Oasis - Must Watch Alert - Palladia

Bride is complaining because I am watching Oasis perform Supersonic on a show called MTV Live for literally the 10th time, airing on the great Palladia HD channel (711 on Verizon Fios). This channel always has great music, it should be in your rotation. The Oasis concert from last year airs tomorrow, October 13, 22, and 24 (schedule here). It is 60 minutes and it is worth your time, if only to hear Noel's solo at the end of Supersonic.

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Oasis Breaks Up

A day late with this. Liam and Noel Gallagher got in a fistfight backstage in Paris and cancelled the show 1 minute before their set - Noel has left the band. For all the details, go here. For some old DLP Oasis love, go here.

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Best of Oasis

Hard to narrow down to 5, but here goes:

1. Wonderwall - An instant classic - I pulled over and bought this the first time I heard it. An immaculate blend of songwriting and attitude.

2. Slide Away - "We're two of a kind, we'll find a way" My favorite Oasis guitar solo starts 2:04, but only the album version does it justice. Great ending.

3. Live Forever - This is the best version ever recorded. "Maybe I will never be all the things that I want to be".

4. Acquiesce - An aggressive song with great harmonies.

5. Talk Tonight and Sad Song - Couldn't decide between these acoustic gems for the last spot.

Random Bonus: The Killers "Smile Like You Mean It" sung by David Gray.

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Black Rebel Motorcycle Club in Concert- Charlotte, NC

[Guest Review - Dentist]
BRMC, Visulite Theater. Charlotte, NC April 22, 2008 - A

What do you get when you mix three guys clad in all black, enough guitar feedback and fuzz to split your ears wide open and a row of strobe lights to send even the most stoic into epileptic seizure all packed into a small 400 person venue? One of the most amazing shows I’ve ever witnessed and confirmation of what I already knew that Black Rebel Motorcycle Club is one of the premiere rock bands on the planet. The band epitomizes rock-n-roll “cool” with an understated swagger that compliments their image and underscores the brilliant music they write. Part Johnny Cash, part Oasis, part The Verve and a sprinkle of The Doors, BRMC are an amalgam of the cool unpretentious, almost reluctant rock stars that truly embody what rock-n-roll is and should be. And they don’t just look the part. Over the last eight years they have consistently put out quality, uncompromising music that has regularly been featured by Q Magazine, Rolling Stone, Spin and NME publications on numerous “Best Of” lists. More recently, they released “Baby 81”, their fourth offering, in 2007 and the EP “American X: Baby 81 Sessions” shortly thereafter, both of which were a return to a more electric bluesy/punk sound that bookends 2005’s acoustic “Howl” very nicely. Click below for the rest of the review.

The Visulite Theater was the venue for their latest stop on the current tour and it served the music well. The theater is small, intimate and adorned with heavy, lush velvety tapestry on the walls and a gently sloping tri-level layout that makes viewing the small stage from just about any position perfect and unobstructed. I arrived and took a position on the “floor” level about 8-10 feet from the stage to secure a good spot, plus I really was anxious to hear the opening band The Duke Spirit, a UK band fronted by the enigmatic Leila Moss, who has received positive reviews for their latest offering “Neptune” and a growing surge of a fan base. The band was pretty tight with a good, albeit short, set; favorites included “This Ship Was Made to Last” and “Sovereign”. But l was there to see Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and after a brief stage setup change, the guys came onto the stage amidst a flurry of the aforementioned strobe lights and launched into a blistering version of 666 Conducer that finished with a haze of guitar feedback. Robert Levon Been, Peter Hayes and Nick Jago are larger than life figures and seemed all the more so silhouetted against the pale yellow lights behind them as they held the last note.
Not wasting any time on idle banter, they launched into a selection of songs from “Baby 81” and 2003’s “Take Them On, On Your Own”. Songs like “Took Out a Loan”, “Weapon of Choice”, “In Like the Rose” and “Six Barrel Shotgun” were all delivered with a veracity that grabs hold of you and doesn’t let go (I don’t know how, but Peter Hayes creates this amazing, screeching wall of sound with his guitar that just sounds amazingly good). Welcomed inclusions included a new song called “The River Styx”, which has been featured frequently at other stops on the tour and my favorite song by any band right now and probably one of BRMC’s top 5 songs ever, “20 Hours”. It is a throwback to the early 90’s British music scene and is the perfect shoegaze song as good as or better than the Stone Roses or Oasis ever did it.

The band then played through several songs from “Howl”, which translate amazingly well live. The guitar, percussion and vocals were spot on on “Ain’t No Easy Way” and “Shuffle Your Feet”. One of my favorite parts of the show was an acoustic selection of songs done by Peter and an acoustic guitar (and a couple of times a harmonica). BRMC write all of their own songs, but Peter is often credited as being at least the guitar genius, if not the lyrical one as well, of the group. His voice is amazing, wiser beyond his years, dripping at times with an earnestness rarely heard in music today and the acoustic set brought into focus his amazing talents. Not to be outdone, Robert was flawless on guitar, at times wielding it like a shotgun taking aim at the audience and at one point making his way onto the floor to play amidst those lucky enough to cram in alongside him (oh, yeah---he can sing really well too).

Some of BRMC’s most well-known songs like “Love Burns” and “Whatever Happened to My Rock n Roll?” sounded really fresh and segued perfectly into a rapturous encore that included songs heavily leaned towards the bands self-titled debut “B.R.M.C.”. “Red Eyes and Tears” just absolutely shook the walls as well as my heaving chest cavity and when the last note was played I looked down at my watch to find that they had played almost a two and a half hour set.

After the show I hung around just a bit and was lucky enough to meet Peter after he emerged from backstage to talk with fans and sign autographs and he is without a doubt one of the most cordial, well-mannered guys I’ve ever met. I told him where I had seen BRMC several times before and he recounted names of venues and opening bands like he was reciting days of the week. I thanked him for a great show and came away even more impressed than I was before. These guys are the real deal and in my opinion are one of the most under-rated, yet unbelievably great bands out there today. It’s nice to see a rock-n-roll band with no pretentions, no over-produced songs and no disaffected singer with a high pitched, fairy-like warble of a voice. Unbelievable show. Go and buy their music and turn…it…up…loud!

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Song of the Day - I'm In Love With You, Jared Evan

Rap/Rock combo is reminiscent of Beastie Boys with a taste of Oasis(!?). Great chorus and delivery.

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My Last 5 I-Tunes Downloads

Flight of the Conchords - "If You're Into It"

I laugh out loud every time Jemaine says “stuff”. And it really takes a lot for me to laugh out loud. He doesn’t do it quite as well here. Jemaine’s baritone voice is perfect and Bret is the perfect balance.

Beck - "E-Pro"
I’m way late to the party on this one, but at least I showed up. Great percussion and a great chorus that’ll be in your head for days. Beck’s still going strong. Can’t wait to explore his new album.

Bob Dylan - "I'm Not There"
A predictable choice after my review of the film. The title could be applied to the themes of disassociation and change in the film, but the lyrics have something to do with a troubled relationship. No matter, Bob’s voice is earnest and honest and the chords are timeless.

Mott the Hoople
"All the Young Dudes"
It was written by David Bowie so the group wouldn’t break up. It can easily be said they wouldn’t be remembered without it. Love the Oasis live version of “Whatever” where they tack on the “All the Young Dudes” lyrics.

The Moody Blues
"Your Wildest Dreams"
Everyone goes nuts for "Nights in White Satin", but this is my favorite. Perhaps a little too melodic and light for this crowd, but everyone can relate to the lyrics which deal with regret and love lost.

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Last 5 iTunes Downloads

1. Konichiwa B*tches - Robyn. Great, weird pop song. Hat tip, Appraiser.

2. Believe - The Bravery. Great song, perfect chorus. (the current song for the HBO montage).

3. Never Wanted Nothing More - Kenny Chesney. The Wet Rat strikes again. This is a perfect country song and the WR's voice is the best of his generation of country singers.

4. Long Gone - Chris Cornell has a new album coming out, produced by....Timbaland? Anyway, it will either be great or terrible, hard to tell from this song.

5. The Shock of the Lightning - Oasis. Sounds pretty good after a couple of listens.

Bonus - Kids track - Toad looks funny in a bathing suit - From the Dallas Theater Center Production.

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5 More Songs From My Pantheon

I have previously posted 5 songs that are in my 'pantheon', which is the general designation my all-time favorite songs get. Here are 5 more.

Wonderwall - Oasis. Love the melodies and wall of sound in the chorus. This song is college to me.

Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana - Pietro Mascagni. This piece, which plays over the opening credits of Raging Bull (linked to above) and the closing credits of Godfather 3 (go to 2:45 and watch - great montage of the Godfather series, one of the best parts of a mediocre film), will be played at my funeral. It is at once tragic and blissful.

Click below for the next 3.

Karma Police - Radiohead. Phew, for a minute there, I lost myself. The last 2 minutes of this song are like church for me. Not to get too over-dramatic, but to me the song highlights the human condition and the chorus (stated above) is an ironic statement on the tenuous grip we have on our lives and how we don't really have control. Prefer album version, but this live version is worth linking to.

Landslide - Fleetwood Mac. Beautiful music and poignant lyrics - it gets me every time. Speaks to my melancholy tendencies. Also enjoy Smashing Pumpkins version.

Ruby Tuesday - Rolling Stones. I've recently begun to appreciate this song for how great it really is (and all of the Stones' catalogue for that matter. You win, Doc). The song is perfect in 2 of my favorite films, The Royal Tennenbaums (original version, starts at 3:44) and Children of Men, performed by someone with a cool accent.

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Ryan Adams and the Cardinals, Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa, January 16

Alt Country’s reigning king was in Bob Wills country Wednesday night, and Adams did the old Playboy proud. Cain’s Ballroom is a godsend to Oklahoma, guaranteeing that we continue to get great acts, and, seating just under 2,000, that we’re close enough to really see them. I was accompanied by brother-of-Priest for this show, and we were both excited. Due to work and bad traffic, we didn’t get to Cain’s until 7:30. To our surprise a solo singer with an acoustic guitar was already on stage (the show wasn’t set to start until 8:00, and with no opening act). The sound was similar to Adams’, and, figuring it was a local recruited to open at the last minute, we headed for the merch table. T-shirt in hand, we made our way to the floor when we were floored by just how much the guy sounded (and looked) like Ryan Adams. As we took seats, the guitar picker started a hilarious dialogue about being an out-of-work comedian trying to make it in the music business, then headed into the next tune. As everyone but me and my brother had realized, this was Ryan Adams doing a five-song acoustic set of previously unreleased material. And we were buying shirts….

The “real” show kicked off at 8:00 sharp with Beautiful Sorta off Cold Roses, Adams first album with the Cardinals. They followed with Peaceful Valley then Goodnight Rose off the next two Cardinals albums, respectively, before doubling back to the title track from Cold Roses. The band, which Adams considers himself a member of, not his backing band (their label sees Ryan as the draw and refuses to let them release without his name in the title), was sharp from the beginning. Adams handled lead and rhythm duties, as well as playing an upright piano and a Hammond. The other band members provided two more guitars, drums, and a slide guitar. It’s only fair for me to mention that I’m more of a Ryan Adams fan than I am a Cardinals one. Adams’ songs range from slow blues to mid-tempo slide-guitar dominated country to punk-tinged Rock. My favorite numbers are from the first and last category, while this concert was heavy on the middle.

The first set continued with Mockingbird off Gold (good) and a searing version of rockabilly standout Shakedown on 9th Street (off Heartbreaker, my personal favorite). Other standouts included The Rescue Blues, Wildflowers, and Stars Go Blue (no, kids, not written by Tim McGraw), which he described as being inspired by dating actresses in New York, something he didn’t suggest (allusion to Parker Posey? Winona Ryder?). The sixteen song set ended at a disappointing 9:20, but, after a five minute ovation for an encore, the band came out and smoked through ten more songs, finally pulling the plug at 10:40. This was my favorite portion of the show, which featured improvisation and extended jams on several songs. After starting back in with Easy Plateau, they headed into Jacksonville City Nights standout The End, which Adams dedicated to his “a**hole dad” (who Adams never knew). The opening line “I don’t know the sound of my father’s voice, I don’t even know his name…” was made that much more poignant with the revelation. Other standouts from the encore included Halloween Head (one of my brother’s favorites), and final duo Sweet Caroline (another favorite) and Oasis cover Wonderwall (for which Adams received a Grammy nomination in 2004).

Overall the show was like a Ryan Adams album, rambling and disjointed at times, but marked with moments of undeniable genius and haunting beauty. Adams can sing a heartbreak better than anyone in the business and can handle an axe with the great ones. His howl was undeniable on songs like Hard Way to Fall and Stars Go Blue, but it’s the urgent poignancy he brings to his lyrics that suddenly catch you like a razor that made this show a triumph. Overall, he churned through 31 songs and sang for over three hours. A great show. For a full playlist click here

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DVD and CD Releases - September 30 and October 7

[Sorry I missed last week - the releases for September 30th are below]
October 7th DVD Releases:

The Happening
Rest Stop: Don't Look Back
The Visitor
You Don't Mess with the Zohan

Click below for more DVD and CD releases.

DVD Special Editions/Other Releases:

TV Box Sets:

30 Rock: Season Two
The Beverly Hillbillies: Season Two
Martin: Season Five
Mission Impossible: Season Five
The Munsters: Complete Series
The Naked Brothers Band: Season Two
Robot Chicken: Season Three
The Sarah Jane Adventures: Season One
The Simpsons: Season Eleven
The Smurfs: Season One, V2
South Park: The Cult of Cartman
Speed Racer: Complete Series

Special Editions/Other Releases:

The 7th Voyage of Sinbad: 50th Anniversary Edition
A Charlie Brown Christmas
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving
The Devil's Chair: Unrated Edition
Halloween: 30th Anniversary Box Set
Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer
Jack Frost: Deluxe Edition
Joy Ride 2: Dead Ahead
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Psycho: Special Edition
Rear Window: Special Edition
Sleeping Beauty: Platinum Edition
Stuck
Touch of Evil: 50th Anniversary Edition
Vertigo: Special Edition
Watership Down: Deluxe Edition
The You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown

New CD Releases:

Annuals - Such Fun
Antony And The Johnsons - Another World
Aqualung - Words & Music
Deerhoof – Offend Maggie
Department Eagles – In Ear Park
Bob Dylan - Bootleg Series Volume 8
Elliott Yamin – My Kind of Holiday
The Clash – Shea Stadium
Crystal Antlers – EP
Japanese Motors - Japanese Motors
Johnny Cash – Christmas Special (DVD)
Jolie Holland - Living and the Dead
Jon McLaughlin - OK Now
Lambchop – Oh(Ohio)
Land of Talk – Some Are Lakes
The Little Ones – Morning Tide
Michelle Williams - Unexpected
Oasis - Dig Out Your Soul
Of Montreal - Skeletal Lamping (Dig)
Pretenders - Break Up the Concrete
Rachael Yamagata - Elephants…Teeth Sinking Into Heart (2 CD)
Rasmus - Black Roses
Rosebud – Life Like
Sarah Mclachlan – Closer: Best of
Streets - Everything Is Borrowed
Wu-Tang – Soundtracks from Shaolin

-------------------------------------

September 30 DVD Releases:

Bigger Stronger Faster
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Iron Man
Lou Reed's Berlin
Pulse 2: Afterlife

DVD Special Editions/Other Releases:

TV Box Sets:

Beauty and the Beast: Complete Series
My Name Is Earl: Season Three
Numb3rs: Season Four

Special Editions/Other Releases:

Buried Alive
Can't Hardly Wait: 10th Anniversary Edition
Lewis Black's Root of All Evil
Popeye & Friends: Volume Two
Popeye the Sailor: Volume Three
The Rebel
R.L. Stine's Mostly Ghostly

New CD Releases:

Anberlin - New Surrender
Ani Difranco - Red Letter Year
Ben Folds - Way to Normal
Dream Theatre - Chaos In Motion (CD/DVD)
Echo & The Bunnymen - Songs to Learn and Sing
Enigma - Seven Lives Many Faces (2 CDs)
Faith Hill - Joy To The World
Gemma Hayes - The Hollow of Morning
Grateful Dead - Live Egypt 1978 (CD/DVD)
Jack’s Mannequin - The Glass Passenger
James Morrison - Songs for You, Truths for Me
James Taylor - Covers
Jennifer Hudson - Spotlight
Jesus & The Mary Chain - Rarities (4 CD Boxed Set)
Joseph Arthur - Temporary People
Joshua Radin - Simple Times
Kellie Pickler - Kellie Pickler
Laura Fygi - Rendez-Vous
Mary Chapin Carpenter - Come Darkness Come Light: Twelve Songs Christmas
Matt Belsante - White Christmas
Melissa Etheridge - A New Thought For Christmas
Robin Thicke - Something Else
T.I. - Paper Trail
Taj Mahal - Maestro
Tom Morello - The Fabled City
Travis - Ode to J. Smith
U2 - Red Rocks (DVD)

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5 Songs I Can't Hear Enough (the first in a series)

Wonderwall - Oasis (1995) - The simple guitar, strings and drums combined with Liam Gallagher's sneering yet vulnerable (dumb phrase, but true) voice to create the perfect song.





Where You Get Love - Matthew Sweet (1996) - I don't like much of Sweet's catalogue, but this is a pop masterpiece. The synthesizer riff is as infectious as anything I've ever heard.



The Gift (acoustic) - Seether (2006) - The unplugged format can reveal either fraud or greatness. In the case of The Gift, Seether shows how strong their music and lyrics are, and Shaun Morgan stakes a claim as the best 20 something songwriter working today.


Tangerine - Led Zeppelin (1970) - Starts out soft and finishes with one of my favorite musical interludes ever. I could listen to the instrumental playing at the end of this song for weeks. The song has several transitions in its tight 3:10 running time, and I can't hear it enough.




Without Me - Eminem (2000) - Eminem's cadence and tone of voice in his songs is aggressive and uniquely rhythmic. This song is funny, aggressive and a perfect rap/pop song.

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Advertainment

1. Dr. Dre in a Dr. Pepper ad. Weirdest sell-out move ever.

2. Oasis in a Jaguar commercial. Pretty cool, actually.

3. Very effective ad for the Palm Pre - it was integrated into the Jimmy Fallon Show - he showed how to use it and talked about it. I would have never paid attention before, but did because I couldn't tell if it was a bit or what was going on. I've seen this on a couple of other shows. An interesting development, obviously a response to TIVO. Ad men are like cockroaches.

PS - Rewatching Miami Vice (A). Could watch this on a neverending loop.

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Song of the Day - Supersonic, Oasis

I found the version I've been listening to over and over, from last year. It is a compulsory listen. Transcendent solo starts at 3:40, my freak out point is 4:24. Great quality and cool camera work. All of the songs from that concert are worth your time.

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Top 100 Songs of the 90's

VH1 aired a special on the Top 100 Songs of the 90's tonight. Plenty to argue about, and lots to laugh at.

01. Nirvana "Smells Like Teen Spirit"
02. U2 "One"
03. Backstreet Boys "I Want It That Way"
04. Whitney Houston "I Will Always Love You"
05. Madonna "Vogue"
06. Sir Mix-A-Lot "Baby Got Back"
07. Britney Spears "...Baby One More Time"
08. TLC"Waterfalls"
09. R.E.M. "Losing My Religion"
10. Sinéad O'Connor "Nothing Compares 2 U"
Click below for 11-100
11. Pearl Jam "Jeremy"
12. Alanis Morissette "You Oughta Know"
13. Dr. Dre (featuring Snoop Doggy Dogg) "Nuthin' but a "G" Thang"
14. Mariah Carey "Vision of Love"
15. Red Hot Chili Peppers "Under the Bridge"
16. MC Hammer "U Can't Touch This"
17. Destiny's Child "Say My Name"
18. Metallica "Enter Sandman"
19. Beastie Boys "Sabotage"
20. Hanson "MMMBop"
21. Celine Dion "My Heart Will Go On"
22. Beck "Loser"
23. Salt-N-Pepa with En Vogue "Whatta Man"
24. House of Pain "Jump Around"
25. Soundgarden "Black Hole Sun"
26. Eminem "My Name Is"
27. Counting Crows "Mr. Jones"
28. Ricky Martin "Livin' la Vida Loca"
29. Vanilla Ice "Ice Ice Baby"
30. *NSYNC "Tearin' Up My Heart"
31. Radiohead "Creep"
32. BLACKstreet "No Diggity"
33. Spice Girls "Wannabe"
34. Third Eye Blind "Semi-Charmed Life"
35. Oasis "Wonderwall"
36. C+C Music Factory "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)"
37. Green Day "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)"
38. Christina Aguilera "Genie In A Bottle"
39. Goo Goo Dolls "Iris"
40. Color Me Badd "I Wanna Sex You Up"
41. Spin Doctors "Two Princes"
42. Collective Soul "Shine"
43. En Vogue "My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)"
44. The Fugees "Killing Me Softly With His Song"
45. Hootie & the Blowfish "Only Wanna Be With You"
46. Shania Twain "You're Still the One"
47. Marky Mark and The Funky Bunch "Good Vibrations"
48. Matchbox Twenty "3 AM"
49. Jewel "Who Will Save Your Soul"
50. Alice in Chains "Man in the Box"
51. Tupac (featuring Dr. Dre and Roger Troutman) "California Love"
52. Sugar Ray "Fly"
53. Naughty by Nature "O.P.P."
54. Joan Osborne "One of Us"
55. Fiona Apple "Criminal"
56. L.L. Cool J "Mama Said Knock You Out"
57. Jay-Z featuring Amil and Ja Rule "Can I Get A..."
58. Sophie B. Hawkins "Damn, I Wish I Was Your Lover"
59. Weezer "Buddy Holly"
60. Bell Biv DeVoe "Poison"
61. Sheryl Crow "All I Wanna Do"
62. Live "I Alone"
63. The Notorious B.I.G. featuring Mase & Puff Daddy "Mo Money Mo Problems"
64. The Presidents of the United States of America "Peaches"
65. Digital Underground "The Humpty Dance"
66. Edwin McCain "I'll Be"
67. Deee-Lite "Groove Is In The Heart"
68. Will Smith "Gettin' Jiggy Wit It"
69. Korn "Freak on a Leash"
70. Jamiroquai "Virtual Insanity"
71. Arrested Development "Tennessee"
72. Barenaked Ladies "One Week"
73. Marcy Playground "Sex and Candy"
74. Cher "Believe"
75. Kris Kross "Jump"
76. Blues Traveler "Run-Around"
77. Ice Cube "It Was a Good Day"
78. Lenny Kravitz "Are You Gonna Go My Way"
79. Meredith Brooks "Bitch"
80. Right Said Fred "I'm Too Sexy"
81. Paula Cole "I Don't Want to Wait"
82. Geto Boys "Mind Playing Tricks on Me"
83. The Breeders "Cannonball"
84. Snow "Informer"
85. Cypress Hill "Insane In The Brain"
86. The Cranberries "Linger"
87. Billy Ray Cyrus "Achy Breaky Heart"
88. Duncan Sheik "Barely Breathing"
89. Liz Phair "Never Said"
90. New Radicals "You Get What You Give"
91. Sarah McLachlan "Building a Mystery"
92. Public Enemy "911 Is A Joke"
93. Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories "Stay"
94. Fastball "The Way"
95. Montell Jordan "This is How We Do It"
96. Nelson "(Can't Live Without Your) Love and Affection"
97. Prince & The New Power Generation "Gett Off"
98. EMF"Unbelievable"
99. Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)"
100. Gerardo "Rico Suave"

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Song of the Day - Supersonic, Oasis

I posted about this particular version of this song nearly a year ago, but its back on Palladia (best channel on TV) so I owe it another post since I've watched/listened to it at least 150 times. I found the version that I've been watching here. From 4:18 to 4:38 is about as close to heaven as I'll ever get.

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