ROBERT FORSTER

Today's ROBERT FORSTER is the former co-leader of the underrated GO-BETWEENS, not the actor from the underrated "Jackie Brown." Forster's musical cohort, GRANT McLENNAN, died in May of 2006, thus putting an end to that '80s and '00s enterprise (both men spent the '90s as solo artists).

Mr. Forster will be releasing his first solo album in almost 12 years in April. It is called THE EVANGELIST, and includes the two songs below....

[MP3] "Did She Overtake You"

[MP3] "Demon Days"

NIGHT CANOPY

L.A.'s NIGHT CANOPY principally consist(s) of singer-songwriter AMY BLASCHKE and former PRETTY GIRLS MAKE GRAVES drummer NICK DeWITT. Their ouvre is moody folk-pop, sometimes employing a lite-dark, late-'60s groove. The songs below are taken from their 2007 album, OF HONEY AND COUNTRY.

[MP3] "Sing Me to Sleep"

[MP3] "Signs of Life"

R.E.M. - PART 2

R.E.M. on WIKIPEDIA.

From the LP LIFES RICH PAGEANT, 1986 >>>
[MP3] "Fall on Me"
[MP3] "Superman"
[MP3] "I Believe"

From the LP DOCUMENT, 1987 >>>
[MP3] "Welcome to the Occupation"
[MP3] "Strange"

From the LP GREEN, 1988 >>>
[MP3] "Orange Crush"
[MP3] "World Leader Pretend"

R.E.M. - PART 1

R.E.M.'s new LP, ACCELERATE, comes out this Tuesday in the U.S. I've already gone and expressed my sadness and disappointment [HERE]. It occurs to me now: The truly troubling thing is that the band made most, if not all, of the adjustments that I (and most fans and critics) thought they absolutely had to make in order to reinvigorate their sound, yet they still produced a largely lackluster and leaden effort. !Ay chihuahua!

(Of course, not all critics are finding it "lackluster" and/or "leaden," as I see that both Rolling Stone and Entertainment Weekly are raving. "Raving mad," methinks.)

Late Thursday night, I found myself compelled by coffee & crankiness to pop MURMUR into the player, strap on my trusty Grado 60s, and crank the volume to a level that's slowly-but-surely eroding my ability to hear high frequencies. Sure enough, the band's debut album still sounded fresh, vital, and new -- even 25 years after its release. And it's not as though I wanted the new disc to sound like MURMUR (or LIFES RICH PAGEANT or AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE, for that matter); I just wanted some semblance of the inspired communion of songwriting and performance that had elevated those records to classic status. Too much to ask for? Guess so.

(But enough with the bitching. Honestly, enough already.)

Now... you may need to crank the volume a bit on these early-career cuts, but methinks them well worth the effort....

From the Hib-Tone single, 1981 >>>
[MP3] "Radio Free Europe"

From the EP CHRONIC TOWN, 1982 >>>
[MP3] "Wolves, Lower"
[MP3] "Carnival of Sorts (Box Cars)"

From the LP MURMUR, 1983 >>>
[MP3] "Sitting Still"
[MP3] "Shaking Through"

From the LP RECKONING, 1984 >>>
[MP3] "So. Central Rain"
[MP3] "Pretty Persuasion"

From the LP FABLES OF THE RECONSTRUCTION, 1985 >>>
[MP3] "Green Grow the Rushes"
[MP3] "Wendell Gee"

ODDS 'N' SODS #8

[MP3] MIXEL PIXEL/"Fake Girlfriend"

[MP3] ELECTRIC SIX/"Down at McDonnellzzzzzzz"

[MP3] MADONNA [w/JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE & TIMBALAND]/"4 Minutes to Save the World"

[MP3] THE BLAKES/"Lintwalk"

[MP3] ANE BRUN/"Raise My Head"

[MP3] SUN KIL MOON/"Heron Blue"

PORTISHEAD

I was going to start this by saying that I was finding PORTISHEAD's new album, THIRD, to be pretty tough sledding. Then I remembered that I've found damn-near all of Portishead's albums to be pretty tough sledding, so this is merely par for the course.

Thank goodness for BETH GIBBONS' cracked-ice, zombie croon. Without that, I probably wouldn't even bother to be bothered by my inability to embrace their stark, narcotized vibe.

Rumor has it that THIRD will drop on April 28.

PORTISHEAD on MySPACE.

[MP3] "Magic Doors"

[MP3] "The Rip"

THE RACONTEURS

Much like GNARLS BARKLEY last week, THE RACONTEURS felt compelled to move up the release date for their second LP, CONSOLERS OF THE LONELY, to help mitigate an Internet leak.

While there's nothing quite so effortlessly classic as "Steady, As She Goes" this time around, I still find myself drawn more to the "BRENDAN BENSON"-sounding entries than the "JACK WHITE" efforts. (Generally-speaking, though, that merely reflects my preference for pop-rock over blues-rock, and White's closing "Carolina Drama" has to rank as one of the album's highlights.) (And, come to think of it, "The Switch and the Spur" below shares some brassy swagger with "Conquest" from the last WHITE STRIPES album....)

THE RACONTEURS on MySPACE.

[MP3] "The Switch and the Spur" [REMOVED BY REQUEST]

[MP3] "Many Shades of Black" [REMOVED BY REQUEST]

THE SUBMARINES

I had THE SUBMARINES' DECLARE A NEW STATE! at #11 on my Top Albums list of 2006. Now, still-married JOHN DRAGONETTI & BLAKE HAZARD are back with the decidedly sunshinier follow-up, HONEYSUCKLE WEEKS. Look for it May 13 on NETTWERK.

THE SUBMARINES on MySPACE.

From the LP HONEYSUCKLE WEEKS, 2008 >>>
[MP3] "You, Me and the Bourgeoisie"

From the LP DECLARE A NEW STATE!, 2006 >>>
[MP3] "Peace and Hate"

THE KOOKS

Back in 2006, it was pretty easy to confuse Brighton's THE KOOKS with any number of other 21st century Britpop bands. The passage of two years hasn't really changed that.

Still, in 2006, I used 4 of the 14 songs from their album of the time (INSIDE IN/INSIDE OUT) on mix CDs. In 2008, I'm using 4 of the 12 songs from their present album (KONK) on mix CDs. So that's consistency for you, at the very least.

KONK should be globally available come April 15.

THE KOOKS on MySPACE.

From the LP KONK, 2008 >>>
[MP3] "See the Sun"
[MP3] "Mr. Maker"

From the LP INSIDE IN/INSIDE OUT, 2006 >>>
[MP3] "Ooh La"
[MP3] "Jackie Big Tits"

COUNTING CROWS

Hey, whattaya know? COUNTING CROWS are still a band! Who knew?

And the better question: Does anyone still care? After all, it's been six years since their last album (the if-a-tree-falls-in-the-forest-obscure HARD CANDY), and 15 years since AUGUST AND EVERYTHING AFTER blew up bigger-than-big (and left contemporaries like GIN BLOSSOMS and TOAD THE WET SPROCKET choking on their dust).

The new long-player, SATURDAY NIGHTS & SUNDAY MORNINGS, is out today. I don't hear a breakout single on there ("1492" rocks hard but in vain), so it's hard to imagine this effort serving as catalyst for a comeback. Stranger things have happened, I suppose (for example: People keep buying that damn JACK JOHNSON record. Ugh.)

COUNTING CROWS on MySPACE.

From the LP SATURDAY NIGHTS & SUNDAY MORNINGS, 2008 >>>
[MP3] "Cowboys"
[MP3] "Come Around"

From the LP HARD CANDY, 2002 >>>
[MP3] "Miami"
[MP3] "American Girls"

From the LP THIS DESERT LIFE, 1999 >>>
[MP3] "Hanginaround"
[MP3] "All My Friends"

From the LP RECOVERING THE SATELLITES, 1996 >>>
[MP3] "A Long December"
[MP3] "Angels of the Silences"

From the LP AUGUST AND EVERYTHING AFTER, 1993 >>>
[MP3] "Round Here"
[MP3] "Mr. Jones"

BONUS TRACK >>>

[MP3] "Einstein on the Beach (For an Eggman)"

DAWN LANDES

Seems the New-York-City-by-way-of-Louisville singer-songwriter DAWN LANDES won't leave me alone. I happened upon her song "Bodyguard" on the 'Net quite some time ago, but I couldn't make up my mind whether or not I liked it enough to post it. So I filed it in the "In Limbo" bin. And I moved on.

But then her CD, FIREPROOF, showed up in my mailbox. All of a sudden, sort of. Just like that. Dammit, I thought, now I'm obliged to listen to this whole dadgum thing. Which I did. And "Bodyguard" was the best song on there. And "Twilight" was my next-best. So I was getting closer to posting, but still not quite there yet. There were certain nagging reservations, I guess you'd say. Certain lingering uncertainties.

So then, last night, I'm reading an old issue of Entertainment Weekly. I don't subscribe to Entertainment Weekly, but my brother did and then my brother died so now I get his Entertainment Weeklys. And in this particular one -- the one I was reading last night -- who else but Dawn Landes should get mentioned? Exactly. Just like that.

So, you see, it's fate, I guess. My brother died so I would be sure and post on Dawn Landes. Funny the way things work.... He was only 50, and I'm still not sure I exactly love this goddam song....

DAWN LANDES on MySPACE.

[MP3] "Bodyguard"

[MP3] "Twilight"

THE CHARLATANS UK

If you're of a mind to, you can download the new CHARLATANS UK CD, YOU CROSS MY PATH, for $0 by heading [HERE]. (If you're not of a mind to, there'll be no helping you....)

THE CHARLATANS UK on MySPACE.

[MP3] "You Cross My Path"

[MP3] "Oh! Vanity"

FRANCOISE HARDY - PART 2

FRANCOISE HARDY on WIKIPEDIA.

[MP3] "Comment te dire adieu"

[MP3] "Ce petit coeur"

[MP3] "Le premier bonheur du jour"

[MP3] "Tu peux bien"

[MP3] "Des ronds dans l'eau"

[MP3] "Ou va la chance"

FRANCOISE HARDY - PART 1

Perhaps inspired by recent viewings of "Man Bites Dog" [C+] and "Paris, je t'aime" [C-], or perhaps because I have a sudden hankering for a plate of fried potatoes, a bowl of vanilla ice cream, and/or a kiss with tongues....

FRANCOISE HARDY on WIKIPEDIA.

[MP3] "Tous les garcons et les filles"

[MP3] "Le temps de l'amour"

[MP3] "Pourtant tu m'aimes"

[MP3] "Je t'aime"

[MP3] "Je veux qu'il revienne"

[MP3] "Chere amie" [w/MARC LAVOINE]

ODDS 'N' SODS #7

[MP3] WE ARE SCIENTISTS/"After Hours"

[MP3] TOKYO POLICE CLUB/"Juno"

[MP3] MYSTERY JETS/"Veiled in Grey"

[MP3] TREMBLING BLUE STARS/"Beautiful Blank"

[MP3] JAYMAY"Blue Skies"

[MP3] SNAKE & JET'S AMAZING BULLIT BAND/"Kolmilan"

FOREST CITY LOVERS

Toronto's FOREST CITY LOVERS are purveyors of dark-edged, atmospheric indie pop. Their second album, HAUNTING MOON SINKING, is available both [HERE] and [HERE].

FOREST CITY LOVERS on MySPACE.

[MP3] "Waiting By the Fence"

[MP3] "And the Trees"

TAPES 'N TAPES

Not infrequently, I find myself more than a little mystified by the prevailing winds & whims of the MP3 blogging community. A couple years ago, Minneapolis' TAPES 'N TAPES was all the rage, it seemed, everywhere but in my house.

April 8 will see the release of their new album, WALK IT OFF, and I continue to struggle to understand their appeal. Even my favorite track from the new disc, "Conquest," never quite delivers on the promise of its terrific, skittering guitar and infectious backbeat.

Oh well. "To each his/her own," as the saying is wont to say....

TAPES 'N TAPES on MySPACE.

From the LP WALK IT OFF, 2008 >>>
[MP3] "Conquest"
[MP3] "Say Back Something"

From the LP THE LOON, 2006 >>>
[MP3] "Insistor"

BONUS TRACK >>>

[MP3] "Cowbell" [The Black Eyes Remix]

GNARLS BARKLEY

I remember feeling pretty satisfied with myself for being one of the first American MP3 bloggers to latch onto the insanely-catchy mojo of GNARLS BARKLEY's "Crazy." I certainly wasn't the first, since I would have learned of it from another blog to begin with. [Very possibly this one right (HERE).]

I first put the song on a mix CD in January of 2006, and it appeared on this blog on February 10 as part of the BEST OF JANUARY 2006 compilation (along with that other blogosphere fave of the day -- MIDLAKE's "Roscoe"). Of course, the song went on to be played to death in countries across the globe, but that MORRICONE-nicked bassline, those unapologetic, '70-styled strings, and that signature voice remain ingenious pieces of a classic, crossover joint.

Well, time marches on, and C.-L. and D.M. are back with the follow-up to ST. ELSEWHERE. Originally intended for an April 8 bricks-and-mortar release, THE ODD COUPLE has now been bumped up to March 25. Full-album leaks can have that effect, I guess....

GNARLS BARKLEY on MySPACE.

[MP3] "Surprise"

[MP3] "Going On"

ANGUS & JULIA STONE

One of the many problems with year-end best album lists is that -- inevitably, invariably -- things get missed. Case in point: ANGUS & JULIA STONE's A BOOK LIKE THIS.

If I'd discovered this Aussie brother/sister team a few months ago (as opposed to a few weeks ago), their debut LP may well have made my 2007 Top 12. Alas, alas.

But: Better late than never.

(For variety's sake, I like the fact that both boy & girl take turns at the mic. The selections below will give you a taste of each....)

ANGUS & JULIA STONE on MySPACE.

[MP3] "Just a Boy"

[MP3] "A Book Like This"

I AM KLOOT

I AM KLOOT is a trio from Manchester led by singer-songwriter JOHN BRAMWELL. Their latest LP, I AM KLOOT PLAY MOOLAH ROUGE, was released as a limited edition late last year. It's supposed to be released in a more traditional manner sometime soon, but be damned if I can nail down a date. In the meantime, there is the subsequent smorgasbord to whet your collective appetite....

I AM KLOOT on MySPACE.

From the LP I AM KLOOT PLAY MOOLAH ROUGE, 2008 >>>
[MP3] "Ferris Wheels"
[MP3] "Hey Little Bird"

From the LP GODS AND MONSTERS, 2005 >>>
[MP3] "No Direction Home"
[MP3] "Over My Shoulder"

From the LP I AM KLOOT, 2003 >>>
[MP3] "Cuckoo"
[MP3] "Your Favourite Sky"

From the LP NATURAL HISTORY, 2001 >>>
[MP3] "86 TV's"
[MP3] "Stop"

R.E.M.

Not so much a leak as a dam-break on this one....

Unfortunately, it's "much ado...," as I had feared.

Okay, look. I'm not one of those hardcore, protectionist R.E.M.-bassadors who bought CHRONIC TOWN the day it came out and started shouting "sellouts!" circa LIFES RICH PAGEANT. Like a lot of people, I didn't truly "find" the band until the one-two punch of OUT OF TIME and AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE. "Losing My Religion" "Drive," and "Man on the Moon" were crucial marking posts, to be sure -- but, ultimately, no more so than "Belong," "Texarkana," "Monty Got a Raw Deal," or "Find the River."

It was during this time period that I "borrowed" a hated college roommate's copy of EPONYMOUS and -- armed with a cheap-but-sonically-pristine pair of headphones -- began to delve into the band's lauded back-catalogue. This was a revelatory listen. From the sheer kinetic energy of "Radio Free Europe" and "It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" to MIKE MILLS' indispensable counterpoint vocals on "The One I Love," "So. Central Rain" and "Fall on Me," I was transfixed in a way that I hadn't been since my 13-year-old ears first achieved aural orgasm with DEF LEPPARD's PYROMANIA (and wouldn't be again until my 27-year-old ears found deep-and-lasting love with OK COMPUTER).

So... MONSTER was the first R.EM. album I purchased on the day of its release, and I've managed to maintain the tradition ever since. But with increasing difficulty, post-BILL BERRY. 2004's AROUND THE SUN, in particular, plunged me into a deep, dark pit of despair. The songs were largely lifeless. Incessantly mid-tempo. Muzak too sluggish to accompany supermarket shopping. Muzak just sprightly enough to drive in-chair aerobics at the old folks' home. Mercy, mercy me.

It seemed quite clear that, if R.E.M. were ever going to mount anything even resembling a career-kickstarting comeback, certain changes would have to be made. For starters, producer Pat McCarthy would have to be jettisoned -- not for professional incompetence, but because Buck, Mills, and Stipe had become too comfortable with him (as they'd become too comfortable with Scott Litt before him). Next, they'd need to pick up the pace. On stage, they continued to prove themselves capable of kicking ass. In the studio, a sort of inescapable, blanket lethargy seemed to descend upon them. Perhaps a listen to "Gardening at Night," "Pretty Persuasion," "Can't Get There From Here," or even "Star 69" would serve as an instructive reminder that speed kills (and that, in rock 'n' roll, that's a good thing).

Last but not least, Mike Mills' musical role would have to be re-thought. For years, the man had been straying from his bass -- the instrument that had grounded the band from the get-go, freeing PETER BUCK to develop his unique, circular, no-solo guitar style. Too often of late, Mills seemed satisfied to sequester himself behind a piano (where his melodies tended to be generically pretty) or some vintage synthesizer that Buck had picked up on his restless-leg travels (the last three R.E.M. records are hopelessly clogged with energy-deadening keyboard fills & folderal). Finally, Stipe would have to take the muzzle off Mills and let the man sing a little. Mills' "sunny" tenor had always served as perfect foil for Stipe's sometimes-whiny/sometimes-gravelly baritone. Their vocal interplay -- as much as Buck's arpeggios and Mills' melodic basslines -- was a signature of early-to-mid-career R.E.M., and it was long-past-due that they rediscover it.

Which brings us, finally, to ACCELERATE -- the long-promised, would-be return-to-form. The context seemed promising. A new producer (Jacknife Lee) had been brought on board to keep the ship from slipping instinctively into safe harbors. The songs are faster (and shorter) -- many clocking in at under three minutes. Buck plays guitar! Mills plays bass! Stipe sings! And so does Mills! There's a rough-edged energy to the thing. It feels off-the-cuff; thrown-together -- not over-produced; over-arranged; over-thought; over before it even began. Yet: It falls flat. It still feels generic, somehow. There's heat but no light. In the end, in its own way, it's a collection of songs no more noteworthy or distinguished than AROUND THE SUN's. (And you have no idea how much it pains me to say that.)

Lead single "Supernatural Superserious" provides a pretty good case-in-point. It's a catchy little thing, and -- sure enough -- there's Mike Mills, on cue, singing high & striving on the chorus, just as in olden days. But that ends up being the problem. It's the dreaded Copy-of-a-Copy Syndrome. Diminishing returns -- despite all best efforts and intentions -- are inevitable. (See/hear "Leaving New York," "Imitation of Life," and "Daysleeper" for further proof/evidence of this decade-long trend.)

Elsewhere on the new record, opening one-two "Living Well is the Best Revenge" and "Man-Sized Wreath" have the feel of NEW ADVENTURES IN HI-FI rockers like "The Wake-Up Bomb" and "Departure." They're serviceable, sure -- but, ultimately, forgettable. Fact is, R.E.M. have never been particularly adept at the "gritty" thing. They'd do well to surrender that territory to PEARL JAM once and for all and just get on with it.

"Hollow Man" starts out as a bad ballad before loping into a bad GOO GOO DOLLS/COUNTING CROWS chorus. "Until the Day is Done" is musically by-the-numbers and lyrically on-the-nose. Funny how much more effective Stipe's political testaments were when presented as oblique allegory or inscrutable haiku ("Talk About the Passion," "Green Grow the Rushes," "Cuyahoga," "Disturbance at the Heron House"). "Mr. Richards" is a lazy guitar rewrite of UP's swirling electronic dervish "Hope." And closer "I'm Gonna DJ" should have remained a live-performance-only rave-up. Committed to disc, it sounds canned & mechanical (& absolutely no fun at all; "Superman," where are you?).

So that's that. As I've been writing this, I've found myself feeling more angry than sad -- though the sadness will come. Should I feel the need, I still have the sanctuary of that lauded R.E.M. back-catalogue to retreat to. And it's not as if ACCELERATE is the worst highly-anticipated album I've heard this year (not so long as BOB MOULD and THE BREEDERS are around). In the end, it's all about unreasonable expectations, I guess. The impossibility of being young again. Of turning back the clock, popping EPONYMOUS into the player, strapping on the cheap-but-sonically-pristine pair of headphones, and discovering something utterly new that delights and surprises at every tuck and turn. R.E.M.'s 14th album, ACCELERATE, alas, possesses no such transformative magic. Shame on me for wanting so desperately to believe that it might.

[MP3] "Horse to Water"

[MP3] "Sing for the Submarine"

DUFFY

No, that's not BELINDA CARLILE contemplating circles in the sand up in the top picture there; it's blue-eyed soulstress DUFFY (aka Aimee Anne Duffy), of Wales.

The latest in a lengthening line of distaff '60s revivalists (e.g. AMY WINEHOUSE and ADELE), Ms. Duffy has obviously listened to some Motown and DUSTY IN MEMPHIS in her time. To my ears, though, the songs below most evoke BOBBY WOMACK and DIONNE WARWICK, respectively.

DUFFY on MySPACE.

[MP3] "Hanging on Too Long"

[MP3] "Stepping Stone"

BONUS TRACK (just because whythehellnot?) >>>

[MP3] BELINDA CARLILE/"Circle in the Sand"

DEAN MARTIN - PART 2

DEAN MARTIN on WIKIPEDIA.

[MP3] "Everybody Loves Somebody"

[MP3] "Ain't That a Kick in the Head"

[MP3] "Sway"

[MP3] "Volare"

[MP3] "I Will"

[MP3] "Kiss"

[MP3] "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!"

DEAN MARTIN - PART 1

I don't know about you, but I'm in the mood for some boozy, swoony crooning... and there's only one Rat in the Pack who'll do....

DEAN MARTIN on WIKIPEDIA.

[MP3] "Somewhere There's a Someone"

[MP3] "That's Amore"

[MP3] "In the Chapel in the Moonlight"

[MP3] "You Belong to Me"

[MP3] "Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone"

[MP3] "You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You"

[MP3] "Hey Brother, Pour the Wine"

BEST OF 2006, VOL. 2

[Note: With this mix, the years 2002-2006 are now encapsulated & available -- just follow the portal(s). 2002 & 2006 are each divided into two volumes.]

Left-click [HERE] to download the BEST OF 2006, VOL. 2.

Portal to previous year-end mixes [HERE].

BEST OF 2006, VOL. 2 tracklist >>>

01 paul oakenfold/ready steady go
02 ladytron/destroy everything you touch
03 the charlatans uk/blackened blue eyes
04 the veils/advice for young mothers to be
05 director/reconnect
06 mojave 3/breaking the ice
07 asobi seksu/thursday
08 stina nordenstam/parliament square [the knife remix]
09 dover/let me out
10 rock kills kid/raise your hands
11 the like/the one
12 consequences/come on
13 the killers/a great big sled
14 the royal treatment plant/you don't need me
15 david & the citizens/let's not fall apart
16 the pipettes/pull shapes
17 the upper room/kill kill kill
18 los super elegantes/por que te vas?
19 mcalmont and butler/falling

WOLFKIN

WOLFKIN are a couple of not-so-melancholy Danes who rather entertainingly describe themselves thusly:

"Wolfkin is a non-ordinary rock-outfit who'll take you down for a trip through their fantasia. A place where mirages of orchestras, string-sections and otherworldly sceneries are invoked amidst the duo's hall-of-mirrors band.... A musical mixture of exotic noir, Morricone Americana, stylish and dirty drum programming that demand dancing, and oozing with psychedelic sensibilities reminiscent both of the spaced-out synthesizer meditations of the seventies as well as the sixties' hotheaded guitar-driven ecstasy of rock&roll.... [S]ongs that both hook you and hoodwink you, as they unfold lush in detail and ever-changing, shimmering from that murky twilight state between the real and the unreal."

Got the picture? Okey-dokey then.

In support of their debut long-player, BRAND NEW PANTS, Wolfkin just finished gigging at SxSW and will play Spaceland in L.A. on March 19.

WOLFKIN on MySPACE.

[MP3] "Coyoacan"

[MP3] [VID] "A Vacant Heart"

MARK LANEGAN

Forget, for a moment, that the picture above makes former SCREAMING TREES frontman MARK LANEGAN look like one of the BACKSTREET BOYS. That way madness lies.

What matters to us here today is that Mr. Lanegan has been busy as a bee/beaver in recent months. He's gone ahead and recorded another CD with former BELLE AND SEBASTIAN gal ISOBEL CAMPBELL, as well as one with AFGHAN WHIG GREG DULLI (as THE GUTTER TWINS).

Last year, he contributed mightily to the SOULSAVERS' disc. And his long-ago-and-far-away teaming with THE WALKABOUTS on a CHARLIE RICH classic remains a slow-burn favorite of mine.

So... sidle on up to the buffet and pick your poison. The sneezeguard is, conveniently, see-through....

MARK LANEGAN on MySPACE.

From the MARK LANEGAN & ISOBEL CAMPBELL LP SUNDAY AT DEVIL DIRT, 2008 >>>
[MP3] "Who Built the Road"
[MP3] "The Raven"

From the GUTTER TWINS LP SATURNALIA, 2008 >>>
[MP3] "Each to Each"

From the SOULSAVERS LP IT'S NOT HOW FAR YOU FALL, IT'S THE WAY YOU LAND, 2007 >>>
[MP3] "Paper Money"

From THE WALKABOUTS LP SATISFIED MIND, 1993 >>>
[MP3] "Feel Like Going Home"

CARINA ROUND

PJ HARVEY. PATTI SMITH. KT TUNSTALL. CHARLOTTE MARTIN.

Just four of the artists I've heard CARMINA ROUND compared to. Make of that what you will....

CARINA ROUND on MySPACE.

[MP3] "Stolen Car"

[MP3] "Come to You"

STEPHEN MALKMUS & THE JICKS

From the new STEPHEN MALKMUS & THE JICKS album, REAL EMOTIONAL TRASH....

STEPHEN MALKMUS & THE JICKS on MySPACE.

[MP3] "Gardenia"

[MP3] "We Can't Help You"

STUART A. STAPLES

On the subject of moody English singers... a couple tracks from lead TINDERSTICK STUART A. STAPLES' 2006 solo effort, LEAVING SONGS....

STUART A. STAPLES on MySPACE.

[MP3] "That Leaving Feeling" [w/LHASA DE SELA]

[MP3] "Which Way the Wind"

ELBOW

Melancholy saloon crooner GUY GARVEY and his Manchester mates in ELBOW are back -- and with a little extra pep in their step. (Well... relatively-speaking.)

Their fourth full-length, THE SELDOM SEEN KID, hits the shops on March 18.

ELBOW on MySPACE.

From the LP THE SELDOM SEEN KID, 2008 >>>
[MP3] "Grounds for Divorce"
[MP3] "An Audience With the Pope"

From the LP CAST OF THOUSANDS, 2003 >>>
[MP3] "Not a Job"

From the LP ASLEEP IN THE BACK, 2001 >>>
[MP3] "Powder Blue"
[MP3] "Red"

CLOUD CULT

Almost a-year-to-the-day after releasing their last CD, THE MEANING OF 8, Minneapolis' eclectic CLOUD CULT will be dropping the next one on April 8. You can purchase it right [HERE], right now, for a right reasonable $10.

CLOUD CULT on MySPACE.

From the LP FEEL GOOD GHOSTS (TEA-PARTYING THROUGH TORNADOES), 2008 >>>
[MP3] "Journey of the Featherless"
[MP3] "May Your Hearts Stay Strong"

From the LP THE MEANING OF 8, 2007 >>>
[MP3] "Take Your Medicine"

GARBAGE

Rumor has it that the Scottish/American alt-rock collective GARBAGE will begin work on their fifth LP later this year. One guesses that the world will greet this news with little more than lukewarm enthusiasm, considering the rather tepid critical and commercial response to the band's last two efforts.

Still, for me, Shirley & the boys will always have a small-but-significant niche in my heart, as their music will always remind me of my brief-but-beloved residency in L.A./Marina del Rey, circa 1995-1997. Seems like a lifetime ago now, and I suppose it was.

So, now, some not-so-distant nostalgia to accompany a cold, spring-forward Sunday morn....

From their self-titled LP, 1995 >>>
[MP3] "Only Happy When It Rains"
[MP3] "Queer"

From the LP VERSION 2.0, 1998 >>>
[MP3] "Special"
[MP3] "You Look So Fine"

From the LP BEAUTIFUL GARBAGE, 2001 >>>
[MP3] "Drive Me Home"

From the LP BLEED LIKE ME, 2005 >>>
[MP3] "Bad Boyfriend"
[MP3] "Run Baby Run"

From the compilation ABSOLUTE GARBAGE, 2007 >>>
[MP3] "Tell Me Where It Hurts"

BONUS TRACKS >>>

[MP3] "#1 Crush"

[MP3] "The World is Not Enough"

[MP3] "Kick My Ass"

[MP3] "Soldier Through This"

[MP3] "Milk" [Wicked Mix] [w/TRICKY]

BEST OF FEBRUARY 2008

Left-click [HERE] to download the BEST OF FEBRUARY 2008 mix.

Portal to previous monthly mixes [HERE].

BEST OF FEBRUARY 2008 tracklist >>>

01 pinewood derby/ivy on stone
02 pete & the pirates/mr. understanding
03 sons and daughters/darling
04 matt costa/astair
05 split squad/hairless youth of bosnia
06 torpedo/from russia with love
07 m.i.a./paper planes
08 fleetwood mac/peacekeeper
09 lovers electric/it's ok
10 the features/the idea of growing old
11 paris motel/catherine by the sea
12 elf power/come lie down with me (and sing my song)
13 r.e.m./supernatural superserious
14 lykke li/i'm good, i'm gone
15 robert post/got none
16 pet shop boys/miracles
17 massive attack/live with me
18 matt costa/these arms
19 pete & the pirates/she doesn't belong to me
20 girls in hawaii/summer storm
21 moto boy/blue motorbike
22 biirdie/petals
23 british sea power/carrion

ODDS 'N' SODS #6

[The Best of February mix will be up later today....]

[MP3] SUPERGRASS/"When I Needed You"

[MP3] BILLY BRAGG/"Something Happened"

[MP3] BELL X1/"My First Born for a Song"

[MP3] A WEATHER/"Spiders, Snakes"

[MP3] THE POGUES/"Tuesday Morning"

[MP3] SEBADOH/"Ocean"

THE LONG BLONDES

Back in December of 2006, I had this to say:

"THE LONG BLONDES are a new wave-influenced, art-rock collective from Sheffield, England -- home to one of my favorite groups of all time, PULP.... Led by sly, not-at-all-shy singer KATE JACKSON -- who I'm pretty sure is NOT the Kate Jackson who starred on the '70s TV show "Charlie's Angels" [ahem] -- the Long Blondes have been making waves in their home country with their aggressive-yet-poppy, girl-centric brand of rock. Fans of CATATONIA and "Ladykillers"-era LUSH should take note."

The Long Blondes' new disc, COUPLES, will be available April 8.

THE LONG BLONDES on MySPACE.

From the LP COUPLES, 2008 >>>
[MP3] "The Couples"
[MP3] "Nostalgia"

From the LP SOMEONE TO DRIVE YOU HOME, 2006 >>>
[MP3] "Once and Never Again"

WHAT MADE MILWAUKEE FAMOUS

They're from Austin, not Milwaukee -- so right there you've got to wonder about their trustworthiness....

WHAT MADE MILWAUKEE FAMOUS on MySPACE.

From the LP WHAT DOESN'T KILL US, 2008 >>>
[MP3] "Sultan"
[MP3] "Self-Destruct"

From the LP TRYING TO NEVER CATCH UP, 2004 >>>
[MP3] "Hellodrama"

PINTO

Tunesmith extraordinaire ANDREAS MAGNUSSON of PINTO isn't slowing down after releasing last fall's full-length HOOK ME UP. The e-mail accompanying his brand-spankin'-newest single "The Dream is Over" tells us with a wink & a nudge:

"It may remind you a bit of a song sung by an insane girl with multi-colored hair back in the 80's. It is just a coincidence...."

Of course it is, Andreas. But hey, let's just be all classy about it and call it an homage, yes?

PINTO on MySPACE.

[MP3] "The Dream is Over"

BONUS TRACK >>>

[MP3] CYNDI LAUPER/"Time After Time"

DEVOTCHKA

DEVOTCHKA's new album, A MAD AND FAITHFUL TELLING, will hit the streets -- metaphorically-speaking -- on March 18.

DEVOTCHKA on MySPACE.

From the LP A MAD AND FAITHFUL TELLING, 2008 >>>
[MP3] "The Clockwork Witness"
[MP3] "Undone"

From the EP CURSE YOUR LITTLE HEART, 2006 >>>
[MP3] "The Last Beat of My Heart"

From the LP HOW IT ENDS, 2004 >>>
[MP3] "How It Ends"

From the LP SUPERMELODRAMA, 2000 >>>
[MP3] "Danglin' Feet"

ELF POWER

ELF POWER on MySPACE.

From the LP IN A CAVE, 2008 >>>
[MP3] "Softly Through the Void"
[MP3] "Paralyzed"

From the LP BACK TO THE WEB, 2006 >>>
[MP3] "An Old Familiar Scene"
[MP3] "Come Lie Down With Me (And Sing My Song)"

k.d. lang - part 1

k.d. lang on myspace.

From the LP ANGEL WITH A LARIAT, 1987 >>>
[MP3] "Rose Garden"

From the LP SHADOWLAND, 1988 >>>
[MP3] "Tears Don't Care Who Cries Them"

From the LP ABSOLUTE TORCH AND TWANG, 1989 >>>
[MP3] "Trail of Broken Hearts"

From the LP INGENUE, 1992 >>>
[MP3] "Constant Craving"
[MP3] "Miss Chatelaine"

From the soundtrack EVEN COWGIRLS GET THE BLUES, 1994 >>>
[MP3] "Hush Sweet Lover"

From the LP ALL YOU CAN EAT, 1995 >>>
[MP3] "Acquiesce"
[MP3] "Infinite and Unforeseen"

BONUS TRACK >>>

[MP3] "Crying" [w/ROY ORBISON]