Tag Archives: Lists

Great Times, Good Oldies @ Foodmaster

It is sad to see Johnnie’s Foodmaster close. The Boston area supermarket chain was my first work place beginning shortly after I turned 15 and ending yesterday. I didn’t know it then, but those first days and months would eventually go on to help shape my musical tastes. ‘Oldies’ never meant much, until I began hearing them every weekend I worked for hours at a time. The average customer might spend an hour at the most in the store, but the worker dwells far longer and develops either an aversion, interest, or nonchalance about the musical situation. I developed an interest early, but it’s been within the last two years that I’ve found myself really appreciating the old stuff, the Maltshop Memories, the doo-wop, the R&B, the garage. It is more than likely that the artists and bands that are constantly posted about on this very site are/were fascinated by the following half-century old gems. This post can serve as a reminder of the great music that crossed Foodmaster airwaves and made it a trademark of the shopping experience for customers and employees alike. I compiled this list in the dull moments of my final shift:

Patsy Cline – “You Belong To Me” (LINK)
The Hollies – “Pay You Back With Interest” (LINK)
The Orlons – “Wah-Watusi” (LINK)
The Beatles – “I Feel Fine” (LINK)
Peter and Gordon – “I Go To Pieces” (LINK)
The Hollywood Flames – “Buzz Buzz Buzz” (LINK)
Jerry Lee Lewis – “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Going On” (LINK)
Sam Cooke – “Wonderful World” (LINK)
Elvis Presley – “Suspicious Minds” (LINK)
The Marvelettes – “Please Mr. Postman” (LINK)
Jay and the Techniques – “Apples, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie” (LINK)
Billy J Kramer & The Dakotas – “Bad To Me” (LINK)
The Beach Boys – “California Girls” (LINK)
Tommy James & Shondells – “Hanky Panky” (LINK)
The Searchers – “Needles and Pins” (LINK)
Dion & The Delsatins – “Lovers Who Wander” (LINK)
The Coasters – “Yakety Yak” (LINK)
Bobby Rydell – “Wild One” (LINK)
Petula Clark – “A Sign Of The Times” (LINK)
Tommy Roe – “Sweet Pea” (LINK)
Maurice Williams & The Zodiacs – “Stay” (LINK)
The Shirelles – “Dedicated To The One I Love” (LINK)
Paul Revere and the Raiders – “(I’m Not Your) Stepping Stone” (LINK)
Four Tops – “It’s The Same Old Song” (LINK)
Randy & The Rainbows – “Denise” (LINK)
The Impalas – “Sorry (I Ran All The Way Home)” (LINK)
The Box Tops – “Soul Deep” (LINK)
The Turtles – “You Baby” (LINK)
The Supremes – “Baby Love” (LINK)
Johnny Kidd & The Pirates – “Shakin’ All Over” (LINK)
Righteous Brothers – “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling” (LINK)
The Human Beinz – “Nobody But Me” (LINK)
Mickey & Sylvia – “Love Is Strange” (LINK)

Top Ten Albums of All Time: Andrew

I figured with the new year it would be the perfect time to take a look back at the best (at least in my opinion) of the greatest albums of all time.

10. Oasis: (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? (October 1995)

The most recent album on my list and in my opinion the strongest album to come out in the last 20 years.  Once upon a time Oasis was the biggest band in the world thanks to this album which included hits like “Wonderwall” and “Don’t Look Back in Anger”.  Sadly while coming out with a solid body of work, they never quite lived up to the promise (and the pressure) of their second album.  Still it is an amazing album both timely and timeless, one that can be listened to 16 years later and still have impact.

9.  Led Zeppelin: Led Zeppelin IV (November 1971)

Not much to say about this choice, honestly I don’t think Zeppelin really pushed the boundaries with album continuity, but from beginning to end every song is for lack of a better term a masterpiece.  I can’t find a single flaw in any song from “Black Dog” to “When the Levee Breaks”.  Plus it’s Zeppelin doing what they do best, which is better than 99.9% of any other bands in rock history.

8. The Beatles: Let it Be (May 1970)

I might catch a little heat for this choice, after all even the Beatles weren’t happy with the first version, but the final Beatles album (although some will even debate me on that) spawned a solid motion picture and some great hits “Let it Be” and “The Long and Winding Road”.  As an added bonus the final version was created by musical genius and psychopath Phil Spector, so you have some of the greatest minds in music on this album and I think it shows.

7. The Cure: Disintegration (May 1989)

A return to the goth roots for the original goth band, Disintegration is a great album by a band that built a reputation on making great albums.  From  songs to “Lullaby” to “Love Song” this launched the Cure into the world-wide phenomenon that they are today.  It also influenced countless bands to follow, but no one did it better than the Cure.   

6.  Bob Dylan: Blonde on Blonde (May 1966)

Defiantly my favorite Dylan album and for me is Dylan at his finest hour.  It also has the distinction of being the first important double album.   “Visions of Johanna” is right up in my to 5 all time favorite songs, and was an important step in Dylan’s musical evolution.

5. David Bowie: The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (June 1972)

A concept album by the chameleon, David Bowie rose to new heights of fame with his Ziggy Stardust persona, which were both embodied and laid to rest in the Ziggy Stardust album.  Playing both showman and musician David Bowie would later abounded the “Ziggy sound” (a common theme in his career) but there is no denying that Ziggy Stardust was a product of on of the great true artist of our times.  

4. The Beatles: The White Album (November 1968)

Another classic Beatles album and also the Beatles at their most experimental (“Revolution 9” anyone), but as far-reaching as it is, it’s still pretty concise.  They know what they are doing and they execute it flawlessly.  Plus it gave us gems like “Blackbird” and “While my Guitar Gently Weeps”.

3. The Clash: London Calling (December 1979)

For me this is the one of the most important albums in the history of modern music hands downs.  Including a variety of musical elements such as ska, jazz, and soul, this is the definitive punk album and led the way for a musical revolution.  Nobody has incorporated as many musical elements into one album as successfully as the Clash did with London Calling.

2. The Rolling Stones: Exile on Main Street (May 1972)

In my opinion this is the Stones finest work, released as a double LP Exile on Main Street this was a creative high for the Stones.  A rock and blues album more than anything, the Stones goes into uncharted territory for them and it pays of big time for them and helps to establish them as one of the greatest and long-lasting acts in rock and roll. 

1. The Beatles: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (June 1967)

What more can you say about this album that hasn’t already be said, the greatest rock band in history took a gamble and it paid off and they created the greatest album ever made.  Also “A Day in the Life” is perhaps the perfect ending for any album ever.

Looking back the list probably could have used some Soul, R&B, maybe even some PoP.  Perhaps Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Prince, maybe even Michael Jackson.  Then of course they are the rock greats I am missing, no Clapton, Lennon (solo), Springsteen.  So tell me what do you think?  Miss anything major?

MY Top Songs of the 2000s


Mmmmmmm
I agree with Glen in maitaining a 3 song limit for each artist.
A:
Against Me!:
1) Baby, I’m An Anarchist (2002)
2) Those Anarcho Punks Are Mysterious (2002)
3) Pints of Guiness Make You Strong (2002)

The Almighty Defenders:
1) Cone of Light (2009)
2) The Ghost With the Most (2009)
3) Bow Down and Die (2009)

Andrew W.K.:
1) We Want Fun (2002)
2) Party Hard (2001)
3) It’s Time to Party (2001)

Animal Collective
:
1) Summertime Clothes (2009)
2) Peacebone (2007)
3) Who Could Win a Rabbit (2004)

Anti-Flag:
1) Turncoat (2003)
2) This Is the End (2006)

Arcade Fire:
1) Rebellion (Lies) (2005)
2) My Body Is a Cage (2007)
3) Intervention (2007)

Arctic Monkeys:
1) Riot Van (2006)
2) Fluorescent Adolescent (2007)
3) I Bet You Look Good On the Dance Floor (2006)

Audioslave:
1) Like A Stone (2002)

B

Babyshambles:
1) Lust of the Libertines (2007)

Beat Happening:
1) Angel Gone (2000)

Beck:
1) E-Pro (2005)

Black Lips:
1) Bad Kids (2007)!!!!!!
2) Sea of Blasphemy (2005)
3) Fairy Stories (2005)

Bo Burnham:
1) Klan Kookout (2007)

Bobby Ubangi:
1) Greaser’s Lament (2009)
2) Back To You (2009)
3) Another Girl Like You (2009)

Bon Iver:
1) For Emma (2008)

Box Elders:
1) Atlantis (2009)
2) Ronald Dean (2009)
3) Death of Me (2009)

Brand New:
1) Degausser (2007)

Bright Eyes:
1) Road to Joy (2005)
2) Lua (2005)
3) We Are Nowhere and It’s Now (2005)

C

Chimaira:
1) The Impossibility of Reason (2003)
2) Pure Hatred (2003)

CKY:
1) Flesh Into Gear (2002)

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!:
1) In This Home On Ice (2005)
2) Clap Your Hands! (2005)
3) Satan Said Dance (2007)

Cold War Kids:
1) Passing the Hat (2006)

Cyrpess Hill:
1) (Rock) Superstar (2000)

D

Daphne Loves Derby:
1) How’s It Going to End? (2007)
2) You Versus the Sea (2005)
3) Pollen and Salt (2005)
Dead Prez:
1) Hip-Hop (2000)

Death From Above 1979:
1) Little Girl (2004)

Deerhunter:
1) Disappearing Ink (2009)
2) Game of Diamonds (2009)
3) Famous Last Words (2009)

Deftones:
1) Change (In the House of Flies) (2000)
2) Knife Party (2000)
3) Feiticeria (2000)

Dinosaur Jr:
1) I Want You to Know (2009)
2) Over It (2009)
3) Pieces (2009)

Dresden Dolls:
1) Girl Anacrhonism (2003)
2) Coin-Operated Boy (2003)
3) First Orgasm (2006)

E

The Early November:
1) Never Coming Back (2006)

Editors:
1) Distance (2005)
2) Dust In the Sunlight (2005)
3) Munich (2005)

Elliott Smith:
1) I Better Be Quiet Now (2000)
2) Son of Sam (2000)
3) L.A. (2000)

Eminem:
1) Stan (2000)
2) Kill You (2000)
3) Lose Yourself (2002)

F

Fall Of Troy:
1) Oh the Casino! (2007)
2) Whacko Jacko Steals the Elephant Man’s Bones (2005)
3) The Dark Trail (2007)

Fatlip:
1) What’s Up Fatlip? (2000)

Finger Eleven:
1) First Time (2001)
2) Sick Of It All (2001)

Flobots:
1) Rise (2007)
2) Handlebars (2007)

Foo Fighters:
1) Best of You (2005)
2) All My Life (2002)
3) Times Like These (2002)

Frou Frou:
1) Let Go (2002)

Fucked Up:
1) Twice Born (2008)

Fugazi:
1) Epic Problem (2001)
2) Cashout (2001)
3) Argument (2001)

G

Gary Jules and Michael Andrews:
1) Mad World

Gaye Blades:
1) Bobby Is A Lover (2008)
2) Treat Me Like A Man (2008)

Girls:
1) Lust For Life (2009)

GlassJaw:
1) Lovebites and Razorlines (2000)
2) Pretty Lush (2000)
3) Siberian Kiss (2000)

H

Handsome Furs:
1) All We Want Baby Is Everything (2009)
2) Legal Tender (2009)
3) Evangeline (2009)

Head Automatica:
1) Beating Heart Baby (2004)
2) I Shot William H. Macy (2004)
3) The Razor (2004)

I

Immortal Technique:
1) Freedom of Speech (2003)
2) Dance With the Devil (2001)
3) Bin Laden (2005)

Incubus:
1) Talk Shows on Mute (2003)
2) Megalomaniac (2003)
3) Nice to Know You (2001)

Interpol:
1) NYC (2005)

Iron and Wine:
1) Such Great Heights (2003)

J

Jay Reatard:
1) See/Saw (2008)
2) No Time (2008)
3) Rotten Mind (2009)

Jens Lekman:
1) Maple Leaves (2004)

Johnny Cash:
1) Hurt (2003)

K

Kimya Dawson:
1) So Nice, So Smart (2004)
2) Tire Swing (2006)
3) My Mom (2006)

King Khan & BBQ Show:
1) Too Much In Love (2006)
2) Anala (2009)
3) Invisible Girl (2009)

King Khan & The Shrines:
1) Land Of the Freak (2007)
2) Crackin’ Up (2001)
3) Took My Lady to Dinner (2007)

Kings of Leon
:
1) Use Somebody (2009)

L

The Libertines:
1) Time For Heroes (2003)
2) Narcissist (2004)
3) Up the Bracket (2003)

Louis XIV
:
1) Finding Out True Love Is Blind (2005)

Lovely Feathers:
1) Pope John Paul (2006)
2) Rod Stewart (2006)

M

The Mabuses:
1) Dark Star (2007)
2) I’m the Greatest (2007)
3) Seasider (2007)

Mando Diao:
1) The Band (2002)

Mark Sultan:
1) Something Wrong (2007)
2) Mortal Man (2007)
3) Unicorn Rainbow Odyssey (2007)

Mewithoutyou:
1) In A Sweater Poorly Knit (2006)
2) Orange Spider (2006)
3) Messes of Men (2006)

Mika Miko:
1) I Got A Lot (New New New) (2009)
2) On the Rise (2009)
3) Beat the Rush (2009)

Miracle Johan:
1) Gets Me Thinking (2005)
2) How I Awoke (2005)

Modest Mouse:
1) Float On (2004)

The Moldy Peaches
:
1) Anyone Else But You (2001)

N

Necro:
1) Your Fucking Head Split (2000)
2) I Need Drugs (2000)

The Nightwatchman:
1) Battle Hymns (2007)
2) No One Left (2007)
3) California’s Dark (2007)

Nine Inch Nails:
1) The Hand That Feeds You (2005)
2) Only (2005)

No Age:
1) Everybody’s Down (2007)
2) Eraser (2008)
3) You’re A Target (2009)

No One’s Kind:
1) Unwelcome (2003)
2) Drama (2003)
3) The Art of Breathing Underwater (2003)

Nobunny:
1) Chuck Berry Holiday (2009)

O

Ok Go:
1) Here It Goes Again (2006)

P

Page France :
1) Chariot (2005)
2) Feather (2005)
3) Spine (2004)

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart:
1) Hey Paul (2009)
2) Come Saturday (2009)
3) A Teenager In Love (2009)

Panda Bear:
1) Bro’s (2008)

A Perfect Circle :
1) 3 Libras (2000)

Peter Bjorn and John:
1) Amsterdam (2006)
2) Young Folks (2006)
3) Tailormaide (2006)

The Polyphonic Spree:
1) Light and Day (2003)

Postal Service:
1) Such Great Heights (2003)

Puscifer:
1) Cuntry Boner (2007)

R

Radiohead:
1) You and Whose Army? (2001)
2) Nude (2007)
3) Videotape (2003)

Rage Against the Machine:
1) Beautiful World (2000)
2) How I Could Just Kill A Man (2000)
3) The Ghost of Tom Joad (2000)

Richard Cheese:
1) Gin and Juice (2004)

The Rifles:
1) Peace and Quiet (2006)

Rogue Wave:
1) Kicking the Heart Out (2003)

The Roots:
1) Somebody’s Gotta Do It (2004)
2) Boom! (2004)
3) Don’t Say Nuthin’ (2004)

S

Sam Roberts:
1) Bridge To Nowhere (2006)

Shellac:
1) Prayer to God (2000)
2) Squirrel Song (2000)
3) Mama Gina (2000)

The Shins:
1) New Slang (2001)
2) Caring Is Creepy (2001)

Sigur Ros:
1) Heysatan (2005)

Silhouette Rising:
1) Riverside (2009)
2) Behind Closed Doors (2009)
3) Perserverence (2009)

The Soggy Bottom Boys:
1) The Man Of Constant Sorrow (2000)

Sonic Youth:
1) Incinerate (2006)
2) What We Know (2009)
3) Anti-Orgasm (2009)

Spinto Band:
1) Oh Mandy (2005)

The Spooks:
1) Steal Your Soul (2008)

The Strange Boys:
1) Woe Is You and Me (2009)
2) No Way For A Slave to Behave (2009)
3) Then (2009)

Street Sweeper Social Club :
1) 100 Little Curses (2009)

The Strokes:
1) Is This It? (2001)
2) You Only Live Once (2006)
3) Reptilia (2004)

Sufjan Stevens:
1) Chicago (2005)

Sunset Rubdown:
1) Idiot Heart (2009)
2) They Took A Vote and Said No (2006)
3) Apollo and the Buffalo and Anna Anna Anna Oh! (2009)

System Of A Down:
1) Prison Song (2001)
2) Boom! (2002)
3) Radio/Video (2005)

T

Tapes ‘n Tapes:
1) Manitoba (2005)
2) Insistor (2005)

Tokyo Police Club:
1) Cheer It On (2006)

Tool:
1) Schism (2001)
2) Right In Two (2006
3) Vicarius (2006)

Trevor Hall
1) Lime Tree (2006)

Two Gallants:
1) Las Cruces Jail (2006)

U

Uninhabitable Mansions:
1) Speed Is Deceiving (2009)

The Used:
1) A Poetic Tragedy (2002)
2) Buried Myself Alive (2002)
3) Maybe Memories (2002)

V

Vampire Weekend:
1) I Stand Corrected (2008)

The Veils:
1) The Leavers Dance (2004)

Vivian Girls:
1) Before I Start to Cry (2009)
2) When I’m Gone (2009)
3) Double Vision (2009)

W

The Walkmen:
1) Passing Through (2008)
2) In the New Year (2008)
3) Louisiana (2006)

The Warlocks:
1) Shake the Dope Out (2002)

Wavves:
1) So Bored (2009)
2) No Hope Kids (2009)
3) Summer Goths (2008)

Weezer:
1) Keep Fishin (2002)
2) Hash Pipe(2001)
3) Island In the Sun (2001)

Wolf Parade:
1) Modern World (2005)

Wolftron
1) Steps (2007)

Wu-Tang Clan:
1) In Tha Hood (2001)

40 Below Summer:
1) We the People (2001)
2) Rope (2001)
3) Step Into the Sideshow (2001)

Chris

Why They Are My Favorites

Why are my favorite bands my favorite bands? I think a fairly big reason is because I like a very large catalog of songs from them AND their songs tend to never get old or boring (on record and live). I’m interested in finally rationally concluding who my favorite bands are based on the logic of how many songs I truly love from each AND their best live performance rating.

The Top Ten
1. Black Lips – 42 + (10) = 52
2. Jay Reatard 35 + (10) = 45
3. Walkmen – 33 + (10) = 43
4. King Khan & BBQ Show – 30 + (10) – 40
5. No Age – 23 + (10) = 33
6. Radiohead – 23 + (9) = 32
7. Arctic Monkeys – 23 + (9) = 32
8. Animal Collective – 22 + (9)  = 31
9. King Khan and the Shrines – 16 + (10) = 26
10. Editors – 17+ (8) = 25

Not Far Behind:
X. Sunset Rubdown – 14 + (9) = 23
X. The Rifles – 13 + (9) = 22
X. Pains of Being Pure at Heart – 10 + (9) = 19
X. Peter Bjorn and John – 18 + (0) = 18
X. The Lovely Feathers – 10 + (8) = 18
X. The Libertines = 17 + (0) = 17

Glen

6 Nuggets Classics!

Awesome doo-wop, garage, and psychedelic stuff from way back! Still, I don’t quite get the comparison of the Black Lips, King Khan and BBQ to these bands. I can hear influence, but I would never go as far as to say modern bands are “ripping off” these tunes…except for the Black Lips (in one instance) since they covered “You Must Be A Witch.”

1. The Choir – “It’s Cold Outside” – Sundazed Records
2. The Rare Breed – “Beg, Borrow, and Steal” – ????
3. Sir Douglas Quintet – “She’s About a Mover” – Smash Records
4. The Music Explosion – “Little Bit O’ Soul” – Sundazed Records
5. The Gestures – “Run Run Run” – ????
6. The Lollipop Shoppe – “You Must Be A Witch” – Music Maniac

20 Bands I Really Want To See Live


Swedish pop sensation Jens Lekman

*Does not include bands that I’ve already seen live or bands that I plan on seeing live in the next two months!*

1. Alec Ounsworth/Flashy Python
2. Almighty Defenders
3. Arcade Fire
4. Babyshambles/Pete Doherty
5. Beirut
6. Cheap Time
7. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
8. Cold War Kids
9. French Kicks
10. Grizzly Bear
11. Jens Lekman
12. Mando Diao
13. Peter Bjorn and John
14. Rogue Wave
15. Shout Out Louds
16. Strange Boys
17. Tapes N’ Tapes
18. Uninhabitable Mansions
19. Vampire Weekend
20. Wolf Parade