So, let's talk about the Aughts

What follows is my excessively long list of the best albums and otherwise from the decade that began with 2-0-0. I will spare you the links and the pictures. Let's start with not quite ringing in the millenium in the Year Two Kay. (I danced naked around a bonfire. What did you do?)

IMHO, the best albums of 2000 were as follows:
05/02/00 clem snide - your favorite music
09/05/00 ryan adams - heartbreaker
12/05/00 the "o brother, where art thou?" soundtrack

Not too long thereafter, I went through the most painful break-up of my adult life. I remember waking up every morning in my slummy studio apartment on Collins Avenue in South Beach, from which I could just barely see the ocean, and turning on the television, probably to VH1, (this was right before I discovered Buffy on FX), and listening to the hit singles of that summer, e.g., Nelly Furtado's "Like a Bird," but the song that stuck with me the longest was Coldplay's "Yellow." Their first album, along with the others listed below, helped me make it through that year. Dashboard deserves a special shout-out. Nothing allows you laugh at your own pain so much as a caricature of it, and "The Places You Have Come To Fear The Most" is easily the most amusing album of the decade, in that regard.

anatomy of a breakup:
11/07/00 coldplay - parachutes
03/20/01 dashboard confessional - the places you have come to fear the most
06/19/01 gorillaz - s/t
09/11/01 ben folds - rockin' the suburbs

In rolls 2001, and with it, another Clem Snide gem and a brilliant little piece from Mark Linkous' Sparklehorse. Not to mention the breaking out of a something-something red-and-white-and-black-all-over team called the White Stripes. I could post pictures of my Meg White Halloween costume from that year, but they're really far too embarassing.

2001
06/19/01 clem snide - the ghost of fashion
07/03/01 sparklehorse - it's a wonderful life
07/03/01 the white stripes - white blood cells

And then there were my single-and-loving-it days. I bought myself a used 1995 Saab 900S convertible for $10,000 - best car ever, RIP Saab - and commenced to painting the town red.

music for driving around south beach in a convertible:
08/01/00 the glands - s/t
06/19/01 the shins - oh inverted world
03/05/02 ben kweller – sha sha
05/06/03 the long winters - when i pretend to fall
06/03/03 dean & britta – l’avventura
06/10/03 fountains of wayne - welcome interstate managers - The first three tracks on this album, strung together, are classics.

In rolls 2002. These albums are the ones I judge to be the best from it, but I hadn't quite discovered them yet. Miami being what it is, although I had immersed myself in the alternative night dance scene thanks to Poplife, I didn't get back to music until I discovered Spinner in 2003.

2002
01/22/02 okkervil river - don't fall in love with everyone you see
05/21/02 the decemberists - castaways and cutouts
09/24/02 iron & wine – the creek drank the cradle

And with the discovery of Spinner, came the Mountain Goats. What a revelation songs like "No Children" and "Source Decay" were to one such as me, so broken, and in so much pain (yes, still). Although I had rocked out on a Somerville balcony in 1998-1999 to a dear friend's acoustic rendition of "Cubs in Five," I didn't really discover the Mountain Goats until I heard them/him on Spinner in 2003-2004. And the rest is history.

on this blog, the mountain goats get their own category, part 1:
02/19/02 - all hail west texas
11/05/02 - tallahassee

So here I was, back into music, just in time to pick up Sun Kil Moon's "Ghosts of the Great Highway" and Clem Snide's "Soft Spot" at the Coral Gables Barnes & Noble.

2003
07/01/03 sufjan stevens - greetings from michigan: the great lakes state
11/04/03 sun kil moon - ghosts of the great highway

And then, luck being a lady and all, I met my husband (where else?) on the internets, back in the glory days, when the personals were free, and the people on them still interesting.

falling in love again:
02/18/03 the postal service - give up
06/17/03 clem snide - soft spot
10/07/03 death cab for cutie - transatlantacism - Don't think we don't all remember seeing that poster on your wall, Seth Cohen! And don't forget the group sing-a-long to "Transatlantacism" on Six Feet Under. Claire needs you so much closer.

Although meeting The Resident Photographer heralded an era of new mergers and births, there were of course deaths to follow. The best albums of 2004 kicked off that sadness beautifully.

2004
03/23/04 iron & wine – our endless numbered days
09/14/04 arcade fire – funeral

Not to mention a few more amazing entries from John Darnielle & Co.

on this blog, the mountain goats get their own category, part 2:
02/03/04 - we shall all be healed
04/26/05 - the sunset tree

The world and I got more raucous in 2005. I remember hearing the dulcet tones of the Hold Steady's Craig Finn for the first time, streaming out of Newbury Comics on Newbury Street in Boston. I knew then that I liked it, but I wasn't quite sure if I was *allowed,* but of course I was. And who could ignore the band-room beauty of Sufjan Stevens?

2005
05/03/05 the hold steady - separation sunday
07/05/05 sufjan stevens – illinoise

And then there was my dive into "social networking" on the internets. One thing that comes with the pod life, i.e., being married with children, is a limited social scene. Lucky(?) for us, we have the internets. And the internets are willing to share.

things i learned to love on the internets:
05/03/05 mike doughty - haughty melodic
09/27/05 ludo - broken bride

It was in the latter half of this decade that things started getting really big, so big that I couldn't hardly keep up or keep track anymore. F'r'instance, everytime a TV on the Radio tune happens onto my iPod, I think, "Who *is* this? This is really good!" And, every time, it's TV on the Radio.

2006
07/03/06 tv on the radio - return to cookie mountain
10/03/06 the hold steady - boys & girls in america

In 2007, my best friend died. That same week, I was introduced to "Emotionalism."

Andrew Bird came later.

2007
03/15/07 the avett brothers - emotionalism
03/20/07 andrew bird - armchair apocrypha

2007 was also a fantastic year for soundtracks. I'm sure my love for musicals has not gone unnoticed here, but the soundtracks of 2007 are worthy contenders in their own regard.

notable soundtracks:
05/22/07 once
09/14/07 across the universe
12/25/07 juno

It was in 2008 that I was invited to join this venerable blog. Although my favorite albums from that year didn't really wear in until this year, I continue to believe that they are genius.

2008
03/03/08 nick cave - dig lazarus dig
05/20/08 islands - arm's way - This took on special meaning for me when I was diagnosed with a melanoma on my left forearm this year. The recision scar, it's HOT.

And these are my (non-musical) favorites from 2009. "Merriweather Post Pavilion" is Animal Collective's genius at its most distilled and palatable, and "My Maudlin Career" is just delicious.

2009
01/20/09 animal collective - merriweather post pavilion
04/21/09 camera obscura - my maudlin career

So what were your favorites of the Aughts, O readers?

Play '09 off, Keyboard Cat.

An apt farewell for the last year of the Naughts.



See you in 2010!

Top albums & songs of 2009 (June edition)

Here's a rundown on my year in music:

Best/favorite albums:

Mountain Goats - The Life of the World to Come
Philippians 3:20-21.mp3


A.C. Newman - Get Guilty
Falling Over.mp3


Andrew Bird - Noble Beast/Useless Creatures (Deluxe Edition)
You Woke Me Up!.mp3


Flaming Lips - Embryonic
The Sparrow Looks Up At The Machine.mp3


Various Artists - Weezer: The 8-bit Album
OxygenStar - In the Garage.mp3


Islands - Vapours
Disarming the Car Bomb.mp3


Lady Gaga - The Fame Monster
Teeth.mp3


Morrissey - Years of Refusal
Morrissey - I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris.mp3


Sufjan Stevens - The BQE
.mp3


The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - Higher Than The Stars EP
.mp3

Perhaps no surprises here, but it's been such a busy year for me that I've barely had time for my ears to catch much more than this.

Contestants for the Annual "Sincey" Award:
Jeremih - Birthday Sex.m4a
Lily Allen - 22.mp3
Soulja Boy - Gucci Bandanna.mp3
Shakira - Loba.mp3
Spanish versions are ALWAYS better than the English versions.

"Party in the U.S.A." will instead be represented in the category of "best mash-ups of 2009":
Hathbanger - Party and Bullshit (In the USA) (Notorious B.I.G. vs. Miley Cyrus).mp3
Tor - I Like The Tallest Man (Grad Puba vs. Sufjan Stevens).mp3

Excited for upcoming:
Peter Peter Hughes' "Fangio, Juan Fangio" album
Sufjan's new album to be out "early next year." (Nope, not a state album!)
Whatever Jens Lekman can do with two turntables and a microphone

I love Wayne's hair!

This is a real jewel. Here's a 40 minute-long video interview with a 26 year old Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips from 1988. I was 3 years old then and as cool a toddler as I was, I was too busy with Big Bird to care about the Lips. Whodathunk that 21 years later this band is STILL chugging along just as vital as ever and releasing epic, highly relevant albums. Enjoy!

Wayne Coyne Interview 1988 from Chris Buly on Vimeo.

He not like other guys, he coming from the sky

Keyboard Cat was probably the most viral video of 2009, but before we let him play the year off, let me share one more music video for your consideration:



SUDANESE RAPPERS!
Now that my love of Kanye has fallen through, I only hope that Bangs will be in attendance for next year's Grammy's. Now if only there was a mash-up of this song and "Gucci Bandana" by Soulja Boy/Shawty-Lo and I will be in 2009 rap heaven.

Did your holiday party have a Neutral Milk Hotel cake??

So as you may or may not know, Julian Koster (of Neutral Milk Hotel(!!!!) and The Music Tapes fame) is gracious enough to perform Christmas carols in random strangers home across the country with his magical saw. And magical it is. Along with two of his bandmates and a set of plastic nutcrackers, illuminated sheep and strands of holiday lights, they play the classics (sing-along fave Jingles Bells, the majestic O Tannenbaum) along with a couple of originals. With an ethereal hum, the saws, all of which have names mind you, sung their little hearts out (Believe me these saws have hearts, just as much as they have teeth). As you might imagine, seeing an indie-pop legend in the comfy confines of your friend's living room is a pretty awesome intimate experience. Especially given the old-school decorations and endearing holiday stories. (Julian's imitation of his grandfather spinning a yarn about an old man eating his hat was downright adorable).

Get a sense of the magic with this video taken at a caroling event last year:

And honestly the Elephant 6 collective makes a much better party theme than ugly sweaters. I mean did your holiday bash have an In the Aeroplane Over the Sea cake?! Or King of Carrot cake cupcakes? I think not.
Special thanks to Tom Williams at Radio Exile for hosting. All photos by Sarah Mulligan. Check out even more at her flickr page.

A competition! Oh ho! (Win Death Cab swag plus a mix!)

Oh hi there readers! So here's the skinny: Way back in October for my birthday my awesome real life buddy Inez bought me, among other cool gifts, Death Cab For Cutie's 'open door' ep. But! Disaster! I already had a copy of that particular ep, which I loved very much. If two copies could double the loved I'd be set, but sadly it doesn't work that way. Which mean I appear to have an extra copy of this ep, just sitting there and not getting to fufill its destiny of being played.

So I though we'd hold a little competition, and the winner could get Death Cab's 'open door' and, even cooler, a custom made mix cd! (I haven't actually checked that Inez is cool with me giving away her gift, so, uh, if you're reading this nez and thinking, 'oh my god, megan is such a bitch I hate her,' then just remember who keeps you stocked up with might angus burgers and mcflurrys, alright? Also, Inez, you could totally enter and try to win your gift back, wouldn't that be delightfully postmodern? Or something?)

Anyway! To win all you have to do is download the 2:20min-ish clip I made and identify the songs you hear within. Long term listeners will remember we did something like this a while ago, and it seemed to work pretty well. There's 19 songs to be identified, whoever gets the most wins! You can either e-mail us (volume.knob@hotmail.com) your answers, or you can answer in the comments (I won't make them visable till the contest is over).

You have until, ummm, let's say saturday Australia time (which is friday for most of you living in the past dudes and dudettes) to get your answers in. Remember, if you win, you have to be cool with letting me know your address. I promise not to stalk you. Much.

Ok, go!

19 track totally awesome clip thing for competition winningness (remember, only sad pancake hating fart heads google for answers. although good luck googling la la la la).

I feel I should go and buy a natty vest in celebration

"Fangio, Juan Fangio" paper cut-out art by Trystan Nielsen

From the ever awesome Fayettenam Records website:

"Some exciting news: early in 2010 Fayettenam will be releasing FANGIO, a new album by Peter Peter Hughes. You may know Peter Peter (minus one "Peter") as bass player for the Mountain Goats and Nothing Painted Blue, or as the frontman of the late, great DiskothiQ. FANGIO is pretty different from anything by those bands. It's an LP-length electro-pop paean to deceased Formula One champion Juan Manuel Fangio. Yes it is. It's also smart, catchy, novelistic in its detail and really great.

FANGIO will be out on LP and digital download, and will be preceded by a 7" single. More details soon..."

I can remember playing the lo-fi masterpiece 'the one hundred thousand songs of peter peter hughes' (which, fyi you can download for free from PPH's website, so go do so now) on repeat as I took the bus back and forth from uni when I first moved out of home. To this day the sound of those songs brings instantly to mind the memory of traffic lights blurred by rain splattered bus windows, and the heavy weight of homesickness in my belly. I am so excited for this new album, its not even funny.

Working Up To It: Twofer Also-Ran's of the Aughts

I've compiled a largely personal, largely random, and mostly just large list of the albums that I consider to be the best of the aughts. And this isn't it! Unsurprisingly, there were a lot of solid candidates that didn't quite make the final cut, so, by way of practice, I offer them up to you here, my five also-ran's of the last ten years, in loose chronological order.

---

JACK JOHNSON



Jack Johnson's "Brushfire Fairytales" & "On & On," released on January 29, 2002, and May 6, 2003, respectively, are a pair of lovely, ramshackle albums crafted from Mr. Johnson's presumably low-key, pre-fame life in Hawaii. They are thematically surfer/hippie, anti-progress, anti-consumerist. "Symbol in my Driveway" rivals Janis Joplin's "Mercedes Benz" for best snap! on those who live and die by status symbols, and "Flake" is an unqualified classic.

Flake - Jack Johnson - Brushfire Fairytales
Symbol in my Driveway - Jack Johnson - On & On

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RUFUS WAINWRIGHT



Released a scant two weeks after "Brushfire Fairytales," Rufus Wainwright's "Poses" is very nearly its antithesis. Overproduced, metropolitan and glorious, "Poses" is a fantastic rumination on the many facets of an eminently talented man. "Want One," which followed a year and a half later, pushes the theatre envelope even further. With tracks like "Oh What a World" and "My Phone's On Vibrate For You," "Want One" is self-referential and fun to the extreme.

The Consort - Rufus Wainwright - Poses
Oh What a World - Rufus Wainwright - Want One

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KATHLEEN EDWARDS



Kathleen Edwards owned a little piece of my heart in the mid-Aughts. With "Failer," released in January of 2003, and "Back to Me," which followed in March of 2005, this alt-country Canadienne explored the timeless territory of love & loneliness, breakups and other-womanhood, with just the right amounts of strength and sadness mixed in.

One More Song the Radio Won't Like - Kathleen Edwards - Failer
Somewhere Else - Kathleen Edwards - Back to Me

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THE WEAKERTHANS



Although I didn't discover them until the September 2007 release of "Reunion Tour," The Weakerthans had of course been in action for years before then. John K. Samson pushes all my buttons, male singer/songwriter wise, and, though I usually prefer the earlier works of any given artist, 2003's "Reconstruction Site" and 2007's "Reunion Tour" both contain enough gems to keep me convinced I'll never have to look backwards for this band's best work. "Civil Twilight," in particular, has become something of a personal anthem for me, and would definitely make my top tracks of the decade list, should I ever decide to make one.

One Great City! - The Weakerthans - Reconstruction Site
Civil Twilight - The Weakerthans - Reunion Tour

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WHY?



I can't quite figure out how Why? got bumped off my Best of the Aughts list. "Elephant Eyelash" and "Alopecia" are two of the strongest, most unique records I've heard this decade, but here we are just the same. We've twice trekked to see the brothers Wolf, and have yet to be disappointed by same, although "Alopecia" and the "Eskimo Snow" produced two very different shows. Yoni Wolf in particular is starting to look a bit like a first term president, as though the pressures of success are wearing on him. I'm just happy they're still producing.

Gemini (Birthday Song) - Why? - Elephant Eyelash
These Few Presidents - Why? - Alopecia

Best Of Oh Nine: Megan Edition

Do you guys realise it's been ten years since every time you turned on the radio that 'we're gonna party like it's 1999' song was playing? I can not tell you how thankful I am that no 80s rockstar decided to write a song about '09. Could you just imagine the Bon Jovi ballad, 'it's already 09 and we still don't know what to call this crazy decade?'

In the absense of that smash hit, let me share with you now my favourite music of the year that I had to make do with:

5. The Love Language - The Love Language
I blogged about this one already, a few months back, and it's continued to grow on me ever since then. This has got to be one of the most underrated, or at least underexposed, albums of the year. Listening to this album is like catching a sonic glimpse of another time. Not the past, neccessarily, these melodic, fuzzy little tunes could just as easily be coming from a future where waltzing is back in vogue. (Oh, wouldn't that be lovely?)
Night Dogs


4. Monsters of Folk - Monsters of Folk
Most pleasantly surprising album of 09, for me anyway. The obbssevive completionist who dwells in my soul insisted that I buy this album on account of Conor Oberst's presense in it, despite the fact that I wasn't hugely impressed with his past two non Bright Eyes releases. (Not that they were bad, they just left me all... eh). But this! Such a beautifully crafted meloncholy buy stubbornly hopeful little album! From the obvious single 'Say Please' to the classicly Oberstian 'Man Named Truth,' I loved every second of it. Having such big solo personalities (M. Ward and Jim James or Yim Yames or Y. Diddy or whoever he is now being the other two, well and Mike Mogis but outside of Bright Eyes I don't think he's so well known) could easily have ended in an ego-copalypse. It's a credit to all of them that this thing turned out so well.
His Masters Voice


3. The Killers - Live at Albert Hall
I have loved me some Killers this year. I'd have put Day & Age on the list, but that came out at the end of 08, even though I didn't come to really appriciate it this year. And in case it wasn't until I saw the Killers live at V Fest in April that I shifted from 'oh, yeah the Killers, they're pretty ok,' to 'wow, the Killers, yeah those guys are awesome.' See, I'm used to indie music, where the music is delicate and often restrained. All the bobbastic synth of Killers distracted me from the fact that, woah, Brandon Flowers can actually sing. He did this accoustic version of Sam's Town at the festival and I was just blown away. Plus, he has a southern accent and you know how I am with accents.
For Reasons Unknown (live at the Albert Hall)


2. The Mountain Goats - The Life of the World in Flux
No, I've not made an embarresing error and got the name of The Life of the World to Come wrong. The Life of the World in Flux is the bonus album that you got if you ordered the album from London's Rough Trade store. (See, when the new mountain goats album gets released two days before your birthday you can ask to have it expensively shipped across the glove to you!) With every album the goats get a little more polished, which isn't neccessarily a bad thing. But sometimes I miss the crackle and yowl of ye olde mountain goats, you know? Which it is why the demo and outtakes version of the new album has made my list in place of the album proper. Just Mr. JD and his voice and his guitar and his genius.
Psalms 40-2


1. The Sunset Rubdown - Dragonslayer
I simply can not say enough good things about this album. I am baffled, BAFFLED, as to why not everyone is raving about it at every chance they get. I love every song, from the first note to the last. I'm not kidding, there is not one moment of this album that I don't wholeheartedly love. You know how many other albums I can say that about? Two: Aoeroplane Over the Sea and The Sunset Tree. Seriously. I LOVE this album. I love that each song seems to almost tell the part of a larger epic narrative that I can almost but not quite grasp. I love the imagary, the atmosphere, the sweeping epic moments and the quiter ones, the recurring images and themes, everything everything everything. Seriously people. You know what, you should go elsewhere for information about this album, because you not going to hear anything other than 'buy it! it's awesome! why haven't you bought it yet!'
You Go On Ahead (Trumpet Trumpet II)

Owning Up, 2009

I've spent a fair portion of my free time in the past few months working on my Best of 2009 list for publication on this 'ere blog. From a semi-finalists list of about thirty, few of which would probably come as a surprise to you, I've underlined, struck through, italicized, put in bold, categorized and recategorized those albums that I perceived to be this year's contenders. I've listened and relistened to them, both critically and distractedly. And I strongly suspect that I spent more money on music in 2009 than in all of the previous years combined.

But Jess's list, below, is either just as good or better than the list I would have come up with, anyway, and what struck me most about her list was that she based it, not on best, but on most played. And it occurred to me that "most played" is as good an indicator of best as any other metric. And the bottom line truth of the matter is, when it comes to most played albums, in 2009, by me, they are as follows:

JULIE'S UNDISPUTED CHAMPION of 2009: GLEE

What can I say about these albums that hasn't already been said? Who knows? I have very little idea what's been said about them. I don't really want to know. I can't imagine that it's very good. I recognize that I'm a bit of a diehard true believer when it come to this show and the associated albums, but I just can't help it. Glee seems to me like such a special phenomenon. It's like the pop music back catalog has finally gotten big enough, and is finally meaningful enough to a large enough percentage of the population, to make this show, and the associated albums, more than the sum of its parts. Which is not to say that its parts aren't pretty fantastic in their own right. Lea Michele's voice is as clear as a bell, and Jane Lynch, I mean, COME ON. Jane Lynch! That being said, I'm not going to try to persuade you if you're not already there. Glee is like Moulin Rouge. You either like it, or you don't. And, In 2009, I liked it waaaaay more than was strictly healthy.

JULIE'S 2009 RUNNER-UP: NEXT TO NORMAL



Something about this Tony-award winning musical must have struck a chord with me, because I spent most of the summer driving around with it on repeat. Again, I'm not going to prosthelytize it to the non-believers, but it touches on a lot of different issues that have really moved to the forefront in this generation, e.g., modern family, mental health, medication, and of course all the usual good stuff like love and loss. If you're in New York City, do me a favor and go see it, because I'm afraid I won't get there in time. And, if not, and you don't totally abhor all things Broadway, give it a listen sometime and enjoy.

Superboy and the Invisible Girl - Next to Normal OBCR

Don't forget to give your mom some pie

Just because Volume Knob is run by a bunch of shiksha's doesn't mean we've forgotten about our Jewish friends. Here is the Mountain Goat's lovely ditty "Hanukkah". Yes, way before he was writing songs titled after Bible verses he burst out a little hava nagila. Enjoy

Hanukkah - the Mountain Goats

Top Albums of 2009 and epic year end wrap up (Jess edition)

By "Top" I mean most frequently played by yours truly. This is what I like and have continued to like for the past 12 months. Songs for download from each album follow:

15. 'Em Are I - Jeffrey Lewis
Ok so this is a very top-heavy album, but I'll be damned if the first four songs on this album weren't among my most played of the year.
Broken Broken Broken Heart

14. Actor - St. Vincent
I finally fell for Annie's angelic voice, plus Those syrupy strings juxtaposed with jarring angular guitar makes for some of some of the most fractured yet melodic pop of the year.
Black Rainbow

13. Romanian Names - John Vanderslice
Underrated, underrated, underrated. Light acoustic guitar, piano and elliptical synths mingle in an elegant and foreboding way.
Too Much Time

12. I and Love and You - The Avett Brothers
Slick and sincere Americana
I and Love and You


11. Self-Titled - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
Fuzzy pop goodness. Nuff said.
This Love is Fucking Right!

10. Those Darlins - Those Darlins
This trio of Tennessee gals rip it up country-style. It's old timey twang with a dash of rollicking DIY-punk spirit, which make for one of the most charming debuts of the year. Darling indeed.
Wild One

9. The Law of the Playground - The Boy Least Likely To
Just like their debut, this long-awaited follow-up contains the most twee-ly upbeat songs about scary downbeat things. In other words it's some of the most precious pop ever made about slaying dragons and the onset of adulthood.
Every Goliath Has its David

8. Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix - Phoenix
This is pop of not only the catchiest variety, but of the most Populist order ("1901" proved inescapable with those ubiquitous Cadillac commercials) In other words, this is Pop the way it should be.
Lisztomania


7. The Warm Heart of Africa - The Very Best
Truly global music - British producers and Malawi singers meld indigenous instrumentation with elements of electronica, hip-hop, gospel and afro-pop for a grandly original sound only possible in 2009.
Kada Manja

6. XX - The xx
I haven't heard anything this seductive in ages. Boy-girl vocals, sparse yet soulful synths. Swooooon.
VCR

5. Veckatimest - Grizzly Bear
Given the devastatingly intricate nature of this album, these boys must have slaved away putting all the strings and guitars and pianos parts together. And yet the all the layers work in perfect, fractured harmony. With this neo-classical masterpiece the Grizz succeed in the once unheard of island of Veckatimest on the map.
Two Weeks

4. The Life of the World to Come - the Mountain Goats
Sure all the songs are titled after Bible verses, but really this album is about more than God. It's about more than death, it's about more than our impending mortality. It's about the way faith heals and fails us. And like every song John Darnielle has ever written, it's about all of us. Just listen closely, the devil's in the novelistic details.
Matthew 25:21

3. My Maudlin Career - Camera Obscura
Camera Obscura contines to do what they do best: make romance sound giddy, girly, swirly and dreamy and make heartbreak sound heartbreaky and also dreamy. It basically makes for their most cohesive and consistent album to date.
Honey in the Sun

2. Vs. Children - Casiotone for the Painfully Alone
The painfully underrated songwriter Owen Ashworth soundtracks stories of one-night stands, abortion and crime sprees with lo-fi synths and choral organ drones. The prospect of adulthood (and having kids) never sounded so ominous, not to mention catchy.
Harsh the Herald Angels Sing


1. Album - Girls
Nothing released in the past 365 days has the visceral emotionalism of this record. Declarations of youthful frustration, like wanting love, pizza and wine never sounded so pure, raw or honest. From the Beach Boys party pop of "Lust for Life" to the hangover haze of "Hellhole Ratrace" this is easily the greatest documentation of angst that never sounds angsty. To quote "Ghostmouth", "I knew it when I heard the first time. I knew it when I heard it the last time, nothing compares to you."
Lust for Life
Hellhole Ratrace

Honorable Mentions and other notes:
Morrissey, Wilco and especially Yo La Tengo and the Flaming Lips all put out respectable efforts this year. Perhaps you've heard of them? We bet these kids are going places.

Also everyone seems to be creaming their pants over Animal Collective and the Dirty Projectors. Now, while I certainly dig "My Girls" and "Stillness is the Move" from a purely subjective standpoint these are "small doses" bands for me. Doesn't mean you shouldn't check 'em out though.

The Decemberists, Andrew Bird and Neko Case are all artists I'm normally enamored with, yet this year they left me hanging dry. Not that I was completely disappointed (Hazards of Love works MUCH better live) I just found myself wanting something different, something fuzzy, something like Girls.

Most productive band that didn't release an album in 09 but worked harder than most bands who did: The National
Whether it was contributing an original song to Dark Was the Night (which was curated by the members of the band as well, Go Dessner Brothers!) or providing cover songs to various other compilations like that one Merge put out and charity project Ciao My Shining Star: The Songs of Mark Mulcahy these boys sounded great. Plus they toured their butts off and even debuted a couple of new songs while on the road. It all bodes well for a productive 2010!

Speaking of which, what 2010 albums are you most psyched for? The Magnetic Fields, Los Campesinos!, Spoon, She & Him, Frightened Rabbit, The Arcade Fire? And will Peter Peter Hughes brilliant Fangio album finally see the light of day?

Personal musical moments of 2009 (Jess editon)

Yes, all of these happened this year and if you told me so last year, I would have done a spit-take:

-I called Nikki Sixx on the phone (as part of a temp job?!?!).

-My cat was featured on Pitchfork. My cat is a hipster.

-I bought a Lady Gaga album.

-I was published! In a book! Cassette from My Ex is in stores now. I hear it makes a lovely holiday gift. /shameless self-promotion.

-While waiting in line outside the Housing Works Bookstore, John Darnielle put his hand on my shoulder and said "HEY I KNOW YOU", even though he doesn't. I guess that's what happens when you go to a double-digit amount of Mountain Goats shows.

-I was in the same room as JEFF MANGUM!!!!!

And there you have it. Anything interesting happen to you?

Stay tuned for my top album of the year list, I know you're waiting with baited breath.

Your christmas tree isn't complete without a fetus

Deck your tree with this silver trembling fetus. A christmas-sweatered Wanye impores you in the video below.
Can the lips please host a holiday special with confetti canons and dudes dressed as rabbits? On Mars of course.

Silver Trembling Hands - The Flaming Lips

Ear-worm warning

I just rediscovered my favorite way to discover music - mixes. Especially when you don't even glance at the tracklist before listening, because sometimes just the sight of a certain band name or even a word, say "crystal-bear-and/or-wolf" can give way to a whole set of pre-conceived associations, some of which are bad. I like my listening to be as devoid of context as possible, which is usually why Bejeweled covers up the iTunes player on my screen (well that and I just had to beat Aunt Marsha's high score). Basically this is just a really long-winded way of saying I heard these two songs by the same band on the same mix and really, REALLY liked them.

After all that exposition I'm hesitant to even tell you the band's name given everything I just said. But despite what past lovers might tell you, I'm not cold or withholding. The band is Oberhofer, which really is just one dude named Brad, uh Oberhofer. And his music is freakishly catchy and compelling, kinda like the aural equivalent of watching a hypnotist's pocket watch being swayed in front of your eyes. I almost expect to see Twilight Zone-esque black and white spirals appear from the ether, when listening to it. Imagine if your favorite pop/indie/folk/electronic song was recorded underwater. It would still be poppy and accessible, but would have a little subversive twist and quirk in its production. I should probably stop typing now and let you just listen for yourself.

Away FRMU - Oberhofer
I Could Go - Oberhofer

Sadly for us, the guy only has a few demos posted on his MySpace. Here's hoping for an album, or at least an EP by next year.

Mountain Goats Tour Recap: Now with bare feet!

So there's this band called the Mountain Goats that we've seen, oh well over a dozen times and tend to obsess over a lot. Their latest tour just wrapped up this week at Brooklyn's insanely intimate Bell House. If you failed to see them, well then you truly failed. Here's what you missed:

1. Bare feet! Sometimes musicians like Final Fantasy or Andrew Bird play in their socks, mostly because they have to twiddle lots of knobs and looping pedals with their toes. But John Darnielle deals solely with a guitar making this new development in lack of footwear inexplicably awesome. I read a supposed explanation that it's because Amy Grant does the same thing and JD totally digs her. So that settles that: the freer the feet, the closer to God,

2.An extra member! Perry Wright (of The Prayers and Tears of Arthur Digby Sellers) plays additional guitar adding more bombast than ever before. No word on how permanent his addition to the band will be, but he sure rocked out. Hard.

3. Piano! It's no surprise really given the pretty piano-heavy arrangements of their latest and 17(!) album The Life of the World to Come. And this is no crappy Casio either. It's like for real. And was actually purchased by....

4. Owen Pallett. Mr. Final Fantasy himself couldn't bear to hear the Mountain Goats play on instruments unworthy of their music. What a guy. Oh and he even played violin on certain tracks. His plucky rendition of "Going to Bristol" is brilliant, brilliant I say. Sadly he injured his finger (disassembling said piano the night before the last show of the tour) and thus couldn't play violin for that one concert. I saw his finger up close. It was all icky and purply looking. Here's hoping it heals soon. (The video quality is iffy but the sound is that matters here)


5. Owen Pallett's hair. That boy has locks of wonder. Whether its gelled back or naturally swooping forward, it is always perfectly coiffed. I'd love to have a sleepover with him where we could give each other braids and guacamole facials. After his hand heals of course.

Download the WHOLE Webster Hall show here, courtesy NYCTaper.

Inappropriate Christmas Mix

Here some tunes to play while you hoist the Festivus pole!

Christmas Card From A Hooker in Minneapolis - Tom Waits
You should know this one by now. If not, shame on you.

Cold White Christmas - Casiotone for the Painfully Alone
Sad song about spending Christmas alone in St. Paul. Dude, what is up with all these songs taking place in Minnesota? Remind me not to spend the holidays there, k thanks.

Depressed Christmas - Culturcide
Sung to the tune of "White Christmas" except with lower-than-lo-fi production. Oh and it's about suicide, no really it is!

Papa Ain't No Santa Claus (And Mama Ain't No Christmas Tree) - Butterbeans and Susie
This song was recorded in like the 1930's and it is HILARIOUS. The title kinda says it all

I Don't Love Anyone - Belle & Sebastian
NOT EVEN CHRISTMAS

Christmas in Jail, Ain't that a Pain - Leroy Carr
Yes, yes it is. Another Depression-era classic

Did I Make You Cry on Christmas (Well You Deserved It!) - Sufjan Stevens
Ouch Suf, that stings. I thought we were friends.


I Hate Christmas - Oscar the Grouch
Every December my family gathers around and watches that 80's Sesame Street special where Oscar tells Big Bird it's impossible for Santa to climb down chimneys. Which prompts Big Bird to wait on the rooftop all Christmas Eve night for the big man's arrival. He then freezes his giblets off. Classic.

Lest anyone accuse me of going without a Sufjan post for a while

I can't believe we got scooped on this one! But the trailer for the upcoming movie "Babies" features the song "The Perpetual Self, Or "What Would Saul Alinsky Do?"" by Sufjan Stevens, off his album The Avalanche. Kind of surprising and refreshing to have a pick from that album! (Oh, and even though I'm not a big fan of babies, this movie looks really cute and interesting!)



And of course, here is the song for your downloading pleasure:
Sufjan Stevens - The Perpetual Self, Or "What Would Saul Alinsky Do?".mp3

Keeping with the theme of cover albums

Though this came out in July, I am ashamed to admit, dearest readers, I did not know it existed until just this morning. It is absolutely incredible, and it is now your imperative mission to download this FREE album in its entirety.

Here's a link to the page! Go nuts!!
Weezer: the 8-bit cover album

That's right, it's a compilation of your favorite Weezer tracks. Covered by great, unknown artists. Who only work in the same musical format as your favorite old-skool Nintendo soundtracks.

My favorite:
Bit Shifter - The World Has Turned And Left Me Here.mp3

It'll get you dancing for sure, and keep an ear open for the "Wave of Mutilation" lyrics thrown in as well. EPIC WIN!

Hi, We're not the Mountain Goats

Ok so I just gotta pimp this awesome cover project. 34 Mountain Goat fans picked out the songs they most wanted to hear covered and then were randomly assigned one of those songs to cover themselves. Here is the result. All songs are up for free download. All they ask is that you donate a few a bucks to the Farm Sanctuary if you find yourself enjoying it. Sounds like a fair deal to us.

(Oh and full disclosure, yours truly sings a bit on "Seed Song", so um yeah I sound a little squeaky, so nevermind my lack of vocal ability. It was fun anyway.)

No, Thank you!

This cat macro is lovingly dedicated to fellow blogger Jess and her poor terrified cat, Mudpie

Happy Thanksgiving to all our U.S. readers! Here's a grab-bag of songs from some very thankful musicians:

Dido - Thank You.mp3

The Flaming Lips - Thank You Jack White.mp3

Alanis Moressette - Thank U.mp3

the Mountain Goats - Thanks For The Dress.mp3

Neil Diamond - Thank the Lord for the Night Time.mp3

ZZ Top - I Thank You.mp3

And finally, a very thankful Sufjan takes time to appreciate the audience and My Brightest Diamond's Shara Worden in this clip from a live show in 2006:
Sufjan Stevens - "Thank You!".mp3

My cat is more internet famous than me.

Dear Readers,

The indie-verse works in mysterious ways.

It's been a loooooong two days. Yesterday I flew down to Florida to visit my grandma for the Thanksgiving holiday, with the intent of catching the Mountain Goats show in Orlando. However upon deplaning I was greeted by the most saddening voicemail ever from co-blogger Julie: the show was canceled on account of John Darniele getting sick! NOOOOOOOOOO! EPIC FAIL. Get well soon JD! (However a concert did end up going on. Final Fantasy played and Peter Hughes did a solo set, as did various other performers. A seperate post is pending to justly describe the awesomeness.)

BUT I was also greeted with a super-awesome email from Tim Harrington, the zany and wonderful lead singer of Les Savy Fav. I didn't recall signing up for a LSF mailing list or personally emailing him, so I was colored confused. I click the mouse. Here's what the message said:

Hey You guys remember how you sent me pictures of your cats lo those many months ago? Well, I've finally posted the BEARDO episode I used them for- it is kind of an endurance joke but your cute cats are all up front- Thanks So much, I hope you enjoy!

OH YEAH! Now that he mentioned it I *DID* send him a photo of my beloved Mudpie. There she is at the 0:37 mark. Good job on making it on Pitchfork before me, Mudpie. You are clearly hipper than your owner.
Watch her here:

Another song I love, another band I know so little about

Ramshackle, lo-fi production? Check. Surf pop melody? Check.
Detached, old-school Liz Phair vocals? Check. Lyrics about hating to sleep alone? Check.

When I'm With You - Best Coast

Listen to more by the Best Coast here.

My favorite song about cats ever

Yes, I'm dragging my boyfriend to a cat show tomorrow. In honor of that I'm posting my favorite song about cats EVER.

Plea From a Cat Named Virtute - The Weakerthans


And speaking of the Weakerthans, John K. Samson just released a three-song solo record City Route 85 for Anti. We quite like it as well!
Also the above cat is my gal Mudpie. She needs a LOL caption, don'tcha think?

SWIM (To reach the end!)

This band played like 87 CMJ shows and guess what? Leave it to us to miss ALL of them. Beyond that we don't know much about Surfer Blood (besides the fact that they just opened a bunch of shows for Art Brut). BUT I am completely enamored with their latest single "Swim". It's kind of shout-y, pounding bit of power-pop but in a totally catchy, deceptively simple way. And there's also that little instrumental break that vaguely reminds me of Vampire Weekend (but only vaguely). Their debut Astrocoast hits shelves January 12th. Here's hoping it lives up tot he single.

Swim - Surfer Blood

Say Yes to "Say No"

We're quite bummed we missed the epic Slumberland Records 20th Anniversary concert last weekend at the Bell House. Thank God however, for bootlegs because thanks to nyctaper we've got a live recording of The Pains of Being Pure At Heart's entire set which includes the premiere of a brand new song.

"Say No to Love" contains everything we've come to love about the Pains - jangly guitar, breathy vocals and a melancholy "BEEN THERE" sentiment. Needless to say, we dig it. Download it below:

Say No to Love (Live) - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

Hippest 5 year old ever

Most adorable Sufjan cover ever. It's almost enough to make me want to have kids. Almost.

Cover smackdown: 2009 edition

So at this point it's pretty obvious what songs will top the best-of-09 lists this year. Two "No, Duh" contenders are Animal Collective's "My Girls" and the Dirty Projectors "Stillness is the Move". They're all swell and pretty and all but we think the more important question is which cover version is better. Earlier this year we brought you Taken By Trees re-gendered, stripped down, Pakistani influenced "My Boys", which might we add is AWESOME. But now Solange (aka Beyonce's hipster sister) went and sung her heart out on a newly R&B infused "Stillness is the Move".

So my question dear readers is this: who better did a better re-interpretation of 2009? I'm still waiting for Britney to cover "Two Weeks".

My Boys (Animal Collective cover) - Taken By Trees

Stillness is the Move (Dirty Projectors cover) - Solange

Nana Grizol @ The Cake Shop, NYC 11/8/09

We've been writing a lot about Nana Grizol lately, but deservedly so. I caught their set at the Cake Shop last Sunday and it reaffirmed my love for the Athen, GA indie pop collective tenfold. First off their sound expands like WHOA in the live context. The six band members practically spilled off the stage, while their two dueling drummers rev up the rhythm section for a rollicking, punk-ier effect. BUT how many punk bands have trumpet, euphonium and clarinet players, huh? Marching band instruments represent!

Oh and in addition to the music, they told some of the silliest (read: groan-worthily awesome!) jokes I've ever heard. My fave: How do you find Will Smith in the snow? Look for fresh prints! See they're comedians too! Ok, maybe Nana Grizol should stick with their day job.

Check out that set list:

And here's a song off their new album Ruth:
>Galaxies - Nana Grizol

P.S. - We spotted Jeff Mangum, aka Mr. Neutral Milk Hotel in the audience!

The post in which I wimp out on saying Hi to Jeff Mangum

Maybe you've already read my many fangirlish tweets about it, but yes I stood just inches away from Jeff Mangum, aka Mr. Neutral Milk Hotel last night. It was at the Cake Shop, an itty bitty NYC venue, decked out with Christmas lights and tinsel. Athens, GA-based band Nana Grizol was performing (truly an outstanding live act, by the way). Several of Nana's members were in Neutral Milk Hotel so it's probably no surprise Jeff was there supporting his former bandmate's new projects.

I recognized him right away. In fact he was wearing this very outfit, down to the lumberjack shirt and paperboy hat. Like he was in uniform, or perhaps in costume, like a superhero: I didn't say hi. I just gawked and starred. And yes I know he's human just like everybody else and not some mythical creature, but a part of me was just so in awe to witness the corporeal flesh of a dude who crafted one of the finest life-affirming albums to quote Kanye, "OF ALL TIME". I feel bad for making my star-struck-ness so apparent. But I didn't say hi, though I saw a few people hug him (I figured they were just old friends or acquaintances). I restrained myself from screaming "Jesus Christ, I love you", which was not very hard given my acute shyness. But just thought I'd pass along word that he does very much exist and I'm glad I caught a glimpse of such humanity.

And some songs to celebrate:
Circle of Friends - Neutral Milk Hotel
Love You More Than Life - Neutral Milk Hotel

Meet your kid's new role model.

You've probably heard about Yo Gabba Gabba, that trippy kids show with the monsters and hip indie bands. Well the show is finally releasing an full length album and it features this new little ditty by Of Montreal. "Brush Brush Brush" as you probably guessed is our new favorite song about the glamtastic awesomeness of oral hygiene. But it begs the question: do you really want your kids taking dental advice from a guy who parades around in his golden underoos on a horse??? We're gonna say YES. I mean we turned out alright.

Listen here: Brush Brush Brush - Of Montreal

Lady Gaga has some stiff competition

I finally get an excuse to post about The Office and man I'm psyched about it. Here's an awesome ditty by everyone's fave office ditz Kelly and receptionist Erin aka Subtle Sexuality. There first single "Male Primadonna" features the Nard Dog (oh Andy we love your smooth dance moves) and introducing Mr. Understanding (two words: rapping Ryan!). While this is obviously a parody, it veers hilariously close to auto-tune top-40 tripe, but in a lovable laughable way. In other words I'd buy the song off iTunes in an instant and revolve my whole workout around it.

Love the homesewn album cover too

I promised myself I would do my best not to reference Sufjan Stevens when describing Freelance Whales, but there's simply no way around it. After countless false starts writing this post I surrender. Maybe it's the banjo, or the angelic, breathy vocals or the grandiose arrangements with harmonium and glockenspiel or the occasional flourishes of electronic blips and bleeps that make such comparisons easy - or as in the case of this very blogger - lazy, but it remains apt nonetheless.

I've only heard half their debut album Weathervanes but I can already tell you there's a lot to take in. Layer upon layer of sound make for an intricate listen, but one I think will be rewarding in the long term. "Generator ^ Second Floor" however remains an immediate standout. It's the kind of shimmery orchestral folk that Suf himself excels at. It'll be sure to hold you over until the next state album is released. Wait, what do you mean that was a hoax?

Listen up!
Generator ^ Second Floor - Freelance Whales

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

BOO! A Mystery Mix!

Here's your trick-or-treat, dear readers! A fresh mix tape by Yours Truly with some surprises. The following stats will give you some hints:

22 Tracks
1:19:41 (yep, fits on 1 regular audio CD!)
shortest track: 1:31
longest track: 6:31

3 covers
1.5 spoken word tracks
1 instrumental
1 live version
1 mash-up
1 old skool rap
1 song from VK's namesake artist
1 song for all you WRIMOS starting tomorrow (good luck!!)

oldest song: 1976
newest song: October 20, 2009
60% of songs from 1980-1999

I didn't make this song with any particular type of person in mind, but let's just say that those with an appreciation for 80's new wave, punk, and hipster irony... with a Jersey upbringing... will have the most possible appreciation for this mix. Or not.

1. Dashboard Confessional - El Scorcho (Weezer cover).mp3

2. Pixies - Wave of Mutilation.mp3

3. Gerry Rafferty - Baker Street.mp3

4. The White Stripes - It's True That We Love One Another.m4a

5. Beck - Last Night I Traded My Souls Innermost For Some Pickled Fish.mp3

6. Bright Eyes - Devil Town (Daniel Johnston cover).mp3

7. Ace Of Bace - Don't Turn Around.m4a

8. Elvis Costello - Every Day I Write The Book.m4a

9. Billy Joel - Vienna.mp3

10. Tor / Sufjan Stevens - I Like The Tallest Man (feat. Grad Puba).mp3

11. the Mountain Goats - Houseguest (live cover).mp3

12. Lyle Lovett - Here I Am.mp3

13. They Might Be Giants - Don't Let's Start.mp3

14. Islands - No You Don't.m4a

15. John Vanderslice - Promising Actress.mp3

16. Holcombe Waller - Anthem (Will I Forgive Myself If I Can't Help You Anymore).mp3

17. Skee-Lo - I Wish.mp3

18. Daniel Johnston - Etiquette.mp3

19. Crash Test Dummies - Keep a Lid on Things.mp3

20. Tom Waits - Bad Liver & a Broken Heart.mp3

21. Gunnar Madsen - This Must Be The Place (Native Melody) (Talking Heads cover).mp3

22. Tenacious D - Friendship Test.mp3

Happy Halloween!

thanks for the heads up, danny ...

They're surprisingly easy to google

People have been telling me for a while now to listen to The xx (and by people I mean "the internet"). But I tend to do what I normally do when barraged with excessive hype - ignore it completely.

However after reading rave reviews of their CMJ shows with nary a drop of backlash, I decided to investigate. I half-heartedly streamed a bunch of tracks via the hype machine, just as background noise while reading my daily blog roll. and you know what, it slowly crept up on me. The sparse synths and breathy male and female vocals, while nothing revolutionary work in perfect gothic, dreamy harmony. It's as slinky and seductive as a little black dress and I'm finding myself wanting to wear their self-titled album quite frequently (ok so maybe that extended metaphor doesn't quite work so well).

Oh and like all buzzy little bands tend to do, they just canceled a handful of European gigs citing exhaustion. Here's hoping they rest up in time for their US trek.

Listen to a few standouts:
Islands - The xx
Crystalised - xx

Drum beats used as punctuation- I am a fan

So I have this thing that I do. On Thursdays and sometimes on Tuesdays I need to hit up the University campus, which is a forty minute bus ride either way. I can't read on the bus, because it makes my eyes feel funny, and I can't write on the bus because the road to uni is a bumpy country one and my letters look like arthritic spider legs. You know what I can do on the bus? Listen to music!

Every time a new album comes out from a band that I like but not enough to be all over the release I add it to a list. Every bus trip I listen to the next album on the list. This normally highlights the weaknesses of many albums. A few good songs but a lot of filler that causes my mind to wander. They don't even feel like albums at all.

To me a good album should be like a novel. Songs should be chapters. Are some chapters in a book better then others? Of course! But would they be as good without the other chapters? Nope. That to me is the difference between good albums and amazing albums. A good album has a collection of good songs, an amazing album loses something if you don't listen to it as a whole. Think Aeroplane Over the Sea, Abbey Road, All Hail West Texas.

And, as I discovered on today's trip to uni, Sunset Rubdown's new one, 'Dragonslayer.'

I can't comment on the lyrics too deeply yet, other than to say that I like them very much, yes. It's not the content so much as it is Spencer Krug's delivery. The careful pronunciation of 'come be a wild thing,' or the passion when he bursts out with 'you're not a widow yet!' Ah yes, these are things that make my indie heart quiver.

But what struck me most was the sound of the album. It sounds like war. Medieval war. Desperate, all is lost, nothing left to loose, muddy, bloody, drag it out war. These sounds like sounds that a young soldier would sing to himself as the sun dawned over a battlefield. The drum is frantic, it skitters about like a mind that hasn't slept in a week and a half. The distortion sounds like ringing ears in the wake of canon fire. There's something almost hallucinatory about the the whole thing, but in spite of that it never wanders. This is not some jammy trip, every sound is in its rightful place.

And rising out of the cacophony are some truly awesome hooks and choruses. It's pretty impressive, to have an album that sounds so psychotic but also begs to be sung along to.

And just so you know I am aware of the irony of sharing two individual songs with you here, having just spent the past ten minutes lauding this album as a whole unit.

Paper Lace
Idiot Heart

Shameless Plug Alert

Attention all New York-based Volume Knob readers. Looking for an awesome way to spend your Wednesday night? Come out to Housing Works, that wonderful bookstore that helps to prevent homelessness and AIDS for a night of stories, songs, heartache and hilarity - all a part of the Cassette From My Ex book launch party. What is CFME you ask? Well, it's this super new book featuring 60 essays from writers and artists such as Rick Moody and Rob Sheffield about mixtapes from past loves, including one by yours truly. Plus that girl from the Magnetic Fields will be there! Less excitedly so will I! Please come out and support this little blogger. The fun starts at 7 on October 28.

Cassette From My Ex Book Launch and Mixtape Variety Show
Celebrating the release of Cassette From My Ex: Stories and Soundtracks of Lost Loves, editor Jason Bitner presents along with contributors Claudia Gonson (The Magnetic Fields), Joe Levy (Maxim Magazine), and Michael Hearst (One Ring Zero). Our expert panel will shed light on the power of mixtapes and share their own tales of tapes given and received, crushes turned to heartaches. And special bonus! Illustrator Arthur Jones presents his hilarious loss-of-virginity tale as a Post-It Note Story.



It Started With a Mixx - Los Campesinos!

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