Howard Jones - "No One Is To Blame"

Today, I bring you what is probably the catchiest tune ever written about adultery. Seriously, it's an earworm. Also, check out that hair! Bonus trivia points to anyone who can identify the background vocalist singing harmony with him here. I'll give you a huge hint: he both produced and played the drums for this recording. Enjoy!

Wilco - "Walken"

I woke up today with this one on my mind, and I think that the blame rests with my friends who were discussing simple solos a few evenings back. For me, this one - a one note solo starting at the 3:10 mark - has always taken the cake. I think the main reason is because one-note solos are really only cool if they're the result of a conscious decision, rather than a limitation of the musician. Nels Cline is ridiculously talented (as are the other members of Wilco), so to hear him plunking away on a single note and still making it groove while the rest of the band moves around it is definitely cool. This track comes from Wilco's "Sky Blue Sky" album, which is in my Top 10 albums of all time (if not my Top 5). Enjoy!

Living Colour - "Cult of Personality"

And now, for something completely different. Two words here: Vernon Reid. Try beating that opening guitar riff...you can't. Try beating the drum intro with that trailing kick drum...you can't. I still remember seeing this video for the first time when I was about 10 years old, and it hit me like a wrecking ball. Watching Vernon Reid funneling such pure aggression and speed through his guitar and coming up with those sounds simply blew my mind. Funny thing is, it still does. While the clothes (particularly future VH1 host Corey Glover's spandex) might not stand up to the test of time, the song still does. Enjoy!

Ray LaMontagne - "Hannah"

Ray LaMontagne has a very unique voice, in the way that it seems to remind people of so many different artists. My take: he sounds a little like Dan Fogelberg crossed with Van Morrison, and that's plenty good enough for me. This track comes from his first album, "Trouble", which is solid throughout. Enjoy!

Peter Gabriel - "Digging In The Dirt"

I was somewhat surprised to discover that I hadn't already posted this song. The confusion stemmed from the fact that I had previously posted something by Elbow, whose lead singer sounds quite a bit like Peter Gabriel. I'm a big fan of Peter Gabriel's solo work, and this is one of my favorite tracks of his, an outpouring of the therapy he was going through around the time it was written. Enjoy!

The Cars - "Just What I Needed"

This is one of my favorite songs from The Cars...an oldie, but a goodie. Also, if you have a moment, check out this cover by The Punch Brothers. It's pretty cool because they basically nailed all the little details. Enjoy!

Mat Kearney - "Down"

I know this song has been all over Christian radio and it's probably not new to many of you, but I don't care...it's still a song worth hearing. This is the second one I've posted by Mat Kearney (the other one being "What's a Boy To Do"), but neither of them are from his second album, "City of Black and White", which I consider to be his strongest overall effort. I highly recommend checking it out sometime. Enjoy!