I’m really surprised they left out Helvetica and Barack Obama’s Gotham.

50 Reasons people have sex from How I Met Your Mother.

It’s a very interesting idea taking the whole unplugged concept even further and more intimate. I’m quite surprised by the level of talent they’ve been able to record, as well as the recording quality itself.

I first discovered the sessions while browsing YouTube for New Pornographers videos and came upon their Black Cab Session performing, All the Old Showstoppers off of their then recently released Challengers album. I really liked this stripped down version featuring just the voices of Carl Newman and his niece, Kathryn Calder, plus an accompanying acoustic guitar and accordion. Plus, I think I have a crush on Kathryn Calder.

Another session that is a favorite of mine is Spoon’s I Summon You off of Gimme Fiction. This is another song that lends itself well to being stripped down to just the bare essentials of a Britt Daniel’s voice and guitar.

However, when I was recently browsing some of their newer archives I came across a real find, Brian Wilson and accompaniment, singing That Lucky Old Sun before breaking down into a short rendition of California Girls. I don’t think I need to say anything else, just see for yourself.

It’s the news story that keeps on giving, literally defining, shooting yourself in the foot.

A musical explaining the politics behind California’s proposition eight.

Who was the quintessential ’80s band?

The quintessential ’80s band is not about who was best (The Cure), or who changed music the most (REM), or who was the most popular (U2). The quintessential ’80s band is about the ’80s, epitomizes the ’80s, is the ’80s.

They feature long, bad hair, tight pants, hard rock, excess, bare chests, power ballads, thrashing guitar, crazy antics, changing up lead vocalists at the height of popularity, music videos and they should be a permanent fixture on any episode of We love the ’80s.

Ladies and gentleman, may I introduce to you, Van Halen!

Jump, Hot for Teacher, Panama, oh yeah!

What is the most important song ever written and why?

I woke up with an offer from Bono to choose one of U2’s songs. Apparently his ego is not bloated enough already.

Then I was thinking along the lines of Band Aid’s Do They Know It’s Christmas, which raised millions for Ethiopian famine relief (sound familiar?) and inspired We are the World, Live Aid and countless other efforts. Seriously, do we really want to encourage Bob Geldof and stroke more celebrity ego?

Then my thoughts turned to Rock Around the Clock written by Max C. Freedman and James E. Myers for Bill Haley & His Comets, which is generally regarded as the song to kick start Rock-and-Roll.

I finally had to to settle for the Shins New Slang.

In the words of Natalie Portman in Garden State, You gotta hear this one song, it’ll change your life I swear.

You can do much worst than what Natalie Portman tells you.