I am Polar Bear

The Dead Science - Hiroshima Love Song

2006-06-07T06:08:00.000-07:00

The Dead Science's atom bomb love song is one of the best songs i have heard this year, dramatic and tight, with an orchestra of demented violins unleashed to provide for the track's disturbing climax.

the_dead_science_-_hiroshima_love_song.mp3

Bonnie "Prince" Billy - Song for Doctors Without Borders

2006-02-27T09:41:00.000-08:00

"Not Alone" is a 5-disc box-set featuring songs your favorite folk artists gave to raise money for Medecins Sans Frontières. It features music by people you have never heard of as well as pieces by Antony, Shirley Collins, Isobel Campbell, Current 93 and Bonnie Prince Billy, who penned out a gorgeous new song for the occasion.

bonnie_prince_billy_-_song_for_doctors_without_borders.mp3

Calexico - Electric Relay

2006-02-27T09:36:00.000-08:00

An exerpt from Calexico's "The Book and The Canal", a tour-only lp that is probably the best thing they have ever done, infinitely better than the mediocre "Garden Ruin" coming out soon on touch and go. Filled with soft-spoken songs and impressive instrumentals, The Book and the Canal is an amazing soundtrack to the desert.

calexico_-_electric_relay.mp3

Low - Monkey (Fog remix)

2006-02-27T09:29:00.000-08:00

An impressive remix from Low's "Tonight the Monkeys Die" ep which features five sub-par remixes. Fog turned the song inside out, added tiny guitar arppegios and changed the song completely without touching the song's core: Sparhawk and Parker's soft crooning.

low_-_monkey_(fog_remix).mp3

Daniel Johnston - The Beatles

2006-02-06T05:10:00.000-08:00

A remake of one of Yip Jump's best tracks, to be released on the forthcoming Lost and Found. The song is still outstanding (and pretty funny) and the production is quite impressive.

daniel_johnston_-_the_beatles.mp3

Wilderness - Gravity Bent Light

2006-02-06T05:06:00.000-08:00

An exerpt from Wilderness's amazing sophomore album Vessel States, combining the strengths of all coolest acts of the 1980s, from PiL to New Order.

wilderness_-_gravity_bent_light.mp3

2006 and 5

2006-01-06T07:28:00.000-08:00

The Strokes released an album three days ago and everybody has already forgotten ever listening to it. here are tracks that should be remembered:

jens_lekman_-_rocky_dennis'_farewell_song.mp3 : from "Oh You're So Silent Jens" (secretly canadian)

arctic_monkeys_-_the_view_from_the_afternoon.mp3 : from "Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not" (domino)

jana_hunter_-_have_you_got_my_money.mp3 : from "Blank Unstaring Heirs of Doom" (gnomonsongs)

liars_-_the_other_side_of_mt_heart_attack.mp3 : from "Drum's Not Dead" (mute)

Christmas oldies

2005-12-25T03:54:00.000-08:00

Every new Christmas feels less and less like Christmas.

It Could Happen to You is an exerpt from Chet Baker's gorgeous "Chet Baker Sings It Could Happen to You" lp. Martha is from Tom Waits' astounding debut lp "Closing Time" and that Edith Piaf song is just magic.

chet_baker_-_it_could_happen_to_you.mp3

tom_waits_-_martha.mp3

edith_piaf_-_lovers_for_a_day.mp3

Zapp Branigan - Joyeux Noel

2005-12-24T03:16:00.000-08:00

you'll need to understand French for this one.

zapp_branigan_-_joyeux_noel.mp3

Elliott Smith - Stickman

2005-12-20T02:11:00.000-08:00

Here's another recording (studio quality this time) of a song that could have been on "From a Basement on the Hill". More here and here.

elliott_smith_-_stickman.mp3

Phosphorescent - Pretty pt. 1 & 2

2005-12-19T01:00:00.000-08:00

Phosphorescent is one guy playing songs with friends, and most of them (especially those filling his debut album "A Hundred Time or More") are brilliant. This two parter is the album's beautiful closer.

phosphorescent_-_pretty_pt1.mp3
phosphorescent_-_pretty_pt2.mp3

Rufus Wainwright - Foolish Love

2005-12-18T03:42:00.000-08:00

I love Rufus Wainwright's debut album. I just do. Foolish Love is a gorgeous song that makes me think of Christmas and foolish love.

rufus_wainwright_-_foolish_love.mp3

Boris - Bomb Hiroshima Once More

2005-12-18T03:22:00.000-08:00

It's not the real title, but it's the final track of "Pink", Boris' latest record, released in Japan in November, to be released worldwide in March via Southern Lord. It's 10 minutes long and the most impressive rock piece I've heard in a LOOOOOONG time.

boris_-_bomb_hiroshima_once_more.mp3

Islands - Volcanoes

2005-12-17T03:27:00.000-08:00

The Unicorns released a great album, disbanded and formed a new band named Islands. "Return to the Sea" will be released sometime next year, and "Volcanoes" (along with that track with Subtle and Busdriver) is the album's best piece. It's about volcanoes popping out of nowhere (or, more accurately, from below) and burying the world under lava. yeah.

islands_-_volcanoes.mp3

Cat Power - Love & Communication

2005-12-16T03:36:00.000-08:00

Easily the best track on "The Greatest", Love & Communication blends Cat Power's usual guitar driven approach with the album's sleek r&b production. Impressive.

cat_power_-_love_and_communication.mp3

The Clientele - My Own Face Inside the Trees

2005-10-24T21:50:00.000-07:00

The Clientele play songs to hug yourself to, the kind of songs I used to phantasize of dancing to with Kelly O'Reilly at the school dance (we don't have Kelly O'Reillys or school dances here). Their music sounds frozen in time like a teenage crush, gloriously fresh and stomach-wrenching decades after.

the_clientele_-_my_own_face_inside_the_tree.mp3

1969-2003

2005-10-21T09:48:00.000-07:00

Here are two unreleased songs by Elliott Smith, part of the 22 tracks that surfaced last week (and which can be found easily if you look hard enough), to remember him by.

elliott_smith_-_abused.mp3

elliott_smith_-_high_times.mp3

Sun Kil Moon - Exit Does Not Exist

2005-10-20T09:10:00.000-07:00

Mark Kozelek goes berserk and releases a record filled with Modest Mouse covers, and unsurprisingly enough, it's awesome. "Exit Does Not Exist" is the best short song I've heard in a long time, and a great opener to Sun Kil Moon's Tiny Cities.

sun_kil_moon_-_exit_does_not_exist.mp3

The Walkmen - There Goes My Baby

2005-10-20T08:18:00.000-07:00

The Walkmen are awesome. For those who need further proof, here's a 50s-heavy cover of the Drifters' "There Goes My Baby" that's part of a videogames' soundtrack -i was told it's an old-fashioned zombie thing, and i was also assured that videogames do get soundtracks nowadays.

the_walkmen_-_there_goes_my_baby.mp3

Laura Veirs - Black Gold Blues

2005-10-15T09:26:00.000-07:00

On her last record, Year of Meteors, Laura Veirs succeeds in combining the best of the late 20th century's female singer songwriters, from Suzanne Vega to Cat Power and PJ Harvey, never forgetting to add pieces of her own flesh to the stew. "Black Gold Blues" is the most impressive piece on the record, a song you may want to listen twice, for no particular reason.

laura_veirs_-_black_gold_blues.mp3

Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan - Ramblin' Man

2005-10-14T09:10:00.000-07:00

In this piece, Mark Lanegan as the Tom Waits-mouthed wolf stares conspicuously at Isobel Campbell as the red riding hood. It's a Hank Williams tune, and also one of the highlights of the impromptu duo's record, Ballad of the Broken Seas.

isobel_campbell_and_mark_lanegan_-_ramblin_man.mp3 (final version)

Arizona Amp and Alternator - Blue Blue Marble Girl

2005-10-13T01:19:00.000-07:00

Howe Gelb doesn't sleep. During daytime he records songs with people, and at night he plays the best show you have seen in years. Arizona Amp and Alternator is a new project, featuring people from Denmark as well as Grandaddy guys and Scoutt Niblett (among others), and just like most of Howe Gelb's records, it's split between great charming songs -such as this one- and songs that would be bad if they were not charming. Still, still.

arizona_amp_and_alternator_-_blue_blue_marble_girl.mp3

Casiotone for the Painfully Alone - Roberta C (version)

2005-10-12T00:33:00.000-07:00

Part of Tomlab's Alphabet 7" series, this new version of Twinkle Echo's "Roberta C" is slightly, and most effectively different. It has better beats, better vocals -almost tom waits-like-, actual strings that turn the whole song into a charming piece, strongly underlining Owen Ashworth's punchline : "true love is hard to find". If this song (along with its casio-free b-side) hints towards the sound of the next Casiotone for the Painfully Alone record, it should be a huge step forwards for the guy, and something worth waiting for.

casiotone_for_the_painfully_alone_-_roberta_c_(version).mp3

Franz Ferdinand - What You Meant

2005-09-26T02:26:00.000-07:00

At first I thought Franz Ferdinand's sophomore record was a disappointment and then i thought it was really good. "Do You Want To"'s bitchy poppiness overshadowed the whole record until I decided to give it another try. "What You Meant" is, like 10 out of the album's 12 songs, a potential hit single.

franz_ferdinand_-_what_you_meant.mp3

Stephen Malkmus - Wow-Ass Jeans

2005-09-23T08:36:00.000-07:00

September sucked until i realized that the first three episodes of the new season of the o.c. were available for illegal download and that arrested devellopment, nip/tuck and lost had started again. Phew.
"Wow-Ass Jeans" is one of those Japanese bonus-track / European b-side types of songs, and it's a great Stephen Malkmus pop/pot piece, with cryptic lyrics and awesome, catchy melodies. He whistles, too.

stephen_malkmus_-_wow_ass_jeans.mp3

The Decemberists - The Bandit Queen

2005-09-22T03:55:00.000-07:00

An exerpt from the fourth side of the vinyl edition of Picaresque, in which we find the Decemberists trapped in a dusty bar on the west coast in 1892. As usual, it sounds charming.

the_decemberists_-_the_bandit_queen.mp3

Arab Strap - Stink

2005-09-22T02:30:00.000-07:00

An exerpt from Arab Strap's forthcoming The Last Romance, and probably the best song on the album.

arab_strap_-_stink.mp3

The Fall - I Can Hear the Grass Grow

2005-09-21T11:05:00.000-07:00

Twenty-nine years later, Mark E Smith and his band release a damn fun record. I know "fun" isn't necessarily what people tend to associate The Fall with, but they've managed to fill Fall Heads Roll with the youthful, exhuberant energy that could be found in the band's early recordings. Awesome.

the_fall_-_i_can_hear_the_grass_grow.mp3

Elliott Smith - Thirteen

2005-09-21T10:57:00.001-07:00

I can't wait to see Elliott Smith box sets pop up, complete with demos, unreleased tracks and so on. It might take a while and i'm glad to find two covers in the Thumbsucker soundtrack. "Thirteen" used to be one of Smith's live favourites and his affection for the song can be heard on this simple recording : Big Star's brilliant song became one of his most moving pieces.

elliott_smith_-_thirteen.mp3

Castanets - A Song Is Not the Song of The World

2005-09-07T05:10:00.000-07:00

Fuck Devendra Banhart and his fellow grave robbers. Castanets' Raymond Raposa writes today's folk music, filled with bile, shitty jobs and dirty Greyhound bus trips. His new record (First Light's Freeze, asthmatic kitty) feels like a fresh, euphoric breath of poisoned air, and a bum's acid laugh at the Lost Boys' masquerade.

castanets_-_a_song_is_not_the_song_of_the_world.mp3

The Black Heart Procession - Exit Out

2005-09-06T03:18:00.000-07:00

Here's an unreleased Black Heart Procession instrumental, seven minutes long, cinematic and gorgeous, from the Shanti Project vol 3 compilation (also featuring pieces by Arab Strap and Califone). According to the touch and go website, the band's fifth album should be released before the end of the year.

the_black_heart_procession_-_exit_out.mp3

Amandine - Stitches

2005-09-05T02:29:00.000-07:00

An exerpt from Amandine's brilliant This Is Where Our Hearts Collide, delicate and subtle alt. country / folk from Sweden. "Stitches" sounds like the great Magnolia Electric Co. song Jason Molina forgot to write.

amandine_-_stitches.mp3

Dirty Three - Great Waves (ft. Cat Power)

2005-08-31T03:39:00.000-07:00

So. Dirty Three makes great music, even though it ended up sounding more or less the same after five records. For Cinder they decided to tighten it up, and asked everyone's favourite sensitive / disturbed female songwriter to write lyrics to sing on one of their new pieces. The result is good news from the Chan Marshall Mental Institute and great material for the trio's sixth record.

dirty_three_-_great_waves.mp3

Why? - The Hoofs

2005-08-30T09:12:00.000-07:00

Why? is smart, that's his thing. He can be quite annoying, too : you may end up wanting to jump repeatedly on his neck until it's nothing but tiny shards of bone. But in the end, he will still be smarter than you. Here's an exerpt from Elephant Eyelash, his brand new lp, following the critically acclaimed (by myself and two of my friends) Sanddollars ep.

why_-_the_hoofs.mp3

Aoki Takamasa & Tujiko Noriko - Vinyl Words

2005-08-29T08:48:00.000-07:00

Japanese girls are often thought of as "cute" by my contemporaries and Aoki Takamasa and Tujiko Noriko's collaboration (28, fat cat) won't prove them wrong. It's discreet cut and paste electronica and I can't picture "Vinyl Words" as being about hardcore fetish fantasies (sorry, contemporaries).

aoki_takamasa_and_tujiko_noriko_-_vinyl_words.mp3

XINLISUPREME - I Drew a Picture of My Lungs

2005-08-29T08:22:00.000-07:00

WARNING : THIS SONG MAY BE ABOUT HARDCORE SEXUAL FANTASIES INVOLVING INTERNAL BODY ORGANS AND JAPANESE MEN.

I wish Xinlisupreme made the awesome record they're bound to make, something that would stand between Loveless and 60 Second Wipeout in my record collection and I wish I knew whether or not their new online album was this groundbreaking effort : in their typical, perverse japanese logic, the band posts one track after another and each track stays online for two weeks and then disappear in the interweb. Behold "I Drew a Picture of My Lungs," the only track i have managed to get (i'd kill to know how "I Am New Christ" sounds like) and one of their most oppressive pieces so far. These young men know how Red Bull and X taste like.

xinlisupreme_-_i_drew_a_picture_of_my_lungs.mp3

The Fall - Futures and Pasts (peel session)

2005-08-21T03:02:00.000-07:00

I'm learning The Fall's history through that awesome Peel Sessions Box Set I just got. According to it, in the beginning, The Fall were great, in the late 80s, they were less great, in the early nineties, they were almost bad, in the mid to late nineties they were better and now they're back in top form. Here's "Futures and Pasts" the very first song of their very first peel session broadcast in june 1978.

the_fall_-_futures_and_pasts.mp3

The Rakes - Open Book

2005-08-20T04:40:00.000-07:00

I'm always quite suspicious of British bands. They try so hard to write a number one single that it's hard to find sincerity and global quality in long players. Franz Ferdinand and The Futureheads did it, Art Brut almost did it, The Rakes could have done better. Here's "Open Book," a good pop song.

the_rakes_-_open_book.mp3

Bonnie "Prince" Billy - New Partner

2005-08-19T03:02:00.000-07:00

This is a redemption song, re-recorded for Will Oldham's Sings Greatest Palace Music album. I listened to it for the first time about a year and a half ago when i was starting to feel OK. Sometimes songs make you feel bad, sometimes they just make you feel sad.

bonnie_prince_billy_-_new_partner.mp3

Calexico - Black Heart

2005-08-19T03:00:00.000-07:00

Another song that never stops from making me shiver. Everything fits perfectly, Joey Burns' warm voice, John Convertino's tight drumming and dark strings all gathered into Calexico's first instant classic.

calexico_-_black_heart.mp3

Rogue Wave - Publish My Love

2005-08-18T05:04:00.000-07:00

On this track, an exerpt from Rogue Wave's forthcoming sophomore album Descended Like Vultures, the band sounds a little like Billy Corgan's New Order rehash, except good. They sound much more like an actual band than on the very Californian, very fresh, very 1964 Out of the Shadows and even if their new album is not as uniform as its big brother, some of its songs just can't be stopped.

rogue_wave_-_publish_my_love.mp3

Chateau Transistor - Love Motel

2005-08-16T05:44:00.000-07:00

A great song by a forgotten band from here. I hadn't heard of them until quite recently, when a love interest of mine made me listen to "Love Motel". Chateau Transistor recorded songs and never released them, like most bands in this sick city. They liked Depeche Mode, too.

chateau_transistor_-_love_motel.mp3

Art Brut - These Animal Menswe@r

2005-08-16T04:54:00.000-07:00

A new Art Brut song, a b-side to the "Emily Kane" single that sounds like a Doolittle outtake. It's short, its title refers to a britpop band everybody had finally succeded in forgetting, but it's really good.

art_brut_-_these_animal_menswear.mp3

Nice things to come

2005-08-11T00:55:00.000-07:00

deerhoof_-_scream_team.mp3 [Deerhoof] from The Runners Four
The Runners Four is less poppy than the Green Cosmos ep and more similar to their usual stuff, except with great production, awesome songs and tons of melodic lines swimming in abstract pop madness.

animal_collective_-_turn_into_something.mp3 [Animal Collective] from Feels
Another step forwards, Feels sounds like a full band Sung Tongs, much more ambitious, turning Animal Collective into the -now listenable- modern freak-folk act everybody wished they'd become.

grandaddy_-_pull_the_curtains.mp3 [Grandaddy] from Exerpts from the Diary of Todd Zilla
"Pull the Curtains" is great old-fashioned Grandaddy at its best, with cheap keyboard lines, drums that sound like they come straight through a casio and awesome hooks. Back to the old home-studio, Jason Lytle recorded 8 songs for this ep, moving away from Sumday lethargy, trying new things and having fun again. All in all, good news.

broken_social_scene_-_7-4_(shoreline).mp3 [Broken Social Scene] from Broken Social Scene
Broken Social Scene's "Almost Crimes" is one of those songs i can't get enough of and it sets the quality standard for the rest of the band's output. "7/4 (Shoreline)" is great.

danger_doom_-_space_hos.mp3 [Danger Doom] from The Mouse and the Mask
Another keeper from MF DOOM, hip-hop's most consistent artist, teaming up with Danger Mouse for a hell of a record.

wolf_parade_-_i'll_believe_in_anything.mp3 [Wolf Parade] from Apologies to the Queen Mary
Canada is setting new standards in production and intensity, singers howling and instruments melting together in glorious stews. Apologies to the Queen Mary is one of my favourite records right now.

the_constantines_-_love_in_fear.mp3 [The Constantines] from Tournament of Hearts
The Constantines sound appeased and even if Tournament of Hearts lacks the emergency that could be found in the band's two first records, the band makes up for it with great songs and impressive tightness.

calla_-_swagger.mp3 [Calla] from Collisions
Calla used to be known for damp atmospherics and bleak melodies, an impressive rhythm section and a black-throated singer who sounds like he's dying and not really complaining about it. On their new album the band sounds more straightforward than they ever sounded, and, despite the lack of tracks as intense as "Televise" of "Tijerina," Collisions could be Calla's much deserved break-out record.

american_analog_set_-_born_on_the_cusp.mp3 [American Analog Set] from Set Free
I have always liked the first tracks off American Analog Set's records, this one's no exception.

Sufjan Stevens - Borderline

2005-08-02T05:09:00.000-07:00

Sufjan Stevens is getting pretty big everywhere and Rough Trade issued a 7" off Sevens Swans not a long time ago, featuring this gorgeous b-side, a simple sad song, more touching and sincere than his latest outings.

sufjan_stevens_-_borderline.mp3

July special

2005-07-14T04:35:00.000-07:00

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

2005-07-08T01:00:00.000-07:00

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

2005-07-08T00:49:00.000-07:00

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

2005-07-03T08:27:00.000-07:00

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)

2005-07-02T04:18:00.000-07:00

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

2005-07-01T04:12:00.000-07:00

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

2005-07-01T04:04:00.000-07:00

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

Wolf Parade - Shine a Light

2005-06-24T04:15:00.000-07:00

Wolf Parade sound like they're fronted by a beast created with parts of The Constantines' Steve Lambke, Interpol's Paul Banks and good old Win Butler. Needless to say, they sound extremely tight and convincing, with deeply passionate songs just like "Shine a Light", the first song on their new ep for sub pop. Their debut album will be released in september (and it's very good).

wolf_parade_-_shine_a_light.mp3

Fiona Apple - Oh Well

2005-06-24T04:02:00.000-07:00

Well, it looks like Fiona Apple's Extraordinary Machine, available online for a few months now on different p2p services, will never get released. In the end, neither Sony or Apple (who isn't happy about Jon Brion's marvelous production work) want it to be released. She has started working on a new record with someone more fashionable. Either way Extraordinary Machine is great. Here's "Oh Well."

fiona_apple_-_oh_well.mp3

The Constantines - Why I didn't Like August '93

2005-06-21T06:06:00.000-07:00

The Constantines cover Elevator to Hell's "Why I Didn't Like Autumn '93" for the June issue of The Believer magazine. Elevator to Hell where the psych band of one fourth of Eric's Trip. The Constantines are one of the most impressively constant bands in indie rock. "Why I Didn't like Autumn 93" ends up sounding like a Lou Barlow song, with it's jaded "I got a girl problem"/"I got a drug problem" lines, and then there's the chorus and it doesn't sound like anything you'd think the Constantines could sound like. That's what great bands do. Their new record will be released in the fall.

the_constantines_-_why_i_didnt_like_august_93.mp3

The Decemberists - Bridges and Balloons

2005-06-21T05:55:00.000-07:00

Colin Meloy sings Joanna Newsom's Bridges and Balloons alone on his own for the same issue of The Believer. On this simple interpretation, Meloy takes out Newsom's harp and sharp voice to unveil a great, classic folk song.

the_decemberists_-_bridges_and_balloons.mp3

Common - Love Is

2005-06-19T01:02:00.000-07:00

On the cover of Be, Chicago's Common poses like Marvin Gaye, with a hat on his head and a heavy smile on his face. He's cool. It doesn't mean Be is a sappy record, it's a contemporary overview of the US society, without the usual hip-hop filters -guns, bitches, dope- that often ends up sounding more like a 70s soul record than a contemporary hip hop release. There are songs about love and songs about girls who aren't tools. In other words: it's refreshing and impressive. Here's "Love Is."

common_-_love_is

The Arcade Fire - Cold Wind

2005-06-18T04:44:00.000-07:00

Here's a new Arcade Fire song, recorded for the new Six Feet Under soundtrack. In "Cold Wind," one of the band's most stripped-down songs, Win Butler keeps on singing dark times with a shaky voice and disarming intensity.

the_arcade_fire_-_cold_wind.mp3

Jason Molina - Nashville Moon

2005-06-18T04:39:00.000-07:00

I saw Jason Molina play in a church, with his guitar and a trumpet player. Out of his gorgeously bare set one song stood out and i had never heard it before, a little online search led me to this live recording. Nashville Moon may (or may not) appear on Magnolia Electric Co's forthcoming ep due out in July.

jason_molina_-_nashville_moon.mp3

Ikara Colt - Sink Venice

2005-06-17T02:54:00.000-07:00

I've been away by the ocean for a few days and now i'm back. Here's Ikara Colt's "Sink Venice". It's great and Ikara Colt are no more.

ikara_colt_-_sink_venice.mp3

The Smashing Pumpkins - Bodies

2005-06-17T02:13:00.000-07:00

I used to be a hardcore Smashing Pumpkins fan. I know. I can't really listen to Smashing Pumpkins records anymore, it's embarassing to recollect embarassing memories. There are only a couple of songs that i can still listen to, Mellon Collie & the Infinite Sadness' "Bodies" is one of them : despite its "love is suicide" line, its "emo" side doesn't overshadow everything.

the_smashing_pumpkins_-_bodies.mp3

Sleater Kinney - The Fox

2005-06-07T03:11:00.000-07:00

Sleater Kinney's The Woods is a record nobody really expected, all i was waiting for was a couple of good song in a ok album. It turns out to be one of this year's very best lps, catchy and angry, with great punk songs that are also great pop songs. Some people used to call this "grunge" (don't tell).

sleater_kinney_-_the_fox.mp3

Art Brut - Emily Kane

2005-06-07T02:51:00.000-07:00

Art Brut's Bang Bang Rock & Roll is a fun record reminiscent of The Fall and of some of E. Smith's alumni like Ikara Colt and Pavement. It's filled with deadpan humour and angular guitars. It's perfect for the Summer and no there's nothing wrong with Winter. "Emily Kane" is about an old flame.

art_brut_-_emily_kane.mp3

Daniel Johnston - Livin' It for the Moment

2005-06-04T02:36:00.000-07:00

Daniel Johnston's music is naive and innocent and that's what makes it charming. At 44 years old, he still manages to start his shows with "Speeding Motorcycle" and end them with "True Love Will Find You in the End." "Livin It for the Moment" is an exerpt from "Fear Yourself", his 2003 collaboration with Mark Linkous. It's an exstatic power pop song sung with a manic, breathless, out of tune voice, echoing the lyrics of this awesome song. Daniel Johnston loves you, even though you make him want to kill you from time to time.

daniel_johnston_-_livin_it_for_the_moment.mp3

Castanets - Heaps of Wheat

2005-06-01T02:23:00.000-07:00

Castanets' What Kind of Cure was recorded in between Ray Raposa's travel through the USA through the Greyhound Bus system and Cathedral. In other words, it's the debut album everybody thought Cathedral was. It doesn't have the same cohesion but it is easily as good as far as songwriting goes. There is a song that doesn't sound like you could hang yourself to it and there is "Heaps of Wheat" which sounds somewhere between Black Heart Procession (the bass line), Pinback (the 80s feeling) and Castanets (the rest). It's a brilliant record, originally released as a very limited cdr and about to be re-released by Asthmatic Kitty.

castanets_-_heaps_of_wheat.mp3

M.I.A. - Galang

2005-05-31T02:53:00.000-07:00

I know, how typical. I have been skeptic about M.I.A. until I heard "Galang" and its glorious chorus of Mayas singing along incantations for what seems to be a revolution leading to better sex for all females. It sounds good in crowded nightclubs.

MIA_-_galang.mp3

Smog - Rock Bottom Riser

2005-05-30T14:45:00.000-07:00

A River Ain't Too Much to Love has been playing in this wonderful apartment for quite a while now and I have yet to grow bored of it. It's brilliant, a masterpiece, easily one of Smog's best records. And while "The Well" seems to get all the praise, "Rock Bottom Riser" is the album's true jewel, something you can't escape, shutting its sharp claws tight on your guts. It's one of the best songs i have heard this year. Bill Callahan should be you hero.

smog_-_rock_bottom_riser.mp3

Sufjan Stevens - Casimir Pulaski Day

2005-05-30T14:32:00.000-07:00

I'm not American so I don't know much about the historical or geographical references in Sufjan Stevens' Illinois, which happens to be about Illinois. My girlfriend went to Chicago for what would be a hectic month on this side of the atlantic so i find it funny. She told me there was a Pulaski street in Chicago but i had no idea who Casimir Pulaski was until i googled the hell out of him. He was a Polish who fought Russians and Prussians and ended up meeting Benjamin Franklin in Paris and then led the fight against the English army in the then quite young USA.
I'm guessing Casimir Pulaski Day's point is: even though you have a funny name, and if you manage to live through highschool, you can end up being someone so important that, a couple of centuries after your death, some guy will write a song about you. Or maybe it's about being Polish. Either way, Illinois is an awesome record.

sufjan_stevens_-_casimir_pulaski_day.mp3

Animal Collective ft. Vashti Bunyan - Prospect Hummer

2005-05-28T03:22:00.000-07:00

Animal Collective's Prospect Hummer ep is a lovely companion to last year's sun-heavy Sung Tongs. For this ep they kept some of their favourite songs from the Sung Tongs sessions and brought them to London in order to have forgotten folk singer Vashti Bunyan sing on them. The result is just perfect. "Prospect Hummer" makes me want to take a nap under my grandma's oak tree.

animal_collective_-_prospect_hummer.mp3

Fountains of Wayne - Maureen

2005-05-26T03:36:00.000-07:00

I've been away for a few days, stayed in a hotel, living the studying life. And now my exams are over, this is actually Summer, what Fountains of Wayne have always been about. This is their new single, taken from their forthcoming 2xcd b-side collection Out of State Plates. uh-uh-uh-uh.

fountains_of_wayne_-_maureen.mp3

Queens of the Stone Age - In the Fade

2005-05-26T03:01:00.000-07:00

This song, sung by Mark "my voice makes you want to fuck me" Lanegan, is an exerpt from Queens of the Stone Age's perfect Rated R, one of the 20th century's last great records. Smells like hot gasoline, damp nights and blinding sun.

queens_of_the_stone_age_-_in_the_fade.mp3

Deerhoof - Spiral Golden Town

2005-05-20T03:06:00.000-07:00

"Spiral Golden Town" is an exerpt from Deerhoof's great new ep Green Cosmos. It sounds like a bridge between their love for destroying structure and Blonde Redhead's cravings for lush European pop. It's epic and kitsch. It sounds like the Star Wars theme, your favourite 70s French song, a listenable Kazu and that highly underrated genre from the former French colonies called "zouk."

deerhoof_-_spiral_golden_town.mp3

Vitalic - My Friend Dario

2005-05-19T05:36:00.000-07:00

Hey it will be Summer in exactly six days when my exams are over. Summer = disco rock anthems, sweet folk and some fun tigerbeat tunes. Here's Vitalic's "My Friend Dario," a song you already know.

vitalic_-_my_friend_dario.mp3

David Pajo - High Lonesome Moan

2005-05-17T05:18:00.000-07:00

David Pajo never stops changing names, bands and genres. PAJO, his forthcoming record out late june on Drag City and Domino, has him playing under his own name for a change. It's gorgeous folk reminiscent of the best 60s recordings, including Brian Wilson. "High Lonesome Moan" is a softly sad yet sunny song that reminds me of Elliott Smith and the ones he reminded me of. It's a song you want to keep with you for rainy days.

david_pajo_-_high_lonesome_moan.mp3

13 & God - Tin Strong

2005-05-16T04:28:00.000-07:00

I didn't think I would be disappointed by a collaboration record between the Notwist and Themselves and i was right. Both bands put out their best and bring equal amount of ideas and structures throughout the record, even though the balance eventually shifts from song to song. "Tin Strong" is one of the most Themselves-esque tracks on 13 & God and the Notwist bring a big lump of melody to the clever boys' hip hop soup.

13_+_god_-_tin_strong.mp3

Tom Waits - Tango Til They're Sore

2005-05-12T06:13:00.000-07:00

This is the first Tom Waits song I remember hearing and liking, in one of my friends' dump of a room years ago. We were drinking beer trying not to see how it was 11pm on a Saturday night and how bored we were when I heard this song, or more exactly a poorly-recorded bootleg version of it. The night didn't really get wilder after that.

tom_waits_-_tango_til_theyre_sore.mp3

Low - I Remember

2005-05-11T06:01:00.000-07:00

Now it's official : Alan Sparhawk is insane. He doesn't sing on "I Remember", a forgotten jewel, found on last year's A Lifetime of Temporary Relief, which is an incredible name for a Low box-set. It's basically a bass guitar, a drum machine, keyboards and Mimi Parker. It sounds as good as that.

low_-_i_remember.mp3

Chet Baker - Deep in a Dream

2005-05-10T06:27:00.000-07:00

I was at work today, reading a book by a famous and very good japanese writer, and at some point, I don't know how, I came to think of how Jazz songs have affected my love life. Chet, Louis, Ella and Billie don't sing about compromises and daily stuff. They sing about total, violent love. Something you can't fight, something that beats you down and lifts you up. It took me quite a while to realize that it couldn't be. "Deep in a Dream" is one of my favourite Chet Baker tracks, a jewel lost among Chet Baker with Fifty Italian Strings's mediocrity.

chet_baker_-_deep_in_a_dream.mp3

Calexico - Sonic Wind (instrumental mix)

2005-05-09T05:42:00.000-07:00

I had trouble finding a Calexico song i wanted to share, and when I choose one I surprisingly pick one without Joey Burns' warm, softly moving voice. I pick the instrumental version of Hot Rail's "Sonic Wind" that opens the pretty good Even My Sure Things Fall Through ep. That's what nightshifts do to you.

calexico_-_sonic_wind_(instrumental_mix).mp3

Xiu Xiu - Brooklyn Dodgers (Fag Patrol version)

2005-05-07T10:42:00.000-07:00

Xiu Xiu's Fag Patrol is one of the darkest records I own (along with those scary Nico LPs). It's songs that were already released on other Xiu Xiu releases, apart from a cover of The Smiths' "Asleep," only hauntingly bare. There are no drum machines and wild saws, just Jamie Stewart, an acoustic guitar and sometimes an harmonium. The original version of "Brooklyn Dodgers", on the quite disturbing A Promise, is a mean, nausea-inducing piece of a song. This one is just disarming.

xiu_xiu_-_brooklyn_dodgers.mp3

Lou Barlow - On Fire (acoustic)

2005-05-06T03:42:00.000-07:00

This track, a long with a couple of other live/acoustic Sebadoh songs, has been sitting on my hard drive for a while. It's labelled as a Peel Session track but i can't find no evidence whatsoever that Sebadoh or Lou Barlow ever recorded a peel session. Anyway, it sounds great like the great song you tried to play in your bedroom after class in 1996.

lou_barlow_-_on_fire_(acoustic).mp3

The Walkmen - New Year's Eve

2005-05-05T06:17:00.000-07:00

I have been listening to The Walkmen's Bows and Arrows a lot lately and sometimes i tell myself i need Hamilton Leithauser's sharp tongue coldly depicting love affairs with a bitter smile. "New Year's Eve" smells of drunk nostalgia.

the_walkmen_-_new years eve.mp3

The Black Heart Procession - The Old Kind of Summer

2005-05-04T06:01:00.000-07:00

This was the soundtrack to last year. I wouldn't advise listening to all Black Heart Procession records in a row and yet i did it for months. "The Old Kind of Summer" is an exerpt from their first record, conveniently titled One. It's haunting and dark but also very fragile, softly lit by broken pieces of hope left on the bar's wooden floor.

the_black_heart_procession_-_the_old_kind_of_summer.mp3

Chairmen of The Board - Give Me Just a Little More Time

2005-05-03T04:34:00.000-07:00

This was the soundtrack to last Summer, which was about feeling ok after one hell of a year. It's one of the greatest songs i have ever heard, part of that awesome Can You Dig It? box-set about 70s soul. I can't help but dance and sing along. "Give Me Just a Little More Time" -Chairmen of the Board's first single- reached number three on the pop charts back then in 1970. If you're American you have already heard it. If you're not...

chairmen_of_the_board_-_give_me_just_a_little_more_time.mp3

Patrick Wolf - A Boy Like Me

2005-05-01T05:44:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I walked into a record shop which never carries anything good and i stumbled upon a mint and quite cheap copy of Patrick Wolf's debut ep. It has "Bloodbeat" and "A Boy Like Me", which ended up on last year's wonderful Lycanthropy, as well as two less interesting b-sides. I hadn't listened to him in a while, and it struck me again how impressive this boy can be.

patrick_wolf_-_a_boy_like_me.mp3

Michel & Michel - My Bed Is My Wife

2005-04-30T02:04:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we went to Michel & Michel's release party for their new record, From Michel & Michel With Love. They played songs, which were great and then they gave everyone a copy of their record. It is filled with charming songs recorded with classic guitars, sounding like a sunny Summer afternoon spent in a green hill, near a beautiful lake. "My Bed Is My Wife" is the last song on their record and one of their very best.

michel_et_michel_-_my_bed_is_my_wife.mp3

Arab Strap - The Shy Retirer

2005-04-29T02:32:00.000-07:00

Monday at the Hug and Pint should remind me of darker times, and, as i press "play" I expect a rush of ghostly memories coming to hit me in the back of the head. It doesn't happen and I'm grateful for it. All i have left to do is finally re-discover Arab Strap. Here is one of the best songs I have ever heard.

arab_strap_-_the_shy_retirer.mp3

The Boy Least Likely To - Paper Cuts

2005-04-28T04:17:00.000-07:00

Along with The Lucksmiths' Warmer Corners, The Boy Least Likely To's The Best Party Ever is this year's perfect indie pop record : young, fresh and sunny, with songs reminiscent of the Smiths and the good old 1960s. They're British, and "Paper Cuts" is my favourite song of the day.

the_boy_least_likely_to_-_paper_cuts.mp3

Jonathan Richman - Couples Must Fight

2005-04-27T10:07:00.000-07:00

Jonathan Richman is one of my heroes. An unsung, forgotten genius songwriter with a soft spot for romance. "Couples Must Fight" is an exerpt of 2001's totally unpretentious Her Mystery Not of High Heels and Eye Shadow, his 20th record, which could have been more appropriately titled Let Jonathan Teach You a Lesson or Two About Love.

jonathan_richman_-_couples_must_fight.mp3

Swod - Tucholskystr.34

2005-04-26T02:55:00.000-07:00

Swod's Gehen is one of last years most surprising releases, half classical piano, half quiet, abstract electronica. It's one of City Centre Office's best releases, and more importantly, one of the few avant-garde records that actually succeed in making me feel anything. Gehen is a wonderful record to experience, one of those records you play over and over again just because you can't think of anything else fit to follow.

swod_-_tucholskystr34.mp3

Xinlisupreme - Zouaves Blue

2005-04-25T11:27:00.000-07:00

Xinlisupreme released Zouaves blue as a free online single a few months ago, as a teaser to their second proper album, to be released this Summer. It's insanely awesome, thousands of layers of guitars, keyboards and drummachines and, at some point, a girl singing in the distance. Their new album will be released via Fat Cat and available for free download on their website on July 1st. I can't help but love their guts.

xinlisupreme_-_zouaves_blue.mp3

F.S. Blumm - Nie

2005-04-24T06:46:00.000-07:00

Frank Shültge Blumm's Zweite Meer is Morr Music's best release in months and maybe years. It's simple and quietly moving, delicate instrumental music for you to live by. A beautiful record.

f_s_blumm_-_nie.mp3

Herman Düne - Not On Top

2005-04-22T01:23:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I met with my slacker friend and as I told him I wasn't a big Herman Dune fan, he told me to listen to the title track of their latest record. I can really use a good song right now, so i listen to it. Julie Doiron sat in the studio while the Herman Dune brothers recorded and you can hear her humming in the back. This one is about being 27 and feeling old.

herman_dune_-_not_on_top.mp3

Smog - Justice Aversion

2005-04-21T08:03:00.000-07:00

I can't seem to stop listening to this song at the moment. "Justice Aversion" sounds like someone silently following you home in the darkest hours of night. It's the opening track to Smog's impressive Dongs of Sevotion.

smog_-_justice_aversion.mp3

The Lucksmiths - Sunlight in a Jar

2005-04-20T09:26:00.000-07:00

"Sunlight in a Jar" sounds like a perfect Spring, one that would be filled with sun, blossoming trees, romance and mutual understanding. It also sounds a lot like the Smiths and those other tidy, highly-educated British bands. The Lucksmiths are Australian and Warmer Corners is their 8th album. Time for you to listen!

the_lucksmiths_-_sunlight_in_a_jar.mp3

Mount Eerie - The Boom

2005-04-15T10:34:00.000-07:00

I was kinda suspcious about Mount Eerie, none of the post The Glow Pt.2 recordings Phil Elvrum produced sounded that convincing to me. Nevertheless I grabbed a copy of Mount Eerie's Live in Denmark 3-LP released not a long time ago through Burn Toast Vinyl. It looks absolutely gorgeous, it's Elvrum playing 34 songs on his own during 5 sides, and on the 6th side there's a studio recording of "The Boom," which is the best post-Microphones song I've heard so far. Mount Eerie's first proper album should be released in August, and I hope he knows what he's doing.

mount_eerie_-_the_boom.mp3

Andrew Bird - Opposite Day

2005-04-14T07:07:00.000-07:00

I have to admit I have no idea who this guy is. I've seen a picture of him somewhere and he's tall and dark-haired. The thing is, I can't stop listening to his latest record Andrew Bird and the Mysterious Production of Eggs, which happens to be a great pop record. I know every print magazine around here have praised him but i have stopped reading them a couple of years ago, mainly because they tend to praise crap, or whichever band was on the cover of the NME two months ago. He reminds me of : a more consitent Aimee Mann, a manlier Rufus Wainwright and a livelier Elliott Smith (XO-era). I'm starting to think this guy is talented. "Opposite Day" is my favourite song from his record. Try him.

andrew_bird_-_opposite_day.mp3

The For Carnation - A Tribute To

2005-04-13T11:37:00.000-07:00

I don't remember much about the past two years, apart from the occasional drama. Still, glimpses of what used to be my daily life come back when I listen to records. I remember smoking and having sex while listening to The For Carnation in the coolest hours of Summer nights. I remember the smell of hot tar and dry sweat. Everything was already blurry back then.

the_for_carnation_-_a_tribute_to.mp3

Devendra Banhart - Michigan State

2005-04-11T00:21:00.000-07:00

Before he was an iconic folk figure, Devendra Banhart was already talented. Oh Me,Oh My, his debut album, gathers pocket freak folk songs recorded on microcassette recorders and answering machines. It sounds impressive most of time, some of these songs are haunting and quite scary, the dark diary of a disillusionned 18 years old boy living in a cold, water-less squat. In this hopeless record there are little candles scattered here and there, putting things back into perspective. "Michigan State" is one of these.

devendra_banhart_-_michigan_state.mp3

Calla - Televised

2005-04-08T04:16:00.000-07:00

Calla are great. Their music is dark black with tiny bits of dark grey. It sounds warm like tropical rain in a smog-clad third world city, tight and impressively efficient. "Televised" is an exerpt from 2003's Televise and one of Calla's strongest songs.

calla_-_televised.mp3