Favorite Albums of the Decade

So after much thought and a lot of careful listening and re-visiting, I have compiled a list of my favorite albums of this past decade. Please note these are not necessarily what I think are the "best" albums of the decade or albums that have had the most influence on the music industry...this is merely a list of 50 albums from that past ten years that I have personally enjoyed listening to the most. Here are numbers 50 - 11:

50. In Between Dreams (2005) – Jack Johnson
49. Toxicity (2001) – System of a Down
48. Deloused in the Comatorium (2003) – The Mars Volta
47. It's Never Been Like That (2006) – Phoenix
46. Wincing the Night Away (2007) – The Shins
45. Death Magnetic (2008) – Metallica
44. Bleed American (2001) – Jimmy Eat World
43. Destination: Beautiful (2003) – Mae
42. Rockin' the Suburbs (2001) – Ben Folds
41. Elevator (2005) – Hot Hot Heat
40. In Rainbows (2007) – Radiohead
39. White Blood Cells (2001) – The White Stripes
38. Lupe Fiasco's The Cool (2007) – Lupe Fiasco
37. American Idiot (2004) – Green Day
36. Places You Have Come to Fear the Most (2001) – Dashboard Confessional
35. Funeral (2004) – Arcade Fire
34. Say It Like You Mean It (2002) – The Starting Line
33. A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002) – Coldplay
32. Give Up (2003) – The Postal Service
31. Illinois (2005) – Sufjan Stevens
30. What People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (2006) – Arctic Monkeys
29. We Don't Need to Whisper (2006) – Angels & Airwaves
28. Battle Studies (2009) – John Mayer
27. Black Holes & Revelations (2006) – Muse
26. A Fever You Can't Sweat Out (2005) – Panic! At the Disco
25. Vampire Weekend (2008) – Vampire Weekend
24. Almost Here (2005) – The Academy Is...
23. Only By the Night (2008) – Kings of Leon
22. Plans (2005) – Death Cab For Cutie
21. Commit This To Memory (2005) – Motion City Soundtrack
20. The Eminem Show (2002) – Eminem
19. Mr. A to Z (2005) – Jason Mraz
18. Ocean Avenue (2003) – Yellowcard
17. Try! (2005) – John Mayer Trio
16. From Under the Cork Tree (2005) – Fall Out Boy
15. Hybrid Theory (2000) – Linkin Park
14. Blink-182 (2003) – Blink-182
13. All Killer No Filler (2001) – Sum 41
12. The Black Album (2003) – Jay-Z
11. Graduation (2007) – Kanye West

And without further ado, here are my Top 10 Favorite Albums of the Decade:

10. Hot Fuss (2004) – The Killers
9. ...Is a Real Boy (2004) – Say Anything
8. By the Way (2002) – Red Hot Chili Peppers
7. Take This to Your Grave (2003) – Fall Out Boy
6. Late Registration (2005) – Kanye West
5. Is This It (2001) – The Strokes
4. Take Off Your Pants and Jacket (2001) – Blink-182
3. The Blueprint (2001) – Jay-Z
2. Continuum (2006) – John Mayer
1. The Marshall Mathers LP (2000) – Eminem


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A couple weeks ago I asked some friends of mine to compile lists of their own. Here is what they came up with!

[GUEST CONTRIBUTORS]

BEN MARTIN
[in no particular order]
Rush of Blood to the Head (2002) - Coldplay
Narrow Stairs (2008) - Death Cab for Cutie
Pretty. Odd. (2008) - Panic at the Disco
Bleed American (2001) - Jimmy Eat World
Stadium Arcadium (2006) - Red Hot Chili Peppers
Hopes and Fears (2004) - Keane
Continuum (2006) - John Mayer
Eyes Open (2005) - Snow Patrol
Hot Fuss (2004) - The Killers
Good News For People Who Love Bad News (2004) - Modest Mouse

CHRIS RICE
10. Discovery (2001) - Daft Punk
9. Welcome Interstate Managers (2003) - Fountains of Wayne
8. A Fever You Can't Sweat Out (2005) - Panic! at the Disco
7. The Sunrise (2008) - Love Me Electric
6. American Idiot (2004) - Green Day
5. !Viva la Cobra! (2007) - Cobra Starship
4. Santi (2007) - The Academy Is...
3. Take This To Your Grave (2003) - Fall Out Boy
2. Commit This To Memory (2005) - Motion City Soundtrack
1. Rise or Die Trying (2007) - Four Year Strong

KEVIN MATELA
10. Black Clouds & Silver Linings (2009) - Dream Theater
9. Lateralus (2001) - Tool
8. III (2006) - Stanton Moore
7. Weathered (2001) - Creed
6. Faceless (2003) - Godsmack
5. Shogun (2008) - Trivium
4. One Day Remains (2004) - Alter Bridge
3. Ashes of the Wake (2004) - Lamb of God
2. Death Magnetic (2008) - Metallica
1. 10,000 Days (2006) – Tool

TIM LEE
[in order of year]
Hybrid Theory (2000) - Linkin Park
Places You Have Come to Fear the Most (2001) - Dashboard Confessional
The Used (2002) - The Used
North (2003) - Something Corporate
Sung Tongs (2004) - Animal Collective
From Under the Cork Tree (2005) - Fall Out Boy
This Is a Stick Up... Don't Make It a Murder (2006) - Hit the Lights
Rise or Die Trying (2007) - Four Year Strong
Carry Me Home (2008) - Archie Star
Aim and Ignite (2009) - fun.

MICHAEL MURRAY
10. Picaresque (2005) – The Decemberists
9. Riot on an Empty Street (2004) – Kings of Convenience
8. Elephant (2003) – The White Stripes
7. Chutes Too Narrow (2003) – The Shins
6. The Cool (2007) – Lupe Fiasco
5. Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (2006) – Arctic Monkeys
4. Electric Version (2003) – The New Pornographers
3. Sea Change (2002) – Beck
2. Andrew Bird & the Mysterious Production of Eggs (2005) – Andrew Bird
1. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002) - Wilco

TOM PATTERSON
10. By the Way (2002) - Red Hot Chili Peppers
9. Blue Scholars (2004) - Blue Scholars
8. Absolution (2004) - Muse
7. The Clarence Greenwood Recordings (2004) - Citizen Cope
6. The Cool (2007) - Lupe Fiasco
5. Graduation (2007) - Kanye West
4. Speak For Yourself (2005) - Imogen Heap
3. Comfort Eagle (2001) - Cake
2. White Blood Cells (2001) - The White Stripes
1. Is This It (2001) - The Strokes

Music of 2009

Alright so here is my recap of the year in music. I got a little lazy and decided to skip writing little blurbs about each song or album so I apologize in advance...however, I did provide a neat little playlist after each list, so be sure to check that out. Anyway, feel free to share your thoughts on this years music and make any suggestions / recommendations!

Favorite Songs of 2009
Here are ten songs from the year that I just couldn't stop listening to. If you haven't heard any of these songs before, I highly suggest you check them out ASAP.

10. "Walkabout" - Atlas Sound (feat. Noah Lennox)
9. "Make Her Say" - Kid Cudi (feat. Kanye West & Common)
8. "Live Like We're Dying" - Kris Allen
7. "New Perspective" - Panic! At The Disco
6. "Two Weeks" - Grizzly Bear
5. "I've Got Friends" - Manchester Orchestra
4. "Perfectly Lonely" - John Mayer
3. "1901" - Phoenix
2. "Sleepyhead" - Passion Pit
1. "Empire State of Mind" - Jay-Z (feat. Alicia Keys)

Guilty Pleasure Songs of 2009
Here are some popular hits of this year that I am slightly ashamed of actually liking.

10. "I Love College" - Asher Roth
9. "Right Round" - Flo Rida
8. "Bad Romance" - Lady Gaga
7. "Kiss a Girl" - Keith Urban
6.. "Dead and Gone" - T.I. (feat. Justin Timberlake)
5. "Party in the U.S.A." - Miley Cyrus
4. "You Belong With Me" - Taylor Swift
3. . "I Gotta Feeling" - Black Eyed Peas
2. "Cowboy Casanova" - Carrie Underwood
1. "My Life Would Suck Without You" - Kelly Clarkson

Most Annoying Songs of 2009
If you've never heard some of these songs...do yourself a favor and keep it that way!

5. "Best I Ever Had" - Drake
4. "Hoedown Throwdown" - Miley Cyrus
3. "Birthday Sex" - Jeremih
2. "Tik Tok" - Kesha
1. "Fireflies" - Owl City

Favorite Albums of 2009
And finally, here are five albums of this year that I could listen to straight through over and over again.

5. Manners - Passion Pit

Favorite Tracks: Sleepyhead, The Reeling, Little Secrets

4. Mean Everything to Nothing - Manchester Orchestra

Favorite Tracks: I've Got Friends, I Can Feel a Hot One, Shake It Out

3. The Blueprint 3 - Jay-Z

Favorite Tracks: D.O.A. [Death of Auto-Tune], Empire State of Mind, Young Forever

2. Battle Studies - John Mayer

Favorite Tracks: Half of My Heart, Perfectly Lonely, Friends Lovers or Nothing

1. Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix - Phoenix

Favorite Tracks: Lisztomania, 1901, Girlfriend

Jay-Z & John Mayer at 9/11 Concert

Last night Jay-Z put on a sold-out show at Madison Square Garden for his "Answer the Call" concert, which paid tribute to the police officers and firefighters who died from the September 11th terrorist attacks. The concert aired on Fuse TV, and all proceeds were donated to the New York Police and Fire Widows' and Children's Benefit Fund. Jay-Z performed over 2 hours of his hit songs as well as new material from his brand new album, The Blueprint 3. The night was filled with special guest appearances by Mary J. Blige, Beyonce, Kanye West, Rihanna, P. Diddy, and John Mayer.

Check out this clip from Jay's incredible collaboration with John Mayer!

Source: The Associated Press

Remembering September 11th

In memory of the tragic events that fell upon our country eight years ago today, I thought I would share a few videos / tribute songs to honor those who were lost on September 11th, 2001. We will never forget that day, and as a country we will continue to be strong and move forward.

"The Rising" by Bruce Springsteen


"Believe" by Yellowcard


"The Innocent" by Good Charlotte, Goldfinger, and Mest


"Freedom (LIVE)" by Paul McCartney

My 'Indie Movie Soundtrack'

So after seeing 500 Days of Summer, then going to Lollapalooza for 3 days, and then getting ready to go back to college...I have kind of been in an 'indie music' mood. So I thought I would share this little playlist that I put together of songs that I would feature on my hypothetical 'indie movie soundtrack.' Hope you enjoy:

The 500 Days Reunion Bank Dance

Yes, Star Trek was wildly entertaining. Sure, The Hangover was laugh-out-loud funny. And Up was indeed a truly heart-warming story...but 500 Days of Summer was all of the above and more. Those of you fortunate enough to have seen the film will hopefully agree, and those of you who haven't...well, what are you waiting for?? Anyway, whether or not you have seen 500 Days of Summer, I think you will enjoy this sweet short video that was put together by the director of the film, Marc Webb and it's two stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel. (Also note that the video features a song by Zooey's band, She & Him)



Also in case you missed it, here's my short review of 500 Days of Summer:

"As stated in the opening lines of this film, "this is not a love story." 500 Days of Summer is an unconventional romantic comedy that separates itself from the genre through it's honest, sometimes painful, depiction of real-life relationships as well as it's intelligently unique story structure. It strives at being both laugh-at-loud funny with it's clever and playful writing and emotionally powerful as you become deeply invested in the relationship of the two stars, thanks to the outstanding performances by Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Much credit must also be given to first-time director Marc Webb for presenting this incredible story in such a beautiful and artistic manner. 500 Days of Summer is undoubtedly one of the best films of the year so far and I highly suggest you go check it out."

'Picks of the Week' (July 31st)

Goodbye, July! Here are my top picks for the five things I am loving this week:

5. Sandwiches

So in less than a month I will be moving into my very first apartment with three of my good friends at school. Although I was determined that over the summer I would learn how to cook...that hasn't exactly gone as planned. Luckily I am pretty confident that I would be perfectly content with making sandwiches for almost every single one of my meals for the next year...Wish me luck.

4. Richard Roeper

You might remember him as the film critic who replaced Gene Siskel as Roger Ebert's co-host on "At the Movies." While I always enjoyed watching Roeper's movie reviews, it wasn't until I started following him on Twitter and reading his blog that I fully started to appreciate him. Richard is always on top of the the latest news whether it's about pop culture, sports, politics, or movies and he always tells it like it is. (He also scores some bonus points for being a die-hard White Sox fan)

3. Trailer for Fantastic Mr. Fox

This week, Yahoo! Movies debuted the first trailer for Fantastic Mr. Fox, Wes Anderson's stop motion animated film based on the children's book by Roald Dahl (author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory). The film features the voices of George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Owen Wilson, Jason Schwartzman, and Bill Murray. Check out the trailer here.

2. "New Perspective" by Panic! At the Disco

That's right, Panic! at the Disco is bringing back the (!) to represent a fresh new start with their two new members Ian Crawford (formerly of The Cab) and Dallon Weekes. Earlier this week they released their brand new single, "New Perspective." I'm definitely digging this new song and I can't wait to hear what else they have in store for their new album. Listen to "New Perspective" below, or check it out on their MySpace page here.



1. (500) Days of Summer

As stated in the opening lines of this film, "this is not a love story." 500 Days of Summer is an unconventional romantic comedy that separates itself from the genre through it's honest, sometimes painful, depiction of real-life relationships as well as it's intelligently unique story structure. It strives at being both laugh-at-loud funny with it's clever and playful writing and emotionally powerful as you become deeply invested in the relationship of the two stars, thanks to the outstanding performances by Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Much credit must also be given to first-time director Marc Webb for presenting this incredible story in such a beautiful and artistic manner.

500 Days of Summer is undoubtedly one of the best films of the year so far and I highly suggest you go check it out. Unfortunately like many of these fantastic indie gems, it is only found in limited theaters so you might have to do some searching. But believe me, this film is definitely worth the trip.

Sources: Yahoo! Movies, AbsolutePunk.net

'Picks of the Week' (July 24th)

5. Explains It All - Four Year Strong

Rather than recording new original material, Four Year Strong put together an album that pays tribute to their favorite rock songs from the 90's by bands like Everclear, Nirvana, and Sugar Ray. Check out their cover of Third Eye Blind's "Semi-Charmed Life" here.

4. Frost / Nixon

So I finally got around to seeing Ron Howard's Academy-award nominated film from 2008, Frost/Nixon. Initially I was expecting parts of the film to be slow or dry, but I was pleasantly surprised. The interviews themselves play out more like a head to head duel while the outstanding performances Frank Langella and Michael Sheen and documentary-style format keep you interested for the whole duration of the film.

3. "Peace of Mind" by Boston

This classic hit from Boston's 1976 debut album makes the list this week because I am finally attempting to learn it on the guitar. The combination of Tom Scholz's catchy guitar parts and Brad Delp's ridiculous vocal riffs makes "Peace of Mind" one of my all-time favorite rock songs.

2. Ryan Gosling in Half Nelson

Yesterday I watched the fantastic 2006 indie film, Half Nelson starring the extremely talented Ryan Gosling. The film is about an inner-city junior high school teacher (Gosling) who forms an unlikely friendship with one of his students (Shareeka Epps) after she discovers that he has a drug habit. Although Gosling did get an Oscar nomination for Best Actor for this film, I still believe that he is very underrated as an actor and rarely gets the credit he deserves. His performance is this film is probably the best of his career so far...but you should also check him out in Fracture and Lars and the Real Girl.

1. Mark Buehrle pitches a 'Perfect Game'

Yesterday, White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle pitched the first perfect game since 2004 and only the 18th of all time. Buehrle threw 116 pitches and had six strikeouts. He caught a break in the top of 9th inning when Sox outfielder DeWayne Wise made a tremendous catch to perserve the perfect game. The White Sox ended up winning the game 5-0 and they are now tied in first place with the Detriot Tigers.

Music (Mash-Up) Monday!

Nirvana vs. Rick Astley: "Never Gonna Give Up Your Teen Spirit"

Rock Supergroups!

So last night while hanging out with my buddies, I asked them to put together a fictional rock supergroup using any musicians: dead or alive. After about a good hour of discussion and constant line-up changes...Here is what we came up with:

My Supergroup
Drums: John Bonham (Led Zeppelin) - Video
Bass: John Entwistle (The Who) - Video
Guitar: Eddie Van Halen (Van Halen) - Video
Vocals: Ian Gillan (Deep Purple) - Video

Pretty much a faster, heavier Led Zeppelin-esque hard rock group with a dash of 80's hair metal.

Kevin's Supergroup
Drums: Terry Bozzio (Frank Zappa) - Video
Bass: Les Claypool (Primus) - Video
Guitar: David Gilmour (Pink Floyd) - Video
Guitar: Jeff Beck (The Yardbirds, The Jeff Beck Group) - Video
Vocals: Jim Morrison (The Doors) - Video
Vocals: Steven Tyler (Aerosmith) - Video

A classic rock band with two legendary front-men. They'd have a kind of chill-out psychedelic 70's rock sound, while still able to rock hard.

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What do you think of our supergroups? Would you listen to them? Who would you put in YOUR rock supergroup? Feel free to share your thoughts!

'Picks of the Week' (July 17th)

Here are the top five things I am loving this week:

5. Joanna Krupa

Wow, if you've never heard of this smokin' hot Polish-American model / actress then I highly suggest you look her up ASAP. Joanna Krupa is currently on the cover of the August issue of Maxim, and she recently caused some buzz on the reality TV show, "Superstars" when she bitched-out her partner, NFL superstar Terrell Owens. Oh and while you're at it...why don't you look up her super hot sister, Marta Krupa as well?

4. 49¢ Hamburgers / 59¢ Cheeseburgers at McDonald's

On Wednesday, McDonald's sold their hamburgers for 49 cents each and their cheeseburgers for 59 cents. Cheap food is almost always a good thing and this was just way too good of a deal for me to pass up!

3. Ryan Reynolds

As a straight male, I feel fully comfortable to say that I have a huge heterosexual man-crush on actor Ryan Reynolds. The guy has come quite a long way since Van Wilder. In fact, this is turning out to be quite the summer for Mr. Reynolds. Back in May, he had a supporting role as Deadpool in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, a performance that prompted Fox to begin development on a spin-off film to which Reynolds is attached. He then followed that by starring opposite Sandra Bullock in the romantic comedy The Proposal, which crossed the $100 million mark this week. And then earlier this week Warner Bros. Picture hired him to play the title role in the highly anticipated Green Lantern film. Reynolds is on the way to becoming a huge movie star and I look forward to seeing what he has in store for us in the future.

2. "What They Say" by The Avantist

So two of my buddies, Fernando and Erick Arias are in a kick ass indie rock band called The Avantist with their two younger brothers, David and Luis. They recently recorded one of their original songs "What They Say." It's a great track and I highly suggest that you check out it.

What They Say by luisarias23

1. Paul McCartney on Late Show with David Letterman

On Wednesday night, Sir Paul McCartney appeared on the "Late Show" with David Letterman. This marked his first time at the Ed Sullivan Theater in Manhattan since 1964 (when he performed The Beatles). Paul spoke with Letterman about his time with The Beatles as well as his collaborations with Michael Jackson. Then in spirit of "Let It Be", Paul performed on the marquee of the Ed Sullivan Theater. He performed the Beatles signature hit "Get Back" as well as "Sing the Changes" - a song from his most recent solo album, Electric Arguments. After the cameras stopped rolling, McCartney and his band played 5 more songs for what ended up being a 22-minute mini-concert! Check out the full performance here: