Thursday's Playlist 12-30-10

Stereolab – “Everybody’s Weird Except Me”
Camouflage – “The Great Commandment”
Ted Leo & the Pharmacists – “Tuberculoids Arrive in Hop”
Mew – “Sometimes Life Isn’t Easy”
LCD Soundsystem – “Someone Great”
Malcolm McLaren – “Obatala”
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – “Shadow’s Keeper”
Metric – “Satellite Mind”
Stevie Wonder – “You Are the Sunshine of My Life”
The Delays – “Over and Out”
A Flock of Seagulls – “2-30”
Sheila E. – “The Glamorous Life”
Pelican – “Ephemeral”
13th Floor Elevators – “I Had to Tell You”
Weezer – “Tired of Sex”
The Kinks – “Dandy”
Depeche Mode – “Black Celebration (Live)”
Elvis Costello – “Everyday I Write the Book”
Mogwai – “Like Herod”
Black Lips – “Bad Kids”
Danny Elfman – “It Only Makes Me Laugh”
A Flock of Seagulls – “Burning Up (Pigface Remix)”
Eels – “This is Where it Gets Good”
Def Leppard – “Photograph”
R.E.M. – “Medley: Time After Time / Red Rain / So. Central Rain”
Boston – “Cool the Engines”
The Dandy Warhols – “The Last High”
Gorillaz – “Clint Eastwood”
John Lennon & Yoko Ono – “Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy) (Stripped Down)”
Peter Gabriel – “Mirrorball”
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – “Bad Blood”
A Guy Called Gerald – “Voodoo Ray”
Mumford & Sons – “White Blank Page”
Stereolab – “Neon Beanbag (Atlas Sound Mix)”
Wolf Parade – “Cave-O-Sapien”
Information Society – “Lay All Your Love on Me”
Mogwai – “Mogwai Fear Satan”
Japandroids – “Avant Sleepwalk”
The National – “Thirsty”
Ted Leo & the Pharmacists – “Last Days”
Wilco – “We’re Just Friends”
Gorillaz – “Left Hand Suzuki Method”
Thom Yorke – “Black Swan”
The Free Design – “Howdjadoo (Fly Me Down)”
The Psychedelic Furs – “Fall”
Smashing Pumpkins – “Saturnine”
Refused – “Deadly Rhythm”
Jay-Zeezer – “Public Service Holiday”
Talk Talk – “Life’s What You Make It (Extended Mix)”
Boards of Canada – “Roygbiv”
Ok Go – “White Knuckles (Boys Like Us Remix)”
A Flock of Seagulls – “Space Age Love Song (Astralasia Remix)”
Adam Arcuragi & Royalty – “The Song the Sinner Sings”
Wilco – “Bull Black Nova”
OMD – “The Future, the Past, and Forever After”
John Lennon & Yoko Ono – “Hard Times are Over (Stripped Down)”
Grand Archives – “Witchy Park / Tomorrow Will (Take Care of Itself)”
The Future Sound of London – “Are They Fightin’ Us”
Freebass – “Killswitch Pt 141 (Instrumental)”
Pavement – “Gold Soundz”
Josh Rouse – “Dressed Up Like Nebraska”
A Sunny Day in Glasgow – “Nitetime Rainbows”
Tommy Tutone – “867-5309 / Jenny”
The Smiths – “Oscillate Wildly”
Foals – “Olympic Airwaves”
Tracey Thorn – “You are a Lover”
Kvelertak – “Nekroskop”
Fountains of Wayne – “Bought for a Song”
Titus Andronicus – “…And Ever”
The Like – “Narcissus in a Red Dress”
Jónsi – “Tornado (Live)”
Otis Redding – “You Don’t Miss Your Water”
Gorillaz – “19-2000 (Soul Child Remix)”
Nick Cave – “Far From Me”
The Chameleons – “Return of the Roughnecks”
Women – “Heat Distraction”
Dionne Warwick – “Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang”
Robbie Williams ft. Pet Shop Boys – “She’s Madonna”
Broken Social Scene – “Complications”
Great Northern – “Fingers”
Beach House – “Real Love”
The Killers – “Under the Gun”
Band of Horses – “Blue Beard”
U2 – “Lemon (Jeep Mix)”

Tuesday's Playlist 12-28-10

A Certain Ratio – “Shack Up”
Bow Wow Wow – “I Want Candy”
Them Crooked Vultures – “Reptiles”
Gorillaz – “Hip Albatross”
Gorillaz – “Hillbilly Man”
Modest Mouse – “Steam Engenius”
The Psychedelic Furs – “My Time”
Gorillaz – “Fire Coming Out of the Monkey’s Head”
Stricken City – “Tak O Tak”
This Mortal Coil – “At First, And Then”
John Wesley Harding – “I’m Wrong About Everything”
Stina Nordenstam – “Purple Rain”
Glasvegas – “Go Square Go”
Devo – “Freedom of Choice”
Dexy’s Midnight Runners – “Show Me”
Glasser – “T”
Aaliyah ft. Timbaland – “Try Again”
Miles Davis ft. Kenny Hagood – “Darn That Dream”
Blood Red Shoes – “It’s Getting Boring by the Sea”
Public Enemy – “Mind Terrorist”
X – “True Love”
Here We Go Magic – “F.F.A.P.”
Fran Healy – “As It Comes”
King Khan & BBQ Show – “Truth or Dare”
The National – “Guest Room”
Glasser – “Glad”
The Smiths – “Paint a Vulgar Picture”
Nite Jewel – “Am I Real”
Godspeed You! Black Emperor – “Rockets Fall on Rocket Falls”
Daft Punk – “Rinzler”
The Old 97’s – “Adelaide”
Godspeed You! Black Emperor – “Antennas to Heaven”
Foreigner – “I Want to Know What Love Is”
Frightened Rabbit – “The Modern Leper (Live)”
Section 25 – “Girls Don’t Count”
The Lodger – “Flashbacks”
Billy Idol – “Dancing With Myself (Extended Version)”
Propellerheads – “Bang On!”
Pet Shop Boys – “Suburbia”
Morrissey – “I’ve Changed My Plea to Guilty (Live)”
Califone – “The Orchids”
Van Morrison – “Everyone”
Natalie Merchant – “Jealousy”
Peter Gabriel – “Big Time”

My Favorite Songs of the 80s

This is certainly not complete. It is restricted by the rules we at Treble created to limit our field, and I had my own special rules to follow to limit myself lest this list get to 800 or 1000.

1. Depeche Mode – “Never Let Me Down Again”
2. New Order – “Bizarre Love Triangle”
3. Joy Division – “Love Will Tear Us Apart”
4. U2 – “Running to Stand Still”
5. Echo & the Bunnymen – “The Killing Moon”
6. The Church – “Under the Milky Way”
7. U2 – “With or Without You”
8. The Smiths – “How Soon is Now”
9. Prince – “Baby I’m a Star”
10. New Order – “Ceremony”
11. The Waterboys – “This is the Sea”
12. Fugazi – “Waiting Room”
13. The Smiths – “Rubber Ring”
14. Simple Minds – “Don’t You (Forget About Me)”
15. Jesus and Mary Chain – “Just Like Honey”
16. Public Enemy – “Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos”
17. Bruce Springsteen – “I’m on Fire”
18. Tom Waits – “Innocent When You Dream”
19. R.E.M. – “Fall on Me”
20. Prince – “Purple Rain”
21. The Waterboys – “The Whole of the Moon”
22. Kate Bush – “This Woman’s Work”
23. The Smiths – “This Charming Man”
24. Madonna – “Crazy for You”
25. The Cure – “Just Like Heaven”
26. New Order – “Perfect Kiss”
27. Prince – “Little Red Corvette”
28. Nik Kershaw – “Wouldn’t it Be Good”
29. OMD – “If You Leave”
30. The Dream Academy – “Life in a Northern Town”
31. The Jam – “Going Underground”
32. Joy Division – “Atmosphere”
33. Robbie Robertson – “Broken Arrow”
34. Peter Gabriel – “In Your Eyes”
35. Jane’s Addiction – “Jane Says”
36. The Smiths – “Cemetry Gates”
37. Depeche Mode – “Shake the Disease”
38. The Replacements – “Alex Chilton”
39. Morrissey – “Everyday is Like Sunday”
40. New Order – “Blue Monday”
41. Prince – “I Would Die 4 U”
42. The Bangles – “Eternal Flame”
43. Tears for Fears – “Head Over Heels”
44. Kate Bush – “Running Up that Hill”
45. Leonard Cohen – “Everybody Knows”
46. Depeche Mode – “Lie to Me”
47. The Cure – “In Between Days”
48. Nine Inch Nails – “Head Like a Hole”
49. Prince – “When Doves Cry”
50. R.E.M. – “It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)”
51. The Clash – “Train in Vain”
52. Queen & David Bowie – “Under Pressure”
53. Depeche Mode – “Get the Balance Right”
54. XTC – “Dear God”
55. Siouxsie & the Banshees – “Cities in Dust”
56. New Order – “True Faith”
57. The Cure – “Fascination Street”
58. Aztec Camera – “Oblivious”
59. Til Tuesday – “Voices Carry”
60. The La’s – “There She Goes”
61. Tears for Fears – “Shout”
62. The Silencers – “Painted Moon”
63. The Lightning Seeds – “Pure”
64. The Smiths – “What Difference Does it Make?”
65. Blondie – “Atomic”
66. Echo & the Bunnymen – “Rescue”
67. Tom Waits – “Jersey Girl”
68. R.E.M. – “Radio Free Europe”
69. U2 – “Sunday Bloody Sunday”
70. Tom Waits – “Time”
71. The Psychedelic Furs – “Pretty in Pink”
72. David Bowie – “Ashes to Ashes”
73. R.E.M. – “The One I Love”
74. Scritti Politti – “Perfect Way”
75. Echo & the Bunnymen – “Lips Like Sugar”
76. The Cure – “The Walk”
77. X- “Los Angeles”
78. The Pixies – “Where Is My Mind?”
79. Stone Roses – “Fools Gold”
80. Scritti Polittii – “Absolute”
81. Altered Images – “Happy Birthday”
82. Morrissey – “Suedehead”
83. The Pixies – “Gigantic”
84. Billy Bragg – “Greetings to the New Brunette”
85. Jane’s Addiction – “Ocean Size”
86. Sugarcubes – “Birthday”
87. The Specials – “Ghost Town”
88. Duran Duran – “Planet Earth”
89. Scritti Politti – “Wood Beez”
90. The Clash – “Rock the Casbah”
91. Heaven 17 – “Let Me Go”
92. Yazoo – “Situation”
93. David Bowie – “Let’s Dance”
94. The Jam – “That’s Entertainment”
95. The Cure – “Lovecats”
96. Depeche Mode – “Just Can’t Get Enough”
97. Stone Roses – “I Wanna Be Adored”
98. The Fixx – “One Thing Leads to Another”
99. Split Enz – “Six Months in a Leaky Boat”
100. Siouxsie & the Banshees – “The Last Beat of My Heart”
101. Stevie Nicks – “Edge of Seventeen”
102. Dexy’s Midnight Runners – “Come On Eileen”
103. Eric B. & Rakim – “Paid in Full”
104. The Sundays – “Here’s Where the Story Ends”
105. The Go-Go’s – “This Town”
106. The Psychedelic Furs – “Love My Way”
107. They Might Be Giants – “Ana Ng”
108. Alphaville – “Forever Young”
109. Stevie Nicks & Tom Petty – “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around”
110. The Police- “Every Little Thing She Does is Magic”
111. Bow Wow Wow – “Do You Wanna Hold Me”
112. The Go-Go’s – “Get Up and Go”
113. AC/DC – “Back in Black”
114. Crowded House – “Into Temptation”
115. A Flock of Seagulls – “Space Age Love Song”
116. Elvis Costello – “Everyday I Write the Book”
117. The Go-Go’s – “Our Lips are Sealed”
118. The English Beat – “Save it for Later”
119. Michael Penn – “No Myth”
120. Tears for Fears – “Mad World”
121. Devo – “Beautiful World”
122. Mission of Burma – “That’s When I Reach for My Revolver”
123. M – “Pop Muzik”
124. The English Beat – “I Confess”
125. OMD – “Souvenir”
126. Thompson Twins – “Lay Your Hands on Me”
127. Tears for Fears – “Pale Shelter”
128. Duran Duran – “The Chauffeur”
129. Split Enz – “One Step Ahead”
130. Haircut 100 – “Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)”
131. Elvis Costello – “Shipbuilding”
132. Hall & Oates – “Private Eyes”
133. Adam & the Ants – “Prince Charming”
134. Stray Cats – “Stray Cat Strut”
135. English Beat – “Mirror in the Bathroom”
136. Talking Heads – “This Must Be the Place”
137. The Clash – “Should I Stay or Should I Go”
138. The Jam – “A Town Called Malice”
139. Split Enz – “I Got You”
140. Haircut 100 – “Love Plus One”
141. A Flock of Seagulls – “Wishing (If I Had a Photograph)”
142. Stray Cats – “Rock This Town”
143. Simple Minds – “Up on the Catwalk”
144. The Romantics – “Talking in Your Sleep”
145. Rolling Stones – “Start Me Up”
146. Vanity 6 – “Nasty Girl”
147. Hall & Oates – “Everytime You Go Away”
148. Squeeze – “Tempted”
149. Kajagoogoo – “Too Shy”
150. Modern English – “I Melt With You”
151. Pretenders – “Talk of the Town”
152. Joe Jackson – “Breaking Us in Two”
153. The Go-Go’s – “We Got the Beat”
154. Adam & the Ants – “Stand and Deliver”
155. Blondie – “Call Me”
156. The Cars – “Since You’re Gone”
157. U2 – “I Will Follow”
158. The Korgis – “Everybody’s Gotta Learn Sometime”
159. Joan Jett – “Bad Reputation”
160. Thomas Dolby – “Hyperactive”
161. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers – “Refugee”
162. Frankie Goes to Hollywood – “Relax”
163. Thomas Dolby – “She Blinded Me With Science”
164. Iron Maiden – “Run to the Hills”
165. Judas Priest – “You’ve Got Another Thing Coming”
166. Pretenders – “Brass in Pocket”
167. Elvis Costello – “Clubland”
168. Squeeze – “Pulling Mussels (From the Shell)”
169. Wall of Voodoo – “Mexican Radio”
170. The Buggles – “Video Killed the Radio Star”
171. The Greg Kihn Band – “The Breakup Song”
172. Devo – “Freedom of Choice”
173. A Flock of Seagulls – “I Ran”
174. Human League – “Don’t You Want Me”
175. Pat Benatar – “Hit Me With Your Best Shot”
176. Duran Duran – “Save a Prayer”
177. The Police – “Don’t Stand So Close to Me”
178. Tom Waits – “Way Down in the Hole”
179. Peter Gabriel – “Games without Frontiers”
180. Talking Heads – “Once in a Lifetime”
181. A-ha – “Take on Me”
182. Big Country – “In a Big Country”
183. Echo & the Bunnymen – “Villiers Terrace”
184. Orange Juice – “Falling and Laughing”
185. Altered Images – “I Could Be Happy”
186. Peter Gabriel – “Shock the Monkey”
187. Tom Tom Club – “Genius of Love”
188. Pete Shelley – “Homosapien”
189. Yes – “Owner of a Lonely Heart”
190. Asia – “Heat of the Moment”
191. The Vapors – “Turning Japanese”
192. Sigue Sigue Sputnik – “Love Missile F1-11”
193. ABC – “The Look of Love”
194. Scandal – “Goodbye to You”
195. Billy Squier – “My Kinda Lover”
196. Kim Carnes – “Bette Davis Eyes”
197. Lene Lovich – “New Toy”
198. Oingo Boingo – “Only a Lad”
199. The Clash – “Magnificent Seven”
200. The Cars – “Shake It Up”
201. Rolling Stones – “Waiting on a Friend”
202. Phil Collins – “In the Air Tonight”
203. Guns n Roses – “Welcome to the Jungle”
204. The Time – “Jungle Love”
205. Motley Crue – “Home Sweet Home”
206. Hall & Oates – “M.E.T.H.O.D. of Modern Love”
207. Bryan Ferry – “Slave to Love
208. Level 42 – “Something About You”
209. The Hooters – “All You Zombies”
210. Depeche Mode – “Fly on the Windscreen”

Thursday's Playlist 12-16-10

By some fluke of luck, I started with The Very Best, and ended with the same.

The Very Best – “Julia”
The Strange Death of Liberal England – “Flickering Lights”
The Magnetic Fields – “Painted Flower”
Rush – “Red Barchetta”
HEALTH – “Crimewave (Crystal Castles vs HEALTH)”
Cat Power & Karen Elson – “I Love You (Me Either) (Je T’aime Moi Non Plus)”
Stereolab – “Two Finger Symphony”
Everest – “Taking on the Future”
HEALTH – “Lost Time (C.L.A.W.S. Remix)”
The Pixies – “Broken Face”
The Decemberists – “An Interlude”
Echobelly – “Great Things”
The Tallest Man on Earth – “It Will Follow the Rain”
Kid ‘n Play – “Kid Vs Play (The Battle)”
Tommy James & the Shondells – “Crimson and Clover”
Jawbox – “Green Glass”
Hooverphonic – “Shake the Disease”
De La Soul – “Oooh.”
David Bowie – “Waiting for the Man (Live)”
Explosions in the Sky – “Remember Me as a Time of Day”
Stereolab – “Jaianto”
Nine Inch Nails – “Starf#$@ers, Inc.”
Life Without Buildings – “The Leanover”
Mogwai – “I Know You Are But What Am I (Live)”
Ryan Adams – “Desire”
Tears for Fears – “I Believe”
Future of the Left – “Fingers Become Thumbs!”
Fountains of Wayne – “Radiation Vibe”
Darker My Love – “Trail the Line”
The Kinks – “Suzannah’s Still Alive”
Corinne Bailey Rae – “Venus as a Boy”
Everest – “The Rush”
Gabriella Cilmi – “How Can I Tell You?”
Mock & Toof – “Move Along”
Clint Mansell – “Lose Yourself”
Morrissey – “Moon River”
The Very Best – “Nsokoto”
Eels – “Christmas is Going to the Dogs”
Santogold – “Say Aha”
Clinic – “Fingers”
Dirty Projectors – “Thirsty and Miserable”
Harlem – “Prairie My Heart”
Rosa Lee Brooks – “My Diary”
Suede – “The Living Dead”
A Flock of Seagulls – “I Ran (Pistel Remix)”
Echo & the Bunnymen – “Rescue”
Oasis – “Wonderwall”
Rilo Kiley – “Portions for Foxes”
Everest – “East Illinois”
The Bird & the Bee – “Kiss On My List”
John Cougar Mellencamp – “Key West Intermezzo (I Saw You First)”
Sigur Rós – “Viðrar vel til Loftárása”
Free Energy – “Dark Trance”
Rush – “Finding My Way”
Brandon Flowers – “Jilted Lovers and Broken Hearts”
Simple Minds – “All the Things She Said”
Foals – “Two Trees”
Echo & the Bunnymen – “Heads Will Roll”
Primal Scream – “Higher than the Sun”
Loverboy – “Working for the Weekend”
Garbage – “Bleed Like Me”
The Tough Alliance – “Forever UTD”
Van Morrison – “These Dreams of You”
Dead Confederate w/ J. Mascis – “Giving it All Away”
The Dismemberment Plan – “Following Through”
Refused – “The Apollo Programme Was a Hoax”
Morrissey – “Ganglord”
The English Beat – “Save it for Later”
Prince – “Soft and Wet”
Doves – “Ambition”
Sex Pistols – “Holidays in the Sun”
Stars – “We Don’t Want Your Body”
Mastodon – “Ghost of Karelia”
Best Coast – “Crazy for You”
Miles Davis – “All Blues”
Doves – “Here it Comes”
This Mortal Coil – “A Single Wish”
Nine Inch Nails – “Down In It (Shred)”
The Drones – “She Had an Abortion that She Made Me Pay For”
Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti – “One on One”
Richard Hawley – “Don’t You Cry”
Sunny Day Real Estate – “47”
New Order – “This Time of Night”
Duran Duran – “Planet Earth (Night Mix)”
Dum Dum Girls – “Rest of Our Lives”
Stereolab – “Laser Blast”
Marilyn Manson – “Tourniquet”
The Maldives – “Tequila Sunday”
M.I.A. – “XXXO”
The Very Best – “Warm Heart of Africa”

Tuesday's Playlist 12-14-10

Squeeze – “In Quintessence”
Everest – “Fallen Feather”
Male Bonding – “All Things This Way”
Stars – “Winter Bones”
Life Without Buildings – “Envoys”
The Beach Boys – “Feel Flows”
Future of the Left – “Manchasm”
Flying Lotus – “Physics for Everyone!”
Can – “I’m So Green”
Visqueen – “The Capitol”
T. Rex – “Bang a Gong (Get it on)”
Morrissey – “That’s Entertainment”
She & Him – “Lingering Still”
Happy Mondays – “Step On”
LCD Soundsystem – “Yr City’s a Sucker (Full Version)”
DJ Lobsterdust – “EasyWall”
Gorillaz – “Dirty Harry”
Roy Buchanan – “Sweet Dreams”
Sufjan Stevens – “Come On! Feel the Illinoise!”
Godspeed You! Black Emperor – “Moya”
Echo & the Bunnymen – “Crocodiles”
Eels – “Hospital Food”
Built to Spill – “Car”
Chevy Chase, Eric Olson & Tom Wolfe – “Getting Rid of Britta”
The Pixies – “Is She Weird”
Lansing-Dreiden – “Glass Corridor”
Jesu – “Losing Streak”
The Antlers – “Wake”
LCD Soundsystem – “New York I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down”
Bryan Ferry – “Song to the Siren”
Travis – “The Humpty Dumpty Love Song / Ring Out the Bell / You Don’t Know What I’m Like”
Here We Go Magic – “Herbie I Love You, Now I Know”
Devo – “Later is Now”
Prince – “When Doves Cry”
Mew – “Reprise”
Culture Club – “It’s a Miracle / Miss Me Blind (US 12” Mix)”
Broken Bells – “Mongrel Heart”
The Hold Steady – “Soft in the Center”
Jenny & Johnny – “Slavedriver”
The Autumn Defense – “Every Day”
Billy Joel – “Only the Good Die Young”
Bruce Springsteen – “Someday (We’ll Be Together)”
Iron Maiden – “Run to the Hills”
Dexy’s Midnight Runners – “I’m Just Looking”
The Pipettes – “A Winter’s Sky”
Tom Waits – “Tom Traubert’s Blues”
Stars – “What I’m Trying to Say”
The Romantics – “Talking in Your Sleep”
Matt & Kim – “K”
Nine Inch Nails – “Gave Up (Remix by Coil)”
A Place to Bury Strangers – “Smile When You Smile”
Duran Duran - "Faith in This Colour (Alternate Slow Mix)"

Friday's Playlist 12-10-10

Kid ‘N Play – “Decisions”
Bobby Brown – “My Prerogative (Extended Remix)”
Michael Jackson – “Girlfriend”
The Ocean Blue – “Frigid Winter Days”
Drive Like Jehu – “Bullet Train to Vegas”
Torche – “Cast Into Unknown”
The Sundays – “Joy”
Bright Eyes – “I Will Be Grateful For This Day”
Daft Punk – “Da Funk”
Suckers – “A Mind I Knew”
Underworld – “Born Slippy . NUXX”
Pelican – “Last Day of Winter”
Thelonious Monk – “This is My Story, This is My Song”
Can – “Halleluhwah”
The Smiths – “Asleep”
The Knack – “Siamese Twins (The Monkey and Me)”
Red Sparowes – “Our Happiest Days Slowly Begin to Turn into Dust”
Cat Stevens – “The Wind”
Teenage Fanclub – “Your Love is the Place Where I Come From”
Prince – “Controversy”
Kele – “All the Things I Could Never Say”
Miles Davis – “Move”
Scritti Politti – “Skank Bloc Bologna”
LCD Soundsystem – “Home”
The Smiths – “A Rush and a Push and the Land is Ours”
Foals – “Alabastr”
Blonde Redhead – “Black Guitar”
Sufjan Stevens – “From the Mouth of Gabriel”
Tracey Thorn & Jens Lekman – “Yeah! Oh, Yeah!”
Dexy’s Midnight Runners – “Geno”
Flying Burrito Bros. – “Man in the Fog”
Dusty Springfield – “Anyone Who Had a Heart”
The Boo Radleys – “Lazarus”
Stevie Wonder – “It’s Wrong”
Stina Nordenstam – “Come to Me”
The Decemberists –“The Hazards of Love 4 (The Drowned)”
Explosions in the Sky – “Greet Death”
Raphael Saadiq – “Still Ray”
Patrick Park – “The Long Night”
Thom Yorke – “Hearing Damage”

Wednesday's Playlist 12-9-10

Röyksopp – “Senior Living”
Laura Veirs – “Freight Train”
Squeeze – “Tempted”
Mock & Toof – “P2160”
Ted Leo & the Pharmacists – “The Stick”
Squarepusher – “Tommib”
The 88 – “Coming Home”
Thin Lizzy – “The Rocker”
Trio – “Da Da Da (I Don’t Love You You Don’t Love Me Aha Aha Aha)”
Passion Pit – “Little Secrets”
The White Stripes – “Why Can’t You Be Nicer to Me”
Little Joy – “Don’t Watch Me Dancing”
Sufjan Stevens – “Jacksonville”
Duran Duran – “Hungry Like the Wolf”
The White Stripes – “Blue Orchid (Live)”
M83 – “Graveyard Girl”
This Mortal Coil – “The Horizon Bleeds and Sucks Its Thumb”
Interpol – “Direction”
The English Beat – “Save it for Later”
John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman – “Autumn Serenade”
The Hot Rats – “Love is the Drug”
Pixies – “Head On”
The Human League – “Don’t You Want Me (Special Extended Dance Mix)”
The Strange Death of Liberal England – “Dog Barking at the Moon”
Mumford & Sons – “Winter Winds”
The New Pornographers – “Don’t Destroy This Night”
Curtis Mayfield – “Underground”
A Sunny Day in Glasgow – “Miss My Friends”
Jeff Buckley – “So Real (120 Minutes)”
Eels – “Bad News”
Death Cab for Cutie – “All is Full of Love”
Cake – “Up So Close”
AC/DC – “Hell’s Bells”
Mew – “Sometimes Life Isn’t Easy”
Dexy’s Midnight Runners – “TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)”
Warsaw – “Transmission (Early 7” Mix)”
Katrina & the Waves – “Walking on Sunshine”
Placebo – “Every You, Every Me”
Sufjan Stevens – “The Black Hawk War, Or, How to Demolish an Entire Civilization and Still Feel Good about Yourself in the Morning, Or, We Apologize for the Inconvenience but You’re Going to Have to Leave Now, Or, ‘I Have Fought the Big Knives and Will Continue to Fight Them Until they Are Off Our Lands!’”
Curtis Mayfield – “Makings of You”
Eels – “It’s a Motherf#$@er”
The Swell Season – “If You Want Me”
X – “Devil Doll”
Gay Dad – “Oh Jim”
Garbage – “The Butterfly Collector”
Danger Mouse & Jay-Z – “Moment of Clarity”
The Smiths – “Death at One’s Elbow”
Midlake – “Winter Dies”
Jarvis Cocker – “Angela”
Suede – “We are the Pigs”
Doves – “The Sulphur Man”

My Top 100 Albums of 2010

Check in with Treblezine.com to see how my picks combined with the other writers' picks to create a final comprehensive list.

1. Gorillaz – “Plastic Beach”
2. Jonsi – “Go”
3. The National – “High Violet”
4. Janelle Monae – “The Archandroid”
5. Mumford & Sons – “Sigh No More”
6. Titus Andronicus – “The Monitor”
7. Robyn – “Body Talk”
8. Big Boi – “Sir Lucious Left Foot”
9. Girl Talk – “All Day”
10. Sleigh Bells – “Treats”
11. Perfume Genius – “Learning”
12. The Roots – “How I Got Over”
13. Suckers – “Wild Smile”
14. Broken Bells – “Broken Bells “
15. Owen Pallett – “Heartland”
16. The Like – “Release Me”
17. Kylesa – “Spiral Shadow”
18. Frightened Rabbit – “The Winter of Mixed Drinks”
19. Beach House – “Teen Dream”
20. Deerhunter – “Halcyon Digest”
21. The Books – “The Way Out”
22. Glasser – “Ring”
23. Clem Snide – “The Meat of Life”
24. LCD Soundsystem – “This is Happening”
25. Foals – “Total Life Forever”
26. Spoon – “Transference”
27. Kvelertak – “Kvelertak”
28. Yeasayer – “Odd Blood”
29. Goldfrapp – “Head First”
30. Sun Kil Moon – “Admiral Fell Promises”
31. Minus the Bear – “Omni”
32. Flying Lotus – “Cosmogramma”
33. Twin Shadow - “Forget”
34. The New Pornographers – “Together”
35. ceo – “White Magic”
36. Laura Veirs – “July Flame”
37. The Drums – “The Drums”
38. Free Energy – “Stuck on Nothing”
39. Radio Dept – “Clinging to a Shadow”
40. Best Coast – “Crazy for You”
41. Menomena – “Mines”
42. Of Montreal – “False Priest”
43. Local Natives – “Gorilla Manor”
44. Sufjan Stevens – “The Age of Adz”
45. Male Bonding – “Nothing Hurts”
46. Les Savy Fav – “Root for Ruin”
47. The Thermals – “Personal Life”
48. Superchunk – “Majesty Shredding”
49. Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti – “Before Today”
50. Red Sparowes – “The Fear is Excruciating, But Therein Lies the Answer”
51. Vampire Weekend – “Contra”
52. The Hold Steady – “Heaven is Whenever”
53. Baths – “Cerulean”
54. No Age – “Everything in Between”
55. Broken Social Scene – “Forgiveness Rock Record”
56. Benoit Pioulard – “Lasted”
57. Brian Eno – “Small Craft on a Milk Sea”
58. Underworld – “Barking”
59. The Tallest Man on Earth – “The Wild Hunt”
60. Harvey Milk – “A Small Turn of Human Kindness”
61. Torche – “Songs for Singles”
62. Avey Tare – “Down There”
63. Black Angels – “Phosphene Dream”
64. The Corin Tucker Band – “1,000 Years”
65. Band of Horses – “Infinite Arms”
66. Blitzen Trapper – “Destroyer of the Void”
67. Here We Go Magic – “Pigeons”
68. The Innocence Mission – “My Room in the Trees”
69. Blonde Redhead – “Penny Sparkle”
70. Ted Leo – “The Brutalist Bricks”
71. Los Campesinos – “Romance is Boring”
72. Midlake – “The Courage of Others”
73. Black Keys – “Brothers”
74. John Legend & the Roots – “Wake Up”
75. Tracey Thorn – “Love and Its Opposite”
76. Women – “Public Strain”
77. Liars – “Sisterworld”
78. Turin Brakes – “Outbursts”
79. Surfer Blood – “Astro Coast”
80. Belle & Sebastian – “Write About Love”
81. The Strange Death of Liberal England – “S/T”
82. The Walkmen – “Lisbon”
83. Swans – “My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to the Sky”
84. !!! – “Strange Weather, Isn’t It?”
85. Matthew Dear – “Black City”
86. Small Black – “New Chain”
87. Morning Benders – “Big Echo”
88. Bryan Ferry – “Olympia”
89. Darker My Love – “Alive as You Are”
90. Admiral Radley – “I Heart California”
91. Black Mountain – “Wilderness Heart”
92. Erykah Badu – “New Amerykah Part 2”
93. Ra Ra Riot – “The Orchard”
94. OMD – “History of Modern”
95. Hot Chip – “One Life Stand”
96. Childish Gambino – “Culdesac”
97. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – “Beat the Devil’s Tattoo”
98. Matt & Kim – “Sidewalks”
99. Jenny & Johnny – “I’m Having Fun Now”
100. Freebass – “It’s a Beautiful Life”

Thursday's Playlist 12-2-10

Last 2010 Review before I post my final ranked list...

Superchunk – Majesty Shredding
Thermals – Personal Life
Benoit Pioulard – Lasted
Swans – My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to the Sky

Wednesday's Playlist 12-1-10

Another Best of 2010 Review. My final list is coming soon!

Antony & the Johnsons – Swanlights
Beach House – Teen Dream
Black Tusk – Taste the Sin
Caribou – Swim
Devo – Something for Everybody
Dum Dum Girls – I Will Be
Goldfrapp – Head First
Happy Birthday – Happy Birthday
Liars – Sisterworld
Mock & Toof – Tuning Echoes
Robyn – Body Talk

Tuesday's Playlist 11-30-10

More of my 2010 'Best of' Review:

John Legend & the Roots – Wake Up
The Books – The Way Out
ceo – White Magic
The Tallest Man on Earth – The Wild Hunt
Suckers – Wild Smile
Black Mountain – Wilderness Heart
Frightened Rabbit – The Winter of Mixed Drinks
The Corin Tucker Band – 1,000 Years
The National – High Violet

Monday's Playlist 11-29-10

Today's 2010 Year in Review:

Brian Eno – Small Craft on a Milk Sea
Torche – Songs for Singles
Kylesa – Spiral Shadow
!!! – Strange Weather, Isn’t It?
Free Energy – Stuck on Nothing
LCD Soundsystem – This is Happening
Spoon – Transference
Sleigh Bells – Treats

Friday's Playlist 11-26-10

More of the Best of 2010 Review...

Titus Andronicus – The Monitor
The Innocence Mission – My Room in the Trees
Erykah Badu – New Amerykah Part II: Return of the Ankh
Small Black – New Chain
Male Bonding – Nothing Hurts
Bryan Ferry – Olympia
Minus the Bear – Omni
Hot Chip – One Life Stand
Ra Ra Riot – The Orchard
Blonde Redhead – Penny Sparkle
The Black Angels – Phosphene Dream
Here We Go Magic – Pigeons
The Like – Release Me
Glasser – Ring
Los Campesinos! – Romance is Boring
Les Savy Fav – Root for Ruin
Matt & Kim – Sidewalks
Mumford & Sons – Sigh No More
Big Boi – Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty

Wednesday's Playlist 11-24-10

Today's 2010 Albums in Review:

Broken Social Scene – Forgiveness Rock Record
Local Natives – Gorilla Manor
Deerhunter – Halcyon Digest
The Hold Steady – Heaven is Whenever
OMD – History of Modern
The Roots – How I Got Over
Admiral Radley – I Heart California
Jenny and Johnny – I’m Having Fun Now
Freebass – It’s a Beautiful Life
Laura Veirs – July Flame
Kvelertak – Kvelertak
Perfume Genius – Learning
Tracey Thorn – Love and Its Opposite
Clem Snide – The Meat of Life
Menomena – Mines

Tuesday's Playlist 11-23-10

Today's Best of 2010 Review:

The Morning Benders – Big Echo
Matthew Dear – Black City
The Black Keys – Brothers
Ted Leo & the Pharmacists – The Brutalist Bricks
Baths – Cerulean
The Radio Dept – Clinging to a Scheme
Flying Lotus – Cosmogramma
Best Coast – Crazy for You
Childish Gambino – Culdesac
Avey Tare – Down There
The Strange Death of Liberal England – Drown Your Heart Again
The Drums – The Drums
No Age – Everything in Between
Of Montreal – False Priest

Monday's Playlist 11-22-10

Today's 2010 Review:

Sun Kil Moon – Admiral Fell Promises
Sufjan Stevens – The Age of Adz
Darker My Love – Alive as You Are
Girl Talk – All Day
Janelle Monae – The ArchAndroid
Surfer Blood – Astro Coast
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – Beat the Devil’s Tattoo
Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti – Before Today
Belle and Sebastian – Belle and Sebastian Write About Love

Friday's Playlist 11-19-10

Listening / Relistening to albums from this year to better inform my 'Best of 2010' list:

Today:

Underworld - Barking
Twin Shadow - Forget
The Walkmen - Lisbon
Women - Public Strain
Yeasayer - Odd Blood

Thursday's Playlist 11-18-10

Pixies – “Debaser”
Duran Duran – “Planet Earth (Manchester Square Demos)”
Walter Carlos – “Theme from A Clockwork Orange”
Cast – “Alright”
Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings – “Inspiration Information”
Jellyfish – “She Still Loves Him”
New Order – “Face Up”
Deerhunter – “Revival”
Phoenix – “Armistice (Yacht Rmx)”
Hans Zimmer – “Dream Within a Dream (from Inception)”
Michael Penn – “Walter Reed”
Chicago – “Love Me Tomorrow”
Kirsty MacColl – “Other People’s Hearts”
Wolf Parade – “Little Golden Age”
Sufjan Stevens – “Age of Adz”
Eels – “I Like Birds”
Morrissey – “Lucky Lisp”
Oran “Juice” Jones – “The Rain”
Hall & Oates – “How Does it Feel to be Back”
The Silencers – “Possessed”
The Smiths – “Half a Person”
This Mortal Coil – “Several Times”
Animal Collective – “My Girls”
Here We Go Magic – “Only Pieces”
Paul Weller – “Riverman”
The Twilight Sad – “Cold Days from the Birdhouse”
Cake – “Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps”
The Who – “I Can See for Miles”
Mew – “The Zookeeper’s Boy”
New Order – “Temptation”
Tricky – “Au Revoir Emmanuelle”
Kvelertak – “Sjøhyenar (Havets Herrer)”
Lansing-Dreiden – “Two Extremes”
Nine Inch Nails – “The Way Out is Through”
Joy Zipper – “Christmas Song”
Today – “Why You Get Funky On Me (12” Mix)”
Dum Dum Girls – “Blank Girl”
Patrick Park – “Silence and Storm”
Q-Tip – “End of Time”
Pet Shop Boys – “DJ Culture”
Teenage Fanclub – “Ain’t That Enough”
Iron Maiden – “22 Acacia Avenue”
The Fiery Furnaces – “Here Comes the Summer”
Grizzly Bear & Feist – “Service Bell”
Les Savy Fav – “The Sweat Descends”
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers – “Don’t Do Me Like That”
Sun Kil Moon – “The Leaning Tree”
Big Boi – “Turns Me On”
Billy Squier – “Listen to the Heartbeat”
The Coconutz – “These Boots are Made for Walking”
Childish Gambino – “I’m Alright”
Billy Squier – “Learn How to Live”
Little Dragon – “Runabout”
The Knitters (X) – “Someone Like You (Demo)”
School of Seven Bells – “Camarilla”
My Morning Jacket – “El Caporal”
Fountains of Wayne – “Please Don’t Rock Me Tonight”
Pernice Brothers – “7:30”
Midnight Oil – “The Dead Heart”
Sia – “Stop Trying”
Gorillaz – “Dirty Harry”
Phosphorescent – “Cocaine Lights”
The Cure – “Last Dance (Guide Vocal)”
The National – “Green Gloves”
Lansing-Dreiden – “Dethroning the Optimyth”
Fountains of Wayne – “Go, Hippie”
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – “The Tenure Itch”
World Party – “Thank You World”
Sigur Rós – “Avalon”
Hans Zimmer – “Paradox (from Inception)”
Mandy Moore – “Anticipation”
Lupe Fiasco – “Kick, Push”
Women – “Locust Valley”
The Dandy Warhols – “Bohemian Like You”
Weezer – “Hang On”
Gorillaz – “DARE”
Earl Brutus – “SAS and the Glam That Goes With It”

Tuesday's Playst 11-16-10

Pelican – “Untitled”
Hans Zimmer – “528491 (from Inception)”
Meaghan Smith- “Here Comes Your Man”
Prince – “Cream”
Def Leppard – “Let it Go”
Faunts – “I Think I’ll Start a Fire”
Placebo – “Teenage Angst”
N.E.R.D. – “Life as a Fish”
The Books- “All Bad Ends All”
Camera Obscura – “Lloyd, I’m ready to be Heartbroken”
Danny Elfman – “Gratitude”
Travis – “Why Does It Always Rain on Me?”
Oasis – “Live Forever (Live)”
The Pogues feat. Kirsty MacColl– “Fairytale of New York”
Travis – “Turn”
John Lennon – “Woman (Stripped Down)”
Prince – “Alphabet St.”
Torche – “Triumph of Venus”
The Smiths – “Unloveable”
Fleetwood Mac – “Don’t Stop”
Paul Anka – “Wonderwall”
Eels – “Estranged Friends”
Tom Waits – “Hoist That Rag”
Flight of the Conchords – “I Told You I Was Freaky”
Flying Lotus – “Dance of the Pseudo Nymph”
Oasis – “Lyla (Live)”
Portishead – “Sour Times”
The Trash Can Sinatras – “Only Tongue Can Tell”
Antony & the Johnsons feat. Björk – “Flétta”
The Cure – “Closedown (Instrumental)”
Holly McNarland – “Stormy”
Little Dragon – “Thunder Love”
The Go-Go’s – “We Don’t Get Along (Live)”
Women – “Eyesore”
Emiliana Torrini- “Nothing Brings Me Down”
The Psychedelic Furs- “Heaven”
The White Stripes- “You’re Pretty Good Looking (For a Girl)”
Great Northern – “Driveway”
Mos Def feat. Talib Kweli – “History”
The Jimi Hendrix Experience – “Remember”
Hum – “Stars”
Hum – “I’d Like Your Hair Long”
Durutti Column – “A Little Mercy (Duet)”
Jawbreaker – “Gutless”
Jónsi – “Kolniður”
Nelly Furtado – “I’m Like a Bird”
Doves – “Willow’s Song (Bury Version)”
Stabbing Westward – “Inside You”
The Black Angels – “Choose to Choose”
Pretenders – “Creep (Live)”
This Mortal Coil – “I Want to Live”
Beulah – “Sunday Under Glass”
The White Stripes – “We Are Going to be Friends (Live)”
Free Design – “You Could Be Born Again”
Lindsey Buckingham – “Shut Us Down”
LCD Soundsystem – “Drunk Girls”
The National – “England”
The Swell Season – “Two Tongues”
Stars – “Calendar Girl”
Elton John – “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”
Pelican – “GW”
Wilco – “Pot Kettle Black”
Kylesa – “In Memory”
Grizzly Bear – “Cheerleader”
The Wannadies – “Might Be Stars”
John Lennon & Yoko Ono – “Give Me Something”
Mock & Toof – “Shoeshine Boogie”
Matt & Kim – “Spare Change”
Alice Cooper – “Billion Dollar Babies”
Jesu – “Silver”
Creedence Clearwater Revival – “Have You Ever Seen the Rain?”
Carla Bruni – “Those Little Things (Ces Petits Riens)”
Pet Shop Boys – “Jealousy”
Scritti Politti – “Absolute”
Josh Rouse – “His Majesty Rides”
Jellyfish – “Calling Sarah”
Q-Tip – “Won’t Trade”
Spacehog – “In the Meantime”
Sun Kil Moon – “Australian Winter”
Rogue Wave – “Kicking the Heart Out”
Tears for Fears – “The Working Hour”

Friday's Playlist 11-12-10

Grandaddy- “Nature Anthem”
Matt & Kim- “No More Long Years”
Brendan Benson- “Don’t Wanna Talk”
Beethoven- “Ninth Symphony, Second Movement (Abridged)”
Foals- “Black Gold”
Jason Collett- “We All Lose One Another”
Van Morrison- “Caravan”
Neil Finn- “She Will Have Her Way”
The Maldives- “Say Nothing”
Brian Eno- “Horse”
The National- “Little Faith”
Sigur Rós- “Untitled #2 aka Fyrsta”
Gorillaz- “Dirty Harry”
Jellyfish- “All I Want is Everything”
Sigur Rós- “Ágætis Byrjun”
No Doubt- “Hella Good”
Gorillaz- “On Melancholy Hill”
Male Bonding- “Weird Feelings”
Monster Magnet- “Black Celebration”
Sigur Rós- “Untitled #1 aka Vaka (Heima Version)”
Blur- “Tender (Live)”
Information Society- “Walking Away”
The Waterboys- “Spirit”
Billy Joel- “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant”
Phosphorescent- “At Death, a Proclamation”
Eels- “Dog’s Life”
Tom Waits- “Since I Fell for You”
Lansing-Dreiden- “I Keep Everything”
Lansing-Dreiden- “I.C.U.”
Spandau Ballet- “True”
LCD Soundsystem- “Sound of Silver”
Mogwai- “Summer (Priority) (Live)”
Carl Barât- “Je Regrette, Je Regrette”
High Llamas- “Frankly, Mr. Shankly”
Shudder to Think feat. Mimi Parker & Alan Sparhawk- “Just Really Wanna See You”
Paul Kimble & Andy Mackay- “Bitter End”
Lynyrd Skynyrd- “Simple Man”
Childish Gambino- “The Last”
Blonde Redhead- “Distilled”
Hercules and Love Affair- “This is My Love”
The Flaming Lips- “IF”
Explosions in the Sky- “Lonely Train”
Liars- “Here Comes All the People”
New Order- “All Day Long”
Tom Waits- “Burma Shave”
The Orb- “Toxygene”
Tom Waits- “Time”
Ariel Pink- “Higher & Higher”
James Murphy- “If You Need a Friend”
Explosions in the Sky- “Greet Death”
Weezer- “Across the Sea”
The Killers- “Midnight Show”
Talking Heads- “And She Was”
Fugazi- “Epic Problem”
Of Montreal- “You Do Mutilate?”
Doves- “Snowden”
The Swell Season- “Alone Apart”
Altered Images- “Happy Birthday (Dance Mix)”
Smashing Pumpkins- “Hummer”

Thursday's Playlist 11-11-10

Mumford & Sons- “The Cave”
Hum- “Songs of Farewell and Departure”
Garbage- “Milk (Massive Attack Remix)”
Eels- “Waltz of the Naked Clowns”
José González- “In Our Nature”
Explosions in the Sky- “The Sky Above, the Field Below”
Japandroids- “The Boys are Leaving Town”
Glasser- “Home”
Future of the Left- “It’s a Folk Song”
Robyn- “Love Kills”
Clem Snide- “Please”
Metric- “Help I’m Alive (EP Version)”
Carissa’s Wierd- “Die”
Guided by Voices- “Chasing Heather Crazy”
Catatonia- “Mulder and Scully”
The Go-Go’s- “Cool Jerk”
The Books- “All You Need is a Wall”
Travis- “Love Will Come Through”
Morrissey- “If You Don’t Like Me, Don’t Look at Me”
Kirsty MacColl- “London Bridge is Falling Down”
Refused- “Circle Pit (Live)”
Hot Chip- “Transmission”
Spoon- “The Way We Get By”
World Party- “When the Rainbow Comes”
Ronald Binge- “Sailing By”
Buckethead- “Pure Imagination”
Malcolm McLaren- “Soweto / Buffalo Gals / Double Dutch”
Kirsty MacColl- “Can’t Stop Killing You”
Music Go Music- “Warm in the Shadows”
Supertramp- “Breakfast in America”
Kele- “Rise”
Wolf Parade- “Ghost Pressure”
John Lennon & Yoko Ono- “Yes, I’m Your Angel (Stripped Down)”
Sunny Day Real Estate- “Pheurton Skeurto”
The Decemberists- “The Wanting Comes in Waves / Repaid”
Clem Snide- “Denver”
Flying Lotus- “Satelllliiiiiiiteee”
Rush- “Time Stand Still”
Squeeze- “Labeled with Love”
Galaxie 500- “Summertime”
Weezer- “Ruling Me”
French Kicks- “The Trial of the Century (Live)”
A Flock of Seagulls- “Committed”
Scarface w/ Jay-Z- “Guess Who’s Back”
The Frames- “Falling Slowly”
Happy Mondays- “Dennis & Lois”
Surfer Blood- “Floating Vibes”
Little Dragon- “My Step”
The Magnetic Fields- “Interlude”
Danzig- “Mother”
Raphael Saadiq- “Tek #1”
Arcade Fire- “Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)”
Kylesa- “To Forget”
Passion Pit- “Folds in Your Hands”
Morrissey- “Black-Eyed Susan”

Wednesday's Playlist 11-10-10

Lulu- “To Sir with Love”
Gorillaz- “Intro (Demon Days)”
James Murphy- “Dear You”
New Order- “Confusion (Substance Version)”
Los Campesinos!- “Straight in at 101”
Sigur Rós- “Með Blóðnasir”
Black Tusk- “Snake Charmer”
The xx- “Night Time”
Robert Palmer- “Simply Irresistible (Extended Version)”
The Allman Brothers Band- “One Way Out”
Desert Sessions- “Hanging Tree”
Scritti Politti- “Wood Beez”
Future of the Left- “Plague of Onces”
Beirut- “Interior of a Dutch House”
Cake- “I Bombed Korea”
Bright Eyes- “Blue Angels Air Show”
Vampire Weekend- “M79”
The Future Sound of London- “Everyone in the World is Doing Something without Me”
Aimee Mann- “That’s Just What You Are (Acoustic)”
A Place to Bury Strangers- “Lost Feeling”
Big Boi- “Daddy Fat Sax”
Shout Out Louds- “Show Me Something New”
Buddy Holly- “Raining in My Heart”
Wilco- “Solitaire”
The Trash Can Sinatras- “Thrupenny Tears”
Metric- “Collect Call”
The Smiths- “This Charming Man (New York)”
Slint- “For Dinner…”
Rush- “Limelight”
Passion Pit- “Let Your Love Grow Tall”
Bell Biv Devoe- “Dope!”
Foals- “Big Big Love (Fig 2)”
The Swell Season- “I Have Loved You Wrong (Live)”
Hall & Oates- “Everytime You Go Away”
Prince- “Pop Life (Fresh Dance Mix)”
Future of the Left- “My Gymnastic Past”
Boards of Canada- “Roygbiv”
N.E.R.D.- “I’ve Seen the Light / Inside of Clouds”
The Swell Season- “Back Broke”
Gorillaz- “Empire Ants”
Mott the Hoople- “Sweet Jane”
The Radio Dept- “The Video Dept”
Foals- “What Remains”
Röyksopp- “The Fear”
Girls- “Summertime”
Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti- “Artifact”
Phoenix- “Long Distance Call”
Them Crooked Vultures- “Interlude with Ludes”
David Bowie- “Station to Station (Live)”
Hercules and Love Affair- “Blind”
Philip Selway- “The Witching Hour”
Supertramp- “Even in the Quietest Moments”
Bee Gees- “If I Can’t Have You”
Fountains of Wayne- “Leave the Biker”
ELO- “Mr. Blue Sky”
The Hold Steady- “The Sweet Part of the City”
Raphael Saadiq w/ Angie Stone- “Excuse Me”
Red Sparowes- “In Every Mind”
Black Kids- “I’ve Underestimated My Charms (Again)”
Arcade Fire- “The Suburbs”
KRS-One- “I Can’t Wake Up”
Aimee Mann- “Stupid Thing (Acoustic)”
Tears for Fears- “Mad World”
Wilco- “Misunderstood”
New Order- “Bizarre Love Triangle (12” Remix)”
The Future Sound of London- “Vit Drowning / Through Your Gills I Breathe”
Boogie Down Productions- "Word From Our Sponsor (Album Instrumental Version)"

Tuesday's Playlist 11-9-10

I’ve made the decision to remove songs from my iPod once they’ve played to avoid future repeats, and in order to make room for replacement or new music. It looks like, in rebellion, my iPod has decided to specifically target Tears for Fears and the Flying Burrito Bros.

Iron Maiden- “Gangland”
Flying Burrito Bros.- “Juanita”
Travis- “…Baby One More Time”
Sufjan Stevens- “Bad Communication”
Flying Burrito Bros.- “Hot Burrito #1”
Tears for Fears- “Everybody Wants to Rule the World”
Tears for Fears- “Watch Me Bleed”
Miles Davis- “Oleo”
Tears for Fears- “Saxophones as Opiates”
Sigur Rós- “Glósóli (Heima Version)”
King Khan & BBQ Show- “Spin the Bottle”
Morrissey- “First of the Gang to Die”
Carissa’s Wierd- “Blessed Arms that Hold You Tight, Freezing Cold and Alone”
Cake- “Mr. Mastodon Farm”
Gorillaz- “M1 A1”
The National- “Cardinal Song”
Stricken City- “Sometimes I Love You”
Gorillaz- “Clint Eastwood (Phi Life Cypher)”
Future of the Left- “The Lord Hates a Coward”
Flying Lotus- “Arkestry”
Rufus Wainwright- “One Man Guy”
Gil Scott-Heron- “New York is Killing Me”
The Lodger- “Stand Up!”
Band of Horses- “Infinite Arms”
Kirsty MacColl- “Dear John (Demo)”
Fun Boy Three- “The Telephone Always Rings (12” Extended Mix)”
Russian Circles- “Malko”
Mew- “Vaccine”
Sleigh Bells- “Crown on the Ground”
The Antlers- “Two”
Kansas- “Carry on Wayward Son”
Mötley Crüe- “Too Fast for Love”
Missing Persons- “Words”
Local Natives- “Sun Hands”
Godspeed You! Black Emperor- “Tiny Silver Hammers (Part 2)”
Weird Al Yankovic- “Alternative Polka Medley”
The Rolling Stones- “Miss You”
Free Design- “I Found Love”
The Walkmen- “Stranded”
Nick Thune- “Here Girl (For a Lost, Pregnant Dog)”
Electronicat- “Wop Do Wop”
Black Mountain- “The Space of Your Mind”
Fleetwood Mac- “Love Shines”
Wilco- “Pieholden Suite”
AC/DC- “Back in Black”
Mos Def- “Revelations”
Interpol- “Precipitate”
The Smiths- “Money Changes Everything”
Here We Go Magic- “Surprise”
Sufjan Stevens- “John Wayne Gacy, Jr.”
Dusty Springfield- “Every Day I Have to Cry”
F#$@ed Up- “Crooked Head”
Band of Horses- “Trudy”
Thin Lizzy- “Rosalie”
The Innocence Mission- “Mile-Marker”
Ceo- “No Mercy”
Fountains of Wayne- “Halley’s Waitress”
The Bird & the Bee- “I’m a Broken Heart”
The Rolling Stones- “Let it Loose”
Four Tet- “This Unfolds”
‘Til Tuesday- “Don’t Watch Me Bleed”
Lansing-Dreiden- “Symbol of Symmetry”
Foo Fighters- “Learn to Fly”
Ryan Adams- “Don’t Even Know Her Name”
Broken Social Scene- “Pitter Patter Goes My Heart”
The Black Keys- “I’m Not the One”
The Future Sound of London- “Lifeforms (Path 5)”
Blitzen Trapper- “Evening Star”
Nice & Smooth- “Hip Hop Junkies”
Drive Like Jehu- “Luau”

Monday's Playlist 11-8-10

Grand Archives- “Lazy Bones”
The Pogues- “Body of an American”
Primal Scream- “Higher than the Sun”
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart- “Hey Paul”
Pelican- “Ephemeral”
Queens of the Stone Age- “Tension Head”
Depeche Mode- “Black Celebration (Live)”
Lene Lovich- “New Toy”
Metric- “Gold Guns Girls”
Dan Wilson- “All Kinds”
The Chameleons- “Intrigue in Tangiers”
Glen Hansard- “Broken Hearted Hoover Fixer Sucker Guy”
The Tough Alliance- “Tough II”
Q-Tip- “Abstractions”
Travis- “Somewhere Else”
The Fixx- “Running”
Ariel Pink- “Every Night I Die at Miyagis”
Q-Tip- “Breathe and Stop”
Crash and the Boys- “We Hate You Please Die”
Janelle Monáe- “Dance or Die”
Little Joy- “Keep Me in Mind”
The Decemberists- “Margaret in Captivity”
Modest Mouse- “The Whale Song”
Regina Spektor- “Us”
X- “Sugarlight”
Prince- “Do Me, Baby”
Rush- “The Big Money”
Mogwai- “Yes! I Am a Long Way From Home”
Kirsty MacColl- “You Just Haven’t Earned it Yet, Baby”
Split Enz- “Dirty Creature”
Band of Horses- “Way Back Home”
Little Dragon- “Swimming”
Slint- “Nosferatu Man”
Gwen Stefani- “Hollaback Girl”
Duran Duran- “The Reflex (Dance Mix)”
The Decemberists- “A Bower Scene”
The National- “Watching You Well”
Jimi Hendrix- “Still Raining, Still Dreaming”

Friday's Playlist 11-5-10

Interpol- “Try It On”
Happy Mondays- “Kinky Afro”
Cake- “Jolene”
Can- “Peking O”
Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros- “Jade”
Flight of the Conchords- “Demon Woman”
The Fixx- “Outside”
The Maldives- “Going Home”
The Psychedelic Furs- “Pretty in Pink”
Bomba Estereo- “La Boquilla”
A.C. Newman- “Drink to Me Babe, Then”
Marcy Playground- “Sex and Candy (KCRW)”
INXS w/ Jimmy Barnes- “Good Times”
The Silencers- “A Letter from St. Paul”
Built to Spill- “Linus & Lucy (Live)
Sigur Rós- “Starálfur (Heima Version)”
Peter Gabriel- “My Body is a Cage”
Caribou- “Niobe”
The Smiths- “Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others”
Dusty Springfield- “Don’t You Know”
Journey- “Be Good to Yourself”
Hercules and Love Affair- “Blind”
Joe Jackson- “Steppin’ Out”
The Killers- “Mr. Brightside”
Mock & Toof- “The Key”
Broken Bells- “Vaporize”
Brendan Benson- “Cold Hands, Warm Heart”
X- “The World’s a Mess, It’s in My Kiss”
Def Leppard- “Billy’s Got a Gun”
Arcade Fire- “Half Light I”
New Order- “In a Lonely Place”
Thin Lizzy- “Dancing in the Moonlight”
Tears for Fears- “Memories Fade”
Mos Def- “No Hay Nada Mas”
Bright Eyes- “Happy Birthday to Me (Feb. 15)”
Bob & Doug McKenzie- “Coffee Sandwich”
Devotchka- “Venus in Furs”
LCD Soundsystem- “North American Scum”
Ryan Adams- “My Winding Wheel”
The Duke Spirit- “The Step and the Walk”
Flying Burrito Bros.- “Do Right Woman”
Tom Waits- “Frank’s Wild Years”
Wilco- “You & I”
Pet Shop Boys- “Being Boring”
Frightened Rabbit- “Learned Your Name”
Gene- “Be My Light, Be My Guide”
Jawbreaker- “Incomplete”
Death Cab for Cutie- “Information Travels Faster”
Little River Band- “Take It Easy on Me”
Great Northern- “Numbers”
Ra Ra Riot- “Winter ‘05”
Orbital- “Satan (Industry Standard Mix)”
Badfinger- “Baby Blue”
The Smiths- “Accept Yourself”
Wu-Tang Clan- “Protect Ya Neck”
Simple Minds- “Stand by Love”
Fleetwood Mac- “Green Manalishi”
Erykah Badu- “You Loving Me”
Hot Chip- “Alley Cats”
Morrissey- “Please Help the Cause Against Loneliness”
New Order- “Perfect Kiss”
Modest Mouse- “Ocean Breathes Salty”
Matthew Dear- “Honey”
Peggy Lee- “I Love Being Here With You”
Queens of the Stone Age- “Better Living Through Chemistry”
The Like- “Fair Game”
High on Fire- “Holy Flames of the Fire Spitter”
Tears for Fears- “Suffer the Children”

Thursday's Playlist 11-4-10

Foo Fighters- “Everlong (Acoustic)”
Iggy Pop- “Lust for Life”
Antony- “If It Be Your Will”
Billy Joel- “Honesty”
Foals- “Bloo Blood 2”
Morrissey- “Don’t Make Fun of Daddy’s Voice”
Amerie & Jay-Z, Eve- “1 Thing (Remix)”
Dan Wilson- “Free Life”
Los Campesinos- “Who Fell Asleep In”
Echo & the Bunnymen- “The Pictures on My Wall (Original Mix)”
Weezer- “I Want to Be Something”
Mock & Toof- “Underwater”
Hot Chip- “And I Was a Boy From School”
Nine Inch Nails- “We’re In This Together”
Funkadelic- “Back in Our Minds”
The Mountain Goats- “Drug Life”
New Order- “ICB”
Björk- “I Go Humble”
Wang Chung- “Everybody Have Fun Tonight”
Franz Ferdinand- “Take Me Out (KCRW)”
The Like- “Trouble in Paradise”
Guillemots- “Trains to Brazil”
Carissa’s Wierd- “Die”
Dum Dum Girls- “Lines Her Eyes”
Lorraine Ellison- “Stay With Me (Baby)”
Semisonic- “Closing Time”
Edward Elgar- “Pomp and Circumstance March No. IV (Abridged)”
Grandaddy- “The Crystal Lake”
Kaiser Chiefs- “Modern Way”
Edwyn Collins- “A Girl Like You”
James Brown- “Popcorn”
Red House Painters- “Things Mean a Lot”
New Order- “True Faith – True Dub”
ABC- “How to Be a Zillionaire (Bond Street Mix)”
Grizzly Bear- “Deep Blue Sea”
Philip Selway- “Beyond Reason”
The Cure- “Lovesong”
Iron & Wine- “Fever Dream (Live)”
Owen Pallett- “Red Sun No. 5”
Arcade Fire- “No Cars Go”
Badly Drawn Boy- “It Came from the Ground”
The Martinis- “Free”
Jawbox- “Whitney Walks”
Battles- “Race Out”
Stina Nordenstam- “People Are Strange”
Ryan Adams- “To Be Young (Is To Be Sad, Is To Be High)”
Nite Jewel- “Forget You & I”
Wolf Parade- “Oh You, Old Thing”
The National- “Slow Show”
A Tribe Called Quest- “Can I Kick It?”
Carl Barât- “She’s Something”
How to Destroy Angels- “The Believers”
Future Sound of London- “Vertical Pig”
We Were Promised Jetpacks- “This is My House, This is My Home”
The Cardigans- “Erase / Rewind”
Malcolm McLaren- “Double Dutch”
Wilco- “Nothing’severgonnastandinmyway (Again)”
Def Leppard- “Comin’ Under Fire”
Boston- “A Man I’ll Never Be”
Yeah Yeah Yeahs- “Heads Will Roll”
Jonathan Richman- “Egyptian Reggae”
The Sundays- “A Certain Someone”
Procol Harum- “A Whiter Shade of Pale”
Self- “Shame”
Thomas Dolby- “She Blinded Me With Science”
The National- “Brainy”
High on Fire- “Snakes for the Divine”
Please- “Here It Comes Again”

Wednesday's Playlist 11-3-10

...or, the Post-Election Hangover Playlist...

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club- “War Machine”
Scritti Politti- “Messthetics”
Big Star- “Big Black Car”
Underworld- “Between Stars”
Justin Timberlake- “My Love”
Big Boi- “Follow Us”
Camper Van Beethoven- “Pictures of Matchstick Men”
Brian Eno & John Cale- “Lay My Love”
Miles Davis- “Moon Dreams”
Frightened Rabbit- “Old Old Fashioned (Live)”
The Maldives- “Blood Relations”
DJ Shadow- “Hardcore Hip-Hop”
AC/DC- “You Shook Me All Night Long”
Phoenix- “Fences (Chairlift Rmx)”
Peter Gabriel- “Philadelphia”
Vampire Weekend- “Cousins”
Finn Brothers- “Angels Heap”
Echo & the Bunnymen- “Hurricane”
Laura Veirs- “Spelunking”
The Smiths- “The Hand that Rocks the Cradle”
!!!- “The Most Certain Sure”
Röyksopp- “Coming Home”
Depeche Mode- “Black Celebration (Live)”
Bonnie “Prince” Billy- “Cursed Sleep”
T. Rex- “Bang a Gong (Get it On)”
X- “Delta 88”
The National- “Wasp Nest”
Earlimart- “Heaven Adores You”
The Pixies- “Gigantic”
Twin Shadow- “Castles in the Snow”
Beach House- “Mile Stereo”
Neil Young- “Southern Man”
The xx- “Infinity”
Bright Eyes- “Soon You Will Be Leaving Your Man”
Jaylib- “The Red”
Eels- “I Need Some Sleep”
The Waterboys- “Sweet Thing”
Boogie Down Productions- “Elementary (Instrumental)”
OMD- “Sister Marie Says”
38 Special- “Hold on Loosely”
The National- “About Toda”
The Troggs- “With a Girl Like You”
Morrissey- “Our Frank”
Yes- “Roundabout”
BLK JKS- “Lietys”
Aimee Mann- “The Scientist (Live)”
Interpol- “Obstacle 1”
The Jesus & Mary Chain- “Happy When it Rains”
Outkast- “Happy Valentine’s Day”
The Zombies- “Care of Cell 44”
Squeeze- “Is That Love”
Fountains of Wayne- “Utopia Parkway”
The Smiths- “What She Said”
Childish Gambino- “What the F*** Are You? (Colouring of Pigeons)”
Clem Snide- “Forgive Me, Love”
Garfunkel & Oates- “As You Are”

Tuesday's Playlist 11-2-10

Chris Andrews- “Yesterday Man”
Les Savy Fav- “Our Coastal Hymn”
Kaiser Chiefs- “I Predict a Riot”
John Legend & the Roots- “Shine”
Happy Birthday- “Subliminal Message”
Frightened Rabbit- “Good Arms vs. Bad Arms (Live)”
The Blood Arm- “Suspicious Character”
Jónsi- “Go Do”
Miles Davis- “Jeru”
Pelican- “.”
OK Go- “End Love”
Mogwai- “Like Herod (Live)”
Neil Young- “Everybody Knows This is Nowhere”
Mew- “Sometimes Life Isn’t Easy”
Frankie Goes to Hollywood- “The Waves”
TV on the Radio- “Wolf Like Me”
N.E.R.D.- “Hot-n-Fun”
Eddie Money- “Shakin’”
The Band- “The Weight”
Heart- “Barracuda (Live)”
Sara Watkins- “Bygones”
Russian Circles- “Geneva”
Soft Cell- “Tainted Love”
New Order- “Here to Stay”
Miles Davis- “Concierto De Aranjuez”
Gorillaz- “M1 A1”
INXS & Jimmy Barnes- “Laying Down the Law”
New Order- “Temptation”
Mumford & Sons- “White Blank Page”
Hercules and Love Affair- “True False / Fake Real”
Kylesa- “Cheating Synergy”
The Delgados- “Coming in from the Cold”
Nine Inch Nails- “Head Like a Hole (Day)”
The Fixx- “The Sign of Fire”
The White Stripes- “Fell in Love with a Girl (Live)”
Public Enemy- “Fight the Power”
Brendan Benson- “Cold Hands, Warm Heart”
Bob Lind- “Cool Summer”
De La Soul- “So Good”
Mogwai- “Yes! I Am a Long Way From Home”
Duran Duran- “The Reflex (Live)”
Gravenhurst- “Damage II”
Red Sparowes- “And Only Then Did We Begin to Think for Ourselves”
Redman- “Time 4 Sum Aksion”
Frightened Rabbit- “Skip the Youth”
Hall & Oates- “You Make My Dreams”
Love Is All- “Make Out Fall Out Make Up”
The Format- “I’m Actual”
Joe Jackson- “Breaking Us in Two”
The Kinks- “Session Man”
Lee Hazelwood- “Pour Man”
Dandy Warhols- “Bohemian Like You”
The Smiths- “Suffer Little Children”
Metric- “Gold Guns Girls”
Mumford & Sons- “Awake My Soul (Live)”
Band of Horses- “Bartles + James”
Flying Lotus- “Jurassic Notion”
De La Soul- “A Rollerskating Jam Named Saturdays”
The Avalanches- “Frontier Psychiatrist”
Le Tigre- “Deceptacon”
Little Dragon- “Thunder Love”
Air- “You Make it Easy”
The Stone Roses- “Fools Gold”
Thin Lizzy- “Bad Reputation”
Happy Mondays- “Loose Fit”
Morrissey- “November Spawned a Monster”
Mew- “Comforting Sounds”
The Psychedelic Furs- “Here Come Cowboys”
Kirsty MacColl- “A New England”
The National- “Mistaken for Strangers”
T. Rex- “20th Century Boy”
Iron & Wine- “Waitin’ for a Superman”
Phoenix- “Rome (Neighbors with Devendra Banhart)”
The Drums- “Forever and Ever Amen”
Q-Tip- “Higher”
The Drums- “The Future”
Echo & the Bunnymen- “New Direction”
The Futureheads- “Hounds of Love”
Mogwai- “I’m Jim Morrison, I’m Dead”
The Jesus & Mary Chain- “Cut Dead”
The Black Keys- “Ten Cent Pistol”
The Boo Radleys- “Lazarus”
The Gossip- “Standing in the Way of Control”
Bob & Doug McKenzie- “Take Off”
Flight of the Conchords- “Sugalumps”
Gang of Four- “I Love a Man in a Uniform”
Morrissey- “Whatever Happens, I Love You”
Sufjan Stevens- “Too Much”
Def Leppard- “Let it Go (Live)”
Aimee Mann- “Deathly”
Muse- “Muscle Museum”
Duran Duran- “Planet Earth (Night Mix)”
Joan Jett & the Blackhearts- “Crimson and Clover”
Split Enz- “Hard Act to Follow”
Heaven 17- “Let Me Go”

A Return to the Playlist

Podcasts were driving me stir crazy. Back to the music...

New Order- “Thieves Like Us”
Avey Tare- “Heads Hammock”
Thompson Twins- “Doctor Doctor”
The Futureheads- “Piece of Crap”
Creedence Clearwater Revival- “Who’ll Stop the Rain?”
David Bowie- “Waiting for the Man (Live)”
The Drones- “I Am the Supercargo”
The The- “Kingdom of Rain”
Level 42- “Something About You”
The Magnetic Fields- “Absolutely Cuckoo”
Thin Lizzy- “Emerald”
The Venus in Furs- “Ladytron”
Lansing-Dreiden- “Our Next Breath”
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club- “Evol”
The Bird and the Bee- “Birds and the Bees”
Animal Collective- “Fireworks”
N.E.R.D.- “Sacred Temple”
M83- “Graveyard Girl”
Junior Boys- “Teach Me How to Fight”
Classics IV- “Spooky”
‘Til Tuesday- “You Know the Rest”
Tom Waits- “Rain Dogs”
Simian Mobile Disco- “It’s the Beat”
Santogold- “Shove It”
Rogue Wave- “Eyes”
The Future Sound of London- “Everyone in the World is Doing Something without Me”
Depeche Mode- “Nothing (Live)”

The Best Comedy Podcasts

I've taken somewhat of a break from the playlists. Putting the iPod on shuffle, even with 80 GB of music to go through, can get old. So, I looked to the podcast as a way of passing the time in my cubicle. Though the technology of podcasting has been around for a few years, we are starting to enter into the first real golden age of the genre. I started with one, which led me to two others, and my podcast library expanded exponentially from there. The following is a list of the shows that I gravitate to most often, the comedy podcasts.


Comedy Death Ray Radio

Scott Aukerman, former writer for Mr. Show, and co-organizer of the Comedy Death Ray live show, now featuring at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in L.A., hosts one of the funniest podcasts out there today. Some of the best names in comedy show up in the new Earwolf Studios, more than a few of them in character. For me, that is what usually provides the laughs, as the host and some of the guests end up being blindsided by unexpected character improv. Some of the highlights include Seth Morris as Aukerman’s divorced step-dad, Bob Ducca, James Adomian as a manic Huell Howser, Tom Lennon as the hilarious, yet oddly divisive Lil’ Gary, and Jerry Minor as host-duties hijacking Cyberthug. I often find myself laughing to myself at my cubicle, looking like an insane person. Seriously, the Bob Ducca character has had me in tears, unable to breathe, twice.
Get it here!


WTF

Marc Maron is the king of either self-consciousness or self-loathing. Maybe that’s why I feel such a connection to his style of comedy and conversation. His podcast was started just over a year ago, but with two shows a week, Maron’s well over the 100 episode mark. Maybe it was his work as a radio personality on Air America, or his years in stand-up, but Maron is more at ease behind the mic, with his guests, and keeping the conversation going better than anyone I’ve heard. He’s made a ton of acquaintances in comedy, and most of them appear on his show. The podcast became fairly well-known when he confronted Carlos Mencia and Dane Cook with the rumored accusations of joke plagiarism. A recent highlight includes Maron reconciling with long-time friend Louis C.K. This show is not to be missed.
Get it here!


Doug Loves Movies

Hey everybody, his name’s Doug, and he loves movies. Formerly called “I Love Movies,” comedian Doug Benson’s ‘live in front of a studio audience’ podcast displays the beauty of controlled chaos. Benson and his weekly guests discuss the latest movies they’ve seen, in Doug’s case, usually what he got to see on his latest plane flight. His panel of guests, three if he can wrangle them, then play the Leonard Maltin game, a ‘name that tune’ themed challenge adapted to fit movies reviewed by Maltin. The humor is as fun as the game and vice versa. It’s become so popular, that Benson’s stand-up audiences usually demand that he include the game as part of his appearance.
Get it here!


The Nerdist

I went to college with Chris Hardwick and didn’t even know it. We have the same pop culture / nerdy touchstones in our lives, including a ritualistic watching of the Ninth Annual Young Comedians Special. Why just the ninth? No idea, other than an early appearance of Bob Saget doing adult-themed material, Sam Kinison’s screaming hilarity, Maurice LaMarche’s pre-Futurama cartoon impressions, and Bob Nelson’s hilarious football sketch. With nearly every one of Hardwick’s ‘nerdist’ references, I feel as if he’s somehow tapped into my own psyche. But, for all the cultural similarities, we have just as many divergent paths. Hardwick and his sidekicks geek out over technology, comics, Doctor Who, the Muppets and Dr. Demento in equal measure, but the podcast is mostly about comedy. The show is still in its relative infancy, but has already packed tons of laughs. Hardwick is engaging, charming and ultimately relatable. His tendencies and foibles can lead listeners to create a drinking game for every ‘amazing,’ Doctor Who reference, or jab at Dave Matthews.
Get it here!


Sklarbro Country

This is one of the newest podcasts on the list, and quickly became one of my most anticipated listens every week. The Sklar brothers, Randy and Jason, host the show, a mix of comedy and sports that is steeped in both, yet never so much that it would alienate avoiders of either. Though they always have a weekly guest, and character-specialist Chris Cox playing someone like ‘Racist Vin Scully,’ Tiger Woods, or Jerry Jones, the Sklars are the highlight of the show. Their freaky twin ability to finish each others sentences and riff off of each other, not to mention the great dated athlete references, are the real reason to listen.
Get it here!


Kevin Pollak’s Chat Show

Legendary impressionist / film actor Kevin Pollak has revolutionized the talk show format with his internet chat show, also available as video or audio podcast. Over the last year and a half, the show has evolved into a marathon, soul-searching epic, yet always entertaining interview. Though some of the guests were already getting close, Eddie Izzard broke the time record with a two and a half hour session. The show has hosted some of my favorite comedian / actor guests, including Nick Kroll, Rob Corddry, David Koechner, and Hank Azaria, but it’s the lesser known guys that will surprise you. For instance, Titus Welliver’s stories, sense of humor, and three time-frame Pacino impressions are a revelation. Pollak keeps the show lively with questions from the live internet audience (yes, the show goes on live, Sundays at 3 pm PST), and a few games. One is sidekick Samm Levine’s (invented by Pollak’s writer / partner Jamie Fox) “Who Tweeted?” game, in which guests decide who tweeted between Paris Hilton, Tyra Banks or Demi Moore. The other is the Larry King Game (also invented by Fox), in which guests must do a bad Larry King impression, reveal something about the aging host that is somewhat compromising, then go to the phones to pick up a call from a funny-sounding city. Pollak’s interviews focus on the guests’ origins and early aspirations, then track through the usually storied career. It’s a sincere blast to participate in the question process. Yep, my question got answered by the great Steven Weber.
Get it here!


The Pod F. Tompkast

So far, Paul F. Tompkins, one of my favorite comedians, has put out only three cleverly titled episodes of the Tompkast, but they are of such a quality that I don’t feel bad about waiting for the next one. Unlike the other podcasts thus far, Tompkins doesn’t rely on a guest to create conversational material. Each hour is a collection of a combination of new material and taped stuff from the recent past, but all performed by one talented, mustachioed man. So far, he’s put together a running soap opera of hilarious impressions called “The Great Undiscovered Project,” a phone call with the great Jen Kirkman, and a clip from Tompkins’ Largo variety show. It’s regular (every 1st of the month so far), but more sporadic than most other podcasts. Though we wait longer for it, this one-man masterpiece makes the wait easily worth it.
Get it here!


Steve Agee: Uhhh

From the most organized to the least with Steve Agee’s unfocused but fun podcast, “Uhhh.” For a while in the spring and summer, Agee would pop up with new, varying length podcasts regularly, but it’s been a while since he’s put up anything substantial. I’m not complaining; he’s been busy. But, when the former Sarah Silverman Program cast member does resurface, you generally know it’s going to be good.
Get it here!


Walking the Room

This is another fairly recent entry into the world of podcasting, but Greg Behrendt and Dave Anthony certainly already seem comfortable. Rarely is there ever a silent moment as the two unleash barrages of comedy and fury that will leave you rolling on the floor in hysterics.
Get it here!


Never Not Funny

Jimmy Pardo has a voice made for radio. His clipped and machine gun-like delivery is reminiscent of the classic hosts throughout history. Never Not Funny is one of the longest-running, and most professional of all the comedy podcasts. Pardo also has a videographer to capture the fun visually. But, intead of being free, and asking for donations, like the other podcasts here, NNF has a subscription fee. All listeners are offered the first 20 minutes or so for free, but in order to get the rest, there is a small and reasonable charge. Were I not a student, I would definitely sign up, but alas, I have to make do with the bite-sized morsels for now.
Get it here!


Comedy Film Nerds

Comedians / filmmakers Graham Elwood and Chris Mancini present the aptly titled Comedy Film Nerds podcast. There is a loose structure in which the hosts and a guest (usually also from the comedy realm) discuss films in theaters, films just out on home video, and then coming attractions. I’ve listened to enough episodes now to find the running jokes somewhat tiresome and unfunny, but there are plenty of new laughs every time to make it worth it.
Get it here!


Chillpak Hollywood Hour

Remember Langley? One of the Lone Gunmen from the X-Files? Well, he and filmmaker Phil Leirness have a podcast now, named after the product that Dean Haglund (he of X-Files fame) invented. The Chillpak is a thin insulated pack that you put in the freezer, then under your laptop to cool it down, increase speed, and enhance performance. The show itself is not easy to pin down. In name, it’s about all things Hollywood, but in reality, it runs the gamut of topics including art, history, philosophy and anything else you can think of. As such, things can get a tad pretentious, but if you know that going in, it can be a fascinating and fun listen.
Get it here!


Jordan, Jesse, Go!

Jesse Thorn is also the host of PRI’s “The Sound of Young America,” but this show is purely meant to be a podcast, where the public radio wunderkind swears and speaks his mind. Jordan Morris is his co-host, and with a guest they talk about, well, whatever they want to talk about.
Get it here!

I also listen to several podcasts of public radio or special interest programs. I may write about these in another blog post:

NPR: Car Talk
NPR: Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me
PRI: The Sound of Young America
Sound Opinions
This American Life
Vinyl Café Stories
Wiretap from CBC
In Our Time with Melvyn Bragg
KCRW’s Bookworm
KCRW’s Le Show
KCRW’s The Treatment
L.A. Theatre Works
New Yorker Fiction

Films of the 50's: Crime Doesn't Pay (in France)

Elevator to the Gallows (1958, Louis Malle)

Like all good heist / crime / murder caper films, Elevator to the Gallows proves that despite meticulous scheming, there is no such thing as the perfect plan. Unlike other caper films, however, Elevator is full of interestingly drawn out wrinkles, thoughtful plotting, and an interesting comparison between premeditation and impulse. We begin by meeting Julien and Florence, a pair of lovers intent on killing Florence’s husband, Simon Carala, who also happens to be Julien’s boss, making it look like a suicide in the process.

One has to stretch their imagination a bit to accept the actual plan as flawless. It involves Julien, explained to be a former Foreign Legion parachutist, rappelling by rope up to Simon’s office, killing him, locking the office door from the inside, then rappelling down again. The leap involves the general public never bothering to look up at any point as the office borders a busy street. But, if the viewer can swallow that, the rest is ultimately believable, if not amazingly unfortunate for many characters.

In a Hitchcockian-like twist, Julien realizes from the street below that he has left the rope dangling from the office window. (D’oh!) He leaves his car in front of the building, with the keys in the ignition (oh, for simpler times), and attempts to fix the situation. Having removed the rope, and assumedly putting himself in the clear, Julien becomes trapped in the elevator when the office building closes for the weekend. Meanwhile, a local flower girl, an acquaintance of Julien’s, and her boyfriend steal the car out front and go for a joyride. Florence, of course, happens to see Julien’s unique car driving by with the lovely young flower girl in the passenger seat, and thinks that Julien has betrayed her. Holy twist of fate, Batman!

As Julien tries to escape his tiny prison, Florence walks the streets of Paris in fear and doubt, hoping for the best, but fearing the worst. The two youngsters who stole the car get into even more trouble by registering at a hotel under Julien’s name and committing a crime in an entirely impulsive fashion. Jinkies! There are even further twists ahead, with plenty of thrills, near misses and tragedies, but I’ll leave those for you to discover. What makes this film work is its steady pace. Malle doesn’t try to create tension with forced rapidity. Julien is in the elevator for almost the entire film. His attempts to escape are purposely realistic and arduous. Jeanne Moreau’s turn as Florence is a major highlight of the film. Her scenes are wondrously fraught with inner turmoil, accented by the now legendary film score by Miles Davis. Davis’ trumpet fills the film with loneliness, a longing feeling that was mastered by the musician a mere two years later on his landmark, Kind of Blue.




Pickpocket (1959, Robert Bresson)

Pickpocket is a compact gem of a picture. It is as tight as the intricate movements required for the agile moves within. The story is simple enough. Michel is a pickpocket, living in a tiny apartment, making small time scores to live. The first such ‘lift’ we see is at a horse race. The police detain Michel. They suspect him of the theft, but having no concrete evidence, let him go. Michel is emotionless throughout the film, obsessed only with the art of the steal. At one point, he learns more from a mentor, and we become privy to a series of amazingly filmed tricks of the trade. Buttons are cut, newspapers act as shields, wallets are lifted out of coat pockets and dropped safely to a hand waiting below, only to be stripped of their money and delicately returned to the owners. The moves are highly choreographed, and in their way, beautiful.

Meanwhile, Michel’s mother is ailing, tended to by the young Jeanne, a lady who we think could possibly redeem Michel. But throughout the film, we start to realize that Michel may not be redeemable. The thrill of the crime is everything to him, and is one of the few ways he actually interacts with people. It is a psychosexual drama played out in front of our eyes, and we realize at some point in this compact film that there is likely no happy ending. Regardless, Pickpocket is an amazing film, meticulously constructed, much like the actual act of pickpocketing. Those close-up scenes of the lifts alone are worth it, with us as viewers feeling the immense amount of tension and anxiety that Michel never shows on his stone, expressionless face.



Rififi (1955, Jules Dassin)

Rififi is probably the one heist film on which all other successful heist films are based. Reservoir Dogs, Ocean’s 11, and many others all owe gratitude to Rififi and its director, Jules Dassin. Dassin, heralded for The Naked City, yet blacklisted by the HUAC, retreated to France to find work. Originally, Rififi was to be directed by the great Jean-Pierre Melville, but he bowed out for Dassin. It is the ultimate archetypal heist film. We start with a veteran criminal, Tony, just out of jail (Danny Ocean, anyone?) and a proposition for a heist that he initially turns down, but then perfects and enlarges after finding out his woman left him for a goon.

A crack team is assembled for the project, in which they drill through the ceiling of a jeweler’s shop from an apartment above, including the director himself playing the role of César, a safe cracker, and Robert Manuel playing Mario, an over-the-top yet charming lothario. The caper itself takes place over a half hour, supremely detailed, sans music or dialogue. All we see is the plan being executed with every bit of minutiae played out for the viewer, and you can’t take your eyes off of it.

But, of course, every criminal plan must go awry, otherwise there is no real conflict. César’s lack of foresight gets the gang noticed, and the goon closes in on our central figure, the jailbird Tony. The goon kidnaps Tony’s nephew, and Tony must rescue him. The rest of the film becomes a race against time and has a memorable ending. Rififi is the ultimate crime film, and one by which all others must be compared.




Bob le Flambeur (1955, Jean-Pierre Melville)

While Dassin was making Rififi, Jean-Pierre Melville was making Bob le Flambeur, a story that shares several elements with the former. Roger Duchesne plays Bob, a well-regarded member of his community who has had a long unlucky streak and is nearly broke. Hearing from a friend that a nearby casino stores a lot of cash, he hatches a plot and assembles a team to pull off the heist. In the meantime, he meets Anne, a gorgeous young free spirit who ends up dating his partner in crime, Paolo.

Bob also shares a fond friendship with a police inspector, Ledru, whose life Bob had once saved. As such, Ledru tends to overlook some of Bob’s dealings, though warns him off bigger crimes. Anne ‘accidentally’ lets Ledru in on the big heist and Ledru races off to warn Bob. In a twist of fate, Bob is having the biggest run of luck he’s ever had, winning big at the gambling table, making him late for the heist. What ensues is tragic, but ultimately we feel that Bob will be relatively unaffected, and things might even be improving for Bob in the long run.

While Bob le Flambeur might not have the same inner turmoil as in Pickpocket, or the intricacies of a plan like in Rififi, or the myriad twists and turns of Elevator, we do get to the heart of Bob and what makes him unique. This is what makes Melville’s movies so striking and memorable, as he later does with such great films as Le Samourai. It is Bob’s relationships, those with Ledru, Anne, Paolo, and his community that define him, not his crimes, his past or his luck, though those do paint a more detailed picture. In the end, we are rooting for Bob, and we don’t necessarily do that with Julien, Michel or Tony.

Films of the 50's: The Decade of Hitchcock (One of Many)

Strangers on a Train (1951, Alfred Hitchcock)

I could think of few other combinations as potent as Patricia Highsmith, Raymond Chandler, and Alfred Hitchcock. Highsmith wrote the original novel of Strangers on a Train, Chandler wrote an early draft of the screenplay (despite claiming the novel wasn’t believable), and Hitchcock directed the heck out of it. A recurring theme in many of Hitchcock’s films is the everyday man stuck in a tough situation and the evils of human nature allowing him to make things even worse for himself. Farley Granger is that man in Strangers on a Train, yet he’s not quite average. Granger plays an up and coming amateur tennis star, aptly named Guy, but he wants out of his marriage to a manipulative cheater. Thus, we have our first stranger.

Then we meet Bruno, played by Robert Walker. Bruno wants his father taken out of the picture. Both men have problems and Bruno, a bit psychotic, puts forth the idea of the ‘perfect murder’ in that they take care of each other’s killings. If Hitchcock makes one thing perfectly clear in most of his films, it’s that there is never any such thing as a perfect murder. Evidence is left behind, people who share a secret are not to be trusted, and nerves will always leave you undone in the end. In few other Hitchcock films does he present the game of cat and mouse so well, wrapping up in a nail-biting culmination that will leave you breathless. Strangers on a Train is easily one of my favorite Hitchcock films, despite the presence of Granger, one of my least favorite Hitchcock actors. Oddly, he is also in Rope, another of my favorites, so his presence apparently isn’t enough to change my opinion of a film.



I Confess (1953, Alfred Hitchcock)

Amazingly, before I Confess, I had never seen a Montgomery Clift film. I can say that after seeing this particular Hitchcock gem, I can see why he was a sought after star. I Confess is a film largely unsung in the Hitchcock collection and I’m not sure why. Clift plays a Catholic priest, Father William Logan. Logan is implicated in a crime by the church groundskeeper, a fact we as the audience know from the very beginning. The drama isn’t a whodunit, as it rarely is in Hitchcock's films, but rather how is the innocent man going to get out of it. The twist comes when we find out more about Logan’s life, about why he doesn’t have an alibi for the time of the murder, and why everyone suddenly believes he actually committed the murder. It is a study of public opinion, of paranoia, and of shared misinterpretation leading to mania. I Confess could be a film that is a parable for today’s audience, especially in things such as the New York mosque issue. Hitchcock always seemed to get amazing performances out of the secondary authority figures such as cops or judges. In this case, Karl Malden, playing Inspector Larrue, is phenomenal, as is O.E. Hasse, the groundskeeper.



Rear Window (1954, Alfred Hitchcock)

I tend to go back and forth as to whether Vertigo or Rear Window is my all-time favorite Hitchcock film. In a pinch, I’d have to go with Vertigo, but the latter is a very close second. There are oh so many things I love about Rear Window, from the elaborate set to the performances, and then the camera’s perspective. Jimmy Stewart plays L.B. Jeffries, often called Jeff, a famous photographer who is laid up in his apartment thanks to a broken leg after getting too close to the action for a photo. He is being taken care of, from time to time, by his girlfriend, played by Grace Kelly. Yeah, life is rough. But, being a man who needs to be in the thick of it, Jeff starts to snoop out his panoramic picture window into the courtyard between buildings. He begins to learn his neighbors’ habits and starts to give them nicknames, like Miss Lonelyhearts. I realize as I type this that I should be thinking this to be too much of a summary, as I hope that everyone has seen this seminal movie already. If not, you’re in for a treat. The twist on the story is that rather than just being an ordinary man thrust into dire peril, thanks to his natural instincts for finding trouble, he is given a handicap and is literally trapped with nowhere to go. The screenplay is based on a short story by the great Cornel Woolrich, who, if you haven’t read any of his work, you should. Plus, when a great film inspires an equally great Simpsons episode, how can you go wrong?




The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956, Alfred Hitchcock)

Jimmy Stewart is again the go-to guy, but this time in a remake of a film Alfred Hitchcock had already made. Hitchcock preferred this later version, saying it was more professional, but I’m sure some people would beg to differ. It is probably most known for the appearance of Doris Day, playing Jimmy’s wife, and her singing of “Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera Sera),” the Academy Award winning song introduced in this film. It seems an odd debut for a song with so much treacle, but there it is. On a trip to Morocco, the McKennas (Stewart, Day and the boy playing their young son) stumble upon intrigue and murder, thus making Stewart the titular hero. The boy is kidnapped, and the rest of the story is a race to save the son and a foreign dignitary. It’s not one of my favorites, and the song tends to stick out, but it is Hitchcock and it is enjoyable. I’d rather watch one of Hitch’s worst movies than watch most of the movies being made today.




The Wrong Man (1956, Alfred Hitchcock)

Other than Jimmy Stewart, I can think of few other ‘everyman’ actors as great as Henry Fonda. He plays Manny Balestrero, a jazz musician in New York who is mistakenly fingered for a bank robbery due to his resemblance to the real felon. The amazing thing about this film is that it was based on a true story. Originally told in a long article in Life Magazine, the story relates the tale of mistaken identity and the fight to prove innocence in the face of overwhelming ‘eyewitness’ evidence. Fonda is amazing in the film, giving one of his best performances, and that is really saying something, looking at his stellar work. Vera Miles also gives a fantastic performance as Balestrero’s wife. Through the film, we see the slow breakdown of what a simple case of mistaken identity can do to ordinary people, and how little the public seems to care about that suffering. Fonda’s scene with his son, trying to explain his innocence, and his son believing him with every fiber in his being, is undoubtedly moving. Like I Confess, The Wrong Man is unsung, and is yet one of Hitchcock’s finest films.



North by Northwest (1959, Alfred Hitchcock)

I love the story told by Gene Wilder on Inside the Actor’s Studio. Wilder had just starred in Silver Streak, a comedy / mystery film with Richard Pryor. Soon after, Wilder met Cary Grant, who remarked that he had enjoyed Silver Streak, and likened it to North by Northwest saying something to the effect of, “It always works, put someone in mortal danger, an everyday man like you or me…” The audience laughed, getting Wilder’s point. Cary Grant was never an everyman, but he didn’t need to be.

I love everything about North by Northwest. Hell, I could just watch Saul Bass’ opening credits, one of the first examples of kinetic typography, over and over again. Bernard Herrmann’s music is stellar. But, along with memorable appearances by James Mason and Eva Marie Saint, Cary Grant owns this movie from beginning to end. Grant plays Roger Thornhill, caught up in yet another signature case of mistaken identity, this time the baddies thinking he is George Kaplan. He barely manages to escape a murder attempt and then spends the rest of the movie trying to escape even more. Except for perhaps Vertigo and Psycho, North by Northwest has some of the most signature scenes in Hitchcock history, including the divebombing cropduster and the chase atop Mount Rushmore. But, Grant is anything but a bumbling or tortured Jimmy Stewart-type. Instead, he is a cavalier James Bond-ish figure, a dashing leading man on the run, yet so charming that we root for him all the same, despite not being able to fully relate to his predicament.