The Thaw Before The Spring

For the stripped-down, boom-rock indie drum/guitar lover in all of us, this song speaks to my heart of hearts. David Bazan, a known character maker in the world of song, shows us a character in this song whose main downfall seems to be in the world of gambling. Always speaking from a distance to his family, he tries to show his good intentions through the breadth of his mistakes - 'It's not like it wasn't all for you / but like everything I do / It's misunderstood.'

8.MIKE O'NEILL -STAY WITH ME

This tune is a perfect sweater throw-on for an afternoon of lazing about and drinking pumpkin beverages whilst smoking a corn cob pipe. Mike O'Neill, since his beginnings with the Inbreds, just has an uncanny ability to soothe your ears with his warm vocal tone. Since his first solo album 'What Happens Now', I have been hooked on this guy and I seriously recommend you pick it up if you've never heard of him. You won't be disappointed - This new album 'The Owl is only available for digital download from zunior.com - check it out.

7.MATT MAYS - SO DISTANT

This is a song that takes me away to islands of the mind while enjoying my current state all the while. It is like a blissful acid trip without wrecking your body and brain cells. This happens to be one of my favourite songs to listen to while on the way to work. Sometimes, the best music that we have pushed aside really needs to be tested while we are on foot.

6.NICK DRAKE - FROM THE MORNING

If you're in the mood for some insanely talented acoustic finger-picking, please look no further than Mr. Drake. Though he seemed to have quite an insanely quiet life and died far before his time, he is well sought after by celebrities (John Cusack is an outspoken fan, Brad Pitt recently hosted a biography of Drake) and acoustic guitar lovers of all kinds. This song is a beautifully crafted canvas that instantly comforts and draws out your imaginative juices.

5.LED ZEPPELIN - HEY, HEY, WHAT CAN I DO

Though I consider myself a massive Zeppelin fan, I feel like somewhat of a loser as I did not know, for the longest time, that this song is only on one specific boxed set that was released in the late eighties. With buttery instrumentation featuring banjo, mandolin, acoustic guitars and thumper drums, this tune leaves you humming with a spring in your step. Sheer mastery by the Masters - not much else to say.

4.FOO FIGHTERS - GOOD GRIEF

Of course, I couldn't leave out the lads from Seattle. This song goes back to the inception of Foo-ism from the debut album (which, incidentally, Dave Grohl played, recorded and produced all on his own, mainly as a demo to search for musicians but it ended up being so good that it was released on a major label) and shows you what Grohl does best - powerful, driving drums, dissident and distorted chords, accented by a dose of laidback verse vocals into an exploding, half-scream/half-sing chorus. The goods.

3.CHRIS CORNELL - SEASONS

Though there seems to be a recurring Seattle theme in these last two picks, I assure you, I was not a massive fan of the grunge scene. I did, however, love Soundgarden in their hey-day and saw them live in Hull, Quebec in the summer of 1994 where many king cans of beer were consumed all around me and my ears rang for 3 solid days after. Now THAT is the mark of a good show. This song shows Chris Cornell's vocal range that is almost unparalleled through anyone alive or dead and beautiful acoustic playing. It's the kind of song that forces you to stop and say 'wow' no matter where you are.

2.JOHNNY CASH - HURT

Though this song is a cover of a band I used to like and the original is much more rockin, come on now...it's Johnny Freakin' Cash. Although I am nowhere near the level of many of my friends who are Cash fans, I am starting to become somewhat of a believer and this is definitely not due to the recent hollywood-ization. I haven't even seen that movie and have no plans to do as such. I think this song is best accompanied by the video which paints a clear picture of a struggling man who is trying to make sense of a long, hard life. An amazingly written song and Cash brings a salt of the earth, soul-hungering feel to it that just gives you shivers when you hear it.

1.BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE - 7/4 SHORELINE

So what makes number one a number one? Well, for any fan of excellently recorded drums, this song delivers with a whap that has the drums sitting in the forefront of the mix, jumping, splashing and crashing out of the speakers, accentuating every tom, snare and cymbal hit with crisp precision. This song also makes number one for the sweetly resounding and incomparable Leslie Feist vocals and because seeing this band live was an experience for the ages. This song moved me most as all four or five guitarists playing during the concert switched MID-SONG to trumpets. Watching anywhere from 10-15 members crafting on stage at any given time was something new for me and I don't give a rat's ass what the critics say - I hope this band (or conglomerate of bands, I suppose) is around a long, long while. They are pioneers and any denial of that fact would be sheer idiocy.