I've a sneaking suspicion that I wont be the only person posting this song this week. Hope you had a very merry christmas, audience, and a happy New Years.

i finished college this morning. i slapped my last ever final in the face of my elderly instructor, pushed in my ear buds and walked out into today's sharp december. dropping away from the curb, this track shuffled up my tunes and it sounded the way i feel.

mazarin - at 12 to 6

What blog would be complete without a post about Leonard Cohen? Is there one on here already? I don't even know anymore. At any rate, I think this song is very good. And I think he looks like cool in that picture. I don't know what cool is anymore though, as I was lovingly told by my 16 year old volunteer at work today when I asked her if she'd rather listen to classical, christmas music, or npr.

Anyway, Leonard...

Leonard Cohen - Lover

if only i'd seen
them off the screen

one day.

hella - post-ivy league depression

Fa alala la, la la la la.

CSS - Alala

apologies for the drought. i would have posted sooner had i not broke both my shins a shakin.


















the shadows of knight - shake

I know they changed your life. I know they put a bunch of songs on that one movie Scrubsy McGardenstate. I even know that their second album was neatly wrapped poo. AND I know that you were disappointed when you listened to their second album and discovered that it was neatly wrapped poo because their first album really DID change your life and that blow caught you way off-guard. And I know that that scares you, scares you more than you will ever readily admit.

But this song's good.

The Shins - Sleeping Lessons

the monks - complication

the monks - monk time

a closer look

Noah Georgeson - Walking on Someone Else's Name

Noah Georgeson seems to be on top of the world these days. And by the world I mean Nevada City, CA. He's lent his name to The Pleased (with co-Californian Joanna Newsome) and a few other Nevada City projects that are beginning to get to gain momentum and spread east. This song comes from his solo effort, and is one of the best things I've heard on the blogs recently.

tonight, the underdog hawks face the cocksure miners in a bitter cross-valley grudge match for the 5A football state championship. it's been years and years since i strode those hallowed halls, but tonight, i'll don the black and silver and revel as the sacred strains of ac/dc shake the sheets at rice-eccles, confident in victory. as you enjoy this vid, peep the number on brian johnson's jersey.

AC/DC- Back in Black


lo, is it not the self-same 22 as alta's star tailback, s. shakerin?















who rocks the house? the hawks rock the house.

charles mingus - mood indigo

this tune is a rainy day sidewalk, a brushing windshield wiper. it's sadness, yes, but robust, fibrous sadness. comforting sadness. sadness that sits next to you on the porch swing and whispers, this too shall pass. and you, both of you, swing.

The Free Design is a very old act, but it's new to me. Elinita played them for me this evening and I thought to myself as I listened along "I like bands who concern themselves with the second coming of Christ". Its true, I like that quite a bit.

The Free Design - Bubbles

you ever have something in your tunes that you think is very good and then two years later you're listening to a shuffle and it comes on and all of a sudden it's the most brilliant thing that has ever occurred? sometimes that happens to me.

0078h - m83

So...anyone feel like doing the electric slide?

Georgie James - Need Your Needs

oh there are witches, goblins, vampires, devils, frankensteins and zombies. and, there are tramps, cinderellas, pirates, angels and gypsies, so let's have lots of fun and give many cheers, for halloween comes but once a year.

the shaggs - it's halloween

N is for Neville who died of ennui.

Today marks week 3 of joblessness for me and, you know, it hasn't been too bad up til now. Today is rainy and cold and I feel quite a bit like little Neville there, perched on my seat by the window, staring out at the cold and dying world. Maybe its not that bad, then again, maybe it is.

Charlotte Gainsbourg - The Songs That We Sing

i don't know why.

why not?

mr. oizo - the salad

Arizona - Splintering

I first heard Arizona while wasting time on The Hype Machine a few weeks ago. Being from the great state, I was naturally curious. The first half of the song sounds nothing like my childhood, and you know, neither does the second half actually. Maybe it would've if I'd listened to something other than the "NOW Thats What I Call Music" compilations as a youth, but that didn't happen. This band is probably better than anything the state has actually produced. Save, of course, the above picture. That's hilarious. Everything else on their web comes highly recommended as well.

manfred mann - i wanna be rich

oh, my dearest ambition. it's as if these fellows cracked me open and poured all my thoughts into a gelatin form. this song is the wobbly result. futurists, clairvoyants, i feel like shouting hallelujah all the time to think i ever knew manfred mann.

And while we're on the subject of movies and the music therein, here's a little (and I mean little) bit from The Science of Sleep. Happiest, tiniest thing. I wish it were the soundtrack to my own dreams.

Jean Michel Bernard - Generique Stephane

hard to believe it was ten years ago i picked up the give em the boot comp from tim's brand new hellcat label. then a year later when do or die came out, how i'd just bought a new portable cd player. man, i loved that thing. i probably dropped it a hundred times at least, always worked like a champ. then tonight, in the departed, when i heard that squeezebox... oh the memories.

you're doin' fine boyos.

the dropkick murphys - i'm shipping up to boston

M. Ward - To Go Home

This is M. Ward covering Daniel Johnston. My brother likes M. Ward cause "he doesn't act like he's the shit, he just knows that he is". The song seems unremarkable for about 5 seconds, then the piano part comes in and all of a sudden, remarkable. If you didn't see The Devil and Daniel Johnston at the movie theater when it was here, you are a fool. And if you accidentally asked for a ticket to The Devil and Daniel Johnston when you were going to buy your ticket for The Devil Wears Prada, than you are me.

here's a live version of a song much like the live version i caught damien jurado perform last week down south of here. it was a fine show with glad friends. there was a large bronze statue of a bear out front of the venue which emilie said didn't belong there. i'm sorry emilie, that's exactly where it belongs.

damien jurado - abilene (live)

Ah, juxtaposition. You know how sometimes there'll be like a battle scene in a movie and dudes limbs are getting exploded and suddenly you hear Louis Armstrong cooing "and I think to mahself, what a wonderful world" and the gravity of the film just hits you like nuclear fallout? You know what I'm saying so, try something for me, will you? Open this song in a new window and just gaze into Vincent's eyes while you listen.






















Vincent Gallo Sr. - Fools Rush In (Where Angels Fear To Tread)

Creepy, innit?

ponies in the surf - ventricle

i know some people who know these people and, while i don't actually know them, i'd like to. this song is a delight. hear some nothers at their web.

Broadcast - Come On Let's Go

I'm off to Seattle! And were it not for that whole no headphones during take off thing, this song would be playing in my ears as the plane took off.

the kinks - picture book

if you're like me, you'll needs some cheering about now. this track, as much as another, has always been cheer-laden and sits in my tunes waiting diligent to bust through a gloom. a while ago, i thought it'd be a fine idea to make a mix of exclusive bad-mood-busters and bring it out whenever the blues have got hold. if i do, this one'd be track 4. enjoy.

It's my mom's birthday today. In homage to her I've decided to post a picture of a good band who dresses far less fashionably than my own mother. Of course, fashion is not really something I should be making value judgements on (If you've ever wondered what the curators of this here blog look like, click on this). Yo La Tengo's latest album I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass was the background noise to a delicious veggie burger dinner I had in Provo the other night and now I wont rest til the full album is in my hand.

Yo La Tengo - The Weakest Part

well, it's happening, summer is leaking away like the motor oil from an 81 corolla. fall looms furtive and we poor humans must prepare ourselves for winter's oppressive hunching. goodbye snoasis. farewell bell canyon reservoir. au revoir bike rides to kilby court. i bow reverent to your stunning nobility.

a final salvo to summer: mr. marc bolan and the boys with a favorite summer cruiser.

t.rex - cadillac

Francoise Hardy - Rever Le Nez En L'Air

Francoise is a boy's name, yes. But so are Jordan, Cameron, Francesco, and even in certain countries, Michelle. So to those of us who share the bane that is an androgynous first name, I give you "Rever Le Nez En L'Air" (which means something about having your nose in the air).

i'm a dope and here's why:

i could have seen the curtains play saturday night in the city and i didn't. i traded it in for a screening of spike lee's inside man starring clive owens and denzel washingtons. it was pretty great, even though i guessed who the inside man was real fast. the point is, i made a mistake. no one else was going and i was tired and andy's parents have this big movie theatre room inside their house (which is where we watched it), but what i'm saying is, those are bad excuses and i'm a dope for mssing this.

here's a song then

the curtains - the world's most dangerous woman

The Owls - Air

They're right, I've got No Hand To Put My Handshake In. Geez, it's like they know me.

The Owls come from California to Antarctica, via the South x Southwest festival. Thank you to Jim Weed from Leaf and Lime for giving me this, the cutest girl-song I've heard in a thousand years.

kazumi nikaidoh - pulsation

note: must learn japanese before death.

The Clientele - Five Day Morning

I had a busy weekend and a tough time trying to decide between posting this, my favorite Clientele song, in hopes of reliving their classy show at the Casbah (where planes fly about 10 feet over your head) or this Tahiti 80 song as a dedication to Kristin's devotion to the sea and the bravery she showed while being wiped across it's craggy floors like a little flesh mop. I didn't have any pictures of Kristin's ass bruise though, so Clientele wins out. I'm not sure why I love this song like I do, but it's quiet and soothing and driving by the seashore at 2 am, listening to this, sure is a fun thing.

billy bragg - the saturday boy

a certain girl years past made this song stick prickly in my mind. to all those for whom it took a dictionary to find out the meaning of 'unrequited', raise with me a cup of commisseration.

later, she and i totally got it on. maybe that cheapens the sentiment.

Antarctica Takes It! - I'm No Lover

With a name like that, how could I refuse posting this fun little romp I found from Said The Gramophone. It's a short little guy mind you, but it packs a punch and I think this may be the cutest song ever written to employ the threat "I will eat your children alive". If you go to their myspace page you can hear other songs and if you send them 6 bucks they'll send you a cd. $6! In the mail!

good grief!

new ratatat's got monsters on it. two years after yanking me out of new music apathy, evan mast and mike stroud break my legs anew. damn! i was unsure which tracks to post, i hope this helps.

ratatat - tacobel canon

so many treasures in this. when they play this as sunday session of conference lets out, i'll be pew-sitting, arms folded, reverently grinning.

next, a e*vax (evan mast's solo) remix of an album track. the original can be streamed over to their my's pace page, though the remix tames that album cat. look out!

ratatat - wildcat (e*vax remix)

The 1900's - Bring The Good Boys Home

If you want to be kind to poor tired bloggers who've been up since 2:30 this morning, and are trying to do google image searches of your band after a very long day, please DO NOT name your band The 1900's. Luckily, this song has more than made up for the inconvenience their name has caused. Bring The Good Boys Home has been starting my day for about a week now.

donovan - barabajagal (love is hot)

i was listening to this yesterday and an image flashed inside my head: 1969, pre-electric marc bolan sitting next to the hi-fi spinning track 1 of the new donovan, eyes wide.

more donovan to come probably

forgive the double dip, GH is out of town.

mylo - destroy rock & roll

happy birthday mtv.

my gift to you is this fine tune from scotsman myles macinnes. i wish i knew where he got that sample. cindy... looper.

bonus: this track's a dancer, so slip on your shake it shoes.

mylo - otto's journey

I have this friend, Casey, who somehow seems to know every dangerously skinny man from Atlantic to Pacific. Thanks in part to this svelt-seeking penchant of hers, I was introduced to LA outfit the Cold War Kids. Saw them on tour with Figurines and Tapes n' Tapes a little over a month ago and was quite taken with them. Their almost percusive use of the piano in the first minute of Hospital Beds was what did it for me.













Cold War Kids - Hosptial Beds

the m's - my gun

sometimes, i get suckered in by suckerer ins. like three-part harmonies and wind-up guitar lines with xylophones tinkling over top, but especially the bridge 2:40 in. this track is also this summer's windows-down soundtrack to my '81 corolla.

And for our second go...Preston School of Industry. This song will have you up and dancing before you know it.


















Preston School of Industry - The Space In Between

welcome.

these sounds will be often updated. one track from one, another from the other.

and now, our opening acclamation: the inimitable john cale


















john cale - antarctica starts here