Best Bar Songs 2007

Toast to the cool bars with great jukeboxes I went to this year. From the local dive in the LBC to the Shortstop by the stadium... here are the songs that got the mood just right, made you bob your head and throw your hands in the air. Here are my top 11 bar songs of ’07, accompanied with the cocktails that were made to enjoy them with.

Britney Spears- Gimmie More
It’s Britney Bitch! This train wreck can still rally a group of girls at any bar… at anytime. Drink: SHOT of PATRON, what else?

Sean Kingston- Beautiful Girl
This throwback jam gets the body moving. Drink: Sex on the Beach you need a tropical drink with an umbrella for right paradise mood.

Maroon 5- Makes Me Wonder
After you look around the bar wonder who the fuck selected Maroon 5 from the jukebox, order up a Irish Car Bomb!

Mark Ronson/Amy Winehouse- Valerie
Drink: Classy and Amy Winehouse usually don’t go together… but mix it up with a Sour Apple Martini

Kinky- A Donde Van Los Muertos?
Put your arm around your best bud and chug an ice cold Modelo.

Justin Timberlake- Summer Love
Just how did they “get that pretty little face on that pretty little frame girl?” Enjoy this bar song with a Vodka (Kettle One) and Tonic. It’ll make ya say “let me buy you drinks- better yet rings…”

Rihanna- Umbrella
Rihanna got you the Umbrella now you need to make it rain. Step up to the bar and order up a Kamakazi shot.

M.I.A.- Boyz
M.I.A. dares to ask “HOW MANY TEQUILAS IN THE PLACE?
HOW MANY BEERS ARE IN THE CASE? BOYS THERE? HOW MANY?” Take a Stella Artois from the case, hold it up… and say “Salud”.


Will.I.Am- I Got It From My Momma
After this song plays you’ll find yourself asking the first hot girl you see... “Girl, where did you get that body from?” Then either a) it’ll be a hot icebreaker b) or you’ll get the classic roll of the eyes. Either way, enjoy this jam with a Vodka/Soda and splash of Cran… girls will dig it.


Kanye West- Stronger
By Stronger Kanye means Stronger rockstar… at least in this case... now that the party has started you need to take it to rockstar status and get on top of a bar (only if you’re hot) while holding a red bull and vodka.

Best Albums of 2007

As the world awaits new albums from Coldplay, U2 and Morrissey in 2008... here are the albums that inspired me in 2007.

10. Volovan- Monitor
“Monitor” is my favorite song of the year from an album i’ve been waiting a long time for. Volovan’s sophomore release didn’t disappoint. Their power-pop chords are just what I need in a time when every band is Mexico is trying to sound pop-punk.

9. Manu Chao- Radiolina
Choosing to spend his time touring rather than recording, Manu Chao, finally relased an album five-plus years alter “Esperanza”. It was worth the wait.

8. M.I.A.- Kala
Creatively, M.I.A. intrigues me. "Kala" isn't the commercial hip-hop of a Kanye West, or Jay-Z. Born in Sri Lanka, MIA follows up her politically driven debut "Argular" with... well, a political at times "Kala". In $20 she sings "Do you know the cost of A.K.'s up in Africa? 20 dollars ain't shit to you, but that's how much they are /Of course they gonna use it to kill a little da". Using influences from all over the world, I give her credit for not turning into the next hip-hop diva a la Gwen Stefani, Nelly Furtado (though Timbaland was in line to produce this album).

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7. Bloc Party- A Weekend in the City
I (heart) Bloc Party. They evolve with A Weekend in the City but it fails to capture the magic of their debut “Silent Alarm”. “A Song for Clay”, as a few tracks on AWITC are too wordy for my taste.

6. Peter Bjorn and John- Writers Block
“Young Folks” or “that whistling song” as some refer to it was a great single. Itunes sold the album for $6 so I bought the whole thing… and it quickly became one of my favorites of the year.

5. Feist- The Reminder
Like most of America, I first discovered Feist on the ipod commercial. It wasn’t too long before I couldn’t get that 1,2,3,4 song out of my head. I downloaded it on itunes, and also downloaded another song, then another, and another… next thing I know I had the whole album, and it’s great!

4. Radiohead- In Rainbows
Radiohead takes chances. Most recently, they made “In Rainbows” available online and allowed people to name their price. I paid $3 for it, and it was worth every penny.

3. The National- Boxer
The Interface podcast is the shit. I thank them for introducing me to many great bands this year. The National, among them.

2. Amy Winehouse- Back to Black
In a word, “soulful”.

1. Editors- An End Has a Start
When bands reach success with their first albums most feel they need to change things up (see the Killers “Sam’s Town”, or even Bloc Party “A Weekend in the City”). Editors stuck with the style that defined then on “The Back Room” and successfully take you into a dark, shadowy corner of your apartment, but rest a gentle comforting hand on your shoulder at the same time.