So one last time (for the time being), let’s check out what we’ve got on the menu. Today’s specials are: Regina Spektor, Ace of Base, Major Lazer, Mandy Moore, Phoenix and the new Green Day. All that, plus the beloved mixtape, awaits you down below. Do it to it, y’all!

Regina Spektor—Far

Regina Spektor’s newest album came out last week and it’s delightful. For an artist with four albums and a recording career of nearly ten years, Spektor has been a bit under the radar. I feel that this album may bring her more spotlight. While I think the single “Laughing With” is a bit boring, the other tracks more than make up for it. No one writes lyrics as colorful, vivid or quirky and her piano playing has never been better. Moreover, she’s a delightful human being with an energy and positive outlook that beams through in her music. Even when expressing sadness, she isn’t hopeless, and when she’s having fun, she’s a real hoot. Listen to “Folding Chair.” She makes noises like a dolphin. – Chris

Ace of Base—Platinum and Gold Collection

As I mentioned in a Weekend Preview a couple of weeks ago, I’ve recently, through a random series of events, had my somewhat dormant Ace of Base love rekindled in a big way. The first event was a visit from my older sister, the one who used to make me memorize Ace of Base songs to sing for her friends when I was little, forever making the Swedish pop group one of my karaoke standbys (this is also the reason I know every word to a Taco Bell jingle from the early 1990s, but that’s another story). Shortly after this reminiscing, while looking for different work out music, I stumbled upon a copy of the group’s Platinum and Gold Collection with all of their greatest hits that my best friend had burned for me in college. It’s been on a heavy rotation in my apartment ever since (although, I would not recommend using the tracks as an alarm in the morning, as I’ve found that being awoken at 6am by “Wheel of Fortune” can be incredibly disorienting). – Jolly

Major Lazer—Guns Don’t Kill People, Lazers Do

I’m losing my indie cred by the day, but who the hell is Diplo? And what is his relationship with Switch? Why does everybody love them so much? Whoever these two people are (I hear they had a hand in producing MIA’s Paper Planes) have put together another goddamn CD of rather anonymous sounding dancehall beats and high profile vocalists. NASA just did this and I didn’t like it then either. (And they had help from David Byrne.) Major Lazer himself is a cartoon character with no arms. And even though he’s enlisted some great collaborators like Santigold and Nina Skye, it doesn’t change two facts: 1) I really have no interest in listenign to it again and 2) I am so going to be in the minority because of that. – Zack

Mandy Moore—Amanda Leigh

Change can be a good or a bad thing. It’s been happening to me at such a rapid rate that I don’t have time to decide whether or not its good or bad. Noticing my hectic life lately, my old college roommate recommended Mandy Moore’s new album “Amanda Leigh”. After we bonded over her last album of folk and pop, I knew I had to give it a listen again. I found it to be an instant classic and fell in love with each song. The first single “I Could Break Your Heart Any Day of the Week” is a catchy uplifting song of controling the direction of relationship. Some of my personal favs include the wise and thoughtful “Pocket Philosopher”, the wishful “Love to Love Me Back”, and the reflective “Nothing Everything”. While giving this alubm several listens I learned that whether or not change is good or bad is irrelevant. Change will happen either way so we might as well give it a chance and like this album, I’m happy I did. – Adam

Phoenix—Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

It’s early Monday morning here, and I’m a groggy mess. I want nothing to crawl back into bed and sleep until Tuesday. The hot shower does little to nudge me from my slumber. The iced espresso stirs my bowels but leaves my head foggy. I step out the door slipping in my headphones and queue up the first track of the new Phoenix album, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix: Lisztomania. Suddenly, there’s a spring in my step. I notice it’s a beautiful day outside, with cool breezes and warm sun. I just might make it through to tomorrow. – Michael

Green Day—21st Century Breakdown

Like any tragic love story, Green Day’s newest album can take a little time catch on, but it won’t take long to become mesmerized by the band’s second rock opera following 2004′s American Idiot. Queer frontman Billie Joe Armstrong leads the way through the story of Christian and Gloria, two teens in the class of 2013 who harbor all that is fucked up about the current century. There are traces on here of their garage band side project, the rock-and-rolling Foxboro Hot Tubs, on tracks like my fave “Horseshoes and Handgrenades”; there’s also plenty of the same sharp social commentary that made Idiot genius. The album is definitely worth at least a few listens, and try to snag a copy with the bonus track remake of Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone” – a great nod to the best writer in the biz. – Corey

And without any further ado… THE MIXTAPE!

In an effort to cure my musical writer’s block, this week’s bonus songs are all by artists who made me want to become a songwriter in the first place. (I always say that if I could write a song half as good as Fiona Apple’s worst than I could die a happy man.) Now this may not be the coolest or most “alternative” list, but these are the folks who inspire me, and even if you’re not into all of it (I realize that for some people it’s just too late to get into the Dixie Chicks, for instance), there a few undeniable classics on there that I hope you’ll enjoy. Plus, there’s one song that I didn’t know existed before like last week, and wanted to share, because I think it’s really beautiful and, musically, kind of the direction I want to head in. Colin Blunstone. Must find out more info! Anyways, check the lucky 13 songs down below!

WWLT – 7/7/09

Beach Boys – “God Only Knows”
Phoenix – “Lizstomania” (Michael)
Green Day – “Horseshoes and Handgrenades” (Corey)
Ace of Base – “Don’t Turn Around” (Jolly)
Regina Spektor – “Folding Chair” (Chris)
Thom Yorke – “The Eraser”
Stevie Wonder – “My Cherie Amour”
Mandy Moore – “I Could Break Your Heart Any Day of the Week” (Adam)
Dixie Chicks – “Baby Hold On”
Colin Blunstone – “I Don’t Believe in Miracles”
Bill Withers – “Grandma’s Hands”
Fiona Apple – “Never is a Promise”
Jenny Lewis – “Paradise”

And that’s that for now. Thanks so much for reading and listening for the past year. It’s been my pleasure! I’ll be back next Tuesday with a fresh mixtape and be sure to look out for the new column, debuting… at some point soon. Have an incredible week and lots of love! XO

I guess it could have been worse...

Hey, everybody! Welcome to a very special What We’re Listening To! Today we’re going to do something a little bit different. As I mentioned last week, I’m currently in the long, agonizing, backbreaking process of moving to a new apartment. Don’t get me wrong. I’m super happy and absolutely in love with my new place. (A walk-in closet and two blocks from Taqueria Distrito Federal? What’s not to love?) It’s just that, apparently, taking an entire two-story house full of crap I don’t really want or need and trying to fit it all into an admittedly spacious and awesome studio apartment is much harder and time-consuming than I thought it would be. Who’d have thunk, right? Well, as TNG Zack put it this morning, at the moment, I am indeed kind of “up to [my] balls in business,” so here’s the thing about this week’s “very special” WWLT. I… kind of totally forgot to ask the rest of the gang for submissions this week. So… yeah… I’m a terrible managing editor!

So… OK. Plan B! This morning, I felt really bad about all this and I didn’t want to leave you guys hanging, so I thought how about we kick this thing old school with a good old-fashioned mixtape to get you through the rest of the afternoon. This week’s theme: moving! Obviously. These are all songs about moving, shelter, home, etc. Some are happy, some are sad, and some are downright ridiculous. But no matter what kind of mood you’re into today, hopefully there’s a song or two to help get you through to five o’ clock. Happy listening and check the playlist down below! (Thanks to my friend and colleague, LinzComp, for the big mixtape assist this week!)

WWLT – 6/30/09

The Jeffersons – “Movin’ On Up”
Supergrass – “Moving”
Rolling Stones – “Gimme Shelter”
Beastie Boys – “Body Movin’”
Beyonce – “Irreplaceable”
Reel 2 Reel – “I Like to Move it”
Ludacris – “Move Bitch”
Madness – “Our House”
Barenaked Ladies – “The Old Apartment”
Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young – “Our House”
Ben Folds – “Golden Slumbers”
Rent – “I’ll Cover You”
Avenue Q – “There is Life Outside Your Apartment”
Run DMC – “Run’s House”
Mary Jane Girls – “In My House”
Stevie Wonder – “Living for the City”
Pet Shop Boys – “Rent”
The National – “Apartment Story”
Bob Dylan – “Shelter From the Storm”
Ozzy Osbourne – “Mama, I’m Coming Home”

And that’s that. I’m assuming that next week will be a little less hectic and we’ll get back to our normal routine. Until then, have a fantastic week and a wonderful 4th and go to Homo/Sonic this Friday!!! See you there! XO

(Special shout-out to Katie, Melzer, Jules, Reeny and my Dad for being so awesome and helping me move my mountains of shit across town this past weekend! I owe you all a big chicken dinner. Love!)

For the past week or so, these words been bouncing around inside my skull: “…With every broken heart, we should become more adventurous.” It’s a line from Rilo Kiley’s “More Adventurous,” one of my favorite songs ever. And I guess it’s speaking to me, because this is kind of a momentous week for me. After a long, exhaustive search, I have finally found a new apartment! Hooray! But after two and a half years, my roommate and I are (very amicably) splitting up and I’ll be striking off to Columbia Heights on my own. Boo! (I guess…) I realize that this doesn’t seem like a big deal and, in the grand scheme, I guess it’s not, but it’s been a very, very long time since I’ve lived on my own. I have to admit, I’m a little nervous about it. It’s a big adjustment, but I’m pretty excited about having my own space and only being responsible for myself. The only thing is… Katie, I’m gonna miss you! :’(

All this change got me thinking about the next year of my life and what I want to do. A few months ago, I found an old journal and in it there was a page titled “Things To Accomplish Before I Die.” Funnily enough, there were only two things on the list. First, “Be the first person to win five Oscars in the same year (Picture, Director, Actor, Original Screenplay and Original Song).” That’s possible I guess, but… a little too ambitious, perhaps. Second? “Drive the entire length of the Pan-American Highway.” Which seems… doable. You see, my trip to Argentina last fall really roused something within me and now I’m feeling all alive and curious and wanderlusty. So I’ve decided in one year’s time, on July 1, 2010, I’m gonna throw some clothes, a camera and hopefully a friend into some sort of four-wheel drive vehicle and head down to Tierra del Fuego. Easier said than done I know. There are so many preparations to be made (learning to drive being the first), so much money to save, etc. But it’s just been so long since I moved to a new city or fell in love or anything major like that. It’s time to finally take this bored, broken old heart out of the box, dust it off and have some fun, you know? And maybe now that I’ve made this public knowledge, I won’t be such a lazy git about it.

So I’m sure I will be documenting all of that here on TNG or somewhere, but in the meantime, how about taking a little adventure yourself? Maybe you’ll find some music new to fall in love with. Or maybe there’ll be an old favorite you forgot about that will have some sort of new resonance. Who knows? On the menu this week, we’ve got: Aimee Mann, The Avett Brothers, Esser, Dragonette, VNV Nation, ELO, Kleerup and (obviously) Rilo Kiley. All that, plus the beloved mixtape, await you down below. Do it to it, y’all!

Aimee Mann—Bachelor No. 2

The weather forecast calls for rain for the next four days; it’s time to bust out the Aimee Mann. She kinda looks like a scarecrow and her voice is more powerful than most female singers I enjoy, but I just can’t stop listening to her chill-paced, artfully written songs, especially on dreary, drippy days. My favorite songs come from her album Bachelor No. 2, including “Red Vines”, “The Fall of the World’s Own Optimist”, “Ghost World”, and “Calling it Quits.” Nearly all of her songs unfold so artfully and elegantly, I’m always smiling before the bridge. – Michael

The Avett Brothers—”When I Drink”

I moved to Denver last week and, because I don’t know anyone outside of my little brother, I have been spending a lot of time alone in restaurants and coffee shops. One of these restaurants happened to be playing the Avett Brothers EP The Gleam which features a reflective little song titled “When I Drink.” The song hit me harder than usual at this moment, possibly because I was sipping on a New Belgium Skinny Dip all alone while the very attractive and kind waitress struck up a friendly conversation. (She could probably sense I was in human-interaction withdrawal.) Whatever it was, the song is beautiful, remorseful, sweet, and hopeful all at once. The perfect song for starting over in a far-off land. – Kaysey

Esser—Braveface

Since I’ve been doing music interviews, all these publicists send me new music to get me to listen to their artists. Normally its crap, but this time it wasn’t. Esser’s Braveface has really hit home with his honest lyrics and poppy tunes. From the upbeat “Work It Out” to the reflective relationship song “Bones,” this album has been in heavy rotation since I got it. The title track “Braveface” is perfect for helping through a crappy time. Plus, I’m a sucker for accents. – Adam

Dragonette—Galore

I became a fan of Canadian electropop group Dragonette last year when I came across the awesomely saucy videos for their songs “Take it Like a Man” and “I Get Around,” off of their 2007 album, Galore. Martina Sorbara, the group’s lead singer and songwriter, creates brazen, sexually liberating lyrics and brings them to life with strong vocals. In the intervening year, however, I kind of forgot about the band, until I stumbled upon the song “Competition,” an upbeat anthem which celebrates the role of The Other Woman and has Sorbara boldly proclaiming over and over in the chorus that “Your girlfriend’s got competition.” It’s fun, summery, a little bit naughty and has been stuck on repeat in my head for an entire week. – Jolly

VNV Nation—”Kingdom”

I’ve become nostalgic for the nights I used to dance until 3 a.m. at the local goth club, The Castle. Back when I used to travel in a pack, we’d get glammed up and drive up to the club, and my friend, Josiah, almost always had VNV playing on those trips. Then, you could sometimes find me in the club three or four times a week. Now it’s rare if I go three or four times a year, and when I do go I rarely dress up. I may have become a boring old cat lady, but at least I can still listen to some good ambient industrial. VNV Nation’s Empires is still my album of choice, and “Kingdom” and “Firstlight” are my favorite songs. The music brings back a lot of memories. When I went to see VNV live the last time they were in Tampa, I went with my friend John. Now he’s passed away, and all I have left of him are a few pictures and some good tunes. – Wendy

Electric Light Orchestra—Discovery

Discovery, ELO’s 8th album was released in 1979. The sound is very typical of the band, known for its electric sound and classical overtones. It has a nice mixing of the orchestra-type Disco sound and the synth, which would become characteristic of the 1980s. In keeping with the electric light theme, I have to recommend the first track, “Shine” as one of my favorites, but really the whole album is excellent. From the slower “Confusion” to the faster “Last Train to London,” the album is one of my favorites. Also included is the better-known song, “Don’t Bring Me Down” which, of course, never brings me down. – Matt’

Kleerup—Kleerup

I’ve talked about Royksopp’s latest album in this feature, so it shouldn’t surprise anyone that the formula of Swedish beats + Swedish female vocalist = Zack’s enjoyment. The parallels between these two bands are undeniable, and they even share two high profile guest stars in Lykke Li and Robyn, whose “With Every Heartbeat” is actually a Kleerup collaboration and is featured on this album. But that doesn’t mean that Kleerup is any less enjoyable, or that it’s been playing in my house any less frequently. The shades of Abba and ELO throughout the album make playing “find the influence” interesting. The album’s best track, “3 am” (featuring Marit Bergman) stands up so well on its own merits that there’s not point in comparing it to anything. – Zack

Rilo Kiley—More Adventurous

So much to say about this album. Where to begin? Well, I guess I started getting back into it after seeing lead singer Jenny Lewis’ solo set at the 9:30 Club last week, but I first fell in love with it about four years ago. I was coming off a series of personal setbacks and public humiliations and the warmth and yearning in her voice just struck me and comforted me as I began the long, tedious healing process. Plus, anyone who can sing songs about failure and heartbreak with a cynical little smile in their voice gets my vote automatically. But now that I’ve started listening to it again, all these old familiar songs have taken on a new relevance. For instance, I’ve been noticing all the death imagery that seems to creep into the lyrics of every song. There’s so much about trying to find truth and love and meaning before shuffling off to that great gig in the sky. And as elegantly and artfully as all that is stated, it’s hard not to feel really sad, because admittedly I don’t know much about any of those things. That is until I remembered that the Death card in a Tarot deck rarely represents death, in the sense of the absence of life, but change. It’s believed that when you get that card, the spirits or whoever are trying to tell you that some part of you or your life will die off and in that space something new, and hopefully lovely, will take root. Death, in this sense, is something to be embraced, and at this time of great personal upheaval, for me that thought is very comforting indeed. Anyway, every song on there is a masterpiece, but “More Adventurous” and “I Never” will change your life. Highly recommended. – Rocky

And now, without any further ado… THE MIXTAPE!

Another artist I’ve been listening to a lot this week is Elliott Smith. I don’t know why, but at stressful times, I just find his music really soothing. So for this week’s bonus songs I went two of the late great’s masterworks. First, the classic “Waltz #2″ from the brilliant album, XO, and then a relatively lesser-known song called “I Better Be Quiet Now” off of Figure 8, which to me is really powerful in a quiet, depressing sort of way. Plus, it very accurately and elegantly describes exactly the way I’m feeling at the present moment. Anyway, have at it and be sure to check the playlist down below.

Click me!

Esser- “I Love You” (Adam)
Elliott Smith – “Waltz #2″ (Rocky)
Aimee Mann – “Red Vines” (Michael)
ELO – “Confusion” (Matt’)
Dragonette – “Competition” (Jolly)
VNV Nation – “Kingdom” (Wendy)
Kleerup – “3 AM” (Zack)
The Avett Brothers – “When I Drink” (Kaysey)
Rilo Kiley – “Absence of God” (Rocky)
Elliott Smith – “I Better Be Quiet Now” (Rocky)

And that’s about it. We’ll be back again next Tuesday – same bat time, same bat channel! Until then, have an incredible week and stay safe! XO!

So… I was in junior high in 1994 and 1995, and during that time, my favorite person was my English teacher, Mr. Newman. But then again, I guess he was everyone’s favorite teacher. He was smart and supportive, funny and super laidback, and, obviously, stupidly, ridiculously cute. But I think what everyone loved most was that he was young enough that you could say the words “Beck” or “Idalis” or “Boyz II Men,” and he knew what you were talking about and even had an opinion. One day, we were all sitting around talking to him about music, drooling undoubtedly, and he said something that didn’t really strike me at the time, but that I’ve been thinking about more and more recently. See, his favorite band of all-time was Dire Straits and we, being of a bunch of Philistines, had no idea what he was talking about. But he just sighed good-naturedly and then dropped this little bit of science on us: “You know you’re officially old when you start hearing songs that were popular when you were in junior high on the oldies station.”

For me, that moment came last weekend, driving around with my friend, when “Walking in Memphis” by Marc Cohn came on not once, but twice. I haven’t heard that song in like 15 years and all of a sudden here it is sucking ass twice in one day. Well, it got me started thinking about the 1990′s, and everything I loved that was apparently felled by that nasty little Y2k bug. I mean this is the great decade that gave us Grunge, Lilith, flannel, baby doll dresses, Doc Martens and so much more! Kris Kross, people! Kris Kross!

So this week we’re going to take a trip down memory lane and talk about our favorite artists and albums of the 90′s. On the menu, we’ve got: The Jayhawks, S Club 7, The Presidents of the United States of America, Wilson Phillips, the Trainspotting Soundtrack, Kelis, TLC and Depeche Mode. All that plus a super-sized 90′s mixtape await you below! Do it to it, y’all! (Oh, and obviously there are tons and tons of things not on this list. Feel free to sound off in the comments!)

The Jayhawks—Hollywood Town Hall

As a child of the 80′s, I found myself in the 90′s suddenly wandering in a musical desert devoid of synthesizers and hair gel. MTV had dropped the “M.” Rock stars stopped dressing like Vanessa and started dressing like Theo. Yet there were still bright spots — Luscious Jackson and, yes, Soundgarden put out the best albums of their careers. Gomez was still electro-funky before they became boring-folky. But I’d have to say may favorite band of the 90′s were The Jayhawks, alt-country fellow travelers of bands like Wilco and Son Volt. The lilting twang and energetic melodies of The Jayhawks’ sophomore album, Hollywood Town Hall, is a great introduction to this lesser-known group from the Meh Decade. – Mike B.

S Club 7—S Club

While in middle school, my sister, cousin and I obsessed over the seven pseudo-hot Brit singles who lived in cabanas all over the world and wrote horrible pop music. They had their own TV show and they were awesome. It has stuck with us over the years – these were our jams when we first learned to drive, when I did karaoke in Cyprus, when my cousin heard one of their hits in Italy and ran to a phone to call us. When I need a pick-me-up, I still croon to “Two in a Million,” I groove to “S Club Party,” I pretend to have a British accent, and I show no shame. – Corey

The Presidents of the United States of America—The Presidents of the United States of America

My 90′s music experience was eclectic. I spent a lot of that decade trying to convince everyone else I was as cool as they were. I spent countless hours discovering the ska and metal band my friends listened to. I had to do a lot of research just to keep up the pretense I’d been listening to the same bands all along. I listened to Metallica, NIN, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Reel Big Fish, Less than Jake, Slayer, Pantera, and countless other groups I can’t even remember. In secret, I listened to Hanson, The Cranberries, Dido, Sarah McLachlan, Celine Dion, and endless rock power ballads. There was even some Backstreet Boys thrown in for good measure. My defining band of that decade, though, was probably The Presidents of the United States of America. The songs were fun, even if I couldn’t make much sense of them. – Wendy

Wilson Phillips—Wilson Phillips

The first CD I owned was Ace of Base, which made it difficult to keep up on the playground when I was supposed to be listening to Nirvana. As it happens, I appreciate them both as great bands now. But the one group that I keep coming back to, even now, as funny as it seems, is Wilson Phillips. I can never remember if it’s two Wilsons and one Phillips or the other way around, but their tight harmonies, super cheesy lyrics and extremely singable tunes have been stuck in my head for years. I also was in a crowded elevator on a cruise with Carnie Wilson once and the doors wouldn’t close because her boobs were in the way. Later that night, she wanted to take me and my three straight guy friends up to her room after she heard us sing “I’ll Make Love to You” by Boyz II Men in a karaoke bar. This may have adverse effects on my street cred, but I still sing “Hold On” while folding laundry. – Chris

Various Artists—Trainspotting

I think the single biggest milestone in the development of my musical tastes is when I bought the soundtrack to Trainspotting at the age of 13. It accounts for the fact that I never went through the customary “Beatles phase” that most teens do, and that all my friends made fun of me for liking really obscure Britpop when they were out buying tickets to Offspring shows. But it sent me off on a path I still continue on today, introducing me to Brian Eno, Pulp, Elastica, Blur and Lou Reed. There was also that regrettable period when I memorized all the words to Underworld’s “Born Slippy,” but the less said about that the better. – Zack

Kelis—Kaleidoscope

The year is 1999, I’m almost 14 and I just moved to Chicago with my step dad to get life set up for my Mom and younger brother. I hate Chicago. I miss New York. Kelis’ debut album Kaleidoscope is the perfect output for my anger. Even though at 14 I’ve clearly never been cheated on, let alone been a relationship, screaming the “I hate you so much right NOW!” part from her song “Caught Out There” seems appropriate. I’m fighting with my best friend Chad from 700 miles away and “Get Along With You” is how I feel. I am strangely intranced by this new sound of Pop, R&B, and Dance, and I blame this CD on my obsession with the Neptunes no matter how cheesy there songs may be. I still listen to this album and feel better as every track plays. Even though the teen angst is gone, Kelis still has a big fan in me. – Adam

TLC—CrazySexyCool

Despite the fact that I was a very devoted Mariah Carey addict from 1995 – 2002 (yes, that includes the Glitter years — don’t judge me), despite the fact that my 3rd grade crush was obsessed with Alanis Morisette and Green Day, so of course, I had to pretend to be also obsessed with Alanis Morisette and Green Day, and, lastly, despite the fact that I also trekked all the way out to Nissan Pavilion last night to go to the No Doubt concert because Tragic Kindgom is one of my favorite albums of all time, nothing more succinctly defines 90′s music for me than TLC’s CrazySexyCool. I still remember when that album came out when I was in the third grade and only the really cool kids were cool enough to say the word “sexy” out loud. Now that I think about it, however, I realize how inappropriate it was for 8 and 9 year-olds to be listening to songs like, “Red Light Special.” Really?! – Gem

Depeche Mode—Home

The early 90s was a brilliantly phenomenal, mixed-up period in my life and provided the soundtrack to 95% of my “gay firsts.” To this day, if I hear Dee Lite’s “Groove is in the Heart,” I am on my feet bustin a move. There was tons of making out to New Order, Depeche Mode, Erasure, INXS, Nine Inch Nails (that was a great 1st), and any pre-trance, pre-tribal House music I could find. While other folks were going crunchy, forgoing baths, and drowning in plaid, flannel despair, I was kickin’ it gangsta-style with all the other antiestablishmentarian suburban kids to N.W.A.’s “F*c* Tha Police” & Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power.” However, in 1997 my Mom genuinely accepted that I was gay, and, even though it was never really an issue with us, I remember Martin Gore singing, “Finally I’ve found that I belong here,” and feeling like I was “Home.” – Ed

And without any further ado… THE MIXTAPE

So this is not a definitive collection of the best songs of the 90s by any stretch of the imagination. I imagine that the mixtape of someone who came of age in the first half of the decade would be vastly different. It’s just a collection of stuff I really like. Now, as you listen, keep in mind that I was a huge dork. I was NOT COOL. Definitely much more of a TRL kind of guy than 120 Minutes is what I’m saying. See, I wasn’t really aware of the whole Seattle thing until like college, and I was far too wussy for anything even in the vicinity of hard rock. Way more Lilith Fair than Ozzfest, if you get my drift. I mean I wore turtleneck sweaters for God’s sake! With a horizontal stripe across the chest. From the Gap. All the time! Like Rufus Humphrey!!! So my choices on this list reflect my relatively poppy upbringing. Of course, I like to think that since I did a lot of drugs and received a thorough musical education in college, I’ve changed completely and, as an adult, I’m much more savvy and cool. But then again, everyone I know rightly makes fun of me for not-so-secretly liking this. So… yeah, maybe not so much. (That mushroom cloud you see on horizon is the result of any credibility I ever had crashing to the earth. Ah well! But I swear to God I’ve never seen an episode of Hannah Montana. I swear! Sigh…)

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this little trip back in time. Check the playlist down below!

Click me!

WW(W)LT – 90′s Edition

Mighty Mighty Bosstones – “Someday I Suppose”
Everclear – “I Will Buy You a New Life”
Radiohead – “Just”
Presidents of the United States of America – “Video Killed the Radio Star” (Wendy)
Placebo – “Every You Every Me”
2Pac – “I Get Around”
Michael Jackson – “Remember the Time”
TLC – “Creep” (Gem)
Fiona Apple – “Shadowboxer”
The Jayhawks – “Waiting For the Sun” (Mike B.)
Gin Blossoms – “‘Til I Hear It From You”
DMB – “Ants Marching”
Nirvana – “Heart Shaped Box”
Depeche Mode – “Home” (Ed)
Pearl Jam – “Alive”
Luscious Jackson – “Naked Eye”
Air – “Talisman”
Jade – “Don’t Walk Away”
Madonna – “Take a Bow”
Wilson Phillips – “Hold On” (Chris)
S Club 7 – “Bring It All Back” (Corey)
Spice Girls – “Too Much”
Elastica – “Connection”
Underworld – “Born Slippy” (Zack)
Outkast – “Rosa Parks”
Public Enemy – “Fight the Power”
Kelis – “Caught Out There” (Adam)
Janet Jackson – “That’s the Way Love Goes”
D’Angelo – “Untitled (How Does It Feel)”
Sheryl Crow – “My Favorite Mistake”
Sarah McLachlan – “Elsewhere”
GNR – “November Rain”

We’re all so dorky! Love it! Anyway, that’s it for this week. We’ll see you right here – same time, same channel – next Tuesday. Have a good one! XO!

Now if you don’t mind, I’m going to go ahead and turn this into a personal blog for a second and beg all of you to please help me find a decent apartment! Please! Why is this so hard?! I swear I’m at my wit’s end, because it seems like I’ve been looking at nothing but shitholes for weeks now, and not in the fun, slutty way. Case in point: I looked at this place in Georgetown and it was above a storefront with a sign in front that read “Psychic Readings by Madame [Whoever].” I didn’t really think much of it until I knocked on the door and, all of a sudden, there was this large woman in a gypsy Halloween costume, waving her arms around, and all in my face with this strange, vaguely Eastern European accent like, “Vould you like a rrrreeeeading?!” Of course, as soon as I explained that I was there to see the apartment, the accent was immediately dropped, Judge Judy was immediately turned back up and I immediately found myself with a sneaking suspicion that this apartment would not be in my future. In other news, however, Madame [Whoever] is looking to unload a nice, white leather sofa (I think it’s a sleeper) and some tupperware, so if you’re in the market… Don’t say I never did anything nice for you.

And then there was the super with no fingers. But that story’s better with bourbon. Obviously.

Anyway, all of this craziness has just made me really appreciative of the fact that, for the time being at least, I still have a place to kick back, put my feet up, and turn my music up loud. (Besides, I can be homeless as long as I have my guitar, right? Or at least that’s what I told myself when I was nineteen…) So let’s focus on that feeling and take a gander at what the gang and I have been listening to this week. On the menu this week, we’ve got: Joe Strummer and The Mescaleros, Byron Friedman, Paul Simon, Black Kids, TV On the Radio, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and the new Regina Spektor. All that, plus the beloved mixtape await you below. Do it to it, y’all!

Joe Strummer and The Mescaleros—Global A Go-Go

This is one of the most random albums I’ve ever listened to, which could be why it never gets old to me. Style varies from traditional American folk to Irish folk-rock to South East Asian inspired funk. The one consistent strain? That Joe Strummer is really fucking awesome and he assembled an amazing group of musicians when he recorded this album. The lead off single, “Johnny Appleseed,” is the album’s standout for me– though that’s as much for it’s lefty politics as the song itself. Seriously. The song is basically a hippie children’s book. – Jenna

Byron Friedman—Matchstick Memories

At first listen professional skier Bryon Friedman and his Jack Johnson-esque sound are pretty much the antithesis of what I like in music. However, last weekend I heard his song “Spring Cleaning” off his album Matchstick Memories twice on the radio and couldn’t get it out of my head. The song was perfect for my week of work/life transition and its refrain of “you better watch your back when it’s time for spring cleaning” is still knocking around in my skull. It’s fun, light and summery, which is exactly what I was looking for. – Jolly

Paul Simon—Graceland

With this album, Simon’s unique style takes on an especially interesting sound created by the inclusion of traditional African themes. The album was recorded in South Africa and features many black artists. But you don’t need “Diamonds on the Soles of [Your] Shoes” to enjoy the tracks. And whether you listen to “You Can Call me Al” “Under African Skies” outside the gates of “Graceland,” I think you’ll find a kind of “Crazy Love” for these hits. – Matt’

Black Kids—Partie Traumatic

It’s that time again. It’s 5:05 PM on a Thursday. TGI-almost-F and I have so much work to do still and no gusto. I avoid more tea or coffee to make sure I can fall asleep tonight, so what can I do to power through the rest of the work day? I queue up Black Kids album and rock through the next hour until I can get the heck outta here. I’d pick a few choice tracks, but they’re all really great. Now, what can I rely on to get me from 6 to 7 PM? – Michael

TV On the Radio—Dear Science

I know I’m hopelessly late on this, but I’ve finally got into TV on The Radio’s Dear Science in preperation for their 930 Club shows (which, as your reading this, will have happened today and yesterday.) I’ve loved TVOTR for years but never got into the newest and most lauded album. Lately, though, I’ve been seeing that all the things that originally turned me off about it are what makes it so special. First and foremost, Dave Sitek drops his usually warped production to leave things crystal clear. Formerly distorted ballads like Ambulance are traded here for tracks like “Family Tree,” which manages to turn Strange Fruit into a heartrbeakingly bittersweet (emphasis on the bitter) love song. Golden Age has all the energy of Satelite or Wrong Way while managing to stand up under its own without all the sonic weirdness. We’ll see how it translates live (more on that next week,) but I’m glad I finally came around to the CD that everyone else has liked for a year. – Zack

Various Artists—Hedwig and the Angry Inch

Hedwig has come to DC and the show runs June 4 – 14th at The Warehouse. (For showtimes and tickets, visit here). Some of my favorite musicals are the off-Broadway types with a small cast, small pit and big ideas. Hedwig is a fantastic rock show, written by John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask. After a botched sex change operation, Hedwig is left with a small lump for his junk and the question of gender and cultural identity runs throughout the show. A few tracks have stood on their own, including the campy “Wig in a Box” and the surprisingly touching “Origin of Love.” Based on the Aristophanes story, “Origin of Love” describes how humans were once joined male-female, male-male or female-female until we were split apart by the gods and now spend our lives trying to find our lost love. – Chris

Regina Spektor—”Laughing With”

I’m not a morning person, but I first heard this song, the first single from Regina Spektor’s forthcoming release, Far, very early one morning and it made everything alright. There’s something about Regina Spektor that’s very comforting to me. Maybe it’s her voice, all cracked and haunting, yet young and hopeful. Or maybe it’s her lyrics. She’s able to imbue the most mundane subject like tangerines or Marlboros with a strange sort of profundity, but then boil a crazy little thing like love down to its bare essence and actually make it seem sane. Here she and her piano tackle the subject of God and our relationship to him/her/it/they and though it’s kind of heavy, it’s mostly life-affirming and just plain beautiful. If this pretty little tune is indicative of what the rest of the album’s gonna be like, I’m afraid we’ve got a stunner on our hands. – Rocky

And without any further ado… THE MIXTAPE!

So… Here’s a little story for you that I promise has a point. It’s called, “Washington Gas can lick my juicy, voluptuous balls.” Here’s why. When I moved into my place a year ago, I called them to come set everything up, like you do. Well, apparently, they set it up in their system so that I was paying the gas bill for the basement apartment and not my own. Of course, no one bothered to notice or tell me this until this past Tuesday when they shut off the gas and slapped me and my roommate with a $1,500 bill. (I know!) Well, I’m pleased to report that after a few hours on the phone, a little screaming and a little common sense, they admitted fault, and I can take hot showers and boil water again for a nominal fee.

As I’m sure you can imagine, this small personal victory in the face of corporate douchebaggery has got me feeling pretty damn good. Therefore, the four bonus songs this week are all about kicking ass, being awesome and feeling good! First, we’ve got “The Greatest Man That Ever Lived,” by Weezer, because it’s hilarious and awesome. Then a little “You’re the Best Around,” by Joe Esposito, because you’re a communist if you don’t like that song. As we all know, I inexplicably need to draw strength and inspiration from Mariah every goddamn day, so obviously I need a little “Shake It Off.” (Though I don’t really understand how packing the Louis Vuitton and then jumping in his ride is all that empowering, but it’s Mimi. All is forgiven!) And lastly, “Feeling Good,” by Nina Simone, because… duh. Please enjoy and check the playlist down below!

Click me!

Nina Simone – “Feeling Good”
TV On the Radio – “Family Tree” (Zack)
Regina Spektor – “Laughing With”
Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros – “Johnny Appleseed” (Jenna)
Paul Simon – “Under African Skies” (Matt’)
Hedwig and the Angry Inch – “Origin of Love” (Chris)
Mariah Carey – “Shake It Off”
Black Kids – “Look at Me (When I Rock Wichoo)” (Michael)
Weezer – “The Greatest Man That Ever Lived”
Joe Esposito – “You’re the Best Around”

For more on Jolly’s choice, Byron Friedman, click this.

Alrighty, that’s it, boys and girls! Just like a Calgon commercial, I really gotta get up out of here and go somewhere. Back to work, presumably. See you next Tuesday! XO

A few months ago, I briefly touched on my high school experience, and how life was all grim and gray as the artsy gay dude at a Southern prep school. Well, now that I think about it, that’s not entirely true, because the “artsy” part was actually kind of awesome. Over the course of those four years, I was in nearly every play and most of the musicals, played second chair clarinet in the band, was the leader of my a cappella group, sang in the chorus and the madrigals choir, wrote for and edited the literary magazine, and so much other stuff. The list just goes on and on and on. I was, as I was reminded many, many times by the majority of my school’s straight jockish male community, our school’s designated “drama queer,” a scarlet letter, which by the end of Senior year, I wore as a badge of honor. And looking back, I’m still proud of a lot of the stuff I made back then and I can’t help but smile at all the ridiculous memories. All the friendships, the rivalries, the soap opera love stories, the never-ending A Cappella Wars, the yearly bloodbath when the cast list for the winter musical was posted! Good times! But I think the best part of all was just the simple act of creating at that age. I mean the beautiful thing about being 17 is that you are never wrong about anything ever, so you don’t have all the doubts and fears that plague you once you’re out in “the real world.” (Or that’s been my experience at least.) There’s none of that, “Am I doing this right? Will people like it?” stuff, because who cares? You felt something, so you made something, and therefore it’s cool. I miss that feeling ever so much. So having said all that, for those of you who have seen the show, it should come as no surprise that by the end of the episode I was weeping like a baby and reaching for my guitar. For the first time in my entire adult life, it kind of made me miss high school, which is something I never ever thought I’d do. Strange. Go Panthers!

Now for those of you who haven’t had the pleasure and are still wondering what I’m going on about, Glee is an hour-long musical dramedy about a high school Spanish teacher in Ohio who longs to revive his school’s flagging Glee Club. He ends up recruiting a motley crew of students and faculty to join him and, after a few trials and tribulations, the group finally all comes together in a thrilling climax and they all sing their little hearts out. I think the show is kind of a brilliant satire of modern American life; it’s cutting, and insightful and funny without being annoying or offensive. It’s earnest and heartwarming without being cheesy. It’s so gay you wouldn’t even believe it (or actually you probably would), and the music is surprisingly pretty good. What’s not to like, right? And it’s funny, because before I saw the show, I was hanging out with a friend I hadn’t seen in ages, who’s known me since age five and he was all, “God, Rocky, you’re so indie now!” And I didn’t quite now how to process that, because… ew. It’s kind of totally true. I went to college, decided I was a nerd, bought some skinny jeans, learned to swing a microphone around my head, and never looked back. But now I feel like Glee has granted me some strange permission to once again embrace the long-lost cheesy, a cappella dork that lives deep in the heart of my soul and it feels glorious. You should check it out. Especially since I went ahead and embedded that thrilling climax I mentioned earlier (the Journey classic, “Don’t Stop Believin’,” naturally) right here for your amusement. Enjoy!

I couldn’t even begin to tell you how many times I’ve watched that. Can you see why I’m upset that I have to wait until September for more?! Serious question though: Are there show choirs for adults? If not, can we start one? Please…?

Anyway, that’s been my strange little musical obsession for the last few weeks, but let’s see what the rest of the gang’s been into. On the menu this week, we’ve got: Cobra Starship with (goddess on Earth) Leighton Meester, Sheryl Crow, The Fratellis, Lo-Fi-Fnk, Sigur Ros, New Pornographers, The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, The National, and Miracle Fortress. All that goodness, plus our beloved mixtape await you below. Do it to it, y’all!

Cobra Starship (ft. Leighton Meester)—”(I Make) Good Girls Go Bad”

I usually hate it when actresses think they should become singers (cough, ScarJo, cough). So when my favorite actress on one of my favorite TV shows, Leighton Meester and Gossip Girl, respectively, announced that she was branching out into song, I was worried. It may be my total love and aspirational feelings when it comes to Blair Waldorf talking, but I’ve actually liked her stuff so far. First was her cover of “Bette Davis Eyes,” then her song “Birthday” (which was liked pretty much only by me and Rocky), and now her most popular effort to date, “(I Make) Good Girls Go Bad” by Cobra Starship. I love the over-the-top nature of Cobra Starship and this track is crazy catchy, screams summer, and is all around awesome. It may even be enough to get me through to the fall when Leighton finally returns to my television screen. – Jolly

Sheryl Crow—C’mon C’mon

I tend to veer a little bit towards country when the weather gets warm, and that’s exactly the direction Crow went on this underrated album from a few years back. The big single – “Soak Up the Sun” – was overplayed on the radio to the point of offensive obnoxiousness, but even that is tolerable with a few years of distance, and the rest of the album tends to be pretty enjoyable. The title track, “C’mon C’mon,” is definitely my favorite for its twangy rock sound, and the duet about cheatin’, “It’s So Easy,” has become a sing-along staple for me and my sister. After the fun and funky track “Lucky Kid,” the whole thing chills out significantly, providing a great soundtrack for a quiet summer day. – Corey

The Fratellis—Costello Music

Chicago has been in a frenzy over hockey since we made it to finals against the Detroit Red Wings. I went to my first game ever (Go Rangers!) and have been forced (more or less) to watch the finals. Every time they scored, the team would play a song that just has an chorus of “Duh Duh Duh Duh Duh” over and over again. It rides the fence of annoying and catchy and I finally found the song to get it out my head. The song “Chelsea Dagger” is amazing and the CD is even more catchy. The Fratellis are a indie rock, pop band from Scotland that has recorded a rare gem of a CD that is fun and poppy without sacrificing intelligent lyrics. Of course, “Duh Duh Duh Duh Duh Duh” notwithstanding. – Adam

Lo-Fi-Fnk—Boylife

Nothing shakes the dust off my brain like going on a run outside after work. In these moments, I need something with a good beat for me to run with, but is still mindless enough that I can focus on dodging loose bricks, people, dogs and cars. The answers to most of life’s problems are found in Sweden and this is no exception. This indie electric duo from Stockholm walks that line between old school disco and clubby dance. I don’t pay much attention to it, but I dig the four-on-the-floor beat, simple lyrics, the sweepy strings and the electric blips and beeps. – Chris

Sigur Rós —Med sud i eyrum vid spilum endalaust

I finally got around to listening to the “new” Sigur Ros album, and it’s so good! The songs are much faster paced than their previous records, and at times I think they actually sing in English. If you haven’t done so yet, check out this great album from everyone’s favorite queer-fronted band. – Michael

New Pornographers—Twin Cinema

First, ELO, then Talking Heads, then New Pornographers. What do all these bands have in common? I have fallen so thoroughly in love with them at various points in my life that almost every other artist ceased to matter and my life has become entirely soundtracked by one (or in TNP’s case, three) voice(s). I got obsessed with the Canadian supergroup around October of ’07. It’s waned since then, but since no other band has stepped in to fill the void, I still return to them when I need to hear something that will reliably make me feel like nothing is wrong in the world. With their patented “three hooks for every song” philosophy, unusual instrumentation and bevvy of different vocalists and songwriters this album is different at every track. That’s what makes it so amenable to repeat listens. – Zack

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra—Hooked on Classics

It’s not what you think! This early 80s album is a mixture of the full-orchestra sound and fast beat of disco with the familiar old chords of the best of the classics. Louis Clark, of ELO fame, did the directing of the Royal Philharmonic with wonderful results. It’s difficult to pick a favorite, as all the tracks have good parts; yet I think “Hooked on Can Can” is the winner in my book. I’ve always been a fan of Brahms’ “Ungarishe Tänze (Hungarian Dances)” so I suppose my bias is clear. – Matt’

The National—”About Today”

I had the opportunity to see The National at the 930 Club last weekend and let me tell you, they did not disappoint. One song in particular struck me as quietly beautiful and earnest. “About Today” is a track from their 2004 album Cherry Tree, and apparently it’s also a fan favorite. Generally, I would be embarrassed to admit that I wasn’t familiar with every song played at a show, but I’m willing to surrender my music snob pride to rave about this song. “About Today” is simple and direct, which makes it all the more heartbreaking. It is best summed up in Matt Berninger’s final line: “How close am I to losing you?” – Kaysey

Miracle Fortress—Five Roses

My friend, Ryan, gave me this CD about a year ago and I gave it a cursory listen, but at the time I was in more of a Lil Wayne sort of place, so it got pushed back into the deep, dark recesses of my iTunes library. Over the course of the year, however, the second track, “Have You Ever Seen In Dreams” has popped up on the shuffle at the most opportune times: daydreaming on the bus, walking through light snow flurries, looking up at the stars on a lovely, warm evening. And each time I’m like, “That song is beautiful. I really need to check this album out again.” Well, I finally did last week, and I have to say it’s pretty gorgeous. Think of it as sort of a modern day indie rock update of the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds. Although it’s not really revolutionary or before it’s time in terms of songwriting or effects like that record, it’s essentially a bunch funky electronic tricks and psychedelic loop de loops over poppy, surf rock songs, which I really like and something that Miracle Fortress has managed to make really interesting and even surprising. But at it’s heart I feel like Five Roses is this really warm, heartfelt collection of songs that can break your heart and make you smile or just make you feel human again after a stressful day. “Next Train” is one the the prettiest songs I’ve heard in a while. I could definitely listen to it on a continuous loop for a very long time. – Rocky

And without any further ado… THE MIXTAPE!

OK. Two bonus songs this week. First off, I fell in love with singer/songwriter Sam Phillips on an episode of All Songs Considered a few months back, and I’ve been looking for an excuse to feature her here somehow. Well, I don’t really have much of an excuse besides the fact that I couldn’t think of anyone else, but that doesn’t matter, because good lord am I in love with her song “Don’t Do Anything.” I think it’s the combination of this sweet, but sad and husky voice floating over this crunchy, distorted bass line and low string section. It creates this very quiet intensity that builds and builds throughout the song and you just feel all excited and in love. Plus, the lyrics are all about loving someone merely because they exist and I think that’s cool, and probably a sentiment I’ve drunkenly expressed once or twice. Second, in case you haven’t noticed, I’m in a very Journey sort of place this week. I don’t really think about Journey all that much, but whenever I do I’m always surprised at how much I truly, un-ironically love that band. And, of course, just the simple fact that they used “Don’t Stop Believin” is another reason Glee laid me flat on the floor. So what Journey song have I not imposed on you people yet? “Faithfully”? Done. You’re welcome.

Enjoy the music, folks!

Click me!

The Fratellis – “Flathead” (Adam)
Cobra Starship (ft. Leighton Meester) – “(I Make) Good Girls Go Bad” (Jolly)
Lo-Fi-Fnk – “Adore” (Chris)
Sigur Ros – “Gobbledigook” (Michael)
Sheryl Crow – “C’mon C’mon” (Corey)
New Pornographers – “Bones of an Idol” (Zack)
Miracle Fortress – “Next Train” (Rocky)
The National – “About Today” (Kaysey)
Sam Phillips – “Don’t Do Anything” (Rocky)
Journey – “Faithfully” (Rocky)

And that’s that. Check us out next week, same time, same channel. Until then, I hope your week is full of glee! XO!

Happy Tuesday everybody and welcome to a very special episode of What We’re Listening To! We’re going to try something a little different this week. As I mentioned briefly before, last week I had the distinct pleasure of going to the 12th annual Mid-Atlantic College Radio Conference down in Harrisonburg, Virginia. What’s that? Well, it’s a two-day indie music festival held annually on the first weekend of April. Of course, the MACRoCk folks can explain it much more eloquently than I. From their website: “The Mid-Atlantic College Radio Conference (MACRoCk) is the annual celebration of college radio and the independent music community perpetuated by student volunteers at WXJM (the Harrisonburg college radio station) and local residents. MACRoCk aims to create a support network amongst college radio, the independent artists and labels for whom college radio exists, and the community as a whole. Workshops, panels, a label exposition, and band showcases stimulate MACRoCk-ers to express ideas, experiences, and support that will encourage progress amongst college radio and the independent music movement.” Sounds pretty sweet, right? So I’m going to go ahead and devote this week’s column to all the sights, sounds and fresh, new bands of my very awesome weekend up in the mountains. I’ve got a few stories, a few pictures and, of course, a mixtape of my 20 favorite MACRoCk alums! We’ll return to our regularly scheduled programming next week. Do it to it, y’all…

Now before we begin, I feel like I should explain that MACRoCk holds a very special place in my heart. A few years ago, I was going through a pretty rough patch and my best friend, Melina, called me up and invited me to spend the weekend with her and her friends relaxing in Harrisonburg. There would be shows and pretty scenery and fresh air, and even though I didn’t really know about any of the bands playing, I was promised a good time. Well, I got a little more than that. Not only did I meet a group folks who would become some of my best friends in the world, I got to sit at the feet of all these incredible artists and just listen and learn and drink their beer. Now I go back every year I can. Obviously, it’s wonderful go and see old friends and party and get wasted (because Lord knows there’s a lot of that…), but as we’ve discussed, I think it’s really important to support independent artists. You never know where or when you’ll find the next Sufjan Stevens or Of Montreal, artists with a singular vision that turn the game on its head. So to that end, may I present to you MACRoCk 2009: a story told in 15 (admittedly shitty) pictures…

Obviously, there was a ton of other great stuff I didn’t get pictures of. (Pabst is a cruel, cruel mistress.) Honorable mentions go to my high school chum, Nicole, and her band Eternal Summers. When someone you haven’t seen in years hands you a CD and asks you to give it a listen, it can be a little scary, but Eternal Summers is honestly pretty great. I’m kind of obsessed with their song, “Fall Straight Back.” It’s like if The Velvet Underground and Camera Obscura had a baby that made you want to cry and cry. But in the best possible way. Also, on my short list is French-Canadian singer/songwriter/artist Geneviève Castrée who currently records under the name, Ô Paon. (You may remember her from back in the day when she was known as WOELV). It was a very quiet, simple show – just her, a guitar and an effects pedal – but startlingly powerful and intense at the same time. She gives off kind of a Bjork-y vibe, which I quite liked. Definitely worth a listen. And what about Des Ark, Bowerbirds, and Pattern Is Movement: the buzzworthy bands that everyone was supposed to go see? Well, I kind of missed them, but I do really like Bowerbirds and PIS as you’ll soon see. Des Ark? Personally, not my cup of tea, though I think her song titles are brilliant. “Jesus Loves You (But Yr Still Coming Home With Me Tonight)”? Amazing. If you’re a fan, I heard she was great.

Now for some reason, the interweb won’t allow me to turn the pictures or their captions into links, so either I’m stupid or the internet is. Of course, I am not willing to make that bet, so here are some links to the wonderful bands I mentioned above. Give a listen. Explore. You never know; you might find something new and amazing that you never even knew you needed…

Shoot Straight Crew: http://www.myspace.com/shootstraightcrew
Dialogues: http://www.myspace.com/dialoguesharrisonburg
Invisible Hand: http://www.myspace.com/adamsmith
Whatever Brains: http://www.myspace.com/whateverbrains
American Tourist: http://www.myspace.com/anamericantourist
Super Vacations: http://www.myspace.com/meetthevacations
Mas Y Mas: http://www.myspace.com/masymasymasymas
Snack Truck: http://www.myspace.com/therealsnacktruck

And without any further ado… THE MIXTAPE!

Click me!

Over the past twelve years, there have been a ton of amazing acts that have played MACRoCk and gone on to fame and fortune. Or at least critical acclaim and a modicum of name recongition. Here are 20 of my personal faves…

MACRoCk Through the Ages:

VCR – “Bratcore”
Q and Not U – “Wonderful People”
Of Montreal – “The Party’s Crashing Us”
Man Man – “Black Mission Goggles”
Fugazi – “Waiting Room”
An Albatross – “Floodgates Released”
Animal Collective – “Peacebone”
Elliott Smith – “Color Bars”
Pedro the Lion – “Political Science”
Mirah – “Cold Cold Water”
Bowerbirds – “Olive Hearts”
Prefuse 73 – “Nuno”
Little Brother – “Carolina Agents”
Mates of State – “Ha Ha”
Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra – “Che Che Cole”
Matt Pond PA – “Fairlee”
Owen – “Bad News”
Pattern Is Movement – “Bird”
Sufjan Stevens – “Vito’s Ordination Song”
Wesley Willis – “I Whipped Spiderman’s Ass”

Alright, show’s over, ladies and germs! The whole gang will be back once again next Tuesday. I promise. Thank you so much as always for reading and listening and don’t be a stranger! Have a great week! XO

Of course, technically it’s still spring, so we have a nice mixture of sunny songs and rainy songs to ease you into the oven-like temperatures that come with summertime in the DoC. On the menu this week, we’ve got: Die Prinzen, Juliana Hatfield, N.E.R.D., Sarah Siskind, Rachmaninoff and Belle & Sebastian. All that, plus a mixtape chock full of surprise goodies. It all awaits you below. Do it to it, y’all!

Die Prinzen—Das Leben ist Grausam

This 1991 a cappella album comes from German pop group Die Prinzen. The music has a good tempo and a fun sound. The lyrics are often also funny, but that might be lost on anglophones. Of particular note is the bouncy “Millionär” which was a major hit for the band. And since Bike to Work Day was last week, “Mein Fahrrad” (“My Bicycle”) seems an appropriate track. – Matt’

Juliana Hatfield—How To Walk Away

I’ve been in the mood this week for a break from my upbeat summer-esque listening. I wrote up an event featuring Juliana Hatfield a while ago and decided now would be a good time to check out her more reflective tone. Her most recent album from last year, How to Walk Away, is fairly personal, as its release coincided with the debut of her autobiography. Of my favorite song on the album so far, “Law of Nature,” she says: “I used the moth-to-the-flame cliche to describe how people are often drawn to others (and to things) who maybe aren’t good for them. We want what we want and we need what we need, and we go back again and again- the pain and destruction in our wake be damned. Love and attraction cannot be denied or explained.” Whatever the inspiration, in my opinion the results are thoroughly enjoyable. – Jolly

N.E.R.D.—Seeing Sounds

After find out that N.E.R.D. is coming to play at a local college’s music festival, I couldn’t contain my excitement. I saw them last June, but the sound was crappy and I was drunk. Their latest album mixes rock, pop, hip-hop and dance effortlessly. My favs are “Spaz”, “Everybody Nose”, and “Happy,” but “Anti-Matter” is the ultimate fuck you anthem. – Adam

Sarah Siskind—”Lovin’s For Fools”

Around ninety percent of the music I listen to could qualify as “sad” to the average listener, so when I say something is incredibly sad, it’s usually true. I consider “Lovin’s for Fools” from Sarah Siskind’s 2008 release Studio. Living Room to be one of the most heartbreaking songs in my iTunes library. Siskind is an acquaintance of mine from my Nashville college days. One of my fondest memories is hearing her play this song at 3am on the floor of a hotel hallway after we had all consumed too much whiskey. Those were the good ole days. – Kaysey

Rachmaninoff—Vespers

This is a shameful plug. I sing with The Washington Chorus and our final concert of this season is Rachmaninoff’s staggeringly gorgeous Vespers, also more correctly called the All-Night Vigil. The piece is a set of 15 a cappella (no accompaniment) choral settings of Russian Orthodox liturgical music. That may sound heavy and boring, but the music is really stunning. The piece is not performed often because of its difficult, but we’re doing a bang up job of it, if I do say so myself. Concerts are Sat. May 30th in the evening and Sun. May 31st in the afternoon. More ticket/venue info is available at www.thewashingonchorus.org. For the mixtape, I chose the 6th movement “Bogoroditse Devo” which is one frequently pulled from the set and performed on its own. Stay with it – the climax is glorious. – Chris

Belle & Sebastian—Tigermilk

What can I say about this album that hasn’t already been said? It’s one of those seminal late-90′s/early-hipster albums that all of us “alternative” types love and own and try desperately to copy. So why have I suddenly been listening to it again ten years later? Well, I’m gonna keep it real. Last week at work, the internet broke, so I called Comcast and the tech I ended up working with had the thickest Scottish brogue I’ve heard since Sean Connery in… well, anything. Needless to say, fixing the internet has never ever been so sexy, and ever since I’ve been all about the Scottish. What can I say? I’m but a man. Also, the album’s really good, and gay-friendly, and an artifact of my coming out period and blah blah blah. But mostly it’s about Dominic. Call me, Dominic! – Rocky

And without any further ado… THE MIXTAPE!!!

So… as you just read, I’ve been listening to a lot of Belle & Sebastian this week, which has naturally led to some nostalgic feelings. So for the mixtape this week, let’s party like it’s 2003! Now would it surprise any of you learn that I sleep with a poster of Jeff Tweedy facing my bed? If you’ve ever read this column, of course it wouldn’t. So it probably wouldn’t surprise you also to learn that when I found out on Saturday that Wilco was streaming its new album, Wilco the Album (out June 30th), on their website, I squealed and danced around my house like a happy toddler. Down below, you’ll find a live version of the lead-off track, “Wilco the Song,” which is pretty badass (and was also apparently performed during a taping of The Colbert Report). Also, I love the version of A Ghost Is Born‘s “Handshake Drugs,” that’s on their live double album, Kicking Television, so that’s on there too. We’ve got a little Sufjan Stevens and She & Him, which isn’t from the early Naughties, but is so freaking pretty I couldn’t help it. You’ll find the entire playlist down below. Enjoy!

Click me!

WWLT – 5/19/09

Wilco – “Wilco the Song (Live)”
Belle & Sebastian – “The State I Am In”
Sarah Siskind – “Lovin’s For Fools” (Kaysey)
Wilco – “Handshake Drugs (Live)”
N.E.R.D. – “Anti-Matter” (Adam)
Die Prinzen – “Mein Fahrrad” (Matt’)
She & Him – “You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me”
Juliana Hatfield – “My Baby…” (Jolly)
Sufjan Stevens – “For the Widows in Paradise, For the Fatherless in Ypsilanti”
Sergei Rachmaninoff – “Bogoroditse Dievo” (Chris)

OK, kids. Show’s over! Thanks for joining us once again and we’ll see you here next week. Until then! XO

“But I don’t have clubs.”

“You can rent them!”

“Do I have to wear plaid pants?”

“Anything but jeans!”

“Do I have to wear one of those hats with the fuzzy ball on top?”

“I couldn’t hurt!”

And so on, until I was worn down. “Why not?” I thought, “It’ll be a life experience and maybe you can take down the golf-industrial complex from the inside!” So on Sunday afternoon, I dragged my gay hipster black ass out of bed and down to Haines Point for a few hours at the driving range. And you know what? Part of me hates to say it, but golf kind of rocks! Sunshine, friends, beers, whacking at something as hard as you can every fifteen minutes or so? What’s not to love? (Besides all the things I mentioned earlier…) Plus, if you’re into the whole fratty/Connecticut/Ralph Lauren catalog thing, there are definitely some hotties to look at. Just sayin’. And now that I can actually hit the ball and propel it forward 7 times out of 10, I’m dying to play a full round (especially since my stepfather got so excited when I told him about all this, he offered to buy me golf clubs on the spot). So… would anyone perchance be interested in a TNG golf outing? I mean we’re always talking about organizing non-bar events, right? Just a thought. Email me!

Also, does this officially make me old? And part of the problem? Sigh…

Anyway, that was my new and exciting discovery this week. Perhaps today you’ll make one too or rediscover an old gem you’d forgotten all about! On the menu this week, we’ve got: Peaches, Pete Townshend, Anathallo, The Cardigans, Neil Halstead, Lily Allen, Van Halen, Ashlee Simpson and Mariah Carey. All our reviews, plus the beloved mixtape await you below. Do it to it, y’all!

Peaches—I Feel Cream

First, she taught you to fuck the pain away. Then she showed you how to shake yer tits and yer dix. Then she encouraged you to rock the shocker. Now she’s back with a new album, ready to make you feel cream. That’s right, the pansexual, DIY sex/punk goddess Peaches is back with a new album, I Feel Cream. This album is slicker and more produced than her earlier works, but the subject areas of her lyrics are still as dirty and gritty as ever. As an added bonus, the track “Billionaire” features lesbian rap artist Shunda K of Yo Magesty! fame. Stand-out tracks include “Show Stopper,” “Talk To Me” and the title track, “I Feel Cream.” Grab yourself a copy and get creamy. – Michael

Pete Townshend—”Slit Skirts”

Though Pete Townsend’s solo career is mostly widely known for “Let My Love Open The Door,” the song that is required by law to be in every Adam Sander movie trailer, his best moment is much less likely to be associated with Mr. Deeds. “Slit Skirts,” off the 1982 album All The Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes has been a favorite of mine since I heard it on the radio 10 years ago. Its ostensibly about aging and the war of the sexes, though you probably won’t notice the subject matter once you have your fist in the air. – Zack

Anathallo—Canopy Glow

Last fall, I read a short review of Anathallo’s sophomore album, Canopy Glow, and the writer described them as band nerds who brought all of their geekiness along with their instruments into adulthood. As a recovering band nerd myself, how I could resist? This septet from Chicago is wildly creative and this album really shows it off. First of all, there’s a ton of instruments – piano, strings, brass, harp, tubular bells and all other sorts of funky percussion. Then, there’s the layering (oh, the layering! Animal Collective fans won’t be disappointed). Each of the seven members play and sing, which makes for intricate and detailed music. Right up a band nerd’s alley. In one of my worst moments, I was listening to this album and excitedly asked a friend to “just listen to the glockenspiel double the countermelody in the cello!” Yeah. All that said, this isn’t so heady that it’s work. Quite the opposite is true – this is music that washes over you as it wanders. – Chris

The Cardigans—First Band on the Moon

The Cardigans are my go-to band! This CD was one of the first CDs I’ve ever brought when I was 11 and I have been in love with it ever since. Everyone knows The Cardigans from that annoying but catchy song “Lovefool” that was featured on the Romeo & Juliet soundtrack. I hate that song. It’s the only song in their whole discography that I despise. The rest of the album drifts across a spectrum of life experiences from that perfect first date (“Happy Meal II”), to being someone’s crutch (“Been It”) and even a smooth take on a death metal classic (“Iron Man”). My favorite track has to be “Your New Cuckoo”, an upbeat song with a sad message about seeing your ex with someone new. I’m a glutton for sappy lyrics as long as it gets my head boppin’! – Adam

Neil Halstead—Oh! Mighty Engine

This is about the time of year when my mind starts contemplating candidates for the summer playlists and mixes to come. When I think “summer-y” I usually lean toward really upbeat songs, but I also like to include quieter and slower songs to represent those lazy summer days. When I came across a few songs off of Neil Halstead’s album from last summer, Oh! Mighty Engine, complete with their many references to cars, roads, highways and traveling, the first thing to pop into my head was summer road trips down country roads. The Brit’s songs tend to be on the melodic and melancholy side, and yet somehow they still leaving me feeling bouncy and happy after listening. – Jolly

Lily Allen—It’s Not Me, It’s You

Wanted: Female music artists. British preferred. Needs to be able to carry 5-10 Fucks per album. Ability to flaunt sexuality and make hetero men uncomfortable is a must. If you have an interest in politics (“F*** You”), the drug industry (“Everyone’s At It”), celebrities (“The Fear”), and disappointing performances in bed (“Not Fair”), you will probably be a great fit. Tweens and queens need not apply. – Corey

Van Halen—Best of Best Worlds

I’m listening to another stereotypically ’80s band this week. One of Van Halen’s complilation album, on two discs, Best of Both Worlds is full of that killer synth and hard guitar playing that just screams ‘Big Hair.’ The good old favorites are here, including “Jump,” “Dance the Night Away,” and “Dreams.” – Matt’

Ashlee Simpson—Autobiography

It’s nothing new, and not all that fabulous, but I have been rocking out at work to Ashlee Simpson’s Autobiography. She is absolutely off her rocker for having an entire song (“Shadow”) about how hard it was to grow up in her sister’s shadow and actually expecting people to feel even somewhat sorry for her. But you’ll love rocking out at Results to “La La” and “Autobiography.” At least I used to! – Jeff

Mariah Carey—MTV Unplugged [EP]

Mariah? That’s right. Some of you may scoff, “That’s not very ‘New Gay.’” Well, close your eyes and think back. Way back. Pre-Nick Cannon. Pre-divafication. Pre-skankification. All the way back to the early nineties when Mimi was just a young songwriter starting out. Remember the big frizzy hair? The seven octave range? “Emotions“? “Dreamlover“? “Vision of Love“? I don’t about you but those songs are some of my favorite childhood memories, and this particular album I think is my favorite from that time period. I got it as a birthday gift in 6th grade and I just remember sitting in my room listening to it over and over and singing at the top my lungs with one index finger in the air like any good rock star-in training. I just love the acoustic arrangements, I love her back-up singers going for it like they are in church and, of course, Mimi’s voice is on point. There’s just this excitement and joy that pops off the recording and 15 years later I’m still so into it that I’ll forget myself and start going for it at the bus stop. Yeah, I get looks, but I don’t care. Mariah is a goddess. Period. – Rocky

And without any further ado… THE MIXTAPE!

This was one of those rare weeks when everything I wanted was available. Well, OK, that’s not entirely true. They didn’t have any live Mariah, so I had to go with an album version. Of course, any Mariah is good Mariah, so I’m not mad. That means only one bonus track this week. Yesterday, while I was putting the playlist together, my friend Lindsay and I were commiserating over the fact that we both have boys in our lives who are “too busy” or whatever to call or email us back. Boo! Well, I decided at that moment that I wanted to hear Corinne Bailey Rae’s “Call Me When You Get This,” as a reminder that there are cool people in the world. I mean, sure, it’s unclear whether or not he actually ends up calling her back, but the song is so sweet! How could he not? Check the whole thing out down below…

Click me!

WWLT – 5/12/09

Neil Halstead – “Always the Good” (Jolly)
Van Halen – “Dance the Night Away” (Matt’)
The Cardigans – “Iron Man” (Adam)
Anathallo – “Italo” (Chris)
Corinne Bailey Rae – “Call Me When You Get This” (Rocky)
Ashlee Simpson – “La La” (Jeff)
Mariah Carey – “Vision of Love” (Rocky)
Pete Townshend – “Slit Skirts” (Zack)
Lily Allen – “Not Fair” (Corey)
Peaches – “Lose You” (Michael)

Alright! Show’s over, kids! I’ll be back next Tuesday, same bat time, same bat channel. And, by the way, I was totally serious about that golf outing! Hit me up! XO…

Anyway, enough of that mess. It’s time for the good stuff! On the menu this week, we’ve got: The Everyday Visuals, The Sex and the City Soundtrack, Lady Sovereign, The Boy Least Likely To, Drug Rug, Eva Cassidy and Basement Jaxx. All that, plus our beloved mixtape, await you down below. Do it to it, y’all…

The Everyday Visuals—The Everyday Visuals

When I heard the song “Boom! Boom! Boom!” by The Everyday Visuals off of their self-titled album I knew that it would be one of those songs which would help get me through the week. Its upbeat and bouncy tone was the perfect counterpoint to last week’s rain and swine flu doom and gloom. The rest of the album is a pretty solid piece of slightly folk-tinged pop-rock-y goodness as well. Also, Their cover of The Beach Boys’ “Sloop John B” is not on the album, but is worth seeking out nonetheless. It reminds me of attending my first concert as a kid with my dad and long, boring rides to traveling soccer games. – Jolly

Various Artists—Sex and the City (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

I was going to lie and say I was listening to Lily Allen this week, but in actuality i just got that album an hour ago. What I’ve really been listening to, horrifyingly enough, is the Sex and the City soundtrack. I just saw the movie last week and my sister sent me the album, which I thought I would be largely disinterested in. I was incorrect. There are plenty of guilty pleasures on here, the foremost being Fergie’s “Labels or Love,” which is a marvelous track for any New Gay masochists out there. But there are also some legitimately decent performances, including the always amazing Jennifer Hudson singing “All Dressed in Love,” and the Weepies – one of my fave bands – outdoing themselves again with “All This Beauty.” Zack has Leona Lewis; I have Carrie Bradshaw’s mixtape. – Corey

Lady Sovereign—Jigsaw

It’s been a while since I found an album that induced binge listening. But Lady Sovereign’s Jigsaw does just that. For the past week I’ve had it on repeat. The “littlest midget in the game” has grown up a lot since her 2006 Public Warning album. Her stylings are softer, with more introspective rap put to an electro-pop club beat. “I Got You Dancing” and “So Human” have been well-played for months prior to the album dropping. Plus, she is hot and a potential lady lover. After a performance at SXSW, she’s stopping by 930 Club for a show this Saturday. – Lauren

The Boy Least Likely To—The Law of the Playground

Though my boyfriend calls them “The Badly Drawn Boy Least Likely To” for their all-encompassing sonic similarities to Damon Gough, and one could easily add a “Belle &” to the beginning of the moniker for it’s sad/sweet twee melodies, it doesn’t make the new album, The Law of the Playground, any less pleasant to listen to. The preternaturally sunny song stylings sound like a sunshine suppository no matter how self-deprecating the lyrics and the band manages the admirable task of calling back to pop hooksters as disparate as The Archies (“Balloon on a Broken String”) and Maxine Nightingale (“Every Goliath Has Its David”). The sigh running through this album is far from silent, but you might not notice it under all the overshadowing smiles. – Zack

Drug Rug—Paint the Fence Invisible (7/28/09)

I fell for Drug Rug about a year ago when TNG got sent their first album. Since then, I’ve seen them play at DC9 and read a great “Ask A Straight Girl” with the co-lead Sarah Cronin. Their new album, Paint the Fence Invisible, is a great follow-up to their previous record. They continue down their track of jangly, twangy, country-influenced rock, rife with harmonies, at times pretty, other times harsh and rockin’. It’s too soon to pick out any stand-out tracks, so just keep your eyes peeled for when the CD drops in July and when they play DC sometime this summer. – Michael

Eva Cassidy—Live at Blues Alley

Whenever the weather gets grey and wet, I find myself reaching for DC’s native songbird, Eva Cassidy. Cassidy was a true artist, whose musical output wasn’t very well known until after her too-early death in 1996. She was less concerned with singing from a specific genre, and covered all sorts of numbers, as evidenced by her live album from Georgetown’s Blues Alley. Her take on jazz standards like “Cheek to Cheek” and “Blue Skies” are laid-back and rich, but not ever meek. In the same set, she brings her sophisticated musical choices to folk, spiritual and pop selections as well. Picking one track as a favorite is next to impossible, but I offer up “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” one of the sweetest songs ever written. – Chris

Basement Jaxx—Kish Kash

I stumbled across Basement Jaxx’s new single “Raindrops” which rocks, but then I realized I didn’t have any of their albums. So I downloaded all their albums but my favorite has to be their Kish Kash album. Hearing “Right Here’s the Spot” featuring Me’shell N’degeocello makes me think of pregaming to go out for my 1st ever night at a gay bar, while “Good Luck” reminds me of my first real breakup but Kish Kash will always put me in a great mood because it reminds me of the party elevator which my floormates and I created out of boredom! Thanks Basement Jaxx for soundtracking my freshman year. – Adam

And without any further ado… THE MIXTAPE!

Click me!

As you can see, for the first time in the eight months or so that I’ve been putting this column together, I don’t have a submission! Mon dieu! I guess last week I was so busy, what with all the working, life-planning, hanging out and 48 hour filmmaking that I kind of forgot to listen to any sort of music that I wasn’t in the process of writing. Or listen to it in any sort of critical way. So I thought to make up for that I’d go ahead and pad this week’s mixtape and perhaps say a few words about a couple of songs that are on my mind. Cool? Cool.

So… this rain is starting to get me down. Yes, I know it’s spring and, therefore, the rain is par for the course, but still. It’s depressing. It’s like I’m a little kid whose Mom won’t let him go outside and play, except I’m an adult and my Mom’s all, “What are you doing in my house? Get up and go to work! And, no, you can’t borrow my umbrella!” (Hi, Mom!) I’ve also been doing a lot of life-planning recently and that can get stressful, so musically I’ve been reverting back to the kind of music I loved in my misbegotten youth. You see, when I was young, I was all combat boots and Daria Morgendorffer, and I loved, loved, loved sad songs by alternative female singers. I mean if I could have bottled Fiona Apple lyrics and worn them like cologne, I totally would have. (And judging by my track record in the dating department lately, I’ve finally got it down pat!) So imagine my glee last week when I was on the bus and “Still” from Macy Gray’s debut, On How Life Is, shuffled on. I mean it is the most gut-wrenchingly sad song, but it’s got such a beautiful hook you can’t help but sing along. And, obviously, she’s singing about an extremely abusive relationship, but I can relate to having someone in your life whose charms you are and always will be powerless to resist. (Unfortunately.) And then came the next step down that doom spiral: Peggy Lee’s “Is That All There Is?” which is… kind of the best song ever written. I mean it’s part dramatic spoken word, part jazz standard and it pretty much all amounts to “Dude, life sucks, so let’s just all get drunk and dance,” but in this deliciously boozy, subversive sort of way. Like you’re a five year old and your fabulous spinster aunt is sitting on the edge of your bed at 4 AM after a few too many scotches, smoking a cigarette and blowing your mind with the most fucked-up bedtime story ever. Love it! But then just when you’ve decided it might be easier to wallow in the depths of your despair forever, along comes Stars and “Calendar Girl” to remind you that while you can’t stop the rain, you can always buy one of those shitty five dollar umbrellas outside the Metro. Provided you have five dollars, of course. I do love a relatively happy ending.

Finally, I don’t know about all of you, but I’m gonna miss Philip’s presence around these parts. Every week whenever I’d put out the call for staff submissions, he was always the first to respond with some forgotten 80′s gem and we were all the richer for it. Good luck with all your future endeavors, Philip! Please enjoy a little Don Henley in his honor.

And with that, the playlist:

WWLT – 5/5/09

Lady Sovereign – “Bang Bang” (Lauren)
Basement Jaxx – “That’s The Spot” (Adam)
Weepies – “All This Beauty” (Corey)
The Boy Least Likely To – “A Balloon on a Broken String” (Zack)
Macy Gray – “Still”
Eva Cassidy – “Bridge Over Troubled Water” (Chris)
Peggy Lee – “Is That All There Is?”
Stars – “Calendar Girl”
Drug Rug – “Day I Die” (Michael)
Don Henley – “The End of the Innocence”

And that’s it for this week! For more on The Everyday Visuals, check out their video for “Boom! Boom! Boom!” right here. Have a great rest of your week and we’ll see you next Tuesday! XO!

Now before we get to this week’s post, I know I promised many of you, in person and on my Facebook, an evisceration of “rap” sensation/abomination, Asher Roth, this week. (I’m not even gonna give him the satisfaction of a link. If you’re unfamiliar, feel free to Wikipedia him yourself.) Do not worry, friends. I am still enraged and mainstream culture still needs a swift kick in the nuts, so it’s coming. I just decided that I had too much to say, and I didn’t want to take anything away from this post. That particular little rage baby needs its own crib, you know? Look for that post later this week. (I even have a catchy title and everything!) For now, please enjoy our regularly awesome programming. On the menu this week, we’ve got: Rye Rye, Radiohead, Wild Light, Bitter:Sweet, Prince, Leona Lewis, Metric and Mary Prankster. All our reviews, plus the beloved (and kind of NSFW) mixtape await you below. Do it to it y’all!

Rye Rye Ft. M.I.A.—”Bang”

Thanks to M.I.A.’s new protégé, Rye Rye, my chances of embarrassingly getting caught dancing like a fool at stop lights in my car have increased exponentially. She is a talented and beautiful 17-year-old girl straight out of Baltimore city, who unlike Asher Roth, has real talent behind her good beats. She’s been making the rounds at the Spring music festivals (SXSW & Cochella) spreading the beauty of Baltimore Club music. Check out her first single, “Shake It to the Ground,” also — gotta love it. – Gem

Radiohead—”Myxomatosis (Judge, Jury & Executioner)”

There is something about the way Thom Yorke sings “I don’t know why I feel so tongue tied” that gets me every time. Maybe it’s the hesitation, the restraint, the way the pauses between each word feel enormous. Perhaps my brain can’t relate this human sentiment to a disease that afflicts rabbits. Whatever it is, this track from their 2003 album Hail to the Thief, keeps me curious about the inner-workings of the mind of one of the greatest musicians of our lifetime, and it keeps me dancing. – Kaysey

Wild Light—Adult Nights

We all say things in anger we don’t actually mean after a particularly crappy day. Luckily, most of us don’t then go and record these sentiments and release them as singles. When I first heard the song “California On My Mind” off of Wild Light’s new album, Adult Nights, I could tell that even though the lead singer repeatedly tells the Golden State to go fuck itself, the New Hampshire-based band actually loves its adopted home deep down. The video is also good – shot in black and white and featuring a perturbed blond bombshell. It inspired me to re-read Edwin Morgan‘s poem “The Death of Marilyn Monroe.” Anyway, it’s pretty much the most catchy song ever and the rest of the album is a lot of fun and totally worth a listen. – Jolly

Bitter:Sweet—Drama

A friend got me turned onto this trip-hop group recently and, let me just say, it’s quite addictive. The songs on this album are short, catchy, and sort of retro-chic, not unlike the Pipettes album that much of the TNG staff loves so dearly. My three favorite songs thus far are “Get What I Want,” “Trouble,” and “The Bomb,” all of which are fun and seductive – exactly the kind of music to ramp up your springtime hormones before heading out for the evening. “The Bomb” also has a fun political bend – like “Oh, Mr. President / In bed with terrorists again” – that work well for those in DC, the city of promiscuous politique. – Corey

Prince—Sign o’ the Times

I’ve been on a 80′s kick lately. As I was cosmic bowling this weekend, Prince’s “Take Me With You” came on. From there, I went on a downloading rampage and came across this musical gem: “Sometimes It Snows In April” which completely applies to Chicago weather! My heart bleeds when I hear “The Ballad of Dorothy Parker” and I want to be all skanky when I hear “Hot Thang” or “It,” but my world brightens up when I hear the free spirit of “Starfish and Coffee.” Can I change my choice for favorite song to make out to? – Adam

Leona Lewis—”Bleeding Love”

I can’t believe I’m admitting this… but the only thing I’ve been listening to for the last five days is Leona Lewis’ “Bleeding Love.” I know I’m late to that game, but after a steady year of inundation at my gay gym, a little receptor finally clicked in my brain and said “Holy chorus, batman, this is the best song I’ve ever heard.” Its probably more related to Stockholm Syndrome than any musical joy, but goddamn is that song impossible to stop listening to. I’ll listen to four extra hours of Animal Collective as a penance. I promise… – Zack

Metric—Fantasies

I’ve been a Metric fan for a long while now, and have greatly anticipated their new album. Fantasies, which hit stores on April 14, is their first studio album in four years. Although the cd has gotten mixed reviews, I personally love it and have been listening to it obsessively. An electro-synth pop vibe is heavily present with catchy but emotionally raw lyrics. The track “Help I’m Alive” has definite hit potential, while I’m also a fan of “Gold Guns Girls.” To complete my Metric kick, they recently announced a show at 930 Club on June 18th! – Lauren

Mary Prankster—Blue Skies Over Dundalk

So last week sucked. Yes, it was beautiful and warm and bright for the most part, but for me it was shitty and stressful and I wanted to spend the whole time curled up in a tight little ball in the corner of my bedroom. Weeks like those are why I’m so happy this album exists. Now anyone who knows me well knows that I have the dirtiest mouth on planet Earth, but Mary Prankster puts me to shame. When I’m in a really bad place, I put it on and sing every word, not only because it’s all loud and angry and full of cusses, but she’s a really witty, clever songwriter, and her songs end up making you giggle in spite of everything. Sure there’s a deep, underlying sadness to it all, but somehow she makes violent ex-boyfriends and defaulting on student loans seem kind of humorous. And for all of you snobs out there, there are plenty of historical and literary references, so she’s hella smart and well-read too. My faves are “Mercyfuck,” “Breakfast” and one of the best lead-off tracks in the history of recorded music, “Tits and Whiskey.” Obviously, none of those are safe for work or children, but give it a try the next time you’re in a mood. If you’re unlike me and you don’t think that “fuck” is the most beautiful word in the English language, you certainly will by the end. – Rocky

And without any further ado… THE MIXTAPE!

Click me!

So… it’s sad, but my obsessive hatred for Asher Roth has kind of taken over every aspect of my life for the past two weeks. “Man, I hate allergies, but not as much as I hate Asher Roth!” “Hey, best friend! I love you more than I hate Asher Roth!” And of course, I’ve been showing the “I Love College” video to everyone I know over the age of 25, trying to start a mutiny. “Hey guys, let’s storm his record label like the Bastille!” It’s becoming a problem. A successful problem (I’m gaining new converts everyday), but a problem nonetheless. It’s like I have a nemesis or something, which is weird, because I’ve never had one before. (Except, of course, for Raven Symone. She knows what she did…) So for the bonus songs this week, I’ve decided to put up two of my favorite hip hop songs. You know, actual hip hop songs with interesting lyrics and dope beats and artists with at least some small semblance of something approaching a sense of rhythm. Hopefully, it will be enough to purge “I Love College” from my brain for at least an hour or two. But probably not. (God, I really need to write that Asher Roth post. If no other reason than the preservation of my sanity!) ALSO! Just a word of warning. The mixtape this week is definitely, definitely not safe for work. Lots of cussing and sex and violence and all that. I guess we were all in a mood this week. (Or just me!) But just in case there are kids or grandparents or fuddy-duddy bosses in the vicinity, you might not want to press play just yet. What’s that down there? Oh, it’s the playlist!

WWLT – 4/28/09

Rye Rye (ft. M.I.A.) – “Bang” (Gem)
Metric – “Gold Girls Guns” (Lauren)
Black Star – “Respiration” (Rocky)
Radiohead – “Myxomatosis” (Kaysey)
Bitter:Sweet – “Trouble” (Corey)
Wild Light – “California on My Mind” (Jolly)
Leona Lewis – “Bleeding Love” (Zack)
Mary Prankster – “Mercyfuck” (Rocky)
Prince – “Starfish and Coffee” (Adam)
Nas – “One Mic” (Rocky)

Alright, I need some sun and another glass of Arbor Mist, so what do you say we call it a day? We’ll be back here again next Tuesday, rain or shine, with more music and, with any luck, a slightly saner Rocky. Until then, arrivederci bitches! XO

Halloween, Alaska—Champagne Downtown

My first introduction to the band Halloween, Alaska was their song “All the Arms Around You” which one of my best friends, Kim, included on a mixtape she gave me shortly before she moved out to LA for grad school. It’s totally fitting then that their latest album, which just came out on April 7, entitled Champagne Downtown, is completely preoccupied with all things West Coast, despite the band’s Twin City roots. “In Order” was the song that first got me hooked, with it’s 5+ minutes of seemingly random showbiz-related images (centerfolds meeting drama coaches, taking “a cue card from the token queer”) set to catchy music. Slower tracks like “The Hollywood Sign,” which includes a plea to burn down the eponymous LA landmark and the explanation that “California knows full well it’s gonna fall into the sea/that’s why it never acts too serious,” are also good. While it seems to skewer rather than glorify the LA lifestyle, its mix of fast and slow, serious and superficial is something Kim and I can enjoy together no matter where in the country we are. – Jolly

City High—What Would You Do?

Every once in a while, I have a daydream of an old song and it bugs the hell out of me until I download it. This week I was bugged by City High. Now, you may not remember the name but you remember the song “What Would You Do?” The song was their first and only 2001 hit single about a woman who strips for money for her child and the men pass judgment on the woman. It has a great beat that you can’t help but to dance to. I remember it coming on at a high school dance and dancing to it but feeling bad about it afterward. How the hell could you dance to someone’s sorry ass life as a stripper? This isn’t a song to dance to…..but….I can’t help myself. Damn it. I’m going to hell. Hopefully I don’t get reincarnated as a stripper pole. – Adam

Madonna – Hard Candy

I was in a chic London record store the first time I heard “4 Minutes” and saw the video, and I thought, if her whole upcoming album is this good, it’s gonna be huge. Unfortunately, the album wasn’t that good, and it became Madonna’s lowest-selling ever in the U.S. While I don’t look as highly upon this effort as our esteemed music editor, there are a few other decent tracks that I’ve for some reason been listening to lately. “Miles Away” and “She’s Not Me” are good for a few listens, though by now have worn down on me. “Voices” actually has some interesting lyrics in it, and the synthesized string arrangements add a certain je ne sais quoi. Finally, try the bonus track – “Ring My Bell” – which has a liveliness that the rest of the album mostly lacks. – Corey

Tasmin Archer—Great Expectations

Tasmin Archer is better than her material half the time. But when her lightly smoky voice gets a great hook (“Arienne,” “Lords of the New Church”) or an interesting lyric (“Sleeping Satellite,” “Somebody’s Daughter”), she can make it take off. I mean, there’s nothing atrocious on Great Expectations and most of the album’s actually quite good, but she deserved even better to set off her magnificent voice. – Philip

Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head—Glistening Pleasure

My two-month obsession with Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head can only be made better due to they’re opening for Lily Allen this Friday. Hailing from Seattle, Washington, the five-member teenage band has been together since 2005. Glistening Pleasure is their first album. Think electro-synth-pop, bright outfits and quirky lyrics. To do the band justice, this entire post should be written in neon pink, blue and orange. What other band sings about beard maintenance, fruit snacks, and sideways ponytails? – Lauren

Daniel Merriweather—Change

My first introduction to Daniel Merriweather was hearing his too cool for school collaboration with Adele, “Water and a Flame.” I’m not normally a huge R&B fan, but I couldn’t get his voice out of my head, so I started looking around for what else he’s done. After listening obsessively to producer Mark Ronson’s cover of The Smiths’ “Stop Me” that featured Merriweather’s vocals for a few days, I found his first single from his upcoming studio album Love and War, “Change” featuring Wale. It’s good. It’s really good. So now I’m counting the days until April 27th, when the album launches… – Jenna

New Young Pony Club—Fantastic Playroom

I’m sure this album has already worn itself out in the world of those who are “with it” musically, but I loved New Young Pony Club’s song “Ice Cream” so much (as did, surprisingly, my reggatone-loving 8th graders), I decided to buy the entire album Fantastic Playroom. I mean, just that name alone sounds fabulous. It just makes me want to jump around and dance. In particular, I am replaying “Tight Fit”, “Fan”, and “Descend”. – Jeff

Crooked Still—”Ain’t No Grave”

In honor of the spring holiday season I have been listening to Crooked Still’s version of this dark gospel tune featured on their 2006 album Shaken By a Low Sound. The Boston based folk/bluegrass band has been a musical staple of mine since their 2004 debut. Starting off with Rushad Eggelston’s pounding cello (he has since left the band causing me tremendous grief) and ending with Aoife O’Donovan’s delicate yet powerful vocals, this song almost leaves me longing for a small town Baptist church… almost. – Kaysey

Van Cliburn—The World’s Favorite Piano Music

Man, that’s an awful album title for so many reasons. Anyway, I turned to this album this week for one reason only: Liszt’s “Liebestraume #3.” I’ve been practicing the piece for a few months and, while it’s far from Liszt’s toughest piano work, it’s still giving me a tough time. Liszt wrote a set of three “liebestraume” (dreams of love) for piano, published in 1850. This one is certainly the most famous and most often played. It’s tricky shit and it makes me crazy to practice it. So every once in a while it’s good for me to step back, listen to it again, and remind myself why I want to play it in the first place. And Van Cliburn rocks my socks. – Chris

Eurythmics—”Would I Lie To You?”

I haven’t listened to the Eurythmics for years, then all of a sudden, I’m listening to them every day. They put out some amazing stuff, didn’t they? 20+ years later, and the greatest hits still hold up. “Would I Lie to You?” is one of my favorites, because it reminds me of the music video where Annie Lennox is strutting up and down the catwalk kicking ass while big black women in red dresses sing back-up. I dunno, it just gets me moving. – Ben

Bowerbirds—Hymns for a Dark Horse

In college, I worked part-time as a techie at a concert hall on campus. One Sunday afternoon, when the American Symphony Orchestra came through to do one of those free “let’s get the young kids into classical music” type things, the conductor said something in his lecture that has always stuck with me. “Greatness is not contingent upon originality.” That’s something I tend to think about when listening to this album (which I’ve been doing non-stop since I bought it last week), because in many ways I’ve heard it before. It’s got the off-kilter, half-crazy indie rock/alt-country vibe of Neutral Milk Hotel and the old timey instrumentation and arrangements of The Decemberists. Sometimes it feels as intimate as an early Sufjan Stevens album and as naked and sad as Bon Iver, but other times it feels so joyous and suffused with love you’d swear you were listening to Akron/Family. And what amazes me is, with all of that going on, it still manages to be an album that’s greater than the sum of its parts. “Olive Hearts,” which I included on last week’s mixtape, is not only a great song, but a new contender for my favorite song of all time. “Hooves” is so lovely and sweet and weird that it kind of makes me want to cry. And the rest is pretty awesome too. Great album for nighttime road trips. – Rocky

And without any further ado… THE MIXTAPE!

Click me!

First, the bad news. Two of this week’s selections were unavailable for the mixtape. So for more on Halloween, Alaska, click on this, and to hear “Ain’t No Grave,” click on that. The good news (for me at least) is it means we get a couple bonus songs! I mean not that I don’t put one on here every week, but at least this time I have an excuse. I was listening to All Songs Considered on NPR last week and I kind of fell head over heels for “Two Can Play” by Eulogies. It kind of makes me wish life was a musical, so I could start singing it the next time someone tries to break up with me. It would just be too cute. Also this past weekend, my heart wasn’t in DC, so on Friday afternoon, my inner Sagittarius led me to the bus station and I caught a ride out of dodge. On the ride back, Goldfrapp’s “Time Out From the World” shuffled on and I realized that it was exactly what I’d been feeling… only a little less sexy. Consider it my present, if you need a little room to breathe as well. Playlist time!

Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head – “Me + Yr Daughter” (Lauren)
Daniel Merriweather – “Change” (Jenna)
New Young Pony Club – “Tight Fit” (Jeff)
City High – “What Would You Do?” (Adam)
Madonna – “Voices” (Corey)
Goldfrapp – “Time Out From the World” (Rocky)
Eulogies – “Two Can Play” (Rocky)
Lizst – “Liebestraume #3″ (Chris)
Tasmin Archer – “Sleeping Satellite” (Philip)
Bowerbirds – “Hooves” (Rocky)
Eurythmics – “Would I Lie To You?” (Ben)

And with that, dear friends, I shall bid you a fond adieu. We’ll be back here next Tuesday at 3 PM with another helping of sweet, sweet ear candy just for you. Be there, or be lame! Until then, don’t do anything I wouldn’t do… XO

Stricken City—Tak o Talk/Bardou

My ongoing love affair with all things new, female-fronted and indie pop has led me away from California this week and off to London. Based out of the UK, Stricken City plays some seriously fun and bouncy pop rock. Lead singer Rebekah Raa has a great presence in their videos and a unique voice that could be called somewhat Bjork-esque. “Tak o Tak” is the song that got me hooked with its great synth and fun, danceable beat. While totally incomprehensible lyrics are usually a turn off for me, when coupled with Raa’s awkward dancing, I can’t help but find it endearing. – Jolly

Cage the Elephant—Cage the Elephant

I was driving home late last night when I heard the song “Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked” playing on DC101. Their sound is reminiscent of Beck, Cake and maybe a hint of Sublime. It’s a good upbeat track, and should be added to your playlist for when you are grilling up some summertime vegan burgers and entertaining guests. – Allison

Lauryn Hill—The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill

As I’ve mentioned before, I tend to go through periods of obsessing with a few artists until I overdose and search for something fresh. In that transition period of revamping my iTunes library, there are certain albums that draw me back in until I find my new niche. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill will always and forever stand as one of those albums. It calms me down and makes me wanna dance and reminds me that good hip-hop is not dead all in one, beautiful go. There were quite a few singles released from this album, including “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” and “Doo Wop (That Thing),” but “Lost Ones,” is by far my favorite and most played track. – Gem

Sublime—Sublime

I don’t know what it is about spring that makes me want to find a patch of grass, a Frisbee, and a mid-90s era boombox, but the urge hit me this past Saturday right on schedule. To help meet that yearning, I found myself reaching for the self-titled Sublime album that provided the poppy-ska soundtrack to much of my early teen years. I love the tracks too much to discriminate between them, but I tend to reach first for “Santeria,” and then follow it up with “What I Got (Reprise)” to feed that bittersweet nostalgia. – Jenna

Huey Lewis and The News—Time Flies… The Best of Huey Lewis and The News

This compilation of hits takes me back (to the future). From “The Power of Love” to “Do You Believe in Love?”, that characteristic 80s synth is still going strong on my iPod. Even the slower “Doin’ It All for My Baby” and “Stuck With You” have fast rhythms which will keep your feet tapping. With this album, you don’t need a souped-up Delorean to enjoy the most decadent decade again. – Matt

Dead or Alive—Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know

Listeners in thrall to lead singer Pete Burns’ weird genderfuck-chic try desperately to recategorize or justify Dead or Alive: “They’re godfathers of Goth! ‘Mad, Bad, and Dangerous to Know’ is a literary allusion!” Get over it, kids—Dead or Alive is as poppy as they come. For godssakes, Stock Aitken Waterman—the pop geniuses who brought us Rick Astley, Kylie Minogue, and Samantha Fox—produced Dead or Alive’s biggest albums. And there’s no shame in that: the wall of sound they erect behind Burns on Mad, Bad, and Dangerous to Know is sonically enveloping and hides his average voice. “Brand New Lover” and “I’ll Save You All My Kisses” were the hits, but “Then There Was You” and “Son of a Gun” are just as good, and the Spanish-style synth textures on 7-minute-long “Something in My House” are reminiscent of minor disco legends Santa Esmerelda, which is certainly not bad company to be in. – Philip

Alanis Morissette—Jagged Little Pill

I was working out this weekend when “You Oughta Know” came on. I started moving faster. Sweat poured down my face and started burning my eyes. I few minutes later I was soaked and sore, and more importantly had a realization. Fuck love; nothing more ferociously captures the adrenaline of our existence than pure, unadulterated rage. And no song does it better than this one. – Corey

J*Davey—The Beauty in Distortion/The Land of the Lost

I have found a breathe of fresh air in J*Davey. The duo is comprised of male producer, Brook D’Leau, and female vocalist, Briana Cartwright whose stage name is Jack Davey. Their music ist a electic mix of so many genres its a shame to label them at all. In my ears, it sounds like an orgy of Prince, Kelis, Radiohead, Coldplay, and Kylie. Jack Davey’s voice is made of pure sex. Whether she’s singing about how she wants her man to meet her in the seductive and groove infested “Valley of Love”, telling her man that he can have whatever he wants because she doesn’t even care “No More”, or trying to get a guy’s attention on “Mr. Mister”, I’m hooked. – Adam

Banda de Turistas—Mágico corazón radiofónico

I’m a pretty lucky guy, because I got two springs this year. As I’ve mentioned a few times now, last fall, I was able to spend a few weeks in South America watching spring come into full bloom. Since I’m me, the music was, of course, a huge part of what made my trip so special. Now that it’s finally spring here in the States, it’s like all my brain wants is to hear those sounds again. You might be surprised to learn that rock has been huge in Argentina for decades and there’s a long tradition of awesome rock bands coming from there. My favorite is Banda de Turistas. Imagine if Brian Wilson had a baby with Beck that was raised by the Gilberto clan, and you have a pretty good idea of what they sound like. They rock your face off, but in a very calm, groovy, psychedelic sort of way. Unfortunately, it’s apparently impossible to find their album anywhere in the U.S., so their Myspace will have to suffice for the time being, but it’s definitely well worth the click. – Rocky

And now, without any further ado… THE MIXTAPE!!!

Click me! 

When I went to my inbox and I saw what everyone had chosen this week, it was like opening a musical time capsule of my life. Huey Lewis? Dancing around the living room with my mom at age 3. Jagged Little Pill? Welcome to puberty, Rocks! And Sublime? Well, that brings back the first time I ever got wasted. It was Junior Prom, and I passed out in Kelly McMahon’s hot tub until 7 am. Good times! Of those three artists though, Alanis is probably still my favorite, so I thought for the bonus stuff this week, let’s take it back to seventh grade. (Well, OK, the mid-90′s…) “Next Lifetime” by Erykah Badu? Check. And I would remiss if I didn’t add something by Dave Matthews, the patron saint of Northern Virginia. If you’re not into “Crash Into Me,” well… I hate to alienate any of my readers, but you simply have no heart. And that’s not just me saying that. It’s science, you know? Just playin’! It’s actually a really creepy song, but it’s so pretty! Here’s the playlist:

Stricken City – “Tak o Tak” (Jolly)
Banda de Turistas – “Todo Mio el Otono” (Rocky)
Sublime- “What I Got (Reprise)” (Jenna)
Cage the Elephant – “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked” (Allison)
Huey Lewis and The News – “Stuck With You” (Matt)
Dave Matthews Band – “Crash Into Me” (Rocky)
Dead or Alive – “Something In My House” (Philip)
J*Davey – “Mr. Mister” (Adam)
Erykah Badu – “Next Lifetime” (Rocky)
Alanis Morissette – “You Oughta Know” (Corey)

Have an amazing week! I’ll see you back here next Tuesday! XO

I attended a lecture last night given by jazz legend Wynton Marsalis at the Kennedy Center and sponsored by Americans for the Arts. (Public thanks for the invite, Jules!) He said a number of really amazing things, and one thing that really struck a chord with me is that, without a substantive cultural education, we’re giving our kids and our nation as a whole a huge disservice. Keeping up with other nations in terms of science and technology is very important, but the technology of the human heart doesn’t change and without the ability to embrace and connect through music, dance, visual arts and our shared cultural history, who are we? What’s the point of living in this pretty awesome country, with all the rights we’re afforded, if we’re going to deny ourselves and our kids the means and tools to express what’s in our hearts articulately and creatively? When I was in Buenos Aires last fall, this violinist got on the subway and everyone on the train stopped their conversations, listened, applauded and gave him bank. I was flabbergasted. When was the last time you saw anything like that in America? They’re a people who respect their artists and listen to them. Unfortunately, we’re not, so as an artist myself that was really life-affirming to see. I think we should all make a concerted effort to be more like that.

I’m gonna get off my soapbox in a second I promise, but before I do I just really want to encourage everyone to get out there and support your local artists. I know you know, but still. Do it. Go to a craft fair or a poetry reading. Go to a comedy show or see a new band you’ve never heard of. Whatever floats your boat. You’ll be better of for it and these folks need you! And if you’re an artist, don’t get discouraged! (Which I guess is more for me than anyone else…) Don’t ever, ever stop! Just by getting up and trying you’re contributing more than you could ever know. But most importantly, and this goes for everyone, in uncertain times it’s always the artists who have the ability and the tacit responsibility to really inspire and educate, so please donate to any of the billion charities devoted to preserving arts education in our public schools, or, just as importantly if not more so, give of your time. You’d be amazed what sharing a little of what you know with someone younger can do, because without it, the music’s just going to keep getting worse, the discourse more corroded and pretty soon people are going to start jumping off of rooftops left and right. And that would suck.

OK. I’m done, and I think that’s the most I’ve ever written on this blog! But I really wanted to say that, so thank you for indulging me. Back to the business at hand: the music that moves and inspires us to what we do and will hopefully inspire you as well. On the menu this week, we’ve got: Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, Queen, Colin Munroe, Metric, Lavender Diamond, Jeremy Jay, No Doubt and Doves. Our reviews, plus everybody’s favorite part, the mixtape, await you below…

Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti—Grandes Exitos – Greatest Hits

If funky rhythms, male falsettos, and word-play make you as giddy as they make me, then definitely check out Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti. The music itself evokes early 60s pop structures, with super low production values. But the melodies, harmonies and lyrics really seal the deal. As for word-play, just look at the song titles: “Jules Lost His Jewels,” “For Kate I Wait,” “Beverly Kills,” and so forth. Stand-out tracks include “Interesting Results,” “Are You Gonna Look After My Boys” and “Life in LA.” Look for a full length record and an east-coast tour (skipping DC, sadly) in the coming months. – Michael

Queen—Classic Queen

This album is one of my favorites, including many well-known Queen hits, including “Under Pressure” which featured David Bowie. Other favorites of mine include “It’s a Kind of Magic” and “Who Wants to Live Forever.” This album is characterized by the great harmonies and powerful sound which gives Queen its popularity. I think the mix of tracks in this 1992 compilation are some of the band’s best. – Matt

Colin Munroe—Colin Munroe is the Unsung Hero
When I fall in love with an artist, I fall hard. Rarely can I listen to an album all the way through, except Aaliyah’s 2001 album and Boomkat’s Boomkatalog One, but this album filled my ears for most of my 8 hour plane ride from Chicago to London last week. Colin Munroe is a brand new alternative pop canadian artist whose infectious rhythms and sincere crooning will having you feeling every single word in every song he sings. Some of my favorites are “As Much As You”, “Will I Stay”, “Piano Lessons”, and the catchy “Last Cause”. – Adam

Metric—Fantasies
I like all kinds of music but FREE music is my favorite. So when Metric started streaming their new album Fantasies, out April 7th, on their Myspace page, I took full advantage, playing it all week when at a computer. The lyrics themselves are kept fairly simple and stripped, but the production value is really high this time around and some of the tracks may have some mainstream cross-over potential. While “Gold Gun Girls” and “Gimme Sympathy” are both really fun, the lead track, “Help, I’m Alive” has been banging around in my head non-stop like, well, a hammer. – Jolly

Lavender Diamond—Imagine Our Love

With strummed guitars, rolling piano licks, simple drums and some perfectly placed string parts, this quartet is perfect listening for this time of year. The band’s only full album, Imagine Our Love, was released in 2007. Singer Becky Stark has a sweet voice with amazing talent, technique and range. Her vocals on “Garden Rose” and “Dance ‘Til Tomorrow” are really to be admired. Lavender Diamond walks a line between folk, alt-rock and cabaret and while the album has a few missteps (“Like an Arrow” is not my favorite), gems like “Bring Me a Song” and “Open Your Heart” are a real treat. I don’t mean to make it sound like it’s total springtime fluff;songs like “Oh No” and “I’ll Never Lie Again” are really personal. The full album download brings you a bonus track: a cover of “Oh No” by The Decemberists’ lead man, Colin Meloy. – Chris

Jeremy Jay—Slow Dance

Surely an acquired taste, the second album by LA-based electro-crooner Jeremy Jay has the amazing ability to inspire countless repeat listenings in me and disgusted annoyance in my boyfriend. Like a cross between Gerry Raferty and David Byrne, his slightly nasal, slightly folky voice combines with synth or computer beats to make songs that wouldn’t be out of place on either 70s AM radio or speak-easy on Mars. It’s a little slow, and a little odd, but I love it. I just can’t listen to him until my boyfriend leaves… – Zack

No Doubt—The Singles: 1992-2003

I am depressed as hell that No Doubt is playing in all four cities I will be living in this summer… and I am missing them each time by a matter of days. At least I still have this old collection to listen to. I start off each Sunday in the House of (fashion) God, Gwen Stefani, by listening to “Sunday Morning” while I make coffee and dance around my room. I play “Just a Girl” when I’m in the mood for some feminism, and “Spiderwebs” when I’m feeling nostalgic – remember when people had answering machines and would screen calls? Some things may come and go, but great bands like No Doubt will always be on my playlist. – Corey

Doves—”There Goes the Fear”

I love that feeling you get walking home at the end of a long night out and you turn the corner onto your block. It’s like “Yes! There’s my place! I can see it! And in a few, I can pee and put on my pj’s and snuggle under the covers until tomorrow afternoon. Life is awesome!” it’s just so comforting. That’s what this song is like for me. Back in the summer of ’02, I was obsessed with Doves’ The Last Broadcast. Kind of a random album to be obsessed with I guess, but it was important in terms of my personal development. That was the summer I went from “Poptart” to “Indie Fag,” started writing songs full-time (instead of, um, going to college), and, you know, decided that girls weren’t really my thing anymore. That album had a lot to do with those first two things at least, and “There Goes the Fear” was by far my favorite song. It’s a perfect blend of pop and indie rock, funky and sweet, intimate and epic. And, lyrically, it’s a wonderful reminder that insecurity is almost always completely unnecessary. It’s kind of like the musical equivalent of coming home and dancing around your living room like a dork in your favorite sneakers, alone and a little drunk at 3 AM. Not that that happened on Saturday. At all. Anyway, it’s bliss! – Rocky

And without any further ado… THE MIXTAPE!

Ever since the heartbreaking loss of Scrabulous, I’ve been loathe to download any new Facebook applications. I don’t want to get burned again, you know? (Yes, yes, there’s “Lexulous” now, but it’s not the same.) Last week, however, I noticed that a large number of my friends seemed to be into that “5 Albums That Shaped Me…” application and it got me thinking. Five albums that shaped me? I mean what a difficult question! There are certainly a few albums, like Fiona Apple’s Tidal or Radiohead’s The Bends, which at the time blew my little teen-aged mind and caused me to consciously turn the wheel and take my life in a different direction. The first time I listened to Tidal, it was an experience akin to religious ecstasy. I was so moved by “Sullen Girl” that I sat on a bench and started to cry, and I decided right then and there that I wanted to be a full-time musician, because I wanted to do what she did for me in that moment for someone else. I figured that if I could take my guitar and write something that helped some lonely, depressed teenager not feel so defective, then my life might have some purpose. I’d be using my talent and skills and passion for the greater good. And if I just so happened to become the biggest rock star on the planet in the process, well then that’s just gravy. (And I was 16, so cut me some slack!) But then, as I learned this weekend when “There Goes the Fear” randomly popped onto my iPod for the first time in years, there are songs and albums that totally affect you and shape you while you’re not paying attention. For me, there are a few random songs that have the power to transport me back to a certain place or time in my life. “Trigger songs,” if you will. It’s like there are these certain pieces of music that live in my subconscious, and when I hear them suddenly I’m in college walking up a snowy sidewalk just wishing he’d call and wondering why I had to go and open my big mouth, or blithely watching MTV on a lazy Saturday morning in junior high. It’s weird. So I included a couple of my trigger songs on the mix this week: “Writing to Reach You” by Travis and Boyz II Men’s “End of the Road.” Do you guys have trigger songs or is it only me? What are they? Where do they take you? Let us know in the comments! Here’s this week’s playlist:

Lavender Diamond – “Open Your Heart” (Chris)
Doves – “There Goes the Fear” (Rocky)
No Doubt – “Spiderwebs” (Corey)
Colin Munroe – “Piano Lessons” (Adam)
Metric – “Help, I’m Alive” (Jolly)
Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti – “Interesting Results” (Michael)
Jeremy Jay – “Gallop” (Zack)
Travis – “Writing To Reach You” (Rocky)
Queen – “It’s a Kind of Magic” (Matt)
Boyz II Men – “End of the Road” (Rocky)

Alright, folks, show’s over! Thanks for stopping by and hopefully I’ll see you next week! Same time, same channel! X’s and O’s…

Johnny Flynn—A Larum

I’ve got a crush on a cute South African-Brit actor-singer-poet named Johnny Flynn. I heard him first thanks to a great NPR interview and was so taken with the way he talked about his art and the world that I knew I’d love the album. His music is much more folky than I usually enjoy, but he and his band, The Sussex Wit, serve it up right. He plays his guitars beautifully and the fiddles and sparse drums keep this music simple so that the listener can really focus on the words. Influenced by writers like Shakespeare and Thoreau, it’s not surprising that the lyrics and Johnny’s warm voice are what really catch you. “Tickle Me Pink” was the first single from the album and is a fantastic song, but this week I find myself especially drawn to “The Box.” Inspired by the physical and mental clutter we all amass, Johnny pleads: “Sweep my mess away / Leave my body, leave my bones / Leave me holding, leave my soul / Leave me nothing I don’t need at all / Nothing I don’t need at all.” – Chris

David Byrne and Brian Eno—”Strange Overtones”

This song is from the album Everything That Happens Will Happen Today, the first collaboration between Byrne (words) and Brian Eno (music) in 30 years. “Strange Overtones” is a curious song. Byrne seems to be writing about a neighbor who wants to be a musician but isn’t yet technically proficient in their craft. Byrne has seen this neighbor on the street and hears him/her through the wall, and he gently admonishes and offers support in equal measure. This tune also works metaphorically, and can be interpreted as a message to so many junior musicians currently crowded on popular radio, Byrne’s fatherly sweetness imbuing the spanking in a way that is both sharp and touching. – Ben

Royksopp ft. Robyn—”The Girl and The Robot”

I don’t know much about Royksopp besides the fact that my old roommate used to endlessly play their song “Remind Me” after it was featured in a Geico commercial. And Swedish popster Robyn to me will always be responsible for “Show Me Love.” (Which is not a bad thing. I was obsessed with “With Every Heartbeat” as well.) Combine the two, though, and you get a Depeche Mode worthy synth epic about a girl who is dating either an emotionally unavailable human man or Colonel Tigh. Either way, itis impossible to only listen to once and will certainly be making an appearance at the next homo/sonic. (Royksopp’s new album, Junior, comes out today.) – Zack

The Format—Interventions + Lullabies

Something about the change in the season and the warmer temperatures always makes me slightly nostalgic for simpler, more carefree days. This is why The Format, an Arizona-based band which broke up early last year, has a permanent place on my iPod. My favorite album of theirs is their first, 2003′s Interventions + Lullabies, which is chock full of relatively simple, uncomplicated rock tunes. While the lyrics can sometimes stray into angsty high school-er territory, the straightforward rock nature of the songs reminds me of summers in college and the ridiculously attractive boy who first introduced me to the band. While “The First Single”, “Tie the Rope” and “Tune Out” are all solidly upbeat pop-rock tracks, my current favorite is “Sore Thumb”, which is, of course, about a break up (“so please just leave/you don’t mean that much to me/give back the ring/keep all those summers with your friends”). Despite the bitter lyrics, the music itself never fails to remind me of sunny, warm weather and driving around town with the windows down and music blaring. – Jolly

Diamond Life—Sade

Yes, this is the album with “Smooth Operator.” But as good as that song is, I’d rather listen to “Your Love is King” or the gentle sway of “I Will Be Your Friend.” I’d rather my men be sweet and romantic than cool and calculated, so maybe I also prefer that kind of song. – Philip

Bajofondo—Mar Dulce

I was first introduced to Bajofondo by a charming French GW student with the best selection electronica I have ever laid my eyes upon. She played “El Andén” which is a fun, upbeat rap song with a violin giving it a tango twist. The rest of the album tends to lean more towards the tango/ electronica side than the tango/ hip hop, but it is a great album for who need to take a break from Hot Chip and Cut Copy, and love Brazilian Girls and Buena Vista Social Club. Oh, and they’re playing the 930 Club on April 11 — the night after our favorite girl, Katy Perry. – Gem

Joni Mitchell—Blue

As the best album by the best singer-songwriter of modern music, Blue constantly finds its way into my life. I remember listening to it standing on the roof of a building at school in the pouring rain, as i cried and reflected over a breakup. I remember listening to it this summer as I walked the streets of Berkeley and San Francisco and finally figured out what she was talking about in “California.” I remember listening to the song “My Old Man” for the first time as a closeted high school senior, hearing the line “We don’t need a piece of paper from the city hall,” and wondering about love and redemption. I listened to it at 3am Saturday on a cold walk across campus, and it never sounded fresher. That her words can mean so much to me give me hope that love is possible in this world, no matter how “blue” we might get. – Corey

Otis Redding—”That’s How Strong My Love Is”

There are few artists who can sing any song and make it sound complex, heartfelt and timeless. Redding could sing “Oops I Did It Again” and still get me to tear up a little. My favorite album of his is Dreams to Remember: The Otis Redding Anthology. This compilation of songs gives the listener a crash course in Redding’s style and is perfect for when you are sitting on a long train ride, gazing out the window, longing for love….or something like that. – Allison

Quiet Village—”Pacific Rhythm”

Last year around Pride, for some reason, I decided I wanted one of those rainbow Absolut bottles. I can’t remember why; I don’t even like vodka. Anyway, it was unavailable in the U.S. at the time, so I ended up at a French website that was playing this song. I didn’t buy the vodka, but I did rush over to iTunes to buy this song. I’m not entirely sure how you would classify Quiet Village or their 2008 debut Silent Movie, but I guess it makes me think of old Italian movie soundtracks mixed with French electronica (Air, Sebasten Tellier, etc.), with a dash of pot and a few sprinkles of magic fairydust. Is that helpful? All I know is that the heady mix of electronic samples, blues, funk, disco and easy listening is competely, frighteningly hypnotic. My favorite track, “Pacific Rhythm” is like a lovely day at the beach in a slapstick 70′s porno. – Rocky

And without any further ado… THE MIXTAPE!

Click me!

Now then, what are this week’s bonus tracks, you ask? Well, I’m still (not) trying (very hard) to get all the Morrissey out of my system, so to that end, may I present to you my favorite Morrissey song in the world “The World Is Full of Crashing Bores,” from 2004′s You Are The Quarry. Technically, my favorite is the live version on Live at Earls Court, but beggars can’t be choosers I suppose. (Yes, I totally just said that.) I’m a dork for Moz, what can I say? Also, I’m super sad that Zack’s pick, “The Girl and The Robot” isn’t available for the mix, because it’s AMAZING! So I’m going to embed a Youtube clip that you will hopefully watch, because it’s good for your soul. (Try not to dance. I dare you.) But if we can’t have “The Girl and The Robot” for the actual mixtape, how about another of Robyn’s recent addictive pop confections? Cool? Cool. Here comes the video and the playlist…

The Playlist:

Johnny Flynn – “The Box” (Chris)
David Byrne and Brian Eno – “Strange Overtones” (Ben)
Morrissey – “The World Is Full of Crashing Bores” (Rocky)
Joni Mitchell – “All I Want” (Corey)
Sade – “Your Love Is King” (Philip)
Robyn – “With Every Heartbeat” (Rocky)
Bajofondo – “El Anden” (Gem)
The Format – “Sore Thumbs” (Jolly)
Otis Redding – “That’s How Strong My Love Is” (Allison)
Quiet Village – “Pacific Rhythm” (Rocky)

Until next Tuesday, my lovelies! Have a week!

OK, remember how I loathe each and every little thing about Valentine’s Day? Well, that’s how much I love St. Patrick’s Day! Let’s all wear green and get fucked up, because a dude got rid of some snakes? Now, that’s a holiday I can get behind. (Snakes suck! Celebrate it!) Plus, not many people know this, seeing as how I’m black and all, but my great-grandfather was Irish. It’s true! According to family lore, he was on holiday in Barbados and fell in love with my great-grandmother, so he stuck around and they got married and made babies. So, as you can see, I come by my unfortunate cultural stereotypes honestly. And speaking of which, what did I do with that bottle of Jameson…? While I rummage through my desk for that, please enjoy this week’s installment of What We’re Listening To, TNG’s weekly rundown of the music we love. On the menu this week, we’ve got: Clout, Fol Chen, Bourgeois Tagg, Neko Case, White Lies, Kelly Clarkson, Britney Spears, Roisin Murphy, Air, Marissa Nadler, and my bottomless, unwavering love for Morrissey. All our reviews, plus the mixtape, await you below the fold.

Clout—The Best of Clout

A real great among greatest hits albums. Clout was a disco-pop group from South Africa. Formed in 1977, they’re well-known for “Substitute,” a catchy disco tune also covered by Gloria Gaynor. Other addictive hits include “Save Me”, “Under Fire”, and “The Best of Me.” Their 1981 single, “Portable Radio” was the group’s last, but not least by any measure. Honestly, with so many great hits, I don’t know why this band has such a low profile in the United States. – Matt

Fol Chen—Part I: John Shade, Your Fortune’s Made

My tastes have been straying towards synth-y, female-fronted, electro-pop recently without me even noticing, so it isn’t surprising that my latest obsession, California-based Fol Chen, fits squarely into this mold. The group’s first album, Part I: John Shade, Your Fortune’s Made, is full of contradictions from the surprisingly dark “The Believers” to the unexpectedly upbeat “No Wedding Cake”. My favorite track, however, is easily “Cable TV” – an ode to simple pleasures and small luxuries, like a seedy motel with, you guessed it, cable TV. It’s totally recession appropriate while still being fun. The video for the song is kind of awesome too and it makes me wish I had a group of what appear to be American Apparel sales girls dancing behind me at all times. – Jolly

Bourgeois Tagg—Bourgeois Tagg

Let’s get down to business: a good album, but the gem is “Mutual Surrender (What a Wonderful World).” The so-simple-they’re-clever lyrics use clichéd images of war (a fired gun, a dagger) and surrender (throwing up the hands, raising a white flag, etc.) as not-so-subtle sexual metaphors. It’s only upon watching the video for the song that Bourgeois Tagg is revealed to be five ungainly, unpretty, atrociously-coiffed musicians, guys you’d be laughing too hard at to want to fuck. They could sing a pretty effective come-on, though, full of insistent, thudding drums and teasing vocals. Now that Brent Bourgeois has become a born-again Christian, I imagine he’s not singing songs like this anymore. – Philip

Neko Case—Middle Cyclone

She’s done it again. The fire-haired siren, the impish coquette, the grounded and ethereal serenader, the ambassador of animals has delivered with her latest album of rock-a-bye love songs dripping with honeyed fears and desires. Her seductive voice, creative lyrics, and love of nature (thank you Neko for the 30 minute track of crickets at the end of the album) are trademarks of this ginger gal. I’ve had it on loop since NPR released its Exclusive First Listen on Feb 24 and since it became available on itunes last Tuesday. If I had to choose a favorite track, it’d be “This Tornado Loves You;” although “Magpie to the Morning” and “People Got a Lot of Nerve” are both good too. – Maggie

White Lies—To Lose My Life

Take Depeche Mode, Joy Division, The Presets, and a whole lot of beautiful death imagery that would make the romantic poets proud and put it in a blender. What do you get? Uh, a gross mix of CDs and poetry in a blender. Eww. Why would you actually do that? But for those who don’t take my advice so literally, London band The While Lies’ new CD, which comes up today, provides a grim blast of industrial-infused dance rock that will make you contemplate the grim truths of mortality on the dance floor. Which will happen anyway if you drink too much redbull, but thats for a different article. (Plus they’re playing at the Black Cat on March 24th with Friendly Fires. Should be fun…) – Zack

Kelly Clarkson—All I Ever Wanted

It’s with just a little bit of shame that I submit this as what I’m listening to right now, and probably for the next month or so. Clarkson’s vocal ability has always been impressive, and I’ve come to respect her after she stood up to music execs on her last album, but what really has me listening to her new CD is that it’s just so much fun. The first single, “My Life Would Suck Without You,” is a decent track but is far more glossy and generic-sounding than many of the other songs, several of which are sure to be headed to radio soon. “I Do Not Hook Up” and “Don’t Let Me Stop You” prove that Clarkson has mastered the (albeit questionable) pop rock genre, while “Cry” and “If I Can’t Have You” show that she’s able to flirt respectively with country and electro-pop, as well. Her new musical team out of Nashville provides a nice swagger to it all and the production (which is the make-or-break factor with this type of music) is certainly better than on her last effort. – Corey

Britney Spears—Circus

I debated whether or not I wanted to embrace and share my bad taste this week, but I think in the sake of honesty, I need to just say it. My name is Jenna Lowenstein, and I’m a Britney addict. It started innocently enough. I took a short road trip down to NC last week, and my friends and I grabbed this album during a Target run before we got in the car. It was catchy, it was sing-along-able, and we played it all the way to the beach. And back. But I’ve been home since Monday, and the album is still in heavy rotation on my ipod. The album’s first single “Womanizer” was the inimitable Ms. Spears’ first number one single on the Billboard charts since “… Baby One More Time” all the way back in 1998. As befits that honor, “Womanizer” is delightfully poppy and polished. But the real stars of the album, in my humble opinion, are the second and third singles, “Circus” and “If You Seek Amy.” Shockingly, tickets are still available for Britney’s March 24 show at the Verizon Center, if you’re interested. – Jenna

Roisin Murphy—Overpowered

A friend of mine recently introduced me to Roisin Murphy, whose new album Overpowered has yet to be released in the US. I’m not usually into club music, but I’m impressed by a number of songs, particularly the jump up and dance tracks “Movie Star,” and “Cry Baby,” yet my favorite is “Dear Miami,” which juxtaposes the glamour of Miami culture with the realities of climate change. Yes, I’m serious. The first time I heard “Dear Miami” was the coldest day of the year. It was sent to me as part of a Youtube slideshow of sunny Miami. I haven’t been able to stop humming it since. “Dear Miami, you’re the first to go/disappearing under melted snow/each and everyone turn your critical eye/on the burning sun, and try not to cry.” – Ben

Air—Moon Safari

Sigh, je t’aime, Air. I’ve been hooked on these guys for a number of years and keep finding more and more in their work that draws me in. This French electronic duo hits the spot when you need to really clear your head. Nicholas Godin and Jean-Benoit Dunckel’s first album, Moon Safari (1998), is a rich, warm wash. It’s spacey and spacious (“Talisman”), and full of synth keyboards and strings (“All I Need”). Many of their songs are instrumental, influenced by dance (“Sexy Boy”), new age electronica (“Remember”) and cool jazz (“Ce Matin La”). When there are vocals, they are slightly aloof, slightly robotic but still emotional. Here’s what to do: get kinda drunk, put on an Air album, and chill the eff out. If this is up your alley, you’ll also love Talkie Walkie and Pocket Symphony. – Chris

Marissa Nadler—Little Hells

If Emily Bronte were reincarnated as an American singer-songwriter, she’d be Marissa Nadler. Doomed lovers, ghosts, haunted landscapes all are featured in these dark tunes, which feature Nadler’s lovely soprano and spare guitar playing. This time, the backdrop is updated with a few synths and retro-drum machines. Some of the tunes drift toward the Mazzy Star and Low territory, but all Nadler’s compositions retain their dark, timeless quality. – Craig

Morrissey—Years of Refusal

Ah, Morrissey! The patron saint of clinically depressed, gay English majors everywhere, what would we do without you?! I’m always a little nervous when a new Morrissey album comes out. It’s like, “What if he’s finally made peace with himself and the world? What if he’s found the love of his life and now he’s all rainbows and puppies and shit? Wouldn’t that suck?” Not that I wish Morrissey any unhappiness, of course, but I would miss the drama, the clever cynicism, and the way he turns what’s essentially just straight-up whining into an art form both elegant and utterly heartbreaking. Fortunately, Years of Refusal, his latest album, has all those things in spades. It’s nothing particularly groundbreaking. If you like Morrissey, you’ll love it; if not, you’ll probably be annoyed. Obviously, I’m in the former camp, so I’m thrilled to have a new record for rainy days, both literal and figurative. The standout tracks include “I’m Throwing My Arms Around Paris,” which rivals some of the best work he’s ever done, and “All You Need Is Me,” the most fucked-up, yet strangely entertaining song I’ve heard in quite some time. In case you missed it yesterday, here are some of Michael’s photos from his show at The Warner Theatre. I’m going to the Philly show in a few weeks, and I can’t wait! I’m coming, Papa! – Rocky

And without any further ado… THE MIXTAPE!

Click me!

Fortunately, I had a plethora of wonderful albums and artists to choose from while making this week’s mixtape, but me being me, I still had to go and tack on a little something extra. Did you happen to see the Antony & The Johnsons show at the 6th and I Synagogue a few weeks ago? Well, I didn’t, because I was lazy and now I’m a little put out about it. The next day it seemed like everyone I know in DC had been there and couldn’t stop crowing about it and then I saw a video of the show online. Absolutely gorgeous. I’m a bonehead. Anyway, to atone to the concert gods, I’ve added my favorite A&tJ song, “Fistful of Love.” “We live together in a photograph of time…” What a lovely thing to say. Check out the playlist below:

Morrissey – “I’m Throwing My Arms Around Paris” (Rocky)
Marissa Nadler – “River of Dirt” (Craig)
Fol Chen – “The Believers” (Jolly)
Clout – “Substitute” (Matt)
Kelly Clarkson – “Cry” (Corey)
Neko Case – “People Got a Lot of Nerve” (Maggie)
White Lies – “To Lose My Life” (Zack)
Britney Spears – “Circus” (Jenna)
Roisin Murphy – “Dear Miami” (Ben)
Air – “Kelly Watch the Stars” (Chris)
Antony & The Johnsons – “Fistful of Love” (Rocky)

Once again, playlist.com was uncooperative when it came to Philip’s selection this week, but he was once again kind enough to provide us with a video. Click this!

And with that, I shall bid you a fond adieu. I’d say don’t do anything I wouldn’t do tonight, but that list is depressingly short, so I’ll just say have an absurd amount of fun and try not to get fired tomorrow. But only if you’re over 21! (Where my lawyers at?!) Until next week, folks!

So yesterday, for the first time in my life, I was called for jury duty. I’m of two minds. Part of me feels as though it’s my civic responsibility, and something we all have to do in order to preserve our relatively just, civil society. Plus, it’s interesting to see our actual judicial system at work rather than Jack McCoy, and it’s a change from my normal routine. But the other part of me is annoyed. Why? Because I was actually picked to be on the jury. Apparently, of the fifty people in the courtroom, I was deemed one of the twelve sanest and most rational. Me! I can’t even begin to tell you how messed up that is. But even if that’s what I have to do all week, it doesn’t mean you guys shouldn’t get your mixtape fix, so welcome to What We’re Listening To! This is TNG’s weekly rundown of the music that we don’t in any way object to. On the menu this week, we’ve got: Lily Allen, Lilofee, Go West, The Vince Guaraldi Trio and Ra Ra Riot. Check out our reviews, plus the mixtape below the fold…

Lily Allen—It’s Not Me, It’s You

I really don’t know much about Lily Allen except that she has a pretty, slightly warbly British-accented voice and makes great pop songs. We got a copy of her January 2009 release, It’s Not Me, It’s You, here at TNG headquarters a few weeks ago, and I got slowly drawn in. The music is as to be expected, pretty pop songs, light and airy, elegant, blissful. The lyrics provide a strong contrast to the musical timbre. The first track (“Everyone’s At It”) is about how everyone is on drugs. Track 3 (“Not Fair”) is how her boyfriend has problems with premature ejaculation and is really bad in bed. Track 8 (“F*** You”) is an amazingly up-beat middle-finger to awful people (including homophones! Thanks Lily!). However, the song that nearly brings me to tears cry is Track 10 (“Chinese”) where she sings to her boyfriend how she’s coming home from a long trip and all she wants do to is come home, see his face, drink some tea, order chinese food and watch TV. Someone hand me a hankie. – Michael

Lilofee—”Lock and Key”

I discovered San Francisco-based band Lilofee, aka Kimi Recor and Rob Easson, last week and I can’t get enough of their dark pop style. While Kimi is on record saying that she has a hard time writing anything besides fairy tales, the song I first became obsessed with is “Lock and Key” off of their album The Only Years – a synth-y ode to pansexuality and free love. What keeps the song from straying into “I Kissed a Girl” territory is the fun, clever and unapologetic nature of the lyrics. The first lines of the song set the cultural tone (“I’m part of generation sexually ambiguous/All the girls kiss all the girls/And the boys don’t know what to do/So they borrow our pants and our shoes and our eyeliner too), the chorus offers a provocative challenge (Hey Mister, Hey Mister/I kissed your kid sister/Whatcha gonna do?) and the second verse explains the title (We were made to be explored by others physically/Like a lock with many, many, many different keys/And I play safe but I don’t play by the rules…). Even if you don’t listen to the words, the music is catchy and utterly danceable – I haven’t been able to get it out of my head all week. – Jolly

Go West—Dancing On the Couch

An album of imponderable questions. What does that damned red couch have to do with anything? What are “Chinese Whispers,” and does it matter when the song sounds so good? Why did lead singer Peter Cox sabotage his future as a rock star to sing lounge-y songs like “From Baltimore to Paris” and “The King is Dead”? Is it an absolute requirement that every ‘80s album have one socially-conscious song like “Crossfire”? Why did the boys decide to include a slightly redone version of “Don’t Look Down” from their first album? Is heaven an Alan Murphy guitar solo? And can anyone work a metaphor like Go West? Cox’s sexy, tormented vocals on “Masque of Love” use dancing and boxing as stand-ins for the difficult negotiations of a relationship’s end and run double puns on the meanings of “masque” and “mask.” Trust me, it totally works, and for ‘80s pop music, this is brilliant writing. What can I say? I used to be an English teacher, I’m still a dork, and I get all riled up about this stuff. – Philip

Vince Guaraldi Trio—Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus

My boss has been out all week which means I can listen to music in the office. So, what album to turn to when I want great music that doesn’t distract while I work? Vince Guaraldi’s 1962 album Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus is easy-breezy listening but structurally solid. Guaraldi was inspired by the 1959 film Black Orpheus, which took the ancient Orfeo and Eurydice legend and set it in Rio during Carnaval. Guaraldi’s take on this film’s soundtrack is filled with fantastic bossa and samba dance rhythms, strong choruses and freewheeling improv exchanges. And if Guaraldi’s smooth piano tricks make you think of Charlie Brown and Snoopy, it’s for a good reason: Guaraldi did all of the original music for the Peanuts movies. As great as those soundtracks are, they shouldn’t overshadow this album or his other work. – Chri
s

Ra Ra Riot—”Can You Tell”

I haven’t fallen this hard for a song in ages. I’m obsessed. Seriously. According to iTunes, in the past four days, I’ve listened to it 54 times. I’m listening to it right now. It’s just such a sweet, sexy little love song that also happens to rock. Oh, and the strings just absolutely kill me. Now, admittedly, I don’t know a whole lot about Ra Ra Riot, but the song is from their album, The Rhumb Line, and if “Can You Tell” is any indication, that album is probably amazing. I’ll let you know, if I ever get past it. Also, the video is new my favorite thing, not only because the leader singer is so hot I don’t even know what to with myself, but it’s so simple and cute and clever that your heart might start doing cartwheels. Now before you say anything, yes, it seems to be about falling in love with your girlfriend’s sister, but in a sweet, totally non-skanky way, so chill and enjoy! – Rocky

And without any further ado… THE MIXTAPE!

Click me!

As always, I added a few extra songs. This week’s theme is pretty simple: classic songs about breakin’ the law, son! Here’s the playlist:

The Clash – “I Fought The Law”
Ra Ra Riot – “Can You Tell”
Lilofee – “Lock and Key” (Jolly)
Velvet Underground – “Waiting For My Man”
The Vince Guaraldi Trio – “Cast Your Fate to the Wind” (Chris)
Mobb Deep – “Shook Ones”
Sublime – “Scarlet Begonias”
Steve Miller Band – “Take the Money and Run”
Serge Gainsbourg – “Bonnie and Clyde”
Lily Allen – “Chinese” (Michael)

Unfortunately, Philip’s selection was unavailable this week, but he was kind enough to provide us with a video, which you can access by pressing this.

And with that, I shall bid you a fond adieu. Hopefully, the government will have given me my life back by next week, and WWLT will be back at full strength. Have a happy week!

Man, I thought we were gonna get off scot free this winter. Didn’t you? There’s something just so exceedingly obnoxious about snowstorms in early March. It’s like spring is right there. I can see it. I can taste it. But, no! You get ten feet of snow instead. Sigh… Well, hopefully, like me, you got or gave yourself a snow day. And remember, spring is only three weeks away. “Three weeks… three weeks…” That’ll be my mantra (until next week at least). In the meantime, at least we have the gift of sweet, sweet music! Welcome to What We’re Listening To, TNG’s weekly column that breaks down the music (and occasionally the other things) keeping us warm at night. On the menu this week, we’ve got: Phoenix, Freshlyground, Icehouse, Rush, Obi Best, Mates of State and Dan Deacon. Our reviews and the beloved mixtape await you below the fold…

Phoenix—”1901″

I always get this mix of excitement and trepidation when I hear that a band which I’ve associated with a particular part of my life is releasing a new album. There are so many memories attached – what if it sucks? So when a friend sent me a link to the song “1901″ off of the French pop/rock band Phoenix’s upcoming album, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, I was nervous. Phoenix was a big part of my college experience, both the good (dangerously overcrowded dorm room dance parties) and not-as-good (a debacle of a failed attempt to see the band live which ended with me sleeping in a friend’s car in downtown Philly) times. All hesitation melted away, however, the first time I heard the ridiculously catchy and danceable track and have literally pressed “Repeat” on it over and over again all week. The only disappointment, in fact, is that I have to wait until the end of May to hear the rest of the album. – Jolly

Freshlyground—Nomvula

I fell in love with this 7 person band when I saw them live at an HIV/AIDS March on Parliament while studying abroad in South Africa in the Spring of 2005. They broke into the music scene with their first album “Jika Jika” in 2003, blending traditional African music with folk, blues, and jazz. Each member of Freshlyground brings something different to the table, marrying different styles and cultures. Often singing her her native language Xhosa, front woman Zolani Mahola seduces the audience with her smoky voice, while Simon Attwell’s dancing flute and Kyla-Rose Smith’s plucky violin [not to mention her dashing good looks] keep your foot tapping even on the slower songs. – Maggie

Icehouse—Man of Colours

I bought this for the hits, “Crazy” and “Electric Blue.” And “Crazy” is a terrific romantic power ballad, maybe the best out there—but “Man of Colours,” the softer, gently-sung story of an elderly painter observing the world through the window in his attic room, is even more affecting. And “Electric Blue” is a perfect pop song, bright synths and a killer, soaring chorus—but the hard-charging “Nothing Too Serious” and inspirational “Touch the Fire” equal that feat. So I came for the hits, but I’m staying for the sheer number of great songs, and I’m guessing that Man of Colours is going to be in heavy rotation for a long time on my own personal playlist. – Philip

Rush—The Spirit of Radio

This greatest hits album by Canadian rock band Rush is an excellent overview of the group’s work. The music is very “80s” sounding with lots of synth–great stuff. Of particular note is “Closer to the Heart.” This song is a bit slower, but I love the melody. Another great track is “The Trees” which, with its civil rights era lyrics, is particularly appropriate to TNG. MY favorite, however, on the album is “Subdivisions.” As an urban planner and urban dweller, I agree with the songwriter–’the suburbs have no charms to soothe the restless dreams of youth.” But in light of recent discussions here on TNG, it’s also apt because it considers the ‘subdivisions’ of society into which we must fit or ‘be cast out.’ – Matt

Obi Best—Capades

Zack and I checked out this new band last week after listening to their album a few too many times. Alex, the band’s frontwoman, has an impressive vocal ability and a cool, funky vibe that shines through in this quirky-but-substantive debut. “Nothing Can Come Between Us Now” – which has the lyrical cav
eat, “except for a big problem” – is the best song on the album, kicking it off with a hypnotic piano line and subtly pulsating beat. “It’s Because Of People Like You,” another highlight, tells the horrors of having a nasty note left on your car due to a bad parking job. Favorite line of the album: “You’re still here on the second verse / On the third we break up, baby how it hurts.” – Corey

Mates of State—Re-Arrange Us

I’m trying to figure out a way to say this without sounding like a complete nerd or a total jackass, but there’s just no good way to go about it, so here goes…I first heard Mates of State on This American Life. Ira Glass told me they were great. I would follow Ira Glass off a cliff. So, here we are, a few albums later and I owe Mr. Glass a thank you note. This husband/wife team are pure fun. They’re heavy on the keyboards, percussion and strings, and weave tight vocal harmonies that are nearly instantly catchy. This is not complicated music – it’s good clean stuff done well with a tip of the hat to 80s synth bands. And to sweeten the deal, there are still tickets available to their April 4th show at the 9:30 Club. – Chris

Dan Deacon—Bromst (March 24)

I know I’ll probably get some shit for this, but, as a native Washingtonian, I was raised to be pretty dismissive of all things Baltimore. All those years having to suffer the indignity of rooting for the Orioles taking its toll on a city’s psyche, maybe? So in the earlier part of the 00′s, when the whole Baltimore scene (Wham City, Artscape, Club music, etc.) started really coming into its own and rising to national prominence, I admittedly didn’t pay too much attention. Turns out I’ve been missing some cool stuff. (Obviously.) Recently, I got my hands on an advanced copy of electronica wizard/local celebrity Dan Deacon’s new album, Bromst, and I have to say I’m kind of in love with it. Like a lot of his previous work, it’s weird and freaky and chaotic, but it feels like a much more controlled chaos. Beneath all the beats and loops and feedback and craziness, there’s a rhythm and a light that are infectious. It’s joyful and I haven’t felt compelled to use that word to describe much lately, so I guess… spring’s coming? Think of it as Merrweather Post Pavilion‘s maniacally chipper little sister and be sure to check it out later this month. – Rocky

And now, without any further ado… THE MIXTAPE!

Click me!

As usual, I went ahead and added a few extra tracks and one teensy substitution. Since Bromst isn’t out yet, playlist doesn’t have any of tracks. (Although, as of yesterday, you can check out the whole thing here…) So for my official pick, I chose a track I really like from Dan Deacon’s 2007 release, Spiderman of the Rings, called “The Crystal Cat.” I don’t think it’s necessarily as sonically interesting as the new stuff, but it’s fun and a good primer for the stuff you’ll hear if and when you get ready to wrap your mind around the new album.

For the first bonus track, remember Franz Ferdinand? That first eponymous album? You were probably drunk. But remember how their second album kind of sucked? Well, the Scottish indiepoppers are back and their new single isn’t half bad. Dirty lyrics and dance beats, just like back in the day.

Next, folky singer/songwriter M. Ward‘s new album Hold Time is so good I want to give him a hug. It’s absolutely the perfect album to weather you through the schizophrenic meteorological shitstorm that is March in Washington, DC. It’s a little dreary and sad, but full of warmth and surprises. “Stars of Leo” is a particular favorite.

And, finally, on New Year’s 2004, my best friend was driving me home and played me Rainer Maria‘s “The Double Life” from the album Long Knives Drawn. I then proceeded to make her listen to it another 50 times, because it’s so gay and it doesn’t even know it! I’m guessing it’s actually about an affair, but when taken out of that context, the lyrics are like manna from heaven for a semi-closeted 23-year-old. Especially one that actually did dream of waking up on the Lower East Side in the arms of some crazy/beautiful artiste. (There’s still time I suppose…) Anyway, it’s always been a personal favorite of mine and since the playlist.com gods approved, I figured I’d tack it on. I hope you enjoy, and here’s the full playlist.

Mates of State -”My Only Offer” (Chris)
Obi Best – “Nothing Can Come Between Us” (Corey)
M. Ward – “Stars of Leo”
Rush – “Closer To The Heart” (Matt)
Dan Deacon – “The Crystal Cat”
Phoenix – “1901″ (Jolly)
Franz Ferdinand – “No You Girls”
Icehouse – “Electric Blue” (Philip)
Rainer Maria – “The Double Life”
Freshlyground – “Doo Bee Doo” (Maggie)

Much love to all! See you next Tuesday!

Afternoon, ladies and germs! I’m pleased as punch to be here, fully recovered from last Saturday’s Homo/Sonic, TNG’s monthly dance party at the Black Cat. Did you check it out? First of all, My Dear Disco, the band that opened the show, absolutely ripped the stage apart. And then, of course, there were all of those sweet, sweet jams provided by Michael and Zack! My compliments to everyone! If you weren’t able to make it out this time, not to worry, there’s always next month. Be sure to keep an eye out, because it’s kind of the best time. Anyway, speaking of sweet jams, here’s what you came for: What We’re Listening To, TNG’s weekly rundown of the music currently making us swoon. On the menu this week, we’ve got: Beatbeat Whisper, Cocteau Twins, The Asteroids Galaxy Tour, Ella Fitzgerald, Steve Winwood, KT Tunstall, Appaloosa, The Streets and Tears For Fears. All of our reviews, plus the mixtape, await you below the fold…

Beatbeat Whisper—Wonder Continental

Some of my favorite bands have earned that moniker because I heard one of their songs, was intrigued, looked up their lyrics online and then decided I needed to check out the whole album. I guess it’s the former English major in me, but I get really excited by groups which are catchy and entertaining and write lyrics which I think can be placed side-by-side with capital “P” poetry and hold their own. Beatbeat Whisper, an indie folk duo out of Oakland composed of brother and sister team Ayla and Davyd Nereo, accomplish this on their 2008 release Wonder Continental. My first introduction was the song “Mismanaged Skies” and after reading the lyrics to “And Suddenly the Apart Was Shared”, which begins with a Thanksgiving blessing sung in a round and turns into basically an epic poem, I was hooked. Yeah, they’re kind of experimental, but in a good way, I would argue. – Jolly

Cocteau Twins—Heaven or Las Vegas

My boyfriend’s played this band in the background since we first got together but he finally gave me a formal introduction last week when we were making dinner. Though I’d previously only heard Liz Frasiers airy vocals and unintelligible lyrics in passing, I really fell for them when they became the focus of my listening. The whole thing sounds like a swirly collage of sounds and voices that makes a person like me want to strip to his underwear and lie down in snowstorm and be happy about it. Though I don’t reccomend actually doing that. As an added plus they give some context to contemporary bands like M83 and Asobi Seksu. – Zack

The Asteroids Galaxy Tour—Fruit

As you can tell from Zack’s weekly new music posts, we get a lot of new music sent to TNG headquarters. I try to load all the new stuff onto my iPhone and listen to it all on shuffle at work, listening for songs that stand out. The Asteroid Galaxy Tour’s sound definitely drew my attention. They are like a mix of Gorillaz, Morcheeba and Cody Chestnut, with a tank of helium thrown in for good measure. Imagine a woman with a freakishly high voice raps over guitar riffs, beats and sampled strings. You might have heard their track “Around the Bend” on an iPod commercial starting in September 2008. Other stand-out tracks include “Satellite,” “The Golden Age,” “The Sun Ain’t Shining No More” and “Lady Jesus”. Their full album isn’t slated for release until April 2009, but the EP “Sonic Arts” featuring some of the album’s best tracks is available now. – Michael

Ella Fitzgerald—The Very Best of the Gershwin Songbook

This week has been a haul. I find when the going gets tough, the tough listen to Ella Fitzgerald. What can I say? Ella Fitzgerald and the Gershwins made the world a better place. “The First Lady of Song” laid down these definitive interpretations of George and Ira Gershwin’s music in 1959. If you’re not familiar with either Ella or the Gershwins, this is a great first album. Cut down from the original (and amazing) 60-song, four-disc recording, this “highlights” album contains standards like “I Got Rhythm,” “Nice Work If You Can Get It,” and “Someone to Watch Over Me.” – Chris

Steve Winwood—Chronicles

Knowing my deep love of ‘80s music, TNG’s Zack recently gave me his copy of Steve Winwood’s semi-greatest-hits album, Chronicles. He told me that he loved the second number, “While You See a Chance,” so much that he would replay it and not get on to the rest of the songs. My problem is even worse: song one, “Wake Me Up on Judgment Day,” is so good that I don’t even get along to “While You See a Chance,” let alone the rest. Not that there aren’t other classic moments: “Valerie” (before it got mucked up by being covered as “Call on Me” a few years back), Chaka Khan’s wailing all over the last section of “Higher Love,” and the slinky shake-yo’-thang of “Spanish Dancer” all do it for me. At least they do when I get past “Wake Me Up on Judgment Day.” – Philip

KT Tunstall—Drastic Fantastic

This Scottish singer-songwriter’s second album is glossier, rockier, and deeper than her first effort, where the few songs she is known for (“Suddenly I See,” “Other Side of the World”) originate. I always find myself returning to this album when the weather is changing as there’s something ominous about it that goes well with a chilling uncertainty. It starts off with a bang with “Little Favours,” slows down after a few tracks with my theme song, the warmly accoustic “Hopeless,” before landing on my favorite track, “I Don’t Want You Now,” a great breakup song if ever I heard one. You won’t get the full effect without buying the album from iTunes, as two of the best features are the comic-themed liner notes and a behind-the-scene video in which Tunstall shows off her talent and Scottish charm. Sorry, ladies – Tunstall says she’s not gay, despite her now-infamous rainbow suspenders. – Corey

Appaloosa—”The Day (We Fell In Love)”

This lovely track that appeared on Kitsune Maison Compilation #6 (The Melodic One) late last year, has been released as a single with remixes by Sis, Todd Edwards, and Acid Girls. There is also a remix by Ted & Francis floating around, too. The remixes are pretty good (T & F is the best), but the original is hard to improve. I can’t stop listening to it. J’adore the simple beginning that features Anne-Laure Keib (chanelling Nico) singing plaintively over a sweet piano riff. Then a wonderfully hypnotic beat gallops in and takes this song to a place I don’t want to leave. BTW…the video is superb, too. – Summer Camp

The Streets—”When You Wasn’t Famous”

The Streets, comprised of British pop rapper Mike Skinner, perfectly blends complex beats with tongue and cheek humor. Skinner refreshingly manages to do this without being vulgar or aggressive. When you Wasn’t Famous is from one of my favorite Streets’ album, The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living. – Allison

Tears For Fears—”Head Over Heels”

Last week, I was Loveless and now I’m “Head Over Heels.” Go figure. Now I’m sure I don’t need to tell any of you possessed of a healthy appreciation for the 80′s (Philip), but for those of you who don’t know, this is Tears For Fears’ masterpiece. I mean sometimes you just need a little melodrama and this song, from their 1985 album Songs From The Big Chair, is completely over the top in the best way possible. Pounding drums, soaring synths, and a huge choral refrain all for the sake of a foolish love. It was also featured heavily on the Donnie Darko soundtrack. So on top of being a great song, it now makes me think of Jake Gyllenhaal brooding in slow motion. Can you really ask for anything more? Nope. Perfect song! – Rocky

And now, without any further ado… THE MIXTAPE!

Click me!

Like I always do, I added a little something something to the mixtape this week. The British pop-indie band, Arctic Monkeys, are famous for their rollicking, uptempo numbers, but generally I prefer their ballads. There’s this melancholy in lead singer Alex Turner’s voice when he sings about hating life or missing his sweetie that I just find really genuine and sexy. Anyway, last Saturday I was walking around town, running errands, blissfully unaware of the food poisoning that was about to rock my world, and kind of stressing about life in general, when “Only One Who Knows,” from their latest album Favourite Worst Nightmare, popped up on the old iPod. It’s all about sadness and stress and disappointment, but it’s so pretty and spot-on that, by the end, I was all blissed out and had to listen to it another five times. Hopefully you’ll enjoy it too. Here’s the playlist:

The Streets – “When You Wasn’t Famous” (Allison)
Steve Winwood – “Valerie” (Philip)
The Asteroids Galaxy Tour – “The Golden Age” (Michael)
KT Tunstall – “Little Favours” (Corey)
Tears For Fears – “Head Over Heels” (Rocky)
Beatbeat Whisper – “And Suddenly The Apart Was Shared” (Jolly)
Appaloosa- “The Day (We Fell In Love)” (Summer Camp)
Cocteau Twins – “Frou-Frou Foxes In Midsummer Fires” (Zack)
Ella Fitzgerald – “The Man I Love” (Chris)
Arctic Monkeys – “Only One Who Knows” (Rocky)

Have a great week, everybody! We’ll see you again next Tuesday!

How’s it going, everybody? I trust everyone had a lovely holiday weekend. I, for one, spent my whole weekend drunk and dancing. Well, when I wasn’t crying into a pint of Chunky Monkey that is. Good times! But enough about me, because it’s Tuesday afternoon and that of course means another installment of What We’re Listening To, the weekly series where we here at TNG put all our dirty, dark musical secrets on display. On the menu this week, we’ve got The Pipettes, Joan Armatrading, Andrew Bird, Le Tigre, French Miami and My Bloody Valentine. Our reviews and the mixtape await you below the fold…

The Pipettes—We Are The Pipettes

So I am one who tends to go through huge phases with the music I listen to. I exhaust myself with what’s new and I refresh and overload all over again a few months later. The Pipettes have by far been one of the most energizing updates for me to date. I will admit, my love of The Pipettes was born out of The L Word in that fun scene circa season five when Jenny takes her assistant/ soon-to-be-arch-nemesis Adele out shopping with “Pull Shapes” playing in the background. But Zack lent me the entire album a few weeks ago and it has been on heavy rotation since. – Gem

Joan Armatrading—me myself I

This is the album that turned me on to Joan Armatrading. It doesn’t have any of my five favorite Joan songs, but I listen to it more than any of her others because of how consistently great it is. It veers between laid-back and relaxing (“Ma-Me-O-Beach,” “Feeling in My Heart (for You)”), warm and funny (“Me Myself I,” “When You Kisses Me”), and remarkably intense (“Simon,” “I Need You”). The gem is “Turn Out the Light,” a sexy, grindingly guitar-driven ballad about long-term love sung in Joan’s deepest register. As much as I liked Zack’s recent column about the “Top 17 Homo Love Songs,” it ain’t complete without a song by Joan. – Philip

Andrew Bird—Noble Beast

Once again, I’m in awe of Andrew Bird. His last album, Armchair Apocrypha, was one of the better things to happen in my world and Noble Beast is just so cool. Bird is a true troubadour with easy going, slightly slurred vocals. His signature violin playing is here, along with his whistling. Bird creates multi-layed, multi-mood beauties that blur lines between folk rock, classical, jazz and experimental. He’s a heady sort, using words no one knows and somehow getting them to rhyme. The single, “Oh No,” is paired later with the short instrumental, “On Ho.” (Get it? That’s Bird’s idea of a joke.) The album is crafty, warm, fun, eerie, light and complex, all in turn. Check out “Fitz and the Dizzyspells” and shimmy a little. – Chris

Le Tigre—This Island

I know I’m a few years late, but I’ve just recently gotten into listening to Le Tigre in more than a club setting and have had this album on loop all week. It is unusual for me to find bands I like with a fun, enjoyable sound that also deal with substantial sociopolitical issues, but This Island nails it. “On The Verge,” “New Kicks,” and “Viz” are all great tracks; the high-octane anthem “TKO” is my favorite, which also happens to have a kick-ass video. I dare you to find someone who looks hotter in a cheesy prom tux than JD Samson. – Corey

French Miami—French Miami

A friend at work introduced me to San Francisco-based threesome French Miami on Friday and they’ve been my soundtrack to this past weekend. The power-trio makes rock music infused with big riffs, synths and catchy lyrics and they just generally get me pumped. I can’t wait to see them live, as apparently all three members run around the stage taking on various different roles from song to song. Their self-titled album just dropped on February 15th, so expect to hear more from and about them in coming months. – Jolly

My Bloody Valentine—Loveless

Sometimes, yes, I am giant cliché. It’s mid-February and I’m listening to an album called Loveless by a band called My Bloody Valentine. In my defense, however, it’s an early 90s, pre-Grundge classic and probably the best headphone album of all-time. The arrangements are so lush and dense, you almost feel like you could reach out and touch them. Every song is like this vast ocean of guitars and synths that crashes into you, turning you over, sideways and under, while Kevin Shields and Bilinda Butcher’s vocals float above it all, quietly singing you to shore. Check out “Soon,” “Only Shallow,” and “I Only Said,” but only if you’re in the mood to get hypnotized. – Rocky

And now, without and further ado… THE MIXTAPE!

Click me!

For the mixtape this week, I decided to keep it simple. I have what is probably best described as an undiagnosed case of ADD, so unless I’m listening to a podcast or something, I keep my iPod on shuffle and let the universe decide what I’m in the mood for. So for the bonus songs this week, I went into the “Recently Played” playlist and picked a few songs that I hadn’t heard in a while before last week, but really struck me. Hopefully, you’ll enjoy them as much as I did. Here’s the playlist…

The National – “Fake Empire”
My Bloody Valentine – “Only Shallow”
Andrew Bird – “Fitz and the Dizzyspells” (Chris)
Le Tigre – “TKO” (Corey)
Air – “Once Upon A Time”
Joan Armatrading – “Me Myself I” (Philip)
Rufus Wainwright – “Beautiful Child”
The Pipettes – “Pull Shapes” (Gem)
Mates of State – “For The Actor”
My Bloody Valentine – “Soon”

For more about Jolly’s pick this week, French Miami, click here.

Enjoy the four-day week everybody! We’ll see you again next Tuesday!

As we all know, I’m not a big fan of Valentine’s Day. I think it’s silly and a little pointless. We should all be telling each other we love each other everyday. But I suppose taking one day out of the year to celebrate love isn’t so bad. As Jackie DeShannon said, it’s the only thing that there’s just too little of, right? Well, since I love popular song and all of you, I thought my Valentine’s gift this year could be a little music. So I made two mixtapes today. The first one is for all you lovebirds out there. I’ve got twenty or so of my favorite love songs to make that long wait until you see your sweetie not seem quite so agonizing. The other is the mixtape for the rest of us and it’s all about my favorite breakup songs. If you’re planning on downing a couple bottles of wine and burning your ex-lover in effigy on the front lawn tomorrow night, congratulations! You now have your soundtrack. So sit back, gauge your mood, choose wisely and enjoy! The mixtapes and playlists await you below the fold…

Optimists click here!

“I Bet You Can’t Guess The Secret Ingredient”: A mix for the lovers, the dreamers, and occasionally me…

Radiohead – “House of Cards”
Morrissey – “I Like You”
Ramones – “Danny Says”
Common – “The Light”
The Magnetic Fields – “100,000 Fireflies”
The Gap Band – “Outstanding”
Diana Ross & The Supremes – “Someday We’ll Be Together”
Bon Iver – “Blood Bank”
The Wannadies – “You and Me Song”
Ani Difranco – “As Is”
Elliott Smith – “Say Yes”
Rufus Wainwright – “In My Arms”
Fiona Apple – “Pale September”
The Magnetic Fields – “The Book Of Love”
Mirah – “Words Cannot Describe”
Depeche Mode – “Enjoy The Silence”
Madonna – “Crazy For You”
ELO – “Strange Magic”
Foreigner – “I Want To Know What Love Is”
Jenny Lewis – “Trying My Best To Love You”
Stevie Wonder – “As (Always)”
Ben Folds – “The Luckiest”
Rilo Kiley – “More Adventurous”

Pessimists click here!

“‘Like the Carrion of a Murdered Prey’”: As in, “My feel for you, boy, is decaying right in front me…” This one’s pretty self-explanatory. Put down that Whitman Sampler and stop crying. This is the mix for you…

Lily Allen – “Smile”
Vandals – “My Girlfriend’s Dead”
Teagan & Sara – “Back In Your Head”
Melissa Etheridge – “I’m The Only One”
Phil Collins – “Against All Odds”
Kristen Vigard – “God Give Me Strength”
ABBA – “The Winner Takes It All”
Arcade Fire – “Crown Of Love”
Cranberries – “Linger”
Stars – “Your Ex-Lover is Dead”
Ben Folds Five” – “Selfless, Cold, and Composed”
Sam Cooke – “Bring It On Home”
Indigo Girls – “Ghost”
Darren Hanlon – “Happiness is a Chemical”
Fiona Apple – “Get Gone”
Allison Krauss – “Maybe”
Etta James – “I’d Rather Go Blind”
Gram Parsons – “Love Hurts” (ft. Emmylou Harris)
Fleetwood Mac – “Go Your Own Way”
Roxy Music – “More Than This”
Lauryn Hill – “Ex-Factor”
Erykah Badu – “Tyrone”

Happy Valentine’s Day! Big, sloppy kisses for everyone!

Happy Tuesday, everyone! You’re just in time for my least favorite week of the year: V-D week! (That’s “Valentine’s Day” for those of you not into crude, unbecoming jokes.) Have you figured out how you’re going to prove your enduring love to your significant other yet? Thankfully, as a single person, my only responsibilities this weekend are to crack open a Malbec and whine (HA!), so perhaps I should shut it. But I remember being coupled in years past, and feeling all pressured. Is it still like that? If so, why do we this to ourselves? I mean what would happen if V-D died the quick, bloody death it deserves? Would that mean the death of love? Fie! A pox on thee, Hallmark! Anyway, something that’s neither here nor there to ponder at a later date for, once again, it’s time for a fresh installment of What We’re Listening To, TNG’s weekly rundown of the music we love (but not necessarily like that). On the menu this week, weve got: Bruce Hornsby, Neko Case, Chloe March, The Guggenheim Grotto, Alphabeats, My Dear Disco, Dixie Chicks, Lucinda Williams and The Ting Tings! Below the fold, all of that plus our weekly mixtape! Enjoy!

Bruce Hornsby and The Range—The Way It Is

The Way It Is is one of those rare ‘80s albums where every song is as good as the big hit, in this case Hornsby’s social justice anthem, “The Way It Is.” I have to put in a huge plug for the gorgeous, lyrically masterful, “The River Runs Low,” which is never heard outside this album and which is one of the few songs with the power to make me cry. Hornsby has released multiple live/hits albums that include older songs, often in alternate versions, but “The River Runs Low” is nowhere to be found. It’s a damned shame: this ballad of a hopeful but trapped young man desperate to escape his dying small town and follow a lost lover (“With a little cash I could get around / You know I’d come out there and find you”) is more heartbreaking than “Mandolin Rain,” more evocative than “Every Little Kiss,” and vastly subtler in its protest than “The Way It Is.” Those great songs all became deserved hits, but “The River Runs Low” is buried; to hear it, do anything you have to. – Philip

Neko Case—”Maybe Sparrow”

If you have never listened to this song before: do. it. now. The notes are, as the song says, hung so effortless, and Neko’s warbling never fails to undulate through my entire body every time I listen. – Maggie

Chloe March—Divining

Electronic dreampop with dashes of jazz and artsong. One woman band March crafts an ethereal song cycle based around water imagery, using the intricate minimalism of Steve Reich, layers of sparkling keyboards and her deep, sensual alto. Ms. March is a more pastoral Kate Bush. It’s the sort of music that would accompany movie version of Wuthering Heights (as directed by Peter Greenaway). – Craig

The Guggenheim Grotto—Happy The Man

In addition to having a fun name, The Guggenheim Grotto, a band made up of three cute and talented Irish lads, make delightful pop-folk music. Recently I’ve been obsessed with “Fee Da Da Dee” off of their forthcoming album Happy the Man, which puts a clever and catchy spin on the “live in the moment, don’t worry about the future” trope, and the romantic-almost-to-the-point-of-being-corny “Told You So” off of their 2007 EP of the same name. Either way, their earnestness is endearing and totally worth a listen. – Jolly

Alphabeat—This Is Alphabeat

This newish Dutch band has a great euro-pop style that is very remincsent of the 1980s. They don’t seem to get much playtime here in the US, but after I heard their hit “What is Happening?” I looked them up. “Facination” and “10,000 Nights of Thunder” are also excellent tracks. Consider it highly recommended. – Matt

My Dear Disco—Dancethink LP

First off: My Dear Disco is playing at the next Homo/Sonic and I think everyone get a good base on their music before that happens. Second off: they rock. Led by queer singer Michelle Chamuel, the 7-piece michigan band replicates a Daft Punk-style sound in the most old-fahioned way possible: With all of its band members onstage playing the notes live. It’ll be fun. Which is why you should come check them out at the Black Cat on Feb. 21st. – Zack

Dixie Chicks—Taking The Long Way

Genre-defying. Brave. Fucking brilliant. – Corey

Lucinda Williams—”Can’t Let Go”

Lucinda Williams embodies the music of Louisiana while maintaining a timeless voice and classic dialogue. She is an artist who may not reach the celebrity of other blue grass artists, but will always be respected as a inventive singer/songwriter. – Allison

The Ting Tings—”Great DJ”

At the moment, I’m not really in the mood to think, because if I let my mind wander where it wants to go, I’ll just end up sad or angry and, as is often my wont, pulling something foolish and Blair Waldorf-esque . Therefore, musically speaking, all I need is something poppy and sugary, something good for grabbing a friend and a drink and dancing around like an idiot. This is song is perfect. The bass drum booms and races like a (coked-up) heartbeat and the hook is so charmingly insipid, you can’t help but sing along at the top of your lungs. So what do you all say we press play, raise our adult beverages toward the sky and let out a hearty “Fuck you!” to all the ex-boyfriends of the world? – Rocky

And without any further ado… THE MIXTAPE!

Click me!

So… as you can probably tell from my entry this week, I’m in a bit of a mood. Just a little ex-boyfriend drama that’s put me in a bit of a funk. Nothing too serious. But it did get me thinking about breakup songs and that wonderful ability they have to heal a broken heart by twisting that metaphorical knife deeper and deeper. What’s your favorite? I have many and most of them are by my personal goddess of everything beautiful and clever and lovely, Ms. Fiona Apple. So for the first of this week’s bonus songs, I went with “Oh Well,” from her latest album Extraordinary Machine. As always, her lyrics are amazing and I love how well she plays the weary, resigned ex all, “You should probably stop sucking, but either way, I’m gonna stop caring.” Brilliant. The second was a bit tougher, so I turned to my friend, Juliana, who’s much, much smarter than I. Her favorite break-up song is “Too Hurt To Cry” by Candi Staton and, I must say, it’s a smooth, sad oldie that gets you right there. Good work, Jules! Hopefully, you’re not feeling either of them too much today, but if you are, obviously, it all gets better in time. Except for this Saturday. Watch out for this Saturday… Now what’s that down below? Why it’s the playlist! Let’s take a peek!

The Ting Tings – “Great DJ” (Rocky)
Lucinda Williams – “Can’t Let Go” (Allison)
Candi Staton – “Too Hurt To Cry” (Rocky/Jules)
Alphabeats – “What Is Happening?” (Matt)
Neko Case – “Maybe Sparrow” (Maggie)
Dixie Chicks – “Voice Inside My Head” (Corey)
Bruce Hornsby – “Every Little Kiss” (Philip)
My Dear Disco – “White Lies” (Zack)
The Guggenheim Grotto – “Told You So” (Jolly)
Fiona Apple – “Oh Well” (Rocky)

For more on Craig’s pick, Chloe March, click here.

…And with that, I shall take my leave. I’ll see you here again next week. Until then, godspeed and watch out for that mangy V-D! (OK, I’ll stop now. I promise.) Much love!

Afternoon, party people! Welcome to What We’re Listening To, TNG’s weekly rundown of the music that makes us feel as warm and fuzzy as the Puppy Bowl! (Real quick, I’d never seen it before Sunday night and, you guys, it is so motherfrakking cute I almost died. Ben Roethlisberger? No. Kurt Warner? Hell to the no! But Indigo the Weimeraner, whose favorite TV show is K-9 Cops? Yes, yes! A thousand times, yes! And now I’m dead.) Ok. Sorry. Focusing. We’re gonna try something a little different this week. (And don’t worry it has nothing, as the title might suggest, to do with the Spice Girls; I just like keeping you on your toes.) Have you ever been like, “I love WWLT, but why do I have to wait until Wednesday for the mixtape?! That’s busted!” Well, fear not, dear reader, for we have finally decided to consolidate WWLT and the WWLT mixtape into one post. Genius, right? So from now on, once you’re through reading everyone’s lovely opinions on their favorite music, there will be a mixtape patiently waiting for you at the bottom of the page. That’s right, kids. We are officially through fucking around. Get excited!!! On the menu this week, we’ve got: Go West, Kyle Andrews, Kelly Clarkson, Fol Chen, Peter, Paul & Mary, Clipse and Lily Allen. All of it (PLUS THE MIXTAPE AND THE PLAYLIST!) awaits you below the fold. Enjoy!

Go West—Go West

It’s hard to describe my deep wells of affection for this album, which I first heard on cassette tape in high school. So I won’t even try, except to say that I cannot resist Peter Cox’s voice and that there cannot possibly be many album sides that sound better than Go West’s first five songs. – Philip

Kyle Andrews—”Sushi”

I think I’ve found an early contender for a spot in the 2009 edition of the summer-y mix I inevitably end up making each year. Said candidate is “Sushi” off of Nashville-based pop singer Kyle Andrews’ new album, Real Blasty, which was just released on January 20th. The song is simple, bouncy, catchy-as-hell and has been knocking around inside my skull non-stop since the end of last week – which is a good thing. A little searching revealed you can download the song for free here, and I’d definitely recommend a listen as a counterpoint to mellower, more seasonally-appropriate fare. – Jolly

Kelly Clarkson—”My Life Would Suck Without You”

It seems fitting that Clarkson’s return would be marked by the biggest jump on the Billboard Hot 100 in chart history. Yes, it’s a guilty pleasure. But after she stood up to producers with her last album, wrote her own radio-unfriendly songs, and refused to back down, things feel a little less guilty now as she returns to the top of the charts. This single, from the upcoming album All I Ever Wanted, reminds me that sometimes the purpose of music can be just to make you feel good. Plus, word on the street (i.e. drunken karaoke parties w/ TNG staff) is that Clarkson is gay, which would add a whole new level to the “Since U Been Gone” video. Think about it. Yeah. – Corey

Fol Chen—Part 1: John Shade, Your Fortune’s Made (Feb. 17)

Just when I thought I had escaped the allure of Morcheeba and Zero 7 and all the other bands i wished I was getting high to in High School: Fol Chen’s album (which is incidentally out today) has made me want to reconsider the simple pleasures of incense, a darkened room and a towel placed carefully under the door. It’s not chill-out so much as atmospheric pop with a tinge of sonic brattiness. Besides, who could resist a song that uses “Cable TV” as a seduction method? – Zack

Peter, Paul and Mary—”Leaving On A Jet Plane”

I recently moved into a studio apartment with nothing but an old record player and a dream (and a couch, a bed and tv). To save money I raided my parent’s basement to find old gems for my new diggs. Underneath a broken side table, some old family photos and menthol cigarettes, I found my brother’s old record collection! Marvin Gaye, Blondie, Bob Dylan, Crosby Stills Nash and Young, and my favorite…Peter, Paul and Mary. I spent two hours this weekend listening to three of their records. PP&M’s songs are beautifully somber, catchy, and whimsical. Plus Mary makes me swoon! – Allison

Clipse—Hell Hath No Fury

I don’t know about you, but I’m sick of hibernating. Yes, it’s the dead of winter, but just like every year around this time, I’m starting to get a little restless. Screw the cold, man. I’m trying to hang out and party and have a good time. Time to put that Bon Iver away! So thank the sweet lord for Norfolk MCs, Clipse, and Hell Hath No Fury. It’s the absolute truth, y’all. Why? The beats! My god those beats! I’m not always the number one fan of Pharell’s production; sometimes it’s just… weird and way too much (see: N.E.R.D.). But you can’t deny he’s had some moments of pure unadulterated genius (“Drop It Like It’s Hot,” “Rock Your Body”) and this entire album is definitely one. Every song will make any party jump off instantly. It’s an underappreciated hip-hop classic that’s only getting better with age. – Rocky

Lily Allen—”LDN”

I’m not a big fan of Lily Allen, but I can’t get this song out of my head. I don’t know the lyrics even, I just think of the beat and say “du du du du duh, du du du du duh, dudda dudda duh duh duh, duh,” and it’s enough to be annoying. – Ben

And now, ladies and gentleman, with any further ado… THE MIXTAPE!

Click me!

As usual, I went ahead and added a couple of extra songs, because that’s how I roll. First, I went with “Uninvisible” the title track off of weirdo/acid jazz/postmodern funk trio Medeski, Martin & Wood’s 2002 release. Why? Because it randomly came on my iPod the other day and I’d forgotten how sweet it is. (Also, I did a lot of drugs in college. Just sayin’. I mean it’s not like there’s much else to do in New York City…) Second, I was driving back from a Super Bowl party in Philly the other night with some friends, and two songs came on that kind of changed our lives. A few weeks ago, Zack wrote a piece about Animal Collective’s new album, Merriweather Post Pavilion, an absolute masterpiece. You should go cop that immediately. Well, my favorite song on the album is “My Girls” and if you haven’t sped along a dark, desolate highway on a cold night with the windows open and this song blasting as loud as possible, well, my friend, you simply have not lived. Listen to that one as loud as possible. And then I feel like everyone needs a little of that smooth 80′s yacht rock in his or her life from time to time. “Foolish Heart” by Journey, anyone? That’s right. You’re welcome.

Here’s the complete playlist. Thanks for stopping by and we’ll see you next week! Boom!

Animal Collective – “My Girls” (Rocky)
Kyle Andrews – “Sushi” (Jolly)
Lily Allen – “LDN” (Ben)
Go West – “We Close Our Eyes” (Philip)
Peter, Paul & Mary – “Leaving On A Jet Plane” (Allison)
Medeski, Martin & Wood – “Uninvisible” (Rocky)
Fol Chen – “Cable TV” (Zack)
Clipse – “Dirty Money” (Rocky) (NSFW!!!)
Kelly Clarkson - “My Life Would Suck Without You” (Corey)
Journey – “Foolish Heart” (Rocky)

Click me!
So remember yesterday when I said Mother Nature could bite my bird once all of yesterday’s lovely snow turned to ice? Well, double that. No, square that. I almost killed myself 10 times over trying to get to work today. Can someone please tell me why DC goes insane every time it snows. It happens every year, guys! Good lord! But, yes, yes, serenity now and all that. What do you say we soothe this savage beast with a little music? Like I do every Wednesday, I’ve compiled a few tracks from the artists and albums mentioned in yesterday’s What We’re Listening To, plus a bonus track. This week I’ve chosen “Mykonos” from Fleet Foxes first EP, Sun Giant, mostly because it rocks and that makes me happy. To listen, simply click on the tape above and it will take you straight to the music. And with that I shall bid you all a fond adieu. See you next week and, as always, the playlist awaits you below the fold.

Panic At the Disco – “Do You Know What I’m Seeing?” (Rocky)
Panic At the Disco – “Nine In the Afternoon” (Rocky)
Charlotte Sometimes – “How I Could Just Kill A Man” (Corey)
Camera Obscura – “I Need All The Friends I Can Get” (Maggie)
Bon Iver – “Blood Bank” (Jolly)
Dark Captain Light Captain – “Jealous Enemies” (Michael)
Fleet Foxes – “Mykonos” (Rocky)
Passion Pit – “I’ve Got Your Number” (Zack)
Escape Club – “I’ll Be There” (Philip)
Guns N’ Roses – “Patience” (Ben)

Anyway, I’m clearly still a little crunk of the hope juice, so I’ll stop. But I did take the liberty of putting together a little playlist of hopeful/inspirational songs in honor of our new POTUS. All of us TNGs have chosen a song or two that inspires us to run that extra mile, pound that extra shot, etc. Please enjoy it at your leisure and, of course, you’ll find the playlist along with our thoughts about each song after the jump. If I may, however, I’d like to leave you with this. To liberally paraphrase Akron/Family, a band I’ve been listening to a lot lately, without an open heart and an open mind, you are already dead. So don’t be afraid to open up.

Love is simple…

Hey, hey! Once again, we seem to be having a few technical difficulties embedding our player. If anyone knows how to embed something from playlist.com onto a blogger site and doesn’t mind explaining it to a dunderhead like me a few times, or if you know of a mixtape-making site that doesn’t totally suck, please email me! Argh! In the meantimes, to hear the playlist, go ahead and click on this pic of our new prez bodysurfing like a bad-ass mofo:

Click Me To Listen!

The Playlist:

1. Whenever I need a little inspiration, I put on The Go! Team. Both their albums are filled with fast-paced, driving music that helps me motor through just about anything. My favorite track from either album has to be “Keys To The City,” which combines soaring horn lines, jangly guitar and rock-and-roll drums with spoken motivational lyrics that, it turns out, just might be a traditional double-dutch chant: “We are the hard-core jumpers and we never fail. We jump on through the snow, sleet, rain and hail. We can jump when we’re tired, we can jump when we’re blue. We jump on when we can think of other things to do.” I’m listening to it now, on repeat. It gets me every time, without fail. – Michael

2. In honor of our soon-to-be-FORMER president, “Since U Been Gone” by Kelly Clarkson. Long before Amelie taught me that Kells is totally gay, I have fucking loved this song. I’m counting it as inspiration to get over that certain man or woman who has done wrong. And hope that you’ll someday be a huge star, and can bash that ex in #1 singles. – Corey

3. Back before the series finale of The Sopranos made it fashionable again, Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” inspired me and assorted friends… to do karaoke, at night, indoors, with sunglasses on. It seemed to inspire everyone else in the bar as well. Oh, and I guess the themes of keeping faith and not giving up are fairly uplifting as well. – Jolly

4. “This To Shall Pass” by Rodney Crowell. Album: Fate’s Right Hand.

I’ll let the song speak for itself:

When the winds of change hit hard and knock you off your guard
And you find out there’s a serpent in the grass
Though forked tongues might speak, if truth is what you seek
This too will pass

When your all tied up in knots and your friends are taking shots
And the sun comes up and kicks you in the ass
When your stumbling down the aisle and you feel like you’re on trial
This too will pass

Sometimes you’ve gotta go down the middle of the road
Where compromise puts speed bumps in your path
If you know what you won’t, let no one say you don’t
This too will pass

Sometimes you gotta crawl through the middle of it all
But don’t compromise your heart for something crass
When everything you do just feels like nothing new
This too will pass

When your all locked up in pain be careful who you blame
This too will pass

- Ben

5. “God’s Country” by Ani Difranco. It’s your standard Little Folksinger song: twangy and airy, yet beefy, melodies meet political-feminist lyrics sung by a clipped, confident voice. No matter my mood I can find that bit of encouragement to push me further, keep me levitated, or pull me out; and in light of being high on Tuesday’s Chope [Change+Hope], “move over Mr. Holiness and let the little people through.” That’s my three cents worth of inspiration. – Maggie

6. “Walls” by Tom Petty. For a generally positive person, I can be really hard to console if I’ve had a bad time with something. Usually only my sister is able to truly calm me down after a bad day. If she’s not around I listen to this song. Whatever I’m feeling always gets put in perspective. Some days are diamonds. Some days are rocks. Friends and kindness are important. It basically turns me into a hallmark card for four minutes and I love it. I’ve actually thought to myself that I want this played at my funeral, but that might be more morbid than hopeful. – Zack

7. Geez, the song I like is even on Playlist, and in a version I’ve never heard before, with a subpar extra verse and the background vocals pushed up in the mix. Not as good as the original, but hey, “Heaven in My Hands” by Level 42 is “Heaven in My Hands” by Level 42. My interest in Level 42 is by now well-documented on this blog, between my Hidden History column about their gay guitarist, Alan Murphy, and my WWLT about their greatest hits, and this is ’80s inspirational music at its cheesiest (well, short o
f Mr. Mister’s “Kyrie”). But if I need a boost, this song always does it, so it has to be my contribution to any “inspirational song” playlist. – Philip

8-10. As for me, my choices are threefold and pretty simple. First, I chose “Juicy” by Notorious B.I.G., then I went with Talib Kweli’s “Get By,” and, finally, “Don’t Be Afraid, You’re Already Dead” by Akron/Family, which I misquoted before the jump. I think all three songs speak to the same things: success only comes through hard work and staying true to yourself, open your heart and your mind and good things will happen, and love is the most important thing in the world. Whenever things feel dire, those three songs never fail to remind me of the things that actually matter. – Rocky

Good luck, President Obama! And to all of you as well!