Jane Krakowski - "Muffin Top"

Jane Krakowski - "Muffin Top": "It's from 30 Rock, so of course I love it."

Sonic Youth - "Sweet Shine"

Sonic Youth - "Sweet Shine": "I remember the first time I heard this song -
I was shopping at Tower Records (R.I.P.!) in Orange County and the store had an advance copy of this album they were using for in-store play. Someone must have scratched the CD because the track would make it through to a certain point before skipping back near the beginning...only to make it back to the scratch and skip backwards yet again. It didn't sound so bad, given the sleepy nature of the track, like hopping around in a dream. This must have gone on for twenty minutes before someone stopped the CD but, by that point, the song was burned into my head, especially the part where Kim Gordon hoots 'wooo-hooo!'. Kind of funny that I remember that so specifically, but I do."

The Jealous Sound - "Hope For Us"

The Jealous Sound - "Hope For Us": "Yeah, I guess it's kind of emo, in the more classic sense, but damn it's good."

SOTD 5 Year Lookback: Culture Club - "Do You Really Want To Hurt Me"

SOTD 5 Year Lookback: Culture Club - "Do You Really Want To Hurt Me" (Original Post Date: 07.08.09): "I think it says volumes about me that some of my more vivid and excited posts draw from videos I saw as a kid in the early days of MTV, either in inspiring me to the post - or, like this one, where I try and recap the video...in my own way."

SOTD 5 Year Lookback: Yo La Tengo - "Blue Line Swinger"

SOTD 5 Year Lookback: Two Versions of Yo La Tengo's "Blue Line Swinger" - Your Choice! (Original Post Date: 06.03.08): "This is deeper music analysis than I usually employ in the blog, but the two versions compelled me to take the dive."

SOTD 5 Year Lookback: Olivia Newton-John - "Physical"

SOTD 5 Year Lookback: Olivia Newton-John - "Physical" (Original Post Date: 10.25.06): "The only thing better than this post is when I played "Physical" at top volume from my phone while walking around in SOMA earlier this year after a bit of, um, partying. Check it out."

SOTD 5 Year Lookback: James Brown - "Get Up"

SOTD 5 Year Lookback: James Brown - "Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine, Pt. 1" (Original Post Date: 2.28.06):
"Kicking off this look back at five years of this blog, it's Mr. James Brown. This post is kind of a cheat, since it references two JB songs, but it makes me want to listen to them both. Check it out."

Song of the Day 5 Year Anniversary!

Joy Division - "These Days": "So it's been five years to the day that I started my 'song of the day' blog. While hardly daily in posting, I've racked up almost 900 rants, raves, stutters and random thoughts in that time...and, somehow, it keeps chugging along. My first post was New Order, so it seems fitting to offer some Joy Division to mark the anniversary. Hardly the band to pop open some fancy champagne to, I suppose, but this isn't a champers kind of blog anyway. Instead, raise your drink of choice and peruse the archives (they're all there, on the right side of the page), perhaps starting with the blog introduction, also from 11/1/05.
I'll be spending the rest of the week highlighting some of my favorite entries from the years, so stick around!"

Elliott Smith - "Ballad Of Big Nothing"

Elliott Smith - "Ballad Of Big Nothing": "Years ago, when I worked at getmusic.com, we had been trying to get Elliott to do a performance and/or an interview for the site but - after some time - when it finally came through, I was unable to go to the taping. I seem to recall that I could have pushed some commitments around to make it, but didn't - and I wish I had, since this was obviously something I wouldn't have the chance to do later, but there was no way to know that then. At least I had the pleasure of seeing him several times in LA and NYC, both solo acoustic and full band, and there are his wonderful records still around.
I am also making this my Halloween post because of the time I saw Elliott in NYC, just before Halloween that year (internets saying this would be 10.29.00) and he closed the show with a cover of BOC's "Don't Fear The Reaper'. A little creepy in retrospect but, at the time, it was a lot of fun."

Royksopp - "Poor Leno"

Royksopp - "Poor Leno": "At Brandy's suggestion, although this will always remind me of being jetlagged and watching this video in the middle of the night on MTV Netherlands from my hotel room in Amsterdam. It was the first time I had seen the video and my travel-mate Brendan and I both rooted on the 'leno' to escape capture. I've been a fan of the song ever since."

Les Savy Fav - "Sleepless In Silverlake"

Les Savy Fav - "Sleepless In Silverlake": "These guys are such NYC stalwarts, it's hard think that they're doing anything other than taking the piss out of L.A., but it sounds so good, it doesn't matter. Besides, I'm more disturbed that it's been a decade since I first saw LSF wildman/frontman Tim Harrington literally climbing the walls at Bowery Ballroom in NYC. Where did the time go?"

The English Beat - "Best Friend"

The English Beat - "Best Friend": "It's interesting how mixing and mastering can change a song. I'm used to hearing this track on the excellent (and sadly out-of-print) What Is Beat? English Beat retrospective - which is admittedly 80s mastering on CD or cassette - as opposed to this modern-day digital master. It's a great song either way, but this mix sounds 'nicer', if slightly more soft and jangly, bringing out all the different elements into a more distinct mix, as opposed to the general blended noise of the 80s master that feels a bit more agressive."

The Breeders - "Mad Lucas"

The Breeders - "Mad Lucas": "On hour after hour of conference calls today, watching the traffic going back and forth on the 80 freeway out the window..."

Portishead - "Strangers"

Portishead - "Strangers": "As I did my Shawn of the Dead zombie march to work today (it being a Monday morning and all), this song was the only thing that helped to amp up my shuffle, even if it still was a zombie shuffle. Granted, there's nothing nice about this song, but it did keep me moving along and the music switch at the 02:11 mark is a nice, 'wake up' slap in the face. Besides, I don't know if I need to be nice today, so much as I need to be productive.
On a different note, I am still in love with this entire record, more years on from its release than I'd like to admit. I don't want to sound like a curmudgeon, but I wish there were more records like this coming out, ones I love from start to finish, the way I used to think there were."

LCD Soundsystem - "Yeah (Crass Version)"

LCD Soundsystem - "Yeah (Crass Version)": "Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah."

The Walkmen - "Juveniles"

The Walkmen - "Juveniles": "The Walkmen still have a certain 60s quality to them, but they feel much more modern this time out. There's a certain lazy afternoon (or early morning?) charm to this tune, between the solitary, sadly playful guitar lead and the dragging drums."

Film School - "p.s."

Film School - "p.s.": "I know it's a bit weird to post this track, from Film School's first EP, right around the same time they're putting out a new album that sounds so different, but I guess that's just my way. This tune suggests a certain shared vibe with American Analog Set, mixed in with a bit of the languid pace of Lilys' Eccsame The Photon Band and some slight indie brattishness to the vocals, but also with a slight, steady build as the song goes along to keep it interesting."

Bettie Serveert - "Tom Boy"

Bettie Serveert - "Tom Boy": "I had the pleasure of seeing Amsterdam's finest, Bettie Serveert, last week in SF. Not only did they sound great, but they seriously rocked, with a great energy flowing through their whole set. Everything from their new album sounded great, but it was so much fun getting hear old favorites like this."

Aimee Mann - "Guys Like Me"

Aimee Mann - "Guys Like Me": "I recently had the pleasure of seeing a stripped-down Aimee Mann set, with Aimee on acoustic guitar and backed only by bass and keyboards on most tracks. While she bypassed many of Lost In Space's obvious choice tracks ("Humpty Dumpty", "Pavlov's Bell"), she surprised me with this subtle, yearning tune instead. I didn't expect her to play it, in the midst of her fairly large catalog, but maybe it just fit better with her more minimal arrangement - and, either way, I was sure happy to hear it, as this song has oddly always struck a chord with me. I particularly love the guitar solo in the second half of the song."

F*cked Up - "Son The Father"

F*cked Up - "Son The Father": "If I have to pick a 2nd MVP of the Matador Lost Weekend, behind Ted Leo, I think it's Damian from F*cked Up. Not only did he blaze through a riotous live set on Friday night (complete with crowdsurfing and a live version of this track that's way better than on the record, which is great already) but FU did double duty by coming back out even later on Friday night to face off with Ted Leo and the Pharmacists in a virtual covers-off. While all the hard work was out of the way after that, Damian still stuck around and was seen running around all weekend, going to all the shows - with his young son in tow in a stroller - clearly excited by all the bands and music there was too see. Ever the good father, his kid was wearing industrial-strength headphones, which was a good move, as all of us with hearing damage can attest. Anyhow, good job, Damian!"