Halloween Candy

Let me first say that the aforepictured can of soda is, indeed, nasty crap. I'm sure it'll be on sale in your local Kmart for the next month because only an idiot with a deathwish would purchase it. This is probably the only soda that can give you diabetes. At the same time, it threatens to stain everything you hold dear with its freakish yellow "color". This is certainly made by the devil.

Secondly, it's Halloween. I'm wearing a homemade bee costume as I type this. I decided to post some good comedy today, themed of course, because I haven't in awhile. You'll have to wait til tomorrow to hear from the I'm Not There OST feat. Sufjan Stevens, Antony & the Johnsons, Iron & Wine, Cat Power, etc.

Happy trick-r-treating!

Listen:
Lewis Black - Candy Corn
Mitch Hedberg - Candy Bars

Holy. Trinity.

It's been a really good last few weeks here and my bandwidth is getting creamed right now. To give it a break, I'll just post this video of probably the most amazing final play in a football game ever.

Listening Assignments 10.29.07

1. The Helio Sequence - Harmonica Song - For a long time, I thought this album cover was something like two lungs made of different sized dots. But it's way cooler than that, as you can see here. Two. Dudes. This song totally rocked live, it's hard to believe two guys could bring it like that. This sounds like a really good indie rock band being accompanied by someone playing Nintendo. [from Love and Distance|buy]

2. Run Dan Run - The Turnover - This was rolling in the background while I did some online reading the other day and it was good enough that I had to switch over to iTunes to figure out what was playing. It's an homage, more than anything, and perhaps not intentionally. The voice sounds too breathy to be natural, the structure too old-school Deathcab to be original, but two really great changes occur in here. 2:40 is an awesome and unexpected downshift, which builds into a nice tribute to Stars. Then 3:57 comes around and and drives a perfectly fitting pair of horns onward to the ending. That was satisfying. [from Basic Mechanics|buy]

3. All-Time Quarterback - Rules Broken - While I'm sure it's been done plenty of times before and since, it always makes me smile when I hear Ben Gibbard leave the metronome out front and center on this track. The song is solid, but the now-famous voice sells it most of all. [from All-Time Quarterback|buy]

4. Jimmy Eat World - Table for Glasses - JEW has been in a lot of places on my radar, from their immediate mega-hit "The Middle" (ugh), to the amazing two-punch outro of "Night Drive" and "23" on Futures, to their current record I just can't make up my mind about (sounds like Jimmy, but it sure doesn't feel like Jimmy to me). But the highest point, the part with the most heart, is still the opener for 1999's Clarity. Compared to this song, the new stuff just feels like caricature. [from Clarity|buy]

look at the assignments from one year ago! [click]

Backporch Revival: Sunparlour Players

If the hardest thing about a post is deciding on two tracks out of a handful of completely stellar collection of songs, I'll take that predicament every day. 14 months ago, Sunparlour Players made their linesthroughlines debut, way back before I even started providing "buy" links, back when I was lucky to get ten visitors a day. I even mistakenly said that version of "Talk it to Death" was from Hymns for the Happy, when it was actually from Alive at the Tranzac. Silly me. Today, the Players finally get a formal writeup and few deserve it more.

I'm not going to fib, this band makes me insanely jealous. I wish I could sit down on an upside-down apple basket, stomp up an audience of dust with my boot, and strum it like this. I picture a neighbor hearing my commotion, venturing out and sitting down on the step next to me, fashioning a stand-up bass out of stretched suspenders. And here comes a woman with a washboard. And a young girl tapping glass bottles of water like a xylophone. It doesn't even matter what the words are, this is a revival of musical faith. This is an unexpected oasis amidst miles of dusty grain fields. This back porch, an amphitheater.

If you like this, buy it. It's all this good. iTunes Plus, baby.

Listen:
If the Creeks Don't Rise
Talk it to Death
[from Hymns for the Happy|buy]

It's Maritime time!

I've had this great Maritime record since early August, a fact that thrilled me to no end when I stumbled upon it. But I listened to the first two free downloads ("Guns of Navarone" and "For Science Fiction") and I was fairly nonplussed with the result. Sure, it sounded good, but I just couldn't wrap my heart around it as easily as I wanted to. There was no "Tearing up the Oxygen" instant-anthem on the first half-listen. I gave the record's surprising closer "Love Has Given Up" 4 stars and I tucked it away, awaiting the release date to revisit an album I desperately wanted to love.

Three months later, we're full circle. Heresy is out and I'm playing it like I've never laid ears on it. And I'm loving it. It's dense and chewy while at the same time tangy and sweet. It makes me want to hug myself, much like the previous record (a top 10 of 2006). The guitars seem slightly sharper this time around, painting a scene that isn't all sun and birds like We, The Vehicles. This scene is a little more overcast, spears of sunlight piercing the ground where allowed by the cloudcover. Those islands of light are triumphant and guilded with sparkling tones that would make The Cure jealous. In the distance, the clouds retreat. They want no part of this awesome record.

Listen:
Love Has Given Up
Pearl
[from Heresy and the Hotel Choir|buy]

Glory Hope Mountain by The Acorn

My heart did a little dance/made a little love when I discovered The Acorn's newest LP Glory Hope Mountain was available on iTunes (iTunes plus, no less!). It was released on Sept 25th, but ordering from Canadian record labels not named Arts & Crafts can be a minor headache. (note: I've never purchased from Paper Bag, so they could be totally awesome) Still, I may bite the bullet again anyway. I love having physical copies of things and this artwork looks beautiful.

This is one of my most anticipated releases of '07, a direct result of my immediate crush that occurred last December. The Acorn has made no less than 5 (now 6) appearances here including 3 assignments and a mixtape. And it doesn't disappoint.

The sentiment of this record is palpable. Based on interviews with his mother Gloria Esperanza Montoya, a Honduran immigrant, lead singer/songwriter Rolf Klausener tells her story with poignant heart-filled accuracy. This album flows beautifully, from tribute to lullaby, a celebration of life and love. Rolf's organic and slightly trembling voice is as inviting as an afternoon nap under an oak tree. The shuffling snares and fingerpicked guitars are like the wind swishing the leaves overhead. Dream on, little one.

Listen:
Crooked Legs
Glory
[from Glory Hope Mountain|buy it!]

John Cusack Approves

It's Say Anything. Irreverent and crass, outwardly egomaniacal yet inwardly humble. They are one of the most polarizing bands I can think of, worshiped for their honesty and diversity, abhorred for their bombast and sugar-coated bitter-pill singles. I love them for all those reasons, though I feel bad about posting about a band I know Alex hates a few days after writing about his own band.

One only has to listen to "Admit It!" from ...Is a Real Boy to realize this band is pulling no punches with anyone, let alone themselves. That record is one of my 10 desert island albums (Radiohead/OK Computer, Jellyfish/Spilt Milk, Aloha/Sugar, Elliott Smith/Figure 8, Iron & Wine/Our Endless Numbered Days, Sufjan Stevens/Illinois, Jonatha Brooke & The Story/Plumb, Toy Matinee/selftitled, Lovedrug/Pretend You're Alive are the others, if you were curious).

The much-anticipated follow-up comes out today. A major-label debut (...Is a Real Boy was just a re-issue, it's almost 3 years old) might be an eggshell-tiptoeing affair for some bands, but Say Anything is putting out a double-disc concept album loosely based on singer Max Bemis' own history of love, touching on all the societal satire we've come to expect from him as well. In Defense of the Genre is most distinctly not one genre, but a multitude of them, sometimes within the same song. Somehow it works, as it did on the last album, pushing the envelope of what "good music should sound like." And despite the lower concentration of earth-shaking hooks, they are evenly distributed over the span of 26 songs dripping with theme, story, and emotion. I'd probably give it a B+ due to its cohesiveness and ambition. There are only a handful of songs that deserve mention alongside any track from ...Is a Real Boy on their own, but as a whole, this album is still quite impressive.

Entertainment Weekly gave it an A-.

"Like Judas the traitor, we are both favored and deeply flawed."

Listen:
This is F*cking Ecstasy
Shiksa (Girlfriend)
[from In Defense of the Genre|buy]
Admit It!!!
[from ...Is a Real Boy|buy]

Listening Assignments 10.22.07

1. The Most Serene Republic - Jazz Ordinaire - I'm not quite to the point of obsession, but I'm also not sure if I can get enough of this band. I'm light as a feather. [from Phages|buy]

2. The Cinematic Orchestra - To Build a Home (Grey Reverend Version) - It's been awhile since I wrote about this, but I just stumbled upon this upcoming expanded single with a beautiful acoustic arrangement of this beautiful song. Of course Grey's Anatomy (name coincidental) recently gave the album version "the treatment." [from To Build a Home: Versions (out 10.29)|info]

3. Canon Blue - Odds and Ends - You know right away by the echoed guitar intro that you're about to be pulled into a swirly vortex of sound. Which you inevitably are. [from Colonies|buy]

4. Days Away - Talk it Over - Two years after 2005's excellent Mapping an Invisible World LP fell through the cracks, DA is still looking for a home. That's what happens if you're on Fueled By Ramen Records and aren't as marketable as Fall Out Boy, Panic!, or Paramore. Cue self-released EP to keep our mouths watering. This one's sugar sweet. [from Ear Candy for the Headphone Trippers|buy]

Van Coheed and YellowCambria

Coheed and Cambria will release the 4th installment of their sci-fi-prog-metal-indie-rock series this Tuesday and I wish I could say I was completely psyched about it. They've been one of my favorite bands for a long time, put on one of the best live shows I've ever seen last year, and have a record in my all-time top 20 (The Second Stage Turbine Blade). While overall, the following albums haven't usurped the first, there have been some amazing songs on each of them, allowing Coheed to sustain momentum over these years.

Now comes GAIBSIVV2:NWFT (haha!), the first single of which opens up with a similar palm-muted guitar riff to Yellowcard's "Ocean Avenue" to the point where whenever I hear the song start to play at my job, I think it's Yellowcard. No, this isn't a plus. It's probably my least favorite Coheed single ever, even after it starts sounding less like YC. In fact, much of this album, in my opinion, just sounds like b-sides or demo versions of previous material. It literally all sounds the same. The melody for "Radio Bye Bye" sounds nearly note-for-note identically to the far superior "Mother May I" from the previous record. This is one of many examples I could use.

There are a few bright spots. Enough to post a blog on them in the first place. "Feathers" opens like a vintage Van Halen track, but picks up steam fast and shows glimpses of the Coheed of old. "The Road and the Damned" has a beautiful string section backing up a fantastic melody and arrangement. They've still got it. They've still got it.

Listen:
Feathers (*fixed)
The End Chapter IV: The Road and the Damned
[from Good Apollo I'm Burning Star IV, Volume Two: No World for Tomorrow (out 10.23)|buy]

Football, the Shins, PBR!

I'm watching the Kentucky vs. Florida showdown, so no music blog for you!
I'm seeing the Shins tonight!
I'm loving this video clip from "Blue Velvet". Love how the other actors completely lose it when Dennis Hopper goes over the top. (Warning: Profanity):

and this nostalgic and fairly politically incorrect '60s PBR commercial:

Filling Up on Philip Uster

Philip Uster + the House Floor = True Love. I know this because I have a t-shirt that displays such a declaration. And if there's anything we should trust in this crazy, upside-down world, it's a t-shirt. And the internet. And me. Hah!

ANYHOO, Drew Worden + The House Floor also equals true love. They are maturing like a robust port, aging with grace and complexity. A little sweeter and a lot stronger. But unlike port, this is no sipping music, it demands your attention. It compels you to let it spill over your palate, exploring its intricate little nooks and hidden depth. As this new EP swirls around my mouth, I taste sweet notes of cheery guitars akin to Plus/Minus and raisin-y rhythms that would make John Davis (Q and not U/Georgie James) proud. The whole thing finishes with a tongue-in-cheek bitterness and leaves my face a nice rosy glow. Then I press play and pour another glass.

Listen:
Sign My Caste
Camera Shy
[from ...Have Your Gloves of Gold!]
[picking 2 out of the 3 to post was quite a struggle]
[download the whole thing @ their myspace]

Love is Old, Love is New

I saw Across the Universe a few nights ago and it resonated enough with me to inspire a post, a review of sorts. Overall, I'd give it a 6/10. I think people that are like "OMG, LOLZ THIS MOVIE IS LIKE, THE BEST EVARRRR" are simply not seeing the forest for the trees. The Beatles have laced their hot chocolate with nostalgia and it's blinding them. There are individual parts of this film that are pretty cool in themselves, but for me, the end result was more of a wash. Here's a brief breakdown:

Plus: The cast sings the songs "themselves".
Minus: The vocals are pitch-corrected to a degree that they are almost mechanical. It's insanely distracting, maddening even, and completely negates from some of the fairly inventive arrangements of classic Beatles tunes while wholly ruining others.

Plus: As evidenced by the trailer, there are some very creative visuals and choreography. A psychedelic busride in hypertechnicolor, a trippy circus-like scene with gigantic puppets and masks, a blood-red addled war/art scene, crashing waves as newspapers and civil unrest.
Minus: Plot definitely takes a backseat to visuals and "music" and sometimes that backseat is that uncomfortable bench in the very rear of an 18-seater Dodge.

Plus: Cameos. Joe Cocker has an amusing trio of roles (bum, hippie, and pimp!) during one of the brighter musical spots of the film ("Come Together", which he sang). Bono makes a near-self-parodying appearance as Dr. Robert and sings "I Am the Walrus" during the aforementioned bus-trip. He even cracks wise. Eddie Izzard appears as "Mr. Kite" in one of the film's funniest scenes.
Minus: Cameos. Izzard's scene only lends to the spotty plot and leads one to ask: "Why?" Selma Hayek shows up as a sexy nurse during "Happiness is a Warm Gun", but why? Cameos for no reason?

Plus: Pleasant surprises not already mentioned: Evan Rachel Wood's unexpected boobie shot, Jim Sturgess' (Jude) performance, a totally sweet Hendrix-esque solo guitar-only version of "A Day in the Life" that isn't included on the soundtrack, the strawberry jamz logo, and real-life musician Dana Fuchs' performance as Sadie (an obvious homage to Janis Joplin). The Bowling scene.
Minus: Unpleasant surprises not already mentioned: Too many songs. Did they really need 33 of them? Songs like "Blackbird" are totally shoehorned into an already crowded and hole-filled plot. A really beautiful slow-motion underwater scene is ruined by a completely unnecessary asian lesbian character (Prudence) kung-fu-ing in from above. The film's cheesy finale (and original title) "All You Need is Love" absolutely reeks of Moulin Rouge, a musical that actually blends plot, amazing visuals, and cast-sung original and cover songs into a cohesive and successful film, something Across the Universe ultimately fails to do. Still, with an undertaking this bold, it's nice when anything works at all.

Listen:
I've Just Seen a Face
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
[from Across the Universe OST|buy]

Yes Way, Jose

It's been three weeks since Jose Gonzalez released the much-anticipated followup to 2005's Veneer (one of my top 5), and In Our Nature does not disappoint. Flashbacks to Nick Drake and Simon & Garfunkel creep up while the percussive strumming and picking hypnotizes you into a beautiful trance. This is the soundtrack for anything at all. War, peace, dreams, art, breakfast. Life, love or the lack thereof.

"Feel that summer rain, it's in your face again."

Listen:
Time to Send Someone Away
Teardrop (Massive Attack cover)
[from In Our Nature|buy]

Listening Assignments 10.15.07

1. Raul Midon - State of Mind - I just saw this video of Raul on Letterman and...holy sh*t. He's got more in common with Stevie Wonder than just blindness. Percussive guitar playing akin to Kaki King. And mouth trumpet. Mouth. Trumpet. [from State of Mind|buy]

2. Via Audio - Harder on Me - Their LP finally dropped on October 2nd and as far as I can tell, no one heard it. Surprising because there was definitely a buzz about them back when I wrote these. Well they still sound great. So let's listen to this song and tell other people about it, deal? [from saysomethingsaysomethingsaysomething|buy]

3. Nada Surf - See These Bones - As per usual with the Surf, this is an enjoyable mid-tempo indie rock song. There's really not much to it than that; they've perfected their own brand. The bassline is really nice, especially with the tastefully-in-the-hip-pocket-drums. I could hear this in a movie, mostly because of the first line. [from Lucky (out 2.15.08)|info]

4. Clem Snide/Eef Barzelay - Lose Big - The squirrely-voiced Eefmonster, an LtL fave, is back. As Clem Snide again, this time without the other members of Clem Snide. Yes, I know it's confusing. Here's an interview with MOKB from just over a year ago about it. His love songs are hard to top. [from Lose Big (out who knows?)|info]

Birds, Bees, E, P's.

The Bird and the Bee is more than just an abstract euphemism for how babies get made. I've never really understood the parallel. Maybe this group is the missing link. They certainly make me want to procreate. tB&tB are no strangers to this blog. Here's a bit about them! and here's more!

This new EP is definitely less electronic/synth sunnypop and more straightforwardly pleasant indie rock. Really great cover of the Beejees' "How Deep Is Your Love" that'll surely be on next installment of Blankets. I wish more bands would do in-between-album-EP's. With a cover included.

Listen:
Polite Dance Song
[from Please Clap Your Hands EP|buy via snowcap]
I'm a Broken Heart
[from s/t|buy]

5 Free iTunes songs

Hey everyone! More music will be posted Sunday (New Bird & the Bee), but in the meantime, I wanted to tell you that if you add the "Ticketmaster Live" group on Facebook, you receive an iTunes download code for 5 free songs (including all 1.29 DRM-free songs).

This should be the direct link to the group.
Otherwise you can easily search for it.

Add the group, then copy/paste your download code, go to iTunes music store, and find "Redeem" on the right hand side menu. Paste it in. It literally takes 5 seconds or less.

Booyah. Say Anything single, here I come.

I'd recommend (again) the EP by Tigercity. Definitely one of the best things to come out this year.

Pat and Luke

Alright Skye, I'll write about Patrick Watson. Well, not just because you asked me to, also because he sounds like a guy I really like named Luke Temple. And because this stuff sounds like I wanted Temple's new LP Snowbeast to sound like. How selfish am I, always talking about how I want something to sound (right now, here, and also here), and at the same time defending the artist's right to make whatever music he/she wants (here). So I'm lame.

Patrick Watson is not. Neither is Luke. They've got these little eccentric flighty voices that have an outside resemblance to Jeff Buckley at times. Both have creative musical arrangements that can sound like toy versions of instruments. Mr. Watson, however is the slightly less weird. He'll stab into Coldplay territory, the land of the Cinematic Orchestra, or venture into Magnet's backyard while Mr. Temple might trespass on The Flaming Lips' property or get thrown out of Of Montreal's hopping nightclub. Either way, you're gonna get something you didn't expect.

Listen:
Patrick Watson - Giver
[from Close to Paradise|buy]
Luke Temple - Saturday People
[from Snowbeast|buy]

Radiohead and Everything Else

Yeah yeah, the new Radiohead album is out. And it's awesome. And I don't know why I'm telling you because you probably already know. I'm probably the 100,000th blogger to write about it in the last 48 hours. This makes me not want to write about it at all.

But it's really good. So...

Listen:
Weird Fishes/Arpeggi
[from In Rainbows|buy]

Other things:
`New Linesthroughlines Banner. Like or dislike?
`I had Tony Romo starting on one of my fantasy teams this week. 6 Turnovers baby!

`How about some hyper-realist art?
`In my first day on eBay, I won my first auction (a sweet pair of duckpin bowling balls) and was outbid at the last minute on another (a lightly used Lanakai Electric/Acoustic Concert Ukelele that went for $66!).

`Rent Severance.

`One of the funnier previews I've seen recently. Movie was grand as well.
`Norfolk Peeps: Minus the Bear and the Helio Sequence @ the Norva tomorrow.

`Godspeed!

So Serene

I'm feeling very emotional. The Most Serene Republic has melted the edges of my brain, heart, fingertips. Populations could easily be the album of the year. It's the album I always wished Stars would have made. It's better than Broken Social Scene's best. Saying these things isn't easy for me, but they've forced my hand here.

TMSR is decidedly Canadian (Milton, Ontario), relevant mostly because Canadians are forging the current gold standard in beautiful indie-pop today (outside of the Shins). New Pornographers, Broken Social Scene, Stars, Feist, Metric/Emily Haines, The Dears, The Acorn. These bands are almost all oversized, capable of playing every note live, and feature male/female vocal interplay, amazing rhythms, and boundless creativity.

And this record tops them all.

It'll remind you of everything that is good about right now.

Listen:
Sherry and Her Butterfly Net
Present of Future End
[from Populations (10.15)|buy]

Listening Assignments 10.8.07

1. Lewis & Clarke - Black Doves - It's a dark and brooding journey along the Oregon Trail, apparently. This track marches steadily on surrounded by fleetly-picked guitars and knee-tapping percussion, without the slightest fear of dysentery. [from Blasts of Holy Birth|buy]

2. Magnet - Lonely No More - Despite, or perhaps because of, insane amounts of floor tom, this ends up light and fun, maybe even cute. I love Magnet. [from The Simple Life|buy]

3. Clare & the Reasons - Pluto - awwww, Pluto, I hardly knew ye. Thanks to Clare, I can remember the whole ordeal backed up by a fantastically arranged symphony. This actually sounds more like "classic" Magnet than the track above. Adorable. [from The Movie|buy (iTunes) buy (amazon)]

4. Cocoon - Hummingbird - Really really really sweet duet with some beautiful melodies. Unfortunately, other than their myspace, everything written on this band is in French, and you pretty much can't buy anywhere other than French Amazon for 9,34 euros. Got any euros lying around? [from From Panda Mountains (out 10.22)|info]

Guilty Pleasure: The Spill Canvas

I'll be honest, The Spill Canvas only works for me in specific doses when I don't dwell on its rampant emo-ness. Believe you me, for every good TSC song I've posted here that you may like, there is another you'd probably laugh at. This inconsistency frustrates me because the glimpses of hook-filled velcro-y tunes are impressive. Maybe I just need to be in high school again to appreciate heart-rending end-of-the-world-type breakups. That aside, the bright spots are intoxicating, especially on this new record. No Really, I'm Fine is the Spill Canvas' major-label debut, soaked in drama, emotive vocals, and the tailor-made kind of power pop that's "big" right now. The hooks and a few creative moments (the horns in Low Fidelity's chorus, the slidy lead guitar on Battles, among others) are its saving grace. They sound like Say Anything's B-team, which isn't necessarily an insult.

"I know all your favorite spots and tonight we will connect the dots."

That's hot boys.

Listen:
Low Fidelity
Battles
[from No Really, I'm Fine|buy]

Midlake Shmidlake

The music of Denton, TX's Midlake speaks for itself. It's absurdly intelligent, but even dummies can relate. Beautifully subtle intricacies mesh into a blanket of flickering campfires, literature, and '70s pop nostalgia. Every harmony and sound is reproduced live. Cannot wait to see this band perform again. For this very occasion, I found an incredible acoustic version of "Roscoe" (my 2006 #2 song of the year). For you, reader. Oh reader, you complete me.

Listen:
Roscoe (acoustic)
[from Oak & Julian EP|buy (iTunes)]

Nice Shoes, Wanna Funk? Pt. 3

I'm sure you're busy Amanda, but I'm fairly confident you knew exactly what I would write about today if you checked my last.fm page this morning. I'm also pretty sure that regardless, you're pretty excited that Fink is back in the blog, more svelte than ever. This is what I wrote about him last time:

"Fink is a smooth operator. He knows the subtle art of the steady string slap. His voice is like 10000 thread count Egyptian cotton. He's velvet dipped in melted white chocolate. He's like Citizen Cope with less hip-hop/dub/marijuana smoke. He's got flow. He's got ebb. He has the keys the closet where you keep your slow-dancing shoes. He knows where you hide your head-nodding-hat box. Are you picking up what I'm putting down?"

Probably one of my favorite blurbs ever as well as one of the most accurate. His throat must be lined with WD-40 and cotton. He probably starts his day with a smoothie made of satin, newborn baby skin, and de-boned goose down. You think? I'm out of soft and/or smooth analogies, which is going to blow the next time I find a new artist with a similar voice and I don't want to repeat myself. Oh well. Just listen.

Listen:
Trouble is What You're In
If Only
[from Distance and Time|buy]

Listening Assignments 10.1.07

I'm running out the door for my flight out of here, but the server is back up so I'm rolling with it. No pictures yet, no time. But you get the gist, baby...

1. Maria Taylor - Replay - This song opened her set Saturday night and basically knocked me on my ass. The album version is still very good, but doesn't quite kick like the live version did. The vocals are almost lazy comparatively. I've written about her before. [from Lynn Teeter Flowerbuy]

2. Shapiro - Right and Wrong - Old friends making good. It's always an honor seeing a band progress and mature over time. I'll be the first to tell you that their 2005 EP Pretend You're Alone is one of my favorite releases of that year, but this new 3 song demo displays a new direction, ultimately a more unique one. The track plays like an off-balance carousel, weaving that playful little melody in and out of see-sawing horses and song-drunk riders too captured to get off at the end. [from Ecclesiastesbuy]

3. Georgie James - Henry and Hanzy - The word "rollicking" comes to mind. As does Fleetwood Mac. Which is a nice curveball from this DC duo more prone to the dancy side of '80s style indie. This album is hit and miss, but this is one of the hits. I love it most around 1:29ish. [from Placesbuy]

4. AA Bondy - There's a Reason - The kind of meandering song that is made for road trips in the rain, soaked with desperation and downtempo blues. [from American Heartsbuy]

Rambling Wrapup

Back to Virginia tomorrow (today if you're on EST).
mixed bag of feelings about it.
Portland was my original home and now experiencing it as an adult, I'm more infatuated than ever.
Much jealousy to all my friends who migrated here, drawn like some phantom power, to where they thrive so completely.

Saw my good friend Cicely twice.
On both occasions, either she or her stellar boyfriend Brian cooked me something incredible, wholesome and humbling.
Missed you C.

Saw Midlake and Maria Taylor last night.
Hard to top that.
Midlake was ungodly good, it was just unfair to musicians everywhere how tight and beautiful they sounded.
Maria Taylor was a pleasant surprise, she and her band owned the stage for 40 minutes and I bought the record.
The ultimate compliment.
Doug Fir Lounge was probably the coolest venue I've ever been to and I'm sad we have nothing of its equal back home.

New Radiohead album in 10 days.
Don't believe me? Go here.
Here are your options: Pay whatever you want (seriously) for a digital download of it or pay 40 pounds ($80) for the hard copy (Dec 3) and a digital download (Oct 10).
No-brainer.
New Radiohead.
I repeat. New Radiohead.

Tonight, I'm packing, missing Mom already.
Preparing the assignments for tomorrow since I'll be flying all day.
File hosting website won't load.
Can't upload the songs I want.
Frustration.
Page won't even load the things that are hosted.
Site is down.
Screw you Fileden.
Screw.
You.