Far From Noise

You can purchase this mix (or individual songs) from here:

1. Wolf Parade – Language City
   Album: At Mount Zoomer   
   Canadian indie pop have a new record coming out next month.  This little taste is pretty nice.
   
2. The Ting Tings – That’s Not My Name
   Album: We Started Nothing   
   Dance-oriented indie duo from Manchester, England.  I feel bad giving them any coverage since Gossip Girl and iPod have them covered, but I just like this song even though it’s about 2 minutes too long.
   
3. Mates of State – Get Better
   Album: Re-Arrange Us   
   Duo from Kansas with vocal harmonies and minimal pop.  I dare you to not enjoy this song.
   
4. Music Go Music – Light Of Love
   Album: Light of Love   
   If you like ABBA, you’ll love this song.  Another band from Canada fronted by Gala Bell of the band Bodies of Water.
   
5. Rostam Batmanglij – Campus
   This is the original version of a popular song by Vampire Weekend (which I love).  Lot more violins and a lot less afro-beat and guitars.
   
6. Two Sheds – You
   Album: Two Sheds E.P.   
   Indie-folk band out of Sacramento.  Very touching song with an ethereal quality to it.
   
7. Telekinesis! – February 5th 2008
   Telekinesis is Michael Lerner out of Seattle.  No official record yet.  The lyrics in this song spoke to me and I rarely pick songs without guitars in it.  Go piano!
   
8. The Muslims – Extinction
   Album: The Muslims
   San Diego punk-infused quartet.  Just love the simplicity and the fact that they remind me of early punk. (Update: This band changed its name to Soft Pack.)
   
9. Langhorne Slim – Spinning Compass
   Album: Langhorne Slim   
   Folk and blues sound from a Pennsylvania native.  This particular song has a nice upbeat feel that makes me smile when I hear it.
   
10. Eef Barzelay – I Love The Unknown
    Album: Lose Big   
    Nashville based alt-country singer/songwriter. These lyrics are especially meaningful to me.  So true.
    
11. P.O.D. – Tell Me Why
    Album: When Angels and Serpents Dance   
    Don’t be fooled by this acoustic anti-war song.  This is still an alt-metal band.  I wouldn’t buy this CD but I would buy this one song.
    
12. Spoon – All I Got Is Me
    Album: Don’t You Evah   
    Indie punk group that hails from Austin, Texas.  Their last record was fantastic and then they released the single “Don’t You Evah.”  This song would be considered the b-side of that single and is not on the last full album.
    

You can purchase this mix (or individual songs) from here:

1. The Airborne Toxic Event – Sometime Around Midnight
   Album: The Airborne Toxic Event   
   Random find through Filter.  I just really like the lead singer’s voice and they have a solid sound.  Apparently they are from Los Feliz down near LA.
   
2. Mezzanine Owls – Drift
   Album: Mezzanine Owls   
   I really need to start writing down where I find these bands.  They are out of LA too and they kind of remind me of the Jesus and Mary Chain.
   
3. Jason Collett – Out of Time
   Album: Here’s to Being Here   
   Singer/songwriter out of Toronto.  Was involved with Broken Social Scene.  Just a fun, simple song.
   
4. Kevin Ayers – Cold Shoulder
   Album: The Unfairground   
   Formed Soft Machine in the 60′s before embarking on a solo career.  Has dropped off the map several times and recently resurfaced.  This song has a haunting feel to it and was the only one I liked on his new CD.
   
5. We Are Scientists – Let’s See It
   Album: Brain Thrust Mastery   
   Brooklyn-based indie rock trio (now duo).  This record is way more commercial than their previous releases, but that never stopped me from liking a record before.
   
6. DeVotchKa – Transliterator
   Album: A Mad and Faithful Telling   
   Gypsy-like quartet from Denver that got famous for the soundtrack to Little Miss Sunshine.  The record on whole is a little too eastern for my tastes, but I like this song.
   
7. The Dodos – Park Song
   Album: Visiter   
   San Francisco band described as “country-blues fingerpicking meets West African Ewe drumming meets metal meets indie pop.”  The song I picked is the least complicated on the record but I recommend giving them a listen.
   
8. Electrocute – On The Beat
   Album: On The Beat EP   
   Can you say bubble-gum pop?  Exact opposite to the prior song.  Electronic pop band out of Berlin.
   
9. The Long Blondes – Guilt
   Album: Couples   
   Sheffield, England five-piece band.  They sound like Blondie mixed with Franz Ferdinand.
   
10. Foxboro Hot Tubs – Ruby Room
    Album: Stop Drop And Roll!!!   
    This is Green Day‘s side project.  Straight up garage band reminiscent of The Kinks.  Keep your eye on local venues, they just played at the tiny Stork here in Oakland and they will again.
    
11. Islands – The Arm
    Album: Arm’s Way   
    Canadian neo-psychedelic indie pop.  Now I’m just putting words next to each other.  These guys have come a long way from their formulaic sound I heard two years ago.
    
12. Carolina Liar – Coming To Terms
    Album: Coming To Terms   
    I feel bad giving this band extra coverage since The Hills have played 4 songs off this album, but I really like this sound.  Unfortunately, that formulaic sound I mentioned for Islands is way prominent on this record.  All the songs blend together, but that doesn’t mean you can’t listen to just one song and appreciate the sound.
    

I’m really excited about the mix this week.  I think there is some really good stuff in here and a good mixture of well known bands with new music and just some bands I never even heard of until now.  Hope you enjoy.
You can purchase this mix (or individual songs) from here:

1. The Botticellis – Up Against The Glass
   Album: Old Home Movies   
   Local SF band that supposedly lives in Outer Richmond.  From Rhapsody: “Fragile surf guitars and airy vocals inhabit plaintive songs of loss.”
   
2. The Republic Tigers – Buildings & Mountains
   Album: Keep Color   
   Kansas City rock band that makes me think of Enigma and Gomez combined. Someone else said “Catchy Postal Service beats combined with whimsical Shins-like singing.”
   
3. The Last Shadow Puppets – The Age of the Understatement
   Album: Age of the Understatement   
   You might recognize the lead singer from the Arctic Monkeys. The baroque rock sound is inspired by Scott Walker and David Bowie. Very theatrical.
   
4. Coldplay – Violet Hill
   Album: Viva la Vida   
   I don’t even like Coldplay that much, but this new single is really good.  Sounds like they finally got angry about something instead of just sad.
   
5. Weezer – Pork and Beans
   Album: Weezer (Red Album)   
   Classic Weezer with a catchy song about not wanting to write a catchy song.
   
6. Lily Allen – The Fear
   Album: It’s Not Me, It’s You   
   Something about her voice just gets me…and it doesn’t hurt that the song has a great beat.
   
7. Clinic – Corpus Christi
   Album: Do It!   
   Post-punk sound from Liverpool.  Here is a description from allmusic.com: “cryptically dour art-punk/psych/soul/folk niche.”
   
8. Low vs Diamond – Song We Sang Away
   Album: Low vs Diamond   
   Straight up LA rock band.  Something really pure about their sound to me.
   
9. The Whip – Muzzle #1
   Album: X Marks Destination   
   A dance-rock act from Manchester, England.  Good mix of electronic and a guitar. FYI this particular track is off the UK import.
   
10. The Kills – U.R.A. Fever
    Album: Midnight Boom   
    Bluesy-punk duo based out of London.  Reminds me of a stripped-down version of Garbage with an interesting use of sounds.  Highly recommend the whole album.
    
11. Crystal Castles – Crimewave
    Album: Crystal Castles   
    Low-res electronic meets Atari and the duo hails from Toronto.  Most of their music is a little harsh for me, but this gem is a great dance track.
    
12. Jaymay – Gray or Blue
    Album: Autumn Fallin’   
    Singer/songwriter out of New York.  Heartfelt voice with clever lyrics.
    

I apologize ahead of time for the eclectic nature.  This one is all over the place with some dance, hip-hop, classic rock, and indie rock all mixed together.  It’s a bit jarring.
You can purchase this mix (or individual songs) from here:

1. Lykke Li – I’m Good, I’m Gone
   Album: Youth Novels   
   Swedish indie pop artist that got famous thanks to myspace.
   
2. CSS – Rat Is Dead (Rage)
   Album: Donkey   
   Brazil dance-rock band. You can download this through their website.
   
3. Old 97′s – Dance With Me
   Album: Blame It On Gravity   
   Considered an alternative country sound and they hail from Dallas.
   
4. The Morning Benders – Damnit Anna
   Album: Talking Through Tin Cans   
   Local Berkeley band.  I’ll steal someone else’s description of their record “’60s feel-good summer pop with uplifting melodies about heartbreak.”
   
5. Elvis Costello & the Imposters – Go Away
   Album: Momofuku   
   This new record is getting a lot of good reviews for its focused nature.  Apparently it was put together in a relatively short time frame compared to past releases from Costello.
   
6. Santogold – You’ll Find A Way
   Album: Santogold   
   This record has been talked about for over a month now and I finally got to listen to it.  Very good sound.  Feels new all the way through.  One reviewer quote: “pulls equally from dub, pop-punk, hip-hop, electro, and rock.”
   
7. Robyn – Cobrastyle
   Album: Robyn   
   Another Swedish artist.  This was released in Britain last year and it just now had it’s US release.  I like it just because I really like the original from the Teddybears.  I doubt I would ever buy the whole CD.
   
8. Mindless Self Indulgence – Evening Wear
   Album: If   
   New York City-based punk/industrial/hip-hop group.  It’s a bit hardcore for my tastes, but I like when bands can blend different genres…like Linkin Park.
   
9. Mudcrutch – Shady Grove
   Album: Mudcrutch   
   People are really excited about Tom Petty bringing this band back together and the record is a good classic rock album.
   
10. Jamie Lidell – Out Of My System
    Album: Jim   
    British electronica producer that is now making songs that you would expect to find on the local oldies station.  I think this movement is being called neo-soul.  The whole record is pretty good.
    
11. Cut Copy – Lights & Music
    Album: In Ghost Colours   
    Australian indie electronic. Good dance record all the way through.
    
12. The Matches – Yankee In A Chip Shop
    Album: A Band in Hope   
    Oakland pop-punk.  Their new release is getting slammed for being all over the place and not sounding like their previous records.  The new single “Wake the Sun” is super catchy but it sounds like some other band so I opted for this one instead.