Feist - How Come You Never Go There (Beck Remix)

http://www.beck.com/index.php/beck-remixes-feist

How Come You Never Go There (Beck Remix) by Feist

(he's 41 now)

The Waitresses - Christmas Wrapping

I thought this was Blondie for the longest time. Dig the brass.

"But then

All is fair,

All is fair in love"

Sonic Youth - Superstar

Oh the irony.

Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft

Songs for Casey Lewis

Zoo Kid/King Krule - Out Getting Ribs

Cool song named after this (JM) Basquiat piece, which, I'm not much of a fan of Basquiat's stuff, but I realize he's really influential (or famous or whatever).

King Krule (if what I read is right) is the new stage name of Zoo Kid, whose real name is Archy Marshall. He's English.

Arthur Russell - A Little Lost

I've had people say they don't really like Arthur Russell's voice that much on this song. Jens Lekman has a pretty similar voice to Russell, but he's a better singer (less nasal, more control). I wish someone would do a version of "A Little Lost" that was somewhere between the these two-Russell's cello and instrumentation with a voice that people like (though Lekman's arrangement is quite good). And it bothers me how Lekman adjusted Russell's phrasing, changing "thinkin' 'bout" to a drawn out "thinking about." It seems like it shouldn't make a difference, but it does. In fact I think that whole line was phrased exactly right in Russell's version and Lekman drew it out way too long, but props to him for covering such a great song anyway.

Russell's vocals grew on me after a bit, so give it a chance.

Big Country - In A Big Country

Big Country-In A Big Country

I'm not being ironic. It's really good.

Otis Redding - That's How Strong My Love Is

Here's a live version by Doug Martsch. I never saw Otis Redding in concert, but I've seen Doug twice (once alone, once with Built to Spill) and really enjoyed it both times.

"So you know what Doug Martsch tells the big boys? That he likes Idaho--and his family--too much to hit the rock and roll road. Here's hoping he can turn a modest profit while sticking to the essence of this decision, one of the sanest biases in all indiedom. And here's hoping he keeps writing those songs and playing that guitar."

-Robert Christgau

Wilco - Someone Else's Song

If you asked me "Which is the best band in the world right now?" I'd probably say "Radiohead or Wilco." I don't listen to Radiohead that much though. 

Paul McCartney - Ram On

"Paul Ramon" is a name Paul McCartney used to use when he was checking in to hotels. Douglas Colvin was inspired by the pseudonym and started calling himself Dee Dee Ramone, which led to the the band he was in being called The Ramones. Cool, huh?

Tennis - Long Boat Pass

U2 - I Will Follow

I can almost understand why they got so big.

One time in high school I got free tickets to see U2 in Oakland. I sold them and used the money to go snowboarding. Sorry guys.

Yo La Tengo - Here to Fall

This is one of those songs (I listened to it a bunch of times in the same day). Understated, highly worthwhile. Play it loud. (and the video is rad, too)

"There will be some happy endings

There'll be dreams that don't come true
But in the times ahead, there's love and hate and hope and dread coming
All and all, it makes it that much harder for you, yeah.

It's worth noting that Ira Kaplan and Georgia Hubley, the couple who started this band, are also married to each other.

And the band's name? Read this. 

Another great, great song that's got the same sort of quality:

Cibo Matto - Working For Vacation

"people got science but make no sense...
when I think of something goes out to space
then it comes back in another shape
we know we're not apes but we could make
sweet seedless grapes"

"feeling wrong because the days are too long
counting heartbeats 72 in a minute"

Science fiction!

I've been listening to this album since elementary school. The Boys Are Back in Town still sounds good to me, despite its belonging to classic rock radio and Toy Story commercials. There are other great songs on here, too: Romeo and the Lonely Girl, Running Back, Fight or Fall, and Cowboy Song all have a great groove to them. For the record, the number of albums with five songs I don't skip consistently is pretty small. Even when listening to albums by some of my favorite artists, there will usually only be 1-4 songs I want to hear. Maybe this type of groove is just what happens when a talented band makes six albums before having a real hit. I wish it happened more often. (Wilco?)

Oh and by the way, there's a short sci-fi backstory that explains the cover art and title. You can read the whole thing on wikipedia.

Led Zeppelin - That's The Way

The Innocence Mission - Bright as Yellow

Back in the 90s, girl singers were a lot friendlier-looking.

Band of Horses - Detlef Schrempf

It's really a strange title for a song. Detlef Schrempf was an NBA player from Germany who had a flat top.

Here's the song:

Detlef Schrempf

If my beard gets as big as that guy's, I'll be pretty happy about it.

The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds

"it may be going overboard to say it's the classic of the century ... but to me, it certainly is a total, classic record that is unbeatable in many ways."
-Paul McCartney

Brian Wilson is the one with the Beatles haircut.

Peter Salett - The Way Things Used to Be & Heart of Mine

Took my awhile to figure out who sang these.

Jorge Drexler - Salvapantallas

Rufus Wainwright - Want

"I just want to be my dad
With a slight sprinkling of my mother."

Old 97's - Rollerskate Skinny

Brian Wilson - Vegetables

"Sleep a lot, eat a lot
brush 'em like crazy
run a lot, do a lot
never be lazy"

My Morning Jacket - Off the Record

I saw My Morning Jacket open for Stephen Malkmus in 2003 or so and the audiece didn't like them very much. They played a loud show and sounded like a rock and roll band, and they were swinging their long hair and beards all over the place. There were even boos. I loved it. I bought their album At Dawn that night. The album sounded very different from the show they played, but I liked it, too.
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Vampire Weekend - I Think UR a Contra

OK that's not the real album cover.

M. Ward - Let's Dance (Bowie cover)

M. Ward also performed this live in the NPR studio, and I think it sounds even better than the album version. Hear it here (starts at about 16:40 into the show, but his explanation of the cover pretty interesting as well)

Beck - Your Love is Weird

Great chorus.

Weezer - Susanne

Yo La Tengo - Our Way to Fall

Gorky's Zygotic Mynci - How I Long to Feel That Summer in My Heart (album)

Wistful, nostalgic, elegant in places.

Here's a link to Grooveshark playlist of the whole album.

Spectral Display, M.I.A. - It Takes A Muscle

Yo La Tengo - Sugarcube

The Explorers Club - Forever

Miho Hatori - The Color of Sky

Ry Cooder - Poor Man's Shangri-La

Calvin Johnson vs. The Fantastic Baggys

Talking Heads - This Must be the Place (Naive Melody)