Well it’s late, and the new year has already arrived for half the world so I’ll keep this final post of the year short. Hope you enjoyed the countdown, and Happy New Year to everyone!

I fell in love with this song the first time I heard it, and it was only by chance that I ever discovered it in the first place so I feel lucky to have it at all. It’s bouncy and happy and spirit uplifting. In short, it’s just what we all need! This song is from the album ‘Exit’.
3- Parachute- Shugo Tokumaru


The lyrics in this song are beautiful, as is Judy Tzuke’s singing. The message is excellent, and the feeling of it is full of shades and sweetness. It's a good song to take to heart. It comes from the album ‘Dive Deep.’
2- Enjoy the Ride- Morcheeba


Drum Rolllllll….
And here it is. The number one song of 2008 you probably haven’t heard! It might be repetitive to say keep saying ‘I love this song’ but… I love this song. I just do. Those ‘a la la’s are as infectious as heck, and there’s passion, there’s great lyrics, total uniqueness, and that special little (big actually, this song is so grand in scope and sound) something that just makes a song outstanding. From the album ‘The Stand Ins’, in the number one spot and finishing up this year in music, it’s:
1- Lost Coastlines- Okkervil River


(My favorite song of the whole year was still ‘Head Rolls Off’ by Frightened rabbits, but I already featured it once. Heh heh. Happy new year again!)

Both laid back and energetic in turn, this song is only one of the really awesome songs that this band has produced. What Made Milwaukee Famous might have a bit of a mouthful for a band name, but their album ‘What Doesn't Kill Us’ is sweet simplicity bundled with crunchy, satisfying rock. For this spot I had to choose between ‘For The Birds’ and ‘Sultan’, and it was an extremely difficult choice. They're both great songs, but in the end this song is lesser known, and isn’t that what it’s all about? It’s got snappy lyrics, and plenty of regret, melancholy, defiance, and exasperation. There’s power and projection, but also quiet and introspection, and I really admire the singer’s voice quality. Here’s six on the list:
6- For The Birds- What Made Milwaukee Famous

Number five on this list is a true epic, but it’s about the most unexpected of subjects; the pinky toe. It’s the longest song on this list, and also the hardest to find. It may well be the most obscure song on the list. It has everything; whispered vocals that tickle over the skin, waves of quiet, vaguely organ-like keyboard, swells of gentle guitars. It’s stirring and expansive while staying hushed and musing, and it’s a sweeping tribute to that most underappreciated of digits. And never once does it come off as mocking or corny. This unique duet really does pull off the metaphor with grace and dignity, even if our poor pinky toes don’t get any of that.

Listen to it here:
5- Pinky Toe- A Weather


I waited five months to get this song. After hearing it in a summer preview ages ago I checked every week on iTunes, breath baited, and cursed vociferously every week it was absent, especially by the time the album had been out for a month. This song has so much power. I’m a bird lover, so this chilling lament was particularly appreciated, as was the band’s name. It’s a eulogy, but it’s also so captivatingly beautiful. Like John James Audubon’s painting of the extinct Carolina Parakeet. Jonathan Meiburg has such passion, and perhaps even more so, such a fantastic vocal range, which struck me as odd the first time I heard it because it was just too surprising to be appreciated. Every successive listen of this song just oozes into my soul and makes me love it more and more. The anticipation was not better than finally getting hold of it!
4- Rooks- Shearwater

This is a recently discovered song. Maybe that’s why it managed to creep up this far on the list, because it’s really fresh and exciting still. I had downloaded Katie Herzig’s album Apple Tree on NoiseTrade and I was pretty impressed by it overall, especially for an album given away free and legal. The sing ‘Forevermore’ was really cute and bouncy, and ‘Shovel’ was another favorite. But this song was my favorite and right now it’s popping up a lot on my playlists. Only time will tell how much staying power it will have, but for now I love it! The lyrics aren’t anything special, but the song is catchy and hooky. Number nine is from ‘Apple Tree’, which is probably still available for free download.
9- Hologram- Katie Herzig


If you’ve heard any amount of Japanese pop music, you know that it tends to sound very much the same. From song to song, from artist to artist, there isn’t a great deal of variation in the style and themes of the songs, or in the sound of the vocals. I don’t mean it to disparage it, because some of it is quite beautiful, it simply isn’t very unique sounding to those who aren’t well-versed in it. That’s why I was so surprised and impressed by the band Love Psychedelico. Not only is their sound completely unique, but their style is pretty unique to the world at large. The lead singer sounds almost bored as she sings, and the guitars are almost lazy, but it all comes off as melodic and punky nonetheless. I o love songs that are sung in different languages, and this song is great because it has Japanese lyrics as well as English that I can understand, so it’s the best of both worlds. The lyrics are cryptic and fascinating, and drop me down on a lonely Japanese beach. From ‘This is Love Psychedelico’ its:
8- Standing Bird- Love Psychedelico


I just adore the lyrics in this song. They’re simple and lovely, and they’re sung in such a plain unassuming way…. Complexity can be impressive, but keeping it simple has it value too. The subtle harmonies are just enough, and the instrumentation never takes attention away from the real point of the song, which is its message. The song has an innocence to it, and it carries the listener through a range of subtle emotions without ever becoming whiny or cheesy, twee or overly sentimental. This song is the personification of a beautiful summer evening stroll as the stars begin to appear. The seventh place goes to this song from the album ‘Hideaway’.
7- Hideaway- The Weepies

The Raveonettes have released Christmas songs this year, and it's called “Wishing You A Rave Christmas”. The ep includes great songs for this holiday. A must have for any lover of Christmas, garage ...rock, or Danish duos. The band applies close harmonies and fuzzy guitars to Phil Spector's 1963 holiday pop classic "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)", plus 3 originals.

The Raveonettes - Christmas (baby please come home)
The Raveonettes - Come on santa

Deerhoof is a weird and prolific band. I can’t claim to have heard even close to a tenth of all their songs. But of what I have heard, this is far and away my favorite. Yes, it’s weird too. But it’s just so catchy. I find myself humming it all the time, which is unusual for song that is so oddball; that la-la-la chorus is infectious good fun to sing along with. The singer, Satomi Matuzaki, gives the whole thing a child-like innocence, and though some people might find it off-putting I really love how her slightly broken English adds to the charming and somewhat bewildering mysteriousness of the song. Off of Deerhoof’s ‘Offend Maggie’, its:
12- Chandelier Searchlight- Deerhoof


Sometimes a song is all about fun. Sometimes it’s all about substance. I think this song manages to cram both into a four minute package. The jerky, bouncy vocals and beat are unique, the tinkling piano is wonderful accompaniment, and the chorus is easy to sing along with. The overall effect just commands attention because it’s ambitious and unexpected, grandiose and gallant, and best of all it makes me feel good when I hear it. It borders on the ridiculous at times, but it’s all so perfectly pulled together that I never go away feeling like it was silly. It’s also nice that there’s a chunk of song to bite into; it’s not a wimpy two minutes but a nice full piece with plenty of interesting lyrics crammed in. My number eleven song comes from the album ‘Let Live and Let Ghosts’
11- Good Day- Jukebox the Ghost


For a piece of work named after a lowly household item, this song really rocks. I love the rollicking piano woven all through, and steady rumbling train like beat. The lyrics are bright and charismatic, and Matt Vasquez sings with the delicious passion that I look for in a great song. He sings like his heart is about to burst with excitement as he shouts his love to the world. The first time I heard this song I listened to it ten times in a row, and its feel-good power has not diminished in the dozens of subsequent plays. I love a good foot stomping beat! The number ten spot goes to ‘Trashcan’ from the album ‘Ode to Sunshine’ by Delta Spirit.
10- Trashcan- Delta Spirit

I was wary of writing any kind of top anything list. I haven’t been able to listen to a lot of albums in full, and I’ve mostly been subsisting on singles with an occasional album stick in here or there. For example (and this might be considered appalling to anyone following this year’s music) I have not actually listened to the whole Fleet Foxes album. Yes, it’s true. With so few full albums under my belt, I couldn’t possibly think my opinions are well-formed enough to create any kind of top album list. So I decided that I would create a year end list of songs that you probably haven’t heard but should. If you have heard them you may already love or hate them. If you haven’t give them a listen! These are songs that flew under the radar for the most part and songs I think deserve a little more attention. But remember, this is only a drop in the bucket of great songs from this year, and these are gleaned from my personal library and not the massive collective of songs that are out there. I don’t claim that this definitive, these are just the top songs I wanted to share! So, if you know a good song that I missed, feel free to share it with me too.

I’ll be counting down to the New Year with three of these songs each day, with the final three on the last day of the year. Enjoy.

First off we have a runner-up. This song didn’t quite make it on the list, but it’s worthy of notice nonetheless. The band Department of Eagles didn’t make it on very many of the end-of-the-year lists, but their haunted new album ‘In Ear Park’ attracted a lot of attention in the indie circles. I’m not entirely sold by them just yet. As far as experimental/freak-folk music goes they’re on the less-listenable end of my scale, but of course experimental stuff always pushes the boundaries of acceptance. So I’d say, don’t write them off, give them a listen yourself and decide. Anyway, this a good song that’s just a few inches closer to typical, though it didn’t creep up quite far enough to make the list.
Runner-up- No One Does It Like You- Department of Eagles

For me a great song needs to have excellent lyrics as well as a unique sound, some aspect that sticks in your head, and a passion that comes through in the singing and the instrumentals. I loved this song the first time I heard it because it’s dreamy, and magical, and I adore the way and it soars through the upper stratosphere, skimming over snowy mountain ranges and the deep blue sea. It ended up at the tail end of my list just because it’s not as hummable or catchy as some of the other songs, and it’s not one that gets me as excited when it pops up on shuffle, even if that doesn’t diminish the delight of listening to it when it does. I give you number fifteen from the album ‘Alpinisms’.
15- Connjur- School of Seven Bells

This song alternates between raucous and quiet, and it manages to be quite catchy along the way. The guitars are upbeat (and in fact whirring), the cymbals are clashing, the tambourines are dancing all the way through, and the lyrics are hopeful without compromising the autumn-approaching-winter feeling of the song. From ‘Kids Aflame’ it’s number fourteen, ‘Whirring’.
14- Whirring- Arms

This song is gorgeous and elusive. It would probably have placed higher on the list but the list was already full when I remembered. That’s it’s only problem; it’s a little forgettable. It’s not a song I think of very often, but when I do listen to it the gentle, bittersweetness of it all ensnares me and makes everything melt away. It’s a feather on the air and while you can see you can appreciate its silken, softly glowing beauty, but all too quickly it slips away. From ‘The Sparrow and The Crow’, it’s ‘I Don't Feel It Anymore’, also known as number thirteen.

Listen to it here:
13- I Don't Feel It Anymore (Song of the Sparrow)- William Fitzsimmons

Some great suffle songs for holiday!

Sufjan Stevens - Good King Wenceslas 2008

Joan As Police Woman - Holiday (To Survive 2008)

Fleet Foxes - White Winter Hymnal (Fleet Foxes 2008)

Amy Winehouse - He Can Only Hold Her (Back To Black 2006)

The Fiery Furnaces - Here Comes The Summer (Ep 2005)

The Beach Boys - Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town ( Merry Christmas 1992)

Seattle's Fleet Foxes shook the year, their songs were posted on every single indie blog, zine. I loved their first Sun Giant EP, then deput album became everybody's favorite cause it was such a smooth listening experience. It already took attention including in most of end of year lists.

White Winter Hymnal was voted the best song of the year by Pitchfork readers. Plus, every song is great in self-titled Fleet Foxes. This is their first album borrowing from ageless folk and classic rock, reminding legend Beach Boys, maybe we can call them as indie rock version of the Beach Boys. We've listened many great bands, however this is sure the band of the year.

listen:
Fleet Foxes - Quiet Houses
Fleet Foxes - White Winter Hymnal

1. Sam Sparro - Sam Sparro
2. Katy Perry - One of The Boys
3. Adele - 19
4. Duffy - Rockferry
5. Lady Gaga - The Fame
6. Dido - Safe Trip Hom
7. Robyn - Robyn
8. Britney Spears - Circus
9. Estelle - Shine
10. Leona Lewis - Spirit

No information no babbling, here comes my best songs of 2008.

1. Sam Sparro – Black & Gold
2. Hercules & Love Affair - Blind
3. Portishead - Machine Gun
4. The Last Shadow Puppets - My Mistakes Were Made For You
5. TV on the Radio - Golden Age
6. Nada Surf - Weightless
7. Metallica - The Day That Never Comes
8. My Brightest Diamond - Inside a Boy
9. Boris - Buzz-In
10. Vampire Weekend - M7911
12. Duffy - Warwick Avenue
13. Bloc Party - Mercury
14. Katy Perry - I Kissed A Girl
15. Adele - Chasing Pavements
16. Glasvegas - Daddy's Gone
17. M83 - Kim & Jessie
18. Coldplay - Viva la Vida
19. Goldfrapp - Caravan Girl
20. Estelle Feat Kanye West - American Boy

Hey Andrew Bird fans, you sure read Stereogum and check out the mention beautiful artwork of the new album. Previous album featured a Bird, now it turns to a old tree.

Andrew Bird concerned about his own record, as Pitchfork mentioned before.

For me, Noble Beast sounds extremely slow. I liked the Radiohead feeling on the opening song "Oh No". Rest of songs sound like sad folk ballads. Consider that i'm fan of Andrew Bird. It's so early to tell, however i'm not very satisfied with the whole record.

Andrew Bird - Oh No (Album version from Noble Beast)

The Wedding Present wish you a Merry Christmas with their new song Holly Jolly Hollywood. Simone White and David Gedge sing together, and the song has became very sweet!

The Wedding Present & Simone White - Holly Jolly Hollywood

Glasvegas' limited Christmas EP has a lot to offer, even to someone like me who is exceptionally jaded about the annual flood of Christmas albums that is unleashed every year. Frankly, Christmas album releases drive me crazy. They're just too seasonal to be worth listening to any other time of the year. However, that said, I did enjoy this addition to Glasvegas' self-titled album. The gentle piano and the soft jingle of sleigh bells ties all of the songs together with holiday melancholy.

These are not happy, upbeat Christmas tunes (more like wintertime depression tunes), but they are realistic. After all... this is the season when lonely people are at their bluest. You only need to listen to their rendition of Silent Night to understand just how downbeat this album is. The song enough to break your heart, and no exaggeration there. It's like a choir of angels singing over a suicide. Ouch. What an ending.

These songs have a seasonality to them, but they also have play value beyond the holidays which always nice. I really enjoyed 'Cruel Moon', 'A Snowflake Fell (And It felt Like A Kiss)', and "Please Come Back Home". And I just love those Scottish accents. Interestingly enough, most of the EP was recorded in a Transylvanian church, with the Concentus Choir singing in Romanian and English on the last track.

The EP will only be available on iTunes for two weeks starting December 16, or as a preorder bonus with the upcoming US release of 'Glasvegas' .

Track List:
Careful What You Wish For
Fuck You, It's Over
Cruel Moon
Please Come Back Home
A Snowflake Fell (And It Felt Like A Kiss)
Silent Night/Noapte De Vis


Glasvegas- Please Come Back Home.m4a

Every end of years, i share songs more different than classic Christmas songs!

The Flaming Lips - Once Beyond Hopelessness (Christmas on Mars 2008)

Sally Shapiro - Anorak Christmas ( Disco Romance 2006)
Not always slow tunes match to Christmas best, Anorak Christmas makes you jump and sing in a beautiful, hopeful way.

Cocteau Twins - Frosty The Snowman (Snow 1993)
One of my all time favorite Christmas tune!

John Cale - Child's Christmas In Wales alternate version (Paris 1919 1973)

Joni Mitchell - River ( Blue 1971)
She provides such amazing moments, River is from her classic album, and the song is just magical and glorious.

Previous years:
Christmas Hits
Christmas Vol 3.
Christmas Vol 2.
Christmas Vol 1.

It's been three long years since i first posted about music on this blog. I always loved sharing my music taste, it's good to share! I can't think a life without music or beats. Like your heartbeats, if it stops you won't breathe! There are great albums,records and artists as well this year. However, these are the most listened records on my 2008.

1. The Last Shadow Puppets - The Age Of The Understatement
2. Cranes - Cranes
3. Portishead - Third
4. Beach House - Devotion
5. Tindersticks - The Hungry Saw
6. Boris - Smile
7. Sigur Rós - Inn Í Mér Syngur Vitleysingur
8. Hercules And Love Affair - Hercules And Love Affair
9. Nada Surf - Lucky
10. Martha Wainwright - I Know You're Married

songs:
Boris - Flower Sun Rain
The Last Shadow Puppets - The Age Of The Understatement
Martha Wainwright - So Many Friends

A gem from Sweden, and her amazing voice continues to hold your ears three minutes with her newest song Stumble To Fall. After big success of Come Along (2002), she's just a little more Hidden. There are also collaborations with the likes of Kleerup, Moto Boy and Goran Kajfes of Oddjob. On Hidden, songs have quite blue feeling, like Stumble To Fall, this is nice slow pop music.

Titiyo - Stumble to Fall

Bon Iver's (a.k.a. Justin Vernon) Blood Bank (EP) includes amazing four songs. The songs have quite down beats, like in the cover, the ep has some snow feeling inside. I don't like to be in that car. Anyway, here comes the opener, a slow and impressive one:

mp3: Bon Iver - Blood Bank

Sweet and lovely french pop singer Jane Birkin releases her new album Enfants D'hiver. I've heard all the new songs just today. Next year, she will start her new tour, going at Paris' Palace from March 10 to 15, 2009. All the lyrics are written by Jane Birkin.

Jane Birkin - Période bleue

They're so underrated and this is really a great indie rock album. I loved the whole record,
title-track "The Great Escape" has every great indie rock hooks like any famous band in the world. The Strokes, Franz Ferdinand, Kaiser Chiefs, Arctic Monkeys, now here they come The Rifles. 8.5/10
Highlights: The Great Escape, Fool To Sorrow, History, The General

The Rifles - The Great Escape
The Rifles - The Great Escape Music Video

This EP is weighted with melancholy, desperation, and God. Each song throbs and pulses with angels and buzzing guitars. The live tracks are unplugged and restive, but no less tingling with dark and light. ‘Badges and Badges’ feels like a private concert on an autumn porch, ‘I Can Feel A Hot One’ was born a gorgeous hit and I feel the EP is worth it just for this song. It combines the best of beauty, sadness and spirit in a very memorable package. ‘Sleeper 1972’ is a song to lull one into numbness or to rest. Later in the song Andy Hull bellows out his passion, all stirring softness and quiet rebellion. ‘I Was A Lid’ was my second favorite, with rolling guitar thunder and ripping, roaring vocals. The acoustic version of ‘Wolves at Night’ is just a great listen, and it impresses me more and more with each play through.

The DVD is an interesting peek into the band’s life on the road. It’s fun to see what good friends they are, and I was impressed that they move all of their own gear and really put blood, tears and sweat (literally, a lot of sweat!) into their music. They also give their all at each and every live show they play. It includes Many live performances as well as music videos as special features.

There’s not a line in any of these songs that isn’t worth listening to. I rarely bother to look up lyrics to music. Either I can hear them or I can’t, and they tend to get shrugged off if they don’t feel insistent enough to make me need to know. But with tracks as epic as these, tracks obviously loaded with story, tracks sung with such passion…. I had to go looking. Fully understanding the words only made me sink deeper into their meaning. This band’s music is contemplative as well as rocking, a worthy mix of fuel and flame that I know will only make them shine brighter and brighter in years to come.

The limited EP/DVD Let My Pride Be What’s Left Behind is out through independent stores only. See thinkindie.com for a list of places to get your hands on it.

Spring 2009 will see the release of Manchester Orchestra’s sophomore album, Mean Everything To Nothing.

Listen to some of these songs here at their MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/manchesterorchestra

1. Franz Ferdinand - Ulysses

2. Lady GaGa featuring Colby O'Donis - Just Dance

3. The Killers - Human
They're still on my list, because i think their new song is great!

4. Oasis - I'm Outta Time

5. Cat Power - Dark End Of The Street

6. Radiohead - 15 Step| Myspace Video

7. Kings of Leon - Use Somebody

8. Beyonce - If I Were a Boy

9. The Hold Steady - Stay Positive | Myspace Video

10. Kanye West - Love Lockdown

Flashback
Silver Penciled (The End Has No End) have already mentioned about how cool The Strokes are. I want to share a song from their masterpiece Is This It:
The Strokes - Trying Your Luck

I've been listening to Arctic Monkeys' Favourite Worst Nightmare a lot recently. My previous review was pure fun, i read again and again, it's so funny. And i noticed my bad point on this album and i need to correct that.

The Last Shadow Puppets is one of my favorite in the year, and Arctic Monkeys' Favourite Worst Nightmare was actually very good! It needs some spin, then you're addicted to their guitar chords and lyrics. I felt that i had to correct this mistake and tell this is a great record. 8/10

Arctic Monkeys - Do Me A Favor

Also:
The Last Shadow Puppets - The Age Of The Understatement
The Last Shadow Puppets - Standing Next to Me

The collection of Cat Power's latest cover songs is Dark End of the Street due digitally and on a limited edition double 10" in a gatefold sleeve December 9 from Matador. She sings songs from the Pogues, James Carr, Sandy Denny, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Otis Redding, and Aretha Franklin. Great covers from R&B, folk and soul artists.

mp3: Cat Power - Dark End Of The Street

Tracklist:
1. "Auld Triangle (The Pogues)
2. "Dark End of the Street (James Carr)
3. "Who Knows Where the Time Goes (Sandy Denny/Fairport Convention)
4. "Fortunate Son (Creedence Clearwater Revival)
5. "I've Been Loving You Too Long (To Stop Now) (Otis Redding)
6. "It Ain't Fair (Aretha Franklin)

I just discovered this new band while surfing around looking at new releases, and their minimalist sound and enchanted, hypnotic, mantra-like music snagged my attention immediately. The band's write-up about their music on MySpace is a little... out there. Okay, a lot out there. To quote only a small portion, they say "It’s a cactus trance of ancient metronomes, ESP murmurs and pomegranate flavoured candy canes". I have only one thing to say.

This song is chilly.

It's the kind of thing you'd expect to form a glaze of ice on your speakers, and I would not be surprised to hear it show up in a movie about serial killers. Scratchy, off-tune strings stalk through the whole song whilst the twinkles of stars (or bells or knives?) in the night dance in the foreground, as the vocals lurk beyond in the cold.

Judging by the songs I've heard thus far, St. Just Vigilantes new album Pastor of Oaks, Sheppherd of Stones promises to be a mostly meditative (AKA quiet, trace-inducingly dull) experience. This song may well be the standout in an otherwise flat CD.

St. Just Vigilantes- Rose Grenades

Ben Kweller releases 'Changing Horses' on February 3rd (2009). And we reveal joyful the first song "Fight" which is can be streamable on Kweller's myspace. Ballad Of Wendy Baker is also very great song that i've recently discovered. Changing Horses combines classical American style songwriting and rock roots. Indie rock singer songwriter Ben Kweller tells his music gets darker on this fifth studio album. Love Changing Horses.

Tracklist:
1. "Gypsy Rose"
2. "Old Hat"
3. "Fight"
4. "Hurtin' You"
5. "Ballad of Wendy Baker"
6. "Sawdust Man"
7. "Wantin' Her Again"
8. "Things I Like to Do"
9. "On Her Down"
10. "Homeward Bound"

This is the opening track to Franz Ferdinand's new album "Tonight". The track is made up of the stems from the remix competition for 'Ulysses'. Franz Ferdinand have announced details of their comeback single, "Ulysses". I know that we are all Franz Ferdinand fans! Such a great fun, come on lets get high! I'm loving Ulysses and third upcoming album "Tonight" will shake and rock your world. You can stream the song on official Myspace too.

Franz Ferdinand - Ulysses

If I had to pick a current favorite song, this would be IT. I’ve only had this song for three days and I’ve already listened to it more times than I can count (actually, the play count says 15. But it’s SO GOOD IT SEEMED LIKE MORE). ‘Sushi’ is pure fun, and it’s got an awesome beat. There aren’t very many songs that make me want to leap up and perform some kind of ridiculous dance right here in front of my computer. But this one does. And I’m not the ridiculous dance type.

Kyle Andrews has an album out, ‘Real Blasty’, and I really want to get my hands on it. He describes his music as alternative/acoustic/electronica which is a fascinating mix, since I would have thought acoustic and electronic music were mortal enemies fated never to meet lest one should perish in the ensuing battle. So it’s odd to see that they have spawned child as intriguing as ‘Real Blasty’. Download this song, cherish it in all it’s sushy goodness, and then go to his MySpace page if you want to download his free music sampler too.

Kyle Andrews- Sushi

http://www.myspace.com/kyleandrews

Marianne’s new album Easy Come Easy Go recorded over a two week period at the historic Sear Sound studios in New York, All the songs have been chosen by Marianne and Hal. The album includes 18 great covers of different music styles.

It's wonderful to hear new songs, i think Marianne did a great cover album with Easy Come Easy Go. It's so great, she feels the music inside like she did before. And her voice is so deep on Children of Stone. Interpretations of songs from Morrissey (Dear God Please Help Me) and The Decemberists (The Crane Wife 3) are surprisingly amazing. Check out official Marianne Myspace page for more track to stream.

Marianne Faithfull - Children of Stone with Rufus Wainwright (originally by Espers)

1. John Vanderslice - Time to Go

2. Piano Magic - Dark Horses
3. The Rifles - The Great Escape
4. Squarepusher - Planet Gear | watch Video
5. The Decemberists - The Tain | video
6. Final Fantasy - Blue Imelda | youtube Video7. James Blunt - Love Love Love
8. Howling Bells - Into The Chaos

Howling Bells, 'Into the Chaos' filmed at the Hoxton...listen live.

9. Jay Jay Pistolet - Happy Birthday You
10. The Streets - Heaven For The Weather

Limited edition single featuring the new song Used To Be, which contemplates the spiritual and physical effects of life on the road, of love, and of getting older. Beach House never disappoint.

Download
Beach House - Used To Be

Listen at Myspace
Watch Live Version

I previously wrote about Weekend which is the best The Sea and Cake song on Car Alarm. New album requires some more spins to get the good music. If you think you love indie music, then you should hear about The Sea and Cake. Don't know if you have heard the singer Archer Prewitt, i have all studio albums of him. He's such a great musician!
The Sea and Cake - Weekend

Title song will be the first single of next The Rifle record. I loved The Great Escape, however i haven't listened new album but The Great Escape Ep. The first album was amazing, i'm looking forward for this.

The Rifles - The Great Escape

Tracklist:
1. Science In Violence
2. The Great Escape
3. Fool To Sorrow
4. Sometimes
5. Toerag
6. History
7. Winter Calls
8. Out In The Past
9. Romeo And Julie
10. The General
11. For The Meantime

A magical band from Uk, Piano Magic play electronica, post-rock, baroque, alternative, even dark rock music, and they're one of the greatest things that i've listened recently. If you like melancholic rock music such as The Smiths, Joy Division or Nico you should check this out. This Dark Horses EP is full of amazing, romantic and downbeat songs. These songs are great!

Piano Magic - Dark Horses

1. The Killers - Human

2. Katy Perry - Hot n Cold

3. Bjork feat. Thom Yorke - Nattura | Listen
4. Deerhoof - Offend Maggie | Video
5. Seal - A Change is Gonna Come| Listen
6. Tracy Chapman - Sing For You

7. Thom Yorke - Tchk Harrowdown Jump Rmx | Stream

8. The Charlatans - Oh! Vanity

9. Ponytail - Celebrate the Body Electric

10. Beyonce - If I Were a Boy

Because The Strokes are awesome. I've been listening to their three albums a lot lately and... they're awesome. What more can be said? I've heard they may or may not be releasing a new album in 2009 after a many year hiatus. Here's hoping. But it's just a random rumor I saw so who knows. For now, I highly recommend going out and buying their albums and enjoying. Oh, and listen to my favorite from 2003 album Room On Fire:

The End Has No End- The Strokes.

New album "Our Bright Future" available November 10th (Europe) and November 11th (US).

The first song from Our Bright Future is Thinking of You which is a usual and sweet Tracy Chapman song. I'm loving the song!

Tracy Chapman - Thinking of You

The first solo in a decade, and you can reach tour dates here:
http://www.tracychapman.com

Find album details and listen new songs here:
http://www.myspace.com/tracychapman

Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come" is covered by R&B artist Seal, like many Sam Cooke covers from R&B and Soul artists; Aretha Franklin ,Otis Redding, Al Green, Leela James. Wayne Brady. For me Seal's best cover song is Walk on By by Burt Bacharach. If you want to check it out Sam Cooke song by Seal's soft voice, then listen this!

Seal - A Change is Gonna Come

Texas based folk rock band Peter and the Wolf releases a new album after debut Lightness (2006).

Once you listen the whole Mellow Owl, you leave your chair with a pleasant smile on your face. Previous album Lightness is already full of peaceful tunes, and Mellow Owl follows the same line and included with many sorrowful tracks that i find amazing. Moondance Of Nightowl, Bottle Rockettes and City Birds are few emotional tracks of these amazing melancholic folk rock album. 7/10

Peter And The Wolf - City Birds

My main impression of Ben Folds' new album Way to Normal is that it jumps all over the place, and it doesn’t feel like a coherent unit. If it wasn’t for Ben Fold’s voice in each one, I could convince myself I was listening to a playlist of random songs. There is a thread tying them together, but it’s a thin one, and unraveling in places. I have to give it a 5/10, because after the first five songs the album, in my opinion, really falls apart. I would not have bought this album, but would probably buy a few choice singles. Ben Folds is a veteran artist but this album nonetheless feels really immature, repetitive, and clunky, with uninspired lyrics. The second play through was a little more satisfactory, but my initial impressions still remained. I think this an album where different people will have vastly different opinions on it.

The first song, Hiroshima (B B B Benny Hit His Head) feels more like a joke song, like something someone would throw together for fun. It’s hard to imagine that he choose it for the opening number of his album. Dr. Yang is a crazed bombast of sound condensed into a very small space. It’s a really fun song with some fiery piano playing, and it stands out like a lightning bolt amidst a lot of other dull songs.

The Frown Song is a pretty good song, and compared to most of the others, great. It’s catchy enough, and decent listening. It’s more like the Ben Folds you probably know and love. You Don’t Know Me is a good single. It’s undeniably the most popular song, and out of experience I can tell you it’s extremely catchy. Before Cologne is only 50 seconds long, and serves no real point but filler. I really liked the next song, Cologne, because it’s grounded and enjoyable to listen to, with a nice soft melancholy that still has the energy of the other songs. It was the only one with lyrics that felt worth listening to.

Errant Dog is kind of a lame song. It has some corny rhyming in the lyrics which just bugged me, and the background music is a mashing jumbled mess. The singing and lyrics overall are pretty poor. Free Coffee is really just a vaguely musical recitation of a boring day. I’d rather just have a boring day on my own and not spend four minutes listening his lousy day. The opening to Bitch Went Nuts is kinda funny, but it’s just another reiteration of the shitty day song, only involving a crazy girlfriend. At least it’s sort of and more musical, but still… it’s just not a song I’d put on my iPod. It’s like a madman played accompaniment for a college Sophomore who’s just ranting about his girlfriend on YouTube.

Brainwascht was flat and really repetitive, non-memorable, or memorable in a bad way. Effington was bordering on interesting, meaningful, decent… but didn’t actually go there. It just came off as cheesiness building up into annoying clanging piano. The singing in Kylie From Connecticut is a little vapid, but otherwise it’s a decent song, still not particularly memorable, especially the plodding section in the middle of the song which is pretty much dead air and a single piano key stroke every ten seconds. But at least this song is easy on the ears.

5/10

Ben Folds- Cologne

Strange, intelligent, sometimes natural and sometimes spiritual Bjork releases her amazing new single Nattura, and Thom Yorke has done some kind of sonorous backing vocals which he did before on Radiohead's Kid A record. Like The Dull Flame of Desire, it's another singular Bjork song.

Bjork feat. Thom Yorke - Nattura

1. The Raveonettes - Young And Beautiful
Danish duo makes my mouth open, it's a powerful rock song (Should i say a shoegaze song?)

2. Coldplay - Lost
Official Promo Video for Coldplay's fantastic new single Lost uploaded on youtube. They sound better with the recent record, i think the band turns to an iconic rock band.

3. Duffy - Rain On Your Parade
Check the Duffy's new video, it's hot and good, now watch video on the tube.

4. The Verve - Rather Be
Negative reviews are always there, and i think i love The Verve's new Forth. Watch official promo video.

5. Paul Weller - Sea Spray

6. Levellers - Burn America Burn

7. Red Light Company - Scheme Eugene

8. Cut Off Your Hands - Happy As Can Be EP

9. Adele - Make You Feel My Love
New Adele single released Oct 27th, and it's another depressed Adele song. Listen

10. The View - 5 Rebbecca's
Your average indie rock or maybe punk rock band.

Flashback Music
Arctic Monkeys - When Sun Goes Down
From their debut record, When Sun Goes Down is one of the rare Arctic Monkeys songs which makes you listen more and more.

The Raveonettes released Beauty Dies, the third in a series of four EPs they plan to put out by year's end. I actually do not like much the latest The Raveonettes album (Lust Lust Lust) even if i love this great danish duo. However, this Ep is surprisingly a great work. Young and Beautiful reminds me amazing and sweet My bloody Valentine songs such as Loose Yourself in Me.

The Raveonettes - Young and Beautiful

Tracklist:
01. Young and Beautiful
02. Black/White
03. The Thief
04. Here Comes the End

The Astonished Eyes Of Evening” is Cinema Strange's first official studio album, after long waiting!

This is very strange, dark and unusual music. If you don't like gothic music avoid Cinema Strange. Cinema Strange has been the most successful, most talked about, and most 'strange' gothic newcomer act in 1999. The Astonished Eyes Of Evening features obscure vocal performance, horror themes and this is great music for scary nights.

Cinema Strange - 'Ere The Flowers Unfold

The new album from punk legends The Damned, album isn't high-flying punk record like their debut record (Damned, Damned, Damned 1977), and it doesn't need to be the same. This is the proof how a punk legend still play music very well despite growing old.

"So, Who's Paranoid?" Certainly not The Damned, who have conjured here yet another collection of genre-defying songs which effortlessly sits alongside their classic albums.
It also features the first single "Little Miss Disaster". I was amazed with this record, i was expecting something weak. This is great melodic, beautiful music for sure! Go buy this album instead of stealing it.

Highlights: A Nation Fit For Heroes, Dr. Woofenstein, Perfect Sunday, Little Miss Disaster

The Damned - Little Miss Disaster

The members in Oh No! Oh My! started playing music when they were just fourteen years old, and all of them play at least three different instruments. Wow, it sounds great, i was reading information from their Oh No Oh My myspace page.

They have a new Ep, and it's called Dmitrij Dmitrij. I have listened all of the songs from the new Dmitrij Dmitrij. Imagine a cross between Band of Horses, Of Montreal and Neautral Milk Hotel, and this is good.

Oh No Oh My - The Boy With An Anchor

Indie rock’s successful musician, singer and composer Andrew Bird has announced his next studio record is all ready to go. We've mentioned about his new song Oh No before.Noble Beast, the new album is due to hit shops January 27. We will see if this is another great Andrew Bird record like previous Armchair Apocrypha. I have no doubt that this record becomes awesome.

Before Noble Beast, i wanted to mention about a new live album available right this instant through his webstore. It's called "Live in Montreal", and it was recorded at the city's La Tulipe in September of last year with Martin Dosh and Jeremy Ylvisaker backing up Bird.

Andrew Bird - Why [Live In Montreal]

It's the first Cranes album for four years, i'm very happy to write for this band. One of the most stunning British bands of early '90s, Cranes were amazing with vocals Alison Shaw. Compared with unique dream pop bands like Cocteau Twins and My Bloody Valentine, new self-titled Cranes album shines all over with eleven amazing track. Songs such Invisible, Feathers and Wonderful Things provide haunting moments, you want to listen this album over and over again. There is none other like Cranes, there is nothing similar to them, and this record is one of a kind! Buy Cranes or please see this band live. 10/10

You can listen songs from the new album on http://www.myspace.com/cranes

Cranes - Feathers

From time to time, i write about cool experimental stuff on this blog. Now, this is experimental music! Best ambient composer Harold Budd teams up with Clive Wright and the result is A Song for Lost Blossoms. Since Brian Eno is everybody's favorite electronic music composer, musicians such as Klaus Schulze, Robin Guthrie (of Cocteau Twins), Mark Hollis and Harold Budd are my all time favorite. This record is a modern classic, and he's sure a genius! 9/10

Harold Budd & Clive Wright - Forever Hold My Breath

Born in Calgary, Tegan and Sara began their musical path in 1995 and at the age of 26 have released 5 albums. I'll Take the Blame is the second major EP released by Indie group Tegan and Sara. It is available as a digital download only, from iTunes in certain countries.
My post looks like a copy-paste work, but i've recently discovered them and love their music so much.

Tracklist:
01 - Back In Your Head (Studio Version) 03:01
02 - Back In Your Head (Tiesto Remix Edit) 04:57
03 - One Second 02:38
04 - I Take All The Blame 02:47

Sooner or later I’ll finish listening through the new Ben Folds CD, and I’ll get a review of the album up. Until then, enjoy this twinkly, juicy little song I stumbled across the other day. It’s off Plushgun’s aptly named Aug. 2008 EP ‘Plushgun’, and it leaves me wishing they had a real album out to chew on, and, omgguesswhat, they do in fact have an album coming out on November 4th. Pretty nifty. This song is like little spun-sugar spiders, or an early winter snowfall, or an aurora borealis dancing over the stars. Chilly and beautiful, soaring and sweet.

Plushgun- Just Impolite.mp3

1. Of Montreal - Id Engager


2. Keane - The Lovers Are Losing

3. Ryan Adams & The Cardinals - Fix It

4. Annuals - Hot Night Hounds

5. The Decemberists - Valerie Plame

Flashback

Song
Feist - Leisure Suite
Combining jazz, alternative and rock music, coming from the album Let It Die (2004), Leisure Suite is one of my favorite Feist songs.

Album
Muse - Origin of Symmetry
Between some good great modern rock band, Muse have the most exciting songs, that's for sure. In every Muse album, you find some addictive songs. Origin of Symmetry has flawless "Bliss", "Plug in Baby", extremly very dark Muse song "Dark Shines".

This song, like many of Joanna Newsom’s songs, is an acquired taste. But I think it’s worth the handful of listens it takes to get past her odd, freak folk façade and appreciate the beauty of the song she’s written. To begin with I could only imagine how wonderful the song would be if it was sung ‘right’ by someone else (I even hunted down a cover of the song by Final Fantasy). But then, imperceptibly over the fifth or so listen, her odd and twisty way of singing took over and I didn’t need to imagine that glamorized version anymore, because somewhere along the way her unique, squeaky caterwaul had turned into its own kind of beauty to my ears.

“Peach, Plum, Pear” is still a lot more accessible than some of her other songs. I’m thinking especially of “Emily”, a twelve minute long song/story that is more spoken than sung and has only a slight amount of accompaniment. That’s still a little more Joanna Newsom than I‘m ready for.

Another song by her that I *would* recommend, also from her 2004 album “The Milk-Eyed Mender”, is “Clam, Crab, Cockle, Cowrie” (she seems to have an affinity for lists). It’s a more traditional folk song, and so it sounds like it was sung by a completely different person. I guess it’s proof she can sing ‘well’ aka traditionally.


Joanna Newsom- Peach, Plum, Pear

From Ani DiFranco's mouth:
"When I listen to my new record, I hear a very relaxed me, which I think has been absent in a lot of my recorded canon," Ani explains. "Now I feel like I'm in a really good place. My partner Mike Napolitano co-produced this record - my guitar and voice have never sounded better, and that's because of him. I've got this great band and crew. And my baby, she teaches me how to just be in my skin, to do less and be more."

I loved Red Letter Year, it's been a great record. You know i'm addicted to melancholia. Red Letter Year, Alla This, Present/Infant, Smiling Underneath and The Atom are amazing tracks despite their old fashioned mode. This is her best record!

Ani DiFranco - Alla This

Ryan Adams teams up with The Cardinals and makes his best work, Cardinology. The record is full of hooks, heartland-rock roots, some Grateful Dead, country influence of Gram Parsons, and some U2. I think Ryan's friends said him to go to rehab, he said yes unlike Amy Winehouse. And it does works on Cardinology. Great work. First single is promising, amazing and LOVED it.

Ryan Adams & The Cardinals - Fix It

Other Things You Might Like If You Like Cardinals Are:
clouds, laughing, kissing, pictures, tears, books friends, silence, noise, light, shadow, soup, snow,the 80's, the 90's,books about science,outer space, the unexpected, change, the moment, smiling, freaking out, kindness, mindfulness, and getting lost more...

Less than two years after their breakup, the band releases maybe the last and sad six songs more. Grab That Gun (2004) is so hard to forget, it's safe and sound. Thieves EP is nice, The Organ regrouped and headed back to the studio to record these songs for the EP Thieves.

Tracklist:
Even In The Night
Oh What A Feeling
Let The Bells Ring
Fire In The Ocean
Can You Tell Me One Thing
Don't Be Angry

The beautiful voice of indie rock, Heather Nova releases The Jasmine Flower on October 2008. Twelve acustic songs touch to your heart and almost make you cry. On the song Out On A Limb, everything diseappears and only sweet voice of her echoes around you. Near closing, atmosphere becomes sweeter and sweeter, Say Something proves how beautiful she's singing along with her band. Always Christmas warmes inside of you, like a song written for you. Some songs are very satisfying here, expecting totally spotless songs is nonsense these days.

The Jasmine Flower is something very sad and good.
Heather Nova - Maybe Tomorrow

The more moody music it is, the more i like it. Another World is included with smooth voice of Antony and magical music of the Johnsons. Every critic gives high marks to record if the record tells and matches something about their lives. Musically, Another world ain't much different than I Am A Bird Now (2005). However this is again glorious and heavy-hearted. Shake That Devil tries something both cabaret and avant-garde, brooding like the song Hope There's Someone. Sing For Me, Another World are all highlights here. Another World Ep is a romantic treasure! 8.5/10

Antony & the Johnsons - Another World

Coming Hits
Marie Digby - Say It Again Lyrics
50 Cent - Get Up Lyrics
Matt Nathanson - Come on Get Higher Lyrics
Akon - I'm So Paid Lyrics
Jordin Sparks - No Air Lyrics
Nickelback - Gotta Be Somebody Lyrics
Seether - Rise Above This Lyrics
Lil' Wayne - Shareefa Lyrics
Hoobastank - My Turn Lyrics
Jonas Brothers - Thats Just The Way We Roll Lyrics

Electronic, jazz, rock and pop combo from Everything But The Girl. First three song Walking Wounded, Single and Wrong make you think that you haven't listened to them for a long time. You feel yourself that this is your music! You need Tracey Thorn's voice, now this 2008 Collection brings the 90s' Everything But The Girl back. Essential!

Everything But The Girl - Single

The mention on Spiralling was truly right on the spot, it was the first single from this album. Perfect Symmetry is the third album by successful English pop/rock band Keane. Some calls them as piano band, i'm sorry but this doesn't make sense! This is not Chopin, it's a great rock band not piano band. 'The band have completely transformed their look and their new album is said to be also very unexpected' already been said, do not believe something like this, Keane follows the same way on this album. The band have only transformed their sad sound to a little bit happy sound in some of the songs. They sure change their sound a bit on every new Keane record, every single band does in this way.

3th track Better Than This truly madly deeply takes the roots from David Bowie's hit single Ashes to Ashes, and i loved the song! This sounds better than Under the Iron Sea. 7/10

Highlights: Spiralling, Better Than This, You Don't See Me, Pretend That You're Alone

Keane - Lovers Are Losing

you may also like:
Coldplay, Arid, Travis, Glasvegas

One of the most influential and very necessary rock icon in music history, Lou Reed plays Berlin fully at St. Anns Warehouse in over 30 years. Lou Reed remade the masterpiece, his third studio album for Julian Schnabel's concert film "Lou Reed's Berlin". The concert film was directed by Julian Schnabel, live at St. Ann's Warehouse in Brooklyn, NY during five nights in December 2006. I do not listen live albums much. However, this is Lou Reed and he makes me listen to his amazing guitar solos. Plus, there is a sweet Antony duet on the song "Candy Says", a very sweet one. Antony is everywhere, they had worked before on I Am A Bird Now (2005), the song was Fistful Of Love.

Lou Reed - Candy Says (with Antony)

North Carolina-based Annuals' second Lp is out now. Debut Be He Me was amazing indie rock album. It's such fun listening them again, with producer Jacquire King (Modest Mouse, Tom Waits). Such Fun walks between post-rock and pop-rock, and it's for sure they're fantastic band. You can also watch video of Confessor from Such fun. Hot Night Hounds sounds reasonably gigantic!

Annuals - Hot Night Hounds

Tracklist:
01. Confessor
02. Hot Night Hounds
03. Springtime
04. Down The Mountain
05. Always Do
06. Talking
07. Hardwood Floor
08. Hair Don't Grow
09. The Tape
10. Blue Ridge
11. Wake

Sometimes I go the iTunes pages for other countries, just to taunt myself with music I can't actually buy. Some of these bands and songs I've eagerly hoped will show up on the US version, but my hopes are usually dashed. Why can't great music that's not in English or Spanish (or isn't the most blasé of J-Pop) manage to cross the oceans? A long while back I stumbled on the new album from legendary (in Denmark) Danish band TV-2, and I knew when I saw the titles of the songs (Mere Sympati På Gaderne, Håbløst Forelsket I Dig etc.) that it would never see the light of day over here. Which is a hideous shame. The album, For Dig Ku' Jeg Gøre Alting, is amazing. It's fantastic, really. Like a Danish Coldplay, in a way. It's sparkly, it's soaring, and I'm sure the words are passionate and meaningful. They're certainly sung like they are. I'm still working on finding all the translations for the lyrics, but then again, who really needs them? It's perfectly good listening anyway.

I'll never understand why some people have such an aversion to listening to music they can't actually understand... for me, it's all part of the fun. I seek it out, and I'm always disappointed by how hard it is to find. This album deserves a great big 9/10 (though that may be boosted a bit by my love for music that's not in English). I look forward to finding out more about the band whose discography is apparently into the double digits.

There's the title track, one of my favorites:

TV-2 - For Dig Ku' Jeg Gøre Alting

Other favorites include S.O.M.M.E.R. and Håbløst Forelsket I Dig.

In last three months, some great indie rock bands have announced great albums from Of Montreal to Noah and the Whale, Rilo Kiley's Jenny Lewis, Andrew Bird, Shearwater, Okkervil River and now The Decemberists. Tv on the Radio has also launched a record which sure reaches the best albums of 2008 status. Some describes The Decemberists as folk version of Death Cab for Cutie, this is not right, though. They are actually very different except their vocalists. The Decemberists tell sweet stories, funny moments lyrically. Opener Valerie Plame gives feelings of both being happy and sad, including gay choruses like La da da de da and la de da da.

The Decemberists - Valerie Plame