Snobfest 2006: The Songs

This part of Snobfest is probably my favorite and most difficult. It's not easy narrowing a song list down to a single CD's worth. There were three songs I'm still agonizing over that I cut from this list. Anyway, you can either download them or email me for a CD. Again no specific order has been given. Enjoy. Oh, and some of these songs have "bad" words.

Eagles of Death Metal-Don't Speak (I Came to Make a Bang!)-

This is a movie trailer song if there ever was one. I've tried numerous times this year to get this song on our show. I couldn't even get this song into our Christmas reel. Anyway this song fits into my "dirt rock" category. It's all sleazy and percussion heavy. How can this not make the teaser of one of our episodes?

Twilight Singers-Andiamo-

There are better songs on Powder Burns and the Stitch in Time EP. So why am I putting it up here? First of all, the only way you can get this song is through eMusic. Even the bonus track on iTunes made the EP. Second, Dulli hasn't rocked like this in awhile. It begins all simmering, and then builds into a wall of sound built with horns, guitars, drums, bass, and Dulli's cigarette stained howl. There might be better songs, but I love this song. The third reason is the line, "My belly's gettin' fat/but my thoughts are even heavier" makes me laugh. The horns make this song.

The Exploding Hearts-(Making) Teenage Faces-

How can you not love this band? Just one big fat hook that won't let go.

The Hold Steady-Stuck Between Stations-

It's the piano that really makes this song for me particularly during the coda. And that opening power chord. As with any Craig Finn written song you also have to enjoy the humorous touches in a story about a poet who commits suicide.

Stuck Between Stations

there are nights when i think that sal paradise was right. boys and girls in america have such a sad time together.
sucking off each other at the demonstrations.
making sure their makeup's straight.
crushing one another with colossal expectations.
dependent, undisciplined, sleeping late.

she was a really cool kisser and she wasn't all that strict of a christian.
she was a damn good dancer but she wasn't all that great of a girlfriend.
he likes the warm feeling but he's tired of all the dehydration.
most nights were crystal clear but tonite its like it's stuck between stations
on the radio.

the devil and john berryman took a walk together
they ended up on washington talking to the river
he said "I surrounded myself with doctors and deep thinkers
but big heads with soft bodies make for lousy lovers".
there was that night that we thought that john berryman could fly.
but he didnt so he died.
she said "you're pretty good with words but words won't save your life"
and they didn't so he died.

he was drunk and exhausted but he was critically acclaimed and respected.
he loved the golden gophers but he hated all the drawn out winters.
he likes the warm feeling but he's tired of all the dehydration.
most nights were kind of fuzzy but that last night he had total retention.


these twin city kisses.
sound like clicks and hisses.
and we all come down and drown in the mississippi river.

we drink
we dry up.
we crumble into dust.

we get wet we corrode
we get covered in rust.


Voxtrot-Mothers, Sisters, Daughters & Wives-

Hmm. There are some big old late 80's Brit-pop jangly guitars in here. I really thought I'd given up this type of jangle. Here though Voxtrot balances the guitars with a solid hook and strong bass and drums. The way this song builds is nice that I clearly have come back to enjoy this jangle-pop song. With the EP of the same name and their Wolves EP, I'm looking forward to see what this Austin group can do with a full album.

Midlake-Roscoe-

I was completely hooked on this song the second I heard it. It's a twist on that Fleetwood Mac sound with CSN&Y harmonies. Plus the lyrics come across like a backwoods hippie version of Iron Maiden lyrics. Too bad none of the rest of the songs on the album come close to this.

Band of Horses-The Funeral-

Damn more jangley guitars. I swore I gave them up. The first thing that popped into my head when I heard this song was "Catherine Wheel made a new album?" Tell me this doesn't sound like their song "Black Metallic." I eventually got past this once the haunting "Ooohs" came in. This could be perhaps the saddest song of the year.

Jenny Lewis & The Watson Twins-Rise Up with Fists!!!-

How ballsy is Jenny Lewis? She put not one, or two, but three exclamation points in this song title. Three!!! I still like the gospel sound the Watson Twins give this song. It helps me handle the first two versus of this song that come across like the Genesis song "Jesus He Knows Me."

Lucero-I Can Get Us Out Of Here-

I can't remember how I came across this song. I don't think I've heard the rest of this album, but this song has apparently stuck with me. Again, I think it's the keyboards that won me over to this song. It has a hint of Springsteen, a little dash of early Whiskeytown B-sides, and a bit of a vocalist trying to hard to sound hoarse. This is a really nice driving late at night song when you need to stay awake.

Destroyer-European Oils-

There are three things I love about this song. 1. The verses that seem to come from some hippie drug trip in a late sixties movie. 2. The la la la's. Fantastic la la la's. Some of the best la la la's ever in a song 3. I will admit I sometimes listen to the song simply for this line: "She needs to feel at peace with her father, the fucking maniac." The way he whisper yells "the fucking maniac."

The Blow-Parentheses-

This is the kind of song you would play in college if you wanted to hook up with that really cute feminist-to-the-point-of-being-confused-for-being-a-lesbian girl you met in your Intro to Arts class. Most of the class is annoyed when she goes on her rants in class, but you find it kind of cute. The way she juts her bottom lip out when the professor tells her to sit down. So cute. If only she bathed a little more often. Anyway, this is the kind of song she would really like. She would really like the part about the"deli isle." Too bad she likes the closet gay guy that won't give her the time of day and treats her like crap.

Phoenix-Long Distance Call-

Damn, Parisians. How do you pick a song when half their album is solid grade A pop songs? I narrowed it down to three and finally just picked this one. I think it's the "hmm" the singer utters before singing the chorus. It might be the line "Got little to tell, I don't say much but I might." I identify with that line. Actually it's just the jangly guitars and hook.

Peter, Bjorn & John-Young Folks-

Now it's easy to see why this song is great. It's the whistling, and the baseline. How can you not whistle along? Ok, ex-Concretes singer Victoria Bergsman adds a lot too.

TV on the Radio-I Was a Lover-

I almost went with "A Method" simply because I like the a cappella song. Then I decided on selecting "Wolf Like Me," but thought that was too obvious. I really love this song. The string sample rolls along with the drums, the noise, and the falsetto, then at the 2:24 the piano comes in and turn the song on its head, then goes right side up again. Great song.

Escort-Starlight-

Look, I don't care what you say. I swear this song was made in 2006. I swear.

The Coup-My Favorite Mutiny-

How this for a piano based funk call to arms anthem? Boots Riley and Pam the Funkstress bring on Black Thought and Talib Kweli to share the rhymes and create a song that rivals any so called activist song released today. The funk doesn't hide what they are saying, it just makes sure you hear what they want to say because you end up listening to it multiple times.

Ghostface Killah Feat. Raekwon-Kilo-

This song would fit on "The Wire." It paints a perfect picture of the paranoia, hierarchy, and how kids are used as gophers by selling them the dream of a better life. Ghostface could probably be a staff writer for "The Wire." He hits those details that other rappers don't. Did I mention the funky horns?

Gnarls Barkley-Smiley Faces-

The best R&B song released this year.

Rhymefest-All I Do-

The best hip-hop anthem for those who live in the slums and work hard and fight to make it out without giving into temptation.