1. Roll Over Beethoven (Single Version)- Chuck Berry

• "You know my temperature's risin', the jukebox's blowin' a fuse, my heart's beatin' rhythm and my soul keeps singin' the blues, roll over Beethoven...tell Tschaikowsky the news" In 1997 Chess Records celebrated it's 50th anniversary by releasing greatest hits compilations from it's stable of legendary artists like Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Eta James and Chuck Berry. "Roll Over Beethoven" is just one of the many gems from the Chuck Berry hits package "His Best, Volume 1". The song is an early anthem for rock itself. Few artists help define the sound of rock and roll as much as Chuck Berry. It's hard to overstate the influence of his distinctive guitar work. John Lennon was quoted as saying "If you had to try to give rock 'n' roll another name, you might call it Chuck Berry". The Beatles would pay homage to Berry by recording "Roll Over Beethoven" on their sophomore LP "With the Beatles"....they do a nice job with it (they are the Bealtes after all) but even the Fab Four can't touch the original. Hail, hail rock n roll.

2. Everything Is Not Broken (live)- John Mayer

• "That nature rains, on flames we've made, should tell you everything's not broken." "That you could be, oh here with me, tells me everything is not broken, no everything...is not broken, if everything's not fine." "Everything Is Not Broken" is an unreleased song that John Mayer began performing in concert shortly after the 9-11 terrorist attacks. Like "Covered in Rain" the song is a reaction to the events of that day. The song was first performed on 9-17-01 in Birmingham Alabama. I caught John Mayer in concert at the 9:30 club in Washington DC six days later (at the tail end of a whirlwind best weekend ever) and the song was included in the show. The lyrics for "Everything Is Not Broken" would change over time as it was performed as a work in progress as much as anything else. "Covered in Rain" would see the light of day on a pair of official live CDs issued in 2003 and 2004 but "Everything Is Not Broken" remains a rarity.

3. Untitled- DJ Shadow

• "Maureen's got five sisters, they all got ass, one of 'em has eyes as big as jolly ranchers, beautiful girl, she's a beautiful girl." This untitled cut from DJ Shadow's debut "Entroducing" features spoken word from MC Lyrics Born over the instrumental song "Grey Boy" by the soul/funk band Human Race. It marks one of the few times that original material is used in the album that is comprised almost entirely out of sampled music. The song itself is only 25 seconds and serves as a light hearted segue between the more serious "What Does Your Soul Look Like (Part 4)" and "Stem/Long Stem/Transmission 2"- a song that contains my favorite musical moment from the entire album. "Stem/Long Stem/Transmission 2" samples "The Madness Subsidies" by Pekka Pohjola which features a mellow trance inducing/hypnotic/other-worldly keyboard loop. The sound is so amazing DJ Shadow brings the sample back later in the LP on the song "Midnight in a Perfect World". Getting back to "Untitled", if you find yourself with a girl who has ass and eyes a big as jolly ranchers you've got yourself a keeper.

1. When I Fall (live)- BareNaked Ladies

• "Can't look below me, or something might throw me, curse at the windstorms that October brings." "I wish I could step from this scaffold, onto soft green pastures, shopping malls, or bed, with my family and my pastor and my grandfather who's dead." On occasion guitarist Ed Robertson would handle lead singing responsibilities for the BareNaked Ladies. "When I Fall" is one of those occasions. Originally featured on the "Born on a Pirate Ship" album and later on the live "Rock Spectacle" (pronounced speck-tack) "When I Fall" finds Robertson singing the tale of a high rise window washer behind a beautiful acoustic guitar riff. This particular version comes from the band's 1st live concert performance since the departure of long time lead singer Steven Page. The "Barenaked Ladies Live at Universal Studios 3-7-09" album was available for free on the band's website and featured a number of shaky vocal moments, but "When I Fall" sounded about as good as ever. It closed that particular show and I'd imagine when the band resumes regular touring it would serve that role most nights.

2. 42 (live)- Coldplay

• "Those who are dead are not dead, they're just living in my head." "You thought you might be a ghost, you didn't get to heaven, but you made it close." Coldplay made the live "LeftRightLeftRightLeft" album available to fans who caught their last tour as a CD and those who didn't attend a show had the opportunity to download the songs from the band's website. The studio version of "42" comes from the hugely successful "Viva La Vida" album. The band is obviously radio friendly, but "Viva La Vida" has a few songs (42, Life in Technicolor) that fit well within the concept/flow of the album that wouldn't work as well as stand alone radio songs. "42" is made up of 2 musical movements in four sections. The 1st part is a mellow ballad built around Martin's vocals, piano and strings, the next section is an up tempo instrumental, the 3rd part features a catchy pop chorus and the final section a refrain of the beginning of the song. I'm not sure what the song is about lyrically but it's clear that Martin had salvation (or a lack thereof) on his mind when writing "Viva La Vida". "You didn't get to heaven but you made it close" and "I know Saint Peter won't call my name" being the best examples.

3. Crosseyed- Brendan Benson

• "My friends think you're ugly, mmmm they don't see what I see, I love my crosseyed baby your secret's safe with me." "I'll never tell about what I found out, about a crosseyed girl who can surely make you shout." Brendan Benson started off with a bang in 1996 with his album "One Mississippi" even if no one was paying attention. "Crosseyed" is one of many great songs from the alt rock singer/songwriter's debut. I was able to pick up a free copy of "One Mississippi" over ten years ago while doing an internship at a rock station in Philly and it remains one of my favorites to this day. The hard to find demo version of "Crosseyed" is available on a limited CD re-release of "One Mississippi" as well as on the even harder to find "promo-only not for sale" "Well Fed Boy Demos" vinyl LP....which I have framed on my wall. When you are a collector these types of items are invaluable. The movie Ghost World hit the reality of the collector mentality dead on. Steve Buscemi plays Seymour who is based on real life collector R Crumb- Seymour: "You think it's healthy to obsessively collect things? You can't relate to other people, so you fill your life with stuff... I'm just like all these other collector losers." Amen.

Late Night Edition

Staff Notes: 3 strikes 5000 recently doubled our number of followers (from 1 to 2). Very exciting times here at the blog. We know however that there are other frequent readers out there. Perhaps some of them are famous musicians...I'll elaborate. I was looking at a few celebrity playlists on iTunes, which is a pretty cool feature of the site/store. Specifically I was checking out the musical recommendations from Hall and Oates. In his playlist created on Oct 26th, John Oates (the one with the 'stache) called Patty Griffin "ethereal and earthy". If that assessment sounds familiar to you it may be because on August 15th this blog described Rachael Yamagata's sound on the song "Don't" as "both earthy and ethereal." I'm flattered to know that Oates (and maybe Hall) are fans of the blog.

1. Me Just Purely- Brendan Benson

• "This is only temporary, these songs are my worst habits, my looks and my skin and my temper and this town, this place I call my home well it's me just purely." In 2006 Brendan Benson gained some mainstream notoriety as "the other guy" in the band The Raconteurs, with "the guy" being Jack White of the White Stripes. This minor breakthrough came 10 years after the release of his debut solo masterpiece "One Mississippi" which was a commercial failure. I've lost count of the number of people who I've talked up "One Mississippi" to...usually describing it as "the best album you've never heard". "Me Just Purely" is a mid tempo acoustic number with minimal (lo-fi) production, relying largely on the outstanding hooks, lyrics, melodies and harmonies which at times soar. Power pop maestro Jason Falkner co-wrote a number of songs on the album and his imprint is audible. I very recently caught Brendan in concert at the World Cafe in Philadelphia. "Me Just Purely" was requested but was not performed. Luckily, "One Mississippi" songs "Sittin' Pretty" and "Crosseyed" made the cut. The Cardinals (as in Ryan Adams & The Cardinals) Brad Pemberton played drums for Brendan at the show...word came yesterday that Cardinals bassist Chris Feinstein passed away. R.I.P. Chris.

2. Up Around the Bend- Creedence Clearwater Revival

• "You can ponder perpetual motion, fix your mind on a crystal day, always time for a good conversation, there's an ear for what you say. Come on the rising wind, we're goin' up around the bend, yeah." There is a certain Beatles quality to most CCR songs. The feel is very different with the raspy force of John Fogerty's vocals and the down home grit that defines the sound of the band. But in both cases we are talking about brilliantly crafted pop songs that last about two or three minutes often built around a few basic chords. These songs are brilliant in their simplicity. "Up Around the Bend" gives us a distinctive CCR guitar riff, a solid groove and Fogerty's vocals- do we need anything else? In case you do this song has hand claps as well (a lost art). I have a friend that always wants me to play/sing "Who'll Stop the Rain" in order to hear me do my best "Fogerty" vocals. Who am I to deny her? For your enjoyment here is the one of the great CCR pop culture references from the Big Lebowski:
• Younger Cop: And was there anything of value in the car?
• The Dude: Oh, uh, yeah, uh... a tape deck, some Creedence tapes, and there was a, uh... uh, my briefcase.
• Younger Cop: [expectant pause] In the briefcase?
• The Dude: Uh, uh, papers, um, just papers, uh, you know, uh, my papers, business papers.
• Younger Cop: And what do you do, sir?
• The Dude: I'm unemployed.

3. Dumb (Unplugged)- Nirvana

• "My heart is broke, but I have some glue, help me inhale and mend it with you, we'll float around and hang out on clouds, then we'll come down and I have a hangover...have a hangover." The "MTV Unplugged in New York" album brought us live acoustic versions of a number of classic Nirvana songs. In many cases hearing these songs in a different context gave them a new feel. In the case of "Dumb" it doesn't sound all that different from the original studio version, which is fine. "I think I'm dumb, maybe just happy" is brilliant at best and clever at worst. Nirvana helped define the grunge era in the early-mid 90s. Kurt Cobain's suicide forever cemented the bands legacy, giving them what most would consider a legendary status. It also deprived listeners of hearing how the band might have grown/changed through the years as popular musical tastes and styles fluctuated. Would their sound evolve over time (Metallica) or would it largely remain the same (AC/DC)? Another unfortunate consequence of the band's early demise is that it left us with a fairly sparse catalogue of material- Philadelphia radio is currently playing the same 5-10 Nirvana songs into the ground. Maybe this is why I rarely flip on the radio.

1. Bob Dylan's 49th Beard (Live)- Wilco

• "And I'll stop along the way, and it's then I'll think of you, and I'll wonder if you knew, how I got blue when things got weird, and I started growing....Bob Dylan's beard." In 2003 to supplement the release of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (recently named the 3rd best album of the decade by Rolling Stone) Wilco released the 6 song EP "More Like the Moon" on their website. The EP featured a number of unreleased songs including "Bob Dylan's 49th Beard". This particular version of the song comes from the Bridge School Collection, Volume 1 compilation. "Bob Dylan's 49th Beard" finds Wilco Front man Jeff Tweedy in folk rock mode. The song is built around acoustic guitars, lyrics and backing harmonies...his band mates take a backseat. If you enjoy this song I'd recommend Jeff Tweedy's "Sunken Treasure: Live in the Pacific Northwest" DVD, a collection of live recordings from several Jeff Tweedy solo shows. The songs from the DVD can be downloaded into mp3s- it's just a simple "137 step process" that involves uninstalling, downgrading/installing, uninstalling, upgrading/reinstalling Quicktime on your computer. Well worth the effort.

2. Dissident- Pearl Jam

• "She had to turn around, when she couldn't hold, oh...she folded...A dissident is here, escape is never, the safest path, oh, a dissident, a dissident is here." Do you remember where you were in 1993? If you were anywhere within earshot of a radio you were probably listening to songs like "Daughter', "Elderly Woman Behind The Counter in a Small Town" and "Dissident" from the Pearl Jam album "Vs." You may have enjoyed these songs so much that you took to wearing flannel shirts and showering less frequently. Personally speaking I was enjoying the hell known as "high school" in 1993 in what could best be described as a high school "built like a prison" (if I may paraphrase the BareNaked Ladies). "Dissident" like just about anything else from Pearl Jam stands the test of time; the song sounds fresh over 15 years later. If i listen to this song a few more times I may go looking for some flannel.

3. Festival of Flowers - Tish Hinojosa

• "Just the two of us hand in hand, gathering armfuls of flowers, the sun rose high above us, we left our cares behind us." "I'll remember this day forever -our festival of flowers, those short moments in our lifetime when we were one with nature." In 1998, Appleseed Records (based in West Chester, PA) released a star studded tribute album to the great folk singer songwriter Pete Seeger. "Festival of Flowers" is covered beautifully by Tish Hinojosa and features both English and Spanish lyrics. Stylistically the song is probably best described as "Tejano Conjunto" (feel free to look that up). "Festival of Flowers is built on Spanish style acoustic guitar, strings and accordion . I once tried to teach myself accordion after getting an old accordion from a girl i was friendly with (read between the lines) and buying a "teach yourself the accordion" book. The book was a total sham. My dreams of seducing women with an accordion remain unfulfilled.

1. Snake Bit Again- Anders Osborne

• "I did it again, now I'm busted and blue, I know I pushed you too hard, and I'm losing you." "I know my luck is bound to change real soon, aww somehow the trouble doesn't always win in the end...I was snake bit again." I used to be friendly with a nurse in Annapolis Maryland...we had some common interests including music, alcohol and adult situations. She was goodly enough to make me a small bundle of CDs including "Ash Wednesday Blues" by Anders Osburne which features "Snake Bit Again". I was goodly enough to take her to see Charlie Hunter at the Rams Head Tavern so I think we're even. "Snake Bit Again" brings funk with a gospel organ, horns and wah-wah guitars. Lyrically it's a down and out tale, the kind most people can identify with. The jazz, soul, funk sound on "Snake Bit Again" highlight Anders New Orleans roots. "Who' dat?" "Anders" "Yea, you rite!"

2. Intro (New York State of Mind)- DJ Green Lantern

• "Some folks like to get away, take a holiday from the neighborhood, hop a flight to Miami Beach or to Hollywood, but I’m taking a greyhound on the Hudson river line-I’m in a New York state of mind." DJ Green Lantern mashes up the Beastie Boys on "New York State of Mind", a mixtape that puts new beats behind classic Beasite songs and features other MCs (Ludacris, Biggie Smalls, Busta Ryhmes) alongside the B-boys. Any fan of the Beastie Boys will enjoy hearing classic songs like "Pass the Mic", "Hey Ladies" and "Sure Shot" reinvented. For me hearing "Body Movin" over Special Ed's "I Got it Made" is a special treat. "New York State of Mind" highlights one of the great strengths of hip hop- the inherent flexibility of the art form. A hip hop remix is only limited by the imagination of the DJ. As Rakim once said, "Even if it's jazz or the quiet storm, I hook a beat up and convert it in a hip hop form".

3. Trouble Man- Marvin Gaye

• " (I) Come up hard, baby I had to fight, took care of my bid'ness, with all my might." "There's only three things that's for sure, 'taxes, death and trouble, 'oh!" In 1972 Marvin Gaye scored the soundtrack to the blaxplotation film "Trouble Man". The jazz album is mainly instrumental and is best known for the title track which found it's way onto a number of Marvin Gaye greatest hits compilations. With Issac Hayes scoring "Shaft" in 1971 and Curtis Mayfield scoring "Superfly" in 1972 the blaxplotation era was at it's zenith. For Gaye, the offer to score the film was an opportunity to compose jazz and for a time delay a true follow up to the massively successful "What's Going On" (1971) LP. "Trouble Man" was a musical step to the side and an interesting one at that. The title song has a slow menacing groove and the silky smooth vocals that made Marvin a legend. "Trouble Man" creates a real mood and it's inclusion in the hit film se7en was well done.

Turkey Day Edition

1. Freedom (Live from KCRW)- Amos Lee

• "Don't wanna be a martyr in this war, don't wanna hear the same excuses anymore." "Freedom is seldom found by beating someone to the ground, telling them how everything is gonna be now." Philadelphia singer songwriter Amos Lee blends folk, soul, jazz and blues into an amazing blend. In some ways it is difficult to categorize his music. Philadelphia Eagles back up quarterback Kelvin Kolb (who listens to Lee prior to each game) compared Lee's music to Bob Marley despite the fact he doesnt have a reggae sound. Some voices are simply filled with soul. Singers like Sam Cooke, Al Green, Teddy Pendergrass. Amos Lee is in that class. Freedom comes from the superb "Supply and Demand" (2006) album. "Supply and Demand' is perhaps best known for the song "Sweet Pea" thanks to it's inclusion in an AT&T commercial. I'm not sure if "Freedom" is a reaction to the Iraq War but given the lyrics and timing it certainly could be. This particular version is from a live iTunes EP that finds Lee and his band in great form.

2. Hey! Baby (Single Version)- Bruce Channel

• "Hey, hey baby (uhh ahh), I wanna know if you'll be my girl." "When I saw you walking down the street, I said that's the kind of gal I'd like to meet, she's so pretty, Lord she's fine, I'm gonna make her mine, all mine." There are fun songs and then there are fun songs. I'm putting this in the fun song category. If you are a Penn State football fan and you hear this song you know it is the end of the 3rd quarter...it also means you are in Beaver Stadium. Pick up the beat and clap along to "Hey! Baby". If you are an 80s movie fan then you may associate this song with Dirty Dancing. I haven't seen the whole film but I hear people like it. If we are talking 80's Swayze movies, I'm probably more partial to the Roadhouse soundtrack and the music of Jeff Healey. "Hey! Baby" has a 60's feel- the production is reminiscent of early Beatles records, but at the end of the day the song is timeless.

3. Hummingbird- Wilco

• "His goal in life was to be an echo, the type of sound that floats around and then back down like a feather, but in the deep chrome canyons of the loudest Manhattans no one could hear him, or anything." " Remember to remember me standing still in your past floating fast like a hummingbird." Some bands have a hard time following up an album that was a critical/commercial success. "A Ghost is Born" (2004) proved that Wilco would have no such problem, in this case following the sucess of "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" (2002). "A Ghost is Born" is a great collection of songs including "Hummingbird". The album serves as the basis for their first live recording "Kicking Television: Live in Chicago" (2005). The sing song-y nature of "Hummingbird" makes it a great song to hear live; when the crowd sings along with the chorus you feel like there is something going on...if you are one of the people singing you may feel like you are a part of that something. There is an interesting alternate/demo version of "Hummingbird" on the "The Wilco Book CD" which comes with the Wilco Book. If you are leery of books, this one has a lot of pictures and there is a CD included.

1. Ghost Town- Cat Stevens

• "Come on lets go down, everybody's waiting for us down at the ghost town." "Lovely Queen Anne Boleyn learning new tricks from the Great Houdini, woah woah, now thats the way shes gonna make it woah woah." In 1974 Cat Stevens dropped "Buddha and the Chocolate Box", an album best known for the hit "Oh Very Young". As a Cat Stevens fan it is hard not to buy this album. This Buddha you mention sounds intriguing and a chocolate box only sweetens the deal. "Ghost Town" is a fun upbeat number based on acoustic guitar and piano (staples for Cat Stevens) and is augmented with harmonica and slide guitar. The singer songwriter would go on to convert to Islam, change his name to Yusef Islam and dismiss his work as Cat Stevens. In the past few years he has loosened his stance and taken to performing his old material including a marvelous rendition of "Peace Train" during the 2007 Live Earth concerts.

2. You Say You Don't Love Me- Matthew Sweet & Susanna Hoffs

• "You say you don't love me, well that's alright with me 'cos I'm in love with you, and I wouldn't want you doing things you don't want to do, oh you know I've always wanted you to be in love with me." A few years ago 90's power pop icon Matthew Sweet and 80s pop star Susanna Hoffs (The Bangles) teamed up for "Under The Covers, Vol. 1", an album of 60's covers. This past year the duo teamed up again on "Under The Covers, Vol. 2" to tackle the 70s. "You Say You Don't Love Me" is a Buzzcocks cover, the Buzzcocks being a seminal 70s punk band from the UK. Sweet and Hoffs also pay tribute to the Ramones on this album. Neither of these punk covers find the duo at their best. On a personal note one of my 1st crushes growing up (aside from the one on my older sister's best friend) was on Susanna Hoffs.. I've aslo asked a friend of mine to sing "Eternal Flame" at my funeral.

3. At The Party- The Treacherous Three

• "(Kool Moe Dee) Remember me to the rhythm I'm Kool Moe Dee, (Special K) remember me Special K at the t-o-p, (L.A. Sunshine) remember me Sunshine and you will agree (All) nobody rocks (huh!) like the Treacherous Three." "(All) We'll rock the house without a doubt, and young ladies say we're guaranteed to turn it out, and if you don't believe it's true just check out how we rock for you." The Treacherous Three became one of the 1st hip hop acts to record in 1980 with a number of singles for the Enjoy! label including songs like "At The Party", "Feel The Heartbeat" and "Body Rock". The group would later move to the Sugar Hill label and MC Kool Moe Dee would go on to have a successful solo career. "At the Party" is 7 and a half minutes of old school hip hop pleasure. The synth hook which drives the song was used later in the decade by MC Shan in the song "Down By Law". Mariah Carey (who is "kinda scary") would use the bass line from "Body Rock" for her 1997 hit "Honey". If you need further proof of the group's impact, The Beastie Boys cite The Treacherous Three as an important influence- Moe Dee, Special K and L.A. Sunshine provided a template for how three MCs can work in unison.

1. Burning Bridges- Jason Mraz

• "You know exactly what I want so I don't have to be so damn upfront." "Oh desire can cause heart attacks, oh desire can cause heart attacks, oh desire can cause heart attacks, oh desire it won't bring you back." In 2005 to supplement the release of his sophomore release "Mr. A-Z" Jason Mraz offered an exclusive iTunes EP with a few gems including "Burning Bridges" and the original version of "I'm Yours". "I'm Yours" would resurface years later and set the record as the longest running song on the Billboard "Hot 100" list with 70 weeks on the chart. "Burning Bridges" finds Mraz at his mellow acoustic best. Mraz's live shows (well documented in the new "Jason Mraz's Beautiful Mess- Live on Earth" CD/DVD) mainly give us the singer songwriter surrounded by horns, percussion, keyboards, et all. The soul/funk/reggae sound of the full band is great but some of Mraz's best moments are with nothing more than an acoustic guitar. "Burning Bridges" is a rare song that showcases the singer in great form.

2. Creep- Radiohead

• "I don't care if it hurts, I wanna have control, I want a perfect body, I want a perfect soul, I want you to notice when I'm not around." Radiohead burst on the scene in the early 90s with the album Pablo Honey and the debut single "Creep". I don't think I possess the perspicacity to quantify this bands importance or their influence on modern rock music. I'll leave that to actual music critics. At a minimum it is fair to say that Radiohead is an "albums" band- their work (often conceptual) is meant to be consumed as a whole, versus a single here and there. That being said I'm guilty of having downloaded a single here and there from the band. I think it goes without saying that "Creep" is a 4 minute masterpiece. If you take away the feel of the song (which is remarkable) the lyrics alone are other worldly. If this song hasn't spoken to you at some point, I'm not sure what to tell you. Ask around- I'm sure someone thinks you are a creep.

3. Stupid- Toad The Wet Sprocket

• "And it's frightening, Ooooh I didn't expect that from you, it's blinding, serious are you seriously, I am feeling really stupid now." A few months into this blog and it is probably obvious that former/somteimes Toad front man Glen Phillips is one of my favorite singer/songwriters. "Stupid" comes to us from the 1994 Toad album "Dulcinea" perhaps most notable for the hits "Fall Down" and "Something's Always Wrong". For me the highlight of "Dulcinea" is "Windmills", a Toad crown jewel that I'll salivate over when it comes up on the blog. I'll try to focus in the meantime. "Stupid" is a fun mid tempo number featuring strong vocal harmonies and references to a "carpenter's belt" and "sanding down the ceiling". Even if you lack construction experience this is a song you should be able to relate to. Ask around- I'm sure someone thinks you are stupid.

4 Days Rest Edition

1. Told You So- BareNaked Ladies

• "I never jumped in and rescued you, but I wanted to, I didn't tell you which way to go, 'cause I thought you'd know." "I never told you I told you so, but I told you so." In 1998 BareNaked Ladies climbed the charts with their LP "Stunt" featuring hits like "One Week" and "It's All Been Done". "Told You So" is an acoustic number from this set sung by guitarist Ed Robertson. While not a stand out song it is decent in it's own right. This is an "album track"- it was never a single and won't find it's way onto any greatest hits collections. Of course in 1998 people were still purchasing full length albums so there was a need for such songs. The "Stunt"album is great from start to finish surpassed only by the band's debut "Gordon". The Ladies are set to release a new album in early 2010 without co-founding front man/singer Steve Page. I'm quite curious to hear the results.

2. Mint Car- The Cure

• "I really don't think it gets any better than this, vanilla smile and a gorgeous strawberry kiss!, birds sing we swing, clouds drift by and everything is like a dream, it's everything I wished." I don't have a lot of The Cure in my collection and when I was in middle school I probably thought anyone that listened to and dressed like the band were strange. It turns out the music is good and I'm far more strange than anyone I went to middle school with. "Mint Car" is an ultra upbeat with colorful lead guitar work, an easy companion in tone to the band's hit "Friday I'm in Love". The song is available on the band's 2001 Greatest Hits collection but comes originally from the album "Wild Mood Swings". That title alone suggests I should dig deeper into The Cure's catalogue.

3. Son Of Byford- Run D.M.C.

• "I was born son of Byford, brother of Al, bad as my mamma and Run's my pal, it's McDaniels, not McDonald's, these rhymes are Darryl's, those burgers are RONALD'S." It took a long time for hip hop to go from the streets of the south Bronx to the suburbs. Run D.M.C. helped pave the way in 1986 with their groundbreaking album "Raising Hell". Songs like "It's Tricky", "Peter Piper" and the built to crossover "Walk This Way" made Run D.M.C. household names beyond the rap community. In the song "Bring the Noise" Public Enemy's Chuck D asserted that "Run D.M.C. first said a DJ could be a band." While Run D.M.C. will readily admit that they built their structure around the Cold Crush Brothers, the point is not lost. Run D.M.C. provided the template for hip hop success- validation that hip hop artists could compete with rock acts. "Son of Byford" is a short acapella song featuring D.M.C. on vocals and some human beat boxing thrown in for good measure. I never caught Run D.M.C. in their prime, but I did catch them live in the early 2000s before the passing of legendary Jam Master Jay.

1. Louder Than a Bomb- Public Enemy

• "'Cause the D is for dangerous you can come and get some of this." " CIA, FBI all they tell us is lies, and when I say it they get alarmed 'cause I'm louder than a bomb." Public Enemy took hip hop to new heights in 1988 with their groundbreaking LP "It Takes A Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back". "Louder Than a Bomb" like a number of songs on the album ("Bring the Noise, Rebel Without A Pause") is a musical call to arms. Chuck D speaks truth to power with every verse. I'm proud to say that my 1st concert was Public Enemy at the Philadelphia Spectrum in 1990. "Louder Than a Bomb" features amazing production from P.E.'s bomb squad and samples/references "It's Yours" by T La Rock. "It's Yours" is credited as the 1st single on Rick Rubin's Def Jam label and was also used years later by NaS on his debut "Illmatic". There is a great Jam Master Jay remix of "Louder Than a Bomb" on P.E.'s "Greatest Misses" album (R.I.P. JMJ).

2. Just In Time- Marvin Gaye

• "I was lost, the losing dice were tossed, my bridges all were crossed, no where to go, now you're here, now I know just where I'm going, no more doubt or fears I've found my way, for love came just in time." It may surprise some to know that R&B star Marvin Gaye wanted to make a career out of singing jazz standards. He wanted to be a crooner. Before his untimely death he told his biographer- "I never wanted to shake my ass... I wanted to sit on a stool and sing soft love songs." "Just In Time" is a Dean Martin standard from "Marvin Gaye at the Copa", a live album recorded in the 60s but made available for the 1st time in 2005. Marvin sounds perfectly at home belting out "Just in Time" with a big band horn section swinging behind him. "Marvin Gaye at the Copa" shows Marvin's versatility as a singer. He's able to pull off the jazz big band sound. Can we imagine Perry Como trying to sing "Sexual Healing" or "Let's Get it On"?

3. Simple Twist Of Fate- Bob Dylan

• "A saxophone someplace far off played, as she was walkin' by the arcade, as the light bust through a beat-up shade where he was wakin' up, she dropped a coin into the cup of a blind man at the gate, and forgot about a simple twist of fate." In 1975 Bob Dylan released "Blood On The Tracks" which stands up as one of his best collection of songs. Songs like "Shelter From The Storm", "Tangled Up In Blue", "If You See Her Say Hello" (to name a few) are as good as anything Dylan ever recorded. "Simple Twist of Fate" is classic Dylan- a great acoustic number with harmonica, great vocals and minimal production. It is hard to imagine a more successful/influential songwriter than Dylan ever coming along. Speaking of great songwriters, Wilco's Jeff Tweedy recorded a great version of "Simple Twist of Fate" on the "I'm Not There" soundtrack. This song belongs on your iPod.

1. Chain Gang- Sam Cooke

• "All day long they work so hard till the sun is goin' down, working on the highways and byways and wearing, wearing a frown, you hear them moanin' their lives away then you hear somebody say..." Rolling Stone magazine recently came out with a list of the 100 greatest singers of all time with Sam Cooke ranking 4th. Sam is probably my 2nd favorite singer of all time (behind only Marvin Gaye) so that ranking sounds about right. His voice is soul music. "Chain Gang" with it's "oohs" and "ahs" paints the brutal story of forced labor. Some critics feel that Cooke's sweet voice undercuts the intended tone of the song but I've always felt that his voice held a distinct sad quality. Even in upbeat songs like "Having a Party" the sadness is audible. Sam Cooke was taken from us too soon- I guess it only takes one crazy hooker to shoot you. If you are looking for a great read-"You Send Me: The Life and Times of Sam Cooke" is one of my favorite books of all time.

2. Strokin'- Clarence Carter

• "Let me ask you somethin'...What time of the day do you like to make love? Have you ever made love just before breakfast? Have you ever made love while you watched the late, late show?" Clarence Carter asks a good question, although I'm not sure there is a bad time of day for knocking boots. "Strokin'" is by far one of the funniest songs in my music collection. Any review I give won't do it justice- it must be heard. The song was released in the mid 80s and while the production doesn't hide that one bit, the song is timeless. "Strokin'" became a word of mouth novelty hit for the good doctor. On a side note, does "word of mouth" even exist anymore in our technology driven culture? "I stroke it to the east and I stroke it to the west, and I stroke it to the woman that I love the best, huh I be strokin'". Classic.

3. Foxy Lady- The Jimi Hendrix Experience

• "I wanna take you home, I wont do you no harm, no you've got to be all mine, all mine. Ooh, foxy lady." In the mid/late 1960s a Seattle guitarist named James Marshall Hendrix went across the pond to the UK in order to get discovered in the US. In 1967 his trio debuted with the album "Are You Experienced". It was the 1st album issued on the Track Records label, a label founded by the managers of The Who. The fact that The Who weren't the first group with a release on the new label didn't sit well with Who guitarist Pete Townshend and helped lead to his rivalry with Jimi Hendrix. "Foxy Lady" is the 1st song on the UK version of the "Are You Experienced" album and was rumored to be written about American model Heather Taylor (who would go on to marry The Who front man Roger Daltrey). Songs from "Are You Experienced" like "Foxy Lady" and "Manic Depression" would help define/redefine the 60s rock era. My favorite song on the album is the incomparable blues masterpiece "Red House".

1. Save Yourself- Rocco DeLuca & The Burden

• "Like a name you soon forget, ashes from your cigarette, like the nights that come and go, they go slow, slow, slow, slow, slow, slow." When this song 1st starts it could be confused with "My Sharona" by the Knack or "Heartbreaker" by Pat Benatar based on the drum/bass parts. By the time the chorus kicks in with slide guitars and wailing vocals you realize you have something quite different then the aforementioned songs. "Save Yourself" is featured on 2008's "Mercy" album. Ticketmaster provided this mp3 download and another Rocco DeLuca song to me for free-perhaps in hopes that I'd buy a ticket for one of their upcoming shows. That's not a bad marketing strategy given my love for live music. In this case I just wound up with a couple of free songs. I don't know much about Rocco DeLuca but anyone with an album named "I Trust You to Kill Me" is coming from a good place.

2. Rule of Three- The Lemonheads

• "The way it's supposed to be, when you're climbing up a tree, what is it that you see? And don't forget the rule of three, rule of three." In 2006 "The Lemonheads" released "The Lemonheads", their 1st release in 10 years. I put the band name in quotes given the fact that Evan Dando (guitar, lead vocals) is the only member on the album from any of the varied incarnations of the late 80s/90s rock band. "Rule of Three" is a straight forward rock number as is much of the material on "The Lemonheads" album. Though 10 years had passed since 1996's "Car Button Cloth" the album sounds and feels as though almost no time had passed. For me that is the strength of the album. There are competing definitions for the meaning of The Rule of Three, from an English literary device to Wiccan super karma (getting back what you give times 3). I'm more of a regular karma guy- you reap what you sow. The "Rule of Three" song lyrics don't hint towards either definition.

3. Stable Song- Death Cab For Cutie

• "Give us our measly sum, getting the air inside my lungs is heavenly, starting out with nothing but crippling doubt." Throughout the 2000's Death Cab For Cutie (or DCFC to some) have cornered the market on what I'd call "mope-rock". For some this would be music to slit your wrists to. The band's more recent material (2008's "Narrow Stairs") has been more upbeat (in tempo if not in tone). "Stable Song" closes out 2005's "Plans" which was a bit of a breakthrough for the band. "Plans" is most notable to me for the song "I Will Follow You Into The Dark" which is as beautiful a song as I've ever heard recorded. "Stable Song" is slow and would be plodding if it picked up the pace. It almost has a lullaby quality to it minus the occasional clanging guitar. Death Cab For Cutie's latest single "Meet Me On the Equinox" is the lead single from the "New Moon" (Twilight sequel) soundtrack. I imagine the new single will introduce the band to a wider/younger audience which is sure to annoy a segment of the band's long time fans.

1. Our Love Was/Radio London (You're a Pussycat)/Speak Easy/Rotosound Strings (Mono)- The Who

• "Our love was famine, frustration, we only acted out an imitation, of what real love should have been, then suddenly ...our love was flying, our love was soaring, our love was shining like a summer morning." "Our Love Was" comes from the 1967 concept LP "The Who Sell Out" and features guitarist/songwriter Pete Townshend on lead vocals. This version is the the mono mix of the song, available on the 2009 Deluxe Edition reissue of the album. This mix was previously only available on vinyl and is notable for alternate guitar solo (as compared to the solo on the widely available stereo mix). For a Who collector the unique nature of the mono mix provides a modest thrill. "The Who Sell Out" and Pete Townshend's embrace of psychedelia signaled the end of the British mod era. The Who's next concept album (Tommy) would bring the band long awaited commercial success in the US.

2. Mary Jane's Last Dance- Tom Petty

• "Oh my my, oh hell yes, honey put on that party dress, buy me a drink, sing me a song, take me as I come cause I cant stay long." Let's get to the point, let's roll another....oh sorry, that's another Tom Petty ode to getting high recorded in the 90s. "Mary Jane's Last Dance" kicks in with a distinctive guitar riff and Petty's vocals tell the story of a girl in an "Indiana town" with "Indiana boys" on an "Indiana night". I can't help but enjoy this song each time I hear it. Electric guitar solos and harmonic licks take us in and out of the refrain. This is Highway 61 Revisited era Bob Dylan rock at it's best. When the Counting Crow's Adam Duritz crooned "I wanna be Bob Dylan" he wasn't alone...and there's nothing wrong with that.

3. Your Body is a Wonderland- John Mayer

• "We got the afternoon, you got this room for two, one thing I've left to do discover me discovering you." "Your Body is a Wonderland" or "YBIAW" is a verbal OTPHJ to Mayer's female fans. If that last sentence makes any sense I might ask you to explain it to me. This song is featured on Mayer's full length debut "Room For Squares" and earned the singer a Grammy in 2003 for "Best Male Pop Vocal Performance". "Your Body is a Wonderland" was rumored to be written for Jennifer Love Hewitt but the two dated long after the song was recorded so it seems dubious. When the song was at the height of it's popularity I called for a Ja Rule remix. "Bubble gum tongue baby!...only for the Rule baby!" Sadly this cross over collaboration never came to fruition. "Your Body Is a Wonderland" was featured on an episode of the Office-Mayer gave the show the right to use the song in exchange for a Dundie award. Well played.

1. Check The Rhyme- A Tribe Called Quest

• "Back in the days on the boulevard of Linden." "Industry rule number four thousand and eighty, record company people are shady, so kids watch your back 'cause I think they smoke crack, I don't doubt it, look at how they act." This is one of the stand out songs from Tribe's "Low End Theory" album. "Check The Rhyme" features wonderful interplay between MCs Q-Tip and Phife Dawg. This song is also notable for the dis on MC Hammer. I can remember rapping this song with friends in college and deciding before we started who'd take which part (I was always partial to Q-Tip). I can also remember a friend of mine paying a DJ $10 in Clarendon (Arlington) VA to play this song- a worthy investment. If you were to download this song today it is labelled "Check the Rhime". My iPod gets the old spelling thanks to the fact I have it on CD. This of course is also thanks to the Grace Notes database, which is living on borrowed time.

2. Super Bon Bon- Soul Coughing

• "Move upside and let the man go through, let the man go through." "Too fat, fat you must cut lean, you got to take the elevator to the mezzanine." I think I first became aware of this song from the Y-100 Sonic Sessions Volume 1 CD (Y-100 being the modern/alt rock station in Philadelphia in a period known as the 90s). "Super Bon Bon" got airplay but couldn't be classified as a major hit. This song is mesmerizing. I have no idea what it's about, nor do I care to know. "Super Bon Bon" is driven by a bass grove and percussion- the guitar and steel drum parts provide color but nothing more. The lyrics are somehow hypnotic, delivered with such conviction that you get the feeling that something very real is happening here. This song defies the era it came from.

3. When Will They Shoot?- Ice Cube

• "Cuz I bust styles, new styles, standing. . .strong. . . while, others run a hundred miles."
  "When Will They Shoot" is the 1st song (minus the intro) for Ice Cube's "The Predator" album. Musically this song is based on the "stomp, stomp, clap" part of Queen's "We Will Rock You". Lyrically it is based on Ice Cube's ability to drop more profanities per verse than was once thought possible. I met a girl a few summers ago that put "The Predator" on her desert island top 5. On the surface it was pretty impressive (not even considering this was a white chick) but "The Predator" doesn't even come close to Ice Cube's "Death Certificate". On a personal note my 1st bicycle was a 1983 era black Schwinn Predator. O.G.

1. Radio London (Monday...Tuesday)/Armenia City In The Sky/ Wonderful Radio London- The Who

• "The sky is glass, the sea is brown and everyone is upside-down, Armenia, city in the sky, Armenia, city in the sky, Freak out! Freak out!" In 1967 The Who paid tribute to pirate radio and pop commercials with their concept album "The Who Sell Out". The only well known song from the album is the hit "I Can See For Miles", with the remaining material best known only to Who fanatics. Concept albums were in vogue after the Beatles Sgt. Pepper's (even thought Sgt. Pepper's lacked a solid concept) and "The Who Sell Out" was the bands 1st attempt at such an effort. "Armenia City In The Sky" is pure psychedelia complete with backwards guitars. It holds a rare distinction as the only original song the band recorded that wasn't written by one of the members of the band. Perhaps as a result it sounds quite unlike anything else from The Who. "The Who Sell Out" was remastered and reissued with bonus songs in the mid 90s and again this past year as a Deluxe edition complete with demos, mono mixes, rarities and I imagine anything left over in the studio. When you are a fan, you need to have it all.

2. Waiting On The World To Change- John Mayer

• "And when you trust your television what you get is what you got, cause when they own the information, oh they can bend it all they want." A friend of mine described this song as a bold attempt to write our generation's "What's Going On". It's hard to argue with that assessment given the message/feel of both songs and some similarities in song structure. For example "Waiting On The World To Change" contains a break down where the music largely drops out and there is audible chatter that recalls the intro to Marvin Gaye's classic. "Waiting On the World To Change" serves as the first song on Mayer's album "Continuum", which was the most (legally) downloaded album prior to Coldplay's "Viva La Vida". There is a great acoustic version of "Waiting On the World To Change" featuring Ben Harper on Mayer's "The Village Session" EP.

3. Same Thing- BareNaked Ladies

• "I found me an answer in the form of an old man with a cardigan on, this guy's got thirty years on me but he stops and smiles just to say "Hello, didn't I see you on TV?...must've been the same thing Charlie Brown went through." Mainstream success had eluded the BareNaked Ladies prior to the release of their 3rd album "Born on a Pirate Ship". The album featured the song "The Old Apartment" which would become a hit. "Same Thing" has a mellow folk/country feel built on acoustic guitar and piano with vocals from guitarist Ed Robertson. After "Born on a Pirate Ship" the band would to some extent move away from the folk/country feel of songs like "Same Thing" in favor of rock a la "The Old Apartment". However the band never strayed far from their musical roots and the highlight of any BNL show for me was when the band would perform acoustically around a single microphone. These stripped down moments always highlighted a number of the band's strengths- vocals, harmonies, great melodies and arrangements.

1. Wrong Way- Sublime

• "A cigarette pressed between her lips but I'm starin' at her t*ts It's the wrong way." If you lived in the Philadelphia area in the mid/late 90s you'd know this as a Y-100 song, in that it was played ad nauseum on the station. Some critics come down on Sublime as faux ska/reggae, the kind of stuff most appealing to frat boys who'd most likely turn a deaf ear to those forms of music in their undiluted state. There is probably some truth in that but I could care less. This song is fun.

2. Do You Realize??- The Flaming Lips

• "Do you realize - that everyone you know someday will die, and instead of saying all of your goodbyes- let them know you realize that life goes fast, it's hard to make the good things last." This is an amazing song. "Do You Realize??" is featured on the "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots" album which would qualify for one of the most creative album titles in my collection. When a song with awesome lyrics and great melody is coupled with a nice arrangement and great production you have yourself a classic. "Do You Realize??"is built on an acoustic guitar progression augmented with synth and chimes. Speaking from experience, it also functions quite nice by itself on acoustic guitar. The song was used several years ago in an add for HP computers and more recently to sell Land Rovers.

3. Come Back to Bed- John Mayer

• "What will this fix, you know you're not a quick forgive, and I won't sleep through this, I survive on the breath you are finished with." John Mayer flashed some blues power on his sophomore album "Heavier Things" with the song "Come Back to Bed". This song was somewhat of a departure from the sound on his first album and nod of things to come like the John Mayer Trio and the more bluesy sound of "Continuum". The refrain at the end of the song "don't hold your love over my head" also works melodically as a refrain for the song "Gravity" over the "just keep me where the light is" part. If you are a fan of John Mayer's blues sound and you find yourself in Vegas on New Years Eve be sure to check out the Trio at The Joint.

1. Get On The Good Foot- James Brown

• "Qué pasa people, qué pasa ...hit me! Ooh! Get on down like a...Unh! I wanna get on the good foot...down to the crib, let all hang out where soulful people knows what it's about-ah." The power of the Godfather compels you to get on the good foot. James Brown helped lay down the foundation for soul, R&B, funk and provided the blueprint for hip hop along the way. I can remember being "slightly" out of my mind in Chicago a few years ago and dancing to "Get On The Good Foot" in an after hours bar, completely ignoring the 3 drinks I ordered for myself (one of them being a bottle of champagne). When you have soul you can't help yourself.

2. In God's Country- U2

• "Naked flame she stands with a naked flame, I stand with the sons of Cain, burned by the fire of love, burned by the fire of love." I'm not a huge U2 fan but the greatest of some of their songs is simply undeniable. "In God's Country" is one of many amazing songs from U2's "The Joshua Tree" which stands as the band's crowning achievement and one of the greatest albums of the 1980s. The biggest hits from "The Joshua Tree" make their way onto U2 singles and greatest hits compilations but songs like "In God's Country" and "Running to Stand Still" are just as worthy. Any song with Old Testament references scores bonus points- you can only imagine how high I am on The Hooters "All You Zombies".

3. Stairway to Heaven- Led Zeppelin

• "There's a sign on the wall but she wants to be sure 'cause you know sometimes words have two meanings." I'm not sure what insight there is to provide here. "Stairway to Heaven" is a masterpiece from the landmark classic "Led Zeppelin IV". The song slowly builds in momentum and intensity until it climaxes all over your turntable. "Stairway" is an epic in the vein of "Free Bird" yet jerks don't call out for it in bars. The song is the butt of a joke in the film "Wayne's World" but the premise is that it's the song that every guitar player wants to know how to play. When I recently caught the Dave Matthews Band in Hershey they masterfully worked it into their cover of "All Along the Watchtower" to the delight of classic rock connoisseurs.

1. Because- The Beatles

• "Love is old, love is new, love is all, love is you, because the sky is blue, it makes me cry, because the sky is blue." Great band or greatest band? Put me down for greatest band. This version of "Because" is from the album "Love" which does a masterful job of remixing a number of classic Beatles tunes. The change to the original version here is obvious- the song is presented acapella. It does showcase the Beach Boys style vocals/harmonies which is nice but I prefer the original "Abbey Road" version driven by the harpsichord. I've come to accept "Abbey Road" as the greatest Beatles album. For a good read on the break up of the Fab Four check out the latest issue of Rolling Stone. If you have a lack of Beatles in your collection you are in luck-The Beatles catalogue is being remastered and reissued on 9-9-09 along with the release of the Rock Band game.

2. Shiver- Coldplay

• "From the moment I wake, to the moment I sleep, I'll be there by your side, just you try and stop me, I'll be waitin' in line, just to see if you care." I'd have to put "Shiver" in the great tradition of "stalker songs" like "Every Breath You Take" and "The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get". The guy isn't going to give up easily...and this is what girls want, right? The endless maddening pursuit. If "Say Anything" taught us anything it's that if you really want to get the girl you should show up on her property uninvited... and maybe bring a boom box for good measure. "Shiver" is featured on Coldplay's debut "Parachutes" and there is a nice acoustic version available on the "Trouble (B-Sides) EP". The song is fantastic vocally, melodically, lyrically, and sonically. It will help you make friends and influence people.

3. All At Sea- Jamie Cullum

• "I’m all at sea where no one can bother me, I sleep by myself, I drink on my own, I don’t speak to nobody, I gave away my phone." In 2004 Jamie Cullum became a VH1 "You oughta know" artist of the month when he corned the market on pop/alt-jazz with the release of the album "Twentysomething". The album features original numbers like "All At Sea" as well as a number of well done covers. Plenty of songs take on personal meaning in our lives and the "I gave away my phone" makes this one personal for me. About 4 years ago for no particular reason I decided to ignore my phone, voicemail and text messages for a few days...I think I wanted to escape technology for a bit. You would have thought it was the end of days by the reaction from people not being able to get in touch with me...and trust me, I'm not important. Not long after the release of "Twentysomething" I had the fortune of seeing Jamie Cullum at Zanzibar Blue in Philadelphia. Zanzibar was the premiere jazz club in the city- a landmark so to speak...sadly it is gone. I'm glad I was able to catch a great show there.

1. Lesson Learned- Alicia Keys

• "Life perfect ain't perfect if you don't know what the struggle's for, falling down ain't falling down if you don't cry when you hit the floor, it's called the past cause I'm getting past and I ain't nothing like I was before, you ought to see me now." What would it sound like if Aretha Franklin and Jimi Hendrix did a song together? I have no idea but this song is apparently what happens when Alicia Keys and John Mayer decide to collaborate. The results aren't half bad. "Lesson Learned" is much more Keys than Mayer. It's "straight R&B, straight R&B, straight R&B". Though Mayer is featured on backing vocals and guitar there is no guitar solo to show off his chops. I love any song with a great bridge. In this case the bridge is probably better than the rest of song. Perhaps they could have done more with it, kinda like when people wonder why they don't make the whole airplane out of what they use to make the black box.

2. Lover Be Strong- Gavin DeGraw

• "Just another radar a threat approach is slipping in, on another stormy morning another issue could begin." Gavin DeGraw waited five years to follow up his hit debut "Chariot" then turned around a moment later and released his third album "Free". Outside of a few songs (Dancing Shoes, Stay, Never The Same) the album doesn't offer the listener much to sink their teeth into. "Lover Be Strong" is one of those middle of the road songs. Criticism aside, Gavin is great in concert...better than on his records. When you see someone in concert and they aren't as good as they sound on their album it is disappointing but understandable- they just aren't as good as the producer that mixed their album made them out to sound. When you see someone in concert and they are way better than their record you have to wonder why someone can't get that sound/feel on record.

3. Just Hangin' Out- Main Source

• "I'm mainly known for the rough raps but kids steal my lyrics like hubcaps and eat em like stacks of flapjacks like rugrats." Main source dropped their debut "Breaking Atoms" in 1991 featuring Large Professor on vocals and K-Cut and Sir Scratch on turntables and production. The album is a hip hop classic. The album made a dent on the hip hop charts with songs like "Looking At the Front Door" and "Peace Is Not the Word to Play". "Just Hangin' Out" has a laid back 70s groove that allows Large Professor to showcase his lyrical skills. Legend has it that during the production of "Breaking Atoms" Main Source schooled Gangstarr's DJ Premier in the art of the SP1200. This is sort of like God delivering the commandants to Moses...sure things happened before, but everything moving forward springs from this. "Breaking Atoms" is also famous for the song "Live at the Barbeque" which introduced the world to a young MC named NaS. The group would release an unsuccessful follow up in 1994 after the departure of Large Professor. It turned out that Main Source without Large Professor was like "cornflake without the milk".

1. Muzzle of Bees- Wilco

• "And the sun gets passed from tree to tree, silently and back to me, with the breeze blown through, pushed up against the sea, finally back to me." Finally the great band Wilco makes an appearance on this blog. "Muzzle of Bees" is from 2004's "A Ghost is Born". The studio version is fine but not one of my favorite songs from the band. However "Muzzle of Bees" is one of my favorites to hear live. The song is largely built on a mid tempo acoustic guitar riff but eventually takes flight with powerful flourishes of electric guitar mastery-I hate to say the band has a template given how diverse their sound are styles are, but this might be it. I've had the fortune of seeing the band twice and the song was featured in both shows. Check out the live version from the "Kicking Television" album for the best take on this number.

2. Too Little Too Late- Barenaked Ladies

• "You say, why does everything revolve around you?, you say, why does everything I do confound you?, you say that I pulled the world from under you, you cant go through it this time." Finally the great Barenaked Ladies make an appearance on this blog. "Too Little Too Late" kicks off the album "Maroon" which was the follow up to the massively successful "Stunt". The album title was taken from a song (of the same name) by jazz artist Ken Nordine on the "Colors" album. "Too Little Too Late" is a straight forward rock song musically but is a bit darker lyrically. "This time isn't hell, last time, I couldn't tell, this mind wasn't well." Many BNL songs feature references to mental illness, depression and suicide. Perhaps my personal favorite is from the song "I'll Be That Girl"- "all the things I'd do to make myself turn blue, I suppose I'd start by removing all my clothes, tie my pantyhose around my neck." Great image.

3. Keep It Rollin'- A Tribe Called Quest

• "Styles be fat like Jackie Gleason, the rest be Art Carney, people love the Dawg like the kids love Barney, "I love you, you love me", the shorty Phife Dawg is your favorite MC." "Keep It Rollin'" comes from the "Midnight Marauders" album best known for the hit "Award Tour". For hip hop heads the song is probably best known for featuring The Large Professor. The Large Professor had recently left the group Main Source (who's debut "Breaking Atoms" is a hip hop classic) and went on to diss his old crew on this song. "I'm Uptown chillin, takin in this grand master Vic blend, from the projects, the PJ's, f**k them two DJ's". Hearing 3 great lryicists on the same song is a joy and makes me wonder what happened to main stream hip-hop. I caught De La Soul in concert last weekend and realized that old school hip hop is alive and well.

1. If- Bread

• "If a picture paints a thousand words, then why can't I paint you? " Those unfamiliar with Bread may have been unknowingly exposed to their music in an elevator, dental office or supermarket. For me "If" came into my life thanks to middle school jazz band. I played the electric piano and had the solo intro for this song. For anyone who attended a Northley middle school band concert in the late 1980s all I can say is "you're welcome". If you like tremolo effects (the wah-wah sound) then this song is for you. "If" is gentle, soothing and would be classified as back ground music by most critics. I recently rediscovered Bread's "Everything I Own" thanks to a cover version on the latest Matthew Sweet & Susanna Hoffs "Under the Covers" album. Both versions are phenomenal.

2. Don't- Rachael Yamagata

• "I can understand all that you are, I can even take all that you're not, I can sympathize with all you want to be, but don't f**k me in front of me." Rachel Yamagata's second album "Elephants....Teeth Sinking Into Heart" closes with this fantastic number. When "don't f**k me in front of me" is your refrain I have to wonder what inspired this song. I suppose if someone is going to do you wrong it's better that they do it out of sight. Or maybe this song is just and ode to doggystle. "Don't" is slow, plodding and methodical with production that is both earthy and ethereal. The vocals (lyrics and delivery) are superb like most songs from Yamagata.

3. The Blue Print- Boogie Down Productions

• "We didn't do it with the soft commercial sound, try the ghetto cause i refuse to let go, you see you don't understand I knew it, you got a copy i read from the blueprint." Any list of the greatest MCs of all time that doesn't include KRS-One wasn't put together by anyone who understands hip hop. "The Blue Print" functions as the title track for "Ghetto Music: The Blueprint of Hip Hop", the 3rd album from the legendary Boogie Down Productions crew. The album is a classic. On the "40oz. to Freedom" album Sublime would pay tribute with "KRS-One", featuring lyrics from The Blueprint's "Breath Control". Of course Jay-Z would come out with an album called "The Blueprint" 17 years later but originality was never big on his list of things to be, if I may paraphrase alt-rock singer Jason Falkner.

1. Let Me Love You Baby- Buddy Guy

• "Ohh, let me love you baby, yes let me love you baby, let me love you baby 'til your good love drives me crazy ". Chicago has no shortage of blues legends and Buddy Guy ranks right at the top. "Let Me Love You Baby" with it's electric guitar, harmonica and horns personifies Chicago blues. Songs like this provided the foundation for 60s British rock bands like the Stones, Yardbirds, et all. Jeff Beck would cover "Let Me Love You Baby" on his 1968 "Truth" album featuring lead vocals from none other than Rod "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?" Stewart. If you ever find yourself in the windy city and in the mood for some live blues music there probably isn't a better place to go than Buddy Guy's Legends. There is no pretension at Legends- just great live music. I found it ironic that earlier this year that at the same time Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood were playing Madison Square Garden, Buddy Guy and B.B. King were playing the much smaller Beacon Theatre in the same city.

2. Changeling /Transmission 1- DJ Shadow

• (Instrumental) DJ Shadow (Josh Davis) took recycling to a new level with 1996's "Endtroducing.....". Made entirely of sampled material (mainly forgotten vinyl) the album is able to make something entirely new out of old material. These aren't samples you are meant to recognize (ala Girl Talk) but rather an exercise in taking disparate musical elements and blending them into a cohesive sound. This song is driven by a looped keyboard and a driving drum track. "Changeling/Transmission 1" is at times meditative and at times upbeat which could be said for the album as a whole. For a great insight into how this album was put together see the stand out documentary "Scratch" that tells the history of the hip-hop DJ. I've lost count on the number of times I've watched the film.

3. The Hardest Part/Postcards From Far Away- Coldplay

• " Everything I know is wrong, everything I do it just comes undone, and everything is torn apart". You know how I know I'm straight? I only have sex with women. Having said that, I'm a big fan of Coldplay. This song is featured on the "LeftRightLeftRightLeft" live album which was available as a free Internet download and is available in physical form to anyone who checks out the band on their latest tour. "The Hardest Part" is a heartfelt ballad from the "X&Y" release while "Postcards From Far Away" is an brief piano instrumental from the "Prospekt's March EP" which provided left overs from the "Viva La Vida" sessions. I'm not usually one for stadium rock- I prefer to see my favorite acts in venues as intimate as possible (like a recording studio or tiny bar) but Coldplay excels in space- as if the songs were written for a giant crowd to sing along with. The band has taken to playing along with pre-recorded tracks to build in an even larger live sound but this offering features nothing more than piano and vocals which proves that the band can take it back to basics and still hit it out of the park.

1. The Distance- Cake

• "No trophy, no flowers, no flashbulbs, no wine, he's haunted by something he cannot define, bowel-shaking earthquakes of doubt and remorse, assail him, impale him with monster-truck force". This song is brilliant. I heard somewhere that the lyrics are based on a video game. Feel free to verify that on your time. "The Distance" mixes rock, funk and g-funk into a masterful blend. This song is featured on Cake's second release "Fashion Nugget" which also brought us a cover of "I Will Survive" that surpasses the original. Hearing Cake reminds me that it won't be long until I'll be in State College at the Darkhorse on a Saturday night listening to Spider Kelly. The band does a few Cake covers including a kick-ass version of "Short Skirt/Long Jacket" complete with vibraslap.

2. Dance All Night- Ryan Adams & The Cardinals

• She ain't lonely now see her shuffle 'cross the floor, yeah she's happier now see her smile and say 'come on'". I haven't been working on this blog very long yet this is the 3rd song from the "Cold Roses" album to be featured. This is proof that the shuffle feature is not as random as the folks at Apple would have you believe...the iPod definitely has preferences of it's own. I have a physical copy of the Cold Roses CD and find it humorous that it is a two-disc album given that the whole thing does fit on a single disc. "Dance All Night" features Dylan-esque harmonica and smooth harmonies from Adam's backing band The Cardinals. Adams would eventually disband The Cardinals, who could have provided years of stability (musically speaking). Perhaps Mandy Moore can be that rock.

3. Excuse Me Mister- Evan Dando

• "You do nice dances my feet have never followed nice dances, oh, but you do nice dances, excuse me mister, take me with you". "Excuse Me Mister" is a recording from the "Live at Brattle Theatre/Griffith Sunset EP", a stop-gap offering in 2001 to remind audiences that Dando was quite alive despite a prolonged absence from the spotlight. The album does a great job capturing the feel of Dando's shows from the early 2000s. Around that time one observer noted that seeing Dando perform live after so many years was like discovering an old sweater-there is a nostalgic rush and it feels cozy at 1st but then you realized that it is frayed and not what it once was. "Excuse Me Mister' is a cover, the original having been performed by folk singer Gale Garnett best known for the hit "We'll Sing in the Sunshine". In classic Dando form, the gender in the lyrics is not altered despite the fact that the song is sung about a man from the perspective of a woman. The Lemonheads cover of The Stone Poney's "Different Drum" is another great example...although truth be told when I play "Different Drum" on guitar I keep the lyrics in tack as well- "I'm not in the market for a boy who wants to love only me". I'm secure.

1. Keep Me Turning- Pete Townshend

• "River's getting higher, no wood for the fire, they saw the messiah but I guess I missed him again, that brings my score to a hundred and ten". Several years before Who guitarist Pete Townshend released his first official solo record "Empty Glass" he teamed up with Faces bassist/songwriter Ronnie Lane for 1977's "Rough Mix". The album features compositions from both artists. "Keep Me Turning" is a spiritual song that finds Townshend asking a higher authority for the energy to keep on keeping on. "Keep me turning I'm hanging on, stop me yearning I've had enough". Many of Townshend's hits (Bargain, Let My Love Open The Door, See Me Feel Me/Listening to You) had spiritual centers- perhaps the overtones were not always overt. Maybe Bart Simpson was wrong when he said "all the best bands are affiliated with Satan".

2. Overcast- Lucky Day

• "I fell through the clouds when I thought you'd make me fly, I'm back on the ground from here it only looks like it's gonna be overcast...overcast....overcast in my mind". "Overcast" is featured on Lucky Day's 2006 debut EP "All My Rainy Days". Despite the title, the EP features several upbeat numbers including the ultra-catchy "Time Will Only Know". If you haven't heard Lucky Day before, shame on you. The band features a great blend of pop hooks, melodies and harmonies...in short the vocals are silky smooth. I recently caught the DC area band in their natural habitat of Arlington Virginia at the famous Iota. The band achieves a sound that is both modern and reminiscent of 60s pop/rock. If you have a chance to catch Lucky Day live don't miss out on the opportunity.

3. Waiting- Glen Phillips

• "Well I'd like to think I'd help you if you needed saving, but I'm drowning here not waving and still you're only waiting". "Waiting" is a sweet country rock number from the "Mr. Lemons" album. I suppose it's roots lie in Toad the Wet Sprocket's "Nanci". "Waiting" features great acoustic guitar work augmented by mandolin and steel guitar parts that provide the song with vibrant color. Glen Phillips toured extensively with the bluegrass band "Nickel Creek" and the two joined forces as "Mutual Admiration Society" prior to the release of "Mr. Lemons". The bluegrass influence is not lost on this number. I'm not much for country tinged music but sometimes the sound is undeniable. "Mmm...that country music".

1. Home Life- John Mayer

• "And I will go to my grave with the life that I gave not just some melody line on a radio wave". On his sophomore album "Heavier Things" John Mayer yearns for simple pleasures on the song "Home Life". "Finish on a Friday and sit in traffic on the highway". I guess when you are young, wealthy and famous with unlimited access to models, actresses, singers, and miscellaneous hot women you look for what has eluded you...sitting around the house like a regular working stiff. Mayer went so far as to tattoo the words "Home" and "Life" on his arms to bring the point home.

2. Dive In- Dave Matthews Band

• "Summers here to stay, and all those summer games will last forever go down to the shore, kick off your shoes, dive in the empty ocean". "Dive In" is featured on the new album "Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King". Like 2005's"American Baby", "Dive In" sounds sweet at first but there is something darker just below the surface. Don't let the upbeat chorus fool you. For me this song and many others from the new album drive home how much drummer Carter Beauford helps define the sound of the band. His imprint is unmistakable. Critics agree that the Dave Matthews Band got it's groove back on "Big Whiskey And The Groogrux King". The album serves as a tribute to their late saxophonist LeRoi Moore. Strangely I saw the last DMB concert with LeRoi Moore last summer at Nissan Pavilion in northern Virginia. It was a fantastic show featuring the band's first performance of the Peter Gabriel hit "Sledgehammer". I'll head to Hershey, PA next Friday to see the band again.

3. Dancing Days- Led Zeppelin

• "Dancing days are here again summer evenings grow I got my flower, I got my power, I got a woman who knows". Every now and then my iPod decides to get the led out. In the 60s and 70s guitarist Jimmy Page had more riffs than the Bible has Psalms. "Dancing Days" is one of countless examples. If you don't recognize the song by title you'll know it the moment the song starts. 1973's "Houses of the Holy" also features several other Zeppelin riff classics including "Over the Hills and Far Away" and "The Ocean". Stone Temple Pilots would cover "Dancing Days" on the 1995 Zeppelin tribute "Encomium". That tribute album also features Sheryl Crow moaning her way through "D'Yer Mak'er". No complaints here.

1. While We Wait- Jack Johnson

• "It feels right, it feels wrong, it feels like when you have it, then it's gone". This little song (1 minute 28 seconds) is featured on "Sleep Through the Static" which is aptly titled given the sleepy nature of much of the album. This mellow number fits right in. I had the opportunity to see Jack Johnson in concert last summer in Camden, NJ. It was impressive to see someone command an audience with a single acoustic guitar. It was also impressive to see Jack not break stride mid song when a bug flew up his nose. The show must go on.

2. Sweet Illusions- Ryan Adams & the Cardinals

• "And I can feel the sweet illusion, coming sweet confusion, honey sweet illusion coming down, and I ain't got nothing but love for you now". It seems each time Ryan Adams puts out a new album critics call it his best since "Heartbreaker" (his 1st solo album). It makes me wonder if they listened to "Cold Roses" much. It is a truly great collection of songs. Sweet Illusions features a beautiful blend of acoustic, electric and slide guitar. With a great classic rock feel it sounds like it could have been recorded in the 70s. I've had my share of sweet illusions. Illusions and delusions are the same thing, right?

3. All the Young Dudes- Mott the Hoople

• "And my brother's back at home with his Beatles and his Stones, we never got it off on that revolution stuff, what a drag too many snags". David Bowie penned this tune for Mott the Hoople supposedly after they rejected the song "Suffragette City". If true I love that Suffragette City wasn't good enough for them. All the Young Dudes was featured on the soundtrack to the film "Juno" a few years go. The song is considered a glam anthem. Perhaps more than any specific sound glam was about getting dressed up like a woman with makeup- "Bowie you freaky old bastard."