NME Presents: The Essential Bands

Out tomorrow in the UK: NME presents The Essential Bands, a 2-CD compilation that offers NME a way to make dough and people not "down" with what the (British) kids are listening to a chance to check out tracks from 39 NME-approved artists. If you love mix CDs but hate making them, it also offers an easy out, albeit at a higher price than a friend is likely to charge to make you one.

The "Essential Bands" title is silly. Beck is not a band, nor is Goldfrapp. I don't find the music of Scissor Sisters or Ordinary Boys essential. Some of the artist and track selections are pretty iffy. I would have picked different songs by several of the artists, but then again, the title is "Essential Bands", not "Essential Tracks". An NME compilation now with "Feel Good Inc." on it feels weird. Great song, but it's too late for its inclusion to feel timely, too late for "Best Week Ever"-type nostalgia, too soon for any other nostalgia. Similarly, I adored The Futureheads' cover of "Hounds of Love" and listened to it a lot months ago, but I'm done with it for now. It's nice that it's getting more exposure, but hep kids already know it. Herein lies one of the oddest things about this NME compilation: it likely isn't well-suited for most people who read NME.

NME Presents: The Essential Bands Track Listing:

Disc One:

1. Kaiser Chiefs - I Predict A Riot
2. Gorillaz - Feel Good Inc.
3. Goldfrapp - Number 1
4. Franz Ferdinand - Do You Want To
5. Kasabian - Club Foot
6. The Killers - Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine
7. Hard-Fi - Living For The Weekend
8. Bloc Party - Two More Years
9. Scissor Sisters - Take Your Mama
10. Babyshambles - Fuck Forever
11. The Automatic - Recover
12. Queens of the Stone Age - Little Sister
13. Ordinary Boys - Boys Will Be Boys
14. The Futureheads - Hounds Of Love
15. The Bravery - Unconditional
16. Razorlight - Somewhere Else
17. The Subways - Oh Yeah
18. Test Icicles - Circle Square Triangle
19. Maximo Park - Apply Some Pressure
20. Paul Weller - From The Floorboards Up

Disc Two:

1. Coldplay - The Speed Of Sound
2. The Magic Numbers - Forever Lost
3. Oasis - The Importance of Being Idle
4. New Order - Waiting For The Sirens' Call
5. Keane - Everybody's Changing
6. Athlete - Wires
7. Embrace - Ashes
8. Snow Patrol - Spitting Games
9. Turin Brakes - Fishing For A Dream
10. Beck - E-Pro
11. Doves - Black and White Town
12. Stereophonics - Devil
13. Kubb - Wicked Soul
14. Super Furry Animals - Lazer Beam
15. Elbow - Forget Myself
16. The Tears - Lovers
17. Bedouin Soundclash - When The Night Feels My Song ( included this song in a post about tastemakers' predictions of "the next big things")
18. Supergrass - St. Petersberg (also posted this one a while back)
19. Feeder - Tumble and Fall