After All - David Bowie - The Man Who Sold The World - 1970

With all due respect afforded to Mr. Bowie...and believe me I have mountains of respect for the man, I can't listen to this song without thinking of Spinal Tap. Somewhere midget druids are dancing.

Afraid Himself to Be - Jason Faulkner - Present Author Unknown - 1996

In my late teens/early twenties I had a lot of fondness for guys like Jason Faulkner. Sharp witted guys with broken hearts and a knack for writing a catchy tune. Faulkner is like Matthew Sweet but with the bitterness dialed down (and without the stable of post-punk guitar heroes). Not my favorite track, but pleasant enough...and like any of his tunes, plenty hum-able.

AFK - Pinback - Summer in Abaddon - 2004

If only Pinback always showed this much grit. Don't get me wrong, I love this band, and Blue Screen Life is probably one of the indie-pop records of the decade. But if you've never seen them live, you can be forgiven for not realizing how much punk they've got in their hearts. Beneath their San Diego comic book stoner groves lurks more than a little bit of Bad Brains and Big Black. Seeing them live makes this abundantly clear.

I took a former girlfriend to see them on the Abaddon tour. When they kicked into this song here immediate response was "Holy Shit, who knew these guys loved Fugazi?" Who knew, indeed.

It's nice to have the breezy charms of Pinback as they are, but seriously, when you can kick this much ass (Even while singing another nerdy song about computers) why not kick that ass as much as possible? A question for the ages.

Incidentally, I once put this song on a party playlist back to back with Slint's Good Morning, Captain hoping someone would get the joke. No one did.

Aeroplane Blues - The Black Keys - Rubber Factory - 2004

So, all in all I had a pretty spectacular weekend, but one of my favorite parts (well, that I'm telling you all about anyway) happened on Saturday afternoon. After watching my beloved Arsenal pull of an amazing comeback (down a man, and two goals with less than 1/2 an hour to play...comeback to win 2-3) I went with my buddy to a local pub and sat in the back yard with a couple of beers. As we basked in victory, I couldn't help but enjoy the kick off of my favorite season of the year...outdoor drinking time. Few things are better in this city than sitting on a sidewalk, in the sun, with a cold beverage and watching the world go by. I love this shit. After the long hard slog that is winter, it's finally time to participate in my favorite past time.

The only thing that could have made the experience better would have been some cool tunes. The Black Keys would have worked. Their laid back bluesy stomp is just about perfect for outdoor drinking. Bring it on, boys.

Aerial - Robert Pollard and His Soft Rock Renegades - Choreographed Man of War - 2001

Of the solo records that Bob has released in the double O's (and there have been a lot of them) this one is the one that probably holds up the best. The rare Pollard track that stretches over 3 minutes, it is of course mostly instrumental. Just a reverb heavy guitar strumming. A little Uncle Bob vocal at the end...nothing to get too excited about, but also not the embarrassment that some later day Pollard can be (Red Ink Superman, anyone?)

Advisory Committee - Mirah - Advisory Committee - 2001

Mirah songs works primarily due to the tension between her gentle indie girl vocals and songwriting and Phil Elvrums crazy production. It seems like such a nice, sweet song, with it's picked acoustic guitar and subdued steel drum backing and then those GIANT FUCKING DRUMS come in at the end...

Adventures in Solitude - The New Pornographers - Challengers - 2007

I have often said, and will continue to say that between his work with Zumpano, The New Pornos and his solo record, Carl Newman is one of the great pop songwriters of our time. But Jesus, does this song ever blow.

Challengers isn't quite the snooze-fest that my original reaction to it suggested, but this song is the album at its worst. Newman's love of multi-vocal harmonies seem ripped from show tunes, and the dynamics that made the ballads work on Twin Cinema are almost entirely absent. Carl, I'm not saying you have to keep writing "Letter from an Occupant" or "The Party Rages On" over and over...but no one needs a power ballad with no power.

The Advancing Flags - Lansing-Dreidan - The Incomplete Triangle - 2003

When we were younger, my friend Josh and I would bicker quite a bit (not the least of which was about which of us was the "real" Josh)...but probably the most brutal fight we ever had was about this album. Josh had brought this album to the table and was rather proud of his find. When we discovered that LD was in fact not really a band but actually an art project, several of us, myself included, jumped ship.

"Fuck these pretentious Williamsburg assholes" was the basic sentiment. Josh, of course...always the Aesthete, immediately sprang to the defense and so the battle began. I believe the crux of his argument was "What's so bad about pretension?" The crux of mine was something along the lines of "What's so bad about your face, jerk!" A couple of days later there were "Agree to disagree" emails exchanged and a few tense beers were drunk. It's all good now.

Yes, in hindsight, it seems silly to me too.

And as I try to pinpoint exactly what it is that was so distastefully to me about that very idea...I'm having trouble articulating it. I guess there is still enough of an Indiana shit-kicker in me to find the idea of rock and roll being art on purpose contrary to the very nature of the beast. But then I'm a giant Radiohead fan...make sense of that, if you can.

Advance Cassette - Spoon - A Series of Sneaks - 1998

So, I gave new meaning to the term douchebaggery last night. In the span of one evening, I managed to crash a corporate party of a company I haven't worked for in almost a year, insult a pregnant woman, aggressively hit on an engaged woman in front of her fiance, not pay for a single drink, eat two plates of calamari, neither of which I ordered or payed for, bum two cigarettes and somehow came home with a fifth of JD in messenger bag...and on the plus side the calamari was quite tasty. Good times, good times.

Anyway, A Series of Sneaks is either the first Spoon album on which they sound like themselves, or the last one in which they were a traditional guitar band...depending on your point of view. I like that ten years later this song is already obsolete. I can see school children right now saying "what the hell is a cassette?" But I remember when you'd get that sneaky cassette copy of a bands new album before the official release...and I'd be pissed if I lost it too.

Adios - Jon Auer - Songs from The Year of Our Demise - 2006

In my late teens/early twenties I was a giant Posies fan. This probably says more about what a callow beta-male I was as a young man than it does about The Posies, but I will still find myself rushing to their defense. Sure the "you were an idiot to get married so young" didactics of Dear 23 now seems preachy and stilted, but Frosting on the Beater remains a glistening gem of power pop.

The Posies solo careers have not been as fulfilling as some fans might have hoped. Like many successful song writing partnerships, the dissolution sheds greater insight into why the partnership worked. Ken Stringfellow, who always seemed the angrier, punkier one, has since moved to Paris and puts out 70's AM Gold records that sound basically like Todd Rundgren albums. Jon Auer, on the other hand, seems to have shelved his experimental side and puts out perfectly nice albums of sub-Big Star power pop. His albums definitely hew closer to The Posies style, but without Stringfellows acid tongue and golden harmonies, they mostly seem a bit lackluster.

This song is no different.

Addicted to Love - Robert Palmer - Riptide - 1985

Wait Robert Palmer was British? This changes everything...

And yes, Robert, you were right. I am.
Sad really.

Add Your Light To Mine, Baby - Lucky Soul - The Great Unwanted - 2007

What's with all these British chicks wishing it was still 1966? Amy Winehouse, The Pipettes, Kate Nash, Lilly Allen, and now this one...apparently London is the new Motown. Who knew?

Still, if the accent doesn't throw you off, it's a pretty decent Supremes song.

Add it Up - Violent Femmes - Violent Femmes - 1982

My buddy Mario has two different stories about how he had a run in with Ethan Hawke and the celebrity was a complete dick to him. The joke became that he and Mr. Hawke were arch-nemisisesesesss.

I would like to add the ruining of this song to Mr. Hawke's crimes. Perhaps even more egregious than his literary career.

* I would like to add that I do love both Before Sunrise and Before Sunset...so he isn't completely without merit.

Adam Raised a Cain - Bruce Springsteen - Darkness on the Edge of Town - 1978

And The Boss finally rears his head.

You don't often hear people claim that Bruce is a predecessor to shoegaze, but I do think the crazy trill picked guitar line that runs through this song is more or less one delay pedal away from being Slowdive's favorite trick.

Also, and I realize this my generations equivalent of the "the Beatles were heavily influenced by the Monkeys" statement, but I like this song cause it sounds like Eddie and the Cruisers.

Ada - The National - Boxer - 2007

I was sitting around with some friends in a practice space on 9th St in Brooklyn shortly after the turn of the year. We sometimes crash my man, Dr. P's space and bang on instruments or just drink beer and shoot the shit. Anyway, we were having the "what was your favorite album of 2007" conversation and I stood up for Boxer as the album to beat. Dr. P's objection was that he found the last third of the album to be a bit bland and forgettable.

To counter that argument I will present this song.

Acuff-Rose - Uncle Tupelo - Anodyne - 1993

I had an absolutely batshit crazy subway preacher on the 2 train this A.M. It's been a while since I've seen one of these guys. Must be a reflection of the hard times we've fallen on...or something. This one was of the radical African-American sort, "whitey is the devil" and all. And you know, as I was being harangued through my hangover by this gentleman...I couldn't help thinking...I agree. Our monolithic Western Culture has really created a lot of victims in its quest for control...but on the flip side...'the fuck you want me to do about it? I'm just trying to get through the day, pay the rent, and find a nice lady that wants to pass out with me. I'm just one man, sir.

Anyway, there's a certain amount of gospel, to Jay Farrar's finger picking here. Figured the subway preacher was a good enough segue for that. Jeff Tweedy has definitely made some steps in the direction of being insufferable "dad rock" to quote Pitchfork's phrase, but back in the day he could still pen a catchy tune, and still had enough of his broken hearted humor in tact to be charming. Quality song.

Action vs Vibe - Polvo - Today's Active Lifestyles - 1993

When Polvo was a contemporary band they were always a little too edgy for me. They were the one band in the Chapel Hill stable that I found too dissonant. Their weird guitar tunings and melodies buried under noise seemed so far out and avant guard. Perspective is an odd thing. At least I can take comfort in the fact that my tastes have broadened since college and not contracted. Now this just sounds like rock music from the 90's.

Action Figure Graveyard Part II - Lazarus Beach - 2007

I mean, seriously, how many songs do you need for sitting on your back porch?

Action Figure Graveyard Part I - Lazarus Beach - 2007

I can see the beginnings of the generation gap forming between me and those who will come after me, and what I find most amusing about it is that it seems to be the opposite of every previous generation gap since the 1950s. Whereas my parents (and their parents) had conversations that were usually some variation on "Turn down that noise", I find my response to so much new music is "Why the fuck are you so delicate?" Don't kids these days want to burn the world to the ground? Don't they have utter contempt for absolutely everything? What's with all these gentle lilting melodies and softly strummed guitars? What happened to Nihilism?

Does no one gaze into the abyss anymore?

The Act We Act - Sugar - Copper Blue - 1992

I realize there are circles in which this will seem like blasphemy, but I prefer Bob Mould's work in Sugar to his work in Husker Du (I was more of a Grant Hart guy). It might just be my sweet tooth preferring the slicker production and better melodies...but seriously, tinnitus or not the guitar sound Mould produced here is some sick shit.

Plus this album is basically, along with The Posies 3rd album, the soundtrack of my Freshman year in college...for better or worse.

Act of the Apostle II - Belle and Sebastian - The Life Pursuit - 2006

As a result of my questionable drinking decisions I was wide awake at 545 this AM. After a few hours of trying to make myself go back to sleep I finally just decided to get up and go to work a little early. It is amazing how much going into work as little as 15 minutes earlier increases the traffic on the train. It was easily three times the usual number of people on the 2 this morning from what I'm used to at my usual leisurely 915 departure.

But one of the advantages is that spring is finally almost hitting NYC. In the Midwest we knew it was really spring when we saw the first robin. Here in the city we know it's spring when we see the first spaghetti string tank top. Now, in the world in which I am king, there would be some sort of law that stated when the first girl to exhibit bare flesh of the season arrives on the subway, she should not be crowded around. People should step back so we can all enjoy the view. Needless to say on the crowded subway this did not happen, so I spent a lot of time rubber necking like a jackass.

I guess I needed this moment of shameless heterosexuality to justify the fact that I've now written about to B&S songs in a row. Not particularly my favorite song on this album either.

Act of the Apostle - Belle and Sebastian - The Life Pursuit - 2006

Okay, important rule...when you go out drinking on a Tuesday night, it is absolutely imperative that you eat dinner. Not eating dinner and then throwing 4 very tasty Brooklyn Cocktails at your stomach...not the smartest decision. Needless to say, my ass is dragging today.

Yeah, I own some Belle and Sebastian. I know, I know...but I honestly love Tigermilk and I thought this album was a decent attempt at some level of reinvention by these guys (and girls).

Act Nice and Gentle - The Black Keys - Rubber Factory - 2004

Back before I discovered punk, I thought I wanted to be a blues guitarist. Teenage Indiana Josh (that's a teenage Josh that lived in Indiana, not some young world hopping archaeologist) would sit in his grandparents basement with a Japanese Strat and a ridiculous Blues Brothers fedora playing pentatonic scales and whining about how the women were doing him wrong. I like The Black Keys, cause their like that Josh never left the blues stage...and actually became good at it.

This particular song is a bit more laid back than usual. They seem to be riding a nice The Band kinda vibe, which I'm all for. I feel like I should be sipping a mint julep on a porch swing.

Damn, I wish it was summer. And I wish I had a porch swing...and a mint julep. Where's a genie when you need one?

Act Naturally - The Beatles - Help! - 1965

Probably Ringo's finest hour.

Across Your Knee - Robbers on High Street - Grand Animals - 2007

I picked these guys up cause I heard they were similar to Spoon, who I've always enjoyed. Other than an obvious affinity for The Kinks, I don't really see the comparison. Pleasant enough faux-mod-rock.

Across The Sea - Weezer - Pinkerton - 1996

A friend of mine who used to work for MTV productions told me a story about how while setting up a Weezer concert they had to wheel Rivers Cuomo out to the stage inside of a crate, so that he wouldn't have to interact with anyone.

When he first arrived on the scene he seemed like validation to all of us nerds, little did we know this guy was far more fucked up and awful than any of us could ever claim to be. Pinkerton was the first clue that this was the case.

I mean, sure dude, we all like to think about teenage Japanese girls masturbating, but most of us don't say that out loud, let alone write a song about it.

Across The Great Divide - Semisonic - Great Divide - 1996

And speaking as we were of 90's nostalgia music...

Across The Avenue - Freedy Johnson - This Perfect World - 1994

When I was in my early twenties, I lived in Cincinnati and hated my life. Like many people my basic age I had caught Noah Baumbach's Kicking and Screaming on cable (not to be confused with the more recent Will Ferrell soccer movie which inexplicably featured Robert Duvall) and on the basis of its use on the soundtrack decided to pick up this Freedy Johnson album.

At the time, having never actually been to NYC, I assumed that these songs were little capsules of what a cool life in the city must be like. Now it all seems a bit trite and naive. Still, I keep this shit around to remind myself of the kid I used to be. There are better songs on this album, though...songs that make me cringe about "90's Josh" less. Serviceable

Acromegaly - Archers of Loaf - All The Nations Airports - 1996

I completely messed up my sleep schedule over the weekend and just can not get it back on track. Was in bed at 1030 last night only to be wide awake at 545. This is not good.

Instrumental track from the Archers, showing off Bachman's weird guitar tuning. Not much else to say about this one.

Acrobat - U2 - Achtung Baby - 1991

...and here we have another moody song in which acrobats are used as a metaphor for negotiating a tricky situation, but where Maximo Park mourned a dying relationship, Bono mourns a fucked up world.

What else is new.

The weakest track on U2's best album...make of that what you will.

Acrobat - Maximo Park - A Certain Trigger - 2005

And speaking of songs that feel like fighting with your girlfriend....It's always nice when this project actually works, when one song bleeds into the next without missing a beat or changing the vibe.

This song feels like a cousin to R.E.M.'s "Belong"...with it's spoken word verses and anthemic chorus, it's hushed but ominous instrumentation. But replacing Stipe's rumination about conformity and lemmings is a story of a failing relationship told in little details (in Paul Smith's adorably thick Geordie accent). Every line is increasingly brutal, the way the chill of the house can't be fought, how he's afraid to touch her leg with his foot as they lay in bed together, the twice repeated "I don't remember losing site of your needs". Jesus, it's like getting kicked in the heart as the guitar comes in and builds to the chorus...the moment when the weight of her expectations just become overwhelming. "I am not an acrobat, I can not perform these tricks for you."

I've been in this relationship and God does it suck.
Good work, limeys.
Shame your second album is so tepid.

Acorns and Orioles - Guided by Voices - Under Bushes, Under Stars - 1996

One of the few things I miss about the midwest is the sound of trains. I can think of few sounds more evocative than a train whistle blowing in the night, off in the distance. According to the GBV book, Hunting Accidents, Bob wrote this song after walking along the train tracks late at night smoking a joint. And as a fellow midwesterner, Bob captured it perfectly. The shimmery feedback- y noise in the back ground perfectly captures the sad foreboding that the of the song. And as usual, Pollard's trick of making a seemingly meaningless phrase heavy with implied feeling is wonderfully executed. By the time he's chanting "I can't tell you anything, you don't already know" you feel like the weight of 1,000, 000 fights rests on the back of those lyrics.

Truly a great, great song.

Acknowledgements - John Coltrane - A Love Supreme - 1964

This is jazz....even if it's super cool Coltrane.
Skipping
Read the post entitled, The Rules.

Acid Food - Mogwai - Mr. Beast - 2006

So, I had been talking up Enid's in Greenpoint as the best brunch in the city to a newer friend of mine. I lived in Greenpoint from 2003-2005 and made Enid's a regular weekend trip. Despite generally regarding my time in the Point as "hellish", I would never have said a bad word about the breakfast. Plus as a Midwesterner, I am always happy to find a place that makes biscuits and gravy. Except this is now the second time in a row I've been there and they've run out of biscuits. Seriously, dipshits...it's Easter Sunday...did it not occur to you that you might have a run on biscuits? Make more than you think you need.

In addition to that our waitress was awful and I had only slept an hour and a half on saturday night, so I was not in a good place to be messed with. She could have at least brought us our bloody marys (Which sat on the bar for a solid ten minutes) over when she came to tell us there were no more biscuits. I threw a small temper tantrum. It was not my proudest moment.

Anyway, I certainly could have used this song to cool me down. This is one of Mogwai's new "Hey, we'll try out this whole singing thing" songs. The song is so laid back it sounds like someone gave The Beta Band Quaalude's and told them to wash it down with some NyQuil. Lovely pedal steel part though. I need a nap.

Achin' to Be - The Replacements - Don't Tell A Soul - 1989

These acoustic ballads filled with adolescent yearning were once the hidden gems on a 'Mats album. Now they are all that Westerburg does. And they aren't half as charming.

Ace of Spades - Motorhead - Ace of Spades 7" - 1980

Okay, so I took a couple of my co-workers to lunch at a German place where I drank a giant 1 liter stein of black beer...this certainly helped the hang over. But now I want a nap.

Motorhead can only help that. How can you listen to this song and not want to slam some Jack Daniels and then start a fight in which you use a pool queue as a weapon? And I don't even like Jack Daniels.

Seriously, though...who wants some?

Accusations - Robert Pollard - Standard Gargoyle Decisions - 2007

And speaking of people who know or thing or two about hang overs.

Between 1990 and 2004 Bob probably wrote 20-30 songs that I absolutely love...since then, not that much. But I keep buying his solo albums, partially out of hope and partially out of loyalty.

This one is ok.

According to Plan - I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness - Fear is on Our Side - 2006

Can I talk to you about my hang over? A buddy of mine decided to start getting serious with this girl he's been seeing, so last night was my first introduction to her. To ease the awkwardness of such situations, I decided to keep ordering carafe's of sake. At a table for 5 we went through 8 carafes. Not so bad you say? I followed it up with two martinis and two beers at my local bar.

Needless to say, I did not wake up happy...then, because God loves to taunt me, I got put on one of those subway cars that was covered in Jameson's ads. And then when I transfered to the 1 train, my car had the Jamie ads on one side and Stoli ads on the other. I spent the entire ride groaning and praying for death.

And speaking of praying for death...who does sinister titles better than these guys? Look at that band name! Look at the song title!! Wait, no, look at that album title!!! But seriously, this is a great song. Who the hell new five dudes from Austin could produce such beautifully foreboding atmospheric music?

Accidents Will Happen (live) - Elvis Costello - Armed Forces Disc 2 - 1979

This is one of the informative uses of this project, listening to these two versions back to back you can see both sides of the Elvis coin. In one you have Elvis the snot nosed punk, in the other you have the future Bacharach colleague peaking his flaccid head out.

What happens to musicians as they get older that they decide the world needs more piano ballads? And what's worse is he's turning a great song into this treacly nonsense. The great thing about Accidents is that he is so freaking ambivalent about his confession...making the song mournful robs it off that dissonance.


Honestly, it's not terrible...but why?

Accidents Will Happen - Elvis Costello - Armed Forces - 1979

The great thing about young Elvis Costello was his understanding of masculinity. He gets it. We're kinda fuck ups, we're disappointments, but his unique approach was to be completely unapologetic about it. Before the Paul McCartney and Burt Bacharach collaborations, before Diana Krall, before VH-1, Elvis was just a pissed off British kid with hipster glasses and a "fuck you" snarl who was tired of being asked to live up to unreasonable expectations. He just wanted to be loved for who he was.

And if he goes home with that girl from the bar, even though he knows it's a stupid thing to do, accidents will happen...

Accepting Applications at University - The Lilys - The 3 Way - 1999

This is from that Lilys' album where they try to sound like The Zombies...which is fine. There are far worse bands to emulate. Plus, though I'm not entirely sure, I get the impression that the lyrics are kinda dirty.

Absolute Beginners - The Jam - Single - 1981

Now see, this is The Jam the way I like them...little bits of Motown inflection, strong melody, but still keeping that punk energy. Horn sections are dangerous things. They can ruin a song, they can overpower a song, they can take away a song's edge, but in this context the horns work perfectly.

Abraham - Sufjan Stevens - Seven Swans - 2004

A really slow Sufjan song with a whole lotta stuff about Jesus...nuff said.

Above You - Whitest Boy Alive - Dreams - 2006

I've always said that when I finally lose my grip, and go apeshit, it will not be at my job, with my friends, or in a Russian bathhouse...it will be on the subway. The subway, is in many ways, a capricious lover...it is my morning commute and my night time designated driver...but it also fills me with rage. Today's example: The fight over a seat. I generally stand on the subway, I don't see the need to fight over a little piece of bench, just so I can sit down. Particularly, since I'm on my way to a job where I'm going to sit for 8 freaking hours anyway. But invariably there is always someone...and at the risk of inciting feminine wrath, this someone is almost always a middle aged woman...who will happily squeeze into a tiny sliver of open bench, causing everyone else in the aisle to be scrunched and uncomfortable. Seriously, people...I'm the first one to give up my seat to the elderly, infirm and pregnant..but if your fifty year old fat ass can't handle standing up for 20 minutes before you sit all day behind that HR Generalist's desk...maybe NYC is not the place for you.

Anyway...I downloaded this cause it's one of the dudes from The Kings of Convenience...in theory it was supposed to be his rocky side project, but really it just seems to be the same stuff only plugged in. Quiet is the New Loud is really all you need from these guys.

About A Girl - Nirvana - Bleach - 1989

I'll save the rant about Nirvana for another time...honestly, I love this song too much to even let the past 14 years of music history ruin it for me.

Plus, that simple little Em - G shuffle was so useful in appearing impressive in high school. As long as you could work through the "I can see you every night" part, you were good to go.

Shame that it's the tepid unplugged version that most people are familiar with. Plug it in, bitches.

Abigail, Belle of Kilronan - The Magnetic Fields - 69 Love Songs Volume 2 - 1999

And speaking of Merge Records...

Gosh remember when Magnetic Fields were just this quirky indie-pop band with a ridiculously ambitious project? Remember when you thought Stephen Merritt was closet prodigy, a sweet gay boy with Johnny Cash's voice, a cheap keyboard, and ridiculously low self-esteem? Remember when you didn't know he was a pompous, self-regarding asshole with no respect for his peers?

Yeah, I don't remember any of that either...

Here's the one where he tries to pretend to be Irish...

Abigail - The Broken West - I Can't Go On, I'll Go On - 2007

One thing I am definitely not shy about is my unabashed love of Merge records. Mac McCaughan was one of my college heroes, and the fact that he's gone on to co-found and run the best indie rock label in Christendom is yet another reason to admire the man. In addition to the well known flagships, your Spoon's, your Arcade Fire's, Merge also does a pretty good job of churning out a B-list of pleasant poppy rock acts like The Broken West. They aren't going to change your life, they just want to write a good pop song, like this one.

Actually this is one of those mid-tempo Big Star sounding songs that seem so simple, but infects your brain in a way that's hard to shake. Listen to the song once or twice, then tell me you don't have those dreamy harmonies in your head as you bop down the street..."Come on over, Abigail."

Abel - The National - Alligator - 2005

Prior to the release of The Boxer, I used to wish that The National always sounded like this. I wanted more aggressive rock and less brooding. But with their last album, they proved that the moody atmospheric thing is kinda their forte. Now, these more propulsive songs can seem a bit forced. Like they're wearing a suit that doesn't really fit them...feigning agitation when really resignation is more their style.

Still, some quality yelling in this one.

ABC - The Pipettes - We Are The Pipettes - 2006

Sometimes I have girlfriends. Sometimes their music ends up on my iPod. This is how this happens.

And for the record, I'd go with Rosay...though like all red blooded American males, I'd prefer the hat-trick.

The Abandoned Hospital Ship - The Flaming Lips - Clouds Taste Metallic - 1995

Not that I would ever change much of anything about The Soft Bulletin, but I sometimes wonder what would have happened if Ronald Jones hadn't freaked out and quit the band. Take no credit away from Wayne's song writing or Steve Drozd prodigious talents, but no one quite plays a guitar like Jones...for better or worse.

Aaron and Maria - The American Analog Set - Know by Heart - 2001

By all rights, I should hate this song. Its hushed groove, its delicately sweet lyrics about a couple of trust fund kids in Brooklyn Heights expecting their first child, its adorable lack of realization that these people are probably smug douchebags....but in the summer of 2001, before the world went to hell, I still believed in this kind of happiness.

Plus, despite their mellow vibe, the AmAnSet's can lock into a pocket like nobody's business. I saw them live a few times and was always struck by the way the band all seemed to be in their own world, like they were all in entirely different bands. The bass player wouldn't even look at the rest of them, but they fit together like a jigsaw. Every rhythm fit together perfectly, it was quiet impressive.

So, I like this sweet, quiet, song about rich, entitled white people breeding...go figure.

Aaron - Minus Story - My Ion Truss - 2007

It's like if Grandaddy decide to stop being wusses and make some noise, but they were still stuck with that guy's voice. I've never quite understood the appeal of the whispery indie boy voice, despite enjoying some bands that front it. Still, this one blows up real cool at the end.

A-Punk - Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend-2008

For all the talk about this band making a new twist on indie-rock by adding the afro-pop elements...this doesn't seem to be anything The Clash wasn't doing in their reggae mode. Plus they seem to have lifted Johnny Marr's guitar tone straight from "This Charming Man". Not that any of this is a bad thing...just further proof that there really is nothing new under the sun.

The Rules

Every day at work, I slap on the headphones, to escape the never ending drone of tech based conversation that surrounds me. According to the rules of this game (which yes, I realize I've created, and I am entirely self imposing) I must listen to every song on my iPod from start to finish, alphabetically, by song title.

I may skip a song only under very specific conditions.
A) The song is jazz...jazz is on my iPod specifically to be listened to while hungover on a Sunday morning, or at 3 in the morning with my fourth bottle of red and whatever poor lady I conned into listening to my ramble till all hours in the evening. Jazz at work, won't really work.

B) I have heard the song so many times that I can recite the lyrics in my head without the song actually being on the radio. No one has anything new to say about Penny Lane.

C) If I decide that under no circumstances do I want to hear this song EVER AGAIN. If I got whacked and downloaded a bunch of Japanese Noise Pop that sounds like chainsaws cutting through martini glasses...there is no reason that I should have to listen to all 15 minutes of it just so I can type the word "DELETED" to you people with a clear conscience.

So, that's the game...they aren't all going to be gems, in fact, some will be down right embarrassing...but these are the sacrifices we must make for our art. Read, enjoy, mock, scoff, or just fuck off.

"A" Bomb in Wardour Street - The Jam - All Mod Cons - 1978

Paul Weller definitely falls into that category of artists that I respect more than I actually enjoy. I was too young to catch The Jam when they were in their heyday, and then out of college before I was introduced to them, so I don't have the "older brother's record collection" reaction to them that I think a lot of my peers do.

I enjoy The Jam in small doses, which is what makes them a great iPod band. Purists throw all the tomatoes you want...too many of his songs sound the same. I like the sound, I like the energy, I like what it's about, and in a few cases...it's a home run...but his melodies just don't have enough variation for me. Count this among the garden variety Jam songs.