Zebra

Because every year needs a good song that starts with Z

Fables of the Recession

Here's a compilation I made called "Fables of the Recession".

It's a collection of some of my favorite cover tunes over the past two years, including versions of at least four of my favorite songs of all time.



Anytime At All - Magic Christian (Los Beatles)
Black Is Black - The Rubinoos (Los Bravos)
City of Sisterly Love - Jon Auer (Jimmy Silva)
Damaged Goods - Hotrats (Gang Of Four)
Driver 8 - Old 97's (R.E.M.)
Enjoy the Silence - Nada Surf (Depeche Mode)
Fernando - Wreckless Eric & Amy Rigby (ABBA)
Fragile - The Lemonheads (Wire)
Groove Is In The Heart - Crocodiles (Dee-Lite)
He's Frank - Brighton Port Authority (The Monochrome Set)
I Wanna Be Adored - The Raveonettes (Stone Roses)
In My Room - Best Coast (The Beach Boys)
It's Love - The Finn Family (Chris Knox)
Knowing Me, Knowing You - The Well Wishers (ABBA)
Life On Mars - Robyn Hitchcock (David Bowie)
Night Time - Tommy Keene (Big Star)
Pull Up The Roots - The Morning Benders (Talking Heads)
Ridin' In My Car - She & Him (NRBQ)
Shake Some Action - Rex & Gen Broome (The Flamin' Groovies)
She Don't Care About Time - Title Tracks (The Byrds)
So It Goes - Ted Leo (Nick Lowe)
Tell Me When It's Over - Joe Pernice (The Dream Syndicate)
Through My Sails - The Bye Bye Blackbirds (Neil Young)
Waterloo Sunset - Agony Aunts (The Kinks)
World Shut Your Mouth - Death Cab for Cutie (Julian Cope)
You Tore Me Down - Paul Collins (The Flamin' Groovies)

Download link

Your Hands (Together)

The alphabetical final song on my 2010 compilation by the New Pornographers



I haven't seen any other best of year mixes with songs from the NPs Together, but the album doesn't seem that unworthy to me. It's a little top heavy, with the first four songs carrying the weight for the remaining eight, but it's at least as good as Challengers.

Anyway, it's only the 26th and I'm already done with my monthly mix. Off to Just Read More Novels.

You Must Be Out Of Your Mind

Magnetic Fields

Woe Is Me

Just like Band Of Horses, 2010 was the year I finally got the Walkmen



I'm just listing these songs in alphabetical order the way they appeared on my 2010 playlist, but if you play the songs that way, "When I'm With You" segues sweetly into "Woe Is Me".

When I'm With You

And the award for best use of cats in a video goes to Best Coast.



Another candidate for my song of the year.

Saturday Sun

Crowded House

Release Me

I like The Like

Oh Genevieve

Lloyd Cole made a record last year, and it's pretty good in that Lloyd Cole way.

Next Year About The Same Time

I can't fully endorse the latest Apples In Stereo album, but this song is a winner!



The album title "Travellers in Space and Time" triggers my spell-check.
Isn't double-l travellers an allowable alternate spelling?

Measure

Any musical year with a new Field Music album is a good year by definition.

Laredo

2010 was the year that emusic picked up the Sub Pop catalog and I learned to like Band Of Horses.



Any song that reminds you of Marty Robbins has to be a good one.

Kings Of Power Pop

One of my biggest surprises of 2010 was Paul Collins putting out his best album in thirty years.

Jacqueline Susann

Next up, the Pernice Brothers



Jacqueline Susann was the author of "Valley Of The Dolls". I learned that from this song.

Is Love Forever?

Some guy dancing to my favorite song on the latest Spoon album.

Hurricane J

Heaven Is Whenever by the Hold Steady got so-so reviews and didn't make any year-end lists, but I thought it sounded not unlike their two previous (glowingly reviewed) albums. And its leadoff single "Hurricane J" stands up against anything they've ever done. Here's a cool stripped-down version.

Good Morning (The Future)

Here's a song that didn't make the cut on my 2010 compilation.



I completely forgot that RW's Permalight came out in 2010. Make of that what you will.

Elizabeth Park

I can't really judge songs written by people I know, but if I could, this would be one of the two or three best ones of last year.



I'm glad this got a semi-official release in 2010, because I was considering choosing a demo version on my 2009 compilation in the place of that Brendan Benson song.

Dog in the Burning Building

Another D song from 2010 from Miles Kurosky



"I will say it again, That is one of the best video I ever saw!!!" - SHTAMPER 3 months ago

Dark Clouds

According to last.fm and iTunes, this was my most-played song of 2010

Cleopatra Street

Next from last year: "Cleopatra Street" by The Posies

Bloodbuzz Ohio

Second track from 2010 is "Bloodbuzz Ohio" by the National. According to iTunes and last.fm, I've played this song 4x more than any other track on High Violet.



I've modified my blog layout to show wide videos, so hopefully this will show up correctly. Looks like it does. Matt looks even more disaffected in 560x340.

Anchor

I'll be spending the rest of January outlining some of the songs listed in my 2010 mix. First up is "Anchor" by Alejandro Escovedo, from the album Street Songs Of Love.

A great tune. Here's a live take from the Letterman show in July.

Twenty Ten: Odyssey Two

Happy New Year Everyone!

Here are 30 songs from the year just past. This collection is called "2010: Odyssey Two", which borrows its title and cover from this largely forgotten 1984 sequel to a classic 1968 movie.



Here is the track listing. The songs are listed in alphabetical order and designed for shuffle play, but still sound okay in this order.

With artist and youtube links where present.

TWENTY TEN: ODYSSEY TWO
Anchor - Alejandro Escovedo (Street Songs of Love)
Bartomelo And The Buzzing Of Bees - Ted Leo/Pharmacists (Brutalist Bricks)
Bloodbuzz Ohio - The National (High Violet)
Cleopatra Street - The Posies (Blood/Candy)
Dark Clouds - Teenage Fanclub (Shadows)
Dog In The Burning Building - Miles Kurosky (The Desert Of Shallow Effects)
Earth #1 - The Rubinoos (Automatic Toaster)
Elizabeth Park - The Bye Bye Blackbirds (Tour EP 2010)
Foxhound - Paula Carino (Open On Sunday)
Greater Miranda - Agony Aunts (Greater Miranda)
Green Blimp - Dwight Twilley (Green Blimp)
Hurricane J - The Hold Steady (Heaven Is Whenever)
Is Love Forever? - Spoon (Transference)
I'm Not Living In The Real World - Belle and Sebastian (Write About Love)
Jacqueline Susann - Pernice Brothers (Goodbye, Killer)
Kings Of Power Pop - Paul Collins (King Of Power Pop!)
Laredo - Band of Horses (Infinite Arms)
Let's Call It Love - The Parties (Coast Garde)
Like A Statue - Statuesque (Reader, I Curried Him)
Measure - Field Music (Measure)
Next Year About the Same Time - Apples In Stereo (Travelers in Space and Time)
Oh Geneviève - Lloyd Cole (Broken Record)
Psychedelic Mynde of Moses - Anton Barbeau (Psychedelic Mynde of Moses)
Release Me - The Like (Release Me)
Saturday Sun - Crowded House (Intriguer)
Thank You, Time Girl - The Hungry Moment (Phantom 45)
When I'm With You - Best Coast (Crazy For You)
Woe Is Me - The Walkmen (Lisbon)
You Must Be Out Of Your Mind - Magnetic Fields (Realism)
Your Hands(Together) - The New Pornographers (Together)

Download link