• 50. Linkin Park – “Shadow of the Day” – Minutes to Midnight
• 49. The Raconteurs – “Steady As She Goes” – Broken Boy Soldiers
• 48. The Letter Black – “Hanging On By a Thread” – Breaking the Silence
• 47. Paper Tongues – “Ride To California” – Paper Tongues
• 46. We the Kings – “We’ll Be A Dream (ft. Demi Lovato)” – Smile Kid
• 45. Breaking Benjamin – “Give Me a Sign” – Dear Agony
• 44. Paper Tongues – “Trinity” – Paper Tongues
• 43. Falling Up – “Moonlit” – Dawn Escapes
• 42. Lifehouse – “Halfway Gone” – Smoke & Mirrors
• 41. B.o.B. – “Airplanes (feat. Hayley Williams of Paramore)” – B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray
• 40. Needtobreathe – “You Are Here” – Daylight
• 39. Sixpence None the Richer – “There She Goes” – Sixpence None The Richer
• 38. Rise Against – “Savior” – Appeal to Reason
• 37. Anberlin – “You Belong Here” – Dark Is The Way, Light Is A Place
• 36. Falling Up – “Searchlights” – Dawn Escapes
• 35. Nickelback – “Far Away” – All the Right Reasons
• 34. Sixpence None the Richer – “Breathe Your Name” – Divine Discontent
• 33. Rise Against – “Audience of One” – Appeal to Reason
• 32. The Gaslight Anthem – “American Slang” – American Slang
• 31. Mumford & Sons – “The Cave” – Sigh No More
• 30. Rob Thomas – “Mockingbird” – Cradlesong
• 29. Weezer – “Buddy Holly” – Blue Album
• 28. Needtobreathe – “Stones Under Rushing Water” – The Outsiders
• 27. 30 Seconds to Mars – “Kings and Queens” – This Is War
• 26. Katy Perry – “Teenage Dream” – Teenage Dream
• 25. B.o.B. – “Magic (feat. Rivers Cuomo)” – B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray
• 24. Paramore – “Turn It Off” – Brand New Eyes
• 23. Maroon 5 – “If I Never See Your Face Again (feat. Rihanna)” – It Won’t Be Soon Before Long
• 22. Mae – “Suspension” – The Everglow
• 21. Needtobreathe – “Nothing Left To Lose” – The Heat
• 20. Dorothy Savage – “As Long As It Takes” – Glorious Mess
• 19. Kerrie Roberts – “Beautiful to Me” – Kerrie Roberts
• 18. Falling Up – “Good Morning Planetarium” – Captiva
• 17. Relient K – “The Lining Is Silver” – The Bird And The Bee Sides
• 16. Needtobreathe – “Shine On” – Daylight
• 15. The Classic Crime – “The Fight” – Albatross
• 14. Train – “If It’s Love” – Save Me, San Francisco
• 13. 30 Seconds to Mars – “This Is War” – This Is War
• 12. Kerrie Roberts – “No Matter What” – Kerrie Roberts
• 11. Nickelback – “Never Gonna Be Alone” – Dark Horse
• 10. Owl City – “Vanilla Twilight” – Ocean Eyes
• 9. Anberlin – “Dismantle. Repair.” – Cities
• 8. Falling Up – “A Guide To Marine Life” – Captiva
• 7. Train – “This Ain’t Goodbye” – Save Me, San Francisco
• 6. Anberlin – “The Art Of War” – Dark Is The Way, Light Is A Place
• 5. Breaking Benjamin – “I Will Not Bow” – Dear Agony
• 4. Kerrie Roberts – “This Love Doesn’t Run” – Kerrie Roberts
• 3. Needtobreathe – “Something Beautiful” – The Outsiders
• 2. 30 Seconds to Mars – “Closer to the Edge” – This Is War
• 1. The Temper Trap – “Fader” – Conditions

“Ride to California” is a highlight.  It opens with a slightly ethnic beat and rap and goes into a more hip-hop/pop/rock groove that you can’t help but bob your head to.  And all along, there are deep, soaring synths and guitar riffs accompanying.  It’s hard to keep their music in a box.  That’s one of the things that stand out to me.  Paper Tongues is original.  Mark my word, I predict “Trinity” will be a radio hit, and “Ride to California” will be popular among clubs, dances, and college campuses.

Be sure to download “Trinity” for free from iTunes.  Also, you can get “Ride to California” for free on the Paper Tongues MySpace page and the music video on the Paper Tongues website by entering your e-mail in the form on the right side of the page.  Definitely check this band out.

For many years, when I was back home, I listened to Air 1 in the car.  They played “You Are Here,” “Streets Of Gold,” “Signature Of Divine (Yahweh),” and “Washed By The Water” regularly.  For various reasons, including the fact that it is usually hard for me to appreciate a song by listening to it on the radio because of the missing frequencies, I dismissed NeedToBreathe as any other band.

A month or so ago, however, I was in a movie theater watching trailers before the feature presentation when I saw the one for Extraordinary Measures.  When I saw it again before another movie, I noticed the song that played in the background of the trailer.  When I returned home, I immediately looked it up and discovered that it was “Nothing Left To Lose” by NeedToBreathe.  Then I thought, “Hey, isn’t that one band that I heard on Air1?”  Though I did not really pay much attention before, I recognized the band’s name.

I looked on their website to find “Nothing Left To Lose.”  I absolutely loved it. I listened over and over.  Discovering that the track was from their album, The Heat, I also recognized “Streets Of Gold,” “Signature Of Divine (Yahweh),” and “Washed By The Water” in addition to the album cover.  I then checked out Daylight and found “You Are Here.”  Then I thought, “Yep, it is them.”

I became addicted to their music, and I think I still am.  Unfortunately, I am currently not in the position to purchase the actual, physical albums from the store, I listened through all three of them on their website.  Bo Rinehart’s voice is just so deep and rich (reminds me a little of Caleb Followill’s), and the music is filled with so much warmth.  You can really hear the band’s small South Carolina town origins in some of their very soulful songs.  Listening to the tracks, I cannot help but be moved with the passion and emotion.

I noticed a transition from a pop/rock sound on their first album, Daylight, to a more folk/country-ish sound on their following two, The Heat and The Outsiders, which is interesting, yet they still seem to preserve some of their original pop/rock roots as well.  I do not usually like the folk/country sound, but NeedToBreathe is definitely an exception.  Somehow, I find their music comforting and fulfilling.  I also did some research on the band and discovered that quite a bit of their songs were featured on various television programs and commercials, as well as feature films including Extraordinary Measures.

NeedToBreathe is definitely a gem, and I am so glad I happened to stumble across them.  Hopefully, I will be able to purchase the albums soon, but for now, I will continue streaming the songs from their website.  This is probably my best find of the year so far.  I would absolutely recommend you check them out.

30. John Mayer – “No Such Thing” – Room for Squares
29. Hellogoodbye – “Here (In Your Arms)” – Zombies! Aliens! Vampires! Dinosaurs! and More!
28. There For Tomorrow – “Ice Box” – Punk Goes Pop, Vol. Two
27. The Summer Set – “Seasons” – …In Color – EP
26. Anberlin – “True Faith” – True Faith – Single
25. Saosin – “You’re Not Alone” – Saosin
24. Linkin Park – “New Divide” – New Divide – Single
23. Remedy Drive – “Stand Up” – Remedy Drive
22. Linkin Park – “What I’ve Done” – Minutes to Midnight
21. Valencia – “Where Did You Go?” – We All Need a Reason to Believe
20. Breaking Benjamin – “The Diary of Jane” – Phobia
19. Fireflight – “You Gave Me A Promise” – Unbreakable
18. Skillet – “Hero” – Awake
17. Fireflight – “Star of the Show” – The Healing of Harms
16. Kris Allen – “Live Like We’re Dying” – Kris Allen
15. Remedy Drive – “Daylight” – Remedy Drive
14. Jimmy Eat World – “Chase This Light” – Chase This Light
13. Seabird – “Don’t You Know You’re Beautiful” – Rocks Into Rivers
12. Taylor Swift – “Fearless” – Fearless
11. Stars Go Dim – “Come Around” – Love Gone Mad
10. Daughtry – “September” – Leave This Town
9. Michelle Branch – “Breathe” – Hotel Paper
8. Paramore – “Brick Boring Brick” – Brand New Eyes
7. Switchfoot – “Bullet Soul” – Hello Hurricane
6. Owl City – “Fireflies” – Ocean Eyes
5. Paramore – “Careful” – Brand New Eyes
4. Switchfoot – “You Love Is A Song” – Hello Hurricane
3. Kris Allen – “The Truth” – Kris Allen
2. Kutless – “What Faith Can Do” – It Is Well
1. Rob Thomas – “Someday” – Cradlesong

I have been anticipating this album for the longest time, and when Switchfoot decided to stream it as a whole on their MySpace, I was elated.  There is so much good to say about this album that I do not know where to begin.  I guess first of all, I must point out how personal the songs are.  I realize that the band struggled for a long time about the sound and direction of the album, and I know that when they made decisions regarding how they wanted to do things, they thought long and hard about them.

Hello Hurricane just seems to stand out to me, even among Switchfoot’s previous releases.  Their sound has definitely evolved.  There is just so much richness to it, and to me, the band has managed to find something new while still holding on to their old vibe.  The opening track, “Needle and Haystack Life,” is such a great, upbeat introduction to the record, and it definitely hails a new era for the band.  I must admit, I was even a bit surprised (pleasantly so) that the band I was hearing was indeed Switchfoot.  They bring so many new things to the table in songs such as “Enough to Let Me Go,” “Bullet Soul,” and “Sing It Out.”  In a way, I would say that they have become a bit more “pop-ish,” and I mean that in a good way.  However, I also realize that in this way, they are in fact returning to their mellower and less rock-ish roots as manifested in their early albums.  People may say, “o, wow, this doesn’t even sound like Switchfoot,” but it must be pointed out that they actually began more as a pop band.  At the same time, it is a bit more than pop.  For example, “Sing It Out” seems to me like a song with a sound of its own with lots of ambient synth, and the melody is so unique in terms of Switchfoot.  It’s just so different!

With that said, I am absolutely overjoyed to also say that the band still maintains the edgy sound that I love in many tracks.  The single, “Mess of Me” definitely has that rock Switchfoot sound, as well as “The Sound,” “Free,” and “Bullet Soul.”  “The Sound” is such an audacious song that is reminiscent of songs such as “Dirty Second Hands,” and the rock anthem was even featured in a Verizon Wireless commercial!  While we are on these songs, I must point out a few things.  First of all, although “Mess of Me” and “The Sound” have been the tracks that have stood out to many, I actually rather like “Bullet Soul.”  The rift is just so edgy and is quite reminiscent of the Muse in some sense.  I find it very groovy and can’t help but bob my head to it.  There is also a shredding guitar solo in it as well.  The other neat thing I wanted to pointed about “Free” is that its introduction reminds me of the introduction for the television show, House (“Teardrop,” by Massive Attack).  Also, the rest of the song reminds me of the theme song of another show, Lie To Me (“Brand New Day,” by Ryan Star), perhaps because of the chord progression or just the feel of the song itself.  I am just pointing these things out only because I think it is interesting to draw these connections and to point out how Switchfoot has expanded their sound, which is awesome.

The album has milder, more intimate tracks as well, such as “Always,” in which which I love the piano, and “Yet,” which reminds a bit of U2.  I love how Switchfoot can always manage to connect in their more calming songs with beautiful melodies.  Even the closing track, “Red Eyes,” is quite comforting, and it reminds me of “Golden” (off of Nothing Is Sound) in terms of both sound and sentiments.  It is an excellent conclusion to the album, and the fadeout at the end left me pondering about the whole album.

The title track, “Hello Hurricane” is a great statement of fortitude and quite reflects the band’s surfer origins.  I think my favorite track off of the album (for now, at least) is “Your Love Is A Song.”  When I first heard the preview on the band’s website, I grew attached to it.  It seems very poetic to me, and the moody melody really moved me.

Overall, I think Hello Hurricane is an amazing album, expanding new horizons for the band, yet still reflecting old sounds.  Switchfoot has definitely redefined themselves, and in a way strengthened the definition on which they stood.  I must say that I am biased for the band, but I truly do believe that this is a great album.  I absolutely cannot wait for the official release.  Congratulations, guys, for your success and your journey thus far.  I hope you continue to write from deep within.