I’ve seen a lot of live shows but many of the most memorable have come from a single guy: Jon Brion. Brion used to play every Friday night at Café Largo in Los Angeles and I was there for a ton of them. What made him so compelling was that he always took the stage without a playlist. His set ended up being a mix of whatever inspired him at the moment and requests shouted from the audience. Some nights would be comprised mostly of ragtime and moody jazz. Others would be giant singalongs – the greatest hits of The Police with Brion accompanying on xylophone, for example. One night he asked the audience to name a song. Someone suggested “Dream On” by Aerosmith. Then he asked for a genre. Someone yelled “Bossa Nova”. Brion picked up an acoustic guitar, cued up a samba beat, and did it on the spot.

You truly had no idea what to expect when you walked into Largo every Friday (and neither did Brion).  The concert was unfolding in real-time as a collaboration between performer and audience – a marked contrast to the overly-choreographed shows we normally see. There is a reason he sold out every week and has become something of a living legend in clubland.

Now humor me as I segue into marketing: to what degree do your brands engage without a script and how important is it to actually do so?

I like to call this act of marketing spontaneity “living breathing media”. What is Living Breathing Media? Good question because I just made it up.  I would define it as any program or initiative that:

1. Requires a brand to change direction on-the-fly (in real-time or very close to it)
2. Reacts and adapts based on the will of participants/customers
3. Does not have a specific end in mind and begins to take on a soul of its own

It has to meet all three of those criteria. We’re not talking just about real time, i.e. a campaign that adjusts creative based on the winner of the Super Bowl (that meets criteria #1 but not 2). And we aren’t talking about contests that air the commercial with the most consumer votes (#2 but not 1). Living breathing media are programs and platforms that literally evolve and grow almost instantly based largely on where people want to take it. Lastly, these are programs that take on a soul of their own. You have a strong framework in place for the initial approach but can’t know at the start what the finish will look like.

It’s not an easy decision to make because doing so is dramatically different than most current approaches. It takes a lot of time and flexible resources. It requires fast decision making. It forces brands to cede even more control than most other situations. And it certainly isn’t appropriate for every part of a marketer’s mix to suddenly go real-time.

That’s probably why we’ve seen it used to date primarily by those with no better option. The most obvious example is political candidates who continually tweak their message and strategy based on polls and numbers (despite emphatic denials of being influenced by any such thing). The John McCain running before the collapse of Lehman Brothers was a markedly different candidate from the McCain afterwards. We’ve also recently watched Toyota and BP scramble in real-time to communicate their way out of PR crisises.

But I would argue it’s becoming increasingly important for most brands to proactively get experience in Living Breathing Media for 4 key reasons:

1. It’s how your customers increasingly live
2. It drives involvement and loyalty
3. It teaches you as it goes
4. It’s thrilling and unexpected

It’s how your customers increasingly live

This one is the most obvious. We’ve watched our audiences move from consuming media carefully scheduled into set time slots to taking in a constant stream of news, links and content. It’s getting harder to fit an old-fashioned commercial message into our customers’ new habits.

It drives involvement and loyalty
Yes, it’s more work but your customers will recognize the difference and pay more attention. Look at the engagement Leo Burnett drove a few weeks back with their David on Demand experiment. It was a simple enough premise: a Burnett employee wanted to attend the Cannes Festival, his bosses immaturely (and brilliantly) agreed to send him so long as he strapped a camera and computer to himself and agreed to do whatever people tweeted him to do. The majority of messages directed to David that weren’t dares were variations of either “I love you” or “I can’t stop watching!”. People were hooked.

It teaches you as it goes

Living breathing media offers a constant torrent of feedback, allowing you to grow smarter much more quickly and adjust your approach. As long as you have a solid idea to begin with and are willing to be flexible, I’d argue it’s harder to fail vs. traditional efforts because consumers tell you where you’re going wrong and give you huge credit for fixing it. Denuo is in year two of the Taco Bell Truck – a giant purple truck that travels the country handing out free Taco Bell.  By communicating on Twitter, we gets lots of information on what’s going to work before we even get to the next stop. We are increasingly relying on our fans to tell us where to stop and what to do once we get there.

It’s thrilling and unexpected

I would argue that living breathing media done well is more compelling than the average message we ignore on our screens and skip on our Tivos. But it’s also far more fun for the marketer. You have to really nail your strategy and reason for being but, with that in place, it allows you to operate a bit without a net, taking to places you hadn’t anticipated. And a program that fires up the people who work on it is a pretty good indication you’re on to something.

Start experimenting with living breathing media. It’s a key tool for building relationships with your customers and an inevitable direction for marketing going forward. And next time you’re in LA, check to see if Jon Brion is playing. This will hold you over in the meantime.

UPDATE:  Great article that explains what’s behind the Old Spice You Tube videos – an example that launched the same day as this post and is probably the best example to date of what I’m talking about: http://bit.ly/adL96t

Related posts:

1. Reflecteur – Issue 62
2. Denuo @ Social Media Week NYC
3. Social Media Marketing (My Shoes Made Me Write This)

This year in two parts: the first part a series of lists that I would have tried to illustrate if I had any sort of design skills whatsoever, the second part a succinct, totally unfair snap judgement on every act I saw. Feel free to disagree and yell at me in the comments.

LIZSTOMANIA

THE FIVE BEST SHOWS OF COACHELLA 2010

1. Muse
2. King Khan and the Shrines
3. Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
4. The Avett Brothers
5. Vampire Weekend

BEST COVERS I HEARD

1. “Hospital Beds” by Florence and the Machine (featuring Nathan from Cold War Kids!)
2. “Roll Over Beethoven” by She & Him
3. “Reunited” by Faith No More
4. “Paper Planes” by Street Sweeper Social Club
5. “Back in Black” by Muse (only the killer riff in the middle but still)

UP/DOWN VS LAST YEAR

Temperature

Attendance

Personal hours spent at the actual festival

Personal celebrity sightings

Personal appearances in US Weekly (page 56 this week, behind Kate Hudson)

Audience pot smoking

Attendees passed out on the field

Guitar solos

DJs sets attended

Hours trapped in parking lot each night

BIGGER CROWDS THAN I EXPECTED

1. Phoenix
2. La Roux
3. Yeasayer
4. Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
5. Florence and the Machine

BEST QUOTES

1. “Well, that was pretty much the 90’s in a nutshell” – Pavement at the end of their set
2. “Look at all you beautiful people. Except the few of you who are ugly. [to guy in front] Did you just flip me off? Don’t shoot the messenger”. – The Specials
3. “Get a cream or something and you can clear that shit right up” – King Khan to bumpy Yo Gabba Gabba! character Muno
4. “You’re all about to see Sly Stone!!…a bit later. But first up, Little Boots!” – Roadie for Sly Stone awkwardly announcing a delay ten minutes into what should have been his set
5. “It takes a lot to get someone like me out to a desert” – Florence from Florence and the Machine

BIGGEST SCHEDULING CONFLICTS

LCD Soundsystem vs. Vampire Weekend

How resolved: I’d seen LCD three times and VW once so I went to VW.

Right call?: Heard amazing things about LCD but loved VW so this was likely a draw.

Yeasayer vs. Hockey

How resolved: Went to all of Yeasayer and just a bit of Hockey

Right call?: Yes. Yeasayer seemed more unique

White Rabbits vs. Band of Skulls

How resolved: All of White Rabbits and last 20 minutes of Band of Skulls

Right call?: Likely a draw as both were amazing but White Rabbits had been on my “must see” list for far longer

Muse vs. Major Lazer

How resolved: Saw all of Muse despite liking Major Lazer.

Right call?: Hell yes.

Spoon vs. Sly Stone

How resolved: Waited for Sly Stone until they announced he wasn’t coming out. Only caught start and end of Spoon.

Right call?: Absolutely not.

Gorillaz vs. rescheduled Sly Stone

How resolved: Bailed on Gorillaz after 3 songs to go see a few moments of greatness surrounded by a legitimate train wreck.

Right call?: Absolutely and probably not.

WEIRDEST MOMENTS DURING SLY STONE’S SET

1. After hyping up the crowd into a frenzy and finishing with “You’re gonna see Sly Stone!” the sound guy follows up with “…a bit later.” Sly apparently isn’t ready and they tell us we should stick around instead for the club music of Little Boots. The roadies start scrapping the stage after literally every last piece had been set up and soundchecked.
2. Sly’s second scheduled time is 3 hours 45 minutes after the first and he finally appears to rapturous applause more than 30 minutes after that. He is wearing a captain’s hat and a silver and black wig that gives him a bob haricut. The band starts up, Sly grabs the mike, the crowd collectively holds his breath. He doesn’t sing but instead goes into a 5 minute diatribe about being kidnapped, losing all his money, affording shoes, etc. Riveting and appalling at the same time.
3. He wants to play us some of his new music, just not live. Instead he presses play on an MP3 and we all stand and listen politely while he doesn’t say a word.
4. He sits down on his plush office chair to play with a vocoder and later a keyboard. He sounds like a six year old, just pecking at the keys and screwing around with his voice. He seems almost surprised and amused at the funny little sounds they make.
5. He finally agrees to perfom “Stand”. He sounds great, the Sly Stone we all know and love. Until he tells the band to cut a few verses in, just as the set was finally getting momentum.
6. He turns to his backup singers after performing just one song and asks “How long we been on stage?”. A singer answers “10 minutes. Maybe 15.” Sly in incredulous. “Really? Just 15 minutes?!”
7. He performs parts of a few other classics but sits at the edge of the stage, then lays down.
8. Sly starts “I Want to Take You Higher”, then jumps into the photo pit. Is he headed down to jam with the crowd? Nope. He turns and heads backstage, never to be seen again.

TRENDS THAT CONFUSE ME

1. Feathers and facepainting. Because MGMT does it?
2. Hebrew tattoos. Most people I saw them on did not look remotely Jewish.
3. Pinkies in the air. A stunning (and annoying) number of people keep track of their groups by sticking their pinky (instead of just their full hands) in the air
4. Churros. How can they be hard as a rock year after year. Are they that tough to bake?

AND ONE THAT DOESN’T

1. Foursquare. You’re talking to the mayor of Mojave tent suckas!

WHO I SAW

SCALE
5 An all time classic that will be talked about for years to come

4 Absolutely incredible

3 Really quite good

2 I mean, not bad

1 Awful

? Sly Stone

DAY ONE

The Avett Brothers

4

Sound far more alive than they do on record.

Yeasayer

3

Made pretty tricky music to listen to sound compelling.

Hockey

3

Don’t totally have the charisma thing down but sounded great

Street Sweeper Social Club

3

I still think they’re a bad Rage Against the Machine clone but shame on me for forgetting how amazing Tom Morrello is live.

She & Him

3

The world seemed rainbow hued and perfect for 50 minutes.

The Specials

3.5

Amazing to see them together playing for a loving crowd. Why no “Ghost Town”?

Lucero

2

Straightforward fairly unremarkable country rock.

Them Crooked Vultures

2

Three rock legends on stage together making half-decent music together. Disappointing.

La Roux

2.5

Great dance songs that sound just like they do on record. Weird cover of “Under My Thumb”.

Echo and the Bunnymen

3

Introduced “The Killing Moon” as “The greatest song ever written” and “The Cutter” as “The second greatest song ever written”.

Vampire Weekend

4

Have the art of performing down pat even though they’re like 16 years old.

Jay-Z

3

I didn’t like how many partial tracks he did but his nonstop energy plus Beyonce and fireworks to end the show proved he’s a big-time entertainer.

DAY TWO

Girls

2.5

Good songs played by a singer who sat in place moving only the hand strumming his guitar for an entire set.

White Rabbits

3.5

These guys are the real deal, using two and sometimes three drummers. They should have played a tent instead of main stage though.

Band of Skulls

3.5

Jack White seems to busying himself with countless side projects – who’s gonna take over the mantle of The White Stripes? Introducing Band of Skulls.

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

4

Able to transform an entire crowd into a sea of devout hippies. If they’d had sign-up sheets for his cult, I would have added my name.

Gossip

4

Gay dance music now has their own Aretha Franklin.

The xx

1.5

<yawn> I’m sorry, were you playing something?

Dirty Projectors

2

I really, really wanted to like this. Instead, I got bored.

Corinne Bailey Rae

2

Great sounding neo-soul. Again, got bored.

Hot Chip

3.5

Now you’re talking.  How can a band that acts so casual get you to dance so much?

Faith No More

2.5

Here’s how this one went: Saw the opening two songs. Then waited in line 45 minutes for Kogi tacos (worth it, by the way). Then “Epic” and one other song to close.

Muse

5

A master class on how you put on a rock show. A band truly at the very top of their game. Stunning in every way.

The Dead Weather

2.5

Hearing Jack do “Cut Like a Buffalo” was great. The rest couldn’t hold up to my post-Muse elation.

Devo

2

Nostalgia value: A. Musical excellence: C.

2ManyDJ’s

2

Was hoping for way more mashups and less straight house beats.

DAY THREE

One EskimO

2

Like listening to Seal in the early days (I’d imagine).

Kevin Devine

2.5

Great rock show.

The Soft Pack

2

Acted and looked like those guys in accounting.

King Khan and the Shrines

4.5

Yo Gabba Gabba cameos, convincing people to burn dollar bills, a wrestling outfit with Kaiser helmet and lyrics like “You’re fat, you’re ugly, but I love you”. Sorry techno tent, this was the dance party of the festival.

MUTEMATH

3.5

Absolute rock stars who pulled every performance trick in the book and added a few more of their own. I just wish I could actually get into their music.

Mayer Hawthorne/ Deerhunter

2

No, they didn’t play together. But I saw only one song by each and both convinced me to check out other stuff.

De La Soul

3

Wanted to stay later but other shows called. What I heard was totally solid.

Florence and the Machine

3

This crowd was absolutely in love with Florence and she delivered and energy-filled set that fell a bit short of my lofty expectations.

Yo La Tengo

2.5

Let’s be honest, here. I wasn’t really paying attention.

Jonsi

2.5

Let’s take a small, pale man from Iceland known for his super chill sets and light shows and put him on the outside stage during the searing heat of midday!

Spoon

3.5

When your songs are as good as Spoon’s, you can afford to just stand up there and play them (though pushing over the piano at the end of “The Underdog” helps even more).

Phoenix

3.5

Sounded amazingly good and the crowd response was ecstatic. Again, wish I liked them more to begin with.

Pavement

3.5

Wasn’t a huge Pavement fan the first time around but still felt like I was watching the Slackers-in-chief of my generation.

Thom Yorke

3

Crowd was too big to get close and lots of Thom Yorke leaves me a bit close. But playing “Everything in It’s Right Place” was fantastic.

The Big Pink

2

Swirly fuzzy dark music was good but not good enough.

Gorillaz

3.5

The spectacle was amazing but not enough for me three songs in to not try out…

Sly Stone

?

I got to hear him sing live and I’m confident I personally witnessed one of the weirder appearances in rock n roll history.

Related posts:

1. Coachella 2010: What to See
2. The 2009 Coachella Report
3. Coachella 09: Where I’ll Be

9 days until the greatest thing to happen in a desert since Jabba the Hut forced Princess Leia to wear that bikini – the return of Coachella. To prepare for the release of the final schedule, I’ve broken down the acts into star ratings that work as follows:

****  Do not miss this show

***    I really want to see this and will do what I can

**      Would love to see but may get sidetracked by a churro

*        Would rather watch Perry Farrell DJ (just kidding)

Comments and/or snark follows each act. Within each star grouping, I have then mercilessly ranked each act in order again. So, for example, I would really like to see The Specials. It’s just that I want to see Them Crooked Vultures a bit more.

As always, a few comments for perspective:

+ I like seeing stuff I haven’t seen before when I go to festivals so most acts get heavily docked if I’ve seen them a few times (unless you are Muse and you are headlining). I note who that applies to in each case so adjust accordingly.

+ Mellow and singer/songwriter rarely work as well at large festivals like this so acts like Local Natives slip a bit most of the time.

+ I like to gamble on acts that will likely either amaze or disappoint and these ratings will continue to change up until the moment I’m at the show. Thank me if you love a show I recommend but don’t blame me if you don’t. Fair?

Without further ado, the ratings:

DAY ONE

****

Jay-Z

I’ll be there: one million white boys strong

***

Them Crooked Vultures

I can already smell the pot

The Specials

Because this will be ridiculous fun & bring me back to 7^th grade

Yeasayer

This show will convert the naysayers (pun intended)

Vampire Weekend

What you’re supposed to listen to in SoCal during Springtime

The Avett Bros.

Should be a hootenanny

Hockey

The Strokes are back!

**

Sleigh Bells

Ting Tings meet MGMT

LCD Soundsystem

Only because I’ve seen them a few times already

Grizzly Bear

I worry it’s too dreamy for festival crowds and summer heat

Jets Overhead

Meditations in minor keys

Lucero

Like early Wilco meets Son Volt. Wait a second…

Deer Tick

With Lucero + Avetts, too much alt folk/Americana for 1 day?

As Tall as Lions

Kinda like a less-catchy Jets Overhead

The Cribs

Occupying this year’s angry Brit Rock slot

She & Him

Charming Olde-Tyme music

Fever Ray

Like the Freemasons backed by Massive Attack

Echo & The Bunnymen

Would be way higher if I hadn’t just seen them

Wale

This year’s Lupe?

Passion Pit

So fey they make Vampire Weekend sound heavy by comparison

La Roux

Fun with androgyny and synthesizers

Imogen Heap

Whispery

Kate Miller-Heidke

Quirky. Looks like Cyndi Lauper.

Ra Ra Riot

Sensitive college-rock with strings

The Whitest Boy Alive

Like The Rapture on downers

Public Image Limited

25% nostalgic, 75% annoying

DJ Lance Rock

Yo Gabba Gabba without the kids

Baroness

Bang your head

Ceu

Bossa Nova

P.O.S.

Raps at 200 words-per-minute

Gil-Scott Heron

I’d love to see this, just not at Coachella

Deadmau5

Would be fun to see a few songs, then tiring.

*

Street Sweeper Social Club

Shake Your Fist Mildly Against the Machine

Little Dragon

Slightly electronic lite jazz

Calle 13

Good for reggaeton but still, it’s reggaeton.

Erol Alkan

Tweeps and bleeps and such.

Alana Grace

Shamelessly worships at the alter of Alanis.

Aeroplane

As likely to lull you to sleep as its namesake

Wolfgang Gartner

Does an electronic Beethoven’s 5^th. Sigh.

Iglu & Hartley

All the people I try to avoid, conveniently gathered into one tent

Proxy

Electronic sounds coming out of a laptop.

The Dillinger Escape Plan

Kids these days and their noisy music…

Pablo Hassan

Dude f’ing around on his electric guitar

Benny Bennassi

House music, you win. I’ve run out of ways to make fun of you.

DAY TWO

****

Muse

Genetically programmed to headline festivals.

***

White Rabbits

Potentially the best set at Coachella no one will hear about

Dirty Projectors

Has the potential to either blow my mind or bore me.

Band of Skulls

Could also be named The White Stripes of Leon

The Dead Weather

The least excited I’ve ever been to see Jack White

Major Lazer

This + 2ManyDJs + Muse = more Red Bull please

Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes

Has Polyphonic potential

Girls

The indie Beach Boys

Gossip

This year’s highest concentration of black-clad worshippers?

2ManyDJ’s

If there is any justice, they’ll get the Daft Punk night-ending slot

Devo

Past their prime but still good geeky fun

The Raveonettes

Would be higher if I hadn’t seen them before

**

Corinne Bailey Rae

Billie Holiday goes a little indie rock

Portugal, the Man

Like a less hip Spoon

Shooter Jennings & Hierophant

Like Kid Rock backed up by Depeche Mode

Tokyo Police Club

If Interpol had a bit of groove to them

Faith No More

They get obnoxious but I’m still curious.

Steel Train

Sam Roberts jam-bandesque

MGMT

Do I give the worst of ’08 Coachella another chance?

Frank Turner

Irish Singer/Songwriter/Etc.

The xx

This + Grizzly Bear + Dirty Projectors = sleepy sleep time

Mew

Long instrumental-led songs

The Temper Trap

Bee Gees backed by Coldplay

Sia

Like Dido with a chip on her shoulder

Hot Chip

Only because I’ve already seen them twice.

Old Crow Medicine Show

Should be a hoe-down of a good time

Frightened Rabbit

Okkervil River-esque

Z-Trip

I like him but Sunday is very likely a case of 2ManyDJs

Coheed and Cambra

Rush backed by Mastodon

Beach House

Is it just me or do all of this year’s acts sound like Grizzly Bear?

Camera Obscura

Extra points for song called “Lloyd I’m Ready to be Heartbroken”

Zoe

Rock en Espanol con Synthesizers

The Almighty Defenders

Garage rock

Aterciopelados

Rock en Espanol

Bad Lieutenant

Like watered-down New Order

David Guetta

Should admittedly be more fun than most DJ sets

*

RX Bandits

Bonnaroo meets Warped Tour

Porcupine Tree

Like Tool for sensitive folks

Flying Lotus

DJ Shadow-esque. Maybe if I’m tired

Bassnectar

An amazing recreation of the same music you heard in 2001

Dirty South

Not the worst house music I’ve ever heard…

John Waters

This year’s Sean Penn. Bizarre.

Tiesto

Bland electronic-type stuff

Les Claypool

There won’t be a female in sight

Kaskade

Same boring house music, but with female vocals

Pretty Lights

Same as Kaskade!

Craze & Klever

A bad year for acts that spell their names with K instead of C

DAY THREE

****

Gorillaz

Whether or not you like ‘em, I suspect you can’t miss this

Sly Stone

Will likely school the youngsters on how it’s done

***

Pavement

One to cross off the bucket list

King Kahn & The Shrines

Like attending a frat party at Delta house

Florence & The Machine

If Natalie Merchant covered all of “Japanese Whispers”

Phoenix

Expect singalongs

Thom Yorke/ Atoms for Peace

Because it’s Thom Yorke

De La Soul

This can’t not be fun

The Big Pink

Will help fill the surprisingly large Brit Rock gap this year

**

Jonsi

Sigur Ros is Icelandic for Jonsi

Deerhunter

Day 3’s biggest surprise?

Yo La Tengo

Seen ‘em before

MUTEMATH

If John Mayer headed up Snow Patrol (they’re better than that sounds)

Local Natives

The Samples meet Fleet Foxes

Spoon

Would be higher if I hadn’t seen them before

One eskimO

Jason Mraz meets Seal meets Aqualung

The Soft Pack

Workingman’s noise rock

Matt & Kim

Mates of State without the harmonizing (sadly)

The Middle East

Pretty but slow

Kevin Devine

Belts out acoustic ballads

Orbital

Kinda like Dead Can Trance

Julian Casablancas

Love the album but will he be as boring live as The Strokes?

Charlotte Gainsbourg

Though I wouldn’t mind running into her in line for a churro

Talvin Singh

Great for soundtracks but worried about sitting through it  live

Gary Numan

Unless he’s got a Kraftwerk-like light show

Sunny Day Real Estate

Seemed so much  better in the 90’s

Miike Snow

So many synth acts, so little time

Infected Mushroom

Worst name ever

*

Mayer Hawthorne

Super languid R&B

Little Boots

Even if the hipsters like it, club music is still club music

Owen Pallett

Like a not-as-good Andrew Bird

Delphic

Glittery

Hypnotic Brass Ensemble

Like high school band for Phish-heads

Babasonicos

Mas rock en Espanol

The Glitch Mob

I like the name. Does that count for anything?

Yann Tiersen

Phoenix is enough French music for one day

B.o.B.

Would be way better if he just called himself Bob

Plastikman

Come up with a beat, continue it for 4 minutes, repeat

Hadouken!

Play Basement Jaxx-like beats and the yell things over them!

Club 75

Someone should explain to me how this qualifies as good

Rusko

Club 75 can brag they aren’t the worst act on the bill

Paparazzi

Wish it was the power pop band Paparazzi instead

Related posts:

1. The 2010 Coachella Report
2. Coachella 09: Where I’ll Be
3. The 2009 Coachella Report

There is something strangely satisfying about subscriptions. In a world where we increasingly browse and Stumble Upon to find things of interest, a subscription means something in our mailbox (real or virtual) on which we can rely every time. Subscriptions feel trustworthy in a world where the rest of our content is found through the sometimes-thrilling but sometimes-exhausting process of trial and error. It finds us instead of us needing to seek it out. And the best subscriptions have the capacity to surprise us again and again.

Here are five of my current favorites:

Netflix: The Netflix queue has got to be one of the most underrated strokes of marketing genius this past decade (at least for entertainment junkies like me). Every time I rip open the iconic red envelope, it feels like whoever is choosing movies for me understands exactly what I’m gonna like. That person is me a few months back; having crammed my queue with recommendations from titles I’d read about, heard from friends or picked up from an algorithm that puts Amazon’s to shame.

Full Belly Farms CSA: My wife and I struggle to make it through our box of produce every week but there’s no question we get a little excited every Friday as we open the box to discover what’s inside.. It makes us feel good for shopping local, it lets you eat healthy without reading labels and, perhaps most importantly, it makes us feel culinarily adventurous. Each week’s delivery sends me to the web to figure out how I use stuff like Tokyo Turnips and Delicata Squash.

Esquire: Yes, old media still matters. It’s predictable and yet surprising with each issue offering humor, great writing, and one story about a heist, jailbreak, or con that almost defies belief yet is apparently true. December’s issue with the AR cover is just the latest example of a print publication that always has something up its sleeve.

Rhapsody: I pretty much listen to on-demand music all day and Rhapsody makes this easy. The idea of renting music vs. buying still makes me wary (I do both) but the thrill of listening to a full album the moment I hear about it is hard to beat. Rhapsody also does a good job curating suggestions based on my habits as well as writing capsule reviews for a large portion of their library. Still, the inability to port to my iPod and their absolutely horrible search capability as well as services like LaLa improving quickly means this love affair may soon be over.

McSweeney’s: Dave Egger’s brainchild makes me feel like a patron of the arts – I give them money each year just to see what they will come up with next. Sure, there is a ton of free content at their website but their publications are truly something special, wiping the slate clean every single issue to rethink what to include, who to involve and what physical form their creation should take.

As companies trying to build stronger relationships with our customers, it seems like we’d benefit from treating them like subscribers to our content, our products and our services. How do we give them that safe, reliable feeling while throwing them amazing surprises along the way? How do we make our offering something people genuinely look forward to and choose to engage with?

Related posts:

1. Netflix & Xbox 360: Made of Win
2. REFLECTEUR – Issue 64

Here it is again, my favorite 100 songs of the past year. This, of course, is not an exact science but that didn’t stop me from painstakingly ranking each one. The list follows but first some rules and caveats:

+ They are listed in reverse order because that is the only real way to do a list. Any of you with any sense of drama will listen to the whole thing from 100 slowly building up to number 1, at which point you will practically be bursting with excitement.

+ These are tracks, not singles. Again, radio is dead. I don’t even know if a lot of these are even singles or not. It’s like knowing what time your favorite TV show is on. Who cares?

+ I only have one song per artist because the list is way cooler that way. No one wants a list with a bunch of tracks by one band hogging up the Top 50. I had more than 100 great tracks by different artists so let’s share the wealth a little.

+ They were all released in 2009 on either an album or as a single. “Use Somebody” by Kings of Leon made a lot of lists this year but came out December 15, 2008. No cheating, people.

+ If I’m wrong about the release date of something, blame Wikipedia and Rhapsody.

The list is below and those I couldn’t get through LaLa have blackmarket links to YouTube. If you have Rhapsody, you can find the full thing assembled as a playlist here. Just know that the Rhapsody list is missing songs # 39, 31 and 25 so you’ll have to revert to this post if you’re a completist (and bravo if you are). Either way, set aside just over six hours to make it through the list. And enjoy.

THE LIST

100. Somebody to Love by the Glee Cast. You have a stone heart if this doesn’t make you sing along.

99. Run This Town by Jay-Z (featuring Rihanna & Kanye West). So much better than “Empire State of Mind”.

98. Willamine by Jay Farrar & Benjamin Gibbard. Long forgotten Jack Kerouac writings set to music. Feels totally NorCal.

97. Nothing Now by Jay Reatard. Intense.

96. Shivering Black by Josh Reichman Oracle Band. Listen to the piano the whole time and you’ll understand why.

95. Give Yourself Away by Jack Penate. The sound of Robert Smith jamming with Buster Pointdexter.

94. Wind Up Dead by thenewno2. The son of George Harrison goes more Pink Floyd than Beatles..

93. I Want You to Know by Dinosaur Jr. Sludgy.

92. You Belong With Me by Butch Walker. Taylor, I’m really happy for you and imma let you finish but your song, while totally catchy, is overproduced. This version is much better.

91. My Turn by Basement Jaxx (featuring Lightspeed Champion). Makes me want a whole album of Lightspeed Champion backed by Basement Jaxx.

90. Wrong by Depeche Mode. Good to know that fame and fortune hasn’t made them any less depressed.

89. People Got A Lot of Nerve by Neko Case. Move over Hall & Oates.

88. Mr McGee by Zero 7. They outBasementJaxxed Basement Jaxx this year.

87. Dull to Pause by Junior Boys. Blips from the heart.

86. Satellite Heart by Anya Marina. I’m a sucker for a breathy lead singer.

85. Kings and Queens by 30 Seconds to Mars. Long live emo! Long live Jared Leto! How did this end up in the Top 100?

84. Sabali by Amadou & Miriam. Africa by way of Candyland.

83. Lets Be Mates by Lady Sovereign. Featuring such weighty lyrics as “You like monkeys, I like monkeys, let’s be mates”.

82. Crystalised by The xx. Lo-fi.

81. Uprising by Muse. Let’s all admit they stole the background music from Marilyn Manson’s “Beautiful People”.

80. Sister Siam by The Whip. Take singer-songwriter, add synthed-out effects – success!

79. When the Night Comes by Dan Auerbach. Lower the lights, pour a glass of scotch, listen to this.

78. Introducing Palace Players by Mew. I’d hate to be drummer while playing this on Rock Band.

77. Submarines of Stockholm by A.C. Newman. In a year with no New Pornographers, this will have to do.

76. A Whole Lot Better by Brendan Benson. Proves that while Jack White bring the talent to The Raconteurs, Benson brings the fun.

75. Not the Same by The Spartones from Greensboro. Yes, there is even room for college a capella groups covering Ben Folds in the Top 100.

74. Flight of the Demoiselles by Blacklist. Close your eyes and imagine The Cult are back together.

73. Transparence by Asobi Seksu. There is always room for dreamy female pop singers in the Top 100.

72. Fine for Now by Grizzly Bear. If CSNY lived in outer space…

71. Moment of Surrender by U2. U2 add a little Moroccan spice to their sound.

70. Hold the Line by Major Lazer. Insane.

69. Give Blood by Rain Machine. The part of TV on the Radio this year will be played by Rain Machine. Thank you.

68. Meet Me on the Equinox by Death Cab for Cutie. At least the Twilight movies yielded something positive.

67. 40 Day Dream by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros. Instant Karma meets Polyphonic Spree.

66. Isis Unveiled by …And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead. This must be what a galloping army of death sounds like.

65. Does This Mean You’re Moving On? by The Airborne Toxic Event. Like a woozier version of The Strokes.

64. My Girls by Animal Collective. An endless loop of call and response.

63. Ship of Fools by Doves. “Can’t Find My Way Home” gets more moody and more British.

62. Invisible by Winter Gloves. Create catchy synth riff. Repeat.

61. The Mountain by Heartless Bastards. Like heavy metal in slow motion (with slide guitar!).

60. Quicksand by La Roux. Like “When Doves Cry” put through a blender.

59. Autumn Beds by Modest Mouse. A song for cold weather and rainy days.

58. The Walls are Coming Down by Fanfarlo. What they’re playing in cotillion this year.

57. Never Had Nobody Like You by M. Ward (featuring Zooey Deschanel). If T. Rex had written bubblegum pop…

56. It Ain’t Love by MSTRKRFT (featuring Lil’ Mo). The part of Justice this year will be played by MSTRKRFT. Thank you.

55. Relator by Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson. ScarJo and Pete Yorn separate – not so interesting. Together – interesting!

54. All Wound Up by She Wants Revenge. Slinky.

53. Live and Let Die by Duffy. McCartney’s anthem kicks up its feet on the front porch and sips a mint julep.

52. Rudo Y Cursi by Juana Molina. What flamenco dancers must slow dance to.

51. Bang by Rye Rye (featuring M.I.A.). Like Santigold’s bratty younger sister.

50. Build Voice by Dan Deacon. Start slow, build to a frenzy – oldest trick in the book. But it works.

49. Vactioning People by Foreign Born. I’m a sucker for backup vocals that harmonize.

48. Coast of Carolina by Telekinesis. A song for getting ready to go out on Friday nights.

47. Quiet Little Voices by We Were Promised Jetpacks. The part of Jimmy Eat World this year will be played by We Were Promised Jetpacks. Thank you.

46. All You Need is Me by Morrissey. Morrissey sounds more angry and desparate than ever (thankfully).

45. I Just Can’t Take It Anymore by The Lemonheads. Evan and his acoustic guitar – reunited again.

44. The Fear by Lily Allen. Lily Allen? Snarky?

43. Wilco (the song) by Wilco. Wilco (the band) gets a sense of humor.\

42. Bitch, I Love You by Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears. The first 10 second of this are as romanitc as it gets.

41. Hurt Feelings by Flight of the Conchords. Finally someone dares to tackle the stereotype of the hardcore rapper.

40. I’m On A Boat by The Lonely Island. Best use of Auto Tune all year.

39. Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked by Cage the Elephant. Bernie Madoff’s personal mantra..

38. Learn to Lose by Hockey. Helping losers feel better than they have since Beck serenaded them in 1994

37. For Our Elegant Caste by Of Montreal. An awkward song to play on a first date.

Elegant Caste – Of Mon…

36. California on My Mind by Wild Light. How I feel every year come tax time.

35. Black Hearted Love by PJ Harvey. The feel bad love song of the year.

34. Atlantic City by The Hold Steady. The Hold Steady were put on this Earth to cover Springsteen.

33. 1901 by Phoenix. In France, everything is set to synthesizers.

32. Folding Chair by Regina Spektor. The catchiest song of the year involving dolphin sounds in the chorus.

31. Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell (Wallpaper Remix) by Das Racist. 2-in-1 fast food restaurants get their due at long last.

30. “Further Complications.” by Jarvis Cocker. Like the Devil’s Frank Sinatra.

29. Black Gold by Southeast Engine. Half rock, half fossil fuels emission warning.

28. Red Light Love by Those Darlins. Like the Devil’s Shangri-La’s.

27. When I Died by The Thermals. Makes you want to be in a rock band. 26. Graffitti Eyes by Stellastarr*. Half singing, half super-expressive talking.

25. Tonight by Yuksek. Like Daft Punk without the helmets.

24. 21 Guns by Green Day. Sure, it’s American Idiot II but who else we gonna get overearnest power ballads from?

23. Quiet Dog by Mos Def. Mos Def tries out a playground chant. Get me a jumprope!

22. I Like You So Much Better When You’re Naked by Ida Maria. Lyrics: D. Bar-band attitude: A.

21. Born on a Day the Sun Didn’t Rise by Black Moth Super Rainbow. And you thought you had problems…

20. Death by White Lies. Ensuring it’s still fashionable to wear all black.

19. The Spirit vs. The Kick Drum by Derek Webb. Christian rock with a snappy beat.

18. Panic Switch by Silversun Pickups. If modern rock was still big, this would’ve been a monster hit.

17. Fight by Ben Kweller. Cuz some days are aces, some days are faces, some days are 2s and 3s.

16. New Moon Rising by Wolfmother. Gives me faith that there are still stoner older brothers who drive vans with tinted windows and introudce the neighborhood to classics like this.

15. Money by N.A.S.A. (featuring David Byrne, Chuck D, Ras Congo, Seu Jorge & Z-Trip) All the C-levels in the house, holla!

14. The Boys are Leaving Town by Japandroids. The sound of chaos set to power chords.

13. Sunlight by Harlem Shakes. Keep your foot in one place for this entire song. I dare you.

12. God Touched Me by Roadside Graves. The creepiest song in the Top 100 and, at 2:49 in, the best tempo change hands down.

11. Taller Children by Elizabeth & The Catapult. In the end we’re all just taller children. True.

10. Make Her Say by Kid Cudi (featuring Kanye West & Common). Medulla oblangata? Why isn’t more hip hop this fun?

9. Paparazzi by Lady Gaga. No, I’m not kidding. Easily the Entertainer of the Year.

8. Kiss With A Fist by Florence & The Machine. The feel good domestic violence song of the year.

7. Stillness is the Move by Dirty Projectors. Nothing else sounds remotely like this.

6. Glass by Bat for Lashes. Otherwordly.

5. Leave Us and Forgive Us by Alberta Cross. The best “yeah”s of the year.

4. Coal War by Joshua James. A good old fashioned spiritual, plus electric guitar.

3. Zero by Yeah Yeah Yeahs. The YYYs let their hair down and go electronic.

2. I And Love And You by The Avett Brothers. Plain, simple, and the prettiest song of the year.

1. Help I’m Alive by Metric. A perfectly ominous song for the year of the Great Recession.

Related posts:

1. the 100 best music tracks of 2008
2. The 2009 Coachella Report
3. Lollapalooza 2009 Recap