Top 50 of 2011

Just to make a point, these songs were not necessarily released in 2011, I just added them to my library in 2011.  Enjoy all 50, and enjoy the new year as 2011 comes to a close.  Here's to another year of fantastic music, and the end of the world.

Pumped Up Kicks – Foster The People

Yarilo – Arkona

No Church In The Wild – Jay-Z & Kanye West feat. Frank Ocean

Do Nothing, Be Nothing – Aficionado

Home (RAC Mix) – Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes

As We Enter – Nas & Damian Marley

Revenge – Chevelle

Small Boxes – Black Light Dinner Party

Auld Lang Syne – Mairi Campbell & Dave Francis

When Dean Was The Man (And Monroe Always Smiled) – a balladeer

Moonshine – Swollen Members

Rolling In the Deep – Adele

Inis Mona – Eluveitie

We’ve Got A Score To Settle – The Dear Hunter

Yoü And I – Lady Gaga

Keep Me There – Nicolas Jaar

Is It True? (Brenda Lee Cover) – Tennis

Sail – Awolnation

The King – Ramesh

Dystopia – Yacht

Play Catch – Rockwell Knuckles

No Ending – Stacy Lane

I Want My Tears Back – Nightwish

An Old Photo Of Your New Lover (Class Actress Remix) – The One AM Radio

Emerald Isle – Whitehorse

Johnny’s Theme (P Smoov Remix) – Brent Amaker & the Rodeo

Helplessness Blues – Fleet Foxes

Det Haster ! – Casiokids

Techno Fan (Diplo Remix) – The Wombats

Suicide Dream 3 (Orchestral Version) – How To Dress Well

You (Planningtorock Remix) – Creep

Fireplug – Banquets

Moshpit – Ninjasonik feat. The Partysquad

Block After Block – Matt & Kim

You Don’t Want To Dance With Me (Moonlight Matters Remix) – Monarchy & Britt Love

48 Roses – Mariachi el Bronx

6 Foot 7 Foot – Lil Wayne feat. Corey Gunz

Swell Window – Zee Avi

Thor’s Hammer – Vast Aire feat. Raekwon & Vordul Mega

Nadine – Project Jenny, Project Jan

Boring Horror – Gobble Gobble

Bullet – Hollywood Undead

Written In The Stars – Tinie Tempah feat. Eric Turner

Still Be There (Noah Rubin Remix) – The Entrance Band

Sea of Hate – Digital Leather

Army Of Love – Kerli

Me and Mr. Wolf – The Real Tuesday Weld

Nearly Witches (Ever Since We Met...) – Panic! At The Disco

Maps – The Front Bottoms

Weed In The Rizzla – Teddybears feat. Trimbal

Not The 1s - Your Dad Hate Me

Not The 1s is a rap duo of yin and yang proportions.  Cuzzo and MC Mawnstr are easy to tell apart by their different rapping registers, but the contrast is what allows them to compliment each other.  Is that possible?  I was never good with that part of art class.  They give us the stellar "Your Dad Hate Me," a rap ditty that might make you laugh, make you think, or make you dance.  This is the problems with their girlfriends' dads, set to some 80's beats thumping in the background.

By the way pops, you're not the only one she's calling daddy.

This is the definition of fun rap.  Not The 1s are just two guys rapping their way about what they want, and it's brilliant.  This is also the definition of lyrical genius.  And I know I'm not so polite, in fact I'm more like dolomite.  I'm not the guy to show up with a bouquet, I'm the kind of guy your daughter wanna show her pussy to.  I'm sure that if I brought home two guys like this, my dad might whip out a rusty chain and start swinging it around with a cinderblock tied to one end.  Or something like that.  I'm fine with enjoying the song only, and not the characters in real life.  That's what fun rap is all about.

The Dear Hunter - We've Got A Score To Settle

Who is The Dear Hunter?  They are a group of young men from Rhode Island who dabble in the art of alt-y rock that you probably wouldn't want to call alternative.  Think of The Dear Hunter as modern classic rock.  And let me say this before you get so far in that you can't get back out...the vocals are ahhh-mazing and the guitars are nothing short of perfect.  You will die.  So, how did this group worm their way into my head?  Through the stellar track "We've Got A Score To Settle."

Someone's got blood on their hands.

What is "We've Got A Score To Settle?"  Rock with feeling to it.  Rock unlike any other rock you've ever heard before.  Part of being a good musical act is keeping things fresh and unique, and The Dear Hunter does exactly that.  "We've Got A Score To Settle" will be so different from anything you've heard before that it'll immediately stick.  I'm in love with the lyrics too: forget about truth and consequence, we've got a way to deal with it.  Someone might have blood on their hands, but The Dear Hunter has something magical here.  Miss it at your own risk.

Maria Mena - Power Trip Ballad

Who is Norway's answer to Fiona Apple?  Well, Maria Mena isn't exactly Miss Apple, but she's close enough to make that comparison.  She's a contemporary pop artist from the land of fjords, an I'm quite a fan of the music I've heard so far.  Why not branch our of your normal music (yet again) and give a listen to "Power Trip Ballad," a rising-in-action ditty from her most recent Cause And Effect that makes for perfect long-car-ride music, or a good afternoons-alone tune.

How could he leave you, could he fuck that whore he left you for? Get revenge. 
And by all means, asking nine-year-old daughter to choose between you, don't stay friends.

Be careful, Miss Mena sings these words quickly, which makes for a few repeated listens if you want to catch the lyrical genius here.  And I encourage multiple listens; this is a song that gets better every time you listen to it.  I'm a fan of two minutes in twenty seconds in, Maria crooning you will always be the bitter, saddest part of me.  Stunning.  Then she sings it again.  Beautiful.  I'm going to Norway.

Disturbed - Hell + Chevelle - Revenge

I hope that everyone had a fantastic two days of holiday fun.  And if not, I hope that the last two days were still wonderful in any sense.  What did Santa bring me for Christmas even though I've been the furthest from good this year?  An ipod that is actually big enough to hold all of my music, and more.  As well, I was lucky enough to get The Lost Children, Disturbed's collection of b-sides and rarities from their musical career, along with Chevelle's newest release, Hats Off To The Bull.  I thought it only fair to feature my favourite song from both selections.

"Hell" is the clear highlight of The Lost Children.  There's no contest here.  Mr. Draiman describes it, according to Wikipedia, as being "about a relationship with someone who keeps coming in and out of your life, and every time they come back they fuck up your whole world."  Huh.  It's a b-side from the band's third album Ten Thousand Fists, and you can hear the similarities between "Hell" and tracks from the album.  It's just a good four minutes to rock out to, lamenting in the final words burning, now I'll bring you in.  Even though Disturbed is reportedly on a hiatus as of now, "Hell" and The Lost Children proves that they'll be around to last.

Hats Off To The Bull is Chevelle's sixth release, and I'll say that it's no Sci-Fi Crimes, but is still a collection of wonderful tracks that has the band reminiscing about earlier works.  After listening to the entire album once, I've deduced that the track that stands out the most to me is "Revenge," a song that reminds me of almost everything form This Type Of Thinking (Could Do Us In).  It's just Chevelle at their best, and I don't expect any less from the Loeffler brothers and co.  I'll leave you, and finish this post, by sharing the second verse of "Revenge" with you:

Me, I'd let the panic ride and pin it on the wall
Identifying pride is the saddest of the chores
Those burning eyes indeed define a churning of the soul
Feels better to be lost, but haven't felt the choice

Lloyd Banks - Make It Stack (feat. A$AP Rocky)

Interesting rap song alert!!

That's exactly how I like my rap music....interesting.  Lloyd Banks knows a thing or two about interesting rap music.  He falls into the category of rappers who aren't afraid to do things a little differently.  Why speed things up when you can slow them down just as effectively?  With the help of new-to-my-radar rapper A$AP Rocky, Mr. Banks brings us "Make It Stack," a delightful rap ditty (yes, delightful) that will cleanse your palette of anything bad you've heard before.

With a delicate background beat and some lyrical genius, "Make It Stack" is enjoyable and easy to get stuck in your head.  Let's take this money, then let's make it stack.  Then let's make history, 'cause they can't take that back.  Oh, Mr. Banks...you've come a long way since "On Fire," which by the way wasn't too bad either. 

Ancient Bards - The Birth Of Evil

Perhaps, if we shouldn't judge a book by its cover, then we shouldn't judge a band by its music videos.  Case in point: Ancient Bards.  The Italian collective produces some of the best power metal I've ever heard, but the videos will cause your mouse to drift to the search bar so you can find something else to watch on youtube.  I'm sorry!  But it's true.  But let's put all of that aside for the sake of good music.  I came across "The Birth of Evil" way back when around the time I was obsessed with Arkona.  I've just started looking into more of their songs, but it remains my favourite by a large margin.

And yes, this is another edition of female-fronted metal bands that I'm obsessed with.

Lead vocalist Sara Squadrani is good.  Really good.  "The Birth of Evil" allows her to show off her pipes to the world, though this isn't all about her.  The guitars have me drooling.  This is what power metal is and should be.  Forget about any 80's group insisting that it's their genre.  They lied.  This is how it's done.  No, you know what "The Birth of Evil" is?  A female-fronted Iron Maiden performing on a viking ship that is making the most epic of all journeys.  Don't worry, this kind of rambling means I'm in love with a song.  Just do me one favour: don't watch the video.  I've somehow been banned from commenting on it.

Krautschädl - Vire

What's wrong with fun German rock?  Nothing, really.  While browsing through freegal one fine afternoon, I came across Krautschädl, an Austrian trio that immediately grabbed my attention.  Sure I have no idea what they're saying, but I don't mind.  Their brand of punky-ska-rock is catchy, and reminds me a bit of Ludo.  Who cares if my German doesn't extend past a few words picked up from my dad (who admits to speaking "bad German?")  "Vire" is what I enjoy the most of their repertoire.  Though it doesn't seem to have a German translation according to Google Translate, it is French for turns.

"Vire" is what you'd get if you took Ludo, made them perform in German.  As simple as that, though there is more to it.  I'm a fan of that saxophone in the background that jazzes it up a bit.  The vocals are pretty good too.  "Vire" is just a fun song that happens to be in German, reinforcing what I try to point out with every non-English selection I feature.  You don't need to speak a language to appreciate it in song.  So do something crazy today.  Listen to some German.  The video for this song isn't half bad either....

Lissy Trullie - Madeleine

What am I in the mood for today?  Besides finishing my gift shopping and seeing everyone here before I go home?  Slow indie guitars.  Beautiful vocals.  Something I've never heard before.  Aha!  How about the wondrous "Madeleine" by New York, New York collective Lissy Trullie.  I say collective because this is a band whose name is opposite in concept from Florence + The Machine or Marina And The Diamonds.  Lissy Trullie herself is the frontwoman, but she still has a talented backing band behind her.

"Madeleine" has everything that I'm in the mood for today.  It's the perfect song for those slow mornings where you'd rather sit back and sip tea than read 28 pages of enviro notes.  Nothing like some slowed-down indie in the morning.  I'm in love with the guitars too.  Lyrics?  Madeleine, Madeleine, all the worry's gone awry, hope the doctor makes it right... for a taste.  So what are you waiting for?  Go out and acquire!

Mike Tompkins - Rolling In The Deep (A Capella Cover)

Adele's "Rolling In The Deep" might be the best song to cover, though if done improperly it will result in a big mess.  And doing something different with it?  A very good thing.  For instance, what if you sang it a capella and then added yourself acting as the other instruments?  And also label what instrument sound you are making with your mouth so I don't get confused?  Ladies and gentlemen....Mr. Mike Tompkins.

Even though "Rolling In The Deep" is a popular song to cover, it's a difficult one to pull off.  Mr. Tompkins does a good job here with his one-man band style.  This isn't how you typically cover a song.  My favourite part?  A little past halfway of the song, you hear these computerized sounding high vocals repeating the echo of the song: you're gonna wish you'd never have met me, tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep.  It's what singing would sound like if it rolled down a slow river to a waterfall...at night.  Yeah, I'm still working on my metaphors.  Mike Tompkins injects his own flair into "Rolling In The Deep," while still retaining to original soul put into it by Adele.  I can't find anything wrong with what he's done here.  All I see is what he's done right.

Until I Bleed Dry - Lungs Collapsed

Until I Bleed Dry is a few things.  Hard to research.  A metalcore band.  Not together anymore.  Barely on youtube but with an album on freegal.  Said album, I Dream of Angels and Wake Upon Demons, was featured on freegal, and as I acquired the tracks, their style of music grew on me.  It's not the metalcore/hardcore that I'm used to, but it's the things that make it different that draw me in.  And a word to the wise...proceed with caution.  Until I Bleed Dry isn't for the pop fans reading this.  And if you are a strictly pop fan reading this, I'd rather you wouldn't.

"Lungs Collapsed" is the best of the album, rife with gritty vocals, and a mix of grimy (in a good way) and alternative-ish guitars.  The secret behind Until I Bleed Dry is the power and emotion put into every word and every chord.  Understanding every word is overrated.  Every growl has a reason, and it's quite possible that by hearing the spoken line I regret the day I ever hurt you, the entire song is understood.  And I refuse to ever take a back seat, and I will never be yours...  That helps too.  So what are you waiting for?  Just do your best searching, find Until I Bleed Dry (who shouldn't have broken up), and enjoy every scream.
Here's a live performance, as well as the track itself.

Fatboy Slim - Praise You

Who better to celebrate an exam in which it's assumed the second duma killed Stolypin (did that actually happen?  I hope so....) than with the mightiest of all the electronic gods?  Yes, Mr. Norman Cook himself, Fatboy Slim.  While I was home for about a week before my exams started, I swung by Value Village to browse their CD selection and came across You've Come A Long Way, Baby...an epic, if not his most epic, release.  And for only three dollars?  I'd be an idiot not to get it!  Of course, "Praise You" wins the track war of the album, though it's worth mentioning "Kalifornia" and "Build It Up - Tear It Down."

This might be from the late 90's, but it has everything that I still look for in a good electronic (or "big beat") track.  Some may argue that it hardly sounds electronic, though they would be lying.  Sure, you've got a piano tapping throughout "Praise You," as well as a bit of a guitar and interesting percussion, but there's still the computerized effects that'll get you.  And the vocals....I'm drooling again.  There might be few words to "Praise You," but there is beauty in minimalism (as I always lament).  Sure, we've come a long long way together, through the hard times and the good.  I have to celebrate you, baby.  I have to praise you like I should.  Is it a coincidence that I have nothing but praise for this song?

Dead and Divine - Josephine, The Singer

You know how it gets around exam time...you spend two days trying to memorize Russia's emancipation of the serfs in 1861 (well, let's hope I remembered that right).  What drags me out of a funk created by the differences between westernizers and slavophiles?  My favourite band, good ol' Dead and Divine!  So far, I have featured a song on this blog from their most recent album, and the one that came before that.  Though I'm still missing something from The Fanciful, I will revisit their lovely EP What Really Happened At Lover's Lane.  I usually find that a band's first EP, or even their full-length album debut is typically grittier and "not as good" as their later releases.  This isn't the case for the greatest band in the world.  I bought it from itunes after getting both The Fanciful and The Machines We Are, and it sits at the same wondrousity level as both.

The highlight (of many)?  "Josephine, The Singer."

Here, you've got your alternative/hardcore guitars that aren't too cheery and just rough enough to fit with the mood of the song.  Oh, Mr. Tobin...that voice....clean in the verses, and then you get some nice throat selections in between.  And the lyrics....I'm drooling.  Literally sitting here in a pool of my own drool.  That's how much of a fangirl I am for these guys.  They've restored my faith in the "sub-par EP" curse I've seen a thousand times before, the only other exception being Protest The Hero's A Calculated Use Of Sound.  I'll leave you with the ending lyrics as I get back to the Permanent Revolution.

I've spent too much time letting you get away with derailing trains,
Like bombs to planes,
You are the reason for all this.
Murder she wrote,
Murder she sang,
Murder was all she could speak.

...sing your heart out?

Keepaway - Cake

Now, to finally drag myself off of memebase to share a song I've been wanting to share for a long time...

It's official.  I'm obsessed with electro indie.  Those vocals, those beats...I'm all over that stuff.  Expect more for the duration of this blog's life (which I assume will be until the day I die, and I plan to live forever).  In today's edition of "Electro Indie Songs I Like And That You Should Like Too" is "Cake" by the brilliant trio that is Keepaway.  This is on the more psychedelic side of electro indie, think of a DJ in Hawaii and a flutist in a nearby tree.  That's "Cake."

Lamenting that there's no cake for the curious, Keepaway pulls a risky move with mentioning the band name in the opening of the song, but I'll let it slide because this track is brilliant.  It's mystical, fantastical...just good music.  Of course.  I think it's the flute-like sound in the background of the chorus that gets me.  Or the not-typical indie vocals.  Or the fact that you can move a little to the beats.  Or that it plants the subconscious idea in my head that I want cake.  Come whatever may.

A Good Christmas Playlist

This is because if you're listening to Justin Bieber's Christmas album, there is something seriously wrong with you.  So get acquiring and fill your house with a combination of the classics and some newbies.

O Tannenbaum - Nat King Cole
Baby, It's Cold Outside - Glee Cast
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - Glee Cast
12 Days of Christmas - Bing Crosby
Carol of the Bells - Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Carol of the Bells - Celtic Woman
Silver Bells - Bing Crosby
Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer - Burl Ives
Frosty The Snowman - Burl Ives
It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas - Bing Crosby
Santa Baby - Madison
In The Bleak Mid-Winter - Sarah McLachlan
Song For A Winter's Night - Sarah McLachlan
Wintersong - Sarah McLachlan
River - Heart
Christmas Tree - Lady Gaga
You Never Come Home For Christmas - Caitlin Rose & Keegan DeWitt
Welchen Jubel - Christiane
It Snowed - Meaghan Smith
Sainte Nuit - Nadja

The One AM Radio - An Old Photo Of Your New Lover (Class Actress Remix)

This is my new obsession, though I am still very partial to the new Nightwish album.

The Los Angeles collective that is The One AM Radio isn't your typical indie group, and combined with the wonderful act that is Class Actress, there's no stopping this remix.  I do recommend you listen to the original "An Old Photo Of Your New Lover" before heading to rcrdlbl for the remix.  While it's missing the electro element that has been pulling me into the electro-indie genre as of late, it's still a good indie track worth sharing with your Facebook friends.  No?  That was only me?  Oh well.

Beginning with an old photo of your new lover that you discovered in a book she left, you immediately have a nostalgic feeling, and a strong image in your head as you listen to indie set to that beautiful electro.  It's the songs about reminiscing that always get me.  These particular beats in the Class Actress remix conjure an image of the ocean, where lobsters sing "Under The Sea" and everything glitters under the sun.  Maybe this is a summer song for the time of the year when the dead of winter is approaching.  Or maybe this song will make you flip through your new lover's book to see if he/she is using an old picture for a bookmark.  Either-or works for me.

Original:

Remix:

Avey Tare - Lucky 1

Here is the Avey Tare I promised, one day late.  It's the exam period...c'mon.

Anyways, I was home on Wednesday browsing through my itunes library, when I came across a track that I hadn't seen in a long time.  I had literally forgotten about it.  It, being "Lucky 1" by the half-man-half-crocodile that is the great Avey Tare.  I will be saddened if you don't know who he is, as Mr. Tare is an electronic god of sorts, his domain being the experimental side of the tracks.  "Lucky 1" is his anthem, a swampy track that pulses around indie vocals.

Imagine yourself on a boat through the underworld, if you will.  The underworld is a swamp, if you believe the Greeks.  "Lucky 1" is what Charon would sing to you as he paddles you through the water.  Now that's a hell I wouldn't mind going to.  What do I recommend for the full psychedelic experience?  Go to Mr. Tare's website and watch the video created for "Lucky 1."  You're welcome.  I'm also in love with the website design.  So what's my point today?  Avey Tare might have slipped off my radar for a short time, but now I will make sure that doesn't happen again.

Hollywood Undead - This Love, This Hate

Even though the internet in my house is INCREDIBLY SLOW, I will always find a way to blog. At my sister's suggestion (because she doesn't want me to change the song.  I was hoping to get to some Avey Tare today, though that will have to wait until tomorrow), I am revisiting an album that is quite possibly one of the best I've ever heard.  Yes, it's what you're thinking of, I hope.  Hollywood Undead's Swan Songs, which in my opinion could take American Tragedy down the block and around the corner.  It features a plethora of wondrous tracks, and perhaps one of the most wondrous is the somewhat-uplifting-somewhat-depressing "This Love, This Hate."

You've got some electro beats pulsing in the background here, which I am never one to oppose.  Hollywood Undead is also a collective that I praise for their lyrical genius and the ability to work together as a group in a wonderful way.  Think of them as the American Swollen Members, with a few extras tacked on.  "This Love, This Hate" looks at uncertainty in the future.  Should we continue what we are doing?  Why not change if things are going this bad?

What will happen to my soul?
Will I come back?  I don't know.
Will you meet me when it's over?  Let me know.
You can meet here in heaven, don't you ever let me go.

Dear Hollywood Undead, never go away.

Meaghan Smith - It Snowed

Name something that swings.

How about itunes' free English-language song of the week, which just so happens to be "It Snowed" by the lovely chanteuse Meaghan Smith?  Yes, it has that swing to it, and is a perfect song for evenings inside with a cup of hot cider and a cozy sweater.  And what a coincidence...it did snow last night! 

Well, it is that time of year where radios are dominated by Christmas songs and usually nothing else, but why listen to the classics again, or something I don't condone, anything from J. Biebs' holiday album?  Why not fill your house with something a little more sophisticated, in the form of this new holiday gem?  You'll wonder how you ever got by without Meaghan Smith's voice before.  I know that I do.  You might even get the idea to play hooky, 'cause it snowed last night.  Here, everybody's happy 'cause it snowed last night, and I'm happy because I now have this in my library.  Maybe the holidays came early this year...

Nightwish - The Crow, The Owl And The Dove

Well then.  I have a new obsession.  Nightwish's very new release, Imaginaerum.  I've been drooling over it all morning.  I thought "Storytime" was good...but little did I know what they were riding within the rest of the selections.  Though most tracks have that lush symphonic metal sound that's full of theatrics, it seems that the gems of the album are acoustic-accompanied ditties and slowed-down numbers that will put you into a cardiac arrest state of awesomeness.  I've had trouble picking a new favourite.  The wondrous "Slow, Love, Slow" is worth listening to a million times in a row, but there is beauty elsewhere.  Maybe it's the bird enthusiast in me that drew me to "The Crow, The Owl And The Dove."

Here we have a bit of a duet between Annette and Marco.  And Annette...let's just say this album is hers.  Listen to the whole thing and you'll find yourself asking Tarja who?  "The Crow, The Owl And The Dove" offers that lovely acoustic beauty leading into a bit of a climax, where the tempo picks up ever-so-slightly and you get a hint of theatrics.  This is just slow, beautiful music that listeners outside of the metal genre can enjoy.  Hell, the whole album can be enjoyed by the masses.  Now, listen to what I'm about to tell you...exactly, word-for-word.  Get this album.  Now.  Or at least listen to this and "Slow, Love, Slow" too.

I also have a girl crush on Annette now.  Sorry, Beatrice Martin!

Teddybears feat. B.o.B - Get Mama A House

When I posted about their song "Weed In A Rizzla," I wrote off the three-piece Swedish outfit Teddybears as a strictly electronic/club act.  I should have known better.  While their music still holds onto that electronic influence, their songs are spread across the board as far as the blending of genres goes.  Exploring through their tracks on youtube, I came across one that stood out in particular..."Get Mama A House," a collaboration with generally good rapper B.o.B.  Here we have electronic mixed with hip-hop and a little dash of alternative.  What can we call it?  Just good plain music.

The best part of it all?

Look, I'm as high as the sun
Shut your mouth boy, when will you learn?
Mama, haven't you heard?
We so down all over the world

Here Teddybears have shown that they're no act you'll hear once in the club and forget about the morning after as you recollect your thoughts.  They are a versatile group that I have grossly underestimated.  The message isn't half-bad either.  After all, who wouldn't want to get their mama a house?

Ipo's Top 25 Most Played

For some reason, my computer likes to cut off the "d" whenever I plug in my ipod, hence, it is officially named "Laura's Ipo."  I tried.  Now that I'm back home for a week, I can plug it back in and see what I've been listening to the most on the bus and on walks to school, though it still reflects what I was listening to the most in high school, during the post-hardcore/leftover punk phase I had.  You'll see why.

25. The East Had Stolen What The West May Want - Moneen
24. Second Hand News - Fleetwood Mac
23. "...Because All Suffering Is Sweet To Me..." - Envy On The Coast
22. The Game - Disturbed
21. They Say - Scars On Broadway
20. The Bronze Goddess - Dead and Divine
19. Worker Bees - Billy Talent
18. Lonely One - Swollen Members
17. Chaney Can't Quite Riff Like Helmet's Page Hamilton - Evergreen Terrace
16. Red Flag - Billy Talent
15. Sequoia Throne - Protest The Hero
14. You're Gonna Go Far, Kid - The Offspring
13. Beautiful Bride - Flyleaf
12. Holy Diver - Killswitch Engage
11. Violent Pornography - System of a Down
10. She Who Mars The Skin Of Gods - Protest The Hero
9. Roulette - System of a Down
8. Fallen Leaves - Billy Talent
7. Two Birds, One Stone - Drop Dead, Gorgeous
6. Cut Me, Mick - Yellowcard
5. Lie Lie Lie - Serj Tankian
4. Wait And Bleed - Slipknot
3. Mexican Sun - Chevelle
2. Shameful Metaphors - Chevelle
1. Jars - Chevelle

Who can guess what band was my favourite in high school?  They were obviously good enough with their last release to get the top three spots, with enough plays to last 2 years later.  What's the point of this all?  Chevelle has a new album and I am more than anxious to get it!

The Misfits - Twilight of the Dead

You remember The Misfits, don't you?  Doesn't the name sound vaguely familiar?  That's the same feeling I had before when I came across this track.  I'm sure I've heard of them before, or at least saw someone in Metal Club wearing a band t-shirt with their name across the chest.  The Misfits aren't quite metal (I think); think more punk.  After their debut in the late 70's and a long period of legal battles and generally no releases, 2011 brings The Devil's Rain, and on that album, the impressive "Twilight of the Dead."

This is the way punk was back in the 80's when the band had its heyday, and I can only wish current punk still retained a bit of what was put into "Twilight of the Dead."  It's really horror punk, which is essentially horror put to punk music.  Still good.  It makes me think this is what Iron Maiden would sound like if they were less metal and Bruce had a lower vocal register (which I never want to happen, ever!).  The guitars are impressive, the lyrics are quite good, and it's just one of those short (but fantastic) catchy songs.  I can't find anything wrong with it.  Can you?