Friday Bears: Bears and Bullets Top 25 Songs of Year (Pt. V)

We'll continue our top 25 countdown with songs #5 through #1.

#5: All of the Lights - Kanye West
The third and final selection from My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, "All of the Lights," explodes following a swollen string section interlude, morphing the album's impeccable middle section, with "Power" leading into "All of the Lights" and swirling off with "Monster." With that, "All of the Lights" is the album's polished core, swimming in blasting drum beats, guest voices, and a daunting platform -- Kanye being able to manipulate his most endearing forces into a breathing example of perfectionism

#4: Shutterbugg - Big Boi (ft. Cutty)
"Shutterbugg" is an exemplary sample of what a lot of time and patience can do for a song. As with most of Sir Luscious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty, Big Boi's first (technically) solo work outside of OutKast, "Shutterbugg" was hindered by years and years of delays; the albums first promo single was released in 2007, believe it or not. Regardless, not suffering any Chinese Democracy type anguish, the delay didn't pull anything back. "Shutterbugg" is a incredibly polished and formed piece that vigorously blends the best of funk and Big Boi's coined southern verse. The wait was probably worth it.

Big Boi (ft. Cutty) - Shutterbugg



#3: Fuck You - Cee Lo
Without much of a doubt, "Fuck You" was the feel good single of the year. If I was popular enough to manage a poll, it'd be pretty hard to say that it wouldn't be the fan favorite, what with the Glee covers and multiple video mashups to go along with it. Cee Lo combines all of the interlayering factors that add up to something almost everyone can keen into: nostalgia? Check. Abrasiveness? Check. Universal understanding? Check. Don't be swayed by "Forget You," the toned down radio-friendly version, or even worse, Paltrow style. "Fuck" matters.

Cee Lo - Fuck You



#2: Dancing On My Own - Robyn
I've been totally ignorant of Robyn for the past few years, passively ignoring or just not getting it. I suppose my blatant disregard for what she's been able to do since her late 90s one hit wonder in the States made "Dancing On My Own" that much more important to 2010. It's a deceivingly well-paced dance pop masterwork, combing her invigoratingly melodic prose with an intensely romantic sub-sound into an all-engrossing dance frenzy. But, even with the lightning flash of awe-inspiring sound, Robyn's sense of loveless distance makes it that much more enchanting, disheartening, and, all at once, effortlessly breathtaking.

Dancing On My Own - Robyn



#1: Giving Up the Gun - Vampire Weekend
For one, "Giving Up the Gun" is defiantly unsuspecting: it's a melodic push of Vampire Weekend's strongest aesthetic forces, gleefully bound together in a spur that is almost impossible to categorize. In a way, it's the hardest thing Vampire Weekend ever had to do in their short three year career -- tactfully enclosing on the Ezra's romanticism, and the rest of the bands clever, blindingly thoughtful combination of buzzing bass and drums, strings, chimes, and a splitting mystery key board. "Giving Up the Gun" may end up being this good because it's an unspoken mismatch of multiple components that don't seem to fit well together. But, then again, the best songs usually have that effect.

Vampire Weekend - Giving Up the Gun



I'd like to personally wish everyone a happy 2011. We'll be back soon, kids. Until then.

Thursday Bears: 2010-11 Grammy Nominees

Replace Clapton with Jeff Beck this year

Last night, the official list of the 2010-11 (I never get the time-frame right for this) Grammys was released. Now, I have no long-winded rant set in place, but lets see where this goes. You can download the entire pdf of nominees here.

Eminem topped all everyone this year with 10 nominations for Recovery, including Album of the Year, and Record and Song of the Year for "Love the Way You Lied (ft. Rihanna). Among the notables for Record and Song of the year, which are still two different categories for essentially the same thing, is Cee-Lo's (not Gwyneth Paltrow's) "Fuck You." We have a darkhorse.

Among the artists I perpetuate the idea of caring about, or legitimately do care about, Arcade Fire had a few significant nominations of their own for The Suburbs, including (gasp) Album of the Year. They stand a pretty long shot to actually win the award, but it's good to see that they at least got recognition for it. They were also nominated for two other awards, including Best Alternative Music Album, alongside Band of Horses, The Black Keys, Broken Bells, and Vampire Weekend. Surprisingly not nominated amongst them, Gorilliaz, for Plastic Beach. I'm not gonna get too worked up over the Grammys not nominating the right people every year though.

The Best New Artist Category, which sometimes sees a litany of indie acts (like MGMT last year), is a little flat this time around - something Bielebers will contest to. Aside from the Biebs, Drake, Florence & The Machine, Mumford & Sons, and ... Esperanza Spalding were nominated. Because I don't know who Spalding is, or care not to know who she is (i.e. Zach Brown band last year), she'll likely win. Oh, I checked her out, the first photos on Google came up with her next to a jazz bass. This is done.

I won't share the butt-fuckin'-ton of details, but I will declare this: In the Best Rock Performance By a Duo with Group or Vocals category, Jeff Beck's and Joss Stone's cover of "I Put a Spell on You" is nominated alongside songs from Arcade Fire, Muse, Kings of Leon, and The Black Keys. I'm guaranteeing a win for Beck and Stone. Guarantee.

It's just the way it is, and I've reluctantly accepted that the Grammys, despite being labeled as the most prestigious of music awards (if there is such a thing), will do less and less accurate justice as time goes by. I could be wrong, and see what I like (or hope) wins, but I know I won't be.

Wednesday Bears: Everybody loves "Fuck You"

After a few days of rampant moving, hot ass heat and car accidents, I'm finally settled in and can get back to work here.

So while I was gone, and even when I wasn't, Cee-Lo's "Fuck You" has exploded. It's the first time in memory that everyone's new favorite song had any curse word right in the title, and duly-noted, it's still damn good after the first few listens. So good, in fact, that the Dallas Observer has given their own mash-up tributes (along with about 100 other people). You can check them out below the new "official" video for "Fuck You." And no, not the lyric one.

Cee-Lo - Fuck You



Fuck You (Shawshank Redemption version)



Fuck You (Dirty Dancing version)

Friday Bears: New Cee-Lo Video - Fuck You

Simply put, the lyric video for Cee-Lo's new, solo single "Fuck You" is quickly becoming one of my favorite videos, and a great send-off to the summer of 2010. There's really nothing to it, in terms of wow-factor, but it's funny and a good song. Ain't that good enough?

Cee-Lo - Fuck You