The Well Wishers' Saturday Surprise

I was about to step out of the house but found some jewels in my emailbox and had to post posthaste. We happily featured San Francisco powerpoppers The Well Wishers back in December and now find WW Jeff Shelton is making new tuneage available. Jeff took two unfinished songs from his previous (excellent) band, Spinning Jennies, and polished them into the gems below. The email also had the exciting news that The Well Wishers are demoing songs for their fifth LP, hope to begin recording this fall, and anticipate releasing it in early '10. Needless to say, we wish them well and know their music will return the favor.

The Well Wishers

I Before E mp3

Down mp3

For good measure, here's one of the previously posted songs from that December post. The other two are still there, so go dig 'em if you dare. (Are we coyly, greedily sending you there just to increase our site traffic, build up our number of page clicks, and augment our massive revenue stream? Surely you jest.)

Moving Mountains mp3 - from Jigsaw Days

Humpday Derby: An Horse, Brakes, Bishops, Decks, Coast, (((S))), Koolaid Electric Co., Shoreline Dream, Lower Heaven

Saddle up, friends and neighbors, and let's take a few spins around some groovy tracks. (Awkwardly put, but it's only an intro.) Click colors to hear and see and feel and shell out.

An Horse - Camp Out mp3 - from Brisbane duo's Rearrange Beds, out since 17 March. Many thanks to Marni Wandner at Sneak Attack Media. We're still loving the following previously posted song as well.

Postcards mp3

Brakes - Two Shocks mp3- from Brighton band's Touchdown - You will sometimes find this group's name in triplicate (brakesbrakesbrakes), which can be confusing. Doesn't seem to affect the excellent music at all. We're still very much enjoying the following, which was in our first post of the magical year of 2009.

Crystal Tunings mp3

The Decks - What You Said mp3 - from Detroit darlings' Breath And Bone, due out 26 May

The Coast - No Secret Why mp3 - off Torontans' Expatriate, released in stores stateside yesterday. Thanks to Ian Anderson at Afternoon Records.

We found the following at the superb German site, Coast is Clear, and sincerely thank blogmeister Peter for the headsups. Please note he has more of some of them, so go visit if't please you.

The Bishops - Wandering By mp3 - from Londoners' For Now, available at Not Lame

(((S))) - Mesmerized mp3 - from Ghost - The guitar kind of reminds us of longtime faves The Cult. You? - Peter still has two more gooduns by this here Danish band here.

The Koolaid Electric Company - Untitled #1 mp3 - psuberb psych from Leighton Buzzard band - Peter has another here.

A Shoreline Dream - Hypermode (feat. Ulrich Schnauss) mp3 - Size 18 shoegaze from NYCers' Recollections of Memory

Lower Heaven - Knife mp3 - from Silverlake, CA band's 2008 release Ashes, available at CD Baby - My notes read, "picky atmospheric marcher w/ nice shifts" (That's right, sometimes I just go very, very deeep.) - Peter has two more here.

Music of the Sphere: Fountains of Wayne, Dandy Warhols, Radio Dept. TPOBPAH, Silversun Pickups, Bears, Army Navy, et. al. . . .

Image Here

What a wonderful weekend of music (among other wonderfuls)! Here are some songs we found and liked and hoped you might, too. Many thanks to the fabbloggers who've made them available.

Fountains Of Wayne - Radiation Vibe - Barely Awake in Frog Pajamas

Papercuts - A Dictator's Lament - AWmusic

Dreamdate - 8 Sleeves - Milk Milk Lemonade

The Radio Dept. - Lost and Found - The Yellow Stereo

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Stay Alive - The Yellow Stereo

Sweet Jane - You're Making This Hard - Coast is Clear - J&M Chainish
Ghost Society - Jeremy Parker (demo) - Coast is Clear - glorious gaze

Army Navy - Saints - Coast is Clear

Bears - Wait And See & How To Live - Indieball
Joy Zipper - 1 & Christmas Song - Indieball

Autolux - Robots In The Garden - Indieball

Throw Me The Statue - Winning Speech - Indieball

We're loving this Indieball site, new to us and doing it right. We couldn't figure out the permalinks to the following, though, so here's a workaround. Clicking each link below will get you to a longish page with several posts. Scroll down until you get to the one we're recommending. (If you want to, that is.)

All Girl Summer Fun Band - You're Not the One for Me - Indieball - January 24, 2009

The Dandy Warhols - Now You Love Me - Indieball - October 22, 2008
Silversun Pickups - Lazy Eye - Indieball - July 22, 2008

Popfest: Shake Some Action, Pranks, Super Furry Animals, Dog Day, J. Foskett, Monolators, Uglysuit, Alligators, We The They

Thanks so much for popping in. Speaking of which, we'd like to return the favor:

Shake Some Action - I Get Tongue Tied mp3 - As you've no doubt learned elsewhere, this Seattle/Atlanta (and apparently mainly Seattle again) band is letting us travel step-by-step with them as they record their third LP. Visit their blog for fascinating insights into the creative process, not to mention mp3s of the first and third songs from the new album.

Jeffrey Foskett - Thru My Window mp3 - from 2004's Stars in the Sand (and originally the title cut of former Prankster's 1996 LP) - mighty fine powerpop!

The Pranks - from Seattle band's excellent 2008 debut, Modern Communication - One wonders if there's been more than one band by this name.
Modern Communication mp3
Spending Time mp3

The Monolators - I Must Be Dreaming mp3 - from LA quintet's 2008 LP, Don't Dance

The Uglysuit - ...And We Became Sunshine mp3 - from the OK City band's self-titled debut

Alligators - Where Does It Hide? mp3 - from Seattle band's October '08 release, Piggy & Cups

Dog Day - Halifax, Nova Scotia quartet gently raises the woof in Concentration, released just this week.

Rome mp3

Happiness mp3

Super Furry Animals - Inaugural Trams mp3 - from Welsh wizards' Dark Days/Light Years, released last month

We The They - Pastures mp3 - from the Roscoe, NY band's three-song EP, The Shabby Road Sessions - WTT were nice enough to let us post two pleasing poppers in the early days of our blog, and we hope they won't mind a reprise.

Start the Hop mp3
Bear Trap mp3

pppurcha$e$: March Buys

Two months ago we started a little blog called pppurcha$e$ to share what songs we are buying at eMusic, Amazon, etc. You can find our March 2009 purchases here. Hope you find stuff you like. We sure did.

Music of the Sphere: Kinks, Paul Kelly, Cars, Headlights, Brian Jonestown, Atomic Garden, Get Go, Pomegranates, et. al. . . .

We've been kind of naughty lately, what with not posting much and such. Don't worry, though: we're consumed with guilt. Really. Thanks to all the fabulous posterhoster(esse)s for the following!

The Kinks - A Well Respected Man - Setting The Woods On Fire

Paul Kelly & the Messengers - Dumb Things - Star Maker Machine

Brian Jonestown Massacre - Going To Hell - Speed of Dark

The Cars - Touch and Go - Barely Awake In Frog Pajamas

Headlights - TV - Barely Awake In Frog Pajamas - several-years-now fave; glad BAIFP's got 'em turned on; hurry, though!

Atomic Garden - Gift (Sugar cover) - Milk Milk Lemonade
Screen Vinyl Image - Fever - Milk Milk Lemonade
The Very Sexuals - Bowie Eyes - Milk Milk Lemonade

Pomegranates - The Bellhop - CYSTSFTS
The Get Go - When Good Friends Tell Bad Lies - CYSTSFTS

Little Girls - What We Did - Raven Sings the Blues - garagey
Thee Oh Sees - A Flag in the Court & Ruby Come Home - Raven Sings the Blues
The Unrelated Segments - Where You Gonna Go - Raven Sings the Blues - garagey
Tonto and the Renegades - Little Boy Blue - Raven Sings the Blues - Animalsistic
The Tree - No Good Woman - Raven Sings the Blues - "Louie Louie" riff

Nine Black Alps - Buy Nothing - 17 Seconds - big, bold, & very unpowerpoppish, in case you need to know that

Mister Loveless - Good Story - 5 Acts
Fires of Rome - Set in Stone - 5 Acts

The Sounds' New Sounds Sound Sound

We've been enjoying this wavey Skåne län, Sweden quintet** for several years now and are quite excited their new Original Signal Recordings LP, Crossing the Rubicon, is due to launch 2 June. We've posted several by them previously; sadly the links have gone silent. You can stream some at their MySpace site and buy lots of mp3s here. Speaking of Sweden, please heed Jon Stewart's exposé on the dangers of socialism. Shiver. . .

The Sounds - Dorchester Hotel mp3 - from Crossing the Rubicon

**Maja Ivarsson (vox) - Jesper Anderberg (keyboards) - Johan Bengtsson (bass) - Fredrik Nilsson (drums) - Felix Rodriguez (guitar)

I Need Fab Pop: Okkervil, Orchid Highway, Death Valley Sleepers, Faraway Places, Black Moth Super R, Shortwave Set, Seldon Plan, Salim Nourallah

And now, Episode 680 of the continuing story of "An Introvert Goes Public." Typalyzer says my blog is the work of an ESFP. Half of that ain't me, though. I'm an INFP and I'll cower defiantly before anyone who says otherwise. But, ahem, such nattering's not why we're here. Here's why we're here, and darned excited to be so:

Okkervil River - Pop Lie mp3 - from Austinites' CD single Pop Lie, due out 21 April - and in case you missed it previously:
Our Life Is Not a Movie or Maybe mp3

The Faraway Places - The Sun Goes West mp3 - from Angelenos' Out of the Rain, the Thunder & the Lightning, due out 12 May

Death Valley Sleepers - Seaside mp3- Thanks to Morten at Hits in the Car for the headsup on this excellent song. Morten assured me main Sleeper and fellow Dane Tobias Winberg (pic) would not mind my posting it. If this is in fact untrue, I will unhappily remove the link. The fact that Morten has posted all 15 known DVS songs suggests Tobias is probably down wid it. So if you are, too, go get 'em. Well, okay, here's one more we previously posted.
Black Pearl mp3

Black Moth Super Rainbow - Born On A Day the Sun Didn't Rise mp3 - from Eating Us, due for ingestion on 26 May - I resisted previous blandishments from the robotic voice, but this song's downright. . . cuddly; onward to the flame! Thanks to Andy Silva at Shurefire for winging it our way.

The Shortwave Set - Harmonica mp3 - from London/Southeast UKer's second LP, Replica Sun Machine

The Orchid Highway - Time For a Change mp3 - from Vancouver band's self-titled debut

The Seldon Plan - Lost and Found and Lost mp3 - the first single and title cut from Baltimore/Washington band's forthcoming LP, due out 26 May - other LPs available here

Salim Nourallah - It's Not Enough mp3 - from Dallas dude's Constellation, released last month

Elephant Stone: Smooth Sailing Anticipated

Rishi Dhir (vox, bass, sitar, geetar [sic]), formerly of The High Dials, and his fellow pachydermoliths* are set to release their debut LP, The Seven Seas, on 5 May. The picture gives a clue as to what to expect. The title cut, streamers at Elephant Stone's MySpace site, and other tracks we've heard suggest this could well be one of our favorite albums of the year. Thanks to Jesse at Killbeat Records for shipping it our way.

Elephant Stone - The Seven Seas mp3 - from The Seven Seas

And in case you missed our previous postings, here are a few by Rishi's sometime band.

The High Dials

The Holy Ground mp3
Desiderata mp3

Our Time is Coming Soon mp3

Fields In Glass mp3

Killer of Dragons mp3

*Bobby Fraser (keys) - Robbie MacArthur (geetar, bass) - Stephen Venkatarangam (geetar, backing vox, sitar, flute) - Richard White (geetar, backing vox) - Chris Wise (drums)

Music of the Sphere: Ride, Superdrag, MBV, Dandy Warhols, XTC, Vaselines, Church, Echo, Elliott Smith, Scarlet Youth, Union Jackals

It took but one stop at Mars Needs Guitars for Merz to top off ye olde loving cup o' tunes. Thanks to him and these other wonderful bloggers.

Ride - Magical Spring - Mars Needs Guitars

Superdrag - Feeling Like I Do - Mars Needs Guitars

My Bloody Valentine - Honey Power - Mars Needs Guitars

The Dandy Warhols - Plan A - Mars Needs Guitars

XTC - Mayor of Simpleton - Star Maker Machine

The Vaselines - Teenage Superstars - AWmusic

Union Jackals - Secondhand News - Mojophenia (pic)

The Church - The Unguarded Moment - Mars Needs Guitars

Echo & The Bunnymen - Do It Clean - Mars Needs Guitars

Scarlet Youth - Wave Goodbye - Mars Needs Guitars

Elliott Smith - A Passing Feeling - Mars Needs Guitars

Post-SXSW Post: Camera Obscura, Telekinesis, Buddy, I Love Math, Great Northern, Orchid Hwy., Morning Benders, Postelles, Conil, You Me At Six

We promised more tunes by SXSW favebands and--surprise!--we keep a promise. True, SXSW 2009 is now one week’s history, and the bands are scattered to winds NSE&W, possibly making this post a bit untimely. Hopefully, you won't mind. Click song titles to hear and/or download songs and artist names to go to their SXSW site.

First Time With Us-ers

Buddy - Is it Cold in Silverlake (advance premix version) mp3 - My sweet Lord if this doesn't resonate of "Flesh Number One (Beatle Dennis)," our alltime favorite by Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians! So fine!

Telekinesis - Coast of Carolina mp3

You Me At Six - Jealous Minds Think Alike mp3

The Postelles - 123 Stop mp3

Conil - If You Really Want To Leave mp3

Repeat Performers

Camera Obscura (pic)

Let's Get Out Of This Country mp3

Lloyd, I'm Ready to Be Heartbroken mp3

If Looks Could Kill mp3

Great Northern

The Middle mp3
Houses mp3
Telling Lies mp3

The Morning Benders - Waiting for a War mp3

The Orchid Highway

Next World mp3

Sofa Surfer Girl mp3

I Love Math

A Good Flying Bird (Guided By Voices cover) mp3

I Remember When I Loved Her (The Zombies cover) mp3

Josephine Street mp3

Music of the Sphere: Church, Hoodoos, Lucksmiths, Super Furries, Ride, Silversun P's, Them, Strokes, That Petrol Emotion, MBV, Long Ryders, et. al.

Welcome back.

I'm so excited about songs I've discovered at some of my favorite blogs, I've decided to point you toward them before posting more SXSW tuneage. I surely hope you enjoy these songs and will thank our gracious host(esse)s. As you'll see below, it's also a pleasure welcoming back into action one of my very favorite bloggers.

The Lucksmiths - Untidy Towns - The Yellow Stereo

Super Furry Animals - Inaugural Trams - The Yellow Stereo

Ride - Sight of You (The Pale Saints cover) - Shelflife Records Blog

Air Formation - Fires - Shelflife Records Blog

Silversun Pickups - Panic Switch - Speed of Dark

The Strokes - Trying Your Luck - Speed of Dark

Flogging Molly - Light of a Fading Star - Battle of the Midwestern Housewives

Smoke or Fire - Irish Handcuffs - Battle of the Midwestern Housewives

Lucky Soul - Whoa Billy - Chromewaves - Hat tip to Morten over at Hits in the Car.

Ex Lovers - Just A Silhouette - Neon Gold

That Petrol Emotion - Big Decision - Snuh

Thin Lizzy - Bad Reputation - Snuh

You ready for this? Well, if not, you better get ready, 'cause Gary's up to his usual cuckoo antics over at Retro Music Snob. (Full disclosure: I found those last two via one of Gary's posts; he didn't mention them, though, so I wanted to be sure you saw them.)

Hoodoo Gurus - Bittersweet - Retro Music Snob
The Long Ryders - Looking for Lewis and Clark - Retro Music Snob
Them - Here Comes the Night - Retro Music Snob

My Bloody Valentine - Soon - Retro Music Snob

Boomtown Rats - Up All Night - Retro Music Snob
Stiff Little Fingers - Alternative Ulster - Retro Music Snob
Orleans - Dance With Me & Still The One - Retro Music Snob

And now, the best news for last: One of the very best of all music bloggers, Merz, is back in action over at Mars Needs Guitars! (Coincidence that the Snob had that Hoodoo Gurus number? Stars realigning in the 'sphere? Your call.) Go pay Merz a visit, say hi, and begin exploring his incredibly rich musical offerings. I've discovered a wonderful world of music through Merz, but he's just posted a band we've both loved for a long time now.

The Church - Invisible - Mars Needs Guitars

SXSW 2009 - Post Seven: Capsula, Cut Off Your Hands, The Girls, DeBretts, Dressy Bessy, Grates, Manhattan Love Suicides, Happy Hollows, Palomar, PB&J

Yes, it officially begins. . .right about now: the South by Southwest Music Festival. Even from afar we feel the excitement. We've plunged into our archives to pull out some primo offerings for SXSW 2009 bands who either didn't post songs at the official SXSW website this year or perhaps previously made available tunes we like an ooch better. Probably shouldn't keep saying this, but, yes, we have even more, so check back in a day or two. Don't wanta overdo it now, do we? We begin with one of our very favorite bands from last year (back again this) and go from strength to strength. Click song titles to play, artist names to go to their SXSW bandpage. Click here for previous SXSW postings at Powerpopulist.

Capsula - Voices Underground mp3

Cut Off Your Hands - Happy As Can Be mp3

The Girls

Transfer Station mp3
This Is Goodbye mp3

The DeBretts - Hole In The Head mp3 - Don't take the lyrics literally. In fact, we really, really love you--and the song.

Dressy Bessy
Side 2 mp3
Simple Girlz! mp3

The Grates - Lies are Much More Fun wma & asx - Click as needed: Windows - Mac - Click here for free download of Aussies' new Burn Bridges EP.

The Manhattan Love Suicides

Suzy Jones mp3
Last Stand mp3
You’ll Never Get That Guy mp3

The Happy Hollows
Tambourine mp3

Monster Room mp3

Palomar

You’re Keeping Us Up mp3
Woah! mp3

Peter Bjorn and John

Let's Call It Off (single mix) mp3
Young Folks wma

SWSW 2009 - Post Six: Everyday Visuals, Shiny Toy Guns, Heavenly States, Pretty & Nice, Clutters, Lazywall, We Were Lovers, My Sad Captains

(Band might cause problems this go-around.)

So, the big week's here, and so are we: South by Southwest, aka SXSW. For a shut-in such as moi, the main joyride is the cornucopia of songs the festival makes available at its splendid website. As some of you might have noticed, we've already posted a few of our favorites (c. 45), but we've got plenty more to go. Absent the onus of writing these silly little intros, we'd already have posted lots more. We're in this for the music, though, so if you are, too, start clicking (song titles to hear songs, artist names to go to their SXSW page). For the full schedule of bands-cum-mp3s, click here.

The Everyday Visuals - Boom! Boom! Boom! mp3
Shiny Toy Guns - Ghost Town mp3

The Heavenly States - Lost in the Light mp3
Pretty & Nice - Tora Tora Tora mp3

The Clutters - 9999 (Ways To Hate Us) mp3
Lazywall - Back To The Cradle mp3 - Morocckers!

We Were Lovers - Birds of a Feather mp3
My Sad Captains - Great Expectations mp3

The Vines: Melodia

Sydney rockers The Vines are set to release their fourth full-length, Melodia, stateside on 24 March. (According to their bandsite, it dropped down under on 12 July last year.) If this first song is any indication, we're in for some primo, glute-kickin', straight-ahead rnr. Thanks to World's Fair for the headsup. There are plenty of clickables here for continued reading and listening activity. Personally, I'd start with said album opener "Get Out," but, as always, you are the clickmeisters.

The Vines - Get Out mp3 - from Melodia

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