Headed for the Future!

Happy 2010, VK readers! Here's your collection of songs to kick the year (and decade) off right:

Neil Diamond - Headed For the Future.mp3

Flight of the Conchords - Robots.mp3

Zager and Evans - In the Year 2525.mp3

Death Cab for Cutie - New Year.m4a

Jeff Buckley - New Year's Prayer (remix).mp3

Massive Attack - Future Proof.mp3

Future Bible Heroes - Doris Daytheearthstoodstill.mp3

Elvis Costello - Good Year For the Roses.mp3

Tori Amos - Pretty Good Year.mp3

Sage Francis - Hell of a Year.mp3

Ten Years After - I'd Love to Change the World.mp3

Jens Lekman - Firecracker (On Our Way to a New Year's Party).mp3

U2 - New Year's Day (live Under a Blood Red Sky).mp3

Matt & Kim - No More Long Years.mp3

Nine Inch Nails - The Beginning of the End.mp3

Steely Dan - Reelin' in the Years.mp3

Led Zeppelin - Ten Years Gone.mp3

Tom Waits - So It Goes.mp3

the Mountain Goats - This Year (live @ Last Happy Night of Your Life).mp3

19 tracks
1:16:57 total time

Hooray for random cover posts!

Yup the title pretty much says it all. Enjoy!

Where Eagles Dare (Misfits cover)- Of Montreal

Crown of Love (Arcade Fire cover) - This is Ivy League

Water Runs Dry (Boyz II Men cover) - Jens Lekman

Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa (Vampire Weekend cover) - Hot Chip & Peter Gabriel

Dreams Come True Girl (Cass McComb cover) - Girls

Story of My Life: The Musical!

A meme circulating around Facebook about one's Top 25 Most Influential albums needs new life here, if you'll allow the indulgence. These're in chronological order. This might help explain my musical weirdness, or it might just confuse you:

The Early Years (1981 - 1993)

1. Tickle Tune Typhoon - Circle Around ...Kinder-pop!

2. Firesign Theatre - Don't Crush That Dwarf, Hand Me The Pliers / I Think We're All Bozos On This Bus ...This was not by choice; it was my dad's pick
Side A of "Don't Crush That Dwarf".mp3

3. The Beatles - Revolver ...Mom's pick
And Your Bird Can Sing.mp3

4. Steely Dan - A Decade of Steely Dan ...From both parents
Reelin' in the Years.mp3

5. Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream ...I have listened to this album far, far more than any other.
Geek U.S.A..mp3

The Teen Years (1993 - 1999)

6. U2 - Achtung Baby ...Can YOU pick out the (supposed) 11 oral sex references throughout the album?
Even Better Than the Real Thing.m4a

7. Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill ...Quintessential angsty mid-90's femme-rock

8. Radiohead - OK Computer ...Revolution #1: Changed the way I listened to music
Let Down.mp3

9. Tori Amos - Boys for Pele ...So, so important
Father Lucifer.mp3

10. Nine Inch Nails - Pretty Hate Machine
Kinda I Want To.mp3

The College/Bellingham Years (1999 - 2003)

11. Jeff Buckley - Grace ...Revolution #2, and my top "desert island" album pick
So Real.mp3

12. They Might Be Giants - Flood
Istanbul (Not Constantinople).mp3

13. The Magnetic Fields - 69 Love Songs ...I still worship Stephin Merritt as the lyrical god he is
Epitaph for My Heart.mp3

14. Velvet Goldmine OST ...Ah yes, the important Bowie/glam phase
Placebo - 20th Century Boy (T. Rex cover).mp3

15. Sleater-Kinney - Dig Me Out
Words and Guitar.mp3

The Post-College Years (2003 - 2008)

16. Sufjan Stevens - Seven Swans / Illinois ...Revolution #3. Sufjan is my hero.
To Be Alone With You.mp3

17. Elliott Smith - XO
XO (Waltz #2).mp3

18. Andrew Bird - Weather Systems
Weather Systems.mp3

19. the Mountain Goats - The Sunset Tree / Ghana ...Revolution #4 -- an epiphany! John Darnielle and Peter Hughes as friends and influences
Going To Kirby Sigston.mp3

20. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
My Body is a Cage.m4a

These Days (2008 - Present)

21. Jens Lekman -When I Said I Wanted To Be Your Dog
You Are The Light (By Which I Travel Into This And That).m4a

22. Cut/Copy - In Ghost Colours
So Haunted.m4a

23. Islands - Arm's Way ...My pick for best album of last year. Epic! Move over, NMH
J'aime Vous Voire Quitter.m4a

24. the Mountain Goats - We Shall All Be Healed ...A whole new perspective
Mole.mp3

25. Girl Talk - Feed The Animals ...Ridic catchy. I think this album'll last the years.
Set It Off.mp3

Top 9 Every-men (and Woman) in Rock

Now don't get me wrong, I love the mysterious aura of an eagle-winged Sufjan or the sexed-up disco fantasia of Of Montreal, but sometimes it's refreshing to see a band composed of all-around average guys. Guys that could live next door to you without a hint of pretentious weirdo-ness. These are the rock stars we love that are kinda like us. Sometimes they're unassuming, sometimes they're modest but they always, always wear jeans on stage.

9. Jeff Tweedy of Wilco
Ok, disregard the killer migraines, the past addictions, the diva-licious falling out with bandmates and you have a really average guy who writes songs that are anything but. Also remember that scene in I Am Trying to Break Your Heart where he asks his wife for money to feed the kids while waiting in line at Wendys. That alone puts him on this list.

8. Jens Lekman
Do guys get more humble then this? His shy smile and aw-shucks demeanor, not to mention all-inclusive after parties put him on this list. Following their concerts, how many pop stars invite the entire audience to a house party in Brooklyn? By putting fans first he essentially denounces his celebrity and affirms his every-man status. Plus we get to dance the night away at the same time!

7. John Vanderslice
By far the happiest, friendliest, sweetest guy on the list. Like Jens he obliterates the line between artist and audience. Chances are if you've seen him live you've also been hugged by him. Just an unbelievably down-to-earth and cheery stand-up dude.

6. Eddie Argos of Art Brut
Just listen to the lyrics of "DC Comics and Chocolate Milkshakes". Nuff said.

5. Bruce Springsteen
Ok, so he's a mega-superstar BUT he somehow maintains his working class cred by touring his ass off and maintaining his New Jersey roots. We should thank him for showing the kids that real rock stars aren't assholes.

4. Ted Leo
The political punker totally rocks, but he's also totally humble, appreciative and downright right ordinary when it comes to his personal life and dealing with fans. Just check out this photo of him and VK's Lizzie. It pretty much says it all:
3. Justin Vernon of Bon Iver
Dude lived in a cabin in Wisconsin and endured a shit-ton of heartbreak. That's about as every-man as it gets.

2. Ira, James and Georgia of Yo La Tengo
These Jersey natives are completely unassuming and completely ageless. They could be your next door neighbor. Hell for some of you young'ens they could be your parents. So causal and so casually cool, they wear jeans and striped t-shirts on stage. Except underneath their ultra-normal exterior lies their secret power - the power of rock. And rock they do.

1. Craig Finn (and really the rest of the members of The Hold Steady except for Franz Nicholay's mustache)
Do dudes get anymore dude-ier than them? I mean they formed a band as an excuse to jam once a week, down a few beers and escape the wives. And in turn wrote some of the best straight-up rock albums this decade. For that we salute you.

Now some songs:
Flume - Bon Iver
Me and Mia - Ted Leo
Fetal Horses - John Vanderslice

Yeah! Oh, Yeah!

Between his deep, deadpan voice and dry witticisms, Jens Lekman was practically bred to cover Stephin Merritt. And now finally he has. His take, along with Tracey Thorn on the Magnetic Fields classic "Yeah! Oh, Yeah!" on Score! 20 Years of Merge, The Covers is utterly glorious. One thing's for sure: we'll never fall out of love with Jens. Yeah, Oh Yeah!

Yeah! Oh, Yeah! - Jens Lekman and Tracey Thorn (Magnetic Fields cover)

In Memorium

On Saturday, March 6, 1999, my best friend Salomé Holly was brutally stabbed to death by her stepfather Dayva Cross in an attack that also killed her mother and little sister. We were seniors in high school in Snoqualmie, Washington, not far from Seattle. Cross still sits on death row in Washington state. Ten years ago to the day, and the pain still burns deeply.

She was a passionate and brilliant fledgling biologist who loved amphibians, a Mormon, a beautiful clarinetist, a devoted recycler, a lover of reggae music and camping, and her beautiful French-Moroccan heritage.

Here's a mix of songs: Some are namesakes, some were her favorites, some helped me cope at the time, and some are what help me cope now.

Old 97's - Salomé.mp3
Chayanne - Salomé.mp3
Greenland - Salomé.mp3
Peter Doherty - Salomé.mp3
U2 - Salomé [Zooromancer Remix].m4a
Bob Marley - Jammin'.mp3
Stevie Wonder - I Just Called.mp3
Billy Joel - Only the Good Die Young.mp3
Tori Amos - Happy Phantom.mp3
Sarah McLachlan - Angel.m4a
Death Cab For Cutie - I Will Follow You Into The Dark.m4a
Sage Francis - Hell Of A Year.mp3
Chodoutans - My Beautiful Friend.mp3
the Mountain Goats - Song For an Old Friend (live).mp3
Elvis Costello - God Give Me Strength.mp3
Eric Clapton - Tears in Heaven.mp3
Elliott Smith - Everybody Cares, Everybody Understands.m4a
I'm From Barcelona - Ola Kala.m4a
The Beach Boys - I Just Wasn't Made For These Times.mp3
Jens Lekman - How Much You Mean To Me.mp3
Simon & Garfunkel - Old Friends/Bookends.m4a
Sarah McLachlan - I Will Remember You.m4a

This compilation is love love love.

Watch out Dark Was the Night, you just got some competition for compilation of the year. Merge Records just announced the tracklist for SCORE! 20 Years of Merge Records: The Covers. And holy moley check out this wowza line-up. I'm most excited to hear Jens Lekman take on The Magnetic Fields' classic "Yeah! Oh Yeah!" Ohhh and new Okkervil River too!

01 Quasi: "Beautiful Things" (3Ds cover)
02 Les Savy Fav: "Precision Auto" (Superchunk cover)
03 The Shins: "Plenty Is Never Enough" (Tenement Halls cover)
04 St. Vincent and the National: "Sleep All Summer" (Crooked Fingers cover)
05 Broken Social Scene: "Complications" (The Clean cover)
06 Ryan Adams: "Like a Fool" (Superchunk cover)
07 Bright Eyes: "Papa Was a Rodeo" (Magnetic Fields cover)
08 Lavender Diamond: "New Ways of Living" (Destroyer cover)
09 The Apples in Stereo: "King of Carrot Flowers Pt. 3" (Neutral Milk Hotel cover)
10 Laura Cantrell: "Cowboy on the Moon" (Lambchop cover)
11 Bill Callahan: "Santa Maria" (Versus cover)
12 Barbara Manning: "Through With People" (Portastatic cover)
13 The Mountain Goats: "Drug Life" (East River Pipe cover)
14 The New Pornographers: "Don't Destroy This Night" (Rock*A*Teens cover)
15 Tracey Thorn and Jens Lekman: "Yeah! Oh, Yeah!" (Magnetic Fields cover)
16 The Hive Dwellers: "My Noise" (Superchunk cover)
17 Ted Leo & the Pharmacists: "The Numbered Head" (Robert Pollard cover)
18 Okkervil River: "All You Little Suckers" (East River Pipe cover)
19 Death Cab for Cutie: "Kicked In" (Superchunk cover)
20 Times New Viking: "Neighborhood #1" (Arcade Fire cover)

AND get this, we have a sneak peak courtesy our faves (and blog namesakes) the Mountain Goats. East River Pipe's "Drug Life" has John Darnielle playing a Casio for the first time this century and it's AWESOME. Check it out:

Drug Life - the Mountain Goats (East River Pipe cover)

Songs For a Snow Day

Elliott Smith - Angel in the Snow.mp3
Belle & Sebastian - Fox in the Snow.mp3
the Mountain Goats - Third Snow Song.mp3
Horse Feathers - Blood on the Snow.mp3
Shearwater - The Snow Leopard.mp3

EDIT: additions from June!
Islands - Abominable Snow.m4a
the Mountain Goats - Snow Crush Killing Song.mp3
Regina Spektor - 20 Years of Snow.m4a
Sufjan Stevens - Majesty Snowbird (live at Fox theatre).mp3
They Might Be Giants - When It Rains It Snows.m4a

and some other related songs for this snowy winter mood...
Tori Amos - Winter.m4a
Jens Lekman - The Cold Swedish Winter.m4a
Ruby Isle - White Winter Hymnal (Fleet Foxes cover).mp3
The White Stripes - In the Cold, Cold Night.m4a
Ra Ra Riot - Winter '05.mp3
The Blind Boys Of Alabama (feat. Chrissie Hynde & Richard Thompson) - In the Bleak Midwinter.mp3
the Mountain Goats - One Winter at Pint Alpha Private.mp3
Simon & Garfunkle - A Hazy Shade of Winter.m4a
Sufjan Stevens - Sister Winter.m4a

I'm a little lost...

I've been doing a lot of research on the late great Arthur Russell recently. Wikipedia describes him as a "cellist, composer, singer, and disco artist." But really he is a whole lot more than that. He dabbled in genres that range from classical to folk to the avant-garde to the aforementioned disco and sadly died of AIDS in 1992. Yet thanks to a bunch of recent re-releases, compilations and even a documentary he's had a resurgence in popularity.

I'm currently OBESSESSED, like OCD-obsessed, with "A Little Lost". It's a simple, sincere tune, one of love and longing and just wanting to kiss your sweetheart "without entertaining another thought". I defy you not to embrace its heart-wrenching melody. Oh and did I mention it's currently (finally!) ringing true for me. So do me a favor: grab the one you love, crank up the volume and kiss 'em like you'll never see them again.

A Little Lost - Arthur Russell

Oh and hey a Jens Lekman cover!

A Little Lost - Jens Lekman (Arthur Russell cover)

June's Top Songs of 2008, pt. II

Songs released in previous years, that influenced me or that I loved this year, in no order:

Jens Lekman - F-Word.m4a
buy Oh You're So Silent Jens
This song is half the reason I've been so lazy this year. An entire month of procrasturbating to this song should be more than enough.

Beck - Debra.mp3
buy Midnite Vultures
I didn't beleive this song was Beck at first either. This one is a rediscovery. I loved it when I first got it on a mixtape when it came out, and recently dug it up. Best line: "Lady, step inside my Hyundai!"

Howard Jones - No One Is To Blame.mp3
buy Dream into Action
Something I related to a little too well.

The Starlight Mints - Goldstar.m4a
buy Built on Squares
This song is "kooky like some girl from Mars" with spooky strings and creative percussion, but don't be put off by the voice that sounds like a dude doing a bad impersonation of a woman's voice--it's actually the guitarist's girl.

Sufjan Stevens - To Be Alone With You.m4a
buy Seven Swans
A classic that for me will never die. Perfection in simplicity, a highlight from one of my "top 10 desert island" albums.

The Opposites - Pillar of Salt.mp3
You can't buy anything by them, sorry: This is a friend's now-defunkt band from NJ circa 2003. Drunken spoken intros contrasting with a playful ending FTW!

DiskothiQ - Tulsa Imperative.mp3
buy The Wandering Jew
This was written by John Darnielle, but initially discarded. Peter Hughes picked it up for his solo project at the time, and since then, the Mountain Goats have occasionally performed it live.

Sia - Death by Chocolate.m4a
buy Some People Have Real Problems
Deeply soulful in two parts, with heavy hand of gospel as by an Australian (and produced by Beck)!

Depeche Mode - Blasphemous Rumours.mp3
buy Some Great Reward
A special song for the holiday season, for those of us who are still bitterly recovering from oppressively religious upbringings (though, ex-Mormon is the new ex-Catholic).

Rodrigo y Gabriela - Tamacun.mp3
buy Rodrigo y Gabriela
Spanish guitar flair. I'd love to see Gabriela and Kaki King battle it out, acoustic guitar style!!

the Mountain Goats - Mole.m4a
buy We Shall All Be Healed
For all those who came to see me up there in intensive care, with tubes coming into me and coming out of me, and for all those I visited, handcuffed to their beds.

CMJ - Brooklyn Vegan Showcase @ The Music Hall of Williamsburg 10/21/08

Ah, it's that time of year again -CMJ. And you know what that means. The city is overrun with five days of marathon concert events, a bevy of industry people, wide-eyed college kids, and irresistible drink specials. We chose to kick our week off with the Brooklyn Vegan Showcase at the Music Hall of Williamsburg and spent the subsequent six hours drinking three-dollar beers while trying to find your next favorite band. Oh and I forgot my camera, which basically makes me the worst music blogger ever. Perhaps enjoy my words instead.

England's Emmy the Great kicked the night off and managed to even live up to their name, a hard task to do for a relatively sober seven o'clock opening slot. The British indie-folk pop collective, lead by singer-songwriter Emma-Lee Moss played a mellow set of lovely, lilting songs that ebbed and flowed with mandolin, violins and plenty of heartbreak. But it was Emmy's sweetly girlish voice that truly impressed us.

Next up was The Sammies, a rock band from North Carolina that reminded us a lot of the Strokes circa 2001 –unpretentious and fun. Except with Southern accents and facial hair. Despite their occasional tendencies to veer toward country jam-band territory, they probably would have been way buzzworthy half a decade ago. About halfway through their set I found myself getting antsy for the next band Shearwater, who were the recently announced special guest band of the night and wow, did they not disappoint. Lead singer ex-Okkervil River member Jonathon Meiburg's expressive, nearly operatic voice often strained to its falsetto heights and filled the venue to haunting effect, backed by a dramatic array of obscure percussion, woodwinds and strings. Gorgeous, gothic and baroque are really the only apt adjectives that come to mind when describing just how darkly beautiful their music is.

The much-hyped Ponytail was up next and could not have provided a more jarring and antithetical change of pace. The Baltimore four-piece play what some call experimental art-rock and what others more simply call noise. With their prickly riffage and intense drum banging, they get a lot of comparisons to Deerhoof, but the thing that really sets Ponytail apart, for better or worse is Molly Siegel's vocal stylings, which are unique to say the least. To call it singing would be a great injustice –monosyllabic grunting is probably a more accurate term, or just plain screaming –that works too. Also despite being an adult she looks about 14 years old, but then again so do all the members of this band. Also one of the guitarists kept hopping on one foot for the entire duration of the set, alternating legs while still playing the guitar. It was exhausting to watch, yet the indie kids went ape shit for it. While I kept feeling like I was missing something, one thing's for sure –Ponytail is the kind of band that'll either keep you young or make you feel old, very old.

I was happily surprised with the next band, Passion Pit. They were yet another extremely buzzworthy young group, the kind that CMJ-ers eagerly anticipate on their five day quest to hear the next-big-thing. But Passion Pit brought what none of the other acts of the night had brought –a beat! They played highly rhythmic electro-pop, the kind that allows even the most disaffected hipster to bob their head and tap their feet. Four hours into the night, it was nice to finally dance.

Endearing Swedish pop star Jens Lekman kept the dance floor going with his specially billed "Singing DJ" set. There was much speculation as to what a "singing DJ" set would actually entail. (Would he sing while DJing?) Turns out first he spun a set of crowd-pleasing party tunes –everything from Mariah Carey's "Fantasy" to hipster faves like Lykke Li's "Dance Dance Dance" (who was actually playing a set of her own at the Bowery Ballroom that night). And then once the crowd was wildly moving, he segued into spinning –and singing- a handful of his own songs karaoke style, thus singing AND dj-ing. Perhaps I would have preferred a bit more singing, but really Jens' very presence was enough to make me smile. He can do no wrong.

We didn't stick around to see the Phenomenal Handclap Band, as we were a little dizzy from all the dancing (not to mention 3 dollar drink specials) but we're guessing there were lots of handclaps involved.

1 day down, 4 to go.

Short Country Song - Emmy the Great
Glisten - The Sammies
Century Eyes - Shearwater
Celebrate the Body Electric (It Came From An Angel) - Ponytail
Sleepyhead - Passion Pit
Into Eternity - Jens Lekman

The Death of This Summer

It's past Labor Day, the weather has turned suddenly cool (with no small thanks to Hurricanes Hannah and Ike drenching the western Atlantic coasts), Primary election day is tomorrow, and students have begun to settle into their routines.

So, two songs: a rather silly but totally appropriate one, especially for those of us who have returned to finish a post-bac degree several years after our peers have completed theirs. *cough.* This one's for us you:

Avenue Q - I Wish I Could Go Back to College.mp3

Finally, a 26-minute dance mix, made by Jens Lekman. It kicks off with a remix of his own song, "Into Eternity," then magically transitions intro almost a dozen other songs and looped samples--familiar cuts from the 70's, Afro-Caribbean beats, even soft and languid acoustic guitar. But the nonstop beat will keep you on your feet enough to barely notice or care that our warmest season has once again slipped away.

Jens says:

Sometimes I get stuck in the recording and writing but instead of cutting my wrists I open the window, bring out my records and put together little mixes for my friends. This one is a mix of some of my favourite songs from this summer and previous ones, some are cut up and put together into new songs, new remixes or whatever. They form a perfect response to the death of this summer.

Jens Lekman - The Death of This Summer.mp3

Welcome, Julie!

Volume Knob is happy to announce that we've recently added a new contributor! Welcome to Julie, who is blogging with us from sunny Florida. Expect to see her posts musing on a variety of albums and waxing poetic about music in general soon!

Jens Lekman - Julie.m4a

It's the frickin' weekend, baby!

Woohoo R. Kelly! Not Guilty!

Let's celebrate with the GREATEST mash-up of all time:

If I Could Rock (It Would Feel Like This) - Jens Lekman Vs. R. Kelly (ABX)

Top 6 songs of the moment

Guy Blackman & Jens Lekman - A Dark & Quiet Place.mp3 from Adult Baby
The most homoerotic song ever! Regardless of your gender or orientation, it'll make you want to take your pants off. Slow, sultry and tinkly... whimsical and yet serious all at once with gorgeous male-on-male vocal harmonies.

Van She - Kelly (Cut Copy mix).mp3 from the Kelly 12"
Like the first time I heard Cut Copy, I heard this Van She song and was convinced it was straight from 1985. The chorus, the synthesizers, the sound effects... This 7+ minute remix is just icing on the retro cake.

Damien Rice - Woman Like a Man.mp3 from B-Sides
Dark, hot, brooding, sweaty and powerful (and that's only the guitar!), this is a song for those of us who like it rough. For the heady feminists out there it produces a cultural conundrum: it is a degrading command or an observational compliment? Throw in some cello and ethereal female harmonies, and you will only say YES.

Islands - I Feel Evil (Creeping In).m4a from Arm's Way
I should have just uploaded the entire Islands album, because, really, that's almost all I've been listening to lately. Also, will someone PLEASE PLEASE get on the anticipated/inevitable Creeper remix or mash-up?? For reals, people. It's screaming for it.

Cold War Kids - Saint John.mp3 from Robbers & Cowards
I'd listened a bit to CWK some time ago but never really "got into" them until recently, with a revival of their true greatness courtesy of the recent Sasquatch festival. This song is a bit odd and off-tempo for them, like a jangly olde-tyme revival preacher. The schizophrenic cymbals and determined bass offset the choir-like vocals calling out for mercy from death row.

Flight of the Conchords - Bret You've Got It Goin' On.mp3
There's no reason or excuse for this, save for the fact that it's brilliantly written. It makes me want to be a guy so I can sing it to other guys. All I can do instead is Jam out with my...Clam out? (ooof, sorry for that one.)

Jens Lekman @ Webster Hall, NYC & Brooklyn House Party, April 5, 2008

I'm not even supposed to be writing about this show. Before he burst into the evening's first song, Jens said he wanted the night to go undocumented. A show just between us and him. Not the internet. But sometimes secrets are too good not to share and last night was one of them.

Of course the show itself was as adorable as always. My third time seeing him and I still never tire of the witty banter, seamlessly woven samples and his impeccable girly backing band (plus Viktor Sjoberg). But then things got better. At some point during the encore Jens announced he was having a house party in Brooklyn. We were all invited. Now if you were at Jens last NYC show, you'll remember he promised to play an after show gig in Union Square, but got lost in Halloween weekend traffic and thus never made it to the park. He profusely apologized about the incident via personal email correspondence (!!! - just another reason we love Jens, he's a rock star that responds to emails) and a party it seemed would be ample compensation. Nothing would stand in his way. We hung around the venue a bit waiting for a glimpse of Jens and some details of this supposed shindig -until evil Webster Hall security guards kicked us out. Undeterred, we clung to the outside exit, amongst a mob of others until he came out. Excuse my fan-girl gushing, but what a friendly guy, so modest, so unpretentious. So willing to snap photos and autographs and just casually chat. One of my friends inquired about the Brooklyn party. Jens told us to take the Q to Beverly Road. "Uhh, and then where do we go?" I asked. "Someone will pick you up from the stop at midnight," he replied. Uh, ok. This would sound so incredibly sketchy coming from ANY other individual, right? But Jens made the request sound downright innocent, nearly magical, like an invite to a middle school dance from that boy you had a crush on forever, but you swore he never even noticed you existed. For the record my two friends and I have absolutely no sense of Brooklyn geography, but what the hell, we'll venture deep into an unknown borough for the potential awesomeness of a Swedish pop star after party.
We do it. We actually get there. Along with about 30 people. A gaggle of us just waiting outside the station. Every time a car passes by our heads turns. We collectively stop traffic about 17 times. Finally some Swedish speaking people come by. They tell us to follow. We walk down the block and arrive at a house. A bona fide house. There are houses in Brooklyn apparently. And here we are in some dude's living room listening to a highly danceable mix of synthey 80s pop, 70s funk and maybe a dash of old-school hip-hop. About an hour later Jens grabs the mic and sings "Your Beat Kicks Back Like Death" and "Into Eternity". Chanting along to "we're all gonna die, and we don't know how and we don't know when" at 1:30 in the morning is maybe the most liberating feeling in the world. After a downright shitty week, there is comfort in that universal sentiment. We are all gonna die, so we might as well embrace it and we might as well dance. And that's exactly what we did.

P.S. - I found an actual postcard sent by Jens on the bulletin board in the kitchen. To Gary, not Nina. But I found it amusing. Take a look (and also note the Kelly Clarkson ticket stub directly underneath, haha):


Your Beat Kicks Back Like Death - Jens Lekman (Scout Niblett cover)

Dance Music Pt. II: Indie-remix version

...because, deep down, hipsters really do like to dance. (At least in their living rooms when they think no one is watching).

Vampire Weekend - Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa (Black Dominoes Remix).mp3
Take some Graceland-inspired Afro-Carribean beats, add 4 years at Columbia University and a heavy dose of Upper Crust "Summer in the Hamptons, anyone?"... and then remix. Go buy Vampire Weekend first, though.

Patrick Wolf - Tristan.mp3 from Wind In The Wires
With heavy, plodding beats, this bruised-n-bleedin' cut is the ultimate in darkly sexy, brooding indie-fucks to go "down the road and not across the street" to. Recommended for that hot, dirty rough sex with your favourite indie boi.

Sufjan Stevens - To Be Alone With You (Pocketknife's Considerate Eagle Scout Remix).mp3 from Tambourine Dream
This soft fluffy DOWN-tempo song originally comes off Sufjan's very mellow album Seven Swans. (Get it? It's a pun, with "down" and "swans"... oh, never mind.) This is probably the last song I would ever expect to hear remixed, but it works incredibly well with a strong backbone beat, and some flourishes near the end that emphasize the minor chords.

The Cure - Close To Me (Closer Remix).mp3 from Mixed Up
This remix album covers most off the songs of one of the best albums ever, Disintegration, plus several other much-loved classics. For that angsty high school kid inside all of us, who was never understood! A change of tempo: this lighthearted, bouncy and up-tempo beat hits nicely with bright tambourine and light bells.

Le Tigre - After Dark (Morel's Pink Noise Vocal Mix).mp3 from This Island Remixes
A complex Jungle beat remix, richly layered with multi-textured beats and sophisticated synthesizer.

Future Bible Heroes - The World Is a Disco Ball (Rob Rives club mix).mp3 from The Lonely Robot EP
I used to work it out to this during my days as a campus foodservice slop-jockey, in college. This 8+ minute loop of thumping beats shows a side of Stephin Merritt that's less plucked acoustics and more computers. A good club mix for those nights when you just wanna dance, dance, dance.

Tori Amos - Raspberry Swirl (Lip Gloss Version).mp3 from Cruel
If any of these folks know dance, it's Tori. Frequently lending her tracks to entire LPs of remixed tracks, these club mixes are second-to-none. But going back to the roots, a really simple, clean remix of this track off From the Choirgirl Hotel highlights the late 90's best works.

Mirah - La Familia (Remix).mp3 from Joyride: Remixes
It's very important, when putting this song on a mix tape for someone (or even a muxtape), that you emphasize that the question posed in the chorus is a PONDERANCE ONLY and NOT a proposition... unless that is what you really mean. Hmmm, this could get complicated. The really light, tingly beats sounds familiar from "Cold Cold Water, but now perfected for dancing, and the chorus in the background is more straightforward, altered in a minor chord that taken on a more serious--rather than playful--sound.

Cut Copy - Hearts on Fire.mp3 from In Ghost Colours
So 80s! So dancey! So addictive! Not at all what you might expect from a contemporary Australian group, known for somehow recreating each song live onstage, each time resulting in a new but fabulous sound. I don;t know why this track isn't as well-known as some of their others; it blows them away. Put it on a loop and watch yourself plow through a mountain of paperwork or household chores.

Caribou - Pelican Narrows.mp3 from The Milk of Human Kindness
Not a remix; just a fantastic original cut off their super album. The dynamic interaction of the sounds are undeniably classically-based.

LCD Soundsystem - Daft Punk Is Playing At My House (Soulwax Shibuya Re-Remix).mp3 from www.electrorash.com
A club remix to keep the party going. Complete with the background white noise of people chattering, bottles being recycled (because, you know, if you're playing either Daft Punk or LCD Soundsystem at a house party, you're probably recycling). This remix offers synthesizers, bells, electric guitar and all kinds of crazy shit with a hi-hat (and a suped-up tempo!) White people, get it on.

Annie - Heartbeat.mp3 from Anniemal
A sweet song of the bubblegum variety but with a perfect beat for a cool night.

ABX - The Trees Were Presidential (Andrew Bird vs. Youngbloodz).mp3 from thehoodinternet.com
Yeah, I realize a mash-up might be cheating, but it's just too awesome. Based on Andrew Bird's "The Trees Were Mistaken" off of the Soldier On EP. It gets the heavy treatment with some gangstas. The light and tinkly strings which flow and bounce intertwine beautifully with a hard rap beat and these down-n-dirty lyrics. Even Bird's sweet whistling is sampled here, from this track and also from "A Nervous Tic Motion of the Head to the Left." Fantastic!

the Mountain Goats - Color in Your Cheeks (Mike's Remix).mp3
A spacey, dizzying remix based off this song from All Hail West Texas. It retains the distant feel and the tape hiss of the boom-box recording while adding some "2001: A Space Odyssey"-type beats and sound effects.

Jens Lekman - Sipping on the Sweet Nectar.mp3 from Night Falls Over Kortedala
Great song, boring video. The super 70's disco feel here, however, should keep you on your feet for some time.

Peter Bjorn & John - Young Folks (Datassette Remix).mp3
Based off the insanely popular (and rightfully so!) cut from 2006's Writer's Block, you probably won't recognize this song for the first few seconds, as the heavy, block-y ticks count off a surreal, futuristic beat. The whistling is replaced here with some super staccato synthesizers, and the chorus is amped up with slick, smooth sound effects that make the verses seem minimalist by comparison.

Soho Dolls - Prince Harry.mp3 from Ribbed Music for the Numb Generation
Initially minimalist in the verses and polished in the choruses the exceedingly bouncy beat, ultra British-ness and cheeky lyrics beg to be used as a girls' night out theme. Sing along: Save up all your USDs for British universities! This song is way too short for how much fun it is.

Interpol - Public Pervert (Carlos D Remix).mp3 from C'mere
A slow one to finish up the night with. Spoon, baby, starry nights.

Max Mix Muxtape

In case you've not yet discovered it, http://muxtape.com/ is a fabuu new site where you can upload up to 12 mp3s and they'll stream on your own page. The greatest part, however, is browsing through the hundreds--if not thousands--of mixes created by other users in just the past few days since the site was launched.

I made one:
http://sezah.muxtape.com/

It's based off a mix I made for my parents, of all people. Here is the complete mix, with all the songs for you to download.

18 songs/1:18:02 total time
Side "A"
Aesop Rock - Coffee (ft. John Darnielle).mp3
the Mountain Goats - Lovecraft In Brooklyn.mp3
Örtz - We Don't Talk.mp3
Jens Lekman - Sipping On The Sweet Nectar.mp3
Justice - D.A.N.C.E..mp3
M.I.A. - Paper Planes.mp3
LCD Soundsystem - Someone Great.mp3
Beirut - Scenic World.m4a
Manu Chao - Me Gustas Tu.m4a

Side "B"
Rihanna - Umbrella (feat. Jay-Z).mp3
Oliver Future - The Big Sleep.mp3
The National - Ada.mp3
Estradasphere - A Corporate Merger.mp3
Islands - Where There's A Will There's A Whalebone.mp3
Radiohead - Reckoner.mp3
Deerhoof - Panda Panda Panda.mp3
The Unicorns - I Was Born (A Unicorn).mp3
Patrick Wolf - The Stars.mp3

I beg you, please draw no comparisons to Jess' and my favorite Mux mix yet:
http://catbird.muxtape.com/

Sex, Drugs, Rock ‘n’ Roll AND DEATH!

This is a special mix your resident Volume Knob heathen just made for a friend. It was tentatively titled "Michael in 2008!" but with the record of indulgences that rank unpopularly with the voting circuit, I decided to call a spade a spade and title this mix what it's really about: Sex, Drugs, Rock n Roll, and Death.

22 tracks total / 1:19:53 total time

Side A:
1 Placebo - Pure Morning.mp3
I’m fairly certain this song has a little bit of everything.

2 The 6ths - The Dead Only Quickly.mp3
By Stephin Merritt. To know him is to love him.

3 The Moldy Peaches - Anyone Else But You.mp3
“up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, start” I heard this cheat code for the first time a few weeks ago. So the theory goes that every male under the age of 30 has the Konami Code embedded in his DNA. True?

4 Matt & Kim - Yea Yeah.mp3
Such an addictive song! And the video is really fun. Also, go onto YouTube and pull up the super cracked-out remix of this. It’s like Sesame Street on 2C-I.

5 Cut Copy - Hearts On Fire.mp3
Another song-like-crack-like-whoa. It sounds totally 80’s but I think it came out in ’06. Those crazy Australians!

6 Jens Lekman - Into Eternity.mp3
My favorite track off the best album of last year. During the last part of the song, with the cowbell and drums and claps, I think all you need to do is add a whistle and it’ll sound like a Brazilian street party. And thus concludes the “super happy dance-y” part of the mix.

7 Jukebox the Ghost - Hold It In.mp3
I saw this band live in NY—the lead singer emotes with his entire face. It’s incredible.

8 Tori Amos - Happy Phantom.mp3
The happiest song about death EVER!

9 Peter Peter Hughes - I Don't Smoke.mp3
A solo-act song by my friend Peter (of the Mountain Goats). I think the lyrics are apt.

10 a-ha - Take on Me.mp3
lolololol. Forever on I will think of that scene in Family Guy when I hear this.

11 Beirut - Scenic World.m4a
I am currently SO obsessed with this song. I will listen to it on repeat and and the swaying, bouncy strings just keep capturing me, especially with the paired-down percussion and that brass.

12 Manu Chao - Me Gustas Tu.mp3
I took two years of Spanish in high school. I like this song because I can understand 90% of the lyrics. “I like your kitchen?” Whatever. It’s damn catchy.

13 The Cat Empire - Hotel California.mp3 (Eagles cover)
I’m hoping you don’t have this song. Je ne parle pas Français.

Side B:
14 the Mountain Goats - Two-Headed Boy.mp3 (Neutral Milk Hotel cover)
The Mountain Goats! Covering NMH!!! Be still my heart!! (Yes, this is a blatant attempt to butter you up and say “Cooooome to the PDX showwwww!”)

15 Justin Timberlake - Lovestoned.mp3

...The Sincey is what allows us bloggers to tell everyone, “Look, I’m not just some narrow-minded indiephile, I am open to all music,” but the obligatory nature of the annual practice and the nerdiness by which we go about explaining our mainstream affection merely reaffirms our individual hipster personas.

It reminds me of the time one super hipster co-worker of mine played a mix on her iPod, and the songs were, in order, a really obscure Stereolab song, a really obscure Magnetic Fields song, and then “Owner of a Lonely Heart” by Yes, complete with an instant “I don’t care what anyone says, I love this song” disclaimer.

Part of being a hipster is being deliberately mainstream at optimally calculated opportunities, and as long as that remains the case, I’m sure I’ll continue to find myself arguing in favor of the “unadulterated pop greatness” of “Hey Ya” with my T-shirt-clad peers at many a Brooklyn bar in the forseeable future.

16 Flight of the Conchords - Banter.mp3/Robots (live).mp3
This is what you missed when you were, um, busy.

17 Avenue Q - I Wish I Could Go Back to College.mp3
You don’t know how good you have it right now! I secretly suspect this song is the driving force behind my going to grad school.

18 Sufjan Stevens - Size Too Small.mp3
I don’t know if you have the album Seven Swans. It lacks some of the highs of Illinois and A Sun Came! but is by far a more consistent, cohesive opus. It’s my favorite album by Sufjan, and one of my 10 “desert island” albums.

19 Knife/Heartbeats (Grizzly Bear vs The Knife).mp3
One of the most fantastic and masterful mash-ups of recent.

20 The Magnetic Fields - Take Ecstasy With Me.mp3
I’d like this.

21 Tom Waits - Cemetery Polka.mp3
This song sneaks onto a lot of mixes because it’s short. Also, death. Also, I love the line “as independent as a hog on ice.” Also, Tom Waits is who you’ll sound like if you smoke Lucky Strike unfiltereds for 30+ years.

Top 2007 Albums

These albums were chosen by the four of us using a weighted rating system, with each of us having 10 points to evenly distribute over 8-15 albums. Click on an artist's name to see our review of the album, the album name to purchase a copy, and mp3s to download ahoy before you ring in the New Year!*

The 12 winners (ties at #2 and #8) with their point totals are below:

1. Jens Lekman: Night Falls over Kortedala (26.8)

The Opposite of Hallelujah.mp3

Don't mind Jess plagiarizing herelf, but she's gonna quote her blurb in The L Magazine's top 25 album list, (which you should all check out as well, even though it's not as cool as this list because Jens is only #6 and not #1)

Every song on Kortedala joyously unfolds like the start of a newfound love affair, replete with all the smitten excitement, endearing awkwardness and the good kind of nervousness that any worthwhile relationship naturally entails. With its swirling retro-pop samples seamlessly integrated into the Swedish troubadour’s distinctly contemporary tales of romantic melancholy, it’s hard not to be won over by his lyrical wit, aw-shucks charm and total lack of irony. Whether he’s slicing up avocados, getting a haircut or flirting with a deaf girl, Jens effortlessly transforms those mundane little moments into the stuff that magical glockenspiel-laden epiphanies are made of. Doing what few albums this year (or any year) could accomplish: Kortedala inspires, reaffirming life and restoring faith in that crazy little thing called love, for even the most cynical. Don’t let anyone stand in your way.

2. Andrew Bird: Armchair Apocrypha (18.3)

Heretics.mp3 Dark Matter.mp3

Our favorite fine feathered friend fingerling-a-lings a finely focused effort.

2. Okkervil River: The Stage Names (18.3)

A Hand To Take Hold Of The Scene.mp3, Plus Ones.mp3
The audio equivalent of a rich, satisfying novel.

3.The National: Boxer (17)

Slow Show.mp3

Listen for our friend Sufjan ticking the ivories on a few tracks of this rock-solid rock album.

4. Arcade Fire: Neon Bible (13.3)

Intervention.mp3

"It's got enough atmosphere to start a planet: One minute of rapt attention, at two minutes my mind was blown. By the time the three-minute mark rolled around, my face was so melted as to leave my corpse unidentifiable." -June

5. Patrick Wolf: The Magic Position (11.3)

Overture.mp3, Accident & Emergency.mp3
Creepy and joyous, all at the same time: Wolf's broad-reaching voice and lyrics take back seat to impressive layers of Rachmaninoff-inspired pop compositions as colorful as the packaging.

6.
Radiohead: In Rainbows (11)

Nude.mp3

Not only the best pick-your-price album of the year, but one of the best in general. A real return to real rock, and their best opus since OK computer.
7. Of Montreal: Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? (10.3)

Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse.mp3

Jess again quotes herself: "It’s a weird mix of accessible melodies and dark synth-powered vitriol, a constant battle between the two tones, ending gloriously in a draw."

8. Rufus Wainwright: Release the Stars (10)

Between My Legs.mp3, Slideshow.mp3
Epic and operatic and tongue in cheek and melancholy and oh-so-very Rufus.

8.
Ted Leo & the Pharmacists: Living With the Living (10)

A Bottle of Buckie.mp3

9. Magnolia Electric Co.: Sojourner (9.6)

10. Architecture in Helsinki: Places Like This (8)

Hold Music.mp3, Lazy (Lazy).mp3
A more mature sounding recording that doesn't sacrifice any of the playfulness of their earlier albums.

---

Runners-Up (chosen by two or more of us)

Spoon: Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb.mp3

So few bands actually sound their best when they sound more like themselves. Spoon is one of them.

The Shins: Wincing the Night Away

Sleeping lessons.mp3

Mmmmmm...slacker-rific! Now, with new improved sound and delicious hooks!

Wilco: Sky Blue Sky

Either Way.mp3

Does liking this album take me one step closer to soccer mom-dom? Aw, fuck it. Jeff Tweedy will never break my heart.

White Stripes: Icky Thump

You Don't Know What Love Is (You just Do As You're Told.).mp3
People keep saying the White Stripes have done all they can. People can be dumb sometimes.

Feist: The Reminder

I Feel It All.mp3
Please, let's divorce this album from all its commercial appeal, because let's face it no matter how hard Apple might try, Feist proves you can't commodify a broken heart.

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EPs we liked (not ranked)

Los Campesino!: Sticking Fingers Into Sockets

You! Me! Dancing.mp3
The most fun 16 minutes I've heard all year, like if AiH had a love child with Art Brut.

Black Kids: Wizard of Ahhs

I've Underestimated My Charm (Again).mp3
Yeah, maybe the blogs overestimated their charm, but hey you gotta admit they're catchy.

Grizzly Bear: Friend EP

He Hit Me.mp3
Psych-folk masters rework old material and freak the crap out of me. In a good way, of course.

Jukebox The Ghost: Jukebox The Ghost

Hold It In.mp3
Damn near-addictive piano-based, power-pop, proving quirky vocals and handclaps are always a winning combination.

The Viking Moses: Swollen & Small: The Songs of Neutral Milk Hotel

Holland, 1945.mp3
A small selection of pared-back Neutral Milk Hotel covers from one of the best acts to come
out of new weird America.

Two Gallants: The Scenery of Farewell

Seems Like Home To Me.mp3
With voices that sound older then they are as inherently American as Bruce Springsteen and pb&j.

Flight of the Conchords: The Distant Future

The Most Beautiful Girl in the Room (live).mp3

New Zealand's 4th-most-popular guitar-based digi-bongo a capella rap-funk-comedy folk duo!

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Individual picks

Jess liked...

Richard Hawley: Lady's Bridge

Serious.mp3
I'm really just a sucker for his croon.

Sea Wolf: Leaves in the River

The Cold, The Dark & The Silence.mp3
This album is so gorgeous, I can't even justify its majestic, autumnal gorgeousness.

The Felice Brothers: The Adventures of the Felice Bros., Vol. 1

Whiskey in My Whiskey.mp3

The penned landscape of downtrodden America; Americana at its must rustic, rural--and authentic.

LCD Soundsystem: The Sound of Silver

North American Scum.mp3

The one album that made me want to dance and cry at the same time, despite not being coordinated enough to do so.

June liked...

Oliver Future: Pax Futura

Stranger Than Stranger.mp3

Instantly arresting lyrics, unstoppable guitar riffs and rock beats; the songs stand on their own but work best as a collective unit.

Deerhoof: Friend Opportunity

Kidz Are So Small.mp3

Where cacophany, noise rock, J-pop and a complete lack of irony in the joy of music collide into brilliance.

Castanets: In the Vines

Sway.mp3

Haunting gorgeous... or gorgeously haunting? Asthmatic Kitty's best release this year.

Saul Williams: The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust!

Tr(n)igger.mp3

Trent Reznor has been busy this year, putting out his own album (Year Zero) and producing this fantastic over-the-top grindcore work from preacher/poet/musician Saul Williams.

Megan liked...

CoCo Rosie: The Adventures of Ghosthorse and Stillborn

Werewolf.mp3
Everything I hate combined to make something I love.

Faker: Be The Twilight

Are You Magnetic.mp3

Megan raved about this album at length just a few posts down, but she'll say it again: kickass album with kickass choruses!

Bright Eyes: Cassadaga

If The Brakeman Turns My Way.mp3
The boy wonder isn't a boy anymore, and it's fitting that his new album has a more mature
sound. Sure, a lot of the clumsy charm of his earlier stuff is gone, but the polished, grown up
songs on Cassadaga are just as rewarding in their own way.

The New Pornographers: Challengers

Myriad Habour.mp3
Energetic and melodic and instantly enjoyable.

Lizzie liked...

Peel

State Radio: Year of the Crow

Griffin House: Flying Upside Down

Willy Mason: If the Ocean Gets Rough

*For those of us currently West of, say, Casablanca.