From Sheboygan, Wisconsin, Jetty Boys play punky pop music like they really care about it, like the world simply wont be acceptable if they don’t. Clearly they love them some Green Day and Ramones and all, but they bring a ferocity and sincerity all their own that is endearing and infectious. Gr8 power-pop erupts from the suffocating boredom of a sleepy American town? But yes!

Jetty Boys
“I’ll Be Fine” (mp3)
from “Sheboygan”
(Rally Records)

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Simo & Mancub are two of the UK’s most versatile and talented producers. Known for damaging speakers with their pulsating and dirty drum-driven breaks. And San Francisco’s Ground_Control is one of the most exciting DJs on the SF breaks scene, killing crowds nightly with his signature breaks meets anything slutty and funky sound. When you combine these forces the results are nothing short of brilliant.

SIMO, Mancub
“Punks Of Funk” (mp3)
from “Punks Of Funk – The Remixes”
(Sleevin Records)

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The P-Bass Expressway is New Zealand’s funkiest band to date. The founding members, Paul Bimler and Ariel White, have been recording a playing their unique brand of instrumental guitar slapping funk since the late 1990s. After a sting of successful singles that netted them numerous accolades and heavy radio rotation throughout the Australia, the group recorded, Express Funk. Enjoy the opening cut, “Chester Creeps In” of the 2008 release, and you will soon hear what NZ’s funk scene is all about.

P-Bass Expressway
“Chester Creeps In” (mp3)
from “Express Funk”
(LOOP)

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What do you expect from a band called Saviours whose record cover involves demons, naked devil chicks and general quasi-biblical mayhem? If you guessed stoner-metal meets speed-metal meets black-metal a’la Sabbath meets Exodus but completely contemporary and exquisitely executed, you win! This kicks buckets of ass. Saviours hail (Satan) from my hometown of Oakland, CA, which has (not so) quietly become the epicenter of a new metal renaissance. Go forth and bang thy head.

Saviours
“We Roam” (mp3)
from “Accelerated Living”
(Kemado)

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From the soon to be released album by England’s beloved Chumbawamba, the single “Voices, That’s All” is a celebration of the human voice, that greatest of musical instruments, the one which is each of our birthright. It’s a real recording of real people playing and singing – something I never thought in itself would begin to seem like an endangered animal. No auto-tuners here, ladies and gents, just sweet harmonies and a simple, true and timely lyric. Sing if you want to.

Chumbawamba
“Voices, That’s All” (mp3)

Yo MCs out there listen up: just cause you rap in the hallways of your Community College doesn’t mean you an MC. Take a listen to “Mr Gusto” by VURSATYL of Lifesavas. Think you can spit your lyrics with as much flavor? I will save you the brain cell. The answer is: hell no.

VURSATYL (Lifesavas)
“Mr. Gusto” (mp3)
from “The Style Junkie Chronicles 7″ Series”
(Quannum Projects)

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My mp3 sleuthing hero, Superfan, has been posting some lovely Northern Soul tracks lately from the Twirl Records compilations. Released digitally now for all to enjoy, these 45’s were long the domain of crate digging fanatics and collectors exclusively. From Volume 6 of this mother lode of gems, “Shangri-La” by The Parakeets has all the elements: rich, sugary string section parts, doo-wop style harmonys, a sincere and plaintive lead vocal, and even that abrupt fade at the end which so many record producers favored at the time. Pure uncut vintage pop.

The Parakeets
“Shangri-La” (mp3)
from “Twirl Records Story Volume 6″
(Twirl Records)

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Following in the wake of the highly successful Easy Star Record’s reggae versions of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon, and Radiohead’s Ok Computer, comes, Dub Like An Antelope – Legends of Reggae Celebrate Phish. Reggae legends Rootz Underground’s hypnotic version of “Makisupa Policeman” is sure to delight reggae and Phish fans alike.

Rootz Underground
“Makisupa Policeman” (mp3)
from “Dub Like An Antelope – Legends of Reggae Celebrate Phish”
(Red Hillz Music)

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Fool’s gold. If you’ve ever been to the Sierra Nevada, and gazed into a mountain stream, you’ve seen the shimmering stuff, beckoning as it did to prospectors who sought their fortunes there starting around 1848. Pretty, but worthless stuff. Then we wonder, why is gold valuable? Well, because we say it is. We agree it’s valuable and carry on having civilizations based on it being valuable. Pretty absurd if you toy with that notion. So let’s don’t. Don’t be fooled by the title, this beautiful song by The Abramson Singers is pure gold. Haunting twang-y guitars and delicate snare brushes set the stage for some magnificent, soft and sweet female vocal harmonies that could melt Fort Knox. From their, or more like her, eponymous album. Lovely work, check it out.

The Abramson Singers
“Fool’s Gold” (mp3)
from “The Abramson Singers”
(White Whale)

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Usually cuts like this jam are all housed in the collections of beat diggers who’s obsession with records and weed defines their whole attitude. Now we less fortunate music lovers are blessed with a digital compilation of French producer, Jean-Pierre Massiera titled, Psychoses Freakoïd (1963-1978). Massiera is basically the J.Dilla of the European disco/dance music scene. One bar into Herman’s Rocket’s “Space Women,” and you’ll wish you where partying in a French discotheque.

Herman’s Rocket
“Space Woman” (mp3)
from “Jean-Pierre Massiera – Psychoses Freakoïd (1963-1978)”
(Mucho Gusto Records)

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It takes a certain artistic confidence to create something truly minimal, and leave it alone. This instrumental joint from the gr8 Sly and Robbie is starkly simple yet complete and entertaining. Soundtrack music if I ever heard any. And it’s the soundtrack to my Saturday morning coffee. Cheers.

Sly & Robbie
“Bam Bam” (mp3)
from “Chaka Demus & Pilers Riddims”
(Taxi)

Less stoner, more 70s, and more trippy. Witch encompasses stoner-rock, psychedelia, and much doom-power in their sound. Their latest album Paralyzed on Tee Pee Records, picks up with some more punk-ish overtones, and they recently recruited Annihilation Time guitar madman Graham Clise to the lineup.

Witch
“Eye” (mp3)
from “Paralyzed”
(Tee Pee Records)

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Spoon. Spoon. Spoon! New Spoon record. NEW SPOON RECORD!!! When do I use three exclamation marks? I generally use two, when I’m really excited. Three is unprecedented. But this is, if I have not clarified, a NEW F@#$K!NG SPOON RECORD, MAN! DAMN! All caps, when do I do that? Immediately living up to the lofty promise of earlier efforts, this single, “Written In Reverse,” from the BRAND NEW F00K!NG SPOON RECORD called “Transference” is truly gr8. I must drink some water. I must get some air. Spoon. Swoon.

Spoon
“Written In Reverse” (mp3)
from “Transference”
(Arts & Crafts Mexico)

Oakland based promoter, DJ, and producer An-ten-nae is the de-facto king of the Bay Area’s dubstep/glitch-hop/future breaks scene (thanks for Sea of Dreams, BTW). “Warning” is from the fifth installment of An-ten-nae’s hugely successful Acid Crunk series and is hands down one of my favorite singles of last year. Anytime a producer throws dancehall lyrics over a chunky boom-bap you’re going to witness my ass levitating to the dancefloor.

An-ten-nae feat. Buccaneer
“Warning (feat. Buccaneer)” (mp3)
from “Acid Crunk EP 5″
(Muti Music)

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The musicians in Brooklyn’s Cheeseburger probably fell into a vat of whiskey and bong water as babies. Then they did the only remaining possible thing – picked up guitars and drums and a mic and starting rocking out. “Easy Street” by Cheeseburger is lo-fi, raw, perverse, appalling and gr8. Enjoy.

Cheeseburger
“Easy Street” (mp3)
from “Cheeseburger – EP”
(Hot Dog City Record Co.)

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In the world of reggae music John Brown’s Body emerges from the thick clouds of ganja smoke as one of the truly originals voices in an often predictable genre. The Massachusetts’ 8-piece shows off their propensity for rhythms that reach out beyond any one genre classification, but tell a strictly dubwize narration.

John Brown’s Body
“The Gold (Dubmatix Runnin’ Remix)” (mp3)
from “Re-Amplify”
(Easy Star Records)

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Obituary is one of the first groups to truly innovate death metal with their, sometimes fast, and sometimes sludgy compositions in tandem w/John Tardy’s vocal style. Nearly two decades since their classic releases, “Slowly We Rot and Cause of Death,” a new Obituary record is out on Candlelight Records, and they’re STILL about as fuckin’ heavy as it gets. Download “Payback” NOW!

Obituary
“Payback” (mp3)
from “Darkest Day”
(Candlelight Records)

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Portland OR is the current mecca for 21 year-old hipsters. Cheap rent, relatively flat so they can ride their fixies, and lots of great thrift shops. But all that fun can be obnoxious. Enter The Punk Group. The raise their middle fingers in the air to the official drink of hipsters all across the land with, “Hekenein.”

The Punk Group
“Heineken” (mp3)
from “The Best Of The Punk Group”
(Smog Veil Records)

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The new crown prince of soft rock, Bart Davenport got his start in a more hard rockin’ capacity as the front man for East Bay Mod RnB heros the Loved Ones. This track from his 2002 solo debut on the marvelous Antenna Farm Records, is a meandering daydream of sweet romance. Much as I hope to hear the man hit the Jagger/Colin Blunstone style that he did years ago, I gotta love that he’s true to his own vision, and he does this stuff so very well. The dry acoustic drums and nicely recorded real instruments he favors are a stark and welcome contrast to the hyper-digital compressed poo that is the norm these days. And his singing is simply beautiful. From 2002, recently re-released digitally, here’s some “Chimes” of love from a cat who means it.

Bart Davenport
“Chimes” (mp3)
from “Bart Davenport”
(Antenna Farm Records)

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Floating somewhere in the orbits of Godspeed You Black Emperor and Sigur Ros, San Francisco artist Charles Atlas (we wonder if that is his real name or if he named himself after the classic muscle man with the comic book ads?) makes music as obtuse yet lyrical as this sentence. Very pretty, soothing guitar based ambient type stuff. And just what I needed today.

Charles Atlas
“Photosphere” (mp3)
from “To the Dust: From Man You Came and to Man You Shall Return”
(Howells Transmitter)

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Brooklyn’s The Phenomenal Handclap Band are often thrown into the ‘new disco’ camp but their sound soars too high to deserve any one genre classification. The motley DJs-turned-producers make dance friendly grooves that reflects the diversity of their record crates. Add that to all the remix love the band has been receiving, and what we have is a group that will easily rock a music festival stage during the day, then rock the music fest’ after party at night.

The Phenomenal Handclap Band
“15 to 20″ (mp3)
from “15 to 20 / You’ll Disappear Remixes”
(Friendly Fire Recordings)

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If anyone was wondering if Maceo Parker’s funk output died with disco I present to you, “Elephant’s Foot.” Mr. Parker has been steadily recording and touring since the time that he left James Brown’s band in 1975. Maceo shows that he’s still one of the hippest players in the music game and still has the funk flowing through his veins.

Parker, Maceo
“Elephant’s Foot” (mp3)
from “Funk Overload”
(What Are Records)

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Better known for his early 90s oldies like, “Smoke Dope N Rap” or “Killa Whale”, Andre Nickatina’s entire discography shows much diversity and musical exploration with his the layered beats or his unpredictable and often delicate rhyme delivery. Download this less famous cut from The Bay’s best. Yes, The Bay is the BEST.

Andre Nickatina
“Welcome 2 Da Candy Store” (mp3)
from “Green Eyes Dose Vol. 1″
(Million Dollar Dream)

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Here’s an anthemic rocker from the out of control and marvelous Parkas. These guys rocked live, made some great music and called it quits. Their posthumous record, You Should have Killed Us When You Had The Chance is great. I love the lyrics to this song and the hooks would be at home on a Replacements, Clash or Springsteen record. I generally dislike like the over-flogged term “brutally honest,” but this is some brutally honest work. Bad ass rock with real guts and heart.

Parkas
“The Gang’s All Gone” (mp3)
from “You Should Have Killed Us When You Had the Chance”
(Saved by Radio)

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The San Francisco house music scene is still alive and well, and with artist like Claude VonStroke feeding the 4×4 landscape, some may even say it’s thriving. Signed to the Dirtybird label, who are known mainly for throwing renegade parties in Golden Gate park where hundreds of spaced-dancers utilize their 5th pocket, Claude’s dance floor centric tracks are quickly becoming the labels most important product. “The Greasy Beat [feat. Bootsy Collins] (Natural Funk Mix)” takes house back to its pre-disco roots and is spiked with heavy modern tech-house grooves.

Claude VonStroke
“The Greasy Beat [feat. Bootsy Collins]“ (mp3)
from “Bird Brain (Itunes Exclusive Version)”
(dirtybird)

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“Hey kid, give me your money!” How many of us made it through school without hearing those words, generally delivered by a linebacker with no neck and a quarter inch of brain? Big Rock Candy Mountain’s New Orleans rock bouillabaisse is the perfect medium for this outburst built around that dreadful little phrase. Are they exorcising demons of their grade school past? Or simply warming up to do a bit of robbery? Either way, the mp3 is good, with ferocious combo playing and a blend of trashy, distorted sounds, and quality production. Give them your money.

Big Rock Candy Mountain
“Hey Kid Give Me Your Money” (mp3)
from “Hey Kid”
(reapandsow, Inc.)

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Soulful, funky, and jazzy – Yorkshire UK’s Capri sounds like he got his musical chops off the set of Superfly. “Boogie Man” is the title track from Capri’s 2004 release, although his bold songwriting and choice of album art makes me wonder if this album was meant to be released when the LP was the only format. In a world of cookie cutter R&B acts Capri is a harmonious nod to the eccentric and crafty R&B acts of the late 60s and 70s.

Capri
“Boogie Man” (mp3)
from “Boogie Man”
(Caprimusic / GLP)

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Obituary is one of the first groups to truly innovate Death Metal with their sometimes fast and sometimes sludgy compositions in combination w/John Tardy’s vocal style. Nearly two decades since their classic releases, “Slowly We Rot and Cause of Death,” a new Obituary record is out on Candlelight Records. And they’re STILL about as fuckin’ heavy as it gets. Download Payback NOW.

Obituary
“Payback” (mp3)
from “Darkest Day”
(Candlelight Records)

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Dave Smallen’s songwriting has always been ambitious, since his days fronting Oakland’s all ages show heroes, Street To Nowhere. What’s ambitious? Well, take this for example. If you want to write a song called “America” – that’s ambitious. I pressed play with a certain trepidation – there are so many ways this can go wrong. But the song succeeds, careening against the walls of possible clichés and landing feet first like a defiant and graceful cat. It is a highly personal statement, yet compelling and ultimately accessible. As Dave is American, why not use America and its complex, troubled state, as a metaphor for his own individual saga? Why not indeed. Ambitious yes, but this is a subtle triumph.

Dave Smallen
“America” (mp3)
from “Everything Changes and Nothing Changes”
(Street to Nowhere)

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Who hasn’t at some point trusted the wrong person? With a hypnotic, electronic new wave groove and deliciously crunched guitars as a backdrop, singer Ann Yu asks the age old question, “Are You Really On My Side?” Along with producer-musician Jon Waters, Yu completes the duo Silver Swans from San Francisco, CA. Gr8 angsty-pop disco track from their “Realize The Ghost” album on Tricycle Records. Enjoy.

Silver Swans
“Are You Really On My Side” (mp3)
from “Realize The Ghost”
(Tricycle Records)

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The Poets of Rhythm are from one of the last places you would imagine a funk band surfacing from – Munich, Germany. They were turned onto grimy funk in High School. Soon they coped a record habit that rivals any experience William Burroughs ever wrote about. But instead of leaching and raping society for everything we got, they’ve been releasing some of best hard-hitting-ass-shaking funk of the twenty-first century. “Ham Gallery” is off The Poets’ first release, Dicern/Define (2001). I remember when this album first dropped. All kinds of music fans where praising the release; from the pasty-white indie kids, to the underground hip-hop kids, and even the post-underground ravers where dancing to The Poets’ beats. And how could we not?

The Poets of Rhythm
“Ham Gallery” (mp3)
from “DISCERN / DEFINE”
(Quannum Projects)

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Tried and true old school MC skillz drop like a trail of beans to lead you out of the forest when Othello & DJ Vajra get silly on da mic. Starting as they do with an instantly recognizable Jackson 5 bite, they must step up, and step up they do. Quick rhyming fun and top notch beats, babies. Enjoy.

Othello & DJ Vajra
“Same Team Suckas (feat. Theory Hazit)” (mp3)
from “Active Balanced – Single”
(Colemine Records)

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Ok, let’s rock. With Sacramento, California’s most unlikely export, the fine heady border-crossing rock n’ roll of the ever reliable Cake. You can never quite tell with lead singer and lyricist John McCrea, where his cynical humor ends and a hopeful idealism begins. And in that flux lies a magic that sets their songs apart. The band matches his wit with a musical quirkiness that skillfully teeters on the brink of farce, but never stops doing the essential job of rocking out. I love this song.

Cake
“Ruby Sees All” (mp3)
from “Motorcade of Generosity”
(Upbeat Records)

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Southern California’s beloved surf punker pioneers Agent Orange have rocked for over three decades, and they continue to tour and deliver a gr8 live show. This song from their brilliant 1981 album “Living in Darkness”- recently re-released digitally by Posh Boy Music – is a good taste of their innovative guitar work and unique collision of power pop, surf and punk. The lyrics to “Everything Turns to Grey” are brilliant, at once idealistic and resigned. A classic song from a classic LP. Surfs up!

Agent Orange
“Everything Turns to Grey” (mp3)
from “Living in Darkness”
(Posh Boy Music)

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Sweet beautiful sad lovely rapturous heavenly shoe gazing god, Elliott Smith.

“I’m so sick and tired of trying to change your mind, when it’s so easy to disconnect mine, high times, high times, yeah I feel fine.”

There’s reasons this guy is missed and loved so much. That soft, sincere voice, the abundant flow of quotable lines, and something else, harder to describe, which sets him apart. Smith left us too soon, but his work remains one of those things that makes life more enjoyable.

Elliott Smith
“High Times” (mp3)
from “New Moon”
(Kill Rock Stars)

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Still. To this day. Iggy Pop is my favorite rock star. And like it ever was, you either get this music or you don’t. It’s well known, to the point of being a cliché, I suppose, that nothing under the sun has rocked any harder than Detroit’s four horsemen, the first harbingers of punk rock, The Stooges. Yet there will always be new generations to be inspired, enthralled, elevated, corrupted, disgusted and possibly destroyed by the insane power of this singular act. The bare frontal assault of sex, gleeful aggression and reckless abandon perpetrated by Iggy and the Stooges in the early 70’s obliterated much that was making mainstream rock music increasingly unbearable at the time. Yet it didn’t become clear until years, even decades after the last echoes of Ron Ashton’s apocalyptic power chords finally faded away, what had happened.

Iggy And The Stooges
“Cock In My Pocket” (mp3)
from “Metallic K.O. – The Original 1976 Album”
(Jungle Records)

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Well known to those who know, mysterious to those who don’t, the greatest dub artist in the world also happens to be the man who invented the style. Dub evolved from various happy accidents in the studios of Jamaica, but it took a madman of Scratchy’s particular imagination to water the seeds of dub and grow them into an international forest. Clearly from outer space, he visits earth in this track to attend a little party. Come on in, drink ya drink.

Lee “Scratch” Perry
“Having a Party” (mp3)
from “Scratch Came, Scratch Saw, Scratch Conquered”
(Megawave)

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Dramatic headline, yes, but I had to get your attention. For the record, K’Naan is the real deal. The exploding buzz around this young Somalian expatriate is entirely justified by the quality of his output. His music is fearlessly original and widely accessible, with lyrics that are nothing less than profound. You’d never guess that English is K’Naan’s second language, but indeed, he mastered it by studying and emulating the hip-hop and rock artists that he loved as a kid. Check his media rich website, and illuminating wikipedia article for some background. This mp3 is gr8, but it’s only the tip of the iceberg. This is a major, major talent, and he’s going to be a big star. For all the right reasons.

K’Naan
“I Was Stabbed By Satan” (mp3)
from “The Dusty Foot Philosopher”
(Interdependent Media)

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Update, Sep. 23 – Wouldn’t you know it! K’Naan and J. Period have made a tribute to Bob Dylan, Fela Kuti, and Bob Marley. Read about it on Henry Adaso’s about.com blog. Makes sense. Gotta hear that one too.

Vic Chesnutt’s craft is at such a high level, between lyrics and voice and accompaniment, that listening to his songs one can forget oneself and become entirely transported into the musical picture. “Chain” from his latest album, is a soft cinematic masterpiece, each instrument a character, conversing and dancing ethereally with the protagonist/singer, illuminating a scene far more nuanced and colorful that pop music is expected to be. Perhaps this is why Mr. Chesnutt’s reputation amongst pop stars is so well established – to list his famous admirers would be something of a cliché at this point – while his own fame among the general public is still relatively limited. The quality of this work is so self evident all I can suggest is, download it and have a listen. And if you’re wondering if the rest of the album, and indeed the rest of the output from this artist is as original and beautiful as this, this answer is yeah, it is.

Vic Chesnutt
“Chain” (mp3)
from “At the Cut”
(Constellation)

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Tight, groovy, and funky as the day is long, this 1978 number by Venus Gang is pure fun. No politics or controversy here, just a phat, raw beat, and sexy female vocals about stars making love and loving to fly. Imagination takes care of the rest. Disco keyboard and rhythm section work a’la Quincy Jones, meets a dubby clubby vibe that anticipates more contemporary nightclub music, and gives some of today’s producers a bit of schooling, I’d have to say. Delicious track.

Venus Gang
“Love to Fly” (mp3)
from “Galactic Soul”
(Mucho Gusto Records)

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This instrumental track from The Uptones “Live!! 924 Gilman” CD is a hi-energy ska punk jazz opus. The album influenced a lot of great bands that followed, and it’s a joy to listen to. This was my Sunday morning dance in the kitchen wake up record for a year! Superfan sez pick it up.

The Uptones
“East of a Western Bay” (mp3)
from “The Uptones Live!!”
(Fun Fun Fun Recordings)
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I swear if Paul Westerberg were born in the Appalachians instead of Minneapolis, he would have started a hillbilly band and recorded this song. Or I could say, if Bill Monroe were a young New Yorker, he might have done. These are compliments to all parties, if there’s any wondering. Curtis Harvey, at the time of this writing, has a whopping 47 myspace friends for his brand new solo outing, in which he emerges from a respectable run as a multi-instrumentalist with Rex, Pullman and others, to take the leading role. Listen to the beautiful guitar and banjo arrangement, and picture perfect lyrics of the single “Oldertoo,” and I’m sure you’ll agree this was an idea whose time had come. A gr8 new music find, folks, from a brilliant under-discovered artist, on the visionary Fat Cat Records label. Enjoy.

Curtis Harvey
“Oldertoo” (mp3)
from “Box Of Stones”
(Fat Cat Records)

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There really should be a band called The Jive Turkeys. And there is, there is! And any band using that moniker should show a gr8 love for The Meters, Booker T. and the M.G.’s, and other long running funky rhythm sections who jazz it up with pop sensibilities and a certain mod flair. And they do, they do! These darlings are from Oxford, Ohio, they release their music on 7″ vinyl, they think you should “cop” their records, and well, I do too. Truly a labor of love, down to the Steve Cropper-esque guitar niblets, Leslie speaker churned organ riffs, Zigaboo inspired drumming and one of those bass players who just lives in the kick drum. Their music is available digitally too, in case your vintage Fisher-Price record player is on the fritz.

The Jive Turkeys
“B.A.” (mp3)
from “B.A. – Single”
(Colemine Records)

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California bluesman Eric Lindell lays it out on this sweet and unpretentious song about love.

Eric Lindell
“If Love Can’t Find a Way” (mp3)
from “Gulf Coast Highway”
(Alligator Records)

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Dayumb. These cats can PLAY! Wicked roadhouse shakin’ blues rock jammin’ at a high level. Enjoy w/ BBQ and a fine lager.

Nick Moss & The Flip Tops
“Spare Ribs & Chopsticks” (mp3)
from “Live At Chan’s – Combo Platter No. 2″
(Blue Bella Records)

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Light In The Attic records is one of those little things that makes the world a better place. How else would I ever have found out about Heikki’s Suburbian Bus Tour Ride. A wonderful, very early 70’s recording. Dylanesque folk rawk baby. I love this.

Rodriguez
“Heikki’s Suburbia Bus Tour” (mp3)
from “Coming From Reality”
(Light In The Attic)

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DJ Subverse made me a “miztape” for the holidaze and I’m loving it. It opens with this funky post-disco trip from Spaceflight Orchestra, and it’s just the thing to help one depart for a minute from any form of seasonal stress. Purely chill, “Truer Than True (Drop Logik Refreak)” lives up to its oh so ‘lectronica title! Très Magnifique.

Spaceflight Orchestra
“Truer Than True (Drop Logik Refreak)” (mp3)
from “An Orchestra of Remixes, Volume One”
(Black Bridge)

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In the best tradition of modern Americana, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada’s Ox delivers an unhurried, wide as the sky ode to futility. The guitar work here is stellar, shiny and stark, accompanying a delicate lyric that could fall down so easily in one misplaced word, but it never does. Gorgeous harmonies and a full, superb lead vocal, lift this from a simple lament to something far more glorious. I don’t often find myself in the mood these days, for sad country music, but when I do, it has to be this good.

Ox
“Burnout” (mp3)
from “Burnout”
(Weewerk)

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What’s this? A blatantly New Age mp3 on yours truly SuperFan’s own site? But yes! We’re coming together, converging if you will, harmonically, mystically, cosmically, on the astral plane for a flying dream and heavenly feast. Whether you celebrate Thanksgiving or Indigenous People’s Day or lament the Turkey-opalypse, here’s some soothing meandering flutes and gamelan bell sounding plunky plunks that pussyfoot around in circles before flopping contentedly in front of the fire for a purr. And remember, if anyone asks you who won Yoga, it was a tie.

Conni St. Pierre
“Midheaven at Midwinter” (mp3)
from “Beyond The Sky: Legends Of The Starry Night”
(Smasheasy)

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Aaaaah, sweet Beatle-esque dreamy dream pop like lemonade on a fine spring day This is the sort of music that makes me use smileys, and reminds of childhood afternoons on swing sets and barefoot squishy lawns with daisies. Thank you Junipers for putting something kind and soft into the scary world.

The Junipers
“Gordie Can’t Swim” (mp3)
from “Gordie Can’t Swim”
(San Remo Records)

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The only thing I don’t get is why people put “Radio Edit” in the title tag of song in 2009. I mean, what radio? This is radio, you’re on it, this is it. The music blogosphere has replaced radio for music discovery, hello? Because, we music bloggers truly love music, while commercial radio doesn’t care and has no soul and can bite me. K? Glad we got that sorted.