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.

When I volunteered for the task of counting down The Zone @ 91-3’s Top 91 of the Decade, I had planned on sharing some DJ notes on this here blog.

But then it was December 23rd and I was off on holidays.  But I still think it would be a good effort for me to dive into these songs, as many of them are played on my radio show still very often… so at the very least, it’ll be good practice for me.

91) Tool – “Schism”

I told the story on the radio for the first time I heard this song.  My first “adult” job was working for a Telus call center in New Westminster at 6th and 6th.  Anyone who knows anything about New West, knows that traffic in that area is brutal, and so, everyday I grinded to work in the hot sun before the invention of AC (or maybe it was invented? I dunno, I just know my little Blue Dodge Colt did not have it) listening to the radio.  One day, Tool’s “Schism” was played, and that commute was better than the rest.  Odd, I still remember that day.  Kinda spooky.  There are so many days, and most are fairly unremarkable… and a song getting played on the radio, even less remarkable.

The song was Tool’s lead single off 2001’s Lateralus and won the band their second Grammy.

90) MGMT – “Kids”

Kids was the third single off MGMT’s most excellant Oracular Spectacular. Arguably their most popular single as well.  I am not sure which one got more love on the Zone, this one of “Electric Feel?”  I think Electric Feel is latter in the countdown, so I guess that was the “better” song… whatever, I like “Time to Pretend” the best.

“Kids” is an older MGMT song that you super fans can find on the EPs “Time to Pretend” and “We (Don’t) Care.”  British rag NME called it the best single of 2008!  We call it #90 ’round these parts.

89) The Dudes – “Pretty Lies”

Calgary, Alberta rockers The Dudes make the list because I love them.

Wow, The Dudes will be Zone Show 200!  February 26th, 2010 at Sugar Nightclub.

88) Foo Fighters – “The Pretender”

One of the Foo Fighters more successful songs in regards to Billboard chart position (only “Learn to Fly” and “Best of You” did better), personally… I find this one a bit boring.  The song did earn the FF a Grammy in 2008 for Best Hard Rock Performance.

87) Sam Roberts “The Gate”

Sammy is popular around the Zone with the DJs and worker bees.  And he should be, he is a quality human being that continues to jam out great music.  Music Director Dave Sawchuk listed Sam’s Chemical City as his #10 fave record of the decade!  High praise indeed.  Could the record be named after Sarnia, Ontario?  The Chemical City?

86) Weezer – “Troublemaker”

Back in… what was it?  2008?  When Rivers began his epic hype odyssey for Weezer’s 6th album and the forth to be named after the band, he had a puzzle.  he said the first single off the new record would be a 12 letter word that began with ‘T’ and ended with ‘R.’  Then he released “Pork and Beans” as the first single… oh you clever Harvard educated huckster you….

85) Tragically Hip “My Music At Work”

At the beginning of the decade the Tragically Hip released one of my favourite records, Music @ Work.  The title was inspired by one of those lame Adult Contemporary radio station positioning “Your Music at work station” for some drivel.

84) Coldplay – “Viva la Vida”

For better or worse, you’ll be hearing a few CP songs on this list.  I happen to enjoy Coldplay and don’t find their brand of rock and roll offensive.  Couple that with the huge popularity and great live show, and you have a recipe for a major star on commercial radio.

If you have the XBOX 360 game Halo 3 and you dominated it, when you win you hear this song playing.  I had to read that on Wiki as I don’t play console games… I am more a Total War fan cuz I’m cool like dat.

83) Rage Against the Machine – “Renegades of Funk”

I was DJing at The Clubhouse just before Christmas a few weeks ago and a fine Zoner was there drinking and generally enjoying his Thursday night when it dawned on him to hop up the flight of stairs to the DJ booth and request a song.  The song?  #83 on our countdown, Rage’s cover of “Renegades.”  I forgot how much I still love this 2000 cover from their album Renegades.

hmm, I like the Rage version, but the original is pretty special.  I’ll need ot add it to the new funk playlist I am working on.

82) Tegan and Sara – “I Hear Noises”

We’re going way back in the Quin sister’s discography for this gem from their second record “If It Was You” and the first record form the duo that I got into.  This record was recorded near us, on Galiano Island.

81) Spinnerette – “Ghetto Love”

“Ghetto Love” is an album from rapper Jaheim and an EP/single from Ms. Brody Dahl’s latest incarnation, Spinnerette.

Liam Lynch directed the music video.

Well that is all I got for today.

Go with yourself.