Here are a few tips for some new, legal, free songs courtesy of the interwebs:
Pete Doherty - New Love Grows on Trees
Mark Ronson does Kings of Leon
Our ratings:
The unfailingly immature Pete sounds surprisingly mature and sophisticated on this new solo track. Sounds...kind of like Oasis, actually. Rating? 7/10.
Mark Ronson does his thing yet again on this early KoL cut (from Aha Shake Heartbreak). Gotta love that tambourine. You may already have this track though - it was a bonus track on Ronson's album Version. Rating? 8/10.
Have more tips for free music? Leave 'em here.
mood: confused...
music: straight lines - silverchair - young modern
Showing posts with label kol. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kol. Show all posts
Monday, March 2, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
Top 36 Songs of 2008
Here, belatedly, are my favorite songs from 2008 (note: these are not in order of preference). Enjoy!
1. Mr. Hurricane – Beast – Beast
• This iTunes freebie is easily one of the best they’ve given away, from a band I’ve never heard of. Plus, I’m pretty convinced it’s about Grendel (from the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf…read it sometime). And I’m a huge fan of any literary music.
2. Hiroshima – Ben Folds – Way To Normal
• Not only does it ape Elton John, it also happens to be the best Flight of the Conchords song not written by Flight of the Conchords. I laugh everytime I hear this song.
3. Talons – Bloc Party – Intimacy
• A stellar, beautiful song off a woefully underrated third album, this track is both techno-fantastic and amazingly danceable. It also contains the most to-the-point lyric of 2008: “When did you become such a slut?”
4. Glass of Water – Coldplay – Prospekt’s March
• A pretty standard Coldplay arena-filler, but even that’s still better than most of the crap out there. I just wish it had been on Viva La Vida to begin with. (Read a full review of Prospekt’s March here)
5. Lost+ - Coldplay – Prospekt’s March
• Lost! was a great song to begin with, and the Jay-Z rap just makes it that much better. (See link above for full Prospekt’s March review)
6. Violet Hill – Coldplay – Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends
• “Viva La Vida” may have won all the Grammys, but my favorite track off VLV is still this politically-charged song, which is probably as close to rock as Coldplay will ever get.
7. I Will Possess Your Heart – Death Cab For Cutie – Narrow Stairs
• The indie rock band sticks it to the man with a lead single that’s creepily fantastic, heartbreakingly beautiful, and eight minutes long.
8. Headfirst Slide Into Cooperstown On A Bad Bet – Fall Out Boy – Folie à Deux
• I’m not really a Fall Out Boy fan at all, but I love this track, mostly because it sounds like nothing they’ve done before. It’s got great horns, a badass chorus, and a great uncharacteristically pretty bridge.
9. Cassius – Foals – Antidotes
• Another literary song (Anyone? Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar? No? Fine.) made awesome by the jumpy math rock beats and more stellar horns. Why hasn’t Kanye sampled this song yet? Foals is so the new Daft Punk.
10. Constructive Summer – The Hold Steady – Stay Positive
• Definitely the best Bruce Springsteen song never written/performed by Bruce Springsteen.
11. Another Way To Die – Jack White & Alicia Keys – “Quantum of Solace” Soundtrack
• I originally hated this song (okay, maybe I was still just mad that Amy Winehouse couldn’t get her **** together to do it with Mark Ronson – now THAT would have been true badassery), but it’s grown on me. The juxtaposition of Jack White and Alicia Keys is off-putting at first, but ultimately what makes this song so awesome.
12. Love Lockdown – Kanye West – 808s & Heartbreak
• I’m still undecided about how I feel about Kanye’s new non-rapping persona, but I really like this track. It’s unexpected, weird, and cool all at the same time.
13. Spiralling – Keane – Perfect Symmetry
• Say what you will about Keane, but the production on this song is off the hook. It sounds like Duran Duran meets the Thompson Twins…and nothing like Keane, which is definitely a plus.
14. Spaceman – The Killers – Day & Age
• Brandon Flowers’ alien-abduction saga is easily the most catchy single since “Mr. Brightside,” and thankfully completely lacking sexual puns.
15. Crawl – Kings of Leon – Only By The Night
• You’d be hard pressed to find a better fuzzed-out guitar riff of 2008 than the one in this song – Jack White should take note. Check out their performance of this song at Glastonbury 2008 on YouTube – it’s nearly as awesome as Jay-Z’s Oasis taunting.
16. Sex On Fire – Kings of Leon – Only By The Night
• I’ll admit the music video is pretty creepy, and some of the lyrics are cringingly bad (“Head while I’m driving”? Really?), but this is still one of the best songs of the year, and will forever be remembered as the song that introduced America to Kings of Leon…after their fourth record…This song also gets bonus points for being on the first album in a very long time where I love every single song.
17. See The Sun – The Kooks – Konk
• Easily the best album opener of 2008, this song is crazy catchy, beautiful, heartbreaking, and danceable all at the same time. Also proof that Luke Pritchard really can write tunes, even if no one ever pays attention.
18. The Age Of The Understatement – The Last Shadow Puppets – The Age of the Understatement
• Okay, I’ll admit these guys do win for worst band name of the year, but you can’t deny the awesomeness of this spaghetti-western-ish track from the debut album of Alex Turner and Miles Kane’s side project. If this is any indication of what the next Arctic Monkeys album is going to sound like, I’m counting down the days.
19. Meeting Place – The Last Shadow Puppets – The Age of the Understatement
• A surprisingly pretty ballad that manages to not be annoying and properly utilize the Owen Pallet-directed London Metropolitan Orchestra, winning the prize for Best String Arrangement of 2008 and Best Collaboration With A Sometimes-Member of Arcade Fire.
20. Highly Suspicious – My Morning Jacket – Evil Urges
• I still don’t understand this song at all (at first I thought I had downloaded the wrong song by mistake) – are they serious? But it’s that intrigue that makes me keep listening to this song.
21. I’m Amazed – My Morning Jacket – Evil Urges
• A politically-conscious, socially-hopeful ballad that, to MMJ’s credit, sounds absolutely nothing like #20.
22. 1,000,000 – Nine Inch Nails – The Slip
• A little melodramatic for my taste, but proof that Trent Reznor’s still got that magic touch that makes industrial rock so catchy…and, best of all, it’s free.
23. Discipline – Nine Inch Nails – The Slip
• Easily one of the best singles of 2008. Hopeful, thoughtful, depressing…it’s everything that’s best about NIN in one, unassuming slice of perfection.
24. Bag It Up – Oasis – Dig Out Your Soul
• I’m not completely sold on this album, but this is easily one of the hardest rocking songs they’ve put out since SOTSOG. The lyrics make characteristically no sense (what exactly are hee-bee-jee-bees?) but it doesn’t matter – the tune is one of the best of 2008.
25. The Shock of the Lightning – Oasis – Dig Out Your Soul
• The “Rock ‘N Roll Star” of this decade. Another of the best singles of 2008.
26. My Drive Thru – Pharrell Williams, Santogold, & Julian Casablancas
• Although it’s less art than a key part of a Converse ad campaign, that doesn’t make it any less badass of a collaboration. These three music icons definitely need to get together again…soon.
27. Supernatural Superserious – R.E.M. – Accelerate
• Although I’m not really an R.E.M. fan at all, I like this song. That is all.
28. Oh, La – Ra Ra Riot – The Rhumb Line
• In my opinion, every band should have a resident violinist and cellist. This song is beautiful and catchy – a gem from a band that is way under-recognized.
29. Black & Gold – Sam Sparro – Sam Sparro
• A fabulous, soulful iTunes free track. Definitely check it out.
30. L.E.S. Artistes – Santogold – Santogold
• I’d put this song in here just because she’s from Philly, but this is one of the best tracks off one of the best albums of ’08. DAMN YOU GRAMMYS!!!
31. Take Back The City – Snow Patrol – A Hundred Million Suns
• This is pretty standard Snow Patrol, but it’s still better than most of the pop that’s out there right now. For fans of Eyes Open.
32. Great DJ – The Ting Tings – We Started Nothing
• This song proves that the Ting Tings aren’t just another one of those iTunes bands-of-the-week flukes. These guys are for real.
33. Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa – Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend
• The best Paul Simon song not written by Paul Simon. Plus, bonus points for rhyming “Louis Vuitton” with “reggaeton” with “Benetton.” That pretty much sums up this band.
34. Love Is Noise – The Verve – Forth
• I have some issue with the Alvin & the Chipmunks backup vocals, but this still a ridiculously awesome track from a band that no one expected to get back together (at least, I didn’t). “Bitter Sweet Symphony?” What’s that?
35. Pork & Beans – Weezer – Red Album
• Less subtle that Death Cab’s label taunting, this perfectly crunchy single contains some of the funniest and cleverest lyrics of 2008, and gets 1000 bonus points for an equally hilarious music video (Coke & Mentos!!!!).
36. Whatever You Like – Weird Al Yankovic – Whatever You Like (Single)
• Weird Al proves he’s still relevant with a timely and hilarious parody of T.I.’s hit single. Now with iTunes, Weird Al can release even more parodies in a much more timely fashion…I’m definitely a fan.
mood: happy!
music: remember me - british sea power - the decline of british sea power
*Agree? Disagree? Respond below!
1. Mr. Hurricane – Beast – Beast
• This iTunes freebie is easily one of the best they’ve given away, from a band I’ve never heard of. Plus, I’m pretty convinced it’s about Grendel (from the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf…read it sometime). And I’m a huge fan of any literary music.
2. Hiroshima – Ben Folds – Way To Normal
• Not only does it ape Elton John, it also happens to be the best Flight of the Conchords song not written by Flight of the Conchords. I laugh everytime I hear this song.
3. Talons – Bloc Party – Intimacy
• A stellar, beautiful song off a woefully underrated third album, this track is both techno-fantastic and amazingly danceable. It also contains the most to-the-point lyric of 2008: “When did you become such a slut?”
4. Glass of Water – Coldplay – Prospekt’s March
• A pretty standard Coldplay arena-filler, but even that’s still better than most of the crap out there. I just wish it had been on Viva La Vida to begin with. (Read a full review of Prospekt’s March here)
5. Lost+ - Coldplay – Prospekt’s March
• Lost! was a great song to begin with, and the Jay-Z rap just makes it that much better. (See link above for full Prospekt’s March review)
6. Violet Hill – Coldplay – Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends
• “Viva La Vida” may have won all the Grammys, but my favorite track off VLV is still this politically-charged song, which is probably as close to rock as Coldplay will ever get.
7. I Will Possess Your Heart – Death Cab For Cutie – Narrow Stairs
• The indie rock band sticks it to the man with a lead single that’s creepily fantastic, heartbreakingly beautiful, and eight minutes long.
8. Headfirst Slide Into Cooperstown On A Bad Bet – Fall Out Boy – Folie à Deux
• I’m not really a Fall Out Boy fan at all, but I love this track, mostly because it sounds like nothing they’ve done before. It’s got great horns, a badass chorus, and a great uncharacteristically pretty bridge.
9. Cassius – Foals – Antidotes
• Another literary song (Anyone? Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar? No? Fine.) made awesome by the jumpy math rock beats and more stellar horns. Why hasn’t Kanye sampled this song yet? Foals is so the new Daft Punk.
10. Constructive Summer – The Hold Steady – Stay Positive
• Definitely the best Bruce Springsteen song never written/performed by Bruce Springsteen.
11. Another Way To Die – Jack White & Alicia Keys – “Quantum of Solace” Soundtrack
• I originally hated this song (okay, maybe I was still just mad that Amy Winehouse couldn’t get her **** together to do it with Mark Ronson – now THAT would have been true badassery), but it’s grown on me. The juxtaposition of Jack White and Alicia Keys is off-putting at first, but ultimately what makes this song so awesome.
12. Love Lockdown – Kanye West – 808s & Heartbreak
• I’m still undecided about how I feel about Kanye’s new non-rapping persona, but I really like this track. It’s unexpected, weird, and cool all at the same time.
13. Spiralling – Keane – Perfect Symmetry
• Say what you will about Keane, but the production on this song is off the hook. It sounds like Duran Duran meets the Thompson Twins…and nothing like Keane, which is definitely a plus.
14. Spaceman – The Killers – Day & Age
• Brandon Flowers’ alien-abduction saga is easily the most catchy single since “Mr. Brightside,” and thankfully completely lacking sexual puns.
15. Crawl – Kings of Leon – Only By The Night
• You’d be hard pressed to find a better fuzzed-out guitar riff of 2008 than the one in this song – Jack White should take note. Check out their performance of this song at Glastonbury 2008 on YouTube – it’s nearly as awesome as Jay-Z’s Oasis taunting.
16. Sex On Fire – Kings of Leon – Only By The Night
• I’ll admit the music video is pretty creepy, and some of the lyrics are cringingly bad (“Head while I’m driving”? Really?), but this is still one of the best songs of the year, and will forever be remembered as the song that introduced America to Kings of Leon…after their fourth record…This song also gets bonus points for being on the first album in a very long time where I love every single song.
17. See The Sun – The Kooks – Konk
• Easily the best album opener of 2008, this song is crazy catchy, beautiful, heartbreaking, and danceable all at the same time. Also proof that Luke Pritchard really can write tunes, even if no one ever pays attention.
18. The Age Of The Understatement – The Last Shadow Puppets – The Age of the Understatement
• Okay, I’ll admit these guys do win for worst band name of the year, but you can’t deny the awesomeness of this spaghetti-western-ish track from the debut album of Alex Turner and Miles Kane’s side project. If this is any indication of what the next Arctic Monkeys album is going to sound like, I’m counting down the days.
19. Meeting Place – The Last Shadow Puppets – The Age of the Understatement
• A surprisingly pretty ballad that manages to not be annoying and properly utilize the Owen Pallet-directed London Metropolitan Orchestra, winning the prize for Best String Arrangement of 2008 and Best Collaboration With A Sometimes-Member of Arcade Fire.
20. Highly Suspicious – My Morning Jacket – Evil Urges
• I still don’t understand this song at all (at first I thought I had downloaded the wrong song by mistake) – are they serious? But it’s that intrigue that makes me keep listening to this song.
21. I’m Amazed – My Morning Jacket – Evil Urges
• A politically-conscious, socially-hopeful ballad that, to MMJ’s credit, sounds absolutely nothing like #20.
22. 1,000,000 – Nine Inch Nails – The Slip
• A little melodramatic for my taste, but proof that Trent Reznor’s still got that magic touch that makes industrial rock so catchy…and, best of all, it’s free.
23. Discipline – Nine Inch Nails – The Slip
• Easily one of the best singles of 2008. Hopeful, thoughtful, depressing…it’s everything that’s best about NIN in one, unassuming slice of perfection.
24. Bag It Up – Oasis – Dig Out Your Soul
• I’m not completely sold on this album, but this is easily one of the hardest rocking songs they’ve put out since SOTSOG. The lyrics make characteristically no sense (what exactly are hee-bee-jee-bees?) but it doesn’t matter – the tune is one of the best of 2008.
25. The Shock of the Lightning – Oasis – Dig Out Your Soul
• The “Rock ‘N Roll Star” of this decade. Another of the best singles of 2008.
26. My Drive Thru – Pharrell Williams, Santogold, & Julian Casablancas
• Although it’s less art than a key part of a Converse ad campaign, that doesn’t make it any less badass of a collaboration. These three music icons definitely need to get together again…soon.
27. Supernatural Superserious – R.E.M. – Accelerate
• Although I’m not really an R.E.M. fan at all, I like this song. That is all.
28. Oh, La – Ra Ra Riot – The Rhumb Line
• In my opinion, every band should have a resident violinist and cellist. This song is beautiful and catchy – a gem from a band that is way under-recognized.
29. Black & Gold – Sam Sparro – Sam Sparro
• A fabulous, soulful iTunes free track. Definitely check it out.
30. L.E.S. Artistes – Santogold – Santogold
• I’d put this song in here just because she’s from Philly, but this is one of the best tracks off one of the best albums of ’08. DAMN YOU GRAMMYS!!!
31. Take Back The City – Snow Patrol – A Hundred Million Suns
• This is pretty standard Snow Patrol, but it’s still better than most of the pop that’s out there right now. For fans of Eyes Open.
32. Great DJ – The Ting Tings – We Started Nothing
• This song proves that the Ting Tings aren’t just another one of those iTunes bands-of-the-week flukes. These guys are for real.
33. Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa – Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend
• The best Paul Simon song not written by Paul Simon. Plus, bonus points for rhyming “Louis Vuitton” with “reggaeton” with “Benetton.” That pretty much sums up this band.
34. Love Is Noise – The Verve – Forth
• I have some issue with the Alvin & the Chipmunks backup vocals, but this still a ridiculously awesome track from a band that no one expected to get back together (at least, I didn’t). “Bitter Sweet Symphony?” What’s that?
35. Pork & Beans – Weezer – Red Album
• Less subtle that Death Cab’s label taunting, this perfectly crunchy single contains some of the funniest and cleverest lyrics of 2008, and gets 1000 bonus points for an equally hilarious music video (Coke & Mentos!!!!).
36. Whatever You Like – Weird Al Yankovic – Whatever You Like (Single)
• Weird Al proves he’s still relevant with a timely and hilarious parody of T.I.’s hit single. Now with iTunes, Weird Al can release even more parodies in a much more timely fashion…I’m definitely a fan.
mood: happy!
music: remember me - british sea power - the decline of british sea power
*Agree? Disagree? Respond below!
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