Archive for the 'ben folds' Category
TOP 10 SONGS OF 2008
The more and more I think about it, I must consider 2008 to be one of the worst years for music in the 21st century. That is to take nothing away from the artists who made this list, because all of these songs are great. But it really was a down year - in general - for almost every genre outside of pop.
These are my 10 favorite songs from the past year. I highly recommend them to you all….
THE TOP 10 SONGS OF 2008
LISTEN TO THE SONGS HERE:
10. “YOU KNOW WHAT” N.E.R.D.
9. “UR SO GAY” KATY PERRY
8. “YOU’RE NOT SORRY” TAYLOR SWIFT
7. “MANY SHADES OF BLACK” THE RACONTEURS
6. “WILD INTERNATIONAL” ONE DAY AS A LION
5. “EVERYBODY GET DANGEROUS” WEEZER
4. “HANDLEBARS” FLOBOTS
3. “HOMETOWN GLORY” ADELE
2. “AMSTERDAM” SHANE ALEXANDER
1. “YOU DON’T KNOW ME” BEN FOLDS
TOP 7 ALBUMS OF 2008
I am going to step out onto a limb and say that 2008 has been somewhat of a down year for a dynamic music industry still trying to determine its identity in a iTunes-driven market. Outside of the rock albums on this list, the rock genre hasn’t really produced any great music this year. The Arctic Monkeys took the year off and the Foo Fighters are still touring off their immaculate 2007 release Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace, which was the best album of last year.
Before writing this list, I wanted to see what Rolling Stone was naming as their top albums of 2008. Unfortunately, the magazine that used to have dignity has killed all outstanding integrity by awarding The Jonas Brothers’ A Little Bit Longer the number 40 album of 2008. Jimi Hendrix must be rolling over in his grave. They claim that TV On The Radio’s Dear Science is the #1 album of 2008…As you can see, I disagree.
My apologies for the arbitrary “7″ list. I didn’t feel like there were 10 albums worthy enough to make this list and having only five would force me to leave off albums that deserve to be featured.
Be sure to check back for the Top 10 Songs of 2008 to be released next Monday…
THE TOP 7 ALBUMS OF 2008
7. MURDER BY DEATH ~ RED OF TOOTH AND CLAW
…This album sounds like the soundtrack to a black and white, 1930’s gangster movie. Murder By Death fits into a dark, alternative-country niche that Johnny Cash himself would be a fan of. The production quality is excellent and it’s evident that a Grammy Award winning producer (Trina Shoemaker) was involved. Expect great things from these Bloomington, Indiana natives…
[TSF's full review here]
best song: “Steal Away“
6. PETER BRADLEY ADAMS ~ LEAVETAKING
…This record is folk-Americana-singer/songwriter goodness. The first track, “The Longer I Run“, is the front runner of the record and definitely worth the hard drive space for those digital down-loaders out there. Track after track, this album has a serene tone and a likable melancholy quality - good enough to relax you but not make you fall asleep…
[TSF's full review here]
best song: “The Longer I Run“
5. BEN FOLDS ~ WAY TO NORMAL
A deviation from Ben Folds’ norm, Way To Normal is a great album with some of Ben’s best writing yet. In depth review by following link below:
[TSF's full review here]
best song: “The Frown Song“
4. SHANE ALEXANDER ~ THE SKY BELOW
…Independent artists are beginning to take over the musical landscape of the modern-day recording industry and Shane Alexander is leading the way with his latest effort, The Sky Below. As I make a mental note of the sonic quality of this record mixed with the brilliant lyricism and professional instrumentation, I begin to question why an artist this respectable is independently funding his own career…
[TSF's full review here]
best song: “Amsterdam“
3. TAYLOR SWIFT ~ FEARLESS
…This album is a step in the right direction for an artist who is extremely dynamic and is almost single-handedly molding a new country/pop fan base. Fearless is a magnificent piece of pop music. It’s one of the best pop albums released since Michael Jackson’s Thriller and without-a-doubt the best female country album I have ever heard…
[TSF's full review here]
best song: “You Belong With Me“
2. THE RACONTEURS ~ CONSOLERS OF THE LONELY
Nashville’s own The Raconteurs released 2008’s best rock album and along with the Foo Fighters are becoming one of the most important rock bands of the 21st century. This album features the best opening track of 2008 (”Consoler of the Lonely”) and successfully rocks the listener hard with songs such as “Salute Your Solution” and the stand-out track “Attention” fronted by Jack White of The White Stripes fame. The Raconteurs showcase their deep roots in folk rock with great down-tempo tunes such as “Carolina Drama” and “Old Enough”.
best song: “Attention“
1. ADELE ~ 19
…This album is absolutely phenomenal. If you have ever thought about taking my word on anything, take my word on this. If you enjoy jazz or singer/songwriters with originality and an unparalleled uniqueness, Adele will not only flat your boat - she’ll drive the damn thing for you…
[TSF's full review here]
best song: “My Same“
15 MUST OWN SONGS OF 2008
At the end of 2008, I plan on doing “best of 2008″ lists with movies, music, TV, etc.
A “TSF Awards” if you will.
Until then, I think there are 15 songs that you should be listening to - that way when December rolls around, you will be able to identify with some of the songs I mention. That’s assuming that you download some of these songs that you don’t have.
in no particular order:
15. “Handlebars” by Flobots
14. “You Know What” by N.E.R.D.
13. “Bleeding Love” by Leona Lewis
12. “Tear Down This House” by The Avett Brothers
11. “Everybody Get Dangerous” by Weezer
10. “Love Story” by Taylor Swift
09. “Amsterdam” by Shane Alexander
08. “Derty” by Ronald Jenkees
07. “Attention” by The Raconteurs
06. “The Longer I Run” by Peter Bradley Adams
05. “Wild International” by One Day As A Lion
04. “Steal Away” by Murder By Death
03. “Bye Bye” by Mariah Carey
02. “You Don’t Know Me” by Ben Folds
01. “Hometown Glory” by Adele
Here is the list as an iMix on iTunes:
Ben Folds ‘Way To Normal’ Album Review + “Fake” Leaked Songs vs. Actual Songs
Most album reviews are usually just the writer trying to impress you with big words and complex sentence structure and not really getting to the point. They will usually mention the history of the artist and how this album works in comparison to their other efforts and some other worthless babble. I am going to make this easy on you and give you a review with information you can use. That word defines why you logged onto the internet today - INFORMATION. Hope you enjoy the “to the point” review:
BACKSTORY
This is Ben Folds’s first official LP since 2005’s Songs For Silverman. He released a full album compilation of all his EPs [Supersunnyspeedgraphic, the LP] that featured a couple new songs ["Bruised", "Still"] that were outstanding.
WHERE TO BUY
I know we all love the convenience of iTunes, but I got it at Best Buy today for $9.99. It’s $12.99 on iTunes.
SHOULD I BUY IT?
Yes, you should definitely buy it. It’s worth every cent.
Most reviews don’t tell you this simple fact and that’s seriously just about what every wants to know.
HOW MANY STARS OUT OF 5?
4.5/5
I think it would be a good “first album” for a new Ben Folds fan. It could be a good starting point because the songs are generally upbeat and semi-mainstream. The single, “You Don’t Know Me” is a good starting point, followed by “Bitch Went Nuts” and “The Frown Song”.
“You Don’t Know Me” MUSIC VIDEO
TRACKLISTING (each song with out of 5 rating)
1. Hiroshima (B B B Benny Hit His Head)
- (4/5) Good opening tune. Worth the download.
2. Dr. Yang
- (4/5) Very Ben Folds Five-ish with a prominent distorted bass line and alt. rock style
3. The Frown Song
- (5/5) One of the best songs on the album. Great hook.
4. You Don’t Know Me (featuring Regina Spektor)
- (5/5) Arguably the best song on the album - certainly the most radio friendly.
5. Before Cologne
- (3/5) I hate to call this a “filler” track, but it’s more of an intro to “Cologne”.
6. Cologne
- (5/5) Great great song. Slower tempo and a perfect diversion from the rest of the album.
7. Errant Dog
- (2.5/5) This song starts a 2-song lull in the album. Average tune.
8. Free Coffee
- (1/5) I don’t really get this song - it’s borderline annoying…although the end is funny.
9. Bitch Went Nuts
- (4.5/5) I love this song but the ‘leaked’ version is better. Read more below this list.
10. Brainwascht
- (4/5) Good and classic BF song. Worth the .99 cents.
11. Effington
- (5/5) One of the best songs on the album. Hilarious lyrics.
12. Kylie From Connecticut
- (3/5) Good but not great.
Not going to buy the entire album? Here are the 4 best songs:
“You Don’t Know Me”
“The Frown Song”
“Effington”
“Bitch Went Nuts”
THE ALBUM WAS LEAKED…?
So evidently, Ben Folds released a fake album of songs that he leaked to the internet weeks prior to the actual release. He was quoted as saying they had a “night to kill” and did it as a joke. I recently posted the ‘leaked’ version of “Bitch Went Nuts” and it’s WAY different than the actual ‘real’ version.
Take a listen to the difference. Which do you think is better?
“Bitch Went Nutz” leaked version, not on the actual album
“Bitch Went Nuts” album version
Here is the link to the “fake” album that you can listen to into its entirety. I figure the fact that it’s fake and purposely leaked they won’t mind that I tell you guys about it. The ‘real’ album is much much better, fyi.
Every “That’s What She Said”, Google Contest, Lindsay Lohan’s Sexuality
I’m on my way to Vegas and don’t have time to come up with something creative. I don’t like you people that much. Anyways, I’ll give you some good links for your Friday work day:
EVERY “THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID” FROM THE OFFICE - EVER
GOOGLE OFFERING MILLIONS FOR YOUR IDEA
(CNN) — Got an idea that could change the world, or at least help a lot of people? Google wants to hear from you — and it will pay as much as $10 million to make your idea a reality.
To help celebrate its 10th birthday, the ambitious Internet giant is launching an initiative to solicit, and bankroll, fresh ideas that it believes could have broad and beneficial impact on people’s lives.
…”These ideas can be big or small, technology-driven or brilliantly simple — but they need to have impact,” Google said in a news release. “We know there are countless brilliant ideas that need funding and support to come to fruition.” [read more at CNN]
DON’T TELL THE RIAA, THEY’D BE PISSED
I don’t want to get too illegal here but I feel like it is my duty to share with you what I have come across: a bootleg of the new Ben Folds album set to release Tuesday. I know - it comes out in a few days so it’s not that cool. This song is incredible. It’s called “Bitch Went Nutz” … let’s just say Ben doesn’t seem to like his ex-wife.
Just so I don’t feel bad, I am only posting this one song.
[here's the audio - don't click this if you have a soul - ok just click it]
LINDSAY LOHAN = CAPTAIN OBVIOUS
Here at TSF we have a certain place in our heart for Lindsay. I mean, it should be obvious. She dons the top of our website in the header. For the past year or so we’ve been waiting outside of a closet that we knew Lindsay Lohan and her lesbian lover, Samantha Ronson, a Disc Jockey, were “hiding” inside. They’ve finally jumped out. I wasn’t surprised either.
I just find it kind of weird that a chick as hot as Lohan goes for not only a girl, but a girl who looks like a 13-year-old boy…[link]
WEEKLY POP CULTURE UPDATE (9.3.08)
SONG OF THE WEEK YEAR
Ben Folds - “You Don’t Know Me”
This song is absolutely phenomenal. It’s the first single from his upcoming album, Way To Normal, which is set for release on September 30th. I can’t wait to hear this album and write the stellar review it will undoubtedly deserve.
Listen to the song on Ben Folds’s MySpace.
For those unaware, Ben Folds is one of the best songwriters of this generation and is the best thing to happen to the piano since Elton John and Billy Joel. From his Ben Folds Five indie-piano-rock roots, to his sentimental love songs, Ben is the best of the best. Everything he releases is musical gold and we are lucky to have a songwriter of his caliber creating and releasing new content.
For those of you that haven’t listened to Ben, I will give you some songs to start with, beginning with early in his career when he was the front man of 90s alternative rock group, Ben Folds Five. If you haven’t listened to this guy before - please do. You will thank me…
GREAT BEN FOLDS FIVE TUNES:
“Jackson Cannery”, “Video” (from 1995’s Ben Folds Five)
“Fair”, “Kate”, “The Battle of Who Could Care Less” (from 1997’s Whatever & Ever Amen)
“Army” (from 1999’s The Unauthorized Biography Of Reinhold Messner)
GREAT BEN FOLDS SOLO TUNES:
Every single song from 2001’s Rockin’ The Suburbs (which is also the #1 album of the 2000s)
“Landed”, “Late”, “Sentimental Guy” (from 2005’s Songs For Silverman)
“All U Can Eat”, “There’s Always Someone Cooler Than You” (from 2003’s Sunny 16 EP)
‘IN A WORLD’ GUY DIES, MOURNING ENSUES
“Don LaFontaine, the voiceover king whose “In a world …” phrase on movie trailers was much copied — and much parodied — has died, according to media reports. He was 68…”
[via cnn]
Sniffle Sniffle.
GOOGLE TO RELEASE BROWSER
In an attempt to furthermore take over your internet experience, Google joins Disney in the race to take over the world - but via a much scarier avenue. Did you know that Google has plans to eavesdrop on your computer’s microphone and camera? I don’t trust Google and I will not be using their new browser codenamed “Chrome” set to release this week. [link]
YOUTUBE VIDEO OF THE WEEK
I LOL’d.
Top 10 Genre-Crossing Cover Songs of All-Time
Making a list of just top cover songs of all time would be boring. It’d be the same songs you’ve seen on other sites and TV Shows. Probably would be lead off with “All Along The Watchtower” by Jimi Hendrix. While that is a great song, that’s not how we do business here at TSF.
Each of these songs have taken the original and flawlessly transformed it into a completely different genre. My hope is that many of you haven’t heard a lot of these versions OR you didn’t know that “Blinded By The Light” was a cover. Every single song on this list was put through rigorous tests and hand picked by the TSF staff (a.k.a. me).
The songs were ranked by the following criteria:
Difficulty to remake
Execution of the cross-genre remake
Likability
How much better it is than the original (if at all)
Enjoy the:
TOP 10 GENRE-CROSSING
COVER SONGS OF ALL TIME:
10. Fountains of Wayne - “Baby One More Time“
(Britney Spears, 1998)
9. Alien Ant Farm - “Smooth Criminal”
(Michael Jackson, 1987)
8. The Gourds - “Gin & Juice”
(Snoop Dogg, 1994)
7. Santana - “Black Magic Woman”
(Fleetwood Mac, 1968)
6. Cake - “I Will Survive”
(Gloria Gaynor, 1978)
5. Ryan Adams - “Wonderwall”
(Oasis, 1995)
4. Israel Kamakawiwo’ole - “Over The Rainbow”
(Judy Garland, 1939)
3. Ben Folds - “Bitches Ain’t Shit”
(Dr. Dre, 1992)
2. Johnny Cash - “Hurt”
(Nine Inch Nails, 1995)
1. Manfred Mann’s Earth Band - “Blinded By The Light”
(Bruce Springsteen, 1976)
