Bear Hands - "What A Drag"

Bear Hands - "What A Drag": "For fans of Modest Mouse, as this track pulls from both their jangly and groovy parts melded together, but there's nothing wrong with that. Totally enjoyable."

Duran Duran - "Sound Of Thunder"

Duran Duran - "Sound Of Thunder": "No wonder they gave these guys a James Bond theme to tackle - even on their first album, they ooze equal parts danger and bravado, with a touch of edgy cool. As always, John Taylor's propulsive bass trades off with Nick "Lipstick" Rhodes' synths, mixing heavy and light sounds. Also nice to hear the new remaster, a needed improvement over the previous "first generation CD master" mix that's been in circulation for so many years."

Drawn Together (soundtrack) - "Black Chick's Tongue"

Drawn Together (soundtrack) - "Black Chick's Tongue": "Wow. I'm not sure if this makes sense without the visuals (hard to say, because I saw it on the TV show first), but it's still pretty jaw-dropping in its melding of Disney and debauchery. Pretty much NSFW."

Muse - "Undisclosed Desires"

Muse - "Undisclosed Desires": "Muse reminds me of U2, in the sense that they started out cool and underground and suddenly wound up playing stadiums...or, in the case of Muse, at least huge stages...but all very quickly, in an almost 'how did that happen?' moment. Then again, it's hard to say that dramatic (but not bombastic) songs like this don't deserve a big stage - and, when coupled with lots o' lazers - which Muse did bust out at both SXSW and Coachella...well, it's pretty impressive."

The XX - "VCR"

The XX - "VCR": "I want to clarify my recent (verbal) comments that The XX are the indie-rock Sade. I do not think they sound anything like Sade. What I do mean is that, like Sade, they provide a fairly consistent (and often sultry) vibe for a whole album, create a good mellow mood and I think it's safe to assume you can do it to this album. Sade's recent record has made me realize more hipsters like her than you would expect, but a lot of those folks still (perhaps subliminally) want an album of the same nature, except "cooler"...and The XX fill that void. Not that they tried to, I'm sure, and not that any of this is a dig - it's not - but I still think the comparison is valid.
(This came up a couple of times at both SXSW and Coachella, where they brought the album's groove with them, despite the daytime sun.)"

Pavement - "Frontwards"

Pavement - "Frontwards": "Pavement at Coachella was really as good as I could have hoped for. Perhaps a little sloppy still, maybe a little awkward, but isn't that part of their charm? When you have a set list that includes songs like this, it still would have been magical, even if they played half as well as they actually did. Even better, 'defining' Pavement songs like this one feel as true as when they came out, no snark or attitude to taint it."

Grace Jones - "Pull Up To The Bumper"

Grace Jones - "Pull Up To The Bumper": "La Grace might have broken my heart by dropping out of the Coachella 2010 lineup early on, but Beth Ditto and the Gossip clearly missed her too. They showed it in the best way possible by bringing out LCD Soundsystem to jam out a hot cover of this Grace Jones classic, capping off what was already an electric (if hot and sweaty show). Yet another reason why Beth Ditto is awesome."

LCD Soundsystem - "Us V Them"

LCD Soundsystem - "Us V Them": "This song set the crowd on fire at Coachella (Friday night). Their set was unfortunately a little stop-and-start with frontman James Murphy semi-rambling between songs, but with out-of-control barn-burners like this one, all is forgiven. Can't wait to hear the new album..."

David Bowie - "New Killer Star"

David Bowie - "New Killer Star": "A really solid tune from the later Bowie catalog. There's some interesting sonic layers to give it texture, but it's a straight-forward melodic rock song with bite at its core and the bold exuberance of the chorus is a pleasure to hear. (Pretty sure Bowie mainstay Gail Ann Dorsey deserves some thanks for the latter.) Bowie, it's been years, so where the hell are you hiding?"

Jonsi - "Boy Lilikoi"

Jonsi - "Boy Lilikoi": "A majestic and uplifting song, sprinkled with pixie dust. Though, unlikely as it seems, there are two quick moments that recall Kings of Leon's "The Bucket" (at least in the vocal melody)...which I'm sure is totally unintentional, but I can't be the only one who hears it, right? (I love "The Bucket" so no one should be taking this as a dig.)"

Type O Negative - "My Girlfriends Girlfriend"

Type O Negative - "My Girlfriends Girlfriend": "R.I.P. Peter Steele. Sadness!"

Spoon - "Me And The Bean"

"I have already made this a song of the day and I've done a ton of Spoon lately, but I couldn't help but post this anyway. Last night, Spoon played the Fox in Oakland and frontman Britt did a solo acoustic version of this song - something I've never heard him do before - and it made a big theater feel intimate. It was amazing."

ABC - "Poison Arrow"

ABC - "Poison Arrow": "Yes, it's really polished, but sounds good. Yes, it's a lot of style for the corresponding amount of substance, but Martin Fry's vocals make you believe it. At the end of the day, ABC still makes it all sound suave and easy, even though I'm sure it was anything but. The spoken word interlude is a little gimmicky, but it's all part of a solid pop package."

The Roots - "Here I Come"

The Roots - "Here I Come": "I got a lot of work to do today - always hard to run into on a Monday - so I'm trying to get myself hyped up and plow through it."

Pavement - "In The Mouth A Desert"

Pavement - "In The Mouth A Desert": "I think I got so intent on not over-psyching myself for the upcoming Pavement reunion that I kind of killed my buzz for their shows. In other words, in trying to make sure that their shows couldn't let me down, I killed my own excitement. That is, until I wound up talking about it the other night and I realized...even if it's not as good as I want it to be...it's still freaking PAVEMENT doing PAVEMENT songs that I love. Songs like this one, which hurt me with their subtle brilliance. And now I'm all excited again!"

Memory Tapes - "Stop Talking"

Memory Tapes - "Stop Talking": "This song has all sorts of mini-phases, like going from room to room at a big party - assuming it's a party where Moroder krautrock disco collides with Cut Copy. Live (Saturday night at the Rhapsody SXSW party), things were more rock - picture New Order turned alternately more dreamy and more aggressive. Pitchfork apparently didn't like that - they wanted the more chill album vibe - but I thought it was a good way to make the album songs work live."

Bear In Heaven - "Wholehearted Mess"

Bear In Heaven - "Wholehearted Mess": "I tend to avoid 'bear'-titled bands, partially because there are so many of them and partially because I don't want anyone to accuse me of pandering. This was still my intention when I was led to Bear In Heaven's 1am show (Thursday, Mohawk inside)...but they won me over. Strangely calm and frantic at the same time, there's an epic quality to a lot of their tunes and more than a touch of strange. You can hear touches of 70s prog and synths, but it never feels dated."

Class Actress - "Let Me Take You Out"

Class Actress - "Let Me Take You Out": "Sadly, I missed checking this band out at SXSW, but I intended to! I got turned onto this song by KEXP just before SXSW and it totally hits my sweet spot of new wave synthpop with guitars, here female-fronted. It recalls some of the female vocal tracks from Stars and My Favorite, which is a good thing in my book."

The Whigs - "I Am For Real"

The Whigs - "I Am For Real": "I'm late, but I'm starting my 2010 SXSW Recap now. I saw these guys rip this track up live (Friday, Sony Day Party) and it's just as good on record (ok, a little better live, but they're GREAT live). They really do get better on every record."

Robbers On High Street - "Cool It Now"

Robbers On High Street - "Cool It Now": "ROHS provide a surprisingly suave version of New Edition's "Cool It Now" which may reinforce the more lush direction they've taken their music, but suits them and this track well here."

Surfer Blood - "Anchorage"

Surfer Blood - "Anchorage": "I don't know if this whole record has the '90s indie rock' vibe that I was told it did, but this song does seem to. That's probably why I've gravitated towards it the most. (And we're talking 'indie rock' from a musical perspective here, not lo-fi audio or anything like that.)"

The Innocence Mission - "Snow"

The Innocence Mission - "Snow": "Hauntingly, heartbreakingly, simply beautiful. It gives me chills."

INXS - "Listen Like Thieves"

INXS - "Listen Like Thieves": "I realized I haven't acknowledged my continued Aussie sojurn in a bit, so here's another of my fave tracks from my current surroundings. INXS is so much better than they're given credit for, this record (Listen Like Thieves) in particular."

Aimee Mann - "The Scientist (Live)"

Aimee Mann - "The Scientist (Live)": "Heaven knows I got sick of this song being overplayed when it came out, so it's not like I was clamoring for it to be reborn as a cover. Aimee's take didn't 'fix' this with a radical re-working or anything like that, but the beautiful harmony vocals she adds near the end of the song ("ooo...it's such a shame...") easily justify the whole cover on their own. Kudos."

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - "A Teenager In Love"

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - "A Teenager In Love": "The song is so sweet and twee that it's almost too much to handle - until you realize they're singing about a teenager in love with Christ and heroin. I think I was humming it back to myself before I realized what the lyrics were. Cheeky."

Eurythmics - "Revenge"

Eurythmics - "Revenge": "Not the synthpop of "Sweet Dreams" or the rock'n'soul of "Would I Lie To You", this early Eurythmics cut is a blend of the icy cool of their earlier works but with the organic instrumentation of their middle period. There's also a nice dry humor at work here too."

Yeasayer - "Ambling Alp"

Yeasayer - "Ambling Alp": "This feels very 80s movie soundtrack to me, which is not a bad thing. It's unapologetically exuberant and feels way more pop than so much of its indie peers these days, but too left of center to be truly pop. Probably for fans of MGMT..."

Men at Work - "Who Can It Be Now?"

Men at Work - "Who Can It Be Now?": "Did I mention that I'm Australia right now? I figured I should do something to reflect this...and I suppose that "Down Under" would have made more sense, but I've always liked this Men At Work song far better."

Daryll-Ann - "Surely Justice"

Daryll-Ann - "Surely Justice": "Sunny, 60s California-style pop by a band that I believe is actually Dutch. Plus I love that the chorus is, simply: 'got me thinking about the law...'"

Local H - "Fifth Ave. Crazy"

Local H - "Fifth Ave. Crazy": "The guest 'bad girl' female vocals approach a cheesy edge ('don't slow down / `cause red means go'), but the song is so pummeling that it doesn't really matter."

Spoon - "Trouble Comes Running"

Spoon - "Trouble Comes Running": "The (intentionally) rough production might remove some sweetness from this garage-pop confection, but it just means you have to work a little harder to appreciate what's still a gooey, tasty center. (And it is tasty - I'm getting as obsessed with this as I've been with "Written In Reverse", another track from the same record.)"

Sloan - "If It Feels Good Do It"

Sloan - "If It Feels Good Do It": "'This song is dedicated to you `cause this song is for people who know what rock'n'roll is about!'...and also fans of Matthew Sweet and slightly tart power pop. And awesome vocal harmonies. And Canada."

Charlotte Gainsbourg - "Le Chat du Cafe des Artistes"

Charlotte Gainsbourg - "Le Chat du Cafe des Artistes": "Wow. This song blew me away by the end, even on the first listen. I can hear Beck in it (since he is on the track) and I can hear Charlotte's parents in it (both Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin, in different ways), but it's still a centerpiece for Charlotte. The song has a powerful 60s quality - in it's sound and instrumentation - but the strings are the real killer, moody and dramatic, spiraling around Charlotte's cool vocal delivery. Again...wow."

Diamanda Galas - "Sono L'Antichristo"

Diamanda Galas - "Sono L'Antichristo": "I don't really listen to death metal, heavy industrial, or other music that's arguably intentionally torturous and anti-social. You know, the kind of music you might listen to as a middle finger to everyone else. It's just not my bag. Yet, for some reason, I completely love Diamanda Galas, even though I know she gives nightmares to everyone I've ever met (save for one person). Listening to this song is probably horrific for most folks, but it seems to actually put me in a good mood. Maybe not the same way Apples In Stereo put me in a good mood, for example, and not because I'm into the lyrics (which I can largely only gather from the song title) but it does tickle me, none the less. I just think she's amazing for using her voice as a multi-faceted instrument for everything from ballads to (more often) screeching. I'm sure she knows it's challenging for listeners, but I don't think she could get her point across any better any other way...and I hope she doesn't actually care anyway.
Enjoy at your own peril."

Metric - "Help I'm Alive"

Metric - "Help I'm Alive": "I have to admit that I wasn't totally sold on the new Metric when it came out, despite being a pretty big fan of the band for many years. Surprisingly, it was having this song dropped into the mix during Bob Mould & Rich Morel's Blowoff party (a dance event, if you are not familiar) that inspired me to give it a second look. I don't know why it didn't grab me at first, but it's as catchy as many of the songs as Live It Out, their previous album."

Diana Ross & The Supremes - "Nothing But Heartaches"

Diana Ross & The Supremes - "Nothing But Heartaches": "Following up on Friday's post - and tempering the V-Day love song post in between with a Supremes heartbreak book-end...
A little more up-tempo than 'Where Did Our Love Go?', but otherwise matches its smooth + simple + heartbreak = catchy formula. Not to say that it's derivative, so much as just part of the signature Motown/Supremes sound, but the backing "I can't break away!" vocals add additional counterpoint and complexity that keep it from being too one-note."

Shout Out Louds - "Fall Hard"

Shout Out Louds - "Fall Hard"*: "Bouncy and (unfortunately) screaming to be the theme to the next (500) Days of Summer / Garden State / etc. etc. etc. romantic indie movie playing near you, but don't let that deter you from this Stars-ish love song - it's still a keeper.
*Special Sunday posting for you hipster folks needing a new tune for Valentine's Day!"

Diana Ross & The Supremes - "Where Did Our Love Go"

Diana Ross & The Supremes - "Where Did Our Love Go": "This song goes out to the 'ladies' and gentlemen who saluted Motown at the Eagle last night. They did so many songs that I can't even remember if they did this one or not, but I love it so much, I had to pick it anyway. So smooth and so simple, it deceptively made heartbreak so catchy.
This also gives me the opportunity to revive the rumor that, when performing on TV in the 60s, Diana Ross would often spread her arms out wide, purportedly to cover the faces of her fellow Supremes from the camera. No idea if that's really true, but it's a great story."

Goldfrapp - "Rocket"

Goldfrapp - "Rocket": "...Apparently they decided to take a dive into early 80s radio rock. It's hard to get past the Journey/Rick Springfield vibe under the synths from Van Halen's 1984 (or Alan Parsons, depending on your point of view), but they still keep things Goldfrapp-y enough to get away with it."

The Monkees - "P. O. Box 9847"

The Monkees - "P. O. Box 9847": "I love this late-middle-period Monkees, where they still had to kick out pop tunes, but each member's struggle for identity began to introduce strange quirks into the proceedings, as evidenced by the psychedelic touches here. At least their 'personalities' are better manifested at this point by the studio musicians playing under their guide, as opposed to the band straining to present it themselves, as they did on Headquarters - which I also love, but is clearly a labored product for the band.
(Credit to Rhino Handmade's upcoming special edition of The Birds, The Bees and the Monkees for triggering today's post.)"

Modest Mouse/764-HERO - "Whenever You See Fit (Scientific American remix)"

Modest Mouse/764-HERO - "Whenever You See Fit (Scientific American remix)": "I previously extolled the virtues of a different remix of this Modest Mouse/764-HERO collaboration, but I also like this remix, which is closer to the original's dirge-like qualities without it's epic length. It just goes to show that when you have a great original song with lots of elements to work with, plus some good remixers, the possibilities are endless."

Queen Of Japan - "Ma Quale Idea"

Queen Of Japan - "Ma Quale Idea": "For those of you who enjoyed yesterday's post, here's an updated, female-fronted version of the same tune. This version is more new wave dance than disco, but still equally cool and kitschy."

Pino D'Angio - "Ma Quale Idea"

Pino D'Angio - "Ma Quale Idea": "If this song doesn't brighten your day, I don't know what will. This is vintage groovin' Italo-disco, led by what must have been Italy's answer to Serge Gainsbourg - or at least that's what his gruff-meets-come-hither semi-spoken vocals suggest. Dance!"

Grandaddy - "A.M. 180"

Grandaddy - "A.M. 180":
"We’ll sit for days
And talk about things
Important to us like whatever
We'll defuse bombs
And walk marathons
And take on whatever, together
(for D)"

Michael Penn - "You Know How"

Michael Penn - "You Know How":
"Dammit!!!
Michael Penn: A year ago, I was so excited to be part of a Q&A with you that I didn't want to ruin it with potentially awkward personal interaction afterwards by introducing myself to you.
Yet, here I am, listening to your music, yet again, and wishing I had taken that opportunity to offer my services in support of your next release, whatever/whenever that is.
I'm sure you're not surfing around Blogger, killing free time, but just in case - please email me so I can at least offer to help with online marketing, digital sales, whatever, in support of future releases!
(That's what I do for a living, in case anyone missed out on that before.)"

Spoon - "Written In Reverse"

Spoon - "Written In Reverse": "NEW SPOON!!!!"

Frank Black - "Ten Percenter"

Frank Black - "Ten Percenter": "It's been a long week and, yes, I would like to wile awhile.
My mind is like an ocean, my mind is like an ocean..."

The Watson Twins - "Devil In You"

The Watson Twins - "Devil In You": "I love it when singers multitrack their own harmonies (see: Belly - "Star"), which is why I love The Watson Twins being able to achieve the same effect in real time. Here, they apply their sisterly talents to a slice subtly gritty 70s-style adult pop."

Prince - "When Doves Cry"

Prince - "When Doves Cry": "It seems like Purple Rain keeps being played around me lately, both at bars and on cable. Years later, it's fascinating to watch Prince's obvious mystique sandwiched between his non-acting and over-acting, depending on the moment. It often seems like the best acting in the movie is when Wendy chews Prince out in the dressing room - although it's probably just a pretty genuine moment for her. At least it's better than when the apparently poor Apollonia gives Prince - who has largely been a total dick to her - a fancy guitar...and then gets smacked around, simply for joining Morris' group. (OK, I know it's supposed to be a 'betrayal' to Prince, but come on, he got a guitar from the lady! And Morris does put her in some very fine lingerie...on stage anyway. Prince, in return, only gives Apollonia a questionable hoop earing.)
Purple Rain itself aside, this song is classic, even if it has some very 80s elements into it. The group "ooh-oh-whoa"s are solid and nothing can top Prince's "AAA! AAA! AAA!" cries, done as only Prince can."

Rilo Kiley - "Under The Blacklight"

Rilo Kiley - "Under The Blacklight": "Even though the songs are wildly dissimilar as a whole, the vocal melody in the first verse really reminds me of the theme to Dollhouse, even if it's just a split second similarity. (I've just recently gotten into Dollhouse, just in time for it to be cancelled, naturally.)"

Adam Ant - "Desperate But Not Serious"

Adam Ant - "Desperate But Not Serious": "I have a band-aid on my face today (long story), so I'm just going to tell people that I'm starting a new fashion trend, as if I was Adam Ant from back in the day."

The Folk Implosion - "Free To Go"

The Folk Implosion - "Free To Go": "Lou Barlow touches his poppy side with this catchy tune, even if there's still something sad behind the electro-tinged indie rock bounce."

Aqua Teen Hunger Force - "All I Want For Christmas Is My One Front Tooth"

Aqua Teen Hunger Force - "All I Want For Christmas Is My One Front Tooth": "Merry Christmas, everyone!"

Failure - "Saturday Saviour"

Failure - "Saturday Saviour": "The lead-off track from Failure's amazing Fantastic Planet. They did 90s alt rock better than the bands who got famous for just that, with their major riffs and pounding drums, but it just didn't happen for them, in that commercial sense. Make up for this wrong by listening to this right now."

Belly - "Full Moon, Empty Heart"

Belly - "Full Moon, Empty Heart": "I remember how deeply I fell in love with Belly's Star when it came out, a love that continues to this day. There are still records coming out that I listen to a lot, maybe even obsess over, but it's been a while since I fell head-over-heels for a complete album, the way I did for this one (and others from the same time period). Perhaps it's just nostalgia? Or perhaps it's just hard to duplicate the blend of pop, quirk, melancholy and melody the way this album did."

The Jets - "You Got It All"

The Jets - "You Got It All": "To Rocky - love, Walgreens"

Peter Bjorn and John - "Nothing To Worry About (Rhapsody Originals Version)"

Peter Bjorn and John - "Nothing To Worry About (Rhapsody Originals Version)": "The original is catchy, if a little too clean, so this looser and rougher live version is a welcome reworking. (Plus the song has grown on me from all the It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia promos it got used in.)"

Mick Jagger - "Memo From Turner"

Mick Jagger - "Memo From Turner": "Mr. Jagger at his swaggery best, from the movie Performance, even if it still sounds like a Stones tune. Probably my favorite part of that movie as well."

A Place to Bury Strangers - "Keep Slipping Away (Richard Fearless Remix)"

A Place to Bury Strangers - "Keep Slipping Away (Richard Fearless Remix)": "Not a radical reworking of the original, instead with Richard Fearless (Death In Vegas) taking the various song elements and tweaking them in subtle ways. I particularly like the new drums, which are retuned from the original crispness into something even more abrasive and drum machine-y."

The Strokes - "Soma"

The Strokes - "Soma": "I remember when this album came out - I was living in the world's smallest apartment in Manhattan and there were a lot of arguments with friends about if this band was worth the buzz or not. The press might not have been able to contain their excitement, justified or not, but there is a certain charm to this album, even with the distance of time. It's fun in a pompous-yet-casual way and the light fuzz gives everything a warm feeling."

The Raveonettes - "Last Dance"

The Raveonettes - "Last Dance": "It took me a while to warm up to it, but this is the happiest-sounding 80s movie/new wave tribute that's really about death. I suppose it's the sound of a double-decker bus crashing into us...
(You can also download it for free here.)"

Alan Parsons Project - "Eye In The Sky"

Alan Parsons Project - "Eye In The Sky": "R.I.P. APP vocalist Alan Woolfson. This song is your smooth rock radio gold."

Spoon - "Chicago At Night"

Spoon - "Chicago At Night": "I'm not in Chicago tonight, but this late night feels like this song anyway."

The Jealous Sound - "Broad Shoulders"

The Jealous Sound - "Broad Shoulders": "There was new Jealous Sound last year? And I just found out about it now? Damn.
It sounds like a slightly more upbeat take on their Kill Them With Kindness sound, their 2003 full-length, but that's a good thing!"

The English Beat - "Sole Salvation"

The English Beat - "Sole Salvation": "Smooth 60s-style pop with an 80s sophistication, a sound two members of The Beat would later revisit and refine on the first Fine Young Cannibals album as members of that band."

Sluts Of Trust - "Meanwhile in Rocksville"

Sluts Of Trust - "Meanwhile in Rocksville": "Who would have thought that a band that sounds so garage-y would also be so charming? Tongue firmly planted in cheek from the 'meanwhile, in Rocksville...' intro on, the Sluts also taunt you with the meaning of the F-word and the heavy Scottishness of the whole thing adds to the aforementioned charmingness.
Totally unrelated: Happy Thanksgiving!"

Superchunk - "Foolish"

Superchunk - "Foolish": "I find this song completely hypnotic, with its overlapping guitar melodies and waves of feedback distortion. The drum part is also strangely calming to me, even if it almost feels like a loop. One of my favorite songs ever. (Posted today for @mgrooves)"

Shakira - "Give It Up To Me (Featuring Lil Wayne)"

Shakira - "Give It Up To Me (Featuring Lil Wayne)": "I don't think I'm going to get as obsessed with this as I did with "She Wolf", but there's something super-catchy about the 'is this what you wanted? / is this what you wanted?' and 'world music' breakdowns."

Mew - "Introducing Palace Players"

Mew - "Introducing Palace Players": "Mew is both wonderful and frustrating to me. They come up with such wonderful musical elements, but they always arrange them in a way that seems kind of...off, so you have to work to like it. Here, you can easily fall in with the jagged, post-punk guitar melody, but the drums behind it seem a breath off, like when a record is being played back at not quite the right speed. Then again, maybe that's the charm of it."

Melba Moore - "You Stepped Into My Life"

Melba Moore - "You Stepped Into My Life": "I had no idea that Melba Moore took on my favorite song re-discovery of the year, the Bee Gees' "You Stepped Into My Life" - and made it even more disco-fied than the original, which should have been impossible. It doesn't touch the glory of the Gibb original, but it's still fun to listen to."

Adina Howard - "Freak Like Me"

Adina Howard - "Freak Like Me": "I have no idea what made this just pop into my head. Maybe it was all the 'baby' songs this week, but I just got the bridge and chorus in my head, both being amazing.
'I need a freak in the morning, freak in the evening, just like me!'"

Wham! - "Everything She Wants"

Wham! - "Everything She Wants": "All of yesterday's talk of 'giving [someone] a baby' made me think of Mr. Michael's emphatic "having my baby" cry in this 80s pop classic. I think I remember doing yard work to this album when it came out..."

50 Cent - "Baby By Me (featuring Ne-Yo)"

50 Cent - "Baby By Me (featuring Ne-Yo)": "In case it's unclear, I think 50 wants to give you a baby. This is not the only recent song to involve, um, giving people babies in that way, so I'm wondering if this is a new trend.
That second link, by the way, is to a new Hurricane Chris song and it makes the 50 song seem positively classy by comparison. NSFW."

Built To Spill - "Carry The Zero"

Built To Spill - "Carry The Zero": "Led by guitarwork both meticulous and spacious, this song sounds like the template of so much indie rock to follow, but that BTS never got credit for. Frontman Doug Martsch really shines here, starting off mellow and unassuming, but becoming more passionate as the song continues. A real classic of 90s 'indie rock'."

Morrissey - "Don't Make Fun Of Daddy's Voice"

Morrissey - "Don't Make Fun Of Daddy's Voice": "Um...this is just ripe for interpretation, but I should probably leave it alone."

Bad Lieutenant - "Twist of Fate"

Bad Lieutenant - "Twist of Fate": "It's hard not to hear New Order in this, what with NO frontman Bernard Sumner leading the band, but it's not a bad thing. It sounds like New Order's poppier work, but performed in the guitar-focused style of Get Ready. It's still a lot more fresh-sounding than that description might suggest and it's always a pleasure to hear Bernard rock out."

The Damnwells - "What You Get"

The Damnwells - "What You Get": "Enjoy this little slice of Replacements-style (but more taut) rockin'. Short and sweet, you'll wish it lasted twice as long."

LCD Soundsystem - "Starry Eyes (Original)"

LCD Soundsystem - "Starry Eyes (Original)": "Just another entry in my ongoing fascination with Nancy Whang, as previously noted in my posts about Soulwax and The Juan MacLean. If this continues, I'm going to have to make a Nancy Whang tag for the blog..."

Tori Amos - "New Age"

Tori Amos - "New Age": "Tori takes on the Velvet Underground, although - interestingly - she picks the live 1969 version of this song as a template, not the album version from Loaded. I really like the keyboard treatment that supports most of the song, keeping things mellow, until the full band kicks in, allowing the song to simmer, subtly, to Tori's ending boil. "

Those Bastard Souls - "Good Luck Split Town Today"

Those Bastard Souls - "Good Luck Split Town Today": "This song comes across like young hubris and drunken mischief disguised as the effortless cool that comes from being blessed by dumb luck. It may sound straight from the garage, but it's not that simple - ex-Grifter Dave Shouse is single-handedly manning all the instruments, making its sloppy energy all the more amazing."

White Lies - "A Place To Hide"

White Lies - "A Place To Hide": "Is it just me or does the intro musical section recall Giant Drag's "This Isn't It"? Granted, the song then goes in a much different direction, but I still can't help but notice the similarity.
(Not trying to knock White Lies, since they also have songs that stand on their own, for example: "E.S.T.".)"

Lady Gaga - "Paparazzi"

Lady Gaga - "Paparazzi": "With Lady Gaga in the press all the time, I keep getting this song stuck back in my head, even when I try not to! I think there's some kind of subliminal programming in it..."

The Whigs - "In The Dark"

The Whigs - "In The Dark": "Less crunchy but no less energetic than previous efforts, this song is totally awesome. Can't believe we have to wait until next year for it to come out."

The Go-Go's - "Vacation"

The Go-Go's - "Vacation": "That's right folks, even I eventually take a vacation. See y'all in a week!"

Michael Penn - "This Is The Life"

Michael Penn - "This Is The Life": "Michael Penn may talk about having an anti-technology bias, particularly with digital music, so I have to praise him for releasing his three new tunes from the IFC mini-series Bollywood Hero as a digital EP, just to make sure the fans could have it. It would have been a shame not to have songs like this, a classic Penn ballad."

The Wombats - "Moving To New York"

The Wombats - "Moving To New York": "I've already started seeing Xmas displays at retailers all over the place - and it isn't even Halloween yet, which I thought was the current calendar line of demarcation for such things (since it was already no longer Thanksgiving). Anyhow, it reminded me of this song's lyric: "Christmas came early for me". Great song."

The Big Pink - "At War With The Sun"

The Big Pink - "At War With The Sun": "This works my 90s British alt-rock soft spot, so of course I like it. It's an upbeat rush of warm fuzz and a touch of melancholy melody."

The Psychedelic Furs - "I Don't Mine"

The Psychedelic Furs - "I Don't Mine": "From the bleak and under appreciated Book of Days album. Some of the harsh sound comes from what I suspect is a poor digital transfer, but it still works with the chilly vibe of many of the songs, including this one. I particularly like the overlapping vocals at the end and the intentional contradiction of the song's title."

Idlewild - "Hidden Ways"

Idlewild - "Hidden Ways": "It always mystifies me when bands leave great songs off albums, like this one (a UK b-side and a bonus track on the US version of Make Another World). There's still a touch of the "R.E.M. - but more rocking" sound they conjure from time to time and I'd be interested in hearing R.E.M. cover it, now that they too are rocking again."

Cyndi Lauper - "She Bop"

Cyndi Lauper - "She Bop": "The Captain Lou Albano news (RIP) couldn't help but make me think of this song...which makes me feel odd, given what this song is about."

James Brown - "Get Up Offa That Thing"

James Brown - "Get Up Offa That Thing": "I have so much I need to get done today and this is the sound of me psyching myself into it. Just something about JB yelling "I'm back!" before getting seriously funky gets me all hyped, like I'm going to run a race.
(Also, this gives me an opportunity to link back to this earlier James Brown post, which is one of my favorites from this blog.)"

Electric Six - "We Were Witchy Witchy White Women"

Electric Six - "We Were Witchy Witchy White Women": "Another rocker from Electric Six that brings you tongue-in-cheek silliness with the straightest delivery possible. I like to think this song is about a coven of Stevie Nicks/Rhiannon wannabes. (Probably because it then makes me think of the urban legend about Stevie Nicks needing to be coaxed out from her pre-concert dressing room in the 70s by her handlers telling her, through the closed door, 'You are Rhiannon! You are the witch!')"

Ben Lee - "Cigarettes Will Kill You"

Ben Lee - "Cigarettes Will Kill You": "This song is the moment for me where Ben Lee shifted from vaguely-annoying-but-catchy offbeat teen troubadour to adult musician. I particularly like how the song is largely driven by a fairly simple piano line without sounding like a repetitive loop."

Warpaint - "Billie Holiday"

Warpaint - "Billie Holiday": "I stumbled onto this band opening up for School of Seven Bells at Slim's the other night. This song is a weird, dream-like chant - all wrapped around a moody reworking of "My Guy" at its core - which is the highlight....even if it does kind of recall a chorus of Cat Powers singing together, which is not necessarily a bad thing."

Julian Plenti - "Fun That We Have"

Julian Plenti - "Fun That We Have": "As I'm sure many of you know, Julian Plenti = Paul from Interpol. This song is more playful and less ominous feeling than most Interpol tunes, but it still feels like it would have been a more solid song had it been performed with the full-band oomph of Interpol. (Which is not to say that the chorus didn't drill itself into my head regardless.) I kind of hope it sets the tone for their next album, where they perhaps might take a stab at it."

Gaunt - "Hit The Ground"

Gaunt - "Hit The Ground": "Rawk with a drumbeat like a horse galloping double-time and a band more than willing to keep up, even if the music is closer to melancholic Superchunk otherwise."

Starflyer 59 - "Mall Monarchy"

Starflyer 59 - "Mall Monarchy": "SF59 frontman Jason Martin is a product of Riverside and Orange Counties, CA, so it makes sense for him to sing about malls...except it turns out this is a cover. No matter, it still sounds like a authentic SF59 track!
(Bonus fact: the original is performed by Compulsion, featuring Garrett Lee - now known as 'Jacknife Lee', producer of R.E.M., Snow Patrol and others.)"

The Cribs - "We Share The Same Skies"

The Cribs - "We Share The Same Skies": "Clearly this is some kind of nasty breakup record for The Cribs (check out song titles like "Cheat on Me" and "Emasculate Me"), but they've smoothed out their sharp edges instead of sounding angry. Perhaps that's also because they traded the production of Franz Ferdinand's Alex Kapranos, from the last record, for having The Smiths' Johnny Marr actually in the band - and the 'influence' swap plays out exactly as you think it would. Still, this track recalls gems from the previous record like "Girls Like Mystery", without sounding like a tired retread because of the related sonic shift."

Shaan - "Milo Na Milo Main Milane"

Shaan - "Milo Na Milo Main Milane": "Love Story 2050 is a trainwreck of a Bollywood sci-fi movie, especially at its near 3 hours of running time, but this song is definitely the movie's centerpiece and probably it's shining moment. It's got a certain Timbaland-meets-Eurodance vibe to it that's cheesy and cool."

Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears - "Bitch, I Love You"

Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears - "Bitch, I Love You": "This is a very classic sounding song with some very...uh, modern lyrics. Other than that, I think the song best speaks for itself. Listen."