some new.

here's some new. well.. new to me anyways. they're worth checking out..

THE ENVY CORPS.


probably the only band i've ever heard of that hails from ames, iowa. this quartet has some solid songs including, "Story Problems" and "Wires and Wool." The lead singers unique vocals, the catchy guitar, and the feel-good drums make for a delightful sunday afternoon listen.
"Story Problems" http://www.mediafire.com/?cum3bit2izj
"Wires and Wool" http://www.mediafire.com/?8jdx2iwdwkz

DIKTA.

The song "Someone, Somewhere," is probably one of my favorite chill, mildly depressing songs of the moment. It comes off their album, "Hunting for Happiness." I think the gloomy titles speak for themselves. Enjoy. Oh, and they're from Iceland.. and who doesn't love bands from Iceland?
http://www.mediafire.com/?6gk5jmizm4d

FIELDS.

"Charming the Flames," off their latest album, "Everything Last Winter." The instruments (especially the acoustic guitar), the voice.. it all works together to create a charming, airy sound. http://www.mediafire.com/?5qr0u1li2gm

SUMMER.

as summer comes winds down.. i figured i would add the songs that either remind me of summer, or more than likely will remind me of summer 2007 due to the fact that i played them. maybe overplayed.

CEX.

the song, "los angeles," was the entertainment of a 20 minute car ride to and from work often. the crazy beats really just puts you in the mood for a crummy summer job. http://www.mediafire.com/?exjpaczm9ro

FLATBREAD KIDS.
the voice and the words to this song are sad, but entracing.
http://www.mediafire.com/?23hlcxbgjww

RILO KILEY.

one of the albums i was most looking forward to this summer.. is the upcoming release by rilo kiley, "under the blacklights." this song "silver lining" is off that album.. and it is exquisite. http://www.mediafire.com/?epzlbmqocos
"dreamworld" is also off their upcoming album. http://www.mediafire.com/?2nzmzyzn3xm

KINGS OF LEON.

ha.
YES, AGAIN. the song "knocked up" is very appealing. this summer i had the liberty of seeing kings of leon twice and BOTH times this was the stand out song. plus, when caleb sings the lyrics "i don't care what nobody says i'm gonna be her loveerrr," it's rather perfect. http://www.mediafire.com/?azopwdtzol2

MASON JENNINGS.

yes, his voice is a bit monotonous. and yes, you've probably heard a song just like this before. but regardless, this minnesota born and bred has song talent lingering in the songs that all sound the same. this is the one stand out, "crown." when i saw him at the 400 bar, my attention steered toward this one man, acoustic guitar/harmonica playing man. http://www.mediafire.com/?5xdgud1vzmh

THE WHITE STRIPES.

let's face it, "Icky Thump," is not only one of the better named albums of 2007, it in itself is a stellar album. Jack White has alway been talented, but he really took it up a couple of notches this time around. "Icky Thump," the first single off this one is really great, and "A Martyr For My Love For You," is one of my other favorite with some of my favorite lyrics. Both are very different as are every track off the album. http://www.mediafire.com/?8u0ymouvwbq http://www.mediafire.com/?79xjjwxnxhb


RYAN ADAMS.

there's something about desperation. and the desperation in this song, "tonight".. well.. enough said. http://www.mediafire.com/?6bkd2qxvp34

MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA.

they opened for kings. they were fresh and i liked a lot of their hooks. http://www.mediafire.com/?8tsyzzmlbtz

THE KOOKS.

"she moves in her own way." the poppy feel to this song really screams summer. http://www.mediafire.com/?5fxb1m3jd40

FIXED LINKS.

yes, i fixed all the links. you should be able to adequately acquire all tunes now!

thanks for the e-mails.

le femme

i thought today i would highlight some of my favorite female singers.

enough said.

LESLIE FEIST.

Of.. Feist. I've posted a couple of her songs already, so maybe you already know what an amazing voice she has. Here are a couple of my favorites off her latest album, "The Reminder."
1, 2, 3, 4: it's a feel good tune. http://www.mediafire.com/?cluzbyzyrtl
So Sorry: so pretty. http://www.mediafire.com/?el3wnrw2zg9

JESSIE BAYLIN.

She has a simple alto voice... but there's something in it worth listening to. Complete with a jazz ensemble and your classic jazz lyrics (all about love, of course). The song I am posting today, "Contradicting Words," is the first song I heard from her that really got me intrigued. http://www.mediafire.com/?dz4wby09kn2

EMILY HAINES

Of Metric. The song "Soft Rock Star," is great. Her voice is so easy to listen to. After listening to Leslie Feist and Emily Haines, it makes it easy to see why Broken Social Scene brought in these two singers to sing on their albums. The lyrics to this song are also lovely. http://www.mediafire.com/?9zztlmyz2qv

Sunday Blues

We all have THOSE days. And today is one of those for me. Thus, to aid my Sunday blues, here's a list of some of my favorite sad, depressing, sad, sad, depressing songs.

BRIGHT EYES.

"One Foot in Front of the Other."
Listen to the lyrics. They are phenomenal, everything from the beginning lines, "if you walk away I'll walk away, first tell me which road you will take. I don't want to risk our paths crossing someday. So you walk that way, I'll walk this way," to the advice ridden, "if you love something give it away." http://www.mediafire.com/?aszedbsity2

BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE.

On days, like today, when I have the Sunday blues, depressing songs are simply the best.
Thus, a list of a few of my favorite sad songs."Lover's Spit" and "Anthems for a 17-year-old Girl"
"All those people drinking lover's spit..." Everything about this song makes you feel like a complete nothing for being on the outside and looking into the world of relationships. It creates a sad mileu. Sad. Oh. And, I prefer the version with Leslie Feist on vocals... http://www.mediafire.com/?3etfhqyw2wo

"You used to be one of the rotten ones and I liked you for that." One of my FAVORITE LINES EVER. Girls are mean. And when the good ones, your friends, change for the worse, nothing else seems to matter but the suck of the situation. http://www.mediafire.com/?2kqmtchbd2n

FEIST.

"Lonely, Lonely."
Again with the Leslie Feist. Leslie Feist is one of my favorite singer/songwriters. Not only does she have an amazing vocal range and a voice that is so smooth and beautiful, but her words are always eloquent (well, most of the time anyways). "Lonely, Lonely" is a great song when lonely, lonely, that is me. http://www.sendspace.com/file/x8489p

DAMIEN RICE.

"Cheers Darlin'"
Lost Love, only ten times more depressing. I like Damien's voice. I like this song. It brings out the sad in me. http://http://www.mediafire.com/?0negts0zmmm


DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE

"Blacking Out the Friction/Brand New Love"
Now really, how could I not include Ben Gibbard? This love song off the John Byrd EP is quite good. Blacking Out the Friction lasts until about 2:55 (not the sad part). After that the tempo changes into something Radiohead-esque. The words and the tempo and the guitar... it gets me everytime. Anyone could be your brand new love... http://www.mediafire.com/?2o25du92d3t

JIMMY EAT WORLD

"Cautioners."
Back in the days of "Clarity," Jim Atkins was my first big-time musician crush--sweat and all. The song "Cautioners," has always stuck with me. The line "I'll follow you all night across my blinds," is just so heartbreakingly romantic. http://http://www.mediafire.com/?dnc3bix5jfr

JEFF BUCKLEY

"Hallelujah."
Probably one of the most haunting voices ever. God, I love this man. His songs, especially off the album "Grace," are some of my favorite favorites. His cover of "Hallelujah," is soo.. soo.. just listen for yourself. If I could bring back any musician and have him sing me songs it would hands down be Jeff Buckley. http://www.mediafire.com/?6o0de2gtcn1

PLACE.

You love the songs you can identify with. Sometimes, that identifiable part of the song is the place. Whether it's the West Coast, your hometown, or somewhere you once visited... today I give you a taste of the place.


Jason Schwartzman. You've loved him (or not) in Marie Antoinette, I Heart Huckabees, Shopgirl... And now, you can love him in another way... musically. His new band, COCONUT RECORDS recently released their debut album, "Nighttiming." Today I give you Coconut Records first single, "West Coast." The song is simple, but catchy. If you're into the singy songy, west coast amped bands (think Rooney, Phantom Planet...) you are bound to like Coconut Records. The simplicity is perhaps the appeal and charm of this song. http://www.mediafire.com/?b4tnmjnu5ov

AU REVOIR SIMONE. "Through the Backyards." The album's name, "Verses of Comfort, Assurance and Salvation," really says it all. The song definitely captures a i-am-close-to-falling-asleep mood with a soft voice, soft background noise and lyrics that give off a dreamy feel. This song makes me want to go into the backyard and take a nap in the sun. http://www.mediafire.com/?djmedqydgfk

BEIRUT. "Postcards from Italy." The beginning is enough to make you feel like you are winding the streets of some small European town, maybe sipping wine and dancing to the music in your head. http://www.mediafire.com/?63mwfxdx3oz

CEX. "Baltimore." I've never been to Baltimore, so I can't really say if this song really captures the essence of the said place. However, I will tell you, that I am positive that if this song came on in a house in Baltimore, dancing or movement of some sort would be necessary. Cex's album is entitled "Actual Fucking." You've seen the album cover, you've perhaps now heard the song... what would you do if in Baltimore listening to this song? I know I would want to tango while eating peanut butter cups. http://www.mediafire.com/?4uy23g1gfmw

THE DAMNWELLS. "Texas." This song is captivating. The lucid guitar and the sweet lyrics make me want to capture the song, put it in a jam jar like a firefly, then put it next to my bed. I saw this song live in Indiana, and I will tell you, it made me smile the rest of the night. http://www.mediafire.com/?0x22zz5tc2f

TAPES 'N TAPES. Ahhhh, Tapes 'n Tapes. Good ole Minnesota boys. The song "Omaha," has been looming near the tippy top of my top rated since I first heard it. "i can't stay. i can for the night, for the weekend and the night," mmm. You've been there. And the good words are solid throughout. The drums, the keyboard, the barely-there guitar create the perfect ambiance for the slightly monotone words that just eat your insides. http://www.mediafire.com/?5zvlumtziwu

That Which is Unreleased.

You know the drill.
Bands often have extra tracks that didn't make the first cut of the album. They either disappear, make a grand appearance on a b-sides album, perhaps manages to slide into a single release... whatever the case, they are there. Just hidden. Temporarily lost. Momentarily out of the grasp of the hands of the fans. But today, no more. Here are a few of my favorite unreleased tracks.

KINGS OF LEON. Yes, I like them. Tight pants and all (observe picture). Now, I took it upon myself to show the King's progression from boys to men. Note the good ole days: loose pants, sketchy fashion. Now to picture #2 VIOLA! A couple albums later and the boys are wearing pants sufficiently tight enough to be considered satisfactory for today's rock fashion standards, AND, if you look closely... you will note the expensive allure of the clothing. Huh. They may have become a bit of a sell-out band to the designer second skin and the fancy hair products, but... image aside they have talent.

This southern foursome (three brothers and a cousin) can rock me out of my skinny leg jeans any time. The three tracks I am posting today are "Head to Toe," "Molly's Hangover" and "Woohoo."

Let's start with WOOHOO. There's not really that much to say except for (you guessed it) WOOHOO! The drums start the song spatting beats resembling something that comes out of the eighties. You tap your toes (let's face it... 80s drum beats ARE contagious) and then the vocals come in. Now, I have to admit, Caleb Followill (lead singer) has one of my all-time favorite voices. I can't quite put my finger on it. It's raspy--kind of, deep--kind of, and sometimes you can't understand what he's saying... LOVE IT. Anyways, give this song a listen and I promise you will be stretching on tight pants and woohooing yourself around the room. OH, and if you're wondering, this song will supposedly be released on the "Fans" single. http://www.mediafire.com/?6wf1z0diu9v

Next up, HEAD TO TOE. They're brothers. Jealousy, fighting, arguments... inevitable. This is the classic, I'm mad and jealous and I think you suck dedication from lead man Caleb to lead guitarist Matthew. http://www.mediafire.com/?f4zkhy0vtmk

Finally, MOLLY'S HANGOVER. Seems to be "Molly's Chambers" off "Youth and Young Manhood" Part Deux. The song is slowed wayyy down at the beginning and reminescent of something that really does sound like a hangover. Caleb is painfully singing while the tempo spews slowly. The best part is at the end when everything changes... the tempo is back to classic Kings and you're eager right alongside Caleb to see if he is able to shmooze his way into Molly's chamber. http://www.mediafire.com/?dmdlm2yjrtv