July special

we're going away for some time to visit dublin and sao paulo. here's a special update for chilly summer days, mp3 files to stuff your mp3 player with and listen to on lonely walks at night, in no special order.

pinback_-_syracuse.mp3 [pinback] an exerpt from "Summer in Abaddon" (touch & go), one of my 2004 favourites

mount_eerie_-_i_hold_nothing.mp3 [p.w. elverum & sun] an exerpt from Mount Eerie's forthcoming debut album "No Flashlight" (pw elverum & sun).

sufjan_stevens_-_the_predatory_wasp_of_the_palisades_is_out_to_get_us.mp3 [sufjan stevens] an exerpt from the awesome "Illinois" (asthmatic kitty)

art_brut_-_rusted_guns_of_milan.mp3 [art brut] the funniest song i've heard in a while, from Art Brut's debut album "Bang Bang Rock & Roll" (fierce panda)

annie_-_heartbeat.mp3 [annie] an exerpt from the dancefloor-friendly "Anniemal" (some major)

oneida_-_lavender.mp3 [oneida] a hell of a song, from Oneida's latest record "The Wedding" (jagjaguwar)

silver_jews_-_punks_in_the_beerlight.mp3 [silver jews] from the Silver Jews' forthcoming "Tanglewood Numbers" (drag city)

seu_jorge_-_life_on_mars.mp3 [seu jorge] David Bowie cover from the Life Aquatic with Steve Zizzou OST (some major)

the_lucksmiths_-_the_chapter_in_your_life_entitled_san_francisco.mp3 [the lucksmiths] one of the freshest pop songs heard in a while, the kind of songs Belle & Sebastian used to write, from "Warmer Corners" (candle)

ten_in_the_swear_jar_-_san_jose_fight_song.mp3 [asian man recs] Jamie Stewart and Cory McCulloch's pre-Xiu Xiu project, a great song, taken from the forthcoming XITSJ compilation "Accordion Solo" (asian man)

xiu_xiu_-_pox.mp3 [xiu xiu] An exerpt from Xiu Xiu's new album "La Foret" (5rc/acuarela)

smog_-_your_wedding.mp3 [smog] an old, mean smog song from "Julius Caesar" (drag city)

Okkervil River - For Real

Okkervil River's Black Sheep Boy is a great album i had forgotten about. But, really, it's great, better than Bright Eyes' last releases if-you-know-what-i-mean. I'm mentionning Bright Eyes because Okkervil River also features a young hysterical singer/songwriter. Except that he sounds actually mad and hysterical, never forced even if totally self-aware. Will Sheff summons inner demons and tragic stories that will haunt you for some time. Here's the awesome "For Real".

okkervil_river_-_for_real.mp3

Herman Dune - Walk, Don't Run

Here's another exerpt from this year's marvelous Not on Top. It's sung by my favourite Herman Dune brother, i think he's the bass player. It's about being all alone.

herman_dune_-_walk_dont_run.mp3

Holopaw - Little Shaver

Holopaw's debut album for Sub Pop was a slow grower, slowly but surely making its way to the pile of cds on my bedroom floor. Their forthcoming record, Quit +or Fight -to be released in August- grabs my ear more easily, with tunes like "Little Shaver." It makes me think of Jason Molina's lyricism mixed with a delicious pop edge.

holopaw_-_little_shaver.mp3

The Notwist - This Room (remix by Four Tet & Manitoba)

Here's an old one. I dusted off my copy of the Notwist's "Pick Up the Phone" single this morning and I stumbled onto this remix, my first encounter with Four Tet and Manitoba (who hadn't released anything at the time), in this piece you can find Manitoba/Caribou's cut-up psychedelic drums and Four Tet's obsession over melodies, with Acher's deeply emotional voice perspiring through.

the_notwist_-_this_room_remix_by_four_tet_and_manitoba.mp3

The New Pornographers - Streets of Fire

When i was younger i liked playing videogames with various buddies in the then innocent times of 6th grade. One of my friends had a Sega Genesis/Megadrive and we would spend Wednesdays afternoons beating the hell out of villains in Streets of Fire. It was funnier than going to basketball lessons and it allowed us to feel a little stronger for an afternoon. Videogames were the new reality. Here's an exerpt from The New Pornographers' Twin Cinema a solid release by a solid band, filled with pop hooks and twists and turns.

the_new_pornographers_-_streets_of_fire.mp3

Kano - Signs in My Life

On this track, grime prince Kano delivers this decade's "Gangsta's Paradise." Now don't you run. Strings sampled provide a dramatic atmosphere and tight electro beats turn the song into a slow, growing storm. It's awesome.

kano_-_signs_in_my_life.mp3