That is, if one of your friends was ridin with you in the car, what song would you play for them if you knew they hadn't heard it? Any song will do (even if you think it's relatively popular). My recs are:

Tori Amos - Raspberry Swirl
Massive Attack - Teardrop

Anyone else?

I'll try:


Gil Scott-Heron - B-Movie
John Carpenter - Assault on Precinct 13

Japan - "Cantonese Boy"

Prince - "And God Created Woman"

Aphex Twin - Acrid Avid Jam Shred
Aphex Twin - Xtal

The Shins - Gone for Good
The Shins - Pink Bullets

prince - sister
cody chesnutt - the seed

Sevendust - Waffle


Stevie Ray Vaughan - Life by the Drop


choose your mood

Josh Ritter - "Bright Smile". This is the opening cut from one of the best records I've bought in the last year or two. The album ranges from Cohen-esque folk ("Bnne of Song") to Steve Earlish alt.country ("Man Burning" [with opening guitar torn from early Byrds]) and the occasional Dylan-style bitter tune ("You Don't Make It Easy Babe"). But this cut has a really warm feel to it that really opens things up nicely. I don't remember the last time I found such an evocative singer-songwriter.

Johnny Cash - "Hung My Head". Who knew that Sting could write a good morality story song set in the Old West? After hearing this I hunted down Sting's original and discovered he couldn't SING it. But Cash puts all his years, regrets and guts into this song. And wow, does the opening guitar strumming sound rich. An unassuming but grand song (and for kicks, skip next to "Sam Hall", an incredibly UNrepentant tale of murder -- would'a made a killer 45).

Oh, what the hell:

"Race With the Devil" by Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps
"Common People" by Pulp

Mary Prankster - "The Bottle's Talking Now"
John Wesley Harding - "Where the Bodies Are"

neal halstead - dreamed i saw soldiers

grandaddy - he's simple, he's dumb, he's the pilot

Mariah Carey 'The Roof'

I don't care what people think about her but I love this song.

How about two metal classics:

Motorhead -- Ace of Spades

Iron Maiden -- Number of the Beast

Adam Payne Band: This Ring or Tapwater (available at adampayne.com)

Josh Joplin Band (not GROUP, but BAND): I've Changed

First two that come to mind...

Crooked Fingers - "You Can Never Leave"
Beulah - "Me & Jesus Don't Talk Anymore"

Not necessarily my favorites of all time, but two damn fune tunes off the top of my head:

John Cale - "Hanky Panky Nohow"
Les Savy Fav - "We've Got Boxes"

Aneka - "Japanese Boy"
Tom Waits - "Cemetery Polka"

Neil Young - "Rockin' In The Free World"

Dashboard Confessional - "Screaming Infidelities"

Elvis Costello - Smile
Linkin Park- Faint

Built to Spill - "Stop the Show"

Brian Eno - "Ascent (an Ending)"

Cool...I got my friend hooked on Massive Attack with that song.

Here's my two:

Ben Folds Five - One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces
The Flaming Lips - Any track from Zaireeka, properly played (fans will know what I mean)

Clem Snide - Fontanelle
TMBG - The Long Grift

Great choice, brilliant song.

Blue October - "Inner Glow"

Vallejo - "Snake in the Grass"

Bjork - New World

Smashing Pumpkins - Sweet Sweet