14: My 100 Favorite Songs (#100-86)

This entire site is nothing more than a love letter to the art and experiences of my life which can't be honored any other way.

I feel a special connection to all of these songs, some going back more than thirty years. I'm going to do my best to honor the people and places that were involved or important in my love for them. It is my hope that somehow people will find my blog and connect with me via a shared appreciation of all this shtuff that, in part, makes up a life.

I hope you enjoy reading and listening along, and I'd be thrilled to get a comment from you :)

100. Midlake - Roscoe (2006)

It is clearly the band's intent to conjure up images and feelings of an earlier, simpler time with this song. The fact that the song succeeds so well in doing so is a result of fantastically odd and specific old-time lyrics and a catchy, driving instrumental. Midlake's strengths, pretty and ethereal vocals and explorative instrumentation, are both at their peak here. The band was never again able to recapture this song's combination of propulsive energy and quiet stream wanderings again, but Roscoe is good enough that they didn't need to.

99. The Magnetic Fields - Fear of Trains (1994)

Like Midlake, The Magnetic Fields love to keep the listener guessing as to which decade or century their songs are taking place in - or even recorded during. The band has an almost supernatural ability to vary the tone, topic, even the musical genre from one song to the next. There's something for everyone and if the odd topics don't grab you the beautiful touches of melody and harmony will. "Fear of Trains" is my favorite kind of song; it is a simple and straightforward execution of a unique idea that doesn't remind me of anything else. 

98. Jesca Hoop - Born To (2012)

When a song I've never heard before catches my attention in a good way, it can be a powerful moment. "Born To" is a string of powerful moments and the sum is even greater than the parts. The layered and swirling instrumental is reminiscent of the best of 90s alternative and Jesca's powerful vocals soar, splitting the edges of the frame, allowing the image to flood to all corners. I have no idea what she is talking about in this song, but it doesn't matter. The song commands your attention and only releases you when you've seen what has been revealed about life and death - if anything. 

97. Breen - Make Sense (2014)

The director got this song exactly right; it is the equivalent of driving alone at night, looking for any sign of familiar territory. I found this song original the first time I heard it, and six years later I'm even more impressed. The song incorporates looping piano chords soaked in reverb, set on top of many layers of drums, snaps, and vocal samples. Breen's vocals and cryptic, searching lyrics are like a flashlight in the dark, informing you where to look and what to watch out for. "You gotta make sense of these things in my mind when everything around me seems to be fine."

96. AFI - Days of the Phoenix (2000)

I was a fan of AFI's first four albums, dating back to 1995 when I saw their homemade music video on a VHS compilation and fell in love with their style of melodic hardcore punk. Over the course of those first albums the band's sound became more and more melodic and the songs added more elements of pop songcraft. And, most shocking to me, the songs were longer than 90 seconds. "Days of the Phoenix" was sort of the lead single off their fifth album and it signaled a big leap forward in the band's songwriting ability. It is still a melodic punk rager but there are dynamics in the delivery and the lyrics are more personal and dark. The band totally lost me after this album, going way too far in the goth-pop direction, so this song will represent their apex to me, especially lyrically: "Words were as mystical as purring animals. The circle of rage, the ghosts on the stage appeared. The time was so tangible, I'll never let it go. Ghost stories handed down reached secret tunnels below. No one could see me."

95. Iron Maiden - Revelations (1983)

When I was very young, I thought Iron Maiden was a death metal band. I was terrified of their scary zombie logo and macabre song titles. When I was a teenager and actually got into metal, I was shocked to find they were a totally accessible melodic and harmonious pop metal band! Knowing how absurdly popular they were, I would have been offended if their songs weren't so fucking good. It is hard to pick a favorite song from a band with 10+ great albums, but I see this as their best and most complete song. There are wild turns of tempo and structure, beautiful and soaring operatic vocals, and of course all the dual guitar noodlery you could ever want. The lyrics, typical Bruce Dickinson gothic storytelling, fit the tone perfectly. His vocals float serenely from one passage to the next. "An easy way for the blind to go. A clever path for the fools who know the secret of the hanged man: the smile on his lips."

94. Crying - Revive (2016)

When I was introduced to the band Crying in 2015, I immediately had two thoughts: what a terrible name and what an incredible sound! To think only three people were creating this kind of racket was incredible, and the more I explored the band through live videos, the more impressed I was. This live version of "Revive" is my favorite from the band, and probably the first time I've ever had a throbbing crush on every member of a band separately and together. Their musicianship matched with their slobby youth is just heart melting. I just want to rent a duplex and let them practice in the basement for free. If you're into ANY genre of music there is something for you in this song, the band is that versatile. Bonus video of Crying covering my favorite Carly Rae song:

93. The Chase Theory - Pharaohs and Kings (1999)

I don't know what wave of emo The Chase Theory were involved in, but to a sixteen year old in 1999, this shit hit hard. The lyrics address faith in both ancient and current times, comparing the stress and difficulty of modern life with the blissful ignorance of the days of idol worship. "We feel and believe, it helps us wake up everyday. Pharaohs and kings did the same thing anyway." The instrumental has a powerful, booming resonance and the typically pained emo vocals deliver the song's melancholy musings with meaningful exhaustion. A bleak, depressing, accurate look at what it takes to get up and do it again tomorrow, every day.

92. Was (Not Was) - How the Heart Behaves (1990)

When your band is made up of super-producers, seasoned songwriters, and top notch session musicians, you expect to feel the joy coming through the music. Such is the case with Was (Not Was), whose albums are a master class in songcraft, production, performance, and fun. The band is on another level when it comes to composition; their melodies and rhythms seem chemically synthesized to stick in your brain and make you nod your head. Again, impossible to pick a favorite of theirs, but "How the Heart Behaves" pops into my head on a regular basis and the song's many and varied melodies and harmonies are all bright and memorable. "The line between pleasure and pain can't be measured by means of the brain. Mere reason alone could never explain how the heart behaves." 💗💙💚💛💜

91. Fabolous - Breathe (2004)

If I were tasked with preparing a time capsule and needed to include an example of rap music for our future alien overlords to discover and dumb-out to, it would be "Breathe". Simply put, it has no flaws. The beat is a thumping and varied crisscrossing of pianos, vocal samples, and snapping drums. Fabolous delivers hook after hook, unwilling to lay out a lazy verse and save the good stuff for the chorus. Perhaps what I like most about the song is that it isn't overly hateful or violent; it is apex level braggadocio backed up by talent. Ideal for a 5' 6" white guy's pre-pick up basketball pump-up mix. For example 😺

90. the Jesus Lizard - Boilermaker (1992)

In 1998 I was fifteen and obsessed with punk music. I loved pop punk for the catchy melodies and guitar work, punk rock for the aggression and disobedience, and hardcore punk for the cathartic rage and passion. During a family trip to Albuquerque, I spotted this album, "Liar" by a band called the Jesus Lizard, in the used bin of my mecca, Hastings Multimedia Supercenter. The cover was cool and I recognized Touch and Go Records as a Chicago label that put out some punk stuff, so I grabbed it for $4. To say this album changed my life is an understatement. It expanded my interest from the vary narrow punk genre to the almost limitless independent rock genre. The fact that the Jesus Lizard was one of the best, most consistent "noise rock" bands on the planet was just my good luck, and they wound up becoming one of my favorite bands, with several albums I consider perfect and being able to see them live several times. "Boilermaker" is song one on what was album one for me; instead of waiting for me to open a door on my own, this song kicked it open and dragged me across a threshold pain and pleasure I'd never imagined. 

89. Sade - The Sweetest Taboo (1985)

DAMN! This is baby-makin' music right here! It is so rare when the stars align on a song like this, where a truly world-class vocalist is matched with a worthy melody and rhythm section. Instead of just a pretty voice, you have a memorable song with a catchy hook that magnifies and compliments Sade's effortless vocals. What makes this a favorite of mine is how well it delivers despite its cheesy flaws and dated approach. The fact that my coworker at Copps told me it was about anal sex will alternatively knock it down or up in my estimation depending on how serious of a mood I'm in 😂😂😂

88. Bob Marley - Nice Time (1967)

It wasn't until I was thirty years old that I was able to sit down and actually listen to Bob Marley's music without dismissing it due to his ridiculous frat boy fan base. I of course knew his hits (heh) and had been exposed to some of his other stuff at frat parties, but when I did get down to exploring his incredibly vast collection of songs, I was amazed. It all made sense at once and I became a fan. Now, like most songwriters, he has some quality control issues, and that's to be expected when you're violently ripped 24/7. "Nice Time" is my favorite "deep track" from Bob. It is more like an emotion set to drums than a song, and the song's varied instruments and voices join together to welcome you in on the nice time. The song was written for Bob's young daughter, whom he worried would not be grateful for her life of wealth having never suffered through poverty. Here again, Bob is able to delivery powerful emotion through simple, relaxed music like no one else.  

87. Alice In Chains - Rain When I Die (1992)

One incredibly refreshing thing about Grunge is that you always know it when you hear it! The rock music of the early 90s, even just the stuff on TV and the radio, varied in tone incredibly from squeaky clean to utterly filthy. It wasn't enough for Alice In Chains to have the grimiest guitar tone, subject matter and atmosphere, so they said fuck it and just named the album "Dirt". What set the good grunge songs apart from the bad ones was usually the vocals, and Layne Staley's performance here is hauntingly perfect for the pitch black places the song goes. The band would frequently fail at matching catchy lines with their grim subject matter, but Rain When I Die is both hooky and memorable. Maybe not their best song, but the best representation of the band's ethos - or lack thereof. 

86. Buddy Guy - She Suits Me To a Tee (1967)

A good blues vocalist can make you feel every shade of blue, but a great one will run through every color of the rainbow. I always knew Buddy Guy as a great blues guitarist, but when I explored his music, it was his vocals that had me impressed. "She Suits Me To a Tee" was one of Buddy's original songs on his first album, and the song matches a typical but spirited blues shuffle with a truly crazed, full throttle vocal performance that burns with intensity and commitment. As a musician, I know a great blues song is typically carried by great guitar or great vocals - rarely both. I can't imagine a more decisive debut performance than this song, the beginning of a 50+ year career in making the blues sound beautiful. This one's a rager - crank it up. 

I'll be back periodically to continue this list. As always, thanks for reading some or all of this :) Drop me a comment if you have time and take care!

-Jack