A New Song! Every Week!!

For three years now, I've been bringing you great music once a week... or so. I'm sorry if I lapse sometimes, but please do check back: I'll update eventually, and I'll fill in the weeks I missed.

These days, my main sources for discovering new music are KCRW (usually, but not exclusively, MBE) and KEXP. I have also been going to as many shows as I can, and I pick up stuff there sometimes.

So, in the spirit of sharing, I present to you this, my Song of the Week page! Keep up with the latest stuff. Or, at least, what I'm listening to now. Which may or may not be "current."

Enjoy!

-Nick

Week Ending	Artist	Song	Comment
16 April 2005	Bloc Party	Like Eating Glass	I'm several months late to the party here (pun intended), so my apologies. But this band is great! It's definitely danceable; my coworker swears the drummer has a meth problem.
9 April 2005	Final Fantasy	This is the Dream of Win and Regine	Final Fantasy is just a single guy, Owen Pallett. He gave a Howie Day-ish performance with his violin at the Arcade Fire show I attended in January. At the show, he made heavy use of looping for this song in particular. I prefer the live version, but this is still the best track on the album. (Appropriate, since it takes its name from one of my favorite songs of all time.)
2 April 2005	Shout Out Louds	Very Loud (mov)	Nic Harcourt played this yesterday and I dug it quite seriously. There's nothing special about this band, really, but this song is super catchy in a good way.
26 March 2005	The Decemberists	On the Bus Mall	I saw them on Wednesday and Oh My God... What an awesome show. I can't turn off Picaresque. This song is very obviously about two childhood friends who fall in love, run away and end up turning tricks for cash. It's a sad tale, but beautifully told.
19 March 2005	Dismemberment Plan	Following Through	Change is just a great album. This song is a fantastic example of Dismemberment Plan: catchy, intellegent, broken up. Well, the last one doesn't have anything to do with this song, but it is the sad state of affairs. *sigh* This song and Time Bomb (mp3) have been my most-listened to D-plan songs of late.
12 March 2005	Iron and Wine	Evening On The Ground (Lilith's Song)	Iron and Wine have a new EP! Sam Beam gently rocks my world, again.
5 March 2005	Joanna Newsom	Bridges and Balloons	Joanna's voice can be really trying. But I find myself listening to this album again and again anyway. The guitar/harp is wonderful (folksy, but not country) and the lyrics are really interesting.
26 February 2005	The Ruby Doe	Red Letters (listen here)	This sounds like a cross between Hey Mercedes and Minus the Bear. Jason tells me they sound a lot like Fenix TX, which isn't necessarily to their credit... This is a lot more "pop-punk" than I'm normally comfortable with, but I can't change the fact that this song makes me want to boogie! Found this one on KEXP.
19 February 2005	Paloalto	Going Going Gone	OK, I'll be the first to admit that Paloalto is a shameless Radiohead rip-off band. But that doesn't change the fact that this song is really, really great. It's about... steriods? A robotic future? Heroin abuse?
12 February 2005	The Decemberists	The Bachelor and the Bride	Caution: If you would be upset or offended by lyrics depicting extreme misogyny, this may not be the song for you. But if you're of stout heart and you can appreciate a beautifully crafted song regardless of lyrical content, then dig in. I'm going to get to see these guys later this month. Yay! They're one of my new faves. Kudos to Val for taking notice of them a full two years before I did.
5 February 2005	Modest Mouse	Trailer Trash	You can't turn around without being bombarded by Modest Mouse these days. I'm pretty sure I don't like that, although I think they've gotten a lot more listenable of late. But there are a few songs from their earlier material that stand out, and this page is all about finding you good stuff you haven't heard before. So here is a great track from their last album before they moved to a major. I love everything about this song, from his resigned vocals to the trademark twangy guitar.
29 January 2005	Sunny Day Real Estate	The Rising Tide	The last time I had SDRE on this page, it was also from this album. This one's the title cut. I think it's about having trouble living in modern society, all caught up in the rat race of culture and fashion. In the chorus he seems to take take comfort in the fact that he's going to be facing all this with an S.O. Awwww...
22 January 2005	Pete Yorn	On Your Side	I've had some Pete Yorn for awhile. And while he's not new, and he's on a major, and he's got an Eddie Vedder thing going on... I still like his music a lot. This song is sort of dreamy and makes me feel relaxed and happy.
15 January 2005	n. lannon	Hollow Heart (mp3)	This sounds quite a bit like Iron and Wine, but with a little Postal Service-esque electronica thrown in. KCRW again, yay! And n. Lannon is apparently a San Francisco native, which means I'll probably get to see him live soon.
8 January 2005	Two Gallants	Nothing To You (mp3)	A co-worker told me about this band, who he saw perform the other night at Bottom of the Hill. I'm going to be there the next time they perform, because this band is really interesting. They are a drummer and a guitarist, and yet they manage to (a) keep you interested and (b) not sound like the White Stripes. Favorite line from the song: "The lost cause of words walks away with my nerves/'Cause I'm gay as a choir boy for you." Ha!
1 January 2005	+/- {Plus/Minus}	Megalomaniac	I can't believe I didn't instantly love this song when I first heard it 9 months ago. But the fact remains, I only recently became re-aquainted with this great band, thanks to spending some time with Eric Garcia and his girlfriend. This is one of my absolute favorite SOW picks!
25 December 2004	Interpol	Evil	I know Interpol is hitting it a bit big lately to appear on this web page, but I know a great song when I hear one. At least Interpol is still on an indie label. (I'm looking at you Death Cab!) I really enjoy this whole album, but I think this song is the standout track.
18 December 2004	Stars	Look Up	I dig the female vocals and the catchy synth beat. This song is from Stars' earlier album, Heart. I haven't gotten their new album in the mail yet, but you can listen to low-quality streams of the songs from it on their website.
11 December 2004	The Dears	We Can Have It	I went to see Keane last week. They sucked. But their opening act, The Dears, were really good. This is my favorite song from their album, No Cities Left, which I bought at the show.
4 December 2004	Soft	Lucky Jam	I can't stop playing this song. It's infectious! I'm told (and I have no way of verifying this) that this band emerged recently fully formed. What I do know is that they're selling a digital single, and they're playing dates in NY2 and LA this month. I hope the rest of their songs are this fun.
27 November 2004	We Are Scientists	That One Pop Gem (mp3)	You would expect a song about a friend's death ruining your vacation to be slow and, well, sad. Fortunately for you, We Are Scientists are iconoclasts. Instead of sadness, WAS have for you a fantastically catchy, eminently sing-along-able beauty of a pop gem. Yes, I think this song pretty clearly sets out to parody pop songs. Along the way, though, they manage to create a kick ass one of their own. (As a sidenote, these guys are really smart and REALLY funny. Check out in particular their reviews page.)
In London for two weeks.
13 November 2004	Magnet	Where Happiness Lives	Magnet (Even Johansen) is from Norway. He makes pretty folk/pop ballads. Apparently he has another CD, but I only just heard of him when he released On Your Side earlier this year. This is a song about cocaine abuse that does a great job of musically conjouring the feeling of Autumn.
6 November 2004	Unkle	Reign	James Lavelle is really good at making music I like. This song has a great beat to it, even if it doesn't appear to mean much of anything. I had this song on repeat all day Friday.
30 October 2004	Brand New	Jaws Theme Swimming	My friend Jason gave me this in preparation for a concert we're attending together this weekend. This song digs in and doesn't let go; I've had it on repeat all day. I don't understand the last verse, but the song as a whole is lyrically very dark. And it's in 3/4 time.
23 October 2004	Explosions in the Sky	The Only Moment We Were Alone	I went to see these guys this week. It was HEAVY. A great experience, sucky opening acts notwithstanding. This song was the finale, and a fitting one. It's still my favorite track from these guys. My favorite part of the show was at the end of one song when the two guitarists and the bassist were all jumping up and landing to hit notes in time. THAT was ROCK!
16 October 2004	Radiohead	Worrywort	I didn't think it was possible that I hadn't heard every Radiohead song. But my friend Mike gave me this one the other day. I think it might actually be uplifting, but this is Radiohead we're talking about here, so I must be missing something. I dig the atmospheric haze.
9 October 2004	Dungen	Du E För Fin För Mig	These guys are from Sweden, and they sing in sv. I don't know what they're saying. But I do know that this album cost me $21 as an import CD, and it was worth every penny.
2 October 2004	John Vanderslice	Emma Pearl	John Vanderslice can't sing. I don't think anyone would disagree with me on that. But once you get past that, he manages to create some fantastic melodies. Like this one, for instance. The song seems to be about a ghost John encounters one winter while snowbound on the coast—an odd premise, but he does it beautifully.
25 September 2004	Ida	"Blizzard of 78 (Alternate Take)"	I found this on a Tiger Style sampler. Most of the rest of it either sucked, or I'd alreay heard it (like AmAnSet). But this track is really pretty and stood out. Great vocal harmonies here.
18 September 2004	Arcade Fire	No Cars Go	Found out about these folks on Pitchfork. This song is a demo they had on their website until recently. They took it down citing bandwidth usage. Can I ask that you download it from here instead of just clicking the link and listening to it over and over again? That'd be rad. Thanks. :-)
11 September 2004	Atticus Finch	Too Many Weddings	Atticus Finch have done it again. Their new album (everywhen) which they said was written right around the same time as their debut in 2001, is out on CD Baby, and it sounds just like you'd expect. In other words, beautiful! Their original CD is also up if you don't have that one yet. I don't know if I've mentioned that their first CD is one of my favorite CDs ever. It is so worth $13, and the AF guys totally deserve your support. What are you waiting for?
4 September 2004	Guster	Airport Song	This song is soooo deliciously evil-sounding, and yet they have two guitars, a bass and BONGOS! Guster is truly amazing.
28 August 2004	Matt Nathanson	Then I'll Be Smiling	Matt Nathanson played at that concert, too. He's actually the reason I went to the show. He was just as funny on stage as he usually is. When you buy the ticket to his show, it's almost like getting tickets to a standup show as well. I bought his new album, but to be honest, I like his older (or live...) stuff better. So here's one of my favorite songs from his earlier album, Still Waiting For Spring. It's all about a person suffering from O.C.D. Oh, and I'd like to note that Matt got back up on stage right before we left and played "Sunday Bloody Sunday" with OAR. And it rocked.
21 August 2004	Howie Day	Bunnies	I just got back from a concert where Howie Day played. It was the most incredible thing ever! He had a set of pedals that he could manipulate to affect the sound of his guitar and vocals. He'd get loops of guitar work and layered vocals going on, but it was just him on stage. That's what this song is. Take a listen, and read this while you're at it.
14 August 2004	Departure	All Mapped Out	This is a seriously poppy, fun British tune. Found this on Morning Becomes Eclectic. I'm going back to England in November, so I'll see if I can't pick up a CD. In the meantime, you're going to have to make do with a tinny Real->MP3 transcoding.
7 August 2004	Sounds	Hope You're Happy Now	This song may have a little too much Blondie/Bengels for some people, but you can't deny that it's FUN. This is the new "I Will Survive."
31 July 2004	Matt Pond PA	KC	I've liked Matt Pond PA for ages! They released Emblems earlier this year, and it's very good. This is the first track, and probably one of my favorites on the CD. I think the thing I dig the most is the band's awesome use of strings: not just guitar, but also cello and violin. Note, they're touring east of the Mississippi at the moment, and they'll be coming out West this autumn. I'm looking forward to seeing them live for the first time!
24 July 2004	Snow Patrol	Run	Members of Snow Patrol are in another KCPR favorite, The Reindeer Section. Their latest album was released on A&M, so I sadly won't be buying it. And it's a shame, too, because I've been listening to this track on repeat ever since I downloaded it earlier today. It's got a bit of the drone, which really works in this case.
17 July 2004	Ryan Adams	Wonderwall	I first heard this while listening to an archived show of Sounds Eclectic. This is a phenomenal cover of Oasis: Ryan Adams completely reinvents the song. It's still not too tough to play, which I'm glad of. The hardest part about imitating the new version has been refraining from singing like Noel. :-)
5 June 2004	Iron and Wine	Naked As We Came (mp3)	How can he make a song about planning for death so light and happy?
29 May 2004	Modest Mouse	Float On	This song is incredibly addictive. Pitchfork says this song is "fundamentally different from almost everything Modest Mouse has released to date," and I think that puts it pretty well. It gets me dancin'.
22 May 2004	Damien Jurado	Medication	I don't know what to say but that this song makes me want to cry. It's SO honest. The glockenspiel (I think that's what's playing at the end...) is perfect! Damien Jurado is a genius.
15 May 2004	Mogwai	Dial:Revenge	This song is in Welsh, which is why you can't understand the words. (According to the good folks over at SongMeanings, this was actually written by the Super Furry Animals singer, so the Welsh makes sense.) It's very somber and quite melancholy.
8 May 2004	The Format	At the Wake	I'll be the first one to admit that this song could do with stronger lyrics in places. That seems to be the case of all of The Format's lyrics, but then this song is from their first EP. They're just starting out, but they have already proved capable of delivering a solid tune. And I'd even argue that there are sections of this song that are lyrically quite strong (specifically "we wake to the sound/of the phone as it hits the ground" and the whole "at the wake" sequence).
1 May 2004	Tenacious D	Fuck Her Gently	This song is in no way appropriate. But it very humorously elevates chauvinism to an apparent form of art. Aw, hell, who am I kidding? It makes me laugh, and that's all that matters.
24 April 2004	Wheat	These Are Things	I'm sure Jordan wouldn't approve of this choice, but that doesn't mean a thing. After all, this is MY song of the week, dammit. This song is irrepressible and makes me want to skip. Sort of sad that it's about giving up on a bum of a friend, but whatever. (Maybe that makes one feel skippy; I couldn't say.) I think my favorite part of the song would have to be the singer's plaintive vocals. It sort of reminds me of Five for Fighting (the piano helps there) and Counting Crows.
17 April 2004	Frou Frou	Let Go	Last night I stopped by the house of some friends. After dinner, we swapped some tunes. This song reminds me a lot of Beth Orton, but it's more poppy than most of her stuff. And the electronic influence recalls Lamb, though this is decidedly NOT a Lamb song. What are you waiting for?
10 April 2004	Ben Folds Five	Magic	I attended a memorial service for the mother of a friend last week. She died of cancer, and this song really sums up my feelings about it.
3 April 2004	Spritualized	I Didn't Mean to Hurt You	Spiritualized was heavily promoting their latest album when I was in London. I don't know what the new one sounds like, but I do know that this song is really, really pretty. I heard it on KCPR last year and had to call in to find out it was Spiritualized. The admittedly repetative lyrics are drenched in strings.... It sounds spectacular.
27 March 2004	Now It's Overhead	Wait In A Line (mp3)	From the first moment I heard this song, I knew it was Song of the Week matériel. The band is from Athens, GA, and yet it's signed to Saddle Creek, which is an interesting twist. Their new release, Fall Back Open, features Conner Oberst of Bright Eyes and Desaparecidos fame, as well as the grandfather of the Athens music scene himself, Michael Stipe. This song is all about clubbing, and it's actually a dance song I could see myself dancing to in a crowded club. If I actually did that sort of thing. :-)
20 March 2004	Built to Spill	Carry the Zero	I discovered this song yesterday. Until recently, I knew only Built to Spill's latest album, Ancient Melodies of the Future, which is a great record. But I decided to listen to Keep It Like A Secret today and found myself listening to this track on repeat. It's quite simple, chord-wise, but has a good deal of lead guitar jamming. In fact, my favorite part is the breakdown at the end.
13 March 2004	serene uk	Green Laurel	This song is just plain good.
6 March 2004	Lamb	Stronger	I liked Lamb before, back in the days when I was recommending "Heaven" to friends. They have remained great, and you should check out their new album, Between Darkness and Wonder.
28 February 2004	Morcheeba and Jim White	Still Waters	This song has a really pretty guitar riff, and a very sleepy, hypnotic feel to it. Really, it's nothing like what I would have expected from Morcheeba. (For those that don't know, their name is a concatenation of the words "more" and "cheeba.") They tend to have more of a trip-hop feel about them, with synths and female vocals and such. Not that there's anything wrong with that (until they stray a little too far into the hip-hop area for my taste), but I like this song quite a bit more.
21 February 2004	Damien Rice	Amie	I first heard this song several months ago on Sounds Eclectic. I'd heard about Damien Rice, but I was pleased to find out that he was so great! This song is ALL about the strings. And the lyrics are interesting, too, if a little indecipherable: Saw a spaceship fly by your window Did you see it disappear?
14 February 2004	Twilight Singers	Teenage Wristband	This song is seriously fun. The piano riff is really catchy and makes me wanna shake my booty. After the intro, the piano is replaced with poppy guitars, to wonderful effect. Petra Haden even sings background vocals on this and other tracks! It probably comes as no surprise that the rest of the album is great too.
7 February 2004	Underworld	Dirty Epic	This is a bit out of character for me; I don't usually like electronic stuff. But the vocals here are quite prominent and the electronicness (if that's even a word) is pretty well subdued. Jordan says it's "coding music," and I can totally see that: this song helps me focus.
31 January 2004	Sea Ray	Sister Gone	This song is beautiful! I especially like that it features a cello, my favorite stringed instrument after the guitar. Beyond that, the vocals are given just enough reverb to sound mysterious and fit in with the lyrical theme of losing a sister.
24 January 2004	Iron and Wine	Beneath the Balcony	This is off Iron and Wine's latest EP, The Sea & the Rhythm. I was really impressed with Sam Beam's earlier effort, The Creek Drank the Cradle, and this EP is a fantastic followup. The music is hushed and revels in its acoustic sound and Beam whisper-sings all the vocals. I have yet to determine what, exactly, this song is about, but it makes me feel happy.
17 January 2004	The Wrens	Happy	This song is incredible, and that's all there is to it. I can't stop listening to it! The vocals are heartfelt and the guitar work is hypnotic. I really like the messy production, too. There's a reason why Pitchfork lists The Wrens as one of their favorite bands ever.
10 January 2004	Air	Alone in Kyoto	This was my favorite song from the movie Lost in Translation. It's really beautiful, very Eastern. Yet Air is from France. Discuss.
3 January 2004	Flunk	Blue Monday	Everyone knows the original of this song (by New Order), and most people know the Orgy version as well. Few have heard this fantastic version based around, believe it or not, acoustic guitar. It's by Flunk, a mostly-electronic group from Norway.
27 December 2003	Ben Folds	Fred Jones, Part 2	This version of the song is a duet with John McCrea, and it's stunning! The song is a serious downer; it's all about Mr. Jones' last day on the job as a reporter. It's kind of a meditation on aging and (by extension) death. This is the sort of stuff Avril Lavigne and her ilk don't write. Runner Up: Ben Folds - Protection
I'm going to have to take a hiatus from the song of the week. The Fire Wire enclosure that I bought to house my 160GB HDD has died. That drive has all my MP3s on it. While the music is intact, I can't get at it until I replace the enclosure. And since they won't ship to the UK, I can't do that until I return to the States. So, enjoy what's up here for the time being. I will rejoin you shortly.
11 October 2003	Peter Gabriel	No Way Out	I've been listening to Up obsessively over the last few days. This particular song grabbed my attention because of its prominent and extremely groovy use of an upright bass. Peter Gabriel has such an awesome yell!
4 October 2003	Travis	Safe	I really dig the melody here. I can't say there's anything new going on, in the grand scheme of things. But sometimes you just need something vaguely familiar. I discovered this on random play while walking around Rome on my own, and it made the day that much better.
27 September 2003	Paul Brill	Favorite Thing	The rest of this album is a bit too country-flavored for me, but this song is just great. I am particularly fond of the light drums and his plaintive-at-times vocals. But of course, the chorus takes the song to the next level. "You're my favorite thing/On a broken swing." Cryptic and infinitely better than any "It's getting hot in here/So take off all your clothes" shit.
20 September 2003	Death Cab for Cutie	The New Year	Death Cab will be releasing their latest effort, Transatlanticism in early October. This is the first track off the album, and the first single posted on the band's website. My obsession with this song should come as no surprise to anyone.
30 August 2003	Beta Band	BrokenUpADingDong	I first heard this song in Igby Goes Down, and I loved it immediately. Come to find out, I already had the song on my hard drive. The overlapping lyrics and hand clapping are infectious!
23 August 2003	Blood Group	Borrowed Tune	I ripped this album, Volunteers several months ago because of its first song, The Long and Short of It. Just today, I found this track by accident while looking through my entire collection to put together a playlist for a party my parents threw tonight. This song immediately struck me, and I'm still listening to it on replay. It's very sparse: some light synth in the background, a few drumbeats as necessary, and very subdued dual vocals. For some reason this song reminds me quite a bit of King Deluxe, the song of the week from several months ago.
16 August 2003	Shins	New Slang	Steve gave me this song in June and I didn't get around to listening to it until now. I've been missing out! This song is softly catchy, with slightly mumbled vocals and very simple instrumentation. It recalls 60s rock and would have been right at home on the Rushmore soundtrack. Cryptic lyrics are always a plus.
9 August 2003	Sparklehorse	Piano Fire	This song doesn't mean anything, as far as I can tell. But the meaningless lyrics don't detract from this song in the slightest. It's a really catchy tune that, I think, uses static very well. Give it a listen and see if you don't agree with me.
2 August 2003	Byrne	Greener	The title of the album this song is off of is very appropriate: Slowly and Gloriously. This song puts me in a very relaxed and wonderfully introverted mood.
26 July 2003	The Tragically Hip	Nautical Disaster	I found this song awhile ago. It's by Canadian supergroup The Tragically Hip. (For some reason they're pretty unknown south of the border.) Anyway, this song rocks! Lots of fun guitar, interesting subject matter, a good beat. It's all there. Give it a listen.
19 July 2003	Peter Gabriel Cracker	Suzanne Another Song About the Rain	The Peter Gabriel song is a cover of Leonard Cohen, and a fantastic cover at that. The song has tremendous lyrics to start with, and Peter's voice and the interesting music really gives them even more life. The Cracker song I found last night because I wanted to listen to songs with "rain song" in them. As in, "Rain Song" by Sunny Day Real Estate and "The Rain Song" by Led Zeppelin. And this one came along for the ride. Only four chords, but what emotion!
12 July 2003	Modest Mouse	Paper Thin Walls	I don't know what to say. Other than, "It's about fucking time." This song is incredibly catchy!
5 July 2003	Dismemberment Plan	The City	I just re-discovered the Dismemberment Plan. I saw them play with Death Cab for Cutie in March of 2002, but I didn't think much of them at the time. Listening to tracks off their album Emergency & I, though, I am struck by the incredible imagination that they bring to their music. Put simply, you don't know anything that sounds like this. This song is the result of my renewed interest in their music; the Runner Up this week is the first Dismemberment Plan song I fell in love with, almost a year and a half ago. Runner Up: Dismemberment Plan - "Spider In the Snow"
Finals, begin the job at Apple, WWDC... I'm busy. :-) I'll get back to this, and probably fill in the gaps, next week sometime.
7 June 2003	Very Secretary The Notwist	Paper Bag Consequence	Another song from Steve ("Paper Bag") and YAKF. I love "Paper Bag" for the beautiful guitar work throughout. "Consequence" is my favorite song off The Notwist's new album, Neon Golden. It's fittingly the last track. The piano, drums and electronic production come together in a beautiful lullaby.
31 May 2003	Pleasure Forever The Jealous Sound	Czarina Anxious Arms	This is an historic week. Never before have there been two songs of the week. But I just couldn't choose this time! Thanks to Steve for turning me on to The Jealous Sound!
24 May 2003	Dredg	Convalescent	Guess what? This isn't really the song of the week. It's the song of the week from about a month ago that kept getting dropped in favor of other songs. (The real song of the week is going to surface next week... just as soon as I get an mp3 for y'all.) Nevertheless, this song rocks. And I do mean ROCKS. The crunchy guitars and catchy refrain totally do it for me. I heard about Dredg (and no, I'm NOT forgetting an e) from 4 different sources before I finally took a listen. Suffice it to say that I waited too long. Runner Up: Chemical Brothers - "Galaxy Bounce"
17 May 2003	Ben Folds Five	Evaporated	You may have noticed my attachment to Songmeanings.net. I love their selection and the comments people can leave about individual songs. Perhaps you've also noticed that each song is assigned a unique ID number in their database. Well, I did. And so I got to wondering which song was the first to be entered in their database. This song would, presumably, be extremely good. And what do you know? Eli later told me that this was his theme song... Senior year of high school. Apparently I'm a little behind the times. (The runner up this week, another song I just found, isn't helping matters.) Runner Up: Counting Crows - "Walkaways"
10 May 2003	Bows	King Deluxe	Found this one on random play too. God damn. It reminds me of some of Moby's more orchestral work (think "When It's Cold I'd Like To Die" and "Porcelin" without the piano or the beat). It's fragile and beautiful and I just want to listen to it again and again. Runner Up: Null_Objct - "Retinal Scan"
3 May 2003	Björk	Unison	Eli, Jordan... I hereby submit a formal apology.
26 Apr 2003	Nina Simone	Sinnerman	Nina Simone passed away this week. I have still heard only one song by her, but it is a doozy. I discovered it while watching the climactic scene of The Thomas Crown Affair. She has a powerful and distincitive voice and plays the piano with wanton precision. Sad that it is her death that will lead me to further investigate her music.
19 Apr 2003	Coldplay	Clocks	This is a Top-40 song, I know. But it's a damn good one!
12 Apr 2003	Yo La Tengo	Our Way To Fall	I first heard this song on HBO's Six Feet Under. It's got a very soft feel to it, with the lightly warbling synth, the brushed drums and the whisper-sung vocals. I like listening to this song while drifting off to sleep.
5 Apr 2003	Radiohead	Sit Down, Stand Up	Jordan gave me a copy of the new Radiohead album (Hail to the Thief) yesterday. It is spectacular, and these aren't even final edits! This song, though, is the clear favorite. It's got the piano going on in the beginning, with Thom whining "Walk into the jaws of hell" before a 1:30 breakdown of infectious beats and the phrase "the raindrops" repeated again and again. This is the best Radiohead I've heard in a long time; this album will certainly eclipse Amnesiac.
29 Mar 2003	Atticus Finch	Angelspeak (mp3)	I discovered this song ages ago when I first started listening to KCPR, before I was even a DJ. It was in currents, and getting played all the time. I became obsessed, got the CD and even talked with the band some. It remains one of my most-loved songs.
22 Mar 2003	Alaska!	Love (To Be Your Main)	This is another KCPR find. I like the whole album, so it was tough picking one song. This one is upbeat, though, and guitar-driven. The hand-clapping helps too. :-)
15 Mar 2003	Aimee Mann	4th Of July	I discovered Aimee Mann upon watching Magnolia. Her song "Wise Up" was excellent. I got her album Whatever from Jordan awhile later, and I've been listening to it again recently. This is my favorite song off that record.
8 Mar 2003	Circle of Birds	Old Ironside	I am in love. This music is described on the record label's website as "cinematic," and I heartily agree. This song brings to mind a devastating-yet-heartwarming story of a person's struggle with cancer. They die in the end, and it's sad, but the suffering is over, so it's uplifting at the same time.
1 Mar 2003	Supergrass	Alright	Talk about a feel-good song! This song was on the God Bless America sampler that I first got when a Sophomore in High School. I gave it short shrift then, but I have later come to realize that it rules.
22 Feb 2003	Dntel	(This Is) The Dream of Evan And Chan	I'm only sort of cheating here. Dntel is Jimmy Tamborello, and on this track he's accompanied by Death Cab's Ben Gibbard. If you're astute, you'll notice that this is exactly the same lineup as The Postal Service. This song was a single off of Dntel's album Life Is Full of Possibilities, and it is utterly beautiful. The lyrics here are sublime and the dance music backing them up is infectious. The only negative here is the (IMHO) over-use of static at the beginning and end of the song. [AMENDMENT: I have changed my mind on this, after extensive listening. The static really adds something to the song. It will likely take some getting used to, though.]
15 Feb 2003	The Postal Service	The District Sleeps Alone Tonight	If you had caught me even a day earlier, I would have told you that the song of the week was the other standout on this album, "Such Great Heights." But this is now, and I am hooked on this song. If you're not used to this type of music (which I certainly am not), you'll probably first be struck by its "8-bit" nature. But don't let that turn you off: both the music and the lyrics are astounding. The song moves seamlessly from subdued to up-beat without losing the melancholy. Truly a gem.
8 Feb 2003	Mercury Rev	The Dark Is Rising	This song features Flaming Lips-esque vocals, a sweeping, orchestral chorus and a quiet, piano-violin-and-vocal verse. It's sweet and slightly epic. A wonderful find.
1 Feb 2003	Noise For Pretend	Go Figure, Another Warm Day in Paradise (mp3)	Jazzy and poppy at the same time! Wonderful! Reminds me of "Coney Island" by John Wolfington (the beat does anyway). This song is instantly likable! YAKF (Yet Another KCPR Find).
26 Jan 2003	Elbow	Scattered Black And Whites	I found this song on random play. It's a good thing I ripped the whole album, because let me tell you! This song absolutely, positively blows me away. It's got soft piano/base/drums and some very light acoustic guitar. And of course Elbow's vocalist is incredible. This is almost a lullaby. Appropriately, it's the last song on their album Asleep In the Back.
19 Jan 2003	Canyon	Sleepwalker	I really like this song a lot. I can't stop playing it. Canyon has sort of a Southwstern/dare-I-say Country-like feel, but I dig it anyway.
12 Jan 2003	Folk Implosion	No Need To Worry	I had heard this song before, but I never realized how much it ruled until I was told to download it again. It's got a slight R&B-ishness to it, I think. But that's a benefit in this case, not a detriment.
5 Jan 2003	Hum	Green To Me	I've liked Hum for awhile, but I only just got Downward is Heavenward, their 1998 album. This is one of my favorite tracks off that album. Heavy guitars are prominent as well as strange lyrics. In short: rockin' good times.
Christmas Break!
21 Dec 2002	Dave Matthews Band	One Sweet World	This is the first track on Live at Luthur College. The thing that really gets me is the Dave + Tim duo. Tim Reynolds is just a phenomenal lead guitarist (see "Stream") and Dave is a great rhythm guitarist. The combination is stellar. Check out that hook!
14 Dec 2002	The Flaming Lips	Buggin'	Again with the incredibly happy songs! This song has no real content; it's mostly just Wayne repeating "Well they fly in the air/As you comb your hair". But it's so fun and catchy! Makes me want to get up and dance. (No, really, I'm going to dance now. You can show yourself out.)
7 Dec 2002	Ani DiFranco	As Is	How often have I been told about Ani DiFranco? Very. And yet, I seem to realize genius in my own time. Well, here it is. Ani's lyrics are so insightful and biting. Her guitar work is often impressive and always pretty. This particular song is about a compulsive liar. But believe me, it's worth checking out. ;-)
30 Nov 2002	Lemon Jelly	Nice Weather for Ducks	This song puts a spring in my step! Incredibly upbeat and fun, with crazy use of 70s horns and strings. And I can't forget to mention the great children's nursury rhyme sample!
23 Nov 2002	Sigur Rós	Hafssól (mp3)	Right, so I'm addicted again. The live show was awesome beyond words, and I have even more new music now. Tight shit. Download it now.
16 Nov 2002	Pinback	Penelope	Ian told me about this band several months ago. Silly me, I didn't look into them right away. Now they're getting played on KCPR and what should I hear but "Penelope." This song grooves big time! (And no, I have no idea what the lyrics mean either.) [AMENDMENT: OK, so it's about a fish. Was that so hard?]
9 Nov 2002	Denison Witmer	I Won't Let You Down	I just got to see Denison Witmer for the first time last Thursday. I'd only just heard his music on KCPR, but the concert was free so I wasn't too worried. Well, he rocked! I'm now the proud owner of his new album Philadelphia Songs, which I have been listening to obsessively since that night.
2 Nov 2002	Sigur Rós	Untitled 3	Sigur Rós has a new album out, ( ). While arguably not as good as their third album, Ágætis Byrjun, it is still an impressive work of emotional "chamber rock." None of the tracks are named (at least not on the CD), and none have real lyrics. Even so, they don't let that stop them from making eminently listenable music. This third track is my favorite off the new CD and consists of a piano riff repeated over a synth swell. Simple, but incredibly powerful and moving.
26 Oct 2002	Saxon Shore	Replacement Driver	This song reminds me of Maserati a bit. It's melodic and guitar-driven. Oh, yeah, and instrumental. The best part is that it's available for download on the band's site!
19 Oct 2002	Death Cab for Cutie	Wait (listen here)	OMG, new Death Cab! I'm feeling a little veklempt!
12 Oct 2002	Kind Of Like Spitting	Passionate (listen here)	Much of the time KOLS's lead singer sounds a bit too much like Conor Oberst for my liking. This song rocks out, though, and has great drumming. (Also highly recommended is "Untitled," the last track on the CD. It's a short, sweet duet with none other than Ben Gibbard (!!).)
5 Oct 2002	Interpol	NYC	Watch out, these guys are about to get big. After liking them so much, and hearing so many comparisons to Joy Division, I'm going to have to check out the latter.
28 Sep 2002	Porcupine Tree	Trains	I got this song through the brother of a friend, and DAMN does it rock. Cool use of acoustic guitars and hand clapping, but it's not wimpy. I can hear bits of Doves, Tonic and Elbow in it too.
21 Sep 2002	Jeff Buckley	Hallelujah	I heard this song on the West Wing season finale last Wednesday. Wow. It's so sad, and so sparse (one guitar and one voice). His death was a tragic loss.
14 Sep 2002	Suzanne Vega	Undertow	KSCU came through again with this great tune. I really like Suzanne's voice and her lyrics are great, too.
7 Sep 2002	Joni Mitchell	River	This song is so sad, it's impossible to put into words. Joni Mitchell's voice is beautiful and unique. And the piano! This is another Eli recommendation. Damn, but that boy has taste.
31 Aug 2002	Idaho	Orange	I first discovered Idaho at a KCPR music meeting when they released Levitate. I really liked the tracks I heard from that album, specifically "On the Shore." But it took me awhile after ripping the CD to listen to everything. And when I did I discovered this track, "Orange." It's beautiful and haunting. It's got lovely piano work and just the right amount of distortion. Beware, though: the melody gets stuck in your head really easily!
17 Aug 2002	UNKLE	Nursery Rhyme	Ian played me this song first, though it had been on my hard drive for a number of months. It's a collaboration between DJ Shadow and Damon Gough (Badly Drawn Boy). And it's brilliant! The drums must have been done with a drum machine, they're so frantic and dense. The guitar riff that anchors the first half of the song is great by itself, but DJ Shadow spiced it up by superimposing part of it over itself again. The song is powerful and gets me playing air guitar every time.
10 Aug 2002	Filter	The Only Way is the Wrong Way	107.7 The Bone, the most poorly-named radio station in the Bay Area, is the home of Rockline. They have guests in on Mondays and Wednesdays, play music from their albums (usually new releases that the bands are promoting), and just talk. I don't make a special effort to listen, but I have heard some good stuff while listening. Like on Monday when I heard this song off the new Filter album, The Amalgamut. And this was the second song I'd fallen in love with off the album, the first being "Where From Here." Looks like I'll have some new Filter in my immediate future.
3 Aug 2002	They Might Be Giants	Fingertips	Eli played this song for me this weekend -- he has such great taste in music. The song is crazy, it's whimsical, it's jarring.... And it's great fun to randomly quote, especially when only a few of the people in the vicinity know what you're talking about. :-)
27 Jul 2002	Sunny Day Real Estate	Tearing In My Heart	I heard this song while in the car on Friday morning. One of the college radio stations in the Bay Area, KSCU, was playing this at 6:20. I thought it sounded like SDRE, but I wasn't sure, so I wrote down the lyrics I could hear (quite a feat while driving on the freeway!). Google revealed the rest.
20 Jul 2002	Jimmy Eat World	For Me This is Heaven	Eli turned me onto this song. It's beautiful -- incredible, classic JEW. I'm going to have to check out Clarity now.
13 Jul 2002	Soul Coughing	St. Louise Is Listening	Amazing to think I only just heard these guys. I've heard the name many times, of course, but never have I actually looked into their stuff. Well, I'm glad I finally did! A friend described their music as beat poetry. I love his voice and I love the upright bass!
6 Jul 2002	Catherine Wheel	Black Metallic	I was absolutely amazed to hear something on Live 105 that I didn't know. And to top it off, it was GOOD. This is early 90s shoegazing music at its best. Think Slowdive. The seven minute version is the one I keep playing.
30 Jun 2002	Matt Pond PA	Measure 3	I like violins, and this song has a few placed very prominently. But it's catchy, too! Matt's voice takes some getting used to, but it's all downhill from there. Another KCPR discovery.
23 Jun 2002	Sean Na Na	I Need A Girl	Do you like clever songs that consist solely of cool piano and double-tracked/reverbed vocals? Then you'll love "I Need A Girl." The thing that first grabbed my attention was the sparse production. But the lyrics are great, too. Funny and truthful at the same time.
16 Jun 2002	Doves	Words	This band is from England. And they rock, bigtime. Picking a song to put on here was tough! You should also check out "The Cedar Room" and "Caught by the River."
9 Jun 2002	Rolling Stones	Let's Spend the Night Together	Sex? Not necessarily. The lyrics say it all.
2 Jun 2002	Wilco	I Am Trying to Break Your Heart	I can't get this song out of my head! It's 2:44am, and I can't go to sleep because all I want to do is listen to "I Am Trying..." over and over again. Maybe my favorite line from this song will make it all clear: Disposable Dixie-cup drinkin'/I assasin down the avenue On second thought, that probably won't help at all.
18 May 2002	...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead	How Near, How Far	I read a review of Source Tags & Codes (Trail of Dead's new album) one night. Not 24 hours later, I had a friend recommend it to me. Coincidence? I think not. The whole album is great, but this is certainly a standout track in my eyes. I think it's the drumming. (I'm a sucker for great drums!)
4 May 2002	Gary Jules	Mad World	This is on the Donnie Darko soundtrack. I head this song on my favorite radio station, and was just floored. I was even more surprised when I found out that it's a Tears For Fears cover. Apparently this one is 3x slower... And I can assure you it's 100x better than any Tears For Fears song. :-)
27 Apr 2002	Flaming Lips	Waitin' For A Superman (Acoustic)	I found this song after reading a review at my favorite music-review website, Pitchforkmedia.com. Yeah, so they "sold out" recently. And yeah, they don't have any Toad the Wet Sprocket reviews. But these are forgivable sins as long as they keep turning me on to stuff like the Flaming Lips! (Probably wouldn't like Toad anyway. :-) [AMENDMENT: Turns out this song is actually a cover by Iron and Wine.]
20 Apr 2002	Beatles	Tomorrow Never Knows	This quarter I'm taking a four unit class on the Beatles. I thought I knew a lot of Beatles songs, but actually listening to every album through has cured me of that notion. This is my favorite track off my favorite album, Revolver. Does that make it my favorite Beatles song? It's certainly up there. :-)
13 Apr 2002	American Analog Set	Punk As Fuck	AmAnSet (as they refer to themselves) is a very low-key band. The medium pace of their songs is more consistent with a groove feel. While they don't rock out, there's plenty of talent here. This is good stuff to put on when you need to get homework done or something.
6 Apr 2002	Clinic	Harmony	This song starts with a medium-paced and repetive piano hook that sounds like it was taken from a Hollywood thriller. Soon the drums enter, and then the harmonica. And then the vocals: "I believe in harmony/I believe in Christmas Eve/Free for all your happiness/And no one's living on their wits." With a nod to Radiohead in the refrain ("Fill yourself with dreams"), "Harmony" mangages to be both foreboding and hopeful. Oh, and it's catchy as hell!
30 Mar 2002	Microphones	Ocean 1, 2, 3	This song starts out slow and majestic. About halfway through, the drums go nuts. It took me a while to get used to the transition, but I can truly say I like the whole song now.
23 Mar 2002	Monster Movie	Shortwave	I just love my school's radio station! Driving home late one night, what did I hear on KCPR but this extremely catchy, reverb-heavy, mid-paced gem? I don't know what to say, other than "beautiful!"
16 Mar 2002	Death Cab for Cutie	A Movie Script Ending (mp3)	What's this? Death Cab again? You're damn right! This song was stuck in my head all week. Seeing a band live will do that to you.
9 Mar 2002	Sigur Rós	Njosnavelin	All right, so this wasn't really the song of the week. But it's a great song anyway! It was used at the end of "Vanilla Sky" to spectacular effect. Go grab it on AudioGalaxy! [AMENDMENT: This song does not have lyrics, contrary to popular belief. You can learn more here. ("Njosnavelin" is the name of track four on ( ).)]
2 Mar 2002	Death Cab for Cutie	Photobooth	Death Cab is one of my very favorite new finds. This catchy song describes the end of a summer fling. Go find this song right now! (Blacking Out the Friction is great too!)
23 Feb 2002	Grandaddy	He's Simple, He's Dumb, He's the Pilot	A haunting, atmospheric song that stretches to a respectable 8:52. Put this on and float away.
16 Feb 2002	Further Seems Forever	Pictures of Shorelines	This is definitely a rock song, complete with driving guitar, yelling, and a female in the subject matter. The drumming is quite infectious, and I love the 1/2-measure full stops.
9 Feb 2002	Dashboard Confessional	Again I Go Unnoticed	Imagine a punk song. Then take away the electric guitar, the bass, and even the drums. Now slow it down the tiniest bit. What are you left with? Damn good acoustic rock! [AMENDMENT: The song I heard and still like is the acoustic version, off Swiss Army Romance. I don't like the Dashboard they're playing on the radio now, and their concert wasn't anything special either. Too bad.]