Bongo Beat's IPO Toronto Sampler

In anticipation of this week's Toronto edition of the International Pop Overthrow Festival, Bongo Beat Records is offering an excellent four-song sampler as a free download here for the next fourteen days. The sampler includes one song each by Bongo Beat artists Dave Rave, Kevin Kane, Plunt, and Ralph, all of whom will be performing this Friday at The Rivoli in Toronto. Nab the complete Toronto IPO Festival schedule here.

Hail and Farewell, Not Lame

I share the sadness of fellow and sister powerpoppers at the news that powerpop giant Bruce Brodeen is closing the doors of his online store and label, Not Lame, on November 24. I've gotten a lot of great music at Not Lame the last few years and am genuinely inspired by the joy, passion, and personal touches Bruce has brought to my enjoyment of music. So I also join poppers world-wide in thanking Bruce for this and look forward to his next venture, Pop Geek Heaven, to be launched in January. Click the link in the previous sentence or click here to get on the mailing list for updates and more information. Here is Bruce's moving and articulate good-bye/hello.

Web Dating Vid: "Lovin You, Freakin Easy"

Love it. (Thanks to Friendship Bracelet for the headsup.)

Music of the Sphere: Shins, Who, Beehive, Weezer, Telekinesis, Soft Boys, SSLYBY, J. Pants, J&MC, JJ&TB, BDoD, Idle Times, et. al. . . .

Second blob to the right of the hand-for-hook. (Click to enlarge, maybe zoom, if "necessary.") We like Harlem, too.

If we had 'em, we'd post 'em. Unfortunately, we do not. Fortunately, they do. (See below.) And we thank them. Profusely (if laconically). Rock on, rockcats. That is all. Peace out. (Idle times, oui?)

The Shins - Strange Powers (The Magnetic Fields cover) - Chromewaves - live and studio versions - Sure, you've seen it here before and probably will again.

Voice Of The Beehive - Monsters And Angels - Barely Awake in Frog Pajamas

The Who - Pictures of Lily - Infrasons - Sarkozy's first (Is this a joke? My French isn't up to subtlety.); purt near my favorite by The Who; Nic and me: what a pairing/whodathunk?

Stuntcat - All Things Come to Those Who Wait - Coast is Clear

Love Culture - Karolyne - Milk Milk Lemonade

Web Dating - Can't Get Enough of You - Friendship Bracelet

Telekinesis - Can't Get It Outta My Head (ELO cover) - Indie Rock Cafe

Weezer - The Good Life - Tsururadio
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - Banned (By The Man) - Tsururadio

James Pants - Darlin' - Gorilla vs. Bear
Reading Rainbow - Wasting Time - Gorilla vs. Bear

Mazes - Go-Betweens - Pop Headwound
French Kissing - Oh Suzanne - Pop Headwound

The Jack Rubies - Be With You - Popdose
The Jesus & Mary Chain - Blues from a Gun - Popdose
Joan Jett & The Blackhearts - The French Song - Popdose - French theme developing today; Ooo-oui goo-oui.

The Soft Boys - Kingdom of Love - Raven Sings the Blues
Mirrors - Shirley - Raven Sings the Blues
Tyvek - Underwater 2 - Raven Sings the Blues

Bass Drum of Death - Heart Attack Kid - Raven Sings the Blues
The Wrong Words - What Went Wrong - Raven Sings the Blues
A Bolha - Razao De Existir - Raven Sings the Blues - Picture a tilde over the z. ("Pictures of Tilde?" Ooo-non goo-oui.)
Idle Times - Do You Hear Those Bells & I Don't Believe It/X-Tina - Raven Sings the Blues

Catch-Up: Built to Spill, Amusement Parks on Fire, Flight, Ty Segall, Autolux, Gross Relations, Thee Oh Sees, Unlovables, Kung Fu Monkeys, et. al. . .

We're continuing to work our way back through our long list of unposted yet highly pleasing songs. This third set runs the gamut from present day to a year or more ago. You can find the first set here and the second here. Many thanks to Insound and IODA for making the songs below available. In addition to the fact that we very much like-to-love each precious ditty, these songs have something else in common: when you left-click each one, a dialogue box will open, giving you the choice either to listen or to save. (Please feel free to do both.) Yahoo Media Player will not pick these up, so you will not see the cute little "Play" arrows in this post. If that disappoints you, well, that makes us very sad. Happy listening.

Amusement Parks on Fire - Flashlight Planetarium mp3

Autolux - Here Comes Everybody mp3

Built to Spill - Hindsight mp3

Gross Relations - You Don't Know Me mp3

Strfkr - Boy Toy mp3

Thee Oh Sees - Meat Step Lively mp3

The Unlovables - Leave Me Alone mp3

The Kung Fu Monkeys - Summer School mp3

Flight - Real Estate mp3

Ty Segall - The Drag mp3

Modwheelmood - Sunday Morning mp3

Magic Bullets - The Book is Closed mp3

pppurcha$e$ - August-November, 2010

We're delighted with the powerpop, indiepop, psych, and garage we bought at eMusic the past four months. Do we like or love all 271 songs? ABSO LUTELY. Favorites? Too many to name. Click here to see and sample for yourself.

Music of the Sphere: Fresh & Onlys, GbV, Twilley, Fannies, L7, Ride, Chapterhouse, Wild Nothing, JAMC, Johnny Boy, TPoBPaH, Elvis C., et. al. . . .

Picture Credit

Lord have mercy but these favebloggers are pouring it out! Thanks and blessings to them. Sorry we haven't found more for you.

The Fresh & Onlys - Endless Love - The Passion of the Weiss - Scroll down to #36.

Guided by Voices - Echos Myron - Music for Kids Who Cant Read Good

Montana - Good Goes Bad - Peter's Power Pop

Dwight Twilley Band - Looking For The Magic - Art Decade

Generationals - Trust - Rollo & Grady

L7 - Hanging On The Telephone - Star Maker Machine - also has versions by Blondie and The Nerves

The Thermals - I Don't Believe You - CYSTSFTS

Redtrack - Wait Around - Mojophenia

Stormy Mondays - Nothing On My Radio - Indie Rock Cafe

Celestial - Dream On - Sweet Indie Tunes

The Ramones - Pet Sematary - All Eyes And Ears

Ride - Eight Miles High (The Byrds cover) - Chromewaves
Chapterhouse - Pearl - Chromewaves

Wild Nothing - O Lilac - IndieBall
Midlake - Roscoe - IndieBall

King Charles - Love Lust - All Things Go
The Young Veins - Take a Vacation! - All Things Go

The House Of Love - Destroy The Heart - The Vinyl Villain
Teenage Fanclub - God Knows It's True & Alcoholiday & So Far Gone & Long Hair - Vinyl Villain - These Peel Session recordings have a fantastic live presence.

Ringo Deathstarr - Imagine Hearts - RCRD-LBL
The Rentals - Honey Life - RCRD-LBL

Thee Headcoatees - Teenage Kicks - Pogo A Go-Go
Voodoo Queens - Supermodel Superficial - Pogo A Go-Go
Buzzcocks - Promises - Pogo A Go-Go

"Or is that too many for one post?" we muse. We actually have a baker's dozen more, all from the same site. Should we post them now or put them in another post? Ah, what the heck, let's do it, mainly because we don't know how long they'll be available.

Taylor over at Music for Kids Who Cant Read Good has a fantastic three-part series on songs that begin with the incantatory "Boom! Boom-boom, cha!" beat of The Ronettes 's Spector-produced "Be My Baby." These are our favorites; maybe you'll prefer some of the other 43.

The Opening Salvo
The Ronettes - Be My Baby - Music for Kids Who Cant Read Good
Jesus and Mary Chain - Just Like Honey - Music for Kids Who Cant Read Good
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Gentle Sons - Music for Kids Who Cant Read Good
Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Hand In Hand - Music for Kids Who Cant Read Good
Jay Reatard - An Ugly Death - Music for Kids Who Cant Read Good
Johnny Boy - You Are The Generation That Bought More Shoes And You Get What You Deserve - Music for Kids Who Cant Read Good

V2.0
Brendan Benson - The Pledge - Music for Kids Who Cant Read Good
Jesus and Mary Chain - Sowing Seeds - Music for Kids Who Cant Read Good
The Explorers Club - Forever - Music for Kids Who Cant Read Good
Kenickie - Millionaire Sweeper - Music for Kids Who Cant Read Good
Sally Seltmann - Harmony to My Heartbeat - Music for Kids Who Cant Read Good

V3.0
Wild Nothing - My Angel Lonely - Music for Kids Who Cant Read Good
The Lucksmiths - Great Lengths - Music for Kids Who Cant Read Good

Impossible Hair Update: Second Song Posted

Three weeks ago we posted a mighty fine song by Washington, D. C. band Impossible Hair. Today we received and posted a second mighty fine one. Click here to hear/download both.