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?