A home isn’t complete without a killer music selection. But, like you, I am sick of cookie-cutter performers bred by MTV and American Idol. That’s why I was so excited when I heard about the South by Southwest Music Festival (SXSW) and their recent release of songs by artists performing at next week’s event (March 16-20). They compiled all 750 +/- songs and put them in a BitTorrent download. It took me a full day to download the file and then another 2 1/2 days to listen to all 750 tracks. Lucky for you, I’ve weeded through this massive database of music down to a select few (both good and bad) so you can stop listening to Pop101 FM and start hearing some great new music.Before I get to the awards, I just wanted to give you a little background on my music preferences and how I came to select this list. I think of myself as musically diversified. I started young with classic rock and blues, expanded to hip hop, rap and R&B, added metal, rock and alternative and currently I am a complete mishmash of musical tastes.

With that in mind, I went through 750 songs in just about 24 hours. Do the math–I obviously passed through some music quickly. I’m not a fan of country and screaming metal and basically passed over these genres. For the most part, songs without lyrics were also discounted. But all in all I tried to give the majority of the songs a fair shake and I think you’ll be as pleased as I am with the results.

WORST OF THE WORST
These songs immediately struck me as horrible, just placing them here is bad enough, so they appear in no particular order.

The George W. Bush Singers – Deep Thoughts Part II
I’d hate to hear the other parts

Tahir – Africa/Hood Economics
Some songs were never meant to be dubbed

Har Mar Superstar – The Handler
Superstar of what?

Chingo Bling – Walk Like Cleto
Just so you know, I think Cleto is a rooster

GOOD SONG, BAD VOCALS
These songs immediately hit me as catchy… until someone started singing. Once again, these are not in any particular order.

Best Fwends – Ultimate Teem
Great retro-video game beats… not so great vocals

Mahjongg – Hot Lava
Funky, funky sounds… boring, boring lyrics

The Giraffes – Having Fun
Good riffs. Period.

Watchers – Our Exchange
Starts off promising…

YOUNGEST ROCKSTARS ALIVE
Cool beats and lyrics by 9 and 11 year old girls!

Smoosh – Massive Cure
A little young to be touring and be this good
BEST BLUES/JAZZ/BLUEGRASS SONG
Ordered from good to best

Devil in a Woodpile – Beer Ticket Rag
mmmm…. beer tickets….

Dayna Kurtz – Love Where Did You Go

Drop Trio – Mothership
Jazzy beats

Ditty Bops – Oh La La
Knee-slappin’ goodness

BEST SONG INSPIRED BY BECK
Ordered from good to best

Li’l Cap’n Travis – Steady As She Goes
Slow, country, Beck-like beats

Old Man River – Sunshine
Good vibes… this guy even looks a little like Beck
BEST SONG WITH A SINGER THAT SOUNDS EXACTLY LIKE BONO

Julian Coryell – Did You See the Sun
He doesn’t look like Bono
SONGS THAT COULD HAVE BEEN ON THE GARDEN STATE SOUNDTRACK
Ordered from good to best

Something for Rockets – Look Around

Dios Malos – Starting Five
SONGS THAT YOUR GIRLFRIEND/WIFE/STALKING VICTIM WOULD LOVE
Ordered from good to best

Dolorean – Violence in the Snowy Field
Almost Country

Teitur – I Was Just Thinking
A less boring James Taylor

Eluvium – An Accidental Memory in the Case of Death
Enya piano interlude

Hurts to Purr – Mr. Atom
Norah Jones knock-off

Mary Lou Lord – The Wind Blew All Around Me
Lisa Loeb back from the dead

Po’ Girl – Take the Long Way
Depressing, yet catchy
BEST SONGS I CAN’T UNDERSTAND
Ordered from good to best

Charanga Cakewalk – El Indio
Salsa Baby!

Cartel De Santa – Blah, Blah, Blah
Could be the Latino Snoop Dogg
BEST HIP-HOP SONGS
Ordered from good to best

Mood Ruff – Rocketship
Everlast-like cross

ATX Records Clique – Late Nights
Pimpin

Lunar Heights – Prove Em Wrong
Original look and feel

The Shapeshifters – Run the Crowd
Onyx-like hardcore beats

DJ Rhettmatic – Dividends
Mos Def like beats
SONGS THAT COULD BE ON THE O.C.
And yes, it is ok to watch the O.C…. I think. Ordered from good to best

Apollo Sunshine – I Was on the Moon
A little too “poppy”

Austin Hartley-Leonard – The Shore and Stars

Bloc Party – Banquet

Layton – Roundagon
Retro Cure-like beats

The Lashes – Sometimes the Sun
Sounds like the Killers, but it ain’t

Vaquero – All Day Dreamer
More beach front goodness

Dr. Dog – World May Never Know
Beatle-like goodness
BEST ROCK SONGS
Ordered from good to best

Josh Martinez – Alone
Everlast-like cross

Death from Above 1979 – Romantic Rights
Non-screaming rock band

The Flesh – Sweet Defeat
No Doubt like beats

The Trews – House of Ill Fame
Up beat fun tune

deSol – Spanish Radio
Sublime like latin beats

The Reputation – Face It
Kitty like rock
BEST OF THE BEST TOP 10
These songs obviously stood out from the pack, but putting them in order was difficult. At any rate, here they are from good to best.

Asleep in the Sea – Dance On
Oddly catchy tune
Writer’s Block – No More, No Less
Underground Hip-hop at its best

Whitey Houston – They Got Cameras in their Pockets
White Stripe head bopping goodness

Raul Midon – Everybody
Melting hearts all night long

Cary Brothers - Blue Eyes
Original, easy listening and actually on the Garden State soundtrack

Brent Palmer – Asleep in the Back
Could have highlighted the Garden State Soundtrack… looks a bit like Zach Braff

Eternia – Understand If I
Kanye West revisited

Bell X1- Next To You
Nice and smooth like Coldplay

Amos Lee – Arms of a Woman
The male Norah Jones… that’s a huge compliment

The Exit – Don’t Push
Funkier Black Crowes

Music tastes vary and I realize that. Feel free to offer your suggestions and comments about these songs (and others).

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