Killing Joke - "Love Like Blood"

Killing Joke - "Love Like Blood": "This awesomely Goth-ish (Goth-esque? Avant-goth?) Brit-rock number shows just one of Killing Jokes' many faces, proving themselves here both dark and danceable."

Pino Donaggio - "Body Double (from Body Double)"

Pino Donaggio - "Body Double (from Body Double)": "I watched Body Double the other week for the first time, while I was home sick. It had its moments, despite being a pretty brain-dead take on Vertigo and other Hitchcock, but this 'song' from the score stayed with me. This is the tune they play every time the male lead watches a mystery woman do a private dance - through his telescope. The synths are pretty 80s Euro-cheese - as are the breathy female vocals - but it's catchy anyway."

Jane Wiedlin & Sparks - "Cool Places"

Jane Wiedlin & Sparks - "Cool Places": "Jane Wiedlin and Sparks' Russell Mael's low-key interplay makes them sounds like dorks trying to party...but that still makes them cool, doesn't it? New wave gold."

The Posies - "Coming Right Along"

The Posies - "Coming Right Along": "I'm not really familiar with the Posies, but Rhapsody put this song in my (user-responsive) Personal Playlist and I was immediately fascinated by the dirge-like, ominous tune. There's something about the minimal presentation that plays up the dark, eerie qualities of the instrumentation. Heavy."

The B-52's - "Mesopotamia"

The B-52's - "Mesopotamia": "A warped history lesson featuring Fred Schneider, the B-52s walked like an Egyptian before the Bangles did, complete with the Kate/Cindy vocal harmonies that made their songs so glorious."

Beck - "Deadweight"

Beck - "Deadweight": "Lazy insects buzzing over South-of-the-border swaying winds up sliding down backwards behind sticky falsetto and fumbling Hammond organ fingerings. A great Beck tune that you can really get lost in."

Tsunami - "In A Name"

Tsunami - "In A Name": "Wow, I haven't heard this song in so long. This is from the time that my best friend was turning me onto all this indie rock and noise pop, a lot of it female-fronted bands anywhere from Belly to The Frumpies. Tsunami was part of this group and it wasn't long before I was ordering 'how-to' guides on starting a record label from their label, Simple Machines. (Not that I started one, in the end...)"

The Whigs - "Like A Vibration"

The Whigs - "Like A Vibration": "We premiered this song - in an exclusive, live Rhapsody Originals version - several months ago. Now we're premiering the studio version on their new album, Mission Control. The good news is that, even when they took the song into the studio, it still rocks hard."

Guns N' Roses - "You Could Be Mine"

Guns N' Roses - "You Could Be Mine": "This song always makes me think of T2 and: "'You could be miiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnneeeee!!!!' Oh, Axl, what happened?"

The Bee Gees - "Nights On Broadway"

The Bee Gees - "Nights On Broadway": "This one's for Stephanie. I can see why she likes this tune!"

Kent - "Elvis"

Kent-"Elvis": "Fabulous Britrock, a la Buffseeds or darker Travis (think 'Re-Offender') - except that these lads are Swedish! Sadly, they didn't hit U.S. gold, so Americans never got to hear Hagnesta Hill - their next, and even better record, which only came out in Europe."

Kaiser Chiefs - "Everything Is Average Nowadays"

Kaiser Chiefs - "Everything Is Average Nowadays": "Depends on how you define average, no? I'll take this song as tongue-in-cheek and vote it definitely above-average!"

Isaac Hayes - "Run Fay Run"

Isaac Hayes - "Run Fay Run": "Speaking of Isaac Hayes, here's a great Hayes instrumental number - all jittering with percussion, while an electric guitar machine guns peppers the track...and then the horns and strings kick in. Funky and tasty."

Hooverphonic - "2Wicky"

Hooverphonic - "2Wicky": "Remember when trip-hop was the big new thing? For those of you who don't, it was largely UK-based artists conjuring smokey atmospheres over sparse beats, usually with an altered soul sample somewhere in the mix. I realize this is a pretty rough distillation of the genre, but I think this track is still a great example of that concept, with the killer mood to match.
Oh - to the point of the soul sample, a huge chunk of this track comes from Isaac Hayes' cover of 'Walk On By'."

The PeeChees - "I Could Have Loved You"

The PeeChees - "I Could Have Loved You": "Raucous, energetic and lightly abrasive - I dare you not to thrash and pogo to this rocker. Its brutal simplicity is part of its charms, especially with lyrics like 'I could have loved you / but you, but you / DON'T! LIKE! ME!' You could take the second to realize it's a song of unrequited love, but you should be too busy burning down the barn to notice."

Dinosaur Jr - "Goin' Home"

Dinosaur Jr - "Goin' Home": "The softer side of Dinosaur Jr. I revisited this record over the holidays and I remembered how much I like it, but also realized how scary it is that it's now been 15 years (!) since it came out."

Idlewild - "A Distant History"

Idlewild - "A Distant History": "My favorite Idlewild b-side!"

M83 - "Teen Angst"

M83 - "Teen Angst": "The beat has the steady clip of someone running, but the keyboards sound like wave crashes with the vocals as the resultant spray on top. Dreamy.
(Related note: I've heard the new M83, out next year, and it's freaking awesome. I cannot wait for it to come out!)"

Michael Penn - "Now We're Even"

Michael Penn - "Now We're Even": "Once a part of Michael's Free For All album, this track vanished when RCA re-issued Free For All and his debut record, March on one disc. Strangely, the track was not resurrected for the Palms and Runes, Tarot and Tea compilation on SBMG/Legacy - but at least my pals at Legacy were willing to play ball and attach the track to the digital version of the record. It's bad enough when b-sides fall off the face of the earth as formats change and time passes, but an album track suffering that fate is pretty horrible. Thanks to Legacy for not allowing that to happen here!"

Ludacris - "What's Your Fantasy (Remix)"

Ludacris - "What's Your Fantasy (Remix)": I love this song for two reasons:
1. The yelling of "Remix! REMIX! REMIX!!" at the beginning of the song. I just think it's funny to call it out like that.
2. It's awesomely nasty, but catchily so. Serious parental advisory on this one."

Lusk - "Backworlds"

Lusk - "Backworlds": "Despite featuring a former member of Tool, this song couldn't be any more dissimilar from that band. Here, lush production swirls hushed vocals, squiggly keyboards, metallic guitars and atmospheric washes into a offbeat pop wonderland.
There are probably only four people who get this joke, but - I wonder, is Paul D'Amour still on honeymoon in Turkey?"

Cake - "Never, Never Gonna Give You Up"

Cake - "Never, Never Gonna Give You Up": "Cake does Barry White and it actually works, in a fun way. I seem to recall that this is from the American Werewolf In Paris soundtrack, which I might have had at the time (for some reason? maybe someone gave it to me?), so it's triggering a 1997 flashback for me.
(The track now appears on Cake's new b-sides/rarities comp.)"

Giant Drag - "This Isn't It"

Giant Drag - "This Isn't It": "Normally, I don't blog about the same artist three times, let alone three songs from the same record, but I am here, for Giant Drag's "Hearts and Unicorns". (I know, I checked.) The vocals are sweet and sad, the music is fuzzy, the chord progression really works for me and...damn, I just love this record. It almost scares me to hear whatever they do next, because it might never be this good."

Snoop Dogg - "Sensual Seduction"

Snoop Dogg - "Sensual Seduction": "This song is a pretty cheesy love jam and one that would be unbearable if it wasn't coming from Snoop Dogg. Somehow, in his hands - despite the fact that he's singing now - this song becomes a real pimp anthem. And I don't mean 'pimp' as in booty-kickin' street pimp - I mean 'pimp' as in smooth seducer...which is basically what the song's about. I should be lamenting this soft turn for him, but it actually makes me respect him more."

Serge Gainsbourg - "Panpan Cucul"

Serge Gainsbourg - "Panpan Cucul": "A belated souvenir from my trip to Paris. I picked up a bunch of Gainsbourg comps (unreleased in America, although most of the material is still available here in one form or another) and, while catching up on my foreign purchases last night, I turned up this track. I hadn't heard it before, but hearing Serge hiss about spankings (if I translated correctly) over a slow 70s-style piano-and-guitar groove is just...well, awesome."

The Teenagers - "Starlett Johansson"

The Teenagers - "Starlett Johansson": "I admit this track caught my eye because of the title, but it proves interesting beyond that - a weird mix of Euro spoken word and breathy indie pop, all somewhat about Ms. Scarlett Johansson."

Superchunk - "Tie A Rope To The Back Of The Bus"

Superchunk - "Tie A Rope To The Back Of The Bus": "...mainly because I am sitting at the back of the bus on the way to and from work every day, on the MUNI. But also because I love this song!"

Barbara Lewis - "Hello Stranger"

Barbara Lewis - "Hello Stranger": "One of my favorite 'oldies radio' songs, along with Eddie Floyd's "Knock On Wood". It's just a really smooth song with suave backing vocals, enough rhythm to be interesting and a perfect touch of both longing and 'come hither' from Barbara herself."

Krokus - "Screaming In The Night"

Krokus - "Screaming In The Night": "This post comes with thanks to Nick and the Interweb. While watching Metal Mania on VH1 Classic with Nick the other night, I described to him this video I remembered from the early days of MTV, where a metal band were some kind of slaves in a future world, but somehow wound up in a 80s-style diner, watching their 'former world' on the diner TV. The problem was, I couldn't remember who the band was or what the song was - or, likely, never knew in the first place.
Turns out, I didn't quite remember it all correctly, but - after 24 years (!) of not knowing who/what the video was, it turns out the correct answer was Krokus and 'Screaming In The Night.' Now the long-running mystery has been solved!
It's not the best transfer, but if you want to see the video, you can watch it here and read this great written summation of the video here. Seriously awesome 80s metal video."

Heart - "Barracuda"

Heart - "Barracuda": "I finally started playing Guitar Hero III this weekend and I was very excited to try my hand at this little number. Of course, I sucked my way through the first take, since I once again* underestimated the wicked guitar work of Heart - but never again!

* - See "Crazy On You", along with my initial Guitar Hero post on the Rhapsody Staff Blog.

P.S. - Since last month, it's hard for me to think of this song without thinking of Glenn F's impression of Celine Dion doing this song. Priceless!"

Barcelona - "Studio Hair Gel"

Barcelona - "Studio Hair Gel": "The keyboards are excellent and the sassy female vocals, taunting about bad `80s taste and hipsterism, add up to sharp new wave."

William Shatner - "Theme From Cyrano / Mr. Tambourine Man"

William Shatner - "Theme From Cyrano / Mr. Tambourine Man": "Actually, this might be even more amazing than the other Shatner tune I just posted. How the hell did he come up with this?"

William Shatner - "How Insensitive"

William Shatner - "How Insensitive": "Pure Shatner magic, `60s vintage."

Benny Benassi - "Satisfaction"

Benny Benassi - "Satisfaction": "Normally, this song would make me think of sexy robots (kind of like in the Bjork video for "All Is Full Of Love", but much faster) - but, for anyone who's seen the video, it's hard not to think of jiggling."

The Gossip - "Standing In The Way of Control (Soulwax Nite Version)"

The Gossip - "Standing In The Way of Control (Soulwax Nite Version)": "In the original version, The Gossip started an indie dance party. Now Soulwax transforms the song into what I can only describe as riot disco, somehow keeping the original's thrashy vibe while pumping up the bass and the Beth Ditto."

A. A. Bondy - "No Man Shall"

A. A. Bondy - "No Man Shall": "Verbena's Scott Bondy - now performing as A.A. Bondy - fully reveals his mellow, melancholy side on this first solo record. We've seen elements of this before in Verbena ("Me and Yr Sister")", but here he allows that side of him to take full reign and, even without the distorted rock that was the cornerstone of Verbena anywhere to be found, it's a suprisingly fulfilling affair. (Thanks to Dick Huey for flagging this one for me. Without him, I don't know if I would have made the Scott/A.A. connection.)"

The Locust - "The Half-Eaten Sausage Would Like To See You In His Office"

The Locust - "The Half-Eaten Sausage Would Like To See You In His Office": "I know I essentially said 'Happy Thanksgiving' yesterday - but this song really says Happy Thanksgiving. So, uh, once again - gobble gobble."

Belly - "Feed The Tree"

Belly - "Feed The Tree": "Most of us will be feeding our bellies tomorrow - and here, Belly feeds the tree - so, basically, this is my strange way of saying Happy Thanksgiving.
(And I'll never pass up a chance to show my love for Belly.)"

Res - "They-Say Vision"

Res - "They-Say Vision": "Another cross-genre casualty! Much like other artists who don't fit neatly into one category, like Nikka Costa, Res never quite nailed an audience. Her album crossed R&B, reggae and other genres - while this song, one of my favorites, was almost alt-rock in nature. People didn't know what to do with her, so she faded away, but this track is a gem."

The Rolling Stones - "Sway"

The Rolling Stones - "Sway": "It's dark, it's down, it's dirty and it's one of my favorite Rolling Stones songs."

Office - "Company Calls"

Office - "Company Calls": "When the song starts off with lyrics like 'you're a big city woman / with big city responsibilities', it feels like it might veer off into Rick Springfield grand-standing pop-rock territory. Instead, the chorus kicks in, trading off lead vocals with group vocals, like cascading rockets filled with 80s new wave goodness, glistening with a light Arcade Fire sheen."

David Bowie - "Fashion"

David Bowie - "Fashion": "Just because I'm happy that Project Runway is back on the air. It's total fluff, but I still haven't tired of the Tim Gunn-isms and the friendly orange glow of Michael Kors."

Prince - "If I Was Your Girlfriend"

Prince - "If I Was Your Girlfriend": "This song is from Prince, as a girl, who was maybe kind of a guy, singing to his/her not-quite-girlfriend? This song just operates on a level outside of logic and still brings the funk, even while the song is almost skeletal in arrangement. It's hard to imagine anyone else other than Prince being able to pull it off and have it be a great song."

The Human League - "The Sound Of The Crowd (12'' Version)"

The Human League - "The Sound Of The Crowd (12'' Version)": "What's better than 'The Sound of the Crowd'? More 'The Sound of The Crowd'! Sure, it's unecessary, but this 12" version make the fun of the song last a little longer, without really tinkering with it and breaking its' vibe, like so many other 80s remixes do."

Kylie Minogue - "2 Hearts"

Kylie Minogue - "2 Hearts": "Ladies and gentlemen, it's Kyliefrapp! Even though it's not as dancy as Supernature's glam disco stomp, there's something Goldfrapp-y about the new Kylie single - but in the best way. Since the new Goldfrapp (out in `08) will be a return to their more mellow roots, this might have come along at the right time. (This was also a musical souvenir from my recent time in Europe, BTW.)"

Suede - "Metal Mickey"

Suede - "Metal Mickey": "My goodness - has it really been fifteen years since Rodney on the ROQ turned me onto this tune, back when I still lived in L.A.? I loved it when I heard it and it wound up not even being my favorite song on the record. This whole album's a keeper and I'm glad we finally have it live in Rhapsody!"

Eurythmics - "Sing-Sing"

Eurythmics - "Sing-Sing": "The reason there was such a large gap in my Rhapblog was because I was going around and about Europe for two weeks. I'm going to start filling in those missing days with songs that came up on my trip in some way or another. This one is mainly just a French tune I thought of while I was in Paris."

Fergie - "London Bridge"

Fergie - "London Bridge": "How scary is it that I thought of this song when I went over the actual London Bridge?"

Morrissey - "Hairdresser On Fire"

Morrissey - "Hairdresser On Fire": "I kept thinking of this song on my first full day in London, especially when I wound up in Sloane Square! It was as if all of these places I hadn't given much thought to in Morrissey songs were all coming to life for me."

David Gray - "Say Hello Wave Goodbye"

David Gray - "Say Hello Wave Goodbye": "Perhaps not quite as 'pure' as the Soft Cell original, but I thought this version was worth flagging as well. Gray translates the original's icy synths to acoustic guitar and his delivery is very different than Almond's, but it captures much of the same sadness, except blended more with melancholy than bitterness."

Soft Cell - "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye"

Soft Cell - "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye": "Deceptively simple synth-pop, but Marc Almond's lyrics and delivery are so straight-forward and confessional that they provide a depth far beyond the simple keys that back them. It's so tough and bitter on the surface, but clearly very sad at its' core."

Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine - "The Only Living Boy In New Cross"

Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine - "The Only Living Boy In New Cross": "Wow - until today, I probably hadn't heard this song in fifteen years, but I still remembered the whole thing. From the low-key piano and organ intro through the electro-Brit-thrash core of the song, they somehow blended punk and Pet Shop Boys elements into something really exciting. It seems like this should have been a bigger alternative radio hit than it was..."

Lene Lovich - "Lucky Number"

Lene Lovich - "Lucky Number": "A little wacky fun to brighten up a rainy, dreary San Francisco day. 'Ah-ooo-eeeoo-ooo!' indeed. This one's for you, Joe."

David Bowie - "Untitled No. 1"

David Bowie - "Untitled No. 1": "People often associate David Bowie with theatricality - but here, Bowie winds up presenting an understated electropop number flavored with subtle undulating instrumentation. There's a certain romantic quality about the song that, despite having a certain intangible quality, imbues it with emotional qualities generally missing from his late-'80s work that proceeded it."

Mick Jagger - "Just Another Night"

Mick Jagger - "Just Another Night": "It may play like a weak Stones demo, but Mick's attitude still comes through so strong that you can practically see him strutting around, in his jerky little way, while singing this song."

Trunk Federation - "Truck Lover"

Trunk Federation - "Truck Lover": "Off-kilter, whimsical and a little dumb at times - but still definitely catchy noise-pop. (From Alias - same label to bring you Archers of Loaf - which is why the review of this track sounds a little simiar to my recent AoL post...)"

Betty Davis - "Anti Love Song"

Betty Davis - "Anti Love Song": "I have a hard time articulating it, but sometimes I think performers wind up sounding dangerous in their songs - and this is one of them. Growling over a funk-rock beat, Betty sounds like a boiling pot of water - busting with heat and perpetually threatening to boil over the edge. She never busts out the way you might expect she would and perhaps it's because she confounds those expectations that Betty (in this song) is so 'dangerous' to me."

Archers of Loaf - "Web In Front"

Archers of Loaf - "Web In Front": "Amazingly delicious Amerindie punk rock (as it was sometimes called) from its Golden Heyday period. Infectiously catchy noise pop."

Metalocalypse: Dethklok - "Birthday Dethday"

Metalocalypse: Dethklok - "Birthday Dethday": "Dethklok has an album out - how awesome is that? If you don't know what I'm talking about, click here. Sadly, it looks like they left off the Dr. Rockso track, but otherwise, I am so stoked."

Britney Spears - "Gimme More"

Britney Spears - "Gimme More": "Down the pop well twice in the week? Yes, it's true.
It's really too bad that Britney debuted this song at the VMAs because it took the teeth out of what would have otherwise been a fairly huevos-y return: 'It's Britney, bitch!'
It's not the kind of thing I would have expected her to get away with - but she would have, if it wasn't for that sleepwalking nightmare of a performance...which is even sadder because you know she wasn't focusing her effort on the singing, so the writhing shouldn't have been that half-assed."

Suede - "Electricity"

Suede - "Electricity": "I couldn't be happier to announce that Rhapsody will be getting the digital debut of the first, self-titled Suede record on 10/16. Yippee!! To celebrate, here's another great Suede song - killer riffs, more sly sexuality from Brett Anderson and killer falsetto. Aw yeah!"

Jennifer Lopez - "Do It Well"

Jennifer Lopez - "Do It Well": "Occasionally, I trip up from my alt/rock playing field and wind up in a pop rabbit hole. And this time, J.Lo did it to me...because, really, it's a jam, so I have to own up to it!"

Von Südenfed - "The Rhinohead"

Von Südenfed - "The Rhinohead": "The Fall's Mark E Smith + Mouse On Mars = Von Südenfed = Swingin', Bleepy and even Danceable Beats. Who would have thought?"

Spoon - "You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb"

Spoon - "You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb": "Normally, I'd be a little weirded out by Spoon trying their hand at 60s pop, but they seemed to have pulled it off. The echoing tambourine, the horns and the punchy-yet-simple bassline are the parts that reach into the past for me, but it's still a Spoon song through and through."

Stars - "The Night Starts Here"

Stars - "The Night Starts Here": "When I saw Stars live years ago, back in NYC, they would often transform their bedroom synth-pop into live rockers that approximated a dual-gender-fronted New Order, complete with surging bass. Here, Stars finally starts to approximate that full rock energy on a studio track. They still have the lush underpinings they've become known for, but with more of a driving sound put up front."

Michael Penn - "Invisible"

Michael Penn - "Invisible": "Simple and understated, yet beautiful pop. I've blogged it before and I'll blog it again, but I remain steadfast in my belief that Michael Penn is so completely underrated. This particular gem is from his debut album."

Ned's Atomic Dustbin - "Grey Cell Green"

Ned's Atomic Dustbin - "Grey Cell Green": "Deliciously fuzzy Brit-rock, a la Catherine Wheel and Swervedriver. I remember this is what 'modern rock/alternative' radio used to sound like and I miss those days. Maybe it's nostalgia, but it seems like there was great new music coming on the radio all the time, like something new being discovered every 3-4 minutes. I think the fact that it isn't like this today says more about radio than about today's music."

"Doctor Who (theme)"

"Doctor Who (theme)": "My other half got me to watch some classic (i.e. 1975) Doctor Who the other day and I've had the theme in my head ever since. It's a little creepy and mysterious and fairly perfect for this kind of sci-fi show."

Suzanne Vega - "Blood Makes Noise (Rhapsody Originals Version)"

Suzanne Vega - "Blood Makes Noise (Rhapsody Originals Version)": "I love the original version, with its pots-and-pans clanging noises and Mitchell Froom's excellent keyboards, but this version is strangely compelling as well. In this live take, Suzanne strips the song down to just vocals and bass, but keeps a lot of the song's urgency and sharpness."

Kings Of Leon - "McFearless"

Kings Of Leon - "McFearless": "Despite proclaiming that they were under the weather, Kings of Leon still came through to rock the Warfield last night and this was one of the standout tunes."

Queen Of Japan - "I Was Made For Loving You"

Queen Of Japan - "I Was Made For Loving You": "Normally, I think dance-y versions of rock songs are bad and should be avoided - but this song flips that concept on its head and makes it work. Queen of Japan recognize KISS' "I Was Made For Loving You" as the stomping club track it really is (and not the faux-rock glam KISS dressed it up as). No longer an awkward Gene/Paul stab at disco-rock, the track becomes dark and sexy and all-around excellent."

Rilo Kiley - "Dreamworld"

Rilo Kiley - "Dreamworld": "It sounds like Fleetwood Mac in general, but I think it sounds more specifically like "Trouble" by Lindsey Buckingham. It's a good song, but it does sound like a tribute to the Mac."

Superchunk - "Martinis On the Roof"

Superchunk - "Martinis On the Roof": "I know this isn't actually the most appropriate song to pick for today, but it's the closest I can find that has the right sentiment."

The Cardigans - "I Need Some Fine Wine And You, You Need To Be Nicer"

The Cardigans - "I Need Some Fine Wine And You, You Need To Be Nicer": "Another great track from the greatly overlooked last Cardigans' record. It seems like everyone still wants them to be bubbly and upbeat, but since this record is not that, it hasn't gotten the notice that it should. It's really quite a shame because Nina's voice and lyrics are as sharp as ever and the songs are solid. It's not too late to give a listen!"

Cyndi Lauper - "Money Changes Everything"

Cyndi Lauper - "Money Changes Everything": "At first, it sounds like an upbeat, mid-tempo rock song - but it's clearly much sadder and Cyndi, in that odd chirpy-yet-powerful way, imbues the song with the appropriate emotional undercurrent. The album it comes from (She's So Unusual) is a gem overall, but this is still its best cut.
Also of interest is the original version of the song, by The Brains. A much rougher take than the semi-gloss Lauper version, but with a more of a crass punk/new wave vitality."

M - "Pop Muzik"

M - "Pop Muzik": "It may be a bit of a guilty pleasure, but I love this song so much. From the bubbling synth noises to the Euro-girl backup chorus to the totally square way M yells "get down!", this is disposable pop at its best. The video is also pretty classic - my favorite part being when M gives the mannequin-looking girl vinyl record after record, with her throwing each one away like an automaton...while the 'pop pop pop muzik' goes on."

Pavement - "Stop Breathin'"

Pavement - "Stop Breathin'"

Kreidler - "She Woke Up And The World Had Changed"

Kreidler - "She Woke Up And The World Had Changed": "Sometimes, it just feels like it has."

Talking Heads - "Road To Nowhere"

Talking Heads - "Road To Nowhere": "In high school, I was the hugest Talking Heads fan ever, scribbling their song titles on the fronts of all my folders. Recently, I haven't been listening to them as much, probably because I'm always trying to listen to new music for work. Then - yesterday, for no reason at all, while I was doing laundry - this song popped back into my head and I'm so glad it did. It could be this hugely cynical song, but it winds up sounding so joyous that's its almost more of a church revival than their cover of Al Green's "Take Me To The River.""

David Bowie - "Drive In Saturday"

David Bowie - "Drive In Saturday": "Jazzy, retro sci-fi doo-wop wrapped in shiny tinsel. Is this what they'll play in heaven?"

U.N.K.L.E. - "Hold My Hand"

U.N.K.L.E. - "Hold My Hand": "I love this buzzy, piercing, straight-on rock, with the bass leading the way and the drums crisply pounding along. And is it just me or is that piano lick near the end of the song a sample of the piano from Bowie's "Be My Wife"? Right before I'm sure of the sample, the song kicks back into its guitar noise - which I love, but is frustrating to me at the same time - because it keeps me from knowing if I'm right or not."

A Fine Frenzy - "Come On, Come Out (Rhapsody Originals version)"

A Fine Frenzy - "Come On, Come Out (Rhapsody Originals version)": "My favorite version of my favorite A Fine Frenzy song. Here, all the instrumentation in the song (which is fairly prevalent on the album version) take a backseat to Alison's vocals and piano, making the song sparkle as it rolls out in this more seductive and intimate form. In fact, in this arrangement, it reminds me of some of my favorite Rachael Yamagata songs."

Mando Diao - "Song For Aberdeen (Rhapsody Originals Version)"

Mando Diao - "Song For Aberdeen (Rhapsody Originals Version)": "Mando Diao are a first-rate garage rock band - so imagine my surprise when they go acoustic and still sound equally amazing! Here, the guitars may be more subtle, but the harmonies are front and center and the keyboard leads them on a bouncing run down the lane."

Morrissey - "Alsatian Cousin"

Morrissey - "Alsatian Cousin": "Morrissey's first song on his first solo album - and he sounds like he's out for blood...in as much as he can. It's not that he's on new territory - the muscular bass is on par with 'Barbarism Begins At Home' and Morrissey's bold delivery resurfaces all the way through 'Irish Blood, English Heart' - but there's something powerful in his bitterly saucy accusations of adultery. I also love the way he delivers the line: "but on the desk is where I want you!" Poisonous but tasty!"

Syd Barrett - "Gigolo Aunt"

Syd Barrett - "Gigolo Aunt": "A strange, whimsical - but fun - pop tune, aided along by forceful bass and frolicking 60s keyboards."

Feist - "My Moon My Man"

Feist - "My Moon My Man": "I'm torn about this song. On one hand, it's very catchy, although its placement in the over-run Verizon Wireless TV ads may have helped with that somewhat. On the other hand, it gets sidetracked from true pop perfection by breathy asides and burbling noises. (Not to mention that it musically cribs from Spoon's more piano-based tunes!) I still like the song, but it feels like it's stuck on the cusp of being so much better."

Pete Krebs - "Do Your Father Proud"

Pete Krebs - "Do Your Father Proud": "Ex-Hazel frontman Pete Krebs goes solo acoustic, without sounding sparse in the slightest. Sweet-sounding, but biting at the core, this is acoustic without being folky."

Buffseeds - "Sunlight"

Buffseeds - "Sunlight": "Kind of like Placebo's Brian Molko fronting Travis, this song blends emotive, high-octave vocals with symphonic-styled Brit-rock. Pretty and touching."

Verbena - "Hot Blood"

Verbena - "Hot Blood": "Most people know Verbena from their debut Capitol Records album, where Dave Grohl (as producer) made them sound like Nirvana, so that's what people thought they were. Their real gem was the album before that, Souls for Sale, which melded dirty male-female vocals to a Stones/Stooges stomp, keeping the melodies strong while being equally as electric as those bands. Unfortunately, this record was similarly overlooked because it came out on Merge Records at a time people looked to them for indie pop and Neutral Milk Hotel, essentially making them the shard of glass in a pillow. This record is great rock'n'roll and it's begging to be rediscovered; this track is the first song on the album and is as good a starting point as any."

Prince - "Batdance"

Prince - "Batdance": "It's nice seeing Prince getting back to some sexy antics on his new album (Planet Earth), but it still doesn't compare to his days of yore. Still, as a reminder of how you can never really peg what Prince is going to do, I thought I'd bring back his lead track from his Batman soundtrack - which, though often bloated and confused, is still a great example of something it still seems like he'd never do. Too bad that the "Kiss"-like guitar riff that kicks in around the 2:46 mark is hotter than anything on the new record - and singing "I wanna bust that body!" in front of Bruce Wayne's "I'd like to!" shows a greater sense of humor too."

Me'Shell Ndegeocello - "The National Anthem"

Me'Shell Ndegeocello - "The National Anthem": "Me'Shell Ndegeocello taking on Radiohead? Awesome! Me'Shell takes the abrasive squonk of the original track and makes it simmer with a funk-rock blend, while her gentler vocals add a sexy element that one would be hard-pressed to find in the original track. Of course, her trademark excellent bass is front-and-center in the track as well. How did I miss this when it came out?"

Soulwax - "Too Many DJs"

Soulwax - "Too Many DJs": "More people know them in their DJ incarnation (billed as 2 Many DJs, ironically) or perhaps from later period work, but here's a taste of Soulwax's energetic alt-rock from the late 90s. Tasty."

Maximo Park - "Going Missing"

Maximo Park - "Going Missing": "Fabulous, jaunty Brit Rock. Also appropriate as I'm going out on vacation for a while, so I'll be...going missing. (Wocka wocka!) See you back in a bit, blog fans..."

Peter Bjorn and John - "Young Folks (Live from Rhapsody Rocks Austin party)"

Peter Bjorn and John - "Young Folks (Live from Rhapsody Rocks Austin party)": "This live take of their hipster hit bubbles with a certain exuberance, especially in contrast with the almost coolly-detached album version, in spite of this version almost being stripped down entirely to just drums, bass and vocals. Definitely worth checking out."

Maps - "Elouise"

Maps - "Elouise": "From the label that brought you M83...it's British M83 - Maps! OK, that's a bit of a crude simplification, but they are label-mates with M83 (Mute Records) and they do share similar synth-yet-shoegaze/drone qualities, just with more obviously British vocals and a touch more rock instrumentation. (In some of the vocal parts of this song, they are not unlike early Lilys.)"

Janet Jackson - "The Pleasure Principle"

Janet Jackson - "The Pleasure Principle": "It's really simple R&B pop and maybe that's why it succeeds. As opposed to later Janet songs, you can understand a lot of what she's singing and the track isn't glutted in production. If anything, quite the contrary - the percussion pops in tune to the synth bass and that's almost it, aside from some spare guitar riffs. Most importantly, she sounds like she's having fun without trying too hard and that's what makes the song fun for the listener too."

Crowded House - "Don't Stop Now"

Crowded House - "Don't Stop Now": "Just a simple guitar/bass/drums/vocals song, but in Neil Finn's hands, it all adds up to being one contemplative and beautiful pop song, in the best way possible. (From the brand new Crowded House album, Time On Earth.)"

Aimee Mann - "Lost In Space"

Aimee Mann - "Lost In Space": "The gorgeous title track of Lost In Space, the song is full of understated keyboards and guitar, ultimately climaxing when Aimee sings that she's 'not even there / gone, but I don't know where'. I guess it should be a downer of a song, but it sounds too good to hurt.
Oh, and on a completely unrelated note, happy 4th of July, all."

Idlewild - "No Emotion"

Idlewild - "No Emotion": "Despite being a fan of Idlewild, I had a hard time getting into their latest album, Make Another World. It just seemed like frontman Roddy Woomble kept trying to fit more words into each song than there was actually space for and it gave an awkward feel to many songs. But, after further listens, I am learning to love the album (as I do their others) and this song is the clear winner. Admittedly, it's because it's closest in feel to The Remote Part album (my favorite), but adds in some highlights from Warnings/Promises, like the ghostly chorus elements from 'Love Steals Us From Loneliness', to make a new great song."

Missy Elliott - "Hit 'Em Wit Da Hee"

Missy Elliott - "Hit 'Em Wit Da Hee": "''I subpoena you to my funk room, see?' Awesome. Missy came out guns blazing on this first track on her first record - and rightfully so - the record is still just as hot, 10 years (!) later."