Favourite Albums of 2010 - 20-11

Well here we are, the start of my wrap of 2010, I had aimed to do this post yesterday but instead went to London with a load of people from my old school and didn’t get back in until gone midnight so just went to bed and decided to this post and the Top 10 today. So as I posted on Twitter, because so much good music was released in 2010 I’ve decided to do a Top 20 list. So if there’s anything that looks at all interesting to you go and listen!

So now on with the list

20. Weezer – Hurley

This does not mean that Weezer are back at 90s level awesomeness, it just means that they put out a very fun album in 2010. Whilst not much will ever reach the level of how good Blue Ablum and Pinkerton are, Hurley is just a very solid dose of fun pop/rock tunes. Whilst of course there’s the normal Weezer corniness in songs like ‘Where’s My Sex’, this album as is the best collection of songs that Weezer has released in years. ‘Memories’, ‘Trainwrecks’ and ‘Smart Girls’ are absolute stand-outs of the album.

'Memories' - Weezer

19. Frightened Rabbit – The Winter of Mixed Drinks

The Winter of Mixed Drinks is not as incredible as 2008’s The Midnight Organ Fight but it still shows that Frightened Rabbit are one of the best bands working in the United Kingdom at the moment. Of course this album doesn’t come with the pain that The Midnight Organ Fight, but it doesn’t suffer from it, in many ways this album is like the ray of sunshine that comes after the crushing pain and proves that Frightened Rabbit that can pull through almost anything.

'Swim Until You Can't See Land' - Frightened Rabbit

18. Girl Talk – All Day

Girl Talk is just one guy who makes albums out of other songs. Ever wanted to hear Black Sabbath mixed with 2Pac? How about Electric Light Orchestra mixed with Juicy J? All Day is an album that takes samples from so many different artists, Aphex Twin, Radiohead, Beck, Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga, Daft Punk, Eminem, Fugazi and Michael Jackson. Whilst not as straightforward as other mash-ups, Girl Talk creates a tapestry of so many recognisable riffs and vocal samples that it makes for a damn good album.

'Oh No' - Girl Talk

17. Beach House – Teen Dream

Beach House’s Teen Dream was one of the first albums I heard in 2010 and it still sounds great, especially now we’re back in the winter months. Melodic vocals, hazy synths create just a warming atmosphere. Whilst lacking a hard immediate edge, Teen Dream created one of the most comforting atmospheres on album this year with songs like ‘Zebra’ and ‘Norway’. For lack of a better way to describe it, Teen Dream is a beautiful album that makes the most out of its shoegaze roots.

'Norway' - Beach House

16. Titus Andronicus – The Monitor

Titus Andronicus have made a fantastic concept album The Monitor. Based around the American Civil War, the album stretches for over an hour. Hell the last song on the album is 14 minutes long. Titus Andronicus were aiming for the ceiling with this album and they pulled most of it off. ‘A More Perfect Union’ is one of the best songs of the year and that Jersey punk atmosphere gets me pretty much every time I hear it (see also Gaslight Anthem).

'A More Perfect Union' - Titus Andronicus

15. Spoon – Transference

Spoon are still the most consistent band in the world. Whilst Transference isn’t as uniformly strong as earlier albums such as Kill The Moonlight and Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, Transference was still one of the best releases of year. Transference is uglier as can be heard on the song ‘Written in Reverse’ where the piano sounds like it’s on the edge of breaking for the entire song. Transference is just a more raw album that the rest of Spoon’s back catalogue and whilst that might seem strange to those that fell for Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga’s poppier outlook, Transference is a more than worthy entry into the Spoon discography.

'Written in Reverse' - Spoon

14. Robyn – Body Talk

Body Talk is just straightforward pop album, but it’s a damn good pop album. Robyn has more originality than almost every single pop star going at the moment (apart from possibly Lady Gaga but she’s insane). There’s a sheer joy to songs like ‘Dancing on my Own’ and ‘Hang with Me’, and whilst it might be to everyone’s taste, Robyn has made some of the best dance songs in a while. At least in the way that I don’t feel like retching every time I hear them, and for pop music that’s an achievement.

'Dancing On My Own' - Robyn

13. Emeralds – Does It Look Like I’m Here?

I have a feeling that this album could end up like Fuck Buttons, an album that I heard comparatively late in the year and that I feel in love with and regret not putting a lot higher. Emeralds, along with the next album on this list is one of the best instrumental electronic albums I heard all year and is quickly becoming one of my favourite sub-genres. The ambient swell of Emeralds is one of perfect rising and falling, with obvious elements of post-rock and shoegaze. Emeralds are one of those bands the work best when you just let the sound engulf and take you somewhere else.

'Candy Shoppe' - Emeralds

12. 65daysofstatic – We Were Exploding Anyway

This was an album I downloaded completely at random. Last year’s Tarot Sport by Fuck Buttons was one of my favourite albums of the year and would probably land highly on my decade list if I did it again. So this year I tried to find an album that would fill the hole that Fuck Buttons, and 65daysofstatic came closest. Whilst not as perfect as Tarot Sport, We Were Exploding Anyway has the same post-rock influence, the same level of just sheer noise. 65daysofstatic’s new album feels in some ways to be a new generation of The Prodigy with so many great hooks throughout the album that I’m sure those guys would be jealous. 65daysofstatic are one of the few bands that get how to build on a song to an almighty crescendo and for that I’m thankful.

'Crash Tactics' - 65daysofstatic

11. Sufjan Stevens – The Age of Adz

This was Sufjan’s first proper album in almost 5 years. Whilst he’s been releasing music since his seminal Illinois, The Age of Adz is the first proper LP since that album came out. Whilst many people were expecting an enhancement of that sound from so long ago, Sufjan has seemingly gone in an entirely different direction. Although that’s a lie, The Age of Adz seems to be a synthesis of every style that Sufjan has been working with over the years. Illinois, ‘You Are the Blood’ from last year’s Dark Was the Night and even Seven Swans. Hell he even goes all out on auto-tune. Age of Adz needs to be listened to a lot to finally get but when you do it’s completely worth, being one of the richest and thematically rich albums released this year.

'Too Much' - Sufjan Stevens

Of Weezer's Raditude

Yup I'm doing something musical. I'm not going to call it a review, I might update it a later point when I've listened a bit more but here are some more in depth thoughts than what I've previously aired on Twitter.

First though the perfect quote describing my relationship with Weezer:

"Being a Weezer fan is like having an abusive boyfriend, when you first got together everything was great and you were in love. Then he hits you, you tell yourself you'll never go back to that, but he comes and apologizes, telling you it'll never happen again. So you take him back, because I mean he wrote Pinkerton...then he hits you again and again."

These sentiments are so entirely true. Whilst obviously I wasn't into Weezer back in 1994 (I was 2 for christsakes) but it still stands. Weezer were once amazing and someone I would say I could recommend to anyone, and I still would recommend Blue Album and Pinkerton to everyone. But almost everything post 2000 has been awful apart from one or two great songs which hark back to how great they were in the 90s.

So currently we've hit the third era of Weezer, each separated by their own self titled album (Blue, Green and Red). The first era consisted of the Blue Album and Pinkerton and in all honesty it might have been better if they broke up after it. They could have gone down in history as a great and yet short lived band. Whilst I love enough of their post 2000 songs, I still can't get the taste of songs like "We Are All On Drugs" or even the entirety of Maladroit out of my head. The second era consisted of the Green Album, Maladroit and Make Believe. This was their come back era and it was where they got a lot of newer fans and I guarantee if you ask most teenagers to name a Weezer song (casual fans that is) they will most likely name a song from this era ("Island in the Sun", which I like or "Beverly Hills", which I loathe) and I admittedly did get caught up in this era, but only on the strength of the great songs. Now we have era the third. This is the era of self parody. Look at the album covers to last years Red Album or Raditude and you can tell these guys aren't taking it seriously. There are jumping dogs and faux rap songs.

So now you've had your history album how is the album? I think I like it? I'm still not entirely sure. I sing along in parts, so obviously it's catchy but still it's forgettable. It's an odd paradox. It's not an album I'm going to go running through the streets telling people to buy. God no. But I might put it on occasionally if I want a pick me up.

It stands so much at odds with Pinkerton. Pinkerton is self produced with so much feedback and introspective lyrics. Raditude is poppy and catchy with some many rap producers a tongue in cheek feeling and some of the most party centric lyrics (the obvious "Can't Stop Partying" comes to mind) and it just feels right and wrong at the same time. It feels right for where the band is at the moment but just so wrong considering how large a fan I am of their 90s stuff.

I could quite easily live without this album as most people seem to. In fact this album seems to be so polarizing. I've seen people who get that it's all a bit of fun (like me to a certain extent) and others who think it's just flat out terrible and has no merit whatsoever (again a point I can see to some extent). Some of the songs on this album are just flat out offensively bad (seriously "Girl Got Hot" and "I'm Your Daddy"?!?! and yet I find them both irresistibly catchy) and others I actually quite enjoy (whilst it's not as good as the demo I have enjoyed "Can't Stop Partying" to a certain extent as well as "Run Over By A Truck" which is probably my favourite song on the album).

There are other songs, such as the Indian influenced "Love Is The Answer" as well songs I've heard before on Rivers' demo albums such as "The Prettiest Girl In The Whole Wide World" and "I Don't Want to Let You Go" or even the riff heavy "Get Me Some" (which even has a fucking solo! (well almost)).

Then there are just some plain bad and creppy lyrics. Stuff like "I'm Your Daddy" just doesn't sound good coming from Rivers' now he's 39 or lines like. Lines like " Your mom cooked meat loaf, even though I don’t eat meat. I dug you so much, I took some for the team " just don't seem right. So cheesy (even though I admittedly like the song they came from). Rivers used to write some of the most personal lyrics of all time (seriously go and listen to "Across the Sea", he's just pining to fuck a girl he doesn't even know and just sent him a letter! He's so frustrated and you can feel it in the song and lyrics which is why it's so good) he now seems like he isn't writing from the heart at all. I just wish he was, he was a forerunner of the emo movement and now he's a guy who is writing about partying and having 'Lil Wayne rap on his songs.

Catchiness and self parody don't make this album good, they make it bearable and a new guilty of pleasure of mine. Pinkerton and Blue Album will forever hold a spot in my heart as all time great albums. Nothing post 2000 gets that kind of response from me with Weezer, but I have a soft spot for everything they do, even if it's bad. I can listen to pretty much every song they've ever recorded with no qualms. But it's only Pinkerton and Blue Album that have me coming back that much more, and I don't see that changing with Raditude.

I'll probably listen to a bit more (I'm currently listening to it as I write this) but compared to the amount of quite frankly amazing albums this year, Raditude falls someway short. It isn't the best album ever but it certainly isn't the worse, as long as you get what they're aiming for. Weezer aren't taking it seriously anymore. Rivers is writing songs for himself now, not fans. He doesn't give a shit about fans anymore. His mantra is if you like it fine, if you don't, who cares?

He's never going to write Pinkerton Part 2 but as long as what he's doing right now makes him happy, I can applaud that. I just wish he'd find the time to write a truly great album again and knock down all that haters.

Several times recently he's shown great promise, songs like "The Spider", "Pig", "Miss Sweeney" and "Island in the Sun" or even demos released like "Longtime Sunshine" or "Lovers in the Snow" show how talented he can be. Bottle that and put it on an album and prove you can still do it, not just writing for you're own little bubble and ignoring everything else.

Raditude is fun, catchy and poppy. Sadly it also isn't overly good or memorable. I might put it on occasionally but it won't stay in my rotation like the great albums of this like fun.'s 'Aim and Ignite', Thrice's 'Beggars' or Dear Hunter's 'Act III: Life and Death'. Weezer have reinvented themselves for a second time this decade and sadly it wasn't the reinvention that fans wanted to see. Maybe the 2010s will hold something better for Weezer fans?*

Overall I'd say skip it, dig out Blue Album or Pinkerton (or another album you truly love) than listen to Raditude. You might like it, but more likely you'll hate it, wish you'd never done and want to go listen to some good music, so I'm just getting rid of the middle step.

*Probably not, especially following the first album with Weezer swearing in a song (although this was admittedly done by Lil Wayne)

Of My Favourite Songs

Okay this is wholly random post that I've felt like doing for a very long time. Essentially it's my top 10 songs of all time. Surprisingly almost every song has come from the past decade of music. I'm not saying "all music from pre-2000 is shit". It's just, well, I haven't gotten round to listening to the vast majority of it. There could be some stuff that is flat out fantastic but these are the songs which I get consistently stuck in my head or just that random urge to sit down and listen to them. They're also songs which remind me of significant portions of my life. Now I've missed out a lot of songs which I really, really like ("Where is my Mind" and "M79" are probably my two biggest regrets) however I'm happy with the list. Knowing my tastes it's probably going to be different in a month but hell that's music for you, consistently changing.

So for the list I limited myself to one song per band so as to not make it completely full of Weezer and Death Cab for Cutie (I'm really that obsessive) so here we go my favourite songs ever....at this moment in time.

10. "New Slang" The Shins
New Slang is one of those songs which I've always really liked but it's always that after thought song. I can list long streams of songs for people to listen to and then I'll usually say "Oh and New Slang". Its a fantastic song and always puts me in a really good mood (probably because it makes me think of Garden State) but compared to so many of the other songs on this list it doesn't get nearly as much playtime.

9. "Letter from an Occupant" The New Pornographers
I have a Canadian music addiction at the moment. New Pornographers, Moneen and Arcade Fire are some of my favourite bands and they're all from that funny country north of the USA that is oh so much fun to take the piss of (Clerks: Animated Series and How I Met Your Mother do it the best). However there is no denying that these people are fucking talented. Letter from an Occupant is a down right addicting listen. It's so upbeat that you can't help but crack a smile when you listen to it. Yes it might not be for everyone but hell if don't love how different this song sounds to most music nowadays

8. "Alive with the Glory of Love" Say Anything
The song I only started listening to recently. Its featured on Scrubs but I didn't notice it then. However when I downloaded "...is a Real Boy" I became addicted to this song. It might be the lead single from the disc but its the song I always skip to when I listen to that fantastic album. There are so many great songs on that album but this is one that jumps out at me. It's addicting like "Letter from an Occupant" except it sounds a bit more commercial. Except for the fact that it's about the holocaust....

7. "Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)" Arcade Fire
What? More Canadian music? Yes indeed. Arcade Fire are probably the best band in Canada at the moment (although I do prefer Moneen). Arcade Fire are known for some extremely grandiose music. In fact both Arcade Fire and New Pornographer have a lot more members than most bands and play a massive array of instruments. Arcade Fire almost have a classical element to them with instruments like violins along with guitars and keyboards. Neighborhood #1 is the first song on their first album and sets up exactly what they're going to do. Whilst the rest of the album has some great songs but this is the one I love to listen to the most.

6. "The Day No One Needed to Know" Moneen
I deliberated for ages on what Moneen song to put on here. "The Passing of America" and "The Song I Swore to Never Sing" are two of my other favourites but I feel that this song just sums them up best to me. At six minutes its a reasonably long song but it goes through so emotional high and lows and only two other songs can pull of a climax like this one. From some elements of screaming (I don't listen to that music often, promise) and then to a spoken word element before kicking off the last part of the song, I love this song consistently even if others pass it off a bit too quickly.

5. "The Modern Leper" Frightened Rabbit
My favourite band of 2008 and my favourite song of 2008. I love this song more than I love a lot of things. The song that kicks off "Midnight Organ Fight" shows just how far the band came from "Sing the Greys". There's a lot more emotion in this song than anything on their debut and sets up the tremendous song that they go on to perfect on the rest of the album. Okay yes it's a song about a guy likening himself to a leper but hell if it isn't catchy. Also? Some of the best drums ever.

4. "Death is the Road to Awe/Together We Will Live Forever" Clint Mansell
I know I said one song per band. However this is a one, two punch I can't ignore. Clint Mansell's score to the Fountain is the best score ever for any film and these songs that perfect the score. If I'd reviewed The Fountain already I would have gushed already but I'm going to do so here. Death is the Road Awe simply put has the best climax of any song ever. The music dips out for a few seconds and then we get a massive sensic rush as all the sound rushes back in a just overpowers you. It's a fantastic moment and then it's followed up by the most haunting piece of piano music ever. Simply beautiful.

3. "Such Great Heights" The Postal Service/Iron & Wine
Okay I broke the rules again. Technically this is two songs but they go together perfectly. They're both the same song but in completely different styles. When is electronic and upbeat in tempo, the other is a literally a gorgeous lullaby. Both versions work with the lyrics. One is more a less a guy so happy to be in love that he can't help but proclaim it. The other is a quiet love note full to the brim with beauty and romance. Both work perfectly and I honestly couldn't decide which version is better because they're bother perfect.

2. "I Will Follow you into the Dark" Death Cab for Cutie
Speaking of beautiful songs, here is a gorgeous one. Benjamin Gibbard is one of the best song writers at the moment (he wrote number 3 as well). This song is a beautiful little acoustic song that has become the highlight to Death Cab's album "Plans". Originally supposed to be a full band piece I'm glad it became just Gibbard and a guitar. It pulls out the beauty so much and is just haunting. It's been used recently in Scrubs and I will say embarrassingly that the first time I heard it over the scene I got a tear in my eye.

1. "Only in Dreams" Weezer
If you read this blog often you'll know my gushing love of this song. If you don't know simply put its 8 minutes of song perfection. The first 3 minutes are sung in an almost dream like state before being followed by the most perfect 5 minutes in all music. The best climax of any song ever (even better than "Death is the Road to Awe")

Of My Favourite Albums

Alright I feel like one more blog before Christmas. Really I should start writing up by blog posts for after Christmas, but I'm lazy and work better a) when I can be arsed and b) at the last minute. Surprisingly neither of them occur at the same time ( A. normally happens afterwards). So randomly I have decided to list my favourite albums of all time. This isn't songs, this albums, also one of them happens to be from this year so we'll see if that changes over time. So on with the list.

5. Oh, Inverted World - The Shins

Oh, Inverted World is The Shins first album. I would say that it is there best. Chutes Too Narrow and Wincing the Night Away are both great albums, but I feel that Oh, Inverted World shows the sound of The Shins off the best. Now you might have heard a song of this album without even realizing it ("New Slang" is featured in an episode of Scrubs' first season), however the biggest way that The Shins showed up was in Garden State when *shockhorror* one of the characters mentions the band by name!!! I will admit that this where I heard of the band first and that I feel sort of band for hopping on the bandwagon (albeit an awesome bandwagon). Oh, Inverted World is one of those indie pop albums that sort of hearkens back to the 60s, but it was written in the 00s and I would say remains one of the best albums of the past decade. Whilst probably not for everyone The Shins are just a good sunny day record. It makes me think of the summer even during these winter months.

Recommended Songs: New Slang, Caring is Creepy

4. The Midnight Organ Fight - Frightened Rabbit

If you can't tell I've really fallen for Frightened Rabbit. I only heard them a few weeks ago and I already heart them more than most bands. In this their second album, Frightened Rabbit have perfected their sound. Whilst their debut Sing the Greys is a good album it just doesn't compare to this. This is probably due to the fact that The Midnight Organ Fight is far more "intense" than Sing the Greys, however any band that says that they're about "heartache, blood donation and fucking". Whilst this probably paints them as some sort of deathcore band, Frightened Rabbit are in actually an indie rock band...who happen to swear, a lot. You may have heard them in Chuck with two (yes two) of their songs have been used to finish episodes, and since Chuck has an awesome soundtrack, I think that speaks for their awesomeness.


Recommended Songs: Modern Leper, Keep Yourself Warm

3. The Red Tree - Moneen

Ahhh Canadian rock. Whilst Canadians are normally the but of many peoples jokes (see How I Met Your Mother for proof), they make damn awesome music. I mean the country that can produce Arcade Fire, The New Pornographers, Alexisonfire, Sum 41, Nickelback, Avril Lavigne, Hawksley Workman and Tegan and Sara are bound to be quite talented (I don't actually listen to all of those bands, if you can guess the ones I do you get some internetz). Moneen are just one of those random bands that I picked up randomly (through Lost actually). I didn't think I'd like them and in fact I'm not a big fan of their other stuff but The Red Tree is just a superb album, it's less math rock than the other two albums and it's just an awesome rocky/punky album. Probably wouldn't appeal to everyone but it's wormed its way into my all time favourite albums.


Recommended Songs: The Day No One Need To Know, The Song I Swore To Never Sing

2. Plans - Death Cab for Cutie

Death Cab are indie gods for a reason. Whilst many people think that Narrow Stairs or Transatlanticism are better than Plans, I would say that not only is Plans their best all round album, but it also has some of their best songs. In fact it has quite possibly my favourite opening track to an album ever in "Marching Bands of Manhattan" (Along with "Modern Leper" and "The New Year" on Transatlanticism). Whilst many people get turned off by Death Cab for Cutie's name for seeming "emo", once you get past it you realise what awesome music they make. The lyrics are superb and song beautifully by Ben Gibbard. The lyrics, whilst often depressing, are the highlight of the album as there really is no faulting them. Death Cab are one of my favourite bands ever and this is their best album. I would say that no album is better but there is, just one and I think if you've read my blog before you'll know what it is.

Recommended Songs: I Will Follow You Into The Dark, Marching Bands of Manhattan

1. Pinkerton - Weezer

Weezer recorded a perfect debut album with their Blue Album. Then two years later they recorded a more perfect album. This album was Pinkerton. Pinkerton is just incredible. In a completely different turn from their debut, Weezer went emo. In no way is this a bad thing (I actually have no problems with emo as a genre or a culture), it especially isn't a bad thing because it is perfection. Whilst at the time of release it was derided mostly because it was so different to what was being listened to at that time, and then came hindsight. Pinkerton is not heralded as one of the best albums of the 90s and I would say that's the best album of all time. Rivers Cuomo just bares his soul on this album which is more or less a biography of his time after recording their debut. How he gets tired of the sex with groupies, enrolls back into college after a painful surgery on his leg, not being recognised by people wandering around with Weezer shirts on, the letter from a Japanese fan and the end of his writers block are all documented in this album, all done in the style of Puccini's Madame Butterfly (it's an opera). Pinkerton is raw, the guitars are distorted and the album benefits. There's the odd random sound from Matt Sharp (especially on "El Scorcho") and it just makes the album that much better. There isn't a single note I would ever dream of changing on this album and whilst Weezer haven't released an album to stand up to this one in the 12 years following its release, I can rest happy knowing that they have recorded the perfect album.

Recommended Songs: THE ENTIRE THING!!!

So I'm going to wrap by wishing you all Merry Christmas. I'll be back on Boxing Day with the start of my favourite shows of 2008. Speaking of which those living in the UK remember to check out the last episode of Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe tonight. Also I hope to have reviews of the new Doctor Who, Wallace and Gromit (YES THEY'RE BACK!!!) and Slumdog Millionaire (it's a movie not Christmas television) up soon. Probably in the middle of my favourite shows thingy. Damn I'm going to be busy.

BTW tomorrow = presents.

Of My Favourite Weezer Songs

Yup as promised my Top 10 Weezer as chosen by me with little input from other people (apart from possibly one song).

10. My Name is Jonas Weezer (Blue Album)
“My Name is Jonas” is the first song on the first Weezer album. In terms of current fans it also might just be the first song they heard. Not many people except the die hard Weezer fans went out to buy the Red Album and whilst Make Believe sold astonishingly well considering its mediocrity, I don’t think it would have got Weezer any more fans. Then “My Name is Jonas” was on Guitar Hero III. For many this is one of the few Weezer songs that they have heard. Yet I don’t think its strong enough to get new fans, I’ve heard many a person comment on how they really like the song but it just isn’t a song that says ‘this song is so awesome I need to hear more.’ It is an incredible song but mainly gets on because a) I don’t think I can give Pinkerton another space on the list and b) I’d probably be anally raped by friends if I didn’t give this song a place.

9. Pink Triangle Pinkerton
The first song off Pinkerton, to be honest I could have chosen any song from Pinkerton to be on this list, “Falling for You”, “Tired of Sex”, “El Scorcho”, “Why Bother?”. However I chose “Pink Triangle” because it’s an amazing song. Okay yes and the fact that it is about lesbians doesn't hurt. This song is about a guy who falls in love with a lesbian (which is obviously a bad thing). A lot of songs on Pinkerton are about love, or the lack of it but I decided to use this one as the overall example. Really every song on Pinkerton should be on this list because it is just an incredible album but I’ve had to limit myself to only three choices. However if you want a quintessential Weezer experience it’s this album (not necessarily this song though, my number 1 choice is still Weezer at its finest even if it isn’t a Pinkerton song).

8. Lover in the Snow Alone: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo
What’s that? Strictly speaking this isn’t a Weezer song? Well fuck you; I’m counting it as such. Alone, is an album filled with a ton of Weezer demos, and many of them are really, really good however “Lover in the Snow” is the best song on the album and I don’t know for the life of me why. All I know is that I love this song. There’s something about Rivers singing the song entirely on his own (backing vocals as well). The song is just immensely upbeat and the guitar that plays heavily throughout is just awesome (if repetitive). However it is the way the song builds up throughout whilst not quite the crescendo that other Weezer songs have it is a great piece of work and a shame that it never ended up on an official Weezer album.

7. The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived Weezer (Red Album)
Here we go the second newest song on this list (yes another Red Album has made it, and no it’s not “Pork and Beans”). Whilst most people think that “Pork and Beans” is the best song on the Red Album, I’m going to say its “The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived”. This song is so amazingly cool, think of it as a modern day “Bohemian Rhapsody” in that the style of music changes drastically throughout. Every 30 seconds the song changes style and yet the song continues to be a fun listen. There’s no denying that Rivers Cuomo should never rap however in the style of the song it’s actually fairly decent (think “White and Nerdy” without the self parody). “The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived” is the most eclectic song on the entirety of the Red Album (and that’s saying something) and may just be the most eclectic song ever (released commercially that is) and on a good day I might say it’s better than “Bohemian Rhapsody”.

6. King Weezer (Red Album)
I know I said that “The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived” is the best song on the Red Album and it is. However “King” strictly speaking isn’t on the normal Red Album, instead it is on the Deluxe Addition and so it’s the best song on that version of the Red Album. It is also one of only two songs on this list where the lead singer isn’t Rivers Cuomo. Instead this song is sung by Scott Shriner and in fact it was Scott Shriner that got the song onto the album. Originally the song wasn’t going to make but Scott thought it was such a good song that he demanded Rivers to put it on the album, so Rivers said ‘if you like it so much then you sing it’ so he did. And I’m thankful for it. It doesn’t sound at all like the other stuff on the Red Album but it’s an awesome song and Scott makes it with the vocals (although “Cold Dark World” doesn’t hold candle to this one.)

5. Butterfly Pinkerton
Many would call this the last good song by Weezer. Now I think that is a bit harsh. Yes Green Album, Maladroit, Make Believe and the Red Album are hardly the greatest albums of all time nor are they Weezer’s best efforts (Blue Album and Pinkerton will forever be those), but all the albums have at least one good song (except for Maladroit which is their worst effort by far). Butterfly is one of Weezer’s most beautiful songs. For 3 minutes all it is Rivers Cuomo and a guitar, singing a little song about lost love. This song is also the clearest song when it comes to the homage to Puccini’s opera Madame Butterfly (yes because the song is called “Butterfly”). “Butterfly” may not be Weezer’s strongest album closer (see further down the list to find out what is) but it finished off Pinkerton in an amazing way, and makes you want to listen again.

4. Perfect Situation Make Believe
Yes I know Make Believe sucks. However I need to put “Perfect Situation” on the list. “Perfect Situation” is the best song on Make Believe, period. It was also the first song that I ever heard by Weezer, so for that it gains this lofty place on my favourite songs by Weezer. Whilst many would say that there are far better songs (which if you take the entirety of Pinkerton, I’d agree with you), but Perfect Situation has that special place in my heart. It’s the song that made me download every single other Weezer song I could lay my hands (currently standing at 137). Whilst they did manage to fuck the song up in later pressings, the original still stands out. It begins with on of the best introductions to a song I’ve ever heard (as well as an awesome guitar solo to rival “Only in Dreams”). The song just comes together amazingly and is a beacon of hope during the seemingly mediocre era of Weezer.

3. Across the Sea Pinkerton
The song that created Pinkerton. The song that created the greatest album by Weezer. The song that created the greatest album of all time. If you haven’t been able to tell by now, I love Pinkerton. Whilst to many it started the emo movement in the late 90s, I don’t give a fuck. If all emo music were as amazing as this song and this album I’d be happy to call myself an emo. Before this song was written, Rivers Cuomo was having writers block and didn’t know what he was going to do with “Songs from the Black Hole”. Then a Japanese fan sent him a letter after hearing him on the radio in Japan. He instantly fell in love and it gave him the inspiration to throw “Songs from the Black Hole” in the bin and write this song. Yes the song is fucked up in many ways (he dreams about this girl he’s never met masturbating herself) but it makes it that much better. Rivers opens himself up so much on this album (the album is more or less a biography of the events after their debut album) and nowhere is it more apparent than this song.

2. I Just Threw Out the Love of My Dreams The Good Life – EP
“I Just Threw out the Love of My Dreams” is one of the songs that was supposed to make it onto the scrapped “Songs from the Black Hole” Album (which thankfully became Pinkerton). Many of the songs on this album such as “Blast Off!”, “Superfriend”, “Longtime Sunshine” and “You Won’t Get with Me Tonight” are all great songs, but “I Just Threw Out the Love of My Dreams” is the best one. Thankfully this song didn’t have to wait till 2007/08 when Rivers Cuomo was looking through is back catalogue of songs and was instead released on an EP with the single “The Good Life” (a Pinkerton song). “I Just Threw Out the Love of My Dreams” is the only song that Weezer has ever done that is sung by a woman. In fact the woman is Rachel Haden the person that Rivers intended to play the part of the good woman on “Songs from the Black Hole” making it the closest song to what the album would have sounded like. Whilst the majority of songs from “Songs from the Black Hole” have been released by now, “I Just Threw Out the Love of My Dreams” stands head and shoulders above the rest and a lot of Weezer’s other songs.

1. Only in Dreams Weezer (Blue Album)
“Only in Dreams” is the perfect Weezer song. In fact it might just be my favourite song of all time. This song is just incredible. It stands at 8 minutes long making it Weezer’s longest song to date, it is also the song that brought the Blue Album to a crescendo. It starts out just like many a Weezer song except it’s a fair bit softer than most Weezer songs. However after 4 minutes the words stop and we’re left with the bass line. Then the guitar comes on and builds up for 3 minutes before reaching one of the greatest climaxes that any song has ever had. I find myself regularly listening to songs now which try to build up to a climax but always come away disappointed because of this song (“Bixby Canyon Bridge” by Death Cab for Cutie is probably the one song that comes to mind). If there’s one song I need to hear performed live it is this one (especially because it also plays as a climax to many a Weezer performance.)

Finally I would like to say I will have Season reviews of Dexter Season 3, Veronica Mars Season 1 and Supernatural Season 1 up within the week!! (I hope)