an otherwise exasperating day at work today was brightened by a rousing late afternoon round of Name that 90s Song (thank you rhino records Whatever! box set), during which i was reminded of what a great song this is. despite the absurd vocal looping at the end of each chorus. seriously listen to it. they hold that note for like 16 measures. ridiculous. great song tho. -d

arcade fire debuted two new songs on some british radio show yesterday. they’re available now as a single on itunes, and will be released as a part of the suburbs deluxe edition cd/dvd combo on august 2. which will also feature the ‘scenes from the suburbs’ short film by spike jonze. which by itself is reason enough to get it. i’ll post the second song tomorrow. -d

yet another great album to come out this year without me knowing it. and from someone i dig so deeply. so disappointing. unlike the album, which takes his r&b groove and expands it into all sorts of neo-retro genres. and this track - a sort of bo diddly homage with a nashville edge - is by far my favorite. -d

new bon iver track. released today. after listening to it, i kinda feel how i felt when i first heard ‘month of may’. the sound and spirit are there, but they’re definitely doing something different. i like it. i want to listen to it again. i want to talk about it. and more than anything i want it to end up coming from an album as excellent as ‘the suburbs’ was. -d

*’calgary’ is a free download at boniver.org.

in which we discuss yet another cover of willow smith’s timeless dance hall anthem that leaves the original so far in the dust it’s hard to remember it exists at all.

also, i adore this trend of actual artists covering top 40 nonsense. i’ve said it before and i’ll say it again: the best way to undermine a crap song is to validate it completely. mocking something stupid by making something wonderful out of it. i’m so glad i was born in a post-modern world.

they’ve been playing the dickens out of this guy on kcrw lately. he’s the former frontman of the brooklyn-based indie rock outfit elefant. which, incidentally, this solo stuff sounds absolutely nothing like. instead of guitar-driven indie pop, he seems to be tapping back into his roots - specifically 1970s argentina. it’s mellow, lovelorn stuff, tho it seems to lack the commitment of somebody who is truly lost without love. like he’s sad, but he thinks he’s hot ish so he’s not too worried about it. i will say tho: the songwriting is solid. the boy can craft a melody. and this particular track, while sounding unironically readymade for a wes anderson soundtrack, is actually pretty smooth. -d

matt + the D&D brothers composed this track special for the new ‘portal 2’ video game. (if you’ve watched hulu at all in the last month, you know which game i’m talking about. it’s the ad with what appear to be the retarded little brothers of the sexy bjork robots.) and the song is good. very nationaly. and it did it’s job. i thought the game looked dumb. now i’m kind of intrigued. -d

*thanks to MelMo for sharing. you should check out the other music blog she guests on.

this is off her latest album, which came out a few months ago. like the previous one, it was produced by dan auerbach (of the black keys). but the similarities end there. the simple, folksy mountain pop of the past still peeks through on a few tracks, but it’s really only just a nostalgic sprinkling. a very new sound - one with occasional synths and drum machines and a straightforward pop sensibility - takes clear precedent on this one, and for the most part it works for her. it really sounds like nothing she’s ever done. and nothing that auerbach has ever done either. and more than anything it makes me excited to see what the black keys are up to next. -d

haven’t seen the movie yet, but i’ll say one thing: when it comes to movie music, joe wright knows how to pick em. first person to make/find a mind-blowing chemical bros vs. dario marianelli mashup gets 1000 music points, redeemable for my admiration. -d

but that’s not to say the original isn’t very wonderful in its own right. for it is. -d

i have been mildly digging on this lord huron ep for a bit now, but i have to say: i think i like the remix better. -d

*it’s a free download from RCRDLBL.com

elbow is another band that, like breathe owl breathe, i generally consider a good band. i’m not in love with them. when i saw them in concert it was b/c they were at a festival with another band i liked more, but i was glad i saw them. and generally speaking, this new album is right in line with that opinion. except for this song. this song sucks me in, entrances me sort of. and i know what it is. it’s that chorus, exhaling a strange, spoken ‘with love’ almost like a mantra. it’s oddly soothing. and as it loops and folds into the round that wraps up the track, i get this calm but persistent feeling that i should probably start the song over again. which i have done. 15 times this afternoon alone. so strange….