Phil’s Faves: Videos, January 15, 2012

Posted on January 22, 2012 by PhilMaq

This will be a personal weekly Top Ten list of what I consider to be the best videos currently available on TV. I don’t, as a rule, go searching for old music videos, so that’s why it will focus mostly on current or recent videos. For this category, I am also going to include any live performances on talk or variety shows that I see during the week.

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Hey, there’s a new #1 video this week that is artistically superb! There were also many great live performances that I watched this week. It was a very cool, “indie” kind of week………….
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Top 10 Videos for the week of January 15, 2012

1. In Your Arms—Kina Grannis
2. Ours—Taylor Swift
3. Lonely Boy—The Black Keys
4. Paradise–Coldplay
5. Baggage Claim—Miranda Lambert
6. Marstorm—Uh Huh Her on Jimmy Kimmel Live
7. Too Old to Die Young—Will Hoge on Jimmy Kimmel Live
8. Baby Missiles—The War on Drugs on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
9. Miranda—Surfer Blood on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
10. Red Solo Cup—Toby Keith

1) “In Your Arms”—Wow! I found out while watching VH1 that something like 288,000 jellybeans were used in making this video and it took two years to make! Now that’s what I call vision and dedication! I find it fascinating that a pile of white jellybeans looks like a pile of snow that then morphs into a snow leopard! And that’s only one example of the multiple images that are intricate but soooooooooo cute! I can’t say enough nice things about this video!
2) “Ours”—I still like this video, but let’s face it: Taylor looks pretty “mousy” in it……..
3) “Lonely Boy”—To me, one of the ironic things about this video is that I get the impression that the guy doing the dancing is actually NOT lonely at all!
4) “Paradise”—I even like the beginning of this video when the credits are rolling! It looks like the beginning of a David Lean classic!
5) “Baggage Claim”—I don’t know what else to say about this one. I’m just glad I’m not the one picking my clothes up that were thrown on the lawn!
6) “Marstorm”—This was a very energetic performance by this group that has very nice harmonies! They reminded me of Best Coast!
7) “Too Old to Die Young”—Will Hoge has been a very consistent performer for years lost in that alt/country category that some performers get shoved into. If this performance is any indication, it looks like 2012 should be a banner year for Will!
8) “Baby Missiles”—This is a band that I was not familiar with, but I will catch up really fast! I watched this performance several times in a row when I saw it!
9) “Miranda”—With Surfer Blood joining a major label, they decided to put out one last EP. This rocking jam is from “Tarot Classics” and it was great live!
10) “Red Solo Cup”—All right. I’m finally getting tired of this one…………………

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“Q” Bombs: January 15, 2012

Posted on January 22, 2012 by PhilMaq

A “Q” Bomb, like an “H” bomb, will be my term for a music video that I consider to be subpar in music, video, or both. This will be a recurring weekly list that will focus on the worst videos that are currently on TV. I don’t, as a rule, go searching for old music videos, so that’s why it will focus on solely on current or recent videos.
I hate to be so negative about music, but when an artist takes a “bad” song and then brings more attention to it by creating a “bad” video to support it, it will appear on this list. I honestly hope, and it could happen, that this list will be less than 10 items, but I have serious doubts that that possibility will happen. We are, after all, talking about an industry that uses art for huge profits. The companies can’t help themselves.
However, at this point, I will not do a 10 worst music list. I see absolutely no reason to waste time reemphasizing bad music. Once is enough.
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Oh, it’s such a painful week. Songs that should have fallen off hung on–and moved up, making the pain hurt even more. I don’t know. I guess some of these bad ones are going to be around for awhile. Luke Bryan moves up to be king of the trash heap……………….
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Worst Videos for the week of January 15, 2012

1. I Don’t Want This Night to End—Luke Bryan
2. It Will Rain—Bruno Mars
3. Wish You Were Here—Avril Lavigne
4. Tattoos on This Town—Jason Aldean
5. God Gave Me You—Blake Shelton
6. Remind Me—Brad Paisley with Carrie Underwood
7. Easy—Rascal Flatts with Natasha Bedingfield
8. Shake It Out—Florence + The Machine
9. Tonight Is the Night—Outasight
10. International Love—Pitbull with Chris Brown

1) “I Don’t Want This Night to End”—What an obnoxiously smug video—especially the longer version! The only part I like is the segment where he’s playing basketball with the girl. Unfortunately, it’s in a barn and the wall is backlit! Huh? But as bad as it is, it’s still better than his last one……………………..
2) “It Will Rain”—I don’t even like sort of watching this video which is what I do when I don’t like one………………
3) “Wish You Were Here”—I just can’t feel sympathy or empathy or Avril in this video. Go wipe that mascara off and get yourself together, girl…………………….
4)  “Tattoos on This Town”—This is a mixed choice for me. I like the song but I don’t really care for smashing mailboxes with a baseball bat. There’s a lot of other ways to actually show how you left your “tattoo on your town”…………….
5) “God Gave Me You”—It’s moving up again! Please! Somebody stop it before it kills again………………………………..
6) “Remind Me” —This song is falling like a floating feather. Where is gravity when it’s really needed………………………..
7) “Shake It Out”—This spastic video is starting to move up, too, when it should have been dead. Just “shake it off”…and out…………………
8] “Easy”—Another song that’s moving back up! Is Mercury in retrograde or something………….
9) “Tonight is the Night”—Uh, I don’t think so…………………………
10) “International Love”—A song that is similar in attitude to The Beach Boys’ “California Girls,” except it’s bigger in scope. It doesn’t even come close to the charm and warmth that that song has……………………………
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Phil’s Faves: Songs, January 8, 2012

Posted on January 21, 2012 by PhilMaq

This will be a personal weekly Top Ten list of what I consider to be the best songs that I listened to the previous week. Most songs will be current, but there are no boundaries. I’ve already stated on this web site that I am obsessed with music. I am constantly hunting it down whether it’s online, on CD, from my personal collection, from a library (Yes, I think the library is a great source of music–especially for music that you aren’t sure about.), TV, or radio. Since most of these sources mostly emphasize new music, the odds are pretty good that most of the songs on this list will be new. But in my search, I don’t use any boundaries for the other sources. I am just looking for good music that I haven’t heard, or happened to forget about. Everyone, including myself, has forgotten way more great music than they can ever remember-even if they are also music fanatics.
Also, there will be no rules concerning songs on this list. A song can show up or drop off a number of times. This will be the most volatile of my lists. It all depends on how much music I am exposed to during the week and what I find interesting. On really obscure stuff, I will try to include the source, if I know it.
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Paul McCartney stays at the top for another week. The Black Keys are right behind him as several songs move towards the top in a post holidays rush. Steve Martin even has two songs on the list and there are even two instrumentals. A pretty diversified list, I’d say…………..
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Top Ten Songs for the Week of January 8, 2012

1. Best Love—Steve Martin and The Steep Canyon Rangers with Paul McCartney
2. Lonely Boy—The Black Keys
3. Mosquitoes—Joanie Leeds
4. The Afterlife—Paul Simon
5. Rare Bird Alert—Steve Martin and The Steep Canyon Rangers
6. 7th Galaxy—Dennis Coffey
7. Drip Drop—The Drifters
8. In Your Arms—Kina Grannis
9. Shenandoah—Suzy Bogguss
10. Rainbow Connection—The Moopets

1) “Best Love”— Paul McCartney, along with the rest of The Beatles—and some more than others, always had a respect and fondness for country music. This is probably his best “country” vocal since “Sally G,” another underrated song. Right now, I can’t hear this song enough!
2) “Lonely Boy”—Guitars and drums get lost in this swamp mix that is just perfect! Another simbie that I just happen to spontaneously start singing!
3) “Mosquitoes”—The drums in this song are mixed right up front and would be a very good rock song in almost any era you want to examine! The lyrics get to the “point” and are quite humorous! It’s difficult to make a funny song that’s both cute and good. This one does it with ease! I think Joanie Leeds grew up listening to some good music!
4) “The Afterlife”—Another simbie! The humor in this song is soooooo dry! I just love it that when Paul Simon finally gets to meet God face to face, the only thing he can blurt to say are gibberish lyrics to “Be Bop-a-Lula” and “Oop Poo Pa Doo!” Too funny!
5) “Rare Bird Alerts”—I’ve been listening to this title track instrumental for the past several weeks and it has grown on me. There are a lot of stops in it that always catch my attention. It is a hot bluegrass scorcher!
6) “7th Galaxy”—Dennis Coffey shows that his skills haven’t diminished over the years. They’ve only gotten better, if that’s even possible! One of the nice things on this instrumental is that Dennis always left room for a nice drum break and this song has one as well! Welcome back! We’ve missed you!
7) “Drip Drop”—I dug this song out on purpose and it worked its magic on me all over again! It has an incredible sax solo that had to influence Clarence Clemons, and the rest of the time there is a nice sax rhythm section! A really cool forgotten classic!
8) “In Your Arms”—This song by Kina Grannis is continuing to grow on me—even without the video! I need to check out more stuff by her……………….
9) “Shenandoah”—For some reason, I kept running across this song in the past week. I heard it by Erich Kunzel and somebody else whom I can’t remember. Suzy Bogguss does a very emotive interpretation of this classic from her American Folk Songbook CD! And by being in the right place at the right time, she brings some class to this week’s list! I’m sure she would find that quite funny—if I was counting on her to “bring the class!” But she has such style, even if she downplays it………………………..
10) “Rainbow Connection”—The list finishes off with a purposely non-classy song from “The Muppets Soundtrack.’’ This song cracks me up as Fozzie Bear shills for some dive casino where some of the former Muppets are working as a lounge act as “The Moopets!” The parody skewers the original song for comedic effect!
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Phil’s Faves: Videos, January 8, 2012

Posted on January 15, 2012 by PhilMaq

This will be a personal weekly Top Ten list of what I consider to be the best videos currently available on TV. I don’t, as a rule, go searching for old music videos, so that’s why it will focus mostly on current or recent videos. For this category, I am also going to include any live performances on talk or variety shows that I see during the week.

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Taylor Swift starts the year off with a #1 video and two places on the list. There’s a couple of good live performances and a great new video. A nice start so far………
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Top 10 Videos for the week of January 8, 2012

1. Ours—Taylor Swift
2. In Your Arms—Kina Grannis
3. Lonely Boy—The Black Keys
4. Paradise–Coldplay
5. Baggage Claim—Miranda Lambert
6. Northern Island—Steve Martin and The Steep Canyon Rangers on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon”
7. Norteno Lights—Mariachi El Bronx
8. Uprising—Muse
9. Red Solo Cup–Toby Keith
10. Sparks Fly—Taylor Swift

1) “Ours”—Taylor Swift’s parody of office life continues on where it left off last year! The sequence with her trying to use the copy machine is great: It needs paper, she gets paper. It needs toner she gets toner. The only problem is the machine has disappeared!
2) “In Your Arms”—This was the first new video that I saw this year and I bonded with it immediately! The song is catchy and the video is some time of stop action format like Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer!” It is GREAT!
3) “Lonely Boy”—Even though there doesn’t appear to be much happening in this video. it makes me smile every time! That dude can dance!
4) “Paradise”—I didn’t see this one for several weeks and I forgot how good it is! The cinematography is way beyond most videos! The scenery is so beautiful! Coldplay also did a nice job on their Austin City Limit’s New Year’s Eve Performance! That’s what I was watching.
5) “Baggage Claim”—This is a pretty straightforward concert video, so it all hinges on Miranda Lambert’s performance, and she nails it!
6) “Northern Island”—Steve Martin and The Steep Canyon Rangers pick like musical bluegrass fiends on this instrumental performance!
7) “Norteno Lights”—A very solid uplifting performance that featured Dave Hidalgo from Los Lobos on accordion! I need to check these guys out.
8) “Uprising”—I’ve probably heard this song a million times but for some reason, never saw the video. It was really great and matched the intensity of the song!
9) “Sparks Fly”—Might be the last time for now that Taylor has two videos on this list…
10) “Red Solo Cup”—I saw this one a jillion times in the last month. I still watch it. I’m not sure what that says about me…………………

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“Q” Bombs: January 8, 2012

Posted on January 15, 2012 by PhilMaq

A “Q” Bomb, like an “H” bomb, will be my term for a music video that I consider to be subpar in music, video, or both. This will be a recurring weekly list that will focus on the worst videos that are currently on TV. I don’t, as a rule, go searching for old music videos, so that’s why it will focus on solely on current or recent videos.
I hate to be so negative about music, but when an artist takes a “bad” song and then brings more attention to it by creating a “bad” video to support it, it will appear on this list. I honestly hope, and it could happen, that this list will be less than 10 items, but I have serious doubts that that possibility will happen. We are, after all, talking about an industry that uses art for huge profits. The companies can’t help themselves.
However, at this point, I will not do a 10 worst music list. I see absolutely no reason to waste time reemphasizing bad music. Once is enough.
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The hiatus is over and some familiar unwanted videos have returned. A couple of them should have disappeared for good, but instead they welcomed in the New Year. ODWITS!
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Worst Videos for the week of January 8, 2012

1. Dirt Road Anthem—Jason Aldean
2. I Don’t Want This Night to End—Luke Bryan
3. It Will Rain—Bruno Mars
4. Remind Me—Brad Paisley with Carrie Underwood
5. Poison and Wine—The Civil Wars
6. Wish You Were Here—Avril Lavigne
7. God Gave Me You–Blake Shelton
8. Easy–Rascal Flatts with Natasha Bedingfield
9. Tonight Is the Night—Outasight
10. Shake It Out—Florence + The Machine

1) “Dirt Road Anthem—I have no idea why I continue to run across this video so often. It’s like it never went away even though it’s not on the CMT Top 20 Countdown. I thought when it dropped off the list, it would disappear for good. So far, I’m wrong……
2) “I Don’t Want This Night to End”—Another awful video by Luke Bryan that’s been around for awhile. I must have been busy because it should have irritated me a lot sooner….
3) “It Will Rain”—Apparently, rain won’t keep this video from being shown……….
4) “Remind Me” —Remind me why this song is still on the countdown……
5) “Poison and Wine”—Look. I’ll make a deal with The Civil Wars. I’ll take the wine if they’ll take the…I’m just kidding……………………………..Sort of……….Not really. Just go away……………………………..It’s not even on a countdown! Why do I keep seeing it?
6) “Wish You Were Here”—This is probably the first video that I didn’t want to see of Avril’s. Boo hoo …………………………….
7) “God Gave Me You”—It’s falling pretty good now………………..
8] “Easy”—Dropping like a rock. Finally………………………
9) “Tonight is the Night”—Good luck with that line from a way too generic video………
10) “Shake It Out”—Hanging on for way too many weeks……………………
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Phil’s Faves:Songs, January 1, 2012

Posted on January 14, 2012 by PhilMaq

This will be a personal weekly Top Ten list of what I consider to be the best songs that I listened to the previous week. Most songs will be current, but there are no boundaries. I’ve already stated on this web site that I am obsessed with music. I am constantly hunting it down whether it’s online, on CD, from my personal collection, from a library (Yes, I think the library is a great source of music–especially for music that you aren’t sure about.), TV, or radio. Since most of these sources mostly emphasize new music, the odds are pretty good that most of the songs on this list will be new. But in my search, I don’t use any boundaries for the other sources. I am just looking for good music that I haven’t heard, or happened to forget about. Everyone, including myself, has forgotten way more great music than they can ever remember-even if they are also music fanatics.
Also, there will be no rules concerning songs on this list. A song can show up or drop off a number of times. This will be the most volatile of my lists. It all depends on how much music I am exposed to during the week and what I find interesting. On really obscure stuff, I will try to include the source, if I know it.

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This is a transition week for listening to music. It will be the last one for holiday songs. I have become emotionally attached to the new No.1, and I guess it’s only fitting that Paul McCartney would be the one to knock “Santa You Can Drive My Sled” out of the “topper of the poppermost spot–a nice Beatles reference,” which is how Pat Woodward of The Fab, Beatles Tribute Band from Las Vegas, referred to it in his e-mail to me! Gear! Fab!
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Top Ten Songs for the Week of January 1, 2012

1. Best Love—Steve Martin with Paul McCartney
2. Chiron Beta Prime—Jonathan Coulton
3. Santa You Can Drive My Sled—The Fab (Beatles Tribute Band from Las Vegas)
4. Lonely Boy—The Black Keys
5. Arbolito—Tish Hinojosa
6. The Afterlife—Paul Simon
7. 7th Galaxy—Dennis Coffey
8. Mosquitoes—Joanie Leeds and The Nightlights
9. In Your Arms—Kina Grannis
10. One Day After Christmas—Da Yoopers

1) “Best Love”—I originally heard this song when Steve Martin’s “Rare Bird Alert” came out. I thought it was OK but nothing special. But that’s how music works. Just like “(I Want To) Come Home,” by Paul McCartney, the song worked it’s way into my subconscious. So when I started working on compiling my year end lists, when I heard it again it exploded in my brain. The melody is a beautiful haunting bluegrass love song, and Paul gets to expand into a different area! I can’t get this simbie out of my head!
2) “Chiron Beta Prime”—My family and I had way too much fun reliving this song during this week! I haven’t checked out the video yet……………..
3) “Santa You Can Drive My Sled”—Well, it looks like the run is finished for now, but I predict that this song will emerge from hibernation every year around the end of November!
4) “Lonely Boy”—A welcome return for this ultra cool song!
5) “Arbolito”—Another week on the list for a family favorite! The little bell as the last note at the end of the song reminds me of Clarence getting his wings in “It’s a Wonderful Life!”
6) “The Afterlife”—Another year end memory of a very good song from an excellent album, “So Beautiful or So What” by Paul Simon! It’s a song with a lot rhythm about what happens after you die. Apparently, there’s a lot of paperwork……………………..
7) “7th Galaxy”—Dennis Coffey has been a guitar hero in the Detroit area for decades. This instrumental demonstrates why! Dennis updates his sound to line up better with probably where he learned to play— from the future, in the 7th Galaxy, of course! Way coooooooooool!
8)“Mosquitoes”—Yes, I know it’s the wrong time of the year for this song, but when played together with The Decemberists’ “June Hymn,” it can feel like summer all over again! This is a very fun pop/rock song! It’s also supposed to be for “young listeners,” but it can stand right up there with Jonathan Richman and The Modern Lovers’ “Hey There Little Insect!” A true, fun, gem of a song!
9) “In Your Arms”—A nice folk pop tune in a Colbie Caillat kind of vein! That’s a good thing! It kind of caught me by surprise and pulled me back into listening to more current music. Thank you Kina!
10) “One Day After Christmas”—This is my favorite post Christmas song! There really aren’t too many to choose from, but that doesn’t mean that it wouldn’t stack up against other competition! It would not be post Christmas without it! This is from a CD called “One Can Short of a Six Pack,” but there are only 3 Christmas songs on it. Each one is its own gem! It’s set against a slow blues melody and you get to connect the dots on this one where the singer is hoping that his relatives will leave soon because “The toilet bowl won’t flush/And I can’t find the cat!!???” Now, that’s my kind of Christmas song!
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Phil’s Faves: Songs, December 25, 2011

Posted on January 8, 2012 by PhilMaq

This will be a personal weekly Top Ten list of what I consider to be the best songs that I listened to the previous week. Most songs will be current, but there are no boundaries. I’ve already stated on this web site that I am obsessed with music. I am constantly hunting it down whether it’s online, on CD, from my personal collection, from a library (Yes, I think the library is a great source of music–especially for music that you aren’t sure about.), TV, or radio. Since most of these sources mostly emphasize new music, the odds are pretty good that most of the songs on this list will be new. But in my search, I don’t use any boundaries for the other sources. I am just looking for good music that I haven’t heard, or happened to forget about. Everyone, including myself, has forgotten way more great music than they can ever remember-even if they are also music fanatics.
Also, there will be no rules concerning songs on this list. A song can show up or drop off a number of times. This will be the most volatile of my lists. It all depends on how much music I am exposed to during the week and what I find interesting. On really obscure stuff, I will try to include the source, if I know it.

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The Fab end up topping the final weekly list of the year of what will probably be the only all Christmas list of songs! They end up knocking off Lady Antebellum on a very spirited Christmas ride to the top! Way to go guys! I think this list is a very good mixture of funny/silly and feel good/serious songs!
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Top Ten Songs for the Week of December 25, 2011

1. Santa You Can Drive My Sled—The Fab (Beatles Tribute Band from Las Vegas)
2. Chiron Beta Prime—Jonathan Coulton
3. Arbolito—Tish Hinojosa
4. Jingle Bells (Remix)—Esquivel
5. Very Merry Christmas—Dave Barnes
6. Navidad Y Ano Nuevo—Riders in the Sky
7. Deck the Halls—Lorie Line
8. Christmas Cash—Fred Figglehorn
9. White Christmas—Michael Buble and Shania Twain
10. Walking in My Winter Underwear—Fred Ziwich

1) “Santa You Can Drive My Sled”—Well, it did have enough time to make it to the top! The coolest Christmas song of the season makes the drive without having to slow down for any of the competition! I’m hoping that this is the first track of a forthcoming Christmas CD. Theses guys sound so good on this song that I think they should show their true form and do some Christmas originals of their own! And, you know… some more Beatle covers!
2) “Chiron Beta Prime”—This song, from Coulter’s ingenious CD “Thing a Week Two,” is quickly becoming one of my all time favorite Christmas songs. It’s a sci-fi story about being sent to work in a mine on planet Chiron Beta Prime by the robot overlords…I mean protectors! The premise sounds awfully bleak where the singer has to eat soylent green for Christmas. But it’s so sly and hilarious that it makes you feel good! I’ve heard that there is a video for the song that I keep forgetting to check out. I’ll let you know what it’s …“MESSAGE REDACTED!”……………………
3) “Arbolito”—A very sweet song from her CD “Memorabilia Navidena” that is probably a true personal experience! The song centers on the singer’s history of decorating the Christmas tree over time as her sisters hog putting on the icicles. This song is a sentimental acoustic beauty, and Hinojosa’s voice has never sounded better!
4) “Jingle Bells (Remix)”—Another week of enjoying this silly song! It fits right in with “Chiron Beta Prime!”
5) “Very Merry Christmas”—I can’t help snapping my fingers when this song is on! Believe me, there aren’t too many songs—Christmas or otherwise, that can get me to do that!
6) “Navidad Y Ano Nuevo”—I have no idea what they’re singing, but the harmonies are beautiful as the song lopes along!
7) “Deck the Halls”—Although this instrumental is entitled “Deck the Halls,” it’s actually an interwoven medley that includes “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.” I sometimes prefer listening to traditional songs as instrumentals rather than a “ho-hum- going-through-the-motions vocal version. This one fits the requirements—and then some! It is only a sliver on an excellent CD called “Sharing the Season II”—which means that there are other similar albums! The arrangements are crisp and creative! This one moves along at the clip of a runaway sled—but not to worry. Lorie is always in control! The piano lays down the rhythm but also has some very nice upper register “tinkling!” There’s even a fiddle that surprises the listener about halfway through. If someone could have played a kitchen sink, I’m sure she would have thrown that in, too, for good measure! And all of this takes place in slightly more than thirty seconds. I have never heard “Deck the Halls” or “God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman” sound happier! It is a true gem!
8) “Christmas Cash”—Ah, the “true” spirit of Christmas! Fred, from his “It’s Hackin’ Christmas with Fred” CD, gets right to the heart of the matter of what people really want for Christmas in a great simbie chorus: “Moneymoneymoneymoneymoneymoney/Moneymoneymoneymoneymoneymoney!” The chorus sounds like it’s sung by the minions from “Despicable Me.” It’s very catchy…and funny!
9) “White Christmas”—Michael Buble and Shania Twain breathe needed and welcome new life into a Christmas standard! It is a very welcome alternative!
10) “Walking in My Winter Underwear”—Fred Ziwich takes a parody turn on a Christmas classic from his “Button Box at Christmas” CD! It’s nice to have a different underwear alternative than the one Bob Rivers did about twenty years ago. Although the subject is still underwear, Fred does a nice job on his accordion to accompany his “dry, tongue-in-cheek” vocal!
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Top 40 “Q” Bombs of 2011

Posted on January 8, 2012 by PhilMaq

This is my list of the worst videos of the year. I decided to limit it to 40, although I could have made it a little longer. No less than seven artists—Rascal Flatts, Eric Church, Carrie Underwood, The Civil Wars, Beyonce, Blake Shelton, and Bruno Mars placed two videos apiece on this list. Ironically, eight artists on this list will also place on my year end “Phil’s Faves: Videos” list. It is quality that I am after, and even Taylor Swift cannot escape the “Q” Bomb rating………………………………

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Top 40 “Q” Bombs of 2011

1. Don’t Wanna Go Home – Jason Derulo
2. Colder Weather—Zac Brown Band
3. If I Die Young—The Band Perry
4. Dirt Road Anthem—Jason Aldean
5. Homeboy—Eric Church
6. Mama’s Song—Carrie Underwood
7. Hello World—Lady Antebellum
8. Poison & Wine—The Civil Wars
9. A Little Bit Stronger—Sara Evans
10. Remind Me—Brad Paisley with Carrie Underwood
11. Skyscraper—Demi Lovato
12. Run the World (Girls) – Beyonce
13. Footloose–Blake Shelton
14. Country Girl (Shake It For Me)—Luke Bryan
15. Smoke a Little Smoke—Eric Church
16. Moves Like Jagger—Maroon 5 with Christina Aguilera
17. Country Boy—Aaron Lewis
18. The Lazy Song—Bruno Mars
19. Barton Hollow—The Civil Wars
20. Shut Up Train—Little Big Town
21. Not Over You—Gavin DeGraw
22. I Love You This Big—Scotty McCreery
23. Good Life—One Republic
24. Pumped Up Kicks—Foster the People
25. Fake ID—Big & Rich with Gretchen Wilson
26. Keep Your Head Up—Andy Grammer
27. It Will Rain—Bruno Mars from “Breaking Dawn, Part One”
28. Bullets in the Gun—Toby Keith
29. Tomorrow—Chris Young
30. God Gave Me You—Blake Shelton
31. Blood Pressure—Mutemath
32. The Shape I’m In—Joe Nichols
33. I Won’t Let Go—Rascal Flatts
34. Countdown—Beyonce
35. E.T.—Katy Perry with Kanye West
36. You and I—Lady Gaga
37. Easy—Rascal Flatts with Natasha Bedingfield
38. Mine—Taylor Swift
39. Rope—Foo Fighters
40. Brown Chicken Brown Cow—Trace Adkins

1) “Don’t Wanna Go Home”—Basically, the video that was the inspiration for the start of the “Q” Bomb list. Judging by the amount of searches for this song as being the worst video ever, I think my assessment was correct—although it made the VH1 Year End Countdown.
2) “Colder Weather”—A video that was as cold and boring as the song. It also made the CMT Countdown of the Year.
3) “If I Die Young”—This one placed on both CMT’s Countdown of the Year for 2010 and VH1’s Year End Countdown for 2011. So basically, it has tortured me for almost two years now. And regardless of how many awards it wins, I will still feel that it is highly overrated and will be forgotten about by next year if not sooner. I have nothing against death or songs about death, except, you know, it’s death. So even from an English lit viewpoint, it remains one of my least favorite songs and videos of the past two years. Congratulations, though, to The Band Perry for getting as much out of a song that you can. And I’m guessing we will hear from them again. They have many good songs on their intro album. This isn’t one of them………………….
4) “Dirt Road Anthem”—This one placed at #3 on CMT’s Countdown of the Year. I, of course, disagree. It was a boring black and white video and a strange mixture of country and rap. Not that you can’t do a good job doing that. Just check out T.I.’s rap over the steel guitar on Kid Rock’s “Care.” I am all for merging different styles of music that most people wouldn’t think of combining. As a matter of fact, those are the area’s that I usually find most interesting and creative. I don’t think this one did a very good job of it….
5) “Homeboy”—A boring song with a boring video to match. There was some social consciousness going on here, I think, but it didn’t do a good job conveying it………..
6) “Mama’s Song”—A personal video that was so conceited, it even had Carrie’s mother in it. “C’mon man………………………………………..”
7) “Hello World”—This was a video that was bigger in 2010 but hung on for several months at the beginning of this year. If you felt like living after watching this video, you have a stronger inner strength than I do…………………..
8] “Poison & Wine”—Pretty much a one note song with a one shot video where the camera gets right in their face as much as they get in each other’s. I hate both the video and the song………………….
9) “A Little Bit Stronger”—Another video that placed on CMT’s Countdown of the Year. It was included on the “Country Strong Soundtrack.” This was pretty much Sara’s comeback song from a self imposed extended leave. The video was shot in washed out blue colors and showed a weepy Sara recovering from a breakup. Although, she may have had personal experience in the area, the song and video were yawners…………….
10) “Remind Me”—I have given a weekly opinion about this video since it started to be shown. My opinion has not changed. This placed on CMT’s Countdown of the Year at #4. Many lousy videos made the list…………………….
11) “Skyscraper”—A desert landscape could not help this screechy vocal of a song. It also placed on VH1’s Year End Countdown, so bad taste was rewarded in more than one place………………..……
12) ”Run the World (Girls)”—This video was so bad that it only surfaced for a week. Ah, if only all bad videos would disappear that quickly…………………
13) “Footloose”—A remake of a bad song from a bad movie. Nuff said………….
14) “Country Girl (Shake It for Me)”—This was another video that placed on CMT’s Countdown of the Year (#18). I think I’ve said quite a bit about this awful pseudo documentary about a bad song…………………………………….
15) “Smoke a Little Smoke”—Honestly, I disliked this song and video so much, I couldn’t handle watching it all the way through at one time.
16) “Moves Like Jagger”—This was a song that wasn’t on the original version of Maroon 5’s “Hands All Over” CD. Their original judgment was correct and it shouldn’t have been added to reissues. Wow, was it annoying………………….
17) “Country Boy”—This was a “boo hoo” song by Aaron Lewis, the former lead singer of Staind—a very successful alt/metal band, about how terrible the music industry is/was, and for some reason people bought it. He was even able to snooker George Jones into the video…………………
18) “The Lazy Song”—Speaking of annoying songs and videos, Bruno Mars was able to be both with this song. And why wouldn’t he have a right to be lazy? I mean he hauled that piano all over the place in the “Grenade” video……………………….
19) “Barton Hollow”—A type of song that Jean Ritchie may have recorded. But a video would never have been made. It would just have been passed on to future generations…..
20) “Shut Up Train”—This one wasn’t around for long and didn’t even make any weekly countdowns. Someone obviously made a very bad choice for a video…………
21) “Not Over You”—A mid-level video that made it on to VH1’s Year End Countdown. It seemed to have great staying power that was inexplicable to me…………………..
22) “I Love You This Big”—Scotty’s first post American Idol was far from being good or earth shattering. However, it was good enough to place on CMT’s Countdown of the Year (#15).
23) “Good Life”—A video that showcased a monotonous whistling hook. It made it onto the VH1 Year End list……………..
24) “Pumped Up Kicks”—A high placing year end video on VH1. This one would have placed higher on the “Q” Bomb list, but there was a stretch when I liked it………………..
25) “Fake I.D.”—A boring addition to the “Footloose” soundtrack. Nothing much happened here—just like the movie……………………
26) “Keep Your Head Up”—A somewhat amusing video about a guy trying to stay positive while bad things are happening around him. The downfall was the non-melodic song………………………………………
27) “It Will Rain”—Bruno Mars’ current over-dramatic video………………………….
28) “Bullets in the Gun”—I guess I like my Toby Keith videos to be humorous and not some double crossing outlaws…………………………
29) “Tomorrow”—A very pedestrian video of a relationship. It placed #11 on CMT’s Countdown of the Year…………………
30) “God Gave Me You”—Not terrible, but not good. A bombastic boring ballad………….
31) “Blood Pressure”—An unusual combination: A great song but a bad video……….
32) “The Shape I’m In”—This one is very unusual in the sense that the song was pretty good and the video concept about a war veteran was good and gutsy—but too realistic. It felt uncomfortable to watch………………………….
33) “I Won’t Let Go”—I don’t know if I ever watched this video without falling asleep. Better than Nyquil………………………..
34) “Countdown”—This one was around for about two weeks. I didn’t care for the song and the video was unmemorable……………………………….
35) “E.T.”—A huge video hit for Katy Perry that placed high on VH1’s Year End List. I guess I just didn’t care for what Katy Perry looked like at the end………………………
36) “You and I”—Lady Gaga usually cranks uncomfortable up to 11 in her videos and this one was no exception: plenty of disturbing images to go around. However, I did hear the song the other day and it sounded pretty good……………
37) “Easy”—A video that logically didn’t make any sense to me………………….
38) “Mine”—One of the possessive pronoun songs on Taylor’s “Speak Now” CD. I couldn’t stand this video or song. They both felt very forced and I heard and saw it way too many times on both VH1 and CMT: Taylor getting married and having children. It’s not that I don’t want to see Taylor grow up, but it’ll happen in time. There’s no need to rush it visually or musically……………
39) “Rope”—VH1 picked the wrong video by The Foos for their year end list. It should have been “Learning to Walk Again.” Dave Grohl said that they did it on VHS tape. Sometimes taking a step backward to move forward is actually just a step backward. I don’t see how many people thought this was such an exciting video…………………
40) “Brown Chicken Brown Cow”—This is the type of stupid video that I usually like. The stuffed animals on this farm, though, were way too hyper ………………….

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Phil’s Faves: Songs, December 18, 2011

Posted on January 1, 2012 by PhilMaq

This will be a personal weekly Top Ten list of what I consider to be the best songs that I listened to the previous week. Most songs will be current, but there are no boundaries. I’ve already stated on this web site that I am obsessed with music. I am constantly hunting it down whether it’s online, on CD, from my personal collection, from a library (Yes, I think the library is a great source of music–especially for music that you aren’t sure about.), TV, or radio. Since most of these sources mostly emphasize new music, the odds are pretty good that most of the songs on this list will be new. But in my search, I don’t use any boundaries for the other sources. I am just looking for good music that I haven’t heard, or happened to forget about. Everyone, including myself, has forgotten way more great music than they can ever remember-even if they are also music fanatics.
Also, there will be no rules concerning songs on this list. A song can show up or drop off a number of times. This will be the most volatile of my lists. It all depends on how much music I am exposed to during the week and what I find interesting. On really obscure stuff, I will try to include the source, if I know it.

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Well, it’s the time of the year when the normal music listener can’t escape from hearing Christmas music and my experience is the same. But the difference for me is that I have continuously searched for “different” Christmas music for a number of years. These songs have become a part of my DNA as well as other family members because of their exposure to it. They will pop up on this list for the next couple of weeks. Oh yeah, Lady Antebellum stays at the top……………………….

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Top Ten Songs for the Week of December 18, 2011

1. We Owned the Night–Lady Antebellum
2. Lonely Boy—The Black Keys
3. Jingle Bells (Remix)—Esquivel
4. Paradise–Coldplay
5. Santa You Can Drive My Sled—The Fab (Beatles Tribute Band from Las Vegas)
6. Sparks Fly–Taylor Swift
7. Cowboy Christmas Ball—Michael Martin Murphy with Suzy Bogguss
8. Navidad Y Ano Nuevo—Riders in the Sky
9. Very Merry Christmas—Dave Barnes
10. Ours—Taylor Swift

1) “We Owned the Night”—I still hear this one a lot and I like it every time!
2) “Lonely Boy”—Oh, yeah! I’ve never heard a song about being lonely sound so happy!
3) “Jingle Bells (Remix)”—This was my favorite Christmas song last year! There are a ton of soundscapes that the listener gets to explore as it sounds like you are entering a spaceship for a Christmas party. The original version was done in the late 50s by Esquivel, who was way ahead of his time, so it seems fitting that this spaceage updating still keeps it way ahead of the pack! There are wrong notes, as well as a lot of sung “zoom-zooms,” which was a gimmick that he used. Either way, it’s worth checking out because this is not your grandfather’s “Jingle Bells.” Well, I guess it is if your grandfather happened to be Esquivel!
4) “Paradise”—I still like it, but I usually only hear it with the video….
5) “Santa You Can Drive My Sled”—There have been quite a few really good Beatle cover Christmas songs. They absolutely make Christmas music more enjoyable when compared to the selections on the 24 hour corporate stations. This one is the best I’ve heard. Every thing on it rings true from Santa’s “Ho, Ho, Ho” that starts and ends the song, as well as everything in between! I am not exaggerating. I am just stating facts. It is GREAT!
6) “Cowboy Christmas Ball”—This song has been a favorite of mine since I first heard it 20 years ago. The song describes a real life annual event that takes place in Texas. The words are so colorful and descriptive that you feel as if you’re there! Suzy Bogguss sings with just the right amount of emotion, perfectly complimenting Michael Martin Murphey’s gruff cowboy vocal! The lines of the song are interwoven by many other voices describing this happy night and the music is very peppy and upbeat—Cowboy style! And just when the song wraps up with everyone singing in harmony on the final line, the song continues into another medley for an encore! There is just something about the image of prairie dogs “wheezin’ and sneezin’ from the cold!” It would NOT be Christmas if I didn’t hear this song!
7) “Sparks Fly”—The sparks are starting to smolder………………
8) “Navidad Y Ano Nuevo”—Another favorite of mine, but in Spanish! The harmonies are tight and the melody is nicely sung over a loping bass line! There is an accordion and marimbas that give the song a mariachi feel during the instrumental interludes! I don’t even know what they’re singing about half of the time, but I know the feeling is good!
9) “Very Merry Christmas”—The song kind of sounds like a lost Sanford Townsend Band Christmas song—minus the horns!
10) “Ours”—The video is better than the song and even with multitracking, one of the last “Ours” vocals sounds flat. I still like it though………………….

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Phil’s Faves: Videos, December 18, 2011

Posted on January 1, 2012 by PhilMaq

This will be a personal weekly Top Ten list of what I consider to be the best videos currently available on TV. I don’t, as a rule, go searching for old music videos, so that’s why it will focus mostly on current or recent videos. For this category, I am also going to include any live performances on talk or variety shows that I see during the week.

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Without VH1 competition, Taylor Swift notches her third #1 video for the year on “Phil’s Faves!” I honestly didn’t think it would be that easy when I started these lists…………

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Top 5 Videos for the week of December 18, 2011

1. Ours—Taylor Swift
2. Sparks Fly—Taylor Swift
3. Mis Deseos/Feliz Navidad—Michael Buble with Thalia
4. Promotional Segment for Michael Buble’s Christmas CD on Saturday Night Live
5. Red Solo Cup–Toby Keith (Holiday Edition)

1) “Ours”—There are so many humorous scenes in the video—especially if you’ve ever worked in an office! I like the overweight guy who’s hogging the water cooler!
2) “Sparks Fly”—I keep seeing this one even through the holidays!
3) “Mis Deseos/Feliz Navidad”—Wow! This duet with Thalia on Michael Buble’s Christmas Special was NOT a pedestrian cover of a song we’ve all heard a zillion times. It was also very cool to see Thalia, a superstar in most other parts of the world! We need to see and hear her much more often!
4) “Promotional Segment for Michael Buble’s Christmas CD on Saturday Night Live”—This was a very funny comedy segment on the show that was hosted by Jimmy Fallon and featured Michael Buble as the musical guest! Michael Buble has shown glimpses into his comedic side over the years. It’s up there with Josh Groban. I have to think that the idea for the skit came from Jimmy as he reprised characters he’s done before: Justin Bieber, Sting, etc…, but it also gave some of the cast of SNL to do impressions. I particularly enjoyed Kristen Wiig as Taylor Swift and a Christmas tree that was supposed to be Lady Gaga! Ironically, most of the artists paired with Buble missed their cues and didn’t sing!
5) “Red Solo Cup” (Holiday Edition)—I still continue to run across this one a lot and I still enjoy it………………………………….

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