Baby, You'll Need Those Fingers For Crossing

I think I've figured out the formula for my strange, irrational love of Los Campesinos!
















The New Pornographers

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Broken Social Scene

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Pulp

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Morrissey

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Mates of State

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Welsh Corgi Puppies

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Los Campesinos!

Best Songs of 2008 - #10 - #1

10. "The Kelly Affair" by Be Your Own Pet - The fact that this song is inspired by the film Beyond the Valley of the Dolls is pretty goofy, but BYOP still deliver a fun little rock number. If I was a teenage boy, I would probably build a shrine to singer Jemina Pearl. I love her snotty, sexy growl.


9. "Love Dog" by TV on the Radio - I think the TVOTR is the most important band in America today. They are the U.S. answer to Radiohead. "Love Dog" builds and builds over the course of five and half minutes. Serene and beautiful. Tunde Adebempe's voice is gorgeous and that Rhodes piano and the horns simply kills me.


8. "The Perfect Boy" by The Cure - This is the best song Robert Smith has written in a long, long time. His vocals are great and he delivers a nice little story. I love Simon Gallup's bass slides on the second chorus.


7. "Ready for the Floor" by Hot Chip - In theory, Hot Chip shouldn't work. They make some of the grooviest dance music today and the band is fronted by a little dude in glasses and a big, burly, bearded guy. Like "Playboy" a few years ago, "Ready for the Floor" is further proof that these guys know what the hell they're doing.


6. "Mouthwash" by Kate Nash - What a voice! Kate Nash gets lumped in with the recent British Girl Wave (see Adele, Duffy, Lilly Allen, etc.), but she's a pretty decent songwriter. Kudos to the drummer for taking the ending to the next level. He pounds the crap out of the skins on this number.


5. "My Only Offer" by Mates of State - I had the fortune of seeing Mates of State in concert this past year. They can do so much with just keyboards, drums, and two voices. For some reason I had a habit of singing this song while cooking during the fall. Must be the cute, married couple vibe of the band.


4. "Electric Feel" by MGMT - There's something I just like about MGMT. On the surface, their songs sound pretty irreverence, but there's an undercurrent of sincerity. I had a hard time deciding which of the three MGMT songs ("Kids", "Time to Pretend", "Electric Feel") that rocked my world to put on this list, but "Electric Feel" won out.

MGMT - New Music - More Music Videos

3. "Little Bit" by Lykke Li - Simple, sparse, and stripped down. Excellent use steel drums and mandolin. Of course I can't leave out that sweet, pouty, cute voice. The lyrics are kind of goofy at times, but the intent is pure.

Lykke Li - New Music - More Music Videos

2. "I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You" by Black Kids - There's been a bit of a Black Kids backlash after their full length album failed to deliver on the promise of their four track EP "Wizard of Ahhhs", but there's no denying this song. Pure pop gold. The sheer repetition of the verse and chorus will cause this song to worm its way into your brain. I prefer the EP version over the LP mix.


1. "My Year in Lists" by Los Campesinos! - (How ironic!) Young angst has never sounded so amazing! I raved about this song earlier in the year and it has yet to lose its luster. Where were you when I needed you Los Campesinos! You would have been the soundtrack of my college days! Amazing boy/girl vocals and a second verse that makes me want to laugh and cry simultaneously. Brilliant.

Best Songs of 2008 - #15 - #11

15. "The Step and the Walk" by The Duke Spirit - It may sound strange, but I would have been very disappointed if the lead singer of The Duke Spirit wasn't rockin' some long hair. Her voice just oozes with Grace Slick cool, Stevie Nicks power, and a dash of Nico. This kind of voice has a visual archetype and thankfully Liela Moss fits it. The tinny production also adds to the song's old rock feel.


14. "Cath..." by Death Cab for Cutie - After the downer that was Plans, DCFC delivered a much better record with Narrow Stairs. Not that Ben Gibbard hasn't stopped writing angsty, moody lyrics, but at least the tempo is a little quicker for some of the tracks. "Cath..." is one of the best on the record. Smart lyrics, a good character study, and some solid guitar work.


13. "Supernatural Superserious" by R.E.M. - I hated that I had written off one of my favorite bands of all time. Reveal and Around the Sun were so... dull. It felt like the band had stopped trying. Thank God for Accelerate. R.E.M. returned with a thirty-five minute rock album and it was grand. The lead off single was one of the best of the bunch and I love, love, love those Mike Mills harmonies.


12. "L.E.S. Artistes" by Santogold - While most people were ready to lump Santogold with M.I.A. after the third world throwdown that was "Creator", it was "L.E.S. Artistes" and "Lights Out" that made people really stand up and pay attention. This song has one of the best opening hooks of the year.


11. "Kim & Jessie" by M83 - I fell in love with this tune at first listen. It sounds like every John Hughes movie soundtrack rolled into one song. Lush and gorgeous.

Best Songs of 2008 - #20 - #16

20. "GfC" by Albert Hammond Jr. - What little I've heard of this Strokes guitarist's solo work, I've liked. He actually has a more emotive voice than the sleepy sound of the lead singer of his regular band. There are some really good guitar lines and it all builds to a rockin' solo.


19. "Balloons" by Foals - This song sounds like the mashing of math rock with '80s aesthetics: group shouts, saxophone, Power Station drumming, etc. The result is a really catchy song.


18. "2080" by Yeasayer - Very moody and lingering. The singer's voice sort of reminds me of Maynard James Keenan (Tool, A Perfect Circle). Really great harmonies overall. The spiralling guitar line adds to the dreamlike feel of the song.


17. "Ghost Under Rocks" by Ra Ra Riot - This song has a great driving beat and the cello and violin are wonderfully utilized. Great vocal performance, too. The chorus sticks in my head after a listen.


16. "Tessellate" by Tokyo Police Club - Another song where the snare is beaten to death. Great piano hook. And, hey, how often do you get to hear the work 'tessellate' used in a song?

Best Songs of 2008 - #25 - #21

25. "Second Chance" by Liam Finn - The son of the legendary Neil Finn offers up a sweet number with a wonderful falsetto (I'm sensing a trend in this countdown). This song breezes along until the tempo ramps up and the keyboards swell. Great intro, too.


24. "Falling Down" by Oasis - I haven't given two spits about Oasis since Be Here Now. Everything since that 1997 album has been a weak attempt at trying to recapture the gold that was Definitely Maybe and What's the Story, Morning Glory. On "Falling Down" Noel takes the lead vocals and he's seems to have integrated some to the driving beats he may have picked while collaborating with the Chemical Brothers.


23. "White Winter Hymnal" by Fleet Foxes - This is like a song out of time. Its style and production almost convinces me that "White Winter Hymnal" is actually a lost recording from forty years ago. Short, sweet, and one of the best vocal performances of the year.


22. "California Girls" by The Magnetic Fields - Shoe-gaze meets '60s girl pop. The Beach Boys may of loved the ladies from the left coast, but our singer sure has a bone to pick... or is that a battle axe? There's lots of great imagery on this track.


21. "Discipline" by Nine Inch Nails - Oasis, the Magnetic Fields, and Nine Inch Nails all in one post? It's like the '90s never ended! To tell you the truth, I probably wouldn't have heard this song if it wasn't for Trent Reznor giving The Slip away for free online. It's a surprisingly solid record and "Discipline" is the standout track. It's got a few of Reznor's signature sounds. Haunted house piano line? Check. White noise machine? Check. Tortured, nasally singing? Check. But it's all wrapped around an infectious disco beat and some great "doot-doot-doots". Also, since the song is called "Discipline", I can't help but like how Reznor starts to sing too early and catches himself. It maybe a bit obvious, but it works. (The Saturday Night Fever mash up video is perfect.)

Best Songs of 2008 - #30 - #26

Back to our regularly scheduled program:

30. "The Rat" by Dead Confederate - Nothing screams angst like a slow, brooding burner of a song that occasionally explodes with loud guitars. The self-deeming lyrics and spooky organ are just icing on a tortured cake. This song reminds me a little of a band from earlier in the decade called Ours, except without the Jeff Buckley-esque vocals.


29. "Sleepyhead" by Passion Pit - Soul, funk, disco, and electro all smash up together in this groovy little number. Love the falsetto singing on this song. It's the type of tune that if you play it loud enough on your computer at work, you'll get strange looks.


28. "Evil Urges" by My Morning Jacket - Louisville represent! Speaking of falsettos, ol' Jim James is working his overtime on "Evil Urges". It's a sweet, funky number and its always great to see MMJ mess around with different genres. I think the song would have been fine without the prerequisite guitar jam in the middle, though. Still, another strong song from the hometown crowd.


27. "The Opposite of Hallelujah" by Jens Lekman - There's something charming about a song sung in English when it's not the singer's national tongue. This cute little number seems to be about a brother that's failing miserably at dispensing advice to his little sister. Very catchy.


26. "Hang Them All" by Tapes 'n' Tapes - This nervous, jittery song continues to build the tension until an explosive release and a repeated declaration of the title.

Lock Eyes From Across the Room...

We take a quick break from the year end countdown to present latest creation by The Lonely Island (Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone) which debuted on this past weekend's Saturday Night Live. It features guest appearances by Molly Sims, Jamie Lynn Sigler, and Justin Timberlake. Enjoy!

Best Songs of 2008 - #35 - #31

Here's the latest installment of my annual look back at the songs that wormed their way into my subconscious and dominated my iPod playlists.

35. "Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?" by She & Him - This is the musical collaboration of M. Ward and actress Zooey Deschanel. It's a pleasant little tune and like the way Deschanel says "credit" near the end. The "oooos" and "doot-doots" on the outro almost make me willing to forgive Deschanel for appearing in that god-awful M. Night movie, The Happening, earlier this year.


34. "Valerie Plame" by The Decemberists - This song has Colin Meloy singing about a fictitious love affair with real world outted spy, Valerie Plame Wilson. My favorite part is the reference to a Vespa as a chariot and the Greenzone Marriott. Very clever Mr. Meloy. Musically, this song is very White Album Beatles right down to the "Hey Jude" ending.


33. "Chicago X 12" by Rogue Wave - Admittedly this type of song is usually a little too VH1 for my tastes, but I love some great woodblock work. It reminds me of Remy Zero and some the great songs they had about a decade ago. (Video here)

32. "Keep Your Eyes Ahead" by The Helio Sequence - Good driving beat and I like how the guitars pick up a little edge before the second verse. The spacey breakdown in the middle is pretty cool, too.


31. "Set It Off" by Girl Talk - This is pretty much the kind of song you expect from this mash-up artist. I've got to admit the pairing of "Paranoid Android" with Jay-Z is pretty damn awesome. The Mary J. Blige "Real Love" over top "These Eyes" is almost as brilliant. However, nothing beats the section where Bubba Sparxxx raps over "Come On Eileen".

Best Songs of 2008 - #40 - #36

2008 is quickly coming to a close and it's time for my annual music countdown. Despite the work, I had a lot of fun with this last year, so I thought I'd give it another go. Keep in mind, this is a very loose countdown. The numbering is pretty vague and doesn't really matter until about the top twenty or fifteen. The bottom half could easily bounce around in order given my mood, but I had to establish some kind of order.

Like last year, the songs selected are the ones that dominated my iPod over the course of 2008. Some songs may have been released in 2007, but got significant play via my outlets for new music: Sirius' Left of Center (now called Sirius XMU), Subterranean on MTV2, and the ever polarizing Pitchfork (and Pitchfork.tv). Enjoy!

40. "Paris" by Friendly Fires - We start off with a catchy little dance number. Excellent cow bell and drum work. Nice send up on the chorus and the chill out ending is a cool way to bring it all home for the last quarter of the song.


39. "Eraser" by No Age - It has a long intro, but the guitar/drums duo really kicks it into gear about halfway through the song. Lo-fi, but fun.


38. "A-Punk" by Vampire Weekend - Boy, didn't this band just blow up really quickly this year. I wasn't completely won over like a lot of folks, but I found their songs entertaining enough. A lot of Paul Simon/Peter Gabriel/world music influence here.


37. "Two Doors Down" by Mystery Jets - Talk about being unashamedly in love with '80s New Wave. Still, Mystery Jets take the aesthetics of Wang Chung, the Outfield, Tears for Fears, and other bands of the era and have written a really fun song.


36. "Right Hand On My Heart" by The Whigs - And the '80s gave way to the '90s. The Whigs have got that grunge era rock sound down. This song reminds me of the band Love Battery and the verse sounds like the melody of "Pepper" by Butthole Surfers.

There's No Other Way

According to this article, Blur is scheduled to begin rehearsals. Apparently, Graham Coxon will part of said practices. Good. I don't want anymore Blur without Coxon on board. Not that Think Tank was a bad album, but it just didn't have that extra something that his dynamic guitar playing brings to the table. Plus, I think Damon Albarn is at his best when he works/plays/fights with Coxon.

Coxon's solo material hasn't ever grabbed me. He's an okay singer and lyricist on his own, but nowhere near the level of Albarn. That being said, Albarn's Coxon-less material has been a mixed bag. The aforementioned Think Tank was decent, but less than spectacular. Gorillaz is fun stuff, but I've never been overwhelmed enough to buy one of the albums. The Good, the Bad, & the Queen, however, is awesome. For one, Albarn isn't hiding behind the mask of animated characters and is able to put himself and his natural voice out there. Also, he had a very talented band that worked amazingly as a collective.

So, Blur don't tease me. If you're finally regrouping, please do so with all four members. If not, Albarn can turn off the cartoons and give me another great GBQ record.

Stifle Copies of Myself

I am no longer without an iPod. Thanks to some handy connections, I was able to purchase one of those discontinued 80 GB Classic models for a reasonable fee. It's got color and plays video; you just gotta love the future. I wonder if I can get four years out of this one like I was able to with the 20 GB black and white version. Anyway here's my current playlist:

TV on the Radio - Golden Age
Mates of State - My Only Offer
CSS - Rat is Dead
Death Cab for Cutie - Long Division
Oasis - Falling Down
Santogold - Lights Out
The Decemberists - Valerie Plame
MGMT - Kids
The Cure - The Perfect Boy

I've Been Gentle, I've Been Kind

Old Man had its third and final show for October 2008. Or should I call it Rocktober? This was probably the tightest of the three and Jana was able to play the drums during the entire set with a gorilla mask on. Impressive!

10/31/08 - The Rudyard Kipling - Setlist

01. Undercover
02. Black & Blue
03. Cut My Hands
04. 1987
05. Run
06. One Night Stand
07. This Time (For Real)
08. Appetite
09. The Question
10. Lips To Watch
11. Available

I've Been Busy, I've Been Blind

Old Man played at the always interesting Highland Taproom on Saturday. We opened for Pagoda Treehouse and Dying Indiana. The sound there is always weird when you're in the middle of it, but apparently it sounded good out in the room. We had a bit of a rough start when we attempted a two person rendition of "My Blue Room", but things got pretty rockin' as the set went on. The next show is Friday, Halloween night at our old stomping grounds, the Rudyard Kipling.

10/26/08 - Highland Taproom, Louisville, KY - Setlist

01. My Blue Room
02. 1987
03. Run
04. Black & Blue
05. Undercover
06. Cut My Hands
07. One Night Stand
08. This Time (For Real)
09. Appetite
10. Lips to Watch
11. Available

I Made a Promise to Myself...

The Cure - 4:13 Dream

Ever since the birth of the Cure over thirty years ago and through a multitude of personnel changes, there have only been three other musicians in the band that managed to not only match Robert Smith in talent and technique, but also push the band's principle songwriter creatively. Those three musicians would be bassist Simon Gallup, guitarist Porl Thompson, and drummer Boris Williams. It's practically indisputable that the Cure's most successful era, both artistically and commercially, was when all three were in the band at the same time. Not to undercut the contributions of Roger O'Donnell, Perry Bamonte, or Lol Tolhurst, but Gallup, Thompson, Williams, and of course Smith were the driving forces behind The Head on the Door, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Disintegration, and Wish.

I bring this up in my review for the newest album but the Cure, 4:13 Dream, because I believe that it is the best album by the band since that historic period. While Robert Smith was able to retain Simon Gallup during the interim, Wild Mood Swings, Bloodflowers, and The Cure, all fell short for various reasons. Wild Mood Swings was too long and didn't have enough really great material to justify the length. Bloodflowers was D.O.A. due to being over-hyped, too many expectations, and the strange need to force a third chapter to some imagined trilogy. The Cure was a move into the right direction and overcame a lot of what weakened the previous two efforts. Still, the primary reason why these three albums could not come anywhere close to the "Big Four" was due to a lack of creative challenge from the other musicians. Bamonte, O'Donnell, and drummer Jason Cooper are all very skilled, but their playing lacked the identity and ability to add to Smith's songs that make them more than the sum of their parts.

4:13 Dream is the first album in sixteen years to feature Porl Thompson. I've never been shy about the fact that Thompson is the biggest influence on my own guitar playing, so when his return was first announced, I was more than excited. He's an amazing musician and deeply creative. His playing has always stood as a brilliant juxtaposition to Robert Smith's guitar work. Perry Bamonte did a fine job, but apart from a few overused guitar licks, I could never tell where Smith ended and he began. This has never been the case with Thompson. The new record is made even better by his return.

Not that Porl Thompson should get all the credit, but his return seems to have lit a fire under both Robert Smith and Simon Gallup. Gallup's bass work seems more inspired by Thompson's output. It's as if he saw a creative challenge and was able to rise up to meet it. More importantly, Smith has finally reestablished himself as one of the most important songwriters in the last three decades.

In the last decade, Robert Smith's most annoying habit as a lyricist has been the pro/con, positive/negative writing. It practically ruined Bloodflowers for me and smacks of laziness. Sure, he still employs a variation of this on "The Perfect Boy", but this is an instance where it actually pushes the song's narrative and it really works. There are still songs where gold, silver, and crystal replace each other or there's a new season per verse, but it isn't as noticeable as when a verse is completely repeated except that "always" is replaced by "never". So as far as lyrically crafting goes, 4:13 Dream is a major step up over the previous three records.

Another noticeable improvement on 4:13 Dream is Robert Smith's ability to change up his singing rhythm from song to song. His singing has always been brilliant and that voice is unforgettable, but delivery has rarely varied. Not so on the new album. On "This. Here and Now. With You" he slowly builds over the duration of the song and crescendos at a brilliant bridge. Like the music, Smith's delivery on "Underneath the Stars" moves at a glacial pace. There's fury in "The Scream" and "It's Over", which is he sings at a breakneck speed. All of this helps in giving each song a unique identity.

"Underneath the Stars" - This is a really amazing opening track and ranks up there with some the best openers from the Cure's catalogue like "The Kiss", "Plainsong", and "Want". "Underneath the Stars" is truly majestic in nature and moves at a slow but determined pace. It calls back to Disintegration more so than any song produced since that landmark album, more so than anything on the supposed sequel Bloodflowers. Why it took almost two decades for Smith to create a track that could rivals the beauty and power that encapsulate that 1989 album is unknown. Maybe he just stopped trying so hard and let it come naturally.

"The Only One" - I wrote quite a bit about this song when it was released as the first single earlier this year. What I will mention here is that it's placement as the second song fits with the tradition of upbeat pop songs that get the album rolling forward like "Play for Today", "Primary", "High", and "Club America". This isn't the best song on the record, but it's a sweet, dumb, fun number and very much in the tradition of one of the Cure's biggest hits "Friday, I'm in Love". Like that polarizing track, "The Only One" may have some inane lyrics, but the guitar work is skilled and fluid.

"The Reason Why" - The pop continues with this awesome number. Simon Gallup's bass has never sounded this much like New Order's Peter Hook as it does on the opening lick for "The Reason Why". That's not a bad thing and he doesn't over do it. Porl has his own catchy riff during the verses, too. This is the type of song that made me fall in love with the Cure in the first place. It's melancholia wrapped in a brightly colored package. This song definitely could be released as a single and is one of my favorite tracks on an already excellent record.

"Freakshow" - I went into depth on this number when I wrote about the single. It continues to grow on me with each listen and the studio version is still better than the live rendition due to all the instrumental layering.

"Sirensong" - This is a pleasant mid-tempo acoustic strummer. What really sells this song is the slide guitar work by Porl Thompson. This is something unique to the Cure catalogue, but it feels natural and not forced. I also really like the layered "she said, she said" vocals that proceed the chorus. Short and sweet.

"The Real Snow White" - Like "Freakshow" I wasn't totally sold on the live version of the song due to it sounding thin with only Thompson on guitar. The recorded rendition is a whole lot better. The Cure almost sound like the Pixies here with Smith's sly phrasing and Thompson's collapsing guitar line. Definitely a grower.

"The Hungry Ghost" - This is another song that could have easily been released as a single. "The Hungry Ghost" is a solid pop/rock number that features some uncharacteristic outward looking lyrics from Smith. His forte is romance and falling in or out of it, but this is one of those rare numbers where he increases the scope of his themes. Luckily, it isn't as obvious or clumsy like "Us or Them". Thompson employs an echoing, almost Edge-like guitar part for this number.

"Switch" - On a few Cure albums there's a song that seems to not fit into the overall scheme of the record as smoothly as the others. Not that they're bad songs, but "Wendy Time", "Strange Attraction" (correction: this song is painfully abysmal), "Anniversary" don't seem to gel as naturally with their respective albums for some reason or other. "Switch" is that song for 4:13 Dream. This sort of "machine rock" number (see "Wrong Number") isn't as organic as the two rocking closers on the album, thus sticking out a bit. This song gets points for Thompson's crazy intro, though.

"The Perfect Boy" - I've already raved about this song enough when I reviewed the single. It's still one of the best songs Robert Smith has written in the last decade and a half.

"This. Here and Now. With You." - This is a pleasant little builder. It starts off low and gentle and climaxes into a beautifully loud (but not rocking) bridge. Smith gets to use some interesting vocal phrasing on this one, too. If anything, it serves as the calm before the closing storm.

"Sleep When I'm Dead" - This song begins the build towards a loud, violent conclusion to 4:13 Dream. I wrote about "Sleep When I'm Dead" back when the single was released. It's still a song that continues to grow on me. I hear elements of "The Hanging Garden" in the bass during the verse. I really like the chaos of the bridge near the end. It acts as a hint of what's to come.

"The Scream" - This brooding builder is fantastic. It seems to take the best elements of the rockers on The Top and the legendary, unreleased "Forever" and perfect them. I wonder if Gallup broke any bass strings on the madness that ends the song. Thompson's guitar turns into a swarm of bees by the conclusion and Jason Cooper does some of his best drum work here. Smith's wailing is spot on here.

"It's Over" - There's a reason why the Cure closed the primary set of their shows this past tour with this number; how can you possibly continue to play another song with out a break after this high speed, brutal number? This is the type of track that "Give Me It" and "Shiver and Shake" always had the potential of reaching but never quite achieved. Layers of insane guitars by Smith and Thompson, thundering drumming by Cooper, and an impossibly amazing bass line by Gallup. Smith sings at 100 miles per hour which just increases the intensity. "It's Over" blasts in, does the job, and gets the hell out. If the next album is to be the darker sister to 4:13 Dream, then it has been savagely set up by this awesome song.

If I had one real gripe about 4:13 Dream, it would be the over reliance on vocal effects, but it's not enough to diminish everything I enjoy about the record. 4:13 Dream is the type of album by the Cure that is in the spirit of The Head on the Door, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, and Wish; it’s made up of a batch of songs that showcases the many styles of the band, leaning more towards the pop and the rock side of their sound. I would put its quality on par with Wish. While Wish had more songs that I would consider classics, 4:13 Dream holds together better as a collective unit. If this is the "dream", then I'm looking forward to the release next year of the companion album for the "nightmare".

8 out of 10

Please Don't Let Me Hit the Ground

Old Man had a very well received performance at the New Albanian Fringe Fest last night. I'm not used to having working monitors that allow me to hear all the vocals clearly, so that was a nice change of pace. There was a problem with the lights shutting off a couple of times during the set, but we took it in stride. All the Old Manses were satified and we drank plenty of the free, delicious, micro-brewed beer.

10/9/08 - New Albany, IN - Setlist
01. This Time (For Real)
02. Undercover
03. Black & Blue
04. Run
05. 1987
06. Cut My Hands
07. Appetite
08. Lips to Watch
09. Available
10. The Perfect Kiss/Tempation (New Order cover)

Equations Run Through My Brain

I set up an iLike profile for Old Man yesterday. It also created a page on Facebook. I posted the shows we're scheduled to play in October as well as three mp3s (streaming and for download) for "The Question", "1987", and "Run". Over the next few days I'll post more songs for folks to listen to on their iPods and other music playing devices.

You Think You're Tired Now, But Wait Until Three...

Compared to last year, my music purchasing has been almost nil. Especially in the realm of full CD purchases. Money has been a little tighter this year, resulting in a lack of disc buying or an immediate replacement iPod. Maybe I can convince Sec. Paulson to give me a bailout.

Anyway, this year has seen a number of albums that have met my "Three Songs Are Great, Might As Well Buy the Whole Record" criteria. In other words, here's a list of albums that I should have bought this year:

MGMT - Oracular Spectacular

These two tongue-in-cheek genre blenders are sort of a less silly Ween. The first reaction to MGMT's songs is to either dance or laugh, but if you cut under the layers a bit, there are moments of self-reflection and musical complexity.

Three Songs: Time to Pretend, Electric Feel, Kids

Death Cab For Cutie - Narrow Stairs

After the lackluster major label debut, Plans, it appears that Death Cab are back in fine form with Narrow Stairs. Definitely more uptempo when compared to the last record. I've heard about half the album and I'm ready to buy it.

Three Songs: I Will Possess Your Heart, Cath, Long Division

Santogold - Santogold

Santi White gets compared to M.I.A. a lot, but I think she's developed her own sound. She's another genre blender and she's got a really good voice.

Three Songs: L.E.S. Artistes, Creator, Lights Out

Los Campesinos! - Hold On Now, Youngster...

Wall of sound. Multi-insturmental. Boy/Girl vocals. This is sort of the mad pop that made me fall in love with The New Pornographers. Very energetic. Hell, they've already got a second album coming out in October, eight months after this one dropped.

Three Songs: You! Me! Dancing!, My Year in Lists, Death to Los Campesinos!

I have plans to buy the new TV on the Radio (Dear Science) and the new Cure (4.13 Dream) albums, but that goes without saying.

So Come On, Jump With Me

The Cure - The Perfect Boy (Mix 13)/Without You

"The Perfect Boy" is the fourth and final singles to be released once a month before the new album by the Cure which has been rescheduled to drop in October. Of all the new songs that the band has been playing on their recent tour, this is the one that I've enjoyed the most ("Underneath the Stars" is close second). It sounded really great on the multiple live recordings I've listened to and I've been very eager to hear a studio version.

For the most part, "The Perfect Boy (Mix 13)" lives up to my expectations, but I have one problem with this single mix: the vocal effects. There is way too much reverb throughout the song and a slightly distorted chorusing effect during sections of the pre-chorus and refrain. It doesn't add anything to the song and can be a little distracting. I'm going to assume that this is part of the single remix and that the album cut will be less doctored.

However, that's my only beef with this single. The rest of the song is pure Cure gold. This is the best single to be released by the Cure since "Mint Car" (a truly glorious pop song in of itself). I would go as far as to say that this is the best song Robert Smith has written in over a decade for various reasons.*

"The Perfect Boy" is a wonderful example of sonic build, climax, breakdown, and resolution. The song begins with just Robert's voice and muted guitar part. Simon Gallup and Jason Cooper come in on bass and drums after four quick lines. At the same time, Robert's guitar part is echoed with a distorted line. Guitarist Porl Thompson holds back until the pre-chorus and then continues to provide splashes of chords during the second verse.

Things really get rolling with the second chorus. A few things happen here that brings the song to a head: Robert doubles the number of lines, there is some guitar layering, Jason continually smashes the hell out of the cymbals, and most importantly, Simon changes his bass line to include a slide during each line. For me this is the highlight of the entire song and it really peaks musically here. This is followed by pulling everything back except for Robert's vocals and original guitar line. "The Perfect Boy" resolves with the instruments picking back up to the level played at on the second verse.

Lyrically, this is one of Robert Smith's best songs in quite some time. Ironically, it plays with a device that I've grown tired of him using: positive and negative verses. However, it really works within the context of the song's narrative. The first verse is from the point of view of the girl that thinks she's found the perfect boy. She wants to take things slow and enjoy the relationship as it unfolds. The second verse is from the boy's perspective. This guy doesn't care to wait around. Not only does he want to get physical, but he doesn't want to stick around for the afterglow ("And I don't want to get obvious, But I have to be gone by three.")

The boy's lines are direct responses to the girl's words and he comes off like a bit of a jerk. He tells her that her world of two people "doesn't happen for real". At the same time, though, he plays head games by saying "If it was meant to be us, it was meant to be now. Don't see the sense in wasting time." Then he agrees that they're "on the edge of a beautiful thing" and delivers on last coaxing line, "So come on, jump with me." This guy is not the perfect boy. This guy is a real bastard. At least, the "happy ever after" girl realizes this by the end of the song. Unfortunately, it isn't really clear if she fell for this guy's lines first, but we're left with a sense of hope that she'll someday find "the perfect boy".

I must mention that Robert Smith delivers a really great vocal performance on "The Perfect Boy" despite the heavy effects. He changes up his vocal rhythm throughout the song and doesn't rely on any of his patented coos and squeals. This combined with everything I've mention comes together to make a really fantastic song. Bravo!



The B-Side is a non-album track called "Without You". It is dominated by an acoustic guitar part that recalls some of the better parts of the Wild Mood Swings sessions. This is a step up from "Down Under", but definitely feels like B-Side material next to the other singles. A solid track but nothing outstanding.

9 out of 10

*"Out of This World" was the previous owner of that title and is a wonderful album opening track. "Maybe Someday" is excellent, but loses points for that organ solo. I really like "Cut Here" as a non-album single, but it always felt like it was missing something. "Before 3" has that clumsy bit of swearing. While beautiful, "Taking Off" is a poor man's "Just Like Heaven". I better stop before I find myself defending this statement against every Cure song released since 1998.

Death of a Disco Dancer

After nearly four years of heavy uses, my iPod has entered the last days of its existence. For about two months the click wheel has been constantly frustrating me. It started by not going back to the previous menu when the 'menu' button was pressed. It acted like the select button. Lately, the wheel has been so touch sensitive that scrolling usually ends up causing something to be selected. The final blow occurred when I plugged the iPod into my laptop, and iTunes said that the player was corrupt and I wasn't even allowed to alter playlists or add anything new to it.

Despite the inconvenience and the timing coinciding with somewhat of a momentary money pinch, I shouldn't complain too much. This is a machine that was obsolete within a couple months of purchase. I have one of the last generation black and white models that I've heard is one of the most reliable of the brand. It lasted four years of constant daily usage. My iPod is more important to me than my cellphone.

It's amazing to think how much an mp3 play has effected my music listening. I still buy CDs; last year was one of my biggest disc purchasing years for me in quite some time. However, the ability to carry almost two hundred albums worth of music in my pocket has been incredible. I enjoy making playlists and I buy songs off iTunes as one would buy a single. In addition, the ability to edit and recraft an artist's album by subtracting songs and adding session B-Sides is complete music geek joy.

I find the iPod Touch to be very appealing. Wifi internet, touch screen, bells, whistles, no phone plan, but I don't really need it. Besides, for the same money I could get an iPod Classic with a color screen that plays video and has way more memory. Storage space and reliability is more important to me than all that other really cool stuff.

Of course, I could get a new cellphone that plays mp3s. Still, there's the issue of storage space, interface, and playlist creation. I haven't really explored those options, but I have a feeling that those machines will understandably be phone first, mp3 player second. That LG Dare looks tempting, though. It's the Verizon answer to the iPhone and I've read good things about it.

In the meantime, I'll continue to yell at my iPod and wrestle to get it to play the song or podcast that I want to hear. At work, I should be fine, since I subscribe to Sirius and I stream it through the computer. My commute to work is very short, so Morning Edition on the way to work and All Things Considered on the way home should entertain and inform me enough. I could always dig out some old cassettes, too.

Breaking News! As of this posting, my iPod now occasionally will stop in the middle of a song, pause for about five seconds and then move on to the next song. This happened for about three songs in a row before I got to listen to one in its entirety. The horror... the horror!

I Cherish With Fondness the Day (Before) I Met You

I really liked "You! Me! Dancing!" by Los Campesinos! It's a super-fast, catchy pop tune, but it's nothing compared to the incredible under two minute gem that is "My Year in Lists". Simply fantastic. I think I'm in love with this song.