Honorary Mentions of 2008

There were some albums that just didn't quite do it for us as a whole, but maybe they had that one really good song that we played on repeat. Here are (lucky number) 13 songs that we think deserve Honorary Mentions for 2008 (again in no particular order).

Polite Dance Song [mp3] - The Bird & The Bee (iTunes)
We couldn't stop blasting it everywhere, and although it technically debuted at the end of 2007 on the Please Clap Your Hands EP, it was put on the 2008 album Ray Guns Are Not Just the Future, so it still counts.
EDIT: So when I (lise) looked up this song on iTunes, the Ray Guns Are Not Just the Future was listed on iTunes with a release year of 2008, complete with song list and samples. Then I was reading Pitchfork's Guide to Upcoming Releases and was shocked to discover that that album is set to release for the first time later this month! Not believing my eyes, I immediately went back to iTunes and found that the Ray Guns album is no longer listed. So...either I was celebrating New Years really early without knowing it, or iTunes lies to us and then laughs fiendishly while we appear shame-faced to the rest of the world. Whatever. The song stays.

Be Mine Everyone [mp3] - Sam Champion (iTunes)
This catchy rock tune had everyone in the blogosphere talking (and dancing) this year. Em first heard the song when she saw Sam Champion perform at Prospect Park this summer and it still never fails to make us rock out.

Be OK (mp3 removed by request)  - Ingrid Michaelson (iTunes)
This song could've been another Hurt Myself-esque song, given different instrumentation and slower tempo, but Ingrid took these lyrics and made it a piece of upbeat catchy pop gold.

Kill The Lights [mp3] - Britney Spears (iTunes)
Simultaneously sexy and creepy, this is our favorite track off of Britney's rather fascinating, strange "comeback" album (personally, we liked "Blackout" better...)

Days Go On [mp3] - Greg Laswell (iTunes)
One of Lise's gfps, and a perfect example of how a song can carry a repetitious hook if it just keeps on moving forward.

A Song for Ellie Greenwich [mp3] - Parenthetical Girls (iTunes)
Parenthetical Girls brought in sounds from just about every era imaginable on their last album. This interesting single has stayed on our playlists since we got it in the summer.

Handlebars [mp3]- Flobots (iTunes)
This seemed to be the song that more people than you realized knew. All that needed to be said was "I can lead a nation with a microphone, with a microphone, with a microphone," and you'd hear someone else sing "and I can split the atom of a molecule, of a molecule, of a molecule."

Jager Yoga [mp3] - CSS (iTunes)
While it's no Alala or Music is my Hot Hot Sex, CSS still knows how to make a catchy dance tune.

The Stoop [mp3] - Little Jackie (iTunes)
We love our summer songs here at GFP, and this was definitely one of top. Nevermind that Little Jackie pulled in New York from Flava Of Love/I Love New York to do backup vocals (really?!?), this song is still great and makes us bob our heads along.

Losing Myself [mp3] - Brazilian Girls (iTunes)
We're not sure anything could top their 2006 hit Jique, but this is a fun, slightly dark, multi-lingual dance song anyway - Brazilian Girls' specialty.

Inside a Boy [mp3] - My Brightest Diamond (iTunes)
Haunting and dramatic. 'Nuff said.

White Shade [mp3] - Lukestar (iTunes)
This one took a little while to grow on us but now we're listening to it on repeat. Part breathy ballad sound and part sexy rock, this song has something for everyone.

Can't Shake It [mp3] - Kate Miller-Heidke (iTunes)
The relateable story of not being able to look gorgeous while dancing in the form of a wonderful pop-electronic hit from an Australian ex-opera star.

Best Non-Debut Albums of 2008

Yesterday we brought you our list of Best Debut Albums of 2008, so today we thought we'd follow it up with our list of Best Non-Debut Albums of 2008, in no particular order. If you think we left something out, let us know what in the comments section! Or if you just want to add any thoughts on the albums we posted. Oh, but take note - there are still some lists yet to come (so much good music! We may have gone a little crazy with the lists this year...).

Best Non-Debut Albums of 2008

Nada Surf- Lucky
This seems to be the album that grows on people, slowly taking them over. At first listen, it seemed to be a collection of listenable and radio-friendly songs, but pretty soon we found ourselves craving to listen to those tracks again and again. The lyrics are great and each track has its own lovable element to it, whether it be the uplifting pulsing rhythm of Beautiful Beat or the sung narrated truth of "Everyone's right and no one is sorry" with perfect background "oohs" in See These Bones.
Beautiful Beat [mp3] - (iTunes)

Sigur Rós - Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust

Sigur Rós came out with their 5th album this year and it started off on the right orchestrated foot with the now ever-popular Gobbledigook. The band's made-up etheral language of Vonlenska once again proves to be a bewitching characteristic of the group, but they proved that they could create the same emotional experience in English for the first time ever in the track All Alright. While the album lacks the cascading genius that 2005's Takk contained (Festival is simply no Glósóli), the overall feeling of the album is that it is wiser, older and filled with more emotion and drama. More emphasis on keys and guitar progressions, Sigur Rós has learned a thing or two over the years, and this rich, sparkling album is a beautiful example of combining silver with gold.

Gobbledigook [mp3] - (iTunes)

The Dresden Dolls - No, Virginia

A more pensive, slightly less playful album than the "brechtian punk cabaret" duo from Boston has come out with in the past, "No, Virginia" continues to showcase their talent and versatility, taking subjects as dark as rape or as mundane as teen angst and taking them in musical directions that I'm not sure anyone else would ever think of or could ever get away with. The Dresden Dolls remain truly one of a kind.

Night Reconnaissance [mp3] - (iTunes)

My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges

Not traditionally our style, we've gotta give credit to the classic rock sound when it's due. This Americana-alternative rock collection is filled with good tunes that satisfies many an ear, with old-school guitar improvisations, sing-along choruses and that sweet home alabama taste. Some songs sport a different sort of flair, such as the Prince-like vocals on Highly Suspicious or the James Taylor-esque laid-back Librarian or Sec Walkin. Nevertheless, the album is classic rock at its soul, and it the large range and perfection of acheiving the sound intended really makes this album different from the rest.

Librarian [mp3] - (iTunes)

Cloud Cult - Feel Good Ghosts (Tea-Partying Through Tornados)

We couldn't resist posting one of our favorite Minneapolis bands. While some people have said this album is not as strong as their others, we have to disagree. So many of the songs from this album have remained on our playlists since the album came out in April, which is proof of the band's staying power and we certainly hope that means the rumors of a break up are false. Cloud Cult's music is always emotionally powerful, lovely, and they have developed their own style very well. It would be ashame for it to end now.

No One Said It Should Be Easy [mp3] - (iTunes)

The Dandy Warhols - Earth to the Dandy Warhols

Is there a Dandy Warhols song that we dislike? Not that we can think of... This album is The Dandy Warhols' first self-released album, which is exciting as they have always struggled with the corporate side of the entertainment industry, some would say to their detriment, and they are the types of free spirits that probably work best when they feel uninhibited by "the man." This album is a highly enjoyable mix of their usual sounds - from psychadelic to country, and just about everything in between. One of our favorite things about them is that they can take any musical genre and make it their own.

The World Come On [mp3] - (iTunes)

Ladytron - Velocifero

When we think about this album, we think "Dance, baby, dance." Crunched drums, fast-tempo, synths, catchy club hooks flying every which way, this album is perfect for those nights that you just want to let loose, especially with the dark thumping drums featured on Predict the Day. The swinging rhythm of Ghosts became the hit track of the album and constantly on the rotation list at clubs, clothes stores and radios nation-wide. The whole album is a solid collection of dance hits that are sure to fit the bill for any night out.

Ghosts [mp3] - (iTunes)

Ane Brun - Changing of the Seasons

A positively haunting album, every song will make you shiver with how gorgeous it is. Ane Brun's effortless voice floats over her fluent music in a way that makes music seem as easy as breathing for her. The album also grows on us with each listen more and more, unlike some albums which you get sick of after repeat listening. Honestly, it's hard for us to describe how talented Ane is, so just listen to her music and hear it for yourself.

The Puzzle [mp3] - (iTunes)

The Hard Lessons - The Complete B & G Sides

Ok so technically it's not one album. But throughout the year, Detroit rock band The Hard Lessons has been coming out with 3-song EPs that they call "B & G Sides" (as in Boy & Girl - Ko Ko Louise writes one, Augie writes one and they write one together I believe). They released volumes 1-4, which is definitely a full LP's worth of songs, so we are still going to count it. Ko Ko and Augie have perfect rock voices and the rockstar attitudes to accompany them (in a good way). And their songs are catchy to boot. They put on a great live show, so if you have the chance to see them, do it.

See and Be Scene [mp3] - (iTunes)

Frightened Rabbit - The Midnight Organ

Wonderous, wonderous Scottish indie music, how we love thee, espeically Frightened Rabbit. You're honest, you're life is imperfect, you've felt tough pain - and you create smart indie lo-fi rock songs about it. Its hard to choose favorite lyrics of yours, whether it be the imagery of the hole in Keep Yourself Warm or the understandable "I'm not ready to see you this happy" in Good Arms vs. Bad Arms, but we know that any song of yours is practically perfect. Stellar sophmore album from this amazing group.

Backwards Walk [mp3] - (iTunes)


Best Re-releases

These albums are albums that were self-released by the artist before 2008 but re-released by a label in 2008. Or in a few cases, EPs were released before 2008 and the companion LP released in 2008 has most/all of the songs from the EP.

Meiko - Meiko

It seems like every time we posted Meiko here at GFP, fans would crawl out of the blogosphere woodwork and shout their praise for this artist. Indeed, when Lise first posted Meiko, she couldn't decide which mp3 to post because she loved them all and ended up posting an unprescedented 4 mp3s, so its no wonder that Meiko is on our list now. Technically, Meiko released her album in 2007 and met with tons of success - she landed at #35 for top 100 iTunes albums that year. In June 2008 she signed with a label and her album was re-released in August where it jumped to #14 on the list. Meiko is everything Lise loves- a folk/pop female singer-songwriter that has immense talent. This girl has just begun to outshine many, and we can't wait for her next album.

Boys With Girlfriends [mp3] - (iTunes)

Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago

This album was originally self-released in 2007 and re-released by the indie label 4AD in 2008. There's something about this album that is reminescent of the experience of listening to early Coldplay or Radiohead for the first time, and there is no other way to explain or describe it. There is something organic and natural about this music - something terribly sad and at peace all at the same time. Its a simply balanced work of art that easily creeps into the soul, and once it does, it circles around once or twice before hunkering down.
Flume [mp3] - (iTunes)

Locksley - Don't Make Me Wait

Locksley is shooting to stardom, opening for acts like The Bravery, Rooney and Ray Davies (of the Kinks). Now that they have a shiny new label behind them and a shiny new bass player (lead singer Jesse Laz-Hirsch's younger brother, Jordan), they've remastered the old tracks, added a few bonus tracks, changed the album cover and rereleased a shiny new version of their old album. Locksley is kind of like The Beatles reincarnate - screaming teenage girls and all. Or well, The Beatles before they went all psychedelic. You can't help but bounce up and down to they're obscenely catchy retro pop sound. And bonus points for the fact that they're all well-dressed, charming and handsome too.

Don't Make Me Wait [mp3] - (iTunes)

Frontier Ruckus - The Orion Songbook

Michigan folk band Frontier Ruckus self-released a six-song EP last year and it was quite a DIY affair in an 8.5 x 11" paper packet (no jewel case), with hand-written lyrics and hand-drawn album art. While that was actually rather charming and gave it a personal touch, they now have a label behind them and can afford jewel cases, which I think is a good thing. They re-released newly recorded versions of 5 of the 6 songs from the EP on an LP this year with a bunch of new songs too. Even though they now have a label, they're still the same old wonderful folk band, with their banjo, saw, harmonica and the arresting vocal harmonies that are some of the most natural I've heard of any band.

The Blood [mp3] - (iTunes)

Best Debut Albums of 2008

It's that time of year again - you know, the time of year we all get nostalgic and think how quickly time has passed. The time of year we look back at all the things we've done and, more importantly, all the great music we've heard. All the new artists we've discovered. All the wonderful shows we've attended. So for the next few days, we here at Guilt Free Pleasures (Lise and Em) will be doing our "best of 2008" lists, in no particular order, starting today with debuts...

Best Debut Albums of 2008

The Ting Tings - We Started Nothing
With unforgettably catchy dance hits that have been the staple of every club and party we've been to this year, this album is definitely one of our favorites and it's hard to believe that anyone ever held a dance party before The Ting Tings existed. Great to shout along with and even the worst dancers can throw their bodies around to these rockin' dance beats.
Shut Up and Let Me Go [mp3] - (iTunes)

Ra Ra Riot - The Rhumb Line

While you can tell that Ra Ra Riot has a variety of influences, they also don't sound exactly the same as anything. We haven't heard a single person that we've introduced to Ra Ra Riot say they don't like them because Ra Ra Riot has an expansive talent and diverse repertoire that makes them universally appealing, as well as the distinctiveness and character that makes everyone who listens to them feel like they've stumbled upon something special.

Suspended In Gaffa [mp3] - (iTunes)

Lady GaGa - The Fame

Another great dance album, and does anybody else feel like maybe it's a little nostalgic for the '90s? (one of our favorite musical decades over here at Guilt Free Pleasures by the way). But Beautiful, Dirty, Rich is a good enough track on its own to make this album a "best of 2008" contender, and there were a few other fabulous tracks like the hit Just Dance and the title track, The Fame that pushed it into the winners' circle.

Beautiful, Dirty, Rich [mp3] - (iTunes)

Fredrik - Na Na Ni

Swedish band Fredrik brings us a unique and calming debut album. I'm pretty sure this album may actually lower your blood pressure... They're a little more experimental than most of the stuff on our Best Of lists, but the unconventional beauty of their music is part of what we love about them. Though there is also a simplicity to much of their music. Leave it to the Scandinavians to be innovative and captivating, taking the basics that seem so ordinary and common and experimenting with them until they are shiny, new and pleasing to the ears.

Black Fur [mp3] - (iTunes)

Adele- 19
Already basking in the glow of 4 Grammy nominations this year, 19 was certainly an impressive debut album from the young (she's 20 now) and soulful Adele Adkins. The comparisons ranged from Amy Winehouse to Etta James to "Joss Stone without the cigarettes," and slowly but surely over the year Adele became her own entity and her music has infiltrated the 2008 music scene. With another album planned to record early next year, we'll be seeing much more of this inspiring belting songstress.
Chasing Pavements [mp3] - (iTunes)

Fleet Foxes- Fleet Foxes

This Seattle-based group wowed us all with a stellar performance on their self-titled debut album, and they filled our ears and hearts with harmonious melodies plucked from the psychedelic folk-rock atmosphere. Google "Fleet Foxes review" and we promise you that all you'll find is a gushfest of praise for this album. Fresh and rustic, Fleet Foxes is among plenty of "Best of 2008" lists in the blogosphere, and for good reason. If you haven't picked up this album, we suggest you use one of those giftcards you got for the holidays and get it.

White Winter Hymnal [mp3] - (iTunes)

Priscilla Ahn - A Good Day
After producing a promising self-entitled demo in 2007, this velvety-smooth singer finally released her official debut album in 2008 and was met with much rejoicing from female singer-songwriter fans all over the world. Her singing is sweetly soft and crystal clear, and her songs are wonderous pop-folk reflections that ease the soul. A short stint on the infamous Hotel Cafe Tour and being featured on major network shows like Grey's Anatomy, we consider A Good Day to be one of those best still relatively-unknown concrete works that are slowly trickling down into mainstream simply because the talent is there and the quality is high.
Dream [mp3] - (iTunes)

Kaiser Cartel -March Fourth

Possibly Lise's most obsessed-about album of the entire year, KaiserCartel brought the world a gorgeous debut album of acoustic guitar-and-drum numbers to lift the musical spirit. Delicately intricate and perfectly genuine, this humble album compliments and completes any music collection. The pairing of Courtney Kaiser and Benjamin Cartel talent's brings forth a musical genre we'd like to call "simply magical." The album has a life of its own, breeding good feelings and chill toe-tapping melodies, especially in songs like Season Song, Okay, Oh No and Dog Stars.

Okay [mp3] - (iTunes)

Lykke Li- Youth Novels
Straight from Sweden, this sweet songbird gave us *the* electronica-synth-pop album of the year with her debut Youth Novels. It's almost as if a robot and an already fantastic album had a baby, the songs are so electro-fied. Strong and ready to take on the world, Lykke Li pumps out the 80's-inspired beats that make you wanna groove while containing a billion catchy hooks to get stuck in your head. The buzz for this one is well deserved and the album brilliant enough to make our list this year.
I'm Good, I'm Gone [mp3] - (iTunes)

She & Him - Volume One

You're guaranteed the audiences that intrigue will bring when a celebrity turns to music and puts out their first album. After hearing Zooey Deschanel's crooning voice on Elf, M. Ward contacted her and found that she had already created a couple demos. He listened, fell in love with what he heard, and She & Him was born. Consisting of joyful pseudo-pop songs with a vintage flair, this album is perfect for those summer drives about the coast with the windows down and hair flyin the in wind. The album is a bit of a grab-bag, with each song reminiscent of a slightly different era and genre, but with a overall cohesive purpose, the album succeeds.

Why Do You Let Me Stay Here? [mp3] - (iTunes)

Jukebox The Ghost - Let Live and Let Ghosts

This zany piano-powered rock is somewhere between Queen and Ben Folds. A very theatrical, playful, fun album overall, piano-based music also earns albums a lot of bonus points from us here at GFP and classically trained pianist Ben Thornewill has the kind of skills that make us swoon.

Hold It In [mp3] - (iTunes)

Frances - All The While

Hailing from Em's hometown of Brooklyn, Frances is one of her favorite new discoveries this year. The unique 6-piece band is actually rather difficult to describe... They're a little playful, a little melancholy, a little catchy, etc. They have a lovely, full sound and a knack for interesting rhythms. And while our feelings about them are a little too guttural to really describe, we can definitely say that their music is both beautiful and unique. Some of it is downright spell-binding.

Locket [mp3] - (iTunes)

Best Solo Debut of 2008

Ben Sollee - Learning How To Bend
Formally part of the Abigail Washburn and the Sparrow Quartet, Ben Sollee finally decided to take his beautiful cello and homespun voice and make an album of his own. In 2007 he was named one of NPR's "Top Ten Unknown Artist of the Year." In this remarkable debut, the man beatboxes his cello, performs a beautiful musical dance betwixt jazz and folk-pop, and brings forth one of the most played songs since Obama was elected (i.e. A Change Is Gonna Come). Soulful and honest, this albums hits an absolute perfectly-pitched note.
A Change Is Gonna Come [mp3] - (iTunes)

Amanda Palmer - Who Killed Amanda Palmer?

One half of The Dresden Dolls, Amanda Palmer came out with her first solo album this year. Produced by Ben Folds and with awesome guest spots by him and St. Vincent, among others, this album is a strong solo debut, though I will admit not that much of a departure from The Dresden Dolls. A little bit darker perhaps, and at times so dark and raw with emotion that it's hard to listen to without getting a little emotional yourself.

Astronaut: A Short History Of Nearly Nothing [mp3] - (iTunes)

Songs With Meaning: Dar Williams

I hope that all of you who celebrated Christmas had a wonderful holiday, and those still celebrating holidays are rocking 'em out. Of course, it was greatly saddening to hear of Eartha Kitt's passing yesterday, but no doubt the irony was not lost on anyone familiar with the infamous "Santa Baby" and her great life will be remembered by many on Christmases yet to come. 

Now, time for the music. Every now and then I come across a song that moves me because of the unique story behind it, whether it be Frank Ticheli's adaptation of Sara Teasdale's There Will Be Rest or Joni Mitchell's For Free. Songs that aren't just about finding someone cute at a club or some other love-related melody that are a dime a dozen these days. Don't get me wrong- those songs can be enjoyable, but it only helps to make me appreciate the rarer forms of expression about issues in the world. 

I still owe a large favor to the girls on my freshman dorm floor who introduced me to the brilliant Dar Williams, because man, does that woman pull out the greats every time she exhales. Her lyrics are smart and her guitar skills faboo, and I won't even begin to tell you how many live versions of "Babysitter" I have in my music collection. Dar recently released her newest album, Promised Land, and that's where you can find the song featured today. 

Buzzer is about the social psychological experiment commonly referred to as the Milgram experiment that was conducted in 1963 to figure out how much pain a person would inflict on another individual if ordered to. I'll let you check out the link if you want more info on the experiment, but I think the idea is super important in times like these when certain nations have a stigma of destruction and exploitation about them and much of the world is weary about that nation's character and intentions. It's good to ask, "how far WOULD you go if someone ordered you to?" and its brilliant of Dar to write a song about it in such a thought provoking (and toe-tapping) way. 

The man said, do you know what a fascist is?

I said, yeah, it's when you do things you're not proud of

But you're scraping by, taking orders from above 

I get it now, I'm the face, I'm the cause of war

We don't have to blame white coated men anymore

Buzzer [mp3] (itunes) 

Holiday Hash pt. 9

Well, we're dwindling down the collection. Would you believe that I still have 149 songs that haven't yet been posted? It's kinda gross, actually.

Frosty the Snowman (Rondo Brothers Remix) - Patti Page [mp3] (itunes)

Christmastime Is Here - Charlie Brown Christmas [mp3] (itunes)

Carol of the Bells - John Williams [mp3] (itunes)

Chanukah Song- Adam Sandler [mp3] (itunes)

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer- Jack Johnson [mp3] (myspace) (itunes)

Silent Night- Frank Sinatra with Frank Sinatra Jr. [mp3]

The First Noel - Bing Crosby [mp3] (itunes)

I Hate Christmas Parties- Matthew Thiessen and the Earthquakes [mp3] (myspace) (itunes)

Little Drummer Boy - Bing Crosby and David Bowie [mp3] (itunes)

There Are Much Worse Things To Believe In - Stephen Colbert and Elvis Costello [mp3] (itunes)

Katie Herzig

Sorry this post is coming out a bit late today- I spent most of the day doing some last-minute shopping with family. And as it turns out, my nephew is standing behind my shoulder right now, wanting to be entertained, so I'm gonna have to make this short.

Katie Herzig came out with her album Apple Tree much earlier this year, and although I know I'm late on this bandwagon, I wanted to share. Apple Tree is a beautiful collection of folk/pop songs that are sweetly and simply sung by her playfully angelic voice. It's just a perfect blend of chillax for that background music while studying, especially the song "How The West Was Won." Katie's back in Colorado and is making the rounds there this week before moving on to Utah, so if you live in the area, I highly recommend you try to see her. Katie is also offering a free download of her Bonus Holiday version of Apple Tree through her myspace, so I'd check that out also if you like what you hear.

Songbird [mp3]

How The West Was Won [mp3]

Holiday Hash pt. 8 - Lets Crank It Up

Mistletoe - Colbie Caillat [mp3] (myspace) (itunes)

Come on! Let's Boogey to the Elf Dance! - Sufjan Stevens [mp3] (myspace) (itunes)

Silent Night- Priscilla Ahn [mp3] (myspace) (itunes)

Joy To The World- Aretha Franklin [mp3] 

So This Is Christmas- John Lennon [mp3] 

Coldest Winter- Kayne West [mp3] (myspace) (itunes)

In The Bleak Midwinter - Beth Whitney [mp3] (myspace) (itunes)

Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer- Elmo & Patsy [mp3] (itunes)

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas- Judy Garland [mp3] (itunes)

You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch - Thurl Ravenscroft [mp3] (itunes)

What Child Is This? - Dar Williams [mp3] (myspace) 

Super Rock Santa- The Fleshtones [mp3] (myspace) (itunes)

Winter Wonderland - Kate Havenvik [mp3] (myspace) (itunes)

How Do You Spell Channukkahh? - The LeeVees [mp3] (myspace) (itunes)

Workout Music for you New Year's Resolutions

Yes, the comic was the first thing that popped up when I googled "workout." I recently joined the gym, and I know that with New Year's coming and resolutions in the air, many of you may not be far behind me. Music really helps keep me going through my workout, so I thought I would post this workout mix.

Freak Of Nature [mp3] - Anastacia - "Freak of Nature" (iTunes) - Start out with this slower, sexy song to get yourself warmed up. It's a good tempo for doing crunches or starting off slow.

Ghosts [mp3] - Ladytron - "Ghosts (Single)" (iTunes)

12345678 [mp3] - The Hard Lessons - "B&G Sides Vol. 3" (iTunes) - A song that makes you want to yell along with it (and which you can, instead, use to channel that energy into your workout).

Love Shack [mp3] - The B-52s - "Cosmic Thing" (iTunes) - A classic to energize you as you speed up your work out and get your heart pumping.

Jique [mp3] - Brazilian Girls - "Talk To La Bomb" (iTunes) - A sexy song to remind you of your sexy results as you continue to increase your work out intensity.

Worked Up So Sexual [mp3] - The Faint - "Blank Wave Arcade" (iTunes) - You are now reaching the peak of your work out, so the next few songs are super fast-paced and full of energy.

Dancing With Myself [mp3] - Billy Idol - "Billy Idol's Greatest Hits" (iTunes) - This is one of the best work out songs ever (and best dance songs ever).

Deceptacon [mp3] - Le Tigre - "Le Tigre" (iTunes) Just doing the dance in this music video is a really great workout (albeit a short one).

10 Dollar [mp3] - MIA - "Arular" (iTunes) - Basically any MIA song just about would work here, but we're going to start slowing it down a tiny bit as you prepare for cool down, while still keeping it fun and upbeat.

That Great Love Sound [mp3] - The Raveonettes - "Chain Gang Of Love" (iTunes)

Ghost Under Rocks [mp3] - Ra Ra Riot - "The Rhumb Line" (iTunes) - This one slows it down a little more and has some drama to push you through to the end of your work out as you start to get tired.

I Am In Love With You [mp3] - Imogen Heap - "Speak For Yourself" (iTunes) - Slower still, but with some attitude and a dash of sultriness.

Spoon [mp3] - Spoon - "Gimme Fiction" (iTunes) - And a slower but bouncy fun finale to a work out well done.

Dressed and Undressed in Dresden

Today I've got two songs from The Hundred In The Hands. Not so sure about the band name, but I'm digging the singles. They're companion tracks - different versions of the same song basically. One is a killer dance tune and the other sounds like chill, sexy music that would be perfect to play in the background at a chic lounge of sorts.

Dressed In Dresden [mp3]
Undressed in Dresden [mp3]

Holiday Hash pt. 7

Donde Esta Santa Claus? - Augie Rios [mp3] 

Jingle Bells - Barbra Streisand [mp3] (itunes)

O Holy Night - Nat King Cole [mp3] (itunes)

Driving Home, Christmas Eve - Frontier Ruckus [mp3] (myspace)

Jingle Bell Rock - Bobby Helms [mp3] (itunes)

Little Drummer Boy - Greg Laswell [mp3]  (myspace)

Someday At Christmas - Jack Johnson [mp3] (itunes) (myspace)

International Finds 12.15.08

Today I'm going to do a Swedish edition of our new segment that we now call International Finds.

First we have a new video from Peter, Bjorn & John. The video is kind of... terrifying... to be perfectly honest. But the song is great! A catchy dance number, it's a lovely little taste of their upcoming album, due out next year. If I could read Swedish I might be able to tell you what the song is called, but I can't...


Here is a video and a song from another Swedish band, Fredrik. Both songs are beautiful, calm and pleasant.

Fredrik - 11 Years from The Kora Records on Vimeo.

Black Fur [mp3] (iTunes)

And I know I've already written a lot about Ane Brun, but she's just so good, I can't stop wanting to promote her. So in the posts from the provided link, you will find video and songs to enjoy (I don't feel like re-posting them... Sorry, I'm a bit short on time).

Locksley and Ray Davies @ Hammerstein Ballroom

On Friday night I went to see Locksley open for Ray Davies (of The Kinks) at Hammerstein Ballroom. It was a much older crowd than I'm used to seeing Locksley play for, which was a nice change of pace in a way from the insane screaming teenage girls (although drunken adults start to act very similar...). However, I felt like maybe the lower energy was kind of hard for Locksley, who managed to keep their energy high despite it. They put on a great show as always, but it didn't look quite as easy for them as it usually does. It didn't help that the sound was awful (and in a nice venue like Hammerstein, I wouldn't think that would be a problem...). It was pretty cool that they got to play with a legend like Ray Davies though, and hopefully this tour has expanded their audience pool amongst people above the age of 22.

Ray Davies was great. He is your classic rock star - smooth British accent and all. He played song after song without any noticeable mistakes (and the set list was almost three pages long). He told witty stories in between songs and got the audience to sing along quite often (not that that was probably all that hard for him. The whole audience seemed to know every single song). I feel like he is the rock star every other musician else aspires to be. It made me excited for The Kinks to soon be reunited.

All Over Again [mp3] - Locksley - "Don't Make Me Wait" (iTunes)
Strangers [mp3] - The Kinks - "Lola versus Powerman and the Money-go-round" (iTunes)

I'm A Cotton-Headed Ninnymuggins

If you were thinking "man, this site looks different.." you'd be right. I pressed the red button and everything sorta went boom. Looks like we'll be waiting for Mother Em to come home and clean up my mess....sorry everyone! We'll be back to normal in no time, I hope.

Holiday Hash pt. 6

Hokay. Back in the day, both Em and I watched the television show Roswell,  (the show that made Katherine Heigl an Isabel who fell for an Alex and was frequently visited by the ghost of a past love way before Grey's Anatomy ever did), and of course, right around the holidays they would come up with an episode full of cheer, holiday warmth and tear-felt moments. Because of this scene right here, the one where alien/human hybrid Max heals the cancer kids to make up for the fact that he didn't use his powers to save the man whose ghost now haunts him, this song will forever be one of my favorite holiday songs ever. 

No but really. Low-budget effects aside, the song is gorgeous. 

Calling All Angels - Jane Siberry [mp3] (itunes) 

Aaron Beaumont @ Living Room

I have a new music crush and his name is Aaron Beaumont. Without honestly knowing much about him, I ventured out into the terrible cold, rainy weather to see him play at Living Room last night and it was well worth the wet trek.

Aaron is one of those musicians that makes it look so easy. He has an effortlessly gorgeous voice and is a skilled piano player. He's handsome and well-dressed, but not pretentiously so. He was friendly but not showy and told interesting little stories between songs about his car suddenly bursting into flames on Sunset Boulevard (he's from LA). And while I don't know anything about his song-writing process, he makes that seem easy too. He has some really lovely songs that sounded so full, even though it was mostly just him and his piano (he had a flutist for a few songs, and while she was good and it was a nice addition, he honestly didn't need her because the piano music is so beautiful and voluminous on its own).

I think there were only two down sides: first, that his back was facing most of the audience because of where the piano was. Second, all of the music he played had a certain melancholy to it. And while that can be nice periodically, and it certainly was appropriate for the weather, I would've liked a little more variety. Even the one more upbeat song he played had a hint of sorrow underneath it. But there are upbeat songs on his album without that, so I know he's capable of it. He just didn't seem to play any of them. Although I did miss the very beginning of his set, so perhaps he played them then...

I believe he's playing another show on Saturday? At least there's one listed on his myspace... Go if you have a chance.

Julia [mp3]
Purchase "Nothing's Forever (Not Even Goodbye)" on iTunes

Locksley with Ray Davies of The Kinks - Friday!

On Friday night, Locksley is going to be opening for/playing with Ray Davies of The Kinks here in New York at the Hammerstein Ballroom. They have been on tour with him for a while now. Exciting. Check out this video of them playing together and hope to see you at the show!

Holiday Hash pt. 5

The Christmas Song (Jay Rodriguez and Rev Scott Remix) - Mel Torme [mp3] (itunes)

Santa Baby - Eartha Kitt [mp3] (itunes)

All That I Want - The Weepies [mp3] (itunes)

Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow - Frank Sinatra [mp3] (itunes)

Santa Claus is Coming To Town - Mason Jennings [mp3] (itunes)

I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas - Gayla Peevey [mp3] (itunes)

Oh Santa! - VeggieTales [mp3] (itunes)