ChordStrike

The 100 Greatest Romantic Albums of All Time

Do you love gettin' down with your significant other to hot, sensuous, romantic, sexy music? We sure hope so, because hot on the heels of our 100 Greatest Debut Albums of All Time list, and just in time for Valentine's Day, comes the 100 Greatest Romantic Albums of All Time. Does our list of tunes make you swoon, or is the heat you feel coming out your ears with anger? Let us know what you think of our choices in the comments.

1. Marvin Gaye - Let's Get it On
2. Nat King Cole - Sings For Two In Love
3. Al Green - Still in Love with You
4. Portishead - Dummy
5. Barry White - Plays for Someone You Love
6. Sade - Lovers Rock
7. Miles Davis - Kind of Blue
8. Joao Gilberto - Getz/Gilberto
9. The Carpenters - Close To You
10. Serge Gainsbourg - L'Historie De Melody Nelson
11. Aretha Franklin - I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You
12. Joshua Bell - Romance of the Violin
13. Otis Redding - Soul Album
14. Jeff Buckley - Grace
15. Sigur Ros - ()
16. D'Angelo - Voodoo
17. Slowdive - Souvlaki
18. Anita Baker - Rapture
19. Norah Jones - Come Away With Me
20. Andrea Bocelli - Romanza
21. k.d. lang - Ingenue
22. Blossom Dearie - Blossom Dearie
23. Madeleine Peyroux - Careless Love
24. John Coltrane - Blue Trane
25. Frank Sinatra - Songs for Swingin' Lovers!
26. Billie Holiday - Songs For Distingue Lovers
27. Air - Moon Safari
28. Bread - Lost Without Your Love
29. Dusty Springfield - Dusty In Memphis
30. Josh Groban - Closer
31. Isley Brothers - Between the Sheets
32. Chet Baker - Chet
33. Isaac Hayes - Black Moses
34. Diana Krall - The Look of Love
35. Jimmy Scott - Falling In Love Is Wonderful
36. Dean Martin - Dino! The Italian Love Songs
37. Massive Attack - Mezzanine
38. Roxy Music - Avalon
39. Air Supply - Now and Forever
40. Prince - For You
41. Roberta Flack - First Take
42. Boyz II Men - II
43. Enigma - LSD
44. Depeche Mode - Violator
45. Fiona Apple - Tidal
46. Harry Connick, Jr. - We Are In Love
47. Zero 7 - Simple Things
48. Mazzy Star - So Tonight That I Might See
49. Theivery Corporation - The Mirror Conspiracy
50. George Michael - Faith
51. Paolo Conte - Reveries
52. Lou Donaldson - Lush Life
53. Carla Bruni - Quelqu'un M'a Dit
54. A Touch of Schmilsson in the Night - Harry Nilsson
55. The O'Jays - So Full Of Love
56. The Spinners - Mighty Love
57. Francoise Hardy - Ma Jeunesse Fout L'camp
58. Julee Cruise - Floating Into The Night
59. Nina Simone - Here Comes The Sun
60. The Dramatics - Me & Mrs. Jones
61. Cocteau Twins - Heaven or Las Vegas
62. Willie Nelson - Stardust
63. The Softies - It's Love
64. My Bloody Valentine - Loveless
65. John Lennon & Yoko Ono - Double Fantasy
66. Stevie Wonder - My Cherie Amour
67. Billy Ocean - Suddenly
68. Judee Sill - Heart Food
69. Usher - Confessions
70. Red House Painters - Red House Painters I
71. Roy Orbison - Mystery Girl
72. Erykah Badu - Baduism
73. Maxwell - Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite
74. John Legend - Save Room
75. Sarah McLachlan - Solace
76. Ray Charles & Milt Jackson - Soul Brothers / Soul Meeting
77. Jean-Yves Thibaudet - Satie: The Magic of Satie
78. Dave Brubeck - Take Five
79. Chris Isaak - Heart Shaped World
80. Raveonettes - Lust Lust Lust
81. Bjork - Homogenic
82. Patricia Barber - Modern Cool
83. Nicolai Dunger - Tranquil Isolation
84. Michael Buble - Call Me Irresponsible
85. Jill Scott - Who is Jill Scott?
86. Tricky - Maxinquaye
87. Goldfrapp - Black Cherry
88. Keren Ann - Nolita
89. Shirley Horn - Travelin' Light
90. James Moody - Young At Heart
91. Jens Lekman - When I Said I Wanted To Be Your Dog
92. Bebel Gilberto - Bebel Gilberto
93. The Cure - Disintigration
94. Enya - Watermark
95. The Postal Service - Give Up
96. Rufus Wainwright - Rufus Wainwright
97. The Magnetic Fields - 69 Love Songs, Vol. 1
98. Astrud Gilberto - Look to the Rainbow
99. R. Kelly - 12 Play
100. Seu Jorge - The Life Aquatic Exclusive Sessions

[The 100 Greatest Romantic Albums of All Time at Amazon MP3]

--Alan Wiley

Van Halen: Playable

You are "Diamond" David Lee Roth--floating in space. Eddie Van Halen heads and Van Halen's triumphant logos are floating around, waiting to crush you. You shoot them with your finger. Sammy Hagar's head comes in for the final kill. You win.

You win.

Play the Van Halen video game online now.

--Alan Wiley

Lynyrd Skynyrd's Billy Powell Dead at 56

Lynyrd Skynyrd's roadie-turned-keyboard player Billy Powell passed away today. He was one of the earliest members of the band, having joined in 1973, and survived the infamous 1977 plane crash that killed several band members and crew. Click here for more details. R.I.P., Billy.

--Renata Sadunas

Make Your Own GRAMMY Nominees Compilation

The annual GRAMMY nominee compilation comes out today and, though I'm sure it will sell relatively well, the whole idea seems kind of weird to me in the digital age. Why would you buy someone else's seemingly arbitrarily chosen pack of GRAMMY nominated songs when you could create your own seemingly arbitrarily chosen pack of GRAMMY nominated songs? If you're so inclined, sample some of the nominated songs below and let us know what you'd include on your mix.

-- Jeff Reguilon

The 100 Greatest Debut Albums of All Time

Music nerds, let's get ready to argue.

For the first in an ongoing series of the "100 Greatest *fillintheblank* of All Time" lists, we decided to use our collective knowledge to run down the best ever debut albums. Dig our picks below and let us know where we went horribly, horribly wrong in the comments.

1. U2 - Boy
2. Miles Davis - Birth of the Cool
3. The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground & Nico
4. Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin
5. Joy Division - Unkown Pleasures
6. Pink Floyd - Piper at the Gates of Dawn
7. Nirvana - Bleach
8. Bob Dylan - Bob Dylan
9. Metallica - Kill 'em all
10. Arcade Fire - Funeral
11. Jay-Z - Reasonable Doubt
12. The Smiths - The Smiths
13. Jeff Buckley - Grace
14. Elvis Costello - My Aim Is True
15. Patti Smith - Horses
16. Brian Eno - Here Come The Warm Jets
17. Elvis Presley - Elvis Presley
18. Guns 'n' Roses - Appetite for Destruction
19. The Who - The Who Sings My Generation
20. New Order - Movement
21. Pavement - Slanted and Enchanted
22. Bob Marley - Catch a Fire
23. Kanye West - The College Dropout
24. Bruce Springsteen - Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J.
25. The Rolling Stones - England's Newest Hitmakers
26. Radiohead - Pablo Honey
27. R.E.M. - Murmur
28. Talking Heads - 77
29. John Coltrane - Coltrane
30. Pearl Jam - Ten
31. Eric B. and Rakim - Paid in Full
32. the Doors - The Doors
33. Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced?
34. Notorious B.I.G. - Ready to Die
35. Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation of…
36. Van Halen - Van Halen
37. Buddy Holly - The Chirping Crickets
38. The Clash - The Clash
39. Wu Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang
40. Beastie Boys - Licensed to Ill
41. Sex Pistols - Nevermind the Bollocks
42. Madonna - Madonna
43. Dr. Dre - The Chronic
44. Snoop Doggy Dogg - Doggystyle
45. Vicente Fernandez - A Pesar De Todo
46. A Tribe Called Quest - Peoples' Instinctive Travels & the Paths of Rhythm
47. Nas - Illmatic
48. Television - Marquee Moon
49. Wire - Pink Flag
50. Liz Phair - Exile in Guyville
51. Modern Lovers - Modern Lovers
52. Nick Drake - Five Leaves Left
53. Coldplay - Parachutes
54. Gang of Four - Entertainment!
55. Norah Jones - Come Away With Me
56. Portishead - Dummy
57. Smashing Pumpkins - Gish
58. The Band - Music from Big Pink
59. The Stooges - The Stooges
60. The Pretenders - The Pretenders
61. Santana - Santana
62. Creedence Clearwater Revival - Creedence Clearwater Revival
63. Heart - Dreamboat Annie
64. The New York Dolls - The New York Dolls
65. The Police - Outlandos d'Amour
66. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
67. Rage Against the Machine - Rage Against the Machine
68. D'Angelo - Brown Sugar
69. Funkadelic - Funkadelic
70. Run-DMC - Run-DMC
71. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
72. Postal Service - Give Up
73. Ludacris - Incognegro
74. Calle 13 - Calle 13
75. Alejandro Fernandez - Alejandro Fernanadez
76. 50 Cent - Get Rich or Die Tryin'
77. Dwight Yoakam - Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc. Etc.
78. Mudhoney - Superfuzz Bigmuff
79. Mana - Falta Amor
80. Lee Ann Womack - Lee Ann Womack
81. Herbie Hancock - Takin' Off
82. Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers - Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers
83. The Strokes - Is This It?
84. Weezer - blue album
85. Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes
86. Violent Femmes - Violent Femmes
87. Massive Attack - Blue Lines
88. B-52s - B-52s
89. Can - Monster Movie
90. Sonic Youth - Confusion Is Sex
91. Bjork - Debut
92. Randy Travis - Storms of Life
93. Morrissey - Viva Hate
94. Lynyrd Skynyrd - Pronounced…
95. Shins - Oh, Inverted World
96. Roxy Music - Roxy Music
97. Daft Punk - Homework
98. Sade - Diamond Life
99. Boyz II Men - Cooleyhighharmony
100. Big Star - #1 Record

[The 100 Greatest Debut Albums of All Time at Amazon MP3]

-- Jeff Reguilon

Fruits, Cats and Kimonos

Katy Perry began her 2009 tour in Seattle on Friday night, playing to a sold out crowd at The Showbox.  I took my daughter, thinking I would stroke my beard and contemplate the vagaries of youth.  Wrong.  I had a great time leaping up and down in the throng and got every word, from a vocal and familiar audience, trying to compete with the sound system.  That being said, the tween juggernaut package was blessedly absent from this evening.

What do you get if you go?  More than I thought.  If  the Seattle opener was anything to go by, you get Kitty Purry (a huge inflated, illuminated cat), tons of oversized, flying fruit, a costume change, pretty much the whole album and some covered Queen that had this old fart belting out the lyrics, for a change.  I'm still having a good time, having a good time. -- Hugo Munday

01/26/2009 Crystal Ballroom Portland, OR
01/28/2009 The Fillmore San Francisco, CA
01/29/2009 The Empire Sacramento, CA
01/31/2009 The Wiltern Los Angeles, CA
02/02/2009 University of Arizona Tucson Tuscon, AZ
02/03/2009 Marquee Theatre Tempe, AZ
02/05/2009 House of Blues San Diego, CA
02/10/2009 In The Venue Salt Lake City, UT

Death Cab For Cutie Spring 2009 Tour dates

Death Cab for Cutie, Amazon Ed's #6 fave for 2008, tour dates just announced:

March 7: Miami (Langerado Festival)
April 7: Upper Darby, Pa. (Tower Theatre)
April 8: Washington, D.C. (DAR Constitution Hall)
April 9: Davidson, N.C. (John Belk Arena)
April 10: Louisville, Ky. (Louisville Palace)
April 11: Memphis (Orpheum Theatre)
April 12: Tulsa, Okla. (Brady Theater)
April 13: Omaha, Neb. (Holland Theatre)
April 15: St. Paul, Minn. (Roy Wilkins Auditorium)
April 17: Chicago (Aragon Ballroom)
April 18: East Lansing, Mich. (Breslin Events Center)
April 19: Waukesha, Wis. (Van Male Fieldhouse)
April 24: Spokane, Wash. (McCarthey Athletic Center)
April 25: Boise, Idaho (Morrison Center)
April 27: Sacramento, Calif. (Memorial Auditorium)
April 29: San Diego (RIMAC Arena)
May 1: Austin, Texas (Austin Music Hall)
May 2: New Orleans (Contemporary Arts Center)
May 4: Nashville (Ryman Auditorium)
May 5: Birmingham, Ala. (BJCC Concert Hall)
May 6: Atlanta (Fox Theatre)

Cold War Kids support in April, Matt Costa in May, with Ra Ra Riot opening the bill for the whole tour.

Fan club tickets go on sale Jan 28. Non-certified fans will have to line up on the weekend.

Slim Pickings

Does anybody else think the Academy short-changed the music industry this year by only nominating three songs, two of which came from the same movie?  No knock on the two flicks that did make it, but  WALL-E and Slumdog Millionaire look pretty lonely, up there.  I don't remember them chopping the traditional five nominees down to three before, but I might be wrong.

What would I have filled the choices out with?  Jack White and Alicia Keys for "Another Way to Die" (Quantum of Solace) is worthy.  I thought Jamie Cullem's  "Gran Torino" would be right up the Academy's alley.  But what did Bruce do wrong to stop him getting the nod for his contribution to The Wrestler?  That might be the best track on Working on a Dream. -- Hugo Munday

All You Need Are These Four Chords

In case you've ever wondered what the magic formula is for a hit song, you need wonder no more. Australian musical comedy trio, Axis of Awesome, demonstrate how with one simple four chord progression, 36 hit songs (at least) have been penned.

You want to be next? Grab a guitar and do as I say: 6, 4, 1, 5, repeat = jackpot.

Barack Obama's Irish

Someone had to do it...    

(Grateful nod: As It Happens)

     --Jason Kirk

Inauguration Concert Event Artists

Was anyone else out there as enthralled and amazed as me by the live Inauguration Event Special on TV today? The highlight for me was U2 playing Pride (In the Name of Love) on the same spot where Martin Luther King Jr. gave his "I Have a Dream" speech. The duets and artist combinations were also great. Usher and Shakira singing with Stevie Wonder was one such highlight.

And how about Pete Seeger playing This Land is Your Land with Bruce Springsteen? Incredible.

For any and all of you music lovers out there with an itch to learn more about the artists playing live in Washington D.C January 17-20, you can find a list of all Inauguration Event artists playing in Washington D.C. and a link to their Artist Stores on our Obama Inaugural Music page.

Keep on rockin' in the free world.

--Lucas Hilbert

An '80s Moment with Alan: Ballads Edition

When I last blogged about the '80s, I was hitting the pop pretty hard. Nothing has changed here except for the tempo. It's time for a slow dance. Let's begin:

"Hands To Heaven," Breathe
I always had a soft spot for these guys. They were good looking, European, and the song is totally killer. Fun fact: as a kid, I thought when they said "my restlessness" that they were saying "my breast-lessness," of course he didn't have breasts! It was only a few short years ago that I realized what he was actually saying.

"Seasons Change," Expose
Some things never change. I still get the chorus of this song stuck in my head on a near-weekly basis, because it's true.

"No One Is To Blame," Howard Jones
If I said I had never put this song on repeat and bawled my eyes out, I would be a total liar. It's "life's not fair" lyrics have totally resonated with me at many times in my life. It's a great song that holds up well, and will never get skipped in shuffle mode as long as I'm at the controls.

"Foolish Beat," Debbie Gibson
Though she's now known as "Deborah," she'll always be Debbie to me. What set Ms. Gibson apart from all the other pop starlets of her day, not to mention today's current crop, is that she wrote and produced her own records. Like, all of them. Bravo Debbie/Deborah!

"Doot-Doot," Freur

This song has been used in the soundtracks to several movies as of late, and for good reason. While it's undeniably '80s, it has a timeless quality to it. The video itself is something to behold--is that hair crimped? Is that guy playing a giant stick? Did he just smash it in a fit of passion at the end? What ever happened to those clothes? Fun fact: this band went on to become Underworld.

I've been saving the best for last...

"All Cried Out," Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam featuring Full Force

This is the most epic pop ballad ever made. There are countless "moments" in this song and video--from her pronunciations ( "crying, cryaang, cryying," "O-I needed was a simple hello") and her outfits (what adult has that much pink in their bedroom?), to the headbands and the weird looking model dude. This is a perfect '80s experience rolled into 4 minutes and 41 seconds, and the reason karaoke was invented.

As some of my co-workers graciously pointed out to me, several of these songs appear to have quite a bit in common with the "genre" known as smooth jazz. It really threw me for a loop. At first I felt a little hurt, then sad, then I realized they were right. Does this mean that I like smooth jazz? I really, really, really, really hope not. Does this mean I'm throwing out my love of all things '80s to save my hipster cred? Ha! I'd rather like smooth jazz then quit the '80s--look for more coverage of my favorite decade in the future. Got any special sub-genre of '80s you'd like me to cover? let me know in the comments.

--Alan Wiley

Foxes on SNL This Saturday

Seattle's own Fleet Foxes will appear on Saturday Night Live this Saturday (the host is Rosario Dawson). Congrats to the Foxes, who, according to Stereogum, are only the sixth indie band to be booked on the legendary comedy show. Set your TiVo's, if you, like most of the music team here, are a fan.

--Renata Sadunas

George was telling porkies

Board members and patrons of Dallas Opera, TX were breathing a sigh of relief just before the new year, when the New York Times published a very eloquent denial from Dallas' new general director, George Steel, saying he was happy in Dallas and not contemplating a move back to New York to head up the fast-sinking New York City Opera.  Today, the same newspaper broke the story that George is, indeed, returning to the big apple to become general manager.  I'm linking to the Alex Ross blog, for the details. 

NYCO is in big trouble.  They owe a large amount of money.  Their original choice for the position, Gerard Mortier (Paris Opera / Salzburg Festival), walked away from the position at the last minute, because he thought their budget wasn't big enough.  They are also homeless.  The New York State Theater is under a massive renovation, which will keep the company flitting around the five boroughs in temporary accommodation for 2009/2010.

I really like the idea of George Steel taking over.  He is a proven impresario from his days at the 92nd Street Y, and at The Miller Theatre, where he built a reputation for imaginative, high-quality programming, that proved very pleasing to new and established audiences, alike.  He's also a conductor, which could save them a buck or two, as he could moonlight.  I've even heard him sing counter tenor, but I should stop right there.

This appointment feels a lot better than unsuccessful attempts to import big, expensive stars from Europe.  I also think that City Opera's founder, Mayor, Fiorello La Guardia, were he around today, would also want to give the local boy a chance.  Go GRS!  Make us proud! -- Hugo Munday

Taj from SWV is Going to be on Survivor

To be frank, I've never seen Survivor, so the announcement of new contestants never mattered to me. That is, it never mattered to me until CBS recently announced that Tamara "Taj" Johnson-George from '90s R&B group SWV will be featured on the show's next season. I don't plan on watching the show or anything, but it does give me an excellent excuse to watch and share the videos for "Right Here (Human Nature Radio Mix)" and "Weak," which are both awesome jams. Thanks, Survivor!

--Jeff Reguilon

(Hat Tip: Idolator)

Record Label Loyalty

In the decade or so since relaxed regulatory legislation begat new and ever more rapacious media consolidation, independent record labels have stepped up to the challenge by fostering loyalty through quality, charisma, and--occasionally--sheer stubbornness. Certainly, none among us shops exclusively by label, but certain imprints can be trusted to deliver a general level of quality that we can count on year in and year out.

From hip-hop to opera, there are great record labels out there that both focus on a particular genre and deliver the goods in a way that's bankable without being predictable. We ChordStrikers have our favorites, but when you work with music day in and day out, you court the possibility of missing the forest for the trees.

So for those genre junkies out there, what labels retain that magnetism for you? What label name would cause you to read a review in a magazine or online, assuming the artist or title didn't grab you on its own? What labels' releases do you check in on from time to time? Or as Morcheeba put it--albeit ungrammatically--"Who Can You Trust?"

      --Jason Kirk

David Lee Roth vs. Microsoft: Runnin' With The Songsmith

Microsoft Songsmith is a computer program that uses the power of witchcraft* to automagically create a beat that matches whatever any old amateur vocalist sings at a PC.

Some evil genius decided to test the limits of the software by feeding it the isolated vocal track of David Lee Roth singing on Van Halen's "Runnin' With The Devil." Listen to the trainwrecky goodness here.

For more trainwrecky goodness and/or fun, harass folks with the David Lee Roth soundboard or take a look below at Microsoft's horribly misguided, unintentionally funny ad for Songsmith. Be warned that the video is rated "S" for songtastic.

-- Jeff Reguilon

* By "witchcraft," I mean "sophisticated computer science." I think.

(Hat Tip: John Moe)

Death of Autotune Ruins Your Memories of Rap Classics

While you could argue that rappers are already doing a fine enough job killing autotune on their own, two pranksters going by the names Roger Riley and Teddy Troutman officially put the knife through the heart (or heart-shaped balloon as it were) of the overused ProTools plug-in with their new mixtape, Death of Autotune. On it, they imagine what the world would have been like if, back in the '90s, autotune had been as prevalent as it is now. Aided by the magically melodifying computer crutch, they've re-recorded vocals on "Electric Relaxation" by a Tribe Called Quest, "Nothin' But a G Thang" by Dre and Snoop, "One More Chance" by Biggie, and nine other well-loved jams. The result is both amusing and terrifying. You can download it free and it and hear it for yourself here.

-- Jeff Reguilon

Model Music

Is anyone (like me) a reality TV junkie? If so, you'll be more curious than the average bear about Tamarama's EP Wonderland City. Tamarama features Australians Jay Lyon, who according to my research used to be called Brent Tuhtan, and Nicolas Potts. Jay is currently enjoying his 15 minutes as the love interest of Whitney Port on The City.

I am not usually super psyched to hear the work of model-turned-musicians, but I have to admit, my curiosity was piqued in this case. After all, Carla Bruni pulled it off, and most musicians need a day job. I popped in the EP this afternoon expecting to hear some generic indie rock, but I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. Having grown up in Southern California, maybe I am just a sucker for anything that evokes images of the beach, and this definitley fits the bill. It's got a '70s/Jack Johnson/easy listening/breezy vibe to it, that instantly transported me those carefree days where my biggest decision was sunblock or coconut oil. I am particularly digging the track "Dusty Road."

You can listen to samples on Tamarama's Myspace page, and let me know if you think Jay deserves his own spin off.

---Renata Sadunas

"Slumdog Millionaire" Takes Best Soundtrack at the Globes

The Hollywood Foreign Press dubbed Slumdog Millionaire the Best Original Score of the year at last night's Golden Globes. (The video clip below is the cast's  tongue-in-cheek Bollywoood dance tribute than runs during the closing credits). The soundtrack also nabbed the same honor at the 2008 Critics' Choice Awards held just a few days ago. Here's hoping Slumdog nabs an Oscar for Best Original Score, and everything else it's nominated for. Apart from being great music in its own right, it's well integrated into the film, and provides the perfect backdrop for the rollercoaster of a story.

Bruce Springsteen took Best Original Song for "The Wrestler," which apparently he wrote at his friends Mickey Rourke's request. Springsteen also received the same honor at the Critics' Choice Award last week. I can't find an official soundtrack for The Wrestler (anyone know if one's coming out?). I am guessing that this might be due to the movie's small budget and licensing fees. I heard Mickey Rourke mention last night that Axl Rose gave permission for them to use "Sweet Child O' Mine," for free (or cheap...my short term memory is useless). "The Wrestler" single will be available on Springteen's new release, Working on a Dream, out January 27.

---Renata Sadunas