February 28, 2010

Ben Gibbard, you've got a musical doppelganger.

Listenin' to Owl City "Ocean Eyes" a lot this month. Sounds just like a new Postal Service album. And by "just like" I mean, if you didn't know different...

A little less angst-y. And with occasional female vocals chiming in.

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February 01, 2010

Updated Musing

I've changed my mind on Company of Thieves, the lead sounds EXACTLY like Erin McKeown. Is it her? I should google it. As Sashi would yell at me if I asked him, "GOOGLE IS YOUR FRIEND."

Eh. Maybe later.

Posted by Duff at 04:19 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Tunes

January 22, 2010

November Album Reviews

Absolutely Love & Adore:

Sons of Anarchy: Shelter EP - Yup, another EP from my favorite TV show. Katey Sagal covers "Ruby Tuesday" in a beautiful, heartbreaking rendition. The other songs are good too but that's the one I can't stop listening to.

Matt Hires "Take Us to the Start" - YAY I have been waiting for this album since the first time I heard "Honey, Let Me Sing You a Song" (which yay is also on here). He's definitely someone you would expect me to like, a singer/songwriter-y dude with sort of acoustic, mostly cheery songs. What my cousin calls "WB Music" (i.e., something that would have been used in the background on Dawson's Creek or Everwood). That doesn't bother me at all. Other fave song: "A Perfect Day" (LOVE!)

Favorite Singles (not on any of the above albums):

• "Mary" Patty Griffin - so so so beautiful.
  
• "Fly Me Away" Annie Little - a freebie from Amazon but I still like it!
  
• "Sumatra" Katie Herzig - the second song of hers to become a serious repeat play for me. I should probably check out her albums at this point.
  

Other Albums I Liked:

• Shwayze "Let It Beat" - I have no idea why I dig these weird Shwayze albums so much. But you know what? I DO. And that's all there is to it. They make me wanna dance.
  

Not really for me / but maybe for you!: Nada!!

Shamefully have either not listened to at all, or not all the way through, or so few times that I can't legitimately offer an opinion:

Mos Def "The Ecstatic" - I dug this dude's acting in both "16 Blocks" and "Be Kind, Rewind," and then Rolling Stone gave this album a really enthusiastic review...but I've barely listened to it yet. Hey! November was a TOUGH month school-wise.

Company of Thieves "Ordinary Riches" - another victim of my inability to listen to music at the end of last semester when I was writing, writing, writing for weeks (my semester was very back-end-heavy in terms of assignments). Cant' remember what made me buy it, but I don't think I've made it through twice yet. I will say, the lead female really sounds like Rachael Yamagata. And you know, someday I'll find time to listen and check it out more!!

Posted by Duff at 08:09 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Tunes

September Album Reviews

Absolutely Love & Adore:

The Avett Brothers "I and Love and You" - I'm sure I have mentioned these guys enough times now that you are not surprised to see them. This album just continues their greatness and they're getting a much wider release and YAY for them. I can't really even pick a favorite song or two because everytime I listen I either a) love them all or b) completely change my mind on which one is best!

Sons of Anarchy: North Country EP - Yes, that's right, my favorite show of the year is also releasing little EP soundtracks. And they're awesome. This one has "John the Revelator" from Curtis Stigers, the song from the season 1 finale, which is so great. And the "Forever Young" cover by Audra Mae is just lovely.

Glee - The Music, Vol. 1 - I had bought a lot of these as singles as they were released, so I just finished up the album with what I hadn't already bought. This show is, for the most part, a LOT of fun and so are the covers. I have this random, not well thought out at all, theory that covers are ALMOST ALWAYS good because it's so hard to ruin a good song. Whereas movie remakes, there are just SO many places those can go wrong. And some of these are not just good or decent covers...some of these are GREAT! Faves: "Bust Your Windows" "Take a Bow" "Push It"

Favorite Singles (not on any of the above albums):

• "Hazy" Rosi Golan and William Fitzsimmons - so pretty!
  
• "Single Ladies" (cover) Pampelmoose - you can find it on myspace or somewheres
  

Other Albums I Liked:

• Kid Cudi "Man on the Moon - The End of Day" - Remember back when Kanye was just getting big and dressed like a schoolboy in sweater vests all the time and referred to himself as "Carlton" (from Fresh Prince of LA)? Kid Cudi seems to have taken that personality over for him now that Kanye's gone all glam. Fave: I really love the song they're both on here "Make Her Say" (with Common also).

Not really for me / but maybe for you!:

J. Tillman "Year in the Kingdom" - a solo album from a Fleet Fox. Some of this is really pretty - I really like "Earthly Bodies" and "Year in the Kingdom" but I can't listen to it as a whole album: too overall "on the same note" / too slow and methodical. Needs to shake it up once in a while to keep me going, I just end up fast forwarding... Sorry. :(

Shamefully have either not listened to at all, or not all the way through, or so few times that I can't legitimately offer an opinion:

Sea Wolf "White Water, White Bloom" - I really like this band, I just haven't given this album much more than a cursory listen. I KNOW. I got it after school started though and listening since then has been very inconsistent. What I've listened to sounds pretty but I know their old stuff a lot better.

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January 12, 2010

First Impression: OK Go "Of the Blue Colour of the Sky"

They must've been listening to a lot of Prince before they wrote/recorded this. Sexy/funky.

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August Album Reviews

I realize I am ridiculously behind but for some inexplicable reason I am determined to catch Snip up to speed rather than just skipping ahead. And hey look, another month where I barely bought any tunes! WEIRD!

Absolutely Love & Adore:

Damien Rice "Live at Fingerprints: Warts and All" - This dude really needs to put out an album of fresh material (he talks on here about how he thought he might never finish another record...Nooooooooooo). But these are nice arrangements and I could (do) listen to his previous stuff all the time. I just want MORE. ;)

Favorite Singles (not on any of the above albums):

• "Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want" She & Him - from the 500 Days of Summer sdtrk
  
• "Shining Down" Lupe Fiasco & Matthew Santos - LOVE!!
  
• "Run This Town" Jay-Z, Rihanna & Kanye
  

Not really for me / but maybe for you!:

Horehound "Dead Weather" - I am a fan of almost everything Jack White does, and I bet this band is awesome live, but I just can't get into this album.

Shamefully have either not listened to at all, or not all the way through, or so few times that I can't legitimately offer an opinion:

I downloaded the free Nylon Magazine August mix...but I've never listened to it. Whoops.

Posted by Duff at 01:05 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Tunes

January 11, 2010

Musical Musing of the Morning

Is Rachael Yamagata part of Company of Thieves? This really sounds like her.

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December 27, 2009

Favorite Song of the Day

"Young Forever" by Jay-Z and Mr. Hudson (of Mr. Hudson & the Library who you may remember I LOVE a LOT)

Technically Mr. Hudson's part is a cover of "Forever Young" intermixed with some Jay-Z rap. Love the background music. Love!!

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December 25, 2009

My Very Favorite Song Today

"I Won't Be Found" - The Tallest Man on Earth

Hear it here in its original and daytrotter versions (the daytrotter is the one I put on repeat). (Found via this post on Fuel/Friends, my all-time favorite music blog.)

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October 18, 2009

July Album Reviews

I was about one thing, and one thing just about only, in July tune-wise: EMPTY ORCHESTRA!!

Absolutely Love & Adore:

Empty Orchestra "Here Lies Empty Orchestra" - My friend Pam's band swung through Chicago in July and it was honestly the highlight of my summer! I would have gone to support her at the show regardless of how they sounded: so SUPER BONUS for me when it turned out they're great!! Totally rockin'. I saw a reviewer call them "Americana" and I guess I can go along with that. It's that space between pop, rock and country: where there's some twang and some beats and some great guitar playing and woah Stephen's vocals are great!! I mean really, I can't see why you wouldn't love this album unless you're a total musical noob. Faves: "Always Already" (I can hear Pammie in the background!); "Words and Music" (oh the intro to this song slays me); "It Gets Better".

Favorite Singles (not on any of the above albums):

• "Closer Than You Think" Evertyhing Absent or Distorted
  
• "Beneath Your Tree" Bowerbirds
  
• "Earthly Bodies" J. Tillman - A Fleet Fox on his own. Nice.
  
• "El Paso" Jason Anderson
  
• "Sellout" (Live) Ryan Auffenberg (LOVE!)
  

Other Albums I Liked:

• Empty Orchestra "Get Well Soon" - Six earlier (? I think) songs. Fave song "Civil War".
  

Posted by Duff at 02:13 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Tunes

June Album Reviews

Another month where I only bought two albums!! Kudos to me on not spending money but dang I'm sure there's lots of awesome stuff out there I missed this year!!

Absolutely Love & Adore:

Pete Yorn "Back & Fourth" - Wow, I am just completely gaga for this album. Completely. Definitely my most-listened tunes for the second half of the year. It's the usual melancholy swell of emotion from Yorn, soft and gentle and sad and rambling on. Which just makes it even odder that his concerts are so "all at the same volume level, arena anthem rock" sounding. Faves include "Dont' Wanna Cry" and "Social Development Dance" but honestly I love this entire album front to back.

Favorite Singles (not on any of the above albums):

• "Swim Until You Can't See Land" Frightened Rabbit - really the only thing I regret about canceling my trip to Monolith is not getting to see these guys.
  
• "H.O.T.T. (Half of the Time)" Wheat
  

Other Albums I Liked:

• Dent May & His Magnificent Ukelele "The Good Feeling Music of Dent May and His Magnificent Ukelele" - Totally goofy. Kinda reminds me of Matt Costa. Unusual instrumentation, styles all over the map.
  

Posted by Duff at 10:39 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Tunes

May Album Reviews

I know - who cares at this point. I just need to get myself up to date here.

Absolutely Love & Adore:

Telekinesis (self-titled) - Poppy and Fun. Fave tunes are "Rust", "Coast of Carolina" and "I Saw Lightning" .

Favorite Singles (not on any of the above albums):

• "Tear You Apart" She Wants Revenge (by far my favorite song of the month! and maybe the summer!)
  
• "How Your Heart Is Wired" Bell X1
  
• "Hypermode" A Shoreline Dream
  
• "The Last of the Melting Snow" The Leisure Society
  
• "We'll See the Sun" Houses
  
• "More Time" Needtobreathe
  
• "Crazy Bitch" Buckcherry
  
• "Magic Show" Electric Owls
  
• "Percussion Gun" White Rabbits
  

Other Albums I Liked but Frankly Have Barely Listened to AT ALL:
I don't know what was up with me in May, over the summer, or really this year, but all the below albums are 1) by artists I like and 2) decent albums and 3) I have barely listened to them at all. WTF? I guess it just wasn't the right time for me with them.

• Eminem "Relapse" - Especially love "Bagpipes from Baghdad" "Deja Vu" and "Careful What You Wish For". "We Made You" has a total Dick Tracy feel. And I'm pretty sure that is (actor) Dominic West on the "Dr. West" skit (I hate the skits on rap albums. My most unfavorite thing about them!).
  
• Green Day "21st Century Breakdown" - Not the tour de force their last album was but still really good. Fave songs are "Last of the American Girls" and bonus track "A Quick One While He's Away".
  
• Phoenix "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix" - oh so cheeky that title. I usually listen to this one straight through (the few times I have actually listened to it!); it's so (consistently) upbeat and fun. But I guess "1901" and "Lasso" do stand out to me.
  
• Red House Painters "Songs for a Blue Guitar" - an oldie I bought after my friend Craig tweeted about it a zillion times in one week.
  

Posted by Duff at 10:11 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Tunes

July 26, 2009

A Lil Romance for This Boring Sunday Afternoon at the Shitehole

Well it's getting late, we should stay here
But you're on the phone, miles away
And though I know it's not the same
We can fall asleep, dream of ways

But you're already in my heart
I said you're already in my heart
And I knew right from the start
That you're already in my heart

-from Earlimart "For the Birds"

I really love this album. (I talked about it here.)

Posted by Duff at 04:56 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Lyrics, Tunes

July 21, 2009

Current favorite song: "Deja Vu" Eminem

[Truly you lose something just reading these words and not hearing the beat. It's a great song.]

Sometimes I feel so alone, I just don't know,
Feels like I've been down this road before
So lonely and cold, it's like something takes over me
As soon as I go home and close the door
Kinda feels like deja vu
I want to get away from this place, I do
But I can't, and I won't,
I say I try, but I know that's a lie, 'cause I don't
And why, I just don't know

Posted by Duff at 09:01 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Lyrics, Recommending, Tunes

July 13, 2009

Favorite Song of Yet Another Horrible Monday Morning

Never took the chance, could have jumped the fence
I was scared of my own two feet.

Could have crossed the line, it was black and white
No contrast to be seen.

What would you do? What would you do?
Do you know?

Was it all a joke? Never had control.
I'm not better on my own.

"I'm Not Over" Carolina Liar

-From another old playlist "Flurry of Fall Favorites 2008". I am really getting some leverage out of old playlists these days.

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July 08, 2009

Songs I Forgot About But Am Loving the Shit Out of This Morning

• "I Think I Love You" The Guggenheim Grotto
  
• "Communist Love Song" Soltero
  
• "Don't You Think It's Time" Bob Evans
  
• "I Remember" Chris Brokaw

In the order in which they appear on "Mariko Made Me, Spring '07" one of my favorite playlists. If I love you, you might already have a copy of it. If not, it can't hurt to ask. (And by ask I mean beg, steal or borrow. Or offer something in trade.)

Posted by Duff at 07:52 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Mixes / Playlists, Recommending, Tunes

July 06, 2009

One of My Top Five All-Time Favorite Songs and the Only Thing Making Me Not HATE Today.

The Eagles "Peaceful Easy Feeling"

I like the way your sparklin earrings lay
Against your skin so brown
And I want to sleep with you in the desert tonight
With a billion stars all around...

I get this feelin' I may know you
As a lover and a friend
But this voice keeps whispering in my other ear
Tells me I may never see you again...

I actually have the farthest thing from a peaceful easy feeling right now as I am in the midst of the worst (what has so far been) four-day allergy attack of my motherfucking LIFE. I feel alternately like 1) my cheekbones are about to bust right off my face and / or 2) my entire head is going to EXPLODE. **

Fun times.

***ETA: Now diagnosed as a sinus infection! Antibiotics! And Steroids! FTW!

Posted by Duff at 08:15 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under " " of the XXX., Listenin', Lyrics, Tunes

July 01, 2009

Favorite Song of This Wednesday* Morning

Alexi Murdoch "All My Days"

And I've been tryin to find, what's been in my mind
As the days keep turning into night...

Well I have been quietly standing in the shade, all of my days...

Many a night I found myself with no friend standing near, all of my days...

For I look around me, and my eyes confound me
and it's just too bright, as the days keep turning into night...

Now I see clearly: it's you I'm looking for, all of my days
So I smile and know I'll feel this loneliness no more, all of my days...

Murdoch was basically the entire soundtrack to Away We Go a few weeks back and I just keep needing to listen to him. If you aren't familiar, you can try him out over here.

* 'S only Wednesday? Sigh.

Posted by Duff at 08:23 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under " " of the XXX., Listenin', Lyrics, Tunes

June 30, 2009

Favorite Song of This Tuesday Morning

Neil Nathan "California Run"

You're my blue sky fantasy
You're my pretty melody
You're my future history

Posted by Duff at 06:23 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under " " of the XXX., Listenin', Lyrics, Tunes

June 29, 2009

Favorite Song of This Monday Morning

Pete Yorn "Social Development Dance" (from his new album "Back & Fourth" that I really, really like)

And when we kissed it was electric
A chemist made us for each other...

There’s something missing in us
We long to make it whole
Though it never feels like it
I know you have it all
I know you have it all...

I heard you were staying up north with a friend
And that your hair was falling out
I tried to find out what had happened to you
I googled you in quotes, got no results
I never learned how you had died
But I knew how you had lived...

Posted by Duff at 10:51 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under " " of the XXX., Album, Listenin', Lyrics, Recommending, Tunes

June 19, 2009

Lyrics of This Dismal Friday Morning.

I always find the broken ones, what does this say about me?

-from "I'm Sorry, Baby, But You Can't Stand in My Light Any More" Bob Mould

Posted by Duff at 08:29 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under " " of the XXX., Listenin', Lyrics, Tunes

June 08, 2009

Easing in to Monday morning.

You may want to go check out the J Tillman song up on Fuel/Friends. 'S nice.

Posted by Duff at 06:28 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Tunes

May 20, 2009

Oh!Oh!Oh!

Remember I told you about a Mike Doughty song "That's How You Fuck a Republican" a long time ago? Yeah, well, Heather Browne at Fuel/Friends has a live, admittedly full of crowd noise, version of it up on her site! Go! Not great sound but you can hear the great lyrics. ;)

Posted by Duff at 04:26 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Tunes

May 15, 2009

April Album Reviews

The sad, sad trend of me buying very little new music....sadly continues. I have been reading a LOT this year. But that's no excuse!

Absolutely Love & Adore:

Great Lake Swimmers "Lost Channels" - Le sigh. Everything GLS does is just daaaammmmn beautiful. I'd advise you not to start listening to this album. BECAUSE YOU WILL NEVER WANT TO STOP. This one might even be just a *teensy* bit more upbeat than their norm. (I love their melancholy.) Fave songs are "Stealing Tomorrow" "Still" and "It's Too Late".

Gomez "A New Tide" - Somehow I was clueless that these guys had a new album coming out (thank you, Becky, for letting me know!). LOVE it. Just love it. I actually think a lot of it is QUITE different than their last (also beloved) album "How We Operate." (But I'm sure the Internets will tell me I'm wrong on that!) Fave songs "Engine" ("there's gotta be an easier way...to find redemption...") "Lost Track" and "Bone Tired".

Favorite Singles (not on any of the above albums):

• "Lights Off" The Dears" (swoooon)
  
• "Boom Boom Pow" Black Eyed Peas
  
• "Right Round" (cover? half cover?) Flo Rida
  
• "Runaway" Yeah Yeah Yeahs (should I buy this album? I can't decide!)
  

Other Albums I Liked:

• Nada!
  

Not really for me / but maybe for you!:

Nada!

Shamefully have either not listened to at all, or not all the way through, or so few times that I can't legitimately offer an opinion:

Nada!

Posted by Duff at 10:45 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Tunes

May 14, 2009

March Album Reviews

Annnnd the weirdness continues. I bought very little music, went to no shows (WHAT?!) and while I liked most of what I bought in March, only really fell for one album. WHAT IS HAPPENING. Is 2009 a non-music year for me? WHAT? DO NOT WANT.

Absolutely Love & Adore:

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit (self-titled) - Dude's really growing on me. I liked his first solo album well enough. I LOVED him in concert. And I could listen to this album over and over. The first two songs are my faves "Seven-Mile Island" and "Sunstroke" but really it's full-album-recommendation worthy.

Favorite Singles (not on any of the above albums):

• "Wave and Water" Gordon Gano and the Ryan Brothers (yes, that's the Violent Femmes' Gordon Gano)
  
• "Afterglow" Kate York
  
• "Airport Surroundings" Lonely, Dear (swoon)
  
• "Miracles" Jeremy Messersmith
  
• "High Cost of Living" Jamey Johnson (sometimes I really fall for the twangy country songs)
  
• "Sweet Dream" Greg Laswell (swoon x2)
  
• "Make You Feel My Love" (cover) Adele
  
• "There's Hope for You" William Elliott Whitmore (swoon x3)
  

(A great percentage of this month's singles are from Paste Sampler 51. I have not searched out as many singles as I normally would. Something is wrong with me!)

Other Albums I Liked:

• Boy Least Likely To "The Law of the Playground" - Poppy and fun with their usual blend of good musicianship and goofy lyrics. I love these guys and seriously, you should buy tickets if they play your town. You may even hear them cover "Faith"! (So good!) Fave song right now is "Stringing Up Conkers". Also loving "When Life Gives Me Lemons, I Make Lemonade".
  
• U2 "No Line on the Horizon" - A month or two from now, this will probably have moved up into the "adore" category because I do find myself listening to it more and more. It's nothing shiny and new; it's back to old-school, Joshua Tree style, U2. Nothing wrong with that, if you ask me. Really love "Moment of Surrender" "White as Snow" and "I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight".
  
• Okkervil River "The Stand Ins" - I had avoided buying this one when it came out (last year?) as I go through periods where Will Sheff is just too....raw? earnest? for me. (Can't put my finger on it.) But I kept hearing singles from this and wondering why I didn't have it so I finally came around. If you are an Okkervil fan, I can't see you not liking this.
  

Not really for me / but maybe for you!:

Nada!

Shamefully have either not listened to at all, or not all the way through, or so few times that I can't legitimately offer an opinion:

Belle & Sebastian "The BBC Sessions" - Not sure what brought on this purchase, just wandering aimlessly through Reckless I guess! I really haven't listened to B&S in years.

Posted by Duff at 10:30 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Tunes

April 08, 2009

February Album Reviews

It seems quite weird that I didn't buy much more music in February than I did in January...considering I am usually no holds barred with the February spending. Well, SOMEONE's got to buy me birthday presents.

Absolutely Love & Adore:

Joshua Radin "Simple Times" - Joshua Radin music is all kinds of sad swoooooony sounds. An old single of his ("Winter") was a staple on every mix I made for ages. And his cover of Yaz "Only You"? Sigh. Sooo nice. This album is equally enjoyable. I mean if you like the sorry sadness of it all. Fave songs: "Brand New Day" "We Are Okay" "Vegetable Car"

Messiah J & The Expert "From the Word Go" - Bought on spec in Dublin for no reason other than I knew I'd never heard of the group. Hip-hop rap combo sounds. LOVE IT! Sassy and fun. Fave songs: "Turn the Magic On" "Geography" "Amnesia Comes Easily"

Mick Flannery "White Lies" - Oh now. Another speculative Dublin purchase. Le sigh. This album is beautiful, head to toe. Last time I looked iTunes only had his older stuff. You should harass them to get this one. The only issue I wonder about for this guy is whether he can make it big when Damien Rice is already out there. Definitely playing to the same "market" and "Wish You Well" for example sounds a lot like Rice. This is in constant rotation chez Duff. Fave song I canNOT stop listening to: "Wait Here"

Favorite Singles (not on any of the above albums):

• "My Life Would Suck Without You" Kelly Clarkson - may be the funnest pop song out there right now.
  
• "Crack a Bottle" Eminem - oh yeah, shady's back.
  
• "Been a Long Time" Gary Jules & The Group Rules (feat. Jim Bianco) - sometimes old TV leads you to old tunes.
  

Other Albums I Liked:

• Cut Off Your Hands "You & I" - Fun! Love the lyrics of "Happy As Can Be" and the sounds of "oh Girl" and "Let's Get Out of Here". I was really busy listening to sad mopey stuff (see "adore" category ha ha) so I really haven't listened to this one THAT much.
  

Not really for me / but maybe for you!:

Halfset "Another Way of Being There" - Another Dublin purchase. Nothing bad about these tunes; I'm just not that into the mostly instrumental. (I prefer lyrics.) But if you're into this stuff (think Explosions in the Sky), then you might enjoy it.

Shamefully have either not listened to at all, or not all the way through, or so few times that I can't legitimately offer an opinion: Nada!

Posted by Duff at 07:55 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Tunes

March 26, 2009

January Album Reviews

Generally January can be quite problematic; I often throw down a shitload of dough for tunes on other people's year-end lists and then either never manage to even listen to some of them or decide I hate them. This year, I somehow held back and bought only FOUR albums in January. FOUR. (OK, 4.5 since there was an EP also.) That's crazy times. (I only bought two in December but that was year-end. That's sooo different.)

Absolutely Love & Adore:

MGMT "Oracular Spectacular" Only on a million year-end lists. Where has this album been all my life? I'm pretty sure I resisted buying this all of 2008 because I misinterpreted the reviews I read and thought it was some Techno stuff that I wouldn't like (you know, like JUSTICE from the year before). OMG I was so wrong. Love it like a crazy lady. Not sure I'd be up for seeing them in concert (M. describes it as "two dudes leaning over synthesizers and never moving") but it is totally living room dance inducing. Fave songs: "Weekend Wars" "Kids" "The Handshake" and my favorite 80s rock soundin tune "Pieces of What"

Why? "Alopecia" Can't remember where I read about this one, dang. Do you call this rap? (not really. but it's closer to rap than to singing.) hiphop? (has beats. but not the R&B hints of hiphop.) It ain't pop or rock. (it ain't.) It's one of those things that just falls between genres but it's damn good. Fave songs: "Fatalist Palmistry" "Exegesis" (where I love the background so much) and the nasty but so good "Good Friday"

Bon Iver "Blood Bank" EP At this point, you know how I feel about Bon Iver. The feeling continues.

Favorite Singles (not on any of the above albums):

• "Only You" Assembly (Yaz cover) One of my top-five all-time favorite songs.
  
• "Paparazzi" Lady GaGa I can't tell the difference between her and Gwen Stefani. But I do dig this song.

Other Albums I Liked:

• Ra Ra Riot "The Rhumb Line" Bought due to its presence on Becky's list. Absolutely love "Dying Is Fine". Other standouts are "Winter '05" and "Each Year".
  
• The Walkmen "You & Me" Also bought due to its presence on Becky's list. (The girl's got good taste.) My favorite song is "Red Moon" with its funerealness.

Not really for me / but maybe for you!: Nada!

Shamefully have either not listened to at all, or not all the way through, or so few times that I can't legitimately offer an opinion: Nada!

Posted by Duff at 09:35 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Tunes

March 24, 2009

Wrapping It Up: Favorite Tunes 2008

My favorite albums, songs, covers, and gigs. Over here. With random commentary and links to original Snip mentions. Sometimes.

Posted by Duff at 12:29 PM | E-Mail | Comments (1) | Permalink | filed under Best of..., Listenin', Tunes

February 06, 2009

December Album Reviews

I bought only two albums in December and a few random singles. Say wha? Definitely the least amount of $$ spent on music all year.

Absolutely Love & Adore:

Frightened Rabbit "The Midnight Organ Fight" - I think this album is outstanding but I don't have that much more to say about it than when I mentioned it the first time. I listened to it over and over in December. The Vores described it as sounding like Counting Crows. OK, I'll give them that. I would describe it as... let's say a combination of Counting Crows with Snow Patrol (from their first album before they got soooo super cheesy and overdramatic in EVERY SONG) but with slightly better music, better lyrics, and better accents. "Backwards Walk" is definitely my favorite song but I'm not sure there's a single one I don't like. ("The Twist" may be my #2 fave. I know you wanted to know that.)

Favorite Singles (not on any of the above albums):

• "Halo" Beyonce - You could not possibly be prepared for the crazy amount of love I have for this song so I'll just leave it at that.
  
• "Shattered Glass" Britney Spears - Yes. I KNOW!
  
• "Someone Else's Life" Joshua Radin - Swoon.
  
• "Duet" Rachael Yamagata (with Ray LaMontagne, I believe, although he was not credited on iTunes when I bought it)
  
• "Forever Young" (cover) Audra Mae & Forest Rangers - both the accompanied and the acapella versions are soooo pretty (this was featured on Sons of Anarchy. FYI.)
  

Other Albums I Liked:

• The Sea and Cake "Car Alarm" - I bought this just to get a little familiar with their tunes since I was going to see them on New Year's Eve and had never listened to them before (I know!). It's pleasant enough and I like it but it's really (really) tame compared to their live show. Dear Sea and Cake fans, do they have an album that better represents what they sound like live? Lemme know, yo.
  

Not really for me / but maybe for you!:

Nada!

Shamefully have either not listened to at all, or not all the way through, or so few times that I can't legitimately offer an opinion:

Nada!

Posted by Duff at 12:26 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Tunes

January 20, 2009

November Album Reviews

Absolutely Love & Adore:

Jem "Down to Earth" - There's a lot to like here, even though this doesn't sound like your typical Jem album. Actually sounds more like a set of remixes, and the dance-y backgrounds are a great backdrop for her voice. Love "Crazy", "Keep on Walking", "I Always New", "Forever and a Day". And "It's Amazing" has gone on every mix I've made over the past several months.

Matt White "Best Days" - I tried not to love this album. And then it became all I listened to for days on end. Ah well. Particularly love "Moment of Weakness" and "Paradise".

Ryan Adams & the Cardinals "Cardinology" - Doesn't sound much like a Ryan Adams album to me but I really like it nonetheless. I love the folky swoons of "Natural Ghost", such a romantic feel. And "Fix It" is another fave. (I could do without "Magick" however.)

Vancougar "Canadian Tuxedo" - I wish I could remember what made me check this out. I think it was a post on either Monitor Mix or the Three Imaginary Girls blog but I can't seem to find it. They're punk sassy girls (think the Go-Gos, before the industry prettied them up, and if they had already been musicians when they started), but every once in a while they throw in a total '60s girlgroup vibe (listen to "Obvious"). Great album.

The Killers "Day & Age" - I never bought their second album so I hadn't listened to these guys in a loooong time. I love the emphaticness here. It's rocking. It's all big and dramatic and overarching and it just sweeps me right along with it. Faves are "Spaceman" "This Is Your Life" and I love! the chorus on "The World We Live In".

Favorite Singles (not on any of the above albums):

• "Raise Today" Peasant (old but on constant rotation)
  
• "Colors" Kira Willey (damn you iPod commercials)
  
• "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" Beyonce (all carrieoke's fault)
  
• "Glamorous" Fergie (ditto)
  
• "Cathedrals" (cover) Joan Osborne (can't go wrong covering this song)
  
• "Home in the Woods" Cory Chisel & the Wandering Sons (from a paste sampler)
  

Other Albums I Liked:

• Pink "Funhouse" - I lovelovelove all the fast(er) songs on this album. "So What" and "Sober" as one & two are great. Some of the slow ones I get bored by though. (Hence the Like not Love.)
  
• Kanye West "808s & Heartbreak" - Dear Kanye, you really crack my shit up. There is so much "woe is me" in some of these lyrics and I'm sure this is not the reaction you were looking for but it is damn funny to hear. "My friend showed me pictures of his kids and all I could show him was pictures of my cribs / he said his daughter got a brand new report card and all I got was a brand new sports car." Yeah, times are tough for single Kanye. Gold records are NOTHING. Who cares about that. OK, Goofus! Get back to me when you're my age and single, dude. Not that there is a chance in hell of that happening. Faves: "Heartless" and "Robocop".
  
• The Knux "Remind Me in 3 Days..." - Weirdly I really have not bought very much rap this year. This album is a lot of fun with sassy smart lyrics and great beats. There was one song I had to delete from iTunes however. Just toooooo much pussy or hos or bitches or something, I can't remember exactly what but I really couldn't stand to listen to it. On the other hand, faves: "Cappuccino" ("fresh cappucino with a mocha twist"), "Roxxanne", "Daddy's Little Girl", "Playboys" and "The True." Lots of fun.
  
• The Gaslight Anthem "The '59 Sound" - If Bruce Springsteen was the lead singer for the Hold Steady but Craig Finn wrote his lyrics and sometimes Tom Petty helped with the harmonies. That's my description of this band. Pretty rockin'.
  
• The Go-Betweens "16 Lovers Lane" - Really old. (1988?) Pretty sure I bought this based on this Monitor Mix post. I really like this, but I can really hear the years between then and now. It fits perfectly into my "Colleging It Out" playlist with The Smiths, The Replacements, The Cure, New Order, Cocteau Twins... "Dive for Your Memory" really brings old, old Mick Jagger (back when he could actually SING, right?!?) to mind as well.
  
• The Weakerthans "Left and Leaving" - Bought due to this Fuel/Friends post. I like the snide feel of "Everything Must Go", the rock of "Watermark" and the Shins/Death Cab feel of "This Is a Fire Door Never Leave Open". But my favorite track is "Left and Leaving."
  
• Winter's Fall "Winter's Fall" - Much more Southern/country-esque than I was expecting after reading about it on some indie/alternative site. Think Jason Isbell or My Morning Jacket's latest. Love "Blame" and "On Wisdom". But really need to listen to it more, it was the last album I bought in November and it hasn't gotten the attention it deserves.
  

Mixed Feelings

• Travis "Ode to J. Smith" - This is the album that's the most like their live show (which is awesome) but somehow that makes it not work very well as an album? I was bummed to see all the bad reviews and more bummed to find they weren't far off. I like a couple songs ("Sarah" and "Last Words") but overall this is not the Travis that I love. Their other albums are so much more melodic and lyrical. And yes, they turn them into total rocking out songs in concert, but somehow starting from a more lively place did not make them write better songs. It kinda bums me out frankly. But I have liked it more in the past week than on the first few listens. So there's that.
  

Not really for me / but maybe for you!:

The Kin "Rise and Fall" - Too arena rock/cheeseball for me. Although I dig "Together" (until the chorus) and "See" and "Romeo" aren't bad either. There are some (need I even say scary) religious lyrics on here though ("Abraham") and you know how that makes me run for the hills.

Chad Van Gaalen "Soft Airplane" - I like some individual songs here ("TMNT Mask" and "Bare Feet on Wet Griptape" the chorus of which sounds like old Rolling Stones to me) but overall I find this album so stylistically scattered that I can't figure out if I'm listening to an album or shuffle when it comes on. (And I really don't like "Frozen Energon" at all. Ick.) Sometimes falsetto, sometimes not, arrangements all over the place. I've seen mentions of this album lots of places but I just can't find my way into it.

Shamefully have either not listened to at all, or not all the way through, or so few times that I can't legitimately offer an opinion:

Brendan Canning "Something for All of Us" - My general impression of this is a good one. But I really haven't listened to it more than once or twice so far. The title track is nice, dark and dirty (like Joseph Arthur).

Posted by Duff at 06:45 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Tunes

December 23, 2008

Lyrics of This Shitehole Day

It takes more than fucking someone you don't know to keep yourself warm.
-Frightened Rabbit "Keep Yourself Warm"

Yes, from this album.

Posted by Duff at 09:21 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under " " of the XXX., Listenin', Lyrics, Recommending, Tunes

Best Album I Wasn't Listening to Until Now

So back in June, I started listening to this song "Backwards Walk" by Frightened Rabbit that was on a Paste sampler. By August, I had become officially obsessed with it; thus its presence on my Dragon*Con mix.

Yet somehow I kept forgetting to check out anything else by this band. WTF is wrong with me? Then a week or two ago, I start, as is my usual December pasttime, reading through all the year-end lists so nicely compiled by Large-Hearted Boy. And I start seeing Frightened Rabbit everywhere... And I look at my iPod and wonder "Do I have anything by them? Why Yes. OH? THIS IS THEIR SONG!?!" And then they popped up on Heather's (Fuel/Friends) year-end list and I knew I had to get my lazy butt in gear.

Frightened Rabbit "The Midnight Organ Fight" = best album of 2008 that I didn't listen to until December. And I totally regret that. But at least I'm listening to it now. It's damn good.

Posted by Duff at 08:39 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Recommending, Tunes

December 18, 2008

Dear Matt White,

When I first got your album, I have to admit, I found it kinda cheesy. Not in a bad way. Just in a "Oh, those are some cheeesy pop songs, dude" way. Do you believe in love at first sight? I think you do! But wow, these songs really grow on a girl. Don't get me wrong. The cheese factor is still there. But now it's a cheesy in a "damn that song really makes me grin" and "awwww" kind of way.

This weekend it was ALL I wanted to listen to. Particularly "Moment of Weakness". Good on ya!

Smooches, Duff.

p.s. Also? it's surprisingly danceable. I've got a whole hallway slip-n-slide routine going to it. Even the somewhat sad "I'll Be There" has a good background beat.

Posted by Duff at 02:45 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Letters, Listenin', Tunes

December 16, 2008

Lyrics to make ya smile.

This song was a BIG hit with the kiddos over Turkey Day.

A is for apple
B is for butt
C is for cat butt
D is for doodoo
E is for elephant doodoo
F is for fart
G is for gorilla fart
H is for huge gorilla fart
I is for eyeball [sic]
J is for jammies
K is for kid farts
L's for loud and long farts
M is for monkey butt
N's for saying night night to niko at naptime
O is for ... Oh!
P is for panda peeing and pooping in her potty while poppa plays peekaboo
Q is for qbert
R is for robotic monkey who's going to take over the world
S is for stinky
T is for turd
U is for uhoh
V's for flying v
W's for weewee
X exactamundo
Y is for yucky and yummy and you
and Z is for farts that smell like the zoo

-"Alphabutt" Kimya Dawson

Posted by Duff at 08:57 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Lyrics, Tunes

November 24, 2008

October Album Reviews

Not a big month for buying music. Odd.

Absolutely Love & Adore:

Keane "Perfect Symmetry" - Wow I LOVE this album. Did not expect to. Almost didn't buy it! It's a new sound for them, not as sad, and not as poppy...a bit more "anthem rock" than they used to be. You can picture these songs just filling up stadiums. Like old Snow Patrol, before they got super cheesy. Fave songs: "The Lovers Are Losing"; "Better Than This" (totally reminds me of Roxy Music "More Than This"); "Pretend that You're Alone"; "Time to Go".

Favorite Singles (not on any of the above albums):

• "Tiger Mountain Peasant Song" (covering Fleet Foxes) First Aid Kit - Swoon.
  
• "I Shall Be Released" (cover) Wilco & Fleet Foxes
  
• "Breathe" Calhoun
  
• "Honey Let Me Sing You a Song" Matt Hires
  
• "Hymn 101" Joe Pug
  

Other Albums I Liked:

• Joseph Arthur & The Lonely Astronauts "Temporary People" - So in addition to a gajillion (five?) EPs he put out ths year, there's also this full on album. The difference, to my ear, is the EPs are a little darker, a little more digitally dirty, a little more lonely. This is a good listen.
  
• Ray LaMontagne "Gossip in the Grain" - As with Keane's new album (above), LaMontagne has really expanded his ideas here. Lots of upbeat, jazzy stuff. The beginning of "You Are the Best Thing" is awesome, just marches right out and grabs you. Sure, there are still some sad, slow ones. But it's the new, happier songs I really enjoy on this album.
  
• First Aid Kit "Drunken Trees" - So I ordered this after hearing their brilliant cover of Fleet Foxes (see list above). It's allright. Their own stuff isn't as powerful, there's no shimmery acapello moments here. But not bad. They've got some room to grow.
  

Not really for me / but maybe for you!:

Nada.

Shamefully have either not listened to at all, or not all the way through, or so few times that I can't legitimately offer an opinion:

Nada!

Posted by Duff at 10:20 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Tunes

November 15, 2008

Good Mood Song of the Weekend

It's amazing, it's amazing.
All that you can do.
It's amazing, makes my heart sing,
Now it's up to you.
...
And I know, 'cause I've been there before
Knocking down the doors
Won't take no for an answer
And you'll see, 'cause if it's meant to be
Nothing can compare to deserving your dreams
It's amazing, it's amazing
All that you can do
It's amazing, makes my heart sing
Now it's up to you...

--Jem "It's Amazing" (from new album Down to Earth*)

Is it just something about the word "amaze"?? Because My Morning Jacket "I'm Amazed" is also an awesome song. (And then there's Jem's cover of what I believe is a Paul McCartney song "Maybe I'm Amazed." Also: Awesome.)

*In addition to this song in particular, I really like this entire album. Although musically a lot of it sounds more like a remix album. Not her normal backdrop. But good. Nice contrast with the vocals.

Posted by Duff at 10:12 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under " " of the XXX., Album, Listenin', Lyrics, Tunes

November 14, 2008

Some Lyrical Advice for Ya from Keane.

Is this what you meant?
Is this what you dreamed of?
When you were making your plans
Shaking the dirt off?
...
You can tell yourself
You're doing your best
You could do so much
Better than this.
You could do so much
Better than this...-"Better than This"

Maybe it’s time to go.
Maybe it’s time we went.
You’re making a spectacle
Maybe it’s time we left.

I don’t wanna spoil your night.
I don’t wanna hurt your pride.
But maybe it’s time to go.
Maybe it’s time...
-"Time to Go"

both from their (relatively) new album "Perfect Symmetry." I am diggin' it big time this week. Thx to the Eggplant for having it in her "listening" column for so long I finally remembered to check it out.

Posted by Duff at 12:47 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Lyrics, Tunes

November 12, 2008

Favorite Song of this (Typically Shite) Afternoon

"I'm Not Over" Carolina Liar

(Thx, Sil.)

Posted by Duff at 03:25 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under " " of the XXX., Listenin', Recommending, Tunes

November 07, 2008

September Album Reviews

I didn't buy much. But most of what I bought, I really really liked.

Absolutely Love & Adore:

Shwayze (self-titled) - Ridiculous lyrics. Total b-o-u-n-c-e BOUNCE. Super fun. Perfect end of summer music.

The Billionaires "Really Real for Forever" - Also bouncy! Yay! "Are you still sad? Let's go out and get fucked up!!" Mixed male/female vocals (you know how I love that! Or you should). Really addictive.

The Wave Pictures "Instant Coffee Baby" - Wow, you get a serious Violent Femmes flashback as this album begins ("Add It Up", "Blister in the Sun" era-Femmes...). That fades a little as it goes on but theirs is definitely a throwback sound. Great to listen to right after The Billionaires, I've had these two on back to back for weeks. Michelle talks more about them over here.

Mumford & Sons "Chess Club Release" - Not actually an album, per se, but you can download them all together. Part of the new English Folk thing going on now. Very distinctive lead voice. Very unusual instrumentation. Very awesome live. Great lyrics. I really can't wait for them to release more stuff!

Everlast "Love, War, and the Ghost of Whitey Ford" - LOVE his deep deep voice. Love the "Folsom Prison Blues" cover. Love love love.

Favorite Singles (not on any of the above albums):

• "Mad World" Michael Andrews (been watchin' old CSIs again)
  
• "All That Remains" Bear McCreary (BStarG) and Raya Yarbrough
  
• "Alphabutt" Kimya Dawson
  
• "I Need Love" Sam Phillips (old but I've been listening to it constantly!)
  
• "Sex on Fire" Kings of Leon
  
• "It's Alright" Okkervil River (I wasn't planning on getting their new one but I may have to)
  
• "Sad Eyes" Josh Rouse
  
• "The Places We Lived" Backyard Tire Fire
  
• "Write On" Damien Jurado
  

Other Albums I Liked:

• Looks like it was all either LOVE or EH this month and nothing (in)between.
  

Not really for me / but maybe for you!:

Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson "Rattlin' Bones" - I really really dig both these singers on their solo "sorta country, but sorta more folky acoustic pop" albums. [And I really like their live shows as well.] But this combined album just slides too far into country for me and I kinda cringe when it comes up on shuffle. However, I do really like the song "Wildflower" and on those days when I'm in the mood for twang I may find myself listening to this more than I expect. But not right now.

Shamefully have either not listened to at all, or not all the way through, or so few times that I can't legitimately offer an opinion:

Nada!

Posted by Duff at 01:25 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Tunes

October 30, 2008

August Album Reviews

Why do I even do these if I do them three months later, you may ask yourself. Merely to cement things in my own (increasingly addled) mind would be my answer.

Absolutely Love & Adore:

The New Frontiers "Mending" - Pretty sure I bought this after hearing a single on Fuel/Friends. Wow, this album is oddly heartbreaking. "Mirrors" sends me pretty close to crying every time I hear it [hold up *ahem*, is this a God song? I am just listening a little more closely to the lyrics and getting that icky religion shiver up my spine]. "The Day You Fell Apart" has a total Travis feel. But my favorite song is "Strangers".

Carla Bruni "Comme si de rien n'etait" - So lovely. I guess she's gotten some flack in France for being a cheesy pop singer but this whole thing is pure sultriness to me. And my favorite song is definitely the (in)famous "Tu es me came" ("you are my drug"). I loved her previous album en francais as well, although not so much the one en anglais.

Dan le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip "Angles" - Yay yay yay. YAY! The funnest rap out there. "Letter from God to Man", "Beat that My Heart Skipped" and "Thou Shalt Always Kill" are all kinda obvious to have as favorites, but that's the way it is sometimes.

Joseph Arthur "Foreign Girls" - His whateverth EP of the year (fourth?). I particularly love "Lovely Cost" which has a Bowiesqueness.

Paddy Casey "Addicted to Company (Part 1) - I can't remember if it was MG or MF that sent me this but thank you to whichever because it's kinda great. (Maybe too folk-y for some a yous though.) "City" is my fave, particularly for its great opening.

Favorite Singles (not on any of the above albums):

• Jump Little Children "Cathedrals" - old and kinda cheesy but I'm lovin it lately.
  
• "Bang On" the Breeders - YUPPERDO
  
• "To The Bone" Mugison
  
• "Let Me Go On" Seabird
  
• "Chicago" Lucy Wainwright Roche (LOVE this)
  
• "Long Division" Slow Runner
  
• "It's You" Pictures and Sound
  

Other Albums I Liked:

• Dr. Dog "Fate" - I really really like some songs on this album ("The Rabbit, the Bat & the Reindeer", "The Dearly Departed", "Uncovering the Old") but there are a few that I have to forward quickly past ("The Ark", "The Beach"). So it's a bit uneven to me (bad) but in general they're a bit Beatles-esque (good).
  
• The Ting Tings "We Started Nothing" - as with Dr. Dog, I like this, but not totally. It's a bit uneven stylistically. Maybe they haven't quite found "their sound" yet. Some of it's rappish, some sing-songy ("Traffic Light"). When these songs come up on shuffle, I can't always place them.
  
• Newton Faulkner "Hand Built by Robots" - Also sent to me by MG or MF (dang I am losing my mind). Somewhat folky. Really really like "Uncomfortably Slow" and "Dbdbdb". Sometimes a Jason Mraz vibe ("Feels like Home", "People Should Smile More" "U.F.O.") which may be why I'm not totally into it (I loved Mraz' early stuff but then I saw him do some weird "come on give me attention!" stuff live and I kinda went off him).
  

Not really for me / but maybe for you!:
The Black Keys "Attack and Release" - I like these guys live a LOT. And the album's fine...But I don't find I listen to it much.

Shamefully have either not listened to at all, or not all the way through, or so few times that I can't legitimately offer an opinion:

Nada!! [OK actually a couple mixes I was sent have only gotten a tiny bit o' listenin' time.]

Posted by Duff at 11:54 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Tunes

October 27, 2008

Favorite Album of Today

"Love, War and the Ghost of Whitey Ford" Everlast

I've loved his gravelly thick voice for a long time and if you've never heard his cover of Neil Young's "Only Love Can Break Your Heart"...then you probably didn't get a mix from me during that two-year period when I put it on every mix because I just couldn't stop listening to it. He also does the theme song to Saving Grace (love the song way more than the show!).

I guess they probably file him under rap/hip-hop? But he's not really a rapper. Some of the lyrics are a bit rough and tumble...if you're feeling a little murderous, they certainly keep you hyped up and may push you over the edge into actual violence, ha ha ha (I'M KIDDING). But that's only some of the songs. And there's his lovely bass singing over a kind of rollicking rambling background that is sometimes hip-hop-ish in its beats, but sometimes almost country.

Posted by Duff at 01:23 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under " " of the XXX., Album, Listenin', Tunes

October 26, 2008

Lyrics of a Frustration Filled Afternoon at the Shitehole of Evil

You desired my attention / but denied my affections.
But tell me now, where was my fault / In loving you with my whole heart?
...
Lead me to the truth and I / will follow you with my whole life.

-Mumford & Sons "White Blank Pages"

Posted by Duff at 04:31 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under " " of the XXX., Listenin', Lyrics, Tunes

October 10, 2008

Lyrics of a Long Craptastic Morning That Seems to Never Be Ending

Truth is, this life; it's different than I'd hoped.
Never would've known it.

Truth is, I'd trade it for a little bit of hope...
That I won't be alone.
-"Pictures (of Someone Else)" Ryan Auffenberg (from Marigolds)

Yeah, we've been listening to him a lot recently (here or here or here).

Posted by Duff at 10:21 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under " " of the XXX., Listenin', Lyrics, Tunes

October 08, 2008

Lyrics of the Morning

Touch me, I'm going to scream if you don't.
-My Morning Jacket.

Going to see them tomorrow night! Yippee!oh. :(

Posted by Duff at 09:39 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under " " of the XXX., Listenin', Lyrics, Tunes

October 02, 2008

Twiggy Teens cover Fleet Foxes.

And it's sooooo goooooood.

Posted by Duff at 05:31 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Recommending, Tunes

Dangerously Sad, Beautiful Song

Head yourself on over to Fuel/Friends and check out the Ryan Auffenberg song she posted yesterday.

Ouch.

If I start crying at work this morning? So.Not.My.Fault!!!

Posted by Duff at 08:59 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Recommending, Tunes

September 30, 2008

Random Thoughts While the iPod Shuffle Surprises Me.

"Broken Bridge" Daughter Darling -- so pretty!

"Save Me" Remy Zero -- um is this a U2 cover? Or: is this U2 posing as some other band?

"Same Old Thing" Black Keys -- could anyone possibly hear the flute opening to this song and not think of Jethro Tull?

Posted by Duff at 05:10 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Tunes

September 21, 2008

I am now officially obsessed with Mumford and Sons.

They were absolutely brilliant live last night. Here is their myspace and here is their profile page on Raw Rip and if you sign up for Raw Rip you get 10 free downloads so you can download all five songs they have posted there.

Lovely british boys. Lovely!

Posted by Duff at 10:33 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Recommending, Tunes

September 09, 2008

Fighting the end of summer like a toddler you're trying to put down for a nap.

Pick yourself up a copy of Shwayze because this is summer lovin' music of the best kind.* Windows rolled down, sand between your toes, cruisin', stereo cranked. Totally ridiculous rhymin' lyrics ("Light 'er up, light light light 'er up, like it's 1985 and we're high as fuck"), bouncy bouncy beats. This would also be perfect rollerskating music. Just so you know.

Reminds me of what is probably my all-time favorite summer* song "More Bounce in California" by Soul Kid #1.

It's true what they say: sometimes a girl just wants to have fun.

*Or it is TO ME which is all I am concerned with isn't it.

Posted by Duff at 02:27 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Lyrics, Recommending, Tunes

September 07, 2008

You say it's urgent, so urgent. So urgent, just you wait and see, how urgent our love can be. It's urgent.

Songs I have listened to this afternoon include:

• "Dream On" Aerosmith
  
• "Janie's Got a Gun" Aerosmith
  
• "Beth" KISS
  
• "Tom Sawyer" RUSH
  
• "I Want to Know What Love Is" Foreigner
  
• "Juke Box Hero" Foreigner
  
• "Back in Black" AC/DC
  
• "Hell's Bells" AC/DC
  
• "You Shook Me All Night Long" AC/DC

As well as the song in the title. Apparently I am stuck in another decade this afternoon. These are all selections from my "Late Night Cruise on Lake Shore Drive" playlist. You should have one.

You play tricks on my mind. You're everywhere but you're so hard to find.

Posted by Duff at 05:12 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Lists, Lyrics, Tunes

September 04, 2008

My Awesome Dragon*Con Mixes

What would you give me for a copy of these? Wanna trade?

FAST:

1. "I Woke Up Today" Port O'Brien
   
2. "My Party" Chester French
   
3. "California Girls" The Magnetic Fields
   
4. "I'm Amazed" My Morning Jacket
   
5. "Baby Doll" The Fratellis
   
6. "Lollipop" Lil Wayne
   
7. "The Underdog" Spoon
   
8. "She's Not Me" Madonna
   
9. "Sea Monuments" Sea Wolf
   
10. "Backwards Walk" Frightened Rabbit
    
11. "Lost!" Coldplay
    
12. "The Guns of Camden Town" The New York Fund
    
13. "One Girl Revolution" Saving Jane
    
14. "Mrs. Officer" Lil Wayne
    
15. "So Haunted" Cut Copy
    
16. "Gamma Ray" Beck
    
17. "Circles 'Round the Moon" Nana Grizol
    
18. "Too Drunk to Dream" The Magnetic Fields"

SLOW:

1. "If It's the Beaches" The Avett Brothers
   
2. "The Ground that We Stand On" Hawskley Workman
   
3. "Heers" Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin
   
4. "U and Me" Trina
   
5. "For the Birds" Earlimart
   
6. "He Doesn't Know Why" Fleet Foxes
   
7. "Slow Me Down" Joseph Arthur
   
8. "Hologram" Katie Herzig
   
9. "Alright, Okay" Ryan Auffenberg
   
10. "On My Mind" Romantica
    
11. "Walls" Beck
    
12. "Soldier Boy" Mason Jennings
    
13. "Smokin' from Shootin' " My Morning Jacket
    
14. "Time for Yourself" Earlimart
    
15. "Mother and Child Reunion" (cover) The Morning Benders
    
16. "Rat Within the Grain" (b-side) Damien Rice
    
17. "New Soul" (cover) Yael Naim
    
18. "Home" Meg Hutchinson
    
19. "The Last Thing on Your Mind" Lights

I make good mix. It's true.

Posted by Duff at 11:00 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Mixes / Playlists, Tunes

August 24, 2008

July Album Reviews

Weird month. Loved a LOT. Liked one album I would have been willing to bet money I wouldn't like and didn't like one I would have assumed I'd be more interested in listening to. Weird.

Absolutely Love & Adore:

My Morning Jacket "Evil Urges" - Not just my favorite album in August, but my #1 album of the year so far. It's sexy and funky and sassy and smooth. Love it! Favorite song is "I'm Amazed" folowed by "Librarian" (great lyrics) and "Smokin' from Shootin" (love the chorus). Only one song I tend to fast forward past and that's "Remnants".

Earlimart "Hymn and Her" - So pretty. Really cool boy/girl interactions, harmonies, lyrics. Faves: "For the Birds", "Time for Yourself" (great rhythm), "Town Where You Belong."

Cut Copy "In Ghost Colors" - Dance, dance, baby. I read a great quote somewhere (dang, lost the link) describing them as a "non ironic Joy Division." They also remind me of earli(er) Madonna ("Lights & Music" particularly). Really fun. Favorite songs are "So Haunted", "Out There on the Ice" and the opener "Feel the Love" to which I always yell "YES!!" when it comes on.

Drive-By Truckers "The Dirty South" - OK, I KNOW, I am only four years late to the party on this one. Bygones! I first listened to Jason Isbell last summer, went to see him this spring, and decided I needed to backtrack and find out what Drive-By Truckers were all about. It was recommended I start here. Yay! Love it. Very much an album of Southern rock storytelling. Gritty tales of (often) misfortune. Favorites are "The Day John Henry Died", "The Sands of Iwo Jima", "Puttin' People on the Moon" and "Puttin' People on the Moon".

Beck "Modern Guilt" - Love it. Really great. His albums are all such individuals, it's hard to compare, but "Sea Change" is probably its closest comparison among his previous albums. That said, I actually find this signficantly less melancholy than that one. Faves are "Gamma Ray" and "Walls".

Nana Grizol "Love It Love It" - I think of these dudes as a slightly happier, slightly poppier, and less "harsh" on the guitars version of Okkervil River. But I am likely the only person on the planet who describes them (or any band) that way. Love the horn arrangements. Love "Circles 'Round the Moon" (yay!) and "Voice Echo Down The Halls..." Only song I skip is (oddly) the last one. Woot. Lots of fun.

Favorite Singles (not on any of the above albums):

• "Photograph" Eagle Seagull
  
• "On My Mind" Romantica
  
• "Wreck" The Bittersweets
  
• "Murder in the City" The Avett Brothers
  
• "Give Em Hell" Hearts of Palm (love the lyrics)
  
• "She Does" Locksley
  
• "Black Ghost/Black Girl" Starling Electric (90s feel)
  
• Mother & Child Reunion" (cover!) The Morning Benders (LOVELOVELOVE)
  
• "Word Up" Willis
  

Other Albums I Liked:

• Mason Jennings "In the Ever" - Love "Fighter Girl." Love "Your New Man". Also "Soldier Boy". But find it a bit uneven as a whole. Don't like "Memphis, Tennessee". Don't dig the semi religious/Jenny Lewis-type overtones at times.
  
• Ryan Auffenberg "Marigolds" - Been singing along to "Alright, Okay" all summer long. Really love "Undercover". Also "Deep Water" is nice. Not polished throughout, seems to still be working things out. Has a Ryan Adams/Rhett Miller vibe at times (yes those are two very different people. Work it out.).
  
• Coldplay "Viva la Vida" - If the world stops turning, I'll have to take the blame, as it, you and I should all be in shock that I actually like this album. I've told you before [more than once] I'm not a Coldplay fan. You don't want to get me started on Chris Martin and masking tape on his fingers. But someone sent me this album and damn if I don't quite enjoy most of it. Hate the song "42" (HATE) but really like "Lost" and even the two radio releases "Viva la Vida" and "Strawberry Swing". Also like "Yes" but mostly because it doesn't sound at all like Coldplay, ha ha ha.
  

Not really for me / but maybe for you!:

The Hold Steady "Stay Positive" - Loved their first album, liked their second, didn't care for the third. Now this one is OK but I just don't find myself making much time for it. Have kinda lost my moment with this band. Have seen them live quite a few times. Always a really entertaining show. But generally I find myself less excited than in the past. This album: unusual instrumentation for them, some crazy harpsichord-sounding action. Tends to have more "singing" than they've done in the past (particularly "Lord, I'm Discouraged") / less just Craig Finn ranting. But tunes like "One for the Cutters" just make me ask "how many times in one song can you say 'townie'?" (Turns out a lot.) However, if you are a big HS fan, I think this is a solid album that's exploring some new ground.

Shamefully have either not listened to at all, or not all the way through, or so few times that I can't legitimately offer an opinion:

None! :)

Posted by Duff at 04:29 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Tunes

August 22, 2008

June Album Reviews

Absolutely Love & Adore:

Fleet Foxes (self titled) - Layered haunting harmonies. Voices ringing out like bells. An updated CSNY with less twang, more melancholy. Particularly love "He Doesn't Know Why", "Oliver James" and "Your Protector". But you may want to start with "White Winter Hymnal" which is probably their biggest hit so far. LOVE!

Sea Wolf "Get to the River Before It Runs Too Low" (EP) - This came out before their full album you may remember me raving about, but I didn't get the EP until I saw them live. I already had two songs off it, but I'm so glad I got it because "Sea Monuments" is just lovely. Yay Sea Wolf!

Joseph Arthur "Vagabond Skies" (EP) - Third of the four EPs he's putting out this year. Plus a full album due September 30! Happy for me because I just can't get enough of this dude's music. My favorite off this EP is the first song "Slow Me Down", but really I like the WHOLE THING. :)

The Fratellis "Here We Stand" - These guys are just pure infectious fun, I don't know see how it would possible to not enjoy their music. They just make me want to stand up and dance!! Michelle doesn't like this album as much as their first, but it pushes all the right buttons for me. My faves are "Baby Doll" and "Shameless" which gives me a total John Lennon vibe.

Favorite Singles (not on any of the above albums):

• "Landlocked Blues" (live from Pantages Theater) Conor Oberst
  
• "Backwards Walk" Frightened Rabbit
  
• "Josephine St" I Love Math
  
• "My Only Offer" Mates of State
  
• "When I Get to the Border" She & Him
  
• "No One Else Like You" Joey Ryan
  
• "Hologram" Katie Herzig (awesome lyrics!)
  
• "You, Me & The Bourgeoisie" The Submarines (from this album)
  
• "Bang My Drum" Danielia Cotton
  
• "Beyond the Pale" Scott Kempner (total old school feel)
  
• "Saint C3cili4" Sunlight in Architecture
  
• "Alright, Okay" Ryan Auffenberg
  
• "The Ground That We Stand On" Hawksley Workman

Other Albums I Liked:

• Lil Wayne "The Carter III" - Most hyped rap album of the year? It's got some of the same issues all rap albums have (sooo many songs, soooo many guests), but there's a lot more singing, R&B style harmonies, etc., than on other comparable albums. I love "Mrs. Officer", also "Mr. Carter" and "Comfortable."
  
• The Audreys "When the Flood Comes" - I randomly bought an album by the Audreys when Mariko and I went to Oz (2006?) based on the cool photo on the cover. Fortunately turned out I really really liked it! I don't like this album as much, it's a bit less inviting. But it's just as pretty... Like. Certainly. But don't love.
  
• Port O'Brien "All We Could Do Was Sing" - You know when you rush off and buy a full album based on the strength of one awesome song? And then you get the album and it's just not what you expected because that awesome song is not really the real style of what they do? And then you do like the album but you never get into it THAT much? Yeah, this is that album. That song? "I Woke Up Today" (brilliant!). Other songs I also enjoy are "Stuck on a Boat" and "Fisherman's Son".
  

Not really for me / but maybe for you!:

Shearwater "Rook" - So I thought I would love this. It's somewhat in the vein of Sea Wolf or Fleet Foxes, that layered choral-feelin' music people are doing these days, somewhere between folk and pop. The difference really here is the vocals which are quite...hmmmm. I guess I'd say a bit "operatic", along the lines of Rufus Wainwright, Jeff Buckley. Which is fine, just not my favorite style. But the real reason I have a rough time with this album is it's just soooo sooooo sad. (Yo, I get my sadness on the inside, ha ha ha. But really.) I really like "Leviathan, Bound" (pretty! chiming!), "Century Eyes" (more upbeat) and "The Hunter's Star (pretty!), but honesty listening to this just makes me get all quiet and lonely and curl up in a corner and bang my head against the wall. So I'm kinda avoiding it actually.

Jakob Dylan "Seeing Things" - Another album that while lyrically/musically has things to recommend it....but it makes me so sad I just can't listen to it. Super slow and dirge-like and I don't think that's his strength as a musician. I am a bigger fan of the Wallflowers than most people I know, but I don't love this. And the lyrics to "Will It Grow", I'm sorry, are just over the top.

James Hunter "The Hard Way" - I really liked his previous album. I actually really like think this is a good album too...but turns out I don't have much interest in listening to it. As with Duffy that I talked about last month, this just isn't a style of music I often find myself reaching for.

Shamefully have either not listened to at all, or not all the way through, or so few times that I can't legitimately offer an opinion:

None! :)

Posted by Duff at 08:40 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Tunes

August 21, 2008

Lyrics of the Afternoon

Girl, that's so not cool in so many ways
These were supposed to be my carefree single days
Instead I'm punching walls and coming up with ways
Ways to win you back from your new man.

Right now he's a-probably moaning your name
The thought of it is driving me insane
Got to get religion just to ease the pain
Of thinkin' about you loving your new man.

-Mason Jennings "Your New Man"

Love this song. Love "Fighter Girl". But have mixed feelings about the overall album.

Posted by Duff at 12:50 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Lyrics, Tunes

August 13, 2008

Lyrics of the Afternoon.

Got stopped by a lady cop
She got me thinking I can date a cop
Cause her uniform pants are so tight
She read me my rights
She put me in a car, she cut off all the lights
She said I had the right to remain silent
Now I got her hollering, sounding like a siren
...
I make her wear nothing but handcuffs & heels
And I beat it* like a cop
Rodney King, baby. Yeah, I beat it* like a cop.

-"Mrs. Officer" Lil Wayne.

This is actually sung as a kinda tender make-out song, or as tender as you get on a rap album, I guess, with a sing-songy sweet chorus. It really kinda cracks me up.

*"it"? or "her"? Hard to say...

Posted by Duff at 03:35 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under " " of the XXX., Listenin', Lyrics, Tunes

August 12, 2008

Current Favorite Album: My Morning Jacket "Evil Urges"

Wow, this album is just great. I wasn't going to buy it, given my lukewarm (or less than) feelings for "Z", but Mariko sent it to me anyway and dang, girl, if this isn't the ONLY thing I want to listen to right now.

Some of it is crazy funkalicious and totally Prince-worthy (or perhaps Michael Jackson when he was good). Other bits are more sexy soul Marvin Gaye jumping in. And there's even some Southern Rock influence ("I'm Amazed"). It's jazzy and funky and I'd have to say downright spirited. Love it. LOVE IT.

And if you haven't bought yourself a copy of Jim James covering "Goin' to Acapulco" off the I'm Not There soundtrack, I'd highly recommend that as well. Him crooning that onstage at the bizarro funeral; his voice just blew me away.

Posted by Duff at 05:22 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Recommending, Tunes

August 07, 2008

Cover It Up, Baby.

Oh look, I just found a half-written entry from September 13, 2007. I think I'll publish it now. Just for fun. As one does.

My friend Megan recently posted a list of favorite covers. Here are some of mine:

• "Only You" Joshua Radin (covering Yaz)
  
• "Baby Got Back" Jonathan Coulton (covering Sir Mix-a-lot, don't ya know)
  
• "Build Me Up [Buttercup]" Rhymefest & ODB (covering...some old song?)
  
• "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" Everlast (covering Neil Young)
  
• "Faith" Boy Least Likely To (George Michael)
  
• "Crazy" Raconteurs (Gnarls Barkley)
  
• "Jessie's Girl" Matt the Electrician (Rick Springfield)
  
• "Take It on the Run" The Folk Yous (REO Speedwagon & my favorite karaoke song!)
  
• "The Glory of Love" A New Found Glory (Peter Cetera?)
  
• "Walk Away" Eliza Carthy (Ben Harper)
  
• "True Love Will Find You in the End" Beck (Daniel Johnston)
  
• "Tiny Dancer" Ben Folds (Elton John)
  
• "Thin Line" Indigo Girls (Gerard McHugh?)
  
• "Take Me Out" The Magic Numbers (Franz Ferdinand)
  
• "Since U Been Gone" Ted Leo (Kelly Clarkson)
  
• "Ms. Jackson" The Vines (Outkast)
  
• "Helplessly Hoping" Ride (CSNY - sounds so much like the original, it's barely a cover!)
  
• "Give a Little Bit" GooGoo Dolls (Supertramp - hmmm, same issue as above)
  

Posted by Duff at 08:55 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Lists, Tunes

August 06, 2008

May Album Reviews

Absolutely Love & Adore:

The Kills "Midnight Boom" So I just kept reading about this band everywhere (like here or maybe here) and I kept thinking "I've GOT to check them out." Yeah, well FINALLY my lazy ass did and I'm pretty damn happy about it. Love the beats, love the lyrics, love the energy. They put on a great set at Lollapalooza but I'd love to see them in some smokey dirty hole in the wall where the sound is so loud I fear for the longevity of my eardrums. Wait, did I say "smokey"? Get with 2008, girl, there's no smoking in bars anymore...

Favorite Singles (not on any of the above albums):

• "Graveyard Girl" M83
  
• "Be With Me" Foy Vance
  
• "Late Last Night" Robby Hecht
  
• "The Hardest Thing" Patrick Park
  
• "Measure of the Same" Birds of Avalon
  
• "Circles 'Round the Moon" Nana Grizol
  
• "Take a Bow" Rihanna
  
• "February 5th, 2008" Telekinesis!
  
• "Coast of Carolina" Telekinesis!
  
• "Good Things" Sounder
  
• "U and Me" Trina
  
• "The Last Thing on Your Mind" Lights
  

Other Albums I Liked:

• The Long Blondes "Couples" - Feels very "college" to me as it alternately reminds me of Berlin and Blondie. Can't get enough of "Guilt", "Too Clever by Half" and "I'm Going to Hell". Lots of fun. And their live show is definitely worth it.
  
• Saving Jane "SuperGirl" - Not really sure what impulse made me buy this. Have to be in the right mood for it. But when you are, it's perfect angry girl music. And "Better Day" has a total Sixpence None the Richer vibe, if that's your thing.
  
• Death Cab for Cutie "Narrow Stairs" - Nothing on this album quite blows me away the way "Marching Bands of Manhattan" did on the last one...but I think it's a solid follow-up and the more I listen, the more I seem to like it. I am not into the long jam sessions, however, so I actually prefer the radio edit of "I Will Possess Your Heart".
  
• Bob Mould "District Line" - There was definitely a period of time when Mould had really fallen off my radar. But then there was a great single out ("Circles") [doh, in apparently 2005] and then I went to hear him at Old Town and I find myself back on the Mould bandwagon. Maybe not that exciting, but always solidly rockin.
  

Not really for me / but maybe for you!:

Nelo (self titled) - No idea where this one came from, did I hear a single from it somewhere? Who knows. I like the song "Walkin' Around" but otherwise it's all way too Dave Matthews for me.

Duffy "Rockferry" - I can see why people like this non-boozed-out-of-her-gourd Amy Winehouse-type, part of the "British birds do R&B" crowd. She's got a very distinctive voice. But it's just not a style of music I often get the urge to listen to. I don't mind when these songs come up on shuffle, but I don't go lookin' for them either.

Shamefully have either not listened to at all, or not all the way through, or so few times that I can't legitimately offer an opinion:

Seems like a kinda slow month for buying music (did I just not spend money that month? Or did I spend a lot of it just on other things?), doesn't seem to be anything I didn't at least listen to a few times.

Posted by Duff at 09:55 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Tunes

August 05, 2008

In Concert: Earlimart

It's almost dangerous seeing a band you like this much at a tiny place like the Hideout. Dangerous like you might accidentally touch them or start raving about how awesome they are and do they need groupies because you could quit your d-a-y-j-o-b at ANY TIME. (No, I didn't. Ask or quit.)

Mentor Tormentor kept me under its dreamy seduction for many, many months. The new release Hymn & Her is a bit subtler. Sparser in arrangement, tauter.

Comfortable stage banter, lovely harmonies, introspective lyrics. What a wonderful evening.

Note: Opener billed as "Peter & the Rabbits" was actually "The Office" a much buzzed-about Chi-town band. And they were good!

Posted by Duff at 09:49 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Live!!, Recommending, Tunes

August 04, 2008

Pitchfork: Day One

A Hawk and a Hacksaw: Unusual instrumentation. Sometimes enjoyable, but sometimes too much "orchestra jam band."

Caribou: Not for me.

Fleet Foxes: Yay!! My favorite performance of the weekend. They are lush and layered and lovely and I really really loved it, despite the sound completely dropping out for a song in the middle there. (But you've got to expect that with outdoor festivals.) Their harmonization is just wonderful.

Dizzee Rascal: So much fun!! I've heard it argued otherwise, but in my opinion rap is generally a more reliable performance at these outdoor fests because it just plain doesn't matter how shitty the "music" in the background sounds / distorted, dropping in and out, what have you. With actual bands, that's a problem. But as long as the rapper is loud and lively, he can still sound awesome despite those kinds of outdoor fest problems.

The Hold Steady: Pretty sizzling set...the bromance* crowd was really into it. But I've never listened to their follow-up albums the way I did to their first, and I've seen them a ton of times (this was the 4th or 5th, but I'll go with 4th). So while it seemed high energy and the crowd was excited, I felt more laidback about the whole thing.

Jarvis Cocker: Somehow the sound was completely fucked and I could barely hear the dude at all. So we left.

*Seems this word is in the air these days. First Joss Whedon going on about his bromance feelings toward Tahmoh at ComicCon. Then this post over at NPR Monitor Mix. EVERY Hold Steady show I've been to has been a total bromance and you'll see many of her commenters suggested it as well.

Posted by Duff at 04:40 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Live!!, Tunes

July 23, 2008

Song Obsession of the Evening

"Word Up" Willis

Which is what's playing in the background when Hodges is doing his wacky dance in the 2006 "Post Mortem" episode of CSI which I have oddly seen a ton of times in recent weeks. (Greg-centric episodes are the best, don't you agree?)

Posted by Duff at 07:03 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under " " of the XXX., Listenin', TVTVTV, Tunes

Complete Brain Breakdown of the Morning

Ah, ah ah ah, Hmmm, hmmm, hmmm, hmmm, hmmm, hmmm*... "warm hand"...hmmm hmm... "into mine"... hmmm hmmm hmmm hmmm....

Over and over and over in my head this morning. Could not remember a) more lyrics, b) song name, c) artist (so I could have just pulled the damn thing up on the Pod) for the life of me. Grrrrr.

Sea Wolf "Neutral Ground": Ah ah ah ah, But here in the sky, lights flash before our eyes, and I feel your warm hand slipping into mine.

Good grief.

*hmmm = (humming the melody)

Posted by Duff at 10:31 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under " " of the XXX., Listenin', Lyrics, Tunes

July 18, 2008

Favorite Song of the Bus Ride Home:

"Coast of Carolina" - Telekinesis

Favorite Song of the Waiting 'Round the Apartment for the Nipper to Arrive:

"U and Me" - Trina

Posted by Duff at 07:11 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under " " of the XXX., Listenin', Tunes

Angry Girl Music of the Morning

Raise your hand if your lipstick doesn't make you a dumbshit
Raise your hand if the shape of your hips don't [sic] compare to the shape of your mind

You don't even stand a chance
I'm not taking off my pants

I’m not a barbie doll, shopping mall, silicone substitution
I’m not a perfect ten, paper thin, Hollywood illusion

-Saving Jane "One Girl Revolution"

Posted by Duff at 10:50 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under " " of the XXX., Listenin', Lyrics, Tunes

July 16, 2008

Recommending Random Sampler Singles

For those three of you who are always asking me for new singles to check out...HERE YA GO.

Paste 39:

• "Love During Wartime" The Main Drag
  
• "Sweet to Mend" Heirloom Projector
  
• "Ships" Tyler Ramsey"
  
• "Fine Line" Little Big Town
  
• "The Story of Benjamin Darling Part 1" State Radio
  
• "Coat Check Dream Song" (Live version) Bright Eyes
  

Paste 40:

• "California Girls" The Magnetic Fields (another song of theirs is also a favorite this summer)
  
• "Gravedigger" Willie Nelson
  
• "Shout" De Novo Dahl
  
• "Angel" Joe Rathbone
  
• "Hot Romance" Parlour Steps
  
• "Sing Along" Virginia Coalition (I've been loving this song for awhile now)
  
• "Ghosts of Goodbye" Ford Turrell
  
• "Goodnight" Zox

Paste 41:

• "The Silence Between Us" Bob Mould
  
• "Strawberry Street" Lili Hadyn
  
• "Bye Bye Bye" Plants and Animals
  
• "Punches" by Collin Herring
  
• "Meet Me by the River" Matthew Ryan vs. the Silver State
  
• "I Got a Thing for You" Jim Bianco
  
• "Changing Your Mind" Bob Schneider
  
• "Goodnight Girl" The Nadas
  
• "Old Song" AM

Paste 42:

• "Sing Again" Chris Walla
  
• "Buildings & Mountains" The Republic Tigers
  
• "Nobody Knows" Keaton Simons
  
• "Antarctica" The Weepies
  
• "Rebel Side of Heaven" Langhorne Slim
  
• "Shooting Star and the Ambulance" Pete Francis
  
• "This Girl" Jordan Zevon
  
• "I Keep Faith" Billy Bragg
  
• "Better Things" South
  
• "She Held My Hand" Steven Delopoulos

Paste 43:

• "Graveyard Girl" M83
  
• "Be With Me" Foy Vance
  
• "My Only Offer" Mates of State
  
• "Get on With It" Val Emmich
  
• "Mystery" Ashleigh Flynn
  
• "Late Last Night" Robby Hecht
  
• "Standing Bird" Love Psychedelico
  
• "Jessi Jane" The Whipsaws

And if you need reference points*, we've got:
"Right Hand on My Heart" The Whigs ...sounds like... Springsteen! "Ghosts of Goodbye" Ford Turrell ...sounds like... Ryan Adams! "Bye Bye Bye" Plants and Animals ...sounds like... Arcade Fire! Or Ravens & Chimes! "I Got a Thing for You" Jim Bianco ...sounds like... Joe Cocker! Or Tom Waits! "Old Song" AM ...sounds like... Josh Rouse! "Nobody Knows" Keaton Simons ...sounds SASSY like... Jason Mraz! "Open Fire" Sara Mac Band ...sounds like... The Dixie Chicks! "Standing Bird" Love Psychedelico ...sounds A BIT like... The Dixie Chicks as well! "Jessie Jane" The Whipsaws ...sounds like... Lynyrd Skynrd!

* Note that ...sounds like... is a very loose term that may mean actually SOUNDS LIKE or may mean rather mean "reminds me (and no one else) of".

Posted by Duff at 11:20 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under ...Sounds Like..., Listenin', Rags, Recommending, Tunes

July 07, 2008

Albums: Sometimes you're UP and sometimes DOWN

Upbeat music that is making me happy:

The Kills "Midnight Boom" - I don't know if you can call this punk (in this day and age) but it certainly has punk sensibilities to my mind. Digital and dirty and demanding. Lots of beats. While there is humor in some of the lyrics, this isn't a fun and games album, they're kickin' it. I love the male/female back and forth vocals (as you should know I do already, from say this or this or this). I want you to be crazy because you're boring baby when you're straight.

The Fratellis "Here We Stand" - Yay! These guys are so much fun! I loved their last album and loved their crazy high-energy but super (ridiculously) early in the day set at Lollapalooza (they so brought it ) and this album is a solid continuation of them doing their thing. Woot! Dear world's biggest Beatles fan Ms. Shrinking Smartgrrrl, I think you would like this.

Low-key music that was making me too sad to listen to it:

Shearwater "Rook" - Along the lines of Fleet Foxes or Sea Wolf, musically, (or a combination of them with Band of Horses), but somehow the mood and the tones were just so, so, so sad, I actually had to fast forward past it...Only to arrive at:

Jakob Dylan "Seeing Things" - I tend to like The Wallflowers more than most critics, maybe because they're just sort of "straight up" rock with no pop or alternative pretensions and also because I do not spend all my time comparing children to their parents (Boh-Ring!), but this album was just bringing me down, man. Sad and slow, with very melancholy lyrics. Not the sensibility of The Wallflowers at all, which is fine, it is a solo album afterall; but it felt almost dirge-like. I had to say goodbye for the day and fast forward past it as well! Maybe when I am in a different mood, I will try again.

Posted by Duff at 08:19 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Tunes

Album: Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin "Pershing"

So when I wrote my April album reviews (in June, of course,when everyone was writing reviews of albums they bought in April, ha ha ha ha), I had only listened to this album once, maybe not even all the way through.

Um, hello, what was I thinking? It's upbeat and lots of fun and some of it's really pretty and it turns out for a slow-ass not really running when she's "running" runner like me, it's the perfect running music! Not so insistently rhythmic that you find yourself running to its beat, but peppy enough to keep you going.

I *love* especially "Heers" which reminds me of what Josh Rouse sounds like live (but not what he sounds like on his albums, which are much, let's say, calmer).

I'm 90% sure I bought this based on a review on Andrew Taylor Recommends although I am far too lazy to go looking for it right now. I don't know the dude but I am totally into his "random posts about everything" type of site and I will mention that he recently reviewed some Cinnamon Buns icecream that I am dying to try, and he has also done some Mt. Dew taste tests and you know how I feel about the Dew. Don't you? Do you know how JenG. feels about the Dew? Or AmandaJean? Oh, the Dew.

Posted by Duff at 08:13 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Tunes

June 30, 2008

If you read any music blogs,

you've certainly heard about the 15 yr anniversary of Exile in Guyville and everyone using this opportunity to slam Liz Phair for her (since) sellout attempts at trying to actually make money off her records (oh! the scandal!).

This is one of the more coherent and reasoned analysis I've read.

I saw Liz Phair in concert in NYC once, years ago (after the second or third album, I can't remember which, the second I think), and she was (oddly) much less shy on stage than she usually is, commented on that phenomenon herself and then said [something like] "I've never been comfortable enough to sing this live but I'm feeling oddly outgoing tonight so here goes" and launched into Flower. The crowd went completely fucking nuts, as you can imagine.

And when we saw her at Field Day Fest (in 2003) while I don't even remember how she sounded, I do remember my friend Dan being totally into her elbow-length armwarmers and mentioning them to his girlfriend so many times that a fight almost broke out. I wasn't paying that much attention since I had just realized I had a river* of Jack Daniels running down my stomach from having snuck a fifth in tucked upside down in my bra but not noticing the lid was cracked*... Sweet.

For the record, there are some songs on her later albums I love as well ("Uncle Alvarez" for one), but it's true that Exile in Guyville has *something* the other albums really don't. (But perhaps they don't aspire to either.)

*and by "river" I mean tiny trickle and by "cracked" I mean just enough to be letting out a tiny trickle. A trickle like "hmmm, why does my tummy feel damp?" trickle. Thankfully discovered quickly enough to put a speedy end to it.

Posted by Duff at 04:49 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Tunes

June 28, 2008

Favorite Singalong Songs of the Weekend

Alright, Okay - Ryan Auffenberg

The Ground that We Stand On - Hawksley Workman

Swoon.

Both via Fuel/Friends, my fave music blog.

Get 'em while the gettin' is good.

Posted by Duff at 11:01 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under " " of the XXX., Listenin', Recommending, Tunes

June 25, 2008

Favorite Song of the Morning

You always look the same now
Always out in the rain somehow

"Radio Euphoria" Joseph Arthur

Posted by Duff at 11:39 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under " " of the XXX., Listenin', Lyrics, Tunes

June 23, 2008

Just one of those days.

9:45a.m. - Rockin to Sounds of the 80s on the way to the bus. Harden my Heart, oh yeah baby.

10:15a.m. - Dear REO Speedwagon, no one will ever take your place in my heart.

12:00p.m. - Whatever it takes, or how my heart breaks, I will be right here waiting for you.

12:16p.m. - And don't you know I would move heaven and earth to be together forever with you.

1:06p.m. - You're out of touch, I'm out of time. But I'm out of my head when you're not around.

1:15p.m. - You're not shy, you get around.

1:28p.m. - And you want her, and she wants you. No one, no one, no one ever is to blame.

1:37p.m. - How do you think I'm gonna get along without you when you're gone?

1:47p.m. - Listening to Celebration and all I can think about is Ross playing it on the bagpipes.

Now "free period" is over and all I'm listening to is people whining and bitching on the phone when I tell them no. In which case, I tell them: no, again. Louder.

Posted by Duff at 02:36 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Lyrics, Tunes

June 19, 2008

Song of the Drive Home Last Night that Drove Us Nuts Not Being Able to Remember What the Fuck Song It Was

I had to text myself lyrics to look up when I got home. Stupid moron.

Picture yourself in a living room
your pipe and slippers set out for you
I know you think that it ain't too far
But I...
I hear the call of a lifetime ring
felt the need to get up for it
oh you cut out the middleman
get free from the middleman

You got no time for the messenger,
got no regard for the thing that you don't understand,
you got no fear of the underdog,
that's why you will not survive!

I wanna forget how convention fits
but can I get out from under it?
Can I cut it out of me?
Ah...
It can't all be wedding cake
It can't all be boiled away
I try but I can't let go of it
Can't let go of it
Uh huh

Cause you don't talk to the water boy
and there's so much you could learn but you don't want to know,
You will not back up an inch ever,
that's why you will not survive,

...

The thing that I tell you now
It may not go over well
And it may not be photo-op
the way that I spell it out

But you won't hear from the messenger,
don't wanna know bout something that you don't understand,
You got no fear of the underdog,
that's why you will not survive! (Hey!)

-"The Underdog" Spoon

Posted by Duff at 10:19 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under " " of the XXX., Listenin', Lyrics, Tunes

June 18, 2008

April Album Reviews

Absolutely Love & Adore:

The Raconteurs "Consolers of the Lonely" - Another rocking album from a great band. Can Jack White write a bad song or produce a bad album? Not so far! "Old Enough" and "Top Yourself" are my faves. If you get the chance to see them live, I highly recommend it.

Joe Purdy "You Can Tell Georgia" - There's nothing unexpected here, but it's all good: lovely lyrics, pretty arrangements, melancholy but not super sad. I mean, except for "Ode to a Sad Clown". "Can't Get It Right Today" is also great, even if it is on a commercial.

Meg Hutchinson "Come Up Full" - This album has been on repeat since I bought it, at least once a day, I swear. Can't get enough. Listen to "Ready" "Home" and "Come Up Full", then come tell me how you love it.

Joseph Arthur "Crazy Rain" (EP) - Digital, dark, dirty, scratchy. Magnificent.

Joseph Arthur "Could We Survive" (EP) - Very different than Crazy Rain. Choral, thick, harmonic. Insistent.

Fleet Foxes "Sun Giant" (EP) - Gorgeous. Layered. I might actually love this EP more than the full album. CSNY harmonies, but without that country/folk twinge. I've heard it called freak folk (?) but somehow I missed out on ever knowing about that genre. Whatevah! I'd call it "Alternapop" myself, ha ha ha ha. (If you like Sea Wolf or even Shearwater, I think you'd like this too.)

Favorite Singles (not on any of the above albums):

• "Buildings & Mountains" The Republic Tigers
  
• "She Loves Everybody" Chester French
  
• "Roadway Hymn" La Rocca
  
• "Dust" Augustana
  
• "Everywhere" (Paul Devro blend...) Fleetwood Mac
  
• "Tick of Time" The Kooks
  
• "Heart of Mine" Peter Salett (old! from a fave flick: "Keeping the Faith")
  
• "Fighter Girl" Mason Jennings
  
• "New Soul" (Yael Naim cover) Tristan Prettyman
  
• "Rise" Will Dailey
  

Other Albums I Liked:

• The Magic Numbers "Undecided" (EP) - Always love their harmonies.
  
• Duke Special "Songs from the Deep Forest" - Very theatrical and dramatic. Seems like it should be the soundtrack to something. Unusual.
  
• Jason Anderson "The Hopeful and the Unafraid" - Has a very Springsteen/Jesse Malin vibe to it. My faves are the last two "The Post Office" and "The Half of It" that are really, really reminding me of someone else but I just can't put my finger on it. Morrissey? maybe? Listen and tell me who you hear, it's on the tip of my tongue...
  
• Girlyman "Remember Who I Am" and "Something Different Now" (Live) - I'm really into the live album, it really captures their energy.
  
• The Submarines "Honeysuckle Weeks" - Boy/girl vocals. Poppy, electronic. Kinda '80s feelin.
  
• She & Him "Volume One" - This one really grows on you if you give it a chance. Has some very fun, rollicking songs ("This Is Not a Test") and I'm really into Zoey's voice. LOVE the Beatles cover.
  
• The Weepies "Hideaway" - Aw, so sweet and melodic. As with Joe Purdy, you know beforehand what you're getting. But if it's what you like, you'll be happy.
  
• Madonna "Hard Candy" - I know it's cool to harsh on Madonna these days. I guess I'm just not that cool!!! I really like the upbeat dancy rhythms on this album. And the lyrics? Are SUCH a great contrast to the music. It kinda sounds like a breakup album, and you know I'm in a permanent state of breakup. "Miles Away", "She's Not Me" and "Incredible" are my faves. Despite what you may have heard, the JT songs are actually not the best ones, to me!
  

Not really for me / but maybe for you!:

Colin Meloy Sings Live! - I love a lot of these songs in their Decemberists arrangements. But I'm just not into it here. All very "one note": every song sung with exact same level of intensity, same volume on both vocals and guitar, same earnestness. No ups/downs/louds/softs. Kinda boring. (These same songs on Decemberists albums? Not boring at all!)

Counting Crows "Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings" - I like some of the (faster) songs. But it's a bit much and the second half really drags. On the other hand, it's their best stuff in years. And I like the live versions I heard on Fuel/Friends a few months before this came out (a lot better).

Shamefully have either not listened to at all, or not all the way through, or so few times that I can't legitimately offer an opinion:

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin "Pershing" - I like it the few times I've had it on..but I've barely listened to it. Too much else going on. It's on my to-do list. ;)

Posted by Duff at 11:20 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Tunes

Favorite "Single White Female" Song of the Morning

She started dyeing her hair and wearing the same perfume as me
She started reading my books and stealing my looks and lingerie

"She's Not Me" - Madonna Hard Candy

She started dressing like me and talking like me - It freaked me out / She started calling you up in the middle of the night - What's that about?

Posted by Duff at 10:02 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under " " of the XXX., Listenin', Lyrics, Tunes

June 13, 2008

Favorite Song of the El Commute This Morning

Hey hey little fighter girl
It's you and me up against this whole wide world
Sleeping together in the lion's den
Got your earrings in my pocket till I see you again

"Fighter Girl" - Mason Jennings

Posted by Duff at 12:03 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under " " of the XXX., Listenin', Lyrics, Tunes

June 09, 2008

Patheticness of the Day

This really pretty, beautifully melodic, lovely song off Joe Purdy's latest album is TOTALLY MAKING ME CRY. And the worst part is, it's called "Ode to Sad Clown."

COME ON NOW PEOPLE. It is an ode to a sad clown and the lyrics are totally making me cry. Can you get more pathetic and stereotypic than that? I think I better go to bed.

(Nonetheless, I assure you it is a good song. Regardless of the pathetic person listening to it.)

I used to hear the children play
used to hear the birds sing
one day they just stopped
and I don't hear them anymore...

I got caught in this whistling wind
doin my best to regret these sins
Lord would you forgive me
if you know I'm gonna do it again
it's not that I'm not sorry Lord,
it's just that I'm not strong
Oh 'cause when that woman looks at me
I cant remember right from wrong...

Posted by Duff at 11:18 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under " " of the XXX., Listenin', Lyrics, Tunes

June 05, 2008

March Album Reviews

So turns out I didn't buy that much music in March. Not only did I not buy much (some of what's below was gifted to me), but I didn't listen much either... Maybe that 9-day trip to Japan had something to do with it? (And, no, before you ask, I still haven't listened to much of the music I bought there [mostly rap], I've been too busy reorganizing music while home to listen to new stuff [and didn't put those on the Pod/iTunes yet].)

Absolutely Love & Adore:

Jesse Malin "Glitter in the Gutter" - One of those (increasingly rare) albums that just WORKS all the way through. Really love it. I actually like it so much, I couldn't even narrow down a favorite song for ya. Today it may have been "Happy Ever After" but other days it's been "Black Haired Girl" and sometimes "NY Nights" and other times... Uh huh. It's that good.

Gnarls Barkley "The Odd Couple" - The more I listen to it, the more I like it. It's not getting the press or the play their first one did, but I think it's just as good. A little darker, but still delish. Cee-Lo just has such a great voice, I think that boy could sing anything and make it beautiful. Favorite song: definitely "Going On".

Favorite Singles (not on any of the above albums):

• "Rat Within the Grain" Damien Rice
  
• "Wonderwall" Noel Gallagher, singing the Ryan Adams' arrangement of Noel's song
  
• "Hideaway" The Weepies
  
• "Buckets of Rain" (my favorite all-time Dylan song) covered by Redbird (Peter Mulvey)
  
• "The Silence Between Us" Bob Mould
  
• "Changing Your Mind" Bob Schneider
  
• "Don't You Worry" Jim Noir
  
• "I Woke Up Today" Port O'Brien
  
• "Vision in Red" Thao Nguyen

Other Albums I Liked:

• Hot Chip "Coming on Strong" (and) "Made in the Dark" - I kept reading about this band everywhere and wondering if I should be listening and CCB took pity on my lazy ass and sent me both of these. The former (CoS) is not what I was (for some unknown reason) expecting. Instead it's melodic, kinda jazzy with some background fuzz, sweet and smooth. The second (MitD) is more what I had in my mind: disco-y electronic, rhythmic. Fun! :)
  
• Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks "Real Emotional Trash" - I never listened to Pavement back in the day; got turned on to them last summer thanks to Rob Sheffield's lovely book so I'm new to the Malkmus fan club. On the rough, edgy side of rock. The first four songs don't really pull me in but then we hit "Baltimore" and "Gardenia" and I'm a total goner... I could listen to those two (and the songs that follow) over and over!
  

Not really for me / but maybe for you!:

Robert Plant & Alison Krauss "Raising Sand" - Hmmm. You know, people kept occasionally playing me singles off this album and I thought "hey, maybe it IS as good as people are saying." But apparently I only like it in singles because I almost fell asleep the three times I tried to get through the album as a whole. Pretty. But boring. Maybe I will like them better in person? We'll find out in a few weeks...

Foo Fighters "Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace" - I was a big big Foo fan...a long time ago. (Their live show was one of my faves of my NY years.) And although it seems odd to say about music, sometimes I just grow out of a certain band or sound. When I put this on, I think "oh yeah, sounds exactly like some Foo stuff I was listening to 10 years ago." (Loved their first two albums. Loved.) So while this album is perfectly fine and good and enjoyable enough (and could easily be in the above category instead of here), I just don't find myself listening to it. I've kinda moved on.

Shamefully have either not listened to at all, or not all the way through, or so few times that I can't legitimately offer an opinion:

Just the stuff I bought in Japan. :)

Posted by Duff at 10:20 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Tunes

May 15, 2008

February Album Reviews

Absolutely Love & Adore:

Missy Higgins "On a Clear Night" - Such an awesome husky voice. (JenG., a huskier Meg Nathanson? I hope you are listening to this album! You would love it!) Uncomplicated arrangements, quietly emotional. Particularly lovin' "Angela".

Nada Surf "Lucky" - Lovelovelove "See These Bones". And "Ice on the Wing". And... Yeah. The whole album kicks ass.

Bon Iver "For Emma, Forever Ago" - If you aren't already sick of hearing me talk about Bon Iver, then you must be here for the first time. This album takes my breath away, shreds my heart into tiny little pieces, and leaves me wanting more.

The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir - So Much Frakkin Fun. Various vocalists. Different styles to many of the songs. "I Never Thought I Could Feel This Way for a Boy" is their breakout but I love "Then and Not a Moment Before" and "Aspidistra" just as much.

Favorite Singles (not on any of the above albums):

• "Forever Song" Josh Pyke
  
• "Gravedigger" Willie Nelson
  
• "Sing Along" Virginia Coalition
  
• "Goodnight" Zox
  
• "Grounds for Divorce" Elbow
  

Other Albums I Liked:

• Clare Bowditch & the Feeding Set "The Moon Looked On" - Not sure why I had to email Australia to get someone to send me this album. She SHOULD be hitting it much bigger than she is.
  
• The Magnetic Fields "Distortion" - Loud and buzzy and layered. Some really great lyrics on this album.
  
• Mike Doughty "Golden Delicious" - Big fan of this album. ("I wrote about a song about your car"! Yay!) Subtract a few songs from it (another version of "27 Jennifers". Really?) and add the one that's missing and I'd be all over it. ;) Still, do like a lot of it.
  
• The Raveonettes "Lust Lust Lust" - Makes a good pair with the Magnetic Fields. Thick and dark and pulsing.
  
• Coastal Chill 08 - Random (primarily Aussie) singles. Sweet.
  

Not really for me / but maybe for you!:

Huh. Looks like I didn't buy any albums I didn't like in February. Woot, score one for me!

Shamefully have either not listened to at all, or not all the way through, or so few times that I can't legitimately offer an opinion:

• The Mountain Goats "Heretic Pride" - Bought it toward the end of the month, just haven't really wound up listening to it.
  

A lot of the songs mentioned here wound up on this mix.

Posted by Duff at 04:00 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Tunes

May 14, 2008

Lyrics of the Afternoon

Well, go ahead and call the cops,
You don't meet nice girls in coffee shops.

-from "Hold On" written by Tom Waits, but I'm listening to the Redbird (Peter Mulvey) cover...

Posted by Duff at 02:39 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under " " of the XXX., Listenin', Lyrics, Tunes

Album: Jesse Malin "Glitter in the Gutter"

I've mentioned this album a few times (here, here, and the single here) but in case you weren't paying attention...

Great lyrics, insistent rhythms. Sometimes plaintive, sometimes demanding. A little Springsteen feelin' (he even sings on a track). A little Eagles soundin' (particularly the chorus of "Aftermath": "Standing on the corner, watching people walk on...") and he definitely has a little Southern Rock twinge to him (listen to his pronunciation when he sings "From the desert to this love-stained town, I still find comfort in the underground..." in "NY Nights"). He's a bit more rockin' than the average dude on my "melancholy boys" playlist...sometimes a bit more mad. ;)

Two to three months later (March purchase) and it's still in pretty constant rotation. It'll take something seriously magical to knock this out of my 2008 Top 10.

Posted by Duff at 09:35 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Recommending, Tunes

May 02, 2008

Lyrics of the Afternoon

Not only does it have an awesome beeboppy '60s feelin' to it, but also there are a LOT of good lines in The Magnetic Fields "Too Drunk to Dream" (from Distortion, a pretty kickin' album that sonically certainly lives up to its name) but here are three of my faves:

I've got to get too drunk to dream because I only dream of you.

I've got to get too pissed to miss you or I'll never get to sleep.

I've got to get too fried to cry or I'll be crying all night long.

Mmmm, making me thirsty.

Posted by Duff at 02:19 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under " " of the XXX., Album, Listenin', Lyrics, Tunes

Cover of the Day...and Some Other Recommendations

"I Should Have Known Better" - She & Him (Zoey Deschanel & M. Ward)

Beatles done alt-country style. Sweet. Zoey D = the next June Carter Cash?

Other singles (but not covers) I'm diggin':

• "She Loves Everybody" Chester French
  
• "Tick of Time" The Kooks
  
• "Roadway Hymn" La Rocca
  
• "Heart of Mine" Peter Salett*

*So I've been rewatching Keeping the Faith lately. So what. You SHOULD be too.

Posted by Duff at 10:05 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under " " of the XXX., Flicks, Listenin', Recommending, Tunes

May 01, 2008

Favorite Album of the Day:

The Submarines "Honeysuckle Weeks"

You know I'm a sucker for boy/girl trade-off/combined vocals.

And awesome lyrics: Love is a swimming pool with no bottom / We've got to hold on, the water is risin'...

And boppy silly rhythms. La la la la la.

Yay!

Posted by Duff at 10:59 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under " " of the XXX., Album, Listenin', Tunes

April 30, 2008

Is Joe Purdy the new Ryan Adams?

Is it my imagination or does he put out three albums a year, minimum?

Anyhoooooo, if you've seen the latest KIA commercials, you've heard his latest single "Can't Get It Right Today" off his new(est) album "You Can Tell Georgia", much of which I am enjoying. It's not a new direction or anything, but it doesn't need to be.

Dude sings pretty. What else do you need to know? :)

and p.s. he made me his friend on Facebook out of the blue (I mean, I hadn't friended him or anything because, you know, I'm not all that stalker-y as I might sometimes seem). I expect soon we will be meeting for coffee, exchanging CDs, and staying up late watching BSG together. Oh wait, that's not how "friend"ing on Facebook works, is it. Dang.

Posted by Duff at 10:31 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Tunes

April 29, 2008

The last Madonna fan on earth?

Boy, people are really harshing on Madonna these days. That article actually made me kinda sad. She's not my very favorite artist...but there's lots of songs of hers I have liked in the past and I do believe we need people that push mainstream culture's boundaries, even if they are the fakiest of the fake when they're doing it, whether they do it as "brands" or "media monsters" or whatever.

I'm listening to her new album Hard Candy for the first time...and I'm finding lots of things to like. Maybe not LOVE. Maybe not OH MY GOD BEST ALBUM EVER. But there's lyrics I'm likin', and beats, and random melody lines, and I have always liked her admittedly not-the-world's-best-ever voice.

Plus I prefer pretty much all my music with lyrics and that includes dance music, which is really what this is.

Posted by Duff at 05:48 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Tunes

April 24, 2008

January Album Reviews

Absolutely Love & Adore:

Matt Costa "Unfamiliar Faces" - Quirky (his videos crack me up!) and fun. Melodic and rhythmic (which seems...obvious, but they're not always both there!) and goofy and sweet. Really can't stop listening to it. Particularly "Mr. Pitiful" and "Miss Magnolia", both of which make me bounce around like a goofball.

Liam Finn "I'll Be Lightning" - A month ago, I liked this but I didn't love it. All I could think about was his dad. But then it kept coming up on shuffle and I kept thinking "Wow, I love his voice" and then I started listening to the album again, and then again, and... Yeah, I'm pretty much loving it. I love the chorus of "Second Chance" and "Energy Spent" is a lot of fun. I do think it runs out of gas a little, the last three songs just kinda of shuffle off for me. But it's a 14-song album which is crazy in the first place!

Ben Gibbard and Andrew Kenny "Home, Vol. 5" - I'm so late to the party on this one, but I really love these songs. Lowkey but lush in their own way.

Tracy Johnson "Dreams in Cold Weather" - Fun, girlie pop. Sassy, emotionally edgie lyrics. Perhaps Alanis-reminiscent to some. (Makes me think of Merrill Bainbridge, myself.) Lovin' it!

Random Singles:

• "Brown" and "Anemones" Half Acre Day
  
• "In a Little While" (live, San Jose Arena, 4/20/01) U2 (old, yes. beautiful, yes.)
  
• "Gimme Some Truth" (cover) Rogue Wave
  
• "Number One" Miss Fairchild
  
• "Thing About Trouble" Doug Burr (sounds like Ryan Adams)
  
• "If It's the Beaches" Avett Brothers (SWOOON)
  
• "You Cross My Path" The Charlatans (UK)
  
• "The Faraway Sound of Cars" Reichenback Falls
  

Other Albums I Liked:

• Reichenback Falls "Ravens & Chimes" - Michelle, are you listening to this? I think you'd like it. A little Polyphonic Spree-feelin'. And some of it is so strongly Arcade Fire-reminiscent that they fool my ear (particularly "This Is Where We Are", "Saint Jude in the Village Voice" and "General Lafayette! You Are Not Alone!").
  
• Cat Power "Jukebox" - I like this a lot...but not as much as I like her originals. I love a well-timed cover, but I get a little bored when they're the entire album. Don't you?
  
• moe "Sticks and Stones" - Straight up rock'n'roll. Feels (and sometimes sounds) like old Rolling Stones, with a touch of the Southern/gothic rock thrown in. "Darkness" is awesome and I love the rhymin of "Cathedral."
  
• Chris Bell "I Am the Cosmos" - Very old but new to me.
  
• Kathryn Williams "Relations" - Soft and folky. Pretty. Not sure I'll ever listen to it that much though.
  
• Rilo Kiley "Under the Blacklight" - I'd purposely avoided this one (long story, or maybe not so long). But it's quite nice, some good songs.
  

Not really for me / but maybe for you!:

M.I.A. "Kala" - I just don't get it. Didn't get into it at Lollapalooza, don't get into it at home with the album either. I may not be worldly enough. :)

Patrick Wolf "The Magic Position" - I really like the first two songs. But the rest just doesn't grab me.

Okkervil River "Golden Opportunities (mixtape)" - Download available on their site. I like their albums a lot (both "Black Sheep Boy" and "The Stage Names") but this is (more) rough and ragged and I just don't really find myself listening to it. Not representative of this band, to my mind.

Shamefully have either not listened to at all, or not all the way through, or so few times that I can't legitimately offer an opinion:

• Lucinda Black Bear " 'Capo My Heart' and Other Bear Songs" - just can't seem to get around to this one. Soon?
  
• Good Shoes "Think Before You Speak" - Listened once. Thought it was punky! And fun! But haven't managed to listen again.
  

Posted by Duff at 03:30 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Tunes

Lyric of the Day

...you slammed through my life like a screendoor in a hurricane wind...

-Girlyman "Postcards from Mexico"

Posted by Duff at 08:21 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under " " of the XXX., Listenin', Lyrics, Tunes

April 16, 2008

New (to me) Singles from Recent Paste Samplers

From Paste 37, I'm diggin':

• "The National Side" Romantica
  
• "I Love You, You Imbecile" Pelle Carlberg
  
• "Silver Dreams" Blackie & The Rodeo Kings
  
• "Luscious Life" Patrick Watson
  
• "Devil May Dance" A.J. Roach
  
• "New York Skyline" Giant Bear

If you like Regina Spektor and/or Ingrid Michaelson, try "Unmistakably Love" Stephanie's ID.

If you like The Fray, try "Swim" Jeremy Larson.

(Old Friends also recommended: "Take Me to the Riot" Stars; "Gone Gone Gone" Robert Plant & Alison Krauss [I can't listen to their album in one go, but I like it in individual songs].)

From Paste 38, I'm diggin':

• "Foundations" Kate Nash
  
• "I'll Follow You Tonight" Anna Terheim
  
• "Have to Have Everything" Milton & The Devils Party
  
• "The Cornflakes Song" (feat. Glen Phillips) Dick Prall
  
• "Days" She Is So Beautiful/She Is So Blonde
  
• "Brand New Love" Serena Ryder (minus the Jesus references)

I guess this one must've come out before Christmas since it ends with three Holiday songs. Doh. (I like "It Really Is (A Wonderful Life)" Mindy Smith.)

If you like The Fray and/or Five for Fighting, try "Do I Wake or Sleep?" Homer Hiccolm & The Rocketboys and "Wedding Crows" The Josh Davis Band.

If you like the Go-Gos, try "I Call on You" The TrolleyVox

(Old Friends also recommended: "100 Days, 100 Nights" Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings; "The Opposite of Hallelujah" Jens Lekman; "Second Chance" Liam Finn .)

Posted by Duff at 03:31 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Rags, Tunes

April 14, 2008

Lyrics of the Day

I don't need the whole bird, just a feather will do...
From you...

-Meg Hutchinson "Whole Bird" (from Come Up Full)

Posted by Duff at 07:58 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under " " of the XXX., Listenin', Lyrics, Tunes

April 13, 2008

Lyrics of the Day

There's only four seasons but these feelings are always here...
-Joe Purdy "Only Four Seasons" (from You Can Tell Georgia)

Posted by Duff at 04:56 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under " " of the XXX., Listenin', Lyrics, Tunes

April 09, 2008

The Curse of the Morning Drugstore Stop

Since I needed a Mt. Dew this morning (ALL YOUR FAULT, AmandaJean), I had to make a quick nip into the drugstore on the way in. Thanks to their (ridiculous) '80s (or was it early '90s? or does it even matter) background music, I now have the following on repeat in my mind (and undesirably so):

After all the stops and starts, we keep coming back to these two hearts...

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Peter Cetera is really not what I want in my head today!

Posted by Duff at 08:50 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Tunes

April 07, 2008

Woah. Could've sworn...

The vocals on the chorus of "Thing About Trouble" Doug Burr (I see the devil...) ....SOUND so much LIKE... Ryan Adams, I am doing serious doubletakes at my iPod screen right now.

That said, the verses sound more like Springsteen.

Posted by Duff at 07:43 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under ...Sounds Like..., Listenin', Tunes

April 04, 2008

Song of the Day

"Mr. Pitiful" Matt Costa

This song is so bouncy and fun, I DARE you not to at least WANT to dance when you hear it...

Posted by Duff at 01:21 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under " " of the XXX., Listenin', Tunes

April 03, 2008

Other People's Playlists

Another fun thing that can shake you out of your listening rut is using other people's playlists. Take this great little list by Movies of Myself offered up for Valentine's Day for example. I already owned all those songs, but I might never have listened to them in that order/grouping and hello it starts with the Cars. Come on now, people, you just can't go wrong starting a mix with the Cars.

All-Time Favorite Cars Song: Drive.

And with that one we're back in high school again (Hmmm, I would have said junior high but it apparently didn't come until 1984 so I guess the Cars I was listening to in junior high were earlier albums than that). Holy crapolarolla are we thinking about old times today or what.

Posted by Duff at 12:02 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Tunes

Blasts from the Past

One of the joys of the 2008 CD Reorganization Project is rediscovering old tunes, sometimes tunes I never got into but most of the time tunes I loved that never made it onto iTunes (or the iPod) because they were out of the regular listening rotation by the time iTunes/iPods came around...

Last night, going through the "rap/hip hop/etc" piles, I found PM Dawn. PM Dawn!!! (Did you know them?) I loveloveloved those albums, haven't listened to them in ages...

Unfortunately this discovery was made too close to bedtime to import them into iTunes last night so today I find myself searching the Pod for other oldies but goodies....Guess what I'm listening to right now? The Go-Go's "Vacation". Something that made it into iTunes one day when I was working on a "College-ing It Out" playlist, but then started thinking about things that (for me) were High School actually. Oh yeah, baby. This reorg project is bringing all KINDS of stuff to mind. Yay!

Posted by Duff at 10:05 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Tunes

First Impression: Gnarls Barkley "The Odd Couple"

A little darker, sometimes lonelier. Still my favorite blend of disco vibe and hip hop beats out there. Not as upbeat as the last album but a few songs that still make me start boppin' my shoulders and jumpin' around at my desk. Fave song so far: "Going On" (bounce, bounce, bounce go my hips).

Posted by Duff at 08:36 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Tunes

April 02, 2008

First Impression: The Raconteurs "Consolers of the Lonely"

There's a real Freddie Mercury/Queen vibe going on. In a good way. And not in the "glam" way of, say, My Chemical Romance (although there's nothing bad about that). In a "rock" way.

Posted by Duff at 08:03 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Tunes

March 18, 2008

December Album Reviews

Absolutely Love & Adore:

Sea Wolf "Leaves in the River" - So awesome. Love the lyrics, and the mood, and the harmonies. Just lovelovelove.

Bat for Lashes "Fur and Gold" - Eccentric and layered. Worried it'd be too Tori Amos for me but the music behind the voice (almost Berlin-like or Cocteau Twins. lordie this brings me back in time) is so much more enjoyable (to me) that the comparison falls away fast (phew).

The Avett Brothers "Emotionalism" - A little bit country, a little bit folk rocky. Lots of enthusiasm and fun.

Lupe Fiasco "The Cool" - This kid is a blast. Love how he's mixing in lots of sung vocals as well.

Random Singles:

• "Skinny Love" Bon Iver (break my heart much, would ya)
  
• "In the Sun" Donna De Lory (cover of Joseph Arthur, so many people have covered this now, it's almost unbelievable)
  
• "Work That" Mary J. Blige
  
• "Just Fine" Mary J. Blige
  
• "Apologize" OneRepublic & Timbaland (LOVELOVELOVE)
  
• "Raining in Baltimore" Brandi Carlile (cover of Counting Crows)
  
• "Thou Shalt Always Kill" Dan le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip (so much fun!)
  
• "Paperweight" Joshua Radin & Schuyler Fisk
  
• "Endless Shovel" Rogue Wave

Other Albums I Liked:

• Augie March "Moo, You Bloody Choir" - Aussie rock.
  
• Brother Ali "The Undisputed Truth" - Really enjoy...to a point. It's a LONG album and I start to forget who I'm listening to...
  
• The Foxboro Hot Tubs "Stop Drop and Roll" - Whether or not this is actually Green Day, I think it's a LOT of fun.
  
• Simple Kid "2" - sounds like a combination of Beck and Elliott Smith.
  
• Nick Light "The World Forgetting by the World Forgot" - kinda Matt Nathanson-y. Not sure he's made himself distinctive enough to really break out. I'll be interested to see.
  
• UGK "Underground Kingz" - I'm not sure I've ever made it all the way through (what's up with rap albums having like 38.5 songs?), but I like it in select doses.
  
• Juno soundtrack - Love (LOVE!) a lot of this but can't listen to it in one go, gets monotonous. Taken in doses, however, the sweetness and the romance bring you right back to the mood of the movie, which is AWESOME.
  
• Hard-Fi "Stars of CCTV" - Really liked their new one (first to me); just catching up on the back catalog.
  
• The White Stripes "Conquest" EP - Sort of a "protest against the press" album to me, if you dig into the lyrics. Just as good as their recent album, just shorter!
  
• Jay-Z "American Gangster" - I don't buy ALL his albums but I think this one is a solid "entire album" listen. Love all the movie references and the tough guy talk.

Not really for me / but maybe for you!:

Radiohead "In Rainbows" - I stopped being a Radiohead fan such a long time ago (sorry, I'm just not THAT COOL); you should be surprised I even gave this a chance. I do find this album "LISTENABLE" and honestly that's a compliment given what I thought of the previous couple. And there are a couple songs I actually LIKE ("House of Cards" would be one), but I don't enjoy enough of it and I often "fast forward" when random songs from it come on up shuffle. It's just not really my thing.

Siobhan Donaghy "Revolution in Me" - I bought this hoping to get a pop diva fix. It's got some nice songs, but I don't find myself looking for it on the Pod.

Shamefully have either not listened to at all, or not all the way through, or so few times that I can't legitimately offer an opinion:

• Mavis Staples "We'll Never Turn Back" (loved the samples I listened to on iTunes but just haven't gotten around to it)
  
• Dyme Dec "Space Music" (although I have listened to the one song "Let It Be" a bunch, which features speeded-up Beatles and is AWESOME!! I've told you about it before.)

Posted by Duff at 09:35 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Tunes

February 28, 2008

Album: Home EP, Vol 5 Ben Gibbard and Andrew Kenny

Always behind the times as I am, I picked up this 2003 release at Green Apple on my trip to San Fran last month. Not only had I never heard of this album, I didn't know Andrew Kenny (or his band American Analog) or the Home series itself (which offers other interesting pairings such as Bright Eyes/Britt Daniel).

So pleased I bought this. Lovely quiet little songs. Subtle and sweet. Here's a longer review if you need one.

Gibbard's Death Cab band mate has a solo album out (out now, currently, not four years ago -- in case you're wondering) and it's getting good reviews everywhere I look. But so far I really haven't been tempted -- it's Gibbard's voice that really makes Death Cab for me; and you get a nice dose of it here on these four solos.

Posted by Duff at 11:57 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Tunes

February 26, 2008

Song of the Day

"Gravedigger" - Willie Nelson (from Paste sampler #40, off his album "Moment of Truth")

Dude, he works "Ring Around the Rosie" into it; come on now. His voice is such a perfect combination of melodiousness and gravel. I neverrarely* buy his albums but every once in awhile I come across a tune of his I love. He's a better lyricist than I've heard him given credit for. You should never have to bury your own babies. And have you seen Songwriter? Because I love EVERYTHING about that movie, including him, his acting, his singing, and his humor. But it's one of those movies that I'm not sure anyone other than me and my Dad ever watched (Dad is a big Alan Rudolph fan).

*I did buy one a few years ago, I think it was this one.

Posted by Duff at 01:37 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under " " of the XXX., DadReaction, Flicks, Listenin', Tunes

February 24, 2008

Favorite Songs This Sunday

• "I Wrote a Song About Your Car" Mike Doughty
  
• "Sing Along" Virginia Coalition
  
• "I Never Thought I Could Feel This Way for a Boy" The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir
  
• "Then and Not a Moment Before" The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir
  
• "A Reason to Breathe" Nick Light
  
• "Forever Song" Josh Pyke
  
• "Work That" Mary J. Blige
  
• "Back to You" Coconut Records
  
• "What If You" Joshua Radin*
  
• "Skinny Love" Bon Iver
  
• "Let It Be" Dyme Def**
  
• "Cathedral" moe
  
• "Free Chilly" (feat. Sarah Green and Gemstones) Lupe Fiasco
  
• "My Heartbeat's Dying" The Raveonettes
  
• "Tell Me How Ya Feel" UGK

*So I might have (re)watched Catch & Release a few times this weekend... It's not the GREATest, but it's very watchable.

**The Beatles are(were) so good, they sound awesome even speeded up like Chipmunks!

Posted by Duff at 02:45 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Mixes / Playlists, Tunes

February 05, 2008

Playlist: "Why Are You Breaking My Heart?"

An old playlist rediscovered this week-end. I quite like it, and playlists don't always stand the test of time. (Party playlists seem to be especially time period-specific.) Not sure who was breaking my heart in Fall 2006, but perhaps I was just in the mood to have it be broken. Sonically, that is.

Why Are You Breaking My Heart?

• "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" (cover) - Joseph Arthur
  
• "I Don't Care What You Call Me" - David Ford
  
• "I Go to the Barn Because I like the" - Band of Horses
  
• "Boston" - Augustana
  
• "Winding Up" - Clare Bowditch and the Feeding Set
  
• "What Does It Mean Now?" - World Party
  
• "Skeleton Key" - Margot & the Nuclear So and So's
  
• "Never Yours" - Tracy Chapman
  
• "Unspoken Love" - The Electric Farm
  
• "Home" - Barenaked Ladies
  
• "You" - Switchfoot
  
• "That's How I Knew This Story Would Break My Heart" - Aimee Mann
  
• "Jessie's Girl" (cover) - Matt the Electrician
  
• "Steady as We Go" - Dave Matthews
  
• "Slow New York" - Richard Julian
  
• "We Are Man and Wife" - Michelle Featherstone
  
• "All This Dust" - Canasta
  

Posted by Duff at 06:48 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Mixes / Playlists, Tunes

January 08, 2008

Lyrics of the Day

If you were a wink, I'd be a nod...

If you were the floor, I'd wanna be the rug...

And if you were an ocean, I'd learn to float...

-"All I Want Is You" Barry Louis Pollsar from the Juno Sdtrk.

Great movie, great tunes. It's a win-win.

If you haven't seen this yet, or are letting some crap-ass review taint your willingness to go, go read this review. And then go, for pete's sake. Pete would want you to.

When both me AND my dad are as equally gung-ho about a film (yes, sometimes we disagree), I don't think there's anything else you need to know. It's THAT good.

Posted by Duff at 06:33 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under " " of the XXX., Flicks, Listenin', Lyrics, Tunes, Watchin'

December 17, 2007

Wrapping It Up: Best Gigs / Best Tunes 2007.

Since I have already gone to all the concerts I'm going to in 2007, I'm sure you want to know which were my faves.

My Favorite Live Gigs This Year:
1. Gomez. Amazing show. But they're low on everyone's 07 radar since they didn't put out an album this year.
2. Travis. So much fucking fun in concert.
3. The National. Just as beautiful as the album.
4. Polyphonic Spree x2. highest energy show you'll ever see.
5. Ben Harper x2. He's amazing.
6. Griffin House. He's hot.
7. The Decemberists. So polished.
8. Midlake. Bewitching.

I have also finished my overall favorite music of 2007 list, which I'm sure is a) far more detailed than anyone could ever want, and b) pretty obvious if you've been reading this site all year. Enjoy.

Posted by Duff at 11:57 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Best of..., Listenin', Live!!, Recommending, Tunes

December 13, 2007

Words to Live By / Lyrics of the Day

You are not your job,
And you are not the clothes you wear:

You are the words that leave your mouth
So speak up, speak up...

-"Call Me Ishmael" Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly.

Posted by Duff at 09:30 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under " " of the XXX., Listenin', Lyrics, Tunes

December 09, 2007

Lyric of the Day: Tellin' it like it is.

I don't want to be your friend.
I just want to be your lover.

-Radiohead "House of Cards"

Posted by Duff at 03:08 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under " " of the XXX., Listenin', Lyrics, Tunes

December 05, 2007

Modern Commandments.

Dan Le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip "Thou Shalt Always Kill" may just have usurped Jonathan Coulton's cover of "Baby Got Back" as my most beloved single. Seriously. Fuel/Friends has the video here and their myspace lets you listen to the song although not download it. Waah.

Posted by Duff at 10:36 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Recommending, Tunes

December 04, 2007

Selected Sampler Singles - Paste #36

New (to me) Songs/Artists I'm Diggin:
"A Sunday Smile" Beirut (1)
"Goes Around" Rockfour
"The Ritz" Office
"Eyes Like a Levee" Johnny Irion (2)
"Snakebit" Mary Gauthier
"Rise" (acoustic) Will Dailey
"You're a Wolf" Sea Wolf (3)
"Civil Twilight" the Weatherthans

New (4) Songs by Old Friends:
"Scar That Never Heals" Jeremy Fisher (5)
"One Crowded Hour" Augie March (6)
"Time Is a Lion" Joe Henry

from Paste #36.

1-Old news, right? People kept mentioning Beirut to me but I never got
around to checking him out.
2-Wow! Love it!
3-Rambles along, I like how it picks up toward the end.
4-Or new when the magazine came out...months ago! :)
5-Got this ages ago from Fuel/Friends. Love it.
6-Australians, picked up an older album of theirs on Mariko's and my trip.

Posted by Duff at 05:38 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Rags, Tunes

Lyrical Mishap #9,735

What it is: You're racing like a pro now...

What it sounds like: You're racing like a pronoun...

(The National "Racing Like a Pro")

Posted by Duff at 03:08 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Mots, Listenin', Lyrics, Tunes

November 30, 2007

Current Favorite Single

The cover of Bob Dylan's "Going to Acapulco" by Jim James and Calexico.

The Richard Gere sections of "I'm Not There" were my least favorite parts...except for the performance of this song which was both beautiful and mesmerizing. Don't think it's what I want played at my funeral, but I am loving it a lot.

Oh right, I never even told you I went to that movie. Ah well. I'll try to catch up on reviews over the weekend, a few books, a couple movies. Maybe I'll even write up some recent TV! My, my aren't we ambitious.

Posted by Duff at 04:37 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Flicks, Listenin', Tunes

November 24, 2007

Playing in my head this morning.

Welcome in, welcome in,
Shame about the weather.
Welcome in, welcome in, it will come,
It's a sin, it's a sin...

-Travis "My Eyes"

Posted by Duff at 08:43 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Tunes

November 23, 2007

Do I just have him on my mind?

Or does the song "Home" by Tandy (on Paste Sampler #37) not sound a LOT like Bob Dylan?

It also has a sort of Eagles/country/lots o' harmony voices feeling to it.

(I'm going to see that crazy eight-million-actors-playing-Dylan flick later today...)

Posted by Duff at 08:04 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under ...Sounds Like..., Listenin', Tunes

November 15, 2007

Selected Sampler Singles - Paste #35

New (to me) Songs/Artists I'm Diggin:
"None Shall Pass" Aesop Rock (1)
"Our Friends Appear Like the Dawn" Bodies of Water (4)
"Beloved" Minnie Driver (5)
"Bad Graces" Diego Sandrin (7)
"One Man" Eulogies

New (2) Songs by Old Friends:
"Car Crash" Matt Nathanson (3)
"Rumors" Josh Ritter (3)
"Trouble" Over the Rhine
"Black Out on White Nights" Sage Francis (6)
"Darlin' Do Not Fear" Brett Dennen
"Hamoa Beach" (Live) Gomez

from Paste #35.

1-Hmm, I bought this album but not sure I ever listened to it.
2-Or new when the magazine came out...months ago! :)
3-I am diggin' these two big time this year. Lots of great stuff by them out there.
4-Very Polyphonic-Spree feelin'.
5-This song is really kind of surprisingly beautiful.
6-Very atmospheric background. Unusual for rap.
7-Nice and sparse, simple seeming, but pretty unusual lyrics.

Posted by Duff at 03:21 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Rags, Recommending, Tunes

November 13, 2007

Sometimes the inner DJ makes bad choices.

Running through my head the entire day:

I love you, baby,
And if it's quite alright,
I need you, baby,
To warm a lonely night.
I love you, baby.
Trust in me when I say:
Oh, pretty baby,
Don't bring me down, I pray.
Oh, pretty baby, now that I found you, stay
And let me love you, baby.
Let me love you.

Small blessings: at least the inner DJ chose to play the Michelle Pfeiffer version from The Fabulous Baker Boys. It could be worse.

Posted by Duff at 01:29 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Lyrics, Tunes

November 09, 2007

Serendipity.

So a long long time ago I mentioned liking a song by The Changes on a Paste sampler...turns out they are opening for Athlete * tomorrow night. Yay!

p.s. I think that is the same band that a month or so after the post, a dude in the band sent me an email. I remember they were going over to England for a while to hang out and record and stuff...

*one of my favorite bands of the past few years, all thanks to Michele G for introducing me to them!

Posted by Duff at 01:44 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Live!!, Tunes

November 07, 2007

It's not just about how it sounds.

Have you heard "The Way I Am" Ingrid Michaelson? Did you not IMMEDIATELY think of "Fidelity" Regina Spektor? It's not that it SOUNDS LIKE it so much as it FEELS like it. Funky back beat, somewhat goofy twee-ness to the lyrics/vocals. No? Seriously? :)

Posted by Duff at 12:51 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under ...Sounds Like..., Listenin', Tunes

Spooky!

Did you hear The Cinematic Orchestra singing "To Build a Home" on one of your TV shows last week? (I can't remember which one. FNL I think. or DS$.)

I did...but I thought it was Antony & the Johnsons because holy crap does it SOUND exactly LIKE him.

Posted by Duff at 08:09 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under ...Sounds Like..., Listenin', Tunes

November 05, 2007

Quote of the Day.

“I’ve always been a sucker for sad songs. I can listen to nothing but Slowdive records and be a pig in shit, so I naturally gravitate to writing those kinds of songs,” Bridwell says. [click quote to go to full Harp Magazine interview; link via DJBV.]

I've got nothing but good things to say about the new Band of Horses "Everything All the Time.""Cease to Begin" [doh]. I find the album totally entrancing and it's one of my favorites of the year. But admittedly their songs are not super upbeat. Like their lead singer, I'm more than happy to listen to sad songs and wallow.

Posted by Duff at 12:50 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under " " of the XXX., Listenin', Recommending, Tunes

October 24, 2007

Selected Sampler Singles - Paste #34

New (to me) Songs I'm Diggin:
"The Underdog" Spoon (not new today, but this sampler is where I first heard it)
"White Dove" John Vanderslice
"Put a Penny in the Slow" Fionn Regan (folksy, rolling guitar)
"Better People" Xavier Rudd (oh man this is so reminding me of something but I just can't quite put my finger on it...)
"Parsons White" Phonograph
"Black Skies for the High & Mighty" Wrinkle Neck Mules (straight up country)
"Postcard from Kentucky" Rocky Votolato
"Oh Mary Don't You Weep" Mike Farris (can I get a witness?)
"I Believe" Peter Searcy (anthemic)
"If You're Gonna Leave" Emerson Hart (melancholy)
"Run" Renee Stahl (a little like Eliza Carthy)

Old Friends:
"Our Life Is Not a Movie or Maybe" Okkervil River

from Paste #34.

Posted by Duff at 10:22 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Rags, Recommending, Tunes

October 16, 2007

Selected Sampler Singles - Paste #32

New (to me) Songs I'm Diggin':
"I Wanna Marry You All Over Again" Derek Webb (country twang)
"Ordinary Day" Dolores O'Riordan
"It's Not True" William Fitzsimmons (ouch, so tender)
"Just Around the Corner" Low Stars (rockabilly)
"Somewhere to Lay Down" Gina Villalobos (husky)
"Run Run Run" Haunt
"14" Paula Cole (I never buy her albums, but I like select singles!)

Old Friends:
"Everybody Knows" Ryan Adams
"Closer" Travis
"Who You Are" Cary Brothers

from Paste 32.

Posted by Duff at 01:21 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Rags, Tunes

October 11, 2007

Have I mentioned

just loveloveLOVING the new Band of Horses album?

Oh, Yes, I have. I do. Yes.

Posted by Duff at 10:07 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Recommending, Tunes

October 10, 2007

Band of Horses' new album...SOUNDS LIKE...what Explosions in the Sky would sound like if they had vocals.

This is true of more than one song on this album*, but particularly the opening bars to "No One's Gonna Love You" sound so much like Explosions in the Sky. I can't decide exactly which EitS song... maybe "Look into the Air". Such the same mood.

*also the final bars of "Lamb on the Lam"...

Posted by Duff at 01:19 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under ...Sounds Like..., Listenin', Tunes

First Impression: Band of Horses "Cease to Begin"

It's really great. I loved their first album but this definitely takes things up a few notches. Melodic and intense. Some songs are what I imagine Explosions in the Sky would sound like if they added a vocal track. A couple songs remind me of Pink Floyd, I admit sheepishly (not my fault! I did date Pink Floyd's Biggest Fan!). And there's one song with Eagles-esque harmonies ("Peaceful Easy Feelin'" type harmonies is what I'm sayin').

Totally love it.

Although it seems kinda short. I want more!

Posted by Duff at 09:42 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Tunes

October 09, 2007

Lyric of the Day.

I'd like to think I'm a mess you'd wear with pride...
-Band of Horses "I Go to the Barn Because I Like the"

Listening to their old album all day long in preparation for buying the new one from iTunes tonight!!

Posted by Duff at 06:14 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under " " of the XXX., Listenin', Tunes

October 05, 2007

What are you listening to today?

I'm listening to Stereogum's Tribute to "Automatic for the People", a set of amazing covers.... (found via Largehearted Boy),

Posted by Duff at 08:46 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Tunes

September 27, 2007

Lyric of the Day.

Let my heart be the part by which you judge me.
Like the sun in everyone, it is pure.

--Jeremy Fisher "Lay Down (Ballad of Rigoberto Alpizar)"
Goodbye Blue Monday

Posted by Duff at 12:37 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under " " of the XXX., Listenin', Lyrics, Tunes

September 26, 2007

Album: Eddie Vedder "Into the Wild"

I really hadn't listened to Pearl Jam much in recent history, but then I started reading I Am Fuel, You Are Friends, and Heather is an unabashed PJ fan...and then they played Lollapalooza...

This album is the soundtrack to the movie. And I swear when I listen to it..this is going to sound crazy!... I can FEEL Alaska. I can feel wide open horizons... I can feel solitude, and silent (echoing?) forests... Expansive. Lonely. Calm. I don't know what it is -- Vedder's voice, the background music, the lyrics -- but it is creating very vivid pictures in my mind...

It's a mystery to me...
You think you have to want more than you need
Until you have it all, you won't be free.

Posted by Duff at 11:46 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Tunes

September 19, 2007

"1973" you say?

And though time goes by, / I will always be / in a club with you / in 1973.

I'd be willing to bet significant dollars that I'm older than James Blunt. And if I'm right (I'm pretty sure I'm right), then the only "clubs" he would have gone to in 1973 would have had names like "Gymboree" or "Mommy and Me."

Pretty enjoyable song, nonetheless.

And song #2 "One of the Brightest Stars" = soooo BeeGees, particularly the vocals during the chorus. Love it!

Posted by Duff at 10:51 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Lyrics, Tunes

September 13, 2007

Album: Kanye West "Graduation"

I really like this, I think there are some quality songs I will be listening to for a while... BUT. But.

Ou est the joy, Kanye? The thing I really, really loved about his previous albums was the FUN. The sense that he was smiling the entire time he was rapping. When I saw him in concert, I thought "damn this kid is HAPPY." I mean, maybe not as crazily silly-ily happy as, say, Lupe Fiasco, but still. There was a real joie de vivre about the whole thing.

On this record, even on the songs with positive, peppy lyrics, I feel like he's got this "I am very purposeful" look on his face. A "hey, this is serious, I'm not joking around" tone. Like he's just not having as much fun. :( I know he feels like he's got something to prove; there's the "who will sell more" battle with 50, and the reviews that all say "he gives his best stuff away! his albums aren't as good as the stuff he does for other people!" ... but maybe he needs to not care about that, you know.

I still like it, I'm still listening. But I don't LOVE it the way I did the previous two.

Posted by Duff at 09:01 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Tunes

September 12, 2007

First Impression of the new Rogue Wave!

Rogue Wave: "Asleep at Heaven's Gate".

Um hello = LOVE IT. Listened straight through twice so far. Can't even be bothered to try the other albums I bought last night, because this sooooo pleasing. Oui, ça me plaît beaucoup. Love it.

Posted by Duff at 09:28 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Tunes

August 30, 2007

Finger-snapping good.

Latest single by Spoon "The Underdog" (presumably off their new album although I am listening to it on the Paste sampler #34). Really makes you need to stand up and dance. Reluctant to buy the album though as I really haven't listened much to their previous ones (bought after their Lolla 2006 appearance).

Posted by Duff at 02:07 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Tunes

Cover of the Day (and Possibly the Best Cover Ever)

Rhymefest and O.D.B. doing "Build Me Up, Buttercup." With, of course, some rappin' thrown in between choruses (some in the form of "letters" from Rhymefest to O.D.B.). I'm just sittin here giggling and giggling as I listen. This ranks right up there with Jonathan Coulton's "Baby Got Back" cover.

(It's on Rhymefest's album "Blue Collar" purchased immediately after seeing his superfun set at Lollapalooza.)

Posted by Duff at 01:55 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under " " of the XXX., Listenin', Tunes

August 29, 2007

Wow, Earlimart is bewitching me.

I'm listening to the new Earlimart "Mentor Tormentor" while I am trying to catch up on book reviews tonight, and this album is completely entrancing me. It's so lilting and melodic and calm yet building. The vocals are lovely. Wow. What a pretty album!

I've mentioned their previous album ("Treble & Tremble") to lots of people and just gotten a blank stare. I listened to that one quite a bit, but I don't remember there being as many male/female trade-offs in the vocals. There's a folksy, country twinge to this band, but they're less rhythmic than most country, and the harmonies feel thicker/stronger (and more pop) than most folk.

Now I wish I would have bought tickets to see them (tomorrow at Schuba's) but I know I really don't have the energy anyway (and I knew looking at my calendar, I wouldn't, which is why I didn't buy them when they went on sale a few months ago). Eh bien...next time.

For now, I will turn off the lights and listen to this loveliness and dream myself into another world...

Posted by Duff at 08:45 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Recommending, Tunes

August 06, 2007

Break-Up Songs.

So I've been thinking for ages that I had already posted a list of "songs that made me cry so hard during break-ups that they are useless to me for years afterwards" but as far as I can tell, I never actually did. And then I read this awesome post about break-up ALBUMS (which I found via link here). Now that is some serious commitment there, to listen to a WHOLE album during a break-up. I just usually wind up with one song on repeat, repeat, repeat, while I torture myself endlessly over the might-have-beens.

I'm sure I will add to this list as I think of them, but off the top of my head, these songs STILL kinda hurt to listen to:

• Nothing Compares 2 U - Sinead O'Connor (singing a Prince song, of course)
• If I Laugh - Cat Stevens
• Don't Speak - No Doubt
• Together or Alone - Sebadoh (ow!ow!ow!)
• Let Me In - REM (really about Kurt Cobain, but all about a break-up to me!)

What are yours? Click "Say What" below and tell me...

Posted by Duff at 08:45 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Lists, Tunes

Lyric of the Night

Give me the mumps and I'll give you the plague...
-Kyle Andrews "Moon Tea"

Posted by Duff at 07:51 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under " " of the XXX., Listenin', Lyrics

July 31, 2007

The Magic Numbers ...SOUND LIKE... The Muppets ??

OK, call me crazy, but I SWEAR there is a sample of "The Rainbow Connection" in the middle of "Boy" from The Magic Numbers' new album "Those the Brokes".

Why else would I find myself humming "the lovers, the dreamers, and me" ? Seriously, give it a listen, I SWEAR it's there.

As to the rest of the album: Thumbs up! It's still the bouncy relentless POP of their earlier album (you really can't call this anything other than "pop"!), but there's some touches that are a little blue-sier, a little funk-ier, a little more sass-a-fras. They make such pretty harmonies, there just aren't that many people out there that can do it better than this.

Posted by Duff at 01:03 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under ...Sounds Like..., Album, Listenin', Tunes

Current Favorite Band: The National.

I am so in love with this band right now, I can barely talk about it without getting choked up!

Stay out super late tonight
Picking apples, making pies
Put a little something in our lemonade
And take it with us...

The fact that I had never listened to them before Boxer, their AWESOME current album, just goes to show that no matter how much music you listen to, and how many magazines & blogs you read, and how much you think you are paying attention, there is always something GREAT that slips past your radar.

As the summer went by, I kept picking up random mentions of them everywhere (as i mention here) and then Paul mentioned them as well, and I got home, listened to maybe three of the iTunes 35-second samples, and I was ALL IN. Just like that.

The lead singer's voice is soooo deep and melodius and just downright BEWITCHING. You don't even want to hear anyone else sing after that, all other voices sound so thin. The music is thick and densely layered (you know I'm not a fan of the sparse). Great lyrics. Great mood. Wow. I'm bowled over!

I had a secret meeting in the basement of my brain.

I am going to see them live in NovemberSeptember! [Doh!] and I CANNOT WAIT!!

Highly Recommended: "Boxer"
Also recommended: earlier album "Alligator"
Although a lot of the reviews are calling the new one a departure, I felt it was more of a logical progression.

You might need me more than you think you will.

Posted by Duff at 10:30 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Recommending, Tunes

July 26, 2007

Early-Morning Nostalgia Trip.

5:25 a.m. In a cab sloshing through HUGE raindrops down LaSalle.

And on the radio comes Jukebox Hero. Holy crap. When was the last time I heard this song. I'm sure all my Foreigner was on cassette tape, wonder if I ever replaced those with CDs...I'll have to check when I get home. Yes, they were a total cheeseball rock band in so many ways, but this music, this IS high school to me. God, I loved this band.

...jukebox hero, got stars in his eyes...

Posted by Duff at 08:36 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Tunes

July 11, 2007

Album: The White Stripes "Icky Thump"

So in the past, I have always thought "naw, I don't think so" when a new White Stripes album comes out. Then a few weeks after its release, I start hearing it everywhere and loving it. Then I finally buy it and it becomes completely indispensable to my listening ears. So this time, I bought it right away. Good idea -- 'cause I love it! I mean I LOVE it EXCEPT I HATE "St Andrew (blah blah)". That song just grates on my ears and in fact I believe I will DELETE it from iTunes altogether when I get home tonight so it never accidentally starts playing! Hate. Love. It's always a fine line!

Actually I love this album so much that I think I may finally have found my new AC/DC. You know, that one band in a genre you never ever listen to but you just love that one band so much you listen to it constantly? Because THIS album to me is not rock. It's HARD rock. Metal, almost. I mean, seriously...it rocks. It's loud and sassy and all BEAT and GUITAR and hello is it not hard rock to you?

As close to listening to Headbanger's ball as I will ever be, EXCEPT of course AC/DC "Back in Black" which I did in high school (and still do) listen to full-on over and over. Hello if you went to high school when I did, you young folk, there is no way you didn't know all the words to at least three songs on this album, whether you liked it or not. And it's certainly the only hard rock I was interested in then. (And OK, during high school, I was willing to make out to Whitesnake, but I wouldn't listen to it otherwise.)

So there's two recommendations for you: White Stripes "Icky Thump" = THUMBS UP. AC/DC "Back in Black" = in my all-time Top 10, no question. (Whitesnake = only during heavy petting.)

Posted by Duff at 11:12 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Recommending, Tunes

July 10, 2007

Maria Taylor: New to me. New to you?

So you may or may not remember me liking the Maria Taylor song that's on the Paste #30 sampler. I bought her latest album "Lynn Teeter Flower" shortly after that. It's a little quirky / songs are very stylistically different from each other / you just don't know what to expect and it feels a bit off kilter, like she hasn't found HER sound yet. But I am quite enjoying it and can't quite compare it to anyone else. How refreshing!

And I am also quite enjoying her 10 Things list (linked to today by Largehearted Boy). I am soooo with her on #6 and #3 (except for the fine arts high school bit. hello there were 40 people in my graduating class, that supports one shitty high school and certainly not a fine arts high school in addition or instead).

Posted by Duff at 10:41 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Tunes

June 25, 2007

It's not Snow Patrol. But can you tell the difference?

The song "Life is Beautiful" by Vega4 is lovely and heart-pounding and anthemic and a real pleasure to listen to BUT it ...SOUNDS so much LIKE... Snow Patrol. And by "so much" I mean seriously, is this Snow Patrol just putting out a song under another name for kicks and giggles? Because if I were to find out that was the case, I would TOTALLY believe it!!!

Posted by Duff at 07:49 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under ...Sounds Like..., Listenin', Tunes

June 22, 2007

Album: Electrelane "No Shouts, No Calls"

These girls just plain rocked out when they opened for Arcade Fire. But I don't think this album represents them very well. It's a bit sedated. (Buy tickets to one of their shows instead!!)

"After the Call" and "Between the Wolf and the Dog" sound the most like they sounded live. "Cut and Run" has great lyrics.

Posted by Duff at 11:00 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Tunes

Lonely lyrics, with a bit of hope.

I just want to feel / something more than this;
I just want to have / all the things i miss(ed?);
I just want to learn / all there is to know;
I just want to hold on to / all that i let go.
I don't want to let you down.
I don't want to let you down.
I don't want to let you down, let you down again.
I just want to sing / every single song;
I just want to fix / everything that's wrong;
I just want to be / safe inside the love;
I just want to give and give and give / enough to fill you up.
I don't want to let you down.
I don't want to let you down.
I don't want to let you down, let you down again.
And I've been walking the universe and waiting for worlds to align;
Until I heard your exit wounds were healing better than mine.

--"Exit Wounds" Shane Nicholson

Posted by Duff at 10:37 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Lyrics, Tunes

Album: Shane Nicholson "Faith & Science"

If you were a boy singer, would you be insulted if I told you your album was super super pretty? I mean it in a good way!

I saw Nicholson open for Kasey Chambers last year(?or the year before?) and really liked him. He's often compared to Crowded House/Neil Finn. I really didn't hear the similarities that much on the previous album, but on this one there are indeed a few songs that I have to stop and think "Wait, who am I listening to?"

If you need music to ROCK you, this might be too soft for you. But if you generally don't like the quiet boys, it's more upbeat than that (i.e., not as melancholy as, say, Damien Rice).

Fave songs: "All the Time in the World," "Always Be on Your Side," "Watch Her Go" and "Exit Wounds."

Posted by Duff at 10:19 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Tunes

Paste 31 Sampler, a girl (song-by-song) reaction.

Overall feeling: The Hold Steady book-ends label this one more "rock" than anything else but there is a bit of variation.

Track by track:

• "Massive Nights" The Hold Steady: This isn't my favorite Hold Steady song (or album). But you can never go wrong starting off a mix with a Craig Finn rant (which is how I think of their songs).
  
• "Been There All the Time" Dinosaur Jr: I love the plaintive, pleading tone of the vocals, not what you expect in a rock song. Can I be a part of you? ... Can I be there all the time?
  
• "Killing Him" Amy LaVere: Total change in musical mood. Quiet, speakeasy feelin'.
  
• "Die Die Die" The Avett Brothers: Crystal clear lyrics/vocals, the music is very much in the background. The harmonies here crack me up.
  
• "Get It On" Grinderman: Back to (heavier) rock. Demanding, insistent.
  
• "Diamond Ring" Joseph Arthur: Love this song. Love him. Is he single? I'll be his diamond ring.
  
• "Lay Your Head Down" Keren Ann: Pretty enough. But not really doing it for me.
  
• "Gor Det Nu" Dungen: Headbanger's ball mixed with old Rolling Stones.
  
• "Baby's Romance" Chris Garneau: Ooooo, I like this. Very soft and tender.
  
• "It Must Have Happened" Mary Chapin Carpenter: How long has it been since I listened to MCC? Her voice isn't how I remember it (deeper? gruffer?). Not really doing it for me here.
  
• "Big Drag" Limbeck: Very thinly layered verses. Sparse.
  
• "Passenger Song" Great Lake Swimmers: I love everything they do. Thick, dense, low sounds. Lovely.
  
• "I'll Be Rested" Mavis Staples: Very goofy xylophone-ish sounding beginning. Her voice is amazing.
  
• "Don't Let Go" Pacha Massive: Dance beat. Shake that ass. But the vocals are not living up to the music's promise of liveliness.
  
• "Man Overboard" Kristoffer Ragnstam: Another goofy beginning. Spoken word/rappish feel. Think "The Streets" or "Just Jack."
  
• "Rest Your Weary Mind" Elizabeth Cook (with Bobby Bare Jr): Lil bit of country. The male vocal is very Johnny Cash (yum) but the female is too contrasty for me / almost operatic.
  
• "Life Is Beautiful" Vega4: Knew this song from a TV show. Slowing things down. Sad and melancholy. Sounds a lot like Snow Patrol (which is a good thing in my book).
  
• "V Neck Sweater" The Greyboy Allstars: Jazzy feel. Nice beat! Groovin'.
  
• "If I Were You" Chris Knight: Quiet and contemplative. Twangy, yet kinda sweet.
  
• "Kite Song" Rosie Thomas: Slowing things waaaaay down. I like her stuff sometimes, but not consistently, and this one is kinda makin' me sleepy. Doesn't seem to belong here.
  
• "Stuck Between Stations" (acoustic) The Hold Steady: And we're back to Craig Finn. I love the lyrics of this song. But the speed with which they are ranted totally(!) makes me think of REM and back, back, back in the day...
  

Posted by Duff at 09:25 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Rags, Tunes

June 21, 2007

Paste 30 Sampler, a girl (song-by-song) reaction.

Overall feeling: More on the country, folksy side of things than some of their discs. No songs I absolutely can't stand (woot). Generally diggin'.

Track by track:

• "We're from Barcelona" I'm from Barcelona: pop-y and fun.
  
• "Can't Stop" Ozomatli: OK. Kinda weird.
  
• "Everyone Gets a Star" Albert Hammond Jr.: Monotone vocals. Cool sound. But not a fave.
  
• "Nowhere Warm" Kate Havenick: For the Sarah McLachlan/Beth Orton/Jem lovers out there. Pretty voice.
  
• "Four Winds" Bright Eyes: Very country.
  
• "Memories of Home" Umphrey McGee: Even more country.
  
• "Remember Me" Zach Brooke: Country, but more up, with a real driving beat.
  
• "With You" Stars of Track and Field: Synth/electronic. Wistful. Pleading.
  
• "Soft Aslyum (No Way Out)" Grant-Lee Phillips: Soft. A little droan-y. I tend to like his stuff, even though I've never listened beyond random singles that come my way.
  
• "Into Brooklyn, Early in the Morning" The Innocence Mission: Real Suzanne Vega feel to it.
  
• "Blue Jeans Pizza" Moe: Jazzy sounds. Very goofy falsetto vocals.
  
• "A Good Start" Maria Taylor: Spooky, layered beginning. Nice lyrics!
  
• "Gulf of Mexico Fishing Boat Blus" Bruce Hornsby & Ricky Skaggs: Feels like bluegrass.
  
• "Trans Am" Nathan: Female vocal? Sweet. But feels a little frantic.
  
• "Happy" Martin Sexton: Very sharp, distinctive edge to the lead.
  
• "Save Myself" Willy Mason: Lyrics vs. music feels disconnected. Droan-y.
  
• "Come Undone" Jackson Water: Can't tell if the lead vocal is male or female but love the thick, rich tone to it. Anthemic feel.

There ya have it.

Posted by Duff at 02:14 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Rags, Tunes

May 31, 2007

Shuffle = it's a dangerous thing.

I generally listen to albums (in order), or playlists (mixes, monthly purchase lists, artist matchups), or shuffle an artist's works. I forgot how the iPod can really take you surprise when you open it up to overall Shuffle mode. I'm sure I haven't purposely listened to this song since sometime in 1995 or '96.

You gotta be bad, you gotta be bold
You gotta be wiser, you gotta be hard
You gotta be tough, you gotta be stronger...

You gotta be cool, you gotta be calm
You gotta stay together...
-Des'ree "You Gotta Be"

Posted by Duff at 01:48 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Lyrics, Tunes

May 22, 2007

Finally Giving In to Elvis Perkins

After receiving multiple recommendations of Elvis Perkins "Ash Wednesday" and somehow never being convinced by the 35 second previews on iTunes, I was finally in just the right mood for it and now I just can't stop listening. It may be elegiac in some of its lyrics and imagery, but it's not a downer: the overall feeling is one of hope. It's got a real twangy folky feel to it, lots of acoustic guitar strumming with crooning vocals on top.

Next to the new Travis, which I canNOT stop listening to over and over and over again, it's probably my most played music in May.

Posted by Duff at 09:53 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Tunes

May 10, 2007

Bonus!

If you buy the new Travis album "The Boy with No Name" (and why the fuck wouldn't you? that should really say "WHEN" you buy the new Travis album), you should know that if you buy it on iTunes: you get two bonus tracks! And I am LOVING one of them so I'd say booyah, go for it. More on this totally awesome I am lovinlovinlovin it album later.

Posted by Duff at 07:17 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Recommending, Tunes

April 04, 2007

Oops of the Day.

Gomez was singing "I love this island, but this island's killing me"

But I heard "I love this silence, but this silence's killing me."

Too funny.

Posted by Duff at 09:16 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under " " of the XXX., Listenin', Lyrics, Tunes

March 30, 2007

Old School Hero.

The vocals on Guggenheim Grotto's "Wonderful Wizard ...SOUNDS so much LIKE... Leonard Cohen! At his drollest.

Posted by Duff at 02:19 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under ...Sounds Like..., Listenin', Tunes

March 16, 2007

Current "Song I Can't Get Enough Of"

"Don't You Think It's Time?" - Bob Evans

Sweet, rolling melody. Wistful lyrics.

Don't you think it's time?
Time for easing doubt.
Time for reaching out.
Time to open up your eyes.

You've been on my mind,
Oh you've been on my mind...

Posted by Duff at 10:09 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Lyrics, Recommending, Tunes

March 13, 2007

Not the Same. But Reminiscent.

In the (beautiful, btw) song "Waterfall" by Griffin House, there is a moment when he sings "Hold on to your love, it might not be coming back..." that ...SOUNDS so much LIKE... when Sarah McLachlan sings "It's a long way down, to the place where we started from" in "Ice Cream."

Something about the downward progression of the melody and the timing/rhythm of it is just sooooo similar.

Wow, I don't think I've listened to Sarah in a year or two. Definitely took a while (and some serious Pod investigating) to figure out what song I was humming...

Posted by Duff at 09:43 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under ...Sounds Like..., Listenin', Tunes

March 08, 2007

So Beautiful It Hurts.

Great Lake Swimmers went and released a new album without telling me, can you believe the nerve? Good thing I was dicking around in iTunes trying to find a place to throw money. (Weirdly the release date is reportedly March 27 but since I bought it on iTunes several days ago and it's playing on my iPod RIGHT NOW that is obviously wrong.)

Ongiara is beautiful. Just fucking beautiful.

Posted by Duff at 09:35 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Recommending, Tunes

March 06, 2007

Tonight's Soundtrack

Hefty doses of "Neon Bible" the awesome new album from the Arcade Fire. Molly, you're right, I LOVELOVELOVE "Intervention" (damn, an organ entry gets me every time!), I also love "Windowsill", love the lyrics of "Ocean of Noise" and oooo "The Well and the Lighthouse" I like that one too. The only track I'm feelin' iffy about is "Antichrist Television Blues" which sounds a lot like Bruce Springsteen to moi.

I'm alternately listening to Neon Bible's 11-songs with a one-song breather in the middle: "Communist Love Song" by Soltero (MP3 linked here), which is making me happy and breaking my heart at the same time (and ain't that just the trademark of truly great songs). It starts out slow, but ends up all in a rush...

If you would stick up for me
In the face of great adversity,
Know that I would do the same,
Know we are the same.

If you would stick up for me,
Speak kindly and poetically,
You can be my personal
Ambassador to the world.

And if you're ever less than certain,
I will be your Iron Curtain.
I will be your Berlin Wall,
And I will never fall.

Posted by Duff at 06:50 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Lyrics, Recommending, Tunes

March 05, 2007

Lyric of the Night

Some give me shit for my name,
But I don’t give a shit about you, shit for brains...
-"The Blue Blooded" Hilltop Hoods.

And later: Whatever happened to a good old fashioned broken nose?

Posted by Duff at 08:18 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under " " of the XXX., Listenin', Lyrics, Tunes

February 27, 2007

Lyric of the Day

I was living in the past, but somehow you brought me back,
And I haven't felt like this since before Frankie said "Relax"...

This is, bien sur, from "Don't Write Me Off" on the "Music & Lyrics" soundtrack. A movie I quite liked; a soundtrack I quite LOVE.

Posted by Duff at 11:42 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under " " of the XXX., Album, Listenin', Lyrics, Tunes

Latest Cover I Am Quite Enjoying.

India.Arie singing Don Henley's "The Heart of the Matter". Go.

Posted by Duff at 09:53 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Tunes

February 22, 2007

"Hail to the Chief"

Anyone else just loving the hip-hopped slowed-down marchy-march "Hail to the Chief" playing on all the GM commercials right now? After multiple searches, I believe it is NOT the instrumental by 3rd Bass which you can download here and I'm sure you'll agree sounds very different / not as brass-y.

But to my ears, it DOES sound like the music behind Bun B's "The Inauguration" if you watch/listen to this youtube version (you have to get past the intro to hear it start, at about 0:20). Now where can I get my hands on a version without the rap vocals?

(According to other searches, it was a remix made especially for GM and will not be released.)

Posted by Duff at 06:28 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Tunes

February 16, 2007

"High Society" ...SOUNDS LIKE... "I'm Not in Love"

Thank goodness for Carrie and Monica as I was THIS CLOSE to getting really fucking crazy just now trying to figure this out.

Listening to "High Society" by The Bees (U.S.) and the chorus starts with "Ooooo, high society...." "Oooooo, notoriety..." and it ...SOUNDS JUST LIKE... "Oooooo, you'll wait a long time for me...." from the song "I'm Not in Love" which was apparently a hit in the '70s for some group called 10 CC (?) and covered in the 90s by Will Power (?).

Don't know which one it is that I know, but that song was playing clear as a bell in my head, yet a) I couldn't figure out what song it was and b) I was singing the words wrong (I was singing "oooo, been a long time for me"). But then I called Carrie and she said "I don't know what it is but here's more of it" and started singing "I'm not in love, so don't forget it..." then we conferenced in Monica and two seconds later, she was playing it for us! Woot!

My friends kick ass. I'm just sayin'.

Posted by Duff at 11:03 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under ...Sounds Like..., Listenin', Tunes

EP: She's Spanish, I'm American.

You may remember me telling you how awesome Josh Rouse is in concert... His albums tend to be very, very mellow and somewhat same-sounding throughout. But in concert, he's got a lot more than that going on. When I last saw him, he did one song with a girl who traveled over from Spain to perform with him (he's living there these days, I believe). Now they've gotten together and put out a four-song EP.

It's much more like his live show than his solo albums. It's not super hyper, but it's got some bounce to it. It's quite melodic and definitely has a little Spanish feel. Thumbs up. (Plus hello it's only four songs. It's not a hefty investment to try out!)

Posted by Duff at 10:31 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Tunes

I have no patience and I keep changing my mind.

So I HATE having multiple "artist" entries for the same people on my iPod. For example, I don't want to scroll down and see "Ryan Adams" followed by "Ryan Adams & the Cardinals", especially considering there is also "Whiskeytown" which really itself could be called "Ryan Adams". I find it terribly annoying.

So I lie to iTunes and say "Nope, that isn't Ryan Adams & the Cardinals" that's JUST "Ryan Adams." But then a few days later, I change my mind, go back, and relabel it all (adding the Cardinals back in).

However, if it's the same artist, but totally different band name, then I can live with that. I can live with "Bob Mould" "Husker Du" and "Sugar" all having their own artist entries...but I did have to create a "Bob Husker Sugar Mould" playlist in order to be able to shuffle between them.

Originally I did that with Ryan also ("Ryan Ryan Ryan") but then he was pissing me off so I went back and relabeled (out) the Cardinals again. I'm so fickle.

Then there's "DJ Dangermouse" "Dangermouse & Jemini" and "Gnarls Barkley". Ugh. I left them all as artists and then made a "Danger Danger Danger" playlist. But the playlists can really start to pile up...

Back, back, back in the days of the very first iPod ever, at the time, it did not realize that "The" is not how you want things filed alphabetically. So any band that started with "The" found itself in the Ts. So I switched all the names to things like "Beatles (The)" and "Cars (The"). And then they made a new, smarter iPod that knew to ignore the "The"s. So then I would import some new album or song and wind up with "Shins (The)" followed by "The Shins". So again I had to go in and relabel things.

I don't want a "Justin Timberlake" entry next to a "Justin Timberlake featuring Timbaland" entry. So anytime they put the "featuring" crap in the artist line, I delete it and put it after the song title instead "Sexyback (feat. Timbaland)".

Then there's the "random people who input song & artist names and submit them to iTunes and then when I import albums with different IDs I don't know which is which". Paste 20 had a song by "Bobby Bare". Then Paste 25 had a song by "Bobby Bare Jr's Young Criminal Starvation League." Or so iTunes IDed them. Does it not seem likely that these are the same artist and one or the other name would be correct and not both? Yet, so far, I am too lazy to actually get out my Pastes and find the truth...

Oh the traumas of managing your music....

Posted by Duff at 10:11 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Tunes

February 14, 2007

Singles I'm Diggin'

Most of which were bought, I'm sure, due to being played for a moment or two during an FNL episode. Sheesh, I'm pathetic! And one of which I think was bought after reading about it on Que Sera Sera, an occasional source of great music recommendations.

• "The Metre" Powderfinger
  
• "Waterfall" Griffin House
  
• "Jesus Christ" Brand New
  
• "So Divided" ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of the Dead
  
• "I Remember" Chris Brokaw (LOVELOVELOVE this one!)

And I meant to buy this forever ago when they were using it in the commercials for that show w/ Scott Foley in the secret navy seal-like military dealybop (is it called "The Unit"?) and I never remembered to buy it and then they used it on FNL too and it's a great song and I finally remembered:

• "Lord Give Me a Sign" DMX

Posted by Duff at 09:15 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Tunes

Anyone up on French tunes out there?

My cab driver in New York was french speaking (which I would have thought was great as it gave me a chance to practice but then was not great as it led to a hilarious maybe to him but not fun to me conversation about how i have no husband and no kids and then he told me that if i keep going on like this, i'll wind up all alone! gee thanks fucko! i already know that!) and listening to french tunes.

This cool song played... the chorus was "Salut Les Amis" and it sounded (music/melody/etc) a LOT like "hello america, how are you, say don't you know me, I'm your native son..."

Anyone know what song I'm looking for? Having no luck with Internet searches.... email me if you have a clue, thanks (click on 'say what' below for email link).

Posted by Duff at 08:33 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Tunes

How embarrassing...

to admit that I just LOVE this song!

Is JT actually going to be considered a respectable artist by the generations after us, who weren't around for the NSync bubblegum days?

Posted by Duff at 07:28 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Tunes

February 13, 2007

Bright Eyes Versus Bright Eyes

After reading a blog post with a random comment about how the blogger felt "I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning" was one of the best albums of the year when it came out (whatever year that was, I am too lazy to look it up), I decided to take a pod break from new stuff and have a Bright Eyes afternoon.

Yet, I found once again that of the two releases that came out simultaneously, I much prefer "Digital Ash in a Digital Urn" vs. "I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning."

I know IWAIM is more the traditional Bright Eyes' sound...but I like DAIADU a LOT more. I like the lyrics more, the mood, the backdrop, the "thick" layered orchestral (but actually digital) feel. I hear he has a zillion new albums going to come out later this year...I'm hoping for more Digital and less Folksy.

Posted by Duff at 01:53 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Tunes, Versus

February 09, 2007

First Impression of the New Fall Out Boy!

LOVE IT!! Totally sing-alongable. Definitely a little dash of Queen (or My Chemical Romance, hahahaha) thrown into the previous mix of punk/rock/anthem/boy tunes. So far, haven't heard a song I haven't liked.

Posted by Duff at 09:37 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Recommending, Tunes

January 25, 2007

2006 Leftovers.

So you may remember me offering up a list of "albums other people had in their top 10s that made me wonder..." as part of my overall 2006 music report. As you SHOULD have expected, I went out shortly afterward and bought all of them, except one that I haven't been able to track down either on iTunes or in physical stores (Hello, Camera Obscura, do you really need to be that obscure?). Here's how I feel about them at this point.

Really REALLY Like:
Ghostface Killah "Fischscale" - great fucking album. GREAT.
James Hunter "People Gonna Talk" - jazzy. awesome. cannot believe it's a skinny white dude singing. close your eyes and you'll be thinking it's Solomon Burke.
Jim Noir "Tower of Love" - Beatlesque goofy love lyrics, Beatlesque sounds. Happy!
The Rapture "Pieces of the People We Love" - I kept reading about this one and forgetting to buy it. Idiot! They're this year's (2006's) Franz Ferdinand/etc. (hello Michelle, that's a note to you [not you, Michele G.!]. I know you get mad when people don't tell you about albums you would like!)

Like (Perhaps a Lot) But Not Top 10ers:
The Mountain Goats "Get Lonely" - this is really quirky and sometimes very quiet & one-man-bandish. But it grows on me more and more.
Josh Ritter "Animal Years" - I don't think it's QUITE that amazing. But I like it. Solid songwriting and musicianship, interesting lyrics.
Neko Case "Fox Confessor Brings the Flood" - I really enjoy this album, but I don't find myself wanting to listen to it over and over. Best in separate doses. Don't think she's quite as compelling as, say, Cat Power or Rosanne Cash, two people who albums DID make my list (see link above).
Lily Allen "Alright, Still" - This is a super fun album. She's the British PINK!!! But I don't listen to it that often...because sadly I am an old lady now and its subject matter is a little juvenile. Good lord, did I just say this is too young for me? Oh sad day.

Like Well Enough:
Destroyer "Destroyer's Rubies", Dresden Dolls "Yes, Virginia" and Silversun Pickups "Carnavas" - These albums are all very redolent of Smashing Pumpkins to me and all have similar sounds to my ears. Dresden Dolls is a little Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs with the girl punk feel. Destroyer I liked, but don't get an urge to listen to. Silversun Pickups I like the best of the three, but is so Pumpkin-ish that it doesn't have a standout/recognizable on its own sound to me. So they're all fine, but I only put Silversun Pickups on the Pod and I probably won't be listening to these much.

Didn't Like:
TI "King" - just not the kind of rap I like, I guess (it's not Ghostface Killah, that's for sure). only two songs I outright enjoyed.
Grizzly Bear "Yellow House" - I will try to give this one more listen JUST IN CASE. But first impression was "Eh? No thanks."

Haven't Listened to Yet:
Birdman & L'il Wayne "Like Father, Like Son"
Lupe Fiasco "Food & Liquor"

Have Not Yet Found ANYWHERE:
Camera Obscura "Let's Get Out of This Country" - no idea where I found the single which I bought ages ago, but haven't been able to find this album on iTunes (only their previous one which I already have) nor at Tower, nor at Virgin...

Posted by Duff at 10:55 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Listenin', Recommending, Tunes

2006 Leftovers.

So you may remember me offering up a list of "albums other people had in their top 10s that made me wonder..." as part of my overall 2006 music report. As you SHOULD have expected, I went out shortly afterward and bought all of them, except one that I haven't been able to track down either on iTunes or in physical stores (Hello, Camera Obscura, do you really need to be that obscure?). Here's how I feel about them at this point.

Really REALLY Like:
Ghostface Killah "Fischscale" - great fucking album. GREAT.
James Hunter "People Gonna Talk" - jazzy. awesome. cannot believe it's a skinny white dude singing. close your eyes and you'll be thinking it's Solomon Burke.
Jim Noir "Tower of Love" - Beatlesque goofy love lyrics, Beatlesque sounds. Happy!
The Rapture "Pieces of the People We Love" - I kept reading about this one and forgetting to buy it. Idiot! They're this year's (2006's) Franz Ferdinand/etc. (hello Michelle, that's a note to you [not you, Michele G.!]. I know you get mad when people don't tell you about albums you would like!)

Like (Perhaps a Lot) But Not Top 10ers:
The Mountain Goats "Get Lonely" - this is really quirky and sometimes very quiet & one-man-bandish. But it grows on me more and more.
Josh Ritter "Animal Years" - I don't think it's QUITE that amazing. But I like it. Solid songwriting and musicianship, interesting lyrics.
Neko Case "Fox Confessor Brings the Flood" - I really enjoy this album, but I don't find myself wanting to listen to it over and over. Best in separate doses. Don't think she's quite as compelling as, say, Cat Power or Rosanne Cash, two people who albums DID make my list (see link above).
Lily Allen "Alright, Still" - This is a super fun album. She's the British PINK!!! But I don't listen to it that often...because sadly I am an old lady now and its subject matter is a little juvenile. Good lord, did I just say this is too young for me? Oh sad day.

Like Well Enough:
Destroyer "Destroyer's Rubies", Dresden Dolls "Yes, Virginia" and Silversun Pickups "Carnavas" - These albums are all very redolent of Smashing Pumpkins to me and all have similar sounds to my ears. Dresden Dolls is a little Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs with the girl punk feel. Destroyer I liked, but don't get an urge to listen to. Silversun Pickups I like the best of the three, but is so Pumpkin-ish that it doesn't have a standout/recognizable on its own sound to me. So they're all fine, but I only put Silversun Pickups on the Pod and I probably won't be listening to these much.

Didn't Like:
TI "King" - just not the kind of rap I like, I guess (it's not Ghostface Killah, that's for sure). only two songs I outright enjoyed.
Grizzly Bear "Yellow House" - I will try to give this one more listen JUST IN CASE. But first impression was "Eh? No thanks."

Haven't Listened to Yet:
Birdman & L'il Wayne "Like Father, Like Son"
Lupe Fiasco "Food & Liquor"

Have Not Yet Found ANYWHERE:
Camera Obscura "Let's Get Out of This Country" - no idea where I found the single which I bought ages ago, but haven't been able to find this album on iTunes (only their previous one which I already have) nor at Tower, nor at Virgin...

Posted by Duff at 10:55 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Listenin', Recommending, Tunes

January 24, 2007

First Impression: Shins "Wincing the Night Away"

Like it. LIKE it.

Edgier / less positive and bouncy than their previous outings. More of a downer (more what I like, really). Not until about "Red Rabbits" (song 6) does it start to bounce...and then only momentarily. Don't get me wrong: I love the Shins, bouncy or not. The general feel of this one is less that way.

p.s. and "Girl Sailor" ...SOUNDS LIKE... the Smiths (and Morrissey)! Bonus!

Posted by Duff at 08:33 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under ...Sounds Like..., Album, Listenin', Recommending, Tunes

January 14, 2007

Lyrics of the Day.

And some have said that true love is something we are sure of.
But my only hope lies in your being confused.

-"Vote" from the Submarines "Declare a New State"

Jen recommended this album to me ages ago; I bought it, liked it, but (for who knows what reason) didn't wind up listening to it that much at the time. I am really digging it these days.

Posted by Duff at 07:14 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under " " of the XXX., Listenin', Lyrics, Tunes

December 17, 2006

OK, I made my list.

And if you are so inclined you can go read what was my favorite music of 2006. I actually almost copped out of making a list this year...until I obsessively began reading everyone else's and then it was a lost cause/three-day project going through my iTunes monthly playlists and really figuring out what I actually listened to versus what I bought. Fun, fun. Feel free to email me and recommend stuff I apparently didn't listen to (or maybe I did and didn't like it, and then I'll tell you that); when it comes to music, I can (apparently) never get enough...

Despite its absence on the list, I must point out Sufjan's christmas box set has been by far the most listened to music this month... But considering that much of it is rerelease and not fresh, it didn't really seem to have a place in the overall scheme of the list.

If you're like me, and what you want are christmas CAROLS as opposed to christmas SONGS (rudolph, frosty, etc.) then this set is for you. Love it.

Posted by Duff at 08:40 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Lists, Tunes

December 07, 2006

CD Stocking Stuffer: I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness.

I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness - 5-song eponymous EP. Bonus points for great band name.

They put out a full album in March, but this is a good way to try them out. Price is right! :)

I saw them recommended for people who like Bloc Party - so you've got to wonder why I bought it (I found Bloc Party fun at first, but monotonous after a few listens). Think it's a bit quieter/darker/more sensitive than BP. Try it.

Posted by Duff at 08:12 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Tunes

November 16, 2006

Album: Damien Rice "9"

Beautiful. Really heartbreakingly mindblowingly beautiful. Quiet, and loud, and whispers, and shouts, and loves, and hates, and fears, and dreams. Beautiful.

Lyric of the Day: Waking up without you is like drinking from an empty cup...

Posted by Duff at 07:51 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under " " of the XXX., Album, Listenin', Lyrics, Tunes

November 15, 2006

Album: Damien Jurado "And Now That I'm in Your Shadow"

Very much in the Damien Rice/James Blunt/etc. arena. But all slow, all sad, all depressing.

The album gets to be a bit of a drag if you listen to it all in one go. In the same way that other albums (say, Kaiser Chiefs) can be a little too "one note" on the upside, this album is a little too much on the downside. Whereas say Damien Rice or James Blunt do have some songs that are at least at different tempos, if not in slightly better moods.

That said, I loveloveloveLOVE the first two songs: "Hoquiam" and "Denton, TX". I have listened to the two of them back to back approximately 57 times in the past two days. Sad, so sad. But so pretty!

Posted by Duff at 09:58 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Tunes

Album: My Chemical Romance "The Black Parade"

Sometimes things don't live up to the hype. But sometimes they do, and in this case, even better than.

Everyone's talking about Queen and glam-rock, but there are so many other influences obvious here as well. 90s anthem rock (Boston/REO), with a dose of punk thrown in, and several songs that bring Smashing Pumpkins to mind. It's loud and sassy and upbeat and fun. And the hidden track has a real Morrissey/Smiths feel to it.

Balme, you will love this. And Michelle, I think you would as well.

Posted by Duff at 09:53 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Tunes

November 09, 2006

Takin' me back, back, back in the day...

"Nice Day" Persphone's Bees ...SOUNDS LIKE... "Riding on the Metro" Berlin.

Not throughout but in a few places you hear the same vocal progression.

Posted by Duff at 09:08 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under ...Sounds Like..., Listenin', Tunes

November 05, 2006

Paolo Nutini, wherever did you get that voice?

Recommended by my good friend Evan, paparazzo extraordinaire and music lover, I recently got this EP off iTunes.

• "Jenny, Don't Be Hasty" - Old-Stones type of sassy. Gravely edge to his voice here. Has an old time rock/blues swing to it.
  
• "Last Request" - Big thick vocals. This skinny scottish boy is not what you picture when you listen to this song with your eyes closed. And you don't picture a 19 year old either! Bittersweet melancholy, begging for just one last time...
  
• "These Streets" - Folky/pop acoustic background, with an almost Reggae-like rhythm to the vocals.
  
• "New Shoes" - Rockabilly. A zippa-de-do-dah, chase the blues away tune.
  

Recommended by moi aussi.

Posted by Duff at 06:55 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Tunes

Album: Jet "Shine On"

There are moments that are way, way, way too Oasis-like and anthem-stereotypic.

But then there are songs like 'Eleanor" with its Beatles-esque sweetness and light and the harmonies on "All You Have to Do" especially that slow descending "Ah...ah." And I forget all about the Oasis crap that was bugging me earlier.

Posted by Duff at 05:37 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Tunes

October 27, 2006

Lyric of the Day.

There's nothing left to eat in this house / but your heart.

--from "Rich Wife" by The Long Winters

Posted by Duff at 01:26 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under " " of the XXX., Listenin', Lyrics, Tunes

October 26, 2006

Sometimes I feel Guilty.

I really like Badly Drawn Boy, a couple of his albums have done serious rotation time on my stereo. But after a halfhearted attempt at listening to the new album at Reckless the other day, and reading lots of mediocre reviews like this one, I just can't commit. But I feel guilty. What if it's really good? Or better than people say? What if I miss the boat on an album by someone I used to like? Should I get it just in case? Yes, these are things I think about. My mind = ALWAYS able to waste time! This explains why I own some CDs I don't listen to. As do we all, I assume.

Posted by Duff at 10:35 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Tunes

Thought of the day: Damn you, Gomez, get out of my head.

All weekend Kysa had "Cruel to Be Kind" running through her head. Each morning when she'd wake up, she'd say "You know what I hear?" and start humming it again. I kept asking "Oh is that 'Kind to Be Cruel' again?"

Today I have Gomez "See the World" ringing out over and over again. The lyrics keep leaping to mind. STOP IT ALREADY.

Posted by Duff at 09:17 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under " " of the XXX., Listenin', Tunes

A Look Back at Beck.

The major albums. Approximate dates. Random thoughts.

• 1994 Mellow Gold - never bought this album. Love "Loser". Have no clue about the rest of it!

• 1996 Odelay - Fun, Jazzy, Hyper, Goofy.

• 1998 Mutations - Melancholy and melodic. Lovely lyrics.

• 1999 Midnight Vultures - Sexsexsex. Techno.

• 2002 Sea Change - Sad. Heartbreak. Orchestral. Thick.

• 2005 Guero - My least favorite. Rock. Punk. About as "metal" as Beck gets.

• 2006 The Information - Pop. Ramblin' Rhythms. Little bit of everything. Some Stones moments.

When happy, I prefer Odelay and The Information or listening to "Loser" over and over again on repeat.

When I wanna dance, I prefer Midnight Vultures mixed with Odelay, The Information, and maybe a little bit of Guero thrown in.

When sensing possibility or just plain horny, I prefer Midnight Vultures.

When sad, quiet, contemplative or lonely, I prefer Mutations and Sea Change.

Y'all know which of those I most often am.

Posted by Duff at 09:01 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Tunes

October 13, 2006

All Beck, All Day.

Realized this morning that less than half the Beck I own was on my iPod. (Eh?) So I had to bring a stack of CDs in to work today to get primed for the concert tomorrow.

I forgot how much some early Beck ...SOUNDS LIKE... late 60s/early 70s Stones. Sassy lyrics and tone, guitar licks, jazzy blues feel.

Odelay-hee-ho.

Posted by Duff at 08:54 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under ...Sounds Like..., Listenin', Tunes

I never expected Stevie Nicks.

There is this boy who lives down the hall from me, who lives in the opposite time zone. When I am leaving my house at the ungodly hours of 5:15, 5:45, 6:15 and the like, he has clearly either just gotten home, or never gone to bed, as he is blasting music and dancing around his apartment, and usually has guests over as well. (Yes, I'm jealous. Let's move on before I get upset about it, shall we.) Hip-hop, rap, rock, alternative, he plays it all, but generally in the happy, hyper, loud and obnoxious mode. Yet this morning, I found myself stuck outside his door, listening to this sweet lilting chorus "Time cast a spell on you but you won't forget me..."

I thought "No. Seriously? No. Can't be!" It was. Stevie Nicks "Silver Springs", and good morning to you.

Posted by Duff at 08:50 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Lyrics, Tunes

October 01, 2006

Album: Scissor Sisters "Ta-Dah"

Fun. Hyper happy hoopla. As enervating as their previous effort. Part Elton John, part Bee Gees, part '70s dancehall mirror ball. If that floats your boat, this is for you. (Balme: you will LOVE this album.)

No ups vs. downs: it's all ups.

Posted by Duff at 12:30 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Tunes

September 29, 2006

Album: Pete Yorn "Nightcrawler"

Fickle girl, changes mind.

A couple days ago I told someone not to buy this album (and buy Joseph Arthur's new one instead). Now I'm not sure.

I like the first 3-4 songs. And I love "Splendid Isolation" (song 9) which has a real Traveling Wilbury's feel to it, oddly enough.

I'm still in consideration on this one.

Posted by Duff at 10:10 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Tunes

September 26, 2006

Random Recommendation: Scissor Sisters

Good for dancin'. Workin' out. Being happy. Smiling. Bouncing.

Super high-energy. In concert, similar to Gnarls, they suck up the crowd's energy and spin it back out times 10,000.

Their new album came out today: if it's even half as fun as their last one, it'll surely be worth my while. And yours!

Posted by Duff at 02:07 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Recommending, Tunes

Album: Joseph Arthur "Nuclear Daydream"

Have listened to this at least 25 times in the past two days. I guess I like it! Fits right into my Melancholy Boys for Mondays playlist. Introspective. "The days when I would die for you are now gone..." Has a very 60's Stones sound on the chorus of "When I Was Running Out of Time".

Only song I can't really listen to is "Don't Tell Your Eyes" with the "Jesus loves you more than you know" repetition in the chorus. I once got yelled at for recommending Joseph Arthur: "why'd you tell me to buy this bible music?" Yes, the chorus of "In the Sun" repeats "may God's love be with you" and one album is called "Redemption's Son" and has some biblical imagery...but until the yelling, I hadn't really noticed. I've been assured by someone that they know someone who knows him (or someone who knows someone who knows him) and he's not a bible banger....but the topic does keep rearin' its head.

Not as blatantly as with Jenny Lewis, but it's still always there in the back of my mind.

Betsy, if you're reading, I'd say buy this instead of the new Pete Yorn. It's much more satisfying.

Posted by Duff at 01:48 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Tunes

September 22, 2006

Song of the Day.

I hate everyone

All the people on the street
I hate you all
And the people that I meet
I hate you all
And the people that I know
I hate you all
And the people that I don't
I hate you all

Oh I hate you all.

I hate most everybody
But most of all
I hate...
I hate...
I hate YOU.

--"I Hate Everyone" Get Set Go, Grey's Anatomy Vol. 2

How often do you hear "big stupid jerk" in the lyrics to a song? Priceless.

Posted by Duff at 12:08 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under " " of the XXX., Listenin', Lyrics, Tunes

September 18, 2006

Album: Barenaked Ladies "Barenaked Ladies Are Me"

Sweet (mostly). Melodic. Very singalong-able. Occasionally quirky but not overwhelmingly so. Solid. Enjoyable.

If you're a BNL fan already, well worth it. If if you are NOT a BNL fan, man, you are NO FUN, is what I have to say to you.

Posted by Duff at 06:49 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Tunes

September 13, 2006

Priceless Lyrics of the Day.

I say shotgun, you say wedding...
--Panic! at the Disco

Sex reminds her of eating spaghetti.
--Ben Kweller

Posted by Duff at 12:35 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under " " of the XXX., Listenin', Lyrics, Tunes

Have you ever heard anything as gorgeous as this?

Get yourself Joseph Arthur's cover of "There Is a Light that Never Goes Out" (Smiths). Swoon.

And if you like melancholy girls as well as melancholy boys, go get Imelda de la Cruz "Noise, Noise, Noise" which is quite the lovely album. We have a mutual friend and I can't thank him enough for giving me this. Love it.

Posted by Duff at 07:21 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Recommending, Tunes

August 25, 2006

Am I in a bad mood I don't know about?

Or is this latest Snow Patrol album just really, really fucking sad? I just calmly decided to listen to it a little while ago and now I'm almost in tears over the lyrics and the melancholy moody music... Not recommended for the suicidal among you.

It's a good album. It's just a bit of a downer.

Posted by Duff at 11:56 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Tunes

July 29, 2006

"Chorus line" of the day:

So your boyfriend has no clue / of how much I've been touching you...

--Her Space Holiday "Something to Do with My Hands"

Posted by Duff at 04:58 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under " " of the XXX., Listenin', Lyrics, Tunes

July 27, 2006

I offered her chocolates and some beer...

"Tonight Let's Dance" by Elefant ...SOUNDS LIKE... David Bowie. Musically at least. But not Bowie-like lyrics.

Posted by Duff at 10:34 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under ...Sounds Like..., Listenin', Tunes

July 21, 2006

One must take pride in being paradoxical.

So generally I hate movies made from books, and usually I hate movies made from movies (i.e., remakes, doh), but when it comes to tunes, I LOVE COVERS. What's up with that?

Because a good song is a good song no matter who's singing it? That's my theory behind my irrational love of Danny Michel's (recommended to me by Brainy Alison) entire album of David Bowie covers.

The bonus of all this being that Michel's originals are good too...

Posted by Duff at 09:27 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Tunes

July 14, 2006

Songs Titled "Trouble" on My iPod.

1. "Trouble" - Cat Stevens.
2. "Trouble" - Coldplay.*
3. "Trouble" - Joe Purdy.
4. "Trouble" (cover of Ray LaMontagne) - Kristin Hirsch.
5. "Trouble" - Pink.
6. "Trouble" - Ray LaMontagne.
7. "Trouble" (LIVE) - Ray LaMontagne.

Any coincidence that 5 of the 7 are sung by boys, and 6 of the 7 are written by boys? I think not!

*Why is this even on my iPod? I hate Coldplay.

Posted by Duff at 09:09 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Lists, Tunes

July 10, 2006

What's the story, morning glory?

The Subways "No Goodbye" ...SOUNDS LIKE... mid '90s Oasis.

Posted by Duff at 10:01 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under ...Sounds Like..., Listenin', Tunes

July 05, 2006

Chicago (and Nanders-specific) Flashback

The intro and refrain lyric of "Corvette" by Golden Smog ...SOUNDS LIKE... something from Figdish's album "When Shove Goes Back to Push."

Posted by Duff at 02:44 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under ...Sounds Like..., Listenin', Tunes

Warning: Flashback Ahead!

Random '80s songs (among others) that played during dinner last night at what did not seem to be an incredibly out of date restaurant but clearly based on musical choices was indeed:

Breathe "Hands to Heaven": Tonight I need your sweet caress, Hold me in the darkness...
Asia "Only Time Will Tell": Now, sure as the sun will cross the sky, This lie is over, Lost, like the tears that used to tide me over...

Although I could (and did) sing along to every word of each song, I could not name either the artist or the title of either song. It's Alzheimer's, I'm telling you.

Posted by Duff at 02:31 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Tunes

June 30, 2006

Glimmer Twins Shout Out

The chorus of Bishop Allen's "The History of Excuses" ...SOUNDS LIKE... "Street Fighting Man" Rolling Stones.

Posted by Duff at 07:43 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under ...Sounds Like..., Listenin', Tunes

June 27, 2006

The musical answer I am seeking is lost somewhere in a crevice of my senile mind.

At what age does it become possible to have early-onset Alzheimer's?

I am listening to Band of Horses, which came recommended by one of my trustworthy recommenders (as opposed to the non trustworthy ones, where afterward I think "Why did I waste my money? I KNEW I wouldn't like something they suggested..."). And I like it, but it ...SOUNDS LIKE... someone I can't think of. And it is driving me crazy. It's all I can think about it, and I can feel the answer swimming around the black outer depths of my mind, poking forward, retreating back, never quite coming into consciousness... Argh.

I am also listening to Alexi Murdoch, who fits quite nicely into my Melancholy Boys for Mondays playlist. You will recognize one of his songs as it was on both The O.C. and the soundtrack to Ladder 49.

Silvia sent me Margot & the Nuclear So and So's. "Skeleton Key" is a lovely, lovely song. They are a bit confusing to my mind though as the presumably female "Margot" does not appear to be the lead singer. Thus I can never remember the name of the band (there's that Alzheimer's again).

I forgot (and again) all about John Vanderslice until my iPod's shuffle seemed to get stuck in his section driving back from Minnesota. Everytime one of his songs came on, I thought " Huh. I like this. BUT WHO IS IT?" That's one of the hazards of buying too much music; if you don't listen to it right away, and decide whether you like it, there's a chance you may forget to ever listen to it... and you won't know it when you do.

Donavon Frankenreiter is friends with Jack Johnson and is being promoted as that type of singer. Actually I find Jack Johnson super boring and way too mellow, and Frankenreiter actually adds just a li'l' bit o' soul to the mix. A little bit of funk hidden in the mellow surfer boy, just enough to make it listenable as opposed to sleep-inducing. Still pretty calm...not for everyday, but for sometimes.

Have you heard Boy Least Likely To's cover of George Michael's Faith? I heard them do it live the other day and finding an MP3 of it online was sooooo pleasing to me. Great song to cover. Also great cover. They're a great band to see live, full of pep and constantly teasing each other.

Speaking of covers, the Magic Numbers, who I recommended to you at the end of last year, have covers out there of the Smiths, of Franz Ferdinand (love when people cover their peers), AND of Beyonce's "Crazy in Love". It's worth looking for, as it's one of those songs like the Kelly Clarkson "Since U Been Gone" number; i.e., it's actually a good song when sung by someone who isn't just shouting it out for all they've got (you don't have the Ted Leo cover of "Since U Been Gone"? Where ya been?).

Speaking of 'in concert', Corrine Bailey Rae is also good to see live; she funks things up and really throws it all out there...Much livelier and fuller than on the album, which I personally get very bored by. She's also a teeny tiny skinny girl and you find yourself wondering the whole night WHERE that deep rich Aretha Franklin voice is coming from. Loved her in concert; but can't listen to her album that often. Maybe she'll put out a live album!!

And in terms of singles, I've been playing Dave Matthews' "Steady as We Go" a lot these days. I'm not really a DMB fan, he happened a little too late for me -- I find my friends who love him were in college when he was really warming up (while I was OUT of college by then), while people who were in college when I was are instead fans of the Indigo Girls and bands who were making the college rounds during that slightly earlier time period -- but occasionally I find a random one-off of his that I like and SAWG was recently on an episode of the much-loved late-Everwood.

That's it for now; back to the pod...

Posted by Duff at 09:37 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Tunes

June 23, 2006

Last Night's iTunes Buying Frenzy.

If you're a Keane fan - their new album is very, very, VERY listen-worthy. It is distinctively them, but it is them good.

If you're a Nelly Furtado fan - her new album is very confusing to me. But note that sell-out is not my choice of word, as others are saying.

If you're a Gomez fan - then you know more than I do as this is my first Gomez purchase. A purchase that I am quite enjoying. And by quite enjoying I mean I almost can't breathe during a couple of the songs.

So two thumbs way way up and one thumb that can't figure out which way is up and which way is down. But more on that one later.

Posted by Duff at 11:31 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Tunes

June 22, 2006

Welcome to a new Snip category: Sounds Like.

"I saw you" Josh Kelly ...SOUNDS LIKE... Barenaked Ladies!

Posted by Duff at 08:26 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under ...Sounds Like..., Listenin', Tunes

June 11, 2006

As Richard Julian sings:

...and yet this river of doubt, this spout that I can't turn off...

Posted by Duff at 10:40 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Lyrics, Tunes

June 09, 2006

Frightening, really.

So there was this moment yesterday when I couldn't remember whether Susannah Hoffs had been in The Bangles or in Bananarama.

And I thought "MY GOD, senility has finally set in, and I'm only 38. I have to live through (presumably) 50 more years of this crap..."

Actually I am still thinking that.

So Susannah Hoffs and Matthew Sweet (who technically I don't like even one tiny bit*) did an entire album of goofy duet covers. It's a little saccharine sweet to take in all in one blow -- I wouldn't say "go buy the album" -- but I bought three or four songs off it and they're all super boppy and poppy and bubbly and sweet. The perfect summer tunes for cruising around in a convertible with sand on your toes and maybe a slushy Big Gulp or frozen coke in your non-steering-wheel hand.

Susannah Hoffs has such an '80s pop voice. It just takes me back; it's as if there is no other kind of song she could even sing. (Even tho some of these songs go further back. I think you can understand what I mean. And if not, well...)

*I saw him open for Sheryl Crow once. He was awful. That was back when Sheryl Crow wasn't quite so fucking annoying but she was amazingly thin. Thin like her entire body was the width of my forearm. And she kept swinging her guitar around to her back and letting it hang there and you kept wondering why her neck wasn't breaking under the weight of it. Skinny like Nicole Richie skinny. Oh, how I dream of it... (of me being that skinny, not of stupid Sheryl Crow that skinny. Hellooooo, not my type!)

Posted by Duff at 09:33 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Tunes

June 01, 2006

So I offered to make someone a mix for their birthday.

And they said yes, but it must contain Scorpion "Wind of Change."

I told them not to expect Headbanger's Ball, but now that I've got Scorpion slotted in, all and I mean ALL I can think about is Whitesnake.

Take me down, slow and easy...der der der der...["der der der der" isn't that what the guitar part sounds like to you? no?]

In a likely futile effort to get the Whitesnake out of my head, I'm now listening to the following in a vaguely repeat fashion:

• "Something Pretty" Patrick Park (...and as for loneliness, she greets me every morning...)
  
• "Halo" Bethany Joy Lenz (sung as the character Haley on the show I am too embarrassed to admit I occasionally watch)
  
• "World Spins Madly On" the Weepies
  
• "Wildwood Flower" (cover) Reese Witherspoon
  
• "On Your Porch" The Format
  

Wish me luck.

Posted by Duff at 03:31 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Tunes

May 30, 2006

This girl definitely just wants to have fun.

My top summer CDs right now are 1) Gnarls Barkley, 2) Daniel Powter and 3) Pink.

They are not the deepest most soul searching albums around (Powter seems to be getting slammed in reviews. Hello there is nothing wrong with just being FUN!!!! stupid idiots) but they are making me happy, bouncy and almost unable to keep from at least twitching if not outright dancing.

I can go elsewhere for life lessons; this is SUMMER, yo.

Posted by Duff at 03:47 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Tunes

May 25, 2006

New music for the plane.

The latest albums (with my quickie impressions from one or two listens) from: Snow Patrol (like it but very much just "regular" rock, no innovations from 1st record); Pearl Jam (rocking OUT); Fiona Apple (jazzy); Dixie Chicks (haven't sampled yet); and Paste Sampler 22 (not yet).

Posted by Duff at 09:43 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Tunes

May 23, 2006

Current Favorite Sad Song.

"Coffee and Cigarettes", Augustana.

Posted by Duff at 04:43 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Tunes

May 22, 2006

"Celebrating my love for you with a pint of beer and a new tattoo..."

A great line by Billy Bragg for those of you contemplating tattoo designs...

Posted by Duff at 07:11 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Lyrics, Tunes

May 17, 2006

Mystery Music.

"Communicate" by the Strive Roots from Bio Resonance Therapy.

HUH???

Never heard of the song, the group or the album. Yet here it is, playing on my iPod. It's a fun song, but where the fuck did it come from?

Posted by Duff at 02:54 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Tunes

Now that takes me back a decade. Seriously.

Maceo Parker is playing Chicago's House of Blues in June. Last time I saw Maceo Parker was New Year's Eve of either 1995 or 1996, tickets bought "sight unseen"* on the recommendation of a friend who loved loved loved Maceo. Nanders, do you remember Sean's obsession with MP? Too funny.

It was a GREAT show, by the way. I just don't listen to jazz that frequently.

*"Sound unheard" doesn't really have the same resonance, does it.

Posted by Duff at 12:37 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Live!!, Tunes

May 10, 2006

DangerMouse Does It Again

The mixmastered Grey Album was magnificent. Much better than the Black Album (Jay-Z). (Altho, of course, not QUITE as good as the White Album (do I need to tell you whose album the White Album is? If so, this may not be the blog for you...).)

I am in the midst of my first listen to the latest DangerMouse work: Gnarls Barkley "St Elsewhere"...and I love it. So much fun!!

Posted by Duff at 10:47 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Tunes

May 03, 2006

First Time for Everything.

I honestly didn't think there were any Tori Amos songs I liked. Turns out "A Sorta Fairytale" is quite lovely.

Posted by Duff at 08:31 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Tunes

April 30, 2006

Fickle girl changes her mind.

After listening to the KEXP podcast of the Editors at SXSW, I completely changed my fickle little mind and decided to buy the album. I haven't paid that much close attention to the lyrics YET, but after a few superficial listens, it is definitely exactly the kind of bitter, angry, plodding, yet mellow, kind of music I wanted to be listening to right now. It's turgid...in a good way. Sweet.

Posted by Duff at 03:22 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Tunes

April 27, 2006

New Singles Recommendations.

• "All My Life" DJ Harry (from Wallace/Jackie's makeout scene on Veronica Mars)
  
• "We All Lose One Another" Jason Collett (from the worst show I watch which I am too ashamed to admit to either here or here)
  
• "Waiting for You" Ben Harper
  
• "Reason to Mourn" Ben Harper (looooooove)
  
• "Hands" Mrs. John Soda
  
• "Shuffle Your Feet" Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (hmmm, seem to like every song of theirs I try...)
  
• "I Love a Man in Uniform" Gang of Four
  
• "Bom Bom Bom" Living Things
  
• "Speeding Car" Imogen Heap
  

Posted by Duff at 02:29 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Recommending, Tunes

April 25, 2006

There's a little country girl hidden somewhere in my heart.

And thus I am LOVING this pseudo-country album I bought in Australia:

The Audreys "Between Last Night and Us."

I bought it purely for its cool cover with no idea what kind of music it contained or whether I would like it.

Damn damn damn do I ever.

Posted by Duff at 09:26 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Tunes

April 14, 2006

I've never heard of Renee Geyer before.

But hisher cover of Crowded House's "Into Temptation" is really, really awesome.

It's from She Will Have Her Way: The Songs of Tim & Neil Finn. Picked up by both Me and Mariko in Australia, but of course.

Crowded House = I can never get enough.

Posted by Duff at 07:02 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Recommending, Tunes

April 13, 2006

"Come on, Lady, give this bum a sense of pride."

If he doesn't sing this song ("Sunshine") I think I might cry.

Then again, I'm so tired, I might just wind up crying anyway.

Posted by Duff at 09:04 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Lyrics, Tunes

April 12, 2006

The Herd: "An Elephant Never Forgets"

I am listening to Aussie Hip Hop right now and QUITE enjoying myself.

Posted by Duff at 06:52 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Tunes

March 19, 2006

Mike Doughty played a new song last night.

It's called "That's how you fuck a Republican."

His record producer is arguing with him about it. He said "I keep telling him, there's nothing ironic about it; in the song, I actually want to fuck a Republican." "Clean girl, dirty mind."

Another new song started "I wrote a song about your car; I wrote it with your hips in mind."

Posted by Duff at 09:12 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Live!!, Lyrics, Tunes

March 17, 2006

Go Buy This Album: Daniel Powter.

How is it that I had to just be messing around in iTunes to find out about this. I LOVE IT. It is making me very very very happy right now. Or the happiest I can be right now given the underlying I'm not happy.

Super fun, bouncy. BUY IT.

That is my advice for you this Friday, the 17th of March. That is all.

Posted by Duff at 12:11 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Tunes

March 16, 2006

Current Favorite Song

"World Spins Madly On" -The Weepies.

Posted by Duff at 02:51 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Tunes

February 24, 2006

Mystery Music

I have no clue how/when/why this got on my iPod or what other playlists it resides in (i'm listening to "fevrier 2006" right now), but "Listen to Your Heart" by D.H.T. is really rocking my world right now.

Posted by Duff at 02:16 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Tunes

February 22, 2006

Dude.

Joshua Radin recorded a COVER of "Only You." And it's brilliant. It's up on iTunes. GO!

Original by Yaz on "Upstairs at Eric's" an album I used to listen to on the Jukebox while playing Mr. Do.

(During the same time period, I was once involved in a modern dance to this song. Which involved me being in black tights/leotard and a teal off shoulder sweatshirt. Damn. I was not only stylin' in the '80s, but I was also color coordinated. I'm sure I had on matching teal socks.)

Posted by Duff at 06:06 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Tunes

Just My Style - Post #2.

Still listening to it today.

She quotes "We Three Kings" in "The World Unseen."

Dude. I love christmas hymns.

Posted by Duff at 10:23 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Tunes

February 21, 2006

Just My Style.

Rosanne Cash "Black Cadillac." Turgid and moody, thickly layered, questioning. Love it.

Posted by Duff at 07:13 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Recommending, Tunes

February 15, 2006

Can you buy "records" with scary "covers" ?

I am digging this "I Write Summer Songs for No Reason" song by Acid House that Pandora is playing me. But the album cover is freaking me out.

Posted by Duff at 10:22 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Tunes

February 09, 2006

Girlie Tunes.

Normally I am all about the melancholy boys. But yesterday I got the new Beth Orton "Comfort of Strangers" and the finally-released-in-the-states KT Tunstall "Eye to the Telescope." Add those to Cat Power and Jenny Lewis and it's a very girlie month here in February, that it is.

Posted by Duff at 02:47 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Tunes

February 07, 2006

Not Your Normal Duff Reaction

So one of my co-workers has me listening to KEXP. And while perusing their DJ's Best of 2005 lists, one album kept popping up over and over: Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings "Naturally". I'm diggin' it.

Posted by Duff at 11:45 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Tunes

February 06, 2006

All men are liars, their words ain't worth no more than worn out tires...

Nick DrakeLowe is a genius. Why didn't anyone tell me about this song before? (And it was a man that sent it to me.)

Posted by Duff at 08:54 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Lyrics, Tunes

January 30, 2006

Do You Know Sera Cahoone?

Listen to "Couch Song" at least. I really need this CD, man.

Posted by Duff at 09:46 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Tunes

Back to Back

Cat Power. Bob Schneider. Cat Power. Bob Schneider.

this is what I'm listening to tonight....

Posted by Duff at 08:33 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Tunes

January 19, 2006

At work today, my email crashed 27 times.

No joke. 27.

Feelin' a little violent. The M's seemed to fit that mood well. I've had this album(an old EP - only 6 songs) forever, but never really got around to listenin' to it.

If you're feeling murderous - I'd recommend it.

Posted by Duff at 06:35 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Tunes

She said "Bay...beee...I like the cut of your J-I-B"

Listening to the Libertines today as I heard they broke up.

Sad...but not as sad as me having to break up with Danny McCoy (Josh Duhamel) after seeing what he wore to the Golden Globes.

Helloooooo, skinny ties give me the skeeves.

Posted by Duff at 06:33 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Listenin', Lyrics, Tunes

January 06, 2006

Mixin' It Up.

50-Cent + Queen = Q-Unit.

Give it a listen. It's Q-Brilliant.

(Via Josh Spear.)

Posted by Duff at 03:07 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Album, Listenin', Tunes