Songs for March...

My friend and I went to Sydney recently for a weekend of sweating and music...but mainly sweating, and there was a guy staying at the same hostel as us with a guitar and an incredible voice. How he is not famous I just don't know. Anyway he played two songs in particular that gave me that funny feeling inside that certain songs do, by bands that I should really know more about. Here they are:

Dispatch - Flying Horses (buy it)

The Rolling Stones - Sympathy for the Devil (buy it)

In other not very new news, MGMT and Gorrilaz both have new albums out or on the horizon. MGMT's is due out 12/04 'citing!

MGMT - Flash Delerium

Gorillaz - Plastic Beach (buy it)

If there is anyone who cares I'm sorry for the lack of 'Songs for February' post. My bad. I'm hoping to make up for it here. If you are feeling sad about this, here is the new and optimistic track from the Born Ruffians.

Born Ruffians - Sole Brother

Songs for January...

What with it being a new decade and everything I should really be posting cutting edge music that will revolutionise the industry in the coming months. Alas, I do not have any. Instead then here are 3 songs that I have played more than any other in the last week or so.

Bon Iver - Skinny Love (buy it)
The massed voice of Justin Vernon over such a simple little melody comes together to make something that is, in the words of my good friend, a wonder. It's made a lot of people's Top Songs of 2009 lists, and for good reason.

Julie Doiron - When Brakes Get Wet (buy it)
I downloaded this little song as part of a big batch in December and at the time didn't give it the credit it deserved. I have now. It's only 1:47 long but is full to the brim with friendship and sentiment.

Yeasayer - Ambling Amp (buy it)
No one can ever have enough synthed up electro. Can they? No they can't. This dose even has a spectacularly unusual video, watch it here. (NB: nudity aplenty in the clip - NSFW)

I'm sure it won't be long before I have over listened to them and they are ruined for me forever...but for now...back on repeat!

Songs for December...

Songs for November got missed and December is flying by at a startling rate so I thought I should post some music before it's the new year. I've been making a non-Christmasy Christmas mix for my brother and sister this week - it's dug up some excellent material for this post!

Das Pop - Never Get Enough (buy it)
'Butterfly belly aches, keep me up night and day. You radiate sunshine and make it reverberate' It's such a very happy little ditty that it had to go on.

Speech Debelle - Spinnin' (buy it)
Just about hip-hop, this combines tonnes of optimism and hope with the odd self deprecating lyric to keep it grounded, and fun little drum bits with cute piano loops. Tres bien.

Owl City - Fireflies
I've been pining for a new Postal Service album for far too long and this starts to fill the hole. It's almost too cheesy but it will have to do for now...

Songs for October...

SUMMER! YEAH! That is all.

Yo La Tengo - Mr Tough
Delightfully happy in true Yo La Tengo style. Sitting outside late into the evening + this song = win.

Chromeo - Night by Night
The same Chromeo formula but it doesn't fail to win me over. Disco heavy throwback tune full of juicy synth and bassy...well, bass. Hells yes.

Air - Sing Sang Sung
Romantic, melty and distinctly Air. If you have anything to do this afternoon it is not a wise move to listen to this single but if your to-do-list is empty then soak up the mellow goodness.

Karen O and the Kids - All Is Love
Karen O from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs has made an entire soundtrack for what must be the most anticipated movies of the year. This is one of two taster tracks that have appeared; needless to say it doesn't dissapoint.

We Shot The Moon - The Bright Side
I am going to see the freaking Ataris on Saturday night! This has awoken pop punk genes in me that I have neglected of late. We Shot The Moon; welcome to my upbringing.

Admittedly this is more songs than I intended but I loved harping back to pop punk sentiments and to ignore a nibble from the Where The Wild Things Are soundtrack would be a travesty.

Songs for September

Spring is well and truly in the air and accordingly my heart is constantly on the hunt for songs to listen to whilst sitting in the sunshine with my eyes closed or to accompany a beer and bbq. However, although I have been listening to some songs along the aforementioned vein, most of the ones sure to be on repeat over September and making it onto this post are more melancholy than I intended including these musical nuggets...

Julian Plenti - Only If You Run (buy it)
It took me until midway through the first chorus to realise that Julian Plenti was in fact the Interpol frontman (Google tells me his name is Paul Banks.) Anyway, this is delightful folk-rock upbeatness only deviating slightly from the oh so successful Interpol formula.

Blitzen Trapper - Black River Killer (buy it)
Border line country but certainly my favourite serial killer themed song since Sufjan Stevens' John Wayne Gacy Jr. One of those songs that you don't realise how much you like it until it's crept into your head and is too late to remove it.

Songs of the week

Taking a hint from the suggestive (although until now, inaccurate) name of this blog, I think it's time to post some of the music I've been enjoying this week. Two tracks should do for now. Both somehow feel like Spring but in very different ways. On a side note, it's still very weird to be going into spring at the end of August...

Free Energy - Free Energy (buy it)
Radio ready 70's power pop/air guitar fun produced by LCD's James Murphy. Cheap and easy but delicious nonetheless.

Eyedea & Abilities - This Story (buy it)
About as hip-hop as I get and catchy as hell. Love it.

Also I was clearing out my 'Misc' bookmarks folder today; it was brimming with links to overlooked pages. This is normally a thankless task but the art of Reed Danziger is my forgotten favourite of the week. I love the effect of the coloured, geometric shapes and the mix media. The piece below uses watercolor, gouache, graphite and silkscreen...all things I would very much like to be better at.

'an intermediate order, an equation of motion'