Showing posts with label The Killers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Killers. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Breaking Down the Best Songs of the Year


At the end of every year since 1996, I have gathered up my favorite songs from that year for a countdown of my favorite. I was interested in seeing who were the artist that appeared most on those list over the past decade and here are the top 25 (well since there was a tie there are actually 31). I counted any song of which they were listed as a featured artist, not just when they were the lead artist. Also keep in mind this list has nothing to do with my upcoming Greatest Songs of the 00’s which I promise to release before the next decade ends. I also included a list of the number 1’s of the past twelve years as well as Mr. Irrelevant (the song that was last that year).  For the full list for the past five years, click the Best Songs label at the bottom of the post.

1. Kanye West - 25

2. Alicia Keys – 15

John Mayer – 15 (Solo, 14 and John Mayer Trio, 1)

4. U2 - 14

5. Jay-Z - 13

6. Carrie Underwood – 11

Coldplay – 11

8. Nelly Furtado – 10

9. Beyoncé – 9 (Solo, 6 and Destiny’s Child, 3)

Dave Matthews – 9 (solo, 1 and Dave Matthews Band, 8)

Eminem – 9

The Killers – 9

Michelle Branch – 9 (solo, 6 and The Wreckers, 3)

Nas – 9

Ryan Adams – 9

Snoop Dogg – 9

Snow Patrol – 9

3 Doors Down - 9

19. Christina Aguilera – 8

Jack Johnson – 8

Jack White - 8 (The Raconteurs, 2 and The White Stripes, 6)

Lily Allen – 8

Maroon 5 – 8

Santana - 8

25. Common – 7

Death Cab for Cutie – 7

Jimmy Eat World – 7

Rihanna – 7

The Roots – 7

Taylor Swift – 7

Weezer - 7


Most Top Ten Songs

7 - John Mayer

Kanye West

4 - Michelle Branch (solo, 2 and The Wreckers, 2)

Santana

3 - Coldplay

David Gray

Death Cab for Cutie

Jay-Z

The Killers

Ryan Adams

U2


Shortest Song: Fell in Love with a Girl – The White Stripes (1:50)

Longest Song: I Will Possess Your Heart – Death Cab for Cutie (8:36)

Longest Break Between Charting: 10 Years (Ben Harper, Steal My Kisses in 2000; Fly One Time in 2009)

Number One Songs by Year

2000: Maria, Maria – Santana featuring the Product G&B

2001: Everywhere – Michelle Branch

2002: Fell in Love with a Girl – The White Stripes

2003: The Seed (2.0) – The Roots featuring Cody ChestnuTT

2004: All Falls Down – Kanye West

2005: Landed – Ben Folds

2006: Crazy – Gnarls Barkley

2007: Drivin’ Me Wild – Common featuring Lily Allen

2008: I’m Yours – Jason Mraz

2009: Use Somebody – Kings of Leon


Mr. Irrelevant

2000: The Bad Touch – The Bloodhound Gang

2001: Standing Still – Jewel

2002: Friends and Family – Trik Turner

2003: Make Me a Song – Kiley Dean

2004: Some Girls – Rachel Stevens

2005: Give a Little Bit – Goo Goo Dolls

2006: Lithium – Evanescence

2007: This Ain’t a Scene, it’s an Arms Race – Fall Out Boy

2008: Stuck to You – Nikka Costa

2009: Let’s Take a Walk – Raphael Saadiq

Thursday, December 10, 2009

I Want My Music Television vol. LXXI


There have been a couple of videos that have caught my eye lately so I thought I’d give them some love since the death of Musical Television left a void for a forum on the art form. If you are interested in buying the video through iTunes, click the title link (where available). If you are interested in buying the song, look for a link in the analysis.


Must Be Santa – Bob Dylan



Adam Sandler once famously proclaimed “Bob Dylan was born a Jew, then he wasn’t and now he’s back.” And now for his first holiday album, Bob Dylan is saluting the patron saint of Christmas in this odd song (he inexplicitly slices recent US presidents with reindeer names) with an even weirder video where, for reason only Dylan knows, he wears a stringy wig. Someone needs to keep off the eggnog.


¡Happy Birthday Guadalupe! – The Killers



The Killers are also ready for Christmas with their new festive, albeit south of the border, tune. Complete with a video, half that looks like outtakes from the When We Were Young video featuring a bearded Luke Perry look-a-like, the other half looks like outtakes from a Mexican horror film. Feliz Navidad.


Full Steam – David Gray and Annie Lennox



This video reminds me of the classic age of music videos when all of them had vague narratives that morph into a performance piece in some non descript area that really has nothing to do with the song. And I couldn’t stop laughing at their movements and especially David Gray’s weird mouth thing. It is too bad this won’t get enough attation because there could have been a decent SNL spoof here (the video is funnier than any Digital Short in recent memory).


I Wanna Rock – Snoop Dogg



In a story I broke Tuesday, Snoop Dogg has a new album out (see: Boss Dogg Chilin, Lookin Like a Million) and this is really the only song worth listening to. And it looks like Snoop wants to add superhero to his already long list of extra-curricular activities.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

I Want My Music Television vol. LXII


There have been a couple of videos that have caught my eye lately so I thought I’d give them some love since the death of Musical Television left a void for a forum on the art form. If you are interested in buying the video through iTunes, click the title link (where available). If you are interested in buying the song, look for a link in the analysis.


Goodnight, Travel Well – The Killers



UNICEF, MTV and The Killers teamed up this thought provoking video to shed the light on human trafficking. Hopefully since they are involved, MTV actually shows the video sometime other than times when normal people are not sleeping.


Fugitive – David Gray



Back in 2000, I would have pegged David Gray to end up being one of the artists of the decade. As we close out the ’00 that sadly didn’t turn out to be the case aside from my own record collection as most people were turned off by his dark turn on A Day After Midnight. But still color me excited for Draw the Line out next month.


Melody – Kate Earl



iTunes use to find a lot of gems with their weekly free Single of the Week, but this year has been mostly misses. But that turned around this week where you can get this song from Kate Earl for the low price of nothing. As long as the banner below is of Earl, you can still get it for free. As for the song itself, I love the subtle doo-wop in the middle of the song.

Kate Earl free on iTunes



Relator – Pete Yorn and Scarlett Johansson



Pete Yorn and Scarlett Johansson teamed up for an album, so, um, yeah, that happened.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

I Want My Music Television vol. LIII


There have been a couple of videos that have caught my eye lately so I thought I’d give them some love since the death of Musical Television left a void for a forum on the art form. If you are interested in buying the video through iTunes, click the title link (where available). If you are interested in buying the song, look for a link in the analysis.


Funny the Way It Is - Dave Matthews Band

Somewhat reminiscent of their last video Eh Hee with Dave Matthews getting abused with the camera doing weird speed effects. Well, at least the song is great.
A Dustland Fairytale - The Killers
Nothing more unintentionally funny then when The Killers try to go for an epic video. But all I could think when watching it is the Enrique Iglesias video Hero (with Mickey Rourke and Jennifer Love Hewitt).
Crack a Bottle – Eminem, Dr. Dre and 50 Cent
Crack a Bottle was really the only party song on Relapse, but leave it to Eminem to make a video that is as creepy as the rest of the album.
Under My Bed – Meiko
Meikohad me at ninjas hiding under her bed. And holy Abe Lincoln sighting!

Saturday, May 02, 2009

Best of the Week vol. XIX


Quote of the Week: Devon, why are you letting Sam Kinison and an Indian lesbian ruin your wedding? (Woody Woodcomb, Chuck)

Song of the Week: Mr. Roboto – Styx (as performed by Jeffster, Chuck)

Big News of the Week: ABC coming to Hulu: And along with ABC is the Disney family including ABC Family, Disney Channel, SOAPnet, classic ABC series, and titles from The Walt Disney Studio. Conspicuously absent for the Disney umbrella is any ESPN programs which means no Pardon the Interruption. Hopefully that gets remedied because I would love to hear another uncomfortable new media pitch from Tony Kornheiser while Michael Wilbon grumbles about how he will refuse to use it. Unless I am blind I did not see exactly when the Disney family will be added to Hulu in the press release. When it does I will have to remember to log off whenever I have a Wizards of Waverly Place marathon so it doesn’t show up as viewed on my profile.

Gratuitous Token Hot Chick Picture of the Week:

Yvonne Strahovski after getting caught in the sprinklers


Coalition Links of the Week:
With the Upfronts fast approaching, Buzz took a spin through some of the networks' most promising pilots. (BuzzSugar)

Vance gives his 2 cents on Lost, Survivor, 90210, Gossip Girl, American Idol and a few other shows. (Tapeworthy)

So we've got a question about Jonathan Rhys Meyers from The Tudors. Is he creepy, hot or just creepy hot? Vote in our survey! (TiFaux)

This week, the TV Addict discussed why Moonlight failed with Criminal Minds guest star Alex O'Loughlin. (The TV Addict)

Matt just caught up on the first two seasons of Californication. Bring on season three already, Showtime! (TV Fanatic)

Kate was delighted to hear that Chuck Bass...er, Ed Westwick...will guest star on Californication. (TV Filter)


Free Download of the Week: Four Winds – The Killers (Kanye University): I am not entirely sure if this is on the up and up, but Kanye West routinely post music from him and artists from his label. Then occasionally he will post others like thyis The Killers cover of a Bright Eyes song. Because Kanye West is where I go for the latest in indie rock music advice.

Deal of the Week: DVD for Mom: As Low as $6.49 (Clueless, Elizabethtown, Mean Girls)

Video of the Week: I am not entirely sure about marketing campaigns that insult their potential customers, but hey, the latest Hulu spot stars Denis Leary. So there’s that.

The Leary Mission


Next Week Pick of the Week: Lost, Wednesday at 9:00 on ABC: Last week on Lost set into motion of what could be an explosive final three episodes of the season. Literally considering Faraday wants to take the buried bomb and blow up the Dharma station. Will they succeed? Considering the two-hour season finale is called The Incident, something better. Although why didn’t Kate or Jack bother to ask Faraday what exactly would happen to them if they did blow up the station, keeping Desmond from crashing the plane? That would have been my number one question.

Monday, December 29, 2008

The 9th Green’s Readers Favorite Songs of 2008


First off, congratulations are in order Emily and Niv who both picked up Amazon gift cards for sending in their top ten lists and thanks to everyone else who also contributed to the list (check your e-mail that you sent your lists from if you haven’t got it yet). After sending all the ballots sent in this year through my patent pending algorism that makes the Electoral College seem reasonable in comparison, here is what it came up with. If you do not like the results start get ready to send in a list for 2009.


1. Viva la Vida - Coldplay

2. Shut Up and Let Me Go - The Ting Tings

3. Electric Feel - MGMT

4. I Will Posses Your Heart - Death Cab for Cutie

5. Heartless - Kanye West

6. Where I Stood - Missy Higgins

7. The Show - Lenka

8. Signs - Bloc Party

9. You Don’t Know Me - Ben Folds featuring Regina Spektor

10. Human - The Killers

11. Violent Hill - Coldplay

12. In This Life - Delta Goodram

13. Oxford Comma - Vampire Weekend

14. If I Never See Your Face Again - Maroon 5 and Rihanna

15. Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) - Beyoncé

16. Come on Get Higher - Matt Nathenson

17. Live Your Life - T.I. featuring Rihanna

18. Broken - Lifehouse

19. She’s a Lady - Forever the Sickest Kids

20. Paper Planes - M.I.A.

21. Shape Shifter - Keri Noble

22. The Resolution - Jack’s Mannequin

23. How I Could Just Kill a Man - Charolette Sometimes

24. Sex on Fire - Kings of Leon

25. My Medicine - Snoop Dogg

Tuesday, December 02, 2008

You Sold Your Soul like a Roman Vagabond


Day & Age - The Killers

Life must be fun inside the mind of Brandon Flowers. Usually when a band’s latest album gets panned by critics and fans alike, a band would like to go back to the drawing board and try something different or go back that got them praise in the first place. Instead of scrapping the whole Sam’s Town concept, Flowers decided continue with that concept on Day & Age and decided to take it a step further by saying the new album is Sam’s Town but in space. I wish that is what could explain Flowers adding feathers to his Spaghetti Western attire, but sadly I don’t get it.

Also Brandon Flowers’ mind is also the only where the phrase, “Are we human or are we dancer” is an obvious Hunter S. Thomson reference. Thanks to the song that lyrics belongs to, Human as well as the other song they debuted prior to the release of Day & Age, expectations were low that The Killers could break from the sophomore slump of Sam’s Town.

But something happened on the way to space where everything else on Day & Age clicked, something the band had trouble doing in their earlier ambitions from the horns of Losing Touch, the chanting in This Is Your Life, the steel drums of I Can’t Stay, and the epic A Dustland Fairytale that sweeps from a piano opening to a soaring orchestration all in under four minutes that gets closer to the Springsteen homage that they never quite reached on Sam’s Town. They even talk about girls in their summer clothes, “Saw Cinderella in a party dress / But she was looking for a nightgown.”

The band even gets back to their New Wave roots on Joy Ride. Then there is the ominous seven minute Goodnight, Travel Well that sounds like it was born off of Tranilize but pumped with steroids. The last two albums that formed in the mind of Brandon Flowers may have been hit or miss, but the guy is definitely giving us something to talk about. Now if he would just bottle up whatever he has been drinking to get there.

Song to Download - Losing Touch

Day & Age gets a Terror Alert Level: Elevated [YELLOW] on my Terror Alert Scale.




Thursday, October 23, 2008

I Want My Music Television vol. XXXVII


There have been a couple of videos that have caught my eye lately so I though I’d give them some love since the death of Musical Television left a void for a forum on the art form If you are interested in buying the video through iTunes, click the title link (where available, if not the link goes to YouTube where you can watch the video in full screen). If you are interested in buying the song, look for a link in the analysis.


Human - The Killers



If I were to make a list of the most disappoint things about the 00's, Sam’s Town by The Killers would have to make the list. Most of that was thanks to Brandon Flowers’ own Bruce Springsteen comparison. After that backlash, you would think Flowers would cool it on that, but he is on the record of calling Human a mix between Johnny Cash and the Pet Shop Boys. Um, yeah, okay. But looking at the video it is nice to see the band has ditched the silly Spaghetti Western look, but I have no idea what is with the feathered shoulder pads. Look for Day & Age out November 22.


Move - Q-Tip



Yeah Snoop Dogg just did the retro video a couple months ago, but what I have heard from The Renaissance, color me excited about the new Q-Tip album dropping on November 4.


Make You Crazy - Brett Dennen



What do you do when you’re a singer-songwriter and everyone ignores your first album? Well if you are Brett Dennen you find yourself a famous fan like Mandy Moore and put her in your video where you do your best Al Bundy impression. Works for me.


Lovebug - The Jonas Brothers



Mock me all you want but the new Jonas Brothers song is catchy in a still not as catchy as anything in the Hanson catalog kind of way.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

2008 Fall Music Preview


To say the summer for music was bad would be an understatement. Between Coldplay and Metallica which was released this past weekend, there were no releases to get excited about unless you were a fourteen year old girl (horary Jonas Brothers). Need more proof, check out Tapeworthy’s list of the Best Songs of the Summer. Yeah, sad (but where was I’m Yours?). And fall got a little less anticipated with the recent announcement that U2 has pushed No Line on the Horizon back to 2009. But here is a list of the albums you can plan to give to loved ones for Christmas this year (dates subject to change; click the album name for Amazon pre-order and the artist name to check out them on iTunes). If I left off your favorite artist, let me know in the comments and I will add it later:

September 16
Learn to Live - Darius Rucker
The Way I See It - Raphael Saadiq
Keep Coming Back - Marc Broussard
Gift of Screws - Lindsey Buckingham


September 23
Love, War, and the Ghost of Whitey Ford - Everlast
Big Bad World - Plain White T's
Loyalty to Loyalty - Cold War Kids
Acid Tongue - Jenny Lewis
Lenka - Lenka


September 30
Way to Normal - Ben Folds
Something Else - Robin Thicke
The Glass Passenger - Jack’s Mannequin
Covers - James Taylor


October 7
Dig out Your Soul - Oasis
OK Now - Jon McLaughlin
Break Up the Concrete - The Pretenders
Elephants - Rachael Yamagata

October 14
Multi-Dimensional Warrior - Santana
Gossip in the Grain - Ray LaMontagne
Pebble to a Pearl - Nikka Costa
Perfect Symmetry - Keane
Be OK - Ingrid Michaelson


October 20
Black Ice - AC/DC


October 28
A Hundred Million Suns - Snow Patrol
Evolver - John Legend
Come - Prince
Sir Luscious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty - Big Boi
Padded Room - Joe Budden


November 4
The Renaissance - Q-Tip
Folie A Deux - Fall Out Boy
Safe Trip Home - Dido
Scream - Chris Cornell


November 11
Fearless - Taylor Swift
On My Radio - Musiq Soulchild
Soul - Seal
Under the Radar - Daniel Powter


November 18
When the World Comes Down - The All-American Rejects
Untitled - Beyoncé
Untitled - Kelly Clarkson
Untitled - Nickelback
Untitled - David Cook
(Scooter’s Note: Anyone want to bet that at least three of these Untitled albums are moved?)


November 25
Day and Age - The Killers
24 Hours - Tom Jones


December 2
The Circus - Britney Spears


December 9
Before I Self Destruct - 50 Cent


December 16
808's & Heartbreak - Kanye West


You may also expect new albums from, Michelle Branch, Rhymefest, Fabolous, Goo Goo Dolls, Eminem, R. Kelly, Franz Ferdinand, and The Fray. Being Christmas season there is your usual Greatest Hits packages from Bob Dylan, Sarah McLauglin, Christina Aguilera, Switchfoot, Celine Dion, Hilary Duff, Bette Midler, and Tim. McGraw. Then actual Christmas albums from Faith Hill, Tony Bennett, Harry Connick Jr., Elvis Pressley, Kristin Chenoweth, Chris Isaak, Al Jarreau, and The Wiggles.

Then the battle of long delayed album is heating up again between Dr. Dre and Guns ‘n’ Roses. A tie in with Detox for Dr. Dre’s own cognac is scheduled to roll out this fall but no date for that or the album. While on the Chinese Democracy front, one track will be featured on the latest Rock Band game but no set date for the whole album. But cross your fingers because if it does come out this year, Dr. Pepper will give everyone in America a free can.

Wednesday, December 05, 2007

I Want My Music Television vol. XIII


There have been a couple of videos that have caught my eye lately so I though I’d give them some love since the death of Musical Television left a void for a forum on the art form so here they are courtesy of YouTube. I advise you to watch them before you read my reviews if you don’t want me to spoil things. If you are interested in buying the video through iTunes, click the title link (where available, if not the link goes to YouTube where you can watch the video in full screen). If you are interested in buying the song, look for a link in the analysis.


Sensual Seduction - Snoop Dogg



For the long time readers to the 9th Green you know I am never a lost for word, but words really cannot do justice to this new Snoop Dogg video. It is either the greatest thing ever in the history of YouTube, or the word.


Don’t Shoot Me Santa - The Killers



Um, yeah, see above. Well actually I would like to add that 100% of the proceeds of The Killers songs go to (RED), an African AIDS programs.


Saving My Face - KT Tunstall



After seeing all the debris I was hoping for something cooler than the guitar being blown up. How Freedom ’90. But anyways, if you like the song, you can currently get it free over at Amazon MP3 (download Saving My Face free here) which mean not only that you don’t have to pay a cent, you get it DRM-free. Of course if you want to know more about Amazon MP3, see: Introducing Amazon MP3.


Exclusive Nip/Tuck Clip



A couple a weeks ago I got invited to a teleconference with New York of I Love New York fame in regards to her appearance on Nip/Tuck but as much as I wanted to pepper her with Midget Mac it was at a time I was unavailable. But as it turned out New York was unavailable herself as she came down with a cold and instead I got to submit e-mail questions to her. Well I got an e-mail Monday saying that New York hasn’t returned the questions yet and her people are not responding either, so I was unable to post the Q&A or hype her appearance on the show last night, but here is an exclusive look at that episode, which I guess is not as exclusive anymore because it has already aired. Although as a wide man once said, if you haven’t seen it, it’s new to you. And if I am not mistaken, Nip/Tuck repeats a couple times throughout the week so check your local listings for that. And if New York gets around to answering the questions and returns them, I’ll be sure to post them in as timely fashion as she was returning them.