Coachella live cuts (not mine).

This guy posted his tumblr account on the last.fm event page for Coachella, so I'd like to pass on the link to anyone who reads this. There are a handful of full-set recordings from various acts, many of whom I did get to see! Morissey, Antony and the Johnsons, Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti, Liars, My Bloody Valentine's sets are all located on the 21 April 2009 page, which I mention because he seems to use it as a personal blog as well; entries will shift back accordingly with time. BIG UPS; THANK YOU, SIR!

In case you missed that above, click here for the link.

Alberta Cross - The Thief and the Heartbreaker (2007)

I am so obsessed with this record right now. This band, who sounds like Neil Young only with two English guys instead of one Canadian, is the best thing I've found so far this year. Seriously, it's brilliant, and I have Coachella to thank for having uncovered them.



Download.

Calvin Harris - I Created Disco (2007)

I found dear, sweet, Scottish Calvin Harris by way of his cover of Jamiroquai's "Stillness In Time", which you can cop from me if you scroll down just a little. As they are one of my favourite bands (10 years after the fact, I know, okay) and he managed a catchy cover that may even be more fun than the original, he instantly had my heart. This album is more of that same, perfect dance electronica, and make no mistake-- the fact that I think it's perfect might tell you something. (As it happens, I hate this mediocre, electroclash, MGMT-y crap that's popular right now, but I think this album stands out as an example of what more electronic artists should be doing instead. )



Download.

The Jesus and Mary Chain - Psychocandy (1985)

Absolutely perfect post-punk from Scotland, yes. I've got their entire discography sitting on my hard drive, but this one stays in fairly constant rotation because it's just that good. In fact, I think I'd actually been meaning to post this since last summer..



Download.

PJ Harvey and John Parish - A Woman A Man Walked By (2009)

HERE IS THE NEW PJ HARVEY RELEASE! I discovered PJ Harvey for real when I was almost out of high school, and since then she's been one of my favourite artists, not only because of how excellent her musicianship, lyrics and overall state of being are, but also because she was one of the first artists I noticed that I had to grow up to appreciate. I'm usually very weary of my artists' new material for fear of radical disappointment, but this is a pleasant, refreshing treat. My two favourite tracks are "A Woman A Man Walked By", in which Polly emits a high-pitched bark, and "Pig Will Not", in which she screams, "I WANT YOUR FUCKING ASS," --- who could ask for more?! The rest of the album will (most likely) not disappoint you either.



Download.

Mono - Hymn to the Immortal Wind (2009)

This is the new Mono release, which, so far, has not let me down even a little bit. If you don't know Mono, they're a Japanese post-rock band that stands apart (for me, at least) for having deftly struck an ideal balance between the mounting, layered grind of guitars and the radiant, sparkling infinity of instruments with a more delicate sound (all said upon realizing it makes me a pretentious assclown). I'm making a pilgrimage to see them with a 25-piece orchestra in May.



Download.

90's alternative mix.

This mix is all about the nineties alternative, mostly in celebration of the days when radio was tolerable, nay, enjoyable to me. It's certainly been a while. This is such a fun mix, and though I think some of these songs probably came out in the late 80's, they're still what I remember listening to during the 90's, which ruled.



1. "Praise You" by Fatboy Slim
2. "Connected" by Stereo MC's
3. "I Could Never Be Your Woman" by White Town
4. "Love Fool" by The Cardigans
5. "Flagpole Sitta" by Harvey Danger
6. "Devil's Haircut" by Beck
7. "Violet" by Hole
8. "Stars" by Hum
9. "Inside Out" by Eve 6
10. "All Over You" by Live
11. "Desperately Wanting" by Better Than Ezra
12. "Two Princes" by Spin Doctors
13. "Hey Sandy" by Polaris
14. "Dizz Knee Land" by Dada
15. "Laid" by James
16. "All For You" by Sister Hazel
17. "Run Around" by Blues Traveler
18. ***SECRET TRACK***

I'm really just too embarrassed to list that last one.

Download.

Covers mix #1.

Here's a cool mix of covers that I really enjoy. For reference, I might put together a mix of the originals as I feel like some of these songs are a little less known than others, but for the moment just enjoy these.



1. "Stillness In Time" by Calvin Harris [Jamiroquai]
2. "Do The Strand" by Scissor Sisters [Roxy Music]
3. "Take On Me" by Reel Big Fish [Aha]
4. "Let The Good Times Roll" by Powerman 5000 [Cars]
5. "I Will Survive" by Cake [Gloria Gaynor]
6. "20th Century Boy" by Placebo [T-Rex]
7. "Big Exit" by JR Ewing [PJ Harvey]
8. "99 Red Balloons" by Goldfinger [Nina]
9. "Rock el Casbah" by Rachid Taha [The Clash]
10. "I Got Your Money" by Say Anything [Wu-Tang Clan]
11. "Satisfaction" by Björk & PJ Harvey [Rolling Stones]
12. "I Feel Good" by Bobby McFerrin [James Brown]
13. "Borderline" by The Flaming Lips [Madonna]
14. "When Doves Cry" by The Be Good Tanyas [Prince]
15. "Hey Ya" by Matt Weddle [Outcast*]
16. "My Humps" by Alanis Morissette [Black Eyed Peas]

*I know they covered it, but I can't seem to find who did the original.

Download mix.

Also, I forgot to include "Feeling Good" by Muse, which is a delicious Nina Simone cover I heard in Seven Pounds (and with which I was slightly more impressed than the movie itself).

Oh, it's happening.

Sixteen days!

This is mostly for my own reference, but you can judge my taste.

Day One: Beirut, Felix Da Housecat, Ghostland Observatory, Girl Talk, Leonard Cohen, Los Campesinos!, Morrissey, Paul McCartney (shut up), The Black Keys, The Crystal Method.

Day Two: Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti, Atmosphere, Gang Gang Dance, Glass Candy, Henry Rollins, Hercules and the Love Affair (ANTONY YES YES FUCK YES GOD), Liars, Mastodon, Michael Franti & Spearhead, The Chemical Brothers, Thievery Corporation, TV On The Radio.

Day Three: ANTONY AND THE MF JOHNSONS AGAIN, Clipse, Devendra Banhart, Fucked Up, Groove Armada, Lyyke Li, MY BLOODY VALENTINE, No Age, Perry Ferrel, Public Enemy, The Cure, THROBBING GRISTLE, Vivian Girls, X.

I'm also going to pick up a Killers shirt for last year's room mate / my sister, Erin, and something for my Brazilian love, Elizabeth, who loves the Yeah Yeah Yeahs even though I think that the Killers are too benign to be worthwhile and that Karen O is the epitome of annoying.

Clipse - Hell Hath No Fury (2006)

This is probably a little (okay, very) out of place, but it's the only radio rap I can genuinely dig my heels into. It also helps that these two are from Norfolk, which is right around the corner from where I'm from in Godawful, Virginia. :]


Download.