So maybe I wasn't paying attention in 2008

These are the terrific results of my knowledge of 2008 songs (click on to enlarge), looks like I need to get back with it. Unfortunately I'm guessing my 2009 scores would be even worse.

You can try via Sporcle.

Top 50: Part II

40:Artist: Moonbabies
Learned About 'em: Probably on eMusic.
Ideas!: My favorite album is Moonbabies at the ballroom, really cool stuff. I haven't heard about them ever from somebody else so I'm assuming they're not terribly popular, but what do I know? They use keyboards and organs and glockenspiels all over the place, who could ask for more!
Chicka-dee-dee-dee: War on Sound is a very solid track, let's all listen to it now.
39:Artist: Coldplay
Learned About 'em: How does one learn about Coldplay?
Ideas!: There's not much to say about them, they became extremely popular after releasing Parachutes (which included the song Yellow. They've since gone on to sell out stadiums across the world and make oodles of money playing their brand of indie-rock. I'm still upset with Viva La Vida or whatever the album is actually called, plagiarism is wrong! Didn't they go to, oh I don't know, middle school!?!
Chicka-dee-dee-dee: Some solid stuff, though I actually prefer some covers by the Vitamin String Quartet more than the originals.
38:Artist: The Format
Learned About 'em: Through a friend, Ms. Andersen.
Ideas!: This was the first band I ever saw play in concert at the Troc in Philly. They're named after the idea of bands today being “cookie-cutter” formatted, and while this band isn't in the same vein as stuff like Nickelback and whatever else is popular it isn't exactly cutting edge.
Chicka-dee-dee-dee: The lead singer Nate Reuss has since gone on to found the band FUN, which is aslo, ok.
37:Artist: Spoon
Learned About 'em: EMU, SICK!
Ideas!: Very catchy bouncy stuff, I Turn My Camera On was featured in the Simpsons as well as a very amusing video of a bouncing green blob. Gimme Fiction is my favorite album, though to be fair I never got around to listening to Ga Ga Ga Ga... You would really be hard pressed not to start jivin' when Spoon comes on the stereo.
Chicka-dee-dee-dee: Good family entertainment.
36:Artist: Camera Obscura
Learned About 'em: eMusic.
Ideas!: Lot's of sorta catchy stuff, in fact I sometimes mistake them for Spoon and vice-versa. I'm still not super sure what a camera obscura is, although from what I can gather it is some sort of pinhole camera (apparently there is a gallery in Denver!). I would recommend them to anyone who also likes spoon, they're a bit more happy sorta stuff (sometimes).
Chicka-dee-dee-dee: Let's get out of this country...
34:Artist: Pela
Learned About 'em: eMusic
Ideas!: Personally I was always a big fan of Pela. They only really had one record as far as I can tell, Anytown Graffiti. They have sort of raspy vocals and big instruments along with very abstract lyrics. I was hanging around Albums on the Hill and saw them in the bargain bin which made me sad, somebody listen to them! They disbanded in 2009.
Chicka-dee-dee-dee: Again, somebody listen to them!
34:Artist: Andy Stewart
Learned About 'em: Gabe.
Ideas!: Hmmmm, not much to say about this one... Irish folk singer.
Chicka-dee-dee-dee: Ahhh freedom is like gold, freedom is like gold.
33:Artist: Bishop Allen
Learned About 'em: AQ's Daffodils
Ideas!: I'm on my way to moving past The Broken String, I just haven't pressed the download button yet. He has a really adorable song called Butterfly Nets which I always equated with someone going off to college (It's all about someone leaving for greener pastures but having a place to come home to if they should falter). It took probably a year before I decided to pull the trigger and get some more and so I downloaded The Broken String, It begins with a neat song about the Monitor vs. the Merrimack and continues to be a pretty good record for the whole first half of the CD. It sort of tapers off after the 5th or 6th song to be sure well worth a listen though.
Chicka-dee-dee-dee: One of my favorite lines! “If it's ever gonna get any better, it's gotta get worse for a day.” -Rain
32:Artist: Simon and Garfunkel
Learned About 'em: This is a Return to Castle Wolfenstein band if there ever was one.
Ideas!: I'm not going to pretend to know a lot of their songs but the ones I do know I really love, (I am a Rock, The Sound of Silence, Bridge Over Troubled Water...). If you haven't yet heard these gems, it's never too late to start. Art Garfunkel also appeared on Flight of the Conchords for an episode, it was quite hilarious.
Chicka-dee-dee-dee: Peaceful stuff you can reflect with.
31:Artist: TV On the Radio
Learned About 'em: Nate
Ideas!: What a romantic sort of place Cookie Mountain sounds like. I listened to Staring at the Sun on repeat once for an entire day as Nate can attest to, regardless it's an excellent song. Wolf Like Me seems to be their most popular track, which is understandable because it rocks. Really an overall good band to rock out to, recommended.
Chicka-dee-dee-dee: If they were a fruit they would be a strawberry.
30:Artist: The Magnetic Fields
Learned About 'em: eMusic
Ideas!: What is not to love about Stephen Merrit? He amassed an album called 69 Love Songs which is indeed, 69 love songs. I began to download them off of eMusic but really 69 songs is quite a few so I turn to alternative means. I've always, always, always been a huge fan of Book of Love and so should the world (Hi Fig!), other gems include Luckiest Guy on the Lower East Side, Let's Pretend We're Bunny Rabbits and others.
Chicka-dee-dee-dee: So long as you like kinky cool sounds and whack lyrics, let's get magnetic!

Top 50: Part I

The first 10- This is the first of my top 50 listened to series. I've included where I first heard them and what I think now. Also, who doesn't love a chickadee?

50:Artist: Yeasayer

Learned About 'em: The first song of theirs I ever had was Sunrise, it was on AQ's daffodils.

Ideas!: I can't claim to know that much about Yeasayer, they have become fairly popular since the release of their last CD ODD BLOOD, but I haven't really gotten past All Hour Cymbals yet. My favorite songs by them include Sunrise and Tightrope however most people I have shared them with prefer Sunrise. Last I heard they were scheduled to visit the Boulder area this spring.

Chicka-dee-dee-dee: The music is easy to listen to and enjoyable; artist on the rise.

49:Artist: Shapes and Sizes

Learned About 'em: I pulled these guys off of eMusic one day.

Ideas!: They have whacky beats and sometimes strange vocals. I only have their self titled album though I'm sure they have released more since. I know the songs Island's Gone Bad (which my brother and I made fun of for a summer 'point my finger and thumb and shoot the gun' and something about fruit) and Northern Lights the best.

Chicka-dee-dee-dee: I wouldn't say I particularly like this band nor that I will listen to them much in the future.

48:Artist: Bright Eyes

Learned About 'em: I really don't know how I came across Bright Eyes, probably a long time ago but I was unaware of it at the time. I'm sure “Bowl of Oranges” was on AQ's Daffodils, but that is the only definite time I can remember seeing their name for the first time.

Ideas!: I really like Bright Eyes, I think Conor Oberst is a terrific lyricist. Most all of his songs are heartbreaking but it's nice to have your heart broken every once in awhile. I have I'm Wide Awake It's Morning and also LIFTED or The Story Is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground and I think I listen to them a fairly equal amount. I love songs like Lua, We are Nowhere And It's Now, and First Day Of My Life. I don't normally do this but I also recommend the music video for First Day Of My Life, it's pretty sweet. Last year Bright Eyes disbanded.

Chicka-dee-dee-dee: Though Oberst has moved on, I will certainly continue to love Bright Eyes.

47:Artist: Bubba Sparxxx

Learned About 'em: On an old Madden soundtrack, I can't remember which one.

Ideas!: I have one song, Back In The Mud, and it's really pretty awful. I have nothing to write about this except that I listened to it far to much at one point.

Chicka-dee-dee-dee: What a ridiculous name, what a ridiculous song.

46:Artist: Grandaddy

Learned About 'em: On eMusic

Ideas!: These guys really rock, they deserve to be listened to a bit more than they have been but for some reason I never get around to them. I have several albums by them but probably listened to Fambly Cat the most. The song AM 180 is super catchy and fun, I wish I had more to write about them!

Chicka-dee-dee-dee: Get your act together and listen to them more...

45:Artist: Morning Runner

Learned About 'em: On a friends Myspace

Ideas!: Another one song wonder, Burning Benches, which really is a pretty good song. I read an article about it once that said the song was originally much softer but they thought it too much of a love song so they added a bit of insanity and lust at the end to convey more of the feeling you get when fall apart longing for someone who doesn't want you.

Chicka-dee-dee-dee: I have no idea what they're like beyond this song.

44:Artist: Hot Hot Heat

Learned About 'em: This was a birthday present several years ago.

Ideas!: I got the album Make Up The Breakdown and listened to it a bunch of times, it now mostly reminds me of playing Battlefield Vietnam. They have squeaky vocals and loud drums, they're pretty ok I guess.

Chicka-dee-dee-dee: Ehhhhh, maybe they've gotten better.

43:Artist: Radiohead

Learned About 'em: No idea.

Ideas!: Ok so it is fairly blasphemous to most people to have them so far down on the list but what can you do? I really like Radiohead and I loved how In Rainbows was released for whatever price you wanted to pay for it; though as I remember I paid for it much later at a regular price of about $15. They were a huge 90's band and continue to crank out good sound.

Chicka-dee-dee-dee: I hope I get around to them more soon.

42:Artist: Pretty Girls Make Graves

Learned About 'em: No idea.

Ideas!: I can't say much about these (girls?). I vaguely remember playing Midnight Club while listening to them and I know they're pretty decent. I don't know anything about their discography except that Elan Vital (my album) has a cool picture of an animated ice cream cone on it.

Chicka-dee-dee-dee: A smooth dark sound.

41:Artist: Death Cab for Cutie

Learned About 'em: Maybe through I Will Follow You Into the Dark?

Ideas!: Terrific stuff, he music is music is occasionally boring but his lyrics are always very clever. He wrote a sleuth of songs which I fell in love with such as the aforementioned Follow You Into the Dark, Soul Meets Body, Title and Registration, and President of What?. The last single he put out was a single for the Twilight series and all Twilight prejudices aside I wasn't impressed. This coupled with what I thought was a pretty weak record in I Will Possess Your Heart has me a little disappointed with Ben Gibbard but I really do think that with talent like his it's just a matter of time before he turns out another great record.

Chicka-dee-dee-dee: I wonder how many times his songs have been played at weddings.

40:Artist: Bishop Allen

Learned About 'em: AQ's Daffodils

Ideas!: I'm on my way to moving past The Broken String, I just haven't pressed the download button yet. He has a really adorable song called Butterfly Nets which I always equated with someone going off to college (It's all about someone leaving for greener pastures but having a place to come home to if they should falter). It took probably a year before I decided to pull the trigger and get some more and so I downloaded The Broken String, It begins with a neat song about the Monitor vs. the Merrimack and continues to be a pretty good record for the whole first half of the CD. It sort of tapers off after the 5^th or 6^th song to be sure well worth a listen though.

Chicka-dee-dee-dee: One of my favorite lines! “If it's ever gonna get any better, it's gotta get worse for a day.” -Rain

Life is grand

Last night was Basia Bulat's concert at the First Unitarian Chapel, the venue was a long, narrow line of pews. The walls were covered with beautiful ornate woodwork shaped like churches or castles or something of that nature, as Basia put it, "it's like a jewelry box!". We managed a pew in the third row and listened to some interesting rag-time/country while we discussed the finer points of "Little Waltz" as we awaited the start of the show.

Meg Baird promptly showed up, sat down, and started playing without a word. She played a guitar by herself along with some spooky vocals about mountains, sunsets and stars. She seemed a little timid throughout her performance and kept her eyes closed which was different. She never did get to telling us her name, by I looked it up after; I would enjoy her music on a rainy summer day while I was dreaming of living somewhere else.

Basia and her gang (her brother Bobby and the viola player Allison, Holly was absent from this show) came on stage 20 minutes later and after thanking Meg jumped right into Heart of My Own. I was really looking forward to hearing this song live because the vocals at the beginning of the first chorus I think are really powerful on the CD. Of course anything live will blow a pair of lousy computer speakers out of the water but there is something entrancing about the way Basia can use her voice, she filled the entire chapel with it. There was a little kid, probably about 3 or 4 years old, sitting on the floor right by us that had to cover his ears when Basia came on stage and starting belting her songs out, the child had Basia smiling throughout the whole concert (I like to thing she'd have been smiling anyway). She followed with a personal favorite of mine, "The Pilgriming Vine", my dear friend Achsah Joseph gave me this song a few years back on our lovely invented holiday "daffodil day", so this was the first Basia song I ever possessed. It was nice to hear slight variation in the song* but maybe that's just because I have an older recording of the song, in any case it was very satisfying to finally hear it come to life.

In the middle of the show Bobby and Allison took a break and Basia played a few songs by herself. After her first song she stopped and asked if we would like to try the next song without the speakers because it was such a acoustic little room, we of course obliged. She picked up her ukulele and played out a floating rendition of "Sparrow" which without the subtle scratches of the mic and speakers gave the song a soft and gentle touch. While she was standing up there by herself it seemed as though she was singing the song for only you.

She continued to play out a mix of her first and second album with passion and energy in songs like "In the Night" and a tragic longing in "I Was a Daughter", it was exactly what I expected, anticipated, and dreamed of. Once she wad done my friend Tori leaned over and asked "Do they do encores in chapels?" and thankfully she did!

She played a couple more songs including a request much to my delight for "Oh, My Darling" and ended with the gorgeous gospel song "Hush". She plays "Hush" by herself with no instrument except stomping the ground with her feet to create a beat and of course using her golden voice.


Oh yeah, and...



I got a chance to meet Basia Bulat! She played a great show in a great venue, I hope I get to see her again soon.

This is a really perfect video, well done Mr. Oberst.