Sunday, November 30, 2008

East Side Bar by Josh Woodward

If you're in an old timey movie and you stroll into a bar, you might hear a band playing a song like East Side Bar. It also has a moral: fight over the pretty girl and your just helping her end up with someone else.

http://www.joshwoodward.com/mp3/OnlyWhispering/JoshWoodward-OnlyWhispering-08-EastSideBar.mp3

Saturday, November 29, 2008

Brigas Nunca Mais by Ana Martins

Brigas Nunca Mais is some beautiful Brazilian bossa nova with some especially awesome xylophone.

http://aurgasm.us/music/kyle/Ana%20Martins%20-%20Brigas%20Nunca%20Mais.mp3

Friday, November 28, 2008

Call It A Ritual by Wolf Parade

Call It A Ritual is sometimes accused of sounding like Spoon, and that's not too far off. But both Spoon and Wolf Parade know how to build a catchy song from a solid hook.

http://subpop.com/assets/audio/4274.mp3

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Midnight by The Book Of Knots

Midnight reminds me of something from my mid '90s youth I can't put my finger on. But The Book of Knots' elaborate arrangements and tales of working class tragedy are well beyond most of what I can remember from that age.

http://anti.com/media/download/560

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

FTW by Xiu Xiu

Xiu Xiu is a hard band to describe, but FTW summarizes them nicely: often accessible, sometimes intentionally abrasive, always histrionic.

There's also a series of images to go along with the song.

http://krs5rc.com/krs/bands/xiuxiu/audio/FTW.mp3
http://krs5rc.com/krs/bands/xiuxiu/video/FTW.mov

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

We Are Young by The Shaky Hands

We Are Young is a quick passing, energetic alt rock song. Enjoy it while it lasts.

http://tinyurl.com/shakyhands-krs

Monday, November 24, 2008

My Sister by Duboce Triangle and The John Benjamin Band

My Sister results from a very special team up between a song fight supergroup and another song fighter. The production is dirty and the drama is thick.

http://dt.songhole.org/collab/DTvsJBB-mysister.mp3

Sunday, November 23, 2008

El Pájaro Flecha by Guiye Frayo

Simple electronic organ sounds must reach directly into the pleasure centers of my brain. Even the spurious weird sound effects can't distract from the catchy keys in El Pájaro Flecha.

http://www.guiyefrayo.com/mp3/ElPajaroFlecha.mp3

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Road To Peace by Tom Waits

I think I could listen to Tom Waits sing Road to Peace forever. So it doesn't matter that the guitar and percussion keep up the same simple loop. They set up the mood for Waits' thoughts on the US, Israel, Palestine, and the peoples' stories all across the conflict.

http://anti.com/media/download/530

Friday, November 21, 2008

Livin' At The Corner Of Dude And Catastrophy by MC Frontalot and Brad Sucks

I don't read Achewood so I don't get any of the references in Livin' at the Corner of Dude and Catastrophe, but any combination of internet music forces as "popular" as Frontalot and Brad Sucks deserves a good listen, and probably hundreds of votes in a Song Fight!

http://frontalot.com/media.php/318/MC_Frontalot_SFTF_%2803%29_Livin_At_The_Corner_Of_Dude_And_Catastrophe.mp3

Thursday, November 20, 2008

The Troglodyte Wins by Busdriver

How could you not want to listen to a song called The Troglodyte Wins? The fact that Busdriver does it is a happy bonus.

http://anti.com/media/download/689

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Isolation by Ugress

Ugress is great at layer acoustic instrumentation over electronic sound effects, and he shows it off in Isolation. It captures the feeling of being alone in an unfamiliar space.

http://www.ugress.com/media/mp3/kosmonaut/Ugress-KosmonautEP-04-Isolation.mp3

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Heimdalsgate Like A Promethean Curse by Of Montreal

Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer is a strange trip of an album. Heimdalsgate Like A Promethean Curse is pretty representative: dancy upbeat music contrasting with lyrics about the narrotors many emotional crises.

http://www.polyvinylrecords.com/shared/uploads/media.php?download=1&folder=media&secure_filename=00067_of_Montreal-heimdalsgate_like_a_promethean_curse_192.mp3

Monday, November 17, 2008

Don't Worry Where Your Keys Are At by Monorail RT

One of my favorite Monorail RT tracks appears on the Outside the Inbox collection. Don't Worry Where Your Keys Are At is simple, compelling lo-fi blues.

http://media.bradsucks.net/albums/oti-128/08_monorailrt_-_don%27t_worry_where_your_keys_are_at.mp3

Sunday, November 16, 2008

In Waves by Ochre

The other night I was at a show, and one of the acts was basically a half hour drum solo. For entirely too long, the drumming was incredibly fast noise making, with hits every sixteenth or somesuch. When the the man threw in some rests, some syncopation, it was really interesting.

Ochre understands the importance of the space in a beat. It's what makes In Waves such an interesting listen. The beat obviously follows a pattern, but it's not an easy one to pin down, and it morphs nicely throughout the song.

If you listen to your music in some high quality headphones, you should go to Ochre's music page and download the FLAC versions of his playlists for their superior sound quality.

http://ochremusic.com/mp3s/Ochre_-_In_Waves.mp3

Saturday, November 15, 2008

T.I.B.W.F. by Budos Band

I have no idea what T.I.B.W.F. stands for, but it delivers funky hooks a-plenty.

http://aurgasm.us/music/Budos_Band_-_T.I.B.W.F.mp3

Friday, November 14, 2008

Wired by Sleepy Town Manufacture

If you like elaborate, stuttering rhythm, get Wired. The complicated rhythmic clicks are layered over a slow moving electronic melody that does a good job just being there and not distracting you from the rhythm.

http://www.archive.org/download/mtk126/mtk126-stm-cd1-for-you-03-wired.mp3

Thursday, November 13, 2008

War Against Terror? by Podington Bear

War Against Terror? is one of my favorite Pod Bear tracks. It's unusually aggressive, distorted, and dissonant. It is epic.

http://podingtonbear.com/podcasts/MarchOriginal/WarAgainstTerror.mp3

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Wintersun by Parov Stelar

Winersun is an earful of joy. It's jazzy piece of instrumental hip hop, perfect for chilling out and relaxing.

http://www.etagenoir.com/freebies/parov_stelar_-_wintersun.mp3

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Outside the water drop there's more rain drops. We jump from one to the other on our way to the pond by Cherly KaCherly

Every song title on Drop a 4 note Soundtrack is a paragraph. For example, Outside the water drop there's more rain drops. We jump from one to the other on our way to the pond. It seems perfect for their weird instrumental post rock.

http://www.archive.org/download/birdsong028/14_Cherly_KaCherly-Drop.mp3
http://www.archive.org/download/birdsong028/14_Cherly_KaCherly-Drop.ogg

Monday, November 10, 2008

I Know It's Here Somewhere by Lucky 7s

Lucky 7s have a four piece brass section and the principle song writers are trombone players. So it's not surprising that tunes like I Know It's Here Somewhere have some incredible trombone playing.

http://lucky7s.org/audio/i%20know%20its%20here%20somewhere.mp3

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Space Cadet by Brother Machine

Our hopes for salvation come from a Space Cadet. He might not have anything to bring us together, but Brother Machine's catchy tune brought him a Song Fight win.

http://www.songfight.org/music/spacecadet/brothermachine_spacecadet.mp3

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Secrets by ADD

Secrets is on of ADD's early Song Fight! entries. It didn't win, and later was re-recorded. Both recordings have their charms, so you should give them a listen and pick your favorite.

http://actdead.com/mp3s/sf_18_secrets.mp3
http://www.songfight.org/music/secrets/add-secrets.mp3

Friday, November 7, 2008

Caterpillar by Unwound

Caterpillar sounds like a near perfect recreation of early Nirvana.

http://www.killrockstars.com/bands/unwound/audio/Caterpillar.mp3

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Bloodclot by Rancid

Bloodclot is another classic punk song from Rancid. It's so full of catchy hooks it's hard not to stand up and jump around listening to it.

http://www.rancidrancid.com/music/bloodclot.mp3

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Frank's Dance by El Circulo de Willis

The really prominent bass makes Frank's Dance catch my ear right away. El Circulo de Willis's blend of rock and jazz is compelling.

http://www.archive.org/download/CDWMaketaMayo2003/1FranksDance_vbr.mp3

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

My Paperhouse On Fire by Phon°noir

I live in Chicago. I've been busy today, caught up in the celebration of our local hero, so I don't have much to say about My Paperhouse on Fire. It's crazy good. Listen to it and be happy.

It comes with a video, if you're visually inclined.

http://aurgasm.us/music/kyle/Phononoir%20-%20My%20Paperhouse%20On%20Fire.mp3

Monday, November 3, 2008

One Light Will Do by We Vs. Death

As a title, One Light Will Do sticks you with an image before you get to listen to the song. That image seems to fit the simple, repetitive, beautifully relaxing track.

http://www.beepbeep.nl/wp-content/music/we-vs-death/we-too-are-concerned/04%20One%20Light%20Will%20Do.mp3

Sunday, November 2, 2008

College Girls by Portable Folk Band

I feel like I can never have enough College Girls in my life. If they were all as fun and energetic as Portable Folk Band, I might not associate with anyone else.

Try your college girls in ogg vorbis.

http://www.archive.org/download/PortableFolkBandintroducestheRoyalPostalBazaar/portable_folk_band__introduces_the_royal_postal_bazaar__08__college_girls.mp3
http://www.archive.org/download/PortableFolkBandintroducestheRoyalPostalBazaar/portable_folk_band__introduces_the_royal_postal_bazaar__08__college_girls.ogg

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Do The Math by State Shirt

State Shirt has a new album coming out, so reserve your copy today. He's also put out his previous catalog for free download. One of my favorite newly available songs is Do the Math, from his first EP. The crazy beatboxing alone is worth the listen.

http://stateshirt.com/audio/newplanet/01%20Do%20the%20Math.mp3