Music of the Sphere: Shins, Fannies, Lush, T. Sprout, Who, Hollies, I Love Math, Sherwood, Explorers', Grapefruit, Pains, Vetiver, Vile, Misophone, YJ

A tempting table of tuneage is here spread before you, thanks to the generosity of our gracious hosts and hostess. It was excruciating trying to decide which order to put these in, so please pretend they're all first.

The Shins - Pressed In A Book - AWmusic
Teenage Fanclub - Jesus Christ - Bag of Songs

Lush - Ladykillers & Ciao! & 500 (Shake Baby Shake) & The Childcatcher & Light From a Dead Star - a PLAGUE of ANGELS

The Who - I'm a Boy - Pretty Goes With Pretty

The Hollies - Carrie Anne - Milk Milk Lemonade - an outtake or something but still neato

Tobin Sprout - The Last Man Well Known To Kingpin - Art Decade - former Guided by Voices, but then, you knew that

I Love Math - Too Many Demons & Only Clowns Are Scary - a PLAGUE of ANGELS

Sherwood - Snowing in Seattle - Speed of Dark

The Explorers Club - Last Kiss - Pretty Goes With Pretty - Beach Boysesque, as previously noted

Dissensous has posted his faves of 2008 over at Raven Sings the Blues, and as you would expect, the board groans with goodness. Here are some of ours of some of his, plus a few others.

Grapefruit - Ain't It Good & Elevator - Raven Sings the Blues - under the influence of Beatles

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Raven Sings the Blues - Scroll down to #4, svp.

Vetiver - See You Tonight - Raven Sings the Blues

Kurt Vile - Freeway - Raven Sings the Blues - Vile but in no way vile. Or Weill. - #8

Yussuf Jerusalem - We Ain't Coming Back - Raven Sings the Blues - The production is maybe too fuzzy for some pure poppers, but there's pure pop in there nevertheless.

Misophone - Grey Clouds - Raven Sings the Blues

'bug Squashin': Gladshot, Wellingtons, Innocents, Rob Smith, F. Johnston, D. Lopes, Voyage, Still Corners

Got time for music today? If not, these should still be here tomorrow. Hopefully they will quash the bahs and squash the 'bugs. We'll gladly take a shot at it anyway. Happy day to ya.

Gladshot - All I Want Is You mp3 - from New York City band's excellent October release, Burn Up and Shine
The Wellingtons - I Guess It's Christmas mp3 - from Lojinx Records' free 7-track mini-album, Christmas Present, available for download here. This Melbourne band had my favorite, but the others, by the likes of Farrah, Henrik, Nate Campany, Caroline Lost, The Bad Machines, and Nightlights should help you sail tidily through the next twelve days and hopefully more.

The Innocents - My Home Town mp3 - from Tasmanian angels' 2006 Zip release, Pop Factory

Rob Smith - When You're Gone mp3 -from The Innocents vocalist/guitarist's April 2008 release, Trick of the Light

Freedy Johnston - You're My Favorite Waste of Time (Marshal Crenshaw cover) mp3 - from Austinite's My Favorite Waste of Time

Dopey Lopes - Girl in the Pizza Store Window mp3 - from NYC veteran's upcoming 2009 release, No Qualms

The Voyage - Kitten In The Snow mp3 - I included this Stockholm band's song in a Music of the Sphere post a couple of weeks ago and am grateful to the ever-helpful Morten at Hits in the Car for showing the way to the link. The song is from The 19th Century.

Still Corners - History of Love mp3 - lovely dreampop from Londoners' debut 2007 release, Remember Peppers?

Seasons' Greetings

May each bring you what you need--and much of what you want.

Music of the Sphere: A.C. Newman, Sugar, OK Go, Metric, Standard, Ergs, Deerhunter, Figgs, Black Box, Mull Historical Soc., Peasant, Boy in Static

Hope you like. Ta, hosts!

A.C. Newman - The Palace at 4 A.M. - Pampelmoose

Metric - Help I'm Alive - Pampelmoose

The Standard - The Contenders - Pampelmoose

Sugar - Your Favorite Thing & If I Can't Change Your Mind & Believe What You're Saying & Helpless & Can't Help You Anymore - a PLAGUE of ANGELS - Fab set!

Mull Historical Society - This is Not Who We Were & Am I Wrong - a PLAGUE of ANGELS

Black Box Recorder - Lord Lucan is Missing - a PLAGUE of ANGELS

OK Go - Father Christmas (The Kinks cover) - Bag of Songs

The Figgs - Father Christmas (The Kinks cover) - Bag of Songs

Boy in Static - Leave You Blind - Dead Flowers

The Ergs - Jazz Is Like The New Coke - CYSTSFTS

Peasant - On The Ground - AWmusic - Allan's World has a new name but the same great musical sense.

Deerhunter - Nothing Ever Happened - AWmusic

The Moss Poles

I loved The Moss Poles the first time I heard “One Summer” at Little Hits on 13 November 2005, a date that will live in ecstasy. I put them in a Little Hits Faves post back in April of last year, along with four other excellent tunes you can check out by clicking. That’s all I had, though, until Take the Pills did a post on them and sent me to the mother lode, The Big Pole, as it were. At The Moss Poles download page I found “One Summer,” plus 41 other songs, including their first two albums, Shorn and 2nd Album. Some are demos, some are quite lo-fi, but I’ve got a feeling you will find many there you like. I certainly did, as you can see/hear below.

I’ve meditated long and hard about possible meanings of this excellent London band’s name but so far have come up with nothing. It’s probably something arcanely British, something like Maypole or beanpole or dancepole or something. I’m sure with a little research, I could find the answer. Truthfully, though, I don’t necessarily have to know. Yet. I just want to listen, as I do with great pleasure.

For those of you who do need info, here's a pull from their biography webpage, where you can read more if you like. I purposely used a mossy green font, in case you didn't notice. You're welcome.

"The Moss Poles were formed by Nick Potter, Sean Bergin and Mick Kemp in the summer of 1987. They met whilst working together in University of London halls of residence in Camden, North London; Nick was already in a student band with Mick called Last of the V8s, which Sean joined as bassist. . . .In 1989, they reformed for one or two gigs before calling it a day. Sean now plays with an occasional punk band in Rugby and Nick lives in Australia. 'One Summer' still gets played on the radio occasionally, and it sounds as good as it ever did."

I don't know how it used to sound, but "One Summer" and these others sound fantastic in the hear and now. I am posting it below along with selected favorites I found at the download page, so clicky clicky and see what happens. I hope it suits you, as it did me, right down to the (under)ground. And if you find out the meaning of their name? Welllll, okay, go ahead and tell me. I’m ready, I guess.

The Moss Poles
One Summer mp3
Couldn't Find A Reason mp3
My Sweetest Girl mp3
The Eucalyptus Crack mp3

Amanda Dreams mp3
Don't Think About Me mp3
Your Ignorance mp3
Underground mp3

Wishing Well

San Francisco's powerpopping The Well Wishers are essentially the solo project of former Spinning Jennies frontman Jeff Shelton, with SJ bandmate Nick Laquintano on skins. I got on a Well Wishers jag this fall and may well never recover, which suits me very well indeed. I was further delighted when Jeff gave me permission to post anything I like from this year's Jigsaw Days. Jeff, you really shouldn't oughta tempt me like that, and I'm assuming you didn't mean to let me go ahead and post the entire superb lp, now did you? Oh, you did? Right then, I will. (Not.) Anyway, it doesn't get any purer than this primo pop, and it's no puzzle why, as you will hear with three simple clicks. Before I post some of my favorites from Jigsaw Days, though, I'd like to mention my favorites from earlier TWW lps, variously available at Not Lame (link gets you to one lp, then use search box for others), eMusic, and iTunes. Your kilometerage will vary, so go test drive at your convenience.

Twenty-Four Seven (2004): Press Begin to Play - Sex & the Suburbs - See for the First Time
Under the Arrows (2005): Brain Trust Odyssey - Break It Up - Double Vision - In Search of Alter Egos
How I Won the War (2007): It's True What they Say About Girls - Broken Glass - I'm In Love - The Optimist - Hope Is Fading - Seashells - Grey Skies Black

While we're at it, you can also find Spinning Jennies tuneage here (as above), here, and here.

Okay, get clicking.

The Well Wishers - from Jigsaw Days

Moving Mountains mp3
Heroes mp3
All The Suckers mp3


MySpace

Music of the Sphere: Smithereens, Pogues, Game Theory, AC Newman, Babyshambles, Broadfields, Dreamend, Explorers' Club, Ruby Suns, et. al. . . .

I'm pretty damn passionate about these. I hope it shows. Thanks to the hosts.

The Smithereens - Christmas (The Who cover) - Bag of Songs - two of my favorite bands
The Pogues with Kirsty MacColl - Fairytale Of New York - Barely Awake in Frog Pajamas
Game Theory - 24 - Tsururadio - Ahhhh!
AC Newman - The Heartbreak Rides & Like a Hitman, Like a Dancer - Tsururadio - two more from The New Pornographer's forthcoming Get Guilty. I previewed it here, with three A.C. and three NP songs included. BTW, sometimes its AC, sometimes A.C. Please don't let it bother you.
Peter Walker - 39 Stars - Tsururadio

Dreamend - If Only for a Day - Obscure Sound - I posted "Are You Waking" here.
The Explorers' Club - Forever & Don't Forget the Sun - Obscure Sound - Scroll down to No. 26. - Beach Boysesque
The Ruby Suns - There Are Birds - Obscure Sound - Scroll to No. 38.
Love Is All - Movie Romance - Obscure Sound - No. 37 - I don't know why, but Munchkin girl voices often do it for me. I'm not sure I wanta.

East Hundred - Plus Minus - Milk Milk Lemonade
New Madrid Faults - Cities - Milk Milk Lemonade
The Would-Be-Goods - The Camera Loves Me - Little Hits

Broadfield Marchers - Rightness Of Commands - 5 Acts - Every time I hear these guys from Kaintuck I get excited. (It happened again yesterday in the car.)
The Panics - Get Us Home - 5 Acts

Babyshambles - Beg Steal or Borrow - Dead Flowers - included w/ Mike's excellent interview of Babyshambles drummer Adam Ficek

The No-Hype Zone: Raveonettes, Ivy League, Elvis Garage, R.J. Manning, AWWBLOT, THWFOS, Rhinos, Parties, An Horse, SCS, MGM, MLOTV, A. Kerr

Pure Ivy Leaguers, obviously

We shall eschew our usual interminable, prolix, and endlessly fascinating in-depth analysis and let the ears have it. If that doesn't quite do it for you, click the green and yellow and orange links, you insatiates.

For Those About to Pop (Thanks again, Javelin Boot.)
This Is Ivy League - You And Me And The Moon (Magnetic Fields cover) mp3 - And in case you missed them, here are two previously posted faves by this New York duo.
The Richest Kids mp3
London Bridges mp3 - Thanks to Clyde Erwin Barretto of Fanatic.

In Elvis Garage -from Malmö (one-man) band's 2008 release Winning by Cheating via Stop/Start Records (where you can hear more)
Residue mp3
Outdated Charts mp3

Roger Joseph Manning Jr. - Down in Front mp3 - from former Jellyfish's Catnip Dynamite, due out 3 Feb. 09

Winter Mix(up)
The Raveonettes - Come On Santa mp3 - I must confess I'm not that much into Xmas music, but this one's very nice. As is this next one, by now something of a classic. . .
And What Will Be Left of Them? - Have Yourself a Filthy Little Christmas mp3
Their Hearts Were Full of Spring - Winterlong mp3 - Wonderful Neil Young cover

Shine on, You Crazy. . .Quartz
The Rhinos - from the Malmö band's excellent 2008 release Ri-Fi - Read an enlightening review at Powerpopaholic.
PTO mp3
Everything That She Believed mp3
And from 2003's Year of the Rhinos:
Stop the Time mp3

The Parties - The Parties mp3 - One more by the Frisco band is available at Rainbow Quartz.

Femme Fix
An Horse - Postcards mp3 - from Brisbane duo's Rearrange Beds, due out 17 March 09
Secret Crush Society - Baltimore's Got Your Back mp3 - from NY/Baltimore group's Into the Dolphin
Music Go Music - Reach Out mp3 - from L.A. band's 12" Reach Out, released in August by Secretly Canadian

And for a soft landing. . .these two reminded me of one of my favorite New Zealand bands, The Bats, previously mentioned here.
My Lily of the Valley - Precious Moments mp3- Thanks to Morten at Hits in the Car for the headsup.
Ally Kerr - Someone's Got a Crush on Me mp3 - Thanks to Peter at Coast is Clear.

Music of the Sphere: E. Costello, Sab, Bleu, Worn Out V's, Gay Dad, No And The Maybes, Airborne Toxic, Sad Day fP, Beautiful S., Jenny Lewis

It's been way too long since our last post, and we're excited about these. If others are enjoying them, why shouldn't you? Thanks, posthostfolk.

No and the Maybes - Petra Petrified & Pretty Boring - a PLAGUE of ANGELS - Wow!

Gay Dad - Joy - a PLAGUE of ANGELS + others by GD

The Airborne Toxic Event - Papillon & The Girls in Their Summer Dresses - a PLAGUE of ANGELS + another

Sad Day for Puppets - Cherry Blossom & Last Night & Big Waves - a PLAGUE of ANGELS

Bleu - Snow Day - Star Maker Machine
The Beautiful South - Don't Marry Her - Star Maker Machine

Black Sabbath - Snowblind - Star Maker Machine

The Worn-Out Virgins - Keep It Down - Hits in the Car

Jenny Lewis - Carpetbaggers - Speed of Dark - Uncle T posts his Top Ten of 2008. alt-gramma's is semi-promised for today.

Elvis Costello and the Attractions - Oliver's Army - Pretty Goes with Pretty - utterly irresistible for years now

Music of the Sphere: Clap Edition

Snuh's got it and got it g-ood. With a healthy dose of 35 paw pounders, your hands'll be busy for a couple of hours minimum. Here are our favorites, all at the same Live Journal post, so let's go, poppers, or, as another of the tunas puts it, "get it on." And thanks, snuh, suh!

The Beatles - Eight Days a Week - snuh
The Beatles - Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da - snuh
The Romantics - What I Like About You - snuh
Neil Young - Cinnamon Girl - snuh

Eddie Cochran - Summertime Blues - snuh
The Routers - Let's Go (Pony) - snuh - The song that's launched a jillion rallies, or at least tried to.
The Ramones - Sheena Is A Punk Rocker - snuh
Stealers Wheel - Stuck in the Middle With You - snuh

Pilot - Magic - snuh
The Angels - My Boyfriend's Back - snuh

The Cars - My Best Friend's Girl - snuh
Maxine Nightingale - Right Back Where We Started From - snuh

Six Pairs: Middle States, Pointed Sticks, Astroboy, Salme Dahlstrom, Tilly and the Wall, Le Man Avec Les Lunettes

Kind of a corny theme, but if you like the songs, it shouldn't much matter.

Middle States - from Happy Fun Party

Thought Control mp3 - "Guided by Voices meets Buddy Holly," said Team Clermont, and we kind of like the sound of that. Bravo, Minneapolitans!

No Curse, No Drunk, No Fight mp3

The Pointed Sticks -Vancouver legends give new takes on an older one.

Xmastime Again mp3

Power Pop Santa mp3 - Find the video here.

Astroboy - Thanks to Chris at Music of the Moment for the headsup on this fine band of Uruguayans.
Follow Me mp3 - from Big For The City
Head Up mp3 - Love the Kinksy power chords.

Salme Dahlstrom - from the NYer's August release, The Acid Cowgirl Audio Trade

Hello California mp3
Superstar Car Crash mp3

Tilly and the Wall - from 2008's o - sorry to have taken so long; we adore these Nebraskans.

Alligator Skin mp3

Pot Kettle Black mp3

Le Man Avec Les Lunettes

Apples mp3 - from the Brescianisti's Plaskaplaskabombelibom - We're still grateful for Milk Milk Lemonade's headsup on this one. MML has another tune by LMALL for you.

The Blogger And The Dandy mp3

Click song titles to hear/download songs, artists' names to find more.

Music of the Sphere: Sloan, R.E.M., Pristines, Moped, Starflyer 59, Uglysuit, Why?, TWSM, Pica Beats, Samtidigt, Voyage, Such Identicals, Man Like Me

Many thanks to the hosthumans for brightening my life (and, hopefully, yours) via the following.

Sloan - Believe in Me - Ground Control
Moped - Turkey - SKATTERBRAIN - Jangle till you dangle. I'm guessing the bandname is bisyllabic, although either way's cool.
Why? - Fatalist Palmistry - Music For Kids Who Can't Read Good
The Pica Beats - Shrinking Violets - Speed of Dark - I've been sitting on a nice one by TPB but I like Gram's better.

The Uglysuit - . . .And We Became Sunshine - Come Pick Me Up - I see what you mean, CC, if I may get personal, and whyever not?
The Western States Motel - Stampede - Obscure Sound
Starflyer 59 - Wake Up Early & Underneath & No More Shows & All the Time - a PLAGUE of ANGELS
The Pristines - Alimony - Eardrums
R.E.M. - Radio Free Europe - a PLAGUE of ANGELS - + 3 more from Murmur

I had fun with new friends Beth and Dany, who don't even know it (or me), etc. They surely know their music, though, and I found lots of wonderful new-to-me's before exiting. Highlights:

The Voyage - Kitten in the Snow - Exitfare
Samtidigt som - Constant in Motion - Exitfare - Practice your Swedish (e'en ye frae Sverige).
Such Identicals - Council Estate - Exitfare
Man Like Me - Carny - Exitfare - A bit afield from what we normally "dig," but Beth said it's infectious and Beth is right. Popper mileage will vary, possibly quite a lot, so ye've been fairly warned.

Fiddle-Free Friedday: Setting Sun, Built By Snow, Weather Machines, Friendly Foes, S. Markus, S. Bennett, Surf City, Everything Now!, et. al. . . .

Please forgive us (oh, such self-delusional comfort in the plural) if we don't fiddle with thematic groupings and such in this post. Just call it a loose concatenation of songs we're enjoying and hoping you will, too.

Setting Sun - They’re Calling mp3 - from the Hudson Valley/Catskills cats' EP, Children of the Remix - Thanks to Fanatic.

Built By Snow - Something in 3D mp3 - from the Austin band's MEGA, scheduled for release 20 January 2009

The Weather Machines - Last Stop mp3 - from Portland, Oregonians' The Sounds of Pseudoscience

Friendly Foes - Get Yr Shit Together mp3 - from Born Radical, released 1 Oct. - Hope you're not offended. Let's face it: feces occurs, even in Michigan.

Samuel Markus - Rosa mp3 - from New Dawn, released in late September

Sam Bennett - I Love mp3 - from the Nottingham, UK feller's CD single, I Am A Lighthouse

Surf City - Headin' Inside mp3 - from Kiwis' Surf City, released late last month

Everything, Now! - Search for Amazement mp3 - Listen to and download the rest of the Indianapolis band's Prequels and Parallels EP here.

The Interiors - My Little Pony mp3 - Thanks to Indie-MP3--who has one more--for the headsup on this Sheffield outfit.

Canadians feat. Cherielynn Westrich - Neverending Story mp3 - from Rewind Part 2, the 70's, 80's & 90's cover project by Buffetlibre Dj's - Canadians are (obviously) from fair Verona.