Long Live A.W.K

Andrew W.K.

What do you think of when you hear that name? Well, in honor of New Years Eve and parties that will inevitably ensue upon the nights of this coming weekend--when I hear the oh-so-holy-rock name "Andrew W.K." I think of partying, head banging, jumping and flailing arms, and a lot of smiles. Alcohol need not apply.

I Get Wet, Andrew's first album was released my sophomore year of high school. I was introduced to it by my boyfriend at the time. This was also during my Slipknot and Static-X phase so the initial reaction to W.K.'s sound was not a good one. He was just too happy and bubbly in his rock ballads when I was all about utter agony and depression in my music.

However, it grew on me. Then my boyfriend made me a "She is Beautiful" mix CD with that W.K. track headlining the album. I was hooked. I decided that him wearing all white and not masques and face-distorting makeup was ok. He was somewhat wholesome for me at the time and I kind of liked that.

I Get Wet is still one of my favorite albums. It is full of super-pumped up tracks. The album, overall, is rock on steroids. I walked around my high school, talking about Andrew W. K., but no one liked him. Everyone made fun of me. "Isn't all he sings about, partying?" Um--yah and what exactly is your complaint, dip-shit? While most of the kids who mocked my music taste were more interested in getting stoned and emo music, I was somewhat alone in my love for W.K.

The Wolf came out the Fall before I graduated high school. This album was the soundtrack to my fall semester. I remember I was actually listening to the song, "I Love Music," when I got my acceptance letter to the university I wanted to attend. I was sitting in the back of my parents car and we were driving back from somewhere and pulled up to the mailbox to get the mail before heading inside. I had my headphones on and was blasting this song when my dad sorted through the assorted bills and letters and pulled out a larger envelope and handed it back to me. I great Andrew W.K. memory.

I tried to bring his music with me to college and share it's wisdom but to this day, I find very few "get it." His music is pure feel-goodness. My theory is that people feel his music is just too simple and they feel they should be listening to complex music, more deep and insightful. These would be music snobs--my arch nemesis. People who shut down when I mention Andrew W.K. Don't lie, I know you didn't start listening to Kings of Leon until they were on the cover of Rolling Stone--I see right through all of you.

Anyway, in 2010, I caught wind that W.K. had released another album in 2009 that was unlike his earlier stuff. I bought it immediately, not really caring what it sounded like but trusting that if it was W.K., it would be great. 55 Cadillac was an unlikely instrumental album. The album revolves around W.K. and his piano. Different but still good.

Even now, I am always looking for new W.K. news, wear my one "A.W.K" shirt with pride and ask many a first date, "Do you like Andrew W.K.?" to help determine if there will be a second date. Andrew W.K. is like the Disney movie of music--sometimes you need a little to lift your spirits. Keep it coming, Andrew!

For those unfamiliar, his prize tracks are:

Party Hard
I Love Music
Cadillac
She is Beautiful
Ready to Die
Make Sex
I Love NYC

Happy Listening

This is the ultimate holiday mix. Prepared by yours truly, and best listened to at highest volume bearable. Happy Listening.

5 Napkin Cookie Mix

My Body. Young the Giant

Don't Let Me Fall. B.o.B

Welcome to Heartbreak. Kayne West ft. Kid

Midnight City. M83

Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24). Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Ni Una Sola Palabra. Paulina Rubio

Hot Tottie. Usher ft. Jay-Z

Good Life. OneRepublic

Whatever You Like. T.I.

All I Want For Christmas Is You. Mariah Carey

Amazing. Kanye West ft. Young

Sleazy. Ke$ha

Sail. AWOLNATION

I Want To Hold Your Hand. T.V.

Alejandro. Lady Gaga

Fidelity. Regina Spektor

Naughty Naughty. Porcelain Black

Waka Waka. Shakira

Deck The Halls. Mannheim Steamroller

Tardy For the Party. Kim

We Found Love. Rihanna

Antidote. Swedish House Mafia and Knife Party

Strange Fruit. AaRON

Let Go. SafetySuit

Helter Skelter. Dana Fuchs

White Houses. Vanessa Carlton

Robocop. Kanye West

Burn It Down. AWOLNATION

Help I'm Alive. Metric

Rumor Has It. Adele

Immigrant Song. Karen O, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross

Damaged. Danity Kane

Best and Worst of 2011

So now what we have all been waiting for, 2011 in Review. So, we are listing here the best and worst of 2011. What excites me to think about is that before 2011, there was so much great music that had not been released. Now, we can still say that about 2012--there is so much more to come, including albums from No Doubt, Dev, Linkin Park, Soundgarden, Mumford and Sons, Nicki Minaj, Madonna, Sleigh Bells, Metallica, Queens of the Stone Age and Tool. That is something you can count on every year--a new batch of music to love.
So here it is--the best and worst of 2011:

10 Best Singles:

“Irresistable Force” Jane’s Addiction
“Sail” AWOLNATION
“Someone Like You” Adele
“Get Up!” Korn
“My Body” Young the Giant
“Midnight City” M83
“Give Me Everything” Pitbull
“Brighter than the Sun” Colbie Collait
“Man Down” Rihanna
“I Need A Doctor” Dr. Dre featuring Eminem


10 Worst Singles:

“Moves Like Jagger” Maroon 5 featuring Christina Aguilera
“Domino” Jessie J
“Pumped Up Kicks” Foster the People
“Last Friday Night” Katy Perry
“Mr. Know It All” Kelly Clarckson
“You Make Me Feel . . .” Cobra Starship
“Look At Me Now” Chris Brown
“Don’t Want to Go Home” Jason Derulo
"Criminal” Britney Spears
“What You Want” Evanescence



5 Best Albums:

4 Beyonce
21 Adele
Born This Way Lady GaGa
Megalithic Symphony AWOLNATION
Pink Friday Nicki MInaj

Most Disappointing Album:

Gold Cobra Limp Bizkit

Best Guilty Pleasure Album:

Perfectionist Natalia Kills

5 Best Guilty Pleasure Singles:

“Party Rock Anthem” LMFAO
“Skyscrapper” Demi Lovato
“Lose Control (Let Me Down)” Keri Hilson featuring Nelly
“Don’t Hold Your Breath” Nicole Scherzinger
“I Wanna Go” Britney Spears

Best 2010 Single I Shamefully Did Not Get Into Until 2011:

“Waiting for the End” Linkin Park

Best Under-rated single:

“Run the World (Girls)” Beyonce

Best Soundtrack:

"The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross

Worst Soundtrack:

Glee

Biggest Music Mistake:

Having Jessie J host the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards

Smartest Music Move:

Having Kanye West close out the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards

Best Cover:

"Gimme Shelter" Puddle of Mudd


Note: All photos are from the official artists' websites

Kanye West is an Asshole

Kanye West is an asshole. He has presented himself to the media as such, and has succeeded with a successful marketing strategy on the basis of there is no such thing as bad publicity. Even if it is just a gimmick--I believe he is in fact, an asshole.

Having said that, Kanye West is also a musical genius. His music is incredible and he is extremely innovative and unique.

I liked Kanye West since his first album, The College Dropout. This actually surprises me--I have never stuck with a rap artist as long as I have with Kanye. I heard "Jesus Walks" and I was like, "oh no he di-int!". It was ridiculous. No one in rap ever did something like this. And I knew I had found a friend.

I burned copies of singles off of Kanye's first album from a girl who lived in my freshman dorm. We were not really friends but after walking by her door so many times, hearing the music she was playing, I finally stopped in her doorway and asked if I could burn some of her stuff. I sat at her computer and created a mixed tape, so to speak. To this day, on my mp3 player, "The New Workout Plan" comes up under the album, Meg iTunes.

Then Late Registration came out in 2005 and that came with "Gold Digger." There was not a dance party, house party, bar, or club that did not play that song. This was a great example of sampling older songs and remixing it. Excellent choice. "We want prenup!"

Graduation came out in 2007. And then we were introduced to the amazing Kanye sunglasses. I wanted a pair so bad but thankfully, supportive friends and family talked me out of it. It was another great group of songs. It was only 4 years later that i finally bought myself a pair of those glasses.

The first full album of Kanye's actually got was 808s & Heartbreak. I have to say, I think this album is his best. All the tracks on the album are completely different.

I spoke with someone about that album when it first came out. This guy was also a strong Kanye fan. He explained that he did not like this album because it was too "rock;" too "hard." Well, that is exactly what I love about the album. It is hard and dark and spooky.

The singles from the album, "Heartless" and "Love Lockdown" are not even the best tracks on the album. "Say You Will," "Robocop" and "Amazing," are . . .well . . .amazing. The best track however goes to "See You in My Nightmare" featuring Lil Wayne. It is so creepy and dark. But awesome. The lyrics are about letting someone go and being SO over it. "Ok I'm back up on my grind/ you do you and I'm just going to do mine/you do you cause Im just going to be fine/OKay, I got you out my mind." An unexpectedly great break up song. TRUST Me!

Then Kanye closed out the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards. Let me tell you, when that song started, I was already googling when the album was coming out. Are you serious? Wearing a sleazy red suit with gold chains, toasting douche bags and assholes. Are you serious? Can you be more brilliant? I'm sorry, that was brilliant and I don't care who disagrees. After the whole Taylor Swift debacle, he could not have made a smarter move, business-wise. There he is, completely dedicating a song to all the assholes, including himself in the mix, it was just so musically creative.

I pre-ordered My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy after that. Then "Power" came out as another single on the album. What a great song. It was an anthem. There is no one who can't get pumped with this song. "Screams from the haters/got a nice ring to it/I guess every super hero need his theme music."

I have been known to get really into one song and when I do, I listen to that one song an obscene amount, just on repeat. Well, I can still go hours on the treadmill with "Power" on repeat.

Twisted Fantasy is another amazing album. Came out only 3 days after Pink Friday (that was a good November). "Dark Fantasy" and "All of the Lights" are the gems on the album. The album also has "Runaway," a version a little better than the single version that came out before the album. The album version sounds more like the performance on the VMAs. Also, don't listen to the version of "All of the Lights" on the radio, they cut out a great part of the song that is worth hearing. You should also listen to the "All of the Lights (interlude)" that is purely instrumental. It is quite beautiful.

Kanye's most recent project was Watch The Throne with Jay-Z. Long before the release of the album, they released "H.A.M" together. For those who don't know, H.A.M stands for Hard As a Motherfucker. Now, I saw this single on the new singles list in January and I just bought it without listening to it. I had learned by January of 2011 that anything with Kanye is going to be awesome and Jay-Z too!?!? It's going to be gold.

I was right. It is an awesome single and I feel it was overlooked. People heard "Otis" before they heard "H.A.M" even though "Otis" came out after. Might be time to revisit.

So Watch The Throne is unique but still has the classic flavor of Jay-Z. Jay keeps it steady and less off-color than Kanye's solo projects. "New Day" is the best track. It is so smooth and easy. It's butter, baby.

Any songs that have Kanye West as a featured artist, I would call Kirs, like the cocktail. This would stand for Kanye Infused Rhythms. The songs are fine on their own, but you add a twist of Kanye and it is just that much more luscious. Exhibit A: Katie Perry's "E.T." I bought that single, sans Kanye, in August of 2010. No one cared about it then. No one had heard it when I mentioned it. The single featuring Kanye came out all the way in February 2011 and blew up. She could have saved 6 months by just adding Kanye to begin with.

So, as much as Kanye is a total douche bag (even Obama called him an idiot), we should always give credit where credit is due. So . . .

Let's have a toast for the douche bags.






10 Best Kanye Songs:

1. See You In My Nightmare ft. Lil Wayne
2. Runaway ft. Pusha T
3. H.A.M with Jay-Z
4. Made in America with Jay-Z ft. Frank Ocean
5. Power
6. Robocop
7. New Day with Jay-Z
8. Jesus Walks
9. Say You Will
10. Dark Fantasy

The Path to Awesomeness

Korn’s new album, The Path of Totality, came out this week. Now, the last album I bought this year from a 90s metal band was Limp Bizkit’s Gold Cobra which was a MASSIVE disappointment. Luckily, this album was much the opposite.

The Path of Totality is a great album. It takes Korn to a whole other level. I read a review (link below) that I really thought got the album pretty spot on. They compared this album to Linkin Park’s A Thousand Suns in the sense that both albums were the band we all know and love, but doing something different with their overall sound. The essentials were still the same but they had evolved into a slightly different species and that is what Korn has done here.

Korn is also supporting other bands by having so many other artists featured on the album. The album features Skrillex, Excision, Noisia, Downlink, Feed Me and others. There is not one of the 13 songs that does not have a featured artist on it. This is great for people like me who have not listened to most of the other artists. I have a whole new batch of bands to try out!

“Burn the Obedient” and “Chaos Lives in Everything” are probably my two favorite songs from the album right now. “Burn The Obedient” gets old school starting off with a sound clip which is reminiscent of Wumpscut or Rob Zombie, with a man asking “Are you Scared?”

Of course I am scared, scared of how good this song is?!?!?

Through all the differences in the album and with all the featured artists and electronic sounds, there is still the same hardcore bass and drums and Davis still is one of the best metal screamers in the business. So for those fans that were with Korn from the start, they have only changed for the better.

All in all, if you like Korn’s more recent stuff (“Twisted Transistor” or “Get Up!”) then you will like this album. It is truly the perfect holiday album.

Check out this review from Consequence of Sound!

A Little Update

Some random updates on the music front:

The Girl With The Dagon Tattoo soundtrack is available for pre-order. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross are doing the entire album. The Album is expected to be released December 9th.

One song from the album is available for purchase now. "Immigrant Song" with Trent Reznor, Karen O, and Atticus Ross. For those who don't know, Reznor is the lead singer of Nine Inch Nails, Karen O is the singer in the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Atticus Ross is a composer who worked with Reznor previously on The Social Network soundtrack. For Reznor fans or fans of The Social Network soundtrack, this whole album is bound to be pretty impressive. And as for me, a Led Zeppelin and Nine Inch Nails fan, the "Immigrant Song" cover is pretty awesome.

Nicki Minaj has a new single out, "Roman in Moscow." Always love anything from Minaj.

Michael Buble's Christmas album, Christmas, is nice, but not overly impressive.

Mariah Carey and Justin Bieber did a version of "All I Want For Christmas Is You" that is just outrageously awful. Music video is a Macy's add.

Lady Gaga released her music video for "Marry the Night" which is about 15 minutes long.

August Burns Red released a cover of "God Rest You Marry Gentleman" that's pretty cool.

Korn's new album comes out this coming week!

For New Yorkers, Pitbull is coming in late December to the Roseland Ballroom.

And The Nominees Are . . .

The 2012 Grammy Award Nominations were announced yesterday. So there is some good news but mostly, a lot of bad news. Let’s start with album of the year; the nominees are:
21 Adele
Wasting Light Foo Fighters
Born This Way Lady Gaga
Doo-Wops and Hooligans Bruno Mars
Loud Rihanna

I love Rihanna. I have most of her albums, including Loud. However, Grammy Award-Winning? I am not so sure. It is a fun and sexy album but I am not sure it is worthy of album of the year. Sadly, I feel like Adele will take this no matter what which takes the excitement out of guessing who will win. So, as great as it would be for Foo Fighter or my top choice, Gaga, to take this one, they don’t have a chance.

Best Record of the Year; the nominees are:

“Rolling In The Deep” Adele
“Holocene” Bon Iver
“Grenade” Bruno Mars
“The Cave” Mumford and Sons
“Firework” Katy Perry

“Firework?” Really? Has music come to this? Out of all 5 songs nominated, I believe this one is the one that does not belong. Oh, and didn’t “Grenade” come out 3 years ago? Or, do I just feel like I have been hearing it for that long? I feel Mumford and Sons should really take this one but sadly, I feel none of these nominees have a chance against Adele.

One treat out of this whole hot mess: Skrillex is nominated! In a few categories, actually. Their single, “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites” is nominated for Best Dance Recording and the album is nominated for Best Dance/Electronica album. They are also nominated in the Best Remixed Recording (Non Classical) category for their “Cinema” remix. And, biggest news of all, they are nominated for Best New Artist! Now, even though I feel their album is over rated, I do like them as a movement; as an idea so if they could win Best New Artist, I would be ecstatic.

Especially because their opponents in that category are as follows: The Band Perry, J. Cole, Bon Iver and Nicki Minaj. So, The Band Perry is first of all, country, and second of all, they sing that song “If I Die Young.” You know that song that sounds like Taylor Swift and gets in your head and annoys you for the entire day? Yah, they are nominated. Then we have J. Cole who seems to have a background as a quality “featured” artist, and therefore, I am skeptical on how successful he can be as a solo artist.

Then we have Bon Iver. I actually have been hearing about Bon Iver for a while. Then I listened to a few songs and I realized . . . . oh, they are boring! So people must like Bon Iver to fall asleep to or maybe play before bedtime for their kids. I am not sure I get it. And then there is Nicki Minaj who I happen to adore and still love Pink Friday and cannot wait for her to drop another album in February of 2012. So, really, in my mind, there is competition between Skrillex and Nicki Minaj—collaboration idea, perhaps?!?!?!?

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance is a REAL disappointment. Tony Bennett and Amy Winehouse “Body and Soul” is nominated, however, this is probably the 4th or 5th best song on that whole Duets album. There are a lot of better duets on that album that should have earned this spot, however, Winehouse passed away recently so I feel, no matter what, this song had to be nominated. “Pumped Up Kicks” by Foster the People is also nominated which I am sure if radio and television had not completely smothered this song with relentless overplay, I would be fine with. But they did so I am not. And then there is “Moves Like Jagger” which is an abomination to music in general, but to be nominated, blasphemy! Coldplay and The Black Keys are also nominated in this category and I hope the Black Keys take it.

Best Rap Album is probably the only category that actually has a legitimate representation of the quality music in their genre. The nominees are:

Watch The Throne Kanye West and Jay-Z (or Jay-Z and Kanye West, whichever is your preference)
The Carter IV Lil Wayne
Lasers Lupe Fiasco
Pink Friday Nicki Minaj
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy Kanye West

Watch The Throne was an under-rated album that got a lot of negative criticism so I am glad it up for nomination. Pink Friday I am obviously ecstatic about—Nicki is my girl! Kanye’s “Twisted Fantasy” was also a stellar album so really, any of those 3 albums winning is fine by me.

For the entire list of nominees, go to www.grammy.com/nominees.

Now, on a personal note . . .

In honor of the holiday season, I am hosting a virtual food drive for the Food Bank of New York City. I have set a goal for $400 by December 25th. I, like many people, often intend to do charitable things such as volunteer, or give money, but then life gets in the way and I do nothing. I thought this would be an easy and convenient way for people to give to those in need. The “Now Bring Us Some Figgy Pudding” Food Drive has officially begun. Please donate and help us reach our goal and be a part of something bigger than yourself. Thanks and happy holidays.

Donate to Now Bring Us Some Figgy Pudding

"Great Big White World" MM

"Last Nights Thoughts" AaRON

"Arm Your Eyes" AaRON

Epic Antichrist Fail

I am a huge Marilyn Manson fan. For the most part, I have nothing bad to say about him. I have almost all of his albums, I have read his autobiography, seen him in concert, wrote a philosophy paper about his music in college; I even have a pair of Marilyn Manson underwear.

I inquired about the cost of his artwork once, from his website but never heard back. That pissed me off, but only temporarily. So again, for the most part--all good things. I even decorated an Easter egg as a tribute (basically I mixed all those little coloring tarts together to make black).

Marilyn Manson's most recent album was released in May of 2009. I pre-ordered The High End of Low in high anticipation of 15 more Manson songs to listen to. What more could a girl want?

Sadly, this album was a huge disappointment. The first single, "Arma-goddamn-motherfuckin-geddon," has a way more menacing title than the song itself which is a common thread throughout the album The song is fairly mellow on the Manson scale.

Manson has created a reputation for himself that is hard to keep up, I'm sure. But, the song, "Four Rusted Horses" has a country twang that almost sounds like a banjo is playing which is just unacceptable on a Manson album.

"Wow" is trying to be dark and sexy but just comes across as annoying and way too electronic. Manson always use industrial metal elements in his music but if is just electronic editing to his voice the entire song, it feels like I am being cheated. I am not buying the album to hear Manson, remixed; I'm buying it to hear the delightfully creepy deep voice of his and I find there is much less of that on The High End of Low.

With titles like "Devour," and "Unkillable Monster," and "I Have to Look Up Just to See Hell," I expect to get some really awesome hardcore tracks but this album really failed in that regard. It felt like this album was forced. It was like his heart (if he has one) was not in it.

Marilyn Manson was the first artist I really liked that authentically got my parents concerned. They worried about who I was hanging out with, what I was doing after school, who my boyfriends were . . . it was glorious!!! For someone who barely rebelled at all, Manson made me feel a little scandalous; a little on-the-wrong-side-of-the-street. This album does not represent all that is wrong and corrupt in his music, which in fact is what his fans love. He is the anti-normality, and this album is just way too, well . . . Normal!

This album really let me down. I mean, he has acoustic guitar on this album for anti-christ's sake! (good one, right?) In all seriousness, I have a great respect for what Marilyn Manson has done to music and for that matter, culture and society in general. And with that great admiration, I know that he is capable of better. And if and when he releases another album, I will be running into Best Buy with bells on.

If you have never heard any Manson, here are a list of my favorites (none of which are from the above mentioned album):

"Great Big White World"
"Apple of Sodom"
"This is the New Shit"
"Rock is Dead"
"Personal Jesus"
"Tainted Love"
"This is Halloween"

Tis The Season

The Christmas season has officially began. Thanksgiving dinner has been had, Santa Claus has appeared at 34th Street in New York City, and the sales have been announced at all the stores across the country. In honor of this joyous holiday season, I present the first official Christmas issue of Puppies and Rainbows. I love the Christmas season. I love listening to Christmas music, watching Christmas movies, baking cookies, decorating the tree; just plug me into an outlet and I light up with Christmas glee!

So it is important to note that even though I truly am filled with Christmas cheer, sometimes almost to an obnoxious level, not all holiday music is worth listening to.

First, let's start with the worst songs of the season.

The 10 Worst Christmas Songs (in no particular order):

1. "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer" by Elmo and Patsy
2. "Dominick The Donkey" by Lou Monte
3. "Last Christmas" by Wham!
4. "All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth" by Spike Jones
5. "Nuttin' For Christmas" by Barry Gordon
6. "Merry Christmas, Darling" by The Carpenters
7. "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" by Judy Garland
8. "Mele Kalikimaka" by Bing Crosby
9. "Mistletoe" by Justin Bieber
10. "Winter Wonderland" James Taylor

My guess is that the most shocking part of this list is the classic, "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" by Judy Garland. The reason I dislike this song so strongly is because it is so sad and not merry and bright at all. Have you ever seen Meet Me In St. Louis? This movie was the debut of the song, and it is a very sad scene when Garland actually sings the song. She actually is crying!! So, with that, I do not consider this a festive Christmas song, but rather, a completely depressing Christmas song that does not capture, at all, the Christmas joyful spirit. "Winter Wonderland" by James Taylor and "Merry Christmas, Darling" by The Carpenters, I put on this list for similar reasons. I respect James Taylor as a musician, but he just does not have the cheery disposition anywhere on the entire Christmas album enough to really feel joyful or triumphant. And Justin Bieber--enough said.

And now on to the best . . .

Best 15 Christmas Songs (in no particular order)

1. Happy Xmas (War Is Over) by John Lennon (good alternative: Bert McCracken and Street Drum Corps)
2. Winter Wonderland by Aretha Franklin
3. Silver Bells by Kenny G (good alternative: Bing Crosby)
4. You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch" by Thurl Ravenscroft
5. "Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays" by 'N Sync
6. "All I Want For Christmas Is You" by Mariah Carey
7. "Song For A Winter's Night" by Sarah McLachlan
8. "Deck The Halls" by Mannheim Steamroller
9. "Trim Up The Tree" by The Whos of Whoville
10. "Christmas Canon Rock" by Trans-Siberian Orchestra
11. "Feliz Navidad" by Jose Feliciano
12. "Santa Claus is Comin' To Town" by Bing Crosby (good alternative: Harry Connick Jr.)
13. "Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24)" by Trans-Siberian Orchestra
14. "Baby, It's Cold Outside" by Margaret Whiting and Johnny Mercer (good alternative: Dean Martin)
15. "Carol of the Bells" by Mannheim Steamroller


These are the best of the best. These are the songs I do not get tired of hearing year after year, and yes, you are reading it correctly--'N Sync is on this list. Christmas, like Thanksgiving and other holidays is a lot about tradition. Memories are made and then, the music becomes part of that memory--part of the tradition. Mannheim Steamroller was always decorating-the-tree music in my family. "Feliz Navidad" was the song playing in Christmas Eve On Sesame Street when Big Bird ice skates with the little girl. I grew up hearing my dad listen to Kenny G all year round, so his seasonal album was always playing around Christmas. And the rest are assorted songs that I picked up over the years that became part of my must-have Christmas playlist. Some of the songs include a "good alternative"--a rendition of the song that is actually as good as the first mentioned song on the list. If you have only heard one version, check out the other.

Now, for the best of the best . . .

Best Christmas Album: Merry Christmas by Bing Crosby

Christmas morning, since I was young until now, was always about Bing Crosby and this album. We used to have the record and play it on my dad's old record player. We had the tape version and the CD. Then I bought my own copy. I wake up and his Merry Christmas album is always playing. If you notice, in A Christmas Story, the family is listening to that same album Christmas morning. This album is classic, it is old, it has stood the test of time, the sound is fuzzy like all the albums were at the time. it really does make my days merry and bright, and all of my Christmases, white. (Alright, that was my last one, I promise).


Just for fun, I put together a list of the top ten Christmas movies. These ARE in a particular order, starting with 10 and moving up to the best.

Top 10 Christmas Movies:

10. The Santa Clause (best song: White Christmas by The Drifters)
9. Christmas in Connecticut (best song: Jingle Bells by James Pierpont)
8. The Ref (best song: The Holly and The Ivy arranged by Charles Tompson)
7. Muppet Christmas Carol (best song: Thankful Heart)
6. Christmas Vacation (Christmas Vacation by Mavis Staples)
5. The Man Who Came To Dinner (best song: NA)
4. How The Grinch Stole Christmas (animated and Jim Carey version): (best song: You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch)
3. Holiday Inn (best song: Song of Freedom by Bing Crosby)
2. White Christmas (best song: Sisters lip-synched by Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye)
1. A Christmas Story (best song: Jingle Bells by Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters)


May you all have a great holiday season and keep posted for the best and worst of 2011!

Note: All photos are from Wikipedia.org

In With The New

One of my favorite things is finding a new band, song, singer, or album and just totally consuming myself in them. Listening to them and only them; getting so pumped about putting my headphones on in the morning; and of course, telling as many people as I can about how what I am listening to will change their lives (whether they believe me or not is another story).

I was introduced this weekend, by one of my readers, to Awolnation. Now, I had seen this name on alternative rock lists. I had seen this song" Sail" all over the place on music websites but never really gave it a chance or though twice about checking them out.

This time, I gave it a chance. I listened to the whole single. Well, that's a lie. I did not listen to the whole single right away. It did not take the whole 4 minutes and 19 seconds of "Sail" for me to realize this was something; something worth exploring beyond this single accepted by the masses. I would say in the first 34 seconds, I knew this was a great band doing something different with music. That is what makes a great band--a great artist. Someone taking what we think we know--the genres of music, the top tens, the typical instruments and chords and flipping them on their heads.

I downloaded the whole album, Megalithic Symphony, which is apparently the bands' second album. They are only a little over a year old but this album has balls, like they have been doing this forever and are cocky enough to try something new.

This album has everything; it has soul, techno, hip hop, rock, blues, pop, anything you could want. There are aspects that shadow The Beatles, MIKA, Skrillex, Chubby Checker. There is something for everyone. This album is the Coldstone Creamery of albums.

All the songs are great, but I am only going to touch on a few "Jump On My Shoulders" sounds very poppy and uplifting. It reminds me very much of MIKA. It is just so delightfully sunny and cheery and bubbly a "puppies and rainbows" type song if I ever heard one. The basic lyrics of love and togetherness are something out of the 70s.

"Burn it Down" is if Little Richie or Chubby Checker did a song with Marilyn Manson Michael Jackson and Kanye West. It is so different the only way you can react is to get up and do the twist.

"Wake Up" is another cheery song. There are so many elements to it. There is pop and heavy rock. It is crazy. It keeps switching on you, it's almost like you are trying to peg it and the song won't let you.

The two best songs on the album are "Sail" and "Not Your Fault." "Sail" was the first single off of this album and it is clear as to why. It is amazingly sexy-electronic-rhythm and blues. The whole time I listened to this song all the way through for the first time, I just kept thinking, "wow this is hardcore good." Then a few seconds would go by and I would be astonished--"wow, this song is still awesome." I got goosebumps. This song rattles you like real rawness in music should.

"Not Your Fault" is so much fun and so bad-ass at the same time. It is rare I want to jump around to a song that I am also so distracted to how good the vocals are. The lead singer is just wailing and it fucking rocks!!

This band is really one of the bands that can combine rock and electronica and pop and make something exceptional. There is a whole movement now which is inspiring; to think, there is a whole other way to remake sound that bands are taking for a spin on their records. Innovation is a beautiful thing.

On that note, one of my most recent purchases has also been shamelessly inspired by a Victoria Secret commercial. You know, the one out now where the models are walking along the streets of Prague with wings and there is this weird shouting or screeching in the song? First time I heard/saw this commercial, I was irritated. What is this? Is this a song, a sound effect, a technical error? Is it buffering?

But each time I saw the commercial, my irritation turned more into curiosity and desire to figure out what I was listening to. I googled it and there were many sites discussing the subject (why should I have been surprised, put Victoria Secret models in anything and all of a sudden we want to discuss the artistic integrity of the editing and composition of a commercial). Oh yah, and the tits look good too.

Anyway, the song is from the most recent album, Hurry Up, We're Dreaming, from M83. The song is called "Midnight City" and I can't help but admit it is awesome I am moved to find some fake wings and strut my stuff down Amsterdam Avenue.

But, in the meantime, I will just enjoy my new finds for the week: Awolnation and M83.

In Defense Of Ke$ha

I have yet to speak to someone who actually enjoys Ke$ha's music. I have yet to meet anyone who has bought or downloaded one of her songs, let alone buy an entire album. Well I am here to speak in defense of Ke$ha or rather, her music.

I bought her first single "Tik Tok" a few weeks after it came out Since that first download, I have since bought many other singles of hers. I downloaded "Take It Off" while buying shoes at Aldo; "Your Love Is My Drug" at the gym; and a few others at random locations for random reasons. It has always been only singles, until recently when I bought her entire second album, Cannibal, while running in the park.

Ke$ha's music can be obnoxious, whiny, and incredibly classless. However, her songs have been continually catchy and she does not appear to be vanishing like other hit-makers and one-hit-wonders. "Tik Tok" was the start of it all. How many of us have managed to work "feeling like P. Diddy" into a sentence? I know I have. Yes, it became overplayed but before that, it was just a fun dance song inspiring harmless underage drinking and partying, not to mention the rebirth of body glitter--and we all have missed that!

On her second album, there are actually some very good songs not yet released as singles so if you are one of many who are tired of the usual, you may want to consider listening to songs you have not yet heard millions of times in assorted clubs, bars and shoe stores. For example, "We R Who We R," is not so great, but other songs on the album such as "Cannibal" and "Animal" are actually quite good.

Katy Perry has become very successful from her songs about teenage lost love and memories of the "One Who Got Away." Ke$ha's song, "The Harold Song" has a similar tone. She is surprisingly touching in this song. It's all those love songs boiled down to the basics: "They say that true love hurts/ well this could almost kill me/young love, murdered/that is what this must be." A non-sugar coated love song. When you are young and in love, this is exactly how you feel. Life is over as you know it and nothing, even your mom's homemade spaghetti sauce can't make it better. Ke$ha has captured that.

Her lyrics in all her songs are not sugar coated which is a big reason why a lot of people don't like her. But think about it--we (men and women) are constantly looking for dates and mates that don't beat around the bush, they are straight forward, they don't play games. That is Ke$ha. In her song "Sleazy," she explains "me and all my friends, we don't buy bottles/we bring 'em/we take the drinks from the tables/when you get up and leave 'em." With all these songs out there, talking about how much money people have and they are poppin' bottles and buying out the bar, it is refreshing to hear from someone normal and broke Like the rest of us. We can't afford to shut down the club and yes we admit, we have brought our own liquor. Hey; it's cheaper.

Ke$ha also speaks up for women. She has many songs talking about how men need to have a personality rather than have money, be brave and ask a girl out rather than just stand awkwardly and stare, and to not grind up on us when we certainly haven't requested one to do so. She is saying "man up!" and based on recent encounters with men, especially in bars, I second that!

So, even though Ke$ha has awful fashion, wears too much silver make up for someone who is not David Bowie, and has no filter, she is fun to dance to, spunky, outspoken and a single-making machine.

Recommended songs: Sleazy, The Harold Song, Cannibal, Dancing With Tears In My Eyes

The Good, The Bad & The Queen - History Song

Hunting For Buried Treasures

You have to really look for good music sometimes. It is there but often, you have to really look through old boxes and under beds and in the back of closets to find real treasures. Especially when the top song on iTunes right now is “Rumor Has It” by the cast of Glee. The cast of Glee is #1. They are not even a band—they are a television show. But, I digress. The point is, I for one, can get discouraged about the music out there. But then there are those treasures . . .

This band kind of has no name. They only released one album and chose to name themselves after that album. A kind of no-need-for-technicalities attitude, The Good, The Bad and The Queen album was released in January of 2007 and the 4-member group named themselves just that. “The Good” album is unlike any other music you have heard; mostly because of the collection of musical geniuses that differ so immensely, who came together on album.

Lead vocalist and keyboardist is Damon Albern, now currently lead vocalist for the Gorillaz. Bass and backup vocals is Paul Simonon who was the bassist for The Clash. Simon Tong is on guitar who has worked with The Blur and The Verve, and then Tony Allen is on drums; a Nigerian drummer who some consider to be the father of Afrobeat music.

Now after saying all that, a music lover might be inclined to ask, “What the fuck is that going to sound like?” Excellent question and I still don’t know how to answer. I have tried to do so with friends and family but it is difficult. The Good, The Bad and The Queen are the love child of The Beatles (in the 70s), Flock of Seagulls, and Bob Dylan. That is the best I can do.

The single that was first released off the album was “Herculean.” Herculean is a great song, but it is probably #5 on the album, out of 12 songs. The album actually starts with the best song, “History Song.” It is not a dance song by any means but you just feel like you want to move. You want to sway and really get into it. I always find myself rocking my head to this song. You hear it and you say, “oh yah, this is music.” One of the qualities that I love about this song is one of the lyrics: "and if you don’t feel me know, you will do.” I think it is one of the coolest, or rather, “grooviest” expressions to put in a song and the song is so laid back that it just fits to use the line “you feel me?” in lyrics. It is so smooth. That is money.

“80s Life” is the second best song on the album. It is reminiscent of The Beatles circa “Yellow Submarine.” The song is kooky. Yup, that is the word I am going to use, kooky. Other notable songs on the album are “Northern Whale” and “Kingdom of Doom.”

I first got word of this band in Paris reading through a magazine (I forget the title). There was a huge article about them, singing their praise and I decided to take their word for it and download the album. No one I have ever talked to, to this day, knows about this album. See?!?! You got to dig to find the good stuff.

This band randomly performs, mostly in Europe and the UK, but who knows if they are ever going to release another album. It is hard to say if the band will ever get back together because they were never really together to begin with. They just kind of ran into each other, made some music and dispersed. All that is left is this one album.

AaRON - Angel Dust

Birds in The Storm

After 14 days of waiting, I received my French album—the most expensive CD I have ever bought—imported from overseas directly to me. AaRON’s second album, Birds in The Storm.

The CD is just as weird and lyrically unsettling as the first one and I mean that in a good way. The album has 10 tracks and all of them are brilliant. “Arm Your Eyes” is a beautiful song, very similar to their first album’s style. The lyrics are very poetic: “My skin is young, and my eyes were full of hope/But I’ve seen the dark of the day/I need a shore, just one trail I could follow/Far from the fog in my head.”

“Inner Streets” is probably most representative of their overall style. The lyrics start, “I might be crazy,” and continues with a musical background that almost sounds slightly off-key. The beat gets faster as the song continues, as well as gets harder and stronger. I love that the beginning of this song sounds nothing like the rest of the song—you never know what to expect.

Their style is classically Not uplifting but “Seeds of Gold” is actually their most energizing and optimistic song yet. The chorus: “Something’s coming up/Something’s coming up/My friend, it’s all around/Something’s coming up /The wind is full of hands to help.” A different topic than the normal drugged out friends bleeding on the floor in their other songs.

The most unique song on the album is “Waiting For the Wind To Come.” The song continues with a line of lyrics sung, followed by a deep groaning. This goes on throughout the song—singing, groaning, singing, groaning. Not sure if it is sexy, scary or just annoying. But if nothing else, it is the only song like that out there. They get an A+ for innovation.

“Rise” is another gem on the album. The guitar and tone of the song reminds me a little of Johnny Cash. A little slow and dreary. “I should be dancing, dancing, dancing /Dancing fall between your lies /Dancing, dancing, dancing/Dancing until I fall between your lies.” A beautiful song—“Mr. Brightside,” gone wrong.

If you have never heard Aaron before, I recommend listening to their first album first. Nothing can top it, even this new album. However, this album does totally encompass everything good about the duo and captures what makes them special and worth listening to. AaRON is not to listen to at the gym or on the weekend with friends. AaROn is meant to be heard on a lonely evening. AaRON is dusk by definition—becoming dark, gloomy, yet striking and beautiful.

Jack White - Love is Blindness (U2 Cover)

U2's Haunted Hayride

When you like a song, an artist, a band, an album, you are attached. There is an intimate relationship there. So when someone decides to recreate, re-release, re-record or otherwise re-do a project, there is hesitation. Someone has just tampered with something you love. There is harsh judgment involved. It’s like your mom just went into your closet and bedazzled your favorite jeans. The original was perfection, the remake, you are skeptical and rightfully so.

It is much harder and riskier to attempt to cover songs and albums as they were originally recorded than it is to reshape the original to fit your own style. By doing an exact replica cover, you are creating the “if he can do it, so can I” perception of you as a performer. When in reality, most of the times, one “can’t” do it if s/he can do it. The artist has his/her own collection of sounds and talents to play with and s/he should not waste them by only trying to imitate someone else’s.

A cover of Achtung Baby by U2 was released today, entitled “(Ahk-toong Bay-Bi) Covered.” Every song from the original album has been covered, each by a different artist. Now, Achtung Baby, the original, is on my top 10 albums of all time—perhaps top 5. It is, to me, untouchable. What sets Achtung Baby apart from a lot of other fabulous albums is that the lyrics are as intricate and magnificent as the sound and music itself; perhaps more so. You just do not hear lyrics like in “The Fly” and “Ultra Violet (Light My Way)” anymore. The lyrics are really what make the album.

This “Covered” album completely revamped every single song. None of the songs sound anything like the originals. A smart move on the artists’ part, seeing as the album is so good by itself. Rather than covering the songs, each artist deconstructed each song and put it back together in a completely new way.

The vibe on the original album was edgy with a touch of fantasy mixed in. “Covered” is totally dark and twisted. A haunted hayride through the brilliance of U2’s best album. Gavin Friday, Depeche Mode, Patti Smith, Nine Inch Nails and Garbage are a few of the artists on the album. And, of course, U2 managed to cover one of their own songs, “Even Better Than the Real Thing.”

All the songs truly have an air of ghostly splendor in them. I mean, the album starts with “Zoo Station” by Nine Inch Nails; you can’t get much more ghostly than that. It’s a great re-adaptation, a great choice as this song had an electronic veil over it and Nine Inch Nails love using electronic elements in their music. A perfect match.

“So Cruel” by Depeche Mode is gorgeous. It is classic Depeche Mode from the very start, but a perfect reminisce of classic Bono over-dramatization.

“Ultra Violet (Light My Way)” is performed by The Killers and they transform this song into a dark and twisted show-tune-like beat. Brandon Flowers’ vocals really pull it all together by keeping all the lyrics crystal clear so the listener is not to miss a single unique word.

The best song on this album is by far, “Love Is Blindness” performed by Jack White. This song was probably one of my least favorites on the original album. But White is something else. I actually got goose bumps when I first listened to this version. Great guitar solo, great voice, way more emotion in the voice than Bono had. I never knew what the big deal was with Jack White after the White Stripes stopped making music. Why were magazines featuring him as a great musician? Jack, I personally apologize for ever doubting your raw skill. This song alone, got my head straight. Your voice echoes Robert Plant. Love, Nicole

I am somewhat disappointed by “Mysterious Ways” by Snow Patrol and “Tryin’ to Throw Your Arms Around the World” by The Fray. I feel like they were the kids that tagged along to the recording session and the rest of the artists felt bad not including them in the album so they threw them a bone. Big mistake. I feel like both these bands are great, but never impressive. They never make you think about their music and that was the whole purpose of this album. They were not complicated enough.

All in all, this album is a must-have. A down-the-rabbit-hole re-mastering of the best U2 album of all time. The album was released by Q magazine to honor the magazines’ 25th anniversary, the albums’ 20th anniversary, and also to raise money for famine rescue in East Africa.

Pop and Loving It

So as much as I hate to admit, “Wild Heart” by Sabi is a really catchy single that I love and have been secretly enjoying for the last week or so. It was featured on a promo for Kourtney and Kim Take New York. How ironic, two guilty pleasures of mine rolled into one—Kardashian reality television and this song. Sabi is the female vocalist on Cobra Starship’s “You Make Me Feel . . .” a horrendous song that I have never liked and always avoid on radio and television at all costs.

“You Make Me Feel . . .” was performed live by Cobra Starship and Sabi at this years’ MTV Video Music Awards and not only did I not need any additional reasons to hate the song but I specifically thought that Sabi was awful in the performance—no skills at singing live at all.

Now a sadly bought this new single and I really enjoy it. It is overly dramatic and drenched in girl-pop star glory—much like the Kardashian promo. I don’t want to like it but I certainly do and I highly recommend it to those who want something slightly darker than a Britney or Christina pop song. Much like some artists are better off as only featured artists—Sabi may be an artist who is only good solo (and after sound editing). Debut album said to be released in early 2012.

We shall see . . .

Lets Talk

So let's talk . . . Girl Talk. I credit my first encounter with Girl Talk to my friend Katie a few years ago. It was long enough ago that I tried to find albums or traces of Girl Talk on iTunes, and found nothing. Just a few samples Katie was able to scramble from some website she didn't remember the name of. It was great. It was the first time I heard a mixing-based artist that I could listen to more than one song in a row without getting annoyed by techno-repetition.

Girl Talk is one of the most original artists out there which is ironic because most of his work is comprised of multiple songs and parts of songs mashed into one unit--one song.

He's amazing. I just bought his album, Unstoppable, and it is incredible. I have two reactions as I listen to the album over and over again: 1) I wish I had thought of this and 2) these songs are too short. Some of the tracks are only about a minute long and I truly feel a sense of sadness when I notice the song has ended so quickly.

The first track is "All Eyes On Me" which sets you up for the rest of the album. It is a mash-up of different news reports and morning radio talk shows put together to sound as if people are talking about Girl Talk.

If you have never heard a Girl Talk song, you are missing some of the most bizarre combinations ever created in music. "Pump it Up" combines the noticeable piano from "Clocks" by Coldplay behind rap and hip hop tracks. "Bodies Hit the Floor" has Kelly Osbourne's vocals from "Shut Up" along with Drowning Pool's "Bodies" and Justin Timberlake's "Cry Me A River." Then the song switches gears and samples Lisa Loeb's "Stay." Crazy--in the best sense!

"Non-Stop Party Now" has a piano tune of "Right Here Waiting" by Richard Marx along with the lyrics: "All you ladies/pop your pussy like this/shake your body/don't stop, don't miss." Outrageous, you say? How about genius?!?!

The best track on Unstoppable is "Can't Stop." It is one of the less "mashed" songs on the albums but it is great. If you have ever listened to any Blue Man Group albums or early Moby, this song is similar. Just a really cool song but simple and not a lot going on. It is a big thing wrapped in a small package.

This albums is happy. It is the hot chocolate; the rainbow sprinkles of music. Buy it!

Shut the Fuck Up, Get Up

If you live in New York and have not seen a concert at Roseland Ballroom, you are missing out on a unique experience. New York’s music scene is really all about small venues. Madison Square Garden is great, but there is no real personal experience there. You sit on the bleachers, you watch the concert, you wait in a huge line to get in and to leave and in between, you are trying to make your way to the bathroom through the mass of middle-aged parents accompanying their children because the k ids are not old enough to see a concert on their own.
Roseland Ballroom is nothing like that. I saw Dropkick Murphys there back in March of this year. I was not even a huge Dropkick fan but the concert still rocked, mostly because of the fans and the venue. When I saw Korn would be performing there, I knew it would be a good time. This past Friday, I stood outside for about 20 minutes in a line that wrapped around the block. Roseland, being a few blocks from the center of Times Square is a misfit. Looking at shiny billboards for Sister Act and Evita was ironic as all the smelly, smoking, black t-shirt-wearing Korn fans shivered outside until they opened the doors.
Roseland is like a big nightclub without the club feel (if that makes sense). The music is actually good, everything is really dimly lit and the bar lies in the back and never gets too crowded, especially when the band goes on. People don’t push or shove you while waiting to be served, but rather they just want to talk to you about if you have ever been to Lollapalooza or if you are a fan of Five Finger Death Punch’s new album. The bartenders are characters. One bartender advised me that if I take good care of him, he would take good care of me. I paid for the overpriced drinks and gave him a 40% tip. The next round was ¾ vodka with a splash of coke and an extra shot on the house in a separate cup. So, you get your moneys’ worth.
There are seats on either side of the stage but who wants to sit in a seat. Roseland is a melting pot of music fans, so part of the experience is meeting people and commingling with your fellow rockers.
The opening act was Downlink and Datsik. I have no idea which was which. All I know is there was a crappy opening act and an awesome opening act. The first act was a group of rappers. A Beastie Boys gone wrong. Whoever the rappers were, sucked! When they first started, I thought it was a joke. All they did was shout out profanity and sound like white rappers, in a bad way, not in an Eminem way. You could not understand any of the words, it was just random gibberish. . “Asshole . . . . Christmas . . . . Cottage cheese.”
After they got off stage (not soon enough), a DJ stayed on stage and preformed for over an hour. He was awesome. I was warned that the opening acts sucked from someone who saw the same concert the day before in Boston but actually, only ½ the opening act sucked.
I must go off on a tangent for a minute here but I will get back to the point, I promise. So, Skrillex is all the rage now and I have been pro-Skrillex since “Get Up” came out. Listening to the concert Friday, I was moved to buy one of their albums, Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites (also the name of their most well-known single). Rather than buying an album, what I realized I bought was just 80 different versions of the same song. There is only one good track on the album worth buying and then a lot of remixed clones. These DJs and bands doing similar things as Skrillex, Downlink is an example, are actually much better. Skrillex has a skill of remaking and remixing already good music. Any song that ends “featuring Skrillex” is probably worth it. Their solo stuff, I am not so sure. I want to love them, I really do, but I just don’t think I can.
That all being said, some of Skrillex’s predecessors are totally worth listening to, including the DJ opening for Korn. He even honored Skrillex, by remixing “Scary Monsters.” I was so anxious to see Korn before getting to the concert, I was dreading the opening acts. But then, almost 2 hours later, I did not even mind that Korn had yet to perform.
When Korn did come out, it was awesome, as expected. Their new album is going to be great, just hearing some of the songs that they performed from the album. The album is expected to be released December 6th (and is available for pre-order on iTunes—only $11.99 for special edition).
So what you should take away from this is:

1) Korn still rocks and has rocked since the 90s
2) Skrillex is a good featured artist but they are like gin, not good by itself
3) There is a lot of Skrillex-like music to come
4) Roseland Ballroom is a must for concert goers
5) T-shirts should not be tucked into jeans (unrelated but it needed to be said)

Devils Little Sister

Ah yes, Korn. Korn is performing tonight at the Roseland Ballroom in NYC and I cannot wait!!! However, every single person I have told that I am attending, minus 3 people, had very similar reactions:

“Those guys are still around?”
“Oh, that band from the 90’s?”
“Wow, I haven’t heard that name in a while.”

So in response, I must declare “yes,” and “yes” and “well, then you have not been paying attention.” Korn has released a number of albums since the 90’s. And yes, they are still around, releasing a new album in December of this year. They have released a bunch of albums in the 2000s, including Untouchables which won a Grammy, best single ironically for “Here to Stay” (and you think they aren’t still around?)

Korn is one of the greatest metal bands ever and let me tell you why:

1) They do GOOD covers: Bands that do covers is one thing, bands that can cover a song well is another thing. On their Greatest Hits album, Korn covered Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall” as well as Cameo’s “Word Up!” Originally hating both of these songs, I happen to love both of the covers. Well played, Korn; well played.
2) They’ve been around for almost 20 years: They have stood the test of time, proving they are still relevant. Their single, “Narcissistic Cannibal” from their yet-to-be-released album, The Path of Totality, is #2 on the Rock Top Songs list on iTunes. Their previous single “Get Up!” is #1 on the Metal Top Songs list on iTunes. Thank God because for a whole Matt Kearney was on the top 10 in rock and Matt, I love ya, but you are as far from rock as it gets.
3) They do collaborations: Most of The Path of totality will be featuring other artists which is very exciting, including Skrillex and Downlink who is also on tour with Korn right now. “Get Up!” features Skrillex which is just the most bad-ass single rock has had for a while. And remember “Break Stuff,” Limp Bizkit’s single? The lead singer, Jonathan Davis is featured in the music video. (Not a collaboration but I got really pumped when I saw him in the video). One of their songs, “Coming Undone” was remixed into “Coming Undone Wit It,” a collaboration of Korn with Dem Franchize Boys. Rock+Rap=Happiness!
4) Jonathan Davis: One of the best screamers of metal out there right now. He has dreads, knows how to yell and has a sick microphone stand that is now an artistic staple, designed by artist H.R. Giger.
5) “Freak on A Leash”: Really?!?!? You cannot get much better than this song. The music video was awesome—remember the bullet? And the song is just utter anger and frustration. I still listen to that song at full volume on the subway or at the gym once in a while. Best part is the end when Davis does his “rock scat.”

If you are not familiar with Korn, songs I would recommend are “Get Up!" “Freak On A Leash,” “Shoots And Ladders,” “Twisted Transistor” and “Coming Undone Wit It.” Happy head banging!

What Lengths We Will Go To

Good music can sometimes be hard to find. But if you find something that is really quality music, it is worth the fight. While I was studying abroad in Paris, I discovered AaRON (Artificial Animals Riding On Neverland). They are a French male duo who sing, write, and compose their own music. They released their first self-titled album in 2007. I was in Paris when the album came out. A girl that was also studying abroad had bought the album and lent it to me. I was astonished that I even liked it. They are somewhat mellow, sad, and meek-sounding. They are French themselves, but only one song is in French, “Le Tunnel d’Or.” If you do not understand the language, you will still love the song—guaranteed.
Most of their songs seem to about drugs and trying to get, apparently a lot of girlfriends, off of them. Song titles such as “Blow” and “Angel Dust” would lead you to believe that these guys had some struggles themselves but the lyrics take unexpected turns.
For example, “Blow” has such a beautiful and dark rhythm. Almost scary. And with lyrics such as “I cannot hang on any thought/I'm falling from an endless boat/I dive into the darkest sea/And sharks are dancing around me,” you can’t help but love their creativity.
Second best song on the album, “Last Night Thoughts” is probably one of the most heart-wrenching songs I have ever heard. Few musicians can really evoke feelings that a listener can truly feel. It is rare this is authentic. And with all the technology available to enhance music, emotion can be manufactured quit easily, making it “emotion” rather than emotion. This song truly sounds painful. And it is so simple. There are 3 lines to the whole song: “I still feel like a child/I still need you by my side/I still hear you late at night.” Simple, but the song seems so much more complex than this. When I actually researched the lyrics, I was shocked when I saw only 3 lines listed on every website I read.
Best song is “Angel Dust.” Slightly more uplifting (only slightly). It is truly amazing. There is nothing like it. “The pain could go just with one shot/sleep little princess/one last caress/one last pearl of blood/rolling on your world/so slow/she almost touches, the rainbow/sometimes I do wonder.” GORGEOUS!
I fell in love with this album—it was the soundtrack to my trip abroad. The last night I was in Paris, I paced around the city in the dark and in the rain (cliché but oddly true) listening to this album over and over again. I was happy that I had had the last 5 or so months; sad that they were over. It was bittersweet and this album really is the most beautiful bittersweet sound I have ever heard.
I used to check iTunes every once in a while, purely to look for a second album to be released. Artificial Animals Riding On Neverland, I saw was available on US iTunes so I thought surely I would see another album appear someday. About 3 years went by that I stopped looking. I gave up. They must not be releasing another album. Maybe they broke up or their drugged-up girlfriends killed them and sold their bodies to buy more drugs.
Then, today, I by chance went on Wikipedia to learn exactly how to spell their name (uppercase versus lowercase, you know). When I scrolled down the page, I saw under Albums, the album in 2007, but then another album, Birds In The Storm, from 2010 listed underneath.
I went on amazon.com—nothing with this album title. No mp3 downloads, nothing. I searched around and finally found it—their second album. I could not believe it. Now, how would I order it? I saw it on sites from Belgium and Germany, but nothing in the US. Then I found myself on Amazon .fr (the French amazon.com). Now, it has been a while since I used my French, but I managed through the site, into checkout, verified my mailing address and purchased, in US Dollars, Birds In The Storm by AaRON, for only $31.90.
Yup, this is officially the most expensive album I have ever purchased (besides my Middle of Nowhere, Hanson album signed by all 3 members which is now priceless). But, like I said, some music is worth the trouble and time to find. And when you find it, money is no object. Sure, I could have downloaded it for free, but somehow, having it sent to me from France, where I first heard the band almost 5 years ago, is worth the $31.90.

The Top Songs I Wish I Didn't Buy

We all get caught up in hype of what songs are popular, right here, right now. Here is a list of songs that were a waste of a perfectly good download. These are songs that I never really listened to because it wasn't until after I bought them that I discovered how "not so worth it" they were. Well done if you managed to keep these out of your music database.

These are more recent songs, only 2010 and 2011 release dated but I am sure this list could go on as far back as music began if I let it.

"Price Tag" Jessie J (January 25, 2011)
"Beautiful People" Chris Brown ft. Benny Berassi (March 11, 2011)
"Hold it Against Me" Britney Spears ( January 11, 2011)
"Grenade" Bruno Mars (September 28, 2010)
"Coming Home" Diddy (November 21, 2010)
"Lighters" Bad Meets Evil (July 5, 2011)
"Animal" Neon Trees (March 16, 2011)
"Lies of the Beautiful People" Sixx A.M. (March 1, 2011)
"More" Usher (November 22, 2010)
Entire Gold Cobra album Limp Bizkit (June 28, 2011)
"Pretty Girl Rock" Keri Hilson (October 12, 2010)
"Blow" Kesha (February 8, 2011)

All these songs appeared great on the surface. Lies--utter lies. Don't be fooled by popularity. But one thing I do notice, hardly any rock songs on this list. Could it be that rock and metal is more faithful to their reputation than pop?

I will be coming out with the best and worst songs of 2011 but for now, just don't waste your time on these. They are on the radio enough anyway, if you need a fix.

Tis The Season

Coldplay's album, Mylo Xyloto is finally available after being available only for pre-order for what seems like forever. "Princess of China," the song featuring Rihanna is #5 on iTunes. I'm going to be honest, I disagree. Nothing overwhelmed me about this song. I think it was a desperate attempt for Coldplay to be one of the many memorable collaborations. But they don't need to do collaborations--they're Coldplay for Christ's sake.

Michael Buble released a Christmas album, Christmas. Hopefully this outshines Justin Bieber's Christmas album.

Korn's new album, The Path of Totality, is expected to be released December 6th. Looking at the lineup of songs, every song features another artist, mostly Skrillex like their single "Get Up."

In other music news, there are many artists starting up their own wines. One I recently discovered is The Dreaming Tree, a collaboration involving Dave Matthews. Caduceus Cellars produces Merkin wine, started by Maynard James Keenan from Tool and APC.

And, since Halloween is coming up, I wanted to share a few of my per snap favorite Halloween-related songs. If you are struggling with music ideas, these might help:

"Zombie" by The Cranberries
"Monster" by Kanye West
"Dig Up Her Bones" by The Misfits
"Gorgeous Frankenstein" by Gorgeous Frankenstein
"This is Halloween" by Marilyn Manson
"Lady Lucifera" by Danzig
"Zombie" by Natalia Kills
"Monster" Lady GaGa
"Hello Zepp" by Charlie Clouser
"Eat You Alive" by Limp Bizkit
"She Wolf" by Shakira
"Afterlife" by Avenged Sevenfold
"Dragula" Rob Zombie
"Scream!" by The Misfits
"If I Was Your Vampire" by Marilyn Manson
"See You In My Nightmare" by Kanye West ft. Lil Wayne

Note that "Monster Mash" and "Thriller" are not included. I am actually not a fan of either song. Both are very overplayed around the holidays. So here are some you may not have thought of.

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Top 30 Songs of All Time

So to start things off, I thought I would list what my personal top 30 songs are of all time. In other words, these are songs I never get sick of. If I were trapped on a desert island with only 30 songs to listen to for the rest of my life, I would be pretty content with these 30 songs. These are songs that I have trouble skipping over, that I am always in the mood to listen to. All these songs have special memories attached to them. They are part of me now and I cannot give them up. My hope is that this list may trigger some songs you have not listened to in a while or some you have never heard of. These are in no particular order. Enjoy everybody and don’t forget to subscribe!!!

1. “Baby, Please Don’t leave” Buddy Guy
Second best intro to a song EVER!

2. “Somebody to Love” Jefferson Airplane
The Dupuis Family song

3. “Take A Look Around” Limp Bizkit
Really good work out song

4. “Angel Dust” Aaron
French band, whole album is amazing, unlike anything else

5. “The Boxer” Simon and Garfunkel

6. “Fix You” Coldplay


7. “Runaround Sue” Dion and the Belmonts
My dad and my song

8. “Enjoy the Silence” Depeche Mode

9. “Fortunate Son” Creedence Clearwater Revival


10. “Sweet Dreams (are made of this)” Marilyn Manson

11. “Chop Suey” System of a Down


12. “When the Levee Breaks” Led Zeppelin
Best intro to a song EVER!

13. “Closer (Trance is in Motion)” Nine Inch Nails featuring Static-X
Hard to find but so worth it

14. “Non Je Ne Regrette Rien” Edith Piaf

15. “I Feel So” Boxcar Racer

Love me some teen angst

16. “The Chain” Fleetwood Mac

17. “Ultraviolet (Light My Way)” U2

From Achtung Baby, one of the most underrated albums

18. “Paint it Black” The Rolling Stones

19. “On to the Next One” Jay-Z

A motto we should all live by

20. “Mmmbop” Hanson
No comment

21. “ Babe I'm Gonna Leave You” Led Zeppelin

22. “The Mighty Quinn” Manfred Mann


23. “I Love Music” Andrew W.K.
Was playing when I was accepted to my university

24. “Hide and Seek” Imogen Heap

25. “Canon in D Minor” Musica Antiqua New York

26. “The Outsider” A Perfect Circle

27. “Another Saturday Night” Sam Cooke
This is “puppy and rainbow” music for sure

28. “Pride (In the Name of Love)” U2

29. “Beautiful Disaster” 311

30. “Bind, Torture, Kill” Suicide Commando

Menergy 101

I have two passions, writing and music. A music blog seems inevitable. I have all this pent up music energy (menergy, if you will) and I feel that it is somewhat of a waste for me not to share it. So, I plan to share it with whoever is interested in reading this blog. This blog is for all the dancers, concertgoers, head bangers, mp3 downloaders, “I’m With The Band” t-shirt wearers, iTunes enthusiasts, club goers, fist pumpers, and song writers.
I love music. Some may call it obsession. I get infatuated with artists and songs, so much so that I am just bursting with . . . menergy!
I grew up on a variety of genres of music. My mother loves rock. Eric Clapton, U2, Michael Jackson, Cream, The Who, and Queen. She also loves Motown. The Temptations, The Jackson 5, Marvin Gaye, and The Four Tops. Now, I will give her credit; she is open to trying some current music as well. She gets into the occasional “hit” she hears in the car or on TV. Once I was listening to “Bodies” by Drowning Pool and she started dancing in her seat. “This is fun dance music!” Not exactly, mom.
My mom gave me my first real taste of rock music one day in middle school when she picked me up from school. My parents had recently bought a new car and it was her first day driving it and picking me up. I got in the car and “oo’d” and “ahh’d” at the new leather seats and clean dashboard. "Now, wait a minute," my mom said and she put a CD in the stereo. She turned the volume up really loud which was somewhat uncharacteristic of her. The song was building, but for the first 20 seconds or so, there was more just a faint essence of song. No voices, no beats, nothing that resembled song. Then it picked up. It was “Where the Streets Have No Name” by U2. It was epic.
My dad also likes the classics but on a more folk rock, mellow level. Simon and Garfunkel, Peter Paul and Mary, and John Denver. He also has a lot of new age music, Enya, Loreena McKennitt, Sarah Brightman, he even has a Yanni album (Live at the Acropolis—yikes). He claims he knows good music before it gets popular. Still waiting, dad? He takes it to another level with Gregorian chant albums. Sometimes I walk into his home office which is upstairs in our house, over the garage, and I feel like I am entering a church. Forgive me father, but this is a little much! My dad also loves jazz. Joe Stafford, Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, Harry Connick Jr., and Nat King Cole are his favorites.
As different as my parents tastes are, we can agree on some. Our family song has become “Somebody to Love” by Jefferson Airplane. Just enough rock for my mom and just enough hippy-folk for my dad. God forbid that song comes on in a public place when my parents and I are together—things could get crazy! I appreciate all the music they have brought to my attention over the years. I have copied most of my mom’s U2 albums and yes, I have even bought Enya’s albums.
I like all music and intend to discuss a wide range of music in this blog. However, I choose to omit country music. I don’t listen to it, I don’t respect it and I don’t wish to endorse it by mentioning it. All other music is up for grabs. I like almost everything. I grew up on the Beatles and Elton John. I tried to do a solo dance performance at our 5th grade talent show to Elton John’s, "The Bitch is Back," but I was requested to be the fourth member of a dance performance of Backstreet Boys, “Everybody.” Not gonna lie, we rocked it.
I went through the boy band phase with NSync and Hanson. Then I went through the rebellious phase with Limp Bizkit and Marilyn Manson. Then, one morning, things changed. As I was watching MTV music videos as my normal before school routine, something different caught my eye. "Chop Suey" by System of a Down came on. Their tattoos, weird vocals, screaming, and outright freakiness oozed out of the television. My mom walked in and saw my infatuation. I looked at her. “Oh no,” she said and walked away into the kitchen. From then on, I was a true rock and metal fan at heart. Limp Bizkit was my gateway band but SOAD put me over the edge.
Now don’t get me wrong, I love Lady GaGa; I think Beyonce is fierce (I had to); and I own The Last Song with Miley Cyrus on DVD. I love it all. And on this blog, I will never lie about my opinion. I would never lie and say Justin Bieber has talent, or I feel bad that Christina Aguilera got fat, or that I don’t dislike The Notorious B.I.G. Nor will I ever recommend music I do not listen to and love myself.
So I hope you keep reading and keep listening and keep up that menergy!