This video is a few weeks old but I just ran across it. Kid Cudi is proving himself to be a weirdo, and that's a great quality for a rapper to have. His latest song "Pursuit of Happiness" is a trippy collaboration with indie rock bands MGMT and Ratatat.
He played the song live on Letterman with Ratatat last month.
I had a chance to catch country singer Miranda Lambert live a couple weeks ago, and it was a great show. She's a badass. She's a bit too rowdy for country radio, unfortunately, and sometimes her tweets bear that out.
I forgot my pistol. A girl's gotta have a side arm.....
Miranda's new song "White Liar" is a good one, go check it out.
http://twitter.com/Miranda_Lambert
{Originally published here}
The American Music Awards have always been the red-headed stepchild of award shows, playing second (or even third) fiddle behind the Grammys and the MTV Video Music Awards. I've made fun of them many times over the years for some of the ridiculous things they do, but this one takes the cake.
The American Music Awards have just released their nominations for 2009, and get this - Michael Jackson is nominated five times. The same Michael Jackson who has released exactly ONE new song this entire year - and that was just two days ago. Somehow, the AMAs think that makes Michael worthy of an Artist of the Year nomination.
The award winners will be determined by fans online. That guarantees Jackson of winning all five, because he has the most rabid worldwide fan base. Kids in New Zealand and Argentina and Austria will be voting for Michael. Eminem and Taylor Swift just can't compete with that. This means that in a few short weeks, the American Music Awards will be awarding their Artist of the Year trophy for 2009 to Michael Jackson. Absolutely stunning.
No one would deny the impact that Jackson has had on popular music. In my opinion he's the greatest pop star of all-time. But allowing him to compete for awards that are supposed to reward the best music of 2009 is simply ridiculous.
The American Music Awards are going for a ratings grab, plain and simple. Dick Clark and the folks who run the AMAs realize their show has become completely irrelevant and have decided they can profit off Michael's death by nominating him for every award possible and hoping that Janet or Jermaine shows up at the ceremony to accept them.
The American Music Awards could have presented a tribute to Michael Jackson during their show and no one would have protested. But to nominate him for five awards makes an absolute mockery of the show and ruins what little credibility the American Music Awards had left.
Michael Jackson's new single "This is It" was released on his website at midnight this morning. The mid-tempo track was originally recorded during sessions for the Dangerous album. It's a decent song, with a groove reminiscent of some of his '80s work. His voice blends nicely with those of his brothers, who were brought in to add backing vocals to the track.
"This is It" is actually the same song released by R&B singer Sa-Fire in 1991 under the title "I Never Heard." Jackson's version of more of a straighforward pop arrangement, with orchestral flourishes.
Had the song appeared on Dangerous, it would've stood out like a sore thumb among the more hip hop-influenced tracks on that album.
"This is It" is just a decent song, but it's all but guaranteed to be a worldwide smash given the renewed interest and excitement in Jackson's music since his death. It's likely to be the first of many posthumous releases from Jackson's camp.
And don't forget about This Is It the movie, which comes out in two weeks and has already sold out in many cities around the world. I have my tickets already!
Video: Michael Jackson - "This is It"
This week, regrettably, Miley Cyrus canceled her Twitter account. Not even desperate tweets from her dad could change her mind.
Like all of us, John Mayer was broken up about this:
I can't help but find myself asking the question "What would Miley have tweeted about this?"
John Mayer is a prolific tweeter. He tweets several times, every single day. Dude doesn't have anything better to do, I guess.
http://twitter.com/JOHNcmayer
Some of these are guilty pleasures. Some are bona fide classics. They are my favorite 30 songs of the past decade.
These may not necessarily be the best songs of the past 10 years – just the ones I enjoyed the most. Feel free to suggest your favorites.
Click the "YouTube" link after each blurb to see the music video in a new window.
Who needs love when you have music? Brazil's Cansei de Ser Sexy produced a classic with this ode to music itself. "Music is my boyfriend," singer Lovefoxxx screams. The song is too good for me to care that they sold it to an iPod ad. YouTube
AFI conveniently came along at a time when I started wearing a lot of black and going to goth night. "The Leaving Song Pt. II" is one of many fist-pumping anthems from this ever-evolving band. YouTube
"This song is not about John McCain," singer Matt Berninger made sure to point out when the National performed "Mr. November" at Lollapalooza 2008. Its real meaning is a bit cryptic - at songmeanings.net they suggest it's about conflict with the band's English record label. I enjoy the song because of the contrast between the mellow verses and the explosive, vulgar chorus. YouTube
Psych-pop band MGMT is the only act to place three songs in my top 30. And they only have one album to their credit. I can't wait to see what they come up with in the next decade. YouTube
"You liked me til you heard my shit on the radio," snaps Nelly Furtado on this underappreciated song from her debut album. She shares this blog's attitude that just because something is mainstream, that doesn't make it bad. I love the final fadeout chorus, where Nelly keeps repeating the part about staying true to herself. YouTube
While in college I went through a phase where I had just gotten high-speed internet access for the first time and I was just getting into techno, so I spent weeks downloading lots of music, most of which was forgettable. "One More Time" has stood the test of time. And you can't measure the cool factor of two French dudes in robot costumes. YouTube
Robert Smith and blink-182 are an unlikely pairing, but one that worked really well. This dark, depressing track was from blink's 2003 self-titled album, which was a shocking artistic step forward from their previous brand of music that was heavy on bathroom humor. Of course, they went and broke up shortly thereafter. YouTube
"First Day of my Life" is a love song that succeeds because of its simplicity. I love the lyric, "I'd rather be working for a paycheck than waiting to win the lottery." Great relationship advice! Stunning music video, as well.
YouTube
There's no better proof that music is the universal language than the success of Sigur Ros. Usually, they sing in Icelandic. Sometimes, they sing in complete gibberish. It's always emotional, beautiful, and powerful. My favorite Sigur Ros song changes by the day, but one of the songs that best exemplifies their sound is "Glosoli," which slowly builds until it reaches a massive crescendo. YouTube
Junior and Senior recently decided to part ways, a tragic development for anyone interested in shaking his or her coconuts, but they left us with this gem. The music video featuring low-fi Atari-style graphics is my second-favorite of all-time, behind Johnny Cash's "Hurt." Oh yeah! YouTube
Those peppy Canadian kids in Tokyo Police Club delivered two minutes of delicious punk energy on "Cheer it On." Bonus points for putting the name of their band in the lyrics. YouTube
Antony's unusual voice is jarring at first but once you get used to it, it's just another beautiful instrument. "You Are My Sister" was his most commercially successful song. Boy George took some time off from being a trainwreck to contribute a nice vocal. YouTube
"No One's Gonna Love You" is just an incredibly sweet song. It's the indie rock "You Light Up My Life!" YouTube
"Nineteen" is one of those songs that makes me want to become a drummer, because of the crazy drum shit going on during the verses. The lyrics are equally disjointed, telling the tale of an apparent infatuation and then an apparent breakup, but wait, it's not really a breakup because they were never together! You figure it out. YouTube
It's surprising that only one emo-pop song made this list, given that the genre is my guilty pleasure. Metro Station's self-titled release had several catchy songs ("Control" and "Kelsey" are also recommended), but the best was the addictive "Shake It." That's Billy Ray Cyrus's stepson whispering the verses. I bet Miley's jealous she didn't make the list. YouTube
Okkervil River singer Will Sheff puts together intricately detailed stories that just happen to be set to music. "Our Life is Not a Movie or Maybe" was one of his best. Life may be a bummer, but it can still be fun. YouTube
The first time I saw Matt and Kim was at Lollapalooza 2007 when they subbed for CSS, who had canceled. I was so devastated at missing CSS I ran off without listening to any of Matt and Kim's performance, and I immediately hated them by association. Two years later, they're my favorite band. Who could stay mad at the cutest indie pop duo in the world? Big ups to Williamsburg! YouTube
"Fidelity" instructs that the way to find love is to stop resisting and just go for it, consequences be damned. Don't worry that it might end up breaking your ha-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-aart. YouTube
I was a latecomer to the Patrick Wolf bandwagon, first drawn in by “The Magic Position," but it was an earlier song, "A Boy Like Me," that I couldn't stop playing, thanks to its haunting electronic effects and ruminations on stereotypes of age and gender. YouTube 
Sometimes the acoustic singer-songwriter thing bores me, but "Skinny Love" stands out because of the incredible passion of singer Justin Vernon. We can truly feel his pain. YouTube
No one could resist that Nintendo-ish keyboard. "Time to Pretend" is a cheeky song about living to excess and having fun. “Let’s make some music, make some money, find some models for wives,” Andrew VanWyngarden sings. “What else can we do – get jobs in offices and wake up for the morning commute?” The song made every poor sap stuck in a 9-to-5 job re-examine his life. (Or maybe it was just me.) YouTube
As you can probably tell by now, I’m a fan of silly pop music, and Architecture in Helsinki were one of the best bands of said genre. They released a bunch of cute songs - "Wishbone," "Maybe You Can Owe Me," "Heart it Races" - but "It'5" was the most pointless, the most silly, and the most fun. YouTube
The Dresden Dolls were my favorite band for much of the decade. "Delilah" isn’t as aggressive as most of their "Brechtian punk cabaret" songs - it’s a ballad about a troubled girl: "And you thought you could change the world by opening your legs/Well it isn't very hard/Try kicking them instead." Amanda Palmer’s words are gripping – someone should really name a blog after one of those lyrics. YouTube
This Austin duo has been accurately referred to as "part techno, part 70s glam rock, part futuristic meditational space odyssey." They placed two songs in my top 10, and they’re both so different. "Vibrate" is a dance song with weird electronic programming provided by cape-wearing drummer Thomas Ross Turner. Seeing the song performed live is quite an experience, thanks to the captivating dancing of Aaron Behrens. YouTube
How can you not love the Hold Steady? Craig Finn may be the most unlikely rock star ever. His lyrics are some of the most intelligent words you’ll ever hear in rock music, and his sing-speak delivery ensures we can understand every word. I love a bunch of Hold Steady songs, but "Massive Nights" is my favorite, as it reminds me of all the memorable nights I had going out on the South Side of Pittsburgh. YouTube
Ignore the haters and keep on getting your paper! I love Rihanna's soaring vocals, especially in the final bridge. T.I. does his part by providing several memorable lines: "Unhappy with the riches cause you're piss poor morally," "Whoever having problems with they record sales just holla to me," "Safe to say I paved the way for you cats to get paid today." The "Dragostea din tei" sample was an inspired touch that made the song epic. YouTube
One of the most unique tracks of the decade. The gunshots and cash registers never get old. It's one of those songs that makes you wonder, How did anyone even conceive of something like that? YouTube
It's hard to be patient in the iPod era. I often skip songs that don't excite me in the first 30 seconds. But "The Bleeding Heart Show" is a perfect case study for listening all the way through. It takes a long time to open up, and when it does, it reveals a glorious chorus and sweet "ooh ooh" and "hey la" harmonies that leave the listener wanting more. Somehow, this song ended up in commercials for the University of Phoenix, but that's cool - whatever gives the song more exposure is fine by me. YouTube
I don't know what it is about "Silver City," but from the moment I heard it I've been enchanted. If aliens want to take over the world, they should play this song and we'll be hypnotized and do whatever they ask. The spacey intro, the meandering keyboard bleeps and blips, the computerized vocals, the real vocals later on, and then more spacey-ness. This might be the one song I could listen to over and over and never get sick of it. YouTube
One critic described this song better than I could as “an irresistible slice of '70s disco porn groove overlaid with dreamy shimmering '80s panpipes synth notes.” Best moment: The anticipatory pauses just before each chorus, where you're waiting for the dramatic "Ooh girl!" "Electric Feel" is pretty much a perfect pop song. YouTube
Former Soul Coughing frontman (sorry, Mike, I'm still going to introduce you that way) Mike Doughty was a busy tweeter this week:
"Yes, as it happens, I do believe my job has more societal worth than that of a professional Donkey Kong player."
I'm not sure if Mike is quoting someone else or just being witty himself, but who really cares? This is really just an excuse to mention that Doughty's new album Sad Man Happy Man, featuring the provocatively-titled "How to Fuck a Republican," comes out on Tuesday, and he'll be at Club Cafe in Pittsburgh next weekend for three shows.
http://twitter.com/MikeDoughtyYeah
photo credit: Leigh Righton
MUST-SEE SHOW:
10/7 Japandroids @ Garfield Artworks
I saw this duo at Pitchfork and they blew me away with their ferocious sound. They also noted that since they had a limited amount of time, they were not providing their usual amount of onstage banter, which is usually "fucking amazing," they said. So be prepared for unforgettable banter at this show.
ALSO WORTH ATTENDING:
10/1 Taylor Swift @ Mellon Arena
Still just 19, Taylor already has eight hit singles under her belt, and you can expect to hear all of them at this arena show. She's been in the spotlight recently thanks to the Kanye incident, which will probably end up helping her career because of all the attention and sympathy it's brought her, not that the successful teenager needed any extra help.
10/11 AFI @ Club Zoo
The reviews are mixed on whether AFI's new album Crash Love is a mainstream sell-out, or a continuation of the edgy, appealing sound of their last two records, Sing the Sorrow and Decemberunderground. Either way, this is a band that hasn't headlined a show in Pittsburgh in quite a while, so they're worth checking out.
Others to keep in mind:
10/3 Social Distortion @ Ches-A-Rena
10/3 The White Tie Affair @ University of Pittsburgh
10/6 Cowboy Junkies @ Byham Theater
10/8-9 Mike Doughty @ Club Cafe
10/10 Carbon Leaf @ Duquesne University
10/16 They Might Be Giants @ Mr. Small's
10/16 The Tragically Hip @ Byham Theater
10/21 Shooter Jennings @ Mr. Small's
10/23 The Damned @ Diesel
10/24 Silversun Pickups @ Ches-A-Rena
10/25 Keller Williams @ Mr. Small's
10/29 Soulive @ Rex Theatre
10/30 Phil Vassar @ Pepsi Cola Roadhouse
I've been spending a lot of time recently combing through Pitchfork's list of the top 500 songs of the decade, but one thing that has annoyed me is that I can't find a site that actually lists all 500 songs on one page. I'm tired of having to scroll through page after page. So, I'm doing it myself.
Here's the complete list, republished merely as a reference. Go to www.pitchfork.com to see the full presentation with song reviews, artwork, and audio clips.
500. The Big Pink - "Velvet"
499. N.E.R.D. - "Run to the Sun" [Electronic version]
498. Unwound - "Scarlette"
497. Woods - "Rain On"
496. Akufen - "Deck the House (Herbert's Stop Like This Mix)"
495. Weezer - "Island in the Sun"
494. Blonde Redhead - "Equus"
493. Goldfrapp - "Lovely Head"
492. St. Vincent - "The Strangers"
491. Viktor Vaughn - "Saliva"
490. Closer Musik - "Departures"
489. Kano - "Reload It"
488. Jesu - "Silver"
487. Jaylib - "The Red"
486. Spiller [ft. Sophie Ellis-Bextor] - "Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)"
485. Ali Farke Toure - "Yer Bounda Fara"
484. Múm - "Green Grass of Tunnel"
483. Platinum 45 [ft. More Fire Crew] - "Oi!"
482. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - "As I Sat Sadly By Her Side"
481. The Roots - "Don't Feel Right"
480. Darkstar - "Need You"
479. Brightblack Morning Light - "Everybody Daylight"
478. Pantha Du Prince - "Asha"
477. Dodos - "Fools"
476. Ward 21 - "Petrol"
475. Kid Cudi vs. Crookers - "Day 'N Night (Remix)"
474. Wolf Eyes - "Human Animal"
473. The Concretes - "You Can't Hurry Love"
472. Comets on Fire - "Wild Whiskey"
471. Crystal Castles - "Alice Practice"
470. Orchestra Baobab - "Bul Ma Miin"
469. DJ Shadow - "You Can't Go Home Again"
468. The Strokes - "What Ever Happened?"
467. Rjd2 - "Let the Good Times Roll Pt. 2"
466. Saint Etienne - "How We Used to Live"
465. Cee-Lo [ft. Timbaland] - "I'll Be Around"
464. Voxtrot - "The Start of Something"
463. Black Kids - "I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You" [EP version]
462. Sun Kil Moon - "Carry Me Ohio"
461. Scarface - "On My Block"
460. Vivian Girls - "Where Do You Run To"
459. The Honeydrips - "Fall From a Height (The Field Way)"
458. Sleater-Kinney - "Far Away"
457. Emily Haines & the Soft Skeleton - "Doctor Blind"
456. Doves - "Black and White Town"
455. Bonnie - "Prince" Billy - "Wolf Among Wolves"
454. Songs: Ohia - "Didn't It Rain"
453. f**ked Up - "Crusades"
452. Jay Reatard - "Always Wanting More"
451. Scissor Sisters - "Mary"
450. My Morning Jacket - "Golden"
449. Jackson and His Computer Band - "Utopia"
448. Lil' Kim [ft. Mr. Cheeks] - "The Jump Off"
447. Mylo - "In My Arms"
446. M. Ward - "Chinese Translation"
445. Ricardo Villalobos - "Que Belle Epoque"
444. Be Your Own Pet - "Adventure"
443. Explosions in the Sky - "First Breath After Coma"
442. Menomena - "Wet and Rusting"
441. Sufjan Stevens - "For the Widows in Paradise, For the Fathers in Ypsilanti"
440. The Libertines - "Time for Heroes"
439. Beirut - "Elephant Gun"
438. Lady Sovereign - "Ch-Ching (Cheque 1, 2 Remix)"
437. Shackleton - "Blood on My Hands"
436. Devendra Banhart - "A Sight to Behold"
435. Golden Boy with Miss Kittin - "Rippin Kittin"
434. Madonna - "Don't Tell Me"
433. DJ Khaled [ft. T.I., Akon, Rick Ross, Fat Joe, Birdman, and Lil Wayne] - "We Takin' Over"
432. Sugababes - "Overload"
431. Death Cab for Cutie - "The New Year"
430. Mastodon - "Sleeping Giant"
429. Gossip - "Standing in the Way of Control"
428. Yo La Tengo - "Last Days of Disco"
427. Patrick Wolf - "The Magic Position"
426. Bob Dylan - "Mississippi"
425. Björk - "New World"
424. Turbulence - "Notorious"
423. The Delgados - "All You Need Is Hate"
422. Santogold - "Lights Out"
421. Lambchop - "Up With People"
420. Schneider TM - "The Light 3000"
419. Klaxons - "Golden Skans"
418. Ce'cile - "Hot Like We"
417. High Places - "From Stardust to Sentience"
416. Jens Lekman - "The Opposite of Hallelujah"
415. Alicia Keys - "You Don't Know My Name (Reggae Remix)"
414. Simian Mobile Disco - "It's the Beat" [12" version]
413. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - "There She Goes, My Beautiful World"
412. Scritti Politti - "The Boom Boom Bap"
411. Wilco - "Handshake Drugs"
410. Women - "Black Rice"
409. Sunn O))) - "It Took the Night to Believe"
408. Magik Markers - "Taste"
407. Girls on Top - "We Don't Give a Damn About Our Friends"
406. Nine Inch Nails - "The Hand That Feeds"
405. Superpitcher - "Tomorrow"
404. Dinosaur Jr. - "Almost Ready"
403. Freeway [ft. Peedi Crakk] - "Flipside"
402. My Morning Jacket - "Off the Record"
401. The Walkmen - "In the New Year"
400. Boris - "Ibitsu"
399. Amy Winehouse - "Tears Dry on Their Own"
398. The Chemical Brothers - "Star Guitar"
397. Queens of the Stone Age - "The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret"
396. Nathan Fake - "The Sky Was Pink (James Holden Remix)"
395. Death From Above 1979 - "Romantic Rights"
394. The Streets - "Blinded by the Lights"
393. Lightning Bolt - "Dracula Mountain"
392. B15 Project - "Girls Like Us"
391. King Khan and the Shrines - "Welfare Bread"
390. The Long Blondes - "Once and Never Again"
389. Junior Boys - "High Come Down"
388. Sigur Ros - "Hoppipolla"
387. Cortney Tidwell - "Don't Let Stars Keep Us Tangled Up (Ewan's Objects in Space Remix)"
386. Konono No. 1 - "Paradiso"
385. Four Tet - "My Angel Rocks Back and Forth"
384. Boards of Canada - "Music Is Math"
383. Girls - "Hellhole Ratrace"
382. The Microphones - "The Moon" [Song Islands version]
381. Crime Mob - "Knuck If You Buck"
380. Rex the Dog - "I Look Into Mid-Air"
379. Goldfrapp - "Strict Machine"
378. Blur - "Out of Time"
377. Soulwax - "NY Excuse"
376. El-P - "Stepfather Factory"
375. Röyksopp - "What Else Is There?"
374. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - "Young Adult Friction"
373. Cannibal Ox - "The F-Word"
372. Camera Obscura - "French Navy"
371. Cam'ron [ft. Sarah Hindes] - "Get 'Em Girls"
370. Lumidee - "I'll Never Leave You (Uh Oooh, Uh Oooh)"
369. Primal Scream - "Swastika Eyes"
368. Together - "So Much Love to Give"
367. Frightened Rabbit - "The Modern Leper"
366. Matthew Dear - "Dog Days"
365. Gwen Stefani - "What You Waiting For (Thin White Duke Remix)"
364. Elliott Smith - "Everything Reminds Me of Her"
363. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - "The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth"
362. Sigur Ros - "Vaka (Untitled 1)"
361. Smog - "Rock Bottom Riser"
360. Boards of Canada - "In a Beautiful Place Out in the Country"
359. Young Jeezy [ft. Jay-Z] - "Go Crazy (Remix)"
358. Cat Power - "I Found a Reason"
357. Japandroids - "Young Hearts Spark Fire"
356. Jason Forrest - "10 Amazing Years"
355. Deerhoof - "Milk Man"
354. Tinariwen - "Matadjem Yinmixan"
353. Stars of the Lid - "Requiem for Dying Mothers (Part 1)"
352. Maxïmo Park - "Apply Some Pressure"
351. Rich Boy [ft. Polow Da Don] - "Throw Some D's"
350. Man Man - "Van Helsing Boombox"
349. Beanie Sigel [ft. Melissa] - "Feel It in the Air"
348. Aesop Rock - "Daylight"
347. Bonnie - "Prince" Billy - "Cursed Sleep"
346. Super Furry Animals - "Juxtaposed With U"
345. Antony and the Johnsons - "Aeon"
344. Lil Wayne - "Hustler Musik"
343. The Microphones - "The Glow"
342. Franz Ferdinand - "Do You Want To"
341. Fleet Foxes - "Blue Ridge Mountains"
340. Herbert - "Something Isn't Right"
339. Sonic Youth - "The Empty Page"
338. The Decemberists - "O Valencia!"
337. The National - "Mistaken for Strangers"
336. Röyksopp - "Eple"
335. Max Tundra - "MBGATE"
334. Grizzly Bear - "While You Wait for the Others"
333. Death Cab for Cutie - "A Movie Script Ending"
332. Aeroplane [ft. Kathy Diamond] - "Whispers"
331. Andrew Bird - "Fake Palindromes"
330. The Roots [ft. Cody Chestnutt] - "The Seed 2.0"
329. Caribou - "Hendrix With KO"
328. Isolee - "Schrapnell"
327. Vampire Weekend - "Walcott"
326. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Cheated Hearts"
325. Sean Paul - "Like Glue"
324. The Twilight Sad - "Cold Days From the Birdhouse"
323. The Rapture - "I Need Your Love"
322. Wu-Tang Clan - "Uzi (Pinky Ring)"
321. Four Tet - "Smile Around the Face"
320. Ciara - "Promise"
319. Guided by Voices - "Chasing Heather Crazy"
318. The Notwist - "One With the Freaks"
317. Squarepusher - "My Red Hot Car"
316. Neko Case - "Hold On, Hold On"
315. Ratatat - "17 Years"
314. Metro Area - "Miura"
313. The Wrens - "She Sends Kisses"
312. The Go! Team - "Ladyflash"
311. Sticky [ft. Ms. Dynamite] - "Booo!"
310. Okkervil River - "For Real"
309. Midlake - "Roscoe"
308. Gorillaz - "Feel Good Inc."
307. Wolf Parade - "Shine a Light"
306. Dr. Dre [ft. Kurupt, Snoop Dogg, and Nate Dogg] - "The Next Episode"
305. Loretta Lynn [ft. Jack White] - "Portland, Oregon"
304. Destroyer - "The Sublimation Hour"
303. Mystikal - "Shake Ya Ass"
302. Black Dice - "Cone Toaster"
301. The Shins - "Kissing the Lipless"
300. Iron & Wine - "Upward Over the Mountain"
299. CSS - "Let's Make Love and Listen to Death From Above"
298. Stars - "Your Ex-Lover Is Dead"
297. David Byrne and Brian Eno - "Strange Overtones"
296. Johnny Cash - "The Man Comes Around"
295. Grandaddy - "The Crystal Lake"
294. Constantines - "Night Time (Anytime It's All Right)"
293. Aphex Twin - "Avril 14th"
292. Deerhunter - "Spring Hall Convert"
291. Missy Elliott - "Pass That Dutch"
290. The Exploding Hearts - "Modern Kicks"
289. PJ Harvey - "Good Fortune"
288. Fabolous - "Breathe"
287. Chromatics - "In the City"
286. ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead - "Another Morning Stoner"
285. Ryan Adams - "Come Pick Me Up"
284. Wiley - "Wearing My Rolex"
283. Godspeed You Black Emperor! - "Storm" [First Movement]
282. Luomo - "The Present Lover" [Digital Disco version]
281. The Books - "Take Time"
280. The Fiery Furnaces - "Here Comes the Summer"
279. Alan Braxe and Fred Falke - "Rubicon"
278. Madvillain - "America's Most Blunted"
277. Earth - "Coda Maestoso in F (Flat) Minor"
276. The Darkness - "I Believe in a Thing Called Love"
275. Broken Social Scene - "Stars and Sons"
274. The MFA - "The Difference It Makes (Superpitcher Remix)"
273. Smog - "Dress Sexy at My Funeral"
272. Nas - "One Mic"
271. Arcade Fire - "Intervention"
270. Damian Marley - "Welcome to Jamrock"
269. The Decemberists - "The Engine Driver"
268. Common - "The Light"
267. The Beta Band - "To You Alone"
266. Bright Eyes - "First Day of My Life"
265. Jim O'Rourke - "Good Times"
264. Baby [ft. Clipse] - "What Happened to That Boy?"
263. Coldplay - "Yellow"
262. Mastodon - "Blood & Thunder"
261. Sonic Youth - "Incinerate"
260. Of Montreal - "Disconnect the Dots"
259. Neko Case - "I Wish I Was the Moon"
258. Rachel Stevens - "Some Girls"
257. The Flaming Lips - "Fight Test"
256. M83 - "Kim & Jessie"
255. At the Drive-In - "One Armed Scissor"
254. Radiohead - "Reckoner"
253. Caribou - "Melody Day"
252. Bright Eyes - "The Calendar Hung Itself"
251. Eminem - "Without Me"
250. The Thermals - "A Pillar of Salt"
249. Amadou & Mariam - "Sabali"
248. Liars - "Plaster Casts of Everything"
247. Broadcast - "Pendulum"
246. Lupe Fiasco - "Kick Push"
245. Girls Aloud - "Biology"
244. The Hives - "Hate to Say I Told You So"
243. Fischerspooner - "Emerge"
242. Dirty Projectors - "Rise Above"
241. Les Savy Fav - "The Sweat Descends"
240. Clipse - "Zen"
239. The Dismemberment Plan - "Face of the Earth"
238. Estelle [ft. Kanye West] - "American Boy"
237. Cut Copy - "Out There on the Ice"
236. Elliott Smith - "A Distorted Reality Is Now a Necessity to Be Free" [7" version]
235. Sally Shapiro - "I'll Be by Your Side"
234. Electric Six"Danger! - "High Voltage!"
233. Air - "Playground Love"
232. Destiny's Child - "Jumpin' Jumpin'"
231. Jarvis Cocker - "Running the World"
230. The Mountain Goats - "Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton"
229. Joanna Newsom - "Sprout and the Bean"
228. Phoenix - "1901
227. Björk - "Pagan Poetry"
226. Le Tigre - "Deceptacon (DFA Remix)"
225. Dntel [ft. Ben Gibbard] - "(This Is) The Dream of Evan and Chan"
224. The National - "Abel"
223. Beach House - "Apple Orchard"
222. Three 6 Mafia - "Sippin' on Some Syrup"
221. F*** Buttons - "Sweet Love for Planet Earth"
220. Ekkehard Ehlers - "Plays John Cassavettes, Pt. 2"
219. Lil Mama - "Lip Gloss"
218. Bloc Party - "Banquet"
217. Yeasayer - "2080"
216. Sleater-Kinney - "Jumpers"
215. M.I.A. - "Bucky Done Gun"
214. Freeway [ft. Jay-Z and Beanie Sigel] - "What We Do"
213. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Y Control"
212. The Beta Band - "Squares"2
211. Ted Leo and the Pharmacists - "Timorous Me"
210. Cat Power - "Lived in Bars"
209. The Clientele - "Since K Got Over Me"
208. Kylie Minogue - "Love at First Sight"
207. Outkast [ft. Killer Mike] - "The Whole World"
206. Bat for Lashes - "Daniel"
205. Lily Allen - "Smile"
204. Spoon - "Everything Hits at Once"
203. Ricardo Villalobos - "Fizheuer Zieheuer"
202. Belle and Sebastian - "I'm Waking Up to Us"
201. The New Pornographers - "The Laws Have Changed"
200. Beck "Lost Cause"
199. Portishead "The Rip"
198. Vitalic "La Rock 01"
197. Joanna Newsom "Peach, Plum, Pear"
196. No Age "Teen Creeps"
195. Love Is All "Make Out Fall Out Make Up"
194. David Banner "Cadillac on 22's"
193. Twista [ft. Kanye West and Jaime Foxx] "Slow Jamz"
192. Pulp "Sunrise"
191. Vampire Weekend "Oxford Comma"
190. Panjabi MC [ft. Jay-Z] "Mundian to Bach Ke (Beware of the Boys)"
189. The Tough Alliance "Silly Crimes"
188. Jens Lekman "Black Cab"
187. Booka Shade "Mandarine Girl"
186. Fugazi "Cashout"
185. Dead Prez "Hip-Hop"
184. Queens of the Stone Age "No One Knows"
183. Beyonce "Irreplaceable"
182. Yo La Tengo "Our Way to Fall"
181. Morrissey "The First of the Gang to Die"
180. Gwen Stefani "Hollaback Girl"
179. Bon Iver "Skinny Love"
178. Air "Cherry Blossom Girl"
177. Eminem "The Real Slim Shady"
176. Xiu Xiu "I Luv the Valley OH!"
175. Usher [ft. Lil Jon and Ludacris] "Yeah"
174. Los Campesinos! "You! Me! Dancing!"
173. M.O.P. "Ante Up"
172. Shellac "Prayer to God"
171. Talib Kweli [ft. Mos Def, Jay-Z, Kanye West, and Busta Rhymes] "Get By (Remix)"
170. Guillemots "Trains to Brazil"
169. Ludacris "Southern Hospitality"
168. Of Montreal "The Past Is a Grotesque Animal"
167. Liars "The Other Side of Mt. Heart Attack"
166. Gui Boratto "Beautiful Life"
165. Jimmy Eat World "The Middle"
164. Broadcast "Come on Let's Go"
163. Girl Talk "Smash Your Head"
162. Grizzly Bear "Two Weeks"
161. Christian Falk [ft. Robyn and Ola Salo] "Dream On"
160. 50 Cent "In Da Club"
159. Cat Power "I Don't Blame You"
158. Art Brut "Formed a Band"
157. Kanye West [ft. Lupe Fiasco] "Touch the Sky"
156. The Pipettes "Pull Shapes"
155. Coldplay "Clocks"
154. Sufjan Stevens "Casimir Pulaski Day"
153. Luomo "Tessio"
152. Life Without Buildings "The Leanover"
151. Santogold "L.E.S. Artistes"
150. Junior Senior "Move Your Feet"
149. Dan Deacon "The Crystal Cat"
148. Air France "Collapsing at Your Doorstep"
147. Wilco "Poor Places"
146. Fennesz "Caecilia"
145. Broken Social Scene "Cause = Time"
144. Justice vs. Simian "We Are Your Friends"
143. Feist "1234"
142. The Flaming Lips "Do You Realize??"
141. Britney Spears "Toxic"
140. Interpol "NYC"
139. Daft Punk "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger"
138. D'Angelo "Untitled (How Does It Feel?)"
137. Ladytron "Destroy Everything You Touch"
136. Ghostface Killah "Shakey Dog"
135. The Strokes "The Modern Age" [EP version]
134. Clipse "Trill"
133. Belle and Sebastian "Your Cover's Blown"
132. Panda Bear "Comfy in Nautica"
131. Destiny's Child "Say My Name"
130. Spoon "The Underdog"
129. Andrew W.K. "Party Hard"
128. The Mountain Goats "No Children"
127. Ciara [ft. Ludacris] "Oh"
126. Califone "The Orchids"
125. The Field "Over the Ice"
124. Ted Leo and the Pharmacists "Where Have All the Rude Boys Gone?"
123. Kanye West "Jesus Walks"
122. Cam'ron [ft. Juelz Santana, Freekey Zekey, and Toya] "Hey Ma"
121. Johnny Boy "You Are the Generation That Bought More Shoes and You Get What You Deserve"
120. Phoenix "If I Ever Feel Better"
119. T.I. "Rubber Band Man"
118. Camera Obscura "Lloyd, I'm Ready to Be Heartbroken"
117. Animal Collective "Leaf House"
116. The White Stripes "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground"
115. Dirty Projectors "Stillness Is the Move"
114. !!! "Me and Giuliani Down By the Schoolyard (A True Story)"
113. Kelis "Milkshake"
112. Lindstrøm "I Feel Space"
111. Aaliyah "We Need a Resolution"
110. Dizzee Rascal "Fix Up Look Sharp"
109. Grizzly Bear "Knife"
108. The Hold Steady "The Swish"
107. M83 "Don't Save Us From the Flames"
106. The Mae Shi "Run to Your Grave"
105. Grinderman "No ***** Blues"
104. Eminem "Lose Yourself"
103. Feist "Mushaboom"
102. Cut Copy "Hearts on Fire"
101. Jurgen Paape "So Weit Wie Noch Nie"
100. Jamie Lidell- "Multiply"
99. MGMT- "Time to Pretend"
98. Beirut- "Postcards from Italy"
97. Belle and Sebastian- "I'm a Cuckoo"
96. Clinic- "Distortions"
95. Wolf Parade- "I'll Believe in Anything"
94. The Futureheads- "Hounds of Love"
93. The Game ft. 50 Cent- "Hate it or Love It"
92. Modest Mouse- "3rd Planet"
91. Justice- "D.A.N.C.E."
90. The Streets- "Weak Become Heroes"
89. The Postal Service- "Such Great Heights"
88. The New Pornographers- "Letter from an Occupant"
87. Mike Jones ft. Paul Wall and Slim Thug- "Still Tippin' "
86. Mclusky- "To Hell With Good Intentions"
85. Phoenix- "Long Distance Call"
84. Peter Bjorn and John- "Young Folks"
83. Basement Jaxx- "Where's Your Head At?"
82. Robyn- "Be Mine"
81. Deerhunter- "Nothing Ever Happened"
80. Lil Wayne- "A Milli"
79. Jay-Z- "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)"
78. Freelance Hellraiser- "A Stroke of Genius"
77. Three 6 Mafia- "Stay Fly"
76. Hot Chip- "Ready for the Floor"
75. Aaliyah- "Try Again"
74. The Knife- "Silent Shout"
73. Animal Collective- "Grass"
72. The Killers- "Mr. Brightside"
71. Kanye West ft. Cam'ron- "Gone"
70. Junior Boys ft. Andi Toma- "In the Morning"
69. The Arcade Fire- "Rebellion (Lies)"
68. Dr. Dre ft. Eminem- "Forgot About Dre"
67. Band of Horses- "The Funeral"
66. Fleet Foxes- "White Winter Hymnal"
65. Justin Timberlake- "Cry Me a River"
64. Interpol- "Obstacle 1"
63. The Hold Steady- "Stuck Between Stations"
62. The Shins- "New Slang"
61. Wilco- "Jesus, Etc."
60. Ghostface Killah- "Nutmeg"
59. Radiohead- "Pyramid Song"
58. The White Stripes- "Fell in Love With a Girl"
57. TV on the Radio- "Wolf Like Me"
56. Dizzee Rascal- "I Luv U"
55. Outkast- "Ms. Jackson"
54. Missy Elliot- "Work It"
53. The Strokes- "Someday"
52. Kanye West ft. Dwele - "Flashing Lights"
51. Jay-Z- "Takeover"
50. Basement Jaxx- "Romeo"
49. Sufjan Stevens- "Chicago"
48. Panda Bear- "Bros"
47. Burial- "Archangel"
46. Robyn ft. Kleerup- "With Every Heartbeat"
45. Hot Chip- "Over and Over"
44. Franz Ferdinand- "Take Me Out"
43. UGK ft. Outkast- "Int'l Players Anthem (I Choose You)"
42. Battles- "Atlas"
41. TV on the Radio- "Staring at the Sun"
40. The Avalanches- "Since I Left You"
39. Modest Mouse- "Float On"
38. T.I.- "What You Know"
37. Kylie Minogue- "Can't Get You Out of My Head"
36. Sigur Ros- "Svefn-G-Englar"
35. Animal Collective- "Fireworks"
34. M.I.A.- "Galang"
33. Spoon- "The Way We Get By"
32. Amerie- "1 Thing"
31. Jay-Z ft. UGK- "Big Pimpin'"
30. The White Stripes- "Seven Nation Army"
29. Hot Chip- "Boy From School"
28. Antony and the Johnsons- "Hope There's Someone"
27. Clipse- "Grindin'"
26. Justin Timberlake ft. T.I.- "My Love"
25. Rihanna ft. Jay-Z- "Umbrella"
24. Radiohead- "Everything In Its Right Place"
23. Daft Punk- "Digital Love"
22. LCD Soundsystem- "Someone Great"
21. Kelly Clarkson- "Since U Been Gone"
20. The Walkmen "The Rat"
19. R. Kelly "Ignition (Remix)"
18. Hercules and Love Affair "Blind"
17. Annie "Heartbeat"
16. The Rapture "House of Jealous Lovers"
15. The Knife "Heartbeats"
14. Jay-Z "99 Problems"
13. LCD Soundsystem "Losing My Edge"
12. OutKast "Hey Ya!"
11. Gnarls Barkley "Crazy"
10. Arcade Fire - "Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)"
9. Animal Collective - "My Girls"
8. Radiohead - "Idioteque"
7. Missy Elliott - "Get Ur Freak On"
6. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Maps"
5. Daft Punk - "One More Time"
4. Beyonce [featuring Jay-Z] - "Crazy in Love"
3. M.I.A. - "Paper Planes"
2. LCD Soundsystem - "All My Friends"
1. OutKast - "B.O.B."
