I have two. The first is April March, an indie pop singer from California that sings in English and French that is best known for both covering and recording an English language remake of Serge Gainsbourg’s Laisse tomber les filles (YouTube link) that played over the end credits of Quentin Tarantino’s Death Proof. I discovered her a couple weeks ago, and immediately acquired a half dozen of her albums, all of which are fantastic.
The other is The Pharaohs (YouTube link), a melancholic song about the idealization of love off Neko Case’s latest album, Middle Cyclone. It reminds me a lot of one of my most loved friends and the relationship she is in with a man I don’t really like and who, if she were honest with herself, she doesn’t really like a lot either. He was her world when they were teens, though, and she’s giving him another chance now that they’re in their thirties and this song seems so true to their relationship that it almost hurts.
Anyway, it came up on random about an hour ago, and I’ve been listening to literally nothing else since then. According to my last.fm page, I’ve played it 24 times, and it just started for the 25th time, and I’m still not sick of it. It’s absolutely gorgeous and heartbreaking.
I am so in love with Paradise by the Dashboard Lights, which I heard for the first time last week. The way it goes from a sweet, reminiscencent story to “I hate you and I wish I were dead so I could be rid of you” is so unexpected, but it segues perfectly and ends up being funny instead of shocking.
I’m totally into Bear McCreary’s Battlestar Galactica music. I know it seems weird, especially if you didn’t watch the show, but BSG has amazing music and all the soundtracks from Bear McCreary are highly worth it.
The Meg and Dia album “here, here, and here…” is my favourite album so far released this year-- I got it a coupla days before it was released and its still the main thing playing in my car.
Currently reaching back and obsessing over my recently-refound **Gang of Four **CD. **Love Like Anthrax **is just stuck in my brain. I can’t find a studio version on YouTube and the live versions don’t capture the immediate impact of the studio version for a n00b listener, so I can’t provide a link. I have to get past the up-front guitar feedback, but when the drums explode a minute into the track, I just love the force of it.
*Mr Siegel *by Tom Waits. I was a fan of Mr Waits but not familiar with this song until *Used Songs *came out, and now it’s the first one I turn to when I throw that CD in.
She’s such a little troll IRL though, but she’s talented & cute enough for me not to care. I block out whatever she vomits forth in interviews and just think, “God bless her tri-nipple’d self.”
Anything N.A.S.A. and MAJOR LAZER touch.
Spacey Lykke Li covers/remixes.
Cam’ron’s new album Crime Pays.
M.I.A.'s first album Arular.
Neon Indian’s song “Deadbeat Summer”.
And Wavves, still.
Wilco’s new album Wilco (The Album) is pretty fantastic. I’ve listened to I’ll Fight and Bull Black Nova approximately 100 times since last week.
I recently discovered Horse Feathers, especially their album House With No Home. The lead singer’s voice just blows me away. I went and saw them on Friday night in this little tiny venue, and if possible, the sound of his voice is even more gorgeous live. I’ve been alternating that album with Wilco for the past week, so they’ve definitely been getting a lot of play around here.
A local band called The Madison Arm. I love these guys so much. They’ve got a great sound, great lyrics, and they’re just about the nicest people ever. It kills me that they’re not much bigger than they are.
BIR is safe for work, except that productivity will nose dive as everyone starts moshing . Office furniture will be destroyed! Filing cabinets will be overturned! Phones will be ignored in favor of headbanging! People will take the afternoon off to rock out! Soon all of civilization will collapse! DOOM! But totally safe for work, eh.
