PEP- The Best Music of 2010

I have been keeping track of my favorite songs of each month so I thought it would be easy to compile my list of top songs of 2010. I was wrong; it was harder. I had so many to choose from that I ended up doing a list of songs to play at PEP and also made a CD for everyone. Shirley did my "Album Cover" - isn't it awesome?


PEP Playlist
Zorbing by Stornoway

Grenade by Bruno Mars (very poppy, but I love the lyrics...tell the devil I said hey when you get back to where you're from..." just great.)

White Blank Page by Mumford and Sons (I was really hard pressed to choose just one song of theirs. Turns out I absolutely love the entire CD)

Evening Kitchen by Band of Horses (Not a band I usually like, but this song is wonderful)

We Used to Wait by Arcade Fire (I like the song and am generally an Arcade Fire fan. But this video really cemented the song as a favorite. Use Chrome and check out the video.)

Models and Dancers by Harper Blynn (Just a catchy little tune and the lyrics make me smile)

Dream City by Free Energy (I originally found this band because of their song Bang Pop, but realized I liked this song more. It is a tad early Springsteeny, which I love.)

What You Know by Two Door Cinema Club (My favorite band of 2010)

Boy by Ra Ra Riot (Second favorite band of 2010)

Finale by Funeral Party

Amy's Audibles Best of 2010 CD

Breakeven by The Script- I am not usually a lyrics person but this along with Grenade, really grabbed me. This song makes me sing it out loud and get a little weepy along the way. A good, solid heartbreak song.

Girls With Accents by The Fences - Another great lyric song, and totally appeals to those days where I feel like everything I touch turns horribly wrong.

My Body by Young The Giant - An up and coming new band, Young the Giant is poppy with a British influence. This first song of theirs has a nice back beat and is all around a scream at the top of your lungs refrain.

Constellations by Darwin Deez- A great quirky American band that has found fame in England. Gotta love a song that starts off with Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

We Speak No Americano by Yolanda Be Cool & Dcup- I dare you to listen to this song and not tap your feet and feel like you should be overseas. This song was also featured in The American with George Clooney.

Wavin' Flag by K'naan, will.i.am & David Guetta - I listen to a lot of BBC Radio One and this song was very popular around World Cup time. It's a great anthem for a country based sport competition.

The Bike Song by Mark Ronson and The Business International - "My mother tells me I should stop go and get a real job That can’t be the way that I roll Everybody’s growing up, having kids and paying rent And I’m getting count of it all. I’m gonna ride my bike until I get home." The whole song is fantastic!

I Was Drunk by Riva Starr- Another song that needs to be in a soundtrack, pronto!

Upside by Kano featuring Michelle Breeze - I really like songs that juxtapose rap with slow, beautiful parts. I LOVE Michelle Breeze's voice...it is achingly sweet.

Only Man by Audio Bullys- I first heard Audio Bullys when they did a song that sampled a Nancy Sinatra song. I love that they are so fully British you cannot hide the accents. This song has a great beat and gets stuck in my head.

Bang Bang by K'naan & Adam Levine- Second appearance by the Somalian K'naan pairs him with Adam Levine (you might recognize his voice from Maroon 5).

Bang Bang Bang by Mark Ronson & The Business International - Mark Ronson is England's Timberland...but he also sings. The Business International is his band but he contracts in other singers. This one features an American pop duo MNDR.

I Can Talk by Two Door Cinema Club - Yep, favorite band of 2010.

Heartbeat Song by The Futureheads - For some reason this song reminds me of an early 80s pop song.

Miami by The Foals - This song reminds me of Robert Smith in the Cure. The Foals is another great British band that has had some hits show up in various TV shows including Entourage. they also received several nominations at the Brit Awards, the English Grammies.

You Will Leave A Mark by A Silent Film- 2010 was a strong year for music and A Silent Film in top 3 band for sure. This song is pretty and I'm a sucker for piano in any form....more so in a piano rock format. The band is from Oxford (understand the British flag on the cover now?) and has a pretty successful following there. I am glad to see them hit the US now.

Sleepyhead by Passion Pit - This is one song that straddles the line between annoying and fantastic. Listen and decide for yourself.

Solitude is Bliss by Tame Impala - They are from Australia and one of the guys is named Gumby. Plus the song is a trippy delight.

Ivy & Gold by Bombay Bicycle Club- In 2010 I learned that I like folk music. This is one of a set of songs that fit into that Folk classification.

Rollerblades by Eliza Doolittle - I know nothing about this woman, but her songs (this and another called Skinny Genes) makes me happy.

Rolling in the Deep by Adele - I fell in love with Adele's voice after I heard her cover "Make You Feel My Love". I had heard and liked her other big hit "Chasing Pavements" but I really like "Rolling in the Deep" best for it's overall sound. She is coming out with a new album in March. I am looking forward to it!

Hannah by Freelance Whales - Technically this song was released in 2009, but it was December 28 of 2009 and it was a self release. It was then released by a label two days before my birthday and since I love everything about this song, I included it. I heard somewhere that a lot of the lyrics come from dream journaling and that makes so much sense when you hear Hannah. It sounds like a dream feels. By far, my favorite song of 2010.

Movie Review: The Mechanic

Last night Joe and I went to see The Mechanic, a shoot 'em up action flick starring Jason Statham and Ben Foster. Jason Statham has been involved in several quality movies like Snatch and Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, but mostly what you need to know about him, in case you don't know, is that he is very attractive with an amazing body, is very handy with a gun and plays stoic better than anyone. I first became aware of Foster during his brilliant run in Six Feet Under as Claire's boyfriend Russell. He followed that up with Alpha Dog where he played a fantastically evil hot head. He is one of those actors that seems like he might actually be as ruthless as the characters he plays, yet is still completely likable.

The Mechanic is a story about an elite hit man, Statham, who takes an angry young man, Foster, under his wing, teaching him the ways of creatively killing so that it looks like an accident. Statham is as stoic and manly as ever and predictably, Foster plays angry with a side of rage better than anyone in recent years. It would seem that this would be just an average movie, but I actually really enjoyed it. Foster is so likeable, balancing crazy with funny and tender that I actually shed a tear in one of his scenes. Nobody plays Statham like Statham but he is starting to show a soft side in his characters that give them a little more roundness. The fight shots are amazingly graphic so be prepared for that. I don't know if my expectations were low or I just was in the mood for a good killing story, but I absolutely enjoyed this movie. Oscar nomination it will probably never see, but if you have two hours and want to fill it with an action movie with lots of blood and a bit of heart, The Mechanic is the choice for you.

The Kissing Season

I was a late adopter to Twitter(though not as late as some), but now I love it and am very thankful for the positive things it has brought into my life. In 2010 I gave up soda thanks to @nofizzclt. Recently I took on another very simple challenge from @kiss10clt.

While not going into many details, Joe and I are pretty affectionate as a couple. We hug and touch and still sleep in "spoon" position all night long. BUT, with the exception of a quick peck, we don't kiss that often. So I jumped at the challenge to commit to kiss each other for 10 seconds a day, every day for a year.

Not going to lie; the first couple of days we needed to remind each other. Now we are in the habit and more than that, I look forward to it. We've been together 18 years and like all long term couples have fallen in a routine of life. But now, every night we have a nice little 10 second reminder of those kids we used to be; the ones that skipped class and ignored life just so we could wrap up in each other's company for just an hour or two longer. And that makes me very happy.

So if you are in a relationship, think about committing to kiss every night for 10 seconds. I think you will really enjoy the positive effects it has.