When it comes to bands, I have a quite a few favorites but none of them hold a candle to Pushmonkey. Through 4 albums and 2 “EPs” Pushmonkey has written and played some of the best songs to ever grace my ears. So for this weeks “Top 5” we are going to go over what I feel are the best Pushmonkey songs, why I like them, and why you should hear them. And with their show at the new Forgetaboutits tomorrow night in Houston, I figured there’s no better time to do this list. So without further ado, on to the list…

• 5) “Now” from Pushmonkey: While this song might strike most a very mono-listic in nature (musically it’s not complicated), lyrics are king here. The lyrics tell a story without really telling one and the story is about everyone while at the same time about no one in particular. Everyone has been “one” of the people in this song at some point or another in their life. Sample lyric “One remembers, one regrets, and one who sees it all. My eye is on, my eye is on, my eye is on the ball.”

• 4) “Rescue Me” from Year of the Monkey: Year of the Monkey is the latest release from Pushmonkey. Released in Febuary 2006, this album includes some of the best batch of songs the band has ever recorded. “Rescue Me” is the lead off track from this CD and it sets the standard for the rest of the CD. If you’ve heard the other Pushmonkey albums, hearing Year of the Monkey and hearing this track first immediately tells you that you are in for a new kind of Pushmonkey record. The emotion in this song along with it’s overall sound make this a great song. And the vocal delivery in the verses is perfect for the “reaching out for help” lyrics. Sample lyric “Hey, can you see the warning signs? Can you help me recognize, I’m my own worst enemy.”

• 3) “Thing” from El Bitche: El Bitche was kind of an odd album for Pushmonkey. While it didn’t have the same “shine” as Pushmonkey or the conviction that the songs on Year of the Monkey seem to have, it was however the perfect in between record. The sessions for El Bitche were alive with experimentation of a band trying new sounds, new ways of writing, and new perspectives. And while the songs might not have been up to par with songs from its predecessors or it’s follower it did produce some of the most interesting songs to come off the record. While others will probably tell you to listen to “Mine to Waste” or “Pissant” as the definitive track from this record, I would have to disagree and say that “Thing” is one of the best tracks from the record. The thing about “Thing” is how dirty it is without actually being dirty. Sure there is not a single four letter word in the entire song, but is raw sexual energy comes across none-the-less. Sample lyric “You gotta get on to get off.”

• 2) “Fake” from Year of the Monkey: “Fake” is probably the standout track from Year of the Monkey is the latest release from Pushmonkey. Released in February 2006, this album includes some of the best batch of songs the band has ever recorded. . The snarling vocal intro “You are so fake” followed by the line “Your act is breaking my back all day” sets the tone for the rest of the song, grabs your attention, and refuses to let go until the final crescendo. Here you really feel the conviction in the band’s “voice” as they sing this song. It’s almost as if they had someone in mind when they wrote this song. Sample lyric “Your act is breaking my back all day.”

• 1) “Myself” from El Bitche: Out of all the songs on El Bitche, “Myself” is miles above the rest. And while that seems like an easy accomplishment according to my previous statements, the song is also miles above anything else. The song looks at life of a musician who is trying to “make it big” but can’t seem to get there, so I guess there is some autobiographical elements in the song, but that’s what makes the song so good. No other song that Pushmonkey has written has the potential to bring you to tears like this one. Sample lyric “Your kind of Johnny Lennon, your kind of Betty Page, your kind of Kurtis Cobain, your kind of all the rage.”

This was a very hard list to come up with and it changed 3 times over the course of writing this post. Runners up include:

“Sorry” from Year of the Monkey,
“Number One” from El Bitche,
“A Little Harder” from Maize,
“Rednose” from Maize Re-Release,
“I’m Down” from Year of the Monkey,
and “No Dumb Wrong” from Pushmonkey.

If you haven’t heard of Pushmonkey you should check out their MySpace at http://www.myspace.com/pushmonkey where you can find out about upcoming shows and listen to a few songs.

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