Electric Harmony

Song: "Electric Harmony"
Artist: The Damnwells
Album: Bastards of the Beat

This band is one of my favorite groups of all-time, but like with a lot of my personal music collection, most of the general public has probably never heard of them. The Damnwells are a straight up rock band from New York City, and their songs are positively phenomenal. Do yourself a favor and go check out their catalog on iTunes or wherever you peruse music.

Stay With Me Tonight

Song: "Stay With Me Tonight"
Artist: Jeffrey Osborne
Album: Ultimate Collection

My wife and I joke about this song....it's supposed to be this sexy kind of dance song, and while it is super catchy, the way Mr. Osborne emotes his vocals borders on Saturday Night Live skit. But I can't help it, this song has always been one of my guilty pleasures.

The Modern Log

Song: "The Modern Log"
Artist: The Sheila Divine
Album: New Parade

This is one of my favorite albums of all-time, yet chances are very good you've never heard of it. Go find The Sheila Divine's music if you can, especially this amazing album. It's unique yet accessible alt-rock, and the singer is just phenomenal.

FM

Song: "FM"
Artist: Steely Dan
Album: A Decade Of Steely Dan

I love this band and their music is timeless and jazzy and New York City all at once. Maybe we could even call it sophisticated pop. But whatever, Becker and Fagen have always delivered amazing songs.

Marillion

Song: "Easter"
Artist: Marillion
Album: Seasons End

Okay, it's not quite Spring yet, so not quite Easter yet, but I love this song by prog rock band Marillion so that I have no qualms about playing it all year long. The guitar work is just exceptional on this one and the last two minutes of the song have such an uplifting vibe.

#9 Dream

Song: "#9 Dream"
Artist: John Lennon
Album: Lennon Legend

I remember as a kid having a really hard time believing the Beatles had broken up, but I also was a fan of them individually and appreciated all the great music they kept creating. This John Lennon song was one of my faves from the '70's, and it still sounds great 35 or so years later.

Hearsay

Song: "Hearsay"
Artist: Jonatha Brooke
Album: Careful What You Wish For

Jonatha Brooke is an amazing songwriter and her albums range from acoustic to fully produced, but always with a core of great tunes. I think this album came out a few years back, but in the iTunes digital era, it gets a bit more difficult to keep track of what songs are from what albums and when they were released.

Rapture

Song: "Rapture"
Artist: Blondie
Album: The Best of Blondie

I may have written about this song before, but it's worth writing about again. This song came along before the birth of hip-hop, and Debbie Harry's rapping and sexy vocals in this are intoxicating. But the best part of the song is the raunchy, albeit short, guitar solo.

Early Vertical Horizon

Song: "Heart In Hand"
Artist: Vertical Horizon
Album: Running On Ice

If you're just a casual fan or observer of Vertical Horizon, you probably only know one or two songs from their breakthrough album, Everything You Want, which came out in the late '90's. But this band was together for years before that, and they started out as a pseudo-acoustic act. This material of theirs is way different, but it's really good in a '70's pop, Josh Rouse meets Dan Fogelberg sort of way.

New Radicals

Song: "Gotta Stay High"
Artist: The New Radicals
Album: Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too

This is what I would call a one-hit wonder album....not song, because every song on it is good. But the band split up and never released anything under the name New Radicals again. Gregg Alexander was the brains and creative lead on the project, and dude clearly has pop songwriting genius running through his veins. But other factors were at work and who knows what he's up to these days.

Cold Again

Song: "Cold Again"
Artist: Freedy Johnston
Album: This Perfect World

I chose this song because it is 5 degrees in Nashville right now as I sit here in my office. It just doesn't get this cold too often here in the South! Anyway, this song is gloomy and awesome at the same time.

Shaky City

Song: "Shaky City"
Artist: The Plimsouls
Album: Everywhere At Once

This is one of my favorite albums of all-time....raw, rocking, edgy rock that borders on punk rock......the band has only released a handful of albums, and singer Peter Case has done a bunch of solo work, but this is his and their best work.

Black Gold

Song: "Black Gold Blues"
Artist: Laura Veirs
Album: Year of Meteors

Laura Veirs has a quirky, alternative sound that resembles Suzanne Vega's early, dark material. It's syncopated, gloomy, but strangely melodic and enticing.

Redding

Song: "Gleam"
Artist: Redding
Album: Redding

I reviewed this album a few years ago and this song has stuck in my iTunes. It's great alt-pop and a reminder that I need to find out if these guys are still together and up to anything new.

It's Over Now

Song: "It's Over Now"
Artist: Paddy Casey
Album: Addicted To Company

My New York Giants lost yesterday in the divisonal playoffs, so their season is over. I needed to find a song to fit my mood, and this was it. The 2009 season can't start soon enough.

Rossington Collins Band

Song: "Getaway"
Artist: Rossington Collins Band
Album: 20th Century Masters: The Millenium Collection

Many of you may not be old enough to remember this, but I do. I was in junior high in the late '70's when Lynyrd Skynyrd had a plane crash that claimed the lives of lead singer Ronnie Van Zant and guitarist Steve Gaines. Though Skynyrd still exists today in a different re-incarnation, the other two surviving guitarists at the time, Allen Collins and Gary Rossington, formed their own band with female vocalist Dale Krantz, who is awesome.

No More Cloudy Days

Song: "No More Cloudy Days"
Artist: The Eagles
Album: Long Road Out Of Eden

You know, I don't think we heard much about this latest Eagles album, but there are some really stellar songs on it, such as this one. I guess it's harder for these guys to reach their audience than it was in the '70's.

Butch Is Back

Song: "The Weight of Her"
Artist: Butch Walker
Album: Sycamore Meadows

I've been a fan of Butch since the late '90's and the Marvelous 3 days. This guy can write a hit song in his sleep, but the last couple of albums have lacked the usual spark of Butch's music. Not that those albums sucked, but this new one has the spark again. This is one of 2008's best releases, but I only just picked it up recently and you should too.

Chicago

Song: "Just You N Me"
Artist: Chicago
Album: The Very Best of Chicago

This is one of those signature bands with horns and great melodies that began in the '60's and made their mark in the '70's. I know I write a lot about how I love music from that era, and I'll never get tired of saying it.

Shambala

Song: "Shambala"
Artist: Three Dog Night
Album: 20th Century Masters

I am a sucker for '70's pop music and this group had a knack for melody that few artists could match. This song in particular brings back a lot of nostalgia for me from my childhood.

Megan McCauley

Song: "Wonder"
Artist: Megan McCauley
Album: Better Than Blood

I may have already mentioned this awesome artist on the Wind Up label, but she is worth mentioning again. She's like Pink without the weirdness, like Alanis with better melodies, and better than just about any female artist you can think of today. Go check her out.