That’s So Fetch - A Pop Culture Blog

We’ll have to wait for Pearl Jam’s highly anticipated Backspacer to be released on September 20, but they’ve got a new single to curb our grunge appetite. At 2:56 in length, “The Fixer” is one of the shortest Pearl Jam songs I can remember. At first listen, it’s highly catchy - but at a cost. It doesn’t fit the classic Pearl Jam mold, and the song is a little too smooth around the edges, which may disappoint PJ purists. But they pulled it off and the song is highly listenable and great for radio. I hope every song on the record isn’t like this, but a few short and catchy tunes certainly won’t hurt.

Hear “The Fixer” below or listen to a slightly higher quality version on Pearl Jam’s MySpace.

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YOUR DAILY LINKS

Mary-Louise Parker - who plays Nancy Botwin on Weeds - never went on a date in high school. The dudes she graduated with need to double check their genitals.

If you are redneck or know someone who’s redneck and have ever experienced the thrill of a potato gun, then you know the kind of a damage a shot to the face can inflict.

Fox has released their fall 2009 TV schedule.

Fergie has somehow become disgusting over the past few years, but some of you may be excited to know that she’s experimented with bi-sexuality. I am not enthused.

What happens to your “digital life” and “digital assets” after you die? Find out.

Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Oakland Raiders coach John Gruden will replace Tony Kornheiser on Monday Night Football. NFL fans proclaim a collective “Thank God” that can be heard around the nation.

Mary-Kate Olsen was secretly video taped as she danced drunkenly at a recent Pearl Jam concert. Hilarity ensues.

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The above picture is not Photoshopped, it’s from Megan Fox’s new movie Jonah Hex - see the rest of the pictures.

Which New Yorker has the hotter girlfriend: Jets QB Mark Sanchez or Yankees Pitcher Joba Chamberlain?

Just because you de-tag your embarrassing pictures on Facebook, doesn’t mean they’re gone forever.

3 amazing bands, Beastie Boys, Pearl Jam, and Kings of Leon will be headlining Austin City Limits in Austin, Texas in October. Road trip.

The Boeing 747 Intercontinental looks interesting.

Tailgating is half the fun of attending a sporting event - and Dodger stadium has killed it.

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The early 1990s were three or four of the most important years in the history of rock. Unlike the 1960s, when rock was popularized, the early 1990s did something almost equally as important as the genre’s inception: a resurrection.

I consider 1990 to be one of the most interesting years in popular music history. The first year of the decade was more of an extension of 1989. A year when bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden were perfecting their sound and polishing their craft, with eventual plans to change the landscape of rock for the foreseeable future.

While you read this list, as you glance through the years, you’ll notice that the songs listed from 1990 will seem almost out of place. It wasn’t until 1991 that hair bands were virtually obsolete because a few bands from Seattle buttoned up their flannel and pleasantly surprised us all.

Alternative rock was born. And for someone who discovered rock in the early 90s, that word - alternative - is one of the best words in the musical dictionary.

Here’s a dedication to an important decade. When if you wanted a song from the radio, you didn’t download it from iTunes - you sat in front of your stereo for hours just waiting for that opportunity to press record on your tape player.

This list was formed with popularity in mind. I wanted to include songs that were not only great, but were at one point radio singles.

Also, remember that it isn’t a “Top 10″ list, the only thing this list achieves is naming the best songs, by year, of the 90s, with honorable mentions. Feel free to comment with your changes/additions.

THE 10 BEST ROCK SONGS OF THE 90s (by year)

1999 | Red Hot Chili Peppers - “Californication”

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: since the advent of the microphone, 1999 has been by far the worst year in the history of music. Luckily, there was still some good music being made. “Californication” beats out “Guerrilla Radio” on a technicality: I am not allowing one band to occupy the top spot in more than one year.
Honorable Mention: Rage Against the Machine - “Guerrilla Radio”

1998 | The Verve - “Bittersweet Symphony”

One of the most well-rounded rock songs of the 90s. Production value and composition are top-notch from this British quartet whom probably have other songs - none of which I can name.
Honorable Mentions: Fuel - “Shimmer”, Goo Goo Dolls - “Iris”

1997 | Radiohead - “Karma Police”

Radiohead hasn’t released an album this decade that will match 1997’s OK Computer, and “Karma Police” is a rock song that will influence for decades. One of the most beautifully somber, masterfully eerie songs of the 90s.
Honorable Mentions: Marcy Playground - “Sex and Candy”, Foo Fighters - “Monkey Wrench”, Third Eye Blind - “Jumper”, Blur - “Song 2″

1996 | The Wallflowers - “One Headlight”

Bob Dylan’s son makes a name for himself on 1996’s Bringing Down the Horse, an album whose single and first track, “One Headlight”, is accompanied by 10 other great tunes from an extremely under-appreciated album. It’s a shame to highlight only one.
Honorable Mentions: Rage Against the Machine - “Bulls on Parade”, The Cardigans - “Love Fool”

1995 | Smashing Pumpkins - “Tonight, Tonight”

Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness produced two of the best rock songs of 1995. “1979″ and “Tonight, Tonight” were unparalleled for the 365 days of the middle year of the 90s. I couldn’t decide between the two, so I gave it to Tonight because of its music video.

Honorable Mentions: Everclear - “Santa Monica”, Oasis - “Wonderwall”, No Doubt - “Don’t Speak”, Smashing Pumpkins - “1979″, Radiohead - “High and Dry”, 311 - “Down”

1994 | Soundgarden - “Black Hole Sun”

A lot of damn good rock music was released in 1994, one of the best years of the decade. Every one of these songs could make an argument to be the best of the year, but Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun” earns the spot. Why? Because I like it slightly better than the others. That’s about all I’ve got for you.

Honorable Mentions: Bush - “Machinehead”, Cake - “The Distance”, Green Day - “When I Come Around”, Nine Inch Nails - “Closer”, Offspring - “Self Asteem”, Stone Temple Pilots - “Interstate Love Song”, Weezer - “Buddy Holly”

1993 | Nirvana - “Heart Shaped Box”

“Heart Shaped Box” is Nirvana’s best song. Great description.
Honorable Mentions: Counting Crows - “Mr. Jones”, Smashing Pumpkins - “Disarm”, Pearl Jam - “Daughter”

1992 | Rage Against the Machine - “Killing in the Name”

Rage Against the Machine is my favorite band of the 90s, Rage Against the Machine is my favorite album of the 90s, and “Killing in the Name” is the best song of 1992.
Honorable Mentions: Stone Temple Pilots - “Plush”, Alice In Chains - “Would?”, Blind Melon - “No Rain”

1991 | Pearl Jam - “Jeremy”

Pearl Jam’s catalogue is incredible, but “Jeremy” is, for me, their flagship song. One of the most important and moving rock songs of the last 25 years.

Honorable Mentions: Metallica - “Enter Sandman”, Nirvana - “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, R.E.M. - “Losing My Religion”, Red Hot Chili Peppers - “Under the Bridge”, U2 - “One”

1990 | Tom Petty - “Free Fallin’”

To be completely honest, I didn’t even want to do 1990. Boring. Hell, “Free Fallin’” came out in 1989 - but didn’t become a hit until ‘90. Maybe you can email me some better rock music from 1990…
Honorable Mentions: Aerosmith - “Janie’s Got a Gun”, Faith No More - “Epic”

Like this list? Check out these:

Top 20 One-Hit Wonders of the 90s
Top 10 American Rock Bands of All Time

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Damn it England, we get it - you have better rock ‘n roll than us.  But I’ll be damned if we don’t have better teeth and hotter chicks.  Write that down.

The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, The Police … I could go on forever.  England has produced not only some of the best music the world has ever heard, but without a doubt the best rock bands of all-time.  It is ironic that Rock music was basically invented in the United States - Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, Elvis - but England perfected the craft and made it marketable to the masses.  John Lennon and Paul McCartney have openly admitted their obsession with American radio and it’s eventual primary influence on everything they would subsequently release under The Beatles name.  The Beatles have also openly admitted that one of the best albums of all-time, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, was highly influenced by The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds.

I have decide to completely disqualify all solo artists from the list.  My sincere apologies to Mr. Joel and Mr. Young, and all of the other solo artists who have helped pave the way for prominent rock music in America.  Springsteen and Petty make the list under the circumstance that they released records with a band that everyone knows by name.

This list is a celebration of the United States holding our own in the best musical genre: rock ‘n roll.  I give you,

THE TOP 10 AMERICAN ROCK

BANDS OF ALL-TIME

(11). RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS

I really really wanted to put the Chili Peppers in the Top 10, but I just couldn’t find a spot for them.  They’ve been doing it for a long time and their latest album, Stadium Arcadium, is just about as good as anything they have released over the course of their impressive career.  They have staying power and haven’t released a bad record yet.  The Red Hot Chili Peppers are a band that your kid’s kids will be listening to.

10. AEROSMITH

Aerosmith has been on an unimpressive decline that began somewhere around the mid-90s.  A band’s longevity determines their place on this list and Aerosmith has landed the #10 spot due to their music’s slow demise over the past decade.  They have written and released some of the best American rock music, including the smash hits “Dream On”, “Sweet Emotion”, “Walk This Way” and more.

9. FOO FIGHTERS

Fact:  the Foo Fighters are light years better than Nirvana.
Fact:  Nirvana is immensely and laughably overrated
Fact:  Dave Grohl is more talented than Kurt Cobain.
Fact:  If Dave Grohl killed himself right now, other people might recognize his genius.
Fact:  The Foo Fighters rock as much as any band on this list.

8. R.E.M.

R.E.M. has one of the most impressive resumes on this list:  longevity, impressive songwriting, 10+ songs that your grandmother would recognize, and great musicianship.  Michael Stipe is one of the best frontmen of all time and has one of the best voices in rock history.  R.E.M. has fallen off in the 21st century, but I don’t think anyone cares.  1983’s Murmur is one of the best American debut albums of all-time and “Losing My Religion” is one of the best rock songs ever recorded.

7. LYNYRD SKYNYRD

The best southern rock band of all-time - period.  The Allman Brothers wish they were Lynyrd Skynyrd.  If you don’t like “Sweet Home Alabama” or “Tuesday’s Gone” or “The Needle and the Spoon” or “Freebird”, then you probably aren’t American.  They have released some of the best music the 1970s has to offer and could have been higher on this list without the unforseen plane crash heard around the world.  And don’t even try to tell me that the Lynyrd Skynyrd touring today is as good as the real Lynyrd Skynyrd - ’cause they aren’t.

6. PEARL JAM

As probably the most controversial entry to the American rock bands list,  Pearl Jam is the best band of the 1990s and arguably the best band since 1990.  Pearl Jam’s Ten is still one of the top 10 albums ever recorded and they were just as responsible as Nirvana for the resurrection of rock out of the embarrassing pit of hell also known as the hair-band  fad.  Kurt Cobain doesn’t hold a candle to Eddie Vedder and it’s no secret that Pearl Jam rocks a lot harder than any other grunge band of the 1990s.  As far as 90s rock is concerned, it doesn’t get much better than “Jeremy”, “Evenflow”, and “Daughter”.

5. CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL

I’d love to refer to Creedence as a southern rock band, but they are from California.  I’ve been to California, it’s not southern.  Neither is Texas or Kentucky - if you want to experience the “real” south, then go to Louisiana or Mississippi.  But that’s another conversation…

Creedence did everything right.  John Fogerty is a rock God in his own right and Creedence has put out some of the best folk-rock music America has ever heard.  Their best song, in TSF’s opinion, is a lesser known ditty called “Cotton Fields” - a perfect rock-meets-country-meets folk tune.

4. THE BEACH BOYS

I love The Beach Boys, but The Beatles really make them seem a lot worse than they are.  If The Beatles didn’t exist, The Beach Boys would be a lot better band.  Brian Wilson is nothing short of one of the best musical geniuses America has ever seen, but Paul McCartney and John Lennon’s songwriting is vastly superior.  Pet Sounds is one of the top 10 American albums of all time and is the primary reason The Beach Boys land at #4 on this list.  If you don’t like “Good Vibrations”, you don’t like music - literally.

3. TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS

Tom Petty & The Heaertbreakers is one of those bands that every single American seems to like.  I really can’t imagine a respectable human being claiming that Tom Petty “sucks”.  If you think Tom Petty “sucks”, then you have terrible taste in music.  They have been doing it for a long long time and doing it well.  A perfect example of an American rock band.  “Refugee”, “Mary Jane’s Last Dance”, and “American Girl” are American anthems that everyone and their brother know the words to.

2. BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN & THE E STREET BAND

It was a toss-up between Tom and Bruce for the #2 spot, but personal preference lands Bruce the runner-up position on the American rock bands list.  Bruce Springsteen is one of the most - if not the most - respected American musicians of all-time.  He is the definition of professionalism and an artist who has perfected his craft.  “The Boss” does it just as good - if not better - than any recording artist in American history.  At age 59, Bruce rocks as hard as anyone touring right now.  His latest album, Magic, is a great example of his longevity and ability to further solidify himself as on of the best songwriters in American rock history.

1. THE EAGLES

There was no competition for the top spot on this list.  As I typed the number 1, I immediately placed The Eagles in that position without any thought.  If aliens were to land in America and demand that one American band play live for them or they’d blow us off the face of the planet, The Eagles would be that one band.  When you see a band like The Eagles in concert, every song on their set list is a classic.  No one does it better than Henley, Walsh, Frey, and Schmidt.  If I were to make a top 25 American rock songs of all-time list, The Eagles would occupy at least 5-8 spots.  “Life In The Fast Lane”, “Take It Easy”, “Witchy Woman”, “Desperado”, “Hotel California”, “Tequila Sunrise”, “Take It To The Limit”, “Lyin’ Eyes” … enough said.

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

WEEZER

STEELY DAN

CROSBY, STILLS, & NASH

METALLICA

FLEETWOOD MAC

GREEN DAY

RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE

BUDDY HOLLY & THE CRICKETS

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I was under the impression that this list would be easy.  I was wrong.  A band’s first CD usually isn’t amazing.  For example, the best band of all time, The Beatles, didn’t even make the list.  Please Please Me is a good album, but not great.  Each album on this list is either great from start to finish, highly influential to its genre, or both.

THE TOP 10 DEBUT ALBUMS OF ALL TIME

10. Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin I (1969)

This is a great album, but not Led Zeppelin’s best.  But, it is the Zep, and it has ranked in at #10 on the list.

9. Dr. Dre - The Chronic (1992)

This album ushered in Dr. Dre as the best Hip-Hop producer of all time.  With guest spots from Snoop, this album is great from beginning to end and contains two of the best songs in the history of Hip Hop, “Wit Dre Day (And Everybody’s Celebratin’)” and “Nuthin’ But A “G” Thang”.

8. Third Eye Blind - Third Eye Blind (1997)

As one of the best rock albums of all-time, this album will live the test of time and be listened to by generations to come.  This album is one of the best of the 90s and every single song is outstanding.

7. Guns ‘n Roses - Appetite For Destruction (1987)

“Welcome To The Jungle”, “Paradise City”, “Sweet Child O’ Mine” …. enough said.

6. Weezer - Weezer (1994)

This album means a lot to us kids born in the 80s.  This album is a soundtrack of the early 90s and every last song is a classic.  This album is alternative rock perfection.

5. Boston - Boston (1976)

8 tracks of outstanding rock music.  Every single track on this album could be a single, and most were.  Each one of these songs you have probably heard at some point in your life - even if you’ve never actually sit down and listened to it all the way through.

4. Pearl Jam - Ten (1991)

The best album to come out of the Seattle Grunge movement in the early 90s.  Pearl Jam is what everything Nirvana wishes they were.  Nirvana gets more attention because Kurt Cobain killed himself - but slowly people are starting to realize that Nirvana was good and Pearl Jam was great.

3. Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill (1995)

I remember when I first bought this album in 1995 and popped it in the CD player - I was blown away.  Never had I heard so much emotion through a female pop record.  The entire album works and flows amazingly.

2. The Beastie Boys - Licensed To Ill (1986)

The best hip hop album of all time.  Also, the first platinum selling hip hop album ever - and it’s members are all white.  From start to finish, this album delivers.

1. Rage Against The Machine - Rage Against The Machine (1991)

Rage Against The Machine’s first album is the best hard rock album of all time.  Not only did Rage start Rap-Rock, Rage defines Rap/Rock.  There have been many imitators, but this 4 piece, pissed-off-politically-driven group made a statement that they are the best band to come out of the 1990s.

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BASEBALL DADS WITH NO BALLS

This story has hit the internet like a ton of bricks.  It’s the story of 9-year-old, Jericho Scott, of New Haven, Conn., who has been told that he is TOO GOOD to pitch for his little-league baseball team.  At a game last week, Jericho took the mound and the opposing team FORFEITED and refused to play against him.

Message to the parents of this league:

You are ridiculous and the fathers of the opposing team deserve to have their man card taken away.  You’re telling me that you won’t let your kid bat against a 9-year-old because he throws too hard?  You’ve got to be kidding me.  What a great story to tell the grand kids.  “Yeah I thought your dad was too much of a pansy to play against the good kids in baseball, so we just forfeited the games and refused to play” …

I really think middle America is getting too soft.  First, it’s elementary school kids getting cell phones and now baseball teams are FORFEITING because an opposing player is “too good”.

When a Major League Baseball pitcher throws a no-hitter or a perfect game, should the opposing team refuse to play against him ever again?  Why doesn’t every single golfer refuse to play against Tiger Woods?

Grow some balls, parents. [link]

MUSIC DOWNLOADS OF THE WEEK

Two songs that you’ve always heard on the radio or in a car commercial, yet you never knew the artist.  Or maybe you did -  Either way, these are two great songs that every iTunes library should have.

Spacehog - “In The Meantime“

The Dandy Warhols - “Bohemian Like You”

TV SHOW OF THE WEEK

Mad Men on AMC.  Just starting watching this show on iTunes and it’s outstanding.  Great all around.

FOOTBALL GAMES TO WATCH THIS WEEK

The college football season kicks off this week.  It’s like an unofficial holiday.  Great time of the year.  Good time had by all.  Here’s what you should be watching:

Thursday:
North Carolina State @ South Carolina, 7pm, ESPN
Saturday:
Appalachian State @ LSU, 4:00pm, ESPN
Alabama @ Clemson, 7pm, ESPN
Michigan State @ Cal, 7pm, ABC
Illinois @ Missouri, 7:30pm, ESPN

LINK OF THE WEEK

If this doesn’t impress you then you must re-evaluate your existence. 
OK, that’s a little dramatic - but this is cool.

YOUTUBE VIDEO OF THE WEEK

Ever wondered what the lyrics to Pearl Jam’s Yellow Ledbetter are?  This video reveals the truth …

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