Far From Noise

Sorry for the long hiatus. First it was a birthday bbq. Then it was a motorcycle accident. I know, excuses, excuses. Moving on.
This first mix back is a little dated. Lots of LPs that came out earlier this year, but at least they are still within 2008. Going to start dancing, then move into rocking, and finally mellow out at the end.
You can purchase this mix (or individual songs) from here:

1. Benji Hughes – Why Do These Parties Always End The Same Way?
   From: Charlotte, NC
   Album: A Love Extreme   
   He reminds me of a mellow version of Beck. He has a very poetic style to lyrics and his voice makes it sound like he doesn’t really care about singing. And you gotta love his beard. I recommend giving his latest double CD release a full listen.
   
2. Ne-Yo – Miss Independent
   From: Camden, AR
   Album: Year of the Gentleman   
   Since I don’t listen to a lot of R&B, I’m not really sure what to say about this song except that I like it. His smooth voice and the staccato style of the drums and keyboard just blends well.
   
3. 3OH!3 – Starstrukk
   From: Boulder, CO
   Album: Want   
   A fun sophomoric song. Sometimes I’m just easily amused. There is also something about two white guys from Colorado that pull off the confrontational rap sound. The name is in reference to the area code they hail from, 303. You can expect more of the same from the entire album.
   
4. Atmosphere – You
   From: Minneapolis, MN
   Album: When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold   
   You can tell by the release date that this album has been around for awhile. It’s gotten a lot of rave reviews but I was having trouble finding anything I really liked on it. But the law of repetition finally got this song stuck in my head thanks to all their appearances on late night talk shows.
   
5. Jay Reatard – I Know A Place
   From: Memphis, TN
   Album: Singles 06-07   
   Jay Reatard’s sound is very popular on the music blogs. Apparently he has been strictly making singles for quite awhile now and releasing them as compilations. Heavy Pixies influences in this song which you may know from previous posts is an easy way to suck me in.
   
6. Be Your Own Pet – The Kelly Affair
   From: Nashville, TN
   Album: Get Awkward   
   Great mix of punk and beach party fun. The whole record has the same high energy. Give it a listen if you can.
   
7. The Subways – All Or Nothing
   From: England
   Album: All Or Nothing   
   I’m running out of things to say. It must be late. Just a fun song.
   
8. Oxford Collapse – Children’s Crusade
   From: Brooklyn, NY
   Album: Bits   
   I posted a track from these guys awhile back from their EP out earlier this year. They now have a full CD out and not much has changed. Still the same off-key garage rock sound.
   
9. Franz Ferdinand – Lucid Dreams
   From: Glasgow, Scotland
   Album: Tonight: Franz Ferdinand   
   I love this band due to an amazing live performance and the fact that I love all bands from Scotland, however, this new single is rather banal. Nothing new going on. Let’s hope they get some better material for the new CD,Tonight: Franz Ferdinand, due out early next year.
   
10. Ximena Sariñana – La Tina
    From: Mexico
    Album: Mediocre   
    A lot of unusual sounds used in this song and overall it has a reserved feel to it. The chorus is a little too poppy for me, but I like the track as a whole.
    
11. Meiko – Piano Song
    From: Roberta, GA
    Album: Meiko   
    Came across her on some late night talk show singing her other popular song, “Boys with Girlfriends“, which cracked me up for the ridiculous honesty behind it. This song is a little less campy and has some nice harmonies.
    
12. The M’s – Naked
    From: Chicago, IL
    Album: Real Close Ones   
    This song reminds me of “Coconut” by Harry Nilsson which I only know thanks to Quentin Tarantino putting it on the “Reservoir Dogs” soundtrack. Cute lyrics, especially when they tell you it’s creepy to be naked alone.