The Morning After

The quest to number 1 continues.  Today I cover songs 69 to 60.

See the complete list of the top 91 songs of the decade right here.

69) Nine Inch Nails – “Only”

AKA Halo 20 from Trent and friends, one of my fave NIN songs period.  Only was a song that NIN released as a multi-track that fans could download and create their own remixes… just like the previous single “Hand That Feeds.”

68) Matthew Good – “Born Losers”

Did you know the actor in that new Amy Adams film, “Leap Year” is named Matt Goode as well?  huh.  But he adds an ‘e’ to the end of good, like goode.  Strange.

Matt had gone through a ton of personal shit when it came to lay down Hospital Music, and you’ll hear it all on the record.  “Born Losers” had a few jabs at the ex-Mrs. including what I believe to be an allusion to an abortion?

“there ain’t nothin’ to this but your daughter
And the life you would not give her
Break your plans”

67) Audioslave – “Like a Stone”

This song came out in 2002, right around the time of Layne Staley’s death and many people speculated that Chris Cornell was singing about the former Alice in Chains singer.  But he was not.  Get back to work.

“No. I’m not one of those guys where, like, something happens and then I go run around, ‘Ooh, 9/11, and now it’s 9/12, let me write about that. I wrote the lyrics before he died. […] You can misinterpret that stuff pretty easy, but I don’t tend to sit down and plan on writing about a specific issue. They come up or they don’t.” – Chris Cornell

66) Sum 41 – “In Too Deep”

uhhh, the song is about wanting to break up with someone, but that person complains a bunch and you don’t because you uhhh, have spiky hair and you’re from Ajax.

65) Band of Skulls – “I Know What I Am”

The “press” whoever that is, give this record mixed reviews.  Some people liked Baby Darling Dollface Honey (including most jocks at the Zone), some publications did not.  Those publications are mouth pieces for communist China and hate Tibet.  When the British band came to Victoria, they completely dominated our world.  Gracious, talented and quality humans.

64) Matisyahu – “King Without a Crown”

An American Hasidic Jewish reggae singer, wow, Matisyahu dropped this unique style down on the planet in 2004.  I still to this day get requests for the song.  if you know where to look, you might find a version of this song remixed by Mike D of the Beastie Boys.

63) Matthew Good Band – “Anti-Pop”

At the end of the Matthew Good Band’s life as a group but at the beginning of the decade, they released The Audio of Being.  Matt Good was in tantrum mode back then and unhappy, so he initially slammed the record.  But sober second thought, he found some things to like.  Time heals all wounds…

According to Matt, he wrote the worst song possible to fuck the record label, but we’re all really dumb and he’s so super smart:

“There an interesting story behind that song actually. The record company, I had already delivered that entire record to the record company. They use this whole back-channeling system cause the Matthew Good Band was a very political band. We actually weren’t all friends to begin with. It was a super political situation, everyone was always trying to basically fuck everyone else over at the exact same time, and I would just puke all day. And my record company called my management who called Dave Genn who said “oh you have to write a hit for the record”. So I tried to write the worst song I could possibly come up with. And then you know, in true fucking major record company fashion, they put it on the record. That’s how stupid record companies are.” Facebook quote lifted from Wikipedia

62) Weezer – “Hash Pipe”

The honest truth is, I don’t get Weezer.  Well I get Weezer I suppose, but I don’t understand their popularity.

Kids, don’t do drugs.

61) Foo Fighters – “Let It Die”

The 00s are all about the Foo Fighters.  “Let It Die” was the forth single off Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace and the third of that record to reach number 1 on the modern rock charts.  the ninth record to ever do that.  They also had multiple songs floating the chart at the same time making them the 5th band to pull that stunt in history (the others eing REM, U2, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Kings of Leon).

60) Finger 11 – “Paralyzer”

Its kinda funny looking back.  In the fall of 2006 or winter 2007, Finger 11 flew out to Victoria and came on the Zone afternoon show to play “Paralyzer.”  Their first song in years and a bit of a departure from previous sounds.  We talked on the radio, played it.  Shook hands and it was all well and good.

Then the song exploded and it was one of those moments when I should have paid more attention.  I remember Scott Anderson from the band being a bit unsure and humble when they brought it to the radio station.  Hoping to recapture some of their earlier success and working really hard to try and generate some excitement.  well the work paid off and “Paralyzer” is now Finger 11’s biggest single.

That’s all for for now.  Next time we’ll count down 59-50.

Go with yourself.

Time to continue the march to #1.  Counting down The Zone’s To 91 Songs of the Decade.

We left off at #80.

80) Ko – “Capable”

There is lots I could tell you about the man that had one of the best songs on radio on 2009, but maybe it would be better served to let him tell the story about this song.  Have a listen to an interview I did with the man back in November of 2009.

79) Franz Ferdinand – “Take Me Out”

They call this the “breakout” single for the Scottish band back in 2004.  The accolades for the song are long including being voted the Best Single of 2004 on The Village Voice.

I do recall Finger 11 covering this song when they played the arena a few years back in support of Sum 41.  It was part of medley that included some Punk Floyd, Zeppelin, and their hit “Paralyzer.”

78) Cake – “Short Skirt/Long Jacket”

This is my personal fave Cake song.  Its like Cake reached deep into my mind and wrote a song about my dream woman!  Finger nails that shine like justice?  Could there be better poetry?

This 2001 hit was used on the soundtrack for the film Waitress.  man, Keri Russell needs to do more movies.  She is so adorable.

77) Yeah Yeah Yeah’s – “Heads Will Roll”

a summer 2009 song, you might recognize this cut from a MTV “The Hills” promo.  or was it The City?  or Jersey Shore?  Damn, they are all the same.  Except The City has less Snooki.

76) Death From Above 1979 – “Romantic Rights”

A mid decade barn burner from the Toronto duo.  First heard on their EP by the same name, and later found on You’re a Woman, I’m a Machine.  I bet you are DFA 1979, I bet you are.

75) Nine Inch Nails – “Hand That Feeds”

Some people call the 00s, The Worst Decade Ever! (I’m looking at you Time).  Hard for me to do that when all my 20s with in this decade, and I liked being in my 20s.

The 00s were also good to Mr. Trent Reznor.  He was beginning to looks and sound like a relic of the 90s.

Not much was going on for NIN till 2005 and the album With Teeth.  the lead single was a track called “Hand That Feeds” and well, the rest as they say is recent history.  NIN goes on to dominate the modern rock landscape for the rest of the decade.

“Hand That Feeds” is Trent Reznors biggest chart song ever.  “Only” is the only song that comes close… and personally, I like “Only” better, but hey, who asked right?

74) Three Days Grace – “Animal I Have Become”

The first single off 3DG’s 2006 One-X.  hmm, nothing really interesting to say about this single.  Decent rock song, kinda unremarkable.  Its uhhh, 74 on my list?  sure.

Christian parody band (there is such a thing, google it) ApologetiX (no seriously google them, they are terrible looking) have a spoof of this song called “Animals I Have Begun.”  Cute.

73) Treble Charger – “Brand New Low”

There was a time when I would have considered myself a Treble Charger fan.  Not so much anymore, but when this song came on the countdown over the holidays, I did kinda like it.  We’re going back to 2000’s Wide Awake Bored for this song and you might have heard it on the soundtrack to EA’s NHL 2002.

72) The Killers – “All These Things That I Have Done”

“I’ve Got soul, but I’m not a soldier.”  Heck yes Vegas rockers Killers.

The third single from The Killers monster 2004 record Hot Fuss, this song remains the most requested from that record today (in my opinion, not a scientific poll by any stretch).

Ben Stein (gotta love his gumption!) has a film called Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed about Intelligent Design and used the song in the film without the band’s approval.  They tried to get it taken out, but it was too late, and so, The Killers are used in Ben’s politically charged film.

71) Rise Against – “Prayer of the Refugee”

Chicago rockers, Rise Against are singing out for the plight of foreign workers.

The music video is pretty rad and worth your time to check out.  rise Against performed this song acoustic for the Zone back in 2007 outside the arena before their Zone Show with Billy Talent.

70) Armchair Cynics – “Bang”

Victoria rockers and former Zone Band of the Month, Armchair Cynics made their first and boldest step into rock stardom with this fire cracker.  The Cynics signed to Vancouver label 604 and pulled out all the stops in the recording of this song.  It received airplay on the radio all over Western Canada and remains a fave for Zoners today.  During the “Bang bang bang” of the chorus, if you listen real careful, you might hear Nickelback’s Chad Kroeger taking a wrench to a ride on lawnmower… I think that is what he’s hitting.  He thought it would help the sound of the recording.  God bless.

That’s all I got today, until next time.

Go with yourself.