Top Ten Spongebob Episodes

So as I pointed out a while ago, I am a big fan of Spongebob Squarepants.  I personally find it to be one of the most consistently funny shows ever made, and unlike other comedic cartoons (I'm looking at you Family Guy and South Park) the show doesn't often have to use "adult" situations (sex, politics, obscure references, violence) to create humor which I find to be a hallmark of good writing.  If you haven't seen it the premise is simple, a sponge named Spongebob lives in a Pineapple under the sea and goes about his everyday life with other characters that are ostensibly based on the 7 deadly sins in some manner.  But it is most likely you have seen it, but not to the extent I have, so let me present to you my top 10 favorite episodes, which I ranked in an unbiased way by giving each story a rating from 1-10 by going alphabetically down the list, then combining it's score with it's sister story (as it is a children's cartoon episodes are usually cut into two 11 minute stories) and basing my ratings off that.  I also want to point out that I was only familiar enough with the first 5 seasons of the show (as much as Netflix has) so those episodes are the only ones included so for seasons 6 and on, you are on your own, which is a pity because I think A Life in a Day/ Sun Bleached could have been a dark horse for the top 10.  So without further interruption, here are the episodes I think you need to watch.

10: Nasty Patty/ Idiot Box (Season 3) 17.4 Rating
Nasty Patty is likely a better episode watched as an adult than as a child, as it's premise is a spoof of the typical "body movie" where cohorts in a crime are trying to dispose of a body.  It is a pretty dark episode as the premise suggests, Spongebob and Mr. Krabs believe they have killed a health inspector by giving him a Krabby Patty that they sabotaged thinking that the health inspector was a fake trying to get free food.  It's highlights include the invention of the term "schmeckledorfed" and an increasingly insane Mr. Krabs telling the police that ice is a myth.  On the other hand, Idiot Box is a much more lighthearted episode based around the childish imagination of Spongebob and Patrick as opposed to Squidward's lack of imagination.  Spongebob and Patrick order a big-screen television solely for the purpose of playing in the box, and the whole time Squidward starts to feel like they are mocking him in the box.  This one is consistently funny and if I had to choose a highlight it would be the rainbow that appears between Spongebob's hands as he says imagination on multiple circumstances.

See! It even became a scarcely used meme!

#8T Dying for Pie/ Imitation Krabs (Season 2) 17.6 Rating

I really must be a dark person, the first two entries in this top 10 list are two of the very few episodes to acknowledge the concept of death.  Dying for Pie starts with Employee Brotherhood Day and Spongebob is all about it while Squidward has no idea that it existed, as Mr. Krabs requires Squidward get a gift, he buys a pie from a group of pirates conveniently in the parking lot, except they don't have actual pies, just bombs that look like pies.  As Mr. Krabs and Squidward believe Spongebob to have eaten the pie, a remorseful Squidward tries to give Spongebob a great last day.  My favorite part of the episode is Spongebob's gift to Squidward, a sweater made from his eyelashes.  Imitation Krabs is one of (if not the) best Plankton episodes where he makes a robot to replace Mr. Krabs in the Krusty Krab to trick Spongebob into giving him the secret formula.  Here's a classic highlight from the episode.

#8T Sleepy Time/ Suds (Season 1) 17.6 Rating
There is always a bit of nostalgia to the first season of any long running television show.  Sleepy Time is a great episode, and one of the few to make use of a majority of the main characters in the show, as Spongebob finds himself able to invade the dreams of his friends for a night and causes problems for each of them.  I love the concept of the episode and think each character's dreams are perfectly fitting for their personalities, it also stuns me that they were able to do this episode successfully in the first season.  My favorite part is Patrick's dream, it's so empty!  Suds addresses the concept of sickness as leaving the fridge open overnight causes Spongebob's house to freeze over and he catches the suds (a sponge's version of the cold), he tries to get medical help from Patrick because a mixture of reading old magazines and a cold stethoscope scares Spongebob away from wanting to see a real doctor.  When Spongebob actually sees a real doctor at the end, it creates a great scene that I believe was one of the first times Spongebob is shown as a real kitchen sponge in the real world.

This is seriously part of it..

#7 The Secret Box/ Band Geeks (Season 2) 17.7 Rating
This episode is one of my first memories of moving into my apartment last August, there was only one of my housemates with me for the week and we both loved Spongebob and I remember we watched this episode because he said it was one of his favorites.  The Secret Box revolves around Patrick having a secret box that he won't show Spongebob, and the rest of the episode is Spongebob trying to see what is in the box.  Not meaning to spoil it, the end of the episode is the best when Spongebob sees there is only a string inside the box and walks away thinking Patrick is an idiot, but then Patrick shows if you pull the string it opens a secret compartment that has an embarrassing photo of Spongebob from the Christmas party, but we never see the photo.  Band Geeks is simply one of the best storylines the show has ever run, this is a foregone conclusion that makes this episode worth watching alone.  Squidward's high school rival Squilliam returns to Bikini Bottom and is much more successful so Squidward lies about having a top-notch band and Squilliam allows the band to play in his place at the Bubble Bowl.  The rest of the episode is Squidward trying to make his untalented friends a band and hilarity.  Watch it, here's how it ends.

Secret TV Channel!

#6 Arrgh!/ Rock Bottom (Season 1) 18.1 Rating
We just took a big jump in ratings to get to this which I find pretty surprising given how good the last episode was.  Arrgh! is a great episode for both Patrick and Mr. Krabs, where on a slow day at the Krusty Krab, Spongebob and Patrick play a treasure hunting board game and invite Mr. Krabs to play, who then gets way too into the game and invites the other two to help him search for a real treasure.  There are many good parts from this one, Patrick mistaking east with "weast", Spongebob's "You're good" as Patrick scrapes up the boat, and PLASTIC!  Rock Bottom is a wacky episode.  Spongebob ends up getting stranded in a strange town, and I really cannot do this episode any justice with words.  Just let it be known that it caused the following poster (which I wish I could own) to be made and watch it yourself.

LOVE IT!

#5 Texas/ Walking Small (Season 1) 18.2 Rating

Believe it or not, this was the episode released immediately after the last one, the writers hit a really good streak down the middle of season 1 as I will point out later.  Texas is the first episode on the list that centers around Sandy as she becomes homesick and plans to leave Bikini Bottom to return to Texas.  Despite the fact that this episode mocks and entire state, it is a classic and features some great jokes.  Walking Small is another Plankton episode as he tries to get Spongebob to help him clear land for a new Chum Bucket by teaching him to be assertive.  The difference between being assertive and being "insertive" is one of my favorite parts of the episode, but probably one of the best Spongebob moments is when due to Spongebob's blissful ignorance of how to be mean he helps a stranger find buried treasure and offers to tie his shoe even though he is wearing sandals.  

Is that stupid or Texas?

#4 Grandma's Kisses/ Squidville (Season 2) 18.4 Rating

By now my more observant readers should be noticing that most of my favorite episodes come from the earlier part of the show, and that is completely correct.  From season 2 Grandma's Kisses introduces Spongebob's Grandma, and after visiting her and forgetting to wipe off a kiss mark on his forehead, Spongebob feels the need to grow up and stop acting like a baby.  While Patrick tries to help, he sees the benefits of behaving like a child and takes Spongebob's preferential treatment from his Grandma.  I plan to show you how to be an adult after this paragraph.  Squidville is the famous episode where Squidward gets tired of being neighbors with Patrick and Spongebob and moves to Tentacle Acres, a gated community for Squids.  This episode becomes increasingly funny as it goes on, but I will never forget how great it is when Squidward finds "Canned Bread" at the grocery store and the can has a caption that claims it is "Best Thing Since Sliced!"

#3 SB-129/ Karate Choppers (Season 1) 18.5 Rating
We have made our way over to another one of my former housemate's favorite episodes, he was always quite animate about how he believed SB-129 to be his favorite episode.  The episode revolves around Squidward again as he tries to evade Spongebob and Patrick and finds himself on a quest through the past, future and nowhere, before finding himself back in the same spot he began.  I can never fail to laugh at the part where Squidward discovers that everything is chrome in the future.  I have mentioned Karate Choppers in a previous post where I pointed out that I believed it to be a euphemism for sex, but upon watching it again it is equally likely to be about sex as drugs, so watch it and make your own opinion about what Spongebob and Sandy are doing in secret.

Future!

#2 Chocolate With Nuts/ Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy V (Season 3) 18.6 Rating

This episode could very well be the best ever, it really is nearly flawless.  Chocolate With Nuts is the story of Spongebob and Patrick trying to get rich quick by selling chocolates door to door and features some of my favorite Patrick moments along the way.  If you don't know the highlight of this episode you have never seen the episode.  The fifth Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy episode is my personal favorite use of the duo, where Barnacle Boy gets fed up with being treated like a child and decides to join with the Dirty Bubble and Man-Ray to create Every Villain is Lemons (E.V.I.L).  The episode goes on the spoof comic book groups such as the Justice League and Avengers, and brings along a little more adult humor than normal.  It is truly a great one.

#1 Prehibernation Week/ Life of Crime (Season 2) 18.9 Rating

I have an admission to make, I rigged the voting so that this one will win.  It was the only episode I knew would make the top 10 and I knew it was my favorite episode.  Specifically Prehibernation Week, in which Spongebob and Sandy partake in dangerous sporting activities before Sandy has to hibernate, but Spongebob can't deal with the games and hides.  This episode contains at least 3 of my favorite jokes the show has ever made, and prominently features Pantera as background music, it is a gem.  My housemates and I even made up a drinking game to this which didn't last long as it was too taxing.  Life of Crime is a solid episode as well, where Spongebob and Patrick steal a balloon, and when it pops, go on the lam.  It spoofs movies and TV shows about convicts as well as instills the morals in children that stealing is wrong. It also has this.   

Rig a voting?  Uhhh, I can explain.

Frivolities

- #4 and #1 were consecutive episodes in season 2.

- #3, #8 (Sleepy Time/ Suds), #11 (Valentines Day/ The Paper), #6 and #5 were all consecutive episodes in the first season.

- All ten of these episodes were made before the movie.

- Whale of a Birthday/ Karate Island was the best episode from season 4 and ranked #23

- The Krusty Sponge/ Sing a Song of Patrick was the best episode from season 5 and ranked #35

- The pilot episode (Help Wanted/ Reef Blower/ Tea at the Treedome) ranked at #17.

- Christmas Who? was the top ranked 22 minute story and was #28

- The top 5 stories were Prehibernation Week (10), Rock Bottom and Shanghaied (9.6), and Chocolate with Nuts and Survival of the Idiots (9.5).

- Despite Survival of the Idiots being in the top 5, it's pairing with Dumped has it outside the top half of episodes.

- The only other episode I thought would make the top 10 before rating stories was Wet Painters/ Krusty Krab Training Video, which ranked 14th.

I have been planning to write this post for a while now and it took me nearly 2 and a half hours to write, so I hope someone finds interest in this, cause I need to go to bed.  As always, stay tuned.

Top 10 List! Favorite Youtube Videos!

I love top ten lists.  I love Youtube, it is perhaps one of the best things the Internet has caused to happen, and one would be hard pressed to name many more entertaining things out there.  So I would like to salute Youtube and it's quality programming by listing my top ten favorite Youtube videos out there.  This list will by no means be a definitive list, as I'm sure I will both forget videos and I will find more videos to take the lower ones' spots, but this is what I can come up with now.  The rules for this list are gonna be that I will only allow one video from any series of videos, no professionally done work (meaning no movie clips or official music videos), and no clips that got famous before the advent of Youtube but ended up there anyways.  So with that done, here it is.

10. Bed Intruder Song
This is why I stipulated that there be no "official" music videos on my list, because this is technically a music video, but was released specifically for Youtube audiences so I will allow it.  Let me note that this probably should be higher on the list, but I decided to put it on at number 10 because I care about you!  Yes, I care about you, the readers, and I put this as early as I possibly could to let you have some great reading music.  I hope you enjoy this video and song, and even if you don't I guarantee within the hour you will be subconsciously singing it to yourself.  My advice, applicable to regular music too is to not try to fight the infectious catchiness but to embrace and enjoy it.  I would also be willing to recommend any other video my Auto-Tune the News, especially the Double Rainbow song (the original Double Rainbow video barely failed to make this list... Damn I spoiled it).

9. Pretty Much Everywhere, It's Gonna Be Hot
If you watch this video and don't find it all that entertaining, you are not alone.  I was so completely baffled by this video and how it was able to ascertain so many views when I first discovered it.  But luckily this is why I was able to find and linked to a version of the video that plays the video on loop 5 times in a row, because the more you see this video the more entertaining it becomes.  I really wish I was in that news studio when it happened so I could know exactly what happened here.  Was Arthur completely stoned off his mind that he had to register her comment before laughing?  Did he not find the joke all that funny, but the teleprompter told him to laugh so he sarcastically did the goofiest laugh he was capable of?  Was there something inherently funny or interesting about the jacket itself?  Why does Arthur's jacket say "TV" on it?  Is this a local report or is this national Haiti broadcasting?  And finally, where is Arthur now and is he okay after the earthquakes?

8. MORTAL KOMBAT!!!!!!
Sure the description and the title of this video suggest that this video is, in actuality, an early teaser for a new Mortal Kombat (which is amongst my favorite video game series by the way) movie.  But I am not going to give this the benefit of the doubt and I will declare it, for now, just an extremely well produced and well acted Youtube video (ignoring the fact the guy who plays Jax was in The Dark Knight).  This is a little late, but I figure most would assume from the name, but this video is really violent and graphic, do not watch if you don't enjoy violence.  Personally, I am a fan of the Mortal Kombat brand so if this is indeed a trailer for an upcoming big screen film, I will be there the first day, but the fact this video kicks total ass isn't bad either.  Having said that I will have total biases against total characters and want to see two things should this be made into a complete movie.  First, they need to accept the fact the Moral Kombat creators have always seemed to favor Sub-Zero to Scorpion, so Sub-Zero needs to get the last laugh in that fight.  And secondly, they introduced Baraka into the mix, so I will be completely ripshit if there is not a single Kung Lao versus Baraka fight, as that is one of the most secretly cool rivalries in the Mythologies.

If this battle isn't included, I will be disappointed

7. I'm the Juggernaut Bitch

If you are a Youtube video, and you eventually get referenced in a big budget movie (lets ignore the fact X-men 3 was complete garbage) you are probably one of the best videos ever.  The best part of this video is that it likely is what the X-men cartoons would have been if it was the intention to make the most ghetto and offensive superhero cartoon ever.  The entire video is based upon them all being pimps, hoes, rapists and the Juggernaut, who is somehow a collection of all of the above.  If you know not to take a single second of this video seriously, it is one of the funniest and fun to quote youtube videos made.  It is hard to see this video and then do anything impressive or badass and not want to claim "I'm the Juggernaut bitch!"  Also to not be forgotten are also "I like your raincoat," anything talking about your "pimp cane" or one of my personal favorite quotes is Wolverine's only line "Hey what up?  How 'bout I take this shit off, y'know

6. Leprechaun in Alabama

I enjoy crazy news clips on Youtube, this video is a gleaming example, and will be used to represent crazy news clips in general, which should not be allowed on this list because they were not originally made to be on Youtube.  This is my favorite news clip on the site for a few reasons, first the fact that the premise of the video is completely ridiculous.  Second, the people they interview and the things they say are completely ridiculous.  Third, "Who else see the Leprechaun say YEAH!?", " Yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" *extremely satisfied smile*.  Fourth, the "amateur sketch", I mean seriously?  Fifth, the guy who had the right idea and wanted to uproot the tree cause "I wanna know where the gold at!"  And lastly, I love this video because of the reaction you see from the newscasters after the clip is over, which is more or less "Did we really have nothing better to be showing today?  A story about a Leprechaun?  A FUCKING LEPRECHAUN?"  This will forever go into the annals of time to be amongst the worst cases ever seen of investigative journalism.

5. Demarcus and Chang

Even though it is a few seconds longer than the previously mentioned "Pretty Much Everywhere, It's Gonna Be Hot" this video has probably the highest comedy density of anything on Youtube.  Running a short 30 seconds long, this video first spoofs cheesy introductions for daytime talk shows by having probably the best and most stereotypical music for a daytime talk show.  BE SURE TO WATCH THE VIDEO BEFORE THIS COMMENT.  But it also proves something to you that you have likely wondered for a long time but never bothered to ask anybody for a truthful answer, nor have probably shown the tendencies to make someone realize it, but you are indeed a racist asshole.  But it doesn't show you this to insult you, but rather to make you notice that you are likely not alone, and as long as it isn't violent, it isn't necessarily a bad thing.  They exploit the fact that we do all stereotype, and obviously we see an Asian guy and a black guy, and we see the stereotypical names on the screen, what else are we to assume.  I'm pretty sure it wouldn't even occur to most people ahead of time that the names could be assigned in the manner the video shows them to be.  So much respect to Demarcus and Chang (if those are your real names!) to come up with such a clever video and to release for all of us to enjoy.

4. How To Break Up With Your Girlfriend in 64 Easy Steps
This is one of the few videos on Youtube that is infinitely accessible.  You will be able to relate to this video if you have ever been in a long term relationship, known someone in a long term relationship, have once heard about someone in a long term relationship, or have just in one way or another thought about the concept of a long term relationship.  Everybody knows that in any long term relationship the breakup is never the end, and there is still much to go before you eventually fade out of each other's lives (don't argue me on this one, it will happen without fail.)  For example, someone once told me that 94% of relationships that start in the summer before you start college go as following.  You date over the summer and things go well, you separate at college and things don't go as well, you break up during Columbus Day weekend, then hook back up during Thanksgiving break, and eventually break up just after New Years, and then let it go.  This video is basically the same concept except for the grown-ups.  I completely love this video, love the maker's dry humor, and love the way he draws the pictures as he describes them.  I completely suggest to everyone to check out more of the videos from his "Tales of Mere Existence" series, and most notably his second best video (which is just as sarcastically true) "What Would Penis Do?"  Also worth noting in this video is the "Happy Valentines Day (snicker)" found in the video's description. 


3. Drinking Out of Cups
Ignoring all the different theories regarding the source of the audio, this is easily the most ridiculous video I have ever seen and completely love it for that reason.  The entire video just shows an animated lizard in various scenery, ranging from the woods to under the see, and he is just spewing verbal diarrhea the entire time.  But this isn't just any verbal diarrhea, it is perhaps the most amazingly quotable thing I have ever listened to in my life.  Throughout my life I have been able to apply lines from this video to my own life and although most of the time it is followed with a blank stare, it is endlessly entertaining to myself.  I am now going to make a list of things that you will never be able to regard in the same way due to this video, lizards, knots, cups, balloons, walkways, floors, chairs, lighthouses, towels, seahorses and seashells.  So for the good of yourself, and everyone around you, watch this video if you have not seen it and spread the wealth.  There is no way you will regret it.

2. Rejected
So there are two things about this video that probably should have kept me from putting it on this list, first I have already linked to it before and I wanted to talk about videos that I hadn't had the chance to talk about yet, and secondly, this video was nominated for a mother fucking Academy Award.  The latter should instantly make it invalid for this list, since I did say "no professionally done work", but you know what?  Rules were meant to be broken and there is no better short film ever made that I should break this rule for.  So to discuss this video, I am going to point out that it is the perfect blend of the two videos that preceded it, it has the gritty cartoon style of "How To Break Up With Your Girlfriend in 64 Easy Steps" but instead of using it to convey a message of complete sarcasm and truth, it is used to convey a group of circumstances that are even more ridiculous and random than "Drinking Out of Cups."  The best part about the fact that it fuses these two videos together is that it does better than each in their own game, this video is nearly perfection.  It amazes me that there even exists a video that I could hold in higher regard than I do for Rejected, but since it is only ranked at number 2, and there must be a number 1, there is a video that I clearly do hold in higher regard....

1. Unforgivable

If you have never seen this video before it is unforgivable, and it is even more unforgivable if you don't like this video.  If anybody ever asked me to explain the point of Youtube to me, I would simply send them a link to this video.  It is merely a black man in the woods with a few of his friends and a video camera, what ensues is pure unedited and extremely vulgar genius.  The pure quotability and excess of hilarious situations and things that are said is amazing in this video.  It leaves me completely speechless, and I wouldn't be able to do it justice anyways, just watch it and enjoy.  Also it wouldn't be a bad idea to watch any of it's sequels either.

Too many Honorable mentions to name...

My Top Ten Albums of the 2000s

This is a little piece I've been wanting to write for a little while now, I listen to a good heap of music which is mostly from the 90s so when I like something new it usually blows me away to some extent.  What I am about to give you is the list of albums that seemed to have blown me away, and are in the order of how good I feel they are right now.  For each I would like to give a short explanation of why I like it and specific songs worth listening to and hopefully for each a suggestion of songs that should have been released as singles.  The only rules to this list are that only one album is allowed per artist, no compilations/greatest hits albums and it is solely based on my opinion.  So starting with the bottom we will work our way to the top, which brings me to my list...

10. The Reason - Hoobastank

I really for the life of me don't know what I like so much about this album, but I know it is one I can listen to at any time and enjoy so that means something there.  I also find it funny that the single that made this album famous, and also from which the album gets it's title is easily my least favorite song on the album.  The album starts out really strong seeing that Same Direction and Out of Control are probably the two best songs on this album and I would especially recommend the first for anybody to listen to (love the guitar in that song).  The rest of the album (save for The Reason) follows in the same vein and while it sounds similar throughout, it is always a good listen.  Since every song I have already mentioned was released as a single, I need to name another to fill my quota, so I would elect my third favorite song on the album, that being Escape, mostly because I like the drums and the chorus is a little catchy.

9. Cage the Elephant - Cage the Elephant

This album I really know why I put it on, and the reason is because they take all the qualities I enjoy in Jack White's music (more about this later), and apply a different energy to it.  Seriously, try to listen to Ain't No Rest for the Wicked without thinking to yourself that this is just a really sweet song.  All of the songs on this album are, at the very worst, easy to listen to and if you are one for playing an album full through to listen to without having any real changes, this is as good an album as many.  This album shows a hell of a lot of energy in it, more notably seen in In One Ear, Tiny Little Robots, Lotus, and Judas. The singles released from this album, Ain't No Rest for the Wicked, In One Ear, and Back Against the Wall were all excellent calls in my idea, but if I had to make a complaint, it would be that Lotus wasn't a single (but there is still time for them to remedy this situation.

8. Consolers of the Lonely - The Raconteurs

Didn't I just mention my love for Jack White?  This album was released far past the point when I began loving his work, but it succeeded in showing me some more ways that he can kick some ass with a guitar in his hands.  After a first Raconteurs album that I wasn't particularly interested in, this album was released and brought with it a really cool southern vibe to it.  To suggest some songs, I would recommend to listen to at the very least the first 8 songs on this album, each of which are really cool to me and very enjoyable.  For example the piano-heavy You Don't Understand Me, and bringing in a brass section for The Switch and the Spur were some really nice ways to mix their album up.  Again, no complaints with the single selections, Salute Your Solution and Many Shades of Black (both of which among my favorites on the album), I would've liked to see either the title track, or The Switch and the Spur get the single treatment, but again, no complaints at all.

7. The College Dropout - Kanye West

This was the beginning of the end for Mr. West.  Before he got extremely famous and began to lose the qualities that made him famous in the first place (yet somehow got more famous for it), he was a young man with issues to discuss and did so with many heartfelt rhymes.  This debut was pretty much an instant hit on the power of his first single Through the Wire, in which he rapped about an injury which caused his jaw to be wired shut with his jaw wired shut.  You can't get many raps more real than that,  and he even followed that up with the semi-prophetic All Falls Down, and the religiously-driven Jesus Walks.  This is easily one of the most important rap albums released in the decade, and one of the very few that I genuinely enjoy listening to.  I would recommend anybody to listen to Family Business, We Don't Care, Get Em' High, and Spaceship, although would only wish the last one would have been a single.

6. Audioslave - Audioslave

A supergroup?!? Yes, I put an album from a supergroup on my top 10 albums of a decade, and you know what?  I would probably do so with the 90s as well.  Grunge artists manage to do great things with supergroups.  This time being Chris Cornell with the backing band from Rage Against the Machine, and even though sometimes in the album I pined to hear Zach De la Rocha doing his thing, this is a respectable rock album.  Listen to the songs Like a Stone, Getaway Car, Shadow on the Sun and Show Me How to Live.  I hope you listen to this album before any of the others because this is what should have been and Audioslave's later works were complete let downs (except for Be Yourself, which is probably their best song as a band).

5. Artist in the Ambulance - Thrice

This album is not for everyone, but I have had a love for it since the first time my brother told me to listen to it and this list is not for everyone.  This is without a doubt the heaviest album on this list and is my favorite for the guitar.  If you would like to listen to 12 songs of someone just thrashing on a guitar with a pretty versatile singer more or less yelling in the background (most people who I tell I like Thrice wonder how I like the singing, but truth is I love the vocal range he as and is the one thing that I think sets them apart from other bands of their type.)  Their singles are all very good from this album, All That's Left was the first heavy song I learned to play, Artist in the Ambulance is easily the most approachable song on the album, and Stare at the Sun is a close second.  I wouldn't really recommend any singles to be released because this isn't a mainstream album, but I would love to suggest anybody listen to Blood Clots and Black Holes for one of my favorite guitar songs ever, and also Abolition of Man is well worth listening to even if it is just for the ending.

4. White Blood Cells - The White Stripes

The first album in which I actually had to think about which album was my favorite from that artist (even if I chose Elephant it would be #4).  I ended up deciding on White Blood Cells because it was a more bluesy album, and when I listen to the White Stripes I like to hear some of the blues.  To talk more about my love for Jack White, this album might not be his best on the guitar, but I'm not let down by it at all, mainly because I just like the small town kid vibe of the entire album.  The singles from this album, Hotel Yorba (my favorite on the album), Fell in Love With a Girl, Dead Leaves on the Dirty Ground, and We're Gonna Be Friends (more commonly known as the song that plays during the intro credits of Napoleon Dynamite) were all perfect choices and in that order are probably my favorite songs on the album.  But I really am disappointed I'm Finding It Harder to Be a Gentleman and Same Boy You've Always Known weren't singles either, they are both really good.

3. Hot Fuss - The Killers

It really is hard to describe how good this album is, and it is really hard to believe that even though I had this album since shortly after it's release, that it took me nearly 5 years to finally give it the full-through listen that it deserves.  This album really does not have any bad songs, or hell even a bad note.  To recommend a song I would just tell you to sit down and play it all the way through,.  You will enjoy the singles released, Mr. Brightside (simply amazing), Somebody Told Me (barely less amazing), All These Things That I've Done and Smile Like You Mean It, and you will enjoy all the rest of the songs just as much.  This album does a great job of maintaining a similar song throughout but at no point do any of the songs sound alike, which is something I find quite awesome.  But please listen to Midnight Show and Andy, You're a Star, you won't regret it.

2. Speakerboxx/The Love Below - Outkast

There are incredibly many reasons why I should have put this as number one on my list.  First, even though this was a set of two albums, either one would have been on this list had they been released separately under the names Big Boi and Andre 3000 respectively.  Secondly, I listened to this album when it first came out and was stunned by it, I listened to this album years later and was stunned by it, and am currently listening to it and am stunned by it.  This album is not number one for the sole reason that I am a total fanboy (you will understand in a second).  Speakerboxx is one of the best straight rap albums that I have ever listened to, only rivaled by The College Dropout and Dr. Dre's 2001.  The Love Below is a series of love songs from Andre 3000, who despite being a rapper first in old times only raps in a handful of songs on this album.  To understand why Speakerboxx is so good, listen to The Way You Move and War.  For a taste of the Love Below, listen to Hey Ya, Roses, and Behold a Lady (which I am going to post a video below because it is that amazing. )



1. A Crow Left of the Murder... - Incubus

To me, choosing my favorite Incubus album is what I expect it is like for a parent to choose their favorite child.  Either you just are unable to do it, or  it fluctuates so often that you couldn't even say because it would only be moments before the answer has changed.  Luckily the decision was made a little easier since S.C.I.E.N.C.E. and Make Yourself (my favorite of the bunch) were both released in the 90s.  So really this spot belongs to A Crow Left of the Murder..., Morning View and Light Grenades.  I chose ACLotM, because of the power that it brings with songs like Megalomaniac, Talk Shows on Mute, Sick Sad Little World, Here in My Room, and the title track A Crow Left of the Murder.  I am not even going to recommend any songs for this album, but I rather will tell you to go out and buy the entire Incubus discography, I have never told anybody to do that who hasn't later returned to me agreeing that it was necessary.  So yes, I am an Incubus fanatic, and only put this album above some others because I have such a deep love with them that I owed it to them.  You know what I have to say to that?  I genuinely do think Incubus's three albums during the 2000s were the three  best albums released in the 2000s.  So step off and don't try to tell me otherwise.

Honorable Mentions: Black Gives Way to Blue - Alice in Chains, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix - Phoenix, Backspacer - Pearl Jam, Only By the Night - Kings of Leon, and As Daylight Dies - Killswitch Engage.

If you like this list, like my recommendations, or have any music recommendations for me please write it in my comments.  I'm all ears.

Gift for the '100 Viewer Milestone: Top 10 Underrated List

I would really like to thank everybody for helping me to reach the 100 viewer milestone so quickly, I really didn't expect to get the reception I did get.  To anyone who is looking at this the first time, I hope you enjoy and please come back and bring some friends.  For anyone who is a repeat offender, I appreciate your help and support, and I will try to keep the posts coming for you.  So finally, to show my appreciation, I have an old piece of mine that I wrote for a friend some time ago, my top 10 underrated things.


Underrated list...
#10 Board games
Don't Hate on board games man, they are such an easy target.  Why are they called "bored" games?  Yeah, I've heard that joke millions of times, but really that's what makes them so underrated awesome.  They are something to do, they are entertaining, and you can have a hell of a lot of fun if you know how to play them.  Get the right crew around you, you can create a whole lot more underrated things, to be spoken about later.  Board games that are more than amazing when you know how to do it, Guess Who?, Battleship, and Scrabble.

Does he look like a pedophile? Yes. *No tiles go down*

#9 Pelvic thrusts
Hell yeah, who doesn't love to pelvic thrust?  It doesn't matter what song is playing, what type of music it is, or hell if there is even any music playing, dancing that consists merely of pelvic thrusts is both fun and hilarious.  It's a natural dance, just do what comes to ya, its always cool.  Also, pelvic thrusts are high comedy in many situations (although there are a lot of situations where it will fail miserably.)  Gets ranked down quite a bit because it isn't always publicly acceptable.

#8 Randomly yelling
Better than pelvic thrusts, it gets the blood pumping, it gets you excited, and most of all there is almost no negatives to it.  Of course it is one of those things that are really annoying if you get into a habit of it, so it wears itself off when people start telling you to stop.  But in the meantime it is a definite underrated thing to do when you feel a little bored and there's not a lot of excitement in the life.

#7 Big Daddy
If Adam Sandler could possibly have made an underrated movie in the 90's it definitely would have been Big Daddy.  Oh wait, an imdb search shows that Big Daddy was released in 1999!  It's amazing that how good Adam Sandler was at that time, that you could possibly start to forget any one of them.  But that is the reason why Big Daddy has been able to be underrated, because Happy Gilmore, Billy Madison and the Waterboy are all better, but not a whole lot better.  For as long as I live I will laugh hysterically at this movie because of all the parts I forgot are there.  Oh, and yes, Yoohoo is better with a little Rumplestiltskin!

Initiating Conversation Is really half the battle.

#6 Inside jokes
I mentioned this vaguely in the part about board games, but inside jokes are by far the best jokes there are.  The best and worst part of inside jokes is that you need to watch the company you say it in if you don't want to waste your time.  But of course, since everybody has inside jokes they have found a way to sneak under our consciousness for just how great they are.  Appreciate how inside jokes effect your life, because things would be a lot less secretly funny if they weren't around.

#5 Meatloaf
It's great!  It is meat in the form of a loaf!  No other food is as awesome as the concepts that it was born of, but meatloaf is as awesome as it sounds plus some.  It also has the same forgettable-ness I used to describe Big Daddy, which is really one of the things I love most in this world.  So please continue to hate on meatloaf, because your hate for meatloaf will make your love for meatloaf so much greater when it gets in your mouth.

#4 Being Shirtless
Everybody loves this, if you don't you just don't know that you love it yet.  It brings out the primal awesomeness in everything.  I have reason to believe its why people love the beach, summer and the shower.  It helps me enjoy mornings on the weekend.  It really is self-explanatory.

This guy knows what I'm talkin' about!

#3 Underrated things
I feel like I am the only person on earth who truly appreciates the underrated.  I simply love it when people overlook the greatness of certain things and I'm always there to think to myself, they really need to look deeper at it.  So that's the whole reason I made this list, to point out the things that I love and many people love, but they don't take the time to notice they love it.

#2 High-fives from girls
The only list item that makes it because it is awkward.  You always go in for the high-five all slowly and barely ever follow through, its a completely different story than high-fiving with guys.  It is more like measuring hands than celebrating anything, it also makes you think that good stuff could happen.  The high-five with a girl is undoubtedly awkward, but it is always undoubtedly cool.  My dream is to one day give a girl a man high-five, just to see how it would play out, it may destroy the universe.

#1 Childhood
Who the fuck wouldn't want to that shit again?