Music of the Sphere: Elvis C, Sloan, Wellingtons, Seekers, ELO, The Move, Midnight Oil, Rough Bunnies, Elephant Stone, et. al.

We got starry-eyed and laughin' when a wonderful blog we subscribe to, My hmphs, introduced us to the superb antipodean blog, Peter's Power Pop. The tunes below are but a small measure of the treasure that awaits you down under.

First, a few by some groups we didn't know and now want to.

Magic Dirt - Dirty Jeans - Peter's Power Pop

You Am I - Berlin Chair & Mr. Milk - Peter's Power Pop
DM3 - One Time Two Times Devastated - Peter's Power Pop
Ratcat - That Ain't Bad - Peter's Power Pop

Next, a few by some we do.

Elvis Costello and the Attractions - Lip Service & No Action - Peter's Power Pop

The Seekers - A World of Our Own - Peter's Power Pop - long-long-time faves; glorious!

The Wellingtons - Song for Kim - Peter's Power Pop
The Muffs - Really Really Happy - Peter's Power Pop

Electric Light Orchestra - Do Ya - Peter's Power Pop
The Move - Do Ya - Peter's Power Pop
Midnight Oil - Dreamworld - Peter's Power Pop - Peter also has a live version; we saw MO do this one in Austin on the Diesel and Dust tour back in '88. What a night! (eMusic has a bunch of their lps here.)

Finally, here are a few other nice things we found oot and aboot.

Sloan - Coax Me - Six Eyes

Rough Bunnies - Dance With Your Shadow - Swedesplease

The Yes Pleases - Don't Say We're There Yet - Obscure Sound
Alligators - Where Does It Hide - Obscure Sound

Crocodiles - I Wanna Kill - Obscure Sound

Elephant Stone - How Long & I Am Blind & The Straight Line - Obscure Sound - We hope it won't seem officious to mention that back in April we posted a song by Elephant Stone here, along with five songs by Rishi Dhir's former band, The High Dials, all highly recommended.

Thanks to all the hosts!

Friendly Foes: I Wanna Be A BFFOFF

Photo Credit to Jerry Wald

Friendly Foes - Couch Surfing mp3

Friendly Foes - My Body is a Strange Place to Live mp3

from Born Radical,

their 2008 release

on Gangplank Records

We're loving the pure pop of this Ferndale, Michigan outfit.

MySpace | eMusic | Amazon | CD Baby

The Black Hollies Give Good Gloom

The Black Hollies - Gloomy Monday Morning mp3

from Softly Towards The Light, released last week

by Ernest Jenning Record Co.

Maybe we should have waited until mañana to post the above, but what the hey. We've been enjoying this Jersey City band for quite some time now, including this previously posted fave.

The Black Hollies - Paisley Pattern Ground mp3

(That post, this post, and this post have some other nice tuneage as well, if you're interested in that kind of thing.)

Thanks to Chris Vinyard at Big Hassle Media.

MySpace | eMusic | Amazon

Music of the Sphere

Ye Olde Blogosphere As Rendered Here (For Which, Thanks)

Very nice fare, spoiled only by the lamentable tentfolding of dear merz over at Mars Needs Guitars. (Ya, sure, go ahead and click if you're into that kind of self-abuse.) I do sincerely appreciate all the great music he turned me on to and thank him for doing so. Likewise, thanks to the bloggers hereinafter cited.

R.E.M. - Radio Free Europe - AWMusic
Said The Whale - The Magician (Camilo) - AWMusic
The Beatles - I Need You & Hey Jude - AWMusic

The Beatles - Run For Your Life - Star Maker Machine
Nick Lowe - Rose Of England - Star Maker Machine
Fountains of Wayne - Utopia Parkway - Star Maker Machine

The Weakerthans - Tournament of Hearts - Star Maker Machine
Big Star - September Gurls - Star Maker Machine
Fairport Convention -Who Knows Where The Time Goes - Star Maker Machine

The Kinks - Autumn Almanac - Star Maker Machine
XTC - The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead - Star Maker Machine
AC/DC - Up To My Neck In You - Star Maker Machine

The Shrinking Islands - Swallowed In Grace & Blood Rays - Bag Of Songs
Horse Shoes - Changing Winds - Milk Milk Lemonade
Sunbear - Flutterbye - Mojophenia

Elusive Parallelograms

Elusive Parallelograms - Orange mp3

from And Everything Changes,

released 9 June of this year

Almost a tautology, as I have always found it difficult to express adequately the strange allure of the parallelogram. This Milwaukee band's attractions didn't elude at all, though, and I've already staked out claims to a number of numbers over at eMusic. Would you like to know which ones? No? Okay, 'scool. Go check 'em out if you like. I left the other free and legal mp3 back at the incomparable Rainbow Quartz site, too, so you might want to pay at least two visits presently.

MySpace | Bandsite | Buy

Dog Day Evening

Dog Day - Synastry mp3

from their Elder Schoolhouse EP

We got this tonight and already we're woofin' and waggin'. Thanks to Matt Charlton at Pigeon Row.

We're still very much enjoying these Halifaxers' previously posted songs from Concentration, released earlier this year.

Dog Day - Rome mp3

Dog Day - Happiness mp3

MySpace | Bandsite | Buy Buy

The Love Kills Theory - Suicide Girls mp3

from Happy Suicide, Jim!

Machine-gun drumming and perfectly timed right-to-left-ear action are but two of the weapons in this NYC gang's well-stocked arsenal.

MySpace | Bandsite | Buy Buy

Black Whales

Black Whales - Young Blood mp3

from Origins EP, released last mo.

We dig the way they sound.

MySpace | Bandsite | Buy

lAPPINg up tHe sWIMMERs

tHe sWIMMERs - A Hundred Hearts mp3

from pEOPle aRe sOFt, due 3 Nov.

I mUSt cONFESs to eNJOYINg tHEIr lOWEr cASE/CAPITALs tHINg, tOo.

Thanks to Lauren at Sneak Attack Media.

And we're still enjoying this previously posted number.

tHe sWIMMERs -Pocketful of Gold mp3

MySpace | Buy

And He Made ME Do This

Hush Arbors - The Devil Made You High mp3

from Yankee Reality, due Tue.

MySpace | Bandsite | Buy