One Fish

I like things that are clever. Like the title of The Light Footwork album: One State, Two State. Not that great at first, but now think about it... and what comes next... I'll let you, the loyal reader figure it out.

Here's a song:

The Light Footwork - The Art of Everyday Communication Part 1

That's all.
This will be my swan song for the next 3 weeks. Posting should be back on Jan. 9/10. At which point I will unveil the top 25. Or 30. Yes. I'm slow. I know.

Merry Christmas.

I'm Slipping

Yikes... what was that... no update in 4 days?
I suck. Actually, finals suck.

But here's another Antony and the Johnson's B-side.
Just because Antony rules.

Antony and the Johnsons - Poorest Ear

It's from the You are My Sister EP.

I'll try getting the top 25 up soon.. hopefully before my 3 week hiatus on Thursday.

Arcades, Fire, and Corruption

So... in the continuing series (not really.. more coincidence than anything) of cover songs, coupled with Blog titles that end up being an incredibly lame attempt to combine the two elements of the cover song, I give you this:

The Arcade Fire - Age of Consent

Now here's the thing about this song. It saddens me. Why? Well, when I saw Arcade Fire in the giant toilet bowl that is Red's West Edmonton Mall, giant pillars surrounding me, unable to see the stage as they broke out with "Wake Up", kind of missing it because I was still jockeying for position amongst the masses, they played this song.
Talking to other people who had gone to the show the day after, I would comment "The New Order cover was pretty good, hey?", and I just got blank stares back. They didn't even know.

But, its still a good song.

The AF also played this on a New York City sidewalk awhile ago, with 5 or 6 other songs late/early one night/morning. The only thing that comes close to that in Edmonton is:
a) Push-up Dougie
b) The time three incredibly white guys walked by me, all in Team Canada track suits, one of them beat boxing, the other two trying to freestyle
c) Push-Up Dougie

Why do I live here again?

(Actually, in all seriousness, Edmonton has a wicked local scene (Faunts, Fields to Flood, Field + Stream, The Floor, Storyboard, Mark Templeton... others that I feel I'm forgetting). I just hate Red's and even thinking about it makes me boil over with passive-agressive barbs this city.)

Sorry. That Truly Was Devastating.

I can't explain that last post. A travesty, it was. A slap in the face of this site's credibility. So I will make up for posting the worst rap song in the history of ever, by posting what was probably my favorite rap song of the year (Narrowly beating out the "Diamonds are Forever" remix, despite the fact that it has the best line Jay-Z has ever spat... (I'm not a businessman... I'm a business, man). Genius. Except for the fact that I can't take myself seryusly when I type 'spat'.)

Anyways.. 'What's the song?', you ask.

Common feat. Kanye West - The Food

Just downright catchy. But not in a bad way. It usually takes quite a bit for me to like rap, but this does the trick. Most of the stuff on Late Registration, didn't, by the way. But that's just me. I feel the need to compare all things rap to Late Registration since Kanye West is apparently the new Mozart, Martin Luther King Jr., and Muhammad Ali, all rolled into one. Or something.

Plus, on this track, you get to hear Dave Chapelle before he went crazy.

A Very Devastatin' Christmas

You've all seen the cover. Now hear the voice.

It's Devastatin' Dave (The Turntable Slave)! Except now he apparently goes by the Cyberslave. I'm not entirely sure what that means. He doesn't look like a robot or anything. Was 'cyber' even a word when this album came out?
Frankly, I'm surprised that a rapper who seems to be so socially-conscious (and, judging by that get-up, not at all self-conscious), would have a name with such negative connotations in the first place.

Either way. This is a rap that makes Mr. T and his verses from 'Be Somebody or Be Somebody's Fool' sound like Nas. Seryusly.

Devastatin' Dave (The Turntable Slave) - Zip Zap Rap

If you can't get enough of this... and honestly people... who could?... check out Devastatin' Dave's IUMA page here. It features his (apparently) Devastatin' Grandson as well.

A Very Pedro Christmas

Well, I've missed a day or two. Maybe just one. Who cares.

Anyways, to make it up for you, I've got two songs today. Both Pedro the Lion. And both Christmas Carols. Or Christmas songs. I'm not sure if there's a difference between the two. Can I get a ruling on this?

Anyways, they're both from David Bazan's yearly Christmas EP, which you can purchase from Insound. This year's features God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen and Silent Night. But it's only on vinyl. Hey, you know who likes vinyl? I do! So buy it for me. In case you didn't catch the subtle hint there.

Pedro the Lion - The First Noel
Pedro the Lion - I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

Oh yeah. If you've been wanting to leave a comment, but couldn't, it's fixed. So now you can. And you will. That way I know who I can thank for the dozens of Pedro the Lion Christmas EPs that are surely coming my way now.

Sun Kil Mouse

Sun Kil Moon is the good.
Modest Mouse is also the good.
So Sun Kil Moon covering Modest Mouse should be the good, right?
For the most part. I loved the 'Tiny Cities' album at first, but the novelty's worn off a little. But, still well worth a listen, despite the fact that Pitchfork hated it. So now everyone hates it. Bunch of zombies, you are.

Anyway, here's the title track.

Sun Kil Moon - Tiny Cities Made of Ashes

(And, yes, I know on the other, now dead and/or dying site, I said how good this album was, even going as far as to say that the cover of 'Neverending Math Equation' made the original obsolete. That was a stupid, stupid thing of me to say. I got caught up in the simplicity of it all. Two chords, good melody, catchy bridge... what's not to like? But then you go back to the original, with it's being all over the place.. and... freaking Modest Mouse. Hopefully they get back to form after Good News. Which most people liked. It's alright. But it's got nothing on their older stuff. Nothing! (Moon/Antarctica, I'm looking in your general direction).)

Ah.. the good ol' parenthesised parenthesis. You know it's a good, coherent, blog when....

Top 25 coming soon. Tell your friends. Posting songs is gonna be a lot of legwork, so I might get the list up first, and then work on songs from there. Or I might not. Finals suxxx0r5!!!11!!

Oh yeah. Most people like Sufjan. Most people are right. So most people should pay MOKB a visit, where they've got an entire Sufjan concert.

It's late

It's late. And the fact that baseball's winter meetings are always in line with studying for Finals sucks. But not as much as the fact that Playoffs are always lined up with midterms. There is no justice.

Anyways. Here's the new Strokes single.

The Strokes - Heart in a Cage

I'm listening to it now for the first time. The drums aren't as robotic as usual. Not sure if that's good or bad. It's definetly no 12:51. Incredibly underrated song. Julian doesn't sound as distorted either. It's OK, I guess. Worth a listen, anyways.
Just got to the bridge. What a stupid bridge.

Oddly enough, there's a lot more happening in this than in more Strokes songs, but its more boring.
But, judge for yourself.
They have made it to album #3 though, which I doubt many saw coming. 'It' bands. One of the strangest pop-culture phenomenons since... Will it Float?. Letterman rules.

Say Your Goodbyes to Europe...

Fennesz...
Awhile ago my good friend Rob told me to listen to Fennesz. So I did. And now I telling you people to listen to it. Paying it Forward, so to speak. Kevin Spacey would be so proud of me.
If you haven't heard him before, it's usually just ambient stuff. Which is great. But this song in particular has words. Melody. You know... That stuff. Which makes it alot easier to put on here instead of one of the other tracks which you pretty much need to take in with the whole album.

Fennesz - Transit

So listen to it. And if you like it, don't thank me... Pay it Forward.

Oh yeah. Check out Rob's band, Fields to Flood too. You won't regret it.

I've been listening to a ton of good music lately. Far too much to put into one blog. But there will be a new 5 songs you should listen to now this week. And this Particular blogs first 5 albums you should listen to now too. Or so I think. Hopefully I can keep my word on this one.
And then the top 25 will get started. Probably 5 albums at a time or so.

Radiohead. How I Miss you.

Remember a few posts back when I mentioned a new Radiohead was coming out? Well.. it is. March or so. I believe.

But for now, here's a track they did for the War Child Vol. 2 fundraiser a few months back.

So here it is:
Radiohead - I Want None of This

Thom Yorke can do no wrong. Unlike me, who can't even manage a daily update.

And don't forget to check out Work For It, where Ben's counting down his top 40 songs of the year. Definetly worth checking out.