Since U Been Gone: Music for a Return Missionary

     This Tuesday, my brother Boston gets back from serving a two year mission in Houston, Texas.  During that time, he didn't watch movies, kiss girls, check Facebook, or listen to music.  Instead, he talked to people about Jesus and restored Christianity, selflessly served others, and changed people's lives.  Now that he's back, I feel that it's my duty to help him adjust to post-mission life, and to do that, I made a mix of some of the music he missed in those two years.  Most of the songs are good, some of them are not as good, but I'd like to think that they paint a pretty accurate snapshot of what music was like in the past two years.  Some songs are from Schwarz brother's staples like Kanye, Coldplay, and the Killers and then others are inescapable time stamps of pop culture ("I Gotta Feeling", "Single Ladies", "TiK Tok").  Check out the list after the jump.  Any songs from June 2008-June 2010 that deserved to make the cut but didn't?

17 Tracks Top 15 Albums of 2008

1. Intimacy - Bloc Party

Beating out the biggest band and biggest rapper of the year for the album of 2008 is Bloc Party with their ambitious Intimacy. It's an album about the heartbreak that comes from both love gone awry and death. Judging from the declaration of war that is opener "Ares" and the frantic drive of lead single "Mercury", it would seem that Kele Okereke doesn't handle loss so well. Juxtapose the record's more aggressive songs with the likes of "Biko" and "Signs", both highly moving tracks, and the entire gamut of human emotion is captured.

2. 808s & Heartbreak - Kanye West

808s is the year's most controversial record. Combine that with its extremely late release date, and 808s & Heartbreak probably isn't going to score very high on Acclaimed Music despite deserving it more than any of his releases since Late Registration. No rapping, no parental guidance warning, no unusual collaborations -- this is new ground for Kanye. "Welcome To The Heartbreak" gives you the chills while "Heartless" and "Robocop" bring the thrills. You've put out another classic Mr. West. Well done.

3. Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends - Coldplay

It's 2008's great American rock album made by a British band with a Spanish title and a French lady too busy saving the world to cover her breasts. I'm not one for songs without words, but "Life In Technicolor" is absolutely gorgeous. Then of course you have the album's first three singles which all made the list for top 25 songs of the year. Viva La Vida is the most epic record Coldplay has ever crafted.

4. Santogold - Santogold

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5. Oracular Spectacular - MGMT

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6. Sam Sparro - Sam Sparro

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7. The Fame - Lady Gaga

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8. Out Of Control - Girls Aloud

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9. Day & Age - The Killers

10. Fearless - Taylor Swift

11. Narrow Stairs - Death Cab For Cutie

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12. Only By The Night - Kings of Leon

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13. Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams - Solange

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14. Fasciinatiion - The Faint

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15. Perfect Symmetry - Keane

17 Tracks Presents the Top 25 Songs of 2008

Before 2008 you could get a house that far exceeded your paycheck. Before 2008 you could run for President (or Vice President) but had to be old, white, and male. Before 2008 you could tune into Total Request Live and catch 30 seconds of America's favorite music videos. What a difference a year makes. The demise of TRL wasn't significant in and of itself, but it symbolized a larger trend. America no longer gets its music force fed through the usual media funnels of television or radio. Even with the internet and such ubiquitous sites as YouTube or Last.FM, there is no singular institution telling you what to listen to. Combine that with the worst year the record industry has ever faced, and that seems like a disaster waiting to happen. It probably is, and the Obama administration might have to extend Bush's bailout plan to save record companies and keep our iPods full, but it has made for some great music. With the stakes being raised, artists are forced to put out innovative and compelling music if they have a prayer of keeping their job. And marketing this music to a generation that refuses to be a fan of a single genre, instead labeling themselves as liking "pretty much anything" (with the obligatory "except country, rap, techno, or screamo") on their Facebook profile opens a lot of doors. The boundaries blurred more in 2008 than ever before. Maybe Kanye was right. Even if you don't think he's the new Elvis, there is no doubt that "we are the new Beatles". Click on the song name to watch the YouTube video. Merry Christmas!

"Viva La Vida"
Coldplay
Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends
Following 2005's X&Y, Coldplay found itself quickly becoming the biggest band of the decade but, their record was nothing more than a rehash of their previous work. Knowing that they needed to knock the next one out of the park to justify and keep up with their growing popularity, they teamed up with Brian Eno and ended up crafting the anthem of 2008. It's all there, the strings, the gentle but insistent drum beat, and the religious references. All that's missing is the actual use of the words "viva la vida" anywhere in the song. Martin sweeps the streets he used to own as he nostalgically remembers the time when he used to rule the world. Of course, they do rule the world right now, but assuming they eventually becomes irrelevant and are consigned to playing at casinos and state fairs, 2008 will be the year they think back to as Martin sings, "I hear Jerusalem bells are ringing, Roman cavalry choirs are singing, be my mirror, my sword, my shield, my missionaries in a foreign field...that was when I ruled I world".

"L.E.S. Artiste"
Santogold
Santogold
Santi White has been many things in her lifetime. She's been a singer in a punk rock band, a music major, an A&R rep for Epic Records, and finally, she landed a recording contract herself. White's background provides the context for her genre-defying debut, mixing new wave, hip-hop, indie, pop, and what we can safely assume is that golden glitter she throws up on the album sleeve. Her second single is a triumphant expression of the vindication that comes from finally "making it" on your own while doubling as a middle finger to all the pretentious hipsters of the Lower East Side. As much as she dislikes the wannabes, her song gives them exactly what they want. Standing firmly at the crossroads of Popjustice and Pitchfork, "L.E.S. Artiste" is pure melodic bliss but it's just too cool to be a guilty pleasure. It's the masterpiece of the most forward thinking woman in pop today.

"Black and Gold"
Sam Sparro
Sam Sparro
At face value, "Black and Gold" is a certified dance floor filler. Irresistible synth lines pulse along as Sparro croons about not having a life worth living without that special someone. Of course, that's a topic routinely covered in dance music, but upon further listening, it's apparent that he's not talking about a woman, but God. "If vision is the only validation, then most of my life isn't real... 'cause if you're not really here then it's all just a bunch of matter". It's as intelligent as pop music ever gets and has a good shot at winning the Grammy for Best Dance Recording this February.

"Spiraling"
Keane
Perfect Symmetry
If the Killers are an American band trying to sound British, then Keane 2008 is a British band trying to sound like that one American band that's trying to sound British. Tom Chaplin does his best Brandon Flowers impersonation, even nailing the desperate and compelling voice that we've come to know and love. "When we fall in love we're just falling in love with ourselves" he muses as the killer hook swoops in to rescue you from loosing all hope of ever finding your one true love.

"Sex On Fire"
Kings of Leon
Only By The Night
The Kings of Leon's greatest weakness is sounding a little too much like Nickelback. Thankfully, you couldn't tell it by listening to "Sex On Fire". This arena-ready rock number fulfills their destiny of being the southern Strokes more than any other track to date.

"Electric Feel"
MGMT
Oracular Spectacular
Forget "Kids" and "Time To Pretend", MGMT's ode to being shocked by love is where it's at. With one foot firmly planted in 80's electro revival, and the other in the future, "Electric Feel" shocks in its own right. Even pop purists who eschew anything remotely indie will find themselves tapping their foot uncontrollably.

"Just Dance"
Lady Gaga
The Fame
Stefani Germanotta spent two and a half years trying to put together a debut that would allow her to wear her influences on her sleeve (Prince, Madonna, David Bowie) but be hip and underground. Ironically enough, once she stopped caring and just wrote a song about something as trite as dancing, she pulled it off.

"Sandcastle Disco"
Solange
Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dream
While her older, better known sister spent the year contemplating a sex change and breathing fire on any man who hasn't proposed on the second date, Solange made a convincing argument that she is the next Diana Ross. Oozing the classic Motown sound, Solange shows a softer, more vulnerable side to the Knowles family.

"Human"
The Killers
Day & Age
Brandon Flowers asks the year's most confusing but important question inspired by the late Hunter Thompson's remarks of the softness of America's youth. Are we human or are we dancer? The Killers have shown a wide variety of influences throughout their career, but teaming up with Madonna producer, Stuart Price, the Killers have finally embraced the inevitable neo-New Order comparisons.

"Love Lockdown"
Kanye West
808's & Heartbreak
Considering all the hype surrounding Mr. West's debut of "Love Lockdown" at the VMA's, it was understandable to feel a little let down. It's not like it's his most melodic track to date, and it features absolutely no rapping. Instead, Kanye plugged in the auto-tune and turned on the drum machine to prove that emo knows no boundaries. It sounds like it wouldn't work, but it does.

"Lost+"
Coldplay feat. Jay-Z
Prospekt's March EP
"Lost" is Viva La Vida's most instant track. Naturally, Jay-Z, who loves to get his fingers on a potential hit, provided a bridge for the song's release. Both Chris Martin and Jay provide poetic verses, and, without budging an inch artistically, create the best collaboration of the year.

"Womanizer"
Britney Spears
Circus
Blaring sirens announce the return of Britney Spears in her most repetitious song to date. Considering the number of times she snarls the title, it's surprising that the song actually gets better the more you hear it. It just goes to show you that with the right producers, anything is possible.

"Homecoming"
Kanye West feat. Chris Martin
Graduation
One of Graduation's final hoo-rah's, "Homecoming" was only a taste of what was to come by year's end. Martin's piano and unmistakable crooning add a unique flavor to the song, especially when he sings about fireworks over Lake Michigan.

"Please Don't Stop The Music"
Rihanna
Good Girl Gone Bad
One of the few singles Rihanna released this year that didn't go #1, "Don't Stop" towers over them all as a model pop song, perfectly structured in every way. The track would be able to stand on it's own without the Michael Jackson sample, but the "mammasaymammasay" raises it to a new level.

"Bleeding Love"
Leona Lewis
Spirit
Why isn't Leona Lewis dead yet? She's been bleeding for six months, hasn't she? But seriously, with the distorted organ, sick percussion, and killer hook, Mariah Carey has got to be green with envy. Simon's star making machine has finally struck international gold in a big way.

"Heartless"
Kanye West
808's & Heartbreak
How do you categorize "Heartless"? The production is hip-hop, but Kanye still isn't rapping, and the content is pure emo. At least the minimalist synth let you tap your feet as West laments the pain of falling for a heartless vixen.

"Mercury"
Bloc Party
Intimacy
If Britney Spears was a male rock star who wielded a guitar instead of a female popstar who wielded her sexuality, this would be her "Toxic". The "4 Minutes"-esque horns blare amid remixed shouts of "my mercury's in retrograde"and it takes you so high that you can't come down.

"Falling Rockets"
Cicada
Cicada
Although Cicada is best known for their remixes of New Order and Depeche Mode, "Falling Rockets" is their latest in a string of critically acclaimed singles they've released themselves. Soft and understated, it slowly descends upon its listeners and lodges itself firmly in their brain.

"Break The Ice"
Britney Spears
Blackout
Released right after the peak of all her very public breakdown, "Break The Ice" never got the attention it deserved. Despite the anime music video, it's one of Blackout's strongest tracks thanks to the eerie electro church organ and it's relentless build.

"My Drive Thru"
Santogold, Pharell, & Julian Casablancas
Converse Single
To promote their shoes, Converse asked some of music's most innovative minds to put together a free downloadable single. The result? Three entirely different songs stitched together courtesty of N.E.R.D. Despite the varied backgrounds of the contributors, the track flows flawlessly.

"Live Your Life"
T.I. feat. Rihanna
Paper Trail
I can hardly stand the song now -- it's been ridiculously overplayed. I still can't shake the memory of hearing "Live Your Life" for the first time. T.I.'s decision to sample the Numa Numa song should have been a train wreck, instead it's a stroke of genius.

"Violet Hill"
Coldplay
Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends
The buzzing guitar during the bridge sends a shiver down your spine in Coldplay's lightest, yet most political song of the year. My only regret is that that Iraqi reporter decided to exersize his newly aquired freedom and throw a shoe at Bush after the video was made. The bipartisan approach to dancing politicians is surprising considering Martin's assertion that "the FOX became a god".
"My Delirium"
Ladyhawke
Ladyhawke
And you thought that Flight of the Conchords was the best thing to come out of New Zealand. The land of the long white cloud's Ladyhawke shows what Rachel Stevens should have done, a hard edged punk sound that's not afraid of a little synth.

"Let It Rock"
Kevin Rudolf feat. Lil. Wayne
In The City
If I had a million dollars for every time rock critics say someone sounds like U2, I would be a multi-millionaire. If I had a million dollars for every time they were right, I would get about half as much money. Interestingly enough, the year's most U2-esque track didn't come from one of the minions of bands following in Bono's footsteps, but a former hip-hop studio musician fusing what he does best with techno and arena rock.

"Pork And Beans"
Weezer
Weezer
In 3 minutes and 19 seconds, Weezer perfectly summed up what it means to grow up in the late 00's. The shameless online self promotion, the digital democratization of nearly every aspect of life, Timbaland's uncanny ability to make a hit -- this is what the iGeneration is all about. And then you have the music video. Pure genius.

Honorable Mentions:
"Swagga Like Us" - T.I. feat Jay-Z & Kanye West
"Time To Pretend" - MGMT
"Love Story" - Taylor Swift
"Blind" - Hercules & The Love Affair
"A Milli" - Lil Wayne

17 Tracks Summer '08 Mix

Mixes are like time capsules. You make them, listen to them a few times, and then let them collect dust in the center console of your car. With the rise of iTunes playlists, mixes are becoming less necessary, which is a shame. They become snapshots of our musical tastes that we can look back on with both nostalgia and disgust. This weekend I had a ten hour drive through the desert and decided that I should make a mix to sum up the past three months. It would serve as both a reminder of summer '08 and provide better sound quality than my radio station tuning iPod would. Some of these tracks are summer blockbusters and deserve a place on the mix whether you like 'em or not. Others barley made a blip on radio waves but are so good that it would be a crime not to be included. Without further adieu, I present to you, the 17 Tracks Summer '08 Mix (in no particular order).







01. "If I Never See Your Face Again"
Artists: Maroon 5 feat. Rihanna
Albums: It Won't Be Soon Before Long and Good Girl Gone Bad Reloaded
Chart Placing: US #51 UK #28
Why: Rihanna had two #1's this summer and this song wasn't one of them. In fact, it is one of the few things that she touched that didn't turn to gold. Regardless, it made Rihanna more legit and it made Maroon 5 more new wave.







02. "Pork And Beans"
Artist: Weezer
Album: Weezer (The Red Album)
Chart Placing: US #64 UK #33 US Rock Chart #1
Why: The video alone makes this song a worthy candidate. However,the celebration of YouTube celebrities and culture aside, the song's remarks about Timbaland and taking pictures while looking in the mirror are so mid-to-late 00's it isn't funny.







03. "Spiralling"
Artist: Keane
Album: Perfect Symmetry
Chart Placing: UK #28
Why: "Spiralling" is hands down, the best free download of the year. It doesn't hurt that it sounds like a Killers track from the future or maybe the 80's (the future sounds like the 80's, doesn't it?) with Tom Chaplin giving his best Brandon Flowers impression. The album is due out in October featuring production from none other than Stuart Price.







04. "My Drive Thru"
Artists: Santogold, Julian Casablanca, Pharrell
Album: NA
Chart Placing: NA
Why: Another amazing free download. Each artist wrote their own track and then N.E.R.D. stitched each part together to produce the ultimate mash-up. Despite its three separate and distinct parts, "My Drive Thru" flows together flawlessly.







05. "4 Minutes"
Artists: Madonna & Justin Timberlake
Album: Hard Candy
Chart Placing: US #3 UK #1 US Dance Chart #1
Why: Let's be honest, the best part of the song is the beginning where Timbaland is mumbling about four minutes. As the anticipation reaches its climax, the rest of the song is a relative disappointment. Still, it's Madonna's biggest hit in eight years and the first time since 1989 that fourteen year olds know the words to one of her songs.







06. "Black And Gold"
Artist: Sam Sparro
Album: Sam Sparro
Chart Placing: UK #2
Why: Cool synthesizers slink along as Sparro describes looking up in wonder at the night sky. Sparro claims the song is about the very existence of God, which, if it's true, is the catchiest religious dance song of the century.







07. "Paper Planes"
Artist: M.I.A.
Album: Kala
Chart Placing: Currently US #5
Why: It took being featured on a film trailer and Rihanna's section of the Glow In The Dark tour, but M.I.A. has finally got a major hit on her hands. Like "I Kissed A Girl", this track should have angered a lot of people but for some reason didn't. Sure she was censored on Letterman, but everyone knows that all she wants to do is bang bang bang bang and take your money. (She's got more records than the KGB.)







08. "I Kissed A Girl"
Artist: Katy Perry
Album: One Of The Boys
Chart Placing: US #1 UK #1
Why: It should piss of gay rights activists because of its appropriation of homosexuality only OK if its girls and they are just playing. It should piss of conservatives because, well, it's about girls kissing girls. Somehow, no one is upset and it's a transatlantic #1 hit.







09. "L.E.S. Artistes"
Artist: Santogold
Album: Santogold
Chart Placing: US #27
Why: The L.E.S. isn't French, it stands for Lower East Side, as in the avant garde part of New York City. It comes across as an updated version of "Complicated", bashing pretentious starving artists but it's much more believable coming from someone who isn't "complicated" themselves.







10. "Dance Wiv Me"
Artist: Dizzee Rascal feat. Calvin Harris
Album: NA
Chart Placing: UK #1
Why: Great Britain has a love for disposable dance songs and this is a perfect example. How often does a black rapper feature a white pop songwriter on a track? Not often. If you find one, hold onto it tight.







11. "The Geeks Were Right"
Artist: The Faint
Album: Fasciinatiion
Chart Placing: NA
Why: In a summer of washed up sea monster sightings, rumors of Bigfoot finally being caught on the front page of Drudge Report, and fears of China on the rise, this horror song at least gave us something to dance to as we worried.







12. "Everyone Nose:
Artists: N.E.R.D. feat. Kanye West
Album: Seeing Sounds
Chart Placing: UK #41
Why: You'll never look at all the girls standing in the line for the bathroom the same way again. Sure it's about groupies using cocaine, but the beat is so sick that it doesn't matter.







13. "Bleeding Love"
Artist: Leona Lewis
Album: Spirit
Chart Placing: US #1 UK #1
Why: "Bleeding Love" is one of the few gems from a slew of sappy reality television winner songs. Written by Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic and Jesse McCartney, the track was better than any song ever recorded by either of them. You can bet Mariah Carey's blood boiled with envy upon hearing the distorted organ and Lewis' opening coos for the first time.







14. "Viva La Vida"
Artist: Coldplay
Album: Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends
Chart Placing: US #1 UK #1
Why: Coldplay officially took their spot as biggest band of the decade this summer and "Viva La Vida" was the song that took them there.







15. "Mercury"
Artist: Bloc Party
Album: Intimacy
Chart Placing: UK #16
Why: If Britney Spears was a male rock star who wielded a guitar rather than a female pop star who wielded her sexuality, this would be her "Toxic". The "4 Minutes"-esque horns blare amid the remixed shouts of "my mercury's in retrograde" and it takes you too high that you can't come down.







16. "Closer"
Artist: Ne-Yo
Album: The Year Of The Gentleman
Chart Placing: Currently US #10 UK #1
Why: If Usher was concerned about reclaiming his crown as King of Pop from Timberlake, this is the song he would have made. Apparently he's more concerned about being the first Usher than the next Michael Jackson but we still have "Closer" so everyone is a winner.







17. "Yes We Can"
Artist: Will.I.Am feat. Barack Obama
Album: NA
Chart Placing: NA
Why: Even if you are voting for McCain, you have to admit that this song is inspiring. It doesn't touch on energy policies, the war in Iraq, or abortion, and after the Saddleback debate, I'm not sure that Obama talking about real issues would sound as eloquent anyways. That wasn't the point though; it was all about hope.