1. FIRST – Cold War Kids
2. EX’S AND OH’S – Elle King
3. DREAMS – Beck
4. SHIP TO WRECK – Florence + the Machine
5. CAN’T FEEL MY FACE – The Weeknd
6. ELECTRIC LOVE – BORNS
7. BLAME IT ON ME – George Ezra
8. COULD HAVE BEEN ME – The Struts
9. I AM – Awolnation
10. RENEGADES – X Ambassadors
Top 50 Songs of 2010
In 2010, a wide range of established rock artists, including Eminem, Train, John Mayer, Lifehouse, Weezer, Muse, Cage the Elephant, Phoenix, Three Days Grace, and Alice in Chains produced great songs. New artist Ke$ha had one of the biggest hits of the year with “Tik Tok,” her irresistibly fun “let’s get drunk and party” song. Lady Gaga was back in full force with her album “Fame Monster,” a collection of songs that dealt with the dark side of fame and doomed relationships, including the brilliant “Bad Romance,” easily her best song. And jazz-pop singer Michael Buble’s “Haven’t Met You Yet” was a guilty pleasure and a delightful throwback to the 60s. The Script, The Black Keys, Mumford & Sons, Mike Posner, Neon Trees, and American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert all scored their first major hits. Another newcomer was the incredibly talented Bruno Mars, whose collaborations with R&B/hip-hop artists Travie McCoy and B.o.B. gave us a taste of some great music to come from him.
My pick for best song of 2010 is Country pop band Lady Antebellum’s “Need You Now,” an achingly beautiful song of loneliness and longing.
1. NEED YOU NOW – Lady Antebellum
2. HEY, SOUL SISTER – Train
3. TIK TOK – Ke$ha
4. BREAKEVEN – The Script
5. BAD ROMANCE – Lady Gaga
6. HEARTBREAK WARFARE – John Mayer
7. RESISTANCE – Muse
8. HAVEN’T MET YOU YET – Michael Buble
9. LAY ME DOWN – The Dirty Heads featuring Rome Ramirez
10. TIGHTEN UP – The Black Keys
11. TEENAGE DREAM – Katy Perry
12. ALL THE RIGHT MOVES – OneRepublic
13. HALF OF MY HEART – John Mayer featuring Taylor Swift
14. COOLER THAN ME – Mike Posner
15. TELEPHONE – Lady Gaga featuring Beyonce
16. LOVE THE WAY YOU LIE – Eminem featuring Rihanna
17. 1901 – Phoenix
18. ANIMAL – Neon Trees
19. SECRETS – OneRepublic
20. BREAK YOUR HEART – Taio Cruz featuring Ludacris
21. UPRISING – Muse
22. MISERY – Maroon 5
23. (IF YOU’RE WONDERING IF I WANT YOU TO) I WANT YOU TO – Weezer
24. NOT AFRAID – Eminem
25. KINGS AND QUEENS – 30 Seconds to Mars
26. BACK AGAINST THE WALL – Cage the Elephant
27. BREAK – Three Days Grace
28. YOUR DECISION – Alice in Chains
29. LISZTOMANIA – Phoenix
30. LIFE AFTER YOU – Daughtry
31. IF YOU ONLY KNEW – Shinedown
32. IN ONE EAR – Cage the Elephant
33. WHATAYA WANT FROM ME – Adam Lambert
34. DYNAMITE – Taio Cruz
35. DJ GOT US FALLIN’ IN LOVE – Usher featuring Pitbull
36. NOTHIN’ ON YOU – B.o.B. featuring Bruno Mars
37. JUST A DREAM – Nelly
38. SAVIOR – Rise Against
39. ALEJANDRO – Lady Gaga
40. BULLETPROOF – La Roux
41. SOMEDAY – Rob Thomas
42. IMPOSSIBLE – Anberlin
43. HALFWAY GONE – Lifehouse
44. UNDO IT – Carrie Underwood
45. LITTLE LION MAN – Mumford & Sons
46. YOUR LOVE IS MY DRUG – Ke$ha
47. YOUNG FOREVER – Jay-Z featuring Mr. Hudson
48. IMPOSSIBLE – Shontelle
49. MY BEST THEORY – Jimmy Eat World
50. BILLIONAIRE – Travie McCoy featuring Bruno Mars
Top 10 Songs for Week of September 6-12
1. FIRST – Cold War Kids
2. EX’S AND OH’S – Elle King
3. DREAMS – Beck
4. CAN’T FEEL MY FACE – The Weeknd
5. BLAME IT ON ME – George Ezra
6. SHIP TO WRECK – Florence + the Machine
7. ELECTRIC LOVE – BORNS
8. COULD HAVE BEEN ME – The Struts
9. RENEGADES – X Ambassadors
10. TEAR IN MY HEART – twenty-one pilots
RIP, Love Songs
Interesting article by Terry Teachout (Commentary’s critic-at-large and the drama critic of the Wall Street Journal) of how changing American cultural norms about love and marriage have resulted in significant changes in how love is represented in today’s popular music, especially rap. He also reviews a recent book on this subject by Ted Gioia called Love Songs: The Hidden History.
Source: Article Love Songs Rip
Top 10 for Week of August 30-September 5
1. DREAMS – Beck
2. EX’S AND OH’S – Elle King
3. FIRST – Cold War Kids
4. CAN’T FEEL MY FACE – The Weeknd
5. RENEGADES – X Ambassadors
6. BLAME IT ON ME – George Ezra
7. SHIP TO WRECK – Florence + the Machine
8. ELECTRIC LOVE – BORNS
9. TEAR IN MY HEART – twenty one pilots
10. COULD HAVE BEEN ME – The Struts
Top 50 Songs of 2011
2011 saw the release of two incredible albums by two of my favorite artists, Adele’s epic masterpiece “21” and Foster the People’s debut album “Torches.” The best song of the year is without doubt “Rolling in the Deep,” Adele’s triumphant song of betrayal, heartbreak and ultimate survival. Foster the People have three songs in my top 10, beginning with “Pumped Up Kicks,” with it’s dark message sharply contrasting with a peppy upbeat melody.
Here are my Top 50 favorite songs of 2011:
1. ROLLING IN THE DEEP – Adele
2. PUMPED UP KICKS – Foster the People
3. MOVES LIKE JAGGER – Maroon 5 featuring Christina Aguilera
4. STEREO HEARTS – Gym Class Heroes featuring Adam Levine
5. READY TO GO – Panic! At the Disco
6. RAISE YOUR GLASS – P!nk
7. HOUDINI – Foster the People
8. HELENA BEAT – Foster the People
9. SOMEONE LIKE YOU – Adele
10. FIREWORK – Katy Perry
11. PERFECT – P!nk
12. EVERY TEARDROP IS A WATERFALL – Coldplay
13. ADOLESCENTS – Incubus
14. PARTY ROCK ANTHEM – LMFAO featuring Lauren Bennett & GoonRock
15. CALL IT WHAT YOU WANT – Foster the People
16. HOWLIN’ FOR YOU – The Black Keys
17. GOOD LIFE – OneRepublic
18. SHAKE ME DOWN – Cage the Elephant
19. MONEYGRABBER – Fitz & the Tantrums
20. ONLY GIRL IN THE WORLD – Rihanna
21. JUST THE WAY YOU ARE – Bruno Mars
22. JUST CAN’T GET ENOUGH – The Black-Eyed Peas
23. FOR THE FIRST TIME – The Script
24. BORN THIS WAY – Lady Gaga
25. MY BODY – Young the Giant
26. THE LAZY SONG – Bruno Mars
27. GIVE ME EVERYTHING – Pitbull featuring Ne-Yo, Afro jack & Nayer
28. GRENADE – Bruno Mars
29. WHAT’S MY NAME? – Rihanna featuring Drake
30. TONIGHT, TONIGHT – Hot Chelle Rae
31. THE CAVE – Mumford & Sons
32. KEEP YOUR HEAD UP – Andy Grammer
33. WALK – Foo Fighters
34. WAITING FOR THE END – Linkin Park
35. RHYTHM OF LOVE – Plain White T’s
36. DON’T YOU WANNA STAY – Jason Aldean with Kelly Clarkson
37. DON’T GOTTA WORK IT OUT – Fitz & the Tantrums
38. THE ADVENTURES OF RAIN DANCE MAGGIE – Red Hot Chili Peppers
39. DOG DAYS ARE OVER – Florence + the Machine
40. THE SOUND OF WINTER – Bush
41. THE EDGE OF GLORY – Lady Gaga
42. YOU AND I – Lady Gaga
43. LAST FRIDAY NIGHT (T.G.I.F.) – Katy Perry
44. UNDISCLOSED DESIRES – Muse
45. YOU ARE A TOURIST – Death Cab for Cutie
46. IF I DIE YOUNG – The Band Perry
47. NOTHING – The Script
48. WITHOUT YOU – David Guetta featuring Usher
49. JUST A KISS – Lady Antebellum
50. NEVER GONNA LEAVE THIS BED – Maroon 5
“Ricki and the Flash” is thoroughly satisfying.
Well, Meryl Streep hits another one out of the ballpark with her latest performance in “Ricki and the Flash,” directed by Jonathan Demme. Streep plays an aging rock musician, named Ricki Rendazzo, who never quite made it big, but continues to perform in a small club at night while working at a grocery store by day to make ends meet. Her real name is Linda, but years earlier she abandoned that persona, along with her husband Pete, played by Kevin Kline, and three young children, to pursue her dream of being a rock star in California. When ex-husband Pete calls to inform her that their daughter Julie, played by Streep’s real-life daughter Mamie Gummer in a convincing performance, has had a nervous breakdown after her husband leaves her for another woman, Linda flies to Indianapolis to try and help her estranged daughter. Julie doesn’t exactly welcome her mother with open arms, nor do Linda’s two sons Joshua and Daniel. There’s a cringeworthy scene when Linda, Pete, their three children and Joshua’s fiance Emily gather for an extremely awkward dinner at an upscale restaurant. In due course, Linda has a confrontation with Pete’s current wife Maureen, beautifully played by the talented broadway star Audra McDonald. The film has a somewhat predictible but totally satisfying ending at the marriage of Joshua and Emily.
Throughout the film are several scenes of Ricki and her band The Flash performing in a small nightclub, mostly singing covers of other bands’ songs. Streep does all her own singing and even plays guitar, and singer Rick Springfield turns in a rather good and authentic performance as her bandmate and sometime love interest Greg. There is real chemistry between them, onstage and off. There are a few moments when the film could have become bogged down by cliche, but the strong acting performances by the entire cast keep it credible. Streep’s and Springfield’s musical performances are pretty enjoyable to watch too.
Top 10 for Week of August 23-29
1. DREAMS – Beck
2. CAN’T FEEL MY FACE – The Weeknd
3. EX’S AND OH’S – Elle King
4. FIRST – Cold War Kids
5. RENEGADES – X Ambassadors
6. BLAME IT ON ME – George Ezra
7. TEAR IN MY HEART – twenty one pilots
8. SHIP TO WRECK – Florence + the Machine
9. COULD HAVE BEEN ME – The Struts
10. ELECTRIC LOVE – BORNS
KONGOS – “Hey I Don’t Know”
I absolutely love this song by KONGOS, a South African rock band consisting of four brothers – Dylan (vocals, bass, guitar), Johnny (accordion, keyboards, vocals), Jesse (drums, percussion, vocals) and Daniel Kongos (guitar, vocals) – that’s been around for several years, but finally gained recognition in the U.S. in 2014. “Hey I Don’t Know” is one of the best songs from their album Lunatic, which also featured their hit “Come With Me Now”, and a great video of a live performance, with interesting perspectives displayed in split screens.
ECLECTIC MUSIC LOVER 