This song is in every 80s movie. EVERY

Sometimes you hear a song on the radio and you swear it was in every single movie from the 1980s. For example - that song at the end of Ferris Bueller's Day off (ommmm BOW BOW, chickichi kaaahhhhhhh). That's not the song I've chosen today, but instead another classic 80s song that seems to find its way into every movie. EVERY ONE!!

Here is Yaz with "Situation". And guess what I learned today? It's sung by a chick! Who knew??

Retro Friday...Did I Stutter?!!

Guten Morning and HAPPY FRIDAY!!

I don't know why but I woke up super early this morning, and am unable to fall right back asleep, so I figured I'd get y'all an old school jam before the darkness takes me again...you can tell I'm tired. Anyways...

Elastica is a band from I don't know where, England somewhere, but in middle school I absolutely adored them. I wanted to be Justine Frischmann (and still sorta do) so badly, I mean, she was dating Damon Albarn (so cute, and kind of talented), then went on to break his heart and he made a great breakup album (Blur-13). And if you listen carefully to the lyrics of "Stutter", you can maybe decifer just why Damon didn't make the cut:) Elastica came, conquered and then peaced the F out, but they left one of the greatest albums of all time, at least in my eyes, and it's one that I return to again and again. I constantly thank my middle school self for getting into this band, because it's music that makes me happy and lets me rock out. So, even though it's pretty late retro (1993), here's Elastica with "Stutter".

Hugh is back from the dead!

Sorry for my 2 day hiatus... I was traveling for work and didn't have much down time. But I'm back and better than ever.

I'm gonna keep things funky today. Here is a band I just found out about, Kings Go Forth, a 10-piece funk band from... MILWAUKEE!! Milwaukee has had an ever-growing music scene over the last 5 or so years. They've opened up a couple new venues and have a great independent radio station (88.9 radiomilwaukee). I've heard someone compare the Kings Go Forth as a "funkier band than Sharon Jones and the Dapkings"... which means they gotta be pretty dang funky.

Here is "One Day" by Kings Go Forth

Here's Your Future

Not sure how many people will actually be reading today. Hello? Is anyone out there?

I had heard the Thermals but didn't really know who they were or what they were about. I have Hugh to thank for getting me a little bit more into them. A few facts: they are from Portland, they were considered a "supergroup" (I don't know their previous bands) that was just for fun but ended up staying together and going strong, and they f**king rock!!

"Here's Your Future" was featured on an episode of Weeds, and I must admit that's when I really decided I needed to know who this band was. Hope you rock out as well!!

Abandon All Hope Ye Who Enter Here

Good Morning,

French Kicks have been one of my favorite bands for quite awhile now. There's just something about their music that really gets to me and for some reason I don't think I could ever get sick of them. Plus that singer is one handsome tall drink of water.

Enjoy this midweek choice, "Abandon" by French Kicks.

These Ain't No Cribs for Babies

The Cribs are a band that I sort of became obsessed with late last year. I heard a few songs and then immediately went out and bought all their records. Today's song "Mirror Kissers" is off their second album, "The New Fellas". I would tell everyone to go out and buy this record, but not all music is for everyone. I heard it described as dirty pop, but I'm pretty sure that phrase is also in an N'sync song, so I'm not sure I want to use it here. But it's definitely catchy and garage-rockesque.

I always have a great time listening to these guys, and I hope that, at least for today, you do too.

YOU ALL EVERYBODY!

In honor of Lost, I am going with "You All Everybody", from the fictitious band off of Lost, Driveshaft! I hope everybody enjoyed the series finale last night. I'm still trying to piece it all together. This song sounds to me like a complete rip off of Oasis's "Rock n Roll Superstar"... but I'll give em a free pass on this one.

Happy Monday!

Summer is a Callin'

And I'm a answerin'.

Wow, is it a beautiful day or what? I wanted to choose a song that really reflects the weather outside. This is a band that everyone probably knows by now. Their debut record may have been the most hyped album of 2007. By the time the follow-up came out, people had chosen to either love them or hate them. They started out indie but blew up so fast and got very popular; frat boys especially love them, and you know how hipsters hate it when their beloved music appeals to the masses.

Now you either like their afro-pop by way of NYC prepsters or you just think they rip off Paul Simon. So I guess today I'm just taking a chance. Here's Vampire Weekend with "Cousins". (Sidenote: Ezra Koenig, the singer, could be my cousin)

Retro Friday with Til Tuesday

Everyone who reads this blog likely knows what a huge Aimee Mann fan I am. Before she got famous for her songwriting chops on Magnolia, she was in an 80s pop band called Til Tuesday and this is their biggest (ahem, only) hit, "Voices Carry". The subject matter is a little dark, but somehow with this video, domestic violence turns into something one can sort of laugh at.

Key quotes from the aggressor in this video include, "What's with the hair?" and "This little hobby of yours has gone too far" and an acute look of disgust when he realizes that Aimee has kept her obscenely long rat-tail (I guess not everything from the 80s was totally awesome).

Happy Friday everyone!!

Retro Friday - This song is magical

Ridiculously awesome guitar solos? CHECK. Unreal drum fills? CHECK. Yodeling? CHECK?? A sweet whistling solo? CHECK?!

I first discovered this song while rocking out to the local classic rock station in my friends dad's car in High School. Upon discovering this song a group of 5 of us decided we would call said radio station non-stop the next night for 2 hours straight until they promised to play the song... and it worked! They even recorded my friend Tate asking to hear this magical song on the air.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you "Hocus Pocus" by the band Focus:




On a side note, check out this tight new Nike commercial featuring my song of the day: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idLG6jh23yE&feature=youtu.be

Funk You

I'm headed to see Ms. Sharon Jones and the DapKings tomorrow night. I can't wait to get funky with the hardest working woman in the biz and the funkiest backing band on the planet. Here's a little sneak peak - "Nobody's Baby" off of her 100 days, 100 nights album. Fast-forward to the 0:44 mark of the vid unless you wanna hear a French intro:

Why Yes, Their Accents Are Funny

And so is their material. Once Hugh started talking about those great British accents, a few people popped in my mind for Song of the Day, but the ever-so-cheeky Lily Allen won out in the end. "Knock 'Em Out", off her super catchy debut "Alright, Still", is a testimony to having unwanted dudes hitting on you, and the ridiculous things that us girls say to them to try and get them to leave us alone.

So today's song goes out to the ladies, in the hopes we can learn some new lines to keep the ever-present dbags at bay:)

Commercial Success

Sometimes commercials ruin songs. However, whenever I hear this song on the Volkswagen commercial it just makes me feel good. So, I'd be cool with it if EVERY commercial used this song. It's one of those tunes that just makes you happy to be alive.

Grizzly Bear's "Two Weeks" is off the album Veckatimest - which I could make the argument is the best album from 2009. I had the pleasure of seeing these guys at Pitchfork fest last summer and I hope to get to see them again sometime in the near future.

So crank up your volume and have a lovely day:

Sun Sun Sun

Good morning everyone!!

There was actually sunshine outside my window this morning! Yay! Today's song celebrates the mighty earth-warmer along with other light subjects such as fun, drinking wine, and having love all over one's face ;)

"5 Year's Time", by Noah and the Whale, is a lighthearted twee-pop head-bopper that might just make you want to whistle along.

English Accents are Funny

My fav British MC is a toss up between the Streets and Dizzee Rascal. Dizzee really knows how to mix up flavors of everything from dub reggae, punk, dancehall and gangsta rap into a lovely dish of goodness. If I'm up in a club, Dizzee is who I want to hear. The song I picked by Dizzee Rascal is sampled from Aswad's "Warrior Charge". Here is "Can't tek more of that".

LOVE ME SOME DIZZEE!!

It may be 10 years old, but...

...this song is still great. I believe that Fiona Apple is one of the greatest female artists out there, even though she's only put out 3 albums, but all of those albums are fantastic and are probably way better than any album that (put female artist name here) has put out. "Fast as You Can" is off her second album, "When the Pawn..." which also contains some of my favorite songs of all time.

It's quick, catchy and a little crazy; the perfect mix for a pop song.

Lightspeed Champion - Marlene

Busy Monday! I'll give you more info on my song later, but in the meantime check out "Marlene" by Lightspeed Champion.

***Update***

I picked this song because it's pretty dang catchy and figured it's a good song to get stuck in your head at the beginning of the week. This is another song/band I discovered while listening to y-rock on xpn. I am also pleasantly surprised to find out that Lightspeed Champion is the brainwork of Devonte Hynes - who's previous band "Test Icles" we all thought was destined for greatness. I still remember the day music died (the day I found out Test Icles broke up)...

Trashy Magazine Drums

I've been hearing about the Drums for awhile, mainly in music rags like Filter and Britain's Q Magazine, but I didn't really start listening until I came upon references to them in both GQ and People. I only buy trashy magazines when I have to fly somewhere, and on a very recent trip I read many, and after the Drums popped up more than a couple times, I figured I should check them out (even though trashy magazines shouldn't make one do that).

The sound is very much in the vein of 80s British new wave, so much so that I figured that's where they were from; but no, they are from various parts of the US but officially formed in Florida. So they are definitely very successful in a sound and a look that is far removed from their roots. Eat your heart out Morrissey!

TGIF

weekend, 2pac, snoop,'nuff said.

80s Band Breakup!!

So I just read this morning that Norwegian pop group a-ha is breaking up, so my choice for Retro Song of the Day had to be changed to accomodate this devastating(?) news. I also read that they played in Chicago last night and I was completely unaware, and so completely missed it. Not that I know any other song besides "Take On Me", but still...I would have liked to see, what I think to be, the quintissential 80s song played live by the band who made it a hit. Oh well.

I'll just have to continue to enjoy the kick-ass video.
Happy Friday and enjoy the beautiful weather!

I wish I was still in bed...

This morning I woke up to a Thunderstorm and then hit the snooze button about 10 times. I just didn't want to take on this gloomy day. Unfortunately, I eventually got out of bed and the rest is history.

BUT, if I was still in bed, this is the song I would probably be listening to on repeat on this dreary day, "Norway" by Beach House:

Under the Covers

Good morning!

Today I bring you a cover by a fairly popular band (Passion Pit) of a song by a band that used to be incredibly popular, and who I still love (The Cranberries). I hate it when bands reissue albums so soon after first releasing them, just so they can add a few tracks or videos and (potentially) make more money. Why not just release a single or EP or something that doesn't force people to buy the entire album all over again? But I digress...This track is off of the "Manners" reissue, but for all my whining, it really is a great track.

This song, in particular, goes out to my trivia homies, Cracked Out and Turnstyle, but to everyone: enjoy this rainy Thursday!

Free Porn Below!!

New Pornographers that is... A band that releases 1 good album after another, their latest album "Together" was relased last week and lives up to the hype. The New Pornographers make it okay for me to admit I'm a sucker for a good "pop-song". Make sure you get your hands on the entire album, but crank up your volume and enjoy one of my favorite songs off of it, "Your Hands (together)":

Someone Else's Life

I love listening to NPR's All Songs Considered for both the new music they showcase as well as the nerdy, music-centered banter between the hosts. On their 2009 music-in-review show, I was lucky enough to remember this artist, Patrick Watson. You see, most of the time, I'll listen to the show and then completely forget what I liked, and am then too lazy to go back and check, but this song really stuck with me.
"Beijing" is a song about waking up and first realizing you have someone else's arms, legs, etc., until finally seeing you have someone else's life, but only to "take a break" from yours. It's a concept that's been around forever, wanting to see what life is like in someone else's shoes, but Watson presents it in a very new and interesting way.
I should also mention that this isn't the original version of the song, but in this live version the percussionist is pretty damn sweet!

This weather is DEAD to me

Jack White, the hardest working man in the music biz. It's hard to keep all of his bands straight. However, the one that arguably rocks the hardest (at least on their new LP 'sea of cowards') is The Dead Weather. They debuted their new album by putting on a live show available via their myspace page last Friday. Here is a hard-rocking-blues-driven-definition of rock n' roll off that new LP, "Hustle and Cuss":

Happy New National Record Day!

...and I'm not talking about record stores across the country; I'm talking about The National, one of my favorite bands that has a new record, High Violet, coming out today! So go head on down to your local record shop or online store and pick up a copy...I've already listened to it and I can guarantee you won't be disappointed.

In honor of this holy day, I am posting "Apartment Story" off their 4th full-length, Boxer.

Answer to Yourself

Happy Monday folks! I hope you all had great weekends. Today I have a song that will get your week started right. I enjoy listening to internet radio during the day and my favorite station is Y-Rock on XPN. I pick up on tons of new bands & songs on the station - I highly recommend it: http://xpn.org/yrock-on-xpn/home/

The song I picked today, "Answer to Yourself" by The Soft Pack, is a song I discovered on Y-Rock:

I Cannot Get This Song Out of My Head!

Good morning Monday!

My song today is by a band called Yeasayer titled, "Tightrope". I've been listening to it nearly nonstop for a couple of weeks now, mainly because if I am not listening to it, I am at least singing it in my head. It was slated to be the single off of their previous album, All Hour Cymbals, but they instead decided to contribute it to the Dark Was the Night compilation put out by those twins in the National.

It's got a kinda 80s feel and for some reason reminds me of "The Money Pit", I think because there is a song at the end of that movie that sounds a bit like this. I realize that description is not apt, so let's just ignore it and listen to the song, shall we? I hope it gets stuck in your head, too.

Ska Against Racism

My song today goes hand-in-hand with the Phoenix Suns decision to wear Los Suns jerseys and those opposed to the new Immigration law passed in Arizona. This song also goes out to Milton Bradley who occused Cubs fans of being racist.

This song, "Racist Friend", is the first song by The Specials I've posted, but definitely will not be the last. The Specials is one of my all time favorite bands and I can't get enough of the harmony of the horns on this song.

"If you've got a racist friend... now is the time, now is the time, for your friendship to end"

It's Time to Escape...to Retroland!

Welcome back to Retro Friday!

Today is gloomy. I'm still pissed at my neighbors and now the construction workers who are deciding to go ahead and work in the rain. Boo on them! No one likes the sound of drilling, hammering and truck-beeping so early in the morning. But instead of continuing my cranky streak, I'd like to escape to a place I visited earlier this year: Maui. And while in Maui, I became obsessed with a song that let me escape even further back; back to 1979. This song always makes me think of Maui and also of drinking piña coladas. So, if you like piña coladas and getting caught in the rain, then you're the one I've looked for, come with me, and ESCAPE!! Oh Rupert Holmes, you wrote the perfect one-hit wonder. Mahalo!

Sidenote: I found a live version where the Village People introduced him, but that video got taken down, so this little homemade ditty will have to do.

My Drive Thru

I've been on a bit of a Julian Casablancas/The Strokes kick lately. My song today is a little ditty, "My Drive Thru" - a joint effort by Santogold, Julian Casablancas, and N.E.R.D., produced by Pharrell.

I'll Believe in Anything...

"Give me your eyes/I need sunshine."

What a great and truly strange line that comes from my song today. The band is Wolf Parade, and the song is "I'll Believe in Anything." I used to always listen to this song over and over again if I ever found myself in a really crappy mood and needed to get out of it. It has loud synths and Spencer Krug's yelps, and apparently these are the elements that make me happy.

The warm weather has brought out my pesky and obnoxious neighbors who like to stay up really really late on the shared patio and just be really loud. Now, I'll certainly be loud in my apartment, but I respect the shared space. So for the last few nights, I've gone to bed angry, and we all know that's never good, so today I'm taking action not only by contacting management with a strongly worded anonymous letter, but I'll be blasting this song all day, hopefully to the chagrin of my neighbors.

This post is rated XX

Perfect for a gloomy day, my song is "Islands" by The xx. These guys have burst on the scene and it's hard to believe they are pretty much still teenagers. Get your hands on their self-titled debut album if you haven't already.

Have you ever wanted to be in a band? I know I certainly have, and The Pains of Being Pure at Heart is one of those bands that makes me think I could totally make it happen. They have whiny vocals, only use about 3 chords and their music is very reminiscent of the jangly pop days of the Smiths and Echo and the Bunnymen. Today's song of the day, "Young Adult Friction", is a charming little pop gem that will surely get you boppin' around a'la that scene in The Breakfast Club. Happy Wednesday!

Who wants to start a dance party?

Because most of my day is spent sitting in front of a computer, I often times listen to a lot of music. The song I have picked today, "Take it in" by Hot Chip, is one of those songs that instantly starts a dance party inside my head. I invite you to join in the dance party and get ready for your office neighbor to ask you why you are bobbing your head:



I happened to catch Hot Chip performing this track on the Jimmy Fallon show along with the help of the legendary Roots crew. I can't seem to track down the video, but if you can find it, it's definitely worth a watch.

This Is Our Noise!

Good morning everyone!

A few months ago, I bought the biography of Merge Records, but yesterday I really got some time to read it, which resulted in me having weird dreams about bands and record labels. The book provides a lot of old photos from when the record label started up 20 years ago, and is just a very interesting look into the indie scene of yesteryear. One of my favorite bands on the Merge label is the Magnetic Fields, and today I wanted to showcase this great band. This band was also part of my dream last night, where I walked into a record shop and asked for the re-released 3LP by the Athletic Fields, only to correct myself seconds later...I suppose now I at least have a great name if I ever decide to start a Magnetic Fields tribute band. Song is: "I Don't Want to Get Over You" off of 69 Love Songs.

Sounds like you got a case of the MUHNDAYS...

Well, I definitely have a case of the Mondays. What's up with not being able to fall asleep on Sunday nights even though you've probably gotten a combined 10 hours of sleep all weekend?

My song today "Little Girl" by Dangermouse/Sparkhorse feat. Julian Casablancas, comes off the controversal Dark Night of the Soul Album.

Taken from Wikipedia:

The album is to feature a hand-numbered 100+ page book of photos taken by David Lynch, said to be a visual narrative for the music. Due to a dispute with the record label EMI, it was initially reported that the album may never be released, however the book is available for sale on the official website for Dark Night of the Soul along with a blank recordable CD-R and all copies will be clearly labeled:

"For Legal Reasons, enclosed CD-R contains no music. Use it as you will."

Julian Casablanca's crooner voice gets me everytime:

Oh Monday

It's the beginning of a new week, but after successfully surviving a Satunday I am still in recovery. I listened to a lot of soul and funk this weekend due to the fact that I went to a wedding and also saw a James Brown cover band. It made me excited to see Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings in a couple of weeks, and with The Heavy opening it is bound to be a pretty raucous evening. So in anticipation of the show and to start off the week with a BANG, I give you "How You Like Me Now?" by The Heavy.

Wedding Weekend

Well, Hugh and I haven't discussed whether or not we'll be doing weekends, but we most likely won't be; however, my two good friends are getting married today, and I just wanted to post a song for them! Congrats Kate and Ryo!