The JayTunes Jam

… until you make a list of songs about it.  As mentioned before, JayTunes has moved its worldwide headquarters and we’re loving the new digs.  Here are my 10 favorite “house” songs to celebrate:

• Brick House
• Burnin’ Down the House
• Come On In This House
• Daft Punk Is Playing At My House
• A House Is Not A Home
• The House Is Rockin’
• Our House
• Our House In The Middle Of The Street
• Pink Houses
• Step Inside This House

Do you know the artists?  I had “Our House In The Middle Of The Street” wrong.  To find out the real artists, to listen, or to download, see the complete list here.

For a related list, see my Top 10 Home Songs.

For those of you following the Jam via feed, I just added Hall & Oates as my artist of the month for July 2010.   Here are my favorite songs from the pop/soul duo: 

• I Can’t Go for That
• Kiss On My List
• Maneater
• One on One
• Private Eyes
• Rich Girl
• Sara Smile
• So Close
• When the Morning Comes
• You Make My Dreams 

Did I get any wrong?  Leave a comment to let me know.  Also, please check out my other song selections for July 2010 from Herbie Hancock/John Legend/Pink, George Michael, Tracy Chapman, The Real Group, and OMD.

Having finally completed the relocation of the JayTunes global headquarters, it’s time to get back to the music.  No new discoveries today, but I thought I’d remind you of one of my first lists (from 2 years ago), my Top 10 Summer Songs.  If I were to do it over again, I’d probably include Henley’s “The Boys of Summer” or Adams’ “Summer of ‘69″, but I’m pretty happy with the other songs.  Enjoy the sun and the selections!

For those of you following the Jam via feed, I just added Brandi Carlile as my artist of the month for June 2010.   Here are my favorite songs from the contemporary folkie:

• Before it Breaks
• Closer to You
• Dying Day
• Eye of the Needle
• Have You Ever
• Josephine
• The Story
• That Year
• Turpentine
• What Can I Say

Did I get any wrong?  Leave a comment to let me know.  Also, please check out my other song selections for June 2010 from One Republic, Peter Gabriel, Brett Dennen, Boyz II Men, and Lyle Lovett.

Well, it looks as if the JayTunes world headquarters will be relocating in June and the entire staff really seems to be looking forward to it.  Of course, the first thing to do once we move into our new place is to unpack the stereo and get some great tunes going.  Here are the top 10 songs on my “moving” soundtrack:

• Bust a Move by Young MC
• I Feel the Earth Move by Carole King
• The Man Who Can’t Be Moved by The Script
• Move On by Mike Doughty
• Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song) by Billy Joel
• Movin On by Monte Montgomery
• Night Moves by Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band
• Something in the Way She Moves by James Taylor
• Today You Move by Trip Shakespeare
• You Don’t Have to Move That Mountain by Nickel Creek

To listen or download songs, check out the complete list here.

What do you think?  Did I miss your favorite?  Leave a comment to let me know.

So natural and so pure… who has a better voice than Alison Krauss?  It’s been almost two years since I made my initial list of my favorite songs of hers.  Since then, I’ve discovered a couple of new gems to add to the list: “Simple Gifts” (with Yo-Yo Ma) and “A Living Prayer”.  They’re both simple and reverent, showcasing her vocals beautifully.  Check out my revised list here to listen or dowload – you won’t be sorry.

For the last few years I’ve been hearing about this Minnesota-based bluegrass band from my in-laws, so I finally decided to check them out on Saturday night in St. Croix Falls.  Dressed in vintage clothing, they took the stage and immediately impressed with their modern musicianship.  Four men and one woman used just a single microphone for their voices and instruments alike.  They moved in closer for their solos, then away when another was featured.  The result was surprisingly visually interesting along with being pleasing to the ears.  The instrumentalists were quite proficient (especially the banjo, mandolin, and bass) and the vocals were pleasant (the female lead) but not always polished (the rest).  I was quite fascinated by how they were able to play songs by request that they had never played before and turn them into concert-ready performances (complete with polished solos) before our eyes.  Playing a wide repertoire from varied genres, Monroe Crossing is a great regional band that is just a second voice away from being a world-class bluegrass band.

Check out Monroe Crossing on

For those of you following the Jam via feed, I just added Ben Lee as my artist of the month for May 2010.   Here are my favorite songs from the clever Aussie:

• Catch My Disease (That’s the Way I LIke It)
• Gamble Everything for Love
• I Love Pop Music
• Into the Dark
• Is This How Love is Supposed to Feel?
• Ripe
• Rise Up
• We’re All In This Together
• What’s So Bad (About Feeling Good)?
• Whatever It Is

Did I get any wrong?  Leave a comment to let me know.  Also, please check out my other song selections for May 2010 from Ozomatli, The Weepies, Colin Hay, Shai, and Tower of Power.

There hasn’t been much rain this April, but there are a lot of great songs with the word “rain” in the title.  Here are my favorites:

• Fire and Rain by James Taylor
• Have You Ever Seen the Rain by Creedence Clearwater Revival
• I Love a Rainy Night by Eddie Rabbit
• Mandolin Rain by Bruce Hornsby and the Range
• No Rain by Blind Melon
• Rain, Rain, Beautiful Rain by Ladysmith Black Mambazo
• Raincoat by Kelly Sweet
• Rainy Day People by Gordon Lightfoot
• The Rainy Season by Marc Cohn
• Save It for a Rainy Day by The Jayhawks

There were a lot of other contenders for my top 10, including Gord’s “Early Morning Rain”, Dylan’s “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall”, Zep’s “Fool in the Rain”, Mellencamp’s “Rain on the Scarecrow”, Peter Gabriel’s “Red Rain”, and (of course) Prince’s “Purple Rain”. 

To listen or download songs, check out the complete list here.

What do you think?  Did I miss your favorite?  Leave a comment to let me know.

For those of you following the Jam via feed, I just added Green Day as my artist of the month for April 2010.  I like Dookie and 21st Century Breakdown, and I think American Idiot ranks among the best rock albums ever.  Here are my favorite songs from the band:

• American Idiot
• Basket Case
• Boulevard of Broken Dreams
• Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)
• Holiday
• I Fought the Law
• Know Your Enemy
• 21 Guns
• Wake Me Up When September Ends
• When I Come Around

Did I get any wrong?  Leave a comment to let me know.  Also, please check out my other song selections for April 2010 from Tyrone Wells, Ben Lee, JJ Heller, The Buffalo Bills, and The Budos Band.