MANSUN (1995-2003)

Born out of the Britpop bubble of the early-to-mid '90s, Mansun was one of the many bands that briefly blew up, then quickly slinked back into insignificance. In retrospect, their 1996 LP Attack of the Grey Lantern remains their only real claim to fame. While it's certainly no OK Computer, it is an ambitious, stylish opus that holds up relatively well - even a decade down the road.

Unfortunately, Mansun's subsequent efforts were somewhat colorless, and they eventually, inevitably went the way of the dinosaur and dodo. Now... have some fun with the following fossils....

From the LP Attack of the Grey Lantern, 1996 >>>
[MP3] "Wide Open Space"
[MP3] "The Chad Who Loved Me"
[MP3] "Take It Easy, Chicken"

From the LP Little Kix, 2000 >>>
[MP3] "I Can Only Disappoint U"

[MP3] "My Idea of Fun"

ALL MIGHTY WHISPERS

All Mighty Whispers are a Franco-Anglo trio (working with a Polish producer) whose cool, elegant sound evokes comparisons to Air, Trembling Blue Stars, and Mercury Rev. Fortunately for us, they write actual "songs," as opposed to artsy-fartsy "soundscapes" that just drift listlessly hither, thither, and yon.

Besides the tracks offered below, you can download three more at their [website], as well as stream their entire debut album, Love Revolution.

[MP3] "Heaven Have Me Now"

[MP3] "Bringing Down Hush"

[MP3] "Winter Love"

HARD-FI

The English four-piece Hard-Fi is releasing their debut album, Stars of CCTV, in the U.S. tomorrow - a full year-and-a-half after its initial release. Of course, much has happened for these guys since then. A subsequent UK release in June of 2005 spawned a string of hit singles and nominations for two Brit Awards and the Mercury Prize. Then, earlier this year, Stars of CCTV went to #1 on the British charts.

In a way, I'm sorry that this record won't be eligible for my eventual 2006 Top 10 album list, since I've been pretty well underwhelmed by most of the things I've heard so far this year. I'm clearly never going to be a Fiery Furnaces fan. The new Flaming Lips was a huge disappointment for me. I found about four worthwhile songs each with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Neko Case, and Jenny Lewis & the Watson Twins. But this damn Hard-Fi thing is pleasing me to no end. It's got a drive and energy to it that I've been needing, apparently (not to mention some boffo basslines). I don't care what critics want to call this type of music - rock, ska, punk, hip-hop, blah, blah, blah.... It just sounds like pretty great pop to me.

The band is currently playing some gigs on the West Coast and will appear on Jimmy Kimmel Live this Wednesday night (along with Janet Reno!).

[MP3] "Feltham is Singing"

[MP3] "Gotta Reason"

[MP3] "Better Do Better"

BEST OF FEBRUARY

Here are my favorite tracks from February in a downloadable zip file. A bit more mellow than the January mix, I would say. Hopefully, you can find some new and/or worthwhile tunes to choose from.

Just left-click [here].

(Last I checked, January's mix was still available [here].)

TRACKLIST >>>

1) The Indelicates/We Hate the Kids
2) Mighty Six Ninety/Have You Ever Asked Yourself
3) Love is All/Felt Tip
4) Starlight Mints/Inside of Me
5) The Pipettes/Your Kisses Are Wasted on Me
6) Ted Leo & the Pharmacists/Under the Hedge
7) Anna Ternheim/To Be Gone
8) Unbunny/Nightwalking
9) Sibylle Baier/Tonight
10) Band of Horses/The Funeral
11) The Concretes/Chosen One
12) Matt Mays & El Torpedo/Cocaine Cowgirl
13) Neko Case/Hold On, Hold On
14) Calexico/Cruel
15) James Blunt/High
16) Chris Mills/You Are My Favorite Song
17) The Stills/Retour a Vega
18) Cat Power & Karen Elson/I Love You (Me Either)
19) She Wants Revenge/Spend the Night
20) Controller.Controller/PF
21) Division Day/Dayenu
22) The Arrogants/Butterflies

LUNA (1992-2004)

[Third installment in our series of broken-up bands.]

Luna was born out of the break-up of Dean Wareham's previous band, Galaxie 500. I can't be sure, but I think I discovered them with the song "California (All the Way)," which remains my favorite Luna tune till this day. I don't know what it is, exactly, about Wareham's voice that I like so much. It has a certain unassuming, "woozy" quality that leaves me halfway between sadness and laughter (actually, a hell of a lot closer to "laughter").

All things considered, the group had a good, 12-year run, though I've heard a lot of Galaxie 500/early Luna fans bitch about the quality of the later albums. Granted, Rendezvous may not have been the strongest of swansongs, but there is ample solid material on each of their records to satisfy this listener.

Dean Wareham, by the way, released an album with second Luna bassist Britta Phillips in 2003 called L'Avventura. Their voices work well together, so I was happy to see that they're currently in the studio recording a follow-up with producer Tony Visconti. Stay tuned.

From the LP Bewitched, 1994 >>>
[MP3] "California (All the Way)"

From the LP Penthouse, 1995 >>>
[MP3] "Double Feature"

From the LP The Days of Our Nights, 1999 >>>
[MP3] "Superfreaky Memories"

From the LP Romantica, 2002 >>>
[MP3] "Mermaid Eyes"

From the LP Rendezvous, 2004 >>>
[MP3] "Astronaut"

DIVISION DAY

[I actually completed this entry nearly two weeks ago, but every time I go to post it, somebody scoops me. First, there was The Perm and the Skullet [here]. Then, there was Rock Insider [here]. But so be it. The time is nigh to hitch my wagon to this... um... bandwagon.]

Well, I'm far from the first blog to talk about the L.A.-based quartet Division Day, and I'm sure that I won't be the last. These guys were kind enough to send me a copy of their last EP, The Mean Way In, as well as an advance copy of their upcoming full-length CD Beartrap Island. They have a full eight songs currently available for download on their website, one of which you will also find below.

Describing Division Day's sound is no easy task. Listening to their songs, I found myself jotting down impressions such as: "early Flaming Lips," "Spoon," "Radiohead: Kid A," "Alan Parsons Project"[!!!], "playful-alternating-with-moody art-rock," "slightly unhinged lullaby" [re: "Hand to the Sound"], "understated majesty" [re: "Colorguard"], even "slight nods to '80s new wave." Then I remembered that the band had recorded at John Vanderslice's studio in San Francisco. That locked it in for me, because they definitely share that man's penchant for off-kilter instrumentation, arrangements, and mood.

Thus far, Division Day have primarily toured the West Coast (playing shows with the likes of Xiu Xiu, the Velvet Teen, and Cass McCombs). They're hoping to branch out further in U.S. this coming summer. In the meantime, Beartrap Island will be released in March. Here are my two favorite tracks from it...

[MP3] "Colorguard"

[MP3] "Dayenu" [REMOVED AT ARTISTS' REQUEST]

THE PASSION OF THE KILT

(MORE) ASSORTED BASTARDS & B-SIDES

[Speaking of bastards... today's picture is apropos of nothing other than the fact that Braveheart is my least favorite Best Picture winner of the past 12 years. (And that's saying something, as I didn't like Million Dollar Baby (2004), Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), Chicago (2002), or A Beautiful Mind (2001), either). (Lest you get the idea that I hate EVERYTHING, let me point to the Academy's sterling run from 1991-1993: The Silence of the Lambs, Unforgiven, and Schindler's List. Ah, now THOSE were the days.). More to the point, though: I can't stand Mel Gibson. His radical Catholicism. His rampant homophobia (see previous). His 107 kids (actually, just 7; but still: see previous). Oh, and let's not forget his Holocaust-denying father. What a lovely klan... er... "clan." (I can still remember thinking back in 1995 that Braveheart was the artistic equivalent of Mel Gibson jerking off in public for three hours. And wouldn't you know it - The Passion of the Christ turned out to be the same exact thing - the only difference being that the bastard did his jacking from BEHIND the camera. But enough already. End of rant.]

[MP3] Franz Ferdinand/"Fabulously Lazy" [from the Do You Want To single]

[MP3] Madonna/"Fighting Spirit" [Confessions on a Dancefloor bonus track]

[MP3] Maximo Park/"Hammer Horror" [from the b-sides/rarities collection Missing Songs]

[MP3] Clap Your Hands Say Yeah/"Cigarettes" [BBC 6 Music Gideon Coe Session] [from the In This Home of Ice single]

ASSORTED BASTARDS & B-SIDES

[MP3] Belle and Sebastian/"Meat and Potatoes" [from the Funny Little Frog single]

[MP3] The New Pornographers/"High Art, Local News" [Twin Cinema bonus track]

[MP3] We Are Scientists/"This Means War" [from The Great Escape single]

[MP3] Hard-Fi/"Seven Nation Army" [White Stripes cover] [from the Cash Machine single]

SAVEFILE FRIDAY: INSERT 'GAY COWBOY JOKE' HERE

Well, Sunday night could be a steamrolling sort of situation for Brokeback Mountain. Or, there could be a backlash, and the movie could just go *poof*. So to speak.

I literally haven't seen ANY of the nominated films or performances yet (it's probably been three or four years since I stepped foot in a theater; this hermit prefers DVD in his thoroughly bubble-wrapped and bird flu-proof survival shelter). Still, I'll tune it to watch Jon Stewart and to see if Robert Altman tells the Academy to go screw itself.

[Today's tunes are of the SaveFile variety, so just left-click here, then again on the next screen, and then right-click/"save as" on the screen after that. Not too terribly tough.]

[MP3] Sparks/"Ride 'Em Cowboy"

[MP3] Lambchop/"Cowboy on the Moon"

[MP3] Husky Rescue/"Summertime Cowboy"

[MP3] Fred Eaglesmith/"Rodeo Boy"

[MP3] Paula Cole/"Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?"

THE DELGADOS (1994-2004)

[This is the second installment in our "R.I.P. [fill in band-name here]" series - an effort to celebrate those artists that, sadly, are no longer with us. Of course, they're not literally "dead," generally - just victims of that most nefarious of band-busting bugaboos ... "creative differences." Ah, the humanity.]

I didn't discover the Scottish band the Delgados until 2002, when they released the album Hate. Little did I know that they'd been together eight years by then, or that they'd only have a couple years left to linger. If I'd been compiling Top 10 album lists at the time, I'm sure Hate would have ended up occupying one of the more paramount positions that year. Listening to it today for the first time in a long time, I find it still holds up remarkably well. Some of that no doubt has to do with producer Dave Fridmann (Mercury Rev; The Flaming Lips), who began collaborating with the band on 2000's The Great Eastern.

The Delgados are one of those groups - like Stars and Rilo Kiley - who trade off male/female lead vocals. Perhaps it says something about me that, in all three examples, I prefer the female singer to the male. In the Delgados' case, that means that Emma Pollock gets my vote over Alun Woodward. Thus, all four of the songs I'm offering today feature Ms. Pollock on vox. Sorry, Mr. Woodward.

From the LP Hate, 2002 >>>
[MP3] "Coming in from the Cold"
[MP3] "Woke from Dreaming"

From the LP Universal Audio, 2004 >>>
[MP3] "I Fought the Angels"

From the LP The Great Eastern, 2000 >>>
[MP3] "Make Your Move" [Twin Peaks Mix]

MIGHTY SIX NINETY

I can't remember where I first heard about Mighty Six Ninety, but both Come Pick Me Up and My Old Kentucky Blog have jotted about them this year.

And yes, it's undeniably true that this American five-piece sounds an awful lot like the Smiths (with maybe a bit of New Order stirred into the mix), but I think they're swell, and I think you should think they're swell, too. (Also, they were nice enough to send me an MP3 after I rather rudely requested one through unsolicited e-mail.)

These next few weeks, the band will be playing a handful of shows out West, including the SXSW in Austin on March 18th (5 PM at the Red Fez, reportedly). After that, they'll return to the UK, where their sound has thus far been better received and appreciated than here in the States.

Finally, they will be releasing a single ("Believable") in the UK on March 13th. You can stream it on their MySpace page [here]. You can download the b-side ("Northern Border") [here]. And you can purchase the whole kit 'n' kaboodle [here].

[MP3] "Have You Ever Asked Yourself"

[MP3] "Leave This World"

[MP3] "Keeping You in Mind"

DUELING OOMPA LOOMPAS

This won't be a timely post, but as I just got around to watching Tim Burton's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory this past weekend, it will have to suffice.

First, I should probably establish the fact that the original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory was a childhood favorite of mine - shown once a year here in the Detroit area, a la The Wizard of Oz and The Sound of Music. [Of course, there weren't so many channels in those days - for us: just 2 (CBS), 4 (NBC), 7 (ABC), 9 (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) on the VHF (no remote control, so you actually had to get up off your ass and click!-click!-click! that upper dial). On the UHF, you had 20 (Green Acres, Petticoat Junction), 50 (Gilligan's Island; The Brady Bunch), 56 (PBS), and 62 (one-step up from community access) (spin that lower dial!). And that was it. How the hell did we ever survive that primitive, seemingly Amish-dominated era?]

But to get back on point... Johnny Depp certainly amused me in the new version of Chocolate Factory (though no one will ever hold a candle to Gene Wilder in that role), and there were some nice visual bits, as you'd expect from Tim Burton (I especially liked the nut-shucking squirrels). So... C+, I guess.

As for the music, I've always liked Danny Elfman's scores (hell, I even went through an Oingo Boingo stage, though I don't like to talk about that). I was also always a big fan of the Oompa Loompas in the original film. They (and the songs they sang) had a certain "menacing" quality to them that appealed to me as a child (you just know that, given half a chance, they would have turned any number of Munchkins and Von Trapp children into dinner).

I liked the digitally-manipulated Oompa Loompas in the new film as well, though they seemed to be played more for humor than horror. As for their musical interludes, I'll leave it for you to decide which version reigns supreme...

From Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, 2005 >>>
[MP3] "Augustus Gloop"
[MP3] "Violet Beauregarde"
[MP3] "Veruca Salt"
[MP3] "Mike Teavee"

From Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, 1971 >>>
[MP3] "Oompa Loompa Song #1"
[MP3] "Oompa Loompa Song #2"
[MP3] "Oompa Loompa Song #3"
[MP3] "Oompa Loompa Song #4"

SERGE GAINSBOURG

Not too long ago I wrote about Jens Lekman-precursor Scott Walker [here]. Well, Mr. Walker was big-time smitten with the French, dirty-old-man composer Serge Gainsbourg. Today - in Europe, at least - a tribute album to Mr. Gainsbourg will be released featuring such artists as Portishead, Tricky, Michael Stipe, and Placebo. Entitled Monsieur Gainsbourg Revisited, it also sees Franz Ferdinand and Cat Power take a crack at the master - the Monsieurs Ferdinand with Gainsbourg songbird Jane Birkin; Ms. Marshall with White Stripe wife Karen Elson. (The Cat Power track already seems to be drawing an awful lot of vitriol on the web. I don't know; it sounds okay to me. Light. Fluffy. At worst: harmless. And what's up with all these nasty heroin rumors about Cat? I mean, sheesh... I thought the girl just had a grade-A case of stage-fright.)

Regardless, the other three fingers making up today's fistful are originals sung by some of Gainsbourg's too-numerous-to-enumerate female proteges. They are French, and they are fun. No translation required.

[MP3] Franz Ferdinand & Jane Birkin/"A Song for Sorry Angel"

[MP3] Cat Power & Karen Elson/"I Love You (Me Either)"

[MP3] Francoise Hardy/"Comment Te Dire Adieu"

[MP3] France Gall/"Les Sucettes"

[MP3] Serge Gainsbourg & Jane Birkin/"Je T'aime... Moi Non Plus"

THE INDELICATES

Normally, I would never so callously cannibalize another blogger's post as I am about to today. But today is not "normally"; it's Friday. And I'm so ecstatic about this band that I just might wet my pants. So I can't help myself, you see. Not guilty by reason of imminent incontinence.

The band I'm urine-ing for you to immerse yourselves in is the British the Indelicates, and the blog I'm cannibalizing is the Italian Indie for Dummies. The Indelicates hail from Brighton and have only been in existence since September 2005. They 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 in a blender. You'd get something thick. A bit bitter. Dark. Delightful. Delicious. Ah, leave it to the Brits....

If you like what you hear below, please visit the Indelicates' website [here] and fling your virtual underthings at them. As yet, they are unsigned, and they no doubt could use the affirmation and affection. [Also, go to Indie for Dummies to download another Indelicates song - "Vladimir" - and to thank him for helping get this train out of the station.]

[MP3] "We Hate the Kids"

[MP3] "Julia, We Don't Live in the 60s"

[MP3] "New Art for the People"

[MP3] "Waiting for Pete Doherty to Die"

LOOKS LIKE THINGS ARE GOING WELL IN THE STUDIO...

... OK, MAYBE NOT...

RADIOHEAD GET 'NUDE'

Well, I was none too pleased yesterday when ever-stylish, ever-elegant Achtung Baby! posted the full-band version of Radiohead's "Nude" (aka "Big Ideas (don't get any)"). Like him, I had heard the other day that Radiohead were finally working on a studio version of that long-time fan favorite. No telling whether it will make the upcoming record, be released as a b-side, or perhaps be offered as a downloadable track before the band takes to the road this summer. (There's also no telling, I suppose, whether they'll actually follow through with the thing till it's finished; they tend to be a fickle lot.)

Regardless, below you will find a few different live takes on the song, starting with a full-band version that is similar to Achtung's but is from a separate concert. The second and third are performed by Thom Yorke solo, the first in Japan in 1998, the second in the UK in 2005.

Also, I've included a couple of other tunes that the band has never properly recorded. "Lift," which is from the post-Bends/pre-Computer period and was performed by the band in 1996. And "Follow Me Around," which is newer-but-not-new, and was played by Thom and Jonny Greenwood (I believe) in December of 2003.

[BTW, the sound quality is somewhat erratic with these, but I think the songs are worth it.]

[MP3] "Big Ideas (don't get any)" [aka "Nude"] [live/full-band]
[MP3] "Big Ideas (don't get any)" [aka "Nude"] [live/Thom 1998]
[MP3] "Big Ideas (don't get any)" [aka "Nude"] [live/Thom 2005]

[MP3] "Lift" [live/full-band/1996]

[MP3] "Follow Me Around" [live/Thom/Jonny/2003]

MATT MAYS

& EL TORPEDO

MATT MAYS & EL TORPEDO

I hate radio. All the stations tend to be owned by the same handful of massive corporations, and they all tend to play the same crappy songs, again and again and again. But last summer, after dropping my sister and her kids at the airport, I had to drive her SUV back to my house. Alas, I hadn't a single CD in the car, and the radio was my only option.

Fortunately, while blindly scanning the stations, I stumbled upon 89X out of nearby Windsor, Canada. They played some songs that I liked just fine (Death Cab, Stellastarr*) and a few that had me longing for the dull, empty drone of rubber on road (Creed, Nickelback). Eventually, I came across a catchy rocker called "Cocaine Cowgirl." by Matt Mays-something-or-other. But by the time I reached my driveway, I'd pretty much forgotten about it.

Fast-forward to about a week ago, when a random scan of the Hype Machine brought me to the MP3 blog Come Pick Me Up and a song called "The Plan." By none other than Matt Mays & El Torpedo.

Ah-hah, said I, suddenly remembering my post-airport, Canadian-radio "Cocaine Cowgirl" moment of a summer ago. I proceeded to Google "Matt Mays," which got me to the band's website. From there, I learned that Matt Mays & El Torpedo are from Nova Scotia, Canada, which we like - as we like bands from Canada (although, truth be told, we like bands from anywhere... so long as they don't sound like Creed or Nickelback). Regardless, Matt Mays released a solo album in 2002, then put together a four-man band to record their self-titled CD (released in March of 2005). Since then, they have been touring extensively and have been nominated for a number of music awards in Canada.

The CD can be purchased at various on-line sites, including the Canadian Maple Music.

Also, the band will be touring Ontario and Nova Scotia throughout March, with one noteworthy stop in Austin, Texas on March 15th as part of the SXSW Music Festival [at the Creekside Cafe - on the same night as fellow Canadians (and MP3 blog regulars) Cuff the Duke]. If you can, catch them. In the meantime, here are some nice tunes to give you a taste of them...

[MP3] "Cocaine Cowgirl"

[MP3] "On the Hood"

THE ONE THAT ISN'T JOPLIN

JANIS IAN

Let's send a little old-school love out to Janis Ian, whose new album, Folk is the New Black, hits U.S. retail shelves today.

Of course, Ian is best known for her song "At Seventeen," which many deride for its on-its-sleeve, maudlin sentimentality. As somebody who was a kid in the '70s and listened to a lot of such songs on AM radio, I have a certain, no-doubt-unholy attraction to these types of ditties. (Maybe tomorrow I'll post Charlene's "I've Never Been to Me" and that thing where somebody leaves Richard Harris' cake out in the rain.)

Ms. Ian has been a somewhat mercurial performer and personality over the past 30 years, but she deserves at least some kind of credit for taking on subjects like sexual identity and self-esteem long before it became fashionable to do so.

From the LP Folk is the New Black, 2006 >>>
[MP3] "Folk is the New Black"

From the LP Between the Lines, 1975 >>>
[MP3] "At Seventeen"

THIS GUY PROBABLY COULDN'T HOLD THE COUNTRY TOGETHER DURING A CIVIL WAR...

... BUT THIS GUY PROBABLY COULDN'T WRITE A DECENT POP SONG

MATTHEW SWEET

Well, this one's gonna be a stretch....

Today, in celebration of Presidents Day here in the U.S., I am featuring the one and only... Matthew Sweet. Yes, THAT Matthew Sweet. "Girlfriend" Matthew Sweet. The oh-where-have-you-gone-we-hardly-knew-ye Matthew-Sweet.

Why on Presidents Day, you probably can't even be bothered to ask? Well, it just so happens that Mr. Sweet hails from Nebraska.

LINCOLN, Nebraska, to be exact.

And there you have it.

And here you have some songs...

From the LP 100% Fun, 1995 >>>
[MP3] "Smog Moon"

From the LP In Reverse, 1999 >>>
[MP3] "Untitled"

From the LP Girlfriend, 1991 >>>
[MP3] "Winona"

[MP3] "Magnet and Steel" [w/Lindsey Buckingham & Susanna Hoffs]

[MP3] "The Ballad of El Goodo" [Big Star cover]

(1991-2001)

CATATONIA

R.I.P. Grandaddy.

That's where this post begins, as that's where the idea of shining a spotlight on a few bands that no longer live and breathe as music-making entities began. (Either that, or VH1's Bands Reunited; who the hell can tell?)

I'll get to Grandaddy at some later time, as a number of other blogs have already written that story and shined that light. Makes sense, too - as Grandaddy's demise at least comes with the casket-sized silver-lining of an impending legacy (the LP Just Like the Family Cat, V2 Music, May 9th).

With the Cardiff, Wales group Catatonia, on the other hand, no such mitigating factor seems to be in the offing. Four-plus years after calling it quits, lead singer Cerys Matthews has already moved on and released a well-reviewed (if little-heard) solo album (2003's Cockahoop).

All things considered, though, a ten-year run in today's dog-eat-doggier-than-ever music biz is nothing to sneeze or cast stones at, and Catatonia has left behind some solid songs to help alleviate the pain of their passing. Here's four-fifths of a handful...

From the LP International Velvet, 1998 >>>
[MP3] "Road Rage"
[MP3] "Mulder and Scully"

From the LP Equally Cursed & Blessed, 2000 >>>
[MP3] "Dazed, Beautiful & Bruised"

From the LP Paper Scissors Stone, 2001 >>>
[MP3] "Village Idiots"

SAVING MATTHEW RYAN

MATTHEW RYAN

An Aquarium Drunkard featured an interview with singer/songwriter Matthew Ryan on February 10th and offered a slew of songs for your downloading pleasure. Always happy to hop on a bandwagon, I've decided to offer a few of my favorites as well.

I don't know how under-the-radar this guy is, really; it may be that everybody already knows about him. I discovered him with East Autumn Grin, which remains my favorite record of his. He has an attractively raspy voice and isn't afraid of arrangements that feature more than just voice and guitar. No offense to all the Sufjan, Iron & Wine, and Jose Gonzalez lovers out there (and you are legion), but those folks sometimes make me sleepy.

Truth be told, I hear at least a sliver of Springsteen in Mr. Ryan, and that can't be bad.

From the LP Regret Over the Wires, 2003 >>>
[MP3] "Return to Me"

From the LP East Autumn Grin, 2000 >>>
[MP3] "Heartache Weather"

From the LP May Day, 1997 >>>
[MP3] "Guilty"

[MP3] "Little Drummer Boy"

LESS LOVE/MORE MASSACRE

THE MAGNETIC FIELDS

Well, everybody's going to have their clever Valentine's Day themed things happening today. I thought I'd keep mine on the simple side and spotlight some of my favorite tracks from the Magnetic Fields' 1999 magnum opus 69 Love Songs.

Stephin Merritt, my papa was a rodeo... too.

[MP3] "The Luckiest Guy on the Lower East Side"

[MP3] "No One Will Ever Love You"

[MP3] "Let's Pretend We're Bunny Rabbits"

[MP3] "Meaningless"

[MP3] "Papa Was a Rodeo"

CHENEY MAY HAVE MISSED HIS TARGET, BUT I'M ALL FOR QUAYLE HUNTING

THE 7-UP OF RABBIT-ORIENTED INDIE GROUPS?

UNBUNNY

I just discovered Unbunny's 2004 album Snow Tires rather recently. It's not exactly an obvious knock-out, but repeated listens reveal it to be quite the sly little charmer.

Common camparisons with these guys tend to go to Elliott Smith, Neil Young, and Neutral Milk Hotel. Probably a smidgen of truth with each of them, I suppose, but Unbunny have their own little thing going on, and they deserve their own little spotlight.

[MP3] "I Leave Stones Unturned"

[MP3] "I Knock Things I Haven't Tried"

[MP3] "Nightwalking"

[You can purchase this album (and discover any number of MP3s by other worthwhile artists) at...]

JENS, I KNEW SCOTT WALKER... SCOTT WALKER WAS A FRIEND OF MINE... JENS, YOU'RE NO SCOTT WALKER

SCOTT WALKER

I was listening to Jens Lekman the other day, and, as usual, finding myself liking but not loving him. Great voice, great atmospheric productions, but the SONGS, for the most part, don't tend to add up to much for me.

But thinking about that VOICE got me thinking about Scott Walker. I always want to preface this man's name with "the late, great" - the way people do with Nick Drake. But Mr. Walker, thank our lucky stars, lives and breathes and every now and again crawls out of his seclusion to remind us of that fact.

Scott Walker, for those who don't know, was rather big in the UK in the '60s - first as a member of the Walker Brothers, and then as a solo artist. Since the '70s, though, he's been downright hermit-like. Still, he has had a huge influence on everybody from David Bowie to Bryan Ferry; from the Divine Comedy to Pulp. (In point of fact, he produced Pulp's last album, 2002's We Love Life.)

I just can't get enough of this guy's sound, from the lush-yet-playful productions to, yes, that VOICE - a rich, almost '50s-era baritone, like some hip-daddy, bizarro version of Andy Williams. Enjoy.

[MP3] "Jackie" [from LP Scott 2, 1968]

[MP3] "Next" [from the LP Scott 2, 1968]

[MP3] "No Regrets"/The Walker Brothers [from the LP No Regrets, 1975]

[MP3] "Birds in Your Garden"/Pulp [from the LP We Love Life, 2002] [have to think that Mr. Walker had something to do with those cool, '60s-styled backing vocals on the chorus]

DID DR. PHIL THINK UP THIS TITLE?

THE PERNICE BROTHERS

[Blogger's been a bitch lately, so I can only hope this post goes through...]

If I had heard the Pernice Brothers' Discover a Lovelier You in 2005, it might well have made my Top 10 list. Pansy-ass, self-help-book title aside, the record offers up no end of sunnily autumnal hooks and is a solid listen first track to last. So here's to lovely, if belated, discoveries...

[MP3] "There Goes the Sun"

[MP3] "Amazing Glow"

[MP3] "Snow"

R.I.P. L.P.

PLEASURE CRUISE

JULEE CRUISE

[Blogger ate my longer post on Julee Cruise yesterday, which pisses me off mightily. Here, at least, are the songs I tried to offer...]

[MP3] "Into the Night"

[MP3] "Falling" [Twin Peaks theme]

[MP3] "Summer Kisses, Winter Tears"

[MP3] "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" [w/DJ Silver] [Eurythmics cover]

SINGLE-ARTIST THURSDAY

SILENT TONGUE

Silent Tongue is a relatively new indie collective led by singer/songwriter Matt Durante.

Their latest record, The Formula of Believing, clocks in at just 24 minutes, and its eight songs walk an experimental, pop-rock line that might appeal to fans of Guided by Voices and the now-defunct Grandaddy.

(You can download another Silent Tongue song from their MySpace page [here].)

[MP3] "86 Was a Good Year"

[MP3] "Still Defending"

INSPIRING US ALL TO REVISIT THE GENIUS OF BILLY SQUIER'S "THE STROKE"

THE STROKES

I'm not a huge Strokes fan, though I liked "Hard to Explain" from their first album and "12:51" from their second. With First Impressions of Earth, I find myself responding to only three of the 14 songs. "You Only Live Once" has been all over the Internet for quite some time now, so I think we'll go ahead and skip that one.

[MP3] "Heart in a Cage"

[MP3] "Electricityscape"

GIRLS JUST WANNA

HE OF THE HIGH CYANIDE-WHINE

PLACEBO (PART DEUX)

Thanks go to Torr and Ear Farm for two more tracks from the upcoming Placebo LP [Meds, available March 13th]. Apparently, it's "Because I Want You" that's the first single, not "Song to Say Goodbye," as I suggested in my post of a few days ago. My bad.

"Broken Promise" features Michael Stipe and some stark, haunty piano. Not sure it all adds up to much beyond that, however. Alas, alas....

Anyway, for those of you who haven't already snared these songs from their original sites...

[MP3] "Because I Want You"

[MP3] "Broken Promise" [w/Michael Stipe]

NO, REALLY, THIS TIME WE MEAN IT...THE NEXT ONE'S GONNA SOUND JUST LIKE "THE BENDS"

RADIOHEAD IN '06?

As I wait for my favorite band on this particular planet to get its shit together for an expected [?] 2006 release, I stumble upon the news that their long-time producer, Nigel Godrich, will not be participating on the upcoming project. Apparently, they are considering Mark "Spike" Stent as a replacement - this a man who has worked with the likes of the Spice Girls and No Doubt. Granted, he has also worked with Bjork, Massive Attack, U2, and countless other decidedly less pop-gloss acts, but still....

In truth, though, I like the band's explanation for the change. After a decade of work with Godrich, they had become too "comfortable" with him and needed, essentially, to yank the rug out from under their own feet. Which is just fine by me. (I only wish R.E.M. would look to follow their lead.)

Today's offerings include some tracks that Radiohead have played live in the past few years that may or may not appear on the forthcoming album. Also, we have a very early demo from the band when they were still called On a Friday. They haven't written all that many "happy" songs since. Which, by the way, is just fine by me as well.

[MP3] "Last Flowers Till the Hospital" [live]/Thom Yorke [2005]

[MP3] "House of Cards" [live]/Thom Yorke [2005]

[MP3] "Reckoner" [live]/Radiohead

[MP3] "Arpeggi" [live]/Thom Yorke/Jonny Greenwood/The Nazareth Orchestra [2005]

[MP3] "Happy Song"/On a Friday [Radiohead] [1988]

GET YOUR MEDS

PLACEBO

Placebo's new single has been making the rounds of late. Can't say that I'm especially impressed with it, though I generally enjoy the band and hope the rest of the album will prove superior to this initial sampler.

Regardless, the other three tracks I offer today are personal favorites, including the great, semi-obscure "Johnny and Mary" (thankfully, you'd never guess it's a Robert Palmer song).

The new Placebo CD, MEDS, will be released on March 13, 2006.

[MP3] [right-click/"save as"] "Song to Say Goodbye" [from the LP MEDS, 2006]

[MP3] [right-click/"save as"] "The Bitter End" [from the LP Sleeping with Ghosts, 2003]

[MP3] [right-click/"save as"] "Johnny and Mary" [Sleeping with Ghosts bonus track, 2003]

[MP3] [right-click/"save as"] "Every You Every Me" [from the LP Without You I'm Nothing, 1998]

DANCE THIS MESS AROUND

THE B-52'S

Yesterday's post leads rather directly to today's, as yesterday I was trying to think what groups Imperial Teen borrowed some of their sound(s) from. The B-52's seemed a fairly obvious starting point.

I must have been in my early teens when I first head "Rock Lobster" on the radio. It remains brilliant and mad and catchy and so "stupid" it's "stoopid."

"Private Idaho" is just a brilliant pop song (so brilliant, of course, they made a movie title out of it).

And I'm going to forego the pretty swell (but overplayed) "Love Shack" for another favorite of mine from their big comeback album of 1989.

Rumor had it that the B-52's were going to release an album of new material back in the summer of 2005, which obviously didn't happen. But they continue to play together, and 2006 may yet see new tunes from one of the original "Athens" bands, and - as they themselves are wont to say - "the world's greatest party band."

[MP3] [right-click/"save as"] "Private Idaho" [from the LP Wild Planet, 1980]

[MP3] [right-click/"save as"] "Roam" [from the LP Cosmic Thing, 1989]

[MP3] [right-click/"save as"] "Rock Lobster" [from their self-titled LP, 1979]

SURELY IN THEIR 20'S BY NOW...

IMPERIAL TEEN

Bored stupid the other day, I took a weary glance at my CD shelves and pulled out oldie-but-goody Imperial Teen. Hell, I'd damn-near forgotten about these playful popsters. If you're not familiar with them: think the B-52's, Placebo, and Sonic Youth in one big-time blender.

Checking their website, I see that Imperial Teen are scheduled to spit out some new tunes in the not-too-distant future. Good news. And, in the meantime....

[MP3] [right-click/"save as"] "You're One"

[MP3] [right-click/"save as"] "Water Boy"

[MP3] [right-click/"save as"] "Ivanka"

SELF-EXPLANATORY SATURDAY

SATURDAY LOOKS GOOD TO ME

[MP3] [right-click/"save as"] "Until the World Stops Spinning" [from the LP Every Night, 2004]

[MP3] [right-click/"save as"] "The Girl's Distracted" [from the LP Every Night, 2004]

[MP3] [right-click/"save as"] "We Can't Work It Out" [from the LP Every Night, 2004]

[MP3] [right-click/"save as"] "Alcohol" [from the LP All Your Summer Songs, 2003]

CALIFORNIA DREAMIN'

NEST

The female-fronted, Los Angeles band Nest released their self-titled debut EP back in December. They list Frou Frou and Goldfrapp amongst their influences, and the former seems especially fitting, what with their subtle and moody musical backdrops serving to spotlight singer Ayana's highly evocative voice.

I actually hear quite a lot of Dar Williams and Sarah McLachlan in that voice, but Sarah-haters shouldn't think that Nest plays that particular brand of adult-contemporary, sleepy-time Muzak (though they may compare somewhat to her pre-Lilith Fair material... Fumbling Towards Ecstasy, perhaps).

Regardless, Nest are already starting to carve out an audience around the L.A. area at small clubs and on local radio, and they will be interesting to track as their sound continues to develop. I, for one, would love to hear them amp up the arrangements a bit - making them a bit more grandiose and dramatic to fit their Goldfrappian inclinations. With Ayana's already top-tier voice, that might just make for the perfect mix.

If you like the songs posted below, you can purchase Nest's EP from their website. You can also hear more samples of their music on their myspace page [here].

[MP3] [right-click/"save as"] "Part of You" [from their self-titled EP, 2005]

[MP3] [right-click/"save as"] "Ultraviolet" [from their self-titled EP, 2005]

SINGLE-ARTIST WEDNESDAY

JOSEPH ARTHUR

Not so long ago, I posted Coldplay and Michael Stipe covering the Joseph Arthur song "In the Sun." I had been intending to shine a little light on Mr. Arthur well before that, so now seems as good a time as any to finally do so.

Apparently, this Ohio singer-songwriter was "discovered" by Peter Gabriel in the mid-'90s. Since then, he's put out solid work that has gone a bit under-the-radar. Which is too bad, really, because he's quite the accomplished artist (in every sense, it would seem).

So let's show the man some love by doing the click-and-listen thing....

[MP3] [right-click/"save as"] "In the Night" [from the LP Redemption's Son, 2002]

[MP3] [right-click/"save as"] "Honey and the Moon" [from the LP Redemption's Son, 2002]

[MP3] [right-click/"save as"] "All of Our Hands" [Our Shadows Will Remain outtake]

[MP3] [right-click/"save as"] "Bill Wilson" [from the EP Junkyard Hearts II]

LET IT BE... AND A BIT OF CHEESE

A real post is coming tomorrow, but for now...

Why not find out which songs were #1 on the American and British charts on the day you were born. A quick click will clue you in if you go [here].

For me, the Beatles' "Let It Be" was #1 on the American chart. As for the Brits... well... for whatever reason, they chose to elevate Dana's "All Kinds of Everything." Um... yeah... sure.

Never heard of Dana. Never heard of the song. But, through the wonders of the Internet (and Google), we can all hear it now....

[MP3] [right-click/"save as"] "All Kinds of Everything"/Dana [1970]

NO, NOT *THAT* GUY...

...*THIS* GUY (WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM HIS FRIENDS)

CHARLEMAGNE

I discovered a song by the Madison, Wisconsin band Charlemagne by my own devices quite some time ago, but then it sort of slipped my mind entirely. Just the other day, though, *Sixeyes posted four more of their tracks in the middle of a ten-pack sampler (where I easily could have missed them; damn your generosity, Alan!).

Fortunately, I didn't miss them. I listened to them. And I liked them very much, thank you very much. Then I ran a little search on my mix CD "archives" and re-located that old song I'd discovered by my own devices quite some time ago.

Well, I'm globbing them all together for you here.

Now, on the off-chance you're interested in what these folks sound like... for the most part, you should think gentle folk-pop with melodies that are sometimes subtle, sometimes more in-your-face, but always worth your time. They also frequently make use of that thing that's nearly as addictive to me as alcohol: boy-girl vocal interplay. Ahh, those bastard enablers....

[MP3] [right-click/"save as"] "Your Scars" [from the LP Detour Allure, 2005]

[MP3] [right-click/"save as"] "Nematode" [from the LP Detour Allure, 2005]

[MP3] [right-click/"save as"] "Pink and Silver" [from the LP Detour Allure, 2005]

[MP3] [right-click/"save as"] "August Evenings" [from their self-titled LP, 2004]

WOULD YOU LIKE TO TOUCH MY MONKEY? TOUCH HIM! LOVE HIM!

OCTOBER ->> DECEMBER 2005

[Sorry that I forgot to include the tracklist for the zip. Thanks to the three people who downloaded it anyway. On faith, I guess. Hope you're enjoying it. Tracklist now appears below. And regular updates should resume shortly.]

Well, I'm back from the near-dead after yet another one of my patented, week-long, kamikaze binges. I did manage to do one productive thing, which was to put together a collection of my favorite tunes from the last three months of 2005. I've posted a number of them here previously, but now you can grab them all in one snazzy (not to mention "handy-dandy") zip file by left-clicking [here].

TRACKLISTING --->
1) Madonna/Hung Up
2) Depeche Mode/Precious
3) Dragonette/I Get Around
4) We Are Scientists/Inaction
5) Lucky Soul/My Brittle Heart
6) Belle and Sebastian/Another Sunny Day
7) The Cardigans/Good Morning Joan
8) Dave Matthews Band/American Baby
9) The Rosebuds/Leaves Do Fall
10) Split Squad/Hairless Youth of Bosnia
11) Bloc Party/Banquet
12) The Loose Salute/Photographs and Tickets
13) Editors/Blood
14) Matt Pond Pa/Several Arrows Later
15) Silver Jews/Punks in the Beerlight
16) Crooked Fingers/Call to Love
17) Goldspot/It's Getting Old
18) Pelle Carlberg/Summer of '69
19) The Fine Arts Showcase/Chemical Girl
20) The Coral Sea/In this Moment's Time
21) Delaware/Loss

I hope you enjoy them; I actually was sort of loving this collection while pouring enough vodka down my gullet to put John Belushi in a coma. Now, I have to go lay down and listen to my liver shriek & wheeze.

Happy 2006, everybody.