Best Songs of 2010 - Part 1 of 3

In 2005 at the end of the year, I made a CD for the friends that I left behind when I moved across the country to Philadelphia. It was a CD of all the music from the past year that I thought deserved their attention. It was a way for me to keep in touch and it served in lieu of a Christmas card. The response was very positive and it thus became a year-end tradition for me to make a "Best of" CD for all of my friends and family. The CDs quickly expanded to 2 volumes. I attempted to separate the songs by musical genres and shaped them to different listener's tastes. The first CD was more mellow and mainstream, the second more indie and challenging. Some friends or family members got just one, others got both, depending on their listening habits or tastes.

I also designed labels with the songs and artists listed on them and printed them on printable CDs to make them look polished and nice.

This year the CDs have expanded to 3 volumes and I'm making them available here, including labels and, a first, artwork for itunes.

Please keep in mind that these are made to be burned on to a single 80 minute CD so I was somewhat limited by the medium. Some songs that I may have liked to include had I unlimited time did not make the cut. I have also attempted, whenever possible, to make the songs fit thematically and flow from one song to the next. They are meant to be heard in the order listed and do not represent a ranking, merely what I found to fit together well.

Best of 2010 - Volume 1

1. When We Fall In - Sean Hayes

Sean Hayes defies categorization, but I often describe this song as Folk-soul. He can bounce from blue-eyed soul to full-on folk to out and out rock & roll. A great opening track.

2. Like Rock & Roll & Radio - Ray LaMontagne & The Pariah Dogs

I've always wanted a voice like Ray LaMontagne. I read a story once that when he first started singing he thought he sounded terrible and he took many years to train his voice to what it is now. My girlfriend and I saw him live over the summer and it was interesting that his speaking voice was very different from his singing voice. I wonder if they will grow further and further apart. Like Rock & Roll & Radio.

3. Lark - Josh Ritter

This song was added to my itunes playlist with a 5 star rating somehow already attached. It sounds like Paul Simon circa Rhythm of The Saints. A lighthearted and bouncy tune.

4. Sounds Like Hallelujah - The Head & The Heart

From the acoustic strumming to the violins and "ooh-oohs", the tempo change-ups and sparing piano plinks this song runs quite the gamut. The Head & The Heart are newcomers to the list but have a great album this year. Many songs nearly made the cut but this one was the standout for me.

5. Better Things To Do - Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings

An empowering breakup song from the reigning queen of soul. Cut from the same cloth as Cee-Lo's "Fuck You" but much classier.

6. Swim Until You Can't See Land - Frightened Rabbit

An urging to let go of the past and move on. Are you a man, are you a bag of sand?

7. You Are Not Alone - Mavis Staples & Jeff Tweedy

A sublime paring of the R&B and Gospel singer and Wilco frontman on this traditional cover. I love the sentiment that no matter how alone you feel there are those that are there for you even though you may resist it. Open up, this is a raid. Truly inspirational and comforting.

8. The Ladder - Andrew Belle

Possibly the pop-iest offering on this year's CD. This song was stuck in my head for the good part of the summer. I have no idea what it's meant to be about but it fit rather well in my situation at the time. A long distance relationship can often feel like a right at the wrong time.

9. Never Give You Up - The Black Keys

The Black Keys border on stalker territory with this slow burn.

10. I Really Need Love - The Bees

Featured on Fretboard Review previously. A throwback to the 60's sound with a sentiment we can all agree with.

11. I Can See Your Tracks - Laura Veirs

Oh, I can see your tracks/But I won't follow them/I'll just hope it rains. Like the Frightened Rabbit song above, a song about moving on without regrets.

12. Green Lights - Aloe Blacc

Another Soul song from a newcomer to the list, Aloe Blacc. A Velvet Underground cover with backing from The Expressions. A great song to drive to.

13. The Sound Of Sunshine - Michael Franti

Michael Franti has progressed from Militant Reggae to what sounds like beach party music. Who would have thought?

14. I Was Made For Sunny Days - The Weepies

Another poppy tune that got stuck in my head for weeks.

15. The Curse - Josh Ritter

I placed this song on my list even before I paid attention to the lyrics. A beautiful waltz about the love between an archeologist and the mummy she excavates. A beautifully told story.

16. Compass (Red Dead On Arrival Version) - Jamie Lidell

This song is used to wonderful effect at the emotional zenith of the exceptional game, Red Dead Redemption.

17. The Sharpest Crown - Joe Pug

Arresting guitar work and lyrics. Who doesn't know a girl like this?

18. King Of Spain - The Tallest Man On Earth

A song about trying to be impressive.

19. Christ Jesus - Deer Tick

Hard to believe these are the same guys who brought us "Holy Shit, It's Christmas!". An emotionally cathartic song.

20. Long December - John Craigie

A Counting Crows song from his Free EP of 90's cover songs. Slowed down and acoustic, sounds like it should have been done this way from the beginning.
Download all Songs and Artwork in one ZIP File.
Cover:

Artwork:

Lissie

So I got a new iPad after resisting for quite some time. It's ostensibly for reading medical texts, which it is actually quite well suited for and it will ultimately save me money as the hardbound textbooks can run upwards of $400 and the digital versions are, shall we say... less. Anyway, I've found that it's just as fun and useful as everyone claims. My favorite little "app" I've found, so far, is one called aweditorium.

It lays out a grid of pictures, each linking to an artist and song. You select one and it zooms in and you can see the lyrics while listening or watch little tidbits of info pop up. I'm not sure who selects the music, or whether it's user driven somehow, but so far the selections have been excellent. Here is a song it showed me from an artist I missed this year.

Lissie - Everywhere I Go by Alexandre Diogo

Lissie is the stage name of Elisabeth Maurus, from Rock Island, IL. Her music seems to range from folk to country to indie and recalls Neko Case in certain moments. Her album is hit-or-miss for me, some straying too far into pop territory for my tastes. Of particular note is a stripped-down cover of Lady Gaga's Bad Romance.

Bad Romance (Lady GaGa Cover)- Lissie by brycool

Obviously it's been done to death by others, but this one has a certain charm that keeps it from becoming too comedic.

You can buy her full album, Catching A Tiger, (minus the cover) here.

Interpreting the Masters Volume 1: A Tribute to Daryl Hall and John Oates

The Bird and The Bee has raised the bar of 80's concept tribute albums. That's right, they went and made that Hall & Oates tribute album that you've been talking about doing for the past 10 years. I know you had the idea first, but it's no use crying about it now. You couldn't get it done and they could so please just enjoy it -- 8 Hall & Oates cover songs and 1 original song, Heard it On the Radio.

We'll start with perhaps the best known, if not the best loved, Hall & Oates song, Maneater. Shirley Manson of Garbage provides backing vocals.
The Bird & The Bee - Maneater by k7fm

The original, for comparison:
Daryl Hall & John Oates - The Very Best Of Daryl Hall & John Oates - 11 - Maneater by megatronskunkfartbong

A faithful reproduction that doesn't stray too far from the original's soft-pop source material. Certainly better than you could have done. Suck it up.

Hall & Oates' She's Gone strays so far from their typical soft-pop formula into R&B territory that it's almost difficult to hear them on this track:

Daryl Hall and John Oates - She's Gone by musicfromthebook

The Bird and The Bee's take is decidedly less R&B and more electronic-lounge -- closer to the sound that they themselves are known for.

The Bird And The Bee - She's Gone by user8770901

Interestingly, they cut the original's 5:17 length down by almost half to 2:55. An improvement, in my book.

I'll leave you with a live performance of my personal favorite, Sarah Smile. I loved the original song when I was growing up and they do a great job with it here. This version is recorded in what looks like a coffee shop performance and is just Inara on vocals and Greg on keyboards.

I guess he's an Xbox and I'm more Atari.

Ah, Cee-lo. My brain had just recently stopped playing Crazy on repeat and along comes another nasal-toned ear worm that my brain will undoubtedly choose to loop ad infinitum until I'm reduced to shouting "DREIDEL DREIDEL DREIDEL I MADE YOU OUT OF CLAY!" in a vain attempt to drown out my internal soundtrack. Take a listen:

Fuck You - Cee-Lo by DJ Shylock

Ok, clearly very catchy, right? Now you may wonder, as I did, how Mr. Lo is going to get this gem played on the radio -- what with the blatant vulgarity and all. Bleeping? Maybe. It's not like he would compromise his artistic vision by changing his work to something more palatable to the FCC. Cee-lo, bowdlerize? No way!
Then this happened:

Cee Lo Green - Forget You (Clean) by MMMusic

Then this happened!



Yeah. The line "What would you know about Cee-lo? You're like 40. Yeah, Top 40, sweet cheeks" was just used. Remind me again why I should watch this show?

Fortunately a song this catchy is also just begging to be mashed up and remixed and the internet has not dissapointed. Here is nice little mashup by DJTOPCAT with The Four Tops' Same Old Song to get you started:

The Four Tops vs Cee-Lo Green-Same old F.U. you song-127bpm (master) by DJTOPCAT

Buy Cee Lo's album The Lady Killer now - Amazon

Old blog, new trick.

Hey, check it out! Embedded music!

The Bees - I Really Need Love by Polydor Records

The Bees - I really need love.

The Bees make throwback 60's style americana so good that it's hard to believe they are from the UK. Or, rather, incredibly easy to believe, considering that the preponderance of bands they pay homage to probably came from the UK. Consider also the recent phenomenon (yes I said it, phenomenon) of Mumford & Sons. A UK band that sounds like they just hiked in from Appalachia with their banjo and floor tom strapped to their backs. Wait, do they have a banjo? They definitely have a floor tom. Or is it a bass drum? I digress. This band sounds good in my ears and they express a sentiment here that I think we can all agree with. I have included for your enjoyment a youtube video of a song off of their recent album "Every Step's a Yes". It will be videos for now, until I can figure out the best way to embed songs. Buy the album here - A Band of Bees - Every Step's a Yes (Amazon)

Oh yeah, they're called A Band of Bees in the US. Why? I don't know.

The blog is dead. Long live the blog!

To my great surprise, the blog I created during my second year of medical school was still lurking in my blogger account. The title I came up with at that time, The Fretboard Review Series, which I'm sure at the time I thought was very clever, was a pun on a series of books aimed at the overburdened 2nd year medical student called "Board Review Series" or affectionately (or what have you) known as BRS. Granted, a small audience for a not terribly clever pun. Fortunately, blogger was prescient or providence was kind when it suggested the shortened form of Fretboard Review for my URL way back when I registered the blog. A much better name, I think. So here it is, my new blog, same as the old blog.

Anyway, the purpose of this is mostly just to get some practice at writing and to share some music and musings. A while back I read Outliers and the message that I took away was that expecting to be good at something by throwing little packets of time at it every few weeks, months, or years, getting frustrated, and giving up, doesn't work. How does one get to Carnegie hall? Practice, practice, practice. How does one become a good writer? You get the idea.

So I will write, and review some music, because I listen to music and I have opinions about it and hopefully that will provide some fodder. Let's see how this goes.