Boldface, Italics, AND Hyperlinks! Wow-wee!
Here's my response to those who have "tagged" me to write about five songs I've been into of late:
1. The Shins - Turn a Square
Somehow I originally missed the boat on The Shins and am now frantically thrashing at the water surrounding my makeshift raft, trying to catch up. Although both albums have been in heavy rotation lately, I maintain that Chutes Too Narrow is superior, boasting more focused melodies emphasized by more pop-driven production than the Beach Boys-influenced Oh, Inverted World, not to mention very strong lyrics. In related news, the "Pink Bullets" video is on On Demand for all you Comcast Digital Cable subscribers.
2. The New Pornographers - (entire catalogue)
This seems a little unfair, but hear me out. Master craftsmen of the hook, The New Pornographers have two releases combining for 25 merrie melodies. All 25 repeat on loop, seemingly simultaneously, bouncing around my head until one of the other train passengers nudges me. The R6 does not condone humming. Also, I'm seeing them at The Chameleon in Lancaster this Friday -- score one for me.
3. Stars - Reunion
One of my favorite bands for a while now, it seems Stars is smashing through from the indie scene to the mainstream-indie scene. I've seen their videos on MTV2's Subterranean and Comcast On Demand, and it's only a matter of time before they get a blurb in a quasi-mainstream media magazine's "Up and Coming" section. Watch the video here.
4. Ryan Adams & the Cardinals - Sweet Illusion
Another guy whose bandwagon I recently hopped on. But unlike The Shins, Ryan Adams has put out tons of material, and continues to do so speedily. I have four albums now but have only heard Heartbreaker and Cold Roses so far; my work's cut out for me.
4.5 Jennifer Lopez - Get Right
Come on, have you heard it? That is one hella hott beat.
5. The Decemberists - The Mariner's Revenge Song
Without even hearing them, I'd been writing off The Decemberists as some crappy emo band or something, mostly based on their name and the sort of people that had recommended them to me. Whoops, turns out they're really good; Colin Meloy has quickly become one of my favorite lyricists. This song exemplifies the band's lush instrumentation, haunting melodies, and stories that hark imagery of centuries past. Unrepresentatively, it's nine minutes long. If you don't have that kind of time (liar), check out "The Engine Driver." Click here to download it for free from Amazon.com.
Honorable Mention: Rogue Wave, Annie, Andrew Bird, Mofro, and Aberfeldy didn't make the cut, but they are fine bands that would merit my seal of approval, if I had one.
Also, I tag Alex, Sabrina, and Chandler (all from UNC), and Andy and Kim.
1. The Shins - Turn a Square
Somehow I originally missed the boat on The Shins and am now frantically thrashing at the water surrounding my makeshift raft, trying to catch up. Although both albums have been in heavy rotation lately, I maintain that Chutes Too Narrow is superior, boasting more focused melodies emphasized by more pop-driven production than the Beach Boys-influenced Oh, Inverted World, not to mention very strong lyrics. In related news, the "Pink Bullets" video is on On Demand for all you Comcast Digital Cable subscribers.
2. The New Pornographers - (entire catalogue)
This seems a little unfair, but hear me out. Master craftsmen of the hook, The New Pornographers have two releases combining for 25 merrie melodies. All 25 repeat on loop, seemingly simultaneously, bouncing around my head until one of the other train passengers nudges me. The R6 does not condone humming. Also, I'm seeing them at The Chameleon in Lancaster this Friday -- score one for me.
3. Stars - Reunion
One of my favorite bands for a while now, it seems Stars is smashing through from the indie scene to the mainstream-indie scene. I've seen their videos on MTV2's Subterranean and Comcast On Demand, and it's only a matter of time before they get a blurb in a quasi-mainstream media magazine's "Up and Coming" section. Watch the video here.
4. Ryan Adams & the Cardinals - Sweet Illusion
Another guy whose bandwagon I recently hopped on. But unlike The Shins, Ryan Adams has put out tons of material, and continues to do so speedily. I have four albums now but have only heard Heartbreaker and Cold Roses so far; my work's cut out for me.
4.5 Jennifer Lopez - Get Right
Come on, have you heard it? That is one hella hott beat.
5. The Decemberists - The Mariner's Revenge Song
Without even hearing them, I'd been writing off The Decemberists as some crappy emo band or something, mostly based on their name and the sort of people that had recommended them to me. Whoops, turns out they're really good; Colin Meloy has quickly become one of my favorite lyricists. This song exemplifies the band's lush instrumentation, haunting melodies, and stories that hark imagery of centuries past. Unrepresentatively, it's nine minutes long. If you don't have that kind of time (liar), check out "The Engine Driver." Click here to download it for free from Amazon.com.
Honorable Mention: Rogue Wave, Annie, Andrew Bird, Mofro, and Aberfeldy didn't make the cut, but they are fine bands that would merit my seal of approval, if I had one.
Also, I tag Alex, Sabrina, and Chandler (all from UNC), and Andy and Kim.