"Get it together, grouch!"

-Dave Chappelle

Death Cab For Cutie, Photobooth{link}

The other day a friend emailed and asked for my favourite three songs ever, I, of course, gave her six, but in the ensuing days, I have been trying to piece together what my favourites are, and it's really, really difficult. B/c some songs I can only listen to when I'm happy, some when I'm sad, some when I'm introspective, some when I'm trying to sleep. How do I judge it? Do I base it on repeated listening? Is it fair to count Godspeed You Black Emperor! songs as they are in excess of twenty minutes? Finally, I just settled on the fact, that I really, really love this song.

It kicks off with casioesque drumbeat, and then turns into one of those sad sing-a-long type of songs that Death Cab do oh so well. I remember reading somewhere (NME?) that Ben Gibbard was a big fan of a few short story authors, and I seem to remember it mentioning Raymond Carver by name. Anyways, the lines "I remember when the days were long and the nights when the living room were on the lawn" reminds me so much of a particular Carver story whose name escapes me but has a recently left husband piling all his furniture on the lawn.

I know I'm not supposed to like Death Cab anymore, b/c they're all popular and everything, but the only way I could dislike them were if they were to do a re-make of "La-la".

American Football, Honestly? {link}

"Honestly I can't remember all my teenage feelings,
and their meanings,
they seem too see-through
to be true"

And so begins an amazing song by American Football, who just might be my favourite band to put out just one album. I really, really wanted to post "Never Meant" which is just the greatest break-up song ever recorded, but could not find it anywhere. But this one is good, too. I feel like this a lot, I'll go back through old journals, yearbooks, notes and think to myself "Did I really say this? Do this? Feel this?" It feels so weird, like you were somehow more connected to your own feelings back then, but are now cut off from them. I don't know, I got nothin' tonight. Just download it, and enjoy it. Then pick up the album. There's really no reason not to.

Guess who's Back in the Muthafudgin' House?

Half black half white, chick, we call her Minnie Mouse
-Jay-Z (mostly, although he doesn't actually say "fudgin")

I have a little time to spare, I thought I would share some great mp3s with you, my ever-so patient readers....someone is reading this, right?

Chris Walla Sing Again {link}

Whenever people talk about Death Cab For Cutie, the focus is always on Ben Gibbard. They always talk about his voice, his lyrics, his...er...hair (?!). But, what people often overlook is guitarist Chris Walla. The man is an amazing producer, he's done producing and engineering work for the likes of: The Prom, Kind of Like Spitting, Hot Hot Heat, Nada Surf, The Velvet Teen, David Cross, The Long Winters, The Postal Service, The Thermals, The Decemberists, Travis Morrison, and the Jim Yoshii Pile-Up. But, he also is a talented singer/songwriter in his own right, and has highlighted here on this pretty little live track "Sing Again". Just Walla and his acoustic guitar on the radio.

The Frames, Dream Awake {link}

I'm not quite sure why I slept on The Frames for so long, they make some really pretty, intense music. This is a new song from their just-released 2005 album "Burn The Maps", aside from the perfect honest lyrics, what I have come to enjoy most about The Frames is the way their songs build. This one starts with a whisper, and all of a sudden, the music stampedes to a loud, cathartic climax, with the lead singer singing "There's a fight that we're not conceding!" And the music never, ever concedes. Also, the previously-covered Damien Rice said that The Frames were an inspiration and an aspiration to them, so, really, how much more endorsement do you need?