Hiatus

Hey, readers! I'm currently enrolled in a bunch of summer classes and I have a bunch of other stuff to do so I'm going to be putting this blog into hiatus-land. I will still be on my "add an album a day" plan, so if all of my album submitters want to keep giving me stuff I'd love that. Maybe I'll do weekly summaries or something, and I do plan to start this back up when I get more time, but thanks everyone for your contributions and I hope you'll come back when I'm ready to get this going again.

June 26, 2010: Gatsbys American Dream

Artist: Gatsbys American Dream
Album: Volcano
Year: 2005

Gatsbys American Dream is a band that is remarkably tough to define. Alternative, progressive rock, indie rock, post-hardcore, experimental, indie pop - pick what you want. This album, however, is just fantastic. "Theatre" is an incredible opener, and the album never relents after. Highlights include the romp "A Mind Of Metal And Wheels", the Lord of the Flies homage "Fable", the stellar "Shhhhhh! I'm Listening To Reason" and the catchy "The Giant's Drink". Highly, highly recommended, as this is a remarkably creative album that is incredibly catchy.

Hear it for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6TBSe9s4QE

June 25, 2010: BLK JKS

Artist: BLK JKS
Album: Zol! [EP]
Year: 2010

More great groundbreaking stuff from BLK JKS. This is actually the first EP we've done so far, so that's pretty groundbreaking as well. Opener "Iietys" is pretty straightforward for a prog-rock act, but driven by strong percussion and always lively, and, hell, pretty danceable. "Bogobe" is distant and drenched in reverb, while title track "Zol!" is triumphant and celebratory in tone and is a real highlight. It's very... soccer, not surprising consider the band's roots and home in conjunction with the World Cup in Africa. "Paradise" is the most natural song on the album for the act, displaying the heroics they are known for. A good teaser, and hopefully they'll get another full-length out for us soon enough.

Hear it for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8PPBYO6qVc

June 24, 2010: Sam Phillips

Artist: Sam Phillips
Album: Cruel Inventions
Year: 1991

Man, this album is all over the place. Opener "Lying" sounds like a straightforward alt-rock tune until a flurry of strings kick in half-way through into an off-beat guitar solo, then a chamberlain takes over while the rest of the instruments slowly return behind Phillips' syrupy alto. Then, just as unexpectedly, "Go Down" emerges, a dark folk-pop tune with yes, off-beat acoustic guitars, other stringed instruments, and yes, more chamberlain. The only thing constant throughout Cruel Inventions is Phillips' sweet croon, but it's constant enough to keep the album from losing focus. Some more highlights are the bare "Tripping Over Gravity" and "Private Storm", and the excellent closer "Where The Colors Don't Go".

Hear it for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Koh-wPyQvA

June 23, 2010: Alien Ant Farm

Artist: Alien Ant Farm
Album: TruANT
Year: 2003

While not as good as major label debut ANThology, Alien Ant Farm's sophomore release is no slump. Opener "A 1000 Days" pulls the trigger with the immediacy that made their debut so entrancing, and you can bet that it's catchy. However, TruANT is more hit-or-miss than it's predecessor. "Glow" is another highlight, a bit less heavy and a dash more ethnic, and "These Days" could have been a highlight on their debut and certainly is here. More highlights include the jittery "Sarah Wynn", "Tia Lupe", which sounds like an extension of "Glow" featuring, of course, Mariachi trumpets in the chorus. "Rubber Mallet" seems like another song that could fit on the debut, while closer "Hope" is sincere and poignant and caps off a great album. Highly recommended.

Hear it for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNcRS58X8_Q

June 22, 2010: Aerosmith

Artist: Aerosmith
Album: Get A Grip
Year: 1993

Dude, this is a classic. I mean, come on. "Crazy", "Cryin'", "Amazing", "Livin' On The Edge". Do I have to say more? It's a classic.

Hear it for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfNmyxV2Ncw

June 21, 2010: Maps And Atlases

Artist: Maps And Atlases
Album: Perch Patchwork
Year: 2010

I was completely unprepared for this album. I have always liked the Chicago math-rock band, following them from their first two EPs on Sargent House, but with this release the band has veered straight into indie-pop territory. As intro "Will" dies down into the clanging "The Charm", vocalist Dave Davison strikes the first lyrics of the album, delivered honestly and with a smile: "I don't think there is a sound that I hate more / then the sound of your voice". The incredible percussion section that drives the band clangs on until suddenly you're being assaulted completely by rhythm as Davison repeats and cries for your attention. "Solid Ground" is an immediate highlight, and while this album loses some of the math that made me love the band, the wonderful percussion, musicianship, and almost mathily-laid harmonies sold me on this release. "Isreali Caves" is downright pretty, "Banished Be Cavalier" is complex and intricate but somehow simple in gorgeousness; "Carry The Wet Wood" is probably the most like their earlier work and is wonderful. In fact, the back end of the album is deliciously intricate in this style, though the musicianship is more for the sake of harmony then for it's own sake now. Which, in my book, is an improvement. Just check out the deliriously fun "Pigeon", a fun sing-along pop track that somehow works in the 100mph finger-tapped guitars that this band is loved for. The album closes with the gorgeous title track, eventually ending in thick intricate vocal waves. Don't pass this one up.

Hear it for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFMMstpu8dw

June 20, 2010: Radiohead

Artist: Radiohead
Album: Hail To The Thief
Year: 2003

Hail To The Thief might not be the most critically acclaimed Radiohead album, but after some time it's emerged as my favorite. Sorry, OK Computer, but Yorke's incessant neuroticism and end of the world divinations reach a climax on this album. The album starts with mounting feedback and then a dark guitar line bouncing around electronic blips and drum clicks as Yorke wails about how "two and two always makes a five", ripping a page right out of Orwell's 1984. Radiohead continues this mesmerizing, gazy brooding throughout the first four tracks before launching into the rocker "Go To Sleep". "I Will" might just be as sober as "Exit Music (For A Film)" on OK. "We Suck Young Blood" might be the darkest song in Radiohead's catalog, while "A Punchup At A Wedding" has an absolutely funky bassline that drives the song. Classic Radiohead; highlights are the spectacular "There There" and the piercing "Scatterbrain". A great album that works wonders a study album for me, with Yorke pulling at your subconscious and the music rhythmic and entrancing. Highly recommended.

Hear it for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vs1DX32t38c

June 19, 2010: 1997

Artist: 1997
Album: Notes From Underground
Year: 2009

I had always liked 1997 for their quirky pop, and though their sophomore release On The Run never stuck to me like their debut, junior release Notes From Underground easily surpasses anything else they'd done. The songwriting isn't as cute as it used to be, but where it's lost it's charm in sugar it has gained charm in depth, sharper songwriting and consistency. Even their debut ... A Better View Of The Rising Moon only had three or four truly memorable songs, while Notes From Underground is both musically diverse and completely solid from start to finish. The earnest opener "#1" opens the album eerily before breaking into a very good but not particularly surprising 1997 track, but it's the next track where things get crazy. "Hold Yr Breath" is almost an alt-country tune, maybe alt-country superimposed on other versatile songwriting structures all composed into one (the way the song breaks down near the halfway mark is brilliant, almost going straight into 70's pop near the end, then being pulled into that old Victory sound and just clearing away to the finish). Stand-outs continue from here on in, with the dynamic "Sympathy For The Living", the brilliantly building "Falling Down" in which vocal lines are piled onto each other slowly until the song explodes and takes you with it, the wonderfully executed "Wolf + Sheep" the Bright Eyes-esque "A Fruitless Year", the poppy "A Fearless Heart"... It just never relents. "Candle" is a swan song for any band on the road; "Pagan Melodies" switches perfectly between scathing and pretty; however, closing track "#3" brings the album to a close with a wonderful solo track by new co-lead singer Arthi Meera. A shame this band broke up recently, but at least they left us one real gem before they went.

Hear it for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btsLn0O2VqU

June 18, 2010: MGMT

Artist: MGMT
Album: Congratulations
Year: 2010

Considering how much debut Oracular Spectacular was a criticism of pop culture as well as what entails "mainstream success", the band suffered the ultimate irony as they burst onto radio and broke through effortlessly with a certain, quirky platform of experimental and gazy pop. In many ways, Congratulations is meta-humor at it's finest; the album title acknowledges this irony, and what it contains is a backlash of MGMT submerging even deeper into their influences. Opener "It's Working" is fine surf-pop laden with hooks, "Song For Dan Treacy" haunts away with layered synths and a rollicking beat. "Flash Delirium" is half-frenzy and half-pop gem; perhaps the best summary of this album. Whereas on Oracular, different songs exhibited different influences, Flash Delirium pushes them all together, satisfying fans of MGMT's former work without pushing their limits - while polarizing casual fans of their singles. Congratulations indeed.

Hear it for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koXkdpcI7W0&feature=fvst

June 17, 2010: The Sundays

Artist: The Sundays
Album: Static And Silence
Year: 1997

The Sundays make some very enjoyable pop music. Soft, focused, and gentle, Harriet Wheeler and her Brits craft easy to listen to, pleasant and smooth tunes that'll either get stuck in your head or pass the time. You'll probably recognize opener "Summertime", and if you don't you will after you listen to it. The highlights are pretty obvious to recognize: the soft "Homeward", the gentle yet something-under-the-surface feeling of "Folk Song", the smooth "I Can't Wait". The album does not get weak near the end as many pop albums do; both "Your Eyes" and "So Much" are great tracks that keep the album feeling full and vibrant. If you like pop music, this album's for you.

Hear it for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwuGRSD5Ngk

June 16, 2010: The Academy Is...

Artist: The Academy Is...
Album: Almost Here
Year: 2005

Out of that whole mess of pop-punk, second wave "emo" bands (or whatever they're called), The Academy Is... might have been the most pop-minded. Will Beckett and company craft something that mixes the intensity of dynamism of that flurry in the new millennium with the 90's alternative that made it possible in the first place. Opener "Attention" comes about as a pop song, but quickly rollicks into the smooth alternative pop-punk that the band is famous for. There is something very smooth about the band in general, which contrasts very well with the frenetic pace of their B verses and choruses; see "Slow Down" for a great example of this, how the first verses are silky and quickly grow coarse as Beckett takes over the song with his immediate tone and controlled but anxious delivery. "Season" takes jaunty verses and then blasts into a well-written, tongue-in-cheek singalong chorus of "so show me something we haven't heard yet". The album's pace is deliberate and never sticks around too long, punching you with hooky choruses and frantic confessions over and over. "Black Mamba" is another highlight, falling more on the punk-pop side, but throwing in acoustic guitars played fast for good measure. The pacing of the album makes every song a highlight, really, as these ten tracks are very deliberately chosen to offer something different to the table. "Skeptics And True Believers" grows in immediacy from front-to-back, "Classifieds" is another tongue-in-cheek song about the industry that is silky smooth, "Checkmarks" takes "Black Mamba" to a harder edge where Will shows more of his dynamic delivery. "Down And Out" is a slow, change-of-pace nearing the end track, but Beckett doesn't exchange speed for sap and the delivery remains immediate and intense and remarkably clever. Closer "Almost Home" ends the album in summary, frantic and rushed and bare but missing the smoothness, showing Beckett at the end of his patience until a coda near the finish ends the album much like how it began: clever, smooth, immediate, and pop-minded. An incredibly solid album and a clinic in how to write great pop-punk. I'd personally nominate Beckett one of the best frontmen of this genre; he has a talent for pulling you right in with his smooth and dynamic vocals. Highly recommended.

Hear it for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zLkB2U_hwI

June 15, 2010: "Weird Al" Yankovic

Artist: "Weird Al" Yankovic
Album: Running With Scissors
Year: 1999

Kimberly brings the heat. True fact: he was my first concert back when I was ten or something, and that is something I will never regret. Man knows how to entertain. "The Saga Begins", "Jerry Springer", "Germs", classic "Your Horoscope For Today", "It's All About The Pentiums"... come, relive what should have been your childhood.

Hear it for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIPay8ryydk

June 14, 2010: Blitzen Trapper

Artist: Blitzen Trapper
Album: Destroyer Of The Void
Year: 2010

Destroyer Of The Void is Ziggy Stardust re-imagined by the current indie-pop scene. Before this album, Blitzen Trapper had their Byrdsy roots but took more from The Band than from Bowie; Destroyer is decidedly more glossy and glamorous, sugared in soundscape and mired in fuzz. The album's title track opener starts this off with a six-minute romp that's halfway "Space Oddity" and halfway that infamous four-song sequence near the end of Abbey Road. "Laughing Lover" shows off their contemporary edge, sounding something like a theatre group covering The Shins; "Below The Hurricane" could have been written by Neil Young. The influences are all over the album, and the sound that results is comfortable, familiar but inventive, and has a habit of sticking to you ear. The composition and songwriting is top-notch, managing to be technical without being self-indulgent and dynamic without being predictable. Some more highlights are the Dylan-esque "The Man Who Would Speak True", the clever "Dragon's Song" and the sincere "The Tree". Highly recommended.

Hear it for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiaivHA02Zc

June 13, 2010: Staind

Artist: Staind
Album: Dysfunction
Year: 1999

Alternative metal bands have a tendency to write a really good major label debut and then go on a downward trend, and Staind is no exception to this. Good news is that Dysfunction is worth what would happen to the band in their later career; it's painful, angsty, heavy, all without compromise. Opener "Suffocate" starts strong and the album never relents until the hidden track "Excess Baggage". Key tracks: "Just Go", "Home", Mudshovel", "Spleen".

Hear it for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tb7X5stZU6w

June 12, 2010: Iron And Wine

Artist: Iron And Wine
Album: Our Endless Numbered Days
Year: 2004

Without a doubt in my personal top five albums of all time with Have One On Me, Illinois, Sunsets And Carcrashes, Our Endless Numbered Days is the ultimate indie-folk album and an absolutely necessity to any music collection. Sam Beam's broad and gentle finger picking under his perfectly harmonious voice (and beautifully combined by his haunting and hushed sister who sings on a handful of tracks) is a soothing marvel and leads the way in what some would call "chill" music. The album is a modern day Mona Lisa, a testament to beauty in music. Beam experiments all around the album as well, such as the folksy "Teeth In The Grass" and the dark "Free Until They Cut Me Down"; however, while these tracks are incredibly solid and add great changes of pace, the highlights of the album are Sam writing wonderfully sincere and gorgeous ballads: the thematic "Naked As We Came", the sincere "Love And Some Verses" (which openers with one of my favorite lines in a song ever: "Love is a dress that you made long / To hide your knees"), the minimal "Radio War", the comforting "Each Coming Night", the drifting and poignant "Fever Dream". However, Beam saves the best for last with a song I could only describe as perfect: "Passing Afternoon". This is, without a doubt, my favorite song of all time. No question. If I could only hear one song for the rest of my life, this would be it. Highly, highly recommended.

Hear it for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGPzyGIaw0E

June 11, 2010: Dan Black

Artist: Dan Black
Album: UN
Year: 2009

I don't think it's a big surprise if I say that UK folks know how to write good pop music. Dan Black's UN is a decent starting place for this, and the album goes for broke when it comes to bombast. Opener "Symphonies" was built for radio play and works as such, but the rest of the album is where his influences shine. "U + Me =" is a drone track that features the fun instrumental flurries of the current British indie-pop scene mixed in with some Kyle Andrews-esque fun. In fact, this album made me think of Andrews a lot, but Black is versatile enough to balance his influences: the experimental funk of "Alone", the tongue-in-cheek sincerity of "Cocoon". "Yours" could have been penned by Dan Keyes; the album is a swirl of influences that differentiate enough to make an original and enjoyable product. You might hear some Vampire Weekend ("U + Me =") or some The Cure at one moment, and suddenly the electronic chirps are directly Radiohead in nature and Black pushes a funky croon that draws you in ("Wonder", "Alone"). More highlights: "Life Slash Dreams", and excellent closer "Let Go".

Hear it for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYxly14v5do&feature=related

June 10, 2010: Patty Griffin

Artist: Patty Griffin
Album: Impossible Dream
Year: 2004

I'm not going to pretend I came from a music scene I didn't: it was Bright Eyes' stellar I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning that got me into Emmylou Harris, and Harris that got me into this contemporary folk scene or alt-country scene or whatever you guys call it. I wasn't all that aware of Griffin until my dad gave me this album to listen to, but Harris is the first thing that popped into my mind and the album became immediately familiar and accessible. It doesn't hurt that she does some background vocals on the album, either. Speaking of familiarities, Dixie Chicks hit "Top Of The World" appears on this album, as Griffin wrote the song originally and gave it to them. The album itself, however, easily stands on it's own: Griffin is earnest and her ability to write songs is unarguable: from the opener "Love Throw A Line" to the ballad "Kite Song", the album doesn't have a boring moment. Other highlights include the soulful "Standing" and the rounds tune "Rowing Song" which is driven by a well-paced brass section. Highly recommended.

Hear it for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeO63Trs5wk

June 9, 2010: Tokyo Police Club

Artist: Tokyo Police Club
Album: Elephant Shell
Year: 2008

Take your 90's math-rock bands (think Counterfeit), your 80's art-pop bands (think middle-era The Cure) and then The Strokes and a dash of Gang Of Four and put them in a melting pot and you've got Tokyo Police Club. The Strokes is the most immediate: Elephant Shell's songs are immediate, obtuse and remarkably catchy. The influences never dominate the album: despite the math-rock and post-punk tendencies, Tokyo Police Club put forth something immediately accessible on it's own merits while Dave Monks gives his personal insights, sometimes directly relatable and at other times absurd. One thing Tokyo Police Club do much better than their contemporaries is that they know not to overstay their welcome; only one song goes over three minutes, but within the two and half-minute package is a full song with all that it needs and nothing extraneous added on. Opener "Centennial" start's the album's pace, and it never relents. Highlights are "In A Cave", The Photo Atlas-esque "Graves", "Juno", and key track "Tessellate", whose lyrics are too inventive to ignore, and the sing-along "The Harrowing Adventures Of...". The whole album is strong and never drags on. "Your English Is Good" is my personal favorite, or maybe the mathy closer "The Baskervilles".

Hear it for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93sf6H-POzs

June 8, 2010: No Doubt

Artist: No Doubt
Album: Tragic Kingdom
Year: 1995

A long, long time ago in a music scene far, far away: Gwen Stefani was a wonderful musician, singing with her ska/punk band No Doubt in the early nineties. While tragic is a better word to describe what would happen to her career after this this than the album itself, Tragic Kingdom has such an irresistible appeal maybe due to it's creativity, Stefani's wonderful frontwoman delivery, and that every song is teeming with quality. Opener "Spiderwebs" is an absolute classic, "Excuse Me Mr." keeps the energy going, it keeps going on: "Different People", "Sunday Morning", the title track... Not to mention that feminist anthem "Just A Girl" and that heartsinker "Don't Speak". Just a solid album with frantic energy, a frenetic pace, and delivered with authority by Stefani. Stuck somewhere between punk and ska with circus breakouts and prog explosions ("The Climb"), how could anyone not like this album?

Hear it for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZktNItwexo

June 7, 2010: Say Hi

Artist: Say Hi
Album: Oohs And Aahs
Year: 2010

Despite Eric Elbogen's great band name (originally "Say Hi To Your Mom"), I wasn't all too impressed with this album. Opener "Elouise" takes a little too much time to get of the ground, though it's good in full stride. Unfortunately, the album doesn't pick up and remains somewhat bland until the stellar single "One, Two ... One" which might be more interesting than the rest of the album combined. The album's second half is actually much stronger than the first: "Audrey" is a highlight, as well as "The Stars Blink Just For Us". Can't really recommend this in good faith, but do check out the great single.

Hear it for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ry6dBOsiwAQ

June 6, 2010: The Apathy Eulogy

Artist: The Apathy Eulogy
Album: Resolved To Dream
Year: 2009

Resolved To Dream is a gauntlet thrown down. On their sophomore LP, indie-pop act The Apathy Eulogy drifts away from the sap that has clogged their genre and adventures outside of it. Opener "Hold The Ones You Love Close" is rhythmic, with little electronic blips, but it's the vocals that make this album so convincing. Even more so, this album is as fun as it is genuine, and nothing seems to share the staleness you'd expect form an acoustic/indie/pop act. The album is remarkably creative and melodic, highlights being the jagged "I'd Rather Kiss A Tarantula", the sing-along "Summer's Eyes", "Dove Serpent", "Play Nice" and wonderful closer "Looking In The Wrong Place". An incredibly solid and honest album. Highly recommended.

Hear it for yourself: http://www.myspace.com/theapathyeulogy
["Summer's Eyes"]

June 5, 2010: Joanna Newsom

Artist: Joanna Newsom
Album: Have One On Me
Year: 2010

Yeah, time to write about the harp chick. While I know I have a tendency to spew hyperbole, it is only with completely genuineness that I would call "Have One On Me" my favorite album(s) of all time, which is equally ridiculous due to the fact that I've only owned it for around four months. Regardless, I've played the hell out of it's 2+ hour length, each time stunned by some new lyrical stinger or connection I hadn't noticed the first time; the album has the depth of an ocean, a depth shared by Newsom's talent as a vocalist and harpist. Whereas her voice was sometimes unlistenable (in my opinion) on some of her previous work, she has changed her vocal stylings since her The Milk Eyed Mender era and this is her most accessible piece, which is a wonder to say considering it's a triple album with an average song length of seven minutes or so. I've been working on how to do this review and do justice to this unbelievably incomparable masterpiece, but I don't think it's possible without writing a book. Opener "Easy" is a masterpiece about a one-sided relationship, "Have One Of Me" is a sprawling epic about Lola Montez, "'81" is a clever and exceptionally pretty escapist ballad, "Good Intentions Paving Co." is a piano romp... Highlights just continue. "No Provenance", "Baby Birch", "Jackrabbits", "Go Long", "In Calfornia", "Does Not Suffice", "Soft As Chalk", "Esme" and the incredible "Kingfisher". There is not a moment of filler in these two-and-some hours, it is both achingly beautiful and mesmerizingly poignant. Highly, highly reccomended.

Hear it for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_47_CHdzHI

June 4, 2010: BLK JKS

Artist: BLK JKS
Album: After Robots
Year: 2009

My first reaction to opening track "Molalatladi" was as follows: "Holy crap, this is awesome!". South Africa's version of The Mars Volta, BLK JKS create epic soundscapes of progressive, experimental rock. The blaring horns on the opening track call to mind the middle-to-later periods of the Volta themselves (one of my favorite bands for sure), but the band itself has more in like with a lost-in-the-jungle King Crimson than anyone else, with epic guitar solos and crescendos jumping into shifting polyrhythms and dark, unsettling vocals. "Banna Ba Modimo" is a armageddon in a song, "Standby" is a straight-up Moody Blues ballad, while "Skeletons" dives into a brilliant pool of dub and never resurfaces. The instrumental breaks on this album are absolutely wonderful and the songwriting is as refreshing as it is unpredictable. The album is at times completely incoherent and at others startlingly lucid. The album is full of highlights, including all aforementioned, the jumpy "Lakeside", the translucent and morphing "Taxidermy"... There's really nothing I don't like about this band. It's unfocused and raw, but shows a great band with incredible talent showing us what they can do. An absolutely wonderful debut and starting point. Progressive rockers, unite!

Hear it for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNM9_N3VhlE

Wonderful pick, Brian.

June 3, 2010: Carole King

Artist: Carole King
Album: Tapestry
Year: 1971

One of the major players in the pop rock movement of the sixties and seventies, Carole King was a songwriter ready to start playing her own material rather than letting others. She is not a particularly strong vocalist, but this a collection of songs that could be considered standards nowadays. You've probably heard the majority of songs on this album, and King proves to be a masterful songwriter. Not a bad choice if you're into those songs your parents played on the radio when you were a kid, blues piano or well-written pop rock by one of the masters herself. Highlights are "I Feel The Earth Move", "So Far Away", "It's Too Late" and my personal favorite "Tapestry".

Hear it for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JYkQo1Qxt0

June 2, 2010: Fun.

Artist: Fun.
Album: Aim And Ignite
Year: 2009

Stylized as fun., Nate Ruess' new band leads right were the Format left off. Opener "Be Calm" would have fit fine on Dog Problems, but in general the entirety of the album remains just as theatrical whereas The Format had more rock tendencies. The result is a strong album that doesn't quite live up to Dog Problems but also isn't at all a disappointment. "Benson Hedges" and "All The Pretty Girls" are both jubilant romps, "At Least I'm Not As Sad (As I Used To Be)" is a fun patchwork of pop genius, and the album ends strong with the touching "The Gambler" and the rollicking finale of "Take Your Time (Coming Home)". The closer is as hopefully a ditty as Ruess has ever written with some great lines, one of my favorite being "Love is a beautiful thing when you somebody / and I love somebody", perhaps Ruess making a tribute to the biting lines he's written over the years. If you like clever pop, give this a chance.

Hear it for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dY4oE8Rap0

For the record, if you have Interventions and Lullabies but never got around to Dog Problems, this album will not make any sense to you in terms of progression. Dog Problems is an absolute masterpiece, go get it immediately.

June 1, 2010: Ludo

Artist: Ludo
Album: You're Awful, I Love You
Year: 2008

At their worst, Ludo are an above average pop-punk band. At their best, Ludo are awkwardly hilarious, incredibly clever pioneers that are guaranteed to to brighten your day with a front man guaranteed to give you nightmares. The highlights of the album are incendiary, compelling and obvious: lead single "Love Me Dead", "Drunken Lament", "Lake Pontchartrain", "Go-Getter Greg". There are more good tracks littering the album, including "Topeka" and "The Horror Of Our Love"; however, the band is inconsistent, and some tracks in the album meander off into forgettable territory. The highlights easily make up for this, and for that I highly recommend giving it a spin.

Hear it for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XH3oMNKApI

May 31, 2010: Menomena

Artist: Menomena
Album: Mines
Year: 2010

I've always had a certain fondness for indie-pop-rock act Menomena; from their rock to their soft and soothing, they are eternally half anxious, half laid back. More so, they were an act that was constantly improving. While debut I Am The Fun Blame Monster (anagram of "The First Menomena Album" if you were wondering) was great, sophomore effort Friend And Foe was what made me love them. However, after two listens, I am certain it'll be Mines that I look back on the most fondly. Menomena always knows how to open their albums. "Cough Coughing" was a highlight of their debut and "Muscle 'N Flo" was probably the best song they'd written until Mines. However, opener "Queen Black Acid" is an absolutely beautiful intro to the album and to Menomena in general. However, if the band was in any way subdued previously, they end that with the balls to the wall opening of "TAOS", which then morphs around from rock to violin choir to show tune and when it's all over the only definition is that it's something that's just distinctly Menomena and nothing else. They manage to be familiar and adventurous at the same time, but never in a way that forces you through a hoop. More highlights are "Killemall", "BOTE", "Five Little Rooms" and wonderful closer "INTIL". Recommended to any of you indie rock lovers.

Hear it for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWRNZDjEQ5U

May 30, 2010: Taking Back Sunday

Artist: Taking Back Sunday
Album: Tell All Your Friends
Year: 2002

"So sick, so sick of being tired / and oh so tired of being sick" yelps Adam Lazzara on the first verse of opener "You Know How I Do", and you can tell he means it. Tell All Your Friends is an album from an ancient time in second-wave "emo" where bands played with massive distortion in low-budget studios and said "if we just make everything louder people won't hear the production value... and if we just yell the lyrics, they'll just yell along". See Your Favorite Weapon or Full Collapse for more examples of this. While follow-up Where You Want To Be would prove to be both more mature and refined then the debut, Taking Back Sunday showcase here an intensity that doesn't need to be contained, a rawness that's more honest then under produced. Adam's iconic "Your lipstick his collar / don't bother angel / I know exactly what goes on" shows something Taking Back Sunday would never show for the rest of their career: not just emotional intensity, but the idea of going all out. This album is full of highlights like "Timberwolves At New Jersey", "There's No 'I' In Team" and "Bike Scene", but the whole album is strong and I highly recommend you blare this out your car stereo as I do. Oh, and go see their original line-up while you still can.

Hear it for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzo1D6gxjPM

May 29, 2010: Say Anything

Artist: Say Anything
Album: ... Is A Real Boy
Year: 2006

Another in a row of concept albums that aren't actually about anything, the masterpiece of Max Bemis is a work of bitter, sly and ferocious social commentary. On some of the album, he shows aggravation; other times, he is sour and self-deprecating. But at every moment, you can count on him being absolutely relentless. The album begins with a joke at the expense of Max's social anxiety, but as soon as the message pops through: "and the record begins with a song of rebellion", suddenly he's coming at you with a battering ram of sing-along choruses, scathing one-liners and a yell for recognition. "Woe" contains the brilliant exchange of "And this girl who I met / whose pride makes her hard to forget / she took pity on me / horizontally / but most likely because of my band". The roller coaster continues with the greatest love song ever written about the Holocaust, "Alive With The Glory Of Love", biting "Yellow Cat / Red Cat", and "The Futile", which opens with Bemis yelping "shit / nothing makes sense / so I won't think about it" with such tongue-in-cheek apathy you can't help but agree with him. "An Orgy Of Critics" in a stand-out, as well as "Every Man Has A Molly" (which probably has the one greatest, most smirk-inducing opening verses to any song, ever). This is one of the few albums that manages to follow through on a strong start, and very stripped and sincere (but still socially conscious) "I Want To Know Your Plans" leads into "Admit It!", the album's ultimate track and probably the song I'll associate with Say Anything for the rest of my life. I'll post it as the "listen to" track for this album, so try to keep up as Max dissects a little bit of everyone's life, but some more than others. Highly reccomended.

Hear it for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2OqgkAtCD0

May 28, 2010: Sufjan Stevens

Artist: Sufjan Stevens
Album: Illinois
Year: 2005

Sufjan Stevens was born to write music for me to listen to. While his first "state album", Michigan, set the format of "write lots of songs and instrumentals with tongue-in-cheek big names", it's Illinois where Sufjan perfects his own template. Don't be turned off by the song titles (such as "The Black Hawk War, or, How to Demolish an Entire Civilization and Still Feel Good About Yourself in the Morning, or, We Apologize for the Inconvenience but You're Going to Have to Leave Now, or, 'I Have Fought the Big Knives and Will Continue to Fight Them Until They Are Off Our Lands!'" or "A Conjunction of Drones Simulating the Way in Which Sufjan Stevens Has an Existential Crisis in the Great Godfrey Maze" - which is exactly what it sounds like) - the indie-folk-pop Sufjan bounces around on this album is absolutely brilliant. I can't think of any song as unsettling as "John Wayne Gacy, Jr.", or as triumphant as "Chicago", as reflective as "Casimir Polaski Day" or as jubilant as "Decatur, Or, Round Of Applause For Your Stepmother!". The album itself shows Sufjan Stevens has a sense of humor about the whole "project", and it being more in good fun rather than in ostentatious nature really sets the message: Sufjan thinks Illinois is a pretty neat state (and it is), and writes a whole bunch of jams about it that mostly remains universal or associated in a way that's personal to him. We get to reap the rewards of this, and this is by far one of the best albums of this decade and generation of music. To hear it once is to love it forever. Personal favorite: "They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back From The Dead!! Ahhhh!" or maybe "Come On! Feel The Illinoise! Part I: The World's Colombian Exposition / Part II: Carl Sandburg Visits Me In A Dream". I don't buy many albums*, but I wager there are at least two copies in my house (one being my father's) and one in my car. Highly recommended.

Hear it for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDRrqcZbdPU

* I was originally going to write "I don't usually buy albums, but when I do, I prefer Sufjan Stevens". Which would make me... the most pretentious blogger in the world.

May 27, 2010: Joni Mitchell

Artist: Joni Mitchell
Album: Blue
Year: 1971

One album I've missed dearly since this experiment is Joanna Newsom's Have One On Me, an album that got plenty of comparison's to Mitchell's work and for good reason. I, myself, wasn't as aware of the style similarities until my dad picked out Blue for me this week, an album I'd always planned to listen to but never got around to. Mitchell really starts off the confessional singer-songwriter format here, and very carefully puts together a collection of songs that function together as well as apart. Highlights are opener "All I Want", "Little Green" and the gorgeous "River".

Hear it for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpFudDAYqxY

May 26, 2010: Forgive Durden

Artist: Forgive Durden
Album: Wonderland
Year: 2006

I've always thought this was a great album, but going through it again with real focus made it very clear that Dutton and folks have crafted a much more clever album then I'd remembered. It's not just the wordplay he tosses around in highlights "Beware The Jubjub Bird And Shun The Frumious Bandersnatch" and "Harry Frazee And No, No, Nanette"; while the more mature themes of the album - hardship, greed, hypocrisy, death - are obvious, little nuances fill the album (see: the end of "Beward The Jubjub Bird...") that really make it come to life. The album is strong from start to finish, highlights include "Parable Of The Sower" (another clever track), "Il Tango Della Signora Francesco Di Bartolommeo Di Zanobi Del Giocono" and the concept album climax track "I've Got A Witch Mad At Me And You Could Get Into Trouble". Song titles and lofty "concept album" status of Wonderland side, this is a damn good album akin to Gatsbys American Dream fare.

Hear it for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnCD5enbT00

May 25, 2010: The Ataris

Artist: The Ataris
Album: Blue Skies, Broken Hearts... Next 12 Exits
Year: 1999

The Ataris got me through high school. Did they get you through high school? If they did, well, I'm sure you immediately understand my love for this album. Angst, hope, it's all there. "Why can't I ever seem to learn / that love is wrong / and girls are fucking evil", Kris Roe yells on "The Last Song I Will Ever Write About A Girl, in stark contrast to lines like "Let me start this from the day we met / you were so beautiful / I never could forget" opening "1*15*96". This album has all the ups and downs of emotional maturity, and Kris Roe sings along with every word completely and fully honest. This album is a triumph to being young and stupid, and even past those days (as Kris was at the time of it's release) it's easy to smile and fondly remember using him as our lens. Highly reccomended.

Hear it for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynDili3sI70

Thank you, Adam, for your great choice. Tomorrow is Beth's pick, Forgive Durden's Wonderland. I'm excited.

May 24, 2010: No Knife

Artist: No Knife
Album: Hit Man Dreams
Year: 1997

Not much to say about this early album from post-punk pioneers No Knife. Angular guitar riffs, melodic songwriting with a clear edge. I only owned their last album, Riot For Romance!, but this a great album for investigating the beginnings of a band who would eventually write a masterpiece. Highlights are "Your Albatross" and great closer "Sweep Away My Shadow". Fans of Fugazi and mid-late 90's post-punk and pre-emo emo check them out, but I'd highly reccomend starting with songs from their magnum opus Riot For Romance!

Hear it for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YeDAwmZFjw

While you're on youtube, check out "The Red Bedroom" by them, it's my favorite song by them and a bit more up-to-date.

May 23, 2010: Anathallo

Artist: Anathallo
Album: Canopy Glow
Year: 2008

Awesome indie-pop album, really catchy and powerful and well-written. It's clever, but not in a superficial or smug way. Highlights are "Noni's Field", "Italo" and "The River". Theatrical in a lot of ways, too, with Andrew Dost's clever vocal lines and their unique approach to songwriting and vocal melodies. Highly reccomended.

Hear it for yourself: http://www.myspace.com/anathallo
["Noni's Field"]

May 22, 2010: Alkaline Trio

Artist: Alkaline Trio
Album: From Here To Infirmary
Year: 2001

The quintessential dark pop-punk album, and in my opinion a great band's magnum opus. Matt Skiba and Dan Adriano burst through twelve tracks with an incendiary lyrical gift, no remorse for anything left in their wake. Every track is great, but my favorites are "Mr. Chainsaw", "Take Lots With Alcohol", "Another Innocent Girl", "Armageddon" and "You're Dead". Highly reccomended.

Hear it for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtIkxixWKBI

May 21, 2010: The Creeps

Artist: The Creeps
Album: Lakeside Cabin
Year: 2008

Oh, punk! It's so good to see you again! Lakeside Cabin is in some ways a throwback to those classic dark-punk acts (later Ramones, The Misfits, early AFI) but I'd liken them to a muddier Goddammit-era Alkaline Trio. Pulsing power chords, deep-throated yell-singing lyrics about violence and romance, all with the tongue firmly placed inside the cheek. Not much more to say about this; it is exactly what it is and pretends to be nothing more, and I praise it for it's authenticity. Also, I'd really like to put on some From Here To Infirmary right about now. Key tracks: "All The Way Home", "Voices (Again And Again)".

Hear it for yourself: http://www.myspace.com/capitalcitycreeps
["All The Way Home"]

Tomorrow? "From Here To Infirmary". I mean, I can do that, right?

May 20, 2010: Dan Fogelberg

Artist: Dan Fogelberg
Album: Home Free
Year: 1973

The best of the "parents choice" albums so far, Dan Fogelberg's debut "Home Free" was a pleasant surprise. Unlike, say, The Moody Blues, the 1973 LP in no way feels dated; the kitschy soft-rock/folk/confessional singer-songwriter bit is still done quite a bit, and there's no question that some of them are emulating Fogelberg. Fogelberg himself is at his best when he's giving his most self-intuitive and original efforts; while the CSNY influence is made overtly obvious in songs like "Long Way Home" and closer "The River", these songs - while still pleasant homages - fall short of the more direct "Stars", "To The Morning", and the beautiful and sparse "Looking For A Lady (Living In The Country)". Personal favorite is the haunting and remarkably powerful "Wysteria", as stripped as Fogelberg gets on the album. The song shows that Fogelberg shows his true talent when the arrangements don't cloud up his confessional style and stellar voice, but rather let them build to their natural climaxes. The album is strong through and through with obvious highlights and nothing feeling out of place. Highly recommended.

Hear it for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQWwZQxSwoM

Until tomorrow.

May 19, 2010: Hidden In Plain View

Artist: Hidden In Plain View
Album: Life In Dreaming
Year: 2005

Hidden In Plain View is a middle-of-the-band road. They lack the talent and creativity to be great, but are certainly at least competent at what they do and unique enough to not be truly mediocre. Life In Dreaming is the baseball equivalent of hitting a midfield single and getting caught at second. For it's genre, it does what it's supposed to; but where it falters when it tries to go beyond that. Opener "Bleed For You" is catchy enough to be memorable and well-written enough to keep you listening, but the band tries reaching a few times only to come up short: "A Minor Detail", "The Innocent Ones", "Top 5 Addictions" and "American Classic" come to mind. With that said, the album at times puts strong tracks to the plate, including the aforementioned opener, "Twenty Below", "Ashes Ashes" and cheeky closer "Halcyon Days" (despite the headbanger pun). It's a C+ album that gets a B- for effort.

Hear it for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfgFQbe1qcc

May 18, 2010: Alanis Morissette

Artist: Alanis Morissette
Album: Jagged Little Pill
Year: 1995

It's like rain, on your wedding day.

Hear it for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8v9yUVgrmPY

May 17, 2010: Sam Quinn

Artist: Sam Quinn
Album: The Fake That Sunk A Thousand Ships
Year: 2010

Admittedly, I had no clue what I was getting into when a friend sent me "The Fake That Sunk A Thousand Ships"; I had heard comparisons to Chappaquiddick Skyline, or a more Americana-styled Red House Painters. While these comparisons are justified, I find Quinn more akin to, say, a more melancholy Gary Higgins, treading the between folk and alt-country effortless while writing sad, meandering tunes with a strong backing band. A better and more contemporary would be the later period of The Avett Brothers, with less of a bluegrass influence and the sheer fun of making music in general exchanged with reflection and mystery. Quinn has a pained, full and emotional voice akin to Otis Redding (another good comparison and definite influence) - and a cleverly delivery. Overall, the music is very pleasant despite the darkness that lies beneath it's surface. Stand-outs are the terrific opener "Hello", "Suite Motown", "Help Me" and the album's strongest track "Late The Other Night". Definitely worth a listen, and a big help to prove my case that people named Sam with beards are excellent musicians.

Hear it for yourself: http://www.myspace.com/samquinnjapanten
["Late The Other Night"]

Tomorrow, it's Adam and Kim choosing. Ahem, ahem.

May 16, 2010: As Tall As Lions

Artist: As Tall As Lions
Album: As Tall As Lions
Year: 2006

Dan Nigro is a heartbroken, soul-searching blues singer raised in the '90s and fronting an indie-pop band. Somehow, it works. Expect Dan to belt and croon his sleeved-heart off about lost loves in foreign locales, doubt, loss while his band plays along with pretty sounding instruments in well-crafted ballad. As Tall As Lions is immediately catchy, deep and powerful with a certain penchant for the dramatic. Your spirit will soar and drop along with Dan as he sings about losing his soul in "Stab City" or about during the rousing chorus of "Love, Love, Love (Love, Love)", a song in which the content is pretty obvious. It's pop music for the counterculture or indie music built for the pop crowd. However, with the smart songwriting and delivery, accessibility and Dan's powerhouse of a voice, it's pretty easy to make this album your own. Stand-outs are "Song For Luna" and "Ghost Of York", but this album is solid through and through. Personal favorite is probably "Milk And Honey", a song about a relationship falling apart after a miscarriage, or the stellar hidden track "A Soft Hum". Highly recommended.

Hear it for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2fWHGa4r6s

Tomorrow is gonna be fun, fun, fun! I promise.

(I don't actually promise)

May 15, 2010: MewithoutYou

Artist: MewithoutYou
Album: Brother, Sister
Year: 2006

Aaron Weiss is far and away the greatest lyricist of this generation, and is likely one of the greatest lyricists of all time. His band, styled mewithoutYou, divulges deep into their art-punk and indie rock tendencies, and any like most art-focused music Brother, Sister can be a tough listen. However, both the honest self-imagery and wise-beyond-his-years reflections initially drew me into the album, and it wasn't long before Brother, Sister was a necessity for my music collection. I won't lie: this album takes repeated listens for full immersion. However, it is beyond worth it; Weiss' lyrics hit hard once understood and absorbed; despite the religious themes and personal background of it all, Weiss writes and sings nothing that the everyman can't relate to. Hell, this might be the nature of genius in full. Definitely one of my favorite albums and one I'll be listening to years from now. Key tracks: In A Sweater Poorly Knit, Nice And Blue Pt. 2, O Porcupine, C-Minor, Messes Of Men, In A Market Dimly Knit... Really, the whole thing. Give it a chance.

Hear it for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4g-3WRXIts

May 14, 2010: The Kooks

Artist: The Kooks
Album: Konk
Year: 2008

Sorry, The Cars, but you've just been one-upped in the "most fun album" category. If you're a fan of the third wave of britpop (Absent Elk, The View, Doves, The Wombats, The Music, Pigeon Detectives... etc) then you're probably a fan of The Kooks. They have a smart "indie" sound with both rock ideals and a pop bounce. The album is all around solid, but my favorite tracks are the strong opener "See The Sun", the at-first pacified "Sway" and the jangly "Gap". You'll probably recognize "Shine On" from some commercials, too. "Always Where I Want To Be" is another stand-out, as well as hidden track "All Over Town". Britain is still the best place to find new music, you just have to pay more attention now. Highly recommended.

Hear it for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6N41w5RmAk

I'm a day behind, so I'll be doing another one before the day is over after going to see The Spill Canvas with Adam and Kim. Wonder what album I'll pick...

May 13, 2010: Jackson Browne

Artist: Jackson Browne
Album: I'm Alive
Year: 1993

Solid Jackson Browne material from the later half of his career, I'm Alive is a story about recovering from a break-up. I was four when it all happened, but my dad says it was highly publicized and I don't know much about it so, hey, a highly publicized break-up can lead to some good tunes. Key tracks are "I'm Alive" and "My Problem Is You", as well as closer "All Good Things". All in all, great singer-songwriter stuff with a feel that's isn't at all dated. Recommended.

Hear it for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYwSAIKlkeI

As I am busy pretty much all of tomorrow (interning and then a concert), I'm afraid Brian's choice of The Kooks' "Konk" will have to wait for a double-header on Saturday. Unless I can get a listen through after the concert. We'll see.

May 12, 2010: Brand New

Artist: Brand New
Album: Deja Entendu
Year: 2003

The magnum opus of a great band, Brand New's "Deja Entendu" is one of those few albums that people will still be listening to forty years from now. A classic, if you will. Opener "Sic Transit Gloria... Glory Fades" gives the listener a rush to the head, pushing a oscillating back beat over Lacey's call and response lyrics about youth, doubt, despair, and feeling out of place. "I Will Play My Game Beneath The Spin Light" is another highlight, running seamlessly into what is probably the crowning achievement and best track in the history and future of Brand New: "Okay I Believe You, But My Tommy Gun Don't". If you don't know this song, click on the link below. The rest of the album is strong, including single "The Quiet Thing That No One Ever Knows", personal favorite "The Boy Who Blocked His Own Shot", and the album's powerful finale, "Play Crack The Sky", a longing ditty where Lacey seamlessly compares a literal shipwreck to, well, any other kind of shipwreck: "your tongue is a rudder / that steers the whole ship / sends your words past your lips / or keeps them safe behind your teeth". Great album, highly recommended, and a thank you to Beth for getting this into my library again.

Hear it for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oorx2EQ0Ag

Tomorrow will be another parent's choice album. I currently don't know what it is yet. Should be interesting!

May 11, 2010: The Spill Canvas

Artist: The Spill Canvas
Album: Sunsets And Car Crashes
Year: 2005

Words cannot describe my love for this album. Listen to it for yourself; there are no excuses. Whether or not it's your cup of tea is inconsequential. This album could change your life in wonderful ways, or at least your idea in what actually qualifies as music. So why wait? Hear it for yourself. There are no excuses. At least do yourself the favor of turning off the lights, putting on "The Tide" and following along the lyrical story while Nick Thomas pours his heart out about what life isn't and can be. Also highly recommend "Bracelets", "The Night Will Go As Follows", "All Hail The Heartbreaker", "Caterpillars", the title track, "Your Evil Soul"... Oh, I could go on.

Hear it for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfBighSAXgo

If that wasn't enough, Beth has picked a shocker* for next week: Brand New's "Deja Entendu". Return for more gushing, if you like.

* not actually a shocker

May 10, 2010: The Cars

Artist: The Cars
Album: Heartbeat City
Year: 1984

The first album of the eighties to grace us, Heartbeat City is a testament to everything the eighties had to offer. Most of the album is humorous, tongue-in-cheek but catchy pop with an out of this world mindset and a somewhat goofy approach to songwriting. However, Ocasek and company have more to offer than eighties goof balling; single "Drive" is a testament to the power that's also lurking behind their song craft. Probably the funnest album currently in my line-up, I highly recommend at least "Drive".

Hear it for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbTjzZzfR7w

Tomorrow, Adam's giving me a huge break by letting me add an absolutely crucial album to my library: the ridiculously wonderful "Sunsets And Car Crashes" by The Spill Canvas. Return here tomorrow for some immense, deserved gushing.

May 9, 2010: Cold

Artist: Cold
Album: 13 Ways To Bleed On Stage
Year: 2000

What I've decided as the quintessential nu-metal album of the 90's actually came a bit late; in the new millennium, even. Regardless, the album sustains the same values of music that was established in the 90's during the post-grunge backlash. The album goes through many emotions, but usually it's anger. "Just Got Wicked" is the closest the band had to a single and has a strong chorus (most of these songs do), "End Of The World" is downright surreal. "Send In The Clowns" is the major stand-out here, really pressing almost everything the genre has to offer into one four minute stack. Even ballad lovers get a major boon here, with gorgeous closer "Bleed" showing of the band's ability to be sweet and sincere in spite of the darkness that clouds the rest of this album. Sierra Swan does some excellent background vocals in "No One", which should be mentioned. Very solid album, if it's your kind of thing.

Hear it for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gz8LIOsejVQ

Later today, we'll be getting my actual Monday album (this post is late): The Cars' "Heartbreak City". Haven't heard this before, excited to get into it.

May 8, 2010: Dear And The Headlights

Artist: Dear And The Headlights
Album: Small Steps, Heavy Hooves
Year: 2007

This is one of the most clever albums I've ever heard. Both musically, emotionally, and lyrically, Dear And The Headlights take you for an absolute ride that's worth repeating. Lead singer Ian Metzger is a brilliant lyricist, both sharply intelligent and immediately relatable; there is not a song on this album that doesn't belong. Highlight "Skinned Knees And Gapped Teeth", a song about adolescence and stories about him and his older brother is a particular gem with this gem of a lyric: "remember how I swore I would pass you up in age / you just scoffed at me / well I'm still gonna do it / just haven't quite figured out how yet". I can't really write anything here to do this album justice, other than heavily recommend you go out and get it for yourself.

Hear it for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZ4BtNWzCU8

Tomorrow will be another album. Surprising, right?