My picks for the Top-5 songs played by WBER in 2012 , as whittled down from this pool of songs. If interested, you can view my selection process at this Google Doc. (131 songs down to 22, down to 11, down to 6, down to 5.)
Not a great year overall - far too many synthesizers and drum machines and whiny boys trying to sing like girls. There’s a place for all of that, but now that it’s become mainstream I no longer wish to hear any of it. It’s everywhere and it’s killing me. Thankfully there were some old faithfuls to fall back on.
- The Shins - Simple Song (listen on spotify)
#1 with a bullet. Never a doubt in my mind about this one. The album as a whole was slightly disappointing, but this song is perfect - particularly the melodies.
- Ben Folds Five - Do It Anyway (listen on spotify)
Strip away everything other than Ben’s piano performance and this would still be good enough for #2. Add everything else back in and there was no competition. The 10+ year hiatus didn’t diminish the incredible chemistry that these three guys share.
- Soulsavers - Take Me Back Home (listen on spotify)
Wow. Well, this one sorta snuck up on me. That’s about all I can say. Beautiful song.
- The Tragically Hip - At Transformation (listen on spotify)
I’d be remiss if I didn’t include at least one song in my top 5 that truly rocks… and it came from a somewhat unlikely source. Thanks, Canada!
- Feist - The Bad In Each Other (listen on spotify)
Her voice just hits me right where it counts, and the production on this song is mesmerizing.
My selections for the 2011 WBER Listener Countdown.
I still love WBER, but man their rotation was really rough this year.
- I’m a sucker for anything involving José González. Junip is great.
- This song has a really great groove.
- It’s a pretty standard Cake sing-along.
- I really think the band (and the whole genre) is way overrated, but the song itself is good.
- This makes me want to shake my booty, and I’m not a booty-shaking kind of guy.
Here’s hoping for more FMGreen on the airwaves next year, a second chance for David Bazan, a fair chance to Mastodon, and a new album from Queens of the Stone Age.
WBER is one of the greatest radio stations of all time.
In no particular order. Over 3 hours of music.
-
- Apotheosis – O Fortuna
- The Samples – Feel Us Shaking
- Splashdown – Ironspy
- White Town – Your Woman
- Babylon Zoo – Spaceman
- KMFDM – Juke-Joint Jezebel
- Radiohead – Creep
- Guster – Center Of Attention
- Orbital – The Box - Part 2
- Deftones – My Own Summer [Shove It]
- Björk – It’s Oh So Quiet
- Edelweiss – Starship (Raumschiff) Edelweiss
- MC 900 Ft. Jesus – Adventures In Failure
- Ben Kweller – Falling
- Nine Inch Nails – Head Like a Hole
- Sarah Slean – Weight (original indie version)
- Beth Orton – Central Reservation - The Then Again Version
- Dar Williams – As Cool as I Am
- Catherine Wheel – Delicious
- The Orb – Little Fluffy Clouds [7” Edit]
- R.E.M. – Everybody Hurts
- Devo – Girl U Want
- The Clash – Should I Stay Or Should I Go
- Big Audio Dynamite – Rush
- James – Laid
- Jeff Buckley – Last Goodbye
- The Avalanches – Frontier Psychiatrist
- The Sugarcubes – Birthday
- Poe – Angry Johnny
- Less Than Jake – Automatic
- Reel Big Fish – The Set Up (You Need This)
- Underworld – Born Slippy (Nuxx)
- Pixies – Here Comes Your Man
- Smashing Pumpkins – Bullet With Butterfly Wings
- Mint Royale – Don’t Falter
- Concrete Blonde – Joey
- Beastie Boys – Intergalactic
- Moxy Fruvous – King Of Spain
- Weezer – El Scorcho
- Barenaked Ladies – Brian Wilson
- They Might Be Giants – Birdhouse In Your Soul
- The Sundays – Summertime
- The Cardigans – Carnival
- Ben Folds – Underground
- Nirvana – In Bloom
- Tool – Sober
- Ani Difranco – Little Plastic Castle
- Soul Coughing – Super Bon Bon
- Faithless – Insomnia - Monster Mix
- Ben Lee – Cigarettes Will Kill You
fmgreen:
FMGreen takes to the airwaves tonight at 9:30PM.
You can listen live online at http://wber.org!
We’ll be on in about an hour. Tune-in if you can!
Stephen Lopez
