Captain Wilberforce - Everyone Loves a Villain (2008)

"There are worse things than ghosts, you know / haunting these streets"

I'm always cautious to use the term britpop, because it seems to have some conflicting connotations for different people; regardless of any of that, it certainly applies to this release by power pop singer-songwriter Captain Wilberforce, if only insomuch as this is a pop rock album from Britain with alternative leanings; encapsulating tales of dysfunctional and failed relationships (surprise surprise) in tidy three-to-four-minute packages, and always bringing back memories of the nation's pop greats without forgetting to be his own artist, Captain Wilberforce has made an album that reassures us that pop music can recall the past, can even dance around with it, and manage not to drown in nostalgic hero-worship

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The Life and Times of William Shakespeare - Secrets Don't Make Friends (and, Apparently, I Don't Either) (2008)

Some nice folksy singer-songwriter stuff from Mesa, Arizona; lo-fi and acoustic as you'd expect, and this doesn't really cover any new ground, but what does anymore? It's an enjoyable little album

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Elliott Smith - New Moon (2007)

"It's dead and gone, matter of fact,
It may be for the best.
You said some things you can't take back;
Honestly, I guess.

The old records, sitting on the floor.
The ones I can't put on anymore."

"Going Nowhere"

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Tegan and Sara - This Business of Art (2000)

Here's my personal favorite album from indie pop duo Tegan and Sara; this release has a bit more bite than their newer material, meaning it's got a darker feel to it, but it's still the same Tegan and Sara we all know (and love, hopefully)

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Previous Posts:
If It Was You

Get Set Go - Presents Sunshine, Joy, & Happiness: A Tragic Tale of Death, Despair, and Other Silly Nonsense (2008)

Okay, honestly, if you pay any attention to this blog you already know how much I love this band, and have probably already formed your own opinion of them as well, so instead of describing them again I'll just say here's their newest album and the only one I haven't posted; the title alone should push you over the edge into downloading this, but if that's not enough, well, this album has a song about eating people to solve the world's problems, complete with crunching sounds...come on, guys, what are you waiting for

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Previous Posts:
So You've Ruined Your Life
Ordinary World
Selling Out & Going Home

Tegan and Sara - If It Was You (2002)

Most people are at least vaguely familiar with this Canadian indie pop/folk rock duo made up of two lesbian twin sisters (I swear they aren't a gimmick), but if you aren't (or if you want to know them a little better), this album is an excellent place to start; I won't go so far as to say it's their best, but it's most representative of their sound, and I've been listening to it a lot lately; oh, and the song "I Hear Noises" is a total fucking jam, on the level of 'it's worth downloading the album for this song'

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Get Set Go - Ordinary World (2005)

Sorry about the lack of posts; it's been a long, long week

Anyway, I've been meaning to post Get Set Go's other albums for ages, and someone recently requested that I do so as well, so I figured I should get around to doing it; this is their second album, is largely acoustic and folksy, and centers around singer-songwriter Mike TV's battles with drug addiction; it has the wonderfully amusing and insightful lyrics that we can always expect from this band, and the happy-sound-with-depressing-lyrics combo that makes this band either an upper or a downer, depending on what you want them to be

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Previous Posts:
Selling Out & Going Home

Beck - Mutations (1998)

Alright, hold onto your seats, because I'm going to break the unwritten rule of Odelay worship - this is the best Beck album that actually sounds like Beck (ie, the best Beck album that isn't Sea Change); anyone familiar with Beck knows that pigeonholing him into a genre doesn't really work, so I'm not going to bother, and instead will just say that this album has all the influences and styles of his other releases (yes, even Sea Change) culled together to create one sweeping artistic statement that can speak for his entire catalog...folk, hip-hop, alt rock, psychedelia, pop, funk; it's all here, and all in top form

To summarize? This is the perfect Beck album.

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Previous Posts:
Beck and the Flaming Lips - Live at Orpheum Theater

Nada Surf - Let Go (2002)

"I left you a note that said
'come on out, and we'll both get
right off of our heads,
and float up off the chair.'

We'll go on vacation tonight,
under a sun of neon light.
And I almost love this town
when I'm by your side.

You woke me from a long sleep,
and I'm almost back.
I'm closer than ever
to finding the hidden track.

If I told you the truth,
you wouldn't like what I said."

Killian's Red

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The Merrymakers - Bubblegun (1998)

Swedish songwriting duo who made amazingly catchy and rocking powerpop, sorta in the vein of the La's and other britpop acts, but with more of an edge (and, you know, not British); this is their second and apparently last album, and since its release they've been working on producing music instead of making it, which is a shame, because this is a quite a lovely little piece of late-90s sunniness

Big thanks go out to Meghin for cluing me in to this band's existence; also, if anyone knows where I could find their first album and could point me in that direction, I would be a very happy blogger

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Windmill - Epcot Starfields (2009)

Lo-fi, bedroom indietronica from UK-based singer-songwriter Matthew Thomas Dillon, in the vein of acts like Electric President and Radical Face, lots of piano and dreamy melodies; don't miss out on this

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Isaac and Hilltop - Before the Flowers Bloom (2009)

Folksy indie pop by some dudes in Corpus Christi who spend most (read: all) of their time skateboarding, smoking pot, talking in IRC, jerking off and every now and then recording music; their guitarist has bugs crawling out of the trash can in his room

UPDATE: His room is now clean(er)

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Youth Group - Skeleton Jar (2005)

Sydney-based indie pop/alt rock, very chill shit; folksy at times, but also bears (dohoho) some resemblance to Pavement; I guess you could call some of this soft rock if you really wanted to, but don't judge it on that, mmkay

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Get Set Go - Selling Out & Going Home (2007)

This band needs some more fucking attention; they play funny (but not comedy) singer-songwriter-esque alternative rock, perhaps somewhat in the vein of early Weezer but with the nerdiness replaced by choruses like "You look pretty cool / I think I wanna fuck you / I do! I do! I do! / I wanna fuck you hard", but they also have a sweet side, with lines like "You are the song that I sing without knowing the words / you are the song that I sing that no one has heard before"; these guys are one of my favorite bands and it's sad that more people don't know them, so check 'em out

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Harvey Williams - Rebellion (1994)

Short, quiet, and relaxing EP; issued on Sarah Records, this release is not the upbeat and happy kind of music that the word 'twee' tends to imply, but rather it's a touching, piano-driven contemplation of the world that is both melancholic and hopeful

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Eels - Blinking Lights and Other Revelations (2005)

This is, quite simply, a monster of an album; ninety-three minutes of the heartfelt alt rock that we've all come to expect from this band. Despite the length, this is one of the most coherent albums Eels have ever recorded (second only to Electro-Shock Blues, although that could just be because of my personal feelings for that album). According to Mr. E, this album is "[about] God and all the questions related to the subject of God. It's also about hanging on to my remaining shreds of sanity and the blue sky that comes the day after a terrible storm, and it's a love letter to life itself, in all its beautiful, horrible glory." You owe it to yourself to hear this.

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Michael Leviton - My Favorite Place to Drown (2006)

First and (so far) only album from Michael Leviton, a Brooklyn-based ukulele player; this is a very chill and relaxing listen, definitely nice for those downbeat summer days

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PJ Harvey - Dry (1992)

Now an alternative rock legend, PJ Harvey had yet to become a household name when recording and releasing this dirty, grungy, gritty, moody, sexy, dangerous, and totally unforgettable debut album that would prove itself to be easily one of the best records of the '90s; I could go on all day about how fucking great this album is, but just do yourself a favor and listen it

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Various Artists - Nick & Nora's Infinite Playlist Soundtrack (2008)

So after hearing it talked up for weeks by a friend of mine, I finally listened to this soundtrack in its entirety (and read the book), and what do you know, it's pretty good if you're into lovey-dovey indie rock from New York (and if you read this blog you probably are)

Also, if you haven't already, I would recommend making your way to your nearest video rental store (or torrent tracker/Usenet network, if that's how you roll) and watching the movie for an enjoyable little romp through that so-called 'perfect night' of music and love and all that happy horseshit, starring Kat Dennings as Lindsay Weir (aka Nora) and Michael Cera as Michael Cera (aka Nick, aka Anthony Michael Hall in the Breakfast Club)

Yeah that's right Cera, I see through your shit; your chuck taylors and orange tic-tacs can't fool me

Tracklisting:

1. Chris Bell - "Speed of Sound"
2. Devendra Banhart - "Lover"
3. The Jerk Offs - "Screw That Man"
4. Bishop Allen - "Middle Management"
5. Vampire Weekend - "Ottoman"
6. The Dead 60s - "Riot Radio"
7. Takka Takka - "Fever"
8. The Submarines - "Xavia"
9. Project Jenny, Project Jan - "Negative"
10. We are Scientists - "After Hours"
11. Marching Band - "Trust Your Stomach"
12. Band of Horses - "Our Swords"
13. Army Navy - "Silvery Sleds"
14. Richard Hawley - "Baby You're My Light"
15. Shout Out Louds - "Very Loud"
16. Paul Tiernan - "How to Say Goodbye"
17. The Real Tuesday Weld - "Last Words"
18. Mark Mothersbaugh - "Nick & Nora's Theme"
19. Rogue Wave - "Electro-Socket Blues"

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John Frusciante - To Record Only Water for Ten Days (2001)

This is Frusciante's third album, which was released when he started to kick his drug habit and incorporate a lot of electronic and synth-based elements into his unique brand of psychedelic alt rock

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