Who Who and What What

Slacked

2007-11-15T20:52:00.000-07:00

I have. O so. In attempts to apologize here is a cornucopia of fine tunage. (Of course that is what I should have been doing in the first place so, really I am only delivering what was already promised.)

Dequette Johnson -- Babies and Diamonds

Kate Tucker and the Sons of Sweden -- Everything Went Down

Sigur Ros -- Hljomalind

Dean & Britta -- Singer Sing

The Black Keys -- When the Lights Go Down

Summer's Cool Breeze

2007-06-10T20:19:00.000-06:00

Summer is always a favorite time to sit and enjoy...time. From the lackadaisical feel that permeates the air, to the warm breeze, or whatever else poetic about summer you want to toss in the mix. Whatever is said about it, there is a welcomed slower pace to the longer days. This makes it an ideal setting for some meandering, thought provoking tempos. And many of these songs are coming from bearded one man bands, and a girl.

Iron and Wine

Trapeze Swinger

And a few new ones from his upcoming album, The Shepherd's Dog, out in September. This is from a concert recorded at the Live at the Pabst Theater 2.8.07.Ressurection Fern

Bonnie 'Prince' Billy

Lay and Love

Love Comes To Me

He also does some great Dylan covers...Senor in particular.

Smog

Alright...no beard....but still, can Billy C. honestly be left off the list of thought provoking, easy going songs? nope.

Drinking at the Dam

Joanna Newsom

A rerecorded favorite...Clam, Crab, Cockle, Cowrie

When Adults Cry

2007-05-25T09:42:00.001-06:00

I was just browsing along, minding my own cyber-business, when I checked a news website. Out of the blue I am bombarded with pictures of just born lion cubs. But these cubs are different...they're white. As I was looking at them, nostalgia lumped up in my throat, and I found myself humming an ancient but powerful butt-rock ballad. One that offers the pang of what could have, nay, should have been.

Six Organs of Admittance

2007-05-23T07:32:00.000-06:00

I am a fan of fine guitar-based music. Hot, cold, covered in curry or salsa, baked, or fried, it matters very little to me. Just serve it up in a bounteous cornucopia so I may never be satiated.

Saint Cloud

Torn By Wolves (linked with a hearty thanks from thepunkguy.com)

Song O' the Week

2007-04-23T19:16:00.000-06:00

Sandstorms -- Viking Moses

Perfect.

Going on the ol' mix for damn sure. But I couldn't wait to share.

Grand Archives

2007-04-03T21:21:00.000-06:00

Seattle-based Archives is a new band including Mat Brooke, ex-member of Band of Horses. This is a wise move for Mat as Band of Horses, while critically acclaimed and oft times catchy, seem like a poor man's My Morning Jacket.

Grand Archives feature four singers, and while that may seem a bit excessive, I contend that there aren't many bands that have the option of dropping their instruments and breaking into a stunning rendition of Coney Island Baby; the only thing they're lacking is the thick handlebar mustaches.

(If these downloads don't work, you can get them off their myspace page.)

Sleepdriving

George Kaminsky

The Six Parts Seven

2007-03-12T09:59:00.000-06:00

Heare ye...

Yes, they have been around awhile. Their latest offering, Casually Smashed to Pieces, shines with the shiny sheen of a blackoil-polished war shield, also prominently featured in the cover art.

Unlike most purely instrumental bands, the Six Parts Seven avoid the old "lure 'em in with silence, then crescendo to mayhem" scheme a-la Mogwai, Silver Mount Zion, Explosions in the Sky (all of whom I enjoy as well).

I am simply satisfied that the pedal lap steel comes forth more prominently on this album.

A page of free downloads from Suicide Squeeze

Behold

2007-03-08T19:07:00.000-07:00

These are good songs. For some I haven't yet put forth the effort needed to delving deeper or, metaphorically speaking, I have yet to spelunk their musical cave to potentially unearth any other gems.

Sadly, for others this is the only shining nugget we're getting, and the weeding process was a bit painful. But I am a firm believer, that every band has at least one good song in them...and by "every band" I really only mean "many"--many bands have at least one good song in them....some, I mean some.

But for the most part these songs fit in the category of the former, not the latter.

Ferris Wheel--Carlon

Will the Violins Be Playing?--The Last Days of April

That Summer, At Home I Had Become the Invisible Boy--The Twilight Sad

The Loving Sounds of Static--Mobius Band

Dustbowl--Horse Feathers

Stadiums And Shrines II--Sunset Rubdown

A Sign of Life--Kunek

Radical Face

2007-03-06T22:26:00.000-07:00

Ben Cooper is perhaps the most talented man recording in the shed behind his parents house.

Glory

Welcome Home

Wrapped in Piano Strings

These songs will be on an album called Ghost (Dig) due out March 20th. If these songs are any inkling of what is next, then a round of a billowing huzzahs are in tall order.

He also recorded with Alex Kane, and went by the Electric Presidents, another fine band.