Category: Music

Back again with another mix of new stuff I’ve discovered, and older stuff that I just like a helluva lot. Admittedly, this week sees more old than new, but that’s OK, because it’s all good stuff.

For example — this is one of my all-time favorite songs from The Cure, but certainly doesn’t get as much attention as their bigger singles. I prefer the 12-inch single to the radio edit, so here you go: The Cure – “Primary (Extended Mix).”

Here is a new artist that I discovered because *COUGHCOUGH*i’ve been watching ‘american idol’, and katherine mcphee sang this song a few weeks back *COUGH!* Now, where was I? Ah, yes. KT Tunstall is a Scottish woman of partial Chinese ancestry, who does a really amazing alt-country-indie-singer/songwriter thing. This song has been getting a bunch of radio play recently (in fact, because of that, requested this post), and I love the sound of it: KT Tunstall – “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree.”

Something to get your ass moving on a gorgeous Friday, and a lovely “Shawn of the Dead” moment as well: Grandmaster Flash – “White Lines.” Rang-dang Diggity Dang-de-dang…. *Urnhhh….*

This is a good example of a contemporary Christian song done so well, that a non-Christian like me can listen and enjoy it, without feeling like I’m being preached at — In fact, when this broke into the pop charts in the late 90s, I had no idea that the group was a fairly well-established Christian band. Sure, there are obvious biblical references to the 40 days of rain of the Noah story, but again — NOT PREACHY, hence I can listen without annoyance…. plus, I love the harmonies on this track – Jars of Clay – “Flood.”

Another new song, that I first heard on the radio last weekend (twice, in fact — once while we heading out to help and move, and once on the way back). I don’t have a lot to say about it, other than the fact that I like it muchly: Yeah Yeah Yeahs – “Gold Lion.”

The first song I ever heard by the band The Church, a few years before they hit big in the US with “Under The Milky Way” — my high-school girlfriend gave me a mix-tape, and this was the first song on it. I recently tracked it down, and so here it is: The Church – “Unguarded Moment.”

An often-overlooked 80s song by a late-60s band. The Kinks had a come-back of sorts with “Come Dancing”, but I really preferred this single, which didn’t get nearly as much play, but is much more serious. The lyrics are a perfect snapshot of the bleakness of outlook for those living in Thatcher’s Britain….a similar outlook shared by many (70% or so, according to the last polls) living in Bush’s America today: The Kinks – “Living On A Thin Line.”

Michael Penn doesn’t get the attention he deserves. He gets written off as “Sean Penn’s brother,” or “Aimee Mann’s husband,” or “that one-hit wonder who did No Myth (“What if I were Romeo in black jeans…”).” He’s an extremely talented singer-songwriter. This is my favorite track of his, which is from March, the same album that “No Myth” appeared on: Michael Penn – “This and That.”

Lastly, here’s a track by Seal that I’ve been listening to recently — the usual high-quality soul with amazingly tight production, and some lyrical content that speaks to me as of late. Seal – “Prayer For The Dying.”

Hope you enjoyed this week. A quick note: There will be no Friday Music next week (5/26), as I will be basking in the joy of being away from my desk, attending the Heartland Pagan Festival. Friday Music posts will resume in June.

First up this week: a warning. This song is a total earworm. It is from the film “House of Flying Daggers,” and after seeing it, both and myself couldn’t stop humming it. Zhang Ziyi – “Ja Ren Qu (Beauty Song)”

In honor of yesterday’s news about the final establishment of a dictatorship in this country, here is the new single from Neil Young’s protest-laden new album. Neil Young – “Let’s Impeach The President.” The bridge section, where he uses samples of Bush contradicting himself, side by side, with choruses of “Flip! Flop!”, is priceless.

DJ Paul Oakenfold has a new “artist album” coming out this summer (an “artist” album is where a DJ releases a CD of his own compositions, rather than mixes of other people’s work). His first artist album, Bunkka was great, featuring the singles “Ready Steady Go” and “Starry Eyed Surprise”, both of which have been used extensively in television, films and commercials. The first single from the new album features an unusual choice for lead vocalist: actress Brittany Murphy (“Eight Mile”, “Sin City”, etc.)….and you know what? She’s pretty good….and the song is catchy as a muthafucka: Paul Oakenfold (feat. Brittany Murphy) – “Faster Kill Pussycat.”

Speaking of new albums and also catchy….Muse has a new CD coming out, and the first single has been leaked to the internet (on purpose, I’m sure). I’ve been playing the hell out of this. Muse – “Supermassive Black Hole.” Love it.

While we’re on a roll with new albums — I found out this week that my favorite hip-hop act, Jurassic Five, have a new album set to come out this summer as well — their third release, and the first since 2003’s Power In Numbers. I’ve spoken about J5 before, and posted a couple of their songs, so I’ll not waste time raving about how good they are. Here’s a track that’s going to be on the new album: Jurassic Five – “Long Road to Glory.”

I can’t remember if I’ve posted this song before (it’s getting impossible to keep track, since I’ve been doing this for so long now) — if I have, get over it. This is one of my favorite electronica releases of the late 90s, and has been used in a couple soundtracks. From the album How to Operate With a Blown Mind, here’s Low Fidelity Allstars – “Battleflag.”

When I was a wee adolescent, I thought this was the hardest fucking song EVER. It was the epitome of badass. Still is, I think. It’s got a high cheese factor, in retrospect, but, whether I chalk it up to chemical imprinting from all those adolescent hormones or whatever, it still manages to get my adrenaline going. Judas Priest – “You Got Another Thing Comin'”

I’ll leave you this week with the debut single of a brand new artist. Jamie Randolph is a Memphis musician whose first album, Villain is about to be released, and is being described by his label as “Alt-Country Theatrical Epic Indie Rock.” Not sure what the hell that means, but this song is seventeen different varieties of cool. Given the title, I expected either Goth droning, or Techno-Goth stomping, but that’s not what I got. Instead I ended up with a beautiful song, with some fairly wicked shifts in tone. Jamie Randolph – “Chanson Du Vampire”

Hope you like those. More next week.

Right, so let’s get the cinqo de mayo tie-in out of the way first, for those of you so inclined: Here’s another track from filmmaker Robert Rodriguez’ band: Chingon – “El Rey De Los Chingones” Roughly translated: “King of the Badasses.”

Discovered a new artist from UK this past week, and I’m loving her stuff so much that I’m going to feature two of her songs. This first track is her lead single, an ode to London, built around a sample from “Shake Senora”. This song just screams “Summertime”, and I’m sure that, in the UK at least, this is going to get played to death over the coming months. Lily Allen – “LDN.” (site doesn’t allow hot-linking, so it will take you to an interim page, where you can click the link…or, just copy-and-paste from here.)

The second Lily Allen track is a hilarious anthem for anyone who has ever been cornered in a bar by an unwanted chat-up. As she sings in the refrain: “You can’t knock ’em out, you can’t walk away, you try desperately to think about the nicest way to say — just get out my face, just leave me alone…and no you can’t have my number, ‘cuz I lost my phone.” The song is filled with this cheeky semi-rap about bad bar encounters that I think most everybody can sympathize with. Lily Allen – “Knock ‘Em Out.” (same site, same restrictions as above)

There’s a scene in the film “High Fidelity” (if you haven’t seen it, you must — go rent the DVD. I’ll wait here), where John Cusack’s character, Rob, the owner of “Quality Vinyl” (a record store) says to one of his employees: “I will now sell five copies of ‘The 3 E.P.s’ by The Beta Band.” He puts the album on, and sure enough, we see five of the customers in the store stop what they’re doing, listen to the song that plays, and obviously start to get sold on it. Here is the song in question: The Beta Band – “Dry The Rain.”

One of the best dark-electronica collections of the past few years has been the soundtrack to the movie “Pi.” I’m not going to begin to try to describe the film, suffice to say that it’s very, very dark and very very strange. Here’s one of my favorite tracks from the soundtrack: Clint Mansell – “We Got The Gun.”

I’ve posted tracks by Roisin Murphy a few times. She’s now solo, but used to be the vocalist for the Dublin-based group Moloko. I discovered Murphy when she launched her solo career, and so I’m only now starting to check out the stuff she did with Moloko, and all I can say is WOW. The same kind of jazzy-electronic-pop stuff that she now does solo….which I love. Here’s a track from the 2003 album, Statues, which makes me want to dance: Moloko – “Come On.”

Speaking of jazz, here’s some acid jazz built around sample loops and original instrumentation, from the French electronica musician Ludovic Navarre, AKA St. Germain. His stuff is innovative enough that famed jazz label Blue Note picked him up and release his albums, eclectic mixes of electronics, jazz, blues, and ambient. Another track that gets your head bobbing – St. Germain – “Rose Rouge.”

One of my favorite downtempo/chill electronica groups, Zero 7, is about to release their long-awaited third album. This is the first track from the album, which sounds for all the world like Crosby Stills and Nash meets Moby. If the rest of the album is this good, I will be a very happy fan. Zero 7 – “Futures (feat. Jose Gonzalez)” (another track from the site mentioned above — either follow the link, or copy-and-paste).

There you go folks. Enjoy.