| Date | Artist | Title | Comment | Info... |
|---|
| Aug 06 | Siouxsie & the Banshees | "Halloween" | I've been listening to a lot of Siouxsie lately. When she's on she (and the Banshees) really do something quite unique. | More | Hear |
| Jul 22 | Black Heart Procession | "Tropics of Love" | My sentient iPod played this track from San Diego-based BHP just as I drove into San Diego last night. Brilliant. And this song is super cool. Groovy, even, and a bit creepy. | More | Hear |
| Jul 13 | Duran Duran | "Someone Else Not Me" | Not the greatest DD song, by any stretch, but features a lovely pre-chorus and the wonderfully simple lyric 'and it's love that's real, like a flower loves a bee.' | More | Hear |
| Jul 12 | Queen | "Brighton Rock" | I'm often reminded of this song when I'm hanging out near the ocean, and today is no exception. | More | Hear |
| Jul 07 | Iron Maiden | "2 Minutes to Midnight" | This is the most recent song my screenless 30gb iPod shuffle played for me and I'm sorry to have to tell you this: it freakin' rocks. End of story. | More | Hear |
| Jul 05 | Radiohead | "Lull" | For some reason this song has been firmly stuck in my head for the past few weeks. I haven't heard it in years, and yet there it is. Must mean something. | More | Hear |
| Jun 30 | Cheap Trick | "World's Greatest Lover" | PK and I went to the Hollywood Bowl to see Cheap Trick perform Sgt. Pepper's in its entirety and the band snuck this original tune in, to great effect. | More | Hear |
| Jun 26 | Morrissey | "Moon River" | As I flew into Newport News airport today, this was the last song my iPod favored me with before I had to shut down my approved electronic device. It seemed such a perfect way to descend into the south. | More | Hear |
| Jun 24 | Death Cab For Cutie | "Grapevine Fires" | Saw Death Cab last night at the Nokia. Great show, and this song was the first of what would be many great moments. Even despite a commotion due to Andy Samberg being in the wrong seat in our row. | More | Hear |
| Jun 23 | Fatima Mansions | "The Day I Lost Everything" | Sometimes you forget to listen to one of your favorite bands for a while, then you get the pleasure of hearing them all over again unexpectedly. Unrequited genius here. | More | Hear |
| Jun 14 | Sinead O'Connor | "Troy" | Very few artists have jumped the shark with such dexterity and ambition as poor, confused Sinead. Her downfall is so notable that it's easy to forget how effing brilliant her debut was. Fierce, original, catchy, and jarring. | More | Hear |
| Jun 10 | My Morning Jacket | "Touch Me I'm Going to Scream, Pt. 2" | Evil Urges is out today and I - ahem - urge you all to check it out. It's a great record in the tradition of swaggery yet classy classic rock. Diggin' it. | More | Hear |
| Jun 05 | Beirut | "Nantes" | PK and I saw Beirut on Friday night and liked it so much we went back for the second show on Saturday. It was great to see a band with no amps on stage and also just a bunch of great musicians playing great music and really enjoying it. | More | Hear |
| May 31 | Scott Walker | "Track Six" | This is from the album where Scott Walker started getting out there. I don't recommend it unequivocally, but I post it here in honor of my 6th anniversary. :o) | More | Hear |
| May 28 | Tom Waits | "You Can Never Hold Back Spring" | A lot of people like TW for his carnival-barker-style songs, but what kills me are some of his ballads. This is no 'Alice,' but it's a pretty little tune, nonetheless. | More | Hear |
| May 26 | Ennio Morricone | "Ruba Al Prossimo Tuo (seq.10)" | It's been a while since I posted one from Ennio. Found this track today and am amused by its use of a disgruntled woman as an instrument. | More | Hear |
| May 23 | Daryll-Ann | "Trailer Tails" | This lovely little song is from a Dutch band I learned about out WMBR years ago. The album of the same name is a bit of a departure for them, but I find it to be excellent. | More | Hear |
| May 21 | Manic Street Preachers | "The Everlasting" | This achingly beautiful song came up in an office lobby yesterday, evidently part of their Muzak system. PK & I were flabbergasted, and hearing a great song in that context was, well, refreshing. | More | Hear |
| May 19 | Everly Brothers | "It's All Over" | The Everly Brothers were shockingly good at sadness. What happened to them in their lives? This song is simply perfect. | More | Hear |
| May 15 | Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds | "We Call Upon the Author" | I have mixed feeling about the new Bad Seeds record, but it definitely doesn't stink. This track features one of my favorite Cave lyrics in a long time; funny, biting, and unusual. Anyone who hates Bukowski is ok in my book. | More | Hear |
| May 13 | Kristin Hersh | "The Letter" | Logical follow-up to the last song, this one is more haunting and more spare, also by one of my favorites. P.S. keep them coming... | More | Hear |
| May 09 | Black Heart Procession | "The Letter" | BHP has a strange hold on me. I mostly like their dirgy stuff, but the last two albums have been slightly peppier, to good effect. This song from The Spell is grabbing me today. I think I'll play it again, in fact... | More | Hear |
| May 08 | Morrissey | "Angel, Angel, Down We Go Together" | I've always loved this song from Viva Hate and I put the record on today to find my love in no way diminished. The lyrics, the strings... poor Mozz just can't do it like this any more. | More | Hear |
| May 06 | Sparks | "This Town Ain't Big Enough For the Two o" | I finally bought a copy of Kimono My House, which I'd been listening to illegally for a few months. Great record, and this song is the one that is ruling me right now. | More | Hear |
| May 02 | The Weisstronauts | "Fisticuffs" | The opening track from the new CD really sets the tone. This record rocks, and may just be the best 'Nauts album yet! | More | Hear |
| Apr 23 | My Morning Jacket | "Thank You Too" | I have mixed feelings about MMJ, as sometimes they're great, sometimes ponderously dull. This song, however, is perfect. The lyrics, the melody, the way they hang on that major seventh on the second line of the chorus. It's just great. | More | Hear |
| Apr 14 | The Pixies | "Is She Weird" | Great track from a great band. There is nothing more to say. | More | Hear |
| Apr 11 | Thundermug | "We'll Never Forget" | TD introduced me to this Canadian 70s rock band, and I'm really liking it! It's big and dumb sometimes, but a bit adventurous other times. And, what a name! | More | Hear |
| Apr 02 | Tom Waits | "In the Neighborhood" | There are no shortage of great Tom Waits songs, but this may be one of the finest, trumped only, perhaps, by Innocent When You Dream & Alice. Check it. | More | Hear |
| Mar 23 | U2 | "The Three Sunrises" | I got burned out on U2 in the 90s, but every now and then it's good to be reminded of why they were great. I always loved this track in particular. | More | Hear |
| Mar 15 | The First Class | "Beach Baby" | Found this one on a great music blog, and it's a cool Beach Boys-meets-ELO tune, with an indulgent number of movements. Fun stuff. | More | Hear |
| Mar 13 | The Cramps | "Bikini Girls with Machine Guns" | Other than its title, this is by no means a 'great' song, but it's fun and for me, it's very evocative of a time and a place. It reminds me of my summer job and WFNX's revolutionizing of what people expected of radio. That revolution, btw, failed. | More | Hear |
| Mar 11 | Great Lakes Myth Society | "She's Come Home To Steal Her Rainbows" | One of my favorite bands has released a free-download single, and I heartily recommend that you all go grab it NOW! Catchy, textured pop from the mitten's finest. | More | Hear |
| Mar 06 | Nick Cave | "Up Jumped the Devil" | One of Nick's best evil moments, from the flawless Tender Prey album. This is vaudeville rock at its finest. | More | Hear |
| Mar 04 | Badfinger | "Carry On Til Tomorrow" | Beautiful song. Outstanding string arrangement. This tragic band is grossly underrated. | More | Hear |
| Feb 28 | The Skids | "The Saints Are Coming" | Some Clash-inspired punk from one of the lesser bands of the day. I've always really liked this song, and finally picked up the band's debut album, Scared To Dance. Mostly very good. | More | Hear |
| Feb 25 | Wilco | "On And On And On" | This is one of those achingly good songs that strikes a chord. It's so good in that way that sometimes I have to skip it. Damn. | More | Hear |
| Feb 24 | The Decemberists | "The Mariner's Revenge Song" | I can't believe it's taken me this long to pick this band as my SOTD. On par with Calexico, one of the best new bands I've come across in the past few years. This song is demented, brilliant, and fun. From their flawless Picaresque album. | More | Hear |
| Feb 23 | Duran Duran | "Notorious" | I've always had an affection for this song. My first band played it at our horrid all-night Fanueil Hall bar shows. I love the harmony vocals on the chorus and Simon's voice was at its best during this period. Good times. | More | Hear |
| Feb 22 | Chris Walla | "Everyone Needs A Home" | Got this Death Cab guy's solo record and the jury is still out. The whole thing sounds great, and the songs are mostly good, though melodically a little, well, reserved. This song definitely stands out, though. Check it out. | More | Hear |
| Feb 21 | Rooftop Suicide Club | "Fuck Your Rock and Roll Song" | Once again, Haskell & Co. pretty well narrate my life story. This is a great band, and their new EP is fabulous and can be listened to on their site (link below). | More | Hear |
| Jan 28 | Thomas & Richard Frost | "Gotta Find A New Place To Stay" | Found out about these guys a few years ago and this album (Visualize) is one that I always come back to. It's full of great psych-pop, and this song is one of the standouts. | More | Hear |
| Jan 03 | AC/DC | "Live Wire" | Been checking out a bunch of bootlegs from the 70s lately, and this is the band that started it all for me. At their prime they were a force to be reckoned with. So earnest in their sleaziness. And so good. | More | Hear |
| Dec 26 | Simon and Garfunkel | "Fakin' It" | Bookends was one of those pivotal albums in my life. I was given a copy by my grandmother because it was laying around the house, and it was a very important chisel that helped to break down my formative wall of hard rock. I listened to it constant | More | Hear |
| Dec 15 | Big Country | "Harvest Home" | See blog. | More | Hear |
| Dec 13 | Manic Street Preachers | "Christmas Ghost" | The Manics, who, as I have mentioned, are flagging a bit at this point in their career, have kindly bestowed upon us a free holiday single this year, and it's a catchy, Slade-esque number. I like it. | More | Hear |
| Dec 12 | Ennio Morricone | "Immagini Del Tempo" | Yet another gem from the Maestro. This time it's L'Alibi, a film from the same year as Once Upon a Time in the West. This man was unstoppable in the 60s and 70s. | More | Hear |
| Dec 02 | Duran Duran | "Box Full Of Honey" | Another new Duran Duran album, another set of disappointments in their relentless clutching at trendiness. The best moments are the ones that don't seem tied to any style other than that of, say, Duran Duran. This song is a shining example. | More | Hear |
| Nov 26 | The Smiths | "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out" | Sitting at home, enjoying an ad-hoc playlist of all the songs/bands/albums in my iTunes with the word queen in them, and this song came up. It's simply beautiful. Definitely one of Marr's best, and Mozz's for that matter. | More | Hear |
| Nov 21 | Big Country | "In A Big Country" | This song - and in fact this band - is far better than it may have seemed back in 1983. Most of the lyrics are great, the melody is pretty unstoppable and there are some clever chord choices here and there. Been thinking a lot about poor Stu lately | More | Hear |
| Nov 20 | Judas Priest | "Heavy Duty" | Ok, so I'm on a hard rock kick; what of it? I've been re-living some moments of my youth and experiencing some new moments as well. With this song, I'm harboring a demented wish to have the PKO cover it, strings and all. The idea of PK screaming " | More | Hear |
| Nov 16 | Thin Lizzy | "Honesty Is No Excuse" | Years before Jailbreak and Boys Are Back in Town, Phil Lynott was expressing himself by way of odd, rambling orchestrated folk songs. This is one of my favorites and it kicks ass in its own quiet way. | More | Hear |
| Nov 10 | Aerosmith | "Write Me" | Just downloaded this vintage Aerosmith concert from 1975, Central Park. Really serves as a bold reminder of what a great band they were in their prime and also how far they've fallen. Yeah, yeah, monster hits, blah blah blah. This band used to be c | More | Hear |
| Nov 05 | The Beach Boys | "You Need a Mess of Help to Stand Alone" | From the underrated Carl and the Passions album, this song hit me the other day while driving up to Malibu. It's got a real gritty production to it and, dare I say, rocks. | More | Hear |
| Nov 02 | Jeff Tweedy | "Candy Floss" | Some kind soul hooked me up with an intimate solo set and it is full of great versions of Wilco standards. This one stood out today. | More | Hear |
| Oct 25 | Frank Black | "Radio Lizards" | Just picked up this odd acoustic album from the prolific Mr. Black, and this acapella track is a standout. Bizarre and wonderful. | More | Hear |
| Oct 14 | Daryll-Ann | "All By Myself" | Heard this song one morning on WMBR and - rare for me - called the DJ to find out who it was. Bought the album and it became my favorite of, say 2002. Recently re-visited it and still love it. Apparently the band recently broke up. | More | Hear |
| Oct 02 | Kings of Leon | "King of the Rodeo" | Matt has long lauded these guys and I just never bothered to check them out. Picked up the new rekkid and it's growing on me quickly. This song, in particular. | More | Hear |
| Oct 01 | Slade | "How Does It Feel?" | This is a song that I've been listening to almost daily for the past 6 months or so. I've known it for years, but lately I just can't get enough of it. Slade were a great band, and their best songs are on par with any of the greats. | More | Hear |
| Sep 29 | Elevator Drops | "Catastrophe" | One of my favorite bands to see in Boston in the late 90s. This song was a near-the-end favorite of mine. Years after they split, there was talk of a final album release, but it seems to have fallen away. | More | Hear |
| Sep 27 | Led Zeppelin | "Hey Hey What Can I Do" | Though I am not a big Zeppelin fan, I have always had an affinity for this song. Maybe it's the peppy beat, or maybe it's the indecisive yeah-no-yeah-no-yeah-no refrain at the end. It's just good stuff. | More | Hear |
| Sep 20 | Ennio Morricone | "Quando Le Donne Avevano La Coda" | Recently nabbed this soundtrack from my fave music blog, and I'm not sure it's great, but it's definitely notable. Excellently weird vocalizations. | More | Hear |
| Sep 16 | Calexico | "Black Heart" | Calexico's recent albums have been among my favorite new music and this track from Feat of Wire is a real gem. | More | Hear |
| Sep 12 | Mike Post | "Magnum P.I." | Maybe someday you will understand why this is today's song... | More | Hear |
| Sep 10 | The Louvin Brothers | "The Great Atomic Power" | Ira and Charlie Louvin were an unusual pair, very unique and often delivering greatness. This is one of their finest moments. I first heard the song when SCOTs did it at the Middle East, and their version is the best available on iTunes. | More | Hear |
| Sep 08 | Jacques Brel | "L'Ostendaise" | Hands down, this is one of the most beautiful songs ever. Ever. | More | Hear |
| Sep 06 | INXS | "Shine Like It Does" | Listen Like Thieves was one of my dirty little secrets in the 80s, but now I proudly proclaim its pop greatness. | More | Hear |
| Sep 03 | Kristin Hersh | "Christian Hearse" | Just picked up the newest album by one of my long-time favorite artists, and while the jury's still out, I generally dig it and enjoyed this evidence of her having a sense of humor in regards to her music. | More | Hear |
| Aug 30 | Wilco | "Hummingbird" | It's no secret: I love hummingbirds. And also this song (see blog). | More | Hear |
| Aug 29 | Dusty Springfield | "I Think It's Gonna Rain Today" | This is a beautifully sad song by the master of just such songs: Randy Newman. Especially poignant on this hot end to our fourth month sans rain. | More | Hear |
| Aug 28 | Michael Nesmith | "Propinquity (I've Just Begun To Care)" | The former hatted Monkee has written a wealth of great songs and this is one of them. | More | Hear |
| Aug 26 | Teenage Fanclub | "The Concept" | PK has been playing the shit out of this one lately, and with good reason. It's a great bit of grunge-pop, and it really calls up memories of my early days of rock. | More | Hear |
| Aug 24 | Scott Walker | "Duchess" | A relatively simple song from the flawless LP Scott 4, this one was covered perfectly by Neko Case on her debut. | More | Hear |
| Aug 23 | Roy Wood | "The Rain Came Down on Everything" | Hats off, once again, to Kenny for pointing me in the direction of this gorgeous song. It has all the majesty of ELO without the cold precision. | More | Hear |
| Aug 22 | Manic Street Preachers | "The Second Great Depression" | Sadly, these guys are not making quite the vital records they once did, but there is still always something good to be found. This is from their latest, Send Away The Tigers. | More | Hear |
| Aug 17 | Frank Black & the Catholics | "California Bound" | FB's Black Letter Days is perhaps my favorite post-Pixies album, and this song, for obvious reasons, has a special resonance today. | More | Hear |
| Aug 16 | Elvis Presley | "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" | One of my fave Elvis tracks, this is the best version of this classic tune. | More | Hear |
| Aug 15 | Los Dug Dug's | "We Always Hate Your Manners" | I actually can't quite figure out if I like this band or not, but I'm leaning towards yes. | More | Hear |
| Aug 14 | Matt Nathanson | "Car Crash" | I sorta had to pick this one. Happy release day! | More | Hear |
| Aug 13 | David Bowie | "Suffragette City" | Maybe I'm on an android-esque, queeny guys kick, but this song came up today it's just unstoppably good. | More | Hear |
| Aug 11 | Klaus Nomi | "Total Eclipse" | You just have to experience it for yourself. | More | Hear |
| Aug 09 | Attics and Cellars | "Sheep and Wolves" | I've been hearing from J. Zumpano over the past few months and every new thing he does just gets better and better. Check it out. | More | Hear |
| Aug 08 | T. Rex | "Beltane Walk" | Friend Kenny re-introduced me to this album recently and it's pretty killer. This track stands out for its strings and groovy feel with no rhythm section. | More | Hear |
| Aug 07 | Morrissey | "King Leer" | From the oft-maligned Kill Uncle album. This song reminds me of a time in my life when cuffed jeans were more near the top of my list of priorities. | More | Hear |
| Jul 27 | Adam Ant | "Mohair Locker Room Pinup Boys" | Vive le Rock could have been the album that kept Adam Ant on the map after the disaster that was Strip. Shame it had the opposite effect, as it features a couple cool, weird pop songs like this one. | More | Hear |
| Jul 06 | Venable | "Foster's Home Theme Song" | Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends is pretty much the best show on television right now, and its theme song is pure genius. | More | Hear |
| Jul 04 | Nick Cave | "Breathless" | Just saw the video for this one and have a newfound appreciation for it. | More | Hear |
| Jul 03 | Paula Kelley | "Goodbye Septmber" | Just got the final mix back from Ben West and it is amazing! Makes me weep. | More | Hear |
| Jul 01 | Amy Winehouse | "Rehab" | I cannot believe it is not butter! | More | Hear |
