Pop Molecule

I knew it was over

2011-12-31T07:04:00.000-08:00

Hi friends,

I think we can agree that this blog has pretty much given up the ghost. It happens. But if anyone is still subscribed to this RSS, here's a bag of 22 songs that one of our contributors (me) will remember 2011 by.

I still think Pop Molecule is a good name for a blog, zine, and if I ever pulled my shit together, a club night. Maybe some day, Helsinki!

Direct link to download here: http://bit.ly/sIHgxU

Happy new year!

Cover: A street in Copenhagen, on a visit last October.

Lost in blackness

2011-03-07T21:49:00.001-08:00

I love this track, Marching Song, by Esben and the Witch. It sounds like impending doom approaching underneath a starless sky on a cold winter night. I'm loving the rest of their album, Violet Cries, as well. I came across it a couple weeks ago and I haven't been able to put it down. Looks like they're gonna hit San Francisco in a couple weeks, I think I might like to attend. Oh, and check out the video for Marching Song, it's kinda disturbing.

Esben and the Witch - Marching Song

The only time I miss you is every single day

2011-02-28T22:04:00.001-08:00

I first came across Jessica Lea Mayfield a couple years ago. She covered Buddy Holly's Words of Love, one of the few bright spots on a mostly crappy Starbucks Valentine's Day compilation disc. I know, I know, what else would I expect from a Starbucks comp? On the strength of that track, however, I picked up her then current first album, With Blasphemy So Heartfelt. It took a bit, but her bittersweet and damaged love songs have grown on me. For someone so young (she's 21 now, with two albums under her belt), she certainly sounds world-weary, like she's slogging through yet another twisted relationship. Also, there's something about her delivery that I really like, the sound of the south in her voice. Anyway, her new album, Tell Me, is out now and I think it's pretty good.

Jessica Lea Mayfield - Our Hearts Are Wrong

10 gods, 10 queens

2011-02-28T22:03:00.001-08:00

Originally, I wasn't planning on going to see PJ Harvey this coming April. Nothing she did would ever top this show I saw her play. My cousin has an extra ticket, though, and her boyf isn't too keen on Polly Jean. Plus Let England Shake is really, really great...so I'm there.

In 2004, to mark the end of the Uh Huh Her tour, PJ Harvey played a semi-acoustic gig at London's Royal Court Theatre. It sounds like it was recorded for a radio broadcast (BBC, I presume), there's an intro and interview at the beginning. This show has one of my favorite renditions of 50ft Queenie. It's toned down due to the acoustic instrumentation, but still smolders with intensity, almost like she's waiting to erupt. I'm really looking forward to her tearing it up again.

PJ Harvey - 50ft Queenie

Sadness, I'm your girl

2011-02-24T22:40:00.001-08:00

Here is Lykke Li's ode to melancholy, Sadness is a Blessing. Earlier this week, I ran into a copy of her new album, Wounded Rhymes, and I've been enjoying it a great deal. This is probably my favorite song from the album at the moment.

Lykke Li - Sadness is a Blessing (acoustic)

It's just a fairytale

2011-02-22T01:44:00.000-08:00

I've been a fan of The Smiths enough that I have all the albums and I can probably quote more than a handful of Morrissey's great lines, or at least my favorite ones. I was never hardcore, though, the albums were good enough for me and I didn't really delve much further. Tonight, I'm sorta surprised to discover, thanks to the good folks over at Extra Track (and a tacky badge), that they did a 4-track single with Sandie Shaw. I recognize the name and I know she's English, but I really only know of her through a song or two from a couple girl-group compilations. I don't think her singing is that great, but it's interesting enough to give it a couple listens. The writer from the Extra Track Smiths blog pretty much sums it up for me, click here if you want to read his post regarding this release.

Sandie Shaw > Jeane

PS - Also, I didn't know how to list the artists. Is it Sandie Shaw with The Smiths? The Smiths with Sandie Shaw? or how about The Smiths featuring Sandie Shaw? The artwork on the front cover reads only Sandie Shaw, so I guess I'll go with that.

Infection

2011-02-21T20:13:00.000-08:00

The ageless Dean Garcia has another project called Morpheme. So far, all I've heard is this track, Infection, which is part of a free compilation called Jesus In Space 2011, The Resurrection, from Killredrocket Records. Now you know as much as I know. If you are unfamiliar with Dean Garcia, I recommend that you check out some Curve, post haste.

Morpheme > Infection

West Coast Offense

2011-02-14T21:46:00.000-08:00

25 songs about California. A couple of them may be tenuous, but they all work in my mind. The title is a nod to the great San Francisco 49ers teams of the 1980s. My buddy Dave had season tickets and I went along to a shitload of games with him. We even got to go to the Super Bowl against the Miami Dolphins. Pretty cool stuff.

You can listen here through the 8tracks media player, just click the giant play button down there. Click on to check the tracklist, or stay right here and let it come to you, one by one.

1. The Kinks - Celluloid Heroes (Live)
2. Public Enemy - Burn Hollywood Burn
3. Tool - Ænema
4. R.E.M. - I Remember California
5. Billy Bragg & Wilco - California Stars
6. Beulah - Gene Autry
7. The Ramones - California Sun
8. Death Cab For Cutie - Why You'd Want To Live Here
9. The Magnetic Fields - California Girls
10. Old 97's - Just Like California
11. Albert Hammond - It Never Rains in California
12. American Music Club - All The Lost Souls Welcome You To San Francisco
13. Cracker - Big Dipper
14. The Decemberists - Grace Cathedral Hill
15. Neko Case - In California
16. Red House Painters - Grace Cathedral Park
17. Michael Penn - Bunker Hill
18. Tom Waits - Goin' Out West
19. Camera Obscura - San Francisco Song
20. X - Los Angeles
21. Everclear - Santa Monica
22. Fleeting Joys - Luminous LA
23. Radiohead - Palo Alto
24. Belle & Sebastian - Piazza, New York Catcher
25. The Lucksmiths - The Chapter in Your Life Entitled San Francisco

Angel sighs surround me

2011-01-28T00:15:00.000-08:00

I just pre-ordered the new Asobi Seksu album, Fluorescence. I don't even have a turntable at the moment, but this pink vinyl edition looks so delicious, I had to get it. I've also been listening to the album a lot (some mp3s fell off the back of the internet and onto my hard drive) and I really like it. It's good to hear Yuki's voice again, seems like forever since they put out some new material. They're playing SF in March, too, I'm excited about that. Come out if you can, I'll be there. In the meantime, you can pre-order the album over at the Polyvinyl site.

Asobi Seksu > Perfectly Crystal

The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger

2011-01-19T11:26:00.000-08:00

I've always liked Sean Lennon, although, admittedly, I've always given him a pass, too, because of his father. This latest music venture of his, however, seems to bring him into the perfect balance of beauty and fragility that I knew he could be capable of. Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger (GOASTT) is the band he created with his girlfriend Charlotte Kemp Muhl, and for me, it is the comforting backdrop to these pensive Winter days.. I've been listening to the vinyl of 'Accoustic Sessions' a lot (which comes with an added mp3 album download), and recommend it for those nights when you just want a bit of quiet and a bit of wine..

They are also touring smaller venues this Winter and put on an amazing show.. Go see them if chance allows.. x

GOASTT - 'Dark Matter, White Noise'

Trish's Mind Bending Motorway Mix

2011-01-18T11:38:00.000-08:00

Shortly before she fell ill, the late Trish Keenan made a mix CD for friends last December. One of those friends has uploaded the mix to Soundcloud in tribute.

"Sorry I don't have a tracklist," the friend writes. "To be honest I like it that way. I think it's less about who you're listening to on this compilation and more about the fact you are listening to something that Trish took time to select and compile for me and in turn yourselves. Please just enjoy the music."

It definitely sounds like something Trish Keenan would put together--psychedelic, cinematic, bewitching, and ultimately very poppy. In other words, great.

Elsewhere on the web, Jess Harvell posts an appreciation of Keenan that I think rings true: "It's hard not to feel like the world lost a major fantasist, an unassuming creator of dreamy other worlds, one who just chose music over books or film."

Thinking of you fondly, Ms. Keenan, wherever you are.

The code, the codeine, the comma, the context

2011-01-17T15:53:00.000-08:00

It's been a strange, disquieting weekend reflecting on the loss of Broadcast's Trish Keenan, really one of my all-time favourite singers, at the much too young age of 42. But it has also been an occasion to go back and celebrate her band's amazing decade and a half of work ("and non-work"), which will surely endure.

The band also had a well developed visual style in their videos and live performances that complemented the soft and detached, yet quietly powerful surrealism of their music and lyrics. This is probably my favourite of their videos.

Rest in peace.

Have a Heart

2010-12-31T13:28:00.000-08:00

I made it back in one piece from my family reunion in Las Vegas. This is my musical mix ode to 2010. Not necessarily the best, just what I like. Click on for more.

At first I felt it was too long, so I cut it down to about 25 and then it felt incomplete. There were some songs I really liked, so I added them back in and separated them in half, to make it a bit more digestible. Anyways, hope you enjoy it on some level. Links at the bottom for your downloading pleasure.

1. Cee Lo Green - Fuck You
2. capsule - Stay with You
3. Lucky Soul - That's When Trouble Begins
4. Ted Leo and the Pharmacists - Bottled In Cork
5. PUFFY - Jet Love
6. Sambassadeur - Stranded
7. The National - Afraid of Everyone
8. The Album Leaf - Blank Pages
9. Fever Ray - Mercy Street
10. Mike Patton - Senza Fine
11. The Morning Benders - Excuses
12. Sun Kil Moon - Natural Light
13. El Trio de Omar Rodriguez Lopez - Domingo
14. Best Coast - When I'm With You
15. Babybird - Unloveable (Feat. Johnny Depp)
16. The Hot Toddies - Only with You
17. School Of Seven Bells - Windstorm
18. Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - Better Things To Do
19. The Bird And The Bee - Kiss On My List
20. Katzenjammer - Tea with Cinnamon
21. She & Him - Home
22. Lali Puna - Everything Is Always
23. Beach House - Take Care
24. Delorean - Stay Close
25. Perfume - Fushizen na Girl
26. LCD Soundsystem - Home
27. Sad Day For Puppets - Such A Waste
28. The New Pornographers - Crash Years
29. Warpaint - Ashes to Ashes
30. Sleigh Bells - Rill Rill
31. UNKLE - Natural Selection (Team Ghost Remix)
32. Brian Eno - 2 Forms of Anger
33. Grinderman - Super Heathen Child (with Robert Fripp)
34. The Secret Sisters - Big River
35. The Dead Weather - The Difference Between Us
36. Karen Elson - Pretty Babies
37. Mavis Staples - Wrote A Song For Everyone
38. Still Corners - Wish
39. Janelle Monáe - Oh, Maker
40. Shugo Tokumaru - Rum Hee
41. Julieta Venegas - Amores Platónicos
42. Kathryn Calder - All It Is
43. Land Of Talk - Color Me Badd
44. Beck - Never Tear Us Apart
>>Have a Heart 2010 (Disc 1)<<
>>Have a Heart 2010 (Disc 2)<<

for auld lang syne, my friends..

2010-12-31T07:45:00.000-08:00

2010 draws to a close, and although it's been said time and again, this year has moved faster than I've seemed to live it.. I've tried, completely tried, but once again another year leaves with a sense that maybe you could have done a bit more and lived even more.. So, I'm approaching 2011 with a renewed sense to simply slow down a bit.. Travel? oh, yes.. Enjoy the company of my friends? everyday, i hope.. but, I also hope to 'stop' a bit more and just be aware that the year is moving more rapidly than we want it to, and that everything we need to know about it is happening NOW. It's something I've tried to do the past couple of years, and those are the moments I really remember at this point of December..

So, a glass raised to 2011, friends.. I leave you with this festive version of Robbie Burns poem, played by the always fun Pink Martini..

Have a Happy New Year.. Cheers.. :)

Pink Martini - Auld Lang Syne

Exorcising 'Demons'

2010-12-27T08:48:00.000-08:00

The Cowboy Junkies offer a lovely tribute to the late Vic Chesnutt, who died a year ago Christmas Day.. The second in their Nomad Series, it will be available for purchase at the beginning of the year from their website.. Pre-order info here:

http://latentrecordings.com/cowboyjunkies/2010/12/16/demons-now-available-for-pre-order/

Vic, you are missed.. thanks again for the music, and thank-you to the Junkies who always have a song for the bleak winter days.. x

Cowboy Junkies - When the Bottom Fell Out

Spacemoth

2010-12-26T02:29:00.000-08:00

Cyborg holiday love from Jun Togawa.

Chillin' and coolin' just like a snowman

2010-12-24T13:25:00.000-08:00

Christmas eve with a classic.

Run DMC > Christmas in Hollis

A Christmas lesson for us all, from Johnny Cash.

2010-12-24T00:36:00.001-08:00

I do wonder exactly why this exists. But you should still heed Johnny's advice, kids.

Merry Christmas everyone.

a cut-and-paste christmas..

2010-12-23T17:22:00.000-08:00

PASTE magazine offers free 50 Christmas downloads just in time for your holiday happenings.. loads of good stuff on here.. Happy Christmas, all.. :)

http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2010/12/50-free-christmas-mp3s.html?utm_source=contactology&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Paste_Lifeline%2012-23-10_12_23_110

isobel campbell and mark lanegan - 'time of the season'

My heart is as cold as ice

2010-12-23T13:15:00.000-08:00

A Xmas gift to you, from Tracey Thorn and her ice cold heart. Sister Winter is a free track that you can grab over at her website. I think it's just hit me that Xmas is right around the corner. The last of the presents I bought arrived in the post yesterday, and I don't have to work for a couple weeks. And then, I ran into this lovely little tune. Pretty sweet.

Tracey Thorn > Sister Winter

Soulful Christmas

2010-12-22T20:35:00.000-08:00

From James Brown's Funky Christmas, wishing you a Soulful Christmas. James Brown loves you.

James Brown > Soulful Christmas

Dashing through the snow.

2010-12-21T23:12:00.000-08:00

It's 7am here in snowy Slough (yup, that place where The Office was filmed), and I've just driven to work; it's my last commute of the year as I'm gonna be at various parents and in-laws between now and January.

I put my usual Christmas mix on, and London sparkled as I drove through. Most of the songs on the mix are well known, but for some reason I think this seasonal 2007 offering from Belle & Sebastian entitled Are You Coming Over For Christmas? is repeatedly overlooked. Guest vocals by Celia Garcia (who went on to sing on God Help The Girl) and a nice brass arrangement make it better than most of their last two LPs. Enjoy.

Merry Christmas, baby!

2010-12-21T22:56:00.000-08:00

From the great Otis Redding! What a terrific pic of Otis Redding Jr. & Otis Redding III.

Otis Redding > Merry Christmas Baby

I'm not that drugged

2010-12-21T06:44:00.001-08:00

We're not quite done with 2010, and I already want to revise my top ten list... just heard the debut album from The Limiñanas and am reminded once again why listmaking is a futile exercise. Laid back, cool garagey fuzz from Perpignan, France. Consider "Je ne suis pas très drogué" addendum #1 to my 2010 mix tape.

Well, it'd be memorable.

2010-12-20T03:51:00.001-08:00

I'd feel bad if this was my only Pop Molecule entry. But it has to be shared.

Hey baby, I've got something for you

2010-12-19T14:50:00.000-08:00

Recorded for a Target Xmas compilation, Best Coast and Wavves throw their hat into the holiday pop songs circle with Got Something For You. It looks like you can download the rest of the album here, for free.

Best Coast / Wavves > Got Something For You

25 for 2010

2010-12-18T01:14:00.000-08:00

Your Pop Molecule mixtape service continues with New Pop 2010, comprised of 25 pop songs to remember the year by, whether you're a human relaxing on the couch, a bear lounging in the forest, or, erm, a sentient creature who likes good tunes. You'll be surprised, charmed, seduced. We promise. Download by clicking here (.zip).

Tracklisting:

1. Kemialliset Ystävät - Kajastusmuseo

2. Shugo Tokumaru - Drive-Thru

3. TV-Resistori - Voi ei, ei voi olla totta

4. El Guincho & Julieta Venegas - Mientes

5. The Go! Team - T.O.R.N.A.D.O.

6. Stereo Total - I Wanna Be A Mama

7. Katerine - Le Banane

8. The Chap - We'll See To Your Breakdown

9. Ted Leo & The Pharmacists - The Stick

10. Sun Kil Moon - Tomorrow Is Already Here

11. Girls - The Oh So Protective One

12. Eux Autres - Jamais

13. Northern Portrait - What Happens Next?

14. Sambassadeur - I Can Try

15. Hauschka - Sunny Mission

16. Gil Scott-Heron - Parents (Interlude)

17. Museum Of Bellas Artes - Days Ahead

18. High Places - On A Hill In A Bed On A Road In A House

19. Liars - The Overachievers

20. Yona - Syyssävelmä

21. Boris Kovač - Adagio

22. Islaja - Dadahuulet

23. Owen Pallett - Keep The Dog Quiet (Simon Bookish Remix)

24. Serena Maneesh - I Just Want To See Your Face

25. Minamo & Lawrence English - Fireworks

Le Cantique de Noël

2010-12-14T00:14:00.000-08:00

Here comes Röyksopp's take on Le Cantique de Noël. It sounds like a lost Jean-Michel Jarre Xmas track or something.

Röyksopp > Le Cantique de Noël

Santa Baby

2010-12-12T16:46:00.000-08:00

The belles of Oakland, The Hot Toddies, give us their twisted version of Santa Baby.

21st Century Christmas

2010-12-11T14:10:00.000-08:00

Christmas with all of the modern conveniences. It can't be that bad, especially if it involves Saint Etienne.

Saint Etienne > 21st Century Christmas

Top 3 album covers of 2010

2010-12-11T04:29:00.001-08:00

3. The Chap - Well Done Europe

2. Klaxons - Surfing the Void

1. The Divine Comedy - Bang Goes the Knighthood

Christmas is the Saddest Day of the Year

2010-12-08T00:28:00.000-08:00

It's statistically proven.

Jill Sobule > (Christmas is) The Saddest Day of the Year

Cold, cold winter

2010-12-02T22:51:00.000-08:00

I love this song. It's not specifically about Xmas but it's got great girl group action, sleigh bells and a whole lot more! And that's good enough for me. A classic in my book.

Pixies Three > Cold, Cold Winter

Museum of Bellas Artes

2010-12-01T15:18:00.000-08:00

From the debut EP by Sweden's Museum of Bellas Artes. Soft, earthy disco, very lovely.

Computer Games

2010-11-30T18:54:00.000-08:00

Hanging out with cousin tonight. Hadn't seen her in a while, so we were catching up on our latest obsessions. Roundabout conversation led to a discussion of David Bowie, Ryuichi Sakamoto (she had just purchased a movie called Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence) and Yellow Magic Orchestra. I remember the first time I had heard Computer Games, I was in junior high school at the time. Back then, this is what the future sounded like.

Yellow Magic Orchestra > Computer Games

Red, Green, White, Green, Red, Red, White

2010-11-30T18:47:00.001-08:00

Today, I discovered that a new Puffy single, R.G.W., is out, and it's an Xmas song, to boot. I'm liking this much more than some of the recent stuff they've done with Butch Walker. From what I've read, they worked with Tamio Okuda on this, which is a nice change. I really love the Beatles moment when they sing "Love, love, love." The video is kinda cute, too.

Twenty oh ten

2010-11-28T06:42:00.001-08:00

Though we haven't even finished with November yet, a certain online magazine has asked me for a ballot of my favourite records of 2010 by today. They won't publish the results of their writer poll for a couple weeks, but I thought I'd share my list right now. Here's what I've dug so far this year the most.

1. Kemialliset Ystävät - Ullakkopalo

2. The Chap - Well Done Europe

3. Islaja - Keraaminen Pää

4. Shugo Tokumaru - Port Entropy

5. Sambassadeur - European

6. Minamo & Lawrence English - A Path Less Travelled

7. Hauschka - Foreign Landscapes

8. Yona - Pilvet Liikkuu, Minä En

9. Owen Pallett - Heartland

10. Northern Portrait - Criminal Art Lovers

Something from each of these will be on the forthcoming 2010 mixtape. Meanwhile, all the caveats about the utter subjectivity of these sorts of lists apply. Undoubtedly, there were at least a few really amazing records this year that I won't discover until next week, or 2011, or 2012, or never. That's life.

That said, that album by Kemialliset Ystävät (or "Chemical Friends") is a playful but meditative joy from start to finish. Follow that link, listen to the samples, order the CD, be happy.

Christmas Wish

2010-11-26T21:33:00.000-08:00

Usually when I listen to something by Takako Minekawa, I expect something quirky, fun and perhaps even a bit bizarre. Christmas Wish plays it straight and is pretty much a winner in my book. It's from her difficult-to-find Baroque In The Winter EP. I think I paid around $30 for those four tracks, and it was worth it.

Takako Minekawa > Christmas Wish

R2, we love you

2010-11-14T15:53:00.000-08:00

Alright, peeps, you may say it's too early or whatever, but I've got my Christmas lights going because I felt like it. And with that, the Christmas music begins. I give you, R2-D2 We Wish You A Merry Christmas, from Christmas In The Stars: The Star Wars Christmas Album. What's amusing about this track is that it features a then-unknown 17 year old Jon Bon Jovi (listed as Jon Bongiovi). According to Wikipedia, Jon's cousin, Tony Bongiovi, "co-produced the album and ran the recording studio at which it was recorded, where Jon was working sweeping floors at the time." And the rest is history.

Star Wars Singers > R2-D2 We Wish You A Merry Christmas

I don't wanna be stuck on the bottom shelf

2010-11-14T14:29:00.000-08:00

I always feel weird when I say I like some band or song that I heard for the first time on, say, Pitchfork or whatever. If you know me at all, you know I'm pretty far from hipster-indie-snob. But, if you're looking for new music, you have to hear it first somewhere. Sometimes it's your friends who point you in the right direction, sometimes it's a snooty music site (like this one!). And while I'm on this subject; yeah, it's easy to dislike Pitchfork and call them pretentious or snooty, but the fact is they cover a lot of the music I enjoy and that's why I continue to read them and other music sites. I don't have to agree with their opinions, I just want information, to know what's going on and what's coming out.

So, with my dull dialog out of the way; I really like this song, Dreaming, by Seapony, whom I've never ever heard of before catching a blurb about them on Pitchfork. It's hazy and dreamy, complete with fetching 60s girl-pop vocals. Easily worth the 2+mb of space on your hard drive. If you like this, they also have a free 3-track EP if you click here.

Seapony > Dreaming

How come you treat me like a worn out shoe?

2010-11-11T23:27:00.001-08:00

Another late year discovery for me is The Secret Sisters' self titled debut album. I don't really know a lot about country music, but these girls seem old school, to me. It sounds genuine, earnest and timeless. Short and sweet, the album clocks in at just under half an hour. And while the album may have been recorded in the past year or two, it's heart seems to be at least four or five decades old.

A lot of these songs are covers, from what I've read, and you can hear the love and respect for the material. They don't try to outdo anyone with overwrought histrionics, the not-so-secret Rogers sisters (Laura and Lydia) inhabit the songs and create their own space within them. I love their voices and harmonies, they totally transport me to somewhere else. I'm looking forward to hearing more from these lovely ladies.

The Secret Sisters > Why Don't You Love Me?

The way you shine so bright

2010-11-11T23:26:00.000-08:00

I just stumbled onto Sweden's Sad Day For Puppets last week, and I'm completely hooked. Kinda jangly dreampop, ethereal female vocals, an endless supply of hooks and maybe even a little shoegaze thrown in. Reminiscent of Lush, in a way. Little Light is from their 2008 album, Unknown Colours. They also have a new album, Pale Silver and Shiny Gold that just hit about a month or so ago.

Sad Day For Puppets > Little Light

OCTOMIX

2010-10-15T19:37:00.000-07:00

A little mix for the waning days of summer. For some reason, it's a little heavy on covers (8 outta the 27), but there's no real rhyme or reason for the tracks. They just sounded good at the time. So stick this in your iPod, turn it up and go. Feel free to praise or clown me in the comments section. Click on for the tracklist and link. Enjoy!

1. UNKLE - Natural Selection (Team Ghost Remix)
2. The Raveonettes - I Wanna Be Adored
3. Fever Ray - Mercy Street
4. Curve - Unreadable Communication
5. Trespassers William - Vapour Trail
6. El Trio de Omar Rodriguez Lopez - Domingo
7. Ryuichi Sakamoto - Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence
8. Still Corners - Wish
9. Black Piano - I Know It's Over
10. Sun Kil Moon - Natural Light
11. Sufjan Stevens - Decatur, or, Round of Applause for Your Step Mother!
12. The Brunettes - Obligatory Road Song
13. Sweet Trip - Noise Is A Social Skill
14. Warpaint - Ashes to Ashes
15. The Bird And The Bee - Kiss On My List
16. Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - Better Things To Do
17. Fiona Apple - So Sleepy
18. The Beatles - The Ballad Of John And Yoko
19. Kathryn Calder - Castor And Pollux
20. Cornelius - Another View Point
21. Delorean - Moonsoon
22. Perfume - Dream Fighter
23. Stereolab - Doubt
24. Asobi Seksu - Sunshower
25. Queens of the Stone Age - Never Say Never
26. The Manhattan Love Suicides - Skulls
27. Fleeting Joys - Morphine Drip

>>click<<

Light from a dead star

2010-10-08T13:03:00.000-07:00

Stereolab, the band who gave this blog its name, have pretty much broken up, but that hasn't stopped them from releasing a new album this year anyway. Not Music, recorded at the same time as 2008's Chemical Chords, comes out 15 November.

Download 'Sun Demon' from Not Music via RCRDLBL below.

Who are the trusted?

2010-10-06T19:08:00.000-07:00

Two of the greats, Elvis Costello and Nick Lowe, played two shows in one night here in San Francisco last week. I wish I could have gone, but it was so damn expensive. Thanks to the interwebs, I can have a little taste of how it went. Video isn't the best, but the sound is good. No complaints from me. Enjoy!

Bombay

2010-09-24T05:26:00.000-07:00

Video (pretty NSFW) of the first track from the fine new El Guincho LP, Pop Negro. More verbiage on the album here.

Ave Lúcifer

2010-09-17T15:58:00.000-07:00

Pop Molecule mixtape service continues with Le Sacre, 25 songs, 71 minutes. Get it here. Freaky pagan sex rituals optional, but encouraged.

1. Os Mutantes - Ave Lúcifer
2. Jeanette - Porque te vas
3. Chiyo Okumura - Koi no dorei
4. Kishore Kumar - Koi haseena
5. Kronos Quartet - Ya habibi ta'ala
6. Jane Birkin & Mickey 3D - Je m'appelle Jane
7. Brigitte Fontaine - Déclaration de sinistre
8. Fausto Cigliano - Cantata basilisca (The lizard song)
9. Piero Piccioni - Eros
10. Serge Gainsbourg - Flash forward
11. Charles Wilp - Bunny
12. 101 Strings - Karma sitar
13. Dara Puspita - Musafir cinta
14. The Ramrods - Bright lit blue skies
15. Scott Walker - The church of the apostles
16. Georg Ots - Muuttuvat laulut
17. Annikki Tähti - Mustalainen
18. Teruko Akatsuki - Koi no gypsy
19. Pauli Granfelt - Itämaista rakkautta
20. Boris Kovač - Lonely on the rock
21. Filipinki - Dlaczego płaczesz mały
22. Francis Lai - Les deux nudités
23. The Focus Group - Pan calling
24. Broadcast - Valerie
25. Luboš Fišer - Sacrifice

(Cover image taken from Jaromil Jires' 1970 film Valerie and Her Week of Wonders)

You adore me

2010-09-05T19:18:00.000-07:00

I suspect The Raveonettes' cover of The Stone Roses' classic, I Wanna Be Adored, will likely place a lot of peeps squarely in the "hate it" category, but I really like it. It's straight ahead and doesn't really change anything save for the vocals, Sharin Foo's icy femme voice as opposed to Ian Brown's original male vocal. Don't get me wrong, I love the original, but I definitely have room for this version as well.

This was done in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of Doc Marten's. There are a handful of other cover songs for this project, and you can listen and download the rest of the tracks here.

I have faith in all you do

2010-08-25T22:50:00.001-07:00

On the heels of Sun Kil Moon's latest album, Admiral Fell Promises, comes a 4-track EP called I'll Be There. The Jackson Five's I'll Be There is already a great song, and this is just a guy and a guitar, but Mark Kozelek is able to channel the essence of the song in a way that not many others can. Also, check out the Stereolab and Casiotone for the Painfully Alone covers on the EP, they're equally excellent. I picked this one because I'm hoping Madcat Joe writes about the Stereolab one.

Sun Kil Moon > I'll Be There

Keep the Dog Bookish

2010-08-23T01:41:00.000-07:00

I've been keeping a pretty low profile around here these days, partly because I'm busy rewiring my brain for Finnish, partly because the glory of the Finnish summer itself argues against spending much time with the old laptop.

But I did want to stop by and register enthusiasm for Owen Pallett's extraordinary album Heartland, a dazzling chamber pop gem in the vein of Van Dyke Parks' 1968 Song Cycle or Simon Bookish's more recent masterpiece Everything/Everything. Indeed it is the Simon Bookish remix of "Keep the Dog Quiet" I want to draw attention to right now. Bookish and Pallett, both classically trained performers and composers with a flare for wicked and highly literate pop, are a natural fit for each other. One wonders if they'd collaborate well together on an album, or if each of their songwriting personae are too stubbornly eccentric to play well with others. All the same this remix is pretty thrilling.

Owen Pallett - Keep the Dog Quiet (Simon Bookish Remix)

Wear your inside out

2010-08-19T19:46:00.001-07:00

Fever Ray have covered Mercy Street, which is one of my all-time favorite Peter Gabriel songs. Apparently, Fever Ray have been playing it live from time to time, but I sadly did not get to witness it when I saw them in San Francisco last year. In any case, we have the tune now. I love it and it's going to drop on 7" before the end of the year.

Fever Ray > Mercy Street

Just One Wish

2010-08-13T21:10:00.000-07:00

Well, hello! It's been a while. We're still here, just not...here. Well, not as much. In any case, I've been meaning to post this but I've been deathly ill due to excessive drinking and carousing. You know how it goes.

This band is Still Corners and this song, Wish, will drop in about a week. All I can say is, wow. This song is so perfect, short and sweet. It's like a hazy memory of a summer you dreamt about in the future. And if you want more like I do, you can listen here.

Wish from Still Corners on Vimeo.

No means no!

2010-07-07T19:23:00.000-07:00

Has anybody else been listening to Katzenjammer? I recently got a hold of their debut album, Le Pop. Originally released in EU over a year ago, it just dropped here in the States last month. My initial encounter wasn't positive, I think you definitely need to be in the mood for a listen, at least the first time. My repeat listens got much, much better. This album is like a vaudeville show, or the soundtrack to a maniacally dark carnival, whirling out of control. These girls are a lot of fun, and that's a great promo pic up there.

Check out this title track, it's pretty inspired and infectious.

Katzenjammer > Le Pop

Don't get me wrong

2010-07-06T20:39:00.000-07:00

Independence Day has passed and summer is in full swing here in San Francisco, which means it's cold as fuck. Today, I spent a good part of the day at work with my space heater on full blast. In any case, if you're needing something to complete your annual badass summer mixtape, you can drop this one in your tracklist. I'm hazy on the details, but I'm pretty sure the Vivian Girls recorded this as a contribution to an upcoming David Bowie tribute album. It's jangly and pretty faithful to the original. I've road-tested it many times and I can assure you, this song sounds great when you turn it up in the car. Hear for yourself.

Vivian Girls > John, I'm Only Dancing

Grinderman 2

2010-07-02T00:02:00.000-07:00

The new Grinderman, Grinderman 2, is coming soon (September 13). I've found these amusing promos for the new album. Apparently, John Hillcoat (The Proposition, The Road) directed the one with the snarling wolf.

Also, the first single, Heathen Child, will drop on August 30. The cover cracks me up. I cannot wait for this. The first Grinderman album was on constant rotation when I got my hands on it, and the gig was brilliant, my favorite of that year. Check out the boys killing Honey Bee on the Letterman show.

Let Me In

2010-07-01T23:46:00.000-07:00

Like most peeps, I was down on it when it was announced there would be a Hollywood remake of the excellent Swedish film, Let The Right One In. Somehow, I doubt this remake will even come close to the original, but this trailer doesn't look half bad.

The Smiths Project

2010-06-23T19:44:00.000-07:00

I stumbled onto Janice Whaley's Smiths Project last week (via Slicing Up Eyeballs, which is a cool 80s sorta alternative music blog). She's basically trying to cover every Smiths song by the end of this year, and it looks like she's on track to hit that goal. You can go to the blog and listen, and you also can download tracks here. As of this writing, there are 32 tracks for your downloading pleasure. I also grabbed her widget thingy (man, that sounds dirty) from which you can listen here, as well. That is, if you're lazy and don't want to navigate away from Pop Molecule. Anyway, I think her endeavor is very cool and anyone who is a fan of The Smiths should give it a listen. And really, who doesn't like The Smiths?

Trying to scrounge a dime

2010-06-17T22:09:00.000-07:00

I've been listening quite a bit lately to Karen Elson's debut album, The Ghost Who Walks. The album has a kinda alt-country noir vibe to it which, for me, recalls Neko Case's classic album, Blacklisted (except without The Voice). Spare, haunting, eerie, dark and brooding. And I'm not saying they're equals, just that Elson is pointing in this direction. Mouths to Feed is one of my favorite tracks (so far) on the album. It seems to be a depression-era dust bowl story about the rich getting richer while the poor are left standing beside the road. I particularly love her voice on this track and the violins, for me, really round out the feel of the music. I could lose myself for days in a song like this.

Karen Elson > Mouths To Feed

The Haunting of Ariel Pink

2010-06-15T05:45:00.000-07:00

When my turn came to chime in on Before Today, the much-discussed but perhaps not very well understood new album by Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti, I thought I'd try digging a little deeper than usual. Results at The Line of Best Fit here.

Here's the video for his/their cover of the Rockin' Ramrods' 1966 single "Bright Lit Blue Skies":

Dock Ellis

2010-06-12T11:31:00.000-07:00

Forty years ago today in 1970, Dock Ellis of the Pittsburgh Pirates threw a no-hitter against the San Diego Padres while under the influence of LSD.

Keven McAlester's excellent story about the incident and Ellis' life is here; the Baseball Reliquary's entry on the pitcher is here. Ellis died in 2008 at age 63.

In 1993, Barbara Manning's S.F. Seals (taking their name from San Francisco's legendary old Pacific Coast League team) released The Baseball Trilogy EP, from which this pretty kickass song is taken.

S.F. Seals - Dock Ellis

Image: Got Me Floating (2008) by Jay Kaplan.

I don't know how to stop

2010-06-06T15:31:00.000-07:00

I convinced D, the other day, to listen to some of the earlier Peter Gabriel albums. She was checking his new album, Scratch My Back, which is on my playlist. She had told me her dad used to listen to Genesis and Gabriel in the car when she was young, but she wasn't overly familiar with it. So I brought in a few albums for her to peruse. My favorite is the one with Peter Gabriel's melting face, which is his third self-titled solo album.

In any case, the point of this is that I listened to this album again, and it brought back a flood of memories. Lying on the bed and reading while listening. Studying the personnel list, which eventually and inevitably led to other exciting musical discoveries.Tony Levin and Robert Fripp pointed the way to King Crimson. Paul Weller opened the door to The Jam. In addition to producing this album, Steve Lillywhite produced U2, Big Country (laugh if you must, but I loved those first couple albums), and XTC, who were other bands I was getting into around that time.

Although I vaguely knew her name from singing backup on Gabriel's melty face album, a few years would pass before I discovered who Kate Bush really was. We didn't have cable television back then, my dad refused to pay for TV. I used to go over to Peter's, his mom was pretty cool and she worked nights which meant she was generally asleep during the day and we could watch whatever we wanted, usually some retarded horror flick or a baseball game. This one particular day, I think Peter was distracted by something. Maybe a girl on the phone, or whatever. I was flipping through the channels when I stumbled upon this gorgeous girl wearing chain mail and brandishing a sword. I was captivated, and when Peter was done with his distraction, I wouldn't let him change the channel until I found out the name of this warrior woman. The song was Babooshka, the name of the program was The Single File (which was a compilation of her videos), and the singer turned out to be Kate Bush. Amazing. I rushed out as soon as I could and picked up Hounds of Love, which was her current release at the time.

Strange how the mind works, this started out as an ode to Peter Gabriel, and I end up gushing over Kate Bush. Complete lack of discipline. I'm gonna leave it as it is, however, and I'll leave with these tunes. Peter Gabriel's No Self Control, on which you can hear Kate Bush singing backup. Kate Bush's Babooshka, which pretty much is the starting point of my lifelong Kate Bush odyssey. I actually have to belatedly thank the USA Network for airing that video. Who would have thought that one could see obscure Kate Bush videos on American network television?

And sometime soon, I will have to write up a little post on my favorite duet ever, Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush singing Don't Give Up, which appears on Gabriel's 1986 album, So. I'll save that one for later.

Peter Gabriel > No Self Control

Kate Bush > Babooshka

Lastly, as a little bonus, here is the video for Kate Bush's spellbinding Babooshka:

I'd make wine from your tears

2010-05-26T17:17:00.000-07:00

I can't say I was ever a huge fan of INXS' Never Tear Us Apart when it originally dropped. At the time, thought it was too melodramatic, too bombastic and, worst of all, overplayed. I hear the original every now and then and it's really a decent song. I think my dislike for it stemmed from the fact that it was just a product of its time coupled with my distaste for chart music. That said, I really dig this cover by Beck's Record Club. The Record Club appears to be a rotating cast of whomever he can gather to come hang out in his studio to cover random albums. They've already done Skip Spence, The Velvet Underground and Nico, and Leonard Cohen. Right now, they're in the middle of INXS. You can check out the rest of the Record Club entries by clicking here.

Record Club: INXS "Never Tear Us Apart" from Beck Hansen on Vimeo.

Jukebox il topo

2010-05-15T17:31:00.000-07:00

It's mixtape time again, kids!

Something of a linguistically confused blind mole's grapple in the dazzling spring sun for cultural sure footing, calling to mind this fucked up Jodorowsky film, but without the Wild West and more sex and art-damaged Italian shoes instead? A still from Antonioni's La Notte provides the cover image, and a few shots of cachaça, euro politico-financial anxiety, and a helping of Kubrickian ultraviolence spike the punch bowl of my melted mental topography map, pop-musically speaking, circa May 2010.

Download here; tracklisting after the jump.

1. Simon Bookish - Topography
2. Of Montreal - Forecast Fascist Future
3. Fumie Hosokawa - Poupée De Cire, Poupée De Son
4. Momus - The Birdcatcher
5. David Bowie - Blackout
6. Delta 5 - Mind Your Own Business
7. Les Poppys - Non Non Rien N'a Changé
8. Mavi Isiklar - Ask Cicegi
9. The Raincoats - Lola
10. The Clean - Whatever I Do
11. Adriano Celentano - Un Bimbo Sul Leone
12. Katerine - Le Train De 19h
13. Evinha - Olha Eu Aqui Oh! Oh! Oh!
14. Get Back Guinozzi! - Jungely
15. Stereo Total - Orange Mécanique
16. Parvati Khan - Jimmy Jimmy Jimmy Aaja
17. Broadcast and The Focus Group - Make My Sleep His Song
18. The Goretti Group with Dennis De Souza Trio - Of My Hands
19. Milton Nascimento e Lô Borges - O Trem Azul
20. The Ruby Suns - Palmitos Park
21. Dennis Wilson - Sound Of Free
22. Margo Guryan - Love
23. Dino - Ho Messo Gli Occhi Su Di Te

I was not sitting with the gargoyles

2010-05-15T13:13:00.000-07:00

I don't know where it came from or how, but I am completely obsessed with Hiding All Away by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. It's got this menacing lurch, like a monster looming in the distance, its shadow cast upon you as it slowly moves in your direction. I'm not sure what to make of the lyrics, it seems sorta like a stream-of-consciousness rant. Maybe about God, and how he is everywhere no matter what is going on? Nick Cave has never shied away from religious imagery, so I wouldn't doubt it. I like the part where the backup singers sorta lose it and start laughing. Finally, when there is no more tension to build, the climax of the song hits. The band practically explodes and all of the voices are shouting "THERE IS A WAR COMING!", and it makes me either want to take shelter or run out in the streets, screaming along with them.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds > Hiding All Away

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-09T14:57:00.000-07:00

For all you mothers and mothers-to-be, here's an amusing little story from the legendary Tom Waits.

Tom Waits > Untitled #2

Sometimes I Dream of Willie Mays

2010-05-07T15:50:00.000-07:00

Happy (belated) birthday to Willie Mays (May 6, 1931), one of the best ever to play the game.

Grab The Baseball Project's underrated Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails album, on which you can find this track. Thanks to Madmadcat, die hard San Francisco Giants fan, for steering me to this album.

The Baseball Project > Sometimes I Dream of Willie Mays

Funeral for Churchill

2010-05-07T07:15:00.001-07:00

In honour of Britain's freshly hung parliament, I pass along a fine mixtape made by my brother a couple weeks ago: "An admittedly tenuous blend of old British imperialism and full-on freakout psychadelia," he writes. "Preferably listened to while wearing a Victorian military jacket of some sort (and, uh, lined with acid.) Good times."

It is worth noting that Churchill himself was never once elected prime minister with a popular vote greater than 50 percent. David Cameron, carrying on the peculiar tradition of British politics, thinks he should now be PM with 36 percent. Proportional representation in parliament, with all the messy coalition-building that entails, is the core demand being made by the monkeywrench in this election, the Liberal Democrats. Seems to be an idea whose time has definitively come...

I'm in the middle of a picture

2010-04-25T19:32:00.000-07:00

It's been quiet around here, lately, and it's about to get even more quiet. I'm hitting the road for a couple weeks and it is doubtful that I'll have much of a connection. I'll leave you with this, however. A video of Bat For Lashes covering Radiohead's All I Need was floating around the internets a little while back, and I am guessing that this file was ripped straight from the video. It sounds a bit tinny or thin, but that doesn't detract from the performance. If you know me, you probably know that I love Natasha Khan, so her plus Radiohead is a winning combination in my book. She'd have to go to great lengths, really, to fuck up this song. Enjoy, and see you soon.

Bat For Lashes > All I Need

Looking back, it seems so strange

2010-04-09T01:43:00.000-07:00

I was having lunch, yesterday, in this place across the street from where I work. I like going in there late because it's usually empty and they usually have some anonymous classic rock radio station going. The cool thing about the music is it's not always the usual suspects that come to mind when you hear the phrase, "classic rock". Sometimes they're deeper cuts, and perhaps bands that you might have to go out of your way to find. I think you know what I mean.

So I'm sitting there and they bust out with Thin Lizzy's Cowboy Song, which I haven't heard in ages. It totally took me back to when I was a kid and I walked over to The Wherehouse (does anybody remember that chain of record stores?) to buy Thin Lizzy's The Boys Are Back In Town b/w Jailbreak on 7". I played that 45 to death, and I eventually picked up that Jailbreak album, which I loved. And those three tracks; The Boys Are Back In Town, Jailbreak and Cowboy Song were probably my favorites. I was slow to recognize the song at first, but I think I got a little emotional when I realized I was listening to Cowboy Song. Good thing the joint was empty.

Thin Lizzy > Cowboy Song

Let's stay awake tonight

2010-04-05T21:48:00.000-07:00

The very cool new Lali Puna video for That Day. Find this song on their new album, Our Inventions, which officially drops next week.

Fuzishen na Girl

2010-04-04T23:28:00.000-07:00

I'm digging the new Perfume track, Fushizen na Girl. It's no Puppy Love or Dream Fighter, but I do like it more than last summer's One Room Disco. I haven't really been keeping up with the Perfume news, but it looks like the single is gonna drop this month. I might just wait for the next album, however, as it seems like their singles and b-sides end up on their albums anyways. In any case, you can check out about a minute and a half of the PV here, and listen to the whole thing below. Also, the girls look splendid in red ruffles.

Perfume > Fushizen na Girl

Polaroid Piano

2010-03-29T01:58:00.000-07:00

A couple years ago, someone from the old Bowlie board hipped me to Akira Kosemura via a mixtape trade. I liked the track and I grabbed the album, but only recently have I begun to further investigate Kosemura. Last month, I ran into his album, Polaroid Piano, which is quite lovely. It's like the sound of a lazy spring day lying in the sun; dreamy, quiet and warm. With that in mind, you can just look at the album cover above and imagine you're lying somewhere in there while listening to the album. I also quite like the fact that you can hear the creak of the piano pedals, as if you might be sitting in the same room in which he's playing. Also, the album is very short (the longest song is 4 minutes and change) which makes it a pleasant listen, and leaves you wanting a little bit more. Sorta like that nap in the sun, you wish it would go on and on but it always ends too soon and is never enough.

After you listen to April, you can stream more Akira Kosemura here, if you're so inclined.

Akira Kosemura > April

Unloveable

2010-03-27T15:52:00.000-07:00

I just caught this Babybird video (via Popmatters), Unloveable. The video is directed by Johnny Depp, who also apparently plays guitar on the track. The track is from a new Babybird album, Ex-Maniac, which dropped earlier this month. Nice to see Babybird is still going, I haven't really kept up with them. Listen to more Babybird here and check out the official site here.

I got the wanderin' blues

2010-03-26T02:01:00.000-07:00

There are a couple things that remind me of springtime. One thing is an allergy attack. I had a particularly nasty one this past weekend. Suffice it to say that my entire body was sore from sneezing, not to mention the headaches afterward. Another reminder of springtime is The Be Good Tanyas' song, The Littlest Birds, which I happened to hear the other day. This song may not be specifically about spring, but it sure sounds like something you'd hear on a lovely March day. Give it a listen and pass me a box of tissues, please.

Banksy

2010-03-22T17:51:00.000-07:00

A collection of Banksy images, see more over here.

Yusaku Kamekura

2010-03-22T17:36:00.000-07:00

A poster by Yusaku Kamekura (1915-1997), visionary graphic designer from Japan. See more here.

RIP Alex Chilton

2010-03-18T20:59:00.000-07:00

Like many other people, my introduction to Alex Chilton came through The Replacements song that is famously named after him. I remember borrowing the Mats' Pleased To Meet Me from a guy at work. Later I asked and he told me about Alex Chilton, and I finally understood the line where Paul Westerberg sings, "I never travel far without a little Big Star". And from there, I went backwards into the Big Star catalog and realized how a lot of indie bands followed their example, and many are still following to this day. So many people have already said so much, and more eloquently, so I'll just say RIP to a legend, more people should know his name but the music will live.

Big Star > Don't Lie To Me

The Replacements > Alex Chilton

And just as an aside, another of my first exposures to world of Big Star, oddly enough, was (and laugh, if you must) The Bangles' cover of September Gurls.
The Bangles > September Gurls

Everybody wants to rule the world

2010-03-16T18:43:00.000-07:00

The first entry in the AV Club's Undercover series, it's the great Ted Leo & The Pharmacists with their take on Tears for Fears' Everybody Wants To Rule The World.

2010-03-10T19:56:00.001-08:00

In honour of the late, great Mark Linkous, I wanted to share this live show as posted on Bradley's Almanac.. I have listened a lot to 'It's a Wonderful Life' this week, and, honestly, I can't say I've remotely come to terms with him not being here making music anymore.. If you have ever seen Sparklehorse live, you know what I mean.. If you haven't, here's a small sampling of a greater hole now missing from us.. Enjoy (and, thank you, Bradley's Almanac!).

http://www.bradleysalmanac.com/2010/03/mp3s-in-memory-of-mark-linkous.htm

RIP Mark Linkous

2010-03-07T10:08:00.000-08:00

Sparklehorse > Come On In

Long is the way...

2010-03-05T00:26:00.000-08:00

I made a mix for myself for fun, so I thought I'd post it here in case anybody else might be interested. It's mostly new-ish stuff, with a few older tunes. It's long, so beware. You might want to digest it in little chunks, or maybe just put it on at work and let it roll. Tracklist and link after the jump!

1. The Album Leaf - Blank Pages
2. Akira Kosemura - It's on Everything
3. The Knife - Colouring Of Pigeons
4. Dinah Washington & Max Richter - This Bitter Earth/On The Nature of Daylight
5. Four Tet - Love Cry
6. Beach House - Norway
7. Lali Puna - Move On
8. Ra Ra Riot - Suspended In Gaffa
9. Sambassadeur - High And Low
10. Apparatjik - Antlers
11. UNKLE - Natural Selection (Team Ghost Remix)
12. Phantogram - When I'm Small
13. Gemma Hayes - Cloudbusting
14. El Perro Del Mar - Hello Goodbye
15. Theoretical Girl - Thorn in My Side (Stripped Down Demo)
16. Flight Of The Conchords - Hurt Feelings
17. jj - Things Will Never Be The Same Again
18. The Radio Dept. - Heaven's On Fire
19. Autour de Lucie - L'accord Parfait
20. Marina and The Diamonds - I Am Not A Robot
21. Miles Kurosky - Pink Lips, Black Lungs
22. Charlotte Gainsbourg - Greenwich Mean Time
23. Lucky Soul - White Russian Doll
24. HALCALI - BABY BLUE (BABY BLUE IS GOOD MIX)
25. Surfer Blood - Swim
26. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Heads Will Roll
27. Ted Leo and the Pharmacists - Bottled In Cork
28. Squeeze - Up The Junction
29. Sweet Trip - Pretending

>>click<<

Tomorrow, in a year

2010-03-04T03:30:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow, In A Year is a "Darwin electro-opera" by Hotel Pro Forma with music by The Knife, Mt Sims, and Planningtorock. Excerpt from a performance below; more verbiage over this way.

Crooked teeth and everything

2010-03-03T19:34:00.000-08:00

I'm really digging this track by Unkle. Having never really listened to them before, I am fairly certain it is a new track. The thing is, I found it while I was looking up Team Ghost, a new project of Nicolas Fromageau, who is formerly of M83. This particular Unkle track, which is remixed by Team Ghost, is streaming here. Look for the Team Ghost EP, which is coming soon, on Sonic Cathedral. And now it seems I should dig deepr into Unkle. Recommendations would be welcome.

Unkle > Natural Selection (Team Ghost Remix)

On whom can you depend?

2010-02-27T14:06:00.000-08:00

I can't get Surfer Blood's Swim out of my head. I love the shouty, echoing vocals which are great for singing along. I love the big and crunchy guitar hooks. This song is like a cotton-candy flavored shot of adrenaline. I hope the rest of the album is like this.

From the little I've read, Surfer Blood are from Florida and they have one album called Astro Coast. Otherwise, I don't know much about these guys (I can't find a main site), but you can stream more tunes here.

Surfer Blood > Swim

I put a spell on you

2010-02-26T16:35:00.000-08:00

This is a charity song I can sink my teeth into.

Released on March 8th 2010
Please pre-order the single by clicking here - http://bit.ly/bj2ieH. Or text SPELL (all in capitals) to 78789 (the text costs £1.50).

So moved by the plight of the people of Haiti, Shane and his long term girlfriend, writer Victoria Clarke made calls to friends and associates from which began the process of recording a track from which ALL proceeds go to Concern, a charity who have provided assistance to some of the poorest countries in the world including Haiti, even before the earthquake struck. Some of the stars on the record include - Nick Cave / Bobby Gillespie / Glen Matlock / Johnny Depp / Chrissie Hynde / Paloma Faith / Eliza Doolittle.

You're just a small light

2010-02-25T20:43:00.000-08:00

I'm really enjoying the new Lali Puna album, Our Inventions. There's something about Valerie Trebeljahr's voice that's very soothing and comforting. Their electronic pop music is warm and inviting. I often feel like I can sink into a Lali Puna song and land softly. Or maybe like the song is a cloud and it floats me to someplace where the skies may be grey, with hopeful glimpses of blue. Their songs are like a heaven made up of 1s and 0s. Or something.

Stream more Lali Puna tracks here, check out their webpage here and buy music over here.

Lali Puna > Move On

Walk, don't run

2010-02-25T11:28:00.000-08:00

I found this via Twitter a few days ago. A couple of cute, crocheted musicians who go by the name, U900. They have a myspxxx page here and there are a couple albums for sale that I've found, one of which looks to be a Ventures cover album. The vid below is the U900 version of The Ventures' Walk Don't Run. I kinda don't want to find out too much more about U900 and spoil the charm.

Yona

2010-02-24T02:54:00.000-08:00

Last Friday we went to the packed Kuudes Linja club in Helsinki and were treated to a fantastic show by Yona, a singer-songwriter (pictured) backed up by a chamber-folk ensemble of strings, piano, jazz percussion and the occasional trumpet. I ended up buying the group's CD, Pilvet Liikkuu, Minä En ("The Clouds Move, I Do Not," if I understand the title correctly) which has been in fairly regular rotation at home since. Here in "Syyssävelmä" ("Autumn Melody") Yona and co. are definitely engaged with Finland's grand tradition of melancholic ballroom music, but are doing something pretty fresh and contemporary too.

Yona - Syyssävelmä

Japanese cinema

2010-02-23T09:42:00.000-08:00

The publisher Intellect is currently offering a free download of The Directory of World Cinema: Japan, a shiny 298 page e-book on my favourite national film industry. While it's not short of ideas for the Netflix/Lovefilm/whatever rental queue in your life, the collection of reviews and essays "was never intended to be a conventional film guide, as the overall aim was to discuss Japanese cultural life and history as expressed through the medium of film," according to editor John Berra. I haven't read the book, but a skim this afternoon in my clunky .pdf reader looked pretty promising (and made me want to get an iPad).

Also of interest in the same generalist vein, but in old-fashioned print, is Donald Richie's A Hundred Years of Japanese Film. Richie's writing on Japan has been personally very influential on my own evolving views and tastes. His book on Ozu (my favourite director, from any country) is also one of the best things on my shelf. Or rather, in boxes in storage in a garage in California, but that's another story. My library will join me in Helsinki one day.

(Above: Yasujiro Ozu)

The ocean wants me today

2010-02-18T00:57:00.000-08:00

The video for "Scissor," from Liars' forthcoming Sisterworld, to be released 9 March. Anticipated muchly.

I read bad poetry into your machine

2010-02-16T23:19:00.000-08:00

Thought of this song, At My Most Beautiful, the other day. I still remember the first time I had heard it. We were at the Bridge School Benefit in 1998, I believe. it was at least a couple months before their album, Up, had dropped and REM were headling one of the nights that year when I saw them play this. It was love at first listen with this song, the sweetly touching lyrics and the Beach Boys style music came together perfectly. Sadly, this is one of the few REM tracks I like in the post Bill Berry era, but that's another discussion.

REM > At My Most Beautiful

Just one time with a monkey wrench

2010-02-14T22:44:00.000-08:00

In 1993, the Mario Brothers received the Jellyfish pop song treatment. If only all songs about video games were this cool, or good. A b-side from Jellyfish's New Mistake single, Ignorance Is Bliss is a lyrically straightforward tune concerning the characters from the game and sung from the perspective of Bowser, King of the Koopas. Musically, it's like the mad hatter of pop songs; stopping, starting, speeding up and seemingly about to whirl out of control and fly off the planet. Some parts of it also remind me of a stage play for some reason. It's all so Jellyfish, I don't think I could name another band who might be able to pull off a song like this these days. I love how it ends, when he says so casually and dismissively, "On second thought, I think I've made my point.", and the song waltzes and fades. Wonderful.

Jellyfish > Ignorance Is Bliss

Last Exit To Nowhere

2010-02-11T19:22:00.000-08:00

For all the movie nerds out there, make sure you stop over at Last Exit To Nowhere. LETN makes goodies (mostly t-shirts and hoodies) with the logos of fictional corporations and organizations from your favorite flicks. I recently picked up one of these Nostromo shirts from Alien.

Also, the LETN peeps have also posted some pretty cool iPhone wallpapers, which I've gathered up into one zip file for you. My favorite one is the HAL 9000 one, from 2001: A Space Odyssey. The other ones are the Tyrell Corporation (Blade Runner), Omni Consumer Products (Robocop), Weyland Yutani (Aliens), and Nakatomi Corporation (Die Hard). I'm not sure if they'll show up right on other phones, but it could be worth a shot. Download the wallpapers below, if you're so inclined.

>>click<<

You've been acting awful tough lately

2010-02-10T23:30:00.000-08:00

I came across this song a week or so ago, and I can't get it out of my head. It's I Am Not A Robot by Marina & The Diamonds. I like the synthy production, and Marina's vocals sorta remind me of my beloved Kate Bush. I also like the vocoder in the background, I wish it were a bit more prominent, considering the "robot" theme of the song. The video is pretty trippy, too. She looks weird covered in all that black tar or whatever it is. She has an EP out, called The Crown Jewels, and her album, The Family Jewels, drops in a couple weeks.

Stream more of Marina & The Diamonds over at the official site, and keep up with Marina on Twitter.

Marina & The Diamonds > I Am Not A Robot

Songs of < 3 & < /3

2010-02-03T02:27:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day is coming. Some people love it, some people hate it. I don't really care for it myself, it's kinda of a prefab cash-grab "holiday", but that's just the way it goes. Just for fun, I wanted to see if I could put together a mix of love songs, but it didn't feel right without the darkness of heartbreak. I added even more songs and came out with these 32 tracks (yeah, I know it's long, it just happened that way). It's not definitive by any means, just stuff I happen to like. The songs are not evenly split, at least I don't think so because I didn't count. The subject matter was pretty easy, so I just tried to go for flow, and there might be some success in that respect. I'd say that most of these, I've been listening to forever. There are some newer tracks that I've taken to rather quickly, but it seems to be a decent mix of old and new.

Some of these tracks really kill me. Badly Drawn Boy's Magic In The Air is so sweet and hopeful, like when you meet someone new and everything just clicks. Lamb's Gorecki is absolutely devastating, probably the best love song I've ever heard. This is the sound of falling in love. XTC's Your Dictionary has got to be the bitterest and most venomous breakup song ever written. Garbage's #1 Crush is pure stalker obsession. I love when Shirley Manson whispers menacingly, "I'd do time for you." Now THAT, my friends, is love. Joe Jackson's Happy Loving Couples never fails to crack me up. You can almost see him rolling his eyes, a knowing look on his face as he says, "You know what I mean... happy loving couples in matching lamb turtleneck sweaters, reading Ideal Homes magazine... yeah." Those assholes. Yeah, indeed, Mr. Jackson.

Check the tracklist while you're waiting for the download magic to happen (link at the bottom) and then drop this mix onto your mp3 player of choice.

Songs of < 3 & < /3

1. Heavenly - I Fell In Love Last Night
2. The Magic Kids - Hey Boy
3. The Magnetic Fields - I Don't Want To Get Over You
4. The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - This Love Is Fucking Right
5. Lesley Gore - Look Of Love
6. The Clash - 1-2 Crush On You
7. Lucky Soul - Love 3
8. Ben Folds Five - Song For The Dumped
9. Go Sailor - Windy
10. The Beatles - I'm Looking Through You
11. Frances Nero - Keep On Loving Me
12. Badly Drawn Boy - Magic In The Air
13. Cat Power - Could We
14. Neko Case - Buckets of Rain
15. Irma Thomas - It's Raining
16. Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan - (Do You Wanna) Come Walk With Me?
17. Tom Waits - Take It With Me
18. Aimee Mann - What The World Needs Now
19. Garbage - #1 Crush
20. Bat For Lashes - Siren Song
21. Rogue Wave - Maps
22. The Cookies - I Never Dreamed
23. Blondie - I'm Gonna Love You Too
24. Lush - I Wanna Be Your Girlfriend
25. The Ramones - I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend
26. Ivy - Get Enough
27. Book Of Love - You Make Me Feel So Good
28. Chris Clark - Put Yourself In My Place
29. Joe Jackson - Happy Loving Couples
30. XTC - Your Dictionary
31. Lykke Li - Little Bit
32. Lamb - Gorecki
>>clicketyclick<<

play me a song to set me free..

2010-02-01T17:57:00.000-08:00

Winter took his turn where I live this past weekend, as a lumbering, giant of a storm blew snow and ice on every crease of the city.. Most of the city stayed in for the weekend, as this part of the country gives Winter his due when he passes, but I took my turn roaming the city centre on Saturday and let myself give in to the winsomeness of winter days.. Deep cold, that only the warmth of wine can melt.. Cold winds, that take your mind to all the places your friends live.. Deep darkness, that comes through the broken tree branches and makes you curl that much tighter in your bed, or around the one in your bed.. I always hide in my favourite songs this time of year, and also in memories of my favourite places.. So, here's a tune that brings both of these together for me.. The promise of mediterranean breezes wrapped around the solitude of glaswegian skies .. One of my favourite covers letting you know that spring isn't THAT far away after all.. x

Pertubazione - 'Portami via di qua sto male'

Where's your little girl tonight?

2010-01-28T21:41:00.000-08:00

Does anyone else love this song? I guess it dropped last year, but I just stumbled onto it and it's oh so great. All I can tell is that Magic Kids are from Memphis and they have one 7" out. Anybody out there in the know?

The Magic Kids > Hey Boy

Oh no, it can't be true

2010-01-27T05:32:00.000-08:00

Finland's TV-Resistori produced a pair of delightful, offbeat synthpop albums in 2004 and 2006, making some of my favourite music of the mid-decade period. They have kind of fallen off the face of the earth since then, but according to their label Fonal, they've just been "doing and re-doing their new album" all this time. And while there is still no release date promised for opus no. 3, today the indie pop perfectionists are finally sharing new song "Voi ei, ei voi olla totta" (or "Oh no, it can't be true") with the rest of us. It's a very likable and catchily propulsive tune that bodes well for whatever else might emerge from the collective's strict quality-control vault in 2010.

TV-Resistori - Voi ei, ei voi olla totta

And for old time's sake, have a listen to the eponymous track from their 2004 album Intiaanidisko, which charmed me so much in the first place.

TV-Resistori - Intiaanidisko

Speechless

2010-01-26T12:57:00.000-08:00

Fever Ray's acceptance speech at Sweden's recent P3 Guld award show is something special:

I told you once, I told you twice

2010-01-22T00:10:00.000-08:00

Today, I was talking with a friend about Laura Nyro. Friend mentioned that Nyro reminded her of Carole King (one of Nyro's biggest hits was her version of King's Up On The Roof), which, in turn, reminded me of Really Rosie, a Maurice Sendak illustrated cartoon from my childhood which I loved. The show was a musical, and my favorite songs were Pierre and Chicken Soup With Rice. The lyrics were Sendak's, and the music was done by King.

The Pierre song always cracked me up just because the main character, who was an apathetic kid, constantly replies "I don't care" to anything that anybody says to him. My dad used to call me Pierre because "I don't care" was one of my favorite phrases.

Chicken Soup With Rice is pretty fun, the song winds its way through the twelve months of the year, paying tribute to the joy of eating chicken soup with rice all year long. Totally reminds me of being a kid, lying on the floor, head propped up by my hand and watching Really Rosie.

Check out the Chicken Soup With Rice clip from Really Rosie here, or just listen to the song below.

Carole King > Chicken Soup With Rice