Monday: Songs Of The Week 01/02/2010

Happy pallindrome day!

Today is Monday, which means the beginning of my Music Blog in all honesty. And so, to start off my new blog in style, I am going to give you a rundown of my top 10 current favourite songs. (Note - the title of this blog may very likely change if I can come up with something better)

1. Wake The Sun - The Matches
What do you get if you cross pop punk, ska, and whole lotta bounce? Well, I'm guessing it'd be something like this. This song has a lot of memories for me - it was one of the songs which got me through NaNoWriMo '08. Well, what are you waiting for? Go have a wiggle to it!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=nbsaHCR1nXI

2. Boston - Augustana
A piano-led ballad with nearly a million YouTube views? A music video involving a huge-ass keyboard instrument on a beach and someone playing the guitar in the middle of the sea? Yeah, why not. Just hope that it wasn't too cold a day when they filmed it or they'll have been shivering more than I did when I heard this.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=xLluvXi5nOs

3. Any Way You Want It - Journey
YEAH! BRING BACK THE 80s! Even if you've never listened to Journey properly, you've probably heard this song - it's been on numerous TV shows, such as The Simpsons, and has a pretty sweet solo. Cheesy 80s pop? Yeah! So what?
http://youtube.com/watch?v=aqyIpwhXXrk

4. 96 Quite Bitter Beings - CkY
Picture this: you want some groove, you want some heavy, and you want some sludge. Well, there's none better than this dark, relatively straightforward slab of hardcore metal and roll. Oh, and the drums are really good fun to pretend to play, of course.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=WgQ7qOCDFYQ

5. Burn Burn - Lostprophets
So the Welsh wonders are back with their fourth album, The Betrayed. And while it is a mighty fine album, their old stuff is mighty fine as well. So of course, it only makes sense to feast your ears on this delightful shout-along from 2004 album Start Something, which will be 5 years old on Friday.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=5hJUGi-ODIU

6. Teenage Dirtbag - Wheatus
'Cause I'm just a teenage dirtbag, baby! Yeah, I'm just a teenage dirtbag, baby! Uh... la la la la... hey, anyone actually know any of the words other than that? Nothing beats some cheerfully angsty unrequited teenage love song with a happy ending.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=1jJVRcCdvyY

7. Invalid Litter Dept - At The Drive-In
It's not an easy listen, but it's well worth it. Few bands would have had the guts to write a song about the Juarez Murders (the murders and rapes of young women in Cd. Juarez), but At The Drive-In tackled it well and hard in their last single. And if the piano doesn't move you, you need an emotional transplant.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=8wR1MVdDmUA

8. Clean Up Your Eyes - The Dykeenies
Aaaaah, Scotland. Name a Scottish band and you'd probably say Biffy Clyro. Well, now we've got some newbies coming in to try and take their crown of jaunty indie rock. No, I'm not sure what "clean up your eyes" means either, but hey it's all in good fun!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=oV5-g61GYKY

9. Hail Destroyer - Cancer Bats
Canada may be the second largest country in the world, but it also only has a population of around 34 million - just over half of the UK population. Still, they seem to be pretty good at turning out bands, and Cancer Bats are a prime example: heavy and riffy and a great moshpit starter.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=d2j-xR_wSAQ

10. Winter Kiss - Young Guns
Yeah. If you know me then face it, you knew it was coming. Rock and roll from the Home Counties. Add some sweet ethereal opening and closing music, a few metal/hardcore influences, go and set the video in a spooky old house and give away the single for free... Yeah, you've got a pretty good thing right there.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=X5ciIFY5eQU