:: work for it ::: 12/01/2005

Saturday, December 31, 2005

2005 - most awkward moment

i couldn't believe that it happened today.
get up this morning to drive my buddy hugh home at 8 am after he crashed on my couch. i walk downstairs, 2 minutes after i woke up. living room is pitch dark.

me: 'hey dude, what's goin' on.'
hugh: 'mfgajffff'
me: 'it's time dude.... time for all the ladies to get down with benny c.'
hugh: 'wha...? dude, what are you doing up?'
me: 'uh, it's 8 am, it's time to take you home.'

it is at this precise moment when i realize that hugh is not on my couch. it is greg, a bartender from tavern in the square who had been locked out of his place.

me: 'oh... oh shit man... i'm sorry. i thought you were hugh.'
greg: 'hugh left at like, 3 am last night in a cab.'
me: 'wow... sorry man.... whoa... didn't mean to wake you up.'

i should also mention that hugh is a 6'2", 220 pound white irish guy. greg is a 5'11", 220 pound black guy. what an awkward and disorienting moment THAT was at 8 am on a saturday morning.

posted by b, 12/31/2005 06:41:00 PM | link | |

#1 - bloc party: this modern love

'do you want to come over, and kill some time...'

here's the thing. i think that 'this modern love' is the best rock and roll love song since 'just like heaven'. i really feel this way. in the same way that in 'just like heaven' you can hear robert smith allowing his own words and vocals to take over his entire self - kele okereke does the same thing. it's just this wonderfully pleasent and amazing edge to it. the production is flawless - listen to the vocals switch from left to right and back over and over - the build starts slowly and by 1:45 in, you've got a completely different song than what you started with. i remember hearing this song when i bought the album and really enjoying it - but it didnt strike me as how special it is until i was on a plane back from visiting my girlfriend at the time and hearing it on my ipod. it was this incredibly uplifting and powerful moment. i probably listened to this song about 5 or 6 times before i let it go to another song on the album. there's a moment towards the end when kele (who is 5 days older than me) basically yells out 'this modern love / wastes me / this modern love / breaks me' and then lets the music take over for a bit until at the end he's practically whispering... 'do you want to come over and kill some time.... throw your arms around me....' it's an overwhelmingly fantastic song.

Ryan: #4: Bloc Party are avid followers of Bertrand Russell, who once professed, “Collective fear stimulates the herd instinct, and tends to produce ferocity toward those who are not regarded as members of the herd.” In turn, this has helped them craft post-punk of the top-notch variety -- post-punk which stems from the construction of a perfectly balanced machine, where manic energy, peristaltic rhythm, crisp shifts -- SHUT THE FUCK UP. Bloc Party rock. That’s all you need to know.

posted by b, 12/31/2005 03:02:00 PM | link | |

Friday, December 30, 2005

downloadapalooza 2005!

Top 5 Lists From Other People:

Charles:
#5: Nina Simone - Little Girl Blue (Postal Service Remix) off the album Verve Remixed 3.
I don't particularly care for Postal Service, but the techno-moog sound works well here when coupled with the soft vocal stylings of Ms. Simone. The "Good King Wenselas" riff at the end is a nice touch.

#4 The Chemical Brothers - Hold Tight London off the album Push the Button.
I think the Chemicals do their best work when they stick to four on the floor. This song is one of their most evocative, and I really dig the atmosphere. It's one of those songs that holds a different memory for everyone who listens to it.

#3 Beck - Missing off the album Guero.
Beck, you latin devil, you. This is one of the best produced songs I've ever heard.

#2 Nine Inch Nails - All the Love in the World off the album With Teeth.
Trent Reznor is the master of cranky bitterness put to music, a skill he flaunts in the opening track of "With Teeth". I love the build/payoff in this song, but then again I've always been a sucker for vocal layering.

#1 Common feat. Kanye West - The Food (Live on Chappelle's Show).
I heard this song for the first time on Chappelle's show and have been singing it ever since. Old-school vibe + Sick Flow + Killer Hook = Best track of the year.

Paige:
#5: Cat Power – The Greatest
I have been listening to this song over and over again for two reasons. First, I am convinced the melody is used in another song I like, the name of which will come to me only after my millionth listen. At the same time, the song has a hauntingly beautiful quality to it, and the lyrics get stuck in my head so frequently that I must listen to keep them from distractingly running through my thoughts.

#4: Bloc Party – Banquet
When I first listened to 'Banquet' I considered it the 'skip song' of the album. But my iPod was determined to constantly shuffle play it and I fell in love. Now, of course, the song is overplayed to the point of redic, but I will always perk up and get on the dance floor when I hear it. (It also is my favourite song to play at the gym and I highly suggest starting your workout with it.)

#3: Wolf Parade – I'll Believe in Anything
I can't confirm the meaning, but I hear it as both a love and break-up song at the same time. And that's why I love it.

#2: Antony & The Johnsons – Hope There's Someone
This should actually be a nod to the entire 'I Am a Bird Now' album, because when I hear one song by Antony & The Johnsons I become absorbed in their music and play everything I have by them on repeat.

#1: Suburban Kids With Biblical Names – Loop Duplicate My Heart
Thank you Sweden, for all the music you have produced this year… I wanted to list songs by the Shout Out Louds and Jens Lekman too, but ran out of room. Suburban Kids With Biblical Names have a brilliant sound and clever lyrics, and all the necessary xylophone dings. The whole song is a whirlwind of poppy sounds and happy claps (I think they even use a harp!) and makes me instantly happy.

Jon:
(from Jon: Most of my "top five" candidates are either in the Grave or on Ben's list already, so consider this a "best of the rest.")

#5: Sage Francis - Slow Down Gandhi
Righteous leftist ranting usually annoys me, but Francis' lyrical performance is pretty fuckin' incredible.

#4: Death Cab For Cutie - I Will Follow You Into The Dark
The general consensus is that "Dark" is the best song on Plans, and the band seems to realize this as well, saving it for encores at shows. "Dark" is Death Cab's "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)."

#3: Mike Doughty - American Car
My buddy Eric, a fellow Soul Coughing enthusiast, told me this song was too "hoe down" for him. He's also an uppity nigger.

#2: Papa Roach - Scars
Kelly who? This is the real guilty pleasure of 2005. A karaoke staple of mine.

#1: The Crystal Method vs. The Doors - Roadhouse Blues (Remix)
Hands down, one of the best remixes I've ever heard.

Ryan: (Ryan doesn't have a blog to link to. Sucka!)
#5(t): Devin Davis - Turtle and the Flightless Bird
#5(t): Pellumair - Seventy (The Pellumair track will be available shortly.)
I won’t list all the instruments Devin Davis played on his debut album, because it would take too long and I don’t have that kind of time. It would be much easier to list all the instruments he didn’t play. Oh yeah, he also crafts some damn catchy pop rock.
As for Pellumair . . . This has quickly become one of my favorite releases of the year. Unfortunately, the duo split right around the time of the UK release. ‘Tis a shame, but at least we still have “Seventy.”

#4: ??? - ???
Note from Ben: Ryan was smart enough to include MY #1 song as his #4, so you'll just have to wait until tomorrow to read his description (and mine). Sorry, folks!

#3: Architecture In Helsinki - Wishbone
“Four forever/Two together/We’ll play, we’ll play dead/WE’LL PLAY DEADLY.” Shit doesn’t get much better than that. Especially when it’s sung by a chick with a cutesy voice.

#2: Doves - Snowden
Really now, what is that in the beginning? Is it guitar? Jimi Goodwin’s voice? A siren’s call captured on tape? Whatever it is, it makes my pants happy. Go Doves.

#1: The Tears - The Asylum
Sad songs make me happy. Like this one. Brett Anderson wrote it about dear ole dad’s struggle with depression. On a side note, nothing made this Suede-ophile more happy than the much ballyhooed Anderson-Bernard Butler reunion. Which is why a Tears track is firmly entrenched in the top spot.

Noranna:
#5: Kelly Clarkson - Since U Been Gone
#4: Panic! At the Disco - Time To Dance
#3: Bloc Party - Banquet
#2: The National - All The Wine
#1: The White Stripes - Blue Orchid

Songs That Should Have Been On My Top 40, In Retrospect (but in reality, didn't make it anyway):

Lady Sovereign - Random
The Lovemakers - Prepare for the Fight
Arctic Monkeys - I Bet That You Look Good On The Dancefloor
Something Off Of My Morning Jacket's Z
The Spinto Band - Oh, Mandy
Millencolin - Shut You Out
Damian Marley - Welcome to Jamrock

The Worst Song of 2005:

the black eyed peas - my humps: boy, 'laffy taffy' sure made a late run at this title, but nothing could stop the peas from putting out the most insipid, vapid, offensive to the senses type of song imaginable. it's a bad sign when a song isn't tagged as a single, but the 'fans' download it so much on itunes, mainly based on the name of the song, that the label makes it into a single (gee, why did they have two singles out at once - 'don't lie' was far superior, but made nearly no impact compared this this piece of trash.) i won't waste bandwidth on this one because i'm afraid of my world coming to a crashing halt, but this song is the epitome of awful. it's never good when every single remix of the song is better than the original. even the l'il jon remix is better. everything. i couldn't believe that this song is over five minutes long on the cd, where it's got this classical piano extension to it. i don't get it. for the life of me, can SOMEONE explain how this song is popular, even in the very very least?

posted by b, 12/30/2005 01:12:00 PM | link | |

Thursday, December 29, 2005

#2 - k-os: man i used to be

it's hard for me to describe this song, or really, k-os, to people who haven't heard him before. you see, while he's popular in canada, he doesn't even get radio play in the states. he's one of the most dynamic mc's alive - while his flow isn't the best, it's that he combines singing, rapping, and spoken word and does it over some of the best beats. and it's unreal - almost every single person that i've played this album for has wanted a copy of it. his main problem here in the states is that he's too hip hop for the rock stations and too alternative for the hip hop stations. i can imagine him getting some play on college radio and on stations that are top 40 - if only because on a top 40 station they aren't pandering to a specific audience beyond the teenie-boppers/the main stream music lovers and he could slide in nicely enough.

i'm not exactly sure what it's about, but 'man i used to be', I THINK, is about drug abuse. the lyrics would certainly suggest it 'i tried it / i couldn't fight it / now i just wanna get back to me / back into the man i used to be'. then again, i've also read that it's about dealing with fame - and the video would certainly imply that, as it ends with him watching native african tribes doing dances.

moreover, here's the thing - joyful rebellion, the album, got it's release in canada in 2004, with a state-side release in 2005. it's one of the best albums i've heard in a long time, up there with 'funeral'. everyone who appreciates good music should own it.

posted by b, 12/29/2005 11:23:00 AM | link | |

Wednesday, December 28, 2005

#3 - the gorillaz: feel good, inc.

i guess i should apologize. i really didn't like 'feel good, inc' at first, calling it 'something that beck shit out when he was recording odelay' or words to that effect. i've come to love the song a -whole- lot, which was weird. the album itself is fantastic - my favorite track is still 'dirty harry', but i was wrong about this, and i'm sorry.

i'm really excited, folks. on friday, we'll have top-5 lists from jon, noranna, paige, ryan, mike, and some other suprises, including the worst songs of the year (here's a hint - one of them is definetly 'my humps'. we'll also have the songs that should have made the list (here's a hint - lady sovereign should be on the list). at this point it looks like we'll have about 30 songs for download that day which is by far the most we've ever had on a single day. so check it out and enjoy it, kids.

posted by b, 12/28/2005 05:47:00 PM | link | |

Tuesday, December 27, 2005

a new banner

so yeah i'm djing this very cool bar in boston called 'common ground' on january 6th. it's gonna be a blast. i promise. so come out, please, because it's my trial night.

i PROMISE you'll hear arctic monkeys.

posted by b, 12/27/2005 02:57:00 PM | link | |

#4 - kanye west: gold digger (live at bbc)

what else is there to say about kanye west or 'gold digger'?
not much, really.

i love this live version because you get to hear kanye's introduction to the song, which is perfectly done as the crowd has no idea where he's going until that :thumpthumpthumpthumpthump: that sparks the start of the song.

posted by b, 12/27/2005 02:26:00 PM | link | |

chopped and screwed goes punk

so i guess paul wall really liked the transplants, which doesn't really shock me, considering the transplants recent album 'haunted cities' was basically a hip hop album in punk clothes. now, paul wall went out an chopped and screwed the album - what came out sounded really good. it's completely changed the album away from being a punk thing to a rap thing, which is pretty impressive. here's the first single - 'gangsters and thugs' when it's screwed and chopped.

posted by b, 12/27/2005 01:36:00 PM | link | |

Monday, December 26, 2005

#5 - body rockers: i like the way

one of the best dance rock songs of the year, 'i like the way' was a smash in the uk, but didn't take off over stateside, which is too bad, because it should have. i can only hope that in 2006, this or 'round and round' takes off, because i can imagine a club going nuts to either one of them, blowing the roof off the place.

posted by b, 12/26/2005 07:09:00 PM | link | |

Sunday, December 25, 2005

hey, i think he likes it!

if you hadn't noticed, there's a new cat in town writing here (hasn't posted yet), named mike lista. mike and i went to university together, albeit i was in 5th year when he was in 2nd. that said, he's a phenomenal writer. his musical tastes are way better than mine (example: he won't songs by son of dork comparing them to crappy blink-182 songs from 1999; he will post songs by bands that i dont really enjoy, like sufjan and clap your hands. so expect to get a little more indie around here. in response to that, i'll be going more mainstream. ying yang twins and david banner, here we come!)

posted by b, 12/25/2005 12:21:00 PM | link | |

#6 - the killers: mr. brightside

so at this point, what hasn't been said about uber-metro brandon flowers and the killers? 'mr. brightside' was one of those songs that took forever to take off - the album came out in 2003, for god's sake, but when it did, i don't know if there was a bigger 'rock' song this year in the mainstream. it got radio play on the cool alternative stations, the ultra-rigid top 40 stations, in the clubs, on college radio, at house parties, everywhere. everyone seemed to like it. it was one of those songs i'd play really late at the club and people would just go bananas for it - rarely does a band that was making the NME year-in-review issues for 2003 end up blowing up this huge in 2005. what i've included is the thin white duke radio remix of mr. brightside - i hope you like it. it really changes the song.

what we've got left is 5 songs - and 6 days. so what will happen? you'll have to tune in on the 30th to find out in what will likely be a literal smorgesbord (is that how you spell it) of downloading.

posted by b, 12/25/2005 12:14:00 PM | link | |

Saturday, December 24, 2005

#7 - we are scientists: nobody move, nobody get hurt

'nobody move, nobody get hurt' is a fantastic super-paranoid song with the best video of the year. it's got a killer riff to start it off and as i wrote back in september - 'it's a tempest of guitars, drums, cymbals, and angsty vocals', which is better than 99% of the stuff out there with that formula. they're a terrific live band that everyone owes it to themselves to see, and they have one of the best moustaches on their bassist. but anyway, get this song.

posted by b, 12/24/2005 07:58:00 PM | link | |

Friday, December 23, 2005

#8 - the game w. 50 cent & g. unit: hate it or love it

this song should have likely been #2 or #3 if it was released in june or july. 'hate it or love it' is one of those songs that can be dropped in the middle of the night to drive the party even higher or can used to chill it out at the end or heat it up at the beginning. it's the perfect summer song with the smooth and easy beat that comes straight out of a marvin gaye record. but they released it in february which i really believe hurt the song in the long run. it's one of those songs that when i think of the grand theft auto game that comes out in 2012 or so that this will be one of the songs on the radio stations in the game that you can listen to. the video even looks like san andreas which, i think, also influenced my feelings on this song.

what i've included is a remix of hate it or love it with tony yayo, lloyd banks, young buc, 50 cent, and the game, back when they were all cool with each other. ahhh yes.

posted by b, 12/23/2005 03:58:00 PM | link | |

Thursday, December 22, 2005

#9 - nas & ludacris feat. doug e. fresh: virgo

an all-time beat done exclusively by doug e. fresh's mouth - it's 'virgo'.
ludacris and nas tear it up going back and forth rapping about hanging out in a club and having girls hit on them. but the song itself is just awesome - you've got nas, one of the three or four best mcs alive spitting over the best. then you've got luda's funny and goofy style to contrast it - and it works perfectly. it's so hot, from start to finish. not many rap songs are so simple and come out sounding so clean and so well-constructed. that is to say that basically you've got two great mcs, great production, and a very simple and well-done song. nice.

posted by b, 12/22/2005 04:15:00 PM | link | |

Wednesday, December 21, 2005

#10 - kelly clarkson: since u been gone

'here's the thing - we started out friends...'

man. when ted leo likes your songs enough to cover them, i think we've got something here. and here's the thing - 'since u been gone' is one of the best breakup songs in the last five years. it's an ultimate 'fuck you' song to an ex. it's one of the best poppy rock songs i've ever heard - it builds slowly with the guitar and then -bam- hits the chorus right in your face. what i've included today is a mashup of 'since u been gone' and the american analog set's 'hard to find'. the song stands on its own, seperate from the two. aggro1, who did the mashup, was actually contacted by the american analog set band who gave him access to acapellas and instrumentals for redoing the mashup properly.

as far as i'm concerned, when a band as great american analog set wants you to mash a kelly clarkson one into yours, the song's got something to it.

posted by b, 12/21/2005 01:54:00 PM | link | |

Tuesday, December 20, 2005

ho ho ho, mothafuckas!

as per AdamRiff.com - please check this out and BE SURE TO FRAPPR! (i love you all.)

Presenting the 2005 Adam Riff™ holiday compilation album, an epic smorgasbord of audio, most of which you'll probably delete after a cursory listen.

With the rise of digital audio players, we discontinued physical distribution this year in favor of downloading. In consideration of those who still use CD players, however, we split the compilation into three volumes, each of which should fit onto an 80-minute CD without pauses between tracks.

We asked Ben to curate a second disc as an alternative to ours. Two became three when we couldn't keep our dicks in our pants. Ideally, volumes 1 and 2 would be played together as a seamless whole.

All we ask in return is that you place yourselves on our Dreidel Robbers map. This is an experiment just waiting to humiliate us, but let's try it anyway.

So now then.

Dreidel Robbers map
Dreidel 2 The Grave: Volume 1
Dreidel 2 The Grave: Volume 2
Dreidel 2 The Grave: Volume 3

("save as," please)

Each folder contains customized .pdf liner notes. We recommend printing them in Adobe Acrobat for quality.

For those printing outside of Acrobat (i.e. in Photoshop), use the .tif liner notes instead.

posted by b, 12/20/2005 10:09:00 PM | link | |

did some xmas shopping today

so i was doing some shopping today and when i was doing it, i ended up setting off one of those electronic security thingies at the front door - and it's funny, because i hadn't even bought anything in that store. but the reaction you get is immediate - guilty until proven innocent. i had to empty ALL my bags, ALL my pockets, and so on. its crazy. people walk by you with looks of scorn, assuming your guilt to be true.

its sad, really.

posted by b, 12/20/2005 06:47:00 PM | link | |

#11 - fall out boy: sugar, we're goin' down

so i don't really know what to say about this song. it's good. really good. it was one of the big breakout hits of the year, making fall out boy a household name at least in trl-land. i remember when the sampler leaks back in march or so, my friend noranna and i sat online talking about how much we liked it and how excited we were to hear the new fob album. the album itself turned out to be pretty good 'dance, dance', 'get busy living or get busy dying', 'xo' are all standouts along with 'sugar we're goin' down'. it's kind of weird that they've ended up becoming so popular, considering this album has very few differences from their older work (see: 'tell that mick he just made my list of things to do today', which i think is still their best song). heck, even jay-z loves these guys. if jigga likes them, then i can't really be negative about them, right?

here's the thing - it's fantastic pop punk. that's all it is. but it was the best pop punk song of the year.... except maybe the next song on the list. (ohhhhh.... did i really just tease you like that? yeah.... and i love ellipses.... see....?)

posted by b, 12/20/2005 12:12:00 PM | link | |

Monday, December 19, 2005

#12 - madonna: hung up

there isn't much to say about this that hasn't already been said, so i'll be brief: it's the best dance song of the year. 'hung up' is madonna's return to excellence after crap like 'american life', 'music', and 'don't tell me'. let's hope it sticks.

posted by b, 12/19/2005 04:13:00 PM | link | |

Sunday, December 18, 2005

i'm still a punk at heart

i know it seems odd to say this, but before i was all about listening to the strokes, kanye west, and bloc party, i was all about the punk rock. i used to wear dead kennedys t-shirts to school, go to shows at the rat, an old punk rock bar in boston, and have all sorts of crazy posters in my room. it was great. then, i guess i just grew out of it, but i still occasionally dig out old punk records i have and listen to them.

the dead kennedys - holiday in cambodia: so yeah. i was trying to pick out a dead kennedys song, and it was hard, because so many of them are so goddamn amazing. at first i was going to use 'i kill children', then 'nazi punks fuck off', then 'california uber alles' - but i settled on 'holiday in cambodia' because, quite simply, it's their best song. when i was in university, my buddy steve and i used to get high and listen to punk rock all the time. it was kind of our thing to do - listen to old punk records, smoke drugs, and go out drinking. really, it's not that a special thing to do, but it was fun. the point of this story is this - when i first dk back in 9th grade, it was like hearing something entirely foreign and amazing. jeez. i love love loved the dead kennedys, and i still do.

anti-flag - die for your government: i remember that my buddy steven growing up was the one who really got me into punk rock. one of the things he did was always give me unlabelled tapes with bands that i had never heard of. well, one time he gave me this tape that had a label on it with the band name 'anti flag' and 'die for your government' on it. i had no idea what i was getting myself into, and that album from 1996 still remains one of my favorites of all time. this track, the title track, was so fucking different than even all the dead kennedys that i was listening to. i still think that's one of the best punk songs i've ever heard.

bad religion - 21st century digital boy: i count this as the third of my big three 'punk revelation' moments. i think this segues into my love for indie rock, because bad religion was the least 'classical' punk of the three (dk, a-f, and br). the thing about bad religion that i love is that it's so unbelievably poppy but at the same time, amazing punk rock sound. it's funny because the song is so damned prophetic - 'i'm a 21st century digital boy / i don't know how to live / but i've got a lot of toys' - this was written in 1994. that's amazing.

rancid - radio: you know how a song can transcend a genre? this is 'radio'. 'radio' is the kind of song that you could have imagined the beatles singing, if you read the lyrics (other than the f-bombs). the cover of this song by nofx is just as good, but this track, the second one on 'let's go', is one of the best songs i've ever heard, never mind punk rock tracks.

posted by b, 12/18/2005 07:59:00 PM | link | |

#13 - she wants revenge: tear you apart

mix one part interpol, one part joy division, one part radio 4, and let simmer with fred durst.

i know, the fred durst part probably doesn't make it any good, but you'd be shocked. they were on tour with the lovemakers for a while and while i missed the show locally, they really are a terrific band. the first single 'tear you apart' is an obsession ballad if there ever was one. the song has an almost 'rap' bit to it where the vocalist riffs from about 1 minute in until about 140 or so. he's got a really cool way of singing that you don't hear much these days. just a very cool song with a very paranoid and cool vibe.

posted by b, 12/18/2005 05:25:00 PM | link | |

you fucking moron

look i'm not an asshole. really. i'm a dj, but i like taking requests, i do.
you'll have to pardon me, i'm half drunk and i had a night of douchebag 21 and 22 year olds who have no idea how a bar works (as evidenced by my discussion with a few bartenders tonight).

here's a few rules for requesting a song:
- don't request it more than twice. i'm aware you wanted to hear it the first time you requested it.
- don't send your friend up requesting the same song you did. i know that you did because you've been hanging out with them all night.
- asking me to play 'harder better stronger faster' is futile, as much as i like it.
- you want me to play 'gold digger'(crazy in love/yeah/in da club)? really? wow! that's unexpected!
- get the fucking song title right. i can't count the number of times i've had someone ask for 'it's your birthday' - as you kidding? it's called 'in da club', and it's arguably the biggest club hit in the last ten years. one time, a girl asked me for 'small town boy', which was idiot for 'don't stop believing'.
- i know, i know, it's your birthday. or you claim it is. who knows. i don't really care.
- guess what - i'm not going to play that reggaeton track four times in one night!
- don't request the song i'm currently playing. are you kidding me? you'd think that it wouldn't happen, but it happens every night.
- even though i've played a few house songs, don't expect a whole 5 hours of house music. they've got clubs for that where you can put on glitter and play with glow sticks.
- if you're a girl and your gut is hanging out and you're attempting to act sexy to get me to play a song for you, don't. it's not going to work. if i'm an asshole for saying this, fine, but there's no quicker way to get a dj to not do something for you than to be like that.
- again, don't ask to hear the same song three times.
- if you request a song and i say 'sure!' enthusiastically, don't expect it to be next. i've got a plan for the night, and your request fits in, but not next.
- don't give me money to play a song. i'm not a fucking jukebox, for god's sake.
- be nice to me. i'm a nice guy, but when you act like an idiot, it's not going to make me change my mind. i'm a person too, and ultimately my job is make you happy - but don't expect me to play your song if it sucks and kills my dancefloor so that you and your two friends can dance to a song that's an inside joke to you guys.

posted by b, 12/18/2005 03:26:00 AM | link | |

Saturday, December 17, 2005

#14 - franz ferdinand: do you want to (mashup)

hey, you're a hipster, right? okay, so i don't have to post this song. i mean, any self-important hipster already decided that the new franzie album just isn't even CLOSE to as good the first one, so instead i'll post a mashup of it called 'do you wanna cuz it's tricky' by thriftshop xl. it's a fun little mashup of the three obvious songs in the track title.

anyhow, i love the original. it was one of the most fun songs of the year - as someone on stereogum wrote about the video 'it's like an art-rock version of 'fight for your right'', which i think is right on. ff had a lot to live up to after the s/t debut, and i really do like the new album a whole lot. i'm going to pass out from my fucking headache now.

posted by b, 12/17/2005 07:27:00 PM | link | |

when i'm in your arms, i start believin'

when the first darkness album came out in the uk, i got wind of the buzz and got an import copy of it - and wow. this was before we knew what the first single was going to be, and while i thought it might have been 'i believe in a thing called love', i was really hoping that it was going to be 'love is only a feeling', which i still think was the best song off the album. it's got that awesome progression in the song that hooks you in and really makes you realize how much of a fun singer justin hawkins is. songs like this really does prove his vocal chops aren't something to scoff at. anyhow, the next one on the list is going up later, but for now, i'm just going to post this and be done with it.

go pats!

posted by b, 12/17/2005 01:38:00 PM | link | |

Friday, December 16, 2005

dreidel 2 the grave

so yeah, my buddies rory hornblower and jon yu from over on adamriff.com asked me a month ago or so to make a disc for the yearly ~~christmas~~ holiday compilation over on their site, and i was honored and turned on by this request.

so.

check it out. we go live on tuesday with FOUR hours of music for download, complete with cover art, liner notes, skits, and all sorts of goodies. here's our 'teaser'.

posted by b, 12/16/2005 05:31:00 PM | link | |

meet britain's answer to simple plan

oh man, these guys are... um, interesting. they've got the worst name ever in 'son of dork', and their first single in the UK is called 'ticket outta loserville'. here's the thing - after sitting here and listening about 15 times to the song while i write the post (the usual method) - i stopped and deleted everything i wrote because i felt like i had heard the song before. i consulted one of my friends, charles, about it - and we came to the conclusion that in fact it was very much ripping off a song familar to both of us, from the blink 182 album 'enema of the state' - 'wendy clear'.

so here, for your consumption -
son of dork - ticket outta loserville
blink 182 - wendy clear

the riff is EXACTLY the same. maybe a note lower or higher, but the progression is all there and so on.

posted by b, 12/16/2005 02:59:00 PM | link | |

#15 - the arcade fire: rebellion (lies) (live)

what an album, huh? 'crown of love' was, in retrospect, the #2 song of last year (still behind jesus walks) in my book - this song will probably outlast a lot of the songs that are above it - but all that aside - i love this song. absolutely love it. i love that it gets play on pop radio stations in canada sandwiched between kanye west and the ying yang twins. i love that party ben has been working on a dance remix of it. i love that it's got some of the best lyrics - 'come on hide your lovers underneath the covers'. i love that the video is them with an army of kids. i love that every band that sounds 'different' coming out of montreal is getting popular because of these guys.

let's be honest - any time a band has lyrics that make my mother go "wow, that's clever" ('people say that you'll die / faster than without water / but we know that's just a lie / to scare your sons / scare your daughters') is pretty awesome. 'rebellion (lies)' is one of the epic songs on an epic album that will be a classic for twenty-five years. i get the feeling i'll still be listening to this album in twenty-five years and reflecting on that first time i heard it. i remember when i bought the album on vinyl and brought it with me to canada JUST so my buddy could hear the different of the sound on vinyl. despite the fact he was writing an essay, he took a break as we smoked a jay, put the album on, drank some tea, and just relaxed for an hour and listened to the best complete album of the last few years. is there a band on the planet with more pressure to produce a followup than these guys now that kanye's new album has been a success?

the version i've posted is the live from the bbc version that i posted a while back.

posted by b, 12/16/2005 02:49:00 PM | link | |

Thursday, December 15, 2005

#16 - the beatles vs. guns & roses: sgt. pepper's paradise (by jimmi jammes)

wow. sometimes mashups of two songs that EVERYONE knows can play well, despite their obvious popularity. actually, often when two songs are super popular, the mashup isn't, simply because people would rather hear the originals. jimmi jammes was able to combine 'sgt. pepper's lonely hearts club band' and 'paradise city' to make 'sgt. pepper's paradise' which is, in my opinion, genius. this is one of those mashups that i absolutely love and was a HUGE hit on gybo. it's got no serious key clashes, no serious timing issues - just a well executed mashup that doesn't surpass the originals but plays well on it's own - and a crowd will dig.

here's another one of those - 'you humped me all night long', by dj mei-lwun.

posted by b, 12/15/2005 04:22:00 PM | link | |

Wednesday, December 14, 2005

#17 - kaiser chiefs: oh my god

i love in this song when it builds to the point (around :52 seconds left) where everything begins to collide - the vocals, the drums, the guitars, the bass. everything hits at once and ends in an explosion of noise and sound. it's awesome. the kaiser chiefs really blew up on the scene this summer in the states with 'i predict a riot', which was also quite good. but i liked 'oh my god' more because it had a feel to it that 'riot' did not - less predictable, i guess.

posted by b, 12/14/2005 03:39:00 PM | link | |

Tuesday, December 13, 2005

#18 - hard-fi: cash machine

easily one of the best new bands of the year. hard-fi's 'cash machine' is out-and-out a great dancy rock song - up there with 'take me out' and 'take your mama'. i remember the first time i heard this song i was so impressed - the entire 'stars of cctv' album is so terrific. frankly, i like this stuff more than the arctic monkeys. i think it's the fact that they use a harmonica so excellently, which should be in more rock music. the last thirty seconds of the song are so fucking awesome when he keeps repeating 'there's a hole in my pocket' and then it just ends.

posted by b, 12/13/2005 04:44:00 PM | link | |

Monday, December 12, 2005

#19 - panic! at the disco: time to dance

the last time i posted a panic! at the disco song, i got slammed, so this one is only going up for a short amount of time. 'time to dance' was the first single off the album and boy howdy is it a burner. it's fast-paced, punky, and melodic - but has the traces of hawthorne heights and fall out boy that you'd expect.

besides, as my buddy chris said, 'using a ! is the new black'.

posted by b, 12/12/2005 10:04:00 PM | link | |

Sunday, December 11, 2005

#20 - m.i.a. - galang

today, once again, i've got a remix of an original available (if you couldn't figure it out, that's sort of the idea here - why present a song in it's original form when a mashup/remix/edit/re-fix is available and is just as good (or at least interesting)). today, it's the cry.on.my.console remix/mashup of m.i.a.'s 'galang' with the super mario brothers theme. so, bear with me on this - i already posted the serj tankian remix, and i don't need to do that again. now, we've got the super mario brothers remix. it's better than you'd think, so enjoy.

posted by b, 12/11/2005 02:56:00 PM | link | |

the o.c.

so it's gone from 'this is a show that i either watch when it's on, download immediately, or tape' to 'i completely forgot it's been on for the last two weeks and i didn't even bother to download'. i think they have to stop with the five billion love triangles, that's for sure. moreover, it's got to the point where i can only stomache one character - summer. in fact, she's by far the only character that i actually enjoy watching now - the dynamic with seth is still good, but it's not the same as it was when they first started dating. rachel bilson, hopefully, can have a career after the show's over (which at this point, could be soon, but it will more likely drag out for five more seasons) - but it's gone from 'can't miss an episode' to 'meh' so quickly - faster than any show i can remember.

posted by b, 12/11/2005 11:05:00 AM | link | |

Saturday, December 10, 2005

#21 - kanye west: diamonds (remix)

the best moment in hip hop this year was in the jay-z remix of 'diamonds', when jay spits 'i'm not a businessman, i'm a business, man.' it's the best ever. did i mention how much i love kanye and jay-z?

i also love that jay aligned himself with jadakiss and nas in order to be 'against' 50 cent. any time that nas and jay (two of the five best mc's on the planet) are working together, you know you're in trouble.

posted by b, 12/10/2005 09:21:00 PM | link | |

Friday, December 09, 2005

gotta give respect

gotta give some respect to the nice folks over at beezo who hooked me up with a 'barry jive and the uptown 5' shirt the other day. i'm stoked to wear it next time i'm djing. check it out, folks, he's got some sweet designs.

posted by b, 12/09/2005 11:39:00 PM | link | |

#22 - the killers: indie rock 'n' roll

it's kind of strange - two of the five best killers songs on 'hot fuss' weren't even on the us version of the album - 'indie rock 'n' roll' and 'under the gun' are both better than everything outside of 'andy, you're a star', 'mister brightside', and 'somebody told me', in my opinion. anyhow, indie rock 'n' roll is good - so good, mainly because it's got that driving piano backing, the simple guitar progression, and the fantastic chorus. it's one of the best 'i love the genre of music that i produce' songs in a while - i guess it's a lot like edan's 'fumbling over words that rhyme' - it's an ode to what the life of a musician is about.

i have two distinct memories about this song. the first was when my friend tim was visiting boston to see his girlfriend and we were walking along comm ave in allston to go to see a show and we talked about music - and he asked me if i had heard this. i hadn't - and when i got home, i made sure to download it. i was so pleased with how it sounded - it wasn't overproduced like some of the killers stuff. the second was the night of my friend charles wedding. we had gone out drinking after the reception and found our way into some after-bar food place and were getting a 40-pack of wings. the song that was playing when we walked in switched to this and i was just so happy - i was with all these great people who i love, and i was hearing this great song. i was also completely shitfaced.

also, if someone wants to dig my car out of the snow, that would be great. hugs!

posted by b, 12/09/2005 05:50:00 PM | link | |

Thursday, December 08, 2005

#23 - bloc party: banquet

today i've done something special - included two two two remixes in one post!

the first - the bloc party - banquet (phones disco edit). it's one of the best banquet remixes i've heard and i definetly dig it. i like the way that the remix builds and the way it's constructed. it uses the same structure as the original without sounding completely like a rip off and while sounding completely original. that's one of the signs of a well-done remix, in my opinion - it recalls the original while sounding like it could stand on its own.

the second - it's a bit cheeky, but hey. it's the mike skinner remix regarding his theft of a microphone from jo whiley's show on the bbc. hilarious and incredibly enjoyable. it's my favorite mc over one of my favorite songs this year.

posted by b, 12/08/2005 03:21:00 PM | link | |

Wednesday, December 07, 2005

#24 - my chemical romance: helena

was there a better choreographed, better looking video this year than 'helena'? this was as close to a 'thriller' video as we had. the moment where the dead girl is dancing up the middle of the church with the camera when the song falls back into the chorus and she collapses into the coffin - it's just awesome. anyhow. the reason this is at 24 is simple - it was the best song that my chemical romance, one of the best 'young' bands out there right now, had. 'ghost of you' is decent, and i'm still holding out for them to release 'til the end' as a single, but this was just terrific. the song, from start to finish, is a whirlwind of vocals, guitars, and drums. fantastic.

posted by b, 12/07/2005 03:34:00 PM | link | |

Tuesday, December 06, 2005

#25 - bedouin soundclash: when the night feels my song

good god, this is weird. considering four years ago they were playing clark hall pub because they had released 'rootfire', which was one of my favorite records in the summer of 2002. absolutely loved it. 'santa monica' was as big a hit you can get on a university campus without it really making an impact outside of the area. anyhow, despite the truly lame video that comes with 'when the night feels my song', it was still a major radio hit in canada this summer. with good reason - the simplicity of the song makes it a perfect summertime hit. i think that's what bedouin is especially good at - making that summer-sounding song that reminds you that you've got a case of moosehead in the fridge and that your dock is the perfect place to be at sunset.

posted by b, 12/06/2005 03:52:00 PM | link | |

Monday, December 05, 2005

#26 - fall out boy: grand theft autumn/where is your boy tonight (dance remix)

holla at this.

someone, i have no idea who, but it somehow got on the reissue of 'take this to your grave', did a remix of the song 'grand theft autumn', which was a standout on the previous fall out boy album. i'm not going to lie, i've had this as my ringtone for probably 6 months now, which makes me either a) very dorky; b) the guy with the worst ringtone ever; c) awesomely hip. i think it's a combination of all three. right? right? onward. i was once told by someone very close to me that the lyrics are in fact 'you were the last good thing about this party town.' while i've confidently told her that the lyrics are actually 'you were the last good thing about this part of town', she's decided that the lyrics should be what hers are, since she's convinced that they are superior. i don't really agree, but they're still nice. i suppose. feh.

posted by b, 12/05/2005 01:50:00 PM | link | |

the money's on the other side

i love the live music. it's the best thing to happen to mp3 bloggers like me.

the white strpies - the denial twist (live): this isn't the daily show version of it. did anyone else catch them on the daily show? i really liked it, although i'm afraid that they're going to do this more often. it's not like they have to pander to a young audience by having fall out boy come on and play dance dance or something like that - a lot of the people who would watch for that would be watching anyway. i trust jon stewart not to be foolish and make this a regular thing, but still. anyhow, back on point - i like the song quite a bit. the video is definetly cool. it's funny. a few years ago, when 'white blood cells' hit the market, i did not expect jack white to become one of the best producers of music and one of the best musicians on the planet. i thought that when i heard 'seven nation army' that i was hearing one of the coolest bass lines ever (little did i know...). and when for my father's birthday this year, i bought him a collection of cds that i thought he should hear (and wouldn't entirely be turned off by - keep in mind that he was hip enough in the 60s to go to the isle of wyte festival and is one of the main reasons i like good music now), i included a 'elephant' because it's just phenomenal. (for the record, i also included 'is this it', 'gold', 'funeral', 'speakerboxx/the love below', 'a rush of blood to the head', 'franz ferdinand s/t', the new pornos s/t', and 'yankee hotel foxtrot'. he liked most of them, but really liked 'funeral', no suprises there. i have yet to find someone with good music tastes who doesn't like the arcade fire.

posted by b, 12/05/2005 01:03:00 PM | link | |

cuz we get drunk stay crunk at the club

hee hee.

posted by b, 12/05/2005 09:58:00 AM | link | |

Sunday, December 04, 2005

#27 - common: go

no link yet - when i get home i'll post it. simply, this was one of the best chill hip hop tracks of the year. it's so simple and understated from the get-go. kanye's production and the choice to use john mayer on the hook make this song excellent. i'll write more later, but i wanted to get this in the books.

edit - here's the link -- one of the reasons i like this remix is that it's very simple - they added the 'go go go go' from in da club, and that's pretty much it in terms of changes. but its so well done.

posted by b, 12/04/2005 05:06:00 PM | link | |

Saturday, December 03, 2005

#28 - green day: holiday (dean gray: dr. who on holiday)

well, kinda. instead of posting the original (which we've all heard, at this point, i think, about three-and-a-half-million times), i've got a copy of the dean gray mashup of this -- 'dr. who on holiday' which mashes up holiday with the dr. who theme and 'rock and roll part two' - and i think there's some 'personal jesus' mashed in there too, but i'm not 100% sure about that. so don't quote me. anyhow, this is off the now infamous 'american edit' album created by the mashup talent of 'dean gray', a fake name for someone else that i've posted here. anyhow, on TUESDAY, it's going to be 'gray tuesday', not to be confused with the 'grey tuesday' for the grey album. you can access the torrents/information for it here. take part - get the whole album (it's superb - it makes the now tired american idiot album refreshing again).

posted by b, 12/03/2005 12:37:00 PM | link | |

Friday, December 02, 2005

#29 - the radical dudez: blame

the best (maybe 2nd best) track on the radical dudez new cd, which you should all buy. the guys (and gal) in the band are all awesome dudes (and dudette), and deserve it. this song is really terrific - reminds me of blue-era weezer from back in the day, and that's no suprise considering what the band members are into. here's the best part - 'blame' is really the first 'great' track they've had besides 'ukulele' - and adam is becoming a producer for a bunch of other acts, including the fucking superb 'born to busk' and i've heard some early cuts of other stuff he's produced. i'm really impressed.

posted by b, 12/02/2005 03:34:00 AM | link | |

Thursday, December 01, 2005

#30 - bright eyes: landlocked blues

i'm well aware that this song is just a re-make of the older bright eyes song 'one foot in front of the other' (as i've written about before). all the things i said in that post months ago still ring true. the song is positively depressing (hee hee). why did i choose this over anything else on the digital ash in digital urn/i'm wide awake it's morning combo? it's simple - it's conor's best work. it's better than 'take it easy (love nothing)', 'first day of my life', 'lua', or 'old soul song (for the new world order)'. yes, it's re-make. but it's got the haunting emmylou harris vocal supporting the main and it's got the simplicity that the original lacks (which had some electric sounds to it - this one is as simple as two voices and a guitar (until the horn at the end, which is more of a battle cry than anything else). conor's vocal even sounds like he's in an empty record studio, adding to the power of the track.

posted by b, 12/01/2005 09:18:00 AM | link | |