YOU COULD HAVE IT SO MUCH WITH

FRANZ FERDINAND

Well, everyone and his uncle seems to be leaking tunes from the new Franz Ferdinand CD, so who am I to fight the tide? What follows are my two favorites from the new one, plus my favorite from the last one...

[MP3] [left-click] "You're the Reason I'm Leaving"

[MP3] [left-click] "Walk Away"

[MP3] [left-click] "Jacqueline"

AUGUST EVERAFTER

A FISTFUL OF AUGUST

And here again I highlight a handful of tracks that pleased me most mucho in the month most recently retired. I list the Stellastarr* track first because I spent some real high-quality time two Saturdays ago hitting the repeat button on that particular song until the cows came home. Granted, at that time, I was happy in the haze of a drunken hour (as Morrissey might say), but so be it. I love the damn thing. It takes me back to the '80s in all the right ways - dumping the Cult, Dead or Alive, and the B-52's in a blender and punching "puree." Instant ecstasy. And with or without the assistance of alcohol.

Also, I resisted posting the Death Cab for Cutie song earlier because it had already permeated the MP3 blogs to such a degree. But so be it with that as well. It remains my favorite song on that album by far, and perhaps it's that R.E.M./New Order vibe that it has going that yet again transports me to my '80s teens. Ah, nostalgia. It's a dangerous, painful thing. And thus I drink....

[MP3] [left-click] Stellastarr*/"Sweet Troubled Soul"

[MP3] [left-click] Death Cab for Cutie/"Soul Meets Body"

[MP3] [left-click] JJ72/"Take from Me"

[MP3] [left-click] The Magic Numbers/"Love Me Like You"

[MP3] [left-click] The High Dials/"Sick with the Old Fire"

THE ROALD NOT TAKEN

DE NOVO DAHL

Every now and again, my semi-relentless scouring of cyberspace nets me more than just one or two jump-out tunes - it introduces me to a band that I'd never heard of before that ultimately becomes a long-running favorite. Now, at this point, it's far too early to say that this will prove the case with the Nashville-based band De Novo Dahl - a six-person collective that's been around since 2001 but only recently cracked my consciousness.

At the very least, I like what I've been able to hear so far. The song "All Over Town," from their first full-length effort, has a Roxy Music/glam element to it that I find beguiling, while the slightly older "Waiting for My Friends" plays out as somewhat more straightforward pop (Fountains of Wayne by way of Supergrass, perhaps). "Memphis," by contrast, is a strummy, slightly countrified ode to the late, great Jeff Buckley. Not a bad muse to choose.

So, by the looks of it, this may be one of those bands that proves promising enough for me to pony up some plastic for.

[MP3] [left-click] "All Over Town" [from the LP Cats & Kittens, 2005]

[MP3] [left-click] "Waiting for My Friends" [from their self-titled EP, 2003]

[MP3] [left-click] "Memphis" [from their self-titled EP, 2003]

SINGLE-ARTIST THURSDAY

DAVID GRAY

David Gray (he of "Babylon" semi-fame some half-decade ago) releases his new album, Life in Slow Motion, on September 13th. To my ears, it sounds right in line with the rest of what he's done. Still, middle-of-the-road/ adult-contemporary as it may be, it remains quite likeable. And, seeing as I'm now just some half-decade from the big 4-0, I'd better start developing more of a jones for this sort of stuff.

My two favorite songs from the new record are the opener, "Alibi," with it's slow, dramatic intro and '70s-era Hollies climax, and "Nos de Caraid," which features a more insistent piano-line (reminiscent of Don Henley's "New York Minute") and high harmony vocals on the chorus. Neither song quite attains transcendence, but both would no doubt fit just fine on a mix CD sandwiched between tracks by, say, Dido and Annie Lennox. And there are certainly worse things in this world than that.

[MP3] [left-click] "Alibi" [from the LP Life in Slow Motion, 2005]

[MP3] [left-click] "Nos de Caraid" [from the LP Life in Slow Motion, 2005]

[MP3] [left-click] "Caroline" [from the LP A New Day at Midnight, 2002]

[MP3] [left-click] "This Year's Love" [from the LP White Ladder, 2000]

[MP3] [left-click] "Please Forgive Me" [from the LP White Ladder, 2000]

NOT JUST ABBA & SAABS

SWEDISH SMORGASBORD

Today's post was inspired by an otherwise unrelated message I received from P the Swede, a fellow mixer/archiver at The Art of the Mix. That served to remind me yet again of the many Swedish artists and songs I've been enjoying since becoming addicted to other peoples' MP3 blogs over this past 6-8 months or so. I really don't know why it is that the Swedish people seem to be genetically superior to the rest of the world when it comes to producing songs just dripping with hooks and melody. But they do. And they are. And I am thankful.

[The Divine Comedy, by the way, is not a Swedish band - but the song "Sweden" offers a deliciously over-the-top, tongue-in-cheek rundown of all the things that make that nation great. A must-hear. And other, non-Swedish-related Divine Comedy tracks are still available here.]

[Also "by the way": Swedesplease is still the place to go for all things musically Swede. You will also find many additional links there, so go explore.]

[MP3] [left-click] Shout Out Louds/"Very Loud" [from the LP Howl Howl Gaff Gaff, 2005]

[MP3] [left-click] Sambassadeur/"New Moon" [from their self-titled LP]

[MP3] [left-click] The Legends/"There and Back Again" [from the LP Up Against the Legends, 2004]

[MP3] [left-click] The Charade/"Monday Morning" [from the LP The Best is Yet to Come, 2005]

[MP3] [left-click] David Fridlund/"April & May" [from the LP Amaterasu, 2005]

[MP3] [left-click] The Divine Comedy/"Sweden" [from the LP Fin de Siecle, 1998]

LIFE ON MARS?

THE DANDY WARHOLS

The Dandy Warhols' new album, Odditorium or Warlords of Mars, is due out in the U.S. on September 13th. I've only heard one song from it thus far, and I can't say I was especially impressed by it on first listen. Still, I stuck it on a mix CD and subsequently came to like it while cranking it through the car speakers. So, here it is... with a few older siblings in tow...

[MP3] [left-click] "Everyone is Totally Insane" [from the LP Odditorium or Warlords of Mars, 2005]

[MP3] [left-click] "You Were the Last High" [from the LP Welcome to the Monkey House, 2003]

[MP3] [left-click] "Get Off" [from the LP Thirteen Tales from Urban Bohemia, 2000]

[MP3] [left-click] "Bohemian Like You" [from the LP Thirteen Tales from Urban Bohemia, 2000]

[MP3] [left-click] "Ohio" [Crosby, Stills, Nash cover]

SINGLE-ARTIST WEDNESDAY

NADA SURF

Back in 1996, I had Nada Surf pegged as the prototypical one-hit wonder. The MTV standard "Popular" seemed such a slim, gimmicky song - with its spoken-word verses and "Creep"/"Smells Like Teen Spirit" choruses. And, until 2002, I seemed to be pretty much on target about these guys, what with their subsequent album coming and going without notice.

But 2002 saw the release of Let Go, a solid collection of catchy tunes that garnered a bit of radioplay and essentially served to resuscitate Nada Surf's career.

Their newest LP, The Weight is a Gift, will be released in the U.S. by Barsuk Records on September 13th. It was co-produced by Death Cab for Cutie's Chris Walla and can be pre-ordered from the always-worth-visiting Insound.



[MP3] [left-click] "What is Your Secret" [from the LP The Weight is a Gift, 2005]

[MP3] [left-click] "Happy Kid" [from the LP Let Go, 2002]

[MP3] [left-click] "Hi-Speed Soul" [from the LP Let Go, 2002]

[MP3] [left-click] "Popular" [from the LP High/Low, 1996]

[MP3] [left-click] "Where is My Mind?" [Pixies cover]

eMUSIC, TAKE 2

Well, I finally made my last 19 selections to close out my second free-membership to eMusic. And, as always, I am in a giving mood...

[MP3] [left-click] Jeff Hanson/"The End of Everything Known"

[MP3] [left-click] Neko Case/"The Tigers Have Spoken"

[MP3] [left-click] Matt Pond PA/"Measure 1"

[MP3] [left-click] Pedro the Lion/"A Simple Plan"

GREEN

OOT

A4TP

MONSTER

R.E.M. [1988-1994]

Back in June, I posted some songs from R.E.M.'s five records on the IRS label. Now, the time has come to take a look at their first four efforts for Warner Brothers.

To be sure, a lot of R.E.M. fans were screaming "Sell out!" when their boys made the jump to a major label in 1988 (though, truth be told, some had been screaming that ever since 1986's Lifes Rich Pageant). But screw them. 1988's Green was hardly a middle-of-the-road, mainstream effort, despite some added production glossiness and a song as absurdly poppy as "Stand." 1991's Out of Time was even more eclectic, marrying Beach Boys harmonies ("Near Wild Heaven"), pseudo-funk/rap ("Radio Song") and even MORE absurdly poppy singles ("Shiny Happy People"). 1992's Automatic for the People would turn out to be the band's masterpiece - a dark, acoustic rumination on life and death that spawned two of their most enduring tunes ("Man on the Moon" and "Everybody Hurts"). Finally, 1994's Monster arrived as a loud, semi-messy counterpoint to its subdued predecessor, as well as a direct reaction to the then still-pervasive grunge movement. And, though a lot of R.E.M. fans derided it at the time, one has to wonder if they've found some fondness for it now, seeing as what was to come in the post-Bill Berry era.

Bottom-line, the years 1988 to 1994 marked the period that R.E.M. broke from the college-radio underground and hit the mainstream. Three of the four records they released in that interval went multi-platinum, and they won Grammys and MTV Awards by the boatload. Never again would they be that popular. And perhaps never again will they be that creative. (Though miracles can and do happen in the music biz, and a comeback is always just one great album away.)

For our purposes today - and just to be crotchety and contrary - we will be passing over some of the more obvious song choices - singles, best-of tracks - for some nevertheless highly worthwhile album trax. Enjoy them or be damned.

[MP3] [left-click] "World Leader Pretend" [from the LP Green, 1988]

[MP3] [left-click] "Texarkana" [from the LP Out of Time, 1991]

[MP3] [left-click] "Belong" [from the LP Out of Time, 1991]

[MP3] [left-click] "Find the River" [from the LP Automatic for the People, 1992]

[MP3] [left-click] "Monty Got a Raw Deal" [from the LP Automatic for the People, 1992]

[MP3] [left-click] "Let Me In" (for Kurt Cobain) [from the LP Monster, 1994]

RILO K---Y

ANAGRAMS R US

RILO KILEY

Today's post is dedicated to some degree to Chris (the Swiss) over at Music of the Moment. He recently wrote that he didn't have much desire (or time, perhaps) to explore the Rilo Kiley catalogue beyond The Execution of All Things and More Adventurous. I certainly can't blame him for that; their best material, to be sure, appears on those two discs. BUT... here are three earlier songs that I think are worth giving a listen to...

[MP3] [left-click] "Always" [from the LP Take Offs and Landings, 2001]

[MP3] [left-click] "The Frug" [from the EP The Initial Friend, 2001]

[MP3] [left-click] "85" [from the EP The Initial Friend, 2001]

CALLA, IN ALLEY

CALLA

Calla is a New York City-by-way-of-Texas trio that specializes in dark, cinematic soundscapes. In truth, though, they gradually seem to be shifting toward more traditional songwriting - verse/chorus/verse, etc. But, thankfully, their dark edges remain evident and decadent, so I don't think there's much danger of these guys ever going full-on, shiny-happy "pop."

As for what they sound like... hell, I don't know. Perhaps a bit like Starflyer 59 with their more recent stuff; perhaps a bit like Calexico with their earlier material. But that doesn't tell the whole story, so please feel free to listen for yourself.

Their new LP, Collisions, will be released in the U.S. on September 27th.

[MP3] [left-click] "Swagger" [from the LP Collisions, 2005]

[MP3] [left-click] "It Dawned on Me" [from the LP Collisions, 2005]

[MP3] [left-click] "Monument" [from the LP Televise, 2003]

[MP3] [left-click] "Fear of Fireflies" [from the LP Scavengers, 2001]

SUNDAY ASSORTMENT

A BELATED LOOK BACK (AT JULY)

In which I share a handful of my favorite tunes from the month of July. If you don't like them, there's obviously something wrong with you (or me). [I already posted the Robert Post song in the month aforementioned, but I like it so much I'm posting it again. It's my party and I'll cry if I want to.]

[MP3] [left-click] Robert Post/"Got None"

[MP3] [left-click] Eisley/"Telescope Eyes" [from the LP Room Noises, 2005]

[MP3] [left-click] Jem/"They" [from the LP Finally Woken, 2004]

[MP3] [left-click] Dexter's Moon/"(Fucked Up) Love Song" [from the LP Come Rain, 2005]

[MP3] [left-click] Orenda Fink/"Bloodline" [from the LP Invisible Ones, August 23, 2005]

[MP3] [left-click] Helen Love/"Debbie Loves Joey" [from the EP The Bubblegum Killers, 2005]

LESS DEATH, MORE CUTIE

DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE

I'm not overly familiar with the Death Cab for Cutie ouvre - just a few random songs here and there that I've inserted into some of my mix CDs. Rolling Stone just gave their new LP, Plans, a fair-to-middling review (three stars is hardly high praise for them), and I'm sure some of the die-hards are disappointed/disgusted that their once indie-to-the-hilt heroes have signed with a major label (Atlantic).

Well, so be it, I say. I'm finding myself liking at least half the tracks on the record, and that ain't a bad percentage in this song-centric era. I'm not sure that Death Cab has ever been quite this "poppy" before (again, one can all-but-see the die-hards hocking loogies of disdain from their scuffed-up skateboards). And this is the first time that I found myself fixating on how much lead singer Ben Gibbard sounds like the Fountain of Wayne's Chris Collingwood. To me, that's just fine. But die-hards: hock your loogies.

My favorite song from the new album is "Soul Meets Body," which isn't surprising, as I've already seen it tagged as "R.E.M.-esque" in multiple reviews. To my ears, though, it also has a New Order streak running through it, and somehow that combination works for me. Alas, I've also already seen multiple MP3s of the song circulating in cyberspace, so I'm going to post the very simple and satisfying "Someday You Will Be Loved" instead.

Plans will be released in the U.S. on August 30th.



[MP3] [left-click] "Someday You Will Be Loved" [from the LP Plans, 2005]

[MP3] [left-click] "Title and Registration" [from the LP Transatlanticism, 2003]

[MP3] [left-click] "We Looked Like Giants" [from the LP Transatlanticism, 2003]

[MP3] [left-click] "Photobooth" [from the EP Forbidden Love, 2000]

REGRETS... EVEN *HE* HAD A FEW

NO REGRETS WEDNESDAY

Yesterday's post on Neil Hannon and the Divine Comedy sets up today's variation-on-a-theme mini-post. How fitting, after all, that Hannon and his creative father-figure, Scott Walker, both perform on the same song (sort of). Actually, while all four of today's tunes share the same title (almost), they are, in fact, entirely different songs. So go ahead and download them.

You won't regret it.

[MP3] [left-click] "No Regrets"/Robbie Williams [w/Neil Hannon & the Pet Shop Boys]

[MP3] [left-click] "No Regrets"/The Walker Brothers

[MP3] [left-click] "No Regrets"/Snow and Voices

[MP3] [left-click] "Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien"/Edith Piaf

NEIL (BUT DON'T PRAY)

THE DIVINE COMEDY

The Divine Comedy is one of those acts that I wish more people knew about. Today, this "band" is really just a cover for Irish singer/songwriter Neil Hannon. In the beginning (the late '80s), he was part of a larger group that played R.E.M.-styled jangle-pop. But with the subsequent success of Britpop, generally, and Pulp, specifically, the band's sound began to change. Scott Walker suddenly seemed to become Hannon's muse. The music became increasingly baroque; lush; melodramatic. And the lyrics turned smarter; sharper; tongue-in-cheekier.

I've always been a music-first/lyrics-second sort of guy. But Neil Hannon deserves his place alongside Jarvis Cocker, Morrissey, and Neil Tennant in the mordant-wit pantheon of songwriters. And, like those guys, he is quite capable of coupling a cute-yet-cutting couplet with a killer riff or a can't-get-it-out-of-my-head melody.

Today's offerings, then - though open to all - are especially intended for those who can appreciate smart, sophisticated, accessible pop. Now... go to town.

[MP3] [left-click] "Absent Friends" [from the LP Absent Friends, 2004]

[MP3] [left-click] "Gin Soaked Boy" [from the collection A Secret History: Best of the Divine Comedy, 1999]

[MP3] [left-click] "Generation Sex" [from the LP Fin de Siecle, 1998]

[MP3] [left-click] "Sunrise" [from the LP Fin de Siecle, 1998]

[MP3] [left-click] "Everybody Knows (Except You)" [from the LP A Short Album About Love, 1997]

[MP3] [left-click] "Songs of Love" [from the LP Casanova, 1996]

[MP3] [left-click] "Tonight We Fly" [from the LP Promenade, 1994]

HOFFA'S UNDER THE GOALPOST

FIVER FRIDAY

Today was to be a day of indignation. I was all ready to open this post: "Today, patience finally fails me, as the same crap-quality MP3 of the Wrens song "Everyone Chooses Sides" makes its usual-suspect circuit."

Well, having just downloaded the song from eMusic, I find that I am a fool. There is, in fact, nothing "crap-quality" about it; it's SUPPOSED to sound that way. I have no idea why my old copy of the song sounds different. Is it a remix? Who the hell knows.

But I know that it lacks the full-on digital crackle-and-hiss of the official version, and I know that it cuts off rather unceremoniously at the 4:41 mark. All of this is to draw attention to a terrific song from a pretty terrific record that deserves to be heard in all its incarnations.

[I am augmenting this post with some other songs that - along with the Wrens tune - made my best-of for the first four months of 2004. So this makes for some nice nostalgia for me. And maybe it'll make for some nice new discoveries for you. Who the hell knows.]


[MP3] [left-click] The Wrens/"Everyone Chooses Sides" (alternative mix?) [from the LP The Meadowlands, 2003]

[MP3] [left-click] The Stills/"Changes Are No Good" [from the LP Logic Will Break Your Heart, 2003]

[MP3] [left-click] Shea Seger/"Clutch" [from the LP May Street Project, 2001]

[MP3] [left-click] Okkervil River/"The War Criminal Rises and Speaks" [from the LP Down the River of Golden Dreams, 2003]

[MP3] [left-click] John Vanderslice/"Promising Actress" [from the LP Cellar Door, 2004]

ABOUT A BOY, CIRCA 1982

BOY OMEGA

A couple days ago, I posted Boy Omega's rather swell cover of the Magnetic Fields song "Papa Was a Rodeo." Today, I post two Boy Omega originals, as well as another cover. This guy could be Sweden's answer to Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst.

[MP3] [left-click] "The Best Time of the Year"

[MP3] [left-click] "By Midnight We'll Give It a Go"

[MP3] [left-click] "A Sucker's Evening" [Will Oldham cover]

VARIATIONS ON A THEME

COVERS MONDAY

I first heard "Hallelujah" by way of Jeff Buckley's still-definitive rendition. The fact that this version made a prominent appearance in a particularly memorable episode of The West Wing when that show was still going great guns (and later became an anthem of sorts in the wake of 9/11) does not diminish its emotional impact in any way. In fact, it is the divine commingling of Buckley's angelic voice and Leonard Cohen's religious-tinged imagery that makes this performance all-but-impervious to the usual pitfalls of overexposure.

Apparently, though, it was John Cale's take on the song (with slightly rejiggered lyrics) that inspired Buckley to record HIS version. So Cale certainly deserves his due in contributing to the life-cycle of this song.

And while it is Cale who is heard singing in the DreamWorks movie Shrek, it's DreamWorks artist Rufus Wainwright who performs the song on the soundtrack. Hmmm... wonder how that happened...?

And, of course, what goes around comes around... so it seems entirely appropriate to let Mr. Cohen weigh in on his own subject.

[MP3] [left-click] "Hallelujah"/Jeff Buckley [from the LP Grace, 1994]
[MP3] [left-click] "Hallelujah"/John Cale [from the Leonard Cohen tribute I'm Your Fan: The Songs of Leonard Cohen, 1991]
[MP3] [left-click] "Hallelujah"/Rufus Wainwright [from the soundtrack to Shrek, 2001]
[MP3] [left-click] "Hallelujah" [live]/Leonard Cohen [from the collection More Best of Leonard Cohen, 1997]

Boy Omega is a Swedish artist who had the great good sense to cover Stephin Merritt on what has to rank as one of my favorite Magnetic Fields tracks. More on Mr. Omega in a day or two....

[MP3] [left-click] "Papa Was a Rodeo"/Boy Omega [from the "independent project/compilation" Our Love is Meaningless]
[MP3] [left-click] "Papa Was a Rodeo"/The Magnetic Fields [from the LP 69 Love Songs, 1999]

RETRO SUNDAY

INXS

It has come to my attention that there is an American television network currently airing a show in which contestants compete to become the new lead singer of INXS. Christ almighty. Somebody shoot me.

Of course, even the most egregious examples of boob-tube poop can occasionally pay unexpected dividends. In this case, I was reminded that I had put together an 80-minute INXS compilation a couple years ago (and not bothered to listen to it since). So out of the vault it came.

Alas, as much as I'd like to say that this music of my youth has aged like fine wine, the more apt culinary comparison would be "cheap cheese." There is something undeniably dated and '80s about the band's sound, even as they dragged their tattered reputation into a new decade (ending ignominiously with 1997's double-whammy of unlistenable LP Elegantly Wasted and Michael Hutchence's suicide at age 37). Listening again after all these years, it's really no wonder that INXS - unlike their capital letter-centric brethren U2 and R.E.M. - were unable to weather the coming of grunge and neo-punk. Beyond Hutchence's legitimately "rock star" voice, there just wasn't a whole hell of a lot to build a comeback on (which makes the aforementioned lead-singer reality show all the more absurd).

All of that said, Kick remains a solid document of 1987, and I can wholeheartedly recommend another six-pack of songs (at least) from their other long-form efforts, including the absolute classic, "Don't Change."

[MP3] [left-click] "Don't Change" [from the LP Shabooh Shoobah, 1982]
[MP3] [left-click] "The One Thing" [from the LP Shabooh Shoobah, 1982]
[MP3] [left-click] "Original Sin" [from the LP The Swing, 1984]
[MP3] [left-click] "This Time" [from the LP Listen Like Thieves, 1985]
[MP3] [left-click] "Mystify" [from the LP Kick, 1987]
[MP3] [left-click] "Never Tear Us Apart" [from the LP Kick, 1987]
[MP3] [left-click] "By My Side" [from the LP X, 1990]
[MP3] [left-click] "Heaven Sent" [from the LP Welcome to Wherever You Are, 1992]

WHOA, NELLIE!

NELLIE McKAY

New York-based Nellie McKay was barely out of her teens when she recorded her ambitious debut LP Get Away from Me. Over 18 tracks, she touched on everything from hip-hop to cabaret; straight-ahead pop to electro-folk. Her lyrics, too, ran the gamut - mixing issues of politics, relationships, gender identity, and random pop references in one messy blender. Overall, while the girl could certainly be accused of over-reaching, her talent was undeniable, and Get Away from Me, at its best, had a sprightly effervescence and energy that promised even better things to come.

We shall soon find out if McKay lives up to that promise, with the October release of her second record, Pretty Little Head. This one, apparently, will feature duets with k.d. lang and Cyndi Lauper(!). Color me intrigued.

In the meantime, here are a few highlights from 2004's Get Away from Me...

[MP3] [left-click] "Ding Dong"

[MP3] [left-click] "Waiter"

[MP3] [left-click] "David"

FAITHFULL-Y YOURS

GIRL, YOU'LL BE A WOMAN SOON

MARIANNE FAITHFULL

I love female singers with deep, rich voices. Of course, such voices can come naturally or with the passage of time. Marianne Faithfull, it seems safe to say, came by hers through the latter method. And probably with the assistance of a few thousand cigarettes. And liters upon liters of liquor. And perhaps some heaping helpings of heartbreak. (I find myself frequently flanking her on mix CDs with Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits, but that's just me.)

It is highly informative to listen to Ms. Faithfull's "girl" voice on "As Tears Go By" in the mid-'60s (released before the Rolling Stones' version) and her full-on "woman" version of some two decades later. Certainly, in general, I prefer the later voice and the later songs, though her albums throughout her career are consistently inconsistent. Still, when it comes to the songs, she's a stylist worthy of notice (and a post on this blog).

[MP3] [left-click] "As Tears Go By" [1965] [from her self-titled LP]

[MP3] [left-click] "Song for Nico" [from the LP Kissin' Time, 2002]

[MP3] [left-click] "For Wanting You" [from the LP Vagabond Ways, 2000]

[MP3] [left-click] "There is a Ghost" [from the LP Before the Poison, 2005]

[MP3] [left-click] "Yesterday" [from the LP Love in a Mist, 1967]

[MP3] [left-click] "As Tears Go By" [1987] [from the LP Strange Weather]

SUNDAY ASSORTMENT...

... BROUGHT TO YOU BY eMUSIC

About a year or so ago, I signed up with eMusic for a trial membership that netted me 50 free downloads. Then, a couple of weeks ago, they e-mailed me. Seems that they missed me and wanted me back. Well, it's good to be wanted, so I've re-upped with them for another free trial (and 40 more downloads). Here's a handful of the songs I've extracted thus far...

[MP3] [left-click] The Wedding Present/"Interstate 5" [Extended Version]
[MP3] [left-click] All Girl Summer Fun Band/"Becky"
[MP3] [left-click] Okkervil River/"A Glow"
[MP3] [left-click] Mary Lou Lord/"Turn Me Round"
[MP3] [left-click] Say Hi to Your Mom/"Recurring Motifs in Historical Flirtings"

WE B SWEDE

MOONBABIES

Yesterday's "NASA back in space" post leads fairly effortlessly into this one (though it looks like the shuttles are grounded again - at least until they can stop shit from falling off the booster rockets).

Moonbabies are from Sweden, and like a lot of their countrymen, they are highly harmonic, tastefully tuneful popsters. There's just two of them - Ola and Carina. Ola's a boy (I think), and Carina's a girl (I'm pretty sure). And yes, they make some very beautiful music together. Gentle indie pop with some subtle electronic accents that never overwhelm the melodies. The perfect soundtrack to summer, actually. Sunny yet laid-back. If I have one complaint, it's that their songs sometimes run about a minute too long (though this is not the case on the title track to their new 8-song LP, War on Sound, out July 26).

Viva la Sweden!

From the LP War on Sound, 2005 >>>>
[MP3] [left-click] "War on Sound"

From the LP The Orange Billboard, 2004 >>>>
[MP3] [left-click] "Sun A.M."
[MP3] [left-click] "Summer Kids Go"
[MP3] [left-click] "Fieldtrip USA"

From the LP June and Novas, 2000 >>>>
[MP3] [left-click] "We're Layabouts"

HOUSTON, WE HAVE NO PROBLEM?

SPACE ODDITIES

Fairly self-explanatory today, what with the space shuttle returning to service and all. It should perhaps be noted, however, that "I Am an Astronaut" is "sung" by then-ten-year-old Ricky Wilde, little brother of Kim Wilde, in 1972. Of course, Kim herself would become famous in the '80s for "You Keep Me Hangin' On." But it's the kid that cracks me up every time....

[MP3] [left-click] "Astronaut"/Luna [from the LP Rendezvous, 2004]
[MP3] [left-click] "Let's Talk About Spaceships"/Say Hi to Your Mom [from the LP Numbers & Mumbles, 2003]
[MP3] [left-click] "Wide Open Space"/Mansun [from the LP Attack of the Grey Lantern, 1995]
[MP3] [left-click] "I Am an Astronaut"/Ricky Wilde
[MP3] [left-click] "Lost in Space" Theme
[MP3] [left-click] "Space Oddity"/David Bowie [from the LP Space Oddity, 1972]

AN APOLOGY

As near as I can tell, MegaUpload is not working at the moment. Not sure how long that has been the case or when/if it will be corrected. Before MegaUpload, I had tried SaveFile, but I had even more problems with that one. Henceforth, I will be trying RapidShare. Perhaps the same now-it's-working/now-it's-not problems will ensue. But a change must be made. If anybody has tried to download some of the more recent MP3s here and been SUCCESSFUL in said downloading, please let me know.

SING, YOU GIRLY-MAN, SING!

ANTONY

DEVENDRA

& JEFF

ANTONY, DEVENDRA & JEFF

My brother and I disagree on a number of things. For instance, he likes bad movies, and I like good ones. In matters of love, he prefers one gender; I prefer the other. And when it comes to male singers, he gravitates to the "groaners," while I incline toward the "whiners." So, if one were to stumble blindly into my brother's CD collection, one would promptly find oneself immersed in a swampy mud-puddle of Creed, Nickelback, and... well... Puddle of Mudd. On the other hand, if you had a hankering to take a tour of mine, you would ever-so-presently be skipping your way down a poppy-lined, yellow-brick road of Radiohead, R.E.M., and... well... Elton John, circa Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.

But hey: to each his own and to thine own self be true and all that jive.

Seeing as this is my blog, it should come as no surprise that my tastes are going to win out, and that we're going to be listening to some girly men today. Well, not "girly men" so much as "men who sing like girls." You know what I'm talking about. It's the waver. The quaver. The shy little lilt. The full-on falsetto. They may or may not dress like girls. They may or may not like to sleep with girls. But on one thing, there can be no question: they absolutely, positively SING like girls. And that's why some of us love them. And why others - like my brother - simply pound down their Pabsts, get hard-ons for their Hemis, and sink down slothful and hog-like into their manly, manly mudd.

But, now, to the matter at hand... Antony and the Johnsons, Devendra Banhart, and Jeff Hanson all came to my attention at around the same time. All sport their own sound, but each operates within a somewhat similar sphere. And it's their voices, in particular, that set them apart from others while binding them to each other. Granted, Devendra's voice is certainly the least "girly" of the three, but it's still fragile and flitting enough to fit the bill.

And, truth be told, it's my can't-look-at-it/can't-look-away, car-crash reaction to Devendra's "Little Boys" that provided much of the impetus for today's posting. About halfway through, the song shifts significantly when the bassline to Little Peggy March's "I Will Follow Him" kicks in and ol' Devendra starts ranting about all the little boys he wants to marry. What is one to make of this? Is it a sad, desperate effort to be included on the Michael Jackson trial soundtrack? Or perhaps an attempt to pen the perfect theme song for his local NAMBLA chapter? Or is it all just a bit of innocent whimsy? Perhaps only Devendra knows. Perhaps only Devendra should. But give the song a listen; that bassline is positively pedophilia-proof.

[MP3] [left-click] Antony and the Johnsons/"Fistful of Love" [from the LP I Am a Bird Now, 2005]
[MP3] [left-click] Antony and the Johnsons/"Blue Angel" [from their self-titled LP, 2004]

[MP3] [left-click] Devendra Banhart/"Little Boys" [from the LP Cripple Crow, 2005]
[MP3] [left-click] Devendra Banhart/"At the Hop" [from the LP Nino Rojo, 2004]

[MP3] [left-click] Jeff Hanson/"This Time It Will" [from his self-titled LP, 2005]
[MP3] [left-click] Jeff Hanson/"Hiding Behind the Moon" [from the LP Son, 2003]

BEAT A DRUM MONDAY

BEAT IT ON OVER TO BEAT THE INDIE DRUM

Beat the Indie Drum puts up a monthly collection of MP3s (in zips) that are well worth wading through. And it's quite an archive he's accumulated. By all means, head on over there and dig in.

For now, though, here is a handful of songs I've stolen from him over the past couple months (the Robert Post song REALLY got itself stuck in my head today... in the very best way), as well as an appropriately "drummy" (not to mention "summery") R.E.M. song.

Robert Post/"Got Nothing" [MP3] [left-click]
Mercury Rev/"Vermillion" [MP3] [left-click]
Lou Barlow/"Home" [MP3] [left-click]
The Epoxies/"You Kill Me" [MP3] [left-click]
Devotchka/"Danglin' Feet" [MP3] [left-click]
R.E.M./"Beat a Drum" [MP3] [left-click]

SINGLE-ARTIST SUNDAY

PULP

I came to the whole Britpop party a bit late. Hell, I still don't know exactly when the "movement" began in the UK. I do remember seeing the video for Blur's "Girls and Boys" on MTV in the U.S. at some vague point in time. And then there was Oasis, of course, actually getting a hell of a lot more American airplay than Blur. When I moved to Los Angeles in 1994, that was more-or-less the extent of my knowledge of the genre.

But in L.A. I met a girl who had the decency to introduce me to the band Pulp. At some point - and for some reason - I had ended an e-mail to her with a random lyric from - swear to christ - OINGO BOINGO. Duly alarmed and indignant, she replied with a lyric from a song called "Underwear." That song was by Pulp, of course, and though I don't remember what the specific lyric was, it's a safe bet that it had something to do with... well... underwear. The very next day she loaned me Different Class, the album from whence that song came, and a long and lustful love affair was born.

To this day, I consider "Common People" one of the ten best pop songs of the '90s, what with its relentless momentum and build (and lyrics worthy of Morrissey, which I mean as the peak of praise). Little did I know at the time that Jarvis Cocker & Co. had existed - in one incarnation or another - since 1978, though they hadn't begun to break through to the masses until 1994's His 'n' Hers.

From the very genesis of this blog, I had the intention of selfishly spotlighting my favorite artists, so it was just a matter of time before Pulp insinuated themselves onto the stage. Still, though, it was Achtung Baby!'s posting of This is Hardcore's title track a week or so ago that provided the immediate impetus for this present Pulpalooza. So thanks go to him. And also to Torr, who is the "man" to "see" about all things musically Brit.

"Common People"/Pulp [from the LP Different Class, 1995]
Common People-mp3 [left-click]

"The Fear"/Pulp [from the LP This is Hardcore, 1998]
The Fear-mp3 [left-click]

"The Birds in Your Garden"/Pulp [from the LP We Love Life, 2001]
The Birds in Your Garden-mp3 [left-click]

"Pink Glove"/Pulp [from the LP His 'n' Hers, 1994]
Pink Glove-mp3 [left-click]

"We Are the Boys"/Pulp [from the soundtrack to Velvet Goldmine, 1998] [see earlier post]
We Are the Boys-mp3 [left-click]

RED-HEADED STEPCHILDREN SATURDAY

THE ALMOST-WERES THAT JUST-WEREN'T-QUITE

A couple days ago, I posted the tracks I'd been most enjoying during the 2nd 4th of '05. Today, I share a few of the tunes that just missed the cut.

Electric Six is a Detroit band, so I feel the need to shower them with a bit of favor. It's almost impossible to take these guys seriously - and "Dance Epidemic" is no "Danger! High Voltage!" - but what the hell. It's catchy in a sublimely stupid way, and that's just fine for summer Saturday nights both south AND north of 8 Mile. [Their album title, Senor Smoke, by the way, refers to former Detroit Tigers reliever Aurelio Lopez, who was the 8th-inning set-up man for their 1984 championship team.] [I knew you wanted to know that, so that's why I told you.]

Maria Taylor is a member of both Azure Ray and Now It's Overhead, and her solo album, 11:11, is currently available from Saddle Creek Records.

And yes, I'm as surprised as anyone that I'm including a Wallflowers song here. But it's a decent one - perhaps even above "bland." And poor Jakob has to drag a pretty big shadow around with him. So let's show the man a little pity, shall we?

"Sweet Illusions"/Ryan Adams & the Cardinals [from the LP Cold Roses, 2005]
Sweet Illusions-mp3 [left-click]

"Dakota"/Stereophonics [from the LP Language. Sex. Violence. Other?, 2005]
Dakota-mp3 [left-click]

"Dance Epidemic"/Electric Six [from the LP Senor Smoke, 2005]
Dance Epidemic-mp3 [left-click]

"Song Beneath the Song"/Maria Taylor [from the LP 11:11, 2005]
Song Beneath the Song-mp3 [left-click]

"Nearly Beloved"/The Wallflowers [from the LP Rebel, Sweetheart, 2005]
Nearly Beloved-mp3 [left-click]

SONGS OF SPRING & SUMMER

SOUNDTRACK TO MY LIFE [APR -> JUN 2005]

Took me a while to compile my list this time around, but here are the winners - so breathlessly awaited by the world. [Again, the numbers refer not to ranking of preference, just to the general track-order.]

1. Salim Nourallah/"1978" [courtesy of songs: illinois]
2. New Rhodes/"I Wish I Was You" [MP3] [left-click]
3. The High Dials/"The Holy Ground"
4. Weezer/"This is Such a Pity"
5. The Raveonettes/"Ode to L.A."
6. Kent/"Du Ar Anga"
7. Stars/"Ageless Beauty"
8. Levy/"Rotten Love" [MP3] [left-click]
9. Kaiser Chiefs/"I Predict a Riot"
10. Great Lakes Myth Society/"Across the Bridge"
11. Ed Harcourt/"Loneliness" [MP3] [left-click]
12. Spoon/"The Two Sides of Monsieur Valentine"
13. The Decemberists/"We Both Go Down Together"
14. Maplewood Lane/"Wildwood Drive" [courtesy of largehearted boy]
15. Lola Barbershop/"The Girl in the Recordstore" [courtesy of swedesplease]
16. Eisley/"Golly Sandra"
17. Marjorie Fair/"Waves" [MP3] [left-click]
18. Shout Out Louds/"Very Loud"
19. Atherton/"California" [MP3] [left-click]
20. British Sea Power/"Please Stand Up" [courtesy of Torr]
21. Hello Saferide/"Valentine's Day" [MP3] [left-click]
22. Gustav & the Seasick Sailors/"Angels Fable" [MP3] [left-click]

ALL THAT GLITTERS...

VELVET GOLDMINE

Terrible, terrible movie. I don't care if you're queer, queer-curious, or just plain "arty": it's an unwatchable, directionless mess. BUT... the soundtrack is pretty swell (and worth it for Radiohead fans for Thom Yorke's Bryan Ferry impersonation alone).

As is pretty much always the case, there are some terrific songs in the film that, for one reason or another, never made it to the soundtrack. So, today, we'll listen to a few of those, and throw in an unrelated but great Patti Smith tune that fits the "glittery" theme. [Incidentally, Michael Stipe co-produced Velvet Goldmine and sings back-up on the Patti track, so things sort of come full-circle.]

"Cosmic Dancer"/T. Rex [from the LP Electric Warrior, 1971]
Cosmic Dancer-mp3 [left-click]

"Dead Finks Don't Talk"/Brian Eno [from the LP Here Come the Warm Jets, 1974]
Dead Finks Don't Talk-mp3 [left-click]

"Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)"/Gary Glitter [from the LP Touch Me, 1973]
Do You Wanna Touch Me-mp3 [left-click]

"Sebastian"/Cockney Rebel [from the LP The Human Menagerie, 1974]
Sebastian-mp3 [left-click]

"Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)/Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel [from the LP The Best Years of Our Lives, 1975]
Make Me Smile-mp3 [left-click]

"Glitter in Their Eyes"/Patti Smith [w/Michael Stipe] [from the LP Gung Ho, 2000]
Glitter in Their Eyes-mp3 [left-click]

GOD SAVE THE QUEEN

BRITISH SEA POWER

I just finally finished compiling my favorite songs of April -> June 2005 and included a track from British Sea Power's last album, Open Season. It was with their first LP, though, The Decline of British Sea Power, that I first heard of these guys. Can't say that I found that record top-to-bottom astounding, but it had "promise" written all over it, and I suppose it can be said that Open Season does elevate them... a bit. Still, I have to believe that they have a "classic" opus up their collective sleeve somewhere down the line, but time will tell.

Here are two tracks from each of their albums, as well as one ("The Spirit of St. Louis") that I had to do a bit of research on. I still don't know where it showed up first - perhaps on an early EP. Then it seems to have appeared as a b-side on a Decline of British Sea Power track ("The Lonely"?). Well, whatever. It's here to provide some idea of the early sound of the band. A bit rougher around the edges, seems to me.

Cheers & etc.

"Please Stand Up"/British Sea Power [from the LP Open Season, 2005]
Please Stand Up-mp3 [left-click]

"The Land Beyond"/British Sea Power [from the LP Open Season, 2005]
The Land Beyond-mp3 [left-click]




"Carrion"/British Sea Power [from the LP The Decline of British Sea Power, 2003]
Carrion-mp3 [left-click]

"Blackout"/British Sea Power [from the LP The Decline of British Sea Power, 2003]
Blackout-mp3 [left-click]

"The Spirit of St. Louis"/British Sea Power [from: wherever-and-whenever-the-hell]
The Spirit of St. Louis-mp3 [left-click]

OOMPA LOOMPAS ARE YOUR FRIENDS

FREE WILLY

I'm sure I'm well behind the curve on this, but what with the new version of Charlie & the Chocolate Factory coming out, it seems timely in the extreme to revisit some of those delightful-yet-vaguely-creepy tunes of our youths. Alas, I do not own the Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory soundtrack, but I do have a few of the songs sprinkled willy-nilly throughout my mix CDs, including those irrepressible Oompa Loompa life-lesson ditties.

I thought seriously about adding the White Stripes' "Candy Cane Children" to the collection, especially as Johnny Depp seems to be modeling his look after Mr. White in the Tim Burton update. But, truthfully, that song isn't a favorite of mine, so I've decided instead to substitute the oddly perfect pairing of Iggy Pop and Kate Pierson on "Candy," as well as Soviet's OMD/Echo & the Bunnymen homage "Candy Girl."

Now, like a bull in a candy shop, go crazy...

Oompa Loompa Songs [from the soundtrack to Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, 1996]

Oompa Loompa Song #1 [MP3] [left-click]
Oompa Loompa Song #2 [MP3] [left-click]
Oompa Loompa Song #3 [MP3] [left-click]
Oompa Loompa Song #4 [MP3] [left-click]

"Pure Imagination" [from the soundtrack to Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, 1996]

Pure Imagination [MP3] [left-click]

"Candy"/Iggy Pop [w/Kate Pierson] [from the Iggy Pop LP Brick By Brick, 1990]
Candy-mp3 [left-click]

"Candy Girl"/Soviet [from the LP We Are Eyes, We Are Builders, 2001]
Candy Girl-mp3 [left-click]

SUNDAY DRIVERS

THE CARS/BENJAMIN ORR

Well, I'm back after a week of disappearing down the rabbit-hole (and let me just say: when one is engaging in a big-time binge, alcohol is the king of kings, but in inevitable, subsequent withdrawal, valium is dandy as candy). Regardless, I wanted to spotlight my favorite group of the mid-'80s today, the Cars. For some reason, I've decided to do so by way of their now-deceased bass player, Benjamin Orr. He was also their co-lead singer (with Ric Ocasek), but I'm sure many people were never aware of that, as their voices are (were) not altogether dissimilar. Orr's was a bit smoother, perhaps; Ocasek's... well... kookier.

Whatever the case, here are four Cars songs on which Orr sings lead - as well as Orr's one solo semi-hit, "Stay the Night." (This, by the way, should not be confused with the Chicago song of the same name, though both suffer from that '80s-slickness production style that practically oozes out of one's speakers like processed cheese through a Spam grinder. Still: sort of darn charming, if I do say so myself.)

"Just What I Needed"/The Cars [from their self-titled LP, 1978]
Just What I Needed-mp3 [left-click]

"Drive"/The Cars [from the LP Heartbeat City, 1983]
Drive-mp3 [left-click]

"Let's Go"/The Cars [from the LP Candy-O, 1979]
Let's Go-mp3 [left-click]

"All Mixed Up"/The Cars [from their self-titled LP, 1978]
All Mixed Up-mp3 [left-click]

"Stay the Night"/Benjamin Orr [from the Benjamin Orr LP The Lace, 1986]
Stay the Night-mp3 [left-click]

WITH OR WITHOUT AMPERSAND... THAT IS THE QUESTION

BELLE AND SEBASTIAN

There seem to be a lot of people on this planet who can't stand Belle and Sebastian. Too twee or not too twee? That is the question. (And, come to think of it, that ol' prancer Hamlet was pretty much "twee" to the teeth.)

I really can't remember when I first heard a B&S song, though it probably would have been from 1997's If You're Feeling Sinister - perhaps "The Fox in the Snow" or "Like Dylan in the Movies." For me, they've remained pretty interesting since then. Even if their output is sometimes erratic - and sometimes repetitive - they still manage to stretch their sound enough to remain flexible and relevant in a suddenly '80s, New Wave-retro music scene.

Some of their biggest risks were taken with their many b-sides, and it's a nice thing indeed that 25 of these have been compiled as the two-disc collection Push Barman to Open Old Wounds. Not all of the songs are classics, of course. Some are barely worth the effort of remembering. But most bring at least something to the table, and a few of them rank with the best things they've done.

[I am also posting their schizophrenic, everything-AND-the-kitchen-sink suite "Your Cover's Blown."]

"I'm Waking Up to Us" [MP3] [left-click]
"String Bean Jean" [MP3] [left-click]
"Legal Man" [MP3] [left-click]
"Your Cover's Blown" [MP3] [left-click]

LOVE IS IN THE AIR, ALL AROUND, ETC.

WEDNESDAY LOVE-IN

"A Song for the Lovers"/Richard Ashcroft
A Song for the Lovers-mp3 [left-click]

"Lotta Love to Give"/Daniel Lanois
Lotta Love to Give-mp3 [left-click]

"Fallen Out of Love"/Amy Correia
Fallen Out of Love-mp3 [left-click]

"Love Keeps Dragging Me Down"/Gene Loves Jezebel
Love Keeps Dragging Me Down-mp3 [left-click]

"I Hope That I Don't Fall in Love with You"/Tom Waits
I Hope That I Don't Fall in Love with You-mp3 [left-click]

BLACK IS BACK

FRANK BLACK

It's likely that Frank Black will always be best remembered for his work with the Pixies. That's really no dig at his subsequent solo work, just an indication of how truly influential the Pixies were in their prime (and today, for that matter; just look at the buzz that has attended their reunion tour). While it would be impossible to list all of the latter-day acts that have cited the Pixies as a major influence, Nirvana and Radiohead were certainly none-too-bashful in their praise.

Frank Black will release his latest album, Honeycomb, on July 19. I can't say that I'm overly familiar with the man's previous solo work, so I can't really say that this is all that much of a departure. Certainly, though, Pixies fans may find themselves befuddled and/or benumbed by the rather low-key proceedings (complete with tame but tangible country-western flourishes!). And be damned if ol' Frank doesn't come across sounding like a ringer for Van Morrison on a number of tracks.

Anyway, as records go, this one may be a "grower," requiring a few listens to properly insinuate itself. At the very least, it does have a rather comforting, front-porch sort of intimacy to it. Might be nice for those warm summer nights.

Here are my two current favorite tracks from Honeycomb and a few Pixies classics from my favorite album of theirs...

"Sunday Sunny Mill Valley Groove Day"/Frank Black [from the LP Honeycomb, 2005]
Sunday Sunny Mill Valley Groove Day-mp3 [left-click]

"Selkie Bride"/Frank Black [from the LP Honeycomb, 2005]
Selkie Bride-mp3 [left-click]




"Here Comes Your Man"/The Pixies [from the Pixies LP Doolittle, 1989]
Here Comes Your Man-mp3 [left-click]

"Monkey Gone to Heaven"/The Pixies [from the Pixies LP Doolittle, 1989]
Monkey Gone to Heaven-mp3 [left-click]

"Debaser"/The Pixies [from the Pixies LP Doolittle, 1989]
Debaser-mp3 [left-click]

SINGLE-ARTIST SATURDAY

RILO KILEY

As is no doubt painfully obvious, this blog will never be especially cutting-edge or timely. No new bands are likely to be broken here; no new trends in the music biz divined or defined. It's just about the music. Whether old, new, popular, not. This is me being defensive, of course - my attempt to be the first to damn myself for this blog's inherent unhipness. So there. Enough. Move on...

... And give a little more love to a band that's already gotten quite a bit of it in recent years. L.A.'s Rilo Kiley started with Saddle Creek Records before jumping to Warners with last year's More Adventurous. My favorite record of theirs is probably still 2002's The Execution of All Things, but there has been much to love on all of their albums, as today's tunes will attest.

"Love and War (11/11/46)"/Rilo Kiley [from the LP More Adventurous, 2004]
Love and War (11/11/46)-mp3 [left-click]

"Hail to Whatever You Found in the Sunlight That Surrounds You"/Rilo Kiley [from the LP The Execution of All Things, 2002]
Hail to Whatever You Found in the Sunlight That Surrounds You-mp3 [left-click]

"Always"/Rilo Kiley [from the LP Take Offs and Landings, 2001]
Always-mp3 [left-click]

"The Frug"/Rilo Kiley [from the EP The Initial Friend, 2001]
The Frug-mp3 [left-click]

"85"/Rilo Kiley [from the EP The Initial Friend, 2001]
85-mp3 [left-click]

WILL MAINTAIN CURRENT WAVE OF TERROR TILL FAIR SETTLEMENT OF "JAWS" RESIDUALS ISSUE REACHED

TIME-MACHINE FRIDAY

Well, we've reached the mid-point of the year, and I will be racking my brain for the next few days trying to put together my favorite 80 minutes of music from the past three months. Until then, I am posting my favorite 80 minutes of music from the FIRST three months of 2005. [Note: these songs were not necessarily RELEASED during these time periods, and the numbers merely refer to the tracklisting, not to a ranking of preference.]

1) Of Montreal/"So Begins Our Alabee"
2) Gwen Stefani/"What You Waiting For? [Jacques lu Cont remix]" [MP3] [left-click]
3) Interpol/"Evil"
4) Metric/"Combat Baby"
5) Eels/"Old Shit/New Shit"
6) Bunky/"Baba" [MP3] [left-click]
7) Brendan Benson/"The Pledge"
8) Angela McCluskey/"Know It All" [MP3 available elsewhere on this blog]
9) Matt Pond PA/"The Hollows"
10) Jeff Hanson/"This Time It Will"
11) Ron Sexsmith/"How on Earth" [MP3] [left-click]
12) The Tiny/"Closer"
13) The Spinto Band/"Oh Mandy" [MP3 available elsewhere on this blog]
14) The Dears/"Who Are You, Defenders of the Universe" [MP3 available elsewhere on this blog]
15) Elk City/"Cherries in the Snow" [MP3] [left-click]
16) Josh Rouse/"Winter in the Hamptons"
17) Low/"Monkey"
18) Audible/"Sunday Bell" [MP3] [left-click]
19) Summer at Shatter Creek/"Worlds Away"
20) Consequences/"Pieces"
21) The Hidden Cameras/"Boys of Melody" [MP3] [left-click]