Best Albums of 2011

1. Going Out In Style - Dropkick Murphys
2. 2120 South Michigan Avenue - George Thorogood
3. Hot Sauce Committee Part 2 - The Beastie Boys
4. FBI - Farren Butcher, Inc.
5. Revelator - Tedeschi Trucks Band
6. Boom! - Tom Hambridge
7. Join Us - They Might Be Giants
8. Father Sun, Mother Earth - Corey Harris

Best Blues Songs

1. God Don't Never Change - Blind Willie Johnson
2. Parchman Farm Blues - Bukka White
3. Preachin' The Blues - Son House
4. Sweet Home Chicago - Robert Johnson
5. Big Road Blues - Tommy Johnson
6. Hoochie Coochie Man - Muddy Waters

Best Graphic Novels

For the sake of this list, I'll define graphic novels to include collections of single issue comics that comprise a single story arc, as well as those that were conceived as a single novel.

1. Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons (in an imaginary past and future, this follows the exploits of a group of heroes, along the way examining the nature of the superhero paradigm.)
2. Batman: The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller (the primal Batman story, it explores Batman coming back to action as an older man after retiring. In many ways this was the inspiration for all the Batman films beginning with Tim Burton's 1989 version.)
3. To the Heart of the Storm by Will Eisner (Eisner was one of the earliest producers of graphic novels, and remains the master.)
4. Blankets by Craig Thompson A personal story, beautifully illustrated. Like Eisner, Thompson is a great writer who happens to be a brilliant artist as well.
   
5. Box Office Poison by Alex Robinson (a personal story, in all ways a novel that just happens to use illustrations. A great place to start for all those put off by men in tights books.)
6. Marvels by Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross (a story of the beginning of the Marvel heroes {Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, Human Torch, etc} universe, told from the point of view of "real people", including a reporter.)
7. Animal Man books 1-3 [ok, so I'm cheating, this is 3 books, but you need to read all 3, or don't read any] by Grant Morrison and Chas Truog and Doug Hazlewood (tells the story of a forgotten "b-list" superhero, from a unique perspective, eventually breaking the 4th wall and examining what it's like to be a character in a comic book.)
8. Our Cancer Year by Harvey Pekar (amazingly personal poignant story, this was the inspiration for the movie "American Splendor")
   
9. V for Vendetta by Alan Moore and David Lloyd (the book is even better than the movie, an intriguing story, with as much political subtext as you care to read into it)
   
10. Kingdom Come by Mark Waid and Alex Ross (a story of the traditional DC heroes many years from now, when they are called back into action to set the "new kids" straight. Fantastically painted by Alex Ross
    

Best Cover Songs

For this category I'll use my rough definition; a new version of a song made famous by someone else. Therefore I won't include Springsteen's "This Land is Your Land" or Clapton's "Crossroad Blues", because the songs are standards, and I won't include The Ramones' "Spiderman Theme", as it wasn't really identified with another artist. Sure, it's a bit arbitrary, but that's my rules, and I'm stickin' with 'em!
Some of these are great because they're better than the original, and some are just dang funny (and some are both.) Click on the song title to go to the amazon.com page, where you can listen to a sample.

1. "Enter Sandman" by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
   Faster and more intense than the original, and completely irreverent.
   
2. "Enter Sandman" by Pat Boone
   Funnier than funny, check it out.
   
3. "Renegades of Funk" by Rage Against the Machine
   explosive funky tribute. Rage at their best.
   
4. "Fortunate Son" by the Dropkick Murphys
   Irreverent and intense. It's at once funny, yet deadly serious. They make both ideas come through at once.
   
5. "Dirty Water" by the Dropkick Murphys
   The ultimate version
   
6. "How I could Just Kill A Man (Bonus track 2)" by Rage Against the Machine
   As intense as it gets.
   
7. "Crazy Train" by Pat Boone
   Swing away with Pat: the Master of Metal.
   
8. "Sweet Emotion" by the Mighty Mighty Bosstones
   Blisteringly Fast.
9. "I'm a Believer" by Smash Mouth (from the Shrek soundtrack)
   Sure, it was overplayed, but it's a great take on the original.
   

Ways that I Am a Geek

these are interests I have that all qualify me as a geek:

1. I love Star Wars
2. Build fonts for a living
3. Avid fan of pre-WW2 blues music
4. I love The Lord of the Rings (books and movies)
5. I read comic books/graphic novels.
6. I was an avid Dungeons and Dragons player in my youth.
7. I am an avid Volleyball player
8. I am a fan of Douglas Adam's "Hitchhikers" series.

Best Lines in a Song (Lyrics)

Here are some of my favorite lyrics:

• "When he's underwater does he get Wet? Or does the water get 'him' instead?" ("Particle Man", They Might be Giants) I love the general weirdness of it, and how there's almost some actual science involved.
• "First thing I remember I was lying in my bed, cou'dn't have been no more than 1 or 2." ("Late in the Evening", Paul Simon) Great ambiguity: are we talking about 1 or 2 am? or 1 or 2 years of age?
• "I want a song that's indelible
  Like manimal " ("Wind Up", The Foo Fighters)
  
  

Favorite Dropkick Murphys Songs

If you don't know the Murphs, check 'em out http://www.dropkickmurphys.com/

1. Tessie
2. Green Fields of France
3. The Auld Triangle
4. Fields of Athenry
5. The Warrior's Code
6. Worker's Song
7. Captain Kelly's Carriage
8. Fortunate Son (live)
9. Dirty Water
10. Last Letter Home

Best Beers

Ales, Lagers, Lambics, any variety counts.

1. Guinness Stout
2. Sam Smith's Winter Warmer
3. Sam Smith's Old Brewery Pale Ale
4. Sam Smith's Nut Brown Ale
5. Ommegang Rare Vos
6. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
7. Harpoon IPA
8. McEwan's Scotch Ale
9. Murphy's Stout
10. Samuel Adams Boston Ale

My Favorite Albums that You've Never Heard

...but you can find used copies on www.amazon.com

• Lucky - The Goops
• Deep End Live - Pete Townshend
• I Hear You Rockin' - Dave Edmunds
• Still Running - Tom Hambridge
• Aliens Ate My Buick - Thomas Dolby
• Calm Animals - The Fixx
• Rats - Sass Jordan
• Spin The Globe - Royal Crescent Mob

Most Influential works of music 20th century

Ok, so this category is even more obnoxious than the others, but here goes. These can be albums, songs, jingles, any format:

St. Louis Blues - W.C. Handy
Rites of Spring - Igor Stravinsky
Crossroad Blues - Robert Johnson
In The Mood - Glenn Miller
Rock Around the Clock - Bill Haley and the Comets
Kind of Blue - Miles Davis
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - The Beatles
Stairway to Heaven - Led Zeppelin
Rapper's Delight - Sugarhill Gang
It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back - Public Enemy

Funniest Movies

these just make me laugh the most, whether they are good films or not

1. [tie] This is Spinal Tap
   Monty Python and the Holy Grail
   
3. South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut
4. Dr. Strangelove
5. Monty Python's Life of Brian
6. Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back
7. Raising Arizona
8. The Jerk
9. Ghostbusters
10. Evil Dead 2
    

top 10 NFL players

1. Walter Payton
2. Joe Montana
3. Lawrence Taylor
4. Jim Brown
5. Jerry Rice
6. Johnny Unitas
7. Dick Butkis
8. Art Shell
9. Dick Nitetrain Lane
10. Deacon Jones

10 people who went around barefoot

1. Jesus
2. Ghandi
3. Fred Flintsone
4. Lil' Abner
5. Lady Godiva
6. The Invisible Man
7. Bruce Lee
8. Achilles
9. guy who wrote the song "barefootin"
10. Smokey (oh no, that's bearfoot)

Favorite Movies

These are films that I enjoy, but not great works of art.

• Nothing in Common
• Raiders of the Lost Ark
• About Last Night
• Monty Python and the Holy Grail
• Monty Python's Life of Brian
• Back to the Future
• Arthur
• Tootsie
• Ghostbusters
• Grease
• Defending Your Life
• Eddie and the Cruisers

Worst Films

1. The Gate
2. Undercover Brother
3. See Spot Run
4. Battle Beyond the Stars
5. Snow Dogs
6. Dungeons and Dragons
7. Godzilla (1999)
8. Off Limits
9. Jurassic Park 3
10. The English Patient

Best Movies

1. Do the Right Thing
2. Spinal Tap
3. On the Waterfront
4. Star Wars Episode V, The Empire Strikes Back
5. Raging Bull
6. Apocalypse Now
7. Fantasia
8. Dr. Strangelove
9. Ordinary People
10. Braveheart
11. Star Wars Episode IV, A New Hope
12. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring
    
13. The Lion King
14. Boyz 'n the Hood
15. Night of the Living Dead (original)
16. 2001: A Space Odyssey
17. Casablanca
18. Rocky
19. Pulp Fiction
20. Nosferatu (silent version)

Best Band Names

These are all real bands (or were at one time)

• rash of stabbings
• ann b. davis as alice
• the johnny bravos
• dead cat bounce
• cows in the graveyard
• the dead milkmen
• child support blues band
• guy smiley
• lets go bowling
• racer x
• toad the wet sprocket
• boy hits car

Best Albums

These can be from any genre.

1. Stain - Living Colour
2. Misplaced Childhood - Marillion
3. Moving Pictures - Rush
4. Kind of Blue - Miles Davis
5. Hemispheres - Rush
6. Graceland - Paul Simon
7. The Joshua Tree - U2
8. It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back - Public Enemy
9. Chicago Bound - Jimmy Rogers
10. Tunnel of Love - Bruce Springsteen
11. Ghetto Music: the blueprint of hip-hop - BDP
12. This is Big Audio Dynamite - B.A.D.
13. Fear of a Black Planet - Public Enemy
14. Operation: Mindcrime - Queensryche
15. Counterparts - Rush
16. Vivid - Living Colour
17. Pretty Hate Machine - Nine Inch Nails
18. I Want You to Know - Paul Rishell & Annie Raines
19. The Battle of Los Angeles - Rage Against the Machine
20. Fragile - Yes

Favorite Harmonica Players

OK, so this one's obscure. But it's my list page, and I play the harmonica!

1. Sonny Terry
2. Big Walter "Shakey" Horton
3. Marion "Little Walter" Jacobs
4. Toots Thielemans
5. James Cotton
6. Kim Wilson
7. Jim Fitting
8. Annie Raines
9. Jason Ricci
10. Jerry Portnoy
11. Rice Miller (Sonny Boy Williamson II)
12. Adam Gussow
13. Junior Wells
14. Phil wiggibs
15. Billy branch

Best Songs

These are the best songs, so the songwriting is important, not the recording.

1. God Don't Never Change - "Blind" Willie Johnson (recorded by "Blind" Willie Johnson)
   
2. Nothingness - Vernon Reid (recorded by Living Colour)
3. Sleep Now in the Fire - Tom Morello (recorded by Rage Against the Machine)
4. Welcome to the Terrordome - Chuck D (Carlton Ridenhour), Keith Shocklee, Eric "Vietnam" Sadler (recorded by Public Enemy)
5. Tom Sawyer - Alex Lifeson, Geddy Lee, Neil Peart, Pye Dubois (recorded by Rush)
6. Misplaced Childhood - Derek Dick, Stephen Rothery (recorded by Marillion)
7. This Land is Your Land - Woody Guthrie (recorded by Woody Guthrie)
   
8. Preachin' the Blues - Eddie "Son" House (recorded by Eddie "Son" House)
9. Beautiful - Laurie Sargent (recorded by Laurie Sargent)
   
10. Fool in Love - Charlie Farren (recorded by Farrenheit)
    
11. Get Up, Stand Up - Bob Marley (recorded by Bob Marley and the Wailers)
    
12. Born To Run - Bruce Springsteen (recorded by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street band)
    

Best Bands/Musical Acts

For this list, I'll include all genres, and bands as well as solo artists

1. Living Colour
2. Rush
3. Public Enemy
4. Paul Rishell and Annie Raines
5. Rage Against the Machine
6. Treat Her Right
7. Corey Harris
8. The Ramones
9. The Fixx
10. The Clash
11. Dropkick Murphys
12. Mighty Mighty Bosstones
13. Tom Hambridge