1. Ephinany (I'm Leaving) – Chrisette Michelle – Strong soul song, with a weird drum hook every four beats all the way thru.
2. Choose (feat Ne-Yo and Kelly Rowland) – David Guetta – This is not a remix but it feels like one, the synths and beats all the way through the beginning might be looped or might be sampled or might just be Guetta fucking around.
3. I Can't Lie – Maroon 5 – I keep on saying I have no guilty pleasures when it comes to music. But if I did it might be these guys.
4. C.R.E.A.M. – Wu Tang Clan – That is an awesome sample, for some reason it makes me feel nervous. And the rap? "dollar, dollar bill y'all…" he's a Method Man, you know.
5. Microphone Fiend (Live) – Rakim – Isn't he playing Summerstage next month? Easily the best thing about Ring The Bells last year.
6. Just Ain't Gonna Work Out – Mayer Hawthorne – Sounds like Philly in ballad mode.
7. Bola Thunderous Olympian Remix – Hanunan – Pretty much lives up to its billing: is that four beats battling I hear?
8. Out Of Control – Bridges To Babylon – Slithery blues via Reggae.
9. Work me, Lord – Janis Joplin – From her Woodstock set, Gospel blues. What a voice. Unreal. The best vocalist since Billie Holiday. An astounding performance, it's like she rips her heart out her chest.
10. Hamilton road – Ducktails – Indie pop, less experimental than you'd guess.
11. Gifted – N.A.S.A. – Feat Kanye, Santigold, and… Lykke Li. Pretty good as well, which is nothing if not a shocker. The chicks rock the chorus.
12. So Unsexy – Alanis Morisette – Off her best album, Under Rug Swept, makes a valid point about how indifference is a turn off.
13. Had To Cry Today – Blind Faith – When I say I don't like the blues, what I mean is I only like GREAT BLUES. Stevie Winwood sounds incredible here.
14. Real Love – Mary J. Blige – Wow, hard to remember Mary J. like this. Lovely straight up r&b.
15. Whirring – Arms – Are these guys lost to us? Kids On Fire is a great indie rock album which should have made them stars.
16. Practice Makes perfect – Cute Is What We Aim For – Ahh, yes, the death of emo!
17. Malajusted – Morrissey – Title track off a wonderful album by the ornery git.
18. Hallelujah – Ryan Adams – Nope, not the played out Leonard Cohen one. This is early sing-songwriter plus twang.
19. It's Alight – Pet Shop Boys – A minor "we are the world" type from a major band.
20. I Don't Wanna Hear It – Minor Threat – A perfect example of everything perfect about DC Hardcore. Hard as fuck (to quote Pitchfork) but the attack sounds thin and mercurial (to quote Dylan) AND the vocals are excellent.
21. West Coast Blues – Oscar Peterson II – The late pianist with a lusty swing to his jazz.
22. Everything I Do (Miss You) – Whiskeytown – Patrick Stickles please note: When Ryan Adams got pissed at John Fogerty, he stood on the stage of radio city Music Hall and called him an asshole. I know this. I was there.
23. Pharaoh's Dance – Miles Davis – Here, more than anywhere else, you can hear In A Silent Way's roots expanding.
24. Hairspray Queen – Nirvana – Kill the ozone on this jazzed up drone art-rock.
25. When I Come Around – Green Day – I was in the Village around the time this came out and there was a huge line outside a record store on Avenue of The America's snaking east on 8th Street to get Green day's signature. This is why.