What is it about nice people that attract total idiots?Nice people are martyrs. Idiots are evangelists.

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Monday, September 5, 2016

The M10 songs of Summer '16 pat two

Brought to you by Time Machine!


You laughed, you sang, you listened while I played my thang!  But behold the best is yet to come, for we are only halfway done! 5 songs you heard on yesterday, and five you shall listen to today- the very top of Summer sound, so let's get to the music now!


NUMBER FIVE

By the time I was nearing my teenage years, the sporadic output that reached the airwaves from the Beach Boys was like a distant dream.  Radio had long since turned its back on the woven melodies of the Best American Band Ever, and I always had one ear out for "the next Beach Boys" that never came.  Now just a few years since the Beach Boys own 50th anniversary lp ruled my summer, I tumbled onto a band that easily wins that "next Beach Boys" crown.  I listened up and down their music the other night and I have to agree with what one reviewer said- that despite how cliche being the "next Beach Boys" might seem, they do it SO well it's still refreshing and new!  That band is The Explorers Club, and here is the first of their M10 hits:





NUMBER FOUR


The very day I said to myself, "It's time to pick another song off of Good Times! to put in the M10", the Monkees released their second official video from the 50th anniversary lp.  And it quickly became my most played video of the summer.  And just when I thought it was going to slip off the M10 it resurged on me- and darn near made it to the top!







NUMBER THREE


Shady has suggested several times that this song has a Roy Orbison quality to it, and he's dead on there.  I get chills from thinking how great it would be to hear Roy's rich voice doing this tune- not that it was bad by Marlene Gold!  Here are the Pom Poms- again:





NUMBER TWO


When I heard the first notes of this song I said to myself, "I'm either going to turn this song down now- or I'll have it at number one."  It was so unique, so haunting- and at least this once, I made the right decision.






IT'S TIME FOR NUMBER ONE...



Honestly, when I first charted it, this song had caught my ear a bit and nothing more.  But something happened- it caught fire in me, and every time my brain paused for the next six weeks the opening chords of this song filled the gap.  The number one song of Summer '16 actually came to us from 2014- the oldest song of this countdown.  And that's the beauty of having a musical tardis.







And there you have it!  The top ten songs of my summer!  Any of you all have a favorite you heard this summer, let me know in the comments- you never know when it might make the M10....

10 comments:

  1. Hi, Chris!

    I'm still using the tinny laptop but I am here in time to experience the rest of your songs of summer countdown.

    My favorites in this set begin with #5 "California's Callin' Ya," the innocent, dreamy recording in the style of the Beach Boys (and starring Wally Cleaver, Jr.?). I also enjoyed the Orbisonesque "Betty" and Agnes Obel's "Familiar" which reminded me of something the band It's a Beautiful Day might have recorded. My Pick To Click matches yours - Seattle's finest - Tangerine (orange you glad?). Marika and Miro are easy on the eyes and ears and I'll give them exactly 20 years to cut that out!

    Thanks for letting us know which tunes made your summer of '16 special, good buddy Chris. Enjoy the rest of your Labor Day and the week ahead!

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    1. Wally Cleaver, lol! I KNEW he looked familiar! At least, that's what Agnes told me...

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  2. "You'll Always Be Lonely."
    How did you find the soundtrack for my high school years?

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  3. Chris:
    Not a single fault in the TOP FIVE...you did not disappoint, my friend.

    Choosing the TOP song must have been rough (between Aggie and Tangerine). For me, it could have gone EITHER way...love them both (yes, AND the songs, too...lol).

    Nice ride to the top.
    (great view, as well)

    Stay safe & stay cool up there, brother.

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    1. Actually did this by straight points- no decision making involved. That comes when I do the year end- not exactly by points countdown!

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  4. More great songs some I know some I don't

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  5. I know and like all these, EXCEPT #1 - it's not at all familiar. I'm so not hip and never was.

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    1. Believe me, it's not about being hip. Congrats, if you knew that many of these you are AMAZING!

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