The Peter Bjorn and John Award for Catchiest Indie-Pop Song of the Summer of 2013

Two years ago on a whim I declared that Young Blood by The Naked and Famous would have won the Peter Bjorn and John Award for the Catchiest Indie Pop Song of the Summer had it not been for Pumped Up Kicks. I actually liked that fake award idea so much last year, I actually made it a real thing (and awarded it to The Lumineers). Now it is time to hand out the second official award. But before that, let take a look at some of the other contenders from this year.

Legacy Artist: Diane Young – Vampire Weekend: With a lackluster first couple months of the year music wise, Vampire Weekend was poised to finally break into the mainstream with their most accessible song yet, a cross between Buddy Holly and their usual Ivy League humor. Alas that sadly did not happen but those of us in the now had a great summer song to add to the playlist.

Honorable Mention: Get Lucky – Daughter: Daughter has made some great indie music but really is too depressing to be considered “catchy” but of the millions of Get Lucky covers that blanketed the internets this summer, their version is far and away the best, most interesting, and proved there are many different ways to get lucky.


5. The Wire – Haim: A late addition which came in at, dare I say, the wire (very bad pun intended). A great teaser for the group’s full length debut album coming out this fall.

4. Change – Churchill: Well, this is weird. The group was on the precipice of stardom with an absurdly catchy first single that could have made the band this years The Lunineers or at the very least Of Monsters of Men. Then out of nowhere the group dropped out of their tours opening up for Sara Bareilles this summer and the upcoming Pink tour this fall and broke up. I do not think this is going to be a The Civil Wars situation where they still end up recording an album full of awesome tension.

3. Torpedo – Jillette Johnson: This song is pretty awesome as it is, but it also gets bonus points for the Etch-a-Sketch themed lyrics video. Even more bonus points for putting DVD’s of Freaks and Geeks and The Virgin Diaries in the background.


2. Pompeii – Batille: Quite simply the best use chanting in a song since Hooked On a Feeling. (Sorry Enigma.)

1. Royals – Lorde: I may be the worst prognosticator of music on the internet so I rarely tag anyone with the “Next Big Thing” tag because it seems to be the kiss of death for an artist (see Churchill who literally died before they could break big). But let me hop into Scooter Time Machine back to June when I kind of hyperbolically called this song, “not only is it the best song of the year so far, but it is the best anti-materialistic song since Ante Up, the best song by a teenager since Genie In a Bottle, and the greatest song ever to come out of New Zealand.” Fast forward three months and the song is even out performing the new Lady Gaga song. It has become so popular; it is a stretch to even to still be calling it indie-pop at this point. But since I jumped on the bandwagon back in March when it was a weird pop song from New Zealand, I will give it the title.

I Want My Music Television: 8/19/13

There have been a couple of videos that have caught my eye lately so I thought I’d give them some love since the death of Musical Television left a void for a forum on the art form. If you are interested in buying the video through iTunes, click the title link (where available). If you are interested in buying the song, look for a link in the analysis.


The Wire - Haim


This song was instantly likeable to me but I never really figured out that it was a breakup song until I saw the video. In hindsight, the Heartache Tonight opening riff should have been a hint as to what the song could have been about (considering that Robin Thicke just preemptively sued the Marvin Gaye estate to keep them for suing him for ripping off Got to Give It Up, I wonder of Haim will do the same to The Eagles). And as great as the song is, the video is equally as bad. Someone needs to tell whoever came up with this idea that crying dudes really are not that funny. And if you like the song, today is the last day when you can get The Wire free on iTunes.


Why You Only Call Me When You’re High? – Arctic Monkeys


When I saw the “Parental Advisory” at the beginning of the new Arctic Monkeys video I thought great, Blurred Lines really did kick of the nudity trend of 2013. Unfortunately the video turned out to be a PG-13, third person view, male version of the Smack My (Expletive Deleted) Up video.


Knock it Off – K-Ci and JoJo


Holy K-Ci adn JoJo sighting! I cannot even remember the last time I saw these guys, maybe a decade. Although after my initial excitement wore off, my second thought was I would much rather have a Jodeci reunion.


365 Days - ZZ Ward


I probably should like ZZ Ward more than I do, she has a soulful voice and she has worked with Pete Rock and Ali Shaheed Muhammad, but her debut album just lacks that something special. Granted I had a very similar response to Adele’s first album (sure 19 did have better songs) and she knocked it out of the park for the follow up so hopefully ZZ can find her groove by the time the second album comes around. With that said, this video freaks me out, but I cannot stop watching.

Scooter McGavin's 2013 Summer Jam Playlist

Last week Grantland posted their 2013 Summer Playlist and I really did not think much of as it ranged from pretentious crap to not even semi-ironic crap. My view of a summer jam playlist is something you throw on at your backyard barbecue with songs everyone will enjoy, sing, and groove along to. Realistically, I would just summer jams of the past like Summertime by DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, The Sundays, and Sam Cooke and basically the entire The Beach Boys library with a couple new songs sprinkled in. Here are a few new songs that made it in this year that would add an extra hour to your playlist which you can listen to on Spotify.

Get Lucky [Daft Punk Remix] – Daft Punk featuring Pharrell: The most egregious omission from the Grantland playlist, maybe because it is just too obvious. Not only is it wise to have this in your summer playlist, but go ahead and also add the radio edit and the ten minute remix too. And if you want to mess with your guests, play the Daughter version and wait and see how long it takes people to realize what they are listening too.

Blurred lines – Robin Thicke, Pharrell, and T.I.: It is the summer of Pharrell, just give in. Well, you can skip the 2 Chainz song but as the great philosopher Meat Loaf once said, two out of three ain’t bad.

Royals – Lorde: The only song that also appears on the Grantland, and since I have already sprayed the some hyperbolic superlatives, I may suggest you just go ahead and add her whole EP if you are going with an all 2013 playlist.

Falling – Haim: Ever wonder what Stevie Nicks would sound like if she instead of joined Fleetwood Mac, recruited two sisters and tried to be a nineties RnB girl group? Haim may just be that. It should not work, but it does. Hopefully the group has a full album out by the end of the year. No matter who is at your party, fans of RnB, Rock, Pop; they should all enjoy this song.

Little Numbers – Boy: You will be hard pressed to find a catchier song this summer. Even if they have not heard it before, they will be tapping along in no time.

The War Within – Churchill: I could have gone with this song or Change, but this is newer, more upbeat and a much more fun song.

Diane Young – Vampire Weekend: Any good summer song has a great hook and you cannot help yourself from singing along to the Baby chorus which takes you back to the summer jams of the fifties and sixties.

San Francisco – The Mowgli’s: Sure the songs veer too far in the direction of hippies; “I’m been in love with love” which I guess should be expected from a song called San Francisco but the choir sing-along is infectious.

I'm Alive (Life Sounds Like) - Michael Franti and Spearhead: I all for any song with a whistle solo as a summer song.

Pompeii – Bastille: This may be the weirdest chanting in a song that works since Hooked On a Feeling.

Bleeding Out – The Lone Bellow: For those not yet tired of the passion folk the Mumford & Sons ushered in, you definitely will want to check out this Brooklyn band.

Wagon Wheel – Darius Rucker: Darius Rucker and been making catchy songs that will never make it on pretentious music critics lists for two decades now but sing-along’s are key for summer playlist and everyone will be singing along whenever the chorus hits.

Follow Your Arrow – Kasey Musgraves: I have to roll my eyes when liberal communists try to talk themselves into that horrible Same Love song from Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. A good message does not make a good song. I would much rather listen to the anti-gay Check Yo Self (and before you call me anti-gay, I would totally push my way through a group of women to make out with Shamar Moore). For those that want a pro-gay anthem that is actually good, you should check this song. It also gets bonus points for bea pro-gay country song which should trick the conservative wackjobs at your party into liking it and also gives time to the much more important cultural issue: the ability to roll a joint if you want to

Cruise – Florida Georgia Line: Yes this song is horrible, especially the Nelly version, aand it will probably be very high on my Worst Songs of 2013 list, but the thing is, if you put this song on at your party, everyone will spend the first verse talking about how horrible the song is, but will be signing along, possibly loudly depending on how much alcohol you provided to them, by the time the chorus hits. And if you want a more palatable version of this song, you should check out the Dia Frampton, Kina Grannis more mellow, backporch version.

Come & Get It – Selena Gomez: Yeah, we have hit the guilty pleasure portion of the summer playlist, might as well just stop here.

The 40 Worst Songs of 2011

You want to know just how bad music was this year, what was claimed by the internet earlier this year as the single worst song ever in the history of the world barely even made my list of the worst songs of the past twelve months.

1. True Faith - George Michael



2. Sexy and I Know It - LMFAO

3. Do It Like a Dude - Jessie J

4. Swagger Jagger - Cher Lloyd

5. Jam (Turn It Up) - Kim Kardashian

6. E.T. - Katy Perry

7. I Wanna Go - Britney Spears

8. Wet the Bed - Chris Brown featuring Ludacris

9. T.H.E (The Hardest Ever) - will.i.am featuring Mick Jagger and Jennifer Lopez

10. Dirt Road Anthem (Remix) - Jason Aldean featuring Ludacris

11. Run the World (Girls) - Beyoncé

12. Leck mich im Arsch - Jack White and the Insane Clown Posse

13. Mr. Saxobeat - Alexandra Stan

14. Champagne Showers - LMFAO featuring Natalia Kills

15. The View - Lou Reed and Metallica

16. This Is What Rock n Roll Looks Like - Porcelain Black featuring Lil’ Wayne

17. Fly - Nicki Minaj featuring Rihanna

18. Rolling In the Deep - as sung by anyone not named Adele

19. Blow - Ke$ha

20. On The Floor - Jennifer Lopez featuring Lil’ Wayne

21. Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.) - Katy Perry

22. Hold It Against Me - Britney Spears

23. Bass Down Low - Dev featuring The Cataracs

24. Judas - Lady Gaga

25. We R Who We R - Ke$ha

26. Just Can't Get Enough - Black Eyed Peas

27. Till the World Ends - Britney Spears

28. Super Bass - Nicki Minaj

29. That Should Be Me (Remix) - Justin Bieber featuring Rascal Flatts

30. Don't Wanna Go Home - Jason Derulo

31. Give Me Everything - Pitbull featuring Ne-Yo, Afrojack and Nayer

32. Bow Chicka Wow Wow - Mike Posner featuring Lil’ Wayne

33. Wet - Nicole Scherzinger

34. Yoü and I - Lady Gaga

35. John - Lil’ Wayne fearuring Rick Ross

36. Perform This Way – “Weird Al” Yankovic

37. What the Hell - Avril Lavigne

38. Friday - Rebecca Black

39. Footloose - Blake Shelton

40. Motherlover - The Lonely Island Boys featuring Justin Timberlake

The 100 Worst Songs of the 00's

1. London Bridge - Fergie

2. Lollipop - Lil' Wayne and Static Major

3. If U Seek Amy - Britney Spears

4. Stars Are Blind - Paris Hilton

5. Jenny from the Block - Jennifer Lopez featuring Styles P and Jadakiss

6. The Anthem - Good Charlotte

7. Cameltoe - Fannypack

8. I'm in Luv with a Stripper - T-Pain featuring Mike Jones

9. When I Grow Up - Pussycat Dolls

10. Gimme More - Britney Spears

11. A Bay Bay - Hurricane Chris

12. My Humps - Black Eyed Peas

13. This Is Why I’m Hot - Mims

14. Axel F - Crazy Frog

15. Fergalicious - Fergie

16. Liquid Dreams - O-Town

17. Crank That (Soulja Boy) - Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em

18. Laffy Taffy - D4L

19. Chain Hang Low - Jibbs

20. My Neck, My Back (Lick It) - Khia

21. Put it On Me - Ja Rule featuring Lil' Mo and Vita

22. Lip Gloss - Lil’ Mama

23. Confessions of a Broken Heart (Daughter to Father) - Lindsay Lohan

24. Get Low - Lil' Jon and the Eastside Boyz and Ying Yang Twins

25. I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho) - Pitbull

26. Salt Shaker - Ying Yang Twins and Lil' John and the Eastside Boyz

27. Stanky Legg - GS Boyz

28. Blue (Da Be Dee) - Eiffel 65

29. Shots - LMFAO and Lil' John

30. Poker Face - Lady Gaga

31. You're a Jerk - New Boyz

32. Low - Flo Rida featuring T-Pain

33. She Hates Me - Puddle of Mudd

34. Boom Boom Pow - Black Eyed Peas

35. It’s Not Over - Daughtry

36. Just Dance - Lady Gaga and Colby O'Donis

37. Grills - Nelly featuring Paul Wall, Ali & Gipp

38. Right Round - Flo Rida featuring Ke$ha

39. Grace Kelly - Mika

40. Hollaback Girl - Gwen Stefani

41. It's Goin' Down - Yung Joc featuring Nitti

42. Pop - N*SYNC

43. Eat You Alive - Limp Bizkit

44. Home - Daughtry

45. Do I Make You Proud - Taylor Hicks

46. Word Up! - Korn

47. Clothes Off!!! - Gym Class Heroes featuring Patrick Stump

48. All the Above - Maino featuring T-Pain

49. I’m Not OK (I Promise) - My Chemical Romance

50. Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous - Good Charlotte

51. She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy - Kenny Chesney

52. LoveGame - Lady Gaga

53. Party Like a Rock Star - Shop Boyz

54. I Write Sins Not Tragedies - Panic! at the Disco

55. 3 - Britney Spears

56. Big Girls Don’t Cry (Personal) - Fergie

57. My Way - Limp Bizkit

58. Kiss Me Thru the Phone - Soulja Boy Tell 'em and Sammy

59. American Life - Madonna

60. Behind Blue Eyes - Limp Bizkit

61. Ur So Gay - Katy Perry

62. Break Stuff - Limp Bizkit

63. 24's - T.I.

64. The Kill - 30 Seconds to Mars

65. Hot N Cold - Katy Perry

66. My Prerogative - Britney Spears

67. Lean Back - Terror Squad

68. I Kissed a Girl - Katy Perry

69. I Don’t Want to Be in Love (Dance Floor Anthem) - Good Charlotte

70. Not too Young, Not too Old - Aaron Carter featuring Nick Carter

71. Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin’) - T-Pain featuring Yung Joc

72. Wait (The Whisper Song) - Ying Yang Twins

73. Don’t Trust Me - 3OH!3

74. Ms. New Booty - Bubba Sparxxx featuring Mr. ColliPark and the Ying Yang Twins

75. Hotel Room Service - Pitbull

76. With Arms Wide Open - Creed

77. Bartender - T-Pain featuring Akon

78. Handlebars - Flobots

79. Something in Your Mouth - Nickelback

80. Right Now (Na Na Na) - Akon

81. Goodies - Ciara featuring Petey Pablo

82. I’m Real - Jennifer Lopez featuring Ja Rule

83. One Minute Man - Missy Elliot featuring Ludacris and Trina

84. Bodies - Downing Pool

85. My Sacrifice - Creed

86. U & Ur Hand - P!nk

87. My Love - Justin Timberlake featuring T.I.

88. Prom Queen - Lil' Wayne and Shanell

89. Ready, Set, Don't Go - Billy Ray Cyrus featuring Miley Cyrus

90. Turn My Swag On - Soulja Boy Tell ‘em

91. Love Don't Cost a Thing - Jennifer Lopez

92. L.O.V.E. - Ashlee Simpson

93. 1, 2 Step - Ciara featuring Missy Elliot

94. Shoulder Lean - Young Dro featuring T.I.

95. Get the Party Started - P!nk

96. Pimp Juice - Nelly

97. Right Thurr - Chingy

98. Womanizer - Britney Spears

99. Show Stopper - Danity Kane featuring Yung Joc

100. Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy) - Big and Rich

Best of the Week vol. XXXIII

Quote of the Week: Given that Saint Valentine was a 3rd century Roman priest who was stoned and beheaded, wouldn't a more appropriate celebration of the evening be taking one's steady gal to witness a brutal murder? (Sheldon – The Big Bang Theory)

Song of the Week: Morning Mood (from Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, op. 46) – Edvard Grieg (as performed by Sheldon on recorder, The Big Bang Theory)

Big News of the Week: The Start of the Winter Olympics: And it didn’t really start a high note with the death of a Georgian luger and it didn’t help that NBC showed the video multiple time. You just have to wonder why they have metal beams that close to the track and if so, why no padding on them

The Opening Ceremonies also saw the premiere of We Are the World 25 which I thought was an idiot proof, but they somehow were able to ruin it. You know it is not a good sign when they start it off with some twelve year old no name followed by a Pussycat Doll. And Lil’ Wayne singing? Seriously? It also didn’t help that the chorus sounded off key. It may have just been better if they just re-released the original.

Gratuitous Token Hot Chick Picture of the Week:



Free Download of the Week: The High Road – Broken Bells (iTunes): I mentioned the video earlier this week and now you can download the early frontrunner of Best Song of 2010. But if you also want to get in the mood for Valentine’s Day tomorrow, I suggest Cupid by Boyz II Men over at Wallmart.com and 40 Dogs (Like Romeo and Juliet) by Bob Schneider over at Amazon MP3.

Deal of the Week: Mega Savings on Mega Hits (The A-Team, Inglourious Bastards, Back to the Future)

Video of the Week: Parenthood premieres Tuesday after the Olympics and may have the most likeable cast on television (hopefully the writing lives up to the acting). One of them is Monica Potter who describes her character below.

Inside Christina


Next Week Pick of the Week: Tool Academy, Sunday at 9:00 on VH1: Very few thing can draw me away from Olympic competition(although Curling doesn’t start up until Tuesday) and the new season of Tool Academy. Of course the show made news in-between seasons when a former contestant was one of the cast of Ben Hur to turn out to have slept with Tiger Wood. The new season boasts the first two female Tools and a same sex couple. Though looking over the cast pictures, it is not clear who that is considering metrosexuals are a Tool Academy staple.

We on Award Tour: 2010 Grammy Awards

Even though music dying, that isn’t going to stop them from be self congratulatory. And even though the awards themselves are worthless (Hilary Clinton has more than The Beach Boys; Neil Young won his first ever this year… for album packaging), there are still plenty of great performances, here are my thoughts on last night’s festivities.

- Remember when opening the Grammy’s was a big thing. Prince being join Beyoncé, Madonna being backed by the Gorillaz performing in 3-D for the first time, the reunited Police, U2 even got things started last year. This year we get the most overrated thing in music possibly ever. Well at least Lady Gaga only covered herslf in soot instead of fake menstrual blood for this performance. So there’s that.

- In lieu of an actual host yet again, we get Stephen Colbert for a pseudo-monologue trashing the music industry (and they still laugh) all but pointing out how Susan Boyle managed to sell more albums than anyone in the audience (sans Taylor Swift) in less than a month then they did all year). But his bit with his daughter was the highlight, if only the cameraman was a little quicker with the reaction shot.

- Just a reminder, Song of the Year is a songwriting award. Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) won a songwriting award. Whoa-oh-oh Oh-oh-oh Oh- oh-oh-oh.

- Who invited Jennifer Lopez? Was it just to memorialize the ten year anniversary since she wore “The Dress”? (If so, where was the twentieth anniversary memorial to Milli Vanilli winning Best New Artist?) It’s been eight years since she put out a song anyone cared about or a movie anyone wanted to see.

- And even odder, she introduces Green Day and the cast of American Idiot which didn’t really work. Had there been distractingly bad lip-syncing, it could have been something out of Glee.

- And cheesiest idea award goes to Lincoln who wants you to vote on which artist will perform in their next commercial.

- You know you are in for a great performance when before a note is played and you go “Oh snap.” That was my first thought when I saw Beyoncé standing in front of her futuristic SWAT team. Granted my second thought was “If they start doing the Single Ladies dance, I’m throwing my remote at the television.” Luckily the SDTV was saved as we get a interesting medley of If I Were a Boy and You Oughta Know. Although I could have done without the crotch grab.

- Interestingly Best Comedy Album gets a primetime spot. I cannot remember that happening before. And finally daughter Colbert finds her dad cool.

- Kings of Leon wins Best Record. Wow, for the first I think ever, I agree with the winner of this category.

- Most actors show up with the Grammy to shamelessly shill their latest movie or their CBS show, but Robert Downey Jr. is just there to call himself, “The Most Self Important Actor of His Generation.”

- Sure Blame It is one of the worst songs in recent memory, but it is hard not to like that performance. They just kept pulling out random people like Doug E. Fresh and Slash who for whatever reason starts shredding the solo from November Rain. Love it.

- Maybe not a good sign for the Dave Matthews Band for Album of the Year when they couldn’t even win the genre specific award. Which begs the question, how does Lady Gaga and Black Eyed Peas get nominated for the big award over Green Day and U2?

- Why tease that Taylor Swift is going perform with one her idols only to show video of her singing with Stevie Nicks. Huruph. The Rhiannon performance was decent enough, but hearing Nicks singing the kiddie lyrics of You Belong with Me was almost as disturbing as Def Leppard singing Swift's tenth grade poetry.

- Please stop with the 3-D television events until you perfect the art because the Michael Jackson performance was less 3-D and more just a redder version of the performance. At least it was just a couple minutes unlike the hour long Chuck episode that gave me a headache. And Earth Song may be one of Jackson’s most underrated songs along with Will You Be There. And are Jackson’s kids really that old? The boy looked like he is already in Middle School and the girl is starting to look like Amanda Bynes.

- No Kanye West to accept the Rap-Sung Collaboration. Maybe he was banned (nor was invited to perform on the Drake track). Sure he is a douche, but award shows are a little less interesting without Kanye’s ego.

- For those who want to download the Haitian relief song by Mary J. Blige and Andrea Bocelli, go to iTunes.com/target (why Target, I have no clue).

- Old dude alert! And we get our yearly lecture on why downloading is bad. Yawn.

- Adam Sandler introducing the Dave Matthews Band: it like that did that just for me. Beyoncé made a valiant effort, but Dave and the boys, had the best performance of the night.

- Quentin Tarantino may be able to make some entertaining movies but his painfully uncool and his introduction was really cringeworthy.

- Note to Grammy producers, stop inviting artists to perform songs with copious amount of profanity. No one is enjoying these performances where the censors fall asleep on their mute button for most of the song. And did Lil Wayne pull out his Lil Wayne because my screen went yellow for about thirty seconds during the performance.

- One has to wonder if Taylor Swift wins this award for Album of the Year if Kanye West doesn’t turn her into America’s Sweetheart. I thought it was going to come down to Beyoncé edging out Dave Matthews Band with Swift just as a darkhouse (and Lady Gaga and the Black Eyed Peas with zero chance).

- Here is my favorite performance of the night:

I Want My Music Television vol. LXX

There have been a couple of videos that have caught my eye lately so I thought I’d give them some love since the death of Musical Television left a void for a forum on the art form. If you are interested in buying the video through iTunes, click the title link (where available). If you are interested in buying the song, look for a link in the analysis.


Brick by Boring Brick – Paramore



I would say the new Paramore video is Alice in Wonderland on a psychedelic trip, but the original was already that to begin with. And though it may not fit with her persona, Hayley Williams actually looks thoroughly attractive with the blonde hair and summer dress here.


Cousins – Vampire Weekend



When you hear a band is going to name their album Contra, you assume it is some pretentious political statement about the Nicaraguan rebels. But no, Vampire Weekend named their new album after one of the great video games of all time which gave way to the greatest cheat code of all time that, even though I haven’t played the game in almost two decades, I still know by heart.


Give it Up to Me – Shakira featuring Lil Wayne



I’m really not a fan of Shakira’s turn into electronic and Lil’ Wayne is the most overrated rapper of all time, but she really hasn’t looked much better than the two videos from her new album.


Remember December – Demi Lovato



I am not sure what is more disturbing, that Demi Lovato raided Rob Halford’s closet for the performance portion of the video, that she is sporting the Amy Winehouse for the girls night out scenes, or that I even watched it. At any rate, I swear this song was on the Less Than Zero soundtrack even though it actually predates the person singing the song.