Wednesday, October 29, 2008

The Vowels: If You Come to Greet Me, Laura Gibson

The Song: "Hands In Pockets"

Laura Gibson:   Laura on NPR   MySpace

DJ comments: Please do not confuse this one with "One Hand In My Pocket".

I love girls who sing and play guitar. If I were a dude I'd totally get on the Jolie Holland, Alela Diane and Laura Gibson types. — BJ

The Vowels: Animal Collective, "Fireworks"

From the album Strawberry Jam

Animal Collective:   Web site   MySpace

DJ comments: I hated Strawberry Jam for the longest time... it wasn't until my friend Rob gave me a KEXP interview with the band where they played this song. I retracted all my previous statements at that point in time.

On a side note -- Animal Collective is the reason I hate all-age shows at the Picador. ALL THE GOOD BANDS SELL OUT TO THOSE DAMN 16-YEAR-OLD KIDS. I HATE ALL YOU PRE-PUBESCENT HIPSTERS! — BJ

The Vowels: Almost Live From Eli's Live Room, Why?

The Song: The Vowels Pt. 2

Why?:   MySpace

DJ comments: The title of the song was too appropriate to pass up.

This Why? (the one from Oakland, not the U.K.) album literally came out yesterday. Their Myspace page makes no mention of the Almost Live album release, so I'm not really sure what's up with it. — BJ

The Vowels: Architecture in Helsinki, "Kindling"

From the album Fingers Crossed

Architecture in Helsinki:   Web site   MySpace

DJ comments: Their genre on Myspace is Concrete. Not sure about that one... I guess I just prefer Rock. — BJ

The Vowels: "You Promised Me," Caroline Smith And The Good Night Sleeps

From the album Backyard Tent Set

Caroline Smith And The Good Night Sleeps:   Last.fm   MySpace

DJ comments: So this chick's performance career started with B.B. King when she was 15. Can you even imagine playing with the King when you're 15? — BJ

The Vowels: "Upon This Tidal Wave of Young Blood," Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!

From the album Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!:   Web site   MySpace

DJ comments: I still can't believe this was a self-released debut album. I very rarely like a band's first album as much as I love this one. — BJ

The Vowels: "Inside and Out," Feist

From the album Let It Die

Feist:   Web site   MySpace

DJ comments: I don't know what to say outside of you should know Feist by now. This is her first album, from 2004. — BJ

The Vowels: "I'm Good, I'm Gone," Lykke Li

From the album Youth Novels

Lykke Li:   Web site   MySpace

DJ comments: If you like Swedish music, you'll love this one. Youth Novels, her first release, was co-produced by Björn Yttling of Peter Bjorn and John earlier this year. — BJ

The Vowels: "Around the Bay," Department of Eagles

From the album In Ear Park

Department of Eagles:   Web site   MySpace

DJ comments: This is Daniel Rossen's (Grizzly Bear) band with his roommate from NYU. In Ear Park is their most recent release -- the album came out on October 7th. If you've already heard the album, you should check out their Daytrotter session.— BJ

The Vowels: "Ordinary Song," The Little Ones

From the album Morning Tide

The Little Ones:   Web site   MySpace

DJ comments: Another album released on October 7th. Apparently every indie band got together and decided to release albums simultaneously. I'm kind of surprised CNN didn't predict our nation's implosion because of such a catastrophic event. — BJ

The Vowels: Arcade Fire, "Neighborhood #2 (Laika)"

From the album Funeral

The Arcade Fire:   Web site   MySpace

DJ comments: I haven't heard anything new about Arcade Fire since they released Neon Bible and went on tour. The band's website is pretty cool... that's about all I got. — BJ

The Vowels: "Oh No," Dr. Dog

From the album Easy Beat

Dr. Dog:   Web site   MySpace

DJ comments: Lots of stuff going on in Philadelphia. Dr. Dog's makin' music, their baseball team is winnin' games... and playing in a few feet of snow. — BJ

The Vowels: "Amsterdam," Peter Bjorn and John

From the album Writer's Block

Peter Bjorn and John:   Web site   MySpace

DJ comments: Though I'm not playing a track off the album, PB & J just released an all-instrumental LP entitled Seaside Rock. — BJ

The Vowels: "And Darling," Tegan and Sara

From the album If It Was You

Tegan and Sara:   Web site   MySpace

DJ comments: Are they lesbians? No, they're sisters. Canadian sisters. — BJ

The Vowels: "In Step," Girl Talk

From the album Feed The Animals

Girl Talk:   Web site   MySpace

DJ comments: Someone just asked me why I would play Girl Talk, stating that if they wanted to listen, they could just go home and start up four dance CDs simultaneously. Please let me know your opinion on this matter.

By the way, I named my own price for this album via GT's Myspace page. Love it. — BJ

The Vowels: "Underneath the Stars," The Cure

From the album 4:13 Dream

The Cure:   Web site   MySpace

DJ comments: Reason No. 3,482 to like the Cure: they know how to open an album. This song joins the long list of incredible openers ("Plainsong," "One Hundred Years," "Open," "Out of This World," "Lost," "Want," "Shake Dog Shake," "The Kiss") — cwc

MTV in Italy played the Cure's recent show in which they played the new album front to back before playing a second set of old favorites. At the same time, MTV in America probably played more, um, non-music television. Awesome. Here's "Underneath the Stars" from the Italy show:

The Vowels: "One Month Off," Bloc Party

From the album Intimacy

Bloc Party:   Web site   MySpace

DJ comments: I picked up this CD and the new Cure one Tuesday morning; it seems once every four years, I make a rare trip to a record store to pick up the Cure's latest. But I opened the Bloc Party disc first, because I have more apprehension about it than I do the Cure disc (after all, the Cure released four singles from the new album this summer/fall). Aside from "Mercury," I'm really digging what I'm hearing on Intimacy. But then again, I really liked A Weekend in the City, so take my initial endorsement with a grain of salt. I'm a bigger fan of songs such as this and "Trojan Horse" (played last week on the Soup) than the early singles. — cwc

The Vowels: "Angel, Angel, Down We Go Together," Morrissey

From the album Viva Hate

Morrissey:   Web site   MySpace

DJ comments: Three songs, three British acts. This probably happens quite often in my playlists without me even noticing. Anyway, enjoy the Mozz. — cwc

The Vowels: Explosions in the Sky, "Yasmin the Light"

From the album Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Die, Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Live Forever

Explosions in the Sky:   Web site   MySpace

DJ comments: I know my previous EITS comments ("Domination.") aren't all that helpful, but when people ask me why I love this band so much, all I can really tell them is to devote the time to really listen to them, perhaps digesting an entire album at once. It seems that everyone who gives them that chance comes back to me and says one of two things:

1. Dude. Those Explosions guys are really fucking good.
2. I loved the movie Friday Night Lights.

I'm guessing you'll say the former. — cwc

The Vowels: "An End Has a Start," Editors

From the album An End Has a Start

Editors:   Web site   MySpace

DJ comments: More Brits! I am an editor, just not an Editor. — cwc

The Vowels: "In Dust We Trust," Chemical Brothers

From the album Exit Planet Dust

Chemical Brothers:   Web site   MySpace

DJ comments: I bought this album after getting into Chemical Brothers' stuff on Dig Your Own Hole, and ended up liking this album even more. — cwc

The Vowels: Eric Avery, "All Remote and No Control"

From the album Help Wanted

Eric Avery:   Web site   MySpace

DJ comments: Apparently he's playing gigs with Jane's Addiction again. Maybe they'll be good again. — cwc

The Vowels: Office, "Company Calls"

From the album A Night at the Ritz

Office:   Web site   MySpace

DJ comments: I was hoping Dwight Schrute would be singing lead vocals on this. — cwc

And since I can't find a video for "Company Calls," enjoy this:

The Vowels: "Ill Love," Pete and the Pirates

From the album Little Death

Pete and the Pirates:   Web site   MySpace

DJ comments: I'd like to see a battle of the bands with Pete and the Pirates vs. Paul Revere and the Raiders. — cwc

The Vowels: I Love Math, "Josephine Street"

From the album Getting to the Point Is Beside It

I Love Math:   MySpace

DJ comments: I used to tell people my favorite subject was math, until other kids mocked me for not saying P.E. It was then that I became a self-loathing jock. — cwc

The Vowels: Underworld, "Born Slippy (Nuxx)"

From the soundtrack album Trainspotting

Underworld:   Web site   MySpace

DJ comments: Trainspotting was an event movie when it came out, at least for those of us in college at the time. — cwc