The 55 Best Albums of 2014 (23-33)

There have been questions about this year’s countdown…to answer the big one:  I did not do a poll this year.  Though I promised, I ran out of my time in my life, day job, and parenting duties.  So, this year, you’re just going to have to live with my list and my list only.  Enjoy the kitty.

Here are the 55 Best Albums of 2014 (23-33):

23. Johnny Cash - Out among the Stars
24. Movement - Movement EP
25. Ryan Adams - Ryan Adams
26. Jenny Lewis - The Voyager
27. Merchandise - After the End
28. Beck - Morning Phase
39. Y.G. - My Krazy Life
30. You Blew It! - Keep Doing What You're Doing
31. Cloud Nothings - Here And Nothing Else
32. The Black Keys - Turn Blue
33. Claire - The Great Escape

Buy these albums and more…now!!!

 

 

The 11 Best Songs By The Black Keys

Net neutrality has been a growing viral meme lately.  The FCC is about to make a landmark decision regarding the future of the internet; whether to leave it in the control of the people, or give the control to the corporations.  There is only one choice, and I mean there is really only one choice.  The power will always remain in the hands of the people.  Let the FCC try to regulate it.  It would be like trying to regulate the air.  When it comes to computers and technology, the government will be and always has been about ten steps behind everyone else.  The second they try to block it and regulate it, will be the second that some programmer in Wichita comes up with a way around the blocks.  Every single time a corporation or power-hungry entity has tried to cease control of something on the internet, it has only back-fired and ended up in a massive flood of information in the complete opposite direction. It will not end well for the FCC if they try this route.  If they don’t believe me…just as the music industry how fighting illegal downloading worked out for them.

Here are The 11 Best Songs By The Black Keys:

  1. Tighten Up (Brothers)
  2. Gold On The Ceiling (El Camino)
  3. I’ll Be Your Man (The Big Come Up)
  4. Lonely Boy (El Camino)
  5. 10 AM Automatic (Rubber Factory)
  6. Set You Free (Thickfreakness)
  7. Howlin’ For You (Brothers)
  8. Midnight In Her Eyes (Thickfreakness)
  9. So He Won’t Break (Attack & Release)
  10. Dead And Gone (El Camino)
  11. Just Got To Be (Magic Potion)

Buy The Black Keys new album…Turn Blue…now!!

Don’t forget to check out our blog’s awesome new book The 111 Best Lists of the 2000s.  Available now! (featuring The Black Keys)

Buy this book or everyone you know will die.

The 11 Best Reasons to Buy The 111 Best Music Lists of the 2000s

GBU 2000s front cover FINAL

It’s been one week since the release of our first book and the reception has been incredibly unexpected.  I thank everyone who has purchased the book…and am giving the stink eye to everyone who has not.  If you haven’t picked up a copy yet…here are some amazing points at why you should.

 The 11 Best Reasons to Buy The 111 Best Music Lists of the 2000s:

  1. There are 111 lists – where most books go to 100 ours does them 11 better and goes to 111.
  2. It features many good artists including: Arctic Monkeys, Beck, The National, Wilco, and Radiohead
  3. It features many bad (ass) artists including:  The Black Keys, The Strokes, The White Stripes, The Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, and the Foo Fighters
  4. It features unknown artists including: The Dirtbombs, Jay Reatard, Assemblage 23, Mr. Lif, and the Great Lake Swimmers
  5. It cost less money ($12.95) than a concert ticket and it lasts longer
  6. Reading makes you smarter.  This book will make you 111 times smarter.
  7. It makes for a great Christmas gift and a belated Hanukkah gift for all your Jewish friends
  8. It is proven to kill flies if you hit them hard enough with it
  9. It is a great conversation starter for a boring New Year’s party (or any party for that matter)
  10. It is the perfect guide for making a ’00s playlist for a ’00s-themed party.
  11. There’s a secret ending just like in the Marvel movies which hints at a bigger story.  Sorta.

Buy The 111 Best Music Lists of the 2000s…now!!!

 

 

 

 

The 11 Best Releases For Record Store Day

I picked up so much vinyl this year…I’m not even sure how I’m going to pay rent.  And isn’t that what good music is about?  Living in a van…down by the river.  There wasn’t a release this year that I went in excited about…but I came out loving almost everything I purchased.  I’ve had the chance to listen to most of my purchases and have heard a lot of other stuff.  And the Calexico album…best release of the year…Period.

It was a crazy day…and I’m still reeling from it.  Some say Record store Day is Christmas for music fans.  It’s better than Christmas…because on Record Store Day you get exactly what you want.

To celebrate such a momentousness day and with nearly 400 releases…there’s no way to condense it down to a mere 11.  Instead, I’ve created 3 lists to give light on some on a lot of the material that you may have missed.  And by the way, many record stores still have a lot of product…so if there’s something that was sold out at one store…I’d check out the store down the street…just in case.

Here are the 11 Best Record Store Day 7-inches:

  1. Pornography (Ryan Adams)  – 7 Minutes in Heaven
  2. Elliott Smith – Either/Or Demos 
  3. Pink Floyd – See Emily Play
  4. David Bowie – Drive-In Saturday Night
  5. Hold Steady – Criminal Fingers
  6. The Black Keys/Iggy & The Stooges – No Fun
  7. Gram Parsons & The Fallen Angels – Live 1973
  8. Old 97s & Waylon Jennings – Double Set
  9. Superchunk – Void 
  10. Iron & Wine – Next To Paradise
  11. Husker Du – Amusement

Here are the 11 Best Record Store Day Reissues:

  1. Orange Juice – Rip It Up
  2. Porno For Pyros – Porno For Pyros (splatter vinyl)
  3. White Stripes – Elephant (red, white and black vinyl)
  4. At The Drive-In – Relationship in Command
  5. Braid – Frame and Canvas
  6. The Roots – Things Fall Apart
  7. The Band – The Last Waltz
  8. Joan Jett & The Blackhearts – Joan Jett & The Blackhearts (yellow vinyl)
  9. Blind Melon – Blind Melon
  10. Built To Spill – Live
  11. The Zombies – The Zombies

Here are the 11 Best Record Store Day Releases:

  1. Calexico – Spiritoso
  2. Stephen Malkmus – Ege Bamyasi
  3. A Place To Bury Strangers – Strange Moon
  4. Soundgarden – King Animal Demos
  5. Garbage – Because the Night
  6. Willie Nelson – Crazy Demo Sessions
  7. G. Love and Jack Johnson – Bloodshot & Blue
  8. Mumford and Sons – Live At Bull Moose
  9. Grouplove/Manchester Orchestra/Frightened Rabbit – Make It To Me
  10. Big Star – Nothing Can Hurt Me
  11. Deftones – Live: Volume 1

 

The 11 Best Songs By The Black Keys

 

 Today marks an epic day in my childhood memories.  Both Empire Strikes Back AND Pac-Man turn 30 today.  It’s very hard to think of these two major institutions having such influence 30 years later…Star Wars is still as big as ever…and Pac-Man pretty much helped pave the wave for all great video games to come.  If you haven’t stopped by Google today.  I highly suggest you do for a quick trip down memory lane.

 Here are the 11 Best Songs By the Black Keys:

 1.  Set You Free (Thickfreakness)

2.  Strange Times (Attack and Release)

3.  I Got Mine (Attack and Release)

4.  10 A.M. Automatic (Rubber Factory)

5.  Things Ain’t Like They Used To Be (Attack and Release)

6.  I’ll Be Your Man (The Big Come Up)

7.  Midnight Her Eyes (Thickfreakness)

8.  So He Won’t Break (Attack and Release)

9.  Thickfreakness (Thickfreakness)

10.  Just Got to Be (Magic Potion)

11.  Hurt Like Mine (Thickfreakness)

 Buy the Black Keys awesome new album, Brothers now!!