MCM#3 - HALLOWEENIEST

MCM #3 - HALLOWEENIEST We never talk anymore, you and I. Our relationship—so joyful and full in it's early days—has become as cold and unfeeling as the dead. I spend my nights in silence, shivering from pain, regret, and loss. Download the full MCM#3 or hunt and peck below. If you like something or hate something or whatever, please make a comment! Some of these files are m4a format, so you should download them all with the link above or right click and save them to your machine. The wonderful image on the mix artwork was created by Paul Sapiano.

"Nightmare On My Street" DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince

Mark D writes: My submission is from the "He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper" album that came out in 1988. I love this song because it uses the music and character from one of the best horror flicks of all times Nightmare on Elm St. This was when the Fresh Prince was just a rapper and not Will Smith the mega star actor and Dj Jazzy Jeff is still one of the greatest DJ's ever. If this song doesn't embody what Halloween is, then nothing will, it has the creepy music, the scary guy and the victims. Classic Halloween track IMO.

"The Time Warp" The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Tracey writes: When I was a kid the video for the Time Warp (Rocky Horror Picture Show) terrified me. I would fall asleep to the video channel, and it would always come on in the middle of the night, and I'd wake up right when it was coming on. Hunchback men with skullets and creepy voices are way too much for a pre teen with an over active imagination.

"Night Of The Vampire" The Moontrekkers

Justin Step writes: This spooky lounge track conjures vision of a hep cat Dracula, but Dracula's also a spy, and he's rifling through the diplomat's desk drawers while guests ponder the lovely daughter of the house, discovered prone behind a large potted plant with curious bite-marks on her slender neck. It's a swinging, cinematic track with a real gone vibe, perfect for Halloween happenings.

"Press Gang" Murder City Devils

Chris writes: Thank God we don't live in 18th century Britain, am I right? Squalid conditions, class struggles, violent crime, and the ever-present threat of a press gang were just a few of life's cruel realities. Well, prepare to be arrested by the terror of time forgotten as MCD spins this blood-chilling tale of a young man "twisting in the breeze / dripping something on the street" after becoming the victim of a press gang. Hear the haunting groans of the organ, the foreboding grit of the guitar, and the devilish details of the story as they are shouted and strained from the lips of one of the best frontmen in the business. Listen closely, friends, and let this man's fate serve as a warning to ye: "It could be you / it could be me / twisting in the breeze."

"Bloodflow" Smog

Ben writes: Cheerleaders chanting "Be eL double-oh dee eF eL Oh double-U, Bloodflow, Bloodflow! Yes, please.

"Sober" Tool

Contributed by TJ

"All Hallows Eve" Type O Negative

Contributed by Brian

"Sweet Dreams Are Made of This" Marilyn Manson

Tracey writes: Marilyn Manson, Sweet Dreams. Need I say more? Ok...Marilyn Manson. I said more.

"All I Want For Solstice Is My Sanity" Lance Holt

Justin Step writes: One part Yuletide carol, one part Cthulhuean pseudo-mythology, this song is as schmaltzy as evil can get. Your family may never forgive me. A truly maddening song, it will tunnel into the lovely, pristine places of your brain and drive you to states of frothy, babbling dementia. It frightens me nearly as much as The Hideously Terrifying Monster at the Centre of Mozambique, or The Horror at the Void Beyond the Stars.

"Thank Heaven For Little Girls" MGM Studio Orchestra

Christine writes: Why this is creepy: I remember the first time I saw the movie Gigi on TV I was horrified. It's basically a "coming of age" flick where an older guy ends up turning a girl into a "woman" and marrying her. The title soundtrack is sung in the movie by a creepy grandpa-looking guy who should not be thanking ANYONE for little girls and I think it's a good basis for most child protection laws.

Not the kind of creepy you were probably looking for, but it always gives me chills when I hear it.

"Marie Laveau" Bobby Bare

Contributed by JVO

"The Rainstorm" Royal Scottish National Orchestra

Juicy Justin writes: This track has the theme of the Psycho soundtrack weaved into it quite menacingly. If you have not seen the film it truly is a classic horror. I usually don't put much faith in these old B&W films, having sat an watched so many with my parents whilst growing up. But Psycho is in deed a creepily chilling flick. I was able to catch it over the summer for movies in the park. I highly recommend for your bewitching weekend festivities!

"Blood and Tears" Danzig

Jane writes: The Empty Bottle, October 31st 1997, begins a night that my best girlfriend Tonya and I still love to pore over and pick apart to this day.

On stage that night, Blackwell—a surprisingly effective KISS cover outfit from Detroit. Drinks were ingested, flirtation from the crowd ensued, and before we knew it, Tonya, Blackwell and I were closing out the bar. I was getting along with the Ace Frehley particularly well, and Tonya the Paul Stanley. These guys were funny, and though they still sported thick, smeared make-up at this point, you could tell they were fairly young and, dare I assume, handsome?

They lamented having a lot of cleaning up to do, but wanted to meet up with us right after giving an interview backstage, so we wrote down the address for Estelle's, and Tonya and I giggled our way into a cab and out to the bar to wait for their arrival.

At least 4 more beers were downed before a smiling pair of guys appeared at our sides... Only having height to recognize them by, I threw an arm around the taller of the two.

"ACE!" I shouted. He started laughing.
"We were just talking about the show..."
"What show?" he said.
... Silence ...
I started laughing, then Tonya, then all of us. Then another round of beer was ordered.

The rest of the night is a blur. We went to at least two more parties. I remember thinking Ace wasn't quite as smart or funny as my first impression had led me to believe, and he really seemed uninterested in talking about the band or Detroit... they just kept asking Tonya and I about ourselves. Oh, and how girls hate to talk about themselves. Looking back, the warmth of drunkedness prevented many clues from being recognized into the morning hours. It wasn't until about 5am when he picked up an acoustic guitar in this random party's livingroom and proceeded to serenade me and a half-dozen sleeping/passed out partygoers with "Blood & Tears" by Danzig that I realized the whole night had been a misunderstanding.

This was not Ace I'd spent the last several hours with gallivanting arm-in-arm around Chicago on Halloween night. This was just someone who probably decided after a certain amount of KISS references that he'd just play along. But one thing he WASN'T playing was this god-forsaken guitar. He could barely find the notes, and could not hold a tune vocally whatsoever.

We still wonder if the real fake Ace & Paul ever showed up to Estelle's that night, or whether the fake fake Ace & Paul minded too much when we slipped out the door into the morning after saying we were going to find the can.

Either way, Another Foolish Story of Youth and Booze™.

Enjoy this not so Halloweenie, but darkish song from Danzig II Lucifuge.

"Wax and Wane" Cocteau Twins

Allison writes: This is an early cocteau twins track harking back to their gothier days. as a long-time lover of their later dream-poppier work, i don't often listen to the older albums (a little too theatrical to my taste, perhaps), but i find this one suitably spooky for a halloween mix.

"You Think I Ain't Worth a Dollar, But I Feel Like a Millionaire" Queens of the Stone Age

A-NINNY-PUSS (anonymous) writes: Many moons ago, Queens of the Stone Age played a Halloween show at Metro (the show actually took place on Halloween night). The night of the show, those of us attending gathered at a friend's house to do a little pre-partying. One friend brought mushrooms. The magic kind.

Now, I don't condone that sort of thing these days—but on this particular evening, I indulged. Shortly thereafter we headed, on foot, to Metro.

To no one's surprise when we arrived at Metro there was a line to get in, as security needed to do a pat-down on all concert goers. The line was moving pretty slowly - and at a certain point, you could hear that the band had taken the stage. Right around this time I noticed that the mushrooms were kicking in.

For those of you unfamilar (and I sincerely hope you all are unfamilar), magic mushrooms cause hallucinations. You see things - but the things you see aren't really the things you think you're seeing. You hear things - but the things you hear aren't really the things you think you're hearing. And so on...

Fast forward twenty minutes and we are now in Metro, walking upstairs to the balcony and the fungi are in full control. We arrive and there are more people in the balcony than I've ever seen before.

And they're all in costume.

There's the Cat in the Hat. Freddy Krueger. Sluttly Alice in Wonderland. A zombie. A witch. Some guy dressed like a bear ate his face.

The air is saturated with smoke and humidity from the body heat. People are pushing, pulling, jumping and bumping.

And the Queens are putting out thundering, low-end bass sounds that, in a place as small as Metro, are louder and more impactful than anything I've ever experienced.

My heart is racing. My rib cage feels like it's vibrating. My hair feels like it is vibrating. The floor under my feet, it's vibrating.

As I'm processing these details, trying to determine what is real and what is not, the Queens finish the song and the crowd erupts in a frenzy.

At that moment I am hit with the type of thought you pray will never enter your mind while in a psychedelic state: the balcony is going to collapse and we're all going to die.

The balcony - IS GOING TO COLLAPSE!

We - ARE ALL GOING TO DIE!

I'm paralyzed by the (irrational, but very realistic) fear of this thought.

I consider heading for the stairs when, as if on cue, I am snatched back into a sea of insanity as the Queens rip into this tune (which at the time was unreleased). A few seconds pass and I am off on another roller coaster ride, battling ghosts and goblins, real and imagined, praying that I make it through the night alive.

That Halloween night wat the first and last time I took mushrooms.

Listening suggestion: Play this song at a time, and in a place, where you can play it LOUD!

"This Is Halloween" Marilyn Manson And Tim Skold

Contributed by Jennifer

"Thriller" Michael Jackson

Phil writes: Fellas...... it don't get anymore goolish then this...

MCM#2 Lip Synch or Sing Along

Month two, and it's a doozie! Thanks to Renata for the keen suggestion and thanks to everybody who participated - it's a fun one. The cover features Felix in a still frame from a video of him singing one of his favorite songs. Click here to download all of MCM #2 or hunt and peck below. If you like something or hate something or whatever, please make a comment! Some of these files are m4a format, so you should download them all with the link above or right click and save them to your machine.

"Mony Mony" Billy Idol

Jennifer writes: I have pretty much always been a big fan of Billy Idol which dates back to his GenX days. In fact, I'd have to admit that the biggest highlight of 2008 was seeing him at The Venue and getting to sing a part of "Ready, Steady, Go" with him from the front row.

"Mony, Mony" is not my favorite (cover) song of his - but the category is Sing Along songs and you cannot deny this is a classic Sing Along song.

I also wanted to pick an artist that was as much of an icon of the early MTV days as Michael Jackson as a mini-tribute to MJ's music and the music of that era.

"Say It Aint So" Weezer

Juicy Justin Sid writes: Besides being one of my all time favorite songs and my karaoke instant go-to choice this Weezer classic holds a special place in my nostalgic heart. This track has always and forever been one of the only songs I can even remember how to play on my guitar. So when introduced into a group of people and forced to play my guitar at shiv point I always default to the age ol' goodness that is Weezer. This is most definitely a song that you do not play quietly. You must crank the volume knob and scream/chant/wail the epic chorus up into the heavens!

"Ticket To Ride" The Beatles

Allison writes: It's The Beatles, it's infectious, it's highly sing-alongable, and in my opinion, one of John Lennon's finer song-writing moments. Though the majority of Beatles tracks were always authored as "Lennon/McCartney" this one in particular was always attributed to him.

(One of his other fine, much later, song-writing moments was also penned by Christopher, below. Yay for semi-synchronicity.)

Anyway, the accompanying video, as excerpted from the 1965 Beatles movie "Help!", is also a barrel of fun. When I was 12 (and very obsessed with the fab four) I'd watch this segment on VHS every day during the summer... for months on end... it's still a total delight!

"Ego Trippin' [Part Two]" De La Soul

Ben writes: There was a period of time when I owned a run-down 1986 Buick Centry station wagon. It had a tape deck and De La's Buhloone Mindstate was constantly playing. Listening now, I can't believe how completely ahead of their time they were. It's old school, for sure, but some of the production and techniques they used in 1993 didn't show up in the mainstream for years. ANYWAY... Some 12 or more years later i'm still singing along and i know every word. Yeah!

"Diva" Beyoncé

Tracey writes: I picked this song because like me, it has much attitude! AND you get to say “I’m a Diva” like 50 times. So, it’s sort of like brainwashing you into thinking that you are one (You will take me to Jabba now). I have a mic and some sunglasses with bling, underneath the passenger seat of my husband’s car just for when this song comes on. He hates it, but is amazed at how quickly I can whip them out when the song comes on. Now all I need is an air plane, so I can deny passengers like Beyonce! “NO PASSENGERS ON MY PLANE!” (Insert evil sinister laugh here)

"In The Street" Big Star

Jane writes: It was the summer of '98.

I was settling down in my apartment in Wicker Park to work on a big project for which I'd already been up 2 straight days. Delirious and wired on coffee, I heard a familiar song coming from the TV. I zombily wandered into the living room to see the opening sequence of some new show where kids in a car were singing along to... this song... from one of my Top 25 All-Time Desert Island Albums... Though it was being covered by somebody and the lyrics were changed up, I stood in wonder.

It was most definitely a tune I never expected to hear on prime time – kinda like how T.G.I.Fridays is using that Tight Bros song in its commercials now – a jawdropper.

Though there are better tracks on #1 Record/Radio City by Big Star, "In the Street" from that point on was catapulted into synonymity with "sing-a-long”... at least in a cheesy sitcom sort of way.

Note: The TV program was the premiere of That 70's Show, and with a little research I found the person covering the song was a gentleman by the name of Todd Griffin. Season 2 sported a shiny, new Cheap Trick version, complete with "Hello, Wisconsin!" by Rockford's own favorite son.

"Time For Me to Fly" REO Speedwagon

Dan writes: When I was getting near the end of a not-so-fun 3 year relationship, this song helped me belt out a lot of pent up frustrations. Glad my apartment had really thick walls. Although I no longer have any of the feelings this song describes, it is still fun to sing along. Go ahead, try it.

"Summertime" Kenny Chesney

Mike writes: While Country music has been around for some time, it wasn’t until recently that I discovered it. The music just feels more "relatable" to me than most these days (for lack of a better way to put it) and there's a storytelling aspect to many of the songs that I also find very appealing. And lyrically, the songs tend to be pretty straightforward. Hence my selection: a sweet, summer ditty by one of the current kings of Country. One that I often find myself singing along to in the car, the office, on the train; when I’m shopping for cowboy hats, loading up my twelve-gauge, popping in a plug of chew or changing the oil on my pick-up...

"What's Up?" 4 Non Blondes

Renatá writes: The College of Business at UIUC is a huge fan of group projects. Sometimes such projects are incredibly boring … while others are actually fun. My senior Marketing Communications project (one of the fun ones!) encompassed building a team with other students, starting our own “agency” and creating an Integrated Marketing Campaign for FIJI Water. (FIJI had approached both UIUC and USC with this concept — and so the FIJI Bowl was born.) Hours upon hours upon HOURS were poured into the project by my team (Team Tabua). Touted as the group that enjoyed the work and each others’ company “too much,” we were of course the winners at UIUC. In preparation for our final presentation to the FIJI CEO and assorted executives out in LA, we really ran ourselves thin on sleep and fun. To remedy this, we all decided to go out, let off some steam and get super drunk together. I'm not really sure why What’s Up spoke to us on this particular night, but as soon as it came on at the random campus bar we were at, the six of us belted out the whole song at full blast. Random, really, but ever since we’ve considered it our team anthem.

A few weeks later, we trekked out to LA, dominated our presentation and won the competition. To celebrate our victory, FIJI treated us to a wild night in the clubs … and we very well might have belted out What’s Up a capella on a cab ride between parties. Now any time I hear the song, I really can’t help but sing along. Loudly. Good times!

"Oh Yoko" John Lennon

Chris writes: Oh, John Lennon. I could sing this song 1,000 times and never grow tired. Listen to that jangly piano, the harmonica solo, the double and triple-tracked vocals, the bouncy drum beat. The words are so simple, the sentiment so pure. This is a song about thinking of that special someone at any time of the day (in the bath, in the middle of a shave, etc.) and crying out with joy and love. I hope everyone can experience that feeling at some point, and I know I share Lennon's urge whenever I think of my lovely wife. It also happens to be one of the many songs Leslie and I belt out in pure adulation whenever it comes on the radio.

"Ain't Too Proud To Beg" The Temptations

Margaret writes: It took me a long time to master the timing of this song (especially the “beg and plead” lyric), but since I got that down this song has been a mainstay in my “songs that get sung at random” playlist. How can you not like this song? I know you do, because when I sing it at the office, y’all join in. It’s just one of those songs.

"Rise Above" Dirty Projectors

Sarah writes: Dave Longstreth (the lead singer) is the king of inserting R&B vocal runs into indie rock - and I love it. I’ve probably learned more about ear training from attempting to sing along with Dave Longstreth than from four years of music school. Rise Above is one of Dirty Projectors’ most straight forward songs, but that doesn’t stop him from ornamenting like whoa. Highly recommended solo sing along track here, folks - plus, if you’re too lazy to sing along with Dave, you can harmonize with the ladies.

Most people know how I feel about Dirty Projectors, so I’ll keep my proselytizing to a minimum. But, if you like this, let me know - I’m always eager to spread the Good Word.

"Life Is Shit" The Dead Milkmen

Ben writes: This is one of those great sing-alongs that I turn to when others might turn to booze or the crack pipe. There's something wonderful about joining in on this chorus when everything in your life is up in flames. Next time you get your ass kicked all day long at the job, crank this one up and join in.

MCM #1 - Live Songs That Don't Suck

We're back! Due to an overwhelming inability for me to cajole songs out of people and post them up weekly, we've switched to monthly. Click here to download all of MCM #1 or hunt and peck below. If you like something or hate something or whatever, please make a comment! Some of these files are m4a format, so you should download them all with the link above or right click and save them to your machine.

"Ágætis Byrjun [Live]" Sigur Rós

Allison writes: If there is one show I can recommend you ever attend in your life, it is one by the Icelandic band Sigur Rós. The sheer epic beauty of it all will blow your mind.

This track in particular was part of their return home to perform a series of concerts across the island (i.e. at the base of mountains, on the street, next to waterfalls, inside an abandoned factory, etc).

I must also take this opportunity to plug one of the most lovely DVDs released last year: Heima. It's their documentary of their aforementioned live music adventure across the incomparably strange and wondrous country of Iceland. There is a strong likelihood that watching it will enhance your life in some way, however small. Or at the very least give you a new travel destination.

The trailer is here, and contains one of my favorite most explosive songs of theirs, Í Gær. (I would have included it here but the recording is technically is not live): http://www.heima.co.uk/video/

Watch and get some chills!

"Airtap" Eric Mongrain

Felix writes: While many folks have attempted a similar style before (most notably, I'm thinking of the blind guitarist Jeff Healey, from the late 1980's), Eric Mongrain is someone that caught my eyes and ears a year or so ago.

He plays guitar normally, but for this particular track has the guitar flat on its back, across his lap. He strums and plays with both hands, tapping frets as well as the body of the guitar, and makes a pretty great song out of everything combined.

I liked this track when I first came across it, so much so that I took great pains to figure out how to convert the track over to an mp3. I still play it on my iPod from time to time.

The quality of the audio isn't great, but the performance is a good one. And it's quite stunning to actually see him perform it via video.

"Comfortable" John Mayer

Margaret writes: I've always appreciated the sentiment of this song - it's very sweet and tender, and a bit heartbreaking. I'm especially fond of this lyric:

"I loved you...grey sweatpants...no makeup...so perfect"

"Lola" The Kinks

Walt writes: How could I not start off the Monthly Collective Mix Tape with a Kinks song? This live version of Lola is from The Kinks One for the Road album – the album that connected me to the Kinks. Girls will be boys and boys will be girls, it's a mixed up, muddled up, shook up world except for Lola!

"Rid of Me (Live at the Vic Theatre)" P.J. Harvey

James writes: Great slow-burner of a song laid bare in front of a crowd of 1500 rabid Polly Jean followers in Chicago.

"Now I'm Here" Queen

Dan writes: I’ve been a Queen fan since the late ‘70s and quickly started enjoying some of their more obscure tunes. When I finally got my hands on Live Killers, their first live album, from a second-hand album store in Evanston sometime in the early ‘80s, I was pleasantly surprised by the live rendition of one of my all-time favorite Queen songs, “Now I’m Here”. I’ve never seen this performed live, but whenever I hear part of this song where Freddie is stating more than singing, “Now I’m Here” several times, I imagine that he is running from one spot on the stage to another. Who knows, could be true. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

"The End Is Begun" 3

Juicy writes: This band is chalk full of talent and it oozes out of every member. Of the 100+ bands I've seen live I have to say 3 is the best live performance I've ever seen. Each band member is very good at playing their instruments and that doth please the musician in me. The show stealer is most definitely their lead singer Joey Eppard who has a R&B type vocal style that is juxtaposed on top of his very unique and impressive guitar playing. He is probably the only person alive that rocks the shit out of a venue playing an acoustic guitar. (you get a taste of this in the song) I recommend picking up some of their albums and catching their next live show!

"Willie The Wimp" Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble

James writes: Two-bit Chicago gangster Willie Stokes, Jr. was immortalized in this SRV live classic. While it's true that crime doesnt pay, it kinda kicks ass that Stokes was buried in a Cadillac coffin.

"Mystery of Iniquity" Lauryn Hill

Utopia writes: Live from MTV's Unplugged series, Lauryn Hill brings thoughts and verses of years of absence from the limelight. I am always amazed at the depth and craft of her lyrics-both raw and thought provoking, Lauryn proves to be a true MC. Many may know this song from the hook of Kanye West's song, "All Fall Down." Lauryn is the original songstress and here is where it all began.

"You Don't Know Where Your Interest Lies" Simon & Garfunkel

Sarah writes: Thanks to my mother, I'm a big Simon and Garfunkel fan and this live album is my favorite by far. Just their voices, acoustic guitar, and the songs . . . this is the way they are supposed to be heard/played. After hearing this album, the other ones sound way over-produced. I picked this particular song for Paul Simon's stellar guitar playing. They were both 25 years old at this performance.

"Rosa Lee McFall" Grateful Dead

Mike writes: I voted for this category and yet found it incredibly hard to settle on a song. That said, my submission is by the Grateful Dead, a band that (arguably) owns the notion of “live performance.” The song is called “Rosa Lee McFall” and is from a two-disc set of live, acoustic material recorded in September and October 1980 (for a live album called “Reckoning”). I have nothing prophetic to say…I hope you enjoy this two minute and fifty-four second tune about love and love lost.

"Everybody's Talkin' (Live)" Fred Neil

Brian writes: I don't really have any proclivity towards the live version of this song, but it is a fine song that I happen to possess the live version of. You may or may not be familiar with Harry Nilsson's version of this song in the movie Midnight Cowboy. Fred Neil wrote the original version, and this is it.

But what would the first MCM be without a Dax Riggs reference?: I've had Neil's Bleecker and McDougal album for some time. There is a song on there called "Little Bit of Rain" that I highly recommend. Anyway, when I was in Baton Rouge and New Orleans on April 24 and 25 this year, Dax played "Everybody's Talkin'" and I could not get it out of my head. I sing/play music every night and every morning before work. Since April 26 I have sang this song in particular, every morning and every night.

"Coxcomb Red (Live)" Songs: Ohia

Ben writes: There was a period in time when I was infatuated with Jason Molina. During that time I saw him play as Songs: Ohia at the Empty Bottle. The crowd was unruly and nobody was listening. Near the end of the show, he attempted to play this song just as you year it but was almost drowned out by the chatter from the bar. He stopped playing mid-song and said goodnight. I always liked him for that. In this recording, he finishes it.

"Cortez the Killer" Built to Spill

Chris writes: I first heard Built to Spill's Live when I traveled up to New York with my girlfriend towards the end of college. Her brother was going to NYU for music composition and spent a lot of time sitting in his room, getting high and listening to records that would "take him to another place" in order to reveal some deep thread of musical importance he had yet to consider. This type of behavior is not at all uncommon amongst students of music (or college students in general, for that matter). Although I wasn't high at the time, listening to this epic (20+ minute) rendition of Neil Young's classic "Cortez the Killer" with the lights out and the volume cranked definitely "took me to another place." Close your eyes, climb aboard the soaring, aching guitar and hug its neck as it carries you back to the past to reveal heart-breaking Aztec atrocities.

Eighteen From 2008

This is not an FCM post, this is just me, Ben.

For the last several years I've created a list containing 20 of the best songs I heard first in that year. December of 2008 had me laid out sick, so I'm running a bit late. In addition, I am only including 18 songs this year. I want this list to be ABSOLUTE favorites and didn't water it down with two more tracks solely for consistency. I'm not a critic, just a lover of good sounds so don't do that ever-so postmodern critique-the-critic thing, please? If you see a little pink star next to an album name, it's one of my favorites for the year. Lastly, the list isn't in order of greatness - rather I tried to create a nice flow for listening. Click here to download the whole thing.

"Soul '69 (Part II)" A-ko
When I'm happy I sneeze all day
This jazz-funk, sample laden DJ creation would be fun and happy without the vocals, but the charming and ridiculous nature of the vocal performance makes Soul '69 (Part II) legendary. The melodies, both instrumental and vocal, are infectious. The horns, the swirling wah wah, and the woodwinds ride ever so lightly and tightly upon the beat and bass groove. I've spent countless weekends with this song on repeat in my head, letting out an occasional "Aah-Choo," revealing my madness.

"As If Love Was a Sword" Steven Delopoulos (Straightjacket)
And the music above was a children's choir
A week after the great Iowa flood of 2008 peaked in my hometown of Cedar Rapids, I drove there to pick up my kids who had been staying with their grandparents. Because of the flooding I had to take local highways through Iowa, rather than my typical interstate route (290,88,80,380, if you care). A mix CD was left in the car and on it was this gem of a song. It's a waltzy 3/4 - for which i have a general weak spot. The arrangement starts with a straightforward folk approach and builds to a grand, bombastic crechendo complete with a choir and what sounds like tympani. I listened over and over and over, as much drawn to the imagery in the lyrics as to the odd musical trajectory of this short song. It seemed suitably apocalyptic for the moment, driving into the disaster that visited my hometown. "The orchestra roared."

"Damn I'm Cold (Feat. Lil' Wayne)" Bun B (II Trill)
Best to get you some sleeves
The swagger on this song is so thick it's impenetrable. Lil' Wayne and Bun B come together and take turns rapping about how absolutely great they are on this remarkably smooth production. This isn't a groundbreaking song, just a perfectly executed treatise on the coldness of these two rappers. Every time this song comes on, I get a little chill.

"Everybody (Feat. Kanye West, Sa-Ra & Andre 3000)" Fonzworth Bentley
Simple elegance looking better when you dance
Up late one night flipping channels, I happened upon a string of rap and R&B videos. At some point Destiny's Child and Sir Mix a Lot segwayed into Fonzworth Bentley. The video presents the entertainers in tuxedos on a soundstage doing dance routines like they're the commodores or something. It works because the music simultaneously throws me back and catapults me into the future. It's classy as hell, sensual, sexy, and fun. Andre's verse is immaculate, his tone is smooth and his cadence buoyant. Fonzworth's songs (see C.O.L.O.U.R.S. below) have a distinctly unique style that I can't get enough of.

"Camel" Flying Lotus (Los Angeles*)
...
It was hard to pick a song from Los Angeles because the album works so well as a unit, each track a twist or turn on a singular highway of sound. I don't even know what they call this music anymore, but it's essentially electronic DJ production with hip hop influence. Listening to this record reminds me of how I felt listening to DJ Shadow's Endtroducing... in 1997. The music sounds new but familiar. I can get sucked into it completely or live alongside it harmoniously, depending on my whim.

"Until We Bleed (With Lykke Li)" Kleerup (S/T)
If Cupid's got a gun, then he's shooting
I had an incredibly overwhelming panic attack in July. I was in World Market picking up some Malteasers and it hit me like a ton of bricks. If it weren't for my headphones and this song on repeat I would have certainly gone mad or been run over by a bus in the street. Maybe it's the beat, but for me this song manages to be incredibly soothing while giving me the distinct impression that the world may indeed be ending right before my eyes. Lykke Li makes a frail yet powerful performance and Kleerup turns out what just might be the sexiest song I've heard in the last three years.

"2 Becomes 1" Karl Blau (Nature's Got Away)
All the hardships sail away
I'm sitting in a mostly-empty barroom with wood panel interior. The bartender, a woman in her 50's, hands me another jar of Miller Light, and i swivel on my stool back toward Karl Blau and his band. The warm tones of the guitar and vocals offset the draftiness of the place. I'm staring at the linoleum where my mind is projecting a slideshow of images starring the two of us. This song could never be true without you.

"Holes In Our Heads" Retribution Gospel Choir (S/T*)
It was just like she said
I was pretty exited to get a hold of Alan Sparhawk's new album, especially after reading that Mark Kozelek produced it. At first, Retribution Gospel Choir was a big letdown for me. It seemed to neither embrace the fragility of his work as Low or the heaviness that these songs seemed to yearn for. But after a couple of weeks this summer in the painting studio with this record on repeat, I figured it out. Pantera's Vulgar Display of Power, used massively layered guitars and vocals to become one of the heaviest and powerful rock productions ever (IMHO). There's power in numbers but there's power in singularity too. A single, passionate voice and one or two electric guitars strummed with abandon can be just as moving as twenty. That's where "Holes In Our Heads" succeeds - it pulls us in with a finger and pushes us out with the passion of a single, determined man.

"C.O.L.O.U.R.S. (ft. Lil' Wayne & Pimp C)" Fonzworth Bentley
I don't wear sneakers, I wear slippers
This low-key, ultra-smooth track features some of the most over-the-top lyrical content since R. Kelly's Trapped in the Closet. By that I don't mean bat-shit-crazy, I only mean that when you hear a man talking at length about cashmere, cognac, and exotic animal furs and leathers... Ummmm... Fonzworth's verse stands out - for some reason I find myself believing that he's telling me the truth, that he actually has purple silk lining in all of his coats. Lil' Wayne and Pimp C are perfect choices for filling out the song - both have such interesting voices and tend to shine when the tempo is a bit slower. Best of all, the chorus spells out this wonderful acronym, and it's fitting - what we have here are Cool Outrageous Lovers Of Uniquely Raw Style.

"Mutha'uckas" Flight of the Conchords (S/T*)
He's gonna wake up in a smoothee!
Flight of the Conchords has been a highlight of my year. I've watched season one several times and the CD is in play at least once a week. I've probably spent hours laughing to Jemaine and Bret's antics. The magic here is that the songs work as songs but come to life as videos and get raised to art in the context of the show. It was hard to pick just one song, but I chose "Mutha'uckas" because it's catchy and stands well on it's own - but you should really watch the video.

"Mr. Carter (Feat. Jay-Z)" Lil' Wayne (Tha Carter III*)
I heard somebody say church, I'm-a need a suit
Lil' Wayne has been a highlight of my year. He's on 3 of the 18 songs in this list and only this one is from Tha Carter III. There's something about the combination of his wheezy flow, his outlandish rhymes, and his complete confidence that makes me want to eat whatever he's cooking. Jay-Z makes a solid contribution to this piano-plink ridden production. While musically it's not the most interesting track on his album - I love the samples and I'm particularly fond of the inventiveness of Wayne's rhymes.

"The Way We Ride" Fulton Lights (The Way We Ride*)
They were trying to take my land
Last year Andrew Spencer Goldman took us to the city, this year he's brought us out west. "The Way We Ride," is like a cowboy version of gangsta rap. It's brimming with bravado and unapologetic street (range?) cred. The dirty-muddy production that put me off at first kept bringing me back for another listen. It's a fighting song, but popping out from the plodding vocal delivery are some great melodies. "Six bullets says I don't give a good goddamn."

"The Vowels Pt. 2" Why? (Alopecia*)
Playing the wall at singles bingo
Vocals are clearly driving us through this song, but the vehicle we're riding in is one of those toddler pull-toys with wooden oval wheels. The punchy, lunge-release, lunge-release, of the track is relentless and powerful - giving way only when we recite the vowels. Every phrase of lyrical content is an image-inducing head scratcher, delivered swiftly and melodically in series. This song makes me smile and move - I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

"Half Of Two Times Two (Newer Version)" Barr (Summary*)
So let's all be special art rebels together
On the train listening to Barr's Summary last month, a man near me interrupted to ask me what I was listening to, what kind of music was in my headphones. All I could think to say was that it was sort of like a guy talking. He said, "Like rap?" and I said, "No, not really." The truth is that on a basic level, this song really is a lot like a guy talking over a simple, repetitive bed of piano, drums, and bass. The value of this song and most of the brilliant work on Summary will not be separated from the lyrics. While these songs are certainly about the words, they are absolutely meant to be songs. Brendan Fowler's vocal delivery and approach to melody breaks up the stream of consciousness into distinct movements, emphasizing the most important phrases and infusing the words with passion. Please don't give this song one listen, listen five times in a row because I need you to see that this is so much more rich and important than a guy talking. "That's what i'm saying. Oh my god, there is soooo much!"

"Archangel" Burial (Untrue*)
...
Untrue is a sexy and nearly perfect electronic album. "Archangel" manages to be atmospheric and undulating without relegating itself to the background. The beat is gorgeous - but not just the beat - every tone and texture of every sound that creates the beat is immaculate. That apparent attention to detail is present in every aspect of this production. Each layered crackle and synth is absolutely meant to be. The vocal is repeated and manipulated with speed and pitch shifts and never comes off gimmicky or contrived.

"New Hollywood Babylon" Don Cavalli (Cryland)
And when I talk... Violence!
This quirky song could easily be tossed off as a novelty due to the vocal delivery and lyrical content but it's just too damned funky and unique. It's hard for me to pin down what keeps me coming back to it. Sonically, it's funky and weird and bouncy and joyful. I love the little wah wah guitar solo moments. This guy's accent and vocal approach makes hearing phrases like "Put your hands up, ya'll!" and "Cadillac cars, Pussycat Girls!" like eating little delicious desserts - perhaps it may be low in nutritional value, but it's pretty damned tasty.

"Bring It On Home To Me" Sam Cooke
Bring it to me
Seriously, how did I miss this song for 31 years? One night I was waiting for the blue line downtown and the trains were delayed. There was a subway musician who was playing soul music with an acoustic guitar with a crowd of delayed passengers around him singing along. I've never seen anything like it - with every song the crowd grew bigger and people around him were not just watching, they were actually singing and clapping along. At some point he went into Sam Cooke's "Bring It On Home To Me." While it certainly sounded familiar to me, I couldn't place it and quickly wrote down some of the lyrics so I could hunt it down when I got home. Sam Cooke's voice is amazing, and this type of soul music is rich and evocative. Thank you, infectious street musician, for bringing this song to my attention. Better late than never.

"Joe's Waltz" The Dodos (Visiter*)
YOU NEED HELP! YOU NEED HELP!
It's been a frustrating year for me. Maybe that's why this list has more fighting songs on it and less singer-songwriter material than years past. "Joe's Waltz" is a little of both. The first half is a good-but-harmless, folksy, melodic waltz. What the song morphs into at four minutes is something entirely different. Sweetly sung melodies give way to shouts, angst, distortion, banging drums, and energetic obscenities. There's conflict in the composition but there's continuity as well. "C'mon, this shit is real."

FCM #18 - Have A Very EI Holiday

FCM #18 - HAVE A VERY EI HOLIDAY Well... Happy holidays, folks. Do you feel that wintery cold outside and the wintery warmth in your heart's hearth? Special thanks to NickD who created this stunning cover. Click here to download the entire FCM #18 or hunt and peck below. If you like something or hate something or whatever, please make a comment! Some of these files are m4a format, so you should download them all with the link above or right click and save them to your machine.

Next week's Theme - "I love this song because the video is awesome!"

"Fairytale of New York" The Pogues
Jane writes: One of my all time favorite holiday songs. A gorgeous tune with a devastating theme of how love turns cold over time -- just like the air turns bitter at this time of year. Oh, gentle fate, warm our toes this holiday season. Flush our collective cheeks with the comfort found only in the communal exchange of song. Dab our running noses with your inspiration, and quiet our unrest with cottony slumbers... What??! I don't know what I'm talking about. Happy holidays, gang.

"The Blizzard of '96" The Walkmen
Allison writes: This is a joyously wintry little tune from the Walkmen. Although I think lyrically it concerns a patched-up relationship, the music conjures storybook winter scenes: snowball fights, sledding down neighborhood hills, and my imaginary pet reindeer.

"Christmas All Over Again" Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Chris writes: Yes, it's Christmas all over again. It's hard to believe we've arrived, but here we are. Christmas was, at one time, a welcome distraction and a reason to be giddy. But with age comes pessimism and it's now more of an unwelcome distraction that reminds me how terrible I am at gift-giving and keeping in touch with family. Tom Petty's affectation is something I've always loved, but when he lends it to a Christmas song it takes on this sort of resigned sarcasm that I can really appreciate. He puts together a pretty remarkable hook that somehow makes Christmas's arrival palatable. By the end of the song I'm comfortable with my aversion but I also know why people love this season so much. Thanks, Tom Petty, for helping me tolerate another holiday season!

"Christmas In Hollis" Run DMC
Mark writes: The song I picked was Christmas in Hollis by Run DMC. I picked it because it has to be the best Christmas Hip-Hop song ever! Along with the fact that DMC's whole verse is actually how Christmas was in our house when I was coming up.

"Deck Five" Saturday's Children
Justin Step writes: I feel a little cheap for selecting another Office Naps track, but what the hey? It's a nice Christmas tune, and it's performed by a Chicago garage band. They mash up Dave Brubeck's "Take Five" with a splash of "Deck the Halls" with some nice, psych-folky harmonies.

"Place To Be" Nick Drake
TJ writes: This entire album (actually just anything from Nick Drake) makes me want to just walk around when there is snow on the ground and crank this up in my headphones. Personally it calms me, I love it.

Happy Holidays!

"King's Crossing" Elliott Smith
Brian writes: Let's face it...the holidays are equally joyous and depressing. And I don't know about you, but while I like my tunes a lot of ways I mostly like them sad. For whatever reason it's the sad ones, with a small sprinkle of hope, that make me feel warm and cozy on my insides. This, in turn, actually renders their depressing powers useless, and transforms them into uplifting songs.

When I first discovered Elliott Smith, I was still living in the 'burbs, but working full-time and going to school full-time in the city. I was in the process of selling my place that I moved into with my recently ex-girlfriend, and I had high hopes of moving downtown to start a new life. I vividly remember the train rides, late nights and early mornings spent listening to this song (repeatedly...especially in the winter months).

The Christmas references are clearly drug references in actuality, but those references, along with my winter listening habits have concretized the connection for me.

This song appears on "From a Basement on the Hill", which was the last Elliott Smith album. It was recorded before he threw in the towel, but released afterwards.

Merry Christmas!

"Christmas Song" Dave Matthews Band
Margaret writes: This is quite possibly my favorite song of all time - and I don't say that lightly.

I love the simplicity with which he tells the story, and the way he weaves the message of "love" throughout. Even if you hate Dave (which I'm sure most of you do), humor me and listen to this one - it's truly a beautiful song, and it sounds like a lullaby.

"Babylon" David Gray
Felix writes: Back when I first arrived in Chicago, fresh out of grad school, I worked my first real job at a small company in Barrington, IL, doing Flash work.

I spent a few late, late nights in the office (situated in a strip mall called The Foundry), meticulously and laboriously hand-updating Flash keyframes for a humongo project. I remember having this song on loop, and heavy snowfall out the window as my car gradually became the only one left in the lot.

This song makes me think of winter, and of being lonely. It makes me remember being the only one at the office, away from my grad school friends, a warm table lamp by my computer, and an expanse of white snowfall just outside.

"Christmas Time Is Here (vocal)" Vince Guaraldi
Tracey writes: It really isn't Christmas until you see the Charlie Brown Christmas special. I remember fighting my brother for a spot in front of the TV when this cartoon was on. However, that memory was overshadowed in the early 90's by an episode of the TV comedy show Martin Lawrence. On this particular episode, Martin was hosting a Christmas show, and had two little people ballet dancing to Christmas Time is Here, which abruptly switched to Kurtis Blow. Now, when I hear this song, I think of me and my brother dancing around the Christmas tree with little people.

"Still, Still, Still" Mannheim Steamroller
Renata writes: My most meaningful memories of the Holiday have always been music-related. I grew up in a Mennonite church where the congregation sang in 4+ part harmony every chance they had. Come Christmastime, there would be various music-based services held each week. I always took part in the impromptu choir that would "perform" one or two special Hymns during the services. One of my favorites we performed remains Still, Still, Still. Enjoy.

"Lo! How A Rose E'er Blooming" Sufjan Stevens
Ben writes: This hymn is one that I remember from my childhood as tedious, yet enjoyable. Sufjan has transformed it into something different, a delicate, and beautiful tune where the beauty of the words and story can shine through. THere's something magical about the repeated phrase, "when half-spent was the night." Also, if you like this track, ask me for a listen to the rest of Sufjan's Christmas EPs.

"Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer" Elmo & Patsy
Christine writes: You can ask Kisha and Margaret... I do not like Christmas music. I just find it irritating to the highest degree. But this particular song will always be welcome this time of year for me. I still remember us begging Dad to put on the album at Christmas-time and laughing over and over at this whole thing.

"I'm Giving Santa a Pikachu for Christmas" Pokémon
Nick writes: My contribution to the holiday mix CD is a song that always reminds me of the spirit of gift-giving and togetherness that pervades the holiday season.

"12 Days Of Christmas" Straight No Chaser
Margaret writes: This is a recording from the founding members of Straight No Chaser, Indiana University's a cappella group. One of the original members dug up some old videos from a 1998 concert and posted them on YouTube for the other members to see. Around the holidays, the video for this song received over 8 million hits. The group was then contacted by Atlantic Records, and they signed a 5-album deal, to which this album is the first.

Listen for "Africa" at the end - that's the best part.I have the whole album if anyone wants to upload - it's a great one for the holidays!

"Coldest Winter" Kanye West
Kisha writes: So I was obsessed with the new Kanye album and specifically this song. He repeats a lot on the entire album, but he was clearly working thru a lot of emotions. I love the new sound!

"Long Way Around The Sea" Low
Ben writes: Ever since this record came out, this song has been one of my Christmas favorites. As a kid, I loved "silent night," particularly at Christmas eve service when everyone lit candles. For me, this has the feel of that dark night and candle-light. There's magic in the harmonies, as well as the story told.

"Lake Shore Drive" Aliotta, Haynes, and Jeremiah
Walt writes: It could easily be argued that Alliota, Haynes and Jerimiah's superb Lake Shore Drive is a summer song but I think it works equally well in the winter. So much so, that it's my holiday pick. No, there isn't any snow in it and you won't hear any bells a jinglin' and Santa doesn't make an appearance. For me, however, it always reminds me of winter as I would play it on my way home after a long night of ushering at one of many of Chicago's fine venues. Since I lived on the south side of Chicago when I was a kid, I would drive home from Auditorium Theatre via LSD to I-55. I vividly remember the gray night sky with snow twinkling in the air from the light cast by the drive's light poles as the blustery wind buffeted my Ford Maverick -- all the while with LSD playing in the tape deck.

Hey, how about a Chicago-themed FCM where people pick songs that make them think about Chi-Town?

"Snow Days" Trip Shakespeare
Jane writes: It was Christmas Eve 1992, I had just finished my first semester of college and was returning to my hometown for the first time since I'd left. What was supposed to be a relaxing 2.5 hour drive through lazy, scenic roads straight down to the heart of Illinois turned into a 5 hour white knuckle adventure as horizontal snow gusts basically blew my car over a sheet of ice all the way home. I didn't even trust myself to take my hands off the steering wheel for a moment, so when this song came on, a relaxing little ditty about snow falling, I chose it as my theme for the remainder of my journey. I hit repeat, and it guided me safely towards my mother's pot roast.

Thanks, weird 90's band I never heard from again... thanks.

"Christmas with the Devil" Spinal Tap
James writes: "The elves are dressed in leather
And the angels are in chains"

The greatest fake band of all time-arguably better than many of the ultraserious NWOBHM bands of the day-are responsible for one of the greatest Yuletide songs ever. It's like, how much more red and green could this be? And the answer is none. None more red and green.

"Shooting Stars" Ozma
Justin Sid writes: While this is not very X-Mas themed it is cold weather friendly. Ozma is a band I fell into in high school one very cold winter, the same winter I saw them with Weezer shortly after the release of the Green album. Enjoy!

"Red Water (Christmas Mourning)" Type O Negative
Brian writes: "Let's face it...the holidays are equally joyous and depressing. And I don't know about you, but while I like my tunes a lot of ways I mostly like them sad. For whatever reason it's the sad ones, with a small sprinkle of hope, that make me feel warm and cozy on my insides. This, in turn, actually renders their depressing powers useless."

Can I add that I actually also really love Christmas music. My Dad put strict start/end dates on when my brothers and I were allowed to listen to the "Christmas with the Chipmunks". To my delight, my Mom plays John Denver and the Muppet's "A Christmas Together" every year. I had more than one VHS tape with Jon Bon Jovi's video of "Please Come Home for Christmas", and also that entire "A Very Special Christmas" album. The only time of year I really listen to any radio stations is during the Christmas months (maybe I should have left that one out)... Oh, and then there's, well...there's this...

"Christmas Time Is Here (instrumental)" Vince Guaraldi
Allison writes: This one's a bit of a nostalgic pick, from the soundtrack to A Charlie Brown Christmas (which also features "Linus and Lucy", the track most people recognize as THE Charlie Brown song). The vocal version more directly harkens the TV special, while the longer instrumental version makes me think of hot cocoa, a crackling fireplace, jammies, and cinnamon-scented candles at my family's house during the holidays.

Little Thanks For You

I put together this little mix for you all. It's a thankfulness theme. So, go be thankful tomorrow and every day. All the best to you and yours, Ben.

Little Thanks (zip)

"Be Thankful For What You Got" Yo La Tengo
"Thank The Lord For The Night Time" Neil Diamond
"Appreciate (Ft. CL Smooth)" Pete Rock
"Cheer Me Up Thank You" New Buffalo
"Bread" Clem Snide

FCM #16 - Songs I loved In Elementary School

FCM #16 - Songs I Loved In Elementary School Wow, I totally feel dated. I bet you do too! Big Welcome to Dan today, glad we've got the QA department represented. It's Dan's birthday today, so be sure to wish him well. Click here to download the whole FCM #16 or hunt and peck below. If you like something or hate something or whatever, please make a comment! Some of these files are m4a format, so you should download them all with the link above or right click and save them to your machine.

Next week's Theme - Songs about buildings and food!

"Saturday Night" Bay City Rollers - 1977
Dan writes: I was a huge Bay City Rollers fan was I was a kid. Couldn't get enough. Even bought the 16 Prix fan magazine (I think that's what is was called) when I had saved enough money and mom wasn't looking. When they became the stars of the Saturday morning Krofft Superstar Hour back in the late '70s, I was a very happy child, even though the show didn't last very long.

"Wot" Captain Sensible - 1982
Justin Step writes: I got my first cassette player from Santa in first grade, but with no cassette to play! My uncle grabbed an unlabeled, white mix tape from his room for me, and that collection of New Wave songs formed the cornerstone of my musical identity. I clearly remember singing this song in a highly affected accent many times as a young sprout -- in the backseat of the Dodge Aspen en route to Burdette pool, in a call and response with my friends after watching WWF. I loved it, but unlike the B-52s and other artists on the mix, I never learned who sang it. So I searched for years and years, singing the chorus to all my most musically knowledgeable friends. Many recognized the tune but none could name the artist. Then, in a strange and frustrating episode, a pranker called my friend's dorm room phone when I was hanging there. He had been pranking the room frequently whenever people gathered, and would somehow always play a song that mattered to someone present, but would never speak. He played the Pogues one day, presumably for for Jeremy Allen, and I decided to sing a few lines of Wot! Into the phone before hanging up. The pranker called back, played my song and refused to speak. I had been taunted. Someone connected to my circle who not only knew the song, but owned it! Eventually, in my first days in Chicago, some guy at a record store counter recognized the lines straightaway, handed me the vinyl, so my lifelong quest to solve the mystery of Wot ended not with a bang, but a whimper.

"Pinball Wizard" The Who - 1969
Sarah writes: I'm not trying to get out of admitting that I had bad taste for a good portion of my life by choosing this one. In junior high I went through a boy-band phase and then a serious pop-punk phase - complete with Blink 182 fansite. In elementary school, though, I was still solidly under the influence of my parents. In the car we listened to either public radio or Dick Biondi. Before my sister and I started playing instruments the only time our house was filled with music was on Saturday mornings when we cleaned. My mom's record of choice: Simon and Garfunkle - Bridge Over Troubled Water. My dad's: The Who - Tommy. I knew all the words to both albums by the time I was 8. Not until I was much older did I realize how creepy Tommy really is, and how inappropriate it probably was for an 8 year old to be dusting and singing along to 'Fiddle About' and 'Acid Queen'…

"Hey, Mister Sun" Bobby Sherman - 1970
Walt writes: I'm not proud to say that I was a Bobby Sherman fan when I was a kid but as the years have gone by I'm no longer embarrassed by it. Sherman was a mainstay of Tiger Beat and 16 magazines when I was young and was also on a short-lived TV show "Here Come the Brides" with David Soul (Soul went on to play Hutch on "Starsky and Hutch"). Sherman had some hits like "Easy Come, Easy Go" and "Julie, Julie, Julie" but I've always enjoyed "Hey, Mr. Sun."

"Home on the Range" Vic Chesnutt - 1997
Jennifer writes: I loved this song in grade school because I had a strong affinity for the west due to too many readings of Laura Ingalls Wilder books. This song made me think of little Laura out on the plains.

"America" Neil Diamond - 1980
Ben writes: I spent A LOT of time at Super Skate when I was in elementary school. Almost every saturday morning (and some Friday nights) I would show up to wait in line and rent my skates. Anthemic songs like Diamond's "America" were so amazing to me - the perfect soundtrack for my deft maneuvers. I was never big on fancy skating, but I loved to skate fast, weaving in and out of traffic, avoiding certain colors of lights as they hit the floor of the rink.

"Photograph" Def Leppard - 1993
Jane writes: Fourth Grade was a music awakening for me. Mtv was now a household name, and they still played videos. The music coming out of the boomboxes at the park and the jukebox at the afterschool hangout had just reached this incredible level of relevance. I finally got it! I think I'd been a little young up until that year to begin to pick up on what music excited ME… not just listen to what music my big sister and her trashy boyfriend listened to (although he did introduce me to Ratt).

But the timing couldn't have been more perfect for my epiphany, it was bumpered on either side by what may have been the most important album releases of my youth -- Def Leppard's Pyromania in '83 and Van Halen's 1984. If I remember correctly, The Police and Duran Duran had ruled my world up until this point, but there was a different kind of passion and danger in this music that enthralled me. It's a funny thing to say now because listening to these today, they're so mellow & tame.

Does this mean I'm a jaded mess? …always.

"Casino Royale" Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass - 1967
Walt writes: I was (and still am) a big James Bond fan, so it's only natural that one of the my favorite songs while I was in elementary school was the theme to "Casino Royale." Although the movie wasn't that good (and is not considered part of the movie canon), the theme by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass is outstanding. It was also the first 45 that I begged my parents to buy for me. I remember playing it over and over when I was 6 years old.

And yep, I'll be heading out to see Quantum of Solace this weekend.

"Slow and Low" Beastie Boys - 1986
Chris writes: As an elementary school student with friends who had wise, older siblings with infinite musical wisdom and interests, I had the privilege of being subjected to everything from Iron Maiden to Ice-T during my formative years. I didn't own much of my own music then, but I borrowed countless tapes and dug through my parents' vinyl for semi-relevant material. When I was about 8 years-old my mom, who was a skilled garage sale shopper, took me on one of her Saturday morning sojourns and it was amongst a pile of worthless items that I discovered the first vinyl record I would ever own: a bootleg rap compilation that included tracks from The Fat Boys, RUN DMC, KRS One, and "Slow and Low" by the Beastie Boys. This was the last track on the record and combined the shouting urgency of hair metal and the bass-heavy beats of Def Jam alumni. The music world opened a little wider and my love for listening (and crate digging) was just beginning.

"Whoomp! (There It Is)" Tag Team - 1993
Margaret writes: This was one of the first tapes I ever owned - I think I was 8 or 9 when I bought it. I have no clue how I even came across this song in the first place, but I listened to that tape pretty much non-stop, until I knew all the lyrics - which I can still recite to this day.

"…a party over here, party over there, wave your hands in the air, shake your derriere"

with lyrics like that, what's not to love?

"Chariots Of Fire" Vangelis - 1981
Allison writes: The 80s brought us a handful of one-named wunderkinds, musical stars whose cultural gravitas exceeded the trappings of a cumbersome surname. Madonna. Prince. Vangelis.

And just who WAS this Vangelis? Self-taught Greek composer. Pianist. Scorer of films, like Blade Runner (the soundtrack for which I came to love when I was much older) and Chariots of Fire.

Seriously, Chariots of Fire seemed like it was all over the place in the early 80s. I loved it with all the pure triumphant joy of a pigtailed girl running in circles around the backyard. Kid-faved music just feels more earnest than the teenage-faved tracks that are so often filtered through the self-conscious lens of social identification. It's just VICTORY! And JUBILATION! And RUNNING! What could be better at that age?

"Concerto for 2 Violins & Strings in D Minor" Perlman/Zukerman - 1986
Felix writes: The bulk of the music I heard as a kid was mostly classical (I was taught violin at an early age). I trained under the Suzuki Method (which involves a lot of memorization), with ten books total. Both parts of the Bach Double were in the Suzuki books (the 2nd part was in Book 4, the 1st part in Book 5). I've played both sides of the double, and it's a song firmly etched into my childhood.

One neat sidenote: I was at a music camp one summer where all the kid were Suzuki students. As an exercise, they grouped about 20 of us in two circles of ten. One circle played the first part, another the second… and the instructors had us walk in a circle as we played. After both parts were going, the instructors combined the circles, and made us do figure eights - as we moved from one circle to the other, we had to switch parts. For as nerdy as music camp can be, that was a pretty cool experience that I still remember fondly.

"Nothing Lasts For Long" The Samples - 1992
Christine writes: Is it bad when you have to pull out a calculator to figure out how old you were in a year gone past? Anyways, I was 13 when this album came out which puts me in 7th or 8th grade at the time. I remember my sister had this tape and it just captured my attention for some reason. I've always loved this song but was disturbed by his acceptance of the inevitable disintegration of his relationships. Makes a little more sense now, but it's still one of my older favorites.

"Blood Money" Bon Jovi - 1990
Brian writes: Ah Bon Jovi … My guiltiest of pleasures. I was even embarrassed to admit I was a fan when I was 10. It's also when I was 10 that JBJ released his first solo album, "Blaze of Glory" (aka the "Young Guns II" soundtrack). One of my favorite songs from that album was "Blood Money". I used to, just barely, play it on guitar and sing it anytime no one was home (I was too embarrassed to do it front of anyone…Some things never change). That aside, I dug up the tablature recently, and I still love playing/singing this song. It survives on it's melody and simplicity. You just have to ignore the awful Pat Garrett and Billy "the Kid" themed lyrics. Please destroy this after reading it.

"Wannabe" Spice Girls - 1996
Renata writes: This one was a struggle … I was quite obsessed with the likes of Celine Dion, Mariah Carey, and Whitney Houston from very early on. But, I've gotta give this one to my fifth grade graduation song: The Spice Girls’ Wannabe. Zig-a-zig-ahhhh! C’mon. Lyrics don’t get better than that! I have no idea how my fifth grade class managed to get this one through, but hey, it was worth it! (In case you were wondering, Hanson Bothers’ Mmm Bop was also one of our graduation songs. I want to say that one was played to appease the boys, though I can’t imagine their ever choosing it! “Girl Pow-ah,” as Posh would say.)

"Down" 311 - 1996
Justin Sid writes: This song, this album has huge nostalgia for me. I had just gotten my first portable player a very large and in charge Sony and I was ecstatic to have it. It came with far from noise canceling headphones and when played at high volumes everyone around you got a little concert too.

This was back when lived in South Bend, IN and I had just moved there with my family in the middle of the school year. Before school I would grab my CD player and this album and go wait outside our apartment complex with a few other kids for the bus. When the bus arrived I would plant my ass in the back seat and blast this 311 album on full volume. And because of the generic crappy headphones that accompanied the player everyone else got a little morning taste of rock. This was my morning routine for a long time. After awhile of this I was called the "311 Kid" by the other kids on the bus which actually went very well with my AOL screenname "A311Manic" that I had at the time. I even got in trouble with the bus driver for playing it so loud she could hear it all the way from the back of the bus. She even tried to ban CD players on the bus because of me! I grew to love this album and this band. Never loved the bus driver though.

"Coma" Guns N' Roses - 1991
Brian writes: Coma - Guns N' Roses - Use Your Illusion ITo celebrate the upcoming November 23, 2008 release of the new Guns N' Roses album, I've chosen a song from their last album ("The Spaghetti Incident" does not count). Released only 17 years ago, I was 11 years old when the "Use Your Illusion" double-album took over my life. I was already a huge GN'R fan from "Appetite…" and "Lies…", so I cracked open my piggy-bank and bought "Use Your Illusion" I and II the day they came out. I was pretty obsessed for a long time after. Not anymore though…Well, I start group therapy next week, so fingers crossed!

Anyway, one of my favorite GN'R songs then, and now, was "Coma". No verses, no choruses, just over 10 minutes of fantasticalness that I may or may not have (pretend) performed on occasion…From my stage (bed)…To my (imaginary) fans…When I was in elementary school (yesterday).

FCM #15 - Covers and (one) Mashup

FCM #15 - COVERS & (one) MASHUP This is our second round of covers, and I dare say that this one is even tastier than the last. Hats off to Chris, who provided the only real mash-up on this mix. Also, I forgot to welcome Justin (Step) last week, so i'll thank him for the excellent songs on this mix as well as the horrible delights he offered for FCM #14 Click here to download the whole FCM #15 - COVERS & (one) MASHUP or hunt and peck below. If you like something or hate something or whatever, please make a comment! Some of these files are m4a format, so you should download them all with the link above or right click and save them to your machine.

Let's VOTE again for next week's theme! Vote in the comments for (a) Autumn, the season! (b) Songs I loved in elementary school (c) Songs about buildings and food

"Paint It Black" The Love Sitars - 1967
Justin Step writes: I downloaded this track from one of my all-time favorite blogs ever, OfficeNaps. DJ Little Danny, the guy behind the site, is a curatorial genius. He posts tunes ripped from his massive and massively impressive collection of 45s, generally on Mondays, and generally in groups of three. This gem was posted alongside other 60s rock songs employing that most psychedelic of instruments, the sitar - visit Office Naps.

"Many Rivers To Cross" The Walkmen - 2006
Ben writes: On a backdrop of bright cymbals, a simple rock beat, strumming acoustics and zum-zumming strings, three jets take off in the form of electric guitars to sing us the sweetest sliding riff. That's what I picture swirling around Hamilton Leithauser's head as he guts out this song. He was born to sing it, you see. The Walkmen take Harry Nilsson's cover of Jimmy Cliff's original to the next level - the music is crisper and more cinematic, the vocals more gutteral and desperate.

"This Land Is Your Land" Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - 2006
Sarah writes: Folk/Funk = Best Genre Ever. I've been through both a Folk and a Funk phase over the past couple of years and this cover of Woody Guthrie's classic tune is a huge hit in my book. Even though "This Land..." has turned into the grade school theme song for all things wholesome, the lyrics aren't entirely shiney-happy:

"One bright sunny morning
in the shadow of the steeple,
down by the welfare office
I saw my people they stood there grumblin'
and I stood there wonderin'
if this land was made for you and me"

The change of key and tone totally emphasize the bittersweet, melancholic, introspective side of the song. And besides, who can resist those funky trumpet trills? You may recognize the Dap Kings from Amy Winehouse's album.

"What It's All About" Girl Talk - 2008
Chris writes: Girl Talk has become something of a phenomenon in the mixing/mashup world, finding a particularly fond audience in the indie dance crowd. His latest record, "Feed the Animals," condenses so many great samples and so many ridiculous mashups that it's hard to pick just one cut - this 4 minute track alone samples The Beastie Boys, Busta Rhymes, The Police, Ini Kamoze, Argent, KRS-one, Living Colour, and Paula Cole, to name a few. Listening to the album as a whole is a joy for total music nerds like myself who's knowledge of hooks spans a number of genres - there's a "what?! no way!" moment every 30 seconds or so on this record. Pick it up if you enjoy this kind of stuff, though I guess I should also mention that this may be the cleanest track on the record (there are a number of awesome mashups the use some of the filthiest lines from modern hip-hop mixed over the top of innocent and catchy piano lines from, say, Billy Joel).

"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" Devo - 1978
Jane writes: From their first album, and in my humble opinion, one of the finest examples of a complete rearrangement cover... or as Randy Jackson on American Idol would say "Makin' it your own, dude".

I know there was much gushing when Devo made a multi-album appearance in Friday Music last year, so I'll spare my own except to say, they were light years ahead of their time and one of the best live shows I've ever seen in my LIFE!

"You Really Got Me" Van Halen - 1978
Walt writes: I got into The Kinks relatively late — 1980, to be exact and grew to love their music. Ray Davies writes great songs and his first one out of the gate, "You Really Got Me," is a masterpiece that has not only been covered but copied by too many bands to mention. Van Halen covered "You Really Got Me" back in 1978 and it lead to a resurgence in the popularity of The Kinks and nudged The Kinks further towards arena rock.

My introduction to Van Halen's cover of "You Really Got Me" happened late one Friday night at St. Francis College in Joliet. I was down visiting some friends and we were all imbibing waaay too much and an 8-Track of Van Halen's eponymous album was in the deck. Everyone was sprawled all over the room and too blasted to either turn the music down or off. Every 10 minutes or so, the deck would loudly ker-chunk to switch tracks and every time that would happen happen, everybody would rouse and every fourth time David Lee Roth would start in on that classic Kinks hit.

"Take Me To The River" Talking Heads - 1978
Christine writes: I have always been a fan of Talking Heads and this is one of their best. I have much respect for the Reverend and think these guys did him justice in their cover.

"Eleanor Rigby" Thrice - 2005
Justin Sid writes: A punk-rock version of the Beatles classic. I hope I don't offend any true Beatles fans. Enjoy!

"Just Like Heaven" Dinosaur Jr. - 1991
Justin Step writes: In my book, this is a well-nigh perfect cover. Dinosaur, Jr. takes a played-out post-punk pop classic from the Cure. They juice it with their grungy, 90s flavor, but don't depart far from the original in the first verse. Then when you've been lulled into comfort, and your brain is hungry for the saccharine sweet chorus that burned itself deeply into your synaptic pathways long ago, your expectations get shattered and your wig flipped. With one stomp on the pedal, Dinosaur, Jr. makes the song their own.

By the way, this MP3 file isn't borked... the song actually ends abruptly like this. As a bonus, here's a lo-fi video I found whilst searching for a digital copy.

"Jump" Mary Lou Lord - 1997
Felix writes: I know precious little about the artist (Mary Lou Lord), but I somehow got a hold of this track via Ben... and it's been a little gem that I've kept in my library ever since. Doing some quick searching this morning, I found out that this track is part of a tribute album entitled Everybody Wants Some: A Loose Interpretation of the Musical Genius of Van Halen. This song makes me feel like I'm sitting in a bar at 3PM, or 5AM.

"Here's to the State (Live)" Eddie Vedder - 2004ish
Brian writes: Originally written by Phil Och, "Here's to the State of Mississippi" was the closing track on his 1965 release, "I Ain't Marching Anymore". The song has been re-worked and covered many times, including Och's own re-worked version, "Here's to the State of Richard Nixon".

This re-worked version of "Here's to the State" saw the light of day around 2004. The rest of the story is in the song. And as inspiring/soothing as I have always found it, it just got better.

"$1000 Wedding" The Mekons - 1989
Jennifer writes: It is a shame that the death of the CD means the death of compilation and tribute albums because I have a certain fondness for comps and tributes.

This song comes from a tribute album for Gram Parsons. He was an amazing song writer from the Bakersfield scene that died far too early. The tribute album is great from start to finish so I suppose that is testament to what a great song writer he was. It was difficult for me to pick just one - but I like the way Jon Langford makes the song sound like a real bender.

"Across The Universe" Rufus Wainwright - 2002
Margaret writes: This song is truly beautiful, and I think Rufus did it justice for the "I Am Sam" soundtrack.

"Let Down" David Bazan's Black Cloud - 2007
TJ writes: This is a cover tune of Radiohead's "Let Down" from O.K. Computer. The entire cd has been redone by artists such as Doveman, Vampire Weekend, John Vanderslice, Cold War Kids, The Twilight Sad and more. So this is in a way a cover and a mashup contribution. You can stream it in it's entirety here - enjoy.

"Believe" Macha Loved Bedhead - 2000
Ben writes: This cover of Cher's "Believe" has been in my iTunes library since 2004, but at some point I deleted the ID3 tags and have never, UNTIL TODAY, been able to determine the artist that released it. Back-story aside, this is a clever and mopey version of a song that is so dramatic and over the top - the original makes me want to hide under a table. It begins with dial-tone phone beeps and just sort of sucks me in after that. A re-interpretation of the highest order. Remember when autotune was new?

"(Anew Hope) Star Wars" Meco - 1977
Walt writes: I've never been a BIG Star Wars fan, Star Trek was more my style but I'll always have a soft spot for the first film (really, the fourth chapter). At the time the film came out, disco was still quite popular and a guy named Meco came out with a bunch of disco inspired covers of the popular movies of the time. So it's time to put on your leisure suits and slinky cocktail dresses and dance on over to a galaxy far, far away!

And how about a disco-themed FCM?

FCM #14 - Halloween

FCM #14 - HALLOWEEN We're BACK baby, and we're killing it. Click here to download the whole FCM #14 - HALOWEEN or hunt and peck below. If you like something or hate something or whatever, please make a comment! Some of these files are m4a format, so you should download them all with the link above or right click and save them to your machine.

Next week's Theme - Cover Songs #2!

"Halloween - Main Theme" Gareth Williams - 1978
Walt writes: The original Halloween remains one of my all-time favorite horror movies. I like John Carpenter movies and while several of them are cheesy, this one hit all the right notes. Carpenter wrote the theme and there's nothing like hearing those piano keys twinkling to get the blood rushing.

"Dream Warriors" Dokken - 1987
Felix writes: I have a sneaking suspicion that Brian L may also be submitting this track, Nightmare on Elm Street fan that he is. While I was never one for scary movies, I really got into these films when I was in middle school. When the third Nightmare film came out, I got to see two things I loved combined into something even more fantastic. Like a raisin covered in chocolate, or a monkey in a cowboy suit... I present to you a horror movie backed with heavy metal, in the form of Freddy Krueger and Dokken.

"Dr. Stein" Helloween - 1996
Jane writes: So, a year ago, when New Music Fridays was very young and we were trading entire albums, I made a HELLOWEEN comp on Halloween... but since it's now a year later (which means we should have had a birthday theme sometime recently), I feel like enough time has passed for a band repeat. And there really is, in my mind, no substitute for the rousing Germanic vibrato and militaristic drumming this time of year as we celebrate all that is dark.

"Dr. Stein grows funny creatures
let's them run into the night
they become great rock musicians
and their time is right"

"Zombie Graveyard Party" Be You Own Pet - 2008
Christine writes: "life is lame so let me eat your brain." Words that are sure to convince your mortal lover to let your zombie-self enjoy their innards as a little snacky. Then you both may enjoy the unded life together - until the comedic yet loveable zombie killer comes after you and shoots you both in the head.

"Smack Jack" Nina Hagen - 1982
Justin Step writes: This is a nicely operatic and dubbed-out selection to drop at your next death disco party. I like the tension between disco glamour and back-alley depravity in this song. Nina Hagen has a very powerful, dynamic voice, and reallly kicks up the gravelly alto notes here for a freaky, spooky effect. She sounds a bit like an undead, half-decomposed junkie zombie that's stepped from of the shadows of Michael Jackson's "Thriller."

"Zombie Prescription" Snapcase - 1997
Justin Sid writes: This was my favorite song off of this particular album, Progression Through Unlearning from Snapcase. I was handed this album when I was in high school from a friend. Snapcase was the beginning of my Victory Records obsession where I found a bunch of hardcore rock outfits I grew to love.

While the title of this track is a bit more of a metaphor than an actual song about the undead. I felt that it has merit for our Halloween themed mix.

"This Is Halloween" Marilyn Manson - 2008
Jennifer writes: This song is from the "Nightmare Before Christmas - Revisited" soundtrack. I am not sure what the thought process was to reissue this CD with different artists covering the songs but I felt this was the best song on the CD. Marilyn is one of the best at cartoon-y goth covers.

"Black No.1 (Little Miss Scare-All)" Type O Negative - 1993
Brian writes: Certain seasons call for certain bands. Every time Autumn rolls around, I get in the mood for Type O Negative. Everything they've done on their 8 releases captures the essence of the season. Narrowing it down to Halloween only, I could single out at least an album's worth of Type O songs. And while I will almost always go directly to the album "World Coming Down" when Fall creeps in, no song is more fitting for this mix than "Black No. 1" from the 1993 album "Bloody Kisses". By the way, the story behind the song is that most girls coming to Type O shows had their dyed black hair. When asked what type of hair dye they used, the most common answer was Black No. 1. Or so the legend goes...

"John Wayne Gacy, Jr" Sufjan Stevens - 2005
Margaret writes: If there was ever a song that could be described as both haunting and beautiful, this would be it. The last line of the song is one of my favorite lyrics of all time:

"And in my best behavior I am really just like him. Look beneath the floorboards for the secrets I have hid"

"Skeleton Key" Margot & The Nuclear So And So's - 2006
TJ writes: I'm going to be "that guy" that puts the song on the Halloween mix only because Skeleton is in the title and that relates to Halloween. I really like the strings in this mix and have been wearing this CD out lately so I wanted to share.

"Season Of The Witch" Luna - 2006
Allison writes: Allison is silent on this one.

"Nah Und Fern" Wolfgang Voigt - 2008
Nick writes: This is Wolfgang Voigt's "Nah und Fern," a way old unreleased track. I know I've used his work before, but if this song doesn't creep you out then I don't know what I can do for you.

"Experiment In Terror" Henry Mancini - 1962
Walt writes: I figured that we were going to have a Halloween-themed FCM so I planned in advance and had Henry Mancini's Experiment in Terror lined up but Brian beat me to the punch back in FCM #10 with the cover by FantÙmas. But that's okay, I'm a big fan of covers (hey, let's do another round of those). Anyway, here's the original by the great Henry Mancini (this is my second Mancini pick).

When I was a kid back in the 1970s, WGN-TV used to run a Friday night Horror-themed show called Creature Features and I loved it. It's where I first saw the Universal horror movies like Frankenstein, Dracula, The Creature form The Black Lagoon, The Invisible Man, and my all-time favorite ... The Wolfman. The movies had commercial breaks, of course, and when they came back from break, WGN would play a little bit of Experiment in Terror and show a drawing of Lon Chaney Sr. from London After Midnight. In my room, with the lights out on on my old B/W TV, it all looked very spooky. It's one of my favorite memories.

"DaDa" Alice Cooper - 1981
James writes: Camp has always ruled Alice's take on horror in rock, but I've always found this particular track chilling as fuck.

Don't buy the album; it's awful. Instead, enjoy this track and seek out "Love it to Death," "Billion Dollar Babies," and "Welcome to My Nightmare."

"Sinister Exaggerator" The Residents - 1986
Justin Step writes: I discovered this song, and this band, thanks to a cover version on Primus' Miscellaneous Debris, and became a huge fan all through college. It was music was like nothing I'd ever heard, like the soundtrack to a nightmare. A perfect blend of the dark and the childish, it was nervous-making music, and elicited emotions that most other music seeks to avoid. I got hooked, but consistently failed to convince my friends to share my appreciation. They formed in the late 60s, and are still together, and have gone to great lenths to never reveal the identities of individual members, like performing in tuxedoes and eyeball masks, backlit behind screens.

"I'm Evil, Jack" The Frogs - 1996
Ben writes: This song is a terrible bad song. A song to never play around your mother or your kids. Felix, Justin, Matt, and I realized it was also a song never to play loud at work sometime around 2003 when Rey kindly asked us to never play it aloud again. He's Evil, Jack. You will feel a bit evil too, laughing along to this one, unless you quickly delete it and vow to never listen to The Frogs again.

"Tubular Bells" Mike Oldfield - 1973
Walt writes: This piece of music always brings me back to the early 80s. I was a seminary student of the Archdiocese of Chicago living in the Niles College dorms on Harlem and Touhy. Almost every Friday or Saturday night, a bunch of us priests in training would drive downtown, hide some beers in our coats and take in a movie (I remember one of us knocking over a bottle of beer at a showing of Bo Derek's signature film,10, and listening to it roll all the way to the front of the theatre). On one such trip, we decided to see The Exorcist (we figured it was job training). One of my fellow seminarians decided that the movie wouldn't be bloodcurdling enough on its own so he bought a tab of acid from an enterprising gentleman in the bathroom. Luckily he made it though the movie in one piece. I, on the other hand, discovered a great film that mixed spirituality, psychology, science, and horror al in one neat little package.

We seminarians used to have retreats to the Sait Mary of the Lake Seminary in Mundelein, IL. It was rumored that the technical advisor Fr. John Nicola had done much of his research on exorcism while a seminary student there. It was also rumored that his former room was under lock and key due to some strange phenomenon that happened in it while he was doing his research. While I never found his room, I gave it several good tries on my trips there.

FCM #11 - Dance Party

FCM #11 - DANCE PARTY I'm glad to see this mix come together organically and STILL include the "Cha Cha Slide." Admittedly, there are a LOT of different ways to dance and I'm sure you could go through most of them through the course of this mix. Don't miss Felix's link to "Partydance" which has been an office comedy favorite for some time. Click here to download the whole FCM #11 - Dance Party or hunt and peck below. If you like something or hate something or whatever, please make a comment! Some of these files are m4a format, so you should download them all with the link above or right click and save them to your machine.

We're voting again for next week's theme. Choose one or these. (1) Break Up Mixtape, (2) Planes, Trains & Automobiles, (3) Fight Songs

"Twistin' the Night Away" Sam Cooke - 1962
Felix writes: Really difficult time with this one. I don't tend to dance all that often (it's a rare thing for me, and usually only happens when I'm alone). While I was tempted to make my pick Ed Shepp's "Partydance", I decided to go with a more traditional pick: Mr. Sam Cooke.

"Genius of Love" Tom Tom Club - 1981
Sarah writes: I love funky dance parties! The first Wednesday of every month is Funk and Soul night at Danny's in Bucktown. The DJ duo Sheer Magic play the funkiest music ever recorded, and the tiny dance floor is packed with people who can't resist the beats! One of my favorite things - I look forward to it every month.

At first I had trouble narrowing it down to one song, but when I remembered 'Genius of Love,' the choice was clear. It speaks for itself. "Who needs to think when your feet just go?"

"Nobody Dances Anymore" Brandston - 2006
TJ writes: Well, this track is from the band Brandtson, a late high school/college fav of mine. This song is totally about people not dancing anymore so I figured it would fit perfectly. And it's always made my rump shake. Any for reals yo, please go check out the video. The whole thing is just people dancing to the song. Enjoy.

"Don't Leave Me This Way" Communards - 1985
Walt writes: Imagine a large ballroom dance floor with three dozen dancers in pink and champagne taffeta gowns with hoop-style skirts just rockin' out to this song ... well that's what I do.

"September" Earth, Wind and Fire - 1978
Margaret writes: I had never listened to funk music before I met Justin, but he's a big fan and now I'm hooked as well. We have a Saturday morning ritual where we blast funk music and dance around our living room like a couple of dorks, and this song is a standard on the playlist. It's impossible for me not to move to this song.

"Let's Pretend We're Married" Prince - 1983
James writes: Only Prince could pull off a line like this without taking a knee to the tenders:

"Excuse me but I need a mouth like yours
2 help me forget the girl that just walked out my door
Let's pretend we're married and do it all night"

"Paper Tiger" Spoon - 2002
Chris writes: I'm a big electro fan and there are a number of fantastic speaker-destroying tracks I thought I might like to include on this mix (see works from Justice, Boys Noize, Calvin Harris) but I decided to go with something more personal - hence this track from Spoon's Kill the Moonlight. When I first moved to Chicago I lived in a big, empty apartment in the Ukrainian Village for the first month and a half while waiting for a roommate. I had a chair, a desk, my computer, a bed, and a little TV stacked on a milk crate. I had no cable and no phone, and I didn't have a job either. I spent my time putting my portfolio together and doing a smattering of freelance work to keep myself alive. I didn't know a single soul in the city, but for that first month and a half it didn't really matter. I played my music loud, I became fascinated with Korean television (see: Age of Warriors), one of the few channels that I could get on my TV, and I sang and danced to break up the time I spent working away at my desk. I wore the grooves out (so to speak) on Kill the Moonlight, and Paper Tiger was the star of the show. I would stand up from my desk and shuffle around the bare living room whenever this song played, dancing a sort of soft shoe that seemed to perfectly fit the mood. Spoon have an acute minimalist's touch when it comes to instrumentation and they have perfected the science of finding just the bare essentials needed to create a beautiful song. Britt Daniel's closing lyric inspired daydreams of what the city might hold for me: someone to be with when I turned out the light.

"Strength Beyond Strength" Pantera - 1994
Brian writes: I was 14 years old when Pantera's Far Beyond Driven was released. I ditched school so I could get my hands on it immediately when the record store opened. My first listen was a magical one, and the thousands that followed were so inspiring and therapeutic to me in my youth. I still get chills when I hear it.

I was almost 15 when I saw Pantera live for the first time at The Aragon Ballroom in 1995. That was the first show I had ever been to like that, and I've never seen one like it since.

Just like the Far Beyond Driven CD, they opened up with Strength Beyond Strength. To this day, I have never seen a crowd move like they did at that moment. And I do mean the entire crowd...from front-to-back and side-to-side, that entire place was DAN-CING! I saw Pantera at least 5 more times after that show, and the reaction was nowhere near the same. Not your typical dance music I'm aware, but this is the dance music I grew up on.

"Cuttin' In" Chris Farlowe - 1966
Jane writes: Couples's skate time!! Oh my... hope I'm not the only slow dance in the mix this week.

Chris Farlowe is an incredible guilty pleasure of mine. Mostly known for very self-indulgent covers, it's a study in disbelief to listen to his music then find out that he LOOKS LIKE THIS!

"Beat Connection" LCD Soundsystem - 2002
Ben writes: Everybody here's afraid of fun. Dance-tastic. LCD Soundsystem opened their (2005) set in at The Metro with this song which (until that point) was never one of my favorites. The energy of that performance was like nothing i've experienced. I hear it in a different way now - and I LOVE it. I've listened countless times and nearly every time I bounce involuntarily, just like the crowd at The Metro and the drunk girl next to me who really wanted to grind... Yeow :(

"Wish" Ellen Allien - 2003
Allison writes: Ellen Allien is a kick-ass DJ from Berlin, and this super-danceable number, "Wish", is from her 2003 album Berlinette. The lyrics are at once oversimplistic and wistful, but the real star of the show are those shuddering, grinding (yet vaguely clinical) German beats. Yum!

"High Fidelity" Daft Punk - 1997
Nick writes: So I picked a Daft Punk song called "High Fidelity", which was featured on their first album, Homework. This predates their being robots by a few years. I picked this one because it seems like many people don't realize that Daft Punk had much of a career before Discovery beyond "Around the World". But their first album was and remains ridiculously influential in house music, especially among DJs, and it (along with, yes, "Around the World") gave them the popularity and money to turn into robots and record Discovery.

On Homework they called clicks 'n cuts with "High Fidelity" five years before Luomo and Akufen; they called progressive house with "Alive" three years before Sasha and Digweed; they recorded a synth line so ridiculous that they reprised it at the end of the album by playing it backwards, and it still managed to sound good.

This video of a rave in Milwaukee(!?) from 1994, three years before Homework came out, gives some good perspective. A few way-old Daft Punk tracks are duly chopped up and thrown in, but the majority of it is Detroit techno and acid house. Daft Punk have some interesting roots.

"21st Century Life" Sam Sparro - 2007
Justin writes: This Australian-Singer-Songwriter-Producer I discovered on one of my many internet surf-a-thons. Upon hopping website to website I fell upon this former child star's homepage and that's when I was entranced by this funktastic music video that immediately started playing without anyone's permission. Needless to say my ass began to shake. And then I got this stirring sensation in my legs and it quickly spread to my upper body. "My God!", I said to myself, "I can't stop the jive!"

That was a while ago, since then I've been plagued with the Chronic Jive. Every time this album plays my body is riddled with fits and vibrations. It's an overwhelming sensation that should not be under-whelmed. I recommend this song and album to everyone but listen at your discretion. You will not be able to stop the groove, funk, dance-pop, or jive. You know it, I know it, our asses know it. Enjoy!

"Whoo! Alright - Yeah... Uh Huh" The Rapture - 2006
Ben writes: This comes from The Rapture's second album, which is no where near as good as their first. I don't do a lot of dancing, but when this is on and I am home in my underwear I tend to gallop around a bit and enjoy myself.

"Casper Cha-Cha Slide (Live Platinum Band)" Casper & Col'Ta - 2000
Renata writes: I cannot dance. At all. Except to this lovely track. And by this track, I mean this exact version, which has played at every Junior High and High School dance I can remember … and almost every wedding I've ever attended. And I'm good. Real good. See you on the dance floor …

"Closer" Nine Inch Nails - 1994
Brian writes: I think it's pretty imperative that this band/song be in the mix.

FCM #10 - From the Movies

FCM #10 - FROM THE MOVIES Turn your cell phones and pagers off, we're headed to the cinema. We've got everything from Superman to Rosemary's Baby represented in this mix. Click here to download the entire FCM #10 - FROM THE MOVIES or hunt and peck below. If you like something or hate something or whatever, please make a comment! Some of these files are m4a format, so you should download them all with the link above or right click and save them to your machine.

Next week's Theme - Dance Party! That's right, bring out the most danceable tracks you've got. Doesn't have to be "dance" music, but it MUST be danceable!


"Superman - Prelude and Main Title March" John Williams - 1978
Walt writes: The theme to Superman - The Movie is one of my all time favorites. I still get chills every single time I hear it. I love the majesty and joy of it and its ability to get the blood pumping. And when I watch the movie, I'm amazed that a 26-year-old unknown actor was so completely able to master the duality of the Superman/Clark Kent relationship and portray two believable and distinct characters. So here's to you Christopher Reeve, you never gave up!

P.S. I have a photo of me with Christopher Reeve from 1980. I'll try and dig it up tonight.

"Going Up The Country" Canned Heat - 1968
Christine writes: Appears in: Woodstock: The Movie (the original one - Margaret) and in Meet The Fockers (1994). The song was also used in the "Northern Exposure" episode when Dr. Cappra was travelling to replace Dr. Joel Flieschman as the town doctor (thank you google!). Anyways, this is one of those songs that I remember listening to when I was a kid and it just made you feel good. I was recently reminded of it when my sister put it on a comp CD for me. The singer has a really interesting voice that you can't help but try to imitate (poorly) and it is one of the few songs where I really appreciate the addition of a flute to the musical lineup... if only there were cowbells too...

"Ain't No Sunshine" Bill Withers - 1971
Ben writes: From "Notting Hill." Yes, I love the Julia Roberts. This fantastic song is used in a great scene where a year passes while Hugh Grant walks through Notting Hill. I love that scene, and the song is just perfect for it.

"Kaze Wo Atsumete" Happy End - 2003
Felix writes: Though I've seen "Lost in Translation," I never really heard this song until Liz played it for me. It's one of her favorites and she can sing it all the way through, word for word (despite the fact that she has no idea what the lyrics mean). Personally, I love the key changes and the slow, rolling tempo throughout. For some reason, in trying to figure out how to best describe the happiness this song elicits: it's like having someone hand you a large sum of money, but in slow motion. Good stuff.

"Are You Ready For The Sex Girls?" Gleaming Spires - 1984
Jane writes: Wha wha WHAT??!!! This incredible song just happened to be nestled inside the most pivotal movie from my pre-adolescent years?? The one that convinced me it was not only OK, but COOL to be in Scholastic Bowl??! It's true. Not only nestled in, but MADE FOR. You can tell by the brainstorm-style lyrics that someone involved with the movie said "OK, so we need a song about the Omega Mu's coming over for their first mixer at the Nerds' frat house... Riff on it!"

This is a splendid work of art. A bit long, but just try to keep its catchy chorus out of your head for the days to come.

"Dead Already" Thomas Newman - 1999
Masha writes: Here's an arrangement by Thomas Newman for the American Beauty score. I first heard it on a mix tape (remember those?) played in the background of an hs art class. Enjoy!

"I'm Shipping Up To Boston" Dropkick Murphys - 2005
Ben writes: From "The Departed." I was so completely blown away by the film, the anxiety and energy of it, particularly in regards to DiCaprio's character as he gets deeper and deeper undercover. This song was just perfect for the film and it was also my ringtone for some time. My kids and I used to run around the house like crazies with this song blaring.

"Big Bad Wolf" Bunny and the Wolf Sisters - 1985
Justin writes: I had to include this classic. It is probably one of the most ridiculous songs ever created for a film. And one of the catchiest. I inspire you to drop what your doing and do the "Big Bad Wolf".

In case you need some inspiration...

"Less Than Zero" Glenn Danzig & the Power and Fury Orchestra - 1987
Jane writes: If you're ever playing "8 Degrees of Separation" and get stuck trying to connect 80's Brat Pack chump Andrew McCarthy with Misfits frontman Glenn Danzig, never fear because this sweet tidbit is the missing link that will save your hide. Believe me. That situation happens more than you're probably thinking it does.

Boasting over-production, female backing vocals, and general syrup, I'm positive that this concoction remains the ugliest of stepchildren in Danzig's catalogue, but MY GOD it's a guilty pleasure.

"Tommib" Squarepusher - 2001
Nick writes: Squarepusher's "Tommib" was featured on Lost in Translation. It's a short song, but very good - it doesn't need to do a whole lot to get the point across.

"Child Psychology" Black Box Recorder - 1999
Margaret writes: I am a huge Gilmore Girls fanatic. I love the quirky characters, the rapid dialogue and witty banter, and getting bombarded with hundreds of pop culture references in each episode - on a good day I'll catch about 1/3 of them. I got the soundtrack as a gift, and this has got to be one of the most obscure songs I've ever heard in my life - but totally fitting for the show. It surprises me that I like this song, but I find myself listening to it fairly often.

"Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Theme" Jon Brion - 2004
TJ writes: Jon Brion has made some very awesome soundtracks to some of my favorite films including this theme for the Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. He also did the "I Heart Huckabees" soundtrack. Check it out. Hope you like it.

"Hide and Seek" Imogen Heap - 2005
Justin writes: This is a song off the soundtrack of the film, The Last Kiss. For those not familiar with Imogen Heap she is one half of the group Frou Frou. And Frou Frou is well know for their song that was featured in another Zack Braff film, Garden State. Because I was a huge fan of the Garden State soundtrack, and Frou Frou it was easy for me to spot Imogen's track in The Last Kiss.

I saw her live around a year ago and she had an awesome performance. She talked a lot with the crowd and shared some of her stories, methods, and ways she made her music. This track is also featured on her album "Speak For Yourself" which is one of my favorite albums of all time. I love it, and I hope you do too. :)

"Mad World" Gary Jules - 2001
Allison writes: Is the end of the world nigh? Is the tangent universe near collapse? Hell if I know. Rent the Donnie Darko DVD for more on that note (however abstracted). More to the point, however, this is a Gary Jules heart-swelling cover of the Tears for Fears 1983 track "Mad World". The lyrics are gripping, sad, and -- especially these days -- immediate.

It's one of those three-minute gems I wish was twice as long. It plays and I wish it was playing me just a little bit longer.

"Simple Man" Graham Nash - 1971
Renata writes: I stumbled upon Graham Nash's Simple Man semi-recently while renting the movie Reign Over Me. As the opening scenes played, I remember being overcome by the song … it really spoke to me that day, having struck my mood just right. I was moved. I immediately jotted a few of the lyrics down on a Post-it with the intention to later Google them in hopes of finding the song title so I could then download the track.

I ended up watching the movie for a second time a few weeks later with my mom. As the song played, I told her how much I enjoy this song and, because of this movie, had downloaded and now play it regularly. Her smile widened. She was very familiar with the song and even had a few records from the various guys’s attempts at solo careers (which she immediately whipped out of storage from the family room)—one of which had Simple Man on it! It would up being a really neat bonding experience as mom shared stories of her various concert-goings and reminisced over her favorite artists and albums.

"Ben" Michael Jackson - 1972
Chris writes: Ben was a horror film released in 1972. Here's the synopsis:

A police detective investigating the death of a young man named Willard makes the shocking discovery that the victim was attacked and mutilated by a pack of rats. Ben, the leader of the pack, was Willard's pet, and now the nasty rodent has a new master.

The synopsis neglects to mention that the "new master" is actually a 10-year-old kid with an upper-register voice who cries when the pack of killer rats is decimated by the townspeople. (SPOILER ALERT! Ben survives.) Despite a dismal showing at the theaters, Ben managed to come away with an Academy Award Nomination. Why? Because Michael F'ing Jackson sang the theme song. A young, silver-tongued Michael Jackson who melted hearts with a song about a killer rat and sung for a horror film's end credits. It's a touching song and it makes me think of our very own Ben - Ben, you've got a friend in me.

As a final note, the fairly recent Crispin Glover film "Willard" was set up as a prequel to Ben. Here is Glover's video from the Willard DVD, featuring him singing the title song. It's a gem (and slightly NSFW, but whatever).

"Rosemary's Baby" Fantômas - 2001
"Experiment In Terror" Fantômas - 2001
Brian writes: Named after a super-villain from a series of old French crime novels, Fantomas are an endlessly unique and interesting band, featuring members of Faith No More, The Melvins, Slayer and Mr. Bungle. How could a lineup like that possibly go wrong? The answer is, it can't. In 2001, Fantomas released one of the greatest albums of all time, The Director's Cut. The Director's Cut is a 16-song album consisting of various movie theme songs. They are covers, but just barely. They really took the originals and put their own insane twist on them. I slowly narrowed down my selection from 16 to 2, and I just can't decide. So, I'm including 2 songs. These are the themes from "Experiment in Terror" and "Rosemary's Baby". Also, the band will be performing this album in it's entirety for the Don't Look Back series in December of 2008. For more info on that and a full track-listing, click here.

FCM #9 - Colors

FCM #9 - COLORS We've put together a fun one this week. Lots of good things to listen to and think about. A warm welcome to Sarah, who's joining us for the first time. Also, a big thanks to Allison for making this week's cover. If you want to do the next one, drop me a line! Click here to download the entire FCM #9 - COLORS or hunt and peck below. If you like something or hate something or whatever, please make a comment! Some of these files are m4a format, so you should download them all with the link above or right click and save them to your machine.

Next week's Theme - From the Movies! Could be a song from a soundtrack or a song featured in a movie, whatever. Get your thinking caps on!

"Green" Ken Nordine - 1966
Allison writes: Please know that this track, GREEN, is part of an entire delightful album of colors by the great voiceover artist and word jazzist Ken Nordine. 34 tracks, each for a certain hue, from black to blue and crimson to puce! Funnily enough, this album's origins were in a handful of mid-60s radio spots Nordine recorded for a household paint company. People began calling in asking where they could find the music, and shortly thereafter, his record COLORS was born.

"Pretty Green" The Jam - 1980
Jane writes: I went through a huge Jam phase back in college, and this song was always one I would skip over because it's such a diversion from their 70's sound I'd grown to love. This was 80's, and I didn't dig it. What was this, disco?

But, like most of my music obsessions go, once you leave it behind for a while, you're much more able to say "This one song was my favorite by so and so" or "Looking back, I can see where they were going with this...", etc.

This was not my favorite song by the Jam, and I'm still not sure where they were going with it, but when I go back and play these records, I no longer skip it. That's saying something, right? In fact, I think Pretty Green is Pretty Great. And it's talking about buying fruit and jukebox plays with everyone's favorite green. The money kind.

"The Village Green Preservation Society" The Kinks - 1968
Walt writes: The Village Green Preservation Society by The Kinks is a great little song about the loss of tradition and how old things should be preserved and passed down while still leaving room for what's new. This version of the song is from the BBC sessions that many British artists performed in studio. And it's a Kinks song, so there, Ben! ;P

"Red and Purple" The Dodos - 2008
Nick writes: Here is a very good song by indie folk band The Dodos, who are from San Francisco.

"Blue" The Jayhawks - 1995
Felix writes: I first heard this song while an undergrad, but didn't really get hooked on it until late in my grad school career. Mostly it makes me think of being single, or of those transitional periods where friends are moving away... or you're moving away from friends.

"Red" Okkervil River - 2002
Ben writes: This is the first Okkervil River song that I ever heard. I love it for its soothing rhythm and the lovely melody.The lyrics in general and the way it comes together at the final climax - "...she still remembers your touch. I know that it's not much, but you still haven't lost her" - beautiful.

"Silver Lining" Rilo Kelly - 2007
TJ writes: This is a track from the latest Rilo Kiley cd. I really love Jenny Lewis for mainly her voice :) AND the fact that she was in "The Wizard" (I'm pretty sure I've stated this on one of these mixes already so sorry for the broken record :)

"Blackpowder" Jucifer - 2008
Brian writes: Sorry this is long, but I like to talk about music...

I wasn't sure about this theme at first, but upon searching iTunes for colors I came across so many random songs/bands I never would have thought of. I'm listening to one of them (Black Flag) as I type this. The color black seemed to bring back the best results, and I narrowed it down to two; The Black Art of Deception by Goatwhore and Blackpowder by Jucifer. In the end, I chose Blackpowder by Jucifer (sorry Goatwhore)!

Jucifer gets big points in my book for many reasons.
1. They are a guitar/vocal and drum duo (who also happen to be married)
2. The sold their home 8 years ago, and replaced it with an RV that they take around the world touring, almost non-stop
3. The guitarist/vocalist, Amber Valentine, is BEAUTIFUL and badass. She literally plays through a "wall of amplifiers" to create a textured guitar tone and bass guitar substitute.
4. The release that Blackpowder appears on, L'autrichienne, is a 21-song concept album about the French Revolution (with some songs sung in French). It was supposed to be a double album, but they squeezed it onto one disc to keep the price down for fans.

"I Think It Is Beautiful That You Are 256 Colors Too" Black Moth Super Rainbow - 2007
Chris writes: Black Moth Super Rainbow is an explosion of color and light and sound. It's a fuzzy, washed-out landscape of motion trails, blown out television tube hues and a bouncy late-70s PBS fantasy. It's visions from a softer sphere that are all played out in the swirling hiss and buzz of their music (bonus: no drugs needed). This is music that emanates from technicolor children's shows lost to the ether, re-bottled by this band in the form of sound collage. Listen to some of their other material and prepare to relive some faint, hauntingly happy childhood memories that aren't even your own.

"Black Hole Sun" Soundgarden - 1994
Justin writes: This track is a perfect addition to this weeks theme for color. Being post Temple of the Dog and pre Audioslave I loved this is a song as a kid and is really drew me in to become a big Soundgarden fan. Remember the creepy video with all the characters and their distorted expressions? It was a definitely a music video I will never forget.

"Sunken Cathedral" Claude Debussy - 1991
Sarah writes: When I think of colors and music, I think of timbre. Timbre (tone color) is what makes an oboe sound like an oboe, a tuba sound like a tuba, and Art Garfunkel sound like a cherub.

Impressionist painters emphasized how light effected subjects and focused more on the overall 'impression' of an image rather than the details - Debussy was an impressionist composer. Sunken Cathedral is for solo piano, but the piece is all about colors - especially when you listen to it with Monet's series of paintings of the Rouen Cathedral at different times of day in mind.

It moves pretty slowly, but try to make it to 3:30!

"Mellow Yellow" Donovan - 1966
Margaret writes: An old Gap commercial from the late 90's introduced me to this song, and I've had it stuck in my head ever since. I love the simplicity of it, and I also love the word "saffron" -- so it's a win-win for me.

"Green" Locash - 1998
Christine writes: So I was going through my collection trying to decide what to choose for this week's topic. After self-eliminating any bands that had a color in their name I came to realize that I was narrowed down to about 5 different versions of "Blue Moon". After contemplating for a moment why everyone and their mother covers that song, I kept scrolling and came upon this little gem. This is actually Rob's kid brother's band from highschool. Obviously now defunct, but for a group of teenagers, they really could put on a show. I have to admit their album fell short of what they could do live. I have to give them credit though for mixing in a DJ prior to Linkin Park coming on the scene. They've all pretty much moved on as most kids do except they can claim that one "made it" - their bass player Allen is now in Story of the Year on Epitaph Records.

"Little Green" Joni Mitchel - 1971
Masha writes: I confess! I used to love Joni Mitchell. The acoustic arrangements on her album "Blue" struck with me in high school. Here is "Little Green," a personal song written about the child she had to give up for adoption. "All I Want" "River" and "California" are other great ones on that album.

"99 Red Balloons" Nena - 1983
Walt writes: 99 Red Balloons is the English cover of 99 Luftballoons (99 Balloons) by the German band, Nena. The song made a big red splash in 1984. The song is about an over reaction between nations but most importantly it references both Captain Kirk and super-heroes.

FCM#8 - Labor

FCM #8 - LABOR Most of us really like the work we do. That's how we know eachother, in fact. However, I'm certainly happy it's Friday and I think we all are. Click here to download the entire FCM #8 - LABOR or hunt and peck below. If you like something or hate something or whatever, please make a comment! Some of these files are m4a format, so you should download them all with the link above or right click and save them to your machine.

Next week's theme is not yet determined. Let's have another vote! The choices for next week are (a) Get Political (b) From the Movies (c) Colors. Vote in the comments, please! Voting closes tuesday at noon!

"Government Center" The Modern Lovers - 1973
Jane writes: There are some artists that conjure vivid imagery of landscape and love and loss and joy... but Modern Lovers' songwriting tends to sound like the lyrics were made up about 2 minutes ago about something that just happened. I love it.

Here's the essence of "Government Center". Dude was waiting in line at the post and thought the workers looked bored. In his mind he daydreamed about rocking the joint and cheering up the staff in the process. The end.

"Bang The Drum All Day" Todd Rundgren - 1983
Walt writes: What better way not to work than bang the drum all day? Matt B says that you get tired of a song after hearing it 200 times. For this song, I say ... nonsense! Enjoy the day off, I know I will!

"Found A Job" Talking Heads - 1978
James writes: It's the American Dream! True entrepreneurial spirit! The bored protagonists of this song decide to start their own reality show (decades before the genre dominated television, I might add), and save their relationship in the process.

Consider this song a gateway drug to a near-perfect Talking Heads album.

"Working Man" Rush - 1974
Chris writes: The summer I turned 16 years old my family and I moved to Florida from Virginia, a move I both welcomed (thanks in part to the promise of sunny beaches and sun-kissed women) and despised (gaining vehicular independence while losing all your friends is a downer). Being a one-car family kept me from doing much exploring on my own, but after scoping out the local sunny beaches and sun-kissed women (it was all true!) I decided my life in Florida would be much improved with my own set of wheels. So I, like any red-blooded American worth a damn, went to work at the nearest Wendy's fast food restaurant. I worked my skinny, teenage ass off and before long I was working the drive-thru, the grill, and other positions of power within the Wendy's institution. Within four months I'd saved a grand, drove up to the outskirts of Alabama with my dad and drove back in an $800 1965 Ford Fairlane 500 that had sat in a yard for more than a few years.

It was in reasonable shape, and after tweaking the engine timing, rewiring the whole damn vehicle and spit-shining every piece of chrome, I roared (literally - this car had original glass packs!) off toward school with my sister next to me on the bench seat. My sister was later replaced with a girlfriend, and there were other things in that vehicle that were replaced and improved - the best of which was a CD player installed under the dash and a pair of bass-heavy 6x9 speakers I cut into the rear deck. I loved the way music mixed with the rumble of the muffler - everything was loud, proud, and probably obnoxious. I continued to work at Wendy's through high school, and this song became something of an anthem as I drove home at 10 or 11 following a closing shift. I'd roll down the windows, crank this song and drive my way down a mostly deserted street, feeling very much like the rough-and-tumble blue collar worker this song epitomizes. I was, of course, just another obnoxious teenage fast-food worker driving a car that was as painfully loud as the music I was playing, and I wasn't going home to crack a cold beer like the song suggests. No, I was just going home to climb into bed, wake at seven, and do it all again - just like the working man. This song takes me right back to those days, that car, and my pure love for heavy guitar. Just have a listen to that solo, would ya?

"I Hate My Fucking Job" Moto - 2003
Jane writes: May I also submit the super-catchy "I hate my fucking job" by MOTO? You can't get more base than this one. That's why I felt compelled to put a little more thought into our theme (see above). Well... that, and I DON'T hate my fucking job.

"For The Workforce, Drowning" Thursday - 2003
Justin writes: I'm going to have to leave this week's description up to Geoff Rickly the lead singer of Thursday. Here is an excerpt of his thoughts about this week's theme:

"Falling from the top floor your lungs
fill like parachutes
windows go rushing by.
people inside,
dressed for the funeral in black and white.
These ties strangle our necks, hanging in the closet,
found in the cubicle;
without a name, just numbers, on the resume stored in the mainframe, marked for delete."

"9-5ers Anthem" Aesop Rock - 2001
Ben writes: We the American working population hate the fact that eight hours a day is wasted on chasing the dream of someone that isn't us. And we may not hate our jobs, but we hate jobs in general that don't have to do with fighting our own causes. We the American working population hate the nine-to-five day-in/day-out when we'd rather be supporting ourselves by being paid to perfect the pasttimes that we have harbored based solely on the fact that it makes us smile if it sounds dope.

I think any artist can relate with this statement.

"Why Don't You Get A Job" The Offspring - 1998
Christine writes: Offspring is one of those guilty pleasure bands for me. This song is awesome because it's catchy and hilarious. Who doesn't know a friend (or maybe yourself) that is constantly complaining about a friend or significant other who is a constant moocher? These people have Labor Day everyday.

"Surf Wax America" Weezer - 1996
TJ writes: This is just about blowing off the day and going surfing. Pretty basic yet when I think about it... I wish I could just do that (if I only knew how to surf and lived near an ocean). At least thats what I want this to mean so cause I want it to, it does, enjoy :)

"East Bound and Down" Jerry Reed - 1977
Felix writes: I probably first heard this song from the seminal first Smokey and the Bandit movie. However, I was re-introduced to it by my friend Ron Fuhler, who was my Flash mentor back in 2000... the first guy who showed me the ropes, and taught me a lot of the fundamentals of the program.

He and I worked for a small company in Barrington, and this was a song he'd play whenever there was a rush project, a fire, or something that required a lot of focused energy/attention. It was a playful thing, but it stuck with me over the years.

I tend to employ this song during all nighters, and have had it blasting, full-volume, from my computer more times than I care to remember. But it's a great tune, and it works. At 3:30 AM, when you're bleary-eyed and wanting an extra burst of energy... this song is as good as a strong cup of coffee or a cigarette.

"I Don't Wanna Grow Up" Tom Waits - 1992
Brian writes: This was a difficult theme for me. I really have no Labor Day/song connection in my mind...Which is very odd, because I have some sort of music-related connection to pretty much everything else in my life. Well...As of today, I can now say I have a Labor Day song. While it's not really a song about the working man/woman, or taking a break from the grind, it is a song that celebrates having a mind free of the responsibilities and headaches that come with being a working citizen in the U.S. of A. It's also a reminder to not let the complexities that come with being an adult (like a job), overshadow the simple joys in life. And on top of all that, it's just a great f'ing song. Covered by The Ramones, Cold War Kids, and more, here's the original I Don't Want to Grow Up by Tom Waits.

"Fred Jones Part 2" Ben Folds - 2001
Margaret writes: Poor Fred Jones - he got canned and no one even notices. This is basically Milton from "Office Space". This song depresses the hell out of me...I wish I could find this guy and give him a hug and tell him that it'll all be okay.

"Yulquen" Autechre - 1994
Nick writes: I listen to this pretty often at work.

FCM #7 - Songs That Tell A Story

FCM #7 - SONGS THAT TELL A STORY Plenty of sad tales in this weeks edition of FCM. This week's cover art is inspired by the true story of Marie Prevost outlined in Jane's contribution. Click here to download the entire FCM #7 - SONGS THAT TELL A STORY or hunt and peck below. If you like something or hate something or whatever, please make a comment! Some of these files are m4a format, so you should download them all with the link above or right click and save them to your machine.

Next week's theme is for Labor Day - bring out those songs about loving work, hating work, just about work (or being off work!) or the work-a-day life. Labor! Work!

"Levon" Elton John - 1971
Chris writes: My mom was a fan of Elton John. She was particularly fond of the early Rock 'n Roll Elton that I still enjoy today. She played records quite a bit at home when I was growing up, the same ones in a continuous rotation, and this song found a particular place in my heart. Maybe it's the epic strings, the drum flourishes peppered throughout nearly every change, or the earnestness in Elton's voice as he sings - whatever it is, it captured me every time it came on the stereo. It wasn't until later in life that I really heard the song and appreciated the story that went along with it all. For me, it's all about the relationship between father and son, tradition and change, dreams and reality. The words are few, but they paint such a perfect portrait of the kind of man Levon is and the kind of man Jesus is afraid of becoming. It poses a question about truly living and the unspoken rules that govern what being a "good man" is all about. Is it following tradition, fighting for your country, earning money and raising your kid the same? Or is it about living life your way, traveling to Venus and disregarding your past? That's a question that only Jesus can answer.

"Real Talk" R. Kelly - 2007
Jennifer writes: When Ben said this week's theme was "Songs That Tell A Story", I immediately thought of all the folk and country singers that fit that criteria. Would I pick a song from Neil Diamond, Tom Petty or Johnny Cash? Did Pete Seeger seem appropriate? Or was Barry Manilow too much? Then it all became clear to me...... a modern day story teller is what we needed. Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you R Kelly.

The obvious choice was a song off the monster that is "Trapped in the Closet" However, after listening to the thousands of ditties in Chapters 1-22 - such luminaries as "The Package", "You Can Do It, Pimp Lucious" and "The Reveal of the Little Person/Cherry Pie" - I realized I couldn't parse down such a classic at my whim. No - this story is best enjoyed in its entirety. I will leave that to Ben's New Hire Induction for the 25 or so people that have been hired since Allison had her Induction/Viewing Party of the Chapters.

I have selected one of R's newer songs that covers all the bases. "Real Talk" tells a story but also is a bit of a tale of morality - much like the Greek myths or Viking sagas of yore. Listen and learn, my friends. (Just don't listen to it too loudly as R has a potty mouth on this one)

"Don't You Want Me" The Human League - 1981
Christine writes: This week's submission come s with the assistance of my sister, Betsy. I was talking with them about how, with the exception of maybe the "humpty dance", most songs tell some sort of story so I found this week's topic difficult. She suggested this song and I have to agree with her for a few reasons. One, it's an awesome song from the 80's. Two, it's definitely got a story line - albeit the typical love and loss. Three, the unique (and sometimes comical if you think about it) two sides of the story line that are presented. I can picture these two going at while listening to this song.

"A Postcard To Nina" Jens Lekman - 2007
Nick writes: My selection this week is Jens Lekman's "A Postcard to Nina," the greatest song ever written about faking being someone's fiancee to their father. In 2007.

"Marie Provost" Nick Lowe - 1977
Jane writes: To lighten up this pack of (what I know will be) terribly depressing songs... because aren't most songs that tell a story depressing? I mean, who writes a song where the plot is running to the Jewel to pick up cheese and TP? Anyway, I'm bringing you this TRUE STORY song about Marie Prevost, a silent film star in the 20's/30's who turned to booze and eating disorders when the double-whammy of prohibition ending and the "talkies" beginning left her washed up and quite alone.

This isn't just a fallen star story though... in fact, many may have forgotten her amidst the other debaucherous tales of Hollywood Babylon except for the post-mortem scene she left behind after drinking and starving herself into an early death in 1937.

You see, she was found in her bed by the police almost two weeks after her death, HALF EATEN BY HER DACHSHUND.

"She was a winner/Who became her doggie's dinner."

So, yeah, I was just kidding about this not being depressing. It's crazy depressing. But like I said, no one writes story-telling songs about the mundane.

"Tennessee Waltz (Live)" Dax Riggs - 2008
Brian writes: Okay... I've stayed away from contributing any of my bootleg recordings in the past, but I guess that ends here. Some of the "best" songs I possess were never properly recorded, and they should be shared...crappy quality or not. Anyway, songs that tell a story...

Tennessee Waltz, was written in 1947 by Redd Stewart and Pee Wee King. It was made popular in 1950 by Patti Page. It's been covered a zillion times since then. Leonard Cohen performed it live on occasion, adding an additional verse. His version was performed live by my favorite singer/songwriter, Dax Riggs, on May 1, 2008 at Chelsea's Cafe in Baton Rouge, LA.

Here's the audio and video of that performance. It's a great song, with a great melody, that tells the classic, universal story of having your heart broken (but it's told from a very unique perspective), and I've never heard anyone sing it quite as good as Dax.

"Last Kiss" Pearl Jam - 1999
Renata writes: Nothing against Ricky Nelson, but I’m partial to Pearl Jam’s rendition of Last Kiss. I’m one of those people who easily becomes fixated on one song and runs it on repeat for weeks. This was one of those tunes. The painful, yet everlastily-love-saturated lyrics hooked me. I want to say I stumbled upon Last Kiss sometime in Junior High, but could be totally lying to you right now—I really can’t remember! This is one of the few MP3s that has survived two computer swaps. Enjoy.

"Ghetto Cowboy" Mo Thugs - 1998
Margaret writes: I first heard this song the summer before I started high school. My friend's and I made it our mission to memorize all of the lyrics - and we sang it all summer long, usually in parts. It's ridiculously awesome.

"Stagger Lee" Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - 1996
James writes: Parental warning: If profanity, violence, and deplorable sexual acts upset you, please don't listen to this song.

The story of Stagger Lee was first put to song close to 100 years ago. Since then, a variety of artists have put their spin on Stagger Lee; who, considering the time, has to be considered the "O.G."

Of all the versions that have been made, none leave a mark like Nick Cave and the Bad Seed's 1996 take on it. The Stagger Lee of this story could wipe the floor with both Bad Leroy Brown and Manowar with his shooting hand tied behind his back.

"Waterloo Sunset (Live)" The Kinks 1996
Walt writes: Ray Davies is a master storyteller and this is one of his masterpieces. While I've always loved the original 1967 version of this song, The Kinks performed acoustic versions of many of their songs in 1996. I really like Ray's vocals on this "newly" recorded version. The melancoly of song really gets me even through the veil of paranoia.

"My Sister" Tindersticks - 1995
Allison writes: My selection this week is from Tindersticks, one of my absolute favorite bands in the dark, lovely chamber pop category. "My Sister" is a shimmering, tumbling, Edward Gorey-esque narration of the life of vocalist Stuart Staples' fictional sibling. Staples lets loose quite an ode to this ill-fated lass, who among other things goes blind at age 5, burns down their house at 10 (inadvertently killing mum and the cat in the process), falls down the well on a drinking binge at age 13, moves in with her gym teacher at 15, and so on... I'll leave the rest to the song.

One caveat: the vocals are often hard to distinguish, so I'd recommend taking a gander at the lyrics online while listening. Otherwise you're liable to miss gems like these, her description of what she sees while blind:

I can see little twinkly stars, like Christmas tree lights in faraway windows / Rings of brightly coloured rocks floating around orange and mustard planets / I can see huge tiger striped fishes chasing tiny blue and yellow dashes, all tails and fins and bubbles.

"1000 Times A Day" The Early November - 2005
TJ writes: Sappy sappy love song about a boy and a girl who start going out when they were kids, breaking up and then getting married in the end. I like the fingerpicking in this song a lot as well as the melodies. The random trumpets at the end are nice too.

"Elizabeth Childers" Richard Buckner - 2000
Ben writes: Richard Buckner's The Hill consists of one single audio track that weaves through alt-country instrumentals and song versions of some of the poems from Spoon River Anthology (1915, Edgar Lee Masters). Each poem in Spoon River is an epitaph of a dead citizen (from Spoon River), delivered by the dead themselves. This is my favorite of Buckner's songs on The Hill (which I have liberated from the rest of the record). It's the story of Elizabeth Childers... a woman who died in childbirth along with the baby she was carrying. She sings about how it is well that her child did not come into the world, and tells a story about what hardship that child might have endured had he lived. It's tragic and even as I write this I feel tears welling up in behind my eyes!

"Medication" Damien Jurado - 2000
Felix writes: I first heard of Damien Jurado from Ben, and got entranced with this song. I have a thing where I'm able to loop a song, incessantly, for more times than is healthy. I mean, like a lot. What gets me most from this song is how all the characters intersect through the speaker, and the complexities/similarities between all the relationships.

"Tecumseh Valley" Townes Van Zandt - 1969
Ben writes: Townes Fan Zandt is one of my all-time favorite songwriters. This is from a live album where Townes plays by himself called A Gentle Evening WIth Townes Van Zandt. The story this song tells is tragic - quite possibly the saddest song I've ever heard. It's country folk, and in it we hear of financial hardship, affection death, depression, whoring, and despair. Sounds kind of like a joke about country music, I know, but Townes writes it real and sings it realer. I can barely get through singing this song without crying.

FCM #5 - Driving Songs

FCM #5 - DRIVING SONGS Start your engines! Make one last weekend road trip - at least to the Mars Cheese Castle. We've put together 15 driving songs to go along with you. Click here to download the entire FCM #5 - DRIVING SONGS or hunt and peck below. If you like something or hate something or whatever, please make a comment! Some of these files are m4a format, so you should download them all with the link above or right click and save them to your machine.

Next week's Theme - Instrumentals! Sometimes it's time to tell the vocalist to shut up. Scour your collections for that brilliant instrumental!

"Intro / Sweet Jane (Live)" Lou Reed - 1973
Christine writes: Road trips... lot of memories I’d love to block out and some I hope to never forget. The essential roadtrip survival pack had to include mutually agreeable soundtracks for everyone in the car. Not an easy task when one wants to listen to their entire collection of Guided By Voices, the other wants nothing but Japanese Ska, and I just want to know if anyone has EVER heard of the radio. So, compromises were made prior to takeoff on what was even allowed in the car. One song everyone agreed to as the perfect “takeoff” song is what I present to you now. It’s this particular version that starts off low and unidentifiable and then rises to the culmination of Reed in one of his finest performances that sets off a great tone for any roadtrip... check your mirrors, peel out and enjoy.

"The Body Says No" New Pornographers - 2000
Nick writes: So here is a somewhat long story of the last time I got behind the wheel of a car, which was in April 2007.

My girlfriend Erin and I were still long-distance, and what had been the longest period of our not seeing each other was about to end with my flying to Chapel Hill on a Friday so we could drive up to DC and see the Dismemberment Plan's reunion show that Saturday. I get to O'Hare at 5:30p for an ostensible 7p departure, and by this point storms are pounding most of the eastern seaboard. My flight is cancelled, as is the next flight, and the next eight flights into RDU are booked solid with standby. So I ask about flights to several other airports around Chapel Hill and DC, figuring I can find some way to get up to DC by Saturday night. Turns out there is a 8:32 flight to DCA that I can get on. They book me for that and a DCA-RDU flight at 4:12a. Fine.

(In case you're wondering, I'm checking all of these numbers against an old blog post. I am not that good at remembering things.)

So waiting at the security barrier I start calling people I know in DC for crash space. One of my friends says he's game to have me crash, but he will also offer his car for me to drive down to Chapel Hill to see Erin. I take up the offer.

Of course, the ORD-DCA flight is delayed until 12:15a. Also, as if this couldn't get any more ridiculous, I get airsick for the first time in my life because we're flying through 850 miles of violent thunderstorm, and puke for two hours straight. At this point I miss my girlfriend a lot. Also, flights into DCA involve flying a really wonky path over the Potomac and then nosediving right at the end, cf.

wikipedia.org - Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (The River Visual approach)

, which doesn't help my stomach very much. Touch down at ~3:15a eastern, chug two venti mochas on an empty (emptied, ahem) stomach at the sbux kiosk, grab my luggage, take the car keys from Dave, promptly almost run his car off the 395 bridge into the Potomac in a panic - and drive the entire way to Erin's house through the storm, blaring bombastic, noisy rock at full blast, yelling the words to every song. Including this one.

Got there at sunup, around 7a.

flickr.com - photo of nick in sweaty crowd

I know that this song was featured on a CD Thursday some months ago, but I don't care.

"Roadrunner" Joan Jett - 1986
Walt writes: Hey, I'm on vacation -- so what better week for driving songs. Since we generally drive when we holiday, this one's a great rocker to get the blood pumping on the road. The cool thing about this song is that Joan Jett did quite a few local site drops in for it for many different cities.

"Little Honda" Yo La Tengo - 1997
Masha writes: It's as fun as a barrel of monkeys on a two wheel bike!

"Strange" Wire - 1977
Jane writes: Hey gang, remember cassette tapes back in the day? Remember how there were 3 or 4 cassette tapes that sat in your glovebox in case of driving emergencies where you forgot to bring along one of your supercool NEW cassette tapes? For me, one of those was a wonderful compilation of Wire. I even had a back-up of this compilation in the case that the tape would melt in the hot car (it happened twice!).

So my selection was the song that I would inevitably rewind and play at least one extra time whenever it came up. It's a song that accompanied me through happy drives and sad. The trip home from Six Flags, feeling so triumphant that I finally conquered the Giant Drop; or driving home from "the city" (downtown Peoria, at the time) bawling my eyes out over some loser guy...

The cadence lends itself well to driving too. It's a head bobber. This, and "The Zoo" by the Scorps may be my favorite head bobbers ever.

"She's Tight" Cheap Trick - 1986
James writes: Cheap Trick was (and remains) a big Midwest band whose songs are built for speeding on big Midwest roads (I-90 from Chicago to Rockford being the obvious choice here). Come for the sexual frustration and innuendo, stay for the arena-ready riffs.

"Punk Rocker" Teddybears - 2006
Chris writes: This song gets double points because it's both a driving song and a song ABOUT driving (and looking good). It's a silly little sing-a-long courtesy of the Teddybears, and everyone's favorite punk rocker Iggy Pop leads the charge. Just try to get that synth hook and chorus out of your head after driving to this one for a few hundred miles...

"Living is A Problem Because Everything Dies" Biffy Clyro - 2007
Justin writes: A while back I had to return to the world of auto theft after my brother breached a contract with a Russian crime lord to deliver high end cars. So I had call up all my old friends for a one night 'boost' to grab all these cars all the while avoiding apprehension by this dirt-bag auto-theft cop whose wanted to nail my ass for years. Needless to say when that pig of a cop got close, I was outta there in a minute! Boooyah!

Uh, this song reminds me of then.

"Boys Peel Out" Mercury Rev - 1993
Allison writes: Mercury Rev, in their early/mid-90s heyday, seemed to be most often described as space rock, though I'd place them on the more earnestly psychedelic Flaming-Lipsian side of the spectrum as opposed to the shuffling shimmering shoegaze of the day. This track is from their second album, Boces, and it made multiple appearances on a couple of my own roadtrip mixtapes. It's sweetly buoyant and fizzy, and a bit more suited for winding local highways (max speed 45mp/h) as opposed to a high speed tear down I-35.

"Mighty Good Leader" Audio Adrenaline - 1999
Sean writes: This song brings back good memories of our first ever roadtrip here in the States. We had just bought our first van in 1999 and our best friends from South Africa were visiting. We drove them around the Midwest and Audio Adrenaline's new album Underdog was blaring for a lot of that trip. This is the first track from that album.

"Undiscovered" Ashlee Simpson - 2004
Margaret writes: I know what you're thinking - more crappy music from Margaret - but just give this one a chance! I always listened to this song on the way to and from my crappy waitressing job, and although it's a bit sad (think unrequited love), the lyrics struck a chord with me at the time. Aside from the bit of scream-singing at the end, her voice sounds pretty good, and I love the intro music.

"Don't Stop" ATB - 1999
TJ writes: Well well, I'm going to go in a different direction this week. ATB, I don't know anything about them honestly, for the most part I only know this one song because many of my friends in high school loved this song and we'd always play it on the weekends when we were hanging out. Techno-ish but addicting as hell, and awesome driving music.

"Jack and Diane" John Cougar Mellencamp - 1982
Renata writes: To me, a great driving song is one that all passengers are able to sing along with. For my friends and I, Jack & Diane always hits the spot. Why? Well, it doesn't hold any particularly deep meaning for us, but it’s damn catchy and always a great excuse to stretch otherwise unused vocal chords …

"The Golden Age" Beck - 2002
Brian writes: Beck used to pick me up from my house every morning around 3:10am. He would drive me around wherever I felt like going. One day I told him he should mix it up and do a mostly-acoustic album. He asked what he should sing about? I told him to sing about driving me around empty highways in the middle of the night and early morning. He then started writing the first song off of Sea Change, The Golden Age... Right there behind the wheel! Guitar and all! That is, of course, all bullshit, but I think Sea Change is the perfect driving album, and The Golden Age is the perfect driving song (especially on late nights, early mornings or really anytime you just feel tired/defeated).

"Range Life" Pavement - 1994
Ben writes: In the summer of 1996 I took an impromptu road trip with two friends to northern California from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. My friend Jim brought a couple of Pavement CDs and I fell in love with the music during my driving shifts. I have a particularly vivid memory of coming down from the mountains into San Francisco just after sunset with my two friends sleeping and "Range Life" playing.

FCM #4 - Childhood Memories

FCM #4 - CHILDHOOD MEMORIES We've collectively contributed those musical gems that stir up and inspire the child in each of us. Click here to download the entire FCM #4 - CHILDHOOD MEMORIES or hunt and peck below. If you like something or hate something or whatever, please make a comment! Some of these files are m4a format, so you should download them all with the link above or right click and save them to your machine.

Next week's Theme - Driving Songs! Submit that song that pumps you up for the long drive or keeps you rolling along through tired plains and mountain passes.

"Sesame Street Theme" - 1970
Jennifer writes: When I was 2 or 3, my parents had a turntable in my bedroom that I shared with my little sister. We listened to 3 records every single day when we were put to bed. Mary Poppins, The Jungle Book/Disney songs, and Sesame Street. To this day, whenever I hear a song from one of those records, I get extremely nostalgic. While my song may be an obvious choice, it had such a strong impact on my childhood that it has become a part of all my young memories.

"Downtown" Petula Clark - 1964
Walt writes: I grew up on the south side of Chicago in a working class family. My only real trips downtown were to accompany my dad to pick up my uncle from his elevator operator's job at the Tavern Club and driving him home. Most of the time I was asleep on these trips. Occasionally when I was awake I was transfixed by the lights of Mr. Kelly's night club, the 666 Club, George Diamond's Steak House, enormous ads for Cutty Sark Scotch and the glistening marqees of the Oriental and State-Lake theatres. So whenever I hear Petula Clark's Downtown it brings me back to my childhood and it doesn't hurt that it came out around the same time as my those trips. My only quibble with this song I love, is that it inadvertantly dated itself. Other than that, it's a true classic.

"Jump" Van Halen - 1984
Ben writes: I remember being 9 or 10 years old, dragged to some adult party with my parents, bored as could be. This song came on the big stereo, and I remember being TOTALLY enthralled by it. The synth line was envigorating. It seemed like the best_song_ever at the time. MONUMENTAL.

"Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)" C+C Music Factory - 1990
Margaret writes: Every year my elementary school had a carnival in the spring, and they always had this booth set up where you could create your own music video. I was already looking glamorous with my big poofy bangs, acid washed jeans, L.A. Gear light up shoes and fanny pack - the next step was obviously to get me in front of a camera. My sisters, their friends and I danced around to this song, and it may have been the best 4 minutes of my childhood. I still have the VHS copy if anyone wants to experience the awesomeness for themselves...

"What's On Your Mind (Pure Energy)" Information Society - 1988
Allison writes: I was not raised with pop music. My father was a pianist and my mother, apart from a few Barry Manilow 8-tracks, played nothing in the house. Around age 10 or 11 I finally got my own clock-radio, and hours of obsessive listening to Dallas' pop station at the time (Y-95) commenced. Blame it on some amalgam of Manilow/Streisand as my sole prior musical exposure, or blame it on the 80s, but my young mind found Information Society's "Pure Energy" to be nothing less than a REVELATION!

"Send Me an Angel" Real Life - 1983
TJ writes: This song brings me back to my endless times of watching "The Wizard" on VHS that I tapped form TV. I watched that so much and this song used to pump me up like no other. I'm sure you all know it and love it as much as I do.

"What's Next to the Moon" AC/DC - 1978
James writes: I don't believe in "best bands." Truth is, there's never been a band whose output has been consistently flawless from debut-to-demise.

Instead, I rank bands by specific clusters of years. Take, for example, the Rolling Stones, who have sucked for the past 30 years, thus negating their "Greatest Rock and Roll Band in the World" tag. I think it makes more sense to say that the Stones from 67-78 were one of the best bands of all time. The same holds true for Led Zeppelin from 71-75, U2 from 85-91, and the Ramones from 76-81.

Add to that list AC/DC from 76-79. Discovering the Bon Scott-era AC/DC when I was attending Lincoln Junior High (go Spartans) was a revelation. These were ugly, blue-collar guys, singing songs about drinking, gambling, and sleeping with anything that moved (as with the Rubenesque "Rosie"). Forget sports heroes and champions of social justice, the members of AC/DC were my boyhood role models.

AC/DC from that period was rock and roll at its archetypal grittiest and greatest. Pound for pound, Angus Young's riffs were the ones that defined the misanthropic and misspent youths of myself and thousands of others.

As for Brian Johnson? Feh. I know "Back in Black" has its fervent loyalists, but once Bon checked out, the party was over for me.

Submitted for your pleasure, "What's Next to the Moon," a favorite from "Powerage."

"Look What the Cat Dragged In" Poison - 1986
Chris writes: When I was a youngster living in Alaska I had two best friends, Ben and Robin. Nick, Robin's older brother, was our idol - at 10 or 11 years old, he was the coolest, rawest dude around. He skateboarded, he had ripped jeans, and he would make us do terrible things like eat dog bone treats (Robin threw up). He let us hang around him sometimes, and for that we were grateful (and willing to do things like eat dog treats). He also provided my first mind-altering introduction to music thanks to a big silvery-metal boombox and a Poison tape. I distinctly remember him marching up to the lot of us as we sat in the bed of a truck, swinging that boombox in front of him and dropping it with a thud onto the tailgate. He punched the play button without saying a word and "Look What the Cat Dragged In" came thudding through those tinny speakers and straight into my heart. 2 years later someone else's older brother introduced me to Ice-T. Music owes a lot to older brothers.

"Shake Your Rump" Beastie Boys - 1989
Nick writes: Paul's Boutique was released when I was seven years old. I am offering absolutely no further explanation as to why this is on here.

"Two-Headed Boy" Neutral Milk Hotel - 1998
Brian writes: When I first started thinking about "childhood memory" songs, it was really only a question of which Bon Jovi or Guns N' Roses song I would choose. The more I thought about it though, the album that takes me back to my childhood more than any other is one I never even heard until about 2000 or so (maybe later). That album is "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea" by Neutral Milk Hotel. The entire album has an innocence to it that brings back so many memories, and it just sort of reenergizes that childlike perception that sometimes gets lost as you get older. In particular, the song Two Headed Boy really takes me back to being a strange kid...

"Lay Lady Lay" Bob Dylan - 1969
Christine writes: Everything I listened to as a child was because my dad’s direct influence. Thankfully, he has great taste in music. One artist he played often when my sisters and I were younger was Dylan. This is my favorite song by him so enjoy.

"Atlantis" Donovan - 1968
Jane writes: Realizing that "Hurdy Gurdy Man" drove me into fits of laughter when I was little, my Dad gave me all of his Donovan 45rpm's and set me loose into that crazy man's mind... funny thing is, much of Donovan's music reads like children's songs anyway if you take out the innuendo and drug references.

So the story part of "Atlantis" absolutely blew my 7 yr. old mind, and I'm sure made me a horrible burden at Sunday School where my questions were already notorious amongst the teachers. I became obsessed with living underwater... which was intensified a few years later by the release of the movie "Splash" with Darryl Hannah and Tom Hanks. Yeah, I was a weird kid.

"Wish You Were Here" Pink Floyd - 1975
Justin writes: I love music of all types, but what really gets my blood moving is good ol' rock n' roll. And my father played all types of it while I was growing up. So I have some fond memories of the records he played from my childhood. Now I don't have tons of memories living with him as my parents divorced when I was like 10 and I've been living with my mother ever since. So I decided to pick this track because it sticks out the most for me out of all the albums my father would play. It reminds me of watching him attempt to play this tune on the guitar and sing it. He wasn't awesome at it but he always impressed me when he did. It will always be my favorite song Pink Floyd ever.

"Bein' Green" Kermit The Frog - 1970
Jennifer writes: (see her write-up for song #1)
 

Friday Collective Mixtape #3 - Cover Songs

FCM #3 - COVERS  This week's theme is "Covers," and we've collectively contributed novelty, sincerity, and reinvention. Click here to download the whole FCM #3 - COVERS or hunt and peck below. If you like something or hate something or whatever, please make a comment! Some of these files are m4a format, so you should download them all with the link above or right click and save them to your machine.

Next week's Theme - Childhood Memories! Songs that were important to you when you were a child, or songs that bring that childish day back to you.

"Ever Fallen In Love" Nouvelle Vague - 2006
Christine writes: Originally from the Buzzcocks (pop-punk band from Manchester) circa 1978. Some of you already have this from a previous swap but for those of you who don't it's worth a listen. I like the original but the cover provides a sweeter side to the lyrics as is Nouvelle's style.

"Pure Imagination" Smoking Popes - 1997
Margaret writes: If you've seen "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" you'll probably recognize this tune. I first heard it a few years ago, and I've been obsessed with it ever since. It's got a killer hook (in my opinion) and I love the Kermit The Frog-like quality of the lead singer's voice. Good stuff.

"Brown Eyed Girl" Everclear - 2000
Walt writes: I love covers, pure and simple. But I hate bad covers. What's a bad cover? One where the artist doesn't make the song his own. That's one of the reasons I love Everclear's cover of Van Morrison's "Brown-Eyed Girl." Not only do they put their own spin on the song but they also honor the original in the lyrics. It also doesn't hurt that my blushing bride also has brown eyes.

"Since U Been Gone (Kelly Clarkson)" Ted Leo - 2005
Nick writes: I was going to put on the Sea and Cake's cover of Bowie's "Sound and Vision", but it's a bit too rote and boring. I was going to put on Bran Van 3000's cover of "Cum On Feel the Noize", but a previous CD Thursday had the album that that's from. And so here we are. Have Ted Leo singing a thing.

"Cruisin'" D'Angelo - 1995
Bryan writes: How can you not like this song unless your ears were tainted by Gweneth Paltrow & Huey Lewis. The original by Mr. Robinson is great and definitely has that great old school feel/sound to it but i like the way d'angelo gave it a more contemporary feel without destroying it. Plus since its summer, this is a great road trip/driving song.

"Hazy Shade Of Winter" Bangles - 1987
James writes: The Bangles weren't all that bad. Their first album, "All Over the Place," was a fun, jangly, garage pop record. The releases after that were hit or miss, but those few songs that "hit" still hold up today. One of the Bangles' biggest songs wasn't their own; it was as a Simon and Garfunkel song from two decades prior, "A Hazy Shade of Winter." Bangles wired the song through some amplifiers and presented it with a sense of real guitar menace. "A Hazy Shade of Winter" definitely connected on a grand level, snagging the #2 position on the charts in 1987.

"You're So Vain" Faster Pussycat - 1990
Jane writes: Yes, THAT Faster Pussycat. Carly Simon would be rolling over in her... luxurious Southern California 4-poster bed right now if she only knew. But for some reason, the hair metal take on this works. I almost submitted it for last week's "summer songs" theme because it so reminds me of warm nights long ago.

"Da Ya Think I'm Sexy? (Album Version)" Revolting Cocks - 1993
James writes: Revolting Cocks were the "playful," humorous outlet for the malevolent, addicted-to-many-things-that-should've-killed-him-in-the-90s, Ministry frontman Al Jourgensen. On this cover song, he and Rev Co "straight man" Chris Connelly eviscerate the uncontested nadir of Rod Stewart's 70s output.

"Baby Got Back" Throwdown - 2001
Justin writes: This song was on an album I bought in high school called "Too Legit for the Pit". It's the best Hardcore to Rap translation I've ever heard. Hands down, .....er uh.... Throwdown.

"Paranoid" Type O Negative - 1992
Brian writes: Type O Negative is definitely one of the most original sounding bands I know of. They have been known to include a cover song on almost all their releases, but they always make that cover their own. They've done everything from Beatles and Santana medley's to reworked versions of Cinnamon Girl by Neil Young and Hey Joe by Hendrix. One of my favorites is their cover of Black Sabbath's Paranoid, so here you go.

Honorable mentions that I can send if you are interested:
Dax Riggs acoustic version of Skulls by The Misfits
Ramones cover of I Don't Want to Grow Up by TomWaits (both are awesome)
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds cover of Death is Not the End by Bob Dylan
The Life Aquatic soundtrack (Seu Jorge covering David Bowie)
Faith No More's cover of Easy by Lionel Ritchie

"Hallelujah" David Bazan - 2007
TJ writes: Here is a song that I really love (originally written by Leonard Cohen), done by David Bazan (Pedro the Lion, Headphones). It has it's religious moments here and there :) but I still love it (hopefully it doesn't offend anyone). Check out more of his stuff as well as his other bands if you get the time. I highly recommend him. His voice is one of my favorites.

"Hurt" Johnny Cash - 2003
Chris writes: For me, a good cover song is about taking something familiar and giving it a whole new context or instilling new meaning so that you're hearing that song for the first time, in brand new ways. I love a good cover, and after poring over my collection of great soul covers / cheeky indie covers / updated oldies-but-goodies, I settled on "Hurt," originally written by Trent Reznor and covered here by Johnny Cash. Cash covered this song the year before he died, and it's absolutely haunting and real and honest about life. While Trent's version is a desperate, angsty plea, Cash's version plays as more of a soft surrender to the life he's lead, like he's read the writing on the wall and reflecting on all of life's peaks and valleys. If you haven't seen the video, grab some tissues and click here.

"Atlantic City" Tom Thumb - 2006
Ben writes: Tom Thumb takes the emotion and heart of my favorite Bruce Springsteen song and (because Bruce isn't singing) they put all of it into the music. Their version is true to the essence of the song - but different enough in approach that it works for me.

Friday Collective Mixtape #2 - Summer

FCM #2 - SUMMER This week's theme is "Summer," and i think you'll all agree that everyone put their best foot forward. Click here to download the whole FCM #2 - SUMMER or hunt and peck below. Thanks to Walt this week for submitting the cover. If you like something or hate something or whatever, please make a comment! Some of these files are m4a format, so you should download them all with the link above or right click and save them to your machine.

Next week's Theme - Cover Songs!

"Green River" Creedence Clearwater Revival - 1969
Chris writes: If you're anything like me you can't deny the sweltering swamp rock that Creedence Clearwater Revival embodies, and you certainly crank that (bleep) up when you're cruising around town and those trademark guitar strains start picking their way through your car stereo speakers. Can you hear the bullfrog calling you? CRANK THAT (BLEEP) and come on home to Green River.

"When Alice Comes Back To The Farm" The Move - 1970
Jane writes: In high school, just outside of town, there was a small field surrounded on three sides by woods and one side by cornfield. On summer nights we could sneak down, make a small fire, pass around a bottle of cheap whiskey, sweat, laugh, fight, love, and hang out until morning... On the best nights, someone would carefully navigate their car through the trees just so we could pop the trunk open and listen to the cassette deck. And either the adults in town didn't know about this place or collectively agreed not to wreck the mystique of it all. We were appreciative. Looking back now, I realize they'd probably enjoyed the spot when they were younger too. But at the time, it was so rebellious. This was the heaviest of guitars... with violin; rock with shuffle. This was a bunch of Brits in silk shirts in the 60's with an incredible take on blues.

"The Good Life" Weezer - 2000
TJ writes: This just brings be back to high school with my friends, having a gay old summer time!!! Nothing beats that!! Enjoy!!

"Girl" Beck - 2005
Margaret writes: When I was in college I worked at a summer camp in northern California for a month, and they played this song everytime a new group of campers would arrive. Everytime I hear it, I immediately go back there. Plus, it just sounds like summer to me.

"Summertime" DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince - 1991
Bryan writes: Just reminds me of the summer of 91 and being an 11 year old kid. listening to it on my walkman in the parking lot while playing games or family bbqs. fun times.

"Another Summer" 213 - 2004
Ben writes: This song evokes summer weekends like no other i've heard. Barbecue, pool party, kids running around, etc. Snoop's flow is as smooth as ever, and the song mixes up rap, soul, and R&B into something truly magical. Gotta love the smooth Kanye West production too!

"Pit Stop (Take Me Home)" Lovage - 2001
Brian writes: There are A LOT of songs that remind me of summer, but Mike Patton was a topic of discussion today so... Lovage... Pit Stop...

"Everyone's A V.I.P To Someone" The Go! Team - 2005
Nick writes: I first came upon the Go! Team's debut album "Thunder, Lightning, Strike" in August 2004, and it quickly became my favorite album of the year (sorry, Arcade Fire). This is the last track on it. I have lots of memories of driving around North Carolina in 95 degree weather with the windows down, listening to this album the whole way through again and again. As for this song, you pretty much can't beat the part when the drums come in, halfway through.

"4th of July" X - 1980
James writes: Nothing says "summer" like the Fourth of July. Growing up in the Windy City, I've always thought of Independence Day as a time when sweaty fat people in neon tank tops stood elbow-to-elbow after paying far too much for chicken-on-a-stick at the Taste of Chicago. The fact that the holiday actually commemorates America's birthday? Well, that's the proverbial gravy on the chicken-on-a-stick.

X always appealed to me with the way they hung on images of American squalor. Consider the following line when you fire up your Weber Grill meat orgy on the Fourth:

"On the stairs I smoke a / cigarette alone / Mexican kids are shootin' / fireworks below / Hey baby, it's the Fourth of July"

Happy Birthday, America!

"This Is the Sea" The Waterboys - 2004
Sean writes: (nothing?)

"Crack The Liar's Smile" Drain STH - 1997
AJ writes: Drain STH is an all girl metal band from Sweden. They don't scream, they sing. Bad ass chicks, and actually attractive. It reminds me of summer because they were on Ozzfest the year I went to 3 different Ozzfests. The singer married Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath after the tour.

"Open All Night" The Urge - 1995
Christine writes: Summertime in STL in high school meant that we would head down to Mississippi Nights for the $1.05 Urge Shows. I don’t think we listened to anything but ska and punk back then so it was really lucky that we had one of the best ska bands around in our city. This is just a silly song from a really talented band.

"Battlescars" Ozma - 2001
Justin writes: This song for me paints pictures of my end days of high school joy riding around the suburbs with my friends on an endless search for something, anything interesting to occupy our time. On our search we crank up the stereo sing our hearts out (to this song) then we arrive at IHOP and spend 4 hours there talking about our dreams. Oh youth!

"Summer Wind" Frank Sinatra - 1966
Walt writes: There are so many good summer songs out there, it's hard to choose. Certainly there are those that are titular in nature but there are also those that tied to summer, at least for me. John Cougar's Jack & Diane, Bobby Bloom's Montego Bay and, heck, even John Williams theme from Jaws evoke summer. That said, I'm going with Summer Wind by The Chairman of the Board.

Several summers ago I was was walking south on Wabash after crossing the river and a band, fronted by a guy who did a more than passable Ol' Blue Eyes, was playing this song. It reminded how much I liked it and how much time had past since I last listened to it. The funny thing is, I rarely listen to it in the summertime. It's more of a winter song for me, as I anticipate the sun and warmth returning to my life.

Friday Collective Mixtape #1

Here it is, Friday Collective Mixtape One. Thanks to everyone who participated. Click here to download the whole FCM ONE or hunt and peck below. Thanks to Masha for the photo on the cover. If you like something or hate something or whatever, please make a comment! Some of these files are m4a format, so you should download them all with the link above or right click and save them to your machine. Next week's theme - "Summer Songs."

"Birdhouse In Your Soul" They Might Be Giants - 1990
AJ writes: I chose this one, because it reminds me of my college radio days. We would play it on friday afternoons, and do a little "sing along" with the listening audience. We would turn the mic on and any one who was at the station would come in and sing the line "Who watches over you" along with the song.

"Nothing But Flowers" Talking Heads - 1988
Ben writes: I never heard, or at least didn't notice this song until the summer of 1997. I used to walk/bike around campus and imagine this takeover happening around me - delightful imagery and a really fun groove that's fit for any activity (save mourning).

"Love Plus One" Haircut 100 - 1982
Walt writes: Even though the cover of Haircut 100's debut album screams autumn, their U.S. hit "Love Plus One" simply says summer to me. No matter the season -- all I need to do is pop on LPO and it's the best summer day -- taking a nap with the windows open and a cool summer's breeze blowing through the room and the mid-afternoon dreams flying fast and furious.

"Today" Smashing Pumpkins - 1993
Masha writes: An upbeat, instrumentally beautiful song, seething with angsty lyrics. my memories of it link to seventh and eighth grade summers where it is a soundtrack to being out whole days on bike with my then posse of friends. it resonated with the exhiliration of having such freedom and the sense of adventure possible everywhere.

"My Girlfriend's Boyfriend" Her Space Holiday - 2003
TJ writes: Used to walk to class at Iowa State listening to this song. Brings me back.

"Quarantined" Atlas Sound - 2007
Allison writes: This is a nice little song by Atlas Sound (the solo project of Deerhunter's lead singer) full of shimmering hope, confectionary wistfulness, and the desire to break free from something, anything. It's on one of my fave atmospheric/post-rock labels, Kranky (purveyors of fine music best enjoyed in a dark room, staring at the ceiling, thoughts drifting).

"Baby Black And Blue" The Lizzies - 2005
Jane writes: This song about a "troubled" lass was the result of quite a bit of detective work into the true identities of one of my favorite bands: The Lee Harvey Oswald Band (who never toured, were rarely photographed, and make absolute use of pseudonyms). After following hints and forum suggestions to several dead ends, I figured out who three of the gentlemen were including the unmistakable voice of the singer, Savic Enn who, as it turns out, is somewhat of a recluse who works at a recycling plant in the south. But he is now involved in a side project called The Lizzies with members of Nashville Pussy, and upon finding their myspace page, I was rewarded with a two sample song treasure. My excitement does not diminish the awesomeness of this tune... and if nobody else, Jen Ludwick will appreciate this.

"Pete Standing Alone" Boards Of Canada - 1998
Nick writes: This is from Boards of Canada's third (and breakthrough) album, called "Music Has the Right to Children". Despite its having been out for three years by then, I first discovered it two weeks into my college career, which was probably the best possible time for me to find this band. They followed me through the most formative time of my life, significantly influenced my DJing, and - between this and Kid A, which I bought at the same time! - soundtracked a significant amount of my existence since. Pete Standing Alone isn't the most famous track on MHTRTC by far, and it's far more spare than many of Boards of Canada's tracks, but it's my favorite and the London Philharmonic performed an arrangement of it in 2003, so clearly that gives me license to foist it on all of you.

"Dead Girl" Acid Bath - 1996
Brian writes: Dead girl is one of the first songs I heard from Acid Bath (who was fronted by Dax Riggs). Dax has gone onto front the bands Agents of Oblivion, Deaboy and the Elephantmen, and currently his self-titled solo project. All of these bands are amazing to me, and almost all the songs from all of these bands are special to me. Dead Girl was the first though, so here are 2 versions (v1 = original by Acid Bath...v2 = Agents of Oblivion version - linked below).

"Passenger Seat" Ben Gibbard - 2006
Chris writes: This song is a many things to me, but here are just a few: It's a live recording from a session that Ben Gibbard (Death Cab for Cutie, one of my all-time faves) did down the street at CRC Studios for a tiny handful of (mostly undeserving) Q101 listeners a couple of years back, and Matt Brelje and I were lucky enough to be in attendance (you can hear me "WHOO" faintly amid claps at the end of the song). This is probably my favorite track off of Transatlanticism and it's one of those songs that gets in your bones - it at one time captured a lot of heartbreak for me, but has now come full circle and captures the great things about life and love, as any good sentimental song should.

"JCB" Nizlopi - 2005
Justin writes: "JCB" is a song recorded by the U.K. duo Nizlopi. I fell upon this song through an animated video that was released for the single placed upon the intrawebs. The animated music video is simply sweet and was very appropriately drawn as a sketch in notebook. It's a beautiful song that reminds me of my childhood and takes me through a slew of memories of hanging out with my Dad (although he did not drive a Digger). I highly recommend that you check out the video as well. I hope it moves you like it did me.

"Red Meets Blue" Matt Wertz - 2004
Margaret writes: Before Justin and I were dating (romantic relationships weren't even on his radar - I had already decided that I was going to marry him), we were listening to music together and this song came on, and he told me he really liked it. I listened to it over and over for the next few weeks, hoping and praying that someday he would feel about me the way the artist felt about the woman he wrote about... needless to say things worked out, and this song is a constant reminder of how it all began.

"100 Years" Blues Traveler - 1990
Christine writes: Heard this back in gradeschool I think. Great voice and amazing ability to walk you through a story.

"Scatterlings of Africa" Juluka - 1982
Sean writes: (nothing?)

"Dead Girl" Agents of Oblivion - 2000
See Brian's "Dead Girl" notes above

Twenty from 2007

Here are 20 of the best songs I heard first in 2007. I haven't listened as widely this year as in years past because I spent a good deal of time listening to my favorite records over and over and over. I wouldn't change a thing. I'm not a critic, just a lover of good sounds so don't do that ever-so postmodern critique-the-critic thing, please? If you see a little pink star next to an album name, it's one of my favorites for the year. Lastly, the list isn't in order of greatness - rather I tried to create a nice flow for listening. Click here to download the whole thing.

"Fake Empire" The National (The Boxer*)
Bluebirds on our shoulders
The momentum that builds as this song progresses is nothing short of stunning. Starting with a simple rhythmic piano framework, slight atmospherics, and soothing vocals, it grows and grows. Four on the floor and snare drum bursts signal a final warning before the train leaves the station. At its climax, we're graced with a swirling arrangement of horns, chugging electric guitars, and exquisite drumming. The lyrics are at once nostalgic and evasive - like seeing a friendly face you know but can't place.

"Flashing Lights" Kanye West (Graduation*)
Sweetheart we hardly talk I was doing my thing
Kanye's Graduation is a record that needed to grow on me. I didn't really enjoy it much until the 5th or 6th listen. "Flashing Lights" in particular was among my least favorite songs during those initial listens. Ahhhh, but no more! Something about the way the synth riff hits me that get's me all juiced up (also recalling Timbaland's production of JT's "My Love" that has a similar effect on me). I'm not sure that there's anything cohesive going on here lyrically, but the wordplay alone (in the moment) offers up some delicious goodness. This is Kanye in the pocket, performing the kind of laid-back track that suits his flow best - nor forced or contrived, just Kanye.

"Mapped By What Surrounded Them" The Twilight Sad (Fourteen Autumns And Fifteen Winters*)
Just another child-like ghost
The Twilight Sad's 14 Summers is my favorite record of the year. The songs manage to be dramatic without pretension, intense but not heavy, lovely without coming off wimpy. "Mapped" in particular highlights both the atmospheric "live" fullness of the band as well as the captivating quiet moments where what's his name's heavy Scottish accent grips me like a vice as I brace myself for the next raw explosion. The amount of energy being expended by the drummer and singer alone (during their july show at Schubas) was enough to power 3 or 4 of your average complacent hipster indie rock bands. Damn fine music!

"And You Lied To Me" Besnard Lakes (The Besnard Lakes Are The Dark Horse*)
You aren't even who you said you are
A month ago I had an incredibly vivid dream. In the dream I went with several friends to see a live performance. We walked into the venue - a big square legion hall with linoleum floors, an old wooden bar, and round laminate tables with cafeteria chairs. People filled the tables and stood along the dark velvet walls. The sound was thick and echoey and totally encompassed the room. The band (or rather ensemble) was spread throughout the venue - here a table a singers, there a table of percussionists, horn players, strings, guitarists... everywhere someone playing an instrument or singing. The line between spectator and participant was blurred - everyone was making music, adding to the sound in perfect tune and time. I can remember vividly the leadmost singer, sitting at a table near me, cradling something that looked like scotch, belting out his tune with a mighty voice. This song, "And You Lied To Me," is the song performed in my dream. "The Besnard Lakes Are The Dark Horse" is one of my favorites this year. To me it represents what Low might have evolved into.

"Your Name My Game" Herman Düne (Giant*)
Even the trees call your name
Herman Düne, the only band that gets two tracks on my list. I love this band. "Giant" is a wonderful record, even though it's a bit long (and as yet unreleased in the states!). I prefer David-Ivar's tunes, but all the songs have merit. David's songs end up in three general categories: happy-fun-pop, folksy-snaps, moody-gypsy. This tune falls into the "moody-gypsy" category, and it's got a vibe that keeps you tapping and snapping along while David sings about a baboon in a cage that continues to call out your name even though he's drugged up. It's gorgeous, genuinely beautiful. Thank goodness "Giant" isn't recorded in mono (like 2005's "Not On Top") because with the drums and percussion, the groovy bass, ukulele strums... mmmm. Musically, what tips the scales for this song are the female backup vocals and the moments where electric guitar comes forward in the mix.

"Charlie, Last Name Wilson" Charlie Wilson (Charlie, Last Name Wilson)
I ain't got nobody to ride in my new coupe with
What good is all the money and fame without a woman to share it with? This age-old question is at the heart of Wilson's magical R&B tune. I first heard this song in a cab. Three days later I was still humming the hook, trying to remember the dude's name so I could steal it from the internet. It's completely over-the-top - lyrically, it takes ridiculousness to such an extreme level that it boomerangs back at itself. Near the end, Charlie's ad-lib vocalizations are priceless (he offers his number, his manager's number, his studio's number, even his momma's number). It's VERY catchy, so beware, you'll be singing this in the shower in no time - brilliant!

"Ocean of Noise" The Arcade Fire (Neon Bible*)
But all the reasons I gave were just lies
It's rare that my initial favorite on a record is the one that stands out nearly a year later. I love this one for the drama, the theatrical nature of it. It's hard for me not to imagine this song being performed in an old theatre, dimly lit. The protagonist is singing to himself and writing a letter at the same time. The music rises and falls like an undulating sea. While the protagonist seems to be aware of the music, it's not until it rises completely over his head that he lets it really move him. A lot is going on under the surface here - both lyrically and musically. There's a measure of uncertainty in relationships and faith (this I can relate to) but also a resounding and defiant hope (which also strikes a chord).

"Resurrection Fern" Iron & Wine (The Shepherd's Dog)
Like stubborn boys with big green eyes
I can say without shame that if this song hadn't been recorded with a pedal steel in the mix it wouldn't have made it on the list. There's nothing particularly amazing about this song - we've heard it before. It's familiar and comfortable. Listening to it reminds me of coming in from having just shoveled the driveway and sidewalk of my boyhood home. Shedding my wet and frozen clothes, i've propped myself up at the kitchen bar for a cup of microwaved hot chocolate. It's warm and good and it isn't asking much, which is perfectly okay with me.

"Breathe In, Breathe Out" Fulton Lights (S/T*)
Maybe it was sympathy
Fulton Lights is the cinematic music of Andrew Spencer Goldman. I got hooked on this song in March, when I posted this to the blog:

Last night i was at an indoor waterpark in rockford illinois when zion got beaned in the face by a ball. Of course it was past his bedtime and i found myself consoling a 3-year-old screaming child in the middle of wet chaos. After a few minutes of holding him, stroking his head, and singing the chorus of this song over and over he was calmed and ready for another swim.

The song continues to grow on me. The production is so layered and rich. I imagine the basic song as a christmas tree, with strings of lights and a hundred little ornaments of different shapes and sizes hanging on it. It's in your bay window and I'm viewing it from the sidewalk.

"Skinny Love" Bon Iver (For Emma, Forever Ago)
Who the hell was I?
As humble and unassuming as any other lo-fi DIY indie folk singer-songwriter - but with grit and blood. The soul has not yet been sold. You can almost feel the cold air, the chopping of wood, the rhythms of work and rest. There's something so real and tangible here - the feeling that in that in some parallel universe one could break a piece off this tune and eat it.

"Summer's Life" The Shaky Hands (S/T)
And I wonder what happened
I'm a sucker for folk-stomps. This song pulsates and jangles its way down a rickety track without loosing any steam. There's nothing earth-shaking about any of it. It's neither novel or overtly derivative, it's just an honest song with good intentions and hand claps. If you can listen to this without recalling the golden moments of your youth and tapping your foot you're as cold and hard as The Saint of Killers and nothing can be done for you.

"This Year" Mountain Goats (The Sunset Tree)
The scene ends badly as you might imagine
Somehow John Darnielle manages to perfectly capture the subtle mixture of driving angst, rebelling, lust and hope that comprise a day in the life of any average young man. Never mind that the chorus is the perfect anthem for anyone going through a less-than-stellar season of life. There's something universal and compelling about blind hope in the face of actual pain (teenage or otherwise). This is the new metal, a song that can make me shake my fist at the sky whilst shedding a tear.

"I Feel It All" Feist (The Reminder*)
I'll be the one to break my heart
This song embodied late spring and early summer for me. Feist's unbelievable sexy voice and the bouncy pop-fun vibe of the tune is a delight. Does my love for this tune and Feist's record betray the fact that I am now thirty-something? Who cares??? There's something about this song - it sounds happy - it is happy. But the lyrics, the mood beneath the surface... not so happy. Tragic, even. Much of my summer could be described this way. As the summer broke open I hit the street with a new bike, a new name, and a mission to spread random color and delight on this city's dilapidated facade. Brightening up the surface of things isn't the worst crime.

"2080" Yeasayer (All Hour Cymbals)
It's a new year, I'm glad to be here
There's a lot going on with this one. Thick and sugary reverberated production, pop harmonies, guitars and drums. However, without the amazing turn this song takes at 2:50 it would be commonplace, another shrub on the indie rock landscape. The way the music breaks down to a shouting chant punctuated with "Yeah, yeah!" and a string of lyrics (the content of which i have no intention of tracking down cause who really cares, right?) Thank god this breakdown happens again at 4:10. I'm making it sound as if I don't enjoy the bread and butter of this song - which isn't true at all. The two parts live together perfectly - the chanting would be silly by itself, and the rest would be commonplace without the breaks.

"Alright (Ratatat Remix)" Memphis Bleek (Ratatat Remixes Vol.2*)
Watchin' for cops again
This year's new crop of Ratatat hip-hop remixes are all completely amazing, but Bleek's "Alright" is the cream. MB's flow sounds laid-back and smooth on the non-remix album version of this track. Ratatat transforms this song and MB's vocal performance into a punchy club banger that evokes WAY more bravado than its source. This isn't a novel mash-up, it's a reinvention that takes the SONG to a higher level. Ratatat pulls equally from hip-hop production (note the piano parts) and it's own brand of post punk indie dance funk whatever. Another noteworthy Ratatat hip-hop remix: "Three Kings."

"Man's World" Guilty Simpson (Single)
Surely it's the reason there's limited love with us
This track comes from the amazing Stones Throw podcast, and it has me salivating for a full-length Guilty Simpson release. This fairly straightforward hip-hop track with luscious Jay Dilla production is well written and incisive. GS tells his specific "dad" story (much of which I CAN'T relate with) - but he does it in a way that tugs on universal father/son issues. He eloquently works his way through memory, angst, hope, pride, and longing - and it's real... it's just real. I can feel that.

"The People (Ft. Dwele)" Common (Finding Forever*)
Sometimes we find peace in beats and breaks
Common's "Finding Forever" is a phenomenal record. For more than a month I listened to it more than 4 times a week - so it was difficult to choose a favorite. I landed on "The People" because it's not only a production masterpiece, it's lyrically cohesive. The music track starts sparse but gets pretty busy, and most MCs would get lost in the brilliant interplay between the gyrating bass track, winds, and the guitar (or is that a keyboard) track that build during the verses. Not Common - he OWNS this track. Everything comes together with a thick, jaggety bounce. Conscious confidence.

"Fire" 50 Cent (Curtis)
I go back to the basics and break it all the way all the way down
This is a straight-up club banger. I can't help myself. There's the requisite amount of bravado and posturing. The beat, the track, the production (whatever) is hot. A guilty pleasure for sure. He replies to his detractors - "you can hate this but face it B.I.G. and Tupac just ain't around," and it's true. Who else can we turn to for this level of bombastic hoopla?

"Inspiration" D*R*I (Smoke Rings)
On the night I wait and pray for you
It's the year of my father's birth and someone's just stopped into a filling station for a new pack of smokes. Sure this song is retro, but it's valor isn't in the novelty of throwback. It's a good tune and a nostalgic production, mixing simple pop with a digital influence. The singer is properly androgynous and D.R.I has enough wisdom to keep this gem under three minutes long. Swooning.

"Take Him Back to NYC" Herman Düne (Giant*)
It's such a stupid stupidity
David-Ivar Herman Düne directs, out loud, the movements of the band and the backup singers with an indirect enthusiasm. It's a love song for the city of New York and i understand. It's loungy, lovely, laid-back, romantic, absurd, and completely sensible. That's one of the Herman Düne's great strengths - sensible absurdity.

Honorable Mention Mixtape:

"Stray Bullets (DJ Rhettmatic Mix)" Guilty Simpson (Mixtape)
C'mon, it's a party, everybody!
The Stones Throw podcast is the best music podcast i've run across. They continually serve up great DJ mixes and whatnot. This mix is two of my favorites - DJ Rhettmatic and Guilty Simpson. Enjoy!

Eat This Mix

I'm part of a mix-cd collective this year that my HS friend adam set up. My month to send one out was January. Download the mix here - it contains lots of good tracks. A few contain lyrics that are explicit - so if you're worried about that stuff you can delete them from the list or not bother downloading this at all.

EAT THIS MIX - January 2007

Twenty from 2006

Here are 20 of the best songs I heard first in 2006. This year's been one of sing-a-longs, big arrangements, and party-fun songs. Not many of my "core" artists released noteworthy records this year, so what we've got is a year-end snapshot of my years listening. It was (as in years past) tough to bring it down to twenty, but worthwhile in the end. I'm not a critic, just a lover of good sounds so don't do that ever-so postmodern critique-the-critic thing, please? If you see a little pink star next to an album name, it's one of my favorites for the year. Lastly, the list isn't in order of greatness - rather I tried to create a nice flow for listening.

THE FILES HAVE ALL BEEN REMOVED. IF YOU GOT TO THIS LATE AND WANT TO LISTEN, POST A COMMENT AND I'LL GET IT TO YOU.

"Wolf Like Me" TV On The Radio (Return To Cookie Mountain*)
Show you what all the howlin's for
This song kicks off Return To Cookie Mountain, which I listened straight through at least 20 times last July. It took me a few listens to fully appreciate it, and now i can easily call it my favorite album of the year. But this list isn't about albums, is it? I love the thick vocals, driving drums, and distorted everything on this song - great rock production. It keeps me coming back cause it's a sinister, sexy, noisy, creepy anthem. "We're howlin' forever, oh, oh!"

"Raising the Sparks" Akron/Family (Akron/Family and Angels Of Light)
What the bachelors of old all were missing
A southern-rock stomp with hints of some kind of world music rhythmic hullabaloo. The verses are a bit on the weak side but are MORE than made up for by frenetic "Ya-da-das" and the most amazing revival-esque a capella shouting stomp. (best_drunken_party_singalong_ever.) Chris saw this live and I didn't. My kids love to run around the house when I put this on. I love to run around the house when I put this on. This album is from 2005, but the Akron/Family self titled release from 2006 is really worth listening to as well.

"Many Rivers To Cross" The Walkmen (All My Life/Many Rivers To Cross)
And I merely survive because of my pride
On a backdrop of bright cymbals, a simple rock beat, strumming acoustics and zum-zumming strings, three jets take off in the form of electric guitars to sing us the sweetest sliding riff. That's what I picture swirling around Hamilton Leithauser's head as he guts out this song. He was born to sing it, you see. The Walkmen take Harry Nilsson's cover of Jimmy Cliff's original to the next level - the music is crisper and more cinematic, the vocals more gutteral and desperate.

"Kingdom" Richard Buckner (Meadow*)
Downtown, let down
This tune is from Buckner's best record since... Since. He's brought back a bit of song structure (but not too much) and a more nuanced production technique. The VOICE is still a major draw for me, but this song in particular sports two moments where slight echoey voices swoop in like angels to back-up the main vocals. It's such a fleeting delight for me that I keep going back for that "just one more listen."

"You Don't Love Me Yet" Various Artists
Cause without you it would never do
This is some kind of Swedish art collective sing-a-long project by somebody named Johanna Billing. You can read about it here. There are lots of voices taking turns of the verses, with a troupe of them making it happen on the chorus. It's funny because when I think about this song I file it in the "feel-good" category, but the lyrics aren't so feeling good - it's that "I love you and you don't me" kind of thing again. Sway, sing along, smile, and cry.

"Did I Step On Your Trumpet" Danielson (Ships)
Good luck gettin' this!
A couple of months ago I listened to this song over and over on my train ride home, hoping to memorize it. I happened to be running on very little sleep and this song bounced me along from dream to train and dream to train that evening. Overall, a good experience. When I put it on for Emmett and ZIon they instantly fell in love too - commanding endless repeat listens. First of all, it's fun. The call and response between Daniel and the backup singers is priceless (particularly on the diversion regarding his pet parrot). Lyrically, it closes with some good advice for me this year: "Be just who you're made to be. Pappa is so mighty pleased with thee." There's also a silly video for this song that's worth watching.

"Young Folks" Peter Bjorn & John (Writer's Block*)
Usually when things has gone this far people tend to disappear
The best song from a really great record. There's a male/female back and forth thing going on here with sort-of pedestrian (but pretty) vocal stylings. It's believable too... two people negotiating a relationship, endlessly talking, oblivious of what's going on around them. I find it romantic and fun. What's more, there's a great beat and a great whistle.

"Long Distance Call" Phoenix (It's Never Been Like That)
I don't say much, but I might
Simply a great (pop) rock song - It's catchy and has great production value. The verse sections support some kind of wonderful post-beat electronic swell just before a team of electric guitars motor us into the "it's never been like that" chorus. The dynamics and all the neat little moments keep this song fresh after a ton of listens. Do yourself a favor and listen to this while driving.

"Yea Yeah" Matt & Kim (Matt & Kim)
You stole tapes and a flashlight on a summer night from my car
This song is a blast. It's the old "big drums, big keyboards, & vocals" formula - but it's more melodic and twice as fun as any Quasi song I've heard. There's a determined sort of seriousness in the vocal delivery that only serves to enhance the "yea yeah" chorus abandon. Think bobbing heads and bouncing in chairs. The video is also quite fun.

"Rehab" Amy Winehouse (Back to Black)
There's nothing you can't teach me that I can't learn from Mr. Hathaway
This contemporary soul banger is done so well you'll swear it was from the golden age. If you're not into old soul you might think you're listening to Lauryn Hill, only BADASS - perhaps that's the best description. Why aren't more people making music like this!?! There's a goofy Hot Chip remix of this song out there on the internet (if you like that sort of thing) but it's not as good as the album version I've posted here.

"Just Like We (Breakdown) (DFA Remix)" Hot Chip (Over and Over Single)
With a fist and a fall we meet with the floor
Hot Chip's The Warning is one of my favorite albums of the year, but I never wouldn't given it a chance to sink had I not heard this DFA remix. The vocal styling is a Hot Chip weird harmonizing sing-songy oddity. The beat and production are DFA brilliant - taking a sleeper track off a great album and giving it the umph-thump head-bob atmosphere that I never knew I was looking for but can't live without. For a sampling of Hot Chip sans DFA, try the title track from The Warning*.

"In The Morning (Ft. Andi Toma)" Junior Boys (So This Is Goodbye)
You don't care just take one
I'm not accustomed to describing this kind of music. It's electronic, but it's not for dancing. It's pop, but you'll never hear it on the radio. It's filled with bleeps and video game sounds but instead of shooting something I'm Imagining a pop singer from the 80's singing while looking in the camera. He's got his hair feathered back a bit and the video cuts between him and some young blond woman in a suit getting ready for her downtown professional job, primping her hair and putting on lipstick.

"Pop The Glock" Uffie (Ready To Uff 12")
Pick up the pace with your cracked-out face
This song is bad. Objectively, it's really NOT a good song - but I love it. Uffie's got a non-flow, and the lyrics are pretty stupid, particularly when she claims to "sound like Twista, fast as hell" - is this intentional comedy? BUT - the vocodor doubling of her vocals is AWESOME, the chick bravado is sexy, and the production is good. It's fun, but will I be listening to this song in 2008? I don't know... I've listened to it a documented 30+ times over the course of this year (should I have told you that!?). This song contains cuss words.

"Hopelessly Wasted" Shrag
And you scrimped and you saved what was free
The way she delivers the vocals is slightly restrained, and it's a perfect match for the atmospheric electro-pop downtempo thing that's going on behind it with its short bursts of keyboard strings. I imagine this playing out at a dance in a big warehouse - only there's not many people there, and nobody's dancing. But she's beautiful, and there's a magic in the air from the subtle guitars and repeated thum-dum of the bass and drums.

"Flight 180" Bishop Allen (April EP)
My friends, my friends, I'm coming' home
Bishop allen wrote a bunch of great songs this year - this is only one of them. It's the lyrics and vocal delivery that keep me coming back to this tune. I love the way he weaves the flight narrative together with his own thoughts and preoccupations. It reminds me of the way I think and so it strikes me as being "true" - if you know what I mean.

"Put A Penny In The Slot" Fionn Regan (The End Of History)
Her phone is ringing straight to message minder
What we've got here is a straightforward folk song with a bit of melancholy and whimsy. This isn't a new formula, but the lyrics are clever in parts and not too snooty even when Mr. Regan recommends a book by Paul Auster (for the loneliness I foster, or course!) The climax comes as a slight surprise with background vocals and a bit of banjo, a magic moment and the backdrop for a brilliant lyric: "Send out a batallion to find her."

"Rhineland (Heartland)" Beirut (Gulag Orkestar*)
Lai-de-dai, die-dee-dai-dye
It's a gypsy folk thing and somehow he pulls this off without sounding pretentious (we could argue that point, I suppose). My love for this music everything to do with its melancholy dirge-ness. I can imagine a troupe of sad-faced europeans with their dusty instruments scuffling through town playing this. I want to join them and "lai-de-die" too.

"How I Got To Memphis (Ft. Fiona Kelly)" Greg Peterson (It's Hard to Die With The Piney Wood Blues)
I haven't eaten a bite or slept for three days and nights
Greg reinterprets Tom T. Hall with the gentle sincerity that characterizes most of his work since I first met him in 1995. Fiona's vocal is a perfect match for this arrangement, which sports some rather nice atmospheric sample-sounding bits. Am I unbiased when it comes to Greg Peterson? Absolutely not! Still, it's a great song that I've listened to the whole year and you'll like it so there.

"The sun's gone dim and the sky's turned black" Johann Johannsson (12" Single)
Cause I loved here and she didn't love back
This song crept up on me late one night while i was working. That's when I tend to do the most/least focused reviewing of music. I'll tune in and out - but ocassionally something will grab me and I can hardly move. It's ambient neo-classical slightly electronic... I imagine it as a soundtrack to my commuting life, particularly when I ride the metra and the windows are green and the urban landscape and its lights fly by. It's epic and sad and beautiful.

"Everybody's Gotta Live" Love & Arthur Lee
I think you know the reason why
I happened upon this song just after Arthur Lee's death. There's a beauty in the sing-along feel-good nature of this tune and the sparseness of the recording. I've done a little bit of searching to find other songs by Lee with this same aesthetic and I've come up broke. I imagine myself pulling out the guitar during a stressful work meeting and busting out this tune. We'd all sing along, of course - swaying slightly and holding hands during the chorus.

Honorable Mention Mixtape:

"Chrome Mix" Peanut Butter Wolf (Mixtape)
Too many wannabees S (dot) Carter
I listened to quite few hip-hop mixtapes this year, but this was a stand-out. The original version of this mix had two low-points for me, but I edited them out so it's 16 minutes of 100% gold. All the best of hip-hop represented here - but no chart toppers. Quasimoto, Madvillain, Jaylib, and others. This mix contains cuss words.

Twenty From 2005

What follows are my 20 most favorite songs that I heard first in 2005. I did a list like this last year too. I'm not a writer or a critic, and I tend to ramble a bit. My goal was to tell a little bit about why a certain song was chosen - to give you an idea what I was thinking. If the album the song is from is a favorite of mine you'll see a little pink asterisk next to the album name.

As of January 24th 2006, all links to music files have been removed from this post. The early bird catches the worm, eh?

The Beast And Dragon, Adored / Spoon (Gimme Fiction*)
I got to believe it come from rock and roll.
Had this been a top 50 list, half the songs on Gimme Fiction would've made it. I settled on this one because of the thick mood, big drums, the tenor of Brit Daniel's voice, phrases like "I've been watchin my friends move away" and the dirty lead guitar cut-ins. This song is completely amazing rock and roll. Uh huh, all-right!

I'll Believe In Anything / Wolf Parade (Apologies To The Queen Mary*)
I'd share a life and you'd share a life.
Big and Loud. I love the way it starts out - carried by the vocals and guitar & driven by the drums. Around 2:25 it fills in and gets really huge and dense. I'm not sure what this song means but the emotional build and sense of drama is incredible.

Beat Connection / LCD Soundsystem (LCD Soundsystem*)
Everybody here's afraid of fun.
Dance-tastic. LCD Soundsystem opened their set at The Metro with this song which (until that point) was never one of my favorites. The energy of that performance was like nothing i've experienced. I hear it in a different way now - and I LOVE it.

Positive Tension (Jason Clark Of Pretty Girls Make Graves Remix) / Bloc Party (Silent Alarm [Remixed])
Something glorious is about to happen.
I bought Silent Alarm on recommendation and never really connected with it. Some months later [Remixed] came out and I downloaded a number of tracks from the mp3 blogs. This track outshines the album version - without it I would've never revisited the Silent Alarm and realized how great it was. More on that later. x

Multiply / Jamie Lidell (Multiply)
I'm so tired of repeatin' myself.
Head bobbin' soul that's so completely soulful it's difficult to believe that it was created in this century, let alone in the past year.

This Will Never Happen / Herman Düne (Not On Top*)
What's the matter baby? Ahh, Whatever you want.
Folk story-song - an excellent soundtrack to driving or walking. The glut of words and slight humor make David Ivar's lyrical flow irresistable for me. It's all brought together with a catchy melody in the chorus - making this one of the feel good-ing-est songs of the year.

Wraith Pinned To The Mist And Other Games / Of Montreal (The Sunlandic Twins)
Too lovely to be true.
This IS the feel good-ing-est song of the year. The joyful absurdity of the lyrics, bumble bumble bass and stereophonic production make this tune the aural equivalent to Jolly Ranchers and chewy Sprees. Reminds me occasionally of "Nothing But Flowers" but that can't be bad.

The Greatest / Cat Power (The Greatest)
Melt me down.
OMG I love Chan Marshall. Beautiful, Beautiful, Beautiful. Looking forward to the rest of this album next year.

Lottery / Damien Jurado (On My Way To Absence)
It's popular with the disco dancers.
If Rosie Thomas weren't singing on this song it wouldn't have made it to the list. Damien's writing is as good as ever, but it's Rosies harmonies that deliver the shiver-factor that sustains (even demands) repeat listens.

The Predatory Wasp Of The Palisades Is Out To Get Us! / Sufjan Stevens (Come On Feel The Illinoise!*)
Though we have sparred, wrestled and raged.
There are so many great songs on Illinois, but this one stands out for me. The writing is excellent. The arrangement is big and small and swirling and peaceful just in the right parts. The best Sufjan songs make me cry a little and smile and hit rewind at the last note. My words can't do it justice.

Cha Ching / Lady Sovereign (Vertically Challenged)
I never go hungry due to the beats I eat.
Fun and grimey. Miss Sovereign's incredible flow is perfectly paired with jaggedy hard hitting beats. I keep waiting to get tired of this song. Not yet!

Sofa King + The Mask / Danger Doom (The Mouse And The Mask*)
No speak with the english, I only do the math.
I'm sort of cheating here. This is actually two songs - but for me they create a musical dyptich, each song suffering when seperated from the other. MF Doom is inventive and funny and ridiculous, with a matter-of-fact kind of flow. Dangermouse's production keeps the fun going, and I'm left with a smile on my face. Ghostface ain't bad with his appearance on "The Mask." My favorite Hip-Hop record of the year.

For Real / Okkervil River (Black Sheep Boy)
Some nights the blood from real cuts feels real nice.
There's a "spooky" nature to these lyrics that would normally turn me off, but it doesn't. Must be the repetition of the words "real" and "really" and the energy and momentum of the musical arrangement.

This Modern Love / Bloc Party (Silent Alarm*)
I've never known what's good for me.
Hard to pick a favorite from this record - which did pretty much nothing for me the first 4 times I heard it. Now I can listen to these songs over and over and rather than getting tired of them my desire only increases. "This Modern Love" has it all: dynamics, catchy phrases, call and response, momentum, fantastic melodies and big "la-la" backround vocals. Another great driving/walking tune.

Spirit / The Clientele (Strange Geometry*)
We went for a drink, we went for a drive.
It was the first evening snow this year when I experienced this song in the right environment. I kept rewinding and rewinding to get more of it. There's something old and something new here. A walking song, no doubt. The way he sings "I've got the spirit" is so assertive in contrast to the verses. It's also, appropriately, fleeting.

Windsurfing Nation / Broken Social Scene (Broken Social Scene)
All they want is a free ride.
The BSS performance at Intonation Festival this summer was my favorite of that day - and in a way it prepared me for the dense, noisy production of this record. This song is way less melodic than some of the others, but it's more fun. Perhaps it doesn't work as well out of album context - I just love the drums and the repeated anthem.

Dot Eye / Sam Prekop (Who's Your New Professor*)
The less I know, the better.
What you'd expect from Mr. Prekop, I suppose - but it's SO well done. The interplay of the instruments and the overlapping repetition of the vocal melody is really rich, and the recording itself is warm and inviting. Fall asleep music, if you like sleeping with the music on.

Ignition (live) / Bonnie 'Prince' Billy
When I hear you say...
This song transcends novelty and asserts its greatness. Could be because Will picks a solid song to start with. The lyrics are totally ridiculous, but theres a hook here... Maybe I'm all wrong about this. You decide. There's got to be a reason i've listened to this song over 20 times in the past 5 months. There's just GOT to be... x

Bandit / Neil Young (Greendale)
Bob Dylan said that, something like that.
I'm not in the habit of following the current releases of artists like Neil Young. However, I'm glad this song got posted to STG this year - because it's really good. It's a talk-folk story song, the kind that usually get old to me after a few listens. Neil gets over that hump with a really good melodic chorus, a bunch of cliches, and a really good rambling delivery that uses a lot of repetition. Maybe I should be paying closer attention to Neil... nah.

Sing Me Spanish Techno / New Pornographers (Twin Cinema*)
I wanna crash here right now.
Great pop rock from a great pop rock record. A.C. Newman brings the caliber of songwriting from last year's solo release back to the New Pornographers for an album that really is as good as everyone says. Good for dancing.

When We Were In Love

At one point in time I was completely infatuated with every song linked up below. The kind of obsession that begs for repeated repeated repeated listens. That's not the only thing they have in common. In recent years, every one of these artists (who have been a main course of my music diet) released records that i just can't connect with. I'll elaborate on each track.

Riding / Palace Brothers  1993
This song won me over to WIll Oldham completely. I first heard There is No-One What Will Take Care of You in the winter of 1996 during a record buying trip to Minneapolis. My friend James Guthrie bought this record and Arise Therefore - when we listened to it i couldn't believe what i was hearing. Will's last couple of projects - the "best of" thing, the upcoming "live" deal, "superwolf"... they're just not as compelling to me as earlier work. I've not written him off. Will - i'm happy to wait - please take your time and release something really good, will you?

The Biggest Lie / Elliott Smith  1997
Saw Elliott in Iowa City with Greg Peterson right after Either/Or was released. It was a really magical show. I must've played this record (ST) over a hundred times in my dorm room. Elliott started losing me with the pop production that started after Either/Or. Bummer.

Forcefield / Beck  1994
One Foot in The Grave urged me to take folk music seriously during a time of my life when i was still listening to Tool and Alice In Chains. This song and the record as a whole were a soundtrack to countless drives and bike rides. Where has this Beck gone? I was halfway liking Sea Change but i'm completely missing the point now.

Violence / Low  1995
I never thought i'd get tired of Low. I have. There's just so much you can do with this aesthetic and still be the same band. Wow, what a run. This song is so silky and rich. Aaaaahhhh....

Sporting Life / The Sea And Cake  1997
The Fawn was a soundtrack for a whole summer of card games. I still get shivers when i hear this opening notes to this track. While Sam Prekop's most recent Who's Your New Professor is incredible, The Sea And Cake lost momentum.

The Taut And Tame / Tortoise  1996
Driving, painting, walking, thinking, cooking. This song is good for everything. Tortoise, I love you. I kept waiting for this band to let me down and it finally happened with It's All Around You. Their last show at Lounge Axe was one of the most exciting things i've ever seen.

Daved And Awake / Aerial M  1997
David Pajo's Aerial M turned Papa M, is everything i wanted from music from 1997-2000. I was doing a lot of painting at that time, and this type of music formed a timeless vortex for me to work through the night without realizing it. My dub of this from Greg got flipped and re-flipped in the deck so many times that it wore out. I enjoyed Whatever Mortal - so it's not the singing that's put him out with me - just a nagging feeling that he has a real sense of self-importance that's seeping into the music.

The Seasons Reverse / Gastr Del Sol  1998
I'm calling this one David Grubbs. I've listened to this a million times. I still love it. David, why can't you wow me a bit and do something different nowadays? P.S. I still love you.

June 18, 1976 / Pedro The Lion  2000
I love the sound of this tune - the production, the lyrics, vocals... everything about it. It shimmers. I've still got hope for his return to something less... boring. David, why you so depressed and aloof?

Lioness / Songs: Ohia / The Lioness  2000
Jason Molina has always been a bit hit-and-miss for me, but there was a period of time when his music was consistently engaging. This record is dark and lovely. However, Jason seems to suffer from the self-importance syndrome that has gotten to many of the singer-songwriters in this list. Last two records... Boring. Sorry, Jason - it's true.

Roll / Richard Buckner  1997
When i first saw him at Schubas, i was glad to finally know that i'm not the only rabid Richard Buckner fan. There are a whole lot of them. Unfortunately, none of my friends share my great love for his country style. Devotion + Doubt and Since were sooooooo good to me, but it's been a downhill ride from there. Dents and Shells isn't BAD, i just don't ever feel like listening to it.

Hollywood / Simon Joyner  1995
Omaha's Finest. Nobody can make music this gutteral forever, we all get old. It's not your fault, Simon.

Hope you enjoy these as much as i do.

Twenty from 2004

To end this blog i've chosen to feature the 20 best songs i've heard for the first time this year. I started this blog last year with a list of 10 songs i made in November of 2002 - representing what "good music" was to me. You can view that list here if you missed it (the mp3s are no longer linked up, but the list, descriptions, and reasoning are pretty good).

Most of these songs were released in 2003 and 2004 - a few are older than that. Roughly half of them have already been posted on this blog. They are listed in order of discovery (but it's hard to remember everything). Trimming of this list got difficult at 35 songs... but i've settled on these - here goes:

01. The Rapture "House Of Jealous Lovers (album version)" Echoes (2003) Initially I wasn't sure why so many critics seemed impressed with this album. After repeated listening, it sounds better and better to me. I'm curious to see if The Rapture can follow this record up with anything half as good - my guess is that it'll be at least decent if they the DFA keep producing it.

02. Air "Venus" Talkie Walkie (2004) I heard the track "Run" off of a blog before i got the full record, but after nearly a year of listening "Venus" has risen to the top as my favorite from this album - and a favorite of the year.

03. Sufjan Stevens "He Woke Me Up Again" Seven Swans (2004) Between this record and Michigan, i could have chosen six or seven favorites from this year. This song continues to be a favorite... the banjo, the dynamics, the lyrics - the whole thing. i love it.

04. Dntel "Evan and Chan (Barbara Morgenstern Remix)" (This Is) The Dream of Evan and Chan EP (2002) Ben Gibbard and Dntel's collaboration before 'The Postal Service' came on Dntel's full length Life is Full of Possibilities - that song was then remixed by several other folks and released on a single/ep. The addition of the female vocal on this remix adds a variation that the original album track was missing.

05. Greg Peterson "Mini-Series" Spring Waits Brightly (2004) Friend or no, Greg writes a good tune. Solid country-folk love-lost goodness from a record that would've made a best albums of 2004 list if i'd have made one. Refreshingly honest and clever.

06. Iron & Wine "Naked As We Came" Our Endless Numbered Days (2004) Sam Beam writes beautiful quiet songs that beg to be heard over and over again. What a gorgeous tune!

07. American Analog Set "Hard to Find" Promise Of Love (2003) If i was in a band right now i would probably be attempting to sound just like this record. It continues to grow on me after nearly after 9 months of regular repeated listening.

08. Komeda "Blossom (got to get it out)" Kokomemedada (2003) Something about the chick's voice and the jangly feel-good tune keeps me listening long after i should be tired of this song. Not to mention the call and response that get's started about halfway through. Good for dancing!

09. Sun Kil Moon "Carry Me Ohio" Ghosts of The Great Highway (2003) I can't believe this song never got posted this year. Mark Kozelek (red house painter's) formed a new band and made a really great record. I have a great desire to sing along to this song but an extremely difficult time making out the words. Usually, this pisses me off - but i can disregard that here. This has been a big part of the soundtrack to my year.

10. The Shins "New Slang" Oh, Inverted World (2001) After getting completely hooked on 2003's Chutes Too Narrow it was time for me to give serious listening time to their 2001 release. There are a couple of stupid lyrics in this song that cause me to cock my head each time i listen. "And bleed into their buns" ???? - I forgive you, shins.

11. Frou Frou "Let Go" Details (2002) I would've never heard this if not for the trailer to the movie "Garden State" - the soundtrack to which also has "New Slang" (#10 on this list) on it. The rest of the album is weak, but this song has made its way on many of the mix CDs i've made this year. Atmospheric abandon.

12. William Bell "I Forgot To Be Your Lover" (1968) Gosh, i just got enamored with this song after hearing it on the "soul-sides" blog earlier this year. It catipulted me into a relatively short-lived search for other good-sounding soul music. In the end, this song and a few others were all that made it into my day-to-day listening routine.

13. Sia "Breathe Me (Four Tet Remix)" (2004) The allure of this song is a mystery to me. It's sexy and i like the music. Not sure why i left this out of an earlier feature on Four Tet remixes. Did i mention that this song is sexy?

14. A.C. Newman "Miracle Drug" The Slow Wonder (2004) File this under pavement-esque catchy rock tune. Good to the last drop pop-rock from The New Pornographers frontman - and I like this solo record better than anything that band's done.

15. A Silver Mt. Zion / Max Richter "Built Then Burnt / On The Nature Of Daylight" Born Into Trouble As The Sparks Fly Upward / The Blue Notebooks (2001/2004) I made the connection and overlap of these songs earlier this year, and i've been playing it quite a bit since then. I know that technically it's not one song, but in my mind it's become that way. Richter's The Blue Notebooks is a must have neo-classical record from 2004.

16. Deerhoof "Panda Panda Panda" Apple O' (2003) I'm a late-coming fan of Deerhoof, and i'm not sure why this is my favorite song out of the three records i now own - it just is. That being said, there are about 10 Deerhoof songs could've made it on this list.

17. The Foreign Exchange "Raw Life" Connected (2004) From my favorite hip-hop record of the year (i've still yet to hear MadVillany and The Grind Date). I originally posted two other tracks from this record, but this song has risen to the top as my favorite. I particularly like the moment where the music gets all thin and then kicks back in (2:36-2:58). Thanks to the digital age, these kind of overseas collaborations are possible - in this case, before the two artists ever meet face to face! x

18. The Arcade Fire "Une Année Sans Lumiere" Funeral (2004) I'd like to post nearly every song on this album - It's the best record i've heard this year. Choosing a track to post ended up being kind of arbitrary - but this is one of my most favorites. One reason: the "whoo" at 1:50. Buy this record if you know what's good for you.

19. Brad Kilman "Like A Flood" Clouds Are Forming (2004) Don Chaffer produced this record, what i consider to be the foremost praise and worship album of the past 3 years. Is it possible for the Spirit of Christ to inhabit a recorded song of praise? I think it happens here.

20. LCD Soundsystem "Movement" Movement 7" (2004) Hot Hot Hot. There's an immediacy in this song that causes me to hold my breath a bit - and i like it. I like it a lot.

These'll be up through January. Goodbye! Thanks for coming!