JUDAH JOHNSON

JUDAH JOHNSON is a band, not a man. From the Great Lakes State. Led by DANIEL JOHNSON. Others have come and gone. Compositionally-speaking, simplicity and directness tend to get frowned upon. Even the most straightforward songs circle and swirl. Melodies DO reveal themselves, but bashfully -- geisha girl giggling, batting lashes, behind a fluttering fan. But this is more opium den than whorehouse. More ether than adrenaline.

From the LP KISSES AND INTERROGATION, 2003 >>>
[MP3] "The Great Humanitarian"
[MP3] "The Ruse"

From the LP BE WHERE I BE, 2006 >>>
[MP3] "Little Sounds"

BONUS TRACK >>>

[MP3] "Game"

GHOSTS

Another TORR-inspired post....

Band: GHOSTS. Home base: London. Album: THE WORLD IS OUTSIDE. Genre: More outright "pop" than "indie pop" -- buffed to a shiny sheen. "Stay the Night" sounds like '80s Britpop, complete with brass (synth-brass?) accents.

[Note: Ghosts' "Stay the Night" is NOT a cover version of either the CHICAGO Top 20 hit of 1984 or the BENJAMIN ORR Top 40 hit of 1986. Additional note: Benjamin Orr was the bass player for THE CARS and also sang lead on a number of their best-known songs -- "Just What I Needed," "Let's Go," "Drive," etc.]

GHOSTS on MySPACE.

[MP3] [VID] "Stay the Night"

[MP3] "Musical Chairs"

VAGUELY-RELATED BONUS TRACKS >>>

[MP3] [VID] CHICAGO/"Stay the Night"

[MP3] BENJAMIN ORR/"Stay the Night"

AIR TRAFFIC

If you don't like today's tuneage, don't blame me -- blame TORR. He was the one who got me listening to some recent first-releases by British bands.

AIR TRAFFIC is a four-piece from Bournemouth, which apparently is a city in England, not a pensive Matt Damon facial expression. Their first-release is FRACTURED LIFE. "Charlotte" is a spiky little pop-rocker -- not life-changing, by any means, but enough to keep you entertained for two-and-some minutes. "No More Running Away" starts off with some nice, thumping drums before piano & synthesizer overswarm them. Think mellow, latter-day MANIC STREET PREACHERS (with maybe just a touch of SPRINGSTEEN's "Secret Garden").

AIR TRAFFIC on MySPACE.

AIR TRAFFIC in performance >>>

Nov 13 2007 7:00P/Leeds Met Uni/Leeds
Nov 14 2007 7:00P/Newcastle Academy 2/Newcastle
Nov 16 2007 8:00P/The High Rocks/Tunbridge Wells
Dec 23 2007 8:00P/Newport Centre/Newport

[MP3] "Charlotte"

[MP3] "No More Running Away"

SORT SOL

Sort Sol ("Black Sun") is a natural phenomenon endemic to Denmark:

"Black Sun... (is) experienced in spring and autumn, when enormous flocks of black starlings, sometimes hundreds of thousands, create fascinating patterns in the sky, virtually blocking out the sun. The aerial ballet can be seen at sunset, when the birds leave their feeding places and take flight before they settle in for the night. The scene becomes even more spectacular when birds of prey are drawn to the marsh, eager to hunt the starlings. Their arrival causes the starlings to fly in ever-changing wavelike formations in the sky."

SORT SOL was also a rock group from Denmark. Originally known as SODS, they are often cited as being that country's first punk band. Their change of name in the early '80s also heralded a change in sound to a more post-punk, JOY DIVISION/early CURE sort of vibe. Occasionally, a heavy-metal element creeps in -- be it by way of JUDAS PRIEST or METALLICA ("Dog Star Man"). STEEN JORGENSEN's deep, rather theatrical voice is a perfect fit here. Like an actor with a tendency toward scenery-chewing, he seems to be having a growly good time....

[MP3] "Holler High"

[MP3] "Rhinestone"

[MP3] "Marguerita"

[MP3] "Dog Star Man"

[MP3] "I'll Take Care of You"

SHE WANTS REVENGE

It's virtually impossible to take SHE WANTS REVENGE seriously as an artistic enterprise. As a JOY DIVISION or DEPECHE MODE covers band? Absolutely. Either one. They've got the drone, the faux Brit accents, the general sense of doom 'n' gloom. But what they don't have is a single ounce or iota of originality.

Maybe, just maybe, that's their schtick. Maybe the whole act's meant to be an ironic, too-cool-for-school carnivale of karaoke-styled post-modernism. Maybe low-art is the new high-art.

Or maybe they're just lazy, talentless hacks who make INTERPOL sound cutting-edge by comparison.

SHE WANTS REVENGE on MySPACE.

From the LP THIS IS FOREVER, 2007 >>>
[MP3] "Walking Away"
[MP3] "What I Want"

From their self-titled LP, 2006 >>>
[MP3] "Spend the Night"
[MP3] "Out of Control"

A SMILE AND A RIBBON

Yep, more boy/girl Swedish pop. Too much of a good thing? Bite your tongue. Kiss my grits.

A SMILE AND A RIBBON are REBECCA MEHLMAN and MARTIN LINDQVIST, specializers in "sanguine bubblegum pop" that draws from '50s girl groups and '90s twee. Their debut LP, THE BOY I WISH I NEVER MET, is currently available from SHELFLIFE RECORDS.

A SMILE AND A RIBBON on MySPACE.

[MP3] "A Little Late to Be Polite"

[MP3] "Bobby Pin"

THE LA'S

THE LA'S are an odd animal. A curious lot. Their self-titled 1990 album seemed to portend great things for the Liverpool lads, but their promise was never fulfilled. In fact, they never even released a follow-up to that semi-seminal LP. Which, of course, is ONE way to avoid the ever-dreaded sophomore slump.

Let's place the blame on infamously persnickety/insecure ringleader LEE MAVERS. To put it mildly, the man has a problem with "letting go." His obsessive-compulsive studio habits have effectively paralyzed the band, plunging them into a 17-year coma.

But perhaps not an irreversible one. For years now, rumor has had it that a new La's album is in the works. Of course, that doesn't do anybody any good at all if they can't muster the requisite testicular fortitude to release the effin' thing. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, Mr. Mavers. Your excuses are your own.

[MP3] [VID] "There She Goes"

[MP3] [VID] "Timeless Melody"

[MP3] "Freedom Song"

BONUS TRACK >>>

[MP3] [VID] SIXPENCE NONE THE RICHER/"There She Goes"

LACROSSE

Stockholm sextet LACROSSE categorize their music as "pop," "indie," and... um... "tropical." Of course, that last one may be nothing more than wishful thinking, what with the Scandinavian winter about to set in and all.

But "pop" and "indie"? You bet your ass. And let's go ahead and add: "Swedish." Oh yes... very, very "Swedish." To take "No More Lovesongs" as one example: a "We Got the Beat"-beat leads us to jangly guitars, sunny, multi-tracked boy/girl vocals, and what sounds like an honest-to-god theremin outro. Slightly kooky? Sure. Utterly charming? You bet your ass.

Lacrosse's album, THIS NEW YEAR WILL BE FOR YOU AND ME, is out this month.

LACROSSE on MySPACE.

LACROSSE across Europe >>>

Nov 9 2007 7:00P/Debaser Medis, plan 2/Stockholm
Dec 6 2007 8:00P/d:quliq/Luxembourg
Dec 7 2007 8:00P/Raststätte/Aachen
Dec 8 2007 8:00P/Swamp/Freiburg
Dec 9 2007 8:00P/Mariaberg/Rorschach
Dec 10 2007 8:00P/Arena/Wien
Dec 11 2007 8:00P/Franzis/Wetzlar
Dec 12 2007 8:00P/Wohnzimmer/Lüneburg
Dec 13 2007 8:00P/Bang Bang Club/Berlin

[MP3] "No More Lovesongs"

[MP3] "Sunshiner"

BOND GIRLS

It occurred to me that I'd posted two James Bond themes amongst the other Sunday morning selections these past few weeks [DUSTY SPRINGFIELD's "The Look of Love" (from "Casino Royale," 1967) and NANCY SINATRA's "You Only Live Twice" (1967).]

A few more seemed in order....

[MP3] CARLY SIMON/"Nobody Does It Better" [from "The Spy Who Loved Me," 1977]

[MP3] SHIRLEY BASSEY/"Moonraker" [1979]

[MP3] SHEENA EASTON/"For Your Eyes Only" [1981]

[MP3] SHIRLEY BASSEY/"Diamonds Are Forever" [1971]

[MP3] LULU/"The Man With the Golden Gun" [1974]

[MP3] SHIRLEY BASSEY/"Goldfinger" [1964]

[MP3] RITA COOLIDGE/"All Time High" [from "Octopussy," 1983]

ALPINESTARS

I just recently re-discovered ALPINESTARS while combing through some old mix CDs. Today's tunes all appear on their 2002 album WHITE NOISE. To the best of my knowledge, they haven't released any new material since then.

These guys (GLYN THOMAS & RICHARD WOOLGAR -- though Thomas is now going by LUCIEN CAINE) took crap from some quarters for being so deeply indebted to AIR and NEW ORDER. Even so, this stuff makes for some graceful, chilled-out pop-electronica.

[Come back 'round later today/tonight for the Best of October mix. And have a graceful, chilled-out weekend.]

[MP3] "Snow Patrol, Pt. 2"

[MP3] "Crystalnight"

[MP3] "Burning Up"

MILBURN

Sheffield's MILBURN go all retro-'60s on their sophomore full-length THESE ARE THE FACTS. You'll hear echoes of THE ANIMALS and THE ZOMBIES here, as well as present-day Swedish rockers MANDO DIAO.

MILBURN on MySPACE.

MILBURN doin' it for the students >>>

Nov 12 2007 8:00P/Liverpool Guild of Students - Stanley Theatre/Liverpool
Nov 13 2007 8:00P/Leeds University Union - Mine (NUS Only)/Leeds
Nov 15 2007 8:00P/Reading Students Union - 3Sixty/Reading
Nov 16 2007 8:00P/Warwick Students Union/Coventry
Nov 17 2007 8:00P/Loughborough Students Union/Loughborough
Nov 18 2007 8:00P/Norwich Waterfront/Norwich
Nov 20 2007 8:00P/Manchester Met SU - K2 (NUS Only)/Manchester
Nov 21 2007 8:00P/Preston 53 Degrees/Preston
Nov 22 2007 8:00P/Strathclyde (Glasgow) Students Union/Glasgow

From the LP THESE ARE THE FACTS, 2007 >>>
[MP3] "What Will You Do (When the Money Goes)?"
[MP3] "Genius and the Tramp"

From the LP WELL WELL WELL, 2006 >>>
[MP3] "Lipstick Licking"

A-HA

Screw the Viagra; these tunes are guaranteed to to give you Norwegian wood. A little blast of audio/visual nostalgia -- complete with high-flying falsetto -- to help you welcome in November....

A-HA on MySPACE.

[MP3] [VID] "Take on Me"

[MP3] [VID] "The Sun Always Shines on TV"

[MP3] [VID] "Stay on These Roads"

JOSH RITTER

JOSH RITTER was born in Moscow, Idaho. He is quite obviously influenced by BOB DYLAN and BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN. He is not as gifted/talented as Bob Dylan and/or Bruce Springsteen, but that's okay; I am reasonably certain that he is aware of the fact that he is not as gifted/talented as Bob Dylan and/or Bruce Springsteen.

It might be said that Josh Ritter occupies some of the same artistic territory as RYAN ADAMS. At this particular point in time, I am finding myself preferring Ritter to Adams. That is not to say that Ritter is more gifted/talented than Adams; it is just an opinion. I am absolutely certain that Ryan Adams would disagree with that opinion. I am reasonably certain that Ryan Adams thinks that Ryan Adams is as gifted/talented as Bob Dylan and/or Bruce Springsteen. That would be his opinion. Ryan Adams can take his opinion and shove it up his ass.

JOSH RITTER on MySPACE.

JOSH RITTER on the road >>>

Oct 31 2007 8:00P/Workplay Theatre/Birmingham, Alabama
Nov 1 2007 8:00P/Variety Playhouse/Atlanta, Georgia
Nov 2 2007 6:00P/Grimey’s - Instore/Nashville, Tennessee
Nov 2 2007 8:00P/Exit/In/Nashville, Tennessee
Nov 3 2007 8:00P/Headliners/Louisville, Kentucky
Nov 4 2007 8:00P/Southgate House/Newport, Kentucky
Nov 5 2007 8:00P/Cats Cradle/Carrboro, North Carolina
Nov 7 2007 8:00P/World Cafe Live/Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Nov 9 2007 8:00P/Webster Hall/New York, New York
Nov 14 2007 8:00P/Boule Noire/Paris

From the LP THE HISTORICAL CONQUESTS OF JOSH RITTER, 2007 >>>
[MP3] "Right Moves"
[MP3] "Still Beating"

From the LP THE ANIMAL YEARS, 2006 >>>
[MP3] "Girl in the War"
[MP3] "Good Man"

From the LP HELLO STARLING, 2003 >>>
[MP3] "Man Burning"
[MP3] "Baby That's Not All"

INGRID MICHAELSON

Twenty-six-year-old Staten Islander INGRID MICHAELSON has got this 21st-century, Internet-&-iPod-dominated marketing-thing licked. At least three of her songs have been featured on "Grey's Anatomy." And one of them ("The Way I Am") has appeared in TWO separate television ads (Old Navy and Chevrolet).

Obviously, the woman risks coming across as soulless and mercenary -- a sort of finger-in-every-pie-chart, multimedia whore. The fact that the songs are really quite likeable may well be her saving grace....

INGRID MICHAELSON on MySPACE.

INGRID MICHAELSON in the wild, wild west >>>

Oct 31 Aladdin Theatre/Portland, OR
Nov 2 12 noon/BORDERS Book Store/San Francisco, CA/400 Post Street
Nov 2 The Fillmore/San Francisco, CA
Nov 3 Troubadour/ALL AGES!/SOLD OUT/West Hollywood, CA
Nov 4 2 PM/BORDERS Book Store/Hollywood, CA/90028 1501 Vine Street
Nov 4 Cafeteria at Pepperdine University/Malibu, CA

From the LP GIRLS AND BOYS, 2007 >>>
[MP3] "The Way I Am"
[MP3] "Breakable"

BONUS TRACK >>>

[MP3] "Keep Breathing"

THE RAVEONETTES

For what seems like forever now, rumors have been rife regarding a new RAVEONETTES record. Well, those rumors are on the verge of proving true. LUST LUST LUST will descend upon Europe on November 12. As for North America... AMAZON lists a March 4, 2008 date. So maybe that means something, or maybe it don't.

Whichever, Raveonettes fans should be forewarned that the new album features a bit of a different sound than previous releases. The churning, vintage-'50s guitar work is still present, but the tempos have been decelerated, and melody has at times been supplanted by deep, forbidding basslines and thunderous, repetitive percussion. If earlier Raveonettes' LPs mined a "garage-rock by way of ENNIO MORRICONE" vibe, this one tilts more toward "shoegaze by way of ANGELO BADALAMENTI." I'll leave it to you to decide if this is a change for the better or worse....

THE RAVEONETTES on MySPACE.

THE RAVEONETTES in the English-speaking world >>>

Oct 31 2007 8:00P/BLUEBIRD THEATRE/DENVER, Colorado
Nov 13 2007 8:00P/Kings College/London
Nov 14 2007 8:00P/Norwich Arts Centre/Norwich
Nov 15 2007 8:00P/Barfly/Brighton
Nov 16 2007 8:00P/Barfly/Cambridge
Nov 17 2007 8:00P/Barfly/Birmingham
Nov 19 2007 8:00P/King Tuts/Glasgow
Nov 20 2007 8:00P/Academy 2/Newcastle

[MP3] "Aly, Walk With Me" [REMOVED BY REQUEST]

[MP3] "Blitzed" [REMOVED BY REQUEST]

NICOLE ATKINS

In April, I had this to say about NICOLE ATKINS:

"ALL MUSIC GUIDE calls New York City singer-songwriter NICOLE ATKINS a mix of ROY ORBISON, LORETTA LYNN, and JENNY LEWIS. Well, gee. Couldn't they raise their expectations just a LITTLE bit?

I'd also throw a dash of NELLIE McKAY into that melting pot. And if you've ever wondered what MAMA CASS would sound like covering a SHIRLEY BASSEY James Bond theme (and who HASN'T?), then just give a listen to Atkins' sultry and soaring "The Way It Is."

Now, on the edge of November -- and with Atkins' new album NEPTUNE CITY ready to drop tomorrow -- I stand by all of that. If anything, the CASS ELLIOT comparison seems more apt than ever on the bright, singalong chorus to "Maybe Tonight."

NICOLE ATKINS on MySPACE.

NICOLE ATKINS on the road >>>

Oct 30 2007 10:00P/Union Pool/Brooklyn
Oct 30 2007 11:30P/Late Night with David Letterman/New York
Nov 1 2007 9:00P/The Crocodile Cafe/Seattle, Washington
Nov 2 2007 8:00P/John Henry’s/Eugene, Oregon
Nov 3 2007 7:00P/The Plaza Club/Vancouver, British Columbia
Nov 5 2007 7:00P/The Walnut Room/Denver, Colorado
Nov 7 2007 8:00P/The Parish/Austin, Texas
Nov 9 2007 7:00P/Vinyl/Atlanta, Georgia

From the LP NEPTUNE CITY, 2007 >>>
[MP3] "The Way It Is"
[MP3] "Maybe Tonight"

BONUS TRACK >>>

[MP3] "Skywriters"

MANDO DIAO

The good news is: I've been enjoying the hell out of Swedish band MANDO DIAO's album ODE TO OCHRASY -- to the point where I'd begun to pencil it in as a finalist for my Top 10 Albums of 2007. The bad news is: It turns out that the LP was released in Sweden in 2006, thereby making it ineligible for this year's list. Dagnabbit.

The good news is: The enterprising men of Mando Diao have gone ahead and recorded & released a new record -- NEVER SEEN THE LIGHT OF DAY -- for 2007 Top 10 consideration. The bad news is: The 2007 record isn't nearly as good as the 2006 record. Goshdangit.

MANDO DIAO on MySPACE.

[MP3] "Misty Mountains"

[MP3] "Never Seen the Light of Day"

DIONNE WARWICK

The youngsters amongst you may well have no idea who/what DIONNE WARWICK was/is. A few may know that she's related to WHITNEY HOUSTON (they're cousins). A few may remember her for her unfortunate foray into TV hucksterism (Psychic Friends Network, anyone?). Then there was her well-intentioned-but-ultimately-insufferable 1986 charity single ("That's What Friends Are For," with ELTON JOHN, STEVIE WONDER, and GLADYS KNIGHT). Finally, some may recall that she was the original host of the cheesy-in-the-extreme '80s music-charts countdown show "Solid Gold" (Arsenio Hall was the show's FINAL host).

For our purposes today, though, Dionne Warwick should be remembered simply as one of the biggest -- and most consistent -- hitmakers of the '60s. Because that's exactly who and what she was and is.

[MP3] "I Say a Little Prayer"

[MP3] "Reach Out for Me"

[MP3] "Walk on By"

[MP3] "Trains and Boats and Planes"

[MP3] "Anyone Who Had a Heart"

[MP3] "I'll Never Fall in Love Again"

BONUS TRACK >>>

[MP3] "Heartbreaker" [This one's from 1982 and is included because (1) it's quite catchy, and (2) it provides a logical extension from Friday's BEE GEES post (the Brothers Gibb wrote and produced it).]

BEE GEES

Thirty years ago, it wasn't the U.S. and U.S.S.R. that ruled the world; it was the BEE GEES. And ABBA. And it was the Boy in the Bubble/Vinnie Barbarino suddenly going white-hot on the Big Screen.

I still remember seeing a double-feature (they still HAD double-features in those days) of "Grease" and "Saturday Night Fever" with my parents in what must have been '78 or '79. I thought "Grease" was groovy. "Fever" put me to sleep. But hey, I was just a kid, and the second movie of a double-feature almost ALWAYS put me to sleep. Case(s) in point: "The Fifth Avenue Irregulars" ('79)/"The Black Marble" ('80) & "Death on the Nile" ('78)/"Murder on the Orient Express" ('74). Only "Wolfen" (''81)/"The Shining" ('80) [at the drive-in, with my sister] broke the streak. (I was too scared-shitless by that damned hedge-maze and spooky-ass music to nod off during that one.)

Most of this has nothing at all to do with today's MP3s offerings; I'm just taking a hop, skip, & plunge down the Yellow Brick Road of nostalgia. And I'm not the only one. To commemorate the 30th anniversary of "Saturday Night Fever" and its attendant cultural phenomena, RHINO is re-releasing the Bee Gees' 1979 double-disc greatest-hits colection. The first four tracks below are pulled from there.

The last four tracks are from an even-earlier, even-more-innocent time. These were songs my even-younger, blonder self listened to on the AM radio of my father's blue Ford LTD, circa '73, '74, '75.... The Brothers Gibb weren't doing disco in those days. "Soft rock," more like. Along with THE CARPENTERS and SEALS & CROFTS and JIM CROCE and JANIS IAN and THE CAPTAIN & TENNILLE and etc. (But we'll save those folks for the next time nostalgia comes knockin'....)

<<< '70s >>>

[MP3] "Stayin' Alive"

[MP3] "Tragedy"

[MP3] "More Than a Woman"

[MP3] "If I Can't Have You"

<<< '60s >>>

[MP3] "I Started a Joke"

[MP3] "Holiday"

[MP3] "To Love Somebody"

[MP3] "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart"

OOBERMAN

An unexpected find, via eMUSIC....

OOBERMAN hail from Lerpwl (Welsh for "Liverpool"?) and do the "orchestral/chamber-pop with boy/girl vocals" thing. Apparently, they've already broken up (2003) and regrouped (2006) once; they don't perform their songs live; and pretty much everybody involved has side-projects up the wazoo/wingwang. Not sure that bodes well for their future, but here are some songs from their past....

OOBERMAN on MySPACE.

From the BEANY BEAN single, 2006 >>>
[MP3] "Beany Bean"
[MP3] "Car Song"

From the LP CARRIED AWAY, 2006 >>>
[MP3] "The Beauty of Your Soul"
[MP3] "Mary Grows Old"
[MP3] "Easy"

From the LP HEY PETRUNKO, 2003 >>>
[MP3] "First Day of the Holidays"

From the LP THE LOST TAPES, 2007 >>>
[MP3] "Loveshit Ricochet" [1994]