THE DRESDEN DOLLS

In March of 2006, I wrote about THE DRESDEN DOLLS thusly:

"The Dresden Dolls are a male/female duo from Boston who traffic in cabaret pop-punk. Their second record, YES, VIRGINIA, will be released on April 18. Though normally I might find this type of music a bit too "messy" for my tastes, there's something undeniably beguiling about it -- even as it always seems to be careening toward tunelessness. Yet, time and again, they manage to pull it back from the brink. Just call it 'infectiously vexing.' Or 'vexingly infectious.'"

All still true. While listening to the Dolls' upcoming release -- the it-logically-follows NO, VIRGINIA (May 20) -- I found myself focusing on the moany-moany machinations of AMANDA PALMER's vocals. Perhaps misunderstanding the phrase "sing from the diaphragm," the woman seems to summon her vox from a somewhat... er... um... lower spot on the anatomy than most singers. In fact, her herky-jerky histrionics have a way of making TORI AMOS sound downright dainty and demure. No small feat.

NO, VIRGINIA is made up of tracks left over from the YES, VIRGINIA sessions, as well as some new tunes.

THE DRESDEN DOLLS on MySPACE.

From the LP NO, VIRGINIA, 2008 >>>
[MP3] "Ultima Esperanza"
[MP3] "The Sheep Song"

From the LP YES, VIRGINIA, 2006 >>>
[MP3] [VID] "My Alcoholic Friends"
[MP3] "Necessary Evil"

From their self-titled LP, 2004 >>>
[MP3] [VID] "Coin-Operated Boy"
[MP3] "The Jeep Song"

WOLF PARADE

What with the plethora of "wolf"/"bear"/"monkey" bands & blogs in recent years, it's no wonder that some of them get lost in the general scrabble & scrum.

Despite the hype surrounding their 2005 full-length debut, Montreal's WOLF PARADE didn't really dent my consciousness until February of the following year, when I finally took the time to sit down and give APOLOGIES TO THE QUEEN MARY a proper listen. I liked but did not love. But there was room to grow. And notice had been served.

June 17 will see the release of LP2, AT MOUNT ZOOMER (formerly KISSING THE BEEHIVE). First time through, I'm more than liking; I'm close to loving; there's room to grow; this may be my favorite 2008 release to date; time will tell if this is merely eager-eared overpraising.

Strangely enough, for this increasingly ADD-addled listener, it's the longer songs that are thus far denting my consciousness most forcefully. The two below, for starters. "California Dreamer," for another. Just very nice, assured grooves/vibes. Talented-but-scattershot teenagers developing into solid, dependable twentysomethings... metaphorically-speaking, at least. I'm liking this story. And I might just come to love it.

WOLF PARADE on MySPACE.

From the LP AT MOUNT ZOOMER, 2008 >>>
[MP3] "Language City"
[MP3] "Fine Young Cannibals"

From the LP APOLOGIES TO THE QUEEN MARY, 2005 >>>
[MP3] "Shine a Light"
[MP3] "It's a Curse"

CAJUN DANCE PARTY

Boy, I am such a patsy/pansy when it comes to being beguiled by Britpop.

Upon first listen, I'm not sure that CAJUN DANCE PARTY's debut long-player, THE COLOURFUL LIFE, sounds much different from a hundred other entries in the genre (hell, even the album title could belong to THE KINKS, BLUR, COLDPLAY, or a hundred other Brit acts of various eras). But a few of the songs have that sound that's been pushing the right buttons for me for the last four or five years now, and, like Pavlov's dogs, I rush slobbering to my computer to post them for you.

If you haven't already moved on and left me in your dust, here are a couple more links in the ever-lengthening chain....

CAJUN DANCE PARTY on MySPACE.

[MP3] [VID] "The Race"

[MP3] [VID] "Amylase"

SUPERTRAMP

Yesterday, in commenting on JUICE NEWTON, substitute had this to say:

"Juice Newton is back-of-the-station-wagon music along with Supertramp and ELO. Nostalgia for the Fritos and Orange Crush overwhelms me!"

Ah, yes indeedy. Though, truth be told, I was always more of a Pepsi boy, myself. And Fritos always ran a distant third to Doritos and Cheetos in my little world. (Of course, this being the Detroit area, I should put in a plug for Better Made potato chips & Faygo. And Sanders hot fudge.)

Anyway, we already gave ELO the "Sunday Showcase" treatment back in January, but SUPERTRAMP certainly deserves some lovin' as well (for the great, great "Logical Song" alone -- #6 US; #7 UK)....

[MP3] "The Logical Song" [1979]

[MP3] "Take the Long Way Home" [1979]

[MP3] "Breakfast in America" [1979]

[MP3] "Give a Little Bit" [1977]

LEO SAYER

A bit of stream-of-consciousness posting to start the week....

Yesterday, in commenting on JUICE NEWTON, Jami had this to say:

"these songs were all about being in the car with mom. dad was still pining for the doors and the who and jimi. but when mom had control of the radio, these were the songs. for a trip even a little further back in the time machine that was mom's pinto, remember leo sayer? oh-wo-yay-yay. i love you more than i can say. i love you twice as much tomorrow. wo-oah. i love you more than i can say."

Well, enough said. I didn't have a "mom's pinto" in my life, but I did have an "aunt june's mufflerless ford maverick." The car was forest green. The aunt had one leg, smoked like a chimney, and took out her frustrations on her dog, Taffy. She also made the best french toast in the history of the world (Aunt June, not Taffy). But that's not why you stopped by today....

For me, the two LEO SAYER hits that resonate are "When I Need You" and the aforementioned "More Than I Can Say." The former went to #1 in the both the US and UK. The latter went to #2 in both places. And "I Can't Stop Loving You" -- which sounds quite a bit like "When I Need You" but nonetheless qualifies as one of Sayer's best efforts -- went to #6 in the UK. Guess we Americans were sleeping on that one.

[Another stream-of-consciousness post is just hours away. Y'all come back now....]

[MP3] "More Than I Can Say" [1980]

[MP3] "I Can't Stop Loving You (Though I Try)" [1978]

[MP3] "When I Need You" [1977]

BARRY MANILOW

Maaaaniloooow!

Yes, I can hear Colbert's anguished bellow even now. First, the man loses his Emmy to TONY BENNETT. Then: BARRY MANILOW. Oh my. The horror.

So yeah, maybe this post is a bit tongue-in-cheek. Mr. Manilow doesn't exactly inspire the same sort of critical or hipster acclaim as, say, NEIL DIAMOND. But it was back in December -- when I was dedicating Sundays to the likes of Diamond, KENNY ROGERS, DOLLY PARTON, CARLY SIMON, and BREAD -- that I slotted Barry in for posting. Then I got cold feet. Perhaps the man was too Velveeta cheesy even for me....

But no, to hell with that. I was 3-8 years old when the songs below were dominating the charts and Manilow was ushering in each New Year with Dick Clark, the dropping ball, and a still-filthy, hookers-and-trenchcoats Times Square. The man not only wrote the songs, he arranged, orchestrated, and sang the hell out of them. He's FRANK SINATRA-meets-MEATLOAF. And surely there's room enough for that monstrosity here on this blog. With no apologies. And few regrets.

[MP3] "Could It Be Magic" [1973]

[MP3] "Mandy" [1974]

[MP3] "Weekend in New England" [1976]

[MP3] "Copacabana (At the Copa)" [1978]

[MP3] "Ready to Take a Chance Again" [1978]

JUICE NEWTON

Here's a little visit to a time when country and pop were virtually indistinguishable from one another....

JUICE NEWTON's "Queen of Hearts" was a big deal on the Top 40 charts when I was in the sixth grade at Lewis Cass Elementary. That, and THE OAK RIDGE BOYS' "Elvira." And something or other by EDDIE RABBIT. "Driving the Night Away"? Well, whatever.

(Okay, I actually stopped and looked up the Eddie Rabbit on Wikipedia. It was "Drivin' My Life Away." There. Now I can sleep.)

[Come back later today for some cheese-tastic selections from a man Stephen Colbert considers an arch-enemy....]

[MP3] "It's a Heartache" [1978]

[MP3] "Angel of the Morning" [1981]

[MP3] "Queen of Hearts" [1981]

[MP3] "The Sweetest Thing (I've Ever Known)" [1981]

[MP3] "Love's Been a Little Bit Hard on Me" [1982]

SANTOGOLD

I'd shied away from SANTOGOLD largely because I found the cover of her self-titled debut album so damned unappealing/unappetizing. I mean, look at it up there.... Just plain godawful.

But the music can get you to moving, and that's not a bad thing for a Friday night. M.I.A. is the logical comparison point here, though Santogold (aka SANTI WHITE) has a thing for THE PIXIES and '80s pop as well. Which is to say: Don't you dare try to pin this girl down. She won't be havin' it....

SANTOGOLD on MySPACE.

[MP3] "You'll Find a Way"

[MP3] "Say Aha"

THE AIRFIELDS

Those partial to the late-'80s/early-'90s Sarah Records sound would do well to check out Toronto's THE AIRFIELDS. The songs below -- from their LP UP ALL NIGHT -- will likely transport more than a few of you back to more carefree and innocent days. Sweet nostalgia, ideally suited for open-windowed, nighttime summer drives. Ah, to be 18 again....

THE AIRFIELDS on MySPACE.

[MP3] "Prisoners of Our Love"

[MP3] "Icing Sugar"

ODDS 'N' SODS #11

[MP3] WEEZER/"Pork and Beans"

[MP3] 10,000 MANIACS/"Planned Obsolescence"

[MP3] THE SMITHS/"I Know It's Over"

[MP3] BOB DYLAN/"I Want You"

[MP3] ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA/"Ma-Ma-Ma Belle" [BY REQUEST]

[MP3] OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN & JOHN TRAVOLTA/"Summer Nights" [BY REQUEST]

PHANTOM PLANET

What becomes of a band that loses its two claims to fame? For PHANTOM PLANET, those claims were semi-celebrity drummer JASON SCHWARTZMAN ("Rushmore") and the title-track tie-in ("California") to a hip, "hot" show ("The O.C."). But Schwartzman's gone Hollywood. And "The O.C." sleeps with the fishes. So, what's a band to do?

Just keep releasing albums, apparently. After 2004's uninspired detour to STROKES-ville, ALEX GREENWALD & Co. are back with RAISE THE DEAD -- a slightly more inspiring collection to help you spring into summer....

From the LP RAISE THE DEAD, 2008 >>>
[MP3] "Leader"
[MP3] "Confess"

From the LP THE GUEST, 2002 >>>
[MP3] "California"

From the LP PHANTOM PLANET IS MISSING, 1998 >>>
[MP3] "The Local Black and Red"

THE CONNELLS

Into the vaults we go....

Raleigh, North Carolina's THE CONNELLS were kind of R.E.M. redux back in the late '80s/early '90s -- jangle-pop/power-pop with a Southern sensibility (by way of the UK).

It's been eight years since their last release, the line-up has changed (more than once) (more than twice), and pretty much all of the band members have secured employment outside of the music industry, but they refuse to officially call it quits. Plucky perseverance or out-of-touch obliviousness?

Well, who the hell cares? What matters is that they managed to produce some pretty fine tunes back in the day. If their day should come again, chalk it up to "bonus," baby.

THE CONNELLS on MySPACE.

From the LP WEIRD FOOD & DEVASTATION, 1996 >>>
[MP3] "Maybe"

From the LP RING, 1993 >>>
[MP3] "'74-'75"
[MP3] "Any Day Now"

From the LP ONE SIMPLE WORD, 1990 >>>
[MP3] "Stone Cold Yesterday"
[MP3] "The Joke"
[MP3] "Too Gone"

KARA KEITH

ARTIST: KARA KEITH

FROM: Canada

GENRE: Indie pop

SAYS SHE'S INFLUENCED BY: TV theme songs, Bob Fossi, KATE BUSH

SOMETIMES SOUNDS A BIT LIKE: THE DELGADOS' EMMA POLLOCK.

KARA KEITH on MySPACE.

From her self-titled EP, 2008 >>>
[MP3] "Kick This City"
[MP3] "Get Up and Go Go"

From the LP THE LOVE YEARS, 2002 >>>
[MP3] "Zeno"

K.O.L.O.

BAND: K.O.L.O.

FROM: Switzerland

GENRE: Indie pop

ALBUM: SONGS FOR A SLEEPWALKER

SAY THEY'RE INLUENCED BY: THOM YORKE, ELBOW, DAMIEN RICE

SOUND MORE LIKE: THE FEATURES, HARD-FI

K.O.L.O. on MySPACE.

[MP3] "Sleepwalking"

[MP3] "Not a Fool"

ABBA - PART 3

ABBA on WIKIPEDIA.

[MP3] "Hej Gamle Man" [1970]

[MP3] "Another Town, Another Train" [1973]

[MP3] "She's My Kind of Girl" [1973]

[MP3] "Honey, Honey" [1974]

[MP3] "S.O.S." [1975]

[MP3] "Mamma Mia" [1975]

[MP3] "So Long" [1975]

ABBA - PART 2

ABBA on WIKIPEDIA.

[MP3] "Dancing Queen" [1977]

[MP3] "My Love, My Life" [1977]

[MP3] "Knowing Me, Knowing You" [1977]

[MP3] "Take a Chance on Me" [1978]

[MP3] "Summer Night City" [1979]

[MP3] "Angeleyes" [1979]

[MP3] "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" [1979]

ABBA - PART 1

Ugh. What a black mood I've been in of late. Eight months of court-ordered sobriety (with six to go). My brother's death in February. A 40-year-old cousin dying of liver failure (despite never having been a drinker at all). A speeding ticket Thursday night. And goddam religion & pseudo-religion & "spirituality" every goddam place I look. Obama's goddam preacher doing his damndest to Swift Boat him. Goddam pope on the 24-hour news channels 24/7. Goddam Dalai Lama traipsing around my beloved, secular Ann Arbor (with Richard Gere! PHILIP GLASS! BOBBY fuckin' McFERRIN!). Orthodox Jews walking the streets looking like something out of a "Saturday Night Live" sketch. Creepy Mormons in creepy dresses & creepy hairdos in Texas compounds. Why the hell couldn't we just burn them all down -- like we did with that other cult in that other Texas compound.

Okay, so I'm feeling a little angry. A little bitter. (Uh-oh -- there's that word again. Obama called the White Trash of Pennsylvania "bitter." Said that's why they cling to their guns & their gods & their prejudices. He was, of course, correct. Overly simplistic, but correct. So... welcome to the White House, John McCain. Welcome to four more years of old-white-man Republican rule, people of Earth. Welcome to 1989-1993, Part Deux. Son of a bitch.)

So.... what is one to do? Turn to pop music, of course. Happy, absurd, immaculate pop music from the beautiful people of Sweden. People who don't believe in gods or guns or Texas. People who believe in the important things. Like hockey. And vodka. And a great hook. And a glorious chorus.

So here's Part 1 of three today. Keep coming back. I promise to be less bitter. And, six months from now, I'll be right as rain....

ABBA on WIKIPEDIA.

[MP3] "The Winner Takes It All" [1980]

[MP3] "On and On and On" [1980]

[MP3] "Our Last Summer" [1980]

[MP3] "Head Over Heels" [1981]

[MP3] "One of Us" [1981]

[MP3] "Slipping Through My Fingers" [1981]

[MP3] "Under Attack" [1982]

[MP3] "You Owe Me One" [1982]

THE COURTEENERS

Are THE COURTEENERS destined to be the next Next Big Thing outta the UK? Rumor has it that MORRISSEY thinks so. (Of course, I was just writing last week about how he thought JAMES were going to be the Next Big Thing back in the '80s, so one must certainly take his opinion with a grain or two or three of saltpeter).

Honestly, though, the Courteeners' "What Took You So Long" reminds me of a James' song (something about the guitars & drums, near as I can tell), though the rest of their debut LP, ST. JUDE, leans more toward typical, 21st-century Britpop.

THE COURTEENERS on MySPACE.

[MP3] "What Took You So Long"

[MP3] "Cavorting"

SANDRINE

ARTIST: SANDRINE

FROM: Australia

ALBUM: DARK FADES INTO THE LIGHT

GENRE: Indie pop

SOUNDS LIKE: She may have escaped a religious family background (a la TORI AMOS), but her sound owes more to '70s AM radio. Hints of BACHARACH/DAVID (the easy-going chorus to "Let the Love") and a sort of mellow, PAUL McCARTNEY/CARPENTERS hybrid ("Where Do We Go"). Coming soon to a TV commercial or a Starbucks near you.

MySPACE: SANDRINE on MySPACE.

[MP3] "Let the Love"

[MP3] "Where Do We Go"

AQUEDUCT

BAND: AQUEDUCT

FROM: Seattle (by way of Tulsa, OK)

GENRE(S): Indie/Rock/Pop

MySPACE: AQUEDUCT on MySPACE.

[MP3] "Living a Lie"

[MP3] "As You Wish"

LADYTRON

LADYTRON's new one, VELOCIFERO, will see the light of day on June 3.

LADYTRON on MySPACE.

[MP3] "I'm Not Scared"

[MP3] "Burning Up"

BONUS TRACKS >>>

[MP3] "Destroy Everything You Touch"

[MP3] "Blue Jeans 2.0"

[MP3] "Ladybird"

R.E.M. - PART 4

Looking back from here, I'm surprised to find that I'm feeling more affection for MONSTER than for NEW ADVENTURES IN HI-FI. The latter is the "deeper" disc, with a decidedly wider sonic range. But the former is, frankly, more fun.

N.A.I.H.-F. suffers from some clunky and/or generic rockers ("Undertow," "Binky the Doormat," "Low Desert"), a rather bland folk number ("New Test Leper"), and a highly unexceptional ballad ("Be Mine"). Granted, I'm hard-pressed to find anything positive to say about "King of Comedy"; "Strange Currencies" is essentially "Everybody Hurts, Part 2"; and "I Took Your Name" and "Crush With Eyeliner" sound rather lazily alike. But I'm willing to forgive MONSTER its trespasses. (Hell, I'm even quite fond of the orange packaging and the rather adorably dumb 'n' fuzzy bear-head cover. But that's just me....)

R.E.M. on WIKIPEDIA.

From the LP MONSTER, 1994 >>>
[MP3] [VID] "Star 69"
[MP3] "Let Me In"
[MP3] "I Took Your Name"

From the LP NEW ADVENTURES IN HI-FI, 1996 >>>
[MP3] [VID] "E-Bow the Letter" [w/PATTI SMITH]
[MP3] "Leave"
[MP3] [VID] "Electrolite"

THE INDELICATES

I have literally been waiting for years to get to this post -- to finally be able to say, with unabashed, carnival-barker bluster, that THE INDELICATES' debut album comes out today. Glory, glory, hallelujah. God save the Queen.

It was February 24, 2006 when I first happened upon these fine, upstanding Brits. The blog was INDIE FOR DUMMIES (now INDIE FOR BUNNIES), and I fell fast and hard for the delicioso demos they were then peddling. "We Hate the Kids" and "Waiting for Pete Doherty to Die" were instant standouts, inspiring me to type the following succession of letters:

"[THE INDELICATES] are led by SIMON and JULIA INDELICATE - whose married-in-name-and-novelty-only vocal interplay brings to mind the SHANE MACGOWAN/KIRSTY MACCOLL dynamic of "Fairytale of New York." Or maybe they're what would happen if you jammed JARVIS COCKER, BLACK BOX RECORDER, and BILLY BRAGG into a blender. You'd get something thick. A bit bitter. Dark. Delightful. Delicious."

So there it is again. "Delicious." Delicioso. I might have added "decadent." "Droll." Bitter/sweet piss-takers. Sweet/tender hooligans. Bonnie & Clyde as essayed by GAINSBOURG & BARDOT. SID & NANCY crossed with THE CARPENTERS. (Okay, we go too far....)

The name of the album, by the way, is AMERICAN DEMO. It is available from any number of UK record shoppes, as well as iTUNES. By all means, seek it out. It's been a long time coming. It's been well worth the wait.

THE INDELICATES on MySPACE.

[MP3] "The Last Significant Statement to Be Made in Rock'n'Roll"

[MP3] [VID] "Sixteen"

[VID] "Julia, We Don't Live in the 60s"

[VID] "America"

BONUS TRACKS >>>

[MP3] "Fun is for the Feeble Minded"

[MP3] "A New England"

[MP3] "Waiting for Pete Doherty to Die"

[MP3] "We Hate the Kids" [demo]

JAMES - PART 2

JAMES on WIKIPEDIA.

From the LP MILLIONAIRES, 1999 >>>
[MP3] "We're Going to Miss You"

From the LP PLEASED TO MEET YOU, 2001 >>>
[MP3] "Alaskan Pipeline"
[MP3] "Gaudi"
[MP3] "Fine"

From the LP HEY MA, 2008 >>>
[MP3] "Upside"
[MP3] "Waterfall"

BONUS TRACKS >>>

[MP3] "Destiny Calling"

[MP3] "Ring the Bells" [live]

ODDS 'N' SODS #10

[MP3] LADYTRON/"Black Cat"

[MP3] EDDIE VEDDER/"Society"

[MP3] MY BRIGHTEST DIAMOND/"Bass Player"

[MP3] THE SWEET SERENADES/"First Taste of Trouble"

[MP3] THE HERMIT CRABS/"Friend's Folk Festival"

[MP3] FREDDIE STEVENSON/"Easy Now"

OCTOBERMAN

OCTOBERMAN is a Canadian collective led by MARC MORRISSETTE (apparently, no relation to ALANIS, may the heavens be praised). In various reviews, the band has been likened to BRIGHT EYES, PAVEMENT, and CALEXICO. Their 2007 sophomore release, RUN FROM SAFETY, spawned the subsequent twofer....

OCTOBERMAN on MySPACE.

[MP3] "Shit Just Falls Apart"

[MP3] "Chasing Ambulances"

DE NOVO DAHL

Nashville indie-poppers DE NOVO DAHL list a boatload of influences on their MySpace page. Here are the B's: BOWIE, BEACH BOYS, BLUR, BUZZCOCKS, (B)EN FOLDS, PET SHOP (B)OYS. And the S's: (S)TEVIE WONDER, SUPER FURRY ANIMALS, SUPERGRASS, SUPREMES. (In a pinch, I'd list the two "Super" groups as most representative of the DND sound.)

The first two songs below are taken from De Novo Dahl's second LP, MOVE EVERY MUSCLE, MAKE EVERY SOUND, which dropped in March.

DE NOVO DAHL on MySPACE.

[MP3] "Make Some Sense"

[MP3] "Heartbreaker"

BONUS TRACK >>>

[MP3] "Waiting for My Friends"

CAESARS

Outside of Sweden, at least, CAESARS are best known for their iPod-ad-accompanying jingle-single "Jerk It Out." Now, they're back with a rather ambitious 2-disc album entitled STRAWBERRY WEED. It's been out in Sweden for about a month now, but won't see a wider release until May 6. Despite the multitude of new tuneage, there's little here to suggest that these guys will be shedding their "one-hit wonder" label anytime soon.

CAESARS on MySPACE.

[MP3] "Crystal"

[MP3] "You're Next"

BONUS TRACK >>>

[MP3] "Jerk It Out"

MOBIUS BAND

Brooklynites MOBIUS BAND put out a free EP of cover songs back on Valentine's Day. You can still download the songs [HERE]. (Besides the two below, the originals are by NEIL YOUNG, DANIEL JOHNSTON, DYLAN, and DAFT PUNK.)

MOBIUS BAND on MySPACE.

[MP3] "Baby We'll Be Fine" [THE NATIONAL cover]

[MP3] "Mobius Band in a Green Cotton Sweater" [CASIOTONE FOR THE PAINFULLY ALONE cover]

BONUS TRACK >>>

[MP3] "Hallie" [from the LP HEAVEN, 2007]

R.E.M. - PART 3

I guess we'll go ahead and take this series up to BILL BERRY's departure. This, then, shall serve as the penultimate installment.

(FYI: Senor STIPE wrote the lyrics to "Me in Honey" as a male-centric response to NATALIE MERCHANT's "Eat for Two." He also joined Ms. Merchant on the bridge of "A Campfire Song." Why the latter was mixed/mastered at such a low volume has always puzzled/annoyed me.)

From the LP OUT OF TIME, 1991 >>>
[MP3] "Me in Honey" [w/KATE PIERSON]
[MP3] "Texarkana"
[MP3] "Belong"

From the LP AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE, 1992 >>>
[MP3] "Monty Got a Raw Deal"
[MP3] "Find the River"

BONUS TRACKS >>>

[MP3] 10,000 MANIACS/"Eat for Two" [1989]

[MP3] 10,000 MANIACS [w/MICHAEL STIPE]/"A Campfire Song" [1987]

CUT COPY

BAND: CUT COPY

COUNTRY: Australia

ALBUM: IN GHOST COLOURS [2008]

GENRE: '80s pop/dance-pop

MySPACE: CUT COPY on MySPACE

[MP3] "Unforgettable Season"

[MP3] "Lights & Music"

AIRFARE

BAND: AIRFARE

COUNTRY: Czech Republic

ALBUM: HOTEL MOSCOW [2008]

GENRE: Britpop

HOW YOU KNOW THEY'RE PROBABLY CZECH & NOT BRIT: Band members' last names: LICHTAG, VITASEK, CHROMEK

MySPACE: AIRFARE on MySPACE

[MP3] "Sorry Baby" [radio edit]

[MP3] "Martyrdom"

KENT

In terms of sales and status, KENT is the Scandinavian U2. In terms of sound, they're U2-by-way-of-RADIOHEAD. Anthemic melancholia. Which gets them grouped with the likes of COLDPLAY, DOVES, and MUSE. Generally-speaking, I like them better than those three; not as much as U2; not nearly as much as Radiohead. But they certainly rate a Sunday showcase, and this is it....

From the LP ISOLA [English version], 1998 >>>
[MP3] "Things She Said"

From the LP HAGNESTA HILL [Swedish version], 1999 >>>
[MP3] "Revolt III"

From the 2-LP B-SIDOR 95-00, 2000 >>>
[MP3] "Spokstad"

From the LP VAPEN & AMMUNITION, 2002 >>>
[MP3] "Karleken Vantar"
[MP3] "FF"

From the LP DU & JAG DODEN, 2005 >>>
[MP3] "Max 500"
[MP3] "Du Ar Anga"
[MP3] "Palace & Main"

From the EP HJARTA & SMARTA, 2005 >>>
[MP3] "Ansgar & Evelyne"

From the LP TILLBAKA TILL SAMTIDEN, 2007 >>>
[MP3] "Ingenting"
[MP3] "Generation Ex"

BEST OF MARCH 2008

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

Portal to previous monthly mixes [HERE].

BEST OF MARCH 2008 TRACKLIST >>>

1 gnarls barkley/run
2 duffy/stepping stone
3 tapes 'n tapes/conquest
4 adele/tired
5 tokyo police club/juno
6 the long blondes/the couples
7 the kooks/see the sun
8 the submarines/you, me and the bourgeoisie
9 the raconteurs/steady, as she goes
10 angus & julia stone/just a boy
11 mystery jets/veiled in grey
12 pete & the pirates/knots
13 great northern/this is a problem
14 madonna [w/justin timberlake & timbaland]/4 minutes to save the world
15 paul kelly/god told me to
16 de novo dahl/be your man
17 what made milwaukee famous/self-destruct
18 the red romance/break away
19 my sad captains/bad decisions
20 headlights/on april 2
21 pulp/something changed
22 the cuties/ugly boy
23 tara blaise/wishing her life away

ODDS 'N' SODS #9

[MP3] PANIC AT THE DISCO/"Pas De Cheval"

[MP3] ALFA ROCOCO/"Lever L'ancre"

[MP3] SHE & HIM/"Sweet Darlin'"

[MP3] BRANDI SHEARER/"Lullabies"

[MP3] GARY JULES/"Mad World"

[MP3] k.d. lang/"hain't it funny?"

SILVER JEWS

DAVID BERMAN and SILVER JEWS will release their sixth album in 19 years on June 17. As near as I can tell, STEPHEN MALKMUS is MIA on LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, LOOKOUT SEA, with Berman's wife CASSIE listed as his primary collaborator this time out. I do believe you can hear her providing some substantial supporting vox on "Suffering Jukebox" below....

SILVER JEWS on MySPACE.

From th LP LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, LOOKOUT SEA, 2008 >>>
[MP3] "Suffering Jukebox"
[MP3] "Aloysius, Bluegrass Drummer"

From the LP TANGLEWOOD NUMBERS, 2005 >>>
[MP3] "Punks in the Beerlight"
[MP3] "How Can I Love You (If You Won't Lie Down)"

From the LP AMERICAN WATER, 1998 >>>
[MP3] "Random Rules"
[MP3] "Smith & Jones Forever"

HEADLIGHTS

HEADLIGHTS hail from Champaign, Illinois -- home to the University of Illinois. Seeing as we're currently in the midst of the Final Four, it occurred to me that my primary memory of that academic institution centers around their 1988-1989 basketball team.

Back then, I was in the midst of my freshman year at the University of Michigan, and we were feeling pretty giddy about beating Southern Cal in the Rose Bowl in January, then going on to make the basketball Final Four in March. Unfortunately, our opponent was the Fighting Illini -- a team that had beaten us twice during the Big Ten season. It looked like our Cinderella story was about to reach it's end....

Good thing a kid by the name of Sean Higgins had other ideas. Glory be.

[For those of you who couldn't give a flying fork about college basketball (like me, nowadays), there is music to distract you from the Madness (including a song that just had to be posted today).]

HEADLIGHTS on MySPACE.

From the LP SOME RACING, SOME STOPPING, 2008 >>>
[MP3] "On April 2"
[MP3] "Catch Them All"

From the LP KILL THEM WITH KINDNESS, 2006 >>>
[MP3] "TV"

RADIOHEAD

Just a rather nice live version of the new RADIOHEAD single, as performed by the band yesterday on BBC Radio....

[MP3] "Nude" [live]

THE CARNY

On 17 January 2007, I wrote about Sweden's THE CARNY, as follows:

"LAST.FM informs us: 'The Carny is a rock band based in the city of Halmstad, on the sunny side of Sweden.' Sunny? Well, with it being 12 degrees F. here in the Mitten at the moment, that sounds pretty good to me. Book my flight. [It is now 2 April 2008. The temperature in the Mitten is 36 degrees F.] [I just assumed you would want an update....]

Now then... calling the Carny a "rock band" may be a bit of a stretch. "Indie pop" seems more their milieu. Sort of with a '60s/gypsy flair. This is one of those bands that seems to have way too many members to ever make much money. But -- like their fellow Swedes PINTO -- the Carny don't seem to care about the cash.

I guess it's true what I've heard... the Swedes are not just a pretty people; they're rich. A Saab in every driveway; an eel in every pot; a flask of Absolut in every pocket. Now, I realize that Sweden is a socialist country, so I'm guessing that its citizens are therefore required by law to split their incomes equally amongst the masses. They were probably able to coast through the '70s and early '80s on Bjorn Borg's winnings and ABBA royalties alone.

Despite the best efforts of ROXETTE, ACE OF BASE, and STEFAN EDBERG, the rest of the '80s must have been relatively lean times for the Swedish people. Ingmar Bergman got so depressed he stopped directing films. Ingrid Bergman [no relation] got so depressed she just up and died. But then: a ray of light (not SUNlight, of course; they don't have sunlight in Sweden... just... um... windmills... and wooden shoes... and... um... frozen tulips).

No, the ray of light came in the form of a new and ingenious export: hockey players! By my careful calculations, the combined 2006 salaries of two NHL players alone -- Peter Forsberg and Nicklas Lidstrom -- split evenly amongst the Swedish people, would net each man, woman, and child the tidy sum of $1.46. That translates to, approximately, 10 kronor (kronor are the currency Swedes use to purchase vodka and eels). [Peter Forsberg was hurt most of this past season, and thus will make a measly $1 M. this year. With Nick Lidstrom's 7.6 M., that translates to a mere $0.94 (5.6 kronor) for every man, woman, and child in Sweden.]

Anyway, all of this was to make the point that, because they are supported by the labors of their exported hockey players, the musicians of Sweden often find it unnecessary (even repugnant) to accept money for their musical endeavors. They practically throw the stuff away. The way that Americans throw away Canadian coins (no love for the loony). The way the English throw away the dental-hygiene care packages dropped daily by UN relief planes (fancy a floss?)." [Funny thing... Canadian coins are now worth pretty much the same as American coins. How the hell did this happen? I blame Bush.]

Okay, so that was the bulk of our previous entry on the Carny. But here's the ultimate update: The Carny have gone ahead and taken a crack at American-styled capitalism and... you know... actually released an album. Which you can buy. With money. Which the Carny will accept. Without apology.

The album is titled, delightfully: ..SO LET'S GIVE A GREAT BIG OLDFASHIONED WELCOME TO THE CARNY. It is available to be bought with money [HERE], [HERE], [HERE], and... you know... iTUNES.

THE CARNY on MySPACE.

[MP3] "Man Under the Sun"

[MP3] "Where the Daffodils Grow"

GREAT NORTHERN

L.A. dream-poppers GREAT NORTHERN released the EP SLEEPY EEPEE last month, fairly hard on the heels of their debut LP, TRADING TWILIGHT FOR DAYLIGHT. Turns out, the EP had been available on iTunes since November, and it was actually recorded before the LP's May '07 release. So: old material, off the decks. Fair enough. What's next?

(I kind of like the the way the Los Angeles Times pegged Great Northern's sound, as such: "Their songs tread the tenuous ground where heartwarming meets heartbreaking, unfolding as if the boy-girl vocalists were revisiting crumpled old love letters." Yeah... that sorta gets at it....)

GREAT NORTHERN on MySPACE.

From the EP SLEEPY EEPEE, 2008 >>>
[MP3] "Summertime"

From the LP TRADING TWILIGHT FOR DAYLIGHT, 2007 >>>
[MP3] "Home"
[MP3] "Just a Dream"

THE B-52's

I've been devoting too much time and space to a certain band from Athens lately, but it's not like they're the only group in town.

Be damned if THE B-52's haven't come together to release FUNPLEX -- their first album as a four-piece in 19 years. The songs may not be of the strongest quality or caliber, but it's hard to resist those comfortably familiar melodies & boy-girl/girl-girl vocals. They make me want to shimmy; they make me want to shake.

THE B-52's on MySPACE.

[MP3] "Hot Corner"

[MP3] "Dancing Now"