Listening Assignments 5.21.07

1. Travis - Selfish Jean - Travis is back! Travis is back! What that means to me is that I'll get relatively excited, then slightly disappointed when the record has one or two standouts and a bunch of average songs to fill it out. This album is no different for me, the shiners shine and the rest get skipped. Despite the obvious talent and sound, something about Travis never puts all the pieces together. This upbeat little ditty is great summer fun, however. [from The Boy with No Name|buy]

2. People in Planes - If You Talk Too Much (My Head Will Explode) - I know, I know, this track is sooooo 2006 already. It's just a great power pop gem that never got coverage here. It has always reminded me of a more polished Pablo Honey-era Radiohead sound. [from As Far as the Eye Can See|buy]

3. Guillemots - Never Went to Church (The Streets Cover) - One of the best things about this cover is the almost complete removal of Mike Skinner, the talented author of the song. The total restructuring has transformed it into a broken underdog of a ballad that echoes with its refrain: "Leave nothing behind to remind me of you." [from Never Went To Church|buy]

4. Camille - Quand Je Marche - I'm a sucker for ladies singing in French, but who isn't really? I have no idea what this is about, but I like to think it's a representation of the thoughts of a beautiful French lady who is madly in love with me. She's walking alongside a lake, thinking long and hard about flying back to America to be my wife. She's torn, but I think we both know what she's going to decide. This was voted National Album of the Year in France in 2006. [from Le Fil|buy]