New Sun Kil Moon Album

My Top 100 Favorite Songs

So in no particular order, here they are. I've thought about doing some separate posts about some of these songs individually and why I like them and the memories associated with them and maybe I will at some point. I'm not sure this list is set in stone and I think it will change over time, but overall I feel pretty happy with this and I love all of these songs.

The Barbarians - Moulty
The Only Ones - Another Girl, Another Planet
Army Navy - Saints
Saturday Looks Good to Me - Amublance
Saturday Looks Good to Me - Meet Me By the Water
Saturday Looks Good to Me - Alcohol
The Hold Steady - Stuck Between Stations
The Hold Steady - Chips Ahoy!
Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run
Camper Van Beethoven - All Her Favorite Fruit
The Magnetic Fields - The Luckiest Guy on the Lower East Side
The Magnetic Fields - I Think I Need A New Heart
The Magnetic Fields - Strange Powers
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists - Me & Mia
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists - Timorous Me
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists - Biomusicology
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists - Bottle of Buckie
The New Pornographers - Ballad of a Comeback Kid
The New Pornographers - Letter from an Occupant
The New Pornographers - The Bleeding Heart Show
The Cars - Just What I Needed
Sleater-Kinney - I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone
The Get Up Kids - Mass Pike
Tom Petty - American Girl
Sun Kil Moon - Carry Me Ohio
Sun Kil Moon - Glenn Tipton
Sun Kil Moon - Sunshine in Chicago
Appleseed Cast - Forever Longing The Golden Sunsets
Appleseed Cast - Steps and Numbers
Appleseed Cast - Santa Maria
Youth Group - Start Tomorrow Today
Sufjan Stevens - Chicago
Sufjan Stevens - The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts
We Were Promised Jetpacks - Quiet Little Voices
Band of Horses - The Funeral
The Goodnight Loving - Dead Fish on the Banks
Beat Happening - In Between
Beat Happening - Our Secret
Beachfield - Coles to Newcastle
The Helio Sequence - Can't Say No
Sebadoh - Ocean
Frightened Rabbit - Modern Leper
Outkast - Hey Ya
TV on the Radio - Wolf Like Me
Peter Bjorn and John - Object of My Affection
Pure Prarie League - Amie
Pure Prarie League - Call Me, Tell Me
The Nashville Ramblers - Trains
The Replacements - Unsatisfied
The Wedding Present - I'm Further North from You
Old Canes - Little Bird Courage
Japandroids - Younger Us
Our Anatomy - Zombie Love Song
The National - Mr. November
The Dodos - Fools
The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robot
The Flaming Lips - Waiting for Superman
Tommy James - I Think We're Alone Now
Holy Fuck - Lovely Allen
The War on Drugs - Taking the Farm
The Mountain Goats - Next Year
Kittens Ablaze - Gloom Doom Buttercup
Great Lake Myth Society - Heydays
Aesop Rock - None Shall Pass
Mouth's Cradle - Summertime
Question Mark and the Mysterians - 96 Tears
The Apples in Stereo - Winter Must Be Cold
Beach Boys - Good Vibrations
Spoon - I Summon You
Blink-182 - Feeling This
Baby Dayliner - Hoodlums in the Hit Parade
Brandston - Summer in St. Claire
Alias - Well Water Black
The Kingsbury Manx - 10008
Cloud Nothings - I'm Not Part of Me
The Pixies - U-Mass
My Morning Jacket - One Big Holiday
The Octopus Project - Porno Diaster
Raymond & Maria - No One Notices Your Brand New T-Shirt
America - Sister Golden Hair
Rod Stewart - You Wear It Well
The Hoodoo Gurus - I Want You Back
Soul Asylum - Endless Farewell
Yo La Tengo - Autumn Sweater
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Maps
Broken Social Scene - Anthems for a Seventeen-Year-Old Girl
Weezer - Only in Dreams
Titus Andronicus - A More Perfect Union
Throw Me The Statue - About To Walk
Dexy's Midnight Runners - Come on Eileen
The Shout Out Louds - Very Loud
The New Amsterdams - From California
Minus the Bear - Monkey!!!Knife!!!Fight!!!
Minus the Bear - Absinthe Party At The Fly Honey Warehouse
Modest Mouse - Third Planet
Pavement - Cut Your Hair
Chumbawamba - Tubthumping
The Weakerthans - Tournament of Hearts
The Len Price 3 - Keep Your Eyes On Me
The Most Serene Republic - (Oh) God

A Christmas Song Just For You

I noticed that you guys weren't really in this Christmas spirit yet this year (it's just around the corner like a crazed psycho killer, after all), I decided to make this special Christmas song just for you. May it make your heart pound in a way that does not induce vomiting.

The Top Ten Albums of the Last Decade - #4

The New Pornographers - Twin Cinema

It was a difficult choice between this record and Mass Romantic to represent the pornographers, but I've thought this album a bit more consistent and packing more of my favorite tunes. I really couldn't fault someone for preferring any of the other New Pornographers albums to this one; they have been one of the most consistently amazing bands of this decade. Here are the facts:

1. Aliens listen to The New Pornographers.

2. No one would give a shit about online colleges if it wasn't for The Bleeding Heart Show.

3. This album has a cool sort of post-modern story telling quality to it. These songs seem like stories and even if they don't make logical sense, you feel like you are leaving something behind at the end of the song just like at the end of an excellent novel.

4. When Justin first looked up this band he almost got kicked out of college for searching for them.

5. This album has a certain sweetness. Not like sweetness from eating too much Halloween candy, but like sweetness when you are eating a lot of fruit recently and that makes apples taste better.

6. You see so many of those behind the music episodes where the band mates hate each other and can't stay together, it is kinda nice to see a band made up a members from others bands that are able to get along so well and be able to make such incredible music. Or maybe they hate each other and the good music comes out of the conflict. Hmmm

Anyway, there is really so much to like about this album and the pornographers in general. If only they would return my letters and emails . . .

The Top Ten Albums of the Last Decade - #6

Modest Mouse - The Moon and Antarctica

This album is an epic subconscious journey through the unconscious redneck-pop culture of today's average American. I've listened to these songs over and over since early this decade and they never get old, they never lose their freshness (damn that cottage cheese in the fridge). Just listening to 3rd planet makes me feel like I am flying through the sky observing people walking into and out of a shopping mall like it is all of hazy dream. How many other songs could you say this about? There are so many amazing songs on this album, it may just be that the 8th best song on this album is probably better than the 8th best song on an album in the last 20 years. Even as Modest Mouse slowly turns more and more into the Bare Naked Ladies with their more recent albums, it's hard to ever be mad at a band that made an album this good.

The Top Ten Albums of the Last Decade - #9

9. Spoon - Girls Can Tell

How can you beat memories of listening to this cd on the way to GPF shows with a carfull of musicians and a trunk full of instruments? Running through fields of flowers while listening to walking on sunshine? No. Ice skating to Ice Ice, Baby? Absolutely not. The truth is GPF would probably have been arguing about setlists the whole way to their shows if it wasn't for this cd. They probably would have broken up after only a few shows, so Kyle could join The Broken Toys or something, and the world would be a darker place without hits like Young Grasshopper. The truth is spoon has more consistent and rocking pop songs than almost any band this decade and this record showcases them at their finest. It is pretty impossible to still be in a bad mood after listening to this record in its entirety.

The Sounds Set List: Seattle 2009

I saw The Sounds live here in Seattle on October 27th. Here's their set list for anyone interested:

1. Queen of Apology (Dying to Say this to You)
2. No One Sleeps While I'm Awake (Living in America)
3. Hurt You (Dying to Say this to You)
4. Midnight Sun (Crossing the Rubicon)
5. Rock 'n Roll (Living in America)
6. Night After Night (Dying to Say this to You)
7. 4 Songs and a Fight (Crossing the Rubicon)
8. My Lover (Crossing the Rubicon)
9. Beatbox (Crossing the Rubicon)
10. Dorchester Hotel (Crossing the Rubicon)
11. Painted by Numbers (Dying to Say this to You)
12. Ego (Dying to Say this to You)

Encore:
Tony the Beat (Dying to Say this to You)

The Top Ten Albums of the Last Decade - #10

10. Death Cab for Cutie - Transatlanticism

The album is epic in its longing, kickass in its intricate and smart lyrics and multicultural in its focus on world travel. This is one of those albums you can listen to again and again and appreciate something new in the feeling that you are being transported to another country full of new people and fascinating culture. So, rev up your motor scooters it's time for a new beginning. The only bad part is I really want to help that bird out and get him untangled from that string.

The Leftovers

So this has been a music extravaganza. In composing my Electroween mix there were a lot of cool (in my opinion) electro songs that couldn't make it. Here's a mix with some of the neat songs I discovered. It's not Halloween related although there are some songs that are remixes of songs on my Halloweeen 2 mix. I have a two recommendations for anyone listening to this mix. One, when listening to "Confused Phantom" it's best to shout "Confusion!" really loudly (because you're wearing headphones and don't have proper volume control over your voice) at work and have all your co-workers stare at you. Also, use this as a facebook status or tweet and no one will know what you're talking about and send you concerned emails asking if you are okay. Two, I don't know why but about 2:50 minutes into "DVNO" it all sounds like meowing to me. I know it's probably not, but I like to pretend some hard core kitties got into the mix. Oh, and a note. The voiced sampled in the song by Starfucker, a northwestern based band who's recently changed their name to Pyramid, is from an audio lecture given by Alan Watts. I hope you enjoy.

Leftovers 2009:
1. Arcade Robot by Boys Noize
2. Somnambulistic by Information Society
3. Bring it On by Goose
4. Cocotte by Teenage Bad Girl
5. Paranoia (Pirate_Robot_Midget_Remix) by Video Villain
6. I'm not Scared by Ladytron
7. Sleep Deprivation by Simian Disco Mobile
8. Confused Phantom by Justice Vs. New Order
9. Surf Solar by Fuck Buttons
10. Isabella of Castle by Starfucker
11. Clean (BK Alternativ Instrumental) by Depeche Mode
12. Engine by LA Priest
13. Youre Out (Frankmusic Remix) by Dead Disco
14. Are you the One? by The Presets
15. Out There On the Ice by Cut Copy
16. DVNO by Justice
17. Battle Royal by Does it Offend You, Yeah?
18. Road to Recovery by Midnight Juggernauts
19. Wayfarer by Kavinsky
20. Take Me Into Your Skin by Trentemøller

Halloween Part 3

Merry fucking Christmas you filthy animals! Or whatever. Anywho, here's my Halloween-esque mix for your enjoyment. It is composed of songs that I considered, but rejected for a variety of reasons. Usually because the tone wasn't quite right or the lyrics didn't match the mood.

Halloween-esque 2009:
1. The Ghost by I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness
2. Heads Will Roll by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3. Magic by Ladyhawke
4. Suicide by Raveonettes
5. I'm a Ghost by Ted Leo & the Pharmacists
6. White Shade by Lukestar
7. Dear Sons and Daughters of Hungry Ghosts by Wolf Parade
8. Ghost Mouth by Girls
9. Of Moons, Birds & Monsters by MGMT
10. So Haunted by Cut Copy
11. Skeleton Key by Margot & The Nuclear So and So's
12. Scarecrow by +/-
13. Cities beneath the Sea by Gravenhurst
14. Ghosts by Lightning Seeds
15. Padding Ghost by Dan Deacon
16. Skeletons by Locust Avenue
17. Fax of Death by The Laurel Collective
18. Bloodsport (109 Mix) by Official Secrets Act
19. Death by Everybody Uh Oh
20. Fear of Drowning by British Sea Power

Halloween Part 2

Here's the sequel to last year's Halloween mix. Enjoy it, if you can! Muhahaha....oh wait, there wasn't really anything scary or funny about that. Never mind.

Halloween II: 2009

1. Haunted Disco by Chromium
2. Monster Hospital by Metric
3. One Eye Open by Baddies
4. Dead Cruiser by Kavinsky
5. Tree Full of Ghosts by Hungry Villagers
6. Bela Lugosis Dead by Nouvelle Vague
7. In the Room Where You Sleep by Dead Man's Bones
8. Ghosts by Ladytron
9. You're Out by Dead Disco
10. Closet Freak by Videeo
11. PARANOIA by Video Villain
12. Pick the Ghost... by Underground Railroad
13. Wish You Dead by Love Like Fire
14. Baulderdash by Ipso Facto
15. Tigerlily by La Roux
16. Black Magic by Magic Wands
17. Howl by Florence and the Machine
18. Thrill Kill by The Damned
19. Graveyard Queen by Zombie Ghost Train

Happy Halloween Charlie Brown.

Happy Electroween!

Trying to put together an all electro Halloween album with little previous experience with the genre turned out to be more difficult than I imagined it would be. However, it was fun, I learned a lot, and I came up with a list I enjoy. I tried, when possible, to include tracks from pioneers of the genre. Of course, any Halloween list is an exercise in subjectivity. There is kind of a bipolar tone/vibe when it comes to the holiday. It can be both chilling and truly horrifying and completely silly and over the top. Complicating this is the fact that everyone has different memories/experiences with the holiday so different sounds/tones will evoke the holiday for some and not others. Additionally, musical tastes can vary dramatically from person to person. All this to say, your "mileage" may vary, however, I hope you can find a few things to enjoy. Anyway, here it is:

Electroween Mix 2009:
1. Scary Tricycle by Silent Fish Heads
2. The Haunted House of Rock (Remix) by Whodini
3. The Horror by RJD2
4. Tubular Bells by Book of Love
5. The Bog (dance mix) by Bigod 20
6. Testarossa Autodrive by Kavinsky
7. Old Castle Madrigal by Joy Electric
8. Nothing to Fear by Depeche Mode
9. Shadows by Midnight Juggernauts
10. Ghost House by Teenage Bad Girl
11. Zip by Julian Jeweil
12. Talk Like That by The Presets
13. Ballo dei Morti by Brassica
14. The Talking Dead by Weird Tapes
15. Asylum by Gary Numan
16. Poisonous Friend (Iris remix) by Seabound
17. Ultraviolent by Cinnamon Chasers
18. The Hidden Door by Belbury Poly
19. Circus of Death by The Human League
20. Beyond the Dark by Raiders of the Lost Arp

More to come soon!

SPD Review

After showing a coworker the SPD sites (mainpage, myspace, etc) this was the review he gave:

"Fun stuff - It's like a home brew combination of King Missle, Joe Christmas, Dalek, I Love You, and Crispy Ambulance with Mad Magazine, or a writer for Adult Swim (Cartoon Network) supplying the lyrics. Thanks for passing it on!"

This seems to be the most positive and well informed SPD review ever, at least that wasn't churned out by our propaganda machine.

Happy Halloween...Two days late!

I've been working on this Halloween mix for some time (time I probably should have been spending on my studies). Thankfully, I had a lot of help from friends who were kind enough to give me many suggestions. So here it is for your enjoyment:

Version 1.4
1. Ode to Isis by And you will know us by the Trail of Dead
2. You could easily have me by Metronomy
3. This is halloween by Marilyn Manson
4. (Ghost) Riders in the Sky by Jonny Cash
5. The Boogie Monster by Gnarls Barkley
6. Werewolves of London by Warren Zevon
7. Attack of the 60ft Lesbian Octopus by Does it offend you, yeah?
8. I Walk Alone Music Go Music
9. Creeper by Islands
10. Hunting for Witches by Bloc Party
11. Not as Goth as They Say We Are by Say Hi to Your Mom
12. Rebel With the Ghost by Sons & Daughters
13. Magick by Klaxons
14. No Lucifer by British Sea Power
15. R.I.P. by Zombie Ghost Train
16. I feel evil creeping in by Islands
17. The Mercy seat by Johnny Cash
18. Necoromancing by Gnarles Barkley
19. Black Cat by Ladytron
20. I'm a Vampire by the Future Bible Heroes
21. Wolf like Me by Tv on the Radio
22. Graveyard Girlfriend by The Groovie Ghoulies
23. Thriller by Michael Jackson

Honorable Mentions:
Nightmare on My Street by Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff
Graveyard Tree by Koffin Kats
I am a Ghost by Ted Leo
Death or Life We Want You by The Dears
Sex Dwarf by Soft Cell
Ghosts by Ladytron
Ghost Under Rocks by Ra Ra Riot
Graveyard Girl by M83

My plan for next year is a Technoween mix. I'm out!