Here’s a little bit of trivia for you readers out there: did you know that the first List Addicts was posted way back in 2008 as a New Year’s songs list? Bet you didn’t know that – and rightly so, since this is practically useless trivia. Putting the year into perspective though, I can’t believe that this site has been chugging away that long and is still alive today (considering that it’s basically held together by duct tape and craft glue). With probably one of the roughest years I’ve ever had, I consider it an internet miracle 🙂
Since I’m not really good at compiling the best of the year albums – which might probably be the reason why this site isn’t high on the popularity rankings, our List Addicts End of the Year edition gives you five of my of favorite artists that I’ve featured or mentioned on the site within the past year:
The feature for Scary Mansion came at the time I was struggling to keep up with artist interviews that I actually stopped it altogether. I would say, that one was especially significant as it might have been the last full artist interview that I’ll ever have on the site. Scary Mansion was also a band that anyone’s ever contacted me about to have their song featured on a primetime TV show. Blame it on an outdated PR contact at their site – the musical supervisor of Hellcats shot me an email asking how to reach the band. Long story short, their song made an appearance in one of the TV show’s episodes which had everybody asking – ‘Who sang that song?‘. My mission in life is now complete.
Here’s their cover of Girls Just Wanna Have Fun – the other Cyndi Lauper song that hasn’t been remade to death, and this link to the video of it being used in Hellcats.
2. Lucky Soul
Lucky Soul always been one of my favorite bands to listen to, which is why when they gave me a chance for an interview, I didn’t hesitate to grab it. I’ve had them in a few of my lists here on List Addicts, as well as in numerous road trip CDs. Coincidentally, a few months after the interview, they also got featured in another primetime show – ABC’s Pretty Little Liars. So basically, there might be a pattern here: stay away from my site if you don’t want to be featured in teenage drama shows.
One Kiss Don’t Make a Summer
3. The Rural Alberta Advantage
If there ever was a band the doesn’t get the coverage that they should, it’s The Rural Alberta Advantage. Their debut album ‘Hometowns‘ is sincere, raw and beautiful all rolled into one neat package. I really don’t mind them getting featured in prime time TV, just so that everybody else will know how absolutely cool they are. Just don’t make it in the way of Architecture in Helsinki – having ‘Maybe You Can Owe Me‘ in that Lindsay Lohan bomb ‘I Know Who Killed Me‘, was a complete and total waste of a good song. Since there’s not a lot of bands who can make you fall deeply in love with a song in just under three minutes, here one of the best songs in their album for your year end listening pleasure –
In the Summertime
The Shout Out Louds is the kind of band who’s got their own style down pat, which is why I know I will love the music that they’ll put out, even before they release it. This is also the reason why when they released ‘Fall Hard‘ this year, I was completely smitten. I can’t imagine anyone not liking it. Here’s the video, because it will make you love it even more –
Everyone knows who Antoine Dodson is, but not a lot of people know who contributed to the infamy of his ‘Bed Intruder‘ song. This year has been the year of The Gregory Brothers – in viral videos that is. From the hear it once and it’ll get stuck in your head Double Rainbow song, to Antoine Dodson’s internet classic – they’ve come a long way with Weezer even doing a collaboration with them to promote their latest album and a Comedy Central show in the works. Aside from their mad auto tuning skills, this band actually produces amazing songs that feature their chops in the soul music genre. Since they haven’t been doing much promoting for their non-auto tuned songs, I think I might take it upon myself to share to you, the other side of Auto Tune the News –
Butter on my Roll
Here’s to a great new year ahead. I planned on making a promise not to make any promises for next year (since I hardly ever follow through), but then I’d be contradicting myself. In any case, Happy 2011!
art: Threadless tee design by David Schwen
