Powhertz' favorites
in music
in
2008

Like every year, here's the chart of the songs that had the most effect on the author and administrator of Powhertz over the past year. And as every year, I'll repeat these are not even necessarly the songs that I think to be the best, only those that personnally marked me the most throughout the year. 2008 is characterized by an excellent top 13 and significant weaknesses starting at #32, so much that I was not even able to get to 50 songs for the chart. Let's not wait any longer, here are the winners.

Pos.

Song

Artist


1

Psychosocial

SLIPKNOT

Slipknot doesn't stop progressing to new levels. From a #25 in 1999 to a #14 in 2004, here they are stealing a #1 of the year, without even a true contest. Only the last few days of the year made me slightly hesitate because of Metallica's brilliance, but from what right would I turn over a decision that had been crystal clear in my mind for the previous 4 months? It's the song that marked my year 2008 the most overall, and it largely deserves its #1. Of course it is heavy, very heavy, but in an extremely fluid and efficient format. For sensible ears, that might probably sound like a tsunami. For well-trained ears, it's rather like a powerful cascade, a nice waterfall. It is strong, very strong! You also got to pay attention to details, which are a bit buried under the wall of sound I admit, but it is fun to work at distinguishing them. Here's the official music video on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjsUzI_BtGk
But, WARNING! The video (and radio) version litterally cuts two parts of the song, which make it a little dryer. There's really something missing! The video is visually interesting, especially that it's the first one with the band member's new masks (including singer Corey Taylor's that I like, even if many fans preferred his previous mask), but for the auditive experience of the song, it greatly worths listening to it in its integrality, which you'll find at the following address:
http://www.imeem.com/people/jNH_a8t/music/EafJGJOk/slipknot_psychosocial/

Who needs another mess?
We could start over
Just look me in the eyes and say I'm wrong

Or:
Can't stop a killing idea
If it's hunting season
Is this what you want?
I'm not the only one!


2

The Day that Never Comes
Metallica
What a wonderful comeback for the legendary Metallica! This song was definitely a candidate for #1 despite its lack of originality. I found this song pretty much modelled after One (one of the band's greatest hits, that reached its peak success in 1989), but through which we nonetheless can slightly notice the influence from everything the band has learned from the St. Anger (2003) era. Regardless, it is un arguably a piece of anthology, a truly essential from the same level than One, Master of Puppets and other old hits that the public continues to praise over 20 years later.

OF COURSE, I'm talking here of the song in its complete version (7 minutes 56 seconds) and not the totally ridiculous 3:37 version played by some over-commercial radio stations like CKOI in Montréal! The beginning is the same, but they cut it while the true essence of the song just starts developing! Playing this shortened version is an affront against this art! Under these circumstances, it is not really surprising to see The Day that Never Comes take the #1 of the year at Musique Plus and not even manage to make a spot in CKOI's top 50! There are songs sometimes that last 4 minutes, and we have a clear impression that it's already 2 minutes too much. This one lasts 7:56 and really NEEDS its 7:56 to deliver what it has to deliver.

I also want to say that I love the guitar riff that starts just a little before the first verse, it is beautiful. Here's the touching video, based on the full 7:56 version:
http://www.imeem.com/metallica/video/dTtLoj_5/metallica_the_day_that_never_comes_music_video/

3

Sky is Over
Serj Tankian
Without the shadow of a doubt, the best song from the System of a Down split into Serj Tankian and Scars on Broadway. Superb arrangements with the piano and the symphonic string instruments, although sometimes the sound could have been a bit better balanced. A little short too, but listen, I didn't say it's a masterpiece! Only a very, very good song with emotion. Music video available atthe following address:
http://www.imeem.com/serjtankian/video/B3pTMna4/serj_tankian_sky_is_over_official_video_music_video/

4

Handlebars
Flobots
Who? Exactly; each and every year, there's a perfectly unknown artist that comes up with vey big piece, and this year that band is called Flobots! A very clever and intelligent development, we should not be shy to listen to it over and over again until we realize that we are facing a truly great song. It's grandiose despite a very very ordinary singer (I didn't say bad, just very average!), what would it haven been with a great singer...
Video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuK2A1ZqoWs

5

Psycho
Puddle of Mudd
After a very disappointing successor for the highly popular Come Clean album, followed by the near-simultaneous departure of 2 of the band's 4 members in 2005, I thought it was over for Puddle of Mudd. Finally, it was so much not the case that the band gets in 2008 its highest position ever in a top of Powhertz' favorites, ahead of the performance of a #7 for She Hates Me in 2002! Very, very nice comeback! It's still mostly post-grunge, it still isn't very original, but it really get me goin'! I'm a child of grunge, I've always been assuming it! In the beginning of the year, I even thought it could be my #1, but finally there has been stronger competitors that came later.
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yU_JyGBDeIc
note: song released in the very last days of 2007, but I have to pass it in 2008

6

Pump up the Jam The Lost Fingers
An extremely surprising cover of the Techtronics hit in gypsy jazz ("jazz manouche") by a small band from Québec city, delightful! I possibly tend to disadvantage them a little bit here because it is not an original song but a cover, but still it's so good! To be listened to, like some other of their covers of hits from the '80s, onto their MySpace profile:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=198264640

7

Discipline
Nine Inch Nails
Not the band's most accomplished, but still very good and very stirring. A free download on NIN's Web site, actually it's the whole 10-track album that is free:
http://dl.nin.com/theslip/signup

8

Pork and Beans Weezer
Some cheesy and loud Weezer as we love them! Really in the same line as Buddy Holly, which certainly remains their greatest hit to date. It is excellent, one of the "musts" of 2008.
The very funny video concept "Youtube stars" (a great idea, by the way!): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WanLLnVixC4&NR=1

9

Cyanide
Metallica
Unlike The Day that Never Comes, a little more in the sound of the previous album (St. Anger) than the sound of the old albums of the '80s. Which is nothing wrong! A very strong 2nd single for their Death Magnetic album! A little more difficult to give you a link this time, because there is no video for this song and we all know that Metallica watches very closely the pirates that make their songs available on the Internet!... Up to you to buy the album or make your own searches, if you haven't already heard it many times on the radio like me.

10

I'm Not Jesus
Apocalyptica feat. Corey Taylor
Excellent results obtained by the combination of the Apocalyptica sound (with, among others, a cello instead of a bass guitar like almost all other rock bands) and the voice of the famous singer Corey Taylor (Slipknot, Stone Sour). I'm not Jesus, I will not forgive!
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrlvOYUay_4

11

Let it Die Foo Fighters
The Foo's best in a very long time! I'm disappointed that the song finally ends up so far in my yearly chart due to the very fierce competition, but I really want to insist that I loved it! Kudos Dave!

12

4 Minutes
Madonna feat. Justin Timberlake & Timbaland
It's been without any sort of hesitation my pop song of 2008. It may sound more Timbaland than Madonna, but one thing's for sure, it sounds big! Pairing one of the hotest female pop artists with two of the hotest male artists was definitely a sure bet to result in a #1. A truly good pop song though, is never guaranteed. But they did.
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QcbUjTg0pE

13

Scream
Avenged Sevenfold
Threatening!! As almost any Avenged Sevenfold radio single, Scream just hits its target! I didn't find an official video for the song, but I let you have fun with everything we can find on YouTube! http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Avenged+sevenfold+Scream&search_type=&aq=f

14

G.L.O.W.
The Smashing Pumpkins
I love the intro, a lot less the "come on, come on, come on, can you feel it?". Uneven impression, but I nonetheless crank up the radio volume when it starts!

15

Piece of Me
Britney Spears

16

Hammerhead
The Offspring

17

The Western World
Pennywise

18

Addicted
Saving Abel
Absolutely nothing out of ordinary, I concede, but I guess I was affected by the love song, the chorus in particular:
I'm so addicted to
All the things you do
When you're going down on me
In between the sheets
All the sounds you make
Every breath you take
It's unlike anything, when you're loving me

19

I Don't Care
Apocalyptica feat. Adam Gontier
Apocalyptica again, this time under the voice of Three Days Grace's Adam Gontier. I definitely hooked up more on I'm not Jesus, but this one is still very good nonetheless.

20

Afterlife
Avenged Sevenfold

21

They Say
Scars on Broadway

22

Inside the Fire
Disturbed

23

Given Up
Linkin Park

24

I Kissed a Girl
Katy Perry

25

Shadow of the Day
Linkin Park
note: song released in December 2007, but I pass it in 2008

26

Corbillard
Caféïne

27

I Will Possess Your Heart Death Cab for Cutie

28

Bullet with a Name Nonpoint

29

Mentir
Marie-Mai

30

Mars ou Vénus
Zébulon

31

Pousse, Pousse Jonathan Painchaud

32

Calabria
Enur feat. Natasja

33

Falling Down Atreyu

34

You're Gonna go far, Kid The Offspring

35

Second Chance Shinedown
A nice song, mostly for the lyrics of the chorus:
Tell my mother,
Tell my father
I've done the best I can
To make them realize
This is my life
I hope they understand
I'm not angry, I'm just saying
That sometimes goodbye
Is a second chance

36

Indestructible Disturbed

37

Chinese Democracy Guns n' Roses
GNR's comeback!!! Very far from Metallica's, but certainly not a disastrous comeback.

38

Love Hurts Incubus

39

Breakdown Seether
Not Seether's most rousing, but some clever lyrics like: "Words are spaces between us" ou "I could have tried and devoted my life to both of us,
But what a waste of my time when the world we had was yours", probably inspired of his painful relation with Evanescence's Amy Lee...

40

Bad Girlfriend Theory of a Deadman

41

Just Dance
Lady Gaga

42

Stop!
Against Me

43

Break the Ice Britney Spears

44

24 Hour Break-Up Session Local H
So directly out of Nirvana's "garage" era! A song released about 17 years too late, but I've always loved grunge, I never denied it...

45

Entre Deux Taxis Les Cowboys Fringants
Disappointing return from my Cowboys as far as I'm concerned, with yet another ballad tightly built for the commercial and contemporary radios, a little "downer" with on top of it all a central idea borrowed from an old Éric Lapointe hit, On Commence à s'Quitter. But I would not be ready to say that I find it bad for it, and it deserves (not by much!) a place in my top favorite songs of the year.

The next one would have been Do What you Do, by Mudvayne.

Regrets for 2007: Fallen Leaves from Billy Talent, and less importantly Make it Wit Chu from Queens of the Stone Age.
I would also add a regret for 2003 that I curiously discovered only this year: Gasoline from Seether.

There will not be a Top Sucks again this year... but can I take this opportunity to say that I just CAN'T STAND NO MORE to hear Coldplay on the radio! I can't take anymore the tens, tens, and tens of times that I am forced to change the radio channel because it is AGAIN a song by Coldplay starting and I've really become irritated to hear it at every radio: the rock stations, the pop stations, even the most contemporary stations are playing a complete overdose of Coldplay! I largely passed the indigestion stage and now I just can't stand it no more! If you're working in a radio, please, dose a little better your Coldplay in 2009!


Powhertz
2009/01/11