Listening Assignments for 1.22.07

1. Loney, Dear - Sinister In a State of Hope - Yep, I saved this song for this very occasion. IMO, it's the most beautiful on the album and fittingly, the closer. There are few things I appreciate more than a fantastic bookend to a fantastic album. Word. [from Loney, Noir|info]

2. The Earlies - No Love in Your Heart - My brothafromanothamotha Indie Jake turned me on this. Nay, forced! But for good reason. Right now I can see him rocking out to this hip groove with his eyes closed, biting his lower lip, dancing within himself. Heck, maybe even outside himself for all I know. RIYL: The Beta Band, LCD Soundsystem, Flaming Lips. [from The Enemy Chorus|buy]

3. Artisan - Hold My Breath - I got this song months ago and kept stumbling over it in my playlist. It's a stubborn little bugger, which I'm thankful for. Jittery and piano-y, reverse-vocal-y, totally sweet snare sound-y, and wholly interesting. -y. [from I Hold My Breath EP|buy]

4. J. Tillman - Seven States Across - Ohh does this one smolder in the best way. It could easily find itself right at home beside similarly paced Iron and Wine, and again with the Beck comparisons. This sounds like it was sung in a coal mine by a lost miner who has resigned himself to his fate, but is just singing his refrain "there's a way out, there's a way out" just in case. He just so happened to have a guitar with him before the cave-in.[from Documented: 2006 Tour EP|buy]