Standard caveat of "Your Mileage May Vary" applies, 'natch. Here goes:
- Saturday Morning – The Eels: Everytime I hear this song, it’s like I’m 8 again.
- Feelin’ Massachusetts – The Juliana Hatfield 3: Perfectly describes what it feels like to grow up in a town you can’t wait to escape.
- New York City – They Might Be Giants: TMBG drop the rampant cleverness for a minute and sing an excellent, truly sweet love song.*
- Just Like Heaven – The Cure: This song will always remind me of Erin, so it’s a good one.
- Alec Eiffel – The Get Up Kids: The rare case of a cover surpassing the original (which is a damn good song, too, and probably my very favorite Pixies song, so consider the original #5a).
- King of the Road – Piebald: Probably the only love song ever written about a bus. Wonderful stuff.
- Yellow Submarine – The Beatles: Probably my favorite Beatles song. Certainly the one most likely to make me smile.
- If I Can’t Change Your Mind (solo mix) – Sugar: A heartbreaking song to begin with, made even more powerful when it’s stripped down to just Bob Mould and an acoustic guitar.
- El Scorcho – Weezer: So angsty and full of longing. Plenty of occasions in my life that I could relate to this.
- Dear God - XTC: Just a very powerful (and more than a little controversial) song.
- Eleanore – The Turtles: Contains my most favorite line in all of pop music, “You’re my pride and joy, et cetera.” Lazy writing or pop genius? I vote for the latter.
- Out There – Blake Babies: What is it about Juliana Hatfield and songs of suburban ennui.
- All For Swinging You Around – The New Pornographers: Pure power-pop confection.
- Pleasant Valley Sunday – The Monkees: Yes, I was a bored, suburban kid. Why do you ask?
- God Only Knows - The Beach Boys: No real reason. I just think this one is nice.
- Rubberband Man – The Spinners: I must groove to this song when it comes on the radio, no matter where I am. I have no rhythm to speak of, so it’s quite a sight to behold.
- Fortunate Son – Creedence Clearwater Revival: Because A.) You need a CCR song somewhere, and B.) this song is just as relevant today as it was when it was writte, unfortunately.
- Theme from Shaft – Isaac Hayes: Deep down, every white kid wants to be Shaft.
- Falling for the First Time – Barenaked Ladies: The only song I know to celebrate how it sometimes feels really good to fail miserably.
- UHF – Weird Al Yankovic: Al proves he knows how to rock on his own terms.
- Polyester Bride – Liz Phair: Not her most powerful or important song by a longshot, but probably her catchiest, and I’m a sucker for good hook.
- Rockin’ the Suburbs – Ben Folds: Nice little musical complaint about all the “angry white boy” music that was popular at the time.
- Let's Go - The Apples in Stereo: Another piece of power pop confection at its finest.
- Cannonball - The Breeders: Pretty much the theme song for my senior year of high school.
- Little Plastic Castle - Ani Difranco: Ani rails against those critics (and fans) who try to pigeonhole her into one particular facet of her identity. I may not enjoy the musical direction she's headed in since this particular album (named for the song), but I respect her right to explore, and this song is a major reason why.
*Tim informed me that this is actually a cover of a song by a band called Cub, not a TMBG original. I haven't heard that version, but I will ignorantly declare this one to be superior, so make that two covers I like better than the originals.
