SOUND BITES

I think maybe I frequent the wrong websites. While doing my usual day-off web surfing today, I came across an article wherein Supersoaker , the new Kings of Leon single, was discussed. In the course of reading the article and its comments section, I was reminded again just how disgusted many so-called "fans" of the band were when the Followills got haircuts and made a bid for mainstream success. It turns out that many of these fine folks actually dig the new single; they're calling it a slight return to the sound of Aha Shake heartbreak , a.k.a. The One Hipsters Cite As Kings Of Leon's Classic Because You Look Cooler To The Internet If You Like It More Than The Obviously Better Youth & Young Manhood . Of course, that's not what grinds my gears about the faint praise Supersoaker is getting; rather, it's the insinuation that maybe, just maybe, the new Kings Of Leon album will mark a comeback. You know, a triumphant return from those dreadful years ...

With Pearl Jam's new single raising some eyebrows for its fleeter speed and harder intensity than recent offerings, most folks are drawing comparisons to Spin The Black Circle . The incendiary lead single from 1994's Vitalogy is a somewhat apt comparison, but it's not like it's the only time they've recorded something fast and heavy. In the spirit of nostalgia (and perhaps a primer for folks who haven't tracked the band's career arc), here's ten of Pearl Jam's roughest, most raucous songs.

Anyone who knows me well knows that, in addition to being a total rock music junkie, I'm an unreasonably massive fan of Pearl Jam. It stems from my teens, when the songs on Vs. spoke to me in a way I had previously never thought possible; music was supposed to be just something I listened to for entertainment, not something that actually saw me through some uncertain times and taught me that there was a far greater purpose for songs than background noise. Fast forwarding to today, I still keep the band close to heart despite the fact that their recorded output over the past fifteen years or so doesn't quite have the same impact. Oh, make no mistake, I still believe them to be one of the greatest bands on the planet at any given moment (especially in the live setting), but at the same time I understand why they aren't widely regarded as an important force in rock anymore. After all, the band engineered it this way. They are what they are today because of decisions they...

A couple of weeks back, I mentioned ten awesome and/or important albums that have the distinct privilege of being released during the months of July and August, a virtual musical dead zone where labels keep the good stuff locked in their cupboards for the fall shopping season and have stopped adequately promoting the marquee releases that came out in spring. We covered a good chunk of the 90's during Part 1. Today, let's have a look at 1997-2012, and ten more albums that beat the odds and captured that elusive Summer Greatness.

Alright, I'mma shoot straight with you; this playlist took way too long to create and I'm not going to explain why anything is or isn't there. Suffice to say you'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll feel national pride (assuming you're Canadian like me). It's really simple; 146 songs for 146 years. Starting from 1980 so as to avoid Steppenwolf and BTO. Because no reason at all that's why. Enjoy!