November Top 5

This was my top 5 for November 2008

Click the play button next to any song to listen

1. Beatific - Glass Candy
   Lien Ta put a Glass Candy song in her October top 5 that inspired me to get their album "Beat Box" on which l found and fell in love with this tune.



2. Loving You Is Mellow - Major Harris
   Great track from Philly soul singer's 1975 solo album.



3. Soolaimon - Neil Diamond
   One of my favorite Neil Diamond songs.



4. Let It Be Me - Ray Lamontagne
   I still love Ray Lamontagne's voice. This song is beautiful.



5. 100 Days, 100 Nights - Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings
   My friend Andrea reminded me of this Sharon Jones song and I was listening to it off and on all month.

Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings 100 Days, 100 Nights video:

The video was directed by Adam Elias Buncher using two vintage TV cameras bought on E-Bay for $50 dollars each. Shows how much you can do with a little soul.

October Top 5

This was my top 5 for October 2008

Click the play button next to any song to listen

1. Closer - Kings Of Leon
   I listened to the new Kings Of Leon album - Only By The Night - so much this month it was difficult to pick just one song (i settled on two).



2. Manhattan - Kings Of Leon
   more Kings Of Leon goodness.



3. Slow, Smooth and Easy - Anita Tucker
   A great tune from an impressive Swingin' Girls - From the 40's & the 50's compilation put together over at the Rockin' Kitten blogspot.



4. Shtiggy Boom - Patti Anne
   This is from Aladdin Records' 1983 14 Magic Lamps LP reissue. Another wonderful re-up from the fine people at Be Bop Wino. The entire compilation is pretty stellar; Shtiggy Boom being one of my favorites. I mean, come on, how can you not want to listen to a song called "Shtiggy Boom"



5. You Are The Best Thing - Ray Lamontagne
   I love Ray Lamontagne's voice. So powerful, so much emotion; same thing I love about Soul music. I'm always concerned i won't like the next Lamontagne project as much as the one before. This one took a few listens, but i am all over it now. You Are The Best Thing is one of the more upbeat tunes on the record. It is also the first single.

September Top 5

This was my top 5 for September 2008
(most of my new music was old music this month)

Click the play button next to any song to listen

1. Bloodshot Eyes - Wynonie Harris
   My latest favorite blues shouter/rhythm and blues singer, Wynonie Harris was known for singing upbeat songs with humorous, often ribald lyrics. With fifteen Top 10 hits between 1946 and 1952, Harris is generally considered one of rock and roll’s forerunners, influencing Elvis Presley among others. I'm not sure how I'm just hearing Wynonie, but it's always exciting to know there are more classics out there to be discovered.



2. Butcher Boy - Mr Sad Head
   I found this song on a great compilation put together by Be Bop Wino (one of my favorite old school mp3 blogs). Check out the entire playlist at Doo Dob Sha Bam - A Rhythm & Blues Dance Party.



3. Tennessee Waltz - Sam Cooke
   As most of you know, Sam Cooke is one of my all time favorites. My friend Sal turned me onto this previously overlooked Cooke tune. His version of this classic is excellent.



4. That Did It (Single Version) - Bobby "Blue" Bland
   Another Bobby "Blue" Bland tune. Listen loud.



5. Supernatural Thing Pt. 1 - Ben E. King
   One of Ben E. King's post Drifters hits from 1975.

And I've watched this so much, i feel like it should be in my top 5:





See the full Matin & Harris post on jasonz.com

my top sites

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August Top 5

This was my top 5 for August 2008

1. I'm Wild About You - Al Green
   The latest Al Green album, produced by ?uestlove of the Roots, doesn't stray far from the classic sound Green and producer Willie Mitchell created at Hi Records in the 1970s, but that's a good thing. Lay It Down is a great old-school Al Green album with some impressive guest artists (Corinne Bailey Rae, Anthony Hamilton, John Legend and the Dap-Kings Horns). I'm Wild About You is one of my favorite tracks on the record.



2. I Can't Stop - Luther Ingram
   Luther is my latest favorite old soul singer. I believe this was originally ripped from vinyl so you can hear some of the imperfections which makes it feel that much better.
   "..i would'a never believed, darlin', that you could hurt my soul"



3. Thou Shalt Always Kill - Dan Le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip
   My friend Gemma turned me onto this track. I have since bought the entire album. Some really good stuff on it. If anyone wants to hear more, let me know.



4. Eugene - Andrew Bird's Bowl Of Fire
   I'm just recently going through several Andrew Bird albums. This is from one of his first records entitled Thrills.



5. Crown - Mason Jennings
   Matt Monaghan covered this tune when he was in town and it served as my introduction to Mason Jennings. I actually think i prefer Matt's version, but I'm very happy to have discovered Mason. I intended to put one of Matt's songs from his studio time in LA in my top 5 this month but since Dom uploaded the entire EP as his top 5 i figured it would be overkill.
   In a small world anecdote - I recently learned that my friend Brad Beale knows Mason from the camp both their kids attend every summer in Minnesota.

my top 5 video playlist

These are all the videos available on YouTube for songs in my top 5
(scroll the menu at bottom of screen to switch between videos)

July Top 5

This was my top 5 for July 2008

1. Make Me Believe In You - Patti Jo
   This is already in the running to be track one on this year's compilation. Patti Jo is one of the great unknown soul singers of her time. Evidenced by the fact that in 1972/1973 Curtis Mayfield chose her to lay down ‘Make Me Believe In You’ and the much underrated ‘Ain’t No Love Lost’. She was only sixteen at the time. This song will make you believe in me.



2. Why (Do I Love You So) - Lou Rawls
   Lou has a Sam Cooke quality to some of his phrasing in this tune that I really like.



3. Rain - Bishop Allen
   I first heard Bishop Allen on a SXSW mix I ran across a couple years ago on one of the MP3 blogs I frequent (see MP3 Blogs you should visit at bottom right). Just recently got their full album and really dig this track.



4. Everywhere You Turn - Longwave
   I've been listening to two Longwave albums off and on for a few years and become more enamored with each listen. This is one of my favorites on their 2003 The Strangest Things release.



5. You're Not Alone - The Enemy
   One of the U.K.'s most talked about new bands of 2007. I'm not sure if the hype brought them to the U.S. or not.

my top 5 member in new Laswell video

How the Day Sounds - Greg Laswell


Filmed at Galco's Soda Pop Stop / 5702 York Boulevard / Los Angeles, CA 90042 / www.sodapopstop.com / More Greg on jasonz.com

June Top 5

This was my top 5 for June 2008

1. Way Down In The Hole - Blind Boys of Alabama
   I watched the first season of The Wire this month, this is the title track and I'm nuts about this song. Written by Tom Waits, the show features this song in the opening credits, each season recorded by a different artist. This is my favorite of the versions i've heard.



2. I Got A Thing For You - Jim Bianco
   I saw Bianco live recently and really enjoyed his show. This was one of my favorite tunes in his set.



3. Summertime (Organica Remix) - Billie Holiday
   Always dangerous to remix the classics, but I think Organica did right by Lady Day.



4. All The World Is Green - Tom Waits
   I saw The Diving Bell and The Butterfly a couple weeks ago and appreciated this Waits gem from Blood Money all over again.



5. Fontanelle - Clem Snide
   I stumbled across this tune from Clem Snide's 2003 Soft Spot record again and remembered how much i liked how sad and melancholy Eef Barzelay makes a simple little happy song sound.

May Top 5

This was my top 5 for May 2008

1. The Enemy Guns - Devotchka


2. Fruit Machine - The Ting Tings


3. Touch Me I'm Going To Scream Part 2 - My Morning Jacket


4. The Fix - Elbow


5. Sweet Dream - Greg Laswell

April Top 5

This was my top 5 for April 2008

1. Merry Happy - Kate Nash


2. Honey Child - Bobby "Blue" Bland


3. I Lust U - Neon Neon


4. One Step Too Far - Dido, Faithless & Buena Vista Social Club


5. Lonely - Mishka

March Top 5

This was my top 5 for March 2008

1. Little Bit - Lykke Li
   Her debut "Youth Novels" made it difficult to choose just one tune for my top 5


2. The One I Love - Greg Laswell
   I'm not sure why i'm running either.


3. The Sun and Earth - Middle Distance Runner
   This song should have been on my year-end CD
   
4. Nudez (Ft. Too $hort & MC Zumbi of Zion-I) - AmpLive
   Zion I’s AmpLive has hip-hopped visions of Radiohead


5. I've Got To Use My Imagination - Bobby "Blue" Bland
   This song makes me feel angry and sexy all at once (listen loud)

These were my top Faves from everyone else in March

Armando

1. Club Thing - Yoav

Dom

2. Hearts A Mess - Gotye

Elwood

3. Evil - Howlin' Wolf

Hannah

4. The Zero Light - Bryan Scary and the Shredding Tears

Lien Ta

5. White Winter Hymnal - Fleet Foxes

Mattyshack

6. F and Run - Cassettes Won't Listen

Ray

7. Dandelion - Antje Duvekot

Ryan

8. Beat Control - Tilly and the Wall

Zach

9. SAM/SAM's Return - Heavy

February Top 5

This was my top 5 for February 2008

1. Mercy - Duffy
   click HERE for jasonz.com post


2. Tired - Adele
   Duffy and Adele are two of the "new Amys" coming out of the UK


3. Master At Work (Ft. Ohmega Watts) - Connie Price And The Keystones


4. Hard Luck Woman - The Booze


5. Bullet The Blue Sky - U2
   The Remastered/Expanded edition of U2's The Joshua Tree is an excellent update to one of U2's finest albums.

Listen to my top Faves from everyone else in February:

Armando

1. Wait A Minute - Estelle
   
2. Honey (Captain Planet Remix) - Erykah Badu
3. Move On (Ft. Flynn and Joey the Jerk) - Pigeon John
4. Say Hay There - Atmosphere
5. The Step and The Walk - Duke Spirit

Chad

1. Hey You, Little Boo-Ga-Loo - Chubby Checker
   "This is not The Twist, this is Northern Soul."
   
2. Baby, Baby (I Still Love You) - The Cinderellas
3. It's My Club - Helen Love
4. Little Things (Tear Us Apart) - Irene
5. What's A Girl To Do - Bat For Lashes

Dom

1. This Woman's Work - Kate Bush
   
2. Black & Blue - Chris Garneau
3. The Outdoor Type - Evan Dando
4. Teardrop (Radio 1 Live Lounge) - Elbow
5. Wherever You Are - David Mead

Elwood

Look Out Young Son - Grand Ole Party
Props to Lien Ta for introducing us to this band

Hannah

l Love My Shirt - Donovan

Lien Ta

Divine - Sebastien Tellier

Mattyshack

Tire Swing - Kimya Dawson

From The Juno Soundtrack
Ray

Some Kind Of Chill - Arizona

Ryan

Ready For The Floor - Hot Chip

Zach

You Played Me - Amp Fiddler

my top 5 - explanation

i set up a folder on my idisk inside of which each of us
have our own individual folder. on the last day of every month
upload your 5 favorite songs from the past month to your
individual idisk folder so on the first of every month each of us
can download one anothers top five. it can be five unique artists,
or 5 songs by the same artist, 5 old songs or 5 new songs or
any combination you'd like. for example, i have been really into
U2's The Joshua Tree this month due to the release of the remastered
anniversary disc that came out, so at the end of this month i may
have a few tunes from that album in my top five. next month
it may be five different artists. the point is for all of us
to be able to share what we've been into on a monthly basis.


jaz