Snobfest 2006: What Is Old Is New

Normally at this point I would throw out my Classic Song of 2006, and then a few other songs that I like and a few I hate. I started trying to decide on my classic song, and simply couldn't decide. Why limit it to just one? Why not just give a list of old songs I've discovered or rediscovered? Before that, let us get the tearing down part out of the way.

Most Annoying Song of the Year- The funny thing is that I haven't even heard this song all the way through. I haven't even heard this song on the radio. I don't know anyone that likes it, but you still can't escape it. Every Saturday and Sunday you are guaranteed to hear it about 10 times an hour during football games. Yes, I'm talking about the migraine inducing song, "Our Country" by John Mellancamp, that plays during every Chevy Silverado commercial. The commercials that air once every commercial break during sporting events. Here's the real problem. Songs on the radio have a life in heavy rotation for at the most a month. This song is planned to be apart of the Silverado campaign through at least 2007. At least! This is going to be a long year.

Guilty Pleasure Song of the Year - I'm really kind of embarrassed how much I enjoy this song. Especially since it's just her singing over a sample of Soft Cell's "Tainted Love." For some reason there was a time when I couldn't get enough of Rihanna's "S.O.S." I will also admit it probably had something to do with the fact that she's purty as well.

Now on to the songs.

Wait a Million Years - The Grass Roots Back in March I already labeled this group as having earned my classic song of 2006. Because of that I'm starting off with these guys. I narrowed my list of songs by this group down to four and then just blindly picked one. So, enjoy the horns and the "whoas" and that long intro build. I highly suggest picking up their greatest hits album for starters. You will not be disappointed.

Break it Loose - Onyx This comes from a compilation of Bay Area funk bands I bought a couple years back. It's one of those albums I just loaded onto my iPod and then waited to be pleasantly surprised while shuffling. This song has become my favorite from the comp. This group is not to be confused with the 90's rap group of the same name.

Too Far Gone To Turn Back Now - JR Bailey Just a great R&B song. A lost classic.

Baby, Now That I've Found You - The Foundations These Brits actually sang a lot of songs other than "Build Me Up Buttercup." This is their first hit.

Who Are You Gonna Love (Your Woman or Your Wife) - Rozetta Johnson Part anger and part sadness and I can't get enough of this song. I would like just one American Idol contestant who has a deep knowledge of R&B and start singing lost R&B classics. If someone sang this on Idol, I think it would do wonders for this song. A British label called ACE Records has done a wonderful job of making songs lost this available again to the public.

Go Now - Bessie Banks Yes, this is the Moody Blues song we all know. I think Bessie's version is actually better than the original. The Moody Blues had too quick of a pace when they wrote it. Here Bessie let's the song simmer along like it should.

Funny How Love Can Be - Ivy League Another Brit Pop one hit wonder. There's a little SoCal harmonies and a dash of Motown in this little ditty.

Something Here In My Heart- Paper Dolls Came across this while looking for girl groups. This song and the Foundations song were written by Tony Macaulay and John MacLeod.

Walking Out on Love - The Beat Was reminded of this song after hearing The Exploding Hearts cover. This is probably Paul Collins best song, but "Rock N Roll Girl," "Work-a-Day World," and others give it a run for the top slot.

Don't Let Her Know - Alter Ego Another power pop gem. This comes from the band's unreleased LP. Rave Up Records did a reprint of the LP on vinyl, but apparently this song was so messed up on the masters that it didn't make it on what turned out to be an EP. Teenline though came to the rescue and was able to save this song. People at Teenline and Rave Up deserve support for their efforts to make sure the fantastic music these forgotten bands have created is still available.

Understanding - The Rockers In case you can't tell we are in the power pop section of this post. Don't worry there are only three more after this. I completely lucked out in getting a hold of the EP that this song comes from. I was buying a couple albums by The Finders from a small record label. The Finders used to be The Rockers and due to a disagreement between the former bassist and the band the Rockers EP couldn't be sold. Turns out the guy running the label was a part of both bands. Because I was a fan and had already bought a couple albums he passed along the EP to me for free since he couldn't legally sell it. I think I actually did the hand claps of joy when I got it.

Holiday Fire - Marc Thor This is such an odd power pop song. His voice wavers from the pitch almost deliberately. The change from chorus to verse (?) is awkward. Actually the whole song structure is a little off, but I really like it.

Whole Wide World - Wreckless Eric Well anyone who saw the movie "Stranger Than Fiction" now knows this song. I'll be honest I was a little torn when Will Ferrell's character sat down and started strumming the song. My first thought was "Yeah, Wreckless Eric!" Then I realized a song on my list of 200 songs I want to get into a TV show or movie that I write was now taken. Also, did anyone believe that this could possibly be a song that the character knew? The one song he learned was this? Really?

Statue of Liberty - XTC Each year I come to appreciate XTC more and more. I don't think their early stuff gets enough credit.

Natural's Not In It - Gang of Four To all you kids out there who love Bloc Party, Franz Ferdinand, and the rest of the recent post-punk bands that have come out, this is one of the bands to whom they owe half their royalties.

I Am A Scientist - Guided by Voices For the first minute and a few second of this song you have a nice low-fi pop song. Then that odd slightly off kilter guitar part kicks in. It's almost like Pollard wanted to throw the listener off. One of Ohio's greatest bands.

Celebrated Summer - Husker Du Back in the day it was the Replacements or Husker Du. Kind of like how fanboys these days like the Xbox 360 but hate the Playstation 3. I was a Replacements fan, so it took me a little while longer to come around to Husker Du. I still like the Replacements more. I will admit Norton's mustache was the greatest in rock n roll at the time.

Care of Cell 44 - The Zombies Look The Zombies did more than the song "Time of the Season." In fact their album "Odessey and Oracle" is a brilliant album.

The Red Lantern - Jeff Klein This song actually came out in 2005. I've really come around to this kid. I like how this song literally seems to just chug along. My advice to him is that he really needs to start touring with a full band.

Got No Shame - Brother Cane Back in 1993 when hair metal was exhaling its last breath and bands began hitching onto grunge's shooting star, Brother Cane came out of nowhere with this pure rock song full of heavy cow bell and harmonica. Somehow this got played on MTV where I first heard the song. Case and I played the shit out of this song. Unfortunately, the band went the way of grunging up their sound, stopped rocking, and became boring.

That's it. I hope you enjoy at least one or two of these songs. Coming up is the TV and Movie Snobfest posts.