For all of the single/bored people out there who look forward to hanging out with their friends on the weekend, don't bite your tongue because V-Day falls on a Saturday this year. To replace your lovestruck friends, we've compiled a list that should help spread some of our love of music to you.
If you're in the full spirit of the day and want to have some fun, Best Week Ever shows how to make Skittles vodka. You can check out some more v-day drinks here. If you're a sugar-lover, check out these desserts for the occasion. If you came just for the music, enjoy our list, then head on over to The Trip Wire for some more.
MP3: Ra Ra Riot - Can You Tell (buy)
MP3: She and Him - Sentimental Heart (buy)
MP3: The Kooks - I Want You (buy)
MP3: Kings of Leon - Sex on Fire (buy)
MP3: Pictures and Sound - It's You (buy)
MP3: Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - Some Constellation (buy)
MP3: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - This Love Is F#cking Right (buy)
MP3: The Walkmen - Lost You (buy)
MP3: Motion City Soundtrack - Broken Heart (acoustic) (buy)
MP3: Daniel Martin Moore - It's You (buy)
MP3: TV on the Radio - I Was A Lover (buy)
MP3: Art Brut - People In Love (buy)
MP3: The Stills - I'm With You (buy)
Just to preface our best of list of 2008: Some songs may deserve a higher spot than others, but the time it took just to compile our list should give each and every song on here enough deserved attention. We did our best to make a list of 100 songs we thought were great and left a lot of songs off we begrudgingly had to remove to abide by the 100 song limit. Our list is as accurate as we could make it, so song 100 all the way to number one represent our favorite songs and artists of this year.
We seperated our list into 5 parts because there was just too much to put onto one post. We hope you enjoy our favorite songs of this 2008!
Part 2: MUF's Top 100 Songs of 2008 (61-80)
Part 3: MUF's Top 100 Songs of 2008 (41-60)
Part 4: MUF's Top 100 Songs of 2008 (21-40)
Part 5: MUF's Top 100 Songs of 2008 (1-20)
100. Keane - Lovers Are Losing (buy)
Why: Spiraling struggled but the personal touch from this track mid-way through helped boost the overall album enough to make it bearable.
99. The Shore - Open Up The Light (buy)
Why: Coming back from a long wait, The Shore delivered a great album. Their most notable song won't be found here, but this one may be as perfectly chilled-out as rock comes.
98. Death Cab For Cutie - I Will Possess Your Heart (buy)
Why: Eight minutes and twenty-six seconds of cinematic gusto from a group that really doesn't have too many tracks longer than five minutes. Overall, a well thought-out song considering every instrument in the group grabs some of the spotlight.
97. Department of Eagles - No One Does it Like You (buy)
Why: Bass thumps and clapping ensues as the humble, yet budding group Department of Eagles made their presence known in 2008. Nobody does this like them in this gem with the harmonizing and the eerie playfulness of this song.
96. The Little Ones - Morning Tide (buy)
Why: Hearing The Little Ones and keeping a smile on of your face are synonymous with each other. "Morning Tide" clearly set the Cali natives back on track after their struggle to find a label and get their sound right.
95. Pictures and Sound - 100 Directions (buy)
Why: Luke Reynolds' latest project couldn't please fans more when transitioning from his older work. Now laced with some mild funk, "100 Directions" settles in behind light drum rapping and a heavy bass before slowly building up for a finale worth waiting for. Check out our live video of this song here.
94. Nada Surf - See These Bones (buy)
Why: Opening Lucky with their strongest song set the tempo for another great effort from Nada Surf. Perhaps this song layers a bit much as it goes on, but nothing takes away from the professional and well-timed shown here.
93. The Shore - Lose My Breath (buy)
Why: We doubled up listing the Shore in this section of our top 100, but that's okay since The Shore have so many good songs to list here. Neither this one or "Open Up The Light" could really be picked over the other, so really think of this as just another song you need to listen to and an album to own.
92. MGMT - Kids (buy)
Why: The main five-star songs on Oracular Spectacular flew across the blogosphere faster than the drug-inspired artists could imagine. "Kids" takes the teenage mentality of the duo along the same lines as the other greats on the album while still being incredibly original and addictive.
91. Kings of Leon - Sex On Fire (buy)
Why: The most pop-friendly song on this good effort and most listed throughout the blogsphere. That's not why we listed it however. The boldness of this song earned its place on our list. Saying someone's sex is on fire is quite a compliment to dish out, so kudos KOL.
90. French Kicks - With the Fishes (buy)
Why: Drowned out guitar meets sad, lonely singing. I don't know what does it for me on this song, but the chemistry is perfect, the guitar isn't too much and the vocals kill it every time. Everything down to the drums marks this album a materpiece in my mind.
89. Athlete - Flying Over Bus Stops (Acoustic) (buy)
Why: A song featured on their 2007 Beyond The Neighbourhood album, Athlete topped themselves with an acoustic version on their The Outsideres EP released earlier on this year.
88. The Notwist - Good Lies (buy)
Why: The Devil, You + Me opened with this low-key instrumentally and vocally sound track and the result helped the album as a whole. Seeing this song anywhere else in the Top 100 would be merited as it subtly speaks volumes to every ear that listens to it. Thanks to Pitchfork for the legal mp3.
87. The Republic Tigers - Buildings & Mountains (buy)
Why: Encompassing the ideals the Kansas City crew brought to Keep Color, this track harmonizes, entrances and hooks in like a cult does to its followers.
86. Greg Laswell - Comes and Goes (In Waves) (buy)
Why: Simple melodies and some nice harmonizing was enough to add this to our list. Laswell has sparked our interest this past year and this song was one of his most well-produced pieces.
85. Plants and Animals - Good Friend (buy)
Why: Parc Avenue's ground-work was put down here and the rest of the album benefited from it. "It takes a good friend to meet you in the park in the dark."
84. The Walkmen - In The New Year (buy)
Why: These guys went for a particular sound on thier album this year, and their nailed it with You & Me. "In The New Year" is something like we've never heard before with its rhinestone jangling riffs and slack-jawed singing. Where else could you find a better song with featuring an organ?
83. The Kooks - Always Where I Need To Be (buy)
Why: Konk would not be found anywhere near our top albums of this year, but our beloved UK rockers did score one song we couldn't resist to list here. They've once again managed to feature one song bound to be syndicated all over God's creation.
82. Elbow - Weather To Fly (buy)
Why: The Mercury Prize winners in 2008 claimed their spot on our list, particularly with one of their magnificently assembled songs listed here. Elbow didn't just surpass all of their previous albums, they made a name for themselves in 2008. This song shows everything we love and have loved about Garvey and Co..
81. Beck - Gamma Ray (buy)
Why: Beck highlighted this song on his website which promoted Modern Guilt and it fit perfectly for any returning fan as maintains the zany vibe Beck had back when he released Midnight Vultures almost ten years prior. Saying it is the best on the album isn't entirely accurate although it could be the addictive ingredient Beck albums consistently contain.
MP3: Fujiya & Miyagi - Knickerbocker (buy)
MP3: Delta Spirit - People C'Mon (buy) (MUF)
MP3: Low Vs Diamond - This Is Your Life (buy)
MP3: Greg Laswell - Comes and Goes (In Waves) (buy)
MP3: I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness - When You Go Out (buy) (MySpace)
MP3: The Walkmen - In The New Year (buy)
MP3: The Stills - Being Here (buy)
MP3: Athlete - Flying Over Bus Stops (acoustic) (buy)
MP3: Kings of Leon - Manhattan (buy)
MP3: CSS - Beautiful Song (buy)
MP3: Does It Offend You Yeah - Whip it (Devo Cover) (buy)
MP3: Anthem In - Down (buy) (Official)
MP3: Arizona - Thimble (buy)
MP3: Black Kids - I'm not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance (buy)
MP3: El Ten Eleven - I Like Van Halen Because My Sister Says They Are Cool (buy)
MP3: Ra Ra Riot - Can You Tell Me (buy) (Official)
MP3: The Bravery - Swollen Summer (buy)
MP3: Daniel Gray - In the Morning (readme) (MySpace)
MP3: The Honorary Title - Stay Away (buy)
MP3: The Kooks - Kids (MGMT cover) (buy)
MP3: Radiohead - Down Is The New Up (buy)
MP3: Panda Riot - Paper Planes (live on WOXY) (buy) (Official)
MP3: The New Year - The Company I Get (buy)
MP3: The Uglysuit - Chicago (buy)
MP3: Ladyhawke - Back of the Van (Van She Tech Remix) (Official)
You won't find a more extensive and quality playlist from a video game than EA's FIFA. Last year we broke out a list with 50 songs from 26 countries. This year's list doesn't match last year in numbers but with 42 tracks from 21 countries, FIFA 09 surely hasn't slacked off.
Along with some wonderful and peppy tunes, this game has some vivid graphics that makes for a wonderful playing experience. FIFA 09 will be available in stores October 2008.
Below we have the track listings as well as a few MP3s. Unfortunately, not all songs were available on iTunes when this was posted, so keep your eyes open for an iMix eventually. Enjoy.
The Airborne Toxic Event - Gasoline
The Black Kids - I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You (The Twelves Remix)
The Bloody Beetroots - Butter
Caesar Palace - 1ne
Chromeo - Bonafied Lovin’ (Yuksek Remix)
CSS - Jager Yoga
Curumin - Magrela
Cut Copy - Lights And Music
Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley - Something For You (One Loaf Of Bread)
Datarock - True Stories
DJ Bitman - Me Gustan
Duffy - Mercy
MP3: Foals - Olympic Airways (buy)
The Fratellis - Tell Me A Lie
Gonzales - Working Together (Boys Noize Remix)
The Heavy - That Kind Of Man
Hot Chip - Ready For The Floor (Soulwax Remix)
Jakobinarina - I’m A Villain
Junkie XL feat. Electrocute - Mad Pursuit
Jupiter One - Platform Moon
Kasabian - Fase Fuse
MP3: The Kissaway Trail - 61 (buy)
The Kooks - Always Where I Need To Be
Ladytron - Runaway
MP3: Lykke Li - I’m Good I’m Gone (buy)
Macaco - Movin’
MGMT - Kids - USA
My Federation - What Gods Are These
MP3: Najwajean - Drive Me (buy)
The Pinker Tones - The Whistling Song
Plastilina Mosh - Let U Know
Radiopilot - Fahrrad
MP3: Reverend And The Makers - Open Your Window (buy)
Sam Sparro - Black & Gold
The Script - The End Where I Begin
Señor Flavio - Lo Mejor Del Mundo
Soprano - Victory
The Ting Tings - Keep Your Head
The Veronicas - Untouched
The Whip - Muzzle #1
Tom Jones - Feels Like Music (Junkie XL Remix)
Ungdomskulen - Modern Drummer
(Photo Courtesy of PunkPhoto.com)
The Kooks have been playing some of their live music, and we're happy to grab hold of some of it. Talk of The Kooks has been all over God's creation with their latest album, Konk, making news this week. A few thousand people have had the chance to see them play live, performing some of their latest material from Konk as well as those songs which have already infected the UK from their 2007 album Inside In Inside Out.
This past month, Brighton, UK band played a live show on March 6th sponsored by the one and only BBC Radio 1 at the Barfly in Liverpool. It was the perfect situation really. Fans screaming every word they knew, and new songs being played a month before their album dropped.
Below are two tracks from their show in Liverpool. We highly recommend listening to "Sway". I may have to eat my words when I said "Always Where I Need To Be" was their best song yet because this one exceeded my expectations.
MP3: The Kooks - Sway (live) (buy)
MP3: The Kooks - I Want You (live) (buy)
Check out The Kooks on MySpace, their Official Site, Last.fm and iTunes.
Tour Dates:
May 18 - San Diego, CA @ House of Blues
May 19 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern *SOLD OUT*
May 24 - Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom *SOLD OUT*
May 25 - George, WA @ Sasquatch! Festival - all ages
May 26 - Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom *SOLD OUT*
May 29 - Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre
May 30 - Kansas City, MO @ at The City Market
May 31 - Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line Music Café
June 1 - Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall Ballroom
June 2 - Chicago, IL @ Vic Theatre
June 4 - Toronto, ON @ Kool Haus
June 5 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore at TLA
June 6 - Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
June 10 - New York, NY @ Terminal 5
June 11 - New York, NY @ Terminal 5 *SOLD OUT*
Above: The Kooks' own Luke Pritchard, left, and Paul Garred.
This week The Kooks album KONK is finally here. You probably heard their single "Always Where I Need To Be" and we think its their best song yet. The Kooks really have great things in store for them this year. Check out their tour dates here.
Some other notables: Supergrass, the English rock band from Oxford are set to go with their album Diamond Hoo Ha. We recommend watching their zany video for "Alright" here. On the more popular side of things is Everclear with The Vegas Years. Everclear has now been around 14 years since their start in 1994.
If you're looking for some pop/punk, we recommend checking out Kill Your Ex. They're not morbid or depressing - it's pop/punk at its best. Hop on it. If you haven't checked out our M83 article, please do so. And lastly, the boys who have been around the block, yet keep getting better and better; I'm talking about Phantom Planet with their release of Raise The Dead.
Oh, and don't forget South (remember "Paint The Silence"?) and Frightened Rabbit, whom we just posted an mp3 for our Mix For The Weekend.
Mp3: M83 - We Own The Sky (buy)
Mp3: Tristan Prettyman - New Soul (Yael Naim cover) (buy)
Mp3: Phantom Planet - Leader (buy)
Mp3: Black Francis - I Sent Away (buy)
Better Luck Next Time - Start From Skratch (Official Site) (MySpace)
Black Francis - Svn Fngrs (Official) (MySpace)
Children of Bodom - Blooddrunk (Official Site) (MySpace)
Destroy the Runner - I, Lucifer (Official Site) (MySpace) (purevolume)
Everclear - The Vegas Years (Official Site) (MySpace)
Freddie Stevenson - All My Strange Companions (Official Site) (MySpace)
Frightened Rabbit - The Midnight Organ Fight (Official Site) (MySpace) (last.fm)
In Flight Radio - The Sound Inside (Official Site) (MySpace)
Joseph Arthur - Crazy Rain and Boredom EP (Official Site) (MySpace)
Kill Your Ex - From Words to Motion (Official Site) (MySpace)
Lady Antebellum - Lady Antebellum (Official Site) (MySpace)
M83 - Saturdays = Youth (Official Site) (MySpace)
Maldroid - Maldroid (Official Site) (MySpace)
Moral Crux - Moral Crux (Official Site) (MySpace)
O'luge - Movements (Official Site) (MySpace)
Phantom Planet - Raise the Dead (Official Site) (MySpace)
Plastic Constellations - We Appreciate You (Official Site) (MySpace)
Robert Hood - Fabric 39 (Last.fm) (Wiki)
Sally Shapiro - Remix Romance Vol. 1 (Official Site) (MySpace)
South - You Are Here (Official Site) (MySpace)
Supergrass - Diamond Hoo Ha (Official Site) (MySpace) (YouTube)
The Brian Jonestown Massacre - My Bloody Underground (Official Site) (MySpace)
The Child Ballads - Cheekbone Hollows (Official Site) (MySpace)
The Kooks - KONK (Official Site) (MySpace)
Tristan Prettyman - Hello (Official Site) (MySpace)
Above: Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin (Will, Phil , John)
Take a deep breath check out the spread this week. There's lots of great music to sift through, find out what you like and don't like.
We're sure you've heard of Foals, who have already released their single "Cassius" last week for their album Antidotes. The much talked-about Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin are all set to go with their much more to the point album name Perishing.
Don't be misled! The Kooks' highly anticipated album Konk does not come out this week despite what many blogs are saying (same goes for Phantom Planet). It will be available on April 14 in the UK and April 15th in the US. Tapes 'n Tapes, the Minneapolis, Minnesota indie rock band released their album Walk It Off, which has been precendented by their single "Hang Them All". They will begin their two-month tour across the US and end it in Germany come mid June. Colin Meloy (Decemberists) has also been on the road and released his solo performances with Colin Meloy Sings Live!.
Breakout solo artist Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth) releases his Sensitive/Lethal album today, which follows up his previous album Trees Outside The Academy. I'll be completely honest - its horrible and nothing like his previous effort. However, if you like albums made up of concocted basement noises, this may be your ace. Listen to the samples via Windows Media Player Sensitive, Whisper and Lethal. Don't say I didn't warn you.
This should all make for an interesting week!
MP3: Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - Modern Mystery (buy)
MP3: Tapes n' Tapes - The Dirty Dirty (buy)
MP3: Foals - Balloons (buy)
MP3: Does It Offend You, Yeah? - Let's Make Out (buy)
{{{Sunset}}} - Bright Blue Dream (last.fm)
And Academy - Aids (Not to be confused with The Academy Is...)
Ashes Divide - Keep Telling Myself It's All Right (YouTube)
Better Luck Next Time - Start From Skratch (MySpace)
Black Kids - I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance with You (MySpace) (Last.fm)
Clinic - Do It! (Wiki)
Cloud Cult - Feel Good Ghosts (Tea-Partying Through Tornadoes) (MySpace)
Colin Meloy - Colin Meloy Sings Live! (Decemberists Official Page)
Courteeners - St. Jude (MySpace)
Does It Offend You, Yeah? - You Have No Idea What You're Getting Yourself Into (MySpace) (YouTube)
Drift - Memory Drawings
Eric Avery - Help Wanted
Finest Dearest - Finest Dearest (MySpace)
Fixer - Before the Sun (MySpace)
Fleet Foxes - Sun Giant EP (Subpop!) (Last.fm)
Foals - Antidotes (MySpace)
For Against - Shade Side Sunny Side
Gran Ronde - Secret Rooms (last.fm)
Hayes Carll - Trouble in Mind
Ike Reilly - Poison The Hit Parade
Jason Anderson - The Hopeful and the Unafraid (MySpace)
Jim Noir - Jim Noir (MySpace)
Jonathan Richman - Because Her Beauty Is Raw & Wild
Karan Casey - Ships in the Forest (MySpace)
Kill Your Ex - From Words to Motion
Leona Lewis - Spirit (YouTube)
Maldroid - Maldroid (MySpace)
Man Man - Rabbit Habits (Last.fm)
Marcia Ball - Peace, Love & BBQ (MySpace)
Marie Digby - Unfold (MySpace)
Matinee Club - The Modern LP (MySpace)
Meat Beat Manifesto - Autoimmune (MySpace) (YouTube)
Mel C - This Time (YouTube)
Miss Murgatroid and Petra Haden - Hearts and Daggers (MySpace)
Neva Dinova - You May Already Be Dreaming
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Dig, Lazarus, Dig! (MySpace) (YouTube)
Old Haunts - Poisonous Times (MySpace)
P.O.D. - When Angels and Serpents Dance (Youtube)
Pacifika - Asunción (MySpace)
Peter Moren - The Last Tycoon
Richard Swift - Richard Swift as Onasis EP (MySpace)
Robert Kelly - Just the Tip
Robots in Dusguise - We're in the Music Biz (MySpace)
Rosey - Luckiest Girl
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - Pershing (MySpace)
Spanish Prisoners - Songs To Forget (MySpace)
Spoon - Don't You Evah EP (MySpace)
T.S.O.L - Early Years Live [DVD]
Tapes 'n Tapes - Walk It Off (MySpace) (YouTube)
Teedo - You Are My Girl EP
The Breeders - Mountain Battles (MySpace) (YouTube)
The Duke Spirit - Neptune (MySpace) (Last.fm)
The Felice Brothers - The Felice Brothers (MySpace) (Bonnaroo)
The Long Blondes - Couples (MySpace) (Last.fm)
The New Bloods - The Secret Life
Thee Oh Sees - The Master's Bedroom Is Worth Spending a Night In (TomLabel)
Their Teeth Will Be of Lions - Everyone Made It Out Alive...Almost!
Thurston Moore - Sensitive/Lethal (Last.fm)
Tina Dico - Count to Ten (MySpace) (Last.fm) (YouTube)
Wye Oak - If Children (MySpace)
