RADAR BROS.

RADAR BROS. on MySPACE.

From the LP AUDITORIUM, 2008 >>>
[MP3] "On Nautilus"
[MP3] "Warm Rising Sun"

From the LP THE FALLEN LEAF PAGES, 2005 >>>
[MP3] "Papillon"

From the LP AND THE SURROUNDING MOUNTAINS, 2002 >>>
[MP3] "Sisters"
[MP3] "Uncles"

From the LP THE SINGING HATCHET, 1999 >>>
[MP3] "All the Ghosts"

PALOALTO

TRAVIS meets MUSE....

PALOALTO on MySPACE.

[MP3] "Some Things Must Go This Way"

[MP3] "What You Are"

[MP3] "Sleeping Citizens"

[MP3] "Hangman"

BONUS TRACK >>>

[MP3] RADIOHEAD/"Palo Alto"

ROCKY VOTOLATO

ROCKY VOTOLATO on MySPACE.

From the LP THE BRAG AND CUSS, 2007 >>>
[MP3] "Time is a Debt"
[MP3] "Your Darkest Eyes"

From the LP MAKERS, 2006 >>>
[MP3] "She Was Only in It for the Rain"
[MP3] "White Daisy Passing"

From the LP BURNING MY TRAVELS CLEAN, 2002 >>>
[MP3] "October"

TORI AMOS - PART 2

From the LP TO VENUS AND BACK, 1999 >>>
[MP3] "1000 Oceans"
[MP3] "Concertina"

From the LP STRANGE LITTLE GIRLS, 2001 >>>
[MP3] "I Don't Like Mondays"

From the LP SCARLET'S WALK, 2002 >>>
[MP3] "A Sorta Fairytale"
[MP3] "Pancake"

From the LP THE BEEKEEPER, 2005 >>>
[MP3] "Parasol"

From the LP AMERICAN DOLL POSSE, 2007 >>>
[MP3] "Bouncing Off Clouds"

TORI AMOS - PART 1

[A sudden and unexpected death in the family is preventing me from writing a proper introduction to today's selections. This next week is likely to be somewhat erratic as well, but I'll do my best to keep the music coming....]

From the LP LITTLE EARTHQUAKES, 1991 >>>
[MP3] "Precious Things"
[MP3] "Winter"

From the LP UNDER THE PINK, 1994 >>>
[MP3] "Cornflake Girl"
[MP3] "Baker Baker"

From the LP BOYS FOR PELE, 1996 >>>
[MP3] "Caught a Lite Sneeze"
[MP3] "Marianne"

From the LP FROM THE CHOIRGIRL HOTEL, 1998 >>>
[MP3] "Spark"
[MP3] "Raspberry Swirl"

BEST OF 2006, VOL. 1

Left-click [HERE] to download the Best of 2006, Vol. 1.

Portal to previous year-end mixes [HERE].

BEST OF 2006, VOL. 1 TRACKLIST >>>

01 midlake/roscoe
02 the detroit cobras/cha cha twist
03 gnarls barkley/crazy
04 head like a kite/noisy at the circus
05 the features/wooden heart
06 nightmare of you/i want to be buried in your backyard
07 clearlake/getting light outside
08 the pipettes/guess who ran away with the milkman?
09 razorlight/in the morning
10 mighty six ninety/have you ever asked yourself
11 new london fire/we don't bleed
12 the cloud room/hey now now
13 paul brill/paris is on
14 the killers/when you were young
15 pilot speed/barely listening
16 stellastarr*/love and longing
17 morrissey/you have killed me
18 the format/the first single
19 division day/dayenu
20 yeah yeah yeahs/turn into
21 the indelicates/we hate the kids [demo]
22 superheroes/what's going on?

ODDS 'N' SODS #5

["The Best of 2006, Part 1" will be up later today, just in case you're jonesing for a semi-contemporary mix CD to wile away/while away your weekend.]

[MP3] R.E.M./"Supernatural Superserious" [From the upcoming LP ACCELERATE -- 01 Apr 08]

[MP3] CLINIC/"High Coin" [From the upcoming LP DO IT! -- 08 Apr 08]

[MP3] MALCOLM MIDDLETON/"Follow Robin Down"

[MP3] PLASTIC BERTRAND/"Major Tom"

[MP3] THERAPY?/"Diane"

[MP3] GUSTER/"Ramona"

HEATHER NOVA

I first heard of the Bermuda-born singer-songwriter HEATHER NOVA around 1994. If memory serves, her song "Walk This World" received airplay on some of the alternative radio stations of the day and even found its way onto MTV. The track appeared on the album OYSTER, which, in retrospect, kind of bridged the distance between SARAH McLACHLAN-styled silky-sweetness and ALANIS MORISSETTE-styled aggro-angst. Also in retrospect -- to these ears, at least -- the LP sounds just a little bit dated today.

If I had to recommend one Heather Nova CD for the uninitiated, I guess I'd have to go with 2001's SOUTH. Seems the most solid of the lot, top-to-bottom. But here's a career-spanning mini-sampler to help you make up your own minds....

HEATHER NOVA on MySPACE.

From the LP RED BIRD, 2005 >>>
[MP3] "Mesmerized"

From the LP STORM, 2003 >>>
[MP3] "All I Need"

From the LP SOUTH, 2001 >>>
[MP3] "Heaven Sent"
[MP3] "Like Lovers Do"

From the LP SIREN, 1998 >>>
[MP3] "Winterblue"

From the LP OYSTER, 1994 >>>
[MP3] "Doubled Up"
[VID] "Walk This World"

BONUS TRACK >>>

[MP3] "Someone New" [w/ESKOBAR]

GRAND ARCHIVES

Seattle's GRAND ARCHIVES are led by former BAND OF HORSES guitarist MAT BROOKE. Their self-titled debut LP was released by SUB POP yesterday.

GRAND ARCHIVES on MySPACE.

[MP3] "The Crime Window"

[MP3] "A Setting Sun"

BIIRDIE

L.A. trio BIIRDIE released their second album, CATHERINE AVENUE, in January. The word "whimsical" gets bandied about with them. Yeah, maybe, I guess. "Who Were You Thinkin' Of" is an irrepressible little singalong. Accusations of infidelity have never sounded so darned perky. "Petals," on the other hand, is just plain pretty -- coming to full, final blossom on the "ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh" outro.

BIIRDIE on MySPACE.

From the LP CATHERINE AVENUE, 2008 >>>
[MP3] "Who Were You Thinkin' Of"
[MP3] "Petals"

From the LP MORNING KILLS THE DARK, 2005 >>>
[MP3] "You've Got Darkness"

BONUS TRACK >>>

[MP3] "We Can't Work It Out" [SATURDAY LOOKS GOOD TO ME cover]

ADAM GREEN

With his former MOLDY PEACHES partner KIMYA DAWSON currently riding high with the "Juno" soundtrack, ADAM GREEN is back to say, "Hey, what about me, bitches?"

Indeed, his new disc, SIXES & SEVENS, will be released March 18 and offer more two- to three-minute tunes delivered in that beguiling, sly-guy, SCOTT WALKER croon he's been mining for years. Hell, he may even be dialing back on the in-your-face, shock-jock lyrics this time through. A sign that Adam Green is growing up? Heaven forfend!

ADAM GREEN on MySPACE.

From the LP SIXES & SEVENS, 2008 >>>
[MP3] "Homelife"
[MP3] "It's a Fine"

From the LP JACKET FULL OF DANGER, 2006 >>>
[MP3] "Party Line"
[MP3] "Novotel"

From the LP GEMSTONES, 2005 >>>
[MP3] "Emily"
[MP3] "Chubby Princess"

From the LP FRIENDS OF MINE, 2003 >>>
[MP3] "Jessica"

From the LP GARFIELD, 2002 >>>
[MP3] "Dance With Me" [EP Version]
[MP3] "Baby's Gonna Die Tonight"

AMPLIVE (RADIOHEAD REMIXED)

Oakland DJ/Producer AMPLIVE ran into a bit of a brick wall when he tried to make his RADIOHEAD remix project (RAINYDAYZ REMIXES) available to the public without first getting clearance from the band. It would seem that everything's all good now, seeing as the songs are available [HERE] for your downloading pleasure.

[MP3] "15 Steps" [Amplive "15 Stepz" remix featuring CODANY HOLIDAY]

[MP3] "Weird Fishes/Arpeggi" [Amplive "Weird Fishez" remix]

PETE & THE PIRATES

What to say about Brit quintet PETE & THE PIRATES? That their riffs are recycled and their name sounds like a kids' show on Nickelodeon? Yes, and... yes. But also: They seem to be rather young yet, so no need to damn them for lack of originality just yet....

PETE & THE PIRATES on MySPACE.

[MP3] [VID] "Mr. Understanding"

[MP3] "She Doesn't Belong to Me"

THE KILLS

A little context here: I out-and-out hated THE KILLS first two albums. Those would be 2003's KEEP ON YOUR MEAN SIDE and 2005's NO WOW. But the critics ate them up, tripped & stumbled over themselves to compare American girl ALISON "VV" MOSSHART & her Brit boy partner JAMIE "HOTEL" HINCE to THE WHITE STRIPES, THE VELVET UNDERGROUND, and PJ HARVEY. Color me dumbfounded. Because all I heard was a loud, tuneless mess -- with none of the energy and excitement that loud, tuneless messes can sometimes be good for.

So now comes record #3. That would be MIDNIGHT BOOM, which will officially see the light of day on March 10. The fact that I like this one (a very little bit) may well signify that the critics are about to turn on this UK-based, garage-blues duo. (After all, receiving even a half-hearted thumbs-up from a blogger willing to dedicate a day to THE CARPENTERS can't possibly be good for an artist's coolness quotient.)

But a half-hearted thumbs-up it is, because it seems that somebody has gone ahead and introduced these folks to the concept of a "hook." Things are still loud and, sometimes, still tuneless. But the bangin' bassline and growly-grrrl vocals on "Cheap and Cheerful" bring to mind THE DETROIT COBRAS and THE GOSSIP. And "Tape Song" has the air of YEAH YEAH YEAHS working their black magic on a certain well-known CURE composition. So... color me content.

THE KILLS on MySPACE.

[MP3] "Cheap and Cheerful"

[MP3] "Tape Song" [REMOVED BY REQUEST]

SINEAD O'CONNOR

Not exactly sure how last Sunday's TRACY CHAPMAN turned into this Sunday's SINEAD O'CONNOR, but that's the way it is, so that's the way it goes.

Of course, the two of them did find the limelight at about the same time, and both were defined by early signature songs ("Fast Car" for the former; "Nothing Compares 2 U" for the latter). Sinead calls herself 25% lesbian. As far as I know, Tracy goes the full 100%. Ms. O'Connor tears up pictures of popes yet is an ordained priest. Ms. Chapman had a minister grandfather, attended a Baptist church, and went to an Episcopalian school yet does not consider herself religious. Both of their last names have seven letters.

Six Degrees: Tracy Chapman once had a relationship with Alice Walker who wrote "The Color Purple" which was directed by Steven Spielberg who was also going to direct "Cape Fear" but gave it to Martin Scorsese instead so he could direct "Schindler's List" and Martin Scorsese eventually made "Gangs of New York" with Daniel Day-Lewis who once had a relationship with Sinead O'Connor.

So I guess that's how last Sunday's turned into this Sunday's....

[MP3] [VID] "Nothing Compares 2 U" [1990]

[MP3] "Mandinka" [1987]

[MP3] "Three Babies" [1990]

[MP3] "Haunted" [w/SHANE MACGOWAN] [1995]

[MP3] "You Made Me the Thief of Your Heart" [1994]

[MP3] "Streets of London" [1994]

[MP3] "I Defeat" [w/JAMES] [1999]

[MP3] "This is a Rebel Song" [1997]

[MP3] "The Butcher Boy" [1998]

[MP3] "Tears From the Moon" [w/CONJURE ONE] [2002]

[MP3] "House of the Rising Sun" [1994]

BEST OF 2003

Left-click [HERE] to download the Best of 2003 mix.

Portal to previous year-end mixes [HERE].

BEST OF 2003 TRACKLIST >>>

01 the strokes/12:51
02 the raveonettes/do you believe her
03 the dandy warhols/you were the last high
04 alpinestars/crystalnight
05 electric six/danger! high voltage
06 goldfrapp/strict machine
07 sort sol/holler high
08 black box recorder/these are the things
09 sparks/suburban homeboy
10 the new pornographers/the laws have changed
11 wood/never ending
12 crowded house/don't dream it's over
13 belle and sebastian/wrapped up in books
14 papas fritas/i believe in fate
15 fleetwood mac/peacekeeper
16 the levellers/what a beautiful day
17 mary chapin carpenter/passionate kisses
18 soul asylum/runaway train
19 belly/now they'll sleep
20 the hidden cameras/boys of melody
21 the gentle waves/evensong
22 sam cooke/wonderful world

ODDS 'N' SODS #4

[Stop back later today for the long-awaited/much-anticipated Best of 2003 mix. Well, okay, maybe not "much-anticipated," but it did take me a hell of a long time to put together, so that's something, at least.]

[MP3] LYKKE LI/"I'm Good, I'm Gone"

[MP3] THE WHITSUNDAYS/"Already Gone"

[MP3] LIZ PHAIR/"Little Digger"

[MP3] BARENAKED LADIES/"I'll Be That Girl"

[MP3] THE JAYHAWKS/"Smile"

[MP3] RICKY WILDE/"I Am an Astronaut" [BY REQUEST]

HAYDEN

About a decade ago, I wrote a review for an obscure little CD called EVERYTHING I LONG FOR. It had a rather elaborate intro (the review, not the CD) (perchance I was transfixed by drink)...

"Everybody knows HAYDEN. Hayden's our neighbor. Hayden takes in our papers, walks our dogs, and waters our lawns when we're away on vacation. Every time we drive by Hayden's, Hayden waves.

But Hayden harbors a heavy heart. Hayden gets angry. Hayden plots complicated, petty revenges that will never see the light of day.

Because Hayden is lazy. Hayden is so beholden to inertia he can barely be bothered to breathe, let alone carry out complicated, petty revenges. Hayden lacks the courage of his convictions. Hayden lacks the convictions to begin with.

And Hayden is horny. Late at night, Hayden downloads Danish porn and watches through binoculars as our underage daughters undress for bed.

But Hayden is harmless. Takes in our papers. Walks. Waters. Waves. Like Norman Bates. Or John Wayne Gacy.

Yes, everybody knows Hayden. Hayden's our neighbor. And sometimes, let's face it: Hayden is us.

*********************************************************

Hayden is Hayden Desser, a twentysomething Canadian whose self-produced debut plants him firmly in the freakish family-tree between VIC CHESNUTT's bastard-slacker stepson and BECK's heavily-medicated second-cousin."

After that, miracle of miracles, I actually wrote for a while about Hayden's music. Which was stripped and insular. Deep, deep, man-child voice singing intimately of dating futility & Denny's breakfasts. But that was ten years ago. Hayden is thirtysomething now and has surely moved out of his parents' basement to bigger & better things. He tends to sing a little less low; his arrangements sometimes feature more than an instrument or two. But he still has issues. He is actively working on his issues. The music helps him with his issues. Almost always, he would rather sing to you than shoot you in the face.

Happy Valentine's Day.

Love, Hayden.

From the LP IN FIELD & TOWN, 2008 >>>
[MP3] "Worthy of Your Esteem"
[MP3] "Lonely Security Guard"

From the LP ELK-LAKE SERENADE, 2004 >>>
[MP3] "Home By Saturday"
[MP3] "Hollywood Ending"

From the LP SKYSCRAPER NATIONAL PARK, 2001 >>>
[MP3] "Carried Away"
[MP3] "I Should Have Been Watching You"

From the LP THE CLOSER I GET, 1998 >>>
[MP3] "I'll Tell Him Tonight"

From the EP MOVING CAREFUL, 1997 >>>
[MP3] "Middle of July"

From the LP EVERYTHING I LONG FOR, 1996 >>>
[MP3] "Tragedy"

MADRUGADA

Moody Norwegian alternative rockers MADRUGADA released their latest long-player on January 21 -- six months after the death of their guitarist, ROBERT BURAS. If there's a silver-lining to be found here at all, it's that Buras had already completed his work on the album, so the songs necessarily serve as testaments to his life and talents.

MADRUGADA on MySPACE.

From their self-titled LP, 2008 >>>
[MP3] "What's on Your Mind?"
[MP3] "Honey Bee"

From the LP THE DEEP END, 2004 >>>
[MP3] "Subterranean Sunlight"
[MP3] [VID] "The Kids Are on High Street"

ADELE

The next AMY WINEHOUSE? Musically-speaking, at least? Some would say 19-year-old Londoner ADELE fits the bill.

I have to say: My jury's still out on that one. It's not that I thought BACK TO BLACK was an especially great album; I just thought that it had three or four pretty great tunes on it. "Chasing Pavements" seems to be Adele's calling card, and methinks rightfully so. But is it as good as "Back to Black," "Rehab," or "You Know I'm No Good"? For that matter, is it as good as KATE NASH's "Foundations"? Methinks... my jury's still out.

[MP3] "Tired"

[MP3] "Chasing Pavements"

[If you're inclined toward Hype Machining or Elbo.wsearching, you might also consider tracking down the track "Cold Shoulder."]

LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM

So LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM has a DVD coming out. LIVE AT THE BASS PERFORMANCE HALL -- billed as "the first live DVD of his 27-year solo career" -- will see a March 25 release. It chronicles a performance in Fort Worth, Texas from January of 2007. But this post isn't really about that.

Rumor has it that Mr. Buckingham may also be releasing a new solo disc later this year. But this post isn't really about that, either.

No, this post is simply a means of showcasing a couple of pretty-good songs from the man's last, little-heard solo album, UNDER THE SKIN -- as well as a couple of pretty-damned-good songs from FLEETWOOD MAC's last, relatively-little-heard album, SAY YOU WILL. Nothing more; nothing less. No muss; no fuss. C'est la vie; que sera, sera.

LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM on MySPACE.

From the Lindsey Buckingham LP UNDER THE SKIN, 2006 >>>
[MP3] "To Try for the Sun"
[MP3] "Down on Rodeo"

From the Fleetwood Mac LP SAY YOU WILL, 2003 >>>
[MP3] "Peacekeeper"
[MP3] "Steal Your Heart Away"

BONUS TRACKS >>>

[MP3] LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM/"Big Love" [live]

[MP3] FLEETWOOD MAC/"I'm So Afraid" [live]

TRACY CHAPMAN - PART 2

In which we conclude our generous, two-part helping of love & respect for TRACY CHAPMAN....

From the LP NEW BEGINNING, 1995 >>>
[MP3] "Give Me One Reason"

From the LP TELLING STORIES, 2000 >>>
[MP3] "Telling Stories"
[MP3] "It's OK"

From the LP LET IT RAIN, 2002 >>>
[MP3] "You're the One"
[MP3] "Broken"

From the LP WHERE YOU LIVE, 2005 >>>
[MP3] "America"
[MP3] "Change"

TRACY CHAPMAN - PART 1

Back in 1988, TRACY CHAPMAN's "Fast Car" was something of a phenomenon. Much like SUZANNE VEGA's "Luka," the song's quiet, understated urgency stood in stark contrast to that testosterone-besotted era's loud, fast, and glossy-to-a-fault codpiece rock. If a woman was to be seen or heard at all at the time, she pretty much needed to be a perky pop-princess (TIFFANY, DEBBIE GIBSON), an axe-wielding, vamping vixen (LITA FORD), or a glorified hood-ornament (TAWNY KITAEN writhing about on WHITESNAKE's Jag). That it also helped to be white kind of went without saying.

Sure, a not-yet-coked-to-the-gills WHITNEY HOUSTON was then quite the Miss Thang, but Tracy Chapman didn't much look like Whitney Houston, and she sure as hell didn't sound like her. No Casio dance-pop; no overblown love ballads. Yet, somehow, Ms. Chapman's eponymous debut managed to top the charts, garner three Grammys, and sell 6+ million units in the U.S. alone. Not bad, for openers. But what was she going to do for an encore?

As it happens, that encore has played out as a quiet, understated, 20-year-career in the music business. Chapman has released six subsequent albums -- two of which have gone platinum, two of which have gone gold. She picked up another Grammy for her 1995 out-of-the-blue comeback single, "Give Me One Reason," and has duetted with everyone from B.B. KING and ERIC CLAPTON to LUCIANO PAVAROTTI and ZIGGY MARLEY.

So... for not burning out, and for not fading away, Tracy Chapman has earned herself a generous, two-part helping of love & respect here today. "Let's start at the very beginning, a very good place to start...."

From her self-titled LP, 1988 >>>
[MP3] "Fast Car"
[MP3] "Talkin' 'Bout a Revolution"

From the LP CROSSROADS, 1989 >>>
[MP3] "Bridges"
[MP3] "Subcity"

From the LP MATTERS OF THE HEART, 1992 >>>
[MP3] "So"
[MP3] "The Love That You Had"

BONUS TRACK >>>

[MP3] "House of the Rising Sun"

MORE COWBELL! MORE COCK ROCK!

Well, "cock rock" may or may not be the most appropriate label here. "Classic rock," more like. A bit o' the ol' "prog rock." Even an Aquanet-heavy whiff of "hair metal," perhaps. In some ways, a partial soundtrack to the years 13-19 of my life. Unfashionable nostalgia? No question. Guilty pleasures? You betcha. But presented here with a minimum of irony and as further proof that some things never go out of style. (Well, not for very long, anyway.)

[Further proof: JOURNEY's "Don't Stop Believin'" as "Sopranos" swan-song. REO SPEEDWAGON's "Take It on the Run" as Holiday Inn jingle. NIGHT RANGER's "Sister Christian" in "Boogie Nights." STYX's "Come Sail Away" in "South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut." ELTON JOHN's "Tiny Dancer" in "Almost Famous." ELO and QUEEN songs backing nearly every other ad currently on TV. And etc.]

Please left-click [HERE] if you miss the '70s and '80s (or, if you were born after 1989, if you literally missed the '70s and '80s).

TRACKLIST >>>

01 heart/crazy on you
02 ozzy osbourne/crazy train
03 ac/dc/you shook me all night long
04 rick derringer/rock and roll, hoochie koo
05 bon jovi/runaway
06 rainbow/since you been gone
07 george thorogood & the destroyers/i drink alone
08 eddie money/think i'm in love
09 billy squier/my kinda lover
10 nazareth/love hurts
11 van halen/ain't talkin' 'bout love
12 billy idol/white wedding
13 styx/blue collar man (long nights)
14 loverboy/working for the weekend
15 def leppard/photograph
16 blue oyster cult/(don't fear) the reaper
17 foreigner/cold as ice
18 pink floyd/comfortably numb
19 kansas/dust in the wind

LOUIS XIV

Call me crazy, but I don't think PITCHFORK is overly fond of LOUIS XIV and their newest disc, SLICK DOGS AND PONIES.

Maybe it's the 2.5 rating that gives it away. Or this: "Testosterone-fueled rock at its least appealing extremes." (Oh my!) "Disgusting." (Ouch!) "Dull." (Heavens to Betsy!)

Then again, there's this: "... [F]ollowing their debut's asscrack-on-the-bathroom-tile smut, [SLICK DOGS] looks like a freakin' Van Gogh." (Ahh... high praise if ever I've heard it!) (And you have to admit: A 2.5 rating beats the living crap out of the 1.2 their first album was granted. So, you see? Things are looking up!)

Actually, I'm not overly enamored with this San Diego quartet's aggressively-oversexed schtick, either. There are countless bands that do the '70s-Stones/alternative-glam-rock thing a hell of a lot more competently and convincingly than these party-hearty poseurs. But Fridays were all-but-designed for over-amped backbeats and cock-rock riffs, and it just so happens that Louis XIV are on hand to supply them....

LOUIS XIV on MySPACE.

From the LP SLICK DOGS AND PONIES, 2008 >>>
[MP3] "Misguided Sheep"
[MP3] "Tina"

From the LP THE BEST LITTLE SECRETS ARE KEPT, 2005 >>>
[MP3] "A Letter to Dominique"
[MP3] "Finding Out True Love is Blind"

GRANDADDY (1992-2006)

Dead band walking!

Yesterday, I suggested that Belgian band GIRLS IN HAWAII seemed to take some cues from the now-defunct Modesto, California collective GRANDADDY. The six-song "EP" I've tongue-and-grooved together below may or may not prove my point....

[MP3] "Now It's On"

[MP3] "Elevate Myself"

[MP3] "I'm on Standby"

[MP3] "Lost on Yer Merry Way"

[MP3] "The Crystal Lake"

[MP3] "Shangri-La (Outro)"

GIRLS IN HAWAII

GIRLS IN HAWAII are, in fact, boys from Belgium. As near as I can tell, the only other Belgian act I've ever bothered spotlighting around here was AN PIERLE & WHITE VELVET back in August. Which is inexcusable. And embarrassing.

So, in a no-doubt-misguided effort to set things right, I'm going to gorge myself on Belgian waffles, chocolates, and endive (not to mention Brussels sprouts). Wash it all down with a succession of Belgian beers. Perhaps adopt a dog of Belgian breed. Griffon Bruxellois? Bichon frise? And the next time I'm asked at the the drive-thru if I want with fries with that, I shall imperiously reply: "Only if they are authentically Belgian! Arrayed in a cone of paper! With mustard, mayo, or peanut satay!" All of these things I will do (just as soon as I stop confusing Belgium with Holland and Holland with Denmark and Denmark with Delaware and Delaware with New Hampshire and New Hampshire with Hawaii and Hawaii with Holland... er... Belgium).

Many of the songs on Girls in Hawaii's second album, PLAN YOUR ESCAPE, evoke the late, lamented GRANDADDY. That may be reason enough right there to feature them here....

GIRLS IN HAWAII on MySPACE.

[MP3] "Bored"

[MP3] "Summer Storm"

ODDS 'N' SODS #3

[MP3] WEEZER/"This is Such a Pity"

[MP3] SHERYL CROW/"Love is All There Is"

[MP3] TORPEDO/"From Russia With Love"

[MP3] M.I.A./"Paper Planes"

[MP3] MOTO BOY/"Blue Motorbike"

[MP3] k.d. lang/"Thread"

BEST OF 2005

Just trying to get these year-end mixes up and out there... willy-nilly though the process be....

Left-click [HERE] to download the 2005 mix.

Portal to other year-end mixes [HERE].

BEST OF 2005 TRACKLIST >>>

01 depeche mode/precious
02 stars/ageless beauty
03 kent/du ar anga
04 sambassadeur/new moon
05 new rhodes/i wish i was you
06 stellastarr*/sweet troubled soul
07 spoon/the two sides of monsieur valentine
08 franz ferdinand/you're the reason i'm leaving
09 levy/you be sweet
10 metric/combat baby
11 belle and sebastian/another sunny day
12 the fine arts showcase/chemical girl
13 we are scientists/inaction
14 matt pond pa/several arrows later
15 editors/blood
16 goldspot/it's getting old
17 maplewood lane/wildwood drive
18 british sea power/please stand up
19 the raveonettes/ode to l.a.
20 death cab for cutie/soul meets body
21 ed harcourt/loneliness
22 gustav & the seasick sailors/angels fable [demo]
23 madonna/hung up

KAREN CARPENTER (1950-1983)

Today marks the 25th anniversary of KAREN CARPENTER's death by heart failure at the age of 32. The heart failure, of course, was the consequence of her long struggle with anorexia nervosa. Much like Rock Hudson would come to symbolize (and humanize) AIDS just a few years later, Carpenter would provide a face (and a voice) for a disease that was then little-known and little-understood by the population at large. There can be no doubt that this "fatal flaw" contributes significantly to her legacy today.

Mostly, though, it was her voice. A quarter century after her death, it remains a one-of-a-kind instrument: deep, rich, innocent, intimate. And, even when pitted against her control-freak/lodestar brother's sticky-sweet arrangements, there is a tangible sense of sadness, loneliness, and loss there that serves to both ground and elevate the material. "Soft rock"? Sure. "Easy listening"? Perhaps. But something more as well. Something deeper and more intricately tied to the human condition than, say, the average CAPTAIN & TENNILLE tune.

Perhaps more than any other, Karen Carpenter's is the voice of my childhood. Her first #1 hit ("Close to You") was released the month after I was born; she died two months before I turned 13. "Goodbye to innocence," and all that....

[For me, the Carpenters' most effective (and "affecting") songs tend to be the ballads. Even so, I couldn't resist throwing in their absurdly-titled (and absurdly "over-the-top") opus of 1977 -- "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft (The Recognized Anthem of World Contact Day)." There must have been something in the air back then (so to speak) -- seeing as "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" came out at almost exactly the same time.]

[Finally, any self-respecting BEATLES' fan is likely to find the Carpenters' version of "Ticket to Ride" a slow-motion abomination. It's included here merely to serve as yet another showcase for Karen's aching alto -- and as proof that that voice was already well-in-place when she recorded it at age 18.]

[MP3] "(They Long to Be) Close to You" [1970]
[MP3] "We've Only Just Begun" [1970]

[MP3] "Superstar" [1971]
[MP3] "Rainy Days and Mondays" [1971]

[MP3] "Top of the World" [1972]
[MP3] "I Won't Last a Day Without You" [1972]

[MP3] "Yesterday Once More" [1973]

[MP3] "Solitaire" [1975]

[MP3] "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft" [1977]

[MP3] "Ticket to Ride" [1969]

TOM PETTY

Barring something utterly unforeseen, there should be no "wardrobe malfunctions" at this year's Super Bowl. And thank Christ for that. The sight of one of TOM PETTY's albino-cadaver boobs might just set off one giant, global upchuck of chips, dip, and chicken wings.

As for the game, I'll be pulling for the Patriots and my favorite Brady since "Mike." Tom Terrific and I are both University of Michigan grads, after all, though our times there did not coincide. So, here's sending a salutary Super Bowl shout-out to all the starting U-M quarterbacks of my bygone era (Michael Taylor, Demetrius Brown, Elvis Grbac, Todd Collins): Eat your maize-and-blue hearts out....

[MP3] "American Girl" [1976]
[MP3] "Breakdown" [1976]

[MP3] "I Need to Know" [1978]

[MP3] "Refugee" [1979]
[MP3] "Even the Losers [1979]

[MP3] "The Waiting" [1981]

[MP3] "You Got Lucky" [1982]

[MP3] "Don't Come Around Here No More" [1985]
[MP3] "Rebels" [1985]

[MP3] "Learning to Fly" [1989]
[MP3] "Two Gunslingers" [1989]

BEST OF JANUARY 2008

Another year, another month, another mix. This one feels pretty laid-back -- downright moody in stretches. Soundtrack to Seasonal Affective Disorder? Nah. It ain't that moody....

Left-click [HERE] for the download.

Portal to previous monthly mixes [HERE].

BEST OF JANUARY 2008 TRACKLIST >>>

01 CRASH VEGAS/on and on (lodestar)
02 SUEDE/everything will flow
03 MONKEY SWALLOWS THE UNIVERSE/bloodline
04 MORRISSEY/that's how people grow up
05 SONS AND DAUGHTERS/gilt complex
06 SPARKS/ride 'em cowboy
07 THE KNIFE/silent shout
08 FISCHERSPOONER/the best revenge
09 PORTISHEAD/roads [live]
10 PAUL BUCHANAN & CRAIG ARMSTRONG/let's go out tonight
11 BADLY DRAWN BOY/a journey from a to b
12 THE DUKE SPIRIT/lassoo
13 THE WHITLAMS/no aphrodisiac
14 GENE LOVES JEZEBEL/love keeps dragging me down
15 MERCURY REV/goddess on a hiway
16 GARBAGE/you look so fine
17 THE HONEYDRIPS/hej da karolin
18 THE HEAVY CIRCLES/henri
19 ORWELL/tout entier