The 25 Best Live Performances of 2012

I have embedded the first couple, after that, the link will take you to YouTube, usually for some crappy rip that will be taken down at some point (one of these days content suppliers will realize they should put everything on the internet, montinize it, because people are just going to upload it anyway).



1. Losing My Religion – Michael Stipe and Chris Martin (12-12-12 Concert for Hurricane Sandy Relief)



2. Ronan – Taylor Swift (Stand Up 2 Cancer)



3. Cut Me Some Slack – Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic, and Pat Smear (12-12-12 Concert for Hurricane Sandy Relief)



4. Hallelujah – The Cast of the Voice



5. Gold on the Ceiling / Lonely Boy – The Black Keys with Johnny Depp (2012 MTV Movie Awards)

6. We Found Love / Princess of China / Paradise – Coldplay and Rihanna (2012 Grammy Awards)

7. Beastie Boys Tribute – The Roots, Kid Rock, and Travie McCoy (2012 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony)

8. Call Me Maybe – The Roots, Jimmy Fallon, and Carley Rae Jepsen (Late Night with Jimmy Fallon)

9. Higher Ground – Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ron Wood, Slash, Billy Joe Armstrong, and George Clinton (2012 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony)

10. Rolling in the Deep – Adele (2012 Grammy Awards)

11. Dream On – Amanda Brown (The Voice)

12. Let Yourself Go – Green Day (2012 MTV Video Music Awards)

13. Surfer Girl / Wouldn’t it Be Nice / Good Vibrations – The Beach Boys, Maroon 5, and Foster the People (2012 Grammy Awards)

14. Criminal – Melanie Martinez and Nicholas David (The Voice)

15. Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway) – Billy Joel (12-12-12 Concert for Hurricane Sandy Relief)

16. Crazy – Daryl Hall and Cee-Lo Green (Live From Daryl’s House)

17. Crossroads – Eric Clapton (12-12-12 Concert for Hurricane Sandy Relief)

18. Say Aah – Lindsey Pavao (The Voice)

19. We Are Young – Fun. (2012 MTV Movie Awards)

20. Thinkin’ Bbout You – Frank Ocean (2012 MTV Video Music Awards)

21. Not Even the King – Alicia Keys (Stand Up 2 Cancer)

22. Born to Run – Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi (12-12-12 Concert for Hurricane Sandy Relief)

23. I’m Yours – Daryl Hall and Jason Mraz (Live From Daryl’s House)

24. Over You – Cassadee Pope (The Voice)

25. Comfortably Numb – Roger Waters and Eddie Vedder (12-12-12 Concert for Hurricane Sandy Relief)

57 Channels and Only This Is On - 9/9/12

Quote of the Week: Ask Osama bin Laden if he is better off than he was four years ago. (John Kerry, The Democratic National Convention)

Song of the Week: Ronan – Taylor Swift (Stand Up 2 Cancer; proceeds of the song go to cancer research)

Big News of the Week: The Democratic National Convention: It is weird to hear every talk about how great a president Bill Clinton was, even may conservative talking heads considering the guy was so toxic back in 2000 Democratic nominee Al Gore treated his boss like, well, like Mitt Romney treated George W. Bush at his convention. Seriously people, if you have forgotten, go Google Monica Lewinski, Paula Jones, Vince Foster, and / or Marc Rich.

I have a longstanding voting strategy to never vote for incumbents because the longer politicians stay in office, the more corrupt they become. But I would have totally voted for Barack Obama had his convention speech just been him walking up to the front of the stage, say, “I shot Osama bin Laden in the face.” Drop the mic and watch off the stage while Bob Marley’s I Shot the Sheriff played in the background.

Preview Picture of the Week:


Switched at Birth: I actually thought they were going to have Bay forgive Emmitt in less than one episode. That should be unforgiveable, especially for a teenage and ABC Family is not known for its eaklthy relationships (*cough*Aria/Ezra*cough*) so thankfully they have Bay a backbone (for at least one episode). But speaking of unhealthy relationship, that cannot possibly have Daphne hook up with her boss (who I swear is the Kennish’s lawyer with a haircut) can they? Ew.

Grimm: The episode featured a zombie virus that makes you horny. Awesome.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Grimm on iTunes.

MTV Video Music Awards: This year has to rival the painfully bad Vegas year (the one where Britney Spears laughably started the show) as the worst VMA’s ever. Really the only thing worth talking about is how the botched the MCA tribute. C’mon, last year Amy Winehouse gets a ten minute tribute including a performance even though she released just one great album and no memorable videos and never received a VMA or even performed on the show. But the Beastie Boys were one of the top five video artists ever (arguable number two behind Michael Jackson), gave one of the most memorable VMA performances ever with Sabotage, and was one of only a handful of artists to win the Video Vanguard Award. But all MCA gets is about five seconds of No Sleep to Brooklyn played over the loud speaker. MTV should be ashamed.


Free Download of the Week: Everything Is Embarrassing – Sky Ferreira (Rcrd Lbl)

Deal of the Week: Big DVD and Blu Ray Sale: The Big Bang Theory, New Jack City, Gremlins 2

New Album Release of the Week: Away From The World (Super Deluxe Limited Edition CD/DVD) - Dave Matthews Band

New DVD Release of the Week: The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Fifth Season

Video of the Week: It seems like every couple months a new movie trailer pops up that makes me go, that has to be a fake Funny or Die trailer because no way anyone would actually make that. When I saw the title Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters I assumed it would be a trailer parody of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, but then Jeremy Renner pops up and I realize this is an actually serious movie. Alrighty.


Next Week Pick of the Week: Parenthood, Tuesday at 10:00: NBC’s staggered start of the fall season with the debut of its Monday and Tuesday lineups (sans Revolution which gets its premiere next week so they can air The New Normal and Go On pilots which are both currently online if you cannot wait; same with Revolution and Animal Practice). And the best show premiering this week is easily Parenthood. If my memory is correct Crosby and Jasmine got married, Julia and Joel got a kid (but sadly they did not adopt the coffee girl and her baby like I hoped), and Adam thankfully did not fire the absurdly hot secretary even though she kissed him. I am most interested in which Friday Night Lights alum pops up this season following in the footsteps of Lyla Garrity and Vince Howard. What is Becky Sproles up to these days?

The 100 Greatest Songs from the Golden Age of Hip-Hop

1. Fight the Power - Public Enemy

2. Mama Said Knock You Out - LL Cool J

3. Mind Playing Tricks On Me - Geto Boys

4. Award Tour - A Tribe Called Quest

5. Passin' Me By - The Pharcyde

6. Nuthin' But A G Thang - Dr. Dre featuring Snoop Doggy Dogg

7. Mass Appeal - Gang Starr

8. Crossover - EPMD

9. The Choice Is Yours - Black Sheep

10. Sometimes I Rhyme Slow - Nice & Smooth

11. Regulate - Warren G & Nate Dogg

12. Children's Story - Slick Rick

13. Express Yourself - N.W.A.

14. If I Ruled the World (Imagine That) - Nas featuring Lauryn Hill

15. Paul Revere - Beastie Boys

16. They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.) - Pete Rock & CL Smooth

17. New Jack Hustler (Nino's Theme) - Ice-T

18. Insane In the Brain - Cypress Hill

19. Summertime - DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince

20. It Takes Two - Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock

21. Gangsta's Paradise - Coolio featuring L.V.

22. Gin and Juice - Snoop Dogg

23. La Di Da Di (Live) - Doug E Fresh & Slick Rick

24. Scenario - A Tribe Called Quest featuring Leaders of the New School

25. Down With the King - Run-D.M.C. featuring Pete Rock and CL Smooth

26. Paid In Full - Eric B. & Rakim

27. Drop - The Pharcyde

28. Jump Around - House of Pain

29. Slam - Bacdafucup - Onyx

30. Peter Piper - Run-D.M.C.

31. C.R.E.A.M. - Wu-Tang Clan

32. Big Poppa - The Notorious B.I.G.

33. They Want EFX - Das EFX

34. Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthing ta F' Wit - Wu-Tang Clan

35. Around the Way Girl - LL Cool J

36. It Was a Good Day - Ice Cube

37. Straight Outta Compton - N.W.A.

38. King of Rock - Run-D.M.C.

39. Follow the Leader - Eric B. & Rakim

40. Bring the Noise - Public Enemy

41. Getto Jam - Domino

42. California Love - 2Pac and Dr. Dre

43. No Sleep Till Brooklyn - Beastie Boys

44. Now That We Found Love - Heavy D & the Boyz

45. Bonita Applebum - A Tribe Called Quest

46. Runnin' - The Pharcyde

47. I Know You Got Soul - Eric B. & Rakim

48. Hip Hop Hooray - Naughty By Nature

49. Hey Ladies - Beastie Boys

50. I'll Be There for You / You're All I Need to Get By - Method Man featuring Mary J. Blige

51. Pop Goes the Weasel - 3rd Bass

52. Shake Your Rump - Beastie Boys

53. Check Yo Self ('The Message' Remix) - Ice Cube featuring Das Efx

54. Damn It Feels Good to Be a Gangsta - Geto Boys

55. Mistadobalina - Del tha Funkee Homosapien

56. Just a Friend - Biz Markie

57. Funky For You - Nice & Smooth

58. Loungin' - Guru Featuring Donald Byrd

59. Case of the P.T.A. - Leaders of the New School

60. So What'cha Want - Beastie Boys

61. I Used to Love H.E.R. - Common Sense

62. Bring the Pain - Method Man

63. Eric B. Is President - Eric B. & Rakim

64. Let Me Clear My Throat (Old School Reunion Remix '96) - DJ Kool, Biz Markie & Doug E. Fresh

65. It's Tricky - Run-D.M.C.

66. I Get Around - 2Pac featuring Digital Underground

67. I Left My Wallet In El Segundo - A Tribe Called Quest

68. Dwyck - Gang Starr Featuring Nice and Smooth

69. Fight for Your Right - Beastie Boys

70. The Symphony - Marley Marl Master Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap and Big Daddy Kane

71. The Gas Face - 3rd Bass

72. Wild Wild West - Kool Moe Dee

73. South Bronx - Boogie Down Productions

74. Electric Relaxation - A Tribe Called Quest

75. Me Myself & I - De La Soul

76. Because I Got It Like That - Jungle Brothers

77. Wild Thing - Tone-Loc

78. Method Man - Wu-Tang Clan

79. Potholes in My Lawn - De La Soul

80. Check the Rhime - A Tribe Called Quest

81. You Had Too Much To Drink - EPMD

82. Same Song - Digital Underground and 2Pac

83. Vapors - Biz Markie

84. Juicy - The Notorious B.I.G.

85. Going Back to Cali - LL Cool J

86. Ain't No Half-Steppin' - Big Daddy Kane

87. 911 Is a Joke - Public Enemy

88. I Wish - Skee-Lo

89. Fallin' - De La Soul and Teenage Fanclub

90. My Hooptie - Sir Mix-A-Lot

91. B Girls - Young & Restless

92. Sweet Potatoe Pie - Domino

93. Pass the Mic - Beastie Boys

94. Woo Hah!! Got You All In Check - Busta Rhymes & Rampage

95. How I Could Just Kill a Man - Cypress Hill

96. Shamrocks and Shenanigans - House of Pain

97. Nuttin' But Love - Heavy D & the Boyz

98. F**k Wit Dre Day (And Everybody's Celebratin') - Dr. Dre featuring Snoop Doggy Dogg

99. Wicked - Ice Cube

100. Give the People - EPMD

Honorable Mention: Christmas In Hollis – Run-D.M.C.


For more on this list, check out Breaking Down the 100 Greatest Songs from the Golden Age of Hip-Hop.

Yeah, You Can’t Front on That

Like most people, I came to Paul’ Boutique late and let face it, as great as it was, License to Ill was a novelty album for sophomoric guys. Really, Check Your Head is when I became a true fan of the Beastie Boys and that is why it is this month’s induction into the Scooter Hall of Fame. Released just eight months after Nevermind, the Beastie Boys rode the wave of alternative music mixing live instrumentation, the first time they played on the majority of the songs since their punk beginnings while keeping their hip-hop esthetics. Check Your Head pushed the boundaries of rap as far as Paul’s Boutique did but was assessable right off the bat.

Pass the Mic was a great introduction to the Boys new sound as the first single from the album, the passing of the mic would satisfy the hip-hop purists while attracting the new alternative crowd with the fuzzed out guitars. Later in the album they would go full out rock stars with Gratitude (setting the stage for one of their biggest hits Sabotage off their next album). And much like Sabotage, the song is built around a killer bass groove courtesy of MCA.

Even though they plugged in for the album, there are plenty of clever samples that made Paul’s Boutique revolutionary. So What-Cha Want is built off of When the Levee Breaks. And like a few songs on Paul’s Boutique, Finger Lickin’ Good drops the track and just lets a couple seconds of Bob Dylan’s Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues before going back to the weird mix of Aquarius and Dance to the Music. The Biz vs. The Nuge lives up to the name as it is just Biz Markie singing over Ted Nugent’s Homebound. And what would Pass the Mic be without the Jimmie Walker famous “Dynamite!”

They push their sound even further in the second half of the album when they go back to their punk roots with punky version of Sly Stone’s Time for Livin'. Something’s Got to Give is a trippy ride. They even throw in some funky instrumentals for good measure. We may have lost a true legend a couple weeks ago in MCA, but his work with the Beastie Boys will live on forever with the great albums he left behind.

The 25 Greatest Beastie Boys Music Videos of All Time

We lost a true legend last week when Adam Yauch lost his battle with cancer. MCA along with his brothers in the Beastie Boys made the most innovative music over their three decade. The trio also made some of the most memorable music videos from the golden age of MTV even though they inexplicably only won two VMA’s: Best Hip Hop Video for Intergalactic and Best Director for last year’s Make Some Noise. They did pick up the Video Vanguard Award and some made up award from 2009 called Best Video (That Should Have Won a Moonman) for Sabotage (to save you a Google search, it lost to Cryin’ for Video of the Year, Viewer’s Choice and Best Group Video; you could not touch Alicia Silverstone in 1994). So to honor MCA I thought I would compile a list of the greatest Beastie Boys music videos, most of which were directed by Yauch’s alter ego Nathanial Hörnblowér, who is most famous for storming the stage when Spike Jones lost out to Everybody Hurts by R.E.M. for Best Director in 1994 (R.E.M. also blocked Sabotage for Breakthrough Video that year). I have marked the videos directed or co-directed by Nathanial Hörnblowér with a *.

1. Sabotage



2. Intergalactic *



3. Fight for Your Right (To Party)



4. Make Some Noise *



5. Ch-Check it Out *



6. Shadrach *

7. Hey Ladies

8. Body Movin’ *

9. No Sleep ‘till Brooklyn

10. Triple Trouble *

11. So What’cha Want *

12. Pass the Mic *

13. Right Right Now Now *

14. Alive *

15. Don’t Play No Game That I Can’t Win

16. Sure Shot *

17. Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun *

18. Jimmy James *

19. Shake Your Rump *

20. Shazam! *

21. Gratitude

22. Root Down

23. Three MC’s and One DJ *

24. An Open Letter to NYC *

25. Netty’s Girl

Best of the Week - 5/5/12

Quote of the Week: You can’t escape it, Don. Soon your little girl will spread her legs and fly. (Megan’s dad, Mad Men)

Song of the Week: You Oughta Know – Alanis Morrissette (as sung by June, Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23)

Scene of the Week:



Big News of the Week: A Melancholy Happy Trails to Adam Yauch: I grew up with the Beastie Boys. Quite literally. I was a childish elementary school student when the sophomoric License to Ill came out. I was going through my alternative phase as they got weird on Check Your Head. I was heading out to the club when the released their most danceable Hello, Nasty. And I was getting political when they released their pro-New York, anti-Bush To the the 5 Boroughs. Where most groups have a standout performer, no one have a favorite Beastie Boy, they were all equally great and at their best when they were trading lines. I can count the number of artist whose whole catalogue I own on one hand and the Beastie Boys were one of them. MCA’s diagnosis of cancer pushed back the release of Hot Sauce Committee, part 1 in 2009 which did not get released until a year later (renamed part 2) but his illness kept him from promoting the album and recently had to miss his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last month (which will be premiering on HBO tonight).

Free Download of the Week: China Girl – David Bowie (Google Play)

Deal of the Week: 100 Album for $5 on Amazon MP3: This month’s $5 albums include Norah Jones, Amos Lee, Dawes, and Rosie Thomas.



New Album Release of the Week: Strangeland - Keane

New DVD Release of the Week: Chuck: The Complete Fifth Season

Video of the Week: I have been worshiping at the altar of Apatow for about a decade now, but something is just not working with the first trailer to his four movie that he wrote and directed This Is Forty, a sequel of sorts to Knocked Up (which was probably done so he didn’t have to work with Katharine Heigl again which is understandable). At one point Leslie Mann tells Paul Rudd his eyes are glazing over an that is actually what he looks like throughout the whole trailer when he is fully clothed. And the only part I actually laughed was the “No technology” line. Hopefully this is just a case of a bad trailer and movie ends up being much better.



Next Week Pick of the Week: 2 Broke Girls, Monday at 8:00 on CBS: Sure the show ranks number one on my list of the most disappointing show of the season but Kat Dennings still carries the show fairly well even if all the other characters are one dimensional and the second lead has an annoying voice. But Caroline is less annoying than The Voices of other people that will be airing during the same timeslot on Monday.

The 50 Best Music Videos of 2011

The links will lead you to YouTube and if you are interested in buying the video or song, click the corresponding iTunes badge.

1. In Your Arms - Kina Grannis



2. Howlin’ for You - The Black Keys



3. Make Some Noise - Beastie Boys



4. Muppet Show Theme Song - The Muppets and OK Go



5. Walk - Foo Fighters



6. Hello - Martin Solveig & Dragonette

7. Lonely Boy - The Black Keys

8. Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win - Beastie Boys and Santigold

9. All Is Not Lost - OK Go

10. The Shrine / An Argument - Fleet Foxes

11. Red Solo Cup - Toby Keith

12. Good Man - Raphael Saadiq

13. ‘Til the End of Time - Timothy Bloom featuring V

14. Gonna Get Over You - Sara Bareilles

15. Cry Baby - Cee-Lo Green

16. All Of The Lights - Kanye West

17. Camera - Matt and Kim

18. Uncharted - Sara Bareilles

19. Sadness Is a Blessing - Lykke Li

20. Don't Stop (Color on the Walls) - Foster the People

21. We All Go Back to Where We Belong (John Version) - R.E.M.

22. Rill Rill - Sleigh Bells

23. Paradise - Coldplay

24. Day Dreams - Raphael Saadiq

25. Monster - Kanye West featuring Rick Ross, Jay-Z and Nicki Minaj

26. Go Outside - Cults

27. Free My Mind - Katie Herzig

28. Call Your Girlfriend - Robyn

29. Michael Jackson - Das Racist

30. Someone Like You - Adele

31. Bizness - tUnE-yArDs

32. From The Clouds - Jack Johnson

33. The Lazy Song - Bruno Mars

34. The Walk - Mayer Hawthorne

35. Invisible - Skylar Grey

36. Block After Block - Matt and Kim

37. Settle Down - Kimbra

38. Otis - Kanye West & Jay-Z

39. Called Out of the Dark - Snow Patrol

40. Long Time - Cake

41. Even if I Don’t - Rachael Yamagata

42. Single Girls – Laura Jansen

43. Sing Your Own Song - John Wesley Harding

44. Say You Like Me - We The Kings

45. The Last Huzzah - Mr. (Expletive Deleted) eXquire featuring Despot, Das Racist, Danny Brown, and El-P

46. ÜBerlin - R.E.M.

47. Girl Panic - Duran Duran

48. Holy Holy - Wye Oak

49. Young Blood - The Naked and Famous

50. Rolling in the Deep - Adele