Yesterday, I was thinking about what I was going to post today, and I had a little difficulty coming up with the five songs that I wanted to share. I decided to ask my fellow twitterati what they thought I should post, and I got several excellent suggestions; three of which I am actually going to feature today! Let’s get started! (Note: I think every song has a bad word or two in it, so don’t blast these at work unless you don’t care; just wanted to give the heads up)
The Swell Season – In These Arms
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_94_theswellseason-inthesearms.mp3]
This suggestion comes from my friend John, who caused immense excitement for me yesterday, when he messaged me that The Swell Season’s new single is already out (a fact that I was unaware of). John and I watched Once together a couple of years ago after the Oscars, and both of us agreed at that time that Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova (together, outside of the context of the movie, they go by The Swell Season) are downright brilliant actors and musicians. As for the new single, after 10 seconds of the 30 second preview, I knew that I was going to love this song, and it has not let me down. If this amazing first single is any indication of what we can expect from Oscar winning duo Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova (they won an Oscar for the song, Falling Slowly from Once), their new album will definitely be amongst my favorite albums of 2009. I’m glad that there is more coming from this incredibly talented music duo in the very near future, and a big thanks to John for bringing the fact that this song was already out, to my attention.
Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse – Revenge (feat. Wayne Coyne)
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_94_dangermouse-revenge.mp3]
This suggestion comes from my friend Brian. This track comes from an audio/visual collaborative project, helmed by Danger Mouse, called Dark Night Of The Soul. I love the John Lennon-esque vibe of the track, and the way it pays heavy tribute to Pink Floyd with the arrangement. The artistry of this song is beautiful, and it only adds to Danger Mouse’s incredible production range; his work spans from trend setting hip-hop teetering on the alternative, all of the way out to rock and roll. It seems whatever he’s up to, it’s something that is going to be at a minimum, innovative and interesting. A big thanks goes to Brian for pointing out this excellent suggestion!
Mew – Beach
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_94_mew-beach.mp3]
This suggestion comes from my friend Cody. The first time I heard this song, I found it to lean towards being a bit bouncy and unmanageable, but the more I listen to it, the more I hear the brilliance in it. The song is fantastic, and like a bucking bronco, refuses to stay still and let you reign it in. I love the backing synth, that reminds me of the ethereal quality of m83, and especially love the way they paired it with the sweet and tender vocals; together, they round out the package quite nicely, making for an amazing pop-rock track. I love arrangement, which sounds like it would be the perfect soundtrack for driving country roads with the top down. A big thanks goes to Cody for the amazing suggestion!!
Esmee Denters – Outta Here
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_94_esmeedenters-outtahere.mp3]
There is a lot of good music that comes out of the UK, and it never ceases to amaze me how much of it is completely overlooked by people in this country. This song was in the top ten on iTunes UK, and I had never even heard it before I stumbled onto it last night. After one listen, I sat there wishing it was songs like this that were dominating our radio airwaves, instead of songs from other tweens like Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus. This song has a banging beat, and a lot of energy. Esmee’s vocals are powerful, and a welcome addition to the “tween scene”; that is, if she can actually successfully cross the pond. The way I look at it, for each annoying track from Taylor Swift, if we could get a fantastic one like this one, there would be balance in the world. Turns out Esmee was a youtube star that Justin Timberlake caught wind of, and got her a record deal; maybe that’s enough for her to make it here. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
Alexisonfire – This Could Be Anywhere in The World
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_94_alexisonfire-thiscouldbeanywhere.mp3]
I will start by saying that I have never been a fan of post-hardcore shout rock, and I have never seen any value in it (I don’t get the screaming). However, as many of you know, one of my favorite singers of all time, Dallas Green, actually plays in a post-hardcore band, Alexisonfire. Since I love his side acoustic project, City and Colour, so much, curiosity eventually got the better of me, and I wanted to see if I could find any Alexisonfire that I would like as well (my philosophy was, more Dallas is a good thing). With the release of their new album, Old Crows/Young Cardinals, I ended up finding one track that I liked right off, but still stood firm in believing that I probably wouldn’t listen to them, as they “weren’t my cup of tea”. Well, apparently, that has changed. I ended up FINALLY giving the rest of the album a listen, and I actually REALLY liked what I heard. It was then when I went back to see if I would like some of their older stuff, and I found this song, which is perhaps my favorite Alexisonfire track of all. I love the energy, and the way that Dallas’ voice soars during the chorus. I may never give shout rock as much of a chance as I did with Alexisonfire, but I can definitely say that I am glad I was able to overcome my initial skepticism, and given them a chance.
Well there’s your five songs for this Friday. Let this be a lesson; suggestions are more than welcome and many times, they will find their way into a 5SF of the future! So, let me know what you think of this week’s selections, and tell me what you are listening to as well. Finally, I want to extend another thank you to my twitter friends for hooking me up with three of these five fine selections. Now… let’s go enjoy a 3 day weekend, shall we?!
Holy song of the summer, Batman! Seriously, this one is going to make the hot months much more bearable. I have posted about the Gossip in the past, because I absolutely love the unique and powerful voice of the amazing Beth Ditto. Well, they released their newest album, Music For Men, this week, and so far, this is my favorite track on the album. This song is almost impossible not to dance and sing to; I love the tribal drumming and sticky sweet backing synth. I LOVE the crescendo the song grows to at about 1:25 in; it is epic!
Another free song offered on the UK iTunes, I Go I Go I Go is a fresh, and hip dance rock track for summer as well. It really reminds me of awesome bands like Vampire Weekend, and even the Lightning Seeds. This track is as fresh as recently laid out produce, and I have been loving it more and more with each listen. I LOVE when I find random, awesome tracks like this. Thanks UK iTunes (even though I couldn’t buy it/get it for free like the other UKers)!
This one is a “discovered while my ipod was running on shuffle” track. I added Safetysuit’s album, Life Left To Go, a while ago, but I hadn’t gotten around to a real listen. This track really stood out to me during the shuffle, and hearing talent like this really confuses me even more why people still love bands like Nickelback. If you like their “style”, Safetysuit is doing it, only better, and without the repetition (admit it, all of Nickelback’s songs are the same!! Stop the madness people!). I, for one, am glad that I found Safetysuit, and this great track (which really reminds me of what I LOVE about Our Lady Peace; the story telling, unique male vocals, and blaring distorted guitars). I only wish Safetysuit were getting the publicity that NB is.
I’m going to be totally honest: I didn’t care very much that he was even in the top 10 on American Idol. Yes, I thought he could sing beautifully, but since he wasn’t a “front runner” in my eyes, it was easy for me to ignore him. However, being that I definitely think AI has gained a really credible means of spotting true talent over the seasons, I wanted to check out his release when I saw it on iTunes earlier this week. Well, this song, the first track off of the album, has all of the vocal grittiness of Daughtry, with a tendency to lean more towards a Take That style (not to mention that it sounds A LOT like their amazing track, Rule the World). Overall, if for no other reason that I found this great track, I’m glad that I gave Michael another chance. 
At this point, there really shouldn’t be any surprise to any of you how deep my love for Dallas Green (aka City and Colour) runs. Be that as it may, Dallas sings in Alexisonfire, a post-hardcore band, which, I have to say, is NOT my cup of tea. After hearing City and Colour, it is almost a shock that Dallas is even a driving force in Alexisonfire at all. However, they released a new album this week, and with the last track on the album, Dallas injected a MAJOR dose of his folk sensibility into the record, and I couldn’t be more elated, as it is a gorgeous song. I’m glad that Dallas tenderized at least one track on the album, because it gives folk lovers like me a chance to love something about a band that I probably wouldn’t otherwise listen to.
And finally… the moment you’ve all been waiting for, my number one album of 2008, by a landslide, is City and Colour’s amazing sophomore album, 
From the first sweet guitar chords of this album, through the tales of love, loss, and heartbreak, I was entranced by the sheer beauty in each song. Dallas Green (get it, a city, and a color? genius!) has an amazing quality with song writing, in that he completely wraps his heart around an emotion, and expresses it in such beautiful prose that I can really feel each break in his heart. Dallas’ stripped down acoustic style, accompanied by his incredibly beautiful and soothing voice really take each one of these songs to a level of mastery that I haven’t seen by many artists; both this year, and in my lifetime. With no facetiousness in this statement at all, I can say that Dallas Green has made a life long fan out of me with this album, and after becoming acquainted with his debut album under the name of City and Colour, I have definitely found someone that I would consider a favorite artist of mine; there aren’t many artists that I feel compelled to get everything they put out (demos, live tracks, bonuses, etc.), and City and Colour is definitely one of those very, very few. (thank GOD he is intent on using outlets like iTunes to churn these out, and I can easily get my hands on them!)
Wow. You know what, I’m going to say that again; Wow. This song is amazing. Beautiful, thoughtful, powerful, peaceful, and again, amazing. I have been listening to the City and Colour CD for a while now, and for whatever reason, this song just hit me like a brick wall the other day. It reminds me of How My Heart Behaves by Feist, and when that one hit me when it did. Powerful. This song is one of the most amazingly beautiful songs that I have heard in a long time, and it is proof positive of why City and Colour’s 2008 release Bring Me Your Love is a solid 5 star album, and that it will definitely find itself amongst my top records of the year. I am seeing him with Tegan and Sara in a month, and I cannot freaking wait. The rest of the CD is great too, so make sure you do yourself a favor and get it now!
I posted a track by the Infadels a few weeks ago, which I randomly found on a indie playlist. After listening to that song, and getting into it, I snagged the record, and after several listens, I have been introduced into a fabulous record. This song comes from another one of the solidly 4 star rated albums that are sure to be amongst my top records of the year. These guys remind me a lot of the Kaiser Chiefs, yet with their own pop edge, kind of like Melee (a smidge). Either way, I have really enjoyed getting to know this record, and I am glad that I stumbled on this random find. This is probably my favorite track on the record; that chorus is just massive, and I can’t get enough! “Our love’s so good… yeah, it’s chemical…” you know what, so is this song!!!!!
After falling HARD for the first single, Not A Love Song, I pre-ordered this album, eager to hear what else Uh Huh Her was sure to dazzle me with. A week before it was released, they streamed the record online, and it was great; my anticipation only increased. However, when I got it, I was not really in the mood for it or whatever, so I didn’t really get into it as much as I had hoped. Well, that all changed with each new listen. This record is crafted masterfully, and each song is so well written and woven together with melody and beat that it really creates a beautiful music landscape for you to enjoy; again, and again. This is one of my favorite songs from the record, and it is one of those songs that really sticks to your ribs; you will be singing that chorus over and over hours after you hear it. The best part, is each time I hear this album, I love it more; it is a solid 5 star record, and I am glad that it has grown on me as much as it has. I love their writing style, lyrically, as well as how they craft their sound. This is definitely a group to check out if you haven’t done so already… one of the best records of ’08 people!
This track is a recent “leak” from Jon McLaughlin’s upcoming release Ok Now, which I am EAGERLY anticipating. I LOVED his last CD, Indiana, even ranking it amongst my 
This track is one of those tracks that I heard quite a while ago, and instantly fell in love with. However, after not hearing anything substantial about a release from the artist over a long period of time, I naturally forgot about how much I enjoyed this track; as I often, unfortunately do with singles. Well, some recent buzz I have seen on the internets about Isabel made me go back and give this one a listen (as well as some of her other stuff), and low and behold, this song is just as good this go ’round. I really, really hope to see a full CD release from her, because this song is amazing (read A-M-A-Z-I-N-G), and I can’t wait to see what else she can do. I have been, and definitely will be, listening to this love song on repeat!
I actually stumbled upon Jamie’s new record JIM by accident; the cover looked interesting, so I downloaded it. I wasn’t expecting to hear what I did, however, because this guy has a ton of talent. There are jazzy, hip-hop influenced, and even soulful bluesy songs littered throughout his record. His voice reminds me a lot of Marc Broussard, but with a touch of Jay Kay from Jamiroquai mixed in. In fact, there are a couple of songs that sound like they were influenced by Jamiroquai, and they are fun, and well executed. Overall, the record is a great listen, and this is my favorite song from it. 
I seriously cannot get enough of this song. I randomly looked up something else (I can’t even remember what), and I saw a mention of Uh Huh Her, and how it was Leisha Hailey’s new band. Well, I LOVE her on the L Word, so I had to see what the buzz was about. What I found was a fantastic song, and upon listening to their previously released EP, I found a band that I am definitely interesting in getting to know more. This song is interesting, because of the distortion that they used with the synthesizers, it’s almost a little eighties, but at the same time, it isn’t. I can’t explain it. All I know is that I fucking LOVE this song, and I am having to stop myself from pressing repeat every time it comes up on my ipod. I cannot wait for their CD release, which is only a short time away; August 19th. 
I am very pleased to feature another out gay artist today (Leisha Hailey of Uh Huh Her is an out lesbian), especially being that it is Shortbus star Jay Brannan. After seeing Shortbus, I heard that Jay was a musician, and even heard a few songs by him, but nothing substantial was released until recently. His recently released CD goddamned is out on iTunes as of a week or so ago, and this song, which is the first on the CD, has me CAPTIVATED. I love the simplicity of the rhythm, and I love his tender and sincere voice. This song is great not only because it sounds great, but because of the realization that he can’t have it all, and the frustration from that he explores in the lyrics. Just a note for those of you listening at work, he does say fuck a few times in the song, so just be aware of that, okay? Man, I love this song.