl” [3:06]
12. The Shazam, “C’mon Girl” [3:05]
13. The Chords, “Hey Girl” [2:17]
14. Hoodoo Gurus, “My Girl” [2:41]
15. The Ramones, “My-My Kind of Girl” [3:32]
16. The Go-Go’s, “Girl of 100 Lists” [2:21]
17. Primal Scream, “Velocity Girl” [1:23]
18. The Red Button, “Cruel Girl” [2:43]
19. The Smiths, “Girl Afraid” [2:49]
20. Bram Tchaikovsky, “Girl of My Dreams” [4:12]
21. The Left Banke, “Let Go of You Girl” [2:53]
22. The Bats [Boston], “Not My Girl Anymore” [3:21]
23. The Easybeats, “Pretty Girl” [2:16]
24. Terry Reid, “Superlungs My Super Girl” [2:43]
25. Paul McCartney & Wings, “Mama’s Little Girl” [3:42]

Total Time: 1:09:11

Download it here: Girl!

It's Summertime!

As promised, here is another summer (quite literally!) themed playlist. I would like to call your attention to Track #3, by The Rural Alberta Advantage-- a Canadian band on Saddle Creek. Their debut album, Hometowns is quickly becoming my favorite album of 2009, although I understand this has been out for about a year via download websites such as Emusic. Happy listening!

It's Summer!

01. Billy Stewart, "Summertime" [2:43]
02. Buffalo Tom, "Summer" [4:02]
03. The Rural Alberta Advantage, "In the Summertime" [2:37]
04. Fountains of Wayne, "It Must Be Summer" [3:19]
05. Stephin Merritt, "Some Summer Day" [1:46]
06. Lee Hazlewood with Jane Hokum, "Summer Wine" [3:07]
07. Acid House Kings, "I Write Summer Songs for No Reason" [2:55]
08. The Kinks, "Wait Till the Summer Comes Along" [2:08]
09. Hüsker Dü, "Celabrated Summer" [4:03]
10. The Brian Jonestown Massacre, "Let's Pretend It's Summer" [3:37]
11. Wilco, "Summerteeth" [3:23]
12. Chad & Jeremy, "A Summer Song" [2:39]
13. Eddie Cochran, "Summertime Blues" [2:00]
14. The Decembrists, "Summersong" [3:31]
15. T.Rex, "Celebrate Summer" [2:37]
16. Phil Ochs, "In the Heat of the Summer" [3:10]
17. Belle & Sebastian, "A Summer Wasting" [2:07]
18. Sly & the Family Stone, "Hot Fun in the Summertime" [2:38]
19. Yo La Tengo, "The Summer" [2:39]
20. Pavement, "Summer Babe" [3:17]
21. Pedro the Lion, "Indian Summer" [3:24]
22. Jens Lekman, "A Sweet Summer's Night on Hammer Hill" [3:30]
23. The Last, "Every Summer Day" [3:36]
24. The Barracudas, "His Last Summer" [4:09]
25. Kings of Convenience, "Gold in the Air of Summer" [3:34]

Total Time: 1:16:30

Download it Here: It's Summer!

Here Comes the Sun!

Okay folks, sorry I've been away for awhile, but my Spring has been super-busy. I've got some comps up and ready and I'll be posting a few similarly themed playlists over the next few weeks so stay tuned. Just in time for the first day of Summer, this is actually the second volume in my Sun trilogy-- some of you got hard copies of the first volume last year in our now defunct Flavor of the Month Club. It was generally well received, and I had so many other possible songs, I couldn't resist to do another. As usual, a few no-brainers in here and few you might not have heard. Happy listening!

Sun 2:

01. The Pernice Brothers, "Working Girls (Sunlight Serenade)" [3:21]
02. Dinosaur Jr, "Take a Run at the Sun" [3:29]
03. Robert Pollard, "Release the Sunbird" [1:54]
04. The Lucksmiths, "Up With the Sun" [3:04]
05. Dean & Britta, "The Sun is Still Sunny" [4:26]
06. Ragazzi (AKA Geisha), "SPF-100" [2:10]
07. Apollo Ghosts, "Hastings Sunrise" [1:24]
08. The Early Hours, "Sunshine Changes Everything" [3:33]
09. Death Cab for Cutie, "No Sunlight" [2:40]
10. Elf Power, "The Sun is Forever" [4:08]
11. Jonathan Edwards, "Sunshine (Go Away Today)" [2:19]
12. Frank Black, "Sunday Sunny Mill Valley Groove Day" [4:12]
13. Gordon Lightfoot, "Sundown" [3:38]
14. X, "Under the Big Black Sun" [3:28]
15. LMNOP, "Forever Through the Sun" [3:13]
16. The Gerbils, "Sunshine Soul" [2:39]
17. The Magnetic Fields, "The Sun Goes Down and the World Goes Dancing" [2:46]
18. House of Freaks, "Sun Goes Down" [3:07]
19. The Olivia Tremor Control, "A Sunshine Fix" [2:48]
20. Jason Lytle, "Brand New Sun" [4:38]
21. The Beach Boys, "The Warmth of the Sun" [2:52]
22. Fleshtones, "Let's See the Sun" [2:52]
23. Low, "Sunflower" [4:39]
24. Peter Bruntnell, "Waterloo Sunset" [3:25]
25. The Apples in Stereo, "Sun is Out" [2:30]

Total Time: 1:18:36

Download it here: Sun 2

Countdown!

Someone sent me the link to the above video about two years ago. It's about ten minutes long but well worth the time. I always thought it was a pretty great concept and that it would make a good theme for a compilation. So here's my musical version of the countdown:

01. The Triffids, "25 to 5" (1:06) Originally found on the album In the Pines (1986).

02. The Vibrators, "24 Hour People" (1:53) Originally found on the album V2 (1978).

03. Elf Power, "23rd Dream" (2:08) Originally found on the album Back to the Web (2006).

04. John Guilt, "22 Revolutions" (3:59) Originally found on the EP By Any Other Name (2003).

05. The Lucksmiths, "21" (5:09) Originally found on the EP Boondoggle (1994).

06. The Misfits, "20 Eyes" (1:47) Originally found on the album Walk Among Us (1982).

07. Jonathan Richman, "Nineteen in Naples" (3:00) Originally found on the album I'm So Confused (1998).

08. Alice Cooper, "I'm Eighteen" (3:01) Originally found on the album Love it to Death (1971).

09. The Cure, "Seventeen Seconds" (4:00) Originally found on the album Seventeen Seconds (1980).

10. Whiskeytown, "16 Days" (3:55) Originally found on the album Strangers Almanac (1997).

11. You Am I, "Fifteen" (3:06) Originally found on the album #4 Record (1998).

12. Guided by Voices, "14 Cheerleader Coldfront" (1:31) Originally found on the album Propeller (1992).

13. Big Star, "Thirteen" (2:52) Originally found on the album #1 Record (1972).

14. Dirty Looks, "12 O'Clock High" (3:58) Originally found on the album Dirty Looks (1980).

15. Nine Below Zero, "11 Plus 11" (2:33) Originally found on the album Third Degree (1982).

16. Waxwings, "Ten O'Clock Your Time" (3:21) Originally found on the album Low to the Ground (2000).

17. The Moldy Peaches, "Lucky Number Nine" (2:08) Originally found on the album The Moldy Peaches (2001).

18. The Byrds, "Eight Miles High" (3:38) Originally found on the album Fifth Dimension (1966).

19. Echo & the Bunnymen, "Seven Seas" (3:21) Originally found on the album Ocean Rain (1984).

20. The Pretty Things, "Midnight to Six Man" (2:21) Originally found on the album Get the Picture? (1965).

21. The Mountain Goats, "Cubs in Five" (2:05) Originally found on the album Nine Black Poppies (1995).

22. Lloyd Cole & the Commotions, "Four Flights Up" (2:38) Originally found on the album Rattlesnakes (1984).

23. Wire, "Three Girl Rhumba" (1:24) Originally found on the album Pink Flag (1977).

24. The Clean, "Billy Two" (2:23) Originally found on the EP Boodle Boodle Boodle (1981).

25. Ultra Vivid Scene w/ Kim Deal, "Special One" (3:16) Originally found on the album Joy: 1967-1990 (1990).

26. The Plimsouls, "Zero Hour" (2:35) Originally found on the EP Zero Hour (1980).

Total Time 1:12:52

Download it here: Countdown!

Erin Go Bragh!

I can't believe it's been over a month since my last compilation. As some of you may know, I've started coaching a local high school tennis team this Spring, and that is taking a lot of my spare time. Great fun though. Speaking of fun, is there a song that is more fun than House of Pain's "Jump Around"? How 'bout the Gaelic version in the video above? Very cool and apt for the current holiday. Here's a comp you can drink some green beer to:

Kiss Me I'm Irish:

01. The Pogues, "Streams of Whiskey" (2:33) This is probably my favorite Pogues' track from their debut long player, Red Roses for Me (1984).

02. Them, "My Lonely Sad Eyes" (2:31) Ireland's answer to the Rolling Stones, the Van Morrison led Them, are often written off as novelty band with a couple of hits (most notably "Gloria" of course), but one listen to the two disc compilation The Story of Them featuring Van Morrison: The Anthology, 1964-1966 (1997) proves they were a formidable R&B combo. This is a Morrison original from the 1966 LP, Them Again.

03. The Undertones, "Wrong Way" (1:24) This gem of a song has the unenviable position of following John Peel's favorite single. It does follow "Teenage Kicks", but this track, written by Billy Doherty, the Undertones' drummer, is nearly as good. From their eponymous debut, 1979.

04. Kirsty MacColl, "There's a Guy Works Down the Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis" (3:07) Okay, this one's a stretch. Kirsty was born in England and her parents were Scottish. But she was very good friends with the Pogues and collaborated with them on numerous occasions. This was from her 1981 LP, Desperate Character.

05. Ash, "Girl From Mars" (3:30) Second appearance at Burn and Shine for these pop-punkers from Northern Ireland (see Candy Apples & Razor Blades from October 30, 2008). From their second album, 1977 (1996).

06. Xdreamysts, "Dance Away Lover" (1:58) Don't know much about these guys other than that this is the b-side of a single called "Right Way Home" which came out in 1978, and they were from Northern Ireland.

07. Dexy's Midnight Runners, "Tell Me When My Light Turns Green" (3:46) Although Dexy's formed in Birmingham, England, Kevin Rowland was ethnically Irish and spent some his early years in Ireland. This is from DMR's first album, Searching for the Young Soul Rebels (1980)-- just a couple of years before they'd make a huge splash across the pond with "Come on Eileen".

08. Bap Kennedy, "Long Time a Comin'" (2:38) If this sounds a little like Steve Earle, it might be because he produced it for his (now defunct?)E Squared record label. This was Kennedy's first album, and still my favorite. From Domestic Blues, 1998.

09. Adrian Crowley, "Only Daughter/Sweet Sorrow" (3:14) I picked this up in the cheap bin at McKay's in Knoxville merely because of the cool cover:





Great song, and the album, When You Are Here You Are Family (2002), is produced by Steve Albini.




10. The Divine Comedy, "Something for the Weekend" (4:20) Another band I'm not really too familiar. I got this track from that fabulous Brit Pop Box Set that came out on Rhino in 2007. It is originally from the album Casanova (1996), definitely a band I need to check out a little further.

11. U2, "11 O'Clock Tick Tock" [Martin Hannett version] (4:01) Until I got the compilation Zero: A Martin Hannett Story (2006), I had never heard a studio version of this song. I only knew it from the live Under A Blood Red Sky EP. I was blown away by this version, which actually pre-dates U2's first album Boy, but was released as a single the same year, 1980.

12. My Bloody Valentine, "(When You Wake) You're Still In A Dream" (3:18) Loveless is often considered MBV's magnum opus, but I'm convinced that the album that preceded it, Isn't Anything (1988) is just as good, and, perhaps, was even more influential.

13. Virgin Prunes, "Sandpaper Lullabye" (3:08) One of the more adventurous bands to come out of the post-punk scene-- certainly the most adventurous to come out of Dublin. This track is positively tame, almost pretty, by their standards. From their debut album, A New Form of Beauty, 1981.

14. Rollerskate Skinny, "Swingboat Yawning" (3:49) Considering the amount of adulation the likes of Radiohead, My Bloody Valentine, the Flaming Lips, even Mercury Rev has received, I've always wondered why Rollerskate Skinny never got their due (terrible name? raw deal from Warner Brothers? who knows?). Seriously, Horsedrawn Wishes (1996) is criminally under-appreciated album-- find it in a cheap bin near you.

15. Stiff Little Fingers, "Barbed Wire Love" (3:32) These punks from Belfast might have been just out of step with the times. Their debut, Inflammable Material, came out in 1979, and they sounded a little closer in spirit to the original 1977 punks than the Joy Divisions and Gangs of Four who were all the rage at the time.

16. The Boomtown Rats, "Lookin' After No. 1" (3:10) Speaking of 1977, that's just when this single was released by Bob Geldof & Co. It sounds just as powerful today.

17. Snow Patrol, "Tiny Little Fractures" (2:29) According to AMG: "Although Snow Patrol was formed in Dundee, Scotland, vocalist/guitarist Gary Lightbody and bassist/keyboardist Mark McClelland were both originally from Northern Ireland." From the album Final Staw, 2004.

18. Elvis Costello, "Less Than Zero" (3:19) Sure Elvis was born in England, but as a friend of mine explained, "Costello (Declan Patrick Aloysius MacManus) was born in England. His paternal grandfather, Patrick, was the son of Irish-born parents, but Patrick was born in Mersey, meaning Elvis was third-generation English. But Elvis has always worn his Irish heritage on his sleeve, which pissed off the Pogues back in the day, who felt he was an English Johnny-Come-Lately to the Irish party." Probably my favorite artist represented on this comp, and, coincidentally I chose another track from 1977, from My Aim is True.

19. That Petrol Emotion, "It's a Good Thing" (2:34) After the demise of the Undertones, the O'Neill brothers (the main songwriters for the Undertones, though neither of them sang lead for that band) formed TPE and had some minor success, especially in the UK. This is from their first and best album, Manic Pop Thrill (1986).

20. The Waterboys, "World Party" (4:01) Fisherman's Blues (1988) was my introduction to the Waterboys, though they had been releasing records for about five years by that time. If I were to rank my favorite Irish albums, this would be top 5 for sure.

21. Sinéad O'Connor, "Mandinka" (3:46) O'Connor made quite a splash with her debut, The Lion and the Cobra (1987). Though she's had a commendable career, she never quite fulfilled the promise of this one.

22. The High Llamas, "Put Yourself Down" (4:22) Another Irish ex-Pat who moved to England, Sean O'Hagan's High Llamas have made quite a career out stealing elements of Steely Dan and the Beach Boys. On this track they even cop the mandolin sound of R.E.M.'s "Losing My Religion". From the first High Llamas album, Santa Barbara (1992).

23. Thin Lizzy, "Running Back" (3:17) Essentially a rewrite of "The Boys are Back in Town", but forgivable since it's from the same album, Jailbreak (1976).

24. Van Morrison, "The Way Young Lovers Do" (3:18) Astral Weeks (1968) is generally considered at or near the top of the list of greatest albums in the history of pop music. It's an album that reveals itself to me a little more every time I listen to it. It's quite complex, and "pop" might not be the best word to describe it as this track, with it's fabulous brass arrangements, clearly demonstrates.

25. Jonathan Richman & Julia Sweeney, "Just Because I'm Irish" (1:54) I would imagine anyone born in Boston is at least part Irish, even if it's just spiritually. This is a great little track featuring an SNL alum who really is Irish. From You Must Ask the Heart, 1995.


Total Time: 1:18:49

Download it here: Kiss Me I'm Irish!

Merge Records Turns 20 This Year!

Happy B-day Merge, I hope you'll be around for another twenty! In celebration of this momentous occasion, Merge is releasing a series of compilations this year via their website and they've also decided to have a little contest. Anyone can submit their own 20 song compilation of Merge artists, and if your comp gets picked (at random) you win some cool stuff. Details here: Make Your Own Score! I decided to make, but not submit, my comp and post it here. So here is my Score 20:

01. Spoon, "Sister Jack" (Piano Demo) from the bonus disc of 2005's Gimme Fiction. Personally, I think this version slays the album version by a mile. (1:44)

02. Camera Obscura, "Happy New Year" from Biggest Bluest Hi-Fi, 2002. It's hard not to love these Scottish popsters. (4:03)

03. Neutral Milk Hotel, "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea" from the album of the same name, 1998. Arguably the most lauded album in the entire Merge catalog. Jeff Mangum has never issued a follow up, and thus the cult of NMH (for better or worse) was born. (3:22)

04. Portastatic (featuring Georgia and Ira of Yo La Tengo), "St. Elmo's Fire" by from the Scrapbook EP, 1995. A fantastic cover of Brian Eno's gem, by one of the founders of Merge, Mac McCaughan. (3:33)

05. Butterglory, "Carmen Cross" from Rat Tat Tat, 1997. Terrible band name, I agree, but a great little band nonetheless. They started out as Pavement copyists, albeit with a little more pop sensibility, but by this, their final album, they had really found their own voice. (3:46)

06. The Rosebuds, "You Better Get Ready" from The Rosebuds Unwind EP, 2005. I never really know what to expect from the Rosebuds, from disco influenced dance-athons to mid-tempo ballads to flat out rockers-- this one falls in the last camp--but they are always interesting. (2:07)

07. Caribou, "Hello Hammerheads" from The Milk of Human Kindness, 2005. This was the first album I heard by the artist formerly known as Manitoba. I was hooked by this sparingly, beautiful tune. (2:46)

08. Lambchop, "It's Not Alright" from What Another Man Spills, 1998. Another cover, this time Kurt Wagner tackles Dump (Yo La Tengo's James McNew's side project). (3:26)

09. Conor Oberst, "Sausalito" from Conor Oberst, 2008. Picking up where Bright Eyes' I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning left off, Oberst convincingly puts out a country record. (3:10)

10. The 6ths (feat. Lou Barlow), "In the City in the Rain" from Wasps' Nest, 1995. Stephin Merritt is one of the most celebrated of Merge's alumni, here I chose the Lou Barlow sung gem from one of his various side projects. (3:43)

11. Teenage Fanclub, "It's All in My Mind" from Man-Made, 2005. From their first, and so far only, release on Merge. Come back guys! (3:45)

12. Polvo, "Vibracobra" from Cor-Crane Secret, 1992. This band were tagged, maybe a little unfairly, as "math rock". I never really understood that genre, but I always loved Polvo. (4:47)

13. Crooked Fingers, "New Drink for the Old Drunk" from Crooked Fingers, 2000. After the Archers of Loaf dissolved in 1998, Eric Bachmann put out a couple of interesting solo records as Barry Black. Nothing on those records prepared me for the brilliance of his next project, Crooked Fingers. This is from their debut. (3:53)

14. Versus, "You'll Be Sorry" from Hurrah, 2000. By the time I bought this, my first, Versus record, they had been putting out albums for six years. This was their first for Merge and sadly their swan song-- still one of my favorite albums of the decade. (4:40)

15. Richard Buckner, "Town" from Meadow, 2006. Apparently, Merge is in the process of doing some Richard Buckner reissues due out later this year. Hopefully that means a new album soon. (4:09)

16. The Ladybug Transistor, "The Places You'll Call Home" from The Ladybug Transistor, 2003. Sasha sings on this lovely little Ladybug Transistor track. (4:04)

17. The Beatnik Filmstars, "Wrong" from In Hospitalable, 1997. The British answer to the American lo-fi scene of the early/mid 90's. (2:38)

18. The Essex Green, "Don't Know Why (You Stay)" from Cannibal Sea, 2006. One of my favorite psychedelic, indie-pop bands of the current decade-- though I'm not sure what they're up to these days as this was their last release. (3:27)

19. M. Ward, "Outta My Head" from Transfiguration of Vincent, 2003. I'll admit, I really didn't like this record when I first heard it back in '03. I listened to it again not too long ago (mainly because I liked the She & Him record so much), and it absolutely floored me. I don't know what I was thinking the first time around. His new one comes out next Tuesday (Feb. 17th)! (2:52)

20. Superchunk, "Slack Motherfucker" from Tossing Seeds (Singles 89-91), 1992. How else could I have possibly ended this tribute? (2:54)

Total Time: 1:09:39

Download it here: Score 20 - A Merge Records Tribute

My Album Lists for 2008

Two posts in one day, but this one is not accompanied by a compilation-- just scroll down to the next entry for today's podcast.

My 30 Favorite Records of 2008:

01. Damian Jurado, Caught in the Trees
02. Crooked Fingers, Forfeit/Fortune
03. The Gaslight Anthem, The ’59 Sound
04. Jonathan Richman, Because Her Beauty is Raw and Wild
05. Paul Westerberg, 49:00
06. Vampire Weekend, Vampire Weekend
07. The Dutchess & the Duke: She’s the Dutchess, He’s the Duke
08. The Tallest Man on Earth: Shallow Grave
09. Cobra Verde, Haven’t Slept All Year
10. Chad VanGaalen, Soft Airplane
11. Army-Navy, Army-Navy
12. Drive-By Truckers, Brighter Than Creation
13. Capstan Shafts, Fixation Protocols
14. Gentleman Jesse & His Men, Gentleman Jesse & His Men
15. Ezra Furman & the Harpoons, Inside the Human Body
16. Mount Eerie with Julie Doiron, Lost Wisdom
17. The Lucksmiths, First Frost
18. The Wedding Present, El Rey
19. Matthew Sweet, Sunshine Lies.
20. Blitzen Trapper, Furr
21. What Made Milwaukee Famous, What Doesn’t Kill Us
22. Pelle Carlberg, The Lilac Time
23. Okkervil River, The Stand-Ins
24. She & Him, Volume One
25. Sun Kil Moon/Mark Kozelek, April/The Finally LP
26. Centro-matic/South San Gabriel, Dual Hawks
27. Silver Jews, Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea
28. Jay Reatard, The Matador Singles ‘08
29. Alejandro Escovedo, Real Animal
30. Shearwater, Rook

Ten more that were hovering nearby (in alphabetical):

01. American Princes, Other People
02. Billy Bragg, Mr. Love & Justice
03. Conor Oberst, Conor Oberst
04. Holly Golightly & the Brokeoffs, Dirt Don’t Hurt
05. The Mountain Goats, Heretic Pride/Satanic Messiah ep
06. R.E.M., Accelerate
07. Robert Pollard, Robert Pollard is Off to Business
08. The Rosebuds, Life Like
09. Sloan, Parallel Play
10. TV on the Radio, Dear Science

Eight stellar debut full-lengths that have me hopeful of the future that didn't quite make my top 40:

1. Down By Avalon, Down By Avalon
2. The Weakends, The Weakends
3. Ty Segall, Ty Segall
4. Liam Finn: I’ll Be Lightning
5. Dead Trees: King of Rosa
6. Crystal Stilts, Alight of Night
7. Titus Andronicus, The Airing of Grievances
8. Women, Women


Five that could have been much better:

1. Bob Mould, District Line
2. Stephen Malkmus, Real Emotional Trash
3. Of Montreal, Skeletal Lamping
4. Magnetic Fields, Distortion
5. Death Cab for Cutie, Narrow Stairs

25 More Faves from 2008

Okay, the Boss has a new one out this week. This really isn't a video, but at least you can listen to the single (from the movie The Wrestler which I don't think has yet played here in Chattanooga) in its entirety.



Rounding out my year in songs, here's the third volume of my favorite songs of 2008 (also in alphabetical and sans commentary) with apologies to all the songs that didn't make the cut:

2008 - Volume 3

01. The Magnetic Fields, "The Nun's Litany" (2:58)
02. Mark Kozelek, "Finally" (2:13)
03. Michael Cera & Ellen Page, "Anyone Else But You" (1:57)
04. The Mountain Goats, "Sax Rohmer #1" (3:40)
05. Nada Surf, "From Now On" (2:36)
06. Of Montreal, "Gallery Piece" (3:48)
07. Pelle Carlberg, "Nicknames [Feat. Karolina Komstedt] (3:45)
08. Photon Band, "Where Did the Love Go? (3:41)
09. The Raconteurs, "Old Enough" (3:57)
10. Robert Pollard, "No One But I" (3:39)
11. She & Him, "Sweet Darlin'" (2:41)
12. Shearwater, "Century Eyes" (2:18)
13. Sliver Jews, "Aloyisius, Bluegrass Drummer" (1:54)
14. Sloan, "All I Am Is All You're Not" (3:03)
15. Sons & Daughters, "Iodine" (3:02)
16. The Spinto Band, "Summer Grof" (2:26)
17. Stephen Malkmus, "We Can't Help You" (3:04)
18. Titus Andronicus, "Titus Andronicus" (3:13)
19. TV on the Radio, "Golden Age" (4:14)
20. Ty Segall, "You're Not Me" (2:42)
21. The Weakends, "Devil By My Side" (2:39)
22. The Wedding Present, "Palisades" (3:52)
23. Wolf Parade, "The Grey Estates" (3:27)
24. Women, "Group Transport Hall"(3:27)
25. You Am I, "Beau Geste" (3:12)

Total Time: 1:14:55

Download it here: 2008 - Vol. 3

More Favorite Songs of 2008 (To be cont'd)

I'm sure you all heard that O'Reilly used footage from this season's 24 to help make his case for torture. That made me think of this:



Anyway, here are 25 More Great Tracks from 2008 (In Alphabetical by Artist and sans commentary):

2008 - Volume 2

01. The Baseball Project, "Jackie's Lament" (3:26)
02. Beck, "Modern Guilt" (3:15)
03. Billy Bragg, "M for Me" (2:42)
04. Black Francis, "Half Man" (2:33)
05. Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, "I'll Be Glad" (2:44)
06. Boston Spaceships, "Go For the Exit" (2:23)
07. The Breeders, "It's the Love (2:28)
08. Crystal Stilts, "Shattered Shine" (2:52)
09. The Dead Trees, "My Friend, Joan, She Never Asks" (4:14)
10. Death Cab For Cutie, "No Sunlight" (2:40)
11. Deerhunter, "Never Stops" (3:05)
12. Dengue Fever, "Tiger Phone Card" (3:37)
13. DeVotchKa, "Head Honcho" (3:45)
14. Down by Avalon, "Losing Ground" (2:51)
15. Dr. Dog, "The Old Days" (3:42)
16. Eagles of Death Metal, "Wannabe in LA" (2:16)
17. Glasvegas, "Geraldine" (3:45)
18. Holly Golightly & the Brokeoffs, "Up on the Floor" (3:43)
19. Islands, "Creeper" (3:15)
20. Jay Reatard, "Always Wanting More" (2:10)
21. Jonathan Richman, "When We Refuse to Suffer" (2:19)
22. The Killers, "I Can't Stay" (3:06)
23. Liam Finn, "Better to Be" (3:49)
24. Los Campesinos! "Drop it Doe Eyes" (2:44)
25. The Lucksmiths, "California in Popular Song" (3:52)

Total Time: 1:17:04

Download it here 2008 - Vol. 2

My Favorite Songs of 2008 (To be cont'd)

I hope you all got to revel in your patriotism this week. I don't know if you caught Bruce Springsteen and Pete Seeger doing Guthrie's "This Land is Your Land" at the Obama Inaugural Celebration Concert, or as I like to call it, Obamapalooza. I'm not ashamed to admit, I had a great big lump in my throat during that performance. I would have posted the actual footage-- you can still find it on Youtube, but I'm sure HBO will be taking all those down soon.

Anyway, I've started finalizing my year in music. It was tougher than usual, because I picked up so many new things over the last couple of months of the year (and really right into January). Lesson learned. I'm going to try to stay on top of it this year. There are a few albums that I don't think I gave a fair shake. C'est la vie. Here's my first list and the first of three compilations of great 2008 tunes:

25 FAVORITE SONGS OF 2008

01. “Lost Coastlines” by Okkervil River – Jonathan Meiburg and Will Sheff duet on this instant classic, from The Stand-Ins. (5:32)

02. “The ’59 Sound” by The Gaslight Anthem – Springsteen for a new generation, from The ’59 Sound. (3:10)

03. “Something in My Life is Missing” by Paul Westerberg – Introspective Westerberg at his finest from the download only 49:00. (3:45)

04. “Gillian Was A Horse” by Damian Jurado – [Spoiler Alert!] From my favorite album of the year, Caught in the Trees. (3:21)

05. “Supernatural Superserious” by REM – Best song from a fine effort from the Godfathers of College Rock, from Accelerator—dig those Mike Mills background vocals! (3:25)

06. “Into the Stream” by The Tallest Man on Earth – Nobody ever really deserves the “new Dylan” tag, but Sweden’s Kristian Matsson is as worthy as anyone, from Shallow Graves. (2:47)

07. “A-Punk” by Vampire Weekend – I guess it’s no longer cool to like these guys, but I think they were a band worthy of the hype, from Vampire Weekend. (2:18)

08. “Phony Revolutions” by Crooked Fingers – DeVotchKa helps out on this amalgam of influences, from Forfeit/Fortune. (3:09)

09. “Furr” by Blitzen Trapper – This particular song reminds me of “Ooh La La” and that’s never a bad thing, from Furr. (4:08)

10. “Sultan” by What Made Milwaukee Famous – WMMF will never be accused of sparking a new sound, but there is something comforting about a band that you feel as though you’ve heard before, from What Doesn’t Kill Us. (2:46)

11. “Always a Friend” by Alejandro Escovedo – This song is perhaps the very definition of Rock & Roll, from Real Animal. (3:38)

12. “Dark as Days” by Army-Navy – Harkening back to the Posies’ best work, Army-Navy are one of the new torchbearers of power pop, from Army-Navy (3:42)

13. “Middles of June” by The Capstan Shafts – There seemed to be a bit of a lo-fi renaissance in 2008, and this has a very Tobin Sprout-era GBV feel to it, from Fixation Protocols. (1:51)

14. “White Winter Hymnal” by Fleet Foxes – The first song I heard from this band, sadly the rest of the album did not measure up to this wonderful track, from Fleet Foxes. (2:27)

15. “Byrdgirl” by Matthew Sweet – Tambourine, jangly-guitars, and sweet harmonies, what more can you ask of Mr. Sweet? From Sunshine Lies. (3:18)

16. “Two Daughters and a Beautiful Wife” by Drive-by Truckers – The musical arrangement on this song is pretty amazing. Piano, bango, pedal steel, driving back beat and yet it still comes off as a very simple tune, from Brighter Than Creation’s Dark. (3:06)

17. “Rat Patrol and DJs” by Centro-matic – I’ve been slow to embrace Will Johnson, but I’m starting to come around, from Dual Hawks. (2:47)

18. “For Emma” by Bon Iver – Another band that I’m not quite as smitten with as others, but I can’t deny the beauty of this song, from For Emma, Forever Ago. (3:41)

19. “Sidewalks” by Gentleman Gesse & His Men – I love this mid-tempo rocker, which sounds like it could have been done by the Shangri-Las or the Flirtations, from Gentleman Jesse & His Men. (2:31)

20. “Willow Tree” by Chad VanGaalen – The lead track from VanGaalen’s wonderful third album, Soft Airplane. (3:14)

21. “Home in the Highrise” by Cobra Verde – Perfect pop from Cleveland’s Glam rockers, from Haven’t Slept All Year (3:13)

22. “You Swan, Go On” by Mount Eerie & Julie Doiron – Okay, I have an unabashed love for Julie Doiron’s voice, but the real surprise for me is Mount Eerie, who I had never heard before. From Lost Wisdom. (1:25)

23. “Take Off Your Sunglasses” by Ezra Furman & the Harpoons – Equal parts Violent Femmes and Bob Dylan, from Inside the Human Body. (3:36)

24. “Strangers” by The Dutchess and the Duke – This wasn’t recorded in 1967? From She’s the Dutchess, He’s the Duke. (2:00)

25. “Watch as They Go” by American Princes – “Open Letter” from 2006 is one of my top five songs of the current decade, this one is pretty great too. From Other People. (3:32)

Total Time: 1:18:05

Download it here:

2008 Vol.1

So, what were your favorite songs of the year?