Top Ten Songs of 2010
Tons of great new music this year! Here's my top 10.
10. Hunters of the Night - Devin Tait
It might be self-indulgent to start my list off with one of my own songs, but at least I'm being humble by giving it the lowest position, right? This was a song that I quickly recorded to release onto YouTube for Valentine's Day, 2011, as an accompaniment to a slideshow of photos taken by my friend, Luther Orrick, to promote his photography company. The original song is by Mr. Mister, a group from the '80's who I still love. I remember when I was young, those guys were on the radio all the time but I really loved their songs "Broken Wings," "Kyrie" and "Is It Love." My friend Brad aka Swivek had introduced me to this blog called Bottom Feeders: The Ass End of the 80's that examined all the Billboard charting singles from the 1980's which never cracked the top 40. It's a fascinating read. Anyhoo, "Hunters of the Night" was one of Mr. Mister's songs that ended up on the illustrious Bottom Feeders blog and, although I had heard it before, hearing it again in this context actually made it stand out to me as a pretty decent little song and one I thought would be fun to cover. So, in the span of a few days, I recorded and mixed it and then premiered it at a Shitting Glitter show in Bakersfield at CSUB for a gay Valentine's party.
9. Fruitcake - The Superions
This is a funny song from a funny album, "Destination: Christmas" by the Superions, which is a side project from B-52's vocalist Fred Schneider. I'm always up for a good novelty holiday record (I hate having to play schmaltzy old religious songs for the holidays) so I was really excited to hear this one. I bought it at Amoeba where Fred was doing a DJ spot and signing so I got him to sign my copy and had a brief conversation with him, wherein I reminded him that we were pen-pals and that I used to be in the band Shitting Glitter. He said it was probably a good thing that I wasn't going by that name any more since it wasn't very commercial! Anyway, I have really good memories of listening to this CD in Dylan's car when we took our short holiday vacation up to San Luis Obispo and the Madonna Inn at the beginning of December, and then when the Traitors and I covered this tune for our holiday show at Cafe Muse in Hollywood (which you can see here on YouTube).
8. Jam it in the Hole - Electric Six
I love Electric Six and even if you don't, you have to admire their work ethic. Like clockwork, each year they release an album and tour in the fall, usually making it out to LA in October. Their albums are consistently great, retaining enough of their signature sound to please old fans, but exploring enough other textures and styles to keep it interesting. This song was the lead single off their 2010 album, "Zodiac," but I don't think there was a music video filmed for it, unfortunately. It's a great song that starts out seeming a little silly but then building up to a great climax with female (?) backing vocals and a great little groove. Too bad this one didn't get more attention. When they came to play the Key Club in October it was another fun show, and even though they now have so many songs to choose from in their repertoire, they still seem to play all my favorites.
7. Dancing on my Own - Robyn
It was definitely a great year for Robyn with her "Body Talk" releases and the accompanying singles. It seemed like all the gay boys were going on and on about this Swedish lass, and for good reason - she's got the tunes, beats, and moves to top many of the other dance-pop girlies, but with some substance behind the style - she writes her own stuff, is in control of her own career, enjoys being a bit "different," and isn't overexposed. Of course, the constant conundrum with her seems to be the "well, why ISN'T she more famous," but if she was then I think she would lose a lot of her charm. She excels in being an underdog, as demonstrated by the lyrics to this catchy number. By the way, I mashed this song up with "Obsession" by Animotion and performed it at Hamburger Mary's as part of the Boofont Sister's show, but luckily no one recorded it, so you'll just have to assume it was awesome!
6. Scream - Kelis
I got addicted to Kelis this year. I was not much of a fan of her stuff during the "Milkshake" period but I heard she was going to release a more electro/dance album which kind of piqued my interest. I downloaded the lead single "A Capella" for a mix CD I was making and thought it was fun enough, but seeing her perform live at LA Pride is what really converted me. The album, "Fleshtone," was one of my favorites from 2010 and rarely left my car CD player during the summertime. There are some really great songs on it and it was hard to choose just one because I also love "Home" and "22nd Century." I hope she continues in this vein for awhile. I also had a great time seeing her and Robyn on their "All Hearts Tour" which I saw at the Music Box in Hollywood.
5. Dance in the Dark - Lady Gaga
Wow, I just looked back at my 2009 top songs and saw that Ms. Gaga scored there with "Bad Romance" and now here she is again this year. Considering that I don't think of myself as a "little monster" I sure do seem to love her songs. I think that, unlike MOST pop starlets, Gaga really has the goods. I told Dylan that if Lady Gaga crash landed in your living room she could put on a show all by herself with whatever instrument you happen to have laying around and a costume fashioned from your curtains, dirty laundry and household appliances. What other "pop" stars could do that? This song is like crack - it gets stuck in your head when you hear it, and as soon as it leaves, you just want to hear it again. This was my favorite song off her "Fame Monster" EP, which was full of irresistibly catchy songs.
4. All the Lovers - Kylie Minogue
Kylie can practically do no wrong, and when she does, it's only because the American record label has insisted on crapping all over one of her songs by adding in some inane rapper because they think that's what American want to hear. Well, guess what? The people in this country who listen to Kylie want to hear HER and the type of music that she makes, not some forced hip-hop R&B bullcrap designed to get her on US radio. "All The Lovers" is Kylie doing what Kylie does best - uplifting, romantic, and euphoric dance music with killer beats and crazy synths. People said that Aphrodite was a return to form for Ms. Minogue, but frankly I'm not sure where she was returning from because all of her albums since Light Years have been fantastic. Long live the princess of pop!!!
3. Being Followed - Duran Duran
After the catastrophe that was Red Carpet Massacre, I had pretty much written off Duran Duran as far as ever hoping that they would record another album like Rio, The Wedding Album, or Astronaut. So when I heard about their latest offering, All You Need Is Now, I must admit my expectations were not very high. I figured at best there would be a couple of really good songs that I would enjoy and make me nostalgic for the Duran of yesterdays and a bunch of clunkers that were trying too hard to sound current or hip. Well, I stand corrected! The first time I heard the album I thought I was transported into a parallel universe where there was a secret album that came between Rio and Seven and the Ragged Tiger (which happens to be my favorite DD record of all time). Except for that it sounded totally 2010! I just loved it from start to finish, but this tune really captures the best of what Duran has offered throughout their career: quirky, new-wavy dance beats with paranoid lyrics and a gloss that feels right out of a high fashion magazine.
2. Fresh - Devo
Sometimes you don't know what to expect when a band gets back together and announces a new album. I love Devo, and have for almost as long as I've loved any band, but the tail end of their output together was inconsistent and much of it really sounded forced. I don't even own the album "Total Devo" anymore because there's just not much on it that I care to hear. Considering that the guys are all old enough to be grandparents (and I'm sure some of them are), it was a huge surprise to hear them in 2010 sounding so - Fresh! This single simply kicks ass - it's loud, fast, aggressive, synth-tastic, wacky, a little scary; basically all the best elements Devo has ever displayed all rolled in to one modern sounding track. What's even more bewildering is that their live shows match if not exceed the energy and excitement of the new material. For a band that propagated the theory that the human race is devolving rather than evolving, they sure have disproved themselves by becoming even better in their advanced age.
1. Night People - The Human League
This is probably a surprise to absolutely no one! Over the years, The Human League has evolved to be my favorite band in the world. And it's not because they're the most talented group, the most prolific, the most cutting edge or the most accomplished. It's just because I have loved them since I was a kid and they keep putting out albums I love and doing shows where I have a lot of fun and I love their personalities, sense of humour, and attitude. They keep going and they take themselves seriously enough but not too seriously. On top of it though, they just always seem to come up with songs that I really love and get into. "Night People" is no exception and I love the fact that this song was fairly "controversial" amongst those who actually heard it. After a 10 year gap since their last album and single, expectations were very high, and a lot of the fans felt disappointed by this songs. Sure, it was no "Tell Me When" or even a "Heart Like A Wheel." It's a very close relative to "Sound of the Crowd," which is probably my favorite track off their seminal Dare album. I like dark, electro, dance floor stompers and this certainly qualifies. It's not what you expect from a first single from a Human League album, but they were going with a different method this time. They weren't trying to break onto the radio with some sing-a-long hit because they knew that wasn't going to happen. The radio doesn't play artists with integrity anymore, anyway, and to a lot of people, Human League are just that 80's band who sang "Don't You Want Me." For those of us who know better, this was a nice treat. Some people have complained about the repetitiveness of the lyrics, but really... "la la la, la la la la la" in Kylie Minogue's "Can't Get You Out of My Head" ISN'T repetitive? That was a huge hit that still gets played in the clubs and I've never heard anyone complaining about it being repetitive, even though it - and most good pop songs - is just that. "Night People" also came armed with a 'controversial' music video - inasmuch as the band didn't actually appear in it (more of a let-down than a controversy) and that it featured in its ranks of night people a transvestite. Who was bothered by that? Only some extremely clueless, anonymous internet trolls who argued that the Human League doesn't have a "gay fan base" so they shouldn't have featured cross dressing in their video. Seriously? Anyway, this was my most anticipated single of 2010 and for me, at least, it delivered.
10. Hunters of the Night - Devin TaitIt might be self-indulgent to start my list off with one of my own songs, but at least I'm being humble by giving it the lowest position, right? This was a song that I quickly recorded to release onto YouTube for Valentine's Day, 2011, as an accompaniment to a slideshow of photos taken by my friend, Luther Orrick, to promote his photography company. The original song is by Mr. Mister, a group from the '80's who I still love. I remember when I was young, those guys were on the radio all the time but I really loved their songs "Broken Wings," "Kyrie" and "Is It Love." My friend Brad aka Swivek had introduced me to this blog called Bottom Feeders: The Ass End of the 80's that examined all the Billboard charting singles from the 1980's which never cracked the top 40. It's a fascinating read. Anyhoo, "Hunters of the Night" was one of Mr. Mister's songs that ended up on the illustrious Bottom Feeders blog and, although I had heard it before, hearing it again in this context actually made it stand out to me as a pretty decent little song and one I thought would be fun to cover. So, in the span of a few days, I recorded and mixed it and then premiered it at a Shitting Glitter show in Bakersfield at CSUB for a gay Valentine's party.
9. Fruitcake - The SuperionsThis is a funny song from a funny album, "Destination: Christmas" by the Superions, which is a side project from B-52's vocalist Fred Schneider. I'm always up for a good novelty holiday record (I hate having to play schmaltzy old religious songs for the holidays) so I was really excited to hear this one. I bought it at Amoeba where Fred was doing a DJ spot and signing so I got him to sign my copy and had a brief conversation with him, wherein I reminded him that we were pen-pals and that I used to be in the band Shitting Glitter. He said it was probably a good thing that I wasn't going by that name any more since it wasn't very commercial! Anyway, I have really good memories of listening to this CD in Dylan's car when we took our short holiday vacation up to San Luis Obispo and the Madonna Inn at the beginning of December, and then when the Traitors and I covered this tune for our holiday show at Cafe Muse in Hollywood (which you can see here on YouTube).
8. Jam it in the Hole - Electric SixI love Electric Six and even if you don't, you have to admire their work ethic. Like clockwork, each year they release an album and tour in the fall, usually making it out to LA in October. Their albums are consistently great, retaining enough of their signature sound to please old fans, but exploring enough other textures and styles to keep it interesting. This song was the lead single off their 2010 album, "Zodiac," but I don't think there was a music video filmed for it, unfortunately. It's a great song that starts out seeming a little silly but then building up to a great climax with female (?) backing vocals and a great little groove. Too bad this one didn't get more attention. When they came to play the Key Club in October it was another fun show, and even though they now have so many songs to choose from in their repertoire, they still seem to play all my favorites.
7. Dancing on my Own - RobynIt was definitely a great year for Robyn with her "Body Talk" releases and the accompanying singles. It seemed like all the gay boys were going on and on about this Swedish lass, and for good reason - she's got the tunes, beats, and moves to top many of the other dance-pop girlies, but with some substance behind the style - she writes her own stuff, is in control of her own career, enjoys being a bit "different," and isn't overexposed. Of course, the constant conundrum with her seems to be the "well, why ISN'T she more famous," but if she was then I think she would lose a lot of her charm. She excels in being an underdog, as demonstrated by the lyrics to this catchy number. By the way, I mashed this song up with "Obsession" by Animotion and performed it at Hamburger Mary's as part of the Boofont Sister's show, but luckily no one recorded it, so you'll just have to assume it was awesome!
6. Scream - KelisI got addicted to Kelis this year. I was not much of a fan of her stuff during the "Milkshake" period but I heard she was going to release a more electro/dance album which kind of piqued my interest. I downloaded the lead single "A Capella" for a mix CD I was making and thought it was fun enough, but seeing her perform live at LA Pride is what really converted me. The album, "Fleshtone," was one of my favorites from 2010 and rarely left my car CD player during the summertime. There are some really great songs on it and it was hard to choose just one because I also love "Home" and "22nd Century." I hope she continues in this vein for awhile. I also had a great time seeing her and Robyn on their "All Hearts Tour" which I saw at the Music Box in Hollywood.
5. Dance in the Dark - Lady GagaWow, I just looked back at my 2009 top songs and saw that Ms. Gaga scored there with "Bad Romance" and now here she is again this year. Considering that I don't think of myself as a "little monster" I sure do seem to love her songs. I think that, unlike MOST pop starlets, Gaga really has the goods. I told Dylan that if Lady Gaga crash landed in your living room she could put on a show all by herself with whatever instrument you happen to have laying around and a costume fashioned from your curtains, dirty laundry and household appliances. What other "pop" stars could do that? This song is like crack - it gets stuck in your head when you hear it, and as soon as it leaves, you just want to hear it again. This was my favorite song off her "Fame Monster" EP, which was full of irresistibly catchy songs.
4. All the Lovers - Kylie MinogueKylie can practically do no wrong, and when she does, it's only because the American record label has insisted on crapping all over one of her songs by adding in some inane rapper because they think that's what American want to hear. Well, guess what? The people in this country who listen to Kylie want to hear HER and the type of music that she makes, not some forced hip-hop R&B bullcrap designed to get her on US radio. "All The Lovers" is Kylie doing what Kylie does best - uplifting, romantic, and euphoric dance music with killer beats and crazy synths. People said that Aphrodite was a return to form for Ms. Minogue, but frankly I'm not sure where she was returning from because all of her albums since Light Years have been fantastic. Long live the princess of pop!!!
3. Being Followed - Duran DuranAfter the catastrophe that was Red Carpet Massacre, I had pretty much written off Duran Duran as far as ever hoping that they would record another album like Rio, The Wedding Album, or Astronaut. So when I heard about their latest offering, All You Need Is Now, I must admit my expectations were not very high. I figured at best there would be a couple of really good songs that I would enjoy and make me nostalgic for the Duran of yesterdays and a bunch of clunkers that were trying too hard to sound current or hip. Well, I stand corrected! The first time I heard the album I thought I was transported into a parallel universe where there was a secret album that came between Rio and Seven and the Ragged Tiger (which happens to be my favorite DD record of all time). Except for that it sounded totally 2010! I just loved it from start to finish, but this tune really captures the best of what Duran has offered throughout their career: quirky, new-wavy dance beats with paranoid lyrics and a gloss that feels right out of a high fashion magazine.
2. Fresh - DevoSometimes you don't know what to expect when a band gets back together and announces a new album. I love Devo, and have for almost as long as I've loved any band, but the tail end of their output together was inconsistent and much of it really sounded forced. I don't even own the album "Total Devo" anymore because there's just not much on it that I care to hear. Considering that the guys are all old enough to be grandparents (and I'm sure some of them are), it was a huge surprise to hear them in 2010 sounding so - Fresh! This single simply kicks ass - it's loud, fast, aggressive, synth-tastic, wacky, a little scary; basically all the best elements Devo has ever displayed all rolled in to one modern sounding track. What's even more bewildering is that their live shows match if not exceed the energy and excitement of the new material. For a band that propagated the theory that the human race is devolving rather than evolving, they sure have disproved themselves by becoming even better in their advanced age.
1. Night People - The Human LeagueThis is probably a surprise to absolutely no one! Over the years, The Human League has evolved to be my favorite band in the world. And it's not because they're the most talented group, the most prolific, the most cutting edge or the most accomplished. It's just because I have loved them since I was a kid and they keep putting out albums I love and doing shows where I have a lot of fun and I love their personalities, sense of humour, and attitude. They keep going and they take themselves seriously enough but not too seriously. On top of it though, they just always seem to come up with songs that I really love and get into. "Night People" is no exception and I love the fact that this song was fairly "controversial" amongst those who actually heard it. After a 10 year gap since their last album and single, expectations were very high, and a lot of the fans felt disappointed by this songs. Sure, it was no "Tell Me When" or even a "Heart Like A Wheel." It's a very close relative to "Sound of the Crowd," which is probably my favorite track off their seminal Dare album. I like dark, electro, dance floor stompers and this certainly qualifies. It's not what you expect from a first single from a Human League album, but they were going with a different method this time. They weren't trying to break onto the radio with some sing-a-long hit because they knew that wasn't going to happen. The radio doesn't play artists with integrity anymore, anyway, and to a lot of people, Human League are just that 80's band who sang "Don't You Want Me." For those of us who know better, this was a nice treat. Some people have complained about the repetitiveness of the lyrics, but really... "la la la, la la la la la" in Kylie Minogue's "Can't Get You Out of My Head" ISN'T repetitive? That was a huge hit that still gets played in the clubs and I've never heard anyone complaining about it being repetitive, even though it - and most good pop songs - is just that. "Night People" also came armed with a 'controversial' music video - inasmuch as the band didn't actually appear in it (more of a let-down than a controversy) and that it featured in its ranks of night people a transvestite. Who was bothered by that? Only some extremely clueless, anonymous internet trolls who argued that the Human League doesn't have a "gay fan base" so they shouldn't have featured cross dressing in their video. Seriously? Anyway, this was my most anticipated single of 2010 and for me, at least, it delivered.
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