Essential 11 -- October 2010

I've been passing on quite a few big names for this list Weezer (I actually prefer Rivers Cuomo's collaberation with BOB). Soundgarden (can't get too excited about a reject from Badmotorfinger, back before they discovered how to write songs, even if it has a neat Zeppelineque flourish at the end) Smashing Pumpkins (Siamese Dream is looking more and more like a fluke) Let's see what's really worth listening to this month....

1) Blue Blood Blues -- The Dead Weather Another blast from the ambassadors of the Deltas of Mars.
2) Sick Of You -- Cake This time their sound is taking on a fuller, almost R&B sound. They're sounding less and less like a novelty act and that's a good thing.
3) Fade Like A Shadow -- KT Tunstall She likes to think of this album as her electronica move -- think more late 80's Suzanne Vega and not LCD Soundsystem and you get the idea. Nice lyric about a relationship that doesn't quite measure up and while on the surface it sounds slick, the arragement has got an edge that sneaks up on you when you're not paying attention.
4. Precious Stone -- Peter Yorn. After a couple of listless albums and a collaboration with model-actress Scarlett Johannsen which succeeded mostly by not sucking as much as expected, Peter Yorn has found his edge again.
5. Dead American Writers -- Tired Pony An Americana supregroup imagine that. This band gets by on literacy and sheer integrity.
6. F#%k You -- Cee-Lo On first listen I was prepared to write this one off as an attempt to get by on shock value alone. Nillson tried somehting like this in the early 70's with "You're Breaking My Heart" On repeated listens I had to admit that Cee-Lo can write intricate cathy R&B and the voice of Gnarles Barkley sure can dance around a melody.
7. Heartbeat Song -- The Futureheads Ahh Singalong melody, guitars and a pumping punky beat. Never gets old does it?
8. Walk With Me -- Neil Young One man, an electric guitar, lots of feedback and Daniel Lanois. A jaw dropping performance and this is NEIL YOUNG we're talking about.
9. Radioactive -- Kigns of Leon Their songs usually take a while to work for me and this one was no exception. This band is not content to crank out "use Somebody -- Part II" and good for them. What hooks me into this one is how the guitarist plays in counterpoint against the rythmn of the drummer.
10. Anybody Out There -- Civil Twilight This is their U2 song, as opposed to "One of These Days" which was their Radiohead song. This is not a criticism. That was are really good Radiohead song and this is a really good U2 song and this talented band is plainly on the verge of transcending their influences.
11. White Knuckles -- OK Go An addictive funky tune. Love the video that features man's best friends in co-starring roles.

CFNY Top 102 Songs of 2009

With stalwarts like KITS and KNDD not putting out lists this year and KROQ shrrtening thier list down to 20, it's good to know that the leading Canadian Alt station, the only one that I can actually get on my radio, is still cranking them out. lots of songs this year that actually belong in 2008. Lots of local bands (most of them worth checking out)

1. Panic Switch -- Silversun Pickups
2. Kids -- MGMT
3. Use Somebody -- Kings of Leon
4. Gimmme Sympathy -- Metric
5. The Fixer -- Pearl Jam
6. Ulysses -- Franz Ferdinand
7. Rusted from the Rain -- Billy Talent
8. 21 Guns -- Green Day
9. You're Gonna Go Far Kid -- The Offspring
10. Check My Brain -- Alice In Chains
11. Love Is A First -- The Tragically Hip
12. Uprising -- Muse
13. (If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To -- Weezer
14. Notion -- Kings of Leon
15. New Divide -- Linkin Park
16. Help! I'm Alive -- Metric
17. Savior -- Rise Against
18. Wannabe in L.A. -- Eagles of Death Metal
19. Ain't No Rest for the Wicked -- Cage teh Elephant
20. No You Girls -- Franz Ferdinand
21. Audience of One -- Rise Against
22. Sometime Around Midnight -- The Airborne Toxic Event
23. Laces Out -- USS
24. Know Your Enemy -- Green Day
25. Wheels -- Foo Fighters
26. Oh, The Boss is Coming! -- The Arkells
27. Get On Your Boots -- U2
28. The '59 Sound -- Gaslight Anthem
29. 1901 -- Phoenix
30. New Fang -- Them Crooked Vultures
31. Young Cardinals -- Alexis on Fire
32. Zero -- The Yeah Yeah Yeahs
33. Medicate -- AFI
34. Substitution -- Silversun Pickups
35. Break -- Three Days Grace
36. Brother -- Pearl Jam
37. Wrong -- Depeche Mode
38. Inside the Fire -- Disturbed
39. Alvie Again -- Champion
40. Meet Me On hte Equinox -- Death Cab for Cutie
41. Spaceman -- The Killers
42. Sick Muse -- Metric
43. East Jesus Nowhere -- Green Day
44. Leopard Skin Pillbox Hat -- Beck
45. Not So Pretty Now -- Nine Inch Nails
46. Magnificent -- U2
47. Ballad of Hugo Chavez -- The Arkells
48. She's A Genius -- Jet
49. Crawl Back In -- Dead By Sunrise
50. Last One to Die -- Rancid
51. Ghetto Love -- Spinerette
52. Bad Medicine -- Die Mannequin
53. Kristy Are You Doing OK? -- The Offspring
54. Heads Will Roll -- The Yeah Yeah Yeahs
55. Fixed to Ruin -- Sam Roberts Band
56. Anything 'Cept the Truth -- Eagles of Death Metal
57. Hard Sun -- Eddie Vedder
58. Kings and Queens -- 30 Seconds to Mars
59. Body of Years -- Mother Mother
60. Treat Me Like Your Mother -- The Dead Weather
61. I'm With You -- The Stills
62. Feel Good Drag -- Anberlin
63. Make Believe -- Thornley
64. A Looking In View -- Alice In Chains
65. These Are My Twisted Words -- Radiohead
66. Hell -- Tegan & Sara
67. Just Breathe -- Pearl Jam
68. Take It For Granted -- Ill Scarlet
69. Hero of War -- Rise Against
70. All You Did Was Save My Life -- Our Lady Peace
71. I'll Go Craxy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight -- U2
72. Supernatural Superserious --R.E.M.
73. Anti-Vemom -- USS
74. New Moon Rising -- Wolfmother
75. Devil On My Shoulder -- Billy Talent
76. Sex on Fire -- Kings of Leon
77. Believe In Me -- Sloan
78. Re-ERducation (Though Labor) -- Rise Against
79. Bleed It Out -- Linkin Park
80. The Shock of the Lightning -- Oasis
81. Last Parade -- Matthew Good
82. Trooublemaker -- Weezer
83. Violet Hill -- Coldplay
84. Burning Bridges -- KOS
85. Hammerhead -- The Offspring
86. Pork and Beans -- Weezer
87. Your English Is Good -- Tokyo Police Club
88. Human -- The Killers
89. All Empires Fall -- Waking Eyes
90. I Will Possess Your Heart -- Death Cab for Cutie
91. Born and Raised -- Alexis on Fire
92. Lost! -- Coldplay
93. Pullin' Punches -- The Arkells
94. Your Decision -- Alice in Chains
95. Put the Phone Down -- Pilot Speed
96. I Don't Care -- Apocalyptica feat. Adam Gontier
97. The Girl -- City and Colour
98. Viva La Vida -- Coldplay
99. My Love Eas There -- The Junction
100. Cath -- Death Cab for Cutie
101. Sick -- Bif Naked
102. Back Agisnt the Wall -- Cage the Elephant

KFMA top 50 of 2009+

KFMA is a hard rocking Alternative station out of Tuscon Ariz.

1. Panic Switch -- Silversun Pickups
2. Jars -- Chevelle
3. Savior -- Rise Against
4. Uprising -- Muse
5. Help, I'm Alive -- Metric
6. Blood On My Hands -- The Used
7. Notion -- Kings of Leon
8. You're Going Down -- Sick Puppies
9. Careless Whisper -- Seether
10. Ride to California -- Paper Tongues
11. New Divide -- Linkin Park
12. I Will Not Bow -- Breaking Benjamin
13. Death of Me -- Red
14. Break -- Three Days Grace
15. Medicate -- AFI
16. Black Heart Inertia - Incubus
17. Ignorance -- Paramore
18. Wrong -- Depeche Mode
19. Back Against the Wall -- Cage the Elephant
20. Hey You -- 311
21. Check My Brain -- Alice in Chains
22. Kings and Queens -- 30 Seconds to Mars
23. Again -- Flyleaf
24. One Day -- Matishyahu
25. (If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To -- Weezer
26. Young -- Hollywood Undead
27. Sink Into Me -- Taking Back Sunday
28. Desolation Row -- My Chemical Romance
29. Know Your Enemy -- Green Day
30. 21 Guns -- Green Day
31. Fireflies -- Owl City
32. Wheels -- Foo Fighters
33. Whiskey Hangover -- Godsmack
34. The Fixer -- Pearl Jam
35. Champagne -- Cavo
36. Meet Me On the Equinox -- Death Cab for Cutie
37. Lifeline -- Papa Roach
38. Crawl -- Kings of Leon
39. Snuff -- Slipknot
40. It's Alright -- 311
41. East Jesus Nowhere -- Green Day
42. Walk Away -- Five Finger Death Punch
43. New Fang -- Them Crooked Vultures
44. Something -- Escape the Fate
45. Brother -- Pearl Jam
46. 100 Little Curses -- Street Sweeper Social Scene
47. Brick By Boring Brick -- Paramore
48. Sound of Madness -- Shinedown
49. Slow Poison -- The Bravery
50. Everybody Get Dangerous -- Weezer

KSLG Top 94 of 2009

KSLG is another one of those really cool small town stations.

1. Use Somebody -- Kings of Leon
2. Panic Switch -- Silversun Pickups
3. Know Your Enemy -- Green Day
4. The Fixer -- Pearl Jam
5. Ain't No Rest for the Wicked -- Cage the Elephant
6. Help I'm Alive -- Metric
7. No You Girls -- Franz Ferdinand
8. Decode -- Paramore
9. 1 A.M. -- Slightly Stoopid
10. Human -- The Killers
11. Zero -- The Yeah Yeah Yeahs
12. 21 Guns -- Green Day
13. 1901 -- Phoenix
14. The Rat -- Dead Confederate
15. Uprising -- Muse
16. New Divide -- Linkin Park
17. The Fear -- Lily Allen
18. Wrong -- Depeche Mode
19. Kristy Are You Doing OK -- The Offspring
20. Percussion Gun -- White Rabbit
21. Fireflies -- Owl City
22. Wheels -- Foo Fighters
23. Meet Me on the Equinox -- Death Cab For Cutie
24. She Loves Everybody -- Chester French
25. Get On Your Boots -- U2
26. Medicate -- AFI
27. Substitution -- Silversun Pickups
28. Notion -- Kings of Leon
29. Heads Will Roll -- The Yeah Yeah Yeahs
30. The Rake's Song -- The Decembrists
31. Grapevine Fires -- Death Cab For Cutie
32. Kids -- MGMT
33. Check My Brain -- Alice in Chains
34. Crying Lightning -- Arctic Monkeys
35. (If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To -- Weezer
36. Ignorance -- Paramore
37. I Know What I Am -- Band of Skulls
38. Black Heart Inertia -- Incubus
39. Hang You From the Heavans -- The Dead Weather
40. Magnificent -- U2
41. Little Bribes -- Death Cab For Cutie
42. Youthless -- Beck
43. New Moon Rising -- Wolfmother
44. Just Breathe -- Pearl Jam
45. Cousins -- Vampire Weekend
46. New Fang -- Them Crooked Vultures
47. Electric Feel -- MGMT
48. Back Against the Wall -- Cage the Elephant
49. Bruises -- Chairlift
50. Ulysses -- Franz Ferdinand
51. I Don't Care -- Apocalyptica w/ Adam Gontier
52. Slow Poison -- The Bravery
53. The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived -- Weezer
54. That's Not My Name -- The Ting Tings
55. Stand Up -- Flobots
56. Spaceman -- The Killers
57. Lovers In Japan -- Coldplay
58. Treat Me Like Your Mother -- The Dead Weather
59. Brother -- Pearl Jam
60. Kings and Queens -- 30 Seconds to Mars
61. Crawl -- Kings of Leon
62. Satellite Skin -- Modest Mouse
63. For What It's Worth -- Placebo
64. Too Many Rappers -- Beastie Boys feat. Naz
65. Written In Reverse -- Spoon
66. Audience -- Cold War Kids
67. Gold, Guns, Girls -- Metric
68. Sound the Alarm -- Thievery Corporation
69. Kingdom of Rust -- The Doves
70. She's A Genius -- Jet
71. Funny the Way It Is -- Dave Matthews Band
72. Last One to Die -- Rancid
73. I've Got Friends -- Manchester Orchestra
74. Geraldine -- Glasvegas
75. One Week of Danger -- Virgins
76. Pony -- Far
77. Drown in the Now -- Crystal Method feat. Matishyahu
78. You Never Know -- Wilco
79. Gold For Bread -- Blitzentrapper
80. Feel Good Drag -- Anberlin
81. Dirt Room -- Blue October
82. The Geeks Were Right -- The Faint
83. Hey You -- 311
84. Cheap and Cheerful -- The Kills
85. Ghost Town -- Shiny Toy Guns
86. Blood Bank -- Bon Iver
87. Say Hey (I Love You) -- Michael Franti & Spearhead
88. 11th Dimension -- Julian Casablancas
89. Sweet Disposition -- Temper Trap
90. Got Nuffin -- Spoon
91. Land of the Freak -- King Khan & The Shrines
92. The Kids Don't Stand A Chance -- Vampire Weekend
93. Games for Days -- Julient Plenti
94. Sacred Trickster -- Sonic Youth

The Arcade Fire Makeup Test

Since I checked out various stations to see if they were playing a band that could be truly called alternative, that nonetheless had proven it had got itself a sizeable audience, namely Arcade Fire with their #1 album The Suburbs. I called out quite a few alternative and AAA stations that apparently thought that this critically acclaimed band somehow didn't fut their format. Well a few stations since then did add Arcage Fire tracks to their playlist so to be fair to them, take these stations off the "naughty" list

KDGE Dallas Alternative
KEXX Phoenix Alterentive
KFMA Tuscon Alterantive
KFOG San Francisco AAA
KMTT Seattle AAA
KMYZ Tuscon Alternative
KQLZ Boise Alternative
WLUM Milwaukee Alternative
WRLT Nashville AAA
WXRV Boston AAA
WEHM East Hampton AAA
WWWX Oshkosh WI Alternative

WBZT Top 99 of 2009

WBZT an alternative station serving Northern Vermont, Northern New York and the Montreal area.

1. Use Somebody -- Kings of Leon
2. Feel Good Drag -- Anberlin
3. Second Chance -- Shinedown
4. Panic Switch -- Silversun Pickups
5. Lifeline -- Papa Roach
6. Audience of One -- Rise Against
7. New Divide -- Linkin Park
8. I Dont's Care -- Apocalyptica feat. Adam Gontier
9. Ain't No Rest for the Wicked -- Cage the Elephant
10. Indestructable -- Disturbed
11. Dirt Room -- Blue October
12. Know Your Enemy -- Green Day
13. Sound of Madness -- Shinedown
14. You're Going Down -- Sick Puppies
15. Uprising -- Muse
16. I Will Not Bow -- Breaking Benjamin
17. Jars -- Chevelle
18. Hey You -- 311
19. Notion -- Kings of Leon
20. Decode -- Paramore
21. The Night -- Disturbed
22. You're Gonna Go Far Kid -- Offspring
23. Sex on Fire -- Kings of Leon
24. Breakdown -- Seether
25. Break -- Three Days Grace
26. Kids -- MGMT
27. Love Hurts -- Incubus
28. Savior -- Rise Against
29. Drowning (Face Down) -- Shinedown
30. Something In Your Mouth -- Nickelback
31. Sometime Around Midnight -- Airborne Toxic Event
32. The Fixer -- Pearl Jam
33. Champagne -- Cavo
34. All I Want -- Staind
35. This Is It -- Staind
36. Lollipop -- Framing Hanley
37. Kristy Are You Doing OK? -- The Offspring
38. Check My Brain -- Alice in Chains
39. If Only You Knew -- Shinedown
40. Last One to Die -- Rancid
41. (If You're Wondering if I Want You To)I Want You To -- Weezer
42. Wheels -- Foo Fighters
43. 2 A.M. -- Slightly Stoopid
44. Re-education Through Labor -- Rise Against
45. Kings and Queens -- 30 Seconds to Mars
46. No You Girls -- Franz Ferdinand
47. Whiskey Hangover -- Godsmack
48. 21 Guns -- Green Day
49. Again -- Flyleaf
50. Leave Out All the Rest -- Linkin Park
51. Half Truism -- The Offspring
52. Careless Whisper -- Seether
53. Black Heart Inertia -- Incubus
54. 18 Days -- Saving Abel
55. Medicate -- AFI
56. Substitution -- Silversun Pickups
57. Back Against the Wall -- Cage the Elephant
58. Seasons -- The Veer Union
59. Ignorance -- Paramore
60. Spaceman -- The Killers
61. Bad Girlfriend -- Theory of a Deadman
62. Believe -- Staind
63. She's A Genius -- Jet
64. Magnificent -- U2
65. East Jesus Nowhere -- Green Day
66. I Get Off -- Halestorm
67. Cyanide -- Metallica
68. Funny the Way It Is -- Dave Matthews Band
69. Meet Me On the Equinox -- Death Cab for Cutie
70. Brother -- Pearl Jam
71. Dead Memories -- Slipknot
72. The Rat -- Dead Confederate
73. Wrong -- Depeche Mode
74. I've Got Friends -- Manchester Orchestra
75. New Fang -- Them Crooked Vultures
76. Ride to California -- Paper Tongues
77. Do What You Do -- Mudvayne
78. Crash -- Cavo
79. It's Alright -- 311
80. Get On Your Boots -- U2
81. Crawl Back In -- Dead By Sunrise
82. Over and Out -- Alkaline Trio
83. Just Breathe -- Pearl Jam
84. Slow Poison -- The Bravery
85. Breaking -- Anberlin
86. Snuff -- Slipknot
87. One Day -- Matishyahu
88. Troublemaker -- Weezer
89. A Looking In View -- Alice in Chains
90. Say It -- Blue October
91. Desolation Row -- My Chemical Romance
92. Sinner -- Big B
93. Sink Into Me -- Taking Back Sunday
94. Armageddeon -- Marilyn Manson
95. Spaceship -- Puddle of Mudd
96. 1901 -- Phoenix
97. Young -- Hollywood Undead
98. I Hate You -- Sick Puppies
99. 100 Little Curses -- Street Sweeper Social Club

WVBR's Top 93 of 2009

WVBR is a commercial rock station out of Ithaca, NY. By day it is a throwback to AOR radio, with some current active rock and alternative tracks thrown in. By night it goes Indie. As Ithaca is home to Cornell University and Ithaca College, so it is the type of hip small market where you can get away with genre cherry picking and idiosyncric song picks.

1. If You Only Knew -- Shinedown
2. Use Somebody -- Kings of Leon
3. Ain't No Rest for the Wicked -- Cage the Elephant
4. Panic Switch -- Silversun Pickups
5. 1901 -- Phoenix
6. Uprising -- Muse
7. I Don't Care -- Apocalyptica
8. Feel Good Drag -- Anberlin
9. 21 Guns -- Green Day
10. (If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To -- Weezer
11. Drowning (Face Down) -- Saving Abel
12. Wheels -- Foo Fighters
13. The Fixer -- Pearl Jam
14. It's Not You -- Halestorm
15. Break -- Three Days Grace
16. Kristy Are You Doing OK? -- Offspring
17. Seasons -- Veer Union
18. New Divide -- Linkin Park
19. We Did Nothing Wrong -- Royal Bliss
20. I Will Not Bow -- Breaking Benjamin
21. Zero -- The Yeah Yeah Yeahs
22. Black Heart Inertia -- Incubus
23. The Way You Are -- Classic Crime
24. Savior -- Rise Against
25. Life In Technicolor II -- Coldplay
26. Light for the Deadvines -- People in Planes
27. Audience of One -- Rise Against
28. Lifeline -- Papa Roach
29. For What It's Worth -- Placebo
30. I Get Off -- Halestorm
31. Back Agaisnt the Wall -- Cage the Elephant
32. Medicate -- AFI
33. Substitution -- Silversun Pickups
34. You're Going Down -- Sick Puppies
35. I Won't Tell You -- Lacuna Coil
36. Black Hearted Love -- PJ Harvey
37. 37 Stitches -- Drowning Pool
38. Rescue Me -- Buckcherry
39. Backseat -- Small Town Sleeper
40. Death of Me -- Red
41. Overcome -- Creed
42. By the Way -- Theory of a Deadman
43. Bonfire -- Third Eye Blind
44. Far From Over -- Rev Theory
45. Sometime After Midnight -- Airborne Toxic Event
46. Sound of Madness -- Shinedown
47. Check My Brain -- Alice In Chains
48. Closer -- Earshot
49. Blood On My Hands -- The Used
50. Breaking -- Anberlin
51. Conscience and Consequence -- Thornley
52. Wars -- Hurt
53. Contagious -- Trapt
54. Ignorance -- Paramore
55. Champagne -- Cavo
56. Low -- Point Defiance
57. I Ain't Hiding -- Black Crowes
58. Got Nuffin -- Spoon
59. Don't Ever Leave -- Smile Empty Soul
60. Hard to See -- Five Finger Death Punch
61. Mess of Me -- Switchfoot
62. Kings and Queens -- 30 Seconds to Mars
63. Riptide -- Sick Puppies
64. 100 in a 65 -- Pop Evil
65. Say Please -- Monsters of Folk
66. Invincible -- Adelita's Way
67. Know Your Enemy -- Green Day
68. Two Weeks -- All That Remains
69. Welcome All Again -- Collective Soul
70. New Fang -- Them Crooked Vultures
71. Fold in Your Hands -- Passion Pit
72. New Moon Rising -- Wolfmother
73. Gives You Hell -- All Amercian Rejects
74. Therapy -- Craving Lucy
75. Crying Lightning -- Arctic Monkeys
76. One Wing -- Wilco
77. Ghost Town -- Shiny Toy Guns
78. What She Came For -- Franz Ferdinand
79. We Weren't Born to Follow -- Bon Jovi
80. Hey You -- 311
81. She'a A Genius -- Jet
82. Burn it to the Ground -- Nickelback
83. Supernova -- Ra
84. Forever -- Red
85. Youth of Yesterday-- Hinder
86. The Best Is Yet to Come
87. If -- House of Heroes
88. Young -- Hollywood Undead
89. I and Love and You -- Avett Brothers
90. This Is It -- Staind
91. Percussion Gun -- White Rabbits
92. Do What You Do -- Mudvayne
93. Whiskey Hangover -- Godsmack