TOP 20 OF 2009 (HALFWAY POINT)

Sometime during June each year I like to take a look at my iPod to see which songs have had the most play throughout the year. Now I'm going to share it with all of you so that you can (not so) silently judge me, and maybe discover your new favorite song.

Before I get started I want to remind everyone that these may not be official singles, or they may have even come out in the end of 2008, but as far as I'm concerned if you don't like the list you can suck each and every one of the songs.

1. Gives You Hell by The All American Rejects:
Not only does it have one of the catchiest chorus's ever, Gives You Hell takes me back to when I was younger and believed that I could be a rock star and laugh at all of my friends working their "nine to five pace".



2. Untouched by The Veronicas:



3. Weightless by All Time Low:
The story of my life these last few years - the years that I lovingly call my quarterlife crisis. With verses such as "Turn a page, I'm a book half unread," and "I'm stuck in this f*cking rut, waiting on a second hand pick me up, and I'm over getting older," Weightless has quickly become the song at the top of my list to sing along to after a too long day at the office.



4. Made Up Stories by Go: Audio



5. Eh Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say) by Lady Gaga
Ever since the release of Just Dance last summer Lady Gaga has released single after single, each as amazing as the previous. Gaga is the new princess of pop, and there's nothing else I can say.



6. If You Seek Amy by Britney Spears
It's Britney, bitch.



7. About You Now by Miranda Cosgrove
The star of iCarly surpassed my expectations with single, a cover of a Sugababes 2008 hit. Miranda proves she can sing and act - without selling her soul to Disney.



8. I Gotta Feeling by The Black Eyed Peas
The Peas have returned to the top of their game with an album of party-ready songs, including the perfect gettin' ready to go out song - I Gotta Feeling.



9. Waking Up In Vegas by Katy Perry



10. Boombox (LA Riots Remix) by Kylie Minogue:



11. Ice by Lights
Basically it has the best video. Ever.



12. I Could Break Your Heart Any Day of the Week by Mandy Moore:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vr9aNwOHXAo

13. Issues by The Saturdays
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xT68EcMi6bM

14. Happy (American Dream) by Troy This:
You cannot not smile and feel a little better about life when you hear this song. And as an added bonus it features Robyn!
http://www.myspace.com/troythis

15. Don't Trust Me by 3OH!3:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlTE5j7aEf0

16. It's A New Day by Will.i.am:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zxr4j9ZgtXo

17. Lala Land by Demi Lovato:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hu3swO5PE3A

18. Poker Face by Lady Gaga:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpE0RDXUQMM

19. Welcome to the World by Kevin Rudolf:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49qWFJSd-nQ

20. Love Game by Lady Gaga
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fDwRRZ7eUo

SONGS TO KEEP AN EYE ON:
Boardwalk by Sugar Ray
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7Y1FZ208iY

Can't Have It All by Jay Brannan


Hey by Mitchel Musso

Constantines Featuring Feist "Islands in the Stream"

Sometimes a song's popularity or even its own production can mask the fact that it is, when you strip it down to its base elements, actually very well written. Take "Islands in the Stream," the 1983 smash hit performed by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton and penned by the Bee Gees. Today, it's chorus is still as dreamy as ever, but the production is awash in lite-rock blah and, because it was always programmed to be as big as it was, the duet partners belt it to the bleachers, quickly killing the intended sentiment of the lyrics. The song gained a new life, of sorts, when the hook was copped and revised by Mya and put to brilliant use in rapper Pras' 1998 single "Ghetto Supastar (That is What You Are)". Now, however, 25 years after the original, indie rock heroes Constantines have recruited Feist to redo the whole damn thing -- and redo it smashingly. They start from scratch, slow-cooking "Islands" with an intensely personal, hushed arrangement that has just the right amount of soothing, deep bass guitar. Meanwhile, with low-key vocal turns, lady Leslie and the band's lead singer, Steve Lambke, finally realize the beauty and warmth of the words that were always there but overshadowed by the outsized personalities of Rogers and Parton. In fact, listening to this new version, it's almost as if you can hear the sound of perfect love, imagining it being absolute contentment with your significant other that requires nothing more than being together in a hammock on a relaxed spring afternoon. We can rely on each other, uh huh.
A

(You can stream the track here.)

Nelly Featuring Fergie "Party People"

Get ready to party like it's 1999. Literally. In a big, noisy construct, all blasting horns and purposeful rhythm, Nelly makes a desperate attempt at a comeback with "Party People", something that coulda been huge in the era when we were still fearing the potential fallout of Y2K. In a post-Timbaland world, however, peppier, more impressive beats are easy to come by, no matter where you turn the FM dial. Shit, even Jesse McCartney hooked up with Tricky and was able to procure a fantastic bounce that propels his current, surprisingly listenable single, "Leavin'". But, Nelly and producer Polow da Don? They choose to go "big" (and boring) with a deafening wall of sound (with sirens, how ominous and revolutionary!) and some fairly cliche dissing as well as a few been-there-done-that calls-to-action for the former's titular friends. "Where [they] at?" Fergie repeats at least as many times as she ever spelled her own favorite word for a grand, impressive life ("G! L! A!..." etc.), her superfluous appearance nothing more than another panic-induced scheme to make Nelly seem "hip" and "now," because, y'know, nothing says "hip" and "now" like F-E-R-G-I-E. If you're 12. Or hooked on phonics. "PP" has been hovering around the iTunes top 20 since its release not too long ago, but I've a feeling it may stall there and soon fade into oblivion. Why? Because if we want big, boastful rap tracks that are actually fun, we'll go through our old 90s CDs, reminiscing about a time when such things were still considered hot. Additionally, if we want a Nelly song that will actually get a party started, we'll scan through Nellyville, thankyouverymuch. As it stands for the "Grillz"-wearing former Band-Aid enthusiast in 2008, things are definitely getting cold in herre.
D

Saving Jane "Supergirl"

Saving Jane is a band that I have heard about for many many years. You see, my cousin knows them and has done things for them in the past. Of course I really didn't care about them at all when he was talking about this band I never heard of and their shows. Fast forward to 2006 when all I heard on the radio was Girl Next Door - the song we could all relate to, whether we were the prom queen or in the marching band; we were all the girl (or boy) next door to someone.



Unfortunately for the global music community Saving Jane's follow up singles Happy, Come Down to Me, and One Girl Revolution failed to make the impact of Girl Next Door. Luckily for everyone with ears the wait for new music is over. A few months ago Saving Jane posted the demo of a new song, Supergirl, on their myspace. Now it is an officially released song, available to one and all on iTunes.

Musically Supergirl sounds more like One Girl Revolution than Girl Next Door; it almost sounds like a sequel to OGR (not a bad thing as far as I'm concerned - I'm a giant fan of the sequel). Lyrically it is an upbeat song that will be moved to the top of my playlist of songs to listen to when I need to be cheered up. With lyrics such as "I'm super girl, walking every wire, set the world on fire, no one's shinning brighter, I'm super girl" you just can't feel bad about yourself. Trust me, I know. After twenty listens on repeat I feel like I can do anything (except for finding Citizen Kane entertaining...I don't think that's possible no matter how many listens you give the song). And while I personally think that Marti has a voice that is perfect for the slower and more reflective songs such as my favorite Saving Jane song, Ordinary, she keeps the audiences' attention throughout the song. Marti has the ability to make her personality shine through in every song which makes it a little more special.

The return of Saving Jane has me on the edge of my seat. I can't wait for their next CD. Saving Jane never ceases to move and inspire me. I hope you give them the chance they deserve so that you can say the same thing. A-