Top Singles of 2005

[Gazoo]

A thread to acknowledge new stuff we really like.  As it's roughly the year's midway point, I'll start with my top singles of 2005 so far:

1. Amerie, "1 Thing"
2. Doves, "Black and White Town"
3. Futureheads, "Hounds of Love"
4. Maroon 5, "Sunday Morning" (yeah, the album's old, but this was a hit single this year)
5. Gorillaz w/ De La Soul, "Feel Good Inc."
6. Rob Thomas, "Lonely No More" (shut up! it's a good pop single)
7. The Churchills, "I'm a Sucker for a Girl in Uniform"
8. White Stripes, "Blue Orchid"
9. Rihanna, "Pon de Replay"
10. Tweet, "Turn Da Lights Off"

[ggould]

I don't know any of these songs, much less where they belong in top 10ness!

[Lightnin' Rod]

6. Rob Thomas, "Lonely No More" (shut up! it's a good pop single)

Is that the one they were playing during the NBA Finals (can't remember which game -- they played it at half-time).  I thought it sounded pretty good...

[Gazoo]

I don't know any of these songs, much less where they belong in top 10ness!

For most of those songs, I'm not surprised, but I would have thought that "Lonely No More," "Sunday Morning," and perhaps "Blue Orchid" would have gotten regular KFOG airplay.

[RGMike]

I don't know any of these songs, much less where they belong in top 10ness!

For most of those songs, I'm not surprised, but I would have thought that "Lonely No More," "Sunday Morning," and perhaps "Blue Orchid" would have gotten regular KFOG airplay.

KFOG is playing other Rob Thomas stuff from the CD (don't ask me to name one) and I got the impression from comments made on the morning show that "LNM" was deemed too pop.  

I've heard the Maroon 5 on Smooth FM and I like it; I've heard "Blue Orchid" on Little Steven's show (it was a "Coolest Song in the World", his version of a Pick Hit, some weeks back -- you REALLY should be listening to that show, Gaz). I think the Doves song was one you gave us a link to a while ago and if so I seem to remember liking that too.

I'm just glad to see NO Gwen Stefani on the list. "Hollabck Girl" is my new Most. Annoying. Song. Ever -- maybe worse than her Tevye-Goes-Techno thang. Plus, it's a blatant rip-off of "Milkshake" by Kelis, no? That's who I thought it was the first  few times I heard it.

[ggould]

I don't know any of these songs, much less where they belong in top 10ness!

For most of those songs, I'm not surprised, but I would have thought that "Lonely No More," "Sunday Morning," and perhaps "Blue Orchid" would have gotten regular KFOG airplay.

I just don't really listen to much rock radio outside of KFOG.  I groove to iTunes after 10@10 a lot, and listen to Randi Rhodes on the way home.  Speaking of iTunes, the new version came out today, and I'm trying to learn how to podcast, get some of my audio interviews out there.

[mshray]

A thread to acknowledge new stuff we really like.  As it's roughly the year's midway point, I'll start with my top singles of 2005 so far:

1. Amerie, "1 Thing"
2. Doves, "Black and White Town"
3. Futureheads, "Hounds of Love"
4. Maroon 5, "Sunday Morning" (yeah, the album's old, but this was a hit single this year)
5. Gorillaz w/ De La Soul, "Feel Good Inc."
6. Rob Thomas, "Lonely No More" (shut up! it's a good pop single)
7. The Churchills, "I'm a Sucker for a Girl in Uniform"
8. White Stripes, "Blue Orchid"
9. Rihanna, "Pon de Replay"
10. Tweet, "Turn Da Lights Off"

I like the White Stripes & The Gorillaz, but I almost never listen to explicitly 'singles' formatted radio, so most of the time I couldn't tell you if the new music I hear 'qualifies' as a single.  Where are you listening that you hear this stuff?  How many genres are represented in this list?  Is there a website or 2 that you could point me towards?

I heard a new song yesterday that made an impression on me: The Dead 60's "Riot Radio", which was seems to be to the Clash & Specials what the Stray Cats were to Carl Perkins & Gene Vincent.

[RGMike]

I heard a new song yesterday that made an impression on me: The Dead 60's "Riot Radio", which was seems to be to the Clash & Specials what the Stray Cats were to Carl Perkins & Gene Vincent.

Did you hear that on KFOG? 'cause they played it on New Releases Thursday a month or more ago and I remember liking it... but I haven't heard it since.

[Gazoo]

I like the White Stripes & The Gorillaz, but I almost never listen to explicitly 'singles' formatted radio, so most of the time I couldn't tell you if the new music I hear 'qualifies' as a single.  Where are you listening that you hear this stuff?  How many genres are represented in this list?  Is there a website or 2 that you could point me towards?

A variety of sources, but I'm tipped off to most new stuff by either (a) recommendations on the I Love Music (ILM) message board, or (b) browsing the Virgin Megastore and listening to random stuff that looks interesting.

So I can't point you to one good source, but I'll give thumbnail summaries:

1. Amerie, "1 Thing"

The kid sister to Beyonce's "Crazy in Love," produced by the same person.  A sharp sample of chunky guitar & drums from the Meters' "Oh Calcutta" sets the tone, but the magic lies in the producer laying several tracks of Amerie's voice atop each other to produce unexpected and subtle harmonies, the aural equivalent of the Burmese thousand-layer pancake.  Video should be available from Launch/Yahoo Music.

2. Doves, "Black and White Town"

My friend Peter, a fellow Anglophile when it comes to rock, sent me the link to this, which I passed along to you all some months ago.

3. Futureheads, "Hounds of Love"

A spirited cover of the Kate Bush song; it went Top 10 in England and the ILM community was all a-twitter over it for a little while.  On this track they have the eager-'80s sound of Red Rockers, Burning Sensation, and the like.

4. Maroon 5, "Sunday Morning" (yeah, the album's old, but this was a hit single this year)

Piano pop with a '70s vibe, wouldn't be out of place in the nexus of Rundgren and England Dan & John Ford Coley.

5. Gorillaz w/ De La Soul, "Feel Good Inc."

I have no idea how to describe this.  Just peep the vid at Launch/Yahoo Music.

6. Rob Thomas, "Lonely No More" (shut up! it's a good pop single)

He learned something from those Mexican horn accents on "Smooth," applying them subtly to this song that sounds no different from anything else Matchbox 20 did.  Best part is where he sings "I don't wanna have to pay for this" -- I interpret as him having to go to prostitutes now.

7. The Churchills, "I'm a Sucker for a Girl in Uniform"

Obscure indie rockers; I went to their CD release party and was very impressed by their style and professionalism.  This song actually interpolates a garage-rock riff very akin to Paul Revere & the Raiders' "Just Like Me," and I don't know anyone else who's doing that right now.

8. White Stripes, "Blue Orchid"

The aggressive sequel to "Seven Nation Army" with a less memorable riff.

9. Rihanna, "Pon de Replay"

Chuck Eddy offered a perfect headline for this: "Diwali Goes Diddley as Dancehall Diva Signals Di DJ."  If you've heard Sean Paul's "Get Busy," Wayne Wonder's "No Letting Go," or Lumidee's "Uh-Ohhh," you've heard this.  In heavy Top 40 radio airplay currently here in NYC.

10. Tweet, "Turn Da Lights Off"

Missy Elliott protege (had a hit three years ago with the masturbation celebration "Oops (Oh My)") gets lost in an overcomplicated production, but Missy's at her best when she's off a deep end.  Got scant radio airplay here.

[RGMike]

9. Rihanna, "Pon de Replay"

If you've heard Sean Paul's "Get Busy," Wayne Wonder's "No Letting Go," or Lumidee's "Uh-Ohhh," you've heard this.

No, no, no and no. :wink:

[mshray]

Hey Gaz, what do you think of The Postal Service's "Such Great Heights"?

[Gazoo]

Hey Gaz, what do you think of The Postal Service's "Such Great Heights"?

Lovely, lovely song -- but embarrassingly, I have no idea where it is in my collection.  The video was included in some compilation disc I received -- from a record store? from a publicist? I have no idea -- and I had it in my rotation for some time last year.  Didn't get around to discovering more from them, but I hope the rest is just as ethereal.

[mshray]

Hey Gaz, what do you think of The Postal Service's "Such Great Heights"?

Lovely, lovely song -- but embarrassingly, I have no idea where it is in my collection.  The video was included in some compilation disc I received -- from a record store? from a publicist? I have no idea -- and I had it in my rotation for some time last year.  Didn't get around to discovering more from them, but I hope the rest is just as ethereal.

There was at least one worthy predecessor, a tune called "We Will Become Silhouettes".  I have that & one other .mp3 of theirs I could send ya.