The Best Of the Best 2011!

Nadia Ali, Starkillers & Alex Kenji = biggest song of the year

What a year for music!! So many awesome trax, bands, and releases to go on and on about... so let's start with my top 25 songs release in 2011!!!

#25. Dennis Shepard, "Some Day"

I'm not sure why I liked this song so much this year... but whatever!

#24. Lady Gaga "The Edge of Glory"

I know, I know... Lady Gaga is a bit over exposed (or nearly always exposed!! har har!)... but this song tears it up... and features the best use of Sax since... er... since sax was used in dance music! Oh... too bad the video was tragically horrible!!

#23. Vanbot "Lost without you"

Blazing synths, and terrific vocals... check it out!

#22. ATB "Killing me inside (featuring Sean Ryan)"

Who's Sean Ryan, you might ask?! I don't know! But I don't care... this trax is awesome!

#21. Darren Hayes "Hurt"

My early favorite from his new album... which is just amazing. I'm not wild about his haircut though... perhaps he'll give it "some air" when he tours the USA (please, please, please!!!)

#20. Gypsy & The Cat "Sight of A Tear"

Another fav from Aussie... I absolutely adore them... Unfortunately, their music is hard to come by in the USA! Ugh!

#19. Gareth Emery & Lucy Saunders "Sanctuary"

Just wicked... the most massive trance song of the year!

#18. Cheryl Cole "3 Words (Steve Angello Remix)"

Awesome, awesome, awesome remix... what was Ashley Cole thinking, btw??? Is she not the hottest singer in the world???

#17. Cascada "San Francisco"

Terribly cheesey song, but perrrrfect for long runs at the gym!!

#16. Pitbull "Give Me Everything"

Please pass the cheese puffs! Another epic cheesey gym song... but it is epic in it's awesomeness!! Love the low pitched dude! So much fun to sing along to!

#15. Clancy "4000 Shards (StardonE Remix)"

I first heard this song on The Fear of Tigers Podcast... and I instantly fell in love with it. Awesome house dance song. And the cover for the release is purrrrfection... with the techno-feline!

#14. Nadia Ali "When it rains"

While not released, I must have listened to this song via her video post a million times! And the video is cool too!

#13. Shwayze & Cisco "You Could Be My Girl"

I'm not sure why Shwayze and Cisco are now going by Shwazye and Cisco... because they used to be the combo know only as Shwayze... but regardless, this is a massive song... one made for lazy days at the beach.

#12. Kaskade "Eyes"

Love it! Love it! Love it! Yes, a hat-trick of love!

#11. Patrick Stump "This City"

Yo... this song is made for pumping you up before a big game! Unbelievable that Patrick lost so much weight, since leaving Fall Out Boy. Great work man!

#10. Glenn Morrison "I see you in me"

Mellow trance that I just couldn't get enough of!

#9. Sound of Arrows "Conquest"

The Sound of Arrow's new album "Voyage" is the must have album of 2011. From the initial single, "Nova", to this song, the album contains one-hit after another! Like Darren Hayes, I hope they tour the USA in 2012!

#8. Rihanna "We Found Love (feat. Calvin Harris)

Until Rihanna released this song, I thought her star had fallen. Her earlier releases this year were just terrible. But then teaming up with Calvin Harris, she scored big with this dance floor monster!

#7. Flo Rida "Good Feeling"

The biggest chorus in all of 2011! Put this song on, and go for a run... and you'll break every running record you've ever set! Awesome!

#6. Sound of Arrows "Wonders"

The Sound of Arrows return to my countdown with my favorite track from their new album. Energy, dreamy, and epic... are the best three words to describe "Wonders." 

#5. 009 Sound System "Wings"

My vote for the most unexpected pop hit! Who would have imagined 009 Sound System to offer up a dance-hall-like groove in 2011. Love it to pieces!

#4. Nadia Ali, Starkillers & Alex Kenji "Pressure (Alesso Radio Edit)"

"Pressure" appears twice in this list... thanks in a large part to two awesome remixes. This was my most unescapable song of the year. I listened to it constantly... but it was utterly amazing!

#3. Medina "Lonely"

Hailed as Europe's Lady Gaga... which is more of a diss on Medina. I love nearly everything she has released... and Lonely is no exception.

#2. Visitor "Because of You"

Unavailable yet... but "Because of You" was featured on the Fear of Tigers podcast... and I was hooked. I am so excited for 2012 because this will finally become available!

#1. Nadia Ali "Pressure (Clokx Radio Remix)"

Awesome!!!!! Let's face it... Nadia Ali rules!!! Happy new year everyone!

Broadcast Heavies Declare Tournament A Bust!

What left sports fans reeling in despair, has also left the broadcast network for the World's Great Tournament in March exasperated! Broadcast director for the tournament, Louisana Louie, declared that the weekend upsets mean certain victory for rival networks. "Nobody in their right mind will give a pelican's beak if the Curling Olympians beat the Hanger ons, or if those PhD nutjobs out-score the Librarians!", exclaimed Mr. Louie during an outrageous press conference shortly after the conclusion of the Sunday games.

Sadly, Mr. Louie may be right. In a viewer poll released by MediaWeek this morning, it is clear that The World's Greatest Tournament in March faces a great uphill battle to retain its audience for the final games. In fact, the most condemning bit of data that surfaced in the survey was the fact that respondents would rather watch anything but these final games - including show's like "Knitting with Gramma Kay" and "Musty Joe's Tales of Tobasco"; two shows that have failed to draw more than 12 viewers in their short run on Public Access.

"Welllll, you see now, people do wanna watch good ol' Gramma Kay." Said her dear friend Melinda Sunflower. "She's making a nice sweater for her granddaughter on this week's show, too"

Mr. Louie who had just read the news exploded with venom in a brief interview this morning, "Musty Joe doesn't even like hot foods! I've watched that show! He takes a bite... his eyes fill with water, his body shakes, his skin turns red and then green, and he concludes with either passing out cold, or crying to his momma! He's a moron, egads!"

Egads is right! Will you continue to pay attention?

And then there was 4

It was a massacre of the tournament favorites, for sure, over the past weekend. So much to review, but so disappointing for now. So please forgive me for my very brisk posting this morning. Let's just say.... The matches: unbelievable. The upsets: incredibile. Dreams: dashed. Losers: gutted. Winners: Elated. Here's the list of the final four: Curling Olympians (who brushed aside the Chucky Cheese Employees), Hanger Ons (who upset and then "friended" the Comic Con Attendees on Facebook), Those with a PhD in Taxidermy (who pickled the French DJs with Big Thumbs), and Naughty Librarians (who got their dewy decimal on over Godzilla's Babies).

The Madness Continues!!!

Good day everyone! Below, you'll find the latest news on each of the exciting matches being played today - feel free to click on each to read the copy better (if you dare)!

By the way... my predictions: Taxidermy stuffs the Garbage Collectors. The French DJs make it thru by the skin of their thumby-thumb-thumbs. Godzilla's Babies get their Lincoln on, and crush Civil War Re-enactors like Grant took Richmond. And finally, the match between the two biggest scoundrels in the tournament, it's too close to call (sorry!)

A full report for all of the Thursday and Friday matches will be posted tomorrow!! Stay tuned! Big news guaranteed!

Eechee Momma! Thursday and Friday = Madness!!!

The tournament comes back with a vengence tomorrow, and I'm wiggin' out about it!! Big Games! Big Stakes! And Big Competitors! It doesn't get more exciting than this! Let's take a look:

Big Match 1: Naked Samurais vs. Chucky Cheese Employees


There is no better match-up in the 3rd round than the Naked Samurais vs. the Chucky Cheese Employees. One might think that the Samurais have the advantage because they are buck-naked and... well... they are buck-naked doing Samurai moves. Freaky stuff, and extremely upsetting when they are lunging forward or squatting.

But you'd be a fool to overlook the Chucky Cheese Employees... who knocked out the Super Cute Yorkie Owners, in an upset that was unexpected by all of the sporting world. Lars Borkbok, of the Finnish Yorkie Times, declared "The Chucky Cheese Employees are horrible cheats, and giant nob-heads." Not very nice, but it sums up the hatred CCE are fostering because they are beating the odds and taking this tournament on their own terms.

Winner, if I had to pick: Chucky Cheese Employees... by a slight margin.

Big Match 2: Curling Olympians vs. Australian Rugby Players

It's probably curtains for the Curling Olympians... despite putting the Girls Scouts out to pasture a few days ago.

You see, the biggest problem that the Curling Olympians face... is that their secret weapon: their trademark coolfizzle pants... are nolonger a tournament shocker. So what stopped the poor little girls in Troop A, shouldn't even make an impression on Nils Dundee and his Australian Rugby team. In fact, given that each player on ARP has suffered an average of 3-concussions-a-year for the past 5 years, it is likely that the coolfizzle pants could create a case of mistake identy for the Curling Olympians (see photo above).

Winner, if I had to pick: Australian Rugby Players. A blow out, for sure.

Big Match 3: Sultans of Swing vs. Comic Con Attendees

Let's not waste anytime with this... Winner, if I had to pick: It's Hammer Time! No doubt about it... Comic Con Attendees are here to stay. Sorry to be so forward on this analysis... but ka-pow! zzzzazzzamm! those poor merry Sultans are in trouble!


Big Match 4: Hanger Ons vs. Cereal Box Designers Ok... so I took some time out yesterday to meet with the Cereal Box Designers's less than charismatic team captain, Adam Tuckmudder. I figured he'd have a few insightful comments to offer on the upcoming match against the Hanger Ons... the tournament's true "wonder story." The problem... it turns out Mr. Tuckmudder is about as exciting as reading the ingredients to a box of Grape Nuts. Here's some hightlights:

Mr. Tuckmudder fell in love with cereal boxes when in college.

Mr. Tuckmudder feels that the whole grain option for Honey Bunches of Oats was just too fancy.

Mr. Tuckmudder likes to eat cereal with and without milk.

So you see... he's a pretty dull dude. In terms of the tournament, his only comment was that he feels the Hanger Ons are just a bunch of annoying wannabees, who will probably want to be his friend after the match.

So... I had to ask him... "what if they do?" To which he replied... "hmm... I hadn't thought of that." Ugh... par for the course, when talking to Tuckmudder.

Winner, if I had to pick: Hanger Ons, please!!

Ok... so tomorrow, I'll update with the other teams! Hang tight! Have a good night!!

Let's talk UPSETS from Day 1

There's very little enjoyment at Ferby Macintosh's house this morning. When he left his home last Friday for The World's Great Tournament in March, his hopes were high. "I remember him saying to everyone... We're gonna win this whole thing. Just as sure as the Moon is bigger than the sun," said a distressed Avacado Macintoch, mother of Ferby and spiritual matron of The Guys who Play Bongos at Parties. "Now what am I going to say to him?"
These are sad times indeed, with Bongos playing dudes beating their last drum against the The Book Smart Garbage Collectors. "Hey, man... good times just came to an end. It kind of blew my mind," said Ferby. "This tournament, my team, and my bongos are my passion. For real."

Final score: The Book Smart Garbage Collectors 70, Guys that play bongos at Partires 67.

In other tournament upsets: World Champion Whistlers sent shockwaves thru the sports world with their melodic victory over The Leprechaun Imposters; on St. Patty's Day none-the-less. Shaun O'Guiness, who's real name is Ruskoff Borismennevski, played the central villian in the demise of the Irish team, from the Bartlebee, Nebraska. "Bon-NO Thanks" read the signs as they left their hotel this morning.

Final score: World Champion Whistlers 79, The Leprechaun Imposters 68.

Stay tuned for more news!!

Dreams are dashed on Day 1!

They say tournaments can bring a grown man to tears. A humbling statement, and one that Dan Dobbles and his balloonatics know all too well tonight, as they were dumped from the tournament by the amp'ed up on provolone & mountain dew Chucky Cheese Employees.

Final score: Balloon Artists 64, Chucky Cheese Employees 68.

Elsewhere, the notoriously vicious Super Cute Yorkie Owners crushed the hapless Angry Chefs of Monte Carlo. "Je suis tellement en colere!!!!" declared head chef, Patrice Patrice... just as he missed a nearly-impossible-to-miss basket; bringing his field goal tally to 0-for-42-shots. Oh la misere!

Final score: The Angry Chefs of Monte Carlo 70, Super Cute Yorkie Owners 81

Speaking of upsets, in Group B, The Council on Sudanese Tourism punted a sorry West Ham United Supporters; and the Hanger Ons suprised everyone with their convincing victory over the Needlepoint Assassins. Lory Labinport, of WHUS, declared the loss the worst day in his life since the signing of Iain Dowie... but did state, after the match, "I do plan to visit the Sudan some time very soon." The Needlepoint Assassin's where less gracious following their amazingly poor performance... with manager Mary Farthwop saying, "the Hanger Ons are rubbish, and I am pretty well sure that their goggles and wet suits are against the rules of the tournament."

Final scores:

Needlepoint Assassins 61, Hanger Ons 74.

West Ham United Supporters 55, The Council of Sudanese Tourism 64.

More scores and recaps to follow!! Stay tuned!!